cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Searching for HIV/AIDS information on the World Wide Web.

Providing patients and their families with information on HIV/AIDS can be a challenge given the entire range of issues that come packaged with the disease itself. Information on treatment and resources changes rapidly due to the nature of the disease, and it can be difficult to have printed sources on hand that are up to date. A greater percentage of patients are now computer literate with access to the World Wide Web readily available both at home and in public libraries. With this in mind, clinicians should include Web sources when they provide information to their patients. With some guidance in choosing among the many Web resources available, patients can easily take advantage of this free gold mine of information and resources on HIV/AIDS. This article provides a guide to choosing among these resources and a list of web sites that can be given to patients.
The Role of Group Work in Classroom Second Language Acquisition

The shift in language classroom organization from teacher-fronted to student group work has received a growing amount of theoretical and empirical support (cf. Long, 1983; Long, Adams, McLean, and Castanos, 1976; Taylor, 1982). However, this practice is becoming so popular that it is in danger of turning into yet another ESL bandwagon. The following study was conducted, therefore, to evaluate the role of group work in the classroom, specifically in regard to its possible effects on classroom second language acquisition. Comparisons were made of three ESL classrooms during group vs. teacher-fronted classroom interaction on decision-making tasks.Analysis focused on three broad categories: (1) grammaticality of input, (2) negotiation of input, and (3) individual input/production. Significant differences between the two participation patterns were indicated only in the increased amount of input and production for individual students during group interaction. Task, rather than participation pattern was shown to be a more important variable with regard to parameters (1) and (2). These results suggested that group work has a useful but somewhat restricted role in classroom second language acquisition.
Cost effective memory dependence prediction using speculation levels and color sets

Memory dependence prediction allows out-of-order issue processors to achieve high degrees of instruction level parallelism by issuing load instructions at the earliest time without causing a significant number of memory order violations. We present a simple mechanism which incorporates multiple speculation levels within the processor and classifies the load and the store instructions at run time to the appropriate speculation level. Each speculation level is termed as a color and the sets of load and store instructions are called color sets. We present how this mechanism can be incorporated into the issue logic of a conventional superscalar processor and show that this simple mechanism can provide similar performance to that of more costly schemes resulting in reduced hardware complexity and cost. The performance of the technique is evaluated with respect to the store set algorithm. At very small table sizes, the color set approach provides up to 21% better performance than the store set algorithm for floating point Spec95 benchmarks and up to 18% better performance for integer benchmarks using harmonic means.
Patient-specific models for lung nodule detection and surveillance in CT images

The purpose of this work is to automatically detect lung nodules in CT images, and then relocalize them in follow-up scans so that changes in size or morphology can be measured. We propose a new method that uses a patient's baseline image data to assist in the segmentation of subsequent images. The system uses a generic, a priori model to analyze the baseline scan of a previously unseen patient and then a user confirms or rejects nodule candidates. For analysis of follow-up scans of that particular patient, a patient- specific model is derived that narrows the search in feature-space for previously labeled nodules based on the feature values measured on the baseline scan. Also, some previously identified false positives can be automatically relocalized and eliminated. In the baseline scans of eleven patients, a radiologist identified a total of 14 nodules. All 14 nodules were detected automatically by the system with an average of 11 false positives per case. In follow- up scans, using patient-specified models, 12 of the 14 nodules were relocalized. There was one previously unseen nodule, that was detected by the system, with 9 false positives per follow-up case.
The Neutral Particle Beam Space Experiment (NPBSE) accelerator designs

Accelerators that are designed to operate in a space environment are more strongly constrained by hardware envelope size, power consumption and cooling requirements than are equivalent ground based systems. The challenges presented by these constraints have resulted in the development of novel features in the Neutral Particle Beam Space Experiment (NPBSE) accelerator designs, which may also find application in ground systems. We will describe both the low power 2.0 MeV RFQ and 5.11 MeV ramped gradient DTL designs. The initial DTL cell is suitably phased as a compactor to provide longitudinal matching and the first four DTL PMQs have different strengths to obtain transverse matching. Minimum beam momentum spread is essential to the minimization of chromatic aberrations in the downstream optics components but drift space for beam expansion prior to compaction is highly limited. We therefore shift to positive synchronous phase in the tail of the DTL to minimize the required pre-compaction drift length. These and other accelerator design details will be described. >
Streptococcus pneumoniae: Impact of antibiotic resistance in pediatrics

~ treptococcuspneumoniae causes local respiratory and serious systemic infections in children. Duri n g the past 10 years, an ever-increasing proportion of pneumococcal isolates has become resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics administered routinely to treat infections associated with this microorganism. Although physicians caring for children should be aware of this growing problem and select appropriate treatment strategies when managing pediatric infections that may be caused by these bacterial strains, the implications for treatment are not always clear-cut. This review examines several aspects of antibiotic resistance in S. pneumoniae, with an emphasis on how this resistance influences the approach to treating the wide variety of infections caused by this important pathogen.
Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled multicenter trial using chimeric monoclonal anti‐cd4 antibody, cm‐t412, in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving concomitant methotrexate

Objective. To evaluate the clinical response to and safety of single and repeat doses of a chimeric anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, cM-T412, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) concomitantly treated with a stable regimen of low-dose methotrexate. Methods. Sixty-four patients with refractory RA, who were already receiving stable doses of methotrexate, were randomized into a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to receive 3 monthly treatments with either a placebo, or 5, 10, or 50 mg cM-T412, given intravenously. Results. Using ≥50% improvement in swollen joint counts as a criterion for clinical response, 13%, 13%, 18%, and 13% of patients receiving 50, 10, or 5 mg cM-T412, or the placebo, respectively, exhibited a clinical response at 3 months of therapy. Using ≥50% improvement in tender joint counts as a measure of clinical efficacy at 3 months, 19%, 13%, 12%, and 6% of patients receiving 50, 10, or 5 mg cM-T412, or the placebo, respectively, exhibited a clinical response. Flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, rigor) within 24 hours of the infusion occurred more frequently in the groups receiving 50-mg (29%) and 10-mg (31%) doses of cM-T412 than those receiving 5 mg cM-T412 (12%) or the placebo (13%). Significant CD4+ T cell depletion occurred in the 50-mg group (mean of 353 CD4+ T cells/mm 3 at 6 months versus 856 CD4+ T cells/mm 3 at baseline). All patients were followed up for 12 months after the final treatment ; no opportunistic infectious complications occurred. Conclusion. Treatment with cM-T412 in this cohort of RA patients who were also taking methotrexate was not associated with clinical efficacy or enhanced toxicity from infectious complications, despite significant peripheral CD4+ T cell depletion.
Enhancement of solubility and bioavailability of β-lapachone using cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

Purpose. To explore the use of cyclodextrins (CD) to form inclusion complexes with β-lapachone (β-lap) to overcome solubility and bioavailability problems previously noted with this drug.
Perioperative management of the paediatric patient with coexisting neuromuscular disease

Summary. Children with neuromuscular diseases present a wide range of clinical manifestations and clinical implications for the anaesthesiologist. Neuromuscular diseases in children affect muscle strength by either directly weakening the muscle fibrils or indirectly by a degenerative nerve supply and weak neuromuscular junction. Of the more than 200 neuromuscular disorders known, the vast majority are genetic in origin. This review focuses on four of the more common neuromuscular disorders with emphasis on their pathophysiology and clinical implications for anaesthesiologists: malignant hyperthermia, the muscular dystrophies (Duchenne’s, Becker’s, and Emery– Dreifuss), mitochondrial disorders, and cerebral palsy.
Synthesis of Colloidal InP/ZnS Nanocrystals for a Photosensitizer

Its intrinsic nontoxicity makes the direct band gap InP/ZnS core/shell be one of the most promising semiconductor nanocrystals for optoelectric applications, with the advantage of tuning the optical absorption range in the desired solar spectrum region. Highly luminescent and monodisperse InP/ZnS nanocrystals were synthesized in a non-coordinating solvent under a thorough degassing process. By varying synthesis scheme, different size InP/ZnS nanocrystals were grown. For the purpose of ensuring air stability, ZnS shell was grown. This ZnS shell improves the chemical stability in terms of oxidation prevention. Measurements of absorption and emission were performed on different InP/ZnS nanocrystals with different sizes. As expected, the measurements show a red-shift as the size of the InP/ZnS nanocrystals increased.
Transposon Mutagenesis Identifies Sites Upstream of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilE Gene That Modulate Pilin Antigenic Variation

Gene conversion mediates the variation of virulence-associated surface structures on pathogenic microorganisms, which prevents host humoral immune responses from being effective. One of the best-studied gene conversion systems is antigenic variation (Av) of the pilin subunit of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae type IV pilus. To identify cis-acting DNA sequences that facilitate Av, the 700-bp region upstream of the pilin gene pilE was targeted for transposon mutagenesis. Four classes of transposon-associated mutations were isolated, distinguishable by their pilus-associated phenotypes: (i) insertions that did not alter Av or piliation, (ii) insertions that blocked Av, (iii) insertions that interfered with Av, and (iv) insertions that interfered with pilus expression and Av. Mutagenesis of the pilE promoter did not affect the frequency of Av, directly demonstrating that pilin Av is independent of pilE transcription. Two stretches of sequence upstream of pilE were devoid of transposon insertions, and some deletions in these regions were not recoverable, suggesting that they are essential for gonococcal viability. Insertions that blocked pilin Av were located downstream of the RS1 repeat sequence, and deletion of the region surrounding these insertions completely abrogated pilin Av, confirming that specific sequences 5′ to pilE are essential for the recombination events underlying pilin Av.
EFFECT OF COMPOSITION AND THERMAL HISTORY ON DIELECTRIC CONSTANTS OF SODA-BOROSILICATE GLASSES*

The dielectric constants, densities, and refractive indices of two series of soda-boro-silicate glasses were measured at 25° C. on some quenched specimens and on other specimens that were stabilized at different temperatures. The compositions of the two series were Na2O-4.69 SiO2-B2O, (0 to 45%) and Na2O B2O3-SiO2 (30 to 100%), respectively. The structure of the glasses was found to depend on the ratio of oxygen atoms to the sum of the boron and silicon atoms and also on the concentration of the sodium ions. If the ratio of O to B + Si is greater than 2.0 or if the ratio of oxygen to sodium ions is less than 6.0, some of the oxygens are bonded only to one boron or to one silicon atom. The presence of “single-bonded” oxygen atoms in the glass structure leads to a lower density and a higher dielectric constant and refractive index. The dielectric constant decreases and the density increases continuously as the temperature of heat treatment is lowered. The effect of heat treatment is greater for the glasses which contain the larger number of “single-bonded” oxygen atoms and the higher concentration of sodium ions.
Statistical multipoles for cusp electrons and Rydberg electrons.

A unified description for anisotropic near-threshold excitation in terms of statistical O(4) multipoles is presented. It is shown that a single set of multipole parameters can characterize both the angular distribution of low-energy electron emission and the nonstatistical population of high Rydberg states. Relations between multipole moments of the bound-state charge cloud and of multipole moments of the velocity distributions are derived. The formalism is applied to electron capture to the continuum and into Rydberg states for ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+He using the continuum distorted-wave approximation. Comparison is made with recent experimental data.
Personal Strivings, Daily Life Events, and Psychological and Physical Well‐Being

Interactional models of life events and personality posit domains of vulnerability within which individuals are most likely to be affected by negative life events. A variation of this model was tested in a study of the separate as well as interactive effects of daily life events and personal strivings on psychological and physical well-being. Subjects listed 15 of their personal strivings,which were later categorized as reflecting either achievement, affiliation, intimacy, or power. For 21 consecutive days, subjects recorded up to eight events that most influenced their moods each day, and completed mood and physical symptom checklists. Power strivings were negatively correlated with well-being. Affiliation strivings were correlated with positive affect. No significant between-subject interactions occurred between strivings and events. However, within-subject analyses revealed several significant effects. Achievement-oriented individuals tended to be affected by good achievement events; similarly, the moods of affiliation- and intimacy-oriented individuals were affected by interpersonal events. Results are interpreted within a transactional framework, and implications for research on personality, life events, and well-being are discussed.
Restored glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 function as a potential therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease

Glutamatergic systems play a critical role in cognitive functions and are known to be defective in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Previous literature has indicated that glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 plays an essential role in cognitive functions and that loss of EAAT2 protein is a common phenomenon observed in AD patients and animal models. In the current study, we investigated whether restored EAAT2 protein and function could benefit cognitive functions and pathology in APPSw,Ind mice, an animal model of AD. A transgenic mouse approach via crossing EAAT2 transgenic mice with APPSw,Ind. mice and a pharmacological approach using a novel EAAT2 translational activator, LDN/OSU-0212320, were conducted. Findings from both approaches demonstrated that restored EAAT2 protein function significantly improved cognitive functions, restored synaptic integrity, and reduced amyloid plaques. Importantly, the observed benefits were sustained one month after compound treatment cessation, suggesting that EAAT2 is a potential disease modifier with therapeutic potential for AD.
Correction of dead time effects in laser-induced desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry: Applications in atom probe tomography

Abstract Dead time effects in time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry are well known and can be corrected for using Poisson statistics. Laser-induced desorption, however, introduces nonlinearity in the evaporation process resulting in highly fluctuating signals that make proper dead time correction much more challenging. Here, we propose a modified dead time correction procedure that overcomes such obstacles using data from correlated detection events from different isotopes of a single element. Provided the signals are not affected by unresolved mass interferences, this dead time correction enables us to obtain meaningful isotope ratios as demonstrated for atom probe tomography data of carbon from nanodiamonds and of silicon.
Dynamics of Spring Tobacco Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Populations: Implications for Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Management

The purpose of this study was to monitor tobacco thrips populations during the early spring in Georgia and to determine the role of brachypterous tobacco thrips in epidemics of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Potted peanuts were placed into fields at four locations in south Georgia throughout the spring of 2000 and 2001. During March 2001, half of all potted peanuts were covered with exclusion/inclusion cages. Tobacco thrips were collected from terminals and flowers on a weekly basis and were identified as macropterous or brachypterous. Nonstructural protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed on individual thrips to determine the proportion of brachypterous and macropterous viruliferous thrips in the population. Macropterous thrips were more abundant than brachypterous thrips, except at the Coffee County location during late February and early March. Peaks in thrips abundance and percentage of viruliferous thrips shifted approximately 2 wk later for 2001 than for 2000 at the Tift County location. In laboratory transmission experiments, no difference was found in the ability to transmit TSWV for the two wing morphs. Macropterous thrips appear to be more capable of colonizing and subsequently transmitting TSWV to newly emerged crops. Therefore, it appears that brachypterous tobacco thrips may help to perpetuate the disease cycle of TSWV by harboring the virus over the winter, and by keeping inoculum in the population until temperatures rise and the percentage of macropterous thrips in the population increases.
Health Insurance and Health

This article reviews the recent literature on the causal effect of health insurance on health outcomes. The focus is mainly on private health insurance in the US. The objective is to illustrate measurement issues for both health insurance and health outcomes, and to discuss the methodological challenges for researchers as they address endogeneity of insurance. Finally, a brief overview of methods and results found in the source studies is provided. Certain patterns emerge: in general, insurance is more pronounced for all-cause mortality and for generic health outcomes as compared with disease-specific outcomes. In addition, vulnerable and medically needy populations are more likely to benefit from health insurance than the general population. Finally, there is some support for the notion that continuous health insurance coverage benefits health more than intermittent insurance, suggesting that sporadic coverage offers limited value.
The radiation sensitivities of three species of fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator, U. pugnax, and U. minax)

The radiation sensitivities of five estuarine decapod crustacea were compared: three species of fiddler crabs,Uca pugilator, U. pugnax, U. minax: the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus, and the grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio. Temperature and salinity (20 C and 30 o/oo) and radiation dose rate (310 rad/min) were the same for all species. The 40-day LD-50 values for the fiddler crabs (U. pugilator, 9,800 rad;U. pugnax, 16,500 rad; andU. minax, 13,500 rad) fell between those of the blue crab, 42,000 rad, and grass shrimp, 215 rad. Possible physiological and ecological explanations for the differences in sensitivity are discussed.
Prospective evaluation of Peristeen® transanal irrigation system with the validated neurogenic bowel dysfunction score sheet in the pediatric population

Aims To determine the ability of Peristeen® transanal irrigation system to reduce symptoms of neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) in patients using the validated neurogenic bowel dysfunction scoring system for the pediatric population. Methods Patients 3–21 years with NBD whose current bowel program was unsuccessful were given the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction (NBoDS) score sheet before initiating Peristeen®, and at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months after. All patients were started on Peristeen® with tap water (20 ml/kg) per daily irrigation. Mean and paired t-tests were completed. Results 24 patients were enrolled and had follow-up. Mean age was 10.5 years (range 3–21 years), 25%, 50%, 25% had thoracic, lumbar and sacral level lesions respectively. Mean NBoDS score at initiation of Peristeen® was 20.21 (±5.56), n = 24. The mean score after two weeks of use was 12.75 (±4.40), n = 24. There was a statistically significant decrease of 7.46 (95%CI, 5.07–9.84) points, t(23) = 6.47, P < 0.0005 after two weeks. There was a statistically significant decrease in their scores from initiation to the 2 month time period of 7.00 (95%CI, 2.18–11.82) points, t(9) = 3.29, P = 0.009. By the sixth month of daily use the mean NBoDS score was 9.67 (n = 12). This was an average decrease of 8.83 (95%CI, 5.39–12.28) points from initiation score, t(11) = 5.641, P < 0.005. Conclusion The Peristeen® transanal irrigation system provides a significant reduction in NBoDS scores in pediatric patients with NBD. Peristeen® should be considered when other conservative bowel management options have been unsuccessful. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:632–635, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Embedding DSP

Tools for designing systems around digital signal processor (DSP) chips are discussed. These tools accelerate the design and development of systems with embedded DSPs and can also reduce development costs by letting the engineer focus on a specific application rather than the myriad details of the programming task itself. While a developmental program is running, designers can use higher-level tools-debuggers, simulators, and emulators-to help provide insight into the program's execution and flaws. Some recent upgrades are noted, and tools for block-diagram algorithm development are examined. A table of representative packages is given. >
Development of a revised generalized health-related self-concept inventory.

Objectives To replicate and validate the GHRSC-76, as well as to develop and validate an abbreviated version. Methods An online survey was completed by 276 undergraduate students. Principal components and multiple regression analyses were used to replicate and validate the measure. Results Health-protective motivation, vulnerability, and health-risky habits dimensions were predictive of symptom report. A 25-item inventory was created (R-GHRSC) and similar results were found. Conclusions Three dimensions of GHRSC were related to symptom report in this study but further research is needed to explore the relationship between GHRSC and health behavior.
Determination of the ruminal escape value and duodenal amino acid flow of rapeseed meal

A 4 x 4 Latin square metabolism trial was conducted to evaluate protein escape potential, duodenal amino acid (AA) flows, and ruminal diges- tion effects of rapeseed meal (RSM) when fed with non-endophyte-infected tall fescue ( Festuca arun- dinacea) hay. Four Holstein steers (average BW = 400 k 6.5 kg), each equipped with ruminal and duodenal cannulas, were fed twice daily at 0700 and 1900. Protein supplements compared with RSM, soybean meal (SBM), blood meal (BM), and a negative control based on urea (U). Diets were formulated to contain 14% CP. Rapeseed meal- supplemented steers had lower ( P .05) among treatments. Blood meal supplementation decreased (P .05) by supplement source. Urea supplementation resulted in the highest (P .05) among treatments. Rapeseed meal supplementa- tion resulted in higher (P total AA flow than did SBM (511 vs 439 g/d). The ruminal escape value of rapeseed meal was greater than that of SBM but less than BM. Rapeseed meal supplemen- tation is one way to increase duodenal flow of sulfur AA for ruminants.
The BB Rat Models of IDDM

Publisher Summary This chapter presents BB rat models of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The inheritance of diabetes in BB rats segregates with a gene associated with the rat major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Many studies have indicated that at least one RTlu class II allele must be present for diabetes susceptibility. A possible explanation for this association may be the uniqueness of the first external domains of the RT1B (DQ) and RT1D (DR) β-chains in both DP- and DR-BB rats in comparison with other rat or mouse class II sequences. The principal non-MHC gene correlated with diabetes is one associated with lymphopenia. Lymphopenia is permissive for the development of diabetes in DP-BB rats, but it is not absolutely necessary in DR-BB rats, in which diabetes can be found without lymphopenia being present. It is much easier to prevent the initial development of diabetes than to avert the recurrence of autoimmune disease in both BB rat models of IDDM. It is more difficult to block autoimmune recurrence than allograft rejection.
Adsorption and Aggregation at Silica/Methanol Interfaces: The Role of Solute Structure

Second harmonic generation (SHG) and time-resolved, total internal reflection fluorescence (TR-TIRF) spectroscopy were used to examine the adsorption, solvation, and aggregation of a coumarin solut...
Rabi oscillations, decoherence, and disentanglement in a qubit-spin-bath system

We examine the influence of environmental interactions on simple quantum systems by obtaining the exact reduced dynamics of a qubit coupled to a one-dimensional spin bath. In contrast to previous studies, both the qubit-bath coupling and the nearest-neighbor intrabath couplings are taken as the spin-flip $XX$ type. We first study the Rabi oscillations of a single qubit with the spin bath prepared in a spin coherent state, finding that nonresonance and finite intrabath interactions have significant effects on the qubit dynamics. Then we discuss the bath-induced decoherence of the qubit when the bath is initially in the ground state and show that the decoherence properties depend on the internal phases of the spin bath. By considering two independent copies of the qubit-bath system, we finally probe the disentanglement dynamics of two noninteracting entangled qubits. We find that entanglement sudden death appears when the spin bath is in its critical phase. We show that the single-qubit decoherence factor is an upper bound for the two-qubit concurrence.
High-efficiency selective boron emitter formed by wet chemical etch-back for n-type screen-printed Si solar cells

Front metal contact induced recombination and resistance are major efficiency limiting factors of large-area screen-printed n-type front junction Si solar cells with homogeneous emitter and tunnel oxide passivated back contact (TOPCON). This paper shows the development of a selective boron emitter (p+/p++) formed by a screen-printed resist masking and wet chemical etch-back process, which first grows a porous Si layer and subsequently removes it. Various wet-chemical solutions for forming porous Si layer are investigated. An industrial compatible process with sodium nitrite (NaNO2) catalyst is developed to uniformly etch-back the ∼47 Ω/◻ atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposited heavily doped boron emitter to ∼135 Ω/◻ by growing a 320 nm porous Si layer within 3 min and subsequently removing it. After etching back, the boron emitter was subjected to a thermal oxidation to lower the surface concentration and the emitter saturation current density J0e. Various etched-back emitters were evaluated by meas...
Hourly probabilistic forecasting of solar power

The growing integration of variable renewable energy resources, poses new challenges to the electric grid. Forecast of renewable generations may be deployed to mitigate some of these challenges. There are always errors associated with even the most robust solar power point forecasts; so a great deal of attention has been paid to probabilistic forecasting to quantify the uncertainty and risk associated with point forecasts. The ensemble learning tool, the random forest is used to combine the individual models to obtain hour-ahead combined point forecasts and then to generate the ensemble-based probabilistic solar power forecasts. Comparisons are provided with probabilistic forecasts that are generated by the analog ensemble technique as well as the baseline persistence probabilistic technique. The evaluation is carried out over the entire year, and it is found that the ensemble-based and analog ensemble probabilistic forecasts have almost the same accuracy.
Preventing Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Noncardiac Surgery: A Meta-analysis

Abstract Background Although postoperative atrial fibrillation is common after noncardiac surgery, there is a paucity of data regarding prophylaxis. We sought to determine whether pharmacologic prophylaxis reduces the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiac surgery. Methods We performed an electronic search of Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane central register of controlled trials database, and SCOPUS from inception to September 7, 2016 and included prospective randomized studies in which patients in sinus rhythm underwent noncardiac surgery and examined the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation as well as secondary safety outcomes. Results Twenty-one studies including 11,608 patients were included. Types of surgery included vascular surgery (3465 patients), thoracic surgery (2757 patients), general surgery (2292 patients), orthopedic surgery (1756 patients), and other surgery (1338 patients). Beta-blockers (relative risk [RR] 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.87), amiodarone (RR 0.42; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.67), and statins (RR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.68) reduced postoperative atrial fibrillation compared with placebo or active controls. Calcium channel blockers (RR 0.55; 95% CI, 0.30 to 1.01), digoxin (RR 1.62; 95% CI, 0.95 to 2.76), and magnesium (RR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.23 to 2.33) had no statistically significant effect on postoperative atrial fibrillation incidence. The incidence of adverse events was comparable across agents, except for increased mortality (RR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.37) and bradycardia (RR 2.74; 95% CI, 2.19 to 3.43) in patients receiving beta-blockers. Conclusions Pharmacologic prophylaxis with amiodarone, beta-blockers, or statins reduces the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiac surgery. Amiodarone and statins have a relatively low overall risk of short-term adverse events.
The sword, the pen, and the uterus: multidirectional feminist culture and the Argentine dictatorship of 1976–1983

During the period 1982–1999, a cohort of feminist cultural activists highlighted parallels between the political, gendered, racial, and linguistic frameworks used to justify state violence in Argen...
Simulating Waiting Times

This chapter describes the standard process for performing discrete event simulations to estimate expected waiting times. In doing so, it describes event-based “controllers” that generate chronologies differentiating discrete event simulation from other types of statistical simulations.
SYNTHESIS OF ADENOVIRUS 2 RNA in vitro: PROPERTIES OF THE MAJOR LATER TRANSCRIPT AND ITS PROMOTER

ABSTRACT We have developed a new in vitro transcription system which we feel will be useful for the synthesis of mRNA in mammalian cells. The system consists of a crude whole-cell extract, exogenously added DNA and small molecules and salts needed for transcription. If the added DNA includes sequences which encode the 5′ end of the adenovirus 2 (Ad 2) major late transcript, as well as 5′ flanking sequences, easily detectable amounts of transcripts with the same 5′ ends as in vivo RNAs are formed. Transcription continues until the polymerase reaches the end of the particular DNA fragment used as template, and we have observed transcripts ranging in size from 175 to 4,360 nucleotides. We can also detect an RNA species which is the size expected for a molecule which has undergone the first splice in the pathway to mRNA production. By using a recombinant plasmid containing appropriate fragments of Ad2 DNA, we found supercoiled DNA to be a much poorer template for in vitro transcription than is the linearized DNA. Finally, by using a recombinant plasmid containing a very small fragment of Ad2 DNA, as well as templates truncated by digestion with the appropriate restriction endonucleases, we show that all the sequence information needed for accurate initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II at the major late promoter site is contained within a region from -52 to +33 nucleotides from the RNA cap site.
Nutritional improvement of legume proteins through disulfide interchange.

Treatment of raw soy flour with L-cysteine or N-acetyl-L-cysteine results in the introduction of new half-cystine residues into sulfur-poor legume proteins, with a corresponding improvement in nutritional quality as measured by the protein efficiency ratio (PER) in rats. The proteins are modified through formation of mixed disulfide bonds among added sulfhydryl compounds, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, and structural legume proteins. This modification leads to loss of inhibitory activity and increased protein digestibility and nutritive value. Sodium sulfite is more effective than cysteine in facilitating inactivation of trypsin inhibitors in soy flour. The synergistic effect of sodium sulfite and heat may be due to (1) ability to induce rearrangement of protein disulfide bonds to produce new structural entities without altering the amino acid composition and to (2) the fact that the new structures lose their ability to complex with trypsin or chymotrypsin. The same treatment inactivated hemagglutinins (lectins) in lima bean flour. These considerations suggest a key role for sulfur amino acids in the nutritional quality and safety of legumes.
Intensified ozonolysis of lignins in a spray reactor: insights into product yields and lignin structure

We demonstrate a simple spray reactor for an ozonolysis pretreatment step to cleave carbon–carbon double bonds in grass lignins to conveniently recover vanillin and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (∼5 wt% of the lignin), two of the most value-added monomers. Lignin dissolved in an acid solution is sprayed into an ozone containing gas stream at ambient temperatures with contact times of less than 10 seconds. The production rate of these valuable species is between one to two orders of magnitude greater than that previously reported in a CSTR in which ozone is bubbled through a liquid phase containing dissolved lignin. The spray reactor thus significantly intensifies the reaction alleviating liquid-phase ozone starvation experienced in the CSTR. Gel permeation chromatography of the ozone-pretreated lignin reveals a decrease in the molecular weight distribution of macromolecular components corresponding to the recovered monomers. Scanning electron microscopy of the ozone-pretreated lignin reveals that the lignin superstructure is largely preserved as evidenced by the presence of globular assemblages in both the untreated and ozone-pretreated lignin. Thus, a mild ozone pretreatment of grass lignins in a spray reactor allows for the recovery of valuable aromatics without overoxidation of the products or unwanted bleaching of the bulk lignin.
Novel therapeutic targets and drug development for the precision treatment of COPD

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and health care expenditures worldwide. Because of the heterogeneity of COPD, subjective appro...
Best Medical Management for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is the first cause of disability and the fifth cause of mortality in the United States. In this chapter we discuss the general principles of medical stroke care. The initial goal of the evaluation is to stabilize and assess patient’s eligibility for acute interventions including intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) and mechanical thrombectomy. That includes a focused history, a standardized examination using National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, and appropriate neuroimaging to rule out intracranial hemorrhage. Once the decision regarding IV-tPA is made, patients should be promptly evaluated for the possibility of a proximal vessel occlusion requiring mechanical thrombectomy. Following any acute interventions, patients should be admitted to a dedicated stroke unit specialized in preventing and monitoring complications. That unit should have the expertise and resources to conduct the necessary investigations to establish the stroke mechanism or subtype in order to implement the most appropriate secondary prevention strategy.
Margins, Kernels and Non-linear Smoothed Perceptrons

We focus on the problem of finding a non-linear classification function that lies in a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) both from the primal point of view (finding a perfect separator when one exists) and the dual point of view (giving a certificate of non-existence), with special focus on generalizations of two classical schemes - the Perceptron (primal) and Von-Neumann (dual) algorithms. We cast our problem as one of maximizing the regularized normalized hard-margin (ρ) in an RKHS and rephrase it in terms of a Mahalanobis dot-product/semi-norm associated with the kernel's (normalized and signed) Gram matrix. We derive an accelerated smoothed algorithm with a convergence rate of √log n/ρ given n separable points, which is strikingly similar to the classical kernelized Perceptron algorithm whose rate is 1/ρ2. When no such classifier exists, we prove a version of Gordan's separation theorem for RKHSs, and give a reinterpretation of negative margins. This allows us to give guarantees for a primal-dual algorithm that halts in min{√n/|ρ|,√n/e} iterations with a perfect separator in the RKHS if the primal is feasible or a dual e-certificate of near-infeasibility.
The Efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy and Antibiotic Beads in Lower Extremity Salvage.

Abstract Background Antibiotic beads and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) represent two methods of wound management used during staged debridement in the post-trauma limb salvage pathway. The efficacy of NPWT and antibiotic beads in preventing infection remains unclear. Methods This study is a retrospective review of patients with traumatic lower extremity open fractures who received NPWT and/or antibiotic beads before soft tissue reconstruction at an urban level 1 trauma center between August 2007 and December 2015. Patients with wound infections before application of NPWT and/or antibiotic beads were excluded. Results In 73 lower extremities requiring soft tissue coverage, 46 received antibiotic beads and 48 received NPWT. Overall infection rate was 15.1%. Use of antibiotic beads was associated with a decreased risk of infection (6.4% versus 30.7%; P = 0.01). Use of NPWT was associated with an increased risk of one or more complications (45.7% versus 4.2%; P = 0.001). The development of infection was associated with a greater period of time between application of antibiotic beads (22 ± 13 versus 12 ± 6 d, P = 0.01) or NPWT (23 ± 15 versus 10 ± 11 d, P = 0.004) and soft tissue coverage. Overall limb salvage rate was 95.9%; secondary amputation was associated with development of infection (P = 0.001) but not with use of NPWT or antibiotic beads. Conclusions Antibiotic beads may prevent infections in patients awaiting soft tissue coverage of wounds. NPWT may contribute to a greater rate of complication. Limb salvage was successful in most cases regardless of method of wound management.
A claim for cognitive history.

History is a potential tool for cognitive scientists interested in metacognitive categories like “creativity” and “innovation.” As a way of thinking, history suggests alternative accounts of the development of innovation and growth, for example. Life History Theory is one such account, but its roots in the Industrial Revolution make it a problematic tool for telling the history of that period.
Evaluating Combinations of Sentinel-2 Data and Machine-Learning Algorithms for Mangrove Mapping in West Africa

Creating a national baseline for natural resources, such as mangrove forests, and monitoring them regularly often requires a consistent and robust methodology. With freely available satellite data archives and cloud computing resources, it is now more accessible to conduct such large-scale monitoring and assessment. Yet, few studies examine the reproducibility of such mangrove monitoring frameworks, especially in terms of generating consistent spatial extent. Our objective was to evaluate a combination of image processing approaches to classify mangrove forests along the coast of Senegal and The Gambia. We used freely available global satellite data (Sentinel-2), and cloud computing platform (Google Earth Engine) to run two machine learning algorithms, random forest (RF), and classification and regression trees (CART). We calibrated and validated the algorithms using 800 reference points collected using high-resolution images. We further re-ran 10 iterations for each algorithm, utilizing unique subsets of the initial training data. While all iterations resulted in thematic mangrove maps with over 90% accuracy, the mangrove extent ranges between 827–2807 km2 for Senegal and 245–1271 km2 for The Gambia with one outlier for each country. We further report “Places of Agreement” (PoA) to identify areas where all iterations for both methods agree (506.6 km2 and 129.6 km2 for Senegal and The Gambia, respectively), thus have a high confidence in predicting mangrove extent. While we acknowledge the time- and cost-effectiveness of such methods for the landscape managers, we recommend utilizing them with utmost caution, as well as post-classification on-the-ground checks, especially for decision making.
C-Vectors and Non-Self-Crossing Curves for Acyclic Quivers of Finite Type

Let $Q$ be an acyclic quiver and $k$ be an algebraically closed field. The indecomposable exceptional modules of the path algebra $kQ$ have been widely studied. The real Schur roots of the root system associated to $Q$ are the dimension vectors of the indecomposable exceptional modules. It has been shown in [Najera Chavez A., Int. Math. Res. Not. 2015 (2015), 1590-1600] that for acyclic quivers, the set of positive $c$-vectors and the set of real Schur roots coincide. To give a diagrammatic description of $c$-vectors, K-H. Lee and K. Lee conjectured that for acyclic quivers, the set of $c$-vectors and the set of roots corresponding to non-self-crossing admissible curves are equivalent as sets [Exp. Math., to appear, arXiv:1703.09113]. In [Adv. Math. 340 (2018), 855-882], A. Felikson and P. Tumarkin proved this conjecture for 2-complete quivers. In this paper, we prove a revised version of Lee-Lee conjecture for acyclic quivers of type $A$, $D$, and $E_{6}$ and $E_7$.
Science identity and metacognitive development in undergraduate mentor-teachers

A growing part of the efforts to promote student engagement and success in undergraduate STEM are the family of Student Support and Outreach Programs (SSOPs), which task undergraduate students with providing support and mentoring to their peers and near-peers. Research has shown that these programs can provide a variety of benefits for the programs’ recipients, including increased academic achievement, satisfaction, retention, and entry into STEM careers. This paper extends this line of inquiry to investigate how participation in these programs impacts the undergraduate STEM students that provide the mentoring (defined here as undergraduate mentor-teachers or UMTs). We use activity theory to explore the nature of metacognition and identity development in UMTs engaged in two programs at a public urban-serving university in the western USA: a STEM Learning Assistant program and a program to organize middle and high school STEM clubs. Constructs of metacognition and identity development are seen as critical outcomes of experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs. Written reflections were collected throughout implementation of two experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs. A thematic analysis of the reflections revealed UMTs using metacognitive strategies including content reflection and reinforcement and goal setting for themselves and the students they were supporting. Participants also showed metacognitive awareness of the barriers and challenges related to their role in the program. In addition to these metacognitive processes, the UMTs developed their science identities by attaching different meanings to their role as a mentor in their respective programs and setting performance expectations for their roles. Performance expectations were contingent on pedagogical skills and the amount and type of content knowledge needed to effectively address student needs. The ability to meet students’ needs served to validate and verify UMTs’ role in the program, and ultimately their own science identities. Findings from this study suggest that metacognitive and identity developments are outcomes shaped not only by undergraduate students’ experiences, but also by their perceptions of what it means to learn and teach STEM. Experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs with structured opportunities for guided and open reflections can contribute to building participants’ metacognition and enhancing their science identities.
Embracing Global Tax Reform in the General Agreement on Trade in Services

This article explores the intersections between the global tax reform launched by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Group of 20 (G20) to tackle base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) on the one hand, and international rules on trade in services, mostly—the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) under the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the other hand. The GATS entered into force in 1995 to expand trade in services. It covers all measures affecting trade in services, including direct taxation. While the GATS leaves policy space for WTO Members to adopt measures to ensure the effective imposition of direct taxes and to conclude agreements among themselves to avoid double taxation, its negotiators could hardly have envisaged the depth and breadth of the current BEPS reform package, as shown by a recent WTO dispute. This paper provides a systematic analysis of concurrent application of the GATS and the BEPS Package and recommends that WTO Members take actions to avoid potential conflict in applying both sets of rules.