cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Faculty Governance and Satisfaction: An Introduction to the Special Issue

As I began for the first time to teach a course in Theoretical Applications and Design of Qualitative Research in the spring of 2016, I assured the official that I would work with my students to craft a research project to address these issues. In order to do so, I first required students to develop an abstract and research proposal on the topic of faculty governance and engagement in higher education. I then asked students to interview five faculty members from different disciplines, including education, the hard sciences, art and architecture, liberal arts, and more, to discover their perceptions and opinions regarding the ways in which faculty could feel better supported and represented in their institutions. Their interviews focused on what could be done to maximize faculty job satisfaction, especially in non-financial ways. From these interviews, my students developed in-depth case studies for use by academics, professionals, and other students. I am proud to present the fruits of their labors here.
State of intervention: community stakeholder discourse on teen childbearing in Iowa

The state of teen childbearing in Iowa (USA) is positioned by community leaders as a discursive battleground for intervention. In 2015 meetings with community stakeholders, participants framed ‘cul...
Parastomal Hernia: An Ounce of Prevention

Parastomal hernia is a common consequence of creating an intestinal stoma. Though many patients with parastomal hernias are asymptomatic, complications from a parastomal hernia (PSH) can be life threatening. Parastomal hernia negatively impacts patient psychological well-being and quality of life and increases healthcare utilization. Numerous methods of PSH repair have been proposed and practiced, but recurrence after surgery remains common; therefore attention to PSH prevention has been a topic of interest in recent years. While many technical aspects of stoma creation are taught as surgical dogma, the two preventative techniques with the best evidence are the creation of an extraperitoneal stoma and the reinforcement of the fascial opening using prophylactic mesh. Despite increasing evidence supporting the efficacy of prophylactic mesh in the prevention of parastomal herniation, this technique has been slow to be adopted into current practice.
Asas da Florestania: languages and cultures at play in the forest-based citizenship literacy program in Brazil

This methodological article applies the Continua of Biliteracy (Hornberger, 1989; Hornberger & Skilton-Sylvester, 2000) onto the curriculum and human resources of Asas da Florestania Infantil, namely Asinhas, a preschool initiative with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognition for its startling approach to the Acre an multilingual setting in northwestern Brazil. Overseen, forest-dependent, Acre’s identity is a traditional and hybridculture melting pot with sustainable rubber tapping advocates, indigenous land claimers and Haitian refugees, where languages and literacy converge to legitimate the Brazilian linguistic and cultural diversity. Initially funded by national communication mogul Rede Globo and the World Bank, today, it also responds to municipal, state, and federal accountability. We concluded that Asinhas’ recruitment of Educational Agents to promote meaningful forest-based content at an anthropological home visits approach is an outstanding decentralization and multilingual setting and curriculum acknowledgement, despite its population under representation and scaling-up limitations.
Calibration of Safecast dose rate measurements.

Abstract A methodology is presented to calibrate contributed Safecast dose rate measurements acquired between 2011 and 2016 in the Fukushima prefecture of Japan. The Safecast data are calibrated using observations acquired by the U.S. Department of Energy at the time of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi power plant nuclear accident. The methodology performs a series of interpolations between the U.S. government and contributed datasets at specific temporal windows and at corresponding spatial locations. The coefficients found for all the different temporal windows are aggregated and interpolated using quadratic regressions to generate a time dependent calibration function. Normal background radiation, decay rates, and missing values are taken into account during the analysis. Results show that the standard Safecast static transformation function overestimates the official measurements because it fails to capture the presence of two different Cesium isotopes and their changing magnitudes with time. A model is created to predict the ratio of the isotopes from the time of the accident through 2020. The proposed time dependent calibration takes into account this Cesium isotopes ratio, and it is shown to reduce the error between U.S. government and contributed data. The proposed calibration is needed through 2020, after which date the errors introduced by ignoring the presence of different isotopes will become negligible.
Topography hotspot-aware process control metrology cell insertion: DFM: Design for manufacturability

A novel Process Control Metrology (PCM) cell placement methodology to improve Depth of Focus (DOF) control in the advanced VLSI design is presented. PCM cells are typically inserted in both FEOL and BEOL chip design layers in order to control mask image size, improve mask alignment, monitor Critical Dimension (CD), and analyze critical process parameters. As process technology scales down, CMP related hotspots, such as Cu pooling and Depth of Focus (DOF) hotspots at high or low topography areas become prominent[1] and need to be detected, analyzed and accommodated for better yield [2][3]. In the new methodology, an intelligent analysis of design drives optimal placement of conventional PCM cells to achieve better DOF control and CMP monitoring.
Past and Present Oceanic Energy Balance Patterns

Present-day oceanic energy balance patterns are discussed from the point of view of the role wind-stress changes play in controlling the annual cycle, interannual changes, and glacial/interglacial changes in sea-surface temperature. Particular reference is made to Pacific-Atlantic differences and the relationship with salinity changes.
Isolated CNS Neurons from a Model of Hepatic Encephalopathy Exhibit Increased Sensitivity to a Benzodiazepine

Patients with cirrhosis appear to exhibit an exaggerated response to the administration of benzodiazepines (BZs) both in terms of clinical neurologic and electroencephalographic changes (1). One potential explanation for increased sensitivity to BZs would be a decrease in their hepatic metabolism. However patients with similar degrees of hepatic dysfunction sometimes show different sensitivities to these drugs. In one recent study, after the administration of a specific dose of the BZ, triazolam, to control subjects and patients with cirrhosis the plasma levels of this drug were similar in both groups, but the sedative response was significantly greater in the cirrhotic group (2). These findings suggest that impaired hepatic metabolism of BZs may not be sufficient to account for the increased sensitivity to these drugs in liver disease and that an alternative potential explanation for this phenomenon might be an increased sensitivity of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) to BZs.
Maintaining the Capital Stock at DoD Test and Evaluation Sites

This paper addresses the question of whether the Department of Defense (DoD) has been spending enough to replenish the capital stock at military test and evaluation (T&E) sites. For purposes of this paper, “capital stock” refers to the physical plant comprised of structures and major equipment, which, at a T&E site, would include buildings, towers, test stands, range instrumentation, data processing equipment, etc. We have excluded the implicit costs of land, the third major category of capital. The analysis focuses on the capital stock at the 22 principal T&E sites, those belonging to the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB), shown in Table 1.
Work Intensity and Worker Safety in Early Twentieth-Century Coal Mining

Abstract Why did coal mining remain so dangerous in the early twentieth century? Observers blamed miners for neglecting safety in their haste to load coal, for which they were paid on piece. Using a panel of about 500 coal mines, the elasticity of fatalities with respect to speed or intensity of work is estimated to be about one-half, implying a marginal cost of a statistical life to miners of about $400 thousand in 1921 dollars. This likely exceeded their value of a statistical life, so preventing accidents was expensive for miners. However, the union reduced fatalities with little effect on work intensity.
The role of makerspaces in supporting consumer innovation and diffusion: An empirical analysis

Abstract Makerspaces are open communities for tinkering, innovating, and socializing: They are equipped with tools and training that support “making” by participants. It has been argued that makerspaces can be a powerful vehicle to enhance both innovation and innovation diffusion by consumers. This research note offers initial empirical evidence for these claims. Through a survey of 558 participants drawn from makerspaces worldwide, the study shows that the innovation rate is about 53% and that the diffusion rate is about 18% among these individuals – substantially higher than the innovation and diffusion rates found in national innovation surveys of general populations, i.e. individuals who innovate independently at home at their own discretion. These findings doubtless reflect both a selection and a treatment effect: Individuals inclined or motivated to innovate and/or diffuse, tend to join makerspaces; and once individuals do participate, the rich resources they find in makerspaces most likely will improve the opportunities to innovate and/or diffuse successfully. Since innovation by consumers is both personally and economically valuable, these findings support the case for further research into the nature of successful makerspaces, and suggest the potential social welfare value of public investment.
Abstract 2836: Spatially resolved single-cell analysis of cellular plasticity and mechanisms of drug resistance

Cellular heterogeneity adversely affects clinical stratification, treatment decisions, and development of therapeutic resistance in cancer. Heterogeneity manifests as variability in gene expression and scales with the number of unique cell types and/or the extent of phenotypic plasticity. Therefore, an incisive tool that effectively quantifies heterogeneity, robustly identifies rare cell populations, efficiently predicts cell state transitions, and preserves the associated phenotypic manifestations will provide key insights into the mechanisms of plasticity and development of drug resistance. To this end, we developed High-Throughput Single-cell analysis using single-molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (HITS-FISH) - a completely automated imaging-based tool that provides absolute quantification of gene expression (mature and immature transcripts that are coding or non-coding), while still preserving spatial and morphological information. Using a combination of HITS-FISH and single cell RNAseq, which provides a high-throughput readout of gene expression signatures, we find that multiple, potentially plastic cell states (genetic, epigenetic, and cell cycle) coexist within a seemingly homogeneous population of cancer cells from various tissues. HITS-FISH suggests that one of the major contributors of such heterogeneity is pervasive aneuploidy, which is accentuated during treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapeutic agents and subsequent development of resistance against such drugs. Currently, we are further characterizing these plastic cells via lineage tracing and single-cell analysis to identify pre-resistant cell states and drug-induced gene-expression reprogramming. Citation Format: Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya, Jeremy D9silva, Nicole Lee, Sathiyapandi Narayanan, Xia Jiang, Saravana M. Dhanasekaran, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. Spatially resolved single-cell analysis of cellular plasticity and mechanisms of drug resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2836.
Development and Implementation of a Subcutaneous Insulin Clinical Decision Support Tool for Hospitalized Patients.

Background:Insulin is one of the highest risk medications used in hospitalized patients. Multiple complex factors must be considered in determining a safe and effective insulin regimen. We sought t...
Trends in July relative humidity and vapor pressure within the central valley of California, 1920–1981

The possibility of inadvertent climate modification by human activities within the Central Valley of California is investigated. Temporal trends in July average relative humidity and vapor pressure at Fresno, Sacramento, and Bakersfield are examined through the use of time-series analyses. While significant changes in the moisture content of the air are evident at all sites, the trend is clearly upward at Fresno and Bakersfield. Simple regressions demonstrate that the upward trend is strongly related with an increasing amount of irrigated land.
Evaluating corrections for Eddy-currents and other EPI distortions in diffusion MRI: methodology and a dataset for benchmarking

Purpose To propose a methodology for assessment of algorithms that correct distortions due to motion, eddy-currents, and echo planar imaging in diffusion weighted images (DWIs). Methods The proposed method evaluates correction performance by measuring variability across datasets of the same object acquired with images having distortions in different directions, thereby overcoming the unavailability of ground-truth, undistorted DWIs. A comprehensive diffusion MRI dataset, collected using a suitable experimental design, is made available to the scientific community, consisting of three DWI shells (Bmax = 5000 s/mm2 ), 30 gradient directions, a replicate set of antipodal gradient directions, four phase-encoding directions, and three different head orientations. The proposed methodology was tested using the TORTOISE diffusion MRI processing pipeline. Results The median variability of the original distorted data was 123% higher for DWIs, 100-168% higher for tensor-derived metrics and 28-111% higher for MAPMRI metrics, than in the corrected versions. EPI distortions induced substantial variability, nearly comparable to the contribution of eddy-current distortions. Conclusions The dataset and the evaluation strategy proposed herein enable quantitative comparison of different methods for correction of distortions due to motion, eddy-currents, and other EPI distortions, and can be useful in benchmarking newly developed algorithms.
Chiral Inversion of Amino Acids in Antiparallel β-Sheets at Interfaces Probed by Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy.

A parallel study of protein variants with all (l-), all (d-), or mixed (l-)/(d-) amino acids can be used to assess how backbone architecture versus side chain identity determines protein structure....
Cuff-Less Blood Pressure Monitoring with a 3-Axis Accelerometer

Objective: The aim was to propose a cuff-less, cost-efficient, and ultra-convenient blood pressure monitoring technique with a 3-axis accelerometer. Methods: The efficacy of the proposed approach was examined in 8 young healthy volunteers undergoing different activities with a 3-axis accelerometer leveled on their upper chest. The 3-dimensional accelerations were exploited to select features for the calculation of systolic pressure (SP) and diastolic pressure (DP); the whole process involved signal processing, feature extraction, linear multivariate regression, and leave-one-out cross validations (LOOCV). Results: DP and SP could be approximated with the linear combination of the extracted features: the L 2 norm of lateral acceleration for both DP and SP, state variation (defined in the proposed algorithm) of vertical acceleration for SP, and I-J interval (defined in ballistocardiogram) of vertical acceleration for DP. The correlation coefficient (r) of the estimated and the measured DP was 0.97, and for SP, r = 0.96. In LOOCV, our best validated results in difference errors were −0.02±3.82 mmHg for DP and −0.59 ± 7.46 mmHg for SP. Conclusion: Compared to AAMI criteria, the proposed acceleration-based technique fulfilled the requirement. The accelerometer-based technique showed the potential to monitor blood pressure cuff-lessly, cost-efficiently, ultra-conveniently, and to be embedded in a long-term wearable device for clinical usage.
The Urban Heat Island at a Regional University in Kentucky, USA

Constructing buildings, sidewalks, parking lots, and roads inadvertently affects local climate. The best studied example of this, the urban heat island (UHI), manifests as elevated temperatures in developed areas compared to less developed areas nearby. This phenomenon affects many things including plants, wildlife, energy consumption, and human health. We assess the UHI at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) using simultaneous air temperature observations from two stations. The “urban” station is located on EKU's Richmond campus; the “rural” station is in a non-irrigated pasture 12.9 km away. EKU's heat island follows a typical diurnal pattern, developing during the hours surrounding sunset and dissipating soon after sunrise. Dry air masses with little to no cloud cover and calm winds are favorable for UHI development. Analyzing only nocturnal observations when wind speed was less than 1 m/s, revealed an average urban-rural temperature difference of 3.35°C, though concurrent differences sometimes exceed 10°C. At EKU, the smallest average monthly UHI occurs in February and the largest average monthly UHI occurs in August and September. Strategic tree planting offers an attractive means of mitigating negative impacts on warm season cooling costs and human comfort, while also contributing to campus sustainability goals.
Using an Operating Systems Class to Strengthen Students' Knowledge of C++

Operating systems is the last required course in our undergraduate Computer Science major. Although our students have had two semesters of programming in C++, one in assembler, and a semester of data structures using the C++ Standard Template Library, many of them have weak mastery of some important programming topics. In addition, they have had minimal exposure to using these constructs with real world data structures. In this paper we describe how we have used the assignments in a Linux-based Operating Systems course to remedy these deficiencies while teaching a full semester of OS content. Assignments include retrieving data via standard API calls and from /proc; process management, including fork, wait and system; building a microshell with fork/exec and pipe/dup; semaphore handling; and building an OS simulator. We have rewritten these assignments to provide additional practice with data type conversion, pointers and memory management, file handling, classes and subclasses, and the use of vectors, maps and other data structures in the STL.
Sex Related Differences in Patients with Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Purpose The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients in cardiogenic shock has significantly increased over the past decade. However, there is a paucity of data examining gender-associated differences in the current mechanical circulatory support era. We assessed the impact of gender on outcomes in patients on venoarterial ECMO for cardiogenic shock. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 574 adult patients who were placed on venoarterial ECMO for cardiogenic shock at our institution between Jan 2007- Dec 2018. Baseline risk factors and outcomes were assessed to compare male and female patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to compare outcomes. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included limb ischemia (LI) defined as recommendation for distal perfusion cannula (DPC) or other interventions, LI interventions, DPC, stroke, bleeding, and continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) initiation. Results There were 394 male patients (69%) and 180 female patients (31%). In an unadjusted comparison, male patients were more likely to have coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia and less likely to have COPD. Etiologies of shock were similar between the two groups. Male patients were also less likely to be be cannulated centrally for ECMO, though this difference was not seen after PSM. PSM compared 176 male patients to 176 female patients. There was no difference seen between men and women in in-hospital mortality (46.0% vs 42.6%, p=.59), LI (41.5% vs. 45.5%, p=0.52), LI surgery (15.3% vs. 12.5%, p=0.54), bleeding (44.3% vs. 48.9%, p=0.46), CVVH initiated (37.5% vs. 33.0%, p=0.44), and stroke (9.1% vs. 9.7%, p=1.00). Conclusion Our data suggests that men who receive ECMO for cardiogenic shock are more likely to have pre-existing coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia while women are more likely to have COPD. After correcting for such differences, there is no significant difference in outcome between male and female patients.
Relationship of menopausal symptoms and ovarian reserve in reproductive-aged cancer survivors

This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in a population of reproductive-aged women remote from cancer therapy compared with a group of healthy similar-aged controls and with a cohort of late reproductive-aged (LR) controls. Participants were assessed for symptoms of menopause, early follicular phase hormones, and ultrasound examinations. Menopausal symptoms were analyzed in exposed participants and controls using χ2 analyses, Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney tests, and multivariable logistic regression models. One hundred seventy cancer survivors, 135 similar-aged controls, and 71 LR controls were followed prospectively for an average of 38 months. Compared with similar-aged controls, a greater proportion of survivors reported vasomotor symptoms at some point over the study period (35% vs 19%, p < 0.01), and this proportion was similar to LR controls (44%, p = 0.22). Survivors were more likely to be bothered by vaginal dryness (27%) than similar-aged controls (16%, p = 0.02) or LR controls (14%, p = 0.02). FSH levels were 38.4% higher in those with vasomotor symptoms compared with those without symptoms (p = 0.021). Reproductive-aged cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of vasomotor symptoms and vaginal dryness than their similar-aged peers. Providers should be attuned to the high prevalence of menopausal symptoms in cancer survivors.
Online learning based risk-averse stochastic MPC of constrained linear uncertain systems

Abstract This paper investigates the problem of designing data-driven stochastic Model Predictive Control (MPC) for linear time-invariant systems under additive stochastic disturbance, whose probability distribution is unknown but can be partially inferred from data. We propose a novel online learning based risk-averse stochastic MPC framework in which Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) constraints on system states are required to hold for a family of distributions called an ambiguity set. The ambiguity set is constructed from disturbance data by leveraging a Dirichlet process mixture model that is self-adaptive to the underlying data structure and complexity. Specifically, the structural property of multimodality is exploited, so that the first- and second-order moment information of each mixture component is incorporated into the ambiguity set. A novel constraint tightening strategy is then developed based on an equivalent reformulation of distributionally robust CVaR constraints over the proposed ambiguity set. As more data are gathered during the runtime of the controller, the ambiguity set is updated online using real-time disturbance data, which enables the risk-averse stochastic MPC to cope with time-varying disturbance distributions. The online variational inference algorithm employed does not require all collected data be learned from scratch, and therefore the proposed MPC is endowed with the guaranteed computational complexity of online learning. The guarantees on recursive feasibility and closed-loop stability of the proposed MPC are established via a safe update scheme. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed MPC.
Comparison between EPA UV index app and UV monitor to assess risk for solar ultraviolet radiation exposure in agricultural settings in Eastern North Carolina

Agricultural workers are exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation due to the significant amount of time spent working outdoors. Risk information on UV exposure from the EPA SunWise UV Index mobi...
Method Matters: Comparing Cancer-Related Adjustment of Siblings to Norms and Well-matched Peers.

Objective The purpose of this study was to better understand conflicting findings in the literature regarding the adjustment of siblings of children with cancer by examining, in a single sample, differences in patterns of results as a function of reporter and comparator used (i.e., population norms, demographically matched classmates). Method Self- and parent-report standardized measures of depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems were collected for 67 siblings and 67 demographically matched classmates. Comparisons were made to norms and controls. Results Siblings consistently demonstrated poorer psychosocial functioning than their demographically matched peers across all measures but their scores did not differ from norms. A significantly greater percentage of siblings fell outside the normal range than that expected in the general population for parent-reported total and internalizing problems, but not for externalizing problems or the self-report measures. Conclusions Findings regarding the psychological adjustment of siblings of children with cancer differ according to the research methods used. It is important to use rigorous methods such as demographically matched peer comparisons when investigating the impact of childhood cancer on siblings.
Three-dimensional Reconstruction of the Density Field: An SVD Approach to Weak-lensing Tomography

We present a new method for constructing three-dimensional mass maps from gravitational lensing shear data. We solve the lensing inversion problem using truncation of singular values (within the context of generalized least-squares estimation) without a priori assumptions about the statistical nature of the signal. This singular value framework allows a quantitative comparison between different filtering methods: we evaluate our method beside the previously explored Wiener-filter approaches. Our method yields near-optimal angular resolution of the lensing reconstruction and allows cluster sized halos to be de-blended robustly. It allows for mass reconstructions which are two to three orders of magnitude faster than the Wiener-filter approach; in particular, we estimate that an all-sky reconstruction with arcminute resolution could be performed on a timescale of hours. We find however that linear, non-parametric reconstructions have a fundamental limitation in the resolution achieved in the redshift direction.
Validation of LexisNexis Accurint in the Georgia Cancer Registry's Cancer Recurrence and Information Surveillance Program.

BACKGROUND LexisNexis Accurint is a database of ~84 billion public records that includes an individual's location of residence. Its ability to track residences longitudinally has not been validated. This study used the Georgia Cancer Registry's (GCR's) Cancer Recurrence and Information Surveillance Program (CRISP) to validate the U.S. state of residence and to examine characteristics of patients not included or who had an inaccurate entry in LexisNexis. METHODS The GCR is routinely linked to the National Death Index (NDI), providing information regarding the state of residence in which the patient died. We compared the state of residence reported in LexisNexis with the NDI gold standard state of residence at death. Multivariate logistic regression analyses estimated associations between demographic information and: (1) having a mismatch between LexisNexis and NDI and (2) being missed in LexisNexis. RESULTS Of the 69,494 patients in the CRISP cohort, 65,890 (95%) were found in LexisNexis and 9,597 (14%) had died. Among a subset of patients who were deceased, the sensitivity of LexisNexis for identifying persons who left Georgia was 42% and the specificity was 89%. Minority groups were more likely to be missed in the LexisNexis database as well as to have discordance between LexisNexis and NDI state of residence at death. CONCLUSIONS LexisNexis Accurint failed to identify the emigration of more than half of deceased CRISP patients who had left Georgia but correctly identified most who had remained. The validity of the state of residence is important for studies using LexisNexis as a tool for follow-up.
Limited stage mantle cell lymphoma: Results of overall survival based on treatment modality using SEER database.

e19566Background: Limited stage mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (stage I-II) is rare and occurs in 5-15% of patients. The ideal treatment approach among radiation (RT), chemotherapy (CT), chemoradiother...
Neurologic Complications Associated with Veno-Venous ECMO: A Systematic Review (P3.9-018)

Objective: To better identify the incidence of neurologic complications in VV-ECMO treated patients, we performed a systematic review of recent literature to analyze neurologic outcomes in patients receiving this subtype of ECMO. Background: Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is utilized in patients with severe refractory hypoxemic or hypercapnic respiratory failure and does not augment cardiovascular hemodynamics (as opposed to Veno-arterial-ECMO, or VA-ECMO). Neurologic complications have been reported to occur in about 10 percent of patients receiving any ECMO per the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). Design/Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for observational and randomized clinical trials reporting neurologic outcomes and survival outcomes of patients receiving VV-ECMO for respiratory failure. In trials including both VA-ECMO and VV-ECMO, only subjects with VV-ECMO were analyzed for outcomes. Results: A total of 3695 articles were screened resulting in 363 studies assessed for full-text eligibility. Of 81 studies satisfying search criteria for neurologic complications and outcomes after ECMO, 11 retrospective studies included 6352 patients receiving VV-ECMO for primary indication of respiratory failure. Median patient age was 46 (IQR 44–50). Median VV-ECMO support days was 10 (IQR 9–10.5). Ischemic stroke was reported in 123 (2%) patients in 8 studies (total n=5912), intracranial hemorrhage in 282 (4.5%) patients in 10 studies (total n=6318), and subarachnoid hemorrhage in 25 (2.7%) patients in 5 studies (n=933). Seizure was reported in 61 (1.5%) patients within 6 studies (total n=5806). Brain death was only reported in three studies (0.8%, total n=358 patients). Patient mortality directly related to neurologic complications occurred in 358 (6.6%) patients reported over 5 studies (total n=5465). Conclusions: Neurologic complications are not uncommon in patients receiving VV-ECMO, and can directly account for mortality in a clinically significant group of patients. No controlled trials have evaluated neurologic outcomes with VV-ECMO. Disclosure: Dr. Rice has nothing to disclose. Dr. Migdady has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cho has nothing to disclose.
Contextual Information Drives the Reconsolidation-Dependent Updating of Retrieved Fear Memories.

Stored memories enter a temporary state of vulnerability following retrieval known as ‘reconsolidation’, a process that can allow memories to be modified to incorporate new information. Although reconsolidation has become an attractive target for treatment of memories related to traumatic past experiences, we still do not know what new information triggers the updating of retrieved memories. Here, we used biochemical markers of synaptic plasticity in combination with a novel behavioral procedure to determine what was learned during memory reconsolidation under normal retrieval conditions. We eliminated new information during retrieval by manipulating animals’ training experience and measured changes in proteasome activity and GluR2 expression in the amygdala, two established markers of fear memory lability and reconsolidation. We found that eliminating new contextual information during the retrieval of memories for predictable and unpredictable fear associations prevented changes in proteasome activity and glutamate receptor expression in the amygdala, indicating that this new information drives the reconsolidation of both predictable and unpredictable fear associations on retrieval. Consistent with this, eliminating new contextual information prior to retrieval prevented the memory-impairing effects of protein synthesis inhibitors following retrieval. These results indicate that under normal conditions, reconsolidation updates memories by incorporating new contextual information into the memory trace. Collectively, these results suggest that controlling contextual information present during retrieval may be a useful strategy for improving reconsolidation-based treatments of traumatic memories associated with anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Tensor decomposition of the transition operator

The properties of the tensor components of the transition operator with respect to an arbitrary compact group are investigated. The principal result is that as a consequence of unitarity the transition operator always has an invariant component whose imaginary part is nonnegative. The connection of this result with the consistency of phenomenological calculations in broken-symmetry models is discussed.
Buffett, Corporate Objectives, and the Nature of Sheep

The "Nature of Sheep" deals with a central issue of corporate finance and corporate law: the core objectives of the publicly held corporation. The article discusses a framework for thinking about this issue that the author has worked on over the years and some of the business principles adopted by Warren E. Buffett and Charles T. Munger of Berkshire Hathaway. The article shows some ways in which "shareholder wealth maximization" can be a surprisingly incomplete specification of even the pecuniary aspects of the corporate objective function. Matters relating to, among other things, disclosure (transparency), risk considerations in corporate investment, hedging, and financing decisions, shareholder clientele effects, and conflicts among "generations" of shareholders are touched on.
On-orbit systems identification of flexible spacecraft

Abstract The process of on-orbit systems identification of flexible spacecraft is examined in terms of the difficulties that are expected because of the potentially unmanageable number of unknown model parameters due to the very high order system models Involved. A Jordon block canonical form and global model parameters are used to reduce the number of unknown parameters to manageable numbers. A Bayesian approach is discussed which enables the merging of theoretical models with ground or on-orb1t test results by using Unconditional Maximum Likelihood Parameter Estimation. A Modified Newton-Raphson technique is proposed for determining the model parameter estimates and an expected fit error criterion is recommended for the determination of the model structure and order reduction.
DIGITALIS TOLERANCE IN YOUNG PUPPIES

Tolerance to acetyl strophanthidin, a rapid-acting cardiac aglycone, was determined in 28 anesthetized mongrel puppies, ages 16 to 56 days, and compared to tolerance in 16 littermate puppies in whom acute hypercapnic acidemia was produced. The tolerance was also compared to that of four adult mongrel dogs. The toxic dose was defined as the intravenous amount required to produce four consecutive premature ventricular contractions. A marked variation in the toxic dose was found in the 28 control puppies (range 83 to 353 µg/kg, mean 169 µg/kg) which could not be correlated with age, arterial blood gases or pH, serum potassium or sodium, arterial pressure, or heart rate. The toxic dose was significantly greater in the puppies than in the adult dogs, in whom the mean toxic dose was 64 µg/kg (range 50 to 89 µg/kg). A significant increase in tolerance was also observed in the puppies with hypercapnic acidemia (mean toxic dose 220 µg/kg, range 93 to 375 µg/kg) in comparison to tolerance in the control puppies and despite the wide range of tolerance, each of the puppies with hypercapnic acidemia showed greater tolerance than its littermate control puppy. Assessment of the clinical implications of these findings will require study of the effects of alterations in acid-base balance on the inotropic effect of acetyl strophanthidin in addition to the toxic electrophysiologic effects.
A Vertically Integrated Geriatric Curriculum Improves Medical Student Knowledge and Clinical Skills

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a vertically integrated curriculum intervention on the geriatric knowledge and performance in clinical skills of third-year medical students. This observational cohort study conducted at the University of Michigan Medical School evaluates the performance of 622 third-year medical students from the graduating class years of 2004 through 2007. An integrated curriculum intervention was developed and implemented for the class of 2006. Its elements included identification and tracking of geriatric learning outcomes in an individualized Web-based student portfolio, integration of geriatric content into preclinical courses, development of a geriatric functional assessment standardized patient instructor, and an experience in a geriatrics clinic during the ambulatory component of the third-year internal medicine clerkship. Medical student performance was assessed on a geriatric knowledge test and during a geriatric functional assessment station administered during an Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at the beginning of the fourth year. Student performance on the geriatric functional assessment OSCE station progressively improved from pre-intervention performance (mean performance ± standard deviation 43 ± 15% class of 2005, 62 + 15% class of 2006, 78 ± 10% class of 2007; analysis of variance, P<.001). Similarly, student performance on the geriatric knowledge test was significantly better for the classes of 2006 and 2007 than for the class of 2005 (model F ratio = 4.72; P<.001). In conclusion, an integrated approach to incorporating new educational geriatric objectives into the medical school curriculum leads to significant improvements in medical student knowledge and in important clinical skills in the functional assessment of older patients.
Specificity of Activated CryIA Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 for Defoliating Forest Lepidoptera

The insecticidal activity of the CryIA(a), CryIA(b), and CryIA(c) toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 was determined in force-feeding experiments with larvae of Choristoneura fumiferana, C. occidentalis, C. pinus, Lymantria dispar, Orgyia leucostigma, Malacosoma disstria, and Actebia fennica. The toxins were obtained from cloned protoxin genes expressed in Escherichia coli. The protoxins were activated with gut juice from Bombyx mori larvae. Biological activity of the individual gene products as well as the native HD-1 toxin was assessed as the dose which prevented 50% of the insects from producing frass within 3 days (frass failure dose [FFD(50)]). The three toxins were about equally active against M. disstria. In the Choristoneura species, CryIA(a) and CryIA(b) were up to fivefold more toxic than CryIA(c). In the lymantriid species, CryIA(a) and CryIA(b) were up to 100-fold more toxic than CryIA(c). The toxicity of HD-1 was similar to that of the individual CryIA(a) or CryIA(b) toxins in all of these species. None of the CryIA toxins or HD-1 exhibited and toxicity towards A. fennica. Comparison of the observed FFD(50) of HD-1 with the FFD(50) expected on the basis of its crystal composition suggested a possible synergistic effect of the toxins in the two lymantriid species. Our results further illustrate the diversity of activity spectra of these highly related proteins and provide a data base for studies with forest insects to elucidate the molecular basis of toxin specificity.
Development of road traffic flow model for nighttime conditions

Nighttime traffic flow congestion estimation is a challenging problem, the use of a model for describing the traffic parameters is a good solutions but it is necessary to have an accurate information about the traffic's state before constructing the model. In this paper we propose a new method for developing a road traffic flow model in this challenging situation using accurately measured traffic parameters.
Introducing study abroad in a multi-disciplinary setting

The Plus 3 Program is an optional three-credit study abroad opportunity offered jointly by the school of business and engineering as a follow-up to the freshman year. The course consists of a field study trips to a number of locations including: Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, France; or Germany. The course involves lectures at the local universities, company visits and sightseeing. It culminates in a group research paper and a presentation focused on one of the visited companies, as well as in the national and global industry in which it operates. The groups consist of both business and engineering students, thus their view points are considered in the paper and in the presentation. This paper outlines this award winning course layout and how it fits into the school's ABET and other student learning goals.
Cannabinoid rescue of striatal progenitor cells in chronic Borna disease viral encephalitis in rats.

A growing number of environmental and pharmacologic manipulations have been shown to influence adult neurogenesis. Borna disease virus (BDV) in rats causes cortical and subcortical infection with extrapyramidal motor symptoms, and hippocampal infection suppresses neurogenesis. Given the known effects of cannabinoids in promoting neural progenitor cell survival, the authors examined in vivo effects of chronic BDV infection in rats on BrdU-positive progenitor cells in striatum, together with neuroprotective actions of cannabinoids. Birth and survival of BrdU-positive progenitor cells in striatum of BDV-infected rats treated with a general cannabinoid agonist (WIN 55,212 1 mg/kg i.p. b.i.d. × 7 days) were examined, as well as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and nutritional effects of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid treatment protected BrdU-positive progenitor cells in striatum that were susceptible to virus-induced injury (p < .01) through suppression of microglia activation (p < .001). As a consequence of their anti-inflammatory actions and support of neural progenitor cell survival, cannabinoids may be adjunctive treatment for encephalitides with microglial inflammation and neurodegeneration.
Teaching product design to non-engineers: A review of experience, opportunities and problems

Abstract Despite many developments in software and related tools, improving effectiveness and efficiency in product design is a concern. One of the reasons for this fact might be the use of different languages, tools, etc. by designers coming from different disciplines. Accordingly, in order to cross-train our students in the Entrepreneurship Minor and the Masters in Manufacturing Management program at Penn State, we have been offering Engineering Design Principles: Quality and Manufacturing Management (QMM 492) as a course where non-engineering students get a chance to cross-train before they are put in product design teams with their engineering counterparts. This paper aims to provide a review of our experience with the course in addition to potential opportunities and problems.
Effect of texture and slip mode on the anisotropy of plastic flow and flow softening during hot working of Ti-6Al-4V

The effect of crystallographic texture and slip mode on the plastic flow of Ti-6Al-4V with either a colony- or globular-alpha microstructure was determined by conducting isothermal, constant-strainrate, hot-compression tests on specimens cut at various orientations (rolling direction (RD), transverse direction (TD), 45 deg, and normal) from hot-rolled plate. Testing was performed using a fixed strain rate (0.1 s−1) and various temperatures below the beta transus. The flow curves from all of the experiments exhibited a peak flow stress followed by a large and a small amount of flow softening for the colony and globular microstructures, respectively. Although the flow softening response did not depend noticeably on test direction for a given microstructure and test temperature, the peak flow stress and development of sample ovality did. This orientation dependence was interpreted using both lower-bound (isostress-type) and upper-bound (isostrain, Taylor/Bishop-Hill) models to deduce the operative slip systems in the alpha phase. These analyses suggested that prism 〈a〉 and basal 〈a〉 slip are considerably easier than pyramidal 〈c+a〉 or 〈a〉 slip at hot-working temperatures. A comparison of the flow curves for the colony and globular alpha microstructures suggested that slip transfer across alpha/beta interfaces and loss of Hall-Petch boundary strengthening can account for a substantial portion of the flow softening observed during hot working.
Lengthening of Dual Growing Rods and the Law of Diminishing Returns

Study design A retrospective multicenter study. Objective To evaluate the effect of repeated surgical lengthenings and time on spinal growth and Cobb angle in children with early onset scoliosis and dual growing rods. Summary of background data Previous studies have established the effectiveness of dual growing rods for controlling spinal deformity and promoting spinal "growth." Although anecdotal experience suggests that the effectiveness of repeated lengthenings decreases over time, this has not been previously studied. Methods Medical records from five different centers were reviewed to identify children treated with dual growing rods for early onset scoliosis who had a minimum of 2-year follow-up and at least three lengthening procedures. Initial radiographs, postimplantation radiographs, and radiographs from before and after each lengthening were measured for T1-S1 distance and Cobb angle. Linear regression and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results Thirty-eight patients from five centers met the inclusion criteria. The average age of our patients was 5.7 years (range 1.7-8.9 years); mean follow-up was 3.3 years (range 2-7 years). The average interval between lengthenings was 6.8 months. Cobb angle decreased from a mean value of 74° preoperatively to 36° after the primary implantation and did not change significantly with repeated lengthenings (P = 0.96). After initial implantation, the average annual T1-S1 gain was 1.76 ± 0.71 cm/year. The T1-S1 gain after a given lengthening, however, decreased significantly with repeated lengthenings (P = 0.007). When the effect of time was considered, there was also a significant decrease in T1-S1 gain over time (P = 0.014). Conclusion There seems to be a "law of diminishing returns" with repeated lengthenings of dual growing rods. Repeated lengthenings still result in a net T1-S1 increase; however, this gain tends to decrease with each subsequent lengthening and over time. This phenomenon may be due to autofusion of the spine from prolonged immobilization by a rigid device.