cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEC Comment Letters: An Unlikely Secret Weapon for Forensic Accountants, Short Sellers, and Other Financial Statement Users

This paper is the first study to demonstrate strong informational content and economic significance associated with the issuance of SEC comment letters. Access to comment letters, for forensic accountants and investors, is a relatively recent phenomenon and little research has focused on the impact the letters have on security pricing. We construct a “red flag” forensic metric to examine the information content in SEC comment letters and analyze market performance surrounding the issuance event. The metric consists of five models that are developed to screen for and identify financial reporting problems. We document that SEC comment letters contain salient information about a firm’s financial condition, valuation, and future performance that is not only consistent with “red flags” but is apparently overlooked by investors and other financial statement users. Although the letters themselves do not evaluate the merits or investment potential associated with any reported transaction, they do reflect significant industry, accounting and disclosure expertise. We conclude that comment letters are a useful but unrecognized source of independent expert opinion regarding the quality of a firm’s financial reports.
Pulmonary O2 toxicity: energy metabolism and data analysis.

SummaryComparison of homogenates vs mitochondrial preparations in evaluating in vivo respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in lung from rats exposed to 1.5 ATA O2 for 24, 27, and 30 hr showed that homogenates from experimentally exposed rats may contain extramitochondrial factors inhibitory to respiration which are washed out in mitochondrial isolation procedures. Thus, the use of homogenates is preferable to isolated mitochondria, since they more nearly reflect in vivo oxidative phosphorylation in pulmonary oxygen toxicity studies.Intercomparison of methods of expressing lung respiration rates and ATP concentration were made in lung of rat subjected to 1.0 and 1.5 ATA O2 exposures. Care should be exercised in selecting the means for expressing data. Our results indicate that the preferred method for expressing respiration rates is microliters O2/milligram mitochondrial protein per minute, and for expressing ATP levels is micromoles ATP/milligram mitochondrial protein, in pulmonary O2 toxicity studies...
Elemental Reductants for the Deoxydehydration of Glycols

The elements zinc, iron, manganese, and carbon are demonstrated to be practical reductants for the oxorhenium catalyzed deoxydehydration (DODH) of biomass model polyols. These reductants and their oxidization products remain heterogeneous throughout the reaction, which aids in their separation. Their effectiveness is shown with the catalysts ammonium perrhenate and trans-[(Py)4Re(O)2]+Z– (1). Stoichiometric experiments with the Re(V) complex indicate a likely rhenium 5↔7 oxidation cycle for the deoxydehydration of polyols reported herein.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid Alters Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Immunoreactive Protein Levels in Normal But not Maligant Central Nervous System Derived Cells

The dose of radiation that safely can be administered to patients with malignant gliomas is limited by the potential for severe CNS morbidity. Manipulations that might increase the radiation sensitivity of gliomas and/or decrease injury to normal components of the CNS, e.g., the microvascular endothelium, one of the cell types believed to play a major role in radiation myelopathy, would provide a therapeutic benefit. One such approach may be the use of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs can inhibit tumor cell growth both in vitro 1 and in vivo 2. Moreover, Vartak et al.3, have recently shown that PUFAs are not only selectively cytotoxic to glioma cells, but also enhance the radiosensitivity of glioma cells. PUFAs have also been shown to reduce the severity of radiation-induced injury to normal tissue such as skin4 and CNS5. The damaging effects of ionizing radiation are due mainly to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which alter cell proteins, lipids and DNA. Therefore, we hypothesize that PUFAs may modify the response of cells to ionizing radiation by altering antioxidant enzymes that scavenge ROS. One such antioxidant enzyme, manganese Superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), a member of the Superoxide dismutase family of enzymes which scavenge Superoxide radicals, has been shown6,7 to protect a variety of cells from ionizing radiation. In addition, several studies have shown8,9 that PUFAs can alter Mn-SOD message, protein and activity. Therefore, we determined if one such PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), could alter Mn-SOD in a normal CNS-derived microvascular endothelial cell and a malignant CNS-derived glioma cell line.
TGF-β1 post-treatment in a rabbit model of cerebral ischaemia

AbstractTransforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), suggested in some studies to suppress astrocyte and neutrophil function, has also reduced ischaemic brain injury when administered immediately prior to clot embolization in models of thromboembolic stroke. The effect of TGF-β1 as a post-treatment paradigm was investigated in a rabbit model of thromboembolic stroke. Following clot embolization, regional cerebral blood flow fell to<10 cc 100 g–1 min–1 in all animals. TCF-β1 (10 jug) or vehicle (n = 5 each group) was infused via the contralateral carotid artery. TGF-β1 administration resulted in a rapid and selective reduction in the peripheral neutrophil count as compared to a significant (p<0.05) increase in control values (2336 ± 817 vs 4320 ± 928 neutrophils mm , mean ± SEM). Neutrophil aggregation was increased within 30 min of TGF-β1 infusion when compared to control (2.07 ± 0.70 vs 1.09 ± 0.17 ohms, p<0.05); neutrophil chemiluminescence, an index of the oxygen respiratory burst was not significantly affe...
Quality and Value in an Evolving Health Care Landscape

Demonstrating and improving value of care continues to be increasingly important in hand surgery. To prepare for emerging models that transition payment from volume to value, hand surgeons will benefit from a clear understanding of quality, cost, and value. National organizations and both public and private payers increasingly advocate for patient-reported outcome measures for pay for reporting and pay for performance initiatives. These are intended to incentivize providers and health systems to improve patient-centered care while minimizing costs. Appreciating the limitations to using patient-reported outcomes in hand surgery can ensure hand surgery is appropriately assessed in novel payment models.
Chapter 2 – Describing Data Sets

In this chapter we learn methods for presenting and describing sets of data. We introduce different types of tables and graphs, which enable us to easily see key features of a data set.
Myocardial buffering capacity in ischemia preconditioned rat heads

Brief episodes of ischemia prior to a prolonged ischemic episode, ischemic preconditioning (IPC), significantly reduce infarct size and improve postischemic functional and metabolic recovery. Although the precise mechanism of IPC has not been fully elucidated, IPC hearts consistently demonstrate less acidosis during ischemia than control hearts (Kida et al., 1991; Wolfe et al., 1993; Steenbergen et al., 1993; de Albuquerque et al., 1994). The importance of the attenuation of ischemiainduced acidosis in IPC is demonstrated by its close associati6n with infarct size reduction (Wolfe et al., 1993), and by studies wherein independent lowering of intracellular pH in preconditioned ischemic rat hearts diminishes the magnitude of metabolic and contractile improvement during postischemic recovery (de Albuquerque et al., 1994). The relatively higher intracellular pH during ischemia in ischemic preconditioned hearts could be due to reduced proton production and/or improved proton buffering capacity during ischemia. Some of the clearest evidence demonstrating reduced proton production in ischemic preconditioning comes from Murry et al. who reported lower lactate levels during ischemia in preconditioned dog hearts as compared with controls (Murry et al., 1990). Findings of reduced ischemic glycolytic proton production have been reported in other species following preconditioning, as well (Weiss et al., 1993). Kida et al., observed relatively higher intracellular pH in preconditioned hearts as compared with controls, but were the first to suggest that improved buffering capacity could also contribute to the attenuation of ischemic acidosis (Kida et al., 1991). They speculated that the increased creatine phosphate levels (creatine phosphate "overshoot") following brief episodes of ischemia in preconditioned hearts could act as one of several potential proton buffers and help attenuate the extent of acidosis during subsequent ischemia. Although improved buffering capacity by this or any other mechanism could contribute to the relatively higher pH in IPC during ischemia, studies of buffering capacity in ischemic preconditioned hearts have not been reported before. Buffering .capacity is usually defined as the change in pH for a given amount of acid loading. In these studies, we used NMR spectroscopy to measure intracellular pH during both respiratory and metabolic acid loading as well as during ischemia to determine whether buffering capacity differed in ischemia preconditioned and control rat hearts.
Green Solvents in Biomass Processing

As new applications expand in the field of biomass refining and valorization, appropriate solvent development and usage will aid in viable implementation. This work presents an overview of green solvent applications within biomass production. Particular solvent needs for biomass fractions to produce fuels and value-added products are presented. Green solvent metrics with respect to functionality and environmental, safety, and health impacts from a process and life cycle view are also addressed and applied to conventional and neoteric solvents. Current and potential applications of various solvents for extractions and conversions are provided for consideration in a biorefinery setting with discussion of future needs.
Timing of Lymphedema Following Treatment for Breast Cancer: When Are Patients Most at Risk?

Purpose To determine when the risk of lymphedema is highest following treatment for breast cancer and which factors influence the time-course of lymphedema development.
The impact of model for MOV-protected series capacitors on system stability and available transmission capability

Series capacitors compensation plays a more and more important role in long-distance and large-capacity transmission system, whose model has a significant impact to system stability study. Firstly, both gap protected SC model and linearized model is applied into the available power transmission capability and system stability study in electromechanical transient simulation in this paper. Secondly, it is showed that huge short-circuit current might be caused by using gap protected SC model, and the result of transmission capability and system stability study may deviate in that point. Finally, the comparison between the simulation and theoretical analysis shows that the adoption of linearized model could bring an acceptable result which is close to the electromagnetic transient physical characteristics of SC. The linearized model for MOV-Protected SC is proved to be accurate and effective in a real 500kV SC project, and is recommended in system stability study of SC, and fault current limiter.
Design of a Testbed for Studying Rapidly Reconfigurable Tactical Communication Networks

This paper describes the design of a testbed for studying rapidly reconfigurble ground and airborne tactical communication networks which use directed beam couplings between nodes. The networks are subject to rapid changes in connectivity and topology caused by links fading in and out or by mobile users moving into and out of the directed beams. Such networks, which provide improved security, jam resistance and probability of intercept, are viable candidates for tactical use in the 1990s. The testbed has been designed around three major subsystems: the prototype network equipment, the monitor, and the stimulator. The prototype network equipment consists of six nodes, with all required software, and direct wire connections between nodes. The monitor subsystem records the significant arrival and departure times for each packet at each node. It stores this data and processes it to determine appropriate performance parameters. The stimulator subsystem generates packets and injects bit errors and link and node faults into the prototype network. The testbed will be used to develop network architectures and protocols for constructing and reconfiguring networks and to study new types of adaptive routing algorithms and error control. Most of the planned studies will make use of the ability of the network to measure transient network behavior.
Evaluating Coincident Relationships Between Obesity Incidence and Normal Weight Incidence From Birth Through Kindergarten for US Children.

Purpose:We examine the concurrent relationship between obesity incidence and normal weight status incidence and prevalence in children between 9 months and kindergarten.Design:Multistage, probabili...
The Combined and Uneven Development of Afghan Nationalism

The U.S. campaign in Afghanistan has been based, in part, on a pair of contradictory notions: First, that the Taliban are a supra-ethnic, transnational group severed from the social and cultural heritage of Afghanistan; and second, that the Taliban represent a form of Pashtun nationalism. This article uses archival data and field research to show that both views are incorrect. The Taliban are historically rooted in Pashtun communities and yet are not a force of Pashtun nationalism. Rather, they comprise a network of exclusion, bound together in rhetoric by a particular conception of political Islam and Afghan sovereignty. This is an ‘Islamist nationalism’ in word, but crucially, not in deed: While the Taliban aspire to act as a nationalist force representing all Afghans, under conditions of institutional poverty and the lack of modernization, the Taliban are bound in practice by networks of trust and personal contact. This is an example of the ‘combined and uneven development’ of Afghan nationalism.
Mitigation of artifacts due to isolated acoustic heterogeneities in photoacoustic computed tomography using a variable data truncation-based reconstruction method

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is an emerging computed imaging modality that exploits optical contrast and ultrasonic detection principles to form images of the absorbed optical energy density within tissue. If the object possesses spatially variant acoustic properties that are unaccounted for by the reconstruction method, the estimated image can contain distortions. While reconstruction methods have recently been developed to compensate for this effect, they generally require the object’s acoustic properties to be known a priori. To circumvent the need for detailed information regarding an object’s acoustic properties, we previously proposed a half-time reconstruction method for PACT. A half-time reconstruction method estimates the PACT image from a data set that has been temporally truncated to exclude the data components that have been strongly aberrated. However, this method can be improved upon when the approximate sizes and locations of isolated heterogeneous structures, such as bones or gas pockets, are known. To address this, we investigate PACT reconstruction methods that are based on a variable data truncation (VDT) approach. The VDT approach represents a generalization of the half-time approach, in which the degree of temporal truncation for each measurement is determined by the distance between the corresponding ultrasonic transducer location and the nearest known bone or gas void location. Computer-simulated and experimental data are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in mitigating artifacts due to acoustic heterogeneities.
The role of surgery in anaplastic thyroid cancer: A systematic review

Abstract Objective To elucidate the role of surgery in the management of anaplastic thyroid cancer. Methods Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched for publications from December 2000 to July 2016. Selection criterion was a focus on the management of anaplastic thyroid cancer in adults. Studies addressing only nonsurgical management and review articles were excluded. Data extraction was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed on a subset of patients. Results 40 publications were included in the study. Approaches to unresectability and interpretations of resection varied widely. For patients undergoing primary surgery, the median survival was 6.6 months. The median survival for non-surgical patients was 2.1 months. In the subgroup analysis, the median survival time for patients undergoing surgery was significantly longer in Stage IVB (p = 0.022) but not IVC disease. Negative margins did not afford a statistically significant survival benefit. Conclusion Surgery is a mainstay of treatment for Stage IVA and IVB disease. For Stage IVC cancer, distant metastasis was not a strict criterion against surgical candidacy among surgeons. The extent of resection and the definition of resectability remain controversial. Negative margins did not significantly increase survival.
The frail fail: Increased mortality and post-operative complications in orthopaedic trauma patients

Abstract Objective The burgeoning elderly population calls for a robust tool to identify patients with increased risk of mortality and morbidity. This paper investigates the utility of the MFI as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in orthopaedic trauma patients. Design Retrospective review of the NSQIP database to identify patients age 60 and above who underwent surgery for pelvis and lower extremity fractures between 2005 and 2014. Main outcomes and measures For each patient, an MFI score was calculated using NSQIP variables. The relationship between the MFI score and 30-day mortality and morbidity was determined using chi-square analysis. MFI was compared to age, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, and wound classifications in multiple logistic regression. Results Study sample consisted of 36,424 patients with 27.8% male with an average age of 79.5 years (SD 9.3). MFI ranged from 0 to 0.82 with mean MFI of 0.12 (SD 0.09). Mortality increased from 2.7% to 13.2% and readmission increased from 5.5% to 18.8% with increasing MFI score. The rate of any complication increased from 30.1% to 38.6%. Length of hospital stay increased from 5.3 days (±5.5 days) to 9.1 days (±7.2 days) between MFI score 0 and 0.45+. There was a stronger association between 30-day mortality and MFI (aOR for MFI 0.45+: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7–3.9) compared to age (aOR for age: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.1) and ASA (aOR 2.5, 95% CI: 2.3–2.7). Conclusions and relevance MFI was a significant predictor of morbidity and mortality in orthopaedic trauma patients. The use of MFI can provide an individualized risk assessment tool that can be used by an interdisciplinary team for perioperative counseling and to improve outcomes.
Anonymous Social Media and Qualitative Inquiry: Methodological Considerations and Implications for Using Yik Yak as a Qualitative Data Source

Twenty-first century researchers face new challenges as they include digital tools and contexts in their research processes. One digital context that can be difficult for researchers to navigate is social media. This article considers the ethical and methodological issues that arise for researchers who situate their work in these digital spaces. I draw from existing research to discuss how scholars might use the social media app Yik Yak as a data source. I consider how ethical practices such as privacy, disclosure, and consent might function in this new context. I also discuss the methodological implications of working in these spaces, looking specifically at data collection and analysis practices. Finally, I advocate for continued qualitative work within these spaces, using these suggestions as starting points.
Articulating and Evaluating Validity Arguments for the TOEIC® Tests

This report provides a brief overview of how the TOEIC® program has adopted an argument-based approach to validity in order to support the use of the TOEIC tests. This approach emphasizes the need to explicitly state claims about the measurement quality and intended use of a test and to support those claims with evidence. This report briefly summarizes how the assessment use argument (AUA) exemplifies this approach and was used to construct validity arguments for the TOEIC tests. After highlighting the practical applications of the validity arguments that were constructed, it highlights challenges associated with this work and proposes several extensions. Overall, this process demonstrates how TOEIC research takes a broad, critical, and rigorous approach to support the use of the TOEIC tests.
Family influence on length at release and size-biased survival post release in hatchery-reared steelhead: A mechanism to explain how genetic adaptation to captivity occurs

Abstract Genetic adaptation to captivity influences the reproductive success of hatchery-reared steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) spawning in the wild, but the mechanism by which adaptation occurs is not well understood. Because body size-at-release is positively correlated with post-release survival in hatchery-reared smolts, one hypothesis is that hatcheries select for physiological and/or behavioral traits that promote fast growth in captivity. If those juvenile growth traits are maladaptive for spawning or offspring survival in the wild, then that could explain why hatchery fish quickly evolve to have lower reproductive success than natural-origin fish in the wild environment. First-generation hatchery-reared steelhead from the Hood River, (Oregon) have lower reproductive success in the wild than do natural-origin fish, and substantial evidence suggests the fitness difference is genetically based and due to genetic adaptation to captivity. Here we ask whether the ‘selection on size-at-release’ hypothesis could explain the rapid genetic adaptation observed in this well-studied steelhead population. Using scale analysis, we back-calculated length at ocean entrance to test whether size-selective survival occurred in two cohorts (brood year [BY] 1997 and 2009). In BY 2009, we found evidence of weak size-selective survival (difference of 9 mm between pre-release average length and back-calculated length from surviving adults), but in BY 1997, strong (37 mm difference) size-selective survival was observed. Family identity explained 33% of the variance in fork length before release, and fork length was highly heritable in both BY cohorts. Thus, the requisite genetic variation for response to selection on size-at-release exists in this population. Our results support the hypothesis that size-selective survival does occur after release, and that selection for traits promoting fast growth in the hatchery could be a mechanism by which rapid adaptation to captivity has occurred in the Hood River winter steelhead hatchery program.
Computer Based Life Prediction Methodology for Structural Design

Advanced concepts in structural design must include information on geometric and economic constraints, as well as static strength and fatigue life of the structure under long term service conditions. In this research, computer based life prediction methodology on the structural component level has been developed to estimate the fatigue life for material screening in initial phases of design. Estimates are based on available stress-life data of coupon test from advanced composites, such as epoxy resin reinforced with unidirectional carbon fibers, and metals. A cylindrical shell is chosen as the test component consistent with other preliminary Concurrent Engineering (CE) efforts. In addition to fatigue life estimates, composite shell theory has been incorporated to perform stability analysis for any combination of axial, torsional, flexural and internal pressure loading. To meet the needs of user friendly interactive design, the software is so structured that trade-off studies can be performed based on fatigue life, relatively compared specific strength, stiffness and weight.
Towards a Sociology of Law School Admissions

The primary function of the admissions process is to select the "best" candidates; it is hardly surprising, therefore, that the process produces a group of students who represent an elite in terms of prior academic accomplishments. What is less often realized, however, is that a broad range of social and personal characteristics are highly correlated with academic achievement and the other criteria used to measure excellence. As a result, in selecting what are understood to be the best students, the admissions process is also-sometimes directly and purposefully, sometimes indirectly and unknowingly-playing a major role in determining such matters as the social class origins and ethnic composition of the bar and perhaps also the types of nonlegal skills lawyers will have. Of course, I make this assertion realizing full well that the admissions process does not determine who will become a lawyer, or even who will go to law school; it determines only who will have the opportunity to attend. Law school admission is but the first of several hurdles. But it is a critical one.
Celiac Autoimmunity Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure and Renal Risk in Type 1 Diabetes.

Context Though the long-term consequences of celiac disease (CD) in type 1 diabetes are unclear, CD has been associated with increased prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) independent of type 1 diabetes. Objective We evaluated whether celiac autoimmunity is related to the cumulative incidence of microalbuminuria [albumin excretion rate (AER) 20 to 200 µg/min], macroalbuminuria (AER >200 µg/min), and ESRD. Design, patients, and methods In the prospective follow-up of the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, 618 participants were screened for tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies with a clinical assay. Nephropathy outcomes were determined at 25 years of diabetes duration. Results Overall, the 33 subjects (5.3%) with strongly positive tTG levels (≥3 times the upper limit of normal) or a reported clinical history of CD had lower baseline blood pressure and lipid values. At 25 years of diabetes duration, a lower cumulative incidence of macroalbuminuria in strongly positive subjects compared with those with negative serology (3.6% vs 30.0%; P = 0.003) remained significant after adjustment for age, HbA1c, lipid measures, and blood pressure (adjusted P = 0.004). No considerable differences between these subjects and tTG-negative groups were found for microalbuminuria (40.0% vs 57.1%) or ESRD (0 vs 4.1%). Conclusions These findings show that strongly positive celiac autoimmunity status in individuals with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes is associated with lower baseline blood pressure and cholesterol measurements as well as lower macroalbuminuria risk after 25 years of type 1 diabetes duration with no increase in the risk of microalbuminuria or ESRD.
Liver haematoma as a presentation of peliosis hepatis

Peliosis hepatis (PH) is an uncommon, benign hepatic vascular condition involving liver lesions consisting of dilated sinusoidal spaces that ultimately lead to numerous blood-filled cavities within the liver parenchyma. We detail the case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with a large hepatic haematoma resulting from intracystic haemorrhage. She was subsequently diagnosed with PH via arteriogram. Her symptoms were successfully treated surgically with open fenestration. Patient’s postoperative course was unremarkable, with no recurrence of symptoms to date.
Seborrheic keratosis-like lesions localized to tattoo.

Seborrheic keratoses (SKs) are benign epidermal neoplasms commonly encountered in the adult population. Multiple SKs have been described arising in an eruptive fashion in the context of a precipitating event such as malignancy or erythroderma.1 However, multiple SK-like lesions arising in association with a tattoo are rarely reported in the literature.2, 3
ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS AND CORROSION FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

ABSTRACT Corrosion fatigue crack growth in aqueous environments is a multi-faceted problem of technological importance. Recent crack growth and chemical reaction data that demonstrate electrochemical reaction control of fatigue crack growth in steels are reviewed. In this paper, a framework is outlined for the identification and modeling of corrosion fatigue crack growth response in aqueous environments in terms of the underlying chemical processes. This framework, paralleling that for gaseous environments, serves as a basis for fundamental understanding, and for the rational interpretation and utilization of crack growth data. Modeling of electrochemical reaction controlled fatigue crack growth in aqueous environments and recent experimental support for such growth in steels are summarized. The importance of localized reactions at the crack tip and the need for considering transient kinetics of these reactions with bare metal surfaces are emphasized. The implications of these findings and areas for further research are discussed.
Evaluation of Physician Network-Based Measures of Care Coordination Using Medicare Patient-Reported Experience Measures.

There is significant promise in analyzing physician patient-sharing networks to indirectly measure care coordination, yet it is unknown whether these measures reflect patients’ perceptions of care coordination. To evaluate the associations between network-based measures of care coordination and patient-reported experience measures. We analyzed patient-sharing physician networks within group practices using data made available by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare beneficiaries who provided responses to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey in 2016 (data aggregated by physician group practice made available through the Physician Compare 2016 Group Public Reporting). The outcomes of interest were patient-reported experience measures reflecting aspects of care coordination (CAHPS). The predictor variables of interests were physician group practice density (the number of physician pairs who share patients adjusting for the total number of physician pairs) and clustering (the extent to which sets of three physicians share patients). Four hundred seventy-six groups had patient-reported measures available. Patients’ perception of “Clinicians working together for your care” was significantly positively associated with both physician group practice density (Est (95 % CI) = 5.07(0.83, 9.33), p = 0.02) and clustering (Est (95 % CI) = 3.73(1.01, 6.44), p = 0.007). Physician group practice clustering was also significantly positively associated with “Getting timely care, appointments, and information” (Est (95 % CI) = 4.63(0.21, 9.06), p = 0.04). This work suggests that network-based measures of care coordination are associated with some patient-reported experience measures. Evaluating and intervening on patient-sharing networks may provide novel strategies for initiatives aimed at improving quality of care and the patient experience.
Conjoint Analysis of Genome-Wide lncRNA and mRNA Expression of Heteromorphic Leavesin Response to Environmental Heterogeneityin Populus euphratica.

Heterophylly is the phenomenon of leaf forms varying along the longitudinal axis within a single plant. Populus euphratica, a heterophyllous woody plant, develops lanceolate leaves and dentate broad-ovate leaves on the bottom and top of the canopy, respectively, which are faced with different intensities of ambient solar radiation. However, the mechanism of the heteromorphic leaf response to the microenvironment in P. euphratica remains elusive. Here, we show that the dentate broad-ovate leaves have advantages in tolerating high light intensity, while lanceolate leaves are excellent at capturing light. Compared with lanceolate leaves, more trichomes, higher stomatal density, thicker lamina, and higher specific leaf weight were observed in dentate broad-ovate leaves. Furthermore, high-throughput RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the expression patterns of genes and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are different between the two heteromorphic leaves. A total of 36,492 genes and 1725 lncRNAs were detected, among which 586 genes and 54 lncRNAs were differentially expressed. Based on targets prediction, lncRNAs and target genes involved in light adaption, protein repair, stress response, and growth and development pathways were differentially expressed in heteromorphic leaves, 10 pairs of which were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Additionally, the analysis of interactions indicated that lncRNA–mRNA interactions were involved in the response to the microenvironment of heteromorphic leaves. Taken together, these results suggest that the morphological features and joint regulation of lncRNA–mRNA in heteromorphic leaves may serve as survival strategies for P. euphratica, which could lead to optimal utilization of environmental factors.
Accuracy of the PM6 and PM7 Methods on Bare and Thiolate-Protected Gold Nanoclusters.

Semiempirical quantum mechanical (SEQM) methods offer an attractive middle ground between fully ab initio quantum chemistry and force-field simulations, allowing for a quantum mechanical treatment ...
Neurosurgery in the Elderly

The older neurosurgical literature regarding outcomes in elderly patients was extremely heterogeneous, and the results were conflicting. However, the baseline patient characteristics (frailty, comorbidities, etc.) were frequently not used to differentiate the patients, and clinicians were not as aggressive in treating these older patients sometimes. Furthermore, elderly patients from previous eras may not be representative of today’s elderly patients as the baseline health of older patients continues to improve each decade. A Danish study analyzed how two cohorts of nonagenarians born 10 years apart scored in activities of daily living and cognitive tests. The cohort born later scored significantly higher, suggesting that today’s elderly population may not be equivalent to the elderly that were studied in the past.
15 years of genome-wide association studies and no signs of slowing down.

Over the past 15 years, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have generated a wealth of new information. Larger samples sizes, refined phenotypes and higher-resolution genome-screens will continue to drive gene discovery in years ahead. Meanwhile, GWAS loci are increasingly translated into new biology and opportunities for clinical care.
Pregnancy in Hidradenitis Suppurativa—Patient Perspectives and Practice Gaps

This survey study reports on patients’ concerns about the implications of hidradenitis suppurativa for sexual and reproductive health, heritability of the condition, and pregnancy and childbirth as well as the inadequate information and support from clinicians.
Ground Water Arsenic and Education Attainment in Bangladesh

A third of Bangladeshi children live in communities with unsafe, arsenic contaminated water. Fifty-seven percent of children in such communities are reported to drink from arsenic free sources, partly as a result of public health programs that identify contaminated wells and alert people to the risks of drinking from contaminated wells. Fixed-effects regressions reveal that the forty-three percent of boys who grow up in such communities and who are not reported to drink arsenic-free water, lose a half year of schooling to arsenic’s effects. Boys living in communities with unsafe water but reported to drink from arsenic-free sources do not suffer this adverse educational consequence. Estimated negative effects for girls are much smaller and statistically insignificant, which accords with others’ similar findings about arsenic’s differential impacts on cognitive development for Bangladeshi boys and girls. Public health measures that induce people to shift away from arsenic-contaminated wells not only improve health, but also build human capital.
Mathematical Models of Dynamic Physical Systems

The design of modern control systems relies on the formulation and analysis of mathematical models of dynamic physical systems. Physical systems are represented by connecting the terminals of pure elements in patterns that approximate the relationships among the properties of component devices. The element laws and system relations together constitute a complete mathematical description of a physical system. There are two fundamental approaches to the analysis of linear, time-invariant systems. Transform methods use rational functions obtained from the Laplace transformation of the system I/O equations. State-variable methods use the vector state and output equations directly. Simulation is almost always carried out with the assistance of computing equipment. Four methods can be used to construct a phase portrait: (1) direct solution of the differential equation, (2) the graphical method of isoclines, (3) transformation of the second-order system into an equivalent first-order system, and (4) numerical solution using simulation. Keywords: dynamic physical systems; Laplace transformation; mathematical models; modern control systems; state-variable methods
Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Studies of the Photoluminescence of Nanoporous Silicon: Effects of Lewis Acid/Base Exposure

Visible light emission emanating from nanostructured porous silicon is sensitive to adsorption of a number of small molecules, suggesting its utility as a chemical sensor. In this work we investigate the mechanistic origin of the diminution of the luminescence by n-propyl amine adsorption and restoration by trifluoroacetic acid, most sensitively by an examination of the changes in observed lifetime of the porous Si luminescence. This is quantified in terms of a stretched exponential model that is consistent with a distribution of luminescent centers in this nanophase material.
Difference, Identity and Quantification

Most theorists treat the ‘relation’ of identity as being more fundamental (or basic) than the ‘relation’ of (numerical) difference. Herbert Hochberg suggests, instead, that difference is to be treated as basic. My goal in this paper is to answer two related questions. First, what is it for a theorist to treat difference or identity as basic? Second, which of these two ‘relations’ is to be treated as basic? I begin by outlining four reasons that one might be motivated to endorse the view that difference is to be treated as basic. Based on these reasons, I distinguish three ways of conceiving of what is involved in treating difference as basic: one conception involves the reification of the relation of difference, whereas the other two do not. Finally, I consider the theoretical consequences, particularly as concerns ontological parsimony, of treating difference as basic in these ways. My ultimate position is that there is a sense in which the second question from above is wrongheaded: difference and identity are, so to speak, features of the same ‘ideological apparatus’ (namely, that of quantification), so there is no real decision to be made about which to treat as basic. If this is correct, then the consequences for a theory's ontological parsimony that result from treating difference, identity, or both as basic are just the same as those that issue from the employment of quantification within a theory – namely, one's theory thereby incurs an ontological commitment to things.
Cheating and Whistle-Blowing in the Classroom

This study surveyed 195 business students (74 women and 121 men) from three institutions on various aspects of honesty in academics. The study is driven by a concern for the audit implications of the increasing evidence of the link between unethical behavior in college and the workplace and students’ increasing insensitivity to ethical issues. The results of the study evaluate students’ opinions of cheating and the percentage of students who have or would whistle-blow if they observe cheating. The study also examined whether characteristics such as prior cheating behavior, gender, social desirability response bias (SDRB), the belief about doing more about cheating, and prior whistle-blowing will affect a student's intent to whistle-blow. Our data extends prior research on cheating and SDRB by testing their association with students’ self-reported tendency to whistle-blow. Our research indicates that students who have whistle-blown have a higher reported intention to whistle-blow after accounting for the effect of SDRB. Our data indicate that students’ intentions are an important factor that should be considered by instructors as well as researchers.
The problem of optimal smoothing for convex functions

A procedure is described for smoothing a convex function which not only preserves its convexity, but also, under suitable conditions, leaves the function unchanged over nearly all the regions where it is already smooth. The method is based on a convolution followed by a gluing. Controlling the Hessian of the resulting function is the key to this process, and it is shown that it can be done successfully provided that the original function is strictly convex over the boundary of the smooth regions.
The Association of Angiographic Collaterals with Long‐Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Stable Angina

Objectives To determine the impact of coronary collaterals in stable angina. Background Whether spontaneously visible coronary collaterals are associated with long-term clinical outcomes in stable angina remains unclear. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients with stable angina referred for coronary angiography and followed them clinically for 1 year. Results A total of 1,134 consecutive patients were enrolled, and of these, 550 had at least single-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) and were included. Patients with collaterals had more congestive heart failure (16% vs. 9%, P = 0.023), peripheral vascular disease (22% vs. 15%, P = 0.044), and 2-vessel (36% vs. 26%) and 3-vessel (28% vs. 10%) CAD compared to those without collaterals (P < 0.001). Patients with collaterals were less likely to undergo percutaneous intervention at the time of the index angiogram (32% vs. 61%, P < 0.001). At 1 year, there were no differences in angina (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.50–1.10; P = 0.141), myocardial infarction (MI) (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.46–3.21; P = 0.691), revascularization (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.55–1.30; P = 0.431), death (HR 1.83, 95% CI 0.63–5.31; P = 0.269), or the combined end-point of death, MI, and revascularization (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.61–1.24; P = 0.426) between patients with and without collaterals. When analyzed according to collateral grade, patients with Rentrop grade 1 had less angina (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.26–0.89; P = 0.019). Conclusions At 1 year, there was no difference in adverse events between patients with or without collaterals. The presence of Rentrop grade 1 collaterals, however, was associated with significantly less angina. (J Interven Cardiol 2014;27:225–232)
Spatial and temporal T cell compartmentalization over the human lifetime: a quantitative, system wide analysis (LYM4P.745)

The efficacy of memory T cells in protective immunity has been shown in mouse models, but their lifelong compartmentalization and maintenance in humans remains unclear. To systematically probe lifelong memory T cell generation and maintenance, we have analyzed their distribution and function among 9 tissues acquired through from over 40 healthy donors aged 3 to 73 years old. We statistically analyzed data derived from FACS analysis of these donors, and generated a quantitative map of T cell compartmentalization and maintenance over the human lifespan. Our analyses revealed that differentiated effector memory subsets primarily resided in peripheral tissues while central and naive subsets remained in circulatory sites. Moreover, expression of the resident memory marker CD69 effectively predicts compartmentalization in peripheral tissues, indicating the need for increased activation to enter the periphery. CD127 and CD28 expression revealed differential maintenance of the subsets in distinct sites, with more cytokine and antigen-driven maintenance prevalent in TEM and TEMRA subsets localized to the periphery. We found that the distribution and maintenance patterns of these subsets are established early in life, and vary little with increasing age. These findings suggest that tissue localization is the primary driver of human T cell maintenance and compartmentalization, and remains stable over the lifetime.
Evaluation's vital role in healthier school meals.

r N s e p 2 f f romoting healthful diets by supporting access to nutritious food is central to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) mission. School meal prorams—the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and he School Breakfast Program (SBP)—are a central stratgy to help children avoid hunger, nourish their growth nd development, and enable them to focus on learning. hese programs reach more than 31 million children each chool day. Although most Americans are familiar with school eals, relatively few are aware of the critical role that utrition science and research have long played in makng these programs effective. USDA’s first school meals ssessment, the National Evaluation of School Nutrition rograms (NESNP) (1), was launched soon after publicaion of the original Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2) nd informed important changes in SBP meal patterns. Since that time, USDA has sponsored periodic studies f the nutrient content of school meals as a means of argeting policy improvements. The first School Nutrition ietary Assessment (SNDA-I), completed in 1993, led to egulations updating nutrition standards, expanding exibility for schools, and instituting regular monitoring f compliance with the new requirements (3,4). SNDA-II, xamining school year 1998-1999, found considerable rogress in the percentage of energy from total fat and aturated fat, and the percentage of schools offering lowat meals (5). This supplement to the Journal of the merican Dietetic Association reports findings from the ost recent in this series, SNDA-III, which collected data n school year 2004-2005. SNDA-III is the most comprehensive review yet of the ontent of food eaten by schoolchildren, providing naional data on meals offered to students and those that tudents select, as well as food they consume at school eals and throughout the day. It also examines foods
Identification of a glycosidase activity with apparent specificity for 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose in glycosidic linkage

2-Deoxy-d-glucose (dGlc) is a carbohydrate with significant activity as an inhibitor of glucose metabolism and as a precursor in the synthesis of glycosylated macromolecules; several of the enzymes associated with its metabolism remain uncharacterized. In the present report, the partial purification and some of the properties of a mammalian enzyme that appears to be relatively specific for the hydrolysis of dGlc bound in glycosidic linkage is described. The physiological function of this enzymatic activity is unknown. In addition, dGlc has been shown to be taken up by HTC cells in culture and incorporated into macromolecular bound form, both as dGlc and as 2-deoxygalactose which is formed from dGlc.