cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mobile Context-Aware Personal Messaging Assistant

A previous study shows that busy professionals receive in excess of 50 emails per day of which approximately 23% require immediate attention, 13% require attention later and 64% are unimportant and typically ignored. The flood of emails impact mobile users even more heavily. Flooded inboxes cause busy professionals to spend considerable amounts of time searching for important messages, and there has been much research into automating the process using email content for classification; but we find email priority depends also on user context.
Long-term histological and electrophysiological results of an inactive epiretinal electrode array implantation in dogs.

Purpose Short-term pattern electrical stimulation of the retina via multielectrode arrays in humans blind from photoreceptor loss has shown that ambulatory vision and limited character recognition is possible. To develop an implantable retinal prosthesis that would provide useful vision, these results need to be sustained over a prolonged period of retinal electrical stimulation. As a first step toward this goal, the biocompatibility and the feasibility of surgically implanting an electrically inactive electrode array onto the retinal surface was tested. Methods A 5 x 5 electrode array (25 platinum disc-shaped electrodes in a silicone matrix) was implanted onto the retinal surface using retinal tacks in each of the 4 mixed-breed sighted dogs. Color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, electroretinography, and visual evoked potentials were obtained preoperatively, at 1-week intervals for 2 weeks postoperatively, then at 2-week intervals up to 2 months postoperatively, and thereafter at 1-month intervals. One dog was killed at 2 months after implantation and a second dog after 3 months of implantation. Histologic evaluation of the retinas was performed. The remaining two dogs continue to be followed beyond 6 months after the implantation surgery. Results No retinal detachment, infection, or uncontrolled intraocular bleeding occurred in any of the animals. Retinal tacks and the retinal array remained firmly affixed to the retina throughout the follow-up period. Hyperpigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium was observed only around the site of retinal tack insertion. No fibrous encapsulation of the implant or intraocular inflammation was visible. A- and b-wave amplitudes of the electroretinogram were depressed at the first postoperative week testing but recovered over the ensuing 1 week and were not statistically different from the normal unoperated fellow eye throughout the postoperative period. N1 and P1 wave amplitudes of the visual evoked potentials were not significantly different from the normal fellow eyes at any of the postoperative test intervals. Fluorescein angiography showed that the entire retina including the area under the electrode array remained well perfused. Similarly, histologic evaluation revealed near total preservation of the retina underlying the electrode array. Conclusions Implantation of an electrode array on the epiretinal side (i.e., side closest to the ganglion cell layer) is surgically feasible, with insignificant damage to the underlying retina. The platinum and silicone arrays as well as the metal tacks are biocompatible. With the success of implanting an electrically inactive device onto the retinal surface for prolonged periods, the effects of long-term retinal electrical stimulation are now ready to be tested as the next step toward developing a prototype retinal prosthesis for human use.
What’s New in the Management of Pain in Children

1. William T. Zempsky, MD* 2. Neil L. Schechter, MD* 1. *Pain Relief Program, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the effects of pain and stress in neonates. 2. Delineate the general principles of pain management in children. 3. List new pharmacologic agents for treatment of pain in children. 4. Devise a program to reduce the pain associated with circumcision. 5. Describe pain assessment tools available for infants and children. The past 20 years has witnessed remarkable growth in the field of pediatric pain management and the attitudes surrounding it. Controversies in the field no longer concern whether children experience pain but focus instead on how best to treat it. Pain now is perceived as a symptom worthy of independent treatment rather than merely an inevitable consequence of disease. Why treat pain? The simple answer is that it is the humane thing to do. The relief of suffering is the moral obligation of clinicians. However, there are other reasons to treat pain. Adequate pain management reduces child and parent anxiety and increases compliance and cooperation, thereby reducing some of the burden on medical staff and resources. The long-term negative effects of pain are becoming more apparent; inadequately treated pain, particularly in the neonatal period, increases morbidity and mortality, creates hyperalgesia, and can have a negative impact on development. The importance of pain management has been recognized beyond the community of pediatric clinicians. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has made pain assessment and management a focal point of their review process. The United States Food and Drug Administration has held panel discussions to define appropriate use of opioids in children. Pain is discussed frequently in the press and is a topic of numerous self-help books. Pain management in adults and children has achieved a new visibility at the professional and public level and demands attention. In this article, we review current …
Wafer-scale integration using restructurable VLSI

Results from a restructurable very large scale integration (RVLSI) program show the viability of using a laser to restructure wafer-scale circuits for customization and defect avoidance. Wafer-scale circuits are built with a standard integrated circuit fabrication process when the diffused-link restructuring device is used. Nine wafer-scale systems that have been built using the RVLSI technique are described. It is shown that the laser interconnection process has high yield and provides the high reliability of monolithic circuitry. The technology is well suited to signal processing systems, which characteristically use many replications of a small number of circuits and often have modest interconnection requirements. >
Computational scheme for pH-dependent binding free energy calculation with explicit solvent

We present a computational scheme to compute the pH-dependence of binding free energy with explicit solvent. Despite the importance of pH, the effect of pH has been generally neglected in binding free energy calculations because of a lack of accurate methods to model it. To address this limitation, we use a constant-pH methodology to obtain a true ensemble of multiple protonation states of a titratable system at a given pH and analyze the ensemble using the Bennett acceptance ratio (BAR) method. The constant pH method is based on the combination of enveloping distribution sampling (EDS) with the Hamiltonian replica exchange method (HREM), which yields an accurate semi-grand canonical ensemble of a titratable system. By considering the free energy change of constraining multiple protonation states to a single state or releasing a single protonation state to multiple states, the pH dependent binding free energy profile can be obtained. We perform benchmark simulations of a host-guest system: cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and benzimidazole (BZ). BZ experiences a large pKa shift upon complex formation. The pH-dependent binding free energy profiles of the benchmark system are obtained with three different long-range interaction calculation schemes: a cutoff, the particle mesh Ewald (PME), and the isotropic periodic sum (IPS) method. Our scheme captures the pH-dependent behavior of binding free energy successfully. Absolute binding free energy values obtained with the PME and IPS methods are consistent, while cutoff method results are off by 2 kcal mol−1. We also discuss the characteristics of three long-range interaction calculation methods for constant-pH simulations.
EFFECTS OF 3-METHYLCHOLANTHRENE ON THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM AND METABOLISM OF THE RAT AND ITS INFLUENCE TO RETARD GROWTH OF MAMMARY TUMORS HITHERTO REFRACTORY

The repeated administration of 3-methylcholanthrene to adolescent rats resulted in (a) a profound, incomplete, and selective depression of certain hypophyseal functions; (b) decreased growth of transplanted mammary tumors; and (c) a retardation of body growth. Only the last mentioned effect was reversed by forced feeding. The retarded rate of body growth induced by 3-methylcholanthrene was prevented by the concurrent administration of dihydrotestosterone or progesterone, or by ovariectomy; rats so treated became overweight despite the injection of 3-methylcholanthrene. Phenolic estrogens intensified the retardation of body growth induced by 3-methylcholanthrene and emaciation resulted. The administration of 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in decreased gonadotrophin production by the pituitary and the ovaries were more drastically affected by the depression of pituitary activity than the adrenals were. The compound exerted differential effects on the pituitary glands of males and females respectively. Hormonal functions of both ovary and testis were decreased in rats treated with 3-methylcholanthrene but, whilst ovarian weight was much reduced, the size of the testis was not decreased and the germinal epithelium of the male was little affected by the treatment in most instances. There was a considerable reduction of the content of alkaline phosphatase in the breast of intact rats treated with 3-methylcholanthrene but atrophy of the mammary epithelium did not occur and hyperplasia of the mammary tree was often observed. The administration of 3-methylcholanthrene considerably slowed the growth of transplanted mammary tumors characterized by high dependence on hormones and the concurrent administration of gonadotrophin restored the growth rate of the tumors. The administration of 3-methylcholanthrene or androstan-17β-ol-3-one was only moderately effective in controlling the growth of transplanted mammary tumors characterized by low hormonal dependence; the combined administration of these compounds was highly efficacious in retarding the growth of these refractory tumors. 3-Methylcholanthrene partially retarded the growth of mammary fibroadenomas in hypophysectomized rats.
Magnesium deficiency in embryos of Xenopus laevis

Embryos of Xenopus laevis reared in media with various low (less than or equal to 10(-5) M) magnesium ion concentrations will exhibit differing degrees of a potentially lethal magnesium starvation syndrome depending on the ion concentration and rearing temperature. The higher the rearing temperature or the lower the magnesium ion content of the medium the more severely the syndrome will be expressed. (Normal development can be expected at temperatures 13-30 degrees C and magnesium ion concentrations greater than 10(-5)M to 10(-2) M.). The magnesium deficiency syndrome in Xenopus embryos is described in detail and compared with the normal and anucleolate conditions. The deficiency condition becomes manifest after hatching as retarded growth and differentiation with progressive paralysis and edema. At the same time alterations are observed in the pattern of soluble proteins. The use of magnesium ions as a probe for investigating developing systems is discussed.
Structure of Semisimple Lie Groups and Differential Operators on Them

The theory of spherical functions attains its most beautiful development in the setting of a pair (G, K) where G is a connected semisimple Lie group with finite center and K is a maximal compact subgroup of G. In this chapter we shall describe the structure theory of these groups as well as the differential operators on them. Actually we shall treat a much wider class of groups, for technical reasons. For instance, a basic tool of the theory is that of descent: properties of spherical functions associated with the pair (G, K) are deduced from properties of spherical functions associated with pairs (M, K M ) where M is a suitable reductive subgroup of the group G, and K M is a maximal compact subgroup of M. In fact, M will be the reductive component of a parabolic subgroup of G. Now, even if G is connected and semi- simple, M will often have neither of these properties. Thus, in order to have a smooth inductive procedure, it is convenient to work with a class of groups wide enough to be closed under the descent from G to M. This is possible if we start with groups G that belong to the so-called Harish-Chandra class, first introduced by Harish-Chandra in [1975] for substantially the above reasons. We shall call them groups of class ℋ.
Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen in Human Placenta and Trophoblastic Disease

Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an auxiliary factor for the DNA polymerase δ, is closely related to cell proliferation. Using the monoclonal anti-PCNA antibody 19F4, we examined the distribution of PCNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of mature and first-trimester placentas, 8 hydatidiform moles, and 7 choriocarcinomas. In normal placentas there was strong expression of PCNA in cytotrophoblastic nuclei, while the syncytium and the amnionic epithelium were PCNA unreactive. Staining of stromal cells was variable. These results are in complete agreement with the autoradiographic localization of [3H]thymidine incorporation and demonstrate that immunoreactivity for PCNA accurately defines areas of proliferative activity in routinely processed placental tissues. In choriocarcinomas and hydatidiform moles PCNA was predominantly expressed in the cytotrophoblast and intermediate trophoblast. Again, the syncytium was largely unreactive for PCNA. These findings indicate that ev...
NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF FORCED TRANSITIONAL WALL JETS

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) based on the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are employed to investigate secondary instability mechanisms in a forced transitional wall jet. Our simulations indicate that in addition to a commonly known two-dimensional subharmonic resonance associated with the outer free shear layer region of the wall jet, three-dimensional fundamental and subharmonic resonances associated with the nearwall boundary layer region may play a role in the transition process as well. For example, twodimensional vortical structures in the near-wall region can be weakened enough through moderate three-dimensional forcing that ejection of vortex pairs from the wall into the ambient fluid is prevented. Similar observations have been made in large-eddy simulations (LES) of a bypass transition process where (random in time) large amplitude three-dimensional forcing is applied. Vortical structures with a strong spanwise coherence are observed in the outer region of the wall jet, but the near-wall region remains predominantly three-dimensional.
Local Normal Mode Model for PHASAR-based WDM devices

Wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers based on optical phased arrays are devices that have great potential for deployment in the photonics industry.
Creating ω-3 fatty-acid-enriched chicken using defatted green microalgal biomass.

This study was to create an ω-3 (n-3) fatty-acid-enriched chicken product using defatted green microalgae (DGA, Nannochloropsis oceanica) biomass out of biofuel research. Hatching Ross broiler chicks were fed a corn–soybean meal diet containing 0 (control), 2, 4, 8, or 16% DGA for 6 weeks (n = 6 cages/diet). The DGA inclusion resulted in a linear (p < 0.001) increase in total n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in plasma, liver, breast, and thigh at weeks 3 and 6. The increase in the breast EPA + DHA by the 16% DGA diet reached 60-fold (p < 0.0001) over the control. The 8 and 4% DGA diets elevated (p < 0.05) liver mRNA levels of Δ-9 (88%) and Δ-6 (96) desaturases. In conclusion, 8–16% of the DGA can be added in diets for broilers to produce a n-3 fatty-acid-enriched chicken meat.
Lower Extremity Compartment Syndrome From Prolonged Lithotomy Position Not Masked by Epidural Bupivacaine and Fentanyl

Background. Compartment syndrome involving the lower extremity is a rare complication of surgical procedures that incorporate the lithotomy position. In patients who are at risk for this complication, the safety of using postoperative epidural anesthesia with local anesthetics has been questioned because of the difficulty in recognizing compartment syndrome with ongoing epidural blockade. Results. The authors describe a case of lower extremity compartment syndrome that developed after a radical cystectomy with the patient in the lithotomy position. Prompt recognition occurred despite the use of epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine and fentanyl.
SU-F-J-144: Scatter and Leakage Survey of An Integrated MR-Linac System

Purpose: To assess the scatter and leakage radiation of an integrated 1.5T MRI-Linac system. Methods: A 150cc chamber (model 96020C, Inovision) was used in all the scatter and leakage measurements, after being recalibrated for MV energy by the Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory at MD Anderson. The scatter radiation was measured by placing a 25 cm stack of solid-water materials at iso-center on the patient couch to simulate patient scatter. Gantry angles were positioned at 0 degree (beam pointing downward) and 270 (beam pointing laterally). Scatter radiation was measured at selective locations inside the RF room. Beam stopper leakage was measured at the exterior panel of the gantry. The head leakage was measured at 1 meter away from the Linac head in the direction which was determined to be the area of maximum leakage by wrapped films test. All measurements were repeated with the 1.5T magnetic field turned off to study the effect of magnetic field. Results: When the magnet was on (B=1.5T), the maximum head leakage at 1 meter was 191.6mR/1000MU. The scatter radiation at 1 meter from the iso-center was 1.091R/1000MU when the radiation beam was pointing downward, 1.296R/1000MU when the beam pointed laterally. The beam stopper leakage was measured as 299.4 mR/1000MU at the exterior panel of the gantry. When magnet was off (B=0), the head leakage was measured as 198.6mR/1000MU. The scatter radiation at 1 meter was 1.153R/1000MU when beam pointed downward, 1.287R/1000MU when beam pointed laterally. The beam stopper leakage was measured as 309.4 mR/1000MU at the exterior panel of the gantry. Conclusion: The measurements indicate that the scatter and leakage radiation from the integrated MR-Linac system are in-line with the expected values. The beam stopper leakage is approximately 300 mR/1000MU. The leakage and scatter difference with the magnetic field ON and OFF was within 5%. The authors received a corporate sponsored grant from Elekta which is the vendor of the MR-Linac system studied in this work.
The Sidney-Herbert Coterie

When George Herbert composed sonnets for his mother for New Year’s Day, 1610, he wrote very soon after the publication of Shakespeare’s sonnets in 1609, with the knowledge that his family was related to Sir Philip Sidney, the originator of the English sonnet sequence, and with an awareness of the poetic exchange between his brother Edward Herbert and John Donne. Because George’s sonnets announced his intention to write religious lyrics, modern critics have concluded that he defined his poetry in opposition to the secular love celebrated by Sidney, Shakespeare, and Donne. Yet each of these poets also condemned erotic love, and Sidney and Donne argued that sacred love was preferable. George Herbert therefore took his place as perhaps the most adamant but in no way the first in the Sidney-Herbert coterie to advocate religious love as the proper subject for sonnets.
Simultaneous NO and CO Conversion over Rhodium

Various catalysts are examined for the simultaneous removal of CO and NO in an exhaust-like feed. Rhodium supported on alumina possesses exceptionally high activity for reducing NO but forms mostly NH3 below 600°C. At higher temperature NH3 is an intermediate in the reduction of NO to N2. CO and H2 are oxidized at comparable rates as the oxygen content of the feed is increased, so NH3 formation is not checked by selective H2 removal below 600°C. On the other hand, above 600°C ammonia removal is enhanced by oxygen.
Time to progression ratio: promising new metric or just another metric?

Cirkel et al. (1) evaluated an alternative metric based on tumor progression for assessing treatment efficacy for targeted therapies.
Difficult Colonoscopy: Tricks and New Techniques for Getting to the Cecum

Maximizing cecal intubation rates during screening colonoscopy is an important part of delivering high-quality care. In the setting of a difficult colonoscopy, there are a number of maneuvers and procedural considerations that can increase the likelihood of performing a complete colonoscopy.
Public Health 3.0: A New Vision Requiring a Reinvigorated Workforce:

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health launched the Public Health 3.0 initiative to define a framework for the future of public health. Regional Public Health Training Centers are at the forefront of testing new pedagogical approaches that incorporate Public Health 3.0 and social determinants of health principles.
Practical Aspects of Intracoronary Pressure and Flow Measurements

Direct measurements of intracoronary pressure and flow are vital tools for determining the clinical significance of intermediate epicardial lesions and identifying microvascular dysfunction. Functional assessment of coronary artery disease complements the anatomical data obtained from coronary angiography and provides more reliable prognostic information. Noninvasive assessments of perfusion, including radionuclide myocardial perfusion scans but also more precise techniques such as positron emission tomography, suffer from well-recognized limitations in resolution, sensitivity, and specificity. Obtaining accurate intracoronary measurements may be straightforward in most cases, but can be fraught with technical pitfalls. Interpretation of the data should take into account both the physiologic and technical limitations of the various techniques and indices. In this chapter, we review the challenges that may affect intracoronary hemodynamic measurements.
Strongly Polynomial Algorithms for Transient and Average-Cost MDPs

This paper considers transient total-cost MDPs with transition rates whose values may be greater than one, and average-cost MDPs satisfying the condition that the expected time to hit a certain state from any initial state and under any stationary policy is bounded above by a constant. Linear programming formulations for such MDPs are provided that are solvable in strongly polynomial time.
Health Care Reform and the Constitution

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is the most significant reform of the U.S. healthcare system since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Health care is politically divisive in the Congress, the Supreme Court and in the states. This talk explores these divisions. This paper first provides a short history of health care financing in the United States. Second, I sketch the major provisions of the act and the politics that produced it. Third, I briefly describe the Supreme Court’s decision and speculate on the impact it might have on the regulation of health care financing and on constitutional law more generally. Ultimately, the future of health care reforms lies in the hands of the states, and is dependent upon the results of the elections on November 6.
Effects of soybean meal replacement with fermented soybean meal on growth, serum biochemistry and morphological condition of liver and distal intestine of Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus

This study evaluated the suitability of commercially produced fermented soybean meal (FSBM) known as PepSoyGen™, in a plant-based diet for Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus fingerlings. An 8-week growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing 0, 206, 309 and 410 g/kg FSBM, replacing approximately 0%, 50%, 75% and 100% SBM (designated as Basal, FSBM 50, FSBM 75 and FSBM 100, respectively) on growth performance, body composition, serum biochemistry and morphological condition of liver and distal intestine of Florida pompano. There were no significant differences in final mean weight, percentage weight gain, thermal unit growth coefficient and feed conversion ratio in all treatments. For serum biochemistry analysis, there were no significant differences in total protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, bile acids, plasma alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in all treatments. Cellular infiltration, presence of goblet cells and the width of lamina propria in the distal intestine were partly improved in fish fed FSBM 75 and 100 compared to the fish fed FSBM 50 and basal diet. Glycogen granulation, inflammation and nuclear change condition in the liver of pompano were better as the inclusion of fermented product increased. Results of this study indicate that FSBM can be utilized as an alternative protein source and microbial fermentation process could improve the functional properties of SBM.
DNA-Based Single-Molecule Electronics: From Concept to Function

Beyond being the repository of genetic information, DNA is playing an increasingly important role as a building block for molecular electronics. Its inherent structural and molecular recognition properties render it a leading candidate for molecular electronics applications. The structural stability, diversity and programmability of DNA provide overwhelming freedom for the design and fabrication of molecular-scale devices. In the past two decades DNA has therefore attracted inordinate amounts of attention in molecular electronics. This review gives a brief survey of recent experimental progress in DNA-based single-molecule electronics with special focus on single-molecule conductance and I–V characteristics of individual DNA molecules. Existing challenges and exciting future opportunities are also discussed.
Libel by Algorithm? Automated Journalism and the Threat of Legal Liability:

The rise of automated journalism—the algorithmically driven conversion of structured data into news stories—presents a range of potentialities and pitfalls for news organizations. Chief among the p...
Introduction to Underwater Unexploded Ordnance and Its Impact on the Environment

The history and likely future direction of the semiconductor industry is reviewed. The likely impact of the emergence of the BRIC and other developing economies on future demand is considered. The effect of the credit crunch and subsequent recession in 2008 on the semiconductor industry is discussed. The correlation between the electronics and single crystal silicon wafer industry is reviewed. The likely future direction of the silicon wafer industry, given likely future demands in investment, is considered.
Use of Uncrossmatched Cold-Stored Whole Blood in Injured Children With Hemorrhagic Shock.

This study compares the time to transfusion in traumatically injured children receiving uncrossmatched whole blood with time to infusion in a historical cohort that received blood components.
Audit Office Industry Diversity and Audit Quality

This study examines the association between the industry diversity of an audit office and audit quality, where industry diversity is the extent to which clients differ by industry classification. W...
Infraestruturas de transportes e inclusão social… ou, como os cadeirantes se revoltam

Infraestruturas de transporte sao nexos sociais importantes: elas permitem a locomocao da esfera privada (o lar) para a esfera social (o trabalho, o lazer, o politico). Neste artigo, questiona-se a questao de acessibilidade a infraestrutura de transporte publico na cidade de Londres, capital inglesa, da perspectiva de passageiros cadeirantes. Baseado em pesquisa de carater qualitativo, argumenta-se, primeiramente, que seculos de exclusao social estao materializados no sistema de transporte publico, resultando assim em um ciclo vicioso de segregacao de pessoas com deficiencia. Mostram-se em seguida as maneiras em que cadeirantes em Londres efetuam um processo de re-inclusao social por movimentos politicos, mas tambem por acoes subversivas e individuais no quotidiano. Para concluir, propoe-se algumas reflexoes teoricas sobre o estudo de infraestruturas, questionando conceitos como “invisibilidade” e “trabalho”, e algumas licoes para o contexto brasileiro.
Strong adverse prognostic impact of hyperglycemic episodes during adjuvant chemoradiotherapy of glioblastoma multiforme

In comparison to normal brain tissue, glioblastomas exhibit significantly increased glucose uptake. Brain edema is a common complication during adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, leading to a requirement for glucocorticoid treatment. Glucocorticoid treatment frequently causes considerable deregulation of blood glucose levels. Therefore, episodes of hyperglycemia may contribute to radio- and/or chemoresistance. This study comprises a retrospective analysis of the influence of hyperglycemic episodes (HEs) during adjuvant therapy on the overall survival of 106 glioblastoma multiforme patients. The occurrence of one or more deregulated blood glucose value(s) > 10 mM is associated with a reduction in median overall survival from 16.7 to 8.8 months. A significantly poorer overall survival of patients with hyperglycemia could also be detected in subgroup analyses of patients with complete tumor resection and complete treatment according to the EORTC 22891/26891 trial protocol, as well as in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. A history of diabetes mellitus had no influence on prognosis. Our data suggest that the observed negative impact of elevated blood glucose levels on overall survival may not solely be explained by the patients’ poorer general condition; the elevated blood glucose concentration itself may play a pathogenetic role. This could be due to increased activity of antioxidant systems, elevated expression of DNA damage response proteins and protection of hypoxic tumor cells against apoptosis combined with hypoxia-mediated radioresistance. A possible prognostic impact of elevated blood glucose levels during the period of adjuvant (chemo-) radiotherapy of glioblastoma should be evaluated in a prospective clinical trial.
Federalism in Heath Care: A Policy Overview

A decade ago policy makers and the public expressed a desire for order amid the chaos of United States health care policy. A new order of a kind has since emerged, but it lacks central direction and common aims. There is still no apparent unity of purpose in our loose constellation of state and federal regulatory efforts, randomly interacts with [public] health coverage for the elderly, for veterans, and for some of the indigent and disabled. The dominance of the federal government, assured by its primary role in financing public health programs, has receded or become muted, primarily through the federal granting of waivers from federal requirements for certain aspects of state Medicaid programs. State programs are, to this extent, the current crucible of governmental innovation in health care delivery, but private health networks shape the state experiments. The politicization of health risks is an accomplished fact, although the role of private insurers is better established than before. It would be fatuous to describe the altered course of health care evolution as a new paradigm; it is less than that. Whether recent developments represent a new approach to federalism or simply give federalism a more concrete meaning is a question worth asking.
Forestry Raw Materials Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management organizes the various actors necessary to produce products from plantation forests. The list of actors can be extensive and they can include the forest owners, solid wood producers, pulp and paper manufacturers, logging contractors and a variety of hauling contractors. These supply chains can be operated entirely within a company or they rely on a mixture of company and independent contractor to perform these tasks. Management of the forestry supply chain differs from most other supply chains as it is a decoupling process that disaggregates smaller products from the larger item, log are manufactured from the larger stem or lumber manufactured from the larger log. Decoupling manufacturing systems produce co-products and a decision to harvest a tree or mill a log will produce a variety of products for which demand can vary for each product. Thus, there is a potential to either store large quantities of products in inventory to sell well target prices are reached or sell at a lower value and avoid the inventory and holding costs. A further description of the supply chains are the method used to sell the logs and include cut-to-order where logs are manufactured with a particular customer in mind. Another type is a cut-to-stock method where logs are manufactured to standard lengths and stored in inventory until an order arrives. Management of the supply chains can be performed through a hierarchical planning system that accounts for changing quality of information from the strategic to operational levels.
Assessment of clinical outcome of children with sepsis outside the intensive care unit

In 2016, in order to identify adult patients with sepsis who are likely to have poor outcomes, the Third International Consensus Definitions Task Force introduced a new bedside index, called the quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score. However, these new criteria have not been validated in the pediatric population. In this study, we sought to assess the qSOFA score for children with sepsis, who are being treated outside the pediatric intensive care units. The qSOFA criteria were revised and applied to a study population of 89 pediatric patients with sepsis, admitted in a pediatric tertiary referral center from 2006 to 2016. The analysis of prognostic performance of qSOFA score for the prediction of severe sepsis showed a sensitivity of 46% (95% CI, 27–67%), a specificity of 74% (95% CI, 62–85%), a positive predictive value of 43% (95% CI, 34–52%), and a negative predictive value of 77% (95% CI, 71–82%). The area under ROC curve for qSOFA score ≥ 2 was 0.602 (95% CI 0.492–0.705). Conclusion: The qSOFA score showed a low accuracy to identify children in the pediatric ward at risk for severe sepsis. Clinical tools are needed to facilitate the diagnosis of impending organ dysfunction in pediatric infection outside of the ICU.
Increasing Computational Speed of Nonlinear Model Predictive Control Using Analytic Gradients of the Explicit Integration Scheme with Application to Collision Imminent Steering

In previous work, a collision imminent steering algorithm using nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) was developed for high speed applications where emergency maneuvers can bring the vehicle to its limits of handling. By exploiting the vehicle dynamics, the algorithm was shown in simulation to successfully perform a lane change maneuver in the shortest distance possible. However, it was unable to achieve realtime performance due to the computational expense in solving the underlying nonlinear optimization problem. To reduce the solution time, analytic derivatives of the trajectory simulation are derived in this paper, improving the gradient computation time and gradient accuracy. It is shown through examples that the analytic derivatives are an order of magnitude faster than finite differences, and the improved accuracy reduces the number of iterations required in the nonlinear gradient-based optimization by around 20%.
Potatoes, Nutrition and Health

Potatoes have been a dietary staple in the US and the world for centuries. Their hardiness, economy and nutrient density render them an invaluable crop. Potatoes contribute key nutrients to the diet including vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber. Despite their nutrient density, their impact on human health remains somewhat controversial. Animal studies and some human research indicates that potatoes and potato nutrients may positively impact risk factors for chronic disease including blood pressure, blood lipids and inflammation. Conversely, there observational data linking potato consumption to an increased risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes purportedly due to the potato’s high glycemic index (GI). This review provides an overview of the nutrient content of potatoes as well as a critical evaluation of the existing research examining potatoes and potato nutrients in health and disease states.
Reserved Bed Program Reduces Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit Capacity Strain: An Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND Neurosciences intensive care units (NICUs) provide institutional centers for specialized care. Despite a demonstrable reduction in morbidity and mortality, NICUs may experience significant capacity strain with resulting supraoptimal utilization and diseconomies of scale. We present an implementation study in the recognition and management of capacity strain within a large NICU in the United States. Excessive resource demand in an NICU creates significant operational issues. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of a Reserved Bed Pilot Program (RBPP), implemented to maximize economies of scale, to reduce transfer declines due to lack of capacity, and to increase transfer volume for the neurosciences service-line. METHODS Key performance indicators (KPIs) were created to evaluate RBPP efficacy with respect to primary (strategic) objectives. Operational KPIs were established to evaluate changes in operational throughput for the neurosciences and other service-lines. For each KPI, pilot-period data were compared to the previous fiscal year. RESULTS RBPP implementation resulted in a significant increase in accepted transfer volume to the neurosciences service-line (P = .02). Transfer declines due to capacity decreased significantly (P = .01). Unit utilization significantly improved across service-line units relative to theoretical optima (P < .03). Care regionalization was achieved through a significant reduction in "off-service" patient placement (P = .01). Negative externalities were minimized, with no significant negative impact in the operational KPIs of other evaluated service-lines (P = .11). CONCLUSION Capacity strain is a significant issue for hospital units. Reducing capacity strain can increase unit efficiency, improve resource utilization, and augment service-line throughput. RBPP implementation resulted in a significant improvement in service-line operations, regional access to care, and resource efficiency, with minimal externalities at the institutional level.
Compositional and geoenvironmental factors in microbially induced partial saturation

Introducing gas bubbles in saturated soils, even by very small amounts, will increase the liquefaction resistance, particularly useful around existing structures. Biodenitrification through dissimi...
Timing of Appendectomy for Acute Appendicitis: Can Surgery Wait?

The aim of this pediatric-focused review was to examine the current evidence exploring the association between timing of appendectomy and outcomes in children diagnosed with appendicitis. The literature review was conducted to address this topic in the context of three outcomes: (1) risk of complicated or perforated appendicitis found at operative exploration, (2) risk of adverse events during the postoperative period, and (3) resource utilization (hospital cost, length of hospital stay, and readmission). In order to focus the review on the clinical question whether “next day appendectomy is a safe and reasonable practice in children,” only studies exploring outcomes associated with appendectomy performed in children within the first 24 hours of presentation were included.
Social Misfit or Normal Development? Students Who Do Not Date

Objective Prior research identified 4 distinct dating trajectories from 6th to 12th grade: Low, Increasing, High Middle School, and Frequent. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 10th graders in the Low dating group differed on emotional, interpersonal, and adaptive skills from youth in the other trajectories. Methods The sample consisted of 594 10th graders. We compared the 4 dating groups using teacher ratings (social skills, leadership, depression) and student self-reports (positive relationships with friends, at home, and at school; depression, suicidal ideation). To compare scores by dating trajectory, we used chi-square test and analysis of variance. Results Students in the Low dating group had significantly higher teacher ratings of social skills and leadership, and lower ratings of depression compared to the other groups. Self-reports of positive relationships did not differ by dating groups. Self-reported depression was significantly lower in the Low dating group, but suicidal ideations did not differ. Conclusion Adolescents who were not in a romantic relationship had good social skills and low depression, and fared better or equal to peers who dated. These results refute the notion that non-daters are maladjusted. Health promotion interventions in schools should include non-dating as one option of healthy development.
Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, and Seasonal Variation in the Diagnosis of Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Oklahoma.

Objectives Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is characterized by upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms in association with esophageal mucosal biopsy specimens containing ≥15 intraepithelial eosinophils per high-power field. The etiology of EoE remains unclear, but an immunologic response to various foods and aeroallergens has been implicated. Seasonal variation has been reported in the diagnosis of EoE. The epidemiology and seasonal variation of EoE has never been studied in Oklahoma. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine epidemiology, clinical presentation, and seasonal variation of EoE in children seen from 2008 to 2015 at The Children's Hospital at Oklahoma University Medical Center (OUMC). Methods This was a single-center study involving the medical records of children aged 0 to 18 years with a diagnosis of EoE at OUMC in the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology from January 2008 to December 2015. All charts with "eosinophilic esophagitis" in the diagnostic search history were reviewed. A diagnosis of EoE was defined as presence of ≥15 eosinophils per high-power field in the esophageal mucosal biopsy. The data extracted from the medical records included demographics, previous proton pump inhibitor use prediagnosis, clinical presentation, blood and skin allergy testing, and month of diagnosis. Seasons were distributed as spring (March-May), summer (June-August), fall (September-November), and winter (December-February). Results Seventy-nine patients with a diagnosis of EoE were seen at OUMC between 2008 and 2015. One patient was excluded because of insufficient medical records. The average age (±standard deviation) at diagnosis was 7.5 (±4.92) years with an age range of 1 to 17 years. χ2 analysis showed a significant sex distribution, with 72% males and 27% females (P = 0.0001). The most common presenting symptoms were dysphagia (35%) and vomiting (28%). When patients were grouped seasonally using the χ2 test, there was an increase in the diagnosis of EoE cases during the spring months when compared with other seasons (P = 0.0006). Forty-five percent of patients were diagnosed in the spring, 22% in the fall, 19% in the summer, and 14% in the winter. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that there is a seasonal variation in the diagnosis of EoE, with more cases diagnosed in the spring months. These findings relate to the increase in aeroallergens and pollen distribution during the spring months in Oklahoma.
Obstructive sleep apnea in developmental age. A narrative review.

Sleep is a physiological function that undergoes, at different stages of life, to considerable variations in neurophysiological and behavioral functions. The developmental age is a period characterized by a continuous process of physical and neuropsychological changes and synaptic remodeling processes that are the neurophysiological basis of brain plasticity, typical of this developmental phase, occurring mainly during sleep. In the description of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, two main points should be highlighted: its variability in different age groups, and its specificity compared with OSA in adults. The definition and criteria used for the diagnosis of OSA in adults are not applicable to OSA in developmental age. Although the adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common risk factor for pediatric OSA, obesity is becoming an increasingly prevalent risk factor, mostly in early childhood (6–9 years) and adolescence. OSA has been shown to affect cognitive function in children and adults. However, OSA impact on cognitive function in children is more severe since acting on the plastic brain structures can change the neuro-psychic development, learning skills, and social interactions. There is a clear difference in the definition of pathology between developmental age and adulthood according to the instrumental parameters: an AHI ≥ 5, which represents, in the pediatric age, the cut-off for a therapeutic pathway necessary to avoid a long-term effect on the child, instead, it represents in adulthood, the lower limit value for the definition of disease. This is a narrative review concerning obstructive sleep apnea in developmental age. Conclusions: OSA is a common disorder in children and those at risk must be identified, studied, and treated promptly because untreated OSA can be responsible for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive morbidities and may induce, sometimes, non-reversible deficits given his insistence on a period of physical and neuro-psychic development.
Metal-Organic Frameworks Towards Desulfurization of Fuels

Petroleum is an essential source of energy for our daily life. However, crude oil contains various kinds of sulfur-containing compounds that will form sulfur oxides upon combustion and cause severe environmental problems. To reduce the environmental impact of petroleum energy, the desulfurization of fuels is necessary. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), an emerging class of porous materials, have shown great potential in a variety of applications. In this review, we summarize the use of MOFs in the desulfurization of fuels. The scope of this review includes MOFs and MOF-derived materials that have been applied in oxidative desulfurization and adsorptive desulfurization processes. We aim to provide an overview of the progress of MOFs in fuel desulfurization as well as shed light on the development of superior MOF-based materials in the field of desulfurization.