cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interference suppression for DS/CDMA systems in non-Gaussian impulsive channels

Multiple-access interference (\LAI) suppression techniques in DS/CD\L\. systems usually assTime additive Gaussian noise. Minimum mean squared error (\IMSE) detec­ tors are near-far resistant in additive Gaussian noise channels. But the additive channel noise in many communication channels is often non-Gaussian and impulsive. Signal de­ tection in non-Gaussian impidsive noise is traditionedly focused on single-user channels. Symmetric alpha-stable (SaS) probability density functions can accurately model kirge classes of impulsive noise. The MMSE performance criterion cannot be used for SaS processes with 0 < a < 2 since they have infinite variance. This dissertation considers the problems of MAI suppression for DS/CDMA systems in the presence of additive nonGaussian impulsive channel noise modeled as a SaS process with 1 < a < 2. These \L\I suppression techniques help combat the near-far problem. First, the minimum dispersion (MD) criterion is introduced to suppress MAI. Linear MD defection can be viewed as expansion of the concept of the MMSE detection for Gaussian multiple-access channels to SaS non-Gaussian impulsive multiple-access channels. The linear MD detector is implemented adaptively using leiist mean p-norm (L^^tP) algorithm. The performance of the linear MD detector is analyzed in the context of a SaS process. Simulation re­ sults indicate that the adaptive MD detector shows good near-far resistance. Next, this dissertation presents a MAI suppression method using the least Lp-norm criterion. The iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) algorithm recursively approximates the least Lp-norm solution from weighted norm<d equations. Simulation results show that the pro­ posed detector provides remarkable performance improvements over the adaptive MD
Thermal aware workload scheduling with backfilling for green data centers

Data centers now play an important role in modern IT infrastructures. Related research has shown that the energy consumption for data center cooling systems has recently increased significantly. There is also strong evidence to show that high temperatures with in a data center will lead to higher hardware failure rates and thus an increase in maintenance costs. This paper devotes itself in the field of thermal aware resource management for data centers. This paper proposes an analytical model, which describes data center resources with heat transfer properties and workloads with thermal features. Then a thermal aware task scheduling algorithm with backfilling is presented which aims to reduce power consumption and temperatures in a data center. A simulation study is carried out to evaluate the performance of the algorithm. Simulation results show that our algorithm can significantly reduce temperatures in data centers by introducing endurable decline in performance.
Suppression of plasma catecholamines and flushing by clonidine in man

Administration of the anti-hypertensive agent clonidine as a single (0.5 mg) oral dose or as multiple doses (0.2-0.4 mg/day for 4 days) markedly reduced plasma catecholamines (decrement = 81 +/- 3% and 68 +/- 5%, respectively; X +/- SE, % of basal; both P less than 0.001) in normal male volunteers. Five patients with various metabolic disorders showed similar responses. The absolute decrements in plasma catecholamines correlated significantly with basal catecholamine levels (P less than 0.001). Clonidine-induced decrements in mean arterial blood pressure correlated significantly with decrements in plasma catecholamines (P less than 0.001). The clonidine effect upon catecholamine levels was reversed by phentolamine (clonidine = -68 +/- 5%; clonidine with phentolamine = -1 +/- 16%). The decrements in catecholamines induced by clonidine in normal subjects were associated with increased sensitivity to the pressor effect of infusion of exogenous norepinephrine. In an analogous fashion flushing associated with endogenous adrenergic discharge was blocked by clonidine, whereas that due to exogenous catecholamines was intensified. These data are compatible with data in experimental animals suggesting that clonidine acts at least in part by interaction with a central alpha adrenergic receptor.
The Effect of Clefting of the Lip and Palate and the Palatal Arch Form

In a normal jaw with intact lips and palate, the muscles of the lip, cheek, and pharynx exert their normal sphincter-like actions against the developing maxillary and mandibular arches. The compressive external muscular forces neutralize the expansion forces of the tongue (Fig. 4.1). The neonatal arch form changes as these forces change with growth and maturation, yet the opposing muscles always maintain a precise and dynamic balance with each other. When this muscular balance is upset, the arch form and teeth relationships change.
Prevalence of Violence Against Dating Partners by Male and Female University Students Worldwide

This article presents rates of violence against dating partners by students at 31 universities in 16 countries (5 in Asia and the Middle East, 2 in Australia-New Zealand, 6 in Europe, 2 in Latin America, 16 in North America). Assault and injury rates are presented for males and females at each of the 31 universities. At the median university, 29% of the students physically assaulted a dating partner in the previous 12 months (range = 17% to 45%) and 7% had physically injured a partner (range = 2% to 20%). The results reveal both important differences and similarities between universities. Perhaps the most important similarity is the high rate of assault perpetrated by both male and female students in all the countries.
Liquid metal mist cooling and MHD Ericsson cycle for fusion energy conversion

The combination of liquid metal mist coolant and a liquid metal MHD (LMMHD) energy conversion system (ECS) based on the Ericsson cycle is being proposed for high-temperature fusion reactors. It is shown that the two technologies are highly compatible, thermodynamically and physically. Thermodynamically, they allow delivery of the fusion energy to the cycle with probably the highest practical average temperature commensurate with a given maximum reactor design constraint. Physically, the mist cooling and LMMHD ECSs can be coupled directly, eliminating the need for primary heat exchangers and reheaters. The net result is expected to be a high-efficiency, simple and reliable heat transport and ECS. It is concluded that the proposed match could increase the economic viability of fusion reactors, prompting recommendations that a thorough study of the two complementary technologies be made. >
Use of juvenile hormone esterase as a novel reporter enzyme in the baculovirus expression system

Juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) has a number of characteristics favorable for use as a reporter enzyme. It is extremely stable under a variety of adverse conditions including in organic solvent. JHE is easily detected by a rapid and sensitive colorimetric assay, and detection is facilitated by export of the enzyme from the cell. Its use is illustrated in the baculovirus expression system by promoter studies and evaluation of culture conditions necessary for optimal production of recombinant proteins. From this, it was found that protein yields were greater for Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) expression vectors using the basic protein promoter to drive production of JHE than for the p10 protein or polyhedrin promoters. This has significant implications for current baculovirus expression methodologies. The effect of multiplicity of infection on protein yield was found to be insignificant between 0.1 and 10 for expression under the basic protein promoter. Yields of JHE were about 40% higher from the cell line Tn5B1-4 ('High Five') relative to the Sf21 cell line under optimized conditions for each cell line, with maximum yields obtained at 2-3 days, and 3-5 days post-infection for the two cell lines respectively when cultured in ExCell 401 medium. The presence of fetal calf serum in the cell culture medium enhanced protein yields from both cell lines. These studies demonstrate the use of JHE as a reporter enzyme for optimizing high yields of protein from the baculovirus expression system. JHE also has a potential application as a reporter enzyme in other eukaryotic systems. The advantages and use of JHE over other reporter enzyme are discussed.
Determination of similarity measures for pairs of mass lesions on mammograms by use of BI-RADS lesion descriptors and image features.

Rationale and Objectives To determine similarity measures for selection of pathology-known similar images that would be useful for radiologists as a reference guide in the diagnosis of new breast lesions on mammograms. Materials and Methods The images were obtained from the Digital Database for Screening Mammography developed by the University of South Florida. For determination and evaluation of similarity measures, the “gold standard” of similarities for 300 pairs of masses was determined by 10 breast radiologists. For determining similarity measures that would agree with radiologists' similarity determination, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained with the radiologists' subjective similarity ratings and the image features. The image features were determined subjectively using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lesion descriptors and objectively by computerized image analysis. The similarity measures determined by the ANN were compared to the gold standard and evaluated in terms of the correlation coefficient. Results The similarity measures determined using the BI-RADS descriptors only were not as useful as those determined by use of the image features only. When the BI-RADS margin ratings were combined with the image features, the correlation coefficient between the subjective ratings and the objective measures improved slightly ( r = 0.76) compared to those based on the image features alone ( r = 0.74). Conclusions The inclusion of the BI-RADS margin descriptors may be useful for determination of similarity measures, especially when it is difficult to obtain the manual outlines of the masses and if the BI-RADS descriptors were provided consistently by radiologists.
The Psychobiology of Stress

Stressful life experience can have significant effects on a variety of physiological systems, including the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and the immune system. These relationships can be bidirectional; for example, immune cell products can act on the brain, altering mood and cognition, potentially contributing to depression. Although acute physiological alterations may be adaptive in the short term, chronic or repeated provocation can result in damage to health. The central dogma in the field of stress research assumes a stereotyped physiological response to all stressors (the generality model). However, increasing evidence suggests that specific stressful conditions and the specific way an organism appraises these conditions can elicit qualitatively distinct emotional and physiological responses (the integrated specificity model). For example, appraisals of threat (vs. challenge), uncontrollability, and negative social evaluation have been shown to provoke specific p...
HIV-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Immunity in Humanized Bone Marrow–Liver–Thymus Mice

CD8+ T-cell responses play a critical role in the control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and recent vaccine studies in nonhuman primates now demonstrate the ability of T cells to prevent the early dissemination of simian immunodeficiency virus and perhaps clear residual infection. Recent advances in humanized mouse models, in particular the humanized bone marrow–liver–thymus (BLT) mouse model, show promise in their ability not only to support sustained infection with HIV, but also to recapitulate human HIV-specific immunity. The availability of a small-animal model with which to study human-specific immune responses to HIV would greatly facilitate the elucidation of mechanisms of immune control, as well as accelerate the iterative testing of promising vaccine candidates. Here we discuss data from our recent study detailing the composition and efficacy of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in humanized BLT mice that was recently presented at a Harvard Center for AIDS Research symposium on humanized mouse models for HIV vaccine design.
Determination of residue levels of alpha-chloralose in duck tissues

Alpha-chloralose (AC) is used to capture nuisance waterfowl so that they can be relocated. Concerns for food safety limit its use prior to or during the waterfowl hunting season. To determine its half-life in tissue, we administered AC to adult male (n = 7) and female (n = 5) mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) via oral gavage. A gel capsule containing 100 µCi of radioactive AC ( 14 C-AC) and sufficient nonlabeled AC to produce a dose of approximately 30 mg/kg was given to each duck.The ducks were euthanized at 2, 6, 10, and 18 hours post- dosing (n = 3 per exposure period), and tissue samples were collected for radioactive analysis. Residues observed in edible tissues from ducks dosed with radioactive AC demonstrated a delayed uptake as the duck was under the anesthetic effects of the AC. Following the period when the ducks were unconscious, most of the AC was rapidly excreted from the body with mean half-life (t ½ ) values of 9.0 hours, 9.8 hours, and 9.1 hours for breast muscle, liver, and skin, respectively. An approximation of total excretion (99%) was made by taking 7 times the t ½ , resulting in values of between 27 to 33 hours post-exposure. These results suggest that tissues from mallard ducks are safe for human consumption 48 hours after dosing, a period that is significantly shorter than the FDA-required 30-day withdrawal period. Key word: alpha-chloralose, disposition, ducks, human-wildlife conflicts, immobilizing agent, radio-labeled
Spine formation and maturation in the developing rat auditory cortex.

The rat auditory cortex is organized as a tonotopic map of sound frequency. This map is broadly tuned at birth and is refined during the first 3 weeks postnatal. The structural correlates underlying tonotopic map maturation and reorganization during development are poorly understood. We employed fluorescent dye ballistic labeling (“DiOlistics”) alone, or in conjunction with immunohistochemistry, to quantify synaptogenesis in the auditory cortex of normal hearing rats. We show that the developmental appearance of dendritic protrusions, which include both immature filopodia and mature spines, on layers 2/3, 4, and 5 pyramidal and layer 4 spiny nonpyramidal neurons occurs in three phases: slow addition of dendritic protrusions from postnatal day 4 (P4) to P9, rapid addition of dendritic protrusions from P9 to P19, and a final phase where mature protrusion density is achieved (>P21). Next, we combined DiOlistics with immunohistochemical labeling of bassoon, a presynaptic scaffolding protein, as a novel method to categorize dendritic protrusions as either filopodia or mature spines in cortex fixed in vivo. Using this method we observed an increase in the spine-to-filopodium ratio from P9–P16, indicating a period of rapid spine maturation. Previous studies report mature spines as being shorter in length compared to filopodia. We similarly observed a reduction in protrusion length between P9 and P16, corroborating our immunohistochemical spine maturation data. These studies show that dendritic protrusion formation and spine maturation occur rapidly at a time previously shown to correspond to auditory cortical tonotopic map refinement (P11–P14), providing a structural correlate of physiological maturation.
METABOLIC, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED HYPERTHYROIDISM IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

From the wealth of data on the physiological processes in schizophrenia there has gradually crystallized in the minds of some investigators the inference that a disturbance of oxidation may characterize the disease process. In a recent paper bearing on this point, Hoskins (1) has presented a summary of the investigations carried out in schizophrenics at the Worcester State Hospital over a period of 10 years. In the evidence cited, reference is made to the incidence of thyroid dysfunction as one feature indicative of defective oxidation. The fact that there is a generally diminished metabolic rate and an apparently high tolerance to thyroid medication is adduced in this connection. As a closely related problem, the present investigation has been concerned with the physiological responses of schizophrenic patients to prolonged hyperthyroidization. The nature of concomitant psychiatric changes in this group of patients will be reported separately. Although ‘control experiments’ which would indicate the compa...
Action understanding as inverse planning.

Humans are adept at inferring the mental states underlying other agents' actions, such as goals, beliefs, desires, emotions and other thoughts. We propose a computational framework based on Bayesian inverse planning for modeling human action understanding. The framework represents an intuitive theory of intentional agents' behavior based on the principle of rationality: the expectation that agents will plan approximately rationally to achieve their goals, given their beliefs about the world. The mental states that caused an agent's behavior are inferred by inverting this model of rational planning using Bayesian inference, integrating the likelihood of the observed actions with the prior over mental states. This approach formalizes in precise probabilistic terms the essence of previous qualitative approaches to action understanding based on an "intentional stance" [Dennett, D. C. (1987). The intentional stance. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press] or a "teleological stance" [Gergely, G., Nadasdy, Z., Csibra, G., & Biro, S. (1995). Taking the intentional stance at 12 months of age. Cognition, 56, 165-193]. In three psychophysical experiments using animated stimuli of agents moving in simple mazes, we assess how well different inverse planning models based on different goal priors can predict human goal inferences. The results provide quantitative evidence for an approximately rational inference mechanism in human goal inference within our simplified stimulus paradigm, and for the flexible nature of goal representations that human observers can adopt. We discuss the implications of our experimental results for human action understanding in real-world contexts, and suggest how our framework might be extended to capture other kinds of mental state inferences, such as inferences about beliefs, or inferring whether an entity is an intentional agent.
Theatre information management through the services of information dissemination management (IDM)

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is in the process of fielding new capabilities for information awareness, access, and delivery management under the Information Dissemination Management (IDM) initiative. Incorporating advanced technologies from the Battlefield Awareness and Data Dissemination (BADD) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) and lessons learned from the Bosnia Command and Control Augmentation (BC2A) efforts, IDM supports theatre information management (TIM) and the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) by providing integrated capabilities across strategic, operational, and tactical levels of operation for timely, relevant, and accurate information. The paper discusses key IDM capabilities and how it supports the TIM's operational role in information management. The IDM approach involves smart information push/pull, metadata-based cataloging, profiling policy, and search capabilities, all having general application to any information system. In addition, IDM features other supporting services and options that provide the ability to effectively manage deployment costs and overall system performance based on operational mission needs and dissemination resources.
Archaeological prospection: An introduction to the Special Issue

Archaeological prospection, as the use of geophysical methods in archaeology is known in Europe, is about four decades old (seven decades, if aerial photography of archaeological sites is included). Virtually the entire range of geophysical methods, perhaps excluding only borehole techniques, has found application in the search for archaeological sites unseen or partially known. Pressures by developers, and the public’s growing sensitivity toward the preservation of historic and prehistoric cultural artifacts and sites, has led to an accelerating use of high‐resolution geophysical methods in the archaeological sciences. The archaeogeophysical articles in this Special Issue are reasonably representative of the development of this specialty field of geophysics.
Recombinant urease and urease DNA of Coccidioides immitis elicit an immunoprotective response against coccidioidomycosis in mice.

ABSTRACT Coccidioides immitis antigens which stimulate a T helper cell 1 (Th1) pathway of host immune response are considered to be essential components of a vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. Recombinant urease (rURE) and recombinant heat shock protein 60 (rHSP60) of C. immitis were expressed in Escherichia coli and tested as vaccine candidates in BALB/c mice. A synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide which contained unmethylated CpG dinucleotides and was previously shown to enhance a murine Th1 response was used as an immunoadjuvant. T cells isolated from the spleens and lymph nodes of the rURE- and rHSP60-immune mice showed in vitro proliferative responses to the respective recombinant protein, but only those T lymphocytes from rURE-immunized mice revealed markedly elevated levels of expression of selected Th1-type cytokine genes. BALB/c mice immunized subcutaneously with rURE and subsequently challenged by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route with a lethal inoculum of C. immitis arthroconidia demonstrated a significant reduction in the level of C. immitis infection compared to control animals. rHSP60 was much less effective as a protective antigen. Evaluation of cytokine gene expression in lung tissue and levels of recombinant urease-specific immunoglobulins (immunoglobulin G1 [IgG1] versus IgG2a) in murine sera at 12 days after challenge provided additional evidence that immunization with rURE stimulated a Th1 response to the pathogen. Urease was further evaluated by expression of theURE gene in a mammalian plasmid vector (pSecTag2A.URE) which was used to immunize mice by the intradermal route. In this case, 82% of the vector construct-immunized animals survived more than 40 days after i.p. infection, compared to only 10% of the mice immunized with the vector alone. In addition, 87% of the pSecTag2A.URE-immunized survivors had sterile lungs and spleens. These data support the need for further evaluation of the C. immitis urease as a candidate vaccine against coccidioidomycosis.
Application of binomial and multinomial probability statistics to the sampling design process of a global grain tracing and recall system

Small, coded, pill sized tracers embedded in grains are proposed as a method to store a historical record of grains and retrieve coded information for grain traceability. This study aimed to develop and validate a statistical sampling procedure to securely collect sample sizes (kg) and number of tracers since the sampling accuracy is critical in the proposed traceability system for capturing information and data related to grain lots to trace the grain back through the route in a grain supply chain. The statistical results and observations showed similar concentrations and insignificant segregation of tracers in bin and truck operations. The number of tracers required for identification of grain sources fell within the confidence intervals and sample sizes (kg) estimated by statistical probability methods. Truck sampling appeared more feasible in collecting the secure number of tracers over bin sampling. The designed sampling process was empirically proven to be practically applicable and provide better scientific assurance of sampling accuracy, which may reduce economic risks and their consequent costs caused by unfavorable sampling in the propose traceability system.
Does Unauthorized Status Reduce Exposure to Pesticides? Evidence From the National Agricultural Workers Survey

Ample scholarship suggests that unauthorized immigrants are more likely to face occupational hazards because their lack of legal status makes them more vulnerable to workplace abuse. Despite much research documenting how legal status affects wages, employment, and job stability, few studies have empirically analyzed impacts of legal status on the employment conditions of hired farmworkers. In this article we examine whether unauthorized farmworkers are more likely to handle pesticides and receive pesticide training. We use the National Agricultural Workers Survey, a data set that distinguishes between unauthorized, authorized, and citizen workers. Results from descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses suggest, contrary to expectation, that unauthorized legal status is associated with a reduced likelihood of handling pesticides or receiving training for pesticides.This finding is bolstered by results for control variables associated with unauthorized status, such as age and U.S. agricultural employment experience. Taken together, the results are consistent with labor market segmentation theory that suggests jobs encompassing occupational hazards are allocated to or held by more experienced workers who are better compensated for the risks they undertake.
Effects of turnip crinkle virus infection on the structure and function of mitochondria and expression of stress proteins in turnips

We have investigated the effect of turnip crinkle virus (TCV) infection on mitochondrial structure and function in turnips (Brassica rapa cultivar Just Right). TCV infection resulted in plants with small, mottled leaves with severely crinkled edges, and in a 46% reduction in storage root mass. TCV infection resulted in specific vesicularization of mitochondrial outer membranes where TCV replication is thought to occur, with no apparent affect on other cellular membrane systems. Immunoblot analysis of mitochondrial proteins from storage roots indicated that the TCV p28 protein, which is essential for viral replication, was associated with mitochondria and that mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 and cpn60 levels increased upon TCV infection. Isolation of mitochondrial outer membranes further showed TCV p28 protein enrichment in the outer membrane as compared with total mitochondrial proteins or total cellular proteins. Analysis of mitochondrial electron transport chain activities indicated that TCV infection resulted in a 54% decrease in exogenous NADH-dependent oxygen uptake and a 8% decrease in succinate-dependent oxygen uptake. Together these results indicate that TCV infection induces a stress response in mitochondria and a reduction in the ability of mitochondria to supply adenosine 5'-triphosphate to the cell.
The social characteristics of persons arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Of the 1145 (11.6% women) drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated (adwi) within Santa Clara County, Calif., and the 573 (5.4% women) in Columbus, Ohio, during the first 6 months of 1962, abo...
Binding of Molecular O2 to Di- and Triligated [UO2]+

Gas-phase complexes containing dioxouranium(V) cations ([UO2]+) ligated with two or three σ-donating acetone ligands reacted with dioxygen to form [UO2(A)2,3(O2)]+, where A is acetone. Collision-induced dissociation studies of [UO2(A)3(O2)]+ showed initial loss of acetone, followed by elimination of O2, which suggested that O2 was bound more strongly than the third acetone ligand, but less strongly than the second. Similar behavior was observed for complexes in which water was substituted for acetone. Binding of dioxygen to [UO2]+ containing zero, one, or four ligands did not occur, nor did it occur for analogous ligated U(IV)O2 or U(VI)O2 ions. For example, only addition of acetone and/or H2O occurred for the U(VI) species [UO2OH]+, with the ligand addition cascade terminating in formation of [UO2OH(A)3]+. Similarly, the U(IV) species [UOOH]+ added donor ligands, which produced the mixed-ligand complex [UOOH(A)3(H2O)]+ as the preferred product at the longest reaction times accessible. Since dioxygen norm...
The effects of experimental freeze-thaw cycles to bone as a component of subaerial weathering

Abstract Subaerial weathering of bone is a taphonomic process that affects many archaeological and paleontological assemblages and is characterized by surface bleaching, loss of organic component, and progressive cracking and fragmentation of the bone surfaces. The mechanisms by which these changes occur, however, are poorly understood but are hypothesized to include ultraviolet exposure, degreasing, leaching, remineralization, wetting/drying, thermal expansion/contraction, and freezing/thawing. In order to examine the potential contribution of the latter process to weathering, a sample ( n = 93) of naturally decomposed and degreased metapodials of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) were subjected to up to 75 cycles of complete freezing and thawing under laboratory conditions, with samples withdrawn each 25 cycles for histological examination of the taphonomic alterations to the bone microstructure. Macroscopic and microscopic changes included progressive cracking that parallels part of the progressive degradation of weathered bone, but no elements unequivocally reached weathering stage 1 over this interval.
The impact of body habitus on outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample analysis

OBJECTIVE Although the prevalence of obesity is increasing rapidly both nationally and internationally, few studies have analyzed outcomes among obese patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery. The goal of this study, which used a nationwide data set, was to evaluate the association of both obesity and morbid obesity with treatment outcomes among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); in addition, the authors sought to analyze how postoperative complications for obese patients with SAH differ by the treatment modality used for aneurysm repair. METHODS Clinical data for adult patients with SAH who underwent microsurgical or endovascular aneurysm repair were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). The body habitus of patients was classified as nonobese (body mass index [BMI] 40 kg/m2). Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the association of body habitus with in-hospital mortality rate, complications, discharge disposition, and poor outcome as defined by the composite NIS-SAH outcome measure. Covariates included patient demographics, comorbidities (including hypertension and diabetes), health insurance status, the NIS-SAH severity scale, treatment modality used for aneurysm repair, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS In total, data from 18,281 patients were included in this study; the prevalence of morbid obesity increased from 0.8% in 2002 to 3.5% in 2011. Obese and morbidly obese patients were significantly younger and had a greater number of comorbidities than nonobese patients (p < 0.001). Mortality rates for obese (11.5%) and morbidly obese patients (10.5%) did not significantly differ from those for nonobese patients (13.5%); likewise, no differences in neurological complications or poor outcome were observed among these 3 groups. Morbid obesity was associated with significantly increased odds of several medical complications, including venous thromboembolic (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01-2.30, p = 0.046) and renal (OR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.11-2.43, p = 0.01) complications and infections (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.67, p = 0.009, attributable to greater odds of urinary tract and surgical site infections). Moreover, morbidly obese patients had higher odds of a nonroutine hospital discharge (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.71, p = 0.03). Patients with milder obesity had decreased odds of some medical complications, including cardiac, pulmonary, and infectious complications, primarily among patients who had undergone coil embolization. CONCLUSIONS In this study involving a nationwide administrative database, milder obesity was not significantly associated with increased mortality rates, neurological complications, or poor outcomes after SAH. Morbid obesity, however, was associated with increased odds of venous thromboembolic, renal, and infectious complications, as well as of a nonroutine hospital discharge. Notably, milder obesity was associated with decreased odds of some medical complications, primarily in patients treated with coiling.
Modest improvement in survival of patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts in the hypomethylating agents era in the United States.

Therapeutic options for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) expanded considerably in the past decade.[1] In the United States (US), two hypomethylating agents (HMAs: azacitidine and decita...
Medical Text Simplification by Medical Trainees: A Feasibility Study

Current healthcare practice is transitioning from a provider-centered model to a patient-centered model of care, where patients are no longer passive recipients of care, but are encouraged to actively engage in and take greater responsibility for medical decision-making. As part of this trend patients are gaining access to larger and more diverse sets of medical texts through Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems (e.g., doctor's notes, discharge summaries, etc.). The availability of medical notes that are accurate and easily understandable for patients will be crucial for the success of this new care model. However, medical notes are primarily written for the purpose of providerto-provider communication and are generally difficult for lay persons to understand, especially those individuals with low health literacy. Thus, patients are not fully able to utilize this information due to linguistic and literacy barriers. Our ultimate goal is to develop a health IT intervention that addresses this gap by combining information technology with untapped human expertise, such as knowledge held by medical students and other trainees. This paper describes an initial feasibility study to determine whether medical trainees have sufficient expertise to convert medical reports into understandable, everyday language. We measure the effect of simplifications on objective comprehensibility, patient preferences, and then relate the outcome to linguistic characteristics of the texts. Our results show that comprehensibility improves substantially even without prior task-specific training of medical students, and that studentgenerated simplifications are strongly preferred over the original medical texts.
Nicotine increases anterior insula activation to expected and unexpected outcomes among nonsmokers

Tobacco has a higher rate of dependence than other drugs of abuse. However, the psychopharmacological effects of nicotine are incongruent with the tenacity of tobacco addiction since nicotine does not produce robust euphoria in humans or self-administration in rodents. A potential explanation is that nicotine amplifies the salience of other stimuli that have some incentive value, which could influence the initiation and persistence of smoking. However, the neural mechanisms of this process are unknown. One way that nicotine may amplify the salience of other stimuli is by enhancing reward prediction errors. We hypothesized that nicotine would enhance the neural response to unexpected (relative to expected) rewards compared to placebo. Twenty-three nonsmokers underwent two fMRI scans, following nicotine (1 mg) or placebo administration, while performing an outcome expectation task. In the task, a pair of cues was associated with either a subsequent reward (the image of a $100 bill) or a nonreward (the image of a blurry rectangle). On 20% of trials, the cue was followed by an unexpected outcome. Although nicotine did not affect the magnitude of prediction errors relative to placebo, nicotine did increase BOLD activation in the anterior insula/inferior frontal gyrus and decrease activation in the caudate across all outcome types (including both rewards and nonrewards). The insula and caudate could play a role in the initial effects of nicotine in nonsmokers, and these changes in baseline may be the mechanism that underlies how nicotine amplifies the salience of nondrug stimuli.
Adversarial Principles and the Case File in Russian Criminal Procedure

In this essay, the author argues that the Russian Criminal Procedure Code satisfies neither European nor American conceptions of adversarial principles. The first section of the article describes what the author calls the hybrid nature of Russia's criminal justice system and summarizes the argument that adversarial principles, however defined, are unsatisfied by it. The second section provides a detailed explanation of how the Code's retention of the case file subverts its adoption of adversarial principles. The third section presents a brief discussion of how the continued power of the case file tends to thwart efforts by defence counsel to use their new powers to collect evidence independently for admission at trial. Brief conclusions follow in the last section.
Image quality of cone beam computed tomography for evaluation of extremity fractures in the presence of metal hardware: visual grading characteristics analysis

Objective:To evaluate image quality and interobserver reliability of a novel cone-beam CT (CBCT) scanner in comparison with plain radiography for assessment of fracture healing in the presence of metal hardware.Methods:In this prospective institutional review board-approved Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996-complaint study, written informed consent was obtained from 27 patients (10 females and 17 males; mean age 44 years, age range 21–83 years) with either upper or lower extremity fractures, and with metal hardware, who underwent CBCT scans and had a clinical radiograph of the affected part. Images were assessed by two independent observers for quality and interobserver reliability for seven visualization tasks. Visual grading characteristic (VGC) curve analysis determined the differences in image quality between CBCT and plain radiography. Interobserver agreement was calculated using Pearson's correlation coefficient.Results:VGC results displayed preference of CBCT images to pla...
Survival and cause of death in patients with refractory anemias.

7033 Background: Despite its common occurrence, there are few large population-based studies on low-grade myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We evaluated the outcomes for the two low-risk MDS subtype...
HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) and HER2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in patients treated with combination trastuzumab, lapatinib, and bevacizumab.

e22082 Background: Biomarkers associated with efficacy of HER2-directed treatments are lacking. We evaluated HER2 ECD levels and HER2 SNPs in patients treated on a clinical trial of combination tra...
Specific Bone Morphogenic Protein Receptor II Mutations Found in Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Cause Different Biochemical Phenotypes In Vitro

2002;121;83S-84S Chest Srikanth S. Nadadur, Kent E. Pinkerton and Urmila P. Kodavanti * Environmental Tobacco Smoke Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Exposed to Pulmonary Gene Expression Profiles of http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/121/3_suppl/83S.2.full.html can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( distributed without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or College of Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. has been published monthly since 1935. Copyright2002by the American is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It Chest
SOME NUMERICAL RESULTS OF SELECTION UPON POLYHYBRIDS

Page 544, line 17 from bottom, for "octahybrid" read "octohybrid." Page 558, Table 31, line 3, for "1 2 6 4 5 6 n1" read "1 2 3 4 5 6 n1." Page 563, line 11, for "these formula" read "these formulae." Page 580, line 2 of Part II, for "successive" read "recessive." Page 581, line 6, the
Improving Teamwork: Evaluating Workload of Surgical Team During Robot-assisted Surgery.

Objective To investigate the cognitive and physical workload experienced by each operating room team member for different types of urologic procedures. Methods Surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical fellows, bedside assistants, circulating nurses, and scrub nurses completed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index questionnaire for various urologic robot-assisted surgery procedures. A total of 338 questionnaires from 55 unique individuals were collected. Workload differences by role, type of procedure, and surgery duration were analyzed using analysis of variance for each of the 6 domains of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index. The effects of trainees' participation on their perceived workload and the workloads of the lead surgeon and bedside assistant were analyzed with correlation. Results The role of the surgical team was significant for all the scales of workload, and there was a main effect type of surgery on temporal demand and frustration. Frustration was higher for prostatectomy in comparison to cystectomy for the trainee surgeon. On the other hand, it was lower for the anesthesiologist, bedside assistant, and the circulating nurse. There was no effect of procedural complexity on workload. Regardless of surgical complexity, the trainees performed approximately 40% of the procedure without significantly impacting their perceived workload. Conclusion This study provides an analysis of variations and contributors to workload parameters and serves as a platform to optimize team members' workload during robot-assisted surgery.
Medication adherence beliefs of U.S community pharmacists

Abstract Background There is increasing attention on the role of community pharmacists in improving medication adherence. There is a need to better understand pharmacist attitudes and experiences related to this role. Objective To assess community pharmacist perceptions of patient reasons for non-adherence, characterize the adherence beliefs of community pharmacists, and test if there are demographic predictors of pharmacists’ self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and role beliefs related to intervening on medication non-adherence. Methods A cross-sectional survey was mailed using a 4-contact approach to 1000 pharmacists practicing in 5 Midwestern U.S. States. The survey included seven domains to address the study objectives. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic items, coefficient alphas tested the internal consistency of scales, and multiple regression was used to test the relationship between demographics and scale means. Results There were 261 usable responses giving a 29% response rate. Pharmacists perceived forgetting and instructions changing without a new prescription to be the most common reasons for late refills. A minority of pharmacists agreed that non-adherence involves a deliberate decision or that negative medication beliefs were common reasons for late refills. Pharmacists were confident, had positive outcome expectations, and positive role beliefs related to interacting with patients who have adherence issues. Barriers to adherence intervention included difficulties with follow-up and documentation. Also, over half of the pharmacists reported that discussing adherence makes patients defensive. Conclusions Pharmacists had positive attitudes toward intervening on medication non-adherence although barriers to intervention are present. Pharmacists perceived non-intentional reasons for late refills to be more prevalent than intentional reasons. Pharmacists may benefit from additional non-adherence communication training and support targeted at identifying a broader range of non-adherence reasons.
Cities and Countryside in Anthropology

Most current discussion of “urbanism” and “urbanization” can be shown to be ethno- and temporocentric and based on a historically particular class of urban phenomena and urban forms of integration. Exegesis of text after text—whether produced by persons ostensibly doing “pure,” “objective,” descriptive, or “basic” science, or engaged in some form of application—shows systematic orientations whose axiomatic presuppositions and logical consequences can be clearly laid out as emanations of a specific world view.
Conditional Gauge and q-Green Function

In Section 5.4, we proved the Gauge Theorem for a bounded domain D: if the gauge u(x) = E x {e q (τ D )} ≢ ∞ in D, then it is bounded in \( \bar D \) . In this section, we shall prove the Conditional Gauge Theorem for a bounded Lipschitz domain D: if the conditional gauge u(x, z) = E z x {e q (τ D )} ≢ ∞ in D × ∂D, then it is bounded in D × ∂D. For the gauge theorem, no assumption about the boundary is imposed, not even its regularity in the Dirichlet sense. By contrast, the conditional gauge theorem requires a certain smoothness of the boundary. Ad hoc assumptions on D and q may be and have been considered, but we shall settle the case in which D is a bounded Lipschitz domain in ℝ d , d≥2 and q ∈ Jloc. For the case d = 1, see Theorem 9.9 and the Appendix to Section 9.2.
Experimental Evaluation of Design Procedures for Shear Strength of Deep Reinforced Concrete Beams

This paper gives results from monotonic testing of 4 reinforced concrete deep beams. The behavior of the deep beams is described in terms of cracking patterns, load-versus-deflection response, failure mode, and strains in steel reinforcement and concrete. Despite different failure modes, failure loads and corresponding ultimate deflections were similar in all 4 specimens. Yielding of both longitudinal and transverse reinforcement occurred prior to failure. Based on the test results, the shear design procedures contained in the ACI 318-99 Code and Appendix A of the ACI 318-02 Code were evaluated. Both design procedures yielded conservative predictions of the shear strength of the single-span deep beams.
Reading the Road Map for 21st Century Geography Education in the United States

Improving the quality of geography education in the United States became a primary purpose of project entitled ‘A Road Map for 21st Century Geography Education’, which was launched in 2010. This ar...
Mosaic Labeling and 3-Dimensional Morphological Analysis of Single Cells in the Zebrafish Left-right Organizer.

A transient epithelial structure called the left-right organizer (LRO) establishes left-right asymmetry in vertebrate embryos. Developmental defects that alter LRO formation result in left-right patterning errors that often lead to congenital heart malformations. However, little is known about mechanisms that regulate individual cell behaviors during LRO formation. To address this, we developed a Cre-loxP based method to mosaically label precursor cells, called dorsal forerunner cells, that give rise to the zebrafish LRO known as Kupffer’s vesicle. This methodology allows lineage tracing, 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and morphometric analysis of single LRO cells in living embryos. The ability to visualize and quantify individual LRO cell dynamics provides an opportunity to advance our understanding of LRO development, and in a broader sense, investigate the interplay between intrinsic biochemical mechanisms and extrinsic mechanical forces that drive morphogenesis of epithelial tissues.