cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical versus surgical treatment of tachydysrhythmias

Traditionally, surgical therapy for tachydysrhythmias has been reserved for drug-refractory cases. Accordingly, there has been no study comparing medical with surgical therapy in similar groups of patients. Recent developments in surgical therapy for supraventricular and ventricular tachydysrhythmias have resulted in lower morbidity and mortality with good surgical success. In most patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, accessory pathway division can be performed with very low mortality and high chance for success, obviating the need for lifelong drug therapy. Similarly, in patients with life-threatening ventricular tachydysrhythmias, several operative techniques incuding the encircling endocardial ventriculotomy and subendocardial resection offer an alternative to therapy which often requires frequent dosing with one or more medications, each associated with a significant incidence of adverse effects. These newer operative techniques for both supraventricular and ventricular tachydysrhythmias are challenging the widely held concept that surgery should be reserved only for patients with drug-refractory tachydysrhythmias.
Eye movements and processing difficulty in object relative clauses

It is well known that sentences containing object-extracted relative clauses (e.g., The reporter that the senator attacked admitted the error) are more difficult to comprehend than sentences containing subject-extracted relative clauses (e.g., The reporter that attacked the senator admitted the error). Two major accounts of this phenomenon make different predictions about where, in the course of incremental processing of an object relative, difficulty should first appear. An account emphasizing memory processes (Gibson, 1998; Grodner & Gibson, 2005) predicts difficulty at the relative clause verb, while an account emphasizing experience-based expectations (Hale, 2001; Levy, 2008) predicts earlier difficulty, at the relative clause subject. Two eye movement experiments tested these predictions. Regressive saccades were much more likely from the subject noun phrase of an object relative than from the same noun phrase occurring within a subject relative (Experiment 1) or within a verbal complement clause (Experiment 2). This effect was further amplified when the relative pronoun that was omitted. However, reading time was also inflated on the object relative clause verb in both experiments. These results suggest that the violation of expectations and the difficulty of memory retrieval both contribute to the difficulty of object relative clauses, but that these two sources of difficulty have qualitatively distinct behavioral consequences in normal reading.
Cognitive Disability, Misfortune, and Justice

Les etres humains different cruellement dans les dons que la nature leur fait et ces inegalites peuvent affecter leur mode de vie. Fort de cette constatation, l'A. propose une reflexion sur le lien qui unit incapacite cognitive, malchance et justice sur un plan philosophique. Il insiste sur la methodologie suivie : il distingue en effet argument comparatif et argument non comparatif. Il explique pourquoi il prefere le second au premier. Il conclut sa reflexion sur le statut moral du caractere congenital des inegalites cognitives
Mycorrhizae and soil phosphorus affect growth of Celastrus orbiculatus

Celastrus orbiculatus is an exotic liana that exploits disturbed areas in the eastern United States and once established, can invade into relatively undisturbed forest ecosystems. Mechanisms facilitating its invasion are not fully understood, including whether associations with mycorrhizal fungi are related to its invasion success. We grew C. orbiculatus in a greenhouse and compared growth responses when mycorrhizal fungi or a fungistatic were added to growth media that was either phosphorus-limiting or non-limiting. Results indicated C. orbiculatus forms association with native endomycorrhizal but not with native ectomycorrhizal fungi regardless of phosphorus level. Plants grown with sufficient phosphorus had significantly higher above-ground morphological and physiological traits but significantly lower root biomass compared to plants grown in low phosphorus conditions. Although above-ground traits did not vary significantly between mycorrhizal versus fungistatic added treatments, root biomass was significantly less in plants inoculated with mycorrhizae compared to plants receiving fungistatic. Under low phosphorus conditions, mycorrhizae appeared to be beneficial to the plant although being mycorrhizal did not fully compensate for insufficient phosphorous in the greenhouse situation where pot size limited soil exploration. Our results suggest that in the presence of mycorrhizae or sufficient phosphorus, C. orbiculatus can respond by preferentially allocating energy to above-ground growth, thus supporting its liana growth form onto trees and allowing the exotic to outcompete native species for light resources. If mycorrhizal fungi aid in acquisition of phosphorus, this association could be related to the invasion success of C. orbiculatus.
Node-disjoint path routing in wireless networks: tradeoff between path lifetime and total energy

Survivability and lifetime are two important issues related to routing in wireless ad-hoc networks. Routing using node-disjoint paths enhances both survivability and data confidentiality. An elegant polynomial time algorithm has been reported recently that can compute node-disjoint paths connecting a source node to a destination node with minimum total energy. However, the problem of computing a pair of node-disjoint paths connecting a source node to a destination node with a lifetime no smaller than a given threshold has not been studied before. In this paper, we present efficient algorithms for computing a pair of node-disjoint paths connecting a source node to a destination node which either minimizes energy under lifetime constraint or maximizes lifetime under energy consumption constraint. We study the tradeoffs between path lifetime and total energy consumption in node-disjoint path routing and their effects on network throughput and network lifetime. Our preliminary simulation results show that routing with both path lifetime and total energy consumption considerations leads to significantly better network throughput and network lifetime.
A 2-D analytical solution for SCEs in DG MOSFETs

A two-dimensional (2-D) analytical solution of electrostatic potential is derived for undoped (or lightly doped) double-gate (DG) MOSFETs in the subthreshold region by solving Poissons equation in a 2-D boundary value problem. It is shown that the subthreshold current, short-channel threshold voltage rolloff and subthreshold slope predicted by the analytical solution are in close agreement with 2-D numerical simulation results for both symmetric and asymmetric DG MOSFETs without the need of any fitting parameters. The analytical model not only provides useful physics insight into short-channel effects, but also serves as basis for compact modeling of DG MOSFETs.
Subcritical Crack Growth at a Polymer/Glass Interface

Subcritical crack growth at polymer/glass interfaces can occur due to a stress dependent chemical reaction at the crack tip at a crack driving force less than the critical fracture energy for catastrophic crack propagation. A four—point flexure apparatus coupled with an inverted microscope allows observation in situ of the subcritical crack growth at the polymer/glass interface. The specimen consists of soda—lime glass plates bonded together with epoxy acrylate. In the four—point flexure test, the strain energy release rate is independent of the interfacial crack length. This test technique allows for subcritical crack growth at the polymer/glass interface to be measured as a function of the applied crack driving force and relative humidity. The results are discussed in terms of a fracture mechanics model.
Memento: Learning Secrets from Process Footprints

We describe a new side-channel attack. By tracking changes in the application's memory footprint, a concurrent process belonging to a different user can learn its secrets. Using Web browsers as the target, we show how an unprivileged, local attack process - for example, a malicious Android app - can infer which page the user is browsing, as well as finer-grained information: whether she is a paid customer, her interests, etc. This attack is an instance of a broader problem. Many isolation mechanisms in modern systems reveal accounting information about program execution, such as memory usage and CPU scheduling statistics. If temporal changes in this public information are correlated with the program's secrets, they can lead to a privacy breach. To illustrate the pervasiveness of this problem, we show how to exploit scheduling statistics for keystroke sniffing in Linux and Android, and how to combine scheduling statistics with the dynamics of memory usage for more accurate adversarial inference of browsing behavior.
Was inclusive legal positivism founded on a mistake

In this paper, I present a new argument against inclusive legal positivism. As I show, any theory which permits morality to be a condition on legality cannot account for a core feature of legal activity, namely, that it is an activity of social planning. If the aim of a legal institution is to guide the conduct of the community through plans, it would be self-defeating if the existence of these plans could only be determined through deliberation on the merits. I also argue that, insofar as inclusive legal positivism was developed as a response to Ronald Dworkin's critique of H. L. A. Hart's theory of law, it was founded on a mistake. For once we appreciate the role that planning plays in legal regulation, we will see that Dworkin's objection is based on a flawed conception of legal obligations and rights and hence does not present an objection that inclusive legal positivists were required to answer.
Quantitative assessment of emphysema from whole lung CT scans: comparison with visual grading

Emphysema is a disease of the lungs that destroys the alveolar air sacs and induces long-term respiratory dysfunction. CT scans allow for imaging of the anatomical basis of emphysema and for visual assessment by radiologists of the extent present in the lungs. Several measures have been introduced for the quantification of the extent of disease directly from CT data in order to add to the qualitative assessments made by radiologists. In this paper we compare emphysema index, mean lung density, histogram percentiles, and the fractal dimension to visual grade in order to evaluate the predictability of radiologist visual scoring of emphysema from low-dose CT scans through quantitative scores, in order to determine which measures can be useful as surrogates for visual assessment. All measures were computed over nine divisions of the lung field (whole lung, individual lungs, and upper/middle/lower thirds of each lung) for each of 148 low-dose, whole lung scans. In addition, a visual grade of each section was also given by an expert radiologist. One-way ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were used to determine the ability of the measures to predict visual grade from quantitative score. We found that all measures were able to distinguish between normal and severe grades (p<0.01), and between mild/moderate and all other grades (p<0.05). However, no measure was able to distinguish between mild and moderate cases. Approximately 65% prediction accuracy was achieved from using quantitative score to predict visual grade, with 73% if mild and moderate cases are considered as a single class.
Predicted and Measured Response of an Integral Abutment Bridge

This project examined several uncertainties of integral abutment bridge design and analysis through field-monitoring of an integral abutment bridge and three levels of numerical modeling. Field monitoring data from a Pennsylvania bridge site was used to refine the numerical models that were then used to predict the integral abutment bridge behavior of other Pennsylvania bridges of similar construction. The instrumented bridge was monitored with 64 gages; monitoring pile strains, soil pressure behind abutments, abutment displacement, abutment rotation, girder rotation, and girder strains during construction and continuously thereafter. Three levels of numerical analysis were performed in order to evaluate prediction methods of bridge behavior. The analysis levels included laterally loaded pile models using commercially available software, two-dimensional (2D) single bent models, and 3D finite element models. In addition, a weather station was constructed within the immediate vicinity of the monitored bridg...
Student Teaching’s Contribution to Preservice Teacher Development A Review of Research Focused on the Preparation of Teachers for Urban and High-Needs Contexts

Despite increasing emphasis on preparing more and better teachers and despite the near universal presence of student teaching across teacher education programs (TEPs), numerous questions about what and how student teaching experiences contribute to preservice teachers’ development remain unanswered. Indeed, much of the attention focused on student teaching in reform and policy discourses emphasizes student teaching’s structural and logistical dimensions—for example, its location, duration, and division of labor—but not its contributions to learning among preservice teachers, nor K–12 students. This article reviews empirical articles published over the past two decades to determine what and how student teaching experiences contribute to preservice teachers’ development as future teachers of students in urban and/or high-needs schools specifically. While keeping this central focus, the article also considers the implications of student teaching for the schools that play host to it and for the students who a...
Reducing power in flexible a-Si digital circuits while preserving state

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film circuits promise robust, lightweight, flexible displays and digital computation. Here, several methods for reducing standby-power while retaining logic state are investigated for such circuits. Lacking a PMOS load transistor, the conventional approach for retaining state is to dynamically shift values through memory elements. We investigate other methods and demonstrate 36/spl times/ power savings by introducing a nonshifting, refresh based operating mode.
Minimum wages, wages and employment in various sectors in Honduras

Abstract This paper contributes to our understanding of the impact of minimum wages on labor markets of developing countries, where there are often multiple minimum wages and compliance is weak. We examine how changes in more than 22 minimum wages over 1990–2004 affect employment, unemployment and average wages of workers in different sectors, defined by coverage under the legislation. The evidence suggests that minimum wages are effectively enforced only in medium and large-scale firms, where a 1% increase in the minimum wage leads to an increase of 0.29% in the average wage and a relatively large reduction in employment of − 0.46%. We find that public sector wages emulate minimum wage trends but the higher cost of labor does not reduce employment there. There are no discernable effects of minimum wages on the wages of workers in small-firms or the self-employed; yet, higher minimum wages may create more unemployment. We conclude that (even under our upper bound estimate of the effect on the wages of workers) the total earnings of workers in the large-firm covered sector fall with higher minimum wages in Honduras, which warrants a policy dialogue on the structure and level of minimum wages.
Stem cell factor, interleukin-3, and interleukin-6 promote retroviral-mediated gene transfer into murine hematopoietic stem cells.

The efficiency of retroviral-mediated gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is dependent on the survival and self-renewal of HSC in vitro during retroviral infection. We have examined the effect of prestimulation of bone marrow with various cytokines, including the product of the Steel gene, Steel factor or stem cell factor (SCF) (the ligand for the c-kit receptor) on the efficiency of retroviral transduction of the human adenosine deaminase (hADA) cDNA into murine HSC. Bone marrow cells were prestimulated for 48 hours with hematopoietic growth factors, then cocultivated with the packaging cell line producing the ZipPGK-ADA simplified retrovirus for an additional 48 hours with continued growth factor exposure. Nonadherant cells from these cocultures were injected into lethally irradiated recipients. The content of day 12 colony-forming unit-spleen (CFU-S12) in SCF/interleukin 6 (IL-6)-prestimulated and cocultured bone marrow was more than threefold greater than that of IL-3/IL-6-prestimulated bone marrow cells. All mice receiving bone marrow cells infected with the PGK-ADA virus after prestimulation with IL-3/IL-6 or SCF/IL-6 demonstrated hADA expression in the peripheral blood after full hematopoietic reconstitution. While all recipients of IL-3/IL-6- prestimulated bone marrow expressed hADA at 4 months posttransplant, in three independent experiments examining a total of 33 mice, in most recipients of SCF/IL-6-prestimulated and infected bone marrow cells, the expression of human enzyme was higher than IL-3/IL-6 mice. Southern blot analysis of DNA from hematopoietic tissues from these same mice prepared at least 4 months posttransplantation also demonstrated a higher infection efficiency of HSC as measured by proviral integration patterns and genome copy number analysis. These results suggest that the higher level of hADA expression seen in mice receiving marrow prestimulated with SCF/IL-6 before retroviral infection is due to more efficient infection of reconstituting HSC. Other growth factor combinations were also studied; however, prestimulation with SCF/IL-6 or IL-3/IL-6 appeared optimal. Using retroviral-mediated gene transfer and viral integration patterns, Steel factor (SCF) in combination with IL-6 appears to increase the survival and self-renewal of reconstituting hematopoietic stem cells and proves useful in effecting expression of foreign genes in transplant recipients. Such pretreatment may also be useful in the application of retroviral transfer methods to human cells.
Bitwise Biology: Crossdisciplinary Physical Computing Atop the Arduino

We present the design and deployment of a physical computing platform developed for a crossdisciplinary introduction to biology and computer science. Using the accessible Arduino interface as its foundation, students instantiate increasingly nuanced physical interactions with the environment. Biological and computational ideas receive equal attention through three layered projects that span from circuit design through the co-evolution of predator-prey robot behaviors. The low-overhead platform presented here scales to support sophisticated projects at surprisingly modest time-and-money costs
Human Mobility to United States of America and South Africa: Economic and Social Consequences in Host and Sending Countries

For many people who live South (Mexico, the Caribbean, and much of South American countries) of the United States and for nations in Africa North (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, etc) of South Africa moving away from their hometown can be best, sometimes the only option to improve their life chances. Human mobility (migration) can be hugely effective in improving their income, education and participation of individuals and families, and enhancing their children future prospects. They also contribute to the economy of the host country mostly by providing complementary labor for the most part. All these can be achieved mostly by lowering the barriers to movement and improving the treatment of movers. Yet movement is not a pure expression of choicepeople often move under sever constraints and face significant risk and uncertainty. A systematic comparison could be made between the United States and South Africa. The latter, after all, had recently undergone a dramatic political revolution, while the former has had a somewhat a stable democracy for over two hundred years. But further research revealed several similarities between the two cases, parallels that convinced me that the countries could be fruitfully compared. My research examines longitudinally the period of the last twenty years activities on both countries and interdisciplinary approach will be deployed.
FROST MOUNDS AT TOOLIK LAKE, ALASKA

Aggradation palsas and seasonal frost mounds can achieve topographic expression by localized pooling and freezing of water within the active layer. A distinction is drawn in this paper between palsas, which are permafrost landforms by definition, and seasonal frost mounds, ephemeral or oscillatory features surviving for less than 2 years. Subsurface water migration occurs in response to positive or negative pore water pressures generated during active-layer refreezing. Upward deformation results from stresses induced by the local addition of water and subsequent phase change and, in some cases, positive pore water pressures. In the absence of site instrumentation, processes associated with mound formation can be inferred by examination of massive ice cores, where a record of the aggradational event is preserved. Stratigraphic and petrographic characteristics of the core, ionic concentration patterns with respect to depth, and mound morphometric data were obtained for a large ice-cored frost mound which de...
Fundamental Steps in IEP Development Process

This article is about the fundamental if IEP development for the students with exceptional needs. It helps to understand fundamental that special education teachers/case managers and parent needs to know.
Spielberg, iconophobia, and the mimetic uncanny

Critical theorist W.J.T. Mitchell suggests that ‘images are like living organisms’ that behave – or appear to behave – as if they have lives of their own. Seen in these terms, the motion‐picture mecha named David is an example of the ‘living image’ that artists, alchemists, and others have long dreamed of creating – a ‘work of art in the age of biocybernetic reproduction’, in Mitchell's formulation. A.I. Artificial Intelligence amounts to Steven Spielberg's intuitive working‐through of these and related philosophical issues that Stanley Kubrick put into dialogical play when he conceptualized the project. This paper analyzes A.I. as a response to the mimetic uncanny brought forth by contemporary science, contending that in the film hostility toward mechas is a sign of existential terror of the doppelganger; that the abandonment of David represents a violent suppression of what Mary Douglas terms the anomalous intruder; that the Flesh Fair is an orgy of ‘creative destruction’, to cite Mitchell once more; an...
Examining variation in cost based on surgeon choices for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard of care for treatment of benign biliary disease. Declining reimbursements and increasing medical costs require physicians to examine closely their choices for equipment to decrease overall costs, particularly looking at key steps of cholecystectomy. The objective of this study was to examine variations between surgeons in equipment and operating room costs for elective LC. Elective LC performed at IUH West Hospital in 2013 was analyzed. Patient demographics, preoperative diagnosis, operative time, surgical equipment, and resident participation were tracked. Exclusion criteria included acute cholecystitis and cases with additional procedures. Electronic medical records for clinical data and administrative records for reimbursement data were reviewed. Total supply costs and disposable costs for key portions of the LC were analyzed. Reimbursements were obtained from all payers for LC. All LC were examined (n = 362) and 272 met inclusion criteria. Demographics and pathology were similar between surgeons. Operative time varied significantly (range 53–98 min) with the lowest cost surgeon taking the longest overall time. Times were significantly affected by resident participation. The total morbidity was 4 %, with no mortalities. Total supply costs by surgeon ranged from $412–$924. The most costeffective technique included the use of plastic locking clips and hook electrocautery. Hospital and surgeon reimbursements were $336–$11,554 and $669–$1500 respectively. This study highlights effects of surgeon choice as it relates to variable costs for surgical technique during elective LC without compromising safety. With healthcare reform emphasizing reduced healthcare expenditures, it is vital for surgeons to identify areas of unnecessary cost. Operating room time also contributes to cost, thus surgeons should implement techniques to complete procedures in a safe yet efficient fashion. Transparency by surgeons can lead to data that may support standardization of technique across a healthcare system to lower total supply costs.
Factors influencing length of stay after surgery for benign foregut disease

OBJECTIVES Length of stay (LOS) is an important measure of quality and healthcare costs. Variation occurs due to individual and institutional practices, case complexity and patient/social factors. Identification of variables affecting LOS may help develop enhanced recovery protocols. This study aims to identify factors influencing LOS following surgery for hiatal hernia, gastro-oesophageal reflux and achalasia. METHODS We identified all patients who underwent benign foregut surgery between August 2013 and July 2014 inclusive. Data from a prospectively maintained database were collected and univariate/multivariable analyses were performed. All patients were contacted to determine their 30-day readmission rate to any hospital. RESULTS One hundred and sixty-five patients were identified in the 12-month period; 68% underwent laparoscopic surgery and 32% open surgery. The rates of laparoscopic conversion to open surgery and operative mortality were zero. Statistically, the most significant predictor of LOS was the surgical approach. The median LOS was 2 days for laparoscopic surgery and 4 days for open surgery. Beyond the surgical approach, the following factors were significant in predicting LOS: for laparoscopic surgery patients, younger age, shorter operative time, nasogastric (NG) tube removal in the operation theatre (OT), OT exit before noon, low postoperative nausea counts and discharge to home rather than a skilled facility were associated with reduced LOS. For open surgery patients, younger age, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I-II, urinary catheter removal before discharge, discharge to home and discharge on the weekend were associated with reduced LOS. Whether surgery was primary or reoperation did not affect LOS. The overall 30-day readmission rate was 5% (laparoscopic 3% and open 12%; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The laparoscopic surgery approach, where feasible, in the treatment of benign foregut diseases is the strongest predictor of a decreased LOS. Modifiable factors influencing LOS include OT exit time, NG tube removal in the OT, urinary catheter removal in hospital and postoperative nausea control. Any implementation of enhanced recovery pathways to optimize these factors must monitor readmission rates and complications to confirm efficacy.
O2 reserve of left ventricle of isolated, saline-perfused rabbit heart

The heart from the pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbit was isolated, and a fluid-filled balloon was placed in the left ventricular chamber for assessment of isovolumic pressure development. The bicarbonate-buffered, physiological perfusate was aerated initially with 95% O2-5% CO2, and then progressive decreases in arterial O2 content (CaO2) were produced in a stepwise fashion by substituting N2 for O2 in the aerating gas mixture. If, for a specified set of experimental conditions, no change in ventricular function occurred after the initial decrease in CaO2, it was concluded that the heart was oxygenated adequately prior to the first CaO2 decrement. Accordingly, with perfusate flow constant at 35 ml/min, adequate oxygenation was achieved during aeration of perfusate with 95% O2 when ventricular contraction rate was 30 beats/min and temperature (T) 22 degrees C. The preparation may have been just marginally O2 sufficient when rate was 60 beats/min (T, 25 or 30 degrees C), but probably was hypoxic when contraction rate was 120 beats/min (T, 30 or 37 degrees C). Perfusion with pressure kept constant at 80 mmHg did not appear to alleviate this hypoxia when metabolism was elevated (rate, 120 beats/min; T, 37 degrees C). Thus, unless the contraction rate is very low, the addition of an O2-carrying vehicle to the perfusate appears to be necessary if O2 delivery to the isolated rabbit heart preparation is to be supramaximal.
Ureteral avulsion during uterine dilatation and evacuation: a case report.

Background Ureteral injury during elective pregnancy termination is rare and has been reported only 8 times. Two of these cases involved avulsion, and 1 occurred during a second-trimester procedure. Case Ureteral avulsion and damage to the lower colon occurred during second-trimester pregnancy termination. Although the ureter was initially thought to be intact on direct visualization of the pelvic ureter and stent placement, pathologic evaluation of the curettage specimen revealed a segment of ureter. Subsequently, intravenous pyelography confirmed ureteral avulsion at the junction of the ureter with the kidney. Conclusion Although damage to the ureter at the time of uterine evacuation is unusual, use of intraoperative intravenous pyelography may be advisable when injury is suspected but not obvious.
The want of control: ideas, innovations, and ideals in the modern management of diabetes mellitus

L'insuline a transforme le diabete en une maladie chronique, necessitant un controle permanent. Le developpement de la connaissance medicale permet aujourd'hui la mise au point de nouvelles series d'innovations therapeutiques
Total Liberation: The Power and Promise of Animal Rights and the Radical Earth Movement

David Naguib Pellow demonstrates his impressive scholarship of environmental justice and social movements in his latest work, Total Liberation. Exhaustive in its breadth of research and perspective...
Transfer student and gender issues within the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University.

Graduates with a B.S. or graduate degree from the Department of Animal Science (1986 to 1996) of Texas AM females were paid less and searched longer before finding their first job. Males and females responded similarly that courses were valuable (P = 0.16) and were taught effectively (P = 0.37) and that teaching assistants made positive contributions (P = 0.43). Females felt a lesser contribution to critical thinking ability, leadership ability, and technical expertise. Results suggest the continuance of current educational practices, but changes to specific issues should be initiated.
Research Resource: A Reference Transcriptome for Constitutive Androstane Receptor and Pregnane X Receptor Xenobiotic Signaling.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) (PXR/NR1I3) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) (CAR/NR1I2) members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily of ligand-regulated transcription factors are well-characterized mediators of xenobiotic and endocrine-disrupting chemical signaling. The Nuclear Receptor Signaling Atlas maintains a growing library of transcriptomic datasets involving perturbations of NR signaling pathways, many of which involve perturbations relevant to PXR and CAR xenobiotic signaling. Here, we generated a reference transcriptome based on the frequency of differential expression of genes across 159 experiments compiled from 22 datasets involving perturbations of CAR and PXR signaling pathways. In addition to the anticipated overrepresentation in the reference transcriptome of genes encoding components of the xenobiotic stress response, the ranking of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and gonadotropin action sheds mechanistic light on the suspected role of xenobiotics in metabolic synd...
Oxidative stress during hypoxia in isolated-perfused rat heart.

Reoxygenation injury in the heart, also known as the “oxygen paradox”, is characterized by the sudden release of cytoplasmic constituents upon reoxygenation of the myocardium following a sustained period of hypoxia. In recent years, reactive oxygen species have been indirectly implicated in producing cardiac reoxygenation injury in some model systems through the protection provided by various antioxidants (Ambrosio et al., 1987; Granger et al., 1986; Hess and Manson, 1984). However, other studies have failed to find such protection (Gallagher et al., 1986; Klein et al., 1988; Nejima et al., 1989; Uraizee et al., 1987) and our results (Kehrer et al., 1987), and those of other investigators (Bindoli et al., 1988; Vander Heide et al., 1987), indicated extracellular oxygen radicals are not involved in the oxygen paradox. Nevertheless, a variety of electron spin resonance studies have indicated that oxygen radicals are produced at reoxygenation (Arroyo et al., 1987; Baker et al., 1988; Garlick et al., 1987; Zweier, 1988). The production of free radicals during the ischemic period has also been reported (Baker and Kalyanaraman, 1989; Maupoil and Rochette, 1988; Rao et al., 1983). The unanswered question is whether any of these radicals, which may be generated intracellularly, are actually interacting with various tissue components to produce damage.
A Family Affair: Library Opportunities to Connect With Parents and Families

ABSTRACTParents are important aspects of our students' academic lives, and as such, should be acknowledged and considered as allies and potential partners with libraries. This article presents ideas for many ways in which libraries can engage with parents and families, while also exploring the benefits of such efforts. The broad areas in which these efforts fall include 1) overall student success, 2) connecting with other student-supporting and student-reaching entities on campus, and 3) supporting the critical efforts of student recruitment and retention. In this article, examples of different parent engagement opportunities are also discussed, including involvement in campus events, engaging with parent associations, considerations of legacy engagement, and collaboration with other campus units. The results of these parent-library initiatives and connections can help accomplish a variety of things including supporting student academic success, ensuring that the library is involved in other university st...
Physical Performance and Attrition Among U.S. Air Force Trainees Participating in the Basic Military Training Fueling Initiative.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Dietary intake of military initial entry trainees is often inadequate because of the structured food environment, lack of snacking, and limited time for meals. Inadequate intake during training increases risk for injury, poor performance, and attrition from training. A performance nutrition initiative was implemented at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland to mitigate this inadequacy in Air Force trainees and better reflect recommendations for active populations and mitigate nutritional inadequacy. Materials and Methods: Trainees (N = 867) in two squadrons either received a nutrition bar before bed (snack squadron n = 423) or did not (standard squadron n = 444). This study retrospectively compared trainees' attrition and fitness measures as recorded in the Basic Military Training (BMT) Surveillance database. Results: Both groups had similar rates of attrition and graduation at the end of 8 weeks (p = 0.23). At the start of training, only one out of four trainees in either Squadron passed...
Preparing Teachers in Evidence-Based Practices for Young Children With Autism

Efforts to transfer research findings on autism into public schools would benefit from further evaluation of teacher preparation models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model program th...
Maintaining Electric System Safety Through An Enhanced Network Resilience

Global environmental variations in the past two decades have contributed to a significant deviation of classic ecological patterns, leading to severe electricity outages triggered by extreme weather-driven phenomena. This has highlighted an urgent need for enhancing the resilience and robustness of the interconnected electricity grid against such high impact low probability (HILP) incidents. From the electrical safety point of view, it is essential to increase the operators’ awareness on a better understanding of such hazards and grid vulnerabilities, and enhance their preparedness on how to respond or mitigate the probable outages. This paper proposes a temporary, yet agile, restoration strategy in response to the forecasted HILP events, founded based on efficient utilization of the grid existing infrastructure, and aimed at improving its resilience against such extreme emergencies. The applied concept of reconfiguration is proactively planned to recover the electricity outages in a timely manner. In the meantime, two sets of metrics are proposed to quantify both the grid operational and infrastructure resilience. The presented framework aids the system operator to evaluate the outage recovery plans considering their impacts on system resilience and decide on the final implementation. The proposed approach is applied to the IEEE 118-bus test system facing an HILP event, where results reveal its applicability and efficiency.
Water and Environmental Security in the Middle East

Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority are linked by common aquifers that have recently become subject to overdrafting, contamination and negotiation. The present shortage followed a period of unprecedented exploration and exploitation of their water resources, with the Israelis using military force to secure their principal source watershed. The environmental security of the region’s scarce water resources has become a contentious issue and an impediment to regional development because the three entities have been unable to develop protocols for managing their
Predictions for the Sky-Averaged Depth of the 21 cm Absorption Signal at High Redshift in Cosmologies with and without Nonbaryonic Cold Dark Matter

We consider the 21 cm absorption signal expected at high redshift in cosmologies with and without nonbaryonic cold dark matter. The expansion of the early Universe decelerates strongly with dark matter, but approximately coasts without it. This results in a different path length across the epochs when absorption is expected, with the consequence that the absorption is predicted to be a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}2$ greater without dark matter than with it. Observation of such a signal would motivate consideration of extended theories of gravity in lieu of dark matter.
Inhibitory Interneurons Regulate Temporal Precision and Correlations in Cortical Circuits.

GABAergic interneurons, which are highly diverse, have long been thought to contribute to the timing of neural activity as well as to the generation and shaping of brain rhythms. GABAergic activity is crucial not only for entrainment of oscillatory activity across a neural population, but also for precise regulation of the timing of action potentials and the suppression of slow-timescale correlations. The diversity of inhibition provides the potential for flexible regulation of patterned activity, but also poses a challenge to identifying the elements of excitatory–inhibitory interactions underlying network engagement. This review highlights the key roles of inhibitory interneurons in spike correlations and brain rhythms, describes several scales on which GABAergic inhibition regulates timing in neural networks, and identifies potential consequences of inhibitory dysfunction.
Addressing Online Behavioral Advertising and Privacy Implications: A Comparison of Passive versus Active Learning Approaches.

Sophisticated technology advances are delivering new and powerful ways for marketers to collect and use consumer data. These data-driven marketing capabilities present a unique challenge for studen...
Oligometastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with stereotactic body ablative radiotherapy: Single-institution outcomes.

Purpose/objectives We analyzed outcomes after stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for oligometastatic (1-5 metastatic foci) head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (OM-HNSCC). Materials/methods We reviewed patients treated between 2012 and 2016. Endpoints included overall survival (OS), distant progression, and treated-metastasis local control (TM-LC). Results We analyzed 27 patients with 60 primarily metachronous metastases (81.5%). Median follow-up was 1.6 years (0.2-5.2). Median time from diagnosis to treatment was 1.1 years (0.08-8.5). Overall, 44.4% had solitary, 44.4% had 2-3, and 11.1% had >3 metastases; most metastases were in the lung (44 of 60 metastases). Median OS was 1.9 years; at 1 and 2 years, 78% and 43% were alive (14% without disease progression). Median time to progression was 0.5 years. The 1-year and 2-year TM-LC rates were 75% and 57%. Conclusions OS is encouraging and disease-free survival remains poor; nevertheless, patients with OM-HNSCC may represent a more favorable subset of patients with metastatic HNSCC.
Digital Imaging and Telemedicine

Digital imaging has become an important aspect of image acquisition, storage, and Output in all arenas of cytological investigation and analysis, particularly since the late 1980s, when Computer storage media and computational speed began their rapid improvement that continues through the present time. Even though Photographie materials still hold more pixels, or picture elements, than digital media, the ease with which images can be captured, manipulated, and Output to Microsoft Powerpoint® presentations, emails, web pages, and photographic-quality Computer prints has led to the widespread aeeeptance of digital images for scientific presentation. Some Journals currently request electronic Submission of papers, including illustrations, in digital format, totally bypassing hard copy of either text or images. Finally, telemedicine (Weinstein et al, 2001; Williams et al, 2001) allows pathologists and other medical personnel to send images quickly to other scientists and doctors for examination to help determine the cause of pathology and the treatment that should follow for the patient. This subdiseipline of digital imaging is guiding the way for biologists to share images and the information contained within them quickly with colleagues throughout the world.
Treatment Utilization and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Surgical Management of Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is an end-organ sequela of diabetes. We evaluated the roles of race and socioeconomic status in hospitalization rates and utilization of surgical treatments in these patients. Data was extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) between the years 2012 and 2014, and any discharge diagnosis of gastroparesis (536.3) was included. Gastrostomy, jejunostomy, and total parenteral nutrition were considered nutritional support procedures, and procedures aimed at improving motility were considered definitive disease-specific procedures: pyloroplasty, endoscopic pyloric dilation, gastric pacemaker placement, and gastrectomy. There were 747,500 hospitalizations reporting a discharge diagnosis of gastroparesis. On multivariable analysis, black race (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.89–1.98; p < 0.001) and Medicaid insurance (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.42–1.50; p < 0.001) were the strongest socioeconomic risk factors for hospitalization due to gastroparesis. Patients in urban teaching institutions were most likely to undergo a surgical intervention for gastroparesis (5.53% of patients versus 3.94% of patients treated in urban non-teaching hospitals and 2.38% of patients in rural hospitals; p < 0.001). Uninsured patients were less than half as likely to receive treatment compared to those with private insurance (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.34–0.48; p < 0.001), and black patients had an OR 0.75 (95% CI 0.69–0.81; p < 0.001) for receiving treatment. Urban teaching hospitals had a twofold higher likelihood of intervention (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.84–2.44; p < 0.001). Marked racial and economic disparities exist in surgical distribution of care for gastroparesis, potentially driven by differences in utilization of care.
Graph cuts with interacting edge weights: examples, approximations, and algorithms

We study an extension of the classical graph cut problem, wherein we replace the modular (sum of edge weights) cost function by a submodular set function defined over graph edges. Special cases of this problem have appeared in different applications in signal processing, machine learning, and computer vision. In this paper, we connect these applications via the generic formulation of "cooperative graph cuts", for which we study complexity, algorithms, and connections to polymatroidal network flows. Finally, we compare the proposed algorithms empirically.
Incidence of Middle Mesial Canals Based on Distance between Mesial Canal Orifices in Mandibular Molars: A Clinical and Cone-beam Computed Tomographic Analysis.

Abstract Introduction This study evaluated the presence of midmesial canals (MMCs) in a random sample of mandibular molars and the relationship of the intracanal distance between mesiobuccal (MB) and mesiolingual (ML) canal orifices. Methods Fifty-one extracted mandibular molars were divided into samples of 3 to 4 teeth, mounted in plaster and boxing wax, and immersed in water before cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging. Two endodontic residents completed the access openings. The teeth and the CBCT images were interpreted for the presence of MMCs and the mesial intracanal distance. CBCT software measured the distance between the buccal of the MB canal to the lingual of the ML canal at the pulpal floor to determine the average length between the canals. Results Seven distinct MMCs were seen both clinically (incidence of 13.725%) and on the CBCT images. Twenty-seven teeth (52.94%) had ambiguous broad isthmi between the MB and the ML orifices. MMCs were present at the furcation level but merged with the MB or ML canal toward the apex in 6 of 7 teeth (85.71%). The mean distance between the mesial canals in teeth with MMCs was 3.643 mm, and it was 3.818 mm for teeth without MMCs. According to independent sample t testing, the P value was >.05. Conclusions The incidence of MMCs in mandibular molars appears consistent with the literature. However, there does not appear to be a statistically significant difference in the mesial intracanal distance in teeth with and without MMCs. Visualization of MMCs on CBCTs may be subjective. There does not appear to be a correlation between the presence of MMCs and an increased or decreased mesial intracanal distance.
Introduction: Smart Spaces and Places

Smart technologies have advanced rapidly throughout our society and across geographic spaces and places. The “smart” developments have presented unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the d...
Victimization in Early Adolescence, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among Aging Sexual Minority Men: Findings from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.

Purpose: We investigated the relation between adversities in early adolescence and risk of a depressive phenotype in adulthood, and whether stress in adulthood modified these associations. Methods:...