cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adverse Drug Event-Related Emergency Department Visits Associated With Complex Chronic Conditions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Outpatient adverse drug events (ADEs) can result in serious outcomes requiring emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. The incidence and severity of ADEs in children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs), who often take multiple medications, is unknown. We sought to describe the characteristics of ADE-related ED visits, including association with CCC status; determine the implicated medications; and determine if CCC status increased the risk of ADE-related admission. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of ED visits by patients aged 0 to 18 years using a national sample. ADEs were identified by external cause of injury codes; cases with overdose, wrongful administration, self-harm, or diagnosis of malignancy were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test outcomes of having an ADE-related ED visit and of subsequent admission. All statistics accounted for the complex survey design. RESULTS: Of 144 million ED visits, 0.5% were associated with ADEs. Adjusting for age, gender, insurance type, day of week, and location of hospital, ADEs were associated with the presence of a CCC (odds ratio 4.76; 95% confidence interval: 4.45–5.10). The implicated medications differed significantly by CCC status. Adjusting for the same variables, ADEs were associated with subsequent inpatient admission (odds ratio 2.18; 95% confidence interval: 2.04–2.32) for all children; an interaction between ADE and CCC status was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: ED visits associated with ADEs were more likely to occur for children with CCCs, and the implicated drugs differed, but ADE-related admissions were not differentially affected by CCC status.
Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Subtypes Isolated from Wild Birds in the United States, 2006–2008

Due to concerns that high pathogenicity avian influenza would enter into the United States, an interagency strategic plan was developed to conduct surveillance in wild birds in order to address one of the possible pathways of entry. The USDA and state wildlife agencies participated in this effort by collecting samples from 145,055 wild birds from April 2006 through March 2008 in all 50 states. The majority (59%) of all wild bird samples was collected from dabbling ducks, and 91% of H5 detections using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) were in dabbling ducks. Apparent prevalence of H5 by rRT-PCR in all birds sampled was 0.38%. Most (48%) H5 detections were found in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Thirty-three virus subtypes were identified; H5N2 was the most prevalent subtype and accounted for 40% of all virus isolations. We present the virus subtypes obtained from the national surveillance effort and compare them with research results published from various countries.
Measurement of Biocolloid Collision Efficiencies for Granular Activated Carbon by Use of a Two-Layer Filtration Model

Point-of-use filters containing granular activated carbon (GAC) are an effective method for removing certain chemicals from water, but their ability to remove bacteria and viruses has been relatively untested. Collision efficiencies (α) were determined using clean-bed filtration theory for two bacteria (Raoutella terrigena 33257 and Escherichia coli 25922), a bacteriophage (MS2), and latex microspheres for four GAC samples. These GAC samples had particle size distributions that were bimodal, but only a single particle diameter can be used in the filtration equation. Therefore, consistent with previous reports, we used a particle diameter based on the smallest diameter of the particles (derived from the projected areas of 10% of the smallest particles). The bacterial collision efficiencies calculated using the filtration model were high (0.8 ≤ α ≤ 4.9), indicating that GAC was an effective capture material. Collision efficiencies greater than unity reflect an underestimation of the collision frequency, likely as a result of particle roughness and wide GAC size distributions. The collision efficiencies for microspheres (0.7 ≤ α ≤ 3.5) were similar to those obtained for bacteria, suggesting that the microspheres were a reasonable surrogate for the bacteria. The bacteriophage collision efficiencies ranged from ≥0.2 to ≤0.4. The predicted levels of removal for 1-cm-thick carbon beds ranged from 0.8 to 3 log for the bacteria and from 0.3 to 1.0 log for the phage. These tests demonstrated that GAC can be an effective material for removal of bacteria and phage and that GAC particle size is a more important factor than relative stickiness for effective particle removal.
Glucagonocentric restructuring of diabetes: a pathophysiologic and therapeutic makeover.

The hormone glucagon has long been dismissed as a minor contributor to metabolic disease. Here we propose that glucagon excess, rather than insulin deficiency, is the sine qua non of diabetes. We base this on the following evidence: (a) glucagon increases hepatic glucose and ketone production, catabolic features present in insulin deficiency; (b) hyperglucagonemia is present in every form of poorly controlled diabetes; (c) the glucagon suppressors leptin and somatostatin suppress all catabolic manifestations of diabetes during total insulin deficiency; (d) total β cell destruction in glucagon receptor–null mice does not cause diabetes; and (e) perfusion of normal pancreas with anti-insulin serum causes marked hyperglucagonemia. From this and other evidence, we conclude that glucose-responsive β cells normally regulate juxtaposed α cells and that without intraislet insulin, unregulated α cells hypersecrete glucagon, which directly causes the symptoms of diabetes. This indicates that glucagon suppression or inactivation may provide therapeutic advantages over insulin monotherapy.
Conventional and New Treatment Options for Myelofibrosis With Myeloid Metaplasia

The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the clonal myeloproliferation and reactive marrow fibrosis that characterize myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) are poorly understood. Recent advances into the pathophysiology of the disease have not yet translated into effective therapeutic options for patients. There is no standard treatment, and no therapies identified yet, besides allogeneic stem cell transplantation, that will significantly change the natural history of MMM. Treatment is therefore palliative and is geared towards alleviating symptoms of the disease and improving blood counts. Conventional therapies for anemia include androgens and corticosteroids. Cytoreductive agents such as hydroxyurea are indicated for symptomatic organomegaly and the control of leucocytosis or thrombocytosis. Several novel agents have been investigated in the recent past, and include antiangiogenic agents and signal transduction inhibitors that target the angiogenic and fibrogenic cytokines that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the detrimental bone marrow stromal reaction. Ultimately, an improved understanding of the biological factors that cause the clonal myeloproliferation in MMM will lead to the development of effective therapeutic interventions.
End-to-end rate-distortion optimized MD mode selection for multiple description video coding

Multiple description (MD) video coding can be used to reduce the detrimental effects caused by transmission over lossy packet networks. A number of approaches have been proposed for MD coding, where each provides a different tradeoff between compression efficiency and error resilience. How effectively each method achieves this tradeoff depends on the network conditions as well as on the characteristics of the video itself. This paper proposes an adaptive MD coding approach which adapts to these conditions through the use of adaptive MD mode selection. The encoder in this system is able to accurately estimate the expected end-to-end distortion, accounting for both compression and packet loss-induced distortions, as well as for the bursty nature of channel losses and the effective use of multiple transmission paths. With this model of the expected end-to-end distortion, the encoder selects between MD coding modes in a rate-distortion (R-D) optimized manner to most effectively tradeoff compression efficiency for error resilience. We show how this approach adapts to both the local characteristics of the video and network conditions and demonstrates the resulting gains in performance using an H.264-based adaptive MD video coder.
Regionally Specific and Genome-Wide Analyses Conclusively Demonstrate the Absence of CpG Methylation in Human Mitochondrial DNA

Although CpG methylation clearly distributes genome-wide in vertebrate nuclear DNA, the state of methylation in the vertebrate mitochondrial genome has been unclear. Several recent reports using immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods concluded that human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has much more than the 2 to 5% CpG methylation previously estimated. However, these methods do not provide information as to the sites or frequency of methylation at each CpG site. Here, we have used the more definitive bisulfite genomic sequencing method to examine CpG methylation in HCT116 human cells and primary human cells to independently answer these two questions. We found no evidence of CpG methylation at a biologically significant level in these regions of the human mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, unbiased next-generation sequencing of sodium bisulfite treated total DNA from HCT116 cells and analysis of genome-wide sodium bisulfite sequencing data sets from several other DNA sources confirmed this absence of CpG methylation in mtDNA. Based on our findings using regionally specific and genome-wide approaches with multiple human cell sources, we can definitively conclude that CpG methylation is absent in mtDNA. It is highly unlikely that CpG methylation plays any role in direct control of mitochondrial function.
Reward-predictive value in learning-related hippocampal neural activity

We use point process likelihood models to explain the spiking activity of individual hippocampal pyramidal neurons as a function of task-relevant covariates and their Temporal Difference (TD) reward-predictive value during reinforcement learning. Our results suggest that CA1 and CA3 neurons may signal information about the reward-predictive value of task-relevant signals pertinent to the acquisition of behavioral strategies that maximize reward, with more CA1 but not CA3 neurons doing so during novel versus familiar experiences.
TRANQUIL: a language for an array processing computer

TRANQUIL is the algorithmic language which will be used to write programs for ILLIAC IV, a parallel computer which has been described by Barnes et al. ILLIAC IV is designed to be an array of 256 coupled processing elements (PE's) arranged in four quadrants in each of which the 64 PE's are driven by instructions emanating from a single control unit (CU). Each of the 256 PE's is to have 2048 words of 64 bit semiconductor memory with a 250 nanosecond cycle time and an instruction set which includes floating point arithmetic on both 64 bit and 32 bit operands with options for rounding and normalization, 8 bit byte operations, and a wide range of tests due to the use of addressable registers and a full set of comparisons. The PE's differ from conventional digital computers in two main ways. Firstly, each is capable of communicating data to its four neighboring PE's in the array by means of routing instructions. Secondly, each PE is able to set its own mode registers, thus effectively enabling or disabling itself for the transmission of data or the execution of instructions from its CU.
Topic Extraction and Extension to Support Concept Mapping

Successful knowledge management may depend not only on knowledge capture, but on knowledge construction—on formulating new and useful knowledge that was not previously available. Electronic concept mapping tools are a promising method for supporting knowledge capture and construction, but users may find it difficult to determine the right knowledge to include. Consequently, knowledge-based methods for suggesting relevant information are desirable for supporting the knowledge modeling process. We are developing methods to aid concept mapping by suggesting relevant information to compare, contrast, and possibly include in knowledge models represented as concept maps. This paper presents two specific methods we are developing for this task, both of which automatically identify topics related to a concept map in order to guide the retrieval of related information. The first, DISCERNER, automatically organizes concept map libraries into a hierarchical structure of topic categories and subcategories that are used as indices for efficient access to relevant stored concept maps. The second, EXTENDER, characterizes the topics of concept maps under construction, applies clustering techniques to the resulting information, and performs incremental web-mining for new but related, topics. It suggests these topics as potential areas for extending the existing concept map or to include in new maps to increase current knowledge coverage. Key knowledge management issues include how to represent, capture, and construct needed knowledge, and how to access stored knowledge as needed. Concept maps and electronic concept mapping tools provide a representation and knowledge construction method that both novices and experts can use to directly develop and compare knowledge models. Recent research focuses on augmenting these tools by applying knowledge-based technologies to build “intelligent suggesters.” These suggesters support users by suggesting relevant concepts, concept maps, and other resources to
Framed-quadtree path planning for mobile robots operating in sparse environments

Mobile robots operating in vast outdoor unstructured environments often only have incomplete maps and must deal with new objects found during traversal. Path planning in such sparsely occupied regions must be incremental to accommodate new information, and, must use efficient representations. In previous work we have developed an optimal method D* to plan paths when the environment is not known ahead of time, but, rather is discovered as the robot moves around. To date, D* has been applied to a uniform grid representation for obstacles and free space. In this paper we propose the use of D* with framed quadtrees to improve the efficiency of planning paths in sparse environments. The new system has been tested in simulation as well on an autonomous jeep, equipped with local obstacle avoidance capabilities. We show how the use of framed quadtrees improves performance in terms of path length, computation speed, and memory requirements.
Central venous catheterization using a perfused human cadaveric model: application to surgical education.

Objective The purpose of this article is to present a unique training model using a perfused human cadaver for central line placement training with the ultimate goal of reducing central venous catheter mechanical complications. Design The applicability of the fresh tissue cadaver model for central line placement was assessed using a 10-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert-type scale. Respondents were asked to rate their opinions as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. Setting All participants received a didactic lecture followed by supervised practice on a commercially available simulator. The students were then relocated to the Fresh Tissue Dissection Laboratory where they practiced central vein catheterization on a fresh perfused human cadaver. Participants Course participants included 87 physicians from various medical specialties at different stages of training. Results Results of the survey demonstrated that 91% of the participating physicians found the perfused cadaveric model to be a true simulation of conditions that exist in live patients, and 98% reported that the use of this model promoted acquisition of technical skills. Conclusion The integration of central line placement training on perfused cadavers into residency and fellowship training provides an unparalleled realistic simulation to participants. Further study is needed to assess whether realistic simulation translates into objective end points such as decreased mechanical complications.
What we can learn from small units of analysis

This article provides motivation for examining small geographic units of analysis based on a causal logic framework. Local, spatial, and contextual effects are confounded when using larger units of analysis, as well as treatment effect heterogeneity. I relate these types of confounds to all types of aggregation problems, including temporal aggregation, and aggregation of dependent or explanatory variables. Unlike prior literature critiquing the use of aggregate level data, examples are provided where aggregation is unlikely to hinder the goals of the particular research design, and how heterogeneity of measures in smaller units of analysis is not a sufficient motivation to examine small geographic units. Examples of these confounds are presented using simulation with a dataset of crime at micro place street units (i.e. street segments and intersections) in Washington, D.C.
Culture and Trans-Border Effects: Northern Individualism Meets Third-Generation Human Rights

The Northern/Western industrialized states exercise their power in accordance with their neoclassical perspective - which focuses on individual wealth. On the international field, we see the result in the behavior of the most powerful aggregation of individuals, the multinationals. Today, the North is waging two battles of both real and symbolic importance, one against corruption, and the other against AIDS. In this context, the North defines corruption through, for example, the OECD's anti-bribery convention, so as to assist the North-based multinational. This convention has transborder effects not sensitive to the cultural realities of bribe-receiving jurisdictions (generally assumed by the OECD to be located in the South). Similarly, the North's response to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa has focused on the financial interests of the individual multinationals. These enterprises, sheltered behind the WTO's TRIPS Agreement, have sought to impose intellectual property rights nation-by-nation, despite the disease's transborder impact on the world-wide population. So long as the North retains disproportionate power, one means of righting the balance is to modify the North's pro-individual, wealth-maximizing perspective. Third-generation human rights, because of their focus on transborder effects and on culture, can be the tool to reshape the North's perspective.
The Effect of iPad Use During Independent Practice for Students with Challenging Behavior

In the classroom, time on-task is critical because it is linked to learning and success. When off-task behaviors occur, substantial learning and instructional time may be lost. Many students with disabilities struggle with remaining on-task, particularly during independent practice periods. Strategies to increase time on-task during classroom activities are sorely needed, particularly for independent practice. An alternating treatments design was used to investigate the effect of an iPad on time on-task during independent practice for three students with emotional/behavioral disorders compared to their time on-task during a typical independent practice condition. Additionally, teachers’ and students’ viewpoints regarding effectiveness of the iPad and acceptability of its use were assessed. Findings suggested that iPad use produced increased time on-task compared to the typical independent practice condition for all three students. Teachers and students perceived the iPad as a positive addition as they both viewed it as effective and acceptable. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are also addressed.
Atomistic Simulations of Point Defect Properties in Silicon

A systematic analysis based on atomistic simulations is presented for the calculation of energies and equilibrium concentrations of intrinsic point defects in silicon. Calculation of Gibbs free energies is based on the quasi-harmonic approximation for the reference state and the cumulant analysis of the enthalpy distribution function from Monte Carlo simulations in the reference state. Results are presented for the temperature dependence of enthalpies, volumes, and free energies of formation and thermal equilibrium concentrations of vacancies and self-interstitials.
PRACTICAL METHODS OF ESTIMATING VOLUME AND FRESH WEIGHT OF BIRD EGGS

Bird eggs begin to lose weight as soon as they are laid but their volume and linear dimensions do not change during incubation. The volume of an egg can be estimated within 2% from the relationship: Volume = 0.51. LB2, where L is the length and B is the breadth (maximum diameter). The fresh weight of an egg can be estimated within 2% from the relationship: Weight = Kw' LB 2, where K w is a species-specific constant that can be determined empirically or calculated from published data. Received 25 April 1978, accepted 28 October 1978. IT is frequently useful to know the fresh weight of a bird's egg. One reason is that many aspects of the biology of bird eggs can be predicted from their weight and these predicted values can be used when empirical data are lacking. Alternatively, one way to detect adaptations to unusual situations is by comparing observed values with values predicted for an "average" egg. Some of the parameters that can be predicted from weight are metabolic rate (Rahn et al. 1974), incubation period (Rahn and Ar 1974), water vapor conductance (Ar et al. 1974), the daily rate of water loss (Drent 1970), surface area, density, and shell weight (Paganelli et al. 1974), and the relation of egg weight to adult body weight (Huxley 1923-24, Rahn et al. 1975). Additionally, accurate values of fresh egg weight are required for the calculation of fractional weight loss from the daily rate of water loss (Rahn and Ar 1974) and the estimation of incubation age (Westerkov 1950). However, fresh egg weight can only be determined at the time of laying because the egg immediately begins to lose weight by diffusion of water vapor. This daily loss is proportional to the 0.74 power of egg weight (Drent 1970) and totals about 16% of the initial weight by the end of incubation (Drent 1975). As a consequence, while a great deal of information is available on egg dimensions, there are few reliable reports of fresh egg weight. Fortunately, the linear dimensions of eggs do not change during incu- bation, and in the present paper I show that they can be used to predict egg volume and fresh egg weight. Several authors have shown that the volume of a bird egg can be estimated from its linear dimensions (Bergtold 1929, Worth 1940, Westerkov 1950, Stonehouse 1963), and Preston (1974) suggested a more complex approach. In the present paper, I evaluate the accuracy with which volume (V) can be predicted from linear dimen- sions (L = length, B = breadth or maximum diameter), using the equation: V = Kv' LB 2
Xanthine oxidase promotes neutrophil sequestration but not injury in hyperoxic lungs.

Neutrophil accumulation in alveolar spaces is a conspicuous finding in hyperoxia-exposed lungs. We hypothesized that xanthine oxidase (XO)-derived oxidants contribute to retention of neutrophils in hyperoxic lungs. Rats were subjected to normobaric hyperoxia (100% O2) for 48 h, and lungs were assessed for neutrophil sequestration (morphometry and lavage cell counts) and injury (lavage albumin levels and lung weights). In rats exposed to hyperoxia, we found increased (P 0.05) on the numbers of macrophages or lymphocytes recoverable by lung lavage. Depletion of XO activity by an independent method, tungsten feeding, also decreased (P < 0.05) lung lavage neutrophil counts and increased (P < 0.05) lavage albumin concentrations. We conclude that XO may be involved in lung neutrophil retention but not lung injury during exposure to hyperoxia.
Prehospital Blood Transfusions in Non-Trauma Patients

Despite advances in trauma care, hemorrhage continues to be the leading cause of preventable mortality in trauma. The evidence to support its use in non-trauma patients is limited. We aim to report our experience with prehospital blood product transfusion. We hypothesize that it is safe, appropriately utilized, and that our protocol, which was designed for trauma patients, is adaptable to fit the needs of non-trauma patients. Patients transfused with blood products, packed red blood cells (pRBCs) or plasma, in the prehospital environment between 2002 and 2014 were included. Trauma patients were compared to non-trauma patients using descriptive statistics. A total of 857 patients (n = 549 trauma and n = 308 non-trauma) were transfused with pRBCs (76 %, n = 654, mean 1.6 ± 1.1 units en route), plasma (53 %, n = 455, mean 1.7 ± 0.7 unit), or both (29 %, n = 252) during ground (12 %) or air (84 %) critical care transport. Mean age was 60.8 ± 21.6 years with 60.1 % (n = 515) males. Subsequently, in-hospital blood transfusions were performed in 80 % of patients, operations in 44 %, and endoscopy in 31 %. Five percent (n = 41) of patients did not require any of these interventions. Thirty-day mortality rate was 18 %, and one patient (<0.01 %) had a transfusion reaction. The majority of patients were non-trauma (n = 549, 64 %). Of the non-trauma patients, 219 (40 %) were surgical, 193 (35 %) gastrointestinal bleeds, and 137 (25 %) medical. Both non-trauma and trauma patients require blood products for life threatening hemorrhage and the majority required further interventions. Further research on the benefits of transfusion among non-trauma patients is warranted.
Pulled over: how police stops define race and citizenship

Epp, Maynard-Moody, and Haider-Markel’s Pulled Over is a timely and captivating book. Central to their argument is that there is a fundamental difference between investigatory stops and traffic sto...
Rapid Testing of Food Matrices for Bacillus cereus Enterotoxins

Nine different food products frequently associated with Bacillus cereus outbreaks were chosen as representative matrices to be evaluated with end-point polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, lateral flow device and mass spectrometry for detection of enterotoxins associated with human illness. Testing was performed on food portions inoculated with a bacterial strain and incubated at 30°C for either 5 h or 24 h. A screening end-point multiplex PCR targeting enterotoxin genes including the emetic toxin and three diarrheal toxins, hemolytic hemolysin BL (Hbl), nonhemoltyic enterotoxin (Nhe), and cytolysin K. Commercially available kits were used to determine the presence/absence of Nhe and Hbl. Finally; a quantitative analysis using mass spectrometry was performed for the detection of the emetic toxin. Definitive results were available after a five hour pre-enrichment in five food products. The following strategy would allow for more efficient testing of surveillance or environmental samples as well as more rapid response time during a foodborne outbreak. Practical Applications The application of a strategy for processing and analyzing food products for Bacillus cereus and the enterotoxins associated with foodborne illness was explored. Employment of such a strategy will decrease time spent processing negative samples allowing more time for analysis of potentially positive food products.
Substance and structure in Columbia School linguistics

ABSTRACTIn the debate over the proper roles in linguistics of substance and structure, the Columbia School has taken an explicit position: that both substance and structure are required for a successful analysis. In a particular linguistic problem, the relevant phonetic or semantic substance must be identified, and the structural, or value, relations within it must be specified, for an accounting of the distribution of forms in discourse. The rationale for this position was given by the founder of the school, William Diver, in 1974, and the position has guided research since then. Ongoing research reported here on the Italian clitic si provides support for the appeal to both substance and structure.
Using Recombinant Microorganisms for the Synthesis and Modification of Flavonoids and Stilbenes

As flavonoids and stilbenes are typical examples of polyphenolic compounds in nature, their potentials for human health benefits have been widely known as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral agents, as well as antioxidants. In addition to drug development, their application as coloring agents, cosmetic materials, and dietary supplements have resulted in great interest in the mass production of flavonoids and stilbenes through various methodologies. Production in recombinant microorganisms provides an attractive alternative to plant extraction and chemical synthesis due to increased cost and time efficiency. Microbes can be engineered to produce complex structures from simple, inexpensive precursors under standardized control. As metabolic engineering methods and strategies continue to develop and diversify, production yields of target molecules continue to improve. This chapter describes the importance of the pharmacological properties of flavonoids and stilbenes and discusses strategies for their biosynthesis in microorganisms using metabolic engineering techniques.
Islets Transplanted Into the Eye: Do They Improve Our Insight Into Islet Adaptation to Insulin Resistance?

Although it is well accepted that type 2 diabetes pathophysiology involves decreases in β-cell function and mass, their relative importance has been debated (1–3). Moreover, it is unclear whether β-cells adapt to insulin resistance by secreting more insulin per β-cell (increased function) or by increasing β-cell mass. A major reason why these questions remain unanswered is the lack of an animal model where dynamic changes in islet mass and islet function can be noninvasively monitored. Current approaches for optical monitoring of β-cell mass in vivo lack sufficient spatial resolution, and histological measurements in ex vivo pancreatic sections do not allow function and mass to be measured simultaneously. In this issue of Diabetes , Chen et al. (4) transplanted isolated islets into the anterior chamber of the eye of a recipient mouse. This enabled longitudinal and simultaneous monitoring of β-cell mass and β-cell function. Although transplanting islets into a foreign milieu such as the eye is unusual and imperfect, this ingenious approach allowed the investigators to exploit the immunologically privileged eye environment (5–7) and the ability to image engrafted islets through the crystalline lens using confocal microscopy. Previous work from the group demonstrated the feasibility of the approach for exploring a range of questions related to diabetes (5). In the current study (4), attention was focused on whether β-cell mass or β-cell function preferentially mediates adaptation to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. This is a major question in the field, and one for which the novel approach used is well suited to provide important answers. Placing mice with transplanted islets on a high-fat diet (HFD) for 17 weeks caused weight gain and, presumably, a decrease in insulin sensitivity. Chen et al. (4) combined high-resolution islet mass measurements based on laser light backscattering (8) with in vivo insulin and …
Discharge decision-making after complex surgery: Surgeon behaviors compared to predictive modeling to reduce surgical readmissions

Abstract Background Little is known about how information available at discharge affects decision-making and its effect on readmission. We sought to define the association between information used for discharge and patients' subsequent risk of readmission. Methods 2009–2014 patients from a tertiary academic medical center's surgical services were analyzed using a time-to-event model to identify criteria that statistically explained the timing of discharges. The data were subsequently used to develop a time-varying prediction model of unplanned hospital readmissions. These models were validated and statistically compared. Results The predictive discharge and readmission regression models were generated from a database of 20,970 patients totaling 115,976 patient-days with 1,565 readmissions (7.5%). 22 daily clinical measures were significant in both regression models. Both models demonstrated good discrimination (C statistic = 0.8 for all models). Comparison of discharge behaviors versus the predictive readmission model suggested important discordance with certain clinical measures (e.g., demographics, laboratory values) not being accounted for to optimize discharges. Conclusions Decision-support tools for discharge may utilize variables that are not routinely considered by healthcare providers. How providers will then respond to these atypical findings may affect implementation.
Social inferences from group size

Abstract Does the mere size of a social group influence how it is perceived? Study 1 showed that on self-report measures, smaller and larger groups are rated to be equal in warmth/goodness, but smaller groups are rated to be higher in status/competence. Self-reports indicated that the latter result stems from the small group size of the socioeconomic elite (i.e., the top 1%). Using an implicit measure (the IAT), Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that smaller and larger groups are equally associated with warmth/goodness, showing consistency with self-reports. Surprisingly, larger groups are implicitly associated with high status/competence, not smaller groups. Two possible explanations for this explicit-implicit dissociation were ruled out. Compared to smaller groups, larger groups were not implicitly associated with greater amounts of any attribute, nor were larger groups implicitly associated with all positive attributes. Study 4 found that even when two groups are explicitly known to be the same in status/competence, the larger group is nonetheless implicitly associated with greater status/competence. To explain this result, we offer the possibility that implicit associations between larger groups and high status/competence are systematic, erroneous extensions of the association between larger groups and physical dominance. Together, these studies reveal a new dissociation between explicit and implicit cognition: although explicit ratings show that smaller groups are elite, implicit associations erroneously indicate that larger groups are elite, thereby assigning larger groups expanded power in the minds of perceivers.
Regional soiling stations for PV: Soling loss analysis

The soiling loss factor (SLF) of photovoltaic (PV) modules/system is an interplay between the dust frequency and intensity of the site, rain frequency and intensity of the site, tilt angle and height of the module installation, and wind speed and humidity of the site. The integrated area of the downward peaks of the SLF time series plots for a year provides the annual soiling loss for the system at each tilt angle. Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with Arizona State University, installed five regional soiling stations around the country and collected soiling loss data over a year. Four of these soiling stations are located at the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Test Centers (Florida, Albuquerque, Colorado and Vermont), while the fifth station is located at the Arizona State University Photovoltaic Reliability Lab (Arizona). This paper presents an analysis on the SLF for each test site at ten different tilt angles. Based on the analysis of a yearlong data obtained in 2015, it appears to indicate that the Arizona site experienced the highest annual soiling loss with a significant dependence on the tilt angle while the other four sites experienced a negligibly small annual soiling loss with practically no dependence on the tilt angle.
Nonlinear output feedback tracking control of a quadrotor UAV in the presence of uncertainty

A nonlinear output feedback control method is presented, which achieves asymptotic altitude and attitude trajectory tracking of a quadrotor system in the presence of model uncertainty and unknown external disturbances. To address a practical scenario where velocity measurements are not available, a bank of dynamic filters is utilized, which acts as a velocity observer in the closed-loop system. A primary focus of the proposed control method is detailed development that shows how a computationally minimal strategy can be utilized to compensate for multiple sources of uncertainty without the use of adaptive parameter estimation or function approximators. A rigorous Lyapunov-based stability analysis is utilized to prove semi-global asymptotic trajectory tracking in the presence of parametric uncertainty and unmodelled external disturbances. Numerical simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control law.
A cross-sectional analysis of patient-reported awareness, management, and understandings of diabetes and hypertension among cataract patients in rural southern Honduran communities

Background: In Honduras, the prevalence of cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, is rapidly mounting as associated chronic conditions, diabetes and hypertension, are on the rise. The increased demand for cataract surgeries has had the most severe impact on rural communities, as the majority of ophthalmologists serve cities. Additionally, owing to rural healthcare barriers, many rural dwellers have uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, and consequently, are denied surgical candidacy due to increased surgical risk. Thus, this investigation aims to curb chronic illness in rural Honduran cataract patients by evaluating patient-reported prevalence, management, and local understandings of diabetes and hypertension in the context of socioeconomic data. Methods: The responses of cataract patients to a poverty scorecard and survey questionnaire were categorized and evaluated according to guidelines in the surrounding literature. Height, weight, blood pressure and glucose levels were also measured for each participant. Results: 22.0% and 53.7% of all study participants (n=82) were hyperglycemic and hypertensive respectively. Of the hyperglycemic patients, 38.9% had never been diagnosed with diabetes, while the remaining 61.1% appeared to have mismanaged blood glucose levels. 50% of the hypertensive patients had never been diagnosed with hypertension, and the other 50% appeared to have mismanaged blood pressure. More than half of all participants exhibited only a minimal understanding of diabetes and hypertension. Conclusions: Rural Honduran communities would benefit from regular health screenings and follow-up visits from local doctors. It is important for community health workshops to focus on informing individual health management practices and chronic illness prevention strategies.
Grounding, semantic functions, and absolute quantifiers

Absolute quantifiers (e.g. many, few, three) have adjectival uses, but when initial they function as grounding elements: like demonstratives, articles, and relative quantifiers (e.g. all, most, every), they indicate the epistemic status of the nominal referent. This ambivalence is due to their being intermediate, having semantic affinities with both categories but being marginal with respect to each. The dual role of absolute quantifiers is readily described in Cognitive Grammar, given its dynamic view of meaning as consisting in semantic functions (interactive tasks to be fulfilled). These functions belong to the symbolic assemblies constituting language structure; they are fundamental, the role of lexicon and grammar being to effect their implementation. More schematic functions –such as grounding –are independent of any particular implementation. In the absence of a dedicated grounding element, absolute quantifiers assume that function through a conventional pattern of implicit functional augmentation (a common type of construction).
Plasmonic amplification of photoacoustic waves detected using piezotransistive GaN microcantilevers

Strong enhancement in a photoacoustic signal due to plasmonic absorption in Au nanostructures was measured using piezotransistive GaN microcantilevers. A pulsed 790 nm laser focused on the Au metallization of the piezotransistor resulted in a much larger photoacoustic signal compared to the non-metallized areas. Upon deposition of a 5 nm Au layer, the photoacoustic signal increased significantly for both previously metallized and non-metallized areas, while 2 nm Ni deposition decreased the photoacoustic signal, confirming the role of Au nanostructures in facilitating plasmonic absorption. Infrared microscopy images covering the boundary of Au metallized and non-metallized surfaces indicated a much larger rise in temperature of the former region with laser exposure, explaining the generation of photoacoustic signals through plasmonic absorption.
Human Trafficking and HIPAA: What the Health Care Professional Needs to Know

ABSTRACTAs health-care-professional awareness about human trafficking rises and clinicians recognize their role as first responders to human-trafficking victims, they are thrust into in a unique position at the intersection of health and law. Recent literature indicates that health-care providers have a role to play, but some are reluctant to become engaged. One reason may be a lack of clarity about matters related to patient privacy as delineated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This article lays out key questions and answers, as well as a simple algorithm, to assist the United States-based health-care professional in caring for trafficked patients while complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The article uses four case scenarios to illustrate real situations faced by clinicians when caring for potential human-trafficking patients followed by questions and answers and, where appropriate, quotes from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountabi...
Milk and mythology in "Singin' in the Rain"

I debunk one of the most widely disseminated myths about the film musical Singin' in the Rain (1952): that set designers added milk (or ink) to the water so that raindrops would show up on screen. In so doing, I also attempt to locate the milk myth's origin and explain why this falsehood has intensified over the last 20 years.
Decreating Creativity Education: Yet to Be Created

In the concluding chapter, I contrast creative destruction that runs capitalist economies with Agamben’s notion of decreation. I explore how educators, artists, and activists might reanimate their roles as creatives in this time through starving neoliberalized, entrepreneurialized, and economized forms of creativity. Proposed are alternative modes of decreation where productivity, innovation, and praxis are denied their pre-set ends toward a state of exception that allows us to begin anew in reimaging what creativity education might have been.
Increased double limb support times during walking in right limb dominant healthy older adults with low bone density

Abstract Background Older adults with low bone mineral density (BMD) may exhibit early markers for physical frailty; however, there is a lack of understanding of the dominant limb support patterns during walking. Research question The purpose of this study was to investigate limb support times during walking in healthy older adults with low BMD. Methods Seventy-seven right limb dominant older adults (48 female subjects, 29 male subjects) participated in the study. Each participant's BMD (g/cm2) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and a motion capture system was utilized to measure temporal-spatial gait parameters (cadence, speed, stride length, and limb support times). The limb support times included initial double limb support (IDS), single limb support (SS), and terminal double limb support (TDS) in the stance phase. Results Those limb support times were significantly different (F = 44.28, p = 0.001) and demonstrated an interaction with dominance (F = 9.44, p = 0.003). In stance phase, the IDS was longer on the non-dominant limb (t = −3.07, p = 0.003); however, the TDS was significantly longer on the dominant limb (t = 3.07, p = 0.003). The stride length was longer on the dominant limb (t = 2.45, p = 0.02) and was positively associated with single limb support on the dominant limb (r = 0.34 p = 0.001) compared with the non-dominant limb (r = −0.29, p = 0.001). Significance This longer stride length and single limb loading pattern on the dominant limb could increase asymmetrical balance in the stance phase. The gait modification strategies used to increase stride length on the non-dominant limb may allow for more functional symmetrical gait. Further investigation of asymmetric limb support patterns and gait modification strategies might be needed to enhance functional gait performance.
Carbon/tin oxide composite electrodes for improved lithium-ion batteries

Tin and tin oxide-based electrodes are promising high-capacity anodes for lithium-ion batteries. However, poor capacity retention is the major issue with these materials due to the large volumetric expansion that occurs when lithium is alloyed with tin during lithiation and delithiation process. Here, a method to prepare a low-cost, scalable carbon and tin(II) oxide composite anode is reported. The composite material was prepared by ball milling of carbon recovered from used tire powders with 25 wt% tin(II) oxide to form lithium-ion battery anode. With the impact of energy from the ball milling, tin oxide powders were uniformly distributed inside the pores of waste-tire-derived carbon. During lithiation and delithiation, the carbon matrix can effectively absorb the volume expansion caused by tin, thereby minimizing pulverization and capacity fade of the electrodes. The as-synthesized anode yielded a capacity of 690 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 40 mA g−1 with a stable battery performance. A method to prepare low-cost carbon/tin (II) oxide (SnO) composite by ball milling is reported. SnO powders are uniformly distributed inside the carbon matrix, which could effectively absorb the volume expansion of Sn and alleviate capacity fade. The anode yields a capacity of 690 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles.
Abstract 17167: Risk Stratification for Long-term Survival Benefit With Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Mild Heart Failure Patients

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to reduce heart failure (HF) events or death in mild HF patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) ECG pattern. However, risk stratification for long-term mortality benefit with CRT in this cohort is currently lacking. Methods: The study population comprised 1266 patients with LBBB enrolled in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT). A clinical risk score was developed using best-subset proportional hazards regression analysis in patients randomized to CRT with defibrillator (CRT-D) to predict survival benefit. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate risk reduction of death by CRT-D versus an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)-only among the risk score groups. Results: We identified four clinical variables predicting outcome in CRT-D patients: age≥65, creatinine≥1.4 mg/dl, coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] in the patient history, and left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] Conclusions: In MADIT-CRT, mild HF patients with LBBB with an intermediate mortality risk derived long-term survival benefit from CRT-D vs. an ICD-only. However, no survival benefit was observed in patients with low risk or a very-high risk.