cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Results of a pilot study to reduce methamphetamine use and sexual risk behaviors among methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men (MSM) not currently in treatment.

Abstract Methamphetamine use, which has been linked to unprotected anal intercourse and incident HIV infection, is an important contributor to HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a single-session motivational interviewing (MI) intervention for reducing HIV risk among an out-of-treatment sample of MSM who use methamphetamine. MSM who use methamphetamine (n = 39) were recruited in 2008 and 2009 in North Carolina. They completed baseline data collection and a single-session MI intervention. Eighty percent completed a follow-up interview two months after enrollment. Men reported reductions in methamphetamine use during the previous 60 days from an average of 9.4 days at baseline to 3.3 days at follow-up (p < 0.05) and unprotected anal intercourse from an average of 4.8 sex partners during the previous 60 days at baseline to 2.9 at follow-up (p < 0.05). Self-reported unprotected anal intercourse at last sex with a nonprimary partner de...
Signal processing architecture for loudspeaker array directivity control

The work described in this paper concerns development of a specialized signal processing architecture, targeted for LSI implementation, which would make a loudspeaker array with digital directivity control practicable. The solution presented here utilizes a specialized array element signal processor (AESP) to provide the signal processing capabilities required at each loudspeaker array element. Major design issues include distribution of the N bands of digitized audio information to each array element as well as implementation of a tapped delay line at each array element. Here a high speed digital audio bus (HSDAB) is used to distribute all N bands of audio information to each AESP in a time-multiplexed fashion. A "bus catcher" queue (BCQ) at each AESP is then used to capture the bands of interest sent out over the HSDAB; further, the BCQ (implemented as a circular buffer) allows each AESP access to selected "delay taps" at frequency bands of interest. A specialized ALU is utilized by the AESP to perform amplitude equalization and generate a composite output for each driver. A separate, lower speed control parameter bus (CPB) is used to distribute amplitude and phase equalization parameters to each AESP; control parameters as well as the user interface are provided by a system supervisor processor (SSP).
Effect of biotin on the regulation of glucokinase in the intact rat

Glucokinase activity was affected by hormones, dietary state, and dietary sources (e.g., glucose). Therefore, various factors (such as glucose, insulin, and biotin) affecting glucokinase activity in the rat liver were investigated. The activity of glucokinase was low in diabetic, fasting, and/or biotin-deficient rats. In the present study, the de novo synthesis of the glucokinase induced by the insulin and biotin in the intact rat was proposed. The first induction of glucokinase was activated by insulin. The second phase of enzyme activity could be induced by biotin. In addition, supplementation of cGMP with glucose and insulin to biotin deficient rats fully restored the enzyme activity as did biotin, showing that cGMP induction of glucokinase was dependent on the biotin status of the animal.
An evidence-based approach to studies of gastrointestinal therapies.

Abstract This article provides an evidence-based medicine framework to critically assess the validity of study design and clinical significance of study results in the context of gastrointestinal therapies for a common clinical scenario. Without systems for critically appraising and applying clinical research, we may become dependent on outdated information. When used in conjunction with clinical judgment, critical appraisal of clinical research facilitates the provision of the very best care to patients. This article, which examines a trial about the gastrointestinal safety of cyclooxygenase (COX)-II–selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 1 follows the format of other evidence-based medicine articles in the Canadian Medical Association Journal , 2 the Journal of the American Medical Association , 3 and Gastroenterology . 4 The evidence-based medicine concepts have been expanded from previous articles and examples from the gastrointestinal literature have been used. CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY 2003;1:57-63
The use of scFv-displaying yeast in mammalian cell surface selections

Yeast surface display has proven to be a powerful tool for the directed evolution of immunological proteins when soluble ligands are available (Cho, B.K., Kieke, M.C., Boder, E.T., Wittrup, K.D., Kranz, D.M., 1998. A yeast surface display system for the discovery of ligands that trigger cell activation. J. Immunol. Methods 220, 179; Boder, E.T., Midelfort, K.S., Wittrup, K.D., 2000. Directed evolution of antibody fragments with monovalent femtomolar antigen-binding affinity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 97, 10701; Shusta, E.V., Holler, P.D., Kieke, M.C., Kranz, D.M., Wittrup, K.D., 2000. Directed evolution of a stable scaffold for T-cell receptor engineering. Nat. Biotechnol. 18, 754; Esteban, O., Zhao, H., 2004. Directed evolution of soluble single-chain human class II MHC molecules. J. Mol. Biol. 340, 81). This investigation extends the utility of this display platform by demonstrating its capacity for use in cell panning selections. This was accomplished by employing a model single-chain antibody (scFv)-hapten system that allowed for detailed investigation of the factors governing panning success. Yeast displaying anti-fluorescein scFv (4-4-20) exhibited specific interactions with the fluoresceinated endothelial cells and could be recovered from large backgrounds of irrelevant yeast in just three rounds. Successful selections required as few as 1700 fluorescein ligands per cell, and a three-round enrichment ratio of 10(6) was possible. These results indicate that yeast surface display is a viable option for use in cell or tissue-based selections.
Feature selection for a rich HPSG grammar using decision trees

This paper examines feature selection for log linear models over rich constraint-based grammar (HPSG) representations by building decision trees over features in corresponding probabilistic context free grammars (PCFGs). We show that single decision trees do not make optimal use of the available information; constructed ensembles of decision trees based on different feature subspaces show significant performance gains (14% parse selection error reduction). We compare the performance of the learned PCFG grammars and log linear models over the same features.
Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: An Overview

The purpose of this column is to provide an overview of social cognition in schizophrenia. The column begins with a short introduction to social cognition. Then, we describe the application of social cognition to the study of schizophrenia, with an emphasis on key domains (i.e., emotion perception, Theory of Mind, and attributional style). We conclude the column by discussing the relationship of social cognition to neurocognition, negative symptoms, and functioning, with an eye toward strategies for improving social cognition in schizophrenia.
Staphylococcal Infections in the Era of MRSA

1. Mary Anne Jackson, MD* 2. Jason G. Newland, MD† 1. *Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine; Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases, Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City, MO. 2. †Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine; Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City, MO. * CSF: : cerebrospinal fluid GAS: : group A Streptococcus IDSA/PIDS: : Infectious Diseases Society of America/Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society IPF: : intrapleural fibrinolysis MRI: : magnetic resonance imaging MRSA: : methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MSSA: : methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus TMP-SMX: : Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole TSS: : toxic shock syndrome TSST-1: : toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 VATS: : video-assisted thorascopic debridement 1. Describe how the approach to the patient who has a staphylococcal infection varies by age, immune status, and clinical presentation. 2. Recognize that the management of staphylococcal infection in the pediatric patient relies on prompt diagnosis and localization of focus. 3. Utilize susceptibility data to plan antimicrobial therapy for staphylococcal infection. 4. Delineate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data that guide therapy for specific infections. 5. Understand that vancomycin continues to be the cornerstone of therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in children. Long recognized as a ubiquitous environmental organism, Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known cause of both local and invasive infection. Distinguished in the laboratory by the production of coagulase and having a distinctive Gram stain appearance of grapelike clusters, S aureus colonizes the nares and skin in 30% to 50% of children and adults. Higher rates are noted for healthcare personnel and for those having skin disorders or burns or in individuals who use needles frequently (diabetes, hemodialysis). The percentage of children colonized with methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) remains relatively low and has been estimated to be between 1% and 10%, despite the fact that most experienced practitioners find that they have drained more skin abscesses in the last 5 years than cumulatively in their entire careers. Common infections involve skin (S aureus is the primary cause of both bullous and crusted impetigo), soft tissue, or lymph nodes; but if the organism seeds the bloodstream, dissemination to joints, bones, kidney, liver, muscles, lung, and heart valves may occur, causing substantial morbidity and potential mortality. Although there are instances when an underlying immunodeficiency should be considered in patients who have repeated staphylococcal infection, an immunodeficiency …
A Hydrogen Gas-Water Equilibration Method Produces Accurate and Precise Stable Hydrogen Isotope Ratio Measurements in Nutrition Studies

Stable hydrogen isotope methodology is used in nutrition studies to measure growth, breast milk intake, and energy requirement. Isotope ratio MS is the best instrumentation to measure the stable hydrogen isotope ratios in physiological fluids. Conventional methods to convert physiological fluids to hydrogen gas (H2) for mass spectrometric analysis are labor intensive, require special reagent, and involve memory effect and potential isotope fractionation. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy and precision of a platinum catalyzed H2-water equilibration method for stable hydrogen isotope ratio measurements. Time to reach isotopic equilibrium, day-to-day and week-to-week reproducibility, accuracy, and precision of stable hydrogen isotope ratio measurements by the H2-water equilibration method were assessed using a Thermo DELTA V Advantage continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. It took 3 h to reach isotopic equilibrium. The day-to-day and week-to-week measurements on water and urine samples with natural abundance and enriched levels of deuterium were highly reproducible. The method was accurate to within 2.8 o/oo and reproducible to within 4.0 o/oo based on analysis of international references. All the outcome variables, whether in urine samples collected in 10 doubly labeled water studies or plasma samples collected in 26 body water studies, did not differ from those obtained using the reference zinc reduction method. The method produced highly accurate estimation on ad libitum energy intakes, body composition, and water turnover rates. The method greatly reduces the analytical cost and could easily be adopted by laboratories equipped with a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer.
Sensation seeking and alcohol use by college students: Examining multiple pathways of effects

This study tests the proposition that peer influence mediates the effect of sensation seeking, a personality trait, on alcohol use among college students. Cross-sectional data to test this proposition were collected from a representative sample of college students at a large public northeastern university (N = 427). Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that, as hypothesized, sensation seeking influenced personal alcohol use both directly and indirectly, through its impact on students' frequency of association with alcohol-using peers and the size of their drinking norm misperception. The findings suggest that interventions that seek to limit the frequency in which high sensation seekers associate with peers whose alcohol use is extreme or, alternatively, seek to facilitate social interactions of high sensation seekers with normative peers, may supplement efforts to influence sensation seekers' alcohol and other drug use through tailored mass media advertisements.
Transforming Growth Factor β Stimulates the Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Enhancer and Requires NF-κB Activity

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is the prototype of a large superfamily of signaling molecules involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. In certain patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), increased levels of TGF-beta promoted the production of virus and also impaired the host immune system. In an effort to understand the signaling events linking TGF-beta action and HIV production, we show here that TGF-beta can stimulate transcription from the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter through NF-kappaB binding sites in both HaCaT and 300.19 pre-B cells. When introduced into a minimal promoter, NF-kappaB binding sites supported nearly 30-fold activation from the luciferase reporter upon TGF-beta treatment. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that a major factor binding to the NF-kappaB site is the p50-p65 heterodimeric NF-kappaB in HaCaT cells. Coexpression of Gal4-p65 chimeric proteins supported TGF-beta ligand-dependent gene expression from a luciferase reporter gene driven by Gal4 DNA binding sites. NF-kappaB activity present in HaCaT cells was not affected by TGF-beta treatment as judged by the unchanged DNA binding activity and concentrations of p50 and p65 proteins. Consistently, steady-state levels of IkappaB alpha and IkappaB beta proteins were not changed by TGF-beta treatment. Our results demonstrate that TGF-beta is able to stimulate transcription from the HIV-1 LTR promoter by activating NF-kappaB through a mechanism distinct from the classic NF-kappaB activation mechanism involving the degradation of IkappaB proteins.
Apolipoprotein E Genotyping as a Diagnostic Adjunct for Alzheimer's Disease

Positive predictive value (PPV) estimates how often a particular test predicts the eventual diagnosis, and it is the basis of any test that attempts to establish a diagnosis. Calculating the PPV depends directly on the entrance criteria for considering the diagnosis and the exit criteria of the generally accepted "gold standard" for establishing the ultimate diagnosis. For a relatively common disease such as AD, the practical usefulness of a diagnostic test also relates to the stage of the disease at which the test can be applied. An accurate and predictive test only has practical value when it can be used early in the course of the disease. Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) is the first genetic locus identified as a susceptibility polymorphism for a common complex disease using positional or candidate cloning strategies. There are three common alleles (epsilon 2 to epsilon 4) and six possible genotypes; about 30% of the population carries an epsilon 4 allele, each additional copy of which is associated with an increased risk of AD and earlier age of onset distribution. In patients with cognitive impairment of the Alzheimer type, who have been diagnosed with possible or probable AD, the presence of an Apo E-epsilon 4 allele is likely in more than 50% of patients for whom the PPV is greater than 97%. Apo E genotyping is the only diagnostic adjunct that has been subjected to rigorous measurements of specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV. In the past, testing of dementia patients was directed at "ruling out" other treatable causes. Results from the initial studies of the PPV of Apo E genotyping for AD showed that the PPV of Apo E genotyping was greater than 97%. The paradigm for AD diagnosis is changing. Apo E genotyping can provide useful diagnostic information and that accuracy will improve as other susceptibility genetic risk factors are identified.
Spatial distribution of unconventional gas wells and human populations in the Marcellus Shale in the United States: Vulnerability analysis

Modern forms of drilling and extraction have recently led to a boom in oil and gas production in the U.S. and stimulated a controversy around its economic benefits and environmental and human health impacts. Using an environmental justice paradigm this study applies Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis to determine whether certain vulnerable human populations are unequally exposed to pollution from unconventional gas wells in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Several GIS-based approaches were used to identify exposed areas, and a t-test was used to find statistically significant differences between rural populations living close to wells and rural populations living farther away. Sociodemographic indicators include age (children and the elderly), poverty level, education level, and race at the census tract level. Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) technique was applied to find spatial clusters where both high well density and high proportions of vulnerable populations occur. The results demonstrate that the environmental injustice occurs in areas with unconventional wells in Pennsylvania with respect to the poor population. There are also localized clusters of vulnerable populations in exposed areas in all three states: Pennsylvania (for poverty and elderly population), West Virginia (for poverty, elderly population, and education level) and Ohio (for children).
Negative Agenda Control in the Senate and House: Fingerprints of Majority Party Power

We present evidence suggesting that the majority party in the U.S. Senate exercises significant negative agenda control. Furthermore, this majority party negative agenda control in the Senate is very similar, in empirical terms, to negative agenda control exercised by the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives. This evidence comes from comparisons of majority party roll rates across legislative vehicles (S bills, confirmation votes, and conference reports) and across chambers of Congress. Majority party roll rates respond to disagreement with other political actors as if the Senate majority party does restrict agenda access. Moreover, the response of majority party roll rates to disagreement with other political actors is very similar across the two chambers. Given that explanations of majority party negative agenda control in the House are often predicated on chamber-specific factors with no clear analogues in the Senate, the results reveal a striking cross-chamber similarity.
Hospital financial ratio classification patterns revisited: Upon considering nonfinancial information

Abstract My paper first considers the relationship between nonaccounting information and traditional hospital financial ratios. I found that nonaccounting information represents separate characteristics of hospital financial performance. Second, the link between factors produced in the first stage of the analysis and one dimension of hospital financial performance, creditworthiness, is assessed. Bond ratings are used as a proxy for creditworthiness. I found that nonaccounting information is highly significant in explaining bond ratings.
A methodology using fuzzy logic to optimize feedforward artificial neural network configurations

After a problem has been formulated for solution by using artificial neural network technology, the next step is to determine the appropriate network configuration to be used in achieving a desired level of performance. Due to the real world environment and implementation constraints, different problems require different evaluation criteria such as: accuracy, training time, sensitivity, and the number of neurons used. Tradeoffs exist between these measures, and compromises are needed in order to achieve an acceptable network design. This paper presents a method using fuzzy logic techniques to adapt the current network configuration to one which is close to (if not at) the optimal configuration. The fuzzy logic provides a method of systematically changing the network configuration while simultaneously considering all of the evaluation criteria. The optimal configuration is determined by a cost function based on the evaluation criteria. The proposed methodology is applied to an elementary classifier network as an illustration. The procedure is then used to automatically configure a network used to detect incipient faults in an induction motor as a real world application. >
The small GTPase Rab2 functions in the removal of apoptotic cells in Caenorhabditis elegans

We identify here a novel class of loss-of-function alleles of uncoordinated locomotion(unc)-108, which encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the mammalian small guanosine triphosphatase Rab2. Like the previously isolated dominant-negative mutants, unc-108 loss-of-function mutant animals are defective in locomotion. In addition, they display unique defects in the removal of apoptotic cells, revealing a previously uncharacterized function for Rab2. unc-108 acts in neurons and engulfing cells to control locomotion and cell corpse removal, respectively, indicating that unc-108 has distinct functions in different cell types. Using time-lapse microscopy, we find that unc-108 promotes the degradation of engulfed cell corpses. It is required for the efficient recruitment and fusion of lysosomes to phagosomes and the acidification of the phagosomal lumen. In engulfing cells, UNC-108 is enriched on the surface of phagosomes. We propose that UNC-108 acts on phagosomal surfaces to promote phagosome maturation and suggest that mammalian Rab2 may have a similar function in the degradation of apoptotic cells.
KM-a knowledge-based modeling framework for multi-model information systems (MMIS)

There is an increasing interest in the development of advanced complex information systems capable of capturing significant application knowledge. The paper proposes a multi-model approach for the development of complex information management systems based on a simple framework in which diverse modeling techniques are applied. The KM modeling features provide a novel mechanism to support the entity modeling, process modeling and policy modeling aspects of MMIS systems. >
Remote sensing the vulnerability of vegetation in natural terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract Climate change is altering the species composition, structure, and function of vegetation in natural terrestrial ecosystems. These changes can also impact the essential ecosystem goods and services derived from these ecosystems. Following disturbances, remote-sensing datasets have been used to monitor the disturbance and describe antecedent conditions as a means of understanding vulnerability to change. To a lesser extent, they have also been used to predict when desired ecosystems are vulnerable to degradation or loss. In this paper, we review studies that have applied remote sensing imagery to characterize vegetation vulnerability in both retrospective and prospective modes. We first review vulnerability research in natural terrestrial ecosystems including temperate forests, tropical forests, boreal forests, semi-arid lands, coastal areas, and the arctic. We then evaluate whether remote sensing can evaluate vulnerability sufficiently in advance of future events in order to allow the implementation of mitigation strategies, or whether it can only describe antecedent conditions a posteriori. The majority of existing research has evaluated vulnerability retrospectively, but key studies highlight the considerable potential for the development of early warnings of future vulnerability. We conclude that future research needs to focus on the development of a greater number of remotely sensed metrics to be used in a prospective mode in assessing vulnerability of terrestrial vegetation under change.
AccessSurgery™: A Review

AccessSurgery™ from McGraw-Hill is a multiformat database aimed at medical students, surgical residents, and practicing surgeons for both self-study and quick answers. The database contains animated and video-based surgical procedures, textbooks, an image bank, drug monographs, and curriculum materials.
Do Minimum Wage Hikes Raise US Long Term Unemployment? Evidence Using State Minimum Wage Rates

PARTRIDGE M. D. and PARTRIDGE J. S. (1999) Do minimum wage hikes raise US long term unemployment? Evidence using state minimum wage rates, Reg. Studies 33 , 713‐726. Several recent studies have challenged the conventional notion that raising the minimum wage reduces employment. This study considers a related but relatively unexplored issue by examining the minimum wage's influence on long durations of unemployment. By considering long term unemployment rates, this study extends the previous minimum wage literature by examining the persistence of minimum wage effects. The empirical analysis considers state data from the latter 1980s, a unique period when many states raised their minimum wage above the federal level. The results suggest that a greater minimum wage increases long term unemployment rates. Further evidence indicates that increased minimum wage coverage also raises long term unemployment rates. Subsequent analysis yielded similar patterns for other aggregate labour market measures. Thus, state ...
Review: The Critical Role of Clinical Pharmacology in the Development of Biologics

Compared with small-molecule drugs (SMDs), the development of biologics has become one of the fastest growing areas in research and drug development owing to advancement in biotechnology sciences such as recombinant protein technology. This chapter focuses on the clinical pharmacology aspects of biologics, including their basic pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics, first-in-human dose selection, model-based dose determination, and trial design. It also discusses monoclonal antibodies, proteins, and peptides. Compared to SMDs, biologics have unique characteristics in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, which play a role in their use as therapeutic interventions and lead to significant differences in their development. Quantitative methods, such as mechanism-based PK, physiologically-based PK, PK/PD, and exposure-response models, offer great benefit for biologics development. With the advancement of new quantitative tools, drug developers and researchers can gain powerful insight into designing the most effective therapeutic regimens. Keywords: biologics development; clinical pharmacology; first-in-human dose selection; model-based drug development; monoclonal antibodies; PK/PD characteristics; trial design
Acetominophen (Tylenol, Paracetamol)

Tylenol is a mild nonnarcotic analgesic and antipyretic agent that is widely used for pain relief and fever reduction. The maximum safe daily dosage is less than 4 g in a 24-h period.
Why location is (still) everything

With the increasing use of drugs and antibodies designed to counter the influence of specific genetic drivers in colorectal cancer (CRC), understanding the molecular events underlying tumor site/subsite-related biological differences will likely guide risk assessment and prognosis, as well as tailor personalized therapeutic strategies. Mortality rates have consistently been reported to be higher in proximal compared with distal colon cancers, but previous studies examining tumor site and prognosis generally lacked data on key molecular markers that may explain this difference in survival. Sinicrope et al . determined the frequency of BRAF V600E and KRAS (exon 2) mutations, as well as DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status, in tumors of patients with stage III CRC (N=3,018) treated in a large adjuvant chemotherapy trial and examined the association of these molecular markers with primary tumor subsite and clinical outcome. Proximal cancers had higher mutation rates even after excluding MMR-deficient (dMMR) tumors, with more KRAS codon 12 and BRAF V600E mutations, whereas cancers lacking mutations in either gene were more likely to be located in the distal colon. As expected, in the overall patient cohort, survival was found to be improved in patients with distal versus proximal cancers. Mutations in KRAS and BRAF V600E were each associated with worse clinical outcomes, whereas dMMR was associated with a delay in time to disease relapse. Interestingly, distal cancers with mutated KRAS had poorer outcomes compared with proximal cancers carrying the mutation, and the same was true for dMMR tumors for which the improved outcome was limited to proximal tumors. Identification of molecular alterations by tumor subsite can help place these data into clinical context, with implications for personalized therapy. Tumors of similar types but different anatomic locations can have patterns of mutations that are strikingly different, and it is becoming apparent that these molecular signatures may predict response to targeted therapies as well as to immune checkpoint inhibitors. For this reason, it is likely that successful interpretation of cancer genomes will require comprehensive knowledge of the biological context to make successful therapeutic predictions in the clinic. F. A. Sinicrope et al. , Analysis of molecular markers by anatomic tumor site in stage III colon carcinomas from adjuvant chemotherapy trial NCCTG N0147 (Alliance). Clin. Cancer Res. 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-15-0527 (2015). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2015/07/17/1078-0432.CCR-15-0527
Pancreatic Pseudocysts: Advances in Endoscopic Management

Endoscopic drainage is the first-line therapy in the management of pancreatic pseudocysts. Before endoscopic drainage, clinicians should exclude the presence of pancreatic cystic neoplasms and avoid drainage of immature peripancreatic fluid collections or pseudoaneurysms. The indication for endoscopic drainage is not dependent on absolute cyst size alone, but on the presence of attributable signs or symptoms. Endoscopic management should be performed as part of a multidisciplinary approach in close cooperation with surgeons and interventional radiologists. Drainage may be performed either via a transpapillary approach or a transmural approach; additionally, endoscopic necrosectomy may be performed for patients with walled-off necrosis.
Failure mode analysis of degraded InGaAs-AlGaAs strained quantum well multi-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Remarkable progress made in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) emitting at 850 and 980 nm has led them to find an increasing number of applications in high speed data communications as well as in potential space satellite systems. However, little has been reported on reliability and failure modes of InGaAs VCSELs emitting at ~980 nm although it is crucial to understand failure modes and underlying degradation mechanisms in developing these VCSELs that exceed lifetime requirements for space missions. The active layer of commercial VCSELs that we studied consisted of two or three InGaAs quantum wells. The laser structures were fabricated into deep mesas followed by a steam oxidation process to form oxide-apertures for current and optical confinements. Our multi- mode VCSELs showed a laser threshold of ~ 0.5 mA at RT. Failures were generated via accelerated life-testing of VCSELs. For the present study, we report on failure mode analysis of degraded oxide-VCSELs using various techniques. We employed nondestructive techniques including electroluminescence (EL), optical beam induced current (OBIC), and electron beam induced current (EBIC) techniques as well as destructive techniques including focused ion beam (FIB) and high-resolution TEM techniques to study VCSELs that showed different degradation behaviors. Especially, we employed FIB systems to locally remove a portion of top-DBR mirrors of degraded VCSELs, which made it possible for our subsequent EBIC and OBIC techniques to locate damaged areas that were generated as a result of degradation processes and also for our HR-TEM technique to prepare TEM cross sections from damaged areas. Our nondestructive and destructive physical analysis results are reported including defect and structural analysis results from pre-aged VCSELs as well as from degraded VCSELs life-tested under different test conditions.
Crowding and Anomalous Capacitance at an Electrode–Ionic Liquid Interface Observed Using Operando X-ray Scattering

Room temperature ionic liquids are widely recognized as novel electrolytes with properties very different from those of aqueous solutions, and thus with many potential applications, but observing how they actually behave at electrolytic interfaces has proved to be challenging. We have studied the voltage-dependent structure of [TDTHP]+[NTF2]− near its interface with an electrode, using in situ synchrotron X-ray reflectivity. An anion-rich layer develops at the interface above a threshold voltage of +1.75 V, and the layer thickness increases rapidly with voltage, reaching ∼6 nm (much larger that the anion dimensions) at +2.64 V. These results provide direct confirmation of the theoretical prediction of “crowding” of ions near the interface. The interfacial layer is not purely anionic but a mixture of up to ∼80% anions and the rest cations. The static differential capacitance calculated from X-ray measurements shows an increase at higher voltages, consistent with a recent zero-frequency capacitance measurem...
Natural Mortality of the Lesser Cornstalk Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in a Peanut Agroecosystem

Lesser cornstalk borer (LCB), Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller), populations were monitored for 3 yr in commercial peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., fields in an intensively cultivated area of Comanche County, Tex. Population census raw data were standardized to make LCB density estimates comparable among generations and years. Partial ecological life tables were constructed from standardized census estimates for five pivotal stages: eggs, just-hatched larvae, medium larvae, large larvae, and pupae. Mortality factors were classified as parasitism, disease, and unexplained. Identified mortality agents included an entomopoxvirus, a fungus, 13 primary parasites, and five predators. Survivorship curves implied a constant mortality rate with total generation mortality ranging from 87.1 to 96.5%. Keyfactor analysis revealed unexplained mortality was the major contributor to overall mortality, with unexplained mortality of large larvae the key mortality factor. Three methods of analyzing mortality–density relationships showed mortality was density independent, with initial egg density rather than mortality determining the resulting larval and pupal population densities.
CLINICAL EVALUATION OF 27 CASES OF EPIGASTRIC HERNIAS IN CHILDREN

1986年から2005年までに経験した小児上腹壁ヘルニア27例をretrospectiveに検討した.全腹壁ヘルニアの1.1%を占め,男女比は男児11例,女児16例であった.手術時年齢は2カ月から10歳9カ月であった.新生児期までに12例が発症し, 1歳までに21例が発症していた.ヘルニア門の数は1カ所が26例であり,多発症例(2カ所)が1例であり,増大傾向を5件に,自発痛,圧痛を1件に認めた. 19例に合併奇形・基礎疾患を認め,気管支喘息が6例と最多であった.ヘルニア門は平均9.0±7.6mmで,脱出臓器は腹膜前脂肪織が7件で,大網,小腸が2件ずつであった.術後再発は1例に認めた.小児上腹壁ヘルニアは成人より稀であるといわれているが,発生頻度に差はなく,男性に多いとされているが,女児に多くみられた.乳児期までに大半が発症しており,先天性疾患の可能性が高い.
An Examination of Primary School Attendance and Completion among Secondary School Age Adolescents in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone was ravaged by a civil war between 1991 and 2002. Since the end of the war, it has witnessed an unprecedented increase in school enrollments. Although school enrollment has increased, ...
Decays of Ta 176 , Lu 176 , and Lu 1 7 6 m to Levels in Hf 176

The locations of 48 energy levels in $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}$ have been deduced from $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray singles, conversion-electron, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence measurements on the $\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}$ decay of $^{176}\mathrm{Ta}$. Over $300\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions have been observed in the $^{176}\mathrm{Ta}$ decay spectrum, and about 140 of these have been definitely assigned to the $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}$ level scheme on the basis of 75 $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence spectra. Spin and parity assignments are proposed for 27 levels besides the ground-state rotationalband members. Less extensive $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray singles data from $^{176}\mathrm{Lu}$ and $^{176m}\mathrm{Lu}$ decay have also been obtained; these are found to be consistent with the $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}$ level structure proposed on the basis of $^{176}\mathrm{Ta}$ decay data. Two ${0}^{+}$ excitations in $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}$ identified at 1150 and 1293 keV are found to display quite different decay properties. Evidence for the existence of a series of low-spin four-quasiparticle states near 3 MeV is cited. The $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}$ level structure is compared with available theoretical calculations, and a preliminary interpretation of several unusual features of the level scheme is presented.
A simple risk score discriminated between patients at low or high risk for adverse events during therapy for acute DVT.

Source Citation Trujillo-Santos J, Herrera S, Page MA, et al. Predicting adverse outcome in outpatients with acute deep vein thrombosis. Findings from the RIETE Registry. J Vasc Surg. 2006;44:789-9...
A Statistical Model and Simulator for Ocean-Reflected GNSS Signals

Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) methods sense ocean roughness by cross correlating scattered GNSS signals with a locally generated replica of the transmitted signal. The resulting delay-Doppler map (DDM) is related to surface slope statistics through established scattering models. DDM samples are correlated in time and between delay and Doppler coordinates, limiting the number of independent samples available to reduce measurement error. Performance predictions for future GNSS-R missions depend on a model with sufficient fidelity to represent these statistics. A previously developed model for the correlation in time and a new model for the correlation between delays are used to create a GNSS-R signal simulator. A change of variables reduces these models to the numerically efficient form of a single integral and a convolution. Independent normally distributed white noise is passed through a filter bank implementing these models to generate an ensemble of synthetic noisy measurements having realistic correlation in time and between delay bins. Correlation between Doppler bins, however, is not represented by this model. The output of this simulator is compared to 1-D (delay-only) DDMs collected during a 2009 airborne experiment in the North Atlantic, with winds from 5 to 25 m/s. Good agreement is found in the variance, time correlation, and covariance matrix. The probability density functions show reasonable agreement. A bias between the synthetic and observed data was found to result from a bias in the wind/roughness retrieval. Agreement was worse for the low-wind (5.8 m/s) example, perhaps due to a component of specular reflection. One application of this simulator is in generating synthetic DDMs, maintaining accurate representation of statistics following nonlinear processing (e.g., incoherent averaging). The simulator presents a numerically efficient method for generating large statistically significant ensembles of DDMs under identical conditions.
Cross-Disorder Psychiatric Genomics

Purpose of Review The following review provides some description of the movement in cross-disorder psychiatric genomics toward addressing both comorbidity and polygenicity.
What's the Evidence: A Review of the One-Minute Preceptor Model of Clinical Teaching and Implications for Teaching in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background The 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, “Education Research in Emergency Medicine: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for Success” noted that emergency medicine (EM) educators often rely on theory and tradition in molding their approaches to teaching and learning, and called on the EM education community to advance the teaching of our specialty through the performance and application of research in teaching and assessment methods, cognitive function, and the effects of education interventions. Objective The purpose of this article is to review the research-based evidence for the effectiveness of the one-minute preceptor (OMP) teaching method, and to provide suggestions for its use in clinical teaching and learning in EM. Discussion This article reviews hypothesis-testing education research related to the use of the OMP as a pedagogical method applicable to clinical teaching. Evidence indicates that the OMP prompts the teaching of higher level concepts, facilitates the assessment of students' knowledge, and prompts the provision of feedback. Students indicate satisfaction with this method of clinical case–based discussion teaching. Conclusion Advancing EM education will require that high quality education research results be translated into actual curricular, pedagogical, assessment, and professional development changes. The OMP is a pedagogical method that is applicable to teaching in the emergency department.
Effects of Dietary Protein Concentrations and Sources on Production Characteristics of Pond‐Raised Hybrid Catfish Fingerlings

AbstractA 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to examine the growth performance of pond-raised hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male Blue Catfish I. furcatus) fingerlings fed diets containing two levels of protein (35% or 32%) with two animal protein sources (fish meal or porcine meat, bone, and blood meal [PMBB]). Small hybrid catfish fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 2.0 g/fish (SD = 0.6) were stocked into 20 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of approximately 172,970 fish/ha, based on a sample count of 1,000 fish. The fish were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 113 d. Total weight of feed fed, gross yield, feed conversion ratio (FCR), condition factor, and observed mortality were not significantly affected by either dietary protein concentration or animal protein source. Results demonstrate that dietary protein levels can be reduced from 35% to 32% without compromising fish growth and FCR for hybrid catfish fingerlings raised from 2 to 71 g in a growing...
Solvent Thermodynamic Driving Force Controls Stacking Interactions between Polyaromatics

Polyaromatic dye molecules employed in photovoltaic and electronic applications are often processed in organic solvents. The aggregation of these dyes is key to their applications, but a fundamental molecular understanding of how the solvent environment controls the stacking of polyaromatics is unclear. This study reports initial results from Monte Carlo simulations of how various acene molecule dimers stack when they are dissolved in different solvents. Free energies computed using full dispersion interactions versus those with sterics only suggest that solvent entropy alone accounts for the majority of the stacking free energy in solvents with compact molecular geometries such as carbon tetrachloride. However, in contrast with carbon tetrachloride, we also observe significant variations in the stacking free energies of naphthalene, anthracene, and tetracene across other solvents such as toluene and cyclohexane. The weak attractive dispersion interactions between the acene solutes and planar and near-pla...
Justice and International Trade

This article identifies the main issues of justice that arise in international trade and critically evaluates contemporary philosophical debates over how to understand them. I focus on three central questions of distributive justice, as applied to trade. What is it about trade that makes it a subject of justice? Which aspects of the international trading system should our principles of justice regulate? What do duties of justice or fairness in trade demand? I show how debates over these questions turn not only on empirical disagreements specific to trade but also on deeper and more general disputes in moral and political philosophy. I argue that trade is a domain in which diverse moral concerns complexly intersect and that a satisfying account of it must do justice to this complexity by itself exhibiting substantial pluralism.
Characterization of a reservoir ooid shoal complex and Artificial Neural Networks application in lithofacies prediction: Mississippian St. Louis formation, Lakin fields, western Kansas

Abstract Residing in the Hugoton embayment of western Kansas, the Lakin field has produced over 1.8 million bbl of oil from reservoir quality zones within the St. Louis Limestone (Mississippian, Meramecian) oolitic deposits. This study focuses on improving the understanding of the orientation, geometry, and spatial distribution of ooid shoal complexes in Kearny County, Kansas. To this end, the interpretation of petrophysical log data integrated with a facies analysis conducted on 400 ft (122 m) of core from three separate intervals provided the basis, in this study, for understanding the vertical stacking patterns and how facies transitions relate to reservoir quality zones within the ooid shoal complexes. A supervised Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been trained and validated, based on input-layer of geophysical well-logs and an output-layer of core-lithofacies, for lithofacies prediction where core samples were not available. The porous ooid grainstone is the principal reservoir facies, with an average log-derived porosity measurement of eighteen percent. Ooid shoal complexes are present in St. Louis Zone B and C, with thicknesses reaching up to 10 ft (3 m) and 24 ft (7 m) respectively. These complexes are NW-SE trending and laterally extend up to 16 mi (26 km), with economically viable patches covering up to 8 mile (13 km), and record roughly 2 mile (3 km) in width. The apex of the shoal contains the highest porosity values, with significant porosity reduction towards the shoal margins due to the increased cementation. This study provides information on the characteristics of oolitic deposits for the purpose of understanding controls on reservoir heterogeneity to aid in finding additional hydrocarbon reserves in the St. Louis Limestone in western Kansas.
Stochastic Networked Microgrid Energy Management With Correlated Wind Generators

Power distribution systems are transitioning from a traditional single distribution system operator (DSO) to a more integrated flexible network that incorporates multiple microgrids (MGs). This paper presents a novel stochastic framework to investigate the impact of correlated wind generators on energy management of DSO and MGs. In order to decouple the problem formulation in DSO and MGs, a linear approximation is proposed which enables parallel processing of the optimization problems. Further, a stochastic framework based on improved point estimate method is proposed to model the uncertainties in load and wind generation, and account for the statistical correlations among wind generators. The proposed method is applied to a modified IEEE 69 bus test feeder and the results are validated in terms of efficiency and accuracy.