cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compression of Morbidity

The compression of morbidity hypothesis envisions a potential reduction of lifetime morbidity and medical care costs, now heavily concentrated in the senior years, by compression of this morbidity between an increasing average age at the onset of infirmity and the age at death, increasing also, but more slowly. For this scenario to be widely achieved, largely through postponement of disease and disability, we need to identify variables which predict future ill health, modify these variables, and document the improvement in health that results. The compression of morbidity serves as the underlying paradigm for health promotion and health improvement programs, viewed from a lifespan perspective, and requiring behavior changes acting as primary prevention of morbidity. Since 1980, when the hypothesis was introduced, evidence has accumulated documenting slow trends toward morbidity compression in the population, and much more marked changes in selected population subgroups. For example, those who exercise, maintain an appropriate body weight, and do not smoke acquire disability eight years or more later in life than their opposites and have less than one-half the cumulative lifetime disability as shown in longitudinal studies. Those who exercised vigorously achieved 10 years of additional disability-free life compared with their sedentary peers. Finally, multiple randomized controlled trials of interventions designed to test the hypothesis have shown very positive results in terms of improved health and reduced medical care costs. The compression paradigm can guide development of programs and policies to improve population health.
Computer synthesis of high resolution electron micrographs

Two independent methods for obtaining ultra-high resolution for biological specimens in the electron microscope are described.
Hegemony and passivity in mining regions: Containing dissent in north-central Chile

Abstract The main objective of this paper is to show the relevance of a lack of or lower levels of overt forms of conflict in the political ecology of mining extraction and to show the usefulness of a Gramscian framework to analyze how consent is organized in these contexts. This paper argues that the Gramscian distinction between active and passive consent can be especially useful to more precisely characterize the roles that specific (and sometimes contradictories) ways of thinking and acting play in the reproduction of hegemonic resource regimes. This distinction is useful to understand not only when the hegemonic function is successful, but also to understand when it fails to achieve active consent and yet is still able to contain dissent. Based on the case of the Choapa Valley in north-central Chile, I analyze some means through which overt forms of resistance have been limited in a context where economic growth cohabits with significant levels of socioenvironmental impacts. I will show how in Choapa histories of cooptation, the limited previous success in achieving social demands, and certain dependency with the mining industry, have built not an active but a passive consent.
The role of failure in learning how to create in art and design

Abstract There is evidence that failure can contribute to creativity, but there has been no research on whether failure plays a role in teaching and learning how to create. In this paper, I examine the role of failure in teaching and learning in professional schools of art and design, where creative practice is an important learning outcome. In the course of ethnographies at two professional schools of art and design, I interviewed professors and observed their classes to explore their pedagogical beliefs and practices. Using a grounded theory methodology to analyze this qualitative data, I found that failure is an important aspect of pedagogy in both art and design disciplines. The grounded theory methodology resulted in the identification of six emergent themes that elaborate how art and design pedagogy incorporates failure to foster creative learning outcomes.
Spectral analysis of the EBT3 radiochromic films for clinical photon and electron beams

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the spectral response of the EBT3 radiochromic films to different beam qualities for radiation therapy dosimetry. Dose, dose rate, and interbatch dependencies on the spectral response of the films were investigated as well. METHODS Pieces of EBT3 films placed between layers of solid water phantoms were irradiated with 6 and 15 MV photon beams, 6 and 10 MV-flattening filter free (FFF) photon beams, and 6 and 20 MeV electron beams at dose levels between 0.4 and 50 Gy. Net absorbance was measured as a function of wavelength from the spectra acquired in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm using a fiber-coupled spectrometer and broadband light source. RESULTS No significant change was observed in the absorption spectra of the EBT3 film from the same batch irradiated with the same amount of dose using different beam qualities. Also, no spectral change with dose rate was observed. The measured net absorbance per Gy was independent of beam quality in the 1-50 Gy dose range. Slight differences in the spectral shape and absorption band positions were observed in film samples from different batches. The net absorbance spectra showed two absorption bands centered around 634-636 nm (primary) and 583-585 nm (secondary). However, depending on the film batch, for doses above a certain level the primary absorption band appears to "split" into two bands centered around ~624-628 and ~641-645 nm. CONCLUSIONS The spectral shape of the EBT3 radiochromic films irradiated with photons (including FFF) and electron beams is beam quality and dose rate independent; however, it varies with dose level, batch, and spectroscopy system used.
An examination of food parenting practices: structure, control and autonomy promotion.

Objective In recent years, researchers have been working towards creating a standard conceptual framework of food parenting. To understand how parents' reports correspond with the proposed model, the current study examined parents' reports of their feeding behaviours in the context of a newly established framework of food parenting. Design Cross-sectional, with a two-week follow-up for a subset of the sample. Participants completed a quantitative and qualitative survey to assess food parenting. The survey included items from common food parenting instruments to measure the constructs posited in the framework. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to ascertain which items related most closely to one another and factors were mapped on to existing constructs. Setting Online.ParticipantsParents of children aged 2·5-7 years (n 496). Of these, 122 completed a two-week follow-up. Results Analyses revealed eleven aspects of Structure (monitoring; distraction; family presence; meal/snack schedule; unstructured practices; healthy/unhealthy food availability; food preparation; healthy/unhealthy modelling; rules), ten aspects of Coercive Control (pressure to eat; using food to control emotions; food incentives to eat; food incentives to behave; non-food incentives to eat; restriction for health/weight; covert restriction; clean plate; harsh coercion) and seven aspects of Autonomy Promotion (praise; encouragement; nutrition education; child involvement; negotiation; responsive feeding; repeated offering). Content validity, assessed via parents' open-ended explanations of their responses, was high, and test-retest reliability was moderate to high. Structure and Autonomy Promoting food parenting were highly positively correlated. Conclusions In general, parents' responses provided support for the model, but suggested some amendments and refinements.
Social Media For Good? A Survey On Millennials’ Inspirational Social Media Use

There is no doubt about the extensive use of social media by the millennial generation, but the study of the effects of such use is only in its infancy. Though most studies so far focus on the negative effects of overall time spent on social media, the current study investigated the relationship between exposure to a specific type of content on social media and well-being outcomes: namely, inspirational content. Results of an online survey with a total of 146 students revealed that inspiring social media and online video use, but not overall time spent on social media was related to everyday experiences of gratitude, awe, vitality, prosocial motivations and prosocial behaviors, but not connectedness. Self-transcendent emotions as elicited from inspiring social media mediated these relationships. Results are discussed in relation to the relevance of the content young people view on social media and their impact on well-being.
Boyle's Reductive Occasionalism

Was Robert Boyle an occasionalist? And if so, what kind of occasionalist was he? These questions have long troubled commentators, as Boyle’s texts often seem to offer both endorsements of occasionalism and affirmations of bodies’ causal powers. I argue that Boyle’s position is best understood as reductive occasionalism, according to which (a) bodily powers are relations between bodies and God’s action in the world, and (b) there is no causal efficacy in bodies that is not strictly identical to God’s nomological causal efficacy.
On a Conjecture of Fickett

We give a negative answer to a geometric conjecture of J. Fickett regarding two overlapping and congruent triangles.
Purifying Adversarial Perturbation with Adversarially Trained Auto-encoders.

Machine learning models are vulnerable to adversarial examples. Iterative adversarial training has shown promising results against strong white-box attacks. However, adversarial training is very expensive, and every time a model needs to be protected, such expensive training scheme needs to be performed. In this paper, we propose to apply iterative adversarial training scheme to an external auto-encoder, which once trained can be used to protect other models directly. We empirically show that our model outperforms other purifying-based methods against white-box attacks, and transfers well to directly protect other base models with different architectures.
RED TAPE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: UAV POLICY

Abstract. Reports over the past two decades have documented concern that the growth of regulation on research is reducing scientific productivity. While much of the burden comes from mandated standards, institutions increase the burdens when they add elective rules. This study examines regulatory responses in higher education to the implementation of domestic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the United States of America (U.S.). The variance in UAV policies provides insight into regulatory responses to a controversial emerging technology. All higher education institutions share a common mission of education, research, and service, although the amount of attention given to each varies. UAVs create similar risks across institutions. Moreover, all campuses are subject to identical Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. For this study, four educational institutions’ UAV policies from all fifty U.S. states were examined. The policies were classified from none to highly restrictive. Consistent with expectations, the stringency of UAV regulations is related to the institution’s structure and mission. Publicly funded institutions, particularly the land-grant universities with relatively more community outreach, had the most restrictive policies. Institutions in states with local government ordinances restricting UAVs also tend to have stricter policies. More stringent UAV rules exist in research-oriented institutions. Neither organizational size nor the existence of an aviation program affects institutional UAV policies. Because some of the policies adopted in higher education go beyond the rules mandated by the FAA, some may label the elective policies as being excessive “red tape” that thwart the institutional mission and stymie research.
Common Mechanisms of Viral Injury to the Kidney

Viral infections in an immunocompetent host can cause both acute and chronic kidney diseases, either by direct damage to the infected kidney cells or as a consequence of systemic immune responses that impact the kidneys' function. Viruses have evolved mechanisms to hijack signaling pathways of the infected cell, including the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway to support viral replication, and to evade antiviral immune responses such as those mediated by miR-155 via microRNA mimetics expressed by the virus. At both the cellular and systemic levels, the host has also evolved mechanisms to counter the viral subversion strategies in the evolutionary battle for mutual survival. In the era of genomic medicine, understanding individual genetic variations that lead to differences in susceptibilities to infection and variabilities in immune responses may open new avenues for treatment, such as the recently described functions of apolipoprotein L1 risk alleles in HIV-associated nephropathy. In addition, state-of-the-art high-throughput sequencing methods have discovered new viruses as the cause for chronic diseases not previously attributed to an infection. The potential application of these methods to idiopathic kidney diseases may reveal similar occult infections by unknown viruses. Precision medicine objectives to optimize host-directed and pathogen-directed therapies for kidney diseases associated with infectious causes will only be achieved through detailed understanding of genetic susceptibility associated with immune responses and viral tropism.
Assessing hepatic impairment in Fontan-associated liver disease using the HepQuant SHUNT test.

Background & aims Fontan surgery for single ventricle congenital heart disease leads to Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD). Typical laboratory tests, imaging, and histopathology cannot predict clinical severity in FALD. HepQuant SHUNT is a proprietary serum test of hepatic function and physiology that has not yet been evaluated in FALD. Methods Fourteen adult FALD patients at a single urban tertiary care center who underwent a Fontan procedure in childhood received HepQuant SHUNT testing between September 2015 and April 2018. The HepQuant SHUNT disease severity index (DSI) assesses global liver function and physiology from systemic and portal hepatic filtration rates (HFRs, clearances adjusted for body mass) of orally and intravenously administered cholates labeled with deuterium or 13C. The SHUNT parameter of the test measures portal systemic shunting from the ratio of Systemic HFR to Portal HFR. Chart review included laboratory tests, imaging, and clinical findings. Data from FALD patients were compared with data from healthy controls. Results The average DSI and SHUNT values for the FALD patients were 17.5% and 36.1%, respectively, compared to 9.2% and 24.1%, respectively, for controls. Twelve (85.7%) FALD patients had a DSI >15 (upper limit of normal). Seven (50.0%) FALD patients had SHUNT values >30% (upper limit of normal), while three FALD patients (21.4%) had SHUNT values >49%. One FALD patient with preoperative SHUNT of 69%, who underwent a combined heart-liver transplant, had confirmed cirrhotic morphology within the liver explant. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated that most FALD patients had hepatic impairment detected by abnormal DSI, with a smaller number having markedly elevated SHUNT values >49% suggesting intrinsic liver disease. The HepQuant SHUNT test may be useful in detecting and quantifying liver disease severity in FALD patients.
Authenticity of Historical Transformation: Applications of Mixed Reality in Historic Preservation

Historic preservationists are increasingly focusing their attention on the use of digital technologies to advance the field. These tools equip experts with the ability to capture, process, produce, and reproduce digital data of cultural heritage for documentation, interpretation, restoration and conservation purposes. In recent years, researchers have experimented with Mixed Reality (MR) applications to preserve cultural heritage in a non-contact and reversible manner. By allowing experts to intervene without altering extant physical objects, MR opens up countless possibilities for preservation strategies once the physical range of actions have been exhausted. However, more importantly, by mixing virtual and physical worlds, MR offers new possibilities for preserving historical transformation itself. In this paper, I will argue that MR provides the best way of preserving the authenticity of architectural objects by capturing the historical transformations that they endure.
Refining research on joy

ABSTRACTThis article suggests ways to enhance joy research. Wording choices for eliciting reports of joy are crucial. Reporting strategies such as ecological momentary assessment can make a big dif...
Cross-layer flow and congestion control for datacenter networks

A key feature of the upcoming datacenter networks is their losslessness, achieved by the means of Priority Flow Control (PFC). Inherited from the cluster and HPC networks that traditionally use link level flow control to prevent packet loss across multiple virtual lanes, channels and/or priorities, this feature is now also becoming widely available in the next generation 10, 40 and 100Gbps Ethernet switches and adapters. Nevertheless, excepting storage protocols such as Fibre Channel over Ethernet, PFC is new and unfamiliar to the majority of datacenter applications and protocols. That is, despite PFC's key role in the datacenter and its increasing availability -- supported by virtually all future Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) products -- its impact on the higher layer routing and transport protocols has yet to be investigated. Hence our motivation to assess the performance exposure of three widespread TCP versions to PFC, as well as to the potentially conflicting Quantized Congestion Notification (QCN) congestion management mechanism, which apparently replicates on Layer 2 some more advanced TCP functionality.As workloads of interest we have selected a few revealing commercial and scientific applications. For quantitative performance evaluation we use two distinct methodologies: (a) Our reference is an accurate Layer 2 CEE 10Gbps network simulator intercoupled with TCP implementations extracted from FreeBSD v9; (b) A hardware setup scaled down in speed and size. The main outcome of our work is that PFC can notably improve the TCP performance across all tested configurations and workloads. This result was validated in both environments. Hence our recommendation to enable PFC whenever this is possible. By contrast, QCN can either harm or help depending on its parameter settings, and essentially, on the co-existence of competing UDP or other non-congestion-managed traffic.
Promoting deep learning through project-based learning: a design problem

In this paper, we present a design solution that involves the bringing together of Project-based Learning (PBL) with the theory of usable knowledge (Pellegrino & Hilton, Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century, 2012). Usable knowledge is the ability to use ideas to solve problems and explain phenomena, an approach to science learning put forth by the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council (NRC), A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas, 2012) to optimize science learning environments. We offer a process for designing a curricular system that enhances how students learn science as a progression toward sophisticated practice of usable knowledge by focusing on coherence, depth, and motivation. We saw the potential of these distinct approaches for informing one another, and we extrapolate on 4 years of research that involves the process of iterating on our curricular design to best integrate the two approaches to support student learning.
Characterization and thermal modeling of a miniature silicon vapor chamber for die-level heat redistribution

Abstract Vapor chambers are passive heat spreaders that can improve system level temperature uniformity through efficient heat transport in a high effective thermal conductivity vapor core. Fabricating a vapor chamber out of silicon is highly appealing due to the potential for direct integration schemes with existing semiconductor devices, but may be impractical from a cost perspective if the size of the vapor chamber must be much larger than the die. We investigate the potential benefit to using a miniature silicon vapor chamber with an active vapor transport region of 1 × 1 cm2 for the purpose of die-level heat redistribution. Due to the high amount of liquid charging precision required for working with such small-scale vapor chambers, a reduced order thermo-fluidic model is developed to predict the effect of both heat flux and liquid charge on the overall device thermal performance. The model incorporates wick microstructure effects and is validated against experimental results from a prototype device to agree within ±25%. The thermal performance of the vapor chamber is benchmarked against simulation results for solid silicon spreaders of comparable dimensions and is found to improve the hotspot temperature uniformity at heat fluxes above 60 W/cm2.
Chapter 10 – Netiquette

Etiquette is commonly associated with good manners, one aspect of professionalism. The term “netiquette” refers to recommended practices for professional and polite online behavior. Distinctive features of online communication make it more susceptible to netiquette breaches. Users should decide carefully which medium is most appropriate for a specific communication. In using email, still the most commonly used electronic communication in professional settings, users should be wary of confidentiality and privacy issues; and avoid cutting, pasting, forwarding, cc-ing, and bcc-ing without permission of the original sender. Electronic messages should be concise, organized, free of errors and symbols, and appropriate in tone. Attention must be paid to the lack of nonverbal cues. Response time, absences and coverage, and the need for written informed consents all need to be addressed.
Utility of 6-Minute Walk Test to Predict Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients With Mild Heart Failure.

Clinical studies of heart failure (HF) generally utilize the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) for functional capacity (FC) assessment. However, data on the impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on 6MWT and its role to predict long-term outcomes in mild HF patients with CRT are lacking. We studied 1,381 subjects with mild HF enrolled in Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial - Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with 6MWT data at baseline and 1 year. We assessed the effects of CRT-D on percent change in 6MWT at 1 year by left bundle branch block (LBBB) status, identified independent predictors of 6MWT at 1 year, and evaluated the association between changes in 6MWT and risk for HF or death. Treatment with CRT-D versus implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) was not associated with a significant improvement in 6MWT at 1-year in LBBB subjects (2.2 % vs 0.0%, p = 0.428, but it was associated with a deterioration in 6MWT in non-LBBB subjects (4.1% vs 0.0%, p = 0.308). Multivariate analysis showed that each 5% reduction in 6MWT was independently associated with a corresponding 3% increase in the risk of subsequent HF or death (p = 0.014). In conclusion, our findings suggest that 6MWT has limited utility to identify CRT response in mild HF subjects with LBBB. However, 6MWT showed a signal toward deterioration in mild HF subjects with non-LBBB, and this was predictive of subsequent increased risk of HF or death.
Chronic Hepatotoxicity in Patients with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: Transarterial Chemoembolization versus Transarterial Radioembolization.

Abstract Purpose To compare the manifestations of chronic liver injury following transarterial chemoembolization with those of transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in patients with neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Materials and Methods This study consisted of an Institutional Review Board-approved single-institution retrospective analysis of NET patients who received transarterial chemoembolization from 2006 to 2016 and TARE from 2005 to 2014 and survived at least 1 year from the initial treatment. Patients receiving only transarterial chemoembolization (n = 63) or TARE (n = 28) were evaluated for the presence or absence of durable hepatic toxicities occurring at least 6 months after initial treatment. The definitions and grades of liver injury were adapted from Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 and were characterized by the presence of laboratory or clinical toxicities of Grade 3 or above. Results Chronic hepatic toxicity occurred in 14 of 63 transarterial chemoembolization patients (22%) with a total of 26 Grade 3-4 events, in whom elevation of bilirubin was the most common toxicity, compared to 8 of 28 TARE patients (29%) with a total of 16 Grade 3-4 and 2 Grade 5 events, in whom ascites were the most frequent toxicity. There were more laboratory toxicities in the transarterial chemoembolization group (65% vs 38%, P = .11) and fewer Grade 4–5 injuries (6% vs 27% of patients, P = .06). There was also a significantly higher number of patients who experienced intrahepatic progression of disease in the transarterial chemoembolization cohort than in the TARE patients (75% vs 43%, respectively; P = .005). Conclusions Delayed hepatotoxicity from transarterial chemoembolization and TARE occurred in 22% and 29% of patients, respectively, from 6 months to several years following treatment. Transarterial chemoembolization-related toxicities on average were less severe and manifested primarily as laboratory derangements, compared to TARE toxicities which consisted of clinical hepatic decompensation.
Gauge invariance of the beta-function in nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics

Recently there has been much interest in gauge theories applied to condensed matter physics. I show that for a system of nonrelativistic electrons coupled to a U(1) gauge field in the presence of a Fermi surface, the beta-function to one-loop order is, for a particular family of gauge-choices, independent of the gauge-choice.
The impact of self-reported levels of anxiety on respiratory sinus arrhythmia levels in adults who stutter.

Abstract Purpose This study investigated whether subjective levels of anxiety predict respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) levels in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to (ANS) during baseline and social stress situations. Methods Participants were eight AWS and 10 ANS who performed a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-M). For this, participants were required to prepare and deliver a 5-minute speech and perform a nonword reading task in front of what was perceived as a group of professionals trained in public speaking. Measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were calculated for baseline and TSST-M conditions. Participants also completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), both the trait (STAI-T) and state (STAI-S) portion, which served as subjective anxiety ratings. Univariate analyses of variances (UNIANOVA) were used to assess the effects of the STAI-T and STAI-S anxiety on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels at pre-stress and TSST-M conditions. RSA, an index of parasympathetic nervous system activity, is considered to be a measure of emotional regulation. The strength of the effects of STAI-T and STAI-S on RSA levels was evaluated with the unstandardized coefficients for each group separately. Results Results showed a significant difference between groups for the effects of STAI-T on RSA values for the pre-stress nonword reading task. No other significant differences were found between groups for the pre-stress or TSST-M conditions. Slope estimates showed that STAI-T was a significant predictor of RSA values for pre-stress speaking conditions for the AWS but not ANS. No significant fixed effects or interaction effects were found for the STAI-S and RSA levels in the AWS or ANS. Nor were there significant effects of STAI-T on RSA levels in the AWS or ANS for TSST-M conditions. Descriptive analysis revealed the effects found in the AWS during pre-stress conditions were attributed to a subgroup of AWS who reported low self-reports of anxiety (i.e. STAI-T) and high levels of emotional regulation (i.e. RSA) across social stress conditions. Discussion Low self-reported STAI-T scores simultaneous with high RSA levels in some AWS may reflect a self-regulatory strategy adapted in response to chronic, daily stress associated with stuttering.
Possible Implications of the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for Ukraine and Other EU Trading Partners

This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) implementation. We find limited impacts of the CBAM for most European Union (EU) trading partners. Ukraine is the most impacted country, with a per capita income change of -0.4% and reductions in domestic iron and steel production reaching 3.9%. Global exports of chemical products are impacted the most, with corresponding reductions exceeding 4% in some countries.
Prevention of Neonatal Hypoglycemia With Oral Glucose Gel for High-Risk Newborns.

BACKGROUND Neonatal hypoglycemia (glucose <47) is the most common metabolic problem in newborns (incidence 5% - 15%) and can cause adverse outcomes, even in the absence of noticeable symptoms. Oral glucose gel (OGG) is safe and effective for treatment of neonatal hypoglycemia. In order to reduce interventions such as intravenous (IV) dextrose administration and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) transfer, in October 2017, we implemented a protocol in our Level 1 rural community hospital to identify newborns with asymptomatic hypoglycemia based on risk factors and treat them with OGG. Risk factors include large or small size for gestational age, maternal gestational diabetes, preterm and late preterm birth, and newborns requiring resuscitation. METHODS Chart review was performed for all infants born at our hospital from October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2018. Data for year 1-the period before protocol implementation (October 2016- September 2017)-was compared to post implementation data from year 2 (October 2017-September 2018). RESULTS There was a significant risk reduction in newborns requiring interventions due to hypoglycemia after protocol implementation (P = 0.029, Student t test). In year one, 7 of 310 total newborns required IV dextrose or NICU transfer related to neonatal hypoglycemia. In year two, 108 out of 250 total newborns were tested for asymptomatic hypoglycemia based on risk factors identified in the protocol. Of those tested, 31 newborns demonstrated hypoglycemia and received OGG. None of the 250 newborns required further associated interventions. CONCLUSION Protocol-based hypoglycemia testing based on risk factors with subsequent OGG administration was effective in reducing the need for IV dextrose and NICU transfer from our Level 1 rural community hospital.
The Power of the Pen: Handwritten Fonts Promote Haptic Engagement

Consumers are increasingly bombarded with merchandise and offers, making clear the need for visually distinctive and sensorially engaging product packaging design. The current research demonstrates that the use of handwritten fonts on product packaging elicits an approach tendency and enhances haptic engagement, which influences product evaluation and choice likelihood. A pilot study quantifies the use of handwritten fonts in four grocery product categories to establish that the study of handwritten fonts as a packaging design element is a worthy one with managerial significance. Four experiments are then presented. Studies 1 and 2 use real products to show that a product label with a handwritten (vs. typewritten) font elicits haptic engagement and, enhanced product evaluations (Study 2). Study 3 identifies a boundary condition such that the focal effect is observed only for benign (safe and enjoyable) product categories, but not for risky (unsafe and dangerous) ones. Study 4 relies on a simulated store setup with actual products to illustrate the differential preference for products with a handwritten (vs. typewritten) font when choosing between brands in a benign (vs. risky) product category.
Policies, Disclaimers, and Unintegrated Contracts After McAllen Hospitals v. Lopez

Can a party declare that its own documents are inadmissible as evidence to prove a contract? Would such a declaration be binding on the other party, and on the judiciary? In Midland Hospitals v. Lopez, the Supreme Court of Texas suggested that the answer to this question is "yes," at least if the declaration is a disclaimer of the sort routinely appearing in employer "policies." The effect of the disclaimer, the court believed, was to make the employer's handbook and other policy statements inadmissible as evidence in a dispute over the details of the terms of compensation in an unintegrated contract. McAllen Hospitals is a significant departure from prior law, and poses serious dangers for employee compensation and other contract rights in complex settings where one party controls the documentation of the transaction.
Utility of Epinephrine Levels in Determining Adrenal Vein Cannulation During Adrenal Venous Sampling for Primary Aldosteronism.

Abstract Objective In patients with primary aldosteronism, adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is performed to determine the presence of unilateral or bilateral adrenal disease. During AVS, verification of catheter positioning within the left adrenal vein (AV) and the right AV by comparison of AV and inferior vena cava (IVC) cortisol levels can be variable. The objective of this study was to determine the utility of AV epinephrine levels in assessing successful AV cannulation. Methods This was a single institution, retrospective review of patients who underwent AVS with cosyntropin stimulation for primary aldosteronism between 2009 and 2018. Successful cannulation of the AV was defined by an AV/IVC cortisol ratio selectivity index (SI) ≥3:1. Epinephrine thresholds to predict catheter placement in the AV were determined using logistic regression. The calculated epinephrine thresholds were compared with previously published thresholds. Results AVS was performed on 101 consecutive patients and, based on the SI, successful cannulation of the left AV and right AV occurred in 98 (97%) and 91(90%) patients, respectively. The calculated optimal epinephrine threshold to predict AV cannulation was 364 pg/mL (sensitivity, 92.1%; specificity, 94.6%) and the calculated optimal AV/IVC epinephrine ratio threshold was 27.4, (sensitivity, 92.1%; specificity, 91.3%). Among the 14 patients with failed AV cannulation, 3 patients would have been considered to have successful AVS using AV epinephrine levels >364 pg/mL and AV/IVC epinephrine ratio >27.4 thresholds. Conclusion Obtaining 2 right AV samples routinely as well as AV and IVC epinephrine levels during AVS could prevent unnecessary repeat AVS in patients with failed AV cannulation based on cortisol-based SI
Vascular lesions of the breast: Essential pathologic features and diagnostic pitfalls

Abstract Vascular lesions are uncommonly encountered in the breast and they represent a spectrum of benign, atypical and malignant entities. The mammary angiosarcomas can be primary arising de novo, or most frequently secondary to prior radiation therapy for breast carcinoma. There is significant overlap in pathologic features between vascular lesions and their non-vascular mimics, as well as between benign vascular lesions and their malignant counterparts, resulting in diagnostic dilemma, especially in the core biopsy setting. In this article, we review the clinico-radiological findings, pathologic features, role of ancillary testing as well as the management and prognosis of breast vascular lesions, with emphasis on essential pathologic features and potential diagnostic pitfalls.
Therapeutic promise of engineered nonsense suppressor tRNAs

Nonsense mutations change an amino acid codon to a premature termination codon (PTC) generally through a single-nucleotide substitution. The generation of a PTC results in a defective truncated protein and often in severe forms of disease. Because of the exceedingly high prevalence of nonsense-associated diseases and a unifying mechanism, there has been a concerted effort to identify PTC therapeutics. Most clinical trials for PTC therapeutics have been conducted with small molecules that promote PTC read through and incorporation of a near-cognate amino acid. However, there is a need for PTC suppression agents that recode PTCs with the correct amino acid while being applicable to PTC mutations in many different genomic landscapes. With these characteristics, a single therapeutic will be able to treat several disease-causing PTCs. In this review, we will focus on the use of nonsense suppression technologies, in particular, suppressor tRNAs (sup-tRNAs), as possible therapeutics for correcting PTCs. Sup-tRNAs have many attractive qualities as possible therapeutic agents although there are knowledge gaps on their function in mammalian cells and technical hurdles that need to be overcome before their promise is realized. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > tRNA Processing Translation > Translation Regulation.
Inquiry and Discovery Procedures

Little attempt will be made in this chapter to discuss in detail Peirce’s methodology except to clarify it with respect to interpretation and discovery procedures in law. To recapitulate briefly: Peirce’s semiotic methodology, or speculative rhetoric, is the highest division of his expanded pragmatic logic: It seeks to account for the development of meaning in verbal signs in all acts of inquiry, such that a sign is shown to interpret its previous sign, or referent in discourse, and to bring a cumulation of meaning forward in a dynamic and open-ended process. The result of any given inquiry is a judgment which corresponds to the conclusion of a logical argument.
Comparative genomics in erythropoietic gene discovery: synergisms between the Antarctic icefishes and the zebrafish.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on comparative genomics in erythropietic gene discovery. During erythropoiesis, hematopoietic stem cells generate erythroid-committed progenitors that subsequently differentiate into mature erythrocytes. This genetic program is regulated through a complex matrix of transcription factors, growth factors, and signaling pathways. Model vertebrate genetic systems, such as the mouse and the zebrafish, have contributed greatly to understanding the erythropoietic program, but each has its drawbacks. Until the recent advent of random genetic screens, the murine system was largely limited to reverse genetic knockout and knock in strategies applied to previously discovered genes. Large-scale mutagenesis of the zebrafish, by contrast, has provided a random approach to the discovery of new hematopoietic genes, but the generation of mutants, the recovery of mutated genes, and the functional analysis of these genes are laborious processes. Because Antarctic icefishes do not express the entire erythroid program, application of cDNA RDA to a major hematopoietic organ, the head kidney, from an icefish species and from a related red-blooded species should permit the recovery of the erythropoietic genes expressed by the latter. The most interesting category of RDA contigs is clearly the group for which no protein-coding sequence matches could be found. The chapter describes the methods for characterizing the expression patterns of the unidentified RDA contigs by Northern slot blot analysis and by in situ hybridization. The results are then used to guide the selection of genes for functional analysis.
Multiethnic Coalitions in Africa: Opposition Bargaining across Ethnic Cleavages

No one on the basis of his own tribe will be able to be elected head of state…. Those who think that they will use only their tribes are mistaken. Omar Bongo, president of Gabon, 1993 This chapter examines how the private resources of the business community can influence the process as well as the outcome of coalition bargaining among opposition politicians from different ethnic groups. Previous chapters have shown that African entrepreneurs had sufficient cause to oppose entrenched incumbents who had mismanaged their countries’ economies for decades. But it was only in countries where cash-strapped leaders were obliged to adopt financial reforms that entrepreneurs were subsequently able to reconsider their political alignments. My claim is that business’ campaign contributions – rather than the arrangement of electoral rules, the intensity of ethnic competition, or the intervention of civil society – determines the likelihood of successful coalition bargaining among opposition politicians, particularly when those donations are concentrated on select politicians. The bargaining episodes that took place in the run-up to presidential elections held in Cameroon in 2004 and Kenya in 2002 are the focus of this chapter. The principal opposition parties in each country had previously insisted on competing independently. And the cost of such fragmentation had become obvious to all the parties involved: had opposition politicians been able to unite in any earlier election, they would have been assured victory. In Cameroon, “a bewildering fragmentation of the opposition set in, reducing its chances for success” (Takougang and Krieger 1998, 147). In Kenya, it could be said that “Daniel arap Moi did not really win these elections, a divided opposition lost them” (Grignon et al. 2001, 15). Yet, despite facing similar incentives for electoral coordination, the opposition politicians in these two countries arrived at different outcomes by their third multiparty contest. The Cameroonian opposition remained fragmented after engaging in protracted coalition negotiations, while the Kenyan opposition successfully managed to bargain themselves to a multiparty coalition with a single presidential candidate.
Beyond the Web: TEI, the Digital Library, and the Ebook Revolution

Between August 2000 and August2002, the Electronic Text Center at theUniversity of Virginia distributed over sevenmillion freely-available electronic books tousers from more than 100 different countries. Delivered in a variety of formats, including.lit and .pdb, these ebooks have providedproof-of-concept for the adaptive uses of TEIstandards beyond the World Wide Web – standardsthat the Electronic Text Center has employedsince its inception in 1992. The first half ofthis paper discusses the mechanics of ebookproduction at the Etext Center, the limits ofthe current technology, and the conversionworkflow we hope to implement in the future.The second half discusses user response to ourebook collection, classroom applications ofebook technology, and the advantages anddisadvantages that different formats offer toscholars and instructors in the humanities.
Sources of variability and effect of experimental approach on expression profiling data interpretation

We provide a systematic study of the sources of variability in expression profiling data using 56 RNAs isolated from human muscle biopsies (34 Affymetrix MuscleChip arrays), and 36 murine cell culture and tissue RNAs (42 Affymetrix U74Av2 arrays). We studied muscle biopsies from 28 human subjects as well as murine myogenic cell cultures, muscle, and spleens. Human MuscleChip arrays (4,601 probe sets) and murine U74Av2 Affymetrix microarrays were used for expression profiling. RNAs were profiled both singly, and as mixed groups. Variables studied included tissue heterogeneity, cRNA probe production, patient diagnosis, and GeneChip hybridizations. We found that the greatest source of variability was often different regions of the same patient muscle biopsy, reflecting variation in cell type content even in a relatively homogeneous tissue such as muscle. Inter-patient variation was also very high (SNP noise). Experimental variation (RNA, cDNA, cRNA, or GeneChip) was minor. Pre-profile mixing of patient cRNA samples effectively normalized both intra- and inter-patient sources of variation, while retaining a high degree of specificity of the individual profiles (86% of statistically significant differences detected by absolute analysis; and 85% by a 4-pairwise comparison survival method). Using unsupervised cluster analysis and correlation coefficients of 92 RNA samples on 76 oligonucleotide microarrays, we found that experimental error was not a significant source of unwanted variability in expression profiling experiments. Major sources of variability were from use of small tissue biopsies, particularly in humans where there is substantial inter-patient variability (SNP noise).
ANMAC: An Architectural Framework for Network Management and Control using Active Networks

In this paper, we propose a new framework called Active Network Management and Control (ANMAC) for the management and control of high speed networks. The software architecture in ANMAC allows routers to execute dynamically loadable kernel plug-in modules which perform diagnostic functions for network management. ANMAC uses mobile probe packets to perform efficient resource reservation (using our novel reservation scheme), facilitate feedback-based congestion control, and to provide “distributed debugging” of complex anomalous network behaviour. ANMAC also provides security measures against IP spoofing, and other security attacks. The network manager has the flexibility to install custom scripts in routers for tracking down anomalous network faults.
Disjunctivism : contemporary readings

A central debate in contemporary philosophy of perception concerns the disjunctive theory of perceptual experience. Until the 1960s, philosophers of perception generally assumed that a veridical perception (a perceptual experience that presents the world as it really is) and a subjectively similar hallucination must have significant mental commonalities. Disjunctivists challenge this assumption, contending that the veridical perception and the corresponding hallucination share no mental core. Suppose that while you are looking at a lemon, God suddenly removes it, while keeping your brain activity constant. Although you notice no change, disjunctivists argue that the preremoval and postremoval experiences are radically different. Disjunctivism has gained prominent supporters in recent years, as well as attracting much criticism. This reader collects for the first time in one volume classic texts that define and react to disjunctivism. These include an excerpt from a book by the late J. M. Hinton, who was the first to propose an explicitly disjunctivist position, and papers stating a number of important objections. Contributors: Alex Byrne, Jonathan Dancy, J. M. Hinton, Mark Johnston, Harold Langsam, Heather Logue, M. G. F. Martin, John McDowell, Alan Millar, Howard Robinson, A. D. Smith, Paul Snowdon
A Web-based study of user performance with enhanced local navigational cues

The goal of this study was to contribute to the body of empirical research on how users comprehend expository information presented in hypertext documents on the Web, to help authors find methods for enhancing user comprehension and perceptions of use, and to look specifically at the effect of local navigational cues in hypertext documents using a Web-based methodology. Subjects participated in this study remotely. Preliminary results indicate effects for navigational cues on comprehension as well as correlations between several user characteristics and performance.