cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic field dependence of nonlinear magnetic response and tricritical point in the monoaxial chiral helimagnet Cr 1 / 3 Nb S 2

We present a comprehensive study of the magnetization dynamics and phase evolution in the chiral helimagnet ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{1/3}\mathrm{Nb}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$, which realizes a chiral soliton lattice (CSL). The magnetic field dependence of the ac magnetic response is analyzed for the first five harmonic components, ${M}_{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{\omega}}(H)\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}(n=1--5)$, using a phase sensitive measurement over a frequency range, $f=11--10\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}000\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Hz}$. At a critical field, the modulated CSL continuously evolves from a helicity-rich to a ferromagnetic domain-rich structure, where the crossover is revealed by the onset of an anomalous nonlinear magnetic response that coincides with extremely slow dynamics. The behavior is indicative of the formation of a spatially coherent array of large ferromagnetic domains, which relax on macroscopic time scales. The frequency dependence of the ac magnetic loss displays an asymmetric distribution of relaxation times across the highly nonlinear CSL regime, which shift to shorter time scales with increasing temperature. We experimentally resolve the tricritical point at ${T}_{\mathrm{TCP}}$ in a temperature regime above the ferromagnetic Curie temperature which separates the linear and nonlinear magnetic regimes of the CSL at the phase transition. A comprehensive phase diagram is constructed which summarizes the features of the field and temperature dependence of the magnetic crossovers and phase transitions in ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{1/3}\mathrm{Nb}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$.
Improving Collocated Robot Teleoperation with Augmented Reality

Robot teleoperation can be a challenging task, often requiring a great deal of user training and expertise, especially for platforms with high degrees-of-freedom (e.g., industrial manipulators and aerial robots). Users often struggle to synthesize information robots collect (e.g., a camera stream) with contextual knowledge of how the robot is moving in the environment. We explore how advances in augmented reality (AR) technologies are creating a new design space for mediating robot teleoperation by enabling novel forms of intuitive, visual feedback. We prototype several aerial robot teleoperation interfaces using AR, which we evaluate in a 48-participant user study where participants completed an environmental inspection task. Our new interface designs provided several objective and subjective performance benefits over existing systems, which often force users into an undesirable paradigm that divides user attention between monitoring the robot and monitoring the robot’s camera feed(s).
What do income tests tell us about the gap between WTA and WTP for public goods

Abstract Theory relates the gap between WTA (willingness to accept compensation) and WTP (willingness to pay) to the income elasticity of WTP. It has been suggested that empirical estimates of the income elasticity of WTP can therefore be used to test whether an observed gap between WTA and WTP is consistent with rational behavior. We examine this issue for the case of non-market public goods. We identify the theoretically appropriate tests of income sensitivity, and examine conditions for valid income sensitivity tests. We show that income tests may provide false signals in common settings, indicating an inconsistency where none exists.
Hermeneutical Circle, or circulus vitiosus?

The Greek vocational self-interpretation, as given in Aristotle's Politics, sees in the contrast between Greeks and barbarians the key to an interpretation of history, while the Jewish vocational self-interpretation, as given in the prophetic literature, sees such a key in the establishment of the rule of Yahweh over the nations of the world…. Which group and which vocational consciousness are able to give a key to history as a whole? Obviously, if we try to answer, we have already presupposed an interpretation of history with a claim to universality; we have already used the key in justifying its use. This is an unavoidable consequence of the “theological circle” within which systematic theology moves; but it is an unavoidable circle wherever the question of the ultimate meaning of history is asked. —Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology III
Abstract A055: Lineage–tracing reveals a unique contribution of embryonic macrophages to NSCLC progression

Macrophages are the professional phagocytes of the innate immune system required to remove cellular debris and maintain tissue homeostasis. However, they can also play a role in the pathophysiology of many diseases. In non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), macrophages constitute one of the major leukocyte subsets founds in tumors and contribute to immunosuppression by releasing growth factors, inhibiting immune T-cell surveillance, and enhancing angiogenesis, among other mechanisms. Importantly, macrophages in the lung can arise from embryonic or from adult hematopoietic precursors derived from the bone marrow (BM). This dual source of phagocytes has long been ignored and their contribution to tumor progression and response to immunotherapy has remained largely unexplored. Here we propose to analyze the role of macrophages during early and late stages of NSCLC. Using lineage-tracing murine models, tumor spheroids, and high-dimensional techniques to capture macrophage heterogeneity within the lesions (scRNAseq), we found that embryonic macrophages are progressively excluded from the tumor mass, whereas BM-derived ones are evenly distributed. Depletion of embryonic macrophages in a pretumor implantation setting diminishes tumor size and metastasis and leads to an increase in T-cell infiltration and antitumor activity, whereas elimination of tissue-resident macrophages post-tumor implantation does not impact tumor burden or immunity. Importantly, early human NSCLC lesions (stage I) show reduced macrophage infiltrates within the tumor microenvironment, which correlate with poor T-cell infiltration. Our findings suggest that macrophage ontogeny plays a pivotal role in tumor immunity. In this context, we aim to develop novel immunotherapies that harness embryonic macrophages to prevent tumor progression during early phases of lung cancer. Citation Format: Maria Casanova. Lineage–tracing reveals a unique contribution of embryonic macrophages to NSCLC progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A055.
Prediction of rigid body motion in multi-pass single point incremental forming

Abstract Incremental sheet forming uses a generically shaped tool to form a clamped metal sheet into a desired shape by traversing the tool along a predetermined toolpath. This flexible manufacturing process enables low-cost and rapid manufacturing by eliminating the need for expensive part-specific tooling. Multi-Pass Single Point Incremental Forming (MSPIF) is a toolpath strategy which improves formability by designing toolpaths of intermediate geometries that start with the unformed sheet and upon completion of the last stage finishes with the desired, difficult-to-form part. The main challenge faced in MSPIF is the occurrence of stepped features in the final geometry. We attribute the formation of this step feature to the rigid body motion caused by the intermediate steps. In this work, the 3D contact patch between the tool and the sheet during an MSPIF toolpath is studied, and a method for predicting the rigid body motion (RBM) is provided. In this method, a hypothesis for RBM and a UV map, a 2D parametrization of the 3D geometry used to track both the formed geometry and the toolpath during MSPIF, are given. Then equations are derived for calculating the RBM for discrete motions of the tool along the toolpath. Using the proposed methodology, an MSPIF strategy that incorporates the prediction of the rigid body motion was tested for validation. The resulting MSPIF part demonstrated an increased formability and the absence of stepped features, thus confirming the validity of the prediction methodology.
Emerging Therapy of Congenital Heart Disease Associated with Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (CHD-PAH), as discussed throughout this issue of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension, is one of the most commonly occurring c...
Open Right Colectomy

The open surgical approach to colon cancer surgery is still necessary in some cases. The results of open surgery are time-tested to be both effective and safe and may lag behind minimally invasive approaches with respect to only early postoperative recovery outcomes. The primary objectives of the operation are to remove the cancer with adequate surgical margins and to perform an appropriate lymphadenectomy. An open right hemicolectomy is typically a straightforward operation, but knowledge of the anatomy is necessary to avoid major complications. In patients with normal or low body mass index, the length of the incision for open right hemicolectomy can be similar to the length of the extraction site incision for the laparoscopic approach. This chapter provides a detailed, step-by-step description of the surgical technique for an open right colectomy.
The primary step of biotin synthesis in mycobacteria

Biotin plays an essential role in growth of mycobacteria. Synthesis of the cofactor is essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis to establish and maintain chronic infections in a murine model of tuberculosis. Although the late steps of mycobacterial biotin synthesis, assembly of the heterocyclic rings, are thought to follow the canonical pathway, the mechanism of synthesis of the pimelic acid moiety that contributes most of the biotin carbon atoms is unknown. We report that the Mycobacterium smegmatis gene annotated as encoding Tam, an O-methyltransferase that monomethylates and detoxifies trans-aconitate, instead encodes a protein having the activity of BioC, an O-methyltransferase that methylates the free carboxyl of malonyl-ACP. The M. smegmatis Tam functionally replaced Escherichia coli BioC both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, deletion of the M. smegmatis tam gene resulted in biotin auxotrophy, and addition of biotin to M. smegmatis cultures repressed tam gene transcription. Although its pathogenicity precluded in vivo studies, the M. tuberculosis Tam also replaced E. coli BioC both in vivo and in vitro and complemented biotin-independent growth of the M. smegmatis tam deletion mutant strain. Based on these data, we propose that the highly conserved mycobacterial tam genes be renamed bioC. M. tuberculosis BioC presents a target for antituberculosis drugs which thus far have been directed at late reactions in the pathway with some success.
Descending aortic strain quantification by intra-operative transesophageal echocardiography: Multimodality validation via cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

BACKGROUND Whereas cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provides high temporal resolution imaging of aortic distensibility (strain), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is widely used for intra-operative aortic imaging and provides a clinical alternative for aortic assessment. We tested intra-operative global circumferential aortic strain (GCS) measured on TEE in relation to the reference of CMR-derived strain among patients undergoing surgical graft repair of ascending aortic aneurysms. METHODS CMR (3T) was prospectively performed in patients scheduled for aortic repair. TEE was performed intra-operatively; images were co-localized with MRI. GCS on CMR and TEE was quantified independently, blinded to results of the other modality. RESULTS 25 patients (54 ± 10 year-old, 88% male) were studied, inclusive of 13 genetically mediated and 12 degenerative aneurysms: CMR and TEE were performed within 12 ± 9 days. Pulse pressure (PP)-adjusted descending aortic TEE-derived GCS strongly correlated with cine-CMR-derived GCS (r = .75, P = .002) though absolute GCS and PP-adjusted values were slightly lower (5.40 ± 1.11 vs 6.49 ± 1.43% and 11.55 ± 3.04 vs 13.99 ± 4.53%, respectively). Similarly, TEE yielded slightly lower end-diastolic area (EDA [5.1 ± 1.7 cm2 vs 5.8 ± 1.3 cm2 , P = .004]) and end-systolic area (ESA [6.1 ± 1.9 cm2 vs 6.5 ± 1.7 cm2 , P = .10]), with significant correlations between the two modalities (r = .73, .76, P < .05 for all). CONCLUSIONS This exploratory study supports feasibility of TEE for assessing aortic GCS in a surgical at-risk population, as well as magnitude of agreement between intra-operative TEE and preoperative CMR. We found that there is a significant correlation between GCS and EDA and ESA aortic areas, but that TEE-derived parameters underestimated CMR values by a small but significant amount.
Identifying Consumers’ Shopping Orientations of Green Textile Furnishing Products

Limited studies have been conducted to understand consumers' interests in purchasing green textile furnishing products (GTFP), despite their increased interests in home decor and home textile consumption. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify consumers' shopping orientations toward GTFP, and how their shopping orientations influence attitude and purchase intention toward GTFP. Based on the literature review of shopping orientationS and eco-friendly shopping behaviors, this study identified five shopping orientations-utilitarian, hedonic, environment conscious, brand conscious, and price conscious-that influence attitude and purchase intention toward GTFP. A conceptual model including these five shopping orientations toward GTFP was developed to test causal relationships between the five shopping orientations toward GTFP and attitudinal and behavioral responses to GTFP. A random sample of 476 consumers in the United States aged 18 years and above was recruited through an independent marketing research company for a web-based survey. Results support environment conscious and hedonic orientations positively predisposed purchase intention to GTFP. Consumers who are less sensitive to brand and more price conscious showed a greater purchase intention toward GTFP. Only environment conscious orientation positively influenced attitude toward GTFP. Interestingly, this study found no effect of utilitarian orientation on purchase intention. Findings from this study provide insights into the development of marketing and sustainability strategies to effectively respond to the preferences of consumers toward GTFP.
The Relationship Between Citizen Oversight and Procedural Justice Measures in Policing: An Exploratory Study

Some American law enforcement agencies continue to experience disruptions in the level of trust and legitimacy ascribed to them by their communities. Citizen review boards (CRBs), may be an effective means for improving the police-community relationship. Utilizing a framework grounded in procedural justice and citizen participation, this study examines whether a link exists between CRBs and community satisfaction in the police and four procedural justice measures: 1) trust in the police, 2) belief the police are held accountable, 3) belief the police treat all people equally, and 4) belief the police are building positive community relationships. To estimate these correlations, this study uses a unique dataset from 48 U.S. cities and employs bivariate and multivariate methods to analyze the data. The findings indicate a mostly positive association between CRBs and procedural justice measures, which suggests that CRBs may be able to bolster legitimacy and enhance the police-community relationship in some communities.
Building HVAC control with reinforcement learning for reduction of energy cost and demand charge

Abstract Energy efficiency remains a significant topic in the control of building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and diverse set of control strategies have been developed to optimize performance, including recently emerging techniques of deep reinforcement learning (DRL). While most existing works have focused on minimizing energy consumption, the generalization to energy cost minimization under time-varying electricity price profiles and demand charges has rarely been studied. Under these utility structures, significant cost savings can be achieved by pre-cooling buildings in the early morning when electricity is cheaper, thereby reducing expensive afternoon consumption and lowering peak demand. However, correctly identifying these savings requires planning horizons of one day or more. To tackle this problem, we develop Deep Q-Network (DQN) with an action processor, defining the environment as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) with a reward function consisting of energy cost (time-of-use and peak demand charges) and a discomfort penalty, which is an extension of most reward functions used in existing DRL works in this area. Moreover, we develop a reward shaping technique to overcome the issue of reward sparsity caused by the demand charge. Through a single-zone building simulation platform, we demonstrate that the customized DQN outperforms the baseline rule-based policy, saving close to 6% of total cost with demand charges, while close to 8% without demand charges.
Causal Inference in the Time of Covid-19

In this paper we develop statistical methods for causal inference in epidemics. Our focus is in estimating the effect of social mobility on deaths in the Covid-19 pandemic. We propose a marginal structural model motivated by a modified version of a basic epidemic model. We estimate the counterfactual time series of deaths under interventions on mobility. We conduct several types of sensitivity analyses. We find that the data support the idea that reduced mobility causes reduced deaths, but the conclusion comes with caveats. There is evidence of sensitivity to model misspecification and unmeasured confounding which implies that the size of the causal effect needs to be interpreted with caution. While there is little doubt the the effect is real, our work highlights the challenges in drawing causal inferences from pandemic data.
Does Ankle Exoskeleton Assistance Impair Stability During Walking in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy

Lower-limb exoskeletons have the potential to improve mobility in individuals with movement disabilities, such as cerebral palsy (CP). The goal of this study was to assess the impact of plantar-flexor assistance from an untethered ankle exoskeleton on dynamic stability during unperturbed and perturbed walking in individuals with CP. Seven participants with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-III, ages 6–31 years) completed a treadmill walking protocol under their normal walking condition and while wearing an ankle exoskeleton that provided adaptive plantar-flexor assistance. Pseudo-randomized treadmill perturbations were delivered during stance phase by accelerating one side of a split-belt treadmill. Treadmill perturbations resulted in a significant decrease in anteroposterior minimum margin-of-stability (− 32.1%, p < 0.001), and a significant increase in contralateral limb step length (8.1%, p = 0.005), integrated soleus activity during unassisted walking (23.4%, p = 0.02), and peak biological ankle moment (9.6%, p = 0.03) during stance phase. Plantar-flexor assistance did not significantly alter margin-of-stability, step length, soleus activity, or ankle moments during both unperturbed and perturbed walking. These results indicate that adaptive plantar-flexor assistance from an untethered ankle exoskeleton does not significantly alter dynamic stability maintenance during unperturbed and perturbed walking for individuals with CP, supporting future research in real-world environments.
DeepYield: A combined convolutional neural network with long short-term memory for crop yield forecasting

Abstract Crop yield forecasting is of great importance to crop market planning, crop insurance, harvest management, and optimal nutrient management. Commonly used approaches for crop prediction include but are not limited to conducting extensive manual surveys or using data from remote sensing. Considering the increasing amount of data provided by remote sensing imagery, this approach is becoming increasingly important for the task of crop yield forecasting and there is a need for more sophisticated approaches to extract the inherent spatiotemporal patterns of these data. Although considerable progress has been made in this field by using Deep Learning (DL) methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), no study before has investigated the use of Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) for crop yield forecasting. Here, we propose DeepYield, a combined structure, that integrates the ConvLSTM layers with the 3-Dimensional CNN (3DCNN) for more accurate and reliable spatiotemporal feature extraction. The models are trained by using county-based historical yield data and MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST), Surface Reflectance (SR), and Land Cover (LC) data over 1836 primary soybean growing counites in the Contiguous United States (CONUS). The forecasting performance of the developed models is compared against the competing approaches including Decision Trees, CNN + GP, and CNN-LSTM and results indicate that DeepYield significantly outperforms these techniques and also performs better than both ConvLSTM and 3DCNN.
A Survey of Academic Neonatologists on Neonatal Electrical Cardioversion and Defibrillation.

Objective This study aimed to assess neonatologists' experience and comfort with neonatal electrical cardioversion or defibrillation (EC-D). Study design Electronic surveys were distributed to academic neonatologists affiliated with 12 Midwest academic hospitals. Neonatologists were asked about their residency training; years since completing residency; current certification/competency training in the Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP); experiences with EC-D; availability of a pediatric cardiologist; and their comfort levels with such procedures. Standard statistical tests evaluated comfort with EC-D. Results Seventy-two out of 180 neonatologists responded to the survey (response rate = 40%). Of them, 98.6% (71), 54.2% (39), and 37.5% (27) maintained current NRP, BLS, and PALS trainings, respectively. Also, 73.6% (n = 53) reported having performed neonatal EC-D. Of those, 50.9% (n = 27) indicated feeling slightly to very uncomfortable performing EC-D. We report a lack of BLS certification being associated with a lack of comfort (odds ratio [OR]: 0.269, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.071, 0.936]), and a positive association between a pediatric cardiologist being present and being uncomfortable (OR: 3.722, 95% CI: [1.069, 14.059]). Those reporting greater volume and more recent experience with EC-D report more comfort. Conclusion Of neonatologists who performed EC-D, half of them reported being uncomfortable. BLS certification and experience are positively associated with comfort in performing EC-D. Simulations to increase training in EC-D should be offered regularly to academic neonatologists. Key points · Most neonatologists have performed EC-D, but many feel uncomfortable with performing EC-D.. · Many do not maintain current certification in BLS, PALS, or ACLS.. · Simulation training in EC-D will increase comfort with EC-D..
The Spiritual Empire of England and India: Merit-Based Karma and Social Engineering

By the time Besant wrote “Theosophy in Great Britain” in 1912 the proletariat movement in England had achieved significant political clout and posed a palpable threat to the social status quo. It had also been some 20 years since Besant had left the Fabian Society, and since that departure her ideological tenets for addressing social inequalities had shifted from the socialist Fabians to the pledged healing ground of universal spirituality that Theosophy professed. With that in mind, Besant’s view of the working-class movement, whose assertions for improved worker conditions and a more equitable society persisted, should not have necessarily contradicted her theosophical tenets. Yet, the newly attained organizational clout of socialists, which, according to Besant, was based on “short-sightedness” and “ignorance,” seemed to pose a threat to her theosophical ways and means of achieving community cohesiveness. With this apparent conflict in mind, Besant’s view on social disruption—particularly socialism and the proletarian movement—and potential solutions, as well as the outlook of other British cosmopolitan spiritual innovators, deserves closer attention.
Neurotropic Melanoma and Melanoma with Neural Differentiation

Neurotropic melanoma is a form of spindle cell melanoma which exhibits perineural and endoneural spread (neurotropism) and on occasion a fascicular nerve-like growth pattern (neural differentiation). Desmoplasia can be a feature and indeed neurotropic melanoma is related to desmoplastic melanoma, as outlined in the last chapter. This peculiar form of neoplasm was fi rst described in detail by Dr. Richard Reed.
Categories and Functors

We define the concepts of category, functor, and morphism of functors (‘natural transformation’). The set-theoretic difficulty in treating cases like the category of all sets is handled using Grothendieck’s Axiom of Universes. Epimorphisms, monomorphisms, and similar concepts are investigated. The concept of “enriched categories” (for example, additive categories) is briefly sketched.
Recent Developments in the Analysis of Pesticides

The widespread use of pesticides in the production of food and fiber has resulted in the occurrence of pesticide residues in raw agricultural crops (fruit and vegetables), milk and dairy products, and processed foods. This fact should not surprise any citizen in 1983 and certainly does not imply that our food supply is not safe for human consumption. The Federal Government, mainly through two agencies, the FDA and EPA, has recognized that the presence of small amounts of pesticides might be inevitable and has established, therefore, the concept of so-called “tolerances” or “food additives” (Sections 402, 408, and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act).
When Disabled Homeowners Lose Their Homes for a Pittance in Unpaid Property Taxes: Some Lessons From In Re Mary Lowe

This article discusses in depth the problem of homeowners with cognitive disabilities who lose their homes because of the failure to pay a very small property tax bill. The article discusses the nature and extent of the problem, delinquent property tax procedures in Illinois and elsewhere, and the applicable due process jurisprudence. It then traces the history of the protracted, but ultimately unsuccessful litigation seeking recovery of Ms. Lowe's house, as it proceeded through the Illinois courts. The article concludes with a discussion of the inadequacy of remedies, such as indemnity funds, for disabled homeowners, and the legislative initiatives that the Office of the Public Guardian of Cook County, Illinois has proposed to the Illinois legislature to remedy the situation.
Reactor performance under thermal inactivation and temperature optimization with chitin-immobilized lactase

ABSTRACT Kinetics of thermal inactivation of chitin-immobilized lactase ( CIL ) was studied in the absence and presence of catalytic modulators. Results were in good agreement with two-phase series mechanism of inactivation. The inhibitory product galactose was a positive modulator of enzyme thermal stability, while the opposite held for the substrate lactose. Differential equations were developed and solved to describe packed-bed reactor operation with CIL , considering lactose and galactose modulation. The model was experimentally validated in a laboratory packed-bed reactor. A more stable CIL has been developed and their kinetic ( V max , K m , K I ) and inactivation parameters ( k i ) have been determined as explicit functions of temperature. A strategy for temperature optimization of CIL reactor operation is presented in which the experimental information gathered has been included.
Variation of k index in ATI processes

We present a model for above threshold ionization (ATI) phenomena in which the continuum-continuum matrix elements decrease with increasing energy.
Line Mixing In Infrared Atmospheric Spectra

The phenomenon of line mixing in IR vibration-rotation spectra and its impact on atmospheric transmission and radiative transfer is discussed. Laboratory spectra exhibiting line mixing in both Q-branch and R-branch spectra of CO2 are examined. Methods for the calculation of line mixing in atmospheric spectra are discussed, including methods for dealing with temperature dependencies. Observations of line mixing in both limb and nadir viewing atmospheric spectra are presented.
Xanthogranulomatous Salpingitis and Oophoritis

Abstract A case of xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis in a 47-year-old woman is presented. Xanthogranulomatous inflammation is an uncommon form of chronic inflammation that is destructive to affected organs; it is characterized by the presence of lipid-filled macrophages with admixed lymphocytes, plasma cells, and neutrophils. Only a few cases of xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis have been reported to date. The case presented here is associated with Escherichia coli infection, endometriosis, and an intrauterine device.
Economic evaluation of different systems for cataract surgery and anesthesia

Economic evaluation is an increasingly important component of health and medical care policy making although it continues to be met with some resistance. Many fields of medical care services and public health have extensive economic evaluation literatures. In ophthalmology, the literature is less well developed and there is an ongoing discussion of the most appropriate methods. This article outlines different types of economic evaluations providing examples on their potential use in ophthalmic care decision making, reviews three articles in the brief recent literature on the cost-effectiveness of ophthalmic anesthesia and cataract surgery in the United States with a focus on explaining methods that were used, and discusses ways in which research in this area might be moved forward.
Putting Trojans on the Horns of a Dilemma: Redundancy for Information Theft Detection

Conventional approaches to either information flow security or intrusion detection are not suited to detecting Trojans that steal information such as credit card numbers using advanced cryptovirological and inference channel techniques. We propose a technique based on repeated deterministic replays in a virtual machine to detect the theft of private information. We prove upper bounds on the average amount of information an attacker can steal without being detected, even if they are allowed an arbitrary distribution of visible output states. Our intrusion detection approach is more practical than traditional approaches to information flow security. We show that it is possible to, for example, bound the average amount of information an attacker can steal from a 53-bit credit card number to less than a bit by sampling only 11 of the 253 possible outputs visible to the attacker, using a two-pronged approach of hypothesis testing and information theory.
Numerical experiments on the stability of hot stellar systems

Preliminary results on the stability of an oblate 'shell-orbit' model of a hot stellar system with an axial ratio of 5:1 and which appears to undergo several instabilities at the same time. Even a very flattened mode, although strongly unstable, evolves into a final system that is more flattened than observed elliptical galaxies. It is shown that violation of the positive-temperature conditions does not imply the existence of a spherical instability. 11 refs.
Regulation of luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor messenger ribonucleic acid expression in the rat ovary: relationship to cholesterol metabolism.

Down-regulation of LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor (LHR) mRNA in the ovary after the preovulatory LH surge or the administration of a pharmacological dose of LH/hCG occurs through a posttranscriptional mechanism. A LHR mRNA-binding protein was identified as the LHR mRNA destabilizing factor, and its identity was established as mevalonate kinase (Mvk). In the present study, we determined that, in the pseudopregnant rat ovary, LHR mRNA levels began to fall 4 h after hCG injection, at which time Mvk protein levels were elevated, and this elevation was preceded by an increase in Mvk mRNA levels. When the cytosolic fractions of hCG-treated ovaries were subjected to RNA EMSA, an increase in LHR mRNA-LHR mRNA-binding protein complex formation was observed, in parallel with the increase of Mvk expression. We also found that hCG coordinately up-regulated the expression of Mvk and other sterol-responsive elements containing cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes, such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme...
Children's Application of Binding during Sentence Processing

Abstract On-line experiments, which provide a source of data common in adult psycholinguistics, are rare in developmental psycholinguistics. Our study uses an on-line task modified for examining children's real-time sentence processing. We compare children's and adults' interpretation of certain co-reference relations in a cross-modal picture decision task. Both children's and adults' reaction times distinguish between reflexives and pronouns. Further analysis of the child subjects, based on their performance in an offline experiment, shows two subgroups whose on-line performance was consistent with their off-line performance. We discuss two ways in which such data might prove useful, namely, to address questions concerning the development of the language processor and to illuminate “classic” problems in the acquisition of grammar.
Efficacy of conventional endoscopic disinfection and sterilization methods against Helicobacter pylori contamination.

Background. Iatrogenic transmission of Helicobacter pylori via contaminated endoscopic devices is well documented. Despite the prevalence of this infectious agent, few controlled studies have investigated the major factors that impact on reprocessing of endoscopes contaminated with H. pylori. Materials and Methods. An endoscope (Pentax) was contaminated with 108 cfu/ml of H. pylori in 5% bovine calf serum as standardized inoculum. The endoscope then was passed through one of eight arms (five repetitions per arm = 40 total runs), as follows: 1, recovery control (no cleaning or disinfection); 2, manual cleaning alone; 3–5, manual precleaning followed by either 10-, 20-, or 45-minute exposure to 2% glutaraldehyde and ethanol (ETOH) drying; 6, manual cleaning followed by automated reprocessing by STERIS System; 7 and 8, automated reprocessing by STERIS with and without active peracetic acid sterilant (wash-off control). Suction-biopsy channels and air-water channels were harvested for microbiological culture. Results. Control runs recovered more than 1 × 106 cfu per site, confirming the viability of the test organism and the adequacy of the biological burden for challenge. When instruments underwent manual cleaning alone (without subsequent disinfection), test organisms remained in 40% of runs at the air-water site. Manual cleaning followed by 10-, 20-, or 45-minute glutaraldehyde exposure and ETOH drying removed all test organisms from all sites in all runs (i.e., 100% disinfection). The automated STERIS system with or without active peracetic acid sterilant also removed all test organisms from all sites in all runs, as did manual cleaning followed by STERIS use. Conclusion. Manual cleaning alone does not effectively remove H. pylori from an endoscope. Current joint association recommendations for minimal disinfection (manual cleaning followed by at least 20 minutes of immersion in glutaraldehyde and ETOH drying) are effective in preventing cross-transmission of H. pylori. Reprocessing using the automated STERIS system according to manufacturer's recommendations also is highly effective in sterilizing endoscopes contaminated with H. pylori.
The Presuppositions of Survival

1. Nowadays, I am told, many popular novels have anti-heroes not heroes. So perhaps it accords with the spirit of the times for my sermon to have not a text but an anti-text. This is taken from the first chapter of Our Knowledge of the External World by Bertrand Russell. It reads: ‘All the questions which have what is called a human interest—such, for example, as the question of a future life—belong, at least in theory, to special sciences and are capable, at least in theory, of being decided by empirical evidence … a genuinely scientific philosophy cannot hope to appeal to any except those who have the wish to understand, to escape from intellectual bewilderment … it does not offer, or attempt to offer, a solution to the problem of human destiny, or of the destiny of the Universe’..
Phase Transfer Catalysis: Improved Synthesis of Ketones from β-Keto Esters in an Aoueous Medium

Abstract β-Keto esters can be easily decarbethoxylated to yield ketones in dilute aqueous potassium hydroxide that contains 0.1% hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide in 45 minutes at 80°C; yields exceed 75% and work-up requires only a single step.
Cytoscribing: a method for micropositioning cells and the construction of two- and three-dimensional synthetic tissues

Cells may be positioned in precise, predetermined patterns by a technique, termed cytoscribing, in which cell adhesion proteins are deposited on a substratum under computer control. Using standard office equipment, cells may be positioned within a cell diameter with the techniques described. Cytoscribing involves the use of either a computer-controlled ink jet printer or a graphics plotter to deposit cell adhesion proteins and monoclonal antibodies onto a substrate material. By selecting different cell adhesion proteins and methods that permit the formation of positive or negative patterns of cells (cytoscripts), two-dimensional tissues can be constructed. It is also demonstrated that an optical microlithography technique used in the semiconductor industry can be used to position cells with a precision of less than a micron. By utilizing the properties of cell adhesion proteins, both positive and negative cytoscripts of photoengraved images can be obtained. Techniques for the construction of three-dimensional tissues are described. Thin sheets of collagen were obtained by forming collagen heat gels in a mold. Monolayers of cells growing on thin collagen sheets were then attached to one another by gluing the sheets together with collagen. Sheets of cells do not attach to each other readily in the presence of fibronectin and evidence is provided which indicates that this observation is due to a lack of adhesiveness of the upper surface of cells.
WelServe: The DBMS for Capturing and Tracking Welch Medical Library's Embedded Informationist Service Delivery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

ABSTRACT WelServe is the database management system Welch Medical Library developed for quantitative assessment of services. The informationist team uses WelServe to capture data about direct service contacts with members of the research, clinical, and academic units at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. WelServe data is used for library management and for reporting productivity data to higher units, including the Welch Advisory Committees, composed of deans and managers from the hospital and the schools of nursing, public health, and medicine. WelServe also supports reporting for the American Association of Health Sciences Libraries and the Association for Research Libraries.
Effects of dietary saturated and trans fatty acids on cholesteryl ester synthesis and hydrolysis in the testes of rats.

Studies were made of the enzymic synthesis and hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters in rat testes. Weanling rats were fed for 14 weeks diets containing 5% by wt of hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO), a concentrate of ethyl elaidate and linolelaidate (TRANS), devoid of essential fatty acids (EFA), or safflower oil (SAFF). Cholesterol esterifying activity was localized in the soluble fraction, and cholesteryl ester hydrolase activity was distributed in both particulate and soluble fractions obtained from tissue homogenates. The optimum pH was 6.0 for esterification and 6.9–7.0 for hydrolysis. Neither esterifying nor hydrolytic activity was affected by freezing and thawing, but both reactions were inhibited by heat or sonication. The animals of both the HCO and TRANS groups had developed an EFA deficiency before they were sacrificed. The EFA deficiency produced upon feeding the HCO diet had no apparent effect on the synthesis and hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters in rat testes. The TRANS diet influenced the development of the testes as judged by their size, and cholesterol esterifying and cholesteryl ester hydrolyzing activities were suppressed in the testes of the animals of this group. A major difference in the effects of the HCO and TRANS diets on the lipids of the testes was the relatively minor amount of eicosatrienoic acid (20∶3) and the elevated level of docosapentaenoic acid (22∶5) in the cholesteryl esters of the testicular lipids of the TRANS group.
Key methods for developing single-wall nanotube composites

Single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs), one of the newest of reinforcements for composite materials development, are heralded as having the highest strength features of any reinforcement. The development of composite materials is seen as a good first step toward taking advantage of the structural, electrical, and thermal properties of SWNTs, but processing SWNTs with polymers, metals, and ceramics pose new challenges because of their nanometer size and features. Recently, advances have been made toward developing their mechanical and electrical properties, and initial concerns of composite processing in polymers have been overcome. The potential for conducting polymers is at hand, and the strength features of these new composites are increasing with each new process development. This paper identifies some of the key methods for developing single-wall nanotubereinforced polymer composites for a range of applications and focuses on producing nearterm multifunctional materials for structural and electrical applications.
Optimum quantum error recovery using semidefinite programming

Quantum error correction QEC is an essential element of physical quantum information processing systems. Most QEC efforts focus on extending classical error correction schemes to the quantum regime. The input to a noisy system is embedded in a coded subspace, and error recovery is performed via an operation designed to perfectly correct for a set of errors, presumably a large subset of the physical noise process. In this paper, we examine the choice of recovery operation. Rather than seeking perfect correction on a subset of errors, we seek a recovery operation to maximize the entanglement fidelity for a given input state and noise model. In this way, the recovery operation is optimal for the given encoding and noise process. This optimization is shown to be calculable via a semidefinite program, a well-established form of convex optimization with efficient algorithms for its solution. The error recovery operation may also be interpreted as a combining operation following a quantum spreading channel, thus providing a quantum analogy to the classical diversity combining operation.
An inhibitory effect of arachidonic acid on subsequent responses of canine cerebral arteries to serotonin and other agonists.

Abstract Arachidonic acid (AA) at 10 −4 M and 10 −3 M produced a phasic contraction in isolated canine basilar arteries that peaked rapidly and then slowly declined. This contraction was evidently due to the conversion of AA to prostanoids because it was blocked by cyclooxygenase inhibitors and because 11, 14, 17 eicosatrienoic acid (10 −3 M), which is not a cyclooxygenase substrate, failed to produce a contraction. When the artery was exposed to 10 −3 M AA for 20 min and washed, subsequent contractile responses to 10 −6 M serotonin (5-HT) were only 10% of control. Contractions produced by prostaglandin E 2 (10 −5 M), uridine triphosphate (10 −4 M) and potassium (5.5×10 −4 M) were inhibited to a lesser degree than 5-HT, the response to potassium being the least affected (66% of control). This damaging effect of 10 −3 M AA did not occur if the artery was washed at peak contraction nor with 10 −4 M AA. Autooxidation products were evidently not responsible for the damage because prior oxygenation (90 min) of 10 −4 M AA had no such effect. Pretreatment with superoxide dismutase or ascorbate did not prevent the inhibition, suggesting that free radical reactions were not involved. Pretreatment with indomethacin (3×10 −4 M) or meclofenamate (10 −4 M) also failed to prevent the inhibitory phenomenon. Saponin, a detergent, produced similar inhibitory effects but 11, 14, 17 eicosatrienoic acid or oleate (10 −3 M) did not. The arteries partially recovered from the inhibition with time. In conclusion, AA produced contraction in basilar arteries by inducing prostaglandin synthesis but can produce secondarily by an unidentified mechanism an inhibition of the contractile responses evoked by various agonists that is both time and concentration dependent.
Implementation and analysis of a variant of the dual method for the capacitated transshipment problem

Abstract This paper presents a variant of the dual simplex method for the capacitated pure network problem and a computational analysis of this algorithm. This work includes the considerations of different list structures to store the original problem data and the basis and the testing of various procedures to select the leaving basic variable. This study also examines the sensitivity of the implementation to changes in problem parameters. The results show that the algorithm which is presented here is superior to earlier dual implementations.
Mechanical Properties of Four Suture Patterns for Transected Equine Tendon Repair

Thirty-six superficial digital flexor tendons from nine fresh equine cadavers were transected and sutured with size 2 monofilament nylon. Nine tendons were repaired with each of four suture patterns: single-locking loop, double-locking loop, triple-locking loop, or three-loop pulley. The times required for application, tensile strengths, resistance to distraction (gap), and modes of failure were analyzed. The mean times required were: single-locking loop, 3 mins, 15 secs; double-locking loop, 4 mins, 15 secs; triple-locking loop, 10 mins, 50 secs; and three-loop pulley, 4 mins. The double-locking loop, triple-locking loop, and three-loop pulley suture patterns were stronger than the single-locking loop. The triple-locking loop and three-loop pulley patterns were close in strength and only the triple-locking loop was stronger than the double-locking loop. The three-loop pulley had the greatest resistance to gap formation and its mode of failure was different from the others. The three-locking loop suture patterns failed by suture breakage but the three-loop pulley failed first by suture pull-out and then by suture breakage.
Local error and variable order Adams codes

Error estimates needed for the selection of order in Adams codes are studied in the presence of propagated errors. A new derivation of the Nordsieck form of the Adams methods reveals that codes based on this form have changed order incorrectly and shows how to do it properly.