cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Xoc, an extension-oriented compiler for systems programming

Today's system programmers go to great lengths to extend the languages in which they program. For instance, system-specific compilers find errors in Linux and other systems, and add support for specialized control flow to Qt and event-based programs. These compilers are difficult to build and cannot always understand each other's language changes. However, they can greatly improve code understandability and correctness, advantages that should be accessible to all programmers.We describe an extension-oriented compiler for C called xoc. An extension-oriented compiler, unlike a conventional extensible compiler, implements new features via many small extensions that are loaded together as needed. Xoc gives extension writers full control over program syntax and semantics while hiding many compiler internals. Xoc programmers concisely define powerful compiler extensions that, by construction, can be combined; even some parts of the base compiler, such as GNU C compatibility, are structured as extensions.Xoc is based on two key interfaces. Syntax patterns allow extension writers to manipulate language fragments using concrete syntax. Lazy computation of attributes allows extension writers to use the results of analyses by other extensions or the core without needing to worry about pass scheduling.Extensions built using xoc include xsparse, a 345-line extension that mimics Sparse, Linux's C front end, and xlambda, a 170-line extension that adds function expressions to C. An evaluation of xoc using these and 13 other extensions shows that xoc extensions are typically more concise than equivalent extensions written for conventional extensible compilers and that it is possible to compose extensions.
MAGNA: modeling and generating network attacks

We present a system that generates synthetic attack traffic from state-based models of the behavior of real network attacks. The execution of these attacks can be carefully controlled to produce realistic training data that could prove useful in the evaluation and development of intrusion detection systems This tool can also be used to test host systems and networks for known vulnerabilities by launching controlled attacks and observing their impact on the target.
Reducing code size with echo instructions

In an embedded system, the cost of storing a program on-chip can be as high as the cost of a microprocessor. Compressing an application's code to reduce the amount of memory required is an attractive way to decrease costs. In this paper, we examine an executable form of program compression using echo instructions.With echo instructions, two or more similar, but not necessarily identical, sections of code can be reduced to a single copy of the repeating code. The single copy is left in the location of one of the original sections of the code. All the other sections are replaced with a single echo instruction that tells the processor to execute a subset of the instructions from the single copy.We present results of using echo instructions from a full compiler and simulator implementation that takes input programs, compresses them with echo instructions, and simulates their execution. We apply register renaming and instruction scheduling to expose more similarities in code, use profiles to guide compression, and propose minor architectural modifications to support echo instructions. In addition, we compare and combine echo instructions with two prior compression techniques: procedural abstraction and IBM's CodePac.
Time course of increased vulnerability of cholinergic neurotransmission following traumatic brain injury in the rat

Abstract We have previously shown that spatial memory changes following experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) include long-term changes that are (1) ‘overt’: detected by routine behavioral assessments, or (2) ‘covert’: undetected in the absence of a secondary pharmacological challenge, such as by the cholinergic antagonist, scopolamine. Our objective in this study was to extend this finding by characterizing the time course of recovery of overt and covert spatial memory performance following two magnitudes of experimental TBI. The Morris water maze was used to assess cognitive performance. Rats received either moderate magnitude (6 m/s, 1.7 mm deformation) or low magnitude (6 m/s, 1 mm deformation) impacts through a lateral craniectomy under isoflurane anesthesia. Sham rats underwent identical surgical procedures but were not injured. To avoid motor deficits, water maze testing started two weeks post-injury. Rats were given four trials per day for seven consecutive days. For each trial, latency to find a hidden platform was timed. On the sixth, rats were injected (i.p.) with scopolamine (1 mg/kg) 15 min prior to maze testing. The next day, rats were retested. This testing regimen was repeated, beginning 4, 6, and 10 weeks post-TBI. Results showed that, while the low-magnitude injury produced no overt spatial memory deficits, the moderate-magnitude group exhibited overt deficits during the first test regimen. Also, while both injury magnitudes produced an enhanced sensitivity to spatial memory impairment by scopolamine at two weeks post-TBI, this covert deficit persisted only in the severe group at 4, 6, and 10 weeks post-TBI. Qualitative light microscopy showed that both injury groups had graded cortical necrosis. However, underlying subcortical structures such as the hippocampus appeared intact, with no overt cellular or parenchymal damage to the neuropil. These data suggest three distinct stages of functional recovery: (1) the initial period when overt deficits are present, (2) a period following recovery from overt deficits within which covert deficits can be reinstated by a pharmacological challenge, and (3) a period following recovery from both overt and covert deficits. Covert deficits can persist long after the recovery of overt deficits and, like other neurological deficits, the rate of recovery is dependent on the magnitude of TBI. Finally, spatial memory deficits can occur in the absence of light microscopic evidence of cell death in the hippocampus.
A new mask-based objective measure for predicting the intelligibility of binary masked speech

Mask-based objective speech-intelligibility measures have been successfully proposed for evaluating the performance of binary masking algorithms. These objective measures were computed directly by comparing the estimated binary mask against the ground truth ideal binary mask (IdBM). Most of these objective measures, however, assign equal weight to all time-frequency (T-F) units. In this study, we propose to improve the existing mask-based objective measures by weighting each T-F unit according to its target or masker loudness. The proposed objective measure shows significantly better performance than two other existing mask-based objective measures.
Navigating the Institutional and Pedagogical Challenges of the Service-Learning Leadership Minor at CSU Monterey Bay

Despite solid foundations for service-learning at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), the economic context of higher education in California, and in particular the CSU system, has created significant challenges for service-learning practitioners. This article provides an overview of the institutional foundations in place at CSUMB that have allowed for an extensive service-learning program, discusses mentoring as a pedagogical and ethical necessity that is threatened by the system’s financial crisis, and concludes with thoughts about the value of a cohort model to alleviate mentoring challenges and the role of service-learning practitioners institutionally in the current economic and political context of higher education.
Up-regulation of Tumor Susceptibility Gene 101 Conveys Poor Prognosis through Suppression of p21 Expression in Ovarian Cancer

Purpose: The function of tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) in ovarian carcinogenesis is largely unexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of TSG101 in human ovarian cancer development, to examine the expression levels of TSG101 in ovarian carcinomas, and to correlate the results with clinicopathologic variables and survival. Experimental Design: Human ovarian cancer tissue arrays that contain duplicates of 422 cases of primary ovarian carcinoma were used to probe the expression levels of TSG101 and p21 in epithelial ovarian cancer. In vitro studies in ovarian cancer cells using TSG101-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) were done to further elucidate the mechanism of TSG101-mediated p21 regulation. Results: We show that TSG101 is increasingly overexpressed in borderline tumors and low-grade and high-grade carcinomas. Patients with low expression of TSG101 survive longer than those with high expression. Suppressing TSG101 by siRNA in ovarian cancer cells led to growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis with concurrent increases in p21 mRNA and protein. Consistent with this negative association between TSG101 and p21, expression levels of these two markers are inversely correlated in ovarian cancer. Conclusions: TSG101 negatively regulates p21 levels, and up-regulation of TSG101 is associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer.
The future of global ageing

Humans have extended their average stay on earth dramatically in recent history, with life expectancy at birth rising by more than one-third in just the last four decades. Despite this success, there are growing concerns about the possible impact of ageing on living standards. As biologists raise doubts about the limits to human longevity, economists in demographically older countries worry about how to finance pension and health programmes. Not surprisingly, most of the ageing literature is produced in rich countries well into their own demographic transitions. Studies published in the US and Europe focus on topics such as maximum human life span or new applications of stochastic techniques to population projections. The research is motivated by a sense that existing public policies must be changed in order to successfully cope with the projected ageing of the population. While these topics are of great interest, most of the potential gains in average life expectancy are to be reaped in the poor, young countries of the developing world. Moreover, as argued below, convergence of long run ageing patterns is likely to be a natural by-product of policies that mitigate the pressure of ageing in rich countries. A positive approach to the ageing challenge calls for the integration of economies with staggered demographic transitions. Combined with national policies that remove subsidies for leisure relative to work, it should be possible for the world to age gracefully.
Beyond information technology: organizational intelligence services

Intelligent organizations seek cues from their environment and, out of necessity, evaluate consequences of plans with elaborate control systems. This paper explores the direction of change in the evolution of information technology fostered by intelligent organizations. Intelligence information as a basis for linkages between organizational units, organizations, and the environment, will play a greater role in defining a platform for intelligent organizations to use information technology services. A brief review of organizational learning demonstrates that information technology plays a vital role in interpretive, reconstructive, and cultural learning. Different types of control systems (correction, assessment, and change) facilitate learning for adaptation to turbulent environments. The concept of organizational intelligence services (OIS) is presented. OIS consist of three major functions: intelligence services, operations services, and user services. Speculation about the implementation of the OIS concept and its consequences for intelligent organizations is included. OIS for intelligent organizations will evolve to incorporate both learning and experience to achieve success in an increasingly global and competitive business environment. >
Nutritional Requirements of Methanosarcina sp. Strain TM-1.

Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1, an acetotrophic, thermophilic methanogen isolated from an anaerobic sludge digestor, was originally reported to require an anaerobic sludge supernatant for growth. It was found that the sludge supernatant could be replaced with yeast extract (1 g/liter), 6 mM bicarbonate-30% CO2, and trace metals, with a doubling time on methanol of 14 h. For growth on either methanol or acetate, yeast extract could be replaced with CaCl2 · 2H2O (13.6 μM minimum) and the vitamin p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA, ca. 3 nM minimum), with a doubling time on methanol of 8 to 9 h. Filter-sterilized folic acid at 0.3 μM could not replace PABA. The antimetabolite sulfanilamide (20 mM) inhibited growth of and methanogenesis by Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1, and this inhibition was reversed by the addition of 0.3 μM PABA. When a defined medium buffered with 20 mM N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid was used, it was shown that Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1 required 6 mM bicarbonate-30% CO2 for optimal growth and methanogenesis from methanol. Cells growing on acetate were less dependent on bicarbonate-CO2. When we used a defined medium in which the only organic compounds present were methanol or acetate, nitrilotriacetic acid (0.2 mM), and PABA, it was possible to limit batch cultures of Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1 for nitrogen at NH4+ concentrations at or below 2.0 mM, in marked contrast with Methanosarcina barkeri 227, which fixes dinitrogen when grown under NH4+ limitation.
You go this way and i'll go that way: Developmental changes in infants' detection of correlations among static and dynamic features in motion events

Four experiments utilizing the habituation procedure examined 10- to 18-month-olds' ability to detect and encode correlations among features in a motion event (N = 136). Infants were habituated to two events in which objects-with distinct parts and a distinct body-moved across a screen along a rectilinear or curvilinear motion path. Infants were then tested with one familiar event and three events in which one feature of the object (parts, body, or motion path) was presented in a novel combination with the other features. The results of the experiments revealed that 10-month-olds process independently static features in an event, but do not process correlations among dynamic features; whereas 14-month-olds detect the correlation between an object's parts and its motion trajectory, but only when the movement of parts is correlated with the motion of the object. Further, the data show that 18-month-olds detect correlations between all three features when the parts of the object move, but they detect only the relation between parts and motion path when the parts do not move. It is proposed that infants develop representations for the static and dynamic properties of objects through a sensitive perceptual system that detects individual features, whole objects, and movement properties, and a domain-general associative learning mechanism that encodes independent features and correlations among features.
Robotic technology in surgery: Past, present, and future

It has been nearly 20 years since the first appearance of robotics in the operating room. In that time, much progress has been made in integrating robotic technologies with surgical instrumentation, as evidenced by the many thousands of successful robot-assisted cases. However, to build on past success and to fully leverage the potential of surgical robotics in the future, it is essential to maximize a shared understanding and communication among surgeons, engineers, entrepreneurs, and healthcare administrators. This article provides an introduction to medical robotic technologies, develops a possible taxonomy, reviews the evolution of a surgical robot, and discusses future prospects for innovation. Robotic surgery has demonstrated some clear benefits. It remains to be seen where these benefits will outweigh the associated costs over the long term. In the future, surgical robots should be smaller, less expensive, easier to operate, and should seamlessly integrate emerging technologies from a number of different fields. Such advances will enable continued progress in surgical instrumentation and, ultimately, surgical care.
Molecular mechanics calculations on carbonyl compounds. III. Cycloketones

Molecular mechanics (MM4) calculations were carried out on cycloketones for ring sizes ranging from 4 to 11 carbon atoms. The MM4 relative energies for the various conformations of the cycloketones were compared to density functional theory (DFT) calculations (B3LYP/6-31G*), which were also carried out in this work. For small ring sizes (n=4–6), calculated molecular geometries, dipole moments, moments of inertia, and vibrational spectra were compared to experimental data. The axial–equatorial energy differences in methyl-substituted cyclohexanones were also calculated by MM4 and compared to ab initio, DFT, and experimental results. The results of the MM4 studies on cycloketones showed significant improvement from those of MM3 calculations performed in parallel with the MM4 calculations. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 1451–1475, 2001
Analysis of pattern dependencies on copper damascene chemical mechanical polishing

The drawbacks in using CMP on copper are well know but currently misunderstood. The purpose of this research project was to achieve a concise understanding of copper CMP issues particularly associated with pattern, surface topography and its dependencies. With the use of Lucent Technologies Bell Labs CMP tools and wafers deposited with copper and TEOS, profilometry measurements were made. These wafers had arrays of lines with varying pitch where density was kept constant. The study used a special test mask with a unique set of structures to determine the effects of pitch features. The interaction of these layout effects was carefully analyzed using polish data taken with small time-steps to capture the transition of the polish characteristics before and after the barrier was exposed. Using the data gathered from the tests on these wafers, an analysis of the copper CMP dependence on wafer pattern variations, such as pitch, was performed. The key issues, dishing and erosion, were then determined and addressed. A recommendation for better feature sizes based on certain trends for minimal erosion and dishing was developed. It was found that erosion had very little dependence on pitch variation. Dishing increased with pitch and copper line width.
Analyses of wind forecast uncertainties for trajectory synthesis

• A Complete Wind Prediction Model Structure — Nominal wind model — Prediction uncertainty model • Prediction Uncertainty Model — Spatial and temporal uncertainty models — Statistic analysis of field in-homogeneity — Integration to trajectory synthesis and trajectory prediction • Current Work — Additional statistical analysis — Complete Models for correlations, growth & wind field in-homogeneity — More applications
Single and Multiple Microphone Noise Reduction Strategies in Cochlear Implants

To restore hearing sensation, cochlear implants deliver electrical pulses to the auditory nerve by relying on sophisticated signal processing algorithms that convert acoustic inputs to electrical stimuli. Although individuals fitted with cochlear implants perform well in quiet, in the presence of background noise, the speech intelligibility of cochlear implant listeners is more susceptible to background noise than that of normal hearing listeners. Traditionally, to increase performance in noise, single-microphone noise reduction strategies have been used. More recently, a number of approaches have suggested that speech intelligibility in noise can be improved further by making use of two or more microphones, instead. Processing strategies based on multiple microphones can better exploit the spatial diversity of speech and noise because such strategies rely mostly on spatial information about the relative position of competing sound sources. In this article, we identify and elucidate the most significant theoretical aspects that underpin single- and multi-microphone noise reduction strategies for cochlear implants. More analytically, we focus on strategies of both types that have been shown to be promising for use in current-generation implant devices. We present data from past and more recent studies, and furthermore we outline the direction that future research in the area of noise reduction for cochlear implants could follow.
Mechanisms for increased blood flow resistance due to leukocytes

Despite the small number of leukocytes relative to erythrocytes in the circulation, leukocytes contribute significantly to organ blood flow resistance. The present study was designed to investigate whether interactions between leukocytes and erythrocytes affect the pressure-flow relationship in a hemodynamically isolated rat gracilis muscle. At constant arterial flow rate, arterial pressure was increased significantly when relatively few physiological counts of leukocytes were added to a suspension containing erythrocytes at physiological hematocrits. However, the arterial pressure after perfusion of similar numbers of isolated leukocytes without erythrocytes was only slightly increased. An increase in resistance was also observed when leukocytes were replaced with 6-μm microspheres. We propose a new mechanism for increasing the hemodynamic resistance that involves hydrodynamic interactions between leukocytes and erythrocytes. In the presence of larger and less deformable leukocytes, erythrocytes move through capillaries more slowly than without leukocytes. Therefore erythrocytes are displaced from their axial positions. Slowing and radial displacement of erythrocytes serve to increase the relative apparent viscosity attributable to erythrocytes, thereby causing a significant elevation of organ blood flow resistance.
NOX2 activation of natural killer T cells is blocked by the adenosine A2A receptor to inhibit lung ischemia-reperfusion injury

Rationale: Ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury after lung transplantation, which affects both short- and long-term allograft survival, involves activation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells to produce IL-17. Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) agonists are known to potently attenuate lung IR injury and IL-17 production. However, mechanisms for iNKT cell activation after IR and A2AR agonist–mediated protection remain unclear.Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that NOX2 mediates IL-17 production by iNKT cells after IR and that A2AR agonism prevents IR injury by blocking NOX2 activation in iNKT cells.Methods: An in vivo murine hilar ligation model of IR injury was used, in which left lungs underwent 1 hour of ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion.Measurements and Main Results: Adoptive transfer of iNKT cells from p47phox−/− or NOX2−/− mice to Jα18−/− (iNKT cell-deficient) mice significantly attenuated lung IR injury and IL-17 production. Treatment with an A2AR agonist ...
Combined intrathecal and epidural catheter for cesarean delivery in super-morbidly obese parturients.

1. Polin CM, Hale B, Mauritz AA, et al. Anesthetic management of super-morbidly obese parturients for cesarean delivery with a double neuraxial catheter technique: a case series. Int J Obstet Anesth 2015;24:276–80. 2. Hogan QH, Prost R, Kulier A, Taylor ML, Liu S, Mark L. Magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrospinal fluid volume and the influence of body habitus and abdominal pressure. Anesthesiology 1996;84:1341–9.
Cancer Care Delivery and Women's Health: The Role of Patient Navigation.

Background: Patient navigation (PN) is a patient-centered health care service delivery model that assists individuals, particularly the medically underserved, in overcoming barriers (e.g., personal, logistical, system) to care across the cancer care continuum. In 2012, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) announced that healthcare facilities seeking CoC-accreditation must have PN processes in place starting January 1, 2015. The CoC mandate, in light of the recent findings from centers within the Patient Navigation Research Program, and the influx of PN interventions, warrants the present literature review. Methods: PubMed and Medline were searched for studies published from January 2010 to October 2015, particularly those recent articles within the past 2 years, addressing PN for breast and gynecological cancers, and written in English. Search terms included patient navigation, navigation, navigator, cancer screening, clinical trials, cancer patient, cancer survivor, breast cancer, gynecological cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. Results: Consistent with prior reviews, PN was shown to be effective in helping women receive cancer screenings, receive more timely diagnostic resolution after a breast and cervical cancer screening abnormality, initiate treatment sooner, receive proper treatment, and improve quality of life after cancer diagnosis. However, several limitations were observed. The majority of PN interventions focused on cancer screening and diagnostic resolution for breast cancer. As observed in prior reviews, methodological rigor (e.g., randomized controlled trial design) was lacking. Conclusion: Future research opportunities include testing PN interventions in the post-treatment settings and among gynecological cancer patient populations, age-related barriers to effective PN, and collaborative efforts between community health workers and patient navigators as care goes across segments of the cancer control continuum. As PN programs continue to develop and become a standard of care, further research will be required to determine the effectiveness of cancer PN across the cancer care continuum, and in different patient populations.
The Effect of Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein-3 and Lactoferrin on Endometrial Cytokine mRNA Expression After Breeding in the Horse

Abstract The equine uterus undergoes a transient innate immune response after breeding, also known as mating-induced endometritis. The deposition of spermatozoa triggers the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which results in the migration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) into the endometrium and the uterine lumen. Select seminal plasma proteins, specifically cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP-3) and lactoferrin, have been shown to affect the activity of the PMNs, either by suppressing (CRISP-3) or promoting (lactoferrin) the phagocytosis of spermatozoa based on their viability in vitro. Conjointly, many components of inseminate, including seminal plasma, bacteria, and spermatozoa itself, have shown to have an effect on the expression of endometrial cytokines after breeding. The objective of this study was to determine if select proteins affect the mRNA expression of endometrial cytokines after insemination. Six mares were bred during four consecutive estrous cycles with treatments in randomized order of: 1mg/mL CRISP-3, 150 ug/mL lactoferrin, seminal plasma, or Lactated Ringer’s Solution (LRS) to a total volume of 10 mL combined with 1×109 progressively motile spermatozoa pooled from two stallions. Six hours after treatment, an endometrial biopsy was obtained for qPCR analysis. No treatment effects were found for the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα, and IFNγ, while lactoferrin significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of IL-1RN when compared to LRS. In conclusion, the seminal plasma proteins CRISP-3 and lactoferrin have minimal effect on the expression of select endometrial cytokines at 6 hours post breeding.
Osmotic gradient ektacytometry: comprehensive characterization of red cell volume and surface maintenance

Whole cell deformability of red cells was measured as a continuous function of suspending medium osmolality using the ektacytometer, a laser-diffraction viscometer. Study of normal cells in which water content and membrane surface area had been selectively modified showed that this technique can detect changes in these properties with high sensitivity. The osmotic deformability profiles obtained from this assay provide information about cell water content, surface area, and the heterogeneity in these cellular properties, information that by conventional methods would require several different types of measurements. Application of this approach to a variety of pathologic blood samples showed that various hematologic disorders can be characterized by the shape of this profile and the position of specific features of the profile along the osmolality axis. Measurement of osmotic deformability profiles thus provides a convenient and comprehensive means of identifying abnormalities either in red cell water content or surface area.
Endotoxin induced hypothermia and tolerance in the rat.

SummaryEndotoxins derived from S. enteritidis, S. typhimurium, and E. coli induced a fall in rectal temperature in rats maintained at 70 ± 2°F. The hypothermic response occurred over a dosage range of 0.05-0.5 mg. In correspondence to tolerance to fever induced in rabbits, incremental dose pretreatment of rats produced a tolerance to the hypothermic phenomena.
Comparison of the Chloride Electrode and Gravimetric Chloride Titration Sweat Tests

The chloride electrode sweat test and gravimetric chloride titration technic are compared. The two technics gave comparable mean values, ogives, equivalent points, and overlap for patients with cystic fibrosis and healthy subjects. As a single test with either technic has an unacceptable risk for false-positive or false-negative results, tests should always be done in pairs. A statistical interpretation technic based on prevalence and technical variability of the two tests will decrease the number of undiagnosed subjects and will define probability of cystic fibrosis in the undiagnosed group.
Computer-Based First-Principles Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulation of Polyethylene Glycol Degradation in Aqueous Phase UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Process

We have developed a computer-based first-principles kinetic Monte Carlo (CF-KMC) model to predict degradation mechanisms and fates of intermediates and byproducts produced from the degradation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2). The CF-KMC model is composed of a reaction pathway generator, a reaction rate constant estimator, and a KMC solver. The KMC solver is able to solve the predicted pathways successfully without solving ordinary differential equations. The predicted time-dependent profiles of averaged molecular weight, and polydispersitivity index (i.e., the ratio of the weight-averaged molecular weight to the number-averaged molecular weight) for the PEG degradation were validated with experimental observations. These predictions are consistent with the experimental data. The model provided detailed and quantitative insights into the time evolutions of molecular weight distribution and concentration profiles of low molecular weight products and functional groups. Our approach may be useful to predict the fates of degradation products for a wide range of complicated organic contaminants.
Outcomes of recalcitrant idiopathic epistaxis in children: Septoplasty as a surgical treatment

Our objective was to measure short- and long-term outcomes of children presenting with recalcitrant idiopathic epistaxis. The study was an 11-year (2000–2011) retrospective chart review of children evaluated and treated for epistaxis. A retrospective review of patients with diagnostic International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 784.7 (epistaxis) and 21.5/21.88 (septoplasty) was completed reviewing age at presentation, type of surgery, and number of bleeding events prior to and after surgery. In our cohort, almost 100% of children with idiopathic recurrent epistaxis responded to topical treatments. About 0.2% were refractory (20/9239), and 90% of those (18/20) resolved with either a traditional septoplasty (14/20) or modified septoplasty (6/20) without cartilage excision, with a mean follow-up of 35 months. One of the patients who did not show resolution was found to have Von Willebrand disease, which likely contributed to this outcome. Septoplasty surgery, with or without cartilage removal, appears beneficial for refractory idiopathic epistaxis in children. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 126:2833–2837, 2016
Analysis on epidemiological characteristics of human rabies in Yueyang City from 2001-2012

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human rabies in Yueyang City from 2001-2012,provide scientific basis for prevention and control of rabies.[Methods]The epidemic data of rabies in Yueyang City from 2001-2012 were analyzed by the descriptive epidemiological method.[Results]A total of 76 861 rabies exposure cases were reported in Yueyang City from 2001-2012. The case number of gradeⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ exposure was 4 902,50 660 and 21 299,respectively. 192 human rabies cases were registered in Yueyang City from 2001-2012,with the male-to-female ratio of 2. 43∶ 1,and the median age was 40 years old. Most of cases were farmers,accounting for 58. 85%,followed by students( 19. 27%). The peak season occurred in summer and autumn. The cases were mostly hurt by dogs,with the ratio of 92. 19%. 43. 23% of animals which have attacked human were hunted and killed. The exposure people whose wounds were not treated or not treated rapidly accounted for 50%,16. 67% of exposure people received the emergency vaccination,and exposure people who were injected with antivirus serum accounted for 3. 65%.[Conclusion]It is necessary to strengthen management on dogs,enhance the education of knowledge about rabies control and prevention,improve the supervision for rabies vaccine,and strengthen the management on medical insurance for the treatment of animal biting and scratching.
The Training and Role of the Surgeon in the Intensive Care Unit

The central question for surgeons is whether the patient in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) is better served by a surgeon or a nonsurgeon as the responsible physician and as administrator of the SICU. This article explores the challenge of the SICU and the need for solutions, reviews the qualifications of the consultant in surgical critical care, and provides a job description of the director of an SICU.
Coal Is Not Black, Snow Is Not White, Food Is Not a Reinforcer: The Roles of Affordances and Dispositions in the Analysis of Behavior.

Reinforcers comprise sequences of actions in context. Just as the white of snow and black of coal depend on the interaction of an organism’s visual system and the reflectances in its surrounds, reinforcers depend on an organism’s motivational state and the affordances—possibilities for perception and action—in its surrounds. Reinforcers are not intrinsic to things but are a relation between what the thing affords, its context, the organism, and his or her history as capitulated in their current state. Reinforcers and other affordances are potentialities rather than intrinsic features. Realizing those potentialities requires motivational operations and stimulus contexts that change the state of the organism—they change its disposition to make the desired response. An expansion of the three-term contingency is suggested in order to help keep us mindful of the importance of behavioral systems, states, emotions, and dispositions in our research programs.
Pedagogies and curriculums to (re)imagine public education: transnational tales of hope and resistance

Encarna Rodriguez’s masterfully compiled edited volume, Pedagogies and Curriculums to (Re)imagine Public Education: Transnational Tales of Hope and Resistance, tells the stories of 11 public school...
Are We Mad? Intensity and the Problems of Modern Philosophy

In this essay Deleuze's concept of intensity is placed into the context of the problem of accounting for the relationship between sense perception and our conceptual categories. By developing the manner in which Kant responds to Hume's critique of metaphysics, this essay shows how Deleuze develops a Humean line of thought whereby the heterogeneous as heterogeneous is embraced rather than, as is done in Kant, being largely held in relationship to an already prior unity.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY MATHEMATICAL MODELING WITH ADVANCED SIMULATION LANGUAGES

Abstract The increasingly important role of computer languages with powerful instructions for simulating complex mathematical operations is emphasized. Features of the Advanced Continuous Simulation Language (ACSL) are described and several examples of its use in a research and an educational environment are given. Trends toward increased hardware and software capabilities are discussed, many of them enabling us to build mathematical models on computers at increasingly sophisticated, yet more conversational, levels.
Expert Witness Training for Geriatric Medicine Fellows Using Courtroom Simulation.

Introduction Familiarity with courtroom proceedings is essential for physicians before their first appearance as expert witnesses. Geriatricians who care for vulnerable older adults may be called to testify in guardianship hearings and cases involving elder abuse and contested wills. Coverage of this topic is limited in the medical literature. To enhance this knowledge, the Division of Geriatrics at Michigan State University piloted an expert witness training curriculum for its geriatric medicine fellows. Methods An attorney began the training with a didactic lecture to introduce principles of the trial process, evidence, records management, witness testimony, and court procedures. One week later, fellows participated in a mock trial to apply what they learned and gain experience in providing testimony. The simulated cases involved actual patients of the fellows, who were the subjects of a hypothetical contested guardianship matter. A mixed methods approach was used to assess knowledge acquisition, training effectiveness and perceived impact using a pre/post-test and an individualized, semistructured debriefing session. Results Two fellows participated in the training. Courtroom knowledge as assessed by the pre- and post-tests and qualitative measures improved from baseline. The fellows assessed the mock trial as a valuable experience and both felt more informed and prepared for future service as witnesses. Conclusions This pilot study provided geriatric medicine fellows with instruction in courtroom testimony followed by participation in a simulated trial. Fellows rated the experience highly and demonstrated measurable improvement in their knowledge of legal proceedings involving older adults and their role as expert witnesses.
Genetics of Suicidal Behaviour

Suicide is a complex and multifactorial disorder. Two important risk factors, genetic and environment, contribute significantly to the psychopathology and aetiology of suicidal behaviour. In the last two decades, family, twins and adoption studies have been conducted for the heritability of suicidal behaviour. Recently, molecular genetic approaches, including Genome Wide Association (GWAS) and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) have been applied into the genetics of suicidal behaviour. Using these techniques, several new common and rare variants have been identified. In this chapter, we summarize and critically evaluate the recent developments in the field of genetics of suicide. The obtained data suggests that suicide behaviour is a highly complex and polygenic disorder. Despite a significant progress in this area, future studies are needed in a larger population. We have also discussed the clinical translation of suicide genetics and future directions.
Optimized Design of Steel Buildings Against Earthquake and Progressive Collapse Using Cables

Progressive collapse is a procedure in which local failure of a structural component can cause failure of the overall structure or a smaller part of it. This phenomenon is the subject of intensive investigation by researchers the last decade. This work presents a design of structures against earthquake and progressive collapse. Cables are used as means to achieve the desired structural performance when the buildings are subjected to (a) seismic excitations, (b) accidents which result in failure of structural members. The design strategy is based on the use of cables located in suitable locations in the structure. The element sizes and cable topology are attained by an automatic optimization procedure in an effort to achieve the most effective use of structural materials. The effect of various design constraints is evaluated in the performance of the optimized buildings. The analysis results indicate the promising potential of cables as a means to increase the building’s progressive collapse resistance, as well as a promising alternative to typical bracing sections used in practice.
Introduction to Drug-Drug Interactions

Over 1000 new molecular entities (NMEs) have been introduced into the marketplace since the end of World War II. These therapeutic innovations have contributed to an increase in life expectancy but have also increased the prevalence of polypharmacy and the risk for adverse drug-drug interactions. The economic burden associated with adverse drug events is estimated to exceed $100 billion in the United States alone. These adverse events are most often associated with chronic medications used to manage hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, asthma, and depression that are widely prescribed in more economically developed countries. Acute infections most often lead to the short-term prescription of antimicrobials that can increase the risk for adverse events and or therapeutic failure when co-prescribed with these agents. Likewise combination antimicrobial therapies used to manage chronic or deep-seated infections carry a high potential for drug-drug interactions. The large number of NMEs and continued influx of new agents limits the design of a comprehensive resource that can accurately predict the extent and clinical implications of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions. This chapter provides a broad overview of clinical pharmacology from the perspective of systems that influence absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs that can lead to pharmacokinetic drug interactions.
An Interventionalist’s Perspective: Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has become one of the diagnostic tests of choice for the determination of the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. With its high specificity, CCTA can be an extremely helpful test in determining which patients do not require cardiac catheterization. Given this fact, it seems somewhat counter-intuitive that the interventional cardiology community has embraced this technology. One would theorize that a strong noninvasive angiography program would reduce volume and divert patients away from the catheterization lab. In fact, centers where CCTA is available do not appear to have lead to a reduction in invasive volumes [1].
Estimation and Evidence in Forensic Anthropology

Identifications in forensic anthropology occur in two rather different contexts. One context is that of “estimation,” when a biological profile from unidentified remains is built in the hope of eventually identifying said remains. Another context is in evidentiary proceedings, where biological information from the remains is used to contribute to a probability statement about the likelihood of a correct identification. Both of these contexts can occur when stature is the biological parameter of interest, and so the authors take data related to stature as the example in this chapter. The unifying method in both contexts is the application of Bayes’ theorem. Therefore, this chapter opens with a review of some of the characteristics of a Bayesian analysis.
The Internal Organization of the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus

The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is distinguished from other parts of the cochlear nucleus by the intricacy of its neural circuitry (Lorente de No, 1933; Kane, 1974). The response properties of neurons in the DCN reflect this morphological complexity by differing markedly from those of auditory nerve fibers and other cochlear nucleus neurons. One striking feature of DCN responses is the extent to which they are dominated by inhibition which is weakened or abolished by anesthesia (Evans and Nelson, 1973). In this paper, we will present evidence that some of the inhibition observed in DCN responses is generated by inhibitory interneurons within the DCN.
Diagnosing diabetes mellitus - best practices still unclear.

Current recommendations for diagnosing diabetes mellitus require confirmation of an abnormal fasting plasma glucose level or elevated HbA1c level, with repeated testing. Elizabeth Selvin and colleagues have examined the effectiveness of measuring plasma levels of glucose and HbA1c simultaneously for diagnosing diabetes mellitus and conclude that the confirmed combination is acceptable.
Quiet Time: A Noise Reduction Initiative in a Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit

Background High noise levels in intensive care units are common. Increased noise levels can lead to sleep deprivation, increased pain perception, and delirium. The most common cause of reducible noise in intensive care units often is attributed to staff conversations. Objectives In January 2015, the neurosurgical intensive care unit staff identified noise as a problem, referencing complaints from other disciplines and family members. Quiet times from 3 am to 5 am and from 3 pm to 5 pm were agreed upon. An improvement plan was developed with a goal to decrease noise levels by 10 decibels in 6 months. Methods Using a decibel meter, noise data were collected in 4 locations every 30 minutes during the chosen times for 8 days. Quiet time was implemented 1 week after staff, patient, and family education was completed. Decibel data were collected and evaluated after 60 days. Results There were statistically significant reductions in noise levels at nurses' station left (P = .04) and the bed 9 entrance (P = .02). Noise levels were lower, but not significantly so, for nurses' station right (P = .12) and the bed 4 entrance (P = .06). Noise levels during quiet time decreased to an average of 10 to 15 decibels lower than baseline data. Conclusions Sharing baseline data was effective to heighten noise awareness. During quiet time, limiting conversations, eliminating environmental noise, and dimming the lights as a reminder to be quiet are 3 simple strategies that can be implemented to lessen noise.