cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roots of Inequality: The Politics of the California School System, 1848-1900

California is unique in that it is a post-conquest state. The new American racial order was imposed upon an extant racial hierarchy established by the Spanish and modified and extended by the Mexican government when then controlled the state. One of the first things the new California government did was establish a school system. Using primary historical sources, this paper traces the establishment of those schools, the social role they were seen to play by government, and how that role varied by race, gender, and class. I argue that it is important to examine the establishment of the public school system because of the critical political work schools accomplish within a liberal democratic system. First, they help the government to establish who is in and who is out of the polity by limiting who has access to public education, and under what circumstances. Second, schools are an important agent of socialization, both constructing and expanding democratic citizenship. By examining who got access to what schools, under what circumstances, and what they were taught when they were there, this paper hopes to shed light on the ways that citizenship and inclusion were defined by the state of California, and how vestiges of those initial constructions remain visible in the present day.
Atomistic Simulation of Superdislocation Dissociation in Ni3A1

The source of the anomalous temperature dependence (positive) of yield and flow strength in Ni3Al is believed to be the intrinsic lattice resistance to the motion of screw superdislocations. According to the cross-slip pinning (CSP) model,1,2 active dislocations of the (111)[101] primary slip system would acquire cross-slipped segments in the form of a sessile configuration on the (010) plane.3 These segments are statistically distributed along the leading superpartial dislocation and act as the pinning points on it. In a thermally activated process of double-kink formation, the number density of the pinning points is found to increase with increasing temperature because of two anisotropy factors, the anisotropy of antiphase boundary (APB) energy4 and the elastic shear anisotropy.5
Solid-acid catalyzed biodiesel production, part I: biodiesel synthesis from low quality feedstock

A series of catalysts containing phosphotungstic acid (PTA) supported on periodic mesoporous silica were prepared and evaluated for the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil. The catalytic and physical properties of the prepared catalysts were investigated. Mesoporous catalyst, KIT-5 (Korea Institute of Technology 5) loaded with 26% PTA showed high activity for single step esterification, resulting in the successful elimination of a second transesterification step. The yield of fatty acid methyl esters was 93% from used (waste) cooking oil and ∼100% from pure palmitic acid. In addition, the solid acid catalyst retained a proportion of its original catalytic activity after repeated recycling steps. Thus, the prepared solid acid catalyst has the potential to be used for the production of biodiesel from feedstock that contain high amounts of free fatty acids.
Revisiting Freud and Kohut on narcissism

Narcissism continues to be an important topic of research, with a great deal of ongoing empirical work in social and personality psychology. But there are theoretical issues that have received less attention recently, including those that relate to the foundational theories of the psychoanalytic tradition. As the first step in a larger project of reevaluation, this article offers a critical review of Freud and Heinz Kohut’s theories of narcissism. Centered on a theoretical reconstruction, it clarifies several significant—and often underspecified—features of each account. I also explore the continuities and discontinuities between these two closely related systems. Most notably both Freud and Kohut lacked fully developed accounts of primary narcissism and the relevant instinctual drives. At the same time, Kohut’s theory expanded upon Freud’s in innovative ways, particularly with its emphasis on a secondary line of narcissistic development that has positive, transformative features. In the final section, ho...
Heats of Formation for CnFm, CnFm+, CHFm, and CHFm+

Heats of formation for CnFm, CnFm+, CHFm, and CHFm+ compounds are computed at the G3MP2 level. Calibration calculations are presented for C2F2, C2F, CHF, and CHF2. The results of these calibration calculations, in conjunction with the results of previous high-level calculations, show that the G3MP2 approach is accurate to ±2 kcal/mol for these systems. The trends in bond energies are discussed.
P3.173 STI Screening and Diagnosis History Among Women Who Have Sex with Women and Men

Background Research suggests that bisexually-identified women may be more likely to report an STI diagnosis within their lifetime than women who identify as heterosexual or homosexual. In the present study, the role of behaviour and identity were explored in relation to self-reported STI screening and diagnosis history. Methods Behaviorally bisexual women (defined as genital contact with a male and female partner within the past 12 months) were recruited through websites, flyers, community events and participant referrals. Participants were asked to complete an on-line survey and an in-person interview. Participants self-reported details of sexual behaviours, sexual orientation/identity, STI screening and STI diagnosis history. They were also given the option to provide self-collected vaginal, oral, and anal samples for STI screening. Results Participants (N = 80) ranged in age from 18 to 51 (M = 26.74, SD = 7.97). Over three-quarters of the participants reported a history of STI screening. Over a quarter of the participants who reported screening reported a diagnosis of Chlamydia, HPV and/or bacterial vaginosis. Participants who identified as bisexual were more likely to report STI screening than their counterparts. The majority of participants provided a vaginal, oral, and/or anal sample for STI screening. None of the participants tested positive for Trichomoniasis or Gonorrhea with approximately 7% of participants testing positive for Chlamydia. Conclusion The majority of participants reported STI screening with a sizable minority of participants reporting a positive STI diagnosis. The high proportion of participants who provided a vaginal, oral and/or anal sample indicates a high acceptability rate. The relationship of identity to STI screening in a sample of WSWM highlights the complexity of interventions targeted towards populations defined solely by identity or behaviour.
Articulated Four Axis Microrobot

The picture shows a unique MEMS robot. It is highly dextrous with our degrees of freedom (two in-plane and two out-of-plane) and has the largest work volume of 50μm × 50μm × 75 μm amongst MEMS based positioners. The robot incorporates novel cable based transmission systems to couple in-plane actuators with out of plane bi-directional flexure joints. Constructed out of Deep Reactive Ion Etching and microassembly, this robot is designed to transmit upto 200mN of force along all four axes, precise to ten’s of nanometers and configured to carry a variety of end-effectors such as Atomic Force Microscope probe tip arrays and microgrippers. The microrobot presents the dawn of next generation in top down manipulation systems.© 2009 ASME
Imaginal Recoding of Numbers

Most mnemonic systems require subjects to use mental imagery of one form or another. For instance, the method of loci and the link method among others both rely on mental imagery in aiding recall. It has often been demonstrated that imagery facilitates recall ( 1 ) . If a method could be devised to recode digital information into visual images, there should be an increase in the number of digits later recalled relative to the number of digits recalled without such imaginal recoding. A mnemonic code was developed to recode digit triplets into visual images. The first digit in a triplet was recoded into an image of an animal, the second into an action and the third into an image of a place. Thereby each triplet was transformed into an image of a particular animal performing a certain action in a specified place. The code contained the words for 10 animals, 10 actions (verbs), and 10 places for the 10 digits in the three positions, respectively. Eight undergraduates were paid for their individual participation in the study. The first part of the procedure was a preliminary control free recall test of 15 random digit triplets. The triplets were presented separately for 8 sec. each with a 1-sec. inter-item interval. A cathode ray tube (Model ADM 3A) controlled by an ADS/1800E process control system was used to present items. The second part of the procedure involved subjects' participation in several code-learning sessions. All subjects were trained in the following manner: They learned separately by rote the three word-number lists, then they learned verbal encoding and decoding of the words and digits associated with each list, and finally, they practiced visualizing the animals performing actions in a place. Each session lasted about 1 hr., and an average of 7.88 sessions per subject occurred over five to nine days. Subjects were trained until a nine-second-per-triplet encoding criterion was met in about 6 to 7 hr. of training. Subjects also had to demonstrate they were using the code by describing some of the images they developed of each triplet in two practice tests prior to the final test. The final test was identical to the control test except that a different set of triplets was used and the subjects were instructed to use the imaginal recoding system and store the items in encoded form. At the time of recall they decoded the items into numbers. Different lists were used with different subjects. The mean number of triplets correctly recalled in the control and in the imaginal recoding conditions were 4.12 and 3.25, respectively. Performance was significantly better in the control condition than in the final test condition ( t , = 2.50, p < .05). The failure of the imaginal recoding to increase recall is consistent with the finding that imagery instructions per se do not increase recall ( 2 ) . A more precise delimitation of conditions of effectiveness of imagery is necessary.
Evaluation of TLR4 Inhibitor, T5342126, in Modulation of Ethanol-Drinking Behavior in Alcohol-Dependent Mice

Aims Several lines of evidence support a critical role of TLR4 in the neuroimmune responses associated with alcohol disorders and propose inhibitors of TLR4 signaling as potential treatments for alcoholism. In this work, we investigated the effect of T5342126 compound, a selective TLR4 inhibitor, on excessive drinking and microglial activation associated with ethanol dependence. Methods We used 2BC-CIE (two-bottle choice-chronic ethanol intermittent vapor exposure) paradigm to induce ethanol dependence in mice. After induction of the ethanol dependence, we injected T5342126 (i.p., 57 mg/kg) for 14 days while monitoring ethanol intake by 2BC (limited access to ethanol) method. Results T5342126 decreased ethanol drinking in both ethanol-dependent and non-dependent mice but T5342126 showed also dose-dependent non-specific effects represented by decreased animal locomotor activity, saccharine intake, and body core temperature. Six days after the last ethanol-drinking session, we examined the immunohistochemical staining of Iba-1 (ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1), a microglial activation marker, in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Notably, T5342126 reduced Iba-1 density in the CeA of both ethanol-dependent and non-dependent mice injected with T5342126. There were no significant differences in the DG Iba-1 density among the treatment groups. Conclusions Collectively, our data suggest that T5342126, via blocking TLR4 activation, contributes to the reduction of ethanol drinking and ethanol-induced neuroimmune responses. However, the non-specific effects of T5342126 may play a significant role in the T5342126 effects on ethanol drinking and thus, may limit its therapeutic potential for treatment of alcohol dependence. Short summary T5342126, an experimental TLR4 inhibitor, is effective in reducing ethanol drinking and inhibiting the activation and proliferation of microglia in both ethanol-dependent and non-dependent mice. However, T5342126's use as a potential candidate for the treatment of alcohol addiction may be limited due to its non-specific effects.
Epidemiological characteristics analysis and trend prediction of HIV /AIDS in Tongzhou district of Nantong City during 2001- 2012

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of HIV /AIDS in Tongzhou,and predict the prevention trend,providing scientific evidence for formulating prevention and control strategy. Methods The descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the reported HIV /AIDS data from 2001 to 2012in Tongzhou,and the prevalence trend was predicted with GM( 1,1) Grey model. Results Totally,123HIV / AIDS cases were reported in Tongzhou from 2001 to 2012. The annual incidence rate increased obviously year by year. The gender ratio of male to female was 4. 35 to 1,the ratio of the cases aged from 20 to 49 was70. 73%; Occupation distribution indicated that most patients were farmers and migrant laborers,which accounted for 65. 85%; Sexual contact was the major route to transmit HIV /AIDS,the ratio was 93. 49%. The HIV /AIDS cases from 2013 to 2014 was predicted with GM( 1,1) Grey model to be 65 and 89. Conclusions Should strengthen publicity and education practically,and do the good behavioral intervention,to restraint the continuously increasing trend of the incidence of HIV /AIDS.
Simulation Study on Control Method of Output Waveform of Three-phase APF

In this paper,the transfer method from three-phase into single phase is introduced by way of transferring waveform control from three-phase APF into to that of three single-phase so to use mature repetitive and state feedback control strategy. The system stability is improved by the use of the feedback control strategy. The control idea of correction accuracy of output current waveform is improved by the repetitive control strategy and the effectiveness of the method is verified by the simulation.
A Comprehensive Survey of Preclinical Microbiology Curricula Among US Medical Schools.

Background A strong foundational understanding of microbiology is crucial for the 21st century physician. Given recent major advances in medical microbiology, curricular changes will likely be needed. Before transforming curricula, we must first obtain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary medical student microbiology education. Methods We disseminated a 38-question survey to microbiology course directors and curriculum deans at 142 US medical schools accredited by the Liason Committee on Medical Education. Survey questions focused on course leadership, curricular structure, course content, and educator perceptions about microbiology education locally and nationally. Results One hundred and four (73%) of 142 schools completed the survey. Ninety-four (90%) schools identified a course director. Of these, 48% were led by microbiologists alone, 23% co-led by a microbiologist and a clinician, 20% by a clinician alone, and 8% by a laboratory medicine physician with or without a co-director. At 55 (53%) schools, the curricula were organized in a single block or course and at 47 (45%) it was integrated into other curricula. Areas of emerging importance, such as antimicrobial stewardship, global health, infection control, and the microbiome, were addressed at 66%, 65%, 64%, and 47% of institutions, respectively. Respondents reported the following concerns: challenges integrating microbiology into other courses, reduced total teaching hours, and difficulty balancing basic and clinical science topics. Conclusions Preclinical microbiology course directors report significant challenges in meeting the needs of changing curriculum structure and content. Enhanced local collaboration between microbiologists and clinicians, as well as national collaboration among relevant societies to design best practices and support research, may be strategies for future success.
Aircraft Measurements and Numerical Simulations of an Expansion Fan off the California Coast

AbstractMountains along the California coastline play a critical role in the dynamics of marine atmospheric boundary layer (MBL) airflow in the vicinity of the shoreline. Large changes in the MBL topology have been known to occur downwind of points and capes along the western coast of the United States. Large spatial gradients in wind and temperature become established that can cause anomalous electromagnetic wave propagation. Detailed airborne measurements using the University of Wyoming King Air were conducted to study the adjustment of the MBL to the Point Arguello and Point Conception headlands. Pronounced thinning of the MBL consistent with an expansion fan occurred to the south of Point Conception on 13 June 2012. A sharp cloud edge was collocated with the near collapse of the MBL. D-value cross sections derived from differential GPS altitude measurements allow assessment of the vertical profile of the horizontal pressure gradient force and hence thermal wind forcing in response to the near collapse...
The Impact of Forcing Preference Rankings When Indifference Exists

It is definitely possible that situations might exist in which some voters in a three candidate election could be completely indifferent between some of the available candidates. Several complications can then arise during the implementation of many voting rules in the presence of such voter indifference. One possible option that can be used to avoid these types of complications is to require that all voters must arbitrarily break any such indifference ties on candidates, in order to report a complete and transitive preference ranking on the candidates. The current study investigates some possible election outcomes that can result from the use of this forced ranking option, and it is found that there are situations in which this option will have a surprisingly large probability of producing some very negative results in elections.
Droplet Impact Dynamics on Lubricant-Infused Superhydrophobic Surfaces: The Role of Viscosity Ratio

In this study, the spreading and retraction dynamics of impacting droplets on lubricant-infused PTFE surfaces were investigated through high-speed imagery. Superhydrophobic Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces with randomly rough microstructures were prepared by sanding PTFE. Several silicone oils with different viscosities were infused into the structures of superhydrophobic PTFE surfaces. A glycerin and water solution was used for the impacting droplets. The viscosity ratio between the impinging droplet and infused oil layer was varied from 0.06 to 1.2. The droplet impact dynamics on lubricant-infused surfaces were found to change as the viscosity of the infused silicone oil layer was decreased. These changes included an increase in the spreading rate of the droplet following impact, an increase to the maximum spreading diameter, and an increase to the retraction velocity after the droplet reached its maximum diameter. These variations in the impact dynamics were most significant as the viscosity rat...
Large enhancement of third-order nonlinear effects with a resonant all-dielectric metasurface

A novel low-profile nonlinear metasurface, consisting of a single-layer of all-dielectric material, is proposed and numerically investigated by a nonlinear full-wave finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The proposed metasurface is transparent for low, and opaque for high values of incident light intensity. The metasurface design is broadly applicable to enhancement of intrinsic nonlinearities of any material with a sufficiently high refractive index contrast. We illustrate the ability of this design to enhance intrinsic nonlinear absorption of a transition metal oxide, vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), with resonant metasurface elements. The complex third-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ(3)) for V2O5, representing both nonlinear refraction and absorption is considered in FDTD simulations. Our design achieves high initial transparency (>90%) for low incident light intensity. An order of magnitude decrease in the required input light intensity threshold for nonlinear response of the metasurface is observe...
Evidence of the Primary Role of Environmental Image in Consumer CSR Evaluations

Companies are investing greater resources into corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives as a component of their marketing strategy. Corporate philanthropic giving, sustainability initiatives, and community involvement are all on the rise as companies attempt to establish, maintain, and/or enhance a reputation for socially responsibility. For example, a Forbes listing of the seventy eight most generous companies noted that charitable giving rose from $3.6 billion in 2006 to $3.8 billion in 2007 (Kirdahy 2008). Similarly, many of the companies in Fortune’s ranking of the 100 best companies to work for avoided laying off employees despite the recent global economic downturn (Fortune 2010). Additionally, General Electric is doubling the investment into Ecomagination, a green focused research and development program, between 2010 and 2015 (Lombardi 2010). Initiatives such as these are becoming more common for companies as they are blatant, tangible signals of a firm’s CSR efforts. While being deemed socially responsible by analysts (e.g, CNN, Fortune, or KLD) requires a company to excel on all areas of CSR, a consumer’s evaluation may not entail the same broad assessment.
Inhibiting Fibronectin Attenuates Fibrosis and Improves Cardiac Function in a Model of Heart Failure.

Background: Fibronectin (FN) polymerization is necessary for collagen matrix deposition and is a key contributor to increased abundance of cardiac myofibroblasts (MFs) after cardiac injury. We hypo...
Toward Evidence-Based Smartphone Apps to Enhance Human Health: Adoption of Behavior Change Techniques

ABSTRACTThere has been a substantial increase in the number of health-related smartphone applications (apps) available to consumers in recent years. How does one decide which apps have scientific e...
Septic Sacroiliitis in a 53-Year-Old Adult: A Case Report

A 53-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented with 10/10 right buttock pain that radiated to the right groin. With no reported recent injury, the absence of fever, and no identifiable risk factors, an infectious etiology, including septic sacroiliitis (SSI), is at the end spectrum of the differential. SSI is a rare condition with nonspecific findings that can lead to major complications, including death. To our knowledge, there are only 4 recent major literature reviews on SSI, with most cases reported to have at least 1 risk factor or clinical sign indicating the possibility of an infectious etiology. The patient reported in this case had no identifiable risk factors; therefore, high clinical suspicion is needed to prevent debilitating consequences from prolonged infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.
Minimally invasive options for surgical management of adjacent segment disease of the lumbar spine

Background: The incidence of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar spine surgery is a condition that has become increasingly common as the rate of lumbar spine surgery continues to rise. Minimally invasive techniques continue to be refined and offer an opportunity to treat ASD with minimal tissue disruption, lower blood loss, a shorter hospital stay, and decreased morbidity. The aim of this report is to describe the various minimally invasive options for ASD with a comprehensive review of the existing literature. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) for ASD of the lumbar spine was conducted. Four basic techniques and their modifications were identified to address ASD. Illustrative cases, surgical techniques, and post-surgical outcomes are described. Results: Four MIS techniques were identified as common surgical methods to correct ASD. (1) Non-instrumented discectomy, foraminotomy, or decompression, (2) anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), (3) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), and (4) lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) were found to be MIS techniques that address ASD. ALIF and LLIF provide indirect decompression of the neural foramina, while TLIF provides direct decompression. The addition and removal of screws and rods can be combined with any of these techniques. Conclusions: MIS techniques provide decompression of the neural elements, stabilization, and, potentially, fusion for patients with ASD. These illustrated cases and the review of MIS surgical techniques can provide a comprehensive framework for addressing ASD.
A Polynomial Blossom for the Askey–Wilson Operator

We introduce a blossoming procedure for polynomials related to the Askey–Wilson operator. This new blossom is symmetric, multiaffine, and reduces to the complex representation of the polynomial on a certain diagonal. This Askey–Wilson blossom can be used to find the Askey–Wilson derivative of a polynomial of any order. We also introduce a corresponding Askey–Wilson Bernstein basis for which this new blossom provides the dual functionals. We derive a partition of unity property and a Marsden identity for this Askey–Wilson Bernstein basis, which turn out to be the terminating versions of Rogers’ $${}_6\phi _5$$ summation formula and a very-well-poised $${}_8\phi _7$$ summation formula. Recurrence and symmetry relations and differentiation and degree elevation formulas for the Askey–Wilson Bernstein bases, as well as degree elevation formulas for Askey–Wilson Bezier curves, are also given.
Skeletal Muscle Contraction Control and Tracking Using an Adaptive Augmented PI Control Approach

The presented work addresses the implementation of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) into a closed-loop system using a Proportional- Integral (PI) controller augmented with a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) algorithm. FES is a neuroprosthesis technique applying electrical current to generate muscle contraction in patients suffering from nervous system dysfunctions, such as spinal cord injury, and allowing reinnervation of the motor functions in affected muscles. Although FES is generally applied in clinical settings using an open-loop approach, this study focuses on experimentally applying two model-free coupled controllers to capture the dynamics of skeletal muscle contraction. The trials are carried out in vitro mimicking the knee-joint tracking system. The experimental setup is composed of a muscle-mass-spring system where the muscle is stimulated while forces are measured and instantaneous muscle position is tracked and used for feedback purposes. The soundness of the proposed approach is experimentally validated by showing how the augmentation of a PI controller with a MRAC one enables the muscle to follow several specified trajectories with a noticeable improvement compared to the case where only a PI controller is implemented.
Numerical diffusion and the tracking of solute fields in system codes: Part III. Application to a boron dilution transient analysis in the AP600

A study of a pump restart scenario in the AP600 with an unborated coolant plug in two of the four cold legs is presented. It has been performed with TRAC-PF1/MOD2 coupled with a 3-dimensional core neutronics model based on the nodal expansion method (NEM), and high order boron tracking algorithms. These are based on ULTIMATE-QUICKEST for 1-dimensional components and a flux corrected method developed by Smolarckievicz in the 3-dimensional vessel in order to reduce the numerical diffusion inherent to the upwind method used by most system codes to solve the transport equations. No turbulent diffusion model was included in the calculation to produce more conservative results. The results show that reduction of the numerical diffusion yields predictions with a significantly reduced margin in the size of the unborated plugs allowed to form in the primary side piping. In addition, two pump restart strategies have been suggested by the results, which could substantially decrease the size of an unborated plug injected into the core, in case it was suspected to have formed in a primary loop.
Brucella abortus strain RB51 infection of bovine trophoblast epithelial cells: characterization of receptor signaling and bacterial outer membrane proteins

A bovine brucellosis vaccine containing Brucella abortus strain RB51 was introduced in 1995 because it was shown to be immunogenic and has lipopolysaccharides deficient in the 0-side chain, e.g., it does not induce production of lipopoiysaccharide antibodies which are detected by standard serodiagnostic tests for brucellosis. However, antibody responses to surface components of strain RB51 have not been characterized, and there is no objective serologic test, such as ELISA, which detects antibodies which are specific for RB51- vaccinated cattle. In this paper, we report the isolation of diagnostic immunoreactive outer membrane proteins (OMPs) from Brucella abortus strain RB51 based on their affinity for binding to lectins. Strain RB51 OMPs were separated on SDS-PAGE and reacted with seven different lectins. Of these lectins, Concanavalin A (Con A) had the highest reactivity with the OMPs and was used in the procedure to isolate immunoreactive OMPs. Strain RB51 OMPs
Normal serum alanine aminotransferase and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among Korean adolescents: a cross-sectional study using data from KNHANES 2010-2015.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is complicated disease and increasing worldwide. Previously, many studies of NALFD prevalences have used alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of > 40 U/L to define NAFLD, although that is too high to be reliable among adolescents. This study aimed to define the upper normal limit of ALT among Korean adolescents, and use it to estimate the prevalence of NAFLD, based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Data were obtained from 1785 healthy adolescents (916 boys and 869 girls, 10–18 years old) who participated in the KNHANES during 2010–2015. The International Diabetes Federation metabolic syndrome criteria for adolescents were used to exclude participants with metabolic syndrome components. Furthermore, participants who previously had diseases related to low HDL levels, high TG levels, diabetes, or very low/high body mass index and hepatitis B were excluded. The 95th percentiles level of ALT from healthy participants were evaluated. The definition of NAFLD was overweight status (≥85th percentile of body mass index) plus elevated ALT levels (95th percentile). The upper normal ALT were 24.1 U/L for boys and 17.7 U/L for girls. Based on these values, the estimated prevalences of NAFLD in 2015 were 8.9% among adolescents. Defining the upper normal limit of ALT can be adjusted for each sex and ethnics in the general population. ALT laboratory thresholds used for children should be re-examined. The physicians should be aware not to underdiagnose NAFLD patient even ALT level is < 40 U/L.
The Parasitic Capacitance of Magnetic Components with Ferrite Cores Due to Time-Varying Electromagnetic (EM) Field

The parasitic capacitance of a magnetic component, such as an inductor and a transformer, is critical because it can determine component's high frequency impedance, leading to voltage / current spikes, and causing EMI issue. The simulation-based techniques, the measurement-based techniques and the calculation-based techniques are popularly employed to model the parasitic capacitance. Measurement-based techniques are accurate in calculating the parasitic capacitance. The measurement-based techniques are black-box techniques and cannot provide guidelines in reducing the parasitic capacitance during manufacturing. The calculation-based techniques extract the parasitic capacitance based on calculated electric energy. Choosing the winding structure with reduced electric energy can also reduce the parasitic capacitance. However, when calculating the electric energy, the existing techniques are based on the quasi static approximation in which the electric field excited by the time-varying magnetic field is ignored. Simulation issues such as convergence issue exist in the simulation-based techniques. This paper focuses on the solution of comprehensive calculation of all the parasitic capacitance, including both the electrostatic capacitance and the time-varying EM capacitance. It proves that for the magnetic components with ferrite cores, the time-varying EM capacitance can be the dominant capacitance for high frequency magnetic components and it cannot be ignored. Therefore, it explained why the calculated capacitance is not accurate for certain type magnetic components. Furthermore, the paper proposes certain structures to achieve small parasitic capacitance.
Chapter 31. Antiradiation Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the various aspects of antiradiation agents. Selected drugs have been evaluated in other areas of medicine including their use to alleviate surgical shock and arthritis, and as antagonists for nitrogen mustards. The data on aminothiol drugs included their activity as β-adrenergic inhibitors, effect on sodium transport and absorption, effect on oxidative phosphorlation in liver, effect on amino acid content of liver and spleen, effect on respiration of mice, and effect on leukopoiesis. When mercaptoethylamine was administered to dogs a delayed undesirable hypotension ensued, accompanied by an increase in circulating histamine. This may have been the result of oxidation in vivo to the related disulfide, cystamine, which is known to cause hypotension promptly. The possibility of using reservoir forms of potent antiradiation drugs, by analogy with similar technics in the treatment of cancer, has been explored. The N-(2-mercaptoethy1)carbamoyl derivatives of glycine and alanine released significant levels of mercaptoethanolamine (MEA) in the stomach, spleen, and thymus of rats. Analogous derivatives of phenylalanine, methionine, aspartic acid and β-alanine released no MEA in 15 examined tissues.
Knowledge Assessment and Screening Barriers for Breast Cancer in an Arab American Community in Dearborn, Michigan

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy afflicting women during their lifetime. Screening for breast cancer can reduce mortality through early cancer detection. Lack of knowledge is an important barrier leading to low screening rates. Little research has evaluated breast cancer knowledge and barriers to receiving appropriate screening among Arab Americans. Given that the Arab American population has grown approximately 47% since 2000, this study was designed to assess breast cancer knowledge and screening barriers in an Arab American community. An anonymous survey addressing knowledge assessment and screening for breast cancer was distributed at the Arab Community Center for Economics and Social Services in Dearborn, MI between June 2015 and August 2017. The survey was modified based on a similar study that was conducted Among Adult Saudi women in a primary health care setting. 102 non-BC survivors, 48 BC survivors and 50 men participated in this study. Gaps in knowledge around the role of age and family history, as well as cancer presentation were noted among the participants. Additionally, 51% of non-BC survivors over the age of 40 years have not had a screening mammogram in the past 2 years with leading causes being absence of symptoms, lack of health insurance, and absence of family history. Healthcare providers and community organizations should work towards increasing knowledge levels, reducing misconceptions and improving screening rates for breast cancer among Arab Americans. Increasing community outreach and education and navigating the community’s health beliefs and practices can optimize the process of information delivery to community members.
Tuning anion solvation energetics enhances potassium-oxygen battery performance

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a critical reaction in secondary batteries based on alkali metal chemistries. The nonaqueous electrolyte mediates ion and oxygen transport and determines the heterogeneous charge transfer rates by controlling the nature and degree of solvation. This study shows that the solvent reorganization energy (λ) correlates well with the oxygen diffusion coefficient ( D O 2 ) and with the ORR rate constant ( k ) in nonaqueous Li–, Na–, and K–O2 cells, thereby elucidating the impact of variations in the solvation shell on the ORR. Increasing cation size (from Li+ to K+) doubled k / λ , indicating an increased sensitivity of k to the choice of anion, while variations in D O 2 were minimal over this cation size range. At the level of a symmetric K–O2 cell, both the formation of solvent-separated ion pairs [K+–(DMSO)n–ClO4− + (DMSO)m–ClO4−] and the anions being unsolvated (in case of PF6−) lowered ORR activation barriers with a 200-mV lower overpotential for the PF6− and ClO4− electrolytes compared with OTf− and TFSI− electrolytes with partial anion solvation [predominantly K+–(DMSO)n–OTf−]. Balancing transport and kinetic requirements, KPF6 in DMSO is identified as a promising electrolyte for K–O2 batteries.
The Morse and Maslov indices for Schrödinger operators

We study the spectrum of Schrodinger operators with matrixvalued potentials, utilizing tools from infinite-dimensional symplectic geometry. Using the spaces of abstract boundary values, we derive relations between the Morse and Maslov indices for a family of operators on a Hilbert space obtained by perturbing a given self-adjoint operator by a smooth family of bounded self-adjoint operators. The abstract results are applied to the Schrodinger operators with θ-periodic, Dirichlet, and Neumann boundary conditions. In particular, we derive an analogue of the Morse-Smale Index Theorem for multi-dimensional Schrodinger operators with periodic potentials. For quasi-convex domains in Rn, we recast the results, connecting the Morse and Maslov indices using the Dirichlet and Neumann traces on the boundary of the domain.
The role of diagnostic 123I whole body scan prior to ablation of thyroid remnant in patients with papillary thyroid cancer

2066 Objectives There are controversies regarding the use of 123I whole body scan (WBS) before 131I radioiodine ablation (RAI) of the post-surgical thyroid remnant in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The American Thyroid Association’s guidelines state that WBS may be useful before RAI (rating C - expert opinion). Some institutions do not require the WBS as part of the protocol. We therefore analyzed the value of 123I WBS before RAI prior to ablation of thyroid remnant in patients with PTC. Methods We reviewed data of 37 consecutive patients with PTC who had total thyroidectomy between August 2007 and January 2008 at our institution. The group included 23 women and 14 men, 13-82 years old (average: 47.4). Three endocrinologists reviewed patients’ data including: sex, age, pathology, Tg, anti-Tg, TSH and ultrasound. After analyzing the data each physician returned a form with the 131I dose that each subject should have received according to the following classification: 50-75 mCi (remnant ablation); 75-125 mCi (lymph nodes metastases); 150 mCi (lung metastases) and 200 mCi (bone metastases). We compared their recommended doses with the actual 131I dose prescribed after analyzing the pre-therapy 123I WBS. Results In 20 patients (54.1%) the dose prescribed by the endocrinologists matched the dose administered after analyzing the 123I WBS. In 5 patients (13.5%) the endocrinologists would have given a lower dose and in 10 patients (27%) a higher dose than administered based on the results of the 123I WBS. The 3 endocrinologists recommended doses in disagreement with each other in 2 patients (5.4%) and these were not included in the analysis. Conclusions Our study suggests a significant role of the pre-therapy 123I WBS in PTC patients referred for 131I ablation post-thyroidectomy. The actual 131I dose that was administered based on the 123I WBS differed from the dose suggested in the absence of the 123I WBS in 40.5% of the cases
Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis and stroke.

Abstract Background There is an increasing appreciation of the cardiovascular implications of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis (NAFLD-fibrosis). However, data regarding stroke risk are limited. We sought to investigate whether NAFLD-fibrosis is associated with stroke in addition to heart disease. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2014). After excluding participants with competing causes of liver disease, the Fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) and NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) were calculated. First, we used a composite measure to classify participants: NAFLD-fibrosis was defined as having at least one score above its validated cut-off. Second, we also used the FIB-4 and NFS scores individually. The key outcome was prevalent stroke, and we also evaluated heart disease; both were self-reported. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between NAFLD-fibrosis and these outcomes while adjusting for demographic variables and cardiovascular risk factors. Results We identified 1653 participants with NAFLD-fibrosis from a sample of 27,040 participants. In total, 753 had prior stroke. An association between NAFLD-fibrosis and stroke was seen when using the FIB-4 score (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.00–3.50) but not the NFS (OR 1.31, 95% CI 0.92–1.87). NAFLD-fibrosis was associated with heart disease (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06–2.01) using the composite measure and both scores individually. Conclusions NAFLD-fibrosis may be associated with stroke in addition to heart disease, with differences depending on the measure used to define NAFLD-fibrosis.
Driving Pressure for Ventilation of Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Author(s): Meier, Angela; Sell, Rebecca E; Malhotra, Atul | Abstract: Measuring driving pressure (defined by plateau pressure minus positive end-expiratory pressure) is a useful addition to existing variables when setting mechanical ventilation, particularly in the acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The Diminishing Returns for Longer Healthcare Provider Video Biographies: A Thin Slice Examination of Patient Decision-Making.

The consumer-centric nature of the current healthcare landscape in the United States is forcing healthcare organizations to innovate novel ways to help patients more efficiently and effectively sel...
Human-Robot Team Coordination with Dynamic and Latent Human Task Proficiencies: Scheduling with Learning Curves.

As robots become ubiquitous in the workforce, it is essential that human-robot collaboration be both intuitive and adaptive. A robot's quality improves based on its ability to explicitly reason about the time-varying (i.e. learning curves) and stochastic capabilities of its human counterparts, and adjust the joint workload to improve efficiency while factoring human preferences. We introduce a novel resource coordination algorithm that enables robots to explore the relative strengths and learning abilities of their human teammates, by constructing schedules that are robust to stochastic and time-varying human task performance. We first validate our algorithmic approach using data we collected from a user study (n = 20), showing we can quickly generate and evaluate a robust schedule while discovering the latest individual worker proficiency. Second, we conduct a between-subjects experiment (n = 90) to validate the efficacy of our coordinating algorithm. Results from the human-subjects experiment indicate that scheduling strategies favoring exploration tend to be beneficial for human-robot collaboration as it improves team fluency (p = 0.0438), while also maximizing team efficiency (p < 0.001).
“Pain Comes in Waves”: Eroding Bodies in Colm Tóibín’s The Blackwater Lightship

This essay argues that Colm Toibin’s Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Blackwater Lightship (1999) juxtaposes the AIDS crisis with our currently-unfolding and similarly life-destroying environment...
Launching a quality improvement project in neurosurgery: How to get started

Abstract In healthcare, quality improvement (QI) is a combined effort among healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to diagnose process-related problems and devise solutions that will improve patient outcomes and healthcare system performance. Within healthcare systems, there are endless opportunities to tackle safety and quality gaps. Quality improvement projects in healthcare should engage healthcare workers and focus on processes, with the end goal of improving patient care. The projects should also be evidence-based, actionable, and sustainable. The goal of this work is to provide an overview of three common frameworks for conducting a quality improvement project: The Model for Improvement, Lean, and Six Sigma. We will take a deeper dive into the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) methodology for Six Sigma and provide a case example. The tools discussed can be used to launch a QI project for the benefit of neurosurgical patients.
The Nurse Work Environment

This chapter places the system construct of the nurse work environment (NWE) within the context of the Quality Health Outcomes Model (QHOM) and explores the essential structures of NWEs. Also, four specific components of NWE are discussed: joy in work and clinician well-being, safety culture, incivility and bullying, and staffing. Measures of NWE are described. Two performance-driven interventions to improve NWEs, the Magnet Recognition Program® (American Nurses Credentialing Center, ANCC Magnet Recognition Program, n.d.-a) and the Pathway to Excellence (PWE) Recognition Program (American Nurses Credentialing Center, ANCC Pathway to Excellence Program, n.d.-b), are considered. Finally, implications and future directions for NWE development and research are identified.
Naturalistically observed interpersonal problems and diabetes management in older adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the links between naturalistically observed and self-reported interpersonal problems, diabetes management, and glucose levels in older adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes. DESIGN Sixty-eight older adolescents and young adults (aged 17-20 years) participated in a cross-sectional study that consisted of three home visits and a daily diary segment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Participants wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for four days to capture interpersonal problems and wore a continuous glucose monitor for blood glucose levels. Researchers also collected HbA1c values, conducted an interview to assess diabetes management, and collected participant-reported severity of interpersonal problems. RESULTS High EAR-observed interpersonal problems were associated with poor diabetes management. Multiple regression analyses revealed that high EAR-observed interpersonal problems continued to explain variance in poor diabetes management after including self-reported interpersonal problems and covariates. CONCLUSION These findings corroborate literature suggesting that negative interactions are associated with type 1 diabetes management. This study is the first to use the EAR to capture naturalistically observed interactions in this population and identify its utility beyond self-reports. These findings highlight the importance of considering naturalistically observed interactions when developing interventions to promote better diabetes management in older adolescents and young adults.