cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic review: patient‐reported outcomes in chronic hepatitis C ‐ the impact of liver disease and new treatment regimens

SummaryBackground Treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) is rapidly changing and moving away from an interferon and ribavirin-based therapy to interferon-free ribavirin-free all oral regimens. These regimens are simpler and shorter to administer with very high efficacy rates and better side effect profiles. As advances in the treatment of CH-C occur, it is imperative to capture both clinical outcomes (efficacy and safety) as well as patient-reported outcomes (PROs). In fact, PROs assesses and quantifies the impact of these regimens on patient experience. PROs assess patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) especially in the realms of fatigue and neuropsychiatric issues such as depression which can affect treatment adherence and work productivity. Aim To review the literature related to PRO's in HCV patients and summarise the impact of CH-C and its treatment on PROs. Methods Databases Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed were searched from 1990 to October 2014 using a combination of MEsh, thesaurus terms and relevant text words: hepatitis C, CH-C, treatment, quality of life, health-related quality of life, fatigue, work productivity, adherence, patient-reported outcomes, direct acting anti-viral agents and second generation direct acting anti-viral agents. Each manuscript was assessed for pertinence to the issue of PROs in CH-C as well as the quality of study design and publications. Results From the literature, it is evident that CH-C patients have baseline PRO impairment. Furthermore, treatment with interferon with or without ribavirin and first generation DAAs causes additional PRO burden which can negatively impact treatment adherence and indirectly, treatment efficacy and work productivity. The new treatment regimens with interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens not only have very high efficacy, but also result in the improvement of PRO scores as early as 2 weeks into treatment as well as possibly better adherence to treatment regimens. Conclusions CH-C and its treatment have been associated with patient-reported outcome impairment. The new IF-free and RBV-free regimens are associated with high efficacy and substantial improvement of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trial setting. Although very encouraging, more data are needed to assess patient-reported outcomes, adherence and work productivity of CH-C patients in the real world setting of clinical practice.
Estimates of Genetic and Environmental (Co)Variances for First Lactation Milk Yield, Survival, and Calving Interval

Abstract Variance and covariance components for milk yield, survival to second freshening, and calving interval in first lactation were estimated by REML with the expectation and maximization algorithm for an animal model which included herd-year-season effects. Cows without calving interval but with milk yield were included. Each of the four data sets of 15 herds included about 3000 Holstein cows. Relationships across herds were ignored to enable inversion of the coefficient matrix of mixed model equations. Quadratics and their expectations were accumulated herd by herd. Heritability of milk yield (.32) agrees with reports by same methods. Heritabilities of survival (.11) and calving interval (.15) are slightly larger and genetic correlations smaller than results from different methods of estimation. Genetic correlation between milk yield and calving interval (.09) indicates genetic ability to produce more milk is slightly associated with decreased fertility.
Histochemistry of interafusal muscle fibers outside the spindle capsule

Regional differences in histochemical properties along the length of rat intrafusal muscle fibers were examined. Outside the muscle spindle capsule the nuclear bag fibers lose their hitherto characteristic ATPase activity and stain in a manner similar to that of extrafusal type I muscle fibers, perhaps in relationship to spindle skeletofusimotor innervation.
Long-Term Experience With Pentosanpolysulfate in Interstitial Cystitis

Abstract Objectives. An oral preparation of pentosanpolysulfate sodium (PPS) was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for interstitial cystitis (IC). Previously published articles have documented improvement in symptoms in 28% to 63% of patients, but no long-term studies have been published. No unique characteristics except for Hunner's ulcer have been found in patients experiencing relief from PPS. We report our experience with PPS following patients up to 116 months and analyze baseline parameters in an attempt to characterize long-term responders. Methods. Baseline and follow-up data from 97 patients with IC and enrolled in a compassionate use study with PPS at the University of Wisconsin from 1987 to 1995 are analyzed. Previous treatments had failed, and patients had to pay for PPS. Patients continuing treatment with PPS were monitored every 3 months with questionnaires and laboratory tests. In 1996 an update on medication and a questionnaire developed by the National Institutes of Health Interstitial Cystitis Database were sent to patients who had discontinued treatment. Results. By the end of the study period 11 (11.3%) of the patients were still taking PPS, with 6 (6.2%) doing so continuously for more than 18 months. Three (3%) patients who discontinued PPS were in long-term remission. An additional 15% had remission for a substantial period. Except for a weak correlation between less constant pain ( P = 0.0439), no correlations were found between baseline parameters and duration of treatment with PPS Conclusions. On a long-term basis, between 6.2% and 18.7% of patients with IC benefit from PPS. The only baseline factor predicting response to PPS was less constant pain.
An Analytical Non-Newtonian and Nonisothermal Viscous Flow Simulation

ABSTRACT Polymer process control is limited by a lack of observability of the distributed and transient polymer states. An analytical solution is presented for on-line simulation of non-Newtonian and nonisothermal viscous flow in real-time polymer processing. The modeling of the non-Newtonian viscous flow utilizes a modified Ellis model that expresses viscosity as a function of shear stress; the modeling of the heat transfer utilizes a Bessel series expansion to include effects of heat conduction, heat convection, and internal shear heating. The resulting simulation is suitable for inclusion in real-time process controllers requiring sub millisecond response. Numerical verification indicates that the flow rate predictions of the described analysis compare well with the results from a commercial molding simulation. However, empirical validation utilizing a design of experiments for an injection molding process indicates that the described analysis is qualitatively useful but does not possess sufficient acc...
Minimizing Harm in Psychiatric Treatment and Research

What do the two target articles in this issue—”What We Own the Psychopath: A Neuroethical Analysis” (Gillett and Huang 2013) and “Ethical Considerations in Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment ...
An information indexing taxonomy and the image data type

The potential for using imaging technology in business applications is great. Factors besides hardware technology affect the implementation of image-based information systems; poor structural organization and retrieval mechanisms also contribute. The paper proposes a taxonomy as a comparison framework for the development of indexing technologies. It is proposed that image data represent a new fundamental data type domain, distinct from traditional numeric and character data types. The differentiation capability inherent to each of the three data types are developed in relation to their extrinsic descriptive characteristics to describe indexing methodologies. The advantages and limitations of these methodologies are investigated using this taxonomy, and directions for future research are proposed. >
Coaxial continuous flow fast atom bombardment for higher-molecular-weight peptides: comparison with static fast atom bombardment and electrospray ionization.

A comparison of coaxial continuous flow fast atom bombardment (FAB) with static FAB and with electrospray ionization (ESI) for the analysis of ‘high’-mass peptides (Mr = 3000–4000) is presented. Sensitivities of the peptides by coaxial continuous flow FAB is nearly an order of magnitude better than by static FAB. Single-scan spectra with good signal-to-noise can be obtained from as little as 200 fmol (by flow injection analysis). Detection limits by ESI mass spectrometry were found to be equivalent to 20 times higher than by coaxial continuous flow FAB on a per mole basis, but 4–20 times lower on a concentration basis, owing to the greater flow per unit time employed in the ESI mass spectrometric experiments.
McCawley’s legacy: a response to Pieter A.M. Seuren

Abstract In his review of Polymorphous Linguistics: Jim McCawley’s Legacy (ed. by Salikoko S. Mufwene, Elaine J. Francis, & Rebecca S. Wheeler, MIT Press, 2005), published in volume 28(5) of Language Sciences (521–526), Pieter A.M. Seuren claims that McCawley’s work after about 1980 greatly declined in quality as compared with his earlier work in Generative Semantics and failed to elaborate his earlier ideas in a principled way. He further claims that the book under review fails to properly celebrate McCawley’s legacy because it focuses “entirely on his later, much bleaker period” (523). In this response, we argue that McCawley’s later work did in fact build on his earlier ideas in a principled manner, shedding new light on many challenging linguistic phenomena. We also show that Seuren is mistaken in his claim that the book focuses entirely on McCawley’s later work, and we defend eclecticism, which Seuren regards as a sign of weakness.
Trace elements in the fluid phase of the Earth's mantle

IT has become apparent during the past decade or so that CO2 is a significant component of the Earth's upper mantle. In addition to the indirect evidence including CO2 emanations from volcanoes throughout the world and the abundance of CO2 in kimberlites and carbonatites, it is now known that CO2 is ubiquitously present in xenoliths of mantle material brought up in alkalic basalts and kimberlites. This latter point was first made by Roedder1 who demonstrated that the fluid in optically visible inclusions is essentially pure CO2 under pressures as great as 5 kbar at eruptive temperatures. Such pressures provide only a minimum depth of origin, because Roedder further showed that most of the inclusions he observed are secondary, that is, they occur as arrays on healed cracks. A more recent study2 indicated pressures as high as 10 kbar in secondary inclusions. H.W.G. and Radcliffe3 found, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), that submicroscopic fluid inclusions also occur within the crystals of mantle xenoliths, and that these bubbles have exsolved (precipitated) from solid solution. Thus, at least the CO2 now present in submicroscopic fluid inclusions is indigenous to the crystals in which it is found, and probably represents the source of crack formation and filling to produce the secondary inclusions on the way to the surface3. The effect CO2-bearing phases have on the distribution of trace elements in the mantle and during partial melting is considered here.
Modeling substrate concentration in skeletal muscle

We adapt an approach developed for modeling oxygen transport in skeletal muscle, which allows the inclusion of a large number of capillaries, to the modeling of substrate transport. The substrate concentration in the capillaries is determined from the solution of a set of algebraic equations. The tissue concentration in any region is sufficiently approximated by the concentration in a nearby capillary, diminished by a finite amount that is determined along with the solution to the equations for the capillary concentration. We find that differently perfused adjacent or nearby capillaries interact and affect each other, but that this interaction is fairly localized.
Age Differentiation and the Life Course

Age has long been recognized as a basic element in social structure and the life course, but we have only recently achieved some appreciation of its diverse meanings and implications. To interpret the effects or correlates of age and birth year we must specify the variables they represent. The complexity of this task is suggested by the following temporal dimensions and locational properties that are derived from age data: (a) the individual life time or life span from birth to death-chronological or developmental age as an approximate index of stage in the aging process; (b) the social timetable of the life course (e.g. entry into marriage, retirement), which is defined by age criteria in norms and social roles; and (c) historical time in the course of social change-birth year or entry into the system as an index of historical location.1 The focal point of the lifetime framework is the inevitable and irreversible process of aging; that of social time, age differentiation in the sequential patterning, and configuration of social roles; and that of historical time, cohort membership, differentiation, and succession, with their implications for life histories, aging, and social change. Each temporal focus is associated with a distinctive tradition of theory and research: lifetime, BUhler (1935), the biological cycle of life as reflected in attitudes toward life (see also BUhler & Massarik 1968); social time, theoretical analyses by Linton (1942) and Parsons (1942), and Eisenstadt's (1956) influential synthesis of ethnographic materials on age differentiation; and historical, Mannheim's (1952, orig. 1928) essay on "The Problem of Generations." Continuities within the social time perspective are illustrated by theoretical formulations of social transitions in the life course, from Cottrell's (1942) propositional inventory on adjustment to age
Electrochemical monitoring of bursting exocytotic events from the giant dopamine neuron of Planorbis corneus

We have discovered a neuronal system that fires bursting exocytotic events. In the giant dopamine neuron of the fresh water snail Planorbis corneus, bursting exocytotic events are evoked following in situ stimulation with elevated potassium. Amperometric detection using carbon fiber microelectrodes, which provides high temporal resolution, has been used to record exocytotic events released from the neuron. Evaluation of the time interval between consecutive exocytotic events (inter-spike interval) recorded from about 80% of the neurons reveals the occurrence of distinct bursting patterns defined by transients having an equal interval among them. Statistical analysis of these bursting exocytotic events shows three distinct distributions of inter-spike intervals with mid points occurring at 5, 22 and 45 ms. This bursting release behavior is not observed from cultured pheochromocytoma cells although they show calcium-dependent exocytosis following in situ stimulation with elevated potassium. Our data appear to indicate that the Planorbis dopamine neuron in vivo is actively involved in specific modes of neural communication and may represent an important phenomenon in understanding single cell activities.
NON-HERMITIAN QUANTUM FIELD THEORY

In my talk at the Seventh QCD Workshop held in Villefranche in January 2003 I showed that a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H possessing an unbroken $\mathcal {PT}$ symmetry (i) has a real spectrum that is bounded below, and (ii) defines a unitary theory of quantum mechanics with positive norm. The proof of unitarity requires a linear operator ${\mathcal C}$, which was originally defined as a sum over the eigenfunctions of H. However, using this definition to calculate ${\mathcal C}$ is cumbersome in quantum mechanics and impossible in quantum field theory. I describe here an alternative method for calculating ${\mathcal C}$ directly in terms of the operator dynamical variables of the quantum theory. This new method is general and applies to a variety of quantum mechanical systems having several degrees of freedom. More importantly, this method gives the ${\mathcal C}$ operator in quantum field theory. The ${\mathcal C}$ operator is a new time-independent observable in $\mathcal {PT}$-symmetric quantum field th...
A macroinvertebrate assessment of Ozark streams located in lead-zinc mining areas of the Viburnum Trend in southeastern Missouri, USA.

The Viburnum Trend lead–zinc mining subdistrict is located in the southeast Missouri portion of the Ozark Plateau. In 2003 and 2004, we assessed the ecological effects of mining in several watersheds in the region. We included macroinvertebrate surveys, habitat assessments, and analysis of metals in sediment, pore water, and aquatic biota. Macroinvertebrates were sampled at 21 sites to determine aquatic life impairment status (full, partial, or nonsupport) and relative biotic condition scores. Macroinvertebrate biotic condition scores were significantly correlated with cadmium, nickel, lead, zinc, and specific conductance in 2003 (r = −0.61 to −0.68) and with cadmium, lead, and pore water toxic units in 2004 (r = −0.55 to −0.57). Reference sites were fully supporting of aquatic life and had the lowest metals concentrations and among the highest biotic condition scores in both years. Sites directly downstream from mining and related activities were partially supporting, with biotic condition scores 10% to 58% lower than reference sites. Sites located greater distances downstream from mining activities had intermediate scores and concentrations of metals. Results indicate that elevated concentrations of metals originating from mining activities were the underlying cause of aquatic life impairment in several of the streams studied. There was general concurrence among the adversely affected sites in how the various indicators responded to mining activities during the overall study.
Chromatographic resolution of the interconverting stereoisomers of hindered sulfinyl and sulfonyl naphthalene derivatives

Abstract 1-Naphthyl sulfoxides and sulfones having a β-methyl group on the aromatic ring show hindered rotation around the C ai -S bond, giving rise to conformational diastereoisomers and enantiomers, respectively. Low temperature HPLC separation of the interconverting stereoisomers on a recently developed chiral stationary phase is reported; a model to account for the observed sense of chiral recognition is also presented.
Video genetics: a case study from YouTube

We explore in a single but large case study how videos within YouTube, competing for view counts, are like organisms within an ecology, competing for survival. We develop this analogy, whose core idea shows that short video clips, best detected across videos as near-duplicate keyframes, behave similarly to genes. We report work in progress, on a dataset of 5.4K videos with 210K keyframes on a single topic, which traces sequences, not bags, of "near-dups" over time, both within videos and across them. We demonstrate their utility to: cleanse responses to queries contaminated by over-eager YouTube query expansion; separate videos temporally according to their responses to external events; track the evolution and lifespan of continuing video "stories"; automatically locate video summaries already present within a video ecology; quickly verify video copying via a direct application of the Smith-Waterman algorithm used in genetics - which also provides useful feedback for tuning the near-dup detection and clustering process; and quickly classify videos via a kind of Lempel-Ziv encoding into the categories of news, monologue, dialogue, and slideshow. We demonstrate a number of novel visualizations of this large dataset, including a direct use of the Matlab black-body "hot" false-color map, together with the GraphViz package, to display the gene-like inheritance of viral properties of keyframes. We further speculate that, as with genes, there are "functional roles" for semantic categories of clips, and, as with species, there are differing rates of "genetic drift" for each video genre.
Interplanetary Alfvenic fluctuations - A stochastic model

The concept of minimum variance is investigated for nonplanar interplanetary Alfvenic fluctuations in which the field direction varies randomly. The theory of the random wandering of a vector of constant length is developed as a representation of the magnetic field, and it is found that the minimum variance tends to coincide with the mean field directions over the correlation time of the fluctuations. The Fokker-Planck limit of the theory is then developed and used to analyze the statistic distribution of field directions with and without a reflecting barrier. Results suggest that the tendency of the Alfvenic fluctuations to have a direction of minimum variance statistically aligned with the mean magnetic field may be purely a consequence of the randomness of the fluctuation and not imply that the fluctuations are necessarily plane waves. Extensive statistical studies of the observed directional variations of the interplanetary magnetic field are necessary to test this hypothesis.
Potential environmental effects of pack stock on meadow ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, USA

Pack and saddle stock, including, but not limited to domesticated horses, mules, and burros, are used to support commercial, private and administrative activities in the Sierra Nevada. The use of pack stock has become a contentious and litigious issue for land management agencies in the region inter alia due to concerns over effects on the environment. The potential environmental effects of pack stock on Sierra Nevada meadow ecosystems are reviewed and it is concluded that the use of pack stock has the potential to influence the following: (1) water nutrient dynamics, sedimentation, temperature, and microbial pathogen content; (2) soil chemistry, nutrient cycling, soil compaction and hydrology; (3) plant individuals, populations and community dynamics, non-native invasive species, and encroachment of woody species; and (4) wildlife individuals, populations and communities. It is considered from currently available information that management objectives of pack stock should include the following: minimise bare ground, maximise plant cover, maintain species composition of native plants, minimise trampling, especially on wet soils and stream banks, and minimise direct urination and defecation by pack stock into water. However, incomplete documentation of patterns of pack stock use and limited past research limits current understanding of the effects of pack stock, especially their effects on water, soils and wildlife. To improve management of pack stock in this region, research is needed on linking measurable monitoring variables (e.g. plant cover) with environmental relevancy (e.g. soil erosion processes, wildlife habitat use), and identifying specific environmental thresholds of degradation along gradients of pack stock use in Sierra Nevada meadows.
Dynamics of a Northern Squawfish Population and the Potential to Reduce Predation on Juvenile Salmonids in a Columbia River Reservoir

Abstract Northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis prey on salmonid smolts (Oncorhynchus spp.) in Columbia River reservoirs. We used simulation models to determine the potential influence of exploitation of northern squawfish on that predation. We also used correlation analysis to examine factors that may influence predation through predator recruitment. We based our simulations on estimates of mortality, relative year-class strength, and growth made from a 4-year study of resident fish predators in John Day Reservoir. Simulated predation declined with exploitation of fish longer than 275 mm (fork length) such that sustained exploitation of 10–20% annually reduced predation by 50% or more. The magnitude of change was related to the type of reproductive compensation. Recruitment was not obviously related to any environmental variable we examined, although year-class strength was negatively correlated with concurrent year-class strength of walleye Stizostedion vitreum. We believe that limited, but sustai...
Online Interactive Neuro-evolution

In standard neuro-evolution, a population of networks is evolved in a task, and the network that best solves the task is found. This network is then fixed and used to solve future instances of the problem. Networks evolved in this way do not handle real-time interaction very well. It is hard to evolve a solution ahead of time that can cope effectively with all the possible environments that might arise in the future and with all the possible ways someone may interact with it. This paper proposes evolving feedforward neural networks online to create agents that improve their performance through real-time interaction. This approach is demonstrated in a game world where neural-network-controlled individuals play against humans. Through evolution, these individuals learn to react to varying opponents while appropriately taking into account conflicting goals. After initial evaluation offline, the population is allowed to evolve online, and its performance improves considerably. The population not only adapts to novel situations brought about by changing strategies in the opponent and the game layout, but it also improves its performance in situations that it has already seen in offline training. This paper will describe an implementation of online evolution and shows that it is a practical method that exceeds the performance of offline evolution alone.
The Design of Pick-up Coil Detectors for Spinner Magnetometers

Summary The theory of pick-up coil design is developed to enable the signal-to-noise ratio to be maximized at the output of the preamplifier. It is shown that there are dimensions for which double coils reach maximum sensitivity. The performance of these coils can be further improved by varying the cross-sectional area of the wire throughout the coil. The cross-sectional shape of such coils is unimportant once certain dimensions are reached. Circular coils are sufficiently close to optimum sensitivity to justify the rejection of more complex shapes with their attendant constructional problems. The diameter of the wire used in the winding of the pick-up coil does not affect the sensitivity of the transducer. However, it may be used to match the coil to the preamplifier. A pick-up coil has been constructed whose performance is in close agreement with that predicted analytically. Its sensitivity is superior to that of flux gates used in modern spinner magnetometers. The use of a pick-up coil as a detector thus warrants more serious consideration than has been accorded to it in recent years.
Frequency of Severe Pulmonary Hypertension Complicating Isolated Atrial Septal Defect in Infancy

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are typically asymptomatic in infancy and early childhood, and elective defect closure is usually performed at ages of 4 to 6 years. Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicating an ASD is seen in adulthood and has only occasionally been reported in small children. A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of severe PH complicating an isolated ASD and requiring early surgical correction. During a 10-year period (1996 to 2006), 355 pediatric patients underwent treatment for isolated ASDs either surgically or by catheter intervention at 2 tertiary referral centers. Two hundred ninety-seven patients had secundum ASDs, and 58 had primum ASDs with mild to moderate mitral regurgitation. Eight infants were found with isolated ASDs (6 with secundum ASDs and 2 with primum ASDs) associated with significant PH, accounting for 2.2% of all patients with ASDs at the centers. These 8 infants had invasively measured pulmonary artery pressures of 50% to 100% of systemic pressure. They were operated in the first year of life and had complicated postoperative courses requiring specific treatment for PH for up to 16 weeks postoperatively. The ultimate outcomes in all 8 infants were good, with persistent normalization of pulmonary pressures during midterm follow-up of up to 60 months (median 28). All other patients with ASDs had normal pulmonary pressures, and the mean age at defect closure was significantly older, at 6.2 years for secundum ASDs and 3.2 years for primum ASDs. In conclusion, ASDs were rarely associated with significant PH in infancy but then required early surgery and were associated with excellent midterm outcomes in these patients.
Proteoglycan breakdown of meniscal explants following dynamic compression using a novel bioreactor.

Motivated by our interest in examining meniscal mechanotransduction processes, we report on the validation of a new tissue engineering bioreactor. This paper describes the design and performance capabilities of a tissue engineering bioreactor for cyclic compression of meniscal explants. We showed that the system maintains a tissue culture environment equivalent to that provided by conventional incubators and that its strain output was uniform and reproducible. The system incorporates a linear actuator and load cell aligned together in a frame that is contained within an incubator and allows for large loads and small displacements. A plunger with six Teflon-filled Delrin compression rods is attached to the actuator compressing up to six tissue explants simultaneously and with even pressure. The bioreactor system was used to study proteoglycan (PG) breakdown in porcine meniscal explants following various input loading tests (0–20% strain, 0–0.1 MPa). The greatest PG breakdown was measured following 20% compressive strain. These strain and stress levels have been shown to correspond to partial meniscectomy. Thus, these data suggest that removing 30–60% of meniscal tissue will result in the breakdown of meniscal tissue proteoglycans.
Messing with Bacterial Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is widely recognized as an efficient mechanism to regulate expression of specific genes responsible for communal behavior in bacteria. Several bacterial phenotypes essential for the successful establishment of symbiotic, pathogenic, or commensal relationships with eukaryotic hosts, including motility, exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation, and toxin production, are often regulated by quorum sensing. Interestingly, eukaryotes produce quorum-sensing-interfering (QSI) compounds that have a positive or negative influence on the bacterial signaling network. This eukaryotic interference could result in further fine-tuning of bacterial quorum sensing. Furthermore, recent work involving the synthesis of structural homologs to the various quorum-sensing signal molecules has resulted in the development of additional QSI compounds that could be used to control pathogenic bacteria. The creation of transgenic plants that express bacterial quorum-sensing genes is yet another strategy to interfere with bacterial behavior. Further investigation on the manipulation of quorum-sensing systems could provide us with powerful tools against harmful bacteria.
Hydrothermal synthesis and properties of mixed conductors based on Ce1-xPrxO2-δ solid solutions

Abstract The structure, thermal expansion coefficients and ionic and electronic conductivities of Ce1−xPrxO2−δ (x=0–0.50) solid solutions, prepared hydrothermally for the first time, were investigated. The uniformly small particle size (35–50 nm) of the hydrothermally prepared materials allows sintering of the samples into highly dense ceramic pellets at 1300°C, a significantly lower temperature, compared to that at 1600–1650°C required for samples prepared by solid-state techniques. The maximum of total conductivity was found at x=0.30 (σ700°C=1.4×10−2 S/cm, σ600°C=5.9×10−3 S/cm; Ea=0.47 eV) with electronic contribution to the total conductivity around 50%. The thermal expansion coefficients, determined from high-temperature X-ray data, are 11.8×10−6 K−1 for CeO2 and slowly increase with increasing Pr substitution (12.4×10−6 K− at x=0.30).
TOP MANAGEMENT PROBLEM SOLVING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

This paper presents the results of a exploratory study of problem solvingby top management in a sample of firms. The purpose of the research is todetermine the nature of the information needed by top management and the roleof computer-based system in suppling it. The paper classifies problemsaccording to their nature and explores the information sources used to solvethe problems. It is clear that computer-based information can aid in thesolution of some of these top management problems, but probably throughunconventional systems. The implications of the study for systems design arediscussed.
Mayo's Older African Americans Normative Studies: WMS-R Norms for African American Elders

ABSTRACT Norms for African American elders on the Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised (WMS-R) were derived from a sample of 309 community-dwelling individuals participating in Mayo's Older African Americans Normative Studies (MOAANS). Normative estimates are provided for traditional WMS-R subtest scores and for supplemental procedures to evaluate forgetting rates and recognition memory. Tables are provided to convert raw WMS-R subtest and supplemental scores to age-corrected scaled scores. These may be further adjusted for years of education, if desired, by applying regression-based corrections. We anticipate that these data will enhance the diagnostic utility and clinical interpretation of WMS-R performance in older African Americans.
Increased prevalence of anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that compared the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and control women. Design Meta-analysis and systematic review. Setting University practice. Patient(s) Cross-sectional studies comparing PCOS subjects and geographically matched clearly defined non-PCOS control subjects with data on age and body mass index (BMI). Intervention(s) Anxiety screening tool. Main Outcome Measure(s) The primary analysis contrasted prevalence of anxiety. Cochrane Review Manager 5.0.24 software was used to construct forest plots comparing frequency of anxiety symptoms in case and control subjects. Result(s) Of 613 screened articles, nine met our selection criteria for a systematic review and four were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of generalized anxiety symptoms was available in four studies and was significantly greater in PCOS subjects (42/206, 20.4%) compared to controls (8/204, 3.9%). The odds for anxiety symptoms were significantly greater in women with PCOS compared with control subjects (odds ratio 6.88, 95% confidence interval 2.5–18.9). The mean anxiety score was significantly increased in three of the remaining five studies. Other anxiety disorders, such as social phobia, panic attacks, and obsessive compulsive disorders, were assessed infrequently. Conclusion(s) Our systematic review suggests an increased odds of anxiety symptoms in women with PCOS, underscoring the importance of screening all women with PCOS for anxiety symptoms. Follow-up evaluation and treatment are essential, because generalized anxiety disorder is a chronic condition. Potential contributors for anxiety symptoms, such as hirsutism, obesity, and/or infertility may be specific to women with PCOS but need further investigation.
The trend of drug abuse in Taiwan during the years 1999 to 2011

Drug abuse has become one of the major public health issues in the world. In this study, we surveyed the laboratory analytical data of urine and non-urine cases collected through the Analytic Laboratory Drug Abuse Report System (ALDARS) and estimated the illicit drug use trends in Taiwan from 1999 to 2011. These samples were collected from suspects who were arrested for possessing and/or taking illicit drugs. Descriptive statistics were used to report the distribution rate and patterns of drug abuse. In addition, linear regression was applied to determine the trends of drug abuse. The results showed that methamphetamine was the most widely used illicit drug. The heroin abuse situation might have been under control, but that of ketamine may have become worse. Furthermore, an increasing trend was observed for the abuse of “designer drugs” since 2004. Phenylalkylamines was the main “designer drug”. Chloroamphetamine (CA) was first notified in 2009. Subsequently, the drug has been experiencing an abuse situation, although it was considered to show no abuse potential. In summary, this study could further predict that ketamine and “designer drugs”, such as phenylalkylamines and synthetic cannabinoids, might remain popular among drug users in Taiwan. The prevalent status of the emerging drugs in Taiwan and that in Western countries may be synchronized.
Partial closure of cracks at the interface between a layer and a half space

Abstract The paper treats the crack at the interface between a layer and a substrate. Using a formulation based on dislocations, the problem is reduced to a pair of singular integral equations which can be solved numerically. It is found that a large contact zone exists whenever the interface transmits shear. The dependence of the contact zone size on the load parameters is determined for several combinations of materials. Also the shapes of the open part of the crack are shown for illustration.
Flexural Strength of Specimens Prepared from Several Uranium Dioxide Powders; Its Dependence on Porosity and Grain Size and the Influence of Additions of Titania

Flexural strengths of specimens prepared from four uranium dioxide powders were determined at room temperature and at 1000°C. The relation of the strength (S) to porosity (P) and to grain size (G) could be represented by the expression S=kG−ae−bP, where k, a, and b are empirical constants which differed with test temperature but did not differ for the different urania powders used. Additions of titania were very effective in promoting sintering and additions of 0.50 or 0.75% by weight markedly increased the strength of the specimens.
Casimir energy of a spherical shell

The Casimir energy for a conducting spherical shell of radius $a$ is computed using a direct mode summation approach. An essential ingredient is the implementation of a recently proposed method based on Cauchy's theorem for an evaluation of the eigenfrequencies of the system. It is shown, however, that this earlier calculation uses an improper set of modes to describe the waves exterior to the sphere. Upon making the necessary corrections and taking care to ensure that no mathematically ill-defined expressions occur, the technique is shown to leave numerical results unaltered while avoiding a long-standing criticism raised against earlier calculations of the Casimir energy.
Stapling techniques for gastric anastomoses

After total gastrectomy it is essential that an oesophagojejunal anastomosis be constructed in the Roux-en-Y fashion. If the descending limb of the jejunum between the oesophagojejunostomy and the jejunojejunostomy measures 60–70 cm, the danger of bile refluxing into the oesophagus is eliminated. Reflux of bile produces a serious and painful oesophagitis. A side-to-end oesophagojejunal anastomosis can be constructed efficiently and safely using the EEA device if proper precautions are observed. Ideally, the cut end of the oesophagus will have a diameter sufficiently large to admit a 28-mm or 31-mm diameter EEA cartridge. If a 25-mm (EEA-25) cartridge is used, the anastomosis will be too small to accommodate passage of all of the foods generally consumed by 10–15% of patients on a regular diet. Correction requires postoperative dilatation of the stricture. In most patients, gentle dilatation of the oesophagus in the operating room will permit the passage of the EEA-28 cartridge. It is dangerous to perform vigorous dilatation as this may result in an occult tear in the lining of the oesophagus and possible postoperative leakage.
Evaluating Catheter-Based Mitral Valve Therapies: Lessons Learned and Future Directions.

In this issue of the Journal , the EVEREST II (Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge REpair Study II) investigators have reported the 5-year results of their randomized trial comparing percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair, using the MitraClip device (Abbott, Menlo Park, California), with mitral
Modulation of esophageal peristalsis by alterations of body position. Effect of bolus viscosity.

Previous studies have demonstrated that nonviscous liquids traverse the esophagus more rapidly with the subject in the upright rather than the supine position. Conversely, similar studies have shown that viscous liquids traverse the esophagus at similar rates for both upright and supine positions. Our purpose was to define the motor correlates of these differing responses. Six normal volunteers were studied with an infused catheter system incorpoating a Dent sleeve for monitoring lower esophageal sphincter pressure. The subjects were given a series of swallows of a water and a viscous (52 centipoise) bolus in both the supine and upright positions. In the upright position, the water bolus caused an increased velocity of propagation in the proximal esophageal segment that was associated with a shortening of lower esophageal sphincter relaxation time and reductions in amplitude and duration of contraction. No significant changes in the peristaltic wave were noted with the viscous bolus during alterations of body position. We conclude that the more rapid transit of a nonviscous water bolus through the esophagus in the upright position is reflected in specific alterations of esophageal peristaltic parameters. The possible mechanisms for these differing responses are discussed.
Study on the system reliability of tunnel lining

Based on the inner forces distribution of the tunnel lining under the surrounding rock loading action,the failure mode of the tunnel lining are made by a series-parallel connection system.Then,by using the breadth border method,a range estimation method,the system reliability of tunnel lining was studied on a basis of the Monte-Carlo random FEM,with full consideration of influence of the material characteristics,the geometry dimensions,the elastic resistance coefficient of surrounding rock,the loading,etc.Finally,The system reliability index of a typical tunnel case was calculated.The results show that the reliability index of some tunnel lining section is small,but the system reliability index of the whole tunnel is big,the tunnel lining is safe.
Surgical treatment of post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal defects.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) following myocardial infarction has long been recognized as a lethal complication of severe coronary artery disease. Between 1969 and 1978, 13 patients underwent operative repair of post-myocardial infarction VSDs associated with large left-to-right shunts and markedly impaired left ventricular performance. Emergency cardiac catheterization in 12, coronary cineangiography in 11, and operative repair in 13 were performed 1 to 15 days after ventricular septal perforation. The surgical approach consisted of left ventricular aneurysmectomy or infarctectomy with VSD repair and with coronary revascularization when indicated. Survival could not be predicted on the basis of preoperative hemodynamics, extent of coronary artery disease, age, time from the appearance of the VSD or myocardial infarction to definitive surgical therapy, or preoperative functional class. There were six survivors, all of whom had anterior septal defects. All but one of the nonsurvivors had posterior VSDs. The one patient who died with anterior VSD had the highest left-to-right shunt—2.6 L/min/m2. Emergency operative repair of acute post-myocardial infarction VSD is warranted in this high-risk group of patients who otherwise have little chance of survival.
Impact of Resident Involvement on Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Outcomes

Abstract Objective: This study examines perioperative outcomes of resident involvement during various steps of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods: The RARP procedure was divided into seven steps: bladder takedown (BTD), endopelvic fascia, bladder neck (BN), seminal vesicle/vas deferens, pedicle/nerve sparing, apex, and anastomosis. Three hundred seventy-two RARPs performed by a single surgeon were analyzed. Resident console time during each of the seven steps was recorded. Perioperative variables were compared to surgeon-only cases. Results: Residents performed on the console for 232 of 372 cases (62.4%). Estimated blood loss (p = 0.09), transfusion (p = 0.11), and complications (p = 0.33) were no different between surgeon-only and resident-involved cases. Mean operating room time (ORT) was less for the surgeon-only cases (190.4 vs 206.4 minutes, p = 0.003). There was no difference in positive margins (p = 0.79), length of stay (LOS) (p = 0.30), catheter days (p = 0.17), readmission (p =...
Highlights from the Keystone Symposium on HIV Persistence 2015: 26-30 April 2015, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The Keystone Symposium on HIV Persistence was held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts from April 26–30, 2015. The conference was organised by Olivier Lambotte (University of Paris South, France), Steven Deeks (University of California, San Francisco, USA) and Guido Silvestri (Emory University, USA). Despite long-term control of HIV replication with combination antiretroviral therapy, HIV persists as quiescent integrated DNA in memory CD4+ T cells, and possibly in other cellular reservoirs, including naive cells and macrophages. Low-level replenishment of the reservoir via limited cycles of replication, may also contribute to persistence, at least in some patients. Curing HIV infection will only occur if these barriers are reversed, or if host capacity to control HIV indefinitely is improved. The meeting was organised into several sessions encompassing: (1) the biology of HIV latency, including discussions on HIV-specific integration sites and HIV-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte responses; (2) the detection and quantification of HIV reservoirs; (3) CD4+ T cells as reservoirs, including discussion on the role of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in maintaining HIV latency; (4) non-CD4+ Tcell reservoirs, including the central nervous system and myeloid cells; (5) functional eradication of HIV reservoirs including latent reactivating agents and targeted nucleases; (6) the role of immune exhaustion in maintaining HIV persistence; (7) non-human primate models of HIV latency; and (8) limitations of antiretroviral therapy, including early treatment during hyperacute infection.
Valuing Textbook Writing in Academic Personnel Reviews

Faculty who write textbooks within their disciplines are often frustrated by department, college, or university level policies that designate textbooks as something other than a traditional scholarly activity. Some place textbooks under teaching or pedagogical aids while others accept textbooks as a clear­ly secondary form of scholarly activity. Perhaps more problematic are the lack of rewards and the imposition of disincentives to author textbooks. This paper will examine faculty perceptions of the role and value of textbook writ­ing and issues relating to placement in the personnel review process.