cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Octogenarians undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: resource utilization, postoperative mortality, and morbidity.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine resource utilization in octogenarians undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and compare it with usage in their younger cohorts at a tertiary care heart center. The resources examined were time to extubation, packed red blood cell transfusions, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and preoperative and postoperative LOS. The study also examined differences in postoperative morbidity and mortality. Design: Retrospective hospital follow-up study of consecutive patients undergoing CABG using a prospectively designed database. Setting: University teaching tertiary care referral center for cardiac surgery. Participants: Seventeen hundred forty-six male and female patients undergoing CABG surgery, including 155 octogenarians and 1591 patients younger than 80 years. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Demographic, mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization data were collected from the records of patients undergoing CABG at the authors’ institution over 3 years. There were 1746 patients: 155 octogenarians and 1591 nonoctogenarians. Octogenarians had a significantly higher incidence of preoperative stroke, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, congestive heart failure, and left main disease. They weighed significantly less, and had lower preoperative and postoperative hematocrit. There was a significantly higher percentage of women in the octogenarian group. Mean time from the end of surgery to endotracheal extubation was 9.3 hours for octogenarians and 6.3 hours for their younger cohorts (p Conclusions: The results demonstrated that octogenarians undergoing CABG required increased resource utilization and had significantly higher morbidity, with increased incidence of postoperative renal failure, neurologic complications, and 30- day mortality. Age 80 years or older was an independent predictor of increased resource utilization, postoperative morbidity, and mortality.
Calculations of steady-state viscoelastic flow in an undulating tube

Abstract The flow of a viscoelastic fluid in an undulating tube is of importance both for modeling the flow of polymeric fluids through porous media and for testing numerical techniques for the simulation of viscoelastic flows. This geometry represents one of the simplest pore models for the consideration of the converging-diverging nature of the flow field in applications ranging from enhanced oil recovery to manufacturing of advanced composites using resin transfer molding. For an upper convected Maxwell fluid, a mixed pseudospectral/finite difference method (PSFD) is developed, employing the coordinate system provided by the streamlines and the lines orthogonal to them. For an Oldroyd-B fluid, a modification of the PSFD method is used, implemented in a stretched cylindrical coordinate system (PCFD method). For both the Maxwell and the Oldroyd-B fluid, solutions converged with mesh refinement are obtained up to high Deborah numbers. The results obtained using the Maxwell fluid show no increase in the flow resistance with increasing flow elasticity, in reference to the purely viscous flow. The results for the Oldroyd-B fluid show a very small increase in the flow resistance. These findings are in disagreement with experimental data reported in the literature, which have been obtained with Boger fluids. For the Maxwell fluid, a perturbation analysis valid for small amplitudes of undulation shows that extremely steep boundary layers are developed with increasing elasticity in the flow. The boundary layers are developed both near the wall and the centerline of the tube and their resolution becomes a key element for any potentially successful numerical method. In addition, their presence explains, at least partially, the failure of previous attempts by other investigators to obtain converged solutions at high values of elasticity.
Integrated CFD and Controls Analysis Interface for High Accuracy Liquid Propellant Slosh Predictions

Coupling computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with a controls analysis tool elegantly allows for high accuracy predictions of the interaction between sloshing liquid propellants and the control system of a launch vehicle. Instead of relying on mechanical analogs which are n0t va lid during all stages of flight, this method allows for a direct link between the vehicle dynamic environments calculated by the solver in the controls analysis tool to the fluid now equations solved by the CFD code. This paper describes such a coupling methodology, presents the results of a series of test cases, and compares said results against equivalent results from extensively validated tools. The coupling methodology, described herein, has proven to be highly accurate in a variety of different cases.
The Potential Role of HIV-1 Vper Interaction with a Protein Kinase VIP4D1 in Vpr-induced Cell Cycle G2 Arrest 911

The Potential Role of HIV-1 Vper Interaction with a Protein Kinase VIP4D1 in Vpr-induced Cell Cycle G2 Arrest 911
Role of O-acetyltransferase in activation of oxidised metabolites of the genotoxic environmental pollutant 1-nitropyrene

The genotoxic environmental contaminant 1-nitropyrene is metabolised in mammalian systems by pathways more complex than the straightforward nitroreduction which accounts for most of its biological activity in bacteria. In order to evaluate the role of O-acetyltransferase (OAT) activity in generation of genotoxic intermediates from 1-nitropyrene, the mutagenicity of the major primary oxidised metabolites of 1-nitropyrene was characterised in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium plate incorporation assay with strain TA98, and with variants of TA98 deficient (TA98/1,8-DNP6) or enhanced (YG1024) in O-acetyltransferase. 1-Nitropyren-3-ol was more mutagenic in the absence than in the presence of S9, while 1-nitropyren-4-ol, 1-nitropyren-6-ol and 1-nitropyren-8-ol required S9 for maximum expression of mutagenicity. 1-Nitropyren-4-ol (176 rev/nmol without S9, 467 rev/nmol with S9 in TA98) and 1-nitropyren-6-ol (13 rev/nmol without S9, 266 rev/nmol with S9 in TA98) were overall the most potent nitropyrenol isomers assayed. 1-Acetamidopyren-8-ol and 1-acetamidopyrene 4,5-quinone were only minimally active. 1-Acetamidopyren-3-ol exhibited direct-acting mutagenicity. 1-Acetamidopyren-6-ol, previously shown to be a major contributor to mutagenicity in the urines of rats dosed with 1-nitropyrene (Ball et al., 1984b), was confirmed as a potent (359 rev/nmol) S9-dependent mutagen. Both the direct-acting and the S9-dependent mutagenicity of all the compounds studied was enhanced in the OAT-overproducing strain and much diminished (though not always entirely lost) in the OAT-deficient strain, showing that OAT amplifies expression of the genotoxicity of these compounds. 1-Acetamidopyren-6-ol required both S9 and OAT activity in order to exhibit any mutagenicity; this finding strongly implicates N-hydroxylation followed by O-esterification, as opposed to further S9-catalyzed ring oxidation, as a major route of activation for urinary metabolites of 1-nitropyrene.
The Computational Contents of Ramified Corecurrence

The vast power of iterated recurrence is tamed by data ramification: if a function over words is definable by ramified recurrence and composition, then it is feasible, i.e. computable in polynomial time, i.e. any computation using the first n input symbols can have at most p(n) distinct configurations, for some polynomial p. Here we prove a dual result for coinductive data: if a function over streams is definable by ramified corecurrence, then any computation to obtain the first n symbols of the output can have at most p(n) distinct configurations, for some polynomial p. The latter computation is by multi-cursor finite state transducer on streams.
Ten new polymorphic microsatellite loci for North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) and their utility in related mustelids

We describe 10 novel North American river otter ( Lontra canadensis ) polymorphic microsatellite loci. Individuals from two river drainages in New York were sampled, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 12 (Drainage 1) and two to 10 (Drainage 2). Observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.21 to 0.83 (Drainage 1) and 0.20 to 0.80 (Drainage 2). Preliminary screening revealed that loci amplified in five other mustelids [ Martes pennanti ( n = 6), Martes fiona ( n = 8), Mustela frenata ( n = 8), Mustela erminea ( n = 8) and Mustela vison ( n = 5)].
A1 adenosine receptor negatively modulates coronary reactive hyperemia via counteracting A2A-mediated H2O2 production and KATP opening in isolated mouse hearts.

We previously demonstrated that A2A, but not A2B, adenosine receptors (ARs) mediate coronary reactive hyperemia (RH), possibly by producing H2O2 and, subsequently, opening ATP-dependent K+ (KATP) c...
An empirical study of tracing techniques from a failure analysis perspective

Tracing is a dynamic analysis technique to continuously capture events of interest on a running program. The occurrence of a statement, the invocation of a function, and the trigger of a signal are examples of traced events. Software engineers employ traces to accomplish various tasks, ranging from performance monitoring to failure analysis. Despite its capabilities, tracing can negatively impact the performance and general behavior of an application. In order to minimize that impact, traces are normally buffered and transferred to (slower) permanent storage at specific intervals. This scenario presents a delicate balance. Increased buffering can minimize the impact on the target program, but it increases the risk of losing valuable collected data in the event of a failure. Frequent disk transfers can ensure traced data integrity, but it risks a high impact on the target program. We conducted an experiment involving six tracing schemes and various buffer sizes to address these trade-offs. Our results highlight opportunities for tailored tracing schemes that would benefit failure analysis.
Nafcillin Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Meningitis

Serial serum and cerebrospinal fluid nafcillin concentrations were determined in a patient successfully treated with nafcillin (200 mg/kg per day) for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and meningitis. Nafcillin and methicillin cerebrospinal fluid concentrations were compared.
Thermochronology of the Salt Spring fault: Constraints on the evolution of the South Virgin–White Hills detachment system, Nevada and Arizona, USA

We present new clay mineralogy and muscovite and illite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data from fault gouge and immediately adjacent wall rocks from the Salt Spring fault, the central portion of the Miocene South Virgin–White Hills detachment system in southern Nevada and northern Arizona. In combination with a wealth of published regional thermochronology data, we find that useful age information can be obtained from 40 Ar/ 39 Ar step-heating spectra of fine-grained clays in both sedimentary rocks and fault gouge derived from them. This information can be used to investigate the provenance of detrital clays in lowgrade sediments, the source of clays in fault gouge, and potentially to constrain thermal histories. A new muscovite 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age from the footwall near the Salt Spring fault is ca. 900 Ma, in contrast with previously reported ages of ca. 90 Ma from near the South Virgin–White Hills detachment system at Gold Butte, Nevada, located 20 km along strike to the north. This discrepancy in muscovite cooling ages supports prior interpretations of significant along-strike variations in the magnitude of footwall exhumation. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data from clay-size sediment in a supradetachment basin at the Salt Spring Wash area show no influence from detrital ca. 900 Ma or older muscovite, but do show an influence from detrital muscovite with Cretaceous apparent ages, suggesting that these sediments were derived from Gold Butte to the north, and not from directly updip areas to the east. These observations suggest a Miocene paleotopographic configuration wherein Gold Butte formed an upland area that shed detritus southward into the supradetachment basin during exhumation of the Salt Spring footwall. Fault gouge from the Salt Spring detachment is similar to fine-grained sediment from the adjacent supradetachment basin both in terms of clay mineralogy and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar results. The gouge is rich in illite and smectite, clays that have low frictional coefficients, are relatively impermeable, and would have reduced the shear strength of the detachment at shallow depths. Apatite grains entrained in the gouge have a mean fission-track age of 15 Ma and mean track lengths that are statistically indistinguishable from previously published data from footwall samples. Collectively, these observations suggest that clay-rich gouge along this segment of the fault formed principally by scraping and incorporating clays and other minerals from the base of the supradetachment basin and that the fault zone did not experience temperatures measurably greater than the footwall.
Simulation Model for Enumeration of Salmonella on Chicken as a Function of PCR Detection Time Score and Sample Size: Implications for Risk Assessment†

A data gap commonly identie ed in risk assessments is the lack of quantitative information on the contamination of food with pathogens. A simulation model that predicts the incidence and distribution of Salmonella contamination on chicken as a function of PCR detection time score and sample size was developed with data from challenge studies with preenrichment samples that were composed of 25 g of chicken and 225 ml of buffered peptone water inoculated with 10 0.7 to 106 Salmonella and incubated at 37 8C. At 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h of incubation, subsamples were collected and tested for Salmonella by PCR, and a PCR detection time score based on the widths of the bands in the electrophoresis gel was obtained for each preenrichment sample. Standard curves relating PCR detection time score to initial density of Salmonella inoculated were developed for sterile and nonsterile preenrichment samples. Presence of other microorganisms in the preenrichment sample decreased the PCR detection time score at low ( ,102 per 25 g) but not at high ( .102 per 25 g) initial densities of Salmonella and resulted in a nonlinear standard curve rather than the linear standard curve obtained for sterile samples. The predicted incidence and distribution of Salmonella contamination on chicken increased in a nonlinear manner as sample size increased from 25 to 500 g. The new method reduced the time and cost of Salmonella enumeration by eliminating the selective enrichment, selective plating, and cone rmation steps of the traditional most-probable-number method. Results are useful for risk assessment because they consider the uncertainty of the standard curve predictions and because they provide distributions of Salmonella contamination for different size samples of chicken that can be directly used in risk assessment.
Crystallographic Characteristics of Grain Boundaries in Dense Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia

Grain-boundary plane, misorientation angle, grain size, and grain-boundary energy distributions were quantified using electron backscatter diffraction data for dense polycrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia, to understand interfacial crystallography in solid oxide fuel cells. Tape-cast samples were sintered at 1450°C for 4 h and annealed for at least 100 h between 800°C and 1650°C. Distributions obtained from both three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions and stereological analyses of 2D sections demonstrated that the (100) boundary planes {(111)} have relative areas larger {smaller} than expected in a random distribution, and that the boundary plane distribution is inversely correlated to the boundary energy distribution.
Neural Network Visualization

We have developed graphics to visualize static and dynamic information in layered neural network learning systems. Emphasis was placed on creating new visuals that make use of spatial arrangements, size information, animation and color. We applied these tools to the study of back-propagation learning of simple Boolean predicates, and have obtained new insights into the dynamics of the learning process.
Editor's Introduction: Forecasting the 2008 National Elections

This symposium presents 10 articles forecasting the 2008 U.S. national elections. The core of this collection is the seven presidential-vote forecasting models that were presented in this space before the 2004 election. Added to that group are one additional presidential forecasting model, one state-level elections forecasting model, and one model forecasting the relationship between congressional votes and seats won by the parties. Some of the articles that are focused on the presidential race have also taken the opportunity to forecast the congressional elections as well.
Non-negative matrix factorization for semi-supervised data clustering

Traditional clustering algorithms are inapplicable to many real-world problems where limited knowledge from domain experts is available. Incorporating the domain knowledge can guide a clustering algorithm, consequently improving the quality of clustering. In this paper, we propose SS-NMF: a semi-supervised non-negative matrix factorization framework for data clustering. In SS-NMF, users are able to provide supervision for clustering in terms of pairwise constraints on a few data objects specifying whether they “must” or “cannot” be clustered together. Through an iterative algorithm, we perform symmetric tri-factorization of the data similarity matrix to infer the clusters. Theoretically, we show the correctness and convergence of SS-NMF. Moveover, we show that SS-NMF provides a general framework for semi-supervised clustering. Existing approaches can be considered as special cases of it. Through extensive experiments conducted on publicly available datasets, we demonstrate the superior performance of SS-NMF for clustering.
A query algebra for object-oriented databases

An algebra that synthesizes relational query concepts with object-oriented databases is defined. The algebra fully supports abstract data types and object identity, while providing associative access to objects. The operations take an abstract view of objects and access typed collections of objects through the public interface defined for the type. The algebra supports access to relationships implied by the structure of the objects, as well as the definition and creation of new relationships between objects. The operations create new objects with unique identities and can use object identity in the manipulation of objects. The support for object identity leads to new definitions for equality of results and operators that can manipulate the identities of objects. >
On the performance of randomized power control algorithms in multiple access wireless networks

In this paper, we develop and investigate a novel power control algorithm (the fair randomized power control algorithm; FRPC) to enhance the throughput level of the slotted Aloha medium access control mechanism. FRPC is developed based on the analysis of the capture effect for which the transmitter captures the channel only if the observed signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR) at the receiver is above a certain threshold. We first analyze the sensitivity of the generic randomized power control algorithm with respect to expected value and standard deviation of the power density function. In particular, based on the one-tailed version of Chebyshev's inequality, we derive a closed-form expression for an upper bound on the probability of capture (and an upper bound on the aggregate throughput) in the network. We then apply the latter result to the process of designing the FRPC algorithm for the slotted Aloha MAC mechanism. Our simulation results indicate that the FRPC algorithm leads to significant throughput gain while providing fairness for different mobile users in the system.
Impact of sex and age on bone marrow immune responses in a murine model of trauma-hemorrhage

Although studies have demonstrated that trauma markedly alters the bone marrow immune responses, sex and age are crucial determinants under such conditions and have not been extensively examined. T...
Micromachined infrared bolometers on flexible polyimide substrates

Abstract Micromachined infrared sensor arrays have been fabricated on flexible polyimide substrates using a silicon wafer carrier during the fabrication process. These flexible polyimide substrates containing the micromachined infrared sensors were removed from the silicon wafer at the end of fabrication. The fabrication technique utilized surface micromachining of a bridge structure to form the thermal infrared (IR) sensors on flexible substrates. Semiconducting yttrium barium copper oxide YBCO was used as the radiation sensitive material. 1 × 10 sensor arrays of microbolometers were micromachined using a photo-definable polyimide sacrificial layer and characterized before and after removal of the substrate from the Si wafer carrier. The flexible infrared microsensors showed similar performance to microbolometers fabricated on rigid silicon substrates. The YBCO thermistors exhibited a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of ∼−3.4% K−1 near room temperature. Responsivity and detectivity values as high as 6.1 × 104 V/W and 1.2 × 108 cm Hz1/2/W, respectively, were measured in vacuum for a 40 μm × 40 μm microbolometer with 1 μA bias. The lowest observed noise equivalent power was 4.1 × 10−11 W/Hz1/2 while the lowest thermal time constant was 5.7 ms.
Mining non-redundant high order correlations in binary data

Many approaches have been proposed to find correlations in binary data. Usually, these methods focus on pair-wise correlations. In biology applications, it is important to find correlations that involve more than just two features. Moreover, a set of strongly correlated features should be non-redundant in the sense that the correlation is strong only when all the interacting features are considered together. Removing any feature will greatly reduce the correlation.In this paper, we explore the problem of finding non-redundant high order correlations in binary data. The high order correlations are formalized using multi-information, a generalization of pairwise mutual information. To reduce the redundancy, we require any subset of a strongly correlated feature subset to be weakly correlated. Such feature subsets are referred to as Non-redundant Interacting Feature Subsets (NIFS). Finding all NIFSs is computationally challenging, because in addition to enumerating feature combinations, we also need to check all their subsets for redundancy. We study several properties of NIFSs and show that these properties are useful in developing efficient algorithms. We further develop two sets of upper and lower bounds on the correlations, which can be incorporated in the algorithm to prune the search space. A simple and effective pruning strategy based on pair-wise mutual information is also developed to further prune the search space. The efficiency and effectiveness of our approach are demonstrated through extensive experiments on synthetic and real-life datasets.
The relationship between MOLA northern hemisphere topography and the 6.1-Mbar atmospheric pressure surface of Mars

To assist in targeting of landers and to enable comparison of new elevation data to previous topography models, we have re-determined the position of the 6. l-mbar atmospheric pressure surface on Mars with respect to surface topography from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The 6.1-mbar surface lies, on average, 1600 m below the geoid-defined zero level of MOLA topography, which occurs at an average pressure of 5.2 mbars at Ls=O o. The elevation of the 6.1-mbar surface is expected to vary by 1.5-2.5 km over the Martian year due to the seasonal exchange of CO2 between the atmosphere and polar caps. For average Martian atmospheric conditions, the pressure at the Mars Surveyor '98 landing site is expected to be -5.0 mbars during the lander science phase of the mission assuming an elevation of 1600 meters above the zero level defined by MOLA topography.
Community Mobilization Against Urban Crime: Guiding Orientations and Strategic Choices in Grassroots Politics

Periodically, crime becomes a prominent issue in the politics of cities. In the past, politicians, police officials, and the media elevated crime to public and political agenda status for their own purposes. Increasingly, however, grassroots activists are raising crime as an issue and are organizing to cope with it in their communities. The type and posture of these organizations differ significantly. The postures that anticrime activists adopt are largely decided by their perspectives toward (1) the legitimacy of governmental authority and (2) their sense of efficacy. These guiding orientations lead activists to fall into four basic categories that are labeled Negotiational, Adversarial, Delegational, and Alienated.
A Road Map to Comprehensive Androgen Receptor Axis Targeting for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Gonadal androgen suppression (castration via orchiectomy or gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues) suppresses circulating testosterone levels but does not achieve adequate androgen ablation within the prostate cancer microenvironment because it does not address adrenal and intratumoral steroid contributions. These residual extragonadal sources of androgens allow prostate cancer cells to survive, adapt, and evolve into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The persistent significance of the androgen receptor (AR) axis in CRPC was recently validated by the clinical efficacy of androgen synthesis inhibitors (abiraterone) and novel, second-generation AR antagonists (enzalutamide). The appreciation that conventional therapeutic approaches achieve a suboptimal ablation of intratumoral androgens and AR axis signaling output opens transformative therapeutic opportunities. A treatment paradigm of comprehensive AR axis targeting at multiple levels (androgen synthesis, metabolism, and action) and at all relevant sites (gonadal, adrenal, intratumoral) simultaneously at the time of initiation of endocrine therapy (instead of the current approach of sequentially adding one agent at a time and only after disease progression) deserves examination in clinical trials to explore whether maximal first-line AR axis suppression via combination therapy can achieve maximal induction of cancer cell apoptosis (before they have the chance to adapt and evolve into CRPC) and thus, improve patient outcomes. Cancer Res; 73(15); 4599-605. ©2013 AACR.
Small bowel disaccharidase activity in the rat as affected by intestinal resection and pectin feeding.

This study investigated the effects of small bowel resection (SBR) and a pectin- supplemented elemental diet (ED) on intestinal disaccharidase activity. Rats underwent place- ment of feeding gastrostomy and swivel apparatus. Control animals were returned to their cages while resected animals underwent an 80% SBR. Postoperatively, animals received either a pectin-free ED or the ED supplemented with 2% pectin. After 2 wkjejunal and ileal mucosal sucrase, maltase, and lactase activities and protein content were determined. Feeding the ED after SBR resulted in significant increases in all three ileal segmental disaccharidase activities but only maltase activity was significantly increased in thejejunum. The pectin-supplemented ED, however, significantly enhanced the adaptation of jejunal and ileal segmental sucrase, maltese, and lactase activity to SBR with the increase in all three jejunal disaccharidase activi- ties being significantly greater than that of the resected animals fed the ED alone. Am J C/in Nutr l988;47:448-53.
Salivary Testosterone and Cortisol in a Delinquent and Violent Urban Subculture

Salivary testosterone and cortisol levels were measured in 36 U.S. college students and 29 delinquent participants of a similar age. Both groups of participants were made up of White men and women. The delinquent group, which was characterized by flamboyant dress, drug use, and violence, had significantly higher testosterone levels than the college students did, but the two groups did not differ regarding cortisol levels. Testosterone and cortisol were positively correlated in the women.
DefibViz : A Visualization Tool for the Assessment of Electrode Parameters on Transthoracic Defibrillation Thresholds

DefibViz is a software application developed for defibrillation simulation and visualization. It exploits both surface techniques and methods for the interactive exploration of volumetric datasets for the analysis of transthoracic defibrillation simulation results. DefibViz has a graphical user interface for the specification of the shape, size, position, and applied voltage of a defibrillator's electrodes. An option is provided for using 3D slice plane widgets, which operate on the volumetric datasets, such that the distribution of the voltage gradient induced by an electric shock can be visually inspected in various tissues throughout the myocardium and torso. One goal of DefibViz is to enhance understanding of how electrode parameters relate to the change of the voltage gradient distribution throughout the heart, which may help lead to optimal defibrillator design. DefibViz is significant, in that, it is built by using an open-source graphics and visualization framework providing a platform for subsequent modifiability and extensibility. Moreover, it integrates simulation and visualization techniques, which previously required the running of several independent software executables, into an enhanced, seamless, and comprehensive software application.
Integrated Community-Healthcare Diabetes Interventions to Reduce Disparities

Racial and ethnic minorities suffer disproportionately from diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. With the creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) under the Affordable Care Act, healthcare organizations may have an increased motivation to implement interventions that collaborate with community resources and organizations. As a result, there will be an increasing need for evidence-based strategies that integrate healthcare and community components to reduce diabetes disparities. This paper summarizes the types of community/health system partnerships that have been implemented over the past several years to improve minority health and reduce disparities among racial/ethnic minorities and describes the components that are most commonly integrated. In addition, we provide our recommendations for creating stronger healthcare and community partnerships through enhanced community support.
Relation of thrombus in the left atrial appendage by transesophageal echocardiography to clinical risk factors for thrombus formation

Transesophageal echocardiography provides excellent visualization of the left atrial appendage (LAA). This study was conducted to determine whether specific clinical risk factors could predict the presence of LAA thrombus as demonstrated by transesophageal echocardiography. The most recent 860 transesophageal echocardiographic studies performed at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. The LAA was adequately visualized in 778 patients (90%). For each study, the presence or absence of 5 specific clinical risk factors (mitral stenosis, severe left ventricular dysfunction, left atrial dilatation, atrial fibrillation, or a prosthetic mitral valve) and the presence or absence of LAA thrombi were assessed. One or more clinical risk factors were present in 149 patients, whereas no defined risk factors were noted in 629. Left atrial appendage thrombi were found in 20 of 149 patients with versus 6 of 629 patients without a clinical risk factor (13% vs 1%, p = 0.0001). By logistic regression analysis, mitral stenosis, severe left ventricular dysfunction, and left atrial dilatation were independent risk factors for LAA thrombus formation. Neither atrial fibrillation nor the presence of a mitral prosthetic valve achieved statistical significance as independent risk factors for LAA thrombus. Thus, LAA thrombi occur most often in patients with risk factors for thrombus formation that can be determined by clinical evaluation and transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography rarely identifies LAA thrombi in patients without such clinical risk factors.
CHALLENGES OF AIR POLLUTION MODELING AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM

In the opening talk of this conference, Peter Bultjes summarized the state-of-the-art in air pollution modeling. In this paper, I will discuss some of the challenges that face us, and make suggestions on how we might be able to address them in the future. A reasonable way of guessing at what the future holds is to extrapolate “data points” from the past. So, I will briefly examine the history of air pollution modeling to discern the trends that might determine the future. As is normally done, air pollution models will be classified according to the scales of application. Short-range models apply to space scales of tens of kilometers, while urban and long-range transport models apply to larger scales. This classification is useful because, typically, models at these two scales are based on different mathematical frameworks. Shortrange models generally use a Lagrangian framework to focus on a single plume from a source. Long-range models use a Eulerian framework to account for interaction between plumes from multiple sources. While this distinction might be useful at this time, it may well disappear in the future for reasons I will discuss in the paper.
Comparison of WAIS and WAIS-R IQs from Two Equivalent College Populations

The present investigation compared the WAIS (N = 39) and WAIS-R (N = 35) IQs of two groups of college undergraduates (aged 17 to 22) judged to be comparable in aptitude as measured by ACT scores. The WAIS-R IQs were found to be significantly lower than the WAIS IQs and approximate those reported by Wechsler for a group aged 35 to 44. The WAIS/WAIS-R differences have important implications in the use of these tests in school and clinical settings. Correlations of the WAIS and the WAIS-R IQs with the Composite and the subscale scores of the ACT indicate that the WAIS-R IQs are more congruent with ACT test results than WAIS IQs.
Clinical Use of Immunopathology Techniques in Liver Diseases

The liver is the largest organ in the human body. It synthesizes and processes essential circulating proteins, detoxifies endogenous and exogenous substances, engages in bile formation for the elimination of amphiphilic and water-insoluble molecules from the body, and constitutes a unique immunological site. Its location astride the spanchnic and systemic circulation creates a critical role for immunological processing of antigens in the splanchnic circulation. The liver anatomic structure is well suited for these biological functions, as it contains 80% of the resident macrophages in the body, Kupffer cells, and has a substantial resident population of lymphocytes and dendritic cells. The liver also has a unique ability to be subject to simultaneous damage from multiple sources, owing in part to the propensity of humans to expose themselves to infectious agents. Hepatic injury may arise from the following general causes: infectious; intrinsically immune-mediated; drug-induced (including alcohol); metabolic (including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease); mechanical (especially vascular); and environmental. The immune response, directly or indirectly, plays a crucial role in hepatocellular damage.
Cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis: case report of two patients.

Two cases of Cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis one of which was successfully treated with 5-fluorocytosine were encountered. This makes 37 cases of osteomyelitis, confirmed by histology or culture of C. neoformans which have been reported. The frequency of this manifestation is calculated to be about 5% rather than the more often quoted figure of 10%. In about 40% (15 cases) there was an additional underlying disease, most often sarcoidosis (9 patients). A single lesion occurred in about one-half (19 patients). There was no predilection of bone involved.
Sexual Violence Victimization and Associations with Health in a Community Sample of African American Women.

ABSTRACTLimited information exists on the relationship between sexual violence victimization and health among African American women. Using data from a community sample of African American women, we examine the association between current health and lifetime experiences of sexual violence. In-person interviews were completed in 2010. Among interviewees, 53.7% of women reported rape victimization and 44.8% reported sexual coercion in their lifetime. Victims of rape or sexual coercion were significantly more likely to report depression and posttraumatic stress disorder during their lifetime. Among victims whose first unwanted sexual experience was rape or sexual coercion, perpetrators were mostly acquaintances and intimate partners, and over one third were injured and needed services. More attention is needed on the health needs of African American women and their association to victimization status.
Human precision manipulation workspace: Effects of object size and number of fingers used

Precision manipulation, or moving small objects in the fingertips, is important for daily tasks such as writing and key insertion, as well as medically relevant tasks such as scalpel cuts and surgical teleoperation. While fingertip force coordination has been studied in some detail, few previous works have experimentally studied the kinematics of human precision manipulation with real objects. The present work focuses on studying the effects of varying object size and the number of fingers used on the resulting manipulation workspace, or range of motions that the object can be moved through. To study object size effects, seven bar-shaped objects ranging from 20 to 80 mm length were tested; after scaling object length to the equivalent for a 17.5 cm hand, the peak volume was obtained for 48–59 mm object length range (23% above average), and the minimum volume was obtained for the smallest 17–27 mm range (72% of average). 50 mm and 80 mm circular objects were used to study the effect of using different numbers of fingers; the five-finger manipulation volume dropped to less than half the two-finger volume (p<0.001). We anticipate these results will be useful in designing devices such as hand held tools, as well as in designing protocols for effectively testing and rehabilitating hand function. Finally, the results can provide a benchmark for the manipulation capability of prosthetic hands.
Chemical Treatment of Salmonella-Contaminated Fertile Hatching Eggs using an Automated Egg Spray Sanitizing Machine

Abstract The efficacy of various disinfectants for removal of artificially inoculated Salmonella from fertile hatching eggs using an egg sanitizing machine was evaluated. Individual eggs inoculated with 1-2 million S. typhimurium cells each were subjected to one of ten chemical sanitizing treatments or water spray control. The water sanitized control resulted in a 28% reduction in Salmonella-positive eggs, Overall, each chemical treatment resulted in a lower percentage of Salmonella-positive eggs than water controls. However, no Salmonella were detected on eggs sanitized by a spray of polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB). This was the only treatment statistically different from other chemical treatments. These data demonstrate that the number of Salmonella-positive hatching eggs can be reduced by spraying various sanitizers on eggs soon after lay.
Helping users help themselves : Evaluating the off-campus library services web site

Traditionally, distance students have completed their research in an electronic environment and off-campus librarians have strived to meet the needs of these students using a variety of methods. Today our students are familiar with the Web as a medium of interaction, and library usage has changed as a result of electronic services on the Internet. Given the dramatic increase in usage of our Off-Campus Library Services' Web site, a survey was conducted to determine whether the content of the site and the services offered were simple and useful to our users. This paper presents the results of the survey as well as a discussion of the changes to the site as a result of feedback from students.
Barriers to Treatment Among New York City Residents with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection, 2014.

Objective.New, highly effective hepatitis C virus (HCV) medications recently changed the landscape of HCV treatment. Access to treatment, however, is limited. The New York City Department of Health...
Variations in the Use of mHealth Tools: The VA Mobile Health Study.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) technologies exhibit promise for offering patients and their caregivers point-of-need tools for health self-management. This research study involved the dissemination of iPads containing a suite of mHealth apps to family caregivers of veterans who receive care from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Administration and have serious physical or mental injuries. Objective: The goal of the study was to identify factors and characteristics of veterans and their family caregivers that predict the use of mHealth apps. Methods: Veteran/family caregiver dyads (N=882) enrolled in VA’s Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program were recruited to participate in an mHealth pilot program. Veterans and caregivers who participated and received an iPad agreed to have their use of the apps monitored and were asked to complete a survey assessing Caregiver Preparedness, Caregiver Traits, and Caregiver Zarit Burden Inventory baseline surveys. Results: Of the 882 dyads, 94.9% (837/882) of caregivers were women and 95.7% (844/882) of veteran recipients were men. Mean caregiver age was 40 (SD 10.2) years and mean veteran age was 39 (SD 9.15) years, and 39.8% (351/882) lived in rural locations. Most (89%, 788/882) of the caregivers were spouses. Overall, the most frequently used app was Summary of Care, followed by RX Refill, then Journal, Care4Caregivers, VA Pain Coach, and last, VA PTSD Coach. App use was significantly predicted by the caregiver being a spouse, increased caregiver computer skills, a rural living location, lower levels of caregiver preparedness, veteran mental health diagnosis (other than posttraumatic stress disorder), and veteran age. Conclusions: This mHealth Family Caregiver pilot project effectively establishes the VA’s first patient-facing mHealth apps that are integrated within the VA data system. Use varied considerably, and apps that were most used were those that assisted them in their caregiving responsibilities.
Beyond the Signory

After the Venetian Signory, the second Italian centre of interest for Renaissance England was Tuscany.1 This region was reputed especially beautiful in a physical sense. The purest and best Italian was supposedly spoken here.2 Florence was the area’s political and commercial locus, a city connected with Machiavelli in the English mind. Chapman’s All Fools, for instance, set in Florence, has the comic ‘knight’ Gostanzo, ‘a Machiavel,/A miserable politician’ (II,i,201–2). In Webster’s The White Devil, the Duke of Florence’s actions are ‘the rare tricks of a Machiavillain’ (V,iii,195). Of course, Machiavellians can be found everywhere in Renaissance drama, but Florence was their appropriate setting.
Anxiety in Children with Chronic Medical Illness

Anxiety symptoms are common in chronically medically ill children and can have unique issues which make their management complex. Anxiety can precede the medical illness, be a consequence of the illness, or the two conditions may coexist with no clear chain of causality. As illustrative examples, certain medical conditions particularly notable for their relationship to anxiety are discussed in greater detail. These include asthma, headache, inflammatory bowel disease, other forms of gastrointestinal illness like irritable bowel syndrome, and cancer. For each of these conditions we discuss the impact of preexisting anxiety as well as how (psychologically and biologically) these illnesses can lead to anxiety. Psychotropic medication, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, family therapy, group therapy, and improved psychosocial supports are all options for management and have varying roles depending upon the particular medical and psychological concerns of a given patient. Addressing this anxiety is critical, as evidence has shown that increased levels of anxiety in the child and in their family can lower health-related quality of life, interfere with effective family functioning, and at times even biologically worsen the course of the illness itself.
Diffusion tensor imaging measures of white matter compared to myelin basic protein immunofluorescence in tissue cleared intact brains.

We provide datasets from combined ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and Clear Lipid-exchanged, Anatomically Rigid, Imaging/immunostaining compatible, Tissue hYdrogel (CLARITY) performed on intact mouse brains. DTI-derived measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) were compared to antibody-based labeling of myelin basic protein (MBP), as measured by fluorescence microscopy. We used a customized CLARITY hydrogel solution to facilitate whole brain tissue clearing and subsequent immunolabeling. We describe how CLARITY was made compatible with magnetic resonance imaging with the intention of facilitating future multimodal imaging studies that may combine noninvasive imaging with 3D immunohistochemistry. These data and methods are related to the accompanying research article entitled, ‘The role of myelination in measures of white matter integrity: Combination of diffusion tensor imaging and two-photon microscopy of CLARITY intact brains’ (E.H. Chang, M. Argyelan, M. Aggarwal, T-S. Chandon, K.H. Karlsgodt, S. Mori, A.K. Malhotra, 2016) [1].
Long-term psychological reactions among lymphoma survivors.

e20585 Background: Adult-onset lymphoma can carry a generally favorable prognosis, reflected in the growing population of lymphoma survivors. Little is known about lymphoma survivors’ existential c...
Congratulations, You're Pregnant! Now About Your Shifts . . . : The State of Maternity Leave Attitudes and Culture in EM.

Background: Increasing attention has been focused on parental leave, but little is known about early leave and parental experiences for male and female attending physicians. Objective: To describe and quantify the parental leave experiences of a nationally representative sample of emergency physicians (EP). Methods: We conducted a web-based survey, distributed via EM professional organizations, discussion boards, and listserves, to address study objectives. Results: Data from 464 respondents were analyzed; 56% were women. Most experienced childbirth while employed as an EP. Fifty-three percent of women and 60% of men reported working in a setting with a formal maternity leave policy; however, 36% of women and 18% of men reported dissatisfaction with these policies. Most reported that other group members cover maternity-related shift vacancies; a minority reported that pregnant partners work extra shifts prior to leave. Leave duration and compensation varied widely, ranging from no compensated leave (18%) to 12 or more weeks at 100% salary (7%). Supportive attitudes were reported during pregnancy (53%) and, to a lesser degree (43%), during leave. Policy improvement suggestions included the development of clear, formal policies; improving leave duration and compensation; adding paternity and adoption leave; providing support for physicians working extra to cover colleagues’ leave; and addressing breastfeeding issues. Conclusions: In this national sample of EPs, maternity leave policies varied widely. The duration and compensation during leave also had significant variation. Participants suggested formalizing policies, increasing leave duration and compensation, adding paternity leave, and changing the coverage for vacancies to relieve burden on physician colleagues.