cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resources for Applying Evidence-Based Medicine in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Evidence-based medicine is an approach to practicing medicine in which the clinician is aware of the evidence in support of her practice and the strength of that evidence. It requires daily application of systematic methods for finding, appraising, and incorporating the best available evidence in the care of individual patients. The evidence-based medicine approach compliments and enhances clinician expertise. It helps clinicians put the burgeoning medical literature into perspective. This article outlines the rationale of evidence-based medicine and lists resources for learning this approach and for finding repositories of evidence applicable to the critically ill pediatric population. We address the unique challenges posed by the smaller populations typically evaluated in pediatric critical care and practical constraints of incorporating evidence-based medicine into the fast-paced practice of critical care.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Secretion by Turkey Hypothalamic Explants

The objective of this study was to culture turkey hypothalami and examine vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) release during the turkey reproductive cycle. The release of VIP was studied employing a computer-guided perifusion system. Hypothalami were perifused with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium for 10 or 15 h at a flow rate of 40 microliter/min, and perifusate was collected at 5-min intervals. Basal VIP secretion increased (p 0.05) in VIP release in response to DA stimulation between hypothalamic fragments obtained from nonphotostimulated and incubating birds. The data suggest that 1) a VIP pulse generator appears to be located within the turkey hypothalamus, on the basis of the observed pulsatile release of VIP; 2) hypothalamic secretion of VIP is augmented by removal of inhibitory factors residing outside of the hypothalamus, or by the loss of negative feedback mechanisms that inhibit VIP release; and 3) mechanisms responsible for altering VIP release during different reproductive conditions may lie external to the hypothalamus.
Optimal parallel algorithms for cut vertices, bridges, and Hamiltonian path in bounded interval tolerance graphs

We present parallel algorithms to find cut vertices, bridges, and Hamiltonian Path in bounded interval tolerance graphs. For a graph with n vertices, the algorithms require O(log n) time and use O(n) processors to run on Concurrent Read Exclusive Write Parallel RAM (CREW PRAM) model of computation. Our approach transforms the original graph problem to a problem in computational geometry. The total work done by the parallel algorithms is comparable to the work done by the best known sequential algorithms for the more restricted class of graphs, namely, interval graphs and permutation graphs. In this sense our algorithms have optimal complexity.
Analog fault diagnosis of actual circuits using neural networks

We have developed a neural-network based analog fault diagnostic system for actual circuits. Our system uses a data acquisition board to excite a circuit with an impulse and sample its output to collect training data for the neural network. The collected data is preprocessed by wavelet decomposition, normalization, and principal component analysis (PCA) to generate optimal features for training the neural network. This ensures a simple architecture for the neural network and minimizes the size of the training set required for its proper training. Our studies indicate that features extracted from actual circuits lie closer to each other and exhibit more overlap across fault classes compared to SPICE simulations. This implies that the neural network architecture which can most reliably perform fault diagnosis of actual circuits is one whose outputs estimate the probabilities that input features belong to different fault classes. Our work also shows that SPICE simulations can be used to select appropriate features for training the neural network. Reliable diagnosis of faults in an actual circuit, however, requires training data from the circuit itself. Our fault diagnostic system, trained and tested using data obtained from real sample circuits, achieves 95% accuracy in classifying faulty components.
Sea-of-leads MEMS I/O interconnects for low-k IC packaging

Technology feasibility of MEMS-type chip I/O interconnects (namely Sea-of-Leads or SoL) is demonstrated. Acting like a spring, a MEMS lead can provide high mechanical compliance to compensate for mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between a Si chip and a composite substrate. The compliant interconnects can provide low-stress connection between a chip and a PWB substrate, and, therefore, are promising to enable wafer-level packaging of IC chips with mechanically weak low-k interlayer dielectrics (ILD). The compliant interconnection also eliminates the need for an expensive underfilling process, which is one of the key challenges for scaling of conventional controlled collapse chip connection (C4) solder bumps in organic flip-chip packages. For the first time, SoL MEMS interconnects were investigated through the whole procedure of process integration, assembly, as well as reliability assessment. Without underfill, the SoL MEMS interconnects survived more than 500 thermal cycles indicating a promising improvement over a regular C4 solder joint. Failure analysis suggests that the MEMS leads do not fracture while failure occurs close to solder-Cu pad interface due to a nonreliable joining. Full reliability potential of the SoL MEMS interconnects may be demonstrated upon optimization of PWB metallurgy, soldermask design and lead compliance.
A high capacity watermarking technique for stereo audio

A novel audio watermarking technique is introduced, which is based on the processing of the difference phase spectrum of stereo audio. Psychoacoustical principles of binaural hearing are employed to compute a frequency-dependent threshold of the interaural phase difference, which is used to determine locations suitable for watermark insertion. Spread spectrum is used to mark watermark locations and to provide channel synchronization. Listening tests have indicated that using this method to insert watermarks in stereo audio results in a signal that is indistinguishable from the original audio. This technique is computationally efficient and it provides payload of up to 20 kb/s making it suitable for audio information enhancement. Its fragility necessitates a friendly environment, such as in authentication applications.
A Comprehensive Search for Calcium Binding Sites Critical for TMEM16A Calcium-Activated Chloride Channel Activity

Every cell in the body is surrounded by a barrier called the cell membrane. There are, however, a number of ways that molecules can pass through this membrane to either enter or leave the cell. Calcium-activated channels are a group of proteins that are embedded within the cell membrane and that allow different ions to pass through the membrane. These proteins are involved in a number of processes in a variety of tissues, for example in the gut, lungs and nervous system. A family of proteins called TMEM16 includes a number of calcium-activated channels that have been recently identified. However, it is not clear how these TMEM16 channel proteins detect the calcium ions that cause them to open. Two ideas have been suggested: the calcium ions might be detected by a protein called calmodulin, which then forces the channel to open; alternatively, the calcium ions might be detected by the channel protein itself. Tien, Peters et al. have now tested both of these ideas by focusing on a calcium-activated channel protein called TMEM16A, which allows chloride ions to pass through membranes. The possible role of calmodulin was tested in several ways, such as by preventing it from binding to the TMEM16A protein or from binding to calcium. However, none of these changes affected the opening of the channel; so Tien, Peters et al. concluded that calmodulin is not involved in these channels being activated by calcium ions. Next, Tien, Peters et al. tested specific parts of the TMEM16A channel protein itself to see if they were involved in calcium detection instead. Proteins are made from smaller building blocks called amino acids, and it is known that some amino acids are more likely to bind to calcium ions than others. There are 38 of these amino acids in the TMEM16A channel that are also found in other members of the TMEM16 family in both fruit flies and mammals. Tien, Peters et al. found that replacing five of these with other amino acids made the channel less sensitive to calcium. Further experiments suggested that four of these five amino acids are clustered at the site where a calcium ion might bind to the TMEM16A channel protein, which suggests that the protein itself can detect calcium directly. The next challenge will be to understand how calcium ions binding to the site on the TMEM16A channel protein can cause the channel to open to allow the chloride ions to pass through.
Patient characteristics, practice activities, and one-month outcomes for chronic, recurrent low-back pain treated by chiropractors and family medicine physicians: a practice-based feasibility study.

Abstract Background: Chronic low-back pain is a significant public health problem for which few therapies are supported by predictable outcomes. In this report, practice activities and 1-month outcomes data are presented for 93 chiropractic patients and 45 medical patients with chronic, recurrent low-back pain. Design: A prospective, observational, community-based feasibility study involving chiropractors and family medicine physicians. Setting: Forty private chiropractic clinics, the outpatient clinic of the Department of Family Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University, and 5 other Portland area family medicine clinics. Outcomes Measures: The main outcome measures were pain severity, functional disability, sensory and affective pain quality at 1 month, and patient satisfaction assessed at 7 to 10 days and at 1 month. Results: Although differences were noted in age, sex, education, and employment, the patients were closely matched at baseline with respect to frequency, severity, and type of low-back pain and the psychosocial dimensions of general health. The treatment of choice for chiropractors was spinal manipulation and physical therapy modalities; for medical physicians antiinflammatory agents were most frequently used. Chiropractic patients averaged 4 visits, and medical patients averaged 1 visit. On average, chiropractic patients showed improvement across all outcomes: 31% change in pain severity, 29% in functional disability, 36% in sensory pain quality, and 57% in affective pain quality. Medical patients showed minimal improvement in pain severity (6%) and functional disability (1%) and showed deterioration in the sensory (29%) and affective (26%) dimensions of pain quality. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. Outcomes for medical patients were heavily dependent on psychosocial status at baseline. Conclusion: Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors show greater improvement and satisfaction at 1 month than patients treated by family physicians. Nonclinical factors may play an important role in patient progress. Findings from the Health Resources and Services Administration-funded project will include a report on the influence of practice activities, including more frequent visits by chiropractic patients, on the clinical course of low-back pain and patient outcomes. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000;23:239–45).
Shifting the carbon balance

Christopher S. Potter (BioScience 49: 769-778) addresses an issue of funda­ mental importance for the future of our planet. The global distribution of plant biomass, and the net primary production (NPP) that produces the biomass, has implications not only for the global carbon cycle, deforestation, and the "greenhouse effect" but also for environmental sustainability, biodiver­ sity, and the health and wealth of human society. We are concerned that the comput­ er- and satellite-based estimates in Table 2 of Potter's article are signifi­ cantly larger than estimates derived from ground-based measurements (Olson et al. 1983) for total terrestrial carbon, and for the biomass and NPP of tropical forests in particular. Potter's estimates for total carbon are actually greater than the 15% difference with Olson et al.'s number for total carbon indicates, because Olson's numbers include carbon in both above- and belowground biomass, whereas Pot­ ter's numbers include carbon in above­ ground biomass only. Potter's numbers, if correct, sub­ stantially alter the estimated global dis­ tribution of both biomass and plant productivity, producing a dramatic shift in plant resources from the devel­ oped countries of the temperate lati­ tudes to the less-developed countries of the tropics. Potter's estimate (in his Table 2) of 61 % of global plant carbon in the two major tropical ecosystems (broadleaf evergreen forest and wood­ ed grassland and shrubland) represents a nearly 50% increase from Olson et al.'s (1983) estimate of 42.8% of the global total in these ecosystems, with a concomitant decrease in temperate zone biomass~ There is an equivalent latitudinal shift in Potter's estimated distribution of NPP carbon. This shift has profound implications for our understanding of global-scale ecological patterns, as well as for the distribu­ tion of natural resources, wealth, and political responsibilities among nations. Unfortunately, it is currently impos­ sible to determine which set of esti­ mates is most accurate. The global dis­ tribution and quality of measurements of the biomass and productivity of the earth's ecosystems is woefully inade­ quate for to day's scientific and political needs. Most of the existing ground­ based data were collected 30 years ago during the International Biological Program, and current global carbon models are being compared against compilations of these old data (e.g., www-eosdis.ornl.gov/NPP/npp_ home.html) because there has been no systematic program to collect addi­ tional data since then. If we are to make rational decisions about protect­ ing and managing our biosphere, we must make a greater investment in actually measuring the properties of the plants and animals distributed over the surface of the earth.
Concomitant subclavian and coronary artery disease

Abstract Background . Proximal subclavian artery occlusive disease in the presence of a patent internal mammary artery used as a conduit for a coronary artery bypass graft procedure may cause reversal of internal mammary artery flow (coronary-subclavian steal) and produce myocardial ischemia. Methods . We reviewed outcome to determine whether subclavian artery revascularization can provide effective protection from and treatment for coronary-subclavian steal. Between 1985 and 1997, 20 patients had either concomitant subclavian and coronary artery disease diagnosed before operation (group 1, 5 patients) or symptomatic coronary-subclavian steal occurring after a previous coronary artery bypass graft procedure (group 2, 15 patients). Patients in group 1 received direct subclavian artery bypass and a simultaneous coronary artery bypass graft procedure in which the ipsilateral internal mammary artery was used for at least one of the bypass conduits. Patients in group 2 received either extrathoracic subclavian-carotid bypass (5 patients, 33.3%) or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (10 patients, 66.7%) as treatment for symptomatic coronary-subclavian steal. Results . All patients were symptom-free after intervention. One patient treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting died of progressive renal failure. Follow-up totaled 58.5 patient-years (mean, 3.1 years/patient). In group 1, primary patency was 100% (mean follow-up, 3.7 years). In group 2, one late recurrence was treated by operative revision, yielding a secondary patency rate of 100% (mean follow-up, 2.9 years). Conclusions . Subclavian artery revascularization can provide effective protection from and treatment for coronary-subclavian steal with acceptably low operative risk. Midterm follow-up demonstrates good patency.
Recurrent superantigen exposure in vivo leads to highly suppressive CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25- T cells with anergic and suppressive genetic signatures

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) activates T cells via non-canonical signalling through the T cell receptor and is an established model for T cell unresponsiveness in vivo. In this study, we sought to characterize the suppressive qualities of SEB-exposed CD4+ T cells and correlate this with genetic signatures of anergy and suppression. SEB-exposed CD25+ and CD25−Vβ8+CD4+ T cells expressed forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) at levels comparable to naive CD25+ T regulatory cells and were enriched after exposure in vivo. Gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (GRAIL), an anergy-related E3 ubiquitin ligase, was up-regulated in the SEB-exposed CD25+ and CD25−FoxP3+Vβ8+CD4+ T cells and FoxP3−CD25−Vβ8+CD4+ T cells, suggesting that GRAIL may be important for dominant and recessive tolerance. The SEB-exposed FoxP3+GRAIL+ T cells were highly suppressive and non-proliferative independent of CD25 expression level and via a glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor R-related protein-independent mechanism, whereas naive T regulatory cells were non-suppressive and partially proliferative with SEB activation in vitro. Lastly, adoptive transfer of conventional T cells revealed that induction of FoxP3+ regulatory cells is not operational in this model system. These data provide a novel paradigm for chronic non-canonical T cell receptor engagement leading to highly suppressive FoxP3+GRAIL+CD4+ T cells.
Building critiquing expert systems in Prolog

Critiquing systems differ from classical expert systems in that they produce prose critiques that address a problem situation rather than specific solutions to problems. The generation of prose necessitates additional data structures, the prosenet and the expressive frame, for representation of textural knowledge. These structures encode information for conditional text generation and are conveniently translated into Prolog. The translation of prosenets and expressive frames is described, along with a language and shell for developing critiquing expert systems in Prolog. >
The design of whole-program analysis tools

Building efficient tools for understanding large software systems is difficult. Many existing program understanding tools build control flow and data flow representations of the program a priori, and therefore may require prohibitive space and time when analyzing large systems. Since much of these representations may be unused during an analysis, we construct representations on demand, not in advance. Furthermore, some representations, such as the abstract syntax tree, may be used infrequently during an analysis. We discard these representations and recompute them as needed, reducing the overall space required. Finally, we permit the user to selectively trade off time for precision and to customize the termination of these costly analyses in order to provide finer user control. We revised the traditional software architecture for compilers to provide these features without unnecessarily complicating the analyses themselves. These techniques have been successfully applied in the design of a program slicer for the Comprehensive Health Care System (CHCS), a million line hospital management system written in the MUMPS programming language.
The Presumption of Punishment

The presumption of innocence undergirds the American criminal justice system. It is so fundamental that it is derived from the concepts of due process and the importance of a fair trial. An informed historical understanding of the interaction between the presumption of innocence and key tenets of due process can help clarify the meaning and application of the presumption of innocence in the modern day. Due Process, as developed throughout English and U.S. Colonial history leading up to the formation of the U.S. Constitution, has two important implications. First, due process provides a general guarantee of liberty against punishment or imprisonment without a fair trial. Second, due process requires that a jury, as opposed to a judge, determine the factual guilt of a defendant at trial. These two key tenets were historically fundamental to due process and should guide how the presumption of innocence impacts various stages of trial, including pretrial detention decisions and sentencing. Returning to a historical understanding of due process requires that judges not determine facts or punish individuals before a trial has occurred.
Inexpensive radiation protective glasses

Using the services of a local optical supply house, fabrication and testing of eyeglasses of a high lead content that could be used to protect the eye from the hazards of radiation were evaluated. Two separate types of eyeglasses were manufactured (a prototype followed by a second pair), and these were tested against a commercially available pair of radiation protective glasses. The protection offered by the locally manufactured pair of glasses exceeded the commercial pair and the cost savings are significant.
Stiffening of Individual Fibrin Fibers Equitably Distributes Strain and Strengthens Networks

As the structural backbone of blood clots, fibrin networks carry out the mechanical task of stemming blood flow at sites of vascular injury. These networks exhibit a rich set of remarkable mechanical properties, but a detailed picture relating the microscopic mechanics of the individual fibers to the overall network properties has not been fully developed. In particular, how the high strain and failure characteristics of single fibers affect the overall strength of the network is not known. Using a combined fluorescence/atomic force microscope nanomanipulation system, we stretched 2-D fibrin networks to the point of failure, while recording the strain of individual fibers. Our results were compared to a pair of model networks: one composed of linearly responding elements and a second of nonlinear, strain-stiffening elements. We find that strain-stiffening of the individual fibers is necessary to explain the pattern of strain propagation throughout the network that we observe in our experiments. Fiber strain-stiffening acts to distribute strain more equitably within the network, reduce strain maxima, and increase network strength. Along with its physiological implications, a detailed understanding of this strengthening mechanism may lead to new design strategies for engineered polymeric materials.
Retinal detachment in eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for removal of retained lens fragments

Abstract Purpose To investigate the incidence and outcomes of retinal detachment (RD) associated with retained lens fragments removed by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Design Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional consecutive case series. Participants All patients who underwent PPV for retained lens material after cataract surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2001. Methods Demographic and clinical data were extracted from patients' medical records. Main outcome measures Incidence of retinal detachment, reattachment rate, and visual acuity outcome. Results RD occurred in 44 of 343 (12.8%) patients, including 25 (7.3%) before or during PPV and 19 (5.5%) after PPV. The RD was macula-on in 22 of 44 (50%) patients and macula-off in 22 of 44 (50%) patients. The RD was associated with a giant retinal tear in 7 of 44 (15.9%) patients, limited suprachoroidal hemorrhage in 3 of 44 (6.8%) patients, and endophthalmitis in 4 of 44 (9.1%) patients. Retinal reattachment was achieved in 40 of 44 (90.9%) patients; 14 of 44 (31.8%) patients underwent one or more additional procedures for recurrent detachment. Final visual acuity in the patients in this series was ≥20/40 in 8 of 44 (18%), 20/50 to 20/100 in 13 of 44 (30%), 20/200 to 5/200 in 13 of 44 (30%), and Conclusions RD is a frequent complication in eyes undergoing PPV for removal of retained lens fragments. Despite favorable retinal reattachment rates, visual acuity outcomes are often poor in these eyes and are associated with other comorbidities such as corneal edema and cystoid macular edema. Poor initial visual acuity and the presence of a retinal tear at the time of PPV were associated with a higher rate of RD after PPV.
Automatic formal verification of MPI-based parallel programs

The Toolkit for Accurate Scientific Software (TASS) is a suite of tools for the formal verification of MPI-based parallel programs used in computational science. TASS can verify various safety properties as well as compare two programs for functional equivalence. The TASS front end takes an integer n ≥ 1 and a C/MPI program, and constructs an abstract model of the program with n processes. Procedures, structs, (multi-dimensional) arrays, heap-allocated data, pointers, and pointer arithmetic are all representable in a TASS model. The model is then explored using symbolic execution and explicit state space enumeration. A number of techniques are used to reduce the time and memory consumed. A variety of realistic MPI programs have been verified with TASS, including Jacobi iteration and manager-worker type programs, and some subtle defects have been discovered. TASS is written in Java and is available from http://vsl.cis.udel.edu/tass under the Gnu Public License.
Neoadjuvant androgen ablation in localized carcinoma of the prostate.

Background: An increased awareness of prostate cancer has led to a rise in the detection of this disease at a clinically localized stage at presentation. This article discusses the role of neoadjuvant hormonal ablation at this earlier stage to decrease tumor bulk and thus enhance survival. Method: Outcomes from each primary modality for localized treatment of prostate cancer with and without neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (NAAD) are reviewed. Results: Survival benefit using NAAD has not yet been demonstrated from prostatectomy. Long-term hormonal deprivation provides an improved time to progression and has decreased distant metastatic and biochemical failure for poor-risk patients undergoing external-beam radiation. The toxicities of brachytherapy can be decreased with NAAD. Conclusions: NAAD with radical prostatectomy is considered to be investigational. The duration of NAAD needs to be delineated for poor-prognosis patients who are treated with external-beam radiation therapy, but the approach improves the local toxicity of brachytherapy.
The Majority-Party Disadvantage: Revising Theories of Legislative Organization

Dominant theories of legislative organization in the U.S. rest on the notion that the majority party arranges legislative matters to maximize its electoral fortunes. Yet, as we demonstrate in this paper, there is little or no short-term electoral advantage for the majority party in U.S. state legislatures, and there is a pronounced downstream majority-party disadvantage. To establish these ndings, we propose a technique for aggregating the results of close elections to obtain \as-if" random variation in majority-party status, allowing us to overcome the central empirical obstacle of selection bias that typically prevents scholars from studying eects of majority-party control. We argue that the results from this approach are consistent with a phenomenon of inter-temporal balancing, which we link to other forms of partisan balancing in U.S. elections. The paper thus necessitates revisions to our theories of legislative organization, oers new arguments for balancing theories, and lays out an empirical technique for studying the eects
Genotypic interactions limit growth and stimulate flowering in a salt marsh foundation plant species

Abstract Ecologists have a growing appreciation for the influence of intraspecific, or genotypic, diversity on ecosystem functioning in species depauperate systems such as salt marshes, with intraspecific interactions serving as one potential driver of such diversity. We examined the role of intraspecific interactions, both competitive and facilitative, in structuring populations of Spartina alterniflora , a foundational salt marsh plant known to influence community structure and function throughout its native distribution in eastern North America. We conducted a transplantation experiment at a created site in southwestern Louisiana, USA, by growing five S. alterniflora genotypes, or clones, for two years in all possible combinations, and monitored their interactions using morphological measurements and molecular marker genotyping. Using stem densities as a proxy for above-ground biomass, we found support for our hypothesis that interactions have a mutually limiting effect on growth, although we were unable to find statistical support for competitive asymmetries between specific clone pairs, which would have explained earlier observations of declining genotypic diversity in aging marshes. Using proportions of stems flowering as a proxy for reproductive effort, we also found support for our hypothesis that interactions can have a stimulatory effect on flowering, which could promote genotypic diversity through the recruitment of outcrossed seedlings in a species known for severe inbreeding depression. Reproductive interactions were at times mutually inhibitory or stimulatory, as evidenced by positive correlations of flowering responses between clones. To our knowledge, ours is one of the first studies to evaluate the outcome of one-on-one interactions among genotypes of a foundational clonal plant.
Elucidating the Role of Injury-Induced Electric Fields (EFs) in Regulating the Astrocytic Response to Injury in the Mammalian Central Nervous System.

Injury to the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) induces astrocytes to change their morphology, to increase their rate of proliferation, and to display directional migration to the injury site, all to facilitate repair. These astrocytic responses to injury occur in a clear temporal sequence and, by their intensity and duration, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on the repair of damaged CNS tissue. Studies on highly regenerative tissues in non-mammalian vertebrates have demonstrated that the intensity of direct-current extracellular electric fields (EFs) at the injury site, which are 50–100 fold greater than in uninjured tissue, represent a potent signal to drive tissue repair. In contrast, a 10-fold EF increase has been measured in many injured mammalian tissues where limited regeneration occurs. As the astrocytic response to CNS injury is crucial to the reparative outcome, we exposed purified rat cortical astrocytes to EF intensities associated with intact and injured mammalian tissues, as well as to those EF intensities measured in regenerating non-mammalian vertebrate tissues, to determine whether EFs may contribute to the astrocytic injury response. Astrocytes exposed to EF intensities associated with uninjured tissue showed little change in their cellular behavior. However, astrocytes exposed to EF intensities associated with injured tissue showed a dramatic increase in migration and proliferation. At EF intensities associated with regenerating non-mammalian vertebrate tissues, these cellular responses were even more robust and included morphological changes consistent with a regenerative phenotype. These findings suggest that endogenous EFs may be a crucial signal for regulating the astrocytic response to injury and that their manipulation may be a novel target for facilitating CNS repair.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Enrollees Report Less Positive Experiences Than Their Medicare Advantage Counterparts.

Since 2006, Medicare beneficiaries have been able to obtain prescription drug coverage through standalone prescription drug plans or their Medicare Advantage (MA) health plan, options exercised in 2015 by 72 percent of beneficiaries. Using data from community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries older than age sixty-four in 700 plans surveyed from 2007 to 2014, we compared beneficiaries’ assessments of Medicare prescription drug coverage when provided by standalone plans or integrated into an MA plan. Beneficiaries in standalone plans consistently reported less positive experiences with prescription drug plans (ease of getting medications, getting coverage information, and getting cost information) than their MA counterparts. Because MA plans are responsible for overall health care costs, they might have more integrated systems and greater incentives than standalone prescription drug plans to provide enrollees medications and information effectively, including, since 2010, quality bonus payments to these MA pl...
A Reformulation of the Cost Plus Net Value Change (C+NVC) Model of Wildfire Economics

The Cost plus Net Value Change (C+NVC) model provides the theoretical foundation for wildland fire economics and provides the basis for the National Fire Management Analysis System (NFMAS). The C+NVC model is based on the earlier least Cost plus Loss model (LC+L) expressed by Sparhawk (1925). Mathematical and graphical analysis of the LC+L model illustrates two errors in model formulation. First, suppression is incorrectly modeled as a model output. Second, suppression and primary protection are incorrectly modeled as negatively correlated. These errors are shown to be perpetuated by the contemporary C+NVC model and to have serious implications for the model's capacity to correctly identify the most efficient level of fire management expenditure. A corrected graphical representation of the C+NVC model is presented, which allows the most efficient level of fire management expenditure to be correctly identified. For. Sci. 49(2):318- 323.
Calculation of the Nutrient Requirements for Broilers

Abstract THE formulation of high energy diets which are capable of increasingly-improved feed conversions makes it imperative that all nutrients be present at such a level that they do not limit the potential growth rate of the chick. The problem of expressing the nutrient requirements to ensure adequate levels in the diet is well recognized by nutritionists. However, expressing the nutrient requirements as a percent of the diet is very inadequate, particularly when comparing diets which contain different levels of energy and protein. The following procedure couples the level of dietary nutrients with the feed conversion potential of the diet. The procedure for calculating the nutrients required in broiler rations which differ in energy and protein content was recently discussed by the authors in a feed trade magazine (Edwards and Young, 1957). The authors have since collected additional data and propose that the method can be used to advantage in both …
Health of the American Indian: congenital defects.

(1968). Health of the American Indian: Congenital defects. Eugenics Quarterly: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 227-234.
Abstract ADV12: Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center's Oncology Program.

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona is the flagship medical center within Banner Health with over 650 beds. Our medical center has been consistently ranked as one of America9s "Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report. Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center9s mission statement: We exist to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve through excellent patient care. Banner Good Samaritan9s cancer program offer9s state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient services, advanced detection and treatments along with a wide range of support services for all types of cancer including breast cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancers, leukemia and colorectal/pancreas/liver cancers. Citation Format: Bonita Jones. Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center9s Oncology Program. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr ADV12. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-ADV12
Effects of adenophostin-A and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate on Cl- currents in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Adenophostin-A, a novel compound isolated from cultures ofPenicillium brevicompactum, has been shown to stimulate Ca2+ release from inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ stores in microsomal preparations, permeabilized cells, and lipid vesicles containing purified IP3 receptor. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of adenophostin-A and IP3 on Ca2+ release from stores and Ca2+ influx in intact Xenopus laevis oocytes. Ca2+ influx though store-operated Ca2+ channels and Ca2+release from stores were monitored by measuring two Ca2+-activated Cl− currents that can be used as real-time indicators of Ca2+ release and Ca2+ influx (ICl-1 and ICl-2, respectively). We find that high concentrations (final intraoocyte concentrations of 5–10 μm) of adenophostin-A and IP3 stimulate a large Ca2+ release from stores (as measured by ICl-1) followed by Ca2+ influx (as measured by ICl-2). Low concentrations (∼50 nm) of IP3 stimulate oscillations in Ca2+ release without stimulating Ca2+ influx. In contrast, low concentrations of adenophostin-A can stimulate Ca2+ influx without stimulating a large Ca2+ release. However, Ca2+ influx did not occur in the complete absence of Ca2+ release. Therefore, it is unlikely that adenophostin-A directly stimulates store-operated Ca2+ channels. We hypothesize that adenophostin-A releases Ca2+ from a subpopulation of stores that is tightly coupled to store-operated Ca2+ channels.
Ontology and Abduction in Badiou’s Being and Event

In this chapter, we look at the problem of abductive inference as refracted through a mathematical context quite different from the topological areas and cuts of Peirce’s graphs as analyzed in the previous chapter. Rather than the relational nestings of areas within graphs and the categorical structures induced in a holistic way through the relations holding among the graphs conceived as a deductive system, we will examine the model of abduction that emerges from Alain Badiou’s provocative conflating of philosophical ontology and Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory in Being and Event.
A Sugar-Derived Room-Temperature Sodium Sulfur Battery with Long Term Cycling Stability

We demonstrate a room-temperature sodium sulfur battery based on a confining microporous carbon template derived from sucrose that delivers a reversible capacity over 700 mAh/gS at 0.1C rates, maintaining 370 mAh/gS at 10 times higher rates of 1C. Cycling at 1C rates reveals retention of over 300 mAh/gS capacity across 1500 cycles with Coulombic efficiency >98% due to microporous sulfur confinement and stability of the sodium metal anode in a glyme-based electrolyte. We show sucrose to be an ideal platform to develop microporous carbon capable of mitigating electrode–electrolyte reactivity and loss of soluble intermediate discharge products. In a manner parallel to the low-cost materials of the traditional sodium beta battery, our work demonstrates the combination of table sugar, sulfur, and sodium, all of which are cheap and earth abundant, for a high-performance stable room-temperature sodium sulfur battery.
Jews, Christians, and the endtime in early modern Germany

This paper examines some of the ways in which early modern German literary culture portrayed Jewish visions of the endtime. Christians employed notions of Jewish deceit to undermine the meaning of Jewish messianism, reshaping the signs of the endtime to carry a far more sinister meaning. Christian writers transformed Jewish messianic claimants into predictable precursors of the Antichrist and mocked Jewish beliefs as the delusions of a nation of deceived deceivers. Notions of Jewish deceitfulness complicated Christian expectations concerning Jewish conversion at the end of time. The Christian perception of Jews as inherently deceitful encompassed all components of the early modern views of Jews and the Jewish religion. Early modern German literary works devoted to the theme of vain Jewish messianic expectations combined with the literature of the Antichrist, turning the demonic Antichrist who would appear at the endtime into the person the Jews expected as their messiah. Failed Jewish messianic movements played right into Christian literary and theological discourse on the Jewish endtime and provided historical confirmation for what would have otherwise seemed like an absurd polemical exaggeration.
Technical Efficiency and Its Determinant Factors of Dairy Farms under Membership of Different Scales of Cooperative in Bogor District, West Java

The purpose of this study was to measure the technical efficiency and its determinant factors of dairy farms in the District of Bogor, West Java, under two difference scales of cooperative membership. A total of 80 dairy farmers was selected by purposive random sampling. These farmers were categorized into two groups consist of 40 dairy farmers each, which represented membership of two different scales of cooperative, i.e. KPS Bogor (large-scale/Group I) and KUD Giri Tani (small-scale/Group II). Data related to dairy farms during a year was collected by direct interviews using questionnaires. The Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier analysis using the single-stage estimation procedure was employed. The study revealed that the technical efficiency of dairy farms in both groups of farmers lies below the potential level of technical efficiency. Around 75% of surveyed farmers in Group I attained technical efficiency of 81-90% category, while this in Group II was only 25% of sampled farmers. Thus, Group I and II had a median TE of 93.8 and 66.7%, respectively. The result indicates that the output per farm still can be increased with existing technology without incurring any additional production costs. Three statistically significant factors associated with variation in milk production were lactating cow, labor, and capital which had a positive impact on production efficiency. Among the inefficiency factors, the coefficients of education, and forage feed land had negative signs and significant irrespective of the groups of farmers. The other variables had mixed effects on the efficiency of dairy farms in each group.
Calibration and analysis of a multimodal micro-CT and structured light imaging system for the evaluation of excised breast tissue

A multimodal micro-computed tomography (CT) and multi-spectral structured light imaging (SLI) system is introduced and systematically analyzed to test its feasibility to aid in margin delineation during breast conserving surgery (BCS). Phantom analysis of the micro-CT yielded a signal-to-noise ratio of 34, a contrast of 1.64, and a minimum detectable resolution of 240 μm for a 1.2 min scan. The SLI system, spanning wavelengths 490 nm to 800 nm and spatial frequencies up to 1.37 [Formula: see text], was evaluated with aqueous tissue simulating phantoms having variations in particle size distribution, scatter density, and blood volume fraction. The reduced scattering coefficient, [Formula: see text] and phase function parameter, γ, were accurately recovered over all wavelengths independent of blood volume fractions from 0% to 4%, assuming a flat sample geometry perpendicular to the imaging plane. The resolution of the optical system was tested with a step phantom, from which the modulation transfer function was calculated yielding a maximum resolution of 3.78 cycles per mm. The three dimensional spatial co-registration between the CT and optical imaging space was tested and shown to be accurate within 0.7 mm. A freshly resected breast specimen, with lobular carcinoma, fibrocystic disease, and adipose, was imaged with the system. The micro-CT provided visualization of the tumor mass and its spiculations, and SLI yielded superficial quantification of light scattering parameters for the malignant and benign tissue types. These results appear to be the first demonstration of SLI combined with standard medical tomography for imaging excised tumor specimens. While further investigations are needed to determine and test the spectral, spatial, and CT features required to classify tissue, this study demonstrates the ability of multimodal CT/SLI to quantify, visualize, and spatially navigate breast tumor specimens, which could potentially aid in the assessment of tumor margin status during BCS.
Open Ankle Arthrodesis

Arthritis of the ankle can be disabling, often causing substantial impairment and disability. Prior trauma is the most common cause of ankle arthritis. Ankle arthritis may entail early degenerative changes or more involved and extensive “end-stage” disease. Nonsurgical treatments include activity modification, weight loss, anti-inflammatory medication, bracing, and injections. Ankle arthrodesis (fusion) is a commonly utilized treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. The goal of an ankle fusion is to achieve a pain-free plantigrade extremity. Three open approaches frequently used to achieve an ankle arthrodesis are a trans-fibular technique, a fibular-sparing technique, and an open anterior technique. Patient-specific factors such as prior surgical scars and deformity may guide the approach utilized. To achieve a successful fusion, attention must be given to careful patient selection, perioperative counseling and care, gentle soft tissue handling, methodical joint preparation, accurate joint positioning, and rigid fixation. Most current studies of open ankle arthrodesis report a solid union with substantial pain relief in greater than 90% of patients.
Resilience-Aware Resource Management for Exascale Computing Systems

With the increases in complexity and number of nodes in large-scale high performance computing (HPC) systems over time, the probability of applications experiencing runtime failures has increased significantly. Projections indicate that exascale-sized systems are likely to operate with mean time between failures (MTBF) of as little as a few minutes. Several strategies have been proposed in recent years for enabling systems of these extreme sizes to be resilient against failures. This work provides a comparison of four state-of-the-art HPC resilience protocols that are being considered for use in exascale systems. We explore the behavior of each resilience protocol operating under the simulated execution of a diverse set of applications and study the performance degradation that a large-scale system experiences from the overhead associated with each resilience protocol as well as the re-computation needed to recover when a failure occurs. Using the results from these analyses, we examine how resource management on exascale systems can be improved by allowing the system to select the optimal resilience protocol depending upon each application's execution characteristics, as well as providing the system resource manager the ability to make scheduling decisions that are “resilience aware” through the use of more accurate execution time predictions.