cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of the randomized clinical stroke rehabilitation trials in 2009.

Material/Methods: In this article, randomized control trials (RCT’s) published in 2009 of rehabilitation therapies for acute (≤2 weeks), sub-acute (2 to 12 weeks) and chronic (≥12 weeks) stroke was reviewed. A Medline search was performed to identify all RCT’s in stroke rehabilitation in the year 2009. The search strategy that was used for PubMed is presented in the Appendix 1. The objective was to examine the effectiveness of these treatment modalities in stroke rehabilitation. Results: This generated 35 RCT’s under 5 categories which were found and analyzed. The methodological quality was assessed by using the PEDro scale for external and internal validity. Conclusions: These trials were primarily efficacy studies. Most of these studies enrolled small numbers of patient which precluded their clinical applicability (limited external validity). However, the constraint induced movement therapy (CIT), regularly used in chronic stroke patients did not improve affected arm-hand function when used in acute stroke patients at ≤4weeks. Intensive CIT did not lead to motor improvement in arm-hand function. Robotic arm treatment helped decrease motor impairment and improved function in chronic stroke patients only. Therapist provided exercise programs (when self-administered by patients during their off-therapy time in a rehabilitation setting) did improve arm-hand function. Tai Chi exercises helped improve balance and weight bearing. Exercise programs for community dwelling stroke patient helped maintain and even improve their functional state.
Synergistic effects of predators and trematode parasites on larval green frog (Rana clamitans) survival

Parasites and predators can have complex, nonadditive effects on a shared group of victims, which can have important consequences for population dynamics. In particular, parasites can alter host traits that influence predation risk, and predators can have nonconsumptive effects on prey traits which influence susceptibility (i.e., infection intensity and tolerance) to parasites. Here, we examined the combined effects of trematode parasites (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) and odonate (Anax) predators on the survival of larval green frogs (Rana clamitans). First, in a large-scale mesocosm experiment, we manipulated the presence or absence of parasites in combination with the presence of no predator, caged predators, or free predators, and measured survival, traits, and infection. Parasites, caged predators, and free predators decreased survival, and we found a strong negative synergistic effect of parasites in combination with free predators on survival. Importantly, we then examined the potential mechanisms that explain the observed synergistic effect of parasites and predators in a series of follow-up experiments. Results of the follow-up experiments suggest that increased predation susceptibility due to elevated activity levels in the presence of free-swimming parasite infective stages (i.e., an avoidance response) is the most likely mechanism responsible for the observed synergism. These results suggest a potential trade-off in susceptibility to parasites and predators, which can drive nonadditive effects that may have important consequences for natural enemy interactions in natural populations and amphibian conservation.
Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Neuroinflammation after Cranial Irradiation with 56Fe Particles

Abstract Rola, R., Fishman, K., Baure, J., Rosi, S., Lamborn, K. R., Obenaus, A., Nelson, G. A. and Fike, J. R. Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Neuroinflammation after Cranial Irradiation with 56Fe Particles. Radiat. Res. 169, 626–632 (2008). Exposure to heavy-ion radiation is considered a potential health risk in long-term space travel. In the central nervous system (CNS), loss of critical cellular components may lead to performance decrements that could ultimately compromise mission goals and long-term quality of life. Hippocampal-dependent cognitive impairments occur after exposure to ionizing radiation, and while the pathogenesis of this effect is not yet clear, it may involve the production of newly born neurons (neurogenesis) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. We irradiated mice with 0.5–4 Gy of 56Fe ions and 2 months later quantified neurogenesis and numbers of activated microglia as a measure of neuroinflammation in the dentate gyrus. Results showed that there were few changes after 0.5 Gy, but that t...
Frequency of Dry Day Sequences

: Data from 100 stations were used to prepare a generalized characterization of the extremely long dry day sequences in the United States. Maps are presented showing the magnitude of the two-year, dry day sequences for 1 mm threshold and the coefficient of variation of the items used in the extreme value analysis. For the United States, the average coefficient of variation for dry periods is 30 percent as compared with that for maximum 24h rainfalls which is 37 percent. An example is presented for computing the longer return periods.
Urinary excretion of 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(β-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman is a major route of elimination of γ-tocopherol in humans

Little is known of the post-absorptive, metabolic fate of gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in North American diets. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of urinary excretion of 2,7, 8-trimethyl-2-(beta-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman (gamma-CEHC), a recently identified metabolite of gamma-tocopherol. A method for measurement of urinary gamma-CEHC was developed, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with a deuterated internal standard, 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(beta-carboxyethyl)-(3, 4-2H2)-6-hydroxychroman (d2-gamma-CEHC). This standard was synthesized by dehydrogenation of 6-acetyl-gamma-CEHC followed by deuteration of the resulting 3,4-double bond. The use of d2-gamma-CEHC resulted in accurate determinations of the concentration of d0-gamma-CEHC in human urine. Urine samples containing added d2-gamma-CEHC were treated with beta-glucuronidase, extracted with an organic solvent, and analyzed by GC-MS. Analysis of 24-h urine pools from healthy subjects revealed gamma-CEHC concentrations, normalized against creatinine, ranging from 2.5 to 31.5 micromol/g creatinine, or a total of 4.6 to 29.8 micromol per day. These results correspond to 2-12 mg gamma-tocopherol excreted daily as gamma-CEHC in the urine. Given an estimated mean intake of gamma-tocopherol of 20 mg/day, catabolism of gamma-tocopherol to gamma-CEHC, followed by glucuronide conjugation and urinary excretion, is a major pathway for elimination of gamma-tocopherol in humans.
El papel de los marcadores tumorales en la consulta de urología para el screening, diagnóstico y seguimiento del cáncer de vejiga

Resumen Objetivo Evaluacion de la utilidad de los marcadores tumorales para el screening y el diagnostico del cancer transicional de vejiga Metodos Identificacion y analisis critico de la literatura publicada en marcadores tumorales de vejiga mediante una busqueda en Medline. Se ha comparado la sensibilidad y especificidad de los distintos marcadores Resultados Los metodos convencionales no invasivos para el diagnostico (sintomas y citologia de orina) y para el screening y seguimiento del carcinoma transicional de vejiga, no deben ser considerados suficientemente sensibles. Algunos marcadores tumorales pueden ser una alternativa razonable a la citologia de orina convencional Conclusion Los marcadores tumorales para el screening y el seguimiento del cancer de vejiga han de ser considerados una alternativa a la citologia. En el futuro, marcadores mas sensibles y especificos deben sustituir asimismo a la cistoscopia de rutina
Progression of endometriosis to cancer: too MUCh FoxP3+ regulatory T-cell response?

Endometriosis, a major contributor to pelvic pain and subfertility, affects 6–10% of women of reproductive age and is characterized by endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, mainly in the pelvic peritoneum and ovaries ([Giudice, 2010][1]). It is becoming widely accepted that endometriosis,
Word confidence calibration using a maximum entropy model with constraints on confidence and word distributions

It is widely known that the quality of confidence measure is critical for speech applications. In this paper, we present our recent work on improving word confidence scores by calibrating them using a small set of calibration data when only the recognized word sequence and associated raw confidence scores are made available. The core of our technique is the maximum entropy model with distribution constraints which naturally and effectively make use of the word distribution, the raw confidence-score distribution, and the context information. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by showing that it can achieve relative 38% mean square error (MSE), 39% negative normalized likelihood (NNLL), and 23% equal error rate (EER) reduction on a voice mail transcription data set and relative 35% MSE, 45% NNLL, and 35% EER reduction on a command and control data set.
Evaluation of fluorophores for optimal performance in localization-based super-resolution imaging

One approach to super-resolution fluorescence imaging uses sequential activation and localization of individual fluorophores to achieve high spatial resolution. Essential to this technique is the choice of fluorescent probes; the properties of the probes, including photons per switching event, on-off duty cycle, photostability and number of switching cycles, largely dictate the quality of super-resolution images. Although many probes have been reported, a systematic characterization of the properties of these probes and their impact on super-resolution image quality has been described in only a few cases. Here we quantitatively characterized the switching properties of 26 organic dyes and directly related these properties to the quality of super-resolution images. This analysis provides guidelines for characterization of super-resolution probes and a resource for selecting probes based on performance. Our evaluation identified several photoswitchable dyes with good to excellent performance in four independent spectral ranges, with which we demonstrated low-cross-talk, four-color super-resolution imaging.
Manipulator control at kinematic singularities: a dynamically consistent strategy

This paper presents a general strategy for manipulator control at kinematic singularities. When a manipulator is in the neighborhood of singular configurations, it is treated as a redundant mechanism in the subspace orthogonal to the singular directions of the end-effector. Control in this subspace is based on operational forces, while null space joint torques are used to deal with the control in the singular directions. Decoupled behavior is guaranteed by using the dynamically consistent force/torque relationship. Two different types of kinematic singularities are identified and strategies dealing with these singularities are developed. Experimental results of the implementation of this approach on a PUMA 560 manipulator are presented.
A Conceptual Model of Family Surrogate End-of-Life Decision-Making Process in the Nursing Home Setting: Goals of Care as Guiding Stars

An increasing proportion of dying is occurring in America's nursing homes (NH). Family members are involved in (and affected by) medical decision-making on behalf of NH residents approaching the end of life, especially when the resident is cognitively impaired. This article proposes an empirically derived conceptual model of the key factors NH family surrogate decision-makers consider when establishing or changing goals of care and the iterative process as applied to the NH setting. This model also establishes the importance of family social role expectations toward their loved one as well as the concept, “stance toward dying,” as key in establishing or changing the main goal of care. NH staff and physicians can use the model as a framework for providing information and support to family members. Research is needed to better understand how to prepare staff and settings to support family surrogate decision-makers, in particular around setting goals of care. The model can be generalized beyond nursing homes.
Optimizing Instruction Using Adaptive Hypermedia

How do you optimize instruction in an adaptive hypermedia learning environment? We believe instruction is optimized when adaptivity is grounded in good instructional design. To respect diverse talents and ways of learning, our cyclic approach to instructional design is the basis upon which inference techniques can be applied to continuously adapt instruction according to learning behavior and performance. We define an individual's learning behavior in terms of how they interact with the environment (i.e links activated, pages visited, time spent, and frequency of visits). This paper describes the OctoPlustrade cycle and presents results of an experiment comparing two groups interacting with OctoPlus-formatted tutorials: a control and an adaptive group, to whom adaptive navigation, presentation and content features were added over time. Results indicated reduction in time spent for the adaptive group with comparable performance in the fully adaptive tutorial
Exploring the Relation of Health-Promoting Behaviors to Role Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women With Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE. We examined the relation of health-promoting behaviors to participation in life roles and health-related quality of life (HR–QOL) in women with multiple sclerosis. METHOD. We used a correlational design. Frequency of health-promoting behaviors was obtained from the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile–II. Role participation was measured by the SF–36 Role-Physical, RoleEmotional, and Social Functioning scales, and HR–QOL was measured with the Physical and Mental Component scales. RESULTS. Eleven significant positive correlations were found among specific health-promoting behaviors (e.g., nutrition, stress management, physical activity, positive interpersonal relations, spiritual growth), role participation, and HR–QOL. CONCLUSION. The findings suggest that involvement in health-promoting behaviors is associated with greater participation in life roles and HR–QOL for women with multiple sclerosis. This study provides preliminary evidence for the use and development of health promotion in occupational therapy treatment. Tyszka, A. C., & Farber, R. S. (2010). Exploring the relation of health-promoting behaviors to role participation and healthrelated quality of life in women with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 650–659. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2010.07121
Characterization of plastic hypodermic needles

A significant potential for plastic hypodermic needles exists as an alternative to current steel needles. This paper presents the design and testing of one type of plastic hypodermic needle. The buckling and penetration characteristics of the needles were modeled and analyzed analytically and by finite element analyses. Experimental penetration tests using plastic and steel control hypodermic needles with skin mimics, specifically polyurethane film and pig skin, were performed to determine penetration and friction forces. Lubricated plastic needles achieved successful penetrations in 25–75% of the tests in both polyurethane film and pig skin with penetration forces ranging from 7 N to 10 N. Penetration tests into butyl rubber stoppers also were conducted with lubricated plastic needles penetrating in 75% of the tests with an average penetration force of 8.3 N. Various lubricants, including silicone oil and a medical grade silicone dispersion, were also studied. In addition, the needles underwent successful perpendicular bending tests and cannula stiffness tests. Finally, fluid flow tests determined fluid flow rates through the needles. Experimental results were compared with each other and to finite element analyses and are discussed.
Lithium-ion cell technology demonstration for future NASA applications

NASA requires lightweight rechargeable batteries for future missions to Mars and the outer planets that are capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures, with high specific energy and energy densities. Due to their attractive performance characteristics, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been identified as the battery chemistry of choice for a number of future applications, including planetary orbiters, rovers and landers. For example, under the Mars Surveyor Program M5P 01 lithium-ion batteries were developed by Lithion (each being 28 V, 25 Ah, 8-cells, and 9 kg) and fully qualified prior to mission cancellation. In addition to the requirement of being able to supply at least 90 cycles on the surface of Mars, the battery demonstrated operational capability (both charge and discharge) over a large temperature range (-20/spl deg/C to +40/spl deg/C), with tolerance to nonoperational excursions to -30/spl deg/C and 50/spl deg/C. Currently, JPL is implementing lithium-ion technology on the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER), which will be coupled with a solar array. This mission has similar performance requirements to that of the 2001 Lander in that high energy density and a wide operating temperature range are necessitated. In addition to planetary rover and lander applications, we are also engaged in determining the viability of using lithium-ion technology for orbiter applications that require exceptionally long life (/spl deg/20,000 cycles at partial depth of discharge). To assess the viability of lithium-ion cells for these applications, a number of performance characterization tests have been performed (at the cell and battery level) on state-of-art prototype lithium-ion cells, including: assessing the cycle life performance (at varying DODs), life characteristics at extreme temperatures ( +40/spl deg/C), rate capability as a function of temperature (-30/spl deg/C to 40/spl deg/C), pulse capability, self-discharge and storage characteristics, as well as, mission profile capability. This paper will describe the current and future NASA missions that are considering lithium (Li) ion batteries and will contain results of the cell testing conducted to-date to validate the technology for these missions.
The Nature and Significance of ATP-Induced Contraction of Microtubule Gels

Among the most essential, and dramatic, events in the life of a cell are the processes of cell motility. Cytoplasmic microtubules (we will not consider flagella and cilia microtubules in the present discussion) are a key element in cellular motility (for a review, see Hyams and Stebbings 1979). They appear to be involved in such diverse phenomena as chromosome movement during mitosis, transport of vesicles in axons (Allen et al. 1985) and other cells (Hayden et al. 1983), and elongation of retina cells (Warren and Burnside 1978). Although extensively investigated little is known about either the process controlling microtubule organization in cells, or about the mechanism by which they produce movement.
Direct numerical simulation of flow transition in high-speed boundary layers around airfoils

The three-dimensional development of the flow transition in a Mach 1.6 supersonic airfoil boundary layer is studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS). The numerical simulation is performed by a spatial approach. A full compressible Navier-Stokes system in the curvilinear coordinates is employed. The code is first validated by simulating a second-mode instability in a Mach 4.5 flat plate boundary layer. Using suction/blowing on the wall, we can pick up the least stable mode. The numerical results agree very well with those obtained by linear stability theory (LST) at the linear stability stage. Unlike the subsonic flow, the compressibility does change the fundamental physics for streamwise instability at supersonic speed, and causes many differences compared to the incompressible and compressible subsonic counterparts. The rollup process and some other new phenomena for the transition around airfoils are observed.
On the direct decays K±→π±+λ+λ, K±→π±+λ+e++e− and K±→π±eee−

The decay rates for K±→π±+λ+λ, K±→π±+λ+e++e− and K±→π±eee− are discussed in terms of a virtual π{si0} model and a more general model which includes the Brown-Singer (1) σ-meson model. In the latter case the rate for K±→π±+λ+λ is found to be about 0.4% of the total decay rate. This suggests that this decay mode should be overvable if a careful search is made. Events of this kind will alter the apparent π± spectrum in τ′ decay so that the spectrum will not vanish at the end point. The rates for K±→π±λ+e++e− and K±→π±+e++−e are expected to be considerably smaller.
Cytogenetic abnormalities in a plasmacytoma.

Cytogenetic studies from a plasmacytoma, bone marrow, and peripheral blood of a patient with myelomatosis have been described. Studies on the plasmacytoma revealed a marker chromosome in 72 per cent of the cells. Ninety-eight per cent of these contained an abnormal acrocentric marker similar to that reported by Tassoni et al.2 and approximately 50 per cent of the marker-positive cells contained an MG-like chromosome. The origin of the acrocentric marker appeared to involve a translocation from an unknown chromosome to a normal D group member, and that of the MG-like marker to involve pericentric inversion of a normal A group member. The high percentage of cells from the tumor which contained the marker chromosomes makes it likely that these markers, described in low percentage in marrow or peripheral blood by others, actually were obtained from myeloma cells.
Clinical Feature and Prognostic Factors for Relapse of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in Children

Objective To explore the clinical feature and prognostic factors for relapse of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis(ADEM) in children.Methods Forty-eight patients with ADEM in the Department of Neurology of Anhui Provincial Children′s Hospital from Feb.2003 to Dec.2009 were selected,their clinical data,laboratory examination and neuroimaging character were analyzed,and the cli-nical feature and prognostic factors for relapse were summarized.Results All the 48 cases included 22 boys and 26 girls,the onset age was from 1 year and 1 month to 12 years and 6 months,median age was 6.3 years old.Among the 48 ADEM children,31 cases(65%) showed infection symptoms in the prodromal period,4 cases(8%) had received vaccination and 13 cases(27%) had no apparent cause.The clinical manifestations included movement disorders(46 cases),mental disorders(21 cases),headache and dizziness(21 cases),and consciousness disorders(15 cases).MRI presents mainly was subcortical white lesions,centrum ovale majus,basal ganglia,lateral periventricular area,the brain stem and spinal cord,revealing punctiform and lamellar enhancing T1 lesion or T2 lesions.Eight cases in the 48 patients relapsed or repeated relapsed.The optic nerve abnormal appearance,simultaneous supratentorial and infratentorial lesions under MRI,spinal cord lesion and abnormal vision-evoked potential were significantly related to the relapse.The long-term data showed that 34 cases reached complete remission with no neurologic sequela,while 8 cases relapsed,and 14 cases remained neural function defects,it mainly was dyskinesia.Conclusions ADEM in children may show varied clinical manifestations.Optic nerve lesion and the location of lesion under MRI may keep a certain degree of diagnostic value on the relapse.Most ADEM cases have benign prognosis,while a small number of the patients remain neurologic impairment.
Full Frame Encryption and Modulation Obfuscation Using Channel-Independent Preamble Identifier

The broadcast nature of wireless communications exposes various transmission attributes, such as the packet size, inter-packet times, and the modulation scheme. These attributes can be exploited by an adversary to launch passive (e.g., traffic analysis) or selective jamming attacks. This security problem is present even when frame headers and payloads can be encrypted. For example, by determining the modulation scheme, the attacker can estimate the data rate, and hence the payload size. In this paper, we propose Friendly CryptoJam (FCJ), a scheme that decorrelates the payload’s modulation scheme from other transmission attributes by embedding information symbols into the constellation map of the highest-order modulation scheme supported by the system (a concept we refer to as indistinguishable modulation unification). Such unification is done using the least-complex trellis-coded modulation schemes, which are combined with a secret pseudo-random sequence in FCJ to conceal the rate-dependent pattern imposed by the code. It also preserves the bit error rate performance of the payload’s original modulation scheme. At the same time, modulated symbols are encrypted to hide PHY-/MAC layer fields. To identify the Tx and synchronously generate the secret sequence at the Tx and Rx, an efficient identifier embedding technique based on Barker sequences is proposed, which exploits the structure of the preamble and overlays a frame-specific identifier on it. We study the implications of the scheme on PHY-layer functions through simulations and testbed experiments. Our results confirm the efficiency of FCJ in hiding the targeted attributes.
The role of the estrogen receptor in diethylstilbestrol toxicity

The site and specificity of the tissue response to a toxicant are of central importance; it is in this area of Diethylstilbestrol (DES) toxicity that the estrogen receptor would appear to play its primary role. Compilation of the various sites of DES toxicity in humans and experimental animals indicates that lesions appear predominantly in estrogen responsive target tissues suggesting that the presence of the estrogen receptor in such target tissues may help govern the tissue specificity of the toxic insult. DES and many of its oxidative metabolites interact with high affinity with the estrogen receptor. Such an interaction may be responsible for localizing DES to target tissues. Autoradiographic and biochemical studies have supported the localization of radiolabeled DES in susceptible tissues. The intracelullar mechanism of receptor binding of DES and certain metabolites could then result in mobilization of these compounds to the nucleus. Experimental evidence has shown that DES and a number of its metabolites are able to translocate receptor to the nucleus of uterine cells. Such an action by the receptor results in an increased probability of potential chemical interactions with the genome. The actual induction of a chemical lesion in the target cell may, at this point, proceed by non-receptor mediated mechanisms. For example, studies using in vitro cell culture systems which contain no estrogen receptors have shown that DES can induce neoplastic cell transformation, mutagenesis, irreversible binding to DNA and protein and unscheduled DNA synthesis. These results raise the possibility that a part of DES toxicity may follow pharmacologic principles established for chemical carcinogens. Following induction of the molecular lesion, the role of the receptor continues in this process by mediating increased protein synthesis and mitogenesis in responsive target tissues which ultimately permits a more extensive expression of the toxic effects. It has been demonstrated that DES is a potent mitogen in vivo in both uterine and pituitary tissues, subsequently, the lesion will perpetuate itself through this receptor mediated biological response. This is particularly important since a number of DES induced reproductive tract tumors are expressed only after additional estrogen exposure. While other tumors have been shown to be estrogen sensitive and will regress without continued estrogen stimulation. Therefore, it should be considered that the presence of the estrogen receptor and the estrogen receptor mediated biological responsiveness of a particular tissue are most important in explaining the specificity of DES toxicity.
Technical Ekphrasis in Greek and Roman Science and Literature: The Written Machine between Alexandria and Rome

Ekphrasis is familiar as a rhetorical tool for inducing enargeia, the vivid sense that a reader or listener is actually in the presence of the objects described. This book focuses on the ekphrastic techniques used in ancient Greek and Roman literature to describe technological artifacts. Since the literary discourse on technology extended beyond technical texts, this book explores 'technical ekphrasis' in a wide range of genres, including history, poetry, and philosophy as well as mechanical, scientific, and mathematical works. Technical authors like Philo of Byzantium, Vitruvius, Hero of Alexandria, and Claudius Ptolemy are put into dialogue with close contemporaries in other genres, like Diodorus Siculus, Cicero, Ovid, and Aelius Theon. The treatment of 'technical ekphrasis' here covers the techniques of description, the interaction of verbal and visual elements, the role of instructions, and the balance between describing the artifact's material qualities and the other bodies of knowledge it evokes.
Stagnant Physical Therapy Referral Rates Alongside Rising Opioid Prescription Rates in Patients With Low Back Pain in the United States 1997-2010.

Study Design.A cross-sectional observational study utilizing the National Ambulatory and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys between 1997 and 2010.Objective.The aim of this study was to characterize national physical therapy (PT) referral trends during primary care provider (PCP) visit
The effect of rotation and translation upon the scattered EM fields of a conducting cylinder

The scattering of an H-wave by a circular cylinder, infinite in length and comprised of a very good conductor, is investigated when simultaneously rotating and translating. First order approximations of the Lorentz transformation and Franklin transformations are used to investigate the effect of translation and rotation, respectively, upon the H-wave scattered field of the conducting cylinder. Taken together, it is seen that both phase and magnitude of the scattered field are significantly affected, producing additional information about the complex, dynamic scattering body. This work extends previous efforts to characterize with higher fidelity the signals returned to a radar system from moving, complex platforms, especially those with onboard, dynamic scattering mechanisms.
Fabrication of lightwave circuits on flat fibers: System-in-fiber

This paper reports ultrafast laser fabrication of waveguide circuits in optical fibers with rectangular cross-section and large flat surface area designed for on/in fiber integration. Low-loss coupler and WDM devices are directly integrated in fibers.
Constant Lethality of Gunshot Injuries From Firearm Assault: United States, 2003–2012

Objectives. To investigate the validity of the apparent downward trend in the national case–fatality rate for gunshot wounds from assault.Methods. We reanalyzed the estimated annual number of nonfatal firearm injuries the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System reported from 2003 to 2012. We adjusted the estimates for discontinuities created by the substitution of 1 hospital for another in the sample and for a downward trend in the percentage of gunshot injuries classified as “unknown circumstance.” Firearm homicide data are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System.Results. The unadjusted National Electronic Injury Surveillance System estimate increased by 49%, yielding a decline in the case–fatality rate from 25% to 18%. Our adjustments eliminated these trends; the case–fatality rate was 22% in both 2003 and 2012.Conclusions. With reasonable adjustments, the trend in nonfatal injuries from interpersonal firearms assault tracks the ...
Future Prospects for Leveraging Molecular Information in the Fight Against Colorectal Cancer

Our understanding of the somatic genetic events that contribute to the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased in leaps and bounds over the past 25 years. And while this knowledge has dramatically changed the way we think about disease pathogenesis, and in the process led directly to new ideas about therapeutic approaches, questions remain as to how we can leverage this knowledge to cure the disease. This chapter explores two questions that arise from the study of the molecular pathogenesis of CRC. First, can we exploit the multi-step nature of CRC to develop effective therapeutic strategies? Second, do the genetic events driving CRC progression provide a means to develop molecularly targeted assays for early detection?
Opening Opportunities With Open Data.

“It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off.” —Mark Twain [(1)][1] Researchers in many fields have begun to share data. Increasingly, researchers are sharing data without judging data requests as a gatekeeper or requiring authorship. Despite over a decade of calls for
Technology Skills among Gifted Students: Is There a Digital Divide?

As we venture into the 21st century, adequate technology skills are a requirement. Technology affects not only the way we research information and communicate with others but also the way we do our jobs. Giving our gifted students every opportunity to be technology literate and to acquire technology skills is a must. The legislators and state education heads of both Virginia and West Virginia asked the Milken Exchange (Education Week, 1998) to perform a complete review of computer use in their schools. Although the reports were generally positive, they indicated that “disparities in student access to technology” were evident. The studies validated the continuing need to update technology and provide technology-based instruction as well as the need to provide equal access to inner-city and rural schools. The current study sought to determine if technology is equally accessible to gifted high school students in the various geographic settings: rural, inner-city, and suburban. Overall, results indica...
Evaluation of organic insecticides for management of spotted‐wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in berry crops

Spotted‐wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is an invasive pest affecting fruit production in many regions of the world. Insecticides are the primary tactic for controlling D. suzukii in organic as well as conventional production systems. Organic growers have a greater challenge because fewer insecticides are approved for use in organic agriculture. The most effective organically approved product is spinosad, but alternatives are needed because of label restrictions limiting the number of applications per year, toxicity to beneficial arthropods and the risk of developing resistance. We evaluated several organically approved insecticides against D. suzukii in laboratory assays and field trials conducted on organic blueberry and raspberry farms. Spinosad was consistently the most effective insecticide, but a few other insecticides such as azadirachtin + pyrethrins, Chromobacterium subtsugae and sabadilla alkaloids showed moderate activity. None of the treatments had long residual activity. Mortality started to decline by 3 days after treatment, and by 5 days after application, the treatments were not different from the controls. These products may be useful in rotation programmes, necessary for reducing reliance on spinosad and mitigating resistance. Cultural and biological control approaches are needed in fruit production for D. suzukii management, but insecticides will likely continue to be the dominant management tactic while these other approaches are being optimized and adopted.
Dynamical decoupling in optical fibers: Preserving polarization qubits from birefringent dephasing

One of the major challenges in quantum computation has been to preserve the coherence of a quantum system against dephasing effects of the environment. The information stored in photon polarization, for example, is quickly lost due to such dephasing, and it is crucial to preserve the input states when one tries to transmit quantum information encoded in the photons through a communication channel. We propose a dynamical decoupling sequence, to protect photonic qubits from dephasing, by integrating wave plates into optical fiber at prescribed locations. We simulate random birefringent noise along realistic lengths of optical fiber and study preservation of polarization qubits through such fibers enhanced with Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) dynamical decoupling. This technique can maintain photonic qubit coherence at high fidelity, making a step toward achieving scalable and useful quantum communication with photonic qubits.
Approaches and Methods for Variant Analysis in the Genome of a Single Cell

Every cell in the human body has genomic variants that are either inherited or acquired during lifetime as a result of development, environmental exposure, and aging. Contrary to the former ones, the latter are present in a fraction of cells, which could be as small as a single cell, and are called mosaic variants. Therefore, studying single cells is the ultimate way of analyzing these variants. Analysis of a single cell genome is challenging due to low DNA amounts, and several strategies exist to amplify the DNA. The amplifications introduce errors and biases in the resulting material, which hinder the discovery of true variants. Furthermore, proper analytical considerations are important for both resolving introduced errors and comprehensive variant discovery. Thus, confident variant detection depends on combinations of the following four factors: (1) frequency and type of a mosaic variant; (2) strategy utilized for the discovery; (3) applied experimental and analytical method; and (4) funds and effort that can be invested into each experiment. As of now, none of the existing strategies and techniques are universally applicable to variants of all types, nor are they universally cost effective. Here, we will discuss strategies, experimental techniques, and analytical methods for discovery of a spectrum of mosaic variants from single cell analyses and approaches for validation of discovered variants.
Assessing Current Developmental Levels and Making a Diagnostic Decision

We will look at ways for you to assess development in the office and make a diagnostic decision. Simple ways to elicit language and social skills from children are provided. The use of bubbles and a game of Squiggles can engage a socially reluctant child. For children 3–8 years old, you learn how to use the drawing of a person to help your estimate of skills. Are a child’s social skills delayed or different from other developmental areas? Making the diagnostic decision is discussed. The reasons for medical evaluation and referrals to subspecialists are reviewed. Children with ASD and developmental delays are more likely to have an identifiable reason for their developmental diagnoses compared to children with ASD and no language or cognitive delays.
High Density Pipelined 8bit Multiplier Systolic Arrays for FPGA

With the advent of AI and machine learning as the highest profile FPGA applications, INT8 performance is currently one of the key benchmarking metrics. In current devices, INT8 multipliers must be extracted from higher precision multipliers. Recently, we reported the implementation of a mixed DSP Block and soft logic design, with 22,400 INT8 multipliers, and a system clock rate of 416MHz, on the Intel Stratix 10 2800 chip. In this paper we demonstrate alternate techniques for integer multiplier construction to better balance the resource types on current FPGAs - logic, memory, and DSP - to make a significant improvement in the multiplier, and therefore the dot product, density. We further extend these techniques to 8 bit signed-magnitude (SM) 1.7 representation, which can further improve arithmetic density by using the logic and memory resources more flexibly. We describe variable composition dot product structures, which can be assembled in a scalable 2D systolic array. In one example, we report a design containing 32,768 SM1.7 multipliers, with a clock rate of 432MHz, giving a system performance of over 28 TOPs. Our INT8 densities are improved by up to 30% over the earlier work - we show one design with 28,800 INT8 multipliers. In all cases, enough device resources are left free and accessible to implement a full application level design.
Scalable module detection for attributed networks with applications to breast cancer

The objective of network module detection is to identify groups of nodes within a network structure that are tightly connected. Nodes in a network often have attributes (aka metadata) associated wi...
Erratum for Roy et al., "Chikungunya Virus Infection Impairs the Function of Osteogenic Cells"

Volume 5, no. 3, e00347-20, 2020, [https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00347-20][1]. In [Fig. 5][2], the graph in panel F was inadvertently duplicated in panel E. The correct graph for panel E is shown in [Fig. 5][2] below. ![FIG 5][3] FIG 5 Effect of CHIKV infection on gene expression of
Review of nonopioid multimodal analgesia for surgical and trauma patients.

Purpose Pain is a frequent finding in surgical and trauma patients, and effective pain control remains a common challenge in the hospital setting. Opioids have traditionally been the foundation of pain management; however, these agents are associated with various adverse effects and risks of dependence and diversion. Summary In response to the rising national opioid epidemic and the various risks associated with opioid use, multimodal pain management through use of nonopioid analgesics such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, α 2 agonists, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, skeletal muscle relaxants, sodium channel blockers, and local anesthetics has gained popularity recently. Multimodal analgesia has synergistic therapeutic effects and can decrease adverse effects by enabling use of lower doses of each agent in the multimodal regimen. This review discusses properties of the various nonopioid analgesics and encourages pharmacists to play an active role in the selection, initiation, and dose-titration of multimodal analgesia. The choice of nonopioid agents should be based on patient comorbidities, hemodynamic stability, and the agents' respective adverse effect profiles. A multidisciplinary plan for management of pain should be formulated during transitions of care and is an area of opportunity for pharmacists to improve patient care. Conclusion Multimodal analgesia effectively treats pain while decreasing adverse effects. There is mounting evidence to support use of this strategy to decrease opioid use. As medication experts, pharmacists can play a key role in the selection, initiation, and dose-titration of analgesic agents based on patient-specific factors.
Critical review of methods for isothermal amplification of nucleic acids for environmental analysis.

Abstract The past 30 years have seen the emergence and proliferation of isothermal amplification methods (IAMs) for rapid, sensitive detection and quantification of nucleic acids in a variety of sample types. These methods share dependence on primers and probes with quantitative PCR, but they differ in the specific enzymes and instruments employed, and are frequently conducted in a binary, rather than quantitative format. IAMs typically rely on simpler instruments than PCR analyses due to the maintenance of a single temperature throughout the amplification reaction, which could facilitate deployment of IAMs in a variety of environmental and field settings. This review summarizes the mechanisms of the most common IAM methods and their use in studies of pathogens, harmful algae and fecal indicators in environmental waters, feces, wastewater, reclaimed water, and tissues of aquatic animals. Performance metrics of sensitivity, specificity and limit of detection are highlighted, and the potential for use in monitoring and regulatory contexts is discussed.
Effect of ketamine on binge drinking patterns in crossed high alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice.

Abstract Background Previous research has demonstrated the utility of subanesthetic doses of ketamine in decreasing binge (Drinking-in-the-Dark, or DID) 20% alcohol intake in female inbred (C57BL/6J) mice when administered 12 hours prior to alcohol access (Crowley et al., 2019). In the current study, we assess the efficacy of a similar ketamine pretreatment using male and female selectively bred, crossed High Alcohol Preferring (cHAP) mice, which also drink to intoxication, but are not inbred. We hypothesized that ketamine would decrease binge alcohol intake without impacting locomotor activity. Methods and results Subjects were 28 adult cHAP mice. Mice first received a 2-week DID drinking history using 2-h/day alcohol access. On day 12, prior to ketamine treatment, the average blood ethanol concentration (BEC) was 130 mg/dL, confirming that mice reliably reached intoxicating BECs. On day 15, mice were given 0, 3, or 10 mg/kg of ketamine 12 hours prior to the DID session. Ketamine did not decrease total (2-h) alcohol consumption or locomotion. Interestingly, the 10 mg/kg dose of ketamine did alter the drinking pattern in male mice, decreasing front-loading for a single day. We opted to then increase the doses to 32 or 100 mg/kg (i.e., an anesthetic dose) two days after the initial treatment, keeping the saline control. Mice of both sexes decreased total binge alcohol intake at the 100 mg/kg dose only, but again, the effect only lasted one day. Conclusions The current study found that cHAP mice reached more than double the BECs observed in C57BL/6J mice during DID, but did not respond to subanesthetic ketamine. Modest efficacy was found for ketamine pretreatment at anesthetic doses. Differences in findings may be due to differential intake during DID, or genetic differences between C57Bl/6J mice and cHAP mice. Drug efficacy in multiple models is important for discovering reliable pharmacotherapies for alcoholism.
Dyslipidemia in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a dyslipidemia comprising high triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol and altered lipoprotein composition. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in CKD, especially in end stage renal disease patients. Thus, therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk are urgently needed in CKD. Robust clinical trial evidence has found that use of statins in pre-end stage CKD patients, as well as in renal transplant recipients, can decrease cardiovascular events; however, providers need to be aware of dose restrictions for statin therapy in CKD subjects. Furthermore, statin therapy does not reduce cardiovascular events in dialysis patients, nor does statin therapy confer any protection against progression of renal disease. Niacin and fibrates are effective in lipid lowering in CKD and appear to have some cardiovascular benefit but further study is needed to clearly define their role. This article reviews the epidemiology of CKD, association of CKD with cardiovascular events, and the effects of CKD on lipid levels and metabolism. The article discusses clinical trial evidence for and against statin and non-statin lipid lowering therapy in CKD patients. For complete coverage of this and all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our FREE on-line web-textbook, www.endotext.org.