cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are all linear paired comparison models empirically equivalent

Abstract Previous authors (Jackson and Fleckenstein, 1957; Mosteller, 1958; Noether, 1960) have found that different models of paired comparisons data lead to similar fits. This phenomenon is examined by means of a set of paired comparison models, based on gamma random variables, that includes the frequently applied Bradley-Terry and Thurstone-Mosteller models. A theoretical result provides a natural ordering of the models in the gamma family on the basis of their composition rules. Analysis of several sports data sets indicates that all of the paired comparison models in the family provide adequate, and almost identical fits to the data. Simulations are used to further explore this result. Although not all approaches to paired comparisons experiments are covered by this discussion, the evidence is strong that for samples of the size usually encountered in practice all linear paired comparison models are virtually equivalent.
Prognostic factors and outcomes of patients with pulmonary hypertension admitted to the intensive care unit

Abstract Purpose Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) can decompensate to the point where they require care in the intensive care unit (ICU). Our objective is to examine the outcomes and characteristics of patients with PH admitted to the ICU. Methods This is a retrospective study of 99 patients with PH who were admitted to the medical ICU of a single tertiary care center. Baseline characteristics, interventions during ICU admission, and ICU and 6-month outcome were documented. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate association of patient characteristics with mortality. Results Intensive care unit mortality was 30%, and 6-month mortality was 40%. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, World Health Organization Group 3 PH, and preexisting treatment with a prostacyclin at time of ICU admission were associated with worse outcome. Patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation had 100% mortality. The requirement for mechanical ventilation and dialysis was also associated with increased mortality. Pulmonary artery catheter placement was associated with reduced mortality, specifically if it was placed early during ICU admission and if associated with a change in the present management. Conclusions Mortality is high in critically ill patients with PH. The identification of prognostic baseline characteristics and interventions in the ICU is important and warrants further investigation.
THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PROBLEMS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATION

This paper examines from both a theoretical and empirical standpoint the probable effects of county consolidation on county government costs in sparsely populated rural areas. Cost reduction induced by county consolidation depends primarily upon three major variables. These are: (1) the economies of scale with respect to population, (2) population density and distribution in the given area of proposed consolidation and, (3) increased private and public transportation costs induced by consolidation. The major conclusions of the study were as follows: (1) economies of population were found to be small by this study and several others reviewed. Furthermore, apparent population economies appear substantially exhausted at population levels of 10,000 to 15,000, (2) increased private and public transit costs exhausted a large part of the population economy impact of consolidation and, (3) distribution of costs and benefits of consolidation was not equal over the entire population. LE REMEMBREMENT DES MUNICIPALITeAS - Cet article considere les effets du remembrement des communes en regions peu peuplees d'un point de vue a la fois theorique et empirique. La diminution des couts sous l'effet du remembrement depend principalement de trois variables: (1) les economies d'echelle par rapport a la population, (2) la densite et la distribution de la population dans les regions considerees pour le remembrement et, (3) l'accroissement des couts de transport public et prive provoques par le remembrement. Les principals conclusions de cette etude sont les suivantes: (1) les economies de population se sont, revelees petites comme d'ailleurs d'autres etudes citees, de plus les economies apparentes de population semblent se reduire a zero aux niveaux de 10,000 a 15,000, (2) l'augmentation des couts de transport public et prive diminue de beaucoup l'effet d'economie de population dans le remembrement et, (3) dans l'ensemble de la population, les couts et les benefices du remembrement ne sont pas distribues egalement.
Nano-metrology and terrain modelling - convergent practice in surface characterisation

Abstract The quantification of magnetic-tape and disk topography has a macro-scale counterpart in the Earth sciences — terrain modelling , the numerical representation of relief and pattern of the ground surface. The two practices arose independently and continue to function separately. This methodological paper introduces terrain modelling, discusses its similarities to and differences from industrial surface metrology, and raises the possibility of a unified discipline of quantitative surface characterisation. A brief discussion of an Earth–science problem, subdividing a heterogeneous terrain surface from a set of sample measurements, exemplifies a multivariate statistical procedure that may transfer to tribological applications of 3–D metrological height data.
A Localized Epizootic of Trichomoniasis in Mourning Doves

Trichomonas gallinae was present in 47% (57/121) of adult, 41% (7/17) of juvenile, and 29% (2/7) of nestling mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) from Lincoln, Nebraska. Throat lesions were present in 5.9% (43/724) of the mourning doves trapped for banding. Two of four pigeons (Columba livia) possessed T. gallinae, but none contained throat lesions.
On substitutional recursion over non-well-founded sets

A class of recursive definitions is isolated, which encompasses all applications of nonwellfounded sets known to the author. These definitions are based on a result referred to in the literature as the substitution lemma, and accordingly are called substitutional recursive definitions (SRDs). A theory of fixed points of SRDs is developed in a number of directions, leading to a consideration of effective aspects of nonwellfounded sets. The novelty of the author's approach is that he gets at these fixed points without explicitly referring to the operators. Instead, he constructs systems of equations from the specification, replacing the variables by indeterminates for which he then solves. Over nonwellfounded sets, this approach to fixed points, which can be seen as a refinement of the usual iterative methods for inductive (and coinductive) definitions, is quite fruitful, yielding detailed information about fixed points. >
Using Repeated Reading to Improve Reading Speed and Comprehension in Students with Visual Impairments

Structured abstract: Introduction: This study evaluated whether children with visual impairments who receive repeated reading instruction exhibit an increase in their oral reading rate and comprehension and a decrease in oral reading error rates. Methods: A single-subject, changing-criterion design replicated across three participants was used to demonstrate the association between a repeated reading intervention and the oral reading rate, comprehension, and error rate. Results: Visual analysis of the data indicates that there was a functional relation between repeated reading and oral reading rate for two participants, and a functional relation between repeated reading and comprehension for all participants. There was not a functional relation between repeated oral reading and error rate. Discussion: Based on the results of this study, repeated reading appears to be an effective practice for some students with visual impairments. Implications for practitioners: Teachers and parents can engage children in repeated reading activities in an effort to develop automaticity in reading and to improve oral reading rates.
Predicate Detection Modality and Semantics in Three Partially Synchronous Models

Predicate detection addresses the challenge of monitoring the state of a distributed system. This research is the first step to explore predicate detection with partial synchrony assumptions. We study the observability of computation and focus on predicate detection semantics in three partially synchronous models. A framework of the behavior of predicate detection is established in terms of partial synchrony, modalities permitted and the best detection semantics. This work forms a conceptualization of the problem space and leads to disciplined approaches to predicate detection in realistic systems by identifying the strongest possible semantics for each modality and partial synchrony assumption.
Religion and spirituality in group counseling: Beliefs and preferences of university counseling center clients

The main purpose of the present study was to explore client beliefs and preferences regarding the discussion of religious and spiritual issues in group counseling. We collected and described both quantitative and qualitative data. One major finding of this study was that on average the majority (85%) of clients at a university counseling center (N 68) reported that religious concerns are an appropriate topic for discussion in group counseling. However, only a minority of clients reported that they would like to discuss religious (24%) and spiritual (47%) concerns in group. Open-ended responses from participants provided reasons why they would or would not like to discuss religion and spirituality in their specific groups and provided insight into the discrepancy between their ratings of appropriateness and interest. In regression analyses, client spirituality and group engagement significantly predicted clients’ preferences to discuss both religious and spiritual issues. Majority religious affiliation also predicted preferences to discuss religious issues.
4-Aminopyridine Toxicity: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction 4-Aminopyridine (4-AP) selectively blocks voltage-gated potassium channels, prolongs the action potential, increases calcium influx, and subsequently, enhances interneuronal and neuromuscular synaptic transmission. This medication has been studied and used in many disease processes hallmarked by poor neuronal transmission in both the central and peripheral nervous systems including: multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injuries (SCI), botulism, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, and myasthenia gravis. It has also been postulated as a potential treatment of verapamil toxicity and reversal agent for anesthesia-induced neuromuscular blockade. To date, there have been limited reports of either intentional or accidental 4-AP toxicity in humans. Both a case of a patient with 4-AP toxicity and review of the literature are discussed, highlighting commonalities observed in overdose.
Fundamentals of feedback control: PID, fuzzy logic, and neural networks

Feedback controllers have been shown to bring blood pressure, muscle relaxation, inhalation drug concentration, and ventilation to the target level and keep it at the target as quickly and as accurately as can a well-trained clinician. Feedback control is an effective and convenient clinical tool for optimizing the day-to-day delivery of anesthetics, reducing induction time, delivering a minimum amount of drug, and avoiding costly delays from failing to keep the patient in a desired state.
Extrapolating non-target risk of Bt crops from laboratory to field

The tiered approach to assessing ecological risk of insect-resistant transgenic crops assumes that lower tier laboratory studies, which expose surrogate non-target organisms to high doses of insecticidal proteins, can detect harmful effects that might be manifested in the field. To test this assumption, we performed meta-analyses comparing results for non-target invertebrates exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) Cry proteins in laboratory studies with results derived from independent field studies examining effects on the abundance of non-target invertebrates. For Lepidopteran-active Cry proteins, laboratory studies correctly predicted the reduced field abundance of non-target Lepidoptera. However, laboratory studies incorporating tri-trophic interactions of Bt plants, herbivores and parasitoids were better correlated with the decreased field abundance of parasitoids than were direct-exposure assays. For predators, laboratory tri-trophic studies predicted reduced abundances that were not realized in field studies and thus overestimated ecological risk. Exposure to Coleopteran-active Cry proteins did not significantly reduce the laboratory survival or field abundance of any functional group examined. Our findings support the assumption that laboratory studies of transgenic insecticidal crops show effects that are either consistent with, or more conservative than, those found in field studies, with the important caveat that laboratory studies should explore all ecologically relevant routes of exposure.
STRONTIUM IN THE APATITE STRUCTURE: STRONTIAN FLUORAPATITE AND BELOVITE-(Ce)

Strontium is one of the most common substituents in apatite; the presence and behavior of Sr in apatite-group phases are of considerable significance in geology, materials science and biology. The atomic arrangements in strontian fluorapatite (1.18 Sr atoms per 10 Ca sites) and belovite-(Ce) [ideally Sr 6(REE2Na2)(PO4)6F2] have been refined to R values of 0.016 and 0.014, respectively, in order to examine the incorporation of Sr in apatite and apatite-group minerals. In strontian fluorapatite, Sr is ordered at the Ca(2) site, and no dissymmetrization from P63/m results from the substitution; expansion of the Ca(2) site accom
LAPAROSCOPIC BILATERAL SYNCHRONOUS NEPHRECTOMY FOR AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE: THE INITIAL EXPERIENCE

Purpose: We report our experience with laparoscopic bilateral synchronous nephrectomy for giant symptomatic autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and compare outcome data with open bilateral nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: Since March 1998, 10 patients underwent bilateral synchronous laparoscopic nephrectomy for giant symptomatic ADPKD. A 3 port retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach was used to secure the renal hilum and mobilize the kidney. Intact specimen extraction was performed through a midline infraumbilical extraperitoneal incision. The patient was then repositioned for the contralateral retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy, with the second specimen also delivered through the same infraumbilical incision. Data were retrospectively compared with 10 patients who had undergone bilateral synchronous open nephrectomy for ADPKD between 1981 and 1992.Results: Patients in the laparoscopic and open groups were comparable in regard to age (53 versus 47 years, p = 0.54) and Anesthesiologist Soci...
A D-Optimal Design for Estimation of Parameters of an Exponential-Linear Growth Curve of Nanostructures

We consider the problem of determining an optimal experimental design for estimation of parameters of a class of complex curves characterizing nanowire growth that is partially exponential and partially linear. Locally D-optimal designs for some of the models belonging to this class are obtained by using a geometric approach. Further, a Bayesian sequential algorithm is proposed for obtaining D-optimal designs for models with a closed-form solution, and for obtaining efficient designs in situations where theoretical results cannot be obtained. The advantages of the proposed algorithm over traditional approaches adopted in recently reported nanoexperiments are demonstrated using Monte Carlo simulations. The computer code implementing the sequential algorithm is available as supplementary materials.
Description of robotic single site cholecystectomy and a review of outcomes.

New technologies have been developed to make laparoscopic cholecystectomy less invasive through single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), however this approach has its own limitations. Single incision robotic surgery (SIRC) is designed to overcome them. The concerns that limit adoption of this technology are attributed increases in costs, prolonged learning curves and surgical times. Here, we provide a literature review as well as our own experience with SIRC, with the intent to clarify these important concerns. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015; 112:284–288. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influence of anions on the dimensionality of extended networks based on CuI cations and 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) ligands

Reactions of CuI salts with 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) afford three types of cationic coordination polymers depending on the anion present in the reaction solution. In the crystal structure of {[Cu(HAT)][BF4]·1/3(C6H6)}∞, (1), Cu ions and HAT molecules form extended layers that are best described as strongly distorted honeycomb nets. The space between the layers is occupied by [BF4]− anions and solvent molecules. {[Cu(HAT)][PF6]}∞, (2), crystallizes as a chiral (10,3)-a net with [PF6]− anions residing in the cavities of the three-dimensional metal–organic framework. The crystal structure of {[Cu4(HAT)3][SbF6]4·3C6H6}∞, (3), is based on unique extended [Cu4(HAT)3]∞ “nanotubules” filled with solvent molecules and [SbF6]− anions.
Surgical treatment in the second half of the nineteenth century

Important factors that contributed to surgery taking the premier place in the treatment of breast cancer in the latter half of the nineteenth century were the introduction of surgical anaesthesia in 1846, the triumph of the solidistic concept with regard to carcinogenesis, the adoption of antiseptic principles in 1864 (Fig. 32) and the steadily increasing refinement of surgical technique.
An Analysis of the Educational Narratives of Reentry Black Women

The purpose of the study was to examine the educational narratives of reentry Black women in an effort to determine how the dynamics of the larger society, which often negatively impact their lives...
Eye-safe Pr 3+ :RbPb 2 Cl 5 Laser at ∼1.65 µm resonantly-pumped at 1547 nm

Resonantly-pumped laser action based on 3F 3 ⇒ 3H 4 transition of Pr3+ ion is reported for the first time. Pr3+:RbPb 2 Cl 5 laser demonstrated slope efficiency of over 21% at 1647 nm despite the marginal initial sample quality.
Femtosecond Infrared Studies of the Dissociation and Dynamics of Transition Metal Carbonyls in Solution

The ultrafast dynamics of the dissociation of M(CO)6 (M = Cr, W, Mo) in alkane solutions were studied by femtosecond IR spectroscopy. After UV photolysis at 295 nm, both the bleach of the parent molecules and the absorption of the pentacarbonyl intermediate were probed with 240 fs time resolution. Oscillatory perturbed free induction decay signals before t = 0 were observed and well characterized by realistic parameters of the system. The bleach recovery dynamics were found to be wavelength dependent, indicating that hot parent molecules are formed and that the bleach recovery time is determined by the vibrational cooling time. The measured percentage bleach recovery in n-heptane is less than the expected value calculated from the photosubstitution quantum yield measurements, suggesting that the initial recovery of the bleach is faster than our time resolution. The kinetics in the A1 vibrational mode region of the pentacarbonyl species have been measured to probe the formation and decay of the nascent pro...
Histochemical, enzymatic, and contractile properties of skeletal muscle fibers in the lizard Dipsosaurus dorsalis

Lizard skeletal muscle fiber types were investigated in the ilio- fibularis (IF) muscle of the desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis). Three fiber types were identified based on histochemical staining for myosin ATPase (mATPase), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and aglycerophosphate dehydrogenase (aGPDH) activity. The pale region of the IF contains exclusively fast-twitch-glycolytic (FG) fibers, which stain dark for mATPase and aGPDH, light for SDH. The red region of the IF contains fast-twitch-oxidative-glycolytic (FOG) fibers, which stain dark for all three enzymes, and tonic fibers, which stain light for mATPase, dark for SDH, and moderate for aGPDH. Enzymatic activities of myofibrillar ATPase, citrate synthase, and &PDH confirm these histochemical interpretations. Lizard FG and FOG fibers possess twitch contraction times and resistance to fatigue comparable to analogous fibers in mammals, but are one-half as oxidative and several times as glycolytic as analogous fibers in rats. Lizard tonic fibers demonstrate the acetyl- choline sensitivity common to other vertebrate tonic fibers. Mammalian locomotory muscles are com- posed of three types of muscle fibers. These fibers can be classified according to their twitch contraction times and their relative activities of oxidative and glycolytic enzymes. By these criteria most mammalian skeletal muscle fi- bers can be categorized as being fast-twitch- glycolytic (FG), fast-twitch-oxidative-gly-
Isolated Two-Transistor Zeta Converter With Reduced Transistor Voltage Stress

This brief introduces an isolated two-switch Zeta dc-dc converter, along with the steady-state analysis and experimentation. The high transistor voltage stress due to the ringing caused by the resonance of the transformer leakage inductance and the transistor output capacitance is a major drawback in the conventional isolated Zeta converter. With the incorporation of an additional transistor and two clamping diodes on the primary side of the transformer of the isolated Zeta converter, an isolated two-transistor Zeta converter is proposed. In the proposed converter, the voltage stress of both transistors is reduced to the dc input voltage VI. Experimental results from a 10-V/30-W 100-kHz laboratory prototype is presented to validate the theoretical analysis.
Nelfinavir targets multiple drug resistance mechanisms to increase the efficacy of doxorubicin in MCF-7/Dox breast cancer cells

Development of multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a significant problem in cancer chemotherapy and underscores the importance of using chemosensitizers. Well known MDR mechanisms include: (i) upregulation of drug-efflux; (ii) increased signaling via AKT; and (iii) decreased apoptosis. Therefore, chemosensitizers should target multiple resistance mechanisms. We investigated the efficacy of nelfinavir (NFV), a clinically approved anti-HIV drug, in increasing doxorubicin (DOX) toxicity in a MDR breast cancer cell line, MCF-7/Dox. As compared to parental MCF-7 cells, the MCF-7/Dox were 15-20 fold more resistant to DOX-induced cytotoxicity at 48 h post-exposure (DOX IC50 = 1.8 μM vs. 32.4 μM). Coexposures to NFV could significantly (p < 0.05) decrease DOX-IC50 in MCF-7/Dox cells. Multiple exposures to physiologic concentrations of NFV (2.25 μM or 6.75 μM) decreased DOX-IC50 by 21-fold and 50-fold, respectively. Interestingly, although single exposure to NFV transiently induced P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels, multiple treatments with NFV inhibited both P-gp expression and efflux function, which increased intracellular DOX concentrations. Single exposure to NFV augmented the markers of cell-survival (AKT) and autophagy (LC3-II), whereas multiple exposures enabled suppression of both total AKT (t-AKT) and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-induced phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) levels. Multiple exposures to NFV also resulted in increased unfolded protein response (UPR) transducers, e.g. Grp78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, and ATF-4; and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced death sensors, e.g. CHOP & TRIB-3. Multiple exposures to NFV also abrogated the mitogenic effects of IGF-1. In mice carrying MCF-7/Dox tumor xenografts, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of NFV (20 mg/kg/day) and DOX (2 mg/kg/twice/wk) decreased tumor growth more significantly (p < 0.01) than either agent alone. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis revealed decreased p-AKT and Ki-67 levels. Thus, NFV overcomes MDR in breast cancer cells and should be tested as an adjunct to chemotherapy.
Quantification of private information leakage from phenotype-genotype data: linking attacks

Studies on genomic privacy have traditionally focused on identifying individuals using DNA variants. In contrast, molecular phenotype data, such as gene expression levels, are generally assumed to be free of such identifying information. Although there is no explicit genotypic information in phenotype data, adversaries can statistically link phenotypes to genotypes using publicly available genotype-phenotype correlations such as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). This linking can be accurate when high-dimensional data (i.e., many expression levels) are used, and the resulting links can then reveal sensitive information (for example, the fact that an individual has cancer). Here we develop frameworks for quantifying the leakage of characterizing information from phenotype data sets. These frameworks can be used to estimate the leakage from large data sets before release. We also present a general three-step procedure for practically instantiating linking attacks and a specific attack using outlier gene expression levels that is simple yet accurate. Finally, we describe the effectiveness of this outlier attack under different scenarios.
Community role in the culture of self-sufficiency

BACKGROUND: A group of persons explored concepts of normalization, poverty, inclusion, supported employment and individuals with I/DD through an interactive dialogue in a network caf´ a. The question driven dialogue captured the group consideration of what is currently most effective, ineffective and future hope. OBJECTIVE: Dialogue with a group of persons to discover is community has a role in the culture of self-sufficiency.
Some Î»-Separable Frisch Demands with Utility Functions

We complete the characterization of two Frisch demand systems first developed by Browning, Deaton and Irish (1985), and show that that these systems (i) do not restrict intertemporal substitution; but (ii) imply momentary utility functions which are additively separable in consumption. These utility functions turn out to take the well-known exponential and Stone-Geary forms.
Effect of Intramuscular Injection of Sodium Citrate on the Prothrombin Time of the Blood.

SummaryIntramuscular injections of sodium citrate caused a lowering of the clotting time of blood as determined by the capillary and Lee and White methods. The increased coagulability was accompanied by a fall in the prothrombin time in the blood, as determined by Quick's method. Control animals, and those injected with sodium or potassium chloride, did not show a lowering of the prothrombin time.
Racial differences in nests of white-crowned sparrows

Comparaison des nids de Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys, du Manitoba, Z.l. oriantha de Californie et du Colorado et Z.l. nuttalli de Californie. Les nids varient par la taille, leur elevation, leur conductance thermique
CLIDAR MOUNTAIN BOUNDARY LAYER CASE STUDIES

A CCD Camera Lidar system called the CLidar system images a vertically pointing laser from the side with a spatially separated CCD camera and wide angle optics. The system has been used to investigate case studies of aerosols in mountain boundary layers in in the times following sunset. The aerosols detected by the system demonstrate the wide variation of near ground aerosol structure and capabilities of the CLidar system.
Efficient methods for solving the multiagent plan coordination problem

The Multiagent Plan Coordination Problem arises whenever multiple agents plan to achieve their individual goals independently, but might mutually benefit by coordinating their plans to avoid working at cross purposes or duplicating effort. Although variations of this problem have been studied in the literature, there is as yet no agreement over a general characterization of the problem. In this dissertation, I describe a general framework that extends the partial-order, causal-link plan representation to the multiagent case, and that treats coordination as a form of iterative repair of plan flaws between agents. I show, analytically and empirically, that this algorithmic formulation can scale to the multiagent case better than can a straightforward application of the most advanced existing coordination techniques, highlighting fundamental differences between my algorithmic framework and these earlier approaches. I then examine whether and how the Multiagent Plan Coordination Problem can be cast as a Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem (DCOP). I use ADOPT, a state-of-the-art system that can solve DCOPs in an asynchronous, parallel manner using local communication between individual computational agents. I extend the ADOPT framework to take advantage of problem structure, in an effort to improve its performance on representative Multiagent Plan Coordination Problems. Although the performance gains from using ADOPT were negligible, I show how the same problem structure can be used to enable my algorithm to operate more efficiently. In the interest of scaling my approaches to larger problems, I build on previous work in the area of multiagent coordination [8] to make use of abstraction techniques that create hierarchical planning structures that are decomposed into primitive actions. By exploiting past work on developing summary information at abstract levels of agent plan hierarchies, I then extend my coordination algorithm to reason about agent interactions at abstract levels of the agents' plan hierarchies, and empirically establish that this technique greatly reduces the amount of computation required to derive coordinated planning solutions for the agents. I conclude with a discussion of possible ways of extending my work to handle richer and alternative plan coordination problems.
Is the Combination of Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Vancomycin Associated with Development of Acute Kidney Injury? A Meta-analysis.

tudy Objective To evaluate the association of the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) when piperacillin-tazobactam is used in combination with vancomycin compared with vancomycin with or without a β-lactam. Design Meta-analysis of 15 observational cohort studies. Patients A total of 3258 adult inpatients who received vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam versus vancomycin alone (10 studies); vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam versus vancomycin + β-lactam (four studies); or vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam versus vancomycin alone or vancomycin + other antibiotics (one study). Measurements and Main Results The PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane databases, as well as meeting proceedings, were searched (1966–June 1, 2016). Quality of studies was assessed by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOQAS). The primary outcome of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association of development of AKI with the combined use of piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin. A subgroup analysis was also performed that examined the outcome by comparison groups (vancomycin alone or vancomycin + β-lactam). Sensitivity analysis was performed to explore if the results differed based on removal of abstracts and removal of low-quality studies (NOQAS scores of 6 or lower). All analyses were performed using the random effects model. NOQAS scores for the 15 studies ranged from 3–7 points (of a total of 9). Overall, there was an association with the development of AKI with vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam compared with vancomycin ± β-lactam (odds ratio [OR] 3.649, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.157–6.174; I2 = 83.5%, p<0.001). The association remained significant when abstracts were removed (OR 3.498, 95% CI 1.747–7.003, I2 = 82.3%, p<0.001) and when low-quality studies were removed (OR 4.596, 95% CI 2.929–7.212, I2 = 0%, p<0.001). The association for the development of AKI with vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam compared with vancomycin alone was significant (OR 3.980, 95% CI 2.749–5.763, I2 = 31.4%, p<0.001), although the association did not remain significant for the vancomycin + β-lactam subgroup (OR 3.029, 95% CI 0.942–9.738, I2 = 82.3%, p=0.063). Conclusion Vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam was associated with an increased risk of AKI compared with vancomycin ± β-lactam. Practitioners need to be vigilant about this association when prescribing this combination of antibiotics.
472. Evaluation of Re-Administration of a Recombinant Adeno-Associated Vector Expressing Acid-Alpha-Glucosidase (rAAV9-DES-hGAA) in Pompe Disease: Preclinical to Clinical Planning

A recombinant serotype 9 adeno-associated virus (rAAV9) vector carrying a transgene that expresses codon optimized human acid alpha-glucosidase (hGAA, or GAA) driven by a human desmin (DES) promoter (i.e. rAAV9-DES-hGAA) has been generated as a clinical candidate vector for Pompe disease. The rAAV9-DES-hGAA vector is being developed as a treatment for both early and late onset Pompe disease, in which patients lack sufficient lysosomal alpha-glucosidase leading to glycogen accumulation. In young patients, the therapy may need to be re-administered after a period of time to maintain therapeutic levels of GAA. Administration of AAV-based gene therapies is commonly associated with the production of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) that may reduce the effectiveness of the vector, especially if re-administration is required. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of rAAV9-DES-hGAA to correct cardiac and skeletal muscle pathology in Gaa−/− mice, an animal model of Pompe disease. We describe the IND-enabling pre-clinical studies supporting the program for a phase I/II clinical trial in adult patients with Pompe. These studies were designed to evaluate the toxicology, biodistribution, and potential for re-administration of rAAV9-DES-hGAA injected intramuscularly into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle using an immune modulation strategy developed for this study. In the proposed clinical study, six adult participants with Late-Onset Pompe Disease (LOPD) will be enrolled. The goal of the immune modulation strategy is to ablate B-cells prior to the initial exposure of the study agent in one leg and the subsequent exposure of the same vector to the contralateral leg four months after initial dosing. The dosing of active agent is accompanied by a control injection of excipient dosing in the contralateral leg to allow for blinding and randomization of dosing, which may also strengthen the approach to gene therapy studies in the future. Patients will act as their own controls. Repeated measures, at baseline and during the 3 months following each injection, will assess the safety, biochemical, and functional impact of the vector.View Large Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Pre-deployment trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance predict war-zone stress-evoked psychopathology

Abstract Identifying modifiable risk factors is requisite for preventing stress-related psychopathology, but few prospective studies have examined their impact on the emergence of psychological dysfunction. Trait anxiety (TA), anxiety sensitivity (AS), and experiential avoidance (EA) were assessed in 161 soldiers awaiting deployment. Soldiers also completed repeated in-theater assessments of stressors, post-traumatic stress (PTSS), anxiety, and depression symptoms. Multilevel models tested predictions that each trait would independently and jointly amplify stressors’ impact on symptoms. TA increased risk for anxiety (r = .19, p = .020), but not stressors’ anxiogenic effects (r = .14, p = .080), whereas TA reduced stressors’ impact on depression (r = .18, p = .038) and PTSS (r = .28, p = .001). AS increased risk across symptoms (r's = .26–.31, p's ≤ .002), but did not moderate stressors’ anxiogenic effects (r = .15, p = .074). EA's stress-moderating effects depended on levels of TA and AS (r's = .22–.27, p's ≤ .010). Findings suggest TA and EA may interact in ways to enhance resilience, whereas AS may reliably potentiate the pathogenic effects of stress. Support is given for examining the contextualized influence of individual differences, and their dynamic interactions in predicting soldiers’ reactions to war-zone stressors.
Serial Homicide Perpetrators’ Self-Reported Psychopathy and Criminal Thinking

The current research reports 61 male serial murderers’ responses to self-report questionnaires designed to assess levels of psychopathy and criminal thinking. Three separate measures of psychopathy were included. Contrary to our predictions, results indicated that our sample of serial murderers did not demonstrate strong evidence of psychopathy. Rather, the percentage of inmates who could be classified as having psychopathic tendencies is on par with the general population of prisoners. Only half of the participants had an interpretable criminal thinking style scale. Temperament and power issues were the two factors of greatest significance for understanding the serial homicide perpetrators’ criminal cognition. In line with expectations, multiple significant correlations were observed for the measures. Implications and limitations of the research are discussed.
STEM Excellence and Leadership Program: Increasing the Level of STEM Challenge and Engagement for High-Achieving Students in Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities:

High-achieving students in economically disadvantaged, rural schools lack access to advanced coursework necessary to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and ...
Targeting Complex Sentences in Older School Children With Specific Language Impairment: Results From an Early-Phase Treatment Study.

Purpose This study investigated the effects of a complex sentence treatment at 2 dosage levels on language performance of 30 school-age children ages 10–14 years with specific language impairment. ...
Identification of occult prostate malignancy in a large patient cohort using a stereotactic transperineal prostate biopsy technique.

9Background: Continued rising PSA, despite prior transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB), can cause significant anxiety for patients and physicians. This study investigates the detection rate of non-palpable, isoechoic occult malignancy using a stereotactic transperineal prostate biopsy (STPB) technique in patients with previous negative TRPB. Methods: 2,565 men with continued rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) with a minimum of 1 prior benign TRPB, underwent STPB at a single out-patient institution between 04/04 - 02/17 (See table). Specimens were obtained according to x, y, and z coordinates from 8 equal octants with pathology reported accordingly. A greater number of specimens were obtained from the apical half than the basilar half of the prostate; this was attributed to smaller glands in which the apical specimens sufficiently sampled the anterior curvature of the gland. Results: STPB yielded adenocarcinoma in 965/2,565 (37.6%) patients. The number of biopsy cores obtained per patient approximated the...
Health Behavior among the Homeless and the Poor

The growing emphasis on health behavior among health researchers and the parallel emphasis on prevention among health practitioners should not be allowed to obscure critically important relationships between health behavior and larger social, cultural, and economic forces. In the language of research methods, behavior is an intervening variable, not an independent one. The complex relationships among behavior, culture, and social structure are all too easily ignored in the rhetoric of public policy debates and in simple-minded thinking about issues that arise in these debates.
Plant Communities, Evolution of

The patterns and processes within plant communities that underlie the fundamental mechanisms regulating and maintaining biological diversity are reviewed and evaluated. In particular, we focus on general processes or “rules” influencing the evolution of diversity within the framework of ecological communities. We do so by comparing ecological theory with patterns observed in the fossil record and in contemporary communities.
The Analysis of Synchronous All-to-All Communication Protocols for Wireless Systems

Many applications running over low-power and lossy wireless networks and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) rely heavily on a number of all-to-all communication primitives for services such as data aggregation, voting and consensus. Starting with the Chaos system, synchronous transmission-based broadcasting gossip protocols are now recognized as a technique for enabling efficient all-to-all communications in WSNs. However, despite their effectiveness, there has been relatively little analysis of this class of synchronous broadcasting gossip protocols (SBGPs). In this paper, we address this void by providing a basic theoretical framework for analysis SBGPs. Based on our derived theoretical results and previous experimental measurements, we show that the key for better performance is to increase the network connectivity as much as possible while limiting the number of concurrent transmitters. As a proof of the concept, we propose a multi-radio approach of the SBGP to achieve this purpose. We compare four multi-radio schemes of SBGP with a single radio SBGP through simulation and result has shown the convergence latency can be reduced up to 42% by utilizing multiple radios.
The News Media Outlet is the Message

At the time of its inception, “the medium is the message” by Marshall McLuhan (1964) was both prophetic and controversial. A half-century later, with innovative broadcasting technologies leading to a massive scale media market, the concept of a singular “medium” seems too broad to understand theoretical patterns of political communication. This study proposes a new phrase, “the news media outlet is the message,” and examines the differing effects of news media outlets for partly-mediated political communication. The experimental study measured changes in voters’ candidate evaluations before and after watching each of the three real-time televised debates in the 2012 American presidential election. The participants, who were randomly assigned to and viewed the debates via one of the five different news media outlets, showed a clear media channel effect on their evaluations of political candidates in partly-mediated forms of political discourse, and it confirmed that the news media outlet was indeed the message.
Decreasing the Output of Biomedical Waste in the Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS Advancing healthcare technologies have increased the use of disposable supplies that are made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Furthermore, biomedical effluents are steadily increasing due to severe patient treatment requirements in intensive care units. If these biomedical wastes are not properly managed and disposed, they will cause great harm to the environment and to public health. The statistics from an intensive care unit at one medical center in northern Taiwan show that the per-person biomedical effluents produced in 2014 increased 8.51% over 2013 levels. The main reasons for this increase included the low accuracy of classification of the contents of biomedical effluent collection buckets and of personnel effluents in the intensive care unit and the generally poor selection and designation of appropriate containers. PURPOSE Improvement measures were implemented in order to decrease the per-day weight of biomedical effluents by 10% per person (-0.22 kg/person/day). METHODS The project team developed various strategies, including creating classification-related slogans and posting promotional posters, holding education and training using actual case studies, establishing an "environmental protection pioneer" team, and promoting the use of appropriate containers. RESULTS The implementation of the project decreased the per-day weight of biomedical effluents by 13.2% per person. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of the project effectively reduced the per-person daily output of biological wastes and improved the waste separation behavior of healthcare personnel in the unit, giving patients and their families a better healthcare environment and helping advance the cause of environmental protection worldwide.
Interstate Banking and Product-Line Freedom: Would Broader Powers Have Helped The Banks?

OF THE U.S., various years; and manufacturing data are calculated frorm THE ECON. REP. OF THE PRESIDENT 391 (1991). 8. See ROBERT E. LrrAN, THE REVOLUTION IN U.S. FINANCE 11 (1991). The Yale Journal on Regulation readily traded on the open market). A much broader range of banks, however, have felt the sting of the second form of securitization: Wall Street's transformation of formerly illiquid loans into marketable securities collateralized by those loans. The second type of securitization was launched in the early 1970s by the federal housing agencies, which guaranteed or "credit enhanced" pools of residential mortgage loans. Since then, roughly $1 trillion in mortgages, or more than 35% of the total outstanding, have been transformed into securities. In recent years, consumer installment and credit card loans also have been turned into asset-backed securities, totalling about $80 billion at year end 1991.9 The mass production of credit has become the Trojan horse of the American banking system. While the liquefaction of credit has made it easier for banks (and thrifts) to shed their assets when they want to, it also has allowed pension funds, insurance companies, and mutual funds to enter the market for formerly illiquid credits. This has undermined much of what banks alone used to get compensated for: analyzing nonstandardized credits and then holding them in portfolio. As a result, yields on securitizable loans have been compressed by anywhere from 30 to 100 basis points on residential mortgages and by an unknown amount on consumer loans.' ° In short, during the 1980s similar competitive forces hit all banks and lowered distribution of profits across-the-board. By itself, however, this effect would not have attracted significant attention or concern from policymakers, few of whom have been especially protective of bank profits. The central reason that bank industry performance hit the political radar screen during the 1980s was that the left tail of the distribution of bank profits (or the percentage of banks that lost money and, in the worst case, became insolvent) became thicker and fatter. Thus, whereas in the 1970s virtually no banks failed and relatively few lost money, by the end of the 1980s, roughly 10% of all banks that started in the decade had failed and an additional 10% were still losing money." 9. Data from various issues of the Federal Reserve Bulletin (on file with author). 10. The 30 basis point estimate is found in PATRIC HENDERSHOTT & JAMES D. SHILLING, THE IMPACT OF THE AGENCIES ON CONVENTIONAL FIXED-RATE MORTGAGE YIELDS 10 (National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 2646, 1988). Others claim the'effect of securitization on residential mortgages rates is as large as 100 basis points. See JAMES ROSENTHAL & JUAN OCAMPO, SECURITIZATION OF CREDIT: INSIDE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY OF FINANCE 12 (1988). 11. See, e.g., FDIC QUARTERLY BANKING PROFILE, various issues. For the number of failures, see 1990 FDIC ANNUAL REPORT. Vol. 9: 521, 1992 Broader Banking Powers
The Grounded Instruction Librarian: Participating in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: ,by Melissa Mallon, Lauren Hays, Cara Bradley, Rhonda Huisman, and Jackie Belanger, Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2019.

The Grounded Instruction Librarian: Participating in The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries in July 2019, explicitly recognizes the...