cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ideas to action: environmental beliefs, behaviors, and support for environmental policies

This study uses data from two independent surveys of three communities in Colorado and Wyoming in 1997 and 2012 and examines how environmental attitudes and beliefs (as measured by the New Environmental Paradigm Scale) are related to support for a range of environmental policies and self-reported environmental actions. Results of structural equation modeling show that policy support mediates the influences of the NEP on environmental action, compatible with the value-belief-norm theory. In addition, this study finds a weaker relationship between policy support and environmental action in 2012 than 1997, indicating that environmental beliefs play an increasingly weaker role over time in the decision of individuals to engage in environmental actions. Community comparisons suggest that recycling infrastructure may be a significant facilitator for environmental actions.
Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in Children and Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Abstract Background Both adult and pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) when compared with those without IBD. The risk factors for VTE in pediatric IBD patients, including those undergoing major surgery, have not been previously determined. Materials and methods Patients (aged Results A total of 44,554 and 28,132 patients were identified with IBD and CD, respectively. During their hospital admission, 456 (1.01%) IBD and 205 (0.72%) CD patients developed VTE. The oldest patients, those having increased length of stay, a major surgical procedure, or a hypercoagulable diagnosis had the highest rate of VTE with both IBD and CD. After performing adjusted logistic regression, undergoing a major surgical procedure was associated with 1.98 and 2.24 times greater odds of developing VTE for IBD and CD patients, respectively. A hypercoagulable diagnosis was associated with increasing the odds of VTE by 7.39 and 6.91 times in IBD and CD, respectively. Conclusions Pediatric patients with IBD are at increased risk of VTE. Our study demonstrates undergoing a major surgical procedure or having a hypercoagulable diagnosis additionally increases the risk for VTE. Given these findings, VTE prophylaxis for this population should be further investigated. Level of Evidence III.
A QST-based Pain Phenotype in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Sensitivity and Specificity of Quality Descriptors.

BACKGROUND We sought to refine a screening measure for discriminating a sensitized or normal sensation pain phenotype among African American adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). OBJECTIVE To develop scoring schemes based on sensory pain quality descriptors; evaluate their performance on classifying patients with SCD who had sensitization or normal sensation, and compare with scores on the Self-report Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) and the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI). METHODS Participants completed PAINReportIt, quantitative sensory testing (QST), S-LANSS, and NPSI. Conventional binary logistic regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression were used to obtain 2 sets of weights resulting in 2 scores: the PR-Logistic (PAINReportIt score weighted by conventional binary logistic regression coefficients) and PR-Lasso (PAINReportIt score weighted by lasso regression coefficients). Performance of the proposed scores and the existing scores were evaluated. RESULTS Lasso regression resulted in a parsimonious model with non-zero weights assigned to 2 neuropathic descriptors, cold and spreading. We found positive correlations between the PR-Lasso and other scores: S-LANSS (r = 0.22, P < 0.01), NPSI (r = 0.22, P < 0.01), and PR-Logistic (r = 0.35, P < 0.01). The NPSI and PR-Lasso performed similarly at different levels of required specificity and outperformed the S-LANSS and PR-Logistic at the various specificity points. CONCLUSION The PR-Lasso offers a way to discriminate a SCD pain phenotype.
IGF-1 Child-Turcotte-Pugh score as a predictor of overall survival to therapy in CTP-A, BCLC stage C patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

488Background: Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) A is the standard population for active HCC therapy. The IGF-CTP score, comprises levels of type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), bilirubin, INR, and a...
Efficiencies and limiting factors of narrow bandgap thermophotovoltaic cells (Conference Presentation)

We identified the factors that limit the conversion efficiency of narrow bandgap thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells and investigated how these factors affect key performance aspects such as quantum efficiency (QE), fill factor and open-circuit voltage. Calculations are made for narrow bandgap InAs/GaSb superlattice materials to elucidate how the conversion efficiency is limited by these factors for specific material parameters such as the product of absorption coefficient a and diffusion length L. It is shown that the multi-stage interband cascade (IC) structure is able to solve the problem of low QE in single-absorber TPV cells, therefore, increase conversion efficiency by about 10% in a wide range of aL. Also, the dependence of conversion efficiency on the illumination source is investigated, which shows the flexibility and advantage of multi-stage IC structure to achieve its maximum efficiency with the incident photon energy near the bandgap.
Different bonding type along each crystallographic axis: Computational study of poly( p -phenylene terephthalamide)

Poly($p$-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) exhibits van der Waals (vdW) bonding along its $a$ axis, hydrogen bonding along its $b$ axis, and covalent bonding along its $c$ axis. We explore the structural and mechanical properties of PPTA using density functional theory with various functionals including LDA, PBE, PBE+rVV10L, SCAN, and SCAN+rVV10, compared with available experiments. The hierarchy of nonempirical semilocal functionals LDA, PBE, and SCAN (not fitted to any multicenter bonded system) includes differing amounts of intermediate-range vdW interaction. rVV10 is the long-range vdW correction. (rVV10L differs from rVV10 only in the value of a range parameter.) Among the tested functionals, SCAN shows the best performance for the lattice parameters of PPTA along the two crystal directions involving vdW or hydrogen-bond interaction. The equilibrium lattice constants obtained by SCAN and PBE+rVV10L are closest to experimental data, while SCAN+rVV10 slightly overbinds the system. We study the mechanical response of PPTA by applying strain along three lattice directions. Due to the inclusion of vdW interaction, SCAN, PBE+rVV10L, and SCAN+rVV10 all exhibit correct bonding strain-energy curves. On the contrary, PBE strongly underestimates the vdW interaction needed to resist uniaxial stretching along the $a$ axis. The Young's modulus and yield strength of PPTA are computed and compared with previous results. The experimental values are much smaller than the computed ones, mainly due to the fact that the PPTA fiber samples used for measurements are mechanically weaker than the perfect molecular crystals considered in the simulations. Interestingly, when a compressive uniaxial stress of 25 Kbar is applied along the $b$ axis, a structural phase transition, in which the hydrogen bonds reform along one diagonal of the $ab$ rectangle, is predicted by SCAN.
Dynamic Regression Models for Time-Ordered Functional Data

For time-ordered functional data, an important yet challenging task is to forecast functional observations with uncertainty quantification. Scalar predictors are often observed concurrently with functional data and provide valuable information about the dynamics of the functional time series. We develop a fully Bayesian framework for dynamic functional regression, which employs scalar predictors to model the time-evolution of functional data. Functional within-curve dependence is modeled using unknown basis functions, which are learned from the data. The unknown basis provides substantial dimension reduction, which is essential for scalable computing, and may incorporate prior knowledge such as smoothness or periodicity. The dynamics of the time-ordered functional data are specified using a time-varying parameter regression model in which the effects of the scalar predictors evolve over time. To guard against overfitting, we design shrinkage priors that regularize irrelevant predictors and shrink toward time-invariance. Simulation studies decisively confirm the utility of these modeling and prior choices. Posterior inference is available via a customized Gibbs sampler, which offers unrivaled scalability for Bayesian dynamic functional regression. The methodology is applied to model and forecast yield curves using macroeconomic predictors, and demonstrates exceptional forecasting accuracy and uncertainty quantification over the span of four decades.
A late presentation of hand pain with skin changes

A middle-aged homeless man presented with ongoing left-hand pain and worsening cutaneous phalangeal color changes. On examination, digital ischemia was observed with associated dry gangrene. Doppler examination showed impaired distal arterial flow. Angiography showed irregular digital perfusion. The patient later provided vital information to secure the diagnosis without further clinical workup. This quiz discusses the presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment of a rare clinical scenario.
Lessons From Starting a New Subspecialty in a Rural State.

In starting a new pediatric rheumatology service in a rural state, we designed the practice to focus on patient access, patient quality, and patient experience. We created a clinical experience tha...
Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis Suggests that Cannabis Use May Reduce Cancer Risk in the United States.

Introduction: Cannabis smoke contains carcinogens similar to tobacco, in addition to compounds with antitumor activity. Cannabis use reduces the risk of obesity and cannabinoids inhibit chronic inf...
Competition for MCM Loading at Origins Establishes Replication Timing Patterns

Abstract Loading of the MCM replicative helicase onto origins of replication is a highly regulated process that precedes DNA replication in all eukaryotes. The number of MCM loaded on origins has been proposed to be a key determinant of when those origins initiate replication during S phase. Nevertheless, the genome-wide characteristics of MCM loading and their direct effect on replication timing remain unclear. In order to probe MCM loading dynamics and its effect on replication timing, we perturbed MCM levels in budding yeast cells and, for the first time, directly measured MCM levels and replication timing in the same experiment. Reduction of MCM levels through degradation of Mcm4, one of the six obligate components of the MCM complex, slowed progression through S phase and increased sensitivity to replication stress. Reduction of MCM levels also led to differential loading at origins during G1, revealing origins that are sensitive to reductions in MCM and others that are not. Sensitive origins loaded less MCM under normal conditions and correlated with a weak ability to recruit the origin recognition complex (ORC). Moreover, reduction of MCM loading at specific origins of replication led to a delay in their initiation during S phase. In contrast, overexpression of MCM had no effects on cell cycle progression, relative MCM levels at origins, or replication timing, suggesting that, under optimal growth conditions, cellular MCM levels not limiting for MCM loading. Our results support a model in which the loading activity of origins, controlled by their ability to recruit ORC and compete for MCM, determines the number of helicases loaded, which in turn affects replication timing.
Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Quality of Life: Can We Make a Difference?

Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease can be associated with poor quality of life, impaired functional status, adverse psychological outcomes, and delayed recovery from hematopoietic cell transplantation. Recent research has enhanced our understanding of the prevalence of quality of life impairments in this population, and the risk factors, and potential therapies for preventing or mitigating their impact on post-transplant recovery. We summarize the research on quality of life and patient-reported outcomes in transplant recipients with graft-versus-host disease. Trials testing therapeutic and non-medical interventions for improving quality of life are needed, along with investigation of strategies to decrease its psychosocial and financial impact and increase the social and professional reintegration of these patients.
Design and Tailoring of Alloys for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) promises a major transformation for manufacturing of metallic components for aerospace, medical, nuclear, and energy applications. This perspective paper addresses some of the opportunities for alloy and feedstock design to achieve site-specific and enhanced properties not attainable by conventional manufacturing processes. This paper provides a brief overview of the role of powders, as well as solidification and solid-state phase transformation phenomena typically encountered during fusion-based AM. Three case studies are discussed that leverage the above to arrive at microstructure control. The first case study focuses on approaches to modify the solidification characteristics by in-situ alloying. The second case study focuses on the need for concurrent design of alloys and processing conditions to arrive at the columnar to equiaxed transition during solidification. The third case study focuses on the design of a cobalt alloy for AM, with emphasis on tailoring liquid and solid state phase transformations. The need for comprehensive knowledge of processing conditions during AM, in-situ and ex-situ probing of microstructure development under AM conditions, and post-print processing, characterization, and qualification are articulated for the design of future alloys and component geometries built by AM.
Renal Tubular Acidosis and Management Strategies: A Narrative Review.

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) occurs when the kidneys are unable to maintain normal acid−base homeostasis because of tubular defects in acid excretion or bicarbonate ion reabsorption. Using illustrative clinical cases, this review describes the main types of RTA observed in clinical practice and provides an overview of their diagnosis and treatment. The three major forms of RTA are distal RTA (type 1; characterized by impaired acid excretion), proximal RTA (type 2; caused by defects in reabsorption of filtered bicarbonate), and hyperkalemic RTA (type 4; caused by abnormal excretion of acid and potassium in the collecting duct). Type 3 RTA is a rare form of the disease with features of both distal and proximal RTA. Accurate diagnosis of RTA plays an important role in optimal patient management. The diagnosis of distal versus proximal RTA involves assessment of urinary acid and bicarbonate secretion, while in hyperkalemic RTA, selective aldosterone deficiency or resistance to its effects is confirmed after exclusion of other causes of hyperkalemia. Treatment options include alkali therapy in patients with distal or proximal RTA and lowering of serum potassium concentrations through dietary modification and potential new pharmacotherapies in patients with hyperkalemic RTA including newer potassium binders.
Stone size on endoscopic view as a predictor of successful stone retrieval during flexible ureteroscopy: an in vitro analysis.

Basketing plays an important role during flexible ureteroscopy, but it can be time-consuming, especially when fragments are too large to pass through the ureteral access sheath. We aim to present the optimal on-screen, endoscopic stone size that predicts successful basketing through various access sheaths. A tipless basket, individually extended to 5 mm from multiple ureteroscopes: (Flex-Xc, Karl Storz; Flex-X2s, Karl Storz; LithoVue, Boston Scientific; or URF-P6R, Olympus) and via differently sized access sheaths (10–12 Fr through 13–15 Fr), was used in retrieval attempts of various artificial stone sizes (2 mm through 5 mm). A relative endoscopic stone size was recorded as the stone’s maximum diameter on endoscopic view compared to the total image diameter. Basketing of stones up to 2.5 mm, yielding relative endoscopic stone sizes of 0.38 (Flex-Xc), 0.30 (Flex-X2s), 0.32 (LithoVue), and 0.34 (URF-P6R), was successful using all access sheaths. Only the 12–14 Fr and greater sheaths allowed for successful basketing of 3 mm stones. Larger stones did not successfully pass through any of the access sheaths. Successful stone retrieval can be predicted by estimating the stone’s size on screen, which is influenced by the type of flexible ureteroscope and access sheath. In our testing, stones of approximately one-third of the screen size passed successfully in all cases.
Carbon–titanium dioxide (C/TiO2) nanofiber composites for chemical oxidation of emerging organic contaminants in reactive filtration applications

The recalcitrance of some emerging organic contaminants through conventional water treatment systems may necessitate advanced technologies that use highly reactive, non-specific hydroxyl radicals. Here, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers with embedded titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized via electrospinning and subsequently carbonized to produce mechanically stable carbon/TiO2 (C/TiO2) nanofiber composite filters. Nanofiber composites were optimized for reactivity in flow through treatment systems by varying their mass loading of TiO2, adding phthalic acid (PTA) as a dispersing agent for nanoparticles in electrospinning sol gels, comparing different types of commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles (Aeroxide® P25 and 5 nm anatase nanoparticles) and through functionalization with gold (Au/TiO2) as a co-catalyst. High bulk and surface TiO2 concentrations correspond with enhanced nanofiber reactivity, while PTA as a dispersant makes it possible to fabricate materials at very high P25 loadings (∼80% wt%). The optimal composite formulation (50 wt% P25 with 2.5 wt% PTA) combining high reactivity and material stability was then tested across a range of variables relevant to filtration applications including filter thickness (300–1800 μm), permeate flux (from 540–2700 L m−2 h), incident light energy (UV-254 and simulated sunlight), flow configuration (dead-end and cross-flow filtration), presence of potentially interfering co-solutes (dissolved organic matter and carbonate alkalinity), and across a suite of eight organic micropollutants (atrazine, benzotriazole, caffeine, carbamazepine, DEET, metoprolol, naproxen, and sulfamethoxazole). During cross-flow recirculation under UV-irradiation, 300 μm thick filters (30 mg total mass) produced micropollutant half-lives ∼45 min, with 40–90% removal (from an initial 0.5 μM concentration) in a single pass through the filter. The initial reaction rate coefficients of micropollutant transformation did not clearly correlate with reported second order rate coefficients for reaction with hydroxyl radical (kOH), implying that processes other than reaction with photogenerated hydroxyl radical (e.g., surface sorption) may control the overall rate of transformation. The materials developed herein represent a promising next-generation filtration technology that integrates photocatalytic activity in a robust platform for nanomaterial-enabled water treatment.
An Analysis of the Neurological and Molecular Alterations Underlying the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss. Unfortunately, despite decades of studies being performed on these histological alterations, there is no effective treatment or cure for AD. Identifying the molecular characteristics of the disease is imperative to understanding the pathogenesis of AD. Furthermore, uncovering the key causative alterations of AD can be valuable in developing models for AD treatment. Several alterations have been implicated in driving this disease, including blood–brain barrier dysfunction, hypoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, glucose hypometabolism, and altered heme homeostasis. Although these alterations have all been associated with the progression of AD, the root cause of AD has not been identified. Intriguingly, recent studies have pinpointed dysfunctional heme metabolism as a culprit of the development of AD. Heme has been shown to be central in neuronal function, mitochondrial respiration, and oxidative stress. Therefore, dysregulation of heme homeostasis may play a pivotal role in the manifestation of AD and its various alterations. This review will discuss the most common neurological and molecular alterations associated with AD and point out the critical role heme plays in the development of this disease.
Colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes in Panax notoginseng

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) and dark septate endophytes(DSE) colonizing Panax notoginseng in three main producing areas in Wenshan Prefecture of Yunan province were investigated.The fungal colonization of 144 roots samples including healthy and rot roots of P.notoginseng with different age were observed by means of acid fuchsin stain.The results showed that P.notoginseng was the typical arbuscular mycorrhizal plant.Although there was no significant difference in AMF and DSE colonization among three sites,the total colonization of AMF was significantly higher than that of DSE.Statistical analysis demonstrated that the fresh weight of P.notoginseng root was positively significantly correlated with the colonization of AMF,but not with the colonization of DSE.These results suggest that AMF may play more important role than DSE in improving the yield and quality of P.notoginseng.Furthermore,AMF colonization of healthy P.notoginseng was higher than that of plant with root rot,which suggested that AMF could defend P.notoginseng against root rot pathogens.AMF have great potentiality and broad prospect to control root rot of P.notoginseng.
Online Assortment of Reusable Resources with Exogenous Replenishment

We introduce and study a variant of online assortment planning where the products are for rental---in contrast to more classic models where products are for sale---and their inventories replenish over time. This problem is motivated in part by online platforms such as Thumbtack or Catchafire for allocating rental services, where additional workforce or volunteers can recharge the inventory for a particular service or product over time. The goal of the online platform is to sequentially pick assortments to maximize the total rental reward of allocated products (where rewards can be interpreted as fees or any other type of scores). For the online (adversarial) setting where the consumers and replenishment amounts are unknown upfront, we design a new family of algorithms which we call batched inventory balancing (BIB). By extending the framework for the non-reusable online assortment problem, we develop a novel randomized primal-dual method to bound the competitive ratio of our BIB algorithm against any feasible policy, for the objective of maximizing total collected rental rewards. We show with the proper choice of a certain parameter, this competitive ratio is asymptotically optimal and converges to (1-1/e), as initial inventories converge to infinity. We then show how to characterize BIB's competitive ratio in its "general" form. We use a refined analysis that reduces the dual construction to a combinatorial problem referred as the "interval assignment problem". Our solution to this problem is algorithmic and might be of independent interest.
Patterns of plant species diversity in deciduous woodlands of Kyiv, Ukraine

The present study is aimed at exploring native and alien plant species diversity patterns in distinct types of the urban forest environment by documenting differences in species density, level of invasion, and species-area relationships across four spatial scales (1, 10, 100, and 1,000 m2). The research was conducted in deciduous urban woodlands in Kyiv, Ukraine. The total set of sampling units (n = 60) was divided among three forest types representing semi-natural and planted woodlands. We observed significant differences in plant species diversity patterns between semi-natural and planted urban woodlands across structurally and functionally complex disturbance regimes. Specifically, broadleaved plantations had lower number of species at small spatial scales but steeper species accumulation within a designated area. Steep species accumulation resulted in a lack of differences with semi-natural forests at 100 m2 and 1,000 m2. Mesotrophic oak-hornbeam woodlands were relatively resistant to plant invasions. However, an existing pool of alien plant species coupled with a constant flow of newly arrived species at the city scale may create a sufficient propagule pressure to “break down” this resistance. Ash and poplar semi-natural forests occupied “an intermediate position”, not differing from oak-hornbeam forests and from deciduous plantations in terms of mean density of native and alien plant species, respectively. The multi-scale approach we applied in this study revealed the multifold aspects of plant species diversity patterns in the urban forest. We encourage a further development of plant diversity monitoring techniques that encompass multiple spatial scales and analyses.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle security using behavioral profiling

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) raises a host of new security concerns. Our research resulted in a prototype UAV monitoring system, which captures flight data and performs real-time behavioral monitoring. If a behavioral anomaly is found, the system will alert the operator. In addition, a novel visualization system tracks the real time behavior and flight of multiple UAVs. Our results demonstrate that application of behavioral methods facilitates efficient anomaly detection during flight, thus providing additional assurance of the mission success.
Implementing Forward Recovery Using Checkpoints in Distributed Systems

This paper describes the implementation of a forward recovery strategy in a Sun NFS environment. The implementation is based on the concept of lookahead execution with rollback validation. It uses replicated tasks executing on different processors for forward recovery and checkpoint comparison for error detection. In the experiment described, the recovery strategy has nearly error-free execution time and an average redundancy lower than TMR.
Fast algorithm for satellite interference location parameter estimation

This paper presents a common method to locate the satellite interference using two-satellite techniques and cross ambiguity function (CAF). The 2D computation over a long integration time brings great burden on the digital processing. Fast algorithm approach using satellite ephemeris was introduced in this paper with a detail analysis on the computation. The effectiveness of the approach is backed up with successful experiments using actual signals relayed by two satellites.
Firearm Laws Redux -- Legislative Proposals for Disarming the Mentally Ill Post-Heller and Newtown

On December 14, 2012, a mentally ill young man shot his way inside of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and let loose a fusillade on twenty kindergartners and first-graders. Once again, a mentally unstable person was able to access firearms. This article examines current laws purportedly designed to disarm the mentally ill and proposes legislation better aimed at keeping firearms out of the violent mentally ill’s hands. One of these legislative proposals includes prohibiting persons who have displayed mentally unstable conduct from possessing firearms, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed as mentally ill, involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness, or adjudicated mentally ill by a court. Another key legislative proposal would require those with a special relationship with mentally ill persons (loved ones, school officials, mental health professionals, etc.) to report potentially dangerous mentally ill persons to law enforcement. Law enforcement, in turn, would be required to place the names of the mentally ill persons on a statewide mental health no-firearm list, which will effectively preclude those persons from being eligible to possess a firearm until they can prove their mental fitness. In an effort to justify these proposals, Part I of the article examines the typology of a public mass shooter, looking at some of the most notorious rampage gunmen in U.S. history. Part II explains why most current firearm laws do not take into account the unique characteristics of public mass shooters and are, therefore, deficient. Part III proposes state legislation that addresses these deficiencies. Part IV considers whether the legislative proposals in this article would be constitutional under District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), and its progeny. Finally, part V concludes that the best approach for disarming mentally unstable persons is a community-policing one that places the onus on those closest to the mentally ill to keep the mentally ill from accessing guns.
Abstract T P294: An Electronic Medical Record Order Set Change To Increase In-Hospital Statin Use In Ischemic Stroke Is Associated With Improved Post-Stroke Outcomes

Introduction: In-hospital statin use is associated with improved ischemic stroke outcomes. Here we examine the impact of an electronic order set change to increase statin use during stroke hospitalization. Methods: An electronic order set for ischemic stroke admission across 20 hospitals was changed from an ‘opt-in’ mode of statin ordering to an ‘opt-out’ mode of statin ordering. We performed interrupted time series analysis (2 years before and after), examining the impact on in-hospital statin use and on patient outcomes. We examined features of inpatient statin use as well as death by 90 days and discharge to home or inpatient rehabilitation. We examined two subpopulations: severe stroke (mNIHSS 21-42) and less severe stroke (mNIHSS 1-20). We ruled out seasonality, autoregressive effects, and moving average effects for in each of the time series. Findings: We analyzed electronic records for 8993 patients. Measures of inpatient statin use increased when the order set change went live: high dose statin use increased by a factor of 2.5 (2.0-3.1) and statins within 8 hours by a factor of 1.8 (1.5-2.0) (P <0.001). For patients with less severe strokes, the increase in overall statin use in-hospital was not significant (86.2% before vs. 88.4% after). However, among patients with higher stroke severity, there was a significant increase in statin prescription (57.6% before vs. 62.8% after), and this increase was associated with a decline in the odds of death within 90 days by a factor of 0.53 (0.36-0.79) and a 1.8 (1.1-3.0) increase in the odds of being home or in inpatient rehabilitation within 2 weeks. Discussion: A simple change in an electronic medical record system led to a significant increase in statin prescription during ischemic stroke hospitalization, particularly among patients with more severe stroke. This increase in statin prescription was associated with improved post-stroke outcomes.
111 Rainfall Excess Overland Flow

One of the processes that can generate surface runoff is rainfall excess, which is a process controlled at the surface of the soil. This occurs when rainfall reaches the soil at a rate in excess of the soil's ability to absorb, which is called infiltrability. This dynamic property can in uniform soil be described by a rather well-developed infiltration theory. Surface water flow toward a receiving channel may in geometrically simple conditions be described by the kinematic or diffusive wave equations. The surface water is in continuous interaction with the soil's changing infiltrability. Both infiltration theory and surface flow equations are introduced here, and the interactions and complexities arising from spatial variations are discussed. These processes are incorporated in modern hydrologic response models, using numerical solutions as well as analytic solutions. The application of this theory in hydrology, however, must be informed by scale considerations and the appropriate treatment of natural complexities. Some scale limitations and some approximate methods for treating spatial soil variations are illustrated in this article, with reference to relevant literature. Keywords: runoff; infiltration; hydrology; overland flow; kinematic wave
Caring for Military Women and Families as a Nation at War

Candy Wilson, PhD, APRN is Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, Nurse Corps and director of nursing research, Lackland AFB, TX. The United States has been at war for more than 10 years. The majority of today’s U.S. military members joined the military after the attack on September 11, 2001. A military with an active war mission requires dangerous, prolonged, and repeated deployments. Many important arrangements are needed to prepare for deployment, but for individual members, predeployment health assessments and preventive illness education are key to military effectiveness. Frequently, predeployment health care screenings are delivered by nonmilitary providers in the community. Consequently, the obligation of predeployment education falls on providers who are less informed about the deployment needs of military women who need to maintain their health and well-being in suboptimal war zone environments.
Plasmonic nanopatch antennas for large purcell enhancement

We demonstrate Purcell enhancements of-1000 from fluorescent molecules embedded in a plasmonic antenna with sub-10 nm gap between metals. Simulations and experiments reveal the high radiative efficiency and directionality of the antenna.
Vertical cavity transistor laser for on-chip OICs

Transistor Laser (TL) has picosecond radiative recombination lifetime; thus, it will have modulation bandwidth higher than VCSELs. TL has demonstrated error free transmission at 22 Gb/s and vertical cavity TL can achieve ultralow power operation.
CD-ROM MEDLINE use and users: information transfer in the clinical setting.

Abstract Effective delivery of biomedical information to health professionals depends on the availability of systems that are compatible with the information-seeking patterns of health professionals. MEDLINE is a major source of biomedical information, but has been available primarily through libraries via telecommunications networks. The recent availability of MEDLINE on CD-ROM has made it possible to provide MEDLINE directly to clinicians without the associated problems of telecommunications and online use charges. The MEDLINE on CD-ROM Evaluation Forum sponsored by the National Library of Medicine reported on clinicians' use of CD-ROM MEDLINE at seven different clinical settings. This article summarizes the findings from these sites and places them in the context of current understanding of information-seeking behaviors of health professionals. Key issues in the design and development of information technologies in the clinical setting are also articulated.
A synonymous codon change alters the drug sensitivity of ΔF508 cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator

Synonymous mutations, such as I507-ATC→ATT, in deletion of Phe508 in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (ΔF508 CFTR), the most frequent disease-associated mutant of CFTR, may affect protein biogenesis, structure, and function and contribute to an altered disease phenotype. Small-molecule drugs are being developed to correct ΔF508 CFTR. To understand correction mechanisms and the consequences of synonymous mutations, we analyzed the effect of mechanistically distinct correctors, corrector 4a (C4) and lumacaftor (VX-809), on I507-ATT and I507-ATC ΔF508 CFTR biogenesis and function. C4 stabilized I507-ATT ΔF508 CFTR band B, but without considerable biochemical and functional correction. VX-809 biochemically corrected ∼10% of both of the variants, leading to stable, forskolin+3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX)-activated whole-cell currents in the presence of the corrector. Omitting VX-809 during whole-cell recordings led to a spontaneous decline of the currents, suggesting posttranslational stabilization by VX-809. Treatment of cells with the C4+VX-809 combination resulted in enhanced rescue and 2-fold higher forskolin+IBMX-activated currents of both I507-ATT and I507-ATC ΔF508 CFTR, compared with VX-809 treatment alone. The lack of an effect of C4 on I507-ATC ΔF508 CFTR, but its additive effect in combination with VX-809, implies that C4 acted on VX-809-modified I507-ATC ΔF508 CFTR. Our results suggest that binding of C4 and VX-809 to ΔF508 CFTR is conformation specific and provide evidence that synonymous mutations can alter the drug sensitivity of proteins.
Implantable glucose sensor: progress and problems

Although the first implantable glucose sensors were developed a few decades ago, there is still no glucose sensor that can work reliably and for a long period of time after implantation. This loss of function in vivo is caused by events that affect the sensor itself (e.g. degradation, fouling...), as well as by changes in the tissue surrounding the sensor, caused by the implantation. Therefore, in order to develop a reliable implantable glucose sensor that will remain functional for a long time in vivo, it is critical to study and control the effects of the biological environment on the sensor itself, as well as to control the tissue reactions to the sensor. Examples of such studies are described in this paper.
Large cell variants of CD5+, CD23- B-cell lymphoma/leukemia.

Abstract Context.—Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and its leukemic phase, constitute a well-studied hematologic malignancy with known overall survival, prognostic indicators, morphologic findings at diagnosis and in bone marrow, and known incidence of the bcl-1 immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. Large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype (CD5+, CD23−), including but not limited to blastic MCL, prolymphocytoid MCL, blastic mantle cell leukemia, and prolymphocytic mantle cell leukemia, are not as well characterized. Although blastic MCL is known to be associated with a shorter overall survival than conventional MCL, the large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype have not been described as fully as conventional MCL. Objective.—The purpose of the present study was to describe the large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype. Design.—Nineteen cases of large cell variants of CD5+, CD23− B-cell lymph...
Rapid quantitation of ascorbic and folic acids in SRM 3280 multivitamin/multielement tablets using flow-injection tandem mass spectrometry

RATIONALE Ascorbic acid (AA) and folic acid (FA) are water-soluble vitamins and are usually fortified in food and dietary supplements. For the safety of human health, proper intake of these vitamins is recommended. Improvement in the analysis time required for the quantitative determination of these vitamins in food and nutritional formulations is desired. METHODS A simple and fast (~5 min) in-tube sample preparation was performed, independently for FA and AA, by mixing extraction solvent with a powdered sample aliquot followed by agitation, centrifugation, and filtration to recover an extract for analysis. Quantitative detection was achieved by flow-injection (1 μL injection volume) electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) in negative ion mode using the method of standard addition. RESULTS The method of standard addition was employed for the quantitative estimation of each vitamin in a sample extract. At least 2 spiked and 1 non-spiked sample extract were injected in triplicate for each quantitative analysis. Given an injection-to-injection interval of approximately 2 min, about 18 min was required to complete the quantitative estimation of each vitamin. The concentration values obtained for the respective vitamins in the standard reference material (SRM) 3280 using this approach were within the statistical range of the certified values provided in the NIST Certificate of Analysis. The estimated limit of detections of FA and AA were 13 and 5.9 ng/g, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Flow-injection ESI-MS/MS was successfully applied for the rapid quantitation of FA and AA in SRM 3280 multivitamin/multielement tablets. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The evolution of oxidation stresses in zirconia thermal barrier coated superalloy leading to spalling failure

Abstract The evolution of the stresses in the aluminum oxide formed beneath a zirconia thermal barrier coating during high-temperature oxidation has been measured from the piezospectroscopic shift in the R-line photoluminescence from Cr 3+ impurities incorporated into the growing aluminum oxide scale. The early stages of oxidation are associated with concurrent phase transformations in the aluminum oxide leading to the stable alpha-alumina phase. On the basis of microstructural observations and the broadening of the luminescence lines, it is suggested that spalling failure occurs as a result of linking together of localized decohesion of the oxide/bond-coat interface, a process accelerated by moisture enhanced sub-critical crack growth at the interface.
Search for a human leukemia virus.

In summary, we examined the bone marrow and blood of 107 leukemic children for the presence of virus or virus-like structures. Material for study included both fresh specimens and cells cultivated over varying periods of time. In four instances in which patients' plasma was inoculated onto human amnion cells and in one instance of cultivated bone marrow, we observed particles morphologically similar to myxoviruses. Indirect immunofluorescence testing for antigens of murine leukemia viruses failed to demonstrate fluorescence in leukemic cells. Studies are in progress on a continuous leukemic bone marrow culture to recover in recognizable form either replicating virus or viral genome.
Automatic detection of spatial and dynamic heterogeneity of repolarization

Heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization is associated with the development of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Temporal heterogeneity of repolarization may be manifest in an individual beat (spatial heterogeneity) or in a sequence of beats (dynamic heterogeneity). Spatial inhomogeneity of repolarization throughout the myocardium may be expressed electrocardiographically as dispersion of repolarization durations computed in simultaneously recorded leads. The beat-to-beat changes in the repolarization pattern (duration and/or amplitude) may account for a dynamic (time-dependent) dimension of heterogeneity, occasionally seen as T-wave alternans. A visual detection of heterogeneous repolarization is a time-consuming, observer-dependent, and frequently inaccurate process. Therefore, we developed computer algorithms designed to detect automatically (1) dispersion of repolarization and (2) nonvisible T-wave alternans from digitally recorded (1,000 Hz) X, Y, and Z electrocardiogram leads. This automatic approach was subsequently tested in 10 patients with idiopathic long QT syndrome and in 10 age-matched normal subjects. Long QT syndrome patients presented with significantly higher indices of heterogeneity in comparison with the control subjects; the dispersion of repolarization was 44 +/- 11 and 13 +/- 6 ms, respectively (P < .01), and T-wave alternans index was 0.40 +/- 0.37 and 0.03 +/- 0.06, respectively (P < .01). Simultaneous evaluation of spatial (dispersion of repolarization) and dynamic (T-wave alternans) aspects of repolarization provides new insight into heterogeneity of electrical recovery after myocardial depolarization. The automatic detection of repolarization dispersion and T-wave alternans in digital electrocardiogram recordings provides a practical method to evaluate heterogeneity of repolarization and may be useful for stratifying patients at risk of ventricular arrhythmias.
The NYU Survey Service: Promoting Value in Undergraduate Education

New York University's (NYU) Data Service Studio has recently launched the NYU Survey Service, whose ultimate aim is to support the development and administration of surveys of all types. For the Web-based component, the service utilizes a product called Qualtrics, which allows university affiliates to develop and administer Web-based surveys. This article describes the process by which NYU came to offer the service during a time when concerns abound about the ability of libraries to support and expand offerings while still meeting institutional imperatives such as robust data services. While many considerations went into the evaluation and ultimate conclusion to pilot the service, this article considers those most related to library collaborations, undergraduate instruction, data and information literacy, learning and research, and application administration and support.
Properties of matter at high pressures and temperatures

A simple Thomas-Fermi shell model is proposed, in which the discrete natures of the bound states and the resonance states are considered. The features of the shell oscillations of the equation of states along the periodic table are examined and discussed.
Boosted HCCI - Controlling Pressure-Rise Rates for Performance Improvements using Partial Fuel Stratification with Conventional Gasoline

This study investigates the potential of partial fuel stratification for reducing the knocking propensity of intake-boosted HCCI engines operating on conventional gasoline. Although intake boosting can substantially increase the high-load capability of HCCI, these engines would be more production-viable if the knock/stability load limit could be extended to allow higher loads at a given boost and/or to provide even higher thermal efficiencies. A technique termed partial fuel stratification (PFS) has recently been shown to greatly reduce the combustion-induced pressure-rise rate (PRR), and therefore the knocking propensity of naturally aspirated HCCI, when the engine is fueled with a φ-sensitive, two-stage-ignition fuel. The current work explores the potential of applying PFS to boosted HCCI operation using conventional gasoline, which does not typically show two-stage ignition. Experiments were conducted in a single-cylinder HCCI research engine (0.98 liters) at 1200 rpm. The engine was equipped with a compression-ratio 14 piston, and combustion phasing was controlled by EGR addition. PFS is produced by premixing the majority of the fuel and then directly injecting the remainder (up to about 20%) in the latter part of the compression stroke. For PFS to be effective, the fuel's autoignition chemistry must vary with the local equivalence ratio (φ) to produce a staged combustion event. Accordingly, tests were conducted to determine the φ-sensitivity of gasoline. They show that at naturally aspirated conditions (P in = 1 bar), gasoline is not φ-sensitive, and PFS is not effective for reducing the PRR. However, with sufficient intake boost (e.g. P in = 2 bar), gasoline is found to become highly φ-sensitive, and PFS very effectively reduces the PRR. Varying the amount of PFS, by adjusting either the timing or amount of DI fuel, allows control of the PRR reduction. Applying PFS to high loads at P in = 2 bar substantially shifts the knock/stability limit and increases the maximum IMEP g from 11.7 (premixed) to 13.0 bar (PFS). Maximum load improvements with PFS are also seen for other intake pressures ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 bar. Finally, because it allows more advanced combustion phasing without knock, PFS is also effective for increasing the thermal efficiency of boosted HCCI over a range of loads for each P in, yielding typical fuel economy improvements of 2 - 2.5%. Overall, PFS has a strong potential for improving gasoline-fueled boosted HCCI operation. © 2011 SAE International.