cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of Best Practices in Obesity Prevention in Child Care Facilities: The Arizona Empower Program, 2013-2015.

INTRODUCTION Obesity is a major health concern in every US age group. Approximately one in 4 children in Arizona's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is overweight or obese. The Arizona Department of Health Services developed the Empower program to promote healthy environments in licensed child care facilities. The program consists of 10 standards, including one standard for each of these 5 areas: physical activity and screen time, breastfeeding, fruit juice and water, family-style meals, and staff training. The objective of this evaluation was to determine the level of implementation of these 5 Empower standards. METHODS A self-assessment survey was completed from July 2013 through June 2015 by 1,850 facilities to evaluate the level of implementation of 5 Empower standards. We calculated the percentage of facilities that reported the degree to which they implemented each standard and identified common themes in comments recorded in the survey. RESULTS All facilities reported either full or partial implementation of the 5 standards. Of 1,678 facilities, 21.7% (n = 364) reported full implementation of all standards, and 78.3% (n = 1,314) reported at least partial implementation. Staff training, which has only one component, had the highest level of implementation: 77.4% (n = 1,299) reported full implementation. Only 44.0% (n = 738) reported full implementation of the standard on a breastfeeding-friendly environment. CONCLUSION Arizona child care facilities have begun to implement the Empower program, but facilities will need more education, technical assistance, and support in some areas to fully implement the program.
Latent class analysis to model multiple chemical exposures among children.

Abstract Background Children are exposed to multiple potentially harmful chemicals simultaneously. Efforts to understand the patterns and consequences of these exposures have been hampered by statistical limitations in estimations of higher order interactions. Objectives The current study uses latent class analysis, a form of person-centered modeling to identify unobservable subgroups within populations and examine relationships between latent classes and measures of immune function. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2012 were analyzed. A sample of 721 children aged 6–19 years were included who provided data on 47 chemicals of interest representing six chemical classes. Groups were identified using latent class analysis controlling for race/ethnicity, age, sex and poverty status. Results Two alternative approaches to identifying latent classes each resulted in similar three class solutions, including one group of children characterized by low co-exposures across chemicals, a group with moderate co-exposure levels, and a group characterized by high co-occurring levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, phenols and phthalates. Under one of the approaches, latent classes were significantly associated with immune function as measured by lymphocyte and neutrophil counts. Conclusions Latent class analysis offers a potential approach to measuring and understanding interactions among multiple co-occurring chemical stressors. However, additional work is needed to test the ability of latent classes to predict health variables.
Southwest Airlines, MCI, and Now Uber: Lessons for Managing Competitive Entry into Taxi Markets

Notwithstanding low capital investment requirements and a market structure that otherwise allows many thousands of competitors in big markets, taxis have long been treated as a regulated industry, with the same legal constraints as once applied to railroads, airlines, telecoms, electric, and other utilities. Now, Uber and other ridesharing services are upsetting that regulatory system, much as the competitive entry of Southwest Airlines or MCI upset the premises of regulation in their markets. This paper discusses the economic reasons that taxi markets were regulated as common carriers, with limited entry, rate regulation, and universal service obligations. And this paper explains how ride-sharing services change the market structure without creating the fear of a persistent new monopoly. Drawing on prior deregulatory practice, the paper then provides a roadmap for managing the transformation of “ride markets”: separate safety from economic regulation; ensure competitive neutrality; make universal service subsidies explicit; manage externalities directly; and reject claims from incumbents that their lost value somehow requires compensation.
“You’re black”: Transnational perceptions of race in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah and Andrea Levy’s Small Island

This essay analyzes how race—and, specifically, the idea of “blackness”—circulates in two contemporary novels. In reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah and Andrea Levy’s Small Island compar...
Therapeutic approaches for induction of tolerance and immune quiescence in corneal allotransplantation

The cornea is the most commonly transplanted tissue in the body. Corneal grafts in low-risk recipients enjoy high success rates, yet over 50% of high-risk grafts (with inflamed and vascularized host beds) are rejected. As our understanding of the cellular and molecular pathways that mediate rejection has deepened, a number of novel therapeutic strategies have been unveiled. This manuscript reviews therapeutic approaches to promote corneal transplant survival through targeting (1) corneal lymphangiogenesis and hemangiogenesis, (2) antigen presenting cells, (3) effector and regulatory T cells, and (4) mesenchymal stem cells.
Repurposing Agnew’s (2005) Integrated Theory of Crime and Delinquency to Predict Victimization

Stemming from the work of Schreck (1999), criminological frameworks have increasingly been reframed to explore victimization experiences. Given developmental and situational changes over time, Agne...
OBSERVATIONS PLATFORMS | Buoys

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 4, pp 1438–1443, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Shock Tube Studies of Combustion Relevant Elementary Chemical Reactions and Submechanisms

Shock tubes are vital experimental tools that are used to study high temperature gas-phase kinetics and shock tube research accounts for most of the high temperature experimental data relevant to combustion. Several shock tube techniques are briefly discussed and references to prior more detailed reviews supplied. The use of shock tube techniques to elucidate reaction rates and mechanisms for elementary unimolecular and bimolecular reactions is discussed. Particular attention is given to studies that provide fundamental data that can be extrapolated to systems that cannot be studied in isolated experiments. In this context, experiments on the dissociation and isomerization of fuel radicals, pyrolysis of saturated cyclic and heterocyclic molecules of importance in surrogate fuels and nontraditional fuels, and the role of resonantly stabilized radicals in formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are discussed.
Secure Computing of GPS Trajectory Similarity: A Review

Location Based Services (LBS) powered apps generate a massive amount of GPS trajectory data everyday. Because many of these trajectories are similar, if not exactly the same, (e.g., people traveling together or taking the same route everyday), there is a significant amount of redundancy in the data generated. This redundant data increases storage cost and network bandwidth cost. In order to counteract this and efficiently provide the LBS, LBS providers are considering trajectory similarity computation. There are several methods reported in the literature regarding similarity in GPS trajectories, which directly work on data in the plaintext format. However, computing trajectory similarity traditionally introduces privacy and security concerns among users since the number of incidents of the privacy breaches is on the rise. Hence, researchers have recently come up with innovative ways to perform trajectory similarity operations in the encrypted domain, without revealing the actual data. These approaches increase privacy and boost user confidence, which results in more customers for LBS providers. In this paper, we review various methods proposed in the plaintext domain and in the encrypted domain for secured trajectory comparison. We also discuss potential methods for encrypted domain computing that can be used in the domain of trajectory similarity and list the open research challenges.
Inverted-F Antenna Radiation Efficiency Enhancement based on a Slotted Ground

This paper presents a compact and highly-efficient inverted-F antenna (IFA) suitable for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. A slotted ground is applied to significantly improve the antenna radiation efficiency. Compared to a conventional IFA on a solid ground plane, the proposed structure enhances radiation efficiency approximately 100%, from 14% to 27%, at 750 MHz. Simulated and measured results are in an excellent agreement, fully validating the IFA response.
Exploiting Structured Reference Data for Unsupervised Text Segmentation with Conditional Random Fields.

Text segmentation is the process of converting information in unstructured text into structured records. This is an important problem since structured data is amenable to efficient query processing. CRFs are a class of discriminative probabilistic models that are gaining acceptance as an effective computing machinery for text segmentation. An important aspect of CRFs is learning model parameters from labeled training data. Labeling can be a labor intensive process. One can avoid the labeling step by using structured reference tables whose data domains and that of the input text data given for segmentation, coincide. In other words the labels in the training data drawn from reference tables “come for free”. Inspired by recent work on their use for training HMMs, we developed an unsupervised technique for text segmentation with CRFs using reference tables. Assuming text sequences to be segmented come in batches and sequences in a batch conform to the same attribute order, we build CRF models for each attribute in the reference table, use them to decide the attribute order of a batch of input sequences, derive labeled training data from the reference table according to that order, and train a global CRF model to segment the input sequences in the batch. Preliminary experimental results indicate that our technique works well in practice.
Transcriptomic analysis investigating the interaction between peripheral serotonin and high-fat diet feeding on mammary gene expression in midlactation mice

To understand the role of peripheral serotonin and its interaction with diet in midlactation mammary gene expression, our study uses tryptophan hydroxylase 1 knockout (Tph1-KO) mice fed a high-fat ...
Social freedom and migration in a non-ideal world

In this paper, I identify two key contributions that David Ingram makes to the migration ethics literature, one methodological and one substantive. Ingram’s methodological contribution is to model ...
Bilateral rostral temporomandibular luxation with bilateral coronoid fracture in a Welsh pony

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) luxation in the horse is a rare condition. There are few reports of unilateral luxation with successful reduction; bilateral luxation with concurrent bilateral coronoid fracture has not been reported. The diagnosis and closed reduction technique for rostral TMJ luxation are reported, along with the clinical outcome. A horse with an abnormally open positioned jaw presented for evaluation. Clinical exam showed a fixed open mouth, unable to be manually closed. Radiography showed multiple fractures associated with left and right TMJs. CT provided a more complete appraisal of the luxation and associated coronoid fracture orientation, as well as hyoid apparatus malposition (ie, temporohyoid subluxation). Closed reduction was achieved in this case using a fulcrum speculum between the molars, and a reduction device to forcibly appose the rostral mandible to the premaxilla with the patient anaesthetised. Functional mastication was a positive outcome; a partially phthisical, blind left eye persisted.
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Dual Induction versus Induction Monotherapy in Orthotopic Heart Transplant Recipients

Purpose The goal of induction therapy with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and basiliximab in cardiac transplant is to minimize incidence of biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection (BPAR). However, rATG has been associated with increased risk for hematologic and infectious complications. At Mayo Clinic, dual induction, consisting of rATG cumulative doses less than 6 mg/kg and basiliximab, has been utilized in recipients experiencing complications from rATG. The impact of dual induction in cardiac transplant recipients is unknown. The goal of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with dual induction. Methods This Institutional Review Board approved study was a retrospective review of cardiac transplant recipients who received induction therapy with rATG and/or basiliximab at Mayo Clinic in Florida between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017. The primary endpoint was time to first incidence of BPAR within 12 months following cardiac transplant. Secondary outcomes included time to first incidence of infectious complication, antibody-mediated rejection, and death within 12 months post-cardiac transplant. Additional secondary outcomes included time to first incidence of hematologic complication within 90 days post-cardiac transplant, time to first incidence of cytokine release syndrome and calcineurin inhibitor initiation within 14 days post-cardiac transplant. Results 102 cardiac transplant recipients were included. BPAR occurred in 79% patients receiving rATG induction, 90% patients receiving basiliximab induction, and 83% patients receiving dual induction. Basiliximab (HR, 1.85; 95% CI 1.06 to 3.23)and dual induction (HR, 1.81; 95% CI 1.04 to 3.15) were associated with higher risks of BPAR compared to rATG. Dual induction demonstrated an increased risk of infection, compared to both rATG (HR, 2.02; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.90) and basiliximab (HR, 3.46; 95% CI 1.31 - 9.1). Basiliximab was associated with a reduced risk of hematologic complication, compared to rATG (HR, 0.44; 95% CI 0.22 - 0.91), but an increased risk of mortality (HR, 4.32; 95% CI 1.2 to 16.1). Conclusion Use of dual induction was associated with an increased risk of BPAR and infection post-transplant. Use of basiliximab demonstrated reduced risk of hematologic complications but increased risk of BPAR and mortality following transplant.
Mammalian pathogenicity and transmissibility of low pathogenic avian influenza H7N1 and H7N3 viruses isolated from North America in 2018.

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7 subtype viruses are infrequently, but persistently, associated with outbreaks in poultry in North America. These LPAI outbreaks provide opportunities for th...
An alternative extended linear system for boundary value problems on locally perturbed geometries

Abstract This manuscript presents a new extended linear system for integral equation based techniques for solving boundary value problems on locally perturbed geometries. The new extended linear system is similar to a previously presented technique for which the authors have constructed a fast direct solver. The key features of the work presented in this paper are that the fast direct solver is more efficient for the new extended linear system and that problems involving specialized quadrature for weakly singular kernels can be easily handled. Numerical results illustrate the improved performance of the fast direct solver for the new extended system when compared to the fast direct solver for the original extended system.
SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with thrombosis and ischemic stroke: a review

Abstract This review of current literature provides background to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an examination of potential pathophysiologic mechanisms behind development of thrombosis and ischemic stroke related to COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection is well-documented to cause severe pneumonia, however, thrombosis and thrombotic complications, such as ischemic stroke, have also been documented in a variety of patient demographics. SARS-CoV-2 infection is known to cause a significant inflammatory response, as well as invasion of vascular endothelial cells, resulting in endothelial dysfunction. These factors, coupled with imbalance of ACE2 and RAS axis interactions, have been shown to create a prothrombotic environment, favoring thromboembolic events. Ischemic stroke is a severe complication of COVID-19 and may be a presenting symptom in some patients.
Inflammation of the Embryonic Choroid Plexus Barrier following Maternal Immune Activation.

Summary The choroid plexus (ChP) regulates brain development by secreting instructive cues and providing a protective brain barrier. Here, we show that polyI:C-mediated maternal immune activation leads to an inflammatory response in the developing embryonic mouse brain that manifests as pro-inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and accumulation of ChP macrophages. Elevation of CSF-CCL2 was sufficient to drive ChP immune cell recruitment, activation, and proliferation. In addition, ChP macrophages abandoned their regular tiling pattern and relocated to the ChP-free margin where they breached the weakened epithelial barrier. We further found that these immune cells entered from the ChP into the brain via anatomically specialized “hotspots” at the distal tips of ChP villi. In vivo two-photon imaging demonstrated that surveillance behaviors in ChP macrophages had already emerged at this early stage of embryogenesis. Thus, the embryonic ChP forms a functional brain barrier that can mount an inflammatory response to external insults.
Arterial Anatomy and Collaterals

The posterior cerebral circulation provides blood supply to the posterior parts of the brain, which include the posterior portion of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem. The anatomy of the posterior circulation and the anastomosis with the circle of Willis greatly varies in each person. The major arteries of the posterior circulation include vertebral arteries, basilar artery, and posterior cerebral arteries. The circle of Willis provides primary collateral pathways from the anterior to posterior circulation and vice versa. Posterior circulation branches, such as the cerebellar arteries, also anastomose to form a collateral pathway. In this chapter, embryology, anatomy, and characteristics of the collateral system of the posterior circulation are described.
Developing an Institute for Health Care Delivery Science: successes, challenges, and solutions in the first five years

Medical knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate. At the same time, unexplained variations in practice and patient outcomes and unacceptable rates of medical errors and inefficiencies in health care delivery have emerged. Our Institute for Health Care Delivery Science (I-HDS) began in 2014 as a novel platform to conduct multidisciplinary healthcare delivery research. We followed ten strategies to develop a successful institute with excellence in methodology and strong understanding of the value of team science. Our work was organized around five hubs: 1) Quality/Process Improvement and Systematic Review, 2) Comparative Effectiveness Research, Pragmatic Clinical Trials, and Predictive Analytics, 3) Health Economics and Decision Modeling, 4) Qualitative, Survey, and Mixed Methods, and 5) Training and Mentoring. In the first 5 years of the I-HDS, we have identified opportunities for change in clinical practice through research using our health system’s electronic health record (EHR) data, and designed programs to educate clinicians in the value of research to improve patient care and recognize efficiencies in processes. Testing the value of several model interventions has guided prioritization of evidence-based quality improvements. Some of the changes in practice have already been embedded in the EHR workflow successfully. Development and sustainability of the I-HDS has been fostered by a mix of internal and external funding, including philanthropic foundations. Challenges remain due to the highly competitive funding environment and changes needed to adapt the EHR to healthcare delivery research. Further stakeholder engagement and culture change working with hospital leadership and I-HDS core and affiliate members continues.
Smartphone Application Allowing Physicians to Call Patients Associated with Increased Physician Productivity.

Telehealth and other technologies that enable remote patient-physician communication technologies have widespread use among physicians and other health care providers, but the impacts of these technologies on physician productivity are not well known. To determine whether a HIPAA-compliant application that allows physicians to call patients from their personal cell phones is associated with an increase in physician productivity. We used a 100% sample of Medicare claims and longitudinal physician-level data to examine whether physician use of a smartphone application that enables physician-patient phone calls is associated with changes in Medicare patient volume and services. We compared early adopters of the application, 31,577 physicians providing Part B services who initiated use of the application between January 2014 and December 2017, with later adopters, 22,988 physicians who initiated use between January 2018 and July 2019. Physician productivity was measured as total Medicare Part B beneficiaries, total Part B services provided, the number of Part B beneficiaries with any evaluation and management (E&M) service, the total number of E&M services provided, and the average number of E&M services provided per beneficiary. Following application use, there was a 0.52 increase (95% CI: 0.19 to 0.85) in the monthly number of Part B beneficiaries seen. This difference translates to a 0.8% increase in Part B beneficiaries. Similar increases were observed for the number of unique beneficiaries for which the physician provided E&M services—a 0.50 increase (95% CI: 0.27 to 0.73) or 1.2%. There was a 0.43 increase (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.78) in monthly E&M services (0.7% increase). Physicians who used a freely available smartphone application modestly increased their total Medicare beneficiary volume and total number of E&M services provided, suggesting potential improvements in physician productivity.
Methylphenidate use in geriatric depression: A systematic review

Objectives Geriatric depression is common and is often associated with coexisting medical illnesses, cognitive dysfunction, or both. Treatment with pharmacotherapy is usually required, and many patients may not respond to initial therapy. Thus, there is a need for adjunctive treatment options. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of methylphenidate (MPH) in the treatment of geriatric depression. Methods PubMed (1946-December 2020) and Embase (1947-December 2020) were queried using the following search terms: geriatrics, aged, geriatric patient, or elderly and depressive disorder, depression, major depression or late-life depression, and MPH. Studies were included if they were a randomized-controlled trial or open-label trial that investigated use of MPH for treatment of depression in adults aged 60 years and older. Results After screening per the inclusion criteria, five prospective trials were included. All studies found improvement in depressive symptoms with use of MPH or MPH combined with citalopram. Study durations ranged from 8 to 16 weeks and MPH dosing ranged from 5 to 90 mg per day. Conclusions Based on the reviewed literature, MPH appears to be most effective when combined with citalopram and used short-term. MPH should be initiated at a low dose and titrated up to 10 or 20 mg per day based on response. Larger, long-term trials are needed to further define the role of MPH in this population.
Rating scales and biomarkers for CAG-repeat spinocerebellar ataxias: Implications for therapy development

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of dominantly-inherited cerebellar ataxias, among which CAG expansion-related SCAs are most common. These diseases have very high penetrance with defined disease progression, and emerging therapies are being developed to provide either symptomatic or disease-modifying benefits. In clinical trial design, it is crucial to incorporate biomarkers to test target engagement or track disease progression in response to therapies, especially in rare diseases such as SCAs. In this article, we review the available rating scales and recent advances of biomarkers in CAG-repeat SCAs. We divided biomarkers into neuroimaging, body fluid, and physiological studies. Understanding the utility of each biomarker will facilitate the design of robust clinical trials to advance therapies for SCAs.
Propranolol for Treatment of Infantile Hemangioma: Efficacy and Effect on Pediatric Growth and Development

Purpose. Propranolol has been successful in treating problematic infantile hemangiomas (IH) but concerns regarding its effect on normal growth and development have been raised. This study examines physical growth, developmental milestones, and human growth hormone (hGH) levels in infants receiving propranolol for problematic IH. Method. Monthly heights and weights of children undergoing propranolol therapy for IH were prospectively collected and tabulated. Data analysis and comparison to World Health Organization (WHO) weight-for-age and weight-to-length - scores was performed. Questionnaires regarding milestones, efficacy, and guardian satisfaction were performed, and a combination of both chart results and phone conducted surveys was tabulated. Serum from a small representative cohort of age-matched children with IH treated and not treated with propranolol was collected. Results. A total of 185 children receiving propranolol therapy between 2008 and 2013 for IH were assigned to this study. The children were divided into two cohorts based on the presence of comorbidities or risk factors that may affect growth and development ( no comorbidities, with comorbidities). Neither cohort demonstrated deviation from normal weight in comparison to WHO normative data. There was a significant deviation for BMI-for-age and weight-for-age - scores in our population, especially in patients on propranolol for more than 7 months. Based on data from participants, via either completed questionnaires or chart results, most children met their developmental milestones at or before target ages, regardless of the presence of comorbidities. Eighty percent of guardians noticed clinical improvement of the IH, with 91% either happy about or neutral to using the medication. hGH levels were higher in patients receiving propranolol therapy, but not significantly different. Conclusion. Propranolol therapy is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of infantile hemangiomas. This study suggests that propranolol does not impair growth and has no impact on normal pediatric development.
A 3-D Printed Halbach-Cylinder Motor with Self-Position Sensing for Precision Motions

This paper presents the design and control of a new Halbach-array-based two-phase motor (HTM) with a 3-D printed coil mount and magnet housing for precision motion control applications. The motor is based on a 2-pole Halbach cylinder that generates a uniform magnetic field within its inner diameter. Each pole has 10 magnet segments. This uniform field simplifies the Lorentz force calculation based on the volume integration. In addition, it allows for the real-time measurement of the rotor position based on Hall-effect sensors. Compared with conventional stepper motors and iron-core DC motors, this motor design can produce a continuous torque and precise positioning at any angular position without a cogging torque. In this paper the design of the motor together with its dynamics and control are presented. The design uses only one type of square-cross-section magnets that are readily available, making it easy to scale the design to a variety of sizes and torque capabilities. The 3-D printed stator and rotor housings allow for the motor to be constructed at a low cost in a short time. With a total magnet volume of only 30.7 cm3, a total effective coil volume of only 10.4 cm3, and a maximum current of 4 A, the maximum torque generated is 0.044 Nm. Experimental results with closed-loop control on a simple empirically-identified plant model are provided to validate the magnetic design of the motor. The feedback signals are from two Hall-effect sensors connected to a microcontroller, offering a theoretical angular resolution of 0.16. A minimum step size of 0.32 is demonstrated in positioning with closed-loop control. The motor has the capacity to track the commanded motion and speed with an error less than 0.64.
Total port-access robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy without utility thoracotomy

Robot-assisted lobectomy has been reported elsewhere as a feasible technique for lobectomy. We report a modification of the previously reported technique using a complete port-access approach without utility thoracotomy.
ANSYS Solution and Postprocessing

The first step involves operations concerning the ANSYS Preprocessor and was covered in detail in Chap. 4. The operations pertaining to the solution and postprocessing of the results are discussed in detail in this chapter. At the end, specific steps are demonstrated by considering a one-dimensional transient heat transfer problem.
An inductive learning approach to prognostic prediction

This paper introduces the Recurrence Surface Approximation, an inductive learning method based on linear programming that predicts recurrence times using censored training examples, that is, examples in which the available training output may be only a lower bound on the “right answer.” This approach is augmented with a feature selection method that chooses an appropriate feature set within the context of the linear programming generalizer. Computational results in the field of breast cancer prognosis are shown. A straightforward translation of the prediction method to an artificial neural network model is also proposed.
Abstract T P21: Improved Ischemic Stroke Outcomes After Intra-Arterial Interventions Associated With Higher HDL Cholesterol

Background/Objective: The effect of pre-morbid lipid levels on neurologic outcome after Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) is variable in the published literature. In this study, we retrospectively use a cohort to evaluate the relationship of cholesterol subfractions to outcome. Methods: The cohort consists of AIS patients treated with IA therapy between September 2008 and December 2010. Favorable outcome for these analyses was defined as a modified Rankin Scale of ≤ 3 at time of discharge. Univariate associations with favorable outcome were sought for demographic, co-morbidity, stroke risk factor, and procedure related variables. Independent associations were identified by relative risk regression using generalized linear models with a logit link, a Poisson distribution for variance and robust standard errors. All analyses were performed in STATA. Results: The cohort included 42 patients; mean age was 62 years, 62% were women, median pre-procedure NIHSS was 16, 70% of patients achieved a mRS ≤ 3. Univariate ana...
Chromospheric Activity in Red Giants, and Related Phenomena

Normal red giants of a given spectral type are shown to be heterogeneous with respect to the following chromospheric features: the Balmer absorption lines, the emission line at He, and the double-reversed emission lines at CaII H and K. These chromospheric lines are also shown to be strongly time variable, in at least some red giants, on a time scale of a few months or years. Other chromospheric features that require study lie in the infrared (HeI 10830), the near ultraviolet (FeII emission lines), and the vacuum ultraviolet.
Prolonged Treatment with Angiostatin Reduces Metastatic Burden during Radiation Therapy

Ionizing radiation (IR) and concomitant angiostatin (AS) produce greater than additive local antitumor effects. We examined whether prolonged AS treatment added to IR reduces proliferation of lung metastases from LLC primary tumors. Flank tumors were treated with 40 Gy with or without AS (25 mg/kg/day). IR plus a 14-day course of AS improved local tumor control and blocked the increase in lung weights observed in the group receiving IR plus a 2-day course of AS group. Animals treated with prolonged AS exhibited no increase in lung weight and no macrometastases. These findings suggest that long-term treatment with antiangiogenic compounds may be effective in preventing metastases from IR-treated tumors as well as increasing the local antitumor effects of radiotherapy.
Effect on Performance of Learning a Complex Motor Task in the Presence of Spectators

Abstract The present study was undertaken to determine if the presence of spectators when learning a complex motor task affected the performance of high- and low-anxious subjects. Forty-eight high- and 48 low-anxious subjects learned a coincident timing task alone or in the presence of an audience. Once the task was learned to a criterion, subjects performed 10 trials alone or in the presence of an audience. Palmar sweat gland activity was measured by counting the number of active sweat glands from a plastic mold. Absolute error found the mode of learning had no effect on performance. Absolute error intravariance, however, indicated that subjects who learned the task in the presence of an audience performed less consistently alone than subjects who performed in the presence of an audience. The anxiety level of the subject did not interact with the performance. Palmar sweat gland results showed increased arousal when in the presence of an audience.
Three-dimensional kinematics of ocular drift in humans with cerebellar atrophy

One of the signs of the cerebellar ocular motor syndrome is the inability to maintain horizontal and vertical fixation. Typically, in the presence of cerebellar atrophy, the eyes show horizontal ga...
Massive Cavitation of the Lung in Hodgkin's Disease

A patient is presented with Hodgkin's disease of the lymphocyte depletion type refractory to all therapy terminating in death nine months after initial symptoms. Parenchymal pulmonary involvement developed with subsequent massive cavitation. Repeated ante-mortem sputum cultures and postmortem studies failed to disclose the presence of fungi or mycobacteria.
Rational infinitely lived asset prices must be non-stationary

Abstract Rational expectations must not be expected to change. Hence, a rational expectation about a future random quantity follows a pure martingale until the uncertainty is resolved. This implies that the expectation itself could be non-stationary and, in fact, is non-stationary if the increments are iid. Most asset prices are functions of expectations about future quantities, so asset prices also could be non-stationary. This has consequences for tests based on prices rather than on returns.
Closed-Form Primitives for Generating Locally Volume Preserving Deformations

In this paper, methods for generating closed-form expressions for locally volume preserving deformations of general volumes in three dimensional space are introduced. These methods have applications to computer aided geometric design, the mechanics of materials, and realistic real-time simulation and animation of physical processes. In mechanics, volume preserving deformations are intimately related to the conservation of mass. The importance of this fact manifests itself in design, and in the realistic simulation of many physical systems. Whereas volume preservation is generally written as a constraint on equations of motion in continuum mechanics, this paper develops a set of physically meaningful basic deformations which are intrinsically volume preserving. By repeated application of these primitives, an infinite variety of deformations can be written in closed form.
Hybrid Approaches to Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms The Role of Endovascular Elephant Trunk Completion

Background— Thoracic aortic aneurysm affecting the arch and proximal descending thoracic aorta requires 2-stage repairs that include proximal elephant trunk graft placement and completion of thoracic or thoracoabdominal repair. The application of endovascular grafting to complete the proximal procedure avoids a thoracotomy and may improve the morbidity and mortality of the patient population at risk. Methods and Results— A retrospective review of 399 thoracic endovascular grafts at our institution between 2000 and 2004 identified 22 patients who required elephant trunk and endovascular completion. Three patients underwent mesenteric bypass in addition to their proximal repairs. Mean follow-up was 10 months (range 1 to 42 months); there were no ruptures, and all patients returned for follow-up. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The 1-, 12-, and 24-month mortality rates (by Kaplan-Meier analysis) were 4.5%, 15.8%, and 15.8%, respectively. Caudal migration of the endograft occurred in 1 patient...
Upregulation of gap junctional communication and connexin43 gene expression by carotenoids in human dermal fibroblasts but not in human keratinocytes.

Consumption of dietary carotenoids has been statistically associated with decreased risk of cancer at several anatomic sites. In a model murine system of carcinogenesis (the 10T1/2 assay), we have previously shown that carotenoids can inhibit chemically and physically induced neoplastic transformation. This action is strongly correlated with the ability of carotenoids to increase gap-junctional communication (GJC) by induction of connexin43 (Cx43) gene expression. Here we extend these studies to human foreskin-derived dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In fibroblasts, β-carotene and canthaxanthin at concentrations between 10−5 and 3 × 10−6 M were found to strongly enhance GJC in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This was accompanied by an increase in the number of immunofluorescent junctional plaques recognized by an anti-Cx43 antibody and by an increase in Cx43 protein level as determined by western blot analysis. No decrease in proliferation rates was detected by [H3]thymidine labeling. Human keratinocytes grown in monolayer culture did not respond to carotenoids in terms of GJC as measured by dye transfer, immunofluorescent analysis of Cx43 distribution, or Cx43 levels as measured by western blotting. Both cell types accumulated high levels of carotenoids. Because canthaxanthin, which has no known provitamin A activity in mammals, is as active in fibroblasts as is β-carotene, the carotenoid with the highest provitamin A activity, the induction of GJC and Cx43 expression by carotenoids in human dermal fibroblasts seems unrelated to their provitamin A status. The lack of response of keratinocytes suggests differences in regulation of Cx43 expression or in carotenoid processing. © 1995 Wiley-Liss Inc.
Cost and performance trade-offs for commercially available linear stages

The following paper provides the practicing engineer with guidelines on the relationships between cost and various performance factors for different types of linear stages. When multiple precise motions need to be made in a system, stages are typically the solution. A number of factors should be considered before choosing a stage: cost, load capacity, travel range, repeatability, resolution, encoding accuracy, errors in motion, stiffness, stability, velocity of motion, environmental sensitivity, and additional features like over-travel protection and locking mechanisms. There are a variety of different bearing types for linear stages, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents charts that provide relationships between the cost, travel range, angular deviation, and load capacity of various types of manual one-axis linear stages. The stages considered were those that had less than a 2.5" travel range and sold by major optomechanical vendors. The bearing types investigated were dovetail, flexure, ball bearing, double row ball bearing, crossed roller bearing, and gothic arch ball bearing. Using the charts and general guidelines provided in this paper, a more informed decision may be made when selecting a linear stage.
Aggressive Client Reporting: Factors Affecting Auditors' Generation of Financial Reporting Alternatives

This paper examines how features of the task environment interact with task knowledge to affect auditors' generation of financial reporting alternatives. We study this issue in a setting in which an audit client proposes an aggressive financial reporting alternative for a complex revenue‐recognition issue. Companies' aggressiveness in financial reporting is an important contemporary topic (e.g., Levitt 1999, 2000). For auditors, aggressive financial reporting increases litigation exposure (e.g., Palmrose and Scholz 2001) and attracts regulatory attention (e.g., Public Oversight Board 2000; Securities and Exchange Commission 1999). By proposing less aggressive financial reporting alternatives, auditors increase the likelihood that clients will report less aggressively, thereby reducing auditors' risks of litigation and regulatory exposure. We study the effects of two common features of auditors' task environment (the level of engagement risk and the availability of previously generated alternatives) on fin...
Risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by anti-HIV negative blood. Estimates using the lookback methodology.

: We have estimated the risk of transmitting HIV infection from a unit of HIV seronegative blood collected in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, CA from March 1985 through February 1987. Our method consisted of lookback investigations and anti-HIV testing of living recipients of HIV seronegative units donated by persons who later tested HIV seropositive at the time of a subsequent donation. During these investigations we have documented 3 cases of HIV transmission from HIV seronegative blood; using several assumptions, and extrapolating from this data, we have calculated that the risk of HIV transmission from an HIV seronegative unit was 1 in 51,000 to 1 in 102,000 (with a best guess of 1 in 68,000). We believe that our model can be applied in other geographic regions in an ongoing fashion in order to update our estimates of HIV transmission from HIV seronegative blood.
Monetary policy and the timing of wage negotiations

Abstract In a model of long-term labor contracts, the simultaneous determination of the pattern of contract negotiation and the pattern of monetary-policy intervention yields a Nash equilibrium in which agents allow a discretionary role for policy. The resulting pattern of negotiation depends on the stochastic nature of the system. When all disturbances are aggregate in nature, a synchronized pattern of negotiation is optimal regardless of the frequency of monetary-policy intervention. When both aggregate and relative disturbances affect the system, a pattern of bunched negotiations can result with the authority intervening at dates away from the negotiation dates.
Evidence for Anharmonic binding of isolated Fe impurity atoms

The temperature dependence of the recoil-free gamma emission probability for Fe/sup 57/ as a dilute impurity in metallic In was measured between 4 and 420 deg K. It is concluded that the binding forces cannot be predominately harmonic. This indicates that the properties of isolated atoms may differ markedly from these of the same type of atoms present in higher concentration. The experimental results May be qualitatively understood by considering the impurity atoms to reside in a spherical square well potential. (H.D.R.)
Agronomics of Corn Production under Different Crop Rotations in New York

The 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act decouples support payments from production. Consequently, grain producers must devise rotations based on market prices. The objective of this study was to demonstrate to grain producers that soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-corn (Zea mays L.) or soybean-wheat/red clover (Triticum aestivum L./Trifolium pratense L.)-corn rotations under reduced inputs (banded herbicides plus cultivation, ∼105 Ib N/acre) compared with continuous corn under full inputs (insecticide, broadcast herbicides, ∼140 Ib N/acre) maintains or enhances corn yields. Field-scale demonstrations, with participating farmers performing field operations, were established on four farms in New York in 1993. When averaged across years and sites, the soybean-wheat/clover-corn and soybean-corn rotations compared with continuous corn yielded 10% greater (141, 139, and 127 bu/acre, respectively). Grain yield, however, had site by rotation interactions. The soybean-wheat/clover-corn rotation yielded greater in eight of 12 site-year comparisons, and the soybean-corn rotation yielded greater in seven site-year comparisons with continuous corn. Major production challenges where corn did not respond positively to rotations include adequate stand establishment and weed control in the soybean-wheat/clover-corn rotation and adequate N fertility in the soybean-corn rotation. We successfully demonstrated that soybean-wheat/clover-corn or soybean-corn rotations with reduced inputs compared with continuous corn under full inputs enhanced or maintained corn yield. New York growers, who adopt soybean-wheat/clover-corn or soybean-corn rotations, have the opportunity to reduce corn inputs, thereby improving profitability and reducing potential environmental problems.
Non-linear optimal control of a Duffing system

Abstract The Duffing oscillator is a useful current model for the behavior of structural systems including columns, gyroscopes, plates, pendulums and certain types of bridges. This paper studies a class of non-linear optimal controls for these oscillators, and determines the effects of higher-order feedback corrections based upon series expansions of the optimal cost function and the optimal control function in a Hamilton-Jacobi context. A novel representation of the solution is presented, in terms of the indicial formulation of tensor algebra. For the case in point, the indicial approach offers a conceptually attractive alternative to the general tensor solutions discussed by Buric in 1978 and by O'Sullivan and Sain in 1985. Numerical studies are provided, and an analysis of the effect of higher-order feedbacks upon the stability region of the controlled system is presented.
Electron beam damage in Auger electron spectroscopy

Abstract The damaging effects of electronic excitation, charging and beam heating during Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are treated. The origin, manifestation and practical consequences of the phenomena are reviewed. A damage threshold, or critical dose, for beam damage due to electronic excitation is derived and related to experimental parameters. The close correlation between the predicted thresholds and the critical doses for damage observed in typical AES analyses indicates that primary excitation processes dominate the beam damage mechanism. Charging and the electromigration of ions in glasses are also discussed in detail. It is suggested that AES analyses of materials with potential susceptibility to beam damage be executed and interpreted with caution.
Dynamic analysis of axisymmetric shells under arbitrary transient pressures

Abstract A method of dynamic analysis of a free-standing steel containment vessel under transient loads is outlined. The containment vessel is composed of a vertical cylinder, hemispherical dome and a flat base. The bottom plate functions only as a leak tight membrane with no structural capability. The cylindrical part of the vessel is reinforced by both vertical and ring stiffeners. The transient loads on the shell are the pressures caused by a loss-of-coolant accident due to a postulated rupture of a reactor coolant pipe. The pressures are time-dependent and vary both in the meridional and circumferential directions. The finite element method is used in the analysis and the direct integration approach through the time domain is utilized. The results of analysis are the displacement and stress resultant time histories at the nodal points.