cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exit, voice and loyalty: state rhetoric about the International Criminal Court*

The article examines how states talk about the International Criminal Court (ICC, or the Court) through the lens of Albert Hirschman’s exit, voice and loyalty framework. Based on a content analysis...
Politics and Millennials

In this chapter, we find statistics showing that Millennials are either moderate (39%) or liberal (31%) in their politics, with relatively few (26%) describing themselves as conservative. The significance of these figures is obvious, as far as politics is concerned, but there is the question of how often Millennials vote in elections. There is also material about high school students now identifying as conservative, compared with earlier years. The statistics about liberal and conservative Millennials suggest we now have a politically polarized society. Statistics from a Los Angeles Times poll shows that there is a correlation between the amount of education people have and their liberalism. It shows that almost fifty percent of people with high school or less education supported Trump while only 36.4% of those with college degrees or higher supported him. An article by Daniel J. Arbess that appeared in The Wall Street Journal dealt with the question of why Millennials who supported Trump voted against their own interests? He suggested that they do not recognize the impact of their voting. This leads to a discussion of the Sanders’ campaign and speculations about why he was so popular with young people. This is followed by a discussion of Millennial voting patterns and statistics from a poll showing that 44% of Millennials saying they would vote either for the Green Party or a libertarian. Other statistics show that fifty percent of Millennials describe themselves as Independents. Though Millennials voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, they didn’t vote for her in large enough numbers to help her win. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Millennials in Britain, who voted in large numbers against the Prime Minister.
A Pragmatic Method for Pass/Fail Conformance Reporting that Complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540.3, ISO/IEC17025, and ILAC-G8

Abstract:What are the criteria for stating Pass/Fail conformance when calibrating an instrument and comparing the measured results against specifications? The answer depends on regional and regulatory requirements, customer need and other criteria. This requires calibration service providers to be flexible when reporting calibration results which include Pass/Fail conformance statements. This is especially true when serving a global market. This paper explores the different requirements or guidelines in standards documents, such as ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006, ISO/IEC 17025:2005, ILAC-G8:1996, and EURAMET/cg-15/v.01. Some of these documents are prescriptive, while others provide only minimal guidance subject to interpretation. While many customers simply want to know pass or fail, these differences lead to variations in the Pass/Fail decision point, in the results labels (Pass/Fail vs. Pass/Indeterminate/Fail), and potentially have an effect on the downstream uncertainty analysis. This paper presents a non-obvi...
Clinical Interviewing of the Patient and History in Neuropsychological Assessment

Although most of this volume is concerned with the application of formal tests to the assessment of brain-damaged patients, few would deny the importance of some form of clinical assessment as a component of a comprehensive evaluation. Users of standard test batteries may not use clinical data in selecting tests to be administered, but may make extensive use of such material in their interpretations and report preparations. Neuropsychologists who use flexible test batteries may also use clinical data in interpretation, but the actual selection of tests may be based in whole or part on the initial interview and the review of historical material. The major exception to the practice of conducting an initial interview and taking a history prior to test administration is in the case of those clinicians who prefer to do blind interpretation, and who do not want to review the history or even see the patient prior to making an interpretation based exclusively on test data. The practice of blind interpretation is a controversial matter, with compelling justifications provided by those for and those opposed to it. It seems likely that the wisdom of using blind interpretation or not using it is a complex matter involving one’s approach to neuropsychological assessment, the context in which one practices, the relative significance of research and direct patient care goals in one’s practice, and the degree of independent clinical responsibility of the neuropsychologist.
Percutaneous Biopsy and Radiofrequency Ablation

Image-guided percutaneous renal biopsy is safe and accurate in sampling the lesion and coming to a final histopathological diagnosis. Image-guided renal mass biopsy is useful for avoiding unnecessary surgery for benign masses and in the diagnosis of renal metastases, lymphoma, differentiation of centrally located renal cell carcinoma from renal cell carcinoma, and complex cystic renal lesions. The renal biopsy can be performed with either CT or US guidance, although the majority of the current literature is based on CT-guided procedures. Although radiofrequency ablation has been used most often for liver tumors, its use for renal masses is relatively recent and has shown promising clinical results. Long-term follow-up radiofrequency ablation results for renal masses are still being performed to define the position of this treatment in the management of renal neoplasm. The ideal lesion for radiofrequency ablation in the kidney is single, peripherally located and less than 3 cm diameter renal mass. Radiofrequency ablation of a renal mass is often useful as an alternative to nephron-sparing surgery in poor surgical risk patients and in patients with a solitary kidney. As the frequency of detection of renal masses increases and the utility of percutaneous biopsy and radiofrequency ablation are better defined in the literature, we are likely to see these procedures become more frequent in patient management.
Clark Kerr and the Carnegie Commission and Council

From 1967 through 1980, Clark Kerr served as Chair and staff director of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and its successor the Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education. These bodies engaged in a massive 13-year research and publishing effort, the largest in U.S. history, aimed at improving higher education in America. This chapter discusses the unique personal characteristics and professional accomplishments that Kerr brought to the positions as the architect of the University of California system and California Master Plan, author of the classic work Uses of the University and the most renowned leader in the field of higher education nationally. The chapter goes on to discuss the ways in which Kerr organized the work of both bodies. It goes on to describe the research and publications and the Commission’s and Council’s impact on higher education policy and practice. Both the strengths and weaknesses of the Commission and Council are examined. The outcomes are compared to those of Abraham Flexner’s 1910 study of medical education in the United States and Canada, which is commonly considered the most successful reform study in higher education (Flexner, On medical education in the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Science and Health Publications, 1910). The chapter concludes with a discussion of why another effort such as the Carnegie Commission or Council is unlikely today.
Lyme Disease Presenting with Meningoradiculitis: A Case of Variant Bannwarth Syndrome (P5.115)

Objective: NA Background: Lyme disease is a common vector-borne illness in the U.S. caused by Borrelia species spirochetes. Neuroborreliosis can have variable presentations, rarely manifesting as meningoradiculitis or “Bannwarth Syndrome.” We present a case of Bannwarth Syndrome with significant weight loss and transaminitis. Design/Methods: NA Results: Case Report: A 60 year-old man with hypertension presented with 3 weeks of progressive back pain, bilateral arm/leg weakness, hand numbness, and right facial droop, in absence of sphincter dysfunction. He reported 25lb unintentional weight loss and recent holiday to Egypt. Patient was afebrile, had normal vital signs but profound transaminitis. Exam showed a peripheral right facial nerve palsy, diffuse quadriparesis, areflexia but isolated brisk ankle reflexes. A left complete facial palsy developed shortly after admission. Concern for leptomeningeal plus peripheral nerve involvement led to consideration of oncologic, infectious, and inflammatory etiologies, along with GBS variants. Contrasted MRI of brain and spine was normal. CSF revealed lymphocytic WBC count (134), elevated protein (156), with normal glucose, cytology, AFB culture, viral PCR, and paraneoplastic antibodies. Serum and CSF Lyme IgG and IgM were positive. IV ceftriaxone 2 grams daily was started. EMG/NCS showed diffuse polyradiculopathy without evidence of GBS. Babesia co-infection was considered given unexplained transaminitis but PCR and quantitation were negative. CSF after antibiotics showed resolving WBC and protein counts. On follow-up at 2 months, facial paralysis, pain, motor and sensory deficits had resolved with return to baseline weight. Conclusions: Discussion: Bannwarth syndrome, a subacute painful meningoradiculitis caused by Borrelia species infection, is an uncommon presentation of neuroborreliosis in the U.S. Our case also demonstrates previously unreported features such as profound transaminitis and weight loss, without evidence of co-infection. Clinical manifestations of neuroborreliosis are variable, thus it is important to consider Bannwarth syndrome in the differential of meningoradiculitis in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent. Disclosure: Dr. Diaz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wesley has nothing to disclose.
Inferring Relationships in Microbiomes from Signed Bayesian Networks

Microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions in a microbiome play a vital role in both health and disease. However, the structure of the microbial community and the colonization patterns are highly complex to infer even under controlled wet laboratory conditions. In this study, we investigate what information, if any, can be provided by a Bayesian Network (BN) about a microbial community. Unlike the previously proposed Co-occurrence Networks (CoNs), BNs are based on conditional dependencies and can help in revealing complex associations. In this paper, we report a surprising association between directed edges in BNs and known colonization order. Furthermore, when combined with the sign of the correlations from CoNs, BNs allow for many useful conclusions.In this paper, we ask the pertinent question: what can BNs reveal about the relationships between microbial taxa in a microbiome? In particular, we argue that BNs are able to capture temporal order (colonization order) when combined with the sign of correlation. The main contribution of this paper is to show how to carefully use BNs in conjunction with CoNs to make potential inferences about colonization order.We carried out our experiments on two datasets. The first is oral microbiome data from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) [1], which included eight different sites all from within the oral cavity from 242 healthy adults (129 males, 113 females). The second is data from preterm infant gut microbiome samples as described in the paper by La Rosa et al. [2]. A total of 922 stool samples from 58 premature babies (each weighing ≤ 1500 g at birth) collected on different days were used for our analysis.
Admitting privileges and hospital‐based care after presenting for abortion: A retrospective case series

Author(s): Upadhyay, Ushma D; Cartwright, Alice F; Goyal, Vinita; Belusa, Elise; Roberts, Sarah CM | Abstract: ObjectiveTo examine the pathways of care for abortion patients transferred or referred to emergency departments (EDs) or hospitals before and after abortion-providing physicians obtained hospital admitting privileges.Data sourcesThis case series was based on retrospective chart review at three abortion clinics in which physicians had obtained admitting privileges in the previous 5nyears.Study designWe identified patients who were transferred or referred to a hospital or ED. Patients were grouped according to the pathway by which their care was transferred or referred to the ED/hospital.Principal findingsBoth before and after admitting privileges, the majority of patients were referred to a hospital before the abortion was attempted and most were for suspected ectopic pregnancy or to perform the abortion in a hospital. Direct ambulance transfer from the facility to the ED/hospital was the least common pathway. We observed few changes in practice from before to after admitting privileges. Preexisting mechanisms of coordination and communication facilitated care that was tailored for the specific patient.ConclusionsWe did not find evidence that physician admitting privileges influenced the pathways through which abortion patients obtain hospital-based care, as existing mechanisms of collaboration between hospitals and abortion facilities allowed for management of patients who sought hospital-based care.
Risk-adjusted/neuroprotective care services in the NICU: the elemental role of the neonatal therapist (OT, PT, SLP).

Infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) require carefully designed risk-adjusted management encompassing a broad spectrum of neonatal subgroups. Key components of an optimal neuroprotective healing NICU environment are presented to support consistent quality of care delivery across NICU settings and levels of care. This article presents a perspective on the role of neonatal therapists—occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech–language pathologists—in the provision of elemental risk-adjusted neuroprotective care services. In alignment with professional organization competency recommendations from these disciplines, a broad overview of neonatal therapy services is described. Recognizing the staffing budget as one of the more difficult challenges hospital department leaders face, the authors present a formula-based approach to address staff allocations for neonatal therapists working in NICU settings. The article has been reviewed and endorsed by the National Association of Neonatal Therapists, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, and the National Perinatal Association.
Chapter 8 – Drug Metabolism

Chapter 8 provides a broad understanding of drug metabolism, including how to detect and identify metabolic reactions. As described in this chapter, metabolic processes remove active drugs from the body by converting them, according to rational mechanisms of organic chemistry, to one or more metabolic products. These metabolites may be biologically inert or may possess biological properties similar to or different from those of the parent drug and may produce toxicological effects. The understanding of drug metabolism and its underlying mechanisms, as described in this chapter, provides a basis for the medicinal chemist to rationally design chemical modifications of a lead compound in an attempt to maximize drug effectiveness through prolonged plasma half life while minimizing potential side effects by reducing production of unfavorable metabolic products. The concept of hard and soft drugs is introduced.
In utero heat stress alters postnatal phenotypes in swine

The prenatal environment influences offspring health and development, and this is readily apparent when considering the well-described effects of maternal nutrition and stress on the postnatal metabolism, neural function, and stress response of progeny. Moreover, in laboratory species, sheep, and humans, the effects of in utero heat stress on offspring development have been described in detail for >50 years. Despite our extensive knowledge of the postnatal phenotypes elicited by in utero stressors, the carryover effects of in utero heat stress in pigs have only recently begun to be elucidated. The effects of climate change on increasing global temperatures, combined with greater metabolic heat production in modern swine, has increased heat stress susceptibility in pigs. Greater heat stress susceptibility can negatively affect swine welfare and performance and may impact future generations of pigs through in utero heat stress. Pigs exposed to in utero heat stress develop a variety of postnatal phenotypes that prevent profitable production, and compromise health, and welfare in commercial production systems. Specifically, in utero heat stress alters the postnatal stress response, core body temperature, response to an immune challenge, and is teratogenic. In addition, in utero heat stress changes postnatal body composition through reduced lean and increased adipose tissue accretion rates, respectively. Furthermore, in utero heat stress reduces piglet birth weight, body weight gain, and reproductive efficiency. Although the economic impact of in utero heat stress in pigs has yet to be determined, it likely rivals the postnatal consequences of heat stress and is a threat to the global sustainability of swine production.
The monoclonal antibody 7.16.4 sequenced with cyclophosphamide-modulated vaccination maximizes tumor immunity and tumor-free survival in tumor-bearing tolerant neu-N mice

4995 HER-2/neu (HER-2) is overexpressed in up to 25% of human breast cancers, and portends a poor prognosis. HER-2 is also a target of the antitumor immune response in breast cancer patients. Notably, the humanized monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab can result in the clinical remission of treatment-refractory metastatic breast tumors that overexpress HER-2, and improves clinical outcomes for early breast cancer as well. Neu-N mice transgenic for the rat protooncogene neu spontaneously develop mammary tumors, and are profoundly immune-tolerant to HER-2. We previously showed that a low dose of Cyclophosphamide (CY) given one day prior to vaccination can eliminate the negative influence of regulatory T cells in neu-N mice, enabling the cure of up to 25% of tumor-bearing mice. We also showed that HER-2-specific monoclonal antibodies combined with vaccine could augment HER-2-specific CD8+ T cell immunity and tumor-free survival in neu-N mice. We hypothesized that both abrogating the influence of regulatory T cells with CY, and augmenting antigen processing and presentation with the HER-2-specific MAb would maximize the tumor rejection response in tumor-bearing animals. As a model for clinical translation, we used the Trastuzumab-like murine MAb 7.16.4. The administration a low dose of CY with weekly 7.16.4 MAb to neu-N mice with pre-established tumors resulted in tumor-free survival rates of about 10% at 50 days after tumor challenge. Treating tumor-bearing neu-N mice with HER-2+, GM-CSF-secreting vaccination added to CY + 7.16.4 MAb therapy increased the tumor-free survival rate to 55%. The effect was associated with an increase in HER-2-specific CD8+ T cells, anti-tumor antibodies, and tumor cell apoptosis. These data support the testing of CY-modulated vaccination in the setting of weekly Trastuzumab therapy in patients with advanced HER-2+ breast cancers.
The Effect of Wind Farm Micro-Siting on Output Power: A Case Study in Oman

Micro-siting, also known as Wind Farm Layout Optimization (WFLO), is useful in finding the optimal layout of wind turbines, enabling them to harvest the maximum amount of power. The wake effect that the turbines in wind farms produce on each other causes a reduction in wind velocity, thus altering the overall output power. The wake effect should be minimized in order to maximize the output power. Arbitrary layouts could lead to poor effectiveness in the output power. The main objectives of this study are to quantify the power losses due to layouts and to clearly assess and consider the results of the wake effect model. Jensen’s model is used with a fixed number of turbines to demonstrate the importance of the wake effect in wind farming. The direction and wind speed of the selected site are considered when determining the power loss due to turbine layout. This study shows the importance of optimizing the wind farm layout using the wake effect model to obtain maximum output power.
National Trends in Post-Acute Care Costs Following Total Knee Arthroplasty From 2007 to 2016.

Abstract Background Post-acute care continues to represent a target for cost savings with increasing popularity of value-based payment models in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Rapid recovery and accelerated rehabilitation protocols have been successful in reducing costs at the institutional level, but national trends are less clear. This study aimed to determine if advancements in perioperative care led to a reduction in post-acute care costs and resource utilization following TKA. Methods We reviewed a consecutive series of 79,843 primary TKA patients from the Humana claims dataset from 2007 to 2016. Post-acute care costs included any claims within 90 days of surgery for subacute or inpatient rehabilitation, home health, outpatient or emergency visits, prescription medications, physical therapy, and readmissions. Demographics, episode-of-care and post-acute care costs, readmissions, and discharge disposition were compared. Controlling for demographics and comorbidities, multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare trends in discharge disposition and post-acute care costs. Results From 2007 to 2016, the average episode-of-care costs ($46,754 vs $31,856) and post-acute care costs per patient decreased ($20,224 vs $13,498). Rates of discharge to skilled nursing facilities (25.0% vs 22.5%) and inpatient rehabilitation also declined (12.4% vs 2.1%). Readmissions also decreased (8.1% vs 7.1%) saving an average of $324 per patient. When compared to 2007-2012, total costs declined most rapidly after 2013 primarily due to a $3516 (21%) decrease in post-acute spending. Conclusion There has been a substantial decline in post-acute care costs and resource utilization following TKA, with the largest decrease occurring following the introduction of Medicare bundled payment models in 2013.
Exercise Interventions for Transplant Recipients

To discuss the data which supports post-solid organ transplant (SOT) exercise prescription as well as the potential benefits of incorporating exercise into post-transplant care. Solid organ transplantation reverses the physiologic derangements which occur in the setting of end-stage liver, lung, kidney, and heart disease. However, many conditions which accompany end-stage organ failure, such as sarcopenia and frailty, or those which are present pre-transplant, such as obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), may improve at variable rates or 16 not at all after SOT. These conditions can also occur de novo post-transplant. Immunosuppression (IS) regimens may lead to the development of transplant MetS as well as osteoporosis. Many of these aforementioned factors and conditions can impact short and long-term survival as well as risk for adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, While there are medications which can treat obesity, MetS, and osteoporosis, exercise as a therapy in this patient population is potentially underappreciated and under- prescribed. The incorporation of exercise and lifestyle modification into post-SOT care can facilitate a patient’s return to a more functional and meaningful life while also address the numerous comorbidities associated with transplantation.
Strategies for research participant engagement: A synthetic review and conceptual framework.

Background:Research participant engagement, which we define as recruitment and retention in clinical trials, is a costly and challenging issue in clinical research. Research teams have leveraged a ...
Course-based undergraduate research experiences are a viable approach to increase access to research experiences in biology

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been described as a mechanism to allow more undergraduates to engage in research experiences. To understand whether CUREs are viable to ...
Optical coherence tomography

Abstract During the past decade, noninvasive imaging has emerged as a valuable tool in clinical dermatology and dermatologic research. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is one such type of noninvasive imaging. OCT uses the principle of interferometry to produce real-time images. A low-power diode laser shines infrared light onto tissues, which reflects back to an optical fiber interferometer. Using time delay and the backscattered light intensity, a two-dimensional image akin to an ultrasound is rendered. We review the history, types, and modalities of OCT, plus the many applications of frequency domain, high definition, and dynamic OCT in practice, including its utility in diagnosis, monitoring, and grading disease severity in a variety of cutaneous conditions.
Privacy: From Database Reconstruction to Legal Theorems

There are significant gaps between legal and technical thinking around data privacy. Technical standards are described using mathematical language whereas legal standards are not rigorous from a mathematical point of view and often resort to concepts which they only partially define. As a result, arguments about the adequacy of technical privacy measures for satisfying legal privacy often lack rigor, and their conclusions are uncertain. The uncertainty is exacerbated by a litany of successful privacy attacks on privacy measures thought to meet legal expectations but then shown to fall short of doing so. As computer systems manipulating individual privacy-sensitive data become integrated in almost every aspect of society, and as such systems increasingly make decisions of legal significance, the need to bridge the diverging, and sometimes conflicting legal and technical approaches becomes urgent. We formulate and prove formal claims -- "legal theorems'' -- addressing legal questions such as whether the use of technological measures satisfies the requirements of a legal privacy standard. In particular, we analyze the notion of singling out from the GDPR and whether technologies such as k-anonymity and differential privacy prevent singling out. Our long-term goal is to develop concepts which are on one hand technical, so they can be integrated in the design of computer systems, and can be used in legal reasoning and for policymaking on the other hand.
How will artificial intelligence change medical training

Artificial intelligence is changing medicine and it will relieve physicians from the burden of rote knowledge. Here, I discuss how this might affect medical training, drawing from the example of how automation in aviation redefined the role of the pilot. Kundu discusses how artificial intelligence will transform medical practice and doctors’ training. The author explores the changing role of the clinician in the doctor-patient relationship, drawing parallels with the role of the pilot in light of increased automation in aviation.
SOFT-TISSUE INTERACTIONS WITH IMPLANT BIOMATERIALS

SUMMARY The preceding discussion may give the reader an idea of the wealth of variables that may play into the soft-tissue interface with implant biomaterials. Not discussed herein, but of significant potential impact to periimplant soft tissues, are methods of diagnosis of gingival conditions around the endosteal implant and procedures for implant maintenance. The use of conditioning agents and films to attract desired cell populations to the implant surface is currently an avenue of active investigation. Additionally, the effects of guided tissue regenerative membranes (both conventional and bioresorbable) on the peri-implant soft tissues have yet to be fully investigated. Multimodel in vitro evaluation and long-term in vivo studies are needed to delineate implant composition, design, surgical protocols, and maintenance parameters in order to maintain a healthy soft-tissue biologic seal in the transmucosal area. Many questions, especially concerning surface inter-actions at the cellular level and the long-term consequences of various implant treatments, remain to be answered by the next generation of researchers and clinicians, for whom osseointegrated dento-alveolar reconstruction will be a routine standard of care.
Parsing information flow in speeded cognitive tasks: The role of g in perception and decision time.

Although the correlation between general cognitive ability (g) and performance on speeded cognitive tasks is well-established, there is need for a better understanding of how successive stages of processing contribute to this relationship. Previous research suggests that g is primarily associated with the rapidity of decision-making rather than perceptual processing of stimuli; the implication is that g should statistically interact with a manipulation affecting the difficulty of the decision process, while simultaneously failing to interact with a perceptual manipulation. We applied Sternberg's method of additive factors to test this hypothesis in two reaction time tasks, each of which systematically manipulated the demands on perceptual acuity and decision-making. With a total of 773 participants, we found evidence of an interaction between a short-form measure of g and the decisional-but not perceptual-manipulations. This pattern was found in both number-comparison (Experiment 1) and tone-comparison (Experiment 2) tasks. Additionally, diffusion modeling of the Experiment 1 results revealed that the diffusion rate (v) is associated with g and affected by an informational attribute of the stimulus (numerical magnitude) but not a perceptual attribute (contrast); the nondecision time (Ter) is not associated with g and shows the opposite pattern of selective influence. Taken together, these findings add to the evidence for a theoretical framework partitioning reaction time into several processing stages, of which only the decision-making stage is associated with g. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Framework for modelling post-earthquake functional recovery of buildings

Abstract Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters with devastating consequences on people and their supporting infrastructure. To alleviate the earthquake consequences, the recovery process of building systems, essential for providing continued operation, should be considered during the design of the building. This study presents a novel, probabilistic, building-level framework for modeling and evaluating the entire recovery process, expressed by duration and path of functional recovery. The proposed framework consists of three novel and integrated models for evaluation building's 1) post-earthquake functionality, 2) mobilization time, and 3) repair time. It is in line with the probabilistic PBEE methodology, and it utilizes FEMA P-58 damage assessment results to evaluate the recovery process. With a modular structure, it allows easy extension and addition of new framework components. The unique feature of the framework is its capability to generate a functional recovery curve and isolate 1) the contributors to the interrupted building operation and 2) building components that dominate the recovery process. As demonstrated in the case study of an existing 13-story building, the outcomes of the recovery evaluation can be effectively used as a guide for the development of earthquake mitigation strategies and design/retrofit solutions to improve seismic performance.
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Model for Legionella: Summary of Methods and Results

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for Legionella can provide a means of setting risk based limits on air concentration or risk based limits on the Legionella concentrations in water. Guinea pigs provide a reasonable animal model and dose-response data on which to base human risk projections due to similarities in the course of the disease in guinea pigs and humans and in vitro uptake and replication rates of Legionella in human and guinea pig alveolar macrophages. Most mouse and rat strains appear to be relatively resistant to Legionella infection due to less compliant alveolar macrophages. A two-zone box model was used to estimate the air concentrations in CFU/m3, with stochastic input distributions using Monte Carlo simulation to yield results as probability distributions. The respective exposure distributions were fed into the dose-response model using Monte Carlo simulation. The resulting estimated risk distributions were then compared to the reported rates for the outbreaks. The guinea pig infection data adequately predict the reported subclinical (seroprevalence) rates. For the outbreaks used for model evaluation, the reported rates of disease span an order of magnitude. Thus, the QMRA may not extrapolate to other Legionella species and strains.
Accounting for Leisure Preferences from Within: The Relative Contributions of Gender, Race or Ethnicity, Personality, Affective Style, and Motivational Orientation

This study contributes to the literature by exploring the unique and combined contributions of gender, race or ethnicity (African-, Asian-, European-, Hispanic-American), personality (Big 5 traits,...
Chabal and Political Science

Patrick Chabal has written a broad overview of African politics and African social relations. There is a lot in his book I agree with, and a lot I find interesting. My comments will focus on the book's critique of the discipline of political science, since the book directs a stinging critique at my chosen discipline and, to a lesser extent, at contemporary economics. In his critique, Chabal appears to want to define what Africanist area studies should be about in the future, and I want to offer a discussion of his claims, because I do not agree with his view of either the discipline of political science or what it can offer Africanist area studies.
Identification and Characterization of a Low Oxygen Response Element Involved in the Hypoxic Induction of a Family ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae Genes IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF OXYGEN SENSING IN EUKARYOTES

An organism's ability to respond to changes in oxygen tension depends in large part on alterations in gene expression. The oxygen sensing and signaling mechanisms in eukaryotic cells are not fully understood. To further define these processes, we have studied the Δ9 fatty acid desaturase gene OLE1 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. We have confirmed previous data showing that the expression of OLE1 mRNA is increased in hypoxia and in the presence of certain transition metals.OLE1 expression was also increased in the presence of the iron chelator 1,10-phenanthroline. A 142-base pair (bp) region 3′ to the previously identified fatty acid response element was identified as critical for the induction of OLE1 in response to these stimuli using OLE1 promoter-lacZ reporter constructs. Electromobility shift assays confirmed the presence of an inducible band shift in response to hypoxia and cobalt. Mutational analysis defined the nonameric sequence ACTCAACAA as necessary for transactivation. A 20-base pair oligonucleotide containing this nonamer confers up-regulation by hypoxia and inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids when placed upstream of a heterologous promoter in alacZ reporter construct. Additional yeast genes were identified which respond to hypoxia and cobalt in a manner similar toOLE1. A number of mammalian genes are also up-regulated by hypoxia, cobalt, nickel, and iron chelators. Hence, the identification of a family of yeast genes regulated in a similar manner has implications for understanding oxygen sensing and signaling in eukaryotes.
Emergency suboccipital decompression for respiratory arrest during supratentorial surgery: the untold story of a surgeon's courage in times of despair: Historical vignette

The odyssey leading to the discovery of herniation syndromes was prolonged due to a lack of early understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. In 1896, Leonard Hill documented transtentorial pressure gradients as the intervening phenomenon involved in uncal herniation. In 1904, James Collier became the first to describe cerebellar tonsillar herniation as a "false localizing sign" often associated with intracranial tumors. During the infancy of neurological surgery, management of increased intracranial pressure and an improved understanding of brain herniation syndromes were of the utmost importance in achieving a safe technique. Harvey Cushing provided seminal contributions in understanding the pathophysiology of increased intracranial pressure and resulting cardiopulmonary effects. Cushing believed that tonsillar herniation was a cause of acute cardiorespiratory compromise in patients with intracranial tumors. In this vignette, we describe the untold story of Cushing's heroic attempt to treat respiratory arrest operatively during supratentorial tumor surgery with an emergency suboccipital craniectomy to relieve the medullary dysfunction that he believed was caused by compression from tonsillar herniation. This case illustrates a surgeon's determination and courage in fighting for his patient's life in the most desperate of times.
Botulinum Toxin A (Botox) for Treatment of Proximal Myofascial Pain in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Two Cases

Objectives. To describe development of myofascial pain syndrome (MFPS) with trigger points in the proximal muscles of the patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS1) and improvement of distal symptoms of CRPS 1 after successful treatment of proximal MFPS. Setting and Design. In our practice, we frequently encounter patients in whom a proximal myofascial pain syndrome develops ipsilateral to the distal limb of CRPS1 patients. We describe two such patients in detail with their treatment. Patient 1. A 48-year-old woman experienced severe allodynia, swelling and autonomic changes in the right hand after surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. Over the succeeding months, she developed painful trigger points in the right trapezius and upper back muscles which was treated with administration of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) into the trigger points (20 unit/point). Patient 2. A 41-year-old woman following a traumatic forearm injury suffered from CRPS1 affecting the left hand and forearm. Proximal MFPS gradually developed on the same side over 12 months and was treated with administration of BoNT-A into the trapezius, splenius capitis, and rhomboid muscle trigger points. Results. In both patients treatment with BoNT-A improved the proximal pain of MFPS and the distal symptoms of CRPS1. Conclusion. proximal MFPS develops ipsilateral to the distal painful limb in patients with CRPS1. Administration of BoNT-A into the affected proximal muscles may alleviate both MFPS and the distal allodynia, discoloration and, tissue swelling of CRPS.
A Survey of Deans of Schools of Social Work

Abstract This study presents the results of a 1990 survey of all deans of graduate schools of social work in the U.S. during the academic years 1988-90. A 63-item questionnaire was mailed to deans of 102 accredited schools of social work. The 53 responses provided information about the deans' demographic characteristics, professional tasks, reasons for entering administration, professional preparation, reading activities, perceptions of the deanship, developments in higher education, and issues and problems confronting the profession and social work education. This research is preliminary to a larger study of the deanship in schools of social work.
Abstract T P308: Re-assessment of Lipid Profiles in Stroke Patients Post-hospital Discharge - Room for Improvement

Introduction: According to guidelines patients receiving a lipid-lowering agent at discharge for stroke should receive follow-up lipid profile. Our measure takes the currently collected STK-6, one step further and tries to identify whether these patients receive follow-up lipid testing by comparing non-abstracted electronic health record data to abstracted data. Methods: Data was extracted from the Cleveland Clinic EMR (Epic Systems, Inc.) utilized by the Cleveland Clinic Health System (10 hospitals and 16 family health centers). The cohort was based on patients with an admission for stroke from 2008 to 2012 utilizing STK-6 criteria. We examined this cohort for whether they received a lipid panel within the 12 months after the discharge date and limited patients to those that received follow up encounters at our healthcare system. Demographic factors including age, gender, race, ethnicity, distance to hospital, primary diagnosis for hospitalization and presence of comorbid conditions were also extracted. This data was compared to our abstracted publically reported STK-6 data which comes from claims data. Results: Of the 508 patients included in results for STK-6 reporting, only 391 (77%) were also identified through the EMR. Of these, 274 patients had follow up at least one year within the healthcare system. Only 97(35%) patients had lipid panel lab results indicated in the EMR within one year of discharge. Testing was not statistically different based on patient characteristics: patients < 70 yrs vs 70+ (37% vs 30%, p=0.27), whites vs non-whites (35% vs. 36%, p=0.93), males vs. females (39% vs 30%, p=0.12). There was no significant difference in distance to the hospital from patients primary residence either between those without and with follow up lipid testing (mean distance=39 miles vs.17 miles, p=0.22). Conclusions: Follow up lipid testing following stroke discharge is not consistently performed among patients treated at a large healthcare system. There are not any highly significant differences in testing based on patient demographic characteristics or distance to the hospital. Further understanding of the reasons for poor follow up testing is required as well as evaluating concordance of the data pulled from the EMR when compared to abstracted data.
Incremental Algorithms for Network Management and Analysis based on Closeness Centrality

Analyzing networks requires complex algorithms to extract meaningful information. Centrality metrics have shown to be correlated with the importance and loads of the nodes in network traffic. Here, we are interested in the problem of centrality-based network management. The problem has many applications such as verifying the robustness of the networks and controlling or improving the entity dissemination. It can be defined as finding a small set of topological network modifications which yield a desired closeness centrality configuration. As a fundamental building block to tackle that problem, we propose incremental algorithms which efficiently update the closeness centrality values upon changes in network topology, i.e., edge insertions and deletions. Our algorithms are proven to be efficient on many real-life networks, especially on small-world networks, which have a small diameter and a spike-shaped shortest distance distribution. In addition to closeness centrality, they can also be a great arsenal for the shortest-path-based management and analysis of the networks. We experimentally validate the efficiency of our algorithms on large networks and show that they update the closeness centrality values of the temporal DBLP-coauthorship network of 1.2 million users 460 times faster than it would take to compute them from scratch. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work which can yield practical large-scale network management based on closeness centrality values.
Response time in data broadcast systems: mean, variance and tradeoff

Data broadcast has been suggested as a promising method of information dissemination [2,33]. In such an environment, the information server cannot afford to serve the requests from a large population of users individually. Instead, the server uses a broadcast channel to deliver information to all users. A single transmission of a data item satisfies all pending requests for that item. The response time of a request depends on the broadcast time of the desired data item, which is scheduled by the server according to the overall demands for various data items. Therefore, the response time may vary in a large range. We argue that, in addition to mean response time, the variance of response time should also be taken into account by the broadcast scheduler. In this paper, we address the issue of variance optimization in regard to response time. Building on our previous research on mean response time optimization, we propose an algorithm which can minimize the variance of response time. Furthermore, we evaluate an algorithm that facilitates a tradeoff between the mean and variance of response time. Numerical examples that illustrate the performance of our algorithms are also presented.
Recognition of Damaged DNA: Structure and Dynamic Markers

DNA damage, a consequence of external factors and inherent metabolic processes, is omnipresent. Nature has devised multiple strategies to safeguard the genetic information and developed intricate repair mechanisms and pathways to reverse an array of different DNA lesions, including mismatches. Failure of the DNA repair systems may result in mutation, premature ageing, and cancer. In this review, we focus on structural and dynamic aspects of detection of lesions in base excision and mismatch repair. A thorough understanding of repair, pathways, and regulation is necessary to develop strategies for targeting DNA-related pathologies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 32, No. 3, 659–683, 2012
Interrogation of esophagogastric junction barrier function using the esophagogastric junction contractile integral: an observational cohort study

Summary The esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ-CI), designed similar to distal contractile integral (DCI), has been proposed as a metric to evaluate EGJ barrier function. We determined normative values and evaluated EGJ-CI in predicting esophageal acid exposure time (AET) and symptomatic outcome in this observational cohort study. High-resolution manometry (HRM) studies were reviewed in 188 patients (55.2 ± 0.9 years, 64% female) undergoing ambulatory pH monitoring off therapy. Dominant symptoms and global symptom severity (GSS) were determined on questionnaires initially and upon follow-up. EGJ-CI was measured using the DCI tool placed across the EGJ and compared to normal controls (n = 21, 27.6 ± 0.6 years, 52% female). EGJ-CI was calculated both for a single respiratory cycle (SRC, in mmHg.cm.s) and corrected for respiratory cycle (CRC, mmHg.cm). Univariate and multivariate analyses determined the predictive potential of EGJ-CI in terms of AET and post-therapy GSS at follow-up, controlling for medical versus surgical therapy. Mean EGJ-CI values were significantly lower when AET was abnormal; EGJ-CI/SRC and EGJ-CI/CRC were 86% concordant (r = 0.84). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, values below 121.8 mmHg.cm.s (EGJ-CI/SRC) and 39.3 mmHg.cm (EGJ-CI/CRC) predicted abnormal AET best (sensitivity 0.61 and 0.65, specificity 0.61 and 0.57, respectively). On univariate and multivariate analysis, the EGJ-CI discriminated normal from abnormal AET better than conventional LES parameters (P ≤ 0.02). After 2.7 ± 0.1 years follow-up, EGJ-CI below identified thresholds predicted better symptom response to antireflux surgery compared to medical therapy (P = 0.009). EGJ-CI is a novel HRM metric that has potential to complement or replace currently used basal LES and EGJ parameters.
Resonant tunneling in submicron double-barrier heterostructures

We have fabricated submicron resonant tunneling devices from double‐barrier AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures using electron beam lithography and wet chemical etching. These devices exhibit step‐like features in the current‐voltage curves. We interpret these steps as arising from additional size quantization of the electronic states in the well due to in‐plane lithographic confinement. Magnetotunneling experiments on these devices are reported for the first time. A simple model calculation describes well the experimental data.