cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aflatoxins from Moldy Corn Cause No Reductions in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Performance

Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins produced by the mold organisms Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on feed grains and oil seeds such as corn, peanuts, and cottonseed. Research conducted in aquaria, about 15 yr ago, demonstrated that channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus are very tolerant to dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) from a purified source. To evaluate the effect of feeding diets containing aflatoxin from a natural source, moldy corn (MC) naturally contaminated with a high concentration (550 pg/kg) of total aflatoxins was incorporated into practical diets. The diets were fed to Juvenile catfish in two experiments. Experiment 1 consisted of feeding catfish (mean body weight 7.1 g/fish) four diets containing 20% or 40% of two lots of corn; one with no apparent mold contamination, which was designated as clean corn (CC), or the previously described MC. Each diet was fed twice daily to five 100-L aquaria of 20 fish each for 12 wk. Experiment 2 consisted of three diets containing either 50% CC or MC, or a combination of 25% CC and 25% MC prepared by the cooker-extrusion method. Each diet was fed once daily for 130 d to five replicate 0.04-ha ponds of catfish fingerlings. Results of these experiments indicate that feeding diets containing aflatoxin from moldy corn does not affect channel catfish weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, survival, hematocrit, or hepatosomatic ratio. No liver abnormalities were observed upon gross examination. Levels of aflatoxin were reduced approximately 63% in the diets used in experiment 2 after exposure to the high temperature (ca. 120 C) of the cooker-extrusion process used to manufacture commercial catfish diets.
Status of the US program in magneto-inertial fusion

A status report of the current U.S. program in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) conducted by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) of the U.S. Department of Energy is given. Magneto-inertial fusion is an emerging concept for inertial fusion and a pathway to the study of dense plasmas in ultrahigh magnetic fields (magnetic fields in excess of 500 T). The presence of magnetic field in an inertial fusion target suppresses cross-field thermal transport and potentially could enable more attractive inertial fusion energy systems. The program is part of the OFES program in high energy density laboratory plasmas (HED-LP).
Extraction based verification method for off the shelf integrated circuits

Off-the-shelf Integrated Circuits (ICs) are used in the design of many products. The IC is supposed to implement a set of available specifications describing the function of the IC. Users of off-the-shelf ICs need a simple and effective method to validate the specifications to insure that the IC implements exclusively the set of available specifications. In this paper, we propose an approach to validate these specifications by a set of IC re-engineering experiments. The proposed approach is based on the construction of a high-level description of the packaged IC and on using the extracted description to validate the specifications. The approach uses the scan operations (available for manufacturing test of the IC) and the IC specification to disassemble the states/flip-flops and output functions of the packaged IC. Using the disassembled functions, a Register Transfer Level (RTL) model suitable for Computer-Aided Design manipulation is constructed. The disassembling is based on an ATPG scan experiment. Information on the scan chains is employed to construct the connectivity of the logic function. The connectivity is then used to discover the implemented logic. Using the proposed approach, we re-constructed over 90% of the system functions for an example IC.
Iterative processing of ultrasonic measurements to characterize flaws in critical optical components

Real-time nondestructive evaluation is crucial for the safety and maintenance of critical optics in high energy, laser physics experiments. Fluence levels in short pulse, high-energy lasers can produce pits and cracks in the surfaces of the laser's optical components. These flaws in the optical glass can adversely affect the production of the laser light, or even result in a catastrophic failure of the optical component itself. Consequently, the detection, localization, and characterization of these flaws is critical. This paper describes the novel application of several signal and image-processing techniques that detect, localize, and characterize flaws in optical components. These techniques are embedded into an optic scanning system to automatically identify and report on the condition of the vacuum windows used in high fluence laser systems. These techniques exploit measurements made from two orthogonal acoustic arrays mounted on adjacent edges of the optic. After preprocessing the raw channel measurement data from two orthogonal, narrow beamwidth, transducer arrays, a two-dimensional (2-D) power image is created. A physics-based 2-D matched filter is then developed for detecting and localization. An iterative solution to sequentially search the resulting image to extract and characterize the flaws is discussed.
“Don’t Give Up on Them”: Older Adults with Physical Limitations

Some older adults must learn to navigate the terrain of significant physical limitations due to disabling conditions or illnesses that may accompany the aging process. First-person accounts illustrate developmental stages of older adulthood and illuminate concepts and definitions of disability and dependence. Ultimately, older adults, though their lives may bear similarities to generalizations about later life, are unique and complex people. Congregational care to older adults with disabilities includes greater incorporation of them into the life of faith communities through acts of mutual hospitality.
Examining perceptions of graphic symbols across cultures: Preliminary study of the impact of culture/ethnicity

Perceptions of three aided graphic symbol sets used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) (Blissymbols, DynaSyms®, and Picture Communication Symbols) were examined across four groups ...
Characterization of a portable method for the collection of exhaled breath condensate and subsequent analysis of metal content.

Using exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as a biological media for analysis of biomarkers of exposure may facilitate the understanding of inhalation exposures. In this study, we present method validation for the collection of EBC and analysis of metals in EBC. The collection method was designed for use in a small scale longitudinal study with the goal of improving reproducibility while maintaining economic feasibility. We incorporated the use of an Rtube with additional components as an assembly, and trained subjects to breathe into the apparatus. EBC was collected from 8 healthy adult subjects with no known elevated exposures to Mn, Cr, Ni, and Cd repeatedly (10 times) within 7 days and analyzed for these metals via ICP-MS. Method detection limits were obtained by mimicking the process of EBC collection with ultrapure water, and resulted in 46–62% of samples falling in a range less than the method detection limit. EBC metal concentrations were found to be statistically significantly associated (p < 0.05) with room temperature and relative humidity during collection, as well as with the gender of the subject. The geometric mean EBC metal concentrations in our unexposed subjects were 0.57 μg Mn per L, 0.25 μg Cr per L, 0.87 μg Ni per L, and 0.14 μg Cd per L. The overall standard deviation was greater than the mean estimate, and the major source in EBC metals concentrations was due to fluctuations in subjects' measurements over time rather than to the differences between separate subjects. These results suggest that measurement and control of EBC collection and analytical parameters are critical to the interpretation of EBC metals measurements. In particular, rigorous estimation of method detection limits of metals in EBC provides a more thorough evaluation of accuracy.
Large Sex Difference in Adolescents on a Timed Line Judgment Task: Attentional Contributors and Task Relationship to Mathematics

Visuospatial performance, assessed with the new, group-administered Judgment of Line Angle and Position test (JLAP-13), varied with sex and mathematical competence in a group of adolescents. The JLAP-13, a low-level perceptual task, was modeled after a neuropsychological task dependent upon functioning of the posterior region of the right hemisphere [Benton et al, 1994 Contributions to Neuropsychological Assessment: A Clinical Manual (New York: Oxford University Press)]. High-school boys (N = 52) performed better than girls (N = 62), with a large effect for sex (d= 1.11). Performance increased with mathematical competence, but the sex difference did not vary significantly across different levels of mathematics coursework. On the basis of earlier work, it was predicted that male, but not female, performance in line judgment would decline with disruptions to task geometry (page frame), and that the sex difference would disappear with disruptions to geometry. These predictions were supported by a number of u...
Client-side detection of XSS worms by monitoring payload propagation

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities make it possible for worms to spread quickly to a broad range of users on popular Web sites. To date, the detection of XSS worms has been largely unexplored. This paper proposes the first purely client-side solution to detect XSS worms. Our insight is that an XSS worm must spread from one user to another by reconstructing and propagating its payload. Our approach prevents the propagation of XSS worms by monitoring outgoing requests that send self-replicating payloads. We intercept all HTTP requests on the client side and compare them with currently embedded scripts. We have implemented a cross-platform Firefox extension that is able to detect all existing self-replicating XSS worms that propagate on the client side. Our test results show that it incurs low performance overhead and reports no false positives when tested on popular Web sites.
Ongoing colorectal cancer risk despite surveillance colonoscopy: the Polyp Prevention Trial Continued Follow-up Study.

Background Despite regular colonoscopy, interval colorectal cancer (CRC) may occur. Long-term studies examining CRC rates in patients with previous colonoscopy are lacking. Objective We examined the rate of interval CRC in the Polyp Prevention Trial Continued Follow-up Study (PPT-CFS), an observational study of PPT participants that began after the PPT ended. Design Prospective. Setting A national U.S. community-based polyp prevention trial. Main Outcome Measurements Medical records of patients with CRC were collected, reviewed, and abstracted in a standardized fashion. Results Among 2079 PPT participants, 1297 (62.4%) agreed to participate in the PPT-CFS. They were followed for a median of 6.2 years after 4.3 years of median follow-up in the main PPT. Nine cases of CRC were diagnosed over 7626 person-years of observation (PYO), for an incidence rate of 1.2/1000 PYO. The ratio of CRCs observed compared with that expected by Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.28-1.06). Including all CRCs (N = 22) since the beginning of the PPT, the observed compared with expected rate by Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.47-1.05). Of patients in whom CRC developed in the PPT-CFS, 78% had a history of an advanced adenoma compared with only 43% of patients who remained cancer free ( P = .04). Limitation A relatively small number of interval cancers were detected. Conclusions Despite frequent colonoscopy during the PPT, in the years after the trial, there was a persistent ongoing risk of cancer. Subjects with a history of advanced adenoma are at increased risk of subsequent cancer and should be followed closely with continued surveillance.
Linguistic Analysis of Archival Human Factors Jobs Data

Limor Hochberg, Ravdeep Johar, and Esa Rantanen Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York, USA To continually track changing skills and knowledge requirements for human factors professionals in the la-bor market, an archival human factors jobs database was created. The database contains relevant infor-mation from human factors job announcements, including required degree and field of education, required and preferred experience, and information from the job descriptions. The primary purpose of the database is to facilitate longitudinal analyses of employers’ expectations. Results from these analyses should be used in the design of academic human factors programs and curricula to better prepare future human factors profes-sionals meet such expectations upon their graduation. In this paper we describe a natural language pro-cessing approach to analysis of human factors jobs data. Several trends emerged from our analyses. Alt-hough we defer drawing conclusions from these trends until later, until the database contains much more data that are more evenly distributed in time, our methods are detailed here for others to make use in anal-yses of the jobs data freely available in the database.
Wideband simple cylindrical dielectric resonator antennas

Bandwidths of the coaxial fed and aperture coupled cylindrical dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) with broadside radiation patterns are enhanced by exciting the HEM/sub 11/spl Delta// (1</spl Delta/<2) mode at a frequency close to the HEM/sub 11/spl delta// (0</spl delta/<1) mode. Both HEM/sub 11/spl delta// and HEM/sub 11/spl Delta// modes have similar broadside radiation patterns. Measured impedance bandwidths as much as 26.8% (S/sub 11/<-10 dB) are achieved for the coaxial fed DRA and 23.7% for the aperture coupled DRA. These bandwidths are comparable to those obtained using stacked DRAs. The resonant frequency of the HEM/sub 11/spl Delta// mode can be adjusted by the radius (r) to height (h) ratio of the cylindrical DRA. A wide bandwidth is obtained when this ratio equals to 0.329.
ECOS: practical mobile application offloading for enterprises

Offloading has emerged as a promising idea to allow handheld devices to access intensive applications without performance or energy costs. This could be particularly useful for enterprises seeking to run line-of-business applications on handhelds. However, we must address two practical roadblocks in order to make offloading amenable for enterprises: (i) ensuring data privacy and the use of trusted offloading resources, and (ii) accommodating offload at scale with diverse handheld objectives and compute resource capabilities. We present the design and implementation of an Enterprise-Centric Offloading System (ECOS) which augments prior offloading proposals to address these issues. ECOS uses a logically central controller to opportunistically leverage diverse compute resources, while tightly controlling where specific applications offload depending on privacy, performance, and energy constraints of users and applications. A wide range of experiments using a real prototype establish the effectiveness of our approach.
The Hand as Metaphor in the Novelas ejemplares

From the prologue to the final words of the Coloquio de los perros, the Novelas ejemplares abound in corporeal metaphors that reflect Renaissance notions of selfhood. While it is not surprising that the ‘Manco de Lepanto’ wrote insightfully about hands, it is remarkable that hand imagery in the Novelas ejemplares has yet to be sufficiently examined. This article demonstrates the importance of the motif to this collection of short stories and contextualizes Cervantes’s artistic treatment of the hand in early modern thought about the human body. Due to the particular details of Cervantes’s life events, I argue that hand imagery in his literature takes on a more significant role. More specifically, while he undoubtedly incorporates elements of the Renaissance tradition, I contend that hand imagery in the Novelas ejemplares reflects a rich panoply of connotations related to the nascent epistemological preference for empiricism, the hand’s unique capacity to both construct and dissect narrative, and is a fecun...
Valence-specific emotion transmission: Potential influences on parent-adolescent emotion coregulation.

The current study tested if proximal transmission of positive and negative affect occurs bidirectionally between mothers and their adolescent children in valence-specific patterns (e.g., maternal positive affect to adolescent positive, but not negative, affect) across a period of 7 minutes and between minutes. Whether adolescent gender moderated transmission effects was also explored. One hundred thirty-5 mothers (29-60 years old) and their children (12-16 years old, 49% female) independently completed questionnaires and then jointly engaged in a naturalistic 7-min problem-solving discussion. Transmission was examined by testing how 1 person's expressed affect (assessed observationally) changed the other person's self-reported state affect across the task. In path analyses, support for bidirectional transmission of negative affect emerged. Transmission was valence-specific, however, evidence for transmission of positive affect was not found. Results also supported cross-valence transmission of negative affect specifically from adolescents to their mothers, such that adolescent expressed negative affect predicted reduced maternal self-reported positive affect. Utilizing cross-lagged path analyses to further examine these findings between minutes revealed that transmission did not occur between specific minutes. Results largely support previous theoretical work on the orthogonal structure of affect and the bidirectionality of parent-adolescent affective interactions. Given this evidence for reciprocal transmission of affect across (not between) minutes in a microsocial context, implications for successful emotion coregulation in parent-adolescent interactions and how these mechanisms may predict long-term outcomes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record.
Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom's is described as an excessive growth of IgM-producing plasma cells. The increased number of plasma cells results in an excessive production of IgM
Dietary protein and(or) energy restriction in mares: plasma glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acid, and urea nitrogen responses to feeding, glucose, and epinephrine.

Sixteen light horse mares (8 to 9 yr of age; 457 to 579 kg BW) were fed Bermudagrass hay and a corn/cottonseed hull-based supplement formulated to contain either 100% (control) or 50% (restricted) of the protein and(or) energy requirements for maintenance in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Daily measurements of intake, BW, and plasma hormones and metabolites were made for 33 d. Plasma glucose, insulin, NEFA, and urea N were measured in hourly samples drawn on d 27, and parallel with an i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and epinephrine challenge on d 29. Energy restriction increased daily NEFA concentrations (P .1) throughout the remaining 24 d. Normal meal consumption elevated plasma glucose, insulin, and urea N concentrations (time effect, P < .08). Plasma NEFA concentrations did not change after feeding in mares fed control energy, but decreased in mares fed restricted energy (energy x time interaction, P = .005). After IVGTT, areas under the curve for plasma glucose and insulin were smaller in mares fed restricted protein (P < .05), whereas glucose area was larger in mares fed restricted energy (P = .009). After epinephrine injection, energy restriction increased the initial magnitude of the NEFA response, but after 50 min, reduced plasma NEFA below pre-injection concentrations (energy x time interaction, P = .06).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fluorogenic sensor platform for the histone code using receptors from dynamic combinatorial libraries

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone tails act in diverse combinations in the ‘histone code’ to control gene expression, with dysregulation observed in a variety of diseases. However, detection and sensing methods are limited, expensive, and/or low-throughput, including MS and antibody based detection. We found that by combining four synthetic receptors developed by dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) in an indicator displacement system, we are able to create a pattern-based sensor platform that can discriminate single PTMs such as methylation and acetylation on a representative histone peptide with 100% accuracy as well as peptides bearing both dimethyl and trimethyl lysine in the presence of arginine methylation, which has not previously been demonstrated, and can even correctly distinguish the position of lysine methylation individually or in the presence of other PTMs. To extend this approach, a full panel of thirteen analytes containing different combinations of PTMs were classified with 96 ± 1% overall accuracy in a 50% left-out analysis, demonstrating the robustness and versatility of the sensor array. Finally, the sensor platform was also used to demonstrate proof of concept for enzymatic assays by analysing the mock reaction of a threonine kinase, successfully identifying analytes representative of substrate conversion both with and without neighboring PTMs. This work provides a rapid platform for the analysis of peptides bearing complex modifications and highlights the utility of receptors discovered though DCC that display variations in binding affinity and selectivity.
A constrained optimization perspective on joint spatial resolution and dynamic range enhancement

The problem of resolution enhancement in images from multiple low-resolution captures has garnered significant attention over the last decade. While initial algorithms estimated the unknown high-resolution (hi-res) image for a fixed set of imaging model parameters, significant recent advances have been in simultaneous maximum aposteriori (MAP) estimation of the hi-res image as well as the geometric registration parameters under a variety of noise and prior models. A key computational challenge however, lies in the algorithmic tractability of the resulting optimization problem. Independently, there has been a surge in approaches for enhancing amplitude (or dynamic range) resolution in images from multiple captures. We develop a novel constrained optimization framework to address the problem of joint estimation of imaging model parameters and the unknown hi-res, high dynamic range image. In this framework, we employ a transformation of variables to establish separable convexity of the cost function under any l p norm, p ≥ 1, in the individual variables of geometric and photometric registration parameters, optical blur and the unknown hi-res image. We formulate evolving convex constraints which ensure that the registration parameters as well as the reconstructed image remain physically meaningful. The convergence guarantee afforded by our algorithm alleviates unreasonable demands on initialization, and produces reconstructed image results approaching practical upper bounds. Several existing formulations reduce to special cases of our framework making the algorithm broadly applicable.
Building the Lens

This chapter goes deeper into the question of “why sustainability?” It introduces key terms and examines the idea of sustainability from the perspective of a shared global environment where the actions of one affect all. Here the ideas of Suma Qamana and Circles of Sustainability, which form the base of the sustainability lens, are more deeply explored.
The future's BRITE for new satellite fleet

Astronomers in Austria, Canada and Poland have launched the first space astronomy mission to be carried out using nanosats – cubic satellites that are less than 20 cm in length and weigh less than 8 kg.
Distributions of Print Sizes in U.S. Newspapers

In this study, the authors measured the print sizes in 10 sections of over 100 U.S. newspapers and found that within a newspaper, the print sizes among sections may vary by more than a factor of 2 ...
Defining the timing of 25(OH)D rescue following nitrogen mustard exposure.

Objective Mass exposure to alkylating agents such as nitrogen mustard (NM), whether accidental or intentional as during warfare, are known to cause systemic toxicity and severe blistering from cutaneous exposure. Thus, establishing the timing and appropriate dose of any potential drug designed to reverse or impede these toxicities is critical for wound repair and survival. Our previous data demonstrates that a single intraperitoneal injection of low-dose 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) given as early as 1 h following NM exposure is sufficient to rescue mice from pancytopenia and death. However, the duration of time following exposure where intervention is still effective as a countermeasure is unknown. In this study, we sought to assess the maximal time permissible following NM exposure where 25(OH)D still affords protection against NM-induced cutaneous injury. Additionally, we determined if a higher dose of 25(OH)D would be more efficacious at time interval where low dose 25(OH)D is no longer effective. Methods Low (5 ng) and high (50 ng) doses of 25(OH)D were administered intraperitoneally to mice following exposure to topical NM to assess wound resolution and survival. Mice were imaged and weighed daily to measure wound healing and to monitor systemic toxicity. Results We demonstrated that 5 ng 25(OH)D administered as early as 1 h and as late as 24 h post-NM exposure is able to achieve 100% recovery in mice. In contrast, intervention at and beyond 48 h of NM exposure failed to achieve full recovery and resulted in ≥60% death between days 6 and 12, demonstrating the critical nature of timely intervention with 25(OH)D at each respective dose. In order to circumvent the observed failure at >48 h exposure, we provided two consecutive doses of 5 ng or 50 ng of 25(OH)D at 48 h and 72 h post-NM exposure. Repeat dosing with 25(OH)D at 48 h and beyond led to marked improvement of lesion size with 75% recovery from mortality. Conclusions The opportunity to use 25(OH)D as a medical countermeasure for NM-induced toxicity has a finite of window for intervention. However, modifications such as repeat dosing can be an effective strategy to extend the intervention potential of 25(OH)D.
Toward rational nanoparticle synthesis: predicting surface intermixing in bimetallic alloy nanocatalysts

We present a database of first-principles calculated activation energy barriers for two competitive processes involving bimetallic adatom-surface permutations of ten transition metals: (i) adatom "hopping" diffusion and (ii) adatom substitution into the surface. We consider the surface structure sensitivity of these events as well as coverage effects. We find that surface hopping mechanisms are facile and always preferred to substitution events on close-packed fcc(111) and hcp(0001) surfaces. However, surface atom substitution is more facile on the more open fcc(100) surfaces and is competitive with adatom surface hopping, which is more difficult than on the close-packed surfaces. By comparing the absolute and relative magnitudes of the energetics of hopping and substitution, our calculations can offer qualitative predictions of intermixing and other phenomena relevant to nanocrystal growth, such as the tendency to form intermixed alloys or core-shell structures during layer-by-layer nanoparticle synthesis involving a given bimetallic pair, and thereby inform the rational design and synthesis of novel bimetallic nanomaterials.
Are therapists likely to use a new empirically supported treatment if required

SummaryThere continues to be a movement to address the gap between empirically supported treatment research and social services practice. While the general social services field values services bas...
Skene’s Duct Cyst

AbstractSkene’s duct cysts are rare. A review of the medical literature revealed Skene’s duct cysts in 2 newborns and 1 adult in whom the cyst caused superficial external dyspareunia. A case of Skene’s duct cyst is reported, which was associated with spraying of the urinary stream during voiding. Differential diagnosis includes urethral diverticulum, ectopic ureterocele, cystocele and Gartner’s duct cyst.
Enantioselective Syntheses of Homopropargylic Alcohols via Asymmetric Allenylboration

A chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed allenylboration reaction is reported. Homopropargyl alcohols with an internal alkyne unit were obtained in good yields with high enantioselectivities under the developed conditions.
Party Power and the Causal Effect of Endorsements

When parties make endorsements in primary elections, does the favored candidate receive a real boost in her vote share, or do parties simply pick the favorites who are already destined to win? That is, do parties act as kingmakers who swing elections or cheerleaders who merely root on the winning side? To answer this question, we draw on two research designs aimed at isolating the causal effect of Democratic Party endorsements in California’s 2012 primary election. First, we conduct a survey experiment in which we randomly assign a party endorsement, holding all other aspects of a candidate’s background and policy positions constant. Second, we use a unique dataset to implement a regression-discontinuity analysis of electoral trends by comparing the vote shares captured by candidates who barely won or barely lost the internal party endorsement contest. We find that endorsements do indeed matter, though the magnitude of their impact is smaller than might be estimated from research designs less attuned to recent advances in causal inference.
Ondansetron for Acute Migraine in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Migraines are a common illness presenting to pediatric emergency departments (PED). Significant research has been devoted towards establishing treatment regimens for treating migraines. Much of this research involves antidopaminergic antiemetics such as prochlorperazine and metoclopramide. Despite a comparably more favorable side effect profile, no research has been directed towards examining ondansetron, a selective type three 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist, in the treatment of migraines. Our primary objective was to determine if treatment regimens including ondansetron were successful in reducing patients’ verbal pain score. Methods A retrospective chart review examining patients diagnosed with migraine ages 7 to 18 years old who visited the PED over a 4-year period was conducted. Charts were reviewed for initial and discharge pain scores, PED revisits, neurology consultation and opioid administration. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as a reduction in the verbal pain score by equal to or greater than 50%. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects of ondansetron, receiving non-evidence-based treatment defined as receiving an opioid, neurology consultation rate, and PED revisit rate within 48 hours. Results 98 encounters were included; 42 received ondansetron, 22 received an anti-dopaminergic, and 34 received no antiemetic. 38 patients (90%) in the ondansetron group (95% confidence interval [CI] 81 to 99) reached treatment success. PED revisits, opioid administration, neurology consultation and treatment success were similar amongst the ondansetron and anti-dopaminergic groups. Conclusion Ondansetron may be a useful medication in the treatment regimen of patients with migraine in the PED. Preliminary data suggests that ondansetron is comparable to anti-dopaminergic agents.
Development of a system to integrate safety, productivity, and quality metrics for improved communication and solutions

Abstract The implementation of ergonomics in manufacturing to reduce injuries and improve efficiencies requires communication between safety, quality and production professionals. While many ergonomic assessment tools provide indications of risk and suggestions for improvement, few have linked quality and production. Today Lean and Six Sigma are common continuous improvement methods that are utilized in various industries. This article describes a newly developed system that incorporates safety and ergonomics with continuous improvement for better solutions. It incorporates a training program that includes four key tools that can be used alone, together, or within a Lean/Six Sigma structure. Although evaluated at manufacturing sites, this program has the potential to be applicable to other industries, such as healthcare and construction.
Editors' note: Miller Fisher syndrome and polyneuritis cranialis in COVID-19.

In an effort to grow our understanding of the neurologic complications of the novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Drs. Gutierrez-Ortiz et al. reported a patient with the Miller Fisher syndrome and another patient with polyneuritis cranialis. Several days earlier, both patients manifested respiratory and systemic symptoms consistent with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and confirmed by oropharyngeal swab. Drs. Ni and Xu found this report of autoimmune-related peripheral neuropathy consistent with known complications of the Zika virus—a single-stranded RNA virus similar to coronavirus but actually a member of the genus Flavivirus. They inquired whether the authors tested the patients for other common viruses and evaluated for the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in the CSF. In response, the authors indicated they did not test the CSF for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 because of the lack of validity for the assay. Owing to healthcare limitations during the pandemic, only the first patient had their CSF tested for other CNS pathogens (negative for enterovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, and neurosyphilis). This patient also had a negative PCR test for SARS-CoV2 in the CSF. The temporal relationship between symptom onset of COVID-19 in these patients and the development of neurologic manifestations—within 3–5 days—argue for a strong association of SARS CoV-2 and autoimmune-related peripheral neuropathy. In an effort to grow our understanding of the neurologic complications of the novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Drs. Gutierrez-Ortiz et al. reported a patient with the Miller Fisher syndrome and another patient with polyneuritis cranialis. Several days earlier, both patients manifested respiratory and systemic symptoms consistent with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and confirmed by oropharyngeal swab. Drs. Ni and Xu found this report of autoimmune-related peripheral neuropathy consistent with known complications of the Zika virus—a single-stranded RNA virus similar to coronavirus but actually a member of the genus Flavivirus. They inquired whether the authors tested the patients for other common viruses and evaluated for the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in the CSF. In response, the authors indicated they did not test the CSF for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 because of the lack of validity for the assay. Owing to healthcare limitations during the pandemic, only the first patient had their CSF tested for other CNS pathogens (negative for enterovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, and neurosyphilis). This patient also had a negative PCR test for SARS-CoV2 in the CSF. The temporal relationship between symptom onset of COVID-19 in these patients and the development of neurologic manifestations—within 3–5 days—argue for a strong association of SARS CoV-2 and autoimmune-related peripheral neuropathy.
Open syllable lengthening and the Ormulum

The date at which Middle English open syllable lengthening began and the value of the evidence from the Ormulum (ca. 1200) in determining that date have been disputed. This paper reviews the eviden...
Approximate Exponential Algorithms to Solve the Chemical Master Equation

This paper discusses new simulation algorithms for stochastic chemical kinetics that exploit the linearity of the chemical master equation and its matrix exponential exact solution. These algorithms make use of various approximations of the matrix exponential to evolve probability densities in time. A sampling of the approximate solutions of the chemical master equation is used to derive accelerated stochastic simulation algorithms. Numerical experiments compare the new methods with the established stochastic simulation algorithm and the tau-leaping method.
Abstract P734: Reactive Astrocytes Facilitate Vascular Repair and Remodeling After Stroke

Astrocytes and blood vessels interact closely in the neurovascular unit. After stroke, reactive astrocytes surrounding the infarct undergo structural and functional changes. Simultaneously, conside...
Experiences of Adult Men Who Are Homeless Accessing Care: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction Homeless individuals experience increased rates of chronic physical and mental health conditions. They also experience difficulty accessing care and poor health outcomes compounded by social and economic factors, such as housing insecurity, unemployment, and limited social support. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of homeless individuals related to their health and experiences accessing care. Method Qualitative descriptive methods and content analysis were used to gather, analyze, and interpret the data and identify themes. Results Three themes were identified: men who are homeless experience bias throughout their health care and interpersonal relationships, the best care is person-centered and considers patients' priorities, and care coordination resources are inadequate. Discussion The housing needs of homeless individuals are best contextualized by their health and social needs. In addition, their priorities must be taken into consideration to develop culturally congruent services that are appropriate and effective care for this population.
Macrophage Reversal of Anti-Lymphocyte Serum Induced Immunosuppression

The development of organ and tissue transplantation as a relatively common surgical procedure has necessitated the employment of immunosuppressive drug therapy in order to eliminate or delay the onset of immunologically-mediated tissue rejection mechanisms by the recipient (1). A wide variety of immunosuppressives, including antimetabolites, e.g., the purine analogs; alkylating agents, e.g., cyclophosphamide; and specific anticellular sera, e.g., antilymphocyte serum (ALS), have been employed. Unfortunately, a common side effect of nearly all immunosuppressive therapy is the development of post-transplant infections and tumor metastases (2–4). Indeed, Berenbaum (2) reported that up to 30% of renal transplantation failures have been associated with infection, while Starzl and Marchioro (3) have found 50% or more of hepatic transplantation failures to be associated with infections. Similarly, Wilson (4) has claimed that patients subjected to immunosuppressive therapy constitute a high risk group in terms of increased incidence of neoplasia.
Find, new, copy, web, page - tagging for the (re-)discovery of web pages

The World Wide Web has a very dynamic character with resources constantly disappearing and (re-)surfacing. A ubiquitous result is the "404 Page not Found" error as the request for missing web pages. We investigate tags obtained from Delicious for the purpose of rediscovering such missing web pages with the help of search engines. We determine the best performing tag based query length, quantify the relevance of the results and compare tags to retrieval methods based on a page's content. We find that tags are only useful in addition to content based methods. We further introduce the notion of "ghost tags", terms used as tags that do not occur in the current but did occur in a previous version of the web page. One third of these ghost tags are ranked high in Delicious and also occurred frequently in the document which indicates their importance to both the user and the content of the document.
Trauma re-experiencing symptoms modulate topology of intrinsic functional networks.

The article by Spielberg and colleagues (1) in this issue explores the large-scale topology of intrinsic functional networks in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The emerging approach, already applied to other neuropsychiatric disorders, begins to account for the sobering reality that neural representations of symptoms are distributed across widespread, dynamically interacting brain regions and subnetworks, which are further modulated by affective and cognitive states. Thus, the large scale of the search space under exploration requires unbiased approaches to gain the greatest flexibility and the widest possible aperture (2). By contrast, much of the prior research using resting-state functional connectivity in PTSD, while making valuable contributions to the field, has focused on the functional neural connections to specific a priori anatomical regions or seeds. The large repertoire of spatiotemporal patterns of activity in the brain is the basis for adaptive behavior, and uncovering disruptions in these patterns will be essential for improving our understanding of PTSD and mTBI. As such, the work of Spielberg et al. covers new ground in PTSD by using an agnostic (whole brain) approach to characterizing large-scale neural connectivity that will generate new hypotheses and spawn the discovery of the precise role that various circuits play in PTSD symptomatology.
Optimization Problems in Model Predictive Control

This paper provides a review of the types of optimization problems that arise when implementing model predictive control, a feedback control method based on the on-line solution of open-loop optimal control problems. For linear, unconstrained processes, the issues are fully resolved; the controller is linear and the optimization reduces to a least squares problem that can be solved off line. For linear, constrained processes, the controller is nonlinear and the optimization is a convex quadratic program that must be solved on line. Maintaining feasibility of the optimization problem in the presence of the constraints is the remaining open issue. For nonlinear processes, the controller is nonlinear and the optimization is a nonlinear and non-convex problem. Because on-line solution of non-convex problems is difficult, alternatives to this optimization problem are presented. The available theory to establish robustness of the nonlinear controller to perturbations is summarized. Throughout the paper, we highlight the interplay between optimization theory and model predictive control theory.
Weak law of large numbers for almost periodically correlated processes

This note contains two simple observations concerning the weak law of large numbers for almost periodically correlated processes. Let H be a complex Hilbert space with the inner product (., .), and let R denote the set of real numbers. Any Borel measurable function X: R H will be referred to as a stochastic process. A stochastic process X is said to be almost periodically correlated (APC), if its correlation function R(s,u) = (X(s),X(u)) is bounded and uniformly continuous in s,u, and for each t E R the function B(t, u) = R(t + u, u), u E R, is uniformly almost periodic in u [3]. If X is APC, then for every A, t E R the limit (1) aA(t) = lim JB(t, u) exp (-iAu)du exists, the set A = {A E R: a,(t) =A 0 for some t} is countable, and for every A E A there is a complex measure. rA (sometimes called the spectral measure corresponding to al) such that a\(t) = Judo exp (itx)rF(dx) (see e.g. [4]). An APC process X is called almost periodically unitary (APU) if there is a continuous unitary group U(t), t E R, and an H-valued uniformly almost periodic function f such that X(t) = U(t)f(t), t E R [5]. An APC process X is called uniformly almost periodically correlated (UAPC) if the function u ) B(., u) is uniformly almost periodic from R to C(R), the Banach space of bounded continuous functions on R equipped with the sup-norm [2]. We will say that a process X satisfies the weak law of large numbers (WLLN) if the limit (2) lim X(t)dt exists in the norm topology of H. The problem of existence of the limit (2) for APC processes was raised in [1], where among other results it was proved that if X is APC and ZAEA-{0} A-2 is finite, then X satisfies WLLN. The purpose of this note is to show that for APC processes WLLN holds when the set A {0} is separated from zero. This result Received by the editors November 15, 1994. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 60G12, 60F05.
Gas phase advection and dispersion in unsaturated porous media

[1] Gas phase miscible displacement experiments were conducted to quantitatively investigate the advective and dispersive contributions to gas phase transport in unsaturated porous media over a range of soil water contents. Furthermore, the independence of measured dispersivity values was evaluated through comparison of nonreactive and reactive tracer transport. Methane was used as a nonreactive tracer, while difluoromethane (DFM) and trichloroethene (TCE) were used as reactive tracers. At soil water contents below 17%, measured dispersivity values are observed to be independent of the tracer compound and of the soil water content. Conversely, the dispersivities are tracer dependent at the highest soil water contents, wherein the values for DFM and TCE are 3 and 6 times larger than that of methane's, respectively. The significantly larger dispersivity values obtained for DFM and TCE are most likely due to rate-limited mass transfer of these compounds between the gas phase and soil water, which is not observed for methane because of its minimal water partitioning. The dispersivity values obtained here range between 0.3 and 3 cm and are similar to those reported in the literature. The results indicate that within a given “ideal transport” range, dispersivities measured at one soil water content with a given tracer may be representative of the same porous media system at other soil water contents and for other compounds.
Outpatient vancomycin use and vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization in maintenance dialysis patients

Outpatient vancomycin use and vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization in maintenance dialysis patients. Background Although outpatient vancomycin is widely used as empiric therapy for dialysis-associated infections, its relationship with vancomycin-resistant enterococcal (VRE) colonization is not established. Methods During a two-year prospective cohort study, rectal swabs obtained from patients at the start and finish of the study period and during interim hospitalizations were cultured for VRE. Results Ten of 124 patients initially grew VRE. Twenty-four of the remaining patients had no follow-up cultures because of patient death (62%), transfer to another dialysis facility (17%), patient's refusal (7%), and transplantation (4%), and were thus excluded. The remaining patients ( N = 90) had a median age of 54.3 years and were 92% African American and 50% male. Fifty-eight percent were treated by hemodialysis. They received 403g of intravenous vancomycin over 157.2 patient-years of follow-up, 73% as outpatients. Sixteen of 90 patients (17.8%) became colonized with VRE, an incidence rate of one case per 9.8 patient-years of follow-up. None of the 29 patients who did not receive vancomycin developed VRE compared with 26% of those treated with vancomycin ( P = 0.001). The odds ratio (95% CI) for the association of outpatient vancomycin (g per year) with VRE colonization was 1.23 (1.05, 1.44, P = 0.008). The association remained significant following adjustment in separate logistic regression analyses for relevant demographic, clinical, antimicrobial (inpatient vancomycin, oral or intravenous cephalosprins, aminoglycosides, quinalones, or antianaerobics), and hospitalization exposures. The unadjusted relative risk of death in patients growing VRE was significantly higher than in those not colonized with VRE ( P = 0.005). Conclusions VRE colonization is a relatively common and underrecognized problem among chronic dialysis patients. It is strongly and independently associated with the outpatient use of vancomycin, which should be avoided whenever possible.