cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-resolution classification of exhaled aerosol images to detect obstructive lung diseases in small airways.

Exhaled aerosol patterns have been used to detect obstructive respiratory diseases in the upper airways. Signals from small airway diseases are weak and may not manifest themselves in the exhaled aerosol patterns. Therefore, it will be more challenging to detect abnormalities in small airways. The objective of this study is to develop a simulation-based classification model that can accurately classify small airway diseases. The model performance was evaluated in five obstructed models that are located in lung bifurcations G7-9. The exhaled aerosol images were quantified using local fractal dimensions at different sampling resolutions (n × n). The datasets were classified using both the random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. Results show that RF performs slightly and persistently better than SVM. The sampling resolution of 12 × 12 gave the optimal classification for both algorithms. Based on the lung models with predefined obstructive levels, the optimal classification accuracy is 87.0% for 5-class classification, and is 92.5% for 4-class classification by regrouping the mislabeled samples. The proposed model with multi-resolution fractal feature extraction and RF algorithm appears to be sensitive enough to accurately distinguish airway abnormalities in small airways beyond G7 with healthy bronchiole diameter <4 mm. This aerosol-based breath test is promising to develop into an alternative or supplemental tool to the low-dose CT scanning for lung cancer screening.
Microbial degradation of nitroaromatic compounds.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of microbial degradation of nitroaromatic compounds. Nitroaromatics are produced on a massive scale in the manufacture of dyes, plastics, and explosives. Their discharge in wastewater and application as pesticides have broadened their environmental impact and called for solutions for remediation of these toxic compounds. The use of microorganisms to transform or eliminate nitroaromatics has been proposed in effluent treatment and land reclamation. While microbial strains utilizing nitrobenzoates or nitrophenols were isolated from contaminated sources several decades ago, microbial action on 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was largely limited to nitro group reduction and formation of azoxy derivatives which may complex with humus. However, recent work has identified organisms capable of using TNT as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Finally, the versatile white rot fungus also merits further attention in nitroaromatic degradation.
Looking both ways before crossing the street: Assessing the benefits and risk of opioids in treating patients at risk of sleep disordered breathing for pain and dyspnea

Opioids adversely influence respiration in five distinct ways. Opioids reduce the respiratory rate, tidal volume, amplitude, reflex responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia, and arousability related necessary for respiratory adaptive responses. Opioids cause impairment of upper pharyngeal dilator muscles leading to obstructive apnea. Opioids cause complex sleep disordered breathing (SDB) consisting of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Clinically opioids worsen pre-existing SDB. Recent studies have shown increased morbidity and mortality in patients receiving opioids for chronic noncancer pain and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which appear to be related to cardiovascular events, not overdose. Both patient populations are at risk for sleep disordered breathing and increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events on opioids for dyspnea or pain. This review discusses the influence of opioids on respiration and SDB and will review the adverse respiratory and cardiovascular effects of opioid use in at risk populations. Recommendations regarding management will follow as a summary.
Identifying counterfeit smart grid devices: A lightweight system level framework

The use of counterfeit smart grid devices throughout the smart grid communication infrastructure represents a real problem. Hence, monitoring and early detection of counterfeit smart grid devices is critical for protecting smart grid's components and data. To address these concerns, in this paper, we introduce a novel system level approach to identify counterfeit smart grid devices. Specifically, our approach is a configurable framework that combines system and function call tracing techniques and statistical analysis to detect counterfeit smart grid devices based on their behavioural characteristics. Moreover, we measure the efficacy of our framework with a realistic testbed that includes both resource-limited and resource-rich counterfeit devices. In total, we analyze six different counterfeit devices in our testbed. The devices communicate via an open source version of the IEC61850 protocol suite (i.e., libiec61850). Experimental results reveal an excellent rate on the detection of smart grid counterfeit devices. Finally, the performance analysis demonstrates that the use of the proposed framework has minimal overhead on the smart grid devices' computing resources.
Philip Meadows Taylor's Confessions of a Thug: Thuggee Theatricality and the Horror of the Oriental Other

(2005). Philip Meadows Taylor's Confessions of a Thug: Thuggee Theatricality and the Horror of the Oriental Other. South Asian Review: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 21-40.
Altering the School Breakfast Environment Reduces Barriers to School Breakfast Participation Among Diverse Rural Youth.

BACKGROUND The purpose is to determine if altering school breakfast policies and the school breakfast environment will positively impact adolescent beliefs of the barriers and benefits of eating breakfast. METHODS There were 904 adolescents from 16 rural high schools, Minnesota, in the BreakFAST Study who reported eating breakfast fewer than 4 times per week at baseline. Schools were randomized to intervention (N = 8 schools) or delayed intervention (N = 8) condition. The intervention lasted 1 school year. Students completed an online survey of beliefs of barriers and benefits to eating breakfast at baseline and follow-up. Summative scales were created. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression, accounting for clustering by school, was performed using SAS. Sex interaction was tested. Models tested the effect of the intervention on change in summative scales from baseline to follow -up. RESULTS Participants were 54% female, 69.1% white, 36.6% eligible for free or reduced-price meals (FRM) and 13.1% of families received public assistance. The change in reported barriers was significantly different in intervention versus control schools (Net difference = 1.0, p = .03). There was no intervention effect of perceived benefits. CONCLUSIONS A school-based policy and environmental change intervention can successfully reduce perceived barriers to eating school breakfast.
Interspecific Plant Interactions Reflected in Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Nitrogen Cycling in Primary Succession

Past research demonstrating the importance plant-microbe interactions as drivers of ecosystem succession has focused on how plants condition soil microbial communities, impacting subsequent plant performance and plant community assembly. These studies, however, largely treat microbial communities as a black box. In this study, we sought to examine how emblematic shifts from early successional Alnus viridus ssp. sinuata (Sitka alder) to late successional Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) in primary succession may be reflected in specific belowground changes in bacterial community structure and nitrogen cycling related to the interaction of these two plants. We examined early successional alder-conditioned soils in a glacial forefield to delineate how alders alter the soil microbial community with increasing dominance. Further, we assessed the impact of late-successional spruce plants on these early successional alder-conditioned microbiomes and related nitrogen cycling through a leachate addition microcosm experiment. We show how increasingly abundant alder select for particular bacterial taxa. Additionally, we found that spruce leachate significantly alters the composition of these microbial communities in large part by driving declines in taxa that are enriched by alder, including bacterial symbionts. We found these effects to be spruce specific, beyond a general leachate effect. Our work also demonstrates a unique influence of spruce on ammonium availability. Such insights bolster theory relating the importance of plant-microbe interactions with late-successional plants and interspecific plant interactions more generally.
Risk Factors Associated With Sustaining a Sport-related Concussion: An Initial Synthesis Study of 12,320 Student-Athletes.

Objective The empirical identification of risk factors associated with sport-related concussion (SRC) may improve the management of student-athletes. The current study attempted to identify and quantify bio-cognitive risk factors associated with sustaining a SRC. Methods Cross-sectional ambispective study; level of evidence, 3. Neurocognitive testing of 12,320 middle school, high school and collegiate athletes was completed at preseason baseline and post-SRC. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine which pre-injury variables accurately predicted the occurrence of SRC. A quantitative risk score for each variable was developed. Results Five of 13 variables maintained significance in the multivariable model with the associated weighted point scores: SRC history (21), prior headache treatment (6), contact sport (5), youth level of play (7), and history of ADHD/LD (2). Six stratified groups were formed based on probability of SRC, which produced an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.71 (95% CI 0.69-0.72, p < .001). Though the model was a significant predictor of SRC (X2 = 1,112.75, p < .001), the effect size was small and accounted for only 16% of the overall variance. Conclusions An initial aggregate model of weighted bio-cognitive factors associated with increased odds of sustaining a SRC was developed. Previously validated factors were confirmed, yet a large source of variance remained unexplained. These findings emphasize the need to expand the host factors studied when assessing SRC risk, and that the existing, empirically based bio-cognitive factors do not adequately quantify the risk of SRC.
British Attitudes to Mining Before 1904

Mining technology was not new at the turn of the twentieth century and this chapter explores the Royal Navy’s engagement with the issue in the second half of the nineteenth century. It explores the differences between controlled and independent mining and shows how the Royal Navy’s organisational culture led it to embrace controlled mining and disregard independent mining.
IN SITU STUDIES OF SPORE PRODUCTION AND DISPERSAL IN THE GIANT KELP, MACROCYSTIS

In situ studies of spore production and dispersal have been made for the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, using self-contained diving apparatus. Spore liberation rates were determined by enclosing sporophylls in plastic bags for several hours. The connection to the plant was not severed during the experiment. Samples were withdrawn periodically by hypodermic syringe or the sporophyll and bag were brought to the surface at the end of the test period. Samples were preserved in formalin and the bag was thoroughly shaken to loosen any attached spores. Average liberation rates were about 500,000 spores/hr from sporophylls showing well-developed sporangial areas. Considerable variation from this average rate was found. Much greater rates occurred if the sporophyll was plucked and transported to the laboratory and left for a few hours in the bag. Spore dispersal was studied by determining concentrations of juveniles appearing around adult plants as a function of distance from the parent. The maximum distance juveniles have been found from isolated single transplants is 5 m. In this case the concentration of juveniles decreased inversely as the cube of the radius. Concentration of juveniles as a function of distance increased as the number of adults increased. In a bed where the concentration of adults averaged 0.6/m2, no decrease in density of juveniles was found for a distance of 30 m from the parents.
Cardiovascular Effects of Liraglutide.

Background Liraglutide is a glucagon-like 1 (GLP-1) agonist approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Objective To review the cardiovascular effects of liraglutide including macrovascular and microvascular events, its use in heart failure, and its effects on heart rate and blood pressure. Results The impact of liraglutide on cardiovascular outcomes was examined in a large welldesigned study published in 2016, the LEADER trial. This study included 9,340 patients with advanced type 2 diabetes and high baseline cardiovascular risk. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke. After a median follow-up of 3.8 years, patients randomized to liraglutide had significant reduction in the composite primary outcome compared to patients randomized to placebo, hazard ratio (HR) 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.97. Death from cardiovascular causes was significantly reduced with liraglutide therapy (HR, 0.78; 95% CI 0.66-0.93), as well as death from any cause (HR, 0.85; 95% CI 0.74-0.97). In 2017, the LEADER investigators reported that nephropathy events were significantly lower after liraglutide therapy than placebo (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.67-0.92), but there was no significant difference in retinopathy events. Meanwhile, other studies suggested that the use of liraglutide may be harmful in patients with severe heart failure, in part due to increase in heart rate. Conclusion Liraglutide is a useful therapy in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes complicated by cardiovascular disease, except patients with severe heart failure. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of liraglutide, and to see whether its beneficial effects extend to patients with type 2 diabetes and low cardiac risk.
Classification of Scalar Fourth Order Ordinary Differential Equations Linearizable via Generalized Lie–Bäcklund Transformations

Lie had shown that there is a unique class of scalar second order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that can be converted to linear form by point transformations. Mahomed and Leach had shown that for higher order (than 2) scalar ODEs there are always three classes. Separately, Chern had linearized two classes of third order ODEs by using contact transformations. We provided an (inclusive) classification for third order ODEs by using a generalization of contact transformations. Here we extend that work to the fourth order using a generalization of the Lie–Backlund transformation and demonstrate that there are (at least) four classes of fourth order linearizable ODEs.
The regulatory effect of Tau protein on polymerization of MCF7 microtubules in vitro.

Abstract Growing evidence continues to point toward the critical role of beta tubulin isotypes in regulating some intracellular functions. Changes that were observed in the microtubules’ intrinsic dynamics, the way they interact with some chemotherapeutic agents, or differences on translocation specifications of some molecular motors along microtubules, were associated to their structural uniqueness in terms of beta tubulin isotype distributions. These findings suggest that the effects of microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) may also vary on structurally different microtubules. Among different microtubule associated proteins, Tau proteins, which are known as neuronal MAPs, bind to beta tubulin, stabilize microtubules, and consequently promote their polymerizations. In this study, in a set of well controlled experiments, the direct effect of Tau proteins on the polymerization of two structurally different microtubules, porcine brain and breast cancer (MCF7), were tested and compared. Remarkably, we found that in contrast with the promoted effect of Tau proteins on brain microtubules’ polymerization, MCF7 expressed a demoted polymerization while interacting with Tau proteins. This finding can potentially be a novel insight into the mechanism of drug resistance in some breast cancer cells. It has been reported that microtubules show destabilizing behavior in some MCF7 cells with overexpression of Tau protein when treated with a microtubules’ stabilizing agent, Taxol. This behavior has been classified by others as drug resistance, but it may instead be potentially caused by a competition between the destabilizing effect of the Tau protein and the stabilizing effect of the drug on MCF7 microtubules. Also, we quantified the polarization coefficient of MCF7 microtubules in the presence and absence of Tau proteins by the electro-orientation method and compared the values. The two significantly different values obtained can possibly be one factor considered to explain the effect of Tau proteins on the polymerization of MCF7 microtubules.
Tax revenue potential and effort: Worldwide estimates using a new dataset

Abstract Domestic revenue mobilization has gained renewed attention in the post 2015 period owing in part to the “billions to trillions” drive to mobilize resources to finance the sustainable development goals. While authorities now realize the importance of strengthening efforts to collect more taxes, attempts to quantify the tax potential, and consequently the magnitude of the gap to close by countries wishing to improve their tax revenue outcomes, have been limited. This study provides estimates of tax potential and effort in a panel of 150 countries around the world. Using stochastic frontier methods, the analysis is based on a new Government Revenue Dataset from the International Centre for Tax and Development and spans a 20-year period during 1996–2015. Results indicate that while there is marked heterogeneity in individual country outcomes, countries that operate closer to their tax potential have high levels of income, large shares of non-agricultural output, large trade shares in GDP, invest more in human capital development, have more developed financial sectors, more stable domestic environments (with low inflation), more urbanized populations, and lower corruption.
Some Bivariate Distributions of (X, Y) Where the Conditional Distribution of Y, Given X, is either Beta or Unit-Gamma

Bivariate distributions of continuous, non-negative r.v.’s (X,Y), where Y is an additive component of X, occur in many practical problems, e.g. survival data analysis, damaged observations, weather studies, etc. In such problems the original r.v. X may not be observable. However, if the conditional distribution of Y, given X, is assumed, then some of the distributional properties of the r.v. X are tractable through the observed r.v. Y. In this paper, two such conditional distributions, namely, the beta and unit-gamma are considered and the corresponding bivariate distributions of (X,Y), when X has the lognormal, Pareto and generalized gamma distribution, respectively, are studied. Parameter estimation for these bivariate distributions is discussed. Interpretation and application of the quantities E[Y]/E[X] and V(log Y) are suggested. The effect of assuming the above mentioned conditional distributions on these quantities is stressed.
THE RIGHT THRESHOLD VALUE: WHAT IS THE RIGHT THRESHOLD OF COSINE MEASURE WHEN USING LATENT SEMANTIC ANALYSIS FOR EVALUATING STUDENT ANSWERS?

Auto Tutor is an intelligent tutoring system that holds conversations with learners in natural language. Auto Tutor uses Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to match sentences the student generates in respo nse to essay type questions to a set of sentences (expectations) that would appear in a complete and correct response or which reflect common but incorrect understandings of the material (bads). The correctness of student contributions is decided using a t hreshold value of the LSA cosine between the student answer and the expectations. Our results indicate that the best agreement between LSA matches and the evaluations of subject matter experts can be obtained if the cosine threshold is allowed to be a function of the lengths of both student answer and the expectation being considered.
Editorial Commentary: The Epic Saga of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Anterolateral Complex of the Knee—Loyal Sidekick May Provide Protection Without Constraint

Abstract There is a vast amount of conflicting literature evaluating the anatomic, biomechanical, and clinical outcomes of combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and anterolateral complex injury. This has become—and remains—one of the most controversial topics in the ACL-deficient knee literature, thus requiring further inquiry with clear and systematic approaches to biomechanical analysis, indications, graft selection, surgical technique, and clinical outcome evaluation. The considerable variety of procedures to address anterolateral rotatory instability in the setting of ACL deficiency described in the literature strongly suggests the lack of a reliable and reproducible technique. Anterolateral complex reconstruction may provide protection to the ACL-reconstructed knee without detrimental overconstraint.
Durability evaluation of a Fe–N–C catalyst in polymer electrolyte fuel cell environment via accelerated stress tests

Abstract An “atomically-dispersed” iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe–N–C) catalyst was used to provide a systematic comparison of platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalyst degradation as a function of accelerated stress tests (ASTs) in an acidic polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). It was determined that the majority of catalyst degradation was caused by cell operation in presence of O2. In contrast, potential cycling of the Fe–N–C-containing cathode under inert atmosphere over typical PEFC cathode operation from 0.95 to 0.6 V had little to no effect. The increase in kinetic overpotential is shown to be the major source of the PEFC performance decrease during the ASTs. These results continue to showcase the need for development of robust PGM-free electrocatalysts in concert with improved electrochemical performance.
Multilevel Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy for Correction of Severe Rigid Adult Spinal Deformities: A Case Series, Indications, Considerations, and Literature Review.

Background Rigid and ankylosed thoracolumbar spinal deformities require three-column osteotomy (3CO) to achieve adequate correction. For severe and multiregional deformities, multilevel 3CO is required but its use and outcomes are rarely reported. Objective To describe the use of multilevel pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients with severe, rigid, and ankylosed multiregional deformity. Methods Retrospective review of 5 ASD patients who underwent multilevel PSO for the correction of severe fixed deformity and review the literature regarding the use of multilevel PSO. Results Five patients presented with spinal imbalance secondary to regional and multiregional spinal deformities involving the thoracolumbar spine. All patients underwent a single-stage two-level noncontiguous PSO, and 2 of the patients underwent a staged third PSO to treat deformity involving a separate spinal region. Significant radiographic correction was achieved with normalization of spinal alignment and parameters. Two-level PSO was able to provide greater than 80 degrees of sagittal plane correction in both the lumbar and thoracic spine. Two patients experienced new postoperative weakness which recovered to preoperative baseline at 3 to 6 mo follow-up. At most recent follow-up, 4 of the 5 patients gained significant pain relief and had improved functionality. Conclusion Noncontiguous multilevel PSO is a formidable surgical technique. Additional risk (compared to single-level 3CO) comes in the form of greater blood loss and higher risk for postoperative weakness. Nonetheless, multilevel PSO is feasible and effective for correcting severe multiplanar and multiregional ASD, and patients gain significant benefits in increased functionality and pain relief.
Embodying the Tamil diaspora: Audiard, Shobasakthi and the transnational languages of Dheepan

This article explores the ways in which the dual visions of French director Jacques Audiard and Sri Lankan Tamil writer Shobasakhti, despite a blatant lack of linguistic communication, come to coha...
IRGM1, a guardian of mitochondrial DAMP-mediated autoinflammation.

IRGM1 is recognized as a master regulator of type I interferon responses against pathogens, while also protecting against autoimmune diseases. It has now been shown that IRGM1 controls autoinflammatory responses by modulating mitophagy flux.
Financial Misconduct Spillover: Sanctioned Institutional Ownership and Aggressive Financial Reporting

This study examines the role of financial misconduct of institutional investors on the aggressive financial reporting practices of investee firms. Using the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Registered Investment Advisers’ reported violations to identify sanctioned institutional investors, we find that firms held by these institutions are more likely to engage in aggressive financial reporting practices. Our results support the non-monitoring channel: the lack of monitoring by sanctioned institutional investors creates the right environment for firms to engage in aggressive financial reporting. The results continue to hold after implementing various statistical tests to address potential endogeneity issues (i.e., propensity-score matched methodology, entropy balancing approach, two-stage least squares regression, and regression discontinuity analysis) and alternative measures for aggressive financial reporting practices. Finally, we demonstrate that both sanctioned institutional investors and management of investee firms benefit from the aggressive financial reporting behavior.
COVID-19: Sleep, Circadian Rhythms and Immunity – Repurposing Drugs and Chronotherapeutics for SARS-CoV-2

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has affected nearly 28 million people in the United States and has caused more than five hundred thousand deaths as of February 21, 2021. As the novel coronavirus continues to take its toll in the United States and all across the globe, particularly among the elderly (>65 years), clinicians and translational researchers are taking a closer look at the nexus of sleep, circadian rhythms and immunity that may contribute toward a more severe coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2-induced multi-organ failure affects both central and peripheral organs, causing increased mortality in the elderly. However, whether differences in sleep, circadian rhythms, and immunity between older and younger individuals contribute to the age-related differences in systemic dysregulation of target organs observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection remain largely unknown. Current literature demonstrates the emerging role of sleep, circadian rhythms, and immunity in the development of chronic pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections in human and mouse models. The exact mechanism underlying acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other cardiopulmonary complications in elderly patients in combination with associated comorbidities remain unclear. Nevertheless, understanding the critical role of sleep, circadian clock dysfunction in target organs, and immune status of patients with SARS-CoV-2 may provide novel insights into possible therapies. Chronotherapy is an emerging concept that is gaining attention in sleep medicine. Accumulating evidence suggests that nearly half of all physiological functions follow a strict daily rhythm. However, healthcare professionals rarely take implementing timed-administration of drugs into consideration. In this review, we summarize recent findings directly relating to the contributing roles of sleep, circadian rhythms and immune response in modulating infectious disease processes, and integrate chronotherapy in the discussion of the potential drugs that can be repurposed to improve the treatment and management of COVID-19.
Honors College Faculty Support for High-Impact Practice Participation:

Much of the existing research on honors colleges or programs is focused on the student experience, with less information offered concerning the faculty perspective. This study presents findings fro...
The Effects of HER2 on CDK4/6 Activity in Breast Cancer

Abstract Background CDK4/6 inhibitors have been used to treat hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. Their benefit in HER2-positive breast cancer has not been determined yet. In this study, we investigated the effects of HER2 on CDK4/6 activity by assessing the level of downstream phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb) in HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2 positivity is defined by immunohistochemical study or FISH, regardless of ER status) to determine if these cases may be responsive to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Materials and Methods One hundred and thirty cases of breast biopsies with invasive carcinoma were collected, including 77 cases of HER2+ (39 cases of ER +PR±HER2+ and 38 cases of ER-PR-HER2+) and 53 cases of HER2- (ER-PR-HER2-) breast cancer. Immunohistochemical study of pRb was performed and the pRb level was assessed by H-score (intensity x percentage of positive cells). Results The pRb H-score ranges from 3 to 270. The average H-scores for the ER-PR-HER2+, ER+PR±HER2+ and ER-PR-HER2- groups are 115.8 ± 75.8, 93.1 ± 68.6 and 63.1 ± 65.6, respectively. By comparison, HER2+ cases have significantly higher pRb levels than HER2- cases (P = .001). Among HER2+ cases, there was a trend of positive correlation between the HER2 gene copy number, and the pRb level although not statistically significant (r = 0.192, 95% CI, [-0.033, 0.399], P = .09). Conclusion In breast cancer, HER2 positivity leads to significantly higher levels of CDK4/6 activity as reflexed by pRb. Breast cancer that is positive for HER2 may respond to CDK4/6 inhibitors and pRb may potentially be used as a biomarker to predict the responsiveness.
Predictors of Early Hospitalization After Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation

Hospitalizations after solid organ transplantation may affect patient outcomes. Identification of the factors attributed to them may decrease hospitalization rates, reduce overall cost, and improve post-transplant outcomes. We examined the risk factors for early hospitalization within 30 and 90 days after liver transplantation (LT). Data on all deceased donor LT recipients (age ≥18 years) transplanted between 2/28/2002–2/27/2007 and discharged alive from the index hospitalization within 30 days of LT were collected (N = 267). Patients were followed up until December 31, 2013. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of 30-day hospitalization, and linear regression was used to identify the factors associated with number of days hospitalized during 30- and 90-day hospitalization after LT. Renal risk index (RRI), a recently developed and validated risk score that accurately predicts the post-LT ESRD based upon recipient factors at LT, was computed using RRI calculator ( http://rri.med.umich.edu ). One-third and more than half of the patients had at least one 30- and 90-day hospitalization, respectively. RRI decile (OR 1.12, P = 0.02) and serum sodium at LT (OR 0.90, P < 0.001) were independently associated with 30-day hospitalization after adjusting for MELD score. Serum creatinine at LT (β = 4.34, P = 0.001) and pre-LT admission days (β = 0.15, P = 0.027) affected the number of days hospitalized for 90-day hospitalization. RRI was also an independent predictor of post-LT mortality. Early hospitalizations within 30 and 90 days after deceased donor LT are common. While all post-LT hospitalization cannot be prevented, efforts should be directed toward risk-based post-discharge care, and coordination of effective transitional care through ambulatory clinics. Implementation of such processes may attenuate early post-LT hospitalization and resource utilization and improve quality.
Super-Resolution in Ultrasonic NDE

This paper discusses the use of an iterative back projection (IBP) super-resolution (SR) image reconstruction technique on the carbon epoxy laminates with simulated porosity defects. In order to first validate and evaluate the application of the proposed method, three artificially simulated delamination defects in carbon epoxy laminates were considered. Based on the preliminary results, it was verified that the contrast signal-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the SR image was higher than the bi-cubic interpolation image. Further, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) value of SR result had an average increase of 5.7088 dB compared to the bi-cubic interpolation method. This validates the proposed approach used to generate the reconstructed SR images with image quality similar to the original simulated UT images. After the validation, the UT image reconstruction algorithm was applied to the ultrasonic C-scan amplitude images of a porosity sample. Based on the results, it was demonstrated that the SR image achieved better visual quality with an improved image resolution. It was also demonstrated that this method was capable of detecting the defects with more confidence by recovering the defect outline compared to the LR C-scan image. The defect outline in SR images is more distinct to recognize, allowing post-processing work such as measurement of defect size, shape, and location to be much easier.
Low power flexible Rake receivers for WCDMA

Two low power flexible Rake receiver architectures are presented. The first architecture exploits the statistical distribution of multipath delays in wireless channels to reduce power dissipation. The second Rake architecture is based on a tradeoff between algorithm accuracy and circuit complexity. By introducing a negligible performance degradation, the SRAM memory for the input sample buffer is eliminated, achieving low power consumption and small silicon area. Both Rake architectures are targeted for third generation WCDMA mobile terminals (downlink receivers), but the circuits can also be applied to base station (uplink) receivers. The architectures have been synthesized in a 0.18 /spl mu/m standard cell CMOS technology using Cadence BuildGates. The proposed architectures achieve significant area and power savings as compared to previous circuits described in the literature.
What goes around, comes around: John Gregory, MD, and the profession of medicine

Physicians today face numerous problems (Table ​(Table11). Competition among physicians is fierce, and advertisements for physicians' services are everywhere: in magazines and the Sunday paper, on television and radio, and on highway billboards. These ads seem to be primarily from ophthalmologists and plastic surgeons, but a prominent billboard reads “Call 1-800-∗∗∗∗∗∗∗ for vasectomy reversal.” Table 1 Some problems faced by US physicians today Physicians are fighting to maintain or increase their market share. Some of this fight is with nonphysicians who want to do what physicians do. Pharmacists want to diagnose and prescribe; nurse practitioners and physician assistants want more autonomy. Patients doctor shop for the cheapest medical care. They often spend more money on self-medication than on physician visits. Medical institutions try to attract high-paying patients and avoid low-reimbursement patients. Third parties dictate who can be treated and how to treat them. Our health care system performs so poorly in caring for the dying and managing pain, both acute and chronic, that our medical schools are being mandated to include those topics in their curricula. Good medical care is often not accessible to the working poor and lower middle class. Physicians are in the midst of yet another malpractice crisis. Other problems could be listed, such as unacceptably high maternal, perinatal, and child mortality rates, but most would agree on the original list. Except for the malpractice crisis, we have named some of the problems of medicine addressed by John Gregory in the 18th century (1–3) (Figure ​(Figure11). Figure 1 Dr. John Gregory (from a 200-year-old picture in RDB's collection).
To read transmitter-only RFID tags with confidence

Radio frequency identification (RFID) enables everyday objects to be identified, tracked, and recorded. Because of expense, size, and lifetime requirements, some simple active RFID tags are designed with only a transmitter. The transmitter-only tags are unaware of each other and simply blink ID packets periodically. The question is how we can read the tags with enough confidence. The paper models the access protocol as pure ALOHA and develops a mathematical analysis to identify tag blinks within the interrogation zone without prior knowledge of the number of tags. We estimate the tag set based on the free channel in the observation window. Some simulation results and test experiments with Spider tags from RFCODE are presented.
Optimal online strategies for an energy harvesting system with Bernoulli energy recharges

We consider an energy harvesting system where the fixed size battery of the transmitter is recharged with certain probability at each channel use. For this setup, we explicitly characterize the optimal online energy management strategy for maximizing the long-term throughput under different assumptions on the availability of channel state information. We show that in the case of no fading, the amount of energy allocated to each channel use decreases exponentially with time since the last battery recharge and in the case of fading, the optimal solution has a discounted water-filling structure. Our results reveal that the structure of the optimal energy management strategy in the online case with finite battery is significantly different from the infinite battery and offline cases characterized in the literature.
GLYCOLYSIS: STUDIES RELEVANT TO FETAL AND NEONATAL PEDIATRICS

The problem of whether fetal tissues differ either qualitatively or quantitatively in their metabolic properties from adult tissues, and in particular whether they are able to obtain energy more efficiently under hypoxic conditions, has been investigated and discussed in a host of papers and symposia. The question of whether the mammalian fetus normally develops under hypoxic conditions has also been discussed extensively. Many observations relating to these questions have been made using rat or rabbit fetuses and sheep or goat fetuses. In these animals, observations can be made over the entire span of fetal life, but the characteristics of the placentas of these mammals differ in many respects from those of the human placenta and the pattern of development of enzymes in these fetuses is significantly different from the comparable pattern in human tissues.
History of the Florida Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation--1919 to 1965.

Abstract The development of the Florida Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation was strongly influenced by developments within each of the fields of health education, physical education, and recreation. Prior to World War II, the Association was small, with a tenuous organization, and its contributions were meager. After the war, the Association became much larger and more complex in its organization, activities, and affiliations. At the same time, the professional role of the Association became more obscure. Significant contributions were made to physical education, but the Association played a minor role in health, recreation, and athletic coaching.
The Importance of Bureaucratic Oversight Mechanisms: The Case of the Inspector General

Inspectors General (IG) have been playing an extraordinary role in exposing fraud, waste and abuse as well as promoting efficiency in federal agencies. This year will be the 30th anniversary of the 1978 Inspector General Act (P. L. 95-452.) So, this is the perfect time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Inspectors General through a systematic evaluation of their interventions.
A divide-and-conquer algorithm for 3D capacitance extraction [IC modeling]

We present a new algorithm to improve the 3D boundary element method (BEM) for capacitance extraction. We partition large interconnect structures into small sections, set new boundary conditions using the border for each section, solve each section, and then combine the results to derive the capacitance. The target applications are critical nets, clock trees, or packages where 3D accuracy is required. Our algorithm is a significant improvement over the traditional BEMs and their enhancements, such as the "window" method where conductors far away are dropped, and the "shield" method where conductors hidden behind other conductors are dropped. Experimental results show that our algorithm is a magnitude faster than the traditional BEM and the window+shield method, for medium to large structures. The error of the capacitance computed by the new algorithm is within 2% for self capacitance and 7% for coupling capacitance, compared with the results obtained by solving the entire system using BEM. Furthermore, our algorithms gives accurate distributed RC, where none of the previous 3D BEM algorithms and their enhancements can.
Population Size and Distribution of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii in Relation to Total Soil Bacteria and Soil Depth

Bacterial cells small enough to pass through 0.4-mum-pore-size filters made up 5 to 9% of the indigenous bacterial population in 0- to 20-cm-depth samples of Abiqua silty clay loam. Within the same soil samples, cells of a similar dimension were stained with fluorescent antibodies specific to each of four antigenically distinct indigenous serogroups of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and made up 22 to 34% of the soil population of the four serogroups. Despite the extensive contribution of small cells to these soil populations, no evidence of their being capable of either growth or nodulation was obtained. The density of soil bacteria which could be cultured ranged between 0.5 and 8.5% of the >0.4-mum direct count regardless of media, season of sampling, or soil depth. In the same soil samples, the viable nodulating populations of biovar trifolii determined by the plant infection soil dilution technique ranged between 1 and 10% of the >0.4-mum direct-immunofluorescence count of biovar trifolii. The <0.4-mum cell populations of both total soil bacteria and biovar trifolii changed abruptly between the 10- to 15-cm and 15- to 20-cm soil depth increments, increasing from 5 to 20% and from 20 to 50%, respectively, of their direct-count totals. The increase in density of the small-cell population corresponded to a significant increase in soil bulk density (1.07 to 1.21 g cm). The percent contribution of the <0.4-mum direct count to individual serogroup totals increased with soil depth by approximately 2-fold (39 to 87%) for serogroups 17 and 21 and by 12-fold (6 to 75%) for serogroups 6 and 36.
“This Is What Was Birthed” Motherhood and Postfeminist Self-Branding in Tyra Banks’ Brand

This article examines the brand development of supermodel cum media mogul Tyra Banks by investigating her positioning as a mother figure in two texts—America’s Next Top Model and typeF.com—to facilitate women’s postfeminist self-branding as fierce. Grounded in the appropriation of her raced position and the ball culture of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, Banks’ mother figure advocates becoming fierce as essential to women’s personal and professional success. Fierce signifies hegemonic femininity and postfeminist values, and, accordingly, women under Banks’ tutelage engage in immaterial/affective labor on their bodies and emotions to access a positive sense of self and career promise. In doing so, they support fierce as a postfeminist self-brand that provides value for Banks’ brand. This study details how motherhood has been drawn on for corporate benefit, encouraging emotional connections between women, texts, and brands that normalize postfeminist self-branding as a means of...
ATP depletion: a novel method to study junctional properties in epithelial tissues. II. Internalization of Na+,K(+)-ATPase and E-cadherin

MDCK and JTC cells were subjected to ATP depletion by treating the cells with 10 microM antimycin A and 10 mM 2-deoxyglucose. As visualized by confocal fluorescence microscopy, E-cadherin and Na+,K(+)-ATPase were rapidly internalized following depletion of the intracellular ATP stores. The time course of internalization was similar to the depolymerization of the cortical actin network and dissolution of the actin ring (see companion paper, this volume, pp. 3301-3313). Cell surface biotinylation was used to assay the amount of surface-accessible E-cadherin and Na+,K(+)-ATPase during ATP depletion. At 30 minutes of ATP depletion, 74% and 69% of E-cadherin and Na+,K(+)-ATPase were internalized, respectively, in MDCK cells. By 60 minutes of ATP depletion, internalization increased to 95% and 89%, respectively. The redistribution of both plasma membrane proteins was not microtubule dependent. Similar results were observed in JTC cells. Total biotinylated protein decreased by 67% and 82%, after 30 minutes and 60 minutes of ATP depletion, respectively. The E-cadherin internalization strongly suggests that disruption of adherens junctions occurred following ATP depletion. These results, along with the previously described loss of tight junction integrity, suggest that ATP depletion may be a useful method to study the assembly and disassembly of junctional complexes in epithelial cells.
Systematic review of endoscopic airway findings in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Objectives:We performed a systematic review of published literature correlating findings on endoscopic evaluation of the larynx and trachea in the pediatric population with the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease.Methods:Eight articles were identified through a structured PubMed search of English-language literature using the key terms laryngopharyngeal reflux, extraesophageal reflux, and gastroesophageal reflux. A systematic review was performed relating the presence of reflux in the pediatric population to findings on endoscopic airway evaluation. A covariant analysis was performed, and each study was weighted according to the number of available samples in that study as a fraction of the total. Overall odds ratios and confidence intervals were computed for each endoscopic finding on the basis of the documented absence or presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease.Results:A correlation was seen between the endoscopic findings and the presence of reflux.Conclusions:Arytenoid, postglottic, and v...
Effect of Zwitterionic Buffers on Cell Viability

Interactions of lipid membranes and macromolecules in general depend on the pH of buffered solutions. However, pH buffers modify molecular interactions in more than one way [1,2]. Here we conduct in vitro experiments with mammalian and bacterial cells to determine how common buffers such as 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS) affect cell viability. We find that primary rat lung microvascular cells do not survive in concentrations greater than 125mM for MOPS compared to 40mM for KCl, and 50mM for PEG400. In contrast, E. coli cells survived in concentrations up to 0.75 M for KCl and 1M MOPS. This is ascribed to a protective effect from the bacterial cell wall. Results are interpreted by comparison with previous measurements of model membrane interactions in buffer solutions.[1] Koerner et al., Biophys. J. 101, 2011.[2] Peiro-Salvador et al. Biochemistry, 48, 2009.[3] van Haaren et al., Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol., 289, 2005.