cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lidocaine Block of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Multidimensional Assessment

Objectives/Hypothesis: Lidocaine block of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) has been reported as a procedure for surgical selection of patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD). However, its effects on phonation have not been rigorously assessed in a prospective fashion using strict entry criteria and multiple measures of phonatory function. This investigation assessed the phonatory effects of RLN lidocaine block in ADSD to explore its potential as a diagnostic tool. Study Design: Single group, pre/postexperimental trial. Methods: Twenty-one consecutive patients with suspected ADSD underwent unilateral RLN block, causing temporary ipsilateral vocal fold paralysis. Voices were recorded before and during the block. Patients completed self-ratings of overall level of dysphonia severity, vocal effort, and laryngeal tightness. Blinded listeners completed auditory-perceptual ratings, and the frequency of phonatory breaks was acoustically analyzed. Results: During the block, patients reported significant reductions on overall severity (P = .045), vocal effort (P < .001), and laryngeal tightness (P = .002). Listeners rated the voices during the block as significantly more breathy (P < .001), less strained (P < .001), and less severe (P = .059). Acoustic analysis confirmed significantly fewer phonatory breaks during the block (P < .001). Patient-based ratings of improvement were more consistent than listener ratings, and reduction in overall severity correlated with perceived breathiness. Conclusions: Although individuals varied in their outcomes, group results suggest that response to RLN lidocaine block warrants further study as a possible diagnostic tool in ADSD.
The Prognostic Significance of Asymptomatic Carotid Bruits in the Elderly

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between asymptomatic carotid bruits and the development of subsequent stroke in older adults with isolated systolic hypertension. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP), a 5-year randomized trial testing the efficacy of treating systolic hypertension in noninstitutionalized persons aged 60 years or older. From the original 4,736 SHEP participants, we identified a cohort of 4,442 persons who had no prior history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction at randomization. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The end point for this ancillary study was the development of a stroke. The average follow-up was 4.2 years. Carotid bruits were found in 284 (6.4%) of the participants at baseline. Strokes developed in 21 (7.4%) of those with carotid bruits and in 210 (5.0%) of those without carotid bruits. The unadjusted risk of stroke among persons with carotid bruits was 1.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98, 2.40). Adjusting for age, gender, race, blood pressure, smoking, lipid levels, self-reported aspirin use, and treatment group assignment, the relative risk of stroke among persons with asymptomatic carotid bruits was 1.29 (95% CI 0.80, 2.06). Among SHEP enrollees aged 60 to 69 years, there was a trend (p=.08) toward increased risk (relative risk [RR] 2.05; 95% CI 0.92, 4.68) of subsequent stroke in persons with, compared to those without, carotid bruits. However, among enrollees aged 70 years or over, there was no relation between carotid bruit and subsequent stroke (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.55, 1.76). In no other subgroup of SHEP enrollees did the presence of carotid bruit independently predict stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Although we cannot rule out a small increased risk of stroke associated with bruits in asymptomatic SHEP enrollees aged 60 to 69 years, the utility of carotid bruits as a marker for increased risk of stroke among asymptomatic elderly with isolated systolic hypertension aged 70 years or older is limited.
Better smelling through genetics: mammalian odor perception

The increasing availability of genomic and genetic tools to study olfaction-the sense of smell-has brought important new insights into how this chemosensory modality functions in different species. Newly sequenced mammalian genomes-from platypus to dog-have made it possible to infer how smell has evolved to suit the needs of a given species and how variation within a species may affect individual olfactory perception. This review will focus on recent advances in the genetics and genomics of mammalian smell, with a primary focus on rodents and humans.
A laser-induced fluorescence dual-fiber optic array detector applied to the rapid HPLC separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

A multi-channel detection system utilizing fiber optics has been developed for the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) analysis of chromatographic eluents. It has been applied to the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in a chromatographically overlapped standard mixture and to a complex soil sample extract obtained during fieldwork. The instrument utilizes dual-fiber optic arrays, one to deliver multiple excitation wavelengths (258–342 nm) generated by a Raman shifter, and the other to collect fluorescence generated by the sample at each excitation wavelength; the collected fluorescence is dispersed and detected with a spectrograph/CCD combination. The resulting data were arranged into excitation emission matrices (EEM) for visualization and data analysis. Rapid characterization of PAH mixtures was achieved under isocratic chromatographic conditions (1.5 mL min–1 and 80% acetonitrile in water), with mid µg L–1 detection limits, in less than 4 minutes. The ability of the instrument to identify co-eluting compounds was demonstrated by identifying and quantifying analytes in the rapid analysis of a 17 component laboratory-prepared PAH mixture and a soil extracted sample. Identification and quantification were accomplished using rank annihilation factor analysis (RAFA) using pure component standards and the EEMs of mixtures measured during the rapid high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method as the unknowns. The percentage errors of the retention times (RTs) determined using RAFA compared to the known RTs measured with a standard absorbance detector were between 0 and 11%. For the standard PAH mixture, all 17 components were identified correctly and for the soil extracted sample, all 8 analytes present were correctly identified with only one false positive. Overall, the system achieved excellent qualitative performance with semi-quantitative results in the concentration predictions of both the standard mixture and the real-world sample. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00216-001-1125-6.
Query Integrity Assurance of Location-Based Services Accessing Outsourced Spatial Databases

Outsourcing data to third party data providers is becoming a common practice for data owners to avoid the cost of managing and maintaining databases. Meanwhile, due to the popularity of location-based-services (LBS), the need for spatial data (e.g., gazetteers, vector data) is increasing exponentially. Consequently, we are witnessing a new trend of outsourcing spatial datasets by data collectors. Two main challenges with outsourcing datasets is to keep the data private (from the data provider) and ensure the integrity of the query result (for the clients). Unfortunately, most of the techniques proposed for privacy and integrity do not extend to spatial data in a straightforward manner. Hence, recent studies proposed various techniques to support either privacy or integrity (but not both) on spatial datasets. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a technique that can ensure both privacy and integrity for outsourced spatial data. In particular, we first use a one-way spatial transformation method based on Hilbert curves, which encrypts the spatial data before outsourcing and hence ensures its privacy. Next, by probabilistically replicating a portion of the data and encrypting it with a different encryption key, we devise a technique for the client to audit the trustworthiness of the query results. We show the applicability of our approach for both k -nearest-neighbor and spatial range queries, the building blocks of any LBS application. Finally, we evaluate the validity and performance of our algorithms with real-world datasets.
Adaptive fault tolerance in two-dimensional systems

A new adaptive fault tolerant method recently proposed utilizes the natural adaptation of the 1-D least mean square (LMS) adaptive filter to compensate for certain types of hardware failures. In this paper, the method is extended to the 2-D LMS filter to produce the 2-D fault tolerant LMS (FTLMS) algorithm. The results of the implementation are then demonstrated through example.
Rat airway morphometry measured from in situ MRI-based geometric models.

Rodents have been widely used to study the environmental or therapeutic impact of inhaled particles. Knowledge of airway morphometry is essential in assessing geometric influence on aerosol deposition and in developing accurate lung models of aerosol transport. Previous morphometric studies of the rat lung performed ex situ provided high-resolution measurements (50–125 μm). However, it is unclear how the overall geometry of these casts might have differed from the natural in situ appearance. In this study, four male Wistar rat (268 ± 14 g) lungs were filled sequentially with perfluorocarbon and phosphate-buffered saline before being imaged in situ in a 7-T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner at a resolution of 0.2 × 0.2 × 0.27 mm. Airway length, diameter, gravitational, bifurcation, and rotational angles were measured for the first four airway generations from 3D geometric models built from the MR images. Minor interanimal variability [expressed by the relative standard deviation RSD (=SD/mean)] was found for length (0.18 ± 0.07), diameter (0.15 ± 0.15), and gravitational angle (0.12 ± 0.06). One rat model was extended to 16 airway generations. Organization of the airways using a diameter-defined Strahler ordering method resulted in lower interorder variability than conventional generation-based grouping for both diameter (RSD = 0.12 vs. 0.42) and length (0.16 vs. 0.67). Gravitational and rotational angles averaged 82.9 ± 37.9° and 53.6 ± 24.1°, respectively. Finally, the major daughter branch bifurcated at a smaller angle (19.3 ± 14.6°) than the minor branch (60.5 ± 19.4°). These data represent the most comprehensive set of rodent in situ measurements to date and can be used readily in computational studies of lung function and aerosol exposure.
Dopamine antagonists reduce spontaneous electrical activity in cultured mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon

Mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon (VM) were grown in primary dissociated cell (PDC) culture. These neurons are predominantly non-dopaminergic. Many of these non-dopaminergic neurons have dopamine agonist and antagonist binding sites. Intracellular recordings were obtained from these neurons. When bathed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution they generated action potentials spontaneously. However, in the presence of haloperidol dissolved in PBS solution, the percentage of neurons which generated action potentials spontaneously was reduced in a dose-dependent manner (1-10 microM). This response was also obtained with (+) butaclamol (1 microM) but not with (-) butaclamol (1 microM). This neuroleptic inhibition of spontaneously generated action potentials was specific for neurons in PDC cultures of VM since neurons in PDC cultures of spinal cord did not demonstrate this phenomenon.
Advances in Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) has continued to evolve over the past year. Much of the data has been confirmatory with further work on risk factors, silent strokes, leukoaraiosis and lesion volume and location. The importance of the interaction between cerebrovascular disease and other causes of cognitive impairment, most importantly Alzheimer disease (AD) remains a prominent theme. The natural history of VCI remains uncertain and further data on the rate of progression and factors affecting this are presented. It increasingly seems that the rate of progression in well-defined cases is low with no progression over 1 year in 1 study. Interestingly, a novel study from Toronto suggested that steal may be an etiologic mechanism. New trial data have been scanty but of note 1 long trial of aspirin was negative. Silent strokes are the most common form of stroke.1 In 1998 in the United States it was estimated that there were about 9 million silent infarcts and 2 million silent hemorrhages. Cerebral infarcts are an important cause of dementia; however, there is controversy regarding the role of silent or asymptomatic infarcts, infarct size and location, and vascular risk factors.2 Troncoso et al2 report autopsy findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Aging Study among 122 men and 57 women of whom 92% were white, had 17.5 years of education, and a mean age at death of 86.9 years. The odds of dementia were increased by both asymptomatic and symptomatic infarcts; however, dementia was not increased by risk factors for stroke in the absence of an infarct. Number but not size of hemispheral infarct was important, whereas subcortical infarcts conferred no increased risk of dementia. Macroscopic and microscopic infarcts contributed equally to dementia risk, and hemispheral infarcts, whether silent or clinically manifest, alone or in conjunction with AD pathology accounted for …
A Middleware Architecture for Securing Ubiquitous Computing Cyber Infrastructures

Ubiquitous computing is revolutionizing the way applications, users, resources, and physical spaces interact. Securing cyber infrastructures for ubiquitous computing environments, such as smart buildings and campuses, can be challenging. A critical cyber infrastructure is necessary that can combine networks, processors, and devices with mechanisms, protocols, and services to offer reliable, fault-tolerant, available, and secure operations. Existing CCI implementations create statically configured, confined networked subsystems that are isolated from the public Internet and are context insensitive. This leads to multiple, incompatible subsystems incapable of interoperating, thus making operations, management, and trust difficult. The Heterogeneous Survivable Trusted Information-Assurance Architecture addresses the problem of securing critical information services in large-scale ubiquitous computing environments. Hestia is a programmable middleware solution implemented as a network of middleboxes. These middleboxes form protective layers that isolate CCI services and mediate authorized access to Hestias services. They also provide a programmable, distributed, object-oriented framework that enables the integration of security, privacy, and reliability mechanisms in service-access interfaces and implementations.
Indictment by association: once is not enough

Early life infections with human bocavirus 1 (HBoV-1) are common, and the virus is readily detected in the upper respiratory tract, often during acute upper respiratory tract illness. Its etiological role in respiratory tract infections has been uncertain because of its presence in asymptomatic children and frequent concurrent detection of other respiratory viruses. Longitudinal cohort studies, in which sampling is done at intervals that include periods of illness and health, have begun to bring clarity to the story. In this issue of the Journal ,M artin et al [1] performed noninvasive weekly sampling and collected health data during the first 2 years of life and provide substantial evidence that HBoV-1 is indeed a respiratory pathogen in young children. This story is an excellent example of the power of longitudinal cohort study designs in identifying etiologic roles for viruses that embody combinations of being highly prevalent, being able to reinfect previously exposed individuals and to persist for long periods in the infected host in the absence of symptoms, and, often, causing mild disease. HBoV-1 HBoV-1 was discovered in 2005 by sequencing nonhost DNA present in nasopharyngeal aspirates that were collected during respiratory tract infections [2]. HBoV-1 is a DNA virus of the family Parvoviridae ,g enusBocaparvovirus (the name is derived from the hosts of the first characterized bocaviruses, bovines and canines), and species Primate bocaparvovirus 1, which also includes HBoV3. The Primate bocaparvovirus 2 species includes the somewhat more distantly related HBoV-2 and HBoV-4. There is very low sequence variability within the major strain groups. HBoV-1 VP1/2 amino acid sequences differ from their HBoV-2, HBoV-3, and HBoV-4 homologs by approximately 20%, whereas HBoV-2, -3, and -4 differ from each other by approximately 10% [3].The 4 HBoV strain groups appear to represent distinct virus species, but this awaits formal consideration by the International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses. HBoV have a wide geographic distribution [3]. HBoV-1 is most commonly found in respiratory tract specimens, while HBoV-2, HBoV-3, and HBoV-4 are more frequently detected in stool specimens [4]. Laboratory diagnosis of HBoV is made
Pluralism at Yale: The Culture of Political Science in America

Pluralism at Yale: The Culture of Political Science in America. By Richard M. Merelman. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003. 325p. $55.00 cloth, $26.95 paper. Because Richard Merelman was a Ph.D. student at Yale during the period that he writes about in this book, his project instantly arouses the suspicion, as he knows, that it stems more from personal than scholarly preoccupations. As a result, Pluralism at Yale is, if anything, excessively scholarly in its architecture and arguments. But regardless of where the motivation for his work ultimately comes from, Merelman's book exemplifies an unusual but eminently defensible, potentially illuminating mode of serious political science research. Ironically, its limitations come not from the fact that it centers on a remarkably in-depth study of a single political science department but from the ways it does not take that study far enough.
Crime, fraud and deceit on the internet: is there hyperreality in cyberspace?

Abstract This paper examines the questions of crime, fraud and deceit on the Internet and discusses whether such activities constitute a new type of abusive social behavior, or whether they are classic forms of capitalistic excess appearing in a new medium. Three areas of abuse are investigated, namely: securities law violations using the Internet; crime and fraud in electronic commerce; and deceitful acts by Internet companies. The advent of the Internet has allowed fraudulent schemes to be perpetuated at low cost and distributed to a wide audience. Many of these activities would not be possible without the existence of the Internet. The rapid growth of electronic commerce has been accompanied by an increased number of fraudulent acts facilitated by the unregulated nature of the medium. The rapid growth of Internet companies, often with little economic substance, and lacking traditional management and internal controls, has prompted fears of an economic collapse combined with a desire not to be left out of a potential economic bonanza. Many Internet companies engage in deceitful practices which boarder on fraud. This paper examines the nature of crime, fraud and deceit on the Internet and discusses the role of the state in controlling and regulating these abuses.
Measurement of the apparent diffusivity of ethylene glycol in mouse ovaries through rapid MRI and theoretical investigation of cryoprotectant perfusion procedures.

Abstract Successful organ cryopreservation will significantly benefit human health and biomedical research. One of the major challenges to this accomplishment is the need for optimization of cryoprotectant agent (CPA) perfusion procedures that involve highly complicated mass transfer processes in organs. The diffusivity of CPA is of critical importance for designing perfusion procedures to minimize the associated toxicity and osmotic damage. However, to date there have been no attempts to measure the CPA diffusivity in organs. In this study, we established a simple CPA diffusion model for relatively small organs, e.g., mouse ovaries, defined the apparent diffusivity ( D ¯ ) of CPA for these organs, and established a practical approach to measure the value of D ¯ through magnetic resonant imaging (MRI). Using rapid MRI techniques and water saturation analyses, the distribution of ethylene glycol (EG) concentration in the centric cross-section of mouse ovaries was measured at a series of time points during perfusion, and these data were fit to the integral form of the mass transfer equation in the established model. These fits resulted in a value of D ¯ for EG in mouse ovaries of 6.1 ± 1.4 × 10−7 cm2/s (mean ± SD). Based on these results, we proposed a modified perfusion procedure that may improve the survival of small organs or thin tissues during equilibrium cooling processes and assessed its efficiency through theoretical analyses.
Cone-based vision of rats for ultraviolet and visible lights

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) have two classes of cone, one containing an ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive photopigment and the other housing a pigment maximally sensitive in the middle (M) wavelengths of the visible spectrum. The manner in which signals from these two cone types contribute to rat vision was investigated through recordings of a gross electrical potential (the electroretinogram, ERG) and behavioral discrimination tests. Spectral sensitivity functions obtained from both types of measurement indicate clear contributions from each of the cone classes, but there is a marked enhancement of the relative sensitivity to UV light in the behavioral index; for instance, under some photopic test conditions, rats are approximately equally sensitive to middle-wavelength and UV lights. In adaptation tests, thresholds for UV and M lights were found to be differentially elevated in the presence of chromatic adapting backgrounds, thus providing the possibility that signals from the two cones could be used by the rat visual system to support color discriminations. Evidence of dichromatic color vision in the rat was subsequently obtained from tests of wavelength discrimination.
Professional Development through Faculty Learning Communities.

Faculty learning communities (FLC) provide opportunities for professional development and personal growth within university settings. Some FLC are structured; others are unstructured. Faculty at a mid-sized Midwestern state university were asked a series of close- and open-ended questions that examined the reasons for and benefits from their participation in both structured and unstructured FLC. This exploratory study compared survey responses related to participation in structured and unstructured FLC. The reasons why faculty participated in learning communities were consistent in both structured and unstructured formats. However, while the benefits from participating in structured FLC were strongly related to professional goals with immediate application, the benefits from unstructured FLC participation were more related to personal goals with long-term application. Faculty learning communities (FLC) take place in a variety of university settings for professional development, for personal connections with peers, and for opportunities to interact across disciplines and colleges to address issues pertaining to teaching and learning. Faculty learning communities became popular with Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered (1990). Boyer presented an expanded concept of scholarship, including the scholarship of teaching. Faculty learning communities provided a forum in which the scholarship of teaching could be explored and developed. Although widely acknowledged in higher education, Boyer’s ideas have been marginally accepted into everyday practice. For example, within the reward systems of tenure and promotion, the scholarship of teaching remains secondary to research, grants, and publications. Given the status of teaching in higher education, faculty learning communities have not evolved to promote teaching and learning as a primary goal across campuses. One university that has taken a leadership role by prioritizing and providing resources to FLC is Miami University, in Miami, Ohio. Some faculty at Miami University has constructed a core list of long-term goals for FLC programs. These include building an interdisciplinary, collegial community of teachers and learners; providing a forum for interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and scholarship; promulgating a philosophy for teaching that reflects
Development of Traffic Control and Queue Management Procedures for Oversaturated Arterials

The formulation and solution of a new algorithm for queue management and coordination of traffic signals along oversaturated arterials are presented. Existing traffic-control and signal-coordination algorithms deal only with undersaturated steady-state traffic flow conditions. No practical algorithms are readily available for oversaturated flow conditions. The main idea of the procedure is to manage queue formation and dissipation on system links so that traffic flow is maximized by efficiently using all green time, preventing formation of de facto red, accounting for the non-steady-state conditions, and providing time-dependent control measures. The problem is formulated as a throughput maximization problem subject to state and control variables. The solution is then obtained using genetic algorithms. The results show that the control procedure can produce dynamic and responsive control so that traffic progression is attained and all undesirable conditions such as queue spill-back and de facto red are avoided.
Energy and substituent effects on gaseous ionic decompositions: Electron and charge exchange ionization of benzophenones and benzils†

The correlation with substituent constants reported previously for [YOCO]+/[OCO]+ ratios in the electron ionization mass spectra of substituted benzophenones and acetophenones has also been observed in the electron ionization spectra of substituted benzils. The [YOCO]+/[OCO]+ ratio for the substituted benzils varied with energy of the ionizing electrons according to predictions from a simple kinetic and thermochemical analysis. [YOCO]+/[OCO]+ ratios in the charge exchange spectra of benzophenones obtained with Xe, Kr, CO, N2 and Ar gave good correlations with sub-stituent constants in agreement with the same analysis. Good correlations were also noted for [YOCO]+/[OCO]+ ratios with substituent constants for [M]+ ions of the benzophenones of the same excess energy (5.5 eV). [YOCO]+/[OCO]+ ratios for benzils obtained by charge exchange with [CO]+ also showed good correlations with substituent constant. It is suggested that [O]+ and [YO]+ ions from the benzophenones may be formed primarily by one step decompositions of the molecular ions, but that the [O]+ and [YO]+ ions from the benzils are formed primarily by decomposition of [OCO]+ and [YOCO]+ ions.
Creating a Speech Enabled Avatar from a Single Photograph

This paper presents a complete framework for creating a speech-enabled avatar from a single image of a person. Our approach uses a generic facial motion model which represents deformations of a prototype face during speech. We have developed an HMM-based facial animation algorithm which takes into account both lexical stress and coarticulation. This algorithm produces realistic animations of the prototype facial surface from either text or speech. The generic facial motion model can be transformed to a novel face geometry using a set of corresponding points between the prototype face surface and the novel face. Given a face photograph, a small number of manually selected features in the photograph are used to deform the prototype face surface. The deformed surface is then used to animate the face in the photograph. We show several examples of avatars that are driven by text and speech inputs.
Long-acting phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, tadalafil, induces sustained cardioprotection against lethal ischemic injury

The ability of pharmacological preconditioning mimetics to confer long-lasting and sustained cardioprotection may be a logical criterion to develop a drug that can be used clinically for cardioprot...
International trade of organic food: Evidence of US imports

Over the past decade, organic food sales and farmland have grown rapidly worldwide. As the US market for organic food has expanded, anecdotal evidence indicates that imports of organic food have increased. US organic handlers may be importing to meet consumer demand for out-of-season products, as well as products not grown domestically. Handlers may also be importing organic products that are in short supply or to reduce input costs. This paper provides the first examination of imports of organic products into the USA. Data from a national survey of certified organic handlers in 2007 are used to examine the extent, types and origins of imported organic commodities. A Heckman model is employed to investigate the factors that influence an organic handler's decision to import organic products, and the level at which organic handlers import a product. Summary results show that while many of the products being imported into the USA are those that cannot be produced domestically, such as coffee and tropical fruits, some oft-imported commodities are those that can be produced in the USA, such as soybeans, wheat, barley and berries. The summary results also show that organic handlers are procuring almost a half of their imported products from a few countries, including Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia. In the econometric analysis, we found those handlers prioritizing local suppliers negatively affected the facility's decision to import products. The use of a social label, such as Fair Trade, positively affected a handler's decision to import. The size of organic sales was important to both the decision to import and the share imported, with larger firms more likely to import and smaller firms less likely to import. However, once a smaller firm had decided to import, they imported a larger share. Finally, our analysis found that experiencing limited supplies or prioritizing price with suppliers did not influence a handler's decision to import products. Based on the findings, we suggest future research avenues, including studies that address consumer preferences and the impact of increased imports on domestic organic farms.
Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Asymmetric Glaucoma

Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between extent of glaucoma damage and optic nerve blood flow, we investigated optic nerve head blood flow in patients with asymmetric glaucoma damage between their two eyes and also in glaucomatous eyes with asymmetric damage inferiorly versus superiorly. Methods. From our institutional practice, 16 subjects with asymmetric glaucoma damage between their two eyes and 25 eyes of 20 patients with asymmetric damage superiorly versus inferiorly were included in the study. Determinations of relative optic nerve head blood flow, velocity, and volume were obtained with laser Doppler flowmetry in the superotemporal and inferotemporal neuroretinal rim and in the cup. Means of flow (Flow3), velocity (Vel3), and volume (Vol3) were calculated from these three measurement sites, and eyes or hemidisks with greater glaucomatous damage were compared to eyes or hemidisks with less damage. Results. For subjects with asymmetric glaucoma damage between eyes, Flow3 and Vel3 were significan...
Motivational interviewing and outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review.

Abstract Objectives The management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) requires complex behavior changes and treatment regimens to achieve optimal outcomes. Interventions including motivational interviewing (MI) have been explored to help patients achieve behavior change and outcomes; this study aimed to explore evidence and gaps in the literature for MI interventions and outcomes in adults with T2D. Methods A modified Cochrane method structured the search strategy among databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and others. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of MI on behavior changeoutcomes and resultant clinical outcomes in adults with T2D. Results Of the initial 159 studies identified, 14 were eligible for retention. Behavior targets in the retained studies included dietary changes, physical activity, smoking cessation, and alcohol reduction. MI had significant impact on some dietary behaviors and on weight loss. MI intervention structures were heterogeneous across studies; fidelity assessment was infrequent. Conclusion The effects of MI interventions on outcomes in T2D showed promising results for dietary behaviors. Clinical change outcomes from MI-based interventions were most favorable for weight management in T2D. Practice implications Behavior-specific MI interventions may positively influence study outcomes. Assessment of MI intervention fidelity will enhance treatment integrity and claims for validity.
Through the Janus Looking Glass

Visiting Pace Law School Professor Edward Pekarek and Genavieve Shingle, a third-year law student, writes about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus Capital Group Inc. v. First Derivative Traders. In the ruling, the justices took a narrow view of primary liability in a private action under 1934 Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b-5.
Chemotherapy of joint involvement in mice produced by Streptobacillus moniliformis.

SummaryA study of the chemotherapy of the arthritis produced in mice by inoculation with a virulent strain of Streptobacillus moniliformis was made. Three days after the animals developed joint involvement, therapy was initiated. Under the conditions studied streptomycin was the most effective agent in curing the joint involvement. Penicillin was also effective but to a lesser degree. No cures were obtained with promin, promizole, sulfathiazole, p-aminobenzoic acid, p-aminosalicylic acid, methylene blue, and two gold compounds (Myochrysine and Solgonal-B).
GaAs/AlGaAs Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator with electrical bandwidth in excess of 40 GHz

A high-speed GaAs/AlGaAs traveling-wave Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator has been fabricated. The device uses a novel slow-wave electrode design to achieve phase-velocity matching and a measured electrical bandwidth greater than 40 GHz.
Increase in Frequency of Terminally Differentiated and Exhausted CD8+ T Cells Is Associated with Worse Clinical Outcomes after Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Implantation

LVAD+Pulsatility immediately post-OHT, with partial attenuation of this difference by 6 months, and normalization by 12 months post-OHT. Conclusion: Aortic stiffness is markedly increased immediately post-OHT among patients bridged with CF-LVADs, with attenuation of this increased stiffness over the first year after transplant. These results suggests that aortic vascular properties are dynamic and may be influenced as a result of alterations in the pulsatility of flow. As a greater number of patients are supported with CF-LVADs and as newer pump-technology attempts to modulate pulsatility, further research examining the role of alterations in flow patterns on vascular function and the potential resultant systemic sequela are needed.
Diffuse correlation tomography for longitudinal monitoring of murine femoral graft healing

We developed spatially dense diffuse correlation tomography instrument and reconstruction algorithm to monitor 3D blood flow changes in murine femoral grafts. Our preliminary results show spatially resolved blood flow changes in a mouse allograft.
On the Application of Economic Principle in Net Language in China

The popularization of net Chinese is closely related with the fact that its transmission is in accordance with the economic principle of language.Though there exist a large number of homophones in popular net Chinese,the quotation,transformation,shortened forms,compounding,derivatives and blending of non-Chinese words in the Chinese net language,we usually follow the economic principle of language.
Preparedness for a bioterrorism event in Alaska. Part 1: Detection and identification of a biologic event.

U.S. military and public health experts are increasingly concerned that the general public is at risk for terrorist attacks. Traditional weapons of mass destruction such as explosive and chemical devices remain the most likely forms of terrorism, however the threat of bioterrorism is also present and may be increasing. An intentional biologic event may be covert and if so, will not become apparent for days or even weeks when many ill people present with an unidentified illness. Health care providers will be the first responders during a biologic attack and will be called upon to diagnose diseases such as anthrax, tularemia or even smallpox. In the first of a two-part article, a hypothetical scenario is presented to illustrate how such an attack might first be discovered and the agent identified. As the scenario unfolds, evidence is collected that suggests the outbreak was intentional. Information about epidemiologic clues, disease syndromes and specific high-risk agents are discussed.
Ethical questions inherent in compliance.

Promoting patient compliance is considered to be good clinical practice. However, compliance conveys a sense of being submissive or obedient to another; therefore, promoting compliance becomes a paternalistic action. The author uses a clinical situation to demonstrate some of the ethical questions related to compliance (i.e., who decides, who knows best, and how noncompliant patients are treated) and discusses these questions using the ethical precepts of doing no harm and respecting autonomy.
Cranial Nerve III Palsy in Children

Oculomotor (CN III) palsy results from dysfunction of this nerve along its pathway from the midbrain to the extraocular muscles (EOMs) it innervates – medial, superior, and inferior recti, inferior oblique, levator palpebrae superioris, and sphincter pupillae. In the pediatric population, most cases are congenital. Acquired cases are often the harbingers of serious sometimes life-threatening underlying disease; hence, imaging studies to rule out serious etiologies, such as neoplastic and vascular pathology, should be considered. The management of pediatric CN III palsy includes the identification and treatment of the underlying etiology if possible, the reduction of complications such as amblyopia, the improvement of binocular fusion, and the restoration of the best possible appearance. Strabismus surgery for third nerve palsy is complex and often requires the manipulation of multiple EOMs. It only rarely restores a large field of binocular fusion. The surgical approach depends on surgeon preference, muscles involved, and the extent of involvement of each muscle (complete versus partial paralysis). Surgical options include horizontal rectus resection and recession for the associated exotropia, as well as rectus muscle and superior oblique muscle transposition. When necessary, ptosis surgery is usually performed after strabismus surgeries are completed.
20-Year Trends in the Management of Diverticulitis Across New York State: an Analysis of 265,724 Patients

Management of acute diverticulitis (AD) has considerably changed over time. This study evaluates practice patterns for diverticulitis across demographic populations in New York State. Two hundred sixty-five thousand seven hundred twenty-four patients with acute diverticulitis were analyzed from 1995 to 2014 from the New York-Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. The likelihood of having surgery over time was compared across patient demographic subgroups using logistic regression models to calculate estimated odds ratio with their 95 % confidence intervals. Using Chi-square test and Welch’s t test, categorical and continuous variables were compared. From 1995 to 2014, there was an increase in newly diagnosed diverticulitis patients while the proportion of those patients undergoing operative management steadily decreased (31 to 10 %, p < 0.0001). Of those receiving surgery, emergent surgeries decreased (58 to 47 %, p < 0.0001) while elective surgeries increased (42 to 53 %, p < 0.0001) with the odds of having emergency surgery decreasing by 4 % annually (OR 0.96 (0.95–0.97), p < 0.0001). With the exception of patients greater than 80 years old, these linear trends were substantiated across patient subgroups. Over the past 20 years in New York State, there has been an increase in diverticulitis diagnoses and hospital admissions, with a decrease in surgeries performed reflecting a shift towards conservative management and more effective antibiotic treatment.
Theory Building in Archaeology

Widespread agreement exists that archaeology lacks well developed theories that command acceptance. This chapter discusses several issues related to the development of a theory of archaeology. Attempts based on reforms of definitions or revisions of classificatory schemes are examined and criticized for their neglect of some complexities in the problem of formulating adequate definitions. In particular, the view that providing clear definitions is a necessary preamble to theory construction has been rejected in light of the strong interdependence between these two activities. In theory construction, one should be especially attentive to definitions, sometimes rejecting or revising old definitions, sometimes formulating new ones. But it is not feasible to resolve definitional problems first and then persevere with theory building. The two activities should proceed simultaneously. Another approach to theory building claims that it is both possible and advantageous to construct formal or axiomatic theories of archaeology. Any set of sentences with a specified vocabulary that meets certain formal criteria constitutes a formal theory. Although formal theories that deal with archaeological subject matter, such as the relation between habitation area and population size, are constructible, no case has been made for their explanatory value.
Characterization of ventral incisional hernia and repair using shear wave elastography

Abstract Background To assess the integrity of hernia repair, imaging modalities such as computed tomography or ultrasound (US) are commonly used. Neither modality has currently the capacity to simultaneously image the mesh and quantify a prosthetic and surrounding tissue stiffness. In this pilot study, we hypothesize that US shear wave elastography (SWE) can be used to identify a polyester mesh and a biologic graft and to assess their stiffness noninvasively in a rat model of bridging hernia repair. Methods Lewis rats underwent hernia creation and repair with Parietex or Strattice at 30 d. After 3 mo, the animals were euthanized, and the Young's Modulus was measured using SWE. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the hernia pre- and post-repair were performed using in-house image processing algorithms. Results SWE was capable of accurate and real-time assessment and diagnosis of the hernia defects in vivo. Young's Modulus of Parietex meshes and Strattice grafts as estimated from the shear wave elastograms were found to be statistically different from each other (P Conclusions In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of using US SWE to detect ventral hernias and evaluate mesh repair in vivo. Our results indicate that the presence of a hernia and repair can be reliably visualized by SWE and three dimensionally reconstructed. Thus, this technique may provide both structural and functional information regarding the hernia and the repair.
Complete resolution of trichodysplasia spinulosa in a pediatric renal transplant patient: Case report and literature review.

TS of immunosuppression is a rare, disfiguring dermatologic condition caused by TS-associated polyomavirus in immunosuppressed patients. It is difficult to treat, with no clearly described approach to resolve the condition completely and safely. We report a child with a renal transplant who developed TS and was treated with significant reduction in immunosuppression and transient use of cidofovir cream. The combined approach, primarily with significant long-term reduction in immunosuppression guided by monitoring BK viremia in our patient, led to complete resolution of TS without recurrence or graft rejection by 5 years after transplant. This outcome was superior to all other reports of TS in children after transplantation. Closely monitoring for BK viremia, as a surrogate marker of over-immunosuppression, can guide adjustment in immunosuppressant medication to treat polyomavirus disease without developing the complication of graft rejection in a patient at significant risk.
Attachment insecurity and openness to diversity: The roles of self-esteem and trust

Abstract Openness to diversity is useful to adjustment in the diversified modern society, but diversity can be perceived as a threat to one's identity and cultural values. Thus, tendency to feel secure and not easily threatened—attachment security—may be associated with openness to diversity. A path model hypothesized the associations between attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance) and universal-diverse orientation (UDO; i.e., open attitude toward diversity) both directly and indirectly through low self-esteem and interpersonal trust. A structural equation modeling analysis using two samples (N = 338 and 350, respectively) of U.S. undergraduates revealed that attachment anxiety was associated with the UDO cognitive component Relativistic Appreciation positively but its emotional component Comfort with Differences negatively, suggesting ambivalent attitudes to diversity. Indirect effects were significant between attachment insecurity and UDO through trust, although self-esteem was associated with UDO only through its association with trust. It was suggested that mistrust in others' good intention might be why insecurely attached feel uncomfortable with the culturally different people.
Do Exam Wrappers Increase Metacognition and Performance? A Single Course Intervention:

Previous research has indicated that an intervention called “exam wrappers” can improve students’ metacognition when they are using wrappers in more than one course per academic term. In this study...