cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Integrated Rural Health Networks

In an era of constraints on public and private sector health care budgets, organizational restructuring of hospital and physician practice, and the shifting of financial risk to patients and providers, rural health professionals and communities are grappling with the issue of how to assure access to a comprehensive and affordable set of health care services. In recent years, rural health providers have turned to the strategy of developing voluntary network relations as an alternative to system or diversification strategies that entail ownership and management by one entity. A systematic analysis of the cooperative efforts of selected providers results in a proposed definition of integrated rural health networks and highlights critical aspects of their formation and development.
Employment Needs of People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Review of Current Literature and Application to Occupational Therapy Practice

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often diagnosed during a period of life when career exploration and development occurs. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature that has been published from 1996 to 2004 about the employment needs of people with MS in order to build upon Rumrill's (1996a) text and develop a set of treatment priorities for occupational therapists working with this population. The current literature highlights the potential employment challenges and incentives, programmatic barriers, and challenges specific to women with MS. The literature also highlights the changing meaning of work, the importance of coping with these changes, and the scope of needed intervention. Outlined are occupational therapy treatment priorities for people with MS in the performance area of work.
Use of Axially Symmetric Electrostatic Fields for Ion Beam Focussing

The l/r electric field obtained between charged coaxial cylindrical electrodes is useful for focussing hollow ion beams in ion microprobe and ion implantation applications. The focussing strengths are mass independent at nonrelativistic energies. Focussed particle densities can be enhanced by using a diverging-converging pair to flatten the dependence of focal length on incoming beam radius. Transport of 425 keV and 1 MeV protons has been simulated and results are presented.
Capnography enhances surveillance of respiratory events during procedural sedation: a meta-analysis

Study Objective: To determine if capnography, in addition to standard monitoring, identified more respiratory complications than standard monitoring alone. Design: Meta-analysis. Setting: University medical center. Measurements: The electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library (Cochrane Reviews, CENTRAL) were searched for studies published between 1995-2009 reporting adverse respiratory events during procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) with clearly defined end-tidal carbon dioxide threshold, adult population, clear study design, P-value calculation, similar outcome and predictor variable definitions, and binary independent and dependent variable raw data. Five such studies were evaluated independently. A meta-analysis of these studies was performed. Main Results: During PSA, cases of respiratory depression were 17.6 times more likely to be detected if monitored by capnography than cases not monitored by capnography (95% CI, 2.5-122.1; P b 0.004). Conclusion: End-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring is an important addition in detecting respiratory depression during PSA.
Participation in the Performance Appraisal Review: Inflexible Manager Behavior and Variable Worker Needs

A survey of 137 employees provided data on performance appraisal reviews conducted by 38 managers. Participation in the review was influenced more by which manager conducted the review than the circumstances of the specific review. The effect of participation was greater for variables measuring future relationship (potential in the firm and seeking feedback from manager) than immediate decisions (self-evaluation and intention to stay). Reaction to the review was moderated by subordinate experience and prior feedback. The results indicate the importance of understanding the context in which the review occurs and the limited degree to which managers alter their own behavior in the review.
Titin and centronuclear myopathy The tip of the iceberg for TTN-ic mutations?

Congenital myopathies are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders that typically present in infancy with low muscle tone and diffuse muscle weakness.1 They are defined and subdivided by characteristic features observed on muscle biopsy. Once thought to be extremely rare, it is now clear that congenital myopathies are a commonly encountered clinical entity. One recent study approximates the US pediatric prevalence to be 1:20,000.2 Despite increased recognition and improved diagnostics, it is estimated that nearly 50% of affected individuals do not have a genetic diagnosis. The lack of genetic resolution is a major barrier for patients/families, clinicians, and researchers, hindering prognostics, recurrence counseling, expectant care, and treatment development. This diagnostic chasm, however, is now being bridged, owing in large part to the utilization of new DNA sequencing technologies. The application of next-generation sequencing has revolutionized gene discovery,3 and its use for congenital myopathies has identified novel disease genes4 and has uncovered mutations in known disease genes in new and unexpected clinical contexts.5
Self-reported weight gain following smoking cessation: A function of binge eating behavior

Objective This study investigated patterns of self-reported weight gain following smoking cessation among overweight individuals with and without binge eating. Method Participants were 103 overweight (BMI ≥ 25) community volunteers who completed a battery of questionnaires online. Key items queried smoking cessation history and weight gain in the year following cessation. Participants were classified as nonbinge eating overweight (NBO, n = 56) or binge eating disorder (BED, n = 47). Results BED participants were significantly more likely to report weight gain in the year following smoking cessation than NBO participants. After controlling for current BMI, the amount of self-reported weight gain following smoking cessation differed significantly between groups, with the NBO group reporting an average gain of 5.0 kg and the BED group reporting 11.2-kg gain. Discussion Since many individuals resume smoking due to cessation-associated weight gain, these findings highlight the need for targeted interventions for overweight individuals particularly those who also binge eat. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010; 43:572–575
Early Exposure to Dietary Sugar and Salt

Obesity, with its comorbidities such as cardiovascular heart disease (CVD), is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood.1 It probably begins early in life, and as the prevalence continues to rise the diets of young children assume increasing significance. Cogswell et al2 provide useful information on the salt and sugar contents of commercial food products that can be used to improve the diets of young children. Taste preferences for sugar and salt are mostly innate. Sugar and salt contribute to the overall pleasure and enjoyment of food.3,4 Sweet taste receptors respond to all classes of sweet tastants including natural sugars, artificial sweeteners, d-amino acids, and intensely sweet proteins. Pleasure from sweet taste promotes adequate caloric intake for times when food is scarce. Salty taste supports the proper dietary electrolyte balance. This happy relationship becomes a problem when there is a surfeit of food. Competitive food markets take advantage … Address correspondence to Susan S. Baker, MD, PhD, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Center, University at Buffalo, 219 Bryant St, Buffalo, NY 14222. E-mail: sbaker{at}upa.chob.edu
Cold Plasma Inactivation of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax) Spores

Bacillus spores represent one of the most resistant organisms to conventional sterilization methods. This paper is focused on the inactivation of the spores of two Bacillus species, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis, using atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma. Spores treated in liquid or air-dried on a solid surface were effectively inactivated within 1 min of DBD plasma treatment at a discharge power of 0.3 W/cm2. Results of a series of model experiments show that neutral reactive oxygen species and UV radiation play a dominant role in the inactivation of spores. We also show that 45 s of the DBD plasma treatment of air-dried spores placed inside closed plastic or paper envelopes permits up to 7 log reduction of viable spores.
Abortion and premature birth in cattle following vaccination with Brucella abortus strain RB51

Brucella abortus RB51 is the vaccine strain currently licensed for immunizing cattle against brucellosis in the United States. Most cattle are vaccinated as heifer calves at 4-12 months of age. Adult cattle may be vaccinated in selected high-risk situations. Two herds of pregnant adult cattle in the brucellosis-endemic area of Wyoming were vaccinated with a standard label dose (1.0-3.4 × 10(10) organisms) of RB51. Reproductive losses in the vaccinated herds were 5.3% (herd A) and 0.6% (herd B) and included abortions, stillbirths, premature calves, and unbred cows (presumed early abortion). Brucella abortus was cultured from multiple tissues of aborted and premature calves (7/9), and from placenta. Isolates were identified as B. abortus strain RB51 by standard strain typing procedures and a species-specific polymerase chain reaction. Bronchopneumonia with intralesional bacteria and placentitis were observed microscopically. There was no evidence of involvement of other infectious or toxic causes of abortion. Producers, veterinarians, and laboratory staff should be alert to the risk of abortion when pregnant cattle are vaccinated with RB51, to potential human exposure, and to the importance of distinguishing field from vaccinal strains of B. abortus.
Role of pentoxifylline in preventing radiation damage to epiphyseal growth plate chondrocytes

Abstract Pateder, D. B., Sheu, T. J., O'Keefe, R. J., Puzas, J. E., Schwarz, E. M., Constine, L. S., Okunieff, P. and Rosier, R. N. Role of Pentoxifylline in Preventing Radiation Damage to Epiphyseal Growth Plate Chondrocytes. Radiat. Res. 157, 62–68 (2002). Radiation therapy plays an important role as part of multimodality treatment for a number of childhood malignancies. The damaging effects of radiation on bone formation in children have been well documented. Recent work suggests that the postirradiation increase in cytosolic calcium is probably responsible for the deleterious effects of radiation on growth plate chondrocytes because it causes a specific suppression of the mitogen PTHrP. Using an in vitro model of avian growth plate chondrocytes, this study demonstrates that pentoxifylline is effective in increasing basal PTHrP mRNA levels and partially preventing the radiation-induced decrease in PTHrP mRNA. This effect of pentoxifylline is probably due to its ability to lower basal levels of cytosoli...
Kirkwood-Wigner Theorem

This Aside treats quantum corrections to the partition function of a nearly classical system. The argument given here follows very closely the derivation of Kirkwood [1], who showed that the procedure described below may be applied recursively to obtain corrections of arbitrarily high order in Planck’s constant h.From our point of view, the work has two major consequences for the constant C of the canonical-ensemble statistical weight, namely that: (1) the expectation of classical statistical mechanics agrees with the quantum expectation at low order in h; and (2) C is shown from quantum mechanics to contain an extra factor h − 3N , 3N being the number of canonical coordinates (or canonically conjugate momenta) in the system.
Effect of phosphate on U(VI) sorption to montmorillonite: Ternary complexation and precipitation barriers

Abstract Phosphate addition is a potential treatment method to lower the solubility of U(VI) in soil and groundwater systems by causing U(VI) phosphate precipitation as well as enhancing adsorption. Previous work has shown that iron oxide surfaces may facilitate the nucleation of U(VI) phosphate minerals and, that under weakly acidic conditions, phosphate also enhances U(VI) adsorption to such phases. Like iron oxides, clays are important reactive phases in the subsurface but little is known about the interaction of U(VI) and phosphate with these minerals. The effect of aqueous phosphate on U(VI) binding to Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy-2) in air-equilibrated systems was investigated. Equilibrium U(VI) uptake to montmorillonite was determined at pH 4, 6 and 8 at discrete initial phosphate concentrations between 0 and 100 μM. The observed behavior of U(VI) indicates a transition from adsorption to precipitation with increasing total uranium and phosphate concentrations at all pH values. At the highest phosphate concentration examined at each pH value, a barrier to U(VI) phosphate nucleation is observed. At lower concentrations, phosphate has no effect on macroscopic U(VI) adsorption. To assess the mechanisms of U(VI)-phosphate interactions on smectite surfaces, U(VI) speciation was investigated under selected conditions using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Samples above the precipitation threshold display EXAFS and LIFS spectral signatures consistent with the autunite family of U(VI) phosphate minerals. However, at lower U(VI) concentrations, changes in LIFS spectra upon phosphate addition suggest that U(VI)-phosphate ternary surface complexes form on the montmorillonite surface at pH 4 and 6 despite the lack of a macroscopic effect on adsorption. The speciation of solid-associated U(VI) below the precipitation threshold at pH 8 is dominated by U(VI)-carbonate surface complexes. This work reveals that ternary complexation may occur without a macroscopic signature, which is attributed to phosphate not appreciably binding to smectite in the absence of U(VI), with U(VI) surface complexes serving as the sole reactive surface sites for phosphate. This study shows that phosphate does not enhance U(VI) adsorption to smectite clay minerals, unlike oxide phases, and that a barrier to homogeneous nucleation of U(VI) phosphates was not affected by the presence of the smectite surface.
Remote sensing input to geographic information systems

Land planning in the United States is conducted by a bewildering array of federal, state and local officials, with the bulk of the responsibility resting at the local level. This fragmentation of responsibility has led to a multitude of approaches to the planning process with little attendant agreement on what the planning process should even involve. For the purposes of this book, the planning process will be viewed as ideally consisting of several steps. These include: 1. the establishment of long-term goals for the use of land resources; 2. the gathering of information about those resources; 3. the evaluation of alternative strategies for meeting long-term goals; 4. the designing of policies to meet these goals; 5. the adoption and implementation of these policies; 6. the monitoring and continuous reevaluation of these policies as a means of attaining, the long-term goals.
Emerging Tools for Continuous Nutrient Monitoring Networks: Sensors Advancing Science and Water Resources Protection†

Sensors and enabling technologies are becoming increasingly important tools for water quality monitoring and associated water resource management decisions. In particular, nutrient sensors are of interest because of the well-known adverse effects of nutrient enrichment on coastal hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and impacts to human health. Accurate and timely information on nutrient concentrations and loads is integral to strategies designed to minimize risk to humans and manage the underlying drivers of water quality impairment. Using nitrate sensors as the primary example, we highlight the types of applications in freshwater and coastal environments that are likely to benefit from continuous, real-time nutrient data. The concurrent emergence of new tools to integrate, manage, and share large datasets is critical to the successful use of nutrient sensors and has made it possible for the field of continuous monitoring to rapidly move forward. We highlight several near-term opportunities for federal agencies, as well as the broader scientific and management community, that will help accelerate sensor development, build and leverage sites within a national network, and develop open data standards and data management protocols that are key to realizing the benefits of a large-scale, integrated monitoring network. Investing in these opportunities will provide new information to guide management and policies designed to protect and restore our nation's water resources.
Plasma biomarkers in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a work in progress*

In this issue of Critical Care Medicine, Terpstra et al (1) review the current status of plasma biomarkers as they relate to the diagnosis and prognosis of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a common syndrome in the critically ill and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality (2, 3). The underdiagnosis of ARDS (4), underutilization of potentially life-saving therapies (5), and high morbidity and mortality have driven research aimed at discovering diagnostic and prognostic tools that are more objective and accurate than our current bedside assessments (6). Given the changing face of ARDS with a modified definition (7) and evidence of decreasing associated mortality (8), this is an opportune time to summarize the current knowledge of plasma biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of ARDS.
Sexual Behavioral Characteristics and the Knowledge of HIV/AIDS among Men who have Sex with Men in Republic of Korea

Objectives : To investigate the sexual behavioral characteristics and HIV/AIDS knowledge among men who have sex with men(MSM), one of the HIV high risk groups. Methods : A three month survey among individuals who were able to be contacted was carried out over the entire Republic of Korea, between May and August, 2001. 348 individuals completed a self-administered question-naire. The data collected included demographic informa-tion, sexual behavior and AIDS knowledge. Results : Eighty-seven and ninety-two per cent of the 348 MSM were aged 20-39 years and had never been married, respectively. Fifty-five per cent of participants reported at least one sexual contact with women, and a quarter of the MSM surveyed had engaged in high-risk sexual behavior (more than 6 partners) during the previous year. About twenty per cent of the MSM had anal sex as their favorite way of having sex, and seventy-four per cent did not use condoms regularly due to loss of enjoyment, and were more likely to be engaged in risky behaviors. Only ten per cent had a regular HIV test history, and most had obtained knowledge or information on HIV/AIDS through the mass media. Conclusions : A large proportion of the MSM in Korea still remain at an elevated risk for contracting HIV infection. Change in high-risk sexual behaviors will prevent the spread of HIV infection among the MSM population, which requires public health education for preventive interventions, and should be culturally and socially specific in order to be effective.
Principles Underlying Membrane Interaction of Retroviral Structural Protein Gag

Many cellular peripheral proteins bind to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM), and the structural proteins of many enveloped viruses do so as well, such as the retroviral Gag protein. We use the retroviral Gag as a model protein to study the principles governing peripheral protein membrane targeting and binding, including electrostatics, hydrophobic interactions, specific recognition of phospholipid head groups, and protein multimerization. It has been said that retroviruses bud from “rafts”, but little evidence directly supports this model. To discriminate whether the primary driving force for Gag membrane binding is electrostatic or preference for membrane order, we tested the membrane-binding properties of Gag in parallel with those of the MARCKS peptide and a series of electrostatic sensor proteins, using an in vitro liposome-binding assay. The results showed that Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) Gag-membrane association follows membrane charge, independently of membrane order, as is also true for MARCKS and the electrostatic sensor proteins. Furthermore, the membrane binding of both RSV Gag and electrostatic sensor proteins responds similarly to lipid acyl chain saturation. In contrast to RSV Gag, published studies suggest that HIV-1 Gag prefers membranes with unsaturated lipids. To examine if the sensitivity to lipid acyl chain saturation of HIV-1 Gag is due to the membrane insertion of the hydrophobic myristate group, we are in the process of testing the membrane binding of myristoylated HIV-1 Gag derivatives in parallel with myristoylated electrostatic sensor proteins. We also are investigating how retroviral Gag binding and assembly on Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) with inner leaflet compositions, using Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
Social Influence Online

This study examined the extent to which communicator salience manipulated by varying communication modes, authority-based social influence, and gender affect persuasion in online environments by ut...
Queer of Color Critique

A “queer of color critique” indexes an analytic approach to understanding the dialectics between hegemony and resistance that shape the lives of queers of color. Informed conceptually by queer studies and women of color feminism, and rooted epistemologically in the lived experiences of queers of color, a queer of color critique contextualizes the marginalization of queer of color difference, and it differentiates strategies of resistance to account for the shifting exigencies of the lives of queers of color. These affordances distinguish a queer of color critique as a unique heuristic for educational scholarship on queer of color identities and experiences.
Computed Tomography Fractional Flow Reserve Can Identify Culprit Lesions in Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease Using Minimally Invasive Techniques

Background Currently, the gold standard diagnostic examination for significant aortoiliac lesions is angiography. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has a growing body of literature in coronary artery disease as a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure. Improvements in numerical hemodynamics have allowed for an accurate and minimally invasive approach to estimating FFR, utilizing cross-sectional imaging. We aim to demonstrate a similar approach to aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD). Methods A retrospective review evaluated 7 patients with claudication and cross-sectional imaging showing AIOD. FFR was subsequently measured during conventional angiogram with pull-back pressures in a retrograde fashion. To estimate computed tomography (CT) FFR, CT angiography (CTA) image data were analyzed using the SimVascular software suite to create a computational fluid dynamics model of the aortoiliac system. Inlet flow conditions were derived based on cardiac output, while 3-element Windkessel outlet boundary conditions were optimized to match the expected systolic and diastolic pressures, with outlet resistance distributed based on Murray's law. The data were evaluated with a Student's t-test and receiver operating characteristic curve. Results All patients had evidence of AIOD on CT and FFR was successfully measured during angiography. The modeled data were found to have high sensitivity and specificity between the measured and CT FFR (P = 0.986, area under the curve = 1). The average difference between the measured and calculated FFRs was 0.136, with a range from 0.03 to 0.30. Conclusions CT FFR successfully identified aortoiliac lesions with significant pressure drops that were identified with angiographically measured FFR. CT FFR has the potential to provide a minimally invasive approach to identify flow-limiting stenosis for AIOD.
Ischemic Stroke, Muscular Dystrophy and Friedreich’s Ataxia

Patients with stroke, coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease share some of the same risk factors and often live with one or more cardiovascular diseases. It is increasingly important for cardiologists to be familiar with the recognition and management of stroke (whether as a co-morbidity in a cardiac patient or as a complication from cardiac disorders or procedures).
Bacteriuria and Pyuria

Significant progress has been made in the area of bacteriuria and pyuria in the last two decades. The development of quantitative bacteriological techniques helped define various types of bacteriuria. This made it possible to follow large numbers of bacteriuric patients and led to a clearer understanding of the natural history of bacteriuria. It is now clear that a significant proportion of healthy adult females have asymptomatic bacteriuria, which can follow a highly variable course in becoming persistent, in resolving spontaneously for good, or in relapsing frequently. We now know that the development of end-stage renal failure in such individuals (bacteriuric patients who have structurally and functionally normal urinary tracts) is extremely unusual. Therefore, interest has been justifiably switched to urinary tract infections in infancy and in childhood and to those infections that occur in association with renal scars and anatomical or functional abnormalities of the genitourinary tract. In this brief chapter, we will review some of these issues, but the limited scope will not permit exhaustive discussion of research literature or of controversial issues. The interested reader is directed to the appropriate articles as listed in the references.
Chapter 4 The Ribosomal Proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Publisher Summary The chapter studies the ribosomal proteins of Succharomyces cerevisiae because it is possible to obtain mutants which are likely to involve ribosomal proteins and focuses on the coordinated regulation of their synthesis. This chapter describes methods of preparing and analyzing the ribosomal proteins of S. cerevisiae and points out certain properties that are shared by the ribosomal proteins of all eukaryotes. Ribosomal proteins are analyzed directly on one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels without removing RNA or on two systems of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel. The first is based on the Kaltschmidt–Wittman system and employs 6 M urea at pH 8.6 in the first dimension and at pH 4.5 in the second dimension. The second is a modified version of the Mets and Bogorad system and employs 8 M urea at pH 5.0 in the first dimension and sodium SDS in the second dimension. The two systems are described separately, and the results then compared. For both gel systems the importance of using proteins free of RNA cannot be overemphasized. RNA binds to ribosomal proteins even in urea solutions and causes poor resolution and decreased yields.
Wafer-Level Integration of an Advanced Logic-Memory System Through the Second-Generation CoWoS Technology

State-of-the-art silicon interposer technology of chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) containing the second-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM) has been applied for the first time in fabricating high-performance wafer-level system-in-package. An ultralarge Si interposer up to 1200mm2 made by a two-mask stitching process is used to form the basis of the second-generation CoWoS (CoWoS-2) to accommodate chips of logic and memory and achieve the highest possible performance. Yield challenges associated with the high warpage of such a large heterogeneous system are resolved to achieve high package yield. Compared to alternative interposer integration approaches such as chip-on-substrate, CoWoS offers more competitive design rule which results in better power consumption, transmission loss, and eye diagram. CoWoS-2 has positioned itself as a flexible 3-D IC platform for logic-memory heterogeneous integration between logic system-on-chip and HBM for various high-performance computing applications.
Improved GFDM equalization in severe frequency selective fading

This paper presents a method for protecting wireless signals through the creation and exploitation of time-varying spectral redundancy. Redundant symbols are multiplexed in both time and frequency in dynamic patterns within multicarrier symbols which creates the spectral redundancy. A novel Frequency Shift (FRESH) filter is developed to exploit this timevarying spectral redundancy. This filter structure allows the creation of multicarrier waveforms that are robust, reliable and resistant to frequency selective fading. The applications range from next generation commercial broadband to mission-critical communications. Use of the proposed method improves the bit error rate by an order of magnitude when compared to traditional Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM) transceivers under the simulated channels.
Asset Pricing Implications of Your Mutual Fund Manager's Constraints

By the end of 2015, U.S. mutual funds managed $15 trillion in assets. These funds control about 25% of the equity and 40% of the commercial paper market. As a result, regulations affecting these funds have asset pricing implications. In this paper, we analyze the liquidity management constraint imposed on these funds by the Investment Company Act of 1940. Due to the Act, some funds do not trade illiquid stocks. The non-tradability of these stocks leads to sub-optimal risk sharing. In a competitive equilibrium, we show that this constraint generates the "betting against beta" phenomenon. Moreover, because of this constraint, alpha is non-zero in general. Adding factors to eliminate alpha is therefore a futile exercise. Lastly, we empirically corroborate the theory by offering an alternate explanation of the distress risk anomaly.
Differential Prescribing of Antimuscarinic Agents in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Oral oxybutynin has been associated with the development of cognitive impairment. The objective of this study was to describe the use of oral oxybutynin versus other antimuscarinics (e.g., tolterodine, darifenacin, solifenacin, trospium, fesoterodine, transdermal oxybutynin) in older adults with documented cognitive impairment. This is a population-based retrospective analysis of antimuscarinic new users aged ≥ 66 years from January 2008 to December 2011 (n = 42,886) using a 5% random sample of Medicare claims linked with Part D data. Cognitive impairment was defined as a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, use of antidementia medication, and memory loss/drug-induced cognitive conditions in the year prior to the initial antimuscarinic claim. We used multivariable generalized linear models to assess indicators of cognitive impairment associated with initiation of oral oxybutynin versus other antimuscarinics after adjusting for comorbid conditions. In total, 33% received oral oxybutynin as initial therapy. Cognitive impairment was documented in 10,259 (23.9%) patients prior to antimuscarinic therapy. Patients with cognitive impairment were 5% more likely to initiate another antimuscarinic versus oral oxybutynin (relative risk [RR] 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.06). The proportion of patients with cognitive impairment initiated on oral oxybutynin increased from 24.1% in 2008 to 41.1% in 2011. The total cost of oral oxybutynin, in $US, year 2011 values, decreased by 10.5%, whereas the total cost of other antimuscarinics increased by 50.3% from 2008 to 2011. Our findings suggest opportunities for quality improvement of antimuscarinic prescribing in older adults, but this may be hampered by cost and formulary restrictions.
Coming out in STEM: Factors affecting retention of sexual minority STEM students

Using a national longitudinal survey data set from the Higher Education Research Institute, this study tested whether students who identified as a sexual minority (for example, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer) were more or less likely to persist after 4 years in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, as opposed to switching to a non-STEM program, compared to their heterosexual peers. A multilevel regression model controlling for various experiences and characteristics previously determined to predict retention in STEM demonstrated that, net of these variables, sexual minority students were 8% less likely to be retained in STEM compared to switching into a non-STEM program. Despite this finding, sexual minority STEM students were more likely to report participating in undergraduate research programs, and the gender disparity in STEM retention appears to be reversed for sexual minority STEM students.
Resonant nonlinearities of piezoelectric macro-fiber composite cantilevers with interdigitated electrodes in energy harvesting

We explore the modeling and analysis of nonlinear nonconservative dynamics of macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric structures, guided by rigorous experiments, for resonant vibration-based energy harvesting, as well as other applications leveraging the direct piezoelectric effect, such as resonant sensing. The MFCs employ piezoelectric fibers of rectangular cross section embedded in Kapton with interdigitated electrodes to exploit the 33-mode of piezoelectricity. Existing modeling and analysis efforts for resonant nonlinearities have so far considered conventional piezoceramics that use the 31-mode of piezoelectricity. In the present work, we develop a framework to represent and predict nonlinear electroelastic dynamics of MFC bimorph cantilevers under resonant base excitation for primary resonance behavior. The interdigitated electrodes are shunted to a set of resistive electrical loads to quantify the electrical power output. Experiments are conducted on a set of MFC bimorphs over a broad range of mechanical excitation levels to identify the types of nonlinearities present and to compare the harmonic balance model predictions and experiments. The experimentally observed interaction of quadratic piezoelectric material softening and cubic geometric hardening effects is captured and demonstrated by the model. It is shown that the linearized version of the model yields highly inaccurate results for typical base acceleration levels and frequencies involved in vibration energy harvesting, while the nonlinear framework presented here can accurately predict the amplitude-dependent resonant frequency response.
Toward a Ripple Effect: Psychologists Collaborate in Social Justice Education at a High School

Social justice education aims to develop critical thinking about social inequities and social responsibility to increase civic engagement in high school youth. While high schools increasingly recognize the importance of social justice education, teachers are often initially under-prepared to teach this material, particularly about managing challenging emotions, and working with a group- processes as students work with social justice content and process. Psychologists are often asked to be diversity consultants or instructors, creating opportunities to contribute to social justice education. Drawing from implementation science, this paper describes a model of collaboration between university-based psychologists and high-school educators in providing a social justice course to high school students. Our education model enabled a multi-layered collaborative network that maximized the contributions of collaborators (i.e., Students, High School Teachers, Consultants, and Mentor) and enabled sustainability within the high school.
Shame and Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Childhood Adversity in Dancers

The combination of shame, anxiety, and a history of childhood maltreatment can have devastating effects on self-esteem and on the morbidity and mortality of an individual. Shame is a natural emotion evoked in social evaluative settings. Without some degree of shame, goal attainment is less likely. However, high levels of shame may increase pathology and decrease performance. In this crosssectional study, pre-professional and professional dancers were divided into two shame groupings: low (N = 193) and high (N = 25). Chi square and multivariate analyses of covariance (age and gender as covariates) were conducted to determine group differences for cumulative adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), anxiety, self-esteem, and shame factors. The high shame group had a greater distribution of childhood adversity (especially emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional neglect). They also had clinical levels of anxiety and low self-esteem. In the path analyses, the causal model demonstrated that childhood adversity had a direct effect on anxiety and shame and an indirect effect on self-esteem. Shame and anxiety had a direct effect on self-esteem. Helping dancers become resistant to shame may decrease anxiety and buffer the effects of a history of childhood adversity. As internalized shame decreases, dancers may enhance their self-esteem, wellbeing, and ability to pursue and achieve their career goals.
Interference detection in FMCW radar using a complex baseband oversampled receiver

Mutual interference between Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) automotive radars is expected to be a significant problem with their large scale deployment. A radar's transmit signal can corrupt a neighboring radar's received signal and result in loss of the latter's sensitivity to weak target reflections as well as make it susceptible to false target detections. Traditional radars employ real baseband Nyquist sampled receivers and traditional interference mitigation techniques rely on detection of interference using just the in-band ADC samples. In this paper, we propose the use of a complex baseband oversampled receiver architecture and detection of interference in IF bands devoid of target reflections. Such an approach significantly improves interference detection sensitivity and can enable robust interference mitigation.
Effects of experimental ocular inflammation on ocular immune privilege.

Purpose To determine whether the inflammation of endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) and experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) alters key in vivo and in vitro parameters of ocular immune privilege. Methods For EIU induction, C3H/HeN mice received 200 microg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). For EAU induction, B10.A mice were immunized with 50 microg interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) mixed with complete Freund's adjuvant. Aqueous humor (AqH) was collected at periodic intervals and assayed for leukocyte content and the ability to suppress or enhance T-cell proliferation. Eyes with EAU were assessed for the capacity to support anterior chamber (AC)-associated immune deviation (ACAID) induction after injection of ovalbumin (OVA). Results Inflammation within the anterior segment in EIU peaked at 12 to 24 hours and was detected from 10 days onward in EAU. In AqH of EIU, protein content rose within 4 hours, followed by infiltrating leukocytes. EIU AqH promptly lost its capacity to suppress T-cell proliferation and became mitogenic for T cells. In AqH of EAU, protein and leukocyte content rose at 11 days and continued to remain elevated thereafter. Whereas 11-day EAU AqH failed to suppress T-cell proliferation, AqH at later time points reacquired immunosuppressive properties. Injection of OVA into the AC of eyes of mice with EAU failed to induce ACAID. Conclusions The intraocular inflammation of EIU and EAU disrupted important parameters of immune privilege, ranging from breakdown of the blood- ocular barrier, to loss of an immunosuppressive microenvironment, to abrogation of ACAID. Because AqH from inflamed EAU reacquired the ability to suppress T-cell proliferation, the authors conclude that the capacity to regulate immune expression and inflammation can be a property even of inflamed eyes.
Variants of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of the pancreas, representing more than 90% of the exocrine pancreatic tumors. Variants of ductal adenocarcinoma can mimic involvement by the pancreas from other tumors (pancreatic and metastatic).
Libertarianism and a Counterfactual Account of Freedom

The question of free will frequently consists of a debate between two views: Hard Determinism and Libertarianism. Hard Determinism is the view that laws of nature determine human behavior and that there is no free will. Libertarianism is the view that there are some actions that are not caused by physical events, but instead are caused by agents, and that there is free will. Science often promotes the first. Yet, first-hand experience seems to support the latter. The impulse to rely blindly on the authority of some voices in the scientific community and reject Libertarianism, however, is a mistake. This paper argues that, despite its appeal, Hard Determinism relies on problematic assumptions about cause-effect relations, which provide reason to believe that its counterpart, Libertarianism, is a plausible, defensible account of free will. With that aim, this paper will be divided into three sections. Section one will present the thesis of Hard Determinism. Section two will present, in contrast, the thesis of Libertarianism. And section three will describe how a counterfactual account of causation implies a mitigation of our epistemological criteria to make knowledge-claims about causal relationships, such that introspective evidence of agent-causation gains newfound credibility, thus undermining Hard Determinism and providing support for the libertarian thesis.
Climate swings in extinction

Extreme temperature swings and deteriorating environments are perhaps what killed most life in the end-Permian extinction, suggest climate model simulations. Siberian Traps volcanism probably triggered the events.
Mouse, rat, and dog bioavailability and mouse oral antidepressant efficacy of (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine.

Background:(R,S)-ketamine has gained attention for its rapid-acting antidepressant actions in patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, widespread use of ketamine is limited by its sid...
Persistent Multi-Robot Mapping in an Uncertain Environment

This paper proposes a method to deploy teams of robots with constrained energy capacities to persistently maintain a map of an uncertain environment. Typical occupancy map approaches assume a static world; however, we introduce a decay in confidence that degrades the occupancy probability of grid cells and promotes revisitation. Further, sections of the map whose occupancy differs between observations are visited more frequently, while unchanging areas are scheduled less frequently. While naive planning is intractable through the entire space of multi-agent spatio-temporal states, the proposed algorithm decouples planning such that constraints are resolved separately by solving tracTable subproblems. We evaluate this approach in simulation and show how the uncertainty of our world model is maintained below an acceptable threshold while the algorithm retains a tractable computation time.
Theory of Neuromorphic Computing by Waves: Machine Learning by Rogue Waves, Dispersive Shocks, and Solitons

We study artificial neural networks with nonlinear waves as a computing reservoir. We discuss universality and the conditions to learn a dataset in terms of output channels and nonlinearity. A feed-forward three-layered model, with an encoding input layer, a wave layer, and a decoding readout, behaves as a conventional neural network in approximating mathematical functions, real-world datasets, and universal Boolean gates. The rank of the transmission matrix has a fundamental role in assessing the learning abilities of the wave. For a given set of training points, a threshold nonlinearity for universal interpolation exists. When considering the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, the use of highly nonlinear regimes implies that solitons, rogue, and shock waves do have a leading role in training and computing. Our results may enable the realization of novel machine learning devices by using diverse physical systems, as nonlinear optics, hydrodynamics, polaritonics, and Bose-Einstein condensates. The application of these concepts to photonics opens the way to a large class of accelerators and new computational paradigms. In complex wave systems, as multimodal fibers, integrated optical circuits, random, topological devices, and metasurfaces, nonlinear waves can be employed to perform computation and solve complex combinatorial optimization.
Conceptual and Historical Background

This chapter continues a historical view by describing studies which arose from early versions of the theory and helped to develop further this framework. Even during the 1980s synchronic and diachronic work was being published on the lexicon and on grammatical constructions, in all cases emphasizing the fundamental semanticity of Language.
Preoperative Patient Education Class During an Orthopedic Mission Trip: Effects on Knowledge, Anxiety, and Informed Consent.

Abstract Background Patient knowledge about arthritis and risks, benefits, and outcomes of joint arthroplasty in developing countries is unknown. We evaluated the effectiveness of a preoperative class on improving knowledge and decreasing anxiety during a surgical mission trip offering total joint arthroplasty. Methods A team of US health care providers taught a preoperative class to 41 patients selected for total joint arthroplasty during a surgical mission trip to Guyana. Participants completed a 32-point survey about arthritis; indications, risks, and benefits of joint arthroplasty; and postoperative, in-patient rehabilitation expectations. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure participant anxiety. Participants completed identical surveys before and after class. Matched-pairs Student t tests were used to compare means between preclass and postclass surveys. Significance was accepted at P Results Seventy-eight percent of patients (31 of 41) scored less than 12 of 32 possible points (40%) on the preclass knowledge questionnaire. Mean ± standard deviation knowledge scores improved from 14.0 ± 4.5 before the class to 16.5 ± 6.5 after the class (P = .008). Anxiety scores (n = 33) improved from 35 ± 13 before the class to 33 ± 12 after the class (P = .047). Conclusion On this surgical mission trip, underserved patients' knowledge about total joint arthroplasty increased only modestly after taking a preoperative class. Greater understanding of how to educate patients and reduce their anxiety on medical missions is needed.
8 – Thyroid Hormones

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methods for thyroid hormone measurements. Thyroxine (T4), the main secretory product of the thyroid gland, is by far the most abundant thyroid hormone in blood. T4 circulates in plasma largely bound to proteins, principally thyroxine binding globulin (TBG). 3,5,3'-Triiodothyronine (T3) is a very potent thyroid hormone, and also circulates tightly bound to the same plasma proteins. As with T4, it is the unbound or free. T3 is generally considered to be biologically active. In contrast, 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse-T3 or rT3) has no identified metabolic effects at concentrations observed in vivo. The measurements of serum concentrations of T4 and T3 and the assessment of the extent of protein binding of these hormones are fundamental tools for the evaluation of patients' thyroid status. The measurements of rT3 may have some utility in separating primary derangements of thyroid function from abnormalities of thyroid function tests because of systemic illnesses. This chapter discusses techniques for assaying iodothyronines and protein binding and the complexities in the interpretation of these tests caused by interactions of pathophysiological abnormalities and test methodology.