cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An unusual intrinsic complication of a patellar tendon allograft and recommendations for tissue banking

Complications of patellar-tendon allograft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in ACL-deficient patients have focused on disease transmission, strength, survivorship, technique, and processing to decrease antigenicity. Little has been described in regard to intrinsic complications of patellar-tendon allograft. This article discusses our experience with a damaged patellar-tendon allograft that was abnormally long and had a large osseous intratendinous mass. Based on this experience, we make recommendations on evaluating and procureing patellar-tendon allografts that will help orthopaedic surgeons avoid intrinsic patellar-tendon allograft complications.
Dairy Tariff-Quota Liberalization: Contrasting Bilateral and Most Favored Nation Reform Options

We develop a highly disaggregated, ?tariff line?, source-differentiated partial equilibrium model of U.S. specialty cheese imports to investigate alternative reform options for tariffrate quotas. A mixed-complementarity framework is used to represent bilateral and multilateral tariff-quota administration methods within the U.S. dairy industry. The impact of liberalizing U.S. specialty cheese imports via bilateral and multilateral tariffrate quota expansions, out-of-quota tariff cuts, and simultaneous liberalization scenarios is evaluated. We find that the path of liberalization is quite different, depending on the reform approach undertaken. The results have important policy implications in the agricultural negotiations.
Option-based management of technology investment risk

Real operating (flexibility) options embedded in a technology investment are valuable because they allow management to take rational, value-adding actions that could favorably affect operational traits of the investment (timing, scale, scope, etc.). These options, however, are not inherent in technology investments. Rather, they usually must be carefully planned and designed to fit each investment differently. Building on concepts from the area of financial risk management, this paper presents a methodology for planning the creation of specific operating options designed to maximize the value of a technology investment in light of the risks underlying that investment. The paper also illustrates the use of the methodology in the context of a Web-based information technology investment.
Influence of G protein type on agonist efficacy.

An agonist at a specific G protein-coupled receptor may exhibit a range of efficacies for any given response in a cell-specific manner. We report that the relationship between different states of agonism is regulated by the type of G protein expressed in the cell. In NIH-3T3 α2-adrenergic receptor (AR) transfectants, the α2-AR agonists clonidine, oxymetazoline, UK-14304, and epinephrine increased [35S]guanosine-5′-O-(3-thio)triphosphate binding in a dose-dependent manner from a basal value of 101.2 ± 6.5 fmol/mg to a maximal response (100 μM) of 196.6 ± 9.8, 182.3 ± 2, 328.1 ± 11.2, and 340.6 ± 3 fmol/mg, respectively. Thus, clonidine and oxymetazoline behaved as partial agonists. Receptor-mediated activation of G proteins in membrane preparations was blocked by cell pretreatment with pertussis toxin, indicating receptor coupling to the subgroup of pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein (Giα2,3) expressed in NIH-3T3 cells. Ectopic expression of Goα1 but not Giα1 increased the relative efficacy of clonidine and oxymetazoline such that the two ligands now behaved as close to full agonists in this assay system. The relationship between full and partial agonists in the different genetic backgrounds was not altered by progressive reduction in the amount of G protein available for coupling to receptor. The increased efficacy observed for clonidine in the Goα1 transfectants was not due to changes in the relative affinities or amounts of high-affinity, Gpp(NH)p-sensitive binding of agonist. These data suggest that there is little difference in the ability of clonidine to interact with or stabilize α2-AR–Giα2/Giα3 versus α2-AR–Goα1 complexes, but that the subsequent step of signal transfer from receptor to G protein is more readily achieved for the clonidine/α2–AR/Goα1 complex. Such observations have important implications for receptor theory and drug development.
A control-oriented hybrid combustion model of a homogeneous charge compression ignition capable spark ignition engine

To implement the homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion mode in a spark ignition engine, it is necessary to have smooth mode transition between the spark ignition and homogeneous charge compression ignition combustions. The spark ignition-homogeneous charge compression ignition hybrid combustion mode modeled in this paper describes the combustion mode that starts with the spark ignition combustion and ends with the homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion. The main motivation of studying the hybrid combustion mode is that the percentage of the homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion is a good parameter for combustion mode transition control when the hybrid combustion mode is used during the transition. This paper presents a control oriented model of the spark ignition-homogeneous charge compression ignition hybrid combustion mode, where the spark ignition combustion phase is modeled under the two-zone assumption and the homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion phase under the one-zone assumption. Note that the spark ignition and homogeneous charge compression ignition combustions are special cases in this combustion model. The developed model is capable of simulating engine combustion over the entire operating range, and it was implemented in a real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation environment. The simulation results were compared with those of the corresponding GT-Power model, and good correlations were found for both spark ignition and homogeneous charge compression ignition combustions.
Associations between self-referral and health behavior responses to genetic risk information

Background Studies examining whether genetic risk information about common, complex diseases can motivate individuals to improve health behaviors and advance planning have shown mixed results. Examining the influence of different study recruitment strategies may help reconcile inconsistencies.
Simulating population dependent PCS network models using time warp

The demand for mobile communications has led to intensive research and development efforts for complex PCS (personal communication service) networks. Capacity planning and performance modeling is necessary to maintain a high quality of service to the mobile subscriber while minimizing cost to the PCS provider. A question of pragmatic interest concerns the modeling of subscriber or portable movement in a PCS network. Typically, portable movement models are based on a probabilistic distribution function with fixed mean. These models may be an over simplification of real portable movement patterns. For example, portable movements during rush hour traffic may be slowed due to traffic jams. However, when the volume of vehicular traffic is less, portables are allowed to move more freely and with greater speed. To capture this type of portable movement behavior, we develop a population dependent PCS model where portable movement is based on the number of portables currently residing in that service area or cell. Because of the large amount of computation required to simulate PCS networks, we implement this model on a distributed Time Warp simulator, which has been shown to reduce the execution time of a single run from 20 hours down to 3.5 hours. Using this simulation model, we study the effect of different call workloads and population dependent portable movement patterns on PCS blocking statistics and present our preliminary results.
A remote sensing observatory for hydrologic sciences: A genesis for scaling to continental hydrology

[1] Uncertainties in assessing the effects of global-scale perturbations on the climate system arise primarily from an inadequate understanding of the hydrological cycle: on land, in oceans, and in the atmosphere and biosphere. Because of this uncertainty, almost all science-based initiatives have expressed the need for continued advances in global observations and modeling of the Earth system. It is in this spirit that we advocate establishing a hydrologic remote sensing observatory (RSO) to advance sensing technologies and their use in scientific inquiry into hydrologic processes. There are two fundamental reasons why establishing such a RSO is timely. The first is operational: Developing assimilation techniques to estimate unobserved fluxes and uncertainties in hydrologic forecasts has sufficiently matured to take advantage of computing facilities and detailed hydrologic observations shaped by the RSO. The second is scientific: This RSO will permit us to refine knowledge from physical and hydrologic models that can then be converted to local and global strategies for water resources management and ecosystem health evaluation. The authors outline the conceptual design, scope, and functionality of a RSO and present four examples to illustrate how the hydrologic community can take advantage of such facility.
Chronic nucleus tractus solitarius lesions do not prevent hypovolemia-induced vasopressin secretion in rats

The present study examined the hypothesis that hypovolemia stimulates vasopressin (VP) secretion by removing tonic inhibitory baroreceptor input. Serial hemorrhage (4 samples of 2 ml/300 g body wt taken every 10 min) increased plasma VP levels in conscious rats devoid of cardiac and arterial baroreceptor reflex responses due to chronic bilateral lesions of nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). The VP response to hemorrhage was similar to that seen in control rats and chronic sinoaortic-denervated (SAD) rats. After subcutaneous injection of 30% polyethylene glycol, NTS-lesioned rats, SAD rats, and control rats had elevated VP levels that correlated with the induced depletion of plasma volume. Additionally, in alpha-chloralose-anesthetized control rats, chronic SAD rats, and chronic NTS-lesioned rats, bilateral vagotomy had minimal effects on basal VP levels, and vagotomy in chronic NTS-lesioned rats did not prevent hemorrhage-evoked increases in VP secretion. These results do not support the idea that hemorrhage-induced VP secretion occurs through reduction in tonic inhibitory baroreceptor input. Instead, neither cardiac nor arterial baroreceptor input appears to be necessary for hypovolemia-induced VP secretion in rats.
Deterring or Mobilizing? The Influence of Government Partisanship and Force on the Frequency, Lethality and Suicide Attacks of Terror Events

The ability of a government to prevent violence and threats against the state and its citizens depends on the government’s ability to deter enemies from engaging in such tactics. Because deterrence relies on both capabilities and credibility it is not clear that governments that emerge within the same state are similarly effective at deterring attacks. We examine whether partisan politics and the decision to use force against an enemy or those thought to be associated with an enemy—in our case terrorists—affects successful deterrence. We test our expectations using data from the Israeli-Palestine conflict between the years 1979 and 2003. The results suggest that governments of the right are more effective at using force to deter future terrorist attacks.
NMR in normal 3He using a meander-line coil.

A simple technique is proposed for probing the single-particle and collective excitations in a Fermi liquid via a standing magnetic surface wave of arbitrary $\ensuremath{\omega}$ and fixed $k$ generated by a meanderline coil. The calculated power absorption spectrum for $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ displays singularities associated with the $l=0$ spin-wave mode and a Doppler-shifted spin resonance of the single-particle excitations.
Naturally occurring p16 Ink4a -positive cells shorten healthy lifespan

Cellular senescence, a stress-induced irreversible growth arrest often characterized by expression of p16(Ink4a) (encoded by the Ink4a/Arf locus, also known as Cdkn2a) and a distinctive secretory phenotype, prevents the proliferation of preneoplastic cells and has beneficial roles in tissue remodelling during embryogenesis and wound healing. Senescent cells accumulate in various tissues and organs over time, and have been speculated to have a role in ageing. To explore the physiological relevance and consequences of naturally occurring senescent cells, here we use a previously established transgene, INK-ATTAC, to induce apoptosis in p16(Ink4a)-expressing cells of wild-type mice by injection of AP20187 twice a week starting at one year of age. We show that compared to vehicle alone, AP20187 treatment extended median lifespan in both male and female mice of two distinct genetic backgrounds. The clearance of p16(Ink4a)-positive cells delayed tumorigenesis and attenuated age-related deterioration of several organs without apparent side effects, including kidney, heart and fat, where clearance preserved the functionality of glomeruli, cardio-protective KATP channels and adipocytes, respectively. Thus, p16(Ink4a)-positive cells that accumulate during adulthood negatively influence lifespan and promote age-dependent changes in several organs, and their therapeutic removal may be an attractive approach to extend healthy lifespan.
Picking Out Actions

Action theory is built on a bedrock of philosophers’ intuitions about when people are responsible for what they have done. But philosophers’ intuitions are notoriously theory-laden, and frequently out-of-synch with commoner common sense. This chapter draws on everyday examples and cognitive science to develop a comprehensive account of when people actually do hold each other responsible. The account of responsibility attribution that this chapter proposes is fundamentally self-referential — our attributions of responsibility to others begin and end with our understanding of our own responsibility. Like most any social practice, our practice of responsibility attribution is governed by norms of consistency — we generally treat like cases alike, or try to do so. When we find ourselves holding one person responsible but not another in relevantly similar circumstances, we identify the attribution that better conforms to the bulk of our practice and revise the outlier going forward. But strange things happen when an attribution of responsibility to oneself is on one side of the inconsistency. The central observation of this chapter is that in such cases we are much more inclined to revise the bulk of our practice to conform it to the self-attribution. The chapter raises the possibility that this is because we engage in a projective exercise when determining whether to attribute responsibility to someone for something he has done. In effect, we consider whether we would hold ourselves responsible in relevantly similar circumstances, and attribute responsibility to the other accordingly.This sort of projective exercise must be cognitively demanding, which raises the question whether it really could be how we attribute responsibility each of the hundreds of times we do over the course of a typical day. Drawing on literature from cognitive science, the chapter argues that humans may have personal level and sub-personal cognitive mechanisms that are up to the task. The chapter closes by considering several potential counter-examples from philosophy, law, and psychology — cases in which responsibility attribution to others routinely departs from self-attribution. It is a further merit of the simulationist account that it not only evades these counter-examples, but also explains why they occur.
Bifurcation Nation: Strategy in Contemporary American Punishment

Important recent work by penal scholars recognizes the need to study the interplay between federal and state initiatives and between state and local structures. But the sociology of punishment has been less cognizant of late of the importance of studying the relation between the divergent treatment of high-level and low-level offenses and offenders as a means of understanding those federal, state or local approaches to penalty. By one conventional view, the divergent policy trends for violent and nonviolent offenders are unrelated operations working at different ends of an ambivalent carceral spectrum; by another emergent perspective, the increasing decarceration of low-level offenders marks a general shift away from mass incarceration that has yet to extend to serious offenders and offenses. This paper suggests that, rather than a unidirectional force or mere ambivalent mix of old and new, contemporary sentencing policy is better understood as a bifurcation strategy — one that responds uniquely to the new dilemmas and new constraints presented by a moment we might call, with cautious optimism, late mass incarceration.
Pathogenic Events During Infection of the Human Nasopharynx with Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae

The human nasopharynx is the natural habitat and reservoir for Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Meningococcal and Hib pathogenesis was studied in human nasopharyngeal tissue in organ culture. Inocula of greater than or equal to 10(6) meningococci or cfu of Hib were required for consistent production of infection in these cultures. By 24 hours meningococci and Hib grew to 10(8)-10(10) cfu/mL in culture supernatants, while 10(4)-10(7) cfu per organ culture were tissue associated. These studies further indicated that nasopharyngeal mucus contains components that specifically bind Hib; that both meningococci and Hib cause cytotoxicity, resulting in breakdown of tight junctions of epithelial cells, sloughing of ciliated cells, and ciliostasis; that pili are the most important components mediating initial attachment of meningococci to non-ciliated epithelial cells of the human nasopharynx; that Hib expresses both pilus and nonpilus adhesions that facilitate attachment to nonciliated cells; and that meningococci and Hib both invade the epithelial surface to reach the submucosa but do so by different routes. Meningococci and Hib have evolved successful, although divergent, mechanisms by which to infect the human nasopharynx.
A Research Note on Residential Succession: The Hispanic Case

Sociologists have long held that residential segregation results from an underlying process of ecological succession. According to the ecological model, residential succession begins with the entry of a minority group into some area occupied by majority members. Following invasion, there is a period of consolidation during which the population of original inhabitants declines while that of the incoming minority grows. Eventually the invading minority displaces former residents entirely to form an established ethnic neighborhood. This model has been applied with great success to depict the dynamics of black-white segregation in U.S. cities. Given rapid rates of black population growth and a slowly growing white population, residential succession predominates to the point that each interracial area can be classified according to its stage in the succession process. Although the ecological model was originally formulated with ethnic immigrants in mind, it has never been directly applied to such groups. This paper directly examines residential succession for one large ethnic group, Hispanics, and contrasts patterns with those observed for blacks.
The influence of environmental agents on prostaglandin biosynthesis and metabolism in the lung. Inhibition of lung 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase by exposure of guinea pigs to 100 per cent oxygen at atmospheric pressure.

Enzymes in the 100 000g supernatant fraction of guinea-pig lungs, in the presence of NAD-+, converted PGF-2 alpha (prostaglanding F-2 alpha) into a less-polar compound. The u.v. spectrum of this metabolite showed a strong absorption band at 230 nm, which is characteristic of a carbonyl group in conjugation with a double bond. Reduction of this metabolite with NaBH4 resulted in a compound that behaved like PGF2 ALPHA on t.l.c. and g.l.c. From this evidence we concluded that PGF2alpha is metabolized in vitro to 15-oxo-PGF2 alpha by the NAD-+-dependent prostaglandin dehydrogenase system of guinea-pig lung. The effect of exposure of the animal to SO-2 and O2 on the rate of prostaglanding biosynthesis and catabolism by lung fractions in vitro was studied. Exposure of guinea pigs to 500 p.m. of SO2 for 5h or to 50p.p.m for 9 days (6h/day) did not alter the production or degradation of prostaglandings by lung fractions in vitro. In contrast, exposure of guinea pigs to 100% O2 for 48 h inhibited the rate of prostaglanding metabolism in vitro by 60-70% without significantly altering the rate of biosynthesis by lung fractions. Inhibition of prostaglandin dehydrogenase activity in vitro by lung fractions after exposure of the animal to O2 was dependent on the duration of exposure. Gluthathione S-aryltransferase and catechol O-methyltransferase activites of guinea-pig lung 100 000g supernatant were unaltered by exposure of the animal to O2. Thus it appears that inhibition of pulmonary prostaglandin dehydrogenase by exposure of the animal to O2 is not the result of a general toxic response. It was postulated that the inhibition of prostaglanding dehydrogenase may occur after exposure of the animal to other oxidant gases.
Book and Resource Reviews

The article reviews the book “The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment,” by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton.
The impact of a simulation-based training lab on outcomes of hysterectomy.

Objective To evaluate the impact of a simulation-based training lab on surgical outcomes of different hysterectomy approaches in a resident teaching tertiary care center. Material and methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at The University of Texas, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In total, 1397 patients who had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), vaginal hysterectomy (VH), total laparoscopy-assisted hysterectomy (TLH), or robot-assisted hysterectomy (RAH) for benign gynecologic conditions between 2009 and 2014 were included in the study. The comparison was made according to the year when the surgeries were performed: 2009 (before simulation training) and the combination of 2010-2014 (after simulation training) for each technique (TAH, VH, and LAH). Since a simulation lab for robotic surgery was introduced in 2010 at our institute, the comparison for robotic surgery was made between the combination of 2009-2010 as the control and the combination of 2010-2014 as the study group. Results The average estimated blood loss before and after simulation-based training was significantly different in TAH and RAH groups (317±170 mL versus 257±146 mL, p=0.003 and 154±107 mL versus 102±88 mL, p=0.004, respectively), but no difference was found for TLH and VH. The mean of length of hospital stay was significantly different before and after simulation-based training for each technique: 3.7±2.3 versus 2.9±2.2 days for TAH, 2.0±1.2 versus 1.3±0.9 days for VH, 2.4±1.3 versus 1.9±2.5 days for TLH, and 2.0±1.3 versus 1.4±1.7 days for RAH (p Conclusion Based on our data, simulator-based training may play an integrative role in developing the residents' surgical skills and thus improving the surgical outcomes of hysterectomy.
Assessing the long-term effects of autonomous vehicles: a speculative approach

In recent years, self-driving cars have generated significant attention and discussion. While it is recognized that a number of technical and legal issues need to be solved, widespread adoption of self-driving vehicles is increasingly considered to be inevitable. However, the long-term effects of this technology are rarely considered and seldom examined in the literature. Among these potential impacts are a number of direct and indirect, positive and negative outcomes, and the net effect in terms of societal benefit or harm is far from clear. In this paper, we identify the several of these outcomes, and we explore conditions in the broader transportation system under which self-driving vehicles may be either harmful or beneficial. We investigate how autonomous operation could affect the attractiveness of traveling by car, how this in turn could affect mode choice, and how changes in mode choice would affect the broader transportation system. The paper considers three speculative scenarios, defined primarily by different behavioral responses to the availability of autonomous driving. The scenarios build on an established system dynamics model that represents the major forces involved in transportation systems. A wide range of outcomes are considered, and potential policy interventions are discussed. Language: en
Voting and Preference Revelation

This chapter examines decision making by a community (or any group) in a simple model: The community must choose from a finite set of mutually exclusive alternatives. (The next chapter endows the model with much more structure by specifying individual utility functions and a production function—and resource constraints. The utility functions will have classical economic properties.) We look at situations in which a group must make a decision that will be binding on all of its members. For example, a class has to determine a time for a review session, a town has to decide whether to build a new school, a nation has to elect a legislature. The resulting choice will have no other implications for personal consumption—in this chapter. Think of the alternatives X, Y, Z, and so forth from which a choice is to be made as alternative ways of spending a fixed amount of government revenue, with the same individual tax burdens in each case. In this setting we can't rule out any ranking of the available options as a possible preference scheme for a member of the group. This makes it very difficult to induce truthful revelation of the hidden characteristic, which in this chapter and the next is the individual's true preference scheme. We want the individuals to reveal enough information about their preferences to enable the system to select the outcome that best reflects those individual preferences.
Sunday night invited talk: The flight of the Vin Fiz II

In 1911, less than 8 years after the Wright Brothers flew their rickety “Flyer” less than a minute along the dunes at Kitty Hawk NC, Calbraith Perry Rodgers flew a similar craft from New York City to Long Beach California. At a time when most airplanes couldn't manage to turn on demand, Rodgers flew over 4,000 miles through good weather and bad to be the first to cross the United States by air. It was an amazing accomplishment and one that took incredible fortitude and courage. It is also almost universally forgotten.
Finding Spirits in Spirituality: What are We Measuring in Spirituality and Health Research?

What are we asking when we ask about spirituality? When research subjects check survey boxes for “religiosity” and “spirituality” measures on health surveys, those of us who use them often assume that these responses indicate a relationship with—or reaction against—normative, conventional, Protestant-shaped religious practice and experience. We present a qualitative interview study of 13 low-income mothers with a history of depression, analyzing their descriptions of spiritual and religious coping practices. On the basis of a focused analysis of four mother’s narratives, we argue that conventional survey answers may frequently hide more than they reveal about people’s cultural, religious, and idiosyncratic experiences with ghosts, spirits, magic, and haunting presences that are relevant, sometimes integral, to illness and healing. We demonstrate that listening to participants’ narratives challenges researchers’ unconsciously normative assumptions and ought to help us reshape our understanding of the ways spirituality and religion influence health in a hyperdiverse society.
Beyond books: public libraries as partners for population health.

Public libraries are not usually included in discussions about improving population health. They are, however, well positioned to be partners in building a culture of health through programming tha...
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti: the artist and his politics

Recent investigations of Futurism have benefited from methodologies emerging from the field of cultural studies, namely textual and historiographic analyses combined with inter-references to social...
Modeling human craniofacial disorders in Xenopus.

Purpose of Review Craniofacial disorders are among the most common human birth defects and present an enormous health care and social burden. The development of animal models has been instrumental to investigate fundamental questions in craniofacial biology, and this knowledge is critical to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of these disorders.
Sequential Detection of Disjoint Subgraphs over Boolean MAC Channels: A Probabilistic Approach

In this paper, we consider a new framework under which a sequential subgraph construction and thus detection is achieved via communications among a set of active nodes following a random codebook over a Boolean noiseless multiple access (MAC) channel. Based on a probabilistically generated codebook and shared between transmitters and receiver, the receiver sequentially removes edges or vertices from a graph built in precedent slots to gradually form a particular labeled graph. Analysis of both the distribution and average of the stopping time are provided for several simple but non-trivial cases. The proposed approach for computing average stopping time in constructing a given subgraph whose supporting codewords sets form an intersection graph with loops can be extended for larger and more complex topologies.
Graphitic materials: Intrinsic hydrophilicity and its implications

Abstract Graphitic carbons are long regarded as model hydrophobic materials. However, recent work has shown that graphite and graphene are much more hydrophilic than previously thought. It was revealed that the commonly observed hydrophobic nature of graphite is due to airborne hydrocarbon contamination that was not considered in previous studies. This perspective highlights these recent developments and discusses their implications to research on water–carbon interactions, wetting transparency, electrochemistry, adsorption and adhesion, and lubrication and wear.
UTILITY OF CARDIAC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCANNING IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

Background: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard imaging test for infective endocarditis (IE). Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) has undergone rapid advancement as a cardiac imaging technique. It has shown promise in small non-randomized studies for evaluation of
Drivers of Medicare Reimbursement for Thoracolumbar Fusion: An Analysis of Data From The Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services.

STUDY DESIGN A retrospective observational study. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to examine the variation in thoracolumbar fusion (TLF) payment and determine the drivers of this variation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA As health care spending continues to increase, variation in surgical procedures reimbursements has come under more scrutiny. TLF is an example of a high-cost, proven-benefit procedure that is often the focus of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrators. There is a wide variation in TLF charges, but the drivers for this variation are not clear. METHODS Claims for TLF were identified in the CMS data by analyzing Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) number 460 ("Spinal Fusion Except Cervical without Major Complications or Comorbidities"). Data on factors that may impact cost of care were collected from four sources: the United States Census Bureau, CMS, the Dartmouth Atlas, and WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. These were then grouped into seven categories: quality, supply, demand, substitute treatment availability, patient characteristics, competitive factors, and provider characteristics. Predictive reimbursement models were created from the data using multivariate linear regression to understand the factors that influence TLF reimbursement. RESULTS There was significant geographic variability in reimbursement. The largest contribution to reimbursement variation came from variables in the demand (ΔR = 13.4%, P < 0.001), supply (ΔR = 9.2%, P < 0.001), and competitive factor domains (ΔR = 9.1%, P < 0.001). The top three drivers that increased reimbursement were provider charges (β = 0.37, P < 0.001), total Medicare reimbursement in the region (β = 0.19, P < 0.001), and the number of spinal surgeries per 1000 patients in that region (β = 0.06, P = 0.02). Institutional volume, a surrogate for quality was negatively associated with TLF reimbursement. CONCLUSION There was wide variation in reimbursement for TLF across the U.S. The variables that drive TLF reimbursement variation include supply, demand, and competition. Interestingly, quality of care was not associated with increased TLF reimbursement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.
Metabolic Dysregulation after Neutron Exposures Expected from an Improvised Nuclear Device

The increased threat of terrorism across the globe has raised fears that certain groups will acquire and use radioactive materials to inflict maximum damage. In the event that an improvised nuclear device (IND) is detonated, a potentially large population of victims will require assessment for radiation exposure. While photons will contribute to a major portion of the dose, neutrons may be responsible for the severity of the biologic effects and cellular responses. We investigated differences in response between these two radiation types by using metabolomics and lipidomics to identify biomarkers in urine and blood of wild-type C57BL/6 male mice. Identification of metabolites was based on a 1 Gy dose of radiation. Compared to X rays, a neutron spectrum similar to that encountered in Hiroshima at 1–1.5 km from the epicenter induced a severe metabolic dysregulation, with perturbations in amino acid metabolism and fatty acid β-oxidation being the predominant ones. Urinary metabolites were able to discriminat...
Do we know what we think we know? On the importance of replication in instructional communication research

Replication is a fundamental principle of social science, enabling researchers to verify the accuracy of empirical findings, clarify the conditions under which phenomena occur, and further validate...
Effects of Color and Trunk-wrap on Pecan Weevil Catch In Pyramidal Traps

Pyramidal traps of various colors and trunk-wraps of white plastic and whitewash were evaluated to optimize pyramidal traps for collection of pecan weevils, Curculio caryae (Horn). Black traps were...
From the Tool Room to the Class Room

In this brief memoir, the author re-visits his undergraduate and graduate years in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State University, as well as his years as a tool and die maker apprentice at the General Motors Fisher Body plant in Columbus, Ohio. The author’s experience as an apprentice and as a young engineer confronted by the task of building a trotting quadruped have had a clear effect on his later work in helping to create a totally new course for second-year students in mechanical engineering.
The House as Symbol of Social Structure

There is a relatively small group of scholars who have conducted fieldwork specifically on the meaning of housing in Third World societies. Richardson (1974) in Latin America, Bourdieu (1973) in Africa, Austin (1976) in the Pacific, and King (1976) and the Duncans (1976, 1980) in South Asia are some of the names that come to mind. And yet there exists a vast amount of primary material available on this topic that has been collected by anthropologists whose principal interests lie not in housing per se,but whose broad ethnographic nets have yielded a rich catch of housing data nevertheless (see Guerry, 1975; Hogbin, 1939; Jackson, 1977; Lessa, 1966; Lewis, 1965). Similarly, the small and yet burgeoning field of women’s studies also yields, as a by-product, perhaps the most interesting and detailed research on the use of the house conducted by researchers whose principal focus again is not on housing (see Giele & Smock, 1977; Jeffrey, 1979; Matthiasson, 1974; Patai, 1967; Reiter, 1975).
Design Requirements for Safer Highway Bridge Rails

Recent accident information obtained during 1965-1968 indicates that: (1) approximately 22% of the fixed object freeway fatal accidents involve bridge railing systems, and (2) certain areas of a bridge railing system if not properly designed, or adequately protected, or both can constitute a hazardous condition to an out-of-control vehicle. In order to evaluate the performance of a bridge railing system, a simple mathematical model simulating a standard size vehicle striking a railing has been developed and verified. This model takes into consideration vehicle parameters as well as roadway characteristics. Employing the model and extending the work of the National Safety Council, a first approximation has been made to estimate decelerations or impact forces. Based on the experience and judgment of highway engineers, available research, and the results of this study, a Tentative List of Bridge Railing Service Requirements has been defined to help the highway engineer appraise or design any bridge railing system.
Developing leading indicators-based decision support algorithms and probabilistic models using Bayesian network to predict kicks while drilling

Abstract Predicting a kick timely and efficiently is often a challenging task due to the complexities of drilling and other well intervention activities. This work proposes a leading indicators-based approach to assess drilling operations for predicting kicks and preventing blowouts. A cause-based methodology is proposed to develop sets of leading indicators for different categories and organizational levels. Leading indicators are divided into two broad sections – real-time indicators and long-term organizational safety performance indicators. With the real-time indicators, various decision support algorithms are developed which would help to understand a kick progression scenario effectively. Probabilistic barrier failure models for different stages of drilling are also developed to assess performance of primary well control barrier – hydrostatic head. To predict barrier failure events effectively, Bayesian network models are developed combining organizational, operational and real-time indicators. The probability distribution for observing changes in real-time parameters when a kick is in progression are also determined. This study would allow both predictive (causes to effects) and diagnostic (effects to causes) reasoning of kicks and blowouts for better understanding of well control system while drilling. Developed risk models enable informed decision making with a relatively clear picture of the risk of barrier failure and provide useful information on actions required to prevent escalation of well control events.
An optimized assay for detecting Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy calf feces using polymerase chain reaction technology

The purpose of this study was to optimize primary and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detecting the microsporidia Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in fecal samples from dairy calves. PCR for these microsporidia were compared to immunofluorescence assays (IFA) based on commercially available monoclonal antibodies specific for outer wall proteins of Enc. intestinalis or Ent. bieneusi. Fecal samples were collected from 15 dairy calves and processed by molecular sieving followed by salt floatation to recover Enc. intestinalis and Ent. bieneusi spores. An aliquot of the final supernatant was applied to glass slides for IFA testing; another aliquot was extracted for total DNA using a QIAamp Stool Mini-Kit for primary and nested Enc. intestinalis- and Ent. bieneusi-specific PCR analysis. Internal standards were generated for both Enc. intestinalis and Ent. bieneusi PCR assays to control for false negative reactions due to the presence of inhibitors commonly found in fecal samples. Using the commercial MicrosporIFA (Waterborne, Inc.) as the gold standard, the optimized Enc. intestinalis PCR method provided 85.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a kappa value = 0.865. Likewise, using the commercial BienusiGlo IFA (Waterborne, Inc.) as the gold standard, the optimized Ent. bieneusi PCR method provided 83.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a kappa value = 0.857. Sequencing of amplicons from both PCR assays confirmed the presence of Enc. intestinalis or Ent. bieneusi. In conclusion, our optimized assays for recovering and detecting Enc. intestinalis or Ent. bieneusi in feces from dairy calves provides a valuable alternative to traditional IFA methods that require expertise to identify extremely small microsporidia spores (~ 2.0 µm). Our assays also improve upon existing molecular detection techniques for these microsporidia by incorporating an internal standard to control for false negative reactions.
Evaluating the Impact of Fluorination on the Electro-optical Properties of Cross-Conjugated Benzobisoxazoles

Six 2,4,6,8-tetrarylbenzo[1,2- d:4,5- d']bisoxazoles (BBOs) were synthesized: three bearing phenyl substituents at the 2- and 6-positions and three bearing perfluorophenyl groups at those positions. The influence of perfluoro-aryl group substitution on the physical, optical, and electronic properties of 2,4,6,8-tetrarylbenzo[1,2- d:4,5- d']bisoxazoles (BBO) was evaluated using both experimental and theoretical methods. The density functional theory (DFT) model was found to be well-matched to the experimental optical data, as evidenced by the UV-vis spectra. Both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) were used to determine the position of the HOMO with varying results. The values obtained by CV were deeper than those obtained via UPS and correlated well with the theoretical calculations. However, the UPS values were more consistent with the expected outcomes for a system with segregated frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). The UPS results are also supported by the electrostatic potential maps, which indicate that the electron density within the LUMO and HOMO is nearly completely localized along the 2,6- or 4,8-axis, respectively. The summation of the results indicates that strongly electron-withdrawing groups can be used to selectively tune the LUMO level with minor perturbation of the HOMO, something that is challenging to accomplish in typical donor-acceptor systems.
Taking Me to the Correct Place: Vision-Based Localization for Autonomous Vehicles

Vehicle localization is a critical component for autonomous driving, which estimates the position and orientation of vehicles. To achieve the goal of quick and accurate localization, we develop a system that can dynamically switch the features applied for localization. Specifically, we develop a feature based on convolutional neural network targeting at accurate matching, which proves high rotation invariant property that can help to overcome the relatively large error when vehicles turning at corners. However, when the vehicle motion mainly involves translation, we apply the ORB feature to localize the vehicle, as it demonstrates similar accuracy in translation estimation. Through dynamic switching between features, we can accurately localize the vehicle with high time performance. To filter out noise features, we train a CNN neural network to semantically understand the images and filter the features from moving objects and infinity position. During the pose estimation stage, we rely on the depth of the 3D points to identify the inliers satisfying RANSAC. Experiments demonstrate the superb performance of our method.
Sequential Model-Based Optimization for Continuous Inputs with Finite Decision Space

AbstractOptimization using stochastic computer experiments is commonplace in engineering and industry. This article addresses the problem of optimization, in which the input space of stochastic com...
Diane Arbus’s Uncanny Aura

Diane Arbus’s photograph, Identical twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967, could stand as the icon of the photographic uncanny. Arbus’s photograph of these young girls inspires Stanley Kubrick to base the child ghosts in his horror film The Shining on Arbus’s photograph of the living girls. In unpacking Arbus’s uncanny photography, I move away from interpretations of the artist’s identity and instead read her photographs as self-aware purveyors of photography’s uncanny arc. By this I mean that Arbus’s photographs, regardless of whether she intended them to express such, work by a visual code that pulls the quotidian into the profound, “the inexhaustible openness” of the photograph. The doppelganger, the double, as a central motif of the uncanny is an animating principle in Arbus’s camera work with twins and doubles. Arbus’s work is deeply ensconced in the place of the artist’s origin: most of the oeuvre is composed of photographs of inhabitants of New York City and New Jersey, the part of the world into which Arbus was born and where she lived her life. Through the relationship between place and image, the uncanny aura of her work emerges. This chapter excavates the uncanny in Arbus’s oeuvre.
Quality of Rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines: An Overview Study of AGREE II Appraisals

Abstract Objective To evaluate the quality of rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG), specifically with respect to their applicability. Data Sources The Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for papers published between 2017 and 2019 that applied the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) CPG quality assessment tool to rehabilitation CPGs. Study Selection Deduplicated abstracts (N=449) were independently screened by 2 authors, resulting in 47 articles. Independent screening of 47 full texts by 2 authors resulted in a final selection of 40 papers appraising 544 CPGs. Data Extraction Data were extracted by 1 author using a pretested Excel form and were checked by a second author. Key data on the review papers included: purpose, methods used for finding and appraising CPGs, and observations and conclusions on CPG quality, specifically applicability. Key data on each CPG included the 6 AGREE II domain scores or 23 item scores, as well as 2 global evaluations. Data Synthesis The mean AGREE II domain scores for the 544 CPGs (all on a 0-100 scale) were: scope and purpose (72), stakeholder involvement (53), rigor of development (56), clarity of presentation (71), applicability (34), and editorial independence (50). Only 36% of CPGs were recommended without modification. The 40 review authors generally stated that all or most of the CPGs they appraised were poor or mediocre, especially with respect to applicability. They only infrequently pointed out what information, going beyond that specified in AGREE II, would enhance applicability. Conclusions CPGs in principle are an ideal means to move knowledge obtained from clinical research into practice. Our review of reviews of rehabilitation CPGs shows that they commonly have deficits, especially in terms of applicability. Much work needs to be done by guideline developers to make it easier for the average rehabilitation organization and clinician to implement CPGs in daily practice.