cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Etiology of Pain and Its Association with Quality of Life among Patients with Heart Failure.

Abstract Objective: Describe the etiology of pain among HF patients and examine the relationship between pain and QoL. Background: Little is known about the etiology of pain in patients with heart failure (HF) and the impact it has on quality of life (QoL). Methods: A prospective cohort study of outpatients with NYHA Class II or III HF were surveyed at baseline and at three-month follow-up. The study was conducted in Heart Failure clinics affiliated with a large, urban, academic medical center. Results: Of 104 patients that completed a baseline survey, 73 (70%) completed a follow-up survey. At baseline, 48% of patients reported having pain the previous week. Patients on prescription pain medication (n = 16) had more severe pain (Mean = 4.5 vs. 2.6; p = 0.001). Physician documented pain etiologies included: musculoskeletal (50%, n = 16), cardiac (22%, n = 7), and headache/neurological (22%, n = 7). Linear regression revealed that significant contributions to QoL included HF Class (p = 0.0001), dyspnea (p =...
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis and Oxidation

This chapter describes the catalytic transformations in the microbial fatty acid biosynthesis (fatty acid synthase, FAS-II) and mammalian fatty acid β-oxidation pathways, and is organized into three sections based around the thiolase, short-chain dehydrogenase reductase (SDR), and crotonase superfamilies. Section 1 discusses the mechanism of the FAS-II β-ketoacyl-ACP synthases and β-oxidation thiolases, and also describes carbon–carbon bond formation reactions catalyzed by other members of the thiolase superfamily including the biosynthetic thiolases, type III polyketide synthases, and HMG-CoA synthase. Section 2 compares and contrasts the mechanism of the dehydrogenase and reductase members of the SDR superfamily with particular emphasis on the FAS-II β-ketoacyl-ACP reductases and the FabI, FabV and FabL enoyl-ACP reductases. This section concludes with a discussion of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase from the β-oxidation pathway. The final section in the chapter is focused on enzymes involved in the hydration and dehydration of fatty acids, and initially focuses on the FabA and FabZ dehydratases in the FAS-II pathway. This is followed by an extensive discussion of the β-oxidation enzyme enoyl-CoA hydratase (crotonase) together with other members of the crotonase superfamily including 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA dehalogenase, dihydroxynaphthoyl-CoA synthase, BadI and 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase. In addition to a discussion of enzyme mechanisms, where relevant there is also a discussion of inhibitor discovery since the FAS-II pathway is a validated target for antimicrobial drug discovery.
Measurement and Variation in Estimation of Quality of Life Effects of Patients Undergoing Treatment for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Background: Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing. The effect of diagnosis and treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an essential variable in the absence of a change in life span for the majority of patients. HRQoL instruments, with data useful for between-disease comparisons, are being increasingly used for health policy and outcomes evaluation. Variation exits among the instruments based on the impact of a specific disease. We assessed which of four well-validated, preference-based surveys detect changes in health and clinical intervention in patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Methods: Four commonly used HRQoL questionnaires (Short Form-12v2® [SF6D], EuroQol-5D [EQ5D], and Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and 3 [HUI2, HUI3]) were administered to patients with the diagnosis of PTC at three perioperative time points during the first year of treatment. Clinicopathological and treatment course data were assessed for HRQoL impact including complications from surgery, re-op...
Initial Transplant Size and Microsite Influence Transplant Survivorship and Growth of a Threatened Dune Thistle

Identifying optimal transplant size and microsite requirements are critical challenges facing restoration practitioners, and refining this information may lead to more cost effective decisions. In this study, we evaluate the effects of transplant size and microsite on restoration success of the federal threatened Cirsium pitcheri (Pitcher’s thistle), a monocarpic perennial restricted to shoreline sand dunes of the Great Lakes in the United States, using a ten-year dataset. Using general and generalized mixed linear models, we determined how microsite variables influenced first-year-transplant survival and subsequent growth. Our data show a higher probability of first-year survival associated with larger transplants. We also found greater plant growth at higher elevations while plants on steeper slopes are smaller the year after they are transplanted. These results have implications for restoration success, which may be maximized by regulating transplant size and selecting habitat.
Nonlinear Signal Comparison and High‐Resolution Measurement of Surface‐Wave Dispersion

Abstract In surface‐wave dispersion measurement, we use cross correlation to compare the recorded signals at different stations to measure their phase difference. However, the measurement resolution is poor at low frequencies and the poor resolution was often incorrectly interpreted as large measurement errors. Here, we propose a new nonlinear signal comparison (NLSC) approach to achieve a uniform high‐resolution measurement across a wide frequency band. Furthermore, we can control the overall resolution in NLSC by an adjustable parameter. The traditional cross correlation is a special case of NLSC. We use both synthetic and recorded seismic data to demonstrate the effectiveness of NLSC by extracting surface Rayleigh‐wave phase‐velocity dispersion curves for different datasets, including synthetic multimode Rayleigh‐wave data, synthetic global Rayleigh waves of a Martian seismic model, and a real ambient noise correlation data processed from the USArray.
Broccoli Microgreens: A Mineral-Rich Crop That Can Diversify Food Systems

Current malnourishment statistics are high and are exacerbated by contemporary agricultural practices that damage the very environments on which the production of nutritious food depends. As the World’s population grows at an unprecedented rate, food systems must be revised to provide adequate nutrition while minimizing environmental impacts. One specific nutritional problem that needs attention is mineral (e.g., Fe, Zn) malnutrition, which impacts over two-thirds of the World’s people living in countries of every economic status. Microgreens, the edible cotyledons of many vegetables, herbs and flowers, is a newly emerging crop that may be a dense source of nutrition and has the potential to be in just about any locale. This study examined the mineral concentration of broccoli microgreens produced using compost-based and hydroponic growing methods that are easily implemented in one’s own home. The nutritional value of the resulting microgreens was quantitatively compared to published nutritional data for the mature vegetable. Nutritional data was also considered in the context of the resource demands (i.e., water, fertilizer, energy) of producing microgreens in order to gain insights into the potential for local microgreen production to diversify food systems, particularly for urban areas, while minimizing the overall environmental impacts of broccoli farming. Regardless of how they were grown, microgreens had larger quantities of Mg, Mn, Cu and Zn than the vegetable. However, compost-grown (C) microgreens had higher P, K, Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, Ca, Na and Cu concentrations than the vegetable. For eight nutritionally important minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, Na), the average C microgreen: vegetable nutrient ratio was 1.73. Extrapolation from experimental data presented here indicates that broccoli microgreens would require 158 to 236 times less water than it does to grow a nutritionally equivalent amount of mature vegetable in the fields of California’s Central Valley in 93-95% less time and without the need for fertilizer, pesticides or energy-demanding transport from farm to table. This study indicates that broccoli microgreens have the potential to be a rich source of minerals that can be produced by individuals, even in urban settings, providing better access to adequate nutrition.
Resonant tunneling and multiple negative differential conductance features in long wavelength interband cascade infrared photodetectors

We report on an investigation of multiple negative differential conductance (NDC) features in long wavelength interband cascade infrared photodetectors (ICIPs) at and above 300 K. Using ICIPs with various structures and carrier concentrations, we employ several approaches to demonstrate that the observed multiple NDC features and their unusual temperature dependence are related to the sequential turn off of resonant tunneling of minority carriers through the electron barriers at high temperatures.
Reliability of analysis of the bone mineral density of the second and fifth metatarsals using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

Metatarsal fractures, especially of the fifth metatarsal, are common injuries of the foot in a young athletic population, but the risk factors for this injury are not well understood. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides reliable measures of regional bone mineral density to predict fracture risk in the hip and lumbar spine. Recently, sub-regional metatarsal reliability was established in fresh cadaveric specimens and associated with ultimate fracture force. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of DXA bone mineral density measurements of sub-regions of the second and fifth metatarsals in a young, active population. Thirty two recreationally active individuals participated in the study, and the bone density of the second (2MT) and fifth (5MT) metatarsals of each subject was measured using a Hologic QDR x-ray bone densitometer. Scans were analyzed separately by two raters, and regional bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and area measurements were calculated for the proximal, shaft, and distal regions of the bone. Intra-rater, inter-rater, and scan-rescan reliability were then determined for each region. Proximal and shaft bone mineral density measurements of the second and fifth metatarsal were reliable. ICC’s were variable across regions and metatarsals, with the distal region being the poorest. Bone mineral density measurements of the metatarsals may be a better indicator of fracture risk of the metatarsals than whole body measurements. A reliable method for measuring the regional bone mineral densities of the metatarsals was found. However, inter-rater reliability and scan-rescan reliability for the distal regions were poor. Future research should examine the relationship between DXA bone mineral density measurements and fracture risk at the metatarsals.
Ultrasonic Cavitation-Enabled Treatment for Therapy of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Proof of Principle.

Ultrasound myocardial cavitation-enabled treatment was applied to the SS-16BN rat model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for proof of the principle underlying myocardial reduction therapy. A focused ultrasound transducer was targeted using 10-MHz imaging (10 S, GE Vivid 7) to the left ventricular wall of anesthetized rats in a warmed water bath. Pulse bursts of 4-MPa peak rarefactional pressure amplitude were intermittently triggered 1:8 heartbeats during a 10-min infusion of a microbubble suspension. Methylprednisolone was given to reduce initial inflammation, and Losartan was given to reduce fibrosis in the healing tissue. At 28 d post therapy, myocardial cavitation-enabled treatment significantly reduced the targeted wall thickness by 16.2% (p <0.01) relative to shams, with myocardial strain rate and endocardial displacement reduced by 34% and 29%, respectively, which are sufficient for therapeutic treatment. Premature electrocardiogram complexes and plasma troponin measurements were found to identify optimal and suboptimal treatment cohorts and would aid in achieving the desired impact. With clinical translation, myocardial cavitation-enabled treatment should fill the need for a new non-invasive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy therapy option.
State Sales Taxes in Fiscal 2007: More Slow Growth

John L. Mikesell reviews state sales tax receipts for fiscal 2007, and says they grew only 3.9 percent over the previous year.
Topic Modeling: Latent Semantic Analysis for the Social Sciences*

Objective Topic modeling (TM) refers to a group of methods for mathematically identifying latent topics in large corpora of data. Although TM shows promise as a tool for social science research, most researchers lack awareness of the tool's utility. Therefore, this article provides a brief overview of TM's logic and processes, offers a simple example, and suggests several possible uses in social sciences. Methods Using latent semantic analysis in our example, we analyzed transcripts of the 2016 U.S. presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Results Resulting topics paralleled the most frequent policy‐related Internet searches at the time. When divided by candidate, changes in emergent topics reflected individual policy stances, with nuanced differences between the two. Conclusion Findings underscored the utility of TM to identify thematic patterns embedded in large quantities of text. TM, therefore, represents a valuable addition to the social scientist's methodological tool set.
Detection of microvascular retinal changes in type I diabetic mice with optical coherence tomography angiography.

Abstract Optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography is a dye-free and non-invasive angiography which allows visualization of retinal and choroid vascular flow, enabling observation of highly permeable and three dimensional vasculature. Although OCT angiography is providing new insights in human retinal and choroidal diseases, a few studies have been reported in experimental mice. In this study, to determine the potential of OCT angiography in experimental mice, we sought to examine whether OCT angiography can detect vascular change in type I diabetic mice. To conduct age dependent analysis, 2 and 6 month old male type 1 diabetic Ins2Akita/+ and age matched C57BL/6J mice were used. OCT angiography was performed by Heidelberg Spectralis OCT Angiography Module with 30° lens + mouse adapter lens. We acquired the OCT angiography image from the peripheral nasal position. For analysis of OCT angiography images, OCT angiography positive area were used for vascular density. We analyzed vascular density from the retinal surface (inner limiting membrane) to 120 μm depth with 4 μm steps in order to correlate vascular density vs depth (N = 4 per group). Vascular density of both mouse strains demonstrated three different peaks. By comparing with the OCT image, the first peak (superficial), second peak (intermediate) and third peak (deep) were located in nerve fiber layer/ganglion cell layer, inner plexiform layer/inner nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer/outer nuclear layer, respectively. We calculated vascular density of these peaks separately. In C57BL/6J mice, the vascular density in all three layers do not show significant difference between 2- and 6-month-old. On the other hand, 6-month-old Ins2Akita/+ mice showed a significant decrease of the vascular density in all three layers compared to 2-month-old Ins2Akita/+ mice. Also, the vascular density of 6-month-old Ins2Akita/+ mice in the deep layer showed a significant decrease compared to 2- and 6-month-old C57BL/6J mice. Thus, OCT angiography successfully detects retinal vascular difference between type I diabetic mice and control mice, and age-dependent vasculature change in type I diabetic mice. The diabetic mice demonstrated reduced vascular density due to reduced density of flowing deep vessels. Importantly, we observed this difference without retinal blood leakage, hemorrhage or neovascularization. Our analysis (vascular density vs retinal depth) suggests that OCT angiography is useful for in vivo detection of retinal vasculature alteration in experimental mice.
New deep electrical resistivity tomography in the High Agri Valley basin (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

The Agri Valley (Basilicata Region) is the most important area in Europe for onshore oil production. Moreover, the High Agri Valley extensional basin is among the Italian regions with the highest s...
The impact of political risk on real estate investment: evidence from the Scottish “neverendum”

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of political risk in real estate and to specifically examine the implications in Scotland of continuing uncertainty caused by political events.,The primary research links the political timeline around the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 to time series of a combination of individual investment transactions, measures of sentiment from investment agents and yields. The analysis distinguishes between UK and overseas investors.,The political risk over six years ebbed and flowed with the changing probability of constitutional change but ultimately it has been a cumulative dampener on investment in Scotland. An element of the political risk can be deemed to be specific risk linked to UK institutional fund mandates that stems from concerns about possible forced sales with independence. In addition political risk is in the eye of the beholder with overseas investors in Scotland unfazed by the prospects of independence.,The short-term impact on investment of the Scottish “neverendum” is very similar to that for independence. The consequences are depressed investment and development that seem set to continue at least until the constitutional hiatus begins to be resolved.,This is the first study to explicitly examine the impact of political uncertainty on the real estate sector.
Rethinking Democratic Diffusion: Bringing Regime Type Back In:

Studies of democratic diffusion often emphasize geographic proximity: democratization in a country or region makes democratization nearby more likely. We argue that regime type has been underapprec...
Global scanning of anatoxins in aquatic systems: environment and health hazards, and research needs

Surface water contamination from the neurotoxic cyanotoxin anatoxin-a and its analogues present risks to global public health and the environment. Understanding aquatic hazards is critical for cyanobacterial blooms increasing in magnitude, frequency and duration. We examined published data to identify exceedances of guideline values (GVs) globally in various aquatic systems to understand hazards when exposure occurs. Environmental exposure distributions of surface water data (intra- and extracellular toxins) from recreational and potable source waters exceeded common GVs of 0.1, 1 and 300µgL–1 when blooms occur 79.62, 48.37 and 1.42% of the time respectively. In total, 66% of occurrences were from lacustrine ecosystems compared with reservoir, river, coastal and other systems, with almost all data from Asia–Pacific, Europe and North America, highlighting the need for more monitoring efforts in diverse systems and in developing regions. Reservoirs had greatest exceedances of the highest GV compared with other systems, especially in Europe, where an exceedance of 19.92% was observed. Aquatic toxicity and bioaccumulation data were examined and compared to these environmentally relevant concentrations, though a lack of high-quality data highlights major research needs. This study further identifies the utility of probabilistic cyanotoxins assessments to support identification of where environmental monitoring and research may be more effectively focused.
Advancing Nutrition in the International Food Assistance Agenda: Progress and Future Directions Identified at the 2018 Food Assistance for Nutrition Evidence Summit:

Background:Global food insecurity persists despite continued international attention, necessitating evidence-based food assistance interventions that adequately address nutritional concerns. In Jun...
Analyzing Resonant Points of SLLD Circuit to Achieve MPPT for Capacitive-Coupling Wireless Power Transfer

Capacitive-coupling Wireless power transfer (C-WPT) provides an alternative approach for near-field wireless charging of sensors and monitors, mobile devices and other power users. The C-WPT has some notable features such as minimized field leakage and transmitting power through metal barrier. In this paper, the resonant points of a Switch-Inductor-Inductor-Diode (SLLD) circuit is analyzed, which is used to specify the parameters of the SLLD circuit. It is found that the receiving-side inductor must be further lower than the transmitting-side inductor to distinguish two natural resonant points and thus realize MPPT control in the SLLD circuit. The results have been proven by experimental tests.
Disruptive Behavior Problems, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Regional Gray Matter Volume in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study.

Abstract Background Neurobiological differences linked to socioemotional and cognitive processing are well documented in youths with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs), especially youths with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The current study expanded this literature by examining gray matter volume (GMV) differences among youths with DBD with CU traits (DBDCU+), youths with DBD without CU traits (DBD-only), and youths that were typically developing (TD). Methods Data were from the first full sample release of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (mean age = 9.49 years; 49% female). We tested whether the GMVs of 11 regions of interest selected a priori differentiated between our 3 groups: DBDCU+ (n = 288), DBD-only (n = 362), and TD (n = 915). Models accounted for demographic confounders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intracranial volume. We examined two potential moderators of the relationship between GMVs and group membership: sex and clinically significant anxiety (i.e., primary vs. secondary CU traits subtype). Results Youths in the DBDCU+ group had lower right amygdala GMV, and youths in the DBD-only group had lower bilateral amygdala GMV relative to TD youths. Youths in the DBDCU+ group had lower bilateral hippocampal GMV, and youths in the DBD-only group had lower left hippocampal GMV relative to TD youths. Youths in the DBDCU+ group evidenced lower left insula GMV relative to TD youths. Finally, youths in the DBD-only group had lower left superior frontal gyrus and lower right caudal anterior cingulate cortex GMVs relative to TD youths. There was no moderation of associations between GMV and group membership by sex. Conclusions Our findings implicate structural aberrations in both the amygdala and hippocampus in the etiology of DBDs, with minimal evidence for differences based on the presence or absence of CU traits.
Characterization of optical light curves of extreme variability quasars over a ∼16-yr baseline

We study the optical light curves - primarily probing the variable emission from the accretion disk - of ~ 900 extreme variability quasars (EVQs, with maximum flux variations more than 1 mag) over an observed-frame baseline of ~ 16 years using public data from the SDSS Stripe 82, PanSTARRS-1 and the Dark Energy Survey. We classify the multi-year long-term light curves of EVQs into three categories roughly in the order of decreasing smoothness: monotonic decreasing or increasing (3.7%), single broad peak and dip (56.8%), and more complex patterns (39.5%). The rareness of monotonic cases suggests that the major mechanisms driving the extreme optical variability do not operate over timescales much longer than a few years. Simulated light curves with a damped random walk model generally under-predict the first two categories with smoother long-term trends. Despite the different long-term behaviors of these EVQs, there is little dependence of the long-term trend on the physical properties of quasars, such as their luminosity, BH mass, and Eddington ratio. The large dynamic range of optical flux variability over multi-year timescales of these EVQs allows us to explore the ensemble correlation between the short-term (< 6 months) variability and the seasonal-average flux across the decade-long baseline (the rms-mean flux relation). We find that unlike the results for X-ray variability studies, the linear short-term flux variations do not scale with the seasonal-average flux, indicating different mechanisms that drive the short-term flickering and long-term extreme variability of accretion disk emission. Finally, we present a sample of 16 EVQs, where the approximately bell-shaped large amplitude variation in the light curve can be reasonably well fit by a simple microlensing model.
Teachers' Development of a Socially-Stigmatized Dialect.

This study investigates the learning of linguistic structures associated with African American English (AAE) among four non-AAE-speaking teachers of AAE-speaking students. It considers implicit and...
Azo- and methylene-bridged mixed azoles for stable and insensitive energetic applications

A simple synthetic strategy for the preparation of high nitrogen content azo- and methylene bridged mixed energetic azoles was used. All new compounds were fully characterized by NMR and infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, the structures of energetic salts 7 and 10 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Detonation performances, calculated from heats of formation and experimental densities, thermal stabilities, and impact and friction sensitivities suggest possible applications in the field of insensitive energetic materials.
The Self-Internalization of Religious Subjectivity: Commentary on Part 1

This is a commentary on the papers presented in Part 1 (“The Primeval Showing of Religious Experience”) of The Problem of Religious Experience: Case Studies in Phenomenology, edited by Olga Louchakova-Schwartz. This commentary provides a reflection upon and an integration of the findings in the papers by Shogo Tanaka, Patrick Laude, Espen Dahl, and Olga Louchakova-Schwartz. All the authors present either a full or a partial descriptive phenomenology of religious experience, some of them deepening the analysis toward static or genetic constitutive phenomenology. Religious experience is shown to be a result of spontaneous reduction leading to various forms of the self-internalization of subjectivity and to the uncovering of aprioristic horizons pertaining to religious experience. It is suggested that religious experience constitutively influences subjectivity. Limited parallels are made with a cognitive science of religion, suggesting that religious experience is a sui generis activity of consciousness and cannot be reduced to a result of group behavior. The commentary includes directions for future research of the subjectivity under conditions of constitutive influences of religious experience.
Internal velocity and mass distributions in simulated clusters of galaxies for a variety of cosmogonic models

The mass and velocity distributions in the outskirts (0.5-3.0/h Mpc) of simulated clusters of galaxies are examined for a suite of cosmogonic models (two Omega(sub 0) = 1 and two Omega(sub 0) = 0.2 models) utilizing large-scale particle-mesh (PM) simulations. Through a series of model computations, designed to isolate the different effects, we find that both Omega(sub 0) and P(sub k) (lambda less than or = 16/h Mpc) are important to the mass distributions in clusters of galaxies. There is a correlation between power, P(sub k), and density profiles of massive clusters; more power tends to point to the direction of a stronger correlation between alpha and M(r less than 1.5/h Mpc); i.e., massive clusters being relatively extended and small mass clusters being relatively concentrated. A lower Omega(sub 0) universe tends to produce relatively concentrated massive clusters and relatively extended small mass clusters compared to their counterparts in a higher Omega(sub 0) model with the same power. Models with little (initial) small-scale power, such as the hot dark matter (HDM) model, produce more extended mass distributions than the isothermal distribution for most of the mass clusters. But the cold dark matter (CDM) models show mass distributions of most of the clusters more concentrated than the isothermal distribution. X-ray and gravitational lensing observations are beginning providing useful information on the mass distribution in and around clusters; some interesting constraints on Omega(sub 0) and/or the (initial) power of the density fluctuations on scales lambda less than or = 16/h Mpc (where linear extrapolation is invalid) can be obtained when larger observational data sets, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, become available.
Dynamic interplay between cell membrane tension and clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Deformability of the plasma membrane, the outermost surface of metazoan cells, allows cells to be dynamic, mobile and flexible. Factors that affect this deformability, such as tension on the membrane, can regulate a myriad of cellular functions, including membrane resealing, cell motility, polarization, shape maintenance, membrane area control and endocytic vesicle trafficking. This review focuses on mechanoregulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We first delineate the origins of cell membrane tension and the factors that yield to its spatial and temporal fluctuations within cells. We then review the recent literature demonstrating that tension on the membrane is a fast-acting and reversible regulator of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Finally, we discuss tension-based regulation of endocytic clathrin coat formation during physiological processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The clinical impact of malnutrition on the postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing colorectal resection surgery for colon or rectal cancer: Propensity score matched analysis of 2011-2017 US hospitals.

Abstract Background & aims Malnutrition can be prevalently found in patients with significant-to-advanced colorectal cancer, who potential require colorectal resection procedures; to accurately describe the postoperative risks, we used a propensity-score matched comparison of national database to analyze the effects of malnutrition on post-colectomy outcomes. Methods 2011–2017 National inpatient Sample was used to isolate inpatient ceases of colorectal resection procedures, which were stratified using malnutrition into malnutrition-present cohort and malnutrition-absent controls; the controls were propensity-score matched with the study cohort using 1:1 ratio and compared to the following endpoints: mortality, length of stay, costs, postoperative complications. Results After matching, there were 11357 with and without malnutrition who underwent colorectal resection surgery; in comparison, malnourished patients had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (6.14 vs 3.22% p Conclusion This study demonstrates the presence of malnutrition to be associated with adverse postoperative outcomes including mortality and complications in patients undergoing colorectal resection surgery for colon cancer.
Influence of the rosin pendant groups on the solution properties of a high molecular weight hydrogenated polynorbornene

Abstract The dilute solution properties of a sample of high molecular weight rosin substituted hydrogenated polynorbornene (hPDNB) homopolymer, prepared via ROMP and post-polymerization modified by backbone hydrogenation, was investigated by the online measurement of intrinsic viscosity, refractive index, two-angle light scattering and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 35 °C. The weight average molecular weight ( M ‾ w), intrinsic viscosity ([η]), radii of gyration ( R ‾ G) and hydrodynamic ( R ‾ H) radii, and concentration of the polymer fractions were obtained from corresponding traces of the chromatograms. From these data, the double logarithmic plots of M ‾ w versus [η], M ‾ w versus R ‾ G and R ‾ H, and [ η ] M ‾ w − ½ versus M ‾ w ½ scaled the dimensions of the polymer chains to molar mass. The results, surprisingly, indicated that the rosin-substituted polynorbornene is flexible like poly(methyl acrylate). To confirm the results, the data were analyzed by the worm-like touched-bead model which predicated the polymer to be more rigid than poly(methyl acrylate) but less rigid than hindered poly(di-alkyl phenyl acrylate) and poly(di-tert-butyl fumarate).
Flight‐ and Ground‐Based Materials Science Programs at NASA

The Microgravity Research Division of NASA funds research programs in all branches of materials science including ceramics and glasses. A NASA Research Announcement (NRA)is currently planned with proposals due in March 1999. Proposals are accepted for both flight- definition and ground- based research projects with a main criterion being a strong justification for microgravity. A review of the program in its entirety will be given, with special emphasis on microgravity related ceramics research. The topics of current interest in the NRA will be discussed in terms of International Space Station research and NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) initiative.
Software Implemented Fault Tolerance in Hypercube

This paper presents Software Implemented Fault Tolerance (SIFT) for hypercubes which is implemented by means of a software layer. It is written in each node of the nCube parallel computer. The SIFT utilizes an error detection application software and fast reconfiguration algorithm for avoiding faulty nodes. The Balance Spanning Tree (BST) is used for embedding tree-based algorithms into the hypercube topology. Any single faulty node in the hypercube can be tolerated by the software layer. More than 90% of the multiple faults can be tolerated without backtracking. The SIFT approach has been successfully implemented for a quadtree data compression algorithm for 64×64, 128×128 compressible and uncompressible data. The experiments were run on 4 and 16 node nCubes. The time overhead (reconfiguration and recomputation time) incurred by the injected fault was experimentally estimated. The coverage factor, provided by the error-detection software, has been estimated by means of nSOFIT for the quadtree data compression algorithm.
Hidden-variable models for quantum mechanics

In this paper a hidden-variable model for quantum mechanics is given. This model is essentially a quantum logic with a strongly order-determining set of dispersion-free states. A representation theorem which shows that this model is isomorphic to a class of subsets of a phase-space is proved. It is shown that Ochs’ hidden-variable example is a special case of the general model and some comments are made about a paper by Ochs on hidden variables.
Minimal or maximal realizations

Transfer function matrices arise in control systems from setting variable parameters to their nominal values. They are often the starting point of feedback system design calculations based on minimal order state space realizations. The McMillan degree and therefore the minimal order of realizations is, in general, a discontinuous function of the variable parameter. In view of this, we show that using minimal realizations of a given plant transfer matrix for feedback stabilization can lead to nominally stable systems that are destabilized by infinitesimal parameter perturbations. The remedy for such structural instability is to use maximal minimal realizations, that is, minimal realizations in which the orders of the antistable (all RHP poles) parts are maximized over the set of uncertain parameters. The antistable McMillan degree /spl nu//sub max//sup +/ of such systems is invariant under small perturbations, except on an algebraic variety, and this leads to reliable stabilization. Although the controller designed by this means stabilizes a ball of plants around the perturbed nominal it cannot, in general, simultaneously stabilize the plants lying on the algebraic variety where /spl nu//sup +/ is less than /spl nu//sub max//sup +/.
Modeling Inter- and Intra-Organizational Coordination in Electronic Commerce Deployments

Successful Electronic Commerce (EC) requires not only a transformation of the supply chain but a redesign of organizational processes as well. Just as the organizations in a supply chain must cooperate with each other to achieve a collective goal, so too do the departments and groups which comprise an organization depend on each other to achieve the organization's goals. A lack of coordination at either of these levels can result in poor performance and high coordination costs. In addition, changes in inter-organizational dependencies can affect the dependencies within the affected organizations. The lack of coordination across two levels results in transition gap in transforming the inter-organizational design to the intra-organizational design in EC deployments. The purpose of this research is to develop a coordination modeling method for the linkage between inter- and intra-organizations in EC deployments. The method was applied to the EC development project of a cable TV home-shopping company. The coordination approach enabled us to manage dependencies among the coordination elements and identify the effect of a change on other elements, which became the basis for effective EC deployments. We will discuss the method and compare it with other dependency management methods.
Do We Have to Count One by One

Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America. Margo J. Anderson and Stephen E. Fienberg. Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 1999. 329 pp. $32.50. ISBN 0-87154-256-0. Anderson and Fieberg provide a richly informative account of the historical and scientific context of the current controversy surrounding census-taking in the United States.
The Formation of Economic Policy: A Cognitive-Evolutionary Approach to Policy-Making

This essay proposes a cognitive-evolutionaryapproach to economic policy making where the entire process ofpolicy-formation and implementation is analyzed as a collectiveprocess of mobilization and problem-solving that extends fromthe individual level over the level of collective decision makingto the constitutional level. In the procedural view proposed,many issues or problems of economic policy are not fully solvedbecause of four main filters or barriers that filter out certainissues while letting others through. The main task for politicalentrepreneurs is to surmount these barriers. Important aspectsof the politico-economic process are cognitive processes of perceptionand interpretation by the individual; processes of interpretation,mobilization, and negotiation at the collective level; and evolutionarydynamics at the constitutional level.—This interdisciplinaryoriented approach provides a framework that suggests new categoriesfor analyzing policy-making in a systematic way by linking thebehavior and thinking of the individual with the ongoing politicalprocess at the collective and constitutional level, and leadsto conclusions for advising politicians.
Exchange Rate Unification, the Equilibrium Real Exchange Rate, and Choice of Exchange Rate Regime: The Case of the Islamic Republic of Iran

This paper reviews recent developments in the exchange system in the Islamic Republic of Iran and in the real effective exchange rate (REER). It also considers the determinants of the REER in connection with the choice of exchange regime after unification. The study illustrates how economic policy variables and exogenous shocks affect the real exchange rate primarily through the fiscal balance, and consequently, the savings-investment gap. It further illustrates that the appropriate level of REER and its medium-term path depend upon the mix of monetary, fiscal, and structural policies that underpin the evolution of inflation, balance of payments, and productivity growth.
Acute ether lipid deficiency affects neutrophil biology in mice.

We thank Dorninger et al. (2015) for their insightful comments and the opportunity to clarify a number of points from our work (Lodhi et al., 2015). They report that in 4- to 7-month-old mice with whole-body conventional knockout of glyceronephosphate O-acyltransferase (GNPAT; also called acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase, DHAPAT), an enzyme upstream of PexRAP in the ether lipid synthetic pathway, white blood cell counts were not affected. Based on this, they conclude that ether lipid deficiency does not cause neutropenia.
Elevated Temperature Slow Crack Growth of Silicon Nitride Under Dynamic, Static and Cyclic Flexural Loading

The slow crack growth parameters of a hot-pressed silicon nitride were determined at 1200 and 1300 C in air by statically, dynamically and cyclicly loading bend specimens. The fatigue parameters were estimated using the recently developed CARES/Life computer code. Good agreement exists between the flexural results. However, fatigue susceptibility under static uniaxial tensile loading, reported elsewhere, was greater than in flexure. Cyclic flexural loading resulted in the lowest apparent flexural fatigue susceptibility.
An Improved Reagent System for the Measurement of Serum Uric Acid

The reagent is modified as follows: Serum chromogens are destroyed by trisodium phosphate. The use of phosphotungstic acid eliminates the tungstate and sulfate anions, a frequent cause of turbidity. Triethanolamine, added to the carbonate—urea mixture, provides unusual stability of the color through its buffering action. Only 0.2 ml of serum is required. The method is highly reproducible and accurate; analytical results agree closely with those obtained by the uricase or cyanide—urea method.
Electron paramagnetic resonance of the eclipsed layered compounds NH3(CH2)nNH3CuBr4 with n = 2, 3, 4

The EPR of the eclipsed layered compounds alkane diammoniumtetrobromocuprate, NH3(CH2)nNH3CuBr4 with n = 2, 3, and 4 has been studied in the temperature range 113 to 296 K. The angular dependence of the linewidths is explained by the use of the static spin correlations, with emphasis on the extraction of the anisotropies and to confirm the expected departure from two-dimensional magnetism. A discussion of the static spin correlation effects including a possible explanation of the usual linear temperature dependence is included. Comparisons are made to the structurally isomorphic chloride salts.
Selective versus nonselective arterial clamping during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: impact upon renal function in the setting of a solitary kidney in a porcine model.

Abstract Introduction: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy has emerged as a standard of care for small renal masses. Nevertheless, there remains concern over the potential for irreversible insult to the kidney as a result of exposure to warm ischemia. We aim to investigate the utility of selective segmental arterial clamping as a means to reduce the potential for ischemic damage to a solitary kidney during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy utilizing a porcine model. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 domestic swine were randomized into four equal groups. Each subject underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy to create the condition of a solitary kidney. On the contralateral side, a laparoscopic lower pole partial nephrectomy was performed, employing either selective or nonselective vascular clamping for either 60 or 90 minutes. Postoperatively, clinical status and serial serum studies were closely monitored for 1 week. Results: There were no intraoperative complications. The 90-minute nonselective clamping...
An experimental evaluation of the effect of time-of-flight information in image reconstructions for the Scanditronix/PETT Electronics SP-3000 positron emission tomograph-preliminary results

The effects of detector energy thresholds and time-of-flight information on image quality were investigated for the SP-3000 positron emission tomograph. Phantom studies were performed with different energy discriminator settings. A software preprocessor allowed images to be reconstructed from list mode data with different time-of-flight windows. In general, the inclusion of time-of-flight information in image reconstruction improved SNR (signal to-noise-ratio) over conventional filtered back-projection techniques. The data indicate that setting the energy discriminator level higher than the 170 keV currently used in the machine could be beneficial. The results demonstrated the need for good quality assurance testing for time-of-flight offsets and gains, and they indicate that the current look-ahead coincidence system may need to be modified. >
Understanding the Time-Squeeze Married Couples' Preferred and Actual Work-Hour Strategies

Many recent studies of the time-squeeze have used aggregate, trend data on work-hour behavior and inferred changing preferences among working men and women. This article begins with couple data and examines preferences as well as behavior in married-couple families. Work-hour behavior is conceptualized as an interaction between employee preferences, employer demands, and the institutional context. The article's analyses clearly indicate that there is a considerable disparity between couples' self-reports of preferences and their actual behavior. These results suggest that long work weeks generally do not reflect employee preferences but may result from constraints and demands imposed by the workplace. The rising sense of a time-squeeze in American society may stem from all-or-nothing assumptions about the nature and structure of work and the pressure to put in long hours to be seen as committed, productive, and having the potential for advancement.
B7-H3 Ligand Expression by Prostate Cancer: A Novel Marker of Prognosis and Potential Target for Therapy

B7 coregulatory ligands can be aberrantly expressed in human disease. In the context of cancer, these ligands may act as antigen-specific inhibitors of T-cell-mediated antitumoral immunity. We recently reported that B7-H1 expression by carcinomas of the kidney and bladder portends aggressive disease and diminished survival. The expression of these proteins in prostate cancer, however, has not been investigated. We evaluated B7-H3 and B7-H1 protein expression in the pathologic specimens of 338 men treated for clinically localized prostate cancer between 1995 and 1998 with radical retropubic prostatectomy. Expression levels of B7-H3 in prostate cancer were correlated with pathologic indicators of aggressive cancer as well as clinical outcome. We report that B7-H3 is uniformly and aberrantly expressed by adenocarcinomas of the prostate, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and four prostate cancer cell lines, whereas B7-H1 is rarely expressed. B7-H3 is expressed by benign prostatic epithelia, although at a more reduced level relative to neoplastic tissue. Increasing levels of B7-H3 intensity correlate with worsening clinicopathologic features of prostate cancer. Marked B7-H3 intensity, present in 67 (19.8%) specimens, confers a >4-fold increased risk of cancer progression after surgery (risk ratio, 4.42; P < 0.001). A survey of normal tissues revealed that B7-H3 is expressed within the liver, urothelium, and fetal kidney. In summary, B7-H3 is aberrantly expressed in all prostate cancers and represents an independent predictor of cancer progression following surgery. Moreover, B7-H3 encompasses a novel diagnostic and potential therapeutic target for the clinical management of prostate cancer and, perhaps, other malignancies as well.
Stress Annealing Induced Diffuse Scattering from Ni3 (Al, Si) Precipitates

Diffuse scattering caused by L12 type Ni3 (Al, Si) precipitates after stress annealing of Ni-Al-Si alloys is studied. Peculiarities of diffuse scattering in the asymptotic region as compared to the Huang scattering region are discussed. Coupling between the stress annealing direction and the precipitate shape is demonstrated. Experimental reciprocal space maps (RSMs) are compared to theoretical ones. Oscillations of diffuse scattering due to Ni3 (Al, Sc) precipitates are observed. The strengths of the precipitates are estimated from the analysis of the diffuse scattering oscillations.