cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pollen from Arabidopsis thaliana and other Brassicaceae are functionally omniaperturate.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Most pollen walls are interrupted by apertures, thin areas providing access to stigmatic fluids and exit points for pollen tubes. Unexpectedly, pollen tubes of Arabidopsis thaliana are not obligated to pass through apertures and can instead take the shortest route into the stigma, passing directly through a nonaperturate wall. METHODS We used stains and confocal microscopy to follow early pollen tube formation in A. thaliana and 200+ other species. We germinated pollen in vitro and in situ (at control and high humidities) and also used atomic force microscopy to assay material properties of nonaperture and aperture walls. KEY RESULTS Pollen tubes of A. thaliana breached nonaperture walls despite these being an order of magnitude stiffer than aperture walls. Breakout was associated with localized swelling of the pectin-rich (alcian blue positive) intine. The precision of pollen tube exit at the pollen-stigma interface was lost at high humidity. Pollen from ∼4% of the species surveyed exhibited breakout germination behavior; all nine breakout species identified so far are in the Brassicaceae family (∼25% of the Brassicaceae sampled) and are scattered across seven tribes. CONCLUSIONS The polarity of pollen germination in A. thaliana is externally induced, not linked to aperture location. The biomechanical force for breaking nonaperture walls is found in localized swelling of intine pectins. As such, the pollen from A. thaliana, and likely many Brassicaceae family members, are functionally omniaperturate. This new mechanism for germination between extant apertures raises questions about exine porosity and the diversity of mechanisms across taxa.
Kinematic Analysis of Back Foot off-Drive At Execution Phase in Cricket

Introduction -The study was conducted in order to the kinematical analysis of back foot off drive at execution phase in cricket .Twenty randomly selected male students aged 19 to 28 years and who have participated in the C.K.Naidu Trophy from U.P Team, Players of Combined University Camp and the players of Under 22 national Cricket Championship were selected as subjects for this study. Method/methodology -For the biomechanical analysis of selected batting skills in cricket High speed videography technique was employed. The two Casio Exilim EX-F1 high speed camera used for this purpose. Performance of subjects was recorded in control and favourable conditions. The data were recorded from both planes i.e. Sagittal plane and frontal plane. Siliconcoach Pro 7 Softwere was used in order to obtain the values of selected angular kinematics variables ankle, knee, elbow, hip, shoulder and wrist joint and height of centre of gravity from develop stick figures feature. The data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics. Results & Discussion - The results have shown the values of descriptive statistics of selected angular kinematics variables at downswing and impact phase in front back off- drive the mean, median and mode for selected angular kinematic variables were nearly equal.
Conservation of extrusion as an exit mechanism for Chlamydia.

Chlamydiae exit via membrane-encased extrusion or through lysis of the host cell. Extrusions are novel, pathogen-containing structures that confer infectious advantages to Chlamydia , and are hypothesized to promote cell-to-cell spread, dissemination to distant tissues and facilitate immune evasion. The extrusion phenomenon has been characterized for several Chlamydia trachomatis serovars, but a thorough investigation of extrusion for additional clinically relevant C. trachomatis strains and Chlamydia species has yet to be performed. The key parameters investigated in this study were: (i) the conservation of extrusion across the Chlamydia genus, (ii) the functional requirement for candidate Chlamydia genes in extrusion formation i.e. IncA and CT228 and (iii) extrusion-mediated uptake, and consequent survival of Chlamydia inside macrophages. Inclusion morphology was characterized by live fluorescence microscopy, using an inverted GFP strategy, at early and mid-stages of infection. Enriched extrusions were used to infect bone marrow-derived macrophages, and bacterial viability was measured following macrophage engulfment. Our results demonstrate that extrusion is highly conserved across chlamydiae, including ocular, STD and LGV biovars and divergent Chlamydia species. Consequently, this exit mechanism for Chlamydia may fulfill common advantages important for pathogenesis.
Effects of a semantic plus multimodal communication treatment for modality switching in severe aphasia

ABSTRACTBackground: Word retrieval impairments are a hallmark characteristic of aphasia. Intervention can focus on the restoration of language skills and instruction in alternative communication modalities. However, executive function deficits, specifically cognitive flexibility impairments, may interfere with switching among communication modalities to repair communication breakdowns. A multimodal communication treatment was developed to enhance the ability of people with aphasia to switch among nonverbal communication modalities when spoken communication is inaccurate. A previous study found that one participant benefited from the addition of a semantic intervention after a multimodal intervention. Therefore, an intervention that combines multimodal and semantic treatments may be most beneficial for some people with aphasia.Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the outcomes of a novel semantic plus multimodal communication treatment, which aims to improve modality switching in people with sever...
Eroding Filial Piety and Its Implications for Social Work Practice

A pilot study was conducted in the Asian American communities on practitioners' assessment of the effects of compliance/non-compliance with the value of filial piety and its impact on Asian American adult children, aged parents and practitioners themselves. Eighty-two practitioners in six cities returned mailed questionnaires. Since filial piety was an emotionladen topic, projective technique was used in questionnaire design. Practitioners were asked questions regarding a hypothetical case. The findings demonstrated a gradual shift of filial responsibilities to health/social service providers with concomitant affective conflicts on the part of Asian American adult children, aged parents and practitioners themselves. With greater understanding of these conflicts, it is hoped that filial piety and the extended family support system will be strengthened.
Metabolic autofluorescence imaging of head and neck cancer organoids quantifies cellular heterogeneity and treatment response (Conference Presentation)

Treatment options for head and neck cancer are limited, and can cause an impaired ability to eat, talk, and breathe. Therefore, optimized and personalized therapies could reduce unnecessary toxicities from ineffective treatments. Organoids are generated from primary tumor tissue and provide a physiologically-relevant in vitro model to measure drug response. Additionally, multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of the metabolic cofactors NAD(P)H and FAD can resolve dynamic cellular response to anti-cancer treatment. This study applies FLIM of NAD(P)H and FAD to head and neck cancer organoids. Head and neck cancer tissue was digested and grown in culture as three-dimensional organoids. Gold standard measures of therapeutic response in vivo indicate stable disease after treatment with cetuximab (antibody therapy) or cisplatin (chemotherapy), and treatment response after combination treatment. In parallel, organoids were treated with cetuximab, cisplatin, or combination therapy for 24 hours. Treated organoids exhibit decreased NAD(P)H lifetime (p<0.05) and increased FAD lifetime (p<0.05) compared with control organoids. Additionally, analysis of cellular heterogeneity identifies distinct subpopulations of cells in response to treatment. A quantitative heterogeneity index predicts in vivo treatment response and demonstrates increased cellular heterogeneity in organoids treated with cetuximab or cisplatin compared with combination treatment. Mapping of cell subpopulations enables characterization of spatial relationships between cell subpopulations. Ultimately, an organoid model combined with metabolic fluorescence imaging could provide a high-throughput platform for drug discovery. Organoids grown from patient tissue could enable individualized treatment planning. These achievements could optimize quality of life and treatment outcomes for head and neck cancer patients.
Balancing comprehension and conversation: How elementary teachers manage multiple purposes for text discussions

Abstract This comparative case study, based on 12 interviews and 16 classroom observations, examines the instructional purposes of four experienced elementary teachers as they conducted text discussions. The teachers described the tensions they experienced in simultaneously trying to improve students' skills in conversation and comprehension. They used different strategies to manage those tensions, but often felt unsuccessful in resolving them. Overall, teachers' stated purposes during interviews aligned with their enacted purposes during discussions. However, their intention to help students respond to and engage with others' ideas was less apparent in practice. The findings have implications for teacher education and professional development.
Learning based visual engagement and self-efficacy

Self-help web interventions for mental health effectively follow a one-size-fits-all approach lacking the personalization of regular psychotherapy sessions and the effectiveness associated with the treatment. A scalable adaptive person-centered approach is therefore essential to non-invasively monitor symptom severity, enhance coping capabilities and increase engagement levels for maximal impact. In this work, we propose a novel approach to empower mental trauma patients, improve outcomes and EASE their suffering while reducing health-care costs. We develop machine learning algorithms that use both voluntary and involuntary feedback encapsulating the interactions of brain and body in a non-intrusive setting, by calibrating physiological arousal and engagement from face videos leading towards a hidden state of self-efficacy.
Use of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Respiratory Emergencies: What is the Evidence?

Abstract Respiratory emergencies have a variety of underlying causes and presentations. Studies have shown the point-of-care lung ultrasound is useful in determining the diagnosis in adult populations. There is also growing pediatric literature detailing the usefulness of point-of-care lung ultrasound in pediatric emergency care. This article will review the current evidence behind the use of point-of-care lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumothorax, pleural effusions, pneumonia, pulmonary contusions, bronchiolitis, and pulmonary edema.
Accommodative accuracy by retinoscopy versus autorefraction spherical equivalent or horizontal meridian power

To assess agreement between accommodative lag by monocular estimation method (MEM) retinoscopy and Nott retinoscopy compared to open‐field autorefraction using spherical equivalent versus power in ...
On a Method of Study of Specific Asymptotic Stability of Solutions to a Sixth-Order Linear Integrodifferential Volterra Equation

We state sufficient conditions of the asymptotic stability on the semi-axis of solutions to a linear, homogeneous, sixth-order integrodifferential Volterra-type equation in the case where solutions of the corresponding linear, homogeneous, sixth-order differential equation are asymptotically unstable. We also present a new method and an illustrating example.
Byronic Heroes in Nineteenth-Century Women's Writing and Screen Adaptation / The History of Missed Opportunities: British Romanticism and the Emergence of the Everyday

Sarah Wootton’s Byronic Heroes in Nineteenth-Century Women’s Writing and Screen Adaptation examines how Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and George Eliot as well as television versions of their work...
Medical Student Experiences

This chapter presents case studies of medical students being exposed in the clinical setting to microaggressions. The physician team is made of many members. The medical student is the most junior member and therefore the most vulnerable. The risk of being in a position where a more senior and perhaps more dominant member of the team feels comfortable sharing their biases through microaggressions shared with the team is very real. As these encounters are rarely monitored, individuals might be more comfortable or relaxed in expressing inappropriate views. This chapter will review specific instances of microaggressions with consideration of attitudes and assumptions of the senior as well as the junior member of the team, gaps in provider knowledge, cross-cultural tools/skills, and pearls and pitfalls. The specific examples will consider gender-based microaggression, sexual orientation-based microaggression, and racially based microaggression. We hope that this discussion can provide tools to the student that can help them navigate these difficult situations.
Universal tumor screening for Lynch syndrome: perspectives of Canadian pathologists and genetic counselors.

Universal screening of all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer tumors can identify individuals at high risk for Lynch syndrome (LS), a hereditary cancer syndrome predisposing carriers to increased risk of colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers. To inform planning of a universal tumor screening program for LS in our jurisdiction, we undertook online surveys of Canadian pathologists and genetic counselors to describe existing tumor screening programs. Online surveys were hosted on SurveyMonkey between October 2016 and March 2017. Fifty-three pathologists and 66 genetic counselors completed surveys (total n = 119). While attitudes towards tumor screening were positive, considerable variability was observed in the existence of tumor screening, test ordering criteria, and practices. Most respondents indicated consent was not obtained for tumor screening nor were educational materials provided to patients; however, opting out of additional mutation testing in the event of a positive tumor screen was endorsed. Results add to the growing literature on providers’ perspectives on population-based tumor screening programs and inform ways to offer these. Findings highlight the need to develop methods of patient education that allow meaningful opt-out decisions. The variability we observed also suggests the need for national standards and guidance on tumor screening for LS.
Automatically Evaluating Balance: A Machine Learning Approach

Compared to in-clinic balance training, in-home training is not as effective. This is, in part, due to the lack of feedback from physical therapists (PTs). In this paper, we analyze the feasibility of using trunk sway data and machine learning (ML) techniques to automatically evaluate balance, providing accurate assessments outside of the clinic. We recruited sixteen participants to perform standing balance exercises. For each exercise, we recorded trunk sway data and had a PT rate balance performance on a scale of 1–5. The rating scale was adapted from the Functional Independence Measure. From the trunk sway data, we extracted a 61-dimensional feature vector representing the performance of each exercise. Given these labeled data, we trained a multi-class support vector machine (SVM) to map trunk sway features to PT ratings. Evaluated in a leave-one-participant-out scheme, the model achieved a classification accuracy of 82%. Compared to participant self-assessment ratings, the SVM outputs were significantly closer to PT ratings. The results of this pilot study suggest that in the absence of PTs, ML techniques can provide accurate assessments during standing balance exercises. Such automated assessments could reduce PT consultation time and increase user compliance outside of the clinic.
Sensory Representations Supporting Memory Specificity: Age Effects on Behavioral and Neural Discriminability.

Older adults9 difficulty in distinguishing between old and new information contributes to memory decline, which may occur because older adults are less likely than young adults to retrieve specific sensory details necessary to distinguish between similar items. In male and female human subjects, the present study measured the extent of age differences in the specificity of memory representations using a false memory paradigm in which studied items were linked to retrieval items at multiple levels of similarity. Older adults showed poorer behavioral discrimination than young adults, driven primarily by false recognition of lures that differed from targets only in perceptual details. Patterns of activation across several regions within ventral visual cortex could be used to distinguish between targets and lures when they differed in both perceptual details and a semantic label. However, of ventral visual regions, only signals in the midline occipital cortex could be used to distinguish targets from lures when they differed only in perceptual details. Although there was an overall age deficit for this neural discrimination in this region, the positive relationship between neural and behavioral discriminability did not differ across age groups. In contrast, age moderated the relationship between neural and behavioral discriminability in lateral occipital and fusiform cortices, suggesting that activation patterns within these regions represent different types of information in each age group. Therefore, the quality of perceptual signals is a key contributor to memory discrimination across age groups, with evidence that age differences in the nature of representations emerges outside early visual cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age-related memory decline is due in part to older adults9 difficulties in discriminating between old and new information. We tested whether this deficit arises from lack of specificity in the sensory representations underlying older adults9 recognition judgments. Using pattern classification analyses in ventral visual cortices, we found that signals in a region early in the visual stream could distinguish between targets and lures at the highest level of similarity. The discriminability of targets and lures in this region was positively related to behavioral discriminability across age groups despite an overall age deficit in classification accuracy. Together, results showed that older adults9 memory deficits are related to reduced discriminability of cognitive processes (old/new recognition) in portions of visual cortex.
Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of non-lesional insular epilepsy in pediatric patients: thermal dynamic and volumetric factors influencing seizure outcomes

To investigate the safety and efficacy of stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) directed magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) in medically refractory insular epilepsy in pediatric patients, define the relationship between ablation volumes and seizure control, and analyze the relationship between thermal energy and ablation volumes. A single-institution, retrospective review of pediatric patients with insular epilepsy who underwent sEEG directed MRgLITT over a 10-month period was performed. Perioperative, imaging, and outcome data were analyzed. Seizure outcomes were determined based on Engel score (Engel I versus Engel II–IV). Insula and ablation volumes were measured, and the proportion of insula volume ablated was calculated. Thermal energy was calculated in joules. Four patients underwent sEEG directed MRgLITT of insular epileptogenic foci. The ablation volume was higher in patients with Engel I outcome (3.93 cm3) compared to Engel II–IV outcome (1.02 cm3). The proportion of ablation to insula volume was lowest in patients with Engel II–IV outcome (25.09%). The mean energy requirement to create a unit volume of ablation in the insula is 1205.86 J. A linear trend was noted between thermal ablation energy and ablation volume (R2 = 0.884). Over a mean follow-up period of 104 days, three patients were seizure-free (Engel I), and one patient saw significant improvement in seizure frequency (Engel III). The proportion of insula ablated, as well as the volume of ablation, are related to seizure outcome with increasing ablation volumes corresponding to improved seizure control. Further analysis of insula laser ablation thermal dynamics and volumes is needed.
Structure functions at small x from worldlines: Unpolarized distributions

The worldline representation of quantum field theory is a powerful framework for the computation of perturbative multileg Feynman amplitudes. In particular, in gauge theories, it provides an efficient way, via point particle Grassmann functional integrals, to compute spinor and color traces in these amplitudes. Further, semiclassical approximations to quantum mechanical worldline trajectories provide useful intuition in a wide range of dynamical problems. We develop here the worldline approach to compute deeply inelastic structure functions in the small $x$ Regge limit of QCD. In a shockwave approximation valid in this limit, we show how one recovers the well-known dipole model for unpolarized structure functions. In a follow-up work, we will discuss the worldline computation of polarized structure functions at small $x$.
Hematopoietic inhibition by interferon-gamma is partially mediated through interferon regulatory factor-1

Biologic responses to cytokines are mediated by intracellular pathways involving induction of signaling and metabolic cascades. Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a major transcription factor induced not only by IFN-gamma but also by other cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Possible IRF-1 binding sequence elements have been located in the promoter regions of several genes, including p53, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclin D1. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha can inhibit hematopoiesis in vitro and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bone marrow (BM) failure. We investigated whether the inhibitory effects of these cytokines were intracellularly mediated through the expression of IRF-1 or -2 in target cells. In total BM cells, IRF-1 mRNA expression increased after stimulation with IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha; the stronger effect was observed with IFN-gamma. In contrast, IRF-2 mRNA expression was constitutive and not altered by cytokine stimulation. By gene amplification, low levels of IRF-1 mRNA were present in unstimulated, highly purified CD34+ cells; on exposure to IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, amplified IRF-1 mRNA showed a much stronger signal than control. When CD34+ cells were treated with IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, IRF-1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) partially reversed the suppressive effects on CD34+ cell-derived colony formation by IFN-gamma but not those by TNF-alpha. In parallel experiments, IRF-1 antisense ODN decreased both IRF-1 protein and mRNA expression. The effects of ODN were sequence- specific and concentration-dependent. These results suggest that the inhibitory hematopoietic effects of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are mediated by different pathways. For IFN-gamma, IRF-1 is involved in the activation of cellular genes responsible for IFN-gamma suppressive effects.
Internal audit outsourcing in small organizations: An exploratory study

Few papers have studied internal audit outsourcing in general, and significantly fewer have limited their analysis to small organizations. This study examines the association between small organizations’ propensity to outsource internal audit activities and (1) audit committee involvement, (2) organizational financial health, and (3) need for expertise. Prior studies find mixed evidence when analyzing both large and small organizations concurrently. This study utilizes the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation 2015 Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) survey results data from chief audit executives (CAEs) of small organizations (<500 employees) based in seven Anglo-culture countries. We find significant associations between both audit committee involvement and organization financial health and internal audit outsourcing in small organizations.
Abstract 250: Smad3-Mediated Induction of Smad7 in Activated Myofibroblasts Protects the Remodeling Myocardium

TGFβs are induced in the infarcted and pressure-overloaded myocardium and play an essential role in repair and remodeling by activating Smad-dependent and Smad-independent cascades. Fibroblasts are...
Implications of product withdrawal on a post-approval pragmatic trial: The VOLUME study experience.

Abstract Introduction Many clinical trials terminate early due to safety and efficacy concerns, and less often due to unexpected “positive” findings. However, early termination of post-approval (Phase IV) pragmatic randomized trials for commercial reasons is less frequent, may be more complex, and may require added flexibility in closure methods, including short term follow-up. VOLUME was a randomized, open-label, post-approval pragmatic clinical trial (PCT) or large simple trial that terminated early due to product withdrawal. The aim of this paper is to describe circumstances unique to post-approval PCTs that may require a closure amendment rather than immediate study termination, and our recommendations for operational study closure in these circumstances. We use the VOLUME case study throughout to provide a practical example. Methods Study closeout considerations at the study level include: notifying external governance bodies, e.g., data monitoring committees (DMC), and scientific steering committees (SSC); executing a study closure amendment; notifying and training of study physicians; and institutional review board (IRB)/ethics committee (EC) approvals. Study closure considerations at the patient level focus on patient safety and include: patient notification, efficient transition to alternative treatments, the need for re-consenting; and drug supply shortages. Conclusions Early study closeout logistics require careful analysis, detailed planning, and close coordination, and are ideally considered at the study planning phase. Lessons learned from the VOLUME closeout should help other researchers devise contingencies when terminating post approval pragmatic trials that utilize a marketed product. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00359801 .
Single-party government, Prime Minister psychology, and the diversionary use of force: theory and evidence from the British case

This paper develops expectations about the likelihood of diversionary conflict initiation by parliamentary democracies with single-party majoritarian (SPM) governments. While most of the literature...
John Roberts: Shedding Light on a Secretive Man

In her new book The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts, Joan Biskupic provides insight into the personal and professional life of the seventeenth Chief Justice. Joan Biskupic, The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts (2019). The intriguing format of the book does so in a very interesting way — instead of simply reporting significant events in the life of John Roberts, it guides the reader on a chronological journey through Roberts’s life with concurrent landmark Supreme Court cases providing a backdrop along the way. This allows the book to serve as both a biography of John Roberts and a brief historical overview of the Supreme Court from 1955 forward. Those two storylines then coalesce into one when Roberts becomes a member of the Court in 2005.
Systemic Racism in the United States: Scaffolding as Social Construction

With the extent that racism is embedded in the US, it is important for professionals in the field to expand their understanding of race and racism, and the connectedness of the historical process, ...
Istanbul, city of the fearless: urban activism, coup d’etat, and memory in Turkey: by Christopher Houston, Berkeley, CA, University of California Press, 2020, 242 pp., $34.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-520-34320-7

Chris Houston’s Istanbul, City of the Fearless begins with a striking invitation: ‘Imagine a city.’ Weaving together over fifty interviews conducted with activists spanning the political spectrum a...
Prevalence of periapical abscesses in vitamin D deficient patients.

PURPOSE To assess the prevalence of periapical abscesses (PAs) in individuals with vitamin D deficiency who are not treated and in individuals treated with a vitamin D supplement (calciferol). METHODS Integrated data of hospital patients was used. Data from the corresponding diagnosis codes for periapical abscess and vitamin D deficiency were retrieved by searching the appropriate query in the database. The Risk Ratio (RR) for periapical abscesses, its association with vitamin D deficiency and intake of calciferol were calculated and analyzed statistically. RESULTS The RR for prevalence of periapical abscesses in patients with vitamin D deficiency was 3.44. Presence of PAs was significantly higher in patients with vitamin D deficiency compared to patients without vitamin D deficiency (P< 0.0001). The RR and the prevalence of PAs for patients treated with calciferol were significantly lower compared to untreated patients (P< 0.0001). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Dentists should be aware of the possible association between vitamin D deficiency and occurrence of periapical abscesses. It appears that the prevalence of periapical abscesses is higher in patients with vitamin D deficiency. Calciferol supplement may reduce the prevalence of such periapical disease in these patients.
Putting space in its place

Loic Wacquant’s writings from the early 1990s, here collected in substantially expanded form, made a significant contribution to the analysis of burning urban issues when first published, and are s...
Police-Prostitute Interactions

Abstract Laws related to vice are laws in which police officers are given a considerable amount of discretion. Because of police authority and frequent contact with marginalized women involved in prostitution, opportunities to engage in inappropriate behavior are ever present. Data collected from three studies on women in prostitution, from 1998 to 2004, are the focus for this article. Analysis of the data revealed that officers, while involved in duties of law enforcement, behave in a number of ways when interacting with prostitutes, some of which are beyond the appropriate use of police “discretion.” Findings reveal six types of police-prostitute interactions. Implications for radical social work practice are discussed.
Push vs. pull: implications of protocol design on controlling unwanted traffic

In this paper we argue that the difficulties in controlling unwanted Internet traffic, such as email SPAM, stem from the fact that many Internet applications are fundamentally sender-driven and distinctly lack receiver control over traffic delivery. However, since only receivers know what they want to receive, receiver-driven approaches may often have clear advantages in restraining unwanted traffic. In this paper, we re-examine the implications of the two common traffic delivery models: sender-push and receiver-pull. In the sender-push model, a sender can deliver traffic at will to a receiver, who can only passively accept the traffic, such as in the SMTP-based email delivery system. In contrast, in the receiver-pull model, receivers can regulate if and when they wish to retrieve data, such as the HTTP-based web access system. We argue that the problem of unwanted Internet traffic can be mitigated to a great extent if the receiver-pull model is employed by Internet applications, whenever appropriate. Using three popular applications - email, mobile text messages, and asynchronous voice messages - as examples, we demonstrate that asynchronous communication protocols can be easily designed using the receiver-pull communication model to suppress unwanted Internet traffic.
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome

The Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a rare autoimmune presynaptic disorder of neuromuscular transmission in which antibodies are directed against the voltage-gated calcium channel. The classic clinical features include proximal muscle weakness, depressed deep tendon reflexes, and prominent symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. The hallmark electrophysiological finding is a reduction in the size of the compound muscle action potential with facilitation (i.e., increased in amplitude) following brief sustained muscle contraction. In many patients, LEMS may occur in association with an underlying malignancy as a paraneoplastic disorder. How frequently are these clinical and electrophysiological features encountered in patients with LEMS? How specific is the finding of compound muscle action potential facilitation for the diagnosis? Is the presence of antibodies against voltage-gated calcium channels specific for LEMS? Should patients with LEMS be treated with immunosuppressive therapy notwithstanding the frequency with which underlying malignancies are detected? What is the long-term prognosis of LEMS, and does the presence of LEMS affect the prognosis for patients with small cell lung carcinoma? These and other questions are the subject of this chapter.
Functional anatomy and radionuclide imaging: Riedel's lobe of the liver

The tongue-like accessory lobe of the liver (Riedel's lobe) that is related to the inferior portion of the right hepatic lobe is a common finding on nuclear medicine imaging of the liver and has been observed principally in females. In a sampling of liver images in 564 consecutive patients that included 319 females and 245 males, the authors found the evidence of Riedel's lobe to be 19.4% in females and 6.1% in males. It is surprising that there is little or no mention of this accessory lobe in some of the leading textbooks of anatomy. It may be that the possible frequent incidence of Riedel's lobe of the liver as an anatomical variant has not been emphasized in the past because gross anatomic information may not have been collected from a sufficient number of females.
Neonatal polycythemia: I. Criteria for diagnosis and treatment

In order to better define criteria for diagnosis and treatment of neonatal polycythemia, 74 neonates with peripheral venous hematocrit levels greater than or equal to 65% were studied. The hematocrit levels of capillary (Cap Hct), peripheral venous (PV Hct), and umbilical venous (UV Hct) blood was measured. Viscosity of umbilical venous blood (UV eta) was determined. Mean +/- SE Cap Hct (75 +/- 0.5%) was significantly higher than PV Hct (71 +/- 1.0%, P less than .001) and PV Hct was higher than mean UV Hct (63 +/- 0.6%, P less than .001). Cap Hct correlated with neither PV Hct nor UV Hct, but PV Hct and UV Hct correlated moderately (r = .54, P less than .001). Of the neonates with UV Hct greater than or equal to 63%, 80% and UV eta in excess of 3 SD above the normal mean (in excess of 14.6 cps at shear rate 11.5 sec(-1)), whereas 94% of the neonates with UV Hct less than 63% had UV eta within normal range. Neonates with hyperviscosity were seen with two or more clinical symptoms more often than their peers with normal viscosity (P less than .04). Partial exchange transfusion in 21 neonates reduced mean UV Hct from 61 +/- 1.1% to 50 +/- 1.0% (P less than .001) and mean UV eta from 13.0 +/- 0.64 cps to 8.6 +/- 0.54 cps (P less than .001). These data suggest that Cap Hct and PV Hct may be used to screen neonates for polycythemia, but that the final diagnosis and therapeutic decisions should be based on UV Hct or even preferably on UV eta. They further suggest that UV Hct greater than or equal to 63% is strongly indicative of hyperviscosity and should be treated by partial exchange transfusion.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation Is Cost-Effective in Reducing Hospital Costs in Refractory Angina Patients.

Background Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is effective in the treatment of refractory angina, a condition suffered by 1.7 million Americans. Declining cardiovascular mortality and appropriate use criteria may further increase this number. Hypothesis EECP is hypothesized to be cost-effective in reducing hospitalizations in refractory angina patients. Methods The data used in this analysis were collected in phase II of the International EECP Patient Registry (IEPR-II). Data were collected on changes in Canadian Cardiovascular Society functional class, Duke Activity Status Index, and number of hospitalizations in the 6 months prior to EECP and in the 6- and 12-month intervals following EECP. Estimates of the changes in annual cost of all-cause hospitalization before and after EECP therapy were calculated by the product of the differences in hospitalization rates in the 6-month interval before and after EECP treatment and estimated hospitalization and physician charges after subtracting the average cost of EECP. Results Data for 1015 patients were analyzed. Hospitalization occurred in 55.2% of patients, an average of 1.7 ± 1.4 hospitalizations/patient, in the 6-month period before 35 hours of EECP; and in 24.4%, an average of 1.4 ± 1.0 hospitalizations/patient, during the 6- to 12-month period after EECP. The average hospitalization and physician charge in the US was $17 995, and the average EECP cost was $4880, yielding an annual cost savings/patient of $17 074. Conclusions Treatment of refractory angina patients with EECP resulted in improvement in angina and functional class accompanied by a sustained reduction in health care costs over 1 year of follow-up.
On Higher-Order Szegő Theorems with a Single Critical Point of Arbitrary Order

We prove the following higher-order Szegő theorem: If a measure on the unit circle has absolutely continuous part \(w(\theta )\) and Verblunsky coefficients \(\alpha \) with square-summable variation, then for any positive integer m, Open image in new window is finite if and only if \(\alpha \in \ell ^{2m+2}\). This is the first known equivalence result of this kind in the regime of very slow decay, i.e., with \(\ell ^p\) conditions with arbitrarily large p. The usual difficulty of controlling higher-order sum rules is avoided by a new test sequence approach.
National trends in the use of postcardiac arrest therapeutic hypothermia and hospital factors influencing its use

Background: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) in cardiac arrest continues to be underused in the United States. A better understanding of its utilization could inform future efforts and policies to improve utilization. This study investigates trends in TH use for in and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and hospital factors associated with its use. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2007–2010, of US adult hospitalizations with cardiac arrest. Annual rates of TH use and proportions of hospitals using TH were calculated using NIS weighting. Potential hospital factors associated with increased likelihood of TH utilization were assessed using logistic regression. Results: Across 2007–2010, 1.35% of cardiac arrest patients received TH; increasing from 0.34% (2007) to 2.49% (2010). The proportion of hospitals using TH was 13.63%, increasing from 4.63% (2007) to 22.16% (2010). Significant hospital factors associated with TH utilization were: large hospitals, ur...
Bernard Madoff and the Solo Auditor Red Flag

In the wake of the disclosure of the Bernard Madoff fraud, attention has been drawn to the use of a solo auditor by Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Some claim that the use of a solo auditor was a red flag, or a symptom of fraud, that was ignored by investors, regulators, feeder fund operators, and auditors of the feeder funds. This motivates empirical research to determine whether evidence suggests that solo auditors are lower quality auditors than other auditors, and thus really a red flag. Using an audit failure auditor litigation outcome metric, based on 396 observed auditor outcomes in financial reporting litigation commenced from 1996 through 2008, this paper focuses on the analysis of the relative auditor quality of solo auditors. Because one may argue that the relevant auditing services market for this analysis should include 1) all auditors other than the Big 4, 2) all auditors other than the Big 4 or Medium 2, or 3) just the Very Small (2 to 9 accountants) CPA firms and the solo auditors, the investigation uses three different models and samples. Similar results are obtained regardless which approach is used. The findings suggest that solo auditors are lower quality auditors, and further suggest that the use of a solo auditor is a red flag.
Economic impact of a head and neck oncologic surgeon: The case mix index

Background Head and neck oncologic surgery is a time-consuming specialty that requires extensive resources and manpower. Case mix index (CMI) is used in evaluating the complexity and economic impact of surgeons. Head and neck oncologic surgeons generate significant revenue for hospitals, yet compensation is relatively low. Methods Retrospective review of a tertiary hospital's case mix data for 605 otolaryngology admissions from 2009 to 2011 was performed. CMI comparison for head and neck oncologic surgeons versus general otolaryngology was performed. Results In an otolaryngology department of 9 surgeons; there was a significant difference (p 1) favoring head and neck oncologic surgeons. Conclusion Head and neck oncologic surgeons increase the CMI for hospitals and ultimately influence the hospital's reimbursement. There is a need for increased collaboration between hospitals and departments in fostering and furthering their head and neck surgical oncology programs by taking CMI into consideration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 36: 1420–1424, 2014
Enterohepatic circulation of lorazepam and acetaminophen conjugates in ponies.

Adult female ponies (130-225 kg) with chronically implanted external biliary fistulas (T-tubes) participated in three-way cross-over studies using either i.v. lorazepam (10 mg) or acetaminophen (2 g), two model drugs biotransformed mainly by hepatic conjugative reactions. The objectives were to determine the systemic pharmacokinetics, urinary and biliary excretion and degree of enterohepatic circulation (EHC) of these compounds. Trial conditions were: A: EHC intact, with blood and urine, but not bile, collected after i.v. drug administration; B: EHC interrupted, with blood, urine and bile collected after i.v. drug administration; and C: bile infused, EHC open, without i.v. drug administration, with bile collected from trial B (containing biliary excreted drug) infused into the duodenum via the T-tube, followed by collection of blood, urine and bile. At least 2 weeks elapsed between trials. Interruption of the EHC caused lorazepam plasma half-life to shorten (3.4 vs. 2.3 hr with the EHC intact, P less than .1), clearance to increase (9.2 vs. 12.3 ml/min/kg, P less than .1) and total area under the plasma concentration curve for lorazepam glucuronide to decrease (210 vs. 310 ng/ml X hr, P less than .06). Recovery of lorazepam as its glucuronide in bile was 24.5% of the i.v. injected dose. Urinary elimination of lorazepam glucuronide was reduced from 41 to 36% of the dose due to bile collection. Subsequent duodenal infusion of collected bile, containing an average of 2.45 mg of lorazepam as glucuronide, was followed by urinary excretion of 0.48 mg of lorazepam as glucuronide in urine and 0.36 mg re-excreted into bile.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An integrated study of Pt/WO3/SiO2 catalysts for the NOCO reaction: III. FTIR kinetic study and correlation of promotional effects

Abstract The kinetics of the NOCO reaction and promotion mechanism of WO 3 on Pt WO 3 SiO 2 catalysts was studied by FTIR spectroscopy in an in situ recycle IR microreacto. It was found that addition of WO 3 to Pt SiO 2 increased activity toward the NOCO reaction. The kinetics displayed an inhibition behavior with increasing CO concentration, but WO 3 served to decrease CO surface coverage during the inhibited regime. However, the rate of NO dissociation over Pt was slowest for the most active (tungsta-containing) catalysts. Characterization studies showed previously that addition of WO 3 resulted in the decoration of Pt crystallites by suboxides of WO 3 . The promotional effects and kinetic results are explained in terms of the participation of PtWO x adlineation sites, which resulted from the decoration effect. Using this concept, a correlation between the increased activity and the concentration of adlineation sites successfully explained the kinetics and IR results obtained with all the catalysts used. The addition of WO 3 to Pt SiO 2 is believed to produce a small number of adlineation sites having very high NO dissociation activity.
Reduction of quinquevalent vanadium solutions by wood and lignite

Abstract To determine whether reduced vanadium ores could have been deposited by reduction from supergene quinquevalent vanadium solutions, the reducing capacity of fresh wood, wood degraded by long burial, and lignite was determined experimentally at temperatures of 120° and 150° in closed containers. A precipitate obtained by reduction of quinquevalent vanadium solutions with wood gave an X-ray pattern identical with a recently discovered low-valent vanadium mineral. The evidence indicated that deposition of reduced vanadium minerals by this mechanism is possible.
Surface-aligned ion-molecule reaction on the surface of a molecular crystal CD3+ + CD3I --> C2D5+ + DI.

An ion-molecule reaction has been observed from a condensed molecular crystal of CD 3 I using the time-of-flight electron-stimulated desorption ion angular distribution technique. The CD 3 I multilayer is produced by growth on an ordered substrate. The reaction occurs between C D 3 + ions produced by electron-stimulated desorption and neighbor CD 3 I molecules in the topmost layer of the molecular crystal of CD 3 I, forming product C 2 D 5 + ions whose desorption dynamics have been measured. The normal momentum of the product ion is close to that of the reactant ion, suggesting that the reaction is dominated by a two-body collision, i.e., the momentum of the reactant CD 3 + ion governs the momentum of the product C 2 D 5 + ion. The ion-molecule reaction is of high cross section since the C 2 D 5 + yield is comparable to the CD 3 + yield. It is found that the yield and directionality of the emission of the C 2 D 5 + product ion is governed by the molecular order that is characteristic of the molecular crystal of CD 3 I. Destroying or modifying this order by using a spacer layer of H 2 O diminishes the C 2 D 5 + product ion yield relative to the reactant CD 3 + yield and broadens the ion emission directions.
Fixed versus variable rate financing: The influence of borrower, lender, and market characteristics

Previous research has analyzed the problem faced by borrowers who must choose between fixed rate and variable rate loans when each loan carries different cost and risk characteristics and the borrowers face various income and employment prospects. In addition, the existing literature contains theoretical and empirical studies of how lenders react when given the ability to offer both fixed and variable rate financing. This article unifies the two strands of research to develop and test a model of the equilibrium proportion of variable rate lending. Results indicate that factors related to borrower, lender, and market characteristics are significant determinants of the equilibrium proportion of variable rate credit originated.