cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is recovery from cannabis use problems different from alcohol and other drugs? Results from a national probability-based sample of the United States adult population.

Abstract Background The policy landscape regarding the legal status of cannabis (CAN) in the US and globally is changing rapidly. Research on CAN has lagged behind in many areas, none more so than in understanding how individuals suffering from the broad range of cannabis-related problems resolve those problems, and how their characteristics and problem resolution pathways are similar to or different from alcohol [ALC] or other drugs [OTH]. Greater knowledge could inform national policy debates as well as the nature and scope of any additional needed services as CAN population exposure increases. Method National, probability-based, cross-sectional sample of the US non-institutionalized adult population was conducted July–August 2016. Sample consisted of those who responded "yes" to the screening question, "Did you used to have a problem with alcohol or drugs but no longer do?" (63.4% response rate from 39,809 screened adults). Final weighted sample ( N = 2002) was mostly male (60.0% [1.53%]), aged 25–49 (45.2% [1.63%]), non-Hispanic White (61.4% [1.64%]), employed (47.7% [1.61%]). Analyses compared CAN to ALC and OTH on demographic, clinical, treatment and recovery support services utilization, and quality of life (QOL) indices. Results 9.1% of the US adult population reported resolving a significant substance problem, and of these, 10.97% were CAN. Compared to ALC (M = 49.79) or OTH (M = 43.80), CAN were significantly younger (M = 39.41, p Conclusion Approximately 2.4 million Americans have resolved a significant cannabis problem. Compared to ALC and OTH, the pattern of findings for CAN suggest similarities but also some notable differences in characteristics and problem resolution pathways particularly regarding earlier problem offset and less use of formal and informal services. Within a shifting policy landscape, research is needed to understand how increases in population exposure and potency may affect the nature and magnitude of differences observed in this preliminary study.
Defining the Scope of Prognosis: Primary Care Clinicians' Perspectives on Predicting the Future Health of Older Adults.

Abstract Context Studies examining the attitudes of clinicians toward prognostication for older adults have focused on life expectancy prediction. Little is known about whether clinicians approach prognostication in other ways. Objectives To describe how clinicians approach prognostication for older adults, defined broadly as making projections about patients' future health. Methods In five focus groups, 30 primary care clinicians from community-based, academic-affiliated, and Veterans Affairs primary care practices were given open-ended questions about how they make projections about their patients' future health and how this informs the approach to care. Content analysis was used to organize responses into themes. Results Clinicians spoke about future health in terms of a variety of health outcomes in addition to life expectancy, including independence in activities and decision making, quality of life, avoiding hospitalization, and symptom burden. They described approaches in predicting these health outcomes, including making observations about the overall trajectory of patients to predict health outcomes and recognizing increased risk for adverse health outcomes. Clinicians expressed reservations about using estimates of mortality risk and life expectancy to think about and communicate patients' future health. They discussed ways in which future research might help them in thinking about and discussing patients' future health to guide care decisions, including identifying when and whether interventions might impact future health. Conclusion The perspectives of primary care clinicians in this study confirm that prognostic considerations can go beyond precise estimates of mortality risk and life expectancy to include a number of outcomes and approaches to predicting those outcomes.
Impact of pediatric cancer on family relationships.

Little is known about the impact of cancer on family relationships from the perspective of the pediatric cancer patient and their sibling(s). This study assessed and compared children's experiences of family relationships in patients receiving active cancer therapy, those who have completed therapy, and siblings. A cross-sectional study of children with cancer and their siblings aged 8-17 years old was conducted. Children completed the PROMIS Pediatric Family Relationships short form and the Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, and Peer Relationships short forms. The Mann-Whitney test assessed differences in Family Relationships scores between therapy groups, while the Wilcoxon signed-rank test assessed differences between patients and siblings. An actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was used to assess how patient and sibling variables were associated with their own and each others' family relationships. Two hundred and sixty-five children completed the assessments. Siblings of patients on-therapy had worse family relationships than patients on-therapy (P = 0.015). Family relationships of patients off-therapy did not differ from their siblings or the patients on-therapy. Family relationships scores did not differ between the sibling cohorts. The APIM found patient family relationships were impaired when their own peer relationships decreased and when either their own or their siblings had increased depressive symptoms. Sibling family relationships were impaired when their own depression increased, and when the patient counterpart was female, younger age, had less depressive symptoms, more anxiety or a diagnosis of leukemia/lymphoma (compared to solid tumor). Based on these findings, increased psychosocial resources for patients and siblings of children undergoing cancer therapy may be warranted.
Osteopontin Regulates Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Replication and Assembly by Interacting with HCV Proteins and Lipid Droplets and by Binding to Receptors αVβ3 and CD44

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and assembly occur at the specialized site of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and lipid droplets (LDs), respectively. Recently, several host proteins have been shown to be involved in HCV replication and assembly. In the present study, we demonstrated the important relationship among osteopontin (OPN), the ER, and LDs. OPN is a secreted phosphoprotein, and overexpression of OPN in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue can lead to invasion and metastasis. OPN expression is also enhanced in HCV-associated HCC. Our recent studies have demonstrated the induction, proteolytic cleavage, and secretion of OPN in response to HCV infection. We also defined the critical role of secreted OPN in human hepatoma cell migration and invasion through binding to receptors integrin αVβ3 and CD44. However, the role of HCV-induced OPN in the HCV life cycle has not been elucidated. In this study, we showed a significant reduction in HCV replication, assembly, and infectivity in HCV-infected cells transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) against OPN, αVβ3, and CD44. We also observed the association of endogenous OPN with HCV proteins (NS3, NS5A, NS4A/B, NS5B, and core). Confocal microscopy revealed the colocalization of OPN with HCV NS5A and core in the ER and LDs, indicating a possible role for OPN in HCV replication and assembly. Interestingly, the secreted OPN activated HCV replication, infectivity, and assembly through binding to αVβ3 and CD44. Collectively, these observations provide evidence that HCV-induced OPN is critical for HCV replication and assembly.IMPORTANCE Recently, our studies uncovered the critical role of HCV-induced endogenous and secreted OPN in migration and invasion of hepatocytes. However, the role of OPN in the HCV life cycle has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the importance of OPN in HCV replication and assembly. We demonstrated that endogenous OPN associates with HCV NS3, NS5A, NS5B, and core proteins, which are in close proximity to the ER and LDs. Moreover, we showed that the interactions of secreted OPN with cell surface receptors αVβ3 and CD44 are critical for HCV replication and assembly. These observations provide evidence that HCV-induced endogenous and secreted OPN play pivotal roles in HCV replication and assembly in HCV-infected cells. Taken together, our findings clearly demonstrate that targeting OPN may provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention of HCV pathogenesis.
On the Current Controversy about Unsteady Separation

In the past few years, research on the problem of unsteady boundary-layer separation has become fairly active, but the results are contradictory and controversial. The present symposium provides a timely forum to sort out this problem.
Measuring manufacturing performance: a new challenge for managerial accounting research

Problems with the performance of U.S. manufacturing firms have become obvious in recent years. Japanese and Western European manufacturers are able to produce higher quality goods with fewer workers and lower inventory levels than comparable U.S. firms. The ability of foreign firms to become more efficient producers has gone largely unnoticed in the education and research programs of many U.S. business schools. A much greater commitment to understanding the factors critical to the success of manufacturing firms is needed. While an understanding of the determinants for successful manufacturing performance will require contributions from many disciplines, accounting can play a critical role in this effort. Accounting researchers can attempt to develop non-financial measures of manufacturing performance, such as productivity, quality, and inventory costs. Measures of product leadership, manufacturing flexibility, and delivery performance could be developed for firms bringing new products to the marketplace. Expanded performance measures are also necessary for capital budgeting procedures and to monitor production using the new technology of flexible manufacturing systems. A particular challenge is to de-emphasize the current focus of senior managers on simple, aggregate, short-term financial measures and to develop indicators that are more consistent with long-term competitiveness and profitability.
From Liminars to Others: Securitization Through Myths

The article discusses the rise of societal and ethnic conflicts. It focuses on some of the analytical tools designed to illuminate these processes. More specifically it builds on the framework of the so-called "Copenhagen School of Security Studies" but seeks to develop a more flexible approach on the concept of identity. To understand how an identity gains strength, Roland Barthes’ theory of myths is examined and combined with Michel Foucault's concept of power. Finally a concept of agency is added, namely what has been labeled a “conflict entrepreneur”. It is argued that by combining these theoretical insights the process of constructing Self and Other, and the subsequent alienation of those who not fit these categories, will be better understood.
Exact and Approximate Causal Time-Domain Green’s functions for Linear with Frequency Attenuation

Exact and approximate analytical time-domain Green’s functions that describe linear with frequency attenuation are presented for the Chen-Holm space-fractional wave equation. These exact and approximate time-domain Green’s functions contain a Cauchy density multiplied by a Heaviside function, where the Heaviside function guarantees that the response is causal. To demonstrate the distinguishing features of these analytical expressions, exact and approximate time-domain Green’s functions are numerically evaluated and compared for linear with frequency attenuation. Numerical results are evaluated for an attenuation of 0.5 dB/cm/MHz, and the results demonstrate excellent agreement between the exact and approximate solutions. At this and at all other distances, the exact and approximate solutions overlap almost perfectly. Comparisons of the peak values evaluated and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) evaluated as a function of time at different distances for the exact and approximate expressions also agree very closely. Thus, the approximate expressions are excellent approximations to the exact time-domain Green’s functions for the Chen-Holm space-fractional wave equation, which is the only known fractional wave equation that yields causal analytical time-domain Green’s functions describing linear with frequency attenuation.
CA requirements for postharvest pest control

Abstract Research on CA treatment for pest control, in general, has very limited success in the past mainly due to the lack of tolerance by fresh products. There are great variations in susceptibility among different pests and in tolerance among different fresh products to CA treatment. Therefore the most important requirement of CA treatment for pest control is to match a susceptible pest with a tolerant fresh product in order to develop successful CA treatments against selective pests on specific fresh products. Products with slow physiological activities and long storage and shelf life are more suitable for CA treatment. Products such as dormant rootstocks, bulbs, and tubers which have high tolerance to low oxygen (O2) and are valued for vitality instead of cosmetic appearance also offer good opportunities for using CA treatment to control pests. CA treatment is a dynamic system as fresh products consume O2 and release carbon dioxide (CO2) and other volatiles in respiration and therefore may require strict control of atmosphere composition not only to ensure efficacy for pest control but also to prevent possible injuries to the treated products. These control measurements may include regulating O2 levels and scrubbing for CO2 or/and ethylene. Cold storage of harvested fresh products reduces physiological activities of the products and thereby increases their tolerance to CA treatment, and therefore may need to be used to prevent or reduce injuries by CA treatment. The CA treatment regime that includes time and temperature also need to be consistent with requirement for maintaining proper shelf life of fresh products. Research on CA treatment for pest control is still very limited to adequately explore its potential for pest control and, therefore, more research is warranted.
Chemistry of diaminomaleonitrile: synthesis and structure of two unexpected products from its condensation with 2,5-hexanedione

For the synthesis of precursors to cellulose-based ion exchange materials, the condensation of diaminomaleonitrile with 2,4-pentanedione and 2,5-hexanedione was explored. Whilst the former diketone yielded the expected 1,4-diazepine (2), the latter gave either a pyrrole derivative (3) or an unusual triazabicyclononene (4), depending on the conditions used. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 8.9313(10) A, b = 9.0370(7) A, c = 11.4448(9) A, β = 102.48(8)°, V = 901.89(14) A3, and Z = 4. Compound 3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna21 with a = 12.0342(8) A, b = 8.3760(8) A, c = 10.7026(11) A, V = 1078.81(17) A3, and Z = 4. Compound 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 9.0157(5) A, b = 13.5374(9) A, c = 12.8751(16) A, β = 99.506(5)°, V = 1549.82(15) A3, and Z = 4. In both 3 and 4 the aminovinyl substituent shows evidence for involvement of the lone pair on nitrogen with the carbon π-system. Also, 3 and 4 are highly associated in the solid state via hydrogen bonding.
Experimental Investigation of Uranium Volatility During Vapor Condensation

The predictive models that describe the fate and transport of radioactive materials in the atmosphere following a nuclear incident (explosion or reactor accident) assume that uranium-bearing particulates would attain chemical equilibrium during vapor condensation. In this study, we show that kinetically driven processes in a system of rapidly decreasing temperature can result in substantial deviations from chemical equilibrium. This can cause uranium to condense out in oxidation states (e.g., UO3 vs UO2) that have different vapor pressures, significantly affecting uranium transport. To demonstrate this, we synthesized uranium oxide nanoparticles using a flow reactor under controlled conditions of temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration. The atomized chemical reactants passing through an inductively coupled plasma cool from ∼5000 to 1000 K within milliseconds and form nanoparticles inside a flow reactor. The ex situ analysis of particulates by transmission electron microscopy revealed 2-10 nm crystallites of fcc-UO2 or α-UO3 depending on the amount of oxygen in the system. α-UO3 is the least thermodynamically preferred polymorph of UO3. The absence of stable uranium oxides with intermediate stoichiometries (e.g., U3O8) and sensitivity of the uranium oxidation states to local redox conditions highlight the importance of in situ measurements at high temperatures. Therefore, we developed a laser-based diagnostic to detect uranium oxide particles as they are formed inside the flow reactor. Our in situ measurements allowed us to quantify the changes in the number densities of the uranium oxide nanoparticles (e.g., UO3) as a function of oxygen gas concentration. Our results indicate that uranium can prefer to be in metastable crystal forms (i.e., α-UO3) that have higher vapor pressures than the refractory form (i.e., UO2) depending on the oxygen abundance in the surrounding environment. This demonstrates that the equilibrium processes may not dominate during rapid condensation processes, and thus kinetic models are required to fully describe uranium transport subsequent to nuclear incidents.
A Simple Methodology for Model-Driven Business Innovation and Low Code Implementation.

Low Code platforms, according to Gartner Group, represent one of the more disruptive technologies in the development and maintenance of enterprise applications. The key factor is represented by the central involvement of business people and domain expert, with a substantial disintermediation with respect to technical people. In this paper we propose a methodology conceived to support non-technical people in addressing business process innovation and developing enterprise software application. The proposed methodology, called EasInnova, is solidly rooted in Model-Driven Engineering and adopts a three staged model of an innovation undertaking. The three stages are: AsIs that models the existing business scenario; Transformation that consists in the elaboration of the actual innovation; ToBe that concerns the modeling of new business scenario. The core of EasInnova is represented by a matrix where columns are the three innovation stages and the rows are the three Model-Driven Architecture layers: CIM, PIM, PSM. The cells indicate the steps to be followed in achieving the sought innovation. Finally, the produced models will be transferred onto a BonitaSoft, the Low Code platform selected in our work. The methodology is described by means of a simple example in the domain of home food delivery.
Organ-specific, multimodal, wireless optoelectronics for high-throughput phenotyping of peripheral neural pathways

The vagus nerve supports diverse autonomic functions and behaviors important for health and survival. To understand how specific components of the vagus contribute to behaviors and long-term physiological effects, it is critical to modulate their activity with anatomical specificity in awake, freely behaving conditions using reliable methods. Here, we introduce an organ-specific scalable, multimodal, wireless optoelectronic device for precise and chronic optogenetic manipulations in vivo. When combined with an advanced, coil-antenna system and a multiplexing strategy for powering 8 individual homecages using a single RF transmitter, the proposed wireless telemetry enables low cost, high-throughput, and precise functional mapping of peripheral neural circuits, including long-term behavioral and physiological measurements. Deployment of these technologies reveals an unexpected role for stomach, non-stretch vagal sensory fibers in suppressing appetite and demonstrates the durability of the miniature wireless device inside harsh gastric conditions.
Unmuting the Volume: Fisher, Affirmative Action Jurisprudence, and the Legacy of Racial Silence

As typified by its recent decisions in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin and Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence concerning race has long imposed strict judicial oversight over any use of race for the formulation of public policy. This top-down approach has invited various undesirable outcomes, the most pernicious of which are the endorsement of silence on the subject of race and the delegitimizing of most public deliberations about race by non-Court actors. Consequently, speech within universities and other learning environments regarding race has become a psychologically challenging risk for both students and faculty, who justifiably perceive themselves as lacking either the competence or the authorization to venture into the realm of race. At the same time, the Court has delegated to university administrators a role for race in admissions on the condition that they master locutions marking discourse about race as an expert argot. This Article proposes an alternative path in which control of race is wrested from the courts — and their appointed delegates in university administration — through the creation of small, experimental university communities. Such communities would select their own membership with a conscious concern for a healthy racial discourse in higher education. This shift in responsibility for racial discourse and community composition to a wider set of actors, including young adults who are inclined toward openness to diversity, will transform the discussion over race from one requiring the sanction of judges and administrators to one that is genuinely frank and open.
Review Essay: Theaters of Pardoning

I loved reading Bernadette Meyler’s Theaters of Pardoning, largely because of the way she feasts at the well-laden table of 17th century British theater as she discerns themes of mercy by the powerful. It is also exactly the right time to revisit clemency’s trajectory through Western civilization, as we rebound from a practitioner, Donald Trump, who used it as an extension of his own ego. In the end, though, the book was a great meal that still left me hungry, in that it never really tried to connect clemency’s historical path to the very real challenges we face today.
Predicting Inpatient Mortality Amongst Encephalitis Patients: A Novel Admission Risk Score

Background: Identifying underlying commonalities amongst all cause encephalitis cases can be extraordinarily useful in predicting meaningful risk factors associated with inpatient mortality amongst a disease where the exact etiology is unknown more often than not. Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients with encephalitis was derived from clinical chart review of adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) across 16 different hospitals in Houston, Texas, between January 2005 and July 2015. Clinical features at admission were assessed for their correlation with inpatient mortality and used to derive a final risk score prediction tool. Results: A total of 273 adult patients with all cause encephalitis, 27 (9.9%) died during hospitalization. A limited number of clinical features were substantially different between patients that survived and those that died (Charlson score, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), immunosuppression, fever on admission, multiple serologic studies, and abnormal imaging). A final multivariable logistic model was derived with the following risk factors that were transformed into a scoring system: 1 point was assigned to the presence of a Charlson score > 2, thrombocytopenia, or cerebral edema, and 2 points for a GCS value < 8. Patients were then classified into different risk groups for inpatient mortality: 0 points (0%), 1 points (7%), 2 points (10.9%), 3 points (36.8%), and ≥ 4 points (81.8%). Conclusion: The risk score developed from this study shows a high predictive value. This can be highly beneficial in alerting care providers to key clinical risk factors associated with in hospital mortality in adults with encephalitis. Funding Statement: Grant A Starr Foundation. Declaration of Interests: RH has received research support and fees from Biofire®. All other authors have no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the University of Texas Health Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, the Harris Health System Research and Sponsor Programs, and the Memorial Hermann Research Review Committee.
It Is Time to Double Down: How to Greatly Increase Law Student Learning Throughout the Legal Academy

Advocates of learning theory and technique in the legal academy often couch their perspectives within a timid stance. They surmise that incremental change in the academy is the most effective strategy to effectuate needed change. Yet, penchant minds have called for more specific and effective teaching strategies in the legal academy for thirty years or more. Thus, this article calls for a more bold approach to teaching and learning. Clearly - It Is Time to Double Down! Learning theory and practice is well-founded on the proposition that effective learning techniques not only can, but will, enhance the cognitive effectiveness of law students. However, this change will occur only when cognitive enhancement techniques are robustly interwoven into doctrinal course structure. This article will forward the proposition that students will learn legal doctrine at an accelerated rate when we limit the words used to describe and elucidate legal theory, and when we increase the application protocol of thinking like an attorney.
Operationalizing the “American Dream”: A Comparison of Approaches

Institutional anomie theory (IAT) attributes the relatively high levels of violent crime in the United States to a social structure characterized by institutional imbalance towards economic dominance and a cultural ethos known as the American Dream which emphasizes individual material success. One of the greatest challenges in testing IAT lies in how to measure these central structural and cultural constructs. While extant research has largely coalesced around the operationalization of institutional imbalance, the measurement of culture has been markedly inconsistent. Such inconsistency may account for the more equivocal support for its cultural dynamics relative to its institutional dynamics. Using data on 47 countries, this study compares several approaches to operationalizing the cultural ethos known as the American Dream and explores whether these different operationalizations produce consistent findings. Study results provide mixed support for the cultural dynamics of IAT regardless of which approach is used and indicate that the approach taken to the measurement of culture can result in entirely different conclusions. We discuss the implications of these findings for IAT and future research on the relationship between culture and crime.
Modern Capitalism as a Threat to Health

[...]I thought that in a setting far from home, at a session hosted by the progressive People's Health Movement,2 he felt encouraged to discuss capitalism, which is rarely referenced in the US public health. [...]New York City's pioneering 2006 restriction of artificial trans fat in restaurant food eventually led the US Food and Drug Administration to remove these unhealthy fats from our food supply.3 But a consequence was a massive increase in demand for palm oil. [...]I reflected on the US focus on food components-sugar, salt, fat, calories-as bad actors, whereas Freudenberg highlights how Monteiro et al. from Brazil showed how the food preparation process-ultraprocessing-more than particularcomponents makes for unhealthy food4;how tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations created the budget shortfalls used to justify budget cuts to social safety nets;and how global trade agreements forced patent restrictions for lifesaving pharmaceuticals on poor nations, protecting private profits, which is now playing out with global access to COVID-19 vaccinations. The United States departed from the upward life expectancy trajectory of other wealthy nations around 1980, and 2015 marked a declinethatthe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated.6,7 The recent Lancet Commission on Public Policy intheTrump Era showed that had the United States' trajectory of life expectancy increase remained inthe middle ofthe packofG7 nations (which also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom), more than 450 000 total deaths would not have occurred.6 Not since 1964 has the majority of White voters voted for a Democrat for president.
Versatile Synthesis of Stable, Functional Polypeptides via Reaction with Epoxides

Methodology was developed for efficient alkylation of methionine residues using epoxides as a general strategy to introduce a wide range of functional groups onto polypeptides. Use of a spacer between epoxide and functional groups further allowed addition of sterically demanding functionalities. Contrary to other methods to alkylate methionine residues, epoxide alkylations allow the reactions to be conducted in wet protic media and give sulfonium products that are stable against dealkylation. These functionalizations are notable since they are chemoselective, utilize stable and readily available epoxides, and allow facile incorporation of an unprecedented range of functional groups onto simple polypeptides using stable linkages.
Inflammation and Repair

Inflammation is the reaction of living tissues to various forms of injurious stimuli. It involves vascular, neurologic, humoral and cellular responses. The inflammatory process is designed to destroy, dilute or contain the injurious agent and pave the way for repair.
Outcomes for multilevel surgery for sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea, transoral robotic surgery, and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

Objectives/Hypothesis This study evaluates the outcomes of multilevel surgery for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who underwent transoral robotic surgery (TORS) (i.e., posterior glossectomy and limited lateral pharyngectomy) with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Study Design Prospective, nonrandomized trial with historical controls. Methods All patients underwent pre- and postoperative polysomnography, preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the neck, preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy, surgery, including UPPP if this had not occurred previously, and OSA TORS. Outcomes measures included apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), O2 saturation nadir, and total sleep time spent at <90% O2 saturation. Results Patients who had no prior surgery achieved an average AHI reduction from 58.4 to 19.5 (67%, P < .0001), a surgical success rate of 56%, and a surgical response rate of 73%. Patients with prior pharyngeal surgery achieved an AHI reduction from 55.0 to 45 (24%, P = .19), a surgical success rate of 30%, and a surgical response rate of 40%. Total sleep time spent at <90% O2 saturation was improved from 14% to 3.6% (P < .0003) for patients without prior surgery, and 21.1% to 12.5% (P < .17)for those with prior surgery. ESS improved for all patients combined from 12.8 to 5.8 (P < .0001). Conclusions Outcomes for the combined approach of OSA TORS and UPPP provide strong evidence in favor of this multilevel approach for the surgical management of OSA. The benefit of the current surgical approach is most significant for previously unoperated patients. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 126:266–269, 2016
Peer-to-peer data mining, privacy issues, and games

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks are gaining increasing popularity in many distributed applications such as file-sharing, network storage, web caching, searching and indexing of relevant documents and P2P network-threat analysis. Many of these applications require scalable analysis of data over a P2P network. This paper starts by offering a brief overview of distributed data mining applications and algorithms for P2P environments. Next it discusses some of the privacy concerns with P2P data mining and points out the problems of existing privacy-preserving multi-party data mining techniques. It further points out that most of the nice assumptions of these existing privacy preserving techniques fall apart in real-life applications of privacy-preserving distributed data mining (PPDM). The paper offers a more realistic formulation of the PPDM problem as a multi-party game and points out some recent results.
Social safety net and the poor during the transition : the case of Bulgaria

Using data from the 1992 Bulgarian household budget survey, the authors analyze the structure of income in Bulgaria, identifying who the poor are and how they are reached by the social safety net. Their main findings about household incomes: (a) Social transfers provide an extremely large component - 24 percent - of household income per capita. That is roughly on a par with the share in other Eastern European countries but more than 40 percent higher than the share of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. (b) Wage earnings have declined as a source of income, reflecting the counteraction of the state sector. Wage income in Bulgaria has declined to only half the OECD level. (c) Income from self-employment has increased, reflecting the surge in small-scale retail establishments. Income is considerably less concentrated in Bulgaria than in other lower-middle-income countries. The author's main findings about the poor (the bottom 20 percent in terms of household income): The head of household in a poor home tends to be older, a woman, poorly educated, and unemployed. Poor households are not necessarily larger households in Bulgaria, unlike in other developing countries. The sources of income in poor Bulgarian households reflect other findings: (a) The poor depend for more than half their income on social benefits (especially pensions), indicating the importance of the social safety net. (b) The social safety net is not well targeted. Most social benefits are pro-poor, in the sense that they improve income distribution, but many benefits accrue to better-off households. There is substantial scope for better distribution of income. The authors conclude that comprehensive reform of social benefits is needed, focusing on pensions, unemployment benefits, child allowances, and social assistance.
Atmospheric Plasma Treatment of Nylon 6,6 for Improved Interfacial Adhesion in Thermoplastic Composites

The physio-chemical modifications of polyamide (Nylon 6,6) obtained from exposure to an atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge were examined. Specifically, the surface energy, surface chemical composition, and interfacial adhesive strength were studied using water contact angle goniometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and single joint lap shear testing. Nylon substrates were plasma treated with both O2 and water vapor (H2O) in He for 30, 60, and 180 seconds, resulting in the functionalization of the surface via the addition of reactive chemical groups such as −OH that change the energy, composition, and reactivity of the surface. The studies revealed that He/H2O plasma treatments were more effective at functionalizing the surface than He/O2 plasma treatments, resulting in a more than 40% decrease in the water contact angle. XPS results show a significant increase in the amount of surface oxygen after treatment, and lap shear experiments show an almost ∼300% increase in interfacial adhesive strength.
Laser stabilization of the local oscillator for an optical atomic clock

This paper demonstrates an ultrastable diode laser system for an optical atomic clock. This laser exploits a novel mounting configuration and is limited by the thermal noise of the cavity to which it is locked. Our measurements show the reality of Hz-level linewidth measurements between lasers of different colors located in different rooms.
Approximation Algorithm for the Stochastic Multiperiod Inventory Problem via a Look-Ahead Optimization Approach

We consider the single-item, multiperiod stochastic inventory problem with nonstationary and correlated demands. We provide the first proof that a well-known myopic policy, which we call look-ahead optimization (LA), is in fact an approximation algorithm for solving the large dynamic program that arises from this problem. We prove that LA provides the tightest known approximation bound for this problem. The expected cost of LA is at most twice the expected holding cost plus the expected backorder cost of an optimal policy. We introduce a new cost-accounting technique and a new class of invariances on the ongoing performance of LA relative to that of an optimal policy. We use these invariances to extend the myopic optimality of LA to a global bound on its performance. We allow convex and nonlinear holding and backorder cost functions, integral order quantities, and positive lead times under a technical condition on the growth of demand. We show in computational experiments that LA has excellent average-cas...
SAR classification and polarimetric fusion

The problem of target classification using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) polarizations is considered form a Bayesian decision point of view. This problem is analogous to the multi-sensor problem. We investigate the optimum design of a data fusion structure given that each classifier makes a target classification decision for each polarimetric channel. Thought the optimal structure is difficult to implement without complete statistical information, we show that significant performance gains can be made even without a perfect model. First, we analyze the problem from an optimal classification point of view using a simple classification problem by outlining the relationship between classification and fusion. Then, we demonstrate the performance improvement by fusing the decisions from a Gram Schmidt image classifier for each polarization.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cell density dependence of the ultrasonic degassing of fixed erythrocyte suspensions

Ultrasonic cell lysis in vitro shows a strong dependence on the cell density of the suspensions. The major determinant in this phenomenon appears to be the suspended particle density per se. Reported are the results of experiments designed to test the hypothesis that the majority of the cell density effect arises as a consequence of the cell density-dependent formation of cellular aggregates around oscillating bubbles in an ultrasound field (Nyborg and Miller 1982), which in turn diminishes the potential for the occurrence and sustenance of destructive cavitational events in the bulk suspension fluid. The hypothesis was tested indirectly using manometric methods to measure ultrasound-induced release of dissolved gas from saline solutions and fixed erythrocyte suspensions. Ultrasonic degassing of the fluids in excess of that attributable to thermal effects was observed, and was suppressed by the presence of fixed erythrocytes when the cell density was greater than 5 x 10(6) cells/mL. At higher cell densities, the inhibition of ultrasonic degassing by fixed cells increased monotonically with increasing cell density, attaining complete suppression at a cell density of 5 x 10(8) cells/mL. The data thus support the hypothesis.
Development of novel signal transduction inhibitors: Recent phase I trials

In patients with refractory solid tumors, administration of OSI-774 was well tolerated. The major toxicity appeared to be diarrhea and cutaneous acneiform rash. The recommended phase II dose of OSI-774 is 150 mg/d, administered continuously. The pharmacokinetic studies revealed that biologically relevant plasma drug concentration could be achieved and sustained with this dose level. The significance of the tumor regression in this clinical trial is uncertain, but it is of interest. Further development and use of this EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor is now underway.
γ-Aminobutyric acid type B receptors facilitate L-type and attenuate N-type Ca2+ currents in isolated hippocampal neurons

Activation of presynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA(B)) receptors inhibits neurotransmitter release at many synapses (both excitatory and inhibitory), and activation of postsynaptic GABA(B) receptors leads to a general inhibition of the postsynaptic cell in mature neurons. Although the action of GABA(B) receptors at the soma of excitatory hippocampal pyramidal cells has been resolved to be regulation of a potassium or calcium conductance, it is not clear that all neurons in the hippocampus demonstrate similar effects of GABA(B) receptor activation. In the current study, GABA(B) receptor-mediated effects on calcium currents in acute cultures composed of heterogeneous cells from the superior region of neonatal hippocampi were studied. In 54.5% of cells, the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen (10 microM) attenuated the whole-cell calcium current by 21.0% +/- 1.1%. In 29.9% of cells, baclofen facilitated the calcium current by 43.5% +/- 8.1%. The component of current attenuated by baclofen was blocked by the N-type calcium channel antagonist omega-conotoxin GVIA (3 microM). The component of current facilitated by baclofen was blocked by the L-type channel antagonist nimodipine (20 microM). For cells that showed calcium current facilitation, baclofen shifted the half-maximal activation by approximately -14 mV. The data indicate that activation of GABA(B) receptors in neurons of the superior hippocampus attenuates current through N-type channels and facilitates current through L-type channels. The two opposing effects of GABA(B) receptor activation may reflect the heterogeneity of the cultured cells or may be a developmentally regulated phenomenon.
Supply Dynamics of the Mental Health Workforce: Implications for Health Policy

The U.S. mental health workforce is varied and flexible. The strong growth in supply of nonphysician mental health professionals, ranging from psychologists to “midlevel” professionals like social workers and nurse specialists, helps to offset the dwindling numbers of medical graduates entering the field of psychiatry. Primary care physicians often see patients who have some form of mental illness, which they are not always trained to recognize and treat. The data on the supply of several specialists—psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and clinical social workers—indicate that the distribution of mental health professionals varies widely by state. The composition, supply, and distribution of workers in this field also affect the care of vulnerable populations. Broader policy questions, including the lack of parity between mental and physical health insurance coverage and barriers to entry by nonphysician professions, may limit the cost-effective expansion of this diverse and dynamic workforce.
THE SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF ETHNIC POLITICS: Ethnic Loyalties, Political Loyalties, and Social Support

This article considers social status, neighborhood, and geographical independence explanations for the persistence of ethnic politics. The primary focus of this article is upon systems of social support underlying the cohesion of ethnic groups. Two different forms of social support—the neighborhood social context and the family—are considered relative to several political behaviors: Democratic identification, subjective ethnic identification, and support for an ethnic surnamed politician. The data base for the analysis is a survey of Buffalo, merged with contextual data for survey respondents.
Sandia's Baseline 3 photovoltaic concentrator module

The design, fabrication, and testing of a photovoltaic concentrator module that can readily be adapted for commercial production are presented. It consists of a 2 by 12 parquet of lenses arranged with 24 cells in an aluminum housing. The cells are soldered directly to a copper heat spreader, eliminating the expensive ceramic wafer that has been used in previous designs. The aluminum housings are anodized and electrophoretically coated, with a high-temperature acrylic, creating a thin (50 mu m) electrically isolating layer capable of withstanding 3000 V. No additional electrical insulation between the electrically-live heat spreader and the housing is required, thereby enhancing heat transfer and, in combination with the copper heat spreader, eliminating the need for a separate heat sink. >
Injury and Illness Encountered in Shenandoah National Park

Objective There have been no studies to date exploring the nature of injuries and illness experienced by individuals in a National Park in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of such illnesses and injuries to visitors in Shenandoah National Park. Methods This study was a retrospective review of the case incident reports from Shenandoah National Park from 2003 to 2007. Data obtained included age, sex, time and date report was received, medical symptoms, trauma type, location of injury, mechanism of injury, level of care, time to patient, time to disposition, disposition type, location, and activity at time of event. Results There were 159 total cases, corresponding to a reported incident rate of 2.7 persons reported injured or ill per 100 000 visitors to Shenandoah National Park. A total of 23.3% of all reported injuries occurred in persons less than 18 years of age. The most common reported adult injury was soft tissue injury, with the most common anatomical location being the distal lower extremity. The most common activity in which adults were involved at the time of the injury was hiking. Of the pediatric trauma cases, the most common mechanism of injury was a fall. Of the adult medical illnesses, the most common complaint was chest pain. Conclusions The pattern of adult and pediatric trauma is consistent among several geographically different National Parks in the United States and represents an injury pattern that all wilderness/outdoor care providers need to be competent to treat. Among adult visitors, the most common medical complaint was chest pain, a complaint more prevalent at Shenandoah National Park compared to other parks. Knowing that trauma injury patterns are relatively similar to those of other parks but that medical illness is more locale specific can help health care providers tailor their resource allotment and health management protocols.
Human health risks from methylmercury in fish

Human health risks from methylmercury in fish are evaluated in terms of dose-response relationships for both adult and prenatal human exposures. Specifically, information has become available from three independent epidemiological studies indicating that methylmercury levels in the mother during pregnancy predict the probability of adverse effects in her offspring. The mercury levels in the mother are measured as concentration in head hair which in turn is an excellent predictor of blood concentration. The adverse effects in the offspring take the form of psychomotor retardation. These dose-response relations along with a one-compartment kinetic model for methylmercury accumulation in humans will be used to estimate minimum toxic daily intakes; these are, for nonpregnant adults, 4,300 ng Hg/kg body weight/d and about 600 to 1,100 ng Hg/kg/d for pregnant adults. These values assume continuous exposure until the individual has attained steady state balance with respect to the body burden of methylmercury. This will take up to one year in most cases.