cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium, magnesium and potassium intake and mortality in women with heart failure: the Women's Health Initiative

Although diet is thought to affect the natural history of heart failure (HF), nutrient intake in HF patients has not been well studied. Based on prior research linking high intake of Ca, Mg and K to improved cardiovascular health, we hypothesised that these nutrients would be inversely associated with mortality in people with HF. Of the 161 808 participants in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), we studied 3340 who experienced a HF hospitalisation. These participants were followed for post-hospitalisation all-cause mortality. Intake was assessed using questionnaires on food and supplement intake. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, physical function, co-morbidities and dietary covariates. Over a median of 4·6 years of follow-up, 1433 (42·9 %) of the women died. HR across quartiles of dietary Ca intake were 1·00 (referent), 0·86 (95 % CI 0·73, 1·00), 0·88 (95 % CI 0·75, 1·04) and 0·92 (95 % CI 0·76, 1·11) (P for trend = 0·63). Corresponding HR were 1·00 (referent), 0·86 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·04), 0·88 (95 % CI 0·69, 1·11) and 0·84 (95 % CI 0·63, 1·12) (P for trend = 0·29), across quartiles of dietary Mg intake, and 1·00 (referent), 1·20 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·43), 1·06 (95 % CI 0·86, 1·32) and 1·16 (95 % CI 0·90, 1·51) (P for trend = 0·35), across quartiles of dietary K intake. Results were similar when total (dietary plus supplemental) nutrient intakes were examined. In summary, among WHI participants with incident HF hospitalisation, intakes of Ca, Mg and K were not significantly associated with subsequent mortality.
Implementing successful interprofessional communication opportunities in health care education: a qualitative analysis

Objectives: To explore the experience of an interprofessional communication educational intervention among nursing and medical students. Methods: Forty-five medical students and 50 nursing students participated in two-hour-long interprofessional communication skills education sessions with interprofessional groups of 6-8 students each. The sessions were based on the Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS TM ) curriculum. Problematic communication scenarios were presented and then reenacted by the students with role plays that depicted improvements in interprofessional communication. Afterward, narratives describing their experience were collected from a focus group interview. Using the conventional content analysis approach, key phrases and statements were coded into themes. Results: The study found that students felt increased competence and confidence when responding to conflict after practicing communication in a safe environment. Based on the opportunity to come to know their colleagues, students recognized that patient safety was a shared goal. Six themes were extracted from the narratives describing their experiences: support for process, patient safety, coming to know colleague, support for tools, respectful collaboration, and barriers to communication. Conclusions: TeamSTEPPS TM provided a framework for effective and respectful collaboration. A significant barrier identified by students was that these communication techniques were not consistently demonstrated during their clinical experiences. An emphasis on interprofessional communication skills and teamwork should begin in the academic setting and be reinforced in both the formal and hidden curricula.
Derivation of the Euler equations from many-body quantum mechanics

The Heisenberg dynamics of the energy, momentum, and particle densi­ ties for fermions with short-range pair interactions is shown to converge to the compressible Euler equations in the hydrodynamic limit. The pressure function is given by the standard formula from quantum statistical mechan­ ics with the two-body potential under consideration. Our derivation is based on a quantum version of the entropy method and a suitable quantum virial theorem. No intermediate description, such as a Boltzmann equation or semiclassical approximation, is used in our proof. We require some technical condi­ tions on the dynamics, which can be considered as interesting open problems in their own right.
New Hampshire Water Systems: Environmental and Ownership Considerations

Summary An econometric model was developed to measure the influence of several environmentally oriented variables and an ownership variable upon the average total residential water costs for New Hampshire water systems. The implementation of leak detection programs, localized institutional rules and regulations, and hazardous waste inspection programs were statistically significant in influencing residential water costs. The existence of a water conservation program did not statistically influence these per unit costs. Water systems that were privately owned resulted in per unit costs that were higher relative to firms that were publicly owned.
A Kinetic Model for Exfoliation Kinetics of Layered Materials

Exfoliation of two-dimensional materials is key to obtaining high-performance properties. We present a simple kinetic model for exfoliation that is readily solved analytically. Random and irreversible sheet separation is postulated in the presence of highly effective stabilizers. This model appears to quantitatively fit graphene exfoliation data, and it illuminates mechanistic aspects of exfoliation. Thicker sheets exfoliate much faster than trilayer and bilayer sheets. Exfoliation follows highly activated diffusion-controlled intercalation of stabilizer into inter-sheet galleries. Application to the most concentrated graphene exfoliation data available supports these assumptions and provides insight for practical treatment regimens.
Mechanisms and kinetics of nitric and nitrous oxide production during nitrification in agricultural soil

Summary Laboratory experiments were conducted with three California agricultural soils to examine substrate and process controls over temporal variability of NO and N2O production during nitrification, and to quantify the kinetics of HNO2-mediated chemical reactions. Gross NO production rates were highly correlated (r2 = 0.93–0.97) with calculated concentrations of HNO2, which were shown to originate from autotrophic microbial oxidation of NH4 + to NO2 − Production of NO was not correlated with NH4 + or NO3–, or with the overall nitrification rate. Distinct periods of high NO2– accumulation occurred below critical pH values in each soil, apparently due to inhibition of microbial NO2– oxidation. Data suggest that even during periods of relatively low NO2– accumulation and rapid overall nitrification, HNO2-mediated reactions may have been the primary source of NO. Rate coefficients (kPNO) relating NO production to HNO2 concentrations were determined for sterile (λ-irradiated) soils, and were similar to kPNO values in 2 of 3 nonsterile soils undergoing nitrification. Production of N2O was correlated with HNO2 (r2 = 0.88–0.99) in sterile soils, and with NO2– and NO3– (R2 = 0.72–0.91) in nonsterile soils. Experiments using 15N confirmed that dissimilatory NO3– reduction contributed to N2O production even under primarily aerobic conditions. Sterile kPNO and kPN2O values were correlated (r2 = 0.90 and 0.82) with soil organic matter content. Overall, the results demonstrate that both steps of the nitrification sequence, together with abiotic reactions involving NO2–/HNO2 need to be considered in developing improved models of NO and N2O emissions from soils.
Mariana Forearc Serpentinite Mud Volcanoes Harbor Novel Communities of Extremophilic Archaea

Extremophilic archaeal communities living in serpentinized muds influenced by pH 12.5 deep-slab derived fluids were detected and their richness and relatedness assessed from across seven serpentinite mud volcanoes located along the Mariana forearc. In addition, samples from two near surface core sections (Holes D and E) at ODP Site 1200 from South Chamorro were subjected to SSU rDNA clone library and phylogenetic analysis resulting in the discovery of several novel operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Five dominant OTUs of Archaea from Hole 1200D and six dominant OTUs of Archaea from Hole 1200E were determined by groups having three or more clones. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis revealed all of the dominant OTUs were detected within both clone libraries. Cluster analysis of the T-RFLP data revealed archaeal community structures from sites on Big Blue and Blue Moon to be analogous to the South Chamorro Hole 1200E site. These unique archaeal community fingerprints resulte...
In(Ga)As/GaAs self-organized quantum dot lasers: DC and small-signal modulation properties

Self-organized growth of InGaAs/GaAs strained epitaxial layers gives rise to an ordered array of islands via the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode, for misfits >1.8%. These islands are pyramidal in shape with a base diagonal of /spl sim/20 nm and height of /spl sim/6-7 nm, depending of growth parameters. They therefore exhibit electronic properties of zero-dimensional systems, or quantum dots. One or more layers of such quantum dots can be stacked and vertically coupled to form the gain region of lasers. We have investigated the properties of such single-layer quantum dot (SLQD) and multilayer quantum dot (MLQD) lasers with a variety of measurements, including some at cryogenic temperatures. The experiments have been complemented with theoretical calculations of the electronic properties and carrier scattering phenomena in the dots. Our objective has been to elucidate the intrinsic behavior of these devices. The lasers exhibit temperature independent threshold currents up to 85 K, with T/sub 0//spl les/670 K. Typical threshold currents of 200-/spl mu/m long room temperature lasers vary from 6 to 20 mA. The small-signal modulation bandwidths of ridge waveguide lasers are 5-7.5 GHz at 300 K and increased to >20 GHz at 80 K. These bandwidths agree well with electron capture times of /spl sim/30 ps determined from high-frequency laser impedance measurements at 300 K and relaxation times of /spl sim/8 ps measured at 18 K by differential transmission pump-probe experiments. From the calculated results we believe that electron-hole scattering intrinsically limits the high-speed performance of these devices, in spite of differential gains as high as /spl sim/7/spl times/10/sup -14/ cm/sup 2/ at room temperature.
Dispersal: an alternative mating tactic conditional on sex ratio and body size

Small male milkweed beetles are less successful at obtaining mates than are larger males. Larger males usually win fights and prevent smaller males from obtaining mates and from choosing larger more fecund females as mates. When sex ratios are male-biased, smaller males are particularly likely to experience these mating disadvantages. It follows that smaller males should be especially responsive to their local competitive environment and behave so as to minimize the mating disadvantages of their smaller size. This paper tests the hypothesis that smaller males disperse from host plant patches with male-biased sex ratios and remain in patches with female-biased sex ratios more readily than larger males. Results show both larger and smaller males disperse from patches with male-biased sex ratios more frequently than from patches with femalebiased sex ratios. As predicted, however, small males are more likely to disperse from patches with male-biased sex ratios and remain in patches with female-biased sex ratios than are larger males. The data also show that smaller males dispersing from patches with male-biased sex ratios obtain more matings than non-dispersing males. For milkweed beetles, moving between patches can be viewed as an alternative mating tactic conditional on male body size and local sex ratio.
ASYMMETRIC SLIP IN Mo SINGLE CRYSTALS.

The tensile properties of Mo single crystals in six different orientations were investigated over the range from 20 to 550 °K. The plastic behavior shows asymmetry in the critical resolved shear stress for slip on both {110} and {112} planes. At low temperatures, within the thermally activated region, slip takes place on well-defined crystallographic planes. At high temperatures in this range, however, slip takes place on irrational planes. The asymmetries associated with the yield stress and slip decrease with increasing temperature. An attempt was made to rationalize these asymmetric behaviors in terms of the modified Peierls model. This model assumes the asymmetric slip arises from a tendency toward asymmetric arrangement of atoms in the core of the a/2 〈111〉 screw dislocations. It is shown that the model is in qualitative agreement with the observed experiment of trends. Die Dehnungseigenschaften von Mo-Einkristallen wurden im Bereich 20 bis 550 °K fur sechs verschiedene Orientierungen untersucht. Das plastische Verhalten zeigt eine Asymmetrie der kritischen Schubspannungen fur Gleitungen in {110}- und {112}-Ebenen. Bei tiefen Temperaturen findet man innerhalb des thermisch aktivierten Bereichs Gleitungen in wohldefinierten kristallographischen Ebenen. Bei hohen Temperaturen findet man jedoch in diesem Bereich Gleitungen in irrationalen Ebenen. Die Asymmetrien von Fliesspannung und Gleitungen nehmen mit steigender Temperatur ab. Es wurde versucht, dieses Asymmetrieverhalten mit einer modifizierten Peierls-Methode zu erklaren. Dieses Modell nimmt an, das asymmetrische Gleitungen von der Tendenz der Atome, sich im Kern der a/2 〈111〉-Schraubenversetzungen asymmetrisch anzuordnen, herruhrt. Das Modell zeigt qualitative Ubereinstimmung mit den experimentell beobachteten Richtungen.
Synthesis of ent-kaurane and beyerane diterpenoids by controlled fragmentations of overbred intermediates.

In the first part of a two-phase pursuit of highly oxidized members of the ent-kaurane and beyerane diterpenoid families, steviol was identified as the ideal cyclase phase terminus. Accordingly, a synthesis of steviol has been developed. This synthesis features a polyene cyclization precursor designed to directly yield oxidation on the axial C19 methyl group. Construction of the necessary [3.2.1]bicyclic system found in the ent-kaurane skeleton was realized with two overbred intermediates. The resulting [3.2.1]bicyclic system undergoes Wagner–Meerwein rearrangement to yield the beyerane skeleton of isosteviol.
Factors associated with primary care clinicians' choice of a watchful waiting approach to managing depression.

Objectives: Watchful waiting to manage depression in primary care may be an appropriate management approach for some patients who present with less severe depression. This study examined factors associated with primary care clinicians' choice of a watchful waiting approach to care management for depression. Methods: Secondary data were analyzed from Partners in Care, which examined dissemination of best practices for depression in primary care. Primary care clinicians' decisions regarding watchful waiting were examined by using the baseline survey data from Partners in Care completed by clinicians and patients from February 1996 to March 1997. Participants were 167 primary care clinicians from 46 practices of seven managed care organizations across the United States and their 1,187 patients with depression. Primary care clinicians' proclivity for watchful waiting was examined by using a brief scenario describing a patient with major depressive disorder. Results: Thirty-four clinicians (20 percent) reported a strong proclivity to use watchful waiting for the patient in the scenario. The proclivity was significantly associated with clinicians' reports of the proportion of their actual patients with whom they used this approach. Clinicians were significantly more likely to choose watchful waiting for their actual patients if they had more psychotherapy knowledge (p=.035) or perceived that the need to treat the patient's medical illness was more important than the need to treat his or her mental illness (p=.046) and were less likely to choose a watchful waiting approach if they perceived the lack of availability of mental health professionals as a barrier (p=.050). Conclusions: Primary care clinicians' knowledge of treatment and perception of barriers influence their proclivity for watchful waiting. Clinician education to promote appropriate use of watchful waiting on the basis of clinical need is recommended.
Interoperability of multicast routing protocols in wireless ad hoc networks

Although multihop ad hoc networks (MANETs) have typically been considered as isolated, stand-alone networks with no connection to the Internet, it is quite likely that future internetworks may interconnect numerous MANET clouds, each running different routing mechanisms. This could be primarily dictated by administrative constraints or different network functional and performance requirements and can result in scenarios where nodes belonging to different MANET clouds running different routing mechanisms may wish to communicate with one another. In this paper, we introduce techniques to allow interoperability of various multicast routing protocols in MANETs. In particular, we investigate two different interoperability techniques, that is, flooding-based interoperability and facilitator-assisted interoperability. Our preliminary evaluation of the two techniques indicates that the flooding-based mechanism is best suited for scenarios involving intermittent communications between different ad hoc domains whereas the facilitator-assisted approach is best suited for data intensive applications such as video-conferencing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Commodity exports to China and economic growth: The case of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect of commodity exports from Africa to China on the growth rate of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) after controlling for variables that have been found to be important determinants of economic growth. This study uses a panel of 23 African countries for the period of 2001-2011. Design/methodology/approach – The authors make use of a Barro-type empirical economic growth model which uses per capita GDP as the dependent variable. With regard to independent variables, the authors examine the China effect after controlling for variables that have been found to affect economic growth. To account for the China effect, we use the following three measures of trade with China: commodity export to China, commodity export to China relative to total export and commodity export to China relative to the world. The authors use panel data from 2001 to 2011. Findings – Results indicate that the magnitudes of the effect, while statistically signifi...
Key ingredients for implementing intensive outpatient programs within patient-centered medical homes: A literature review and qualitative analysis.

Abstract Background Intensive outpatient programs aim to transform care while conserving resources for high-need, high-cost patients, but little is known about factors that influence their implementation within patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). Methods In this mixed-methods study, we reviewed the literature to identify factors affecting intensive outpatient program implementation, then used semi-structured interviews to determine how these factors influenced the implementation of an intensive outpatient program within the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) PCMH. Interviewees included facility leadership and clinical staff who were involved in a pilot Intensive Management Patient Aligned Care Team (ImPACT) intervention for high-need, high-cost VA PCMH patents. We classified implementation factors in the literature review and qualitative analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Results The literature review ( n =9 studies) and analyses of interviews ( n =15) revealed key implementation factors in three CFIR domains. First, the Inner Setting (i.e., the organizational and PCMH environment), mostly enabled implementation through a culture of innovation, good networks and communication, and positive tension for change. Second, Characteristics of Individuals , including creativity, flexibility, and interpersonal skills, allowed program staff to augment existing PCMH services. Finally, certain Intervention Characteristics (e.g., adaptability) enabled implementation, while others (e.g., complexity) generated implementation barriers. Conclusions Resources and structural features common to PCMHs can facilitate implementation of intensive outpatient programs, but program success is also dependent on staff creativity and flexibility, and intervention adaptations to meet patient and organizational needs. Implications Established PCMHs likely provide resources and environments that permit accelerated implementation of intensive outpatient programs. Level of evidence V.
Ready, aim, shoot: stem cell regulation of the shoot apical meristem.

Plant shoot meristems contain stem cells that are continuously renewed to replenish cells that exit and differentiate during lateral organ formation. Complex cell-to-cell signaling systems balance division and differentiation. These center on ligand–receptor networks, hormone pathways, and transcriptional regulators that function in an integrated manner. In this review, we aim to highlight new findings in shoot stem cell regulation across species.
Creative food labels: consumer health education.

(1979). Creative Food Labels: Consumer Health Education. Health Education: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 34-34.
Single center experience with pipeline stent: feasibility, technique, and complications.

Background Endovascular coil embolization is an established method of treatment for intracranial aneurysms. The pipeline embolization device (PED) is a low-porosity endovascular stent designed to reconstruct the parent artery and decrease blood flow into the aneurysm. Objective To report a series of 36 patients treated with the PED. Methods Thirty-six patients underwent PED placement for aneurysm at the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience from October 2010 to November 2011. Clinical charts were reviewed. Results Thirty-six patients with 42 aneurysms were treated (3 male; 33 female; ages, 34-82; mean age, 60.1 years). Forty-one aneurysms were located in the anterior circulation, whereas one was located at the vertebrobasilar junction. PED placement was successful in all patients and resulted in stasis within all treated aneurysms. Symptomatic postoperative complications were witnessed in 13.9% (n = 5) of patients. These complications included intracerebral hemorrhage (n = 4), dissection (n = 1), symptomatic stroke (n = 2), and death (n = 1). Conclusion Treatment of simple or complex intracranial aneurysms with PEDs alone or in conjunction with coil embolization is technically feasible, and the deployment technique requires a high degree of endovascular skills. Major perioperative adverse events must be studied. Respect for the indications of the procedure is crucial to justify the risk.
Pauropoda from North America.

Members of this group have been considered as representing a distinct class of Arthropoda. I am inclined to agree with this interpretation although Hansen, '01, who has done so much careful work in this field prefers to keep them as an order.
Exploiting Internal Optics to Enhance the Performance of III-V Multijunction Solar Cells

We describe our model of photon recycling effects in single and multijunction solar cells, and show how exploiting the internal optics in high radiative-efficiency cells leads to demonstrated record efficiencies and increased energy yield.
Circulatory Effects from Cyclopropane Administered After Hemorrhage.

ConclusionPreliminary observations seem to substantiate the clinical impression that cyclopropane is a useful anesthetic agent in the presence of circulatory depression due to rapid hemorrhage.
Therapeutic options in frontal fibrosing alopecia

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The prevalence of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is increasing worldwide and early diagnosis and prompt treatment are necessary to prevent definitive scarring. Currently, there are no FDA approved treatments for FFA. This paper seeks to explore the efficacy of current therapeutic options in FFA.Areas covered: The evidence available to date gives some guidance as to potential effective treatment approaches for FFA patients which include 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, intralesional steroids, hydroxychloroquine, topical calcineurin inhibitors, excimer laser, pioglitazone, oral tetracyclines and minoxidil. A MEDLINE search (PubMed 1994–2015) was performed to identify the cases described in the literature. The MEDLINE search terms Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Treatment were used in combination with no language restrictions. We included case reports, case series, review articles and clinical trials which specifically mentioned attempted therapeutic modalities in FFA and their respective...
Electrical bias dependent photochemical functionalization of diamond surfaces.

Diamond is an excellent substrate for many sensing and electronic applications because of its outstanding stability in biological and aqueous environments. When the diamond surface is H-terminated, it can be covalently modified with organic alkenes using wet photochemical methods that are surface-mediated and initiated by the ejection of electrons from the diamond. To develop a better understanding of the photochemical reaction mechanism, we examine the effect of applying an electrical bias to the diamond samples during the photochemical reaction. Applying a 1 V potential between two diamond electrodes significantly increases the rate of functionalization of the negative electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance measurements show that the 1 V potential induces strong downward band-bending within the diamond film of the negative electrode. At higher voltages a Faradaic current is observed, with no further acceleration of the functionalization rate. We attribute the bias-dependent changes ...
Clinical Reasoning: An 87-year-old woman with left-sided numbness.

An 87-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral vascular disease presented with acute left paresthesias. On evaluation, blood pressure was 152/77 mm Hg and heart rate 78 and regular. Physical examination had normal results. On neurologic examination, she had normal mental status, decreased sensation on the left face, and normal strength, tone, and reflexes. Cerebellar examination and gait were normal. There was reduced light touch and pinprick sensation of the left arm and leg, with no extinction. Complete blood count and comprehensive metabolic panel were within normal limits, and ECG showed normal sinus rhythm. Head CT scan was unremarkable. She was prescribed aspirin and admitted for evaluation. Symptoms lasted 48 hours. Brain MRI showed no acute infarction. Magnetic resonance angiography showed normal intracranial vessels and mild bilateral internal carotid disease. Echocardiography showed an ejection fraction of 55%–60% and no structural abnormalities, though the left atrium was not visualized. On telemetry, she had 2 self-limited episodes of asymptomatic paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. She started a low dose β-blocker.
On CPV Advertising Pricing Model based on Effective Browsing

Since CPM(Cost Per Million)pricing model is unable to identify the browsing quality of online advertisements,a new CPV(Cost Per-effective View)pricing model is proposed,based on the exposure time of advertisements.MATLAB simulation and analysis of factors that influence the advertiser's and publisher's model(CPV or CPM)preference are performed.The factors include the advertiser's browsing quality standard,web users' browsing time mean and variance of the publisher.The results show that with the same mean of browsing times,the influence of variance of browsing times on model preference is greater than that of browsing quality standard;meanwhile,with the same browsing quality standard,the influence of mean of the browsing times on model preference is greater than that of variance of browsing times.The three factors are ranked by their influence degree on model preference,as mean of the browsing times,the variance,and the browsing quality standard.
Postoperative Manipulation of the Krupin Valve

Five patients were noted to have elevated intraocular pressure following implantation of the Krupin glaucoma tube-to-plate device. In each, conjunctiva was draped flat over the plate. A muscle hook was used to manipulate conjunctiva over the tube-plate junction at the site of the valve, producing immediate increased flow through the tube, reduction of intraocular pressure, and bleb formation. In all five cases, intraocular pressure has been controlled at longest follow-up. One cause of elevated intraocular pressure following implantation of the Krupin tube-to-plate device is excessive resistance at the valve site, which can be relieved by manipulation with a muscle hook.
Innovation of aggregate angularity characterization using gradient approach based upon the traditional and modified Sobel operation

Abstract This study aims to employ the modified Sobel-Feldman operation to quantify aggregate angularity using the gradient approach, which has been used in previous studies. In detail, the modified Sobel-Feldman operation lies in expanding the conventional kernel size of the operation from 3 × 3 to 5 × 5, and up to 13 × 13 using the average gradient vectors of two neighboring pixels (2-pixel) instead of one single pixel (1-pixel) to calculate the angularity index. To achieve this goal, image processing was conducted to obtain the outlines of aggregate images. The gradient vectors of the surface pixels were obtained using the conventional and modified Sobel-Feldman operation. Then the angularity index (AI) of aggregates were calculated based on the change in gradient vectors of neighboring pixels with a rotational angle of 10°. The angularity index calculated using the conventional and modified Sobel-Feldman operations were compared. The sensitivity of the approach to image resolution was also discussed in this study. The profile images of both real aggregates and computer generated aggregate models were used for this investigation. The results show that the conventional Sobel-Feldman operation results have a higher Angularity Index than that of larger sized kernels. The AI values calculated from the 2-pixel method were more stable compared to those using the 1-pixel method. The modified Sobel-Feldman operation has lower sensitivity to image resolution than the conventional operation. Overall, the gradient approach using the 7 × 7 sized Sobel-Feldman operation with the 2-pixel method is the best way to calculate the angularity index. The findings of this study can potentially be adopted by commercial angularity index measurement apparatuses such as the aggregate imaging system (AIMS).
Review: Plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin reduces disability in the Guillain-Barré syndrome

Source Citation Hughes RA, Wijdicks EF, Barohn R, et al. Practice parameter: Immunotherapy for Guillain-Barre syndrome: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neuro...
Third-Ordered Susceptibilities of Nematic and Isotropic Solutions of a Rodlike Polymer (PBT)

The anisotropic third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ(3) of monodomain samples of nematic solutions of poly[1,4-phenylene-2,6-benzobisthiazole], PBT, a rodlike polymer, have been studied by third harmonic generation. Corresponding measurements have also been made for isotropic solutions of PBT. A substantial off-diagonal component of χ(3)(-3ω; ω, ω, ω) is measured, resulting in the generation of an elliptically polarized third harmonic signal for a fundamental linearly polarized along the director.
Abstract SY29-01: Deciphering oncogenic translation programs

New technologies provide precise measures of translation across the transcriptome. In particular, transcriptome-scale ribosome foot printing in conjunction with deep RNA sequencing developed by N. Ignolia and colleagues has shifted the focus in the field towards the output of mRNA translation. We can now measure differential mRNA translation programs and determine RNA sequence and structural features that guide translational responses to cellular and environmental cues. This has direct implications to cancer and beyond. It also extends our understanding of gene expression from transcriptional control to the regulation of protein production. We will provide examples of how these new approaches to studying mRNA translation are leading to new insight into cancer biology and therapy. Citation Format: Hans-Guido Wendel. Deciphering oncogenic translation programs. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr SY29-01.
Duplex Doppler sonography: is there clinical relevance to elevated renal vein velocity in kidney transplants?

Abstract Purpose This study aims to determine a velocity threshold in the main renal vein (MRV) of renal transplants and evaluate the cause and clinical significance of elevated velocity. Methods Maximum MRV velocity from 331 consecutive renal transplant Doppler ultrasounds in 170 patients was recorded. A priori, twice the median MRV velocity was selected as the threshold for elevation. Ultrasounds were divided into “early” and “late” periods based on time after transplantation. Charts were reviewed for outcomes associated with elevated MRV velocity. Endpoints included graft failure or death. Serum creatinine (Cr) levels among groups were compared, and temporal changes in MRV velocity were plotted. Results A ≥70 cm/s was chosen as the threshold for elevated MRV velocity. Graft failure and complication/intervention rates were higher only in the “late” group with elevated MRV velocity. There was no association between elevated MRV velocity and death, no predilection for a particular biopsy result, and no difference in Cr levels among groups. The majority of elevated velocities occurred during the immediate postoperative period and resolved without intervention. Conclusions Elevated MRV velocity in the early postoperative period is a transient phenomenon not correlating with outcome or requiring intervention. In the late period, elevated MRV velocity is associated with entities including hydronephrosis, perinephric collections, and arteriovenous fistulae.
Therapeutic Targets and Drugs I: Telomerase and Telomerase Inhibitors

Telomerase activity has been found in 85–90% of human cancers; therefore, telomerase has been proposed as a potential anticancer therapeutic target. In this chapter, we discuss the various methods to target telomerase activity and agents shown to act as specific telomerase inhibitors. First, we will introduce the hypothesis of inhibiting telomerase as a mode of cancer therapy and the original findings supporting this hypothesis. Next, the known and most actively tested targets for telomerase inhibition, including telomerase-associated proteins and telomerase's accessibility to telomeres, will be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the current status of telomerase inhibitors in the clinic.
Expanding Valuation Metrics: FVA and KVA

In their attempt to comprehensively reflect all the costs associated with derivatives, swap dealer banks have introduced the Funding Valuation Adjustment (FVA) and the Capital Value Adjustment (KVA). FVA is a measure of the funding costs associated with a derivative transaction or with a portfolio of derivatives (among them is the cost of funding collateral posting). FVA is still debated among banks, academics and accounting firms: shouldn’t the pricing of a derivative, and of any asset held, not reflect the funding spread of its owner? Isn’t the FVA another way to see the DVA? The KVA measures the transaction cost of regulatory capital requirements imposed on derivatives.
Variability in Human Cardiovascular Pharmacodynamics

An often-stated comment from researchers in aging is that the consistent hallmark of increasing age is increasing variability for measured parameters within a population. The various components of cardiovascular function in the aging human generally fit this maxim. Here an attempt will be made to characterize aspects of pharmacodynamic variability in aging and explore some of the various components of physiological variability that contribute to measurable pharmacodynamic endpoints. The approach will stress that useful cardiovascular pharmacodynamic endpoints (e. g., blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, etc.) are complex parameters derived from interacting components. Blood pressure, for example, characterized in terms of hemodynamics is a function of cardiac output, vascular compliance, and vascular resistance. Cardiac output is comprised of heart rate and contractility, while contractility may be usefully separated into systolic and diastolic components.
RSVP: Soft Error Resilient Power Savings at Near-Threshold Voltage Using Register Vulnerability

With the ever-growing scaling of computing capability, computing systems like supercomputers and embedded systems are bounded by limited power nowadays. Upon the mutually constrained nature between power efficiency and resilience, trade-offs of them have been extensively studied for achieving the optimal performance-power ratio, either under a certain power cap, or within the requirement of quality metrics of applications. Theoretically, running programs in the low-power mode of computational components (e.g., CPU/GPU) can lead to increasing on-chip failure rates in terms of register-level susceptibility to soft errors. However, experimentally, such errors may not arise due to register vulnerability - errors occur at non-vulnerable register access intervals are invalidated and thus will not propagate to later execution. In this work, leveraging register vulnerability, we investigate the validity of failure rates in computing systems at Near-Threshold Voltage (NTV), and empirically evaluate the practice of achieving optimal power savings without incurring observable number of soft errors during program runs. We propose the framework of RegiSter Vulnerability based Power efficiency (RSVP) for reliable and power efficient computing. Experimental results for a wide spectrum of applications on a power-aware simulated platform demonstrate the power saving capability of RSVP, by 11.2% on average, without incurring runtime soft errors at the optimal NTV level for power savings.
Risk Factor Analysis Between Newly Screened and Established Hepatitis C in GI and Hepatology Clinics.

Several studies show inconsistencies in the rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) detection among baby boomers (born 1945–1965). We conducted a cross-sectional HCV screening followed by a case-controlled comparison of the newly screened population with established HCV subjects. Enrollment was offered to subjects aged 40–75 at our gastroenterology and hepatology clinics. Demographic data and potential risk factors were obtained, and HCV antibody test was offered to those who had never been screened and compared with a group with established HCV. Logistic regression analysis and Fisher’s exact test were performed. Six hundred and seventy-five patients were offered participation, of whom 128 declined while 50 consented to participate but did not perform the HCV antibody test. Of 497 enrolled subjects, 252 patients had HCV, while 245 subjects (188 patients among “baby boomer”) underwent screening for HCV. There were more females (62.4 vs. 41.7%) and immigrants (34.7 vs. 22.2%) among the newly screened group. Among the screened population, five patients had HCV antibody (2.04%), and two of them had positive viral load (0.82%) of whom only one fell in the baby boomer category (0.53%). Compared to HCV group, screened group had significantly lower-risk factors, such as IV drug use (1.22 vs. 43.3%), intranasal cocaine use (14.3 vs. 49.6%), and blood transfusion (18.8 vs. 32.5%). We found a slightly lower but similar prevalence of HCV antibody when screening based on birth cohort as compared to larger baby boomer studies. Future studies evaluating addition of other screening strategies or possibly universal screening may be needed.
Chapter 17 – From Man to Mouse: The MPTP Model of Parkinson Disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is the third most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting humans. Although it is clear that the etiology of a small number of PD cases is strictly genetic (either dominant or recessive) or purely environmental factors (e.g., pesticides, drug use, viruses, heavy metal exposure), it is likely that most cases arise from a combination of the two risk factors. For this reason, the generation and study of animal models where these interactions can be studied can provide important information regarding the pathophysiology of PD. In this chapter, we examine the mechanisms underlying xenobiotic-induced Parkinsonism using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine as the model agent. We also examine other environmental agents that have been shown to induce Parkinsonism, including paraquat, lippopolysaccharide, and the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
Review of modern methods for continuous friction measurement on airfield pavements

The safety of traffic, including both road and air traffic on a ground manoeuvre area, depends on many factors. These mainly include the anti-slip properties of a road or airfield pavement on which the traffic takes place. The basic pavement parameter that determines its characteristics in terms of anti-slip properties is the skid resistance, which constitutes the ratio of the wheel downforce and the friction on the contact surface.There are currently many devices for continuous measurement of the skid resistance (Continuous Friction-Measuring Equipment - CFME) around the world. Most of them, in principle, do not vary much from one another. Most of the devices measure the measuring wheel's downforce on the pavement and the friction on the wheel-pavement contact surface. The skid resistance is the result of this measurement. The devices vary in many aspects, such as the type and size of the used measuring tyre, pavement-wheel slip or tyre pressure. This does not mean that the results obtained from various devices mbe directly compared. On the other hand, each device allows determining the pavement's anti-slip conditions in terms of the requirements specified for the given type of devices, thereby enabling pavement classification in these terms. The classification allows for comparing the results obtained from various measuring devices.The paper presents an overview of equipment used in Poland and around the world to measure the skid resistance on airfield pavements. The authors draw attention to the requirements for pavements in terms of their roughness, with division into road and airfield pavements.
Behaviorism, latent learning, and cognitive maps: Needed revisions in introductory psychology textbooks

This paper critically assesses the scholarship in introductory psychology textbooks in relation to the topic of latent learning. A review of the treatment of latent learning in 48 introductory psychology textbooks published between 1948 and 2004, with 21 of these texts published since 1999, reveals that the scholarship on the topic of latent learning demonstrated in introductory textbooks warrants improvement. Errors that persist in textbooks include the assertion that the latent learning experiments demonstrate unequivocally that reinforcement was not necessary for learning to occur, that behavioral theories could not account for the results of the latent learning experiments, that B. F. Skinner was an S-R association behaviorist who argued that reinforcement is necessary for learning to occur, and that because behavioral theories (including that of B. F. Skinner) were unable explain the results of the latent learning experiments the cognitive map invoked by Edward Tolman is the only explanation for latent learning. Finally, the validity of the cognitive map is typically accepted without question. Implications of the presence of these errors for students and the discipline are considered. Lastly, remedies are offered to improve the scholarship found in introductory psychology textbooks.
Surgical results for mitral regurgitation from coronary artery disease.

Results of coronary artery bypass grafting with and without mitral valve replacement were analyzed retrospectively in 101 patients with preoperative ischemic mitral regurgitation to determine the effects of severity and surgical treatment of mitral regurgitation on survival. Between 1980 and 1984, a total of 1,475 patients (mean age 59, 77% male) underwent coronary bypass. These patients were divided into three groups: (1) patients without ischemic mitral regurgitation who underwent isolated coronary bypass (1,374; 93%), (2) patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation who underwent isolated coronary bypass without valve replacement (85; 6%), and (3) patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation who underwent combined mitral valve replacement and coronary bypass (16; 1%). Preoperatively, patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation compared to those without regurgitation were significantly older (+6 years, p
A new ignition time model applied to super knock

Abstract An ignition time model is developed to model super knock in a compression engine. The model assumes that thermoacoustic interaction is the primary mechanism for the onset of super knock. By ignoring diffusive effects, a simple transport equation for the time to ignition of a fluid particle is derived. The significantly reduced cost of the chemistry model allows for complex hydrocarbon fuels to be simulated. Additionally, a zonal model for the secondary ignition of a charge due to the action of an expanding flame is developed. The flame compresses the unburned gas, causing the temperature and pressure to rise, which yields a pre-ignition in the unburned gas before the charge is engulfed by the flame. It is shown that the ignition time model compares well to the detailed chemical model with less than 1% difference in the prediction of ignition delay. Using this ignition time model, a multi-dimensional simulation of super knock in a rapid compression machine corresponding to the configuration of Wang et al. [1] is performed. It is found that interaction of the shock with the flame and the side wall of the cylinder significantly enhances the strength of the shock, and the in-cylinder pressure exceeds 300 bar. From the pressure rise predicted by the simulation, it is concluded that simulated ignition is a super knock event. Since the ignition time model excludes diffusive effects on the chemistry, it is proposed that acoustic resonance of the cylinder is the primary driver in the development of super knock for the configuration under examination and that inhomogeneous ignition due to transient flame compression could be a key mechanism for super knock.