cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Student Housing: Trends, Preferences And Needs

To attract and retain students, universities are confronted with increased demand to provide housing options that meet the new expectations of the millennial generation. Recent trends and housing preferences are examined. The results of surveys detailing some of these new demands and how universities are attempting to address these demands are discussed. Additionally, universities are under pressure to efficiently use their limited resources and, as government support for higher education declines, public universities are seeking other sources of funding for major projects. Suggestions are made for unique partnering and financing options.
The Synthesis of Ce-Filled CoSb3 and Characterization of its Magnetic and Structural Properties

A series of cerium-containing CoSb 3 samples were synthesized, with cerium quantities varying from 0 to 2 stoichiometric equivalents. These samples were annealed at low temperatures to crystallize the kinetically stable phases Ce x Co 4 Sb 12 (x = 0–0.5). X-ray diffraction showed that these samples were phase pure, and Rietveld analysis on x-ray diffraction data from powder samples indicated that these samples were 25–88% crystalline. Electrical measurements showed that these samples are n-type, which was previously unknown in Ce x Co 4 Sb 12 . Magnetic measurements showed that the samples were paramagnetic due to the cerium being incorporated into the diamagnetic CoSb 3 compound. In addition, they contained a ferromagnetic component that was attributed to the amorphous, cerium-containing phase.
Intravenous and Inhalational Colistin–Induced Respiratory Failure

The emergence of highly resistant gram-negative pathogens in hospitals around the world has placed emphasis on colistin, a seemingly ancient drug. Respiratory failure from colistin was reported in the years following its release; however, there are no recent reports of colistin-induced respiratory failure. We report a case of intravenous colistin- and, later, inhalational colistin-induced respiratory failure.
A relationship between the z-transform and the Fourier transform

A relationship between the one-sided z-transform and the one-sided discrete-time Fourier transform is discussed. Every discrete-time function that can result from the sampling of a periodic continuous-time function is considered to be periodic. A simple general equation is presented and discussed. >
Impelementatoin of a viscoelastic model for the temperature dependent material behavior of underfill encapsulants

In this work, the viscoelastic mechanical response of a typical underfill encapsulant has been characterized via rate dependent stress-strain testing over a wide temperature range, and via creep testing for a large range of applied stress levels and temperatures. The 60 × 3 × 0.5 mm test specimens were dispensed and cured with production equipment using the same conditions as those used in actual flip chip assembly, and no release agent is required to extract them from the mold. The manufactured test specimens were used to evaluate the stress-strain and creep behavior of the underfill material as a function of temperature through testing in a microscale tension-torsion testing machine. Stress-strain curves have been measured at 5 temperatures (25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 C), and strain rates spanning over 4 orders of magnitude. In addition, creep curves have been evaluated for the same 5 temperatures and several stress levels. With the obtained mechanical property data, a three-dimensional linear viscoelastic model based on Prony series response functions has been applied to fit the stress-strain and creep data, and excellent correlation has been obtained. The viscoelastic model for underfill has also been implemented in finite element analysis. A quarter model of a flip chip on laminate assembly has been developed for the analysis, and the underfill was modeled as both an elastic-plastic material and as a viscoelastic material. The time dependent variations of the stresses in the underfill and silicon die obtained with the viscoelastic model have been compared to the time-independent results from the conventional elastic-plastic material model.
Exploiting the Social Tagging Network for Web Clustering

Social tagging is a major characteristic of Web 2.0. A social tagging system can be modeled with a tripartite network of users, resources, and tags. In this paper, we investigate how to enhance Web clustering by leveraging the tripartite network of social tagging systems. We propose a clustering method called “Tripartite Clustering” which clusters the three types of nodes (resources, users, and tags) simultaneously by only utilizing the links in the social tagging network. We also investigate two other approaches to exploit social tagging for clustering with K-means and Link K-means. All the clustering methods are experimented on a real-world social tagging data set sampled from del.icio.us. The clustering results are evaluated against a human-maintained Web directory. The experimental results show that the social tagging network is a very useful information source for document clustering. All social-annotation-based clustering methods can significantly improve the performance of content-based clustering. Compared to social-annotation-based K-means and Link K-means, Tripartite Clustering achieves equivalent or better performance and produces more useful information.
Low Temperature Bonding of High Density Large Area Array Interconnects for 3D Integration

The results of bonding and stress testing of Cu/Sn-Cu bonded dice and Cu-Cu thermocompression bonded dice at 10μm and 15μm pitch in large area arrays are shown. The interconnect bonding process pressure and temperature required for the formation of low resistance (<100 mΩ), high yielding (99.99 % individual bond yield), and reliable interconnects is described. In the case of Cu/Sn-Cu, use of a mechanical key was found to improve yield. A run of 22 consecutive bond pairs was made with the mechanical key, resulting in 98 % aggregate channel yield at 10μm pitch in area arrays containing 325,632 individual bonds per die to achieve an interconnect density of 106 / cm2. SEM cross sections of Cu/Sn-Cu and Cu-Cu bonded samples and EDS analysis of Cu/Sn intermetallic compounds both before and after stress testing are presented. The results of thermal cycling and humidity-temperature testing on electrical yield and resistance are presented for Cu/Sn-Cu with underfill. Comparison of the electrical and shear test per...
Catheter interventional treatment of congenital portosystemic venous shunts in childhood.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed on the catheter interventional treatment of congenital portosystemic venous shunt (CPSVS) in childhood and the impact on vascular growth of hypoplastic portal veins. Clinical course and follow up of partial or complete closure of CPSVS are described. BACKGROUND: CPSVS is a very rare vascular malformation of the portal venous drainage resulting in potentially life threatening abdominal, pulmonary, cerebral, and cardiac complications. The anatomic type, clinical course, and diagnosis must be determined for optimal management. METHODS: Single centre case series. RESULTS: Eight (6 female) children with extrahepatic (n = 5) and intrahepatic (n = 3) CPSVS were diagnosed invasively by catheterization, including test balloon occlusion of the shunt and simultaneous retrograde angiography, and treated by catheter interventions (n = 5) with partial (n = 2) and complete (n = 3) occlusion of CPSVS at a median age of 3.9 years (range 0.7-21). Congenital heart disease (CHD) was the most frequent associated organ manifestation (n = 5) followed by mild to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (n = 4), hepatopulmonary syndrome (n = 2), and portosystemic encephalopathy (n = 1). CHD was simple (n = 3) or complex type (n = 2). Three patients were untreated so far, because they were in excellent clinical condition at an age <1 year, refused treatment, or planned for later treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate invasive diagnosis of CPSVS with test balloon occlusion of the shunt is mandatory to depict the anatomic situation. Catheter interventional treatment of CPSVS offers a feasible and safe approach with complete or partial closure of the vascular malformation inducing potentially significant vascular growth of a former hypoplastic portal venous system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intracolony variation in skeletal growth rates in Paleozoic ramose trepostome bryozoans

All erect, branching (ramose) organisms adhere to the same fundamental geometric growth law: the rate of distal growth decreases away from the branch axis. Regardless of the phylogenetic history of an organism, the formation of cylindrical branches requires adherence to this law. In colonial ramose organisms such as trees, corals, and bryozoans, this law poses a problem. How do colonies coordinate the growth rates of the individual modules to produce an integrated branch? This question is addressed in the context of three Ordovician and three Devonian species of ramose trepostome bryozoans. Using remnant growing tips in the endozone as isochronous surfaces, relative rates of skeletal secretion among zooids were measured. Measurements of skeletal and void spaces across a colony branch enabled calculation of the volume of skeletal material secreted by zooids between successive remnant growing tips. Results indicate that rate of skeletal secretion system- atically decreases from the branch axis outward into the exozone. This suggests that zooid mor- phogenesis is controlled to a certain degree by the colony. Colonial control over zooidal growth rates in turn regulates the shape of the colony.
Ocular-following responses to white noise stimuli in humans reveal a novel nonlinearity that results from temporal sampling

White noise stimuli are frequently used to study the visual processing of broadband images in the laboratory. A common goal is to describe how responses are derived from Fourier components in the image. We investigated this issue by recording the ocular-following responses (OFRs) to white noise stimuli in human subjects. For a given speed we compared OFRs to unfiltered white noise with those to noise filtered with band-pass filters and notch filters. Removing components with low spatial frequency (SF) reduced OFR magnitudes, and the SF associated with the greatest reduction matched the SF that produced the maximal response when presented alone. This reduction declined rapidly with SF, compatible with a winner-take-all operation. Removing higher SF components increased OFR magnitudes. For higher speeds this effect became larger and propagated toward lower SFs. All of these effects were quantitatively well described by a model that combined two factors: (a) an excitatory drive that reflected the OFRs to individual Fourier components and (b) a suppression by higher SF channels where the temporal sampling of the display led to flicker. This nonlinear interaction has an important practical implication: Even with high refresh rates (150 Hz), the temporal sampling introduced by visual displays has a significant impact on visual processing. For instance, we show that this distorts speed tuning curves, shifting the peak to lower speeds. Careful attention to spectral content, in the light of this nonlinearity, is necessary to minimize the resulting artifact when using white noise patterns undergoing apparent motion.
Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry for Discovery Proteomics: Quantifying Translational Cell Heterogeneity in the 16-Cell Frog (Xenopus) Embryo.

We advance mass spectrometry from a cell population‐averaging tool to one capable of quantifying the expression of diverse proteins in single embryonic cells. Our instrument combines capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrospray ionization, and a tribrid ultrahigh‐resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) to enable untargeted (discovery) proteomics with ca. 25 amol lower limit of detection. CE‐μESI‐HRMS enabled the identification of 500–800 nonredundant protein groups by measuring 20 ng, or <0.2% of the total protein content in single blastomeres that were isolated from the 16‐cell frog (Xenopus laevis) embryo, amounting to a total of 1709 protein groups identified between n=3 biological replicates. By quantifying ≈150 nonredundant protein groups between all blastomeres and replicate measurements, we found significant translational cell heterogeneity along multiple axes of the embryo at this very early stage of development when the transcriptional program of the embryo has yet to begin.
Just Wars: Doctrines and Institutions

Most people think of international organizations in general as parts of an effort to prevent international war. A close look at the entire range of modern international organizations, however, requires a modification of that notion, for one finds some agencies devoted to activities that seem irrelevant to the problem of war and others whose functions are at best indirectly related to that problem. Prevention of war is clearly not the only, or in every case the primary, goal toward which international organizations are directed.
INVESTIGATION OF SANITATION AND DISINFECTION EFFICACY IN A HOSPITAL OF XINING

Objective To understand the quality of sanitation and disinfection in a hospital of Xining for improvement.Methods Field sampling and testing methods were used to monitoring the disinfection quality with the ophthalmologic operating room as the target.Results 310 samples were collected from ophthalmology of this hospital in year 2010 and the average qualified rate was 95.2%.Of all the objects monitored the hygiene qualified rate of indoor air was 94.5%,that of object surface was 97.9% and that of staff hand was 96.3%.Conclusion The sanitation and disinfection qualified rates of indoor air and other monitoring subjects of the ophthalmologic operating room and dressing rooms are relatively high.So management should be strengthened targeting at a few places unqualified.
Toward a Holistic View: Analysis of Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Vision in Field Experiences and Its Implications.

This study investigated the aspects of learning and teaching that pre-service teachers examined at distinct time periods while taking on different roles. Participants reported on what they noticed from their past learning experiences as students as well as their current field experiences as student teachers. Their reflective critique was created within loosely structured themes. Results showed that participants mainly focused on the teacher factor while their attention to the student factor was weak. In addition, the participants tended to avoid making critical reflections when they were in the field compared to their reflections on previous learning experiences. It would be appropriate to consider more structured observation/reflection activities to support pre-service teachers’ development of the full range of teaching/learning mathematics.
Travel Volume to the United States from Countries and U.S. Territories with Local Zika Virus Transmission.

Introduction Air, land, and sea transportation can facilitate rapid spread of infectious diseases. In May 2015 the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. As of March 8, 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had issued travel notices for 33 countries and 3 U.S. territories with local Zika virus transmission. Methods Using data from five separate datasets from 2014 and 2015, we estimated the annual number of passenger journeys by air and land border crossings to the United States from the 33 countries and 3 U.S. territories listed in the CDC's Zika travel notices as of March 8, 2016. We also estimated the annual number of passenger journeys originating in and returning to the United States (primarily on cruises) with visits to seaports in areas with local Zika virus transmission. Because of the adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes that have been associated with Zika virus disease, the number of passenger journeys completed by women of childbearing age and pregnant women was also estimated. Results An estimated 216.3 million passenger journeys by air, land, and sea are made annually to the United States from areas with local Zika virus transmission (as of March 8). The destination states with the largest numbers of arrivals were Texas (by land) and Florida (by air and sea). An estimated 51.7 million passenger journeys were made by women of childbearing age and an estimated 2.3 million were made by pregnant women. Conclusion Travel volume analyses provide important information that can be used to effectively target public health interventions as well as direct public health resources and efforts at local, regional, and country-specific levels.
Separation of neuron types in the gustatory zone of the nucleus tractus solitarii on the basis of intrinsic firing properties.

1. Whole-cell current-clamp recordings were made from neurons in the rostral nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in an in vitro brain slice preparation in rats. On the basis of previous investigations,...
Theorizing Listening as a Tool for Social Change: Andrea Dworkin’s Discourses on Listening

Theorizing listening’s multifarious functions has meaningful potential for critical communication studies. I argue that our understanding of listening can be enriched by examining the discourses of the U.S. radical lesbian feminist Andrea Dworkin. Employing and extending McRae’s method of performative listening, I argue that Dworkin’s rhetoric can be read as a theory and practice of radical, caring listening that promotes social change and moves us toward collective action.
Detection of motion and posture change using an IR-UWB radar

Impulse radio ultra-wide band (IR-UWB) radar has recently emerged as a promising candidate for non-contact monitoring of respiration and heart rate. Different studies have reported various radar based algorithms for estimation of these physiological parameters. The radar can be placed under a subject's mattress as he lays stationary on his back or it can be attached to the ceiling directly above the subject's bed. However, advertent or inadvertent movement on part of the subject and different postures can affect the radar returned signal and also the accuracy of the estimated parameters from it. The detection and analysis of these postural changes can not only lead to improvement in estimation algorithms but also towards prevention of bed sores and ulcers in patients who require periodic posture changes. In this paper, we present an algorithm that detects and quantifies different types of motion events using an under-the-mattress IR-UWB radar. The algorithm also indicates a change in posture after a macro-movement event. Based on the findings of this paper, we anticipate that IR-UWB radar can be used for extracting posture related information in non-clinical enviroments for patients who are bed-ridden.
Asymptotics of the principal components estimator of large factor models with weak factors and i.i.d. Gaussian noise.

We consider large factor models where factors’ explanatory power does not strongly dominate the explanatory power of the idiosyncratic terms asymptotically. We find the first and second order asymptotics of the principal components estimator of such a weak factors as the dimensionality of the data and the number of observations tend to infinity proportionally. The principal components estimator is inconsistent but asymptotically normal.
M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) for advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium.

AbstractOf 92 patients who received methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin complete and partial remissions were observed in 69 ± 10 per cent of 83 adequately treated measurable and evaluable patients with advanced stages (N+M0 and N0M+) transitional cell urothelial cancer. Complete remission was achieved in 37 ± 10 per cent of the patients clinically, pathologically and after surgical resection of residual disease. With 17 of 31 complete responders (55 per cent) surviving for 26+ to 49+ months, the estimated probability of survival at 2 and 3 years was 71 and 55 per cent, respectively. Partial remission occurred in 31 ± 10 per cent of the patients, while 8 per cent had a minor response and 23 per cent had progression with median survivals of 11, 11 and 7 months, respectively. Whereas all metastatic sites responded, including the bone and liver, complete tumor regression was observed more frequently with nodal, pulmonary and local-regional lesions. Brain metastases occurred within 6 to 42 mon...
Undergraduate psychiatry education 1971-1976: Trends and findings

The authors review all articles on undergraduate psychiatry education appearing in three major journals over the past five years in order to integrate and evaluate diverse approaches to psychiatry teaching. They high-light promising curricular innovations, identify issues still needing investigation, and suggest useful curriculum evaluation strategies. Major conclusions are: (a) heightened student involvement, with patients, peers, and faculty, combined with recent efforts at focused skill training and at making psychiatry teaching more relevant to nonpsychiatric medicine have increased both teaching effectiveness and student satisfaction; (b) self-instructional and videotape teaching programs may be detrimental under some circumstances; and (c) despite enormous progress, psychiatric training is still incompletely integrated into the rest of the medical curriculum.
Improving the Measurement of Shared Cultural Schemas with Correlational Class Analysis: Theory and Method

Measurement of shared cultural schemas is a central methodological challenge for the sociology of culture. Relational Class Analysis (RCA) is a recently developed technique for identifying such schemas in survey data. However, existing work lacks a clear definition of such schemas, which leaves RCA’s accuracy largely unknown. Here, I build on the theoretical intuitions behind RCA to arrive at this definition. I demonstrate that shared schemas should result in linear dependencies between survey rows—the relationship usually measured with Pearson’s correlation. I thus modify RCA into a “Correlational Class Analysis” (CCA). When I compare the methods using a broad set of simulations, results show that CCA is reliably more accurate at detecting shared schemas than RCA, even in scenarios that substantially violate CCA’s assumptions. I find no evidence of theoretical settings where RCA is more accurate. I then revisit a previous RCA analysis of the 1993 General Social Survey musical tastes module. Whereas RCA partitioned these data into three schematic classes, CCA partitions them into four. I compare these results with a multiple-groups analysis in structural equation modeling and find that CCA’s partition yields greatly improved model fit over RCA. I conclude with a parsimonious framework for future work.
Older Adults at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation Lack Knowledge and Confidence to Seek Treatment for Signs and Symptoms

Early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) is crucial for averting AF-related stroke and heart failure, but treatment is delayed when AF is not recognized. The critical need for early detection and treatment requires education to promote AF awareness. Knowledge deficits, attitudes, and beliefs about AF that should be addressed to improve awareness and reduce treatment-seeking delay in older adults at risk for developing AF have not been well documented. The purpose of this study was to describe knowledge, treatment-seeking attitudes, and beliefs about AF in adults ⩾ 65 years old and identify demographic characteristics associated with knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. Patients with no history of AF recruited from an academic medical center were interviewed using the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Atrial Fibrillation Survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t tests. Participants (N = 180) were 63% male with a mean age of ±3.± 6.0 years, and 52% held ⩾ 4-year college degree. About one third could not identify common symptoms of AF including palpitations (31%), chest pain (36%), dyspnea (30%), and fatigue (35%). A majority (84%) lacked confidence to recognize AF, and 58% were not sure when they should seek care for AF symptoms. Nearly a third (32%) believed palpitations are always present with AF, and 74% believed that low energy would not be their only symptom of AF. Higher scores for AF Symptom Knowledge (p = .02) were observed in females, and General Knowledge about AF was greater for younger participants (p < .001). Participants lacked knowledge and confidence to aid decision-making for treatment-seeking for symptoms of AF and held inaccurate beliefs about AF that could hinder early treatment-seeking. Programs to promote AF awareness should explain the spectrum of symptoms that may be manifested by AF and include action plans for responding to symptoms.
Language education in elementary schools: Meeting the needs of the nation

This article briefly reviews the social, political, and economic context that explains the present status of elementary language education in the United States and addresses the challenges identified by recent reports on the state of language education in the United States. Different curricular models of world language education—exploratory, sequential, and immersion—are discussed in regard to their ability to meet the need, expressed by the profession, to provide universal access to language education and produce graduates who have advanced levels of language proficiency. The article argues that in order to be successful, elementary programs have to be built with support and input from a variety of stakeholders, with careful consideration of the financial and human resources needed and with long-term articulation plans. A state-supported immersion program is used to illustrate how the integration of all these factors can lead to successful and scalable programs.
In vitro Sirius Red collagen assay measures the pattern shift from soluble to deposited collagen.

In this study, we compared two in vitro collagen production assays ([3H]-proline incorporation and Sirius Red) for their ability to determine the pattern shift from soluble to deposited collagen. The effect of the antifibrotic agent, triptolide (TPL), on collagen production was also studied. The results showed that: (1) 48 h after NIH 3T3 (murine embryo fibroblast) and HFL-1(human fetal lung fibroblast) were exposed to transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β), there was an increase in soluble collagen in the culture medium; (2) on day 4, soluble collagen declined, whereas deposited collagen increased; (3) Sirius Red was easier to use than [3H]-proline incorporation and more consistently reflected the collagen pattern shift from soluble to deposited; (4) the in vitro Sirius Red assay took less time than the in vivo assay to determine the effect of TPL. Our results suggest that: (a) the newly synthesized soluble collagen can sensitively evaluate an agent’s capacity for collagen production and (b) Sirius Red is more useful than [3H]-proline because it is easier to use, more convenient, less time consuming, and does not require radioactive material.
The Continuing Education of Teachers: In-Service Training and Workshops

The diversity and range of the opportunities teachers have for learning make writing meaningfully about inservice teacher education difficult. Teachers learn from many activities, formal and informal. They learn from practice itself when stopping to consider a struggling student’s response to a homework question, conversations in the hallways and lunchrooms with other teachers, observing in a peer’s classroom, results from a supervisor or mentor’s visit, reading, attending conferences, district workshops, university courses, and in all sorts of other often unanticipated ways. Each of these activities may refresh a teacher’s commitment to teaching and expand their understanding of the work of teaching, or they may not. Little wonder some scholars find reason to complain about reliance on an “incoherent and cobbled-together nonsystem [of] inservice [education for teachers]” (Wilson & Berne, 1999, p. 174). The situation is made more difficult by the complexity of teacher learning. Teachers bring to formal inservice programs differing attitudes and beliefs born of years of life and work experience, positive and negative, that profoundly affect learning outcomes. Motives for participation also differ (Halpin, Croll, & Redman, 1990) and influence how inservice is received, if at all (Bullough & Baughman, 1997). Moreover, demonstrating program results is challenging. Most research on the effects of inservice teacher education rely on teacher self-report of teaching practices “which are known to overestimate actual implementation and thus represent a weak proxy for the actual enactment of reform in classroom instruction” (Knapp, 2003, p. 120). Such reports give little insight into why or how change occurs. It is difficult to isolate variables and to establish causal relationships (Flecknoe, 2000), particularly with student learning. Lastly, most studies are local, reporting on the results of a program developed by authors and often involving very few teachers, usually volunteers, which makes generalizing findings impossible.
Integrable highest weight modules over affine Lie algebras. Application to η-function identities

In the last three chapters we developed a representation theory of arbitrary Kac-Moody algebras. From now on we turn to the special case of affine Lie algebras.
On the Impact of Local Computation Over Routing Performance in Green Wireless Networks

Superior performance in wireless sensor networks is obtained by taking key protocol decisions based on the outcome of local learning-based computations, informing nodes on past and expected availability of resources. This paper investigates the impact on protocol performance of local computational requirements of learning techniques. We consider a recent routing solution, named WHARP, which makes decentralized and proactive decisions based on a Markov Decision Process (MDP) that takes into account key parameters of wireless green networks, including energy harvesting capabilities, and wakeup radio technology. We show that in these scenarios solving the MDP incurs energy expenditures by far superior to that required by wireless communication, even at very high data traffic. In order to maintain the performance advantages of the learning-based protocol machinery, we propose a heuristic solution that closely approximates the MDP trading off optimality for considerably lighter computational requirements. We compare the performance of the heuristic-based WHARP (called W-HEU) to that of the MDP-based WHARP that uses the standard Backward Value Iteration (W-BVI) through GreenCastalia-based simulations with real computational energy measurements. Our results show that W-HEU outperforms W-BVI on key metrics such as energy consumption and packet delivery ratio, making up for the lost optimality of BVI through the remarkable energy savings of its lighter computational requirements.
Quantitative Assessment of Muscle Strength Following "Slow" Surgical Lengthening of the Medial Hamstring Muscles in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

BACKGROUND Classic teaching for surgical lengthening of muscle contractures in children with cerebral palsy (CP) has emphasized complete correction of the deformity acutely, with immobilization of the targeted muscles in the fully corrected position. Clinical experience has led to the impression that the muscles are invariably weakened by this approach. We have developed an alternative technique for correction of contractures called slow surgical lengthening (SSL). The goal of the study was to determine the physical examination, kinematic, and muscle strength outcomes following SSL of the medial hamstring muscles in children with CP. METHODS The study group included 41 children with CP who underwent SSL of the medial hamstring muscles as part of a comprehensive single-event multilevel surgery, who had preoperative and 1-year postoperative evaluations in our Motion Analysis Center, which included quantitative assessment of isometric and isokinetic muscle strength. RESULTS All subjects were Gross Motor Function Classification System I and II. Mean age at the time of surgery was 10.8 years. The mean popliteal angle improved by 16.2 degrees (P<0.001) following SSL of the medial hamstrings. Sagittal plane kinematics following SSL of the medial hamstrings showed improvement of knee extension at initial contact of 10.2 degrees (P<0.001), decrease of peak knee flexion in mid-swing of 3.6 degrees (P=0.014), improved minimum knee flexion in stance of 4.9 degrees (P=0.002), and no significant change in mean anterior pelvic tilt (P=0.123). Mean peak isometric knee flexion torque remained unchanged from preoperative to postoperative studies (P=0.154), whereas mean peak isokinetic knee flexion torque significantly increased by 0.076 Nm/kg (P=0.014) following medial hamstring SSL. DISCUSSION SSL was developed based upon clinical experience and improved understanding of the pathophysiology of skeletal muscle in children with CP. The SSL technique allows the tendinous tissue to separate spontaneously at the time of recession, but does not force further acute lengthening by intraoperative manipulation, thereby minimizing the damage to the underlying muscle. It is broadly believed that muscle weakness is inevitable following surgical lengthening. The current study shows that the SSL technique does not cause weakness. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV-therapeutic.
Incidental nonneoplastic parenchymal findings in patients undergoing lung resection for mass lesions.

Summary The prevalence of incidental nonneoplastic lung disease in patients undergoing resection for mass lesions is unknown. We determined the prevalence and characteristics of parenchymal findings in patients with lung nodules, aiming to increase awareness of findings that could potentially impact patient management. A total of 397 patients with benign or malignant mass lesions with available presurgical chest computed tomography scans resected between January 2001 and July 2015 were included. Retrospective histologic assessment of parenchymal abnormalities in at least 1 section of grossly normal lung was performed for each case by 2 pulmonary pathologists and correlated with original pathology reports, clinical history, and radiologic findings. A total of 233 women and 164 men underwent resections for carcinomas (78%) or benign nodules (22%). One hundred one (25%) patients showed parenchymal abnormalities, including 14 patients with multiple findings. The most common abnormal findings were fibrotic interstitial changes (10%), including usual interstitial pneumonia (1%), followed by granulomatous processes (8%). Other findings included aspiration (4%), intravascular thrombi (2%), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (1.5%), constrictive bronchiolitis (1%), atypical lymphoid infiltrates (1%), and amyloidosis (0.5%). Abnormalities were more likely to have been documented in the original pathology report by pulmonary pathologists (68%) than by general pathologists (15%) (P
Plausibility and probability in juridical proof

This note discusses three issues that Allen and Pardo believe to be especially problematic for a probabilistic interpretation of standards of proof: (1) the subjectivity of probability assignments;...
Quiet-Sun EUV He ii (30.4 nm) Spatial Power Ratios and Network Dissipation Trend for 2010 – 2018

We explore a significant change of the trend of the transition region network scale variation that occurred around of 2016 when a series of spotless days in 2018, with similar radiative characteristics, were added to previously analyzed days in 2017. We find that a mean per six-year spatial power ratio for 2016 vs. 2010 shows a 29% yearly increase of the dissipation of the network scale, reaching a ratio of 1.74 in 2016. A similar comparison of power ratios for 2018 vs. 2017 gives almost an order of magnitude drop in the previous yearly-mean increase, a yearly ratio of 3%. To study the dynamics of this change, which is consistent with the change of the mean He ii network radius around 2016 mentioned by McIntosh (2019, private communication) based on the method of “watershed segmentation” by McIntosh et al. (Astrophys. J. 730, L3, 2011a), the monthly-mean ratios (MMRs) were analyzed. The MMR profile for 2010 – 2018 calculated for near-a-year time intervals is consistent with the decrease of the dissipation rates during the last couple of years. Such dynamics of the MMRs demonstrates a solar nature of the network scale variation in the transition region and may be used as a new sensitive prediction tool for some existing and future changes of solar activity. The network structure dissipation ratio of about 1.8 for 2018 to 2010 reported in this article may be a signature of such changes, expected, in part, to demonstrate a further decrease of the minimum between Solar Cycles 24 and 25 compared to the two previous minima and a lower solar activity during Solar Cycle (SC) 25. With the current extension of the data to near the next SC minimum, the suggestion expressed by Didkovsky and Gurman (Solar Phys. 289, 153, 2014) that “if spatially resolved measurements of He ii emission are maintained through several solar minima, we should be able to conclude whether the spatial distribution of that emission provides a proxy for predicting cycles with anomalously prolonged minima” has new supporting evidence.
Associations Between Attention Regulation, Working Memory, and Academic Skills Among Pediatric Patients with Epilepsy

Deficits in working memory (WM), processing speed (PS), attention, and executive functioning (EF) are commonly observed among children with epilepsy (CE), which may contribute to the elevated rate of academic underachievement. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between functions associated with frontal-subcortical circuitry, including attention, WM, PS, and EF with academic skills, after accounting for intellectual functioning and seizure factors among CE. Retrospective review of medical records was conducted to obtain seizure history (history of status epilepticus, age of onset, seizure frequency, months seizure free by cognitive testing) and antiepileptic drug (AED) use of 46 pediatric patients (26F, Mage = 12.34 years; SD = 3.08), who were diagnosed with epilepsy. Patients were administered a neurocognitive test battery to assess for overall intellectual functioning, WM, PS, EF, and academic skills (word reading, math calculation, spelling). Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess for overall attention problems. Among seizure factors, the number of high- and lower-cognitive-risk AEDs prescribed was associated with different academic skills. Despite controlling for intellectual functioning and the high- and lower-cognitive-risk AED use, WM was positively associated with spelling achievement, and attention problems were negatively associated with academic skills. In contrast, EF and PS were not significant correlates when AEDs and intellectual functioning were controlled. WM and attention functioning are potential areas to target in early interventions and educational planning to reduce risks of academic underachievement associated with CE. Types of AEDs prescribed should also be considered in academic accommodations given potential effects on cognitive functioning.
Aphra Behn’s first marriage?

This article discusses three new documents that seem to pertain to the early life of the Restoration playwright, Aphra Behn. These documents suggest that Behn was betrothed in 1657 to a gentleman n...
PMI's heated tobacco products marketing claims of reduced risk and reduced exposure may entice youth to try and continue using these products.

Importance Philip Morris International (PMI) is seeking Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorisation to market IQOS as a modified risk tobacco product and to make marketing claims of reduced risk and reduced exposure. Such claims may be misunderstood by youth, thereby increasing their risk for tobacco initiation. Objective To assess youth (mean age 19.3, SD=1.7) understanding and perceptions of PMI’s proposed consumer marketing claims of reduced risk and reduced exposure, we embedded a randomised controlled experiment into a survey of 450 California youth (April to August 2018). Participants were randomised to see ‘reduced exposure’, ‘reduced risk’ or neither claim. Perceptions of IQOS-related health risks and general harm and understanding of the term ‘switching completely’ as used in PMI’s proposed claims were compared. Results Mean expectancies to experience specific health risks did not differ by claim exposure. The reduced exposure group’s perceptions of general harm did not differ from those of controls nor from the reduced risk group. The reduced risk group had the largest proportion who perceived IQOS as moderately/less harmful (n=78, 52%); controls the largest proportion perceiving IQOS as quite/extremely harmful (n=91, 63%). While 71% of the sample understood the term ‘switch completely’ correctly as used in the reduced risk (n=194, 71%) and reduced exposure (n=206, 72%) claims, more than 1 in 4 did not. Conclusions FDA and other regulators must use caution when considering allowing claims of reduced risk or reduced exposure to appear on retail tobacco packaging. Youth misunderstand such claims, and misperceptions of harm are known to lead to tobacco-use initiation.
Parental assessment of pain control following pediatric adenotonsillectomy: Do opioids make a difference?

Abstract Introduction Postoperative prescribing of opioids following pediatric adenotonsillectomy can have negative consequences including unnecessary opioid exposure and potential for respiratory depression. While guidelines from The American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery recommend treatment of post adenotonsillectomy pain using acetaminophen and ibuprofen, many providers continue to prescribe opioids and may do so, in part with concern for parental dissatisfaction with post-operative analgesia. Our aim was to determine whether a post-operative prescription for opioids affects parental assessment of pain control following pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Methods This post-operative survey assessed the parental assessment of pain control in 324 patients, ages 1–17 years undergoing adenotonsillectomy. This study was conducted at a quaternary care children's hospital in Houston, Texas from December 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019. Post-operative pain regimens included acetaminophen and ibuprofen or combination hydrocodone/acetaminophen in addition to ibuprofen for post-operative analgesia based on the attending surgeons prescribing preferences. The primary study outcome was identification of the proportion of parents rating their child's analgesia following pediatric adenotonsillectomy as poor or inadequate based on the post-operative analgesic regimen including opioids. Results Of the 798 surveys sent, the response rate was 42% (324/775) of those who received the survey email, and 69% (324/470) for those who opened the email. Between the opioid and non-opioid groups, there was no difference in gender (male; 48% vs. 51.3%; p = 0.58), race/ethnicity (white; 53% vs. 46%; p = 0.35) or insurance status (insured; 62% vs. 50.9%; p = 0.06). The proportion of parents who rated their child's pain as poor or inadequately controlled following adenotonsillectomy was relatively rare: 9% and 5% in the non-opioid and opioid groups, respectively. Parents rating their child's pain as excellent with regards to pain control following adenotonsillectomy were 58% and 50% in the non-opioids and opioid groups respectively. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that non-opioid analgesic regimens following pediatric adenotonsillectomy were not associated with decreased parental satisfaction or an increasing assessment of poor or inadequately controlled pain. Limiting opioid exposure following pediatric adenotonsillectomy is feasible and does not result in worse parental satisfaction with the analgesic plan.
“They Still Know I’m Their Momma”: Incarcerated Mothers’ Perceptions of Reunification and Resuming a Caregiver Role:

Using in-depth interviews with mothers incarcerated in a maximum-security prison, the current study explores incarcerated mothers’ own perceptions and expectations regarding reunification with thei...
A Joint Test of Market Segmentation and Exchange Risk Factor in International Capital Markets

Market segmentation and exchange risk are two main factors that distinguish international financing and investment decisions from domestic ones. Existing studies of market segmentation have been conducted within a framework in which exchange risk is not explicitly recognized. This paper performs a joint test of market segmentation and exchange risk pricing based on individual stock data from seven major countries outside of the U.S. for the period January 1981 to December 1989. The theoretical framework used is a multifactor model with domestic and world market factors and an exchange risk factor. The maximum likelihood method is used to estimate risk premia, and factor analysis is used to provide additional evidence on the pricing of risk factors. The results indicate that 1) the factor structure of asset returns is internationally heterogeneous, 2) many national capital markets can be described as partially segmented, rather than the polar cases of complete segmentation or integration, and 3) exchange risk is a significant factor affecting asset returns in addition to the domestic and world market risk factors.
Sleep disturbance in heart failure: A concept analysis

Aim This concept analysis aims to analyze the concept of sleep disturbance (SD) in the context of heart failure (HF) to guide the development of a clearly defined definition. Background The term "sleep disturbance" has been used in the literature to describe sleep problems and sleep disorders among individuals with HF. Environmental, physical, psychological, behavioral, and developmental factors complicate the phenomenon of SD in HF. Design Walker and Avant's method was used for this concept analysis. Data source Published literature from 2000 to 2020 was identified from electronic health profession-related databases. The current definition and usages of SD were abstracted from empirical work and electronic databases. Review methods A focused review of abstracts and full text relating to SD in HF was performed. Studies featuring original data and peer-reviewed articles written in English were included to investigate the multifactorial contextual meaning of the concept. Results SD in HF can be described as a condition in which individuals experience difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, and difficulty continuing or resuming sleep due to frequent nocturnal arousals due to HF symptoms, sleep-disordered breathing, insomnia, and psychological burdens. Conclusions To evaluate SD in HF, clinicians must examine the underlying causes to provide the contextual meaning of the concept. A clearly defined and distinguishable concept of SD in HF provides a possibility for accurate measurements of sleep quality, exploring interventions, and evaluating outcomes.
When Does Nudging Represent Fraudulent Disclosure

In the article “Informed Consent: What Must be Disclosed and What Must be Understood?” Joseph Millum and Danielle Bromwich argue that informed consent requires satisfaction of certain disclosure an...