cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Management of Patients Undergoing Sling Surgery: A Survey of US Urologists

Objectives Anti-incontinence procedures are common. However, perioperative practices are variable and no consensus guidelines exist. Our primary objective was to describe contemporary management of patients undergoing routine sling surgery alone. Methods A 15-item survey was designed to assess physician characteristics and perioperative management among urologists. Following institutional review board approval, the American Urological Association (AUA) administered the survey to 7433 urologists followed by an e-mail reminder 7 days later. Responders were excluded if they never performed sling surgery or were still in training. Results There were 960 (12.9%) urologists who responded, and 618 surveys met inclusion criteria. Sixty-nine (11.2%) were fellowship trained and most (53.2%) performed 5-25 slings annually, with the transobturator approach most commonly used (53.6%). The majority (69.1%) discharged patients the day of surgery. The most common rationale for admitting urologists is to facilitate voiding trials (42.4%). Hospital admission is highly correlated using retropubic slings (P 50 years used postoperative antibiotics more often (P Conclusions This survey confirms the variance of management after sling surgery. Although the AUA recommends ≤24 hours of postoperative antibiotics after slings, extended courses continue to be prescribed. This variability in practice patterns underscores the need for consensus guidelines regarding perioperative management of these patients.
A New Concept in Temperature-Rise Measurement of Transformers

Present methods of measuring transformer temperature rise require instrumentation with a high degree of accuracy, expensive temperature-control chambers, and relatively skilled operators. A new approach and method is described which provides equal or better accuracy while employing less accurate instruments, a lesser degree of operator skill, and without resorting to temperature-controlled test chambers. This paper describes a bridge test circuit which utilizes a calibrated temperature-rise "standard" which acts as a reference in evaluating a test unit. The bridge circuit provides a measure of compensation for varying electrical and ambient conditions. Data and curves are presented which indicate that the constant-temperature chamber could be dispensed with, except for the purpose of calibrating reference "standards."
A Global View of Equatorial Waves and Tropical Cyclogenesis

AbstractThis study investigates the number of tropical cyclone formations that can be attributed to the enhanced convection from equatorial waves within each basin. Tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances (i.e., easterly waves) were the primary tropical cyclone precursors over the Northern Hemisphere basins, particularly the eastern North Pacific and the Atlantic. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, the number of storms attributed to TD-type disturbances and equatorial Rossby waves were roughly equivalent. Equatorward of 20°N, tropical cyclones formed without any equatorial wave precursor most often over the eastern North Pacific and least often over the western North Pacific.The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) was an important tropical cyclone precursor over the north Indian, south Indian, and western North Pacific basins. The MJO also affected tropical cyclogenesis by modulating the amplitudes of higher-frequency waves. Each wave type reached the attribution threshold 1.5 times more often, and tropi...
Phase locking via Brillouin-enhanced four-wave-mixing phase conjugation

We show that it is possible to control with good accuracy the relative phase of several conjugate beams for a properly designed Brillouin-enhanced four-wave-mixing phase conjugation system. Three geometries, two that utilize two Brillouin cells and another that requires only one Brillouin cell, that achieve conjugate phase control are studied and many properties of each system are examined. We show that for our high-power laser application the one-cell geometry performs as well as or better than the other geometry. Phase control is shown to be useful for beam combination, vector phase conjugation, and optical path selection. A laser system that utilizes the one-cell geometry to enhance its performance is built and examined.
Toward a Policy of Sustainable Forest Management in Brazil A Historical Analysis

Understanding the forces that drove policy in the past can inform expectations of the effectiveness of policy implementation today. Forest policies of countries with forested frontiers transition t...
Measurements of Serum Free Cortisol in Critically Ill Patients

background Because more than 90 percent of circulating cortisol in human serum is protein-bound, changes in the binding proteins can alter measured serum total cortisol concentrations without influencing free concentrations of this hormone. We investigated the effect of decreased amounts of cortisol-binding proteins on serum total and free cortisol concentrations during critical illness, when glucocorticoid secretion is maximally stimulated. methods Base-line serum total cortisol, cosyntropin-stimulated serum total cortisol, aldosterone, and free cortisol concentrations were measured in 66 critically ill patients and 33 healthy volunteers in groups that were similar with regard to sex and age. Of the 66 patients, 36 had hypoproteinemia (albumin concentration, 2.5 g per deciliter or less), and 30 had near-normal serum albumin concentrations (above 2.5 g per deciliter). results Base-line and cosyntropin-stimulated serum total cortisol concentrations were lower in the patients with hypoproteinemia than in those with near-normal serum albumin concentrations (P<0.001). However, the mean (±SD) base-line serum free cortisol concentrations were similar in the two groups of patients (5.1±4.1 and 5.2±3.5 µg per deciliter [140.7±113.1 and 143.5±96.6 nmol per liter]) and were several times higher than the values in controls (0.6±0.3 µg per deciliter [16.6±8.3 nmol per liter], P<0.001 for both comparisons). Cosyntropin-stimulated serum total cortisol concentrations were subnormal (18.5 µg per deciliter [510.4 nmol per liter] or less) in 14 of the patients, all of whom had hypoproteinemia. In all 66 patients, including these 14 who had hypoproteinemia, the base-line and cosyntropin-stimulated serum free cortisol concentrations were high-normal or elevated. conclusions During critical illness, glucocorticoid secretion markedly increases, but the increase is not discernible when only the serum total cortisol concentration is measured. In this study, nearly 40 percent of critically ill patients with hypoproteinemia had subnormal serum total cortisol concentrations, even though their adrenal function was normal. Measuring serum free cortisol concentrations in critically ill patients with hypoproteinemia may help prevent the unnecessary use of glucocorticoid therapy.
A Hybrid Event-Processing Architecture based on the Model-driven Approach for High Performance Monitoring

Business activity monitoring (BAM) is a concept for computer systems which support monitoring situations and the performance of business processes as they execute. The monitoring system needs to capture and to process numerous events while correlating them with other events stored in a database. If the database accesses become very frequent, read-only and write-only accesses can achieve high throughputs by applying well known solutions; a result cache and a batch update. However, the event processing of the monitoring includes both simultaneously. It is the case that is hard for the existing solutions to achieve high throughputs. Here, we introduce a new architecture, HM-hybrid, to process events for monitoring efficiently. It is a hybrid of a result cache and a batch update. And our model-driven approach makes it possible for them to work together in situations that are normally regarded as being unsuited for them. It processed 1207 events per second, about 43000 queries per second. It is 6 times better performance over a naive caching architecture in our experiments. The architecture seems useful for monitoring applications where there are many update and select queries.
TAT-μUtrophin mitigates the pathophysiology of dystrophin and utrophin double-knockout mice

Previously, we demonstrated functional substitution of dystrophin by TAT-μUtrophin (TAT-μUtr) in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. Herein, we addressed whether TAT-μUtr could improve the phenotype of ...
Up-Regulation of Clusterin during Phthalocyanine 4 Photodynamic Therapy-mediated Apoptosis of Tumor Cells and Ablation of Mouse Skin Tumors

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the silicon phthalocyanine photo-sensitizer Pc 4 is an oxidative stress associated with the induction of apoptosis in many cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The mechanisms of PDT-induced tumor cell killing leading to apoptosis are incompletely understood. Clusterin, a widely expressed glycoprotein, is induced in tissues regressing as a consequence of oxidative stress-mediated cell death. Treatment of apoptosis-sensitive human epidermoid carcinoma cells (A431) with PDT resulted in significant up-regulation of clusterin with a maximum at 12 h after treatment, whereas clusterin levels in Pc 4-PDT-treated, apoptosis-resistant, radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF-1) cells remained unchanged. The i.v. administration of Pc 4 to mice bearing chemically or UVB radiation-induced skin papillomas, followed by light application, led to increased clusterin protein expression, peaking 24 h after the treatment, when tumor regression was apparently visible. These data, for the first time, demonstrate the involvement of clusterin in PDT-mediated cell death and during tumor regression. This may have relevance in improving the efficacy of PDT using pharmacological inducers of clusterin.
The role of BRCA1 in DNA damage response

BRCA1 is a well-established tumor suppressor gene, which is frequently mutated in familial breast and ovarian cancers. The gene product of BRCA1 functions in a number of cellular pathways that maintain genomic stability, including DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint activation, DNA damage repair, protein ubiquitination, chromatin remodeling, as well as transcriptional regulation and apoptosis. In this review, we discuss recent advances regarding our understanding of the role of BRCA1 in tumor suppression and DNA damage response, including DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint activation and DNA damage repair.
Increasing incidence of all stages of kidney cancer in the last 2 decades in the United States: an analysis of surveillance, epidemiology and end results program data.

Purpose: Since the 1980s with the increased use of abdominal imaging, such as computerized abdominal tomography, renal cancer has commonly been diagnosed as an incidental mass. We analyzed the renal cancer incidence from 1973 to 1998 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program by historic staging of localized, regional or distant disease to evaluate possible stage migration due to increased abdominal imaging.Materials and Methods: We used renal cancer data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 9 registries, public use, August 2000 submission (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland), which represents approximately 14% of the United States population. We analyzed the age adjusted renal cancer incidence from 1973 to 1998 using the 1990 American standard million population. We compared the incidence of the 3 stages of renal cancer from 1973 to 1985 and 1986 to 1998 by the chi-square test and used joinpoint regression analysis to determine whether there was a significant chan...
Full Multiple Scattering XANES Calculations

Ab initio calculations of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) are carried out by inverting the full multiple-scattering (MS) matrix. Our approach uses the exact Rehr-Albers [1] separable representation of the free propagator G° together with atomic scattering t-matrices and dipole cross sections from FEFF6[2]. With this technique, XANES spectra can be calculated in reasonable cpu time on large clusters yielding good agreement with XANES of sample compounds. We also discuss extending the technique to computing local densities of states, Fermi energies, and charge transfer within clusters.
Hamiltonicity for K 1,r -free graphs

In this paper, we investigate the Hamiltonicity of K1,r-free graphs with some degree conditions. In particular, let G be a k-connected grph of order n≧3 which is K1,4-free. If for every independent set {v0, v1, …, vk} then G is hamiltonian. We use an upper bound for the independence number of K1,r-free graphs to extent the above result to K1,r-free graphs. Hamiltonian connected and, more generally, q-edge hamiltonian properties are studied here as well. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Crystal Structure of Baculovirus P35 Reveals a Novel Conformational Change in the Reactive Site Loop after Caspase Cleavage

Baculovirus P35 is a universal suppressor of apoptosis that stoichiometrically inhibits cellular caspases in a novel cleavage-dependent mechanism. Upon caspase cleavage at Asp-87, the 10- and 25-kDa cleavage products of P35 remain tightly associated with the inhibited caspase. Mutations in the alpha-helix of the reactive site loop preceding the cleavage site abrogate caspase inhibition and antiapoptotic activity. Substitution of Pro for Val-71, which is located in the middle of this alpha-helix, produces a protein that is cleaved at the requisite Asp-87 but does not remain bound to the caspase. This loss-of-function mutation provided the opportunity to structurally analyze the conformational changes of the P35 reactive site loop after caspase cleavage. We report here the 2.7 A resolution crystal structure of V71P-mutated P35 after cleavage by human caspase-3. The structure reveals a large movement in the carboxyl-terminal side of the reactive site loop that swings down and forms a new beta-strand that augments an existing beta-sheet. Additionally, the hydrophobic amino terminus releases and extends away from the protein core. Similar movements occur when P35 forms an inhibitory complex with human caspase-8. These findings suggest that the alpha-helix mutation may alter the sequential steps or kinetics of the conformational changes required for inhibition, thereby causing P35 loss of function.
Comparison of Two Image and Inertial Sensor Fusion Techniques for Navigation in Unmapped Environments

To enable navigation of miniature aerial vehicles (MAVs) with a low-quality inertial measurement unit (IMU), external sensors are typically fused with the information generated by the low-quality IMU. Most commercial systems for MAVs currently fuse GPS measurements with IMU information to navigate the MAV. However there are many scenarios in which an MAV might prove useful, but GPS is not available (e.g., indoors, urban terrain, etc.). Therefore several approaches have recently been introduced that couple information from an IMU with visual information (usually captured by an electro-optical camera). In general the methods for fusing visual information with an IMU utilizes one of two techniques: 1) applying rigid body constraints on where landmarks should appear in a set of two images (constraint-based fusion) or 2) simultaneously estimating the location of features that are observed by the camera (mapping) and the location of the camera (simultaneous localization and mapping-SLAM-based fusion). While each technique has some nuances associated with its implementation in a true MAV environment (i.e., computational requirements, real-time implementation, feature tracking, etc.), this paper focuses solely on answering the question "Which fusion technique (constraint- or SLAM-based) enables more accurate long-term MAV navigation?" To answer this question, specific implementations of a constraint- and SLAM-based fusion technique, with novel modifications for improved results on MAVs, are described. A basic simulation environment is used to perform a comparison of the constraint- and SLAM-based fusion methods. We demonstrate the superiority of SLAM-based techniques in specific MAV flight scenarios and discuss the relative weaknesses and strengths of each fusion approach.
The Perils of Family Law Localism

The notion that family law is inherently a matter for the states, not the federal government, has been invoked frequently in recent decades. The argument proved to be rhetorically, if not legally, powerful in the litigation challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. Section 3, some argued, was an impermissible federal intrusion into an area of law reserved exclusively to the States.This Article builds upon the literature examining family law localism by considering how the narrative affects the doctrine of family law. First, I consider how the narrative of family law localism facilitates greater reliance on morality in the area of family law. Second, I examine how it serves to justify application of a more deferential form of review in family law cases. In so doing, this Article contributes to the ongoing conversation about “family law exceptionalism.”
Development of a Finite Element Model of the Inferior Glenohumeral Ligament of the Glenohumeral Joint

The shoulder is one of the most complex and often injured joints in the human body. The inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL), composed of the anterior band (AB), posterior band (PB) and the axillary pouch, has been shown to be an important contributor to anterior shoulder stability (Turkel, 1981). Injuries to the IGHL of the glenohumeral capsule are especially difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. The objective of this research was to develop a methodology for subject-specific finite element (FE) modeling of the ligamentous structures of the glenohumeral joint, specifically the IGHL, and to determine how changes in material properties affect predicted strains in the IGHL at 60° of external rotation. Using the techniques developed in this research, an improved understanding of the contribution of the IGHL to shoulder stability can be acquired.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effects of the content of the main components in the rhubarb decoction by different decocting methods

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of different decocting time and method on the content of anthraquinone and gallic acid in rhubarb decoction.METHODS The contents of total and free aloeemodin,rhein,emodin,chrysophanol,physcion and gallic acid in different rhubarb decoction were determined by HPLC.Diamonsil C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm) column was applied.The column temperature was set up at 30 ℃ and the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1.The mobile phase was a mixed liquid with MeOH-0.1% H3PO4(83∶17) and the detection wavelength was 254 nm for anthraquinones.The mobile phase was a mixed liquid with MeOH-0.01% H3PO4(10∶90) and the detection wavelength was 273 nm for gallic acid.RESULTS The changes of decocted ratio of free and combined anthraquinones and gallic acid rose in different extent during from 10 to 60 min.CONCLUSION The contents of free and combined anthraquinoneses in rhubarb decoction haven't direct relationship with decantation.
Comprehensive Description of New-Type Transformer On-Load Tap-Changer

Changes of reactive power will lead to voltage fluctuations in power system. In order to adjust reactive power, there is a need to have voltage adjustment, and power transformer on-load tap-changer is an important means for voltage adjustment. Via analysis of working principle and on-load tap-changer voltage adjusting process of different kind of on-load tap-changers, comparisons were carried out for mechanical type,power electronic type and hybrid type, their advantages and disadvantages summarized. Introduction was made to structures and existing technical difficulties in realization for three kinds of hybrid type on-load tap-changers, which provided reference for further carrying out hybrid type on-load tap-changer study.
A Co-training based Framework for Writer Identification in Offline Handwriting.

Traditional forensic document analysis methods have focused on feature-classification paradigm where a machine learning based classifier is used to learn discrimination among multiple writers. However, usage of such techniques is restricted to availability of a large labeled dataset which is not always feasible. In this paper, we propose a Cotraining based approach that overcomes this limitation by exploiting independence between multiple views (features) of data. Two learners are initially trained on different views of a smaller labeled training data and their initial hypothesis is used to predict labels on larger unlabeled dataset. Confident predictions from each learner are used to add such data points back to the training data with predicted label as the ground truth label, thereby effectively increasing the size of labeled dataset and improving the overall classification performance. We conduct experiments on publicly available IAM dataset and illustrate the efficacy of proposed approach. Keywords-Writer Identification, Co-training, Classifier, Views, Labeled and Unlabeled data
Hierarchical rejection sampling for informed kinodynamic planning in high-dimensional spaces

We present hierarchical rejection sampling (HRS) to improve the efficiency of asymptotically optimal sampling-based planners for high-dimensional problems with differential constraints. Pruning nodes and rejecting samples that cannot improve the currently best solution have been shown to improve performance for certain problems. We show that in high-dimensional domains this improvement can be so large that rejecting samples becomes the bottleneck of the algorithm because almost all samples are rejected. This contradicts general wisdom that collision checking is always the bottleneck of sampling-based planners. Only samples in the informed subset of the state space can potentially improve the current solution. For systems without differential constraints the informed subset forms an ellipsoid, which can be parameterized and sampled directly. For systems with differential constraints the informed subset is more complicated and no such direct sampling methods exist. HRS improves the efficiency of finding samples within the informed subset without parameterizing it explicitly. Thus, it can also be applied to systems with differential constraints for which a steering method is available. In our experiments we demonstrate efficiency improvements of an RRT* planner of up to two orders of magnitude.
Strong Intermolecular Electronic Coupling of Chromophores Confined in Hydrogen-Bonded Frameworks

Guanidinium organodisulfonate (GDS) hydrogen-bonded frameworks constructed from “tetris-shaped” ortho-substituted disulfonated stilbene derivatives display crystal architectures in which the stilbenes serve as pillars that connect opposing guanidinium sulfonate (GS) sheets in a continuously layered architecture while guiding the organization of the stilbene residues into packing motifs that produce unique optical properties. The constraints imposed by ortho-substitution result in a heretofore unreported topology of the pillars projecting from the two-dimensional GS sheet, while the dense packing of stilbene constituents, confined between the GS sheets, results in strong intermolecular electronic coupling. Stilbene 420 (2,2″-([1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diyldi-2,1-ethenediyl)bis-benzenesulfonate) pillars pack in a face-to-face brickwork motif, producing a large bathochromic shift (∼100 nm) of the absorbance and emission spectra relative to stilbene 420 in methanol. The distyrylbenzenedisufonate (2,2′-((1E,1′E)-1,...
Effects of Hypoxia and Chitosan on Equine Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Chitosan opens new perspectives in regenerative medicine as it enhances the properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through formation of spheroids. Hypoxia has also been proposed to enhance stemness and survival of MSCs after in vivo implantation. These characteristics are relevant to the development of an off-the-shelf source of allogenic cells for regenerative therapy of tendinopathies. Umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UCM-MSCs) offer an abundant source of immature and immunoprivileged stem cells. In this study, equine UCM-MSCs (eqUCM-MSCs) conditioned for 3 and 7 days on chitosan films at 5% oxygen were compared to eqUCM-MSCs under standard conditions. Equine UCM-MSCs formed spheroids on chitosan but yielded 72% less DNA than standard eqUCM-MSCs. Expression of Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog was 4 to 10 times greater in conditioned cells at day 7. Fluorescence-labeled cells cultured for 7 days under standard conditions or on chitosan films under hypoxia were compared in a bilateral patellar tendon defect model in rats. Fluorescence was present in all treated tendons, but the modulus of elasticity under tension was greater in tendons treated with conditioned cells. Chitosan and hypoxia affected cell yield but improved the stemness of eqUCM-MSCs and their contribution to the healing of tissues. Given the abundance of allogenic cells, these properties are highly relevant to clinical applications and outweigh the negative impact on cell proliferation.
Imaging of Inflammatory Arthritis in Adults: Status and Perspectives on the Use of Radiographs, Ultrasound, and MRI

The term inflammatory arthritis encompasses a variety of conditions featuring synovial inflammation as a defining characteristic, with resultant local tissue damage occurring over time. These arthritides often share overlapping clinical and imaging characteristics, although the pattern of joint involvement, specific appearance of pathologic changes, and associated findings often allow imaging-based differentiation or individual arthritides.
A unified distributed control framework for inverter-based islanded microgrid: poster abstract

Control of microgrid has received considerable research attention in recent years. Various distributed control methods have been proposed in the literature to achieve power sharing, frequency synchronization, and other control objectives for AC islanded microgrids. See [1, 2] and the references therein. This poster will present a general control design framework that unifies most of the existing methods in the literature.
All-vanadium photoelectrochemical storage cells using dye sensitized geometry-enhanced TiO2 nanobelts

Abstract Photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices, which use solar energy to drive charge transfer, have been considered as a low cost and effective approach to harvest energy from the sun. Dye sensitization designs are promising alternative to traditional semiconductor-based cells, as they can absorb a wide spectrum of light and provide free energy for PEC reactions. However, an intricate balance exists between a number of series charge-transfer processes related to the dye sensitizer, redox species, and photoelectrode. Here, we study a dye-sensitized photoelectrode using nanostructured anatase TiO 2 nanobelts (TNBs) in the newly developed all-vanadium PEC storage cell (all-V PESC) to understand the performance dominating factor as well as to enhance photoexcitation and charge transfer, thus the solar energy storage efficiency. Preliminary results show enhanced photocurrent and reduced charge transfer resistance under AM1.5 illumination upon dye sensitization. Under visible light, however, large specific surface area of the photoelectrode seems to dominate the PEC performance.
The Imaginary Companions Created by Children Who Have Lived in Foster Care

This study was designed to provide some preliminary information about the imaginary companions created by children who have lived in foster care, including prevalence rates and qualitative descriptions of the imaginary companions. We were also interested in how descriptions of the imaginary companions created by children who had lived in foster care compare to those of other children. Children with a history of foster care (n =21) and children from a low socioeconomic status community sample (n =39) were interviewed about imaginary companions. Twenty-six children (43.3%) reported having imaginary companions. Although having an imaginary companion has sometimes been believed to be more common in children with a history of maltreatment, in this preliminary study, prevalence rates did not differ between the two groups of children. In addition, both groups of children described companions that were a positive source of entertainment, friendship, and social support.
Supporting 3rd-grade students model-based explanations about groundwater: a quasi-experimental study of a curricular intervention

ABSTRACTScientific modelling is a key practice in which K-12 students should engage to begin developing robust conceptual understanding of natural systems, including water. However, little past research has explored primary students’ learning about groundwater, engagement in scientific modelling, and/or the ways in which teachers conceptualise and cultivate model-based science learning environments. We are engaged in a multi-year project designed to support 3rd-grade students’ formulation of model-based explanations (MBE) for hydrologic phenomenon, including groundwater, through curricular and instructional support. In this quasi-experimental comparative study of five 3rd-grade classrooms, we present findings from analysis of students’ MBE generated as part of experiencing a baseline curricular intervention (Year 1) and a modelling-enhanced curricular intervention (Year 2). Findings show that students experiencing the latter version of the unit made significant gains in both conceptual understanding and r...
Pre-transplant depression as a predictor of adherence and morbidities after orthotopic heart transplantation

Psychosocial factors are useful predictors of adverse outcomes after solid organ transplantation. Although depression is a known predictor of poor outcomes in patients who undergo orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) and is actively screened for during pre-transplant evaluation, the effects of early identification of this entity on post-transplant outcomes are not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-transplant depression on outcomes after OHT. In this retrospective study, 51 patients that underwent psychosocial evaluation performed by a social worker prior to the transplant and followed up in our center post-transplant were enrolled. Patients were stratified by the presence/absence of depression during the initial encounter. Primary end-points were overall survival, 1st-year hospitalizations, overall hospitalizations, rejections, and compliance with medications and outpatient appointments. Depressed patients were 3.5 times more likely to be non-compliant with medications; RR = 3.5, 95% CI (1.2,10.2), p = 0.046 and had higher incidence of first year hospitalizations (4.7 ± 3.1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.9, p = 0.046), shorter time to first hospitalization 25 days (IQR 17–39) vs. 100 days (IQR 37–229), p = 0.001. Patients with depression also had higher overall hospitalizations (8.3 ± 4.4 vs. 4.6 ± 4.2, p = 0.025,) and higher number of admissions for infections (2.8 ± 1.3 vs. 1.5 ± 1.4, p = 0.018) compared to patients without depression. There were no statistically significant differences in total number of rejections or compliance with outpatient appointments. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis did not reveal differences between the two groups (mean 3705 vs. 3764 days, log-rank p = 0.52). Depression was a strong predictor of poor medication compliance and higher rates of hospitalization in transplant recipients. No difference in survival between depressed and non-depressed patients after OHT was noted.
Comparative Effectiveness of Usual Source of Care Approaches to Improve End-of-Life Outcomes for Children With Intellectual Disability.

Abstract Context Children with intellectual disability (ID) are at risk for adverse end-of-life outcomes including high emergency room utilization and hospital readmissions, along with low hospice enrollment. Objectives The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of usual source of care approaches to improve end-of-life outcomes for children with ID. Methods We used longitudinal California Medicaid claims data. Children were included who were 21 years with fee-for-service Medicaid claims, died between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, and had a moderate-to-profound ID diagnosis. End-of-life outcomes (i.e., hospice enrollment, emergency room utilization, hospital readmissions) were measured via claims data. Our treatments were usual source of care (USC) only vs. usual source of care plus targeted case management (USC plus TCM). Using instrumental variable analysis, we compared the effectiveness of treatments on end-of-life outcomes. Results Ten percent of children with ID enrolled in hospice, 73% used the emergency room, and 20% had three or more hospital admissions in their last year of life. USC plus TCM relative to USC only had no effect on hospice enrollment; however, it significantly reduced the probability of emergency room utilization (B = −1.29, P Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that USC plus TCM was more effective at improving end-of-life outcomes for children with ID. Further study of the extent of UCS and TCM involvement in reducing emergency room utilization and hospital readmissions at end of life is needed.
Responding to health and social needs of aging Latinos in new-growth communities: a qualitative study.

The development of new-growth communities of Latino immigrants in southern states has challenged the traditional health and social service infrastructure. An interprofessional team of service providers, Latino leaders, and university faculty partnered to establish linkages with the Latino community and providers serving aging adults and to explore the health and social needs of aging Latinos residing in a rural region. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted through a community-university partnership, the Aging Latino Research Team (ALRT). Data were generated from nine focus groups and 15 key informant interviews with Latino and non-Latino community members and service providers in rural, eastern North Carolina (ENC). Thematic analysis was used to identify common patterns and form recommendations for future research and programs. Themes common to Latino participants were: “We are put off to one side”; “If I can't work, I can't survive”; and “Without documents, you are no one.” Themes common to non-Latino participants were: “Older Latinos are not well served”; “Older Latinos are invisible”; “Older Latinos are undocumented and afraid”; and “Older Latinos are wandering the highway”. A major finding of this research was the extent to which discrepancies in perceptions between Latino participants and non-Latino participants exist. These discrepancies revealed ethnic stereotyping and cultural insensitivity as major barriers in access to care.
Comparative Study of Molecular Basket Sorbents Consisting of Polyallylamine and Polyethylenimine Functionalized SBA‐15 for CO2 Capture from Flue Gas

Polyallylamine (PAA)-based molecular basket sorbents (MBS) have been studied for CO2 capture in comparison with polyethylenimine (PEI)-based MBS. The characterizations including N2 physisorption, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that PAA (Mn =15 000) is more rigid and has more steric hindrance inside SBA-15 pores than PEI owing mainly to its different polymer structure. The effects of temperature and PAA loading on the CO2 sorption capacity of PAA-based MBS have been examined by TGA by using 100 % CO2 gas stream and compared with PEI/SBA-15. It was found that the capacity of the PAA/SBA-15 sorbent increased with increasing temperature. The optimum capacity of 88 mgCO2 gsorb-1 was obtained at 140 °C for PAA(50)/SBA-15 whereas the optimum sorption temperature was 75 and 90 °C for PEI-I(50)/SBA-15 (PEI-I, Mn =423) and PEI-II(50)/SBA-15 (PEI-II, Mn =25 000), respectively. The capacity initially increased with the increase of PAA loading and then dropped at high amine contents, owing to the increased diffusion barrier. The highest CO2 capacity of 109 mgCO2 gsorb-1 was obtained at a PAA loading of 65 wt %, whereas the PAA(50)/SBA-15 sorbent gave the best amine efficiency of 0.23 molCO2 molN-1 . The effect of moisture was examined in a fixed-bed flow system with simulated flue gas containing 15 % CO2 and 4.5 % O2 in N2 . It was found that the presence of moisture significantly enhanced CO2 sorption over PAA(50)/SBA-15 and greatly improved its cyclic stability and regenerability. Compared with PEI/SBA-15, PAA/SBA-15 possesses a better thermal stability and higher resistance to oxidative degradation. However, the CO2 sorption rate over the PAA(50)/SBA-15 sorbent was much slower.
Age-Related Changes in Human and Nonhuman Timing

The capacity for timed behavior is ubiquitous across the animal kingdom, making time perception an ideal topic of comparative research across human and nonhuman subjects. One of the many consequences of normal aging is a systematic decline in timing ability, often accompanied by a host of behavioral and biochemical changes in the brain. In this review, we describe some of these behavioral and biochemical changes in human and nonhuman subjects. Given the involvement of timing in higher-order cognitive processing, age-related changes in timing ability can act as a marker for cognitive decline in older adults. Finally, we offer a comparison between human and nonhuman timing through the perspective of Alzheimer’s disease. Taken together, we suggest that understanding timing functions and dysfunctions can improve theoretical accounts of cognitive aging and time perception, and the use of nonhuman subjects constitutes an integral part of this process.
Cultural Considerations for Psychologists in Primary Care

Many health concerns in the United States (e.g., diabetes) are routinely managed in primary care settings. Regardless of the medical condition, patients' health is directly influenced by factors such as healthcare providers and cultural background. Training related to how behaviors influence health, coupled with training on how cultural diversity intersects with mental health, allows psychologists to have the relevant expertise to assist in the development of primary care behavioral health interventions. However, many psychologists in primary care struggle with how to integrate a culture-centered paradigm into their roles as behavioral health providers. This paper provides an introduction on how three culture-centered concepts (providers' cultural sensitivity, patient-provider cultural congruency, and patients' health literacy) can be applied in primary care using the Five A's Organizational Construct and a model of cultural competence. In addition, the paper includes a section on integration of cultural considerations into consultation and training and concludes with a discussion of how the three culture-centered concepts have implications for health equity.
The trainee leadership blueprint: opportunities, benefits, and a call to action.

Objective: Leadership experiences are vital not only to individual long-term career success but also the development, direction, and operation of higher spheres including professional organizations...
Carnitine biosynthesis: nutritional implications.

Much interest in carnitine metabolism and function has been shown in recent years with the recognition of its catalytic role in the intramitochondrial transport of fatty acids. Figure 1 shows a series of events requisite for the activation and transport of extramitochondrial long-chain fatty acids such as palmitic acid to the site of β-oxidation in the mitochondrial matrix [cf. Bremer (1977) for discussion and relevant references]. Palmitic acid released from adipose tissue or derived from the diet is activated by outer membrane ATP-dependent palmitoyl-CoA synthetase to form palmitoyl-CoA. Such long-chain fatty acyl-CoA esters have only a limited ability to cross the mitochondrial membrane, but their entry is facilitated by “outer” carnitine palmitoyl transferase which catalyzes a transes-terification reaction in which the palmitoyl moiety from CoA is transferred to carnitine, forming palmitoylcarnitine. The latter ester is then thought to cross the inner mitochondrial membrane through the action of a translocase. A second transesterification reaction now takes place wherein “inner” palmitoyltransferase, located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, regenerates palmitoyl-CoA for subsequent β-oxidation and releases carnitine for a repetition of its catalytic role in overall fatty acid transport.
A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Ketamine as an Alternative to Opioids for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department

Background Opioids are commonly prescribed in the emergency department (ED) for the treatment of acute pain. Analgesic alternatives are being explored in response to an epidemic of opioid misuse. Low-dose ketamine (LDK) is one opioid alternative for the treatment of acute pain in the ED. Objectives This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to quantify whether LDK is an effective and safe opioid alternative for acute pain reduction in adults in the ED setting. (PROSPERO Registration Number CRD42017065303). Methods This was a systematic review of randomized controlled trials comparing intravenous opioids to LDK for relief of acute pain in the ED. Studies where the control group initially received opioids prior to ketamine were excluded. A research librarian designed the electronic search strategy. Changes in visual analog scale or numeric rating scale pain scales were analyzed to determine the relative effects of LDK and opioids in the treatment of acute pain. Results Three studies met the criteria for inclusion in this meta-analysis. Compared to pain scale reduction with morphine, ketamine was not inferior (relative reduction = 0.42, 95% confidence interval = -0.70 to 1.54). No severe adverse events were reported in any study, but higher rates of nonsevere adverse events were observed with ketamine. Conclusions Ketamine is noninferior to morphine for the control of acute pain, indicating that ketamine can be considered as an alternative to opioids for ED short-term pain control.
Detection and Treatment of Primary Prostatic Melanoma.

Abstract Objective To describe a case of primary melanoma of the prostate gland, then review the published literature of similar cases. Methods Presentation of the clinical course of a 42-year-old man diagnosed with primary melanoma of the prostate after presenting with gross hematuria. Review of published literature. Results Primary melanoma of the genitourinary tract is a very rare disease, representing less than 1% of all melanomas in men. Only 6 cases of primary melanomas have been previously reported in the English literature. Conclusion The current report emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and adherence to treatment principles in cutaneous melanoma. With complete surgical extirpation (including extended pelvic lymphadenectomy as needed), close surveillance using 18F-FDG PET/CT, and aggressive systemic treatment in patients with good performance status, cure can be achieved.
Perspective: Prospects of non-invasive sensing of the human brain with diffuse optical imaging

Since the initial demonstration of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for noninvasive measurements of brain perfusion and metabolism in the 1970s, and its application to functional brain studies (fNIRS) in the 1990s, the field of noninvasive optical studies of the brain has been continuously growing. Technological developments, data analysis advances, and novel areas of application keep advancing the field. In this article, we provide a view of the state of the field of cerebral NIRS, starting with a brief historical introduction and a description of the information content of the NIRS signal. We argue that NIRS and fNIRS studies should always report data of both oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations in brain tissue, as they complement each other to provide more complete functional and physiological information, and may help identify different types of confounds. One significant challenge is the assessment of absolute tissue properties, be them optical or physiological, so that relative measurements account for the vast majority of NIRS and fNIRS applications. However, even relative measurements of hemodynamics or metabolic changes face the major problem of a potential contamination from extracerebral tissue layers. Accounting for extracerebral contributions to fNIRS signals is one of the most critical barriers in the field. We present some of the approaches that were proposed to tackle this challenge in the study of cerebral hemodynamics and functional connectivity. Finally, we critically compare fNIRS and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) by relating their measurements in terms of signal and noise, and by commenting on their complementarity.
Non-Radial Stellar Oscillations: A Perspective from Potential Scattering (I). Theoretical Foundations

This article is the first in a series designed to gain insight into the stellar oscillation problem from a somewhat novel point of view: that of potential scattering, well-known in the quantum mechanical literature. In this paper the known theoretical foundations are developed and applied in the context of the astrophysical problem, wherein the star itself (rather than any portion of it) is the potential which “scatters” waves and “traps” them. The basis for the identification of a precisely defined scattering problem is the existence of a linear Schrodinger equation associated both globally (Section 2) and locally (Section 8) with the nonlinear eigenvalue equation for nonradial stellar pulsations. The paper is also designed to be a fairly complete account of the relevant mathematical topics that are germane to a study of this kind.
Impact of Induction Immunosuppression strategies in Simultaneous Liver Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND There is scant data on the use of induction immunosuppression for simultaneous liver/kidney transplantation (SLKT). METHODS We analyzed the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network registry from 1996 to 2016 to compare outcomes of SLKT, based on induction immunosuppression. RESULTS Of 5172 patients, 941 (18%) received T-cell depletion induction, 1635 (32%) received interleukin 2 receptor antagonist (IL2-RA), and 2596 (50%) received no induction (NI). At 5 years, patient survivals were 68% in the T-cell group, 74% in the IL2-RA group, and 71% in the NI group (P = 0.0006). Five-year liver and kidney allograft survivals were 67% and 64% in the T-cell group, 73% and 70% in the IL2-RA group, and 70% and 68% in the NI group (P = 0.001 and 0.003), respectively. On multivariate analysis, the type of induction had no impact on patient or allograft survival. Maintenance steroids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) at discharge were associated with improved patient and graft survival (steroids: patient survival hazard ratio [HR] 0.37 [0.27-0.52], liver survival HR 0.43 [0.31-0.59], kidney survival HR 0.46 [0.34-0.63]; P < 0.0001, CNI: patient survival HR 0.3 [0.21-0.43], liver survival HR 0.3 [0.2-0.44], kidney survival HR 0.4 [0.26-0.59]; P < 0.0001). CNI maintenance in patients who received T-cell induction was associated with decreased patient, liver, and kidney allograft survivals (respective HR: 1.4 [1.1, 1.8]; 1.5 [1.1, 1.9]; 1.3 [1.08, 1.7]; P < 0.05) CONCLUSION.: Induction immunosuppression had no impact on patient and allograft survival in SLKT, while maintenance steroids and CNI were associated with improved patient and graft survivals. Given the inherent limitations of a registry analysis, these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Quantum G2 categories have property (T)

We show that the rigid C∗-tensor categories of finite-dimensional type 1 unitary representations of the quantum groups Uq(&#x1d524;2) corresponding to the exceptional Lie group G2 for positive q≠1 have property (T).