cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
If funders and libraries subscribed to open access: The case of eLife, PLOS, and BioOne

Following on recent initiatives in which funders and libraries directly fund open access publishing, this study works out the economics of systematically applying this approach to three biomedical and biology publishing entities by determining the publishing costs for the funders that sponsored the research, while assigning the costs for unsponsored articles to the libraries. The study draws its data from the non-profit biomedical publishers eLife and PLOS, and the nonprofit journal aggregator BioOne, with this sample representing a mix of publishing revenue models, including funder sponsorship, article processing charges (APC), and subscription fees. This funder-library open access subscription model is proposed as an alternative to both the closed-subscription model, which funders and libraries no longer favor, and the APC open access model, which has limited scalability across scholarly publishing domains. Utilizing PubMed filtering and manual-sampling strategies, as well as publicly available publisher revenue data, the study demonstrates that in 2015, 86 percent of the articles in eLife and PLOS acknowledged funder support, as did 76 percent of the articles in the largely subscription journals of BioOne. Twelve percent of the articles identified the NIH as a funder, 8 percent identifies other U.S. government agencies. Approximately half of the articles were funded by non-U.S. government agencies, including 1 percent by Wellcome Trust and 0.5 percent by Howard Hughes Medical Institute. For 17 percent of the articles, which lacked a funder, the study demonstrates how a collection of research libraries, similar to the one currently subscribing to BioOne, could cover publishing costs. The goal of the study is to inform stakeholder considerations of open access models that can work across the disciplines by (a) providing a cost breakdown for direct funder and library support for open access publishing; (b) positing the use of publishing data-management organizations (such as Crossref and ORCID) to facilitate per article open access support; and (c) proposing ways in which such a model offers a more efficient, equitable, and scalable approach to open access than the prevailing APC model, which originated with biomedical publishing.
Echocardiographic Detection of Increased Ventricular Diastolic Stiffness in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study

Background Pediatric heart transplant recipients are at risk for increased left ventricular (LV) diastolic stiffness. However, the noninvasive evaluation of LV stiffness has remained elusive in this population. The objective of this study was to compare novel echocardiographic measures of LV diastolic stiffness versus gold-standard measures derived from pressure-volume loop (PVL) analysis in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Methods Patients undergoing left heart catheterization were prospectively enrolled. PVLs were obtained via conductance. The end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship was obtained via balloon occlusion. The stiffness constant, β, was calculated. Echocardiographic measures of diastolic function were derived from spectral and tissue Doppler and two-dimensional speckle-tracking. Ventricular volumes were measured using three-dimensional echocardiography. The novel echocardiographic estimates of ventricular stiffness included E:e′/end-diastolic volume (EDV) and E:early diastolic strain rate/EDV. Results Of 24 children, 18 were heart transplant recipients. Six control patients had hemodynamically insignificant patent ductus arteriosus or coronary fistula. The mean age was 9.1 ± 5.6 years. Median end-diastolic pressure was 9 mm Hg (interquartile range, 8–13 mm Hg). Lateral E:e′/EDV ( r = 0.59, P r = 0.57, P r = 0.54, P 0.015 mL −1 ). A lateral E:e′/EDV of >0.15 mL −1 had 89% sensitivity and 93% specificity in detecting an abnormal β. Conclusions Echocardiographic estimates of ventricular stiffness may be accurate compared with the gold standard in pediatric heart transplant recipients. The clinical usefulness of these noninvasive measures in assessing LV stiffness merits further study in children.
A Genealogy of Redevelopment in Chinese Cities

This chapter examines the changing landscape of urban redevelopment in China from the early 1990s to the present. It discusses the shifting target of redevelopment from formal urban neighborhoods to informal urban villages. The redevelopment of urban villages entails different social-political dynamics from the “Shanghai model” of urban renewal in the 1990s. The changing regulations have made the “Shanghai model” unfeasible today and extended better protection for residents’ rights to housing. But urban village redevelopment has produced new forms of inclusion and exclusion, as a handful of property owners of urban villages are offered generous compensation and the majority of migrant tenants are excluded in the process.
Technology Supports for Acquiring Mathematics

Technology plays a special role in learning and practicing mathematics. Technology supports for mathematics education largely reflect the form and shifts of underlying theories of learning and intellectual behavior. Information processing theory and theories of cognitive skill acquisition have and continue to be dominant influences in mathematics education. Increasingly, designs of educational technologies are influenced by emerging theories of knowledge, practice, and collaborative and discovery-based learning that focus on situated and sociocultural perspectives, constructivism, and embodied cognition. These have inspired technologies that support active learning and discovery, self-monitoring, dynamic software, anchored instruction, networked devices, participatory simulations, serious games, and construction kits for tangible mathematics.
Reducing the Geographic Variance in Medical Expenditures: The Benefits of a Primary-Care-Oriented Health System

The Affordable Care Act states that a primary goal of health care reform should be to lower costs and promote fiscal responsibility. With these two goals in mind, the bill proposes a more primary-care-oriented health system by enacting a 5-year temporary Medicare fee increase for primary care physicians as a means to increase the number of physicians and incentivize more primary care services. Using county and regional level Medicare data, this paper finds that an increase in the number of primary care physicians per capita would reduce per beneficiary Medicare spending and as a consequence, lower national health expenditures substantially.
Developing a Reduced SNP Panel for Low-cost Genotyping in Beef Cattle

The objective of this study was to develop a low-density reduced SNP panel (RP) that could capture most of the predictive ability of a 50K panel for six important traits (birth, weaning and yearling weights; calving ease direct; marbling; and rib eye area) in beef cattle. More than 15,000 animals from six cattle breeds genotyped with 50K were used to select markers highly associated with target traits. Accuracies of direct genomic breeding values (DGV) were calculated for 3 independent validation populations using either 50K or RP. Accuracies of DGV obtained from RP were comparable with those obtained from 50K (>75% predictive ability of 50K) while the size of RP is
The Relative Importance of Permanent and Transitory Components in Macroeconomic Time Series

In a recent paper, Morley, Nelson and Zivot (2003) provide a unified framework for decomposing integrated time series into permanent and transitory components. We apply this decomposition to four U.S. time series for which there is strong evidence of a unit root. Our results suggest that shocks to these macroeconomic time series are predominately permanent. We also examine the consequences of using inappropriate methods of decomposing nonstationary time series into trend and cycle. We find that these methods systematically overestimate the importance of transitory shocks.
Sigmund Freud’s Use of Catharsis and Cognition

Most present psychotherapies can trace their origins back to Sigmund Freud’s work either as modifications of his work or reactions against his thinking. Of course many of the ideas Freud promoted were based on the thinking of others (Ellenberger, 1970); however, it was Freud who started a school of thought and trained disciples who promoted and popularized his approach.
Report of the Committee on Evaporation and Transpiration, 1952–1953

Comparison of values of potential evapotranspiration measured by the six evapotranspirometer tanks [1951–1952 Committee Report, Trans., v. 34, pp. 625–627, 1953] in use at Seabrook, New Jersey since June, 1948, with values computed from climatic data by Thornthwaite's empirical expression have shown that the formula underestimates evapotranspiration during cold periods and overestimates it during warm periods. Efforts have been made to establish evapotranspirometers in other climatic regions to permit further testing of the results found at Seabrook. In 1951 a simplified version of the Thornthwaite evapotranspirometer was designed [J. R. Mather, Design and evaluation of a modified evapotranspirometer, Johns Hopkins Univ., Lab. of Climatology, Interim Report 15 1951, pp. 11–15]. It is inexpensive to build and can be operated by unskilled personnel. Use of the simplified evapotranspirometer will permit the installation of a number of additional observing stations.
Accounting for HIV Health Disparities: Risk and Protective Factors Among Older Gay and Bisexual Men:

Objective: This study examines whether disparities exist in poor health and depressive symptomatology among older gay/bisexual men (50+) with (n = 371) and without (n = 973) HIV. If so, what risk/p...
How Far Up the River? Criminal Justice Contact and Health Outcomes:

Research has shown negative health outcomes from felony imprisonment. The conditions that create and exacerbate physical and mental health outcomes on the felony side—exposure to disease, lack of h...
Capitalism, Kinship, and Fraud: The Case of Bernie Madoff

Author(s): Ortner, Sherry B | Abstract: Investment broker Bernie Madoff ran what is still considered the largest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding thousands of investors over a 20-year period of more than $20 billion. He worked his game almost entirely through kinship connections—relatives, friends of relatives, and relatives of friends. The relationship between kinship and capitalism has drawn renewed attention by anthropologists, part of a broader effort to rethink capitalism not as a free-standing ‘economy’ but as deeply embedded in a wide range of social relations. In this article I use the Madoff case to illustrate, and develop further, several aspects of the kinship/capitalism connection. I also consider briefly the boundary between fraud and ‘legitimate’ capitalism, which many economic historians consider a fuzzy boundary at best.
Continued Improvement in Survival of Multiple Myeloma Patients: An Institutional Study from 1992-2016

Introduction Multiple myeloma (MM) represents 1.8% of all new cancer cases in the U.S. While not curable, advances in treatment, including autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and maintenance therapy, have dramatically improved progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The Ohio State University began utilizing ASCT for newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients in 1992. With the introduction of new, more effective drugs used before and after ASCT over time, we performed retrospective survival analysis in NDMM patients receiving ASCT from 1992-2016. Method Consecutive 1002 NDMM patients were eligible. Patients were split into five groups based on historic changes in novel agents for treatment of MM: 1992-1998-group 1, 1999-2002-group 2, 2003-2008-group 3, 2009-2013-group 4, and 2014-2016-group 5. Pre-ASCT conditioning regimen was melphalan, 140 or 200 mg/m2. High-risk patients had del17, t(4:14), t(14:16), and/or 1q abnormality. Primary endpoints were PFS and OS. Kaplan Meier curves were used to calculate PFS and OS. Results Across the years (1992-2016), there was a statistically significant improvement in both PFS (p 65 years old, there was a statistically significant improvement in PFS (p Conclusion Survival since 1992 have improved primarily due to inclusion of novel therapies and maintenance. For NDMM patients receiving ASCT, the 3 year overall survival rate has significantly improved from 45% in 1992-1998 to 80% in 2014-2016, which is similar to the post-ASCT OS shown in the 2012 study by McCarthy et al. The significantly increasing age of NDMM patients receiving ASCT over time suggests improvement in supportive care and tolerability of current therapies.
Optimizing Query Predicates with Disjunctions for Column Stores.

Since its inception, database research has given limited attention to optimizing predicates with disjunctions. What little past work there is has focused on optimizations for traditional row-oriented databases. A key difference in predicate evaluation for row stores and column stores is that while row stores apply predicates to one record at a time, column stores apply predicates to sets of records. Not only must the execution engine decide the order in which to apply the predicates, but it must also decide how many times each predicate should be applied and on which sets of records it should be applied to. In our work, we tackle exactly this problem. We formulate, analyze, and solve the predicate evaluation problem for column stores. Our results include proofs about various properties of the problem, and in turn, these properties have allowed us to derive the first polynomial-time (i.e., O(n log n)) algorithm ShallowFish which evaluates predicates optimally for all predicate expressions with a depth of 2 or less. We capture the exact property which makes the problem more difficult for predicate expressions of depth 3 or greater and propose an approximate algorithm DeepFish which outperforms ShallowFish in these situations. Finally, we show that both ShallowFish and DeepFish outperform the corresponding state of the art by two orders of magnitude.
Reasons for and Experiences of Sexual Assault Nondisclosure in a Diverse Community Sample.

After a sexual assault (SA), victims often disclose their SA to an informal support provider (SP) to receive social support; however, many survivors do not disclose or wait months or years to tell anyone. While research exists on disclosure, social reactions of informal SPs to disclosure, and how those reactions affect the victim both positively and negatively, little research exists on reasons for and impact of adult SA survivors’ nondisclosure to informal social network members. This qualitative interview study examined 42 ethnically diverse women who had disclosed SA to an informal SP (e.g., friend, family, significant other). For this study, nondisclosure of SA mentioned by survivors was examined. Various reasons for not telling people in their lives and/or delaying doing so were uncovered including fear of negative social reactions, lack of perceived available support and fear of burdening others, family and social norms expectations, and anticipated problematic gendered responses by both men (e.g., violence) and women (e.g., overwhelmed) SPs. Implications for future SA disclosure research and supporting survivors in their choice to selectively/not disclose are discussed.
Potent STING activation stimulates immunogenic cell death to enhance antitumor immunity in neuroblastoma

Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood cancer for which new treatment options are needed. The success of immune checkpoint blockade in the treatment of adult solid tumors has prompted the exploration of immunotherapy in NB; however, clinical evidence indicates that the vast majority of NB patients do not respond to single-agent checkpoint inhibitors. This motivates a need for therapeutic strategies to increase NB tumor immunogenicity. The goal of this study was to evaluate a new immunotherapeutic strategy for NB based on potent activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. Methods To promote STING activation in NB cells and tumors, we utilized STING-activating nanoparticles (STING-NPs) that are designed to mediate efficient cytosolic delivery of the endogenous STING ligand, 2’3’-cGAMP. We investigated tumor-intrinsic responses to STING activation in both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified NB cell lines, evaluating effects on STING signaling, apoptosis, and the induction of immunogenic cell death. The effects of intratumoral administration of STING-NPs on CD8+ T cell infiltration, tumor growth, and response to response to PD-L1 checkpoint blockade were evaluated in syngeneic models of MYCN-amplified and non-amplified NB. Results The efficient cytosolic delivery of 2’3’-cGAMP enabled by STING-NPs triggered tumor-intrinsic STING signaling effects in both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified NB cell lines, resulting in increased expression of interferon-stimulated genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as NB cell death at concentrations 2000-fold to 10000-fold lower than free 2’3’-cGAMP. STING-mediated cell death in NB was associated with release or expression of several danger associated molecular patterns that are hallmarks of immunogenic cell death, which was further validated via cell-based vaccination and tumor challenge studies. Intratumoral administration of STING-NPs enhanced STING activation relative to free 2’3’-cGAMP in NB tumor models, converting poorly immunogenic tumors into tumoricidal and T cell-inflamed microenvironments and resulting in inhibition of tumor growth, increased survival, and induction of immunological memory that protected against tumor re-challenge. In a model of MYCN-amplified NB, STING-NPs generated an abscopal response that inhibited distal tumor growth and improved response to PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade. Conclusions We have demonstrated that activation of the STING pathway, here enabled by a nanomedicine approach, stimulates immunogenic cell death and remodels the tumor immune microenvironment to inhibit NB tumor growth and improve responses to immune checkpoint blockade, providing a multifaceted immunotherapeutic approach with potential to enhance immunotherapy outcomes in NB.
Time-Resolved Cost Analysis of Natural Gas Power Plant Conversion to Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage to Support Net-Zero Emissions

The ongoing construction of natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants is incompatible with a transition to global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. This work evaluates the emission pricing and technology costs required to convert an existing NGCC power plant to a biomethane-based bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) system. The conversion was evaluated using techno-economic analysis and time-resolved life cycle assessment. At current technology costs, carbon dioxide equivalent emission prices of $142 and $215 per metric ton are required to allow a BECCS conversion to compete with normal operation or shutdown, respectively, of an existing NGCC power plant. These results show further technological development must occur in parallel with emission pricing to make BECCS viable. If mid-range emission pricing estimates are implemented ($25-$105 per metric ton), BECCS capital cost targets range from $1434 to $2098 per kW of capacity, while operational costs range from $32 to $51 per MWh of electricity produced to enable conversion. These findings indicate that operational costs associated with fuel consumption and production must be significantly reduced to make a BECCS conversion viable, even with emission pricing. All data and methods of this work have been made publicly available in an open-source model.
Interprofessional Education: Psychology Trainee Experiences and Perspectives on Team Skills.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is defined as educational activities involving trainees from two or more professions learning about, from, and with each other with the goal of building team-based collaboration skills. The degree to which psychology trainees are involved in IPE is unknown. A national survey was distributed to gather information regarding the nature and prevalence of IPE experiences and psychology trainees’ perceived competence in collaboration skills. Participant responses (n = 143) are presented overall and by training level. Some respondents reported no IPE activities in their training, especially trainees earlier in their training. Highest rated competencies were in acting with honesty and integrity and developing/maintaining mutual respect and trust of other professions. Lowest rated were in giving feedback to others and managing differences in opinion. More research related to the nature and impact of IPE on psychology trainees is critical.
Nucleation site potency distributions in thermoelastic martensitic transformation in Ni 43 Co 7 Mn 39 Sn 11 particles

The relationship between the nucleation process and thermal hysteresis width in reversible thermoelastic martensitic transformations remains unclear, particularly as the volume of transforming material decreases. Understanding the number density and nature of defects which serve as nucleation sites in this class of materials requires a quantitative analysis of nucleation site potency distributions in different classes of materials with different intrinsic barriers to nucleation. Here, we investigate the size dependence of hysteresis in microscale ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{43}{\mathrm{Co}}_{7}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{39}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{11}$ alloy particles (radius $4.4\text{--}19.0\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$) during reversible martensitic transformations by collecting temperature-dependent magnetization of 126 individual alloy particles. Size-dependent hysteresis is quantified by a power law model and attributed to friction-induced energy dissipation. In samples with ideal nucleation-limited transformations, martensitic transformation temperatures on cooling decreased with decreasing particle volume due to the low probability of including relatively sparse high-energy nucleation sites. Nucleation site potency distributions are quantified as a function of thermodynamic driving force and compared against potency distributions for thermoelastic martensitic transformations in other classes of materials and for burst martensitic transformations. Across different classes of materials, as the energy barrier associated with the martensitic transformation increases, number densities of defects with sufficient potency to nucleate the transformation decrease dramatically. This finding suggests that very different kinds of defects may be responsible for nucleation of martensitic phase transformations in different material systems.
Surfactant-dependent contact line dynamics and droplet adhesion on textured substrates: derivations and computations

We study the adhesion of a droplet with insoluble surfactant laid on its capillary surface to a textured substrate. In this process, the surfactant-dependent surface tension dominates the behaviors of the whole dynamics, particularly the moving contact lines. This allows us to derive the full dynamics of the droplets laid by the insoluble surfactant: (i) the moving contact lines, (ii) the evolution of the capillary surface, and (iii) the surfactant dynamics on this moving surface with a boundary condition at the contact lines. Our derivations base on Onsager's principle with Rayleigh dissipation functionals for either the viscous flow inside droplets or the motion by mean curvature of the capillary surface. We also prove the Rayleigh dissipation functional for the viscous flow case is stronger than the one for the motion by mean curvature. After incorporating the textured substrate profile, we design numerical schemes based on unconditionally stable explicit boundary updates and moving grids, which enable efficient computations for many challenging examples showing the significant contributions of the surfactant.
Genetic Resistance to Johne's Disease in Cattle:

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) is an economically significant, infectious disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis, and characterized by progressive weight loss and nonresponsive diarrhea. Genetic factors have been associated with differences in host susceptibility to bovine paratuberculosis. Research has been aimed at detecting associations between susceptibility and polymorphisms at candidate genes with no definitive results. Several gene products are candidates for this association. Interferon gamma is an inducible cytokine with a crucial role in the innate host response to intracellular bacteria. Toll-like receptors are trans-membrane structures responsible for coordination of innate and adaptive immune responses. The SLC11A1 gene plays an important role in innate immunity, preventing bacterial growth in macrophages during the initial stages of infection. The objective of this candidate gene case-control study was to characterize the distribution of polymorphisms in three candidate genes related to the immune function; interferon gamma (BoIFNG), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and solute carrier family 11 member1 (SLC11A1) genes, and test their association with paratuberculosis infection in cattle.
Adaptive Multivariate Autoregressive Modelling of Respiratory Cycle Variables

In 1963, Priban1 showed that the breath-to-breath variability in the respiratory cycle variables is not purely random. We were interested in studying this variability using autoregressive models as Benchetrit and Bertrand2 did, but we found that often the data series were not stationary and therefore could not be analyzed using traditional autoregressive (AR) modelling techniques. What will be presented here is a method that has been developed for fitting AR models to non-stationary data by fitting the models adaptively.
Beta Cyclodextrins Enhance Adenoviral-Mediated Gene Delivery to the Intestine

Purpose. In general, the intestinal epithelium is quite refractory to viral and non-viral methods of gene transfer. In this report, various cyclodextrin formulations were tested for their ability to enhance adenoviral transduction efficiency in two models of the intestinal epithelium: differentiated Caco-2 cells and rat jejunum.
Modeling and comparing spatiotemporal events

Spatiotemporal helixes constitute a novel method we developed for modeling changes in an object over time. Changes in both an object's trajectory and its outline can be represented with these helixes. In addition, spatiotemporal helixes can be compared to determine whether multiple objects have undergone similar changes. In this paper, we present a method by which these helixes may be compared, and then discuss possible actions to take after results have been obtained. Helixes of objects with similar behaviors may be generalized into a single helix that represents the behavior of the group of objects. In addition, helixes of objects that stop behaving in a similar manner over time can be split into discrete helixes. These aspects of helix definition and behavior are potentially useful to digital government related activities involving large geospatial datasets including objects moving or phenomena evolving over time.
Glaucoma drops control intraocular pressure and protect optic nerves in a rat model of glaucoma.

PURPOSE To determine whether chronic topical glaucoma therapy can control intraocular pressure (IOP) and protect nerve fibers in a rat model of pressure-induced optic nerve damage. METHODS Sixteen adult Brown Norway rats were-administered unilateral episcleral vein injections of hypertonic saline to produce scarring of the aqueous humor outflow pathways. Twice daily applications of either artificial tears (n = 6), 0.5% betaxolol (n = 5), or 0.5% apraclonidine (n = 5) were delivered to both eyes, and awake pressures were monitored with a TonoPen XL tonometer for 17 days before the rats were killed. RESULTS For animals administered artificial tears, the mean IOP of the experimental eyes was 39 +/- 2 mm Hg compared with 29 +/- 1 mm Hg for the control eyes. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Mean IOPs in the experimental eyes of animals administered betaxolol and apraclonidine were 29 +/- 7 and 29 +/- 4 mm Hg, respectively, whereas the mean IOP in the control eyes was 28 +/- 1 mm Hg for both groups. There was no statistically significant difference among these values. The mean IOP for the experimental eyes in the betaxolol and apraclonidine groups was lower than that in animals administered artificial tears (P = 0.003). Quantitative histologic analysis of optic nerve damage in experimental eyes showed that four of the six animals administered artificial tears had damage involving 100% of the neural area. This degree of damage appeared in only 3 of 10 animals administered glaucoma therapy. Optic nerve protection was closely correlated with IOP history because damage was limited to less than 10% of the cross-sectional area in all animals in which the maximal IOP was less than or equal to 39 mm Hg, more than 2 SD below the mean value for eyes administered artificial tears. CONCLUSIONS Topical glaucoma therapy in this model can prevent IOP elevation and protect optic nerve fibers.
Net interchange schedule forecasting using Bayesian Model Averaging

The future power grid will need to incorporate systems and processes with a higher degree of variability and randomness due to the penetration of renewable energy resources and the increase of energy demand. Forecasting variables in a more uncertain environment poses new challenges and revisions of the existing forecasting methodologies will have to be made to maintain forecasting accuracy. This paper investigates an ensemble-based technique called Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) to improve the performance of Net Interchange Schedule (NIS) forecasts. BMA is used to combine an ensemble of five diverse forecasting methods that each estimate NIS. The results, which examine performance for two separate years of real-world NIS data, demonstrate that BMA's aggregated forecasts reduces forecasting error by 30–55% in comparison to all individual prediction methods. This work illustrates a new possible mechanism for improving NIS forecasting accuracy, as well as other power grid system variables, and lays the foundation for future work on aggregate models that can balance computational cost with prediction accuracy.
Elective pediatric surgical care in a forward deployed setting: What is feasible vs. what is reasonable

Abstract Objective To describe the scope and outcomes of elective pediatric surgical procedures performed during combat operations. Background The care of patients in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) includes elective humanitarian surgery on Afghan children. Unlike military reports of pediatric trauma care, there is little outcome data on elective pediatric surgical care during combat operations to guide treatment decisions. Methods All elective surgical procedures performed on patients≤16years of age from May 2012 through April 2014 were reviewed. Procedures were grouped by surgical specialty and were further classified as single-stage (SINGLE) or multi-stage (MULTI). The primary endpoint was post-operative complications requiring further surgery, and the secondary endpoint was post-operative follow up. Results A total of 311 elective pediatric surgical procedures were performed on 239 patients. Surgical specialties included general surgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery and urology. 178 (57%) were SINGLE while 133 (43%) were MULTI. Fifteen patients required 32 procedures for post-operative complications. Approximately half of all procedures were performed as outpatient surgery. Median length of stay for inpatient was 2.2days, and all patients survived to discharge. The majority of patients returned for outpatient follow-up (207, 87%), and 4 patients (1.7%) died after discharge. Conclusions Elective pediatric surgical care in a forward deployed setting is feasible; however, limitations in resources for perioperative care and rehabilitation mandate prudent patient selection particularly with respect to procedures that require prolonged post-operative care. Formal guidance on the process of patient selection for elective humanitarian surgery in these settings is needed.
Apparent Motion Produces Multiple Deficits in Visually Guided Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements of Monkeys

We used apparent motion targets to explore how degraded visual motion alters smooth pursuit eye movements. Apparent motion targets consisted of brief stationary flashes with a spatial separation (Δ...
Correction: Structural bases for mechano-responsive properties in molecular gels of (R)-12-hydroxy-N-(ω-hydroxyalkyl)octadecanamides. Rates of formation and responses to destructive strain.

The self-assembly and gelation behavior of a series of (R)-12-hydroxy-N-(ω-hydroxyalkyl)octadecanamides (HS-n-OH, where n = 2, 3, 4 and 5 is the length of the alkyl chain on nitrogen), as well as those of two ‘model’ compounds, N-(3-hydroxypropyl)octadecanamide (S-3-OH) and (R)-12-hydroxy-N-propyloctadecanamide (HS-3), have been investigated in a wide range of liquids. A unique aspect of some of the HS-n-OH gels is the degree and velocity of their recovery of viscoelasticity after the cessation of destructive shear. The recovery times vary from less than one second to hundreds of seconds, depending on the length of the ω-hydroxyalkyl group on nitrogen. The data indicate that the modes and dynamics of aggregation of the gelator molecules from incubation of a sol phase below the gel melting temperature, as analyzed by Avrami and fractal equations, cannot be used to explain the degree and dynamics of the thixotropy: sol-to-gel transformations involve assembly of 0-dimensional objects (i.e., individual gelator molecules) into 1-dimensional fibrils and then into 3-dimensional networks; recovery after mechano-destruction of gels requires only 1-dimensional to 3-dimensional re-assembly or re-association of 3-dimensional spherulitic objects. A model to understand the extreme sensitivity of the thixotropy on the length of the ω-hydroxyalkyl group in the HS-n-OH (which is based upon detailed comparisons among the dynamic properties of the gels, the morphologies of the neat gelators, and the fibrillar networks of the gels) invokes the importance of the cleavage and reformation of H-bonds between fibers at ‘junction zones’ or between spherulitic objects.
Glucocorticoid influence on IFNγ production and the epigenetic landscape

Emotional distress is a common response to psychological stress. Such distress activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis resulting in excessive glucocorticoid production, which profoundly impacts immune function. We have modeled this impact by in vitro treatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with glucocorticoids in order to assess the relationships among immune function and epigenetic post translational modifications. This was accomplished by evaluation of the nuclear intensity and localization of the repressive epigenetic mark H3K27me3 and the cytoplasmic production of the cytokine interferon gamma (IFN γ ). Glucocorticoid treatment significantly increased the detectable levels of H3K27me3 and significantly decreased the levels of IFN γ in both the CD56 bright NK and CD56 dim NK cell populations. There were also significant increases in the number of cells with an increased localization of H3K27me3 to the nuclear periphery (consistent with heterochromatic DNA) which coincided with decreases in IFN γ production. Both H3K27me3 MFI and the localization of H3K27me3 toward the nuclear periphery are negatively correlated with cytoplasmic IFN γ production in glucocorticoid treated samples. These results demonstrate glucocorticoids reduce IFN γ production by natural killer cells via the heterochromatic re-localization of H3K27me3 to the nuclear periphery. Measurement of H3K27me3 to this heterochromatic region of the nucleus may provide an index of reduced natural killer cell functional activity.
Presidential coattails, incumbency advantage, and open seats: A district-level analysis of the 1976–2000 U.S. House elections

Abstract This study extends the analysis of presidential coattails to the most recent U.S. House elections. Building upon previous research on this subject, it draws a clear distinction between open and incumbent-held seats and presents evidence about several measures of presidential coattails. In particular, the analysis attempts to estimate, controlling for incumbency, the strength of presidential coattails (the proportion of the vote received by a congressional candidate that is due to the presence of the presidential nominee on the ballot) and the effectiveness of a president's coattails (the number of districts gained or retained by a party because of the net influence of presidential candidates). The results show that, contrary to earlier findings and trends, the unique impact of presidential coattails in open seat races did not decline. The results also suggest that several representatives who played a very prominent role in crafting the Republican strategy to win back control of the House in 1994 were the beneficiaries of the coattail effect.
Calcium (45Ca2+) uptake via cation channels in sorghum roots after treatment with pcmbs or ruthenium red

Abstract Increasing concentrations of calcium (Ca2+) channel blockers (i.e. ‐ nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem) in the presence of a sulfhydryl inactivator (1 mM PCMBS) were evaluated on root tips (1 cm) of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. cv GP‐10, SC574, SC283, Funk GS22DR]. Cultivar differences were found in response to all three Ca2+ channel blockers. Ruthenium red inhibits Ca2+‐ATPase and in combination with verapamil causes major differences in response by all four cultivars to verapamil + PCMBS. None of the treatments induces complete inhibition of 45Ca2+ uptake, indicating multiple types of cation nutrient uptake channels.
Optimal probe design for dual-modality breast imaging

Shallow breast lesions less than 1.0 cm deep are frequently seen in patients when they are scanned in a supine position by a hand-held combined ultrasound and optical probe. Reflection boundary condition is suitable for imaging shallow lesions, but it is not sensitive enough for imaging lesions deeper than 1.0 cm. The absorption boundary condition is more desirable for imaging deeper lesions. However, it is less sensitive to shallower lesions unless the optical sources are positioned right on top of the lesion which is unknown in general. To solve this problem, we have designed a new probe which incorporates three angled sources to improve the illumination of the shallow region underneath the co-registered ultrasound probe. Monte Carlo method is extended to include an absorber in the medium and used to evaluate the analytical results. Simulations have shown that the combination of tilted and peripherally located sources can improve reconstruction compared with the probe with no tilted sources. Phantom experiments agree with simulation results.
A Detailed Analysis of Articulation Responses of ‘Normal’ First Grade Children

A picture word articulation test was administered to 438 children, all of the children enrolled in first grade in the schools from which the sample was drawn. None of the children had received spee...
Effect of induced hypocapnic hypopnea on upper airway patency in humans during NREM sleep.

Abstract We wished to determine the effect of reduced ventilatory drive (hypopnea) on upper airway patency in humans during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. We studied nine subjects (58 trials) spanning the spectrum of susceptibility to upper airway collapse including normals, snorers and patients with mild sleep apnea. Hypocapnic hypopnea was induced by abrupt cessation of brief (1 min) nasal mechanical hyperventilation. Surface inspiratory EMG (EMGinsp) was used as an index of drive. Upper airway resistance and supraglottic pressure-flow plots were used as indexes of upper airway patency. Termination of nasal mechanical ventilation resulted in reduced V e to 49% of pre-mechanical ventilation eupneic control. Upper airway resistance at a fixed flow did not change significantly in inspiration or expiration. Likewise, pressure-flow plots showed no increase in upper airway resistance except in one subject. However, maximum flow ( V max ) decreased during hypopnea in four subjects who demonstrated inspiratory flow-limitation (IFL) during eupneic control. In contrast, no IFL was noted in subjects who showed no evidence of IFL during eupnea. We concluded: (1) Reduced ventilatory drive does not compromise upper airway patency in normal subjects during NREM sleep; (2) the reduction in V max during hypopnea in subjects with IFL during eupneic control, suggests that reduced drive is associated with increased upper airway compliance in these subjects; and (3) upper airway susceptibility to narrowing/closure is an important determinant of the response to induced hypopnea during NREM sleep.
Productivity growth and regulation of P/L insurance: 1980–1984

Measurement of productivity growth in a regulated industry is confounded by the effects of regulation on costs. Property-liability insurers are subject to premium regulation in some states; regulatory capacity constraints which limit output growth exist also. This research examines productivity growth for property-liability insurers and the interaction of their productivity growth with regulation. To control for regulatory effects, the Averch-Johnson model is generalized to apply to insurance. Statistical tests on a sample of 100 of the largest property-liability insurers support the hypothesis that regulatory requirements for these insurers resulted in higher rates in rate regulated states. Overall, productivity growth increased slightly over the sample period.
X-ray diffraction imaging of man-made and natural diamond

Abstract Natural diamond crystals, intended for use as substrates for chemical vapor deposition growth of homoepitaxial diamond films and man-made diamond crystals have been studied by X-ray diffraction imaging (topography) using the National Institute of Standards and Technology materials science X-ray beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source. An examination of type Ia, type IIa and type IIb natural crystals has shown that, in general, type Ia material is less strained with a better-defined microstructure and with less variation among samples. The type II samples show a large degree of variation in residual strain and a disrupted microstructure resulting from a large number of crystalline imperfections. The high temperature, high pressure process for growth of man-made diamond yields crystals that are almost always superior to commercially available natural material.
Shear angle solutions in orthogonal machining

Abstract After briefly considering the more important shear angle solutions a new analysis is presented which is based on recent observations at slow cutting speeds and which takes into account the variable flow stress property of the work material. It is shown that the effective shear angle will be smaller at slow speeds, for given values of tool rake angle and tool-chip interface friction, than at high speed sowing to the increase in width of the deforming zone with decrease in cutting speed. The limiting case where this zone degenerates to a plane is also considered and the resulting equations are shown to give reasonable agreement with experiment.
Measurement of the adhesion of diamond films on tungsten and correlations with processing parameters

Adhesion between diamond films and tungsten substrates is reported as a function of the deposition processing parameters. Diamond films were grown by a hot filament method as a function of seven different processing parameters: substrate scratching prior to diamond deposition, substrate temperature, methane content of the input gas mixture, filament temperature, filament-substrate distance, system pressure, and total gas flow rate. Adhesion was measured by using a Sebastian Five A tensile pull tester. Testing was complicated by the non-uniformity of the film thickness, diamond quality, film cohesion, and surface preparation across the full substrate surface area. Various types of film failure mode were observed, which did not correlate with the film processing parameters. The measured adhesion values showed larger variations from point to point across the sample surface and from identically prepared samples than variations as a function of the film processing parameters. Weak correlations of adhesion with...
Action of braid groups on determinantal ideals, compact spaces and a stratification of Teichmüller space

We show that for n≥3 there is an action of the braid group B n on the determinantal ideals of a certain n×n symmetric matrix with algebraically independent entries off the diagonal and 2s on the diagonal. We show how this action gives rise to an action of B n on certain compact subspaces of some Euclidean spaces of dimension \binom n 2 . These subspaces are real semi-algebraic varieties and include spheres of dimension \binom n 2 -1 on which the kernel of the action of B n is the centre of B n . We investigate the action of B n on these subspaces. We also show how a finite number of disjoint copies of the Teichmuller space for the n-punctured disc is naturally a subset of this ℝ ^{\binom n 2} and how this cover (in the broad sense) of Teichmuller space is a union of non-trivial B n -invariant subspaces. The action of B n on this cover of Teichmuller space is via polynomial automorphisms. For the case n=3 we show how to define modular forms on the 3-dimensional Teichmuller space relative to the action of B 3.
Reducing Resistance to Diversity through Cognitive Dissonance Instruction: Implications for Teacher Education

Before admission to the college of education, students at a large, predominantly White public university in the Southeast are required to complete a state-mandated course on diversity issues. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to diversity and effective ways of addressing it in future classrooms as a result of changing demographics. Often, students experience resistance to diversity issues because their current understandings or beliefs may not coincide with the information presented in class. One psychological theory that can address this phenomenon is called cognitive dissonance. In the study reported here, the principles of cognitive dissonance theory are applied to an instructional strategy used to reduce resistance. The results indicate that incorporating cognitive dissonance theory into instruction on diversity creates an awareness of dissonance (i.e., metadissonance) and has the potential for reducing resistance to diversity issues. Implications for teacher education are addressed.
Calcineurin/NFAT Signaling Is Required for Neuregulin-Regulated Schwann Cell Differentiation

Schwann cells develop from multipotent neural crest cells and form myelin sheaths around axons that allow rapid transmission of action potentials. Neuregulin signaling through the ErbB receptor regulates Schwann cell development; however, the downstream pathways are not fully defined. We find that mice lacking calcineurin B1 in the neural crest have defects in Schwann cell differentiation and myelination. Neuregulin addition to Schwann cell precursors initiates an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+, which activates calcineurin and the downstream transcription factors NFATc3 and c4. Purification of NFAT protein complexes shows that Sox10 is an NFAT nuclear partner and synergizes with NFATc4 to activate Krox20, which regulates genes necessary for myelination. Our studies demonstrate that calcineurin and NFAT are essential for neuregulin and ErbB signaling, neural crest diversification, and differentiation of Schwann cells.