cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Updating representations of learned scenes.

Two experiments were designed to compare scene recognition reaction time (RT) and accuracy patterns following observer versus scene movement. In Experiment 1, participants memorized a scene from a single perspective. Then, either the scene was rotated or the participants moved (0°–360° in 36° increments) around the scene, and participants judged whether the objects’ positions had changed. Regardless of whether the scene was rotated or the observer moved, RT increased with greater angular distance between judged and encoded views. In Experiment 2, we varied the delay (0, 6, or 12 s) between scene encoding and locomotion. Regardless of the delay, however, accuracy decreased and RT increased with angular distance. Thus, our data show that observer movement does not necessarily update representations of spatial layouts and raise questions about the effects of duration limitations and encoding points of view on the automatic spatial updating of representations of scenes.
The permeation of gases through hollow silicone rubber fibers: Effect of fiber elasticity on gas permeability

The permeation of oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and synthetic air through hollow silicon rubber fibers was studied between 0/sup 0/ and 40/sup 0/C and at gauge pressures of up to 3.45 x 10/sup 5/ N/m/sup 2/ (50 lb/in./sup 2/ abs). The study was conducted in a permeator module in which the hollow fibers were pressurized externally. Strain measurements with single fibers showed this mode of operation to be preferable to internal pressurization. The gas permeation rates were markedly affected by dimensional changes of the hollow fibers under external pressure. These changes were predicted satisfactorily by a modification of Varga's (1966) deformation analysis of thick-walled elastic tubes. The extent of air separation achieved in the permeator was in agreement with that calculated from theoretical models. It is conjectured that the performance of such a permeator may be improved in certain cases if the fibers are under suitable initial tension.
A frequency-folded ADC architecture with digital LO synthesis

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture is described which utilizes mixing instead of high frequency sampling, and folds the input in frequency around harmonics of the mixing local oscillator. The frequency-folded input is separated in the digital domain, which enables significant dynamic range benefits. The frequency of the mixing local oscillator can be significantly smaller than the signal bandwidth, and hence the architecture is suitable for high-speed applications. The architecture is verified through system level simulation and the impact of non-idealities on performance is considered. The design is observed to have a reduced timing skew requirement compared to time-interleaved ADCs.
A New Lead From Genetic Studies in Depressed Siblings: Assessing Studies of Chromosome 3

Studies by Breen et al. and Pergadia et al. find evidence for genetic linkage between major depressive disorder and the same region on chromosome 3. The linked region contains the gene GRM7, which encodes a protein for the metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7). Both studies used affected sibling pairs, and neither was able to replicate its finding using association studies in individuals from larger population-based studies. Other family-based studies have also failed to find a signal in this region. Furthermore, there are some differences in how the phenotype was classified, with Breen et al. finding evidence only in the most severely affected patients. Nonetheless, the finding is not without other substantive support. A meta-analysis of 3,957 case subjects with major depressive disorder and 3,428 control subjects from the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D), Genetics of Recurrent Early-onset Depression (GenRED), and the Genetic Association Information Network–MDD (GAIN-M...
Patterns and Average Volume of Alcohol Use Among Women of Childbearing Age

Objectives: Maternal alcohol use is a leading preventable cause of neurobehavioral and developmental abnormalities in children. This study examines the patterns and average volume of alcohol use among U.S. women of childbearing age in order to identify subgroups of high-risk women for selective intervention. Methods: A sample of 188,290 women aged 18–44 years participated in the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC)’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey during the period of 2001–2003. Reported alcohol use patterns and average volume were examined for pregnant and nonpregnant women. Efforts were made to evaluate and characterize women who practiced various levels of binge drinking. Results: The results showed that approximately 2% of pregnant women and 13% of nonpregnant women in the United States engaged in binge drinking during the period of 2001–2003. Among the estimated average of 6.7 million women of childbearing age overall who engaged in binge drinking during the period, approximately 28.5% women also reported consuming an average of 5 drinks or more on typical drinking days, or about 21.4% women consumed at least 45 drinks on average in a month. Larger proportions of binge drinkers with high usual quantity of consumption were found among women of younger ages (18–24 years) or current smokers. Conclusions: Future prevention efforts should include strategies that combine health messages and encourage women of childbearing age, with particular emphasis on women 18–24 years, to avoid alcohol and tobacco use, and take multivitamins and folic acid daily for better pregnancy outcomes. Other efforts must also include broad-based implementation of screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse in primary and women’s health care settings.
A rotation based method for solving covariance and related linear systems

An effective algorithm is presented for the Cholesky factorization of symmetric linear system equations with low displacement ranks. This proposed method represents an improved implementation of the generalized Schur algorithm (GSA) proposed by T. Kailath et al. (1979). It is shown that the (GSA) can be implemented with a sequence of circular and hyperbolic plane rotations. With careful arrangement, the number of the numerically undesirable hyperbolic rotations can be reduced to one per iteration. Hence the numerical stability of its algorithm is significantly improved. It is also shown that the GSA can be generalized to handle indefinite low-displacement rank liner systems as well. This improvement expands the potential applications of GSA for practical problems. >
Lasers and Light Therapies for Pigmentation

With the ever-increasing interest in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and the growing non-Caucasian population of the USA, demand for research in photorejuvenation for darker skin tones is high. Lasers, specifically, have progressed tremendously in the last 20 years, becoming more elegant, efficient, and most of all, safer for all skin tones. They are no longer reserved just for fair skin, and can safely and effectively treat the ailments of individuals with dark skin. The use of lasers and light sources for pigmentation is generally based on wavelengths targeting melanin or pigment as the chromophore. Patients with darker skin tones present a challenge because light therapies are limited by their potential to cause postinflammatory dyspigmentation. Any therapy resulting in robust inflammation may induce this unwanted response. Although oftentimes temporary, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation may persist for many months, oftentimes becoming even more pronounced when approaches are taken to treat it. Strict perioperative use of topical bleaching agents and sun-protective measures are valuable in optimizing outcomes. Inciting factors such as sun exposure and other topicals need to be identified and discontinued to prevent further dyspigmentation during and after surgical treatment. Test spotting a representative lesion 4 weeks before treating the entire area is always recommended.
Thoraco-lumbar duplication of the spine. Case report and embryology review.

Object: We present a case of an asymptomatic and neurologically normal 6-year-old girl who was noted to have a gross spinal abnormality. Methods: Neuroimaging demonstrates gross thoraco-lumbar spine duplication, which is at the severe end of the split cord malformation (SCM) group of congenital abnormalities. Despite the position of the neural structures, the clinical condition has so far not suggested that any surgical intervention is indicated, though the girl’s later growth spurts may still unmask features of a tethered spinal cord. Conclusions: We present a brief review of the literature dealing with theories of embryogenesis relating to SCM, the common clinical and radiological features, and finally the surgical options available.
Ultrasonic Discrimination of Samples With Differently-Distributed Grain Sizes and Equal Average Grain Size

Materials can have distributions of grain sizes. These distributions can have effects on the material’s mechanical properties that are more complicated than an average grain-size dependence. The omission of distribution effects on properties is understandable in view of the great amount of labor required in the experimental measurement of grain volume distribution, together with the predominantly two-dimensional nature of micrography-based grain-size estimation. Ultrasonic techniques have been used to nondestructively measure the grain size of materials on a scale of microns. We suggest using ultrasonic attenuation as an alternative to micrography for three reasons. One advantage is that the ultrasonic dependence on size is a true, three-dimensional dependence. Secondly, through careful selection of wavelength, various grain-size distribution parameters can be extracted. The third justification is that ultrasonic techniques are quick and nondestructive. Previous theoretical development will be reviewed, and the experimental verification will be presented. Through numerical modeling we show the advantages of using ultrasonic techniques that are sensitive to grain-size distribution parameters. We demonstrate that samples with equal average grain size but different grain-size distributions have significantly different attenuation wavelength dependencies.
Journalism and Academic Surgery: The Denver Post and The American Surgeon.

Abstract Publication in professional journals is where advancements in surgery are reported and verified. Thus academic surgery holds common ground with journalism, where the principles of service, communication, and integrity are the basis of their public trust and standing in society. Writing for the Denver Post the author learned lessons that are relevant to academic surgery. Facts have to be solid. There are important issues to be discussed. Articles have to be interesting and not tiresome to read. And if it's something new--the essence of news--get it out there first. The American Surgeon embodies the same principles. The journal is a place where members of the Southeastern Surgical Congress discuss important matters, like surgical education, and share stories of interest, like a Japanese surgeon trying to treat victims of nuclear war. It is accessible yet disciplined, dedicated to advancing our field and fostering fellowship and communication among its members.
Development situation and countermeasures of Guangdong vegetable industry in the first half of 2014

In the first half of 2014, affected by the season and cost, the market price of vegetable in Guangdong province showed an overall upward trend, which was higher than that of the same period last year and reached a new high price level in March. In this paper, we comprehensively elucidated the current developmental situation of Guangdong vegetable industry, further analyzed the fluctuation of vegetable price, and put forward countermeasure and suggestion of vegetable industry development, which might have great significance on accurately kowning the current situation and guiding the healthy development of vegetable industry in Guangdong province.
Intranasal Aβ Vaccination as an Approach to Treating β-Amyloidosis

The cerebral accumulation of amyloid β-protein (AP) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction marked by microgliosis, astrocytosis and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins. Mucosal administration of disease-implicated proteins can induce antigen-specific, anti-inflammatory immune responses in mucosal lymphoid tissue which subsequently act systemically. We hypothesized that chronic mucosal administration of Aβ peptide might induce an anti-inflammatory immune process in which cells induced in the mucosa would circulate to and enter brain tissue to provide a Th2-type cytokine response that could decrease local inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we treated human APP transgenic mice between the ages of ~5 and ~12 months with synthetic human Aβ1–40 peptide given mucosally (orally or intranasally) each week. In the mice treated intranasally, we found significant decreases in cerebral Aβ plaque burden as well as Aβ42 levels, compared to a control group of mice treated with myelin basic protein or left untreated. The lower Aβ burden in the nasally treated mice was associated with decreased local microglial and astrocytic activation, decreased neuritic dystrophy, serum anti-Aβ antibodies of the IgGl and IgG2b classes and a small number of mononuclear cells in the brain expressing the anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β. Our results demonstrate that chronic nasal administration of Aβ can induce a cellular and humoral immune response to Aβ that decreases cerebral Aβ levels, suggesting a novel mucosal immunological approach for the treatment and prevention of AD.
Blood loss and transfusion requirements with epsilon-aminocaproic acid use during cranial vault reconstruction surgery

Abstract Objective To determine whether epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) load of 50 mg∙kg −1 before skin incision, and infusion of 25 mg∙kg −1 ∙h −1 until skin closure during cranial vault reconstruction (CVR) were associated with decreased estimated blood loss and transfusion requirements. Background Antifibrinolytic medications decrease bleeding and transfusion requirements during cardiothoracic and orthopedic surgeries with high blood loss, but practical reductions in blood loss and transfusion requirements have not been consistently realized in children undergoing CVR. Current dosing recommendations are derived from adult extrapolations, and may or may not have clinical relevance. Method Retrospective case-controlled study of 45 consecutive infants and children undergoing primary craniosynostosis surgery at Covenant Children's Hospital during years 2010-2014. Exclusion criteria included revision surgery, and chromosomal abnormalities associated with bleeding disorders. Blood loss and blood transfusion volumes as a percent of estimated blood volume were compared in the presence of EACA while controlling for age, suture phenotype, use of bone grafting, and length of surgery. Secondary outcomes measures included volume of crystalloid infused, length of hospital stay, and any postoperative intubation requirement. Results When analyzed based on length of surgery, EACA did reduce blood loss and blood transfusion ( R 2 =0.19, P =.005 and R 2 =0.18, P =.010, respectively) with shorter surgeries. Conclusions and relevance Using a standardized dosing regimen of EACA during craniosynostosis surgery, we found statistical significance in blood loss and transfusion requirements in surgeries of the shortest duration. We suspect this may be due to our selected dosing regimen, which may be lower than recently recommended. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting EACA in CVR for craniosynostosis.
Limbic Forebrain Modulation of Neuroendocrine Responses to Emotional Stress

One major class of stress paradigms termed emotional stresses possess distinct cognitive/affective components and model the human experience of fear and anxiety. Their capacity to engage adaptive response systems, notably the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, requires comparison with past experience, a function fulfilled by a network of interconnected structures in the limbic forebrain, including aspects of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, extended amygdala, and midline thalamus. This network may exert both positive and negative modulatory influences on HPA axis responses to acute emotional stresses. These adjustments are mediated indirectly, with proximate relays having been recently identified in the hypothalamus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, respectively, with the latter representing a point of convergence of influences from multiple stress-inhibitory limbic forebrain structures. This same network participates in adaptations (habituation, facilitation) to repeated emotional stress, and its activity is thus relevant to the many adverse health consequences of chronic stress exposure.
Joby Warrick. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS

The ideas expressed are solely the author's opinions and do not represent the United States Department of State or any other agency.Joby Warrick details the life of Ahmad Fadil al-Khalayleh, better...
Frequency and area dependence of High-K/Ge MOS capacitors

This paper investigates the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements of Ge/Al2O3/ZrO2/TiN MOS capacitors at different frequencies for square devices with different side lengths (10 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm). The results show that the series resistance corrected capacitance (CC) for accumulation region is dependent on frequency, devices substrate and area. CC increases at a faster pace when a lower frequency (1KHz) is used than at a higher frequency (1MHz). Substantial decrease of CC per unit area is reported in Ge/High-K in comparison to Si/High-K devices when device area is increased. This decrease is attributed to the large non-uniform interface defect density and high leakage current associated with Ge.
Understanding of cardiovascular disease risk factors among Bangladeshi immigrants in New York City.

OBJECTIVES Among all South Asians, Bangladeshis have the highest prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of our study was to compare the understanding of CVD risk factors among Bangladeshi immigrants to the general Caucasian population in the U.S. DESIGN We surveyed Bangladeshi immigrants in Queens, New York using a CVD risk factor knowledge instrument used in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study to assess awareness of risk factors. Using multivariate regression modeling, we compared scores on the knowledge instrument between Bangladeshis we surveyed and Caucasians from the CARDIA study, controlling for potential confounders. We subsequently examined the frequency of mentioning each risk factor to understand what was driving the difference in the overall score. RESULTS The proportion of Bangladeshis scoring low on the knowledge assessment was 0.53, where as the proportion of whites scoring low in the CARDIA study was 0.32 (p value < .001). Whites were 34% more likely to score high than Bangladeshis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.52). Bangladeshis were more likely to mention diet and cholesterol as risk factors and less likely to mention lack of exercise, being overweight, and smoking as risk factors. CONCLUSION Understanding of cardiovascular disease risk factors was lower among Bangladeshis than whites. This was driven by Bangladeshis having less awareness regarding how exercise and being overweight contribute to CVD. Community based interventions and community health partnerships should target these behavioral risk factors in the Bangladeshi population.
A Comparative Study on Micro-electro-discharge-machined Surface Characteristics of Ni-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V with Respect to Biocompatibility

Abstract Ti-6Al-4 V (grade 5 titanium alloy) and NiTi (shape memory alloy) are two commonly used materials for biomedical orthopedic and orthodontic applications. The surface characteristics of the biomedical implants play a significant role on the biocompatibility and mechanical strength of the implants. The objective of this study is to investigate and compare the surface characteristics of NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) and Ti-6Al-4 V alloy after machined using micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM). The machined surfaces were analyzed for topography, composition, migration of materials and microhardness. The results showed that NiTi SMA produced comparatively smoother surface finish. The analysis of elemental composition indicated migration of materials to the workpiece from the dielectric and the tool electrode. There is formation of TiO2 and NiTiO3 layers on the machined surfaces of Ti-6Al-4 V and NiTi respectively. The surface microhardness increased in both NiTi and Ti-6Al-4 V workpieces after micro-EDM due to the formation of the oxide layers. The formation of oxide layers can be beneficial for both materials when used as biomedical implants, as commercial implants contain protective oxide coatings to minimize the corrosion inside human body.
Shared Processing of Language and Music.

Abstract. The present study sought to explore whether musical information is processed by the phonological loop component of the working memory model of immediate memory. Original instantiations of this model primarily focused on the processing of linguistic information. However, the model was less clear about how acoustic information lacking phonological qualities is actively processed. Although previous research has generally supported shared processing of phonological and musical information, these studies were limited as a result of a number of methodological concerns (e.g., the use of simple tones as musical stimuli). In order to further investigate this issue, an auditory interference task was employed. Specifically, participants heard an initial stimulus (musical or linguistic) followed by an intervening stimulus (musical, linguistic, or silence) and were then asked to indicate whether a final test stimulus was the same as or different from the initial stimulus. Results indicated that mismatched in...
The PET/X dedicated breast-PET scanner for optimizing cancer therapy

We are currently building the PET/X scanner, which is a breast positron emission tomography (PET) scanner combined with a standard X-ray mammography system. The role for the PET/X scanner is to precisely measure changes in radiotracer uptake after an initial test dose of adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy. The system performance target is that a measured 20% change in tracer uptake in 5 mm diameter lesions with standardized uptake value (SUV) of 5 g/ml should correspond to at least 95% specificity ( The PET scanner consists of 4 planar detectors, forming a rectangular system with complete azimuthal angular sampling (around the z-axis). The panels are formed of detector blocks each using a 20x20 array of LYSO scintillation crystals (2x2x10mm3) coupled to a 12x12 array of 3x3 mm2 pixel silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The overall system size is 24cm wide (6 blocks) by 16cm deep (4 blocks axially) by 4-to-12cm adjustable height. The PET system mounts on a mammography scanner by swapping out the standard 'bucky' unit. Patients are scanned in both mammography and PET modes without movement to allow co-registration of the two image sets. Here, we review the system design, construction, and initial performance measures.
Plasticity of Neuronal Interactions: Monoamines and Neuropeptides

Monoamines and neuropeptides are distributed widely throughout the mammalian brain. In many brain regions these two classes of neuroactive substances appear intermixed, which suggests the possibility of functional interactions. We have attempted to define the precise relationship between selected monoamine and peptide neurons in order to provide a working model of neuronal interactions. The systems chosen include the classic endocrine peptides of the magnocellular hypothalamus, vasopressin and oxytocin, and noradrenergic afferents from the reticular formation of the medulla.
Disease Pathogenesis and Genetics

In this chapter we will go into some depth about how and why Wilson’s disease develops in a patient. We will begin by considering the evidence as to whether copper really is the culprit, and after concluding that it is, we will discuss normal copper handling and normal copper balance. We will then go into what has gone awry, in the broad sense. Is it enhanced copper absorption or decreased copper excretion? After concluding that it is the latter, we will discuss the evidence that the disease is caused by a failure of biliary excretion of copper, and how and why that may be happening. We will then discuss the genetic defect in Wilson’s disease, and how that defect may cripple copper excretion in the bile, thereby crippling copper balance regulation. Finally, we will discuss the natural history of copper accumulation and toxicity in various organs that leads to symptomatology.
Local Non-linear Functions of Quantum Fields

I think it is good that one of us is treating a topic that impinges explicitly on relations with theoretical physics, because the complementarity between mathematics as a pure discipline and mathematics as a universal distillation from the experiential universe is one of the striking features in some of Marshall Stone’s line of work. In addition to this primary consideration, there is the general one that the Sovereign Nation of Mathematics — so to speak — is now surely sufficiently secure and vital that it befits it to explore relations with other Nations, such as Physics, The subject of quantum fields has seemed particularly appropriate in these connections. Purely mathematically, it provides a proving ground for the development and testing of methods for dealing with some of the most novel and exciting problems of contemporary analysis, — to name only some of these, the problems of highly singular perturbations, falling outside the scope of conventional theories of operators in Hilbert space and generalized functions, of which some of the work of Feldman [1] and Nelson [8] is representative; the development of real and complex analysis for functions on infinite-dimensional spaces, of which some of the work of Gross [5], Shale [16], and myself [10] is representative; and the problem, not only of analysis but of meaning, of the application of non-linear operations to weak functions (e.g., the raising of a Schwartzian distribution to a power) (cf. e.g. [5], [11] and [14]). On the other hand, in relation to potential commerce with the Nation of Physics, one has in quantum fields probably the most sophisticated and far-reaching idea of contemporary theoretical physics.
Dynamically consistent method for mixed quantum-classical simulations: A semiclassical approach

We introduce a new semiclassical (SC) framework, the Mixed Quantum-Classical Initial Value Representation (MQC-IVR), that can be tuned to reproduce existing quantum-limit and classical-limit SC approximations to quantum real-time correlation functions. Applying a modified Filinov transformation to a quantum-limit SC formulation leads to the association of a Filinov parameter with each degree of freedom in the system; varying this parameter from zero to infinity controls the extent of quantization of the corresponding mode. The resulting MQC-IVR expression provides a consistent dynamic framework for mixed quantum-classical simulations and we demonstrate its numerical accuracy in the calculation of real-time correlation functions for a model 1D system and a model 2D system over the full range of quantum- to classical-limit behaviors.
High-throughput analysis of photocatalytic reactivity of differing TiO2 formulations using 96-well microplate reactors.

Abstract The rapid development of photocatalysts for water decontamination benefits from availability of sensitive platforms for screening photocatalytic reactivity. The standard approach typically involves quantifying the degradation of a single dye compound in a slurry system in individual beakers, which requires tedious photocatalyst separation and long operation time. We present a simple and efficient method for assessing the photocatalytic activity of different photocatalyst nanomaterials that eliminates the solid separation process. The 96-well microplate method demonstrated an improved applicability as a high-throughput screening method for photocatalytic reaction mechanisms using a wide range of chemical substrates (i.e., methyl orange, methylene blue, terephthalic acid, and β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzyme) and photocatalyst concentrations (1–100 mg/L). By employing photocatalysts at lower concentrations compared to the slurry system, rapid screening was accomplished through direct spectrophotometric or spectrofluorometric measurements. The mass-normalized rate constants of dye degradation were used to determine the photocatalytic reactivity of three commercial TiO2 nanomaterials, which followed an order of SRM TiO2 1898 ≈ Degussa TiO2 P90 > Food-grade TiO2 E171. The extent of hydroxyl radical involvement in methyl orange degradation was estimated to be ∼74% by using radical scavengers in the microplate reactor. Given the utilization of low-concentration photocatalyst, this protocol may be used for evaluating photocatalytic reactivity and oxidative stress caused by photocatalyst exposure in an aquatic environment. We further evaluated photocatalytic reaction kinetics with respect to energetic and photonic efficiency. The method could greatly facilitate comparisons across different laboratories when quantifying photocatalytic reactivity and efficiency, which would aid in standardizing bench-scale photocatalysis testing.
An Item Response Theory Evaluation of a Language-Independent CS1 Knowledge Assessment

Tests serve an important role in computing education, measuring achievement and differentiating between learners with varying knowledge. But tests may have flaws that confuse learners or may be too difficult or easy, making test scores less valid and reliable. We analyzed the Second Computer Science 1 (SCS1) concept inventory, a widely used assessment of introductory computer science (CS1) knowledge, for such flaws. The prior validation study of the SCS1 used Classical Test Theory and was unable to determine whether differences in scores were a result of question properties or learner knowledge. We extended this validation by modeling question difficulty and learner knowledge separately with Item Response Theory (IRT) and performing expert review on problematic questions. We found that three questions measured knowledge that was unrelated to the rest of the SCS1, and four questions were too difficult for our sample of 489 undergrads from two universities.
Smoke ’Em if You Got ’Em: The Rise and Fall of the Military Cigarette Ration

Joel R. Bius’s lively new book on the military cigarette ration is an interesting and useful addition to a growing body of scholarship on the history of smoking in the United States. In recent year...
Multi-Omic Analysis of the Microbiome and Metabolome in Healthy Subjects Reveals Microbiome-Dependent Relationships Between Diet and Metabolites

The human microbiome has been associated with health status, and risk of disease development. While the etiology of microbiome-mediated disease remains to be fully elucidated, one mechanism may be through microbial metabolism. Metabolites produced by commensal organisms, including in response to host diet, may affect host metabolic processes, with potentially protective or pathogenic consequences. We conducted multi-omic phenotyping of healthy subjects (N = 136), in order to investigate the interaction between diet, the microbiome, and the metabolome in a cross-sectional sample. We analyzed the nutrient composition of self-reported diet (3-day food records and food frequency questionnaires). We profiled the gut and oral microbiome (16S rRNA) from stool and saliva, and applied metabolomic profiling to plasma and stool samples in a subset of individuals (N = 75). We analyzed these multi-omic data to investigate the relationship between diet, the microbiome, and the gut and circulating metabolome. On a global level, we observed significant relationships, particularly between long-term diet, the gut microbiome and the metabolome. Intake of plant-derived nutrients as well as consumption of artificial sweeteners were associated with significant differences in circulating metabolites, particularly bile acids, which were dependent on gut enterotype, indicating that microbiome composition mediates the effect of diet on host physiology. Our analysis identifies dietary compounds and phytochemicals that may modulate bacterial abundance within the gut and interact with microbiome composition to alter host metabolism.
Perioperative Stroke in Carotid Artery Stenting as a Surrogate Marker and Predictor for 30-day Postprocedural Mortality – A Pooled Analysis of 156,000 Patients with Carotid Artery Disease

Background: Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is being recognized as an effective alternative for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). CAS is especially preferred over CEA in high-risk surgical patients with severe carotid stenosis. However, CAS carries an increased risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Objective: To assess the association between periprocedural stroke/TIA and 30-day mortality in carotid stenosis patients undergoing CAS. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and World Science for relevant publications. Studies reporting on perioperative neurologic status (stroke/TIA) and 30-day mortality in patients undergoing CAS were included. Sensitivity, specificity, pooled odds ratio (OR), and relative risk (RR) of perioperative stroke in predicting 30-day mortality following CAS were calculated. Results: 146 studies with 156,854 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The mean patient age was 70.7 years, and 57.6% were males. Only 26.5% of the CAS cohort were symptomatic and 15.2% had bilateral carotid disease. The incidence of perioperative TIA and stroke were 2.4 and 2.7 per 100 CAS procedure, respectively. Around 11.8% of stroke-events were fatal. The pooled OR of 30-day mortality after perioperative stroke was 24.58 (95% CI, 19.92–30.32) and the pooled RR was 21.65 (95% CI, 17.87–26.22). Perioperative stroke had a sensitivity of 42.0% (95% CI 37.8–46.4%) and specificity of 97.0% (95% CI 96.7–97.3%) in predicting 30-day mortality. Conclusions: Perioperative stroke drastically increases the risk of 30-day mortality. The occurrence of perioperative stroke exhibited high specificity but modest sensitivity in predicting 30-day mortality following CAS. This highlights the importance of neurophysiologic monitoring to detect intraoperative cerebral ischemia and perform timely interventions.
Influence of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in the Private Banking Sector of Bangladesh: A PLS Approach

In this competitive business era, the key strategy for the success and survival of any business organization is the deliverance of quality services to customers because service quality has beneficial effect on the bottom-line performance for the organization. As a financial organization, banks are continuously introducing their new products and services at regular intervals to satisfy and retain their customers and hence, achieving high levels of service is one of techniques to keep customers both satisfied and loyal. Thus, this study intends to determine the impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in private banking sector of Bangladesh. Five dimensions of Servqual Model such as tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1985) are considered as the base for this study. A structured questionnaire with 5-point Likert scale has been used to gather the data for this study by conducting survey. The sample size is 100 and chosen on a convenient basis. Data has been analyzed by using PLS 3.0 software. SPSS software (version 20) package was also used to present the data demographically. The result shows that tangibility and empathy have significant effect on customer satisfaction, on the other hand, reliability, responsiveness and assurance don’t have any significant effect on customer satisfaction. Moreover, customer satisfaction has direct significant effect on customer loyalty. Finally, this study proposed few recommendations for the managerial implication.
How can experiments play a greater role in public policy? Three notions from behavioral psychology

Al-Ubaydli et al. provide a far-reaching, insightful and directly actionable analysis of how social-behavioral research may exert more influence over the development and implementation of public policy. Their paper offers a sophisticated understanding of the ‘scale-up effect’, or factors that influence the extent to which positive experimental effects replicate as an intervention is implemented more broadly. Using economic principles, models and analyses, they offer 12 proposals for improving the process of scaling up effective and policy-relevant interventions. The current paper outlines how their proposals share a number of complementary features with behavioral psychology and applied behavior analysis. This response considers three possible points of intersection: (1) perspectives on the importance and challenges of studying and controlling our own behavior; (2) approaches to determining the social value of intervention outcomes and the procedures for achieving them; and (3) recommendations for deploying meaningful, common measures across phases of research.
An optimal O(N) scheme for simulations of colliding, particle-laden flows on unstructured grids

Abstract The cost of tracking Lagrangian particles in a domain discretized on an unstructured grid can become prohibitively expensive as the number of particles or elements grows. A major part of the cost in these calculations is spent on locating the element that hosts a particle and detecting binary collisions, with the latter traditionally requiring O ( N 2 ) operations, N being the number of particles. This paper introduces an optimal search box strategy to significantly reduce the cost of these two operations, ensuring a nearly O ( N ) scaling of the cost of collision detection for large-scale simulations. The particle localization strategy is constructed by obtaining an a priori estimate for the optimal number of search boxes as a function of the number of elements, particles, and time steps. The introduced method is generic, as it must be tuned only once for a given implementation and element type. The optimal number of search boxes for collision detection, although complex in form, can be reasonably approximated as the number of particles. The optimality of our method is shown using three drastically varying geometries.
Modelling variation in wood stiffness of Pinus ponderosa using static bending and acoustic measurements

Wood removed in Southwestern US forest restoration treatments currently has limited markets and thus low value. One important property of wood in structural products is its stiffness (measured as modulus of elasticity), which is known to vary systematically within trees. Directly measuring wood stiffness is expensive, time consuming and destructive. Therefore, we tested samples of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) from northern Arizona destructively in bending and also non-destructively using acoustic velocity (AV) methods. In total, we tested multiple pith-to-bark small clear (2.54 × 2.54 × 40.64 cm) samples from up to four heights in 103 trees. We first measured the standing-tree AV of sample trees, then the AV of small clear samples, and finally measured wood stiffness using three point static bending tests. We found that a Michaelis–Menten curve was a good fit to the radial profile of wood stiffness, with a steep increase outward from the pith that approached an asymptote. The AV of small clear samples, coupled with measured volumetric density values, approximated the static modulus of elasticity values with high accuracy (r2 =0.86). At the stand level, a model predicting standing tree AV from tree morphology fit the data well (r2 =0.77). Results indicate that southwestern ponderosa pine contains outerwood with relatively high stiffness that could be suitable for structural products. However, when assessed using wood stiffness, the trees take a long time to reach maturity (∼50 years) and thus the corewood proportion is large. AV measurements are a good way to assess variability within and among stands and thus could be employed to segregate the resource by expected stiffness values. Segregation could help identify stands not suitable for structural uses and direct them toward more appropriate products.
Academic performance programs: new directions and (dis)connections in academic reform.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a response to Harrison’s (2012) work. The author suggests that the one-size-fits all approach the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has adopted when implementing academic reform measures ultimately hurts the athletes the reforms are intended to benefit.
A critical appraisal of surgical outcomes following orbital hypertelorism correction: what is the incidence of true bony relapse versus soft tissue telecanthus?

Orbital hypertelorism (OHT) represents a congenital condition defined by lateralization of the bony orbit, unlike soft tissue telecanthus in which there is an increase in intercanthal distance without true bony lateralization. Existing literature remains very limited in its postoperative assessment of bony versus soft tissue relapse, which may both clinically present as telecanthus. We performed a critical appraisal of the literature to determine the postoperative incidence of bony versus soft tissue relapse following OHT repair. The PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and clinicaltrials.org were searched systematically for all English studies published in any time frame reporting relapse rates following primary OHT repair. The primary outcome was incidence of bony and soft tissue relapse defined as orbital lateralization and medial canthal drift, respectively. The secondary outcome measures include postoperative complications, predictors of postoperative complications, timing and type of surgery, and revision rates. Eleven articles were included. A total of 84 (35.3%) patients experienced bony relapse while 43 (27.2%) patients experienced soft tissue relapse. Age at time of intervention (p < 0.92), severity at presentation (p < 0.90), and surgical technique (p < 0.09) were not found be significantly associated with relapse rate. Methods for long-term follow-up were not standardized, and there was no consistent measure to objectively assess telecanthus. There is no general consensus on predictive factors of long-term relapse following OHT repair in the form of box osteotomy or facial bipartition. These findings call for cross-sectional outcome standardization to better understand long-term outcomes across institutional, provider, and patient differences.
Material failure and caldera collapse: Insights from the 2018 Kilauea eruption

Abstract The Failure Forecast Method (FFM) was introduced as an empirical model for forecasting catastrophic material failures related to natural hazards, such as landslides and volcanic eruptions, with mixed success. During the 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, the draining of the summit magma reservoir into the Lower East Rift Zone resulted in the formation of a new caldera at the summit. I tested the applicability of the FFM to caldera collapse by analyzing the cyclical earthquake swarms and ground deformation that occurred between 62 sudden major caldera collapse events. The progression of both the cumulative moment release of the cyclical earthquakes and the GNSS displacement show a major change in mid-June. In late May through early June, the progression of the parameters is consistent with strain localization or creep progression related to the development or activation of the ring fault system. From late June until the end of the eruption, parameter progression is roughly steady with initial accelerating increases in cumulative moment and displacement that shift to approximately linear progression. Analysis of repeating earthquake families in the cyclical swarms showed that the behavior of the repeaters was consistent with that of the cyclical swarms as a whole and suggested that each family undergoes its own progression of activation to termination. While the FFM analysis identified the system change in mid-June, it did not demonstrate an ability to forecast collapse events or the end of the eruption.
The development and clinical use of oral hypomethylating agents in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes: dawn of the total oral therapy era

Intravenous and subcutaneous hypomethylating agents have held a key role in myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia treatment. Following the approval of...
Derivation of a Relation for the Steepening of Tev-Selected Blazar γ-ray Spectra with Energy and Redshift

We derive a relation for the steepening of blazar gamma-ray spectra between the multi-GeV Fermi energy range and the TeV energy range observed by atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes. The change in spectral index is produced by two effects: (1) an intrinsic steepening, independent of redshift, owing to the properties of emission and absorption in the source, and (2) a redshift-dependent steepening produced by intergalactic pair production interactions of blazar gamma-rays with low energy photons of the "intergalactic background light" (IBL). Given this relation, with good enough data on the mean gamma-ray SED of TeV Selected BL Lacs, the redshift evolution of the IBL can, in principle, be determined independently of stellar evolution models. We apply our relation to the results of new Fermi observations of TeV selected blazars.
Changing Contraindications for t-PA in Acute Stroke: Review of 20 Years Since NINDS

When intravenous (IV) tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in 1996, there was a lengthy list of contraindications. In the 19 years since the approval of t-PA for AIS, it has been used off label and in patients with those contraindications. In February 2015, the list of contraindications for IV t-PA in AIS was revised and several of the previous contraindications were removed. As only 4 % of patients with ischemic stroke receive treatment with IV t-PA, these changes increase the number of patients eligible for treatment. Anytime there is a significant change in the indications and treatment paradigm with a medication, there can be some resistance to the adaptation of the change into physician's treating habits. We seek to review what the changes to t-PA contraindications are, how they came about, as well as the literature on the previously off-label and currently off-label use of IV t-PA for patients with AIS.