cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in out-of-pocket payments for contraception by privately insured women during implementation of the federal contraceptive coverage requirement

Abstract Background As part of the Affordable Care Act, a federal requirement for private health plans to cover contraceptive methods, services and counseling, without any out-of-pocket costs to patients, took effect for millions of Americans in January 2013. Study design Data for this study come from a subset of the 3207 women aged 18–39 years who responded to two waves of a national longitudinal survey. This analysis focused on the 889 women who were using hormonal contraceptive methods in both the fall 2012 and spring 2013 waves and the 343 women who used the intrauterine device at either wave. Women were asked about the amount they paid out of pocket in an average month for their method of choice. Results Between Wave 1 and Wave 2, the proportion of privately insured women paying zero dollars out of pocket for oral contraceptives increased substantially, from 15% to 40%; by contrast, there was no significant change among publicly insured or uninsured women (whose coverage was not affected by the new federal requirement). Similar changes were seen among privately insured women using the vaginal ring. Conclusions The initial implementation of the federal contraceptive coverage requirement appears to have had a notable impact on the out-of-pocket costs paid by privately insured women. Additional progress is likely as the requirement phases in to apply to more private plans, but with evidence that not all methods are being treated equally, policymakers should consider stepped-up oversight and enforcement of the provision. Implications This study measures the out-of-pocket costs for women with private, public and no insurance prior to the federal contraceptive coverage requirement and after it took effect; in doing so, it highlights areas of progress in eliminating these costs and areas that need further progress.
Spatial sampling of head electrical fields: the geodesic sensor net.

In studying brain electrical activity from scalp sensors (electrodes), the optimal measurement would sample the potential field over the entire surface of the braincase, with a sufficient density to avoid spatial aliasing of the surface electrical fields. The geodesic sensor net organizes an array of sensors, each enclosed in a saline sponge, in a geodesic tension structure comprised of elastic threads. By fixing a sensor pedestal at each geodesic vertex, the geometry of the tension structure insures insures that the sensor array is distributed evenly across the accessible head surface. Furthermore, the tension of the network is translated into compression that is divided equally among the sensor pedestals and directed along head-radial vectors. Various geodesic partitioning frequencies may be selected to provide an even surface distribution of the dense sensor arrays (e.g., 64, 128, or 256) that appear to be necessary to provide adequate spatial sampling of brain electrical events.
Patient Acceptance of Fetal Monitoring as a Helpful Tool

In 1972, 50 women on a postpartum unit were interviewed to investigate responses to fetal monitoring. Not one woman interviewed had a positive initial response; 31 women had negative initial responses. In 1977, in a replication of the study, 11 women had positive initial responses, 11 had negative initial responses, and 28 had neutral initial responses. Two significant findings: I) older women initially reacted more positively to fetal monitoring than younger women; and 2) married women initially reacted more positive to fetal monitoring than single women. This indicates a need for nurses to be more sensitive to young, single women's initial responses to fetal monitoring. In the 1977 study subsequent responses woe 37 positive, 4 negative, and 9 neutral.
De novo emergence of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in human aortic endothelial cells incubated with high glucose.

Elevated glucose concentrations have profound effects on cell function. We hypothesized that incubation of human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) with high glucose increases insulin signaling and de...
Transition control using multiple adaptive models and an H-infinity controller design

By transition control, it is meant a type of control method that is employed when the plant transitions from one operating state to another as a result of a set point change. This work proposes and develops an intelligent adaptive multiple model approach that simultaneously adapts the model and an H/sub /spl infin// controller parameters. The method is demonstrated on a non-linear chemical reactor that transitions between two stable operating states.
A modular approach to intensity-modulated arc therapy optimization with noncoplanar trajectories

Utilizing noncoplanar beam angles in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has the potential to combine the benefits of arc therapy, such as short treatment times, with the benefits of noncoplanar intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans, such as improved organ sparing. Recently, vendors introduced treatment machines that allow for simultaneous couch and gantry motion during beam delivery to make noncoplanar VMAT treatments possible. Our aim is to provide a reliable optimization method for noncoplanar isocentric arc therapy plan optimization. The proposed solution is modular in the sense that it can incorporate different existing beam angle selection and coplanar arc therapy optimization methods.Treatment planning is performed in three steps. First, a number of promising noncoplanar beam directions are selected using an iterative beam selection heuristic; these beams serve as anchor points of the arc therapy trajectory. In the second step, continuous gantry/couch angle trajectories are optimized using a simple combinatorial optimization model to define a beam trajectory that efficiently visits each of the anchor points. Treatment time is controlled by limiting the time the beam needs to trace the prescribed trajectory. In the third and final step, an optimal arc therapy plan is found along the prescribed beam trajectory. In principle any existing arc therapy optimization method could be incorporated into this step; for this work we use a sliding window VMAT algorithm.The approach is demonstrated using two particularly challenging cases. The first one is a lung SBRT patient whose planning goals could not be satisfied with fewer than nine noncoplanar IMRT fields when the patient was treated in the clinic. The second one is a brain tumor patient, where the target volume overlaps with the optic nerves and the chiasm and it is directly adjacent to the brainstem.Both cases illustrate that the large number of angles utilized by isocentric noncoplanar VMAT plans can help improve dose conformity, homogeneity, and organ sparing simultaneously using the same beam trajectory length and delivery time as a coplanar VMAT plan.
The Korean construction industry as an exporter of services

This article analyzes the experience of the overseas construction industry in the Republic of Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, emphasizing the factors that made Korean construction firms competitive in the world market. Korean construction exports to the Middle East and the roles of Korean workers, entrepreneurs, and the government are examined. Recent erosion of Korea's competitiveness in labor-intensive construction in the Middle East is discussed in relation to the need to develop expertise in design and engineering projects and to increase access to construction markets in developed countries through bilateral or multilateral trade negotiations. The importance of the issue of labor movement in the current Uruguay Round negotiations in services trade is emphasized.
The web as a graph: measurements, models, and methods

The pages and hyperlinks of the World-Wide Web may be viewed as nodes and edges in a directed graph. This graph is a fascinating object of study: it has several hundred million nodes today, over a billion links, and appears to grow exponentially with time. There are many reasons -- mathematical, sociological, and commercial -- for studying the evolution of this graph. In this paper we begin by describing two algorithms that operate on the Web graph, addressing problems from Web search and automatic community discovery. We then report a number of measurements and properties of this graph that manifested themselves as we ran these algorithms on the Web. Finally, we observe that traditional random graph models do not explain these observations, and we propose a new family of random graph models. These models point to a rich new sub-field of the study of random graphs, and raise questions about the analysis of graph algorithms on the Web.
Diel feeding ecology of the nymphs of Aeshna multicolor and Lestes unguiculatus (Odonata)

SUMMARY. 1 Diel feeding periodicity and diet composition of nymphs of Aeshna multicolor and Lestes unguiculatus were examined at 6 h intervals in a small pond. Feeding intensity of A. multicolor increased from 06.00 hours to approximately 18.00 hours whereas food intake by L. unguiculatus was uniformly high between 12.00 and 18.00 hours. Feeding of both species was reduced during the night. 2 Diel variation in diet composition was substantial in each species. Chironomid larvae were the major prey (48.9%) in the diet of A. multicolor. Zooplankton, mainly cladocerans (42.0%) and ostracods (21.1%), were the principal prey of L. unguiculatus. Detritus composed a substantial portion of the diets of both species. 3 Diet overlap (Cλ) at each 6 h interval was high (0.43–0.72) when detritus was included in the calculation and was low (0.48–0.54) when detrital material was omitted.
Effects of Forest Fragmentation on Understory Hummingbirds in Amazonian Brazil

:We sampled understory bummingbirds in Amazonian forest fragments from before isolation through nine years after isolation. We recorded 377 captures of eight species in five 1-ba fragments and four 10-ha fragments. The three species netted before isolation, Phaethornis superciliosus, Phaethornis bourcieri, and Thalurania furcata, were nearly equally abundant at that time. After isolation abundance of P. bourcieri and T. furcata did not change, but P. superciliosus became nearly twice as common. Five additional species that were netted only after isolation represented about 10% of the post-isolation sample. The species recorded only after isolation were forest species usually found above the levels of nets; fragments were not colonized by nonforest species. Use of fragments did not differ between 1-and 10-ba fragments. The landscape surrounding the fragments included active cattle pasture, abandoned pasture, and Cecropia-dominated second growth, but this variation bad little effect on use of fragments by hummingbirds. The results suggest that these understory hummingbirds can persist in a matrix of fragments, secondary growth, and large forest patches. This response is much different than that of the insectivorous birds that dominate the understory bird community at the site, which are much more vulnerable to fragmentation. Efectos de la fragmentacion del bosque sobre los colibris de sotobosque en la Amazonia Brasilena Resumen: Nosotros hemos tomado muestras de colibris de sotobosque en fragmentos forestales Amazonicos desde antes del aislamiento a traves de nueve anos despues del aislamiento. Registramos 377 capturas de ocho especies en cinco fragmentos de 1-ha, y cuatro fragmentos de 10-ha. Las tres especies capturadas antes del aislamiento, Phaethornis superciliosus, Phaethornis bourcieri, y Thalurania furcata, presentaron casi la misma abundancia en esa epoca. Despues del aislamiento, la abundancia de Phaethornis bourcieri y Thalurania furcata no cambio, pero Phaethornis superciliosus se hizo dos veces mas comun. Cinco especies mas que fueron capturadas solamente despues del aislamiento representaron aproximadamente el 10% de la muestra de post aislamiento. Las especies capturadas solamente despues del aislamiento eran especies del bosque, las que generalmente se encuentran encima del nivel de las redes; los fragmentos no fueron colonizados por especies no-florestales. La utilizacion de fragmentos no se diferencio entre los fragmentos de 1- y 10-ha. El paisaje alrededor de los fragmentos incluia pasto activo de ganado vacuno, pasto abandonado, y crecimiento secundario dominado por Cecropia, pero esta variacion no afecto mucho la utilizacion de fragmentos por colibris. Estos resultados sugieren que estas especies de colibris de sotobosque pueden persistir en una matriz de fragmentos, crecimiento secundario, y parches de bosque de gran tamano. Esta reaccion es muy diferente a la de los pajaros insectivoros que dominan la comunidad de pajaros del sotohosque en nuestro sitio, los cuales son mucho mas vulnerables a la fragmentacion.
PHASE TRANSITIONS IN INSULATING VANADIUM OXIDE

The magnetic phase transition from the paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic state in insulating V2O3 shows some very interesting features. Not only is the magnetic order ng pattern anomalous, but the magnetic transition shows other surprises: I) the magnetic and orbital ordering occur at the same transition temperature; II) the transition is strongly first order; III) above the transition temperature, neutron scattering observes features in wave vectors different from the ordering wave vector. We study this system using the recently proposed S = 2 bond model (Phys. Rev. Lett.85, 1714 (2000)) for insulating V2O3. We show that this model not only explains the anomalous magnetic ordering, but also resolves the other questions associated with the magnetic phase transition (Phys. Rev. Lett.86, 5743 (2001)). We further point out the possibility of changes in the phase transition phenomenology in presence of a magnetic field, and another orbital phase transition at lower temperatures.
Auxiliary antenna-assisted interference mitigation for radio astronomy arrays

Interferometric image synthesis in radio astronomy is plagued by signal corruption from man-made sources. The very weak signals of interest can be overwhelmed by such interference. Recent work has proposed using array signal processing techniques of adaptive beamforming, adaptive filtering, and subspace projection to remove interference prior to image synthesis. In some practical scenarios, we have found poor cancellation performance when using such methods. Because signal-of-interest levels in radio astronomy (RA) are usually well below the noise, even interference to noise ratios (INR) less than unity can affect signal estimation. At these low INRs, it is difficult to estimate interference parameters or statistics with sufficient accuracy for high-performance adaptive cancellation or subspace projection. By adding a few (one to three) low-gain (relative to the primary telescope dishes) "auxiliary" antennas to an array, it is possible to overcome this problem. This paper will show that using such antennas (e.g. commercial-grade 3-m dishes) with an existing array can significantly improve interference rejection. New extensions to subspace projection spatial filtering methods are presented, along with analytical and simulated results for performance comparison.
Roadmap for Commercial Gigapixel Cameras

Multiscale array cameras allow 10–100× improvements in commercial camera resolution. This talk discussed the optical manufacturing, electronic processing and communications and cloud software ecosystem that enables economical multiscale cameras.
An enhanced decomposition algorithm for multistage stochastic hydroelectric scheduling

Handling uncertainty in natural inflow is an important part of a hydroelectric scheduling model. In a stochastic programming formulation, natural inflow may be modeled as a random vector with known distribution, but the size of the resulting mathematical program can be formidable. Decomposition-based algorithms take advantage of special structure and provide an attractive approach to such problems. We develop an enhanced Benders decomposition algorithm for solving multistage stochastic linear programs. The enhancements include warm start basis selection, preliminary cut generation, the multicut procedure, and decision tree traversing strategies. Computational results are presented for a collection of stochastic hydroelectric scheduling problems.
Identification of the oligopoly solution concept in a differentiated-products industry

A central part of the ''new empirical industrial organization'' has been the study of market power in homogenous-product industries. This paper discusses extension of these methods to differentiated-products industries. The requirements for identification of conjectural variation parameters are shown to be hard to satisfy in practice. An alternative menu-approach is discussed. © 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.
Quisqualic Acid‐Induced Seizures During Development: A Behavioral and EEG Study

Quisqualic acid (QA) is an excitatory amino acid analogue that binds to the glutamate ionotropic receptor subclass AMPA (alpha-amino-3 hydroxy-5 methyl-4 isoxazol propionic acid) and metabotropic receptor phospholipase C. To study its epileptogenic properties, we administered QA through an intraventricular cannula to 23-, 41-, and 60-day-old rats with recording electrodes implanted in amygdala, hippocampus, and neocortex. The frequency power spectra of the recorded EEG was computed by fast fourier transform (FFT), and coherence between anatomic sites was computed. Seizures occurred in all animals receiving QA. The behavioral manifestations of the seizures varied as a function of age, with younger rats demonstrating rigidity and immobility followed by circling activity and intermittent forelimb clonus and 60-day-old animals exhibiting severe, wild running followed by generalized clonus. Ictal electrical discharges occurred in all animals. Neocortical ictal discharges occurred more prominently in the younger animals, and amygdala ictal discharges were more prominent in the older animals. Marked increases in spectral power occurred during the seizures in all anatomic structures and at all frequencies. Our results demonstrate that the clinical manifestations of QA seizures vary during development; results of the neurophysiologic studies suggested that neocortex may play an important role in genesis of QA seizures in immature brain.
De Veder methode. Contact maken door middel van theater.

Apathisch gedrag komt veel voor bij mensen met dementie in verpleeghuizen. Zorgverleners hebben vaak moeite om contact te maken met deze clienten. Zij kunnen nu ondersteuning krijgen door de Veder Methode, een innovatieve aanpak waarin verschillende belevingsgerichte zorgmethoden worden geintegreerd met theatrale elementen.
Differences Between VLBI2010 and S/X Hardware

While the overall architecture is similar for the station hardware in current S/X systems and in the VLBI2010 systems under development, various functions are implemented differently. Some of these differences, and the reasons behind them, are described here.
Hail: Hoosiers and Information Literacy

In October 2010, the Board of Directors for the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) endorsed an initiative proposed by the membership of its Information Literacy Committee (ILC). Named HAIL—Hoosiers and Information Literacy— this project was developed to purposefully and actively involve Indiana librarians in a leadership role in the teaching and promotion of information literacy skills.This paper chronicles the development of the HAIL project.
Vinyl plastic cage design for single-mating experiments to chemosterilize the stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae) with bisazir.

Small cylindrical cages constructed of heavy clear plastic were designed to evaluate the chemosterilant bisazir for control of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.). Fly larvae were mass-reared using artificial media in cloth-covered plastic pans. Developing pupae were recovered from the media using forced air from a portable hair dryer. The pupal immersion technique was used to evaluate a 1% solution of bisazir to sterilize the insects. After sterilization, emerging males and females were placed in plastic cages and fed daily, using small pieces of blood-soaked pads placed on top of the screen. Fertile flies oviposited on the pads after 4 d. The pads were changed daily, and any eggs present were transferred to black filter paper in Petri dishes for 2 d to determine hatching rate. No eggs were laid by females emerging from pupae receiving a 90-min treatment; eggs laid by fertile females mated with treated males did not hatch.
Why the United States is in Central America

The Reagan Administration argues that military aid to Central America is crucial to maintaining regional and global credibility. But their definition of credibility is confused and contradictory.
A Required Online Course with a Public Health Focus for Third Professional Year Pharmacy Students

Objective. To design, deliver, and evaluate the impact of a required course on student knowledge acquisition and ability to evaluate contemporary public health issues.Design. A 2-credit course was implemented using asynchronous, online delivery. Learning activities included literature retrieval and assessment, analytic writing, quizzes, and creation of a group wiki evaluating a current public health issue. Course topics included health care reform, social determinants of health, health disparities, evidence-based medicine, end-of-life care, patient safety, and research ethics.Assessment. Strong student performance on assessments indicated an ability to use higher-order cognitive domains. Online delivery provided students with the flexibility to complete assignments at their convenience, allowed participation by all students, and encouraged self-directed learning.Conclusion. Completion of a required, online, asynchronous course with a public health focus allowed pharmacy students to increase their knowledg...
Corrected Wavemaker Theory, Momentum Flux and Vorticity

The usual wavemaker theory hides an unjustified integration constant assumption that renders it invalid. We discuss some surprising subtleties of momentum flux in infinite waves, packets and some counterintuitive examples where "hidden" flux contributions can arise. From here, we construct an ideal wavemaker that builds Airy waves from a series of microjets that allows an exact calculation of the forces on boundaries. This allows us to also compute the fluxes of all conserved quantities directly and rule out some of these hidden contributions to momentum flux. We then discuss some realistic flapper wavemakers and the trouble vorticity sources can create in the resulting fluid motion. Along the way we present a completely local derivation of the group velocity using fluxes.
Who Is Afraid of MlräbäT? Gulzar’s Antidote for Miras Poison

This chapter1 focuses on a devotional film to study the interface between Hindu devotion and gender in South Asian popular culture. Hindu devotion, or bhakti, foregrounds a personal relation with God, who is equally accessible to all, including women. Thus, in theory, bhakti would make an excellent vehicle for democratic, modernizing forces in popular culture, in particular with regard to women.
Impact of Exercise Programs on Hospital Readmission Following Hospitalization for Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

Given persistently high 30-day readmission rates among patients hospitalized for heart failure, there is an ongoing need to identify new interventions to reduce readmissions. Although exercise programs can improve outcomes among ambulatory heart failure patients, it is not clear whether this benefit extends to reducing readmissions following heart failure hospitalization. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify randomized controlled trials examining the impact of exercise programs on hospital readmissions among patients recently hospitalized for heart failure. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Wiley Cochrane Library for studies that fulfilled pre-defined criteria, including that the exercise program pre-specify activity type and exercise frequency, duration, and intensity. Exercise interventions could occur at any location including within the hospital, at an outpatient facility, or at home. Among 1213 unique publications identified, only one study fulfilled inclusion criteria. This study was a single-site randomized controlled trial that consisted of a 12-week exercise program in a cohort of 105 patients with a principal diagnosis of heart failure at a metropolitan hospital in Australia. This study revealed a reduction in 12-month all-cause and cardiovascular-related hospitalization rates. However, inferences were limited by its single-site study design, small sample size, premature termination, and high risk for selection, performance, and detection bias. As no studies have built upon the findings of this study, it remains unknown whether exercise programs can improve readmission rates among patients recently hospitalized for heart failure, a significant gap in the literature.
Heterologous Regulation of the Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor by Angiotensin II in Astrocytes of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Brainstem and cerebellar astrocytes have critical roles to play in hypertension and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), respectively. Angiotensin (Ang) II, via the astroglial Ang Type 1 receptor (AT1R), has been demonstrated to elevate pro-inflammatory mediators in the brainstem and the cerebellum. The activation of astroglial Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor (CB1R), a master regulator of homeostasis, has been shown to neutralize inflammatory states. Factors that drive disease physiology, are known to alter the expression of CB1Rs. In the current study, we investigated the role of Ang II in regulating CB1R protein and mRNA expression in astrocytes isolated from the brainstem and the cerebellum of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRs). The results were then compared with the normotensive counterpart, Wistar rats. Not only was the basal expression of CB1R protein and mRNA significantly lower in SHR brainstem astrocytes, but treatment with Ang II resulted in lowering it further in the initial 12 hours. In the case of cerebellum, Ang II upregulated the CB1R protein and mRNA in SHR astrocytes. While the effect of Ang II on CB1R protein was predominantly mediated via the AT1R in SHR brainstem; both AT1R and AT2R mediated Ang II's effect in the SHR cerebellum. This data is strongly indicative of a potential new mode of cross talk between components of the renin angiotensin system and the endocannabinoid system in astrocytes. The consequence of such a crosstalk could be a potential reduced endocannabinoid tone in brainstem in hypertensive states, but not in the cerebellum under the same conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A moderated target design for minor actinide transmutation in sodium-cooled fast reactor

Abstract This paper presents a moderated target assembly design study for minor actinide (MA) transmutation in the first-stage sodium-cooled fast reactor (FR) to reduce the amount of MA to be sent to the second-stage accelerator driven system (ADS) in a two-stage FR/ADS fuel cycle option. In order to minimize the local power peaking problem induced by moderated target assemblies, the target assemblies were loaded in the reflector region. Using MA-40Zr target composition and ZrH1.6 moderator, an optimum MA target assembly design was developed to maximize the MA destruction within the practical thermal design limits on the cladding inner wall temperature. Long-lived fission product pins were used as thermal neutron filters to reduce the local power peaking in the adjacent fuel assemblies due to the thermal neutron leakage from the moderated target assembly. The performance characteristics of the FR with moderated target assemblies were evaluated by performing detailed neutronics and thermal-hydraulics analyses. Analysis results showed that the use of MA target assemblies reduces the amount of MA to be sent to ADS by a factor of six without deteriorating safety characteristics. As a result, the electricity sharing of ADS in a nuclear park composed of FRs and ADSs was reduced to 0.3% from 1.9%.
Publish and Perish—The Academic Journalist’s Publishing Dilemma

Universities have fully developed requirements on how to assess full-time faculty, especially PhDs. However, these are not fully sensitive to evaluating ‘production’ faculty and/or ‘craft practitioners’ such as in journalism schools. In this opinion piece, the author explores the question of whether journalistic writings can or should be ‘recognised’ as academic research output? While arguing that journalistic writing can be recognized as academic research output, he points out that good journalism involves research, originality, social responsibility and ethics, and good journalists are flag bearers of these standards. These are analogous, if not similar, to expectations of good scholarship and hence journalistic writing merits the same acceptance as other academic ‘theoretical’ writing.
THEORY AND SIMULATIONS OF POLYMERS AT SURFACES

This chapter discusses the application of liquid state methods such as integral equations, density functional theory, and computer simulation to investigate the properties of polymer melts and blends at surfaces. The focus is on three problems: I) the density profiles of polymers at solid surfaces, II) the nature and mechanism for the segregation to a surface of one component from a blend of polymers, and III) the non-equilibrium be-haviour of confined liquids undergoing shear flow. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations and a density functional theory that address these problems are described.
Differences Between the AAFP Atrial Fibrillation Guideline and the AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline.

The AAFP updated its guideline on pharmacologic management of newly detected atrial fibrillation, which differs in part from the AHA/ACC/HRS guideline. It specifically highlights two questions commonly faced by family physicians, and is based on updated data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Neuroticism, rumination, negative affect, and sleep: Examining between- and within-person associations.

Abstract Neuroticism is strongly implicated in the development of sleep impairment and sleep disorders such as insomnia. However, it is unclear if neuroticism is a direct predictor of sleep, and/or if it moderates associations between related psychological processes (e.g., rumination and negative affect, or NA) and sleep in daily life. We investigated: 1) neuroticism as a between-person predictor of reported sleep, 2) daily fluctuations in rumination and NA as predictors of reported sleep, and 3) neuroticism as a between-person moderator of the relationships in aim 2. A sample of racially and ethnically diverse adults (N = 242; 62% African-American, 24% Hispanic/Latina/o) completed a baseline assessment of neuroticism and then completed two weeks of daily reports, including bedtime assessments of daily rumination and NA and waking assessments of prior night's sleep. Individuals with higher neuroticism reported more impaired average sleep, but this relationship became non-significant after accounting for daily rumination and NA. Days with greater NA than one's individual average predicted more impaired sleep, regardless of average levels of NA, daily rumination, and neuroticism. Results suggest the importance of investigating both between- and within-person associations linking neuroticism, rumination, NA, and sleep and may help inform more targeted intervention efforts for improving sleep.
“Velvet Jihad”: South Asian Muslim Women Writers Waging a Narrative War

Faegheh Shirazi uses the term “Velvet Jihad,” borrowed from the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution of the Czechs and Slovaks, to describe the connection between non-violent resistance and Muslim...
Therapeutic Roles of Statins in Gynecology and Obstetrics: The Current Evidence.

Statins are a class of drugs, which act by inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis (3-hydroxy- 3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase). The inhibition of mevalonate synthesis leads to subsequent inhibition of downstream products of this pathway, which explains the pleiotropic effects of these agents in addition to their well-known lipid-lowering effects. Accumulating evidence suggests that statins might be beneficial in various obstetric and gynecologic conditions. Literature searches were performed in PubMed and EMBASE for articles with content related to statins in obstetrics and gynecology. The findings are hereby reviewed and discussed. Inhibition of mevalonate pathway leads to subsequent inhibition of downstream products such as geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. These products are required for proper intracellular localization of several proteins, which play important roles in signaling pathways by regulating membrane trafficking, motility, proliferation, differentiation, and cytoskeletal organization. The pleiotropic effects of statins can be summarized in 4 categories: antiproliferative, anti-invasive, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogenic. The growing body of evidence is promising for these agents to be beneficial in endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, adhesion prevention, ovarian cancer, preeclampsia, and antiphospholipid syndrome. Although in vivo studies showed varying degrees of benefit on fibroids and preterm birth, appropriately designed clinical trials are needed to make definitive conclusions. Statins might play a role in the treatment of endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, adhesion prevention, ovarian cancer, preeclampsia, and antiphospholipid syndrome.
A Case of Cushing's Syndrome due to Ectopic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Secretion from Esthesioneuroblastoma with Long Term Follow-Up after Resection.

We present a case of a 52-year-old male who developed Cushing’s Syndrome due to ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion from a large esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) of the nasal sinuses. The patient initially presented with polyuria, polydipsia, weakness, and confusion. Computed tomography scan of the head and magnetic resonance imaging showed a 7 cm skull base mass centered in the right cribriform plate without sella involvement. Work-up revealed ACTH-dependent hypercortisolemia, which did not suppress appropriately after high-dose dexamethasone. Subsequent imaging of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis did not reveal other possible ectopic sources of ACTH secretion besides the ENB. His hospital course was complicated by severe hypokalemia and hyperglycemia before successful surgical resection of the tumor, the biopsy of which showed ENB. Postoperatively, his ACTH level dropped below the limit of detection. In the ensuing 4 months, he underwent adjuvant chemoradiation with carboplatin and docetaxel with good response and resolution of hypokalemia and hyperglycemia, with no sign of recurrence as of 30 months postoperatively. His endogenous cortisol production is rising but has not completely recovered.
The Syrian-Ottoman Home Front in Buenos Aires and Rosario during the First World War

The commencement of hostilities in Europe in late summer 1914 transformed the southern Atlantic cities of Buenos Aires and Rosario into diasporic home fronts for many belligerent nations. These cities became at once contested terrains between and among emigre colonies and a source of financial and material aid for warring nations. Buenos Aires’ policy of neutrality further permitted activist immigrants to partner with like-minded individuals and their respective diplomatic representatives to organise civic associations, arrange public demonstrations, and host charity events. The Syrian-Ottoman colonies mirrored the efforts of other immigrant groups, but diverged in distinct ways as novel nationalist sentiments circulated among them. The increased social tension from penury and competing political agendas led to multiple violent confrontations among Syrian Ottomans. Thus, nations that did not directly fight in the European conflagration were indeed party to the First World War and warring states’ home fronts extended beyond national boundaries.
Healthcare professional involvement and RTP compliance in high school athletes with concussion.

ABSTRACTObjectives: To describe concussion rates in high school athletes and involvement of healthcare professionals in concussion diagnosis, management and compliance with return to play (RTP) guidelines.Methods: Data were analysed from injury reports in the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System between 2009/2010 and 2012/2013 to identify student athletes with concussion and determine compliance with RTP guidelines. Compliance with RTP guidelines was examined using logistic regression, adjusting for sport and injury-related variables.Results: There were 5611 concussions recorded during 15 712 475 athlete exposures (AEs), a rate of 3.6 concussions per 10 000 AEs. Rates were higher during competition and among girls compared to boys in gender equitable sports. Healthcare professionals were less likely to be present at the time of concussion for girls’ sports, lower competition levels and practices. Compliance with RTP guidelines was higher for athletes with recurrent concussions, t...
Protein Closed Loop Prediction from Contact Probabilities

According to the theory of Trifonov [1] a subset of closed loops found in globular proteins, descriptively named loop-n-lock (LNL) structures, are returns of a polypeptide chain trajectory to close contact with itself. These closed loops are distinguished by a characteristic length, 20 to 35 residues, and a ”lock” that stabilizes the loop. Evidence supports their contention that globular proteins are composed of linear combinations of such closed loops. Occupying an intermediate position in protein structure hierarchy i.e., between secondary structure and domain, makes these loops good candidates for units of a hierarchical folding model.
Technical approaches to identification and stereotactic reduction of tumor burden

This report describes a system for the precision resection of deep-seated intracranial neoplasms. A cumputer monitored stereotactically directed carbon dioxide laser is utilized to vaporize intracranial tumors whose volumes have been reconstructed from computed tomography and magnetic resonance and data bases. The position of the laser is monitored on a computer graphics terminal in reference to planar slices through the tumor, reformatted orthogonal to the surgical approach. This procedure has been performed on 51 patients with satisfactory postoperative neurologic results. The system provides precise surgical control in three dimensional space for the safe precision resection of significant amounts of intra-axial neoplasms as demonstrated by postoperative contrast enhanced computed tomography.
Qualitative research and the profound grasp of the obvious.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To discuss the value of promoting coexistent and complementary relationships between qualitative and quantitative research methods as illustrated by presentations made by four respected health services researchers who described their experiences in multi-method projects. DATA SOURCES: Presentations and publications related to the four research projects, which described key substantive and methodological areas that had been addressed with qualitative techniques. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Sponsor interest in timely, insightful, and reality-anchored evidence has provided a strong base of support for the incorporation of qualitative methods into major contemporary policy research studies. In addition, many issues may be suitable for study only with qualitative methods because of their complexity, their emergent nature, or because of the need to revisit and reexamine previously untested assumptions. CONCLUSION: Experiences from the four projects, as well as from other recent health services studies with major qualitative components, support the assertion that the interests of sponsors in the policy realm and pressure from them suppress some of the traditional tensions and antagonisms between qualitative and quantitative methods.
Highly sensitive in situ proteomics with cleavable fluorescent tyramide reveals human neuronal heterogeneity

The ability to comprehensively profile proteins in intact tissues in situ is crucial for our understanding of health and disease. However, the existing methods suffer from low sensitivity and limited sample throughput. To address these issues, here we present a highly sensitive and multiplexed in situ protein analysis approach using cleavable fluorescent tyramide and off-the-shelf antibodies. Compared with the current methods, this approach enhances the detection sensitivity and reduces the imaging time by 1-2 orders of magnitude, and can potentially detect hundreds of proteins in intact tissues at the optical resolution. Applying this approach, we studied protein expression heterogeneity in a population of genetically identical cells, and performed protein expression correlation analysis to identify coregulated proteins. We also profiled >6000 neurons in a human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) hippocampus tissue. By partitioning these neurons into varied cell clusters based on their multiplexed protein expression profiles, we observed different subregions of the hippocampus consist of neurons from distinct clusters.
Computational deconvolution of synovial tissue cellular composition: presence of adipocytes in synovial tissue decreased during arthritis pathogenesis and progression

Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the most common forms of arthritis. The synovial tissue is the major site of inflammation of OA and RA and consists of diverse cells. Synovial ...
ThunderML: A Toolkit for Enabling AI/ML Models on Cloud for Industry 4.0

AI, machine learning, and deep learning tools have now become easily accessible on the cloud. However, the adoption of these cloud-based services for heavy industries has been limited due to the gap between general purpose AI tools and operational requirements for production industries. There are three fundamentals gaps. The first is the lack of purpose built solution pipelines designed for common industrial problem types, the second is the lack of tools for automating the learning from noisy sensor data and the third is the lack of platforms which help practitioners leverage cloud-based environment for building and deploying custom modeling pipelines. In this paper, we present ThunderML, a toolkit that addresses these gaps by providing powerful programming model that allows rapid authoring, training and deployment for Industry 4.0 applications. Importantly, the system also facilitates cloud-based deployments by providing a vendor agnostic pipeline execution and deployment layer.
The role of land cover change in Arctic-boreal greening and browning trends

Many studies have used time series of satellite-derived vegetation indices to identify so-called greening and browning trends across the northern high-latitudes and to suggest that the productivity of Arctic-Boreal ecosystems is changing in response to climate forcing at local and continental scales. However, disturbances that alter land cover are prevalent in Arctic-Boreal ecosystems, and changes in Arctic-Boreal land cover, which complicate interpretation of trends in vegetation indices, have mostly been ignored in previous studies. Here we use a new land cover change dataset derived from Landsat imagery to explore the extent to which land cover and land cover change influence trends in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) over a large (3.76M km2) area of NASA's Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment, which spans much of northwestern Canada and Alaska. Between 1984 and 2012, 21.2% of the study domain experienced land cover change and 42.7% had significant NDVI trends. Land cover change occurred in 27.6% of locations with significant NDVI trends during this period and resulted in greening and browning rates 48-128% higher than in areas of stable land cover. While the majority of land cover change areas experienced significant NDVI trends, more than half of areas with stable land cover did not. Further, the extent and magnitude of browning and greening trends varied substantially as a function of land cover class and land cover change type. Forest disturbance from fire and timber harvest drove over one third of statistically significant NDVI trends and created complex mosaics of recent forest loss (as browning) and post-disturbance recovery (as greening) at both landscape and continental scale. Our results demonstrate the importance of land cover changes in highly disturbed high-latitude ecosystems for interpreting trends of NDVI and productivity across multiple spatial scales.
The impact of paid family leave in the United States on birth outcomes and mortality in the first year of life

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of paid family leave in California on statewide rates of preterm birth, low birthweight, postneonatal mortality, and overall infant mortality. DATA SOURCES Live birth and death certificates from all in-hospital deliveries occurring in California (state exposed to the family leave policy) and two unexposed states (Missouri and Pennsylvania) from 1999 to 2008 (n = 6 164 203). STUDY DESIGN We used a difference-in-differences approach to compare rates of infant health outcomes before and after implementation of the 2004 policy in California with rates in two states without paid family leave policies. Prespecified stratified analyses examined whether policy response differed by maternal characteristics. Conditional regression models using comparisons matched on a mother's likelihood of living in California in the pre-family leave period were then employed as sensitivity analyses to confirm our findings. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Probabilistic methods were used to match live birth records to maternal and newborn hospital records. Only singleton births were included. Dyads were excluded if the infant gestational age was <23 weeks or greater than 44 weeks or if the birthweight was an outlier. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared to the unexposed states, adjusted postneonatal mortality rates decreased by 12 percent in California after 2004 (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97). There were no significant effects on the other outcomes. There were no differences in the effect by race/ethnicity or insurance status except for increased odds of low birthweight among privately insured women in California after 2004. Point estimates in the propensity score-matched sensitivity models were similar to the results of the fully adjusted models for all four outcomes, but confidence intervals crossed one. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of paid family leave policies in California was associated with a 12 percent reduction in postneonatal mortality after adjusting for maternal and neonatal factors.
Simulation to Teach Safe Patient Handling and Mobility for Home Caregivers

Safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) programs are needed in the home care environment. As patient-lifting technology and devices become more widely available for use in the home setting, careg...
Aging Challenges in On-chip Voltage Regulator Design

This paper analyzes degradation of transient performance of on-chip voltage regulators, namely, a digital low dropout regulator (DLDO) and an integrated inductive voltage regulator (IVR), due to negative-bias-temperature-instability (NBTI) induced aging degradations. Improvement of transient response for the aged systems using post silicon tuning is also explored. The measurement results from 130nm and 65nm CMOS test-chips demonstrate that an IVR exhibits a higher tolerance to power stage aging compared to DLDO. Furthermore, the measurement results indicate upto 25% improvement in response time for aging induced degradations using an auto-tuning algorithm.