cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Answer the Call: Virtual Migration in Indian Call Centers

AbstractThis paper explores the daily, psychic journeys Indian call center agents undergo as they ‘virtually migrate’ between India and the US. A thin cable that runs half way around the globe bridges the ‘here’ and the ‘there’, connecting agents to faraway customers in real time. The new time-space relations generated by this virtual contact create conditions for these workers to undergo a global ‘migration’ from India and to America, even as their bodies remain bounded within the national homeland. To accommodate the US American workday, Indian agents often work the nightshift and sleep during the day, leaving them little time for family, friends, and cultural events. This temporal arrangement displaces them from the daily rhythms of Indian life, generating a sense of loss, longing, and nostalgia for ‘India’. Further, while agents experience a sense of distance from India, they also experience a movement toward ‘America’. Agents’ accounts suggest a feeling of living between worlds, yet their movement is...
On model selection consistency of penalized M-estimators: a geometric theory

Penalized M-estimators are used in diverse areas of science and engineering to fit high-dimensional models with some low-dimensional structure. Often, the penalties are \emph{geometrically decomposable}, \ie\ can be expressed as a sum of (convex) support functions. We generalize the notion of irrepresentable to geometrically decomposable penalties and develop a general framework for establishing consistency and model selection consistency of M-estimators with such penalties. We then use this framework to derive results for some special cases of interest in bioinformatics and statistical learning.
Radiative Natural Supersymmetry with a 125 GeV Higgs Boson

It has been argued that requiring low electroweak fine-tuning (EWFT) along with a (partial) decoupling solution to the supersymmetry (SUSY) flavor and $CP$ problems leads to a sparticle mass spectra characterized by light Higgsinos at 100--300 GeV, sub-TeV third generation scalars, gluinos at a few TeV, and multi-TeV first or second generation scalars (natural SUSY). We show that by starting with multi-TeV first or second and third generation scalars and trilinear soft breaking terms, the natural SUSY spectrum can be generated radiatively via renormalization group running effects. Using the complete 1-loop effective potential to calculate EWFT, significantly heavier third generation squarks can be allowed even with low EWFT. The large negative trilinear term and heavier top squarks allow for a light Higgs scalar in the $\ensuremath{\sim}125\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ regime.
Comparison of diversity combining techniques for Rayleigh-fading channels

Several methods of diversity combining for a Rayleigh-faded channel are evaluated and compared. The methods considered are, for coherent reception, maximal ratio combining (MRC), selection combining (SC), and a generalization of SC, whereby the two (three) signals with the two (three) largest amplitudes are coherently combined. We will call this method second (third) order SC, and denote it SC2 (SC3). Similar techniques are also investigated for noncoherent reception, with equal gain combining (EGC) replacing MRC, and noncoherent versions of SC2 and SC3. Numerical results indicate that SC2 and SC3 significantly enhances the bit-error rate (BER) performance relative to that achievable with SC, and under certain conditions approaches the performance achieved by MRC or EGG. The performance enhancement of SC2 and SC3 is especially noticable for noncoherent reception, where EGC is seen to provide the best performance only for low BER values. In fact, when the BER is 10/sup -3/ or greater, SC2 and SC3 performed comparably to EGG, and in some cases performed better than EGC.
Physics of arcing, and implications to sputter deposition

Arc and glow discharges are defined based on their cathode processes. Arcs are characterized by collective electron emission, which can be stationary with hot cathodes (thermionic arcs), or non-stationary with cold cathodes (cathodic arcs). A brief review on cathodic arc properties serves as the starting point to better understand arcing phenomena in sputtering. Although arcing occurs in both metal and reactive sputtering, it is more of an issue in the reactive case. Arcing occurs if sufficiently high field strength leads to thermal runaway of an electron emission site. The role of insulating layers and surface potential adjustment through current leakage is highlighted. In the situation of magnetron sputtering with “racetrack,” the need for a model with two spatial dimensions is shown. In many cases, arcing is initiated by breakdown of dielectric layers and inclusions. It is most efficiently prevented if formation and excessive charge-up of dielectric layers and inclusions can be avoided.
The posterior scalping flap.

The posterior scalping flap is described. Hopefully, it brings another alternate method of facial reconstruction and obviates some of the problems previously existing. It is capable of resurfacing any part or the whole of the hemiface or forehead. It offers an excellent method for facial resurfacing. Further refinements and sophistications are necessary.
Computational Aspects of General Equilibrium Theory

The article reviews the book "Computational Aspects of General Equilibrium Theory," by Donald Brown and Felix Kubler.
Implications of zeolites and their zonation in the Cajon Pass Deep Drillhole

Zeolites occur in all cores and most cuttings samples of plutonic and gneissic rock from the Cajon Pass Deep Drillhole. Laumontite or stilbite replace plagioclase and fill fractures <1 mm to several cms in width. Zeolitic alteration is most intense in faulted and fractured zones. Zeolite species are zoned vertically. Laumontite occurs to a depth of 1885 m, stilbite from 1885 m to 2080 m and laumontite again to at least 2524 m. The transition from stilbite to laumontite at 2080 m fits both extrapolated equilibria and the CPDDH P-T gradient but laumontite occurrences above 1885 m are metastable apparently reflecting rapid uplift. Radioactive accessory minerals from the wall rock surrounded by zeolites in some fractures exhibit red-brown haloes. Halo intensity correlates to mineral radioactivity and may allow dating of mineraliztion. Observation in the CPDDH suggest a potential role for zeolites in determining chemical and physical properties such as pore water composition, seismic velocity, and gravity contrasts in faults of the San Andreas system.
An Examination of Questionnaire Evaluation by Expert Reviewers

Expert reviews are frequently used as a questionnaire evaluation method but have received little empirical attention. Questions from two surveys are evaluated by six expert reviewers using a standardized evaluation form. Each of the questions has validation data available from records. Large inconsistencies in ratings across the six experts are found. Despite the lack of reliability, the average expert ratings successfully identify questions that had higher item nonresponse rates and higher levels of inaccurate reporting. This article provides empirical evidence that experts are able to discern questions that manifest data quality problems, even if individual experts vary in what they rate as being problematic. Compared to a publicly available computerized question evaluation tool, ratings by the human experts positively predict questions with data quality problems, whereas the computerized tool varies in success in identifying these questions. These results indicate that expert reviews have value in identifying question problems that result in lower survey data quality. 295
Experimental 43 Gb/s NRZ and DPSK performance comparison for systems with up to 8 concatenated SOAs

Experimental data is presented on the performance of high saturation power SOAs with 43 Gb/s NRZ and DPSK signals. Up to 8 SOAs are concatenated demonstrating that only DPSK leads to error-free performance.
Frontal fibrosing alopecia: A retrospective review of 19 patients seen at Duke University

Background Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a type of scarring hair loss primarily observed in postmenopausal women and characterized by fronto-tempero-parietal hairline recession, perifollicular erythema, and loss of eyebrows. The incidence is unknown, but the number of women presenting with this condition has significantly increased in recent years. No effective therapy has been established. Objective The purpose of this study is to present pertinent demographic and clinical findings of patients with FFA seen at an academic hair loss clinic and their responses to various therapeutic interventions. Methods Patients seen at the Duke University Hair Disorders Research and Treatment Center, Durham, NC, between 2004 and 2011 who met FFA inclusion criteria and signed an informed consent form for participation in the Duke University Hair Disorders Research and Treatment Center database were included in this review. Results Nineteen female patients with FFA met our inclusion criteria, the majority of whom were white and postmenopausal. A number of treatments, including topical and intralesional steroids, antibiotics, and immunomodulators, were used with disappointing results in most patients. However, the majority of patients on dutasteride experienced disease stabilization. Limitations This was a retrospective review and outside clinic records were occasionally incomplete. Conclusions FFA is an increasingly common form of scarring hair loss, but the origin remains unknown. Without clear understanding of the pathogenesis and evolution of this condition, it is not surprising that treatments to date have been minimally or not effective. At our institution, dutasteride was most effective in halting disease progression, although no therapy was associated with significant hair regrowth.
Tolerance to musculoskeletal allografts with transient lymphocyte chimerism in miniature swine

Background Although transplantation of musculoskeletal allografts in humans is technically feasible, the adverse effects of long-term immunosuppression subject the patient to high risks for correcting a non-life-threatening condition. Achieving immunologic tolerance to musculoskeletal allografts, without the need for chronic immunosuppression, could expand the clinical application of limb tissue allografting. Tolerance to musculoskeletal allografts has been accomplished previously in miniature swine in our laboratory. Although stable, mixed chimerism has been suggested as the mechanism underlying long-term tolerance in a rat limb model, the mechanism of this tolerance induction has not been established. This report explores the possible relationship between hematopoietic chimerism and tolerance to musculoskeletal allografts in swine. Methods Twelve miniature swine underwent vascularized musculoskeletal allograft transplantation from histocompatibility complex (MHC) matched, minor antigen-mismatched donors. Eight animals received a 12-day coprse of cyclosporine, one of which was excluded due to subtherapeutic levels. Four recipients were not immunosuppressed. Serial biopsies to assess graft viability and flow cytometry to assess chimerism were performed. Donor and third-party skin grafts were placed on recipients with surviving allografts greater than 100 days to validate tolerance. Results Both groups developed early peripheral chimerism, but this chimerism became undetectable by postoperative day 19 in the cyclosporine group and by day 13 in the control group. Animals receiving cyclosporine developed permanent tolerance to their allografts, whereas those not receiving cyclosporine rejected their allografts in 6-9 weeks. Animals demonstrating tolerance to their bone allografts also demonstrated prolonged donor skin graft survival. Conclusions Induction of tolerance to musculoskeletal allografts can be achieved in the MHC matched swine. Although hematopoietic chimerism is present in the immediate postoperative period, persistent, long-term chimerism does not seem to be necessary for maintenance of such tolerance.
Scaling of perceived optical distortion

When observers make subjective judgments about a physical stimulus attribute, one is studying the relationship between physical and psychological scales. If the physical stimulus is clearly multidimensional, the relationship of the physical and psychological scales is not always obvious. We have carried out two studies to explore scaling of patterns that simulate optically induced visual distortions. In the first study, subjects rank-ordered computer generated sine wave patterns in order of distortion severity. The rankings corresponded to the physical parameters of frequency and amplitude. In the second study, all possible pairs of 48 stimuli were rated on a dissimilarity index. The data were analyzed by a non-metric multidimensional scaling procedure. We found that a third dimension, in addition to frequency and amplitude was necessary to adequately describe the data. Language: en
Short-Term Costs and Hospitalization Rates in Patients With Adult Congenital Heart Disease After Pulmonic Valve Replacement

In the adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) population, pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is a common intervention, its benefit, however, has been incompletely investigated. This study investigates short- and intermediate-term outcomes after PVR in ACHD. Using State Inpatient Databases from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, we investigated both hospitalization rate and financial burden accrued over the 12-month period after PVR compared with the 12 months before. Among 202 patients who underwent PVR, per patient-year hospitalization rates doubled in the year after PVR compared with the year before (0.16 vs 0.36, p = 0.006). With the exception of postprocedural complications, the most common reasons for hospitalization were unchanged after surgery: 22% of patients were admitted with equal or greater frequency after PVR. These patients experienced higher inpatient costs both at index admission and in the year after PVR (p = 0.004 and p
Dielectric analysis of aqueous poly(l-glutamic acid) and poly-l-(glutamic acid4, Tyrosine1) solutions at high frequencies from capacitance measurements

Abstract A new parallel-plate capacitor fixture has been designed and successfully used to measure dielectric loss of polyelectrolyte solutions with volumes as low as droplets of 13–26 μL. It is particularly useful when studying polypeptides that are either high-cost or can be synthesized only in limited quantities. The ease with which the fixture can be used to obtain preliminary dielectric loss data yields savings in time and cost. In this study capacitance measurements were performed in a wide range of frequencies between 1 and 800 MHz using an Agilent 4191RF Impedance Analyzer. Accuracy of measurements was carefully examined through a comparison of measured conductivity of 1M NaCl against Stogryn's equation for conductivity. A 0.3% difference between the experimentally measured and theoretically calculated results has been found, demonstrating the validity of the proposed analysis method.
Exploring the Canadian boreal forest using airsar, LandSAT5, and virtual lidar

Data synergy or fusion is a mechanism whereby discrete types of data are used together to achieve a better understanding than was possible with each individually. Spanning over 30% of the Earth's landmass, the global forest plays a significant role in numerous planetary systems; the carbon cycle included. The objective of this paper is to couple simulated forest stands with measured datasets from various instruments to estimate a forest's mean canopy height and aboveground dry-biomass in regions where lidar measurements are sparse; we propose to create a virtual lidar instrument based on other readily available sensor measurements. We present a method to combine measured datasets with our sensor models to develop a classification algorithm that fuses multi-modal remote sensing technologies with a minimal amount of ground information and yields an accurate estimate of forest structure including dry biomass and canopy height. We show the performance of our proposed method in regions lidar measurements as well as in regions lacking these measurements. Finally, we present our method using virtual lidar and show that there is minimal degradation in our estimation.
New Conflicts of Interest in the Modern Corporation

This paper discusses new conflicts of interest in the modern corporation brought about by changes in corporate ownership by large institutional shareholders. While most discussions of conflicts of interest in the corporation focus on conflicts between managers and shareholders, this paper discusses conflicts between large diversified shareholders and the corporation.
Effects on the Immune System

Marijuana and other exogenous cannabinoids alter immune function and decrease host resistance to microbial infections in experimental animal models and in vitro. Two modes of action by which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids affect immune responses have been proposed. First, cannabinoids may signal through the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Second, at sites of direct exposure to high concentrations of cannabinoids, such as the lung, membrane perturbation may be involved. In addition, endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids have been identified and have been proposed as native modulators of immune functions through cannabinoid receptors. Exogenously introduced cannabinoids may disturb this homoeostatic immune balance. A mode by which cannabinoids may affect immune responses and host resistance may be by perturbing the balance of T helper (Th)1 pro-inflammatory versus Th2 anti-inflammatory cytokines. While marijuana and various cannabinoids have been documented to alter immune functions in vitro and in experimental animals, no controlled longitudinal epidemiological studies have yet definitively correlated immunosuppressive effects with increased incidence of infections or immune disorders in humans. However, cannabinoids by virtue of their immunomodulatory properties have the potential to serve as therapeutic agents for ablation of untoward immune responses.
Reciprocal regulation of miR-214 and PTEN by high glucose regulates renal glomerular mesangial and proximal tubular epithelial cell hypertrophy and matrix expansion

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRs) contributes to diabetic renal complications, including renal hypertrophy and matrix protein accumulation. Reduced expression of phosphatase and tensin homolo...
CVA for Discretely Monitored Barrier Option Under Stochastic Jump Model

Counterparty credit risk (CCR) has come to be a hot topic from 2007. This paper investigates the impacts of stochastic volatility and jumps on evaluating credit valuation adjustment (CVA) and exposures for vanilla options and exotic option products under stressed market conditions. As examples, we develop a dynamic framework for evaluating exposure profiles of European, discretely monitored barrier option under the Heston and Bates models (stochastic jump model). We use Monte Carlo and Fourier-based cosine expansion method to assess model risk on counterparty credit risk (CCR). Numerical results exhibit that both stochastic volatility and jump are important in pricing exposures and CVA.
Tornado-induced wind loads on a low-rise building: Influence of swirl ratio, translation speed and building parameters

Abstract Significant parameters that influence tornado-induced wind loads on low-rise buildings are yet to be fully explored. In the current study, the influence of tornado parameters such as swirl ratio and translation speed and building’s spatial parameters such as its distance from the tornado mean path and its orientation with respect to the tornado’s translation direction on tornado-induced wind loads are investigated. A low-rise gable roof building with a roof angle of 35 degrees and a square plan area is chosen for this study. Laboratory simulated tornadoes with two swirl ratios with different ground-surface pressure characteristics, and three translation speeds were used. The 1:200-scaled building model that was used for this study was located on both sides of the simulated tornado’s mean path at several locations up to the distance of several tornado-core radii. At locations where maximum loadings occurred, orientation of the building was changed to explore its effect on peak loads. Results show significantly larger peak load coefficients for the tornado with lower swirl ratio which were comparable to its peak ground surface pressure drop. Peak roof uplift on the building located at the tornado’s mean path is smaller by 6–19% for the lower-swirl tornado case and up to 16% for the higher-swirl tornado case, compared to the other locations, for the three translation speeds investigated. For simulated tornado with lower swirl ratio, measurements showed that peak roof uplift increases with increase in translation speed when building is located on tornado mean path, whereas peak roof uplift decreases with increase in translation speed at locations other than tornado mean path. For tornado with higher swirl ratio, increase in translation speed does not change the maximum peak uplift load. Building experiences maximum horizontal and uplift loads at building orientation angle of −45° and 0° for lower swirl tornado case and −45° and −30° for higher swirl tornado case, respectively, with respect to the translation direction of the tornado.
Long-term recovery of Caribbean corals from bleaching

Abstract Mass coral bleaching events are increasing in frequency and intensity and are predicted to occur annually in the coming decades. However, it remains poorly understood how quickly Caribbean corals can recover from bleaching. To explore the responses to heat stress and subsequent recovery in Caribbean corals, three species ( Porites divaricata , Porites astreoides , and Orbicella faveolata ) were experimentally bleached in outdoor flow-through tanks for 15 days then allowed to recover on the reef for 1.5 and 11 months. At each interval on the reef, endosymbiont concentrations, energy reserves (i.e., total soluble lipid, soluble animal carbohydrate, soluble animal protein), calcification, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of the animal host (δ 13 C h , δ 15 N h ) and endosymbiotic algal fractions (δ 13 C e , δ 15 N e ) were measured in treatment and control fragments of each species. Despite variations in bleaching recovery strategies among the coral species, all corals recovered within one year. Specifically, bleached P. divaricata catabolized lipids and decreased calcification in response to lower endosymbiont concentrations. In contrast, both P. astreoides and O. faveolata maintained energy reserves despite lower endosymbiont concentrations, yet both decreased calcification rates after bleaching. Overall, these findings indicate that these corals are capable of surviving and recovering from a mild bleaching event within one year. Though these finding indicate that P. astreoides and O. faveolata may be resilient through single isolated bleaching events under annual bleaching, many Caribbean coral reefs may still experience a decline over the coming decades.
Delta Performance Models for Selection in Decision-Based Design

The paper presents a modeling framework for rational selection between similar designs. Designers often make decisions between similar candidate designs such as deciding which off-the-shelf component should be used or whether to design that component from scratch. Such relative decisions between similar designs are common and important. A theoretical formulation of Delta Performance Models (DPM) is presented. DPM is an engineering design model that represents only the changes in performance that result from the small changes in competing designs. This method explicitly considers uncertainty and utilizes the fact that some uncertainty and modeling error is common to both candidate designs. DPM are intended to exploit the full resolution of engineering design models even if the models do not have high accuracy. The procedure is demonstrated on a simple design task using Monte Carlo simulations and a comparison is made with a traditional model.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
An Autonomous, Target-Detecting, Fixed-Wing UAS for Simulated Search-and-Rescue Missions

A student-built unmanned aerial system (UAS) was developed by the University of Hawaii Drone Technologies team for the 2017 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Student Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) competition, which simulates a search-and-rescue (SAR) mission. The UAS comprises a fixed-wing airframe integrated with flight control and communication components, and is capable of autonomous waypoint navigation, in-flight data transfer, aerial image capture with onboard image processing, and aerial payload delivery. The UAS is capable of executing a 30-minute SAR mission in search of a simulated lost hiker. SAR tasks include autonomously navigating to a designated area, conducting a search for alphanumeric targets over a 370,000-m2 search area, and autonomously dropping an 8-oz care package to the lost hiker. Image-processing and computer-vision algorithms can correctly sense and identify the alphanumeric targets with 75% accuracy.
Why don't we have more inhaled antibiotics to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia?

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to either multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms or infections with limited treatment options (i.e. susceptible to only aminoglycosides or colisitin) coupled with a dearth of new antimicrobials has led clinicians to pursue alternative management strategies including the use of inhaled antibiotics (IA). Objectives To review the evidence surrounding the use of IA in the treatment of VAP with a focus on establishing a path whereby adjunctive IA could become a standard therapy for the treatment of specific VAP patient populations. Sources A meta-analysis performed by the 2016 IDSA/ATS Hospital-acquired Pneumonia Guideline Committee; a PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov search for subsequent trials of IA for the treatment of VAP. Content Based on a meta-analysis of nine studies (RR 1.29; 95% CI 1.13–1.47), the 2016 IDSA/ATS Hospital-acquired Pneumonia Guideline Committee recommended that adjunctive IA be used to treat VAP due to Gram-negative bacilli that are susceptible to only aminoglycosides or polymyxins. Two subsequent randomized trials of adjunctive IA for the treatment of mechanically ventilated patients with pneumonia failed to demonstrate a benefit. Despite these results, an updated meta-analysis (n = 11) including these two recent trials suggests a benefit of adjunctive IA for the treatment of VAP due to MDR and difficult-to-treat infections (RR 1.2; 95% CI 1.05–1.57). Implications Patients with VAP and limited intravenous antibiotic options are the individuals most likely to benefit from adjunctive IA and should be the focus of future investigative studies. Although vibrating mesh nebulizers predominate in pharmaceutical company-sponsored trials, these devices have not been directly compared with the traditional jet nebulizers in terms of efficacy or safety.
Engaging in pleasant events explains the relation between physical disability and mental health outcomes in older adults.

This study expands the body of research examining mediators of the association between physical disability and mental health outcomes. Based on the behavioral model of depression, frequency of plea...
Competitive youth athletes: are they choosing between God and sports?

Competitive youth athletes have demanding schedules that require prioritising regular family activities. Specifically, Christian families often choose to skip church services to attend athletic eve...
The Forgiver and the Forgiven: A Discussion of “An Analyst Has a Birthday – Can Forgiveness Heal?”

The following discussion of Diane Barclay’s paper (this issue) focuses on the meaning of forgiveness when viewed through the lens of a multiple self tate model of the mind. The discussion also emph...
Central Line Care: Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections on a Hematologic Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

Background Patients with hematologic malignancies and stem cell transplant recipients are at increased risk for infections because of their prolonged periods of profound neutropenia. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) can result in lengthy hospitalizations, increased healthcare costs, and increased morbidity and mortality. Objectives The aim of this comprehensive educational training program was to reduce CLABSI rates by focusing on the standardized practices associated with use, care, and maintenance of all types of central lines. Methods A pretest was administered to nursing staff. Based on the responses, an education program was then created. The program consisted of a comprehensive two-hour class using different modalities of teaching, including standardized practices associated with central line care. Findings The comprehensive education program was effective in standardizing education and improving knowledge gaps, resulting in the reduction of CLABSI rates. Overall, staff knowledge surrounding central line care and maintenance increased by 16%. In addition, no CLABSI events have been reported on the unit from the time of program initiation.
Enhanced Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Replication in CD4+ T Cells Derived From Individuals With Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection increases mortality, accelerates progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and exacerbates tuberculosis disease. However, the impact of pre-existing Mtb infection on subsequent HIV infection has not been fully explored. We hypothesized that Mtb infection creates an immunological environment that influences the course of HIV infection, and we investigated whether pre-existing Mtb infection impacts the susceptibility of CD4+ T cells to HIV-1 infection. Methods Plasma and blood CD4+ T cells isolated from HIV-negative individuals across the Mtb infection spectrum and non-Mtb-infected control individuals were analyzed for inflammation markers and T-cell phenotypes. CD4+ T cells were infected with HIV-1 in vitro and were monitored for viral replication. Results We observed differences in proinflammatory cytokines and the relative proportion of memory T-cell subsets depending on Mtb infection status. CD4+ T cells derived from individuals with latent Mtb infection supported more efficient HIV-1 transcription, release, and replication. Enhanced HIV-1 replication correlated with higher percentages of CD4+ TEM and TTD cells. Conclusions Pre-existing Mtb infection creates an immunological environment that reflects Mtb infection status and influences the susceptibility of CD4+ T cells to HIV-1 replication. These findings provide cellular and molecular insights into how pre-existing Mtb infection influences HIV-1 pathogenesis.
Effect of T-Piece Resuscitator versus Self Inflating Bag on Arterial CO 2 Levels in Preterm Neonates

To compare the effect of self-inflating bag (SIB) vs. T-piece resuscitator (TPR) on PaCO2 levels, when used for brief manual ventilation during administration of first dose of surfactant. Preterm neonates were randomized to receive positive pressure ventilation with either self-inflating bag or T-piece resuscitator during administration of first dose of surfactant. Arterial blood gases were obtained at baseline and 1 h after the intervention. Primary outcome was the mean change in PaCO2 levels 1 h after the intervention. Eighty neonates were enrolled (40 in each group). The drop in PaCO2 at 1 h was significantly greater in the self inflating bag group as compared to the T-piece resuscitator group [8.96 ± 9.06 mmHg vs. 1.37 ± 9.06 mmHg, Mean difference = 7.58 mmHg, (95% CI: 3.78 to 11.4); P < 0.01]. The PaCO2 change was also statistically significant in the subgroup of infants that required only non-invasive ventilation. The need for second dose of surfactant was higher in the self-inflating bag group [77% vs. 55%, RR - 1.41 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.94); P = 0.03]. T-piece resuscitator results in smaller reduction in PaCO2 levels compared to the self inflating bag, when used for brief manual ventilation during surfactant administration.
Role of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy When Performing Elective Open Colectomy

Background: The impact of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) as an adjunct to colorectal surgery is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether NPWT impacts wound compli...
Out-of-plane enhancement in a discrete random halfspace

Although widely used to model propagation in random media, radiative transfer theory is insufficient when waves propagating in different directions exhibit strong correlation and comprise an apprec...
School Accountability, Postsecondary Attainment and Earnings

We study the impact of accountability pressure in Texas public high schools in the 1990s on postsecondary attainment and earnings, using administrative data from the Texas Schools Project (TSP). Schools respond to the risk of being rated Low-Performing by increasing student achievement on high-stakes exams. Years later, these students are more likely to have attended college and completed a four-year degree, and they have higher earnings at age 25. However, we find no overall impact of accountability pressure to achieve a higher rating, and large negative impacts on attainment and earnings for the lowest-scoring students.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Impact of a National Quality Collaborative on Pediatric Asthma Care Quality by Insurance Status

Abstract Objective To assess whether disparities in asthma care and outcomes based on insurance type existed before a national quality improvement (QI) collaborative, and to determine the effects of the collaborative on these disparities. Methods Secondary analysis of data from Pathways for Improving Pediatric Asthma Care (PIPA), a national collaborative to standardize emergency department (ED) and inpatient asthma management. PIPA included children aged 2 to 17 with a diagnosis of asthma. Disparities were examined based on insurance status (public vs private). Outcomes included guideline adherence and health care utilization measures, assessed for 12 months before and 15 months after the start of PIPA. Results We analyzed 19,204 ED visits and 11,119 hospitalizations from 89 sites. At baseline, children with public insurance were more likely than those with private insurance to receive early administration of corticosteroids (52.3% vs 48.9%, P= .01). However, they were more likely to be admitted (20.0% vs 19.4%, P = .01), have longer inpatient length of stay (31 vs 29 hours, P = .01), and have a readmission/ED revisit within 30 days (7.4% vs 5.6%, P = .02). We assessed the effects of PIPA on these disparities by insurance status and found no significant changes across 6 guideline adherence and 4 health care utilization measures. Conclusion At baseline, children with public insurance had higher asthma health care utilization than those with private insurance, despite receiving more evidence-based care. The PIPA collaborative did not affect pre-existing disparities in asthma outcomes. Future research should identify effective strategies for leveraging QI to better address disparities.
Wildfire as a natural stressor and its effect on female phenotype and ornament development.

Controlled low-intensity fires are commonly used in ecosystem management for both habitat restoration and wildfire management. Animals in those ecosystems may respond to fire by shifting energy allocation away from reproduction and growth, and toward maintenance. Stress-induced shifts in energy allocation may affect the expression of condition-dependent sexual signals, which are sensitive to energetic and physiological trade-offs mediated by glucocorticoids. Here, we examine the effect of fire on ornament expression, corticosterone, and other phenotypic traits in a population of striped plateau lizards, Sceloporus virgatus, affected by the Horseshoe 2 Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, USA. The condition-dependent female ornament was significantly smaller the month following the fire than 2 years prior and was both smaller and less orange on the burned site relative to a nearby unburned site. These patterns are similar to those found in a previous experimental study examining the response of the ornament to corticosterone manipulations. Yet, in the current study, corticosterone levels were not different in lizards on the burned and unburned sites. Perhaps glucocorticoid levels already returned to baseline, or do not adequately track environmental change. Females tended to be smaller and lighter on the burned site than the unburned site; however, the year after the fire, body condition was higher for females on the burned site, indicating a rapid recovery and potential long-term benefits in response to low-intensity fires in this fire-adapted ecosystem. We found that the lizards adjusted energy allocation away from sexual signaling and growth in response to low-intensity fires. As fires and fire management are likely to increase in response to changing fire regimes across the globe, it will be important to consider behavioral and physiological responses of impacted species, as well as population-, community-, and ecosystem-level responses.
Textual Characteristics of News Title and Body to Detect Fake News: A Reproducibility Study

Fake news, a deliberately designed news to mislead others, is becoming a big societal threat with its fast dissemination over the Web and social media and its power to shape public opinion. Many researchers have been working to understand the underlying features that help identify these fake news on the Web. Recently, Horne and Adali found, on a small amount of data, that news title stylistic and linguistic features are better than the same type of features extracted from the news body in predicting fake news. In this paper, we present our attempt to reproduce the same results to validate their findings. We show which of their findings can be generalized to larger political and gossip news datasets.
Disease Site Leadership

Disease site leadership is predicated on knowledge, clinical expertise, and networking. Developing an expertise may require months to years to gain the necessary experience, and the largest gains can be expected in topics of high personal interest, areas where there is a large patient volume, or other institutional foci for which there is support or dedicated resources. Working with colleagues to educate, collaborate, or develop new areas of growth can provide personal satisfaction and expertise in a disease topic and contributes to specialized expertise. Harnessing opportunities through access to key stakeholders may enhance success and recognition. Continuing to connect with colleagues throughout and outside of the institution can lead to continued evolution and fulfillment.
Association of Inflammatory and Hemostatic Biomarkers with Inflammasomes in Septic Patients at Risk of Developing Coagulopathy

Abstract Introduction Sepsis is a catastrophic complication of infection which results in systemic inflammatory responses. Inflammasomes initiate the inflammatory cascade that results in the activation of caspase-1 leading to the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines such as IL6 and TNFa. The NRLP-3 inflammasome contributes to the innate immune response identification of pattern recognition receptors (PRRS) on pathogens including bacterial and viruses. While the role of inflammasome in the inflammatory response is known it is not clear how inflammasome contributes to the hemostatic dysregulation observed in sepsis associated coagulopathy. The purpose of this study is to quantitate inflammasome levels in defined sepsis associated patients and to determine its potential relevance to various biomarkers of hemostatic dysregulation. Materials and Methods: Plasma samples from 52 adults with sepsis and suspected coagulopathy were analyzed. Samples were collected from patients on ICU day 0 at the University of Utah and were transferred to Loyola under an IRB approved protocol. Samples were stored at -80˚C prior to analysis. Platelet count was determined as part of standard clinical practice. Healthy control samples were purchased from George King Biomedical (Overland, KS). Prothrombin time (PT) / INR was measured using recombiplastin reagent. Fibrinogen was measured using a clot based method on ACL-ELITE coagulation analyzer. Cortisol, D-dimer, PAI-1, NLRP-3 inflammasomes, MP-TF, Fibronectin, and CD40L were measured using commercially available ELISA assays performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results: When comparing patients with sepsis and suspected DIC to the normal plasma samples, there was a significant elevation in NLRP-3 inflammasome levels in the sepsis cohort (p = Conclusion: The current study shows a significant relationship between inflammasomes and PAI-1 levels in patients with sepsis associated coagulopathy. The positive correlation between NLRP-3 inflammasomes and PAI-1 shows that the activation of inflammasomes may have a role in the upregulation of PAI-1 and the observed hemostatic dysregulation. The strong association between NLRP-3 inflammasome and PAI-1 in baseline samples of patients with sepsis and DIC also suggest that NLRP-3 inflammasome may contribute to the fibrinolytic dysregulation in sepsis and DIC. Download : Download high-res image (115KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Confusão das confusões: precisa-se que a argumentação seja lógica

Recentemente o Sr. Ministro da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, numa entrevista a um orgao de comunicacao, fez declaracoes que conduziram a multiplas interrogacoes e declaracoes institucionais condenatorias. Essa entrevista, para alem de revelar ignorância sobre a Medicina Geral e Familiar, sobre o que se faz nesta especialidade, revela erros comuns de raciocinio e logica discursiva. Se as premissas ou os axiomas sao falsos, nem a argumentacao nem as conclusoes sao validas.
The Chemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-DNA Adducts

There is considerable evidence which suggests that modification of DNA by chemical carcinogens is the critical first event in tumor induction. Various methods available for investigation of the chemistry, conformation and consequences of these reactions are discussed using benzo (a) pyrene and 7, 12-dimethylbenzanthracene as examples. Metabolic activation of these hydrocarbons occurs via ‘Bay region’ dihydrodiol epoxide derivatives. The amino group of guanine is the major site of attack in subcellular systems and in cell cultures of human and rodent tissues. We have found that 7-methylbenzo (a) pyrene is metabolized to the 7, 8-dihydrodiol and binding to DNA apparently occurs via a 7, 8-dihydrodiol 9, 10-epoxide. Preliminary evidence on the structure of DMBA-DNA adduct is also presented.
Effectiveness of a hydrogen peroxide spray for decontamination of soft surfaces in hospitals

In a survey of two hospitals, soft surfaces were commonly present in inpatient and outpatient settings, and contamination with health care-associated pathogens was frequently detected. An improved hydrogen peroxide cleaner disinfectant was effective for decontamination of soft surfaces when applied as a spray with no mechanical wiping.
Grid point extraction exploiting point symmetry in a pseudo-random color pattern

This paper addresses the problem of recovering 3D human pose from a single monocular image. In the literature, Bayesian Mixtures of Experts (BME) was successfully used to represent the multimodal image-to-pose distributions. However, the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm that learns the BME model may converge to a suboptimal local maximum. And the quality of the final solution depends largely on the initial values. In this paper, we propose an efficient initialization method for BME learning. We first partition the training set so that each subset can be well modeled by a single expert and the total regression error is minimized. Then each expert and gate of BME model is initialized on a partition subset. Our initialization method is tested on both a quasi-synthetic dataset and a real dataset (HumanEva). Results show that it greatly reduces the computational cost in training while improves testing accuracy.
trans-2-Chlorocyclopentanol

trans-2-Chlorocyclopentanol product: trans-2-chlorocyclopentanol Keywords: addition, to CC; gas traps, absorption; stirrers, gas dispersion
The neuropsychology of mental imagery.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the principle findings on the neural bases of mental imagery that comes from the studies of patients with focal brain damage and from the complementary studies of normal subjects using psychophysiological measures. If mental imagery involves activating cortical visual representations, then patients with the selective impairments of visual perception should manifest corresponding impairments in mental imagery. This is often the case. The chapter presents the role of the occipital lobe in mental imagery. If mental imagery consists of activating relatively early representations in the visual system, at the level of the occipital lobe, then it should be impossible to form images in the regions of the visual field that are blind because of occipital lobe destruction. This predicts that patients with homonymous hemianopia should have a smaller maximum image size. However, it is difficult to test this prediction for numerous reasons. One of the reasons is that the estimates of the size of people's mental images vary from individual to individual, making it difficult to know whether the small image size estimated for one or even a few patients is abnormal.
The new tools of the science trade: contested knowledge production and the conceptual vocabularies of academic capitalism

Over the last three decades, scientists at research universities have responded in a wide variety of ways to the pressures of academic capitalism. Institutional research has under theorised this trend by assuming entrepreneurialism passively follows formal organisational change. In contrast, I treat academic capitalism not as a fait accompli but as a complex field characterised by contested knowledge production. An increased emphasis on knowledge capitalisation does not necessarily displace traditional academic values, although it may, but it has facilitated the diffusion of conceptual vocabularies that are retooling scientific culture and practice at the centre and margins. These vocabularies are (1) market-oriented entrepreneurialism, (2) external consulting work, (3) consumer-oriented research, and (4) interdisciplinarity. Their impact is diffuse across units, but involves processes of group and individual adoption, adaptation or resistance, as the case may be. Their local flavour varies by research domain, level and type of university embeddedness, and epistemic identity.