cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cox-maze procedure for lone atrial fibrillation: a single-center experience over 2 decades.

Background— The Cox-Maze procedure (CMP) has achieved high success rates in the therapy of atrial fibrillation (AF) while becoming progressively less invasive. This report evaluates our experience with the CMP in the treatment of lone AF over 2 decades and compares the original cut-and-sew CMP-III to the ablation-assisted CMP-IV, which uses bipolar radiofrequency and cryoenergy to create the original lesion pattern. Methods and Results— Data were collected prospectively on 212 consecutive patients (mean age, 53.5±10.4 years; 78% male) who underwent a stand-alone CMP from 1992 through 2010. The median duration of preoperative AF was 6 (interquartile range, 2.9–11.5) years, with 48% paroxysmal and 52% persistent or long-standing persistent AF. Univariate analysis with preoperative and perioperative variables used as covariates for the CMP-III (n=112) and the CMP-IV (n=100) was performed. Overall, 30-day mortality was 1.4%, with no intraoperative deaths. Freedom from AF was 93%, and freedom from AF off antiarrhythmics was 82%, at a mean follow-up time of 3.6±3.1 years. Freedom from symptomatic AF at 10 years was 85%. Only 1 late stroke occurred, with 80% of patients not receiving anticoagulation therapy. The less invasive CMP-IV had significantly shorter cross-clamp times (41±13 versus 92±26 minutes; P <0.001) while achieving high success rates, with 90% freedom from AF and 84% freedom from AF off antiarrhythmics at 2 years. Conclusions— The CMP, although simplified and shortened by alternative energy sources, has excellent results, even with improved follow-up and stricter definition of failure.
The Legislative Dismantling of a Colonial and an Apartheid State

In the 1960s, social scientists speculated about what the consequence of legal, cultural, and racial pluralism would be in Africa after independence. Now, 50 years later, we know that, though transformed, cultural pluralism remains a shaping force. In Tanzania, from the 1960s on, there was an effort to build equality and national loyalty through socialism. In South Africa, after 1994, there were two major kinds of legislation that rejected the racially divisive past and attempted to repair its damage. One established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; the other was a cluster of laws that designed a scheme of land reform. Both have been studied by anthropologists. Here, I review the Tanzanian and the two South African instances. The incompleteness and unevenness of what was achieved can be compared with the grand legislative intentions that preceded the law making. This has profound implications for the analysis of social process and for the relationships among the state, its ambitions, and its citizens.
Process Optimization of Finish Turning of Hardened Steels

Process planning and optimization is crucial to help establish the economic and quality viability of hard turning processes with the presence of a wide spectrum of tooling and process parameters. A...
Bone scan overuse in staging of prostate cancer: an analysis of a Veterans Affairs cohort.

Objectives To determine the use and subsequent yield of bone scan imaging in a contemporary Veterans Affairs (VA) cohort of men with prostate cancer. With contemporary widespread prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, more patients are being diagnosed with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, reducing the need and yield of bone scan imaging. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 1598 men diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1998 to 2004 at the Greater Los Angeles and Long Beach VA Medical Centers. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to measure the association between patient (age, race, and comorbidities) and tumor (PSA, clinical stage, Gleason grade) characteristics with bone scan use and subsequent positivity. We conducted the analysis for scans for the entire cohort and those with low and high risk of metastatic disease. Results Of 519 men with low-risk disease, 132 (25%) underwent bone scan imaging, none with positive findings. On multivariate analysis for the entire cohort, younger age, Long Beach VA site, increasing PSA level (≥10 ng/mL), clinical stage (cT2 or greater), and Gleason score (≥7) were all positively associated with bone scan use; however, only PSA level ≥20 ng/mL, clinical stage cT3 or greater, and Gleason score ≥4 + 3 corresponded with positivity. A bone scan positivity rate of ≥10% was limited to men with clinical stage cT3 or greater, Gleason score of ≥8, or PSA level of ≥20 ng/mL. Conclusions Although decreasing in incidence with time, our results demonstrate extensive overuse of bone scan imaging among VA patients with low-risk prostate cancer. These patterns of overuse for men with low-risk cancer, yielding no positive findings, result in unnecessary patient anxiety and significant economic waste for the VA Healthcare System.
Target Tracking in a Two-Tiered Hierarchical Sensor Network

An important application of sensor networks is target tracking and localization. To deal with sensor nodes with limited energy supply and communication band width we propose energy-efficient hierarchical architectures for solving the target tracking problem. In these networks, sensors form clusters and transmit minimal quantized information about a sensed event to a specialized node, known as a cluster head. Cluster heads are equipped with capability of communicating over large distances with a fusion center or a base station. We consider two different hierarchical architectures : (a) the target dynamics are probabilistically estimated at the cluster heads and their statistics combined at the fusion center, and (b) the cluster heads perform simple compression rules on the quantized sensor data and the fusion center estimates the target dynamics using these severely compressed data. Sequential Monte Carlo algorithms for estimation of the target dynamics are used. Through computer simulations the performances of these two architectures are studied.
Review: Dutasteride, fesoterodine, and finasteride are beneficial for lower urinary tract symptoms in older patients

Source Citation Oelke M, Becher K, Castro-Diaz D, et al.Appropriateness of oral drugs for long-term treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in older persons: results of a systematic literature re...
Is There Life after Roe v. Wade

Since the impending decision by the US Supreme Court about Webster v. Reproductive Health Services was being used to reconsider abortion rights decided by Roe v. Wade this article was commissioned to identify several points of convergence that opposing pro-life and pro-choice parties share and then propose potential modifications that might better accomodate competing interests. When the opposing arguments were stripped of the rhetoric the following true complexities of the issue were highlighted: duration of gestation circumstances of conception age and competence of the pregnant woman health status of the fetus and the health status of the pregnant woman. The issues of agreement were also highlighted: abortion is not a good thing; there are differences between the right to terminate a pregnancy the right to terminate a fetus and parental responsibility; disclosure of accurate information is a moral requisite; pregnant women have rights at least equivalent to non-pregnant women; viability and sentience of fetuses are morally relevant to abortion decisions; and legality and morality are related but not equivalent. Suggested changes to Roe v. Wade were: to emphasize personal liberty and not privacy as the foundational right protecting abortion clarification should be introduced to distinguish between controversial meanings of parenthood and a living (human) embryo or fetus and clarification of the difference between terminating a pregnancy and terminating a fetus.
A Device for Measuring Oxygen Solubility in Fluids and Oxygen Permeation through Polymers having Fluid Contact

An apparatus was developed which measured oxygen permeation from a gaseous environment into a liquid medium. Oxygen permeating the package material was detected in the liquid phase by an oxygen electrode. The oxygen permeation of 1 mil oriented polypropylene was 1417 cc/m2 day at 25°C. Slopes of permeation lines were related to the oxygen solubility of various aqueous media. The oxygen solubility of an air-saturated 1.5% NaCl solution was 7.15 ppm O2. Permeability and solubility values were both within 3% of known standards. The solubility method was used to determine the oxygen concentration of air-saturated single-strength tomato juice. At 25°C, the sample contained 7.3 ppm O2.
Productivity Among Physical Therapists An Evaluation of One Department

This article describes a method for evaluating the productivity of therapists in a physical therapy department. I applied this method for 20 days in one department of an acute-care hospital and used the data collected to establish a standard based on the best performance by an individual therapist. I found this method could substantially improve the performance of individual therapists and the department as a whole. If all therapists in the department were as productive as the most productive therapist, the dollar sum of procedures performed would be at least $250,000 greater than if the average performance level continued.
Deterministic waveform-preserving blind separation of DS-CDMA signals using an antenna array

We consider deterministic blind separation of DS-CDMA signals using an uncalibrated antenna array, subject to: (i) unknown flat fading; (ii) unknown multipath; (iii) quasi-synchronous transmissions; (iv) oversaturation; (v) lack of (or, inexact) knowledge of the spreading codes; and (vi) loose power control. We establish a general identifiability result that allows blind recovery of the source signals without requiring independence or whiteness, nor finite alphabet or constant modulus. The results apply to both deterministic and stochastic sources; knowledge of the spreading codes is not required; and, actually, certain matrices involved may be allowed to lose rank without sacrificing identifiability. A provably monotonically convergent trilinear alternating least squares algorithm is proposed to recover the source signals in the noisy case. Aside from their theoretical generality and practical value, our results have important ramifications in eavesdropping of secure spread-spectrum communications, and the judicious choice of user codes.
Direct discrete-time adaptive control with guaranteed parameter error convergence

A direct adaptive nonlinear tracking control framework for discrete-time multivariable nonlinear uncertain systems is developed. The proposed adaptive controller guarantees attraction of the closed-loop error dynamics in the face of parametric system uncertainty. In addition, parameter error convergence is also guaranteed when a generic geometric constraint holds on the update error gain matrix function. This condition is shown to be consistent with the notion of persistent excitation in the adaptive control and system identification literature required for parameter error convergence. Two illustrative numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
PERCEIVED ARSENIC-RELATED MORTALITY RISKS FOR SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS

Prolonged ingestion of arsenic in drinking water can increase the risks of dying of lung and bladder cancer, particularly for smokers. In a survey of arsenic hotspots in the United States, we elicited individuals’ subjective mortality risks related to the presence of arsenic in drinking water. Using this data, we address whether smokers perceive mortality risks from this source differently from non-smokers. We find that those who have smoked at some point in their life have significantly higher perceived arsenic mortality risks than those who have never smoked, on average. We also find that the sample group of current smokers has higher average perceived arsenic mortality risks than those who have quit smoking. We model the decision to treat water for arsenic and find some evidence that current smokers are less likely to engage in this mitigating behavior than are ex-smokers or non-smokers even thought their perceived risk is higher. We infer that smokers are either less risk averse or have a higher rate of time preference than non-smokers and ex-smokers. AQ2
A novel adaptive pre-distorter using LS estimation of SSPA non-linearity in mobile OFDM systems

Several LUT-based pre-distortion schemes using Saleh's model for compensation of RF non-linearity have been studied recently. In this paper we propose a novel parameter-based predistorter to enhance the power efficiency of mobile OFDM transmitters using solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA). Both the non-linearity and inverse of the non-linearity are estimated as memory-less polynomials using least squares (LS) criterion. A fully digital pre-distorter is then constructed with a closed-form inverse non-linearity to reduce the in-band non-linear distortion and out-of-band spectrum re-growth in the transmitter. Simulation results in 16-QAM OFDM show promising performance and simple implementation compared with the LUT method.
Crop species selection effects on stormwater runoff and edible biomass in an agricultural green roof microcosm

Abstract Green roofs reduce urban stormwater runoff and are increasingly being designed for food production. However, studies of the effects of plant composition on green roof rainwater capture and runoff properties have yielded conflicting results and many domesticated crop species may be unsuitable to the harsh environmental conditions found on green roofs. In this study, we evaluated the interactive effects of plant species and growth medium selection on rainwater capture, nitrogen and phosphorus content of runoff, and production of edible biomass. In a full factorial experiment, four plant species, Portulaca oleracea L., Amaranthus tricolor L., A. cruentus L. ‘Kerala Red,’ and A. dubius Mart. Ex Thell. ‘Klaroen Groot’ were grown in three types of growing media (GaiaSoil, Extensive Mix, and Potting Soil) in microcosms with lysimeters to capture runoff. Forty days after planting, a rain event was simulated. Plants were harvested 45 days after planting. Species effects on edible biomass, runoff volume, and the concentration of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) in runoff differed among growing media. Crops grown in Potting Soil yielded 45 times more edible biomass than GaiaSoil and three times more than Extensive Mix. In Extensive Mix, all plant species reduced runoff volume (22–69%), compared to the control, and P. oleracea produced three to 14 times more edible biomass compared with the Amaranthus spp., yet reduced runoff volume (29–61%) and TDP (21–39%) less than the Amaranthus spp. These results indicate that crop species selection results in trade-off effects among ecosystem functions highlighting the role of species selection on green roofs.
Transforming trees into hedges and parsing with "hedgebank" grammars

Finite-state chunking and tagging methods are very fast for annotating nonhierarchical syntactic information, and are often applied in applications that do not require full syntactic analyses. Scenarios such as incremental machine translation may benefit from some degree of hierarchical syntactic analysis without requiring fully connected parses. We introduce hedge parsing as an approach to recovering constituents of length up to some maximum span L. This approach improves efficiency by bounding constituent size, and allows for efficient segmentation strategies prior to parsing. Unlike shallow parsing methods, hedge parsing yields internal hierarchical structure of phrases within its span bound. We present the approach and some initial experiments on different inference strategies.
Heavy metals in the eggs and muscle of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) from Delaware Bay

Lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and manganese concentrations were measured in the eggs of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) from 1993, 1994 and 1995; and from chelicera muscle in 1995 from Delaware Bay. Metal concentrations in the eggs represent levels derived from females. In eggs, mercury levels were below 100 ppb or were non-dectable; cadmium levels were generally low in 1993 and 1995 but were relatively higher in 1994; lead levels in eggs decreased from 558 ppb in 1993 to 87 ppm in 1995; selenium increased from 1993 to 1995; chromium decreased from 1993 to 1995; and manganese generally decreased. Leg muscles had significantly lower levels of all metals than eggs, except for mercury.
Optimized Measurements of UAV Mass Moment of Inertia with a Bifilar Pendulum

A bifilar (two-wire) pendulum is a torsional pendulum consisting of a test object suspended by two thin parallel wires. The pendulum oscillates about the vertical axis. The restoring torque of the bifilar pendulum is provided by the gravitational force as rotations from the rest state cause the test object to raise slightly. The mass moment of inertia is computed using dynamic modeling, measurements of the oscillation period, and the physical dimensions of the bifilar pendulum such as the length and separation displacement of the pendulum wires. A simulation technique is described that improves estimates of the mass moment of inertia by considering the nonlinear effects of damping and large angular displacements. An analysis of the error variance of mass moment of inertia measurements is also described. The resulting expression for the error variance is used to optimize the physical parameters of the bifilar pendulum to obtain the moment of inertia measurement with the minimum error variance. Monte Carlo simulations were used to validate the parameter optimization technique. Experimental results are presented for a uniform-density test object for which the moment of inertia is straightforward to compute from geometric considerations. Results are also presented for a small unmanned air vehicle, which was the intended application for this moment of inertia measurement technique.
Predicaments and Prospects of Military Products Pricing

Military products pricing is a hotspot and difficulty problem all through the military products procurement.There are some predicaments in the currently pricing mode,such as the policy of pricing,cost calculate and control.Now,these predicaments have become a graveness bottleneck to promotion of benefit of military products procurement and scientific development of national industry.So we must seek a way to conquer these predicaments.After study,the predicaments prospects are anew construct the institution of military products regulation,constitute the system pricing measure of the military products,design integrated mechanism,etc.
Thymidine induced perturbations in ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools in human leukemic CCRF-CEM cells.

The inhibition of growth of CCRF-CEM cells in culture by various concentrations of thymidine was correlated with alterations in the intracellular concentration of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. With increasing growth inhibition, the concentrations of dTTP, dGTP and dATP all increased while that of dCTP decreased somewhat. Although there was a linear relationship between the decrease in growth rate and the concentration of dCTP, the change in the pool of dCTP does not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to account for the growth inhibition. The addition of deoxycytidine (3 to 10 µM) completely reversed the growth inhibition produced by thymidine. Higher concentrations of deoxycytidine (20 µM), however, again produced a 13% inhibition of growth rate in the presence of thymidine. The intracellular concentrations of dCTP and dATP were equal to control values; those of dTTP and dGTP were increased. The results indicate that small perturbations in the deoxynucleosides triphosphate pools inhibit cellular growth and that increases as well as decreases in these pools may inhibit DNA synthesis as mediated through their interaction with DNA polymerase.
Synthesis and radiation response of BCON: A graphene oxide and hexagonal boron nitride hybrid

Since graphene, there has been a focus on several two-dimensional material systems (e.g. boron nitride, borocarbon nitride (BCN), transition-metal dichalcogenides) that provide an even wider array of unique chemistries and properties to explore future applications. Specifically, tailoring graphene/boron nitride heterostructures—which can theoretically retain the character of a single-atom thick sheet, withstand large physical strains, are easily functionalized, and have entirely different optical and mechanical properties compared to graphene—can provide the foundation for entirely new research avenues. In recent years, it has been shown that because of the similar crystal structure, carbon, boron, and nitrogen can co-exist as atomic sheets in a layered structure. We have developed a facile method of integrating boron nitride (hBN) and graphene oxide (GO) via chemical exfoliation which we refer to as BCON. The study of the stability of this material at different pH conditions indicates a stable and a uniform solution is achievable at pH 4–8. X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy helped to identify the new bonds which indicated the formation of BCON linkage. Further, an in situ XPS technique was used to understand the chemical changes while exposing it to ionization radiation specially focusing on the C/O ratio. It was observed that even with a very low energy source, this material is highly sensitive to ionizing radiation, such as neutron, alpha and beta particles.
Localization of the nephron sites responsible for mineralocorticoid escape in rats

Fractional delivery of sodium (FDNA) from the superficial late distal tubule is increased in deoxycorticosterone acetate-(DOCA) treated rats, which may compensate for a presumed mineralocorticoid-stimulated sodium reabsorption in the cortical collecting tubule. In the present study, late proximal (LPT) and early distal tubules (EDT) were micropunctured during volume expansion in control and DOCA-treated rats. Whereas FDNa to the LPT was similar in the two groups, FDNa to the EDT was greater in DOCA-treated than in control rats. Additionally, LPT and deep loop of Henle (LH) were micropunctured in volume-expanded control and DOCA-treated rats. FDNa to the bend of the LH was increased in DOCA-treated rats compared to controls. These findings indicate that in DOCA escape sodium reabsorption is diminished in the pars recta and/or loop of Henle of superficial nephrons and there is increased delivery to the bend of the loop of deep nephrons. We conclude that mineralocorticoid escape is most likely due to increased sodium delivery to the cortical collecting tubule from both deep and superficial nephrons.
Cap in hand.

How good to read in your Diary column that Nurse Managers are at last listening to nurses. I refer to the Hartlepool decision to restore the use of nurses' caps. We younger nurses not only want a challenging i research-based profession respected by our colleagues, but we also want to keep the traditional aspects of nursing. To most of us that tradition is found not only in providing the highest standards of care but also in the appearance of uniforms.
Is Obesity in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Associated With Larger Curves and Worse Surgical Outcomes

Study Design.A multicenter retrospective study of preoperative characteristics and surgical outcomes in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).Objective.To determine the effect of obesity on (i) curve magnitude at first presentation to an orthopedic surgeon, and (ii) surgical outcomes.Summary of Back
A GOAL-DIRECTED PRODUCTION SYSTEM FOR STORY UNDERSTANDING1

Using knowledge to make inferences is a crucial aspect of natural language processing. While the notion of a script has been useful in this regard, other forms of knowledge are also needed. In particular, knowledge about goals and knowledge about stories is crucial for story understanding. The understander must know what types of goals characters in a story can have so as to be able to interpret their behavior. Knowledge about the point of a story is needed to direct the understanding process. These forms of knowledge can best be applied by means of a hierarchical production system.
Development of Physiologic versus Pathologic Hypertrophy in Mouse Models Expressing Mutations in Myosin Essential Light Chain

Mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying physiologic vs. pathological cardiac remodeling were investigated using transgenic Δ43, A57G and E143K mice expressing mutations in myosin essential light chain (ELC). In Δ43-hearts, the endogenous mouse ventricular-ELC is partially replaced with the N-terminal 43-amino-acid truncated human-ELC. The A57G (Alanine→Glycine) mutation was found to cause hypertrophic (HCM), while E143K (Glutamate→Lysine), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). The hearts of Δ43-mice hypertrophy with age, but the ventricles do not show pathological remodeling or morphology vs. WT mice. In contrary, severe phenotypes were observed in Masson's trichrome-stained heart sections of HCM- and RCM-models. EM evaluation revealed abundant mitochondria in A57G-HCM and profound sarcomere defects (distorted Z- and M- lines) in E143K-RCM hearts. Normal in vivo function was recorded in Δ43-mice, but systolic and diastolic abnormalities were noted in HCM and RCM hearts. Functional studies showed elevated (E143K) or reduced (A57G) contractile force and increased Ca2+-sensitivity in RCM/HCM models vs. WT, but no change in Δ43-mice. Small-angle X-ray diffraction study showed decreased lattice spacing in pathological models of hypertrophy, but no changes in the physiological phenotype. Proteomic investigation using tandem-mass-tag-labeling showed changes in metabolic and cellular processes in all three phenotypes vs. WT and differential protein expression between physiologic and pathologic heart models. Compared with Δ43, E143K-RCM hearts showed upregulation of structural proteins, myomesin-1 and LIM-protein2, while Ca2+-binding proteins, sarcalumenin and mitochondrial protein Aralar1 were upregulated in A57G-HCM. Comparison of RCM and HCM hearts revealed upregulation of L-lactate dehydrogenase-B and isocitrate dehydrogenase-[NAD]-alpha, and downregulation of inorganic pyrophosphatase-2 in E143K vs. A57G hearts. In conclusion, in contrast to the physiologic model of hypertrophy, HCM and RCM mice show severe structural and metabolic abnormalities that trigger development of pathological hypertrophy and alter function. Supported by NIH-HL108343 (DSC).
You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression? First Encounters and Face-Based Threat Perception

A common assumption in international relations (IR) theory is that threat perception involves the very deliberate and painstaking task of processing information. Costly signals, movements toward rapprochement, conciliatory gestures, speech acts, intentioned behavior, and other actions are interpreted and consciously analyzed in order to answer the simple question: Does the relevant actor pose a threat? Yet, a wealth of evidence from psychology and neuroscience suggests that rather than consciously evaluating others, we tend to make quick judgments within milliseconds of meeting. First impressions, it turns out, are critical to judgments of threat as well as trustworthiness. And crucially, first impressions are sticky in that they last long into a relationship and color future interactions. This article elaborates this cognitive bias in IR threat perception, posits a theory of first impressions at the individual level of analysis, and outlines its importance in diplomacy. In particular, I connect the literature on first impressions to the problem of first encounters in constructivist theorizing, suggest links to the proliferation of symbolic violence, and find an antidote to symbolic violence in the practice of digital diplomacy.
Combining a Baiting and a User Search Profiling Techniques for Masquerade Detection

Masquerade attacks are characterized by an adversary stealing a legitimate user’s credentials and using them to impersonate the victim and perform malicious activities, such as stealing information. Prior work on masquerade attack detection has focused on profiling legitimate user behavior and detecting abnormal behavior indicative of a masquerade attack. Like any anomaly-detection based techniques, detecting masquerade attacks by profiling user behavior suffers from a significant number of false positives. We extend prior work and provide a novel integrated detection approach in this paper. We combine a user behavior profiling technique with a baiting technique in order to more accurately detect masquerade activity. We show that using this integrated approach reduces the false positives by 36% when compared to user behavior profiling alone, while achieving almost perfect detection results. Furthermore, we show how this combined detection approach can serve as a mechanism for hardening the masquerade attack detector against mimicry attacks.
The Effect of Chemistry Variations on the Short-Term Rupture Life and Tensile Properties of 20% Cold-Worked Type 316 Stainless Steel

The effects of compositional variations on the rupture life of 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel were investigated at 19-ksi (131-MPa) uniaxial tensile stress and at 1400°F (1033 K). Forty-n...
Sulfonylurea drug pretreatment and functional outcome in diabetic patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

Abstract Purpose Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with poor clinical outcome and high mortality. Sulfonylurea (SFU) use may be a viable therapy for inhibiting sulfonylurea receptor-1 and NC Ca-ATP channels and reducing perihematomal edema and blood-brain barrier disruption. We sought to evaluate the effects of prehospital SFU use with outcomes in diabetic patients with acute ICH. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of diabetic patients presenting with acute ICH at a tertiary care center. Study inclusion criteria included spontaneous ICH etiology and age > 18 years. Baseline clinical severity was documented using ICH-score. Hematoma volumes (HV) on admission were calculated using ABC/2 formula. Unfavorable functional outcome was documented as discharge modified Rankin Scale scores 2–6. Results 230 diabetic patients with acute ICH fulfilled inclusion criteria (mean age 64 ± 13 years, men 53%). SFU pretreatment was documented in 16% of the study population. Patients with SFU pretreatment had significantly ( p 3 , IQR: 1–12) compared to controls [ICH-score: 1 (IQR: 0–3); HV: 9cm 3 (IQR: 3–20)]. SFU pretreatment was independently ( p = 0.033) and negatively associated with the cubed root of admission HV (linear regression coefficient: − 0.208; 95%CI: − 0.398 to − 0.017) in multiple linear regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders. Pretreatment with SFU was also independently ( p = 0.033) associated with lower likelihood of unfavorable functional outcome (OR = 0.19; 95%CI: 0.04–0.88) in multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion SFU pretreatment may be an independent predictor for improved functional outcome in diabetic patients with acute ICH. This association requires independent confirmation in a large prospective cohort study.
A Gender Integrative Approach to the Anti-CSEC Movement in Georgia

ABSTRACTHuman-trafficking scholars are beginning to highlight the ways social, political, and economic forces interact to influence anti-trafficking activism. Previous research has accounted for how carceral politics, white supremacy, and the neoliberal global economy have shaped campaigns against trafficking. However, there are still movement dynamics that require further investigation. Drawing on 48 in-depth interviews and over a year of participant observation with anti-Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) activists in the state of Georgia, this article argues gender functions at an institutional and interactional level to shape anti-CSEC activism. First, the types of workers with whom exploited youth come in contact operate within highly segregated occupations. Second, the organizational structure of anti-CSEC organizations allows for “family friendly” work policies that provide flexible work hours and emotionally and socially supportive work environments creating opportunities for women ...
List Experiment Design, Non-Strategic Respondent Error, and Item Count Technique Estimators

The item count technique (ICT-MLE) regression model for survey list experiments depends on assumptions about responses at the extremes (choosing no or all items on the list). Existing list experiment best practices aim to minimize strategic misrepresentation in ways that virtually guarantee that a tiny number of respondents appear in the extrema. Under such conditions both the “no liars” identification assumption and the computational strategy used to estimate the ICT-MLE become difficult to sustain. I report the results of Monte Carlo experiments examining the sensitivity of the ICT-MLE and simple difference-in-means estimators to survey design choices and small amounts of non-strategic respondent error. I show that, compared to the difference in means, the performance of the ICT-MLE depends on list design. Both estimators are sensitive to measurement error, but the problems are more severe for the ICT-MLE as a direct consequence of the no liars assumption. These problems become extreme as the number of treatment-group respondents choosing all the items on the list decreases. I document that such problems can arise in real-world applications, provide guidance for applied work, and suggest directions for further research.
Cardiac CTA of Congenital Coronary and Other Anomalies

Cardiac CTA is currently the best noninvasive study for the evaluation of congenital coronary anomalies. One can easily evaluate the anomalous origin, course, and termination of the artery. To the contrary, this can be very challenging with coronary angiography and may necessitate placement of a second catheter in the pulmonary artery. PGA is an excellent low-radiation technique for the evaluation of these patients.
Tumor markers for breast cancer. Current utilities and future prospects.

Breast cancer remains one of the most common lethal malignancies in the western world. Tumor markers might permit selection of the most appropriate treatments for the individual patient based on her particular situation. This article reviews currently available data suggesting clinical utility of markers in different settings, adding speculation about future prospects where appropriate.
The Transformation of the Campaign Financing Regime for U.S. Presidential Elections

Since the mid-1970s, the United States system for the financing of presidential election campaigns has been a mixture of private fundraising by candidates, parties, and outside groups and optional public financing for candidates (and for political party conventions). The 2008 presidential election-with its record-breaking $1.8 billion campaign (including an astounding $745.7 million raised by then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama) (FEC 2009) - demonstrated that the current system is in the midst of a major transformation. This chapter explains how the system is changing, offers possible reasons for the transformation, and evaluates the transformation normatively. Part I shows how the system is changing in four ways. (1) The voluntary presidential public financing system is no longer viable; candidates who opt in do so out of weakness, not strength. (2) A major share of private campaign contributions to presidential candidates in 2008 have come through campaign finance “bundlers” and from micro-donors giving very small amounts via the Internet. (3) Thanks to a U.S. federal law, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), political parties can no longer accept very large campaign contributions (“soft money”) from wealthy individuals, corporations, and labor unions to pay for political advertising. (4) Wealthy individuals, corporations, and labor unions have shifted some, though not necessarily all, of the money that used to go to political parties and to “issue advocacy” into outside groups (including so-called “527 organizations”).Part II explains that these four changes have likely arisen from a number of factors including: (1) the failure of the U.S. Congress to update the presidential public financing system, first enacted in 1974; (2) enactment of BCRA and the U.S. Supreme Court’s shifting interpretation of the constitutionality of campaign finance law; (3) the rise of cheap political speech via the Internet; and (4) continued political polarization.Part III explores normative implications. The potential for quid pro quo corruption of candidates appears to remain low, thanks to a series of laws imposing contribution limits. Sale of access to candidates, however, remains a feature of U.S. presidential elections even post-BCRA. From the standpoint of political equality, the transformation offers a mixed bag with somewhat offsetting effects. Thus, the collapse of the public financing system may have anti-egalitarian effects, but those effects are somewhat militated by the rise of micro-donors. The end of soft money and the rise of outside non-party political organizations in theory could lead to weakened political parties, but continued polarization of the electorate have kept parties thriving even under BCRA and the shifting constitutional ground rules of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bilingualism as a desirable difficulty: Advantages in word learning depend on regulation of the dominant language.

Bilingualism imposes costs to language processing but benefits to word learning. We test a new hypothesis that relates costs in language processing at study to benefits in learning at test as desirable difficulties. While previous studies have taught vocabulary via bilinguals’ native language (L1), recent evidence suggests that bilinguals acquire regulatory skill in the L1 to coordinate the use of each language. We hypothesized that L1 regulation underlies the observed costs and benefits, with word learning advantages depending on learning via the L1. Four groups learned novel Dutch words via English translations: English monolinguals, and English–Spanish, Spanish–English, and Chinese–English bilinguals. Only English–Spanish bilinguals demonstrated a word learning advantage, but they adopted a costly study strategy compared to monolinguals. The results suggest that bilingual advantages in vocabulary learning depend on learning via the L1 or dominant language because learning via the L1 allows bilinguals to engage regulatory skills that benefit learning.
Resources for healthcare workflow modeling and analysis

Workflow analysis identifies areas for improvement, such as redundant tasks or processes, bottlenecks, lack of efficiency or conformity with best practice. There are limited resources in healthcare workflow analysis modelling and analysis. In this paper, we describe the resources developed for teaching clinical workflow analysis and redesign. The workflow modeling and process mining tools could be helpful for the instructors who teach clinical workflow. The tools also supplement the resources for health information technology educators.
Spectra of cycle and path families of oriented hypergraphs

Abstract An oriented hypergraph is a hypergraph where each vertex-edge incidence is given a label of either +1 or −1. This generalizes signed graphs to a hypergraph setting and simultaneously provides a natural definition for a signed adjacency which is used to define the adjacency and Laplacian matrices. Many properties of these matrices are known, but there are no nontrivial families of oriented hypergraphs with their spectrum determined. In this paper we define and study hypergraph families that are analogous to cycles and paths in graphs and signed graphs. The adjacency and Laplacian eigenvalues for some of these families is determined.
In Vivo Synaptic Density Imaging with 11C-UCB-J Detects Treatment Effects of Saracatinib in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease

11C-UCB-J is a new PET tracer for synaptic density imaging. Recently, we conducted 11C-UCB-J PET on patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer disease (AD) and found a 41% decrease in specific binding in the hippocampus compared with healthy subjects. We hypothesized that 11C-UCB-J may have potential to be a general biomarker for evaluating AD treatment effects via monitoring of synaptic density changes. In this study, we performed longitudinal 11C-UCB-J PET on AD mice to measure the treatment effects of saracatinib, which previously demonstrated synaptic changes with postmortem methods. Methods: Nine wild-type (WT) mice and 9 amyloid precursor protein and presenilin 1 double-transgenic (APPswe/PS1ΔE9 [APP/PS1]) mice underwent 3 11C-UCB-J PET measurements: at baseline, after treatment, and during drug washout. After baseline measurements, saracatinib, a Fyn kinase inhibitor currently in clinical development for AD treatment, was administered by oral gavage for 41 ± 11 d. Treatment-phase measurements were performed on the last day of treatment, and washout-phase measurements occurred more than 27 d after the end of treatment. SUVs from 30 to 60 min after injection of 11C-UCB-J were calculated and normalized by the whole-brain (WB) or brain stem (BS) average values as SUV ratio (SUVR(WB) or SUVR-1(BS)). Results: Hippocampal SUVR(WB) at baseline was significantly lower in APP/PS1 than WT mice (APP/PS1: 1.11 ± 0.04, WT: 1.15 ± 0.02, P = 0.033, unpaired t test). Using SUVR-1(BS) in the hippocampus, there was also a significant difference at baseline (APP/PS1: 0.48 ± 0.13, WT: 0.65 ± 0.10, P = 0.017, unpaired t test). After treatment with saracatinib, hippocampal SUVR(WB) in APP/PS1 mice was significantly increased (P = 0.037, paired t test). A trend-level treatment effect was seen with hippocampal SUVR-1(BS). Saracatinib treatment effects may persist, as there were no significant differences between WT and APP/PS1 mice after drug washout. Conclusion: On the basis of the 11C-UCB-J PET results, hippocampal synaptic density was lower in APP/PS1 mice than in WT mice at baseline, and this deficit was normalized by treatment with saracatinib. These results support the use of 11C-UCB-J PET to identify disease-specific synaptic deficits and to monitor treatment effects in AD.
Halo Effect Influences on the Japanese Product Price/Quality Relationship

The relationship between price, quality and country of origin has not been fully explored. Recent attention to Japanese management styles and quality control measures could produce a generalized enhanced belief of product quality. Research indications were that a "halo effect" does exist bolstering the pervasive image of Japanese goods. This was found even when the Japanese product was of lesser price. It was interesting that nationalism appeared to be a dominant factor when price and quality were constant. It seemed that Americans desire to purchase domestic goods, but not at the expense of perceived inferior quality.
Sense-able Lunch Recommendations

An ideal mobile user interface provides users with just the information they want, when they want it. We believe that sensors in the ambient environment can help automatically showcase this information. In this paper, we describe how we inferred users' favorite lunch stations using indoor location trajectories. We had 109 users participate in our study over an eight month period and we were able to predict their lunch station choices with 85% accuracy using a heuristic algorithm. We describe our system, the data we collected and our post-hoc user assessment.
Blocking extracellular Galectin-3 in patients with osteoarthritis.

Abstract Objective This pilot clinical trial examined the efficacy of blocking extracellular Galectin-3 (Gal-3) with modified citrus pectin (MCP), in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods 50 patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive MCP or placebo at a dose of 4 g (5 capsules) twice daily for 12 weeks. Serum Gal-3 levels and OA severity were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks. Gal-3 levels were detected by sandwich ELISA and OA severity was determined using WOMAC-knee, SF-36, and RAPID3 surveys during these visits. MCP tolerability was assessed by a basic metabolic panel during a week 6 follow up visit. Results Patients enrolled in both the MCP treatment and placebo groups shared similar baseline characteristics in OA severity, serum Gal-3 levels, and pain management. Improvement across all surveys was noted independent of supplement or placebo treatment. No significant change in Gal-3 levels were observed in either cohort over the 12-week study. Conclusion Treatment of knee OA with a 12-week course of MCP did not significantly improve disease burden compared to placebo.
Aspects of multimode Kerr ringdown fitting

A black hole that is ringing down to quiescence emits gravitational radiation of a very specific nature that can inform us of its mass and angular momentum, test the no-hair theorem for black holes, and perhaps even give us additional information about its progenitor system. This paper provides a detailed description of, and investigation into the behavior of, multimode fitting of the ring-down signal provided by numerical simulations. We find that there are at least three well-motivated multimode fitting schemes that can be used. These methods are tested against a specific numerical simulation to allow for comparison to prior work.
NATO enlargement: evaluating its consequences in Russia

It is often claimed that NATO’s post-Cold War geographic enlargement threatened Russian security interests and caused the downturn in Russia’s relations with the West. This article unpacks and challenges that causal claim, making three basic arguments. First, NATO enlargement made the alliance weaker. Russia knew this and did not react militarily to any perceived threat from Europe until after it seized Crimea in 2014. Second, the downturn in Russia’s relationship with the West was overdetermined and most likely caused by Russia’s reaction to its own declining influence in the world. While NATO’s geographic enlargement aggravated this situation, it was probably not the most significant causal factor. Third, while Russia certainly reacted negatively to NATO enlargement right from the start, the reaction was manipulated and magnified by both the nationalist opposition, and Vladimir Putin’s regime, to serve domestic political interests.
Sovereign Wealth Funds in Southeast Asia

This paper provides background on sovereign wealth funds in Southeast Asia: Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), Timor-Leste Petroleum Fund (PT), Singapore’s GIC and Temasek, Malaysia’s Khazanah and 1MDB, and Vietnam’s State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC). These funds are diverse in their origins, purposes, and governance. Given their lack of transparency and their ownership by the states, the paper points out some concerns over the sovereign wealth funds, namely, potential of mismanagement of the public fund, political interference, and adverse perception from foreign countries in which the funds invest.
Trafficked by a Friend: A Qualitative Analysis of Adolescent Trafficking Victims’ Archival Case Files

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor citizen within the United States. Previous research suggests that traffickers use different tactics depending upon their established relationships with at-risk youth. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis, therefore, is to explore the circumstances and control tactics associated with DMST victimization within friend-type trafficking relationships. This analysis utilizes the archival case notes of 66 minors who were trafficked for sex by their friends in one state in the United States. Findings reveal that DMST victims trafficked by friends perceive that they have financial agency, that their traffickers use control tactics against them, and that other women are involved in their exploitation. Recommendations emanating from this study point social workers towards prevention and practice strategies that take into account victims’ specific experiences with trafficking entry and their barriers to exit.