cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical Treatment of High-Grade Dysplasia and Early Esophageal Cancer

The treatment of early-stage esophageal cancer and high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus has changed significantly in recent years. Many early tumors that were traditionally treated with esophagectomy can now be resected with endoscopic therapy alone. These new endoscopic modalities can offer similar survival outcomes without the associated morbidity of a major operation. However, a number of these cases may still require surgical intervention as the best treatment option. The current scientific literature, national and international guidelines were reviewed for recommendations regarding optimal treatment of early esophageal malignancy. The primary advantage of surgery over endoscopic treatment lies in the reduced risk of recurrence as well as the ability to assess harvested lymph nodes for regional disease. We recommend that esophageal tumors that have invaded into the submucosa (T1b) or beyond should be treated with an esophagectomy. In addition, dysplastic lesions and cancers that demonstrate poorly differentiated pathology or lymphovascular or perineural invasion should be surgically resected. Finally, large tumors, multifocal lesions, tumors within a long segment of Barrett’s esophagus, tumors adjacent to a hiatal hernia, tumors that cannot be resected enbloc with endoscopic techniques should also be treated with an esophagectomy. When performed at high-volume centers in experienced hands, esophagectomy can have consistently good outcomes for high-grade dysplasia and early esophageal cancers, and should be considered as a treatment option.
Priced just for me: The role of interpersonal attachment style on consumer responses to customized pricing

Customized pricing is an increasing phenomenon in the marketplace, but little is known about factors influencing consumer responses to customized pricing. The present paper seeks to gain an understanding of how, why, and when this emerging pricing mechanism may offer benefits. Specifically, this research focuses on how consumers respond to customized pricing tactics and, more specifically, on how interpersonal attachment orientations impact consumers' responses to prices offered in the presence of a customized pricing program. The results of 3 studies suggest that customized pricing programs likely create an expectation for a discounted price among securely attached individuals, such that these consumers are dissatisfied paying the shelf price in the presence of a customized pricing program. Overall, the results provide evidence that, although customized pricing programs are often used to enhance consumer evaluations, they may not always be effective. This paper advances prior research by integrating important considerations for both pricing and customization strategies based on individual and situational differences in attachment orientations.
Effectiveness of fungicide treatments following the Strawberry Advisory System for control of Botrytis fruit rot in Florida

Abstract Florida strawberry production is highly affected by plant diseases. Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) is an important disease that can cause more than 50% yield losses if not well-managed. The disease is traditionally managed in Florida by preventative fungicide applications using a multi-site fungicide in early season when environmental conditions are less conducive for disease development and single-site fungicides during bloom when the environment is more conducive. More recently, many Florida growers have been following the Strawberry Advisory System (StAS), a web-based disease forecast system, to improve timing and reduce the number of fungicide applications. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of different fungicides used after StAS spray alerts compared to Calendar-based applications with the objective of implementing specific fungicide recommendations for Botrytis control into StAS. Two field trials were conducted, one in 2013–2014, and the second in 2014–2015 season. During periods that predicted high risk of disease incidence, BFR was best managed by StAS-triggered applications of fludioxonil + cyprodinil, or fluopyram. Yields were increased by StAS-triggered treatments that included fludioxonil + cyprodinil, thiram and the SDHI fungicides fluopyram, penthiopyrad, and fluxapyroxad, and the Calendar-based treatment in one season. However, the StAS-triggered treatments had about half the number of applications of the Calendar-based program. Our results show that timing and the choice of the fungicide to be sprayed when weather conditions are highly favorable for disease development are key to effective management of BFR.
Robotics system for definition of the pipeline diagram

This paper deals with the definition of the oil pipeline diagram by means of navigation system of pig. The modern methods of pig location and navigation have been examined. The experience of aerospace technologies for construction of inertial system of navigation is used. The original methods of inertial system correction have been proposed. The block diagram of algorithm for automated data processing of pipelines inspection and reconstruction of their plan is developed.
High Quality Down-Sampling for Deterministic Approaches to Stochastic Computing

Deterministic approaches to stochastic computing (SC) have been recently proposed to remove the random fluctuation and correlation problems of SC and so produce completely accurate results with stochastic logic. For many applications of SC, such as image processing and neural networks, completely accurate computation is not required for all input data. Decision-making on some input data can be done in a much shorter time using only a good approximation of the input values. While the deterministic approaches to SC are appealing by generating completely accurate results, the cost of precise results makes them energy inefficient for the cases when slight inaccuracy is acceptable. In this work, we propose a high quality down-sampling method for previously proposed deterministic approaches to SC by generating pseudo-random—but accurate—stochastic bit-stream. The result is a much better accuracy for a given number of input bits. Experimental results show that the processing time and the energy consumption of these deterministic methods are improved up to 61 and 41 percent, respectively, while allowing a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.1 percent, and up to 500X and 334X improvement, respectively, for an MAE of 3.0 percent. The accuracy and the energy consumption are also improved compared to conventional random stream-based stochastic implementations.
An engineered polysaccharide lyase to combat harmful algal blooms

Abstract A growing global population and industrialization have come at the cost of induced climate change and pollution of natural resources, resulting in formation of toxic algal blooms in fresh water sources. In the US alone, these blooms cost an estimated $1.5 billion dollars each year to remediate. Current methods to combat such blooms such as copper sulfate treatment are expensive, ineffective, and environmentally toxic, motivating development of biochemical algaecides as green alternatives. Our previous research led to identification of mutant polysaccharide lyase (PL) enzyme H208F derived from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Smlt2602 (WT), which displays increased activity on the polysaccharide polyglucuronic acid. Polyglucuronic acid is a major component of the algal cell wall. This study focused on applying the two enzymes to a common bloom-forming, toxin-producing algae, Microcystis aeruginosa. We hypothesized the 2 enzymes would kill algae through disrupting the cell wall, with H208F displaying a higher killing efficacy over WT. A fluorescence assay in conjunction with live/dead staining was used to quantify killing of algae treated with each enzyme. SEM analysis was used to observe cell wall morphology in order to verify the killing mechanism. The mutant H208F was confirmed as having potential application as a biochemical, enzymatic algaecide with a 17% greater algicidal efficacy than the WT. SEM images revealed deformities in the algal cell wall, confirming the purported mechanism.
Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease With Hypertension Control and Renin Angiotensin System Inhibition

The global incidence and prevalence of diabetes continues to expand due primarily to the influences of obesity and the contribution of obesity to the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes has driven an increase in rates of CKD in the past 3 decades in the United States. In turn, so have the rates for complications related to type 2 diabetes including CKD, eg, diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Although incident rates for DKD have stabilized in the recent years, diabetes continues to be the leading cause of ESRD in the United States. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study data and other population-level studies support that lowering blood pressure reduces kidney disease and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, strategies targeting renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system interruption have shown to improve DKD outcomes to a greater extent than other classes of antihypertensive regimens.
How can we help? An exploration of the public’s role in overcoming barriers to urban sustainability plan implementation

Abstract This article evaluates the relationship between sustainability plan implementation and public participation after plan adoption via citizen advisory committees (CACs). The study analyzes in-depth interviews with sustainability planners 1 in 36 medium and large U.S. cities and urban counties to test whether public participation supports planning implementation. I delineate the common implementation challenges across 36 communities, analyze CAC roles after plan adoption in 25 communities that choose to form an implementation CAC, and assess why variation exists in these groups’ roles and impacts. Findings suggest citizen advisory committees bolster planners’ efforts to move past implementation barriers, affirming the theoretical belief that public participation supports implementation. Additionally, the study provides insight into how sustainability planners facilitate and encourage the CACs impact on implementation or stifle this latent capacity.
Concepts of Probability and Statistics

In this chapter, we examined some theoretical aspects of probability density functions and distributions encountered in the study of fading and shadowing in wireless channels. We started with the basic definition of probability, then discussed density functions and properties relating to the analysis of fading and shadowing. We also examined the transformations of random variables in conjunction with relationships of different types of random variables. This is important in the study of diversity and modeling of specific statistical behavior of the wireless channels. The density functions of some of the functions of two or more random variables were derived. We examined order statistics, placing emphasis on the density functions of interest in diversity analysis. Concepts of stochastic processes and their properties were outlined. Similarly, the characteristics of noise were delineated within the context of signal detection. In addition, this study included an exploration of ways of expressing some of the densities in more compact forms using the hypergeometric functions and MeijerG functions.
CELL SURFACE PROTEOLYSIS AND THE TRANSFORMED PHENOTYPE

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the cell surface proteolysis and the transformed phenotype. The transformation of a large number of cell types of various species by a variety of agents has been demonstrated to result in increased cellular fibrinolysis. The observed fibrinolysis is the result of the secretion of plasminogen activator, a protease, by the neoplastic cells and the subsequent conversion of the zymogen plasminogen, a component of plasma and serum, to its active form plasmin by the plasminogen activator. While the plasminogen activator has a narrow specificity and appears only to activate plasminogen, plasmin has a rather broad specificity much like that of trypsin and will hydrolyze peptide bonds in a variety of proteins. The production of plasminogen activator and the generation of plasmin has been shown to effect the phenotype of the transformed cell. The ability of cells to migrate from the edge of a wound, to express certain morphological changes, to be agglutinated by lectins and to grow in agar are dependent, at least in part, on the generation of plasmin.
Information Sources and Needs

Current changes occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere can be expected to produce serious health hazards to the world’s population. These hazards may range from malnutrition as a result of prolonged regional famine and drought to skin cancer and eye disease caused by exposure to increased levels of ultraviolet light.
Lidar application to monitoring emissions and transport of particulate pollution in urban environments with high temporal and spatial resolution

Attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standard-NAAQS for exposure limits to air pollutants is of great concern to State and Local agencies and communities in the United State because of potential health impacts. This is particularly important and challenging in urban areas because of high population densities and complex terrain. Exceedances of NAAQS requires states to develop implementation plans to address them and as such, studying the horizontal and vertical distribution and mixing of pollutants is key to understanding their transport and evolution. In this study, vertical and scanning horizontal lidar measurements together with in situ observations from particulate matter and trace gas analyzers from state air quality networks are used to shed light on mechanisms that impact movement of aerosol, including emissions from power generating stations at periods of high electricity demand.
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of transport in amorphous silicon passivation layers in silicon heterojunction solar cells

Silicon heterojunction solar cell device structures use carrier-selective contacts to maximize collection of photogenerated carriers. The carrier-selective contact structure consists of doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon and intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a-Si:H(i)]. In this structure, the a-Si:H(i) layer plays a crucial role as it passivates the heterointerface between the doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon and the crystalline silicon enabling the solar cell to achieve high device efficiencies. However, the a-Si:H(i) layer also creates a potential barrier to photogenerated carriers which obstructs them from getting collected. Previously, experimental studies in the literature have predicted that the photogenerated carriers cross the barrier by defect-assisted transport (hopping). Traditionally, theoretical models that are employed to study the electrical characteristics of silicon heterojunction solar cells do not provide any great insight into the transport of carriers via defects. In this paper, we present an in-house developed kinetic Monte Carlo that simulates the transport of photogenerated holes through the band tail defect states in the a-Si:H(i) layer. This is done primarily by defining transition rates associated with carrier-defect interactions. We conduct simulations to understand the impact of the properties (optical phonon energy, defect density, etc.) of the a-Si:H(i) layer on transport of photogenerated holes. Our simulations indicate that multi-phonon injection and hopping processes assist photogenerated holes to cross the a-Si:H(i) layer, which is in agreement with experimental findings.
Proteasome Activation to Combat Proteotoxicity

Loss of proteome fidelity leads to the accumulation of non-native protein aggregates and oxidatively damaged species: hallmarks of an aged cell. These misfolded and aggregated species are often found, and suggested to be the culpable party, in numerous neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s Diseases (AD). Many strategies for therapeutic intervention in proteotoxic pathologies have been put forth; one of the most promising is bolstering the efficacy of the proteasome to restore normal proteostasis. This strategy is ideal as monomeric precursors and oxidatively damaged proteins, so called “intrinsically disordered proteins” (IDPs), are targeted by the proteasome. This review will provide an overview of disorders in proteins, both intrinsic and acquired, with a focus on susceptibility to proteasomal degradation. We will then examine the proteasome with emphasis on newly published structural data and summarize current known small molecule proteasome activators.
The Role of the Academy and HRD in the Changing of the Guard

The ProblemLife for faculty members is becoming more complex and stressful due to the rate of change and the ever-increasing demands being placed on them: publish in top journals, apply for funding...
Abstract P2-18-04: Endocrine therapy (ET) and radiotherapy (RT) use among elderly women with hormone receptor positive (HR+), clinically node negative (cN-) breast cancer

Background: Based on data from randomized controlled trials, women age 65 or older with HR+, cN- breast cancer can omit post-lumpectomy RT if they take ET for 5 years. However ET non-compliance is a significant challenge, especially in non-trial patients. Initiation of and persistence with ET in the setting of RT omission is poorly understood in a non-trial patient population. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study from a single institution, women age 65 and older with HR+, cN- breast cancer who were diagnosed in 2005-2018 were included. Patients who underwent mastectomy were excluded. Persistence with ET was defined as taking ET for a minimum of 57 months, until disease recurrence, or until the patient was lost to follow up. Recurrence was defined as any local, regional, or distant recurrence, and excluded contralateral breast cancer. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine trends in practice patterns over time and by age. Kaplan-Meier estimators were used to estimate the probability of ET discontinuation. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to assess associations between recurrence and ET/RT. Results: Of 484 patients, median age was 71.9 years old and 90% were non-Hispanic white. The majority of patients had tumor size ≤2cm (81%) and did not receive chemotherapy (92%). Approximately one third were clinically node negative but did not undergo axillary surgery (32%). The average follow-up from date of diagnosis was 34.5 months. Percentages of patients who initiated ET and/or received RT are provided in Table 1. Receipt of both ET and RT decreased with age (p Conclusion: This real world data analysis showed that among older patients with cN- HR+ breast cancer, a substantial proportion of patients who omitted RT also did not initiate ET. Those who did not undergo RT were more likely to discontinue ET early. In addition, among women who omitted RT, those who did not initiate ET had higher risk of recurrence. Caution should be taken when omitting RT in this patient population, since concomitant omission of RT and poor compliance with ET could increase the risk of disease recurrence. Citation Format: Mei Wei, Xuechen Wang, Danielle Zimmerman, Lindsay M Burt, Benjamin Haaland, N. L. Henry. Endocrine therapy (ET) and radiotherapy (RT) use among elderly women with hormone receptor positive (HR+), clinically node negative (cN-) breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-18-04.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Glargine U300 and Glargine U100 for the Inpatient Management of Medicine and Surgery Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Glargine U300 Hospital Trial.

OBJECTIVE The role of U300 glargine insulin for the inpatient management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has not been determined. We compared the safety and efficacy of glargine U300 versus glargine U100 in noncritically ill patients with T2D. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This prospective, open-label, randomized clinical trial included 176 patients with poorly controlled T2D (admission blood glucose [BG] 228 ± 82 mg/dL and HbA1c 9.5 ± 2.2%), treated with oral agents or insulin before admission. Patients were treated with a basal-bolus regimen with glargine U300 (n = 92) or glargine U100 (n = 84) and glulisine before meals. We adjusted insulin daily to a target BG of 70–180 mg/dL. The primary end point was noninferiority in the mean difference in daily BG between groups. The major safety outcome was the occurrence of hypoglycemia. RESULTS There were no differences between glargine U300 and U100 in mean daily BG (186 ± 40 vs. 184 ± 46 mg/dL, P = 0.62), percentage of readings within target BG of 70–180 mg/dL (50 ± 27% vs. 55 ± 29%, P = 0.3), length of stay (median [IQR] 6.0 [4.0, 8.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0, 7.0] days, P = 0.06), hospital complications (6.5% vs. 11%, P = 0.42), or insulin total daily dose (0.43 ± 0.21 vs. 0.42 ± 0.20 units/kg/day, P = 0.74). There were no differences in the proportion of patients with BG 0.99), but glargine U300 resulted in significantly lower rates of clinically significant hypoglycemia ( CONCLUSIONS Hospital treatment with glargine U300 resulted in similar glycemic control compared with glargine U100 and may be associated with a lower incidence of clinically significant hypoglycemia.
Exploration of POD-Galerkin Techniques for Developing Reduced Order Models of Reaction-Advection Equations

Abstract : Galerkin's method is applied to reduce a high-order PDE system to a lower-order ODE system using POD eigen-basis to develop a reduced order model (ROM) describing the combustion response to acoustic excitations. A one-dimensional reaction-advection scalar equation is used as a representative equation to investigate the overall approach. Both linear and nonlinear model equations are employed to build the reduced order model. The influence of different discretization methods and time steps on the ROM are evaluated. Parametric explorations are performed to investigate the capabilities of the lower-order model for predicting combustion response.
A simplified laparoscopic-assisted gastrostomy technique: a single center experience

Although percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is considered simple and effective, major complications have been reported because of the partly blind placement technique. Laparoscopic gastrostomy was described to overcome most of the problems and the contraindications of PEG. Various modifications have been reported to anchor the stomach to the abdominal wall. This study aims at highlighting a single center experience using a simplified technique for gastrostomy and evaluates its outcome. The age of the patients ranged from 7 days to 3 years (mean 11.75 ± 12 months in group A and 16 ± 3 months in group B). The mean body weight at time of gastrostomy was 6.5 ± 4.6 kg in group A and 7.5 ± 2 in group B. The mean operative time was 24.8 ± 4 min in group A and 25 ± 1.6 in group B, ranging from 18 to 31 min. The incidence of gastrostomy-related complications was 20% (three cases) in group A versus 12.5% (one case) among patients included in group B. Yet, this difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.651). No major complications were reported apart from persistent gastrocutaneous fistula in one out of eight cases followed after removal of the gastrostomy (12.5%). There is no significant difference in the outcome either in neonates or in patients less than 5 kg. The described simple technique of laparoscopic-assisted gastrostomy is easy, effective, and with a very low incidence of complications. It is also equally safe in neonates and children less than 5 kg.
Metabolic and mitochondrial treatments for severe paracetamol poisoning: a systematic review

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) remains a leading cause of poisoning in Europe, North America, and Australia. For over four decades, acetylcysteine has been the antidote of choice. However, despite the...
Disparities in inpatient costs and outcomes after elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion at safety-net hospitals

Abstract Introduction Characterizing disparities that exist at safety-net hospitals is crucial for crafting national healthcare reform policies. Healthcare disparities in performing elective neurosurgical procedures like anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) at safety-net hospitals have not yet been examined. Objective We use the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a national all-payer healthcare database of inpatient admissions, to determine whether safety-net hospitals can provide equitable care after elective ACDF. Methods The NIS from 2002 to 2011 was queried for patients who received ACDF in the context of degenerative spine disease. Hospital safety-net burden was designated as low (LBH), medium (MBH), or high (HBH) based on the proportion of inpatient admissions that were billed as Medicaid, self-pay, or charity care. Significance was set at p Results A total of 219,433 admissions were included in this analysis. HBHs were more likely than LBHs to treat patients who were Black, Hispanic, on Medicaid, or had myelopathy (p Discussion Safety net hospitals had greater inpatient costs, but no greater LOS or odds of inpatient adverse events after elective ACDF. These results demonstrate a need for policies that reduce the cost of performing ACDFs at SNHs.
Guest Editorial: Introduction to the Special Mini-Issue on the 2020 IEEE 31 st International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT 2020)

The papers in this special section were presented at the 2020 31st IEEE International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT 2020) that took place in Tempe, AZ, USA on March 8-11, 2020. It was held on the grounds of Arizona State University (ASU) and organized by the local committee consisting of engineers and scientists from ASU.
The impact of Tai Chi and mind-body breathing in COPD: Insights from a qualitative sub-study of a randomized controlled trial

Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with multiple psychosocial and behavioral factors. Prior research suggests that mind-body interventions may support the development and maintenance of healthy behaviors and improve health-related quality-of-life in such patients. We sought to qualitatively explore cognitive, psychosocial, and behavioral changes in patients with COPD who participated in two different mind-body interventions compared to an education control. Methods We analyzed semi-structured qualitative exit interviews from a prospective, randomized pilot trial (N = 123) investigating 12-weeks of Tai Chi (TC) vs. mind-body breathing (MBB) vs. education (EDU) control in patients with moderate-severe COPD. TC involved traditional movements, that integrate meditative breathing, while MBB focused mainly on meditative breathing techniques alone. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis of randomly selected transcripts was performed by two independent reviewers using an iterative process to identify emergent themes informed by grounded theory methods until thematic saturation was reached. Results A total of 66 transcripts were reviewed (N = 22 TC, N = 22 MBB, N = 22 EDU). Participants were mean age = 68.1 years, GOLD Stage = 2.3, baseline FEV11 percent predicted mean (SD): 58% (13.4), 42.4% female. We identified six frequently mentioned themes: 1) overall awareness and understanding, 2) self-care knowledge, skills and behaviors, 3) behavior-related neurocognitive concepts, 4) physical function, 5) psychological well-being, and 6) social support/social function. Compared to EDU, more participants in TC and MBB noted improvements in awareness of self and the mind-body connection (e.g., body and breath awareness), knowledge of breathing techniques and integration of self-care skills with daily activities, self-efficacy for symptom management (particularly managing anxiety and dyspnea), acceptance of disease, physical function improvements (e.g., endurance, dyspnea, fatigue), and psychological well-being (particularly relaxation, emotion regulation and decreased reactivity). Compared to MBB, those in TC shared more intention to continue with self-care behaviors, physical activity self-efficacy, and improved flexibility. All three groups, including EDU, noted increased social support and knowledge of disease. Those in EDU, however, had fewer mentions of processes related to behavior change, and less concrete changes in neurocognitive, psychological, and physical function domains. Conclusions Mind-body interventions including meditative breathing may impact behavior-related neurocognitive and emotional factors that improve self-care management and support positive behavioral changes in patients with COPD. Trial registration This trial is registered in Clinical Trials.gov, ID number NCT01551953.
Masculinities, Language, and the Alpha Male

This chapter provides a theoretical foundation to the book and overviews the Alpha label, notably its salience in North American Anglophone speech communities. Discussion then reverts to the broader field of gender and sexualities studies, focusing on questions of hegemony and power, while also addressing the similarities and differences of the Alpha male vis-a-vis other forms of dominant, exaggerated, or celebrated masculinity. Specific attention is given to scholarship challenging and expanding understandings of masculinities lived out in language and communication. It is shown that Alpha male ideologies and the linguistic and discursive performances of this are both similar and distinct from other uses of this label, including anti-feminist and overtly hostile forms of toxic masculinity that are widely documented in antecedent literature.
Heartbeat: public involvement in cardiovascular research.

Current clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) research primarily is ‘about’ patients with CVD but performed by academic researchers with little or no input from the public or patients. As concisely summarised in the Cardiology in Focus article1 in this issue of Heart , public involvement in research both empowers patients and the public and can point researchers towards critical questions or outcomes important to patients. Public involvement in cardiovascular research also has the potential to reduce global inequity in health research. Even so, it can be daunting for a clinical investigator to actively involve patients, other than as enrolled participants, due to lack of knowledge about why or how to do so. The article by Ramakrishnan and Miller provides practical advice, with links to more detailed information online, that will help researchers effectively involve the public in clinical cardiovascular research; an approach that increasingly is considered an essential element of an ethical and rigorous research study (figure 1). Figure 1 Ways that people can be involved in the research cycle (adapted from UK Standards for Public Involvement; https://www.invo.org.uk/). Among adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), heart failure (HF) is a primary cause of hospitalisation and mortality. In order to better define the healthcare burden of HF in ACHD patients, Burstein and colleagues2 used data from the US Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and the Nationwide …
Specific Electrocardiograph Intervals Predict Hospitalization with Atrial Fibrillation in Those with Chronic Kidney Disease.

INTRODUCTION Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with higher rates of hospitalization compared to those without AF. Whether routine electrocardiographic parameters are predictive of future hospitalizations with AF is not clear. METHODS The present study is an analysis of a prospective cohort of 2,759 patients without baseline AF from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort, a large prospective multicenter study of patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models were fit to examine the association of baseline categories of QTc, QRS, and PR intervals with time to first hospitalization with AF. Restricted cubic splines were used to display nonlinear associ-ations. RESULTS The mean age of subjects at baseline was 58 ± 11 years, 55% were male, and 44% were Black. The mean follow-up was 6.6 years during which 224 participants experienced a hospitalization with AF. The association of baseline QTc interval with risk of AF hospitalization was nonlinear, such that the lowest and highest quartiles of QTc ( 431 ms, respectively) had higher adjusted risk of AF hospitalization, compared with the second quartile (407-416 ms) (aHR Q1:Q2 1.58, 95% CI 1.03-2.41; p = 0.03; aHR Q4:Q2 1.84, 95% CI 1.22-2.78; p < 0.01). Longer QRS was associated with a higher risk of hospitalization with AF among the subgroup of patients with a history of heart failure (HF). PR interval was not associated with AF hospitalization. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION The association of QTc with risk for hospitalization with AF among patients with CKD is nonlinear, while the association of longer QRS with AF hospitalization is restricted to patients with baseline HF. Electrocardiography may represent a simple and widely accessible method for risk stratification of future AF in patients with CKD.
Does psychological well-being mediate economic well-being? short-term evidence from a multifaceted program in the Philippines

Can changes in psychological well-being lead to changes in economic well-being? Across many settings, the view that inexpensive psychological interventions can lead to meaningful change in economic...
Networking Advancing Nursing Informatics

The number and type of resources have grown over the years to help the informatics nurse and any nurse, for that matter, learn about integrating informatics into their practice. The resources are in the categories of people resources, organizational resources, electronic resources, and the literature. This chapter highlights those resources for the nurse and the informatics nurse.
JUAN BOSCH Y EMILIO S. BELAVAL: UNA RELACIÓN LITERARIA, UN MOMENTO HISTÓRICO, UN TEXTO OLVIDADO

En este trabajo se recoge un texto perdido del escritor dominicano Juan Bosch sobre Emilio S. Belaval, cuentista puertorriqueno. Este texto olvidado fue el primer comentario que se hizo de Cuentos para fomentar el turismo, la obra maestra de Belaval. Pero el ensayo tambien sirvio de base a Bosch para el desarrollo de su teoria del cuento. La relacion entre estos dos importantes cuentistas evidencia el estrecho contacto que mantenian muchos escritores antillanos del momento y como este marco la obra de estos dos en lo ideologico y en lo estetico.
Update on fB

Abstract We describe the current status of the MILC collaboration computation of f B , f B s , f D , f D s and their ratios. Progress over the past year includes: better statistics and plateaus at β = 6.52 (quenched), β = 5.6 ( N F = 2) and β = 5.445 ( N F = 2), new runs with a wide range of dynamical quark masses at β = 5.5 ( N F = 2), an estimate of the systematic errors due to the chiral extrapolation, and an improved analysis which consistently takes into account both the correlations in the data at every stage and the systematic effects due to changing fitting ranges.
Salute the broadcast flag [digital protection for TV recording]

For decades, we've grown accustomed to the idea that electronic equipment gets increasingly powerful and economical with time each year, we buy more capability for the same price. Soon, however, there might be an exception. A new US Federal Communications (FCC) rule (FCC report 03-273) states that all US TV recorders made after July 2005 must recognize and obey a signal or marker in programs: the broadcast flag, that will restrict users from copying or distributing digital content. The "flag" is actually an instruction to the copying device, and although the FCC has suggested that deserving groups (such as those building systems to help the blind) might get exemptions, devices for the consumer market will have to obey it. Consequently, we could see consumers rush to buy high-definition digital TV recorders before the rule goes into effect this summer (2005).
Principles or Facts

ionist may be a victim of the "system-maker's vanity." EvAzs, Naw RnL.ixs AND OLn Rr.n(1928) 14. The constant tribute of the realists to the "scientific approach" recalls the words of Emerson: "Mlan thinking must not be subdued by his instruments." The American Scholar (1909) 5 HARvAan CLAssics 10. 19351
An optimized method of buffer status reporting for uplink data in LTE

Network typically requires the buffer status reports from User Equipments (UE) for scheduling of uplink resources. Multiple studies have established that the efficiency of scheduler will increase with the accuracy of the buffer status reports. Generally, there is a delay between the time when UE calculates the buffer status reports for sending to network and the time when UE receives the resources based on its buffer status report. In this paper, we propose a method for a UE to report more accurate buffer status reports considering this delay in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)
American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Competency of Osteopathic Medical Students

The study examined the effectiveness of a workshop on Deaf culture and basic medical American Sign Language for increasing osteopathic student physicians' confidence and knowledge when interacting with ASL-using patients. Students completed a pretest in which they provided basic demographic information, rated their confidence levels, took a video quiz on basic medical signs, and experienced a practical standardized encounter with a Deaf patient. They then attended a 4-hour workshop and, 2 weeks later, completed a posttest. Thirty-three students completed the pretest; 29 attended the workshop; 26 completed the posttest. Video quiz scores increased significantly from pretest to posttest, as did scores for the standardized patient encounter after completion of the workshop. Students also reported increased levels of confidence in interactions with the Deaf community. The results suggest that a single workshop was effective in increasing both confidence and short-term knowledge in interactions with Deaf patients.
A Bayesian Approach to Calibration

We develop a Bayesian approach to calibration that enables the incorporation of uncertainty regarding the parameters of the theoretical model under investigation. Our procedure involves the specification of prior distributions over parameter values, which in turn induce distributions over the statistical properties of artificial data simulated from the model. These distributions are compared with their empirical counterparts to assess the model's fit. The business-cycle model of King, Plosser, and Rebelo is used to demonstrate our procedure. We find that modest prior uncertainty regarding deep parameters enhances the plausibility of the model's description of the actual data.
Standardization of aluminum oxide and detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on aluminum oxide

Abstract Luminescence methods are described for detecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (6-, 5-, 4-, and 3-ring) on aluminum oxide after separation by dry-column chromatography. A method is reported for standardizing the water content in the aluminum oxide used for dry-column chromatography. A water content of 4.74% was chosen to define the activity of aluminum oxide because there was minimum overlap among the PAH bands.
Delivery of macromolecules into adherent cells via electroporation for use in fluorescence spectroscopic imaging and metabolic studies.

A method is described to introduce by electroporation membrane-impermeant molecules into adherent living cells with little perturbation. The approach uses simple, commonly available equipment to introduce small fluorescent dyes, large carrier-based dyes (e.g., fluorescein-labeled dextran), large macromolecules (e.g., antibodies), and metabolic precursors (e.g., 32P-ATP) with high efficiency. Conditions are relatively independent of cell type. Electroporation with three pulses of 300 volts at 540 microF capacitance at 4 degrees C is a good starting point for many cell types. Electrode distance from the adherent cells was critical at 1.0 +/- 0.15 mm. Suitable poration medium includes calcium-magnesium free phosphate buffered saline (PBS), PBS-buffered 0.25-3.0 M sucrose, Hepes-buffered sucrose, or unbuffered sucrose. Potential use in fluorescence imaging and metabolic studies is shown with DNA synthesis, cell replication, cell substratum attachment, 32P-ATP phosphorylation, and insulin-mediated increases in glucose uptake and its suppression by antiphosphotyrosine and antiglucose transporter protein antibodies. The ability to load foreign molecules into large numbers of adherent cells provides a means of studying these cells individually via microscopic approaches, such as fluorescence spectroscopic imaging, as well as with conventional biochemical and physiological techniques.
Reopening the Black Box of War: War and Domestic Politics 1

Studies of war traditionally focused exclusively on causes of conflict, ignoring almost completely the conduct of war and its affect on domestic politics—the “black box of war” was closed. There we...
New Approach to the Theory of High-Temperature Superconductivity

A new approach to the theory of high-Tc superconductivity in cuprate oxides is proposed, based on the possibility of superelectrons derived from inner closed shells in shrunken atoms induced by a strong screened attractive interaction between an electron and an ion. An electrostatic fluctuation connected with an electronic polarizability halts the breaking-up of the pre-existing pairs of electrons with antiparallel spins in the shells. The transport of superelectrons can be explained by the virtual tunneling. Ein neuer Ansatz fur die Theorie der Hochtemperatur-Supraleitung in Kupferoxyd-Verbindungen wird vorgeschlagen, der auf der Moglichkeit von supraleitenden Elektronen aus abgeschlossenen Elektronenschalen in Atomen beruht, die infolge einer starken abgeschirmten Wechselwirkung zwischen Elektronen und Ionen kontrahiert sind. Die Dissoziation von Elektron-Paaren mit antiparallelen Spins in den Schalen wird durch elektrostatische Fluktuationen in der elektronischen Polarisierbarkeit verhindert. Der Transport der supraleitenden Elektronen kommt durch virtuelle Tunnel-Ubergange zustande.
Serotonin-2C and -2a receptor co-expression on cells in the rat medial prefrontal cortex

Neural function within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates normal cognition, attention and impulse control, implicating neuroregulatory abnormalities within this region in mental dysfunction related to schizophrenia, depression and drug abuse. Both serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) and -2C (5-HT2C) receptors are known to be important in neuropsychiatric drug action and are distributed throughout the mPFC. However, their interactive role in serotonergic cortical regulation is poorly understood. While the main signal transduction mechanism for both receptors is stimulation of phosphoinositide production, they can have opposite effects downstream. 5-HT2A versus 5-HT2C receptor activation oppositely regulates behavior and can oppositely affect neurochemical release within the mPFC. These distinct receptor effects could be caused by their differential cellular distribution within the cortex and/or other areas. It is known that both receptors are located on GABAergic and pyramidal cells within the mPFC, but it is not clear whether they are expressed on the same or different cells. The present work employed immunofluorescence with confocal microscopy to examine this in layers V-VI of the prelimbic mPFC. The majority of GABA cells in the deep prelimbic mPFC expressed 5-HT2C receptor immunoreactivity. Furthermore, most cells expressing 5-HT2C receptor immunoreactivity notably co-expressed 5-HT2A receptors. However, 27% of 5-HT2C receptor immunoreactive cells were not GABAergic, indicating that a population of prelimbic pyramidal projection cells could express the 5-HT2C receptor. Indeed, some cells with 5-HT2C and 5-HT2A receptor co-labeling had a pyramidal shape and were expressed in the typical layered fashion of pyramidal cells. This indirectly demonstrates that 5-HT2C and 5-HT2A receptors may be commonly co-expressed on GABAergic cells within the deep layers of the prelimbic mPFC and perhaps co-localized on a small population of local pyramidal projection cells. Thus a complex interplay of cortical 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor mechanisms exists, which if altered, could modulate efferent brain systems implicated in mental illness.
A multi-material Eulerian formulation for the efficient solution of impact and penetration problems

An Eulerian formulation is necessary for the accurate solution of contact and impact problems involving penetration and fracture. The Eulerian mesh is fixed in space, thereby eliminating all the problems associated with a distorted mesh that are commonly encountered with a Lagrangian formulation. Since the material flows through the mesh, additional data is necessary in an Eulerian formulation to describe the current contents of an element and additional calculations must be performed to update the data. The additional calculations, which account for the material transport between the elements, are usually much more expensive than the Lagrangian terms in the calculation. As a consequence, Eulerian calculations have been restricted to hypervelocity impacts, which cannot be solved in any other manner. This paper discusses strategies for restructuring the transport calculations so that the Eulerian formulation may be applied to a broader range of problems in science and engineering. Example calculations, performed on a workstation, are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed strategies.
Similarities and Differences Between Perseverative and Non-Perseverative Errors in Aphasia: Theoretical and Clinical Implications

Researchers have learned much about the cognitive organization of the language system by studying speech errors made by speakers with and without aphasia. Some aspects of errors made in language pr...
Electrical Units and Their Application

Progress and improvement in any art or science are not made without provision for suitable measurements. Many advances in the field of electrical units and their measurements have been scored within the past forty or fifty years. Developments in electrical measurements have been satisfactory in that they have kept slightly ahead of practical demands.
Federating diverse collections of scientific literature

The Digital Library Initiative (DLI) project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is developing the information infrastructure to effectively search technical documents on the Internet. The authors are constructing a large testbed of scientific literature, evaluating its effectiveness under significant use, and researching enhanced search technology. They are building repositories (organized collections) of indexed multiple-source collections and federating (merging and mapping) them by searching the material via multiple views of a single virtual collection. Developing widely usable Web technology is also a key goal. Improving Web search beyond full-text retrieval will require using document structure in the short term and document semantics in the long term. Their testbed efforts concentrate on journal articles from the scientific literature, with structure specified by the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). Research efforts extract semantics from documents using the scalable technology of concept spaces based on context frequency. They then merge these efforts with traditional library indexing to provide a single Internet interface to indexes of multiple repositories.