cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diabetes mellitus and insulin therapy in infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an uncommon disease but is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. In the contemporary era, despite advancements in diagnosis and both antimicrobial and surgical therapies, IE is associated with an in-hospital mortality rate of nearly 20%.1,2 Given this high mortality, numerous studies have investigated clinical characteristics of IE that are associated with poor outcome. On the basis of such observational studies, current consensus guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of IE3,4 outline complications of IE that are indications for cardiac surgery in active IE. In addition to describing prognostic complications of IE, observational studies have identified demographic, echocardiographic, and microbiologic characteristics associated with poorer outcome.1,2,5 The role of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the outcome of IE has been previously investigated. In a study of 267 patients with possible or definite IE including 88 (33%) with DM, Chu et al .1 found that DM was a strong, independent early predictor of in-hospital mortality. Recently, an analysis of the large, multicentre International Collaboration on Endocarditis (ICE) Merged Database found that DM patients with IE had an in-hospital mortality rate of 30.3% compared with 18.6% for non-DM patients, and confirmed that DM was independently associated with in-hospital mortality.2 However, no statistically significant differences in … Corresponding author. Tel: +1 919 643 1674; fax: +1 919 681 7917. E-mail address : a.wang{at}duke.edu
Exploiting vanishing polynomials for equivalence verification of fixed-size arithmetic datapaths

This paper addresses the problem of equivalence verification of high-level/RTL descriptions. The focus is on datapath-oriented designs that implement univariate polynomial computations over fixed-size bit-vectors. When the size (m) of the entire datapath is kept constant, fixed-size bit-vector arithmetic manifests itself as polynomial algebra over finite integer rings of residue classes Z/sub 2//sup m/. The verification problem then reduces to that of checking equivalence of over Z/sub 2//sup m/ in other words, to prove f(x)%2/sup m/ /spl equiv/ g(x)%2/sup m/. This paper transforms the equivalence verification problem into proving (f(x) - g(x))%2/sup m/ /spl equiv/ 0. Exploiting the theory of vanishing polynomials over finite integer rings, a systematic algorithmic procedure is derived to establish whether or not a given polynomial vanishes (always evaluates to 0) over Z/sub 2//sup m/. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach over contemporary techniques.
Subgraph Detection Using Eigenvector L1 Norms

When working with network datasets, the theoretical framework of detection theory for Euclidean vector spaces no longer applies. Nevertheless, it is desirable to determine the detectability of small, anomalous graphs embedded into background networks with known statistical properties. Casting the problem of subgraph detection in a signal processing context, this article provides a framework and empirical results that elucidate a "detection theory" for graph-valued data. Its focus is the detection of anomalies in unweighted, undirected graphs through L1 properties of the eigenvectors of the graph's so-called modularity matrix. This metric is observed to have relatively low variance for certain categories of randomly-generated graphs, and to reveal the presence of an anomalous subgraph with reasonable reliability when the anomaly is not well-correlated with stronger portions of the background graph. An analysis of subgraphs in real network datasets confirms the efficacy of this approach.
Critical role for Orai1 C-terminal domain and TM4 in CRAC channel gating.

Calcium flux through store-operated calcium entry is a major regulator of intracellular calcium homeostasis and various calcium signaling pathways. Two key components of the store-operated calcium release-activated calcium channel are the Ca2+-sensing protein stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and the channel pore-forming protein Orai1. Following calcium depletion from the endoplasmic reticulum, STIM1 undergoes conformational changes that unmask an Orai1-activating domain called CAD. CAD binds to two sites in Orai1, one in the N terminal and one in the C terminal. Most previous studies suggested that gating is initiated by STIM1 binding at the Orai1 N-terminal site, just proximal to the TM1 pore-lining segment, and that binding at the C terminal simply anchors STIM1 within reach of the N terminal. However, a recent study had challenged this view and suggested that the Orai1 C-terminal region is more than a simple STIM1-anchoring site. In this study, we establish that the Orai1 C-terminal domain plays a direct role in gating. We identify a linker region between TM4 and the C-terminal STIM1-binding segment of Orai1 as a key determinant that couples STIM1 binding to gating. We further find that Proline 245 in TM4 of Orai1 is essential for stabilizing the closed state of the channel. Taken together with previous studies, our results suggest a dual-trigger mechanism of Orai1 activation in which binding of STIM1 at the N- and C-terminal domains of Orai1 induces rearrangements in proximal membrane segments to open the channel.
Moraine preservation and boulder erosion in the tropical Andes: interpreting old surface exposure ages in glaciated valleys

Cosmogenic dating provides a long-awaited means of directly dating glacial deposits that pre-date the last glacial cycle. Although the potential benefits of longer chronologies are obvious, the greater uncertainty associated with older cosmogenic ages may be less readily apparent. We illus- trate the challenges of developing and interpreting a long chronology using our data from the Peruvian Andes. We used surface exposure dating with cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs; 10 Be and 26 Al) to date 140 boulders on moraines in valleys bordering the Junin Plain (11 � S, 76 � W) in central Peru. Our chronology spans multiple glacial cycles and includes exposure ages greater than 1 million years, which indicate that long-term rates of boulder erosion have been very low. Interpreting the chronology of moraines for glaciations that predate the last glacial cycle is complicated by the need to consider boulder erosion and exhumation, surface uplift, and inheritance of CRNs from pre- vious exposure intervals. As an example, we recalculate exposure ages using our boulder erosion rates (0.3-0.5 metres per million years) and estimated surface uplift rates to emphasise both the chal- lenges involved in interpreting old surface exposure ages and the value of chronological data, even with large uncertainties, when reconstructing the palaeoclimate of a region. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maximizing Access through Consortial Partnership: Mississippi State University Libraries’ Journal Expansion Project

Consortial licenses with online access clauses can offer libraries the opportunity to begin new journal subscriptions at no additional cost and without losing access to existing subscriptions. Mississippi State University (MSU) participates in consortial partnerships that provide online access to all Elsevier and Wiley journals to which any partner subscribes. The license agreements prohibit simply canceling duplicate subscriptions, but they allow any library to swap existing subscriptions for titles of equal cost. In 2006, librarians realized MSU was paying for access that it would retain regardless of whether it maintained subscriptions because many subscriptions were duplicated with partner libraries. This article describes a project that allowed MSU to provide online access to an additional sixty journals at no increased subscription costs.
Political Science Instructional Technology Best Practices in 21st Century Classrooms/Lecture Halls: Blending Theoretical Frameworks of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge with Applied Interactivity

Political Science Deans, Chairs, Professors and Instructors have a unique challenge in applying 21st Century instructional design, methodology and management for the effective use of technology in the classroom and/or lecture hall. By combining theoretical approaches to learning content knowledge of Political Science, pedagogy, androgogy, and technological integration (Shulman, 1986; Mishra, Punya, 2009), professorial instruction may impact learner cognitive retention and subsequent achievement. The basis of this framework is the understanding that instruction in 21st century colleges and universities requires more technological content knowledge while blending pedagogical content approaches. This research will explain highly complex activities and methodologies that draws on many kinds of knowledge based instruction and learning. New and emerging technologies such as computers, laptops, iPads, apps, software applications, interactive whiteboards and more have changed the landscape of the classroom/lecture hall. Subsequently, the research will provide best practices adjoining the conceptual application of research based instructional redelivery using the Interactive Whiteboard, Mind Tools, and Learning Management Systems. Technology serves as a purposeful supplement to instruction and therefore the need for continued professional development in colleges and universities is essential to sustaining relevant interactivity such as Interface Interactions, Cognitive Interactions and Socio-cognitive Interactions. In summary, this research will analyze and explain the blended theories behind the frameworks; provide examples of instructional approaches based upon Political Science and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge frameworks, and illustrate the methodological best practices applied by research based application.
Static vs. Dynamic Tutorials: Applying Usability Principles to Evaluate Online Point-of-Need Instruction.

This study had a two-fold purpose: to discover through the implementation of usability testing which mode of tutorial was more effective: screencasts containing audio/video directions (dynamic) or text-and-image tutorials (static); and to determine if online point-of-need tutorials were effective in helping undergraduate students use library resources. To this end, the authors conducted two rounds of usability tests consisting of three groups each, in which participants were asked to complete a database-searching task after viewing a text-and-image tutorial, audio/video tutorial, or no tutorial. The authors found that web usability testing was a useful tutorial-testing tool while discovering that participants learned most effectively from text-and-image tutorials, since both rounds of participants completed tasks more accurately and more quickly than those who received audio/video instruction or no instruction.
Plant Mitochondrial Retrograde Regulation

Changes in plant cellular metabolism require altered gene expression. Cellular adjustments and altered gene expression also occur in response to environmental stresses. Both of these situations involve changes in mitochondrial activities. Changes in the status of the mitochondria and resulting inputs for altered nuclear gene expression are communicated to the nucleus by interorganellar signaling called mitochondrial retrograde regulation (MRR). The study of plant MRR is a young field and the mechanisms and components are just beginning to be discovered. Evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be involved in plant MRR, but this does not mean that they are involved in all cases. Calcium level changes, redox changes, and changes in metabolite levels are leading candidates for nonprotein signaling components. Protein signaling components like kinases, phosphatases, and transcription factors are likely to be involved, but only the recent discovery of the involvement of transcription factor Abscisic Acid Insensitive 4 in Arabidopsis provides a specific protein example. Growing evidence indicates overlaps of MRR with other signaling pathways, including those from chloroplasts. MRR could be linked to metabolic signaling and/or ROS production, but these would still originate in mitochondria and be components of MRR. The emerging view is that plant mitochondria are stress sensors that contribute to decisions regarding cell fate during stresses and that this is conveyed to the nucleus by MRR.
The Effect of Brand Attitude and Brand Image on Brand Equity

Brand equity has been criticized by some for an alleged lack of managerial relevance. This paper reports a study which operationalizes brand equity and empirically tests a conceptual model adapted ...
Phylogeny of the Cyphomandra clade of the genus Solanum (Solanaceae) based on ITS sequence data

About 13 major clades can be recognized within the genus Solanum (Solanaceae) based on chloroplast DNA sequence data. One of these is the Cyphomandra clade, which includes about 50 neotropical species. These have traditionally been placed into two or three sections: S. section Pachyphylla (formerly recognized as the genus Cyphomandra), S. section Cyphomandropsis, and S. section Glaucophyllum (monotypic and sometimes placed in S. section Cyphomandropsis). Phylogenetic relationships among 61 accessions of 35 species of the Cyphomandra clade are investigated using sequence data from the nuclear ITS region analyzed by parsimony and Bayesian inference. The Cyphomandra clade forms a monophyletic group, but the ITS data are equivocal as to the monophyly of sections Pachyphylla and Cyphomandropsis. Four well-supported groups of species can be recognized within the Cyphomandra clade; these conform in part to species groups proposed on the basis of morphology. The distribution of self-incompatible and self-compatible breeding systems is mapped onto the ITS cladogram, and patterns of evolution of enlarged anther connectives, osmophores, and volatile composition are discussed in light of hypothesized phylogenetic relationships.
Ce valence mixing and strong 3d antiferromagnetism in CeMn2Si

Transport, specific-heat, x-ray-absorption, and magnetic measurements on ${\mathrm{CeMn}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ are presented. These results indicate that ${\mathrm{CeMn}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is the first example of a system where low-energy-scale (Tl100 K) Ce valence-mixing effects coexist with much higher-energy-scale (400 K) 3d magnetism. The case for this novel confluence of Ce demagnetization with Mn magnetic order is presented partially through analogy with the prototypic mixed-valent system ${\mathrm{CePd}}_{3}$.
Simulations of the Temperature Dependence of Amide I Vibration

For spectroscopic studies of peptide and protein thermal denaturation it is important to single out the contribution of the solvent to the spectral changes from those originated in the molecular structure. To obtain insights into the origin and size of the temperature solvent effects on the amide I spectra, combined molecular dynamics and density functional simulations were performed with the model N-methylacetamide molecule (NMA). The computations well reproduced frequency and intensity changes previously observed in aqueous NMA solutions. An empirical correction of vacuum frequencies in single NMA molecule based on the electrostatic potential of the water molecules provided superior results to a direct density functional average obtained for a limited number of solute-solvent clusters. The results thus confirm that the all-atom quantum and molecular mechanics approach captures the overall influence of the temperature dependent solvent properties on the amide I spectra and can improve the accuracy and reliability of molecular structural studies.
Analysis on Power System Self-Organized Criticality and Its Simulation Model

Self-organized criticality is one of the most important theories used to explain the power law relationship between blackout size and blackout probability in power systems. The study on power system self-organized criticality is still in its primary stage and the conception of power system self-organized criticality is not remarkably clear, thus further study on this problem is necessary. Meanwhile, there is not a generally accepted simulation model that can be used as the standard model for the research of power system self-organized criticality. In view of this situation, in this paper the authors compare the sand pile model with power system at first to give a novel analysis and explanation of this problem; then a model to simulate power system self-organized criticality is proposed; finally the simulation of a certain actual power network in China is conducted by the proposed model and the power law that characterizes power system self-organized criticality is obtained, at the same time the parameters to determine power system self-organized criticality are analyzed.
Realization of fluence field modulated CT on a clinical TomoTherapy megavoltage CT system

The multi-leaf collimator (MLC) assembly present on TomoTherapy (Accuray, Madison WI) radiation therapy (RT) and mega voltage CT machines is well suited to perform fluence field modulated CT (FFMCT). In addition, there is a demand in the RT environment for FFMCT imaging techniques, specifically volume of interest (VOI) imaging. A clinical TomoTherapy machine was programmed to perform VOI. Four different size ROIs were placed at varying distances from isocenter. Projections intersecting the VOI received 'full dose' while those not intersecting the VOI received 30% of the dose (i.e. the incident fluence for non VOI projections was 30% of the incident fluence for projections intersecting the VOI). Additional scans without fluence field modulation were acquired at 'full' and 30% dose. The noise (pixel standard deviation) and mean CT number were measured inside the VOI region and compared between the three scans. Dose maps were generated using a dedicated TomoTherapy treatment planning dose calculator. The VOI-FFMCT technique produced an image noise 1.05, 1.00, 1.03, and 1.05 times higher than the 'full dose' scan for ROI sizes of 10 cm, 13 cm, 10 cm, and 6 cm respectively within the VOI region. The VOI-FFMCT technique required a total imaging dose equal to 0.61, 0.69, 0.60, and 0.50 times the 'full dose' acquisition dose for ROI sizes of 10 cm, 13 cm, 10 cm, and 6 cm respectively within the VOI region. Noise levels can be almost unchanged within clinically relevant VOIs sizes for RT applications while the integral imaging dose to the patient can be decreased, and/or the image quality in RT can be dramatically increased with no change in dose relative to non-FFMCT RT imaging. The ability to shift dose away from regions unimportant for clinical evaluation in order to improve image quality or reduce imaging dose has been demonstrated. This paper demonstrates that FFMCT can be performed using the MLC on a clinical TomoTherapy machine for the first time.
Affinity Purification of Protein Kinases that Adopt a Specific Inactive Conformation

Several protein kinases have been characterized in a specific inactive form called the DFG-out conformation. Unlike the active conformation which is conserved in all kinases, the inactive DFG-out conformation appears to be accessible to only certain kinases. This inactive conformation has been successfully targeted with highly selective kinase inhibitors, including the cancer drugs imatinib and sorafenib. However, the structural and sequence requirements for adopting this conformation are still poorly understood. Here, we describe a general method for enriching DFG-out adopting kinases from cell lysates with an affinity resin that contains a general ligand that specifically recognizes this inactive form.
The Aortic Root in Acute Type A Dissection: Rationale and Outcome for an Increased Use of Root Replacement

Management of the aortic root in acute type A dissection remains challenging and controversial and the appropriate strategy depends on a number of patient and anatomic factors. Valve resuspension is simple and easy to perform and may be appropriate in a majority of patients without aortic root pathology. Moderate to severe aortic insufficiency, annuloaortic ectasia with annular diameter >27 mm, connective tissue disorders such as Marfan’s syndrome, and the use of gelatin-resorcinol-formaldehyde glue in aortic root repair, have all been identified as risk factors for proximal reoperation. In the presence of the above anatomic risk factors or significant root pathology, an aortic root replacement should be performed. A biological valve-graft conduit can be used if systemic anticoagulation is a concern. In experienced hands and in stable patients with normal aortic valve anatomy, a valve-sparing reimplantation procedure may be considered.
Resizable Data Composer (RDC) Cache: A Near-Threshold Cache Tolerating Process Variation via Architectural Fault Tolerance

In this chapter a novel fault tolerant cache architecture named Resizable Data Composer-Cache (RDC-Cache) is introduced. This configurable cache architecture is custom designed to operate correctly in Near-Threshold voltages, at sub 500 mV in 65 nm technology while tolerating a large number of Manufacturing Process Variation induced defects. Based on a smart relocation and resizing methodology, RDC-Cache decomposes the data that is targeted for a defective cache way and relocates one or more data words to a new location avoiding a write to defective bit locations. When servicing a read request, the requested data is reconstructed through an inverse operation. For the purpose of fault tolerance at low voltages the cache size is reduced, however, in this architecture the final cache size is considerably higher compared to previously suggested resizable cache organizations (Agarwal et al., Trans Solid State Circuits 40(9), 2005; Wilkerson et al., ISCA, 2008). The following three features (a) compaction of relocated words, (b) ability to use defective words for fault tolerance and (c) “linking” (relocating the defective word to any row in the next bank), allows this architecture to achieve far larger fault tolerance in comparison to Agarwal et al. (Trans Solid State Circuits 40(9)) and Wilkerson et al. (ISCA, 2008). In high voltage mode, the fault tolerant mechanism of RDC-Cache is turned-off with minimal (0.91 %) latency overhead compared to a traditional cache.
Perceived Quality in Health Cake Service Consumption: What are the Structural Dimensions?

Health care service is even more difficult for consumers to evaluate than most other services, because, this esoteric discipline is too technical for the average health care consumer. Nevertheless, health care providers would benefit tremendously from aknowledge of how their consumers evaluate the quality of the health care service that their organizations provide. Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1986) developed a scale (SERVQUAL) that can be used to measure consumer perceptions of the quality of service. This paper reviews the literature on patient satisfaction and borrows from SERVQUAL to develop a model of perceived quality in health care service consumption.
How Employing DuFourâ€™s Professional Learning Community Guidelines Impacted a Mathematics Professional Learning Community

This case study followed the work of 12 urban elementary school teachers as they created a professional learning community (PLC) focused on improving the mathematics skills of their students. Â DuFourâ€™s (2004) characteristics of PLCs served as the original guidelines for the group and functioned as an observation tool.Â DuFourâ€™s â€œThree Big Ideasâ€ for organizing a PLC included 1) ensuring that students learn, 2) creating a culture of collaboration, and 3) analyzing the data results to make plans for the future. This study questioned if these Ideas were consistently employed in order to produce positive changes to their practice. Two conclusions were reached: the more frequently the PLC adhered to DuFourâ€™s Big Ideas, the more productive their work. Second, four characteristics emerged that the members exhibited: dedication to students; perseverance; analysis skills; and camaraderie that enabled the group to work and make positive changes to their individual practices.
Applying Text Analysis to Determine Factors That Increase the Assessed Usefulness of Online Product Reviews: An Abstract

Online consumer reviews (OCRs) are important in determining sales and price of products because they build trust in the seller (Pavlou and Dimoka 2006). Trust is the driving force in e-commerce (Gefen et al. 2003). One of the key ways in which trust is applied in ecommerce is through e-WOM (electronic word of mouth), such as that created through OCR (Dellarocas 2003). Accordingly, interest in OCR has increased from both academics and practitioners as a valuable source of information for consumers making online buying decisions (e.g., Archak et al. 2011). These decisions are influenced by the negative and positive information about a product or service posted online by other consumers (Forman et al. 2008).
144 Role of tubulointerstitial lesions in predicting renal outcome among paediatric onset lupus nephritis – a retrospective cohort study

Background and aims Raising evidence supported a prognostic utility of tubulointerstitial lesions in lupus nephritis (LN). The exact prevalence of tubulointerstitial abnormalities and its predictive value among paediatric onset systemic lupus erythematous (pSLE) cases, however, remained unknown. Methods Sixty-seven pSLE subjects diagnosed with LN with initial renal samples available were enrolled and followed for an average of 6.43±3.06 years. Renal histology was evaluated according to the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society classification, National Institute of Health classification and tubulointerstitial activity index (TIAI). Results Tubulointerstitial injuries were observed in 38.81% of all LN cases, including 13.33% with non-proliferative lupus nephritis (nPLN) and 46.15% of with proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN). Tubulointerstitial injuries occurred solitarily in cases with nPLN(13.33%), but always associated glomerular changes and significantly impacted renal survival (p=0.032) among those with PLN. TIAI associated glomerular abnormalities (p=0.031) but did not correlate renal performance or subsequent outcome (p=0.445). Among the chronicity index, it was the chronic tubulointerstitial lesions which provided prognostic information (p=0.012). We observed a synergistic effect of all tubulointerstitial abnormalities rather than an individual factor attributed the prognostic utility (p=0.025 vs. p=0.083, 0.055, 0.354). Finally, considering tubulointerstitial injuries in PLN further discriminated subsequent renal outcome (p=0.006). Conclusions The prevalence and clinical significance of tubulointerstitial abnormalities were similar among the pSLE and the adult population. With its importance in identifying those at risk of renal failure, histologic classification considering tubulointerstitial lesions may potentially assist outcome prediction.
David Oliver: We need statutory duty of candour and transparency for NHS executives.

Robert Francis QC’s report into historical care failings at Mid Staffordshire made over 200 recommendations.12 Most were endorsed by the government. These included a statutory duty of candour and transparency for doctors and nurses, to be enforced by their professional regulators—the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. A few key recommendations were rejected or abandoned, including minimum safe nurse staffing levels and registration for healthcare assistants.3 Another recommendation seemingly deemed too difficult was statutory professional regulation for health service managers.4 This is a shame. Surely, a duty of candour and transparency should apply even more to people in such key senior roles than to a staff nurse or junior doctor: their actions or omissions affect far more patients. Suppressing or ignoring bad news was a major feature of the …
Coordination of Pharyngeal and Laryngeal Swallowing Events During Single Liquid Swallows After Oral Endotracheal Intubation for Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

To evaluate timing and duration differences in airway protection and esophageal opening after oral intubation and mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survivors versus age-matched healthy volunteers. Orally intubated adult (≥ 18 years old) patients receiving mechanical ventilation for ARDS were evaluated for swallowing impairments via a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) during usual care. Exclusion criteria were tracheostomy, neurological impairment, and head and neck cancer. Previously recruited healthy volunteers (n = 56) served as age-matched controls. All subjects were evaluated using 5-ml thin liquid barium boluses. VFSS recordings were reviewed frame-by-frame for the onsets of 9 pharyngeal and laryngeal events during swallowing. Eleven patients met inclusion criteria, with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) intubation duration of 14 (9, 16) days, and VFSSs completed a median of 5 (4, 13) days post-extubation. After arrival of the bolus in the pharynx, ARDS patients achieved maximum laryngeal closure a median (IQR) of 184 (158, 351) ms later than age-matched, healthy volunteers (p < 0.001) and it took longer to achieve laryngeal closure with a median (IQR) difference of 151 (103, 217) ms (p < 0.001), although there was no significant difference in duration of laryngeal closure. Pharyngoesophageal segment opening was a median (IQR) of − 116 (− 183, 1) ms (p = 0.004) shorter than in age-matched, healthy controls. Evaluation of swallowing physiology after oral endotracheal intubation in ARDS patients demonstrates slowed pharyngeal and laryngeal swallowing timing, suggesting swallow-related muscle weakness. These findings may highlight specific areas for further evaluation and potential therapeutic intervention to reduce post-extubation aspiration.
The Impact of Hurricane Sandy on HIV Testing Rates: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis, January 1, 2011‒December 31, 2013

Background Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the eastern coast of the United States on October 29, 2012 resulting in 117 deaths and 71.4 billion dollars in damage. Persons with undiagnosed HIV infection might experience delays in diagnosis testing, status confirmation, or access to care due to service disruption in storm-affected areas. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of Hurricane Sandy on HIV testing rates in affected areas and estimate the magnitude and duration of disruption in HIV testing associated with storm damage intensity. Methods Using MarketScan data from January 2011‒December 2013, this study examined weekly time series of HIV testing rates among privately insured enrollees not previously diagnosed with HIV; 95 weeks pre- and 58 weeks post-storm. Interrupted time series (ITS) analyses were estimated by storm impact rank (using FEMA's Final Impact Rank mapped to Core Based Statistical Areas) to determine the extent that Hurricane Sandy affected weekly rates of HIV testing immediately and the duration of that effect after the storm. Results HIV testing rates declined significantly across storm impact rank areas. The mean decline in rates detected ranged between -5% (95% CI: -9.3, -1.5) in low impact areas and -24% (95% CI: -28.5, -18.9) in very high impact areas. We estimated at least 9,736 (95% CI: 7,540, 11,925) testing opportunities were missed among privately insured persons following Hurricane Sandy. Testing rates returned to baseline in low impact areas by 6 weeks post event (December 9, 2012); by 15 weeks post event (February 10, 2013) in moderate impact areas; and by 17 weeks after the event (February 24, 2013) in high and very high impact areas. Conclusions Hurricane Sandy resulted in a detectable and immediate decline in HIV testing rates across storm-affected areas. Greater storm damage was associated with greater magnitude and duration of testing disruption. Disruption of basic health services, like HIV testing and treatment, following large natural and man-made disasters is a public health concern. Disruption in testing services availability for any length of time is detrimental to the efforts of the current HIV prevention model, where status confirmation is essential to control disease spread.
Anger as a mediator between peer victimization and deviant behavior in South Korea: a cross-cultural application of general strain theory

Little is known about the longitudinal effect of peer victimization on deviant behavior in non-Western cultural contexts and the mediating role of theoretically relevant variables, such as anger, on this association. The current study aimed to address this gap by analyzing data from a nationally representative sample of South Korean youth. Peer victimization was found to increase risk for anger and deviant behavior. Anger accounted for 27.06% of the total direct effect of peer victimization experienced during late childhood on deviant behavior during early adolescence. Results from the current study provide support for the cross-cultural application of general strain theory to help explain the longitudinal link between peer victimization and deviant behavior in a non-Western context such as South Korea.
Chapter 22 – Antihypertensive Drugs

The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries that originates in the pumping action of the heart. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It is measured in two indexes: the systolic pressure, which shows the force that blood exerts on the artery walls at the heart’s contraction to pump blood to the peripheral organs and tissues, and the diastolic pressure, which remains on the artery walls as the heart relaxes between beats. It is postulated that the normal value of systolic pressure for healthy individuals must vary between 100 and 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and the diastolic pressure value varies between 60 and 100 mm Hg. For 90 to 95% of patients, the causes of high blood pressure are unknown; this hypertension is classified as essential or primary hypertension. The remaining 5 to 10% are cases of secondary hypertension caused by underlying heart, kidney, or endocrinal diseases, certain cancers, or use of cocaine, amphetamines, thyroid supplements, or corticosteroids. Hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and renal failure. Statistically, on average approximately 20% of the adult population is hypertensive. Antihypertensive drugs are medications that help lower blood pressure. The main classes of modern antihypertensives include the diuretics, β blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and blockers of the renin–angiotensin system, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and direct renin inhibition, which produce similar reduction of blood pressure. Other antihypertensive drugs, such as α1-adrenergic blockers, α2 agonists, direct-acting vasodilators, and aldosterone receptor antagonists (Aldactone or eplerenone) are reserved for some special indications. The angiotensin II receptor blockers losartan, irbesartan, olmesartan, valsartan, and telmisartan are included in the list of Top 200 Drugs by sales for the 2010s.
Learning-Based Event-Triggered Control for Synchronization of Passive Multiagent Systems Under Attack

In this article, we study the synchronization of a group of output passive agents that communicate with each other according to an underlying communication graph. A distributed event-triggered control framework that guarantees synchronization and reduces the required communication rate is introduced. A general Byzantine attack on a multiagent system is defined and its negative effects on synchronization are characterized. The Byzantine agents are able to intelligently falsify their data and manipulate the underlying communication graph by altering their control feedback weights. Next, a decentralized decision-making and detection framework is introduced and its steady-state and transient performances are analyzed. Furthermore, a method of identifying Byzantine neighbors and a learning-based procedure for estimating the attack parameters are introduced. Finally, learning-based control frameworks to mitigate the effects of the attack are proposed.
Generalized Periodic Discharges With Triphasic Morphology in the Setting of Aztreonam Neurotoxicity

Generalized periodic discharges with triphasic morphology (GPDs + TWm) have been reported with multiple metabolic and drug toxicities. Beta-lactam antibiotics in some cases can cause neurotoxicity with GPDs + TWm on EEG. There are no reports in the literature of aztreonam causing neurotoxicity and GPDs + TWm. Here we describe GPDs + TWm and encephalopathy developing in a patient with underlying dementia and acute kidney injury who was started on aztreonam for cystitis. Neurotoxic effects of beta-lactam antibiotics have been well studied at this point, likely related to GABA receptor antagonism by the beta lactam ring. Risk factors for toxicity include, advanced age, prior neurological injury and decreased renal clearance. This patient carried multiple risk factors for beta-lactam neurotoxicity. Discontinuation of aztreonam led to a resolution of GPDs + TWm on EEG, and regression of encephalopathy.
Mitotic Index and Progression-Free Survival in Atypical Meningiomas.

Extent of resection and tumor grade are considered the most important predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) in meningiomas. However, adjuvant therapy for atypical meningiomas remains controversial, with variable PFS rates of up to 40%. The current mitotic index (MI) range for atypical meningiomas is broad, comprising all tumors with >4 and
MWSCAS Guest Editorial Special Issue Based on the 62nd International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems

The International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems is the oldest Circuits and Systems Symposium sponsored by the IEEE CAS Society. This conference contributes to its strong history by reporting the latest research results and innovations in the field of circuits and systems through Distinguished Speakers featuring the newest innovations relevant to this field and shedding light on its evolution toward breaching the gaps among technologies. The 62nd International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS-2019) was held in Dallas, TX, USA, and received 405 article submissions. Among all the accepted contributions, a subset of these articles were selected and invited for this Special Issue. The invited articles went through a peer-review process consisting of the world-recognized reviewers in related fields. A brief description of the selected articles are as follows.
Student Perspectives on Educational Helping Instructor–Student Relationships:

The instructor–student relationship may be understood as an educational helping relationship. Through interviews with 15 participants enrolled in masters or doctoral programs in education, this qua...
Sequencing and Integration of Cervical Manual Therapy and Vestibulo-oculomotor Therapy for Concussion Symptoms: Retrospective Analysis.

# Background After concussion many people have cervicogenic headache, visual dysfunction, and vestibular deficits that can be attributed to brain injury, cervical injury, or both. While clinical practice guidelines outline treatments to address the symptoms that arise from the multiple involved systems, no preferred treatment sequence for post-concussion syndrome has emerged. # Purpose This study sought to describe the clinical and patient-reported outcomes for people with post-concussion symptoms after a protocol sequenced to address cervical dysfunction and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo within the first three weeks of injury, followed by integrated vision and vestibular therapy. # Study Design Retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis # Methods Records from a concussion clinic for 38 patients (25 male 13 female, aged 26.9±19.7 years) with post-concussion symptoms due to sports, falls, assaults, and motor vehicle accident injuries were analyzed. Musculoskeletal, vision, and vestibular system functions were assessed after pragmatic treatment including early cervical manual therapy and canalith repositioning treatment—when indicated—integrated with advanced vision and vestibular rehabilitation. Patient-reported outcomes included the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) for general symptoms; and for specific symptoms, the Dizziness Handicap Index (DHI), Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Scale (CISS), Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC), and the Brain Injury Vision Symptom Survey (BIVSS). Paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction to minimize familywise error (p<0.05) were used to analyze the clinical and patient-reported outcomes. # Results After 10.4±4.8 sessions over 57.6±34.0 days, general symptoms improved on the PCSS (p=0.001, 95%CI=12.4-30.6); and specific symptoms on the DHI (p<0.001, 95%CI=14.5-33.2), CISS (p<0.002, 95%CI=7.1-18.3), ABC (p<0.024, 95%CI=-.3 - -.1), and BIVSS (p<0.001, 95%CI=13.4-28.0). Clinical measures improved including cervical range-of-motion (55.6% fully restored), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo symptoms (28/28, fully resolved), Brock string visual convergence (p<0.001, 95%CI=3.3-6.3), and score on the Balance Error Scoring System (p<0.001, 95%CI=5.5-11.6). # Conclusion A rehabilitation approach for post-concussion syndrome that sequenced cervical dysfunction and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo treatment within the first three weeks of injury followed by integrated vision and vestibular therapy improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes. **Level of Evidence**: 2b
Dark matter admixed neutron stars

Neutron stars could contain a mixture of ordinary nuclear matter and dark matter, such that dark matter could influence observable properties of the star, such as its mass and radius. We study these dark matter admixed neutron stars for two choices of dark matter: a free Fermi gas and mirror dark matter. In addition to solving the multifluid Tolmon-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for static solutions and presenting mass-radius diagrams, we focus on two computations that are lacking in the literature. The first is a rigorous determination of stability over the whole of parameter space, which we do using two different methods. The first method is based on harmonic time-dependent perturbations to the static solutions and on solving for the radial oscillation frequency. The second method, which is less well-known, conveniently makes use of unperturbed, static solutions only. The second computation is of the radial oscillation frequency, for fundamental modes, over large swaths of parameter space.
Bilateral disease and risk of prostate cancer progression in an active surveillance cohort.

207Background: Active surveillance (AS) is considered the standard of care for managing patients with low-risk prostate cancer. Identifying risk factors for disease progression on AS can improve ri...
Combining invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation

Abstract Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is just one of many ways to modulate brain circuits. Noninvasive brain stimulation tools, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation may provide insights that are relevant for understanding and improving DBS outcomes. These different brain stimulation modalities target different brain regions in different ways, but might converge on common brain circuits. Connectomics can be used to identify these brain circuits, link different brain stimulation modalities to one another, and allow insights from one stimulation modality to translate into improvements in another.
Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences: A Design-Based Approach

1. Introduction: why natural experiments? Part I. Discovering Natural Experiments: 2. Standard natural experiments 3. Regression-discontinuity designs 4. Instrumental-variables designs Part II. Analyzing Natural Experiments: 5. Simplicity and transparency: keys to quantitative analysis 6. Sampling processes and standard errors 7. The central role of qualitative evidence Part III. Evaluating Natural Experiments: 8. How plausible is as-if random? 9. How credible is the model? 10. How relevant is the intervention? Part IV. Conclusion: 11. Building strong research designs through multi-method research.
Reflection Shear Force/Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM)

The spatial resolution afforded by near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) is primarily a function of tip size, tip morphology, and tip-sample separation. Combining scanning force microscopy with NSOM allows one to maintain a small tip-sample separation distance and, consequently, improve NSOM resolution. This provides, simultaneously, a topographic perspective of the sample as well as an NSOM image. We present in this paper an instrument that provides shear force and reflection NSOM images. In addition, with this microscope, we can also obtain Raman scattering information with comparable resolution. Data is provided on nonlinear optical crystals and gold-on-silicon samples.
Identification and initial characterization of concanavalin A- and interferon-induced human suppressor factors: evidence for a human equivalent of murine soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS).

Human suppressor T cells activated by leukocyte interferon have properties similar to murine suppressor cells activated by interferon or by concanavalin A. Murine suppressor cells release a soluble mediator, soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS), which accounts, at least in part, for suppressive activity in murine systems. To compare and contrast murine and human suppressor pathways, we evaluated the suppression of human polyclonal plaque-forming cell responses by concanavalin A, by leukocyte interferon, and by immune interferon, or by suppressor cells activated by these agents. In each instance, suppressive activity was prevented by levamisole, ascorbic acid, catalase, or 2-mercaptoethanol, agents known to interfere with murine SIRS activity. Furthermore, concanavalin A, immune interferon, and leukocyte interferon induced T lymphocytes to release 110,000 to 150,000 m.w. proteins which suppressed responses only when added early in the culture period. As with murine SIRS, suppression by each of these human factors was inhibited by 2-mercaptoethanol, ascorbic acid, catalase, or levamisole. The reaction of human suppressor factors with H2O2 (10(-6) M) activated suppressor factors so that they suppress responses when added late in the culture period. Human suppressor factors were protease- and acid (pH 2)-sensitive. The similarities between these human suppressor factors and murine SIRS show the existence of a human SIRS pathway.
Perturbation analysis of continuous‐time absorbing Markov chains

SUMMARY The behavior of Markov chains depends on the transition intensities or probabilities; in applications, these transitions are often written as functions of parameters. In this paper, matrix calculus is used to provide the sensitivities and elasticities of the behavior of continuous time-absorbing Markov chains to arbitrary parameters, which could include the transition intensities themselves or parameters in which those intensities depend. The results include the sensitivity and elasticity of the moments, variances, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation of the time spent in transient states and the time to absorption. The number of visits to transient states is also analyzed, using the embedded discrete-time chain. For models with multiple absorbing states, the sensitivity of the probability of absorption in each absorbing state is presented. As an example, a published model for the progress of colorectal cancer is analyzed in detail. Transient states in this model are defined by disease status, and the model includes two absorbing states: death from cancer and death from other causes. The perturbation analysis provides a quantitative comparison of the effect of changing transition and mortality rates. Such information may be useful for evaluating treatment or screening programs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.