cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treating Hepatitis C Infection in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: Our Options Have Improved Greatly

Chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a common problem in patients with kidney disease (Corouge M. et al. Liver Int (2016); 36:28–33, Fabrizi F. et al. Int. J. Artif. Organs (2017); 0). In the past, treatment of hepatitis C infection was very difficult due to poor efficacy, significant side effects, and the multiple comorbidities that affect patients with advanced kidney disease (Pockros PJ et al. Gastroenterology (2016); 150:1590–1598). Significant recent advances in oral interferon-free treatment regimens allow patients with hepatitis C to be treated effectively with minimal side effects. For patients with genotype 1a, 1b, or 4, there are several recommended oral regimens that achieve virologic cure in greater than 95% of patients, even in patients with severe or end-stage renal disease. For other genotypes, specifically 2, 3, 5, and 6, treatment with direct acting antiviral (DAA) agents that are used in patients with normal renal clearance has significant potential for side effects and is not recommended. Patients who are waiting for a kidney transplant or who have received a kidney transplant and have estimated eGFR greater than 30 ml/min can be treated with multiple regimens in an attempt to cure their hepatitis C (Fabrizi F. et al. Int. J. Artif. Organs (2017); 0). Patients with kidney-related complications due to their chronic hepatitis C infection can also be treated with a significant chance of resolution of the complication (Corouge M. et al. Liver Int (2016); 36:28–33, Kamar N. et al. Clin. Nephrol (2008); 69:149–160). The timing of HCV treatment and kidney transplant depends on the individual transplant centers protocol and the patient’s position on the waiting list for a kidney (Fabrizi F Clin. Liver Dis 2005; 9: 503, viii). USA transplant centers in order to reduce the time on the waiting list have decided to offer HCV-infected patients a kidney from an HCV-positive donor. Treatment of the HCV is then done early after recovery from the transplant surgery. Due to significant advances in developing oral direct acting antiviral agents, we now have safe and effective oral regimens to treat HCV-infected patients with renal disease, including those on hemodialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant, or after a renal transplant. The purpose of this review is to summarize the currently recommended treatment regimens and provide clinicians with guidance in terms of the efficacy and safety of the new direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in treating HCV-infected patients who have advanced kidney disease.
The neurobiology of self face recognition among depressed adolescents.

Abstract Objective Depression is linked to alterations in both emotion and self-processing. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess neural activation in healthy and depressed youth to a novel task that combined emotion processing with self-face recognition. Methods An fMRI study involving 81 adolescents (50.6% females; Mage=14.61, SD=1.65) comprised of depressed (DEP, n=43), and healthy controls (HC, n=38). Participants completed a clinical interview and self-report measures during an initial assessment. In the scanner, adolescents completed a face recognition task, viewing emotional (happy, sad, neutral) images of their own face (self) or the face of another youth (other). Results DEP youth showed higher activity in the cuneus (F=26.29) and post and precentral gyri (F=20.76), across all conditions compared to HC. Sad faces elicited higher posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus (F=10.36) and inferior parietal cortex activity (F=11.0), and self faces elicited higher precuneus, fusiform (F=16.39), insula and putamen (F=16.82) activity in all youth. DEP showed higher middle temporal activity to neutral faces but lower activity to sad faces compared to HC, who showed the opposite pattern (F=12.86). DEP also showed hypoactive mid-temporal limbic activity relative to controls when identifying their self happy face vs. neutral face, yet showed hyperactivity when identifying the other happy face vs. neutral face, and HC showed the opposite pattern (F=10.94). Conclusions The neurophysiology of self-face recognition is altered in adolescent depression. Specifically, depression was associated with decreased activity in neural areas that support emotional and associative processing for positive self-faces and increased processing for neutral self-faces. These results suggest that depression in adolescents is associated with hypoactive emotional processing and encoding of positive self-related visual information. This abnormal neural activity at the intersection of reward and self-processing among depressed youth might have long lasting impact in self-formation and future adult self-representations, given that adolescence is a sensitive period for self-development.
Dual-mode photoacoustic and ultrasound system for real-time in-vivo ovarian cancer imaging

More than 80% of the ovarian cancers are diagnosed at late stages and the survival rate is less than 50%. Currently, there is no effective screening technique available and transvaginal US can only tell if the ovaries are enlarged or not. We have developed a new real-time co-registered US and photoacoustic system for in vivo imaging and characterization of ovaries. US is used to localize ovaries and photoacoustic imaging provides functional information about ovarian tissue angiogenesis and oxygenation saturation. The system consists of a tunable laser and a commercial US system from Alpinion Inc. The Alpinion system is cable of providing channel data for both US pulse-echo and photoacoustic imaging and can be programmed as a computer terminal for display US and photoacoustic images side by side or in coregistered mode. A transvaginal ultrasound probe of 6-MHz center frequency and bandwidth of 3-10 MHz is coupled with four optical fibers surrounded the US probe to deliver the light to tissue. The light from optical fibers is homogenized to ensure the power delivered to the tissue surface is below the FDA required limit. Physicians can easily navigate the probe and use US to look for ovaries and then turn on photoacoustic mode to provide real-time tumor vasculature and So2 saturation maps. With the optimized system, we have successfully imaged first group of 7 patients of malignant, abnormal and benign ovaries. The results have shown that both photoacoustic signal strength and spatial distribution are different between malignant and abnormal and benign ovaries.
Baseline biomarkers of connectome disruption and atrophy predict future processing speed in early multiple sclerosis.

Abstract The development of accurate prognoses in multiple sclerosis is difficult, as the disease is characterized by heterogeneous patterns of brain abnormalities that relate in an unclear way to future impairments. Here, we use a statistical modeling approach to determine if the baseline pattern of connectome disruption due to T2-FLAIR lesions could predict a patient's future processing speed, as measured using the Symbol Digits Modality Test scores. Imaging data, demographics and Symbol Digits Modality Test scores were collected from 61 early relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients. The Network Modification Tool was used to estimate damage to the connectome by quantifying white matter abnormalities' effects on 1) global network properties, 2) regional connectivity and 3) connectivity between pairs of regions. MS subjects showed significant improvement of processing speed between baseline and follow-up (t = −2.6, p = 0.0096); however, both baseline (t = −4.01, p = 0.00012) and follow-up (t = −2.10, p = 0.038) processing speed were significantly lower than age-matched healthy controls. Partial Least Squares Regression was used to create models that predict future processing speed from between baseline imaging metrics and demographics. The model based on region-pair disconnection and gray matter atrophy had the lowest AIC and highest prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.79) compared to models based on global (R2 = 0.41) or regional (R2 = 0.66) disconnection and gray matter atrophy, overlap with an ROI-based atlas and gray matter atrophy (R2 = 0.73) or gray matter atrophy alone (R2 = 0.71). We found that baseline measures of connectivity disruption in various parietal, temporal, occipital and subcortical regions and atrophy in the putamen were important predictors of future processing speed. We conclude that information about disruptions to pairwise brain connections is more informative of future processing speed than regional or global metrics or gray matter atrophy alone. The combination of quantitative disconnectome metrics, gray matter atrophy and statistical modeling approaches could enable clinicians in developing more accurate, individualized prognoses of future cognitive status in multiple sclerosis patients.
The effects of wakefulness state on the temporal characteristics of ventilatory variables in man.

The effects of audiovisual stimulation on the temporal patterns of V T T I , T E were studied in 11 healthy subjects. 75 datasets of steady-state breathing each of eight minutes in duration were obtained during low wakefulness (lying still, eyes closed), low wakefulness with calibrated thermal pain stimulation and high wakefulness (playing a computer game). The analysis included removal of trend and mean, interpolation and re-sampling of the data to provide an equi-spaced time basis, test for normal distribution of datasets, power spectral estimation, estimation of the parameters of 1 st and 2 nd order autocorrelation models and estimation of the same parameters on the residuals following subtraction of the 1 st or 2 nd order models. All power spectra showed the highest power at the lowest frequencies; correspondingly the 1 st order autocorrelation coefficients were significant at the 5% level except for T E (p = 0.12). The 2 nd order coefficients were non-significant for all series. The 1 st order autocorrelation coefficients of the residuals (after subtraction of the 1 st order autocorrelation component) were all non-significant. With 1 st order autocorrelation coefficients averaging between.12 and.37 the non-random part of the variation explained by the 1 st order autocorrelation structure is between 1.4% and 13.7% and independent of stimulation of breathing by thermal or mental stimuli.
Revisiting Labor Supply Effects of Sex Ratio, Income, and Wage. Effects of Marriage-Related Laws

This chapter examines further implications of an analysis of WiHo (Work-In-Household) markets for time allocation when there are many types of substitutable individuals in multiple markets for WiHo acting either as WiHo-workers or as WiHo-users. Income effects on labor supply are revisited: the availability of multiple types of men and women, and the possibility of divorce and remarriage, imply that when income changes there is less need for WiHo-workers to accommodate spouses than there was in the case of only one type of spouse. It is also predicted that any factor associated with higher market value of WiHo workers is expected to be associated with more sizeable negative household income effects on WiHo-workers’ labor supply. Furthermore, wage effects on labor supply are revisited: it is predicted that the larger the positive correlation between WiHo price and wage in a group of women acting as WiHo-workers, the lower the observed elasticity of labor supply. The possibility of distinguishing between married and unmarried individuals also leads to the prediction that relative to situations of low sex ratios or balanced marriage markets, high sex ratios are expected to be associated with less labor force participation by married women. The analysis also implies that many laws and regulations will affect marriage market conditions and therefore labor supply. I briefly consider potential effects of laws regarding marriage and cohabitation, divorce laws, and laws prohibiting polygamy.
Induction and growth characteristics of embryogenic avocado cultures

Embryogenic cultures were induced from immature avocado zygotic embryos representing different botanical races and complex hybrids. The optimum induction medium consisted of B5 major salts, MS minor salts, 0.4 mg l−1 thiamine HCl, 100 mg l−1 myo-inositol, 30 g l−1 sucrose, 0.41 μM picloram and 8 g l−1 TC agar. Somatic embryogenesis occurred directly from the explants on induction medium, and secondary embryos and proembryonic masses proliferated in liquid and on semisolid maintenance medium. Embryogenic culture maintainance was optimized in liquid, filter-sterilized MS medium, supplemented with 30–50 mg l−1 sucrose, 4 mg l−1 thiamine HCl and 0.41 μM picloram. Two types of embryogenic cultures were recognized: –genotypes that proliferated as proembryonic masses in the presence of auxin (PEM-type) and; –genotypes in which the heart stage and later stages of somatic embryos developed in the presence of auxin(SE-type). Embryogenic suspension cultures became increasingly disorganized over time, and this was associated with progressive loss of embryogenic potential.
Müllerian Agenesis Masquerading as Secondary Amenorrhea.

The most common cause of primary amenorrhea is congenital malformation of the Mullerian ducts, including Mullerian agenesis, also known as Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser syndrome (MRKH). Most general gynecologists and primary care physicians who see female adolescents will encounter MRKH in their careers. We present the case of an adolescent with MRKH who reported secondary, instead of primary amenorrhea. We discuss the subtleties of diagnosing MRKH, especially when patient history may not always be accurate. Because MRKH had not been included in the differential diagnosis for delayed menses, this patient was initially misdiagnosed. Delayed diagnosis of MRKH may harm patients by delaying assessment of concomitant renal, skeletal, hearing, and cardiac defects, which might otherwise impact the treatment plan.
Necrobiosis lipoidica associated with sarcoidosis.

We report the case of a 40-year-old African-American female with biopsy-proven pulmonary sarcoidosis who developed atrophic plaques on her shins, trunk, and scalp that were clinically and histologically consistent with necrobiosis lipoidica (NL). The lesions appeared 3 years after her diagnosis of sarcoidosis, and progressed despite chronic prednisone. Sarcoidosis and NL are granulomatous skin disorders reported to coexist in the same patient only 10 times in the literature. Including the current case, patients have been exclusively females around middle age, and have greater tendencies to develop typical cutaneous sarcoidosis. The incidence of diabetes is rare in this group. Like typical NL, NL associated with sarcoidosis tends to ulcerate, and is difficult to treat. Interestingly, there are six similar cases reported in the literature of patients with sarcoidosis who developed lesions clinically and behaviorally consistent with NL, but received a final histological diagnosis of sarcoidosis. These cases share very similar demographics and clinical features with cases of true NL associated with sarcoidosis, and often have more ambiguous histology containing features of both cutaneous sarcoidosis and NL. Comparing the two sets of cases raises the possibility of a final common disease pathway shared by these two granulomatous skin disorders.
Stochastic Analysis of Rolling Resistance Energy Dissipation for a Tractor-Trailer Model:

Rolling resistance because of road roughness is often the largest contributor to energy consumption in the environmental assessment of pavement life cycle. Although fuel consumption of passenger ve...
Using web data to improve surveillance for heat sensitive health outcomes.

Elevated and prolonged exposure to extreme heat is an important cause of excess summertime mortality and morbidity. To protect people from health threats, some governments are currently operating syndromic surveillance systems. However, A lack of resources to support time- and labor- intensive diagnostic and reporting processes make it difficult establishing region-specific surveillance systems. Big data created by social media and web search may improve upon the current syndromic surveillance systems by directly capturing people’s individual and subjective thoughts and feelings during heat waves. This study aims to investigate the relationship between heat-related web searches, social media messages, and heat-related health outcomes. We collected Twitter messages that mentioned “air conditioning (AC)” and “heat” and Google search data that included weather, medical, recreational, and adaptation information from May 7 to November 3, 2014, focusing on the state of Florida, U.S. We separately associated web data against two different sources of health outcomes (emergency department (ED) and hospital admissions) and five disease categories (cardiovascular disease, dehydration, heat-related illness, renal disease, and respiratory disease). Seasonal and subseasonal temporal cycles were controlled using autoregressive moving average-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARMA-GARCH) and generalized linear model (GLM). The results show that the number of heat-related illness and dehydration cases exhibited a significant positive relationship with web data. Specifically, heat-related illness cases showed positive associations with messages (heat, AC) and web searches (drink, heat stroke, park, swim, and tired). In addition, terms such as park, pool, swim, and water tended to show a consistent positive relationship with dehydration cases. However, we found inconsistent relationships between renal illness and web data. Web data also did not improve the models for cardiovascular and respiratory illness cases. Our findings suggest web data created by social medias and search engines could improve the current syndromic surveillance systems. In particular, heat-related illness and dehydration cases were positively related with web data. This paper also shows that activity patterns for reducing heat stress are associated with several health outcomes. Based on the results, we believe web data could benefit both regions without the systems and persistently hot and humid climates where excess heat early warning systems may be less effective.
Experiential Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reflective Process

The COVID-19 pandemic made a resounding impact worldwide, forcing brick-and-mortar higher education institutions to move online. During this transition, students had to adjust while attempting to c...
Multi-Objective Strategies for Stripped-Functionality Logic Locking

Logic locking acts as powerful countermeasure against piracy and reverse engineering attacks on the Integrated circuit (IC) supply chain. Stripped functionality logic locking (SFLL) represents the state-of-the-art in logic locking. SFLL delivers high resilience against certain attacks; however, it can protect only a small fraction of the design. Moreover, it fails to achieve a high corruption rate at the circuit outputs. In this paper, we explore strategies for deploying SFLL in a way that optimizes both corruption rate and resilience while protecting a large fraction of the design. The proposed joint optimization framework leverages the principles of VLSI testing to meet desired objectives cost-effectively.
Cheating in online courses: Evidence from online proctoring

Abstract This study revives the unsettled debate on the extent of academic dishonesty in online courses. It takes advantage of a quasi experiment in which online proctoring using a webcam recording software was introduced for high-stakes exams in two online courses. Each course remained the same in its structure, content and assessments before and after the introduction of online proctoring. Analysis of exam scores shows that online proctoring was associated with a decrease in average performance in both courses. Furthermore, the decrease in scores persists when accounting for potential confounding factors in a regression framework. Finally, in separate regressions of exam performance on student characteristics, the regression explanatory power was higher for scores under proctoring. We interpret these results as evidence that cheating took place in the online courses prior to proctoring. The results also imply that online proctoring is an effective tool to mitigate academic dishonesty in online courses.
Which STEM majors enroll in online courses, and why should we care? The impact of ethnicity, gender, and non-traditional student characteristics

Using data from roughly 27,800 undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors in the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), this research examines the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender and non-traditional student characteristics and online course enrollment. Hispanic and Black STEM majors were significantly less likely, and female STEM majors significantly more likely, to take online courses even when academic preparation, socioeconomic status (SES), citizenship and English-as-second-language (ESL) status were controlled. Furthermore, non-traditional student characteristics strongly increased the likelihood of enrolling in an online course, more so than any other characteristic, with online enrollment probability increasing steeply as the number of non-traditional factors increased. The impact of non-traditional factors on online enrollment was significantly stronger for STEM than non-STEM majors. Hispanic and Black STEM majors were significantly less likely to enroll online.Female STEM majors were significantly more likely to enroll online.STEM majors with non-traditional characteristics were more likely to enroll online.Non-traditional characteristics predict online enrollment more than other factors.Non-traditional characteristics were more significant for STEM than non-STEM majors.
Validation of the tumor, nodes and metastasis classification of renal cell carcinoma.

AbstractA retrospective analysis of 252 patients with renal cell carcinoma was performed with the tumor, nodes and metastasis system of cancer staging. Each patient received a clinical and a pathological classification. Patient survival was calculated for each pT stage. All patients with stage pT1 disease (100 per cent) were alive at 5 years, as were 91 per cent of those with stage pT2 tumors. Higher T stages showed poorer survival; 58 per cent of the patients with stage pT3 and only 25 per cent with stage pT4 tumors were alive at 5 years. Invasion into the inferior vena cava (pT3c) had an adverse effect on survival, which was statistically significant compared to patients in the pT3a and pT3b subgroups.The type of surgical procedure performed had no influence on ultimate survival, nor did the use of adjuvant radiation therapy. The tumor, nodes and metastasis system clearly documents that the survival of patients with renal cell carcinoma depends on the local extent of the primary tumor, determined at the...
Respiratory Activity in Speech

Functionally the subglottal respiratory system behaves for the most part like a piston in a piston chamber driven with a constant force (the sum of thoracic and abdominal muscular forces plus the elastic recoil force). Small, short term, variations in subglottal air pressure occur nevertheless due to (a) short-term variations in the resistance to the exiting airflow, i.e., from glottal and supraglottal articulations and (b) the inertia of the pulmonic system which creates delays in its passive response to such short-term variations in subglottal pressure. This casts doubt on claims of active contribution of the pulmonic system in the implementation of syllables, stress, certain sentence-final fundamental frequency contours, and certain segment types, e.g., aspirated stops.
Hourly neurologic assessments for traumatic brain injury in the ICU

AbstractObjectives: Hourly neurologic assessments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the critical care setting are common practice but prolonged use may actually be harming patients through sleep deprivation. We reviewed practice patterns at our institution in order to gain insight into the role of frequent neurological assessments.Methods: A 6-month retrospective review was performed for patients who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with the diagnosis of TBI. Electronic medical records were reviewed based on billing codes. Variables collected included but were not limited to patient demographics, frequency of nursing neurologic evaluations, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), length of stay (LOS), and disposition.Results: A total of 124 patients were identified, 71% male with the average age of 52 years (range 19–96). Traumatic brain injury was classified as severe in 44, moderate in 18, and mild in 62 patients. A total of 89 (71·8%) patients underwent hourly nursing assessments for an average of 2·8...
A cis-acting region required for the regulated expression of grg-1, a Neurospora glucose-repressible gene. Two regulatory sites (CRE and NRS) are required to repress grg-1 expression.

Abstract Grg-1 is a Neurospora gene which was identified as being highly expressed glucose-repressible gene. A cis -acting regulatory region required for the regulated expression of grg-1 has been characterized. The regulatory region is found between 440 and 500 nucleotides upstream of the first major grg-1 start of transcription site and contains two distinct cis -acting regulatory elements. The upstream element consists of the sequence GTGACGTCAC, which is identical to the previously identified CRE (Cyclic AMP-Responsive Element). The second element is a newly defined cis -acting regulatory site. The element has the sequence TTGCTAGCAA and has been named NRS (Neurospora Repressor Site). DNA binding proteins can be shown to bind to both of these cis -acting regulatory elements. Experiments in which these sites were deleted demonstrate that both cis -acting regulatory elements are required to turn off the in vitro expression of the grg-1 gene under conditions of glucose sufficiency.
Review of Bioactive Components in Milk and Dairy Products

The Western world tends to consider cows to be the main source of milk and dairy products. However, Bioactive Components in Milk and Dairy Products presents the production, chemistry, and nutrition...
The economics of worldwide stagflation

The last fifteen years have witnessed dramatic changes in economics, not only in the manner in which the economics profession views economics but also in the manner in which the general public views economics and economists. By the late 1960’s there had emerged more or less a consensus macroeconomic framework that is, an agreed upon structure to be used to study economic problems at the aggregate level. Robert Solow stated, as quoted in Leijonhufvud (1968):
A bidirectional series resonant matrix converter topology for electric vehicle DC fast charging

A series resonant matrix converter (MC) based topology for high power electric vehicle (EV) battery charging is presented. The system performs DC fast charging and is capable of bidirectional power flow, for V2G (vehicle-to-grid) applications. The proposed topology can be divided into three sections: (i) a front-end 3×1 matrix converter, (ii) L r C r series resonant tank and high frequency (HF) transformer, and (iii) a single phase PWM rectifier. The matrix converter takes a three phase line frequency voltage and produces a high frequency (14.94 kHz) AC output. The resonant tank frequency is set to 13.7 kHz and helps to achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS) turn ON and low turn OFF switching losses. The secondary of the transformer is then interfaced to the EV battery bank through a PWM rectifier. The advantages of such a system include high efficiency due to soft switching operation, low VA transformer ratings due to resonant operation, and high power density due to the absence of electrolytic capacitors. A design example rated 30 kW, which charges a 500 V battery system, is presented. Analysis and simulation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed bidirectional topology. Preliminary experimental results are provided for a scaled down prototype operating at 500 W using a 15 kHz ferrite transformer.
Psychosomatic Medicine: A Psychoanalyst's Journey Through a Somatic World

Clinical discussions within the broad field of psychosomatic medicine tend to be concerned with either psychological influences on somatic functioning or somatic influences on the mental functioning of individual patients and tend to be conceptualized through either a psychological or a somatic lens. Gottlieb (2003) described this dichotomization by following the different paths taken by Freud and Janet. Efforts to bring these lenses together to form a psychosomatic whole, by bringing together the traditions of psychoanalysis and psychiatry, have generally resulted in a clash of cultures. This article represents an attempt to bridge the cultures of psyche and soma, by providing a case example of the daily practice of a psychoanalyst consulting in a medical–surgical healthcare setting, by highlighting important contributions to the consultation literature, and by describing ways of shifting focus from the individual patient to the system within which the patient exists.
Incorporation of 14C-amino acids by malarial plasmodia (Plasmodium lophurae): VI. Changes in the kinetic constants of amino acid transport during infection☆

Abstract The majority (10 of 17) of amino acids tested entered the mature duck erythrocyte by a saturable, non-uphill transport system, whereas for the erythrocyte-free malarial parasite, Plasmodium lophurae, the converse was true: most amino acids entered the parasite by simple diffusion. Only five amino acids (glutamic and aspartic acids, cysteine, lysine, arginine) showed mediated entry into P. lophurae. The pattern of mediated amino acid transport into the duck erythrocyte was altered upon infection, e.g., either entry was by diffusion or there was a reduced affinity for the amino acid. Transport characteristics similar to those found in the malaria-infected erythrocyte were produced by treating normal duck red cells with a cell-free extract of malaria-infected erythrocytes and quinine (a depressor of red cell ATP). It is suggested that depletion of host cell ATP as well as elaboration of as yet unidentified substances by the parasite promote the changes in permeability seen in the malaria-infected cell.
Assessing the performance of neural encoding models in the presence of noise.

An analytical method is introduced for evaluating the performance of neural encoding models. The method addresses a critical question that arises during the course of the development and validation of encoding models: is a given model near optimal in terms of its accuracy in predicting the stimulus-elicited responses of a neural system, or can the predictive accuracy be improved significantly by further model development? The evaluation method is based on a derivation of the minimum mean-square error between actual responses and modeled responses. It is formulated as a comparison between the mean-square error of the candidate model and the theoretical minimum mean-square error attainable through an optimal model for the system. However, no a priori information about the nature of the optimal model is required. The theoretically minimum error is determined solely from the coherence function between pairs of system responses to repeated presentations of the same dynamic stimulus. Thus, the performance of the candidate model is judged against the performance of an optimal model rather than against that of an arbitrarily assumed model. Using this method, we evaluated a linear model for neural encoding by mechanosensory cells in the cricket cercal system. At low stimulus intensities, the best-fit linear model of encoding by single cells was found to be nearly optimal, even though the coherence between stimulus-response pairs (a commonly used measure of system linearity) was low. In this low-stimulus-intensity regime, the mean square error of the linear model was on the order of the power of the cell responses. In contrast, at higher stimulus intensities the linear model was not an accurate representation of neural encoding, even though the stimulus-response coherence was substantially higher than in the low-intensity regime.
VLA Observations of A and B Stars with Kilogauss Magnetic Fields

The serendipitous discovery that the star 03C3 Ori E [B2 Vp (He Strong)] is a 3.5 mJy radio continuum source at 6 cm has stimulated a radio survey of other early-type stars with strong magnetic fields. No Ap stars have been detected of 8 observed, with typical 3a upper limits of 0.5 mJy at 2 cm. Of 6 Bp stars examined, only HR 1890, also a helium-strong star, was detected. We discuss possible emission mechanisms for the observed radio emission, and conclude that nonthermal emission seems the most plausible, on the basis of the present data.
Efficacy of Current Practices for Pain Assessment in Premature Ventilated Infants in the NICU Exposed to a High Number of Pain-Associated Procedures.

Objective To study infant factors, characteristics of pain scores, and analgesic practices associated with patient-days in the NICU with a high frequency of pain-associated procedures (defined as >10 pain-associated procedures in the day). Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study that used medical record audits of premature, ventilated infants. The primary two-institution study yielded data for 196 patient-days. Data included 804 pain scores and 836 pain-associated procedures. Results A high frequency of pain-associated procedures occurred in 8% of days at Site A and in 25% of days at Site B. Prevalence of days with high frequency of pain-associated procedures differed by institution, and was higher at the institution where infants were more mature at birth and had fewer surgical procedures. High frequency of pain-associated procedures was related to endotracheal intubation at both institutions. There were no elevated pain scores and no documented analgesic administrations on days with over 20 pain-associated procedures. Conclusions High exposure to pain-associated procedures during a 24-hour period for a premature, ventilated infant is rarely associated with elevated pain scores or analgesic administration. Prevalence of days with high-procedural exposure at an institution appears to be closely related to use of invasive ventilation and to individual institutional practices. Examination and discussion of the daily frequency of pain-associated procedures for premature, ventilated infants (especially for those receiving invasive ventilation) may be helpful in developing approaches for attenuating the cumulative pain experience for these babies. Resources that are expended on regular pain reassessment documentation processes in the NICU may need to be reconsidered in light of the very low yield for clinical alterations in care in this setting.
Community–Academic Partnership Participation

Community–academic partnerships (CAPs) improve the research process, outcomes, and yield benefits for the community and researchers. This exploratory study examined factors important in community stakeholders’ decision to participate in CAPs. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community stakeholders, previously contacted to participate in a CAP (n = 18), completed the 15-item Decision to Participate Questionnaire (DPQ). The DPQ assessed reasons for participating or declining participation in the ASD CAP. CAP participants rated networking with other providers, fit of collaboration with agency philosophy, and opportunity for future training/consultations as factors more important in their decision to participate in the ASD CAP than nonparticipants. Nonparticipants reported the number of requests to participate in research as more important in their decision to decline participation than participants. Findings reveal important factors in community stakeholders’ decision to participate in CAPs that may provide guidance on increasing community engagement in CAPs and help close the science-to-service gap.
Problems Concerning the Extragalactic Distance Scale

The use of the brightest members of galaxy clusters as distance indicators is questioned because of a possible correlation between the absolute magnitude of the brightest galaxy and the richness of the cluster. Comparison of the clusters' luminosity functions is considered to be more appropriate. The difference between the two approaches is substantial when a comparison is made between the Coma and Virgo clusters. The value of the Hubble parameter may well be less than 50 km s −1 Mpc −1 .
FlashLogging: exploiting flash devices for synchronous logging performance

Synchronous transactional logging is the central mechanism for ensuring data persistency and recoverability in database systems. Unfortunately, magnetic disks are ill-suited for the small sequential write pattern of synchronous logging. Alternative solutions (e.g., backup servers or sophisticated battery-backed write caches in high-end disk arrays) are either expensive or complicated. In this paper, we exploit flash devices for synchronous logging based on the observation that flash devices support small sequential writes well. Comparing a wide variety of flash devices, we find that USB flash drives are a good match for this task because of its unique characteristics: widely available USB ports, hot-plug capability useful for coping with flash wear, and low price so that multiple drives are affordable. We propose FlashLogging, a logging solution that exploits multiple (USB) flash drives for synchronous logging. We identify and address four challenges: (i) efficiently exploiting multiple flash drives for logging; (ii) coping with the large variance of write latencies because of device erasure operations; (iii) efficient recovery processing; and (iv) combining flash drives and disks for better logging and recovery performance. We implemented our solution within MySQL-InnoDB. Our real machine experiments running online transaction processing workloads (TPCC) show that FlashLogging achieves up to 5.7X improvements over magnetic-disk-based logging, and obtains up to 98.6% of the ideal performance. We further compare our design with one that uses Solid-State Drives (SSDs), and find that although SSDs improve logging performance, multiple USB flash drives can achieve comparable or better performance with much lower price.
Organochlorine pesticide residues in uropygial glands and adipose tissue of wild birds

The literature contains a large body of knowledge on the avian uropygial (preen or oil) gland. Much of this information~ particularly as regards its anatomy and physiology~ is superbly reviewed by LUCAS and STETTENHEIM (1972). This subcutaneous gland~ especially large in aquatic birds~ is typically bilobed and terminates in a nipple-like projection at the base of the bird's tail. Its holocrine~ oily secretions function chiefly to waterproof and condition the bird's plumage. The secretions have been analyzed chemically by a number of investigators including APANDI and EDWARDS (1964)~ HAAHTI and FALES (1967)~ SAITO and GAMO (1968)~ and EDKINS and HANSEN (1972); their reports generally revealed the lipophilic nature of the gland and disclosed the presence of aliphatic waxes~ triglycerides~ phospholipids~ and other components in the gland. The lipoidal nature of this gland should make it a possible repository and excretory organ for chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides and pollutants. DINDAL (1970) found high concentrations of DDT and its metabolites in uropygial glands of two species of ducks. After surgically removing glands from three species of caged birds~ GREICHUS and GREICHUS (1974) reported that d�8 can be found in secretions emanating from lipoid bodies in the skin. More recently CHARNETSKI and STEVENS (1974) concluded that wild ducklings of several species (p 675) ". . , can excrete lipid soluble insecticides and their metabolites through the preen gland." The present investigations extend these earlier studies by examining pesticide contents of uropygial glands as compared with those of adipose tissue depots taken from a large variety of wild birds of diverse habits and habitats. Materials and Methods Bird specimens used in the present study were obtained chiefly in Florida from 1969 to 1974. Ai1 were wild birds taken in a variety of ways -- shotgun~ found freshly killed at TV towers~ on roadsides and on beaches. The 53 birds embraced I0 orders�87 15 families~ 23 genera~ and 28 species. They included aquatic~ semiaquatic and terrestrial species~ piscivores~ carnivores~ insectivores, scavengers�87 long- and short-distance migrants~ and non-migrants. From each individual a small amount (ca i g) of adipose tissue was removed from the subcutaneous interfurcular depot. The uropygial gland was carefully dissected out intact and any feather tuft at its opening was trimmed off prior to weighing and
Vascular Mock Oral Exams: A Review of the 8-Year Experience of the SAVS Mock Oral Program

categoric variables or mean 6 standard deviation for continuous variables. Categoric responses are presented as median (interquartile range) based on a 1-5 ordinal scale. Results: The participants were 74 patients undergoing intervention for abdominal aortic aneurysm (n 1⁄4 20), hemodialysis access (n 1⁄4 14), carotid stenosis (n 1⁄4 20), and peripheral arterial disease (n 1⁄4 20). Mean age was 68.86 12.4 years, 43% were women, and 26% were African American. Highest educational level was college or graduate school for 35% of participants, 61% had computer access, and 41% regularly used e-mail. Participants identified providers as the most important information sources (1 [1, 1] for doctors and 2 [1, 3] for nurse practitioners, where 11⁄4 “very important” and 51⁄4 “not important”), whereas family and friends, writtenmaterials, and other patients were less important (3 [1, 5], 3 [2, 4], and 3 [2, 5], respectively), and television/video and internet resources were least important (4.5 [3, 5] and 5 [3, 5], respectively). Although participants had high levels of confidence in provider recommendations (1 [1, 1] for all procedure categories, where 11⁄4 “very satisfied” and 5 1⁄4 “not satisfied”), they had a strong preference to discuss all potential treatment options (1 [1, 1], where 1 1⁄4 “strongly agree” and 5 1⁄4 “strongly disagree”) and to choose their treatment together with their doctor (1 [1, 2]) as opposed to only discussing the recommended treatment (2 [1, 3]) or delegating selection to the doctor alone (2 [1, 3]). Patients undergoing hemodialysis access and abdominal aortic aneurysm procedures most often reported discussion of more than one option (1.5 [1, 3] and 1.5 [1, 5], respectively), whereas discussion of multiple options was less common for peripheral arterial disease (2 [1, 3.5]) and carotid stenosis (3 [1, 5]). Thirty-seven participants (50%) considered their first treatment successful, 27 (36.5%) considered another subsequent treatment successful, and 10 (13.5%) considered none successful. Conclusions: Patients experience varying participation levels in decision making for vascular procedures and often believe that their treatments are unsuccessful. Although patients consider providers an important source of information and have confidence in their recommendations, they prefer to discuss all treatment options being considered. Patients also prefer shared decision making over complete delegation to the provider. Increasing patient involvement in treatment decisions has potential to improve patient satisfaction but may require tools to facilitate more active participation. Potential impacts on other outcomes remains to be determined.
Very late-onset corneal scar triggered by trauma after photorefractive keratectomy

A 54-year-old woman who had photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) more than 10 years earlier presented with a history of being hit in the eye by a tree branch and developing blurred vision a short time later. The corrected visual acuity was 20/100 with localized grade 3 stromal haze. The haze intensified despite initial response to corticosteroids and cyclosporine, and treatment with phototherapeutic keratectomy and 0.02% mitomycin-C (MMC) was effective in restoring corneal clarity and normal vision. Late-onset stromal scar can be triggered by trauma years after PRK. Phototherapeutic keratectomy with MMC can be an effective treatment for late-onset scar. Persistent haze or scar after trauma if PRK had not been performed previously is exceedingly rare. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Opportunity for aggression as a reinforcer in mice

Male mice acquired, extinguished, and reversed a position response in a T-maze when the opportunity to attack a “victim” mouse was provided as reinforcer. Half of the Ss were also given a fight before each maze trial. These Ss, compared to Ss run without prefights, were superior in choice performance early during acquisition and reversal learning, and showed slower extinction. It was also found that preference for the aggression-rewarded side of the maze increased from first to second trials given on the same day.
The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and Gold Fever

In the 1820s a series of gold strikes from Virginia to Alabama caused such excitement that thousands of miners from all parts of the United States poured into the region. This Southern gold rush, the first in U.S. history, reached Georgia with the discovery of the Dahlonega Gold Belt in 1829. Said Benjamin Parks, one of Georgia's first twenty-niners: "The news got abroad, and such excitement you never saw. It seemed within a few days as if the whole world must have heard of it, for men came from every state I had ever heard of. They came afoot, on horseback and in wagons, acting more like crazy men than anything else. All the way from where Dahlonega now stands, to Nuckollsville there were men panning out of the branches and making holes in the hillsides." As it happened, the Georgia gold fields were found to lie in and around Cherokee territory. In 1830 Georgia extended its authority over the area, and two years later the land was raffled off in a lottery. Although they resisted this land grab through the courts, the Cherokees were eventually driven west on the Trail of Tears into what is today northeastern Oklahoma. The gold rush era survived the Cherokees in Georgia by only a few years. The early 1840s saw a dramatic decline in the fortunes of the Southern gold region. When word of a new gold strike in California reached the miners, they wasted no time in following the banished Indians westward. In fact, many Georgia twenty-niners became some of the first California forty-niners. Georgia's gold rush is now almost two centuries past, but gold fever continues. Many residents still pan for gold, and every October during Gold Rush Days hundreds of latter-day prospectors reliving theexcitement of Georgia's great antebellum gold rush throng to the small mountain town of Dahlonega.