cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surge in Newly Identified Diabetes Among Medicaid Patients in 2014 Within Medicaid Expansion States Under the Affordable Care Act

OBJECTIVE Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia expanded Medicaid in January 2014 pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA); 24 states did not. This created an opportunity to examine the impact of Medicaid expansion on the number of Medicaid patients with newly identified diabetes among enrollees (19–64 years of age) who had laboratory testing through Quest Diagnostics. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Newly identified diabetes was defined as an ICD-9 diagnosis code of 250.x (diabetes) or hemoglobin A 1c of >6.4% (46 mmol/mol) within the first 6 months of a calendar year and the absence of both in the preceding calendar year within our data repository. RESULTS We identified 215,398 and 218,890 patients who met our definition of newly diagnosed diabetes within the first 6 months of 2013 (control period) and 2014 (study period), respectively (a 1.6% increase). We identified 26,237 Medicaid-enrolled patients with new diabetes in the control period vs. 29,673 in the study period: an increase of 13%. The number of Medicaid-enrolled patients with newly identified diabetes increased by 23% (14,625 vs. 18,020 patients) in the 26 states (and District of Columbia) that expanded Medicaid compared with an increase of 0.4% (11,612 vs. 11,653 patients) in the 24 states that did not expand Medicaid during this period. Similar differences were observed in younger and older adults and for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that in the states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, an increased number of Medicaid patients with diabetes are being diagnosed and treated earlier. This could be anticipated to lead to better long-term outcomes.
A modified transmission line model for cavity backed microstrip antennas

Spatial power combining of many MMIC amplifiers at millimeter wave frequencies using a fixed array of microstrip antenna elements places unique demands on the dielectric media. The substrate must be relatively thick to allow space for MMIC placement, must provide rather high thermal conductivity to dissipate MMIC heat, and be of high dielectric constant to shrink the circuit element dimensions. Presently, microstrip antenna models require a low dielectric constant substrate to be valid. This paper presents a modified transmission line model based on the model of Pues and Van de Capelle (1984) which addresses the problems of thick, high dielectric constant substrates as applied to proximity coupled, cavity backed microstrip antenna elements. The goal of the model was to guide the design of a microstrip array antenna suitable for a spatial power combined module.
Surgical revisions and mechanical support of the failing Fontan

Despite its many anatomic modifications, Fontan failure remains prevalent in adult patients living with single-ventricle physiology. Although the Fontan operation has created a generation of survivors of complex single-ventricle disease, recognition of the limitation of this circulation is increasing. Most commonly, survivors suffer from ventricular dysfunction, protein-losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis and arrhythmias. Although several medical therapies exist to palliate these long-term complications, surgical treatments are becoming increasingly useful, including the introduction of mechanical devices and cardiac transplantation. Currently, there are a variety of options available for mechanical support of the failing Fontan. Further developments in mechanical support technology will be required to tailor-make specific devices for this unique population. Owing to the fact that availability of donor hearts for transplantation is limited, mechanical support will play an increasingly important role in the management of complications of the Fontan circulation.
On enabling cooperative communication and diversity combination in IEEE 802.15.4 wireless networks using off-the-shelf sensor motes

This paper presents the `Generalized Poor Man's SIMO System' (gPMSS) which combines two approaches, cooperative communication and diversity combination, to reduce packet losses over links in wireless sensor networks. The proposed gPMSS is distinct from previous cooperative communication architectures in wireless sensor networks which rely on a relay channel, and also distinct from implementations in 802.11 networks that require a wired infrastructure or hardware changes for cooperation. gPMSS foregoes the need for any changes to mote hardware and it works within the current IEEE 802.15.4 standard. We describe the gPMSS protocol that governs the cooperation between receivers. Three variants are evaluated including selection diversity, equal gain and maximal ratio combining. First, we demonstrate gPMSS on bit error traces in a fully reproducible manner. This is followed by an implementation of gPMSS in C# on the .NET Micro Framework edition of the recently released Imote2 mote platform. We demonstrate by means of experiments an increase in the packet reception rate from 22---30% to 73---76%, a relative increase of 150---245%. We also analyzed the power consumed by the transmitter per delivered packet and observe a reduction of up to 68%. We also take into account the retry limit of the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and demonstrate that gPMSS is able to provide 99% packet delivery at the protocol's default retry parameters against 65---75% without it.
Dynamic factor analysis of groundwater quality trends in an agricultural area adjacent to Everglades National Park.

The extensive eastern boundary of Everglades National Park (ENP) in south Florida (USA) is subject to one of the most expensive and ambitious environmental restoration projects in history. Understanding and predicting the water quality interactions between the shallow aquifer and surface water is a key component in meeting current environmental regulations and fine-tuning ENP wetland restoration while still maintaining flood protection for the adjacent developed areas. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA), a recent technique for the study of multivariate non-stationary time-series, was applied to study fluctuations in groundwater quality in the area. More than two years of hydrological and water quality time series (rainfall; water table depth; and soil, ground
Alignment of Genetic and Physical Maps of Gibberella zeae

We previously published a genetic map of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum sensu lato) based on a cross between Kansas strain Z-3639 (lineage 7) and Japanese strain R-5470 (lineage 6). In this study, that genetic map was aligned with the third assembly of the genomic sequence of G. zeae strain PH-1 (lineage 7) using seven structural genes and 108 sequenced amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. Several linkage groups were combined based on the alignments, the nine original linkage groups were reduced to six groups, and the total size of the genetic map was reduced from 1,286 to 1,140 centimorgans. Nine supercontigs, comprising 99.2% of the genomic sequence assembly, were anchored to the genetic map. Eight markers (four markers from each parent) were not found in the genome assembly, and four of these markers were closely linked, suggesting that >150 kb of DNA sequence is missing from the PH-1 genome assembly. The alignments of the linkage groups and supercontigs yielded four independent sets, which is consistent with the four chromosomes reported for this fungus. Two proposed heterozygous inversions were confirmed by the alignments; otherwise, the colinearity of the genetic and physical maps was high. Two of four regions with segregation distortion were explained by the two selectable markers employed in making the cross. The average recombination rates for each chromosome were similar to those previously reported for G. zeae. Despite an inferred history of genetic isolation of lineage 6 and lineage 7, the chromosomes of these lineages remain homologous and are capable of recombination along their entire lengths, even within the inversions. This genetic map can now be used in conjunction with the physical sequence to study phenotypes (e.g., fertility and fitness) and genetic features (e.g., centromeres and recombination frequency) that do not have a known molecular signature in the genome.
A Nondestructive Method to Estimate Standing Crop of Purple Threeawn and Blue Grama

We used multiple regression analysis to develop models to predict standing crop of purple threeawn (Aristida purpurea Nutt.) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis [H.B.K.] Griffiths) nondestructively. Data were collected for 3 yr on the Texas Tech University Native Rangeland, Lubbock, TX, USA. Independent variables included plant length and area measurements (basal area and cross-sectional area at a 7.5-cm plant height and at 50% of total plant height). One hundred randomly selected plants of each species were measured in June 2008; 50 plants of each species were measured in June 2009 and 2010. Coefficients of determination exceeded 0.91 for both species in all 3 yr of measurement. For both species and years, cross-sectional area at 7.5 cm was the most important single predictor variable. For each species, models differed among years. Our regression models were successful at predicting mid- to late-season standing crop of purple threeawn and blue grama grass and provide an effective method for nondestructive monitoring of these species. This approach should be applicable to similar morphotypes of these species.
Simon Pearce: A Teaching Case

Simon Pearce is the founder and president of Simon Pearce Glassworks (SP). His primary but not sole business is the design, manufacture and sale of his upscale glassware. In 1981 after ten years of building a successful business in Ireland but frustrated with the obstacles he faced, he moved his business to Vermont. In 1992, SP had annual retail sales of $5 million; in 1996, approximately $12 million; and in 2001, $30 million. Not bad for a man of 56 who was expelled from school at age 15. After years of hard work, risk, and struggle, his creativity and business acumen brought him financial success but not the peace and happiness he expected. Due in part to recent business decisions by Simon, the 2001 recession, and 9/11, SP faces, among several serious business problems, a drastic decline in sales at a time SP can ill-afford a marginal decline. At the same time, Simon is no longer interested in growing the business. What should he do? The case is useful in courses or course modules on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of the U.S. Army's Participation in Medical Diplomacy: Implications From a Case Study in Trinidad

ABSTRACT Medical diplomacy is a complex, yet increasingly important strategy of the U.S. government. In this article, we present a unique program that was jointly developed by the U.S. Army Reserves 807th Medical Deployment Support Command and the Trinidad Ministry of Health to address the large backlog of untreated cataracts in Trinidad and Tobago. This partnership evolved over time, but began with a commitment to help address a critical public health issue as determined by the host country, with investment in both local capacity and attention towards sustainability. The 807th Medical Deployment Support Command utilized its connection to the military and civilian worlds, bringing in outside expertise and a long-term university partner allowing for sustainability without protracted U.S. government support. This program resulted in multiple positive outcomes, including building a strong partnership with a key U.S. interest; enhancing the legitimacy of the Trinidadian government through the development of a...
Comparison of Intake of Animal and Plant Foods and Related Nutrients in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Survivors and Controls

This study's objective is to assess differences in dietary intakes in breast cancer survivors (n = 13) and women without a history of breast cancer (controls, n = 71). In a cross-sectional design, intake of foods, food groups, nutrients, and non-nutritive sweeteners was assessed using participant-completed three-day food records. All women were postmenopausal (mean age (SD) 58.5 (±3.8) y, 95% White, 2.4% Asian Pacific, and 2.4% Black). The two groups did not differ in age, energy intake, or body mass index (p > 0.05). Compared to controls, survivors consumed less dairy products, animal protein, total protein, and calcium, but more legumes, noncitrus fruit, and carbohydrates (p ≤ 0.05). Calcium intakes were of particular concern in survivors who consumed an average of 686 mg calcium/d, which is <60% of the recommended 1200 mg/d. Given the important role of calcium in bone health and protein in muscle function among aging women, breast cancer survivors may benefit from consultation with a Registered Dietitian or other health professional knowledgeable in nutritional recommendations for postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.
Subgrid modeling of unsteady two-phase turbulent flows

A subgrid scalar mixing and combustion model originally developed for gas phase combustion has been extended in this study to include the liquid phase. This approach includes a more fundamental treatment of the effects of the final stages of droplet vaporization, molecular diffusion, chemical reactions and small scale turbulent stirring than other LES closure techniques. As a result, Reynolds, Schmidt and Damkohler number effects are explicitly included. This model has been implemented within an Eulerian-Lagrangian two phase large-eddy simulation (LES) formulation. In this approach, the liquid droplets are tracked using the Lagrangian approach up to a pre-specified cut-off size. The evaporation and mixing of the droplets smaller than the cutoff size is modeled within the subgrid using an Eulerian two-phase model that is an extension of the earlier gas-phase subgrid model. The issues related to the implementation of this subgrid model within the LES are discussed in this paper along with some preliminary results that demonstrate its capabilities.
Water-Assisted Vibrational Relaxation of a Metal Carbonyl Complex Studied with Ultrafast 2D-IR

Water is capable of assisting exceptionally rapid vibrational relaxation within dissolved solute species. Although ultrafast dynamics of metal carbonyl complexes have long served as models for vibrational relaxation, all reports to-date have investigated nonaqueous solutions due to the insolubility of the vast majority of metal carbonyl complexes in water. Using the water-soluble complex [RuCl2(CO)3]2, which belongs to a class known as “carbon monoxide (CO) releasing molecules” (CORM), we report the first ultrafast vibrational relaxation measurements of a metal carbonyl complex in water and compare this relaxation with polar organic solvents, namely, methanol. The vibrational relaxation, measured by two-dimensional IR (2D-IR) spectroscopy, is an order of magnitude faster in H2O (3.12 ± 0.29 ps) than in methanol (42.25 ± 3 ps). The accelerated relaxation times of the coupled CO units in H2O and D2O is interpreted as resulting from the enhancement of intramolecular relaxation pathways through additional cou...
Relevance of Gif Chemistry to Enzyme Mechanisms

The Gif family of systems for the selective oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons is briefly described. The mechanism of the reaction is analysed in terms of two intermediates. The first is well characterised as an VFe σ-carbon bond species and the second has been fully identified, at least in the case of cyclohexane, as a hydroperoxide. The utility of dynamic 13C N.M.R. spectroscopy in iron containing systems is demonstrated. Gif type chemistry is closely related to the unusual enzyme methane monooxygenase.
Functions and Dysfunctions of Human Retinal and Cochlear Receptors

ABSTRACT.The author describes some electrophysiological methods for quantitatively assessing retinal and cochlear receptor functions in humans. Results in healthy and diseased individuals suggest that studies utilizing these techniques can provide information of physiological and clinical interest.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pediatric cardiac failure: Review with a focus on unique subgroups

Abstract Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a widely used form of mechanical circulatory support for infants and children with refractory cardiac and respiratory failure. The use of ECMO in infant and pediatric cardiac failure continues to increase over the last decade with 51% survival to discharge. Despite improvements in short term survival, ECMO remains an invasive and expensive therapy with significant associated complications and both short and long term sequelae. The focus of this review is to provide clinicians with a better understanding of the evolving indications, implementation, complications, outcomes and utilization in unique subgroups of pediatric cardiac ECMO patients.
Internetics: Technologies, Applications and Academic Field, or, Parallel Computing and Computational Science Do Not Quite Work

Ten years ago, we were all sure that parallel computing technology and the interdisciplinary academic field of computational science would be center pieces of both academic and economic growth. We show that this insight was, in principle, correct but was an incomplete vision for large-scale computation implies both increased computer power and increasing numbers of users and applications. Parallel computing undoubtedly works on essentially all problems, but we were unable to produce deployable software systems. Further, few industries could achieve adequate return to justify investment in parallel computers, except in a few areas such as databases. Computational science is the academic field on the interface of computer science with fields such as physics, chemistry, and applied mathematics. This expertise allows you to be very useful and, in principle, is an excellent area of study, but is not a wise field for many students as employers and universities prefer traditional fields. We show how parallel computing and computational science has evolved into Internetics, which is a vibrant growing and much larger field that surely does work both in principle and in practice. Internetics embodies the technologies and expertise used in building large-scale distributed systems and linking fields like physics not just with parallel computers, but with the Web of complex heterogeneous computers. This is CORBA and Java, and not just MPI and HPF. It is Internetics that is the emerging academic field, and not computational science, and internetics is of growing attraction to students and employers. Using an Internetics base, we will produce much better software environments for parallel systems, but the commercial and academic fields associated with parallelism will not grow in the near future. We argue that we almost "got it right" and the essential features of the original vision were correct and are part of current broader thrust.
The menopause and thereafter

The menopause is a fact of life for every woman, and how it affects her depends on her physiologic makeup and on her emotional health. An empathetic physician is a great help to the patient going through this stage of life. Whether to offer hormone replacement therapy is a question each physician in general or gynecologic practice must answer.
Quantitation of the relative amounts of anhydrous carbamazepine (C15H12N2O) and carbamazepine dihydrate (C15H12N2O.2H2O) in a mixture by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

The application of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for the quantitation of the relative amounts of carbamazepine anhydrate (I) and Carbamazepine dihydrate (II) in a mixture is presented. The techniques of cross polarization, dipolar decoupling, and magic angle spinning have been used to obtain high-resolution NMR spectra of the samples in the solid state. Although the chemical shifts of I and II were similar, the proton spin lattice relaxation time of II was much shorter than that of I. A delay time of 10 sec between pulses resulted in saturation of the signal from I and in a spectrum arising solely from II. The dependence of the observed signal intensity on the contact time was evaluated for II and glycine, the internal standard, to allow theoretical estimation of the peak area ratios. Various molar ratios of I and II were then mixed with glycine, and the resulting peak area ratios of II to the area of the alpha and the carbonyl carbons of glycine was linearly related to the relative proportion of II in the mixture.
Laser emission characteristics from individual micron-size dye-doped ethanol droplets

Preliminary studies on laser emission from individual ethanol (~30-μm radius) droplets doped with rhodamine 6G dye have been reported.1 Two striking features of this emission were (1) the existence of spectrally narrow peaks and (2) a substantially lowered lasing threshold. Both of these features are the result of optical feedback at specific resonant wavelengths, which occurs as a consequence of whispering gallery modes or more accurately morphology-dependent resonances of the internally generated fluorescence radiation.
Prediction of residential building energy consumption: A neural network approach

Abstract Some of the challenges to predict energy utilization has gained recognition in the residential sector due to the significant energy consumption in recent decades. However, the modeling of residential building energy consumption is still underdeveloped for optimal and robust solutions while this research area has become of greater relevance with significant advances in computation and simulation. Such advances include the advent of artificial intelligence research in statistical model development. Artificial neural network has emerged as a key method to address the issue of nonlinearity of building energy data and the robust calculation of large and dynamic data. The development and validation of such models on one of the TxAIRE Research houses has been demonstrated in this paper. The TxAIRE houses have been designed to serve as realistic test facilities for demonstrating new technologies. The input variables used from the house data include number of days, outdoor temperature and solar radiation while the output variables are house and heat pump energy consumption. The models based on Levenberg-Marquardt and OWO-Newton algorithms had promising results of coefficients of determination within 0.87–0.91, which is comparable to prior literature. Further work will be explored to develop a robust model for residential building application.
Exchange Values: Poetics and Cognitive Science

Introduces the field of Cognitive Literary Studies by examining three key moments in its development.
Characterization of 0.5-mm lutetium oxyorthosilicate detector arrays for high-resolution PET applications

We previously built a high-resolution PET scanner (PawPET) using 8 mm thick Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) detectors, but it suffers from poor sensitivity. From our prior work we know that unpolished 0.5 mm pitch arrays with Toray reflector are challenging to decode at depths greater than 8 mm. We hypothesize that decoding will improve by polishing the crystal surfaces. We also know that polished arrays with ESR reflector have poor depth encoding performance when the crystal pitch is 1 mm or greater. We hypothesize that light loss will increase with 0.5 mm pitch crystal to the extent that useful depth encoding information can be extracted. In this work, we investigate the performance of two 12 mm thick, 0.5 mm pitch LSO arrays with different surface treatment and reflector materials using single-ended and hybrid dual-ended readout methods. These detectors may serve to improve sensitivity for our high resolution PET applications. We evaluated depth dependence of photopeak position, depth dependence of flood histogram quality, energy resolution and spatial resolution.
A state-based peridynamic analysis in a finite element framework

Abstract This study presents a PeriDynamic (PD) element to perform deformation and fracture analysis within a finite element framework. The PD interactions among the finite element nodes are achieved through a truss element. This element permits non-uniform discretization with an irregular shape domain of interaction and a variable horizon. The size and shape of the interaction domain dictates the element connectivity. Such connectivity results in a sparsely populated global system stiffness matrix. The solution of such a system of equations is achieved by employing the BiConjugate Gradient Stabilized (BICGSTAB) method within the in-house program. The explicit analysis is performed by constructing a global lumped mass matrix along with a hybrid implicit/explicit time integration scheme. The solution of resulting system of equations is achieved through an implicit solver until crack initiation, and it continues with an explicit time integration algorithm during crack growth. Crack nucleation and its growth occur when the maximum principal stress in an element exceeds the uniaxial tensile strength of the material or the visibility criteria is not satisfied. The capability of this truss element and failure criteria is established by considering four distinct geometric configurations with and without a crack, and loading conditions. In the absence of crack propagation, the peridynamic truss element predictions are compared with those of analytical and finite element results. In presence of crack propagation, the PD damage predictions are compared with the available experimental observations.
Testing the N-terminal Velcro Model of CooA Carbon Monoxide Activation.

CooAs are dimeric bacterial CO-sensing transcription factors that activate a series of enzymes responsible for CO oxidation. The crystal structure of Rhodospirillum rubrum (rrCooA) shows that the N-terminal Pro from monomer A of the dimer coordinates the heme of monomer B that locks rrCooA in the “off” state. When CO binds, it is postulated that the Pro is replaced with CO, resulting in a very large reorientation of the DNA binding domains required for specific binding to DNA. Crystal structures of the closely related CooA from Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans (chCooA) are available, and in one of these, the CO-bound on-state indicates that the N-terminal region that is displaced when CO binds provides contacts between the heme and DNA binding domains that hold the DNA binding domain in position for DNA binding. This has been termed the N-terminal velcro model of CooA activation. The study presented here tests this hypothesis by generating a disulfide mutant that covalently locks chCooA in the on-state. ...
Design and Performance of a Hybrid-Electric Fuel Cell Flight Demonstration Concept

As electric powertrain and propulsion-airframe integration technologies advance, airborne electric propulsion concepts appear to be on the cusp of disrupting or transforming aviation markets. One of the many challenges to this transformation lies within the onboard energy storage and generation technologies. State-of-the-art battery technology is heavy and lacks support infrastructure; purely combustion-based solutions to electrical power generation suffer from increased inefficiency as compared to a traditional combustion powertrain. This paper explores another alternative: a hybrid-electric, solid oxide fuel cell power system. This power system reforms traditional fuels to feed fuel cells that generate electrical power for the aircraft electric powertrain. A representative power system is designed based on the requirements for NASA’s X-57 Mod II electric flight demonstrator platform, and is shown to exceed system feasibility goals of 300 W/kg and 60% efficiency in at least one configuration. The hybrid-electric fuel cell power system is shown to be competitive with the range performance of a combustion-based power architecture and comparable in mission energy cost to a battery-electric power system.
Studies on Complexes of Antineoplastic Agents with DNA

Aspects of the geometry of complexes between antineoplastic agents and DNA can be determined using hydrodynamic measurements and using the technique of Electric Dichroism. Data is presented for two compounds, anthramycin and ellipticine, which shows that ellipticine binds to DNA by intercalation while anthramycin does not, the chromophore portion of the anthramycin molecule being inclined at an angle of approximately 36° with respect to the helix axis.
Influence of Processing Schemes on Indicative Bacteria and Quality of Fresh Aquacultured Catfish Filletst

Fresh aquacultured catfish fillets were obtained from three processors using different processing protocols in summer, autumn, winter, and spring and evaluated for microbial quality. Twenty freshly processed fillets were randomly selected and each fillet was placed in a sterile polyethylene bag. The fillets were transported on ice-pack overnight by air immediately after processing. Five fillets were randomly selected for microbial assays. Each fillet was weighed and an equal volume of sterile 0.1 % peptone water at 0 to 1°C was added aseptically. The fillet was massaged (or rinsed) for 120 s and the rinse was used to determine microbial quality. Aerobes (incubation at 35°C for 48 h) and psychrotrophs (incubation at 20°C for 96 h) were enumerated using 3M Petrifilm™ Aerobic Count plates. Escherichia coli (incubation at 35°C for 24 to 48 h) and total coliforms (incubation at 35°C for 24 to 48 h) were enumerated on 3M Petrifilm™ E. coli Count plates. Staphylococcus aureus counts were determined on Baird-Parker agar (incubation at 35°C for 48 h). Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in aerobic, psychrotrophic, total coliform, E. coli , and S. aureus counts due to temperature effects during production and variations in processing protocols were observed. E. coli and S. aureus counts were significantly different during the four seasons. E. coli and S. aureus counts were high during summer and low during winter weather. There was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in aerobic, psychrotrophic, and total coliform counts among the three processors during warm weather; however, these differences were significantly (P≤ 0.05) reduced in cold weather.
Partizipatives Lernen mit dem Social Web in der Schule

Es scheint unbestritten, dass Demokratie zu erlernen ist (vgl. in diesem Sinne z. B. das BLK-Programm „Demokratie lernen und leben“, Edelstein und Fauser 2001; Eikel 2006) und dass die Schule mit ihrem Bildungsauftrag hier eine bedeutsame Rolle spielt.
Bayesianism and Causality, or, Why I am Only a Half-Bayesian

I turned Bayesian in 1971, as soon as I began reading Savage’s monograph The Foundations of Statistical Inference [Savage, 1962]. The arguments were unassailable: (i) It is plain silly to ignore what we know, (ii) It is natural and useful to cast what we know in the language of probabilities, and (iii) If our subjective probabilities are erroneous, their impact will get washed out in due time, as the number of observations increases.
Liquid Swine Manure as a Fertilizer Source for Annual and Perennial Grass Forage

Introduction Manure application during the mid-summer months is a problem on many farms. Corn or soybeans occupy most of the crop acres. Producers inquire as to the advisability of applying liquid swine manure to established bromegrass or an annual forage grass crop. A series of studies was initiated in 1998 at the Northern Iowa Research Farm to investigate the suitability of liquid swine pit manure as a fertilizer source for annual and perennial grass forage crops.
Abstract 172: Collagen increases tumorigenic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer cells harboring BRAFV600Emutations

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer, and incidence is increasing worldwide. Thyroid cancer can be classified as either well differentiated or poorly differentiated. Of well-differentiated thyroid cancers, papillary thyroid cancer is most common, and is associated with activating BRAF mutations. While our understanding of the genetic basis for thyroid cancer is fairly extensive, less is known about how the tumor microenvironment alters characteristics of tumor cells. Recently, Jolly and others reported that papillary thyroid tumors derived from cells harboring BRAFV600E mutations and PTEN deletions are enriched with fibrillar collagen. Notably, overexpression of collagen was also associated with decreased survival and worse overall prognosis in patient samples. In this study, we investigated whether growth on collagen enhanced tumorigenic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer cell lines with BRAFV600E mutations. Three distinct cell lines derived from mouse papillary thyroid cancer tumors were grown in the presence and absence of collagen and assessed for changes in morphology, proliferation, and drug resistance. Interestingly, our results suggest that growth on collagen contributes to a more mesenchymal morphology, increased proliferation, and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. These and other results implicate an important role for collagen in the progression of thyroid cancer. Citation Format: Anna Sharabura, Jonathan Jenkins, Laura MacDonald. Collagen increases tumorigenic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer cells harboring BRAFV600Emutations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 172.
157. Reducing Blood Culture Contamination Rates Through the Use of a Red Top Tube Discard

Background Septicemia is a major cause of death in the United States and accounts for up to $16.7 billion in annual health care expenses. Blood culture is the gold standard for laboratory diagnosis of bacteremia and resultant septicemia; however, false-positive blood cultures hinder the accurate determination of true bacteremia with often serious implications. The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of collecting a 1 mL discard in a red tube prior to blood culture collection and to assess its effectiveness in reducing contamination rates in Hartford Hospital Emergency Department (HHED).
Species Typing of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria by Use of Deoxyribozyme Sensors.

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species are a rising threat, especially to patients living with pulmonary comorbidities. Current point-of-care diagnostics fail to adequately identify and differentiate NTM species from Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ). Definitive culture- and molecular-based testing can take weeks to months and requires sending samples out to specialized diagnostic laboratories. Methods: In this proof-of-concept study, we developed an assay based on PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) rrs genes by using universal mycobacterial primers and interrogation of the amplified fragments with a panel of binary deoxyribozyme (BiDz) sensors to enable species-level identification of NTM (BiDz-NTM ST ). Each BiDz sensor consists of 2 subunits of an RNA-cleaving deoxyribozyme, which form an active deoxyribozyme catalytic core only in the presence of the complimentary target sequence. The target-activated BiDz catalyzes cleavage of a reporter substrate, thus triggering either fluorescent or colorimetric (visually observed) signal depending on the substrate used. The panel included BiDz sensors for differentiation of 6 clinically relevant NTM species ( Mycobacterium abscessus, Mycobacterium avium , Mycobacterium intracellulare , Mycobacterium fortuitum , Mycobacterium kansasii , and Mycobacterium gordonae ) and Mtb . Results: Using the fluorescent BiDz-NTM ST assay, we successfully identified the species of 38 clinical isolates. In addition, a subset of strains was tested with visual BiDz sensors, providing proof-of-concept for species typing of NTM by the naked eye. Conclusions: The BiDz-NTM ST assay is a novel platform for rapid identification of NTM species. This method is highly specific and significantly faster than current tools and is easily adaptable for onsite diagnostic laboratories in hospitals or clinical laboratories.
Generalized conditional subgradient and generalized mirror descent: duality, convergence, and symmetry

We provide new insight into a {\em generalized conditional subgradient} algorithm and a {\em generalized mirror descent} algorithm for the convex minimization problem \[ \min_x \; \{f(Ax) + h(x)\}.\] As Bach showed in [{\em SIAM J. Optim.}, 25 (2015), pp. 115--129], applying either of these two algorithms to this problem is equivalent to applying the other one to its Fenchel dual. We leverage this duality relationship to develop new upper bounds and convergence results for the gap between the primal and dual iterates generated by these two algorithms. We also propose a new {\em primal-dual hybrid} algorithm that combines features of the conditional subgradient and mirror descent algorithms to solve the primal and dual problems in a symmetric fashion. Our algorithms and main results rely only on the availability of computable oracles for $\partial f$ and $\partial h^*$, and for $A$ and $A^*$.
Long Term Studies of Elemental Intake and Excretion of Three Adult Male Subjects

Daily dietary, urinary, and fecal samples from three adult male subjects have been analyzed for 25 elements. The material was collected by the Kettering Laboratory of Cincinnati, Ohio, as part of the long term studies on lead carried out by Dr. Robert A. Kehoe and his co-workers. Aliquots were sent to the University of Tennessee Department of Physics for analysis. The major elements sodium and potassium were analyzed by flame photometry, phosphorus by colorimetry, magnesium, calcium, cadmium, and zinc by atomic absorption, and aluminum, barium, boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium by dc arc emission spectrography. Although the details of the diets of the three subjects differed widely, the patterns of excretion after intake were remarkably similar. The correlation of peaks in the output of an element in urine with peaks in the dietary intake at times up to 21 days previously gives a clue to the length of time an element spends in the body, and the correlation of output in feces with intake provides a clue to the amount of an element which, after absorption into the body, is reexcreted into the gut.
Early Outcomes of a High-Resolution Anoscopy-Based Anal Cancer Screening Program Among People With HIV Enrolled in an Integrated Health Care System.

BACKGROUND Few studies have examined outcomes of high-resolution anoscopy (HRA)-based screening for people with HIV infection (PWH), a population at increased risk for anal cancer. SETTING Large integrated health care system. METHODS Cohort study of 13,552 people with HIV infection, comparing incidences of anal cancer and advanced anal cancer (higher stage, recurrence, death, or surgical salvage) before and after HRA became available (2008). Calendar time was divided as 1998-2007, 2008-2010, and 2011-2012. Rate ratios (RRs) were obtained from Poisson regression models with adjustment for baseline demographic and health variables. Cohort cases during 2008-2012 were included in a nested case-control study, evaluating association of screening with anal cancer (33 cases, 330 controls) and advanced anal cancer (19 cases, 190 controls). Odds ratios (ORs) for receipt of screening were obtained from conditional logistic regression models with adjustment for baseline demographic and health history variables. RESULTS Compared with 1998-2007 (pre-HRA), 2008-2010 adjusted RRs were 1.32 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.77 to 2.27; P = 0.31] for anal cancer and 2.11 (95% CI: 0.99 to 4.48; P = 0.053) for advanced anal cancer; and 2011-2012 adjusted RRs were 0.35 (95% CI: 0.12 to 0.99; P = 0.048) for anal cancer and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.03 to 1.77; P = 0.16) for advanced anal cancer. Individual history of screening did not reach statistical significance for anal cancer (OR 1.7; 0.6-4.6) or advanced anal cancer (OR 0.44; 0.1-3.8). CONCLUSIONS Despite the possible effect of secular trends, we found 2008-2012 incidence trends for anal cancer and advanced anal cancer that seem consistent with expected findings of a beneficial screening program.
SOLAR CORONAL STREAMERS. II. EVOLUTION OF DISCRETE FEATURES FROM THE SUN TO 1 AU.

A unique combination of photographic and K-coronameter data were used to study the structure and evolution of two known coronal streamers. In addition, two other K-coronameter enhancements were studied as representing ideal second examples of the known streamers. As a general rule the observations indicate that these features were direct coronal manifestations of photospheric bipolar magnetic regions (BMR) and were of two basic types:active region, by which is meant a coronal streamer which develops radially over a low-latitude active region; andhelmet which denotes a streamer whose structure and development appear to be a consequence of a long-lived complex of activity, composed of both trailing magnetic fields and a parent center of disk activity.
On-slide tissue digestion for mass spectrometry based glycomic and proteomic profiling.

We describe a protocol for glycomic and proteomic profiling that uses serial enzyme digestions from the surface of fresh frozen or fixed tissue slides. The abundances of the extracted glycans and peptides are determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In a typical experiment, our method quantifies 14 heparan sulfate disaccharides, 11 chondroitin sulfate disaccharides, 50 N-glycan compositions and approximately 1200 proteins from a 1.8 mm circle, on the surface of a fresh frozen tissue slide from rat brain. Each enzymatic digestion is incubated overnight with direct application of enzyme on the tissue surface. Overall, the sample preparation process for multiple tissue slides takes a day per biomolecule class. This protocol saves time by simultaneous digestion of large N-glycans and small HS disaccharides and subsequent separation using size exclusion chromatography. Compared to wet tissue analysis, this method requires less time by a factor of two. By comparison, MALDI-imaging provides higher spatial resolution of glycans and proteins but lower depth of coverage. MALDI dissociates fragile glycan substituents including sulfates and is not recommended for analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
Diets of scaup occupying baitfish and sportfish farms in eastern Arkansas

Abstract Although not typically associated with eating fish, lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) and greater scaup (Aythya marila) have recently been reported consuming large quantities of bait- and sportfish produced on Arkansas commercial aquaculture facilities. During winters 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, we collected 529 lesser scaup and 19 greater scaup foraging on golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), goldfish (Carassius auratus), sunfish (Lepomis spp.), and other sportfish production ponds to investigate the diet composition of scaup. We compared lesser scaup diet between years, among temperature categories (Low, Medium, High), and among pond types using PERMANOVAs to investigate foraging dynamics. Lesser scaup diets differed between winters, and between Low and both Medium and High temperature categories. Only traces of fish were detected in scaup in winter 2016–2017, but fish comprised 18% of birds' overall diet in winter 2017–2018. Chironomidae was the most common prey item in lesser scaup during both winters, occurring in 86% and 68% of diets in winter 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, respectively. Chironomidae comprised 40% of lesser scaup diet by weight in winter 2017–2018, but 71% in winter 2016–2017. Similar to lesser scaup, Chironomidae was the most commonly occurring prey item in greater scaup, which occurred in 88% of the diets, or composed 74% of their overall diet. Fish comprised about 13% of the overall diet of greater scaup. We suspect that scaup increasingly exploited fish in colder winters, perhaps because of the birds' increased energy demands, prey availability, and ease of capture, or some combination of these.
Genetic and regulatory architecture of Alzheimer's disease in the APOE region

Introduction Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e2 and e4 alleles encoded by rs7412 and rs429358 polymorphisms, respectively, are landmark contra and pro "risk" factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods We examined differences in linkage disequilibrium (LD) structures between (1) AD-affected and unaffected subjects and (2) older AD-unaffected and younger subjects in the 19q13.3 region harboring rs7412 and rs429358. Results AD is associated with sex-nonspecific heterogeneous patterns of decreased and increased LD of rs7412 and rs429358, respectively, with other polymorphisms from five genes in this region in AD-affected subjects. The LD patterns in older AD-unaffected subjects resembled those in younger individuals. Polarization of the e4- and e2 allele-related heterogeneous LD clusters differentiated cell types and implicated specific tissues in AD pathogenesis. Discussion Protection and predisposition to AD is characterized by an interplay of rs7412 and rs429358, with multiple polymorphisms in the 19q13.3 region in a tissue-specific manner, which is not driven by common evolutionary forces.
Materialization and Sorting

This chapter considers the relational algebra operators materialize, sort, groupby, and mergejoin. These operators materialize their input records by saving them in temporary tables. This materialization allows the operators to access their records multiple times without recomputation, which can result in query implementations that are much more efficient than could be achieved using only pipelined operators.
YouTube as a source of medical information about epidural analgesia for labor pain.

Abstract Background Large gaps remain in our understanding of the role of social media platforms in the dissemination of medical information. This cross-sectional study quantitatively assessed the accuracy and quality of information on YouTube regarding epidural labor analgesia. Methods YouTube was searched on May 23, 2020 using keywords ‘epidural,’ ‘epidural for labor,’ ‘epidural for pregnancy,’ ‘epidural experience,’ and ‘epidural risks,’ and the top 50 viewed videos from each search were screened. Primary outcomes included the proportion of videos containing non-factual information, and video quality analyzed using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) score. Results Thirteen of 60 (21.7%) videos included non-factual information about epidural analgesia; these videos were viewed more than 16.5 million times (60% of total viewership of the videos analyzed). Mean (standard deviation) mDISCERN score for all included videos was 1.9 (1.3), which is below the threshold for high video-quality. Videos from medical sources (hospitals, medical practices, physicians, other medical professionals) had a higher mDISCERN score compared with videos by non-medical sources (P Conclusion YouTube is an accessible platform for medical information on epidural labor analgesia, although a significant proportion of videos studied contained non-factual information and presented low video quality. Increased efforts by reputable sources including hospitals, physicians, other medical professionals, and professional societies, to disseminate accurate information, are warranted.