cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Feeding Programs on Reproductive Traits and Selected Blood Chemistries of Caged Broiler Breeder Males

The effects of five different feeding levels [136, 125, 113, 102, and 91 g/male/day of a 13.1% crude protein (CP), 3167 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg feed] were evaluated on the reproductive traits of caged adult broiler breeder males from 30 to 60 weeks of age. Individual body weights, semen volume, sperm cells per ejaculate, and fertilizing ability were measured at 30, 40, 50, and 60 weeks of age. To assist in measuring the effect of feed restriction on metabolism during these periods, average hematocrits, plasma cholesterol, total protein, and uric acid levels were analyzed. Significant (P less than .05) reductions were observed in average body weights, semen volume, sperm cell numbers per ejaculate, testicular weights, and hematocrits with feed restriction at the 91-g compared to the 136-g feeding level. At 40 weeks of age, the percent of males producing semen was significantly reduced for the 102-and 91-g compared to the 136-g feeding level. Average plasma cholesterol levels were significantly increased at the 91-g compared to the 136-g feeding level, but little effect was observed in plasma total protein and uric acid levels. Correlation coefficients were negative for plasma cholesterol to body weights, sperm numbers per ejaculate, and testicular weights but positive for body weights to hematocrits and testicular weights.
Low-Grade Lymphoma

Folicular lymphoma (FL), the second most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, shows considerable heterogeneity in its clinical behavior, representative of a biology that appears increasingly complex and diverse. As our knowledge of the molecular basis of FL increases, we strive for an integration between the bench and clinic that yields treatments based on our scientific understanding and biomarkers that allow us to prescribe treatment rationally. In Section I, Dr. Randy Gascoyne describes the histologic, cytogenetic and biologic features of FL that underlie its clinical variability. Key aspects of the pathologic diagnosis of FL that have particular relevance to the clinician are highlighted. A proposed model for follicular lymphomagenesis and diffuse large B cell lymphoma transformation has emerged and continues to evolve as the molecular story unfolds. A biologic basis for clinical outcome in FL also appears to be forthcoming. In Section II, Dr. Jane Winter addresses the complex process of selecting among the many treatment options for patients with FL. Previously a simple matter of deciding between oral or intravenous alkylators, clinicians and patients must now struggle to choose among vastly different approaches ranging from "watch and wait" to stem cell transplantation. The introduction of rituximab and radioimmunoconjugates is changing the treatment paradigm, but the optimal approach to integrating these and other new agents remains to be determined. At every decision point, the best approach is always a clinical trial. In Section III, Dr. Koen Van Besien provides a well-documented update on outcomes associated with autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for FL. The results of trials of autologous stem cell transplantation in first remission and recent data supporting a role for graft purging are discussed. Based on the premise that a graft-versus-lymphoma effect is operative in FL, reduced-intensity allogeneic transplantation is the preferred approach in many cases, and recently reported results are summarized. Criteria for patient selection and the optimal role of transplantation in the overall therapeutic plan for the patient with FL are presented.
Implication of klippen and a new sedimentary unit at Gibi Mountain, Liberia, West Africa, in the problem of the Pan-African-Liberian age province boundary

Klippen of Precambrian mylonitic quartzite and subordinate itabirite and graphitic schist, tentatively correlated with rocks in the Pan-African age province (∼550 m.y. old), overlie a Precam-brian(?) to Cambrian(?) formation at Gibi Mountain and Liberian age province gneisses (∼2,700 m.y. old), approximately 32 km northeast of the northwest-trending Pan-African—Liberian age province boundary. Small-scale folds in the allochthonous rocks and in the underlying formation at Gibi Mountain indicate relative northeastward movement of the klippen. The age province boundary appears to be a southwestward-dipping fault zone along which the Pan-African age province was thrust over the Liberian age province in late Precambrian or early Paleozoic time. The formation at Gibi Mountain, consisting of arkose, shale, and conglomerate, is similar to units in the Rokel River Group in western Sierra Leone and appears to indicate a 225-km southeasterly extension of the late Precambrian(?) to Cambrian(?) basin proposed by Allen (1968) to have bordered the West African craton from Mauritania to Sierra Leone. Stratigraphic data in the crystalline rocks do not allow interpretation of the Pan-African–Liberian age province boundary as a cryptic suture, a zone marking the collision of two continental plates.
The effect of alcohol ingestion on ocular counterrolling.

Nineteen normal subjects underwent two naso-occipital rotations to 90 ◦ right and left ear down in our standard ocular counterrolling (OCR) protocol. Both eyes were videotaped. Following two rotations, subjects drank 90 ml vodka in 180 ml orange juice; and in about 20 min, when blood alcohol levels reached 0.04-0.09%, the protocol was repeated. An SMI videooculography system provided measurements. Results showed that amplitude of OCR was significantly decreased after alcohol ingestion; smoothness was significantly increased after alcohol, similar to alcohol's effect on essential tremor. Although disconjugacy was not significantly different in the two conditions when the entire trials were examined, the latter portions of the post-alcohol trials did show significant disconjugacy, similar to earlier findings in vestibular-defective patients whose OCR deficits were apparent only in the final segments of the rotation trials. We postulate the results are due to alcohol's action on cerebellar GABAergic Purkinje cells projecting to vestibular nuclei.
EFFECTS OF HEXYLRESORCINOL ON VALONIA.

The effects on Valonia of guaiacol and hexylresorcinol are similar but the latter is more effective. Both substances lower or abolish the potassium effect; i.e., the ability of the cell to distinguish electrically between Na+ and K+. Both substances change the order of mobilities so that vCl > uNa becomes uNa > vCl or uNa = vCl.
Is Late Bottle-Weaning Associated with Overweight in Young Children? Analysis of NHANES III Data

To determine whether age of bottle-weaning is associated with overweight in young children, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III data for 3027 children aged 3-5 years were analyzed. The main outcome measure, the child's body mass index (BMI), was measured as: 95%. Mean bottle-weaning age was 18.78 months. After adjustment for potential confounders, each additional month of bottle use corresponded to a 3% increase in the odds of being in a higher BMI category (95% CI 0.0099-0.0535). Prolonged bottle use in young children is associated with increased risk of overweight. From a preventive medicine standpoint, decreasing exposure to this potential risk for childhood overweight is indicated.
Generating consensus sequences from partial order multiple sequence alignment graphs.

Motivation: Consensus sequence generation is important in many kinds of sequence analysis ranging from sequence assembly to profile-based iterative search methods. However, how can a consensus be constructed when its inherent assumption—that the aligned sequences form a single linear consensus—is not true? Results: Partial Order Alignment (POA) enables construction and analysis of multiple sequence alignments as directed acyclic graphs containing complex branching structure. Here we present a dynamic programming algorithm (heaviest bundle )f or generating multiple consensus sequences from such complex alignments. The number and relationships of these consensus sequences reveals the degree of structural complexity of the source alignment. This is a powerful and general approach for analyzing and visualizing complex alignment structures, and can be applied to any alignment. We illustrate its value for analyzing expressed sequence alignments to detect alternative splicing, reconstruct full length mRNA isoform sequences from EST fragments, and separate paralog mixtures that can cause incorrect SNP predictions. Availability: The heaviest bundle source code is available at http://www.bioinformatics.ucla.edu/poa
Connections between CFT and topology via Knot theory

In this paper we shall discuss some of the isomorphisms established between the approach to conformal field theory on P1 of [TK], and the topological construction of braid group representations of [L 1]. These approaches both lead, in the simplest cases, to the one-variable Jones polynomial invariant of links, but can be generalised to give other invariants. The case of higher spin representations of sl2 is discussed from the point of view of both approaches, and is used to re-interpret the well known connection with cabled links. The structure of the braid group representation obtained is also discussed in both the spin- 1/2 and higher spin cases, and is extended to give a representation of the category of tangles.
Employee assistance program services for alcohol and other drug problems: implications for increased identification and engagement in treatment.

Background: Fourteen million U.S. workers meet the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence, costing millions in lost productivity. Prior research suggests that employees who follow through with their Employee Assistance Program’s (EAP) recommendations are more likely to participate and remain engaged in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs. This study identified rates of lifetime EAP service use for AOD problems and compared adults who reported using EAP services for AOD problems with those who used services other than EAP. Methods: Researchers analyzed a subset of participants from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions who reported having received help for an AOD problem (NESARC, 2001–2002). Statistical analyses tested for differences in sociodemographic variables, lifetime mental health and substance abuse disorders, and health disability between EAP services users and users of other types of services. Results: Among adults who sought services for AOD problems (n = 2,272), 7.58% (n = 166) reported using EAP services for these problems at some point during their lives. Major depressive disorder (lifetime), a drug use disorder (lifetime), and Black race/ethnicity were associated with a greater likelihood that someone would seek EAP services for help with their AOD problem. Conclusions: Results provide a foundation for researchers to understand who uses EAP services for AOD problems. Health and mental health professionals should increase their knowledge of EAP services to improve continuity of care for employees with AOD problems. EAPs are in a unique position to reach out to vulnerable employees in the workplace and engage them in treatment. (Am J Addict 2012;00:1–8)
Variability of measured resting metabolic rate

BACKGROUND The necessity of a 12-h fast before resting metabolic rate (RMR) is measured is often a barrier to measuring RMR. OBJECTIVE We compared RMR measurements obtained in the morning and afternoon and across repeated days to elucidate the magnitude and sources of variability. DESIGN Healthy men (n = 12) and women (n = 25) aged 21-67 y, with body mass indexes (in kg/m(2)) ranging from 17 to 34 and body fat ranging from 6% to 54%, completed 4 RMR measurements. RMR measurements were made in the morning (after a 12-h fast and 12 h postexercise) and in the afternoon (after a 4-h fast and 12 h postexercise) on 2 separate days with the ventilated-hood technique. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS Mean (+/- SE) afternoon RMR was significantly higher than morning RMR on both visit 1 (1593.5 +/- 35.6 compared with 1508.0 +/- 31.5 kcal/d; P = 0.001) and visit 2 (1602 +/- 29.3 compared with 1511.4 +/- 35.9 kcal/d; P = 0.001). The 2 morning measurements (r = 0.93) and the 2 afternoon measurements (r = 0.93) were highly correlated, and no significant differences between measurements were observed. The mean difference between the morning and afternoon measurements was 99.0 +/- 35.8 kcal/d (6%). CONCLUSIONS Repeated morning and evening measurements of RMR were stable and highly correlated. Day-to-day measurements of RMR were not significantly different. RMR measured in the afternoon after a 4-h fast and exercise was approximately 100 kcal/d higher than RMR measured in the morning.
Hydrology of an impounded lotic wetland - subsurface hydrology.

Although the importance of hydrology to wetland ecosystem productivity is recognized, there are few detailed analyses of shallow subsurface water flow (<1 m depth) through wetland ecosystems. Shallow subsurface water flow paths and average linear velocity were quantified with nested lysimeters in a riverine wetland located in Hale County, AL. Water-table elevation was spatially and temporally variable and was directly correlated to precipitation at the wetland. In the beginning portion of the study (May to November 1996), average monthly precipitation was 73 mm and water-table elevation, decreased across much of the wetland. From December 1996 through July 1997, average monthly precipitation increased to 110 mm with a concomitant increase in water-table elevation throughout the wetland. During periods of low average monthly precipitation, wetland subsurface water was recharged from the hyporheic zone of the main inflow stream (northern side of the wetland). With increased precipitation, subsurface water recharge shifted from the stream hyporheos to recharge from an upgradient area (entire northern portion of the wetland) dominated by alder, Alnus serrulata. Horizontal and vertical average linear velocity was greatest in the upper 20 cm of the wetland compared to lower sediment depths. Vertical average linear velocity was similar among most sample intervals and was not correlated to antecedent precipitation. In laboratory mesocosm experiments, evapotranspiration by the emergent macrophyte Juncus effusus increased the rate of subsurface water flow in mesocosms with sand sediments, while there was no macrophyte effect in mesocosms with predominantly clay sediments.
Snow Particle Size Spectra in Lake Effect Snows.

Abstract In situ snow particle size spectra measured by Particle Measuring Systems probes near the downwind shore of Lake Michigan during lake-effect snow storms are presented and discussed. Ice water contents ranged from 0.002 to 0.264 g m−3. Concentrations of sizes larger than 1 mm were generally exponentially distributed; however, concentrations of smaller particles usually were greater than suggested by the exponential fitted to concentrations of sizes larger than 1 mm. Exponential distribution parameters (N0 and λ) are consistent with previously reported values. There is evidence of particle aggregation at −25°C.
Inflammation in lung transplantation for CF. Immunosuppression and modulation of inflammation.

Lung transplantation is an accepted therapy for selected individuals with end-stage lung disease due to cystic fibrosis (CF). Recent data show that CF recipients oflung transplantation have survival as good as those of any other diagnostic group. After transplantation, CF patients confront the major threats to life and health of graft infection and rejection. Inflammation is the common mediator of injury to the lung in both these instances. Graft infection after lung transplantation involves the same micro-organismsas are typical with CF as well as opportunistic agents. Prophylactic strategies and aggressive diagnosis via bronchoscopy are both critical in the effective treatment of post-transplant lung infections. Graft rejection involves the detection and recognition of foreign antigen and the subsequent activation of specific T-lymphocyte clones leading to inflammatory injury to the donor organ. Immunosuppression is used to prevent and/or modulate host response to the donor organ and titrated to serum therapeutic drug monitoring and transbronchial biopsy findings. Precise clinical monitoring and aggressive diagnostic approaches are crucial to minimizing graft injury and aggressive diagnostic approaches are crucial to minimizing graft injury and enhancing life after transplantation. Although most CF lung transplant recipients experience both graft infection and rejection and the 5-yr survival rate remains at approx 50%, improvement in diagnosis and therapy continue over time. With the introduction of new approaches to antimicrobial therapy, new immunosuppressant agents and promising strategies to promote immune tolerance, survival after lung transplantation is likely to improve in the coming decades.
RAT EPIPHYSEAL CARTILAGE. I. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ISOLATION OF CRUDE PROTEIN-POLYSACCHARIDE.

SummaryThe metabolism of glucose-C14 by rat epiphyseal cartilage incubated in vitro has been investigated. While 65% of the metabolized carbon label was recovered in lactate and CO2, 20% was observed incorporated into the surviving cartilage fragments after 3 hours of incubation. The cartilage radioactivity was further divided into a water-soluble cellular intermediate fraction and the tissue macromolecules composed of proteinpolysaccharide and collagen. The effect of media alterations (anaerobism, iodo-acetate, glucose concentration, amino acids, and vitamins) on glycolysis and the incorporation of radioactivity into these cartilage fractions were studied. The relation between glycolysis and the incorporation of glucose into cartilage and the macromolecules was discussed.
The ceroid nature of the so-called "Hamazaki-Wesenberg bodies".

Round, ovoid, and angular bodies measuring L to 15 μ were observed in macrophages as well as lying free in peripheral portions of lymph nodes from patients with sarcoidosis, in hyperplastic regional lymph nodes of patients with carcinoma of the head and neck, and in an example of isolated lymphoid tumor. The results of tinctorial reactions and electron microscopy indicate that these particles, designated in the literature as “Hamazaki-Wesenberg bodies,” are a form of ceroid and lack features of bacteria or other infectious agents. This identification of the nature of Hamazaki-Wesenberg bodies refutes claims that they are bacterial agents that may be etiologically significant or pathognomonic for sarcoidosis. The significance of the ceroid deposits in these nodal lesions, as well as in many other pathologic situations in man in which such pigment is found, is at present unknown.
Case-Based Teaching for Interprofessional Postgraduate Trainees in Adolescent Health.

Abstract Purpose Adolescent health providers increasingly work in interprofessional environments. There is a lack of evidence regarding best educational practices for preparing the adolescent health care workforce of the future. We developed, implemented, and evaluated an interprofessional longitudinal case-based curriculum for postgraduate trainees in adolescent health. Methods Faculty in an academic adolescent medicine division worked collaboratively with recent trainees to develop six teaching cases illustrative of interprofessional care of adolescents. During the 2013–2014 academic year, seven trainees (two social workers, two physicians, one nurse practitioner, one psychologist, and one dietician) completed the six month-long case modules while simultaneously working together in an interprofessional clinic. Trainees completed four-item pre- and post-case questionnaires that assessed confidence with assessment and diagnosis, comfort with counseling skills, ability to devise a treatment plan, and understanding of their colleagues' role for each of the six cases. Participants completed the 19-item Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and the 12-item Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale at three time points during the academic year and a 15-minute interview after their final session. Results Confidence with assessment/diagnosis, comfort counseling adolescents, and the ability to devise treatment plans increased for most case topics, as did understanding of the role of others on the interprofessional team. Mean Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale scores were high at baseline and similar at all three time points. Interviews highlighted the value of role clarity, communication, and learning within interprofessional teams along with modeling from interprofessional faculty. Conclusions Case-based learning in conjunction with collaborative practice provided a successful teaching strategy for interprofessionals in adolescent health.
The Geriatrics in Primary Care Demonstration: Integrating Comprehensive Geriatric Care into the Medical Home: Preliminary Data

Three thousand nine hundred thirty-one veterans aged 75 and older receive primary care (PC) in two large practices of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System. Cognitive and functional disabilities are endemic in this group, creating needs that predictably exceed available or appropriate resources. To address this problem, Geriatrics in Primary Care (GPC) embeds geriatric services directly into primary care. An on-site consulting geriatrician and geriatric nurse care manager work directly with PC colleagues in medicine, nursing, social work, pharmacy, and mental health within the VA medical home. This design delivers interdisciplinary geriatric care within PC that emphasizes comprehensive evaluations, care management, planned transitions, informed resource use, and a shift in care focus from multiple subspecialties to PC. Four hundred thirty-five veterans enrolled during the project's 4-year course. Complex, fragmented care was evident in a series of 50 individuals (aged 82 ± 7) enrolled during Months 1 to 6. The year before, these individuals made 372 medical or surgical subspecialty clinic visits (7.4 ± 9.8); 34% attended five or more subspecialty clinics, 48% had dementia, and 18% lacked family caregivers. During the first year after enrollment the mean number of subspecialty clinic visits declined significantly (4.7 ± 5.0, P = .01), whereas the number of PC-based visits remained stable (3.1 ± 1.5 and 3.3 ± 1.5, respectively, P = .50). Telephone contact by GPC (2.3 ± 2.0) and collaboration with PC clinicians replaced routine follow-up geriatric care. GPC facilitated planned transitions to rehabilitation centers (n = 5), home hospice (n = 2), dementia units (n = 3), and home care (n = 37). GPC provides efficient, comprehensive geriatric care and case management while preserving established relationships between patients and the PC team. Preliminary results suggest "care defragmentation," as reflected by a significant reduction in subspecialty clinic use. Model simplicity and flexibility facilitated ready implementation.
A Study on the Microwave Digestion Method for Detection of Pb, Cd, As, Hg in Foods FANG Ya-min,

[Objective] To optimize the microwave digestion conditions in the determination of lead, cadmiun, arsenic and mercury in foods. [Methods] Using different conditions of microwave digestion to treat standard sample for detection of the Pb, Cd, As, and Hg contents, then make comparison for their precision and accuracy. [Results] In microwave digestion, the recoveries were found to be 89.3%-106.7% with RSD: 6.87% for Pb; 93.4%-116.2% with RSD: 7.23% for Cd; 89.2%-113.5% with RSD: 9.05% for As; and 91.9%-111.2% with RSD: 7.70% for Hg respectively. The results were consistent with the present national standard. [Conclusion] The microwave digestion is a quick and convenient technology for the sample preparation of detecting lead, cadmiun, arsenic, and mercury in food.
Effects of ecological protection and development on landscape pattern in the Thousand-Island Lake region, Zhejiang Province

Actions of ecological protection and development shape the pattern of a landscape, which in turn affects ecological processes in the landscape. Changes of the fragmented Thousand-Island Lake landscape, formed by the construction of a large dam in 1959, provide an outstanding example. We analyzed the changes in land use and land cover pattern in this region for a period of 39 years (1964-2003) using landscape metrics and 3S technology. Our results showed that the total number of patches and the degree of fragmentation basically remained the same, whereas the patch number, patch area, and dominance of each patch type changed significantly. The most dominant patch type changed from treeless barrens (47.44% of the terrestrial land) in 1964 to the Pinus massoniana forest (52.81% of the terrestrial land) in 2003. We also found that the value of landscape diversity decreased slightly. It is important to note that landscape diversity, a synoptic measure of the richness and evenness of all land use and land cover types, is not always positively related to landscape functioning. The slight decrease in landscape diversity was a result of the dynamics of all existing patches in the study region. Our results suggest that the forest vegetation on the area has improved in terms of coverage since 1964 (i.e., 5 years after the dam construction). These changes may be attributed to the many measures of ecological protection in this region which allowed natural succession to take its course. The improved landscape pattern enhanced ecological functioning of the island ecosystems, including restoration of habitats, increased biodiversity, and reduction in soil erosion. While the forest vegetation has been recovering, the increasing dominance by the structurally simple Pinus massoniana forest in this region should be considered in future efforts of biodiversity conservation, ecological planning, and sustainable development.
Spectral studies of metal complexes of a new type of bis(thiosemicarbazone)

Cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of two new bis(di-2-pyridyl ketone) dithiosemicarbazones have been prepared in EtOH solution and characterized by physical and spectral methods. The bis(di-2-pyridyl ketone) dithiosemicarbazones were prepared from dithiosemicarbazides derived from piperazine and N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine. N.m.r., i.r., and electronic spectra of the dithiosemicarbazones and their complexes along with e.s.r. spectra of the copper(II) complexes have been recorded. The complexes are bi-, tri- and tetranuclear and involve the dithiosemicarbazones coordinating as dianionic, anionic and neutral ligands.
Rise of Factor Investing: Asset Prices, Informational Efficiency, and Security Design

We model financial innovations such as Exchange-Traded Funds, smart beta products, and many index-based vehicles as composite securities that facilitate trading common factors in assets' liquidation values. Through accessing a larger basket of assets in endogenously-chosen proportions, composite securities can benefit both informed and liquidity traders and attract all factor investors with optimal designs that feature selecting liquid and representative assets. Consistent with empirical findings, introducing composite securities leads to higher price variability and co-movements, larger trading costs and synchronicity, and lower asset-specific but higher factor information in prices, especially for illiquid assets. Trading transparency, distinction between bundles and derivatives, and endogenous information acquisition also significantly affect prices and security design.
The Prevalence of the Infinite

What is the infinite? The infinite is sometimes described as that which is unlimited, boundless, or so great that it is impossible for anything to be greater. For instance, an infinitely heavy stone would be a stone so heavy that it would be conceptually impossible for anything to be heavier. (Whether there could be such a stone is another matter.) An infinite area would be an area such that no area could be larger.
Medication Adherence in Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Comprehensive Review

Poor medication adherence is a pervasive problem that causes disability and suffering as well as extensive financial costs among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Barriers to adherence are numerous and cross multiple levels, including factors related to bipolar pathology and those unique to an individual’s circumstances. External factors, including treatment setting, healthcare system, and broader health policies, can also affect medication adherence in people with BD. Fortunately, advances in research have suggested avenues for improving adherence. A comprehensive review of adherence-enhancement interventions for the years 2005–2015 is included. Specific bipolar adherence-enhancement approaches that target knowledge gaps, cognitive patterns, specific barriers, and motivation may be helpful, as may approaches that capitalize on technology or novel drug-delivery systems. However, much work remains to optimally facilitate long-term medication adherence in people with BD. For adherence-enhancement approaches to be widely adapted, they need to be easily accessible, affordable, and practical.
Regional variation: only moderately interesting: a word of caution.

In most aspects of life in these United States, diversity is viewed as a strength that we champion. It seems that only in the medical field is regional diversity regarded with a suspicious attitude. The underlying assumption appears to be that regional variation in medical care and especially in procedure utilization is due solely or mostly to “substandard” practices. Yet the United States is a markedly diverse and heterogeneous country. This diversity includes a great many things, not the least of which is biological diversity, and ultimately this leads to differences in medical care and medical procedures. Article see p 15 In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , Goodney et al1 present a study of regional variation in both carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in the Medicare population for the years 1998 to 2007. Their data are derived from a 20% random sample of Medicare databases and had to be subjected to a special “coding strategy” because data before 2005 did not adequately capture CAS procedure codes. This highlights the fact that CAS is a “new” procedure. Administrative data sets have not yet accommodated it fully, and a standardized clinical data set has only recently been created.2 The results of the Goodney study show that the total of all carotid revascularizations for these years declined slightly. The fall-off that occurred in CEA was matched by a corresponding rise in CAS, suggesting that there may have been substitution occurring during these years, with CAS replacing CEA in at least some cases. What was also noticeable to these investigators was that regional variation increased along with the rising use of CAS, from only a small amount of variation in 1998 to a greater …
The human side of science

Gerald Holton's other passion is, of course, physics. That is why all physicists are particularly indebted to him for his historical studies of the human element in our subject. This collection of some of his more recent writings demonstrates the remarkable focal depth of his vision. He can zoom in, providing a microscopic examination of a year or two in the life of Albert Einstein, or he can rack back for a macroscopic view of the place of science in our culture over a period of centuries.
Dynamic pricing and reservation for intelligent urban parking management

Abstract Despite rapid advances of information technologies for intelligent parking systems, it remains a challenge to optimally manage limited parking resources in busy urban neighborhoods. In this paper, we use dynamic location-dependent parking pricing and reservation to improve system-wide performance of an intelligent parking system. With this system, the parking agency is able to decide the spatial and temporal distribution of parking prices to achieve a variety of objectives, while drivers with different origins and destinations compete for limited parking spaces via online reservation. We develop a multi-period non-cooperative bi-level model to capture the complex interactions among the parking agency and multiple drivers, as well as a non-myopic approximate dynamic programming (ADP) approach to solve the model. It is shown with numerical examples that the ADP-based pricing policy consistently outperforms alternative policies in achieving greater performance of the parking system, and shows reliability in handling the spatial and temporal variations in parking demand.
Meeting its Immunity Obligations: The United Nations and Employee Sexual Harassment Claims

The United Nations and its officials have long received immunity in matters related to the organization’s functions, leaving employees with only one forum in which to seek redress: the U.N.’s own internal justice system. Unfortunately, this forum has not properly addressed employee allegations of sexual harassment. Although recognition of the internal justice system’s failings led the U.N. to institute significant reforms in 2009, this Comment argues that further reforms are needed to ensure employee claims are properly handled in the future.
Evaluation and Management Strategies for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Drinking Water Aquifers: Perspectives from Impacted U.S. Northeast Communities

Background: Multiple Northeast U.S. communities have discovered per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking water aquifers in excess of health-based regulatory levels or advisories. Reg...
Sertoli Cells Engineered to Express Insulin to Lower Blood Glucose in Diabetic Mice

Long-term survival of allo- and xenotransplanted immune-privileged Sertoli cells (SCs) is well documented suggesting that SCs can be used to deliver foreign proteins for cell-based gene therapy. The aim of this study was to use a lentivirus carrying proinsulin cDNA to achieve stable expression and lowering of blood glucose levels (BGLs). A SC line transduced with the lentivirus (MSC-LV-mI) maintained stable insulin expression in vitro. These MSC-LV-mI cells were transplanted and grafts were analyzed for cell survival, continued proinsulin mRNA, and insulin protein expression. All grafts contained MSC-LV-mI cells that expressed proinsulin mRNA and insulin protein. Transplantation of MSC-LV-mI cells into diabetic mice significantly lowered BGLs for 4 days after transplantation. Interestingly, in three transplanted SCID mice and one transplanted BALB/c mouse, the BGLs again significantly lowered by day 50 and 70, respectively. This is the first time SC transduced with a lentiviral vector was able to stably express insulin and lower BGLs. In conclusion, a SC line can be modified to stably express therapeutic proteins (e.g., insulin), thus taking us one step further in the use of SCs as an immune-privileged vehicle for cell-based gene therapy.
An Introduction to “Biotic Responses to Major Paleoceanographic Changes”

The title of this extremely successful session at IPC VI might at first glance evoke the negative response “Oh no, not more huge, illegible lists of unpronounceable names of microfossils showing which ones survived being hit by an asteroid”. This response would be very wide of the mark. The “biotic response” session reflected a recent trend in paleoceanographic research that in my personal opinion is particularly fruitful: the integration of research by geochemical and micropaleontological paleoceanographers as well as by physical and biological oceanographers. The integration of research can be expected to result in a new vision of the evolution of the oceans, the carbon cycle and the Earth’s climate system and the ways in which these are intimately linked to oceanic biota. The resurgent interest in the biotic aspect of paleoceanographic studies was made abundantly clear by the great popularity of this session as expressed in the number of poster abstracts submitted (144), making it the largest session of the meeting.
Scotopic threshold response (STR) of the human electroretinogram.

We recorded the human ERG using full-field stimuli at light intensities near absolute threshold to examine characteristics of the scotopic threshold response (STR). The human STR was seen below PII threshold and was the only component of the ERG evident near absolute rod psychophysical threshold. The human STR was detectable in the corneal ERG at stimulus intensities 0.6-1.0 log units above psychophysical threshold and had about a 2 log unit range to apparent saturation. Maximum STR amplitude was 12-20 microV. The STR latency ranged from 100-185 msec, depending on stimulus duration and intensity. The STR returned to baseline by 300 msec after onset, for very brief flashes, but it was prolonged with longer flashes. The spectral characteristics of the human STR matched rods and not cones. The STR followed Bloch's law and exhibited temporal integration for at least 80 msec. At 2.5-3 log units above visual threshold, corneal positive PII (b-wave and d.c. component) progressively obscured the negative STR. We propose that the human STR reflects post receptor processing in the retina. This is based on the similarity of the human STR to the STR of the cat and monkey, both of which originate at postreceptoral sites. Thus the human STR may find clinical use to evaluate the rod pathway in the proximal retina.
Some operators on L2(dm) associated with finite blaschke products

We will use A to denote the disk algebra, i.e., the algebra of functions which are continuous on the closed unit disk and analytic on its interior. It is assumed that A is equipped with the sup-norm. We will use L p to denote LP(F,m), where m is normalized Lebesgue measure on the unit circle F, and we will use H p to denote the usual Hardy space; i.e., H p = {f e LPl fZnfdm = 0], where Z is the identity on ~. (See [1] for an account of the theory of H p H ~ spaces.) A function k e is called inner if Ikl = 1 a.e. Inner functions of the form k = eia nNj=l (Z-~j)(1-~jZ) -1 where I~jl ~ 1 for l~ j ~ N _ _ are called finite Blaschke products. (The finite Blaschke products are exactly the inner functions in A.) All inner functions considered here are non-constant. We denote by PA the set of linear operators from A to itself which have norm one and fix the constant functions. The problem of finding the extreme points of PA was posed by Phelps in [7]. While it might be expected that the extreme points of PA are multiplicative, in fact, Lindenstrauss, Phelps, and Ryff have given in [2] a specific example of a non-multiplicative extreme element of PA" (It is easy to show that a linear operator from A to itself is multiplicative if and only if it is a composition operator.) The example found in [2] belongs to a class C of operators on A which satisfy a certain local multiplicative condition, namely,
Effects of short term modified carbohydrate diets on weight loss, urine ketone production, and urinary calcium excretion in free living overweight college students

The purpose of this study was to determine outcomes of low carbohydrate (LC) and moderate carbohydrate (MC) diets on weight loss, ketone production, and urinary calcium excretion in overweight coll...
Deformations and Strains in a Thick Adherend Lap Joint

Displacement fields in a thick adherend lap joint were measured by high-sensitivity moire interferometry. Contour maps of in-plane U and V displacements were obtained across adhesive and adherend surfaces. Loads ranged from a modest load to a near-failure load. Quantitative results are given for displacements and strains in the adhesive and along the adhesive/adherend boundary lines. The results show nearly constant shear strain in the adhesive, nonlinear strains as a function of load or average shear stress, and viscoelastic or time-dependent response. Longitudinal normal strains in the adhesive are nearly two orders of magnitude less than the shear strains. With its subwavelength displacement resolution and high spatial resolution, moire interferometry is especially well suited for deformation studies of adhesive joints.
Frequently Hospitalized Patients' Perceptions of Factors Contributing to High Hospital Use.

Background A small proportion of patients accounts for a large proportion of hospitalizations. Objective To obtain patients' perspectives of factors associated with the onset and continuation of high hospital use. Design Qualitative research study where a research coordinator conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews. A team of researchers performed inductive coding and analysis. Setting A single urban academic hospital. Participants Patients with two-unplanned 30-day readmissions within 12 months and one or more of the following: ≥1 readmission in the last six months, a referral from a clinician, or ≥3 observation visits. Results Overall, 26 participants completed the interviews. Four main themes emerged. First, major medical problems were universal, but the onset of frequent hospital use varied. Second, participants perceived fluctuations in their course to be related to psychological, social, and economic factors. Social support was perceived as helpful and participants benefited when providing social support to others. Third, episodes of illness varied in onset and generally seemed uncontrollable and often unpredictable to the participants. Fourth, participants strongly desired to avoid hospitalization and typically sought care only after self-management failed. Conclusions Emergent themes pointed to factors which influence patients' onset of high hospital use, fluctuations in their illness over time, and triggers to seek care during an episode of illness. These findings enable patients' perspectives to be incorporated into the design of programs serving similar populations of frequently hospitalized patients.
Measurement of self-control by self-report : Considerations and recommendations

This chapter describes the measures in a comprehensive framework of self-control measurement that highlights the key features of particular self-report measures and measurement strategies and draws attention to their appropriateness for different types of research involving self-control. When the research questions that motivate a study of health and well-being implicate self-control, a key consideration is how best to assess self-control given the outcomes of interest, the research design, and the general approach to data collection. A majority of the research to date on self-control has made use of measures designed to capture stable differences between people. An assumption that is rarely made explicit or justified when using such measures is that a person’s capacity for self-control does not vary across situations or time. Whether a trait or state approach to measuring self-control is used, the focus of measurement can be general or specific.
Physical interactions between Gsx2 and Ascl1 balance progenitor expansion versus neurogenesis in the mouse lateral ganglionic eminence

The Gsx2 homeodomain transcription factor promotes neural progenitor identity in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE), despite upregulating the neurogenic factor Ascl1. How this balance in maturation is maintained is unclear. Here, we show that Gsx2 and Ascl1 are co-expressed in subapical progenitors that have unique transcriptional signatures in LGE ventricular zone (VZ) cells. Moreover, whereas Ascl1 misexpression promotes neurogenesis in dorsal telencephalic progenitors, the co-expression of Gsx2 with Ascl1 inhibits neurogenesis. Using luciferase assays, we found that Gsx2 reduces the ability of Ascl1 to activate gene expression in a dose-dependent and DNA binding-independent manner. Furthermore, Gsx2 physically interacts with the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain of Ascl1, and DNA-binding assays demonstrated that this interaction interferes with the ability of Ascl1 to bind DNA. Finally, we modified a proximity ligation assay for tissue sections and found that Ascl1-Gsx2 interactions are enriched within LGE VZ progenitors, whereas Ascl1-Tcf3 (E-protein) interactions predominate in the subventricular zone. Thus, Gsx2 contributes to the balance between progenitor maintenance and neurogenesis by physically interacting with Ascl1, interfering with its DNA binding and limiting neurogenesis within LGE progenitors.
Well predictive performance of play-wide and Subarea Random Forest models for Bakken productivity

Abstract In recent years, geologists and petroleum engineers have struggled to clearly identify the mechanisms that drive productivity in horizontal, hydraulically-fractured oil wells producing from the middle member of the Bakken Formation. This paper fills a gap in the literature by showing how this play's heterogeneity affects factors that drive well productivity. It is important because understanding the relative strength of productivity drivers and how predictors vary spatially facilitates best-practices for well site selection and well completion design. The paper describes an application of the Random Forest (RF) machine learning technique to identify these mechanisms and to evaluate their importance across nine subareas of the North Dakota portion of the Bakken play. The study examined productivity of 7311 wells initiating production from 2010 through 2017. Well productivity varied considerably across the nine subareas within the play, so it was not surprising that the dominant predictors, the initial 180-day water cut and the 30-day initial gas production, vary spatially to mirror local conditions that strongly affect well productivity. The relative importance of well completion predictor variables, that is, the number of fracture stages per well, volume of injected proppant per stage, volume of injected fluids per stage, and lateral length, varied considerably across the subareas. Statistical permutation tests are presented that generally confirm the importance rankings. Subarea Random Forest models explained from 50 percent to 82 percent of the variation in productivity test samples, while the play-wide model explained 73 percent of the test sample well productivity. Weakness in the predictive ability of the Random Forest models are traced to the limited variability in the training data. Implications of the empirical findings regarding the Bakken play for operators and for research and government institutions are discussed in the concluding section.