cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preoperative decolonization to reduce infections in urgent lower extremity repairs

Medical implants and surgical site infections (SSIs) can be a burden on both patients and healthcare systems with a significant rise in morbidity, mortality and costs. Preoperatively, our practice of a chlorohexidine gluconate (CHG) washcloth bath or solution shower was supplemented with nasal painting using povidone-iodine skin and nasal antiseptic (PI-SNA). We sought to measure the effectiveness in reducing SSIs in patients undergoing repair of lower extremity fractures. A retrospective review of trauma patients undergoing orthopedic operations conducted at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center from 10/1/2012 through 9/30/2016. The intervention period was 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2016 which included the addition of nasal painting with PI-SNA preoperatively. All patients were followed for 1 year prior to January 2013 and 30 or 90 days thereafter for the development of a SSI. The pre-intervention group consisted of 930 cases with a 1.1% infection rate (10 SSIs). The intervention group consisted of 962 cases with a 0.2% infection rate (2 SSIs). This observed difference was statistically significant (P = 0.020). This retrospective review of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus decolonization protocol using CHG bath/shower and PI-SNA nasal painting revealed a significant decrease in the infection rate of patients undergoing lower extremity fracture repairs. We recommend its use without contraindications, but recognize that additional investigations are necessary.
Internal Orientalism and multicultural acts: the challenges of multicultural education in Korea

This essay examines how the projects seeking to promote damunhwa, literally translated as multi-culture, in South Korea inadvertently reinforce cultural stereotypes and reproduce cultural hierarchi...
Recurrent Erosion: Treatment by Anterior Stromal Puncture

The majority of patients with recurrent corneal erosion respond to conventional forms of therapy such as topical lubricants, patching, debridement, or bandage soft contact lenses. However, there remain a small number who do not. For the small number of patients who do not respond to this type of treatment, this report describes a procedure: multiple anterior stromal punctures are created that presumably stimulate more secure epithelial adhesion to the underlying stroma. Of 21 eyes in 18 patients treated in this manner, three eyes required retreatment of adjacent areas; otherwise, there were no recurrences in follow-up periods ranging from 5 months to 12 years. This procedure is a simple and effective method for safe office treatment of patients with recalcitrant recurrent erosion.
Thermal wellbore strengthening through managed temperature drilling – Part II: Chemical system design and laboratory testing

Abstract This paper is the second part of a two-part series introducing a new and innovative managed temperature drilling technique for thermal wellbore strengthening of challenging oil and gas wells. It describes the development of heat-releasing (“exothermic”) coated particles designed to release heat at exactly the right circulating time to increase near-wellbore formation temperature and thermal stress in potential lost circulation zones, such as depleted reservoir zones in deepwater wells. The increase in thermal stress directly elevates the near-wellbore tangential stress, which translates into an increase in the effective fracture gradient. This may lower the risk of lost circulation, and also improve the chance of successfully cementing casing and achieving zonal isolation. In the latter application, a treatment can be executed as an integral part of the cement job by using it in an extended spacer train for mud displacement, pumped directly prior to cement placement to thermally strengthen a formation. The coated exothermic particles, which were based on the hygroscopic calcium and magnesium salts with chlorine and bromine, were designed such that they could release their “payload” via an extended time-release mechanism, to ensure that the heat release reaches the appropriate target location in the wellbore at exactly the right time. The chemical candidate systems were found to effectively heat up the wellbore and increase temperature up to 90 °C. This, in turn, will elevate the fracture gradient by several hundred psi, depending on formation properties. The particles need to be transported to the target formation and their reaction products need to be carried away from the target formation by a suitable carrier fluid that can handle the exothermic dissolution of a large amount of salt without any instability. Details regarding the formulation and testing of non-coated and coated particles and their carrier fluid are discussed here, as well as considerations for field application of thermal wellbore strengthening. The developed managed temperature drilling technique, enabled by the chemical system described here, can be used to minimize lost circulation events and associated well trouble time and cost during drilling, cementing and completion operations.
May God Guide Our Guns : Visualizing Supernatural Aid Heightens Team Confidence in a Paintball Battle Simulation.

The perceived support of supernatural agents has been historically, ethnographically, and theoretically linked with confidence in engaging in violent intergroup conflict. However, scant experimental investigations of such links have been reported to date, and the extant evidence derives largely from indirect laboratory methods of limited ecological validity. Here, we experimentally tested the hypothesis that perceived supernatural aid would heighten inclinations toward coalitional aggression using a realistic simulated coalitional combat paradigm: competitive team paintball. In a between-subjects design, US paintball players recruited for the study were experimentally primed with thoughts of supernatural support using a guided visualization exercise analogous to prayer, or with a control visualization of a nature scene. The participants then competed in a team paintball battle game modeled after “Capture the Flag.” Immediately before and after the battle, participants completed surveys assessing confidence in their coalitional and personal battle performance. Participants assessed their coalition’s prospects of victory and performance more positively after visualizing supernatural aid. Participants primed with supernatural support also reported inflated assessments of their own performance. Importantly, however, covarying increases in assessments of their overall coalition’s performance accounted for the latter effect. This study provided support for the hypothesis that perceived supernatural support can heighten both prospective confidence in coalitional victory and retrospective confidence in the combat performance of one’s team, while highlighting the role of competitive play in evoking the coalitional psychology of intergroup conflict. These results accord with and extend convergent prior findings derived from laboratory paradigms far removed from the experience of combat. Accordingly, the field study approach utilized here shows promise as a method for investigating coalitional battle dynamics in a realistic, experientially immersive manner.
Antitrust lessons from "the true north strong and free"

The Antitrust Law Journal makes a major contribution to North American competition law practice by this symposium featuring four outstanding articles by leading Canadian authors. These articles serve two important purposes. Those who read these pages because they wish to maintain or obtain a competitive edge based on their antitrust expertise will profit immensely as will their clients doing business north of our border from a greater understanding of the doctrinal and operational aspects of Canada's competition laws. In addition, these articles are extremely helpful in allowing Americans to use comparative law techniques to reassess the way we design and implement our own competition policy. Because the Canadian and American economies and legal regimes are so similar, careful scrutiny of the differences that do exist yields far greater insights than comparisons with countries with different legal traditions and economic concerns.
Implicit Definition and the Proper Grounding of Mathematics

English translation of Moritz Pasch,“Die Begrundung der Mathematik und die implizite Definition: Ein Zusammenhang mit der Lehre vom Als-Ob,” Annalen der Philosophie mit besonderer Rucksicht auf die Probleme der Als-Ob-Betrachtung, 2 (1921), pp. 145–162. The technique Pasch calls “implicit definition ” is a generalization of the more celebrated “definition by abstraction .” In an implicit definition , one introduces new vocabulary by stipulating the meaning of certain sentences in which that vocabulary is allowed to occur. Pasch uses a geometric example to illustrate the technique.
Shared-Book Reading in China

Described in this chapter is an initial attempt, perhaps the first ever, to engage children in the People’s Republic of China in Shared-Book reading. Shared-Book reading is one-way to expand the volume of reading of young children. In China, teaching reading is based on a long tradition of intensive reading of limited amounts of text using recitation, drill, practice, and memorization. The Shared-Book approach was adapted to accommodate the Chinese traditions of teaching, large class size, and the physical layout of classrooms and, yet, maintain fidelity to the essential features of the approach. A detailed description of a lesson with first graders in Beijing is presented along with principles for selection of children’s book and guidelines for teaching. On two-week delayed tests of vocabulary, the first graders were able to pronounce a high proportion of previously unfamiliar characters within the same context as the original story, a novel context, and in isolation. In a follow-up experiment across four classes, substantial vocabulary learning of first graders at two weeks was retained at eight weeks. The positive results and enthusiastic response of children and teachers are encouraging and worth continued research pursuit
Rotation Curves of Spiral Galaxies in Groups and Clusters

The measurement of emission-line rotation curves is one of our primary tools for studying the structure and dynamics of galaxies. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly evident that interactions between galaxies, both now and in the distant past, may have played an important role in the evolution of galaxies. Such interactions would be most prevalent in regions of high galactic density such as groups and clusters. It is therefore rather surprising that it has only been during the last few years that a sample of extended, emission-line rotation curves has become available for galaxies in these dense environments. This article reviews some of the findings from these recent observations; more specifically, that rotation curves for spiral galaxies near the centers of clusters are falling, and a large fraction of rotation curves in compact groups are abnormal.
Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Anterior Cerebral Artery Occlusion.

Background We sought to examine the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of anterior cerebral artery (ACA) occlusions in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods Two-hundred ninety-eight consecutive patients with large-vessel occlusion treated with MT were analyzed to identify all patients with acute ACA occlusion who underwent MT. The primary end point was defined as achieving a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score ≥2b. The secondary end point included the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results Nine patients with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 24 presented with acute ACA occlusion. The median time from onset to recanalization was 229 minutes. The ACA occlusion was a primary embolic occlusion in 5 patients, secondary to an interventional maneuver in 4 patients. Recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction ≥2b) was achieved in 9 of 9 patients (100%) without procedural complications. All patients had a 90-day mRS score ≥3, and 2 patients had an mRS score of 6. Two patients developed hemorrhagic infarction, and 1 patient had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions Although MT can be considered in patients with ACA occlusions, our data suggest that future clinical trials are needed to determine the efficacy of MT for ACA occlusions. Unfavorable outcomes in our study were considered to occur because of a larger infarct volume due to internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and anterior cerebral artery territory infarction. The time from onset to recanalization was longer because MT was performed for occlusions of multiple arteries.
An empirical-bayes approach to recovering linearly constrained non-negative sparse signals

We consider the recovery of an (approximately) sparse signal from noisy linear measurements, in the case that the signal is apriori known to be non-negative and obeys certain linear equality constraints. For this, we propose a novel empirical-Bayes approach that combines the Generalized Approximate Message Passing (GAMP) algorithm with the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. To enforce both sparsity and non-negativity, we employ an i.i.d Bernoulli non-negative Gaussian mixture (NNGM) prior and perform approximate minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) recovery of the signal using sum-product GAMP. To learn the NNGM parameters, we use the EM algorithm with a suitable initialization. Meanwhile, the linear equality constraints are enforced by augmenting GAMP's linear observation model with noiseless pseudo-measurements. Numerical experiments demonstrate the state-of-the art mean-squared-error and runtime of our approach.
Advanced Modeling Fast Simulation Algorithms for Alternate Arm Converters

There is increasing interest in alternate arm converter (AAC) due to the fault-tolerant characteristics it could offer in high-voltage direct current (HVdc) systems. The simulation of AACs is important to assist with the design of hardware, control systems, and planning of power system expansions. However, simulation of AAC-HVdc using existing software takes a long time due to the presence of a large number of states and non-linear devices. An ultra-fast single-or multi-CPU simulation algorithm to simulate the AAC-HVdc system based on state-space models and using hybrid discretization algorithm with a relaxation technique that reduces the imposed computational burden is presented in this paper. The developed algorithm is validated with respect to reference PSCAD/EMTDC model.
Pleuropulmonary Recurrence Following Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion for Appendiceal Pseudomyxoma Peritonei

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with pleuropulmonary disease recurrence following cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (CRS/HIPEC) for appendiceal pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and to evaluate the oncologic impact of pleuropulmonary disease recurrence compared with isolated peritoneal recurrence. From a prospective database, we identified patients who developed pleuropulmonary recurrence, isolated peritoneal recurrence, or no recurrence following CRS/HIPEC for appendiceal PMP. Clinicopathologic, perioperative, and oncologic data associated with the index CRS/HIPEC procedure were reviewed. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival. Multivariate analyses identified associations with recurrence and survival. Of 382 patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC, 61 (16%) developed pleuropulmonary recurrence. Patients who developed a pleuropulmonary recurrence were more likely to have high-grade (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] grade 2/3) tumors (74% vs. 56%, p = 0.02) and increased operative blood loss (1651 vs. 1201 ml, p = 0.05) and were more likely to have undergone diaphragm stripping/resection (79% vs. 48%, p < 0.01) compared with patients with an abdominal recurrence. In a multivariate analysis, pleuropulmonary recurrence after CRS/HIPEC was associated with diaphragm stripping/resection, incomplete cytoreduction, and higher AJCC tumor grade. There was a trend towards reduced survival in patients with pleuropulmonary recurrence compared with patients with isolated peritoneal recurrence (median overall survival 45 vs. 53 months, p = 0.87). Pleuropulmonary recurrence of appendiceal PMP following CRS/HIPEC is common and may negatively impact survival. Formal protocols for surveillance and therapeutic intervention need to be studied and implemented to improve oncologic outcomes.
Outphasing power amplifiers

This chapter presents a comprehensive introduction to the outphasing architecture, with particular focus on nonisolating outphasing techniques. When efficiency at output power back-off is required, the outphasing technique presents a significant advantage over conventional single-ended PAs. This performance benefit comes, as is typical in efficiency enhancement architectures, at the expense of complexity, linearity, and bandwidth. Nonetheless, when digital predistortion and the associated complexity can be tolerated, outphasing is clearly beneficial for systems using high peak-to-average power ratio signals. A direct comparison to other efficiency enhancement techniques is made complicated by the large trade-off space in efficiency, linearity, complexity, and so on. It is of interest, however, to consider a comparison to the popular Doherty PA (DPA). The main difference between these two techniques lies in how the branch PAs are operated. In outphasing systems, the branch PAs are driven identically, with both branch PAs operating in saturation in the outphasing regime and in back off at low output power levels. In Doherty PAs, on the other hand, in the higherpower regime only the main PA is operated at full voltage swing, while in back-off the auxiliary PA is completely off. As a result, at high output powers the outphasing PA has theoretically higher achievable efficiency, and better utilization of the device periphery at low power levels.
Spatial task-related brain activity and its association with preferred and fast pace gait speed in older adults.

Abstract Task-related brain activity is associated with preferred pace gait speed in older adults. Whether similar regional brain activity relates to fast pace gait speed has yet to be determined, but may provide insight into neural substrate important for walking under various conditions. This study measured regional blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) changes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in response to a spatial Simon/Stroop task in community-dwelling older adults (N = 20, 63–80y). Preferred pace, fast pace, and dual-task gait speeds (picking up objects at preferred pace; fast walking over obstacles) were measured across a 7-meter course. Time to complete a fast pace 400 m walk test was also recorded. Partial correlations were used for all analyses after adjusting for age. Accuracy on incongruent trials of the spatial task was positively correlated with all fast walking conditions (all p
Comparison of gamma-ray dosimeters in a field study in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

Five different models of dosimeters were compared in the Chernobyl Inner Exclusion Zone by measuring gamma radiation in 12 locations. We used an instrument made by Mirion Technologies, Inc., as the reference, since that instrument had an NIST-traceable calibration. Two models of dosimeters gave radiation values similar to the Mirion at all levels of radiation encountered. Two other models gave similar values to the Mirion instrument at low radiation levels but not at higher radiation levels encountered. These results offer a caution regarding the accuracy of inexpensive commercially available radiation instruments. Implications: Comparison of gamma ray dosimeters in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone showed varying agreement with an NIST-calibrated instrument, as well as varying linearity of response to ambient radiation. These results suggest caution regarding accuracy of inexpensive dosimeters. However, dosimeters used that were manufactured in Ukraine exhibited good agreement with the reference instrument.
Impact of Single-organ Metastasis to the Liver or Lung and Genetic Mutation Status on Prognosis in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer.

Abstract Background The impact of primary tumor site on overall survival in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) with single-organ metastases to the liver or lung has not been studied. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of commonly tested genetic variants such as KRAS mutation and microsatellite instability (MSI) are not well-described in this population. Materials and Methods This National Cancer Database was used to identify 38,328 patients with CRC that presented with synchronous metastases to the liver or lung between 2010 and 2014. The primary outcome was overall survival, and groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazard models. Results On unadjusted analysis, median survival was significantly longer for patients with lung metastases compared with those with liver metastases for left-sided (27 vs. 25 months; P = .02) and right-sided CRC (19 vs. 15 months; P Conclusions For patients with single-organ metastases to the liver or lung, primary tumor site has an impact on overall survival. Further, KRAS mutation and MSI status are of prognostic importance in selected patients with single-organ metastases.
Hemoglobin from the Parasitic Barnacle, Briarosaccus Callosus

Hemoglobin occurs widely amongst the invertebrates. Its presence in the largest of the animal phyla, the Arthropoda, is curiously limited; it is found in only a few insects and in four subgroups of crustaceans, the Branchiopoda, Ostracoda, Copepoda and Cirripedia (2). Branchiopod hemoglobin, a large extracellular protein, has been extensively studied, both structurally and functionally (3, 4, 5). No comparable studies describing hemoglobins from the other crustacean groups are available. We are, therefore, investigating an extracellular hemoglobin from the rhizocephalan cirriped, Briarosaccus callosus, a barnacle which is parasitic on the red king crab, and we report some preliminary observations of this unusual pigment.
Parsimonious powertrain modeling for environmental vehicle assessments: part 2—electric vehicles

Environmental assessments of electric vehicles (EV) require scientifically sound and robust fuel consumption models. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel method and model for calculating energy demand of battery electric (BEV) and series plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. This paper presents an open-source simulation model for BEV and series PHEV powertrains. It is based on driving and powertrain physics, such as a net force approach to calculate force demand at the tire patch, and the use of motor maps to model motor efficiency. The modeling approach is well suited to include important EV powertrain aspects, such as regenerative braking and battery charging and discharging losses. The presented method provides parsimonious open-source EV powertrain modeling to the environmental assessment community. It enables the calculation of vehicle energy demand (in MJ/100 km) and so-called energy reduction values (in MJ/100 km and 100 kg vehicle mass reduction) that are specific to each EV configuration and design change. The presented EV powertrain model complements the ICV powertrain model introduced in part 1 of this paper series. It uses the same modeling methods as the ICV model, which gives it the same modeling advantages, and also facilitates environmental comparisons across powertrain types.
Targeting DNA Damage Repair Pathways in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Metastatic (and locally advanced) pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDA) represents a major challenge for the oncology community given the rising mortality burden from the disease and the preponderance of patients diagnosed with unresectable disease. Although systemic therapies have become more potent with the development of fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel as first-line treatments, the median overall survival for patients treated with either of these regimens remains just above 1 year. A significant need exists to build upon the effectiveness of first-line regimens, incorporate tolerable maintenance treatments, and add effective later-line options for patients with this disease. We believe every newly diagnosed mPDA patient should undergo next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing, preferably from tumor tissue, to assess for the presence of DNA damage repair (DDR) defects, microsatellite instability, and other possible actionable molecular alterations (such as neurotrophic tropomysin receptor kinase (NTRK) fusions, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification). Existing clinical data suggests that patients, whose tumors harbor DDR defects, benefit from treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Preclinically, inhibitors of other critical players in DDR such as ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR), ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), and WEE1 have demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity in PDA cell lines and xenografts. How to move forward the preclinical promise of these newer DDR-targeting therapies into rational clinical trial combinations and sequence PARP inhibitors in relation to platinum chemotherapy remain areas of tremendous clinical research interest. We believe clinical trials should be considered early for mPDA patients, in all treatment lines, so that novel therapies may be added to the treatment armamentarium for patients with this disease. Beyond NGS testing from tumor tissue, we believe it is important to consider germline genetic testing for all patients diagnosed with PDA given recent data suggesting a much stronger hereditary component of the disease than previously understood, and the potential screening implications for family members.
Bloqueio do plexo cervical como técnica anestésica alternativa para tireoplastia tipo I: relato de caso

Resumo Introducao: O papel da Tireoplastia tipo I (TPI) esta bem estabelecido no tratamento de insuficiencia glotica apos a paralisia das pregas vocais, mas o manejo anestesico ideal para a TPI ainda e controverso. Descrevemos uma nova tecnica anestesica para a TPI, usando o Bloqueio do Plexo Cervical (BPC) superficial e o BPC intermediario associados, em presenca de analgo-sedacao leve e intermitente. Relato de caso: Paciente de 51 anos de idade com paralisia da prega vocal esquerda e apneia obstrutiva do sono foi agendada para TPI. BPC intermediario guiado por ultrasom foi realizado usando acesso posterior, e 15 mL de ropivacaina a 0,5% foram injetados no espaco cervical posterior entre o musculo esternocleidomastoideo e a fascia prevertebral. A seguir, para o BPC superficial, 10 mL de ropivacaina a 0,5% foram injetados na regiao subcutânea adjacente a borda posterior do musculo esternocleidomastoideo, sem transfixar a fascia de revestimento. Analgo-sedacao intermitente com infusao alvo-controlada de remifentanil (alvo de 0,5 ng.mL-1) foi usada para facilitar a insercao da protese e a laringoscopia com fibra otica. A tecnica ofereceu via aerea segura durante a anestesia, boa condicao para o cirurgiao, possibilidade de monitorar a voz alem de otimo comforto a paciente. Conclusoes: O uso de anestesia regional e uma tecnica promissora para o cuidado anestesico durante a TPI, especialmente em pacientes com via aerea comprometida.
Carbohydrate supplementation: a critical review of recent innovations

To critically examine the research on novel supplements and strategies designed to enhance carbohydrate delivery and/or availability. Narrative review. Available data would suggest that there are varying levels of effectiveness based on the supplement/supplementation strategy in question and mechanism of action. Novel carbohydrate supplements including multiple transportable carbohydrate (MTC), modified carbohydrate (MC), and hydrogels (HGEL) have been generally effective at modifying gastric emptying and/or intestinal absorption. Moreover, these effects often correlate with altered fuel utilization patterns and/or glycogen storage. Nevertheless, performance effects differ widely based on supplement and study design. MTC consistently enhances performance, but the magnitude of the effect is yet to be fully elucidated. MC and HGEL seem unlikely to be beneficial when compared to supplementation strategies that align with current sport nutrition recommendations. Combining carbohydrate with other ergogenic substances may, in some cases, result in additive or synergistic effects on metabolism and/or performance; however, data are often lacking and results vary based on the quantity, timing, and inter-individual responses to different treatments. Altering dietary carbohydrate intake likely influences absorption, oxidation, and and/or storage of acutely ingested carbohydrate, but how this affects the ergogenicity of carbohydrate is still mostly unknown. In conclusion, novel carbohydrate supplements and strategies alter carbohydrate delivery through various mechanisms. However, more research is needed to determine if/when interventions are ergogenic based on different contexts, populations, and applications.
Human Resource Development Before, During, and After Military Leave:

The ProblemMany organizations are ill-equipped to mitigate the talent management challenges associated with extended leave for military reservists. Today, reservists take more long-term leave from ...
Book Review: Mark Godsey (2017). Blind Justice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions

Brief review of book by Mark Godsey, Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati and Director of the Ohio Innocence Project, describing his experiences and describing the causes of wrongful convictions.
Averroës’ Takfīr of al-Ghazālı̄: Ta’wīl and Causal Kufr

Al-Ghazali famously claims in the Incoherence of the Philosophers that al-Farabi and Avicenna are unbelievers because they hold philosophical positions that conflict with Islam. What is less well-known, however, is that Averroes claims in the Decisive Treatise that al-Farabi and Avicenna are not unbelievers; rather, al-Ghazali is the true unbeliever for writing the Incoherence of the Philosophers. In this paper, my aim is to present a sustained reconstruction of Averroes’ legal and philosophical argument for why al-Ghazali is an unbeliever. The crux of Averroes’ argument is that al-Ghazali has expressed false allegorical interpretations of scripture to unqualified persons, which has caused them to fall into unbelief. By being causally responsible for other people’s unbelief, al-Ghazali is an unbeliever as well.
Characterization of the Electrophysiologic Remodeling of Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy by Clinical Measurements and Computer Simulations Coupled With Machine Learning.

Rationale: Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP) are at high risk for malignant arrhythmias, largely due to electrophysiological remodeling of the noninfarcted myocardium. The electrophysiological properties of the noninfarcted myocardium of patients with ICMP remain largely unknown. Objectives: To assess the pro-arrhythmic behavior of non-infarcted myocardium in ICMP patients and couple computational simulations with machine learning to establish a methodology for the development of disease-specific action potential models based on clinically-measured action potential duration restitution (APDR) data. Methods and Results: We enrolled 22 patients undergoing left-sided ablation (10 ICMP) and compared APDRs between ICMP and structurally normal left ventricles (SNLV). APDRs were clinically assessed with a decremental pacing protocol. Using genetic algorithms, we constructed populations of action potential models that incorporate the cohort-specific APDRs. The variability in the populations of ICMP and SNLV models was captured by clustering models based on their similarity using unsupervised machine learning. The pro-arrhythmic potential of ICMP and SNLV models was assessed in cell- and tissue-level simulations. Clinical measurements established that ICMP patients have a steeper APDR slope compared to SNLV (by 38%, p<0.01). In cell-level simulations, electrical alternans were induced in ICMP models at a longer cycle length compared to SNLV models (385-400 ms vs. 355 ms). In tissue-level simulations, ICMP models were more inducible for sustained functional re-entry compared to SNLV models. Conclusions: Myocardial remodeling in ICMP patients is manifested as a steeper APDR compared to SNLV, which underlies the greater arrhythmogenic propensity in these patients, as demonstrated by cell- and tissue-level simulations using action potential models developed by genetic algorithms from clinical measurements. The methodology presented here captures the uncertainty inherent to genetic algorithms model development and provides a blueprint for use in future studies aimed at evaluating electrophysiological remodeling resulting from other cardiac disease.
Beverage consumption, and its associations with BMI and lifestyle factors in rural community participants

Beverages with little nutritional value, such as carbonated beverages, may negatively impact nutrition and have long-term health implications, including but not limited to obesity. This study examined the risks for beverage consumption choices and intake of participants living in a rural community. Multiple questionnaires adapted from the Chronic Illness Resources Survey, the Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire, Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Questionnaire and 24 Hour Food Recall were administered to a cross sectional sample (n=706) using trained interviewers. The mean age of participants was 23.67 years of age (SD +/- 7.32) with 49.7% females and 50.1% males. Results indicated that carbonated beverages and alcohol consumption were related to increased caloric intake and Body Mass Index (BMI) in the sample (p 53 years old), both male and female, drank fewer carbonated beverages and consumed significantly (p < .05) more caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate. The study results suggest an increased need for research into beverage consumption and its relationship to BMI.
Host load prediction using linear models

This paper evaluates linear models for predicting the Digital Unix five-second host load average from 1 to 30 seconds into the future. A detailed statistical study of a large number of long, fine grain load traces from a variety of real machines leads to consideration of the Box–Jenkins models (AR, MA, ARMA, ARIMA), and the ARFIMA models (due to self-similarity.) We also consider a simple windowed-mean model. The computational requirements of these models span a wide range, making some more practical than others for incorporation into an online prediction system. We rigorously evaluate the predictive power of the models by running a large number of randomized testcases on the load traces and then data-mining their results. The main conclusions are that load is consistently predictable to a very useful degree, and that the simple, practical models such as AR are sufficient for host load prediction. We recommend AR(16) models or better for host load prediction. We implement an online host load prediction system around the AR(16) model and evaluate its overhead, finding that it uses miniscule amounts of CPU time and network bandwidth.
A contextual attribute-based access control model

The emergence of ubiquitous mobile devices, such as MP3 players, cellular phones, PDAs, and laptops, has sparked the growth of rich, mobile applications Moreover, these applications are increasingly “aware” of the user and her surrounding environment Dynamic mobile environments are generating new requirements – such as allowing users to access real-time, customized services on-demand and with no prior registration – that are not currently addressed by existing approaches to authorization We investigate using contextual information present in the user's operating environment, such as a user's location, for defining an authorization policy More precisely, we have defined an access control model that uses contextual attributes to capture the dynamic properties of a mobile environment, including attributes associated with users, objects, transactions, and the environment Our Contextual Attribute-Based Access Control model lends itself more naturally to a mobile environment where subjects and objects are dynamic Our authorization model promotes the adoption of many revolutionary mobile applications by allowing for the specification of flexible access control policies.
False positive PET/CT and sodium fluoride scans in assessing bone lesions

1622 Objectives The introduction of high-sensitivity high-resolution PET/CT scanners has created a renewed interest in utilizing 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) as imaging agent to evaluate primary and metastatic bone tumors. In this research project, we estimated the rate of false positive PET/CT and 18F-NaF scans when performed to assess bone lesions. Methods Thirty-five consecutive PET/CT and 18F-NaF scans were acquired on 31 patients (25 males, 6 females; mean age 73.4 y; age range, 49-91 y) who were referred to our institution for further evaluation because of biopsy proven cancer, clinical symptoms suggestive of cancer or other abnormal scans. This research was based on scans of patients suffering from: lung cancer (n = 2), prostate cancer (n = 19), myeloma (n = 4), breast cancer (n = 7), renal cell carcinoma (n = 1), unknown primary (n = 1) and bone pain (n = 1). Every patient received an 18F-NaF dose proportional to his/her body weight of 4.1 MBq/kg and scanned in 3D mode at 40-60 min. post-injection. All 18F-NaF images were reviewed by a senior nuclear medicine physician for the presence of bone malignancies using the distinctive features of malignant lesions observed on CT. Results A total of 618 areas of increased 18F-NaF uptake in the skeleton were analyzed for cancer: skull (38), spine (203), ribs (50), long/short bones and joints (258) and pelvis (69). The positive predictive values (PPV) of abnormal PET/CT and 18F-NaF in the skull, spine, ribs, long/short bones and joints, and pelvis were 28.9%, 21.2%, 74.0%, 14.3% and 24.6%, respectively. Conclusions False positive 18F-NaF scans, to our surprise, occurred more frequently than expected with an average PPV of 32.6%. Most false positive 18F-NaF uptakes were observed in the joints and areas of degenerative changes particularly in long/short bones and spine. One explanation for the relatively high PPV of 74.0% in ribs was the inclusion of a stage IV breast cancer patient, scanned 2 times, who had dissemination of malignant tumors.
The Midwestern Higher Education Compact: Advancing Education through Collaboration and Resource Sharing

This article summarizes the work of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) in assisting community colleges through cost savings programs, collaborative programmatic initiatives, and research to inform policy and improve practice—including recent efforts to develop valid and reliable methods of measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of individual institutions. As an alternative to using raw graduation rates, MHEC has proposed using a value-added indicator of effectiveness defined as the difference between an institution’s actual and predicted student success rate, given relatively fixed structural, contextual, and demographic attributes. Similarly, instead of using credentials awarded per expenditure, an adjusted measure of institutional efficiency is proposed: it compares actual educational expenditures with the level of expenditures predicted from the types and disciplines of credentials conferred, faculty attributes, and urbanicity. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential ne...
Materialism, Mutiny and Modernization in British India

British rule in India probably was in the reformist van of colonial regimes, but by Independence relatively few among the Indian populace had benefited notably from Western 'modernization'. Although praised lavishly by a past generation of English historians for equipping India for 'rapid progress' under 'the rule of law', British policies hardly represented exemplary social engineering or 'transformed' the prosperity, health, well being, education or career opportunities of most Indians.' Early in its sway the British raj conceived of implanting on the subcontinent modes of development responsible for England's rapid progress and prosperity and the advance of its peoples. Why, then, was the success not greater of Western programs, and why did policies of economic development leave at midtwentieth century a majority of Indians living below poverty levels drawn close to subsistence? Was Western 'reformism' materially exploitative, or promising but checked by the regime's major political disturbance, the 'Mutiny' or Revolt of 1857, or were British policies culturally suppressive, or is more complex analysis needed to comprehend the Western impact? Focus on the human consequences of British rule impels observation that attempting rapidly to 'transform' the condition of a great people whose lives were ordered by a formidable indigenous civilization was an extraordinary undertaking, demanding wide-ranging, protracted, coherent innovations that influenced markedly human existence, affected established institutions and practices, and increased the productivity, mobility and income of the multitudes. British policies probably were less materially exploitive, culturally
Evaluating Chip-Level Impact of Cu/Low- $\kappa $ Performance Degradation on Circuit Performance at Future Technology Nodes

Dimensional scaling of interconnects at future technology generations presents major limitations to the improvement of the performances of integrated circuits. In this paper, we investigate the impact of highly scaled Cu/low- $\kappa $ interconnects on the speed and power dissipation of multiple circuit blocks based on timing-closed full-chip Graphic Database System II (GDSII)-level layouts with detailed routing. First, we build multiple standard cell libraries for 45-, 22-, 11-, and 7-nm technology nodes and model their timing/power characteristics. Next, we pair these standard cell libraries with various interconnect files and build GDSII-level layouts for multiple benchmark circuits to study the sensitivity of the circuit performance and power dissipation to multiple interconnect technology parameters such as resistivity, barrier/liner thickness, and via resistance. We investigate the implications of slowing down interconnect dimensional scaling below 11-nm technology node.
Thermophoretic force on a single particle. I : Numerical solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation

Abstract The force experienced by a small aerosol particle in the presence of a temperature gradient is known as the thermophoretic force. Motion of particles under such a force is known as thermophoresis. Thermophoresis has important technological applications, but uncertainties continue to exist regarding the experimental measurements as well as the theoretical estimations of the thermophoretic force. We describe, in this work, a prescription for calculation of the force on a sphere based on a numerical solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation. Then, we report some explicit results for a rigid sphere gas.
Precocious Puberty and Leydig Cell Hyperplasia in Male Mice With a Gain of Function Mutation in the LH Receptor Gene

The LH receptor (LHR) is critical for steroidogenesis and gametogenesis. Its essential role is underscored by the developmental and reproductive abnormalities that occur due to genetic mutations identified in the human LHR. In males, activating mutations are associated with precocious puberty and Leydig cell hyperplasia. To generate a mouse model for the human disease, we have introduced an aspartic acid to glycine mutation in amino acid residue 582 (D582G) of the mouse LHR gene corresponding to the most common D578G mutation found in boys with familial male-limited precocious puberty (FMPP). In transfected cells, mouse D582G mLHR exhibited constitutive activity with a 23-fold increase in basal cAMP levels compared with the wild-type receptor. A temporal study of male mice from 7 days to 24 weeks indicated that the knock-in mice with the mutated receptor (KiLHR(D582G)) exhibited precocious puberty with elevated testosterone levels as early as 7 days of age and through adulthood. Leydig cell-specific genes encoding LHR and several steroidogenic enzymes were up-regulated in KiLHR(D582G) testis. Leydig cell hyperplasia was detected at all ages, whereas Sertoli and germ cell development appeared normal. A novel finding from our studies, not previously reported in the FMPP cases, is that extensive hyperplasia is commonly found around the periphery of the testis. We further demonstrate that the hyperplasia is due to premature proliferation and precocious differentiation of adult Leydig cells in the KiLHR(D582G) testis. The KiLHR(D582G) mice provide a mouse model for FMPP, and we suggest that it is a useful model for studying pathologies associated with altered LHR signaling.
Olfactory identification in hemodialysis: Acute and chronic effects on discrimination and response bias ☆

Abstract The present experiment investigated the effects of renal failure and hemodialysis on olfactory identification and response bias assessed by a yes-no task administered both before and 1 2 hr after hemodialysis sessions. Identification and bias were measured under two theories. Results showed that dialysis patients had poorer identification ability overall than their controls which worsened after treatment. Patients' bias was more liberal than controls before treatment but became similar to the controls' afterwards; the bias measures Br and CL were differentially sensitive to diagnosis and time of testing effects. There was a dissociation between discrimination and bias changes in dialysis; patients' bias more closely resembled that seen in dementia (liberal) rather than depression (conservative).
Quasicrystals: a new class of ordered structures

A quasicrystal is the natural extension of the notion of a crystal to structures with quasiperiodic, rather than periodic, translational order. We classify two- and three-dimensional quasicrystals by their symmetry under rotation and show that many disallowed crystal symmetries are allowed quasicrystal symmetries. We analytically compute the diffraction pattern of an ideal quasicrystal and show that the recently observed electron diffraction pattern of an Al-Mn alloy is closely related to that of an icosahedral quasicrystal.