cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of a low-cost simulated electronic medical record on perceptions of APPE readiness.

Abstract Background Meaningful use of electronic medical records (EMRs) is critical for providing high-quality, patient-centered care. However, many pharmacy students are not exposed to EMRs until the experiential components of the curriculum. Educational activity and setting We created a low-cost simulated EMR (SEMR) using Microsoft PowerPoint software (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, Version 16.16) to use in a case-based application course for second-year pharmacy students for two consecutive years. Findings Pre- and post-assessment surveys of 162 students indicated that perceived confidence and efficiency navigating EMRs improved after the activity. Students agreed that the activity enhanced learning, improved understanding of how to extract meaningful data from EMRs, benefited their preparation for the fourth professional year, and demonstrated the role of informatics in patient care. Summary Incorporation of a SEMR using Microsoft PowerPoint enhances student perceptions of proficiency in navigating the patient medical record. Adoption of similar activities into pharmacy curricula may be an attractive option when adequate financial resources for simulation are unavailable.
Tourism and cultural commons in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Tourism is among the largest global market forces driving both environmental and sociocultural change, and indigenous peoples residing in biodiverse regions are particularly vulnerable to this chan...
Comprehensive report of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) associated non-relapse mortality (CART-NRM) from FAERS.

2540Background: CAR-T cells targeting CD19 positive B-cells have improved outcomes for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). CAR-T emergent...
Cognitive assessment using face-to-face and videoconferencing methods.

Background Early and regular assessment is needed to identify cognitive impairment in older adults. The use of telehealth or telecognitive assessment is widely applied in some aspects of health services, but it is unclear if cognitive assessments conducted in this way are reliable. Aim To examine whether using a handheld device to complete a cognitive assessment in adults can provide reliable scores, whether participants would be satisfied to complete a cognitive assessment by videoconference and if they would prefer face-to-face or telehealth assessment, and what challenges might be associated with telecognitive assessment using a handheld device compared with using face-to-face methods. Method Participants ( n =27) were given a series of cognitive assessments face to face and using a handheld device. Results were examined for reliability, logistical and technical challenges, and participants were questioned about which they preferred. Results Cognitive assessments made with the handheld device were effective and reliable, and produced results that were comparable to those made with face-to-face assessments. However, more participants preferred face-to-face assessments than handheld device assessments. Several technical limitations were also noted during the assessments made using the handheld devices. Conclusion Although scores made using the handheld device were reliable, preliminary evidence suggests there are some tangible barriers to integrating telehealth into all settings for all patients.
Prior authorization as a utilization management tool for elective superficial venous procedures results in high administrative cost and low efficacy in reducing utilization.

Abstract Objective Prior authorization (PA) is a process used by payers for safety and cost savings purposes, but it has received criticism for being time-consuming and costly because of administrative burden. Our study evaluated efficacy of PA applied to in-office lower extremity superficial venous procedures. Methods All in-office lower extremity venous procedures scheduled to be performed at our institution in 2017 were included in the study. Variables of interest were type of procedure, initial PA status (approved or denied), rationale for the decision, and final status after appeal. Cost analysis was performed using Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allowable rates to approximate billing and reimbursement data (proprietary) as well as calculated using industry averages. Results For 2017, of 1959 procedures scheduled, 57.9% (n = 1134) required PA. Of these, only 6.1% (n = 69) received initial PA denial, and nearly 40% of the denials (n = 27) were overturned after appeal. Of the 42 denials that were upheld, 15 resulted in cancellations; the remainder were performed by patient self-pay (n = 11) or by the provider pro bono (n = 16). Overturned denials were a result of either submission of incomplete clinical data on initial PA request or insufficient documentation of clinical necessity. When Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allowable rates were applied for cost analysis, the denials resulted in $110,000 when industry standards were applied, which far exceeds any calculated payer savings using the same methods. The 15 denials resulting in procedure cancellations (1.3% of all PAs) could be considered a net savings to the health care system but only approximated a mere $30,000. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that PA is not a cost-effective measure for utilization management of outpatient superficial venous procedures when surgeon practices are already well aligned with insurance guidelines. For these physicians and physician groups, the administrative cost associated with the PA process exceeds the savings seen by the insurance companies.
Response to Topical Corticosteroid Monotherapy in Mycosis Fungoides

Background Topical corticosteroids alone or in combination with other therapies are widely used to treat mycosis fungoides (MF), but data on response rates to their use as monotherapy in MF are limited. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of topical corticosteroid monotherapy in MF; compare sex, age, stage distributions, and histopathologic features between responders and nonresponders. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional review of patients with MF from 2013 to 2019 treated at Thomas Jefferson University was conducted. Patients with biopsy-proven MF, all stages, who received topical corticosteroid monotherapy were included. Response rates were determined by percent change in body surface area (BSA) involvement and modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool (mSWAT). Results Of the 163 patients with MF in our database, 23% (37/163) initially received topical steroid monotherapy. Of these, 73% (27/37) improved, with an average 65% decrease in BSA (67% in mSWAT); 27% (10/37) did not respond/progressed, with an average 51.6% increase in BSA (57% in mSWAT); and 33% (12/37) had a complete response (BSA, 0%) with prolonged topical steroid use. Early-stage MF and female sex were more represented in responders. Limitations Single-center retrospective design. Conclusions Topical steroid monotherapy in early-stage MF can produce measurable improvements in BSA and mSWAT scores and achieve complete remission in a limited subset of patients.
Shorter survival and later stage at diagnosis among unmarried patients with cutaneous melanoma: a US national and tertiary care center study

Background Addressing risk factors of delayed melanoma detection minimizes disparities in outcome. Objective To elucidate the significance of marital status in melanoma outcomes across anatomic sites. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 73,558 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and 2992 patients at Johns Hopkins University. Patients were stratified by marital status, anatomic site, age, and sex. Endpoints were prevalence of advanced melanoma (stages III or IV) and survival. Results In the SEER cohort, single patients were more likely than married patients to present in stages III or IV among both men (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-1.53) and women (PR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.39). This trend was consistent across all anatomic sites and in all age groups, particularly in those 18 to 68 years old. Overall and cancer-specific survival times were shorter in unmarried patients. Similarly, at Johns Hopkins, single patients had increased prevalence of advanced melanoma (PR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.21-1.94) and experienced shorter overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.15-1.99). Limitations The anatomic sites were not very specific, and this was a retrospective study. Conclusions Unmarried patients, especially men and those younger than 68 years, are diagnosed at more advanced stages, even in readily visible sites such as the face. They also experience worse survival independent of stage.
Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Mimicking Primary Cutaneous Marginal Zone Lymphoma with Colonization of Germinal Center Follicles

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is primarily a disease of older adults and is occasionally an incidental finding on skin biopsies accompanying epithelial neoplasms and insect bite reactions. In rare instances, however, it produces leukemic infiltrates showing clinical and histopathological overlap with primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas including primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL). Even less frequently, such findings serve as the initial disease manifestation. We present an exceptional case of a 61-year-old man with no past medical history whose clinical and histopathologic findings raised consideration for PCMZL with abnormal B-cells colonizing germinal center follicles; however, faint CD5 and CD23 co-expression raised the differential diagnosis of CLL/SLL. In light of an ambiguous clinical presentation with widely distributed papules and plaques, peripheral blood flow cytometry was also performed, revealing high count CLL-type monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL). Subsequent workup revealed bone marrow involvement and mesenteric lymphadenopathy, supporting the diagnosis of SLL. Follicular colonization by SLL has not been previously reported. Our case underscores the importance of subtle immunophenotypic clues and correlations with clinical and radiologic findings in the workup of B-cell lymphomas presenting in the skin. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Foreseeability in Patent Law

In the Festo decision, the Federal Circuit significantly changed the scope of the doctrine of equivalents in patent law. The doctrine of prosecution history estoppel precludes a patent owner from claiming during litigation to own ground given up during patent prosecution. Under the old rule, called the flexible bar, estoppel was based on a multi-factor test and would apply only if the patentee had no choice but to amend its claims in the way it did. Festo replaced the flexible bar with an absolute bar, under which virtually any amendment to a patent precludes resort to the doctrine of equivalents for that claim element. The Supreme Court is now considering whether the flexible or absolute bar is the right rule. We believe there is middle ground in this debate that has been ignored with both parties. Whether prosecution history estoppel applies to any given amendment should depend on the reasonably foreseeable effect of that amendment. Normally, patentees will understand that they are surrendering coverage by amending their patent claims, and so a rule precluding them from reclaiming that ground makes sense. But in some cases the absolute bar will produce unexpected and unintended results. We argue that the application of estoppel should turn on whether the effect of a change would be foreseeable to a reasonable patentee at the time of the amendment. This foreseeable bar better balances the competing policies of strong protection for pioneering inventors and notice to improvers who wish to design around a patent.
Automatic identification of Chagas disease vectors using data mining and deep learning techniques

Abstract Chagas Disease (CD) is a vector-borne infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans and reversely. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (abbr. as T. cruzi). CD is forcing an enormous social burden on public health and counts as one of the most significant threats to human health. CD has two phases of acute and chronic. The diagnostic of CD can be performed at both phases, but it is not entirely curable in the chronic phase. Therefore, diagnosing and treating it in the acute phase plays an essential role in overcoming the disease. There are many clinical trials dedicated to solving this problem, but they are expensive and time-consuming. Computational methods (automatic identification) to solving this problem are limited. Therefore, this work focuses on the automatic identification of CD. It proposes four different automated CD vector identification approaches that classify several vectors of kissing bugs with acceptable and promising accuracy rates. Three of the proposed frameworks are data mining-based approaches composed of preprocessing, feature extraction, feature selection, data balancing, and classification steps. The Principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm is used for feature extraction, and three different classification techniques, including Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), are employed in the classification step. In the fourth approach, two different convolutional neural networks (CNN) structures are applied to the preprocessed dataset. The results are optimistic and outperform previously developed systems. The accuracy of 100% is achieved using PCA + DT and PCA + RF. By achieving 100% accuracy rates for the current most common dataset of kissing bugs, we get one step closer to overcome this rising fatal disease. Such an automatic system could provide a great help for healthcare clinicians in identifying and treating CD disease in an early phase to cure it completely.
Comparison of dental arch forms created from assessment of teeth, alveolar bone, and the overlying soft tissue.

The objective of this study was to determine whether there are differences among the arch forms created from assessments of tooth surfaces, alveolar bone, and overlying soft tissue. This study included 18 individuals who presented with a class I malocclusion, mild crowding, and a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image of good diagnostic quality. The facial axis point was chosen to create the arch form from teeth, the Bowman–Kau (BK) point was used to establish the arch form from alveolar bone, and the WALA ridge was used to calculate the soft tissue arch form. A predetermined algorithm was then used to create five separate arch forms per patient. These arch forms were categorized according to shape and were superimposed. The distances between the tooth-, bone-, and soft tissue-derived arch forms were calculated. The calculated distances between all arch forms were significantly different. The distances between the tooth- and bone-derived arch forms were larger for the mandible compared to the maxilla (mean 3.30 vs. 2.48 mm, respectively). The larger distances seemed to be located more posteriorly in the arch than anteriorly. The distance between tooth- and soft tissue-derived arch forms was largest for the second premolar (2.35 ± 1.59 mm), first molar (2.86 ± 0.63 mm), and second molar (3.25 ± 0.87 mm). There were no significant differences in the distance between the tooth- and either bone- or soft tissue-derived arch forms with regard to sex. The arch form shapes obtained from the teeth, alveolar bone, and soft tissue are correlated and show the same general shape. Although future large-scale studies are needed for confirmation, our results suggest that evaluating the easily visualized external features, including the WALA ridge, can adequately predict the underlying bone shape, and thus the desired arch form. Nevertheless, the shapes vary significantly between patients, so the final treatment plan should be individualized rather than relying on over-simplified general wire shapes.
Artificial Neural Networks Framework for Detection of Defects in 3D-Printed Fiber Reinforcement Composites

One of the major challenges in applying tomography methods for detecting defects in composite materials is the large image datasets generated during imaging, which require significant effort for the detection of damage. Machine-learning (ML) methods require a large training dataset and can be efficient in processing tomography datasets for defect detection. Methods need to be developed for processing images to train the ML algorithms, which is the focus of the present work. An additive manufactured fiber reinforced composite material is imaged using a micro-CT scan to generate an image set for defect detection. The microstructures are processed using the binarized statistical image features (BSIF) method for compression without compromising the desired information about defects. The result shows that the convolutional neural network model has a mean square error of 0.001 in fiber orientation prediction, and a scheme has been developed for defect detection based on the predictions obtained from the ML models.
COVID Bedfellows: Combining Clinical Skills and Anatomy Laboratories in the DVM Curriculum

Background: Prior to the fall of 2020, clinical skills and anatomy were considered separate courses with minimal overlap other than being offered to the same cohort of students. We had included clinical skills practice in anatomy labs on an intermittent and variable basis. Many of the skills were included only if time and faculty or staff availability permitted. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic made us think differently, particularly as the anatomy space was one of our largest rooms. Methods: Anatomy and clinical skills shared space and content during the 2020–2021 school year in an effort to meet physical distancing and other biosafety requirements required by the state and University. Results: Students were maintained in a single space and were engaged for a longer period of time, making their commute and biosafety steps worthwhile while simultaneously opening up other spaces for distanced teaching needs. The goal of one skill/day for motor skill learning was maintained despite a challenging laboratory teaching schedule. Certified veterinary technicians taught both the anatomy and the skills portion, showcasing the value of their training and freeing faculty for other responsibilities. Conclusion: This teaching and learning combination led to an enhanced understanding of procedure-related anatomy; direct anatomy application to veterinary work; opportunities for recall, transfer, and supervised practice; and optimized staff and space utilization.
Statistical Computing with R

preface Introduction Computational Statistics and Statistical Computing The R Environment Getting Started with R Using the R Online Help System Functions Arrays, Data Frames, and Lists Workspace and Files Using Scripts Using Packages Graphics Probability and Statistics Review Random Variables and Probability Some Discrete Distributions Some Continuous Distributions Multivariate Normal Distribution Limit Theorems Statistics Bayes' Theorem and Bayesian Statistics Markov Chains Methods for Generating Random Variables Introduction The Inverse Transform Method The Acceptance-Rejection Method Transformation Methods Sums and Mixtures Multivariate Distributions Stochastic Processes Exercises Visualization of Multivariate Data Introduction Panel Displays Surface Plots and 3D Scatter Plots Contour Plots Other 2D Representations of Data Other Approaches to Data Visualization Exercises Monte Carlo Integration and Variance Reduction Introduction Monte Carlo Integration Variance Reduction Antithetic Variables Control Variates Importance Sampling Stratified Sampling Stratified Importance Sampling Exercises R Code Monte Carlo Methods in Inference Introduction Monte Carlo Methods for Estimation Monte Carlo Methods for Hypothesis Tests Application Exercises Bootstrap and Jackknife The Bootstrap The Jackknife Jackknife-after-Bootstrap Bootstrap Confidence Intervals Better Bootstrap Confidence Intervals Application Exercises Permutation Tests Introduction Tests for Equal Distributions Multivariate Tests for Equal Distributions Application Exercises Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods Introduction The Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm The Gibbs Sampler Monitoring Convergence Application Exercises R Code Probability Density Estimation Univariate Density Estimation Kernel Density Estimation Bivariate and Multivariate Density Estimation Other Methods of Density Estimation Exercises R Code Numerical Methods in R Introduction Root-Finding in One Dimension Numerical Integration Maximum Likelihood Problems 1D Optimization 2D Optimization The EM Algorithm Linear Programming-The Simplex Method Application Exercises APPENDIX A: Notation APPENDIX B: Working with Data Frames and Arrays Resampling and Data Partitioning Subsetting and Reshaping Data Data Entry and Data Analysis References Index
Caloric restriction in experimental carcinogenesis.

The inhibiting influence of energy restriction on tumor growth has been known for 80 years. The early studies involved underfeeding of the test animals and were flawed in the sense that all macro- and micronutrients were reduced proportionately, which opened the results to the speculation that tumorigenesis might have been influenced by lack of a necessary growth factor rather than by calorie restriction per se. Current studies involve the use of semipurified diets which are designed specially to be replete in minerals and vitamins and to exert restriction at the expense of specified macronutrients. It is noteworthy that the older studies gave results similar to those obtained in the recent, more “sophisticated” experiments. There are available several reviews of the effects of caloric (energy) restriction on tumorigenesis (1,18,19,43).
Increased hematocrit after applications of conducted energy weapons (including TASER(®) devices) to Sus scrofa.

Conducted energy weapons (CEWs) are used by law enforcement personnel to incapacitate individuals quickly and effectively, without intending to cause lethality. CEWs have been deployed for relatively long or repeated exposures in some cases. In laboratory animal models, central venous hematocrit has increased significantly after CEW exposure. Even limited applications (e.g., three 5-sec applications) resulted in statistically significant increases in hematocrit. Preexposure hematocrit was significantly higher in nonsurvivors versus survivors after more extreme CEW applications. The purpose of this technical note is to address specific questions that may be generated when examining these results. Comparisons among results of CEW applications, other electrical muscle stimulation, and exercise/voluntary muscle contraction are included. The anesthetized swine appears to be an acceptable animal model for studying changes in hematocrit and associated red blood cell changes. Potential detrimental effects of increased hematocrit, and considerations during law enforcement use, are discussed. Language: en
Impact of reservations on production job scheduling

The TeraGrid is a closely linked community of diverse resources: computational, data, and experimental, e.g., the imminent very large computational system at the University of Texas, the extensive data facilities at SDSC, and the physics experiments at ORNL. As research efforts become more extensive in scope, the co-scheduling of multiple resources becomes an essential part of scientific progress. This can be at odds with the traditional management of the computational systems, where utilization, queue wait times, and expansion factors are considered paramount and anything that affects their performance is considered with suspicion. The only way to assuage concerns is with intensive investigation of the likely effects of allowing advance reservations on these performance metrics. To understand the impact, we developed a simulator that reads our actual production job log and reservation request data to investigate different scheduling scenarios. We explored the effect of reservations and policies using job log data from two different months within consecutive years and present our initial results. Results from the simulations suggest that utilization, expansion factor and queue wait time indeed can be affected negatively by significant numbers and size of reservations, but this effect can be mitigated with appropriate policies.
Vision-based integrated systems for intelligent data analysis

It is becoming increasingly clear that it is humanly impossible to analyze a deluge of data from cameras and other sensors in a variety of applications including surveillance, railroad inspection, driver assistance. The practical systems that we built, although in pursuit of different business objectives, share a common goal, which is to intelligently and efficiently analyze and extract the most important actionable information from an overwhelming amount of data, while being able to effectively ignore a large portions of uneventful and/or noisy data. This presentation will focus on computer vision, machine learning and system optimization techniques that we used to successfully address different technical and business challenges, and to deliver differentiating performance to meet our customers' expectations.
Learning the persistence of actions in reactive control rules

Abstract This paper explores the effect of explicitly searching for the persistence of each decision in a time-dependent sequential decision task. In prior studies, Grefenstette, et al, show the effectiveness of SAMUEL, a genetic algorithm-based system, in solving a simulation problem where an agent learns how to evade a predator that is in pursuit. In their work, an agent applies a control action at each time step. This paper examines a reformulation of the problem: the agent learns not only the level of response of a control action, but also how long to apply that control action. By examining this problem, the work shows that it is appropriate to choose a representation of the state space that compresses time information when solving a time-dependent sequential decision problem. By compressing time information, critical events in the decision sequence become apparent.
Condylomata acuminata (genital warts). An epidemiologic view.

The understanding of condylomata acuminata (genital warts) has been enhanced by the recent development of diagnostic methods. Forty-two types of human papillomavirus were identified up to 1985, and at least sixteen types were involved in genital warts. The incidence of genital warts is around 0.1% in the general population and more than 0.5% in young persons. The incidence is known to be increasing rapidly and exceeding the incidence of genital herpes. Females are more prone to be affected. The epidemiologic evidence supporting the relationship between genital warts and genital cancer is overwhelming. The evidence also speaks for a strong correlation between genital warts and verrucous carcinoma of the genitalia, bowenoid papulosis, and laryngeal papilloma. The person having genital warts may also have other cutaneous warts. This observation is compatible with the finding that types of human papillornavirus involved in other cutaneous warts were found in genital warts. In view of the newer and easier ways of diagnosing nonconspicuous condyloma acuminatum and the potential for malignant transformation of condyloma acuminatum, it is strongly recommended that patients should be followed up periodically for early detection of neoplasia.
Fundamental Processes of DBD Plasma Actuators Operating at High Altitude

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are active flow control devices being investigated for implementation on future aircraft. This paper provides the details of a high altitude analysis done on a plasma actuator operating at altitudes from 0 to 18288 meters (60000 feet) in order to qualitatively determine the fundamental processes that lead to increased power consumption and decreased force production. The actuator is driven with a 5 kHz sine wave with a peak-peak voltage of 13.4 kV at pressures of 760, 429, 321, 226, and 88 Torr. A passive measurement technique called the capacitive V-dot probe is adapted to the actuator in order to resolve the spatiotemporal evolution of the surface potential on the dielectric surface. At low pressures, where there is up to 800% more plasma than at sea level, the electric field is at or very near zero for approximately 80% of the dielectric surface, compared to just 55% at sea level. This implies that at lower pressures increased actuator power is spent making plasma and not accelerating it. Measurements also show that the location of the peak physical charge deposition corresponds closely with the location of the peak surface potential, indicating that the primary mechanism for building potential on the dielectric surface is due to physical charge deposition and not from the capacitive voltage division/polarization effects of the actuator.
High-Degree-of-Freedom Engine Modelling for Control Design Using a Crank-Angle-Resolved Flame Propagation Simulation and Artificial Neural Network Surrogate Models

Non-linearity of the engine system creates a challenge in building a reliable control-oriented model (COM). The main source of non-linearity is the complex nature of the combustion process. Modern engine system configurations are increasingly complex and predicting their transient response poses additional difficulty. In the present paper, a COM is developed to address the challenges and capture the behaviour of a high-degree-of-freedom engine system. Engine combustion models are created by utilizing the high-fidelity engine cycle simulation to characterize the effects of main parameters, such as turbulence, air—fuel ratio, and residual fraction, and subsequently capturing the interrelationships with artificial neural networks. Then, system dynamics are accounted for by adding manifold and actuator dynamics models. The capabilities of the proposed COM are demonstrated using a spark-ignition engine with a dual-independent cam phasing as a test case. The results indicate the model's ability to accurately pr...
Immunogenetic analysis of Trichinella spiralis infections in swine.

Abstract The immune response of outbred swine, inoculated with several different low doses of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (ML), was followed over 5–6 weeks of primary infection, in order to determine an inoculation dose which could be used to identify genetic controls on the response to this helminth parasite. Reproducible infections were established when swine were inoculated with 100–300 ML. Humoral antibody responses to different larval stages were evident at 4 weeks using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of antibody-binding to excretory-secretory (ES) products of ML, and flow cytometric (FCM) analysis of antibody-binding to newborn larvae. T-cell blastogenesis to T. spiralis ML antigens was predominantly in the CD4+, class II restricted, T-cell subset. Having established an appropriate inoculation dose, swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) inbred miniature swine were then inoculated with this low dose of T. spiralis ML, to determine whether major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes regulate swine immune responses to T. spiralis, as has been found in rodent models. Preliminary evidence indicated that swine of the SLA c c haplotype may exhibit a lower burden of T. spiralis larvae in the tongue and diaphragm. This lower muscle burden correlated with the earlier development of a humoral antibody response in these genetically-defined swine.
DNA dynamic flexibility and protein recognition: Differential stimulation by bacterial histone-like protein HU

Summary The abundant E. coli "histone-like" protein HU is shown to be a differential effector of DNA recognition by three diverse control proteins. DNA recognition by lac repressor and catabolite activator protein is greatly stimulated, while specific aroH DNA recognition by trp repressor is inhibited. BaCl 2 , an agent previously shown to promote DNA bending, mimics the HU effect to give the same qualitative differential stimulation spectrum. The HU activation involves cooperativity, further suggesting that the various DNA bends and distortions induced during assembly of higher order HU:DNA structures are important for the HU stimulation. Thus, E. coli chromosomal DNA regulation is likely strongly influenced by HU protein that may promote a variety of alternative DNA structures that either facilitate or inhibit specific recognition by diverse control proteins.
Nonlinear Vibration of Cylindrical Shells

The large amplitude vibrations of a thin-walled cylindrical shell are analyzed using the Donnell's shallow-shell equations. A perturbation method is applied to reduce the nonlinear partial differential equations into a system of linear partial differential equations. The simply-supported boundary condition and the circumferential periodicity condition are satisfied. The resulting solution indicates that in addition to the fundamental modes, the response contains asymmetric modes as well as axisymmetric modes with the frequency twice that of the fundamental modes. In the previous investigations in which the Galerkins procedure was applied, only the additional axisymrnetric modes were assumed. Vibrations involving a single driven mode response are investigated. The results indicate that the nonlinearity is either softening or hardening depending on the mode. The vibrations involving both a driven mode and a companion mode are also investigated. The region where the companion mode participates in the vibration is obtained and the effects due to the participation of the companion mode are studied. An experimental investigation is also conducted. The results are generally in agreement with the theory. "Non-stationary4 response is detected at some frequencies for large amplitude response where the amplitude drifts from one value to another. Various nonlinear phenomena are observed and quantitative comparisons with the theoretical results are made.
First-Grade Students' Motivation and Achievement for Reading, Writing, and Spelling

This study examined factors affecting motivation for reading, writing, and spelling in primary grade students using a new measure, the Early Literacy Motivation Survey (ELMS). First-graders (198) responded to questions measuring attributions, self-efficacy, and perceived competence. The ELMS uses scenarios and short tasks to contextualize the questions for young children. A confirmatory factor analysis validated the motivation constructs investigated. A structural equation model produced a good fit for the data and indicated that literacy attributions in young children mediated between achievement and self-efficacy and perceived competence. Findings showed that first-grade students differentiate among their self-efficacy for reading, writing, and spelling.
Temporal Relationship between Vitamin D Status and Parathyroid Hormone in the United States

Background Interpretation of parathyroid hormone (iPTH) requires knowledge of vitamin D status that is influenced by season.
A new perspective on the twentieth-century American fertility swing.

The trend in the American Birthrate of the twentieth century shows the following contrasts: 1) a steady decline during the 1st third; 2) the sharp increase of the "baby boom" peaking around 1957; and 3) the sharp fertility decline extending to the present. The pattern is the same for both the white and black populations of the country. The 2 most popular demographic theories used to explain fertility swings - the Demographic Transition and Household Economic theories - have the following common defects: 1) they explain cohort fertility in terms of early-established family size goals 2) they fail to recognize the importance of short-term or chance factors in influencing the fertility process and 3) they do not explain subgroup differentiations within the population. A new theory is proposed which postulates that events early in the fertility process affect the later course of the individual fertility behavior. It is hypothesized that the social and economic circumstances present in the life of individuals when they begin their reproductive period will influence the childbearing process. Such factors as the age at first intercourse penalties for premarital pregnancy and the convenience of contraceptive use are considered. The thesis is tested by the swings in general American fertility in the twentieth century and in a specific Philadelphia fertility study. It was found that early establishment of a contraceptive habit plus early reinforcement through lack of pregnancy were responsible for lower total fertility.
Ventricular resynchronization: a promising therapy for heart failure.

Primarily a disease of the elderly, heart failure continues to be an ever-increasing health care problem given the growth in the number of individuals over age 65. Although there have been many advances in the pharmacologic management of heart failure, there continues to be a significant number of patients with persistent symptoms despite maximal therapy and it is likely that this group of patients will only continue to increase in number. Given this, significant research has gone into exploring new modalities, such as device therapies, to treat heart failure. Of these, ventricular resynchronization has emerged as one of the most promising. This review will examine the most important aspects of ventricular resynchronization therapy including: the significance of ventricular dyssynchrony, the role of traditional pacemakers, the effects on contractile function and reverse remodeling, and the currently accepted indications for resynchronization devices. Additionally, various aspects of completed and ongoing trials will be discussed.
Stress Relaxation can Perturb and Prevent Physical Hardening in a Constrained Binder at Low Temperatures

ABSTRACT The physical hardening phenomenon that is observed in asphalt binders held under isothermal conditions at low temperatures is found to be absent when the asphalt binder exists in combination with the aggregates in the aggregate-asphalt mixes. A recent study on the effect of physical hardening on stress relaxation behavior of asphalt binders has provided a plausible explanation for this observation. Controlled experiments using the new Superpave Direct Tension Test (DTT) were used to demonstrate how stress relaxation overcomes physical hardening when the asphalt binder is held under restraint. In the present work, an attempt is made to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of isothermal physical hardening due to stress relaxation in a constrained asphalt binder. The altered free volume concept is used for developing the mathematical formulation for the physical hardening, and a linear viscoelastic mechanical model is used for expressing the equations for the stress relaxation. It is shown...
Localized interfacial forces resulting from implanted plastics as possible physical factors involved in tumor formation.

Abstract Experimental evidence obtained by other investigators indicates that physical rather than chemical factors are responsible for the induction of normal to tumor cells in laboratory animals following subcutaneous implantation pf plastic materials. Since new interfaces and interfacial forces are invariably introduced following subcutaneous implantation of plastics the possibility is considered that these new interfacial phenomena are physical factors responsible for tumor formation. It is suggested that the interfacial phenomena resulting from subcutaneously implanted plastic materials produce localized adsorptive, electrostatic, and/or electrokinetic imbalances about the cells at or near the site of implantation which ultimately lead to neoplastic growth.
Virtual cinematography of group scenes using hierarchical lines of actions

We present an approach to generate shots for 3D computer graphics cinematic sequences from event-based descriptions of scenes of conversations between groups of actors. Our approach creates camera setups using a combination of geometric constraints and aesthetic parameters, while ensuring that the resulting cinematic sequence obeys the heuristics of good cinematography. More specifically, our main contributions are the a method for defining hierarchical lines of action and the identification and use of relevant first principles of cinematography for using these lines of actions. Our approach is more flexible and powerful than those proposed in previous work, mainly because it naturally generalizes to any number of actors in a scene.
Behavioral History: A Brief Introduction to a New Frontier

'This article argues for the importance of applying social history findings directly to the exploration of current forms of social behavior. Behavioral history takes its subject matter directly from the present, and uses social history, rendered analytically rather than descriptively, to probe the initial origins, the causes, and the evolution of contemporary patterns and problems. The goal is a more explicit use of social history in contemporary social diagnosis.
I said your name in an empty room: grieving and continuing bonds on facebook

In response to the death of a close friend or relative, bereaved individuals can use technology as part of the grieving process. We present a study that analyzes the messages of the friends and family of the deceased to their Facebook profile before and after their passing. Our analysis reveals that mourners use profiles as a way to maintain a continuing bond with the deceased, as well as a way to accomplish specific front stage bereavement communication, such as sharing memories, expressing sorrow and providing social support. These observations may improve the design of social networking technologies so that they remain useful, sensitive tools for the bereaved.
Interpreting abundance indices: some zooarchaeological implications of Martu foraging

Abstract Indices of taxonomic abundance are commonly used by zooarchaeologists to examine resource intensification, overexploitation and gender-divisions in foraging labor. The original formulation of abundance indices developed a clear interpretive framework by linking the measure with foraging models from behavioral ecology. However, using the same basic tenets of behavioral ecology, archaeologists disagree about how to interpret variability in abundance index values: some suggest that high proportions of large prey remains represent higher overall foraging efficiency, while others argue the opposite. To help solve this problem, we use quantitative observational data with Martu hunters in Australia’s Western Desert to examine how foraging decisions and outcomes best predict variation in the abundance index values that result. We show that variation in the proportional remains of large to small game is best predicted by hunting bout success with larger prey and the time spent foraging for smaller prey. A declining abundance index results from decreasing hunting success with larger prey, increasing time invested in hunting smaller prey, or both; any of which result in a lower overall return rate than if large prey were acquired reliably. We also demonstrate that where large prey acquisition is stochastic, high index values are correlated positively with men’s proportional caloric contribution of large unreliable game, while low index values are correlated with women’s proportional foraging time for small reliable game. We discuss these results with reference to evidence of resource intensification and gender-specific foraging.
Hybrid analog-digital coding scheme based on parallel concatenation of linear random projections and LDGM codes

This paper aims at designing a hybrid analog-digital coding scheme that can be applied for rate adaption in a broad dynamic range of channel conditions. The hybrid scheme is constructed by generating most of the output symbols from standard linear combinations of the input bits, as in Rate Compatible Modulation (RCM), and a few of them using a Low Density Generator Matrix (LDGM) code. RCM is able to achieve smooth rate adaption, but its performance is far from the Shannon theoretical limits. The few coded bits proceeding from the LDGM code are able to substantially reduce the number of uncorrected errors in the RCM scheme, substantially improving the system performance.
Race as a predictor of morbidity, mortality, and neurologic events after carotid endarterectomy

Objective Racial disparities in the outcomes of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have been reported. We sought to examine the contemporary relationship between race and outcomes and to report postdischarge events after CEA. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use Data Files were reviewed to identify all CEAs performed from 2005 to 2010 by vascular surgeons. The influence of race on outcomes was examined. Multivariate analysis was performed using variables found to be significant on bivariate analysis. The primary outcomes were stroke and mortality. Secondary outcomes were other 30-day complications, including postdischarge events. Results CEA was performed on 29,114 white patients (95.7%) and on 1316 black patients (4.3%); the overall stroke and mortality rates were 1.65% and 0.7%, respectively. The stroke rate was 1.6% for whites and 2.5% blacks ( P = .009). The 30-day mortality rate was 0.7% for whites and 1.4% for blacks ( P = .002). There was a longer operating time ( P P P = .049), unplanned intubations ( P P P P = .024), and reoperations within 30 days ( P = .021) among black patients. Multivariate logistic regression modeling identified black race as an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 1.9; P = .007). Black patients also had a greater proportion of in-hospital deaths than white patients (73.7% vs 43.1%; P = .01). There was no between-group difference in the rate of postdischarge strokes. Thirty-six percent of all strokes occurred after discharge at a mean of 8.3 days, and 54.3% of deaths occurred after discharge at a mean of 11 days. Conclusions Black race is an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality after CEA. A significant proportion of strokes and deaths occur after discharge in both racial groups evaluated.
An automated non-contact wall temperature measurement using thermoreflectance

This work presents a novel implementation of wall temperature measurement by thermoreflectance. The implementation relies on imaging light reflected from an interface between a transparent wall and liquid, and processing the resulting digital images to measure the diameter of the resulting light ring. The system is relatively simple to implement and the validation data indicate that the output is nearly linear over a wide range of temperatures. A detailed uncertainty analysis was performed, showing that uncertainties of ±1.1 K or less are possible for measurements in water using the multiple-point calibration. Measurement uncertainties of less than ±0.1 K are readily attainable using fluids with high coefficients of thermal expansion.