cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidenced based care in surgery: surgical practice and avoidance of infection in breast surgery

The surgical treatment of breast cancer has been undergoing steady evolution for many years. The “classical” radical mastectomy of the early 20th century has been supplanted by conservative surgical procedures combined with localized radiotherapy and systemic hormonal or chemotherapy. In most countries, patients no longer stay in the hospital until drain tubes are removed, saving money and hospital resources. These shifts were occasioned by many clinical trials showing that survival and quality of life were not impaired or were even improved by less radical procedures and shorter hospitalizations.
Cohomology in Tensored Categories

Both MacLane [3] and Beck [2] have recently defined cohomology theories for algebras in abstract categorical settings. Mac Lane’s theory is an abstract formalization of the (normalized) bar construction (see [4, p. 144] for example). Since, however, his proof of the normalization theorem [4, p. 236] remains perfectly valid, the normalized bar construction can be replaced by the un-normalized one. It is the purpose of this paper to show that under reasonable conditions Beck’s cohomology is naturally equivalent to a slight modification of Maclane’s. All notation not explicitly defined is taken from [3].
Relationships between neurocognitive functioning, mood, and quality of life in patients with temporal lobe glioma

Objective While neurocognitive functioning (NCF) and mood disturbance share a relationship with health-related quality of life (HRQOL), few studies have examined relationships between these constructs in glioma patients prior to treatment. Methods Newly diagnosed patients with glioma in the left (N = 73; 49% glioblastoma) or right (N = 30; 57% glioblastoma) temporal lobe completed neuropsychological testing and self-report measures of HRQOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)-General and Brain module) and mood (Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Results Verbal learning and memory, executive function, and language abilities were associated with various HRQOL scales. Stepwise linear regression showed that verbal learning predicted scores on the general well-being scale and brain module, processing speed predicted social well-being scores, and executive functioning predicted functional well-being scores on the FACT. Upper extremity strength also predicted scores on the functional well-being subscale and brain module. Mood was more strongly associated with HRQOL domains than NCF, with depressive symptoms accounting for a large proportion of variance across most subscales. Conclusions In patients with temporal lobe glioma, depressive symptoms are strongly related to most aspects of HRQOL but not with NCF. NCF, specifically verbal learning and memory, executive functioning, and processing speed, also show direct relationships with numerous aspects of HRQOL. These findings underscore the importance of multimodal assessment of NCF and mood in this population. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
48 OXIDATIVE STRESS IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.

Purpose Circulating markers of oxidative stress have been reported to be increased in Caucasians with congestive heart failure (CHF), irrespective of its etiologic origins, where activation of the circulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is expected. Whether this is also true in African Americans (AAs) with CHF is uncertain. In experimental studies of aldosteronism, an associated secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) leads to intracellular Ca2+ overloading and the appearance of oxidative stress. Herein we hypothesized oxidative stress would be present in AAs with CHF and would be accompanied by SHPT. Methods and Results We monitored serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) in 25 AAs (20 M, 5 F; 52.4 ± 2.6 years): (a) 9 (8 M, 1 F; 46.6 ± 4.4 years) were hospitalized because of their decompensated heart failure (Decomp) due to either a dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy and reduced ejection fraction (EF), who were treated with an ACE inhibitor, furosemide, and spironolactone; (b) 4 were asymptomatic and compensated (Comp) outpatients (4 M, 0 F; 55.3 ± 7.35 years) with comparable EF, etiologic basis of their heart failure, and medical treatment; and (c) 12 were outpatients (8 M, 4 F; 55.9 ± 7.8 years) without heart failure (normal EF) who served as controls (Cont). In Cont and those with Comp failure, we found (mean ± SEM) serum PTH to fall in the normal range (12-65 pg/mL) at 29 ± 6 and 50 ± 11 pg/mL, respectively, whereas in those with decompensated failure, PTH was elevated (88 ± 8 pg/mL; p Conclusions Circulating evidence of oxidative stress at a systemic level was found in AAs with decompensated failure where SHPT was also present. This was not the case in AAs with compensated failure and non-heart failure controls. These findings suggest a role for PTH-mediated overloading of intracellular Ca2+ in diverse tissues may be involved in the systemic appearance of oxidative stress.
Distribution of cuticular proteins in different structures of adult Anopheles gambiae

Anopheles gambiae devotes over 2% (295) of its protein coding genes to structural cuticular proteins (CPs) that have been classified into 13 different families plus ten low complexity proteins not assigned to families. Small groups of genes code for identical proteins reducing the total number of unique cuticular proteins to 282. Is the large number because different structures utilize different CPs, or are all of the genes widely expressed? We used LC-MS/MS to learn how many products of these genes were found in five adult structures: Johnston's organs, the remainder of the male antennae, eye lenses, legs, and wings. Data were analyzed against both the entire proteome and a smaller database of just CPs. We recovered unique peptides for 97 CPs and shared peptides for another 35. Members of 11 of the 13 families were recovered as well as some unclassified. Only 11 CPs were present exclusively in only one structure while 43 CPs were recovered from all five structures. A quantitative analysis, using normalized spectral counts, revealed that only a few CPs were abundant in each structure. When the MS/MS data were run against the entire proteome, the majority of the top hits were to CPs, but peptides were recovered from an additional 467 proteins. CP peptides were frequently recovered from chitin-binding domains, confirming that protein-chitin interactions are not mediated by covalent bonds. Comparison with three other MS/MS analyses of cuticles or cuticle-rich structures augmented the current analysis. Our findings provide new insights into the composition of different mosquito structures and reveal the complexity of selection and utilization of genes coding for structural cuticular proteins.
APPLICATION STUDY ON THE METHODS TO REMOVE MANY HARMFUL MATERIALS FROM COAL MINE DRAINAGE BY CHEMICALS

According to the characteristics of water drainage quality in a coal mine,the methods of chemical dosing are applied to remove suspended substance,alkaline hardness and iron from the treatment process of mine drainage purification.The engineering tests indicated that the good treatment results could be achieved by dosing polyaluminium chloride 100 mg/L,lime 120～140 mg/L and ClO2 1.5 mg/L.
Establishment and application of standard pulsed-field gel electrophoresis assay to detect Bacillus cereus

Objective To establish a standard pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) assay for the detection of Bacillus cereus.Methods Fifty-one B.cereus strains isolated from different source were selected to evaluate the discriminatory power of the established PFGE assay.Results The established PFGE assay for the detection of B.cereus successfully identified the genotypes of 51 strains of B.cereus.Conclusion The PFGE assay was established for the genetic classification of B.cereus which can provide technical support for the control and prevention of food poisoning and nosocomial infection caused by B.cereus.
Thyroid Cancer in Pediatrics

Well differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in children is characterized by a high rate of response to treatment and low disease-specific mortality. Treatment of children with DTC has evolved toward a greater reliance on evaluation and monitoring with serial serum thyroglobulin measurements and ultrasound examinations. Radioiodine therapy is recommended for thyroid remnant ablation in high-risk patients, treatment of demonstrated radioiodine-avid local-regional disease not amenable to surgical resection, or distant radioiodine-avid metastatic disease. Sufficient time should be given for benefits of radioiodine therapy to be realized, with follow-up monitoring. Re-treatment with radioiodine can be deferred until progression of significant disease manifests.
Myocardial distribution of cardioplegic solution after retrograde delivery in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures.

The myocardial distribution of both antegrade and retrograde cardioplegia for cardiac surgical intervention, after induction of cardioplegia via the aortic root, was directly assessed and compared in 19 patients by means of contrast echocardiography. Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic images of the short axis of the left ventricle at the level of the papillary muscles were obtained after sonicated Renografin-76 microbubbles were injected into an aortic root and/or transatrial coronary sinus catheter during delivery of cardioplegic solution. Segmental distribution of cardioplegic solution was immediately noted in the myocardium at the time of contrast injections. In 11 of 18 patients (61 %) cardioplegic solution was dispersed to all left ventricular myocardial segments after antegrade delivery. In 17 of 19 patients (90%) retrogradely delivered cardioplegic solution (after antegrade induction of cardioplegia in 18 of the 19 patients) was dispersed to all the left ventricular myocardial segments, including the septum. In 2 of the patients, initial lack of retrograde distribution of cardioplegic solution was remedied when the coronary sinus catheter was repositioned and contrast cardioplegic solution was reinjected. Imaging of the right ventricle was possible in only 4 of the 19 patients and revealed that after retrograde delivery, cardioplegic solution had been at least partially distributed to the right ventricle as well. We performed off-line videodensitometric analysis in 9 patients after retrograde delivery of cardioplegic solution. Mean peak pixel-intensity ratio of flow from the endocardium to the epicardium in the left ventricular free wall was 1.46 ± 0.27, and mean peak pixel-intensity ratio of flow from the left to the right intraventricular septal endocardium was 1.39 ± 0.33 (p ≤ 0.05).
Game Theory and Biology

In biology, game theory is a branch of evolutionary theory that is particularly suited to the study of interactions between individuals. The evolution of animal fighting behaviour was among the first applications and it was in this context that Maynard Smith and Price (1973) developed the concept of an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) (see learning and evolution in games: ESS). Cooperative interactions (Trivers, 1971) and signalling interactions (Grafen, 1991), such as when males signal their quality to females, are examples of other important areas of application. There is an overlap of ideas between economics and biology, which has been quite noticeable since the 1970s and, in a few instances, earlier (Sigmund, 2005). In the early 21st century, the interchange takes the form of a joint exploration of theoretical and empirical issues by biologists and economists (Hammerstein and Hagen, 2005).
Designing, fabricating and testing multi-junction silicon solar cells

Photovoltaic research and technology have grown exponentially in recent years due to the continuing and increasing global demand for energy. However, to be economical for global production and utilization, the efficiency of solar cells must increase without escalating manufacturing costs. Because of the abundance of silicon and vast knowledge obtained from silicon study, exhaustive exploitation of silicon-based solar cell design is vital to meet both criteria. Positive thermal control and improved photon recycling are two methods to increase solar cell efficiency. A recently developed hybrid multi-junction silicon (HMJ-Si) solar cell architecture was designed to positively manage these two factors, as well as the common resulting photonic interference pattern generated from the electrical contact gratings. Because of the integrated air gap between two stacked silicon substrates, this sandwiched-cavity imparted a 1.70C differential temperature. The top and bottom substrates were electrically connected in parallel via a copper o-ring with a thickness of 385μm which was the optimal, calculated air gap distance for photon propagation wavelengths of 800nm–1100nm. The HMJ-Si solar cell was tested using a solar simulator with an air mass 1.5 full spectrum sunlight output and a class II pyranometer with a spectral response of 310nm–2800nm. The HMJ-Si solar cell demonstrated photovoltaic efficiency of 8–10%.
Spectral CT metal artifact reduction with an optimization-based reconstruction algorithm

Metal objects cause artifacts in computed tomography (CT) images. This work investigated the feasibility of a spectral CT method to reduce metal artifacts. Spectral CT acquisition combined with optimization-based reconstruction is proposed to reduce artifacts by modeling the physical effects that cause metal artifacts and by providing the flexibility to selectively remove corrupted spectral measurements in the spectral-sinogram space. The proposed Constrained ‘One-Step’ Spectral CT Image Reconstruction (cOSSCIR) algorithm directly estimates the basis material maps while enforcing convex constraints. The incorporation of constraints on the reconstructed basis material maps is expected to mitigate undersampling effects that occur when corrupted data is excluded from reconstruction. The feasibility of the cOSSCIR algorithm to reduce metal artifacts was investigated through simulations of a pelvis phantom. The cOSSCIR algorithm was investigated with and without the use of a third basis material representing metal. The effects of excluding data corrupted by metal were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the proposed cOSSCIR algorithm reduced metal artifacts and improved CT number accuracy. For example, CT number error in a bright shading artifact region was reduced from 403 HU in the reference filtered backprojection reconstruction to 33 HU using the proposed algorithm in simulation. In the dark shading regions, the error was reduced from 1141 HU to 25 HU. Of the investigated approaches, decomposing the data into three basis material maps and excluding the corrupted data demonstrated the greatest reduction in metal artifacts.
Associations between neighborhood characteristics and sexual risk behaviors among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women in the southern United States

Abstract Purpose Neighborhood characteristics shape sexual risk in HIV-uninfected adults in the United States (US). We assess relationships between census tract characteristics and sexual risk behaviors in a predominantly HIV-infected cohort of women living in the Southern US. Methods This cross-sectional multilevel analysis included data from 737 HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Administrative data captured characteristics of census tracts where women lived; participant-level data were gathered via survey. We used principal components analysis to condense tract-level variables into components: social disorder (e.g., violent crime rate), and social disadvantage (e.g., alcohol outlet density). We used hierarchical generalized linear models to assess relationships between tract-level characteristics and condomless vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and condomless anal intercourse. Results Greater social disorder was associated with less anal intercourse (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.43–0.94) and condomless anal intercourse (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.30–0.80), regardless of HIV status. There were no statistically significant additive or multiplicative interactions between tract characteristics and HIV status. Conclusions Neighborhood characteristics are associated with sexual risk behaviors among women living in the Southern US, these relationships do not vary by HIV status. Future studies should establish temporality and explore the causal pathways through which neighborhoods influence sexual risk.
How and why do T cells and their derived cytokines affect the injured and healthy brain

The evolution of adaptive immunity provides enhanced defence against specific pathogens, as well as homeostatic immune surveillance of all tissues. Despite being 'immune privileged', the CNS uses the assistance of the immune system in physiological and pathological states. In this Opinion article, we discuss the influence of adaptive immunity on recovery after CNS injury and on cognitive and social brain function. We further extend a hypothesis that the pro-social effects of interferon-regulated genes were initially exploited by pathogens to increase host-host transmission, and that these genes were later recycled by the host to form part of an immune defence programme. In this way, the evolution of adaptive immunity may reflect a host-pathogen 'arms race'.
Natural Peer Leaders as Substance Use Prevention Agents: the Teens’ Life Choice Project

In adolescent social groups, natural peer leaders have been found to engage in more frequent experimentation with substance use and to possess disproportionate power to affect the behavior and social choices of their associated peer followers. In the current exploratory study, we used sociometrics and social cognitive mapping to identify natural leaders of cliques in a seventh grade population and invited the leaders to develop anti-drug presentations for an audience of younger peers. The program employed social-psychological approaches directed at having leaders proceed from extrinsic inducements to intrinsic identification with their persuasive products in the context of the group intervention process. The goals of the intervention were to induce substance resistant self-persuasion in the leaders and to produce a spread of this resistance effect to their peer followers. To test the intervention, we compared the substance use behaviors of the selected leaders and their peers to a control cohort. The study found preliminary support that the intervention produced changes in the substance use behavior among the leaders who participated in the intervention, but did not detect a spread to non-leader peers in the short term. This descriptive study speaks to the plausibility of employing self-persuasion paradigms to bring about change in high-risk behaviors among highly central adolescents. In addition, it highlights the viability of applying social psychological principles to prevention work and calls for more research in this area.
Modeling individual fear factor with optimal control in a disease-dynamic system

Abstract This paper proposes a new, information-transmission-based behavior-switch that applies the individual fear factor (IFF) to describe how information regarding current disease epidemics can cause human behavior change in a disease-dynamic system. This research is a first attempt to mathematically model how an individual's emotions influence behavior. The approach can be used to study the relationship of information dissemination (e.g., broadcasting, public health education, news media, etc.) and human behaviors during disease outbreaks. The expression of IFF and a mathematical IFF model that combines human behaviors with a classic SIR model is presented, and an optimal strategy that reduces the number of infected individuals and financial loss due to switch behaviors is proposed. In particular, model stability is analyzed and corresponding necessary conditions are determined. This novel modeling approach shows that information transmission influence individual fear, resulting in a variety of human behaviors and leading to numerous disease consequences.
Association of anxiety and depression concerns with overall levels of patient reported distress during radiotherapy.

182Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of three different measures of anxiety and depression with patient reported distress (PRD) level and survival after radiothe...
Use of polymers for taste-masking pediatric drug products

Many drugs are bitter and overcoming this bitter taste is a major barrier in developing a successful product, especially for pediatric patients. Approaches to mask taste include changing taste perception, creating a physical barrier to separate the drug from interacting with taste buds, and changing drug solubility. This review is focused on polymers and the different ways these materials are used to achieve taste masking. Attention is given to systems that are easily swallowed, as swallowability is another concern in developing palatable products for pediatrics. Variables that should be considered when selecting a taste-masking approach are also presented.
Youth Voices and Diasporic Public Spheres: An Examination of Tanuja Desai Hidier's Born Confused

Using Nancy Fraser's analyses of transnational public spheres, this essay argues that South Asian Americans engage multiple public spheres that are transnational and polycentric. Literary works by ...
König Models of Color Vision

A Konig model of color vision is one in which the dichromatic copunctal points are assumed to be the fundamental colors. The Walraven model is presented as an example and is compared to Fry’s zone model which involves a different interpretation of dichromatism.
Spectrally Selective Nanocomposite Textile for Outdoor Personal Cooling

Outdoor heat stress poses a serious public health threat and curtails industrial labor supply and productivity, thus adversely impacting the wellness and economy of the entire society. With climate change, there will be more intense and frequent heat waves that further present a grand challenge for sustainability. However, an efficient and economical method that can provide localized outdoor cooling of the human body without intensive energy input is lacking. Here, a novel spectrally selective nanocomposite textile for radiative outdoor cooling using zinc oxide nanoparticle-embedded polyethylene is demonstrated. By reflecting more than 90% solar irradiance and selectively transmitting out human body thermal radiation, this textile can enable simulated skin to avoid overheating by 5-13 °C compared to normal textile like cotton under peak daylight condition. Owing to its superior passive cooling capability and compatibility with large-scale production, this radiative outdoor cooling textile is promising to widely benefit the sustainability of society in many aspects spanning from health to economy.
Evaluating perception systems for autonomous vehicles using quality temporal logic

For reliable situation awareness in autonomous vehicle applications, we need to develop robust and reliable image processing and machine learning algorithms. Currently, there is no general framework for reasoning about the performance of perception systems. This paper introduces Timed Quality Temporal Logic (TQTL) as a formal language for monitoring and testing the performance of object detection and situation awareness algorithms for autonomous vehicle applications. We demonstrate that it is possible to describe interesting properties as TQTL formulas and detect cases where the properties are violated.
Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

A 10-year-old male presented with a 2-year history of an enlarged neck, which is concerning for thyroid mass. He had no decreased or increased weight, no feeling cold/chilly or excessively warm, no diarrhea or constipation, no undue sweatiness, anxiety, or palpitations. His mother stated that he had difficulty keeping up with his siblings and tired a little more easily.
Maimonides’ Non-Kantian Moral Psychology: Maimonides and Kant on the Garden of Eden and the Genealogy of Morals

Abstract Both Immanuel Kant and Moses Maimonides wrote lengthy treatments of the biblical garden of Eden. For both philosophers the biblical story served as an opportunity to address the genealogy of morals. I argue here that the two treatments offer deep insights into their respective philosophical anthropologies, that is to say, into their assessments of the human person and of moral psychology. Contrary to much that has been written about Maimonides as a proto-Kantian, I expose the profoundly different and even opposed conceptions of human nature and of reason at the heart of the respective philosophies. For Kant, the first exercise of reason in the garden is an act of rebellion that jettisons the human person from the womb of nature into a post-natural freedom. The repudiation of the natural is the beginning of an ethical life, according to Kant—a life to be dominated by respect for a human dignity beyond the natural. For Maimonides, in contrast, reason is a philosophical torah li-shmaʿ. Rational understanding is an understanding of the laws of a nature fecund with the presence of the divine. Exposing the reason inherent in nature is the only path to knowledge of God and whatever communion with the divine is available to human beings. Such knowledge transforms the heart as well as fills the mind, embedding the human person as moral actor in a God-filled universe.
Sum Rules in π Σ Scattering and the π Λ Σ and π Σ Σ Coupling Constants

Following a procedure proposed recently by Atkinson, we derive sum rules for the $A$ and $B$ amplitudes for the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ by equating unsubtracted dispersion relations at $t=0$ and at fixed $u$ or fixed backward angle. Combining these with the already known superconvergence relation for the $B$ amplitude, and assuming the sum rules can be saturated with known resonances, we obtain three equations for two unknown coupling constants ${g}_{\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{2}}$ and ${g}_{\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Sigma}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{2}}$. Choosing to fix $u=0$, one obtains values of the coupling constants an order of magnitude larger than expected on the basis of, say, $\mathrm{SU}(3)$. We argue that this is probably because of the large extrapolation to unphysical values of $cos\ensuremath{\theta}$ required in evaluating the fixed-$u$ dispersion relation for $u=0$. Taking $u$ to be positive in such a way as to minimize the required extrapolations in angle, or choosing fixed $cos\ensuremath{\theta}=\ensuremath{-}1$, one obtains results that are reasonably consistent with one another and with $\mathrm{SU}(3)$, to within estimated uncertainties of 50% or more, resulting from experimental error in the resonance widths, large cancellations between the contributions of different resonances, and unknown nonresonant-background and high-energy contributions.
Position: Scaffolded Coding Activities Afforded by Block-Based Environments

Block-based programming environments (BBEs) help students first learning to program through reduced syntax errors and easier code construction. In setting up project files and designing activities, it is also possible to integrate within BBEs scaffolding for novice programmers. We outline and present examples for a set of Scaffold Activities developed for use in novice programming settings that we have found in practice to be successful in easing students into programming.
Rethinking Patellar Tendinopathy and Partial Patellar Tendon Tears: A Novel Classification System.

Background:Patellar tendinopathy is an overuse injury of the patellar tendon frequently affecting athletes involved in jumping sports. The tendinopathy may progress to partial patellar tendon tears...
Effects of corn particle size on broiler performance during the starter, grower, and finisher periods

Summary A considerable segment of the broiler industry in the US grinds corn to approximately 800 μm regardless of the production period of broilers. However, research evaluating optimum corn particle size during each production period is sparse. Therefore, 3 experiments were conducted to determine the effect of corn particle size on growth performance of broilers during the starter, grower, and finisher periods. The experiments consisted of 4 dietary treatments in which broilers received different corn particle sizes depending on the feeding phase: 674, 741, 805, and 912 μm in the starter period from 1 to 14 D of age (experiment 1); 629, 763, 814, and 1,779 μm in the grower period from 14 to 28 D of age (experiment 2); and 615, 863, 1,644, and 2,613 μm in the finisher period from 28 to 42 D of age (experiment 3). In experiments 1 and 2, corn particle size did not influence BW, feed intake (FI), and FCR. In experiment 3, FI increased when broilers were fed with diets containing a corn particle size of 1,644 μm compared with broilers fed with diets containing a corn particle size of 615 μm. However, feeding diets with a corn particle size >1,644 μm increased FCR at 42 D. These data indicated that diets with a corn particle size of 912 and 1,779 μm did not influence growth performance during the starter and grower periods, respectively. However, a corn particle size >1,644 μm can negatively influence FCR during the finisher period from 28 to 42 D of age.
Abstract WP342: Linking the Coverdell Clinical Stroke Program Inpatient Registry to Commercial Claims Data to Assess Post-Discharge Medication Adherence

Background: Non-interventional large-scale research on patients with stroke requires the use of data sources ensuring access to large populations with clinically detailed and longitudinally availab...
Managing Emergency Department Risk Through Communication and Documentation

The job description of the emergency physician contains many responsibilities, including identifying and managing life-threatening illness, providing symptomatic relief, determining safe and efficient disposition, managing department flow, providing customer service, improving public health, and ensuring wise resource utilization. Emergency physicians must communicate effectively with patients, interdisciplinary clinical teams, and consultants, both orally and through the medical record. Excellence in clinical care as well as in communication and documentation is critical for managing risk in the emergency department.
Allele-Specific Detection Methods for QoI Fungicide-Resistant Erysiphe necator in Vineyards

Grapevine powdery mildew (GPM), caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, is a constant threat to worldwide production of grape berries, requiring repeated use of fungicides for management. The frequent fungicide applications have resulted in resistance to commonly used quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides and the resistance is associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb). In this study, we attempted to detect the most common SNP causing a glycine to alanine substitution at amino acid position 143 (i.e., G143A) in the cytb protein, to track this resistance using allele-specific TaqMan probe and digital-droplet PCR-based assays. Specificity and sensitivity of these assays showed that these two assays could discriminate SNPs and were effective on mixed samples. These diagnostic assays were implemented to survey E. necator samples collected from leaf and air samples from California and Oregon grape-growing regions. Sequencing of PCR amplicons and phenotyping of isolates also revealed that these assays accurately detected each allele (100% agreement), and there was an absolute agreement between the presence or absence of the G143A mutation and resistance to QoIs in the E. necator sampled. These results indicate that the developed diagnostic tools will help growers make informed decisions about fungicide selections and applications which, in turn, will facilitate GPM disease management and improve grape production systems.
A general model for the solubilities of gases in liquids.

The solubility of a compound is one of its most important properties. Here, regression relationships are presented for solubilities of a series of gases in water and in four organic solvents, treating each solvent separately. The solubilities are related to the Coulombic intermolecular interactions arising from the intrinsic polarities of the solute molecules and the polarities induced in them by the solvent. As a measure of intrinsic polarity, a statistical quantity defined in terms of the solute’s molecular electrostatic potential is used, and the measure of induced polarity is taken to be the solute’s molecular polarizability. Regression analyses show that solubility in water is best expressed in terms of just the intrinsic polarities of the solutes, but for the organic solvents, it is necessary to take into account both the intrinsic and the induced polarities of the solutes. If the dielectric constant of the solvent is included in the regression analysis, then a single relationship can encompass all four organic solvents. Solute molecular volumes were not found to contribute significantly to the present relationships.
Testing the impact of orphan status, illness in the household, and a child's relationship to the household head on wasting in Nigeria: implications for Hamilton's rule

Existing studies on the impact of orphanhood on wasting in sub-Saharan Africa were historically conducted in East and South Africa. These studies have been interested in understanding how close kin...
The epidemic and characteristics of female breast cancer in China

The incidence, mortality and survivorship of female breast cancer in China, and the distribution of its several key characteristics were described briefly in this article. The breast cancer incidence and mortality rates among Chinese women were increasing rapidly, especially in rural area during the recent 10 years, though they were still in low level worldwidely. The distribution of breast cancer incidence and mortality among Chinese women by age and district were showing significant characters. The total survival rate was estimated to be closed to the average level of developing countries, while disparity between urban and rural area was recognized. Because of lacking population data, it is difficult to describe the characteristics on histological subtypes, stages on diagnosis and molecular subtypes nationwide. The national strategies on breast cancer prevention and control should be focused on disease surveillance,etiological research and survival study. Moreover, measurement should be taken to improve the capacity on breast cancer prevention, screening and clinical services in rural area, in order to narrow the gap of survivorship between urban and rural area and control the rapid increase of mortality in rural area.
The amygdala modulates prepulse inhibition of the auditory startle reflex through excitatory inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus

Sensorimotor gating is a fundamental pre-attentive process that is defined as the inhibition of a motor response by a sensory event. Sensorimotor gating, commonly measured using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex task, is impaired in patients suffering from various neurological and psychiatric disorders. PPI deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia, and they are often associated with attention and other cognitive impairments. Although the reversal of PPI deficits in animal models is widely used in pre-clinical research for antipsychotic drug screening, the neurotransmitter systems and synaptic mechanisms underlying PPI are still not resolved, even under physiological conditions. Recent evidence ruled out the longstanding hypothesis that PPI is mediated by midbrain cholinergic inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC). Instead, glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms are now suggested to be crucial for PPI, at the PnC level. Since amygdalar dysfunctions alter PPI and are common to pathologies displaying sensorimotor gating deficits, the present study was designed to test that direct projections to the PnC originating from the amygdala contribute to PPI. Using wild type and transgenic mice expressing eGFP under the control of the glycine transporter type 2 promoter (GlyT2-eGFP mice), we first employed tract-tracing, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemical analyses to demonstrate that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) sends glutamatergic inputs lateroventrally to PnC neurons, including GlyT2+ cells. Then, we showed the contribution of the CeA-PnC excitatory synapses to PPI in vivo by demonstrating that optogenetic inhibition of this connection decreases PPI, and optogenetic activation induces partial PPI. Finally, in GlyT2-Cre mice, whole-cell recordings of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vitro paired with optogenetic stimulation of CeA fibers, as well as photo-inhibition of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vivo, allowed us to implicate GlyT2+ neurons in the PPI pathway. Our results uncover a feedforward inhibitory mechanism within the brainstem startle circuit by which amygdalar glutamatergic inputs and GlyT2+ PnC neurons contribute to PPI. We are providing new insights to the clinically relevant theoretical construct of PPI, which is disrupted in various neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases.
Volatility Modeling of S&P500 Returns: A Comparative Study of GARCH Family Models and VIX

Modeling, analyzing and predicting volatility has been an important research subject amongst practitioners and academics for a long period of time. However, volatility is a time-varying measure and is hard to calculate, so many studies have been devoted to develop different methods of calculating and analyzing this significant term. In this study we chose S&P 500 as the source data, and VIX as the implied volatility. We would first fit data to the GARCH family models and evaluate the effectiveness of the models. Then we would choose the better performed ones to compare the predictability with VIX.
Initial Fermi orbital descriptors for FLOSIC calculations: The quick-FOD method

Abstract Fermi orbital descriptors (FODs) play a key role in Fermi-Lowdin orbital self-interaction correction (FLOSIC) calculations used to remove self-interaction from approximate density functionals. Optimal FODs are obtained by minimizing the self-interaction-corrected total energy, and, in this process, identifying initial sets of FODs becomes crucial. We propose, implement and test a novel method for automatically initializing FODs, quick-FOD, based on the minimization of an empirical energy expression that involves a Coulomb-like FOD-electron density attraction, an FOD-FOD short-range repulsion, and an exchange-like FOD-density repulsion. Quick-FOD successfully reproduces FOD arrangements in qualitatively good agreement with Lewis theory and with full-fledged FLOSIC calculations.
Destination-Based Income Taxation: Neither Principled Nor Practical?

This article concludes that modified source rules, an outsourcing model for transfer pricing, and expanded taxable presence rules can create a destination-based income tax consistent with underlying principles of international income taxation. It analyzes the history and development of the current and past source, transfer pricing, and taxable presence rules in U.S. international tax in making this determination. However, it identifies serious design concerns with the most-discussed destination-based reform proposals and calls for further analysis to provide a workable path forward for destination-based income taxation.
(UN)accountable: International Arbitration and Insurance Coverage as two Viable Solutions to the UN Accountability Dilemma

The United Nations (“UN”) is the guardian of human rights in the world. Yet there seems to be no legal venue capable of adjudicating human rights claims against International Organizations, especially the United Nations. This article scrutinizes the currently suggested accountability mechanisms of the UN for human rights breaches committed by UN peacekeepers. We propose two alternative feasible legal solutions regarding the form and nature of accountability mechanisms for human rights claims against the UN peacekeepers.
Abstract MP65: High Mobile Device Usage Associated With Sedentary Behaviors and Less Physical Activity in 6th Grade Students

Background: Sedentary screen time (including TV, computer and video games) has been correlated with childhood obesity and other health risks. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children limit their daily screen time to two hours in order to reduce the associated risk. Mobile device use has become increasingly popular amongst children and adolescents. However, mobile screen time (cell phone and tablet use) and its effect on physical activity in adolescents has yet to be thoroughly researched. Methods: Self-reported survey data were collected from 2,566 6th grade students enrolled in Project Healthy Schools during the 2013-2014 school year. Based on AAP guidelines, we split our sample into low mobile device users (≤2 hours/day) and high mobile device users (>2 hours/day). We compared physical activity, sports team participation and screen time habits between groups. Results: 20.73% (n=532) of the 6th graders surveyed reported being high mobile device users. 60.5% (n=322) of these were ...
Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar Observations at USU's Atmospheric Lidar Observatory (Logan,UT) - Temperature Climatology, Temperature Comparisons with MSIS, and Noctilucent Clouds

.. .. ........ .. ....... . 83 .. .. .. .... 83 Introduction .. .. ...... 84 Instrument Description and Data Reduction ...... .. .. .. ... 84 Observations and Data Analysis 86 Discussion . I 00 NLC Characteristics .. .. I 00 Relationship between the NLC and Climate Change .... .. 104 Comparison of Large Amplitude Wave and Tides I 06 Conclusions ..... ...... ..... ..... ...... .. . 109 Summary and Future Work .. .. 113 Summary and Conclusions ..... .. .. 113 Future Work .. ... .... ..... .. .. ... .. ... 118 REFERENCES ... ........ 123 APPENDICES ...... ...... ... .... .... . 132 APPENDIX A ........ 133 APPENDIX B ...... .. ..... ...... .. ... 136 ix CURRICULUM VITAE ..... ... ... 167
LINEAR POTENTIALS IN GALAXIES AND CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

In a previous paper we presented a typical set of galactic rotation curves associated with the linear gravitational potential of the conformal invariant fourth order theory of gravity which has recently been advanced by Mannheim and Kazanas as a candidate alternative to the standard second order Newton-Einstein theory. Reasonable agreement with data was obtained for four representative galaxies without the need for any non-luminous or dark matter. In this paper we present the associated formalism and compare and contrast the linear potential explanation of the general systematics of galactic rotation curves and the associated Tully-Fisher relation with that of the standard dark matter theory. Additionally, we show that the conformal gravity picture appears to have survived the recent round of microlensing observations unscathed. Finally, we make a first application of the conformal theory to the larger distance scale associated with a cluster of galaxies, with the theory being found to give a reasonable value for the mean velocity of the virialized core of the typical Coma cluster, again without the need to invoke dark matter.
SU-E-P-16: A Feasibility Study of Using Eclipse AAA for SRS Treatement

Purpose: To commission Varian Eclipse AAA for SRS treatment and compare the accuracy with Brainlab iPlan system for clinical cases measured with radiochromic film. Methods: A 6MV AAA clinical model for a Varian TrueBeam STx is used as baseline. The focal spot and field size of the baseline model(BASE) are (1.75,0.75) and 40×40cm{sup 2} respectively. Maximum field sizes, output factors(S{sub t}), FWHM focal spot and secondary source sizes are systematically adjusted to obtain an optimized model(OPT) by comparing the calculated PDD’s, profiles, and output factors with measurements taken with a stereotactic diode(SD) and, cc01 and cc04 ion chambers in Blue Phantom. In-phantom dose distributions of clinical SRS fields are calculated using the OPT and the clinical Brainlab iPlan pencil-beam. Within the 90% isodose-line(ROI), the average dose difference between the calculations and radiochromic film measurements are assessed. Results: The maximum field, focal spot and secondary source sizes for the OPT are 15×15cm{sup 2}, (0,0), and 32.3mm respectively. The OPT St input at 1.0 and 2.0cm fields are increased by 4.5% and 1.5% from BASE. The calculated output of the BASE and OPT underestimate by 16.1%–3.2% respectively at 0.5×0.5cm{sup 2} field and 3.1%−0.02% respectively at 1.0×1.0cm{sup 2} field. The depth doses atmore » 10cm are within 3.5% and 0.4% of measurements for 0.5×0.5 and 1.0×1.0cm{sup 2}. The ROI dose of OPT and iPlan are within 1.6% and 0.6% of film measurements for 3.0cm clinical fields. For 1.0cm fields, the ROI dose of OPT underestimate 0.0–2.0% and iPlan overestimates 1.7–2.9% relative to measurements. Conclusion: The small field dose calculation of Eclipse AAA algorithm can be significantly improved by carefully adjusting the input parameters. The larger deviation of the OPT for 0.5×0.5cm{sup 2} field from measurements can be attributed to the lowest 1.0cm field size input limit of AAA. The OPT compares reasonably well with the iPlan pencil-beam and measurements.« less
Reductions in Sepsis Mortality and Costs After Design and Implementation of a Nurse-Based Early Recognition and Response Program.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Sepsis is a leading cause of death, but evidence suggests that early recognition and prompt intervention can save lives. In 2005 Houston Methodist Hospital prioritized sepsis detection and management in its ICU. In late 2007, because of marginal effects on sepsis death rates, the focus shifted to designing a program that would be readily used by nurses and ensure early recognition of patients showing signs suspicious for sepsis, as well as the institution of prompt, evidence-based interventions to diagnose and treat it. Methods The intervention had four components: organizational commitment and data-based leadership; development and integration of an early sepsis screening tool into the electronic health record; creation of screening and response protocols; and education and training of nurses. Twice-daily screening of patients on targeted units was conducted by bedside nurses; nurse practitioners initiated definitive treatment as indicated. Evaluation focused on extent of implementation, trends in inpatient mortality, and, for Medicare beneficiaries, a before-after (2008–2011) comparison of outcomes and costs. A federal grant in 2012 enabled expansion of the program. Results By year 3 (2011) 33% of inpatients were screened (56,190 screens in 9,718 unique patients), up from 10% in year 1 (2009). Inpatient sepsis-associated death rates decreased from 29.7% in the preimplementation period (2006–2008) to 21.1% after implementation (2009–2014). Death rates and hospital costs for Medicare beneficiaries decreased from preimplementation levels without a compensatory increase in discharges to postacute care. Conclusion This program has been associated with lower inpatient death rates and costs. Further testing of the robustness and exportability of the program is under way.