cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fact and fiction of emergency surgical care in America: a neurosurgical perspective.

The theme of this session of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2006 Annual Meeting was the growing challenge of neurotrauma care in America. The session was cosponsored by the American College of Surgeons, and several leaders in trauma care participated on behalf of the College. This particular presentation investigated several common misperceptions and overlooked truths regarding neurotrauma care. Along these lines, the reader is asked to decide whether the following statements are fact or fiction. Answers and discussion follow below:
Managing Wound-Healing Complications After Total Ankle Replacement

Incision breakdown of the operative incision resulting in a wound is commonly encountered as a complication following total ankle replacement surgery. Healing problems can progress from superficial wounds to full-thickness necrosis of the skin and deeper tissues jeopardizing the ultimate retention of the prosthetic components leading to compromised patient outcomes. Preoperative identification of patient risk factors associated with breakdown of the operative incision after total ankle replacement should improve outcome of the procedure. Screening of those patients with risk factors for wound breakdown is recommended prior to total ankle replacement. A multidisciplinary approach should ensure once wound breakdown is identified to expedite soft-tissue coverage and preserve function of the total ankle replacement as well as maintain options for revision in the future.
Cross-Border M&As and Credit Risk: Evidence from the CDS Market

This paper examines the impact of the cross-border acquisition announcements on the U.S. Bidders’ credit risk. On average, we find a substantial difference in the way CDS markets respond to transactions in emerging vs. Developed markets: bidders’ rating-adjusted CDS spread increases by 2 bps in the three-day window surrounding an acquisition in an emerging market (EM), and declines if the target firm is in a developed country. The EM result is driven primarily by majority but not full control transactions, for which the CDS spread change is approximately 5 bps. The surge in bidders’ CDS spreads is mainly associated with weak creditor protection in the target nation. Moreover, creditor concerns regarding EM deals are contagious: a CDS spread rise around the announcement of a transaction in an emerging economy is followed by a similar increase in spread for the next bidder making an acquisition in the same target nation. Finally, we also attribute some of the surge in acquirers’ CDS spreads to wealth expropriation.
Adequacy of the perfusate: its influence on successful myocardial protection.

The hypothesis tested was that the composition of the prime and the perfusate at the time of reperfusion had an influence on postischemic cardiac performance. Twelve dogs in two equal groups had long (210 ± 10 minutes) hypothermic (25° ± 1° C) perfusions. Each had 180 minutes of global ischemia and were given 500 ml of the same cold (4° C) cardioplegic solution (CPS) every 45 minutes and topical hypothermia with a resultant average myocardial temperature of 10° ± 2° C. Group A had a prime (1,958 ml) consisting of a 50150 mixture of 5% dextrose in water and 5% dextrose in Ringer’s injection to which mannitol (12.5 gm), furosemide (20 mg), and heparin (6,000 units) were added. Group B received a prime (1,868 ml) of 5% dextrose in Ringer’s injection (1 L) and 750 ml of 6% hetastarch in normal saline to which NaHCO3 (10 mEq), furosemide (20 mg), mannitol (25 gm), and heparin (6,000 units) were added. During perfusion, Group A received lactated Ringer’s solution and Group B received a 1:2 portions of Ringer’s injection and 6% hetastarch. Additionally, Group B received additional furosemide and mannitol 5 minutes prior to the reperfusion interval. The results showed a marked difference between groups in postischemic cardiac recovery 120 minutes after cessation of cardiopulmonary bypass. The Group B dogs had statistically (
Head injury screening and intimate partner violence: A brief report

ABSTRACTObjective: Although the importance of traumatic brain injury has gained public attention in recent years, relatively little attention has been paid to head injuries among women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study screened for lifetime exposure to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) among a sample of women who had experienced recent IPV (median days since target incident = 26). Method: Participants included ethnically diverse women whose IPV experiences were reported to law enforcement. Women (n = 225) were asked about injuries to the head sustained during the target IPV incident as well as over the lifetime, and related symptoms. Results: The vast majority of women (80%) reported a lifetime head injury. More than half (56%) screened positive for mTBI, defined as at least one instance in which they experienced a change in consciousness or a period of being dazed and confused as a result of a head injury. A minority of women (13%) reported injuries to the head d...
Gastric space–occupying devices

Abstract Despite advances in lifestyle interventions, antiobesity medications and metabolic surgery, obesity׳s health burden continues to rise. Endoscopic bariatric techniques (EBTs) have arisen over the years that are efficacious, reversible, safe, and cost effective. These techniques potentially allow us to treat broader populations that are unable to undergo bariatric surgery. Gastric space–occupying devices are some of the most widely endoscopic metabolic therapies available. This review would summarize the gastric-occupying devices that are available in the US market or in advanced stages of development and regulatory approval.
The built environment, transportation policy, and population health: a comparison of two cities

This preliminary study assesses the relationship between active transportation, the built environment, and population perceived health in two comparable cities in the Southeastern United States at different stages of improving infrastructure for active commuting. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data from 2006 to 2012 were analyzed for Charlotte, NC, and Jacksonville, FL. The annual difference between the percentage of Charlotte respondents rating physical health as good compared to Jacksonville’s increased at a rate of 13% based on an exponential growth regression model (p = 0.02). Supportive urban and transportation policies aimed at facilitating healthy behaviors are associated with healthier communities.
Compact Determination of Hydrogen Isotopes

AbstractScanning calorimetry of a confined, reversible hydrogen sorbent material has been previously proposed as a method to determine compositions of unknown mixtures of diatomic hydrogen isotopologues and helium. Application of this concept could result in greater process knowledge during the handling of these gases. Previously published studies have focused on mixtures that do not include tritium. This paper focuses on modeling to predict the effect of tritium in mixtures of the isotopologues on a calorimetry scan. The model predicts that tritium can be measured with a sensitivity comparable to that observed for hydrogen-deuterium mixtures, and that under some conditions, it may be possible to determine the atomic fractions of all three isotopes in a gas mixture.
Structural characterization of wall and lipidated polysaccharides from Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124.

Cell surface polysaccharides produced by C. perfringens ATCC 13124 were analyzed using NMR, chemical and immunological methods. Two distinct polymers were identified. The more abundant PS1 had a structure based on a polymer of β-mannosamine with a number of modifications, including varying levels of substitution at O-6 with PEtN, N-acetylation, and different linkages between monosaccharides. The shortest variant of PS1 represented a lipoteichoic acid. It contained only 1-4-linkages between ManNAc residues, minor branching α-Ribf, and glucosyl-glycerol at the reducing end, which was acylated with linear saturated fatty acids C16, C18, and C20 (dominant). Other non-lipidated variants of PS1 contained less PEtN, no α-Ribf, up to 50% 1-3-linkages, and up to 25% ManN with the free amino group. The minor polysaccharide PS2 had a linear regular structure with a -4-α-Rha-3-β-Gal-4-β-GalNAc3PCho- repeating unit, where PCho indicates phosphocholine.
Investments in Fuel Removals to Avoid Forest Fires Result in Substantial Benefits

Forest fuel reduction treatments are needed, as shown by the increased number and cost of devastating crown fires in overly dense forests. Although large trees can be removed for valuable products, the market value for the smaller logs may be less than the harvest and hauling charges, resulting in a net cost for thinning operations. However, failure to remove these small logs results in the retention of ladder fuels that support crown fires with destructive impacts to the forest landscape. A cost/benefit analysis broadened to include market and nonmarket considerations indicates that the negative impacts of crown fires are underestimated and that the benefits of government investments in fuel reductions are substantial.
BiPass: Enabling End-to-End Full Duplex

Full duplex techniques can potentially double the channel capacity and achieve lower delays by empowering two radios to simultaneously transmit in thesame frequency band.However, full duplex is only available between two adjacent nodes within the communication range. In this paper, we present BiPass to break this limitation.With the help of full duplex capable relays, weenable simultaneous bidirectional in-band cut-through transmissions between two far apart nodes, so they can do full duplex communications as if they were within each other's transmission range.To design such a system, we analyze interference patterns and propose a loop-back interference cancellation strategy. We identify the power amplification problem at relay nodes and develop an algorithm to solve it. We also develop a routing algorithm, an opportunistic forwarding scheme, and a real-time feedback strategy to leverage this system in ad-hoc networks.To evaluate the real world performance of BiPass, we build a prototype and conduct experiments using software defined radios. We show that BiPass can achieve 1.6x median throughput gain over state-of-the-art one-way cut-through systems, and 4.09x gain over the decode-and-forward scheme. Our simulations further reveal that even when the data traffic is not bidirectional, BiPass has 1.36x throughput gain and 47\% delay reduction overone-way cut-through systemsin large networks.
Associations of neighbourhood crime with adverse pregnancy outcomes among women in Chicago: analysis of electronic health records from 2009 to 2013

Background Adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk among mothers and future health problems of offspring. Neighbourhood crime may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes by increasing chronic stress, yet the association has been relatively understudied. Methods Electronic health records from 34 383 singleton births at a single hospital in Chicago (2009–2013) were geocoded and linked to 1-year rates of police-recorded crime at the neighbourhood (Chicago community area) level. Crimes included homicide, assault/battery, criminal offences and incivilities. Cross-sectional associations of total neighbourhood crime rates with hypertensive disease of pregnancy (HDP: pre-eclampsia/gestational hypertension), preterm birth (PTB), spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth were assessed using multilevel logistic regression with community-area random intercepts. Models controlled for maternal and infant characteristics and neighbourhood poverty. We then assessed associations between individual crime categories and all outcomes. Results Total neighbourhood crime rates ranged from 11.6 to 303.5 incidents per 1000 persons per year (mean: 61.5, SD: 40.3). A 1-SD higher total neighbourhood crime rate was associated with higher odds of HDP (OR: 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.13), PTB (OR: 1.09, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.15), sPTB (OR: 1.09, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.16) and SGA (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10) in fully adjusted models. Associations were generally consistent across crime categories, although only assault/battery and incivilities were associated with HDP. Conclusions Higher neighbourhood crime rates were associated with small but significant increases in the odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Interventions that cultivate safer neighbourhoods may be a promising approach for improving pregnancy outcomes.
Abstract 437: Endothelial Cell Gene Expression in Hypertensive Mice

Hypertension is the major risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease, morbidity and mortality. It is the leading cause of death and disability globally, contributing to cardiovascular and renal diseases, including stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and chronic kidney disease. We sought to determine the transcriptional changes that occur in cardiac endothelial cells secondary to hypertension, using ribosomal profiling of mice expressing the ribosomal protein Rpl22 tagged with the hemagglutinin (HA) epitope under control of Tie2-Cre (Tie2-Cre:RiboTag mice). Immunoprecipitation of HA-Rpl22 from heart tissue isolated from Tie2-Cre:RiboTag mice resulted in an approximate 10-fold enrichment of endothelial genes (Pecam-1, VE-cadherin) relative to genes highly expressed in cardiomyocytes (Tnnt2, Fabp3) as assessed by RT-PCR. Subsequently, Tie2-Cre:RiboTag mice were implanted with osmotic pumps delivering saline or angiotensin II (1000ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks. Angiotensin II infusion significantly increased blood pressure (p 1.5, p
Fast and the Furious: Electrogram Drift: Dynamic Analysis of Acquired Electrograms to Optimize Discrimination of Ventricular Tachycardia Substrate.

See Article by Kuroki et al > “It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.” > > —Dom Toretto | The Fast and The Furious (2001) The foundation for ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with structural heart disease lies in (1) identifying relevant substrate, (2) proving that said substrate contributes to arrhythmogenesis, and (3) ablating that substrate. Many investigators, however, espouse pure substrate-guided approaches that may supplant step 2, wherein targeting of perceived substrate, as defined by voltage cut offs or signal characteristics, is performed in lieu of proving the relevance of that site or region to arrhythmogenesis. In fact, pure substrate-guided approaches to ablation, particularly in infarct-related VT, have been shown to have a reasonable likelihood of success in both retrospective studies and clinical trials.1–4 However, the best method for defining substrate, either before or during invasive electrophysiological procedures, remains an area of active study. The publication in this issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology by Kuroki et al5 present yet another approach to using acquired electrogram signals to optimize identification of critical targets for ablation. Understanding the relevance of their findings needs to be considered in the context of work to date on defining substrate for ventricular arrhythmogenesis and the associated pitfalls of existing approaches. In structural heart disease, it is the existence of electrically active circuits with conductive properties sufficiently different from that of surrounding normal myocardium that drives VT. Generally, but not always, these potential circuits exist in regions of the otherwise dense scar as complex connections between variably healthy regions of the myocardium. Thus, in the structurally diseased heart, these circuits may present themselves to the electrophysiologist as fractionated signals, late potentials (reflecting slow or complex wavefront propagation) or low-voltage regions. However, the presence of such …
Benign prostatic hyperplasia. Hormonal treatment.

SUMMARY Androgen withdrawal therapy appears to produce a 20% to 30% decrease in the volume of the hyperplastic prostate after 3 to 6 months of therapy. Longer periods of treatment do not result in further prostatic regression, but further growth of the gland is not apparent in men treated with finasteride for 4 years. Although biopsy studies indicate that epithelial regression occurs to a much more significant degree than stromal regression, this may simply reflect the relatively longer turnover of the stromal cell population. The significant placebo effect of oral medication in patients with BPH makes interpretation of clinical symptomatology and uroflow data difficult. Analysis of symptom improvement is further complicated by the relatively slow improvement of patients on hormonal therapy, as opposed to surgery, where relief is immediate. In addition to limited stromal involution and inadequate treatment duration, other biologic factors may limit the clinical efficacy of androgen withdrawal therapy. Most importantly, partial involution may not necessarily decrease urethral resistance. In addition, obstruction-induced detrusor dysfunction may persist after relief of outflow obstruction in some patients, as it does following surgery. Incomplete blockade of androgen action, as well as compliance issues, may also limit efficacy. Long-term studies validate a modest but significant clinical response rate of finasteride therapy with preservation of sexual function in most men. Of the available hormonal therapeutic agents, only finasteride appears to have an acceptable risk-benefit ratio. Other 5α-reductase inhibitors in the “pipeline,” such as episteride, may have similar benefits. In the long term, this class of drugs may have a much larger role in patients who present with the early signs of BPH, to prevent any further progression of the disease. Presently, no form of antiandrogen therapy is as effective as transurethral resection of the prostate in relieving symptomatology. Because of patient preferences, however, medical therapy will play an increasingly important role in the management of patients with BPH.
Visualizing and discovering cellular structures with super-resolution microscopy

Super-resolution microscopy has overcome a long-held resolution barrier—the diffraction limit—in light microscopy and enabled visualization of previously invisible molecular details in biological systems. Since their conception, super-resolution imaging methods have continually evolved and can now be used to image cellular structures in three dimensions, multiple colors, and living systems with nanometer-scale resolution. These methods have been applied to answer questions involving the organization, interaction, stoichiometry, and dynamics of individual molecular building blocks and their integration into functional machineries in cells and tissues. In this Review, we provide an overview of super-resolution methods, their state-of-the-art capabilities, and their constantly expanding applications to biology, with a focus on the latter. We will also describe the current technical challenges and future advances anticipated in super-resolution imaging.
EVALUATING INITIATIVE TO REDUCE AVOIDABLE HOSPITALIZATIONS AMONG NURSING FACILITY RESIDENTS: METHODS OVERVIEW.

AbstractRTI is conducting a comprehensive multiyear evaluation using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness of the new payment model in reducing avoidable hospitalizations, improving health outcomes, and reducing spending. This presentation will describe the approaches to selecting comparison groups and evaluating the Initiative effect, to address challenges related to the Initiative design. For each Initiative state, we will use a national sample of nursing homes and residents as the comparison group in conjunction with a within-state reference group of non-Initiative facilities. We will present findings from the comparison group analysis and the analytic approaches to evaluating the Initiative effect by using both the national sample comparison group and the within-state reference group. Additionally, we will describe the use of three pre-Initiative years as the baseline period and methods of adjusting for differential trends in hospitalization rates between the Initiative facilities and comparison facilities.
US Entrepreneurship Education.Missing the Mark for Greater Societal Impact

US workforce economic health continues to deteriorate as contributing stresses mount. Entrepreneurship educators must more broadly define “entrepreneurship”, creating new platforms better preparing society, not just students dreaming of starting something. Beyond entrepreneurship preparation of high school and university students, the task goes to non-traditional education of workers unable to retire and unprepared to finish life as self-employed “unintended entrepreneurs”. The greatest challenge in educating a healthier, more entrepreneurial workforce is first creating awareness of the need. Entrepreneurship educators are best positioned to deliver the needed training, but first must create awareness of the need. If they don’t, who will?
Learner Autonomy and Vocabulary Development for Saudi University Female EFL Learners: Students’ Perspectives

This qualitative case study examined how female English language learners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) realize learner autonomy, especially in the context of the learner’s meaning development via purposeful vocabulary acquisition. EFL students’ perceptions and applications of autonomous learning strategies for the purpose of English vocabulary development were investigated, as well as their adapted methods for learning English. Data collection included face-to-face semistructured interviews of 8 students from two different classrooms, classroom observations, participants’ reflections on specific English coursework, and English learning autobiographies. The findings revealed the students’ appreciation of the English language and showed how various autonomous learning methods developed their sense of self-possession.
Endogenous development of Cystoisospora belli in intestinal and biliary epithelium of humans

Cystoisospora (Isospora) belli is a coccidian parasite of humans. It can cause serious digestive disorders involving infection of intestines, biliary tract and gallbladder, especially in those with depressed immunity. It has a direct fecal–oral transmission cycle. After ingestion of sporulated oocysts, the parasite multiplies asexually and sexually within host epithelial cells, resulting in unsporulated oocysts that are excreted in feces. The details of asexual and sexual stages are not known and certain inclusions in epithelial cells in biopsy samples have been erroneously identified recently as C. belli. Here, we provide details of developmental stages of C. belli in two patients, in duodenal biopsy of one and biliary epithelium of the other. Immature and mature asexual stages (schizonts/meronts) were seen in epithelial cells. The merozoites were seen singly, in pairs and in groups in single parasitophorous vacuole (pv) in host cytoplasm. Immature and mature meronts were seen together in the same pv; up to eight nuclei were seen in meronts that retained elongated crescent shape; round multinucleated schizonts, seen in other coccidians, were not found. Meronts were up to 25 µm long and contained up to ten merozoites that were 8–11 µm long. The merozoites and meronts contained PAS-positive granules. Microgamonts (male) contained up to 30 nuclei that were arranged at the periphery and had condensed chromatin; 1–3 PAS-positive, eosinophilic, residual bodies were left when microgametes were formed. The microgametes were 4 µm long and PAS-negative. All stages of macrogamonts, including oocysts were PAS-positive. The detailed description of the life cycle stages of C. belli reported here should facilitate in histopathologic diagnosis of this parasite.
65 Increased work loss during pregnancy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus compared to matched healthy controls

Background Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) might be more vulnerable to reduce or stop working during pregnancy because of the increased risk of pregnancy complications compared to the general population. However, no data on work loss during pregnancy and return to work after maternity leave in patients with SLE are available. We aimed to investigate several work outcomes during and after pregnancy in women with SLE compared to matched pregnant controls. Methods A case-control study on employment was performed in pregnant women with SLE and matched controls. Matching criteria were age, year of delivery, and number of living infants. Employment was defined as having 8 hours/week of paid work before conception. Four work outcomes were investigated: interruption of work for >1 week during pregnancy, complete cessation of work during pregnancy for >1 week until delivery, reduction in working hours during pregnancy, and the time in weeks to return to work after maternity leave. Results A total of 42 women were included (21 SLE patients, 21 controls). Mean SELENA-SLEDAI before pregnancy in SLE patients was 2.6 (SD 2.3). Interruption of work for >1 week or completely stop working during pregnancy occurred in 10 women with SLE compared to 2 controls (OR=8.6, 95% CI [1.6–46.8], p=0.012). From the women who completely stopped working until delivery (n=8), 7 women had SLE versus 1 control (OR=1.4, 95% CI [0.07–28.1], p=0.826). In addition, in women continuing work, reduction of working hours during pregnancy occurred in 5 women with SLE versus 3 controls (OR=1.9, 95% CI [0.4–9.1], p=0.436). After delivery, the median (IQR) duration of return to work after maternity leave was 4 (0–6.8) weeks after maternity leave for women with SLE and 2 (0–4) weeks later for controls (Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.977). No difference in number of women with delay of return to work after maternity leave (yes/no) was found between women with SLE and controls (n=9 versus n=11, respectively, OR=1.0, 95% CI [0.3–3.7], p=0.973). Conclusions Pregnant women with SLE more frequently completely stop working or reduce working hours compared to matched healthy controls. These findings warrant improved counseling of these women and attention of health care providers, including company doctors. Funding Source(s): None
Identification of loci and molecular markers associated with Super Soft kernel texture in wheat

Abstract The preferential application of wheat flour in various end-use products is primarily driven by kernel texture (softness/hardness). Herein, a population of 268 F6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed by crossing the wheat cultivar Alpowa (‘normal’ soft) (SKCS HI = 20.2) with a related ‘Super Soft’ line (BC2SS163) (HI = −1.2). A set of 19 polymorphic markers including 16 Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) and three simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were targeted to three genomic regions (4BS, 1BS and 5AL) and used to genotype the RILs and parents. Four QTLs were detected for kernel texture using composite interval mapping (CIM) including one major QTL on 4BS, and three minor QTLs [5AL (2) and 1BS (1)]. Eight significant markers were identified using single marker-trait association (SMA) analysis and explained 3.8–28.0% phenotypic variation (PV). Two markers from the combined analyses were selected with the highest PV (8.0% and 36.7%). These two marker loci were independent and additive. RILs possessing both favorable (soft) alleles had an average SKCS hardness of 4.9 vs. 15.7 for the alternate haplotype. We conclude that the Super Soft trait is polygenic and that we have identified one of two or more major loci conferring this phenotype.
Synthesis and total 1H-NMR assignment of naphtho[1′,2′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c][1,10]phenanthroline and naphtho[2′,1′:4,5]-thieno[2,3-c] [1,10]phenanthroline

Naphtho[1′,2′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c][1,10]phenanthroline and naphtho[2′,1′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c][1,10]phenanthroline, two novel polycyclic heterocyclic ring systems, have been synthesized in four steps from known starting materials. The total 1H nmr spectral assignments were made using a COSY experiment to identify the spin systems.
Hyperglycemia and Hyperinsulinemia Increase Circulating Tissue Factor Activity in Human Subjects.

Abstract Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have increased atherosclerotic and acute vascular events, and both hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia are independent risk factors for increased mortality. To evaluate the effects of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia on the tissue factor (TF) pathway, we studied 3 groups of healthy individuals. Group A(Euglycemia and Hyperinsulinemia): 7 subjects were infused for 24h with insulin to maintain serum insulin levels at ~ 1000 pmol/l and with glucose at variable rates to maintain at 5.6 mmol/l (~ 100 mg/dl). Group B (Hyperglycemia and Hyperinsulinemia): 7 subjects were infused with glucose to maintain levels at ~ 11 mmol/l (~ 200 mg/dl) for 24 h. Group C(Euglycemia and Euinsulinemia): 4 subjects received saline for 24 h. Glucose was maintained at ~ 5.6 mmol/l with variable, small glucose infusions. Blood samples collected every 6 h. We assessed TF procoagulant activity (TF-PCA) in whole blood by clotting assay (Key et al, Blood 1998; 91: 4216), and plasma levels of activated factor VII (FVIIa), FVII activity (FVIIC), FVIII coagulant activity (FVIIIC), and thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes. TF-PCA levels increased significantly from basal levels of 14 ± 1 and 20 ± 3 U/ml (mean±SE) to 79 ± 4 and 172 ± 6 U/ml at 24 h in Groups A and B, respectively. There was no increase in Group C. Groups TFPCA (U/ml) FVIIa (mU/ml) FVIIC (U/ml) FVIIIC (U/ml) 0 hr/24 hr 0 hr/24 hr 0 hr/24 hr 0 hr/ 24 hr A)Euglycemia - Hyperinsulinemia(n=7) 14 ± 1 / 79 ± 4* 83 ± 9 / 45 ± 8* 0.88 ± 0.09 / 0.72 ± 0.08* 0.93 ± 0.05 / 0.98 ± 0.06† B)Hyperglycemia -HyperInsulinemia(n=7) 20 ± 1 / 172 ± 6* 85 ± 10 / 52 ± 6* 1.02 ± 0.1 / 0.84 ± 0.1* 1.03± 0.04 / 1.28 ± 0.07* C)Euglycemia and Euinsulinemia (n=4) 19 ± 2 / 19 ± 1 56 ± 13 / 55 ± 14 0.83 ± 0.05 / 0.81 ± 0.08 0.86± 0.08 / 0.85 ± 0.08 Shown mean±SE;†p By flow cytometry, percentage of monocytes expressing TF (Groups A and B combined) increased from 19.5 ± 4.2% at 0 h to 25.2 ± 4.4 % at 24 h (p = 0.03). Plasma FVIIa and FVIIC were significantly decreased, and plasma FVIIIC increased at 24 h in Groups A and B. There was an inverse relationship between plasma FVIIa and TF-PCA (Group A r = −0.51; Group B r = −0.51, p =0.002). Plasma FVIII levels correlated with TF-PCA in Group B (r = 0.48, p = 0.003). At 18 h, TAT levels increased from 13.4 ± 8 and 6.8 ± 2.5 to 46.9 ± 6.2 (p = 0.04) and 39.4 ± 6.7 μg/l (p=0.015) in Group A and B, respectively. No changes were noted in any measurements in Group C. Conclusions: Both hyperinsulinemia (Group A) alone and hyperglycemia with hyperinsulinemia (Group B) induce an increase in circulating TF-PCA, which is greater with the combination. This is associated with a decline in FVIIa and FVIIC, and increase in FVIIIC. We postulate that the decrease in FVIIa and FVIIC reflects enhanced binding of FVII to cellular TF. These studies provide evidence for enhanced expression of circulating TF by hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia even in healthy individuals. This increase may contribute to acute vascular events in DM patients.
Adaptive skills and school readiness in children with down syndrome

Date Presented 04/06/19 The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between adaptive skills and school readiness in preschool-age children with Down syndrome. Results show expressive communications skills and personal daily living skills were the strongest predictors of school readiness. By identifying predictors and areas of weakness, OTs can better support these individuals, maximize skill development, and ease their transition to kindergarten. Primary Author and Speaker: Phil Esposito Additional Authors and Speakers: Megan Bowers
The Effect of Stellar Structure on Supernova Remnant Evolution

One-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations have been done of 1E51 erg explosions in 15M ⊙ stars. We have appended a steep external density gradient to the pre-supernova model of Weaver et al and find: (1) the outer shock wave decelerates throughout the pre-Sedov phase, (2) the expanding stellar envelope and the shocked interstellar material are Rayleigh-Taylor stable until the Sedov phase, and (3) steep internal density gradients are R-T unstable during the early expansion and may be the source of high velocity knots seen in Cas A.
Forgotten Velvet: Understanding Eastern Slovakia's 1989

By focussing on the experience of Eastern Slovakia during Czechoslovakia's 1989 Velvet Revolution, this article examines the motivations propelling local revolutionaries who opposed the Communist r...
COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCT CATEGORIZATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE MAKE, BUY, AND ALLY DECISION: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

The role of complementary products is becoming increasingly important in facilitating innovation and has become a pivotal aspect of an organisation’s technology strategy. To address the lack of a u...
How Social Media Analytics Can Save Businesses

Living in a world with almost 8 billion people can be challenging, especially for researchers who aim to analyze our country's socio-economic sentiments. The COVID-19 outbreak has put significant strains on America as well as the entire world. Businesses have been quickly shut, some to never reopen again. What does a company do in situations like this? How can a company be productive in producing sales and earning business from customers when dealing with such economic chaos? Social media analytics, like Facebook and Twitter analytics could help companies, businesses, and researchers find customers’ true feelings about prevalent discrepancies, like the dreaded COVID-19 outbreak. (Samuel, et. al, 2020) When companies can gauge the customers’ interest in a certain product, they are able to market those products more directly and efficiently. This paper will examine how businesses use social media analytics to keep business moving smoothly regardless of our current situation.
Bot Fly Parasitism of Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Virginia

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is a species of high conservation concern and relatively well-studied with respect to habitat use/associations, food habits, conservation genetics, and population trends. However, with the exception of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) occurrence and etiology in woodrats, most disease and parasite ecology aspects for the woodrat are unknown. Herein, we examined the prevalence of bot flies (Cuterebra) over nearly three decades of woodrat surveys (1990–2018) in the central Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia. We use genetic analyses to identify recent bot fly specimen collections from a woodrat captured in 2017. Though highly variable from year to year, the overall prevalence of parasitism was low (typically < 4% of captures). As such, bot flies do not appear to be a widespread parasitic burden to Allegheny woodrats in Virginia. Genetic analysis of four collected bot fly larvae was inconclusive, as the genetic signature of these woodrat bots did not match any of the six bot species known to parasitize rodents and lagomorphs in the eastern United States. Further collections and genetic analyses will be needed to determine if the genetic database is incomplete or incorrect, or if our find is a new species of bot fly not yet taxonomically recognized.
Parting Thoughts II

Kim Beck’s (2013) temporary art installation of a clustering of signs in designed natural landscapes are meant to juxtapose the serenity of nature preservation and the nonsensical obstruction of si...
Automated Discontinuity Extraction Software Versus Manual Virtual Discontinuity Mapping: Performance Evaluation in Rock Mass Characterization and Rockfall Hazard Identification

Ground control failures are one of the main causes of accidents in the underground stone mining industry. Some of the fundamental tools for rockfall hazard identification are related to rock mass characterization and geotechnical discontinuity mapping. Recent technological advances in these methods are related to remote sensing techniques and point cloud processing software for automated discontinuity mapping. Remote sensing techniques, such as LiDAR and photogrammetry, generate multi-million point clouds with millimetric precision, capturing the structure of the rock mass. The automated point cloud processing tools offer alternative algorithm-based methods to characterize and map these discontinuities. However, their applicability is constrained by multiple factors such as site specific conditions of the rock mass and the parameters used within the mapping algorithms. This paper evaluates the performance of automated discontinuity extraction software compared with manual virtual discontinuity mapping. Sampling windows from laser-scanned sections in an underground limestone mine are defined and mapped using discontinuity set extractor (DSE). Results from the virtual discontinuity software are compared with manually extracted fractures from I-Site based on reviewing orientation, trace length, spacing, number of extracted discontinuities, and processing time. The analysis determined that the automated mapping algorithm was able to identify the same discontinuity sets that had been manually mapped. The automated mapping software mapped an excessive amount of smaller fractures, which caused the comparison of both mapping techniques to be unsuccessful in terms of trace length and spacing.
Insulin-stimulated adipocytes secrete lactate to promote endothelial fatty acid uptake and transport.

Insulin stimulates adipose tissue to extract fatty acids from circulation and sequester them inside adipose cells. How fatty acids are transported across the capillary endothelial barrier, or how this process is regulated, remains unclear. We modeled the relationship of adipocytes and endothelial cells in vitro to test the role of insulin in fatty acid transport. Treatment of endothelial cells with insulin did not affect endothelial fatty acid uptake, but endothelial cells took up more fatty acids when exposed to media conditioned by adipocytes treated with insulin. Manipulations of this conditioned media indicated that the secreted factor is a small, hydrophilic, non-proteinaceous metabolite. Factor activity was correlated with lactate concentration, and inhibition of lactate production in adipocytes abolished the activity. Finally, lactate alone was sufficient to increase endothelial uptake of both free fatty acids and lipids liberated from chylomicrons, and to promote trans-endothelial transport, at physiologically relevant concentrations. Together, these data suggest that insulin drives adipocytes to secrete lactate, which then acts in a paracrine fashion to promote fatty acid uptake and transport across the neighboring endothelial barrier.
The effects of intradistrict school mobility and high student turnover rates on early reading achievement

ABSTRACTThe primary aim of this study was to assess the relations between concurrent, cumulative, and contextual intradistrict school mobility and early reading achievement. Longitudinal administrative school records were used for an entire cohort of students in a large urban district from first through third grade. Findings indicated that students with a concurrent intradistrict school move had lower reading achievement scores at the end of each grade compared to children who did not change schools. Cumulative intradistrict school mobility was also associated with poor reading achievement by the end of third grade. Students enrolled in schools with high turnover rates demonstrated worse reading achievement after accounting for individual school mobility experiences, and this effect worsened as children reached third grade.
CRITERIA TO SELECT EXPERT SYSTEMS FOR BUSINESS USE

Abstract The paper presents a set of thirteen criteria to judge the applicability, justification and appropiateness of expert system techniques for use in commercial systems. The criteria are grouped into the dimensions of technical feasibility, knowledge availability and business case. Each criteria is discussed in more detail
Crop Choice and Rotational Effects: A Dynamic Model of Land Use in Iowa in Recent Years

A dynamic land use model, more specifically a dynamic discrete choice model, is developed in this paper to model Iowa farmers' crop choice decisions in recent years based on the newly released field-scale cropland data layers by National Agricultural Statistics Service. We explicitly consider the dynamic effects naturally arising in the corn/soybean crop system and estimate the model using the conditional choice probability method. Compared to static models, dynamic land use models perform relatively better. The dynamic models produce significantly different arc elasticity than the static model in a policy scenario when the corn price increases by 10 percent.
A Near-Optimal Maintenance Policy for Automated DR Devices

Demand-side participation is now widely recognized as being extremely critical for satisfying the growing electricity demand in the U.S. The primary mechanism for demand management in the U.S. is demand response (DR) programs that attempt to reduce or shift demand by giving incentives to participating customers via price discounts or rebate payments. Utilities that offer DR programs rely on automated DR devices (ADRs) to automate the response to DR signals. The ADRs are faulty, but the working state of the ADR is not directly observable; one can, however, attempt to infer it from the power consumption during DR events. The utility loses revenue when a malfunctioning ADR does not respond to a DR signal; however, sending a maintenance crew to check and reset the ADR also incurs costs. In this paper, we show that the problem of maintaining a pool of ADRs using a limited number of maintenance crews can be formulated as a restless bandit problem, and that one can compute a near-optimal policy for this problem using Whittle indices. We show that the Whittle indices can be efficiently computed using a variational Bayes procedure even when the load-shed magnitude is noisy, and when there is a random mismatch between the clocks at the utility and at the meter. The results of our numerical experiments suggest that the Whittle-index-based approximate policy is within 4% of the optimal solution for all reasonably low values of the signal-to-noise ratio in the meter readings.
Exploration for human capital: Theory and evidence from the MBA labor market

Drawing on insights from corporate finance and personnel economics, we show that firms consider potential employees using a real options approach, much as they do when making other types of capital investment decisions. Theoretically we find that firms’ hiring decisions are influenced by the uncertainty in workers’ productivity, competition in the labor market, adjustment costs, and redeployability concerns. Firms value probationary employment arrangements that provide the option to learn about the productivity of potential hires before permanent investment occurs. Higher uncertainty and adjustment costs hinder permanent investment and increase the value of the option to learn. Greater competition for workers speeds up firm investment and increases the value of probationary employment. Higher worker redeployability leads to more investment, if firms face sufficiently low competition. We test and confirm these predictions empirically using a novel dataset with detailed recruiting information from the labor market for MBA graduates.
Automatic counting of illuminated spheres in a random Boolean model

This paper presents results of the automatic counting of illuminated spheres, where the random Boolean model depends on certain distributions of parameters. The problem is to estimate the number of randomly sized spheres in a region of 3D space by taking a set of parallel slices and using the slice intersections with the spheres to form the estimate. The simulation software is developed in the framework of the MATLAB-based Graphical User Interface, which generates spheres and allows visualization of spheres as well as their 2 D projections onto slices, which themselves appear as ordinary images. The dynamic interface provides manipulation of all parameters of the model, including the sampling rate (number of slices), sphere-size, location and intensity distributions, overlapping of spheres, and parameters of noise. That allows us to analyze the illuminated sphere counting along different ranges of various model parameters with respect to the sampling rate, specially for cases when random spheres may intersect and noise may exist.
A characterization of interventional distributions in semi-Markovian causal models

We offer a complete characterization of the set of distributions that could be induced by local interventions on variables governed by a causal Bayesian network of unknown structure, in which some of the variables remain unmeasured. We show that such distributions are constrained by a simply formulated set of inequalities, from which bounds can be derived on causal effects that are not directly measured in randomized experiments.
Money Demand and the Term Structure of Interest Rates: Some Consistent Estimates

Heller and Khan (1979, hereafter HK) employ a quadratic function of the term structure of interest rates to obtain quarterly coefficient estimates of its level, slope and curvature. These estimates are substituted for the interest rate variable in a short-run money demand function, HK conclude that their specification is stable during the turbulent 1972-1974 period. This note shows that HK's stability findings are dependent upon their use of the Cochrane—Orcutt iterative technique (hereafter CORC), not the inclusion of term structure variables. We show that money demand equations incorporating term structure information, specifically the specifications of HK, Bilson and Hale (1980, hereafter BH) and our own (which uses a cubic function of the term structure) are not stable when the Hatanaka (1974, hereafter HAT) procedure is employed to correct for serial correlation.
The Ionization Maximum in Polar Latitudes

Swept frequency sounders in satellites constitute excellent means for synoptic studies of the electron density distribution above the F2 peak. The essential part of the material in this presentation is based on data from Alouette I. It is concerned with the morphology and variability of a characteristic enhancement in the electron content observed at high latitudes. An attempt to relate the location and the structure of the enhancement region to solar-geomagnetic effects is described. Derived seasonal variations of the southern boundary and diurnal changes in the average position are given.
Net-Centric computing: the future of computers and networking

Futuristic computers will only be thought of in the context of their ubiquitous connectivity. Net-centric computing isn't communications or networking per se, although it certainly includes both. With the changes in the computing and networking environment we need a different paradigm for distributed computing. The area of net-centric computing encompasses the embedded systems but is much larger in scope. In the near future, many hardware devices will be interconnected in large and highly dynamic distributed systems, using standard communication protocols on standard physical links [1][3][5][6][7][8]. Such types of systems exist only for computers interconnected by TCP/IP networks, or for hardware devices interconnected in small areas by using specific protocols for the physical link, such as Bluetooth, Ethernet or X-10. In this paper we review Net-Centric computing in the perspective of Hardware requirements, Embedded system design, Middleware, Control, IT and provide an insight into the issues and challenges ahead.