cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes for Hip Arthroscopy According to Sex and Age: A Comparative Matched-Group Analysis.

Background: Factors such as age and sex are postulated to play a role in outcomes following arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement; however, to our knowledge, no data currently delineate outcomes on the basis of these factors. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement according to sex and age. Methods: One hundred and fifty patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement by a single fellowship-trained surgeon were prospectively analyzed, with 25 patients in each of the following groups: female patients younger than 30 years of age, female patients 30 to 45 years of age, female patients older than 45 years of age, male patients younger than 30 years of age, male patients 30 to 45 years of age, and male patients older than 45 years of age. The primary outcomes included the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living Subscale (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-Sport), the modified Harris hip score (mHHS), and clinical improvement at the time of follow-up. Results: At a minimum 2-year follow-up, all groups demonstrated significant improvements in the HOS-ADL, the HOS-Sport, and the mHHS (p < 0.0001). Female patients older than 45 years of age scored significantly worse on the HOS-ADL, HOS-Sport, and mHHS compared with female patients younger than 30 years of age (p < 0.0001 for all) and female patients 30 to 45 years of age (p < 0.017 for all). Male patients older than 45 years of age scored significantly worse on all outcomes compared with male patients younger than 30 years of age (p ≤ 0.011 for all) and male patients 30 to 45 years of age (p ≤ 0.021 for all). Incorporating both sexes, patients older than 45 years of age scored significantly worse on all outcomes compared with patients younger than 30 years of age (p < 0.0001 for all) and patients 30 to 45 years of age (p ≤ 0.001 for all). Female patients older than 45 years of age had significantly reduced radiographic preoperative joint space width compared with the two other female groups and the male groups who were 45 years of age or younger (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Although all patients had significant improvements in all outcomes following hip arthroscopy, patients older than 45 years of age performed worse than younger patients, with female patients older than 45 years of age demonstrating the lowest outcome scores. In the age group of 45 years or younger, female patients performed as well as male patients in terms of hip clinical outcome scores. Overall, care must be individualized to optimize outcomes following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Malignancy in Uremia: Dialysis Versus Transplantation

AbstractThe incidence of cancer was compared in 499 dialysis patients and 121 renal transplant recipients. De novo malignancy developed in 15 patients on chronic dialysis (3 per cent) and in 6 transplant recipients (4.9 per cent), a significant increase over the expected number in the age-matched general population. There was no difference in the incidence of cancer in uremic patients on dialysis or after transplantation. A total of 10 dialysis patients (67 per cent) and 1 transplant patient (16 per cent) died of cancer. Neoplasms in the dialysis patients were the common types of mesenchymal tumors, while superficial skin cancers were seen more frequently in the transplant recipients. The differences in tumor types accounted for the higher mortality rate from cancer in the dialysis patients and may reflect different patterns of immunosuppression in these 2 patient populations.
Acetylcholine Receptor and Cholinesterase Molecules of Vertebrate Skeletal Muscles and Their Nerve Junctions

If a pharmacologically active blocking agent of high specificity is introduced in radioactive form into a target tissue, it is possible by careful application of certain cellular autoradiographic techniques to determine the location of the receptor sites involved (Fig. la), and also their numbers (Barnard, 1970). This offers an approach to mapping the distribution and spatial relationships of the different functional components at a synaptic junction. It also permits the monitoring of attempted selective extractions of those components, for example, of the receptor from the junctions alone.
Crowd performance in prediction of the World Cup 2014

Abstract This paper investigates the performance of the Yahoo crowd and experts in predicting the outcomes of matches in the World Cup in 2014. The analysis finds that the Yahoo crowd was statistically significantly better at predicting outcomes of matches than experts and very similar in performance to established betting odds. In addition, this paper finds that there was a statistically significant difference between the Yahoo crowd and a different crowd's performances, for the same task, suggesting that characteristics of the “crowd matter.” Finally, this paper finds that different crowdsourcing approaches apparently provide different results. Accordingly, it is important to specify the particular crowdsourcing approach, rather than simply “crowdsource.”
Abstract 68: Reducing Hepatic Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein Production by Knockdown of Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein Decreases Transintestinal Cholesterol Excretion

Atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease (ASCVD) remains the number one killer of Americans. A way to reduce the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), the primary risk factor of ASCVD, is to increase cholesterol excretion from the body. Our group and others have recently found that cholesterol excretion can be facilitated by both biliary and non-biliary pathways. The lipoprotein that delivers cholesterol from the liver through the plasma to the small intestine (SI) for transintestinal cholesterol excretion (TICE) is not yet known. We hypothesized that cholesterol leaves the liver via very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) for TICE. We assessed this hypothesis by using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to knockdown hepatic expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), which is necessary for VLDL assembly. While maintained on a high cholesterol (0.2% wt/wt) diet for six weeks, wild type (WT) mice and hepatic Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 transgenic mice (L1Tg), which predominantly excrete cholesterol via TICE, were treated with control ASO or MTP ASO. In both WT and L1Tg mice, MTP ASO decreased hepatic MTP protein expression by 60% and increased hepatic total cholesterol concentration 3.5 fold. Regardless of treatment with control or MTP ASO, L1Tg mice had an 80% reduction in biliary cholesterol compared to WT mice. However, L1Tg mice treated with MTP ASO displayed a 60% reduction in fecal neutral sterol (FNS) excretion. In summary our data show that when VLDL production is decreased in mice with reduced biliary cholesterol secretion capacity, FNS excretion is impaired. These data support our conclusion that cholesterol leaves the liver through VLDL for TICE.
A local context-aware LDA model for topic modeling in a document network

With the rapid development of the Internet and its applications, growing volumes of documents increasingly become interconnected to form large-scale document networks. Accordingly, topic modeling in a network of documents has been attracting continuous research attention. Most of the existing network-based topic models assume that topics in a document are influenced by its directly linked neighbouring documents in a document network and overlook the potential influence from indirectly linked ones. The existing work also has not carefully modeled variations of such influence among neighboring documents. Recognizing these modeling limitations, this paper introduces a novel Local Context-Aware LDA Model LC-LDA, which is capable of observing a local context comprising a rich collection of documents that may directly or indirectly influence the topic distributions of a target document. The proposed model can also differentiate the respective influence of each document in the local context on the target document according to both structural and temporal relationships between the two documents. The proposed model is extensively evaluated through multiple document clustering and classification tasks conducted over several large-scale document sets. Evaluation results clearly and consistently demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the new model with respect to several state-of-the-art peer models.
Incremental Interactive Record Linkage using Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs): IJPDS (2017) Issue 1, Vol 1:211 Proceedings of the IPDLN Conference (August 2016)

ABSTRACTObjectiveWhen analyzing population data, there is a need to link data about organizations. One challenge in linking organization level data is that unlike a person, there can be many definitions for an entity. For example, for hospitals, depending on the dataset, an entity might represent any one of the following similar but different semantic types:(1) physical units, (2) billing units (3) legal units, (5) licensed units, or (5) reporting units. How these different entities relate to each other can be complex such as one billing unit can span across many physical units or multiple billing units can exist for one physical unit. Thus, linking organization level data requires human involvement to sort through these issues in heterogeneous data sources to make informed decisions on the messy data. We design and evaluate a general framework for a hybrid Human-Machine process for ongoing integration and cleaning of hospital level data when no common identifiers exist such that we highlight the decisions that need human judgement and document and track the full processes to ensure reproducibility. Such ongoing integration is often called incremental record linkage (RL). ApproachAccurate linkage in big data requires well-defined tasks that need automatic or human processing. In the human computer interaction (HCI) field, Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) are defined as micro tasks requiring human judgment and are often used in designing crowdsourcing systems. We designed HITs for linking organization level data and embed them into automatic deterministic linkage algorithms that supports interactive stepwise RL. The hybrid system is a framework for reproducible incremental RL. ResultsWe illustrate this framework by integrating four databases of hospitals in Texas from 2008 to 2014(N=664). The IDs used in the databases are the Texas Provider ID, the National Provider ID, the Medicare ID, and the Facility ID. We link the databases using provider name, including dba (i.e., doing business as), addresses, and phone numbers. Similarities in hospital names and addresses and the dynamic nature of hospital attributes over time make it impossible to build a fully automated linkage system for hospitals. Using our system to iteratively standardize and clean the data, we linked the hospitals with 100% precision using HITs that required confirming 79 approximate linkages and manually linking 28 hospitals. ConclusionEffective software that can support the interactive and iterative process of RL with well-designed HITs can streamline the linkage processes to support high quality replicable research using big data.
Novel Bilateral Extracavitary Approach for Thoracolumbar Decompression.

Background Bilateral extracavitary approach (BECA) is an option for decompression cases that require a more extended ventral approach. The clear advantage is increased accessibility to the most ventral aspects of the spine from a bilateral perspective. Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of thoracic and thoracolumbar decompression and/or reconstruction from BECA. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed reviewing all patients who underwent BECA for thoracolumbar decompression from 2003 to 2012 at our institution. We recorded patient baseline characteristics, physical exam, surgical indications, perioperative interventions, and outcomes. Results We performed 82 lateral extracavitary approaches and 10 BECAs. BECA indications included neoplasm, infection, and kyphotic deformity. Average patient age was 58 yr; 80% of BECA patients were male. Estimated blood loss was typically 1 to 3 L. Average length of stay postoperative was 12 d. Two patients required revisions; one for infection and one for revision of misplaced hardware. Eight patients improved at least one grade on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (ASIA) or was originally ASIA E. Two patients declined 1 to 2 ASIA grades. Average length of follow-up was 16.8 mo. Conclusion BECA is an efficient technique with acceptable complication rates and similar risks to unilateral approaches. It should be considered when extensive bilateral decompression and/or reconstruction of the anterior thoracic or thoracolumbar spine is required.
Tourette’s Syndrome and Comorbid Neurological Condition

Tourette syndrome (TS) often presents with other comorbid conditions in clinical settings. The most common comorbidities are obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive-compulsive behaviors, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, autism, mood and anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. Comorbid disorders and coexistent psychopathologies are often associated with impaired functioning, more severe course, and poorer long-term outcome. The overall presentation of TS with and without comorbidities can be significantly different and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions may also change with age. Thus, frequent reassessment of symptoms and re-ordering of treatment priorities are needed when following the child over the developmental timeline.
Environmental standard adoption in Marinas: A spatiotemporal analysis of a special form of maritime transportation hubs

Abstract The growth of both commercial and recreational boating has posed significant environmental challenges to waterways. As an effort by the U.S. government and other public service organizations to prevent and mitigate the environmental impact, Clean Marina Programs (CMP) have been developed to encourage marina owners and operators to meet environmental standards and become better stewards of the environment. This study examines the impact of geospatial proximity on the adoption timing and diffusion of a CMP in marinas, a special form of a maritime transportation hub. Drawing upon case study methodology and literature on geography and organizational clusters, we find that the adoption timing of an environmental standard varies with the density of the market within which it is promoted. These results lend support to the notion that firms in close proximity can accelerate standard adoption, hastening information flow about environmental standards through local labor pools, customer interactions, and resources.
A Late Night at the Virginian Restaurant: Model Documentation and Guide

The purpose of this document is to describe each step in the development of a model for the case “A Late Night at The Virginian Restaurant” (UVA-OM-1551). Excerpt UVA-OM-1553 Rev. Sept. 25, 2018 A Late Night at The Virginian Restaurant: Model Documentation and Guide Contents . . .
Perforation of Superior Vena Cava with Dialysis Catheter Insertion

Procedure related complications associted with a tunneled dialysis catheter placement can vary a great deal in their consequences. One that is especially dangerous is perforation of the veion. This can occur without consequences or it can result in the death of the patient. This chapter discusses a case of intermediate severity.
Is institutional improvement possible

A substantial literature shows that economic prosperity is dependent on the quality of economic institutions. Countries with low-quality institutions remain poor while countries with high-quality i...
Student Veterans’ Academic Performance Before and After the Post–9/11 GI Bill:

This article uses student records from a nonselective public institution to assess whether student veterans’ academic performance and preparation differed before and after the post–9/11 GI Bill. We...
Modern Scientific Literacy: A Case Study of Multiliteracies and Scientific Practices in a Fifth Grade Classroom.

This study investigates the convergence of multiliteracies and scientific practices in a fifth grade classroom. As students’ lives become increasingly multimodal, diverse, and globalized, the traditional notions of literacy must be revisited (New London Group 1996). With the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013a) in many states, either in their entirety or in adapted forms, it becomes useful to explore the interconnectedness multiliteracies and scientific practices and the resulting implications for scientific literacy. The case study included a fifth grade classroom, including the students and teacher. In order to create a rich description of the cases involved, data were collected and triangulated through teacher interviews, student interviews and focus groups, and classroom observations. Findings reveal that as science activities were enriched with multiliteracies and scientific practices, students were engaged in developing skills and knowledge central to being scientifically literate. Furthermore, this study establishes that characteristics of scientific literacy, by its intent and purpose, are a form of multiliteracies in elementary classrooms. Therefore, the teaching and learning of science and its practices for scientific literacy are in turn reinforcing the development of broader multiliteracies.
Robust dimension reduction using sliced inverse median regression

Dimension reduction is a useful technique when working with high-dimensional predictors, as meaningful data visualizations and graphical analyses using fewer predictors can be achieved. We propose a new non-iterative and robust against extreme values estimation of the effective dimension reduction (e.d.r) subspace, which is based on the estimation of the conditional median function of the predictors given the response. The existing literature on robust estimation of the e.d.r subspace relies on iterative algorithms, such as the composite quantile minimum average variance estimation and the sliced regression. Compared with these existing robust dimension reduction methods, the new method avoids iterations by directly estimating the e.d.r subspace and has better finite sample performance. It is shown that the inverse Tukey and Oja median regression curve falls into the e.d.r subspace, and that its directions can be estimated $$\sqrt{n}$$ -consistently.
Absolute values and precision of emerging soil health indicators as affected by soil sieve size

Permanganate-oxidizable carbon (POXC), mineralizable carbon (C), and protein are rapid and inexpensive soil health indicators, which focus on the fast-cycling labile soil organic matter. We tested the effect of soil processing (sieve size) on measured values and analytical variability (i.e., precision) of each indicator. Soil samples were hand-sieved to < 8-mm, < 2-mm, or ground to pass through a 2-mm sieve. Mean values of POXC, protein and mineralizable C were higher in < 2-mm than in either ground or < 8-mm soils. Soils sieved to < 8-mm were significantly more likely than either < 2-mm or ground soils to result in higher analytical variability of POXC and protein, but sieve size did not affect the analytical variability of mineralizable C. These results collectively demonstrate that the use of larger size fractions like 8-mm sieved soils for measuring POXC and protein not only leads to lower absolute values, but also increases analytical variability and therefore minimize their precision.
Regulating the Social Pollution of Systemic Discrimination Caused by Implicit Bias

Incidents of discrimination due to implicit bias, or an unconscious prejudice in favor of or against certain groups, are extremely difficult to challenge in court because plaintiffs alleging discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause must prove that the discrimination was purposeful. Since our legal system often fails to provide relief where implicit bias has caused systemic discrimination, advocates for equity and inclusion should explore preventative measures that guard against the harms of this kind of systemic discrimination. This Comment argues that a new term “social pollution” should be used to properly classify systemic discrimination caused by implicit bias as a problem that should be regulated. First, this Comment discusses the pervasiveness of implicit bias. Then it discusses the Intent Doctrine in equal protection cases and explores reform proposals that ineffectively attempt to address the difficulty of proving implicit discrimination in Title VII disparatetreatment cases. Finally, this Comment uses environmental pollution to introduce the concept of social pollution and explores prospects for using environmental statutes as models for regulatory reform proposals that address the social pollution of systemic discrimination caused by implicit bias.
Wicksell’s Use of the Theory of Committees in Public Finance

Wicksell’s work in Public Finance exhibits his characteristic boldness of construction and its general line of approach seems one which must be taken into account before any satisfactory treatment of the problem (theory of the committee) can be arrived at.1 Yet, in spite of the interest of the questions it raises and the prominence accorded during the last two decades to his other theories, his work in Public Finance, because of the difficulty of the German in which it is written, has remained almost a closed book to the English-speaking countries.2
Dendritic Polyphosphates: Globular Polyelectrolytes?

The design and the synthetic approach to the automated solid- phase synthesis of dendritic polyphosphates are described. Some potential applications of these novel materials are discussed.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Early Versus Delayed Skin Staple Removal Following Caesarean Section in the Obese Patient

Abstract Objective To compare wound complications after Caesarean section in the obese patient, following early versus delayed skin staple removal. Methods We conducted a single-centre, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial. Following Caesarean section, obese women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) with subcutaneous wound depth ≥ 2.0cm and skin staple closure of a transverse incision were randomized to staple removal on postoperative day 3 (early) or between postoperative day 7 and postoperative day 10 (delayed). The primary outcome was superficial wound dehiscence; a rate of 8% or higher in the early group was defined as inferior. Secondary outcomes were seroma/hematoma, surgical site infection, and visual analogue pain score. The planned sample size was 250 patients per group. Results The study was halted after 295 patients were randomized because of slow enrolment and exhaustion of funding. The rate of superficial wound dehiscence was 15.2% in the early group (n = 145) versus 11.5% in the delayed group (n = 148). The point estimate for this difference (3.7 %; 95% CI −4.4 to 12.4) favours delayed removal. However, because the 95% CI includes zero and the upper CI exceeds the predefined limit for non-inferiority (8%), non-inferiority was not demonstrated. The rates of all secondary outcomes were similar in the early group and the delayed group: seroma/hematoma (6.9% vs. 4.7%; RR 1.4, 95% CI 0.6 to 3.7, P = 0.4); surgical site infection (9.7% vs. 4.8%; RR 2.0, 95% CI 0.8 to 4.9, P = 0.1); and composite (superficial wound dehiscence, seroma/hematoma, and surgical site infection) wound complication (17.2% vs. 12.8%; RR 1.3, 95% CI 0.8 to 2.3, P = 0.3). Conclusion The non-inferiority of early skin staple removal was not demonstrated. Delayed removal of staples should remain the accepted standard in the obese patient following Caesarean section.
Abstract 5834: Epigenetic re-programming sensitizes prostate cancer cells to anti-androgen therapy

Prostate cancer (Pca) remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States. Although advanced Pca usually responds to therapies that suppress androgen-axis signaling, resistance inevitably develops, leading to the emergence of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Importantly, the clinical efficacy of novel therapies targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling, such as abiraterone and enzalutamide, has confirmed that most CRPC cases demonstrate intact AR signaling. Since resistance to these therapies inevitably develops, approaches that improve the response duration and address the key pathways of resistance are warranted. Mechanisms underlying androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) resistance remain poorly defined, but may depend on epigenetic reprogramming. Our group previously showed that EZH2 is overexpressed and associates with Pca progression and poor prognosis. We substantiated this finding by screening a library of epigenetic inhibitors for their ability to render ADT-resistant CRPC cells sensitive to enzalutamide. Of these compounds, the EZH2 inhibitors facilitated a substantial increase in enzalutamide-mediated growth inhibition. Given these data, we hypothesized that EZH2-mediated epigenetic reprogramming might be crucial for the development and maintenance of ADT resistance, and targeting EZH2 might sensitize resistant CRPC cells to ADT. To test this hypothesis, we performed loss-of-function of EZH2 experiments on multiple CRPC cell lines, and determined that loss-of-function of EZH2 significantly sensitized Pca cells to ADT. Interestingly, by employing RNA-seq and ChIP-seq approaches to dissect the regulatory role of EZH2, we found that EZH2 inhibition significantly up-regulates AR signaling by changing the AR cistrome. Further experimentation confirmed that the loss-of-function of EZH2-mediated deregulation of AR signaling strengthens the AR-dependency of Pca, thus increasing the sensitivity of Pca to ADT. To co-target EZH2 and AR with greater efficiency, we employed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) directed against EZH2 and AR at the mRNA level. We determined that co-targeting EZH2 and AR by ASOs constitutes a novel, viable therapy for CRPC in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we have identified EZH2 as a critical epigenetic regulator for ADT resistance and have shown that co-targeting EZH2 and AR by ASOs to be a promising, potential strategy for preventing and treating CRPC. Citation Format: Lanbo Xiao, Jean Ching-Yi Tien, Josh Vo, Abhijit Parolia, Lisha Wang, Mengyao Tan, Yuanyuan Qiao, Sudhanshu Shukla, Xiaoju Wang, Heng Zheng, Fengyun Su, Xuhong Cao, Arul Chinnaiyan. Epigenetic re-programming sensitizes prostate cancer cells to anti-androgen therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5834.
LDPC Codes Derived from Quasi-cyclic Code Design Suitable for Optical Communications

We propose a rate-adaptive forward error correction (FEC) scheme based on spatially-coupled (SC) LDPC codes derived from quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC codes with its field-programmable gate array (FPGA) architecture. By FPGA emulation, we show that, with comparable computational complexity, the proposed LDPC codes provide larger coding gain and smaller error floor compare to the QC-LDPC base code. As a result, due to its hardware friendly structure, they are presented to be a promising candidate for the next-generation intelligent optical communication systems such as long-haul optical transmission system.
Screening school-age children for developmental language disorder in primary care.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, preliminary diagnostic accuracy and reliability of a screening tool for developmental language disorder (DLD) in early school-age children seen in a paediatric...
Young adult nutrition and weight correlates of picky eating during childhood.

Objective To identify whether picky eating during childhood is associated with dietary intake, weight status and disordered eating behaviour during young adulthood. Design A population-based study using data from young adults who responded online or by mail to the third wave of the Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) study in 2008-2009. Participants retrospectively reported the extent to which they were a picky eater in childhood, sociodemographic characteristics, disordered eating behaviours, usual dietary intake, and weight and height. Setting Participants were initially recruited in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, USA, in 1998-1999. Participants The analytic sample included 2275 young adults (55 % female, 48 % non-Hispanic White, mean age 25·3 (sd 1·6) years). Results Young adults who reported picky eating in childhood were found to currently have lower intakes of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and more frequent intakes of snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and foods from fast-food restaurants. No associations were observed between picky eating in childhood and young adults' weight status, use of weight-control strategies or report of binge eating. Conclusions While young adults who report picky eating during childhood are not at higher risk for disordered eating, those who were picky eaters tend to have less healthy dietary intake. Food preferences and dietary habits established by picky eaters during childhood may persist into adulthood.
Comparison of age related alterations in arterial sterol accumulation, blood pressure and cholesterol balance in spontaneously atherosclerosis-susceptible and atherosclerosis-resistant pigeons.

The marked difference in the incidence of spontaneous atherosclerosis between White Carneau and Show Racer pigeons is well documented (1). Although the differences in arterial cholesteryl esters and their metabolism between the two breeds have been studied (2,3), no comparative studies of the age related alteration in blood pressures in these two breeds have been made. Also, it is not known how the pattern of arterial sterol accumulation compares with the changes in blood pressure and cholesterol balance. This communication reports the age related alterations in blood pressure and arterial sterol accumulation in White Carneau and Show Racer breeds of pigeons at 9 months and 17 months of age. Our studies have shown that lipid accumulation in the White Carneau pigeon occurs after 9 months of age (4).
Spatially resolved measurements of soot and gaseous precursors in ethylene counterflow diffusion flames up to 32 atm

Abstract We investigate the effect of pressure on both flame structure and soot formation in nitrogen diluted counterflow diffusion flames of ethylene in the 8–32atm pressure range. Capillary-probe gas sampling is performed to resolve spatially the profiles of gaseous species up to three-ring aromatics by GC/MS analysis and multi-color pyrometry is used to quantify the soot volume fraction and dispersion exponent. Self-similarity of flames is preserved by keeping constant mixture fraction and strain rate, so that profiles of concentrations and temperature, normalized with respect to their peak values, are unaffected by changes in pressure, once the axial coordinate is nondimensionalized with respect to the pressure-dependent diffusion length scale. When conditions are chosen so that the overall soot loading is approximately constant and compatible with the diagnostics, it is found that both the soot volume fraction and the profiles of key aromatics in the high-temperature nucleation region are virtually invariant. For it to happen, a twofold increase in pressure must be compensated by a ∼100 K decrease in peak flame temperature and, therefore, in the temperature across the soot forming region. The implication is that from the perspective of the chemical kinetics of soot formation these two actions counterbalance each other. As pressure increases (and temperature decreases) the peak production rate of the high-temperature soot mechanism decreases and, further downstream, towards the particle stagnation plane, a low-temperature soot mechanism sets in, yielding an increase in soot H/C content. This mechanism is enhanced as the pressure is raised, causing a higher overall soot volume production rate in the 16atm flame and, especially, in the 32atm one. The role of C4/C2 species in the formation of C6H6 increases with increasing pressure and dominates over the recombination of propargyl radical at sufficiently high pressures. A comprehensive database is established for soot models at high pressures of relevance to applications.
Intelligent Adapter for Simplified Central Monitoring of Network Alarms

Wide spread network of telecom operators includes multiple device types from multiple vendors. For central network fault monitoring, these devices feed alarms to Network Operating Center (NOC) in multiple formats over SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Standard representation of network alarms is the key for efficient monitoring at NOC by the engineers. Adapters are developed to translate the varied network alarm types and objects into meaningful standard format. The adapter development requires a skilled domain expert, who analyze and configures thousands of alarm types and objects. This is a time consuming, complex and skill dependent task that takes 6-12 weeks for adapter readiness and its integration.Our machine learning based Unified Alarm Mapper (UAM) model (Patent Filed) offers automated approach of alarm analysis, object classification and translation to standardized alarms formats. The model is trained on learnings from realworld data and experience of network integration implementations for few of world’s leading telecom operators. The model trained on keywords and definitions of 120,000 different alarm object from 60 different vendors. It classifies alarm objects of new alarm types and auto configures them in standard format. Synonym Vector approach used in the model gives unsupervised learning capability for classification of any future unseen alarm types and their attributes. The self-learning intelligence in the adapter makes it vendor agnostic and avoids need for development of separate adapters and enables near real-time readiness for monitoring at NOC. Overall accuracy of 95% was observed when compared the results with real-world mapped data by domain experts.
Becoming Thou as transformation in interfaith dialogue

Within current interfaith dialogue scholarship, perspective transformation towards the religious other is one of the most desired outcomes. However, exactly how such transformed perspectives come a...
Nonbinary individuals’ emotional experiences: implications for advancing counseling psychology beyond the binary

Research on the interaction between gender and emotions has largely been constrained by the gender binary. This article seeks to advance theory of constructed emotions as relates to marginalized id...
Social Determinants Do Not Determine Me

The following is the winning submission from the fifth annual Section on Pediatric Trainees Monthly Feature essay competition. For this year’s competition, we asked trainees to reflect on and share how their unique identity, or identities, informs their advocacy work on behalf of children and families. We asked writers to consider how their personal histories and backgrounds, including sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, geographic area, and life experiences improve equity in pediatric health care. We were impressed by the broad variety of important topics addressed in the pieces submitted by trainees from around the country. The winning essay by Dr Haleigh Prather highlights her experiences as a Hispanic woman raised by a single, working-class mother; the obstacles that she faced in her life and how she surmounted them; and how her strength and resilience shaped her approach to health care delivery. In this piece, she underscores how the lessons learned by trainees from challenges in their own lives promote advocacy for the health and welfare of patients.
Age-related prescription medication utilization for the -management of sickle cell disease among Texas Medicaid patients.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with recurrent complications and healthcare burden. Although SCD management guidelines differ based on age groups, little is known regarding actual utilization of preventative (hydroxyurea) and palliative therapies (opioid and nonopioid analgesics) to manage complications. This study assessed whether there were age-related differences in SCD index therapy type and SCD-related medication utilization. Design and patients: Texas Medicaid prescription claims from September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2016 were retrospectively analyzed for SCD patients aged 2-63 years who received one or more SCD-related medications (hydroxyurea, opioid, or nonopioid analgesics). Outcome measures: The primary outcomes were SCD index drug type and medication utilization: hydroxyurea adherence, and days’ supply of opioid, and nonopioid analgesics. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used. Results: Index therapy percentages for included patients (N = 2,339) were the following: opioids (45.7 percent), nonopioids (36.6 percent), dual therapy-opioids and nonopioids (11.2 percent), and hydroxyurea (6.5 percent), and they differed by age-groups ( χ 2 = 243.0, p < 0.0001). Hydroxyurea as index therapy was higher among children (2-12:9.1 percent) compared to adults (26-40:3.7 percent; 41-63:2.9 percent). Opioids as index therapy were higher among adults (18-25:48.0 percent; 26-40:54.9 percent; 41-63:65.2 percent) compared to children (2-12:36.6 percent). Mean hydroxyurea adherence was higher (p < 0.0001) for younger ages, and opioid days’ supply was higher for older ages. Conclusions: Texas Medicaid SCD patients had low hydroxyurea utilization and adherence across all age groups. Interventions to increase the use of hydroxyurea and newer preventative therapies could result in better management of SCDrelated complications and reduce the frequency of pain crises, which may reduce the need for opioid use.
A Cascade Model of Sociodevelopmental Events Leading to Men's Perpetration of Violence Against Female Romantic Partners.

Conceptually driven by life history theory, the current study investigated a hypothesized hierarchy of behaviors leading to men's perpetration of violence in intimate relationships. Using a series ...
Towards a Governable Co-management in South Korean Small-Scale Fisheries: Interactions of Institutions and Stakeholders’ Mindset

This chapter explores interactions between institutions and stakeholders’ mindset in the context of a fisheries co-management system in South Korea. Locally called Jayul, this co-management system was initiated by the central government to address resource degradation and illegal fishing concerns by involving small-scale, coastal fishing communities in fisheries management. As part of this, the program strives to affect changes in the minds of involved stakeholders, most notably fishers, to instill certain ideals such as self-initiative, community cohesion, and local rule-setting. Using semi-structured and open-ended surveys as a primary method, I conducted a study to examine the ‘match’ between the institutional aims of the Jayul program and the people’s mindset. Results show that while mismatches prevail suggesting that implementation has been less than effective, some attunement of this co-management institution can be done to better align with the mindset of small-scale fishing people, such as incorporating the principles of equity and adjacency. I argue that such attentive consideration towards the institutional design and implementation is crucial for improving the governability of the system and facilitating the governance transition.
SQL Server 2000 and ADO 2.6

microsoft has been busy again. as I was finishing Chapter 12, which was to be the last chapter of this book, the SQL Server team at Microsoft released the second beta of new versions of SQL Server and ADO. While I won’t be able to offer many concrete examples that are guaranteed to work on the new version, I think it’s important to discuss where Microsoft is taking its database technology. Although this book is supposed to be about ADO, we really can’t ignore the innovations brought about by the folks in Microsoft’s data-access development shops.
Open Source and Proprietary Software: The Search for a Profitable Middle-Ground

The open source software development model has been hailed as the most significant change in computing since Apple played David to IBM's Goliath. Yet, enterprises dedicated to bringing open source into the mainstream of the information economy have had a rough time finding ways to stay afloat financially. While traditional software companies can generate revenue from the sale of their intellectual property, this is hard to do with open source software because the developers retain only limited rights in the products. The approach adopted by some open source companies is to honor open source in spirit while inching toward fees for the use of intellectual property. These firms have created hybrid business models that combine elements of free code with code that is licensed for cash. Ironically, in the wake of the dot-com bust even firms licensing software in traditional ways have been struggling to cope. Many of these proprietary software makers have found they can better satisfy their customers, and generate more profit, by adopting aspects of the open-source development process. We take a closer look at both kinds of companies to illustrate how very different sorts of developers are moving towards a fruitful convergence. We conclude that open source companies are more likely to succeed if they can use open-source products as entree into domains protected by traditional intellectual property, and that proprietary companies can benefit from open-source software development without abandoning revenues from intellectual property. Open source and proprietary development models remain distinct, but we predict that less software will be licensed at either extreme in the future.
Brian Alegant, The Twelve-Tone Music of Luigi Dallapiccola

The Twelve-Tone Music of Luigi Dallapiccola is the first book to examine the Italian composer's twelve-tone praxis from the perspective of post-tonal theory. Brian Alegant discusses more than half ...
Component variations and their effects on bipolar nickel-hydrogen cell performance

A 50 cell bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery was assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a high voltage stack of cells. Various component combinations were tested in this battery. The battery had approximately 1 ampere-hour of capacity and was constructed from components with an active area of 2 x 2 inches. The components were parametrically varied to give a comparison of nickel electrodes, hydrogen electrodes, separators, fill procedures and electrolyte reservoir plate thicknesses. Groups of five cells were constructed using the same components; ten combinations were tested in all. The battery was thoroughly characterized at various change and discharge rates as well as with various pulse patterns and rates. Over a period of 1400 40-percent DOD LEO cycles some of the groups began to exhibit performance differences. In general, only separator variations had a significant effect on cell performance. It also appears that shunt currents may have been operating within the stack, resulting in electrolyte transfer from one cell to another, thus contributing to cell performance variations.
Cytoplasmic droplets produced by the effect of adenine on Physarum plasmodia. Comparison with caffeine droplets and effect of calcium.

Abstract Adenine and adenosine will cause the formation of cytoplasmic droplets from the plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. Like the caffeine droplets previously studied, adenine droplets can be relaxed with solutions containing EGTA and no added calcium and can be subsequently converted to droplets showing active internal cytoplasmic streaming. For both droplet types solutions containing free calcium at levels of about 1–2 × 10−7 M were effective, two orders of magnitude less than found previously. The best reactivation for both caffeine and adenine droplets occurred with solutions containing not only calcium but also ATP and saponin. The addition of ATP was not effective unless saponin was included. With the combination 81% of the caffeine droplets and 54% of the adenine droplets were reactivated. It is concluded that there is a direct requirement for low levels of calcium for cytoplasmic streaming in the droplets and therefore most probably in the intact plasmodium.
How Liability Distorts Incentives of Manufacturers to Recall Products

The nature and likelihood of harms associated with products may be revealed over time. As more information is gathered, a manufacturer must decide whether to continue selling the product as is, or to recall it. The paper shows that existing products liability law gives the manufacturers bad incentive to recall products. It shows, counter-intuitively, that as the post-recall liability becomes more severe, manufacturers would be more likely to leave products in the market longer and more often than is socially desirable. It also demonstrates that the law hurts the incentives of manufacturers to acquire better information about the riskiness of products already in use. The paper discusses several ways in which liability can be designed in a way that would produce more efficient recall and safety-research decisions, to the benefit of society in general and of consumers in particular.
Abstract 12282: A Decrease in Mitochondrial, but Not Cytosolic, Iron Protects Against Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Damage Through a Reduction in ROS

Introduction: Iron is essential for the activity of several cellular proteins, but excess free iron can cause cellular damage through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Iron accumulation in mitochondria, the major site of cellular iron homeostasis, leads to cardiomyopathy. However, it is not known whether a reduction in baseline mitochondrial (as opposed to cytosolic) iron can protect against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in the heart. We hypothesized that since mitochondria are the major site of iron homeostasis and that mitochondrial iron can lead to oxidative damage, a reduction in mitochondrial iron at baseline would be sufficient to protect against I/R injury. Results: Transgenic (TG) mice with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of the mitochondrial iron export protein ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-B8 had significantly lower mitochondrial iron in the heart than nontransgenic (NTG) littermates at baseline, but their cardiac function and the expression of key antioxidant systems were similar to NTG littermates. In response to I/R, TG mice displayed significantly less apoptosis and lipid peroxidation products and better preserved cardiac function than NTG littermates, suggesting that a reduction in mitochondrial iron protects against I/R injury. To confirm these results, we next took a pharmacological approach to assess the effects of a reduction in mitochondrial vs cytosolic iron on the response to I/R using 2,2’-bipyridyl (BPD, a mitochondria-accessible iron chelator) and deferoxamine (DFO, an iron chelator that can only reduce cytosolic iron). Treating rat cardiomyoblast H9C2 cells with BPD but not DFO significantly lowered chelatable mitochondrial iron and protected against H 2 O 2 induced cell death, and pretreatment with BPD but not DFO protected mice against I/R injury and reduced ROS production, suggesting that a reduction in baseline mitochondrial, but not cytosolic, iron is sufficient to protect against I/R injury. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that selective reduction in mitochondrial iron is protective in I/R injury. Thus, targeting mitochondrial iron with selective iron chelators may provide a novel approach for treatment of ischemic heart disease.