cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: A Volkswagen or a Rolls Royce How Much Will We Pay To Save A Life?

A 45-year-old man with end-stage cardiomyopathy died while waiting for a heart transplant after living almost 1 year in a coronary care unit supported by intravenous medications. Around the time of his death, an off-duty police officer in a neighboring town watching a high school football game saw one of the player’s fathers slump forward unconscious. The officer ran to his patrol car, grabbed the automated external defibrillator he had recently been assigned, and defibrillated the father’s ventricular fibrillation. The man immediately regained consciousness and protested being taken to the hospital because he wanted to watch his son finish the game! These extremes provide dramatic bookends to the spectrum of how we spend money to save a life. Some therapies are inexpensive and others are not, and society has to make difficult choices about how to use our limited resources. The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) represents one of the most important advances in the past 50 years in the treatment of patients with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.1 Five pivotal prospective, randomized, clinical trials have helped define its use. In 3 secondary prevention trials, Antiarrhythmics Versus Implantable Defibrillators (AVID), Canadian Implantable Defibrillator Study (CIDS), and Cardiac Arrest Survival Hamburg (CASH),2 and 2 primary prevention trials, Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT)3 and Multicenter Unsustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT),4 the ICD was superior to antiarrhythmic drugs (mostly or exclusively amiodarone) in reducing mortality in patients with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Further analysis of data from the 3 secondary prevention trials established that the ICD did not confer added benefit compared with amiodarone in patients who had ejection fractions (EF) >35%.2 5 Additional examination of data from CIDS6 showed that patients who were in the highest risk quartile enjoyed a 50% relative risk reduction in mortality from the ICD that was …
Transporters Contributing to Iron Trafficking in Plants

This review will discuss recent progress in understanding the many roles of transporters in the whole-plant physiological processes that maintain iron (Fe) homeostasis. These processes include uptake from the soil via roots, control of transport from roots to above-ground parts of the plant, unloading of Fe from the xylem in above-ground parts, loading of Fe into mitochondria and plastids, transport of Fe to reproductive parts of the plant, and Fe mobilization during seed germination. In addition, we will discuss the mechanisms that plants use to cope with an apparently unintended consequence of Fe acquisition: the uptake of toxic heavy metals via Fe transporters. Rapid progress has been made in understanding the transport processes involved in each of these areas in the last 5 years and this review will focus on this recent progress. We will also highlight the key questions regarding transport steps that remain to be elucidated.
A comparison of bioassay and radioimmunoassay for plasma corticotropin in man.

Human plasma ACTH was measured by bioassay and radioimmunoassay, using αh1-39-ACTH or αh-ACTH (Li) as the standard. Values from each assay were converted into the unitage of the other and potency ratios calculated. Patients with bilateral adrenalectomy had a mean immunoassay to bioassay ratio of 1.6. The mean ratio in subjects receiving metyrapone was 2.8, and in patients undergoing open-heart surgery it was 1.8. Individual immunologic determinations were almost always higher than biologic possibly due to the presence of ACTH fragments which retain immunologic specificity but lack biologic potency.
Activation history of the Hutchinson dunes in east-central Kansas, USA during the past 2200 years

Abstract This paper presents data for the Hutchinson dunes, the third and southernmost of three dunefields that collectively span a 400 km north–south transect of the eastern Great Plains. Optically stimulated luminescence dating was used to create a new, high temporal- and spatial-resolution chronology of dunefield activity, which spans the last 2200 years. Ages indicate that three major episodes of dune activity occurred ∼2100–1800, ∼1000–900, and after ∼600 years ago, especially within the past 420–70 years. Dune activity ∼1000–900 years ago correlates to the height of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly. Widespread dune activity during the past 600 years, which peaked ∼320 and ∼200 years ago, correlates with the coolest periods of the Little Ice Age. Dune activity in the Hutchinson dunes during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly correlates well with available proxy data and dune records from the region, including other eastern-margin dunefields, and suggests that one or more severe droughts were occurring throughout most of the Great Plains at this time. Dune activity during the Little Ice Age, unlike that of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, does not correlate with other eastern margin dunefields, but does with those in western Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas and with other regional proxies. This pattern suggests that Little Ice Age droughts, unlike those associated with the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, were less intense and/orgeographically limited. Little Ice Age droughts, though, were still significant as evidenced by the migration of large dune forms in the Hutchinson dunes at this time.
Controlling Off-Label Medication Use

Off-label prescribing may lead to innovative new uses of old medications, is essential in such fields as pediatrics, and avoids the lengthy and expensive process of modifying U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug labeling. Using medications for unapproved indications, however, raises concerns about patient safety when the drugs have a high potential for toxicity and generates economic concerns when their cost is high. A possible means of controlling the use of off-label drugs is to focus on medications used off-label that are both expensive and potentially risky. These are principally biotechnology drugs, such as recombinant enzymes, cytokines, and monoclonal antibodies. This article suggests a 2-step process for controlling use of such drugs, analogous to that used for devices. Once a drug is FDA approved, it would undergo scrutiny using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Coverage Determination method if its cost exceeds a specified benchmark-for example, $12 000, which is the average cost of a pacemaker. The CMS would pay only for off-label uses for which there is adequate evidence in its National Coverage Determination process. Other insurance companies would probably adopt the recommendations of CMS.
A Laser Point Frame to Measure Cover

The point sample method has been a standard plotless method for measurement of ground cover on rangelands since it was introducedbyLevyin1927.Theinstrumentmostcommonlyusedtodopointsamplingisthepointframe.Sinceitsintroduction,the pointframehasundergonenumerousmodificationstoimproveefficiencyandeaseofuse.Thisarticleintroducesalaserpointframe (LPF) that was designed by the Agricultural Research Service for measurement of ground cover and utilizes lasers in place of conventional metal pins. A comparative pilot study was conducted on a shortgrass prairie in northern Colorado to compare data collectedusingamagneticpointframe(MPF)withdatacollectedusingtheLPF.Coverbyspecieswasmeasuredfromidenticalplots using 100 points per plot for each point frame, and sampling times were recorded for each plot. Correlations between cover data collected using the MPF and the LPF were relatively high (r 2 ¼ 0.62‐0.81). Total average vegetative cover measured with the MPF was 35%, compared with 40%, using the LPF. Cover of total grasses, C4 grasses, C3 grasses, and litter, were significantly greater with the LPF method. Total sampling time per 100 points was almost half using the LPF compared with the MPF. The LPF was easy to use, efficient for measurement of cover, and is a potential replacement for conventional point frames.
School Consolidation and the Politics of School Closure across Communities.

This case involves dilemmas for educational leaders who may face the process of school consolidation brought on by decreased funding and demands for accountability. We highlight the challenges and opportunities to collaborate within and across diverse communities and schools with varying expressions of cultural, political, ethical, and organizational power and interests. The teaching notes coincide with aspects of the case that involve principal responsibilities, equity concerns, and negotiations amid the demands of multiple constituencies. Theoretical frameworks highlighting asset-based approaches, leadership for social justice, and micropolitics are emphasized.
Allergic rhinitis with negative skin tests

Recently, several studies have revealed a subset of patients who have positive nasal provocation to allergens despite having a negative skin prick test. It has been hypothesized that these patients have localized allergic rhinitis. However, the prevalence varies greatly, ranging from 0% to 100% of skin test–negative individuals. This wide range in prevalence is likely related to differences in methodology, including differences in allergen manufacturers, concentrations, and numbers of allergens tested and, perhaps most importantly, criteria for a positive nasal challenge. Despite the evidence to date, many challenges exist with regard to the concept of localized nasal allergy. Further studies will be required to further define the immunopathology, prevalence, practical diagnostic tests, and management.
The dynamics of histotripsy bubbles

Histotripsy describes treatments in which high‐amplitude acoustic pulses are used to excite bubbles and erode tissue. Though tissue erosion can be directly attributed to bubble activity, the genesis and dynamics of bubbles remain unclear. Histotripsy lesions that show no signs of thermal coagulative damage have been generated with two different acoustic protocols: relatively long acoustic pulses that produce local boiling within milliseconds and relatively short pulses that are higher in amplitude but likely do not produce boiling. While these two approaches are often distinguished as ‘boiling’ versus ‘cavitation’, such labels can obscure similarities. In both cases, a bubble undergoes large changes in radius and vapor is transported into and out of the bubble as it oscillates. Moreover, observations from both approaches suggest that bubbles grow to a size at which they cease to collapse violently. In order to better understand the dynamics of histotripsy bubbles, a single‐bubble model has been developed ...
Power of Peer Review: An Online Collaborative Learning Assignment in Social Psychology

In a semester-long, peer review assignment, undergraduates enrolled in a social psychology course wrote essays that applied course concepts to life experiences. Students anonymously posted essays for the entire class to view, and peers posted commentaries on classmates' essays using an online discussion board. Students rated the assignment as enjoyable and useful for improving their writing skills and conceptual understanding. For the instructor, the online nature of the assignment afforded all the benefits of peer review without increasing workload.
Relative Effectiveness of Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers for Schooling Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Increasing educational attainment around the world is one of the key aims of the Millennium Development Goals. Cash transfer programs, both conditional and unconditional, are a popular social protection tool in developing countries that aim, among other things, to improve education outcomes in developing countries. The debate over whether these programs should include conditions has been at the forefront of recent global policy discussions. This systematic review aims to complement the existing evidence on the effectiveness of these programs in improving schooling outcomes and help inform the debate surrounding the design of cash transfer programs. Our main objective was to assess the relative effectiveness of conditional and unconditional cash transfers in improving enrollment, attendance and test scores in developing countries. Our secondary objective was to understand the role of different dimensions of the cash transfer programs, particularly the role of the intensity of conditions and the effects of priming (with respect to the importance of children’s schooling) in cash transfer programs.
Incremental Encoder Based Position and Velocity Measurements VLSI Chip with Serial Peripheral Interface

This paper presents an incremental optical encoder based position and velocity measurements VLSI chip with a serial peripheral interface (SPI). It combines period and frequency countings to provide velocity estimates with good dynamic behavior over a wide speed range. By sensing the velocity of the encoder, it reserves the computational power of a supervisory microcontroller, and subsequently enhances the performance of the total system. Furthermore, multiple copies of the velocity encoder can access the behavior of multiple motors in parallel. It is compact with lower power consumption compared to traditional FPGA implementations. Although designed for use in the control unit of a medical robot with 34-axes and tight space and power constraints, it can be readily used in other applications. It is implemented in a 2P3M 0.5mum CMOS process and consumes 4.82mW power with active area of 0.45mm2.
Peripheral Vasomotor Effects of Adrenaline and Noradrenaline Acting upon the Isolated Perfused Central Nervous System

The problem of the participation of the nervous system in the control of blood pressure has received scant attention. Our purpose was to learn more of the nervous mechanisms which participate in its control. By means of a special technic which allows the brain to be perfused with blood from another animal and yet be connected with the body only by the nervous system, it was shown that pressor substances perfused through the brain cause a fall in pressure in the body. On the contrary, substances which are depressor in the donor's body cause a rise in pressure in the recipient's body when they act on the brain. We conclude that the brain contains hitherto unrecognized chemoreceptors independent of the carotid sinuses. Baroreceptors were not found in the blood vessels. This cerebral buffer mechanism must have important functions in determining the response to vasoactive substances, especially in hypertension and shock.
Diisopropyl tartrate-modified (E)-γ-[(menthofuryl)dimethylsilyl]-allyl boronate, an improved chiral reagent for the anti α-hydroxyallylation of aldehydes. Application to the enantioselective synthesis of (−)-swainsonine

Abstract An enantioselective synthesis of anti 1,2-diols via the reactions of aldehydes and the tartrate ester-modified ( E )- γ -(menthofurylsilyl)allylboronate 5 has been developed. This methodology is applied to a brief, enantioselective synthesis of (−)-swainsonine.
Effect of Selected Form Attachment Devices on Oral Stereognosis Scores

12 adults with normal speech were tested on a 10-form task of intra-oral form identification (oral stereognosis) under three conditions: forms attached to stainless steel orthodontic wire, forms attached to nylon monofilament, and forms with no attachment device. No significant differences were found among conditions in either response accuracy or time.
The HAWAII-2 2048×2048 HgCdTe Detector Arrays

This paper discusses the design and testing of the new HAWAII-2 devices. The HAWAII-2 design is largely based on the very successful HAWAII-1 devices developed by Rockwell, but with an extended detector array size of 2048×2048. The device was designed for use in the AEOS spectrograph, a cross-dispersed spectrograph intended to cover a large spectral range in a single exposure, therefore, array size was of paramount importance.
Prevention of the complications of diabetes.

SUMMARY Until drugs that will prevent metabolic derangements that cause the complications of diabetes have been developed, the best approach to their prevention is control: of hyperglycemia, of hypertension, of obesity, and of smoking. Intensive insulin therapy, although demonstrably effective, must be approached with caution because hypoglycemia is a potentially life-endangering threat. Conversely, a Danish study has demonstrated a decrease in hypoglycemic episodes with intensive insulin therapy (Parving HH. Personal communication, 1988). With this in mind, it may be essential to bring blood glucose levels into a reasonable range shortly after the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus has been made. Insulin therapy is required for type I diabetic patients, and it may also be an appropriate therapy for all type II patients who do not become rapidly normoglycemic following diet and oral sulfonylurea treatment. Some physicians believe that a frontal “attack” of a split-mixed program of insulin therapy when type II diabetes is diagnosed is of psychologic as well as physiologic benefit, impressing the patient with the importance of control and vigilance. Compliance to rigid dietary change is notoriously unsuccessful, and the “trial-and-failure” approach, often ending in insulin therapy in any case, may not be the most effective. The advent of easy-to-use blood glucose monitoring devices and convenient and discreet insulin delivery systems has made maintenance of glycemic control less difficult for the insulin-using patient. New antihypertensive agents, lipid-reducing drugs, and second-generation sulfonylureas that do not affect the quality of life are now available and should be used in the person with diabetes as necessary. Perhaps the most critical factor in the prevention of complications is the acuity of the involved physician. Prompt action to achieve euglycemia, the development of individualized treatment programs (insulin or diet/exercise/sulfonylurea treatment regimens), the provision of support and guidance for the diabetic patient in whom compliance is essential for success, and constant surveillance for physical cues are the best-known techniques for prevention of the often painful, always debilitating, and occasionally life-threatening complications that plague the patient with diabetes mellitus.
Accounting for uncertainty in location when detecting point sources using infrared focal plane arrays

Abstract This work derives the modeling and detection theory required to predict the performance of an infrared focal plane array in detecting point source targets. Specifically, we focus on modeling the uncertainty associated with the location of the point source on the array. In the process we derive several new expressions related to pixel-averaged detection performance under a variety of problem assumptions. The resulting predictions are compared to standard approaches where the location is assumed fixed and known. It is further shown how to incorporate these predictions into multi-frame detection strategies.
Monocular Vision-based Signer-Independent Pakistani Sign Language Recognition System using Supervised Learning

Background/Objectives: To construct a Pakistani sign language learning-based gesture recognition system with a reasonable rate of accuracy. Methods/Statistical Analysis: It should be <70 words. Include the method adapted to study the objectives/sampling details or simulation or statistical analysis of data; technique employed; mention unique/ important points of modification of methodology in the current study. Mention about test samples the control employed or approach used for comparing the test sample. Findings: The proposed system uses static images to extract local and global, region and boundary-based descriptors for acquiring gesture information, which is provided as input for supervised learning method known as Support Vector Machine (SVM). The purpose of this research is to formally introduce a practical learning-based PSL recognition system, which can lay the groundwork for future research pertaining to PSL. The proposed system was developed and the ten class supervised learning based system was able to achieve an accuracy of 83%. Application/Improvements: It is a preliminary work, which will be further improved to construct a real-time static and dynamic gesture based PSL system that is able to recognize words and sentences information.
Automated quality control for genome wide association studies

This paper provides details on the necessary steps to assess and control data in genome wide association studies (GWAS) using genotype information on a large number of genetic markers for large number of individuals. Due to varied study designs and genotyping platforms between multiple sites/projects as well as potential genotyping errors, it is important to ensure high quality data. Scripts and directions are provided to facilitate others in this process.
Concept and Object

Introduction It is natural, now, to think of there being connected with a sign (name, combination of words, written mark), besides that which the sign designates, which may be called the Bedeutung of the sign, also what I should like to call the sense of the sign, wherein the mode of presentation is contained. Thus Frege (1892 c : 152) introduces the sense/reference distinction. A sign, he says, expresses [ Ausdrucken ] its sense and stands for, refers to, denotes [ Bedeuten ] or designates [ Bezeichnen ] its reference. Frege (1892 c ) confines his discussion to proper names [ Eigennamen ]; but he intended the sense/reference distinction to apply as well to concept words [ Begriffsworter ], and to function-expressions generally. A careful reading of Frege's later writings confirms this, but the decisive evidence is to be found in the unpublished manuscript which the editors entitled “Ausfuhrungen uber Sinn und Bedeutung”: In an essay (“On Sense and Reference”) I have primarily distinguished between sense and reference only for proper names (or, if one prefers, singular terms). The same distinction can also be drawn for concept words. Now, a confusion can easily develop here, in that one so mixes up the division between concept and object with the distinction between sense and reference, that one runs together sense and concept on the one side, and reference and object, on the other. To each concept word or proper name, there corresponds, as a rule, a sense and a reference, as I am using these words.
Inject Me Once and Inject Me Twice. Then Inject Me Once Again

> Nature is far too subtle to repeat herself. > > —Paul Muni Although nature may be subtle, our interventional approaches to enhancing myocardial regeneration can be anything but. We genetically re-engineer cells to enhance their potential,1–3 reprogram cells from one type to another,4,5 apply patches of cells like plaster on a wall,6 or inject unfathomable numbers of cells hopeful that a small fraction cling to the heart and to life long enough to make a difference.7 All such interventions intend to prolong and improve on the relatively modest gains in myocardial structure and function repeatedly observed with adoptive cell transfer therapy using various experimental models, cell types, and delivery routes. Clearly, the weight of the evidence supports the assertion that cell therapy can confer beneficial effects, but consensus opinion is that the degree of improvement generally falls markedly short of what is needed for full restoration of hemodynamic performance and that we need to do better. And in this next installment of approaches to tweak the Natural Order of things, Tokita et al lend a hand by offering Nature the opportunity to repeat herself.8 Article, see p 635 The premise is a breathtakingly simple one as put forth in the introductory remarks of the study: “Just as most pharmacological agents are ineffective when given once but can be highly effective when given repeatedly, so a cell product that appears to be …
New Results on the Incipient Separation of Shock/Boundary-layer Interactions

Abstract Incipient separation of shock/boundary-layer interactions (SBLIs) is reexamined through RANS simulations of the turbulent flow past a sharp-edged ramp at Mach 3. Surprisingly, it was found that separation occurs for ramp angles below the accepted incipient value and for extremely small ramp angles. However, the separation bubble is very much smaller for ramp angles below incipient, which can still be regarded as a demarcation between “small-” and “large-scale” separation. Further study is recommended.
Phase I trial of NY-ESO-1/LAGE1 peptide vaccine for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

4643 Background: The NY-ESO-1 and LAGE-1 antigens are amplified in malignancies including prostate cancer. Preclinical induction of immune responses and anti-tumor activity has been demonstrated up...
Rural Counties with Large Meatpacking Firms: Implications for Community Health

SUMMARY Rural meatpacking plants became common since refrigerated train cars provided a low-cost method for shipping meat to urban markets. A wave of industrial restructure in the 1970s and 1980s included reductions in hourly wages and job benefits accompanied by an accelerated line-speed. Local communities now struggle to provide adequate health and social services for their new working-poor populations. This investigation extends research on the impact of large meatpacking plants on rural Iowa counties. Demographics, measurements of population health status, and Medicaid utilization rates are compared across two groups of rural Iowa counties with meatpacking plants and the mean for rural counties without such plants. Analyses revealed significantly sharp increases in the rate of breast cancer mortality and the rate of participation in the Medicaid program from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s for rural counties with large meatpacking plants. Sudden introduction of a packing plant in the 1980s did not co...
MOLECULAR EVENTS DURING OOCYTE MATURATION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular events during oocyte maturation. It is well known that oocytes must reach a certain state of physiological maturity before they can be fertilized. This does not necessarily coincide with completion of the maturation divisions. In amphibians, and vertebrates generally, a well-defined period does exist during which oocytes acquire the capacity to be fertilized. Full grown ovarian oocytes in the germinal vesicle stage are physiologically immature and can be stored in this condition for prolonged periods of time. Physiological maturation is brought about by specific hormonal stimuli. The hormone-induced period requires several hours and takes the oocyte through germinal vesicle dissolution, ovulation, the remainder of first meiosis, and second meiosis up to metaphase. It is only at the latter point that fertilization first becomes possible.
Micronutrient Alterations During Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill Adults: A Retrospective Study

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is commonly used to provide renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit. Limited published data suggest that CRRT may lead to depletion of water-soluble vitamins and trace elements. The goal of this study was to identify the incidence of trace element and vitamin deficiencies in critically ill patients during CRRT. Materials and Methods: This study is based on a retrospective chart review of patients who were referred to Emory University Hospital’s nutrition support services and had at least 1 serum micronutrient level measured during CRRT (thiamin, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, folate, zinc, and copper) between April 1, 2009, and June 1, 2012. Results: Seventy-five patients were included in the study. Nine of 56 patients (16%) had below-normal whole blood thiamin concentrations, and 38 of 57 patients (67%) had below-normal serum pyridoxine levels. Serum ascorbic acid and folate deficiencies were identified among 87% (13 of 15) and 33% (3 of 9)...
Enhancing Irreversible Electroporation by Manipulating Cellular Biophysics with a Molecular Adjuvant

Pulsed electric fields applied to cells have been used as an invaluable research tool to enhance delivery of genes or other intracellular cargo, as well as for tumor treatment via electrochemotherapy or tissue ablation. These processes involve the buildup of charge across the cell membrane, with subsequent alteration of transmembrane potential that is a function of cell biophysics and geometry. For traditional electroporation parameters, larger cells experience a greater degree of membrane potential alteration. However, we have recently demonstrated that the nuclear/cytoplasm ratio (NCR), rather than cell size, is a key predictor of response for cells treated with high-frequency irreversible electroporation (IRE). In this study, we leverage a targeted molecular therapy, ephrinA1, known to markedly collapse the cytoplasm of cells expressing the EphA2 receptor, to investigate how biophysical cellular changes resulting from NCR manipulation affect the response to IRE at varying frequencies. We present evidence that the increase in the NCR mitigates the cell death response to conventional electroporation pulsed-electric fields (∼100 μs), consistent with the previously noted size dependence. However, this same molecular treatment enhanced the cell death response to high-frequency electric fields (∼1 μs). This finding demonstrates the importance of considering cellular biophysics and frequency-dependent effects in developing electroporation protocols, and our approach provides, to our knowledge, a novel and direct experimental methodology to quantify the relationship between cell morphology, pulse frequency, and electroporation response. Finally, this novel, to our knowledge, combinatorial approach may provide a paradigm to enhance in vivo tumor ablation through a molecular manipulation of cellular morphology before IRE application.
Anesthesia and apnea. Perioperative considerations in the former preterm infant.

Former preterm infants represent a major operative risk. The incidence of apnea, periodic breathing, and bradycardia is higher among this population than among term infants. This article reviews special considerations if surgery cannot be deferred until the infant has mature respiratory control mechanisms.
Church and College: A Vital Partnership

(1981). Church and College: A Vital Partnership. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 52, No. 5, pp. 539-541.
Anticoagulation for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in patients with brain metastases: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

The risk benefit decision in providing anticoagulation for patients with brain metastases is amongst the most difficult decisions faced by clinicians. The purpose of our study was to evaluate both the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with anticoagulation therapy and the effect of anticoagulation on survival in patients with brain metastases and venous thromboembolism (VTE). A systematic review of the literature was performed via the PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases. Our initial search resulted in 1304 unique citations, and 5 studies satisfied all eligibility criteria and were included for analysis. The odds ratio for development of ICH in the setting of anticoagulation was 1.37 (CI 0.86–2.17, p = 0.18). The hazard ratio for survival was 0.96 (CI 0.51–1.81, p = 0.90). While limited, the best available evidence suggests that there is no increased risk of ICH and no survival benefit associated with providing anticoagulation to patients with brain metastases who develop VTE. These patients merit individualized discussion of the risk and benefit of anticoagulation therapy. Current guidelines should be updated to include more recent studies and highlight the uncertainty of the net clinical benefit associated with anticoagulation.
Observation and Feedback-Suppression of Measurement Back-Action

Realizing a quantum-noise-limited measurement of the position of a harmonic oscillator has been a 30 year old white whale of experimental physics, stretching back to the conception of interferometric gravitational wave antennae. Here we perform an interferometric position measurement with an imprecision 40 dB below that at the standard quantum limit, and observe back-action commensurate with it, due to radiation-pressure quantum fluctuations. We demonstrate how feedback can be used in this regime to suppress back-action.
Fast graph scan statistics optimization using algebraic fingerprints

Graph scan statistics have become popular for event detection in networks. This methodology involves finding connected subgraphs that maximize a certain anomaly function, but maximizing these functions is computationally hard in general. We develop a novel approach for graph scan statistics with connectivity constraints. Our algorithm Approx-MultilinearScan relies on an algebraic technique called multilinear detection, and it improves over prior methods for large networks. We also develop a Pregel-based parallel version of this algorithm in Giraph, MultilinearScanGiraph, that allows us to solve instances with over 40 million edges, which is more than one order of magnitude larger than existing methods.
Training Interpretation Students at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) to Work for International Organizations

The master’s degree in Conference Interpretation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) is among the most rigorous and prestigious conference interpretation training program in the United States. A large number of MIIS alumni work as conference interpreters for international organizations. The MIIS conference interpretation training program is based on a thorough analysis and understanding of the needs of these organizations. One of the goals of the MIIS conference interpretation program is to give students the skills they need to pass the entrance examinations of international organizations and work for them either as freelancers or as permanent staff.
Initial stages of ion beam-induced phase transformations in Gd2O3 and Lu2O3

The atomic-scale evolution of lanthanide sesquioxides Gd2O3 and Lu2O3 irradiated with 1 MeV Kr ions at room temperature and 120 K, up to fluences of 1 × 1016 ions/cm2 (∼20 dpa), has been characterized by in situ transmission electron microscopy. At room temperature, both oxides exhibited high radiation tolerance. Irradiation did not cause any observable structural change in either material, likely due to the mobility of irradiation-induced point defects, causing efficient defect annihilation. For Gd2O3, having the larger cation ionic radius of the two materials, an irradiation-induced stacking fault structure appeared at low fluences in the low temperature irradiation. As compared with the cubic-to-monoclinic phase transformations known to result from higher energy (∼GeV) ion irradiation, Kr ions of lower energies (∼MeV) yield much lower rates of damage accumulation and thus less extensive structural modification. At a fluence of 2.5 × 1015 ions/cm2, only the initial stages of the cubic-to-monoclinic (C to B) phase transformation process, consisting of the formation and aggregation of defects, have been observed.The atomic-scale evolution of lanthanide sesquioxides Gd2O3 and Lu2O3 irradiated with 1 MeV Kr ions at room temperature and 120 K, up to fluences of 1 × 1016 ions/cm2 (∼20 dpa), has been characterized by in situ transmission electron microscopy. At room temperature, both oxides exhibited high radiation tolerance. Irradiation did not cause any observable structural change in either material, likely due to the mobility of irradiation-induced point defects, causing efficient defect annihilation. For Gd2O3, having the larger cation ionic radius of the two materials, an irradiation-induced stacking fault structure appeared at low fluences in the low temperature irradiation. As compared with the cubic-to-monoclinic phase transformations known to result from higher energy (∼GeV) ion irradiation, Kr ions of lower energies (∼MeV) yield much lower rates of damage accumulation and thus less extensive structural modification. At a fluence of 2.5 × 1015 ions/cm2, only the initial stages of the cubic-to-monoclinic (C t...
Multidimensional Bargaining and Inventory Risk in Supply Chains: An Experimental Study

We study the impact of multidimensional bargaining and the location of inventory risk on the performance of a two-stage supply chain. We conduct a controlled human subjects experiment where a retailer and supplier either interact through ultimatum offers or dynamically bargain over contract terms, including a wholesale price and, potentially, an order quantity. We also manipulate whether the risk associated with unsold inventory lies with the retailer or the supplier or is endogenously determined in the bargaining process. One key insight is that supply chain efficiency is significantly higher when the order quantity is included in the negotiation and that, contrary to the normative theory, this leads to a Pareto improvement whereby both the supplier and retailer earn higher profits. A second important result, also counter to the normative theory, is that the party incurring the cost of unsold inventory always earns a lower profit than its counterpart, regardless of the bargaining environment or inventory...
Methods for engineering therapeutic peptides

Abstract Peptides are a class of drugs that have become increasingly important and influential for the treatment of many human diseases. Compared to traditional small molecule drugs, peptides have the potential for higher target specificity and potency, along with better safety profiles. On the other hand, the complex and fragile nature of peptides poses significant challenges for their administration. Of particular concern is that they are often unstable and can be rapidly degraded by various proteases after dosing. To address these inherent problems of peptides, many different methods have been attempted. Here, we briefly review these methods, with an emphasis on the effect of each method.
Ground-truthing predicted indoor radon concentrations by using soil-gas radon measurements

Predicting indoor radon potential has gained in importance even asthe national radon programs began to wane. A cooperative study to produceradon potential maps was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Energy (DOE), and LawrenceBerkeley Laboratory (LBL) with the latter taking the lead role. They developeda county-wide predictive model based dominantly on the National Uranium ResourceEvaluation (NURE) aerorad data and secondly on geology, both small-scale databases. However, that model breaks down in counties of complex geology anddoes not provide a means to evaluate the potential of an individual home orbuilding site. In this current study, soil-gas radon measurements on a largescale are shown to provide information for estimating radon potential at individualsites sort out the complex geology so that the small-scale prediction indexcan be validated. An example from Frederick County, Maryland indicates a positivecorrelation between indoor measurements and soil-gas data. The method doesnot rely on a single measurement, but a series that incorporate seasonal andmeteorological considerations.
How Foundationalists Do Crossword Puzzles

Critique de la position defendue par S. Haack dans son ouvrage intitule «Evidence and inquiry» (1993), ou elle montre que le fondationnalisme pur engendre un cercle vicieux dans la justification, au sein meme des arbres de l'evidence et des schemes justificatifs. Examinant ce que S. Haack designe par l'enigme des mots croises (crosswords puzzle), l'A. se propose de reconsiderer l'idee de support mutuel qui permet de refuter la validite de la these fondationnaliste en tant que theorie de la justification epistemique
Conceptual Atomism and the Computational Theory of Mind: A defense of content-internalism and semantic externalism

What is it to have a concept? What is it to make an inference? What is it to be rational? On the basis of recent developments in semantics, a number of authors have embraced answers to these questions that have radically counterintuitive consequences, for example: • One can rationally accept self-contradictory propositions (e.g. Smith is a composer and Smith is not a composer ). • Psychological states are causally inert: beliefs and desires do nothing. • The mind cannot be understood in terms of folk-psychological concepts (e.g. belief, desire, intention). • One can have a single concept without having any others: an otherwise conceptless creature could grasp the concept of justice or of the number seven. • Thoughts are sentence-tokens, and thought-processes are driven by the syntactic, not the semantic, properties of those tokens. In the first half of Conceptual Atomism and the Computational Theory of Mind , John-Michael Kuczynski argues that these implausible but widely held views are direct consequences of a popular doctrine known as content-externalism, this being the view that the contents of one’s mental states are constitutively dependent on facts about the external world. Kuczynski shows that content-externalism involves a failure to distinguish between, on the one hand, what is literally meant by linguistic expressions and, on the other hand, the information that one must work through to compute the literal meanings of such expressions. The second half of the present work concerns the Computational Theory of Mind (CTM). Underlying CTM is an acceptance of conceptual atomism – the view that a creature can have a single concept without having any others – and also an acceptance of the view that concepts are not descriptive (i.e. that one can have a concept of a thing without knowing of any description that is satisfied by that thing). Kuczynski shows that both views are false, one reason being that they presuppose the truth of content-externalism, another being that they are incompatible with the epistemological anti-foundationalism proven correct by Wilfred Sellars and Laurence Bonjour. Kuczynski also shows that CTM involves a misunderstanding of terms such as “computation”, “syntax”, “algorithm” and “formal truth”; and he provides novel analyses of the concepts expressed by these terms. (Series A)
Successful Globalization of Parochial Products

Realizing how often products fail and how many attempts at globalization have met with less than satisfactory results, it is extremely important that a systematic orientation be taken in attempting to globalize. This paper presents a theory to explain why some products succeed globally, whereas others fail. More specifically, the authors first assess what the product characteristics and market considerations of successful global products should be. Secondly, they explore the relationship between successful global products and human needs, before they finally develop alternative strategies available in the globalization process.
The Corrective Value of Swimming

(1936). The Corrective Value of Swimming. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 7, No. 7, pp. 438-463.
Civil Liberties for Homosexuals: The Law in Limbo

This article will examine the recent surge in litigation arising from assertions by homosexuals of their constitutional rights - cases that reflect the law in flux and conflict - and will demonstrate that both constitutional principles and social philosophy generally require resolution of the conflicts in favor of equality, without regard to sexual preference.
Not Really "The Same Thing".

CASE Susie is a 10-year-old girl who is followed by a developmental-behavioral pediatrician for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined type and challenging behaviors. Susie has been treated with extended-release methylphenidate HCl 36 mg daily and extended-release guanfacine 1 mg daily for the past year. Susie attended an evidence-based summer treatment program for ADHD for 8 weeks over the summer, and the family has continued to attend monthly behavioral therapy visits with a local child psychologist.Parents report that, until recently, Susie's symptoms of ADHD were well controlled. Susie had a positive start to the school year but has had increasing difficulties over the past month. Specifically, Susie's classroom teacher has communicated that she is having difficulty maintaining attention, is easily distracted, and is missing several homework assignments. While obtaining a careful interim history, Susie's parents report that there have not been any changes or new stresses in the home or school environments. They were pleased with the behavioral guidance provided during the summer treatment program and have continued to use those strategies.Further discussion revealed that parents noticed a change in the appearance of Susie's methylphenidate tablets when the prescription was last filled. Although the previous prescriptions were filled with oblong, white tablets, the most recent prescription was filled with round, white tablets. Susie's parents contacted the pharmacy and were told that Susie's prescription was filled with "the same thing as before." The pharmacist explained that the tablets looked different because the manufacturer had changed in order to comply with the preferences of Susie's insurance provider. What would be your next steps in Susie's care?
Nonprofit Marketing Expenses: Who Spends More than Others?

ABSTRACTMarketing techniques are well-accepted practices in today’s nonprofit organizations. Still, existing research on nonprofit marketing focuses on a small number of cases, and little is known ...
Euler++: Improved Selectivity Estimation for Rectangular Spatial Records

Selectivity estimation is one of the common research problems for big spatial data, where the objective is to quickly estimate the number of records in a given query range. Euler histogram has been used to answer the selectivity estimation queries for objects with extents such as rectangles in constant time. However, it is only accurate when the query range is aligned with the histogram grid lines. In this paper, we improve the Euler histogram to accurately answer arbitrary queries, i.e., even if they do not align with the histogram grid lines. The improved histogram, called Euler++, has the same space and time complexity as the regular Euler histogram and provides a better accuracy for objects with extents. We use both real and synthetic datasets for extensive experiments, and show that the proposed technique, Euler++, consistently outperforms the existing ones, while still providing answer in constant time.
Achieving Sensing k-Coverage Using Hexagonal Tiling: Are We Done Yet?

Coverage is an essential task in the design of wireless sensor networks. We noticed that the problem of coverage in a two-dimensional (2D) space has similarity with the 2D tiling problem, which can be stated as follows: How can a 2D space be tiled by replicas of a set (or tiles)? This is a 2D instance of the second part of Hilbert's 18th problem: Is there a polyhedron that admits an anisohedral tiling only in three dimensions, i.e., tiles a 3D space, but does not admit an isohedral tiling? In this paper, we investigate the problem of 2D k-coverage, where each point in a 2D field is covered by at least k sensors, k≥1. In our study, we found that it is helpful to identify a 2D convex tile that best approximates the sensors' sensing range. First, we propose some sensor placement strategies using a hexagonal tiling-based method, and compute the corresponding sensor density. Second, we suggest a more general one using irregular hexagon, denoted by IRH(r/n), where r stands for the radius of the sensors' sensing range, and n≥2. We show that IRH(r/n) is a 2D tile, and derive the corresponding minimum sensor density. Third, we compute the relationship between the sensors' communication range R and r for each placement strategy. We corroborate our analysis with simulation results.