cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One-Year Outcomes of Mitral Valve-in-Valve Using the SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve

Importance Bioprosthetic mitral valves are implanted with increasing frequency but inevitably degenerate, leading to heart failure. Reoperation is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve (MViV) using balloon-expandable transcatheter valves has emerged as an alternative for high-surgical risk patients. Objective To assess contemporary outcomes of SAPIEN 3 (Edwards Lifesciences) MViV replacement. Design, setting, and participants In this registry-based prospective cohort study of SAPIEN 3 MViV, patients entered in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry from June 2015 to July 2019 were analyzed. US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid linkage ensured comprehensive collection of death and stroke data. Exposures Mitral valve-in-valve for degenerated bioprosthetic mitral valves. Main outcomes and measures The primary efficacy end point was 1-year mortality. The primary safety end point was procedural technical success as defined by the Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium criteria. Secondary end points included 30-day mortality, New York Heart Association-defined heart failure, and mitral valve performance. Results A total of 1529 patients (mean [SD] age, 73.3 [11.84] years; 904 women [59.1%]) underwent transseptal or transapical MViV implant at 295 hospitals between June 2015 and July 2019. The mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 11.1% (8.7%). Procedural technical success was achieved for 1480 of 1529 patients (96.8%). All-cause mortality was 5.4% at 30 days and 16.7% at 1 year. Transseptal access was associated with lower 1-year all-cause mortality than transapical access (15.8% vs 21.7%; P = .03). Transcatheter MViV led to early, sustained, and clinically meaningful improvements in heart failure (class III/IV New York Heart Association heart failure of 87.1% at baseline vs 9.7% at 1 year). The mean (SD) mitral valve gradient at 1 year was 7 (2.89) mm Hg. Conclusions and relevance Transcatheter MViV using the SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve is associated with high technical success, low 30-day and 1-year mortality, significant improvement of heart failure symptoms, and sustained valve performance. Transseptal MViV should be considered an option for most patients with failed surgical bioprosthetic valves and favorable anatomy.
Keeping Trolls Out of Courts and Out of Pocket: Expanding the Inequitable Conduct Doctrine

Patent Asserting Entities (“PAEs”), often compared with the mythological troll who lurks under a bridge it did not build, demanding payment from anybody who wants to pass, are criticized for their business model as a type of “holdup” on innovation. They wait until a practicing entity infringes, then demand payment for technology that they did not create. Their critics charge PAEs with stifling innovation, crippling research and development, and chilling healthy competition. And although the courts, Congress, and government agencies identified PAEs as an issue since their recent emergence, current patent laws are ill-suited to limit PAE litigation and combat trolling tactics. Taking advantage of the weaknesses in the United States patent system, PAEs command the attention of alleged infringers as a serious threat to product companies and startups. This Comment distinguishes PAEs from Non-Practicing Entities (“NPEs”), focuses on PAEs and their effect on innovation and the public, explains that PAEs are more harmful to public interest and rightly deserve their “troll” moniker, and suggests a solution to limiting their influence. With public interest as the underlying factor, this Comment proposes an affirmative defense—a combination of ideas and themes inherent in patent law with existing doctrines—to extinguish exclusive rights of PAEs by expanding the current definition of inequitable conduct.
Sensitivity of the U.S. wheat powdery mildew population to QoI fungicides and determination of the complete Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici cytochrome b gene.

Wheat powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is managed primarily with cultivar resistance and foliar fungicides. Quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs), which target the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene, are one of the two main fungicide classes used on wheat. While European populations of B. graminis f. sp. tritici are widely insensitive to QoIs, largely due to the cytb mutation G143A, the QoI sensitivity of the U.S. B. graminis f. sp. tritici population had never been evaluated despite years of QoI use on U.S. wheat. A total of 381 B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates from 15 central and eastern U.S. states were screened for sensitivity to QoI fungicides pyraclostrobin and picoxystrobin. A modest range of sensitivities was observed, with maximum resistance factors of 11.2 for pyraclostrobin and 5.3 for picoxystrobin. The F129L, G137R, and G143A cytb mutations were not detected in the U.S. B. graminis f. sp. tritici population, nor were mutations identified in the PEWY loop, a key part of the Qo site. Thus, no genetic basis for the observed quantitative variation in QoI sensitivity of U.S. B. graminis f. sp. tritici was identified. Isolate sporulation was weakly negatively associated with reduced QoI sensitivity, suggesting a fitness cost. In the course of the study, the complete B. graminis f. sp. tritici cytb gene sequence was determined for the first time in the isolate 96224 v. 3.16 reference genome. Contrary to previous reports, the gene has an intron that appears to belong to intron group II, which is unusual in fungi. The study was the first QoI sensitivity screening of a large, geographically diverse set of U.S. B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates, and while the population as a whole remains relatively sensitive, some quantitative loss of efficacy was observed.
Psychosocial Issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Aesthetics: Review and Debate

Abstract Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious and debilitating psychiatric condition that disproportionately presents in dermatologic and cosmetic surgery patients. BDD is currently underrecognized in cosmetic medical settings and is thought to be underdiagnosed by behavioral health professionals. The significant comorbidities associated with this disorder, as well as potential harm done to both patient and physician, raise ethical and medicolegal concerns regarding its treatment. Although cosmetic interventions have historically been discouraged in BDD, recent studies have provided controversial evidence of benefit in certain cohorts. The rise of “snapchat dysmorphia” and the proposed explanatory phenomenon of perception drift have generated further debate around the de novo development or unmasking of BDD. We critically review and summarize existing debates around the treatment of BDD in cosmetic medicine. We provide guidance for screening, clinical interviewing, and the provision of psychoeducation in cases of suspected BDD.
Systems Approaches to Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Expanding Existing Frameworks to Facilitate Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

Wildlife trafficking is a complex conservation issue that threatens thousands of species around the world and, in turn, negatively effects biodiversity and human well-being. It occurs in varied social-ecological contexts; includes numerous and diverse actors along the source-transit-destination trade chain, who are involved in illicit and often covert human behaviors driven by interacting social, economic, cultural, and political factors; and involves numerous stakeholders comprising multiple sectors and disciplines. Such wicked problems can be difficult to define and usually lack simple, clear solutions. Systems thinking is a way to understand and address complex issues such as wildlife trafficking and requires multisectoral, cross-disciplinary collaboration to comprehensively understand today’s increasingly complex problems and develop holistic and novel solutions. We review methods utilized to date to combat wildlife trafficking and discuss their strengths and limitations. Next, we describe the continuum of cross-disciplinarity and present two frameworks for understanding complex environmental issues, including the illegal trade in wildlife that can facilitate collaboration across sectors and disciplines. The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation provides guidance and tools for defining complex social-ecological systems and identifying strategic points of intervention. One Health focuses on the nexus of human, wildlife and environmental health, and can provide a framework to address concerns around human-wildlife interactions, including those associated with the illegal wildlife trade. Finally, we provide recommendations for expanding these and similar frameworks to better support communication, learning, and collaboration in cross-disciplinary efforts aimed at addressing international wildlife trafficking and its intersections with other complex, global conservation issues.
Going Local: Presidential Leadership in the Post-Broadcast Age

Going public to gain support, especially through reliance on national addresses and the national news media, has been a central tactic for modern presidential public leadership. In Going Local: Presidential Leadership in the Post-Broadcast Age, Jeffrey E. Cohen argues that presidents have adapted their going-public activities to reflect the current realities of polarized parties and fragmented media. Going public now entails presidential targeting of their party base, interest groups, and localities. Cohen focuses on localities and offers a theory of presidential news management that is tested using several new data sets, including the first large-scale content analysis of local newspaper coverage of the president. Although the post-broadcast age presents hurdles to presidential leadership, Going Local demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted presidential appeals and provides us with a refined understanding of the nature of presidential leadership.
The Role of IVF in Male Infertility

In vitro fertilization was developed initially as a treatment modality for the hopelessly infertile patient with irreversibly damaged or absent fallopian tubes. With success and the development of other assisted reproductive technologies, however, indications for IVF have expanded to include endometriosis, immunologic, idiopathic, and male factor infertility. In evaluating the application of IVF to male factor infertility, attention must be drawn to definitions, for there is little consensus in the literature regarding the male factor. An abnormality in the individual parameters of the conventional semen analysis in the absence of a recognized female factor is often employed. Other definitions that have been used are based on the total number of sperm per ejaculate, the recovery of sperm in a swim-up fraction, the concentration of sperm showing various grades of motility and sperm morphology. Since it is clear that uniform and perhaps more rigorous definitions must evolve, I would like to suggest the use of the total number of morphologically normal, motile sperm per ejaculate since this fraction should contain the subpopulation of fertile cells. This approach could include a more rigorous evaluation of sperm morphology such as that described by Oehninger et al. (1988) as well as an objective method for describing motility including hyperactivation in washed populations (Robertson et al., 1988).
The Shuttle Box of Subsistence Attitudes

Abstract : Many patterns of behavior among rural Filipinos suggest that they behave toward one another in ways which limit any surplus of goods or money which an individual or a family may accumulate. These leveling activities are seen by the participants as being helpful or equal, as sharing, and as not showing off. The patterns do help when there is an emergency, but they limit an overall improvement in the standard of living. Each individual has a 'right to survive' but not a 'right to get ahead'. An attempt is made to interpret the persistence of subsistence living patterns in terms of avoidance behavior, following the research of R. L. Solomon. The experiments of Solomon show that once a dog has learned an action which enables it to avoid a shock it continues the behavior even though the danger has passed. Furthermore, if the dog receives shocks from which he cannot escape he will show a 'trained helplessness' in which he fails to learn the responses which would enable him to escape subsequent shocks. It is suggested that many of the apparently self-defeating actions of Philippine rural people can be understood in terms of avoidance learning and that remedial steps can be suggested from Solomon's research.
An Examination of the Role that Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Plays in Academic Achievement Athletes' Feats in the Classroom

We investigate whether intercollegiate athletic participation affects scholarly success. The overall means of course grades suggest that athletes do not do as well in the classroom as regular students. Background factors explain this underperformance for most sports; athletes come to school with lower SAT scores and poorer high school preparation. However, players in the revenue sports do worse even accounting for this. We investigate the cause of this unexplained underperformance: We find that it is a seasonal phenomenon. To us, this means that the exploitation of athletes extends beyond the sidelines and into the classroom.
Manipulating the valley pseudospin in MoS2 transistors

Monolayer MoS2 possess a new valley-pseudospin degree of freedom besides electronic charge and spin. In this talk I will talk about our recent results on optical generation of valley polarization, based on which a novel Hall effect associated with the new degree of freedom is demonstrated. The mechanisms responsible for driving the new valley Hall effect will be discussed.
Exploring humanoid factors of robots through transparent and reflective interactions

Humanoid robots that resemble human body, language and/or actions enable promising interactive agent behavior in people's life. The humanoid factor of being “like-a-human” implies that the interaction with a humanoid robot shares similarities with human-to-human communications. Designing a humanoid robot must take the users' perception of its social characteristics into consideration to achieve intuitive and smooth interaction. The addition of humanoid factors means that traditional HCI knowledge need to be revisited and revised as it is applied to humanoid robot design. This work compares and contrasts the interaction paradigms for humanoid robots to traditional computer-based systems. Opportunities and challenges brought by humanoid factors are explored and discussed within two complementary aspects of human-computer interaction: transparent interaction and reflective interaction. Given the diverse roles of robots that are probable in future daily life, the impacts of humanoid factors in human-robot collaboration are also investigated to identify methods to optimize the mutual understanding between a human user and the robot. Grounded in recent robot research, this paper aims to enhance the knowledge of humanoid factors utilization and elucidate the shifting of interaction paradigms from human-computer interaction to humanrobot interaction.
Validation Through Other Means: How Immigration Clinics Can Give Immigrants a Voice When Bureaucracy Has Left Them Speechless

Individuals think of due process in term of fairness, "for litigants and the public, fairness appears to consist of four principal elements: (1) neutrality; (2) respect; (3) participation; and (4) trustworthiness." The current immigration process often fails to satisfy this definition. Immigrants feel that they are denied access, they are not treated with respect, and that immigration procedures are not trustworthy. If the validation immigrants seek will not come from the administrative process, then it is left to immigrants' advocates to provide it. To do this, immigration practitioners must seek to make the process as transparent as possible for their clients, and find their clients alternative sources of voice and validation. In other words, they must look at the immigration process through a therapeutic lens. Therapeutic Jurisprudence recognizes that the carrying out of legal processes (law) has inevitable consequences for the mental health and psychological functioning of those it affects. Clinical programs can teach future immigration practitioners positive therapeutic methods to increase client satisfaction, comprehension, and acceptance, thereby preserving the client's voice and providing the client with validation. Many of the skills and techniques clinical programs currently use to train students in client-centered methodology serve therapeutic purposes. This article describes the immigration process and its anti-therapeutic effects on immigrants. The article then discusses the use of community presentations and contextual representation practices to preserve a client's voice and validation in the immigration process.
Quasi-biennial variations in the winter-time circulation of high latitudes

In the years between 1952 and 1962 a quasi-biennial modulation became apparent in the total ozone values measured over Arosa, Switzerland, during spring. The stratospheric vortex behavior in the northern hemisphere during March of the years 1958 to 1964 also showed a biennial variation. This has led to speculations that the quasi-biennial forcing of the tropical stratosphere may extend its influence to the stratosphere and troposphere of high latitudes. It is shown in this paper that the stratosphere and troposphere of high latitudes in the northern hemisphere, indeed, are coupled by a “feedback” mechanism. The forcing from tropical latitudes, however, seems to be minimal.
Segmentation for hyperspectral images with priors

In this paper, we extend the Chan-Vese model for image segmentation in [1] to hyperspectral image segmentation with shape and signal priors. The use of the Split Bregman algorithm makes our method very efficient compared to other existing segmentation methods incorporating priors. We demonstrate our results on aerial hyperspectral images.
Caries resistance in enamel by laser irradiation and topical fluoride treatment.

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare caries resistance of sound human enamel following argon laser (AL) irradiation, as well as, combinations of topical fluoride foams and AL irradiation. Methods and Materials: Thirty extracted human teeth were sectioned into four buccal windows and assigned to one of the following treatment groups: (1) no treatment/control; (2) low fluence (11.5 J/cm2) AL irradiation for 10 seconds; (3) 1.23% APF foam for 4 minutes followed by low fluence AL irradiation; (4) 2.0% NaF foam for 4 minutes followed by low fluence AL irradiation. Caries-like lesions were created by submerging the teeth in ten Cate solution (pH 4.5). Following a 96-hour exposure period, 100 μm longitudinal sections were prepared for polarized light evaluation. Visilog 5.1.1. image analysis software was used to obtain quantitative lesion depths. The Scheffe F-test was used to compare the lesion depths for each of the four treatment groups. Results: Lesion depths were: 16.1 ± 6 μm ...
Improving markov chain monte carlo estimation with agent-based models

The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) family of methods form a valuable part of the toolbox of social modeling and prediction techniques, enabling modelers to generate samples and summary statistics of a population of interest with minimal information. It has been used successfully to model changes over time in many types of social systems, including patterns of disease spread, adolescent smoking, and geopolitical conflicts. In MCMC an initial proposal distribution is iteratively refined until it approximates the posterior distribution. However, the selection of the proposal distribution can have a significant impact on model convergence. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid modeling technique in which an agent-based model is used to initialize the proposal distribution of the MCMC simulation. We demonstrate the use of our modeling technique in an urban transportation prediction scenario and show that the hybrid combined model produces more accurate predictions than either of the parent models.
Dessler, Jimenez, Klein, and Nenes Receive 2012 Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Awards: Citation for Jose L. Jimenez

The Atmospheric Sciences section of AGU awards one of the four Ascent Awards to Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder. The award is made for the development and utilization of innovative measurement technology to address critical aspects relating to the sources, transformations, and environmental fates of fine atmospheric particles.
GPR survey for pipe leakage detection: experimental and analytical study

To evaluate the potential of detecting leakage of water pipes using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a lab experiment is conducted as well as numerical modeling. In the experiment, an artificial 'leakage' is put under, beside and above a pipe buried in dry soil, simulating different leakage locations. By scanning such an experimental model using commercial GPR, more understanding is gained regarding the signature of leakage in GPR profile. Compared to a distinct hyperbola as shown in GPR profile of intact pipes, the leakage zone is disturbed by the wave reflections caused by saturated soil. Furthermore, a numerical model is constructed to simulate such a phenomenon. Maxwell's equations, permittivity distribution of dry and saturated soil, and artificial absorbing boundary conditions are the three key points of such a model. Numerically simulated results seem to be in agreement with experimental results. And the signature of leakage is also visible in the simulated GPR profile. Therefore, GPR survey seems to be promising as an efficient and nondestructive remote leakage detection approach. And the effects of background inhomogeneity and ground-surface roughness can be investigated in future using such an experimental or simulation approach.
A theory of vibrational excitation in the near classical limit

Abstract A theory of vibrational excitation based on the near classical limit of collision theory is presented. The theory centres attention on the action transferred to the oscillator during the collision. In the correspondence principle limit, individual transition probabilities can be computed directly.
The interval between normal release of ovulating hormone and ovulation in the domestic hen.

introduction The release of ovulating hormone in the chicken (as well as in certain other spontaneously ovulating forms) may be conceived of as taking place either as an instantaneous discharge from the pituitary, or as a slow discharge over a period of one to several hours. Although we are inclined to the view that release in the chicken is more of an instantaneous than a slow discharge, we are unable to say now that it takes place definitely in one way or the other. Because of this, the term release in this and the accompanying paper (Rothchild and Fraps 1949) is used with certain reservations. By it is meant that point in the process of ovulation at which an amount of ovulating hormone adequate to cause ovulation is present in the blood stream, regardless of whether this amount left the pituitary immediately or over a period of some hours before.
The thin-substrate approximation for reflection from the end of a slab-loaded parallel-plate waveguide with application to microstrip patch antennas

Integrals arising in the Wiener-Hopf solution for wide microstrip antennas are approximated in closed form for the case of an electrically thin substrate. The resulting expressions are used to obtain simple, closed-form expressions for resonant frequency and unloaded radiation Q for rectangular microstrip patch antennas which are valid when commonly used quasi-static formulas no longer hold. Numerical comparisons show significant shifts in resonant frequencies as compared with existing theories.
Pancreatic islet cytology of ictaluridae (Teleostei)

The endocrine pancreas of the bullhead catfish, Ictalurus nebulosus, and the channel catfish, I. punctatas was studied by light and electron microscopy. In addition to the usual A, B and D cells, a fourth endocrine cell type was consistently observed in the electron microscope. All endocrine cell types were innervated. The vesicles of most of the nerve endings were ultrastructurally different from typical adrenergic and cholinergic vesicles, strongly suggesting the possibility of a third autonomic neurotransmitter serving as a regulator of catfish islet secretion.
Seasonal variations of sea ice motion in the Canada Basin and their implications

Ice velocities and sea level pressure data from Arctic drifting buoys for 1979-85 are used to examine the seasonal variation of sea ice drift in the Canada Basin. A recurring reversal of the mean anticyclonic gyre is demonstrated in late summer, in response to changes in atmospheric forcing. The identification of this reversal of ice motion is significant for numerical modeling of Arctic atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions.
Control of Interneuron Fate in the Developing Spinal Cord by the Progenitor Homeodomain Protein Dbx1

Spinal interneurons help to coordinate motor behavior. During spinal cord development, distinct classes of interneurons are generated from progenitor cells located at different positions within the ventral neural tube. V0 and V1 interneurons derive from adjacent progenitor domains that are distinguished by expression of the homeodomain proteins Dbx1 and Dbx2. The spatially restricted expression of Dbx1 has a critical role in establishing the distinction in V0 and V1 neuronal fate. In Dbx1 mutant mice, neural progenitors fail to generate V0 neurons and instead give rise to interneurons that express many characteristics of V1 neurons-their transcription factor profile, neurotransmitter phenotype, migratory pattern, and aspects of their axonal trajectory. Thus, a single progenitor homeodomain transcription factor coordinates many of the differentiated properties of one class of interneurons generated in the ventral spinal cord.
Modeling lidar scene sparsity using compressive sensing

One of the major problems associated with LIDAR sensing is that significant amounts of data must be collected to obtain detailed topographical information about a region. Current efforts to solve this problem have focused on designing compression algorithms which operate on the collected data. These, however, require the collection of large amounts of data only to discard most of it in some transformed domain. Instead, compressive sensing has demonstrated that highly accurate signal reconstructions are achievable even when sampling below the Nyquist rate. Such sensing is clearly desirable for LIDAR range data compression if it can be achieved. One notes, however, that compressive sensing requires a priori knowledge of the sparsifying basis of the signal which is a major problem for LIDAR since that basis depends not only on the underlying scene complexity but also on the laser spot size and target distance. For these reasons, the goal of this research is to take the first steps in establishing a relationship between typical LIDAR scenes of varying complexity and the sparsity of the scene compressively sampled.
Multiple Quasi-Equilibria of the ITCZ and the Origin of Monsoon Onset

Chao's numerical and theoretical work on multiple quasi-equilibria of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the origin of monsoon onset is extended to solve two additional puzzles. One is the highly nonlinear dependence on latitude of the "force" acting on the ITCZ due to earth's rotation, which makes the multiple quasi-equilibria of the ITCZ and monsoon onset possible. The other is the dramatic difference in such dependence when different cumulus parameterization schemes are used in a model. Such a difference can lead to a switch between a single ITCZ at the equator and a double ITCZ, when a different cumulus parameterization scheme is used. Sometimes one of the double ITCZ can diminish and only the other remain, but still this can mean different latitudinal locations for the single ITCZ. A single idea based on two off-equator attractors for the ITCZ, due to earth's rotation and symmetric with respect to the equator, and the dependence of the strength and size of these attractors on the cumulus parameterization scheme solves both puzzles. The origin of these rotational attractors, explained in Part I, is further discussed. The "force" acting on the ITCZ due to earth's rotation is the sum of the "forces" of the two attractors. Each attractor exerts on the ITCZ a "force" of simple shape in latitude; but the sum gives a shape highly varying in latitude. Also the strength and the domain of influence of each attractor vary, when change is made in the cumulus parameterization. This gives rise to the high sensitivity of the "force" shape to cumulus parameterization. Numerical results, of experiments using Goddard's GEOS general circulation model, supporting this idea are presented. It is also found that the model results are sensitive to changes outside of the cumulus parameterization. The significance of this study to El Nino forecast and to tropical forecast in general is discussed.
Annihilators of cohomology modules

Let G be a finite group, k a field of characteristic p > 0, and U a kGmodule. Recently, Alperin and Evens [l] proved that the complexity of U, a numerical invariant defined in terms of the minimal projective resolution of U, is determined by the restrictions of U to elementary abelian p-subgroups. This result has also been obtained by Carlson [2], as a consequence of a theorem concerning the dimension of the sum of the nonprojective components of such a restriction. In this paper we focus on annihilators of modules for the cohomology ring H*(G, k) and show how to obtain the Alperin-Evens theorem and some of its corollaries from a decomposition theorem for certain ideals.
Quality of life and economic burdens of malocclusion in U.S. patients enrolled in Medicaid.

ABSTRACT Background Patients enrolled in Medicaid have limited access to orthodontic services in the United States. No studies are available, to the authors' knowledge, regarding the clinical and psychosocial burdens of malocclusion on these patients from an economic perspective. Methods The authors conducted a systematic review of the relevant economic literature. They identified issues from the perspectives of the various stakeholders (dentists, patients and parents, Medicaid programs) and developed a conceptual model for studying decision making focused on the strategy of providing early interceptive and preventive treatment rather than, or in addition to, comprehensive care in the patient's permanent dentition. Results Medicaid coverage and reimbursement amounts vary nationwide, and decision making associated with obtaining care can be complex. The perspectives of all relevant stakeholders deserve assessment. A conceptual framework of the cost-effectiveness of interceptive orthodontic treatment compared with comprehensive treatment illustrates the issues to be considered when evaluating these strategies. Conclusions Policymakers and the dental community should identify creative solutions to addressing low-income families' limited access to orthodontic services and compare them from various perspectives with regard to their relative cost-effectiveness. Clinical Implications Dentists should be aware of the multiple problems faced by low-income families in obtaining orthodontic services and the impact of stakeholder issues on access to care; they also should be proactive in helping low-income patients obtain needed orthodontic services.
Orientation-specific and luminance effects: interocular suppression of visual evoked potentials in man.

The interocular transfer of orientation-specific effects was investigated using visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Monocular VEPs were obtained to either diffuse light or grids of 0° or 45° orientations flashed to one eye. The other eye continuously viewed either darkness, diffuse light or grids of 0°, 15°, 30°, or 45° orientations. Changing the continuous stimulus from darkness to diffuse light interocularly reduced the amplitude of a late VEP component (P200). Changing the orientation of the continuous stimulus primarily affected an earlier VEP component (N110). This interocular effect was orientation specific: the more similar the orientation of the flashed and continuously presented grids, the smaller the amplitude of the VEP components. The 1/2 bandwidths at 1/2 amplitude of the orientation tuning functions were 45° and 32° for the vertical and oblique test flashes respectively. This orientation-specific interocular suppression was discussed in terms of electrophysiological and psychophysical data indicating binocular orientation channels and the interactions among these channels.
Insight into the numerical challenges of implementing 2-dimensional SOA models in atmospheric chemical transport models

The new generation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) models that represent gas- and particle-phase chemistry and thermodynamic partitioning using discrete two-dimensional grids (e.g. SOM, 2D-VBS) cannot be efficiently implemented into three-dimensional atmospheric chemical transport models (CTMs) due to the large number of bins (tracers) required. In this study, we introduce a novel mathematical framework, termed the Oxidation State/Volatility Moment Method, that is designed to address these computational burdens so as to allow the new generation of SOA models to be implemented into CTMs. This is accomplished by mapping the two-dimensional grids onto probability distributions that conserve carbon and oxygen mass. Assessment of the Moment Method strengths (speed, carbon and oxygen conservation) and weaknesses (numerical drift) provide valuable insight that can guide future development of SOA modules for atmospheric CTMs.
Concurrent validity of kidney transplant questionnaire in US renal transplant recipients.

Background: Valid instrumentation in the assessment of health-related quality of life (HQoL) in renal transplant recipients is critical to identifying particular nuances and determinants of HQoL in this population. Therefore, the validity of disease-specific instruments to measure HQoL in renal transplant recipients, such as the Kidney Transplant Questionnaire (KTQ), needs further investigation. The objective of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the KTQ in adult US renal transplant recipients using the well established SF-12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) as the comparison instrument. Methods: One hundred and fourteen renal transplant recipients met the following inclusion criteria for this study, ie, were at least 21 years of age, more than two years post-transplant, and receiving immunosuppressant therapy. Subjects were asked to complete a series of HQoL instruments, ie, the KTQ and the SF-12v2 (physical component summary [PCS-12] and mental component summary [MCS-12]). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and correlational analyses were conducted to examine the concurrent validity of the HQoL instruments. Results: Among 100 participants (87.7% response rate), the majority of participants were male (52%), had deceased donor transplants (63%), and received Medicare benefits (84%). PCS-12 was positively correlated with three of five KTQ subscales (P , 0.05), ie, KTQ-physical (r = 0.43), KTQ-fatigue (r = 0.42), and KTQ-uncertainty/fear (r = 0.2). MCS-12 was positively correlated with all KTQ subscales (P , 0.01), ie, KTQ-physical (r = 0.26), KTQ-fatigue (r = 0.48), KTQuncertainty/fear (r = 0.33), KTQ-emotional (r = 0.47), and KTQ-appearance (r = 0.28). Conclusion: The findings support the concurrent validity of the KTQ in US renal transplant recipients. Future studies should continue exploring the validity of the KTQ, as well as its practical and research utility in HQoL measurement in the renal transplant population.
HLA-DR PHENOTYPES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS (AIT)

Previous studies in AIT looking for an association with the immune response genes in the HLA region have had conflicting findings. We studied 41 patients (33 females and 8 males) who had presented before the age of 21 with + thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA), goiter and/or hypothyroidism without other endocrine disorders. The mean age of onset was similar in both sexes (11.72 vs 11.40 yrs respectively). Goiter was present at onset in 75%. All were studied for TMA by indirect immunofluorescence and for HLA-DR phenotypes. TMA were present in 64.1%. There was an increase in the frequency of HLA-DR3 (NS) and 4 (p = 0.05) and decrease of HLA-DR2 (NS) in the patients with AIT compared to 467 controls (C). The relative risk with HLA-DR 3 was 1.80 and, with HLA-DR 4, 1.99. The preventive fraction for HLA-DR 2 was 0.15. The frequency of DR phenotypes was similar between goitrous and non-goitrous AIT. Previous studies and our study in these families suggested that the genetic predisposition to AIT was not linked to the HLA region. The association to certain HLA-DR alleles suggests that these HLA-DR genes enhance the clinical expression of AIT at an early age. On the other hand, these patients with the HLA-DR 3 and/or 4 may represent a subgroup at higher risk for developing other endocrine autoimmune diseases associated with HLA-DR 3 or 4.
Pricing voice telephony services: Who is subsidizing whom?

Abstract Local exchange companies (LECs) have argued that, because of entry, they will no longer be able to subsidize residential exchange service. The available economic data show that residential service is not subsidized. This finding casts doubt over the need for entrants to contribute to a universal service fund that would be used to subsidize residential service. Since 1984 there has been a radical decline in the cost of providing voice services. The failure of the LECs to adjust their rates to reflect the cost decline explains in part why competitive access providers have entered the market.
Truncation: all the news that fits we'll print

A news article generally contains a high-level overview of the facts early on, followed by paragraphs of more detailed information. This structure allows copy editors to truncate the latter paragraphs of an article in order to satisfy space limitations without losing critical information. Existing approaches to this problem of automatic multi-article layout focus exclusively on maximizing content and aesthetics. However, no algorithm can determine how "good" a truncation point is based on the semantic content, or article readability. Yet, disregarding the semantic information within the article can lead to either overly aggressive cutting, thereby eliminating key content and potentially confusing the reader; conversely, it may set too generous of a truncation point, thus leaving in superfluous content and making automatic layout more difficult. This is one of the remaining challenges on the path from manual layouts to fully automated processes with high quality output. In this work, we present a new semantic-focused approach to rate the quality of a truncation point. We built models based on results from an extensive user study on over 700 news articles. Further results show that existing techniques over-cut content. We demonstrate the layout impact through a second evaluation that implements our models in the first layout approach that integrates both layout and semantic quality. The primary contribution of this work is the demonstration that semantic-based modeling is critical for high-quality automated document synthesis within a real-world context.
A simple program which processes liquid scintillation counting data from samples containing both 125I and 3H under conditions of varying quench

Abstract A simple program was written for a programmable calculator which enabled simultaneous measurement of 3 H and 125 I by liquid scintillation counting. The program uses quench correction curves to calculate the effects of quench in each sample and calculates the amount of each isotope present by solving a linear equation set simultaneously.
PRASE: PageRank-based Active Subnetwork Extraction

Integrating protein-protein interaction networks with gene expression data to extract active subnetworks is shown to be promising in detecting meaningful biomarkers for cancer and other diseases. Lately, the RNA-Seq technology became the new standard for gene expression. Existing algorithms either cannot handle the RNA-Seq data or return large subnetworks which are hard to analyze. Therefore, new approaches to utilize and integrate the RNA-Seq data to the subnetwork extraction process are needed. In this work, using the RNA-Seq data, we propose a new workflow PRASE to obtain more focused subnetworks which contain important genes even if they are not differentially expressed. Although the hub nodes in the PPI network may be good candidates for such genes, they are not the only ones. A gene which is not differentially expressed and which does not have many interactions with the other genes can still be functional on many critical pathways. To prioritize such genes, PRASE employs the famous PageRank algorithm and apply a preprocessing on the gene expression p-values. Then, it applies a scaling function to construct new p-values for the genes which are then used with the existing active subnetwork extraction tools to generate the final subnetwork. We applied our workflow on colorectal cancer, oligodendroglioma tumor, and breast cancer datasets. Our evaluation shows that, using PRASE, we can obtain more specialized subnetworks which contain information that is overlooked by existing approaches.
Reconstruction of defects in the paraglottic space from polytetrafluoroethylene granuloma and other thyroplasty implants

Implants used to medialize the vocal fold can at times need to be removed for a variety of reasons. Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon ® ), which was commonly used to medialize paralyzed vocal folds before the turn of the 21st century, has been found to cause granuloma formation that can continue to grow and expand years after injection. As Teflon ® granulomas form, they often cause a convexity of the medialized vocal fold and a resultant strained and hoarse voice. Treatment of the dysphonia caused by Teflon ® granulomas requires complete excision of the granuloma, which often results in a large defect in the paraglottic space and a large glottic gap. The voice is then rehabilitated by filling the defect in the paraglottic space while simultaneously medializing the paralyzed vocal fold. My technique for doing so involves a one-stage procedure in which the granuloma is removed via a lateral thyrotomy and the paraglottic space defect is reconstructed with a pedicled sternohyoid muscle flap that is secured with titanium miniplates. This technique for reconstruction can also be used for large paraglottic space defects created from Silastic ® , hydroxyapatite, and Gore-tex ® thyroplasty implants that need to be removed because of implant migration, infection, or extrusion.
Mixed Thermal Convection of Power-Law Fluids Past Bodies With Uniform Fluid Injection or Suction

Steady laminar flow of power-law fluids past heated two-dimensional or axisymmetric bodies is strongly influenced by the rate of fluid mass transfer at the wall, the buoyancy force, and the characteristics of the power-law fluid. The effects of these parameters on the local skin friction group and heat transfer group are analyzed for wedges of different angles, horizontal cylinders, and spheres. The local heat transfer group, HTG {approximately} Nu{sub x}, for wedge flows is greatly affected by the power-law viscosity index n, and by fluid withdrawal especially when the generalized Prandtl number is relatively high. Fluid suction at larger Prandtl numbers also generates high HTC values for cylinders and spheres. However, the local skin friction group, SFG {approximately} c{sub f}, for cylinders or spheres increases with fluid injection and decreases with suction largely because of buoyancy effects.
Origin and Variation of Tunicate Secondary Metabolites

Ascidians (tunicates) are rich sources of structurally elegant, pharmaceutically potent secondary metabolites and, more recently, potential biofuels. It has been demonstrated that some of these compounds are made by symbiotic bacteria and not by the animals themselves, and for a few other compounds evidence exists supporting a symbiotic origin. In didemnid ascidians, compounds are highly variable even in apparently identical animals. Recently, we have explained this variation at the genomic and metagenomic levels and have applied the basic scientific findings to drug discovery and development. This review discusses what is currently known about the origin and variation of symbiotically derived metabolites in ascidians, focusing on the family Didemnidae, where most research has occurred. Applications of our basic studies are also described.
Suspicion and Traffic Stops: Crime Control or Racial Profiling:

Suspicion is an understudied factor in police discretionary decision-making. This study presents an analysis of traffic stop data from Louisville, KY that focuses upon factors that led police offic...
Trauma and the localization of tumor cells

Injection of 51Cr labeled Walker tumor cells either intravenously or via the aorta into normal rats or those subjected to mechanical, chemical or surgical trauma of a hind limb resulted in (a) equal distribution of cells to both hind legs when neither was traumatized; (b) a lodgement of a greater number of cells in legs subjected to either of the three types of trauma than in the untraumatized extremity of the same animal; (c) a failure of adequate heparinization to alter cell localization at sites of trauma; (d) no difference in tumor cell localization between normal limbs of control or traumatized animals, minimizing the roll of stress or other systemic factors. It is concluded that increased numbers of tumor cells lodge at sites of trauma and may well be the reason for the observed augmented metastases.
Human and murine immunoglobulin expression vector cassettes

We describe the construction of new immunoglobulin (Ig) expression vectors and their use in the production of recombinant chimeric Ig molecules in transfected mammalian cells. The vectors contain the cDNA encoding the constant regions of human (mu, alpha1, gammal, gamma2, gamma3, gamma4, kappa) and murine (mu, gamma2a, kappa) Ig heavy and light chains. Unique restriction sites flanking the Ig variable region allow for replacement of variable regions generated by PCR. The CMV promoter allows for the transfection and expression of Ig in non-lymphoid cells. Distinct drug selection markers for heavy chain and light chain expression vectors allows for sequential or co-transfection of the vectors. We show that secretion of recombinant Ig can reach 1.2 microg/ml per million cells per day for transfected B cells. Replacement of the variable region results in the production of functional Ig retaining antigen specificity.