cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physics, metaphysics, dispositions, and symmetries – À la French

Recent philosophy has paid increasing attention to the nature of the relationship between the philosophy of science and metaphysics. In The Structure of the World: Metaphysics and Representation, Steven French offers many insights into this relationship (primarily) in the context of fundamental physics, and claims that a specific, structuralist conception of the ontology of the world exemplifies an optimal understanding of it. In this paper I contend that his messages regarding how best to think about the relationship are mixed, and in tension with one another. The tension is resolvable but at a cost: a weakening of the argument for French's structuralist ontology. I elaborate this claim in a specific case: his assertion of the superiority of a structuralist account of de re modality in terms of realism about laws and symmetries (conceived ontologically) over an account in terms of realism about dispositional properties. I suggest that these two accounts stem from different stances regarding how to theorize about scientific ontology, each of which is motivated by important aspects of physics.
The Future of African Literature

When I was told that the title for this year’s ALA Conference is The Environments of African Literatures, and I was asked to speak around that topic, I thought to myself: perfect. My last novel, Oi...
Economic Impact of Adherence to Pain Treatment Guidelines in Chronic Pain Patients.

OBJECTIVES This research compared health care resource use (HCRU) and costs for pharmacotherapy prescribing that was adherent vs nonadherent to published pain management guidelines. Conditions included osteoarthritis (OA) and gout (GT) for nociceptive/inflammatory pain, painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) for neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia (FM) for sensory hypersensitivity pain. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used claims from MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Databases identifying adults newly diagnosed with OA, GT, pDPN, PHN, or FM during July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2013, with 12-month continuous coverage before and after initial (index) diagnosis. Patients were grouped according to their pharmacotherapy pattern as adherent, nonadherent, or "unsure" according to published pain management guidelines using a claims-based algorithm. Adherent and nonadherent populations were compared descriptively and using multivariate statistical analyses for controlling bias. RESULTS Final cohort sizes were 441,465 OA, 76,361 GT, 10,645 pDPN, 4,010 PHN, and 150,321 FM, with adherence to guidelines found in 51.1% of OA, 25% of GT, 59.5% of pDPN, 54.9% of PHN, and 33.5% of FM. Adherent cohorts had significantly (P < 0.05) fewer emergency department (ED) visits and lower proportions with hospitalizations or ED visits. Mean health care costs increased following diagnosis across all conditions; however, adherent cohorts had significantly lower increases in adjusted costs pre-index to postindex (OA $5,286 vs $9,532; GT $3,631 vs $7,873; pDPN $9,578 vs $16,337; PHN $2,975 vs $5,146; FM $2,911 vs $3,708; all P < 0.001; adherent vs nonadherent, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Adherence to pain management guidelines was associated with significantly lower HCRU and costs compared with nonadherence to guidelines.
Maximally Even Tilings

Rhythmic tiling canons tend to feature highly regular, periodic rhythms which, from a musical standpoint, can be quite monotonous and lacking in character. Allowing for “holes”, we can compose “partial tiling canons” that feature more irregular/interesting rhythms. In this paper, we will investigate the construction of partial tiling canons in which the composite rhythm is maximally even.
Chandra Observations of Neutron Stars -- An Overview

We present a brief review of Chandra observations of neutron stars, with a concentration on neutron stars in supernova remnants. The early Chandra results clearly demonstrate how critical the angular resolution has been in order to separate the neutron star emission from the surrounding nebulosity.
The SEC's Elimination of 20-F Reconciliation and the Cost of Debt

The SEC adopted a rule in December 2007 to eliminate the 20-F reconciliation requirement for foreign private issuers preparing financial statements under IFRS as issued by the IASB. We examine whether the SEC’s elimination of the 20-F reconciliation affects the cost of debt for such foreign issuers during the 2005-2008 period. On one hand, the reconciliation can provide debt holders useful information to assess firm default risk, and hence eliminating the reconciliation leads to information loss, which is associated with increased cost of debt. On the other hand, significant cost savings from not reconciling earnings and book value can enhance firm value, which decreases cost of debt. We find evidence that the interest expense ratio decreases after such firms discontinue the 20-F reconciliation. Moreover, the cost of debt reduction is driven by firms with higher pre-rule reconciliation magnitude or larger pre-rule number of reconciling items, which is consistent with cost savings dominating the information loss. Lastly, we find evidence of the information loss for firms with higher market uncertainty and limited evidence of information loss for firms with lower bank monitoring incentive. Taken together, our paper provides insight into the SEC’s decision to eliminate the 20-F reconciliation and the SEC’s consideration to adopt IFRS for U.S. domestic firms.
Going National: Immigration Enforcement and the Politicization of Local Police

This article develops a theory of when and how political nationalization increases interest in local elections using evidence from county sheriff elections. A quintessentially local office, the sheriff has long enjoyed buffers from ideological or partisan politics. However, many sheriff elections since 2016 were waged on ideological grounds as progressive challengers—often backed by outside money—linked their campaigns to opposition to President Trump. I argue that this “redirected nationalization” becomes possible when a salient national issue impinges on a local government service, enabling challengers to expand the scope of conflict against valence-advantaged incumbents. In the highly nationalized 2018 midterm election, the question of cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the nation’s jails provided a compelling link between local sheriffs and national politics, infusing new interest and energy in these races. Although redirected nationalization can help align local policies with voter preferences, the politicization of local law enforcement also might undermine police professionalism and credibility.
Reduction of 2-hydroxy-3-arylmorpholines to 3-aryl morpholines

Abstract 2-Hydroxy-3-aryl morpholines are readily prepared from arylboronic acids, aqueous glyoxal, and 1,2-aminoethanols by a variant of the Petasis borono-Mannich reaction. We now show that the 2-hydroxy-3-aryl morpholines may be deoxygenated to 3-aryl morpholines by treatment with methanesulfonic anhydride and triethylamine to afford intermediate 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazines, followed by reaction with a triacetoxyborohydride salt and acetic acid to afford 3-aryl morpholines. This reaction sequence constitutes a three step, “two pot” preparation of 3-aryl morpholines from readily available starting materials (1,2-aminoethanols, arylboronic acids, and glyoxal) with excellent functional group tolerance and adaptability to scale.
Examining relationships between personality profiles and organizational health outcomes

Abstract Researchers have demonstrated the association between individual personality traits and organizational health outcomes such as burnout. The relationships between personality profiles and these outcomes, however, have received less research attention. The current study applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to investigate personality profiles in two working samples and to examine the relationships between the personality profiles and three organizational outcomes (i.e., counterproductive work behavior, organizational citizenship behavior, and work-related burnout). Three personality profiles, Ordinary, Resilient, and Rigid, consistently emerged in both samples. Individuals with different personality profiles demonstrated meaningful variance in their well-being (i.e., work-related burnout) and behaviors (i.e., counterproductive work behavior and organizational citizenship behavior). The results also highlighted the importance of person-centered approaches when examining the relationships between personality traits and organizational health outcomes.
Introducing Science and Technology Studies into Expert Evidence Courses

As courts (and drafter of rules), over the last several decades, searched for admissibility criteria to ensure reliable expert evidence in the courtroom, there was a tendency to idealize science as a stable field of truths that could provide answers when scientific questions arose. The ethnographic work of some philosophers, historians, and sociologists of science (collectively, science and technology studies, or “STS”) was virtually ignored in legal contexts because STS, which emphasized both recurrent scientific controversies and the social, economic, linguistic, and cultural influences on laboratory research, was associated with relatively modest (even skeptical) views of science. However, the recent crisis in forensic science — in which many police identification techniques were discredited (leaving judges much more suspicious of expert scientific testimony) — and the contemporaneous turn in STS toward providing normative guidance in recognizing consensus science, has offered an opportunity for an engagement in the classroom between the laws of expert evidence and the comprehensive understanding of how science works offered by STS literature. The author will discuss his experience in integrating STS into expert evidence courses in US and in Australian law schools.
Congenital neutropenia: an intrinsic cell defect demonstrated by electron microscopy of soft agar colonies.

Congenital neutropenia (CN), a disease characterized by recurrent infections leading to death in infancy, shows a maturation arrest of the myeloid series at the promyelocyte-myelocyte level. The potential value of marrow transplantation in this disease would be determined by the nature of the underlying defect. However, studies to date have failed to define whether the defect is intrinsic in the cells or attributable to “environmental” factors. Therefore, marrow of four patients with CN was cultured on soft agar, and the colonies were analyzed by a newly developed ultrastructural method. In parallel, patients' cells were used in feeder layers for normal marrow. Although the patients' colonies appeared grossly normal in size and number, electron microscopy showed only rare neutrophil colonies. These colonies contained markedly aberrant cells exhibiting asynchronous nucleo-cytoplasmic maturation, convoluted nuclei, excessive cytoplasm, and dearth of granules. Monocyte and eosinophil colonies differentiated normally. Patients' cells and sera supported growth of normal colonies. The studies have demonstrated unequivocally that the neutrophil cell line of patients with CN is intrinsically defective and suggest that attempts at marrow grafting are warranted.
Association of Carotenoid Intake with Pulmonary Function.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease causing more than three million deaths annually around the world. Previous studies have shown an increased incidence of COPD ...
Nausea and the Brain: The Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone Enters the Molecular Age

Area postrema in brainstem has long been known to trigger emesis by detecting blood-borne toxins and pathogens. In this issue, Zhang and colleagues provide a single-cell molecular atlas of this region, opening new possibilities for harnessing its neurons in vivo.
Anesthetic Management for Valvular Heart Disease

Patients suffering from valvular heart disease most commonly do so as the result of congenital abnormalities or acquired degenerative and infective processes. The impact of these disorders on quality of life is tremendous. Surgical correction represents the sole treatment for many of these conditions. The two most common procedures involving valvular heart disease are aortic valve and mitral valve surgery. This chapter reviews the anesthetic consideration for patients undergoing cardiac surgery for left and right heart valves.
Do conversations end when people want them to

Do conversations end when people want them to? Surprisingly, behavioral science provides no answer to this fundamental question about the most ubiquitous of all human social activities. In two studies of 932 conversations, we asked conversants to report when they had wanted a conversation to end and to estimate when their partner (who was an intimate in Study 1 and a stranger in Study 2) had wanted it to end. Results showed that conversations almost never ended when both conversants wanted them to and rarely ended when even one conversant wanted them to and that the average discrepancy between desired and actual durations was roughly half the duration of the conversation. Conversants had little idea when their partners wanted to end and underestimated how discrepant their partners' desires were from their own. These studies suggest that ending conversations is a classic "coordination problem" that humans are unable to solve because doing so requires information that they normally keep from each other. As a result, most conversations appear to end when no one wants them to.
Mass Customization in an Endogenous-Timing Game with Vertical Differentiation

We study customization in a duopoly game in which the firms' products have different qualities. Whether customization choices are made simultaneously or sequentially is endogenously determined. Specifically, the customization stage of the game involves two periods. Each firm either selects its product type in period 1 or postpones this decision to period 2. We show that both quality and endogenous timing play important roles in determining the equilibrium outcome. Customization occurs only if the quality difference is sufficiently large. Endogeneity of timing in the customization stage sometimes enables the firms to achieve an outcome that is Pareto superior to that if they were to make their customization choices simultaneously. Although the higher quality firm is more likely to customize, in some circumstances endogenous timing allows the lower quality firm to obtain an advantage that it would not have under simultaneous customization choices.
The Protective Role of Parent Resilience on Mental Health and the Parent-Child Relationship During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to particularly potent psychological effects for children and their caregivers while families adjust to new daily routines for work, education, and self-care. Longitudinal associations are presented from a national sample of 271 parents (mean age = 35.29 years, 48.5% female) on resilience, mental health and stress indicators, and parenting outcomes. Multigroup path model results indicate significant associations between resilience and parent stress or parent perceived child stress initiates a sequence of significant linkages to parent depression, followed by caregiver burden and parent–child relationship quality. This final set of linkages between depression and both parenting outcomes were significantly stronger for men, who also reported higher rates of perceived child stress. Results suggest that fathers’ depression symptoms and associated spill-over to perceived child stress is producing stronger effects on their parenting experiences than effects reported by mothers.
LoRa-STAR: Optimizing Energy Consumption in LoRa Nodes for Precision Farming

LoRa (Long-Range) has become an integral part of IoT applications in the last decade and is a commonly used protocol inside the LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) family. Sensor-farming, smart in-home appliances, and wearable technology are just a few examples of industries that have fully adopted the modern data collection method often used in IoT applications. However, one of the major problems with LoRa is the power consummation and traffic congestion as the nodes in the network increases. Especially for precision farming where the current information infrastructure is mainly designed for centralized systems and does not meet requirements for smart sensing. In this work, we propose a method of optimizing the power consumption of a LoRa denoted as “LoRaWAN-based Sensing Technology for precision fARming” (LoRa-STAR). Our aim is to provide a method for reducing power consumption on any LoRa node in highly customizable architecture. The proposed method is presented and validated by simulation-based results, as well as experimental results with the hardware node for the optimal way to reduce the average current draw on a LoRa network with more than 300 nodes. We validated the implication of real-world challenges and proposes a number of solutions for reducing power consumption and increase the number of communication channel.
In-flight performance of the Van Allen Probes RF telecommunications system☆

Abstract The NASA Van Allen Probes mission (previously called the Radiation Belt Storm Probes) successfully launched on 30 August 2012. The twin spacecraft, designed, built, and operated by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), has been successfully operating within Earth׳s radiation belts since then, returning critical science data revealing new insights into the physics of the radiation belts. Because of the extreme radiation environment, all spacecraft subsystems including the communications system had to make special accommodations to withstand the effects of the radiation. Each Van Allen Probes spacecraft׳s telecommunications system includes an S-band version of the Frontier Radio, a solid-state power amplifier, RF routing components, and dual low-gain antennas. This mission marks the first flight of the Frontier Radio, which is baselined for use in the upcoming Solar Probe Plus and Europa Clipper missions. This paper will present an overview of the as-built telecommunications system and its ground station interfaces discuss key communications flight hardware components, and then discuss in detail its activities and performance in-flight, including the launch and commissioning operations, performance enhancements since launch, and performance trending in flight. Pre-launch preparations at the APL 18-m ground station revealed occasional RF interference that could disrupt Van Allen Probe downlink. A monitoring system was installed to help mitigate some interference sources, and to characterize the residual environment and show that RF interference was not a mission risk. Post-launch commissioning activities were driven by the requirement to verify both spacecraft׳s communication systems over multiple ground networks, including JHU/APL׳s own 18-m ground station, the Universal Space Network, and TDRSS. Enhanced science data downlink volume was enabled by expanding the usable field of view of the spacecrafts׳ antennas once in-flight calibrations of the antenna patterns were completed, as well as reducing downlink link margins to a bare minimum when downlinking via APL׳s 18-m dish, where the CFDP (CCSDS File Delivery Protocol) is used to guarantee file delivery. Radiation drove some of the hardware design; the radios have experienced several predicted fault conditions at the predicted rates and have reacted autonomously as designed to minimize impact to the science downlink.
Next Generation Network and Operating System Requirements for Continuous Time Media

Accessing massive multimedia databases will require multiple representations of those databases. Initial access may be through visual representations of the database. However, traversing numerous levels of tree-like structures will quickly find the user lost Simple database queries may overwhelm users with information.
RELIC THERMOSENSITIVE GENE EXPRESSION IN A TURTLE WITH GENOTYPIC SEX DETERMINATION

The evolution of sex determination remains one of the most fascinating enigmas in biology. Transitions between genotypic sex determination (GSD) and temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) have occurred multiple times during vertebrate evolution, however, the molecular basis and consequences of these transitions in closely related taxa remain unresolved. Here I address a critical question: Do species with GSD derived from ancestors possessing TSD retain any ancestral thermal sensitivity in the developmental pathways underlying gonadal differentiation? Results from an expression study of a gene involved in early gonadogenesis in GSD (Apalone mutica) and TSD (Chrysemys picta) turtles, support the hypothesis that Wt1 in A. mutica displays such a relic thermal sensitivity. This retention is likely enabled by Sf1, a gene immediately downstream from Wt1 whose expression is independent of temperature in this species. My results constitute the first empirical evidence of a GSD vertebrate exhibiting thermal sensitivity in the expression of a gene regulating gonadogenesis. This novel finding reveals an undocumented source of raw material for future evolutionary change that may exist in other GSD taxa, and one that enhances the evolutionary potential of the gene networks underlying sexual differentiation and contributes to the astonishing ability of sex-determining mechanisms.
Massive and disproportionate elevation of blood urea nitrogen in acute azotemia.

In renal failure, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine usually rise in tandem; the normal BUN: Cr ratio is 10-15: 1. Disproportionate rises in BUN: Cr (> 20: 1) often imply pre-renal azotemia but may be caused by increased protein catabolism or an excessive protein load. In this study we looked at intensive care patients who acutely developed markedly increased BUN (> or = 100 mg/dL) with only modest elevation of Cr ( 75 years). Peak BUN was 156 +/- 11 mg/dL; peak Cr 4.3 +/- 0.5 mg/dL. Eleven patients expired. Mean serum albumin at the time of consultation was 2.7 +/- 0.2 g/dL; mean total lymphocyte count 1.0 +/- 0.1/mm3. Of possible factors causing the azotemia, nine patients had documented hypovolemia; eight had congestive heart failure; six were in septic or hypovolemic shock, and two received high-dose steroids. As contributing factors, eight patients had Salb 100 g/d; two had HIV, and two others had gastrointestinal bleeding. Infection was present in 14 patients; seven had sepsis (bacteremia with hypotension). All patients had at least one of these factors present and 16/19 had two or more. Fractional Na excretion was < 1% (consistent with pre-renal azotemia) in only four of the 11 patients in whom it was measured. We conclude that severely disproportionate BUN : Cr is frequently multifactorial and is most common in the elderly, perhaps due to their lower muscle mass, and in ICU patients given a high protein intake. It is often not indicative of uncomplicated renal hypoperfusion, although low renal perfusion (hypovolemia, shock, or heart failure) is common. Mortality is high due to the severe illnesses, especially infection, worsened by decreased renal function and hypercatabolic state.
A Bull's Eye for Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib has had mixed results in the treatment of lung cancer. The reason is now revealed in two papers published here ( Paez et al.) and elsewhere, which receive in-depth discussion in a Perspective by Minna et al. The two new studies show that tumors from a subset of lung cancer patients with an efficacious response to gefitinib carry mutations in the kinase domain of the EGF receptor. The new findings should enable early selection of those lung cancer patients most likely to respond well to gefitinib.
Developmental origins of the stomodeum links brain and jaw size evolution (921.8)

The evolutionary relationship between brain size and jaw size has been explored in many Vertebrate clades, and is particularly relevant to studies of human evolution. In hominins, an increase in br...
Leukocyte Transketolase Activity as an Indicator of Thiamin Nutriture in Rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using leukocyte transketolase activity (TKA) as an index of thiamin status. It was shown previously that hepatic TKA in rats is altered by changes in the type and amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in the diet. It was, therefore, essential to determine whether leukocyte TKA in rats is affected by dietary factors other than thiamin intake. Hepatic TKA and leukocyte TKA both varied with dietary thiamin intake; maximum activity was attained when the diet contained 3 to 4 mg thiamin/kg diet. Administration of oxythiamin resulted in decreases in TKA in both liver and leukocytes. The changes in leukocyte and hepatic TKA induced by varying degrees of thiamin deficiency were closely correlated. The responses of thiamin content were also closely correlated in liver and leukocytes. However, only hepatic TKA was altered by increasing the fat or protein content of the diet or by substituting fructose for glucose. None of the dietary manipulations studied except the production of thiamin deficiency had any effect on leukocyte TKA. We conclude from our results that leukocyte TKA is a sensitive and specific indicator of thiamin nutriture in rats.
Kinetic Model of Folate Metabolism in Nonpregnant Women Consuming [2H2]Folic Acid: Isotopic Labeling of Urinary Folate and the Catabolite para-Acetamidobenzoylglutamate Indicates Slow, Intake-Dependent, Turnover of Folate Pools

In a 10-wk study of folate metabolism in nonpregnant women (21-27 y, n -6 per group), subjects were fed a diet containing approximately 68 nmol/d (30 microg/d) folate from food. The remainder of the ingested folate was provided as folic acid in apple juice (as nonlabeled during wk 1-2, as [2H2]folic acid during wk 3-10) to yield a constant intake of 454, 680 or 907 nmol/d (200, 300 or 400 microg/d). Isotopic enrichment of total urinary folate and the primary catabolite para-acetamidobenzoylglutamate (ApABG) was determined. Isotopic enrichment of ApABG served as an indicator of labeling of tissue folates. A kinetic model consisting of fast- and slow-turnover nonsaturable pools and a saturable slow-turnover pool, with provisions for urinary and fecal excretion, catabolism and enterohepatic circulation, yielded a close fit to the data. Mean residence times for total body folate were 212, 169 and 124 d for folate intakes of 454, 680, and 907 nmol/d, respectively. The model predicted that variation in folate intake over this range had little effect on the mass of the large saturable folate pool; however, the fast-turnover nonsaturable pools increased in proportion to folate intake, whereas the slow nonsaturable pool also tended to increase. This model will aid in evaluation of folate turnover and in predicting kinetic consequences of physiologic conditions associated with altered folate requirements.
Short report: A pilot trial of TMM (Thiotepa, Mitoxantrone and Methotrexate) chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer

Summary The maximum tolerated dose for a combination chemotherapy regimen of Thiotepa, Mitoxantrone and Methotrexate (TMM) administered intravenously every three weeks to twelve patients with metastatic breast cancer was: Thiotepa: 15mg/m2, Mitoxantrone: 10mg/m2 and Methotrexate: 30mg/m2. The major toxicities from the combination related to myelosuppression. Partial response was seen in 5 patients, ranging in duration from 1.25 to 10 months. Four out of eight patients who had received prior doxorubicin responded. The results are encouraging and warrant further study of this combination.
A Postmodern Vision of Time and Learning: A Response to the National Education Commission Report Prisoners of Time

In this article, Patrick Slattery challenges the assumptions underlying many educational policy documents, such as the 1994 Report, Prisoners of Time, which, in Slattery's view, depict time as both an object to control and as a dictator of the linear sequencing that shapes schooling. Slattery argues for a proleptic understanding of time in education. That is, he calls for an understanding that acknowledges how time interconnects with classroom life by providing an overview of various perspectives from classical physics that illuminate the interdependence of the space-time continuum, by addressing the role of personal history in influencing the relationships of students and teachers, and by advocating for curricula that connect to the realities of students' lives.
Response to ‘A Re-Examination of Banerjee and Iyer’ by Iversen, Palmer-Jones and Sen

Iversen, Palmer-Jones and Sen (2013, henceforth IPS) re-examine our paper (Banerjee & Iyer, 2005, henceforth BI) on the effects of historical land tenure systems on long-run economic development ac...
Studying mathematics learning in collective activity

Abstract This paper describes a study of the interplay between social and developmental processes in children's mathematics learning. The focus is on children's play of an educational game, Treasure Hunt, and the way children's interactions in play frame developmental processes involving arithmetic with base-10 blocks. Sixty-four third and fourth graders were grouped in same- and mixed-grade dyads. Analyses of interactions revealed that players were frequently involved with jointly structuring arithmetical problems involving base-10 blocks. However, the arithmetical goals that members of dyads created often differed as labor became divided in their activity. Two findings were of particular interest: (1) differences in divisions of labor as a function of players' grades and grades of their opponents led to construction of different arithmetical goals, and (2) differences in goals led to different sequences in children's strategic developments, sequences that differed from the developmental trajectory in our matched controls.
Nonlinear self-organization of light in photorefractive potassium niobate into hexagonal arrays and applications in optical processing

Self-organization of light into a hexagonal spot array and its rotation using photorefractive KNbO3:Fe is investigated. Furthermore two-beam coupling configurations are employed to obtain the phase conjugate image and edge extraction of an object using photorefractive KNbO3:Fe. Finally, the self-organization is utilized to broadcast an input object to the location of each of the spots.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Data visualization using kernel density estimation to examine patterns of physician practice

Studies have shown that examinations of physician practices and variation can improve patient care while reducing costs. However, most of the studies rely more on physician consensus than on data analysis. The existence of large hospital databases allows for the examination of the relationship between practice and outcome. Because it is generally not known beforehand which practice optimizes outcome, particularly given the variability in patient risk, data mining techniques are ideal to examine the relationship. In particular, this paper uses the data visualization technique of kernel density estimation to explore and define physician practices. Three physician practices were examined at a hospital during 2001--2002. The first physician practice identified was the administering of heparin to 100 patients as an anti-coagulant during angioplasty to open blocked coronary arteries. The second practice examined was two different open-heart procedures: one done on a cardiopulmonary bypass pump, the other done off bypass pump. The third physician practice examined the prescribing of antibiotics for patients undergoing open-heart surgery.
Abstract 4317: Developing near infrared (NIR) optical retinoid analogue for cancer imaging

Imaging technology plays an important role in early detection of cancers and improved prognoses. Among of the various imaging techniques used near infrared (NIR) optical imaging is an active and promising area for both in vitro and in vivo molecular imaging studies. However, NIR fluorophores normally only possess optical imaging properties without selectivity to diseased tissues. To address this problem, a targeting moiety can be introduced to help to deliver the imaging report to its target. It is know that retinoids, analogs of vitamin A, are assessed for multiple therapeutic uses. In practically, their potential chemopreventive and therapeutic roles in different kinds of cancers have attracted much attention. The cancer types include head and neck, lung, breast, esophagus, colon, kidney, prostate, bladder cancers and so on. Considering about important role of retinoids in cancer treatment developing retinoid derivatives as targeting imaging agents should be a useful strategy for noninvasive detection and characterization of solid tumors. Herein, we developed fluorescent retinoid derivatives for cancer imaging. Several different cancer cell lines and cancer xenograft models were used in this study. The data demonstrate that this new imaging agent can be used to imaging different kinds of cancers from cell level to whole body. Furthermore, these imaging agents have the potential to develop into special therapeutic agents that can be used for diagnosis, treatment and monitor of retinoid positive diseases. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4317.
Proceedings of the 5th Annual Perspectives in Rheumatic Diseases

Abstract Objectives Update on rheumatic diseases and their intersection with dermatology. Results This continuing medical education conference included more than 25 presentations and interactive sessions from leading experts in managing rheumatic diseases, comorbid conditions and related dermatologic diseases. Multiple areas were discussed, including: treating newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis; comparing Biologics in rheumatoid arthritis; examining changed approaches to treating SLE, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and vasculitis. Also visited were new understandings regarding chronic pain and osteoporosis. Conclusions Multiple presentations and interactive sessions from leading experts in the management of rheumatic diseases emphasized the interconnection between rheumatology and dermatology. Practical management approaches to both specialties and their sequelae were discussed. Additional content from the conference is available at www.globalacademycme.com and through Rheumatology News at www.rheumatologynews.com.
Dimensions of publicness and performance in substance abuse treatment organizations.

Changes in funding, clientele, and treatment practices of public and privately owned substance abuse treatment programs, compelled in part by increased cost containment pressures, have prompted researchers' investigations of the implications of organizational form for treatment programs. These studies primarily probe associations between ownership status, patient characteristics, and services delivered and do not empirically link organizational form or structure to treatment outcomes. Data from the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES) were used to study the relationship of ownership and other dimensions of “publicness” identified in the public management literature to patient outcomes, controlling for patient characteristics, treatment experiences, and other program characteristics. A few effects of organizational form and structure on substance abuse treatment outcomes are statistically significant (primarily improved social functioning), although the specific contributions of measures of ownership and publicness to explaining program-level variation are generally small. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Associations of Pd, U and Ag in the SiC layer of neutron-irradiated TRISO fuel

Abstract Knowledge of the associations and composition of fission products in the neutron irradiated SiC layer of high-temperature gas reactor TRISO fuel is important to the understanding of various aspects of fuel performance that presently are not well understood. Recently, advanced characterization techniques have been used to examine fuel particles from the Idaho National Laboratory’s AGR-1 experiment. Nano-sized Ag and Pd precipitates were previously identified in grain boundaries and triple points in the SiC layer of irradiated TRISO nuclear fuel. Continuation of this initial research is reported in this paper and consists of the characterization of a relatively large number of nano-sized precipitates in three areas of the SiC layer of a single irradiated TRISO nuclear fuel particle using standardless EDS analysis on focused ion beam-prepared transmission electron microscopy samples. Composition and distribution analyses of these precipitates, which were located on grain boundaries, triple junctions and intragranular precipitates, revealed low levels, generally
Increased dopamine clearance in the non-lesioned striatum of rhesus monkeys with unilateral 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) striatal lesions

Abstract In vivo electrochemistry was used to examine the clearance of locally applied dopamine in the caudate nuclei of normal, control monkeys and in the non-lesioned and lesioned caudate nuclei of unilateral 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys. Chronoamperometric recordings were continuously made using Nafion-coated carbon fiber electrodes in anesthetized animals while a calibrated amount of dopamine was pressure ejected from a micropipette adjacent (250–300 μm) to the electrode. The dopamine signals recorded from the MPTP-lesioned caudate nuclei had a greater amplitude and time course than those recorded from both the controls and from the non-lesioned side of the treated animals, indicating a loss of high-affinity uptake in the lesioned caudate. However, the time course was faster, and teh clearance rate greater, in signals recorded from the contralateral side of the treated animals when compared to control caudate nuclei. This suggests that there is an up-regulation in high-affinity dopamine uptake in the nonlesioned side of the MPTP-treated animals. This change may represent a compensatory mechanism that is attempting to maintain a balance in extracellular dopamine levels between the lesioned and non-lesioned sides.
Prediction of the critical heat flux in flow boiling at intermediate qualities

Abstract By allowing for a non-uniform void profile, it is found that the previously developed, theoretically based critical heat flux (CHF) prediction procedure can be extended to void fractions of up to 0.8. The general approach holds for both round tubes and rod bundles with simple spacers. Both water and non-water data are predicted by this approach. The ability to predict CHF at higher qualities allowed the predictive procedure to be extended to lower mass flow rates where the void fractions at CHF are generally high.
Management of acute mild gallstone pancreatitis under acute care surgery: should patients be admitted to the surgery or medicine service?

Background We hypothesized that patients with acute mild gallstone pancreatitis (GSP) admitted to surgery (SUR; vs medicine [MED]) had a shorter time to surgery, shorter hospital length of stay (HLOS), and lower costs. Methods We performed chart reviews of patients who underwent a cholecystectomy for acute mild GSP from October 1, 2009 to May 31, 2013. We excluded patients with moderate to severe and non-gallstone pancreatitis. We compared outcomes for time to surgery, HLOS, costs, and complications between the 2 groups. Results Fifty acute mild GSP patients were admitted to MED and 52 to SUR. MED patients were older and had more comorbidity. SUR patients had a shorter time to surgery (44 vs 80 hours; P < .001), a shorter HLOS (3 vs 5 days; P < .001), and lower hospital costs ($11,492 ± 6,480 vs $16,183 ± 12,145; P = .03). In our subgroup analysis on patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score between 1 and 2, the subgroups were well matched; all outcomes still favored SUR patients. Conclusions Admitting acute mild GSP patients directly to SUR shortened the time to surgery, shortened HLOS, and lowered hospital costs.
OPA1 downregulation is involved in sorafenib-induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Sorafenib has been used to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain controversial and why some patients do not respond to this therapy is poorly understood. In this study, we show that sorafenib triggers cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in HCC cells by directly targeting the mitochondria. Treatment with sorafenib induces rapid mitochondrial fragmentation, which is associated with the deregulation of mitochondria fusion-related protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1). Exposure of cells or isolated mitochondria to sorafenib substantially induces cytochrome c release. Our data indicate that siRNA-mediated OPA1 knockdown significantly sensitizes HCC cells to sorafenib-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, sorafenib has no apparent apoptotic toxicity to normal human primary hepatocytes. Sorafenib inhibits HCC xenograft tumor growth in vivo and murine xenograft tumor tissue analysis reveals mitochondria fusion protein. OPA1 expression levels are strongly downregulated by sorafenib treatment. Western blotting evaluation of patient HCC with matched non-tumor tissue samples demonstrates that OPA1 expression is decreased in up to 40% of HCC patients. Taken together, we have shown that sorafenib suppresses the tumorigenesis of HCC through the induction of mitochondrial injury via OPA1. Our results provide new insights into the pathogenesis of HCC and suggest that OPA1 is a novel therapeutic target in patients with HCC.
N-methyl-d-aspartate-mediated bulbospinal respiratory drive is pH/PCO2-insensitive in turtle brainstem-spinal cord

A split-bath in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparation from adult turtles (Pseudemys scripta) was used to test the hypotheses that: (1) bulbospinal respiratory synaptic transmission is mediated, at least in part, by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamatergic receptors, and (2) this transmission is suppressed by low spinal pH (induced by hypercapnea). Recordings from intact pectoralis (expiratory) and serratus (inspiratory) nerves showed that the in vitro turtle brainstem-spinal cord preparation produces phasic expiratory and inspiratory bursts of activity similar to that produced by intact turtles. Bath application of AP-5 [(+/-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist] to the spinal cord reversibly reduced pectoralis and serratus burst amplitude. In contrast, lowering the pH from 8.04 to 6.94 did not alter burst amplitude in either pectoralis or serratus nerves. These data suggest that spinal NMDA receptors: (1) mediate part of the bulbospinal respiratory synaptic transmission, and (2) are pH/P(CO2)-insensitive. The pH/P(CO2)-insensitivity of NMDA-dependent bulbospinal respiratory synaptic transmission may represent an important adaptation in turtles.
Use of Foot Orthoses and Calf Stretching for Individuals With Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

Use of orthotics and calf stretching may alleviate symptoms in runners with medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). The objective of this study was to determine which patients with MTSS have a positive response to off-the-shelf foot orthoses and calf stretching based on selected clinical tests to establish a clinical prediction rule. This prospective cohort/predictive validity study enrolled 23 women and men aged 22 to 44 years with symptoms of MTSS. Interventions included off-the-shelf basic foot orthotics and calf stretching. Fifteen of the 23 runners had a 50% reduction of pain in 3 weeks of intervention. Duration was a significant factor that differentiated groups. Although an initial treatment for runners with MTSS may include off-the-shelf orthotics and calf stretching, this regimen should be only one component of an individualized rehabilitation program.
Powerful Opinions, Capable of Harm

In this wide-ranging critique of alternative medicine, Offit focuses on factors that motivate people to turn to such therapies.
The effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil in lupus nephritis

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for inducing and/or maintaining remission of lupus nephritis (LN). This is a retrospective study of 25 LN patients consecutively treated with MMF. The primary outcome was complete renal remission (CR) defined by urine protein/creatinine ratio ≤0.5 g/g and inactive urine sediment and serum creatinine within 6 months.
Passive decay heat removal in advanced LWR concepts

Abstract This paper explores the possibilities of developing a passive LWR design concept which could ensure sufficient decay heat removal in the absence of emergency primary coolant supply without exceeding the safe temperature limit on cladding, and which could achieve large nominal operating power output in the range 600–1000 MWe. Various possibilities of passive decay heat removal in LWR concepts are assessed and choke points limiting the heat transfer from the fuel to the ultimate heat sink are identified. To eliminate these choke points, new core configurations are studied. The most promising concept appears to be a pressure tube reactor with fueled solid matrix and a separate moderator as a heat sink.
Interaction and Criminal Homicide in India

In India as in western countries, criminal homicide usually involves interaction between kinsmen or close associates of the same sex, religion, and caste. Prior to homicide intense enmity arises when social devices fail to solve disputes over norms governing sexual relations, property, living arrangements, and