cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Expansile Petrous Apex Mass.

A young, previously healthy girl presented with a 10-day history of progressive, leftsided facial palsy accompanied by ipsilateral hearing loss and decreased facial sensation. Shehadnotexperiencedheadaches,disequilibrium,or tinnitus.Shehadnohistoryof trauma, and therewas no response to steroids. Findings from a physical examinationwere notable for leftHouse-Brackmanngrade III/VI facial palsy, hypoesthesia in left trigeminal nervedistribution, andno left audiologic responses toboneor air stimuli. A non–contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) scan showeda left petrous apexexpansile lesion involving the internal auditory canal (Figure, A). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a wellcircumscribed lesion (Figure, B) extending into the fundus of the internal auditory canal (Figure, C). There was a fluid-fluid level in the lesion (Figure, B), consistent with presence of blood products. The displaced adjacent cranial nerve V (Figure, C) extended along the surface of the lesion. After the administration of an intravenous contrast agent, there was a nodular focus of enhancement at the anterior aspect of the lesion (Figure, D) and linear areasofenhancementat theperipheryandof internal septations (Figure,D). The lesionwas completely excisedvia amiddle fossa craniotomy.Postoperatively, thepatient regained full function of all cranial nerve deficits, including the hearing loss. Bone window, axial view A
Experimental Protein and Energy Deficiencies in the Rat

Young male rats (100-130 g) were fed diets of equal energy content containing o.5, 1,2,3,5, and 18% lactalbumin consumed either freely or in restricted amounts. The rats receiving low protein diets failed to grow and mature. Those consuming the 0.5 and1% protein diets given freely developed the characteristic features of kwashiorkor including edema, while those receiving the diets in restricted amounts developed the characteristic features of marasmus. The rats fed low protein diets had low plasma levels of essential amino acids; however, the lysine level was well maintained. The plasma levels of nonessential amino acids, especially glycine, alanine, and aspartic and glutamic acids were raised in marasmic rats but were reduced in rats fed low protein diets ad libitum. Young and severly malnourished rats appeared to have limited ability to synthesize urea. Therefore, they excreted more ammonia and other nitrogenous substances such as ethanolamine, and when given an amino acid load, intermediary metabolites of the ingested amino acids. Rats fed low protein diets showed diminution of total liver DNA, RNA, and protein. In addition to the reduction of protein synthesis resulting from decreased cellular RNA, ribosomes from the livers of protein-deficient rats had reduced ability to synthesize proteins. This defect was associated with the detatchment of the ribosomes from endoplasmic reticulum membrane and the elevation of the proportion of monosomes to polyribosomes. Malnutrition did not produce any change in the turnover rate of liver RNA. Protein deficiency caused significant depression of serum insulin, thyroxine, and corticosterone levels. Theoverall conclusion is that mammalian metabolism is well adapted to dietary intake and that this adaptation is achieved through dietary control of synthesis and release of key metabolic hormones.
The great antecedent cracking

The Greater Rhineland regional economy, which flourished against the backdrop of a Hundred Years War opposing the dynastic monarchs of France and England, fell victim, in the seventeenth century, to a hundred years war of its own. War erupted in 1619 and persisted with little respite until 1714, leaving the region in ruins and its economy durably depressed. Although the towns of Switzerland, at the source of the Rhine, and the towns of the Netherlands, at the mouth of the Rhine, negotiated their transition from urban league to sovereign state, the violence marginalized Flanders and the towns of the middle Rhineland, from Freiburg to Liege, and Antwerp to Frankfurt. Religious conflict subverted the ontopology of empire. Christianitas , as a geographical term, awakened suspicion. “Europe” was redefined as a territorial home to sovereign princes. Rhineland frontier mythology reemerged, relegating Europe's core regional economy to the edges of a “nation-state” system that we still inhabit, and that European Union seeks to reform or transcend. The Greater Rhineland and the Reformation The Hansa, in fact if not by law, disaggregated in the fifteenth century, a victim of class struggle, conflict with the dukes of Burgundy, Dutch competition, and new trade patterns arising from European maritime expansion. The wars with Burgundy left Cologne deeply in debt. The expansion (through dynastic inheritance and marriage) of the duchy of Cleves threatened Trier's autonomy. Mainz anxiously observed the growing power of the Elector Count Palatine who ruled from Heidelberg.
Applying information-theoretic measures to computation and communication in neural ensembles

The novel methods used to develop brain machine interfaces (BMIs) present systems neuroscientists with the opportunity to now ask fundamentally new types of questions. This paradigm shift has been driven by three key developments. First, it is now possible to perform simultaneous, massively parallel recording of brain signals from microelectrode arrays chronically implanted in multiple brain areas over several months. Second, advances in computing power enables sophisticated, real-time signal processing to be performed on these large data sets. Third, recent theoretical advances clarify how the mutual information between individual neurons or between distinct neuronal populations could play a key role in neural coding. We contend these advances present a high-leverage opportunity to accelerate understanding of neuronal computation and communication.
RISK SCORE MODEL FOR PREDICTING OCCURRENCE OF COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION

Background: Individual predictors of complications associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have been documented. The prognostic impact of their coexistence has not been explored. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample database was utilized to identify 106,105 patients who underwent AF
Correlation or Causation?: The Sorry State of Inference in Empirical Modeling

For decades, statistical methods, many based upon the “general linear model,” have been used to do estimation and test hypotheses in the social and natural sciences, in medicine, and in the private sector. These tools have become increasingly sophisticated and are often paired with powerful open source data analytic software. We now regularly see mathematical/statistical output combined with data visualizations that are truly mind-boggling and, once in a while, thought provoking. But an increasing number of papers and studies appear to have little statistical validity, in which the line between causality and correlation is often non-existent. This is a danger sign not only in science and medicine but also to companies who unwittingly rely on such results for forecasting and business strategy. Could it be true that researchers and analysts who learn ever more powerful analytical methods lack even a basic understanding of the limitations of these methods? The purpose of this short, non-technical paper, which relies heavily upon examples, is to shed some light on the underlying statistical issues. The ideas here are certainly not original with us and have been raised for a number of years across multiple disciplines.
Late-Life Second Language Acquisition: Cognitive and Psycholinguistic Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities

This chapter introduces current literature on language acquisition and emphasizes the key factors scholars have identified as critical for later life second language development. In this chapter, conventional approaches in linguistics are examined for their work on the relationship between aging and language learning. Of particular interest to these traditional approaches is the role of cognition in the development of language. We emphasize, however, the call by social linguists who study how “safe” encounters mediate pressures experienced during second-language socialization and empower older immigrants in their cross-cultural engagements.
Abstract T P83: Strain Differences In Leptomeningeal Collateral Flow Dynamics Correlate With Differences In Stroke Outcome

Introduction: Emerging evidences suggest that the collateral circulation plays a key role in the risk of stroke and the severity of infarction. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the brain collateral circulation in acute phase of stroke and outcome in two inbred mouse strains that differ markedly in anatomical collateralization. Methods: Male C57BL/6 and Balb/C mice were subjected to permanent unilateral common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO) or temporary distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAo). Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed by laser doppler flowmetry. In vivo imaging of collateral blood flow and flow velocity was evaluated by doppler optical coherence tomography (DOCT). Infarct size and motor function was assessed at 24 hours and 1 week after dMCAo, respectively. DiI-labeling was used to reveal anastomoses and to determine vessel diameter. Results: The diameters of the ICA and ACA on the ischemic side in both strains markedly decreased at 24 hours after CCAO but recovered at 7 days, although the diameters of ICA, MCA and ACA are larger in the Balb/C compared to the C57BL/6 strain before and after CCAO. Balb/C mice exhibited significantly less leptomeningeal connecting collateral arteries compared to C57BL/6 (0.6±0.3 vs 11.3±0.4, p Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that anatomical insufficiency of the leptomeningeal collateralization is associated with an impaired collateral flow dynamics, resulting in reduced rCBF during the acute phase of MCA stroke, which might in part, contribute to the larger infarction observed in the Balb/C strain.
Villon’s Dreams of the Courtly

Francois Villon’s Lais (1456) and Testament (1461) exemplify the antithesis of the courtly as epitomized by the first part of the Romance of the Rose and redefined and refined by, among others, Machaut, Deschamps, Chartier, and Villon’s contemporaries Froissart, Charles d’Orleans, and Rene d’Anjou. Against this tradition, Villon plays a role not unlike that of Jean de Meung, whom he reads, cites, and, as I suggest in “Villon’s Dreams of the Courtly”, uses as a model, with respect to Guillaume de Lorris. Villon reviles poetic love, which his earlier predecessors called fin’amors, and those, himself first and foremost, who attempt to practice it. Like the Rose’s Lover transformed by Jean de Meung, he works through its perverse pretentions to discover a more rational “natural love.” He also scorns noble companionship. Instead of friendship and amors, he celebrates criminality and whoredom. Yet, as he renounces such courtly values, he proves himself as well to be a poet of the court. Among the Poesies diverses are a number of conventionally courtly texts that are specifically written in or for a noble court. Three (or four) are holographs found only in the personal manuscript of Charles d’Orleans: the macaronic “Ballade franco-latine” (no. 6), the “Ballade du concours de Blois” (no. 7), and the “Epitre a Marie d’Orleans” (no. 8), which contains an apparently extraneous double ballade. These texts, which are not expressly intended for publication, are written in a high courtly register. The “Requeste au prince” (no. 10), which may have been addressed either to Charles d’Orleans or to Jean II de Bourbon, circulated outside the court of its destinataire; here, the poet’s urgent plea for money has an ironic tone that sets it apart from those in the first group. These “courtly” texts and, no doubt, others among the Poesies diverses that resemble them, were probably composed during the period of Villon’s exile from Paris between Christmas 1456 and Eastertide 1461. Villon, the impoverished vagabond son of Paris, knows how to address princes in the language of the court. Both the Lais and the Testament, which “embrace” the courtly texts chronologically, are indelibly marked as anti-courtly, yet they also manifest a nostalgia for the courtly. The Francois of the Testament has continuously fallen into the “tres amoureuse prison” from which he flees in the Lais (15), and he cannot refrain from reliving his old experiences, even as he vows to have grown beyond them: the theme persists at least through the “Ballade a s’amie” (Testament, 942–69), which harks back to the very beginning of the Lais (41–56). On another level, the “Ballade pour Robert d’Estouteville” (Testament, 1378–1405) expresses an idealized fusion of poetic, natural, and marital love, to which Francois cannot aspire for himself (1372–1373) because, he says, Robert, the “seigneur qui sert saint Christofle” (1369), won his wife in a tournament hosted by Rene d’Anjou twenty-five years earlier in a world Francois can only dream about.
Partial classification using association rules

Many real-life problems require a partial classification of the data. We use the term "partial classification" to describe the discovery of models that show characteristics of the data classes, but may not cover all classes and all examples of any given class. Complete classification may be infeasible or undesirable when there are a very large number of class attributes, most attributes values are missing, or the class distribution is highly skewed and the user is interested in understanding the low-frequency class. We show how association rules can be used for partial classification in such domains, and present two case studies: reducing telecommunications order failures and detecting redundant medical tests.
Anti-GD2 immunotherapy in adults with high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB): The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) experience.

10550Background: The diagnosis of NB in adulthood is rare and little is known about its biology and clinical course. There is no established therapy for adult NB. Anti-GD2 immunotherapy is now stan...
Microwave Interactions with Intense Laser Produced Air-Plasmas

Ongoing NRL experiments have revealed long-lived $( \sim 20$ microseconds), efficient microwave reflection from a laser generated plasma region in air. This phenomenon is distinct from the short-lived response $( \sim 10$ ns) typical for laser produced air plasma filaments and represents a thousand-fold increase in the duration of the influence of the plasma region. We believe that the cause of the long-lived reflection is a hightemperature, low-density cavitation region created from dynamic expansion of the laser plasma region. The reduced recombination times in this region allow a sufficiently high plasma density $( > 10 \wedge 13$ cm-3) to persist for much longer timescales. Low power microwave scattering experiments with a Ka-band source will be presented. Results simulating this interaction using an in-house hydrodynamic code (SPARC) that are then fed into an electromagnetic scattering simulations will be discussed. Lastly, we will present preliminary results from recent high power experiments using a 5 MW, X-band Magnicon source.
Behavioral Economics of Multiperiod Insurance Purchasing Behavior: The Role of Emotions

Consumers face many risky situations that can severely impact their wealth or health from one year to the next. People sometimes behave in inconsistent ways in such settings; many individuals faced with these risks do not consider purchasing insurance until after suffering a loss, but then they may cancel their policy a few years later if they have not had a claim (Kunreuther, Pauly, and McMorrow 2013). Our interest is in why a consumer, having decided whether or not to purchase insurance for a particular year, might change that decision over time â€“ even if the personâ€™s risk and insurance premium remain exactly the same every year in the future. In some circumstances (fire insurance, life insurance), many people renew their policies year after year in ways consistent with relevant tradeoffs that consider the likelihood and consequences of a particular risk in relation to the cost of the insurance. If these individuals make decisions systematically, they should not change their insurance decision over time if the probability, the premiums, and the consequences from the risk remain the same from year to year. However, we find that a significant number of people are swayed by their emotions and past experiences when making their future insurance decisions. This behavior is particularly common for risks that are classified as low-probability, high-consequence (LP-HC) events. Because consumersâ€™ knowledge is incomplete, ambiguous, and biased by recent experience, they may rely on their intuition to decide whether to buy, keep, drop, or change the extent of their insurance coverage. Potential buyers may not face an identical set of circumstances year after year. Loss probabilities may change over time (for example, due to global warming, build-up of earthquake stresses, or onset of a chronic health condition). Buyers may be confused about whether experiencing a major loss tells them something about future probabilities, even if they are explicitly informed as to the potential damage from a future low probability event. Having suffered a personal loss may affect how the person feels about next yearâ€™s coverage. The interplay between changing expectations about next periodâ€™s risk and willingness to buy insurance can, in theory and in practice, affect buyer behavior in many different ways.
Three Years of Shared Service HIV Nucleic Acid Testing for Public Health Laboratories: Worthwhile for HIV-1 but Not for HIV-2.

Background In 2016, HIV-2 nucleic acid testing (NAT) was added to a shared service program that conducts HIV-1 NAT for public health laboratories performing the recommended algorithm for diagnosing HIV. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of HIV-2 NAT in this program as compared with HIV-1 NAT. Methods Specimens eligible for HIV-1 NAT were reactive on an HIV-1/2 antibody or antigen/antibody initial test and nonreactive or indeterminate on a supplemental antibody test or were reactive for HIV-1 antigen-only on an HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody initial test. Specimens eligible for HIV-2 NAT were reactive on an initial test, HIV-2 indeterminate or HIV indeterminate on a supplemental antibody test and had no detectable HIV-1 RNA or were reactive for HIV-2 antibody on an HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody test, and this reactivity was not confirmed with a supplemental antibody assay. All specimens were tested in a reference laboratory using APTIMA HIV-1 qualitative RNA and/or a validated qualitative HIV-2 RNA real-time PCR assay. Results During 2016 to 2019, HIV-1 RNA was detected in 234 (14%) of 1731 specimens tested. HIV-2 RNA was not detected in 52 specimens tested. Median time from specimen collection to reporting of HIV-1 and HIV-2 NAT results by year ranged from 9 to 10 days and from 22 to 27 days, respectively. Two specimens with HIV-2 indeterminate results on a supplemental antibody test had detectable HIV-1 RNA. Conclusions A shared service model for HIV-1 NAT is both feasible and beneficial for public health laboratories. However, because no HIV-2 infections were detected, our data suggest that this program should reconsider the usefulness of HIV-2 NAT testing.
Inter-and Intra-annual Surface Velocity Variations at the Southern Grounding Line of Amery Ice Shelf from 2014 to 2018

Abstract. The ice flow rate through the grounding line of the Amery Ice Shelf (AIS) is vital to understanding the mass discharge received from its three primary tributary glaciers. Previous studies have indicated a stable multiyear average surface velocity distribution in the convergence area of AIS. However, the surface velocity variations, especially short-term fluctuations, in the AIS have been relatively undocumented. This study investigated inter-annual and intra-annual surface velocity variations along the southern segment of AIS grounding line from 2014 to 2018. Using feature tracking to derive surface velocity for five consecutive austral summers and winters, it was found that AIS’s upstream end has experienced a steady ~ 5 % inter-annual increase in surface velocity. Surface velocity increases were observed in 2014/2015 (0.25 ± 0.02 m/d) and in 2017/2018 (0.21 ± 0.02 m/d) respectively. Surface velocities in winters were lower than the summers except for 2016, which had a 0.12 m/d surface velocity decrease from winter to summer. Although flowing slower than the other two glaciers, Fisher Glacier exhibited the highest inter-annual increase (8.56 ± 4.36 %) and the largest intra-annual variation (−5.41 ± 5.65 %) in surface velocity of the three studied glaciers. While the surface velocity observed in 2018 was generally close to the observed velocity in 1989, the magnitude of velocity variations observed during the 2014–2018 period is similar to the differences in velocities measured at the grounding line since 1989. This indicates continued relative stability in the surface velocities at the grounding line of these three tributary glaciers but also indicates that caution should be applied when interpreting long-term differences based on a limited number of measurements. This study demonstrated the capability of feature tracking to monitor the multidecadal changes of surface velocity.
A new sequential treatment strategy for multiple colorectal liver metastases: Planned incomplete resection and postoperative completion ablation for intentionally-untreated tumors under guidance of cross-sectional imaging.

Abstract Purpose We retrospectively evaluated outcomes of a new sequential treatment strategy for patients with multiple colorectal liver metastases (CLM): planned incomplete resection and postoperative percutaneous completion ablation for intentionally-untreated lesions under cross-sectional imaging guidance. Methods Patients with CLM who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy and ablation during 2007–2018 were analyzed. Complications, local tumor progression (LTP) rates at ablation site(s), and overall survival (OS) estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method were compared between patients who underwent CLM resection and postoperative percutaneous ablation for intentionally-untreated lesions (completion ablation) and patients who underwent CLM resection and concomitant intraoperative CLM ablation under ultrasound guidance. Results Number and largest diameter of CLM and liver resection complexity did not differ significantly between the completion ablation (n = 23) and intraoperative ablation (n = 92) groups. Microwave (versus radiofrequency) ablation was used more frequently in the completion ablation group than in the intraoperative ablation group (61% [14/23] vs. 6% [6/92], P = 0.001). The complication rate after hepatectomy and ablation was significantly lower in the completion ablation group (21% [5/23] versus 48% [44/92], P = 0.033). No death was observed in either group. The 5-year LTP cumulative incidence was significantly lower in the completion ablation group (31.7% versus 62.4%, P = 0.030). The 5-year OS rate did not differ significantly between groups (53%, completion ablation; 42%, intraoperative ablation; P = 0.407). Conclusions Resection and postoperative percutaneous completion ablation under cross-sectional imaging guidance may be a safe and effective treatment pathway in patients with CLM in whom liver resection alone cannot achieve R0 resection.
Design of novel CV-N variants: Modulation of binding dynamics through distal mutations

We develop a computational approach to identify distal residues that allosterically modulate the dynamics of binding sites by combining dynamic coupling with statistical analysis of co-evolution. Putative mutants of these predicted allosteric sites are subjected to Adaptive BP-Dock docking tool for binding analysis. Here, we apply this method to a small lectin, Cyanovirin-N (CV-N), that selectively binds to dimannose. Our computational method points out mutations on I34, that is 16A away from binding site can modulate binding. Experimental characterization of I34 mutants confirms that I34Y increases affinity towards dimannose, while I34K completely abolish binding. The increased affinity is not due to changes in the binding region, which are conserved in the crystal structure. However, ITC analysis reveals an opposite contribution of TDS (negative in WT, and positive in I34Y) and suggests that modulation of dynamics (i.e., dynamic allostery) is responsible for the change in binding affinity. Our results point to a novel approach to identify and substitute distal sites, guiding the mutational landscape in glycan-binding proteins to improve binding affinity.
Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor With a t(X;18)A Synovial Sarcoma Variant?

○ We describe an ankle tumor arising in a 16-year-old girl. The tumor demonstrated histology typical of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), but exhibited a variant form of the (X;18) translocation associated with synovial sarcoma. Immunohistochemical stains were positive for vimentin, CD57, collagen type IV, and Bcl-2. Routine and molecular cytogenetic studies showed an unbalanced 3-way chromosomal translocation that involved chromosomes X, 18, and 1. Electron microscopic findings were noncontributory. This unusual tumor raises the following questions and possibilities: (1) As the t(X;18) suggests, could this tumor be a monophasic synovial sarcoma with the histologic features of an MPNST? (2) Or, as the histology suggests, is this tumor an MPNST that has a t(X;18)? (3) Finally, could MPNST histology, a t(X;18), and no defining immunohistochemical or electron microscopic features represent an as yet unrecognized part of a spectrum that spans from synovial sarcoma to MPNST or other spindle cell tumors?
Associations of BFR mixtures with ASD risk and SRS scores.

AbstractObjectives: To determine the association between a mixture of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) and both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scor...
Pathogenesis and Treatment of Hypoosmolar and Hyperosmolar States

Under usual conditions, the osmolality of the extracellular fluid (ECF) is maintained within an extremely narrow range. When this range is exceeded, the cells of the body are subject to an injurious influx or efflux of water, which preserves uniform tonicity of all body fluids. Thus, in situations where the osmolality of body fluids is disturbed, the principal pathophysiology is related to the inability of cells to maintain normal volume (and hence structure and function). Of course, each of the somatic cells of the body has some ability to regulate its own volume; when this regulatory ability is exceeded, symptoms referable to hypoosmolality or hyperosmolality appear. Before discussing specific clinical syndromes of deranged plasma tonicity, it is appropriate to review some important aspects of cell volume regulation.
Diffusion of Hydrogen and Deuterium on Ni(111) Over a Wide Range of Temperature: Exploring Quantum Diffusion on Metals

From the decay of a periodic modulation of an adsorbate density at spacing ranging from 0.38 to 16.6 μm, we measured the diffusion of hydrogen (1H) and deuterium (2H) on Ni(111) from 65 to 150 K. In this temperature range, the diffusion rates D(T) of both isotopes are well described by simple Arrhenius functions of temperature. At a surface coverage of θ = 0.3, we find D0(1H) = 6.4 × 10−7 cm2/sec, Ea(1H) = 2.53 kcal/mol, D0(2H) = 7.1 × 10−6 cm2/sec, and Ea(2H) = 3.44 kcal/mol. At θ = 0.06, we find D0(1H) = 5.4 × 10−7 cm2/sec and Ea(1H) = 2.7 kcal/mol. Our analysis suggests that either the diffusion of both isotopes are classical over-barrier hopping with a large anomalous isotope effect in activation energy originated from the quantum mechanical nature of a barrier-crossing near a saddle point, or the diffusion of hydrogen is already an under-barrier tunneling, while that of deuterium remains a classical over-barrier hopping.
Chapter 9 Term structure of interest rates and the pricing of fixed income claims and bonds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how the intertemporal and risk neutral pricing techniques can be applied in the fixed income area. The exposition follows essentially the reverse of the chronological order in which the applications took place. It begins with an explanation of how the risk-neutral approach has been adapted from the options pricing literature. It then turns to the equilibrium bond pricing models that were the focus of research in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Both the risk-neutral and equilibrium approaches are presented under the assumption that term structure movements depend upon only a single factor –the short rate of interest. This factor, and thus movements in bond prices, can then be represented in the tree diagram which is now routinely used in explaining contingent claim pricing methods. Once the arbitrage-free and equilibrium approaches to modeling the term structure have been introduced, questions such as how many factors are needed in practice to adequately describe term structure movements, and the extent to which the equilibrium and risk-neutral approaches incorporate the information in the current term structure, are discussed in the chapter. Some of the issues that arise in fitting the fixed-income models and applying them in the valuation of interest-rate derivatives are addressed.
Revisiting sociotechnical systems in a case of unreported use of health information exchange system in three hospital emergency departments

Background Health information exchange (HIE) allows clinicians to access patient level health care information. HIE can potentially improve patient care in emergency departments. Methods We present a selected piece of evaluation of an HIE implementation in three Midwestern emergency departments. Data were collected through over 210 hours of direct observations and short interviews with 13 clinicians. Results The results suggest that the usage rate of the HIE was low. Moreover, two ways of unreported use of the HIE system by clinicians was uncovered: (1) The HIE system was being used mostly for patients only with specific characteristics. (2) The information from the HIE system could be used to confront with the patients. Discussion This study provides a case of how social system may shape a HIE technology. In order to fully benefit from HIE, understanding organizational and social context during the HIE design and implementation is needed. Such an understanding will also allow us to identify and detail required additional resources and organizational interventions that will complement HIE such as a case management strategy.
Software Engineering Standards

Although not a recognized engineering profession, the discipline called “software engineering” is evolving toward professional acceptance. One element of this evolution is the creation of a body of standards for the responsible practitioners. This article describes those standards. The standards described in this article have been developed by Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) operating on the principles of consensus development. The community of consensus varies, though. For example, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) generally develops its standards by achieving a consensus of technical professionals self-selected from the membership of the organization. On the other hand, international standards are formed by a consensus of “national bodies,” representatives of nations who cast ballots presumably representing national interests. Nearly all of the standards discussed in this article are intended for voluntary adoption; that is, an organization makes its own decision, without coercion, to adopt the standard. (This contrasts with regulatory standards, imposed by processes similar to law, and mandated stadards, such as military standards, required as a precondition of doing business with a dominant customer.) Organizations adopt voluntary standards because they improve their products, or improve the perception of their products in a competitive marketplace. Alternatively, the standards may improve the organization's business processes, allowing them to make their products more cost-effectively. Examples of benefits that standards may provide are given. Keywords: standards; types; standard makers; processes; life cycle; IEEE; EIA; data specification
Solidification analysis of a centrifugal atomizer using the Al-32.7wt.% Cu alloy

A centrifugal atomizer (spinning disk variety) was designed and constructed for the production of spherical metal powders, 100--1,000 microns in diameter in an inert atmosphere. Initial atomization experiments revealed the need for a better understanding of how the liquid metal was atomized and how the liquid droplets solidified. To investigate particle atomization, Ag was atomized in air and the process recorded on high-speed film. To investigate particle solidification, Al-32.7 wt.% Cu was atomized under inert atmosphere and the subsequent particles were examined microscopically to determine solidification structure and rate. This dissertation details the experimental procedures used in producing the Al-Cu eutectic alloy particles, examination of the particle microstructures, and determination of the solidification characteristics (e.g., solidification rate) of various phases. Finally, correlations are proposed between the operation of the centrifugal atomizer and the observed solidification spacings.
Between Hope and Fear: The Psychology of Risk

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the psychology of risk: what risk is (if it is anything at all), how people think about it, what they feel about it, and what they do about it. The chapter describes the way psychologists think about risk: how they study it, what tasks they use, what factors they vary, and what models they build (or borrow) to describe risk-taking behavior. Technically, the word risk refers to situations in which a decision is made whose consequences depend on the outcomes of future events having known probabilities. Psychological studies of risky choice (it is the term used conventionally to refer to all but the most extreme instances of ignorance or ambiguity) fall into two groups. At one extreme are the studies run by mathematically inclined experimental psychologists in which subjects make decisions about gambles described in terms of amounts and probabilities. At the other extreme are studies run by personality psychologists, who are mostly interested in individual differences in risk taking. A theory of risky choice is presented in the chapter that attempts to meld the strengths of both approaches. Empirically and methodologically it is tied to the experimental approach to risky choice. But theoretically it is more strongly tied to motivational approaches.
Oxidative stress increases A1 adenosine receptor expression by activating nuclear factor kappa B.

The A1 adenosine receptor (A1AR) contributes to the cytoprotective action of adenosine under conditions known to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pharmacological manipulation of A1AR expression has been shown to modulate this cytoprotective role. In this study, we provide evidence that ROS generated could increase the expression of the A1AR and thereby offset the detrimental effects of ROS. Incubation of DDT1MF-2 smooth muscle cells with ROS-generating chemotherapeutic agents, such as cisplatin (2.5 μm) or H2O2 (10 μm), elicited an increase in A1AR expression within 24 hr. The induction by H2O2 was reduced by the ROS scavenger catalase but not superoxide dismutase. Inhibition of nuclear factor κB (NFκB) by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (200 μm), dexamethasone (100 nm), or genistein (1 μm) abrogated the cisplatin-mediated increase in A1AR. Cisplatin promoted rapid translocation of NFκB (but not AP-1) to the nucleus, as detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and by Western blotting. A putative NFκB sequence in the A1AR promoter effectively competed with labeled κB probe for binding in nuclear preparations derived from DDT1MF-2 cells. Transient transfection of DDT1MF-2 cells with the A1AR promoter coupled to firefly luciferase reporter gene led to cisplatin-inducible and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate-sensitive luciferase activity, suggesting the presence of functional NFκB binding site(s) in the A1AR promoter sequence. Treatment of cells with (R)-phenylisopropyladenosine (1 μm), an agonist of the A1AR, reduced cisplatin-mediated lipid peroxidation, which was reversed after blockade of the A1AR. These data suggest that ROS can increase the expression of the A1AR by activating NFκB regulatory site(s) on this gene and thereby enhance the cytoprotective role of adenosine.
Big Data for Population-Based Cancer Research The Integrated Cancer Information and Surveillance System

The Integrated Cancer Information and Surveillance System (ICISS) facilitates population-based cancer research by developing extensive information technology systems that can link and manage large data sets. Taking an interdisciplinary “team science” approach, ICISS has developed data, systems, and methods that allow researchers to better leverage the power of big data to improve population health.
Fixed-point implementation of multi-dimensional delta-operator formulated discrete-time systems: difficulties in convergence

The convergence properties of linearly stable multi-dimensional systems are investigated for the case of delta-operator implementations in fixed-point format. It is shown that zero-convergence is almost never achieved, if the sampling time is small. Using a one-dimensional analysis, it is demonstrated that zero-convergence cannot be guaranteed along the axis of the first hyper-quadrant for a first hyper-quadrant causal system. This limits the use of delta-operators for solving partial differential equations in discrete time with fixed-point arithmetic. >
Purification and characterization of dog mastocytoma chymase: identification of an octapeptide conserved in chymotryptic leukocyte proteinases

We isolated and characterized a chymotryptic serine proteinase from dog mastocytomas. Chymotryptic activity extracted at high ionic strength from mastocytomas propagated in nude mice was separated from tryptic activity by gel filtration and rapidly purified by sequential high-performance hydrophobic interaction and cation-exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme had an Mr of 27 000–30 000 by both analytical gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and a single amino-terminal sequence by automated Edman degradation. Like chymases from rat and human mast cells, the mastocytoma enzyme exhibited a high kcat/Km (1.1 · 105 M−1 · s−1) employing succinyl-l-Val-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide, the best of several p-nitroanilide substrates screened. It was inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate and soybean trypsin inhibitor, but not by aprotinin, distinguishing it from the otherwise closely related neutrophil enzyme, cathepsin G. The amino-terminal 25 residues of mastocytoma chymase were found to be 72 and 68% identical to the corresponding sequences of chymases from rat peritoneal and mucosal mast cells, respectively; they were also closely related to human cathepsin G and to proteinase sequences from mouse cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. The mastocytoma chymotryptic enzyme contained an octapeptide sequence which from mouse is common to all chymotryptic leukocyte proteinases sequenced to date from four mammalian species; this feature distinguishes chymases and other chymotryptic leukocyte proteinases from serine proteinases of coagulation and digestion.
English Historical Corpora in the Classroom The Intersection of Teaching and Research

L'A. decrit les applications pedagogiques du corpus linguistique en utilisant les bases de donnees de textes electroniques dans les universites americaines. Les exemples de ces applications sont developpes : 1)enseignement de l'anglais en tant que deuxieme langue, 2)recherche de l'histoire de la langue anglaise, 3)etude de la litterature anglaise dans les differentes periodes, 4)sociolinguistique historique, 5)structure de l'anglais moderne
Thin partitions: isoperimetric inequalities and a sampling algorithm for star shaped bodies

Star-shaped bodies are an important nonconvex generalization of convex bodies (e.g., linear programming with violations). Here we present an efficient algorithm for sampling a given star-shaped body. The complexity of the algorithm grows polynomially in the dimension and inverse polynomi-ally in the fraction of the volume taken up by the kernel of the star-shaped body. The analysis is based on a new isoperimetric inequality. Our main technical contribution is a tool for proving such inequalities when the domain is not convex. As a consequence, we obtain a polynomial algorithm for computing the volume of such a set as well. In contrast, linear optimization over star-shaped sets is NP-hard.
Spatial duopolistic competition with multipurpose and multistop shopping

This paper explores the impact of multipurpose and multistop shopping behavior on spatial competition among retail firms. The problem deals with a duopoly situation on a line segment. It is shown analytically that a unique location-price Nash equilibrium exists. In equilibrium, the locational configuration is dependent upon consumers' propensity for multipurpose shopping.
The cold face test: A non-baroreflex mediated test of cardiac vagal function

Application of cold to the face evokes potent bradycardia and a pressor response, similar to the diving reflex. However, the role of the baroreceptors in this response is unclear. Ten healthy controls and two patients with baroreflex impairment were recruited. A cold face test (CFT) was induced by the application of three cold packs (0.5 degrees C) to the face. Heart rate (ECG), blood pressure (Finapres) and skin temperature (forehead electrode) were recorded continuously. All data were analyzed using unpaired Students t-tests, and expressed as mean +/- SD. In all controls, CFT induced bradycardia. The mean onset latency was 5.6 +/- 4.6 s, and the maximal bradycardia was seen at 35.8 +/- 15.8 s. Systolic blood pressure increased in eight controls, with a mean onset latency of 18.8 +/- 16.6 s and a peak rise at 38.7 +/- 22.7 s. In the controls, bradycardia preceded the pressor response. The heart rate and blood pressure changes during CFT had a longer latency than baroreflex evoked responses. Moreover, one subject had bradycardia despite a fall in blood pressure. The two patients had abnormal Valsalva ratios and no change in heart rate during tilt, indicating impairment of the baroreflex. However, both their heart rate and blood pressure responses to CFT were normal. These data are further evidence of the limited role of the baroreflex in the autonomic responses to CFT. They suggest that the CFT may be of use in assessing the integrity of the efferent cardiovascular autonomic pathways in patients with suspected baroreflex impairment.
State-of-the-Art Best Construction Practices Integration into Higher Education Curricula

AbstractThe integration of best industry practices into construction curricula can be used to advance the knowledge base of construction graduates and better prepare them to effectively respond to industry challenges. Arguably, construction programs in North American colleges and universities are rather slow in the adoption of industry best practices. This study assesses the state-of-the-art best construction practices integration into higher education curricula. Through the analysis of data collected by means of an online questionnaire, major findings regarding the level of academic awareness on best industry practices, and the level of integration of best practices into higher education curricula, are reported. This study makes three fundamental contributions to the body of knowledge. First, it provides factual data about the extent of use of industry best practices in various construction programs. Second, it discovers that graduate courses are a better fit for delivering information on best practices ...
Innate immune reactions stimulated by a lipopolysaccharide-like component of the alga Prototheca (strain 289)

We report on the influence of an LPS-like molecule (aLPS) from the pathogenic alga, Prototheca (strain 289) on insect and murine innate immune reactions. Insect innate reactions to infection include nodule formation, a process of entrapping bacterial cells in aggregates of hemocytes. We recorded eicosanoid-dependent, dose-related nodulation reactions to aLPS in hornworms (Manduca sexta). The insect reaction was attenuated by pre-incubating the aLPS with polymyxin-B. Conversely, the murine macrophages reacted to challenge with Escherichia coli LPS by secreting cytokines, but did not react to aLPS. We infer that, while highly conserved with respect to intracellular mechanisms of interaction, insect and mammalian immune surveillance systems differ in recognition of LPS molecular types.
Quantitative assessment of effects of visual scanning on concurrent task performance

Much of the research in visual scanning has adopted a single task experimental paradigm. The characteristics of visual scanning in multi-task situations are largely unknown. A quantitative assessment of the effects of visual scanning on concurrent task performance was gained from two experiments. Subjects were required to perform a simulated driving task, which involved a primary pursuit tracking task and a discrete response task. The response task was one of simple information acquisition in the first experiment and of complex information integration in the second. The information acquisition task required subjects to search for a spatial or verbal target. The information integration task required them to search for a spatial or verbal target and then make a rule-based decision by integrating the information carried by current and previous targets. The two types of task involved either spatial or verbal material, whose location was displayed with 4 levels of spatial uncertainty. The results of the two experiments which were: 2 (single/dual task) x 2 (spatial/verbal material) x 4 (levels of uncertainty of target location) revealed unique characteristics of visual scanning in multi-task performance. The effects of visual scanning on task performance and subjective workload were more pronounced in the dual task conditions than in the single. Increases in scanning demand produced greater interference with a concurrent spatial task than with a verbal one when the location uncertainty of visual scanning was sufficiently high. Implications for multi-task human-machine interface design are discussed.
Third molars may double the risk of an angle fracture of the mandible

Data sources Medline, Embase and references of relevant articles. Study selection Reports were selected if they were cohort studies reporting mandibular angle fractures in people with and without third molars. Case–control studies and case series that provided information about the proportion of people who had a third molar among the total suffering angle fractures and those without angle fractures were included. Data extraction and synthesis Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from study data and results summarised using Mantel–Haenszel fixed-effects models and DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. Formal heterogeneity tests were also carried out. Results Six studies, all case series and involving 3002 patients with mandibular fractures, met the inclusion criteria (see Table 1). Crude relative risk estimates for an angle fracture, comparing patients with a third molar with those without, ranged from 1.2 to 12.7. There was significant heterogeneity across the six studies (P=0.001), but when two less methodologically rigorous studies were excluded this was no longer the case (P=0.22). Conclusions The presence of a lower third molar may double the risk of an angle fracture of the mandible. This could have a bearing on any clinical decision on whether to extract the molar.