cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Feasibility, Acceptability, and Efficacy of an Innovative Adherence Intervention for Children With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy

Objective To report acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy from a randomized controlled trial of a family-tailored adherence intervention (AI) targeting nonadherence to antiepileptic drugs in pediatric new-onset epilepsy. Method 30 children with new-onset epilepsy (7.2 � 3.1 years old, 47% male) and their caregivers participated. At baseline, participants were given adherence electronic monitors. After a 1-month run-in period, participants with good adherence (� 90%) were monitored. Participants with adherence 2 months. Follow-up adherence data were collected. Results 8 families were randomized (AI, n ¼4; TAU, n ¼4). Families perceived AI to be feasible and acceptable. Preliminary results demonstrated that the AI group had improved adherence from baseline to post-test. Conclusions A family-tailored AI appears promising and needs to be tested with a larger pediatric epilepsy sample.
Neutrophil Adhesion and Activation under Flow

Neutrophil recruitment into inflamed tissue in response to injury or infection is tightly regulated. Reduced neutrophil recruitment can result in a reduced ability to fight invading microorganisms. During inflammation, neutrophils roll along the endothelial wall of postcapillary venules and integrate inflammatory signals. Neutrophil activation by selectins and chemokines regulates integrin adhesiveness. Binding of activated integrins to their counter-receptors on endothelial cells induces neutrophil arrest and firm adhesion. Adherent neutrophils can be further activated to undergo cytoskeletal rearrangement, crawling, transmigration, superoxide production, and respiratory burst. Signaling through G-protein-coupled receptors, selectin ligands, Fc receptors and outside-in signaling through integrins are all involved in neutrophil activation, but their interplay in the multistep process of recruitment is only beginning to emerge. This review provides an overview of signaling in rolling and adherent neutrophils.
Extended schooling, adolescence, and the renegotiation of responsibility among Italian immigrant families in New Haven, Connecticut, 1910-1940.

Young people's ideas about their obligations to parents are linked to the popularization of high school as an institutional space for adolescence. This chapter examines the growing acceptance of the concept of adolescence among Italian immigrants historically as a salient example of a broader cultural change.
Use of life tables to quantify reproductive and developmental biology of Gonatocerus triguttatus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Abstract The reproductive and developmental biology of Gonatocerus triguttatus Girault, a parasitoid of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar), was determined at five constant temperatures in the laboratory; 15, 20, 25, 30, and 33 °C. At 25 °C, G. triguttatus maintained the highest successful parasitism rates with 25.1% of oviposition leading to emerging parasitoid larvae and lowest parasitism was observed at 15 °C with 7.3%. Lifetime fecundity was greatest at 25 °C and fell sharply as temperature either increased or decreased around 25 °C. Temperature had no effect on sex ratio of parasitoid offspring. Mean adult longevity was inversely related to temperature with a maximum of 20.6 days at 15 °C to a minimum of four days at 33 °C. Developmental rates increased nonlinearly with increasing temperatures. Developmental rate data was fitted with the modified Logan model for oviposition to adult development times across each of the five experimental temperatures. Optimal, lower, and upper lethal, temperature thresholds for G. triguttatus were, 30.7, 10.4 and 38.8 °C, respectively. The lower developmental threshold estimated with linear regression was 10.57 °C, and is very close to the lower temperature threshold estimated by the modified Logan model. The linear regression of developmental rate across all five experimental temperatures indicated that 204 degree-days were required above the minimum threshold of 10.57 °C to complete development. Demographic parameters were calculated and pseudo-replicates for intrinsic rate of increase, net reproductive rates, generation time, population doubling time, and finite rate of increase were generated using the bootstrap method. Mean bootstrap estimates of demographic parameters were compared across temperatures using nonlinear regression.
OTA linearity enhancement technique for high frequency applications with IM3 below -65dB

A technique to enhance the linearity of continuous-time OTA-C filters, working at high frequencies, is proposed. Experimental results in a standard CMOS 0.35 /spl mu/m technology are presented. Each OTA consumes 10.5 mW and the transconductance can be tuned from 70 to 160 /spl mu/A/V while its IM3 remains below -70 dB up to 50 MHz for a 1.3 Vpp input. For a 20 MHz low-pass second-order filter implementation, the measured IM3 with an input voltage of 1.3 Vpp is below -65dB for the entire pass-band. The supply voltage is 3.3 V.
Blogging at the Intersections: Black Women, Identity, and Lesbianism

In my recent explorations of black women as subjects in research-length articles that employ intersectionality, I discovered that black women are rarely, if at all, the sole subjects of such research projects (Jordan-Zachery 2011). This analysis focused on articles published, between 1996 and 2010, in two political science journals that are often ranked at the top—American Political Science Review and Journal of Politics (see Garand and Giles, 2003, on the issue of journal ranking). Also included were two political science journals whose central focus is women and politics, generally defined—Journal of Women Politics and Policy and Women & Politics. My analysis was limited to research-length articles with a U.S.-based emphasis. The data suggest the following trends: Research on intersectionality tended to treat black women in a monolithic manner; only a certain group of black women served as research subjects (elected officials dominated the research); and research tended to focus on structural and political intersectionality while ignoring representational intersectionality (Crenshaw 1991).
Hydraulic fracturing wastewater treatment by coagulation-adsorption for removal of organic compounds and turbidity

Abstract Waters produced from fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry are a complex mixture of fracturing fluids and formation water. Closing the water cycle loop in this industry depends on the effective reuse of these wastewaters, and therefore treatment. This study investigated the application of chemical coagulants and powdered activated carbon (PAC) to reduce turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and polyethylene glycols (PEGs) in four hydraulic fracturing wastewaters. Jar tests were performed to evaluate both the PAC and coagulants. Treatment goals were operationally defined targeting 90% reduction of turbidity, PEGs, and TPH. PAC was found to be effective at removing both PEGs and TPH from the wastewaters, but would not settle without the addition of a coagulant. Ferric chloride achieved a 90% reduction in turbidity at a lower dose than aluminum chlorohydrate, in the presence and absence of PAC. The optimized coagulant dose by itself had little to no effect upon concentrations of DOC and PEGs, while greater than 80% removal of TPH, a minor component of DOC, was observed in three of the waters. PAC at 1000 mg L−1 achieved greater than 80% reductions of the total ion chromatogram, while DOC removals were from 9.5 to 48.3%. These results suggest that coagulation with ferric chloride at doses as low as 5 mg L−1 is an effective process for turbidity and TPH reduction in hydraulic fracturing wastewaters, and when coupled with PAC can also remove DOC and targeted organic contaminants such as PEGs.
Advances and New Approaches to Managing Sleep-Disordered Breathing Related to Chronic Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease affecting about 20 million US adults. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) problems are frequent and poorly characterized for patients with COPD. Both the well-known success of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the acute COPD exacerbation in the hospital setting and that NIV is the cornerstone of chronic therapy for SDBs have urged the attention of the medical community to determine the impact of NIV on chronic COPD management with and without coexisting SDBs. Early observational studies showed decreased long-term survival rates on patients with COPD with concomitant chronic hypercapnia when compared with normocapnic patients.
SP0055 Microrna in connective tissue disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, noncoding, single-stranded RNAs of 19–24 nucleotides in length. They regulate gene expression by messenger RNA degradation and disruption of translation and are important in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. They have been described as master regulators of gene expression, and are instrumental in regulating immune system development, normal immune function and autoimmunity. The two main characteristics of connective tissue diseases (CTD) is an imbalance between pro- and anti inflammatory processes leading to a prolonged inflammatory response and end organ damage. microRNAs play a fundamental role in both of these. Specific microRNA patterns are associated with various pro- or anti-inflammatory effects and abnormalities in some of these microRNAs have been described in CTDs. MicroRNAs have also been implicated in fibrosis and non-immune mediated mechanisms contributing to end organ damage. MicroRNAs are attractive as biomarker candidates since they can be detected in a variety of biologic sources and there are various methods to reliably assess their expressions. Importantly, they are reasonably stable and appear to be resistant to differences in sample handling. Some microRNAs have already been validated as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in various malignant diseases, demonstrating their clinical utility. Preliminary studies in CTDs (lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome) have shown some encouraging results. Selected microRNAs correlated with disease activity in lupus and salivary gland inflammation in Sjogren’s syndrome. In a pilot study global microRNA profiling reliably distinguished minor salivary glands obtained from SS patients with low or high focus scores from each other as well as from control biopsies. Interestingly, inflammation and decreased salivary gland function were associated with different sets of miRNAs which targeted distinct pathologic pathways. Further studies designed to evaluate microRNAs as biomarkers of specific applications (diagnosis, prognosis, and disease activity) are needed to establish their true potential as biomarkers in CTDs. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Study on Applications and Information Security based on Classified Protection of Mobile Internet in Electric Power System

The mobile internet is becoming the development trend of information and communication technology,With the construction and development of the power electric informatization,the technology will be widely used.This paper first introduces the application mode of the mobile internet in electric power system,and then discuss its information security risks,and finally describes security solutions of electric power system's mobile internet based on Classified Protection of the mobile terminal,network access and business applications.
Epidemiological investigation and analysis of an outbreak of bacillary dysentery in an elementary school in Anhui Province

OBJECTIVE Source of infection and possible route of transmission of a bacillary dysentery outbreak in Anhui were investigated,aiming to provide a scientific reference for the development of effective disease control measures.METHODS The infected cases were defined,searched,and investigated according to the outbreak investigation procedure to obtain a preliminary hypothesis on the risk factors for the outbreak.A hygienics survey was designed for case control studies to uncover the risk factors for the outbreak and to identify the cause of the incidence.RESULTS A total of 76 cases of bacillary dysentery were identified through clinical diagnosis;all cases were 4thto 6thgrade students who live in school dormitories,among which the morbidity rate was 24.4%.It was found that the utensils offered at the school dinning hall were unsterilized;consequently,healthy germ carriers contaminating the utensils might be the possible cause of the outbreak.In addition,living conditions at the dormitories were unsatisfactory,indicating that contact transmission could be another risk factor for the outbreak.CONCLUSION The bacillary dysentery outbreak in Anhui is a result of insufficient health supervision at the school dinning hall and poor management of infected cases and the student dormitories.Therefore,risk assessment and management of epidemic diseases at schools shall be taken as serious as teaching and safety management.
Effect of mechanical loading on expiratory and inspiratory muscle activity during NREM sleep

We investigated the effect of acute and sustained inspiratory resistive loading (IRL) on the activity of expiratory abdominal muscles (EMGab) and the diaphragm (EMGdi) and on ventilation during wakefulness and non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep in healthy subjects. EMGdi and EMGab were measured with esophageal and transcutaneous electrodes, respectively. During wakefulness, EMGdi increased in response to acute loading (18 cmH2O.l-1.s) (+23%); this was accompanied by preservation of tidal volume (VT) and minute ventilation (VE). During NREM sleep, no augmentation was noted in EMGdi or EMGab. Inspiratory time (TI) was prolonged (+5%), but this was not sufficient to prevent a decrease in both VT and VE (-21 and -20%, respectively). During sustained loading (12 cmH2O.l-1 s) in NREM sleep, control breaths (C) were compared with the steady-state loaded breaths (SS) defined by breaths 41-50. Steady-state IRL was associated with augmentation of EMGdi (12%) and EMGab (50%). VT returned to control levels, expiratory time shortened, and breathing frequency increased. The net result was the increase in VE above control levels (+5%, P less than 0.01). No change was noted in end-tidal CO2 or O2. We concluded that 1) wakefulness is a prerequisite for immediate load compensation (in its absence, TI prolongation is the only compensatory response) and 2) during sustained IRL, the augmentation of EMGdi and EMGab can lead to complete ventilatory recovery without measurable changes in chemical stimuli.
The Deep-Space Positioning System Concept: Automating Complex Navigation Operations Beyond the Earth

There is no equivalent of GPS in “deep space,” that is beyond the Earth Moon system (and use of GPS beyond LEO and MEO is already problematic.) NASA has been awarded a patent on the concept of the “Deep-space Positioning System” (DPS) which is a self-contained instrument concept that would use in-situ observations to provide an automated and autonomous means of determining its position in the Solar System, and at least as important, its position relative to a target, whether that target is a planet, asteroid, moon or comet. In addition, the DPS system computes trajectory change parameters, as necessary to keep a spacecraft on a planned trajectory. Implementation options include the use of a radio receiver to receive a frequency beacon from a non-in-situ source for additional navigation information over and above that which can be provided by the cameras that are the principal data source of DPS. This paper discusses the DPS instrument concept, and its potential use in deep space.
Form und Vielfalt der Galaxien

Wir verlassen die Lokale Gruppe. Unsere Geschwindigkeit nahert sich der des Lichts, und die Zeit an Bord verstreicht im Vergleich mit der des Weltalls im ganzen immer langsamer. In unseren Augen betreibt der Kosmos vor uns sein Geschaft mit verruckter Eile. Planeten wirbeln durch ihre Bahnen. Sterne bilden sich und sterben zwischen Fruhstuck und Abendessen. Wir eilen weiter.
Believability of Cigar Warning Labels Among Adolescents

Abstract Purpose Despite high rates of cigar use among youth, little information exists about how cigar warnings are received by youth. We examined believability of different cigar warning messages with different sources among adolescents in a national phone survey. Methods Adolescents (aged 13–17 years) in the US (N = 1,125; total response rate, 66%) were randomized to receive one of three health messages ("cigar smoking can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, even if you do not inhale," "cigar smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease," and "cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes") and one of four warning sources (Food and Drug Administration, Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and no source). Believability was assessed with "how believable is this warning," and responses were dichotomized for "not at all or somewhat" versus "very." Results Weighted logistic regression results indicated that most youth found the cigar warnings very believable (60.5%). Messages about mouth and throat cancer (regardless of inhalation) and the safety of cigars in comparison to cigarettes were rated as significantly less believable than messages about lung cancer and heart disease related to cigars. There were no significant differences by source or other demographics. However, youth susceptible to using cigarettes were less likely to report the cigar warnings to be very believable. Conclusions The messages of cigar warning labels are not viewed as equally believable among adolescents. Future studies should examine how youth process messages about health effects of cigars and the impact of different cigar warnings on youth experimentation with and use of cigars.
A Billion Tiny Ends: Social Media, Nonexceptionalism, and Ethics by Association.

Social media, the offspring of personal computing and the World Wide Web of Things, holds an allure for clinical investigators. As it should. The viral penetration of this technology across many de...
Entropy and Dimension Families Associated with Equilibrium Measures for Hyperbolic Dynamical Systems

For a (one or two-sided) subshift of finite type 0" and a Holder continuous function ψ we consider the equilibrium measures {μ,β} βȦ0 corresponding to the Holder continuous functions φβ(χ) = -βψ, β ≥ 0. We provide a complete description of the entropy family FE(β) =hμβ(σ) and the dimension family Fd((β) = dim H μ,β p,tJ associated with these measures. Similar results are obtained for entropy and dimension families generated by equilibrium measures for (conformal) expanding maps and (conformal) Axiom A diffeomorphisms. As a consequence we show that for a "typical" Holder continuous function ψ the set {hμ,β(σ) β ≥ 0} contains all positive values of metric entropy.
The clinical significance of an estimated fetal weight below the 10th percentile: a comparison of outcomes of <5th vs 5th–9th percentile

Background The association between small-for-gestational-age (birthweight Objective The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between sonographic-estimated fetal weight Study Design This retrospective study involved 5 centers and included nonanomalous, singletons with sonographic-estimated fetal weight Results Of 834 women with suspected small-for-gestational-age fetuses, 513 (62%) had sonographic-estimated fetal weight P Conclusion Eight of 10 suspected small-for-gestational-age fetuses had birthweight
Genetic and chemical alterations in the transforming DNA of pneumococcus caused by ultraviolet light and by nitrous acid

Les rayons ultraviolets (UV) et l’acide nitreux inactivent l’activite transformante du DNA de pneumocoque. Les courbes d’inactivation UV sont complexes, bien que n’etant pas a plusieurs coups et il existe de grandes differences dans les sensibilites initiales aux UV des divers facteurs transformants. Avec l’acide nitreux, on obtient des courbes d’inactivation presque entierement exponentielles et on constate seulement de tres legeres differences dans la sensibilite des differents facteurs transformants. Des deux agents, seul l’acide nitreux exerce une action mutagene sur le DNA de pneumocoque traite in 1 vitro et on observe une cinetique a un coup pour l’induction de mutants. L’adenine, la guanine et la cytosine dans le DNA de pneumocoque sont transformees respectivement par l’acide nitreux en hypoxanthine, xanthine et uracile, mais a des vitesses tres differentes. Le fait que ces vitesses differentes dependent de la structure chimique du DNA est discute. Une comparaison de la vitesse des changements biologiques et des desaminations provoquees par l’acide nitreux permet de penser que la desamination des bases simples est responsable des alterations decrites. Sur la base de cette hypothese, on calcule les dimensions des cibles pour l’inactivation et la mutation, la signification de ces cibles est discutee.
HIV Infection Is Not a Contraindication to Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity.

The efficacy of antiretroviral therapy has made HIV a chronic condition. The prevalence of obesity in HIV positive patients has subsequently risen and is present in 6–34% of men and 21–30% of women (Keithley et al. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 20(4):260–74, 2009). Sleeve gastrectomy is a safe and effective procedure for weight loss in the general population, but having HIV may bring hesitation to performing bariatric surgery for some practitioners. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients with HIV. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients with HIV who underwent LSG at a community hospital by a single surgeon was performed. Nine patients with HIV underwent LSG. Primary outcomes include weight loss at 6 and 12 months and postoperative CD4 count and viral load. Secondary outcomes include alteration to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Our patients had a mean BMI of 46 (range 35–66) and were all well controlled on ART preoperatively. Mean weight loss at 12 months was 40 kg (range 21–55), with mean excess body weight loss 69% (range 42–112). There were no significant changes in CD4 counts, and all patients continued to have undetectable viral loads at 1 year postoperatively. One patient had a change in ART, which was unrelated to bariatric surgery. There were no complications in our patient group. This is the largest series to date evaluating sleeve gastrectomy in HIV-positive patients and further supports the safety and efficacy of sleeve gastrectomy in this patient population.
Research on Validity Theory and Practice at ETS

This chapter reviews ETS contributions to validity theory and practice at various levels of generality, including overarching frameworks, more targeted models for issues such as fairness, and particular analytic methodologies (e.g., related to reliability, equating, differential item functioning). The emphasis is on contributions to the theory of validity and, secondarily, on the practice of validation rather than on specific methodologies.
An evaluation of the Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience database that inspired the United States Food and Drug Administration's Reclassification of transvaginal mesh.

Purpose To assess the utility of the Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database in objectively capturing adverse events for transvaginal mesh in the United States. Materials and Methods We reviewed 1,103 individual medical device reports submitted to the MAUDE database that inspired the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration's 2008 Public Health Notification. Entries were compiled into a categorical database that reported manufacturer, brand, reporter type, report source, and type of adverse event. Results There were numerous examples of missing, duplicated, and non-standardized entries. Analysis revealed 64 reports with duplicated information, and six reports representing multiple patients. Forty-seven percent of medical device reports did not identify a reporter source. At least 28% of reported devices are no longer on the US market. There was wide variability in the quality and completeness of submitted reports and true adverse event rates could not be accurately calculated because the number of total cases was unknown. Conclusions The MAUDE database was limited in its ability to collect, quantify, and standardize real-life adverse events related to transvaginal mesh. While it functions to collect information related to isolated adverse events, systematic limitations of the MAUDE database, that no doubt extend to other medical devices, necessitate the development of new reporting systems. Alternatives are under development, which may allow regulators to more accurately scrutinize the safety profiles of specific medical devices.
Myoepithelial carcinoma or epithelioid sarcoma - A rare diagnosis with poor prognosis. A case report and review of literature.

Abstract Introduction Myoepithelial carcinoma and proximal-type epithelioid sarcoma of the vulva are two rare malignancies with known aggressive behavior. In addition to a similar clinical course, these two disease entities also have significant histologic and pathologic overlap. Given the rarity of these malignancies, there is limited literature on the appropriate treatment regimen. Nevertheless, there is a consensus that early surgical resection is beneficial in both cases. Presentation We present a case of a patient who was initially diagnosed with myoepithelial carcinoma of the vulva with a differential later expanded to include possible epithelioid sarcoma. Discussion We demonstrate the importance in early identification of a SMARCB1 deficiency. Additionally, we suggest an appropriate treatment regimen for these patients going forward. Specifically, we encourage consideration of bilateral superficial and deep inguinal lymphadenectomies. Furthermore, sarcoma based chemotherapy regimens in the appropriate clinical setting may be beneficial in treating SMARCB1 deficient tumors. Additionally, there are now clinical trials involving EZH2 Inhibitors which may offer benefit for similar patients going forward. Conclusion This case highlights the difficulty in making a definitive diagnosis, and the importance in identifying a SMARCB1 deficiency as it will affect treatment options and may allow for enrollment in ongoing clinical trials.
Group Insurance: Regulation, Taxation and Funding

“Employee Benefits ”in the chapters in this part of the book mean those employerprovided insurance benefits which the firm voluntarily offers to their employees. By contrast, social insurance programs (offered through social security, unemployment insurance or workers’ compensation) specify both a level of benefits that a firm must offer and an administrative process to see that the firm is complying in providing those benefits.
Purification of Wastewater from the Beneficiation of Pitchblende Ores: Removal of Hazardous Chemical and Radioactive Impurities

Abstract During and after World War II, uranium was extracted in the USA from Belgian Congo pitchblende. The extractant was a Na 2 CO 3 solution. After the uranium was reclaimed bom this solution, about 1.510 7 liters of high-carbonate wastewater remained, and were stored at the Niagara Fails Storage in New York State. This water contained 190 ppm UO 2 ++ , about 130 pCi/I 226 Ra and traces of a wide variety of chemical contaminants. We were requested to develop a procedure (without semi-works testing) that would precipitate these impurities in situ, reducing the dissolved U and 226 Ra activity level below 600 pCi (below 2 ppm) and 30 pCi/I respectively, and the level of 19 other chemical contaminants to specified concentrations well below the ppm level. Since the supernatant liquid was to be discharged into the adiacent Niagara River, these maximum permitted levels were essentially those for drinking water. The task divided itself into three phases: (l) precipitating the uranium, despite the presence of a high concentration of carbonate (pH 9–10); (2) simultaneously precipitating 17 other metals, + Se and F, and (3) precipitating the radium, despite the high concentration of Ca present. The approach used for uranium made use of the fact that if CaCO 3 is precipitated in the presence of UO 2 ++ at pH 11–12, the uranium is also precipitated as calcium monouranate. A procedure based on this reaction reduced the uranium concentration from 190 to 0.1 ppm (0.033 pCi/I). The 19 trace elements were carried down on ferric hydroxide at pH 7 and pH 9. (Separate precipitations were required in order to retain amphoteric elements in the precipitate). Analysis of the final supernatant solution by ICP spectrometry or atomic absorption showed that the requirements for these elements had been met or exceeded.
The immunologic consequences of laparoscopy in oncology.

Although the applications of minimally invasive methods have increased over the last decade, the use of laparoscopic techniques for the curative resection of malignancy remains controversial. The more obvious benefits of minimally invasive methods, such as less debilitation and faster recovery, motivated the initial performance of laparoscopic cancer resections; however, the use of closed methods in this setting has raised many reasonable, oncologic questions regarding the appropriateness of such operations.
U.S. Army dental emergency rates in Bosnia.

Objective: Our objective is to report on overall dental emergency rates and rates by dental classification of a U.S. Army peacekeeping operation longer than 6 months in the year 2000. Materials and Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of dental emergencies experienced by soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment as a part of Stabilization Force VII. Before the deployment, all soldiers received dental examinations and the necessary dental treatment to make them class 1 or 2. A dental emergency was identified from field treatment records when a soldier presented to the clinic for a sick call, emergency, or trauma visit. Results: Retrospective review of the records identified 211 dental emergencies. Class 1 soldiers experienced 75 dental emergencies and class 2 soldiers experienced 136 emergencies. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment soldiers spent an average of 201.95 days deployed. The overall emergency rate was 156 dental emergencies per 1,000 soldiers per year. Class 1 and 2 rates were 121 and 185 dental emergencies per 1,000 troops per year, respectively. Conclusions: The results tend to confirm that dental emergencies continue to be a threat to overall readiness in deployed environments. Military planners need to ensure that the dental component of future forces are sufficient to care for the expected emergencies.
Flexible Polyurethane Foam Extended with Corn Starch

The use of polyurethane foam is continuing to grow at a rapid pace throughout the world. This growth can be attributed to their light weight, excellent strength/weight ratio, energy absorbing performance (including shock, vibration, and sound), and comfort features of the polyurethane foams (Klempner and Frisch, 1991). Recently, there has been an increased interest in the use of renewable resources in the plastics industry (Bhatnagar et al, 1993; Carraher and Sperling, 1981; Cunningham and Carr, 1990; Cunningham et al, 1991, 1992a, and 1992b; Donnelly et al, 1991; Yoshida et al, 1987 and 1990). In addition, many patents covering processes for utilizing the plant components in the preparation of polyurethane foam have been issued in recent years (Dosmann and Steel, 1961; Hostettler, 1979; Kennedy, 1985; Otey et al, 1968). However, most of these studies focused on rigid polyurethane foam. Less attention has been paid to the flexible polyurethane foam system. Corn starch is a renewable raw material. As a carbohydrate, it contains many active hydrogens and hydroxyl groups. Thus, a great opportunity exists for using corn starch to modify or improve the physical and chemical properties of flexible polyurethane foams.
Perioperative (Non-cardiac) Acute Kidney Injury: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Prevention, and Treatment

Acute kidney injury (AKI) can affect up to one in four patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), of which 30–40% are seen in perioperative setting. AKI impacts survival, costs of care, and long-term risk of chronic kidney disease. Our current understanding of perioperative AKI is based on predominant literature from cardiac surgery. Here, we describe recent data on epidemiology, risk factors, and management of AKI in different non-cardiovascular surgical settings. Both the frequency and risk factors of AKI have some commonality across diverse settings; however, each non-cardiac surgical setting poses a unique set of circumstances that affect renal function. The chapter discusses perioperative settings of abdominal, nonrenal solid organ transplant, kidney cancer, trauma and burns, and orthopedic and gynecological surgery. Two commonly occurring syndromes of abdominal compartment syndrome as well as rhabdomyolysis are discussed in detail. Management of AKI in this setting relies on prevention, early recognition, maintaining renal perfusion, and avoiding nephrotoxins. We also discuss recent data on type of intravenous fluids and risk of AKI, as well as associations between concomitant treatments by renin-angiotensin system blockers, statins, and other possible nephrotoxins in perioperative settings. A brief account of dialysis therapies is also included.
Correction to: Hospital Cirrhosis Volume and Readmission in Patients with Cirrhosis in California

The original version of the article unfortunately contained errors in ‘Severity of illness’ and ‘Hospital characteristics’ entries of Table 1. Corrected version of Table 1 is given below.
Explore and Exploit. Dictionary Expansion with Human-in-the-Loop.

Many Knowledge Extraction systems rely on semantic resources - dictionaries, ontologies, lexical resources - to extract information from unstructured text. A key for successful information extraction is to consider such resources as evolving artifacts and keep them up-to-date. In this paper, we tackle the problem of dictionary expansion and we propose a human-in-the-loop approach: we couple neural language models with tight human supervision to assist the user in building and maintaining domain-specific dictionaries. The approach works on any given input text corpus and is based on the explore and exploit paradigm: starting from a few seeds (or an existing dictionary) it effectively discovers new instances (explore) from the text corpus as well as predicts new potential instances which are not in the corpus, i.e. “unseen”, using the current dictionary entries (exploit). We evaluate our approach on five real-world dictionaries, achieving high accuracy with a rapid expansion rate.
Identification and Discrimination of Stop Consonants: Formants Versus Spectral Peaks

Identification and discrimination of three-formant, stop-consonant approximations were measured for several types of stimuli. Stimuli were synthesized using: 1) pure tones, 2) formant filters swept across a harmonic voicing-source spectrum, and 3) formant filters swept across a frication (noise) source to approximate whispered speech. Despite the fact that the pure tones represented the formant frequencies with the greatest spectral precision, discrimination and identification of the stimuli was more accurate for the broader spectrum “source and formant” stimuli.
The environmental neighborhoods of cities and their spatial extent

We define the new concept of an environmental neighborhood as the surrounding area influencing the environmental quality at a given point in a city, and propose a novel methodology to measure its spatial extent. We compute the spatial correlation of air quality and urban parameters from high spatial resolution datasets for New York City, where the urban characteristics are averaged over variable urban footprint sizes, ranging from 25m×25m to 5000m×5000m. The scale at which these correlations peak indicates the extent of the neighboring area that influences pollutant concentrations. The results indicate that the scale of these environmental neighborhoods ranges from ~ 1000m (for attributes such as road area or building footmark) down to ~ 200m (for building use or green area). Selecting this optimal neighborhood scale is thus critical for identifying the urban fabric and activity attributes that have the largest influence on air quality; smaller footprints do not contain all the pertinent urban surface information while larger footprints contain irrelevant, potentially misleading information. The quantification of this scale of influence therefore enables more effective and localized policies and interventions to improve urban environmental quality and reduce urban health disparities. More broadly, the findings indicate that, in a wide range of environmental and ecological applications where surface heterogeneity is a primary driver, the scale of analysis is not an external parameter to be chosen, but rather an internal parameter dictated by the problem physics.
Insurgent aesthetics: security and the queer life of the forever war: by Ronak K. Kapadia, Durham, North Carolina, Duke University Press, 2019, vii-xiii+334pp., US$ 28.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781478004011

In 2007, Iraqi performance artist Wafaa Bilal lived in a Chicago gallery space for an entire month. The small room contained a mounted paintball gun and a computer interface that allowed people to ...
Quantum limited superresolution of extended sources in one and two dimensions

We calculate the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for estimating, using a circular imaging aperture, the length of a uniformly bright incoherent line source with a fixed midpoint and the radius of a uniformly bright incoherent disk shaped source with a fixed center. Prolate spheroidal wave functions (PSWFs) on a centered line segment and their generalized versions on a centered disk furnish the respective bases for computing the eigenstates and eigenvalues of the one-photon density operator, from which we calculate QFI with respect to the spatial parameters of the two sources. Zernike polynomials provide a good set into which to project the full source wavefront, and such classical wavefront projection data can realize quantum limited estimation error bound in each case. We subsequently generalize our approach to analyze sources of arbitrary brightness distributions and shapes using a certain class of Bessel Fourier functions that are closely related to the PSWFs. We illustrate the general approach by computing QFI for estimating the lengths of the principal axes of a uniformly bright, centered elliptical disk.
Determination of Very Low Concentration of Bisphenol A in Toys and Baby Pacifiers Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction by In Situ Ionic Liquid Formation and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used in the manufacturing of plastics and resins whose presence in the body in low concentrations can cause serious health problems. Due to this, there is a growing interest in the scientific community to develop analytical methods that allow quantifying trace concentrations of BPA in different types of samples. The determination of this compound in toys made of plastics that can be manipulated by children leads to an extra concern, because it is possible for BPA to enter the body by introducing these toys into the mouth. This work presents a novel procedure to the quickly and easily quantification of trace levels of BPA in samples of toys and pacifiers according to the current demanding regulations. The determination of very low levels of BPA was carried out by ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The formation in situ of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis((trifluoromethane)sulfonyl)imide ([C8MIm] [NTf2]), was achieved by mixing 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C8MIm]Cl) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([NTf2]Li) aqueous solutions, reaching an instant dispersion whose cloud of microdrops allows the total extraction of BPA in the IL from aqueous solutions. After centrifugation, BPA concentration in the sedimented phase was determined by HPLC. The optimal experimental conditions for the microextraction and determination of BPA in the IL were studied. The total extraction was achieved at pH 4, heating the sample at 30 °C for 5 min, using 100 µL of IL precursor volume, and spinning after the formation of dispersion at 3000 rpm for 10 min. The enrichment factor (EF) and detection limit (LOD) reached with the procedure were 299 and 0.19 µg L−1, respectively. The relative standard deviation for ten replications at the 0.5 µg L−1 level was 5.2%. Recovery studies showed a mean value for BPA recovery percentage in the samples of 99%. Additionally, a hybrid model was applied to characterize the extraction kinetics. This simple, low cost and fast method simplifies traditional microextraction techniques, representing an outstanding alternative.
Whatever Way Love’s Camel Takes: Remembering Baba Ibrahim Farajajé

This essay is a reflection on the life and work of the late Rev. Dr. Ibrahim Farajaje, a renown scholar of religion and eminent queer theologian. Farajaje’s work and vision as a bisexual theologian...
H/sub 2/ and mixed-H/sub 2//H/sub /spl infin// stable stabilization

This paper presents sufficient conditions for designing stable H/sub 2/ and H/sub 2//H/sub /spl infin// controllers. Specifically, we generalize previous results on strong stabilization using fixed-structure controller design by providing several new closed-loop Lyapunov/Riccati equations that guarantee that the compensator dynamics are stable prior to carrying out the optimization.
Novel experimental parameters to quantify the modulation of absorptive and secretory transport of compounds by P-glycoprotein in cell culture models of intestinal epithelium.

Purpose. The purpose of this work was to elucidate the asymmetric effect of P-gp on modulation of absorptive and secretory transport of compounds across polarized epithelium, to develop experimental parameters to quantify P-gp-mediated modulation of absorptive and secretory transport, and to elucidate how P-gp-mediated modulation of transport is affected by passive diffusion properties, interaction of the substrate with P-gp, and P-gp expression.
Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems --- DDDAS 2008

This workshop is centered about the recently emerged paradigm of Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS). The DDDAS concept has already been established as a revolutionary new approach of a symbiotic relation between application and measurement systems, where applications can accept and respond dynamically to new data injected into the executing application, and reversely, the ability of such application systems to dynamically control the measurement processes. The synergistic feedback control-loop between application simulations and measurements can open new domains in the capabilities of simulations with high potential pay-off: create applications with new and enhanced analysis and prediction capabilities and enable a new methodology for more efficient and effective measurement processes. This new paradigm has the potential to transform the way science and engineering are done, with major impact in the way many functions in our society are conducted, such as manufacturing, commerce, transportation, hazard prediction/management, and medicine. The workshop will present such new opportunities, as well as the challenges and approaches in the applications', algorithms' and systems' software technologies needed to enable such capabilities, and will showcase ongoing research in these aspects with examples from several important application areas.
An electronic application for rapidly calculating Charlson comorbidity score

his article reviews evidence for the validity of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) in oncology and provides a Microsoft Excel (MS Excel) Macro for the rapid and accurate calculation of CCI score. The interaction of comorbidity and malignant disease and the validation of the Charlson Index in oncology are discussed.
Discussion of the Paper by John U. Nef: What Is Economic History?

I am in entire sympathy with Mr. Nef's emphasis on historical synthesis or over-all interpretations, which is certainly in order after a period in which analytical fragmentation has been so stressed. We are also in agreement concerning the need for a study of the interrelationships between various aspects of history that are now usually treated as specialties.
DYNAMIC LOCATION MODELING FOR PUBLIC‐SECTOR FACILITIES: A MULTICRITERIA APPROACH

A major complication in the planning of facility systems and in the analysis of their locational configurations is the fluctuating nature of the systems they serve. Locations identified now, based on current conditions, may be undesirable in the future, and those based on future conditions may be undesirable now. This paper proposes a general methodology using multiobjective analysis to plan public-sector facility systems operating in a dynamic environment. A model is developed for the specific case of locating emergency services and an illustrative example is presented.
New therapies for chronic hepatitis B.

Summary. Currently, the only therapy of proven benefit in chronic hepatitis B is interferon-alpha which leads to a long-term benefit in only one-third of patients. New therapies for hepatitis B fall into three categories; antiviral chemotherapy, immunomodulation with cell-based therapies, vaccines or cytokines, and gene therapy such as with antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes or viral mutants. The most promising immediate approach to therapy is with the new nucleoside antivirals - lamivudine and famciclovir. These drugs are well absorbed orally, result in profound inhibition of circulating hepatitis B virus, and, in some cases, loss of hepatitis B e antigen and improvement in serum aminotransferases. Controlled trials of long-term famciclovir and lamivudine therapy currently underway aim to show whether these drugs are safe and can provide sustained inhibition of viral replication and attentant improvement in liver disease.
Maintaining the confidentiality of plot locations by exploiting the low sensitivity of forest structure models to different spectral extraction kernels

The United States Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit maintains a large national network of inventory plots. While the consistency and extent of this network make FIA data attractive for ecological modelling, the FIA is charged by statute not to publicly reveal inventory plot locations. However, use of FIA plot data by the remote sensing community often requires that plot measurements be matched with spatially correspondent values from spectral or geographic data layers. Extracting spatial data in a known way and associating it with plot information leaves open the possibility that a user might use extracted spatial characteristics and a moving window filter to directly infer the plot's location. Direct inference of plot location in this way would be impossible, however, if the original method of sampling the geographic data was unknown. Tests using five Landsat scenes covering a wide range of ecological types showed that varying the weights of pixels within approximately 50 m of the plot centre has little effect on the quality of subsequent models predicting basal area. This finding may support the development of automated extraction routines that vary (perhaps randomly) the geographic data extraction process and therefore increase the security of FIA plot locations.
Equilibrium in abstract economies with a non-compact infinite dimensional strategy space, an infinite number of agents and without ordered preferences

Abstract The purpose of this note is to prove the existence of an equilibrium for abstract economies with a non-compact infinite-dimensional strategy space, a countably infinite number of agents and without ordered preferences. We do so by generalizing the result of Yannelis and Prabhakar to a non-compact strategy space.