cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Urban-Serving Research Universities: Institutions for the Public Good

This manuscript seeks to situate access to higher education as part of the public good of universities, and connect that specifically to the mission of institutions that are charged with carrying this out more than others. One such institution—the Urban-Serving Research University (USRUs)—has a distinct mission that emphasizes not just location within the urban context, but being composed of the city they inhabit. A key and significant part of the USRU mission is to provide access to urban and historically marginalized students in their regions, populations typically underserved by higher education. Further, this manuscript highlights the tensions inherent in this ascribed mission and the threats posed within the higher education environment. Centered within a U.S. context, comparisons to international urban contexts will be drawn to situate these institutions within the global perspective as well and present takeaways that may inform the work of the global community in thinking how to better educate their diverse urban populations. Considerations for research, policy, and practice are posed to challenge the global community to consider ways to better uphold and preserve the significant role of USRUs in providing opportunity.
Production of Hydrocarbon Fuel Using Two-Step Torrefaction and Fast Pyrolysis of Pine. Part 1: Techno-economic Analysis

As part I of two companion papers, the present paper evaluates the economic feasibility of hydrocarbon biofuel production via two pathways: a one-step production pathway through fast pyrolysis of biomass followed by the catalytic upgrade of bio-oil to a liquid hydrocarbon biofuel and a novel two-step pathway that includes a torrefaction pretreatment step prior to fast pyrolysis and then the catalytic upgrade. These two pathways were modeled using Aspen Plus to process 1000 dry metric tons/day of feed through the fast pyrolysis unit operating at 530 °C whereas torrefaction for the two-step pathway was investigated at three different torrefaction temperatures of 290, 310, and 330 °C. Three scenarios of producing process heat from natural gas, internal byproducts biochar supplemented with natural gas, and torrefaction condensate were investigated, with additional heat integration considered. Minimum selling price ranged from $4.01/gal to $4.78/gal for the heat-integrated processes whereas the price ranged fr...
Developing and exploring a theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channels for use in landscape evolution models

Abstract. Understanding how a bedrock river erodes its banks laterally is a frontier in geomorphology. Theories for the vertical incision of bedrock channels are widely implemented in the current generation of landscape evolution models. However, in general existing models do not seek to implement the lateral migration of bedrock channel walls. This is problematic, as modeling geomorphic processes such as terrace formation and hillslope–channel coupling depends on the accurate simulation of valley widening. We have developed and implemented a theory for the lateral migration of bedrock channel walls in a catchment-scale landscape evolution model. Two model formulations are presented, one representing the slow process of widening a bedrock canyon and the other representing undercutting, slumping, and rapid downstream sediment transport that occurs in softer bedrock. Model experiments were run with a range of values for bedrock erodibility and tendency towards transport- or detachment-limited behavior and varying magnitudes of sediment flux and water discharge in order to determine the role that each plays in the development of wide bedrock valleys. The results show that this simple, physics-based theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channels produces bedrock valleys that are many times wider than the grid discretization scale. This theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channel walls and the numerical implementation of the theory in a catchment-scale landscape evolution model is a significant first step towards understanding the factors that control the rates and spatial extent of wide bedrock valleys.
SOM-based partial labeling of imbalanced data stream

Abstract Data streams are found in many large-scale systems such as security, finance, and internet. In many of the data streams, the class distribution is imbalanced, and hence most of the traditional classification modeler fails to produce high accuracy for the samples from minority class. In addition, data streams are changing and the model should be updated to maintain the classification performance. However, obtaining the true class labels of the data samples is not an easy task since labeling process is extremely time-consuming and very often class labels are not available immediately after classification. The goal of this research is to reduce the labeling for an imbalanced data stream, and to produce high classification performance when compared to fully labeling setting. In an imbalanced data stream, the challenging part is to find and label minority class samples. In this paper, we propose RLS-SOM (Reduced labeled Samples-Self Organizing Map) framework for classification of the imbalanced data stream in a non-stationary environment. RLS-SOM locates the minority class samples in the feature space using SOM. It maintains an ensemble of the classifiers and builds a new model when the changes occur, using only partial labeled samples. In RLS-SOM, the classification results are obtained from the ensemble, as well as each individual model in the ensemble. An individual model classification results are selected over ensemble results, if its performance is higher than the ensemble's performance. This comparison is performed to improve the performance as there may be one model in the ensemble that produces higher performance than the ensemble. Our experimental results demonstrate that RLS-SOM obtains higher performance when it is compared with several partially labeling techniques over benchmark data sets. In addition, the experimental results with other state of the art fully labeling methods such as UCB, SERA, SEA, and Learn++.CDS shows RLS-SOM maintains equivalent classification performance by using 10–30% labeling, on average.
Using Elevator Speeches to Develop Research & Communication Skills in Biology.

The process of writing a mock grant proposal has been incorporated into biology courses as a means of developing discipline-specific skills such as accessing the primary literature, generating hypotheses, and writing scientifically (1–5). An original grant proposal is a centerpiece of our required Biology Capstone course, which also focuses on mastery of written and oral science communication competencies described in Vision and Change: A Call to Action (6). Students are asked to generate a research proposal based on their undergraduate research experience or interests. Most Capstone students have good research experience, but even so, some aspects of the grant proposal are new and challenging. These include grounding the proposed research in previous work and choosing an appropriate methodology for the research design. In order to facilitate the development of these skills and provide practice in science communication, I require students to give a short, informal presentation (elevator speech) at three points in the research proposal process. The elevator speeches serve as a formative assessment of progress on the development of the research proposal, an opportunity for low-stakes feedback, and a chance to develop competency in science communication through the effective process of guided practice coupled with targeted feedback (7).
Calling all peer reviewers! Why and how to review for JGE

It is easy to say that this journal—and the scientific process itself—relies on peer review. The editors rely on the thoughtful and careful comments of reviewers with diverse expertise to make deci...
“Where’s the Salmon?”

Prehistorians have long been fascinated by anadromous fish runs. They represent a very dynamic type of resource that focuses prehistoric behavior to certain places on the landscape at particular times. Prehistoric archaeologists have seen this resource as a critical element in developing subsistence and settlement models for prehistoric populations (e.g., Binford 1964:332–333; Jochim 1979) and, in some cases, as the catalyst for social transformation (e.g., Ames 1981; Schaulk 1977). Archaeologists have been faced with the apparently perplexing problem of understanding why the majority of coastal hunter-gatherers generally appear to be more sedentary, more resource-intensive, and less egalitarian in social structure than inland hunters and gatherers.
Paternal Behavior in Primates

In the last several years the Nature and origins of paternal care have become increasingly important to many people in Western societies. Our own culture is currently undergoing sweeping challenges to the traditional sex roles maintained since the late 19th century. Women today are more frequently seeking employment outside the home, both for personal fulfillment and for economic reasons, and the role of fathers in caring for children has become more critical for many families. As we seek to alter our own traditions of paternal care, we may be able to gain some perspective from studies of paternal care in animals, especially paternal care in Primates, those animals closest to us phylogenetically.
Classical and Quantum Analysis of Phase-Insensitive Systems

In Chap. 6 we investigated the quantization of open resonators and of waves on transmission lines. We treated one example of a simple linear system, namely a resonator coupled to a waveguide. Practical electromagnetic systems consist of RLC circuits, resonators, waveguide junctions, fibers, beam splitters, and, of course, amplifiers, to name only a few. Such systems, if linear, are described classically by impedance matrices or scattering matrices (Chap. 2) that are functions of frequency. This formalism is well developed in the classical domain. In this chapter, we review the classical formalism and its generalization to quantum theory. We define Hamiltonians which, via the Heisenberg equations of motion, lead to equations that are in direct correspondence with the classical circuit equations. If the multiports are lossy or exhibit gain, they must contain noise sources in order to conserve commutator brackets from input to output. The commutator brackets determine the minimum amount of noise added to the signal as it passes through the network. Hence one may determine the optimum noise measure achievable in a quantum circuit directly from these relations.
Chronotype, social jet lag, sleep debt and food timing in inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract The preference of the sleep/wake cycle can be grouped into categories or chronotypes. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been linked to poor sleep quality which correlates with disease severity. Social jet lag (SJL) is the difference between sleep timing on work and free days and is a marker for circadian misalignment which has been linked to increased inflammation. We investigated whether chronotype, SJL, sleep debt (SD), and food timing were associated with an IBD specific complications and a lower quality of life. Overall, 191 subjects (115 IBD subjects and 76 healthy controls (HC)) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ), Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ), and a structured Food Timing Questionnaire. Later chronotype (by MEQ) was associated with a worse SIBDQ (r = −0.209; P 2 h) was present in 40% of severe/complicated Crohn's patients (fistulizing or structuring Crohn's or history of Crohn's related surgery) compared to only 16% of uncomplicated Crohn's patients (P
Information Changes Everything: It’s Not What You Know, It’s What You Know Before Everyone Else!

This chapter is about information and the power of information. We need to understand the power that comes from having more information, or more accurate or more recent information, than your competitors and knowing how to use it. Our interest here is in what information to obtain and how to use it, not on the underlying technology. Information asymmetry occurs when one party in a relationship, in business, military conflict, or elsewhere, knows more than the other party. When you buy a used car, or accept an invitation to join as the fourth on a blind double date, you can assume that the others know more than you do. Should you buy the car, have it inspected, or just walk away? Dealing with information asymmetry is so important that animals have found mechanisms to deal with it when choosing mates, insurance companies have found ways to deal with it when pricing policies, and we all have developed mechanisms to cope with information asymmetry in our social and professional interactions. This chapter describes the principal mechanisms that have been developed to deal with information asymmetry and the conditions under which to use each to learn about the people you’re dealing with.
Evaluation of POST-Directed Applications of Flumioxazin in New Mexico Chile Pepper

The objective for this study was to determine if POST-directed applications of flumioxazin reduce fruit yield for chile pepper produced on coarse- and fine-textured soils irrigated by furrow. This objective was addressed with a multiyear (2015, 2016, 2017) field study that compared flumioxazin effects on fruit yield against a commercial standard (POST-directed carfentrazone) and the absence of a POST-directed herbicide. The field study occurred at two university research farms that differed in soil texture. On fine-textured soil, treatments included the no POST–directed herbicide control and the following four POST-directed herbicides applied to raised beds: (1) flumioxazin at 107 g ai ha–1 applied 4 wk after crop thinning, (2) carfentrazone at 35 g ai ha–1 applied 4 wk after crop thinning, (3) flumioxazin at 70 g ai ha–1 applied 4 and 6 wk after crop thinning, (4) carfentrazone at 35 g ai ha–1 applied 4 and 6 wk after crop thinning. On coarse-textured soil, treatments included the no POST–directed herbicide control and the following three POST-directed herbicides applied 4 wk after crop thinning: (1) flumioxazin at 107 g ai ha–1 applied to raised beds, (2) flumioxazin at 107 g ai ha–1 applied to furrows, (3) carfentrazone at 35 g ai ha–1 applied to raised beds. On fine-textured soil, treatment did not affect fruit yield. On coarse-textured soil, flumioxazin applied to furrows did not reduce fruit yield, but flumioxazin on raised beds reduced fruit yield of some cultivars in 2015 and 2017. Year-to-year variability in both flumioxazin-induced yield loss and soil characteristics suggested that chile pepper sensitivity to flumioxazin was negatively associated with soil organic matter content. In a follow-up greenhouse study, soil organic matter lessened flumioxazin-induced crop injury. In general, this study indicates that recommendations for POST-directed flumioxazin in New Mexico chile pepper will need to be soil-type specific.
INCREMENTAL COMPLEX L1-PCA FOR DIRECTION-OF-ARRIVAL ESTIMATION

In wireless-node localization, the receiver processes snapshots collected by its antenna array in order to estimate the direction-of-arrival (DoA) of a source of interest. High-resolution direction finding is commonly carried out by principal-component analysis (PCA) of the collected complex-valued snapshots (subspace-based methods). Standard PCA was recently replaced by corruption-resistant L1-PCA in order to counteract the detrimental impact of unexpected, intermittent jamming. In this paper, we present the first incremental method for complex L1-PCA and employ it for online direction finding, as snapshots naturally arrive in a streaming fashion. Our numerical studies corroborate the computational efficiency and jamming/corruption resistance of the proposed method.
Increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC): Prognostic impact of non-standard of care (SOC) regimens.

4532Background: Cisplatin-based NAC can prolong overall survival (OS) in patients (pts) with MIBC. Utilization of NAC has increased to about 20% of pts with MIBC over the last decade. We evaluated ...
Bare Plurals and Donkey Anaphora

This paper argues that a kinds-based analysis of bare plurals is incompatible with an analysis of donkey anaphors as variables. However, kinds are compatible with an E-type analysis.
Managing the National Forests Through Place-Based Legislation

The resolution of multiple use conflicts through place-based (national forest-specific) legislation has recently received increased interest. Most of these proposals combine wilderness designation, restoration objectives, economic development, funding arrangements, and other provisions, in a conservation package to be considered by Congress. Interest in the place-based legislative approach is precipitated by numerous factors, including perceptions of agency gridlock, problems related to forest planning, unresolved roadless and wilderness issues, and the embrace of collaboration. Though the national forests have a more unified governing framework than other federal land systems, the U.S. Forest Service has implemented place-based legislation in a few cases. This Article reviews these cases, and then presents a short case study focused on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership in Montana, which has proposed a place-based bill currently being debated. A brief review of other place-based proposals is also provided. We neither endorse nor oppose these proposals at this point. Instead, we ask a series of questions that we hope will help structure future analysis and debate of place-based national forest legislation. We ask questions pertaining to governance, conflict resolution, precedent, wilderness designation, and funding.
Response of a quantum disordered spin system to a local periodic drive

We consider a one-dimensional spin chain system with quenched disorder and in the presence of a local periodic drive. We study the time evolution of the system in the Floquet basis and evaluate the fidelity susceptibility, which is a measure of how a given state changes under a small perturbation, of states to a weak periodic drive. We demonstrate that the statistical properties of the fidelity susceptibility over different disorder realizations can be used to identify two phases of the system: (1) the many-body localized phase, in which the susceptibility exhibits long tails while its average value decreases rapidly as disorder increases, and (2) the ergodic phase, in which the susceptibility distribution is narrow and its average value weakly depends on disorder. This distinction in the average value of the susceptibility between the two phases develops readily for systems with ten or more spins. Therefore, recently built networks of qubits subject to a local drive can simulate dynamics of a system in the many-body localization regime. We also show that the spin accumulation speed is correlated with the fidelity susceptibility and can also be used to distinguish the two phases.
Hepatitis C donor viremic cardiac transplantation: A practical approach.

Introduction Patients with end-stage heart failure eligible for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) exceed the number of available donor organs. With highly effective hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral therapy now available, HCV+ organs are increasingly utilized. We seek to describe our experience with patients receiving HCV viremic organs as compared to non-HCV transplant recipients. Methods Our center began utilizing HCV hearts in February 2018. We retrospectively reviewed baseline demographics, laboratory data and outcomes for those undergoing OHT with majority being from a viremic HCV donor. Results Twenty-three of 25 HCV recipients received hearts from NAT+ donors with 22 of 23 seroconverting within 7 days. Fifteen recipients have completed HCV treatment, with the longest duration of follow-up being 13 months. No differences in rates of rejection, hospitalizations or death were seen between non-HCV and HCV transplant patients. Discussion With the advent of available direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), viremic HCV hearts provide an opportunity to increase organ availability. Moreover, treatment for HCV in the setting of immunosuppression is well-tolerated and results in sustained viremic response. Conclusion Viremic, discordant HCV OHT can be performed in a safe and effective manner utilizing a systematic, multidisciplinary approach without an effect on short-term outcomes.
Mucosal Schwann Cell Hamartoma in sigmoid colon – A rare case report and review of literature

Abstract Mucosal Schwann Cell Hamartoma (MSCH) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is an incidental finding by screening colonoscopy, rarely reported in the English literature since first described in 2009. We diagnosed a case of sigmoid colon MSCH in a 60-year-old female without a family history or medical history of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1, von Recklinghausen’s disease), neuronal lesion, MEN2, or other syndromes. The endoscopic exam revealed a 4 mm sessile polyp with no erosion or ulceration. Histologically, the lesion was composed of uniform bland spindle cells with entrapped normal colonic crypts. The lesional cells showed strongly diffuse positivity for S-100, negative for smooth muscle actin (SMA), c-Kit (CD117), CD34, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and CD68. In this article, we summarized the epidemiology, clinical and colonoscopic findings, histological features and immunohistochemistry (IHC) patterns of this specific entity and its mimics.
Understanding Participation in Secondary Music Classes: A Literature Review.

Sustaining and increasing participation in secondary music classes has been a regular topic of discourse within the field of music education. Music researchers and professionals have recently addre...
Incidence of Ischemic Optic Neuropathy After Cardiopulmonary Bypass: 20-Year Experience.

Objective: This study evaluated the incidence and risk factors for ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) as a complication of cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Design: Retrospective chart review of prospectively collected data at a tertiary care center. Setting: Single tertiary academic referral center. Participants: This study comprised 44,568 cardiac surgery patients who underwent CPB between January 1, 1995, and January 5, 2017, using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database and cross-matching it with International Classification of Diseases codes for visual changes. Interventions: None; this was a retrospective chart review. Measurements and Main Results: Six patients initially were identified as experiencing visual changes. Only 1 patient from 44,568 cardiac surgeries with CPB between January 1, 1995, and January 5, 2017, experienced ION, for an incidence 0.22 per 10,000. Because only 1 patient experienced ION, the authors were unable to determine risk factors for this complication; however, the nadir perioperative hemoglobin in the affected patient was 7.3 g/dL (postoperative). Conclusion: The incidence of ION decreased from 6 per 10,000 in the authors’ previous study from 1976–1994 to 0.22 per 10,000 in the present study. Because of the low incidence of this dreaded complication, the authors were not able to identify risk factors for ION. Practice improvements (eg, transition to membrane oxygenators, blood transfusion guidelines, less- invasive surgical options for high-risk patients) during the time between the authors’ studies likely affected the incidence reduction.
The relationship of aging, complete tooth loss, and having a dental visit in the last 12 months

Objectives To evaluate the extent to which dental health care visits in the past year differed among older adults with and without edentulism. Material and methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey among participants aged ≥50 years (n = 10,480, weighted = 112,116,641). Two self-reported outcome variables were used: loss of all teeth from upper and lower jaws (yes/no) and dental visit in the last 12 months (yes/no). Logistic models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Overall, 11.4% of the non-institutionalized U.S. population aged ≥50 years were edentulous; the prevalence was higher in those with advanced age. Adherence to annual oral health visits was 16% among those with edentulism, 52% among those without. The prevalence of dental care visits in the past year was higher among those with advanced age without edentulism, but for those with edentulism, the odds of visiting a dental care provider was lower in all age groups compared to those 50-59 years ((60-69 years): aOR: 0.58, CI:0.36-0.95; (70-79 years): aOR: 0.51, CI: 0.30-0.88; (≥ 80 years): aOR: 0.45, CI: 0.26-0.80)). Conclusion Although the prevalence of edentulism was higher in those with advanced age, oral health visits during the last 12 months were less frequent in older adults with edentulism. Interventions to improve adherence to dental care recommendations in the growing aging population are warranted.
Evaluation of the efficacy and morbidity of radiofrequency thermocoagulation in the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease.

Summary Introduction Grade III hemorrhoidal disease may require surgical treatment. Several minimally invasive techniques can be offered to the patient, particularly ligation of the hemorrhoidal arteries/mucopexy or even stapled hemorrhoidopexy. A technique of radiofrequency thermocoagulation of hemorrhoids has recently been introduced. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and early morbidity of this procedure. Methods Data from successive patients undergoing radiofrequency thermocoagulation for grade II to IV hemorrhoidal disease between December 2017 and December 2019 were retrospectively collated. Results Seventy-four patients, with a mean age of 53 years, underwent operation during the study period. The major indication was grade III hemorrhoidal disease in 95% of patients. More than 80% of patients underwent operation as an outpatient. Eighteen (24.3%) patients developed a postoperative complication within 30 days, of whom two (2.7%) required revisional surgery for rectal bleeding and severe anal pain, respectively. Seven (9.5%) patients were re-admitted to hospital and 18 (24.3%) had an unscheduled early return visit within 30 postoperative days. At three months following surgery, the anatomical and functional result was satisfactory in more than 93% of patients. Conclusion Radiofrequency hemorrhoidal thermocoagulation is an effective technique in the treatment of grade III hemorrhoidal disease. Despite a non-negligible rate of minor postoperative complications requiring an early consultation or re-hospitalisation, severe complications occurred in less than 3% of operated patients.
Computational Analysis of the Clinical Presentation of a Ligamentous Lisfranc Injury

Lisfranc injuries in the midfoot disrupt key arches of the foot which, if left untreated, can progress to pain, dysfunction, and arthritis. A clinical challenge is that 30-40% of Lisfranc injuries are missed in initial evaluations. The objective of this study was to explore different conditions of limb loading that could influence the biomechanics of the Lisfranc joint in a validated computational model. A computational model was created using SolidWorks software to represent the bones and soft tissues of the lower leg and foot. The model was compared to a cadaveric study of healthy and injured Lisfranc joints. The model was then used to simulate weight-bearing radiographs and evaluate how muscle activity and foot position impacted the diastasis of the Lisfranc joint, a key indicator used to diagnose Lisfranc injuries. The computational model was within one standard deviation of the cadaveric study in all measurements for the healthy and injured foot. When simulating weight-bearing radiographs, the presence of muscle activity or inversion/eversion resulted in less joint separation for the model with ligamentous Lisfranc injuries. While previous research has noted that weight-bearing radiographs provide better conditions to assess Lisfranc injuries than nonweight-bearing, this study suggests that in weight-bearing radiographs both altering the position of the foot, possibly due to pain, and the active contraction of the extrinsic flexor muscles can obfuscate indications of a Lisfranc injury.
Silicon Photonic Optical-Electrical-Optical Modulator Neuron Verilog-A Model

An Optical-Electrical-Optical silicon photonic neuron is modeled using Verilog-A. The neuron realizes nonlinear activation without electrical amplification. The model (using experimental data) enables the implementation of scalable deep silicon photonic neural networks.
Rare Lelliottia nimipressuralis from a wound infection case report using whole genome sequencing-based bacterial identification.

ABSTRACT Identification of clinical bacterial isolates is an essential first step to provide guidelines for treatment of pathogenic bacterial infection. Infection occurred in a laceration along the medial aspect of left upper arm of a 71-year-old female. Conventional biochemical testing and MALDI-TOF MS identification failed to correctly identify a bacterial isolate. Using whole genome sequencing, the isolate was identified as Lelliottia nimipressuralis. WGS can overcome the limitations of conventional phenotypic and molecular identification methods and successfully identified a rare pathogen. This case is the first report of a human infection of L. nimipressuralis.
Oil and gas development and its effect on bird diversity in the high plains of Colorado (2003–2018)

Abstract Revenues from oil and gas development play a key role in the economies of many states in the United States, but there are environmental concerns such as local air and water pollution, land cover changes and fragmentation, and negative effects on wildlife. These concerns were exacerbated as oil and gas production reached historic highs due to the expanded use of hydraulic fracturing technology beginning in the mid-2000s. This paper examines the influence of oil and gas development on breeding bird communities in the High Plains ecoregion of Colorado between 2003 and 2018. Specifically, we investigated whether oil and gas drilling or production affected species richness or evenness of bird communities. Our findings indicate that a decrease in producing well density or the number of producing fracking wells were associated with an increase in evenness of the overall bird community and grassland species richness, but disturbances from well drilling generally did not have a statistically significant influence on bird communities. We also found that a decrease in tree cover was associated with an increase in species richness and evenness of the overall bird community.
Optimal patient selection for simultaneous heart-kidney transplant: a modified cost-effectiveness analysis

Increasing rates of simultaneous heart-kidney (SHK) transplant in the United States exacerbate the overall shortage of deceased donor kidneys (DDK). Current allocation policy does not impose constraints on SHK eligibility, and how best to do so remains unknown. We apply a decision-analytic model to evaluate options for heart transplant (HT) candidates with comorbid kidney dysfunction. We compare SHK with a "Safety Net" strategy, in which DDK transplant is performed 6 months after HT, only if native kidneys do not recover. We identify patient subsets for whom SHK using a DDK is efficient, considering the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gains from DDKs instead allocated for kidney transplant-only. For an average-aged candidate with a 50% probability of kidney recovery after HT-only, SHK produces 0.64 more QALYs than Safety Net at a cost of 0.58 more kidneys used. SHK is inefficient in this scenario, producing fewer QALYs per DDK used (1.1) than a DDK allocated for KT-only (2.2). SHK is preferred to Safety Net only for candidates with a lower probability of native kidney recovery (24%-38%, varying by recipient age). This finding favors the implementation of a Safety Net provision and should inform the establishment of objective criteria for SHK transplant eligibility.
A French Aristocrat in the American West: The Shattered Dreams of De Lassus de Luzières

Review of: "A French Aristocrat in the American West: The Shattered Dreams of De Lassus de Luzieres," by Carl J. Ekberg.
Application of nonlinear model predictive control in continuous crystallization systems

Continuous crystallizers have great advantages on crystal quality consistency and process efficiency. In this study, a continuous two stage mixed suspension mixed product removal (MSMPR) cascade crystallizer is modeled using population balance model (PBM), with both cooling and antisolvent addition applied to generate supersaturation. The application of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) is discussed considering both yield and crystal size as objectives.
Acute toxicity of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in the F344 male rat. II. Development and repair of the renal, epididymal, testicular, and hepatic lesions.

Abstract A single sc injection of 100 mg/kg 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) to adult, male F344 rats caused severe damage to the kidney, epididymis, and testis, and injury of lesser severity to the liver. The renal injury consisted of proximal tubular necrosis, severe impairment of tubular function, and increased urinary excretion of protein and several enzymes. Although function returned to normal within 5–10 days after DBCP treatment, large areas of the kidney were fibrotic and contained foci of interstitial nephritis 30 days postexposure. The testicular lesion consisted of progressive seminiferous tubular desquamation and atrophy, while epithelial cells in the caput epididymis became necrotic shortly after treatment and appeared to slough into the tubular lumen. Although a large animal to animal variation was observed, numerous seminiferous tubules were still devoid of germinal cells 30 days after DBCP treatment and epididymal sperm density remained low. DBCP caused transient increases in liver weight and the activities in serum of several enzymes associated with chemically induced hepatotoxicity and produced mild periportal hepatocellular swelling. The liver effects were relatively mild and completely reversed within 48–72 hr. These results confirm that DBCP is a nephrotoxicant and gonadotoxicant in rats and indicate that acute intoxication may cause irreversible effects. Moreover, the testicular lesion produced by a single exposure to DBCP resembles that found in humans repeatedly exposed to DBCP. The male F344 rat, therefore, appears to be an appropriate model for studying the mechanisms of infertility and other toxic effects of DBCP.
Reducing the memory footprint of temporal difference learning over finitely many states by using case-based generalization

In this paper we present an approach for reducing the memory footprint requirement of temporal difference methods in which the set of states is finite. We use case-based generalization to group the states visited during the reinforcement learning process. We follow a lazy learning approach; cases are grouped in the order in which they are visited. Any new state visited is assigned to an existing entry in the Q-table provided that a similar state has been visited before. Otherwise a new entry is added to the Q-table. We performed experiments on a turn-based game where actions have non-deterministic effects and might have long term repercussions on the outcome of the game. The main conclusion from our experiments is that by using case-based generalization, the size of the Q-table can be substantially reduced while maintaining the quality of the RL estimates.
Coarctation of the thoracic aorta with an aneurysm distal to the obstruction

Abstract 1. 1. Aneurysm of the aorta distal to a coarctation is uncommon. 2. 2. A case which occurred in a 25-year-old white man is presented. 3. 3. A possible explanation for the anatomic abnormalities is offered.
Activation deficits do not limit quadriceps strength training gains in patients after total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND Patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are known to exhibit deficits in quadriceps muscle activation. The purpose of this study was to determine if quadriceps activation levels in patients after TKA at the beginning of rehabilitation would influence quadriceps strength after rehabilitation. DESIGN A secondary analysis of data from a prospective, randomized, longitudinal clinical trial. SETTING Institutional clinic and research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Patients who underwent unilateral TKA (Men= 102; Female= 84). MAIN OUTCOME Voluntary activation of the quadriceps during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) was measured using the central activation ratio (CAR). Hierarchical multivariate regression analysis was used to determine if CAR prior to treatment could predict MVIC after the strength training intervention. RESULTS After controlling for age, sex, and initial strength levels (R(2)= 0.548; p<0.001), the predictability of quadriceps strength after the 6-week intervention did not change when pain during MVIC (R(2)= 0.551; p= 0.317) and pre-rehabilitation activation levels (R(2)= 0.551; p= 0.818) were introduced into the regression. CONCLUSIONS Initial quadriceps activation levels, for patients who underwent TKA, did not predict the quadriceps strength following a strength training intervention. Therefore, deficits in voluntarily activation post-operatively should not be considered as a rate-limiting factor in recovering quadriceps strength after TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Retrospective cohort study. Level IIb.
Primary Basal Cell Carcinoma

A large number of management options are available for treating basal cell carcinoma (BCC). While surgical resection is the gold standard treatment, novel approaches are constantly being developed and studied to treat tumors effectively and safely in a noninvasive way. A decade ago, several modalities such as immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy were considered investigational. Today, such drugs as imiquimod and porfimer sodium (Photofrin™) are being reported in the literature for treatment of selected BCCs. Some efforts have focused on increasing drug delivery or penetration into tumors with electrochemotherapy and cytotoxic agents. Other advances in drug therapy, such as chemoprevention with retinoids appear promising but may need further trials to gain acceptance. This review explores the potential of drug therapy for BCCs.
Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis‐induced fibrosis: Toll‐like receptors, reactive oxygen species and Jun N‐terminal kinase

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) represents the progression of hepatic steatosis to streatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Three signaling pathways have been associated with this progression; Toll-like receptors, reactive oxygen species and Jun N-terminal kinase. This review will describe how activation of these three pathways is required for development of fibrosis in murine models of NASH. The three pathways are related and synergistic through intracellular cross-talk. Disruption of any of these pathways may inhibit NASH-induced fibrosis and are potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Specificity of archaeal caspase activity in the extreme halophile Haloferax volcanii.

Summary Caspase-like proteases are key initiators and executioners of programmed cell death (PCD), which is initiated by environmental stimuli and manifests in organisms ranging from unicellular microbes to higher eukaryotes. Archaea had been absent from the caspase inheritance discussion due to a lack of gene homologues. We recently demonstrated extremely high, basal caspase-like catalytic activity in the model haloarcheon, Haloferax volcanii, which was linked to the cellular stress response and was widespread among diverse Archaea. Here, we rigorously tested the catalytic specificity of the observed archaeal caspase-like activities using hydrolytic assays with a diverse suite of protease substrates and inhibitors compared with known model serine and cysteine proteases (trypsin, cathepsin, papain, and human caspase-8). Our experiments demonstrate that exponentially growing H. volcanii possesses a highly specific caspase-like activity that most closely resembles caspase-4, is preferentially inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor, zVAD-FMK, and has no cross-reactivity with other known protease families. Our findings firmly root the extremely high levels of caspase-like activity as the dominant proteolytic activity in this extreme haloarcheaon, thereby providing further support for housekeeping functions in Haloarchaea. Given the deep archaeal roots of eukaryotes, we suggest that this activity served as a foundation for stress pathways in higher organisms.
Synthesis and evaluation of a series of tropane analogues as novel vesicular monoamine transporter-2 ligands.

A series of tropane derivatives has been synthesized as lobelane analogues and evaluated for their binding affinity at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2), and at α4β2* and α7* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The trop-2-ene analogues 4a and 4b exhibited good affinity and high selectivity for VMAT2.
Medical Education, Hospitals, and Health Care on Taiwan

Excerpt The Republic of China, on the semitropical, mountainous, 394- by 144-km island of Taiwan and 13 smaller islands, is populated by 19 million people. There are about 270 000 aborigines but th...
Construing Consumer Decision Making

Understanding how consumers represent outcomes and weigh different decision criteria is critical to consumer behavior research. Construal-level theory articulates how psychological distance alters the mental representation of inputs and the effective weight given to “high-level” and “low-level” criteria. Trope, Liberman, and Wakslak (2007) provide a review of this literature. In this commentary, we illustrate the relevance of construal-level theory to issues in consumer psychology, particularly consumer decision making. We highlight specific questions that researchers could address by considering consumer behavior within the framework of changes in construal. We focus our discussion on how construal levels affect consideration sets and how shifts in weight from high-level to low-level features might lead to consumer regret and dissatisfaction. Construal level can help us understand follow-through on stated intentions for “really new” products and illuminate public-policy issues such as consumer saving for retirement and nonredemption of rebates. We identify open issues related to how construal levels for the same object evolve over time and whether resources differ in terms of how susceptible they are to psychological distance effects.
Complications of limb-sparing procedures using endoprosthetic replacements about the knee for pediatric skeletal sarcomas

Ninety-five percent of bone tumors are now managed with limb-sparing techniques. For pediatric patients with bone cancer, such limb reconstruction techniques often involve the placement of large endoprosthetic devices with the goal of improving survivors' quality of life. Nevertheless, few radiologic publications discuss the use of these techniques in children and adolescents. This pictorial essay describes the imaging characteristics of the complications associated with endoprosthetic devices and discusses the conditions that may simulate them.
Use of an enzyme assay to detect glycolate in aquatic systems

An enzyme assay has been developed for measuring glycolate in natural waters. The assay failed to detect glycolate in seawater from a coral-reef microcosm where it had been found by using the Calkins technique. However, the analysis measured low levels of glycolate (<0.1 μM) in water associated with the growth of a marine macrophyte (Halimeda opuntia (Linnaeus) Lamouroux) and a freshwater phytoplankter (Chlorella ellipsoida Gerneck) that have previously been reported to release the compound.
COOKED COLOR OF PATTIES PROCESSED FROM VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF NORMAL OR HIGH pH BEEF AND LEAN FINELY TEXTURED BEEF

Color of cooked patties prepared from beef with a pH of 5.7 (normal = N) or pH = 6.2 (dark cutting = DC) beef and with either 0, 25, 50 or 75% lean finely textured beef (LFTB) was evaluated. Patties were cooked to 68.3C, 71C, or until >75% were “well-done”. Inclusion of LFTB in N patties resulted in higher a*-values, but did not affect either visual color scores or myoglobin (Mb) denaturation. Inclusion of LFTB in DC patties did not affect pH. A higher LFTB content resulted in lower a*-values, higher hue-angle, a more well-done visual color and increased Mb denaturation. To appear well-done, DC patties without LFTB had to be cooked to 89C, whereas DC patties with 75% LFTB had to be cooked to 83C. Possibly, conditions during production of LFTB are responsible for the increased heat sensitivity of Mb from LFTB.
Direct Observation and Hole Burning of the Lowest Exciton Level (B870) of the LH2 Antenna Complex of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila (Strain 10050)

Results of 4.2 K absorption and hole-burning experiments on the B850 absorption band of isolated LH2 (B800−850) complexes from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila are presented for samples that exhibited a B850 absorption band of sufficient narrowness (200 cm-1) to allow for direct observation of the lowest exciton level of the B850 ring of dimers as a weak but distinct shoulder at the red edge of the B850 band. This shoulder correlates perfectly with the zero-phonon hole action spectrum of B870 which has been assigned as the lowest exciton level of B850. The action spectrum reveals that the B870 band carries an inhomogeneous width of 120 ± 10 cm-1, is characterized by weak electron−phonon coupling, and carries 3% of the total intensity of the B850 absorption band. The B870 exciton level lies 200 cm-1 below the B850 band maximum. Based on the X-ray structure of LH2 and under the assumption of perfect C9 symmetry (absence of diagonal and/or off-diagonal energy disorder) for the B850 ring, the B850 maximum should b...
Conformational behavior of polyelectrolyte complexes at the solid/liquid interface

Conformation of polymers at solid/liquid interface is an important property that determines their effectiveness in processes such as dispersion, deposition, adhesion, and wettability. In this work, conformational behaviorof pyrene labeled poly(maleic acid-co-propylene), MS-P*, in solution and at the alumina surface and its changes upon perturbation in solution pH or addition of a second oppositely charged polymer than the ones in solution were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. Conformation of this weak polyanion, both in solution and at the solid/liquid interface was found to be strongly pH-dependent. The degree of coiling on alumina depended on the solution state immediately before the adsorption. The conformation of the polymers in solution and on the solid were the same above pH 4, but, interestingly, the adsorbed polymer was more stretched at low pH. When the polymer is in the coiled form, changes in pH caused partial conformational adjustments of the adsorbed species. However, in the stretched form, the adsorbed polymer was unable to adopt the coiled conformation on the surface even with pH perturbation. Addition of polycations, poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride, to systems containing the preadsorbed polyanion led to conformational changes due to the formation of complexes between them at the surface. While the polyelectrolyte adsorbed in the stretched form undergoes very little conformational rearrangement, the re-conformation of the polymer adsorbed in the coiled form depends on the charge density of the second polymer and the solid. These results are compared with the behavior of polyelectrolyte complexes in solution and analyzed to elucidate possible conformational dynamics of polymers at interfaces.
Characterizing Dielectric Tensors with Biaxial Ellipsometry

Dielectric tensors of liquid crystal polymer retarder films are determined by measuring the sample with an angle-of-incidence Mueller matrix imaging polarimeter. An optimization routine finds the dielectric tensor that best fits the Mueller matrix data.