cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive validity of the ACC/AHA pooled cohort equations in predicting cancer-specific mortality in a National Prospective Cohort Study of Adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines recently developed the Pooled Cohort Risk (PCR) equations to predict 10-years risk for a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event. The predictive validity of these PCR equations on cancer-specific mortality among a national sample of US adults has yet to be evaluated, which was this study's purpose. METHODS Data from the 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, with participants followed through December 31, 2011 to ascertain cancer mortality status via the National Death Index probabilistic algorithm. The analysed sample included 11,171 CVD-free adults (40-79 years). Ten-year risk of a first ASCVD was determined from the PCR equations. RESULTS For the entire sample, 849,202 person-months occurred with an incidence rate of 0.31 cancer-specific deaths per 1,000 person-months. The unweighted follow-up duration was 72 months (IQR = 39-114). After adjusting for age, gender, race-ethnicity, physical activity and obesity, those with an elevated ASCVD (≥ 7.5%) whom did not have a history of cancer at baseline had a 71% increased risk of cancer-specific mortality. There was less evidence for this relationship among those with a history of cancer. The individual components of the ASCVD that were predictive of cancer-specific mortality included age and smoking status. CONCLUSION Ten-year predicted risk of a first ASCVD event via the PCR equations were significantly associated with cancer-specific mortality in a national sample of US adults (40-79 years) whom were free of cancer and CVD at baseline. In this American adult sample, the PCR equations provide evidence of predictive validity for cancer-specific mortality, particularly among those without cancer.
She Could Be the Girl Next Door

One night in the spring of 1968, Dorothy Patterson and a couple of her fellow Red Cross volunteers convinced some GIs who had access to a jeep to drive them to Sin City. Located in An Khe, about a mile from where Patterson's Red Cross unit was stationed, Sin City was “a place where prostitutes and bar girls prospered” on the dollars and desires of U.S. soldiers. In polite terms, Sin City was a cluster of rinky-dink establishments where GIs could go to enjoy live music and dancing, drink beer, and sample local cuisine. In reality, many went to spend time with Vietnamese women in the privacy of a “boom-boom parlor,” local parlance for a room in a brothel. Sin City was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence and guarded by U.S. military police. Division commanders cooperated with local Vietnamese pimps to ensure that brothels provided the desired services to U.S. troops. Military medics, hoping to prevent the spread of venereal disease among the troops, subjected the Vietnamese women who worked there to regular examinations. There was no written rule that forbade American women from visiting Sin City, but when U.S. servicemen saw Patterson and her friends at a cafe there, they flashed looks that made the women feel as though they were not welcome. “These GIs walk by on their way to the back room, and they were really almost indignant that we were there, wanted to know what we were doing there,” Patterson recalled. “They didn't want us to see them messing around with the Vietnamese women. I just got the feeling that they were embarrassed to think that we might see them.” Sin City, she noted, was “a place for GIs to go to be with a female” – a Vietnamese female.
Cheating Death With ECMO: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You∗

The study by the Dusseldorf Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Network in this issue of JACC: Heart Failure [(1)][1] adds to the inconvenient truth that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is moving from an anecdotal therapy to a public health commodity. Much in the way that cardiopulmonary
Reflections on the Medical History of the Kidney: From Alcmaeon of Croton to Richard Bright - Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Although renal disease has been present for over 200 millennia of Homo sapiens' existence, knowledge of the causes and management of these disorders has only emerged during the last 4000 years. Brilliant insights into human disease probably emerged from time to time over the long period of human existence, but observations could only be advanced after writing began in 3200 BC. Humans could then make observations, record these thoughts, and have others in their present and future critique them leading to improvement in this information. This discussion selectively considers some of the medical giants who led the way to clinical nephrology of the 21st century. It reflects on who taught us basic principles of renal disease that led to our current knowledge. Attention is given to the ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Galen of Pergamon, the Byzantine Greeks of the 5th-9th centuries, the Arab/Persian Physicians of the 9th-12th centuries, Moses Maimonides of the 12th century, selective Renaissance Physicians, and the father of modern nephrology - Richard Bright MD. This reflection celebrates au courant renal sagacity by celebrating the past clinicians who led the way from their eras to ours.
Implementing schema-based assessment in engineering statistics courses

In classes like statistics, a staple for many beginning engineering students, deep interdisciplinary understanding as well as critical thinking is required to successfully learn the material. In this sense, traditional assessment, which may consist of multiple choice questions and free response problems, can be drastically inadequate to fully assess student comprehension of complex concepts. We propose a different method of assessment: schema-based items. These items are multiple choice items; however, there may be one or more correct answers based on the proposed question (hence, the items are non-dichotomous). The answer choices are nuanced and designed to measure not simply the student's understanding of a single concept but their progress on an entire learning progression, which may include a single concept as well as several adjacent ones. After some prior promising implementations of these types of assessment items, we are eager to transition these types of items to the post-secondary engineering classroom, where students are required to understand and assimilate content knowledge that is not focused on a single subject area and has a vast interconnection between subjects. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of statistics, these topics can be quite difficult to assess accurately and thoroughly.
Higher mini-BAL total protein concentration in early ARDS predicts faster resolution of lung injury measured by more ventilator-free days.

The protein concentration of alveolar edema fluid in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is dynamic. It reflects alveolar flooding during acute injury, as well as fluid and protein clearance...
Telecoupling framework for research on migratory species in the Anthropocene

Migratory species are an important component of biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services for humans, but many are threatened and endangered. Numerous studies have been conducted on the biology of migratory species, and there is an increased recognition of the major role of human dimensions in conserving migratory species. However, there is a lack of systematic integration of socioeconomic and environmental factors. Because human activities affect migratory species in multiple places, integrating socioeconomic and environmental factors across space is essential, but challenging. The holistic framework of telecoupling (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances) has the potential to help meet this challenge because it enables researchers to integrate human and natural interactions across multiple distant places. The use of the telecoupling framework may also lead to new conservation strategies and actions. To demonstrate its potential, we apply the framework to Kirtland’s warblers ( Setophaga kirtlandii ), a conservation-reliant migratory songbird. Results show accomplishments from long-term research and recovery efforts on the warbler in the context of the telecoupling framework. The results also show 24 research gaps even though the species has been relatively well-studied compared to many other species. An important gap is a lack of systematic studies on feedbacks among breeding, wintering, and stopover sites, as well as other “spillover” systems that may affect and be affected by migration (e.g., via tourism, land use, or climate change). The framework integrated scattered information and provided useful insights about new research topics and flow-centered management approaches that encapsulate the full annual cycle of migration. We also illustrate the similarities and differences between Kirtland’s warblers and several other migratory species, indicating the applicability of the telecoupling framework to understanding and managing common complexities associated with migratory species in a globalizing world.
Development and Evaluation of Piezoelectric Prototypes for Roadway Energy Harvesting

AbstractThis paper describes the development of several piezoelectric prototypes capable of harvesting energy from the action of traffic on roadways. It provides a brief overview of piezoelectric t...
Formulation and optimization of involute spur gear in external gear pump

Abstract External gear pumps (EGPs) have gained popularity among applications in many fields like fluid power transmissions and systems, automotive, aerospace thanks to their advantage of simplicity, robustness and low cost. Several studies were performed to analyze and innovate the gear profiles of EGPs to achieve better performance, in terms of flow smoothness power to weight ratio. Asymmetric gears represent one of the possible choices. This paper is aimed at developing a methodology of designing asymmetric involute gear, and formulate analytical expression for the instantaneous flowrate and flow non-uniformity given by asymmetric, non-standard involute gear pumps. These analytical expressions are then used within a multi-objective numerical optimization algorithm aimed at minimizing both the flow non-uniformity and the pump size to achieve a specific displacement. The results illustrate the highly constrained nature of the optimization problem, and the relevant impact of certain parameters of the tooth profile. It is shown how gears obtained with the proposed procedure can have significantly higher performance of standard gears, and in particular how the parameters affecting tooth profile asymmetry can further improve the EGP flow irregularity and size.
15 kV SiC MOSFET: An enabling technology for medium voltage solid state transformers

Due to much higher achievable blocking voltage and faster switching speed, power devices based on wide bandgap (WBG) silicon carbide (SiC) material are ideal for medium voltage (MV) power electronics applications. For example, a 15 kV SiC MOSFET allows a simple and efficient two-level converter configuration for a 7.2 kV solid state transformer (SST) for smart grid applications. Compared with multilevel input series and output parallel (ISOP) solution, this approach offers higher efficiency and reliability, reduced system weight and cost by operating at medium to high switching frequency. However, the main concern is how to precisely implement this device in different MV applications, achieving highest switching frequency while maintaining good thermal performance. This paper reviews the characteristics of 15 kV SiC MOSFET and offers a comprehensive guideline of implementing this device in practical MV power conversion scenarios such as AC-DC, DC-DC and AC-AC in terms of topology selection, loss optimization and thermal management.
Modulating Amygdala-Hippocampal Network Communication: A Potential Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Modulating Amygdala–Hippocampal Network Communication: A Potential Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Preweaning variables' influence on market traits in rabbits.

Influence of several preweaning variables on market trait determination was investigated using 338 fryer rabbits from 52 litters. Variables measured at 1, 8, and 15 d included litter size, individual kit body weight (BW), within-litter rank score for BW, and litter uniformity (coefficient of variation for BW among littermates; CV). Daily milk consumption in wk 1, 2, and 3 was used to determine average weekly dominance rank score and total weekly milk consumption. Market traits were individual average daily gain (ADG) and litter feed intake (FI) from 28 to 70 d, and 70-d BW (BW70), litter uniformity (CV70), litter size (LS70), and within-litter rank score for BW (RANK70). Market traits were analyzed separately by week involving preweaning variables and season of weaning as covariates. The week models provided the most accurate predictions of ADG, BW70, FI, and LS70 (R2 = .542, .712, .906, and .970, respectively). Prediction of CV70 and RANK70 was poor (R2 = .202 to .369). Season influenced ADG, BW70, and FI (partial R2 values of .285 to .435). Path analysis indicated that milk consumption and BW were more important in BW70 determination (28.4, 26.4, and 36.9% of total variation in wk 1, 2, and 3, respectively) than litter size (partial R2 < or = 2.0%). In wk 1, litter size plus dominance rank score primarily determined LS70 (direct and indirect contributions of 62.3 and 21.5%). Because of major seasonal influences, management should take measures to optimize feed intake and to improve doe milk yield and fryer gain performance.
Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention. By Mary Sarah Bilder. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2015. Pp. viii, 358. $36.00.)

James Madison's Notes, published after his death and later compiled with observations from other delegates into four volumes—The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787—by Max Farrand [1911], for...
Points, Lines, and the Structure of \({\mathbb {R}}\)

In the previous chapter we saw how a large portion of mathematics can be formalized in first-order logic. The very fact that the construction of the classical number structures can be formalized this way makes first-order logic relevant, but is it necessary? For centuries mathematics has been developing successfully without much attention paid to formal rigor, and it is still practiced this way. When intuitions don’t fail us, there is no need for excessive formalism, but what happens when they do? In modern mathematics intuition can be misleading, especially when actual infinity is involved. In this chapter, we will see how seemingly innocuous assumptions about actually infinite sets lead to consequences that are not easy to accept. Then, we will go back to our discussion of a formal approach that will help to make some sense out of it.
Automated detection of imaging features of disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus using machine learning methods

Abstract Objective Create an automated classifier for imaging characteristics of disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH), a neuroimaging phenotype of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Methods 1597 patients from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA) were reviewed for imaging characteristics of DESH. One core feature of DESH, the presence of tightened sulci in the high-convexities (THC), was used as a surrogate for the presence of DESH as the expert clinician-defined criterion on which the classifier was trained. Anatomical MRI scans were automatically segmented for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and overlaid with an atlas of 123 named sulcal regions. The volume of CSF in each sulcal region was summed and normalized to total intracranial volume. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values were computed for each region individually, and these values determined feature selection for the machine learning model. Due to class imbalance in the data (72 selected scans out of 1597 total scans) adaptive synthetic sampling (a technique which generates synthetic examples based on the original data points) was used to balance the data. A support vector machine model was then trained on the regions selected. Results Using the automated classification model, we were able to classify scans for tightened sulci in the high convexities, as defined by the expert clinician, with an AUROC of about 0.99 (false negative ≈ 2%, false positive ≈ 5%). Ventricular volumes were among the classifier's most discriminative features but are not specific for DESH. The inclusion of regions outside the ventricles allowed specificity from atrophic neurodegenerative diseases that are also accompanied by ventricular enlargement. Conclusion Automated detection of tight high convexity, a key imaging feature of DESH, is possible by using support vector machine models with selected sulcal CSF volumes as features.
Babesiosis as a cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome: a series of eight cases

Objectives: The characteristics of patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) as a complication of Babesia microti infection have not been systematically described.Methods: Adult pati...
Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture

This chapter examines water’s role in sustainable agriculture and the approaches taken to achieve sustainability, including transformational changes in the way agriculture is managed, and how farm-specific technologies are implemented. Two broad management pathways that are reshaping the way agriculture is practiced are helping farmers around the world prepare for supplying the 60% increase in foodstuffs that will be needed by 2050 by the growing world population. The first is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA); the second is Conservation Agriculture (CA).
Effect of strain inhomogeneity on a chiral p -wave superconductor

Motivated by recent measurements of strain effects on the transition temperature (${T}_{c}$) of ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$, we study the strain response of a two-dimensional chiral $p$-wave superconductor. We focus on the effects of inhomogeneous strain fields, which are always present in any such experiment, and which have been neglected in previous theoretical treatments. We show that the response of ${T}_{c}$ of a chiral superconductor to strain changes from being linear without inhomogeneity to being quadratic in the presence of inhomogeneity. We discuss our results in the context of the ongoing debate of superconductivity in ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$.
The Adiabatically Driven StrongARM Comparator

Adiabatic logic, also known as charge recovery logic, is subject to active research in the field of low-energy computation. Although the principles of adiabatic operation are well understood in digital circuits, analog and mixed-signal circuit implementations are largely unexplored. This brief shows that the strongARM comparator can take advantage of adiabatic principles by: 1) being powered by a sine-wave, the power-clock, rather than the conventional dc power supply, ${V}_{\text {DD}}$ and 2) using an adiabatic buffer as the output stage, rather than an SR-latch. Post-layout simulations in a 65-nm technology show that the adiabatically driven strongARM has similar characteristics to the traditional strongARM: +2% noise, +0.1% input offset voltage, and the same regeneration time-constant, while only consuming between 28% and 55% of the energy of the traditional strongARM, in the typical case.
Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus development after germinal matrix hemorrhage: Established mechanisms and proposed pathways

In addition to being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants, germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH) is also the leading cause of acquired infantile hydrocephalus. The pathophysiology of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) development after GMH is complex and vaguely understood, although evidence suggests fibrosis and gliosis in the periventricular and subarachnoid spaces disrupts normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics. Theories explaining general hydrocephalus etiology have substantially evolved from the original bulk flow theory developed by Dr. Dandy over a century ago. Current clinical and experimental evidence supports a new hydrodynamic theory for hydrocephalus development involving redistribution of vascular pulsations and disruption of Starling forces in the brain microcirculation. In this review, we discuss CSF flow dynamics, history and development of theoretical hydrocephalus pathophysiology, and GMH epidemiology and etiology as it relates to PHH development. We highlight known mechanisms and propose new avenues that will further elucidate GMH pathophysiology, specifically related to hydrocephalus.
Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders reviewer acknowledgement 2012

The editors of Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders would like to thank all of our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in volume 4 (2012). High quality and timely reviews are critical to the overall quality of the journal. We are committed to providing a unique and important outlet for scholarship regarding neurodevelopmental disorders and are indebted to the outstanding reviewers who have contributed their time over the last year in helping us to reach this goal.
Microresonator Spectrometer Using Counter-Propagating Solitons

A spectrometer is demonstrated using self-locked counter-propagating soliton frequency combs in a high-Q silica microresonator. Fast tuning laser waveforms and molecular absorption features are measured with kiloHertz to MegaHertz resolution. © 2019 The Author(s)
Anatomy of Classic Bladder Exstrophy: MRI Findings and Surgical Correlation.

The exstrophy-epispadias complex (EEC) represents a group of congenitally acquired malformations involving the musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems. Classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) is the most common and best studied entity within the EEC. In this review, imaging features of CBE anatomy will be presented with surgical correlation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a useful modality for pre- and postnatal assessment of the abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems of children with CBE. The authors’ experience supports use of preoperative MRI, in conjunction with navigational software, as a method for identifying complex CBE anatomy. Imaging facilitates surgical approach and improves visualization of complex anatomy, potentially helping to avoid complications. Continued investigation of imaging guidance in CBE repair is needed as surgical techniques improve.
Robust Free Space OAM Communications with Unsupervised Machine Learning

We design a state-of-the-art generative machine learning system that mitigates the distortion effects of turbulence and reduces detector noise, which results in remarkably lowered bit error ratios, while requiring no feedback.
Renal replacement therapies for infants and children in the ICU.

Purpose of review Pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Emerging data support that the incidence of pediatric AKI in the ICU is rising. For children with severe AKI, renal replacement therapy (RRT) can provide a lifesaving supportive therapy. The optimal timing to deliver and modality by which to deliver RRT remain a point of discussion within pediatric (and adult) literature. This review discusses the use of RRT for pediatric patients in the ICU. We discuss the most recent evidence-based methods for RRT with a focus on continuous RRT. Recent findings The feasibility of dialyzing the smallest infants and more medically complex children in the ICU is dependent on the advancements in dialysis access and circuit technology. At present, data indicate that upward of 27% of children in the ICU develop AKI and 6% require RRT. Newer dialysis modalities including prolonged intermittent hemodialysis and continuous flow peritoneal dialysis as well as newer dialysis technologies such as the smaller volume circuits (e.g., Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine, Newcastle Infant Dialysis and Ultrafiltration System) have made the provision of dialysis safer and more effective for pediatric patients of a variety of sizes. Summary Renal replacement in the ICU requires a multidisciplinary team approach that is facilitated by a pediatric nephrologist in conjunction with intensivists and skilled nursing staff. Although mortality rates for children on dialysis remain high, outcomes are improving with the support of the multidisciplinary team and dialysis technology advancements.
Self-reported use of retrieval practice varies across age and domain

Study strategies that learners utilize impact how much they learn. Practicing retrieval from long-term memory (e.g., practice tests or flashcards) is a particularly effective study strategy that can provide large learning benefits; yet, students rarely recognize the benefits of retrieval practice. Here, we examine whether a sample of middle and high school students report using retrieval practice when studying on their own, why they use it, and whether its use varies by age and learning domain. The results show that most middle and high school students in our sample report using retrieval practice, but students utilize re-reading strategies more. The high school students in our sample report using retrieval practice more than the surveyed middle school students, and this may be driven by differences in their reasoning for using it. Finally, students’ ages and learning domains interact to affect how widely retrieval practice is utilized. Students’ use of retrieval practice grows with age and changes by domain. While more students report using retrieval practice than in prior literature, many students still fail to fully harness the learning benefits that retrieval practice can provide.
Regulatory plasticity within a complex cytokine-sensing mammary enhancer during lactation

Enhancers are transcription factor platforms that synergize with promoters to activate gene expression up to several-thousand-fold. While genome-wide structural studies are used to predict enhancers, the in vivo significance is less clear. Specifically, the biological importance of individual transcription factors within enhancer complexes remains to be understood. Here we investigate the structural and biological importance of individual transcription factor binding sites and redundancy among transcription components within a complex enhancer in vivo. The Csn1s2b gene is expressed exclusively in mammary tissue and activated several thousand-fold during pregnancy and lactation. Using ChIP-seq we identified a complex lactation-specific candidate enhancer that binds multiple transcription factors and coincides with activating histone marks. Using experimental mouse genetics, we determined that deletion of canonical binding motifs for the transcription factors NFIB and STAT5, individually and combined, had a limited biological impact. Loss of these sites led to a shift of transcription factor binding to juxtaposed sites, suggesting exceptional plasticity that does not require direct protein-DNA interactions. Additional deletions revealed the critical importance of a non-canonical STAT5 binding site for enhancer activity. Our data also suggest that enhancer RNAs are not required for the activity of this specific enhancer. While ChIP-seq experiments predicted an additional candidate intronic enhancer, its deletion did not adversely affect gene expression, emphasizing the limited biological information provided by structural data. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the anatomy and biology of a composite mammary enhancer that activates its target gene several hundred-fold during lactation.
Abstract 195: Associations of Cardiovascular Health During Late Adolescence and Young Adulthood With Incident Premature Cardiovascular Events and Mortality: The Coronary Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA)

Introduction: Mid-life cardiovascular health (CVH) is strongly associated with risks of later-life CVD and mortality across race and sex groups. Adolescent and young-adult CVH are associated with r...
Human Resource and Capacity Readiness

In this chapter, human resources (HR) is explored through three different lenses: HR as a department, HR as capacity, and HR as learners. The distinction is important since the expectations for each role are different. Human resources as a department refers to the role of knowledge management and organizing training initiatives. Human resources as capacity refers to the need to determine what skills exist within the organization and how these skills are going to be leveraged for e-Learning. Human resources as learners considers the role that HR plays in understanding the employees who are going to be users of the system.
Community Socioeconomic Deprivation Predicts Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

In order to determine the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 1,430 patients in a large tertiary health care network in New York. These patients underwent liver biopsy over a 10-year period and were included in our study if they had evidence of NAFLD/NASH on liver biopsy. Zip codes were used to obtain data necessary to derive the social deprivation index (SDI) from the US Bureau of the Census. The high-SDI group was compared to the low-SDI group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess association between socioeconomic factors and NAFLD parameters, including presence of NASH (NAFLD activity score >4), moderate to severe steatosis (>33%), and significant fibrosis (S2-S4). We included 614 patients with NAFLD/NASH; the median SDI was 31.5. Hemoglobin A1c values were higher in the high-SDI group compared to the low-SDI group (6.46 vs. 6.12, P = 0.02). Socioeconomic factors, such as private versus public health care, percentage being foreign born, percentage without a car, percentage with higher needs ( 65 years old), and percentage currently living in renter-occupied and crowded housing units, showed statistically significant associations in predicting NASH. After adjusting for patient age, sex, race, body mass index, and diabetes, we saw a significant association between four or more socioeconomic parameters in predicting NASH (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.099-2.856; P = 0.0190) and six or more socioeconomic parameters in predicting severe steatosis (OR, 1.498; 95% CI, 1.031-2.176; P = 0.0338) but no significant correlation between the number of socioeconomic parameters and significant fibrosis. Conclusion: Greater number of socioeconomic determinants (four or more) are associated with greater severity of NASH. Awareness of NAFLD/NASH needs to be raised in communities with high socioeconomic deprivation.
EEG Source Imaging from Standard Long-term Video EEG Recording in Patients with Medically-refractory Focal Epilepsy (P4.5-006)

Objective: To evaluate EEG source imaging (ESI) from standard long-term video-EEG recording in patients who underwent intracranial monitoring. Background: Noninvasive localization plays an important role in accurate seizure localization for patients with medically refractory focal epilepsy. ESI and has been shown to correlate well with surgical area of resection. We report the concordance between ESI and intracranial EEG in a cohort of 20 patients. Design/Methods: Patients were selected who had ESI performed and subsequent intracranial monitoring (ICM). ESI and intracranial seizure onset zone (SOZ) were localized to sublobar regions, and concordance was determined for each ESI analysis. Minimum (at least one ESI concordant) and complete (all ESI concordant) concordance was determined for each patient. Agreement between ESI and ICM in identifying multifocal SOZ was analyzed. Results: Twenty patients had a total of 56 ESI analyses, 32 ictal and 24 interictal. There was no significant difference in concordance between ictal (78%) and interictal (58%) analyses. However, when patients with multifocal SOZ were excluded, ictal analyses were significantly more concordant (83% vs 50%, p Conclusions: EEG source imaging from prolonged EEG monitoring shows favorable concordance with SOZ identified by intracranial EEG. Ictal analyses were more likely than interictal to be concordant with ICM. The majority of patients had all ictal analyses concordant with ICM, with a trend towards lower concordance for interictal analyses. Disclosure: Dr. Cox has nothing to disclose. Dr. Danoun has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wong-Kisiel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brinkmann has nothing to disclose.
Helical Nanostructures: Synthesis and Potential Applications

In nature, three-dimensional (3D) helical structure is the most fundamental structural configuration of DNAs, proteins, and bio-functional groups, such as cytoplasm and periplasm [1]. Synthetically, many 3D helical structures with micro- and nano-features have been fabricated from a number of inorganic materials. Typical examples include ZnO nanohelices/nanosprings [2–7], SiO2 nanohelices [8, 9], carbon-based nano-/microcoils [10–12], and some other nanohelices based on III–V and II–VI semiconductors [13–16]. Because of their nanoscale 3D spiral symmetric geometry, as well as unique mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties, helically nanostructured materials are attracting considerable attention and have potential applications in electronics, optics, nano- and micro-electromechanical system (NEMS and MEMS), energy and environment-related technologies, and biomedicine.
Free Single-Stranded Polymer

Chapter 2 dealt with single-stranded polymers attached to a surface. This chapter is a companion piece that is concerned with the same kind of polymer, but free in solution. The introduction to Chapter 2 applies here as well, and should be reviewed. In particular, it should be noted that the term “single-stranded” has a rather broad connotation.
Quick Reference and FAQ

This chapter serves as a quick reference guide for conducting a contextual inquiry (CI) study and answers frequently asked questions. The entire process of conducting a CI study in medical device development is briefly presented along with key graphics to assist the team jump-start their program and to act as a means to help explain the process to those on the periphery of the research. A collection of frequently asked questions are include covering common topics such as the definition of CI, process of conducting a study, data analysis, developing insights for medical device design, and tools used in CI studies. Next, it answers frequently asked questions such as the means confirming of gathering the right information, who typically conducts CI studies, variances in CI study approaches, gaining global perspectives, and overall return on investment to the business.
Energy Balance and Fracture Criteria

In this chapter, the energy balance equation is examined and the crack tip equation of motion is extracted, thus obtaining the energetic basis of the dynamic fracture criterion. Failure criteria for dynamic fracture may be motivated by an extension of Griffith's ideas postulated for equilibrium cracks. Mott (1948) suggested that for rapidly growing cracks, kinetic energy must be incorporated in writing down the energy balance. However, the correct and complete formulation of the local energy rate balance equation was not provided until after the nature of the dynamic stress field had been determined completely. The works of Atkinson and Eshelby (1968), Kostrov and Nikitin (1970), Freund (1972a) and Willis (1975) are especially important in this development. This chapter considers the dynamic energy rate balance criterion for the formulation of dynamic fracture criteria. Once dynamic crack growth has been initiated as per the conditions of the dynamic initiation toughness, subsequent growth must be determined through a separate criterion that characterizes the energy rate balance during growth.
Pilot evaluation of functional questionnaire for predicting ability of patients with tetraplegia to self-catheterize after continent diversion.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Creation of a continent catheterizable stoma has dramatically improved the ability of the patient with spinal cord injury to perform clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). However, not all patients are good candidates for this procedure. To aid in patient evaluation, we propose the use of a functional questionnaire to predict a candidate's ability to negotiate a continent catheterizable stoma. METHODS A published functional questionnaire was adapted to assess the self-perceived ability to perform upper extremity tasks similar to those involved in the manipulation of catheter. Tetraplegic patients who had undergone creation of a content catheterizable stoma were given the questionnaire and asked to describe demographics, method of catheterization, motivational factors, and satisfaction with the procedure. RESULTS Subjects varied in age (23-36 years) and level of impairment (C4-C6). Functional scores correlated with level of injury. Of the 4 women and 1 man who responded, only 2 were able to self-catheterize before diversion. Their catheterization times decreased significantly after creation of a continent stoma. Two patients unable to perform CIC preoperatively were able to perform CIC postoperatively. The patient with the lowest score was unable to perform CIC preoperatively or postoperatively. All were satisfied with outcome after diversion. CONCLUSIONS In our small cohort, a low functional score was associated with inability to perform CIC after continent diversion. Administration of this questionnaire to a larger spinal cord injury population should aid in selecting appropriate candidates for the creation of a continent catheterizable stoma.
Generalized Likelihood Ratio Tests Based on The Asymptotic Variant of The Minimax Approach

Maximum likelihood ratio test statistics may not exist in general in nonparametric function estimation setting. In this paper a new class of generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) tests is proposed for nonparametric goodness-of-fit testing via the asymptotic variant of the minimax approach. The proposed nonparametric tests are developed to be asymptotically distribution-free based on latent variable representations. The nonparametric tests are ameliorated to be appropriately complex so that they are analytically tractable and numerically feasible. They are well applicable for the “adaptive” study of hypothesis testing problems of growing dimensions. To assess the proposed GLR tests, the asymptotic properties are derived. The procedure can be viewed as a novel nonparametric extension of the classical parametric likelihood ratio test as a guard against possible gross misspecification of the data-generating mechanism. Simulations of the proposed minimax-type GLR tests are investigated for the small sample size performance and show that the GLR tests have appealing small sample size properties.
Multitasking Across Borders: A Cross-National Study of Media Multitasking Behaviors, Its Antecedents, and Outcomes

The study explores media multitasking behaviors of young adults in the United States, Russia, and Kuwait( N = 532). The results of multilevel modeling find that media factors such as structural, macro characteristics of media markets (e.g., technology distribution, the state of press freedom), individual media ownership, and audience demographic and psychological differences such as gender and sensation seeking predict media multitasking. In turn, media multitasking, along with structural characteristics of media markets, is found to predict perceived attention paid to primary media messages. The study offers cross-national evidence to support the existing developments in the area of media multitasking and suggests that individual- and market-level differences must be considered to explain media multitasking behaviors and perceived attention to mediated contents.
Effects of Exercise on Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Older Arthritic Adults: A Pilot Study

The effects of exercise on acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (UW) were examined in arthritic women 62-78 years old, looking at stress as a mediating variable. Subjects trained for 12 months, 3 days per week for approximately 50 minutes per session. Exercise consisted of stretching, 1 lb. dumbbell weighttraining and walking. Data were compared on ULRI for the year before the study versus the year of the study. Also, functional walking capacity, arm strength/endurance, grip strength, psycho-social stress and white blood cell parameters were determined before and after the study-year. Results suggest no clinically significant effect from exercise. Importance of this pilot investigation compared to those involving non-arthritic older adult populations and the implications for researchers and older adult activity program managers are discussed.
Consumer complaint channel choice in online and offline purchases

This research explored the influence of the purchase environment on the choice of complaint channel. The study was based on responses from 480 undergraduate students who participated in a 2 (purchase environment: offline vs. online) × 2 (the degree of dissatisfaction: weak vs. strong) online experiment. Consumers who purchased online were more likely to complain online than those who made their purchase offline. Online complaining among online purchasers increased with the degree of dissatisfaction. The research suggests that future researchers should include consumer complaint channel choices when examining consumer complaining behaviour.
Ties That Bind: Monopsony Tying and the TennCare Cram-Down

The TennCare cram-down provides an important case study of how a state with low managed care penetration implemented, on short notice, a mandatory managed care program not only for all its Medicaid beneficiaries but also for several hundred thousand uninsured or uninsurable state residents not otherwise eligible for medical services support under Medicaid. The TennCare cram-down provides a vehicle for analyzing how the antitrust law applies to a health insurance setting in which an insurance company requires that the providers in its mainstream private plans (and its contracted-for plan for public employees) participate in its public benefits network for public beneficiaries - albeit under different financial terms. The article concludes that, for antitrust purposes, the cram-down must be analyzed and justified under conventional antitrust doctrinal (pro-competitive) norms. The case study is important in its own right and is of even broader potential significance since states seeking the fiscal benefits of managed care in Medicaid are now authorized to adopt mandatory managed care as a universal requirement without the need of securing a federal waiver.
Forecasting the Economy with Neural Nets: A Survey of Challenges and Solutions

Macroeconomic forecasting is a very difficult task due to the lack of an accurate, convincing model of the economy. The most accurate models for economic forecasting, “black box” time series models, assume little about the structure of the economy. Constructing reliable time series models is challenging due to short data series, high noise levels, nonstationarities, and nonlinear effects. This chapter describes these challenges and presents some neural network solutions to them. Important issues include balancing the bias/variance tradeoff and the noise/nonstationarity tradeoff. A brief survey of methods includes hyperparameter selection (regularization parameter and training window length), input variable selection and pruning, network architecture selection and pruning, new smoothing regularizers, committee forecasts and model visualization. Separate sections present more in-depth descriptions of smoothing regularizers, architecture selection via the generalized prediction error (GPE) and nonlinear cross-validation (NCV), input selection via sensitivity based pruning (SBP), and model interpretation and visualization. Throughout, empirical results are presented for forecasting the U.S. Index of Industrial Production. These demonstrate that, relative to conventional linear time series and regression methods, superior performance can be obtained using state-of-the-art neural network models.
Increasing Academic Motivation in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students From Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds

According to research, students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have lower rates of high school graduation and university attendance. There is little research regarding interventions to address these issues. The current study compared the effects of two programs designed to increase academic motivation. Forty-seven high school female athletes from culturally and linguistically diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds participated in the study. The programs were implemented over a 12-week period, 2 days per week within the school day. One group received instruction using a program that was designed by the school's physical education faculty. The other group received instruction using the Possible Selves program (Hock, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2003). The researchers investigated the effects of the programs with regard to the students' level of hope for the future as measured by the Children's Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1994), records of the students' grades and number of admini...
The multiliteracies classroom

The multiliteracies classroom, by Kathy Mills, Clevedon, Multilingual Matters, 2011, 152 pp. including bibliography and index, $39.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-84769-318-1 The Multiliteracies Classro...
Heterozygosity for Pten promotes tumorigenesis in a mouse model of medulloblastoma

Background: Recent publications have described an important role for cross talk between PI-3 kinase and sonic hedgehog signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of medulloblastoma. Methodology/Principal Findings: We crossed mice with constitutive activation of Smoothened, SmoA1, with Pten deficient mice. Both constitutive and conditional Pten deficiency doubled the incidence of mice with symptoms of medulloblastoma and resulted in decreased survival. Analysis revealed a clear separation of gene signatures, with up-regulation of genes in the PI-3 kinase signaling pathway, including downstream activation of angiogenesis in SmoA1+/2; Pten +/2 medulloblastomas. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry confirmed reduced or absent Pten, Akt activation, and increased angiogenesis in Pten deficient tumors. Down-regulated genes included genes in the sonic hedgehog pathway and tumor suppressor genes. SmoA1+/2; Pten +/+ medulloblastomas appeared classic in histology with increased proliferation and diffuse staining for apoptosis. In contrast, Pten deficient tumors exhibited extensive nodularity with neuronal differentiation separated by focal areas of intense staining for proliferation and virtually absent apoptosis. Examination of human medulloblastomas revealed low to absent PTEN expression in over half of the tumors. Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed worse overall survival in patients whose tumor exhibited low to absent PTEN expression. Conclusions/Significance: This suggests that PTEN expression is a marker of favorable prognosis and mouse models with activation of PI-3 kinase pathways may be important tools for preclinical evaluation of promising agents for the treatment of medulloblastoma.