cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
90-day Readmission after Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery in New York State between 2005 and 2014–A 10-year Analysis of a Statewide Cohort

Retrospective cohort study. To assess 90-day readmission and evaluate risk factors associated with readmission after lumbar fusion in New York State. Readmission is becoming an important metric for quality and efficiency of healthcare. Readmission and its predictors following spine surgery are overall poorly understood and limited evidence is available specifically in lumbar fusion. The New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPACRS) was utilized to capture patients undergoing lumbar fusion from 2005–2014. Temporal trend of 90-day readmission was assessed using Cochran-Armitage test. Logistic regression was used to examine predictors associated with 90-day readmission. There were 86,869 patients included in this cohort study. The overall 90-day readmission rate was 24.8%. On a multivariable analysis model, age (OR comparing ≥75 versus <35 years: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.13–1.35), sex (OR female to male: 1.19 (1.15–1.23)), race (OR African American to white: 1.60 (1.52–1.69)), insurance (OR Medicaid to Medicare: 1.42 (1.33–1.53)), procedure (OR comparing thoracolumbar fusion, combined (ICD-9: 81.04) to posterior lumbar interbody fusion / transforaminal lumbar spinal fusion (ICD-9: 81.08): 2.10 (1.49–2.97)), number of operated spinal levels (OR comparing 4–8 vertebrae to 2–3 vertebrae: 2.39 (2.07–2.77)), health service area ((HSA); OR comparing PA to Finger Lakes: 0.67 (0.61–0.73)), and comorbidity, i.e. coronary artery disease (OR: 1.26 (1.19–1.33)) were significantly associated with 90-day readmission. Direction of the odds ratios for these factors were consistent after stratification by procedure type. Age, sex, race, insurance, procedure, number of operated spinal levels, HSA, and comorbidities are major risk factors for 90-day readmission. Our study allows risk calculation to determine high risk patients before undergoing spinal fusion surgery in order to prevent early readmission, improve quality of care and reduce health care expenditures. Level of Evidence: 3
Cerebral Pulsatility Index Is Elevated in Patients with Elevated Right Atrial Pressure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Extracerebral venous congestion can precipitate intracranial hypertension due to obstruction of cerebral blood outflow. Conditions that increase right atrial pressure, such as hypervolemia, are thought to increase resistance to jugular venous outflow and contribute to cerebro-venous congestion. Cerebral pulsatility index (CPI) is considered a surrogate marker of distal cerebrovascular resistance and is elevated with intracranial hypertension. Thus, we sought to test the hypothesis that elevated right atrial pressure is associated with increased CPI compared to normal right atrial pressure. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 61 consecutive patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. We calculated CPI from transcranial Doppler studies and correlated these with echocardiographic measures of right atrial pressure. CPIs were compared from patients with elevated and normal right atrial pressure. RESULTS There was a significant difference between CPI obtained from all patients with elevated right atrial pressure compared to those with normal right atrial pressure (P < .0001). This finding was consistent in sensitivity analysis that compared right and left hemispheric CPI from patients with both elevated and normal right atrial pressure. CONCLUSION Patients with elevated right atrial pressure had significantly higher CPI compared to patients with normal right atrial pressure. These findings suggest that cerebro-venous congestion due to impaired jugular venous outflow may increase distal cerebrovascular resistance as measured by CPI. Since elevated CPI is associated with poor outcome in numerous neurological conditions, future studies are needed to elucidate the significance of these results in other populations.
Nursery Industry Mechanization Advances

Leaders of the horticultural nursery industry and agricultural engineers had a unique, rewarding exchange at the Nursery Engineering Workshop (NEW) sponsored jointly by HRI and ASAE (American Society of Agricultural Engineering) at the ASAE summer meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in June, 1980. A transcript of the workshop has been published in the 1980 edition of “New Horizons.” This presentation will address engineering research and development activities for the nursery industry that have followed the stimulating experience of the 1980 Nursery Engineering Workshop.
Inter-Generational Pendula (IGP): Toward a theory of immigrant identity, materialism and religiosity

Abstract This paper examines the interplay among ethnic identification, religiosity, and materialism, as well as the intergenerational differences within immigrant groups. It extends the analysis over the first three generations of immigrants and contrasts the results across two immigrant groups. The findings indicate a negative relationship between religiosity and materialism and underscore the accentuating effect of ethnic identification on that relationship. They also expose pendulum-like trends across the three generations in both groups. Whereas ethnic identification and materialism decline from the first to the second generation of immigrants and resurge among the third generation (a U-shape trend), religiosity moves in the opposite direction (an inverted U-shape trend). These findings comprise an initial, exploratory precursor to Inter-Generational Pendula (IGP), a new theory of immigrant identity, materialism, and religiosity. They attest to the heterogeneity within each immigrant group and are germane to international marketing research, segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies.
A Laboratory Study of Iceberg Side Melting in Vertically Sheared Flows

AbstractAn earlier study indicates that the side melting of icebergs subject to vertically homogeneous horizontal velocities is controlled by two distinct regimes, which depend on the melt plume be...
Parathyroid surgery in children.

Parathyroid surgery in children is uncommon. Spontaneously occurring cases of hyperparathyroidism are almost always due to single-gland disease; however, on exploration all four parathyroid glands should be identified. Most of the other instances in which the surgeon needs to perform a parathyroidectomy on an infant or a child will be situations were multiple-gland disease is the rule rather than the exception. Therefore, the surgeon must have in his mind a well developed logical approach to the management of children with parathyroid disorders on the basis of multiple glandular disease. We believe that the technique of parathyroid autotransplantation very satisfactorily addresses the surgical needs of children with familial hyperparathyroid states, including the multiple endocrine neoplasias. We believe that it is mandatory treatment in patients presenting with neonatal primary hyperparathyroidism and is also the procedure of choice in children with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. The workup and diagnosis of parathyroid disorders should be familiar to the surgeon who undertakes neck exploration on children, and the entity of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia should be looked for, as these patients have a strong likelihood of not benefiting from parathyroidectomy.
Direct Quantitation of RNA Transcripts by Competitive Single-Tube RT-PCR and Capillary Electrophoresis

Attempts are frequently made to semiquantitate mRNA as a means of circumventing the laborious and time-consuming process of quantitation that is inherent in the use of competitor templates. However...
The proteolytic enzyme system of skin: V. The A2-esterase☆

Abstract An amino acid esterase in extracts of rat-skin acetone powder has been demonstrated to be distinct from other knwon esterases in such extracts. This new enzyme, the A2-esterase, can hydrolyze esters such as L -tyrosine ethyl ester and L -phenylalanine ethyl ester optimally at pH 6.5 but has no action against an acylated substrate such as N-acetyl- l -tyrosine ethyl ester. The proof for its non-identity with either Proteinase A or the A1-esterase, which are also present in skin extracts, was demonstrated by its extractability characteristics, by fractionation experiments, by its substrate specificity requirements, and by its non-iteration with the Proteinase A blood inhibitor. A considerable amount of this enzyme in an initial skin extract exists in a non-assayable form.
Forms of life and life itself: Reflections on human relations with ideas, artworks, and other species

This essay explores experiences that lie ambiguously between the inchoate, the intuitive, and the impressionistic, on the one hand, and the verbal, conceptual, aesthetic, and ideological, on the ot...
The effect of adapting Hospital at Home to facilitate implementation and sustainment on program drift or voltage drop.

Translating evidence-based interventions from study conditions to actual practice necessarily requires adaptation. We implemented an evidence-based Hospital at Home (HaH) intervention and evaluated whether adaptations could avoid diminished benefit from “voltage drop” (decreased benefit when interventions are applied under more heterogeneous conditions than existing in studies) or “program drift.” (decreased benefit arising from deviations from study protocols). Patients were enrolled in HaH over a 6-month pilot period followed by nine quarters of implementation activity. The program retained core components of the original evidence-based HaH model, but adaptations were made at inception and throughout the implementation. These adaptations were coded as to who made them, what was modified, for whom the adaptations were made, and the nature of the adaptations. We collected information on length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits, escalations to the hospital, and patient ratings of care. Outcomes were assessed by quarter of admission. Selected outcomes were tracked and fed back to the program leadership. We used logistic or linear regression with an independent variable included for the numerical quarter of enrollment after the initial 6-month pilot phase. Models controlled for season and for patient characteristics. Adaptations were made throughout the implementation period. The nature of adaptations was most commonly to add or to substitute new program elements. HaH services substituting for a hospital stay were received by 295 patients (a mean of 33, range 11–44, per quarter). A small effect of quarter from program inception was seen for escalations (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.18, p = 0.03), but no effect was observed for LOS (− 0.007 days/quarter; SE 0.02, p = 0.75), 30 day ED visit (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.01, p = 0.09), 30-day readmission (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.08, p = 0.99), or patient rating of overall hospital care (OR for highest overall rating 0.99, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.05, p = 0.66). We made adaptations to HaH at inception and over the course of implementation. Our findings indicate that adaptations to evidence-based programs may avoid diminished benefits due to potential ‘program drift’ or ‘voltage drop.’ Not applicable. This study is not a clinical trial by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) definition because it is an observational study “in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator.”
Evaluating the safety of anti-CTLA-4 therapy in the elderly with unresectable melanoma.

9063 Background: Anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies demonstrated an improvement in overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma and ipilimumab (ipi) was FDA approved in 2011. We performed a...
Linguistic Mitigation in English and Spanish : How Speakers Attenuate Expressions

This volume offers a comprehensive examination of mitigation in speech in English and Spanish, exploring how it is defined and theorized and the various linguistic features employed to soften or downgrade the impact of a particular message across a range of settings. Building on the body of work done on mitigation in English, the book begins by discussing how it has been conceptualized in the literature, drawing on politeness theory among other perspectives from pragmatics, and highlighting increasing research on these topics in native and bilingual Spanish speakers and learners of Spanish. The volume explores examples from a variety of discursive contexts, including institutions, courts, and classrooms, to unpack mitigation as it occurs in spontaneous speech through different lenses, looking both at the actual units of discourse but also taking a broader view by examining differences across dialects as well. The book also looks at the ways in which conclusions drawn from this research might be applied pedagogically in language learning classrooms. This volume will serve as a jumping-off point for broader discussion in the field of mitigation and will be of particular interest to graduate students and researchers in pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis, in addition to learners and pre-service teachers of Spanish.
The genotypic response towards haploid induction in Turkish onion (Allium cepa L.) germplasm

Haploid induction efficiency of unpollinated flower buds in twenty-six Turkish onion germplasm were determined on two media, Dunstan and Short medium (BDS) and Murashige and Skoog’s medium (MS). On BDS medium, 5850 flower buds were cultured and the induction rate was 2.10% and a plant survival percentage of 1.62% (2 plants). On MS medium, 5850 flower buds were cultured and 175 plantlets were induced; induction rate was 2.99% and plant survival percentage was 13.71% (24 plants). The highest number of plantlets was obtained from genotype Sanliurfa 2; 27 plantlets on BDS medium while 45 plantlets on MS medium. Flow cytometry confirmed that out of the twenty-six plants, 4 plants were haploid (15.38%), 2 mixoploid (7.69%), 18 (69.23%) diploid and 2 tetraploid (7.69%).
Impact of Total Laboratory Automation on Turnaround Times for Urine Cultures and Screening Specimens for MRSA, ESBL, and VRE Carriage: Retrospective Comparison With Manual Workflow

Using computerized time-stamps, we compared the turnaround-times (TAT) for urine samples and screening ESwabs of MRSA, VRE, and ESBL carriage in the bacteriology laboratory of Geneva University Hospitals between January and December 2017 (period preceding the implementation of the WASPLabTM) with the same specimen types analyzed between January and December 2019 (period after the implementation of the automation). During both 1-year periods, a total of 98'380 specimens were analyzed (48'158 in 2017 vs. 50'222 in 2019). On the WASPLabTM, all culture plates were imaged at defined intervals each day of incubation, but the processing of the cultures (i.e., pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing) was only performed during day shift hours (~8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.). The median TAT for negative reports decreased by almost half for urine samples from 52.1 (2017) to 28.3 h (2019) (p < 0.001), and for MRSA screening specimens from 50.7 to 26.3 h (p < 0.001). The difference in median TAT for negative reports was less pronounced for screening of ESBL (50.2 vs. 43.0 h) (p < 0.001) and VRE (50.6 vs. 45.7 h) (p < 0.001). Despite a trend toward shorter result delivery for positive samples, there was no significant change in the median TAT. These results suggest that TAT for negative samples immediately benefit from automation, whereas TAT for positive samples also depend on the laboratory hours of operation and daily human resource management.
MATRIX MODEL APPROACH TO d>2 NONCRITICAL SUPERSTRINGS

We apply light-cone quantization to a (1+1)-dimensional supersymmetric field theory of large-N matrices. We provide some preliminary numerical evidence that when the coupling constant is tuned to a critical value, this model describes a (2+1)-dimensional noncritical superstring.
Rapid neuroadaptation to surgically-induced aniseikonia in a 17-year-old patient with high preoperative anisometropia: A case report.

Abstract Purpose To report a case of rapid neuroadaptation to surgically-induced aniseikonia in a 17-year-old with preoperative anisometropia of 9.5 D. Observations A 17-year-old female with a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and progressive high myopia with resulting anisometropia secondary to conventional laser photocoagulation in her right eye was found to have diplopia after undergoing cataract surgery in that eye. Other etiologies of diplopia were ruled out and reversal of anisometropia remained the only viable diagnosis. Her diplopia fully resolved without intervention within one month of the surgery. Conclusion and Importance In cases of neuroadaptation to long standing anisometropia, even if that anisometropia develops in infancy, abrupt reversal following surgery can be surprisingly well tolerated.
Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Restores Hand and Arm Function After Spinal Cord Injury

Paralysis of the upper extremity severely restricts independence and quality of life after spinal cord injury. Regaining control of hand and arm movements is the highest treatment priority for people with paralysis, 6-fold higher than restoring walking ability. Nevertheless, current approaches to improve upper extremity function typically do not restore independence. Spinal cord stimulation is an emerging neuromodulation strategy to restore motor function. Recent studies using surgically implanted electrodes demonstrate impressive improvements in voluntary control of standing and stepping. Here we show that transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord leads to rapid and sustained recovery of hand and arm function, even after complete paralysis. Notably, the magnitude of these improvements matched or exceeded previously reported results from surgically implanted stimulation. Additionally, muscle spasticity was reduced and autonomic functions including heart rate, thermoregulation, and bladder function improved. Perhaps most striking is that all six participants maintained their gains for at least three to six months beyond stimulation, indicating functional recovery mediated by long-term neuroplasticity. Several participants resumed their hobbies that require fine motor control, such as playing the guitar and oil painting, for the first time in up to 12 years since their injuries. Our findings demonstrate that non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal networks restores movement and function of the hands and arm for people with both complete paralysis and long-term spinal cord injury.
Abstract P674: Markers of Atherosclerotic Disease but Not Small Vessel Disease Predict Neurologic Deterioration in Acute Lacunar Strokes

Introduction: Neurologic deterioration (ND) occurs in a quarter of acute lacunar infarct patients and may lead to severe disability. The underlying pathophysiology of ND in these patients is not cl...
Retinal detection of kidney disease and diabetes

Chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes can be detected from retinal photographs using deep-learning models trained on large datasets.
Can Customized Procedure Descriptions Communicate Information Credibility? Conflicting Nonfinancial Assurance Standards

The IAASB maintains that expert assurance practitioners are unable to quantify limited assurance achieved for nonfinancial information and presumes users can read practitioner-customized procedure descriptions to differentiate information reliability between “inconsequential” and “high.” Can non-expert users do what assurance professionals cannot? The answer is important because (a) demand for reliable nonfinancial information is growing and the assurance achieved is critical to information value, (b) no cited research or other basis supports the IAASB’s presumption regarding typical users’ ability to quantify information reliability, and (c) the IAASB’s standard conflicts with other assurance standards for nonfinancial and financial information. We conduct an experiment to isolate effects of customized procedure descriptions, conclusion frames, and engagement labels. We find participants’ confidence judgments are not significantly influenced by important differences in customized procedure descriptions, but are influenced by conclusion frame and by engagement labels, implying an important credibility communication gap for customized procedure descriptions standards.
Graph Structural Attack by Spectral Distance.

Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have fueled a surge of interest due to their superior performance on graph learning tasks, but are also shown vulnerability to adversarial attacks. In this paper, an effective graph structural attack is investigated to disrupt graph spectral filters in the Fourier domain. We define the spectral distance based on the eigenvalues of graph Laplacian to measure the disruption of spectral filters. We then generate edge perturbations by simultaneously maximizing a task-specific attack objective and the proposed spectral distance. The experiments demonstrate remarkable effectiveness of the proposed attack in the white-box setting at both training and test time. Our qualitative analysis shows the connection between the attack behavior and the imposed changes on the spectral distribution, which provides empirical evidence that maximizing spectral distance is an effective manner to change the structural property of graphs in the spatial domain and perturb the frequency components in the Fourier domain.
PENAL INSTITUTIONS Jails: Provide Law Enforcement Officers with Guidelines for Handling Detainees with Obvious Physical Injuries or Need for Emergency Medical Attention

The Act reduces the penalty imposed upon law enforcement officers for refusing to accept custody of persons charged with or guilty of an indictable offense (detainees). The Act allows law enforcement officers to refuse custody of detainees who have not received medical attention for obvious emergency medical conditions or physical injuries. The Act provides for the disposition of detainees when custody has been refused, when a medical release has been received, or when no public health facility is located in the country. The Act also provides for the payment of costs related to medical assessments.
Advice versus choice

Despite the near universality of the maxim that one should treat others as one ought to be treated, even well-intended advisers often advise others to act differently than they choose for themselves. We review several psychological factors that contribute to biased advice. Absent pecuniary motives to the contrary, advice tends to be paternalistically biased in favor of caution. Policies that would intuitively promote quality advice — such as making advisers accountable, taking advice from advisers who value the relationship, or having advisers disclose potential conflicts of interest — can perversely lower the quality of advice.
Der erste Tag

Wenn es einen Termin gibt, der nicht misslingen sollte, dann ist es dieser. Am ersten Tag entscheidet sich das Wohl und Wehe des gesamten Semesters. Deshalb ist auch zu empfehlen, den Vorbereitungsaufwand nicht gleichmasig uber den gesamten Semesterverlauf zu verteilen, sondern der ersten Veranstaltung 250 % zu widmen und den ubrigen Terminen 90 % (Scholl-Buckwald 1985). Zwei wesentliche Ziele gilt es an diesem Tag zu erreichen: den „Vertrag“ mit den Studierenden abzuschliesen und eine Beziehung zu ihnen aufzubauen. Wenn Sie sich noch an die Einfuhrung erinnern – dies sind zwei der vier Qualitatsmerkmale effizienter Lehre. Unter diesem Gesichtspunkt geht es am ersten Tag um 50 % der Effizienz Ihrer Veranstaltung. Wenn Sie diese beiden Ziele nicht erreichen, konnen Sie das nur unter ausersten Schwierigkeiten, wenn uberhaupt, im verbleibenden Semester aufholen. Schlechte Vertrage spater nachzubessern, ist nicht nur in Politik und Wirtschaft problematisch, sondern auch in der Hochschullehre. Beginnen Sie deshalb besser gleich mit einem guten Vertrag. Und falls Sie mit der Forschung zum ersten Eindruck vertraut sind, wissen Sie, wie muhsam es ist, nach einem negativen ersten Eindruck noch eine gute Beziehung aufzubauen. Verspielt etwa ein neuer Chef in den ersten Arbeitstagen das Vertrauen seiner Mitarbeiter, dann wird er Jahre brauchen, um seine Glaubwurdigkeit wiederherzustellen. Entsprechend beschwerlich ware es fur Sie, nach einem missgluckten ersten Tag die Beziehung zu Ihren Studierenden zu retten.
Bayesian nonparametric set construction for robust optimization

This paper presents a Bayesian nonparametric, data-driven, nonconvex uncertainty set construction for robust optimization. First, a basic uncertainty set is constructed from a union of posterior predictive ellipsoids for the Dirichlet process Gaussian mixture. The robustification of linear optimization problems using this set is proven to be a tractable second order cone problem with probabilistic feasibility guarantees. Noting that this basic set is typically overly conservative, a scaled version of the set is obtained via stochastic bisection search, and convergence guarantees to the least conservative scaled set for a particular probabilistic guarantee are provided. Experiments on synthetic linear programs and a Mobility on Demand system design problem demonstrate that the proposed set improves upon the robust optimal objective over simpler uncertainty sets, more accurately achieves the desired level of conservatism, and requires little design input from the user.
Team IHMC's Lessons Learned from the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials

This article is a summary of the experiences of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition IHMC team during the DARPA Robotics Challenge DRC Trials. The primary goal of the DRC is to develop robots capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and manmade disasters. The robots are expected to use standard tools and equipment to accomplish the mission. The DRC Trials consisted of eight different challenges that tested robot mobility, manipulation, and control under degraded communications and time constraints. Team IHMC competed using the Atlas humanoid robot made by Boston Dynamics. We competed against 16 international teams and placed second in the competition. This article discusses the challenges we faced in transitioning from simulation to hardware. It also discusses the lessons learned both during the competition and in the months of preparation leading up to it. The lessons address the value of reliable hardware and solid software practices. They also cover effective approaches to bipedal walking and designing for human-robot teamwork. Lastly, the lessons present a philosophical discussion about choices related to designing robotic systems.
DIET AND SERUM CHOLESTEROL DO ZERO CORRELATIONS NEGATE THE RELATIONSHIP

The confounding that results from the uncontrolled conditions under which most epidemiologic observations are made is sufficient to undermine their validity with respect to investigation of the relationship between diet and serum cholesterol. In this paper, the authors show, using both a mathematical model and referring to empirical data, that if certain variances are sufficiently great, even when there is cause and effect, correlation coefficients close to zero would be expected from the actual data of a cross-sectional study. Cross-sectional designs are therefore not suitable for studying this relationship.
Optimal Sampling Design for Parameter Estimation and P-Widths under Stochastic and Deterministic Noise

We follow the interesting developments in the recent work of Milanese and Belforte [7], Belforte, Bona, and Frediani [1,2], and Milanese and Vicino [8] and address some questions suggested by these papers on the subject of parameter estimation in linear models subject to unknown additive and bounded noise. In addition, we treat the question of model selection for a given class of signals constrained to lie in some known set. We approach this latter question by presenting two formulations of p-widths subject to measurement errors and identify optimal linear models in some concrete cases. Both stochastic and deterministic p-widths are studied.
Secure pairwise key establishment in vehicular networks

In vehicular networks, automobiles assist each other in accident avoidance and information sharing. However, securing the On Board Unit (OBU)'s stored and communicated data is not an easy task. In this paper, we suggest a tactic, which combines an elegant key pre-distribution scheme [16] with a somewhat homomorphic encrypting system (Boneh-Goh-Nissim) [17] to provide muddled secure session keys that can be used for encrypting transferred data in case of sudden disappearance of the vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) service. To investigate the appropriateness of the suggested model, in-depth analysis in terms of OBU storage and time overhead has been conducted and the analytical results show that our scenario is practical and fast only when some idealistic assumptions are made for small network sizes and compromisation rates.
Developmental differences in the expression of childhood anxiety symptoms and fears.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine age differences in the expression of childhood fears and anxiety symptoms. Method A cross-sectional design was used to test recently formulated developmental hypotheses regarding the differential expression of childhood anxiety symptoms and fears in a community sample of youths ( N = 145). Three groups of youths were compared: children aged 6-9 years ( n = 47), preteens aged 10-13 years ( n = 52), and adolescents aged 14-17 years ( n = 46). Symptoms of separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety were assessed using a dimensional approach by both parent and child report. Fears were assessed by child report. Results The results indicated that there are systematic age differences in the expression of childhood fears and anxiety symptoms. Results also point toward specific symptoms predominant at certain ages (i.e., separation anxiety symptoms in youths aged 6-9 years, death and danger fears in youths aged 10-13 years, and social anxiety symptoms as well as failure and criticism fears in youths aged 14-17 years) in partial support of predictions. Conclusions Models of the etiology of childhood anxiety disorders tracing continuity and change over time should consider differences in the developmental expression of childhood fears and anxiety symptoms. Attention to developmental issues concerning symptom expression may be important in the clinical understanding of childhood anxiety.
Accumulation of trace elements and growth responses in Corbicula fluminea downstream of a coal-fired power plant

Lentic organisms exposed to coal-fired power plant (CFPP) discharges can have elevated trace element concentrations in their tissues, but this relationship and its potential consequences are unclear for lotic organisms. To explore these patterns in a lotic environment, we transplanted Corbicula fluminea from a reference stream to a stream receiving CFPP discharge. We assessed trace element accumulation and glutathione concentration in clam tissue, shell growth, and condition index at five sites along a contamination gradient. Clams at the most upstream and contaminated site had the highest growth rate, condition index, glutathione concentrations, and concentrations of arsenic (7.85 {+-} 0.25 {mu} g/g (dry mass)), selenium (17.75 {+-} 0.80 {mu} g/g), and cadmium (7.28 {+-} 0.34 {mu} g/g). Mercury concentrations declined from 4.33 {+-} 0.83 to 0.81 {+-} 0.11 {mu} g/g (dry mass) in clams transplanted into the selenium-rich environment nearest the power plant, but this effect was not as evident at less impacted, downstream sites. Even though dilution of trace elements within modest distances from the power plant reduced bioaccumulation potential in clams, long-term loading of trace elements to downstream depositional regions (e.g., slow moving, silty areas) is likely significant.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Sildenafil

In an analysis biased against use of sildenafil, the cost-effectiveness of sildenafil treatment for erectile dysfunction compared favorably with that of accepted therapies for other medical conditions.
Automated polarization characterization system

There has been significant recent interest in the optimization of polarimeter systems, especially those designed for the remote sensing of polarization imagery. These studies have been motivated by a desire to improve the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and the performance of the polarimeter in the presence of systematic calibration errors. These studies have been largely theoretical, and have not presented much experimental evidence of the theoretical predictions. In this paper, we present the design of an automated polarization characterization system that we use to test the theoretical hypothesis about the optimization of polarimeters. We present results here for rotating retarder polarimeters, and verify that quarter waveplates are not the optimum retarders to use in the presence of error and noise. Our results agree with predictions, but we find that the relative balance between noise and error is delicate.
The EPA's protocols for verifying savings from utility energy-conservation programs

Abstract As part of its acid rain program, the U.S. EPA has established a system of tradable SO 2 emission allowances. The regulations also permit electric utilities to earn emission allowances through conservation programs. The utility may verify the savings with “Conservation Verification Protocols (CVPs)”. Use of the CVPs encourages monitoring and establishes a consistent procedure for evaluating electricity savings in all sectors and electrical end uses. In limited cases where the energy savings can be reliably predicted, the CVPs are used to stipulate savings or a procedure to calculate them. The CVPs represent new concepts, including a procedure for linking the amount of savings to confidence that they occurred and a flexible approach to estimation of subsequent-year energy savings. The CVPs are now being used by utilities and some of these have submitted applications for verified savings.
Local Clusters in Global Chains: The Causes and Consequences of Export Dynamism in Torreon's Blue Jeans Industry

Abstract Using a case study of the export-oriented blue jeans industry in Torreon, Mexico, the authors discuss the role of US buyers in promoting full-package apparel production. While the networks associated with this model yield better development outcomes for firms and workers than those typical of the maquila industry, the Torreon cluster is not adequately described as a “high road” industrial district. The global commodity chains framework is used to assess the developmental implications of the apparel industry's growth in Torreon. By emphasizing the relationship between producers and foreign buyers, this approach provides a useful way to bridge the global–local divide in the literature on industrial clusters in developing countries.
On Asymptotic Growth of the Support of Free Multiplicative Convolutions

Let $\mu$ be a compactly supported probability measure on $\mathbb{R}^{+}$ with expectation $1$ and variance $V.$ Let $\mu _{n}$ denote the $n$-time free multiplicative convolution of measure $\mu $ with itself. Then, for large $n$ the length of the support of $\mu _{n}$ is asymptotically equivalent to $eVn$, where $e$ is the base of natural logarithms, $ e=2.71\ldots $.
Amedicus: A new iatrogenic syndrome

This iatrogenic syndrome is found in patients in general hospitals and in a variety of medical clinics, to a degree assuming almost epidemic proportions. It is characterized by one or all of these clinical manifestations: confusion, anxiety, insomnia, hostility, depression, suspiciousness, hopelessness, indecisiveness. distrust, withdrawal and the feeling of abandonment. The patient's organic pathology is not sufficient to account for these manifestations and they often appear in patients with no previous psychiatric history. The common denominator in this condition is the patient's communication that he feels he is operating without a physician who is directly responsible for his care. This comes about as a direct consequence of the proliferation of group medical practices and the increasing mechanization and specialization in medical practice over the last one or two decades. The result is often a lack of communication between the many different physicians by whom the patient is seen. Consequent to this, the patient is faced with contradictory information from a variety of physicians who fail to coordinate the diagnostic workup and treatment approach. The direct cause is the absence of a single physician who would coordinate the patient's care and orchestrate the harmonious functioning of the health care team. The clinical manifestations of this syndrome rapidly clear when the liaison psychiatrist or some other member of the health care team can fulfill this function. This article on the ‘amedicus syndrome’ addresses itself to the clinical picture of this syndrome, possible etiology, dynamics and treatment. Supportive case vignettes are presented.
Nitroxyl free radical binding to Si(1 0 0): a combined scanning tunneling microscopy and computational modeling study

Abstract The ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (UHV-STM) was used to investigate the addition of the 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radical to the Si(1 0 0) surface. Room temperature studies performed on clean Si(1 0 0)-2 × 1 confirm the proposed binding of the unpaired valence electron associated with the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of the molecule with a Si dangling bond. A strong bias dependence in the topography of isolated molecules was observed in the range of −2.0 to +2.5 V. Semiempirical and density functional calculations of TEMPO bound to a three-dimer silicon cluster model yield occupied state density isosurfaces below the highest occupied (HOMO) and unoccupied state densities isosurfaces above the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) which trend in qualitative agreement with the bias dependent STM topography. Furthermore, the placement of TEMPO molecules on dangling bonds was controlled with atomic precision on the monohydride Si(1 0 0) surface via electron stimulated desorption of H, demonstrating the compatibility of nitroxyl free radical binding chemistries with nanopatterning techniques such as feedback controlled lithography.
P-N compounds. 25. Phosphaminimides. 1. Synthesis and bioevaluation of a derivative of tetrahydro-2H-1,3,4,2-oxadiazaphosphorinium inner salt†

2-Phenoxy-4,4-dimethyltetrahydro-2H-1,3,4,2-oxadiazaphosphorinium 2-oxide inner salt, the first known cyclic phosphaminimide, was synthesized by dehydroiodination of its hydrazinium salt. The corresponding 2-phenyl derivative was unstable and not isolated. The 2-phenoxy and 2-phenylphosphorinium iodides and their precursors produced weak inhibition of sympathetic ganglionic transmission. The phosphaminimide caused a slight potentiation and was also found to be less toxic than its corresponding hydrazinium iodide precusor.
On the spectral representation method in simulation

Two models Xn(t) and Yn(t) are considered for generating samples of stationary band-limited Gaussian processes. The models are based on the spectral representation method and consist of a superposition of n harmonics. The harmonics of Xn(t) have random phase and amplitude while the harmonics of Yn(t) only have random phase. It is shown that the two models are equal in the second-moment sense. However, Yn(t) has stronger ergodic properties than Xn(t). On the other hand, Xn(t) is a Gaussian process for any value of n while Yn(t) is asymptotically Gaussian as n approaches infinity. It is demonstrated that the rejection of Xn(t), because of its weak ergodic property, or of model Yn(t), because of its nonGaussian distribution, it is not generally justified. One special case in which Yn(t) should not be used is that of Gaussian processes with power concentrated at a few discrete frequencies.
Website accessibility: a cross-sector comparison

The Web has transformed the way organizations interact with clients, customers, and constituents. A large portion of these groups is often neglected, namely people with disabilities. This study compares federal government, non-profit organization (NPO), and corporate homepages accessibility to determine how accessible these websites are to people with disabilities and how they compare to each other. The results indicate that federal homepages (23%), which are mandated to be accessible, are significantly more accessible than NPO (11%) and corporate homepages (6%).
Fulguration for Hunner Ulcers: Long-Term Clinical Outcomes

Purpose: Cystoscopic fulguration of Hunner ulcers in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is a recommended therapy because it has the potential to rapidly ameliorate symptoms. We reviewed our experience with Hunner ulcer fulguration.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome treated with Hunner ulcer fulguration who were seen at our pelvic pain referral center between 1993 and 2011. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, intraoperative findings and long-term clinical outcomes were assessed. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to evaluate time to the first repeat procedure. Potential risk factors associated with repeat procedures were examined using the log rank test.Results: A total of 106 procedures were performed in 59 patients. The mean history of illness before first fulguration was 5 years and overall median followup was 44.8 months (IQR 52.2), as calculated from the time of the f...
Knowing When to Quit: Do Optimism and Overconfidence Cloud Inventor Judgment?

The article reviews the research article “The Role of Cognitive Biases,” by T. Astebro, S.A. Jeffrey, and G. Adomdza published in the “Journal of Behavioral Decision Making” issue #20. The study focuses on the question of whether an inventor would abandon an invention if told it were commercially infeasible and concluded that most inventors remained optimistic about the future success of their inventions in the face of evidence to the contrary. The author also states that the researchers assessed factors that could bias an inventor.
Oomycete mtDNA: Phytophthora genes for cytochrome c oxidase use an unmodified genetic code and encode proteins most similar to those of plants

Abstract Sachay, D. J., Hudspeth, D. S. S., Nadler, S. A., and Hudspeth, M. E. S. 1993. Oomycete mtDNA: Phytophthora genes for cytochrome c oxidase use an unmodified genetic code and encode proteins most similar to those of plants. Experimental Mycology 17, 7-23. A 3.6-kb region of mtDNA containing the genes for cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and II ( cox1, cox2 ) in the oomycete phytopathogen Phytophthora megasperma has been cloned and sequenced. Three uninterrupted reading frames of 456, 774, and 1476 base pairs encode an unidentified 18-kDa polypeptide (ORF152) and subunits II (COII) and I (COI) of cytochrome c oxidase. Analysis of codons for 146 invariant/highly conserved residues present in cox1 and cox2 suggests the use of an unmodified and unedited genetic code in the mitochondrial translation system. Comparisons of COI-and COII-deduced amino acid identities with the equivalent polypeptides from all biological kingdoms demonstrate that the oomycete proteins differ significantly from those of other reported cytochrome c oxidase subunits, but have the highest identity with plants.
Hypocholesterolemia during mixed manic episodes

Background An association of relatively low serum cholesterol with both depression and suicide has been reported. Depressive symptoms, including suicidality, are defining features of mixed mania. Few studies have considered differences in cholesterol levels in subjects during mixed bipolar episodes. Methods Fasting serum cholesterol levels obtained from 174 subjects evaluated during mixed and pure manic episodes were compared using ANOVA statistics. Sex was included in the analysis and age was used as a covariate. Cholesterol levels in the total manic cohort and in the mixed and pure manic subgroups were compared with national norms. Results Fasting serum cholesterol levels were lower in the mixed manic subtype compared to the pure manic subtype. As expected, cholesterol levels increased with age. No differences were noted between males and females. Cholesterol levels were lower in both the mixed and pure manic subtypes when compared with national norms. Conclusion Fasting serum cholesterol levels are low in manic patients, especially during mixed bipolar episodes. Cholesterol, which has been reported to be a negative acute phase reactant, may be lower during mixed states as a result of an immune activation.
Simultaneous Nearby Measurements of Acoustic Propagation and High-Resolution Sound-Speed Structure Containing Internal Waves

During the 2006 Shallow Water (SW06) experiment, simultaneous measurements were made of the sound-speed field as a function of range and depth associated with nonlinear internal waves and acoustic propagation at frequencies of 2-10 kHz over a 1-km path. The internal waves were measured by a towed conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) chain to get high resolution. These measurements were coordinated so that the nonlinear waves could be interpolated onto the acoustic path, allowing predictions of their effects on the acoustics. Using the measured sound-speed field, the acoustic arrivals under the influence of the internal waves are modeled and compared to data. The largest impact of measured moderate amplitude internal waves on acoustics is that they alter the arrival time of the rays which turn at the thermocline.
Rhesus rhadinovirus infection in healthy and SIV-infected macaques at Tulane National Primate Research Center.

: Rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) infection was quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the Tulane National Primate Research Center and in a large collection of simian acquired immunodeficiency syndrome – (SAIDS)-associated lymphomas. Quantification of RRV load was performed by real-time PCR using amplification primers specific for the RRV interleukin-6 homologue (RRV vIL-6). RRV infection was detected infrequently and at low levels in PBMC of randomly selected healthy animals. Examination of longitudinally collected PBMC from 22 SIV-infected animals throughout progression to SAIDS revealed similarly low RRV loads that sometimes increased with advancing disease. RRV infection was detected more frequently in the peripheral blood of SIV-infected animals than in healthy animals. Examination of SAIDS-associated lymphomas showed that RRV is rare within the tumor mass, likely representing infection in an occasional tumor-infiltrating cell or contaminating blood. The results indicate that RRV infection in PBMC is not predictive of, and is apparently not required for, development of lymphoma or hyperplastic lymphadenopathy in SIV-infected animals at TNPRC.
Quantifying the similiarities between source code lexicons

Several recent static analysis techniques automate software understanding activities by extracting textual information from source code and applying information retrieval models to the extracted corpora. These source code retrieval techniques show efficacy, but the literature provides no guidance regarding configuration of their constituent processes. For example, the literature provides conflicting information regarding the benefit of extracting comments and string literals along with identifiers such as method or variable names. In this paper we present an initial investigation into the similarities between three source code lexicons described in the literature: identifiers, comments, and string literals. We address three research questions using a case study of six open source Java projects. The results indicate that methods uniquely contain from 30% to 60% of the projects' terms, whereas the comments uniquely contain from 22% to 45% of the terms. Future work includes analyzing the extent to which comments and string literals introduce domain terms rather than non-domain terms.