cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Career Consequences of a Mistaken Research Project: The Case of Polywater

Polywater, one of the most famous mistaken scientific research programs of the past half-century, is used as a case study to examine whether polywater researchers later experienced lower citation counts, or less favorable job mobility. The primary result is that simply writing on polywater, either pro or con, has a negative impact on future citations, in comparison with those who never wrote on polywater. The lifetime value of the lost citations is roughly in the range of $13,000 to $19,000. However writing on polywater did not affect the probability of a scientist leaving university employment.
Abstract 33: Seasonal Patterns in Risk-Standardized Mortality after Ischemic Stroke: A Winter and July Effect

Background: A recent systematic review found that mortality rates were higher and efficiency of care lower in hospitals coincident with the introduction of new trainees in July, but there was significant heterogeneity in study quality, and none of the included studies focused on stroke care. Purpose: To assess seasonal variation in 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for elderly ischemic stroke patients from 1999 to 2006 and determine whether patterns differ for patients discharged from teaching versus non-teaching hospitals. Methods: The study cohort included all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older discharged with an ischemic stroke (ICD-9 primary codes 433, 434, 436) from 1999 to 2006 in the United States. A hierarchical logistic regression model fitted annual data to estimate the 30-day RSMR, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics. The annual datasets were combined and reconstructed to time series analyses, with month as a unit. The time series analysis included 96 months; RSMRs were calculated for each month. The unobserved components modeling approach was used to fit the time series data with risk-adjusted mortality as an outcome to compare seasonal patterns by month for teaching and non-teaching hospitals. Results: Of 2,824,694 ischemic stroke discharges, 51.7% were from teaching hospitals. The 30-day RSMR decreased steadily from 1999 to 2006 in teaching hospitals (Figure 1A). Seasonal patterns were present within each calendar year, with the highest 30-day RSMR occurring in the winter (January) and the lowest RSMR in the summer, with a secondary peak in July (p=0.004; Figure 1B). The same patterns were also seen for non-teaching hospitals (not shown). Conclusions: Thirty-day risk-standardized mortality rates after ischemic stroke in the elderly have decreased between 1999 to 2006. Seasonal patterns are evident, with the highest RSMR in January, and a secondary peak in July. Because these patterns were similar for teaching and non-teaching hospitals, the July peak can not be explained based on the introduction of new trainees. The reasons for these seasonal patterns, including higher mortality rates in July, are unclear.
Anterior occipito-cervical fusion using an extra-pharyngeal exposure.

A method of exposing the anterior aspect of the occipitocervical spine is reported. The field of surgery is entirely outside the pharynx and larynx. The operation is an upward extension of the well known anterior route to the cervical spine, and hence is extensile. Arthrodesis of the occipitocervical region and the high cervical spine can be readily performed through this exposure. Five cases are reported of such a procedure. It is suggested that surgery on the pharynx, occiput, atlanto-axial region, foramen magnum, and the base of the brain and brain stem could be performed through this approach.
The Position of the Charleston Dialect

0. The position of one dialect within a speech community may often be appraised intelligently by the layman, who recog­ nizes that beyond a certain swamp or mountain the inhabitants talk differently. Many times, too, the layman may have a fair understanding of the ways in which that particular dialect differs from his own; he will notice the unfamiliar words or grammatical constructions, and may even be able to mimic passably well the pronunciation and intonation. The interest of the amateur in the strange details of neighboring dialects is often invaluable in sug­ gesting where dialect boundaries may occur and which communi­ ties might most profitably be investigated. Beyond this, however, the work of the lay observer needs at least consultation with the professional. Even though the layman may be well aware of the ways in which his county’s speech differs most noticeably from that of an adjacent county, he ordinarily cannot evaluate the position of either dialect in reference to the whole body of American English. For instance, the average white Southerner may use the term jackleg ‘preacher freely as a gloss for such more local terms as chair-backer, stump-knocker, tabletapper, and yard-ax—designations for a part-time voluntary preacher, normally without formal seminary training and generally with a low degree of competence. To the native speaker from other regions, however, yard-ax and jack-leg are equally strange, so that the Southerner speaking to a non-Southern audience must define in detail either yard-ax or jackleg. Conversely, a low-country South Carolina term like haycock or mouih organ may sound exotic to the man from the up-country but turn out to be the prevailing term north of the Potomac. In other words, in identifying and characterizing a dialect it is necessary not only to indicate some of the more characteristic words, forms, and pronunciations in that area, but also to point out what other areas also share these features. To do this, the assistance of the trained scholar is necessary, whether he con­ ducts the investigation himself or merely supplies advice for the lay investigator.
Insulin secretion following carbutamide injections in normal dogs.

Summary and ConclusionsThe mechanism of the hypoglycemic action of carbutamide in normal dogs was studied by means of pancreatic-femoral and mesenteric-femoral cross-circulation experiments. The results of these acute experiments suggest that: 1) carbutamide hypoglycemia is accompanied by secretion of insulin; 2) carbutamide does not cause degranulation or other significant changes in appearance of pancreatic A and B cells; 3) clearance of carbutamide from blood is relatively slow, as reported by others(21); 4) some dogs are refractory to the hypoglycemic action of carbutamide in doses of 50 mg/kg I.V. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that insulin secretion is one of the results of carbutamide action. The continued administration of carbutamide in animals and men with reduced pancreatic reserve may stimulate the islets of Langerhans to regeneration or to exhaustion. Although some evidence suggests that islet growth does occur (10,12), the second alternative has not been ruled out and should ...
Organizing High Schools for Latina/o Youth Success: Boundary Crossing to Access and Build Community Wealth.

This article presents a 2-year critical case study of an urban high school innovating to enhance the academic performance of low-income Latina/o students, highlighting high-leverage practices that promote boundary crossing between school and community. First, we highlight foundational elements of school logic, mission, and community ethos that enabled boundary crossing. Second, we identify a key set of boundary-crossing practices that tap and build community wealth, and forms of capital that are shared, by bringing community into school and fostering youth engagement in community. We also reveal opportunities afforded and complexities arising from boundary crossing between school and community.
Risk Assessment For Industrial Control Systems Quantifying Availability Using Mean Failure Cost (MFC)

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are commonly used in industries such as oil and natural gas, transportation, electric, water and wastewater, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, food and beverage, as well as discrete manufacturing (e.g., automotive, aerospace, and durable goods.) SCADA systems are generally used to control dispersed assets using centralized data acquisition and supervisory control. Originally, ICS implementations were susceptible primarily to local threats because most of their components were located in physically secure areas (i.e., ICS components were not connected to IT networks or systems). The trend toward integrating ICS systems with IT networks (e.g., efficiency and the Internet of Things) provides significantly less isolation for ICS from the outside world thus creating greater risk due to external threats. Albeit, the availability of ICS/SCADA systems is critical to assuring safety, security and profitability. Such systems form the backbone of our national cyber-physical infrastructure. We extend the concept of mean failure cost (MFC) to address quantifying availability to harmonize well with ICS security risk assessment. This new measure is based on the classic formulation of Availability combined with Mean Failure Cost (MFC). The metric offers a computational basis to estimate the availability of a system in terms of the lossmore » that each stakeholder stands to sustain as a result of security violations or breakdowns (e.g., deliberate malicious failures).« less
Nonstationary Gaussian Process Models Using Spatial Hierarchical Clustering from Finite Differences

Modern digital data production methods, such as computer simulation and remote sensing, have vastly increased the size and complexity of data collected over spatial domains. Analysis of these large spatial datasets for scientific inquiry is typically carried out using the Gaussian process. However, nonstationary behavior and computational requirements for large spatial datasets can prohibit efficient implementation of Gaussian process models. To perform computationally feasible inference for large spatial data, we consider partitioning a spatial region into disjoint sets using hierarchical clustering of observations and finite differences as a measure of dissimilarity. Intuitively, directions with large finite differences indicate directions of rapid increase or decrease and are, therefore, appropriate for partitioning the spatial region. Spatial contiguity of the resulting clusters is enforced by only clustering Voronoi neighbors. Following spatial clustering, we propose a nonstationary Gaussian process ...
Multi-Robot Control for Circumnavigation of Particle Distributions

In this work, we present a decentralized controller for the tracking and following of mobile targets, specifically addressing considerations of: 1) not altering target behavior, 2) target states represented by multiple hypotheses, and 3) limited information from bearing-only sensors. The proposed controller drives a team of n robots to circumnavigate an arbitrary distribution of target points at a desired radius from the targets. The controller also dictates robot spacing around their circular trajectory by tracking a desired relative phase angle between neighbors. Simulation results show the functionality of the controller for arbitrary-sized teams and arbitrary stationary and moving particle distributions. Additionally, the controller was implemented on OceanServer Iver2 AUVs. Tracking results demonstrate the controller’s capability to track a desired radius as well as maintain phase with respect to a second AUV.
Micro Dose Methotrexate (MTX) Is Equivalent to Full Dose MTX and Superior to No MTX for Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis

Abstract 3038 Methotrexate is a standard component of acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD) prophylaxis although its use is limited by toxicity, especially mucositis. We compared 3 regimens utilizing tacrolimus (FK) ± methotrexate (MTX) ± mycophenolate (MMF) for aGvHD prophylaxis to determine the most effective and least toxic regimen. Patients were prospectively assigned to aGvHD prophylaxis with FK/μMTX/MMF, FK/MTX, or FK/MMF based on patient age, conditioning regimen and disease risk. For all 3 regimens, FK dosing was the same at 0.01 mg/kg IV BID with a 10% dose reduction every week starting at day 100 in the absence of aGvHD. MTX dosing was 10 mg/m2/d on days +1, 3, 6, & 11 (FK/MTX) or 2.5 mg/m2/day on days +1, 3, & 6 (FK/μMTX/MMF). MMF dosing was 1000 mg TID and discontinued on day 60 in the absence of aGvHD. Patients received allogeneic HCT conditioning with BU/CY, CY/TBI, or FLU/MEL. Acute GvHD stage/grade and toxicity data were collected prospectively. Patient characteristics are presented in the Table. 192 patients received FK/μMTX/MMF (n=94), FK/MTX (n=59), or FK/MMF (n=39). Patients who received FK/MTX were significantly younger, had lower risk disease, and more frequently received CY/TBI. FK/MMF resulted in a significantly higher incidence of grade 3–4 aGvHD (p=0.003) than either MTX-containing regimen (Figure 1) which was mainly due to a higher rate of GI involvement with FK/MMF (Figure 2, p=0.006). There was no difference in the rate of skin or liver aGvHD between the 3 prophylaxis groups. The incidence of grade 3–4 aGvHD between the FK/μMTX/MMF and FK/MTX groups was not significantly different. The incidence of grade 2–4 aGvHD between the 3 regimens was not significantly different, suggesting that MTX containing regimens prevent more severe grade 3–4 aGvHD. The incidence of grade 2–4 mucositis (requiring continuous narcotics or intubation for airway protection) occurred more frequently with FK/MTX (48%) than FK/MMF (18%, p=0.005) or FK/μMTX/MMF (21%, p=0.001). There was no significant difference in mucositis between FK/MMF and FK/μMTX/MMF. Sensitivity analyses by conditioning regimen intensity demonstrated similar results, except the difference in the rate of stomatitis which was no longer statistically significant. Overall (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) are better in the FK/MTX group, however, when stratified by age, the difference in OS and PFS between the 3 prophylaxis regimens was not significantly different. FK/μMTX/MMF (total 7.5 mg MTX/m2) is as effective as FK/MTX (total 40 mg MTX/m2) for aGvHD prophylaxis and both regimens are superior to FK/MMF. FK/μMTX/MMF results in less stomatitis, similar to FK/MMF, and both have significantly less toxicity than FK/MTX. A prospective phase 2 trial is planned to further define the clinical characteristics of FK/μMTX/MMF. Disclosures: Hahn:Novartis:.
A Review of Psychometrically Tested Instruments Assessing Suicide Risk in Adults.

Objective: Identify suicidal ideation and behavior screening instruments with the strongest psychometric properties, using the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior. Methods: Info...
Isolable and Readily Handled Halophosphonium Pre-reagents for Hydro- and Deuteriohalogenation.

Although the addition of acid halides across olefins is well-studied, limitations remain with a number of substrate classes that possess leaving groups, polyunsaturation, and acid-sensitive moieties, particularly polyenes prone to cyclization. The process is also challenging when conducted on a small scale, and moreover, methods for the addition of their deuterated counterparts typically require special techniques, especially when control of stoichiometry is required. Herein is described a readily synthesized and handled reagent class which can accomplish the controlled and selective Markovnikov addition of both HCl and HBr across several alkene classes under mild reaction conditions tolerant of diverse functionality. The process is particularly valuable on a laboratory scale, and direct comparisons to other methods are provided. As a result of in-depth mechanistic studies seeking to understand how these novel tools work and the active species behind their efficacy, the means to easily add DCl and DBr usi...
Can Income Diversification Explain the Growing Entrepreneurship Gap by Age

AbstractEntrepreneurship has declined among households younger than 50 years, while it has grown among older households over the past few decades. We hypothesize that this divergence results from younger households having less diversified income from sources unrelated to business income such as capital income and annuity income than is the case for older households. Using data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finance, we calculate descriptive and multivariate statistics. We find that income diversification from capital income has declined for both younger and older households, while the role of income diversification in people working as entrepreneurs has fallen among younger households and stayed constant among older ones. We also find some tentative evidence that income diversification from Social Security and annuity income plays a role in determining entrepreneurship for older households, but has no effect among younger households. Our results suggest that cash income, unrelated to risky ...
Viewing an ultra-brief chest compression only video improves some measures of bystander CPR performance and responsiveness at a mass gathering event.

Abstract Background CPR training at mass gathering events is an important part of health initiatives to improve cardiac arrest survival. However, it is unclear whether training lay bystanders using an ultra-brief video at a mass gathering event improves CPR quality and responsiveness. Objective To determine if showing a chest-compression only (CCO) Ultra-Brief Video (UBV) at a mass gathering event is effective in teaching lay bystanders CCO-CPR. Methods Prospective control trial in adults (age >18) who attended either a women’s University of Arizona or a men’s Phoenix Suns basketball game. Participants were evaluated using a standardized cardiac arrest scenario with Laerdal Skillreporter™ mannequins. CPR responsiveness (calling 911, time to calling 911, starting compressions within two minutes) and quality (compression rate, depth, hands-off time) were assessed for participants and data collected at Baseline and Post-intervention. Different participants were tested before and after the exposure of the UBV. Data were analyzed via the intention to treat principle using logistic regression for binary outcomes and median regression for continuous outcomes, controlling for clustering by venue. Results A total of 96 people were consented (Baseline = 45; Post intervention = 51). CPR responsiveness post intervention improved with faster time to calling 911 (s) and time to starting compressions (sec). Likewise, CPR quality improved with deeper compressions and improved hands-off time. Conclusions Showing a UBV at a mass gathering sporting event is associated with improved CPR responsiveness and performance for lay bystanders. This data provides further support for the use of mass media interventions.
Visual Search Time in a Structured Field

The primary purpose of the present experiment was to validate in a structured field several reported relationships which have been found in separate studies using search time in unstructured visual fields. A secondary aim was to assess the effect of compressing irrelevant information on search time. 36 Ss searched for information on military-type maps differing in density, method of coding, and amount of compression. Results indicated that: (a) the relationship between density and search-time is J-shaped; (b) this relationship is primarily a function of the type of coding scheme used; and, (c) Ss insist on decoding irrelevant information. The results are sufficiently at variance with studies using unstructured fields to question the generalizability of those researches.
The Cleared Mammary Fat Pad and the Transplantation of Mammary Gland Morphological Structures and Cells

The mammary fat pad, when cleared of glandular tissues in female mice 3–4 weeks old, provides an ideal site for the transplantation of normal, hyperplastic, or malignant lesions of the mammary gland into syngeneic hosts. The cleared fat pad retains the microenvironment necessary for the normal morphological growth of transplanted mammary gland elements. The biological development of mammary gland structures can be evaluated and lesions can be tested for cancer risk. Serial transplantation into cleared fat pads can provide pools of the tissue of choice for biochemical, immunological, and molecular analysis, for tissue culture, and for the perpetuation of hyperplastic tissues for future use. With the advent of transgenic and knockout mice, the clearing technique has become a powerful biological system wherein the effect of genes and their interactions on mammary neoplasia can be determined. This chapter describes the clearing and transplantation technique for mammary tissues and cells.
Funding Frugal Innovation in Global Health: Philanthropy, Aid, and Industry

Fail early, fail often, and fail forward. Reduce complexity. Do more with less. Frugal innovation. Frugal engineering. These phrases, and the ideas they encapsulate, are hot topics that may have begun life as mantras in Silicon Valley but now span multiple arenas, including engineering, biomedicine, and global health and development. The term frugal innovation was coined by Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Renault and Nissan, in 2006, 10 years prior to the publication of this edited book. It seems he intended the term to mean how to do more with less: produce products that are good enough at a fraction of the cost, presumably through less expensive components and less costly research and development (RD many companies have embraced the idea of frugal engineering to try to attract consumers and provide products and services in markets not previously considered profitable. But to save and improve lives in the Global South, doing more with less does not just mean making simpler, cheaper versions of existing solutions. It must mean doing what Renault-Nissan is attempting with the Kwid and Prakash with the foldscope: developing solutions with direct relevance to consumers in a particular country with mostly local materials as well as providing the ability to maintain and repair the technology with local expertise and parts. The jury is still out on how the Renault Kwid will do in India, but many of the right ingredients went into the design, development, and manufacture to give hope for success.
SLATS: Simultaneous Localization and Time Synchronization

As the density of wireless, resource-constrained sensors grows, so does the need to choreograph their actions across both time and space. Recent advances in ultra-wideband RF communication have enabled accurate packet timestamping, which can be used to precisely synchronize time. Location may be further estimated by timing signal propagation, but this requires additional communication overhead to mitigate the effect of relative clock drift. This additional communication lowers overall channel efficiency and increases energy consumption. This article describes a novel approach to simultaneously localizing and time synchronizing networked mobile devices. An Extended Kalman Filter is used to estimate all devices’ positions and clock errors, and packet timestamps serve as measurements that constrain time and overall network geometry. By inspection of the uncertainty in our state estimate, we can adapt the number of messages sent in each communication round to balance accuracy with communication cost. This reduces communication overhead, which decreases channel congestion and power consumption compared to traditional time of arrival and time difference of arrival localization techniques. We demonstrate the performance and efficiency of our approach using a real network of custom RF devices and mobile quadrotors.
The Photomagnetic and Magneto-Optic Effects

This chapter will discuss the theory and applications of the photomagnetic and magnet-optic effects. These two phenomena are conceptually very similar but differ mainly from their point of reference. Photomagnetism may be described as the change in the magnetic response of a material that results from exposure of that material to electromagnetic radiation. On the other hand, magneto-optics is the effect that a magnetized material has on electromagnetic radiation. These two phenomena are strongly intertwined and under active study in the development of high density magnetic recording media. This chapter will discuss these two phenomena and show how together they are being used in state of the art high density magnetic recording applications.
Precision frequency measurements with polarized 3He, 21Ne, and 129Xe atoms.

We present the principles, applications, and performance of new techniques developed to measure the frequency spectrum of freely precessing polarized noble-gas atoms. The noble-gas polarization technique of spin exchange with laser optically pumped Rb enables us to simultaneously polarize several species (/sup 3/He, /sup 21/Ne, and /sup 129/Xe). With signal-to-noise ratios of 10/sup 4/, the free precession frequencies are determined with a precision of less than 10/sup -6/ Hz out of 10/sup 3/ Hz in 1024 s. The technique will be applied to determine frequency shifts due to dipole couplings to applied fields and quadrupole splittings due to local Lorentz-invariance-violating spatial anisotropy. In all cases, the frequencies of two or more species are measured simultaneously in order to provide magnetometry for increased precision and to provide measurement and cancellation of systematic effects.
Properties of the nonlethal recombinational repair deficient mutants of bacteriophage T4. III. DNA replicative intermediates and T4w.

The rate at which 3H thymidine is incorporated into DNA is increased in T4w-infected cells compared to wild-type when measured late in infection under conditions of low thymidine concentration. This increased DNA synthesis is sensitive to hydroxyurea but not to mitomycin C, and can be prevented by the addition of chloramphenicol early in infection. Also, DNA replicative intermediates isolated from T4w-infected cells late in infection sediment significantly faster than those isolated from wild-type-infected cells. In contrast, DNA replicative intermediates isolated from T4x-or T4y-infected cells sediment more slowly than those produced by wild-type T4. Cells coinfected with wild-type T4+ and T4x, y or w; or T4w and T4x or y, produce wild-type DNA replicative intermediates. Cells coinfected with T4x and T4y produce more slowly sedimenting DNA replicative intermediates. Cells coinfected with T4w and wild-type T4 show wild-type rates of DNA synthesis while cells coinfected with T4w and T4x or T4y show increased rates of DNA synthesis over that observed with wild-type alone.
Impact of Patient Distance From Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Centers on Longitudinal Outcomes

Background In regional healthcare referral networks, specialty care is provided at a few sites within the network, with patients referred there for management. This model may increase access to spe...
High-order bound-preserving discontinuous Galerkin methods for compressible miscible displacements in porous media on triangular meshes

Abstract In this paper, we develop high-order bound-preserving (BP) discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for the coupled system of compressible miscible displacements on triangular meshes. We consider the problem with multi-component fluid mixture and the (volumetric) concentration of the jth component, c j , should be between 0 and 1. There are three main difficulties. Firstly, c j does not satisfy a maximum-principle. Therefore, the numerical techniques introduced in Zhang and Shu (2010) [44] cannot be applied directly. The main idea is to apply the positivity-preserving techniques to all c j ′ s and enforce ∑ j c j = 1 simultaneously to obtain physically relevant approximations. By doing so, we have to treat the time derivative of the pressure d p / d t as a source in the concentration equation and choose suitable fluxes in the pressure and concentration equations. Secondly, it is not easy to construct first-order numerical fluxes for interior penalty DG methods on triangular meshes. One of the key points in the high-order BP technique applied in this paper is the combination of high-order and lower-order numerical fluxes. We will construct second-order BP schemes and use the second-order numerical fluxes as the lower-order one. Finally, the classical slope limiter cannot be applied to c j . To construct the BP technique, we will not approximate c j directly. Therefore, a new limiter will be introduced. Numerical experiments will be given to demonstrate the high-order accuracy and good performance of the numerical technique.
Clustering Analysis Reveals Authentic Science Inquiry Trajectories Among Undergraduates

Science education reforms in the United States call for an emphasis on teaching of scientific practices, such as inquiry. Previous work examined expert versus novice practices in authentic science inquiry and found although experts have fairly consistent inquiry strategies, novices exist on a continuum. In this paper, we extend our previous qualitative work to quantitatively analyze differences in inquiry practices among novices. Using clustering analysis, we found that non-science majors who performed simple investigations tended to cluster together and biology majors who performed complex investigations also tended to cluster together. We observed two additional clusters that contain both non-science majors and biology majors, but who performed distinct inquiry strategies. This raises some critical questions about how to pedagogically target students within each cluster.
A Time-Dependent Chemo-Mechanical Analysis of Alkali-Silica Reaction for the Disparate Geometry of Concrete Meso-Structure

Abstract Complex chemophysics of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in Portland cement concrete deteriorates concrete service life and requires quantitative assessment. Within this context, the developed model provides a new perspective from mesoscale chemo-mechanical scheme for a better understanding of ASR kinetics. The simulated results shows how ASR expansion as well as ASR-induced damage progresses in concrete structure based on different composition of reactive aggregate and alkali hydroxide concentrations. This model can be used as an effective tool in the field of concrete materials to predict the service life, as well as on time maintenance decision of concrete structure.
Embrittlement of Materials

In general, materials tend to increase in strength as their temperature is lowered. The deformation of metals occurs with the movement of crystal-lattice dislocations. As the temperature is raised, the thermal energy of the vibrating atoms assists this movement. Hence, as the temperature is lowered, the decreased thermal vibration of the metal lattice adds to the strength of the material.1 However, in the design of cryogenic equipment it is usually best to use the ambient-temperature strength because of temperature gradients that might exist within the equipment and also because cryogenic equipment frequently must operate at warmer temperatures.
Predictors and outcomes of converted minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy: a propensity score matched analysis

Data-driven patient selection guidelines are not available to optimize outcomes in minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD). We aimed to define risk factors associated with conversion from MIPD to open PD and to determine the impact of conversion on post-operative outcomes. We conducted a retrospective review of MIPD using NSQIP from 2014 to 2015. Propensity score was used to match patients who underwent completed MIPD to converted MIPD. 467 patients were included: 375 (80.3%) MIPD and 92 (19.7%) converted. Converted patients were more often male (64% vs. 52%, p = 0.030), had higher rates of dyspnea (10% vs. 3%, p = 0.009), underwent more vascular (44% vs. 14%, p < 0.001) or multivisceral resection (19% vs. 6%, p = 0.0005), and were more likely attempted laparoscopically compared to robotically (76% vs. 51%, p < 0.001). Robotic approach was independently associated with reduced risk of conversion (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.23–0.69), while male gender (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.02–2.84), history of dyspnea (OR 3.85, 95% CI 1.49–9.96), vascular resection (OR 4.32, 95% CI 2.53–7.37), and multivisceral resection (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.05–4.52) were associated with increased risk. Major complications were more common in converted patients (68% vs. 37%, p < 0.001). Converted patients had increased odds of non-home discharge (OR 3.25, 95% CI 1.06–9.97) and an associated increased length of stay of 3 days (95% CI 0.1–6.7). Patients with a history of dyspnea or tumors requiring vascular or multivisceral resection were at increased risk of conversion, and the robotic platform was associated with a lower rate of conversion. Conversion was independently associated with increased overall complications, increased length of stay, and non-home discharge.
Somos Más: How Racial Threat and Anger Mobilized Latino Voters in the Trump Era:

While evidence from California suggests that group threat mobilizes Latinos, nationally, there has never been a test case for this theory. In 2016, the Trump campaign provided a clear case of group...
Heavy traffic analysis of controlled multiplexing systems

The paper develops the mathematics of the heavy traffic approach to the control and optimal control problem for multiplexing systems, where there are many mutually independent sources which feed into a single channel via a multiplexer (or of networks composed of such subsystems). Due to the widely varying bit rates over all sources, control over admission, bandwidth, etc., is needed to assure good performance. Optimal control and heavy traffic analysis has been shown to yield systems with greatly improved performance. Indeed, the heavy traffic approach covers many cases of great current interest, and provides a useful and practical approach to problems of analysis and control arising in modern high speed telecommunications. Past works on the heavy traffic approach to the multiplexing problem concentrated on the uncontrolled system or on the use of the heavy traffic limit control problem for applications, and did not provide details of the proofs. This is done in the current paper. The basic control problem for the physical system is hard, and the heavy traffic approach provides much simplification. Owing to the presence of the control, as well as to the fact that the cost function of main interest is “ergodic”, the problem cannot be fully treated with “classical” methods of heavy traffic analysis for queueing networks. A basic result is that the optimal average costs per unit time for the physical problem converge to the optimal cost per unit time for the limit stationary process as the number of sources and the time interval goes to infinity. This convergence is both in the mean and pathwise senses. Furthermore, a “nice” nearly optimal control for the limit system provides nearly optimal values for the physical system, under heavy traffic, in both a mean and pathwise sense.
Disease‐related distress among adults with haemophilia: A qualitative study

Introduction Distress related to disease burden has been defined and described among people with chronic diseases including diabetes and cancer. In these populations, disease-specific distress is associated with health outcomes. Haemophilia-related distress is less understood. Aim To identify qualitative features of haemophilia-related distress among affected adults to ultimately inform the creation of a measurement tool. Methods Adults with haemophilia A or B associated with a large haemophilia treatment centre in the south-eastern U.S. were recruited to participate in this qualitative study. Fifteen participants completed semi-structured telephone interviews. Interviews lasted 1-2 hours and explored experiences of distress related to various aspects of haemophilia. Interviews were audio taped, transcribed and coded using NVIVO, software for organizing, managing and analysing qualitative data. Coding was deductive and inductive, and the analysis was thematic. Results Haemophilia-related distress was broadly related to feelings of isolation and vulnerability which incorporated health system factors, physical functioning, caretaker roles and psychological considerations. Specific features associated with haemophilia-related distress included lack of trust in the knowledge of haemophilia and care provided by staff in community healthcare settings, concerns about the future such as health insurance access and ageing/disability, long-standing feelings of being different from others and feeling like an outsider, treatment burdens and fear of acute bleeds. Protective factors included supportive relationships with family, friends and haemophilia care teams through which participants received practical and emotional support. Conclusion Features of haemophilia-related distress were identified. Results will facilitate distress measurement and intervention efforts to reduce distress in adults with haemophilia.
Structural diversity of the longleaf pine ecosystem

Abstract Structural diversity is an important attribute of forest ecosystems and is related to ecosystem stability, adaptability and resilience as well as biodiversity and productivity. Structural diversity in the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem, the most diverse ecosystem of North America, has not been well documented, especially across the longleaf pine’s range of occurrence. We utilized data from 919 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots of longleaf pine distributed across 9 states of the southeastern United States and classified these plots on the bases of stand origin (natural or artificial), ownership (public or private), burn condition (burned or not burned in the past 5 years), site conditions (xeric, mesic, or hydric), and number of age classes (one or two). For each plot under a classification category, we calculated Shannon diversity index based on 5-cm diameter classes. The structural diversity estimates, based on Shannon diversity indices, were then analyzed for the entire range of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Our findings indicate that the structural diversity varies between 0.00 and 2.20 across the longleaf pine range, with mean and median structural diversity of 1.35 and 1.42, respectively. Stand origin, site condition, ownership, and number of age classes significantly affected mean structural diversity (α = 0.05). Plots with natural origin, mesic or hydric site conditions, public ownership, and two age classes had higher structural diversity. Using the geographic coordinates of each FIA plot and the corresponding Shannon index value, we created a structural diversity distribution map and a hot spot map of the longleaf pine ecosystem. The maps showed that the longleaf pine ecosystem exhibited variable and heterogeneous distribution of structural diversity in the southeastern United States, with southeastern Mississippi and central Alabama areas as the hotspots. Southcentral Georgia exhibited least structural diversity in longleaf pine forests in the southeastern United States.
Study of the Effect of Annealing on the Hyperfine Field Distributions in Fe79B16Si5 Metallic Glass

Study of the effect of annealing temperatures and time periods on the hyperfine field distributions of Fe79B16Si5 metallic glass near and below the crystallization temperatures were made by using 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. The effect of crystallization during annealing as a function of annealing time on the average hyperfine field (〈H〉) and the relative change of the probability of hyperfine fields, P(H), with respect to that of as received sample have also been discussed.
Spaced Education Through e-Learning for Ongoing Professional Development.

Background The practice of emergency medicine has become increasingly complex. Constant advances in clinical practice, innovative technologies, patient safety and quality initiatives, and local and national policy changes continue to add to the cognitive load on providers. New and innovative professional development approaches are needed to help providers remain current despite busy and disparate clinician schedules. Methods We used a Web-based, spaced education platform, to distribute questions to faculty and fellows within the Division of Emergency Medicine. Included content was prioritized within four subject areas: clinical practice, quality improvement, division and institution policies, and educational efforts. All questions were scenario-based (clinical or administrative), with multiple-choice responses. The platform provided real-time feedback on correct response, with explanations including integrated learning materials. Invited faculty developed the questions internally using standardized resources followed by peer review. Questions were delivered weekly. Metrics regarding engagement and performance were followed, including an anonymized leaderboard. Participants were also surveyed regarding perceptions of individual questions and the overall initiative. Results Every faculty member (n = 55) and fellow (n = 18) engaged in the program at some point. Ninety-two percent of participants completed all the questions. The overall correct response rate on first attempt was 65%. For the three most challenging questions, first attempt responses were correct 41% of the time, which increased to 90% on repeat testing. Qualitative analysis of survey comments revealed the following themes: enjoying the e-learning approach, the appreciation for the relevance of the content, and the value and quality of the explanations with integrated educational materials. Conclusions We outline the use of a Web-based, spaced education curriculum for ongoing professional development in a large emergency medicine division. This initiative effectively engaged faculty members and trainees and was perceived to be of high value. The intervention successfully utilized the principles of spaced learning, test-enhanced learning, and gaming theory within a flexible and innovative professional development curriculum.
High-resolution 3D seismic investigations of the overburden above potential CCS sites of the inner Texas shelf, Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.

Abstract Much CCS research has focused on the injection interval (storage reservoir) and the immediately overlying primary seal. Considerations related to potential long-term leakage have turned attention toward the geologic overburden between the primary seal and shallow intervals containing protected groundwater. Typically the overburden interval is poorly imaged in commercially available seismic data given acquisition and processing optimized for deeper reservoir systems. Recent advances in high-resolution 3D (HR3D) seismic imaging have allowed for more thorough investigation of this critical interval in marine settings, and are well-suited for evaluating potential leakage pathways for prospective CCS sites. HR3D datasets can serve to reduce risks prior to project development as well as provide containment assurance via staggered time-lapse surveys. HR3D is likely to become a fundamental technology in offshore CCS.
Influence of time resolution and averaging techniques of meteorological data on the estimation of wind-driven rain load on building facades for Canadian climates

Abstract This paper investigates the influence of time resolution of meteorological data and the averaging techniques on the quantification of wind-driven rain amount on building facades for Canadian climates using three WDR models, i.e. the ISO and ASHRAE 160P semi-empirical models, and the CFD-based catch ratio method. A cubic low-rise building is used as a case study. Meteorological data i.e. wind speed, wind direction and rainfall intensity are collected at 5-min intervals at three building sites in Vancouver, Montreal and Fredericton. The 5-min data is used as the reference. The analyses show that when semi-empirical WDR models are used, the arithmetic averaging gives a better estimation while the weighted averaging tends to overestimate the WDR amount. When the detailed CFD-based catch ratio method is used, the weighted averaging technique provides a better estimation, however, the difference between the arithmetic and weighted averaging is within 3–7% for the three Canadian cities investigated. Therefore, the choice of averaging techniques depends on the WDR models to be employed and the climates.
Evaluation of rural ecotourism resources based on the AHP Method in Shanghai

In order to develop rural eco-tourism better, it is very important to establish a suitable evaluation index system of tourism resources. This study constructs an evaluation indicator system of rural ecotourism resources in Shanghai from three aspects: Resource values, ecological environment and development conditions, which includes 18 indexes. Using AHP to determine the weight, in the comprehensive level of evaluation, Resource values (B1)> Ecological environment(B2) > Development conditions(B3). Among the most important indicators are: Recreational value (C1), Pollution control capability (C8), Farming experience value (C7), Environmental hygiene (C9), Convenience of transportation (C14), Ecological value (C4) and Life experience value (C6). By using this evaluation model to grade the rural ecotourism resources in Shanghai through questionnaire survey, the result is that the rural ecotourism resources in Shanghai are quite good. With the development of the construction of the Beautiful Country, the value of rural eco-tourism resources in Shanghai has been continuously explored and the eco-environmental quality is assessed higher, which provides an important guarantee for the development of rural eco-tourism in Shanghai. In addition, cultural values and health value need to be tapped in depth, and efforts should be made to increase the publicity and communication among local residents in rural tourist destinations. While optimizing the construction of tourism facilities, we must constantly improve the level of service management, so as to improve the service quality of rural ecotourism.