cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding the gap in primary care access and use between teens and younger children.

Primary health care use among teenagers falls short of clinical recommendations and consistently lags behind that of younger children. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the authors explore three explanations for this age-related gap: family composition, parental awareness of children's health care needs, and the relative role of predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors for teens and younger children. Teenagers are 64% more likely to have no usual source of care and 25% more likely to have had no health care visit in the prior year relative to younger children. The gap narrows in families with children from both age-groups and among children with special health care needs. The largest disparity in primary care access exists between teens in families with no younger sibling(s) and younger children in families with no teen(s). A resolution to the age-related access gap will likely require understanding of, and intervention into, family-level determinants of poor access. Language: en
Exploring Untested Measures on Public Opinion on the Use of Racial Profiling During Traffic Stops to Identify Criminals

In recent years scholars have researched various aspects of public opinion on racial profiling. To date the literature has confirmed that racial and ethnic minorities tend to perceive the practice of racial profiling differently than do Whites. Specifically, Blacks and Hispanics tend to perceive profiling as being widespread and not justified. A host of other correlates, such as age, gender, education level, class, and neighborhood factors, also significantly predict public opinion on profiling. This article diverges from past research by attempting to determine whether perceptions regarding the discriminatory nature of the practice, the belief that racial profiling is unethical, and the perception that racial profiling is effective influence views on the topic. We find that each of these measures significantly influences public opinion regarding the view that public opinion occurs or that it is an acceptable practice.
Microsatellite markers for the endangered Roanoke logperch, Percina rex (Percidae) and their potential utility for other darter species.

The Roanoke logperch (Percina rex Jordan and Evermann), an endangered fish, occurs in only six watersheds in the Roanoke and Chowan river drainages of Virginia, USA. The species' population genetic structure is poorly known. We developed 16 microsatellite markers that were reliably scorable and polymorphic P. rex. Markers were also screened in seven other darter species of the genus Percina. Most markers exhibited successful amplification and polymorphism in several species. These markers may therefore prove useful for population genetic studies in other darters, a diverse but highly imperiled group.
3-D viscoelastic anisotropic modeling of data from a multicomponent, multiazimuth seismic experiment in Northeast Texas

Three‐component seismic data were acquired along six azimuths at a site in northeast Texas. Sources were inclined impacts combined to produce equivalent vertical and crossline horizontal components. The data were analyzed by iterative modeling using a new 3-D, staggered‐grid, finite‐differencing scheme. The 3-D model is defined in terms of spatially variable anisotropic, viscoelastic parameters (P‐velocity, S‐velocity, density, Qp, and Qs) and converted to elastic tensor components and relaxation times for computation. Simultaneous fitting of amplitudes of near‐surface reverberations, surface waves, converted waves, and deeper reflections gives an anisotropic, viscoelastic model that provides constraints on earth properties. The assumption of transverse isotropy in previous experiments is supported by the results of this experiment. The final model consists of a stack of flat layers, each of which has isotropic P‐velocity, Qp, and Qs. The Wills Point and Kincaid shales are strongly transversely isotropic,...
Learning in the visual arts and the worldviews of young children

This paper reports a research study into the effects of rich, sustained visual arts instruction on 103 inner city 9‐year‐olds in two major US cities. We use the lenses of social learning theory, theories of motivation and self‐efficacy, and recent research on artistic thinking to investigate the programs' effects on children's self‐beliefs and creative thinking. The study enlisted a pre–post measure, treatment‐comparison group design along with structured observations of participant and comparison group classrooms. The arts students made significant comparative gains on a self‐efficacy scale and on an ‘originality’ subscale of a standard creativity test. These effects are attributed to children's engagement in art and to the social organization of instruction including reinforcing peer and student–adult relationships. Relationships between self‐efficacy beliefs and tendencies to think originally are explored.
Extrusion of non-Newtonian fluids in a single-screw extruder with pressure back flow

The transport phenomena underlying the extrusion of non-Newtonian fluids in single-screw extruders is investigated numerically and experimentally. The viscosity of the investigated fluids is a strong function of the temperature and, for the non-Newtonian case, of the shear rate. Therefore, the governing equations of motion are coupled to the energy equation through the viscosity. The velocity in the down channel direction of the screw extruder is a result of both shear and pressure driven transport. The pressure acts in a direction opposite to that of the drag flow, and comparatively high pressures arise at the die in typical extruders. When a narrow die is used in the screw extruder, the pressure gradient in the down-channel direction becomes so large that the down-channel velocity near the screw root becomes negative in terms of the coordinate system fixed to the screw. The conventional marching schemes fail to simulate the fluid flow when the down-channel velocity becomes negative, since the downstream conditions are not known. Two different numerical schemes used to simulate the fluid flow in a single-screw extruder for this circumstance, which often arises when dies with high flow resistance are used and which is termed as pressure back flow in the literature, have been discussed. One scheme is based on including the down-channel thermal diffusion, making the problem elliptic, and the other scheme uses a different coordinate system. Both formulations are found to yield results that are fairly close. Experiments were also carried out to measure the pressures at three different locations in a single-screw extruder. The computed results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The pressures at the die obtained numerically by treating the flow as isothermal are found to be lower than those obtained when the flow is treated as nonisothermal, indicating the strong influence of thermal transport in this problem.
Surgical skills training restructured for the 21st century.

Abstract Background Few if any medical schools have a comprehensive surgical skills program taking medical students from learning basic knot tying and surgical skills to performing these skills at a level adequate for function during a primary care, surgical, or subspecialty residency. We have designed and continue to refine a program, which consists of five workshops focused on basic surgical skills, which are applicable to all medical and surgical disciplines. Materials and methods During the first workshop students learn how to tie both one- and two-handed surgical knots. The second workshop involves teaching students differences in suture type and use, instrument handling, and suturing techniques. The third workshop is used to address problems and refine techniques previously learned in the first two sessions. The fourth workshop comprises a final examination to evaluate suture and knot tying skills. The fifth session is a voluntary knot tying and suturing competition with awards for speed, finesse, aesthetics, and the watertightness of a vascular surgical repair. Surgical faculty and house staff are present at each workshop to provide direction and constructive criticism. Results Fifty-seven third-year medical students have completed the surgical skills curriculum. Statistical analysis demonstrates significant improvement in both knot tying and suturing ( P Conclusion We hypothesize that this curriculum will produce medical students with basic surgical skills, appreciation of surgical technique, and the confidence to perform basic surgical skills at completion of the curriculum.
Spatialization Methods: A Cartographic Research Agenda for Non-geographic Information Visualization

Information visualization is an interdisciplinary research area in which cartographic efforts have mostly addressed the handling of geographic information. Some cartographers have recently become involved in attempts to extend geographic principles and cartographic techniques to the visualization of non-geographic information. This paper reports on current progress and future opportunities in this emerging research field commonly known as spatialization. The discussion is mainly devoted to the computational techniques that turn high-dimensional data into visualizations via processes of projection and transformation. It is argued that cartographically informed engagement of computationally intensive techniques can help to provide richer and less opaque information visu- alizations. The discussion of spatialization methods is linked to another priority area of cartographic involvement, the development of theory and principles for cognitively plausible spatialization. The paper distinguishes two equally important sets of challenges for cartographic success in spatialization research. One is the recognition that there are distinct advantages to applying a cartographic perspective in information visualization. This requires our community to more thoroughly understand the essence of cartographic activity and to explore the implications of its metaphoric transfer to non-geographic domains. Another challenge lies in cartographers becoming a more integral part of the information visualization community and actively engaging its constituent research fields.
Effects of Pre-structuring Discussion Threads on Group Interaction and Group Performance in Computer-supported Collaborative Argumentation

This study examined the effects of pre-structuring discussion threads on group performance in computer-supported collaborative argumentation where students labeled their messages as arguments, challenges, supporting evidence, and explanations on a threaded discussion board. In the pre-structured group students were required to post supporting and opposing arguments to designated and separate discussion threads. In the control group no discussion threads were designated for posting supporting and opposing arguments. The mean number of challenges elicited per argument was 64% greater with pre-structured threads (ES = +.47). No significant differences were found in the mean number of counter-challenges, supporting evidence, and explanations posted in reply to challenges. The findings suggest that prestructured discussion threads can increase the frequency of argument→challenge exchanges needed to initiate critical discourse.
The burden of digestive diseases.

1. Digestive cancers: $24.1 billion a. $9.5 billion cost of colorectal cancer b. $4.3 billion cost for pancreatic cancer 2. Liver disease: $13.1 billion 3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): $12.6 billion 4. Gallstones: $6.2 billion 5. Abdominal wall hernia: $6.1 billion 6. Diverticular disease: $4.0 billion 7. Pancreatitis: $3.7 billion 8. Viral hepatitis (A, B, C): $3.3 billion 9. Peptic ulcer disease: $3.1 billion 10. Appendicitis: $2.6 billion.
Self-assembled calcium phosphate nanocomposites using block copolypeptide templates

Polylysine and polyleucine based block copolypeptides (K170L30) that form gels at very low concentrations in aqueous media are used as templates for forming self-assembled calcium phosphate nanocomposites. The synthesis method allows for simultaneous formation of the self-assembled block copolypeptide gel and of the inorganic phase, providing inorganic contents of over 50 wt% in the nanocomposite, approaching the inorganic content in bone. The self-assembled nanocomposites are characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The nanocomposites formed in the presence of the block copolypeptide templates exhibit very different nanoparticle morphologies than those formed in the absence of the organic phase. Multinuclear solid state NMR methods are used to prove nanocomposite formation and characterize the secondary structure and mobility of the block copolypeptide template. The data from XRD, FTIR, and 31P NMR consistently show that the inorganic phase present in the nanocomposite is carbonated hydroxyapatite of nano-scale dimensions, with an elongated plate-like morphology, observed by TEM and SAXS, similar to the mineral phase of natural bone. Overall, this approach allows a bioinspired bottom-up approach to self-assembled hydroxyapatite nanocomposites using block copolypeptide templates, which could have applications in tissue repair.
Interallelic complementation at the ubiquitous urease coding locus of soybean.

Soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merrill) mutant aj6 carries a single recessive lesion, aj6 , that eliminates ubiquitous urease activity in leaves and callus while retaining normal embryo-specific urease activity. Consistently, aj6 / aj6 plants accumulated urea in leaves. In crosses of aj6 / aj6 by urease mutants at the Eu1, Eu2 , and Eu3 loci, F 1 individuals exhibited wild-type leaf urease activity, and the F 2 segregated urease-negative individuals, demonstrating that aj6 is not an allele at these loci. F 2 of aj6 / aj6 crossed with a null mutant lacking the Eu1 -encoded embryo-specific urease showed that ubiquitous urease was also inactive in seeds of aj6 / aj6 . The cross of aj6 / aj6 to eu4 / eu4 , a mutant previously assigned to the ubiquitous urease structural gene (R.S. Torisky, J.D. Griffin, R.L. Yenofsky, J.C. Polacco [1994] Mol Gen Genet 242: 404–414), yielded an F 1 having 22% ± 11% of wild-type leaf urease activity. Coding sequences for ubiquitous urease were cloned by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction from wild-type, aj6 / aj6 , and eu4 / eu4 leaf RNA. The ubiquitous urease had an 837-amino acid open reading frame (ORF), 87% identical to the embryo-specific urease. The aj6 / aj6 ORF showed an R201C change that cosegregated with the lack of leaf urease activity in a cross against a urease-positive line, whereas the eu4 / eu4 ORF showed a G468E change. Heteroallelic interaction in F 2 progeny of aj6 / aj6 × eu4 / eu4 resulted in partially restored leaf urease activity. These results confirm that aj6 / aj6 and eu4 / eu4 are mutants affected in the ubiquitous urease structural gene. They also indicate that radical amino acid changes in distinct domains can be partially compensated in the urease heterotrimer.
The Pursuit of Excellence: From Hotels to Hospitals

MR HORST H. SCHULZE I would like to begin by noting that what I have to say is not opinion, but rather fact—information that I have gained from decades of experience and data collection at my different hotel chains. I have worked in the hotel industry since the age of 15, and what I am about to tell you is borne of years of experience in pleasing customers and fostering an environment where our employees can give our customers what they desire. I have addressed many different audiences from many different industries over the years, and the most disconcerting thing is when the audience members somehow disregard what I say under the misguided belief that their industry is “different.” All too often, people ignore my advice by saying that “our industry is different, and what you have to teach me doesn’t hold true for us.” Let me assure you, however, that our industries are not so very different, and that we both share a primary goal of serving the customer. Your department may be composed of some of the best physicians in the world, and you may know more about medicine than some of your competitors, but that doesn’t necessarily matter. If you don’t understand how to optimize service for your customers, all the medical knowledge in the world will not be sufficient for your business to succeed. In my experience, there are 3 things customers expect from any business: (1) timely service, (2) a good product, and (3) people who treat me well and are nice to me (ie, caring
Hopfield-based adaptive state estimators

Hopfield networks have been applied to the problem of system identification. Luenberger observers have long been used for estimation of unmeasurable states of linear systems. The mathematical derivation of an adaptive observer based on integration of the two techniques is presented. The identification of unknown multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems with noise corrupted measurements is described. Simulation results for different plant conditions are detailed. >
The impact of nitrogen supply on the potential response of a noxious, invasive weed, Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) to recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide

A recognized invasive weed, Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense L. Scop.) was grown at ambient and pre-ambient concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO 2 ] (373 and 287 μmol mol -1 , respectively) at three levels of supplemental nitrogen (N) (3, 6 and 14.5 mM) from seeding until flowering [77 days after sowing (DAS)]. The primary objective of the study was to determine if N supply limited the potential photosynthetic and growth response of this species to the increase in atmospheric [CO 2 ] which occurred during the 20th century (i.e. approximately 290 to 370 μmol mol -1 CO 2 ). Leaf photosynthesis increased both as a function of growth [CO 2 ] and N supply during the first 46 DAS. Although by 46 DAS photosynthetic acclimation was observed relative to a common measurement CO 2 concentration, there was no interaction with N supply. Both [CO 2 ] and N increased biomass, relative growth rates and leaf area whereas root:shoot ratio was increased by CO 2 and decreased by increasing N; however, N supply did not effect the relative response to [CO 2 ] for any measured vegetative parameter up to 77 DAS. Due to the relative stimulation of shoot biomass, total above-ground N increased at elevated [CO 2 ] for all levels of supplemental N, but nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) did not differ as a function of [CO 2 ]. Overall, these data suggest that any potential response to increased atmospheric [CO 2 ] in recent decades for this noxious weedy species was probably not limited by nitrogen supply.
Water-rock interactions in a modern coastal mixing zone

The chemical evolution of ground water and the diagenetic history of the rocks in a modern saline–fresh-water mixing zone were investigated to test the hypothesis that this zone is a chemically active environment in which carbonate mineral diagenesis occurs. The field site was in the unconfined section of the upper Floridan aquifer system in west-central Florida, a regionally extensive hydrostratigraphic unit composed of Eocene–Oligocene limestone and dolomite. The mixing zone, marked by a steep concentration gradient, is >90 m thick at the study site in New Port Richey, Pasco County, Florida. Interpretation of aqueous geochemical data indicates that the coastal zone is most likely a location where three waters of distinct composition mix. A fresh Ca-HCO3 water that derives its composition from calcite dissolution and CO2 influx in the up-gradient recharge area, a Na-Cl water that results from salt-water intrusion, and a Ca-SO4–rich water that upwells subsequent to contact with underlying gypsiferous beds of the Avon Park Formation are likely all converging in this coastal setting. Poor core recovery and an enlarged core hole provide evidence of dissolution. The ground water, however, is oversaturated with respect to calcite; thus, the large-scale dissolution features observed are unrelated to modern-day mixing. The mixing of Ca-SO4–rich ground water in the coastal region led to oversaturation with respect to calcite. At the petrographic scale, there is little evidence of diagenesis related to the modern mixing zone. Calcite crystals from the lower section of the cored interval have isotopic signatures that are different than those from the upper section, suggesting that the latter has undergone more water-rock interactions. Calcium-rich dolomite, which occurred relatively late in the paragenetic sequence, has thin cathodoluminescent zonations but shows no evidence of subsequent alteration. The paragenetic sequence includes marine micritization and cementation; meteoric mineralogic stabilization; dissolution enhancement of porosity; phreatic, equant calcite cements; and echinoderm overgrowths, all typical of the region and not unique to the mixing zone.
Contrasting Seasonal and Fortnightly Variations in the Circulation of a Seasonally Inverse Estuary, Elkhorn Slough, California

Three and a half years of hydrographic, velocity, and meteorological observations are used to examine the dynamics of upper Elkhorn Slough, a seasonally inverse, shallow, mesotidal estuary in central California. The long-term observations revealed that residual circulation in Elkhorn Slough is seasonally variable, with classic estuarine circulation in the winter and inverse estuarine circulation in the summer. The strength of this exchange flow varied both within years and between years, driven by the annual cycle of dry summers and wet winters. Subtidal circulation is a combination of both tidal and density-driven mechanisms. The subtidal magnitude and reversal of the exchange flows is controlled primarily by the density gradient despite the significant tidal energy. As the density gradient weakens, the underlying tidal processes generate vertically sheared exchange flows with the same sign as that expected for an inverse density gradient. The inverse density gradient may then further strengthen this inverse circulation. These data were collected as part of the Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory and demonstrate the utility of long-term in situ measurements in a coastal system, as consideration of such a wide range of forcing conditions would not have been possible with a less comprehensive data set.
Lens-Effect Loss for Distributed Targets

The atmosphere, acting like a lens, causes a small loss in radarsignal strength [1]. Unlike atmospheric absorption [2], the lenseffect loss is different for distributed targets versus point targets.For a distributed target uniformly filling the radar beam, the lens effect loss (in decibels) is one-half the lens-effect loss for point targets.
A Formal Specification of a Programming Language: Design of Pit

Formal specifications and supporting tools have shown to be very effective to improve the quality and correctness of a software system. A compiler is large and complex software; it takes as input a program written in some language and generates as output a program in another language. One of the main characteristics of any compiler is to preserve the semantics of the program being compiled. Therefore, developing correct compilers that can generate faithful target code without introducing any errors is critically important. In this paper, we show how to use Z notation to formally specify part of the Pit, which is a general-purpose programming language that we are currently developing. The main idea behind Pit is to create a language where the programmer can choose between allocating memory manually by using static ally-typed "primitive" variables or allowing the compiler to insert memory management code automatically by using dynamically-typed "auto" variables. This feature, in turn, allows a programmer to choose between automatically ensuring that there are no buffer overrun or integer overflow vulnerabilities in the code.
Relationship between the Latent Form and the Active Form of the Autolytic Enzyme of Streptococcus faecalis

Abstract A 10-hr starvation of Streptococcus faecalis ATCC 9790 for the amino acids methionine and threonine results in cells which are resistant to autolysis and which contain greatly reduced quantities of both active and latent (proteinase activable) forms of the autolytic enzyme (an N-acetyl-muramide glycanhydrolase). Cell walls were isolated from cells harvested at various times during the recovery from such starvation and were assayed for active and latent forms of the autolysin. Within 10 min of recovery the latent enzyme began to increase. Only after 30 to 60 min did the active enzyme begin to increase; after a similar lag, the cells' proneness to lysis markedly increased. The intracellular localization of both forms of the autolysin was examined, using as an experimental tool the ability of added cell wall to bind autolysin. 14C-lysine-labeled, inactivated cell walls were added to exponential-phase cells, which were then disrupted, and the mixed wall population was isolated. Measurement of the 14C release during wall autolysis indicated that the active enzyme in the cells was not available for binding to the added 14C-labeled walls and was therefore wall-bound in vivo. In contrast, up to 85% of latent autolysin activity was found to have been efficiently bound to the added 14C walls. The results obtained suggest (i) cellular autolysis is a reflection of the level of active enzyme and not of latent enzyme, and (ii) autolysin is synthesized and mainly located in the cytoplasm as an inactive latent precursor (proenzyme) which is transported to sites on the cell wall associated with wall biosynthesis, where it becomes activated.
Optimal window-transforms for FIR digital filter design

A method is given for optimizing the frequency response of finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters designed by frequency sampling. The impulse response of the filter is multiplied by a window computed by optimizing its discrete Fourier transform. A multidimensional search is used to minimize the maximum deviation of the frequency response from the design specifications. The optimal window- transform method has two advantages over conventional minimax optimal design methods [6]. One advantage is that the multidimensional search is carried out over a much smaller number of parameters. For example, it has been found that the stop-band attenuation of low-pass filters designed by this method is approximately 50 dB when optimized over one parameter and 80 dB when optimized over two parameters. The other advantage is that the functional form of the optimal window-transform with a given number of parameters is nearly constant over an entire class of filters, such as the low-pass filters, so nearly optimal prototype windows may be found.
A Model and Prototype of a Resource-Efficient Storage Server for High-Bitrate Video-on-Demand

This paper presents a mathematical model and a prototype of a resource-efficient storage server for high-bitrate video-on-demand (VoD) applications. Rapid exponential growth of disk capacity enables the storage of high-bitrate VoD streams; however, a server system must be carefully designed to allow those streams to be retrieved from disk and delivered to the network efficiently. Additionally, a cost-effective server should be implemented using only commodity components, such as standard PCs, SATA disks and controllers, and Gigabit Ethernet links. This paper presents a model: detailed enough to account for the rate-based nature of streaming video, the buffering time allowed by the application, and average-case disk hardware characteristics while remaining simple enough to use for algorithm and system design. This paper then describes a prototype storage server designed to serve large video files at the specified bitrates and finds its performance to agree closely with the model (with an average discrepancy of 11% for high-bitrate streams). The system uses up to 8 SATA-300 disks and can simultaneously serve 290 distinct DVD-quality (6 Mbps) streams or 74 distinct HDTV-quality (25 Mbps) streams from disk, achieving an aggregate network throughput of 1.85 Gbps.
Pilot job accounting and auditing in Open Science Grid

The Grid accounting and auditing mechanisms were designed under the assumption that users would submit their jobs directly to the Grid gatekeepers. However, many groups are starting to use pilot-based systems, where users submit jobs to a centralized queue and are successively transferred to the Grid resources by the pilot infrastructure. While this approach greatly improves the user experience, it does disrupt the established accounting and auditing procedures. Open Science Grid deploys gLExec on the worker nodes to keep the pilot-related accounting and auditing information and centralizes the accounting collection with GRATIA.
An Analysis Tool for Execution of BPEL Services

BPEL is used for specifying Web services. In spite of numerous recent efforts in both statically analyzing service specifications and support for service execution, there is still an urgent need for quality assurance for BPEL services in two aspects: (1) lack of tools, techniques to aid under-standing BPEL service specifications and execution in order to make informed decisions about the correctness of its observed functionality, (2) maneuverability in exploring a service execution to identify the source of an erroneous service. In this paper, we develop an Execution Analysis tool for BPEL (EA4B) to address both aspects. EA4B defines an execution log for BPEL. EA4B can read the execution log for post-execution debugging or for near real-time monitoring. EA4B provides an interactive GUI and can walk-through its execution. In addition, EA4B can be integrated with static analysis tools such as WSAT: Error traces generated by WSAT are translated to log files and visually displayed. EA4B provides an execution analysis tool to ease the understanding of a BPEL service and aid in development and debugging tasks.
A Separable Differential Equation

The following problem comes from the section Separable Differential Equations in a traditional calculus text. It requires no more than a separation of variables and an “integration of both sides” to produce the solution of the differential equation in an implicit form. However, we show that additional insight is possible if we ask questions like “How does the solution behave?” and “What is the nature of the implicit function describing the solution?” The role of Maple in answering these questions is essential.
PUNISHMENT JUSTIFIABLE AS A QUASI-TAX

I argue that, since the legal order is a public good, an act of legal punishment may be viewed as the imposition of a kind of tax, which I label ‘a quasi-tax’. Once punishment is viewed as a quasi-tax, the traditionally opposed approaches to punishment may be reconciled, as both utility and retribution jointly justify an act of legal punishment. I discuss objections to my argument and I reply to them.
Is kidney function affecting the management of myocardial infarction? A retrospective cohort study in patients with normal kidney function, chronic kidney disease stage III–V, and ESRD

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are three times more likely to have myocardial infarction (MI) and suffer from increased morbidity and higher mortality. Traditional and unique risk factors are prevalent and constitute challenges for the standard of care. However, CKD patients have been largely excluded from clinical trials and little evidence is available to guide evidence-based treatment of coronary artery disease in patients with CKD. Our objective was to assess whether a difference exists in the management of MI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) among patients with normal kidney function, CKD stage III-V, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients admitted to Staten Island University Hospital for the diagnosis of MI between January 2005 and December 2012. Patients were assigned to one of three groups according to their kidney function: Data collected on the medical management and the use of statins, platelet inhibitors, beta-blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers were compared among the three cohorts, as well as medical interventions including: catheterization and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) when indicated. Chi-square test was used to compare the proportions between nominal variables. Binary logistic analysis was used in order to determine associations between treatment modalities and comorbidities, and to account for possible confounding factors. Three hundred and thirty-four patients (mean age 67.2±13.9 years) were included. In terms of management, medical treatment was not different among the three groups. However, cardiac catheterization was performed less in ESRD when compared with no CKD and CKD stage III-V (45.6% vs 74% and 93.9%) (P<0.001). CABG was performed in comparable proportions in the three groups and CABG was not associated with the degree of CKD (P=0.078) in binary logistics regression. Cardiac catheterization on the other hand carried the strongest association among all studied variables (P<0.001). This association was maintained after adjusting for other comorbidities. The length of stay for the three cohorts (non-CKD, CKD stage III-V, and ESRD on hemodialysis) was 16, 17, and 15 days, respectively and was not statistically different. Many observations have reported discrimination of care for patients with CKD considered suboptimal candidates for aggressive management of their cardiac disease. In our study, medical therapy was achieved at high percentage and was comparable among groups of different kidney function. However, kidney disease seems to affect the management of patients with acute MI; percutaneous coronary angiography is not uniformly performed in patients with CKD and ESRD when compared with patients with normal kidney function.
An Examination of Isolated and Interaction-Based Biomechanical Metrics for Potential Lower Neck Injury Criteria

Lower neck injuries inferior to C4 level, such as fractures and dislocations, occur in motor vehicle crashes, sports, and military events. The recently developed interaction criterion, termed Nij, has been used in automotive safety standards and is applicable to the upper neck. Such criterion does not exist for the lower neck. This study was designed to conduct an analysis of data of lower neck injury metrics toward the development of a mechanistically appropriate injury criterion. Axial loads were applied to the crown of the head of post mortem human subject (PMHS) head-neck complexes at different loading rates. The generalized force histories at the inferior end of the head-neck complex were recorded using a load cell and were transformed to the cervical-thoracic joint. Peak force and peak moment (flexion or extension) were quantified for each test from corresponding time histories. Initially, a survival analysis approach was used to derive injury probability curves based on peak force and peak moment alone. Both force and moment were considered as primary variables and age a covariate in the survival analysis. Age was found to be a significant (p 0.05). A lower neck Nij formulation was done to derive a combined interactive metric. To derive cadaver-based metrics, critical intercepts were obtained from the 90% injury probability point on peak force and peak moment curves. The PMHS-based critical intercepts derived from this study for compressive force, flexion, and extension moment were 4471 N, 218 Nm, and 120 Nm respectively. The lower cervical spine injury criterion, Lower Nij (LNij), was evaluated in two different formulations: peak LNij and mechanistic peak LNij. Peak LNij was obtained from the LNij time history regardless of when it occurred. Mechanistic peak LNij was obtained from the LNij time history only during the time when the resulting injury mechanism occurred. Injury mechanism categorization included compression-flexion, compression-extension, and those best represented by a more pure compression-related classification. Mechanistic peak LNij was identified based on the peak timing of the injury mechanism. Peak LNij and mechanistic peak LNij were found to be significant (p<0.05) predictors of injury with age as a covariate. The 50% injury probability was 1.38 and 1.13 for peak LNij and mechanistic peak LNij, respectively. These results provide preliminary data based on PMHS tests for establishing lower neck injury criteria that may be used in automotive applications, sports and military research to advance safety systems.
Pre-emptive analgesia: an unsolved problem

Preemptive analgesia studies have provided mixed results, some showing benefit and others no benefit, whereas others have shown small differences that are probably not clinically useful. There is no consensus yet about whether preemptive analgesia is a clinically useful tool. This review examines the mechanisms of preemptive analgesia before surveying the recent literature. A new definition of preemptive analgesia is proposed that accommodates the need for a broader definition. Recently published trials confirm that confusion exists about what preemptive analgesia is, how to distinguish it from simple analgesia, and how to design trials that truly assess preemptive analgesia, defined as analgesia that is capable of modifying the central excitatory responses.
Selective Dispersion as a Factor in the Solution of the Nisei Problem

granted to encourage exports of food should be given only to increase local consumption. 4. Written contracts, with government labor advisers in each district to hear complaints of both farmers and workers. 5. Increased educational facilities. This may well be the basic reform. 6. Recreational facilities, whether connected with church or school, with the drinking of Kaffir beer permitted. 7. Improved health facilities (doctors, clinics, hospitals) for both white and Native. Admitting that these steps would introduce a dynamic element into the agricultural situation where the farmer prefers a stabilizing effect, the movement would seem at least to be a progressive one for South Africa as a whole. There is movement enough under present circumstances, but its tendency is to imperil not only farming but the whole economy of the country. The "Native problem" is no simple matter of racial discrimination; it is part and parcel of every phase of life in the Union. The Native can hardly be aided in any way without benefiting the white; conversely, if matters are allowed to drift, both elements of the population suffer.3
Influence of Divergent Section Shape in Nozzle on Arcjet Plume

Using FLUENT CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software do some numerical simulation of the nozzle’s inner flow field and its plume flow field in the same condition, both the nozzles used for the simulation have different divergent section shape. It is found that different nozzle has different flow filed, the shape of the nozzle’s divergent section has great influence on aerodynamic characteristic of its plume, and there’s a close relationship between the nozzle’s divergent section shape and its efficiency, the nozzle which has a conic divergent section shape shows us a better aerodynamic characteristic, it will help improve the efficiency of the nozzle.
Anti-microRNA21 as a strategy to treat progressive kidney disease (abstract) ☆

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) was identified as a hypomethylated gene locus in kidney cancers and as a robustly upregulated miRNA in human acute and chronic kidney diseases. Mutational and bioinformatic analysis in mice identified about 100 gene targets for miR-21 in the kidney, which are highly enriched for metabolic and mitochondrial functions. miR-21 deficient mice are protected from epithelial injury and fibrosis in disease settings [1] . In vitro analysis of miR-21 function indicates it is upregulated by stress in epithelium, podocytes and fibroblasts, suppresses mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial functions and triggers high levels of mitochondrial ROS generation, thereby amplifying injury responses in the epithelium and promoting a fibrogenic phenotype in fibroblasts and podocytes ( Figure 1 ). A major target for miR-21 is the transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α (PPARα), which transcriptionally regulates mitochondrial biogenesis, but also has direct anti-inflammatory effects. We developed a novel oligonucleotide anti-miRNA against miR-21 with excellent drug-like properties, demonstrated that it recapitulates miR-21 deficiency, and studied its function in several animal models of kidney disease. In mice with Alport nephropathy, subcutaneous delivery of anti-miR21 oligonucleotides prevents organ failure and improves longevity by 50% [2] . We conclude that using anti-miR21 to suppress miR21 functions, improves epithelial function, reduces fibrogenesis and enhances survival in models of kidney disease, and is a promising new therapeutic for human kidney diseases.
How Social Movements Die: Repression and Demobilization of the Republic of New Africa

How do social movements die? Some explanations highlight internal factors like factionalization, whereas others stress external factors like repression. Christian Davenport offers an alternative explanation where both factors interact. Drawing on organizational, as well as individual-level, explanations, Davenport argues that social movement death is the outgrowth of a coevolutionary dynamic whereby challengers, influenced by their understanding of what states will do to oppose them, attempt to recruit, motivate, calm, and prepare constituents while governments attempt to hinder all of these processes at the same time. Davenport employs a previously unavailable database that contains information on a black nationalist/secessionist organization, the Republic of New Africa, and the activities of authorities in the US city of Detroit and state and federal authorities.
Can follow-up phone calls improve patients self-monitoring of blood glucose?

Aims and objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of follow-up phone calls in improving frequency of glucose monitoring over a three month period in two groups of patients with type 2 diabetes with the goal to lower haemoglobin A1C. Background Telephone intervention has been successfully used in improving adherence to diabetes self-management and other chronic disease conditions. Design A quality improvement study. Methods Forty one Type 2 diabetic patients with HA1C ≥7·5% were included in the study. The patients were assigned to two groups. The first group of patients received standard diabetic care (Group 1) and the second group of patients (Group 2) received standard diabetic care plus follow-up phone calls within two weeks after a monthly clinic visit over a three month period. A haemoglobin A1C if indicated was done at the initial study visit. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline haemoglobin A1C between the two groups or the three month haemoglobin A1C of the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in mean haemoglobin A1C change between Group 1 and Group 2. The analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences between groups in the number of patients who kept logs of their blood glucose readings throughout the study. Conclusion The intervention using telephone follow-up calls did not show a statistically significant improvement in overall HA1C, but there was a clinically significant change in HA1C in the group of patients that received follow-up phone calls. Relevance to clinical practice The clinical significance of the change in A1C in the follow-up phone call group (Group 2) supports that frequent contact by telephone may likely improve adherence to diabetes self-management.
Defining Low-Dimensional Projections to Guide Protein Conformational Sampling.

Abstract Exploring the conformational space of proteins is critical to characterize their functions. Numerous methods have been proposed to sample a protein's conformational space, including techniques developed in the field of robotics and known as sampling-based motion-planning algorithms (or sampling-based planners). However, these algorithms suffer from the curse of dimensionality when applied to large proteins. Many sampling-based planners attempt to mitigate this issue by keeping track of sampling density to guide conformational sampling toward unexplored regions of the conformational space. This is often done using low-dimensional projections as an indirect way to reduce the dimensionality of the exploration problem. However, how to choose an appropriate projection and how much it influences the planner's performance are still poorly understood issues. In this article, we introduce two methodologies defining low-dimensional projections that can be used by sampling-based planners for protein conform...
Bacterial community structure and functional potential in the northeastern Chukchi Sea

Abstract We performed a molecular microbial ecological analysis in the northeastern Chukchi Sea in order to characterize bacterial community structure and genetic potential for biogeochemical cycling and oil biodegradation in a region targeted for oil and gas exploration (Burger lease area). Samples were collected from the surface, middle (20 m), and bottom (2–3 m above seafloor) of the water column during the open-water season of August and September 2012 at 17 different locations. We determined bacterial community structure with 16S rRNA genes sequencing and detected functional genes, including an array of oil biodegradation and biogeochemical cycling (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling) genes, using the GeoChip 5.0 microarray, and then correlated molecular data to contextual physical and biogeochemical factors. Bacterial community structure differed significantly by depth (surface water vs. bottom water) and between sampling dates (August vs. September). While the relative abundance of major functional gene categories did not differ with depth, the abundance of individual functional genes for carbon cycling, nitrogen cycling, organic contaminant remediation, phosphorus cycling, sulfur cycling, virulence, and viruses differed between surface and bottom seawater samples. Aerobic oil degradation genes and taxa known to include oil-degrading bacteria were found at all three depths. These findings support previous observations that two different water masses contribute to a stratified water column in the summer open-water season of the Burger lease area, but indicate that potential function is fairly similar with depth despite differences in temperature, water chemistry, bacterial community structure, and individual functional gene alleles.
Developmental Biology: Branching Morphogenesis

Branching morphogenesis is a ubiquitous system in the developmental biology of macroscopic organisms. Many of the details are known, yet a unified understanding remains out of reach. Many of the relevant facts about branching morphogenesis become clearer if we include a mechanical interpretation of the interactions between tissues.
Validation of Material Models for Machining Simulation Using Mechanical Properties of the Deformed Chip

Abstract Finite element simulation of machining is increasingly popular in both industry and academia. Simulation accuracy is, in part, critically dependent on identification of the appropriate material constitutive laws. Calibration and validation of the laws is typically limited to using uniaxial flow stress data and/or machining outputs such as forces, temperatures, and chip morphology features. The spatial distribution of material state (i.e. microstructure, mechanical properties, residual stresses) of the machined chip, which encodes path-dependent process information, is seldom utilized for model validation. In this paper we explore a complimentary validation technique that compares model predictions against measured spherical nanoindentation stress-strain curves.