cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What the Public Wants of Government

It was the decade of conformity. We practiced moderation to excess. In the 1950s the sound of the throbbing rhythms of Buddy Holly and his Crickets was just beginning to compete with crooners and Doris Day musicals for American musical tastes. Americans warmed to the grandfatherly Eisenhower and aspired to have kids who were “well-rounded.” In politics we feared the new A-bomb. With the Great Depression cured by Roosevelt and by World War II, there was little passion for changing the domestic order, little passion for anything. It was a time of bland. Public opinion polling, in its childhood but now beyond infancy, was more gimmick and entertainment than science. Surveys covered everything, exploring how Americans felt about everything, politics not being a particularly important part. The Gallup poll regularly explored topics such as “Who is your favorite girl singer?” The Michigan election surveys in 1956 stating “If Negroes are not getting fair treatment in jobs and housing, the government should see to it that they do.” found 61% in favor and 19% opposed. Two years later the balance was 63 to 18. No one noticed the change. In 1958 the Opinion Research Corporation, asking whether people approved a law that guaranteed the right to form labor unions, found the public divided 74% to 11%. Then two years later it was 75 to 9. At about the same time, the Michigan studies found support for government doing something to provide low-cost healthcare moving from about two-thirds to three-fourths in these same years of the Eisenhower administration. Support for greater government involvement in guaranteeing employment moved from 68 to 69 and then to 71% in 1956, 1958, and 1960. Gallup surveys show an uneven trend in acceptance of income tax levels from about 40% in 1956 to about 45% in 1959. The Gallup organization charted similar movements in support of statehood for Alaska and Hawaii, seen at the time as racial issues. Nobody saw it. But here the 1960s were emerging; it was John Kennedy's New Frontier, but long before Kennedy's 1960 election. Americans were changing how they felt about government. They were seeing problems in America and increasingly looking to government to solve them. That change would lay the groundwork for the New Frontier and then Lyndon Johnson's more ambitious Great Society. This was a button-down era, but its progeny would fuel the youth revolution and the counterculture to come.
Seller-induced scarcity and price-leadership: Impact on product returns in the internet retail supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the interaction between inventory availability (scarcity) and pricing levels (price-leadership (PL)), and its effect on product returns in the internet retail supply chain. Specifically, this paper investigates how supply chain managers can use inventory (seller-induced scarcity) and pricing (PL) levers to control product returns. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data of sales and product returns from an internet retailer is analyzed to identify the scale of the effect that product scarcity and PL has on product returns. These factors are considered in developing a sales-return process model which is used with empirical data in a simulation study. The study evaluates changes in product returns for different policy settings related to PL and inventory levels. Findings of the simulation study are validated using statistical analysis of empirical data. Findings – PL and seller-induced product scarcity affect the rate of product returns; however, the s...
Ocular Signs of Chiari Malformation

Twenty-eight patients (14 females and 14 males aged between four and 34 years) with myelomeningocele and Chiari malformations were examined neuro-ophthalmologically at the Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.
Neuroscience and Consumer Finance

Developments in neuroscience research methods have allowed for considerable advancements in our understanding of the role of various parts of the brain in making decisions, and specifically, in making financial decisions. Of particular interest, research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyzes changes in blood flow to various parts of the brain, which corresponds with an increased use of that area of the brain. fMRI research has discovered a great deal about the neural environment in which individuals make financial decisions. This chapter provides an overview of neuroscience and neuroscience research methods and highlights recent neuroscience research findings related to a variety of financial decisions consumers face, including purchase decisions, investment and portfolio management decisions, and choosing a financial advisor.
Diabetes Outpatient Care and Acute Complications Before and After High-Deductible Insurance Enrollment: A Natural Experiment for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D) Study

Importance High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) have expanded under the Affordable Care Act and are expected to play a major role in the future of US health policy. The effects of modern HDHPs on chronically ill patients and adverse outcomes are unknown. Objective To determine the association of HDHP with high-priority diabetes outpatient care and preventable acute complications. Design, Setting, and Participants Controlled interrupted-time-series study using a large national health insurer database from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2012. A total of 12 084 HDHP members with diabetes, aged 12 to 64 years, who were enrolled for 1 year in a low-deductible (≤$500) plan followed by 2 years in an HDHP (≥$1000) after an employer-mandated switch were included. Patients transitioning to HDHPs were propensity-score matched with contemporaneous patients whose employers offered only low-deductible coverage. Low-income (n = 4121) and health savings account (HSA)–eligible (n = 1899) patients with diabetes were subgroups of interest. Data analysis was performed from February 23, 2015, to September 11, 2016. Exposures Employer-mandated HDHP transition. Main Outcomes and Measures High-priority outpatient visits, disease monitoring tests, and outpatient and emergency department visits for preventable acute diabetes complications. Results In the 12 084 HDHP members included after the propensity score match, the mean (SD) age was 50.4 (10.0) years; 5410 of the group (44.8%) were women. The overall, low-income, and HSA-eligible diabetes HDHP groups experienced increases in out-of-pocket medical expenditures of 49.4% (95% CI, 40.3% to 58.4%), 51.7% (95% CI, 38.6% to 64.7%), and 67.8% (95% CI, 47.9% to 87.8%), respectively, compared with controls in the year after transitioning to HDHPs. High-priority primary care visits and disease monitoring tests did not change significantly in the overall HDHP cohort; however, high-priority specialist visits declined by 5.5% (95% CI, −9.6% to −1.5%) in follow-up year 1 and 7.1% (95% CI, −11.5% to −2.7%) in follow-up year 2 vs baseline. Outpatient acute diabetes complication visits were delayed in the overall and low-income HDHP cohorts at follow-up (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.88 to 0.99] for the overall cohort and 0.89 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.98] for the low-income cohort). Annual emergency department acute complication visits among HDHP members increased by 8.0% (95% CI, 4.6% to 11.4%) in the overall group, 21.7% (95% CI, 14.5% to 28.9%) in the low-income group, and 15.5% (95% CI, 10.5% to 20.6%) in the HSA-eligible group. Conclusions and Relevance Patients with diabetes experienced minimal changes in outpatient visits and disease monitoring after an HDHP switch, but low-income and HSA-eligible HDHP members experienced major increases in emergency department visits for preventable acute diabetes complications.
Sex- and Age-Adjusted Population Analysis of Prevalence Estimates for Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the United States.

Importance The true prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is unknown. Objective To establish standardized overall and group-specific prevalence estimates for HS in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective analysis included a demographically heterogeneous population-based sample of more than 48 million unique patients across all US census regions. As of October 27, 2016, a total of 47 690 patients with HS were identified using electronic health record data. Main Outcomes and Measures Standardized overall point prevalence for HS and sex-, age-, and race-specific prevalence estimates of HS in the general US population. Results Of the 47 690 patients with HS (26.2% men and 73.8% women), the overall HS prevalence in the US population sample was 0.10%, or 98 per 100 000 persons (95% CI, 97-99 per 100 000 persons). The adjusted prevalence in women was 137 per 100 000 (95% CI, 136-139 per 100 000), more than twice that of men (58 per 100 000; 95% CI, 57-59 per 100 000; P P P Conclusions and Relevance Hidradenitis suppurativa is an uncommon, but not rare, disease in the United States that disproportionately affects female patients, young adults, and African American and biracial patients.
Lumbar Spondylodiscitis Caused by Burkholderia cepacia in a Previously Healthy Patient

Burkholderia cepacia spondylodiscitis is a rare entity that has been reported in only four cases. We hereby report the case of a 43-year-old, previously healthy, woman who was found to have a B. cepacia spondylodiscitis after a cholecystectomy. She was treated with a three-month regimen of ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin with complete clinical, biological, and radiological remission.
Venezuela: Public Debate and the Management of Oil Resources and Revenues

Although Venezuela’s experience since the 1980s would seem to make it a classic example of the resource curse, that perspective fails to explain the country’s impressive economic, social and institutional performance—including healthy public debate—during the first five decades after oil was first produced on a large scale. This chapter takes a long view of the Venezuelan experience and argues that this initial performance was lengthy and positive but fragile, given the incapacity of the country’s institutions to adapt to the different environment that developed afterwards, characterized by high oil price volatility and significant and sudden declines in oil revenues. The prolonged initial period of equilibrium became a curse of sorts. Lacking adaptive efficiency, political institutions were forced to rely increasingly on maintaining an illusion of harmony, and as faltering performance became evident, Venezuelans began questioning the model and its hegemonic arrangements. The scope and magnitude of the economic, social and institutional devastation that followed were such that public debate became one the first casualties. One of the main problems in contemporary Venezuela is the polarization of politics. This makes it difficult for the country’s population to arrive at reasonable solutions through public discussion.
The Association between Internal Information Quality and State Tax Planning

This study examines if internal information quality facilitates state tax planning. Due to the considerable number of tax jurisdictions, variety of tax rules, and enforcement mechanisms, state taxes are one of the most complex areas for tax planning. Prior literature finds that internal information quality is positively associated with summary measures of tax planning. However, we know little about what specific forms of tax planning drive this association. We conjecture that the complex area of state tax planning is one of the forms of tax planning that benefits from strong internal information quality. Consistent with this conjecture, we find that higher internal information quality is positively associated with state tax planning. We also find that domestic firms drive this relation, consistent with multinational firms focusing more on international tax planning. Finally, using a structural equation model that allows different forms of tax planning to covary with each other, we find a positive association between higher levels of internal information quality and both state and foreign tax planning. We fail to find a significant association between internal information quality and federal tax planning. Taken together, our results imply that internal information quality is most important for complex, multi-jurisdictional areas of tax planning.
Optimal motion planning and control of a crack filling robot for civil infrastructure automation

Surface cracks exist in many civil infrastructures such as road and bridge deck surfaces, parking lots, and building surfaces, etc. To prevent the crack growth and further deterioration, it is necessary to fill these cracks with appropriate materials on time. We present a robotic crack filling system that can effectively and efficiently deliver fluidic repairing materials to fill surface cracks. Motion planning and cracking filling control are the two main tasks presented in this paper. We present a graph-based crack coverage (GCC) algorithm to solve motion planning problem. The filling motion control is captured by a model predictive control (MPC) scheme given the mobile platform trajectory. We also develop a crack-filling robotic prototype. Simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the system design and performance evaluation.
PhyloParser: A Hybrid Algorithm for Extracting Phylogenies from Dendrograms

We consider a new approach to extracting information from dendrograms in the biological literature representing phylogenetic trees. Existing algorithmic approaches to extract these relationships rely on tracing tree contours and are very sensitive to image quality issues, but manual approaches require significant human effort and cannot be used at scale. We introduce PhyloParser, a fully automated, end-to-end system for automatically extracting species relationships from phylogenetic tree diagrams using a multi-modal approach to digest diverse tree styles. Our approach automatically identifies phylogenetic tree figures in the scientific literature, extracts the key components of tree structure, reconstructs the tree, and recovers the species relationships. We use multiple methods to extract tree components with high recall, then filter false positives by applying topological heuristics about how these components fit together. We present an evaluation on a real-world dataset to quantitatively and qualitatively demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. Our classifier achieves 89% recall and 99% precision, with a low average error rate relative to previous approaches. We aim to use PhyloParser to build a linked, open, comprehensive database of phylogenetic information that covers the historical literature as well as current data, and then use this resource to identify areas of disagreement and poor coverage in the biological literature.
Behavioral Economic Research in Addiction as an Area of Growth for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Behavioral economics, a synthesis of the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) and economics, seeks to determine the relative value of reinforcers as a function of various environmental constraints. Early animal and human studies often focused on drug reinforcement, and this has continued to the p
Four “Laws” of Language Revitalization

Language revitalization of Native American languages requires going beyond the worldview, methods, and expectations of the official language model. Successful language revitalization takes into account a more or less limited role of the heritage language in the speech community, as well as how to reach varying levels of revitalization. The revitalization of a Native American heritage language has to fit into the speech community’s linguistic ideology and outlook in order to have value as a revitalized language that community members actually use. The linguistic ideology of the official language model must be rejected.
N = 1 supersymmetric Proca-Stueckelberg mechanism for extra vector multiplet

Abstract We present a variant formulation of N = 1 supersymmetric Proca–Stueckelberg mechanism for an arbitrary non-Abelian group in four dimensions. This formulation resembles our previous variant supersymmetric compensator mechanism in 4D. Our field content consists of the three multiplets: (i) a non-Abelian Yang–Mills multiplet ( A μ I , λ I ) , (ii) a tensor multiplet ( B μ ν I , χ I , φ I ) and (iii) an extra vector multiplet ( K μ I , ρ I , C μ ν ρ I ) with the index I for the adjoint representation of a non-Abelian gauge group. The C μ ν ρ I is originally an auxiliary field dual to the conventional auxiliary field D I for the extra vector multiplet. The vector K μ I and the tensor C μ ν ρ I get massive, after absorbing respectively the scalar φ I and the tensor B μ ν I . The superpartner fermion ρ I acquires a Dirac mass shared with χ I . We fix non-trivial quartic interactions in the total lagrangian, with corresponding cubic interaction terms in field equations.
On the effective moduli of anisotropic composites with aligned ellipsoidal inclusions

The effective elastic and shear moduli of a 3-D composite containing aligned ellipsoidal inclusions are evaluated in this paper. The material considered is transversely isotropic due to the uniform dispersion ofinclusions in plane sections normal to their major axis. The method followed for the solution of the problem is based upon Eshelby's theory. We evaluate the strain field around a single ellipsoidal inhomogeneity surrounded by the effective anisotropic medium. Considering the mutual interaction of the neighbouring inclusions inside the matrix, we may evaluate the effective stiffness ofcomposites with inclusions at dilute concentrations by using Mori-Tanaka's concept. The parameters involved in the analysis are the aspect ratio of the inclusions, their volume fraction and the ratio of the elastic moduli of the constituent phases forming the composite. The results show that the anisotropy of the composite is rather affected by the hardness of the inclusions relatively to the matrix than by the aspect ratio of inclusions. On the other hand, the stiffness of the composite is rather greater in models with inclusions ofa needle-shape form than in composites with spheroidal inclusions.
Land Use and Larval Habitat Increase Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) Abundance in Lowland Hawaii

Vector abundance plays a key role in transmission of mosquito-borne disease. In Hawaii, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), the Asian tiger mosquito, has been implicated in locally-transmitted dengue outbreaks, while Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), the southern house mosquito, is the primary vector of avian malaria, a wildlife disease that has contributed to declines and extinctions of native Hawaiian birds. Despite the importance of these introduced species to human and wildlife health, little is known about the local-scale drivers that shape mosquito abundance across lowland Hawaii, where forest, agricultural, and residential land uses are prevalent. We examined landscape, larval habitat, and climate drivers of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance in eight lowland wet forest fragments on the Big Island of Hawaii. We found that the abundance of both species increased with the proportion of surrounding developed land and the availability of larval habitat, which were themselves correlated. Our findings suggest that conversion of natural habitats to residential and agricultural land increases mosquito larval habitats, increasing the abundance of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus and increasing disease risk to humans and wildlife in Hawaii. Our results further indicate that while source reduction of artificial larval habitats-particularly moderately-sized human-made habitats including abandoned cars and tires-could reduce mosquito abundance, eliminating larval habitat will be challenging because both species utilize both natural and human-made larval habitats in lowland Hawaii.
Politics, State discretion and retrenchment in safety net provision: evidence from the USA in the post-Welfare Reform era

The welfare reforms of the late 1990s in the US granted States increased and varying levels of discretion in programme financing, rulemaking and administration. Scholars have generally assumed that this discretion would lead to retrenchment. We use comparable measures of programme generosity and inclusion from 1994–2014 to examine the relationship between levels of discretion, State political factors and the likelihood of retrenchment. In our descriptive analysis, we find that discretion provides opportunities for both retrenchment and expansion and that these outcomes are shaped by State political factors. In multivariate models, we find a more limited association between State political factors and changes or differences in safety net provision.
Conventional Amplification for Children and Adults with Severe-to-Profound Hearing Loss

The primary goal of amplification is to restore audibility without causing discomfort; for someone with severe-to-profound hearing loss, the reduced dynamic range poses unique challenges in hearing-assistive device fitting. These challenges, including physiological limitation, processing difficulties, technology constraints, and other confounding factors, must be considered when selecting, fitting, and counseling for appropriate amplification. Many of the advanced features in hearing aids do not adequately address the unique characteristics of patients with severe-to-profound hearing loss. This review article will attempt to unravel some of the challenges and associated considerations when fitting adults and children with severe-to-profound hearing loss.
Focusing on Population Health at Scale — Joining Policy and Technology to Improve Health

Focusing on Population Health at Scale Research shows that investments outside health care can improve health and fiscal outcomes. But addressing all the factors that affect health will require new...
Simple Detection of Hepatitis B Virus in Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method.

INTRODUCTION US Military and civilian personnel regularly deploy to regions that are endemic for the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), including the Western Pacific, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Europe. When patients have life-threatening injuries that require any blood component that is not immediately available, they are typically transfused with locally collected fresh whole blood from a walking blood bank. Currently, there is no simple and easy method for sensitively screening fresh blood in deployed theaters of conflict. MATERIALS AND METHODS In order to fill the gap, we have developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect the presence of HBV in blood products. The primers were designed to target the gene of the pre-Surface/Surface antigen region of HBV. The amplification reaction mixture was incubated at 60°C for 60 min. The amplicon can be detected by a handheld fluorescence tube scanner or an immune-chromatography test strip. RESULTS We were able to detect down to 10 copies of viral DNA by LAMP reaction for HBV DNA extracted from HBV-positive plasma. We also identified the optimal heat treatment condition (125°C for 10 min) for plasma specimens without requiring DNA extraction for the LAMP assay. The sensitivity of the assay was evaluated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed HBV-positive samples. Using LAMP, we detected HBV in 107 out of 127 (84%) samples. CONCLUSION This LAMP assay has the potential to be used in resource-limited settings to improve the safety of locally collected blood in endemic regions.
Web Conferencing Supports the Wake Tech High School Equivalency Program

The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is a national initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education that helps migrant workers obtain high school equivalency diplomas. Wake Technical Community College?s HEP program recently transitioned to a fully online model supported by the use of the Adobe Connect web conferencing software, providing immediate benefits to both instructors and students. This paper provides a roadmap for other non-traditional educational programs that want to transition to online environments.
Hegemonic Masculinity during Parent-Child Sex Communication with Sexual Minority Male Adolescents.

There is little knowledge about how sexual minority youth are educated at home about their future sexual selves. To identify the macro level factors that impact these home-based discussions, we int...
Parastatistics for Highly Correlated Two Dimensional Fermi Systems

A parastatistics representation for the quasiparticles of the large U Hubbard model for fermions in two dimensions is discussed. Our representation replaces the dynamical Gutzwiller constraint in the large U Hubbard model by a kinematical constraint obeyed by the quasiparticles. The resulting parastatistical objects interact through a U(1) gauge field, which can be interpreted in a mean field theory as a long range interaction of the quasiparticles with an effective boundary current on a macroscopic (finite) system, with the size of this current specified by the net spin of the enclosed many body system. Illustrative examples of calculations employing this statistical representation are discussed for the strongly correlated Hubbard problem both at the half filled band and away from the half filled band.
Promoting self-efficacy in patients with chronic disease beyond traditional education: A literature review

Aim To examine barriers to self-efficacy and strategies beyond traditional education that promote self-efficacy for patients living with chronic disease. The review questions were as follows: (a) What are barriers to self-efficacy in patients experiencing chronic disease? and (b) What non-traditional strategies and programmes can be implemented by healthcare leaders to promote self-efficacy in patients with chronic disease? Design Integrative review. Method Data sources searched were CINAHL, Google Scholar, Health Source, Academic Search Complete and PsycARTICLES published between January 2014-January 2018. Synthesis and thematic analyses were conducted on 24 articles. Results Three themes were identified as barriers to self-efficacy: health literacy, access and support. Four prominent strategies were found to promote self-efficacy: self-management programmes, telehealth, mobile applications, gaming and social media. The findings indicate self-efficacy for patients with chronic conditions can improve with new interventions. Enhancing traditional education and boosting self-efficacy could increase treatment adherence and decrease cost.
Estrogen matters. Why taking hormones in menopause can improve women’s well-being and lengthen their lives: Without raising the risk of breast cancer

Sex therapists are no strangers to discussions about hormones. Even though few of us are endocrinologists, our patients turn to us for guidance. Women in menopause with sexual complaints ask us to ...
Magnetic Field Penetration Into a Metal Enclosure Using an ELF/VLF Loop Antenna

The ability of extremely and very low frequency (ELF/VLF, 0–30 kHz) radio waves to penetrate conductive media is well established. Magnetic field penetration into a thin but highly conductive box using an ELF/VLF loop antenna transmitter is investigated. The work is relevant for electromagnetic shielding of ELF/VLF sensors, defect detection, inductive power transfer, and through container imaging. Analytical solutions are reviewed for related shielding problems, however, determining the penetration through a realistic shield geometry and finite sized near-field source requires a numerical approach. Surface integral equation (SIE) methods are well suited for shield modeling due to the low surface area to volume ratio of the shield. Method of moment techniques have been successfully applied to solving SIEs in the past, however, enforcing algorithm stability at low frequencies is known to require considerable effort. To alleviate the low-frequency concerns, a high-order locally corrected Nystrom (LCN) scheme is utilized to solve an SIE based on an augmented Muller formulation of Maxwell's equations. To validate the LCN simulations, an experiment is conducted using a loop antenna inside a 1.2 m aluminum cube of 2.7 mm thickness with an external ELF/VLF loop transmitter. Experimental results are shown to match within 3 dB of the LCN code predictions.
Hierarchical phenomena in multicomponent liquids: simulation methods, analysis, chemistry

Complex, multicomponent, solutions have often been studied solely through the lens of specific applications of interest. Yet advances to both simulation methodologies (enhanced sampling, etc.) and analysis techniques (network analysis algorithms and others), are creating a trove of data that reveal transcending characteristics across vast compositional phase space. This perspective discusses technical considerations of the reliable and accurate simulations of complex solutions, followed by the advances to analysis algorithms that elucidate coupling of different length and timescale behavior (hierarchical phenomena). The different manifestations of hierarchical phenomena are presented across an array of solution environments, emphasizing fundamental and ongoing science questions. With a more advanced molecular understanding in hand, a quintessential application (solvent extraction) is discussed, where significant opportunities exist to re-imagine the technical scope of an established technology.
Whole Genome Sequencing of Peruvian Klebsiella pneumoniae Identifies Novel Plasmid Vectors Bearing Carbapenem Resistance Gene NDM-1

Background Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterial pathogen with increasing rates of resistance to carbapenem antibiotics, but the population structure and genetic drivers of carbapenem-resistant K pneumoniae (CRKP) remain underexplored in developing countries. Carbapenem-resistant K pneumoniae were recently introduced into Peru but have grown rapidly in prevalence, enabling study of this pathogen as it expands into an unaffected environment. Methods In this study, using whole genome sequencing, we show that 3 distinct lineages encompass almost all CRKP identified in the hospital where it was first reported in Peru. Results The most prevalent lineage, ST348, has not been described outside of Europe, raising concern for global dissemination. We identified metallo- β -lactamase NDM-1 as the primary carbapenem resistance effector, which was harbored on a novel vector resulting from recombination between 2 different plasmids, pKP1-NDM-1 and pMS7884A. Conclusions This study is the first of its kind performed in Peru, and it furthers our understanding of the landscape of CRKP infections in Latin America.
A Prospective Comparison of Wavefront-Guided LASIK versus Wavefront-Guided PRK After Previous Keratorefractive Surgery

Purpose To compare the results of retreatment with wavefront-guided LASIK versus wavefront-guided PRK for residual refractive error following previous myopic keratorefractive surgery. Methods In this prospective study, 32 eyes of 28 patients after prior myopic keratorefractive surgery underwent retreatment with flap-lift wavefront-guided LASIK (n = 12) or wavefront-guided PRK (n = 20) for residual refractive error. Safety, efficacy, predictability, and wavefront outcomes were evaluated. Results At last follow-up, both LASIK and PRK retreatment resulted in similar improvement in visual acuity with respective mean ± standard deviation (SD) uncorrected distance visual acuity of -0.07 ± 0.11 logMAR and -0.06 ± 0.13 logMAR (p = 0.87). In the study, 16.7% of LASIK and 33.3% of PRK eyes gained one or more lines of best-corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), while 16.7% and 9.5% of eyes lost one or more lines of CDVA with LASIK and PRK, respectively. One hundred % of LASIK eyes and 89.5% of PRK eyes were within ± 0.50 diopters of emmetropia. Wavefront analysis demonstrated similar reductions in total RMS error higher-order aberrations (p = 0.84) with no difference in coma, trefoil, or spherical aberration between eyes undergoing LASIK or PRK retreatment. Conclusion Wavefront-guided LASIK and wavefront-guided PRK following previous keratorefractive surgery demonstrate similar safety, efficacy, and predictability with comparable wavefront outcomes.
Algorithm 991: The 2D Tree Sliding Window Discrete Fourier Transform

We present a new algorithm for the 2D sliding window discrete Fourier transform. Our algorithm avoids repeating calculations in overlapping windows by storing them in a tree data-structure based on the ideas of the Cooley-Tukey fast Fourier transform. For an N0 × N1 array and n0 × n1 windows, our algorithm takes O(N0N1n0n1) operations. We provide a C implementation of our algorithm for the Radix-2 case, compare ours to existing algorithms, and show how our algorithm easily extends to higher dimensions.
Regulators of the secretory pathway have distinct inputs into single-celled branching morphogenesis and seamless tube formation in the Drosophila trachea

Biological tubes serve as conduits through which gas, nutrients and other important fluids are delivered to tissues. Most biological tubes consist of multiple cells connected by epithelial junctions. Unlike these multicellular tubes, seamless tubes are unicellular and lack junctions. Seamless tubes are present in various organ systems, including the vertebrate vasculature, C.elegans excretory system, and Drosophila tracheal system. The Drosophila tracheal system is a network of air-filled tubes that delivers oxygen to all tissues. Specialized cells within the tracheal system, called terminal cells, branch extensively and form seamless tubes. Terminal tracheal tubes are polarized; the lumenal membrane has apical identity whereas the outer membrane exhibits basal characteristics. Although various aspects of membrane trafficking have been implicated in terminal cell morphogenesis, the precise secretory pathway requirements for basal and apical membrane growth have yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we demonstrate that anterograde trafficking, retrograde trafficking and Golgi-to-plasma membrane vesicle fusion are each required for the complex branched architecture of the terminal cell, but their inputs during seamless lumen formation are more varied. The COPII subunit, Sec 31, and ER exit site protein, Sec16, are critical for subcellular tube architecture, whereas the SNARE proteins Syntaxin 5, Syntaxin 1 and Syntaxin15 are required for seamless tube growth and maintenance. These data suggest that distinct components of the secretory pathway have differential contributions to basal and apical membrane growth and maintenance during terminal cell morphogenesis.
The idea is to help people achieve greater success and liberty: a qualitative study of expanded methadone take-home access in opioid use disorder treatment

Abstract Background Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States (US) was already facing an epidemic of opioid overdose deaths. Overdose deaths continued to surge during the pandemic. To limit COVID-19 spread and to avoid disruptions in access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine and methadone, US federal and state agencies granted unprecedented exemptions to existing MOUD guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), including loosening criteria for unsupervised take-home doses. We conducted a qualitative study to evaluate the impact of these policy changes on MOUD treatment experiences for providers and patients at an OTP in California. Methods We interviewed 10 providers and 20 patients receiving MOUD. We transcribed, coded, and analyzed all interviews to identify emergent themes. Results Providers discussed clinical decision-making processes and experiences providing take-homes. Implementation of expanded take-home policies was cautious. Providers reported making individualized decisions, using patient factors to decide if benefits outweighed risks of overdose and misuse. Decision-making factors included patient drug use, overdose risk, housing status, and vulnerability to COVID-19. New patient groups started receiving take-homes and providers noted few adverse events. Patients who received take-homes reported increased autonomy and treatment flexibility, which in turn increased likelihood of treatment stabilization and engagement. Patients who remained ineligible for take-homes, usually due to ongoing non-prescribed opioid or benzodiazepine use, desired greater transparency and shared decision-making. Conclusion Federal exemptions in response to COVID-19 led to the unprecedented expansion of access to MOUD take-homes within OTPs. Providers and patients perceived benefits to expanding access to take-homes and experienced few adverse outcomes, suggesting expanded take-home policies should remain post-COVID-19. Future studies should explore whether these findings are generalizable to other OTPs and assess larger samples to quantify patient-level outcomes resulting from expanded take-home policies.
A Comprehensive Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression

Objectives Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is reemerging as an exciting form of brain stimulation, due in part to the development of its noninvasive counterpart transcutaneous auricular VNS. As the field grows, it is important to understand where VNS emerged from, including its history and the studies that were conducted over the past four decades. Here, we offer a comprehensive review of the history of VNS in the treatment of major depression. Materials and methods Using PubMed, we reviewed the history of VNS and aggregated the literature into a narrative review of four key VNS epochs: 1) early invention and development of VNS, 2) path to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for depression, 3) refinement of VNS treatment parameters, and 4) neuroimaging of VNS. Results VNS was described in the literature in the early 1900s; however, gained traction in the 1980s as Zabara and colleagues developed an implantable neurocybernetic prosthesis to treat epilepsy. As epilepsy trials proceed in the 1990s, promising mood effects emerged and were studied, ultimately leading to the approval of VNS for depression in 2005. Since then, there have been advances in understanding the mechanism of action. Imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography further aid in understanding direct brain effects of VNS. Conclusions The mood effects of VNS were discovered from clinical trials investigating the use of VNS for reducing seizures in epileptic patients. Since then, VNS has gone on to be FDA approved for depression. The field of VNS is growing, and as noninvasive VNS quickly advances, it is important to consider a historical perspective to develop future brain stimulation therapies.
Economics of Small‐scale Commercial Aquaponics in Hawai‘i

Aquaponics, the symbiotic integration of aquaculture and hydroponics, has been touted as a sustainable food production technology. While there is anecdotal evidence, there are only a few studies on the economics of commercial aquaponics. In this study, we collect economic and production information from three aquaponic farms to investigate the economic feasibility of an aquaponics industry in Hawaii. Based on the information supplied by the farms, we develop a model case to analyze (i) profitability, (ii) return on investment, and (iii) input requirements for small-scale commercial aquaponics operation in Hawaii. We find that small-scale commercial aquaponics is economically feasible, but our findings are not as optimistic as those previously published. The modified internal rate of return of the model farm is 7.36%. We conduct sensitivity and decision reversal analysis to investigate how output prices and operational cost parameters affect the overall economic outcome. We find that economic outcome is very sensitive to output price. Investment in commercial aquaponics cannot be supported if annual sales revenue falls by 11%. We conclude by discussing challenges and risks faced by commercial aquaponic farms and the potential economic gain from organic certification and renewable energy implementation.
Structure and function of the promoter of the carrot V-type H+-ATPase catalytic subunit gene

We investigated the 5'-upstream region of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the V-type H(+)-ATPase in Daucus carota. A genomic sublibrary was screened with a cDNA probe, and a 4-kilobase genomic clone was obtained covering the first two exons and about 3 kilobases of the 5'-upstream sequence. The intron/exon boundaries matched established consensus sequences. Within 240 base pairs (bp) upstream of the initiation codon three putative TATA boxes were found. Ribonuclease protection and primer extension analysis indicated that the three TATA boxes corresponded to two major and one minor transcription start sites. The flanking sequences of the two more proximal TATA boxes were nearly identical. Additional sequence motifs with putative regulatory function are two CCAAT boxes, an Sp1-binding consensus sequence, and long (TATA)n stretches within 800 bp of the 5'-upstream sequence. Transcriptional fusions to the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene were made for two different promoter constructs, and the resulting plasmids were mobilized into Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The analysis of beta-glucuronidase activities in the transformed carrot calli showed that 240 bp of the upstream sequence, including all three TATA boxes, led to low but detectable beta-glucuronidase expression; however, the larger construct, which included the putative Sp1-binding sequence and the (TATA)n stretches, led to an approximately 6-fold higher beta-glucuronidase expression. Histochemical analysis of beta-glucuronidase activity in the transformed calli showed no preferential expression in any specific cell type, in keeping with the presumed "housekeeping" character of the V-type H(+)-ATPase catalytic subunit gene.
Congressional Power Over Presidential Elections: Lessons from the Past and Reforms for the Future

Presidential election controversies are nothing new. They have plagued our republic since 1801, when the fourth election for the office ended in a muddle that nearly deprived the rightful winner of the presidency. Each controversy has led to calls for reform. In every instance, the cryptic and troublesome constitutional text has hampered congressional efforts to correct the problems. Simply stated, the Constitution offers little explicit guidance on when and how Congress can regulate the selection of the President. In this Article, Professors Larson and Coenen explore the implications of this textual deficiency; looking both at what Congress has done in the past and at what it might do now. Their central message is that our federal leaders should learn from the past. Congress should address with visionary legislation the gravest problems that surfaced in the 2000 presidential election to ensure they do not reoccur in the future.Part I of the Article highlights relevant features of the constitutional text. Part II explores how Congress reluctantly but successfully used this text to enact significant reform legislation in response to the Hayes-Tilden election debacle of 1876. Part III identifies some reforms that Congress has under consideration to address the problems that complicated the 2000 presidential vote, focusing on measures that would lead to nationwide use of a uniform ballot and federally approved voting devices and machinery. Part IV then examines whether Congress has the power to enact these measures, concluding (in an analysis that covers six possible sources of authority) that it does. Part V urges Congress to wield this power by enacting significant reform legislation in time for the 2004 election.
Effects of pressure on sedimentation velocity patterns. I. Alpha chymotrypsin at pH 6.2.

Abstract Computations have been made of possible effects of pressure on the sedimentation of alpha chymotrypsin under previously used experimental conditions, where monomer, dimer, and trimer are in rapid reversible equilibrium. These computations verify a general prediction made earlier, that convective disturbances are to be expected ahead of the moving boundaries when increasing pressure favors the formation of monomer. Moreover, in this case the slow shoulder previously predicted for the pattern in 0.2 ionic strength phosphate buffer at pH 6.2 largely disappears as a result of hydrostatic pressure, affording more satisfactory agreement between predictions and the experimentally observed single symmetrical moving boundary.
A survey of temperature effects, polarization, and structure in crystal spectra of some transition metal chelates and salts: Part I. Nickel with derivatives of salicylaldehyde

Abstract An experimental survey of temperature-dependent single-crystal polarized spectra of some transition metal compounds is reported. In a series of nickel chelates with derivatives of salicylaldehyde, the bands of the centric molecules grow in intensity with temperature, at a rate to be expected by the predictions of the vibronic intensity mechanism for g − g transition. For a highly acentric molecule, bis-(N-isopropylsalicylaldiminato)-Ni, temperature insensitivity of all bands points to the (vibrationless) static intensity mechanism. Some previously undiscovered band structure appears at low temperature. It is most marked in orthorhombic bis-(N-methylsalicylaldiminato)-Ni; the disappearance of this band structure with a small fraction of Cu ++ doping is not fully understood.
Separation of Bacterial Ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid from Its Macromolecular Precursors by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels was found to be a powerful technique for separating the mature from the precursor forms of bacterial ribosomal nucleic acid (rRNA). The separation of the 16S rRNA from its precursor was, for all practical purposes, complete; that of the 23S rRNA from its precursor was detectable but incomplete. When mature and precursor rRNA preparations were heated to randomize secondary structure, etc., and then cooled, it was found that electrophoretic mobility differences between mature forms of rRNA and their precursors persisted. This, in conjunction with the rather large electrophoretic mobility differences between mature and precursor forms, can be taken as strong evidence for a molecular weight difference between mature rRNA and its precursor forms of RNA. With the 16S rRNA, this difference could be as large as 130,000 daltons.
Multimedia Learning: The Promise of Multimedia Learning

Multimedia (as used in this book) refers to the presentation of material using both words and pictures. The case for multimedia rests in the premise that learners can better understand an explanation when it is presented in words and pictures than when it is presented in words alone. Multimedia messages can be described in terms of the delivery media (e.g., amplified speaker and computer screen), presentation mode (e.g., words and pictures), or sensory modalities (e.g., auditory and visual). The process of multimedia learning can be viewed as information acquisition (in which multimedia messages are information delivery vehicles) or as knowledge construction (in which multimedia messages are aids to sense making). Three possible learning outcomes are no learning (as indicated by poor retention and poor transfer performance), rote learning (as indicated by good retention and poor retention performance), and meaningful learning (as indicated by good retention and transfer performance). Meaningful learning outcomes depend on the cognitive activity of the learner during learning rather than on the learner's behavioral activity during learning . WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA? The term multimedia means different things to different people. For some people, multimedia means that a person sits at a computer terminal and receives a presentation consisting of on-screen text, on-screen graphics or animation, and sounds coming from the computer's speakers – as with an on-line multimedia encyclopedia. For some people, multimedia means a “live” presentation in which a group of people seated in a room views images presented on one or more screens and hears music or other sounds presented via speakers.