cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Patient Size Setting: A Novel Dose Reduction Strategy in Cerebral Endovascular Neurosurgery Using Biplane Fluoroscopy

Background In some fluoroscopy machines, the dose-rate output of the fluoroscope is tied to a selectable patient size. Although patient size may play a significant role in visceral or cardiac procedures, head morphology is less variable, and high dose outputs may not be necessary even in very obese patients. We hypothesized that very small patient size setting can be used to reduce dose for cerebral angiography without compromising image quality. Methods Patients who underwent endovascular neurosurgical procedures during the 2015–2016 academic year were identified, and estimated procedural air kerma (AK) was tabulated retrospectively. Technologists were instructed to begin using the very small patient size setting for all procedures performed using our Philips Allura Xper FD20 biplane fluoroscopy system beginning in March 2016. No changes were made in a second procedure room using a Toshiba Infinix system. Student t tests and logistic regression models were used to compare radiation exposure before and after March 1, 2016, for both machines. Results For diagnostic cerebral angiograms performed on the Philips system (n = 302), AK was reduced by approximately 17% (1277 vs. 1061 mGy; P = 0.0006.) Changes in table height, total fluoroscopy time, patient weight, and body mass index did not contribute to this difference. No significant change was seen in total AK using the Toshiba system (n = 237). Blinded review by a neuroradiologist did not demonstrate any change in image quality. Conclusions Using the very small patient size reduces fluoroscopy dose by 17% for cerebral angiography without impacting image quality.
Atmospheric science looks to Venus

Making sense of exoplanet observations requires better understanding of terrestrial atmospheres in our solar system, especially for Venus. We need to not just intermittently explore, but continuously monitor these atmospheres — like we do for Earth.
When do models of NeuroAIDS faithfully imitate “the real thing”?

HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral medicines (ART) still face neurological challenges. HIV-associated neurocognitive disturbances (HAND) can occur, and latent viral DNA persisting in the central nervous system (CNS) prevents eradication of HIV. This communication focuses on how to develop experimental models of HAND and CNS HIV latency that best imitate the CNS pathophysiology in diseased humans, which we take to be “the real thing.” Models of HIV encephalitis (HIVE) with active CNS viral replication were developed in the early years of the AIDS pandemic. The clinical relevancy of such models is in sharp decline because HIVE seldom occurs in virally suppressed patients, while HAND remains common. The search for improved models of HAND should incorporate the neurochemical, neuroimmunological and neuropathological features of virally suppressed patients. Common anomalies in these patients as established in autopsy brain specimens include brain endothelial cell activation and neurochemical imbalances of synaptic transmission; classical neurodegeneration may not be as crucial. With regard to latent HIV with viral suppression, human brain specimens show that the pool of latent proviral HIV DNA in the CNS is relatively small relative to the total body pool and does not change substantially over years. The CNS pool of latent virus probably differs from lymphoid tissues, because the mononuclear phagocyte system sustains productive infection (versus lymphocytes). These and yet-to-be discovered aspects of the human CNS of virally suppressed patients need to be better defined and addressed in experimental models. To maintain clinical relevancy, models of HAND and viral latency should faithfully emulate “the real thing.”
A framework for big data technology in health and healthcare

Big data technologies can have particular importance in the field of healthcare. The volume of data available in digital form pertaining to the health of individuals has already become huge and is rapidly growing. It includes both the traditional clinically collected data, administrative data and increasingly other health and contextual sensor data collected in non-clinical settings. While the importance of analytics to healthcare is increasingly recognized, the healthcare industry is yet to fully harness the emergence of big data technologies specifically for carrying out analytics and to fully recognize the implications for healthcare. In this paper, we introduce a framework to help organize and guide the understanding of the application of big data technologies for processing health and healthcare data.
A Synopsis of Ricoeur’s Phenomenology of the Will: Implications for Nursing Practice, Research, and Education:

The will is a word that nurses may use to describe their patients’ actions or inactions. This concept has been extensively addressed by religions, psychologists, and philosophers. Ricoeur offered a...
Babinski’s Reflex/Sign

The sign of Babinski is not a different reaction from the normal nociceptive polysynaptic reflex; it is rather a hyperactive flexion reflex in which extensor hallucis longus is included by irradiation, that is, synaptic hyperexcitability within the S-1 spinal neuropil. Note that the generic name of this reflex is plantar reflex. The normal reaction with downgoing great toe is called flexor plantar reflex (response). The pathological extensor plantar reflex (response) is manifested by hallux dorsiflexion at the metatarsophalangeal joint. The eponym ‘Babinski sign ’(response, or reflex) is synonymous with extensor plantar reflex (response). The term ‘Babinski ’should not be used to indicate the plantar reflex or the site of stimulation; there is no such thing as a negative Babinski.
Intercalation Compounds of Solid C60

In this review, fullerene intercalation compounds are described in the context of other, better-known guest-host solids, e.g. layer intercalates and doped conjugated polymers. The structural chemistry is described in detail, with emphasis on disorder phenomena. Recent progress in establishing structure-property relationships, and the closely-related problem of phase equilibria, are presented.
Myocarditis associated with primary amebic (Naegleria) meningoencephalitis.

Prompted by findings of myocarditis in a patient dying from primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a retrospective search for myocarditis in autopsy material from 15 additional cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis was undertaken. All cases were believed due to Naegleria (probably N. fowleri ). Seven of 16 cases showed either diffuse or focal myocarditis, and in two myocardial necrosis was present. Three cases showed only sparse foci of acute myocarditis. Material from ten consecutive autopsied cases of acute, fatal, purulent meningitis due to bacteria and from ten consecutive autopsied cases of acute, fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage were utilized as matched controls and reviewed for the presence of myocarditis. Only two cases (one from each control group) had myocarditis, both focal and mild in nature. The etiology as well as the pathogenesis of such myocarditis is unclear, and speculatively it could be due to a variety of factors. Nevertheless, diffuse or focal myocarditis appears to occur with a higher frequency in primary acute meningoencephalitis than in other acutely fatal central nervous system diseases, and perhaps more often than heretofore has been suspected.
Heat Transfer in Rectangular First Wall Coolant Channels of Liquid-Metal-Cooled Blankets*

Heat transfer in magnetohydrodynamic flow of a liquid metal in rectangular ducts with thin conducting walls in the presence of a large transverse magnetic field is examined. A significant fraction of the fluid flow, in the form of high velocity jets, is confined within the boundary layers (side layers) adjacent to the side walls which are parallel to the magnetic fields. The existence of the high velocity jets may drastically enhance the cooling capacity. Two schemes - integral and explicit - for the treatment of the flow in the side layers are discussed. Heat transfer calculations based on these schemes are compared.
Donor/Acceptor Charge-Transfer States at Two-Dimensional Metal Halide Perovskite and Organic Semiconductor Interfaces

Metal halide perovskite semiconductors with small exciton binding energy have been widely used in perovskite solar cells and achieved rapid progress in terms of device performance. However, the strong excitonic nature of two-dimensional (2D) perovskites with small n values remains underexploited (n represents the number of inorganic monolayer sheets sandwiched between bulky organic cation layers). In this work, we report experimental evidence of donor/acceptor charge-transfer (CT) states formed at 2D metal halide perovskite/organic semiconductor heterojunctions, with a corresponding increase in photocurrent production for these excitonic materials. Furthermore, it is found that the size of the organic cation in the 2D perovskite layer plays a critical role in the CT process. The ability to dissociate excitons in 2D perovskites by interfacing with an organic semiconductor in a donor/acceptor configuration opens up new opportunities for exploiting the excitonic nature of low-dimensional perovskites in appli...
Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy

Early and rapid diagnosis of infection and prompt initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy are fundamental to reducing the mortality and morbidity from infections.
Surface Mediated Growth of Dilute Bismides

It has been well established that growing semiconductor films in the presence of a surfactant significantly influences the surface morphology and the compositional homogeneity in the bulk [1]. There is a great deal of evidence in the literature that suggests that this is particularly true in Bi-containing films. Kawano and co-workers [2] first showed that pre-depositing Bi on Si(001) did not result in its incorporation into the subsequent Ge film. Furthermore, Bi suppressed the formation of 3D islanding despite the lattice mismatch. The classic model for surface segregation in III-V compound semiconductor films is thermodynamic in nature, where there is an energetic driving force for the segregating species to reside at the surface as a surfactant [3]. Since that initial report of the smoothing effect of Bi on surface morphology, similar results have been reported for other materials systems including GaAs [4] and GaAsN [5] thin films, InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures, [6] and InAs/InGaAs(001) nanocomposites. [7] Pre-deposition of Bi was also observed to impact ordering in GaAsSb [8] and InGaP [9] and the incorporation of Sb in InAsSb [10]. Furthermore, the presence of Bi has been shown to change the crystal phase of GaAs nanowires, [11] and the sizes of InAs/GaAs quantum dots increase when a Bi surfactant is used [12]. All of these phenomena point to the fact that Bi strongly alters the growing surface of a semiconductor film. This chapter describes the atomic-scale surface reconstructions present during the growth of Bi-containing films, and the factors that contribute to the incorporation of Bi. A major part of this work also considers the mechanisms that compete with Bi incorporation, including the formation of droplets, and their ramifications on the uniformity of the films.
Comparison of euglycemic clamp data with surrogate index measures of insulin sensitivity

Equations to assess insulin sensitivity using fasting blood values or oral glucose tolerance data have been developed. We examined change in insulin sensitivity in response to a 12-wk diet and exer...
Précis of planning, time, and self-governance

Precis of Michael E. Bratman, Planning, Time, and Self-Governance: Essays in Practical Rationality. The planning theory highlights our capacity to settle on future courses of action in ways that Ph...
Incidence and risk factors for post-operative mortality, hospitalization, and readmission rates following pancreatic cancer resection.

Background: The only potentially curative approach for pancreatic cancer is surgical resection, but this technically challenging procedure carries risks for postoperative morbidities and mortality. This study of a large, contemporary national database illustrates incidences of, and risk factors for, post-procedural mortality, prolonged hospital stay, and 30-day readmission. Methods: From the National Cancer Database (NCDB), stage I–III pancreatic adenocarcinomas were identified [2004–2015]. Surgical techniques included pancreaticoduodenectomy, partial pancreatectomy (selective removal of the pancreatic body/tail), total pancreatectomy (removal of the entire pancreas) with or without subtotal resection of the duodenum and/or stomach, and extended pancreatectomy. Predictors of 30/90-day post-operative mortality, 30-day readmission rates, and prolonged hospital stay (>17 days per receiver operating curve analysis) were identified via multivariable logistic regression. Results: Overall, 24,798 patients were analyzed (median age of 66). The majority of cases were T3 (47%), N0 (65%), pancreatic head lesions (83%), and treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy (57%). Only 16% received neoadjuvant therapy. Overall unadjusted risk of 30- and 90-day mortality ranged from 1.3–2.5% and 4.1–7.1%, respectively, depending on extent of surgery. Independent predictors of 30-/90-day mortality included preoperative therapy, increasing age, higher comorbidity score, lower income, case volume, and more extensive surgery. Similar findings were demonstrated regarding prolonged hospital stay and 30-day readmission. Age ≥70 was most associated with 30-day mortality, whereas age ≥60 was most associated with 90-day mortality and prolonged hospital stay. Conclusions: Quantitation of incidences and risk factors for postoperative outcomes following resection for pancreatic cancer is essential for judicious patient selection and shared decision-making between providers and patients.
Inner Deliberations of Surgeons Treating Critically-ill Emergency General Surgery Patients: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background 30% of elderly patients who require emergency general surgery (EGS) die in the year after the operation. Preoperative discussions can determine whether patients receive preference-sensitive care. Theoretically, surgeons frame their conversations after systematically assessing the risks and benefits of management options based on the clinical characteristics of each case. However, little is known about how surgeons actually deliberate about those options. Objective To identify variables that influence surgeons' assessment of management options for critically-ill EGS patients. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 general surgeons in western Pennsylvania who worked in a variety of hospital settings. Interviews explored perioperative decision-making by asking surgeons to think aloud about selected memorable cases and a standardized case vignette of a frail patient with acute mesenteric ischemia. We used constant comparative methods to analyze interview transcripts and inductively developed a framework for the decision-making process. Results Surgeons averaged 13 years (standard deviation (SD) 10.4) of experience; 40% specialized in trauma/acute care surgery. Important themes regarding the main topic of "perioperative decision-making" included many considerations beyond the clinical characteristics of cases. Surgeons described the importance of variables ranging from the availability of institutional resources to professional norms. Surgeons often remarked on their desire to achieve individual flow, team efficiency, and concordant expectations of treatment and prognosis with patients. Conclusions This is the first study to explore how surgeons decide among management options for critically-ill EGS patients. Surgeons' decision-making reflected a broad array of clinical, personal, and institutional variables. Effective interventions to ensure preference-sensitive care for EGS patients must address all of these variables.
Breaking Analog Locking Techniques via Satisfiability Modulo Theories

Similar to digital circuits, analog circuits are also susceptible to supply-chain attacks, such as intellectual property (IP) piracy, counterfeiting, and overproduction. Hence, analog locking techniques have been proposed to combat supply-chain attacks. However, there exists no evaluation procedure to estimate the resilience offered by these defense techniques. Evaluating analog defense techniques requires the usage of non-Boolean variables, such as bias current, bias voltage, and gain. However, it cannot be handled by the Boolean satisfiability (SAT) attack. In this work, we propose an evaluation technique based on satisfiability modulo theories (SMT). We demonstrate our attack on four state-of-the-art analog locking techniques using commonly used circuits, such as bandpass filter (BPF), LC oscillator, quadrature oscillator, and class-D amplifiers. Our results show that the attacker, knowing the required bias current values, can determine the key in polynomial time. We also show that even if he/she has only partial information about the bias currents, the search space can be reduced from exponential to a polynomial number of keys. We then extend our attack to break existing analog camouflaging techniques.
Sovereignty and Algorithms: Indigenous Land Disputes in Digital Democracy

The opposition to the attempted construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i demonstrates how claims of sovereignty are made through digital composing. Just as the United States imposed colonial violence onto Native Americans and gained political power, so too did it impose rhetorical violence onto Native Americans by gaining power over terms and control of deliberation. The preclusion of argumentative discourse by colonized people acts as the procedural rhetoric of empire. This chapter analyzes #WeAreMaunaKea as a more humanistic form of content management insofar as hashtags allow for greater agency within the procedural rhetorics of online algorithmic environments and demonstrates how Native Hawaiians operate within the same algorithmic procedures that have led to their absence toward greater sovereignty.
Relationships between Physiologic and Neuropsychologic Functioning after Fontan.

Objective To investigate potential relationships between neuropsychologic functioning and cardiac, gastroenterologic/hepatologic, and pulmonary complications in the single ventricle heart disease (SVHD) post-Fontan population. Study design Following the initiation of a Fontan Multidisciplinary Clinic, patients with SVHD were evaluated systematically according to a clinical care pathway, and data from multiple subspecialty evaluations were collected prospectively from 2016 to 2019. Biomarkers of cardiology, pulmonary, and hepatology/gastroenterology functioning were abstracted, along with neuropsychologic testing results. Bivariate correlations and regression analyses examined cross-sectional relationships between physiologic predictors and neuropsychologic outcomes. Results The sample included a cohort of 68 youth with SVHD age 3-19 years, after Fontan palliation. Sleep-disordered breathing was related to poorer visual-motor integration skills (r = −0.33; P Conclusions We demonstrated associations between neuropsychologic functioning and potentially modifiable aspects of physiologic functioning in a prospectively evaluated cohort of patients with SVHD with Fontan physiology. Our findings emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary screening and care after a Fontan procedure and suggest avenues for intervention that may improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Associates with Cerebral Vessel Pulsatility in a Cohort Enriched with Risk for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background There is increasing evidence that vascular disease risk factors contribute to evolution of the dementia syndrome of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One important measure of cerebrovascular health is pulsatility index (PI) which is thought to represent distal vascular resistance, and has previously been reported to be elevated in AD clinical syndrome. Physical inactivity has emerged as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Objective This study aims to examine the relationship between a measure of habitual physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and PI in the large cerebral vessels. Methods Ninety-two cognitively-healthy adults (age = 65.34±5.95, 72% female) enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention participated in this study. Participants underwent 4D flow brain MRI to measure PI in the internal carotid artery (ICA), basilar artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and superior sagittal sinus. Participants also completed a self-report physical activity questionnaire. CRF was calculated using a previously-validated equation that incorporates sex, age, body-mass index, resting heart rate, and self-reported physical activity. A series of linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, APOE4 status, and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk were used to analyze the relationship between CRF and PI. Results Inverse associations were found between CRF and mean PI in the inferior ICA (p = .001), superior ICA (p = .035), and basilar artery (p = .040). No other cerebral vessels revealed significant associations between CRF and PI (p≥.228). Conclusions Higher CRF was associated with lower PI in several large cerebral vessels. Since increased pulsatility has been associated with poor brain health and reported in persons with AD, this suggests that aerobic fitness might provide protection against cerebrovascular changes related to the progression of AD clinical syndrome.
Predicting Need for Surgery in Recurrent Laryngotracheal Stenosis Using Changes in Spirometry

Objectives/hypothesis We sought to identify changes that occur in spirometric values between surgical interventions in patients with recurrent laryngotracheal stenosis and assess the utility of tracking those changes in predicting the need to return to surgery. Methods This is a retrospective, case-control study of laryngotracheal stenosis. Charts from a 10 year period were reviewed, and 80 patients were identified with recurrent laryngotracheal stenosis and serial spirometry. Recorded forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 ), forced inspiratory volume in 1 second (FIV1 ), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and peak inspiratory flow (PIF), and body mass index (BMI) were tabulated. Calculations were then performed to determine deviations in spirometric measurements from maximums. Comparing the patients who required intervention to those who did not, we used a regression analysis to generate a decision tree based on factors with the strongest predictive power. We then calculated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for all calculated variables. Results Deviations in PEF, PIF, and FIV1 from each patient's maximums had strong predictive power in determining return to surgery. PIF was the only fixed measurement found to have a statistically significant role in predicting return to surgery. BMI did not play a role. Conclusion For each patient, the deviation from their overall spirometric maximums had the statistically strongest predictive power in determining need to return to surgery. This suggests the importance of the trends in spirometric measures for each individual, and implies these trends have greater import than fixed measures alone. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2199-2203, 2021.
From Teen Parent to Student Parent: Latina Mothers’ Persistence in Higher Education:

Less than half of adolescent mothers graduate from high school and fewer obtain a post-secondary degree. The purpose of this study is to understand how Latina mothers who experienced childbirth dur...
Heart Failure and Health-Related Quality of Life: Five Measures for Assessing Post-Implant Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients

Purpose Adult heart failure (HF) patients requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation undergo life-altering experiences. The Mechanical Circulatory Support: Measures of Adjustment and Quality Of Life Study identified health-related QOL domains for monitoring post-implant LVAD patients. We present the psychometric development of five new measures of those domains. Methods We created five item pools: VAD Team Communication-6 items, VAD Self Care-12 items, Being Bothered by VAD Self Care-17 items, Satisfaction with Treatment-10 items, Stigma Mental Health-14 items. Next, we collected responses from a sample of LVAD patients 3 to 24+ months post implant. Then we evaluated item pool dimensionality using item/scale analysis (criterion: Pearson r adjusted-to-total score correlation ≥ .4); exploratory factor analysis (criteria: eigenvalue 1-to-2 ratio ≥ 4; eigenvalue 1 percent of variance accounted for ≥ 50); confirmatory factor analysis (criteria: factor loading ≥ .5; residual correlation ≤ .2; RMSEA Results Our sample (N=678) included adult LVAD patients 3, 6, and > 12 months post implant (n=167, 167, and 344, respectively). After removing 12 non-conforming items, our analyses supported calibrated unidimensional item banks of: VAD Team Communication-6 items, VAD Self Care-12 items, Being Bothered by VAD Self Care-11 items, Satisfaction with Treatment-7 items, Stigma Mental Health-11 items) (see Table). Internal consistency reliability ranged from .88 to .92. Conclusion Our study supported the psychometric soundness of five new LVAD patient-related measures, appropriate for assessing post-implant adjustment to living with an LVAD. The new measures can be administered efficiently using computer adaptive testing and short forms.
US Debt Sustainability Under Low Interest Rates and After the COVID-19 Shock

US federal debt held by the public rose from 35 percent of GDP in 2007 to 72 percent in 2015, reflecting the Great Recession as well as rising health and social spending, and then to 79 percent in 2019 following the 2017 tax cuts. In 2020-21 federal assistance to address the COVID-19 shock will reach over 25 percent of 2021 GDP. The prolonged trend of declining real interest rates since the early 1980s has reduced the real economic burden associated with a given debt to GDP ratio. In part because of new attention to interest rate versus growth rate dynamics, economic thinking has correspondingly shifted toward less concern about debt levels. Nonetheless, Congressional Budget Office projections adjusted for the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan indicate that the interest burden will rise from the recent 1½ percent of GDP to 2.3 percent by 2030 and 8.4 percent by 2050, as the debt ratio rises to 116 percent of GDP and 203 percent respectively. Feedback from the rising debt ratio boosts the real interest rate in the CBO’s model to about 1 percent by 2030 and 2½ percent by 2050. This study first estimates the ex-post realized real interest rate on federal debt over the past six decades. For projecting the debt burden, it suggests a prudential benchmark at the 33rd percentile in the past distribution, a real rate of 1 percent on the 10-year treasury note. Simulations of the CBO-based projections using this rate, which is higher in the 2020s but lower thereafter, find an interest burden of 4.7 percent of GDP by 2050, far above the average of 1.9 percent over the past six decades. At a real rate of 1 percent, classic Maastricht fiscal targets would shift to about 130 percent of GDP for the debt ceiling and 4 percent for the deficit. However, even these more lenient targets would not be met unless primary deficits are cut to about 1 to 2 percent of GDP, well below their current path rising from about 3 percent of GDP to 4.5 percent by the 2040s as social security and especially health outlays escalate.
Relationships between urban vegetation and academic achievement vary with social and environmental context

Abstract Urban greening is increasingly suggested as a means of supporting the health and well-being of urban populations. Given positive relationships between vegetation and academic performance, urban greening could support scholastic achievement, enhancing future success in life. These relationships may vary among social and environmental contexts, however, suggesting greening benefits populations unequally. We investigated relationships between vegetation and academic achievement as indicated by high school graduation rates across social and environmental contexts in the continental US, assessing this variation and the potential for urban vegetation to support academic attainment. We categorized 1,333 public high schools based on the socioeconomic and environmental attributes of their attendance areas using k-means clustering. We identified variation in relationships between vegetation and graduation rate based on socioeconomic status (SES) and estimated conditional mean rates by environmental category using multilevel beta regression. We found significant variation in the relationship between school graduation rate and vegetation among vegetation types and socio-economic contexts. Graduation rates were lower in high-intensity (i.e., more extensively built), low tree-cover settings and higher in lower-intensity (i.e., less extensively built), high tree-cover or agricultural settings. Agricultural vegetation associated positively with graduation rate broadly, while non-forest vegetation exhibited negative relationships for low-SES, majority Black schools. Tree canopy exhibited positive relationships that were stronger for high-SES schools and low-SES, majority Latino/a schools. These results highlight the importance of social and environmental context in mediating relationships between vegetation and academic achievement and the need to consider these disparities in supporting academic success through urban vegetation management.
Artificial mutagenesis as an aid in overcoming genetic vulnerability of crop plants.

Artificially induced genetic variation is being used effectively to supplement or complement sources of natural origin for practical plant breeding. Thus, creating genetic variation will become increasingly important as crop genetic resources become more difficult to obtain via plant exploration. The artificial induction of useful genetic variation offers important elements that can be used for overcoming genetic vulnerability: (1) new, previously unknown alleles can be induced in crop plant species to broaden the base of variation; (2) useful genetic variation can be induced in modern cultivars helping to shorten breeding time or to extend production “life”; (3) characteristics of existing genetic resource stocks can be improved to make them more useful in breeding; and (4) recombination in crosses may be enhanced. The performance of induced mutant crop cultivars and the successful uses of induced genetic variation in cross breeding indicate that artificial mutagenesis will play an increasingly greater role in plant breeding.
Interactions of Abstractions in Programming

Computer programs written by humans are largely composed of instances of well-understood data and procedural abstractions. Clearly, it should be possible to generate programs automatically by reuse of abstract components. However, despite much effort, the use of abstract components in building practical software remains limited. We argue that software components constrain and parameterize each other in complex ways. Commonly used means of parameterization of components are too simple to represent the multiple views of components used by human programmers. In order for automaticgen eration of application software from components to be successful, constraints between abstract components must be represented, propagated, and where possible satisfied by inference. A simple application program is analyzed in detail, and its abstract components and their interactions are identified. This analysis shows that even in a small program the abstractions are tightly interwoven in the code. We show how this code can be derived by composition of separate genericp rogram components using view types. Next we consider how the view types can be constructed from a minimal specification provided by the user.
Combined treatment with diazepam and MK-801 provide enhanced protection from tetramethylenedisulfotetramine-induced seizures and lethality (1143.14)

The synthetic rodenticide, tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TMDT), is a persistent and lethal GABAA Cl- channel antagonist. Although banned, TMDT is clandestinely produced, remains popular in Mainla...
THE IMPACT OF BESTSELLER RANK ON DEMAND: EVIDENCE FROM THE APP MARKET ∗

This article uses daily data on the ranking by sales of the top 100 apps sold through Apple’s App Store to provide evidence of the causal impact of today’s bestseller rank information on tomorrow’s demand. The estimates indicate that the willingness to pay of consumers is about $4.50 greater for a top ranked app than for the same unranked app. The results also indicate that the effects of bestseller status on willingness to pay decline steeply with rank at the top ranks, but remain economically significant for the apps in the first half of the top 100 list.
Fiddling with Concepts while the World Burned

The Political Discourse of Anarchy: A Disciplinary History of International Relations by Brian C. Schmidt
An overview on probabilistic aspects of harmonics in power systems

This paper gives a brief review of past work conducted by the task force on probabilistic aspects of harmonics. This includes sources of errors when taking harmonic measurements, various ways to describe recorded data in statistical terms, tools for calculating the sum of harmonic currents generated by a cluster of loads, and voltage harmonics resulting from dispersed nonlinear loads in a power network. The material presented was published by the task force in a two-part article in the past.
Learning classification rules using lattices (Extended abstract)

This paper presents a novel induction algorithm, Rulearner, which induces classification rules using a Galois lattice as an explicit map through the search space of rules. The Rulearner system is shown to compare favorably with commonly used symbolic learning methods which use heuristics rather than an explicit map to guide their search through the rule space. Furthermore, our learning system is shown to be robust in the presence of noisy data. The Rulearner system is also capable of learning both decision lists and unordered rule sets allowing for comparisons of these different learning paradigms within the same algorithmic framework.
Murine monoclonal antikidney autoantibodies. I. Anti-renal proximal tubular basement membrane autoantibodies.

Abstract Mice immunized with rabbit renal basement membranes (RRBM) form antibodies to various self and nonself basement membranes, including their own tubular basement membranes (TBM); but renal tubulointerstitial lesions (RTL) occur only in certain strains. Syngeneic hybridomas were made from spleen cells of BALB cBy mice, a RTL-susceptible strain, which had been immunized with RRBM. By immunofluorescence the monoclonal autoantibodies reacted with mouse kidney proximal TBM, as well as with a TBM epitope common to rabbit, rat (except Lewis), hamster, horse, guinea pig, sheep, and man. The anti-TBM hybridoma autoantibody was organ specific on BALB c and rabbit tissues. BALB c mice injected intraperitoneally with anti-TBM hybridoma cells had high anti-TBM autoantibody titers (up to 1000) within 24 hr and maximal kidney deposition; by Day 10 the titers were as high as 32,000. The hybridoma anti-TBM autoantibodies were of the IgG1 isotype and did not react with protein A; RRBM-immunized spleen cell donors also had IgG2 anti-TBM autoantibodies. Spontaneously formed anti-TBM antibodies from a (NZB × NZW)F1 mouse with lupus nephritis were also IgG1 and resembled the monoclonal anti-TBM autoantibodies in specificity. Although anti-TBM tumor-bearing mice had maximal IgG1 deposition in the kidneys, no RTL were observed; allo- or xenogeneic anti-TBM antibodies also appeared ineffective in inducing lesions in BALB c mice.
Information Flow Quantification Framework for Cyber Physical System with Constrained Resources

In Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs), traditional security mechanisms such as cryptography and access control are not enough to ensure the security of the system. In a CPS, security is violated through complex interactions between the cyber and physical worlds, and, most insidiously, unintended information leakage through observable physical actions. Information flow analysis, which aims at controlling the way information flows among different entities, is better suited for CPSs. Information theory is widely used to quantify information leakage received by a program that produces a public output. Quantifying information leakage in CPSs can, however, be challenging due to implicit information flow between the cyber portion, the physical portion, and the outside world. This paper focuses on statistical methods to quantify information leakage in CPSs, especially, CPSs that allocate constrained resources. With aggregated physical observations, unintended information about the constrained resource might be leaked. The framework proposed is based on the advice tape concept of algorithmically quantifying information leakage and statistical analysis. An electric smart grid has been used as an example to develop confidence intervals of information leakage within a real CPS. The impact of this work is that it can be used as in algorithmic design to allocate electric power to nodes while maximizing the uncertainly of the information flow to an attacker.
Quality assessment of spontaneous triggered adverse event reports received by the Food and Drug Administration

Purpose The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a quality assessment of the Adverse Drug Events Spontaneous Triggered Event Reporting (ASTER) pilot study, which represented the FDA's first experience with the receipt of electronic health record (EHR)–triggered adverse event reports. The EHR-triggered adverse event reports from ASTER were evaluated for their utility in conducting FDA's pharmacovigilance work. FDA is sharing these findings to assist others who are pursuing the use of patient EHR data for electronic adverse event identification and reporting. Methods ASTER pilot study reports were identified from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database, then reviewed and assessed. Results Demographic and other objective data that can be easily derived from EHRs were both present in the submitted reports and relevant to the reported adverse drug event (ADE), but other data, such as an informative description of the ADE, dates that support a temporal relationship between the product and the event, and relevant laboratory data, were often either conflicting or lacking. Most of the ADEs captured in the ASTER pilot and reported to FDA are known events (i.e. included in product labeling) for the suspect drugs. Conclusion Triggered adverse event reporting from patient EHRs is a potentially valuable source of postmarketing safety information, especially for known adverse events. Attention to quality is needed to ensure that the data generated from EHR-triggered ADE reporting systems are relevant to the reported adverse events so that the FDA and others engaged in pharmacovigilance can fully utilize these reports. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Review of Introduction to Engineering Communication by Hillary Hart

This text offers constructive and substantial advice on technical communication not only for freshmen but also for all students in engineering and computer science. The author has extensive classroom experience at undergraduate and graduate levels and draws from recent theory on engineering education and writing. Moreover, she has worked as a technical writer, editor, curricula developer, and consultant. Since professors in the content areas seldom have time to cover issues of communication in their class, this text could go a long way in helping students produce competent writing in their field. While it lends itself to self-instruction or independent study by students early in their careers, Introduction to Engineering (IEC) also serves as a useful aid to instructors who wish to write assignments that produce improved term papers and projects. The first four chapters of this book focus on the importance of effective writing and speaking , emphasizing the idea of audience and purpose. As a teacher of composition, I hear frequent complaints from engineering students who resent having to take a writing course and who protest that they “do numbers, not writing” in their future professions. Hillary Hart quickly deflates this popular myth that engineering work involves “mere” facts or numbers. She aims to prepare students for the real world, where problem-solving and clear communication are essential. This includes turning data into useful information, whether it is a lab report for a professor or a proposal for a nontechnical audience. Because engineers interact with diverse audiences, such as bosses, managers, suppliers, vendors, and clients in the public sector, for example, they must understand the expectations of those readers and listeners both in terms of content and format. This text helps students analyze the needs of specific audiences and frame their writing projects accordingly. It guides students through the various stages of planning technical documents, including conducting research, evaluating sources, drafting, organizing, documenting, revising for clarity, and editing for style. This section is thorough but by no means formulaic. Instead, it
Detecting graph-based spatial outliers

Identification of outliers can lead to the discovery of unexpected and interesting knowledge. Existing methods are designed for detecting spatial outliers in multidimensional geometric data sets, where a distance metric is available. In this paper, we focus on detecting spatial outliers in graph structured data sets. We define statistical tests, analyze the statistical foundation underlying our approach, design a fast algorithm to detect spatial outliers, and provide cost models for outlier detection procedures. In addition, we provide experimental results from the application of our algorithm on a Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) traffic data set to show its effectiveness and usefulness.
3-D Modeling for Robotic Tactile Object Recognition

Solid modeling techniques have proven quite successful in the design and synthesis of objects for manufacturing. However, solid modeling techniques have proven less successful in object recognition tasks. The creation of a CAD based robotics cell requires the ability to perform shape recognition from a variety of sensor sources, including vision, touch and ranging. Superquadric models have been used successfully in visual recognition tasks, and they appear to possess a number of important attributes for robotic tactile object recognition tasks that need to derive shape from sparse tactile sensor data. Superquadrics can be used to model many complex shapes, including arbitrary taperings and bendings, within a relatively small and stable parameter space. This paper discusses the components of such a model and its relationship to active tactile sensing strategies with a multi-fingered robotic hand.
Night Eating Syndrome Is Associated with Depression, Low Self-Esteem, Reduced Daytime Hunger, and Less Weight Loss in Obese Outpatients

GLUCK, MARCI E., ALLAN GELIEBTER, AND TRACY SATOV. Night eating syndrome is associated with depression, low self-esteem, reduced daytime hunger, and less weight loss in obese outpatients. Obes Res. 2001;9: 264 ‐267. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the night eating syndrome (NES), measures of depression and self-esteem, test meal intake, and weight loss in obese participants. Research Methods and Procedures: The study included 76 overweight (body mass index 5 36.7 6 6.5 SD) outpatients (53 women and 23 men; aged 43.5 6 9.5 years) entering a weight loss program. They completed a Night Eating Questionnaire, the Zung Depression Inventory, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Based on criteria by Stunkard et al. (Stunkard A, Berkowitz R, Wadden T, Tanrikut C, Reiss E, Young L. Binge eating disorder and the night eating syndrome. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord.1996;20:1‐ 6), participants had NES if they reported: (1) skipping breakfast $4 d/wk, interpreted as morning anorexia; (2) consuming more than 50% of total daily calories after 7 PM; and (3) difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep $4 d/wk. Eleven (14%) participants met the criteria for NES. After an 8-hour fast, all participants ingested a nutritionally complete liquid meal through a straw from a large opaque cooler until extremely full. They also completed ratings of hunger and fullness before and after this meal. Results: Night eaters had higher depression (p 5 0.04), lower self-esteem (p 5 0.003), and less hunger (p 5 0.005), and a trend for more fullness (p 5 0.06) before the daytime test meal than the others. However, there were no significant differences in test-meal intake between groups. Nevertheless, test-meal intake was greater later in the day only for the night eaters (p 5 0.01). Over a 1-month period, the night eaters lost less weight (4.4 6 3.2 kg) than the others (7.3 6 3.2 kg; p 5 0.04), after controlling for body mass index. Discussion: NES is a syndrome with distinct psychopathology and increased food intake later in the day, both of which may contribute to poorer weight loss outcome. NES criteria need to be better quantified and NES deserves consideration as a diagnostic eating disorder.
Overview: Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology of Aging

Cross-sectional studies in humans have suggested that there is a progressive decline of renal function with age after 40 years. The decline in various functions (eg, tubular maximums, concentrating and diluting abilities, and acidification) tend to parallel the decreases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood (plasma) flow (RPF). Recent observations from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging suggest that not all individuals follow this pattern, and that, indeed, many show no decline and some even an increase in their renal function over time. Whether the observed decreases in renal function with aging are the results of intervening pathologic processes, eg, immunologic, infectious, and toxic injury and ischemia, or can be related to hyperperfusion and hyperfiltration with resultant glomerulosclerosis, or to some other relentless involutional process, remains unclear. The purpose of this report is to review the descriptive studies documenting the changes in renal morphology and physiology with age and to discuss what is known about mechanisms involved in these losses of renal substance and function.
What mother never told you about Excel . . . it's not all number crunching

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform the general management community on the qualitative and visualization capabilities available to them through Excel.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a basic overview and illustration of a subset set of qualitative capabilities, along with some brief tutorials and tips on how to make use of these capabilities. Discussions are aimed at novices and those with experience in Excel alike. A reference for more in‐depth discussions and guidance is provided.Practical implications – Access to novel and powerful capabilities that have traditionally been under‐utilized in Excel are within grasp of any management research or practitioner, provided they know where to find some basic guidance and are intrepid enough to test it out. The wave of new, tech‐savvy management users is likely to have a pivotal impact on the way technology‐assisted decision making is thought of in the future.Originality/value – The opportunity to open the eyes of a wider audience t...