cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large rod-like photopic signals in a possible new form of congenital night blindness.

A 10-year-old Persian girl has symptoms of congenital stationary night blindness and some drusen-like lesions in the region of the vascular arcades. Her electroretinogram shows no rod response to a weak stimulus, but a large (475 μV) slow scotopic response to a strong stimulus that is unchanged by photopic conditions (15 F1 background illumination). However, the response to flicker had the typical (smaller) amplitude of a cone signal. This may represent a new form of night blindness in which rod sensitivity is reduced so that there is no vision under dim conditions but rod function still persists under photopic conditions.
Mechanism of HIV-1 viral protein R-induced apoptosis ☆

The paradigm of HIV-1 infection includes the diminution of CD4(+) T cells, loss of immune function, and eventual progression to AIDS. However, the mechanisms that drive host T cell depletion remain elusive. One HIV protein thought to participate in this destructive cascade is the Vpr gene product. Accordingly, we review the biology of the HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) an apoptogenic HIV-1 accessory protein that is packaged into the virus particle. In this review we focus specifically on Vpr's ability to induce host cell apoptosis. Recent evidence suggests that Vpr implements a unique mechanism to drive host cell apoptosis, by directly depolarizing the mitochondria membrane potential. Vpr's attack on the mitochondria results in release of cytochrome c resulting in activation of the caspase 9 pathway culminating in the activation of caspase 3 and the downstream events of apoptosis. Vpr may interact with the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) to prompt this cascade. The role of Vpr-induced apoptosis in HIV pathogenesis is considered.
What patients do to counteract the symptoms of Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED): Effect of gender and severity of illness

Objectives: This study was carried out to assess different counteracting strategies used by patients with idiopathic Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED). Whether these strategies were influenced by gender or disease severity was also assessed. Materials and Methods: A total of 173 patients of idiopathic RLS/WED were included in this study. Their demographic data was recorded. Details regarding the RLS/WED and strategies that they used to counteract the symptoms were asked. The severity of RLS/WED was measured with the help of the Hindi version of international restless legs syndrome severity rating scale. They were asked to provide the details regarding the relief obtained from all the strategies they used on three-point scale: no relief, some relief, and complete relief. Results: Of the patients, 72% were females. Mean age of the subjects in this study was 39.6 ± 12.6 years, and male subjects were older than females. Four common strategies were reported by the patients to counter the sensations of RLS/WED: moving legs while in bed (85.5%), asking somebody to massage their legs or massaging legs themselves (76.9%), walking (53.2%), and tying a cloth/rope tightly on the legs (39.3%). Of all the patients who moved their legs, 6.7% did not experience any relief, 64.2% reported some relief, and 28.4% reported complete relief. Similarly, of all the patients who used walking to counteract symptoms, 50% reported complete relief, 44.5% reported some relief, and the rest did not experience any relief. Many of these patients reported that massage and tying a cloth/rope on legs brought greater relief than any of these strategies. Tying cloth on the leg was more common among females as compared to males (45.9% females vs. 23.5% males; χ2 = 7.54; P = 0.006), while patients with moderately severe to severe RLS/WED reported moving legs in bed (79.3% in mild to moderate RLS/WED; 91.8% in severe to very severe RLS; χ2 = 5.36; P = 0.02). Conclusion: Patients with RLS/WED use a variety of strategies to counteract symptoms. These strategies may be influenced by gender, disease severity, and cultural practices.
Surgeon Experience is Strongly Associated With Biochemical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy for All Preoperative Risk Categories

Purpose: We have previously reported that there is a learning curve for open radical prostatectomy. In the current study we determined whether the effects of the learning curve are modified by patient risk, as defined by preoperative tumor characteristics.Materials and Methods: The study included 7,683 eligible patients with prostate cancer treated with open radical prostatectomy by 1 of 72 surgeons. Surgeon experience was coded as the total prior number of radical prostatectomies done by the surgeon before a patient surgery. Multivariate survival time regression models were used to evaluate the association between surgeon experience and biochemical recurrence separately in each preoperative risk group.Results: We saw no evidence that patient risk affected the learning curve. There was a statistically significant association between biochemical recurrence and surgeon experience on all analyses. The absolute risk difference in a patient receiving treatment from a surgeon with 10 vs 250 prior radical prosta...
Systemic beta-interferon therapy for recurrent gliomas: a brief report

✓ Recombinant beta-interferon in escalating dosages was administered intravenously three times weekly to seven patients with recurrent gliomas. No evidence of response was seen in any patient, either on neurological examination or by computerized tomography (CT). However, stabilization of tumor volume, assessed from contrast-enhanced CT scans, occurred for 8 to 26 weeks in three patients. Immediate progression of disease despite treatment occurred in four patients.
Biomarker of Fetal Exposure to Pesticides and Their Correlates to Outcome.♦ 1312

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate biomarkers of fetal exposure to environmental pesticides by meconium analysis and to determine the effects of such exposure on pregnancy and fetal outcome. METHODS: Meconium was collected from infants(N=200) born in 7 nurseries in Manila, Philippines and quantitatively analyzed for organophosphates and organochlorides by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (ng/mL). The results are shown in the table. We conclude that fetal exposure to environmental pesticides is high and their effects on pregnancy and fetal outcome are significant. Meconium analyses provides an excellent tool to detect this exposure.
Competing sources of stimulus value in anticipatory contrast

In previous studies of anticipatory contrast, identical target components (A and B) preceded either a lower (extinction) or a richer schedule. Higher response rates occurred during the target preceding the lower rate of reinforcement, whereas preference was in favor of the target preceding the richer schedule. In Experiment 1, the response and preference measures were positively related when additional stimuli, with no reinforcement of their own, preceded the target components. The effect of these additional stimuli was presumed to be due to their overshadowing of the Pavlovian association between the target components and their following schedules. Experiment 2 also demonstrated a consistent relation between response rate and preference in a conditioned reinforcement procedure. In the absence of a strong Pavlovian association, anticipatory contrast, like other forms of contrast in free-operant procedures, reflects an increase in the value of the target component with an unchanged reinforcement schedule.
AGE-DEPENDENT EFFECTS OF κ-OPIOID RECEPTOR STIMULATION ON COCAINE-INDUCED STEREOTYPED BEHAVIORS AND DOPAMINE OVERFLOW IN THE CAUDATE-PUTAMEN: AN IN VIVO MICRODIALYSIS STUDY

Opioid receptor stimulation attenuates psycho- stimulant-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in the caudate-putamen (CPu) and nucleus accumbens of adult rats, while reducing cocaine-induced locomotor activity and stereo- typed behaviors. Because -opioid receptor agonists (e.g., U50,488 or U69,593) often affect the behavior of preweanling rats in a paradoxical manner, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether -opioid receptor stimulation differ- entially affects dopaminergic functioning in the CPu depending on age. In vivo microdialysis was used to determine whether U50,488 (5 mg/kg) attenuates cocaine-induced dopamine over- flow in the dorsal CPu on postnatal day (PD) 17 and PD 85. In the microinjection experiment, cocaine-induced stereotyped be- haviors were assessed in adult and preweanling rats after bilat- eral infusions of vehicle or U50,488 (1.6 or 6.4 g per side) into the CPu. Results showed that U50,488 attenuated the cocaine- induced increases in CPu dopamine overflow on PD 85, while the same dose of U50,488 did not alter dopamine dialysate levels on PD 17. Cocaine also increased stereotyped behaviors (repetitive motor movements, behavioral intensity scores, and discrete behaviors) at both ages, but adult rats appeared to exhibit more intense stereotypic responses than the younger animals. Consistent with the microdialysis findings, bilateral infusions of U50,488 into the dorsal CPu decreased the cocaine- induced stereotypies of adult rats, while leaving the behaviors of preweanling rats unaffected. These results suggest that the neural mechanisms underlying -opioid/dopamine interactions in the CPu are not fully mature during the preweanling period. This lack of functional maturity may explain why -opioid re- ceptor agonists frequently induce different behavioral effects in young and adult rats. © 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
CGRP-like immunoreactivity in the guinea pig organ of Corti: a light and electron microscopy study.

Abstract We examined calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity in the guinea pig organ of Corti at both the light and electron microscope level using immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase techniques. We observed strong CGRP-like immunoreactivity in the inner spiral bundle and tunnel spiral bundle in all turns at both the light and electron microscope level. CGRP immunostaining was localized exclusively in vesiculated efferent fibers. The majority of these fibers in the inner spiral bundle were immunoreactive. We observed immunostained synaptic junctions between two efferent fibers and between efferent varicosities and afferent dendrites. In the region of the outer hair cells (OHC), we found CGRP-like immunoreactivity in the efferent endings at the base of OHCs and at the level of the OHC nucleus. At the base of OHCs, CGRP reactive endings were observed in the first, second and more rarely the third row. CGRP immunoreactivity was localized in large dense core vesicles. In summary, our data demonstrate that the neuropeptide, CGRP, was found in both the lateral and medial efferent systems. Secondly, the immunoreactivity was localized in large dense core vesicles.
Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States

Houses of God is the first broad survey of American religious architecture, a cultural cross-country expedition that will benefit travelers as much as scholars. Beautifully illustrated with over 100 photographs - some by well-known photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange - this handsome book provides a highly accessible look at how Americans shape their places of worship into mulitfaceted reflections of their culture, beliefs, and times.
Formation of mitochondria during the yeast cell cycle.

Abstract The elaboration of mitochondria during consecutive snychronous cell cycles in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined by electron microscopy. Despite considerable variability in individual measurements both the mean number of mitochondrial profiles and total mitochondrial outer membrane contour lengths exhibited continuous increases during this time implying the probable continuous formation of these organelles during the yeast cell cycle.
The Demise of White Revolution: What's Next for Billy Roper?

In August 2011, Billy Roper, white nationalist leader and political candidate from Arkansas, dismantled White Revolution, the Internet web site that he founded in 2002. At the time of its closing, the site posted a membership of over 1000. In 2010, Roper ran for governor of Arkansas and began mobilizing a political party called the Nationalist Party of America. He had intentions of running for President as the party's nominee in 2012. Much of the promotion and fund-raising for his campaign was going to be conducted through the White Revolution online site. Roper subsequently dropped out of the race and discontinued organizing the nationalist political party. In an interesting turn, he has aligned with Pastor Thom Robb's Knights Party (a Christian Identity Klan group) located in Zinc, Arkansas, a rural Ozarks community. Roper's decision to renounce his former status as an agnostic neo-Nazi for Knight status in Robb's Klan group is an indication of subtle shifts occurring in the broader American white supre...
Changes in Medical Students' Emotional Intelligence: An Exploratory Study

Background: The ability to recognize and adapt to affective states in one's self and others, emotional intelligence is thought to connote effective, compassionate doctor–patient communication. Unfortunately, medical training has been shown to erode some of the very attributes it purports to instill in students. Purpose: The objective is to examine changes in students' emotional intelligence and empathy across an undergraduate medical curriculum. Methods: During M1 orientation and again following M3 clerkship training, students in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Class of 2004 completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) and Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Baseline changes in specific dimensions were examined for both male and female students. Results: Reliability of subscales was generally acceptable (α ≥ .70). Sixty-four students provided data at both time points. Compared to baseline, two of three TMMS dimensions—attention to feelings and mood repair—were significantly ( p ≤ .05...
93 Progress in characterizing the symbiodinium sp. in soritid foraminifera

Various methodological approaches are being used to characterize Symbiodinium spp isolated from Marginopora vertebralis and Amphisorus hemprichii from the Indo-pacific. While most of the cells in culture are non-motile vegetative cells, dinospores are occur in batch cultures. We find consistant variance among the isolates in the duration and time of appearance. Nitrate (0.146 mM) supports higher populations of the isolates than does NH4 (0.146 mM). Higher concentrations of NH4 inhibit growth. Although Fensome et al (1993) characterized the Order Suessiales (and Family Symbiodiniaceae) as gymnnodiniphycideans in which the amphiesmal vesicals are arranged in 7–10 longitudinal series we were unable to detect any plates on the surfaces of our isolates in the SEM. Following Klut et al (1988) we unsuccessfuly attempted to reveal plates by using freeze fracture. We were more successful in using various chemical agents (e.g. H2O2, HOCl-) and enzymes (cellulase, chitinase) to remove surface layers. Amphiesmal plates are present but they are not polygonal or arranged in the patterns anticipated for the Symbiodiniaceae. Polyclonal antibody studies are in agreement with molecular systematic studies in the sense that there is a common relatedness; the foram endosymbiotic dinoflagellates share some common surface antigens with each other and with the one invertebrate isolate we have tested. Studies of the foraminiferal symbionts' plastids revealed considerable morphological diversity. These studies were supported by NIH/NIGMS 08168-22 and PSC-CUNY grant 64234-00 33.
Characteristics of recurrence in patients who underwent lymphatic mapping for vulvar cancer

Abstract Objective . To evaluate patients with vulvar cancer who experienced a recurrence after undergoing lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Methods . We reviewed the records of 52 patients who underwent vulvectomy and lymphatic mapping with blue dye for treatment of vulvar cancer at our institution from 1993 to 1999 and identified patients who experienced recurrent disease. Results . Fourteen (27%) of 52 patients experienced a recurrence. The patients' median age was 60 years (range 35–84 years). Nine patients had squamous lesions, four patients had melanoma, and one patient had Paget's disease with stromal invasion. Four tumors were stage T1, seven were T2, and three were T3. Eight lesions were located at the midline and six were lateral. Thirteen patients underwent superficial inguinal lymphadenectomy while one patient underwent SLN biopsy only. Postoperatively, seven patients underwent no further treatment, six underwent radiation therapy, and one patient underwent chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 46 months and the median disease-free interval was 21 months. Primary recurrence was in the vulva in eight patients (57%), in the groin in three patients (21%), and distant in three patients (21%). Nine of 32 (22%) squamous lesions recurred, four (57%) of seven melanomas recurred, and the sole patient with invasive Paget's recurred. Patient weight was found to be significantly different between patients who experienced a recurrence and those who did not ( P = 0.05). At least one SLN was identified in 46 (88%) of the 52 patients. One (17%) of six patients in whom no SLN was identified experienced a recurrence, and 13 (28%) of 46 patients in whom a SLN was identified experienced a recurrence ( P = 0.5). In the 41 patients with negative SLNs and negative non-SLNs, the recurrence rate was 24%; in the six patients with positive SLNs and negative non-SLNs, the recurrence rate was 40%; and in the five patients with positive SLNs and positive non-SLNs, the recurrence rate was 40% ( P = 0.6). No patients had a negative SLN and positive non-SLN. Of the three patients who experienced a recurrence in the groin, one had a negative SLN and negative non-SLN, one had a positive SLN and positive non-SLN, and one had no SLN identified and a negative non-SLN. Conclusions . This heterogeneous group of patients who underwent lymphatic mapping with blue dye had similar patterns of recurrence to reported series of patients who did not undergo lymphatic mapping. Groin relapse following a negative SLN biopsy is of concern and suggests that long-term follow-up data are required before lymphatic mapping and SLN biopsy alone can be considered standard treatment for patients with vulvar cancer.
Survey of Library Services at Engineering News Record's Top 500 Design Firms: Implications for Engineering Education

This paper reports on the findings of a national survey of the library services available at Engineering News Record's Top 500 Designs Firms. In mid-October 2002, a survey was mailed to all 500 firms. The survey was in two parts. One part was to be completed by a principal in the firm. The second part was to be completed by the degreed librarian (holding a Masters in Library Science or its equivalent) if the firm employed one. The findings indicated that 74.4 percent of responding design firms do not employ a degreed librarian. In 79 percent of those firms, engineers obtain information on their own. This situation, along with other results, seems to suggest that more information literacy instruction may need to be included in the engineering curriculum.
A Comparison of Freshly Exposed and Preexposed Control Film in the Evaluation of Processing

In order to determine the relative effectiveness of improperly stored, preexposed sensitometric film in the evaluation of processing during a several month period of time, a comparison was made of medical x-ray film which was exposed with a light sensitometer and immediately processed (freshly exposed) and film that had been exposed with a light sensitometer at an earlier time (preexposed) and processed along with the freshly exposed film. The freshly exposed and preexposed films were further divided into a properly stored group, in our darkroom, and an environmentally stored group. The environmentally stored films were kept in a light-tight box in the trunk of a car during the months of August through October, 1983, and August through September, 1984. Each sample set of data included (1) properly stored and freshly exposed film, (2) properly stored and preexposed film, (3) environmentally stored and freshly exposed film; and (4) environmentally stored and preexposed film. A complete set of films was processed at specific times during the study. Initially the time interval for processing between two consecutive sample sets was measured in minutes, with this time interval increasing to hours, days, and weeks. The last sample set was processed 70 days after the study began. Density differences as large as 0.70 between the freshly exposed and preexposed films were observed. A second trial was conducted in order to repeat some of our earlier observations. Two additional film types were incorporated into the second trial. Observations will be discussed along with implications for quality assurance test procedures.
Masking drug treatments in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Pilot Study (CAPS)

Abstract The effectiveness of masking in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Study (CAPS) was assessed by surveying investigators and study coordinators. CAPS patients were assigned one of five treatments: encainide, flecainide, imipramine, moricizine, or placebo. Had all treatments appeared identical and equal numbers of patients been assigned to each, 20% of guesses of treatment assignment would be correct by chance alone. Since neither was possible in CAPS, higher rates of correct guessing were expected. Overall, respondents correctly identified treatment 39% of the time. Investigators identified the drug 30% of the time with rates of 20%, 24%, 37%, 20%, and 55% for the five treatment groups, respectively, whereas coordinators identified the treatments 47% of the time with scores of 42%, 45%, 50%, 40%, and 60%. Side effects and a suboptimal masking design detracted from masking; electrocardio-graphic changes did not. Imipramine, which caused characteristic side effects, was the most frequently identified active treatment. Scores were higher for investigators who had prior experience with the drugs, but scores did not improve over the course of the trial. Findings suggest that to improve masking all drugs should have been matched in appearance or persons evaluating treatments should not have been allowed to see the drugs.
Strain energy expression for large deformations of isotropic elastic shells subjected to arbitrary temperature distribution

Abstract A general strain energy expression for large deflections of thin isotropic elastic shells is derived, including the effects of heating. With this expression, the thermal buckling and post-buckling behavior of heated shells may be treated. The results are specialized for circular cylindrical shells, for spherical shells and for right-circular conical shells. Important applications of thetheory presented occur with high-speed aircraft and rocket structures and with nuclear reactor structures.
Bounds on the largest root of the matching polynomial

Abstract We use properties of the dependence polynomial to prove several new bounds on the largest root of the matching polynomial . These bounds are compared with earlier bounds.
Antigen-specific T-helper cells abrogate suppression in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice.

The ability of antigen-specific T-helper (Th) cells to enhance direct plaque-forming cell responses in spleen cells from Trypanosoma cruzi-infected C57BL/6 mice was investigated at various times during the course of infection from day 7 to day 230. The injection of antigen-specific Th cells in vivo or the addition of antigen-specific Th cells in vitro was effective in enhancing direct plaque-forming cell responses, except at the time of the most intense suppression during the acute phase of infection (i.e., day 28). The ability of antigen-specific Th cells to overcome nonspecific immunosuppression was due not only to the activity of antigen-specific Th cells added to Mishel-Dutton cultures but also to activation of resident T cells. Thus, antigen-specific Th cells and resident T cells act in concert to produce enhanced direct plaque-forming cell responses. The effect of plastic-adherent spleen cells from infected mice on the ability of antigen-specific Th cells to stimulate anti-sheep erythrocyte responses of normal spleen cells was examined because macrophages have been shown to have an immunoregulatory role during the course of experimental American trypanosomiasis. Increasing numbers of macrophages from infected mice caused increased immunosuppression of normal spleen cells that could not be overcome with the addition of primed Th cells. It can be concluded from these data that antigen-specific Th cells can potentiate immune responses in mice infected with T. cruzi but that highly active suppressor macrophages can inhibit the expression of these primed Th cells.
Scalability and design-space analysis of a 1T-1MTJ memory cell

This paper introduces a design-space feasibility region as a function of MTJ characteristics and memory target specifications. The sensitivity of the design space is analyzed for scaling of both MTJ and underlying transistor technology. Design points for improved yield, density, and memory performance can be extracted for 90nm down to 32nm processes based on measured MTJ devices. To achieve flash-like densities in upcoming 22nm and 16nm technology nodes, scaling of the critical switching current density is required.
A method for predicting the throughput characteristics of rate-adaptive wireless LANs

Rate-adaptive wireless local area networks (WLANs) are fast becoming the networking method of choice. Naturally, there is interest in developing simple and accurate tools for predicting the throughput characteristics of such systems. We present a generic methodology to this end. The method combines a limited set of measurements made using the WLAN device, physical (PHY) layer simulation results, and medium access control (MAC) layer analysis. We consider the IEEE 802.11a standard to show that the methodology we develop predicts throughput characteristics that match closely those from measurements, for typical WLAN environments.
Measuring Meaning Structures

The goal of this seminar is to introduce you to the use of computers in textual analysis. This involves three things. First, we will spend time talking about how to acquire textual material in such a way that it can be made computer readable. We will talk about gathering textual material from web-pages, on-line chat rooms, CD-ROMS, as well as other paper-based sources that can be scanned. Here our goal will be to think about the range of materials that might be investigated in this manner and to discuss the ways in which computer assisted analysis of these data would facilitate the research process. Second, we will talk about how to use the computer to manage this information. For example, we will look very closely at a variety of approaches to content analysis, including recent developments in syntactic grammar analysis. As part of this effort, we will focus on learning how to use the statistical analysis software SAS as a basic tool for content analysis of textual data. Third, we will discuss some of the ways in which textual data can be formally analyzed in order to measure and visualize basic structures of meaning which operate in discourse. This part of the course will lead us to explore questions such as what is meaning and how does interpretation operate? We will also focus here on a range of methods that can be used to study the relational patterns that are embedded within textual material. Included here are techniques such as factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, correspondence analysis, network analysis, lattice analysis and Boolean algebras.
Managing nonlinearity in strongly dispersion-managed optical pulse transmission

An analytical description of the propagation of quasi-linear optical pulses in strongly dispersion-managed systems is presented. The effect of nonlinearity on quasi-linear pulse transmission is studied by asymptotic analysis of a nonlocal equation that describes the average dynamics of a dispersion-managed system. The spectral intensity is found to be an invariant of propagation in a lossless model even in the presence of nonlinearity, whereas in a system with loss and periodic amplification the spectral characteristics of evolution depend on the relative position of the amplifier in the dispersion map. The analytical results obtained here agree with direct numerical simulations and recent experimental observations.
Pu/SS Eutectic Assessment in 9975 Packagings in a Storage Facility During Extended Fire

In a radioactive material (RAM) packaging, the formation of eutectic at the Pu/SS (plutonium/stainless steel) interface is a serious concern and must be avoided to prevent of leakage of fissile material to the environment. The eutectic temperature for the Pu/SS is rather low (410 C) and could seriously impact the structural integrity of the containment vessel under accident conditions involving fire. The 9975 packaging is used for long term storage of Pu bearing materials in the DOE complex where the Pu comes in contact with the stainless steel containment vessel. Due to the serious consequences of the containment breach at the eutectic site, the Pu/SS interface temperature is kept well below the eutectic formation temperature of 410 C. This paper discusses the thermal models and the results for the extended fire conditions (1500 F for 86 minutes) that exist in a long term storage facility and concludes that the 9975 packaging Pu/SS interface temperature is well below the eutectic temperature.
Decision support tool use in colorectal surgery: what is the role?

Abstract Background Decision support tools prioritizing transitional care can help decrease medical readmissions but little evidence exists within surgical specialties. Materials and methods This study evaluated the use of early screen for discharge planning and discharge decision support system screening tools or selective multidisciplinary clinical evaluation for targeting post-acute care interventions among higher risk colorectal surgery patients based on 30-d readmission status. Patients with positive screening tool scores underwent standard discharge planning education and evaluation during index operation hospitalization and were referred for targeted post-acute interventions; patients with negative screening tool scores were further clinically evaluated for selective referral for post-acute interventions. Results We identified 300 colorectal surgery patients; 30.3% ( n = 91) of patients had a positive screening score (early screen for discharge planning and/or discharge decision support system). Positive screening scores did not correlate with hospital readmission (35% of readmitted patients versus 29% of non-readmitted had a positive screen; P = 0.424). After negative screening scores, selective referral based on clinical assessment for postdischarge interventions helped to concentrate resources in patients who were later readmitted. Index hospitalization complications were significantly associated with positive screening tool scores whereas postdischarge complications were most predictive of readmission. Conclusions Among colorectal surgery patients, selective clinical referrals appeared to be the best method for targeting post-acute interventions in patients at higher risk for readmission. Future research should focus on improving existing processes of care to reduce postoperative complications and constructing better tools to assess individual patients' needs for targeted interventions in the post-acute setting.
Pricing and power control in a multicell wireless data network

We consider distributed power control in a multicell wireless data system and study the effect of pricing transmit power. Drawing on the earlier work of Goodman and Mandayam (see IEEE Personal Commun. Mag., vol.7, p.48-54, 2000), we formulate the QoS of a data user via a utility function measured in bits per Joule. We consider distributed power control, modeled as a noncooperative game, where users maximize their utilities in a multicell system. Base station assignment based on received signal strength as well as received signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) are considered jointly with power control. Our results indicate that for both assignment schemes, such a procedure results in an inefficient operating point (Nash equilibrium) for the entire system. We introduce pricing of transmit power as a mechanism for influencing data user behavior and our results show that the distributed power control based on maximizing the net utility (utility minus the price) results in improving the Pareto efficiency of the resulting operating point. Variations of pricing based on global and local loading in cells are considered as a means of improving the efficiency of wireless data networks. Finally, we discuss the improvement in utilities through a centralized scheme where each base station (BS) calculates the best SIR to be targeted by the terminals it is assigned.
A search engine for historical manuscript images

Many museum and library archives are digitizing their large collections of handwritten historical manuscripts to enable public access to them. These collections are only available in image formats and require expensive manual annotation work for access to them. Current handwriting recognizers have word error rates in excess of 50% and therefore cannot be used for such material. We describe two statistical models for retrieval in large collections of handwritten manuscripts given a text query. Both use a set of transcribed page images to learn a joint probability distribution between features computed from word images and their transcriptions. The models can then be used to retrieve unlabeled images of handwritten documents given a text query. We show experiments with a training set of 100 transcribed pages and a test set of 987 handwritten page images from the George Washington collection. Experiments show that the precision at 20 documents is about 0.4 to 0.5 depending on the model. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first automatic retrieval system for historical manuscripts using text queries, without manual transcription of the original corpus.
Minimally invasive surgery for pulmonary and esophageal tumors

The development of endoscopic video capabilities has opened a new era in thoracic operations. This paper discusses video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) as part of the armamentarium of the thoracic surgeon. VATS is the procedure of choice for a solitary pulmonary nodule. It is also a useful staging procedure in selected patients with pulmonary and esophageal tumors. The role of VATS in the definitive resection of certain lung cancers is discussed and there is a call for randomized controlled studies to determine if there is an advantage for the utilization of VATS. The use of VATS for resection of esophageal tumors is discussed. It is currently under development and investigation.
MRI-Guided Thermal Ablation Techniques

The practice of employing tissue ablation techniques, such as cryo or thermal ablation, for local disease management has both grown and changed substantially in recent years. The primary draw of these techniques is that they can be delivered via minimally invasive or completely non-invasive means. The primary goal of replacing standard surgical interventions with such approaches is to deliver an effective therapy in a cost-effective manner while concomitantly reducing the impact of the therapeutic intervention on patient morbidity and quality of life. Tissue ablation is assisted by image-guidance for planning, targeting, monitoring and verifying treatment delivery. Owing to its diverse contrast mechanisms for visualization of anatomy, physiology, metabolism and tissue temperature, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a modality uniquely suited to providing guidance to those procedures that might not otherwise be considered to be potentially safe or effective without such guidance. The ability to often provide treatment planning, targeting, monitoring and verification of delivery using a single modality as a "closed-loop" solution to guidance is one of the strongest features of MRI. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of MRI-guided thermal ablation techniques of potential interest.
Second Thoughts About Second Acts: Gender Differences in Serial Founding Rates

Men are far more likely to start new ventures than women. We argue that one explanation of this gap is that women respond differently to signals of past entrepreneurial success due to the “male hubris, female humility” effect. We argue that as a result women are disproportionately less likely to persist in second founding attempts than men when they have succeeded or failed by large margins. Using a data set of serial founders in crowdfunding, we find evidence supporting this prediction. We then turn to a unique survey of founders in crowdfunding in order to examine alternative explanations. We find support for a variety of systematic differences between male and female founders, but the persistence effect remains. While decreased persistence in the face of low quality opportunities benefits women individually, we argue that it disadvantages women as a group, as it leads to 25.3% fewer female-led foundings in our sample than would have occurred if women reacted similarly to men.
Multiple molecular species of interferons of mouse and of rabbit origin.

SummaryInterferons found present in mouse serum following intravenous injection of NDV virus were of 2 different kinds. Component A had a molecular weight of 38,000 and an isoelectric point of 7.7 while component B had a molecular weight of 23,500 and an isoelectric point of 7.4. Interferons induced in mouse spleen and L (MCN) cell cultures by the same virus had molecular weighty of 26,000 and 25,000, respectively, and an isoelectric point of 7.0. Rabbit spleen cell culture interferon had a molecular weight of 33,000 and an isoelectric point of 7.4. A second molecular moiety which appears in chick embryo interferon induced by WS influenza virus was found to have a molecular weight of approximately 50,000 in contrast to 38,000 for the more predominant component. The mouse serum interferons appeared less heat stable than chick interferon and component A more sensitive to high pH. The characteristics of these interferons were compared with the properties of the spectrum of interferons produced in various ani...
Electronic Structure and Ligand Vibrations in FeNO, CoNO and FeOO Porphyrin Adducts

The gaseous ligands, CO, NO, and O2 interact with the Fe ion in heme proteins largely via backbonding of Fe electrons to the π* orbitals of the XO (X = C, N, O) ligands. In these FeXO adducts, the Fe–X stretching frequency varies inversely with the X–O stretching frequency, since increased backbonding strengthens the Fe–X bond while weakening the X–O bond. Inverse frequency correlations have been observed for all three ligands, despite differing electronic and geometric structures, and despite variable composition of the “FeX” vibrational mode, in which Fe–X stretching and Fe–X–O coordinates are mixed for bent FeXO adducts. We report experimental data for 5-coordinate CoII(NO) porphyrin adducts (isoelectronic with FeII(OO) adducts), and the results of density functional theory (DFT) modeling for 5-coordinate FeII(NO), CoII(NO), and FeII(OO) adducts. Inverse ν(MX)/ν(XO) correlations are obtained computationally, using model porphyrins with graded electron-donating and -withdrawing substituents to modulate ...
Class in Contemporary China, by David S. G. Goodman

Class in Contemporary China gives readers a comprehensive understanding of exactly what the title promises, that is, economic and social classes in China today. Author David S. G. Goodman draws fro...
Significantly increasing porosity of mesoporous carbon by NaNH2 activation for enhanced CO2 adsorption

Abstract Sodium amide (NaNH2), a readily available strong base, was investigated as an efficient reagent for chemical activation of mesoporous carbon (MC) in the temperature range of 400–900 °C, aiming to enhance the CO2 adsorption performance. Total surface area and pore volume of the activated MC increase greatly with the activation temperature up to 700 °C and then tend to level off. Small micropores with a diameter
Correlation of follicular fluid volume with oocyte morphology from follicles stimulated by human menopausal gonadotropin

The maturity of human oocytes was correlated with corresponding follicular fluid volumes in 547cycles stimulated with human menopausal gonadotropin, with or without the supplementation of follicle-stimulating hormone. Mature oocytes were found to be associated with larger follicles (average volume, 2.7ml). Immature or degenerating oocytes were found to be associated with smaller follicles (average volume, 1.0 and 0.8ml, respectively). Follicles without oocytes were generally quite small (average volume, 1.0ml). We studied follicular fluid volumes associated with mature oocytes that were responsible for the establishment of pregnancy after single conceptus transfer. Analysis of these data demonstrated that the rate of spontaneous abortion was very high with conceptuses derived from smaller follicles, suggesting that oocytes from larger follicles may be of better quality.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Research Studies: The Challenge of Creating More Diverse Cohorts.

The shafts of midmorning sun that spill into San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley belie the dank gloom inside Crystal Paniagua’s home. The 27-year-old shows a community health worker where cockroaches have been coming in through light fixtures and electrical outlets in the dilapidated two-bedroom apartment she occupies with her mother and four kids in the Sunnydale–Velasco Projects—one of the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods in San Francisco. Paniagua’s son Darian, a shy seven-year-old with asthma and roach allergies, hangs back as she opens the black box where she keeps his medications—allergy pills, nasal decongestants, eczema cream, and an albuterol inhaler and spacer. “He’s been telling me for a few days that his nose is hurting,” says Paniagua. She explains to the community health worker that his cough gets worse at night. The medications do little to help ease his breathing, which sounds like whistling. Minority populations are much less likely than their white counterparts to be included in studies on environmentally related diseases, even those that disproportionately affect minority communities. A failure to create more racially diverse research cohorts, ... Minority kids like Darian—his mother says he has Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Samoan ancestry—are more likely to deal with pollution, poor housing, and asthma than their white counterparts.1 Yet people of color are less likely to be included in biomedical research studies to address asthma and other environmentally related diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, that disproportionately affect minority communities.2,3 The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that within 30 years the nonwhite proportion of the American population will shift to more than 50%.4 A failure to create more racially diverse research cohorts, some experts say, could exacerbate existing health disparities if those most affected by disease continue to be excluded. Others call it a missed scientific opportunity to fully understand the factors that lead to poor health and disease. Still others point to the high cost of racial and ethnic health disparities. By one estimate, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities would have saved the United States over $1.2 trillion in direct and indirect medical costs between 2003 and 2006 alone.5 New multidisciplinary studies examining the complex associations between genes, socioeconomics, and environmental exposures only underscore the need to include more minority participants in biomedical research.
The Case for Humanistic Formalism

I believe that we are on the threshold of a return to the concerns of traditional humanism — what a work means, who created it and why, and how it reflects the world beyond it. Moreover, it is the purpose of my The Humanistic Heritage: Critical Theories of the English Novel from James to Hillis Miller and Reading Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ to contribute to that return.1
Trends in undergraduate economics degrees: 1991–2015

ABSTRACTUndergraduate degrees awarded in economics by U.S. colleges and universities were stagnant from 2009–10 through 2012–13, but have increased rapidly (almost 14 percent) over the two years from 2012–13 through 2014–15.
An optimisation toolbox for multi-colour LED lighting:

This paper introduces a software toolbox designed for the optimisation of white light generation using multiple light-emitting diode (LED) channels. The toolbox solves two separate types of multi-colour optimisation problems. These are the multi-channel mixing and the channel choice problems. In the multi-channel mixing problem, it is assumed that the available LEDs are pre-determined and fixed. The toolbox obtains the individual channel intensities that solve a constrained optimisation problem based on the mixed output light. It provides the user with the flexibility to choose an arbitrary formulation for the optimisation problem as well as various mathematical metrics to represent the different properties of the output light including colour rendering, power efficiency and colour accuracy. For the channel choice problem, the toolbox solves for the number and type of used LED channels as well as the intensity of individual channels to assist in optimal choice of deployed channels for luminaire manufactur...
Ethylene oligomerization in metal–organic frameworks bearing nickel(II) 2,2′-bipyridine complexes

The metal–organic frameworks Zr6O4(OH)4(bpydc)6 (1; bpydc2− = 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-dicarboxylate) and Zr6O4(OH)4(bpydc)0.84(bpdc)5.16 (2; bpdc2− = biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylate) were readily metalated with Ni(DME)Br2 (DME = dimethoxyethane) to produce the corresponding metalated frameworks 1(NiBr2)6 and 2(NiBr2)0.84. Both nickel(II)-containing frameworks catalyze the oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of Et2AlCl. In these systems, the pore environment around the active nickel sites significantly influences their selectivity for formation of oligomers over polymer. Specifically, the single-crystal structure of 1(NiBr2)5.64 reveals that surrounding metal–linker complexes enforce a steric environment on each nickel site that causes polymer formation to become favorable. Minimizing this steric congestion by isolating the nickel(II) bipyridine complexes in the mixed-linker framework 2(NiBr2)0.84 markedly improves both the catalytic activity and selectivity for oligomers. Furthermore, both frameworks give product mixtures that are enriched in shorter olefins (C4–10), leading to deviations from the expected Schulz–Flory distribution of oligomers. Although these deviations indicate possible pore confinement effects on selectivity, control experiments using the nickel-treated biphenyl framework Zr6O4(OH)4(bpdc)6(NiBr2)0.14 (3(NiBr2)0.14) reveal that they likely arise at least in part from the presence of nickel species that are not ligated by bipyridine within 1(NiBr2)5.64 and 2(NiBr2)0.84.
Principles of scientific methods

In order to conduct valid and reliable research in education, it is important to first have a foundational understanding of methodology, scientific principles, as well as the philosophy of science....
Experimental cardiac radiation exposure induces ventricular diastolic dysfunction with preserved ejection fraction.

Cardiac radiation exposure during radiotherapy increases the risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In a novel rodent model, cardiac radiation exposure resulted in coronary microva...