cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biologically realistic excitatory and inhibitory cell properties emerge from a sparse coding network

Neurons in the primary visual cortex exhibit a baffling array of tuning properties, often unaccountable by the classical linear feedforward model. Specifically, excitatory neurons display a number of nonlinear effects collectively known as non-classical receptive field (nCRF) effects [1], and inhibitory neurons have diverse orientation tuning properties [2]. Furthermore, excitatory cells outnumber inhibitory cells by a ratio of 9:1 [3], yet the excitatory and inhibitory drives are balanced. Efficient coding models of early vision have been shown to be able to explain key features of linear filtering properties [4] and some single cell nonlinear effects [5]. However, population statistics of nonlinear properties have not been studied in these models. In addition, inhibitory cells were not typically modeled. Here we demonstrate that many of the aforementioned excitatory cell and inhibitory cell properties emerge naturally from a network that implements sparse coding. To be specific, several nCRF effects including surround suppression, contrast invariant orientation tuning, and cross orientation suppression emerge in the excitatory cell population as a result of sparse coding strategy; the excitatory to inhibitory cell ratio could be understood largely as a result of the overcompletness of representation; moreover, a subpopulation of inhibitory interneurons exhibit orientation tuning due to sparse recurrent connections with the principal cells; another subpopulation displays untuned properties due to low rank connectivity patterns. We also demonstrate that the network exhibits balanced excitation and inhibition, as a result of the receptive field structure. We simulated a population of 2048 excitatory neurons with graded response described by the dynamics of locally competitive algorithm (LCA; [6]), which converges to the sparse coding representation at steady state. Inhibitory interneurons were described by linear units. The low rank and sparse recurrent connectivity pattern was a result of low rank plus sparse decomposition [7] of the LCA connectivity matrix. Non-classical receptive field effects were studied by presenting bar and drifting grating stimuli to the simulated network. Receptive fields of the inhibitory cells were mapped by sparse dots patterns.
Exercise and type 2 diabetes: molecular mechanisms regulating glucose uptake in skeletal muscle

Exercise is a well-established tool to prevent and combat type 2 diabetes. Exercise improves whole body metabolic health in people with type 2 diabetes, and adaptations to skeletal muscle are essential for this improvement. An acute bout of exercise increases skeletal muscle glucose uptake, while chronic exercise training improves mitochondrial function, increases mitochondrial biogenesis, and increases the expression of glucose transporter proteins and numerous metabolic genes. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms that mediate the effects of exercise to increase glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.
Source Localization Using TDOA and FDOA Measurements in the Presence of Receiver Location Errors: Analysis and Solution

The accuracy of a source location estimate is very sensitive to the accurate knowledge of receiver locations. This paper performs analysis and develops a solution for locating a moving source using time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) and frequency-difference-of-arrival (FDOA) measurements in the presence of random errors in receiver locations. The analysis starts with the Crameacuter-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the problem, and derives the increase in mean-square error (MSE) in source location estimate if the receiver locations are assumed correct but in fact have error. A solution is then proposed that takes the receiver error into account to reduce the estimation error, and it is shown analytically, under some mild approximations, to achieve the CRLB accuracy for far-field sources. The proposed solution is closed form, computationally efficient, and does not have divergence problem as in iterative techniques. Simulations corroborate the theoretical results and the good performance of the proposed method
Testing Hypotheses Derived from the Roy Adaptation Model

This study investigated the role of perception and biopsychosocial adaptation in patients with cancer entering an aggressive cancer treatment program. The Roy adaptation model provided the framework from which hypotheses were derived and tested. The hypotheses proposed that physiological stimuli are translated by the cognator through perception that alters the biopsychosocial responses. Forty-five patients were tested as they entered into the chemotherapy program. The APACHE II was used to measure actual physiological status; the Symptom Distress Profile was used to measure subjects' perceived physiological discomfort, and the Sickness Impact Profile was used to measure subjects' perceived effect of the cancer on their psychosocial adaptation. The results supported the theoretical predictions that perception of symptoms is positively correlated with psychosocial adaptation and not with actual physiological status. In addition, perception of symptoms and psychosocial adaptation were correlated with survival at six months and not with actual physiological status. Discussion of findings addresses theoretical and practice issues.
High quality desktop video conferencing using agent based systems

This paper describes a new model for building high quality desktop video conferencing systems. The model has a distributed agent based architecture as the underlying framework, where agents cooperate and coordinate efficiently to maintain good quality of service parameters during the video conference session. The model is self-adaptive and permits the system to adjust itself in real time to optimally respond to a set of rapidly changing conditions and parameters. It employs graceful degradation to enable the conference to continue, possibly at a lower pace and perhaps with worse performance, even if some resources (hardware or software) are disabled. Basic learning mechanisms allow the computational unit, an agent, to improve in time as more knowledge about the environment is acquired. A set of performance enhancers are used to compensate hardware overloads and maintain good system throughput when external factors are affecting the environment. The performance enhancers have quality evaluators, a set of internal monitors that analyze the system behavior and activate/deactivate the compensation loop.
Propagation of Ulmus parvifolia ‘Emerald Prairie’ by Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings of Ulmus parvifolia Jacq. ‘Emerald Prairie’ (‘Emerald Prairie’ lacebark elm), consisting of 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) terminal shoot portions, were collected four times throughout the year from mature stock plants and treated with the potassium (K) salt of indole-3-butyric acid (K-IBA) ranging from 0 to 20,000 ppm (2.0%). Rooting percentages were affected greatly by K-IBA treatment and stock plant growth stage. Little to no rooting was observed without K-IBA application, whereas overall rooting for treated softwood, early semi-hardwood, late semi-hardwood, and hardwood, cuttings was 92, 86, 87, and 8%, respectively. Mean root number varied by growth stage and K-IBA concentration. Higher concentrations of K-IBA increased the number of roots on rooted cuttings except for hardwood cuttings. In general, rooting percentage and mean root number were highest at the softwood stage with 15,000 or 20,000 ppm (1.5 or 2.0%) K-IBA, resulting in 97% rooting and 15 or 22 roots per rooted cutting, respectively. However, leaf abscission was high on softwood cuttings. Semi-hardwood cuttings achieved similar rooting percentages and may exhibit better survival and growth due to greater leaf retention.
Inhibitory renorenal reflexes: a role for substance P or other capsaicin-sensitive neurons.

In anesthetized rats, we examined whether inhibitory renorenal reflex responses to renal pelvic mechanoreceptor (MR) and chemoreceptor (CR) stimulation were mediated by substance P (SP)-containing ...
INAPTIDÃO DE CANDIDATOS À DOAÇÃO DE SANGUE RELACIONADA À SOROPOSITIVIDADE PARA INFECÇÃO CHAGÁSICA NAS DIFERENTES REGIÕES DO BRASIL

Introducao: A doenca de Chagas e uma infeccao sistemica de evolucao cronica que tem como agente etiologico o protozoario monoflagelado Trypanosoma cruzi . A transmissao por transfusao sanguinea tem importante relevância epidemiologica, uma vez que corresponde de 5 a 20% dos casos descritos na literatura. Objetivo: Analisar a prevalencia de inaptidao em candidatos a doacao de sangue com sorologia positiva para Chagas por regioes do Brasil entre os anos de 2000 a 2013. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisao bibliografica, de aspecto quantitativo. Resultados e Discussao: As maiores prevalencias de doadores inaptos com sorologia positiva para doenca de Chagas ocorreram na regiao Nordeste, especificamente na cidade de Iguatu-CE e na regiao Sudeste, na cidade de Patos de Minas-MG, com percentuais de 1,90% e 1,20% respectivamente. Diante destes dados pode-se presumir que nestas localidades nao houve triagem sorologica adequada no servico de hemoterapia bem como o combate ao vetor apresentou falhas. A regiao Sudeste foi a que apresentou a maioria das prevalencias abaixo do indice de prevalencia de doadores chagasicos, tal situacao pode ser justificada pelo fato das cidades pesquisadas nao serem regioes endemicas para doenca de Chagas, bem como pelo combate sistematico ao vetor nestes locais. Conclusao: A realizacao de pesquisas verificando doadores inaptos com sorologia positiva para doenca de Chagas em bancos de sangue nas diferentes regioes do Brasil e de extrema relevância para avaliar a situacao transfusional peculiar dos hemocentros de cada regiao com o intuito de tracar estrategias locais para eliminar a transmissao da doenca de Chagas por transfusao sanguinea. Palavras-chaves: Doenca de Chagas. Transfusao sanguinea. Doadores de sangue.
The Concept of Mental Illness: A Philosophical Examination

It is startling to reflect on a question of such obvious importance as the nature of mental illness, only to discover — as one inevitably does — that the most elementary or fundamental distinctions of relevance are still being radically disputed by competent professionals. Certainly, since the advent of Thomas S. Szasz’s, The Myth of Mental Illness [32], the issue of whether the concept of mental illness is even coherent, let alone valid, has puzzled the entire therapeutic and health-care community as well as philosophers and social commentators, who, fair parasites that they are, sniff a good fight. Historically, of course, beginning with the work of Freud and his immediate precursors, notions of mental illness and mental disease were rather ambiguously linked with the undertaking of the medical profession. On the one hand, Freud did not regard psychoanalysis as a medical specialty; and on the other, it was, precisely, a group of professional physicians who first extended their practice to include varieties of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and various forms of proto-psychiatry. The trouble with deciding the medical legitimacy of the concept of mental illness — a fortiori, the legitimacy of extending medical care to the treatment of such illness — has always been the same, namely, that there are too many analogies and disanalogies between somatic medicine and the variety of disciplines that have centered on alleged mental disorders to decide the issue trimly.
Over a Century of Explorations at Etowah

The Etowah site is one of the larger and more famous Mississippian period mound centers in the American Southeast. Despite the fact that over a century of archaeological investigations have been conducted at the site, its history is not as well-understood as sequences of other major Mississippian centers like Moundville or Cahokia. This is because few attempts have been made to synthesize existing information and place the site in a broader social context. In this paper I review previous research at Etowah and present a reconstruction of the site's history as a chiefdom capital. In attempting to understand that sequence, I draw upon the distinctions made by dual-processual theory concerning the orientation of chiefdom political economies and how they vary. Both the specific history of Etowah and the parallels it shares with the sequences of other chiefdom capitals have important implications for understanding more generally the emergence and operation of ranked societies.
Montague Corporation: Unfolding the Future in Cycling

Montague has developed a major innovation that creates a new sub-category in the bicycle industry: a full-sized, high-quality bicycle that folds. In contrast to existing small-wheeled folding bicycles that are portable, but with inferior performance characteristics, the Montague folding bicycle has the look, feel, and performance of a standard bicycle. However, while the firm has experienced notable success since its founding, it has yet to achieve widespread adoption of its innovation. What should the firm do to increase penetration? How can Montague overcome the reputation of folding bicycles as inferior performers and convince consumers, dealers, and others of its bicycle's quality? How can the firm get consumers to even notice the innovation when the bicycle looks just like a regular bicycle? In other words, how can Montague balance the need to look like a regular bicycle in order to achieve legitimacy with the need to signal value by looking different? What market segment should Montague be targeting – customers looking specifically for a folding bicycle, or consumers interested in a full-sized bicycle but for whom the folding feature might add value? Finally, should Montague license its technology to one of the leading mainstream bicycle manufacturers in order to increase adoption, vs. continuing to go it alone in the product market?
No Caste Here? Toward a Structural Critique of American Education

In his famous dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson, Justice John Marshall Harlan argued that in the United States, there was “no caste here.” Justice Harlan was rejecting the idea that American society operated to assign preordained outcomes to individuals based upon classifications, including racial classifications. This Article questions whether Justice Harlan’s aspirational assertion accurately reflects contemporary American education. Identifying: (1) multiple classification mechanisms, all of which have disproportionate racial effects, and (2) structural legal, political, and practical impediments to reform, the Article argues that the American education system does more to maintain the nation’s historical racial hierarchy than to disrupt it. This is so, the Article suggests, despite popular agreement with the casteless ideal and popular belief that education can provide the opportunity to transcend social class. By building the framework for a broad structural critique, the Article suggests that a failure to acknowledge and address structural flaws will preclude successful comprehensive reform with more equitable outcomes.
Should Hotels Respond to Negative Online Reviews

The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is beneficial for service providers, such as hotels and restaurants, to respond to online negative reviews, and (a) whether company reputation is moderated by the number of negative versus positive reviews and (b) whether the underlying issue is attributed to controllable versus uncontrollable factors. To test the hypotheses, a 2 × 2 × 2 quasi-experimental design was utilized. Respondents were asked to imagine that they were planning a trip to New York City, were searching online for a hotel near Times Square, and were provided with several reviews. The results indicate, in general, that company reputation is adversely affected as the number of negative to positive reviews becomes greater. When service failures pertain to controllable factors, management responses can mitigate the adverse effects of negative reviews. When service failures stem from uncontrollable factors, company reputation is not adversely affected, and thus a response from management...
Risk Factors for Development of Post-Concussive Headaches in a Pediatric TBI Subspecialty Clinic Population (P01.179)

Objective: This study was conducted to further understand the factors that contribute to development of post-traumatic headache in a pediatric subspecialty population. Background Traumatic brain injury is a major pediatric public health problem, with as many as 500,000 children under the age of 15 presenting to the emergency department annually. Approximately 80% of these can be classified as mild. Even in this population, children can suffer from acute and persistent post-concussive symptoms, including headache. Design/Methods: Data was collected from children ages 6 months-21 years, presenting to our pediatric neurology clinic with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). The data was prospectively collected. 61 patients had follow-up within 6 months after injury. Of these patients, 32 suffered a sports-related injury, and were between the ages of 7-21 years. Results: Approximately half of all mild TBI patients suffered from post-traumatic headache. Those that were injured due to a sports-related mechanism were 2.7 times more likely to have post-traumatic headache than those whose mild TBI was not sports-related (95% CI 1.0-7.8). Additionally, patients who had a premorbid diagnosis of headache were 5.3 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic headache, than those without premorbid headaches (95% CI 0.8-147.1). Statistical analysis was performed using odds ratio estimations and confidence intervals using EpiTools: R Package for Epidemiologic Data and Graphics (version 0.5-6). Conclusions: Understanding the risk factors for the development of headaches following mild TBI may provide an indication for those patients who may benefit from a referral to a pediatric neurology TBI clinic. Supported by: UCLA BIRC, NS05720, NS027544, Child Neurology Foundation, TTCF, Thrasher Research Fund, UCLA FGP. Disclosure: Dr. Choe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Valino has nothing to disclose. Dr. McArthur has nothing to disclose. Dr. Giza has nothing to disclose.
Nonlinear Laplacian spectral analysis of Rayleigh-Bénard convection

The analysis of physical datasets using modern methods developed in machine learning presents unique challenges and opportunities. These datasets typically feature many degrees of freedom, which tends to increase the computational cost of statistical methods and complicate interpretation. In addition, physical systems frequently exhibit a high degree of symmetry that should be exploited by any data analysis technique. The classic problem of Rayleigh Benard convection in a periodic domain is an example of such a physical system with trivial symmetries. This article presents a technique for analyzing the time variability of numerical simulations of two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection at large aspect ratio and intermediate Rayleigh number. The simulated dynamics are highly unsteady and consist of several convective rolls that are distributed across the domain and oscillate with a preferred frequency. Intermittent extreme events in the net heat transfer, as quantified by the time-weighted probability distribution function of the Nusselt number, are a hallmark of these simulations.Nonlinear Laplacian Spectral Analysis (NLSA) is a data-driven method which is ideally suited for the study of such highly nonlinear and intermittent dynamics, but the trivial symmetries of the Rayleigh-Benard problem such as horizontal shift-invariance can mask the interesting dynamics. To overcome this issue, the vertical velocity is averaged over parcels of similar temperature and height, which substantially compresses the size of the dataset and removes trivial horizontal symmetries. This isothermally averaged dataset, which is shown to preserve the net convective heat-flux across horizontal surfaces, is then used as an input to NLSA. The analysis generates a small number of orthogonal modes which describe the spatiotemporal variability of the heat transfer. A regression analysis shows that the extreme events of the net heat transfer are primarily associated with a family of modes with fat tailed probability distributions and low frequency temporal power spectra. On the other hand, the regular oscillation of the heat transfer is associated with a pair of modes with nearly uniform probability distributions. Physical mechanisms for the regular oscillation and the extreme heat transfer events are hypothesized based on an analysis of the spatio-temporal structure of these modes. Finally, proposals are made for this approach to be applied to the study of other problems in turbulent convection, including three-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection and moist atmospheric convection.
Sex Ratio in Deer Mouse Populations

Studies of deer mouse populations in nature have recorded significantly more males than females (.005 > P). Since most studies have utilized trapping techniques, greater wandering tendencies of males and consequently greater trap exposure have been suggested to explain the excess males recorded. Tabulation of the sex ratios at birth of more than 500 litters from a laboratory colony of Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii indicate significantly more males than females produced (.025 > P). Excess production of males has also been recorded for freely growing laboratory populations of the same species. Peromyscus therefore, appears to be an additional genus exhibiting aberrant sex ratios.
Consideration on phase II clinical trial design for anticancer drugs

Phase Ⅱ clinical studies play a important role in drug clinical development.Well-designed phase Ⅱclinical trial and developing strategy is helpful to screen the compound with low effect or high toxicity more earlier,and select good candidate drug into large scale phase Ⅲ clinical trial.This article discussed the key point on phase Ⅱ clinical trial design for anticancer drugs,including study population,dose,control group,end point,and so on.We also discussed some novel phase Ⅱ trial designs for molecularly targeted anticancer agents and the method for combination therapy.Hope it can be a useful reference for the researcher who are undertaking new oncology drug development.
Study on homology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from the food poisoning in Yuhang

Objective:To apply pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) to investigating genotype of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from food poisoning,and to determine relationship among the strains.Methods: Chromosomal DNAs from 19 isolates in agarose were digested with the restriction enzyme Not 1,and then were analyzed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.Using Bio Numerics software clustered PFGE patterns.Results: There were 9 distractive PFGE patterns.Taking 90% similitude as criterion,these strains were divided into 2 clusters.Conclusion: There were closely related epidemic clones of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Yuhang.
John Hick on the Self and Resurrection

There are two issues which I wish to explore, perhaps neither of them extremely important, and yet each is a serious issue in the interpretation of the work of John Hick. Fortunately for us teachers of philosophy of religion, Hick’s early work is still before us in the form of successive editions of his justly popular Philosophy of Religion, which should be due for another update soon. The material I want to discuss was written during the first half of his career. His concern for world religions which was emerging then has led him to the further developments which have characterized his work since the middle 1970s.1 His more recent repudiation of biblical conservatism and exclusivism had already been prefigured in his choice of an Irenaean theodicy, which, as he noted explicitly, was universalistic. When exclusivism fell, along with it went the notion that the biblical view was true in any absolute sense, and Hick has spent the rest of his career working out the details of that realization in a rather brilliant way.
Vitamin D Insufficiency and Asthma in a US Nationwide Study

Background Vitamin D insufficiency (a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level of Objective To examine vitamin D insufficiency, asthma, and lung function among US children and adults. Methods Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2010, we examined vitamin D insufficiency and (1) current asthma or wheeze in 10,860 children (6-17 years) and 24,115 adults (18-79 years) and (2) lung function in a subset of participants. Logistic or linear regression was used for the multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, body mass index, smoking, and C-reactive protein level. Results Vitamin D insufficiency was associated with current asthma (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.11-1.64) and current wheeze in children, as well as with current wheeze in adults (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31). After stratifying the analysis by race/ethnicity and (in adults) current smoking, vitamin D insufficiency was associated with current asthma and wheeze in non-Hispanic white children only; in adults, vitamin D insufficiency was associated with current wheeze in non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Vitamin D insufficiency was also associated with lower FEV 1 and forced vital capacity in children and adults. When analyzing each National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey wave separately, vitamin D insufficiency prevalence was 72% to 76% from 2001 to 2006, and then decreased from 2007 to 2010 (64%-65%); interestingly, asthma prevalence decreased for the first time from the period 2007 to 2008 (8.2%) to the period 2009 to 2010 (7.4%). Conclusions We show racial/ethnic-specific associations between vitamin D insufficiency and current asthma or wheeze in children and adults. Moreover, we report parallel recent decrements in the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and asthma.
Endomorphism Near-Rings Through the Ages

For some 35 years problems concerning morphism near-rings have been studied. In this paper, three areas of such investigation are surveyed, and significant unsolved or partially solved problems from each area are discussed. The first area is centered about the question as to whether an arbitrary distributively generated near-ring can be embedded in some E(G). The motivating problem of the second area is the determination of the groups G such that E(G) is a ring. The third area is typified by the problem of finding the groups G such that I(G) = E(G). The first two areas seem to lie fallow at the moment; the third area is one of current investigation.
Impact of renal failure on F18-FDG PET/CT scans

2714 Objectives The gold standard for F18-FDG PET/CT uptake times is currently 60 minutes for all oncology diagnoses with the exception of increasing to 90 minutes for malignancies with low FDG-avidity such as breast, hepatocellular, pancreatic and prostate cancers. However, the effects of renal failure on FDG PET/CT scans is unknown. It has been hypothesized that renal failure may reduce the uptake throughout the body and a longer uptake phase could be implemented to get a more accurate assessment. We aimed to determine if the uptake period for F18-FDG PET/CT studies should be lengthened from the standard 60 min in patients with renal failure. In order to do so, we quantified the impact renal failure had on the SUV max of the liver and psoas muscle. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 1095 FDG PET/CT scans and kept a log of patients with a history of renal disease. Thirty patients were chosen with renal disease and of these, 12 were receiving dialysis. Thirty age and gender matched controls were chosen. BUN and Creatinine levels were recorded for all subjects. 30mm circular regions of interest were placed in the middle of the right hepatic lobe and the left psoas muscle just anterior of the iliac crest. The SUV max of both regions were recorded. Results In the 30 renal disease patients, the mean SUV max for the liver (LSUV) is 2.77 and the mean of the psoas muscle (PSUV) is 1.43. The mean difference of -0.033 SUV max between renal disease patients compared to control group was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences found in LSUV and PSUV for dialysis and non-dialysis patients with renal disease (p > 0.05). In addition, gender and age did not have an impact on LSUV and PSUV. Conclusions Renal disease has not been found to have an impact on uptake values on the internal reference points on FDG PET/CT studies. Therefore, patients with renal failure do not require an increased uptake phase and should remain at the standard 60 minutes. However, further review of dialysis schedules and the FDG distribution could help determine if there is a most appropriate time to receive dialysis to optimize the PET scan results.
Neighborhood Differences in Post-Stroke Mortality.

Background—Post-stroke mortality is higher among residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods, but it is not known whether neighborhood inequalities are specific to stroke survival or similar to mortal...
Impact of pharmacy worker training and deployment on access to essential medicines for children under five in Malawi: a cluster quasi-experimental evaluation.

Poor access to essential medicines is common in many low- and middle-income countries, partly due to an insufficient and inadequately trained workforce to manage the medicines supply chain. We conducted a prospective impact evaluation of the training and deployment of pharmacy assistants (PAs) to rural health centers in Malawi. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare access to medicines in two districts where newly trained PAs were deployed to health centers (intervention) and two districts with no trained PAs at health centers (comparison). A baseline household survey and two annual post-intervention household surveys were conducted. We studied children under five years with a history of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, and diarrhea in the previous two weeks. We collected data on access to antimalarials, antibiotics and oral rehydration salts (ORS) during the childrens’ symptomatic periods. We used difference-in-differences regression models to estimate the impact of PA training and deployment on access to medicines. We included 3974 children across the three rounds of annual surveys: 1840 (46%) in the districts with PAs deployed at health centers and 2096 (53%) in districts with no PAs deployed at health centers. Approximately 80% of children had a fever, nearly 30% had a cough, and 43% had diarrhea in the previous two weeks. In the first year of the program, the presence of a PA led to a significant 74% increase in the odds of access to any antimalarial, and a significant 49% increase in the odds of access to artemisinin combination therapies. This effect was restricted to the first year post-intervention. There was no effect of presence of a PA on access to antibiotics or ORS. The training and deployment of pharmacy assistants to rural health centers in Malawi increased access to antimalarial medications over the first year, but the effect was attenuated over the second year. Pharmacy assistants training and deployment demonstrated no impact on access to antibiotics for pneumonia or oral rehydration salts for diarrhea.
The Use and Abuse of Human Growth Hormone in Sports.

Context:Recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) has become a target of abuse in the sporting world. Conversely, sports medicine clinicians may encounter athletes using rHGH to achieve normalcy in t...
A cohort study of maternal cardiometabolic risk factors and primary cesarean delivery in an integrated health system.

Background Maternal cardiometabolic risk factors (i.e., hyperglycemia, pre-existing hypertension and high body mass index) impact fetal growth and risk of having a cesarean delivery. However, the independent and joint contribution of maternal cardiometabolic risk factors to primary cesarean section is unclear. We aimed to elucidate the degree to which maternal cardiometabolic risk factors contribute to primary cesarean deliveries and whether associations vary by infant size at birth in an integrated health system. Methods A cohort study of 185,045 singleton livebirths from 2001 to 2010. Poisson regression with robust standard errors provided crude and adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cesarean delivery risk associated with risk factors. We then estimated the proportion of cesarean sections that could be prevented if the cardiometabolic risk factor in pregnant women were eliminated (the population-attributable risk [PAR]). Results In a single multivariable model, maternal cardiometabolic risk factors were independently associated with cesarean delivery: RR (95% CI) abnormal glucose screening 1.04 (1.01–1.08); gestational diabetes 1.18 (1.11–1.18) and pre-existing diabetes 1.60 (1.49–1.71); pre-existing hypertension 1.16 (1.10–1.23); overweight 1.27 (1.24–1.30); obese class I 1.46 (1.42–1.51); obese class II 1.73 (1.67–1.80); and obese class III 1.97 (1.88–2.07); adjusting for established risk factors, medical facility and year. The associations between maternal cardiometabolic risk factors and primary cesarean delivery remained among infants with appropriate weights for gestational age. The PARs were 17.4% for overweight/obesity, 7.0% for maternal hyperglycemia, 2.0% for pre-existing hypertension and 20.5% for any cardiometabolic risk factor. Conclusions Maternal cardiometabolic risk factors were independently associated with risk of primary cesarean delivery, even among women delivering infants born at an appropriate size for gestational age. Effective strategies to increase the proportion of women entering pregnancy at an optimal weight with normal blood pressure and glucose before pregnancy could potentially eliminate up to 20% of cesarean deliveries.
Lossy on-line dynamic data compression

We use the term data to mean digital data: data that is represented as a sequence of characters drawn from the input alphabet ∑. Data compression is the process of encoding (“compressing”) a body of data into a smaller body of data. With lossless data compression, it must be possible for the compressed data to be decoded (“decompressed”) back to the original data, whereas with lossy data compression, compressed data need only be decoded back to some acceptable approximation to the original data (where “acceptable” is defined by some fidelity criteria that is provided to the algorithm).
Social Comparisons in Games

We develop a model of adaptive learning in normal form games with social comparisons. Actors in the model adjust their behavior by aspiration-based adaptation: they are more likely to choose actions that recently yielded satisfactory payoffs and are less likely to repeat those that resulted in unsatisfactory payoffs. Satisfaction is evaluated relative to an aspiration level that reflects previous payoffs. Aspirations, however, may depend not only on individual experiences but also on other players' payoffs. Thus, the model captures the effect of an important kind of social comparison, provided by exogenous reference groups. We show that under a variety of simple emulation patterns the presence of social comparisons significantly constrains the set of stable outcomes. In particular, if reference groups are sufficiently dense then in every stable outcome all players receive identical payoffs.
Mulch Depth Affects Weed Germination

Abstract With environmental concerns increasing, non-chemical weed control in container plant production is increasing in the United States. Pine bark mini-nuggets were evaluated as a non-chemical weed control technique for two weed species; Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small (spotted spurge) and Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.(eclipta). On June 19, 2006, seed (25 per container) were directly placed on the potting substrate surface of #3 containers before mulching with pine bark mini-nuggets to a depth of either 0, 1.27 or 2.54 cm (0, 0.5 or 1.0 in). Additional treatments consisted of applying the mini-nugget mulch at either 1.27 or 2.54 cm (0.5 or 1.0 in) on the potting substrate then overseeding with either spotted spurge or eclipta. Eclipta number per container were 87% less 60 days after seeding (DAS) with the 1.0 in mulch depth compared to non-mulched. Furthermore, spotted spurge fresh weight (FW) was reduced by 45 and 87% (0.5 and 1.0 in, respectively) compared to the non-mulched treatment. The experiment was ...
Green's Functions

This chapter contains sections titled: Green's Functions for Poisson's Equation Modified Green's Functions Sturm-Liouville Equation Green's Function G ( x,x ?> ) Solution of Boundary-Value Problems Multidimensional Green's Functions and Alternative Representations Green's Function for a Line Source in a Rectangular Waveguide Three-Dimensional Green's Functions Green's Function as a Multiple-Reflected Wave Series Free-Space Green's Dyadic Function Modified Dyadic Green's Functions Solution for Electric Field Dyadic Green's Function Reciprocity Relation for Dyadic Green's Functions Eigenfunction Expansions of Dyadic Green's Functions Expansion of the Electric Field in Spherical Modes Dyadic Green's Function Expansion in Cylindrical Coordinates Alternative Representations for Dyadic Green's Functions Dyadic Green's Functions and Field Equivalence Principles Integral Equations for Scattering Non-self-Adjoint Systems Distribution Theory This chapter contains sections titled: References and Bibliography Problems
The Effect of Fraud Risk Assessment Frequency and Fraud Inquiry Timing on Auditors' Skeptical Judgments and Actions

SYNOPSIS Identifying ways to improve and maintain professional skepticism, particularly for the purpose of reducing the risk of material misstatement due to fraud, continues to be a top priority fo...
Modern approaches to investigating non-neuronal aspects of Alzheimer's disease

The slow, continuous, devastating march of Alzheimer's disease continues to move across the globe. As a society, we are at a loss for options to treat or reverse the death of neurons-the final, apparently inescapable, hallmark of the disease. A continued focus on these dying neurons has taught us much about the disease but with no knowledge-based effective treatment in sight. A surge of interest in non-neuronal cells, including glia, blood vasculature, and immune cells, has shed new light on how we may better diagnose and treat patients. This may be our best hope to treat the millions patients with cognitive decline and memory loss.-Liddelow, S. A. Modern approaches to investigating non-neuronal aspects of Alzheimer's disease.
SCAT5 vs. SCAT3 Symptom Reporting Differences and Convergent Validity in Collegiate Athletes

Objective The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), fifth Edition, Symptom Evaluation (S5SE) differs from previous versions by having examinees report trait (i.e. "typical" feelings) as opposed to state (i.e., "how you feel right now") concussion-like symptoms at baseline. This study assessed differences among, and convergent validity of, scores on the S5SE, SCAT3 Symptom Evaluation (S3SE), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18). Methods A total of 113 University of Florida varsity athletes completed symptom questionnaires on the same day in a counterbalanced administration. The final sample consisted of 94 participants (mean age ± SD = 18.4 ± 0.8 years, 57% male, 65% white) from 17 sports. We assessed convergent validity using Spearman rank-order correlations. Within-participant differences were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests. We qualitatively described free-response answers to the S5SE question that asks, "if not feeling 100%, why?". Results S5SE total severity score demonstrated adequate convergent validity with both the S3SE (rho = .407, p 0.6). Severity scores did not differ between the S3SE and S5SE (p = .500), but 24.5% of participants reported S3SE > S5SE and 34.0% S5SE > S3SE. Three themes emerged from qualitative examination of reasons for "not feeling 100%": (1) tiredness/sleep, (2) adjustment difficulties, and (3) academic/athletic stress. Conclusions Adequate convergent validity exists between SCAT5 and SCAT3 symptom severity in collegiate athletes. However, most examinees report different baseline symptom severity when asked to describe their trait (S5SE) versus state symptoms (S3SE). Clinicians should consider using the new SCAT5 Symptom Evaluation as a screening tool for identifying otherwise healthy or "undiagnosed" individuals who would benefit from targeted interventions.
Minor esophageal functional disorders: are they relevant?

High resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) has expanded understanding of esophageal motor function. The Chicago Classification scheme has allowed systematic categorization of the myriad of manometric parameters identified during HRM. Multichannel intraluminal impedance pH has enhanced ambulatory reflux monitoring through complete assessment of esophageal content transit. However, the clinical implications of identified minor esophageal functional disorders remain unclear. Esophagogastric junction outlet obstruction is defined by esophagogastric junction obstruction with preserved peristalsis and may be managed expectantly, or in a manner similar to achalasia. Hypercontractile esophagus has been associated with dysphagia and non-cardiac chest pain, but the clinical significance is unclear as a majority of patients will improve without specific therapy. Additionally, these findings may be confounded by chronic opiate use. Ineffective esophageal motility is characterized by diminished esophageal contraction amplitude, potentially causing dysphagia and GERD. However, this is commonly identified in asymptomatic volunteers and may represent a normal variant. The multiple rapid swallow sequence can assess esophageal contraction reserve, which may predict post fundoplication dysphagia. The post-swallow induced peristaltic wave can serve as a surrogate of gastric refluxate clearance, providing important prognostic value. However, the associated time burden and lack of alternative therapeutic options limit its clinical utility. Minor esophageal functional disorders provide new therapeutic targets for symptomatic patients. However, these findings have inconsistent associations with symptoms and poorly defined therapeutic options. Minor esophageal function disorders should not be interpreted in isolation, with management decisions accounting for clinical, endoscopic, and radiographic factors in addition.
Age-related Differences in Brain Activation During Working Memory Updating: An fMRI Study

Abstract Recent neuroimaging studies have reported an age-related reduction in brain activations in response to working memory load in task-sensitive brain regions. The current fMRI study investigated the age-related differences in brain activations of the updating mechanism in working memory, which was not investigated in previous studies. With a hybrid block/event-related design, this study was able to examine changes in BOLD signals (i.e., neuromodulation) to increase in updating, a type of cognitive control that is understudied. Older adults were separated into young-old and old-old cohorts to examine whether, within healthy aging, the neuromodulation to cognitive control decreases with age. Our results show that younger adults activate left precentral gyrus and right cerebellum more during trials that require updating than trials that do not require updating. Although older adults showed reduced neuromodulation in these two regions, the old-old cohort failed to show any significant neuromodulation in response to updating. Moreover, older adults not only showed reduced suppressions of the default mode network (DMN) regions during the task, they also overactivated some of the DMN regions, esp. the old-old, when compared to the younger adults. Older adults also showed overactivations in a region (right precentral gyrus) that is contralateral to a task-sensitive region that was activated in the younger adults during updating. Brain-behavior correlations suggest that age-related overactivations of these DMN regions and the right precentral gyrus are maladaptive to their performance. Our results suggest that not only the neuromodulation in response to updating demands is diminished in healthy aging, older adults also show maladaptive increases in activations of task-irrelevant regions and reduced hemispheric specificity during updating. These effects are most pronounced in old-old cohort, compared to young-old, suggesting that age-related declines in neuromodulation during cognitive control is more pronounced in older cohorts within healthy aging.
Sleep Duration and Timing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Evidence for Circadian Phase Delay

Objectives To investigate potential delays in endogenous melatonin in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods First, data are presented for 15 individuals with OCD and matched healthy controls. Next, nine additional participants with OCD who did not have matched controls were added, resulting in a sample of 24 individuals with OCD. All participants were assessed for sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance. Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) was derived from salivary melatonin and was used in conjunction with sleep diaries, interview measures, and questionnaires. A subset of the OCD group (n = 16) also used actigraphy. Results In sum, 42% percent (10/24) of the patients with OCD met the criteria for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) in comparison to 0% in the control sample. DLMO was significantly later in individuals with OCD compared to controls. DLMO and bedtime were not significantly associated with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms or negative affect. Conclusions Replication of the findings presented herein, particularly the DLMO results, is warranted. Further, there are now three studies showing that nearly ½ of individuals with OCD meet criteria for a DSWPD. Future studies can explore the mechanisms underlying these connections and the implications of this comorbidity. These findings may increase our understanding of OCD and inform future interventions.
15 – Grazing Systems

Publisher Summary A grazing system is defined as a specialization of grazing management based on rotating grazing animals among two or more grazing land units (paddocks) while defining systematically recurring periods of grazing and nongrazing. The Forage and Grazing Terminology Committee (FGTC), after differentiating grazing methods from grazing systems, further expanded the historical concept of “grazing system” to include “a defined, integrated combination of animal, plant, soil, and other environmental components,” thereby approaching a grazing management plan. Additional criteria that are helpful in describing a grazing system include kind, class, and number of grazing animals in each herd; number of grazing periods per year; season of grazing in relation to plant and animal requirements; stocking density index; and grazing pressure. Still other items ideally related include: whether a systematic or flexible schedule is followed; size, shape, and arrangement of grazing units; and description of grazing methods or range improvement practices routinely included within the system. Decisions that must be made by the manager when designing a complex grazing system include the physical aspects of the system: the amount of land to include within the total system; the number, size, shape, and arrangement of paddocks; kind, number or extent, and location of fences and water developments; kind (or mix), class, and number of animals; the number of herds (generally 1 to 3); length of the grazing season; and the grazing schedule.
Abstract TP124: 90-Day Disability Outcomes and Stroke Etiology: An ALIAS 2 Secondary Analysis

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality despite advancements in therapeutic options. Cardioembolic AIS had previously been associ...