cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Static and Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation Measurements

Background and Purpose Cerebral autoregulation can be evaluated by measuring relative blood flow changes in response to a steady-state change in the blood pressure (static method) or during the response to a rapid change in blood pressure (dynamic method). The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the two methods in humans with both intact and impaired autoregulatory capacity. Methods Using intraoperative transcranial Doppler sonography recordings from both middle cerebral arteries, we determined static and dynamic autoregulatory responses in 10 normal subjects undergoing elective surgical procedures. The changes in cerebrovascular resistance were estimated from the changes in cerebral blood flow velocity and arterial blood pressure in response to manipulations of blood pressure. Static autoregulation was determined by analyzing the response to a phenylephrine-induced rise in blood pressure, whereas rapid deflation of a blood pressure cuff around one thigh served as a stimulus for testing dynamic autoregulation. Both measurements were performed in patients with intact autoregulation during propofol anesthesia and again in the same patients after autoregulation had been impaired by administration of high-dose isoflurane. Results There was a significant reduction in autoregulatory capacity after the administration of high-dose isoflurane, which could be demonstrated using static ( P <.0001) and dynamic ( P <.0001) methods. The correlation between static or steady-state and dynamic autoregulation measurements was highly significant ( r =.93, P <.0001). Conclusions These data show that in normal human subjects measurement of dynamic autoregulation yields similar results as static testing of intact and pharmacologically impaired autoregulation.
Effects of exercise training on coronary heart disease risk factors in renal transplant recipients

Abstract Background: Multiple risk-factor interventions that include lifestyle changes have been proved to be effective in reducing risk profile in persons at high risk for developing coronary heart disease (CHD). There have not been similar studies involving transplant recipients. The purpose of this study is to examine effects of exercise training on cardiovascular risk profile during the first year after renal transplantation. We used traditional CHD risk factors and the Framingham CHD prediction methods. Methods: Ninety-six transplant recipients were randomly assigned to 2 groups at 1 month posttransplantation: the exercise training (EX group; n=51) and usual care groups (UC group; n=45). Testing was performed at baseline and 12 months posttransplantation and included maximal exercise testing and evaluation of CHD risk factors and risk-factor categories, determined by means of the Framingham equations. Results: Overall 10-year CHD risk score did not change in either group. All patients showed increases in total cholesterol (TC) level, high-density lipoprotein fraction of cholesterol (HDL-C), and body mass index over time. No differences were observed between groups, except for a trend toward greater improvement in HDL cholesterol levels in the EX group ( P = 0.07). Significantly more patients in the EX group moved out of the high-risk category in TC-HDL ratio. All patients remained in the high-risk category for physical fitness. There was a significant negative correlation of CHD risk and maximal exercise capacity ( r = −0.406; P Conclusion: Exercise training alone does not reduce CHD risk during the first year after transplantation. Research to determine the effects of multiple risk interventions during a longer period in transplant recipients is warranted.
The role of an untrusted relay in secret communication

We consider the communication scenario where a source-destination pair wishes to keep the information secret from a relay node despite wanting to enlist its help. A class of relay channels with orthogonal components is considered and an upper bound on the secrecy rate is derived. For the class of relay channels in consideration, we prove the relay and the eavesdropper can be separated to obtain an dasiaenhancedpsila channel in terms of secrecy capacity. We then consider two special cases of this channel model: (i) the Gaussian orthogonal relay channel, and (ii) the Gaussian Cover-Kim deterministic relay channel. For the former, the upper bound found is tighter than the previously known bound. For the latter, we show that the bound yields the secrecy capacity when the source-destination link is not worse than the source-relay link. This second case also provides the first example where secrecy capacity is achieved with compress and-forward at the relay.
Shape from Shading: Recognizing the Mountains through a Global View

Resolving local ambiguities is an important issue for shape from shading (SFS). Pixel ambiguities of SFS can be eliminated by propagation approaches. However, patch ambiguities still exist. Therefore, we formulate the global disambiguation problem to resolve these ambiguities. Intuitively, it can be interpreted as flipping patches and adjusting heights such that the result surface has no kinks. The problem is intractable because exponentially many possible configurations need to be checked. Alternatively, we solve the integrability testing problems closely related to the original one. It can be viewed as finding a surface which satisfies the global integrability constraint. To encode the constraints, we introduce a graph formulation called configuration graph. Searching the solution on this graph can be reduced to a Max-cut problem and its solution is computuble using semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation. Tests carried out on synthetic and real images show that the global disambiguation works well for complex shapes.
A multiconductance silicon neuron with biologically matched dynamics

We have designed, fabricated, and tested an analog integrated-circuit architecture to implement the conductance-based dynamics that model the electrical activity of neurons. The dynamics of this architecture are in accordance with the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism, a widely exploited, biophysically plausible model of the dynamics of living neurons. Furthermore the architecture is modular and compact in size so that we can implement networks of silicon neurons, each of desired complexity, on a single integrated circuit. We present in this paper a six-conductance silicon-neuron implementation, and characterize it in relation to the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism. This silicon neuron incorporates both fast and slow ionic conductances, which are required to model complex oscillatory behaviors (spiking, bursting, subthreshold oscillations).
Advanced practice providers: The solution to all that ails medicine?

Practicing at the top of your license. Continuity of care. Patient safety. Coordination of care. Cost savings. Evidence-based medicine. Best clinical practices. Standardization of care. Eliminating disparities. Meaningful use. Maintenance of certification (MOC). Continuing medical education. Market share growth. Patient satisfaction. Meaningful use. These are some of the criteria by which modern-day physicians are evaluated.
PILGRIMAGE AND PERFORMANCE: UZBEK WOMEN AND THE IMAGINING OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE 1920s

In August 1924, Anabibi Safaeva set off from her home city of Khiva, which was then the capital of the Xorezm People's Republic, to study in Tashkent, which was the administrative center of the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Safaeva traveled with some 160 students in a convoy of three boats down the Amu River toward the Aral Sea. However, misfortune befell Safaeva: her boat was attacked by basmachi s, a bandit or rebel gang. 1 The basmachi s killed all twenty-two of the men in Safaeva's group and carried off the women as captives. By the time that Safaeva was rescued, more than two months later, there was no longer a Xorezm People's Republic or a Turkistan Republic; instead, Safaeva's Khivan home was now in Uzbekistan, and Tashkent, the goal of her academic pilgrimage, had become the capital of Uzbekistan.
Polyphenols from Camellia sinenesis attenuate experimental cholestasis-induced liver fibrosis in rats

Accumulation of hydrophobic bile acids during cholestasis leads to generation of oxygen free radicals in the liver. Accordingly, this study investigated whether polyphenols from green tea Camellia ...
An Adaptive Law With Tracking Error Dependent Adaptive Gain Adjustment Mechanism

In many practical implementations of adaptive control laws it is of interest to limit the aggressiveness of the adaptive control law until it is needed in cases of abnormal operation. Many approaches have been taken in an ad hoc manner such as gain scheduling the adaptive gains or using switching mechanisms. However, none of these techniques offer a theoretically justified means of adjusting the adaptive control law in response to abnormal conditions. This paper presents a state feedback method for smoothly adjusting the adaptive gain of an adaptive law in response to increased levels of tracking error. This method allows a control designer to specify how the adaptive law adjusts its gain in response to increased tracking error. The effect of the gain adjustment process is reflected in an analysis of system tracking bounds. As the system tracking error increases, the gain adjustment mechanism warps the Lyapunov level sets in a manner that ensures tracking error remains small. The tracking bound analysis allows the theoretically guaranteed tracking bounds to be made small without necessarily requiring high adaptation gain. This offers a significant improvement over existing theoretical performance bounds.
Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: A Management-Centered Review

IN BRIEF Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes and can affect many aspects of life and severely limit patients9 daily functions. This article reviews the diagnosis, prevention, and management of painful diabetic neuropathy. This condition can be difficult to treat, which frustrates both providers and patients. Commonly used agents, including the recently approved duloxetine and pregabalin, are reviewed, and their effective dose ranges, titration schemes, contraindications, and recommended monitoring are discussed.
Structure–function analysis and genetic interactions of the yeast branchpoint binding protein Msl5

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Msl5 (branchpoint binding protein) orchestrates spliceosome assembly by binding the branchpoint sequence 5′-UACUAAC and establishing cross intron-bridging interactions with other components of the splicing machinery. Reciprocal tandem affinity purifications verify that Msl5 exists in vivo as a heterodimer with Mud2 and that the Msl5–Mud2 complex is associated with the U1 snRNP. By gauging the ability of mutants of Msl5 to complement msl5Δ, we find that the Mud2-binding (amino acids 35–54) and putative Prp40-binding (PPxY100) elements of the Msl5 N-terminal domain are inessential, as are the C-terminal proline-rich domain (amino acids 382–476) and two zinc-binding CxxCxxxxHxxxxC motifs (amino acids 273–286 and 299–312). A subset of conserved branchpoint RNA-binding amino acids in the central KH-QUA2 domain (amino acids 146–269) are essential pairwise (Ile198–Arg190; Leu256–Leu259) or in trios (Leu169–Arg172–Leu176), whereas other pairs of RNA-binding residues are dispensable. We used our collection of viable Msl5 mutants to interrogate synthetic genetic interactions, in cis between the inessential structural elements of the Msl5 polypeptide and in trans between Msl5 and yeast splicing factors (Mud2, Nam8 and Tgs1) that are optional for vegetative growth. The results suggest a network of important but functionally buffered protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions between the Mud2–Msl5 complex at the branchpoint and the U1 snRNP at the 5′ splice site.
Individual Differences in Males' Reactions to Gay Males and Lesbians1

Males who were tolerant or intolerant of homosexuals participated in an experiment wherein they interacted with a gay male, a lesbian, or a person of unknown sexual orientation. Results showed that although both attitudes toward homosexuality and the partner's sexual orientation affected reactions to that person. there were few effects due to target sex. Although men's reported attitudes toward gay males are more negative than their attitudes toward lesbians. these attitudes d o not necessarily affect reactions to these individuals.
Retrograde analyses of spinothalamic projections in the macaque monkey: input to the ventral lateral nucleus.

The distribution of retrogradely labeled spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons was analyzed in monkeys following variously sized injections of cholera toxin subunit B (CTb) in order to determine whether different STT termination sites receive input from different sets of STT cells. This report focuses on STT input to the ventral lateral nucleus (VL), where prior anterograde tracing studies identified dense or moderately dense STT terminations. Large and very large injections in VL produced large numbers of labeled cells predominantly in laminae V and VII (more than half as many as from massive injections in the entire thalamus). Medium-sized and small injections in VL labeled STT cells almost exclusively in laminae V and VII, in segments consistent with the coarse mediolateral VL topography; few or no cells were labeled in lamina I. All injections labeled the deep cerebellar nuclei (see accompanying article: Evrard and Craig,2008). Notably, even the most anterior injection in VL that produced dense pallidal labeling still labeled both STT and deep cerebellar cells. These observations indicate that VL receives STT input originating from laminae V and VII neurons that may be coextensive with its cerebellothalamic input. These findings support the role of laminae V and VII STT cells in sensorimotor integration and suggest a significant ongoing influence on both motor and premotor thalamocortical function. Together with the preceding observations of selective STT projections to other thalamic regions, these results provide compelling evidence that the primate STT consists of anatomically and functionally differentiable components. J. Comp. Neurol. 508:315–328, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Predicting the Movement of Mesoscale Convective Complexes

A procedure for operationally predicting the movement of the mesobeta-scale convective elements responsible for the heavy rain in mesoscale convective complexes is presented. The procedure is based on the well-known concepts that the motion of convective systems can be considered the sum of an advective component, given by the mean motion of the cells composing the system, and a propagation component, defined by the rate and location of new cell formation relative to existing cells. These concepts and the forecast procedure are examined using 103 mesoscale convective systems, 99 of which are mesoscale convective complexes. It is found that the advective component of the convective systems is well correlated to the mean flow in the cloud layer. Similarly, the propagation component is shown to be directly proportional ( but opposite in sign ) and well correlated to the speed and direction of the low-level jet. Correlation coefficients between forecast and observed values for the speed and direction of the mesobeta-scale convective elements are 0.80 and 0.78, respectively. Mean absolute errors of the speed and direction are 2.0 m s 01 and 177. These errors are sufficiently small so that the forecast path of the centroid of the mesobeta-scale elements would be well within the heavy rain swath of the typical mesoscale convective complex.
Hidden process models

We introduce Hidden Process Models (HPMs), a class of probabilistic models for multivariate time series data. The design of HPMs has been motivated by the challenges of modeling hidden cognitive processes in the brain, given functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. fMRI data is sparse, high-dimensional, non-Markovian, and often involves prior knowledge of the form "hidden event A occurs n times within the interval [t,t′]." HPMs provide a generalization of the widely used General Linear Model approaches to fMRI analysis, and HPMs can also be viewed as a subclass of Dynamic Bayes Networks.
Measurement and prediction of aging anxiety.

Anxiety about aging has been virtually neglected in extant research, but such anxiety should become increasingly important to understand as the population ages. This research addresses three questions pertaining to aging anxiety. First, is aging anxiety a meaningful unidimensional construct? Second, what is the age pattern of aging anxiety? Third, what factors influence aging anxiety? Confirmatory factor analyses are conducted to examine the factorial validity of an aging anxiety scale across age, sex, and race aggregates. Structural equation models are used to determine the influence of several covariates. There were several important findings, including that (1) aging anxiety can be measured as a single construct, although the scale taps a somewhat different dimension for younger persons; (2) fear of social losses does not appear to be a concern about aging; (3) the age pattern of anxiety is declining, except across midlife; and (4) race, gender, socioeconomic status, current health, income, education, ...
Support system for different-time different-place collaboration for concurrent engineering

To be effective in practice, concurrent engineering requires access to and organization of knowledge accumulated over time, product versions, and customers. More important, separate knowledge resources have to be shared and coordinated over space and time if successful design is to be accomplished. The authors, address the nature of communication in design, especially across disciplines, and the support systems that facilitate better communication. While a lot of research effort is being expended on same-time communications within a group, they consider, as well, the need for, and the problems associated with, different-time, different-placed communication. they present these views in connection with an on-going development effort, n-dim. >
Causal Attributions of Schizophrenia by Chinese American Caregivers

Abstract Causal attributions of schizophrenia by 30 Chinese American caregivers in the Los Angeles area are investigated. Stress-related and biological explanations are most highly endorsed. Interpersonal and familial stress attributions reflect the sociocentric culture and centrality of family. A better match in causal attributions is key to improving interactions between mental health service providers and Chinese American patients and their caregivers. To this end, a stress-vulnerability model is suggested. Higher acculturation is also found to be positively associated with biological attributions of the illness, and supernatural attributions significantly relate to caregivers' objective and total burden. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Beyond Barcelona: The politics of the Euro‐Mediterranean partnership

(1997). Beyond Barcelona: The politics of the Euro‐Mediterranean partnership. European Security: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 86-110.
Strategies to improve resident education in an 80-hour work week: Comparisons of learning and teaching styles

ESULTS: Anonymous responses were submitted by 1,019 stuents from 10 medical schools; of these, 986 (96.8%) were complete. f the nine interventions evaluated, seven revealed a statistically ignificant gender difference. Women would be more interested in urgery if a six-week maternity leave was more accepted during resiency (p 0.001), if child care was available at their hospital of emloyment (p 0.001), if part-time residency training was an option p 0.001), if part-time practice was commonplace (p 0.001), if a linical practice could be split with a colleague (p 0.001), and if here were more surgical faculty (p 0.001) and residents of their ame gender (p 0.001).
Plan representations for picking up trash

One of the difficult aspects of building an autonomous system, such as a service robot, is representing the plans needed to carry out tasks in unstructured environments. We outline the plans used by the University of Chicago entry in the 1994 AAAI robot competition. The robot was controlled using the Animate Agent Architecture, and the skills and RAPs presented constitute its task knowledge.
The origins, determinants, and consequences of human mutations

Germline mutations are the principal cause of heritable disease and the ultimate source of evolutionary change. Similarly, somatic mutations are the primary cause of cancer and may contribute to the burden of human disease more broadly than previously appreciated. Here, we review recent insights into the rates, spectrum, and determinants of genomic mutations and how these parameters inform our understanding of both Mendelian and complex human diseases. We also consider models for conceptualizing mutational consequences and outline several key areas for future research, including the development of new technologies to access and quantify the full spectrum of mutations, as well as to better interpret the consequences of mutations with respect to molecular functionality, evolutionary fitness, and disease pathogenicity.
Correction for Weigand et al., Complete Genome Sequences of Two Bordetella hinzii Strains Isolated from Humans.

Volume 3, no. 4, [e00965-15][1], 2015. Page 1: The byline and affiliation line should read as given above. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/genomeA.00965-15
Short-Run Elasticities of Supply for Milk

One of the major criteria used to establish the level of prices in Federal Order Markets is the expected output response of producers. This paper is concerned with a method for estimating producer responses to short-run price changes of the so-called supply-demand adjustor type in these markets. The model used differs from many previous studies of output response by incorporating the usual production economics considerations within the marketing restraints of an existing Federal Order Market to provide a spatial supply response. With further aggregating procedures, the model appears to be a useful analytical device for appraising short-run pricing policies in these markets. Short-run price changes of the magnitude considered in this study induced extremely limited changes in output but substantial changes in producer incomes. These results seem to indicate that the policy goals of short-run pricing were not achieved in the Federal Order Market analyzed.
Sleep Surface Corporation

Management of a company that has grown rapidly through acquisition is assuming the company's cost of capital as a preliminary to assessing the portfolio and the capital structure.
Nitric oxide contributes to dilatation of cerebral arterioles during seizures

Endogenous release of excitatory amino acids during seizures produces marked increases in neuronal activity and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels in brain tissue, which are mediated by nitric oxide (NO). We tested the hypothesis that dilatation of the cerebral microcirculation during seizures is mediated by NO. Diameters of cerebral arterioles were measured using a closed cranial window in anesthetized rabbits. Three, five, nine, and eleven minutes after the onset of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure (which releases endogenous excitatory amino acids), arteriolar diameter increased by 42 +/- 6, 30 +/- 3, 20 +/- 2, and 16 +/- 2% (means +/- SE), respectively, from a control diameter of 86 +/- 6 microns. Arterial pressure was maintained at control levels during seizures. In the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 300 microM), an inhibitor of NO synthase, vasodilatation during seizures was not affected at 3 min (40 +/- 8%) but was significantly reduced at 5, 9, and 11 min (17 +/- 5, 6 +/- 3, and 1 +/- 3%, respectively, P < 0.05 vs. control). Vasodilatation in response to topical application of acetylcholine (1 microM) was also inhibited by L-NNA (33 +/- 5 vs. 3 +/- 2%, P < 0.05). Dilatation of cerebral arterioles in response to nitroprusside (1 and 10 microM) was not inhibited by L-NNA. Thus sustained, but not initial, dilatation of cerebral arterioles during seizures appears to be mediated in part by NO.
Lecture in Remembrance of John McCarthy

Through the Lens of Drosophila: John McCarthy’s Quest for Human-Level Artificial Intelligence
Recyclable polyisobutylene (PIB)-bound organic photoredox catalyst catalyzed polymerization reactions

This describes the preparation of a recyclable organo photoredox catalyst that efficiently carries out light-mediated radical polymerizations of acrylates. This PIB-bound 10-phenylphenothiazine organic photoredox catalyst can be easily separated from the polymer product and reused via a facile biphasic separation process for 3 cycles with no significant loss of catalytic activity.
Posterior C1-C2 calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease rarely occurs in the posterior aspect of the craniocervical junction (CCJ). To the best of our knowledge, there have been only 2 previously reported cases of patients with posterior CPPD lesions in this region that have led to cervical myelopathy. We report the case of a 70-year-old man presenting with neck pain and cervical myelopathy with multilevel stenosis from C1-C6. The stenosis was worst at C1-C2, secondary to compression by a CPPD lesion posterior to the spinal cord. The patient underwent a C2-C6 laminectomy and fusion with resection of the CPPD lesion. In this report, we discuss the patient and present a novel theory to explain the preponderance of CPPD lesions in the CCJ occurring anteriorly and not posteriorly to the spinal cord.
Graphene Nanoribbon-Based Platform for Highly Efficacious Nuclear Gene Delivery.

Current efforts in the design and development of nonviral vectors for gene delivery and transfection have focused on the development of versatile agents that can load short or large sized genetic material, and are efficacious without eliciting toxicity in dividing and nondividing cells. Herein, we have investigated oxidized graphene nanoribbons (O-GNRs) as nonviral vectors for gene therapy and report in vitro studies that detail their cytotoxicity, intracellular and nuclear uptake, and gene delivery and transfection efficiencies. Our results indicate that, without additional functionalization with positively charged groups or other nonviral vectors, O-GNRs could load large amounts of small-sized single-stranded or large-sized double stranded genetic materials. O-GNRs at potential therapeutic doses (20–60 μg/mL) elicited lower cytotoxicity compared to widely used commercial nonviral gene delivery vectors (Polyethylenimine and Fugene 6). The O-GNR-plasmid DNA complexes showed uptake into vesicular structure...
Effects of nitrate on the diurnal vertical migration, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and the photosynthetic capacity of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium splendens

A non-thecate dinoflagellate, Gymnodinium splendens, was studied in a 12 d laboratory experiment in 2.0x0.25 m containers in which light, temperature, and nutrients could be manipulated. Under a 12 h light: 12 h dark cycle, the dinoflagellates exhibited diurnal vertical migrations, swimming downward before the dark period began and upward before the end of the dark period. This vertical migration probably involved geotaxis and a diel rhythm, as well as light-mediated behavior. The vertical distribution of nitrate affected the behavior and physiology of the dinoflagellate. When nitrate was present throughout the container, the organisms resembled those in exponential batch culture both in C:N ratios and photosynthetic capacity (Pmax); moreover, they migrated to the surface during the day. In contrast, when nitrate was depleted, C:N ratios increased, Pmax decreased, and the organisms formed a subsurface layer at a depth corresponding to the light level at which photosynthesis saturated. When nitrate was present only at the bottom of the tank, C:N ratios of the population decreased until similar to those of nutrient-saturated cells and Pmax increased; however, the dinoflagellates behaved the same as nutrient-depleted cells, forming a subsurface layer during the light period. Field measurements revealed a migratory subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer dominated by G. splendens. It was just above the nitracline during the day, and in the nitracline during the night, which concurs with our laboratory observations.
Efficacy of bromadiolone bait pellets for rodent control in urban dwellings

Objective To investigate if bromadiolone bait pellets were suitable for rodent control in urban dwellings and residence buildings in Wuhan. Methods A small amount of bromadiolone paddy bait was laid on staircases and external corridors of 2 residence buildings to detect bait consumed spots,and then bromadiolone bait pellets were laid on these spots.Rodent density was estimated by track plates before and after control.Researchers manipulated bromadiolone bait pellets control of commensal rodent for scattered dwellings and the residents were given rodent control education.The two trials were carried out for 8 weeks,follow-up practices were taken once a week.The efficacy in these dwellings was estimated before the end of the trial.Results The positive rates of staircases and external corridors before and after control were 60.0% and 4.7%,deratization rate was 92.2%.64 dwellings were investigated.The percent of effective,partly effective and none effective control dwellings were 76.6%,12.5% and 10.9% respectively.The average dosage of bromadiolone bait pellets per house for effective and partly effective dwellings was 170 g.Conclusion Bromadiolone bait pellets is suitable for rodent control in urban dwellings and residence buildings in Wuhan.
Cognitive-developmental systems theory in pervasive developmental disorders.

Cognitive-developmental systems theory guides the therapist toward the understanding and repair of the dysfunctional systems that children with pervasive developmental disorders use to process reality. Theory-driven strategies to help the children correct deficits in the body schema, coping with surroundings, social development, and communication and representation are discussed.
Inquiry, Relevance, Rules of Exclusion, and Evidentiary Reform (A Contribution to a Festschrift for Margaret A. Berger)

Federal Rule of Evidence 401 appears on its face to adopt a “god-view” standard of relevance, which looks only to the relationship between a proffer (the probans) and a target issue (the probandum) in some cosmic sense. This approach is deeply flawed, and renders the resulting notion of “logical relevance” both illogical and unable to do any work whatsoever. Instead, any workable concept of relevance must be seen as resulting from a tri-partite relationship between and among the probans, the probandum and the processor, that is, the human who acts as the “decoder” of the information (factfinder). This approach renders “relevance” as much a function of the decoder as the code. It makes the program of applying “naturalized epistemology” to the legal system not merely desirable, but necessary. And it carries significant implications for how to approach the question of evidence reform.
The Practice of Assertion under Conditions of Religious Ignorance

The knowledge and attendant justification norms of belief and assertion serve to regulate our doxastic attitudes towards, and practices of asserting, various propositions. I argue that conforming to these norms under conditions of religious ignorance promotes responsible acts of assertion, epistemic humility, and non–dogmatic doxastic attitudes towards the content of one’s own faith. Such conformity also facilitates the formation of the religious personality in a healthy direction in other ways. I explore these ideas in relation to the Christian faith tradition, but my reflections generalize.
Comparison of 30-Day Readmission Rates After Hospitalization for Acute Myocardial Infarction in Men Versus Women.

Readmission after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) significantly contributes to preventable morbidity and health-care costs. Outcomes after AMI vary by sex but the relationship of sex to readmissions warrants further exploration. Using the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database, we identified patients with a principal discharge diagnosis of AMI and stratified all-cause 30-day readmissions by sex and age. Of 214,824 patients, 44% were 18 to 64 years of age, 56% were ≥65 years, and 28% and 45%, respectively, were female. For patients 18 to 64 years, the readmission rate was 14% for women and 10% for men (p
SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR): Disability Application Outcomes Among Homeless Adults

Objective:The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program has been shown to increase access to Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits among homeless adults. However, little empirical data exist on how or for whom SOAR achieves successful application outcomes. This study investigated applicant and application characteristics associated with disability application outcomes among homeless adults.Methods:Secondary data on 6,361 SOAR-assisted applications were obtained. Multilevel models investigated between-applicant differences in application processing time and decision as a function of applicant and application characteristics.Results:Older age and living in an institution were associated with greater odds of application approval. Female gender and receipt of public assistance were associated with longer processing time and lower odds of approval. Except for quality review, SOAR critical components were associated with greater odds of approval.Conclusions:...
Self-assembly of nucleopeptides to interact with DNAs.

As a novel class of biomaterials, nucleopeptides, via the conjugation of nucleobases and peptides, usually self-assemble to form nanofibres driven mainly by hydrogen bonds. Containing nucleobase(s), nucleopeptides have a unique property—interacting with nucleic acids. Here we report the design and characterization of nucleopeptides that self-assemble in water and are able to interact with single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs). Containing nucleobases on their side chains, these nucleopeptides bind with the ssDNAs, and the ssDNAs reciprocally affect the self-assembly of nucleopeptides. In addition, the interactions between nucleopeptides and ssDNAs also decrease their proteolytic resistance against proteinase K, which further demonstrates the binding with ssDNAs. The nucleopeptides also interact with plasmid DNA and deliver hairpin DNA into cells. This work illustrates a new and rational approach to create soft biomaterials by the integration of nucleobases and peptides to bind with DNA, which may lead to the development of nucleopeptides for controlling DNA in cells.
Strengthening Innovation for Greater Exporting: A Strategic Path for Developing Country Firms

Innovation and exporting together form a strategic path toward growth and competitiveness for developing country (DC) firms. The purpose of this study is to understand ways of strengthening the path of more innovation for greater exporting by examining the roles of DC firm resources and environmental factors in innovation and exporting pursuits. Guided by the Contingency Resource-Based View, we studied these pursuits by Romanian wine companies by conducting interviews with firm managers and industry experts. We determined that innovation-exporting is influenced negatively and positively by five organizational and managerial resources (i.e., international market orientation, production costs, and financial and human resources, passion for excellence, and self-referencing), and six environmental factors at domestic, regional, and global levels (i.e., market development, market integrity, regional funding and regulation, country-of-origin effects, and global competitive intensity). The combination of effects indicates a complex set of dynamics shaping innovation-exporting actions of DC firms. There are several managerial implications of, and future research directions resulting from, our findings.
White-nosed coatis in Arizona: Tropical carnivores in a temperate environment

Intraspecific variation in ranging and social behavior can be perplexing, but also provides an opportunity to assess which behavioral attributes are labile in the face of geographic variation in resources. White-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) are group-living carnivores of tropical origin that possess an unusual social system. In the resource-rich tropics, larger-bodied males are solitary, whereas females live in groups (“bands”) along with young of both sexes, but leave them to give birth and wean their young. Males often disperse socially, but not spatially. We studied coatis in the Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona, a resource-poor, arid, and highly seasonal landscape. Using live capture and radiotelemetry in conjunction with microsatellite DNA analyses, we found that Chiricahua coatis exhibited the species-typical pattern of solitary males and gregarious females. Young males left their natal bands as yearlings, and some were found as adults within their natal home range. On the other hand, home ranges were expanded greatly. Bands, and some males, focused their movements in areas several km² in extent over periods of weeks or months but shifted those areas markedly among seasons. Some males followed the typical mammalian pattern of natal dispersal beyond their natal area. Rates of movement were higher and female associations appeared to be more flexible than in the tropics. Adult females sometimes ranged singly, not only around the time of parturition, but also when population density was low and occasionally otherwise. In addition, home range overlap was high among both sexes during some seasons, and female bands sometimes fused for prolonged periods. Core patterns of sociality are constant in both resource-rich tropical and resource-poor temperate populations, but coatis appear to make major adjustments in scale of movement and frequency of association in response to resource variation.
Postdisaster Reconstruction as a Cause of Intrastate Violence: An Instrumental Variable Analysis with Application to the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka:

Despite growing concerns about the effects of environmental changes, we only have disparate and seemingly contradictory findings about the relationship between natural disasters and intrastate viol...
Novel fast-track recovery protocol for alternative access transcatheter aortic valve replacement: application to non-femoral approaches.

Objectives Although the transfemoral approach for transcatheter aortic valve replacement is the preferred choice, alternative access remains indicated for inadequate iliofemoral vessels. We report the successful implementation of a novel fast-track (FT) protocol for patients undergoing alternative access transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with conventional controls. Methods Between September 2014 and January 2017, 31 and 23 patients underwent alternative access transcatheter aortic valve replacement under FT and pre-fast-track (p-FT) protocols, respectively. Comparisons of outcomes (in terms of mortality, complications, readmissions and resource utilization) were made before and after the implantation of the FT protocol in September 2015. Results Overall, mean age was 78.7 years in FT and 79.6 years in p-FT patients (P = 0.71). There were no significant differences in procedural (3.2% vs 13.0%, P = 0.301) or 90-day mortality (3.2% vs 17.4%, P = 0.151) between the FT and p-FT groups, respectively. Compared with p-FT patients, FT patients had significantly shorter intensive care unit stays (12 h vs 27 h, P = 0.006) and a trend towards more discharges within 3 days (41.9% vs 17.4%, P = 0.081). Resource utilization analyses projected a 56% and 17% reduction in the mean intensive care unit time (hours) per 100 patients and the total length of stay (days) per 100 patients, respectively, with respect to the FT approach. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and safety of the novel FT protocol for alternative access transcatheter aortic valve replacement, resulting in shorter intensive care unit stays, without increasing procedural complications or readmissions. With the expected increase in transcatheter aortic valve replacement utilization, FT protocols should be integrated with a multidisciplinary heart team approach to enhance patient recovery and optimize resource utilization.
A Metagenome-Wide Association Study and Arrayed Mutant Library Confirm Acetobacter Lipopolysaccharide Genes Are Necessary for Association with Drosophila melanogaster

A metagenome wide association (MGWA) study of bacterial host association determinants in Drosophila predicted that LPS biosynthesis genes are significantly associated with host colonization. We were unable to create site-directed mutants for each of the predicted genes in Acetobacter, so we created an arrayed transposon insertion library using Acetobacter fabarum DsW_054 isolated from Drosophila Creation of the A. fabarum DsW_054 gene knock-out library was performed by combinatorial mapping and Illumina sequencing of random transposon insertion mutants. Transposon insertion locations for 6,418 mutants were successfully mapped, including hits within 63% of annotated genes in the A. fabarum DsW_054 genome. For 45/45 members of the library, insertion sites were verified by arbitrary PCR and Sanger sequencing. Mutants with insertions in four different LPS biosynthesis genes were selected from the library to validate the MGWA predictions. Insertion mutations in two genes biosynthetically upstream of Lipid-A formation, lpxC and lpxB, show significant differences in host association, whereas mutations in two genes encoding LPS biosynthesis functions downstream of Lipid-A biosynthesis had no effect. These results suggest an impact of bacterial cell surface molecules on the bacterial capacity for host association. Also, the transposon insertion mutant library will be a useful resource for ongoing research on the genetic basis for Acetobacter traits.
Postoperative urinary retention after pelvic organ prolapse repair: Vaginal versus robotic transabdominal approach.

AIMS Postoperative urinary retention has been reported in 13-32% of patients that undergo pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair. The purpose of our study was to compare rates of urinary retention between transvaginal and robotic transabdominal approaches and identify risk factors for postoperative urinary retention following POP repair. METHODS Medical records of patients that underwent POP repair were reviewed. Surgeries included transvaginal high uterosacral ligament suspension (HUSLS) and robotic-assisted sacral colpopexy (RASCP). All patients underwent a retrograde fill voiding trial (RGVT) postoperatively. Demographics, comorbidities, preoperative urodynamic findings, and surgical procedures were compared between women that passed their RGVT and those that did not. RESULTS Out of 484 patients reviewed, 333 underwent POP repair with a transvaginal HUSLS and 151 underwent RASCP. Postoperative urinary retention was identified in 128 (26.4%) patients where 113 underwent transvaginal HUSLS and 15 underwent RASCP. The odds ratio (OR) of postoperative urinary retention following transvaginal HUSLS was 3.26 (CI 1.72-6.18; P < 0.001) compared to RASCP. Older age was also a risk factor for postoperative urinary retention (OR 1.03, CI 1.01-1.05; P = 0.012). While parity, preoperative post-void residual (PVR), and rates of concomitant transvaginal anterior/posterior repair were significantly higher in patients that developed postoperative urinary retention on univariate analysis, these factors did not demonstrate significance on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Transvaginal HUSLS demonstrates a 3.26 OR for postoperative urinary retention compared to the robotic transabdominal approach. Older age is also a significant risk factor whereas parity, preoperative PVR, and rates of concomitant transvaginal anterior/posterior repair were not significant risk factors on multivariate analysis.
Coagulation Perturbations After Severe Injury: Translational Approaches and the State of the Science

Despite evidence of acute traumatic coagulopathy hiding in plain site for decades, coagulopathy after trauma was thought to result from the iatrogenic effects of otherwise well-intentioned resuscitation. The luminary shock research of the late 1960s and early 1970s combined with advances in blood banking result in a cold red blood cell and crystalloid-based resuscitation practice which prevailed for decades. Indeed, the initial groundbreaking work on hemorrhagic shock revealed that shocked patients required both oxygen carrying capacity and blood flow (pressure) for survival [1–3]. While much of this early work was done in the era of whole blood, this was largely forgotten as a result of the contemporaneously timed move away from whole blood transfusion toward component therapy. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the blood banking community realized that they could component separate whole blood thereby taking a unit of whole blood and converting it to components; one unit of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) one unit of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) some part of a unit of platelets with the remainder becoming cryoprecipitate consisting of concentrated factors and fibrinogen. The white blood cells were spun or filtered off variably during the process. These changes which were initially made for resource allocation and financial reasons were solidified in the early 1980s by the emergence of HIV and concerns about the safety of the blood supply. Hence the new understanding from research on shock that our patients need oxygen carrying capacity and flow and left with components in the blood bank and crystalloid on the shelf our resuscitation practices evolved toward the delivery of large volumes of cold packed red blood cells and many liters of salt water. It was for decades common to resuscitate severely injured patients with multiple units of packed red blood cells and many liters of crystalloid with little to no attention paid to coagulation measures or any need for plasma or platelets. These resuscitation practices resulted in the creation of or exacerbation of iatrogenic coagulopathy characterized by dilution, hypothermia, and acidosis described below.
Suffering and sovereignty: Martyrdom in the late modern West

This article investigates the recent martyrdom of the French Catholic priest Jacques Hamel in order to assess the possibilities of sacrificial commemoration in a world that is increasingly globaliz...
Demonstration of Lyssaviruses by Electron Microscopy

Because of time constraints, electron microscopy has not typically been used on the front lines for diagnosis of lyssavirus infections such as rabies virus (RABV). However, the ability to use rapid microwave processing for thin section samples, and the possibility of conducting negative stain electron microscopy on fixed, homogenized brain tissue, has reduced the turnaround time for such testing.
Long-term survival after post-hepatectomy liver failure for colorectal liver metastases.

Abstract Background While post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) accurately predicts short-term mortality, its role in prognosticating long-term overall survival (OS) remains unclear. Methods Patients who underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after portal vein embolization during 1999–2015 were evaluated retrospectively. PHLF was defined per International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS) criteria and as PeakBil >7 mg/dl. Survival was analyzed using log-rank statistic and Cox regression; patient mortality within 90 days was excluded. Results Of 175 patients, 68 (39%) had PHLF according to ISGLS criteria, including 40 (23%) with ISGLS grade B/C, and 14 (8%) had PeakBil >7 mg/dl. Patients with PeakBil >7 mg/dl had significantly worse OS than patients without PHLF (median OS, 16 vs 58 months, p = 0.001). Patients with ISGLS defined PHLF (p = 0.251) and patients with ISGLS grade B/C PHLF (p = 0.220) did not have worse OS than patients without PHLF. Conclusion Peak bilirubin >7 mg/dl impacts on long-term survival after hepatectomy for CRLM and is a better predictor of long-term survival than ISGLS-defined PHLF.