cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Federal Mental Health Parity on Mental Health Care Use and Spending

Decades-long efforts to require parity between behavioral and physical health insurance coverage culminated in the passage of the comprehensive federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), implemented in 2010. A patchwork of state mental health parity laws preceded MHPAEA, none of which applied to employer-sponsored plans governed by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (also known as self-insured plans). Parity policies aim to improve financial protection and increase access to and utilization of behavioral health services for persons with mental health conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of MHPAEA on use of and out-of-pocket spending on mental health care services. We conducted a before-after with comparison group study of commercially-insured enrollees in 24 states where self-insured employers were newly subject to parity under MHPAEA but small employer plans were exempt both before and after MHPAEA. Our “intervention” group comprised propensity score matched behavioral health patients enrolled through self-insured employers (n=11,326) that we followed for 1 year before and 1-2 years after MHPAEA. “Comparison” group members comprised similar patients in small-employer plans (n=11,326). We calculated changes in out-of-pocket costs and utilization using adjusted difference-in-differences analyses. We found that, relative to comparison group enrollees, mean out-of-pocket spending per outpatient mental health visit declined among intervention group enrollees by $0.72 (p<0.05) 1 year and $4.25 (p<0.001) 2 years after MHPAEA. In the intervention group, mental health outpatient visits per enrollee increased by 0.27 visits (p<0.01) 1 year and 0.40 visits (p<0.001) 2 years after MHPAEA (relative increases of 3.74% and 5.80%, respectively). We did not detect significant changes in total outpatient mental health out-of-pocket spending, ED visits, or hospitalizations. We conclude that among the commercially insured population, MHPAEA had modest effects on reducing out-of-pocket costs and increasing access to use of outpatient mental health services. These dynamics may presage the effects of extending parity to underserved populations under the Affordable Care Act. Comprehensive federal parity addressed some gaps created by heterogeneous state policies and served to moderately increase financial protection and use of mental health services. Ultimately, parity policies cannot alone solve access and utilization deficits in mental health care in the U.S. Addressing other barriers to care, such as provider under-supply and stigma, will supplement the effects of parity in mental health insurance coverage.
Citrus tristeza virus-based induced gene silencing of phytoene desaturase is more efficient when antisense orientation is used

In this study, phytoene desaturase (PDS) in citrus and green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Nicotiana benthamiana (line 16c) were silenced by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) with Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), using the sense and antisense orientations. The antisense orientation showed a stronger reduction of GFP expression in N. benthamiana compared with the sense orientation. Similarly, the antisense orientation of pds induced stronger leaf photobleaching than the sense orientation. The antisense orientation produced higher levels of pds- and gfp-specific short interfering RNAs (siRNAs; ∼ 21 nucleotides) than the sense orientation. In addition, the antisense orientation of pds resulted in lower expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes and produced lower levels of carotenoids and chlorophylls compared to the sense orientation. Furthermore, the antisense insertion resulted in higher accumulation of the colorless carotenoid phytoene compared to the sense orientation. Our results indicate that the gene fragments inserted using the antisense orientation induced higher gene silencing than the sense orientation because more short interfering RNAs were produced. These siRNAs are complementary to the mRNAs of the target gene and consequently guide the degradation of target mRNA. Better understanding of gene silencing mechanisms in plants is necessary to enhance VIGS technology.
A spatially-pruned vertex expansion operator in the Neo4j graph database system

Graphs are widely used to model data in many application domains. Thanks to the wide spread use of GPS-enabled devices, many applications assign spatial attributes to graph vertexes (e.g., geographic knowledge bases, geo-tagged social media). Graph database systems such as Neo4j and Titan are commonly used to manage and query graph data. Even though an off-the-shelf graph database system allows users to define spatial location semantics on vertexes and edges, existing graph query processors are not natively optimized for spatial predicates. The paper proposes GeoExpand—a query operator that adds spatial data awareness to a graph database management system. GeoExpand allows efficient execution of graph queries that involve spatial predicates. The proposed operator makes use of spatial bitmap entries stored as properties in the graph. GeoExpand leverages such bitmap entries to possibly terminate the graph traversal process early and hence reduces the query latency. Since the spatial bitmap entries are represented using a light-weight data structure, they do not add a lot of storage or maintenance overhead. That makes GeoExpand a practical solution. Experiments based on implementation inside the core kernel of Neo4j prove that the GeoExpand operator exhibits up to two orders of magnitude better query response time than the classic Expand operator used in Neo4j.
The Clinical Spectrum of McCune-Albright Syndrome and Its Management.

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare, mosaic disorder presenting along a broad clinical spectrum. Disease arises from somatic-activating GNAS mutations, leading to constitutive Gαs activation and ligand-independent signaling of the Gαs-coupled protein receptor. The phenotype is largely determined by location and extent of tissues in which the GNAS mutation is expressed, as well as the pathophysiologic effects of Gαs activation within these tissues. Patients pre-sent clinically with a variable combination of fibrous dysplasia of bone (FD), cafe-au-lait skin macules, and hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies. In bone, Gαs leads to impaired differentiation of skeletal stem cells and formation of discrete, expansile FD lesions, resulting in fractures, pain, and functional impairment. A systematic approach to diagnosis and management is critically important to optimize outcomes for patients with FD/MAS. There are no medical therapies capable of altering the disease course in FD; however, screening and treatment for endocrinopathies can mitigate some skeletal morbidities. This review summarizes current understanding of MAS pathophysiology, describes the spectrum of clinical features, and includes a detailed discussion of the recommended approach to diagnosis and management.
Inspection or Play? A Study of How Augmented Reality Technology Can Be Utilized in Advertising

This study presents one of the earliest empirical studies that evaluates the effects of different interactivity and message design aspects of augmented reality (AR) advertising on consumer response...
Identifying factors influencing delays in breast cancer treatment in Kentucky following the 2014 Medicaid expansion.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A previous analysis of breast cancer care after the 2014 Medicaid expansion in Kentucky demonstrated delays in treatment despite a 12% increase in insurance coverage. This study sought to identify factors associated with treatment delays to better focus efforts for improved breast cancer care. METHODS The Kentucky Cancer Registry was queried for adult women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2010 and 2016 who underwent up-front surgery. Demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics were assessed to identify factors independently associated with treatment delays. RESULTS Among 6225 patients, treatment after Medicaid expansion (odds ratio [OR] = 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.874-2.535, P < .001), urban residence (OR = 1.362, 95% CI = 1.163-1.594, P < .001), treatment at an academic center (OR = 1.988, 95% CI = 1.610-2.455, P < .001), and breast reconstruction (OR = 3.748, 95% CI = 2.780-5.053, P < .001) were associated with delay from diagnosis to surgery. Delay in postoperative chemotherapy was associated with older age (OR = 1.155,95% CI = 1.002-1.332, P = .0469), low education level (OR = 1.324, 95% CI = 1.164-1.506, P < .001), hormone receptor positivity (OR = 1.375, 95% CI = 1.187-1.593, P < .001), and mastectomy (OR = 1.312, 95% CI = 1.138-1.513, P < .001). Delay in postoperative radiation was associated with younger age (OR = 1.376, 95% CI = 1.370-1.382, P < .001), urban residence (OR = 1.741, 95% CI = 1.732-1.751, P < .001), treatment after Medicaid expansion (OR = 2.007, 95% CI = 1.994-2.021, P < .001), early stage disease (OR = 5.661, 95% CI = 5.640-5.682, P < .001), and mastectomy (OR = 1.884, 95% CI = 1.870-1.898, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Patient, tumor, and socioeconomic factors influence the timing of breast cancer treatment. Improving timeliness of treatment will likely require improvements in outreach, education, and healthcare infrastructure.
Action-based solar education in architecture

Abstract This paper presents a classroom-field interactive teaching and research tool, named Interactive Satellite Solar Lab (ISSL) that transcends the physical boundary of conventional classrooms and expands the venue of teaching and learning to out-of-doors. Tethered wirelessly to the classroom, the satellite lab empowers students to examine real-time performance of solar systems in real world settings. While experiments are conducted in remote settings by a team of students, their experiments and collected data are communicated instantly to the classroom instructor and students. The visual images and collected data from field experiments are simulcast in the classroom where the instructor and other students are viewing them. The data gathered from the field are transmitted to the instructor’s and students’ PCs or cellular phones. Activities of onsite experiments can be recorded and projected in the classroom. The field team and the classroom students are able to assess field conditions, make decisions, and perform experiments together. The ISSL was developed by a multidisciplinary team of faculty and students in an effort to transform the environmental dimension of architectural education, and to explore and promote a next generation pedagogic paradigm for science and engineering.
Not Just Counters: Clay Tokens and Ritual Materiality in the Ancient Near East

Clay tokens, or small geometric artifacts, from ancient Near Eastern sites have been interpreted as counters for economic transactions for more than 75 years. I challenge this paradigm with an alternative scenario where clay is not always an expedient substance for mundane purposes, but a symbolically important one to make ritual objects. While some clay tokens functioned as calculi, others served in religious contexts, such as ceremonial offerings. In this article, I cover the archaeological and comparative cultural evidence of the material patterning of ritual clay tokens to reexamine the economic token paradigm. In the ancient Near East, clay tokens were used in temples, human burials, pilgrimage shrines, and ritual caches, which indicates that tokens served in ritual contexts and not just as counters. Cross-culturally, worshipers utilize small clay objects for ceremonial purposes, such as pilgrims’ tokens. Clay absorbs spiritual power at shrines in many cultures, making it a significant material for ritual offerings, blessings, or protection. Worshipers place clay tokens at shrines or take them home for family members and sick persons to touch or consume. Similar material contexts suggest that ancient people in the Near East used some clay tokens to gain merit from deities for prosperity, health, and religious devotion.
Curriculum Change Needed: A Decline in Antireflux Surgery in the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship.

Abstract: Background Case number requirements by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) have recently changed in general surgery residency and pediatric surgery fellowship. Overall, pediatric surgery fellowship case volumes remain high, but there may be limited exposure to many index cases. We hypothesize that pediatric antireflux surgery is decreasing nationally, and this trend is independent of the fluctuating number of pediatric surgery fellows. Materials and methods A review of publicly available ACGME case reports from 2003 to 2018 was performed. Both open and laparoscopic antireflux surgery cases were evaluated. Analyzed data included average case number per fellow, minimum and maximum case numbers, and number of fellows each year. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results We identified a significant relationship (P Conclusions Case numbers continue to be an important topic in ACGME discussions for surgical residency and subspecialty fellowships. Our review has shown a national decline in the number of pediatric antireflux surgeries performed in pediatric surgery fellowship. Identifying additional trends in surgical management of diseases may aid in the evolution of the pediatric surgery curriculum.
Association of Mohs Micrographic Surgery vs Wide Local Excision With Overall Survival Outcomes for Patients With Melanoma of the Trunk and Extremities.

Importance Although previous database studies suggest that Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) treatment is associated with improved overall survival (OS) for head and neck melanomas, outcomes for trunk and extremity (T&E) tumors have not been adequately evaluated. Objective To assess survival outcomes for patients with melanomas of the T&E treated with MMS vs wide local excision (WLE). Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study examined deidentified data from the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2015. Inclusion criteria for the analysis included diagnosis of trunk, upper extremity, or lower extremity melanoma; known Breslow depth; removal by MMS or WLE; and known last date of survival status. Main Outcomes and Measures Five-year all-cause mortality (ACM) rates. Results A total of 188 862 in situ and invasive melanomas were included in the analysis (MMS, 2.3%; WLE, 97.7%); the mean (SD) age of patients included was 58.8 (16.0) years, and 52.7% were male. Multivariate analysis demonstrated no OS difference among trunk (WLE hazard ratio [HR], 1.097; 95% CI, 0.950-1.267; P = .21), upper extremity (WLE HR, 1.013; 95% CI, 0.872-1.176; P = .87), lower extremity (WLE HR, 0.934; 95% CI, 0.770-1.134; P = .49), or combined TE 95% CI, 0.941-1.130; P = .51) tumors. Factors associated with in creased risk of ACM on multivariate analysis of all tumors included increasing age (HR, 1.043; 95% CI, 1.042-1.044; P < .001), no insurance or nonprivate insurance (none: HR, 1.921 [95% CI, 1.782-2.071]; Medicaid: HR, 2.410 [95% CI, 2.242-2.591]; Medicare: HR, 1.237 [95% CI, 1.194-1.281]; other government insurance: HR, 1.279 [95% CI, 1.117-1.465]; P < .001 for all), positive surgical margins (HR, 1.609; 95% CI, 1.512-1.712; P < .001), a Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score greater than 0 (Charlson-Deyo score of 1: HR, 1.340; 95% CI, 1.295-1.385; P < .001; Charlson-Deyo score of ≥2: HR, 2.044; 95% CI, 1.934-2.159; P < .001), tumor ulceration (HR, 2.175; 95% CI, 2.114-2.238; P < .001), and increasing Breslow depth (HR, 1.002 [per 0.1 mm]; P < .001). Female sex (HR, 0.698; 95% CI, 0.680-0.716; P < .001) and nonnodular subtype (lentigo maligna/lentigo maligna melanoma: HR, 0.743; 95% CI, 0.686-0.805; P < .001; superficial spreading: HR, 0.739; 95% CI, 0.710-0.769; P < .001; other subtype: HR, 0.817; 95% CI, 0.790-0.845; P < .001; nodular: HR, 1 [reference]) were associated with improved OS. Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study of patients surgically treated for melanomas of the trunk and/or extremities found that, compared with WLE, MMS was not associated with significantly different OS for T&E melanomas.
The Home State Effect on Lobbying: Evidence from U.S. Climate Politics

Organized business interests often seek to block public interest regulations, but how they engage depends on institutional context. We argue that in federal systems state policy and politics can have a home state effect on firm preferences and political behavior at the national level. State policies can force firms to absorb regulatory cost, thus reducing the marginal cost of national policies. In addition, firms regulated at the state level have incentives to strategically align with their state governments to avoid future regulatory cost. We test our argument by matching original data on the positions of electric utilities towards the Clean Power Plan and data on ad hoc coalition membership with data measuring state policy stringency and state government positions. Quantitative evidence is consistent with hypotheses: both state policies and state politics influence utilities’ national positions. Elite interviews clarify different mechanisms. Findings underscore how sub-national governments shape national interest group politics.
The Market-Wide Implications of Cyber Risk: Evidence from Customers and Data Breaches

Motivated by the SEC’s growing concern about cybersecurity, I study whether data breaches have market-wide negative externalities. I find that peer data breaches are associated with lower sales for the average non-breached firm, both in a levels analysis with firm and year fixed effects and in a changes analysis. This suggests that, on average, customers’ anxiety about cybersecurity outweighs their demand for products sold by non-breached firms, despite these firms not exhibiting a breach themselves. I also find that the effect varies based on the quality of a non-breached firm’s information technology, the discretionary nature of the goods sold in an industry, whether a peer breach occurs during the holiday season, and across time – with some non-breached firms exhibiting higher, rather than lower, sales. Taken together, my timely evidence speaks to the market-wide implications of cyber risk and suggests there are important, but previously unexplored, externalities of data breaches.
Proton and hydrogen transfer reactions in solution

Proton transfer is involved in many chemical reactions, including reactions of electrochemical interest. In this paper, an analysis is presented in which individual bond potential energy functions which operate between the migrating proton (or hydrogen atom) and the remainder of the molecular framework are used in the account of the rate of transfer. This work builds upon and extends an analysis which was introduced to account for the inversion of ammonia in terms of individual, discrete intramolecular atomic interactions. The role of the environment in the transfer is discussed in terms of Metropolis/Monte Carlo methods. Algorithms for the determination of the transition state are considered: in particular, saddle point methods. Techniques for handling the determination of the saddle point when the migrating species is represented as a quantum mechanical wave-packet are discussed in addition to the more familiar methods based on the direct differentiation of the potential energy function for the reactive system.
Inhibitory effects of PPARγ ligands on TGF-β1-induced CTGF expression in cat corneal fibroblasts

Ligands of Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor gamma (PPARγ) possess strong anti-fibrotic properties in the cornea and several other body tissues. In the cornea, we recently showed this class of molecules to prevent stromal myofibroblast differentiation partially by blocking the actions of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, given the important role assigned to connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in mediating corneal fibrosis, here we asked whether PPARγ ligands also act by affecting transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) 1-induced expression of CTGF in cultured corneal fibroblasts. Corneal keratocytes were isolated from young, adult cats and early passage cells were exposed to TGF-β1 with or without the PPARγ ligands Rosiglitazone, Troglitazone and 15d-PGJ2. Western blots were used to assay levels of CTGF and alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), a marker of myofibroblast differentiation. CTGF siRNA demonstrated a critical role for CTGF in TGF-β1-mediated myofibroblast differentiation, while exogenously applied CTGF potentiated the pro-fibrogenic effects of TGF-β1. TGF-β1-mediated increases in CTGF and αSMA expression were strongly inhibited by all three PPARγ ligands tested, and by a c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor. However, while extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, protein kinase B (AKT) and p38 MAPK inhibitors also blocked TGF-β1-induced αSMA induction, they did not dampen TGF-β1-induced increases in levels of CTGF. Thus, we conclude that PPARγ ligands block TGF-β1-induced increases in CTGF levels in cat corneal fibroblasts. They appear to do this in addition to their anti-fibrotic effect on p38 MAPK, providing a second intracellular pathway by which PPARγ ligands block αSMA induction.
Acquiring speech transcriptions using mismatched crowdsourcing

Transcribed speech is a critical resource for building statistical speech recognition systems. Recent work has looked towards soliciting transcriptions for large speech corpora from native speakers of the language using crowdsourcing techniques. However, native speakers of the target language may not be readily available for crowdsourcing. We examine the following question: can humans unfamiliar with the target language help transcribe? We follow an information-theoretic approach to this problem: (1) We learn the characteristics of a noisy channel that models the transcribers' systematic perception biases. (2) We use an error-correcting code, specifically a repetition code, to encode the inputs to this channel, in conjunction with a maximum-likelihood decoding rule. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we transcribe isolated Hindi words with the help of Mechanical Turk workers unfamiliar with Hindi. We successfully recover Hindi words with an accuracy of over 85% (and 94% in a 4-best list) using a 15-fold repetition code. We also estimate the conditional entropy of the input to this channel (Hindi words) given the channel output (transcripts from crowdsourced workers) to be less than 2 bits; this serves as a theoretical estimate of the average number of bits of auxiliary information required for errorless recovery.
International Teaching Assistants and the Essence of the Development of Intercultural Competence

Intercultural competence is an essential, but understudied, aspect of communication for successful interactions between international teaching assistants (ITAs) and undergraduate students. This qualitative study employs transcendental phenomenology to describe the essence of the development of intercultural competence from the lived experiences of Chinese ITAs studying at a mid-size university in the northeast. The initial pool of participants was international graduate assistants from mainland China with a minimum of one semester experience as a teaching assistant. Two participant screening tools were employed. First, department mentors were asked to nominate potential participants with good levels of intercultural competence. Second, nominees were invited to complete the online Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003). As a result, seven individuals who had both mentor nominations and mid to high scores on the IDI participated in interviews. The result of this study is a composite textural-structural description of the essence of the factors that challenge, support, and influence the development of intercultural competence. The essential structure involves perceptions of cultural difference, intercultural experiences and interactions with others, and strategies to communicate with undergraduate students, to teach effectively, and to intentionally develop intercultural competence. This study provides a description of the unique perspectives and firsthand accounts that experienced ITAs offer on how they have developed effective ways of communicating with those who are culturally different from themselves. Rather than emphasizing a deficiency model of what ITAs are lacking or an ethnocentric model of what undergraduate students are demanding, the study focuses on a strength-based, intercultural model of what effective ITAs share from their perspectives. Suggestions are made for ways to apply the findings of the study to the fields of intercultural communication and ITA training.
Computer Simulation of Flow of Liquid Crystal Polymers

In the lecture delivered at the IMA Workshop on Orienting Polymers two years ago, Wissbrun (1984) presented an overview of the rheology of liquid crystal polymers and also emphasized the need for numerical simulations of the flow and orientation development. The great practical importance of such studies stems from the well-known fact that processing of liquid crystal polymers may be used for production of solid materials which have extremely valuable properties (strength, etc.) due to the high degree of molecular orientation. Molecular orientation is thus a very important function of the processing conditions (equipment geometry, flow regime, etc.), and the ability to predict and control this function can be crucial for the successful production of solid materials with required properties.
Predictors of Treatment Interest and Treatment Initiation in a VA Outpatient Trauma Services Program Providing Evidence‐Based Care

The present study explored interest in treatment and treatment initiation patterns among veterans presenting at a VA posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinic. U.S. veterans who were referred for treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms (N = 476) attended a 2-session psychoeducation and orientation class where they completed measures of demographic variables, PTSD and depression symptom severity, and interest in treatment. Consistent with previous literature and our hypotheses, Vietnam (OR = 1.78) and Persian Gulf veterans (OR = 2.05) were more likely than Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to initiate treatment. Veterans reporting more severe PTSD and depression symptoms were more likely to initiate treatment than not (OR for PTSD = 1.02, OR for depression = 1.02). Interest in treatment emerged as a strong predictor of treatment initiation. Specifically, interest in trauma-focused treatment showed a significant independent predictive effect on initiation such that veterans who expressed interest in trauma-focused treatment were significantly more likely to initiate treatment than those who did not express interest (OR = 2.13). Building interest in trauma-focused treatment may be a vital component for engaging veterans in evidence-based trauma-focused therapy.
Should the U.S. dictate world tax policy? Reflections on PPL Corporation v. Commissioner

The Supreme Court’s decision to grant certiorari in the PPL case offers it a unique opportunity to change the law regarding foreign tax credits that has significantly impeded the ability of other countries to engage in meaningful tax reform. In 1938, the Court said in dicta that to qualify for the foreign tax credit a tax had to be an income or excess profits tax (or a tax imposed in lieu thereof) under US tax principles. This statement has led to an elaborate set of regulations defining what is an income tax, which has significantly hampered the ability of foreign countries to adopt tax reforms for fear that their taxes would not be creditable. It is time for the Court to declare that any tax whose burden falls on the taxpayer, i.e. any direct tax, is a creditable tax, and do away with the cumbersome structure of the IRC section 901 regulations.
Zero-ripple analysis methods for three-port bidirectional integrated magnetic Ćuk converters

In this paper, the three-port Cuk converter interfaces one unidirectional input power port (envisioned to be a DC power source such as PV, or fuel cell) and two bidirectional output ports, representing the grid-tied inverter dc bus and a storage port respectively, and combines all the magnetics into a single core. The well-known property of the basic Cuk converter that emulates an ideal dc-dc transformer (zero ripple terminal currents) is extended to three ports and is analyzed in detail. Two methods, one involving the physical structure of the core, and the other, a circuit-based dual approach, which is directly related to the core structure, are applied to solve the zero-ripple problem, and the accuracy of one of them over the other is verified with simulation results. Three different power transfer modes in this three-port converter are compared using the two methods mentioned above.
Can The EQ-5D Detect Meaningful Change? A Systematic Review

The EQ-5D is one of the most frequently used, generic, preference-based instruments for measuring the health utilities of patients in economic evaluations. It is recommended for health technology assessment by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Because the EQ-5D plays such an important role in economic evaluations, useful information on its responsiveness to detect meaningful change in health status is required. This study systematically reviewed and synthesized evidence on the responsiveness of the EQ-5D to detect meaningful change in health status for clinical research and economic evaluations. We searched the EuroQol website, PubMed, PsychINFO, and EconLit databases to identify studies published in English from the inception of the EQ-5D until August 15, 2014 using keywords that were related to responsiveness. Studies that used only the EQ-VAS were excluded from the final analysis. Narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize evidence on the responsiveness of the EQ-5D by conditions or physiological functions. Of 1401 studies, 145 were included in the narrative synthesis and categorized into 19 categories for 56 conditions. The EQ-5D was found to be responsive in 25 conditions (45 %) with the magnitude of responsiveness varying from small to large depending on the condition. There was mixed evidence of responsiveness in 27 conditions (48 %). Only four conditions (7 %) (i.e., alcohol dependency, schizophrenia, limb reconstruction, and hearing impairment) were identified where the EQ-5D was not responsive. The EQ-5D is an appropriate measure for economic evaluation and health technology assessment in conditions where it has demonstrated evidence of responsiveness. In conditions with mixed evidence of responsiveness, researchers should consider using the EQ-5D with other condition-specific measures to ensure appropriate estimates of effectiveness. These conditions should be a main focus for future research using the new EQ-5D version with five response levels.
Outcomes Research: Measuring the End Results of Health Care

Only by collecting and analyzing health outcomes data will it be possible to judge the overall quality of care for the nation. In the next decade, increased inclusion of outcomes measures in daily practice will facilitate expansion of the metrics by which patients and clinicians evaluate the success of health care. Close correspondence between research and the needs of decision-makers will be needed to ensure that health care services are used effectively.
Computer aided system prototyping

The ability of various types of computer-aided prototyping environments to speed up prototyping and help the analysts formulate, understand, and communicate the properties of proposed systems to potential users of those systems, and to integrate smoothly with tools for optimizing and refining the prototype design into a production-quality software product, is examined. Comparisons of software prototyping with system prototyping and of throw-away with evolutionary prototyping are given. The technologies which support prototyping, i.e., prototyping languages, software reuse, designed interfaces, and decision support, are described. >
Load modeling and emulation for an earthmoving vehicle powertrain

Previously an earthmoving vehicle powertrain simulator (EVPS) was built at the University of Illinois to investigate generic power optimization of multi-load hydrostatic transmissions. In the current work, nonlinear load models for an earthmoving vehicle powertrain are developed for a wheel loader and emulated using the EVPS. The load models are to be utilized in the overall development and evaluation of controllers for multi-load powertrains. The three load models include steering, drive, and implement systems. The hardware-in-the-loop setup of the EVPS allows for two-stage pressure relief valves to be used in coordination with the real-time simulations of the load models to emulate powertrain loads. Simulation and emulation results from the load models are presented for a 180-degree loading cycle. Although this was done for earthmoving vehicles, it is felt that this hardware-in-the-loop approach with load emulation could be used in many automotive or other transportation applications.
Field enhancement and optical trapping with plasmonic nano antennas on silicon-based waveguides

Plasmonic nano antennas like dimers, bowties, and others have been investigated for their capability to provide a strong near-field enhancement when illuminated by external light. Traditionally these nano antennas, isolated or arrayed, are placed on a substrate and used in spectroscopy techniques. Surfaces made of such plasmonic nano antennas have been very useful, for example for surface enhanced Raman scattering, providing various orders of magnitude of enhanced sensitivity. These instruments however are not economic and are often not mobile since surfaces require an external beam illumination and the Raman scattering is detected by a large aperture microscope. We propose a technique where optical plasmonic nano antennas are located in proximity of silicon based waveguides that provide both for illumination and detection channels. The evanescent field surrounding the waveguide is capable to excite the proximity resonant nano antenna and generate the very strong field enhancement in the antenna gaps. Intensity enhancement reaches three or four orders of magnitude. Such nano antennas are used also for detection schemes and they provide very high sensitivity to molecular scattering, for example, when molecules are placed in the antenna “hot spot”. A couple of different silicon based waveguide will be investigated with coupling to various possible plasmonic nano antennas. First we investigate the field enhancement and then the coupling to waveguide modes.
Tropical Cyclone Minimum Sea Level Pressure/Maximum Sustained Wind Relationship for the Western North Pacific

Abstract Determining the proper relationship between the minimum sea level pressures and maximum sustained winds in tropical cyclones has been a long-standing problem. The major obstacle has been the lack of sufficient ground truth, i.e., actual measurements of maximum wind speeds in tropical cyclones with a wide range of central pressures. In this study 28 years of maximum wind measurements made at coastal and island stations in the western North Pacific were collected and analyzed. Because of problems in measuring and interpreting sustained surface wind speeds, only recorded peak gust values were used. These peak gust values were reduced to a standard anemometer level of 10 m using a power law relationship and then converted to 1 min sustained wind speeds using gust factors representative of an overwater environment. The sample was restricted to cases where it was reasonably certain that the station experienced the cyclone's winds during its passage. The resulting equation,where pc is the minimum sea le...
The neurotensin receptor agonist NT69L suppresses sucrose-reinforced operant behavior in the rat

NT69L is a neurotensin analog that can be administered peripherally. It blocks amphetamine- and cocaine-induced hyperactivity in rats. It also blocks nicotine-induced locomotor activity and has shown sustained efficacy in a rat model of nicotine-induced sensitization. The present study tested the effect of NT69L on responding for sucrose reinforcement on a continuous reinforcement schedule (CRF) and incrementing (FR1-FR5) discrimination schedule. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, on restricted food intake, were trained to press a lever for sucrose pellets on a CRF and incrementing discrimination schedule of reinforcement. On the following day, the testing session was followed by an extinction session, where lever pressing was not reinforced. Immediately after extinction, a reversal to CRF was implemented to test for relapse. Trained rats were injected with NT69L (1 mg/kg) or saline 30 min before each testing session. Dopamine, tyrosine 3-hydroxylase, and dopamine receptor mRNA levels were determined. NT69L significantly suppressed the lever pressing behavior for sucrose reinforcement on CRF which measures the "hedonic" value of the reward. NT69L also suppressed sucrose self-administration on the incrementing discrimination schedule of reinforcement (FR3-FR5) that is analogous to the motivational incentive. Reversal to CRF was significantly reduced by pretreatment with NT69L. The suppression of sucrose self-administration behavior by pretreatment with NT69L had a pattern similar to that for extinction. The effect of NT69L on dopamine, tyrosine 3-hydroxylase, and dopamine receptor mRNA levels is discussed relative to changes occurring during extinction.
Quantitation of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) receptors by a microcentrifuge exchange assay: evidence for the existence of a nucleoplasmic pool of rat liver T3 receptors.

The total T3 receptor content of small aliquots of rat liver nuclear extracts was determined by incubation at a single, near-saturating concentration of [125I]T:) (3 nM) at 25 C for 2 h (exchange assay). Under these assay conditions the detectability of receptors occupied by endogenous T3 was only minimally reduced. Approximately 85% of the maximal binding capacity established by Scatchard analysis was determined by this technique. Compared to Scatchard analysis a 5-fold increase in the number of samples which could be assayed was realized without unacceptably high levels of background radioactivity. A nucleoplasmic pool of T3 receptors was obtained by three successive extractions of purified rat liver nuclei with a 0.15 M KC1 medium; a chromatin-bound pool was obtained by successive extractions of the residual chromatin with a 0.4 M KC1 medium. Approximately 41% (118 fmol/mgeq DNA) of the total extractable T3 receptor was recovered in the nucleoplasmic pool and 59% (170 fmol/mgeq DNA) in the chromatin-bo...
Minimization of uncertainties in the inverse-kinetics measurements using the oscillator technique (June 2013)

This paper presents continuous and discrete equations for the propagation of uncertainty applied to inverse kinetics and shows that the uncertainty of a measurement can be minimized by the proper choice of frequency from the perturbing reactivity waveform.
Simulation of carrier dynamics in graphene on a substrate at terahertz and mid-infrared frequencies

We calculate the complex conductivity of graphene in the terahertz (THz) to mid-infrared (mid-IR) frequency range using a numerical simulation that couples the two-dimensional (2D) ensemble Monte Carlo technique (EMC) for carrier transport, the three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique for electrodynamics, and molecular dynamics (MD) for short range Coulomb interactions. We demonstrate the effect of the typically used silicon-dioxide substrate on the high-frequency carrier dynamics in graphene and show good agreement between recent experimental results and our numerical simulations.
Influence of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 on warfarin response during initiation of therapy.

Abstract Background Although multiple reports have documented the influence of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants on warfarin dose, risk of over-anticoagulation and hemorrhage, their influence on anticoagulation maintenance and individual proportion of time spent in target INR range (PPTR) is limited. Moreover the potential benefit of genotype-guided dosing implemented after initiation of therapy in a racially diverse population has not been explored. Herein we present the influence of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 C1173T on warfarin response during the first 30 days of therapy. Methods Warfarin dose was empirically determined in 250 African Americans 271 European Americans. The influence of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 on rate of INR increase, anticoagulation maintenance, risk of over-anticoagulation, and change in dose over 30 days was evaluated after adjustment for socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical factors. Possession of variant VKORC1 (± variant CYP2C9 ) genotype was associated with a more rapid attainment of target INR and higher frequency of dose adjustments. Patients possessing variant genotypes spent less time in target range. However adjustment for rate of INR increase rendered the association non-significant. European Americans (but not African Americans) possessing variant VKORC1 (± variant CYP2C9 ) genotype had a higher risk of over-anticoagulation. Neither CYP2C9 nor VKORC1 influenced the risk of minor hemorrhage. CYP2C9 and VKORC1 explained 6.3% of the variance in dose change over the first 30 days of therapy demonstrating that the usefulness of genotype-guided dosing may extend beyond first day of therapy. Conclusion The benefit of genotype-based dose prediction may extend beyond first few days of therapy. Whether genotype-guided dosing will decrease the risk of over-anticoagulation, improve anticoagulation control and most importantly improve outcomes for chronic warfarin users remains to be proven.
The role of nanoclay in the generation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers with improved modulus and tenacity

The effect of nanoclay concentration on the molecular orientation and drawability of poly(ethylene terephthalate) PET was examined using thermal and vibrational spectroscopic analysis. Although drawability at 83 °C in hot air increased by the addition of nanoclay, the maximum draw ratio was independent of nanoclay concentration. The average molecular orientation of the PET chain was found to mimic the trend in mechanical property improvements. Both Young's modulus and tenacity (i.e. strength) showed the maximum improvement at a 1 wt% loading of clay, which was shown to coincide with the maximum amount of molecular orientation. Nanoclay was shown to intercalate with PET and enhanced amorphous orientation that led to modulus and strength improvements. However, at higher concentrations of nanoclay the presence of large agglomerates prevented efficient orientation to the fiber axis and acted as stress concentrators to aid in cavitation and failure during testing. Raman spectroscopy showed that the as-spun unfilled PET fibers possessed significantly more trans rotamer content of the ethylene glycol moiety than the nanocomposite fibers.
Using a phase space statistic to identify resonant objects.

The identification of resonant objects in radar or sonar, important for object identification, is difficult because existing methods require that the signal have a large signal-to-noise ratio. It is shown in this article that a modified version of the Kaplan–Glass (KG) statistic, a phase space statistic used to determine if a signal is deterministic, is sensitive to the properties of resonant objects. The modified KG statistic can be used to detect the presence of a resonant object even when the radar or sonar signal does not come from a deterministic dynamical system. The use of the modified KG statistic both numerically and in a simple experiment is also demonstrated.
Cytotoxic gold(I)-bearing dendrimers from alkyne precursors.

A series of four dendrimers end-functionalized with gold(I) has been prepared from alkyne-terminated precursors and (tricyclohexylphosphine)gold(I) azide. Isolated yields range from 84–89%, based on gold. The first-generation dendrimer is cytotoxic toward 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. Apoptosis ensues within 6 h of treatment with gold(I).
There is no such thing as a natural disaster: Race, class, and hurricane Katrina

There is no such thing as a natural disaster: Race, class, and hurricane Katrina, edited by Chester Hartman and Gregory D. Squires, New York, London, Routledge, 2006, 300 pp., including notes, US$2...
Structure of the EGF receptor transactivation circuit integrates multiple signals with cell context

Transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is thought to be a process by which a variety of cellular inputs can be integrated into a single signaling pathway through either stimulated proteolysis (shedding) of membrane-anchored EGFR ligands or by modification of the activity of the EGFR. As a first step towards building a predictive model of the EGFR transactivation circuit, we quantitatively defined how signals from multiple agonists were integrated both upstream and downstream of the EGFR to regulate extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) activity in human mammary epithelial cells. By using a “non-binding” reporter of ligand shedding, we found that transactivation triggers a positive feedback loop from ERK back to the EGFR such that ligand shedding drives EGFR-stimulated ERK that in turn drives further ligand shedding. Importantly, activated Ras and ERK levels were nearly linear functions of ligand shedding and the effect of multiple, sub-saturating inputs was additive. Simulations showed that ERK-mediated feedback through ligand shedding resulted in a stable steady-state level of activated ERK, but also showed that the extracellular environment can modulate the level of feedback. Our results suggest that the transactivation circuit acts as a context-dependent integrator and amplifier of multiple extracellular signals and that signal integration can effectively occur at multiple points in the EGFR pathway.
Intergroup Interaction and Self‐Disclosure1

Two studies were designed to test hypotheses concerning self-disclosure during initial interactions with ingroup or outgroup strangers. Based on intergroup anxiety theory it was predicted that ingroup members would disclose less to outgroup strangers than to ingroup strangers. One study involved interaction with handicapped and nonhandicapped confederates and one involved interaction with Caucasian and Black confederates. It was found that on some dimensions there was less self-disclosure to outgroup than ingroup strangers during initial interactions. Additional data suggested that high levels of public self-awareness and perceived dissimilarity also reduced some aspects of self-disclosure.
Extensile decompression of the proximal and distal tarsal tunnel combined with partial plantar fascia release in the treatment of chronic plantar heel pain.

Background. Chronic heel pain that is recalcitrant to non- operative measures is a rare but dis- abling condition. There are no reports in the literature of extensile proximal and distal tarsal tunnel release com- bined with partial plantar fasciotomy in the treatment of chronic heel pain. We present our results. Methods. A ret- rospective chart review was conducted, and charts were assessed for details of their presenting complaints, physical exam, diagnostic studies, medical his- tory, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for pain, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hind- foot scores, and complications. Results. The mean AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 86 ± 12.9 (range = 69-100). Of 15 heels, 10 (67%) had an excellent or good rating at the time of the last fol- low-up visit. One of 15 (7%) reported a poor outcome. The mean VAS pain score changed from 6.3 ± 3.1 to 1.4 ± 1.8 (P = .001). There were no wound com- plications or infections. Conclusion. This technique offers another operative option for chronic heel pain that is asso- ciated with satisfactory outcomes and rest pain relief. Despite reducing pain at rest in all patients, the major- ity of patients may be left with mild to mod- erate residual symp- toms with activity that is similar to the outcomes of previously reported procedures.