cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The peril of inadequate evidence.

With 2 other members of Physical Therapy 's Editorial Board, I attended a fascinating workshop sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of this meeting, held in February, was to recommend to the US federal government a research agenda on appropriate settings for the provision of rehabilitation services. The workshop was initiated at the request of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), following their imposition of restrictions on eligibility for inpatient rehabilitation care for patients in selected diagnostic groups. In 1984, CMS (then HCFA, the Health Care Financing Administration) published a new regulation: “Medicare Program: Prospective Payment for Medicare Inpatient Hospital Services”1 (49 FR 234), commonly referred to as the “75% rule.” Under this rule, whose enforcement had been limited until July 1, 2004, rehabilitation units that are part of an acute care hospital or a stand-alone rehabilitation hospital and classified as inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) had their Medicare reimbursement shifted to the prospective payment system (PPS). Under these Medicare regulations, such facilities are required to show that, during their most recent 12-month cost-reporting periods, they served an inpatient population of whom at least 75% required intensive rehabilitation services for identified serious medical conditions. …
Exploiting producer patterns and L2 cache for timely dependence-based prefetching

This paper proposes an architecture that efficiently prefetches for loads whose effective addresses are directly dependent on previously-loaded values. This dependence-based prefetching scheme covers most frequently missed loads in programs that contain linked data structures (LDS). For timely prefetches, memory access patterns of producing loads are dynamically learned. These patterns (such as strides) are used to prefetch well ahead of the consumer load. The proposed prefetcher is placed near the processor core and targets L1 cache misses, because removing L1 cache misses has greater performance potential than removing L2 cache misses. We also examine how to capture pointers in LDS with pure hardware implementation. We find that the space requirement can be reduced, compared to previous work, if we selectively record patterns. Still, to make the prefetching scheme generally applicable, a large table is required for storing pointers. We show that storing the prefetch table in a partition of the L2 cache outperforms using the L2 cache conventionally.
Feeling the need … the need for speed (of processing training) in Parkinson disease

Cognitive impairment is common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) without dementia, and may be present even at diagnosis.1,2 Although a wide range of cognitive domains may be affected in patients with PD without dementia, early cognitive deficits usually occur in the domains of attention and executive function (planning, sequencing, processing speed, and working memory).3 While cholinesterase inhibitors improve cognition in PD dementia, only a limited number of trials have investigated pharmacologic agents for mild cognitive impairment in PD, and none has been proven to be effective.1 There is limited evidence for nonpharmacologic cognitive interventions in PD; existing studies have focused on physical exercise1 or enhancing sensory-perceptual function, thereby improving stimulus quality to enable better cognitive processing.4,5
TCP meets mobile code

This paper argues that transport protocols such as TCP provide a rare domain in which protocol extensibility by untrusted parties is both valuable and practical. TCP continues to be refined despite more than two decades of progress, and the difficulties due to deployment delays and backwards-compatibility are well-known. Remote extensibility, by which a host can ship the transport protocol code and dynamically load it on another node in the network on a per-connection basis, directly tackles both of these problems. At the same time, the unicast transport protocol domain is much narrower than other domains that use mobile code, such as active networking, which helps to make extensibility feasible. The transport level provides a well understood notion of global safety--TCP friendliness--while local safety can be guaranteed by isolation of per-protocol state and use of recent safe-language technologies. We support these arguments by outlining the design of XTCP, our extensible TCP framework.
Prospective randomized trial of wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis with the CustomCornea and CustomVue laser systems

Purpose To compare visual function, safety, and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) after wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with the LadarVision CustomCornea (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) and Star S4 CustomVue (Visx) laser systems. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Methods Seventy-eight eyes of 39 patients with myopia with or without astigmatism were randomized for LASIK treatment in 1 eye with the CustomCornea laser; the other eye was treated with the CustomVue laser. Patients were followed for 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome measures were uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction, and changes in HOAs. Results At 6 months, the mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) UCVA was −0.0135 ± 0.07 (SD) in the CustomVue group and 0.0417 ± 0.12 in the CustomCornea group ( P = .023). Eighty-eight percent of eyes in the CustomVue group had 20/20 or better UCVA compared with 67% in the CustomCornea group ( P P P Conclusions Both laser systems were effective, safe, and predictable. Wavefront-guided LASIK with the CustomVue system resulted in better visual acuity, with more eyes having 20/20 acuity than in the CustomCornea group.
Nonlinear control with end-point acceleration feedback for a two-link flexible manipulator: Experimental results

Experimental results for end-point positioning of multi-link flexible manipulators through end-point acceleration feedback are presented in this article. The advocated controllers are implemented on a two-link flexible arm developed at the Control/Robotics Research Laboratory at Polytechnic University. The advocated approach in this article is based on a two-stage control design. The first stage is a nonlinear (1) feedback linearizing controller corresponding to the rigid body motion of the manipulator. Because this scheme does not utilize any feedback from the end-point motion, significant vibrations are induced at the end effector. To this effect, and to enhance the robustness of the closed-loop dynamics to parameter variations, the inner loop is augmented with an outer loop based on a linear output LQR design that utilizes an end-point acceleration feedback. The forearm of the manipulator is significantly more flexible as compared with the upper arm. Experimental and simulation results validate the fact that the end-effector performance is significantly better with the proposed (1) feedback linearizing control as compared with the linear independent joint PD control. In addition, the nonlinear control offers other advantages in terms of smaller and smoother actuator torques and reducing the effects of nonlinearities. Close conformation between simulation and experimental results validates the accuracy of the model.
Transcriptional Modulation of the ERK1/2 MAPK and NF-κB Pathways in Human Urothelial Cells After Trivalent Arsenical Exposure: Implications for Urinary Bladder Cancer.

Chronic exposure to drinking water contaminated with inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with an increased risk of urinary bladder (UB) cancers in humans. The exact role of specific As metabolite(s) in As-mediated carcinogenesis remains largely unknown. Experimental evidence suggests that the trivalent arsenicals, namely arsenite (iAs III ) and two of its urinary metabolites, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA III ) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA III ), are possible proximate UB carcinogens. Here, we used a transcriptomics approach to examine perturbed molecular pathways in a human urothelial cell line (UROtsa) after short-term exposure to iAs III , MMA III and DMA III . Molecular networks containing genes encoding proteins implicated in UB cancer development were perturbed by both MMA III and DMA III . Target genes were validated for changes in gene expression using qRT-PCR. The most significant pathways identified included those of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK 1/2 MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa beta (NF- k B). Together, these results may inform the current understanding of effects in the UB induced by acute As exposure and the relationship of these effects with As-mediated carcinogenesis.
Effect of scapular dyskinesis on supraspinatus repair healing in a rat model

Background Rotator cuff tears are common conditions that often require surgical repair to improve function and to relieve pain. Unfortunately, repair failure remains a common problem after rotator cuff repair surgery. Several factors may contribute to repair failure, including age, tear size, and time from injury. However, the mechanical mechanisms resulting in repair failure are not well understood, making clinical management difficult. Specifically, altered scapular motion (termed scapular dyskinesis) may be one important and modifiable factor contributing to the risk of repair failure. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of scapular dyskinesis on supraspinatus tendon healing after repair. Methods A rat model of scapular dyskinesis was used. Seventy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (400-450 g) were randomized into 2 groups: nerve transection of the accessory and long thoracic nerves (SD) or sham nerve transection (Sham control). After this procedure, all rats underwent unilateral detachment and repair of the supraspinatus tendon. All rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgery. Shoulder function, passive joint mechanics, and tendon properties (mechanical, histologic, organizational, and compositional) were evaluated. Results Scapular dyskinesis alters joint function and may lead to compromised supraspinatus tendon properties. Specifically, diminished mechanical properties, altered histology, and decreased tendon organization were observed for some parameters. Conclusion This study identifies scapular dyskinesis as one underlying mechanism leading to compromise of supraspinatus healing after repair. Identifying modifiable factors that lead to compromised tendon healing will help improve clinical outcomes after repair.
Consumer Goals and the Service Encounter: Evaluating Goal Importance and the Moderating Effect of Goal Progress on Satisfaction Formation:

This study examines the stability of consumer goal importance across consumption episodes within the service encounter and the role of goal progress in the attribute— consumer satisfaction relationship in the context of restaurant experiences. Results indicate that consumers pursue multiple goals within the consumption experience, and the importance of those goals differs across consumption episodes within the experience. Using pace as a service attribute, it was found that goal progress moderates the impact of service attributes on consumer satisfaction. Satisfaction was high regardless of pace when goal progress was high. At low levels of goal progress, a moderate pace resulted in higher satisfaction than a slow or a fast pace. Implications for hospitality managers are discussed.
Expression of a surface-associated antigen on Y-cells in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus is regulated by visual experience.

The monoclonal antibody Cat-301, generated against cat spinal cord (McKay and Hockfield, 1982), recognizes a surface-associated antigen that, in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), is selectively expressed on Y-cells (Hockfield et al., 1983; Hendry et al., 1984; Sur et al., 1984). We now report that the antigen recognized by Cat-301 appears late in development, along a time course similar to that described for the maturation of the physiological properties of Y-cells in the LGN, and that its expression is sharply reduced by monocular lid suture or dark-rearing from birth, 2 visual deprivation procedures that lead to a reduction in the proportion of Y-cells recorded physiologically in the LGN (Sherman et al., 1972; Kratz et al., 1979; reviewed in Sherman and Spear, 1982). Monocular lid suture in the adult has no effect on Cat-301 antigen levels or, as previously reported (Sherman et al., 1972), on the proportion of physiologically recorded Y- cells. In addition, reversing the monocular deprivation in adulthood by opening the neonatally sutured eye and suturing closed the previously normal eye for 6 months restores neither normal levels of Cat-301 labeling nor, as previously reported (Geisert et al., 1982), the proportion of recordable Y-cells. The development of Cat-301 immunoreactivity thus parallels the development of LGN Y-cell physiology. The relative reduction in levels of immunoreactivity consequent to neonatal, but not adult, visual deprivation shows that Cat-301 antigen expression does not simply reflect the level of visually evoked electrical activity in the LGN, but rather reflects a process that depends on the nature of visual experience early in life.
The Next Biometric Challenge: Medical Alterations

Just as technological innovations enable identity science researchers to develop better recognition systems, they can also create novel challenges for such systems.
Modeling Lithium Intercalation of a Single Spinel Particle under Potentiodynamic Control

A mathematical model is presented for the lithium intercalation of a single spinel particle as a microelectrode under the stimulus of a cyclic linear potential sweep. The model includes both lithium diffusion within the particle and kinetics at the particle-electrolyte interface. The model is used to predict that peak current densities depend linearly on the scan rate to a certain power with a constant term, which is different from the predicted peak current density for a conventional redox system.
A timing-driven data path layout synthesis with integer programming

We propose an efficient data path synthesis algorithm which generates bit-sliced layouts. Since data path circuits have special characteristics which are different from those of random logic circuits, the dedicated synthesis system is required for efficient layouts. Our main goal in the data path synthesis is to satisfy the timing constraints of circuits as well as to reduce layout areas. Timing-driven placement and over-the-cell routing techniques are developed to generate data path modules. Also, signal interfaces between bit-slices are carefully considered to further reduce layout areas. Our synthesis techniques take advantage of the common characteristics of data path structures under timing constraints and applies mixed integer linear programming approach to solve the problem. The superior results from our data path synthesis system are demonstrated through comparison with the layout results with the simulated annealing technique.
The molecular mechanism for DDT detoxification in Anopheles gambiae: a molecular docking study

The epsilon class glutathione-S-transferase of Anopheles gambiae, agGSTe2, is capable of metabolizing DDT. A molecular docking analysis of DDT with agGSTe2 support an E2 elimination mechanism wherein the glutathione sulfur serves as the base to convert DDT to DDE.
Noise versus Computational Intractability in Dynamics

Computation plays a key role in predicting and analyzing natural phenomena. There are two fundamental barriers to our ability to computationally understand the long-term behavior of a dynamical system that describes a natural process. The first one is unaccounted-for errors, which may make the system unpredictable beyond a very limited time horizon. This is especially true for chaotic systems, where a small change in the initial conditions may cause a dramatic shift in the trajectories. The second one is Turing-completeness. By the undecidability of the Halting Problem, the long-term prospects of a system that can simulate a Turing Machine cannot be determined computationally.
Effect of catecholamines on tubular function in the isolated perfused rat kidney

Addition of norepinephrine or epinephrine to the isolated rat kidney perfused at constant pressure resulted in an increase in sodium reabsorption and the excretion of a dilute urine with an increase in free water clearance. Vasopressin reversed the fall in urinary osmolarity but not the diminution in sodium excretion. The urinary changes produced by catecholamines were blocked by propranolol but not by phenoxybenzamine, suggesting that they were mediated, at least in part, by beta receptors. Similar though less pronounced changes in sodium excretion and urinary osmolarity were produced by isoproterenol and phenylephrine, while the combination of these drugs induced marked dilution of the urine. The results suggest that circulating catecholamines or adrenergic nerves innervating the kidney directly influence renal tubular function and might, therefore, participate in the regulation of sodium and water excretion by the kidneys.
Burmese Media in Transition

This article offers an assessment of media and their role in the ongoing political transition in Myanmar, and an overview of lessons learned from other countries undergoing transition. It demonstrates how media function in this process as active agents of stability, restraint, change, or all three, and assesses how Myanmar’s experiences reinforce or challenge common assumptions about democratic transition. The discussion draws from interviews over many years with journalists, editors, advocacy groups, and policy makers and participant observation in media offices and at media-related events. The research examines the origins of the recent changes, the importance of history, the role of civil society—including ethnic and formerly exile media—and issues of political economy and media diversity.
Juvenile Justice in Germany

In this article, I trace the emergence of diverse models of juvenile prosecution practice in Germany and show how those models reflect local and regional attitudes towards the character of juvenile crime. The evolution of distinct local practices poses an intriguing challenge to a key underlying premise in the German criminal justice system-namely that prosecutorial decision-making is objective, impartial, and grounded in neutral legal standards which are impervious to political influence. To set the stage for this inquiry, I begin by laying out the basic framework of German juvenile law and the ambit of discretion which it permits. I then explore the actual patterns of juvenile criminality and punishment using published statistical reports. In the chapter’s core, I delve into prosecutors’ perceptions of the purposes of juvenile crime and actual sanctioning practices. This includes a discussion of decision making norms. Finally, the article details the aims and practices of newly developed fast-track programs and innovative “repeat offender” units established in some German cities. In the framework of that discussion I show how the latitude inherent in the law as well as the structure of management controls and workload pressures empower prosecution offices with the latitude to tailor prosecution policies to respond to community and political pressures.
Hydrogen sulfide modulates sinusoidal constriction and contributes to hepatic micorcirculatory dysfunction during endotoxemia

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) affects vascular resistance; however, its effect on the hepatic microcirculation has not been investigated. Hepatic sinusoidal perfusion is dysregulated during sepsis, contri...
Design Tradeoffs of Vertical RRAM-Based 3-D Cross-Point Array

The 3-D integration of resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) array is attractive for low-cost and high-density nonvolatile memory application. In this paper, the design tradeoffs of select transistor drivability, RRAM device characteristics, such as switching current ( $I_{W}$ ), on / off -state resistance ( $R_{{\mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}$ / $R_{{\mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}}$ ), and $I$ – $V$ nonlinearity ratio, interconnect material, and write/read scheme are systematically analyzed using a 3-D circuit simulation. The simulation results show that insufficient current drivability of the vertical transistor severely limits the number of 3-D layers. A low switching current (high $R_{{\mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}$ ) or a high nonlinearity is beneficial for improving the write margin, while it degrades the read current sense margin. To alleviate this conflict, the read voltage needs to be boosted to the half write voltage. The common RRAM electrode material TiN is not suitable for the interconnect material due to a high resistivity. To improve write energy efficiency, a multiple-bit write scheme is proposed to reduce the write energy consumption per bit and enable a high bandwidth. With $R_{{\mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}=500~\text{k}\Omega $ ( $I_{W}=6~\mu \text{A}$ ) and nonlinearity ratio $=10$ , 1-Mb 3-D vertical RRAM subarray is feasible to meet the specified write/read margin with $\sim 2$ -pJ/bit energy consumption.
Surveillance of schistosomiasis in epidemic control area of Hubei province,2012

Objective To analyze the surveillance results of schistosomiasis in epidemic control area of Hubei Province in 2012.Methods According to The Scheme of Schistosomiasis Surveillance in Hubei Province(the 2009 edition),130 villages were selected as epidemic control sites,where the infection of residents and livestock,and the distribution of Oncomelania snails were implemented.Results In epidemic control area,the infection rate of residents and cattle was0.8%and 0.57%,the density of living snails and infected snails was 5.1 and 0.0002 snails/m~2,and the infection rate of snails was 0.01%.Conclusion Compared with that in 2011,the endemic situation of schistosomiasis in epidemic control area of Hubei Province in 2012 decreased obviously.
The effect of egg yolk medium on human sperm binding in the hemizona assay.

Objective To evaluate, using the hemizona assay (HZA), whether egg yolk treatment of human sperm enhances binding to the human zona pellucida in vitro and to determine whether such a treatment is as efficient as the standard swim-up procedure for promoting sperm binding ability. Design Ejaculates were divided into aliquots and half incubated at 37°C for 21 hours in standard culture medium or combined with buffered medium containing chicken egg yolk and stored at 4°C for 21 hours. A second set of ejaculates were split and processed by a standard 1-hour rise alone or treated with egg yolk medium. Setting University teaching hospital. Participants Two healthy sperm donors. Main Outcome Measure The number of sperm tightly bound to the hemizona were measured and compared between the groups. Results A significant increase ( P P Conclusions Treatment of human spermatozoa with an egg yolk medium at 4°C overnight significantly increases sperm binding in the HZA.
Clinical and molecular heterogeneity of head and neck spindle cell and sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma.

Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (sRMS/scRMS), previously classified as a histologic variant of embryonal RMS (ERMS), has been recently defined as a distinct pathologic subtype of RMS. Despite a uniform histologic appearance, sRMS/scRMS is a heterogeneous group with different outcomes between children and adults and distinct genetic abnormalities with either NCOA2 or VGLL2 related fusions or MYOD1 mutations. As sRMS/scRMS show a predilection for the head and neck, we sought to investigate the clinicopathologic and molecular features of this patient population treated at our Institution in the past 2 decades. There were 13 patients (8 males and 5 females) with head and neck sRMS/scRMS with a mean age at diagnosis of 29 years, including 5 children and 8 adults. The common anatomic sites were buccal/masticator space, tongue and mandibular soft tissue. Three patients presented with distant metastases. Eight cases had spindle cell and five sclerosing morphology. All tumors tested showed diffuse reactivity for myoD1. None of the 7 cases tested showed PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion. Three of the nine cases tested harbored MYOD1 with or without PIK3CA mutations, all having sclerosing histology and succumbing of disease with recurrences. All except one patient with sclerosing RMS died of disease, in contrast to only one of eight with spindle cell morphology. The only patient with infantile sRMS/scRMS showed an SRF-NCOA2 fusion. All patients except one were treated with multimodality chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery. Our results show that fatal outcome in head and neck sRMS/scRMS was associated with adult age, sclerosing morphology, and MYOD1 and PIK3CA mutations.
On Trans-Saharan Trails: Markets and the Movement of Caravans: Nineteenth-Century Developments

The exchange of the cotton bale ( bayṣa ) in gold is one-and-a-half mithqāl (approx. 6.5 grams), and [the bayṣa ] in silver is three ūqiya (ounces). The female slave ( al-khādim ) is between ten and thirteen bayṣas . The [price of ostrich] feathers is seven bayṣas … when before it was five bayṣas . And the exchange of the bayṣa in millet is eight mudds of Walāta (approx. 24 kgs). … I inform you that I sent to you [his brother in Shinqīṭi] a load of ostrich feathers with Bātin Ibn Zaydān: six ūqiya of salāṭīn (good quality, white), one-quarter of a raṭl (approx. 125 grams) of ʿ ayār (medium quality, white), four raṭl (approx. 2 kgs) of black feathers worth one-and-a-half mithqāl. … Be informed that a group of Rgaybāt from Guelmīm arrived here in Walāta … among them there is Ibrāhīm Wuld Aḥmad Wuld ʿAly to whom you owed a debt. … As for Buhay, he is well and currently in Timbuktu with ostrich feathers and gum arabic that he wants to forward for sale in the north ( fī al - sāḥil ). … Be aware that we have learned that the son [Aḥmadu al-Kabīr] of al-Ḥājj ʿUmar has joined the Christians ( al-Naṣārā ; i.e. the French) with numerous contingents of Futis [Fulbe]. If cloth does not arrive from their direction, it will become unavailable here. Letter from Walāta, circa 1880 Caravans were the lifelines of Saharan oasis towns. Their departures marked the yearly calendar as did their most anticipated returns.
The Optimal Policy

In the present chapter, two detection of change problems are formally defined and discussed. These two problems, which form the basis for the major portion of the remainder of this book, in no way exhaust the possible formulations of a wide variety of detection of change processes. But they are simple and tractable, yet sufficiently general to account for a number of two-state detection of change processes and to serve as first order approximations to others.
Ethanol-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For example, the Veterans Administration Cooperative Studies reported that patients with cirrhosis and superimposed alcoholic hepatitis had a 4-year mortality of >60%. The poor prognosis of ALD implies that preventing disease progression would be more effective than treating end-stage liver disease. An obvious avenue of prevention would be to remove the damaging agent; however, the infamously high rate of recidivism in alcoholics makes maintaining abstinence an arguably unrealistic treatment goal to prevent ALD. Indeed, although the progression of ALD is well characterized, there is no universally accepted therapy available to halt or reverse this process in humans. With better understanding of the mechanism(s) and risk factors that mediate the initiation and progression of ALD, rational targeted therapy can be developed to treat or prevent ALD in the clinics. The purpose of this chapter is to review the established and proposed mechanisms by which chronic alcohol abuse damages the liver and to discuss how this understanding may lead to new therapies to treat this devastating disease.
Analytics in Tourism Design

This chapter opens the discussion of analytics in tourism design by introducing its conceptual and technical foundations. It focuses attention on how information technology is transforming the tourism experience and consequentially the needs and opportunities for us to measure and interpret this experience. In addition, it provides an overview of the book as the chapters detail several exciting approaches to analytics research in tourism.
Advance Care Planning in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: A Patient Priority.

Abstract Background Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients with moderate or great defect complexity are at risk for premature death. Although early engagement in advance care planning (ACP) is recommended, previous research suggests that it seldom occurs. Methods This study investigated ACHD patient preferences for ACP and factors that impact preferences. ACHD patients completed an ACP preferences questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and a measure of attachment styles. Results Of 152 ACHD patients (median age 33years, 50% female), 13% reported previous ACP discussions with providers and 21% had completed advance directives. On a 0–10 scale, the median rating for the importance of discussing ACP with providers was 7; 18years was identified as the most appropriate age to initiate this dialogue. Higher ratings for the importance of discussing ACP with providers was observed in patients who were female ( p =0.03), had lower disease complexity ( p =0.03), and had elevated anxiety symptoms ( p =0.001); elevated anxiety remained significant in a multivariable model. Interest in receiving information about life expectancy (61% overall) was greater among patients with lower disease complexity ( p =0.04) and a history of ≥2 cardiac surgeries ( p =0.01); disease complexity remained significant in a multivariable model. Conclusions As a group, ACHD patients value the opportunity for ACP discussions and prefer earlier communication. Although some clinicians might avoid ACP discussions in patients who are generally more anxious or have less complex CHD, such avoidance does not appear to be warranted.
Impact of environmental factors on alloimmunity and transplant fate

Although gene-environment interactions have been investigated for many years to understand people's susceptibility to autoimmune diseases or cancer, a role for environmental factors in modulating alloimmune responses and transplant outcomes is only now beginning to emerge. New data suggest that diet, hyperlipidemia, pollutants, commensal microbes, and pathogenic infections can all affect T cell activation, differentiation, and the kinetics of graft rejection. These observations reveal opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions to improve graft outcomes as well as for noninvasive biomarker discovery to predict or diagnose graft deterioration before it becomes irreversible. In this Review, we will focus on the impact of these environmental factors on immune function and, when known, on alloimmune function, as well as on transplant fate.
Establishment phase productivity of loblolly pine and switchgrass when grown across a gradient of cultural treatment and site productivity.

Abstract A three-year field study was established to evaluate the production potential of an intercropping system of loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) and switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) in the southeastern United States. Tree-grass competitive interactions are expected to negatively affect overall productivity within this system, but a better understanding of these relationships will aid in developing cultural practices to mitigate competitive effects. We hypothesized that interspecific competitive interactions would decrease the productivity of both species within this system. We also hypothesized that productivity declines, due to interspecific competition, could be mitigated through management. We established loblolly pine and switchgrass intercropping systems at varying rates of competitive intensity initiated by cultural practices (pine only, switchgrass only, pine planted directly into switchgrass, pine planted into a 1.2 m vegetation removal zone, and pine planted into a 2.4 m vegetation removal zone) at two sites in northeastern Mississippi. Over the study duration, we observed decreased production in loblolly pine due to switchgrass competition. However, the establishment of 1.2 or 2.4 m vegetation removal zones surrounding pine seedlings allowed for tree growth equal to or greater than the pine only control at both sites. Likewise, intercropped switchgrass production was equal to or greater than the switchgrass only treatment by year 3 due to an apparent edge effect occurring at the tree-grass interface. Our results demonstrate that cultural practices intended to reduce interspecific competition were effective in mitigating productivity declines of intercropped loblolly pine while preserving or increasing switchgrass productivity. The dual-species productivity gains observed in this study advocate the loblolly pine-switchgrass intercropping system as a possible alternative to switchgrass monoculture. This study only examined production dynamics during the initial three growing years of this system and further research is needed to elucidate productivity patterns throughout the rotation.
Consistent underestimation bias, the asymmetrical loss function, and homogeneous sources of bias in state revenue forecasts

One component of revenue forecast error has been attributed to the phenomena of consistent underestimation bias due asymmetrical loss. Because underestimation of revenue forecast results in less loss to forecasters than overestimations, there appears to be a bias for forecasters to underestimate revenue forecasts. This paper confirms this hypothesis. Additionally, with the greater usage of national forecasting organizations that provide economic forecasts on which revenue forecasts are based, a secondary source of forecaster bias may be present in many state level forecasts. This hypothesis is supported by the increase in number of states using such organizations and a decrease in the standard deviation of the annual mean percentage state forecast error.
Repeat ablation or medical management alone for recurrent arrhythmias after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION Management of persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF) remains challenging, and many patients are left on medical therapy after a failed first ablation. In patients with recurrent symptomatic arrhythmias after PersAF ablation, we aimed to compare outcomes of repeat ablation and medical therapy versus medical therapy alone. METHODS AND RESULTS All 682 consecutive patients with recurrent symptomatic arrhythmia after a first ablation for PersAF at our institution (2005-2012) were included. Repeat ablation with continuation of medical therapy was performed in 364 patients (Group 1) and 318 were only medically managed (Group 2). The outcome of interest was freedom from arrhythmia recurrence beyond a 3-month blanking period. Separate analyses were performed to assess this endpoint totally off antiarrhythmics (primary endpoint) or alternatively with/without use of antiarrhythmics (secondary endpoint). Over a median follow-up of 26 months, 41.5% of Group 1 patients met the primary endpoint and remained free from arrhythmia recurrence off antiarrhythmics (vs. 14.5% in Group 2, P < 0.0001). At last follow-up, antiarrhythmics continued to be required for rhythm control in 40.1% and 46.2% of patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.0001). The secondary endpoint was met in 60.2% versus 32.1% of patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.0001). In multivariable Cox analyses, repeat ablation was associated with significant reduction in arrhythmia recurrences compared to medical therapy alone (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35-0.65, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION In patients with recurrent symptomatic arrhythmia after ablation of PersAF, repeat ablation was associated with significant reduction in arrhythmia recurrences compared to routine medical therapy alone.
Interventions That Support or Involve Caregivers or Families of Patients with Traumatic Injury: a Systematic Review.

Almost 40 million family caregivers care for a loved one with severe physical or cognitive impairments. The purpose of this review is to summarize evidence about the benefits of interventions to support or involve family members/caregivers of patients with trauma-related injury on caregiver, patient, and household outcomes. English-language peer-reviewed publications in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO from 1995 through December 2016 were identified. Eligible studies included RCT or quasi-experimental studies evaluating interventions designed to support or involve caregivers or family members of patients with TBI, PTSD, or polytrauma. Abstractions were completed by one reviewer and checked by a second; two reviewers independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Review Criteria. Thirteen studies (n = 9 TBI; n = 4 PTSD, n = 0 polytrauma) evaluated psychological or rehabilitation interventions involving caregivers. Interventions did not improve TBI patients’ functional status (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.29 [95% confidence interval [CI], − 0.51 to 1.08]) or psychological symptoms (SMD − 0.25, CI − 0.62 to 0.12). Qualitative analysis shows potential intervention benefit for TBI symptoms. Interventions did not improve TBI caregiver psychological symptoms (SMD − 0.26, CI − 0.57 to 0.05); however, qualitative analysis suggests mixed effects for caregiver burden and quality of life. Positive intervention effects on patients’ PTSD symptoms, mental health service use, and PTSD caregivers’ psychological symptoms were identified with certain interventions. Strength of evidence ranged from moderate to very low. Studies showed mixed patterns of intervention effects on caregiver and patient outcomes; evidence about intervention impact is inconclusive. This review is the first to identify caregiving interventions for patients with TBI and polytrauma and extends past reviews about patients with PTSD. Limitations include a small evidence base, low study quality, disparate methods, varied outcome measures, and high heterogeneity. PROSPERO Registration CRD42017053516.
Redox Potential: Differential Roles in dCRY and mCRY1 Functions

Abstract Cryptochromes (CRYs) are flavoproteins important for the molecular clocks of animals [1]. The Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) is a circadian photoreceptor [2–5], whereas mouse cryptochromes (mCRY1 and mCRY2) are essential negative elements of circadian clock transcriptional feedback loops [6–9]. It has been proposed that reduction/oxidation (redox) reactions are important for dCRY light responsiveness [10] and mCRY1 transcriptional inhibition [11–13]. We therefore evaluated the role of redox in light-dependent activation of dCRY and in mCRY1 transcriptional inhibition in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells. Using site-directed mutagenesis, three of the four conserved flavin binding residues in dCRY were found to be essential for light responses, whereas three of the four corresponding residues in mCRY1 did not abolish transcriptional responses. Two tryptophan residues in dCRY are critical for its function and are likely involved in an intramolecular redox reaction. The corresponding tryptophan residues do not play a redox-mediated role in mCRY1 function. The data provide a multistep redox model for the light-dependent activities of dCRY and suggest that such a model does not apply to mCRY1 transcriptional responses.
Psychoanalysis and Diplomacy: Part I. Individual and Large Group Identity

Starting with Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysts have written on a variety of topics relating to the diplomatic and political realms; but thus far their contributions primarily have been theoretical in nature, and have offered little of practical use to most diplomats and politicians. Various psychoanalytic theories have been applied, resulting in diverse conceptualizations: Wars are inevitable because of our inherent aggressive drives; a nation-state serves a maternal function for its members; certain large groups exhibit behaviors similar to those of adolescents. Yet these ideas do not significantly help us understand day-to-day events around the world, practical political issues, or international relations and diplomatic decisions.
Lithiation-Based and Magnesation-Based Strategies for the Functionalization of Imidazole: 2001–2010

A review of lithiation-based and magnesation-based strategies for the functionalization of imidazole reported from 2001 to 2010.
Information Management and Use of Taxir in Herbaria

TAXIR (TAXonomic Information Retrieval) is the acronym for a computer-oriented information retrieval system designed to be used in taxonomic work of all types. The system is modelled on efficient working procedures already established in the discipline of taxonomy, employing concepts familiar to most taxonomists. It is a generalized system, useful for any type of data or description of either specimens or taxa. The TAXIR system may be used by the herbarium for efficient record-keeping on loans and accessions, etc., and may also be used by individual taxonomists in the herbaria for the purpose of recording all types of classificatory information used in taxonomic work. It is thus a general-purpose system.
Process Evaluation of a Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Intervention in an Urban School District.

Abstract Objective To conduct a comprehensive process evaluation of a policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change intervention. Design Quasi-experimental, mixed methods. Setting Low-income urban school district. Participants Fifth-grade students in 4 schools assigned to 2 intervention and 2 comparison schools (intervention, n = 142; comparison, n = 170). Intervention Both groups received a nutrition curriculum delivered by classroom teachers. Intervention schools also received 10 PSE lessons taught by paraprofessional educators. Main Outcome Measures Quantitative data were obtained from fidelity and observation checklists, grading rubrics and self-reported student surveys. Focus group and interviews provided qualitative data. Quantitative measures included assessments of PSE and fruit and vegetable knowledge, as well as assessment of times fruits and vegetables (FV) were consumed yesterday. Analyses Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of co-variance. Results Fidelity, dose, reach, and acceptance of PSE intervention were high; students felt more empowered, although PSE lessons were considered lengthy and complicated. Intervention PSE and FV knowledge scores were significantly higher than comparison scores (F37.56, P Conclusions and Implications Policy, systems, and environmental classroom interventions commented on the differences between quantitative and qualitative assessments, and this suggests the need for more sensitive quantitative assessments. Future research should look at long-term outcomes as this study only looked at short-term outcomes.
Preliminary experience with point-of-care EEG in post-cardiac arrest patients

Abstract Objective Abnormal electroencephalography (EEG) patterns are common after resuscitation from cardiac arrest and have clinical and prognostic importance. Bedside continuous EEGs are not available in many institutions. We tested the feasibility of using a point-of-care system for EEG acquisition. Methods We prospectively enrolled a convenience sample of post-cardiac arrest patients between 9/2015–1/2017. Upon hospital arrival, a limited EEG montage was applied. We tested both continuous EEG (cEEG) and this point-of-care EEG (eEEG). A board-certified epileptologist and a board-certified neurointensivist jointly reviewed all EEGs. Cohen’s kappa coefficient evaluated agreement between eEEG and cEEG and Fisher’s exact test evaluated their associations with survival to hospital discharge and proximate cause of death. Results We studied 95 comatose post-cardiac arrest patients. Mean age was 59 (SD17) years. Most (61%) were male, few (N = 22; 23%) demonstrated shockable rhythms, and PCAC IV illness severity was present in 58 (61%). eEEG was interpretable in 57 (60%) subjects. The most common eEEG interpretations were: continuous (21%), generalized suppression (14%), burst-suppression (12%) and burst-suppression with identical bursts (10%). Seizures were detected in 2 eEEG subjects (2%). No patient with seizure or burst-suppression with identical bursts survived. cEEG demonstrated generalized suppression (31%), burst-suppression with identical bursts (27%), continuous (18%) and seizure (4%). The eEEG and cEEG demonstrated fair agreement (kappa = 0.27). Neither eEEG nor cEEG was associated with survival (p = 0.19; p = 0.11) or proximate cause of death (p = 0.14; p = 0.8) Conclusions eEEG is feasible, although artifact often precludes interpretation. eEEG is fairly associated with cEEG and may facilitate post-cardiac arrest care.
Burn injury is associated with an infiltration of the wound site with myeloid-derived suppressor cells

Abstract Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been identified in the burn wound, however their characterization is incomplete. To study this, mice were subjected to a major burn and skin cells were isolated 3 days thereafter for analysis. Significant infiltration of the burn wound with MDSCs was observed as compared with uninjured skin. The skin of naive mice did not contain MDSCs. Characterization of the cells showed that 33% of MDSCs in the wound were monocytic (M)-MDSCs, which was significantly less than that found in uninjured skin (52%). In contrast, polymorphonuclear (PMN)-MDSCs were greater in the burn wound as compared with uninjured skin. Burn wound TLR expression by both MDSCs subsets was decreased as compared with uninjured skin. Wound MDSCs produced pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and iNOS was present in both MDSC subsets, whereas ARG1 was only present in M-MDSCs. In conclusion, both M- and PMN-MDSCs infiltrate burn wound with after injury, however, they displayed decreased TLR expression, suggesting receptor down-regulation.
T Cells Involved in Inductive Events in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the involvement of T cells in inductive events in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes mellitus. In a normal immune response, a complex of processed peptide presented in physical association with products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is recognized by the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice spontaneously develop an autoimmune form of diabetes with many characteristics in common with human IDDM. In a study described in the chapter, it was demonstrated that CD4+ helper/inducer lymphocytes are required for the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. In adoptive transfer experiments, other investigators have demonstrated that both CD4+ and CD8+ (effector) T cells are necessary for β islet cell destruction. The hypothesis is that a relatively restricted set of TCR expressed on CD4+ cells is responsible for initiating effector mechanisms that cause β-cell dysfunction in IDDM. This suggestion is akin to the interpretation of data obtained in a model of demyelinating disease, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. In EAE, mice of susceptible MHC haplotype develop a demyelinating disease when immunized with certain antigenic fragments of myelin basic protein (MBP). Following isolation of antigen-specific T-cell clones from such mice, it was demonstrated in the study that the clones capable of transferring disease to naive animals all expressed T-cell receptors.
An Outline of the Fourier Transformation as Integration with Respect to a Vector Measure

We present a unified theory of the p,p′ Fourier transformation Fp,p′, over any locally compact abelian group Γ for p ∈ [1,2], p′ := p/(p-1), based on (proper) Lebesgue integration with respect to a vector measure. This generalizes the case p = 2 settled in 1969, [8]. It transpires that for p ∈ (1,2), Lp (Γ) is only a proper subset of the domain of F p,p′.