cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Joint Replacement: Comparing Two Approaches to Evaluating Costs of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

Background:In an era of mandatory bundled payments for total joint replacement, accurate analysis of the cost of procedures is essential for orthopaedic surgeons and their institutions to maintain viable practices. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional accounting and time-driven activ
Climate-adaptive planning for the long-term resilience of transportation energy infrastructure

Abstract This paper investigates a long-term planning response to the climate-vulnerability of transportation energy infrastructure in the borough of Manhattan, NY. The proposed model, a two-stage stochastic optimization, features a hybrid utility-regret function with increasing relative and decreasing absolute risk aversion. Modeling results suggest (1) investment in early- and late-stage resilience-enhancing solutions as a complementary approach with significant weight on immediate actions, and (2) a decentralized supply chain formation through an early-stage deployment of reservoir tanks within the case study area.
Comparing Visual and Statistical Analysis of Multiple Baseline Design Graphs

A growing number of statistical analyses are being developed for single-case research. One important factor in evaluating these methods is the extent to which each corresponds to visual analysis. Few studies have compared statistical and visual analysis, and information about more recently developed statistics is scarce. Therefore, our purpose was to evaluate the agreement between visual analysis and four statistical analyses: improvement rate difference (IRD); Tau-U; Hedges, Pustejovsky, Shadish (HPS) effect size; and between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD). Results indicate that IRD and BC-SMD had the strongest overall agreement with visual analysis. Although Tau-U had strong agreement with visual analysis on raw values, it had poorer agreement when those values were dichotomized to represent the presence or absence of a functional relation. Overall, visual analysis appeared to be more conservative than statistical analysis, but further research is needed to evaluate the nature of these disagreements.
Determining topographic shielding from digital elevation models for cosmogenic nuclide analysis: a GIS model for discrete sample sites

Topographic shielding (TS) is an important factor in cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating. The development of geographic information systems (GIS) and the availability of digital elevation models (DEMs) make it possible to derive this factor directly from a DEM. Most available GIS models derive the TS factors for an area (all cells in a DEM) without the consideration of surface conditions of individual sites, such as the strike, dip, and height above ground, into the calculation. This paper presents a new GIS model to derive the TS factors for discrete sample sites. This model uses the Skyline and Skyline Graph functions in ArcGIS to extract the set of azimuth and elevation angles of topographic obstructions around each site from a DEM (considering the sample height above ground) and then incorporates the strike and dip information of the sample surface to derive the TS factor. All processing tools and steps are streamlined in ArcGIS modelbuilder and this model can be run like a standard ArcGIS geoprocessing tool. It provides an easy and user-friendly means to derive the TS factors for discrete samples based on a DEM and the measured strike, dip and sample height for each site.
Medication Administration Delays in Non–ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Analysis of 1002 Patients Admitted to an Academic Medical Center

Our goal was to assess adherence to American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline-based medical therapy in patients admitted with type I non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and to determine factors associated with medication administration delay. We performed a retrospective analysis using data from the Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network (ACTION) Registry. Baseline patient demographics, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, laboratory values, medications administered and the time they were administered, and in-hospital clinical outcomes were collected. Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk scores were calculated for all patients. We included 1002 patients admitted from the emergency department with a type I NSTEMI. A total of 802 (80%) patients received appropriate initial therapy consisting of therapeutic anticoagulation with heparin and dual antiplatelet therapy. Of the 200 (20%) patients who did not receive therapy, documentation in the chart regarding possible contraindications for administration of the medications was missing in up to half. Female sex, older age, a normal initial ECG, and prolonged time spent in the emergency department were predictors of significant delay in receiving guideline-based medications, while an elevated initial troponin was a predictor of faster medication administration. Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk scores had no association with the timing of medication administration. In conclusion, 20% of NSTEMI patients did not receive American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline-based medical therapy. Delay in medication administration was significant for women, older individuals, and patients who did not have ischemic findings on the initial ECG.
High-Energy, High-Protein, Oral, Liquid, Nutrition Supplementation in Patients with HIV Infection: Effect on Weight Status in Relation to Incidence of Secondary Infection

Abstract Objective To evaluate the use of high-energy, high-protein, oral, liquid, nutrition supplementation and nutrition counseling on the weight status of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with and without secondary infections. Design Prospective, descriptive, intervention trial. Follow-up clinic visits were scheduled every 1 to 3 weeks for at least 6 weeks to monitor weight, gastrointestinal symptoms, number of supplements consumed, and incidence of secondary infections. Subjects/setting Community-based, HIV-infected patients, with and without an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining illness, who were receiving outpatient medical care at Deaconess Hospital. Twenty-two patients enrolled; however, 4 dropped out and 1 died, so 17 were eligible for evaluation. Intervention Dietary counseling consisted of recommendations to consume a high-protein diet (1.5 g/kg ideal body weight); select foods that minimize gastrointestinal complications; and take at least one high-energy, high-protein, oral, liquid, nutrition supplement daily. Main outcome measures Energy intake from the supplements and weight change over time in relation to whether a secondary infection occurred. Statistical analysis Means, standard deviations, and frequency. Results At the time of entry to the study, the patients with preexisting weight loss (16 of 17) were 14+8% below their usual body weight. On average, patients consumed 11±4 supplements per week for 6±3 weeks. The majority (12 of 17) were able to gain or maintain weight. Overall weight change was 1.1+2.2 kg. Only 5 of 17 patients lost weight, 4 of whom developed a secondary infection during the study (ie, after enrollment in the study). All of those who developed a secondary infection were classified as having AIDS and had lower mean CD4 counts at baseline than those who did not develop a secondary infection. Although those who developed a secondary infection had a higher incidence of weight loss, their consumption of oral supplements per week was greater than that of those without a secondary infection. Applications/conclusions In patients with HIV infection and in the early stages of AIDS without a secondary infection, weight gain and/or maintenance was achievable with a high-energy, high-protein, oral, liquid, nutrition supplement in conjunction with nutrition counseling. The majority of the patients who developed a secondary infection, however, lost weight despite the use of supplements and counseling. Use of a high-energy, high-protein, oral, liquid, nutrition supplement, with intact nutrients, should be the first-line nutrition treatment for malnourished, HIV-infected patients without secondary infections. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:337-341 .
West Africa Regional Development

RELATIVE TIME PERIOD: Follows the West African Iron Age tradition and precedes the historic period. As in the case of the preceding period, the societies, subsistence strategies, and specific cultural historical developments represented are extremely varied, and the period does not represent well-defined chronological or cultural historical divisions. Observations for many portions of the region are limited by the paucity of archaeological data available, and many of the developments discussed must, therefore, be regarded as preliminary. The first documentary records for the region date to this period, including Arabic sources for the western sahel dating to 1150 B.P. In many instances, however, documentary and oral accounts are quite limited until the last two centuries B.P. Archaeology thus remains the primary source of information for the reconstruction of the past. Traditionally, the emergence of the Arab-dominated trans-Saharan trade and the spread of Islam have been seen as catalysts for urbanization, technological innovation, and sociopolitical complexity. Such models, however, mask the variable and complex patterns of local developments and responses. Ongoing research underscores the need for other theoretical interpretations and consideration of other models of complexity.
Paired-End Illumina Shotgun Sequencing Used to Develop the First Microsatellite Primers for Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae)

Abstract Microsatellite or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are useful markers for testing hypotheses related to intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeographic dispersal patterns of invasive species. Megacopta cribraria (F.), a bean plataspid from Asia, is an invasive insect pest first discovered in the Western Hemisphere in 2009 in 9 counties in northeast Georgia, USA. By the end of 2012, M. cribraria had been confirmed in 392 counties in 8 U.S. states. To study the genetic diversity over time of this dispersing invasive population we developed and characterized the first codominant markers from M. cribraria genomic sequences. Seventeen genomic microsatellite loci in M. cribraria were characterized. These loci were screened in 23 individuals from 11 counties in Georgia, USA, collected in 2009 and 2010, and from 6 individuals from Kanagawa Province in Japan collected in 2010. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 - 7, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 - 0.60, and the probability of ident...
Electronic monitoring of patient-reported adherence and symptoms on oral chemotherapy at an academic and a community site.

283Background: Monitoring of toxicity and adherence is often lacking for patients recently started on oral chemotherapy. National guidelines recommend active outreach to patients within a week afte...
Type I interferon and TNF signaling plays key synergistic role in programmed necrosis

Pathogen detection and downstream signaling events are important for protection against disease and clearance of infection. Upon sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), cells often produce interferons (IFNs), which drive multiple transcriptional changes, allowing a cell to enter an antiviral state. Intriguingly, the IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR) has recently been shown to be important in triggering the cell death program necroptosis (or programmed necrosis), although the mechanism is unclear. Unlike apoptosis (which relies on caspase activation), necroptosis requires the activation of receptor interacting kinase 3 (RIP3) and leads to the swelling and bursting of the cell. Death receptor or Toll-like receptor signaling can activate RIP3 in certain cellular contexts, leading to cellular destruction by necroptosis. Furthermore, RIP3-deficient mice are highly susceptible to multiple viral infections, highlighting RIP3’s antiviral role. How IFN signaling interfaces with programmed necrosis remains to be discovered. My studies have illuminated the requirement of TNFα production downstream of IFN signaling to trigger necroptosis. We believe promoting necroptosis through the production of TNFα may be an underappreciated role of the IFN-driven antiviral response.
Surface Pressure Measurements in a Model Helical Coil Steam Generator Using Pressure Sensitive Paint

AbstractHelical coil steam generators (HCSGs) are tube and shell heat exchangers under investigation due to their future in nuclear power applications. A model of an HCSG with a transverse pitch ra...
Biological Citizenship - A 53-Year-Old Man with Schizoaffective Disorder and PTSD Applying for Supplemental Security Income.

Biological Citizenship A man with multiple mental health conditions stops attending the clinic where he received wrap-around services. Denied Supplemental Security Income because his psychiatrist h...
The People's Bowling Palace: Building Underground in Late Communist Leipzig

In 1987 a recreational centre called the Bowlingtreff arose at the centre of East German Leipzig without knowledge from central authorities thanks to 40,050 hours of volunteer labour. What can this incident of apparent optimism tell us about state–citizen relations as they had evolved on the eve of revolution? Rather than ‘ostalgic’ evidence of socialist paradise lost, this article shows how, overcoming years of bureaucratic proscriptions, dedicated local authorities built ‘off the record’ to prove to the people that they could attain something; and residents disillusioned with communism were eager to build a piece of the ‘imaginary West’ in their dying city. Ultimately, however, the bowling palace demonstrated system dysfunction and whetted Leipzigers’ appetite for the ‘real’ West.
State Regulation of Agricultural Labor Regulations - The Arizona Farm Labor Law: An Interpretive and Comparative Analysis

The Arizona Farm Labor Law was drafted as a measure to restrain the volatility of agricultural labor relations in Arizona. The law has engendered heated political debate and provided a moving force for the petition to recall the Governor of Arizona. The law has not, however, been subjected to rigid analysis, free of political exaggeration. This Article, therefore, undertakes a careful functional examination of the Act, comparing its provisions to related provisions in federal labor law and discussing its applicability to the particular circumstances prevalent in Arizona's agriculture industry. The Article places special emphasis on the Act's practical effect on union organizing and on the overall balance between employer interests and employee rights in Arizona's agricultural labor relations.
Emergency psychiatry training and the decision to hospitalize : a longitudinal study of psychiatric residents.

To assess the impact of a 6-month emergency psychiatry training program on emergency psychiatric decision making, we studied 577 emergency psychiatric patient evaluations conducted by 15 first-year psychiatry residents. By their fifth month of training, the residents' rates of emergency patient hospitalization declined from 33% to 19%. For residents in the early training phase, various clinical features, including psychosis, thought disorder, schizophrenic diagnosis, dangerousness, and overall symptoms, were associated with higher rates of patient hospitalization. By the end of training, only dangerousness and overall symptoms remained significantly related to the hospitalization decision. Specific training in emergency psychiatry may affect psychiatric decision-making practices as early as the first year of residency training.
A COVID-19 Prophylaxis? Lower incidence associated with prophylactic administration of Ivermectin.

As COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) continues to rapidly spread throughout the world, the incidence varies greatly among different countries. These differences raise the question whether nations with a lower incidence share any medical commonalities that could be used not only to explain that lower incidence but also to provide guidance for potential treatments elsewhere. Such a treatment would be particularly valuable if it could be used as a prophylactic against SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) transmission, thereby effectively slowing the spread of the disease while we await the wide availability of safe and effective vaccines. Here, we show that countries with routine mass drug administration of prophylactic chemotherapy including ivermectin have a significantly lower incidence of COVID-19. Prophylactic use of ivermectin against parasitic infections is most common in Africa and we hence show that the reported correlation is highly significant both when compared among African nations as well as in a worldwide context. We surmise that this may be connected to ivermectin's ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication, which likely leads to lower infection rates. However, other pathways must exist to explain the persistence of such an inhibitory effect after serum levels of ivermectin have declined. It is suggested that ivermectin be evaluated for potential off-label prophylactic use in certain cases to help bridge the time until a safe and effective vaccine becomes available.
CHOLINERGIC-NEUROPEPTIDE Y INTERACTIONS IN THE RAT CEREBRAL CORTEX: TOWARDS A MODEL FOR THE TRANS-SYNAPTIC EFFECTS OF CHOLINERGIC TRANSMISSION

Cholinergic neurons projecting from the nucleus basalis to the cerebral cortex are among those consistently rendered dysfunctional during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (1–3). These cholinergic neurons are implicated in the memory and cognitive disorders associated with the disease, based on pharmacological and pathological studies in humans and animals (4–6). Unfortunately, attempts to improve mental status by increasing brain cholinergic transmission have been only marginally successful because of at least four factors: 1) the multitransmitter basis of this disease, especially in its later stages; 2) our inability to diagnose the disease consistently in its earliest stages; 3) the lack of agents that selectively increase cholinergic transmission in brain pathways affected by Alzheimer’s disease; and 4) our lack of understanding about the long-term, trans-synaptic effects of cholinergic transmission that may modify the initial response to cholinergic agents. This chapter focuses on the fourth factor, with an emphasis on developing a neurochemical model for trans-synaptic changes associated with cholinergic transmission. Such a model would be particularly useful for characterizing the functional effects of agents purported to alter cholinergic transmission pre- or postsynaptically, e.g., trophic factors, receptor agonists and antagonists, as well as nootrophic drugs.
Biological Fouling Mitigation in a Forward-Osmosis Membrane Bioreactor

AbstractFouling remains a critical barrier for the continued development of forward-osmosis (FO) membrane bioreactor technology (MBR). Thermal osmotic backwashing at 23°C, 60°C, and 80°C, coupled a...
Pain in older adults

Abstract Pain is a common problem for many older adults. Estimates are that more than 50% of older adults experience pain on a regular basis. We provide an overview of pain, including definitions, types of pain, and pain theories and their evolution over time. The study of pain and aging is relatively new, and a history of this area of clinical and research attention is reviewed. We discuss the epidemiology of pain in older adults, age-changes in pain, factors that contribute to pain, and consequences of pain in this population. Pain management requires systematic assessment and effective pain treatment. Strategies for measuring pain are described, including an overview of pain assessment in people with dementia, an area in which substantial advancements have been made. Pain treatment is optimized when a combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies are used; an overview of pain treatment options is presented.
Arsenic and other metals as phenotype driving electrophiles in carcinogenesis.

Abstract There are several sources of heavy metal exposures whether occupational or environmental. These are connected both with the existence of natural reservoirs of metal toxicants or human activity such as mining, welding and construction. In general, exposure to heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and metalloids, such as arsenic (As), has been associated with diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and cancer. Common to these diseases is the loss of cellular physiologic performance and phenotype required for proper function. On the metal side, electrophilic behavior that disrupts the electronic (or redox) state of cells is a common feature. This suggests that there may be a connection between changes to the redox equilibrium of cells caused by environmental exposures to heavy metals and the pathogenic effects of such exposures. In this mini-review, we will focus on two environmental contaminants cadmium (a metal) and arsenic (a metalloid) and explore their interactions with living organisms from the perspective of their electrophilic chemical reactivity that underlies both their potential as carcinogens and as drivers of more aggressive tumor phenotypes.
Economic Models in Merger Analysis: A Case Study of the Merger Guidelines

Merger analysis is a field in which economic theory is systematically applied, day-in, day-out. Economics structures the definition of the relevant market, and then economics drives the evaluation of the likely competitive effect of the merger. Exactly which models appear to be used by Federal Trade Commission staff would be of great interest to the stake-holder community, as would any details on how the models are applied. This paper provides this information with an in-depth study of the merger review process focused on 124 single market horizontal mergers evaluated between FY 1993 and 2003. Five different market models are identified with a homogenous goods analysis (two choices) useful in about one-third of the cases and a differentiated goods analysis (three choices) relevant for the others. Within the relevant markets, unilateral effects analysis was used in slightly more than half of the cases and coordinated interaction theories in just less than half. The unilateral analyses generally applied a head-to-head model of competition, while the coordinated interaction cases utilized three different models of collusion. The outcomes of the Guidelines-based theories are then matched with other evidence of the likely competitive effect. Evidence contained in hot documents, validated customer concerns and event studies appear to play an important role in confirming Guidelines-based theoretical predictions for the competitive effect of a proposed merger.
Mixing on Stochastic Staircase Transformations

We prove mixing on a general class of rank-one transformations containing all known examples of rank-one mixing, including staircase transformations and Ornstein's constructions, and a variety of new constructions.
Marriage in Cinema

Marriage is a topic that has been dealt by Hollywood since the beginning of motion pictures. Even though the subject of marriage seems to be banal, there is a wide diversity in how people lead their married lives. Factors such as culture, religion, education, and history have major influences on the perception and definition of marriage. Hollywood, which has always been deft to notice the evolution in marriage, has accurately portrayed them through the use of movies. Through this paper, the researcher intends to chart the development in the concept of marriage through cinema over the past century.
Measurement of retromolar space dimensions using dental pantomograms for intubation feasibility.

Background The purpose of this study was to measure the dimensions of the retromolar space of a patient population. If the dimensions were found to exceed the outside diameters of commonly used tracheal tubes, the results could increase use of the retromolar approach for oral intubation in patients with trismus. Methods We reviewed 311 dental pantomograms. Retromolar space height was measured from the lowest point of the maxillary tuberosity to the mandibular alveolar ridge. Width was measured from the last mandibular molar to the junction of the anterior border of the ramus with the body of the mandible. Results Mean height and width were 17.87 mm and 17.48 mm for the right space and 18.07 mm and 16.51 mm for the left. Conclusion These dimensions were usually larger than the outside diameters of commonly used tracheal tubes. The retromolar approach can be considered an option for flexible fiberoptic intubation in patients with trismus. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
The representation of signals in terms of spectral amplitude

In this paper, the importance of spectral phase and magnitude is examined from a different point of view. In particular, an amplitude and angle based representation of spectral information is developed. With this formulation, a causal finite length signal is uniquely defined by its spectral amplitude or, to within a scale factor, by its spectral angle.
Assessment of volatile organic compound and hazardous air pollutant emissions from oil and natural gas well pads using mobile remote and on-site direct measurements.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from oil and natural gas production were investigated using direct measurements of component-level emissions on pads in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin and remote measurements of production pad-level emissions in the Barnett, DJ, and Pinedale basins. Results from the 2011 DJ on-site study indicate that emissions from condensate storage tanks are highly variable and can be an important source of VOCs and HAPs, even when control measures are present. Comparison of the measured condensate tank emissions with potentially emitted concentrations modeled using E&P TANKS (American Petroleum Institute [API] Publication 4697) suggested that some of the tanks were likely effectively controlled (emissions less than 95% of potential), whereas others were not. Results also indicate that the use of a commercial high-volume sampler (HVS) without corresponding canister measurements may result in severe underestimates of emissions from conde...
Nocturnal moaning and groaning—catathrenia or nocturnal vocalizations

Descriptions of nocturnal vocalizations, including catathrenia, are few. We undertook a study at our center on patients diagnosed with catathrenia, to evaluate the characteristic features of these events and their response to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of catathrenia who had an overnight polysomnogram (PSG) and available synchronized audio video recordings (to confirm the presence of moaning and groaning), at our center between January 2007 and May 2010. Ten patients were included in the analysis. Three (30%) patients presented with the chief complaint of expiratory noises during sleep. The other moaning/groaning sounds were incidental findings noted by the sleep technologist and/or the sleep physician. The number of moaning/groaning events during PSG varied between 2 and 343 per patient with sound duration ranging from 0.4 to 21.4 s. Moaning/groaning events during exhalation (1,026 episodes) were separated into typical catathrenia events (as per the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 2nd edition [ICSD-2] definition) and atypical/nocturnal vocalization events (moaning/groaning events that did not meet the ICSD-2 criteria). Typical catathrenia events (5% or 52/1,026) were experienced by five of the ten patients and had mean exhalation duration of 14.97 ± 5.13 s (range 5.8–24 s) with a mean sound duration of 8.47 ± 5.97 s (range 2–21.4 s). The typical and atypical events occurred predominantly in NREM sleep. Six of the ten patients had associated sleep-disordered breathing and four underwent CPAP titration. All four patients had significantly fewer events of moaning/groaning (mean reduction was 75.8 ± 26.2%) with CPAP. New and unique features were identified in our series of patients diagnosed with catathrenia. Though all events had the characteristic moaning and groaning sound during exhalation, only a small percentage (5%) met the catathrenia definition as outlined in ICSD-2. Do we label the atypical events as part of the spectrum of nocturnal vocalizations or consider them as catathrenia by redefining the criteria? CPAP appeared to be a reasonable treatment option.
Some Aspects of the Eruption Mechanism of the Big Hole Maar, Central Oregon

At the Big Hole maar in central Oregon, rising basalt magma came in contact with abundant ground water at a depth of more than 200 m below the surface, causing phreatomagmatic eruptions, possibly 20,000 yrs ago. Late-stage subsidence along a ring fault accounts for the large crater cut into older rocks. Subsequent erosion of pyroclastic debris in the crater wall increased the diameter of the crater while decreasing its depth. Investigation of the distribution pattern of large ejected blocks and application of a model of block acceleration in a dense rising two-phase system permits calculation of the apparent density and velocity of the fluid system. Values for the final strong eruptions are 0.01g/cm3 and 226 m/sec and for some of the earlier strong eruptions 0.01g/cm3 and 200 m/sec. The kinetic energy of some of the strongest eruptions was approximately 1.33 × 1021 ergs. Vesiculated tuffs, that is, tuffs with smooth-walled bubbles between the particles, are present between 1 and 2.5 km from the center of the crater; they appear to be the deposits of base surges.
Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction

After stealthily traveling thousands of miles across the ocean, swells slowly rise from the deep as they glide toward shore. Whether they rear up and crash against jagged cliffs or lap quietly toward grass-covered dunes, they are met by people in ever-increasing numbers. A large and growing number of people live, work, or play near the shoreline. Coastal morphologies and the processes that continually remake them increasingly affect coastal economies as well as sightseers, and vice versa. These interactions are prompting increased study of the Earth's diverse coastal environments.
10 meter sub-orbital large balloon reflector (LBR)

Under the auspices of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, the University of Arizona, Southwest Research Institute, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Arizona State University, and Johns Hopkins Applied Research Laboratory are developing and demonstrating key technologies required to realize a suborbital, 10 meter class telescope suitable for operation from radio to THz frequencies. The telescope consists of an inflatable, half-aluminized spherical reflector deployed within a much larger carrier balloon - either zero pressure or super pressure. Besides serving as a launch vehicle, the carrier balloon provides both a stable mount and radome for the enclosed telescope. Looking up, the LBR will serve as a telescope. Looking down, the LBR can be used for remote sensing or telecommunication activities. The realization of a large, space-based 10 meter class telescope for far-infrared/THz studies has long been a goal of NASA. By combining successful suborbital balloon and ground-based telescope technologies, the dream of a 10 meter class telescope free of 99% of the Earth's atmospheric absorption in the far-infrared can be realized. The same telescope can also be used to perform sensitive, high spectral and spatial resolution limb sounding studies of the Earth's atmosphere in greenhouse gases and serve as a high flying hub for any number of telecommunications and surveillance activities.
Cystic echinococcosis in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic.

The northern biotype of Echinococcus granulosus occurs throughout the holarctic zones of tundra and taiga, from eastern Fennoscandia to the Bering Strait in Eurasia and in North America from arctic Alaska approximately to the northern border of the United States. The cycle of the cestode is complex in taiga at lower latitudes, because of the greater diversity of potential hosts. In the Arctic and Subarctic, however, four patterns of predator/prey relationships may be discerned. Two natural cycles involve the wolf and wild reindeer and the wolf and elk (moose), respectively. Where deer of the two species coexist, both are prey of the wolf; the interactions of the wolf and elk are here described on the basis of long-term observations made on Isle Royale (in Lake Superior near the southern limit of taiga), where only the wolf and elk serve as hosts for E. granulosus. A synanthropic cycle involving herding-dogs and domesticated reindeer caused hyperendemicity of cystic echinococcosis in arctic Eurasia, mainly in northeastern Siberia. The 4th pattern, a semi-synanthropic cycle, formerly existed in Alaska, wherein sled-dogs of the indigenous hunters became infected by consuming the lungs of wild reindeer. The sequence of changes in life-style inherent in the process of acculturation affected the occurrence of cystic echinococcosis among nomadic Inupiat in arctic Alaska. When those people became sedentary, the environs of their early villages soon became severely contaminated by faeces of dogs, and cases of cystic echinococcosis occurred. Compared to cystic echinococcosis caused by E. granulosus adapted to synanthropic hosts (dog and domestic ungulates), the infection produced by the northern biotype is relatively benign. Nearly all diagnosed cases of cystic echinococcosis (>300) in Alaska have occurred in indigenous people; only one fatality has been recorded (in a non-indigenous person). After sled-dogs were replaced by machines, cases have become rare in Alaska. A similar effect has been observed in Fennoscandia, in the Saami and domesticated reindeer. Recent records indicate that the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis is increasing in Russia, suggesting that dogs are used there in herding.
Givens transformation techniques for Kalman filtering.

Abstract This paper examines the numerical stability and accuracy of a new Kalman filtering technique. The filter algorithm is based upon square-root-free Givens transformation methods and involves an upper triangular covariance factorization P = UDUT. Stability of the U-D algorithm is studied by applying this method and several other Kalman filter algorithms to a realistic orbit determination problem. This study demonstrates how the U-D filter can produce results which are orders of magnitude more accurate than those obtained with the conventional and stabilized Kalman algorithms. Computational efficiency of our algorithms is demonstrated by showing that CPU timing requirements for our U-D formulation differ negligibly from the conventional Kalman requirements.
RNase L induces autophagy via c-Jun N-terminal Kinase and Double-Stranded RNA-Dependent Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways.

Autophagy is a tightly regulated mechanism that mediates sequestration, degradation, and recycling of cellular proteins, organelles, and pathogens. Several proteins associated with autophagy regulate host responses to viral infections. Ribonuclease L (RNase L) is activated during viral infections and cleaves cellular and viral single-stranded RNAs, including rRNAs in ribosomes. Here we demonstrate that direct activation of RNase L coordinates the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) to induce autophagy with hallmarks as accumulation of autophagic vacuoles, p62(SQSTM1) degradation and conversion of Microtubule-associated Protein Light Chain 3-I (LC3-I) to LC3-II. Accordingly, treatment of cells with pharmacological inhibitors of JNK or PKR and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking JNK1/2 or PKR showed reduced autophagy levels. Furthermore, RNase L-induced JNK activity promoted Bcl-2 phosphorylation, disrupted the Beclin1-Bcl-2 complex and stimulated autophagy. Viral infection with Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) or Sendai virus led to higher levels of autophagy in wild-type (WT) MEFs compared with RNase L knock out (KO) MEFs. Inhibition of RNase L-induced autophagy using Bafilomycin A1 or 3-methyladenine suppressed viral growth in initial stages; in later stages autophagy promoted viral replication dampening the antiviral effect. Induction of autophagy by activated RNase L is independent of the paracrine effects of interferon (IFN). Our findings suggest a novel role of RNase L in inducing autophagy affecting the outcomes of viral pathogenesis.
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium outbreak caused by patient transfer in 2 separate intensive care units

This report describes an outbreak involving vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization in 2 separate intensive care units (ICUs). Outbreak investigation including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that transfer of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonized patient between ICUs contributed to the outbreaks that occurred simultaneously in 2 separate ICUs.
Elliptical billiard-ball echo model

The billiard-ball echo model is expanded to include the effects of using sub-Doppler-linewidth lasers in photon-echo experiments. The simple heuristic model which emerges explains such echo phenomena in gases as the echo time width and the degradation of echo intensity with angling of the excitation pulses. We derive simple results in the small-pulsearea limit and give formal expressions for excitation pulses of arbitrary area.
Mechanism of action of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins

The selectivity of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins is determined both by the toxin structure and by factors inherent to the insect. These toxins contain distinct domains that appear to be functionally important in toxin binding to protein receptors in the midgut of susceptible insects, and the subsequent formation of a pore in the insect midgut epithelium. In this article features necessary for the insecticidal activity of these toxins are discussed. These include toxin structure, toxin processing in the insect midgut, the identification of toxin receptors in susceptible insects, and toxin pore formation in midgut cells. In addition a number of B. thuringiensis toxins act synergistically to exert their full insecticidal activity. This synergistic action is critical not only for expressing the insecticidal activity of these toxins, but could also play a role in delaying the onset of insect resistance.
Absence of mutagenic effects of continuous and pulsed ultrasound in cultured (AL) human-hamster hybrid cells.

Abstract Mutagenic effects of continuous and pulsed ultrasound were looked for using an in vitro assay system, the A L hybrid, that is up to 100 times more sensitive for mutagens such as x-rays and neutrons than the assays used previously to evaluate ultrasound. Cells in suspension in rotated plastic test tubes were insonated with continuous wave ultrasound at I MHz, I SPTP , = 0.62–40 W/cm 2 for 0–40 min. Cells attached in the central region of culture flasks received pulsed exposures at f c = 2.5 MHz, PRF = 1 kHz, 2 and 8 cycles per pulse, with p _ = 1.2 MPa ( I SPTA = 31–180 mW/cm 2 ) for 0–30 min. Although these exposures were cytotoxic (the plating efficiency was decreased to ∼ 65% by the highest doses), induction of mutation, if any occurred, was less than would be expected in this test system from 10–30 cGy of x-ray.
A motivational analysis of a season of Sport Education

Background: The Sport Education curriculum model with its goals to develop competent, literate and enthusiastic sportspersons has been gaining popularity across the globe. To date, studies have yet to investigate the objective motivational climate of Sport Education. Aims: The purpose of this study was to measure and describe the objective motivational climate of a Sport Education season conducted in a Russian school. Method: The participants in this study were 21 ninth-grade Russian students (12 boys and 9 girls) who did not have any previous experience with Sport Education. The teacher in the study was a Russian native who had 4 years of experience teaching and researching Sport Education in schools and colleges across the USA and Russia. The study took place in a public coeducational school located in a city (population 300,000) in the central part of Russia. Classes met three times a week for the entire academic quarter (6 weeks) for a total of 18 lessons, and each lesson was scheduled for 40 minutes....
Comparative measures of desiccation-tolerance in the Tortula ruralis complex. I: Variation in damage control and repair

A mechanism for desiccation-tolerance in bryophytes based on carbon balance, damage limitation, and cellular repair is proposed. These criteria are incorporated into an experimental framework to measure desiccation-tolerance comparatively. In this report we utilize measures of damage control and damage repair to determine relative differences in tolerance between populations of three tolerant moss species: Tortula caninervis, T. ruralis, and T. norvegica. The measurement of damage control by electrolyte leakage alone was demonstrated not to be useful in determining levels of tolerance by traditional criteria in these closely related and highly tolerant species. Measurement of protein synthetic differences between hydrated and desiccated-rehydrated treatments was used to distinguish between the capabilities of the three moss species to repair cellular damage and to formulate a measure of tolerance. The overall ranking of the three species in descending order of tolerance is calculated to be: Tortula caninervis, T. ruralis, and T. norvegica. However, individual populations of each of these species exhibit variation in tolerance levels that span this broader classification. These rankings correlate well with the perceived ranking of water stress in the species' natural habitat. The evolution of desiccation-tolerance and its role in the distribution, community relationships, physiological ecology, and evolution of bryophytes has been a fertile area for research and speculation over many years. Progress has been limited, however, by a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in desiccation-tolerance and the difficulty of quantitatively measuring this complex phenotype. The former is critical if one is to understand the role of desiccation-tolerance in the evolution of land plants; the latter is necessary if one is to compare levels of tolerance within and between species. Obviously the two problems are closely linked, as a quantitative measure cannot be devised without some understanding of the mechanisms involved, and a quantitative measure will facilitate understanding of the intricacies of mechanisms. This linkage is further complicated by the possibility that more than one mechanism of desiccation-tolerance is likely to exist (Bewley and Krochko, 1982). In this report we propose a mechanism for tolerance in the moss Tortula ruralis and use it to devise rapid and relatively easy assays for desiccation-tolerance. We then use these assays to distinguish differences in levels of tolerance between populations within and among species of the Tortula ruralis complex and to relate these findings to the physiological ecology of these plants. When comparing species or populations, desiccationtolerance should be seen as a relative rather than an absolute distinction. It should also be kept in mind that there are apparently many different ways to achieve a given phenotypic level of desiccation-tolerance. Thus it
Recognition of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants by health insurance providers in the United States: results of a national survey of lactation consultants.

Background:Insurance coverage for lactation management is proposed by the United States Affordable Care Act. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are key providers of lactation services. In order to inform national discussion, this study examines the scope of insurance reimbursement of IBCLC services.Objectives:An email survey of US IBCLCs (N = 10 495) in March 2011 was used to explore frequencies of (1) submission—how often lactation consults were submitted to insurance providers for reimbursement and (2) recognition—the proportion of submitted charges recognized by insurance providers.Methods:Results (N = 2045) were analyzed to describe patterns of submission and recognition by IBCLC work setting, job classification, and reimbursement strategy.Results:Many survey respondents did not know their submission (41%) or recognition (57%) levels. Multiple strategies were used for reimbursement of IBCLC services with large variations in recognition between strategies. Overall, less than 1...
Tomographically resolved ionization temperatures and electron densities in the inductively coupled plasma determined by the line-to-continuum method

Abstract This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by three disks with data files with the hardcopy paper in Word 5.0 and ASCII format, and a disclaimer. The text details the purpose of the work and the structure of the three-dimensional Ar ionization temperature and electron number density data files. The line-to-continuum method was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of Ar ionization temperatures, T ion , and electron number densities, n e , within a dry Ar inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The emission measurements were spatially resolved in three dimensions by reconstruction algorithms for computed tomography. The 40.68 MHz Ar ICP was operated at applied r.f. power levels of 0.75 and 1.0 kW. The reconstructed distributions of Ar I line emission (430.0 nm) and continuum emission (428.6 nm) show good reproducibility over a series of five replicate runs. Argon ionization temperatures remain within a 6500–8500 K range throughout the continuum-emission cone of the plasma. Deviations from this temperature range occur in the central channel and around the outer edge of the plasma. Low in the plasma, the central-channel T ion is cooler than 6000 K. Along the outer edge of the plasma, the line-to-continuum ratio becomes small; this low ratio results in erroneously high temperatures (> 12000 K). The errors in T ion appear to be due to reproducible artifacts in the reconstruction process that lead to low Ar I line-emission readings along the outer edge of the plasma. Electron densities show a maximum of 8.5 × 10 14 cm −3 and 1.2 × 10 15 cm −3 at 0.75 and 1.0 kW, respectively. Electron number densities were much better behaved than T ion due to their dependence on the square-root of continuum measurements and only the fourth-root of T ion .
On the computational significance of the intermediate configuration and hyperelastic stress relations in finite deformation elastoplasticity

Abstract Incremental formulations directly based on an additive decomposition of the rate of deformation tensor, with instantaneous elastic response directly characterized by a rate constitutive equation, have often been regarded as the most convenient ones from a computational standpoint. By contrast, it is shown that a direct characterization of the elastic response in terms of a potential in conjunction with the notion of intermediate configuration provides a simpler and more convenient computational framework. In particular, objective rates play no role, neither in the basic formulation nor in the integration procedure. Within this framework, issues concerning the treatment of volume constraints, the formulation of return mapping algorithms and consistent linearization procedures are addressed.