cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interrogando el racismo. Hacia una Antropología antirracista

En las ultimas decadas, las manifestaciones globales del racismo han estado sujetas atransformaciones significativas. Las luchas anticoloniales, el movimiento de los derechosciviles y la ofensiva anti-apartheid han retado los regimenes raciales establecidos. No obstante,la consolidacion del capitalismo global ha creado nuevas formas de racializacion.Una variedad de estrategias e intervenciones antirracistas han surgido para confrontarestos nuevos racismos. Los analisis sobre el racismo han buscado interrogar su historia ysus manifestaciones contemporaneas, como se ha mantenido, como se ha reproducido, altiempo que han intentado predecir su futuro. En este contexto, el reto para antropologosy otros cientificos sociales yace en avanzar nuestra comprension de las nuevas manifestacionesde la raza y el racismo.
ABC Transporters at the Blood–Brain Barrier

In the blood–brain barrier several ABC transporters are expressed at the luminal, blood-facing, plasma membrane of the brain capillary endothelial cells. There they function as ATP-driven efflux pumps for xenobiotics and endogenous metabolites, thus providing an important element of the barrier. When these transporters limit neurotoxicant entry into the CNS, they are neuroprotective; when they limit therapeutic drug entry, they become major obstacles to drug delivery to treat CNS diseases. Here I review function and regulation of ABC transporters at the blood–brain barrier, with an emphasis on recently disclosed mechanisms that alter transporter expression and transport activity.
Surviving in solo and small practices

In this issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice , Jones and Evans1 describe many helpful business concepts for neurologists in private practices. Neurologists in such practices are assailed by changes in the world of health care. Hassle factors detract from patient care and discourage physicians. The advice presented by Jones and Evans pertains to several topics on coping with these changes and the world of health care business.
The human biology of academic potential: A proposed investigation

(1961). The human biology of academic potential: A proposed investigation. Eugenics Quarterly: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 9-11.
Does autonomic blockade reveal a potent contribution of nitric oxide to locomotion-induced vasodilation?

We sought to test the role of nitric oxide (NO) in governing skeletal muscle (iliac) vascular conductance during treadmill locomotion in dogs (n = 6; 3.2 and 6.4 km/h at 0% grade, and 6.4 km/h at 1...
Commenting on the Ontology Basis of Science and Technology Creating Value

World 3 is the ontology basis of science and technology creating value.Development of science and technology not only has formed a independent world,but also proliferates out new more high-grade science and technology knowledge unceasingly and becomes important components of World 3.Industry value being a value warehouse should be changed into real value in modern society,realizing the conversion from indirect productivity to real productivity.
The avidity of test toxins in relationship to tetanus antitoxin titrations.

Abstract The titer of a given antitoxin may vary with the toxin used in the assay. Most freshly prepared toxins, irrespective of methods of preparation, and one crystallized toxin gave similar titers with one antitoxin. Toxins which gave divergent titers were slightly turbid.These were very old or had been treated with chloroform. In one instance, a toxin which when fresh behaved normally, on ageing changed so as to give the test antitoxin a higher titer. It has been shown that variation in titer could be due to variations in the dissociation of toxin-antitoxin complexes. An empiric formula has been developed to adjust tetanus antitoxin titration values. When one antitoxin was titrated, application of this formula gave fairly consistent titers irrespective of the toxin used.
What is the merit of an alternative bone marrow transplant

Bone marrow transplantation has been applied for the treatment of a variety of diseases. There are definite indications for using alternative donors for transplant purposes. Methods to reduce graft-versus-host disease and limit morbidity should be coupled with ways to accelerate immune recovery and decrease infection rates. There is a continued need for workshops to compare data and results so clues will be gained and shared by all as to the indications for transplant, the best approach, and how to limit the short- and long-term morbidity.
Broadening the Scope of Moral Developmental Theory

Triune ethics meta-theory (TEM) differs from other theories of moral psychological development, integrating neurobiological, psychological, philosophical, and developmental literatures on moral functioning. TEM grounds itself in an evolutionary systems approach specifically Evolutionary Relational Developmental Systems Meta-Theory. TEM identifies ethical orientations that emerge from global brain states rooted in human brain evolution: self-protectionism, engagement, and imagination, respectively. Each global brain state displays different goals: self-preservation, affiliation, and reflection, respectively. Adult functioning is largely the result of dynamic interactionism during sensitive periods of development, building implicit sociomoral understandings that guide moral behavior. Alternative moral developmental pathways may ensue from psychosocial experience during development.
The second affirmative speech

(1953). The second affirmative speech. The Southern Speech Journal: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 53-56.
Incidence and Etiology of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in High School Athletes in the United States

Abstract Objective To determine the incidence and etiology of sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) in US high school athletes. Patients and Methods A prospective media database of SCA/D was queried for cases aged 14 to 18 years from 7 states over 6 school years (September 1, 2007, to August 30, 2013). Event details were investigated to determine participation on a high school athletic team, sex, sport, and occurrence during school-sponsored activity or exertion. National sports participation numbers were used and a conversion factor was applied to account for multisport athletes. Autopsy reports were reviewed and cause of death was adjudicated by an expert panel. Results A total of 16,390,409 million athlete-seasons representing 6,974,640 athlete-years (AY) were examined, encompassing 36% of the total US high school athlete population. A total of 104 cases of SCA/D were identified (35 SCA with survival and 69 sudden cardiac deaths [SCDs]). The rate of SCD was 1:101,082 AY and of SCA/D 1:67,064 AY. Eighty-eight percent (92) of events occurred in male athletes. The rate of SCA/D in male athletes was 1:44,832 AY and in female athletes 1:237,510 AY (incidence rate ratio, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.9-10.6; P Conclusion The rate of SCA/D in male high school athletes was 1:44,832 AY, with almost half due to possible or confirmed cardiomyopathy disease. It is likely that many cases were not identified because of reliance on media reports, and these numbers represent a minimum estimate.
Novel screen printed and flexible low frequency magneto-electric energy harvester

A novel low frequency magneto-electric energy harvester was developed for application in microelectronic devices. The energy harvester was fabricated by screen printing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ink, as a piezoelectric layer, on flexible and magnetic Metglas® substrate. Silver (Ag) ink, as top electrode layer, was then deposited on the printed PVDF layer using screen printed technique. The performance of the printed device was investigated by measuring the DC output voltage and maximum power delivered at varying load resistances for a frequency range of 20 Hz to 100 Hz, in steps of 20 Hz. The results demonstrated that the maximum power generated was 8.41 μW at a load resistance of 100 kΩ and frequency of 100 Hz. This relates to a power density of 639.6 μW/cm3 for the fabricated magneto-electric energy harvester.
Chapter 20 – New Policy Directions

This chapter explains the new policy directions. Advances in linking the science of ecology with economics and the development of agro-environmental modeling systems coupled with new information technology suggest new public policy approaches that reward agricultural producers for providing ecological services. An incentive-based ecosystem approach that identifies and quantifies an array of environmental services that can be provided by agricultural land, and then facilitates the development of markets in these services can protect environmental quality while improving farm income. Sustainability can be achieved whereby economic needs of society are integrated into environmental protection. Before presenting new agricultural policy approaches for improving environmental quality and, in particular, managing agricultural nitrogen, the nature of the relationship between agriculture and the environment, and its implications for policy are discussed in this chapter. Moreover, economic cost-benefit studies suggest that the benefits have exceeded the social cost. The manner in which the benefits were established in most cases, however, is known to result in overestimates. Finally, the chapter concludes that improvements in environmental quality cannot be easily disentangled from reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU-wide system of agricultural support.
The Concepts of 'Species' and 'Population' in Considering Ancient DNA and Building Phylogenetic Trees of Hominid Evolution

A number of recent articles have appeared on the hominin Denisova fossil remains. Many of them focus on attempts to produce DNA sequences from the extracted samples. Often these project mtDNA sequences from the fossil remains of a number of Neandertal fossils and the Denisovans in an attempt to understand the evolution of Mid Pleistocene human ancestors. One of these recently appeared in Science by Vernot et al. 2016. There are two problems with these papers, one concerns the degradation of the ancient DNA and its interpretation as authentic genetic information and the other concerns the idea of “species” versus that of “population” and the use of these ideas in the building of evolutionary diagrams to indicate ancestry and extinction. A central issue is what does human variation mean, how much population variation has there been in the past and how does this variation distinguish hominid speciation or simply a process of anagenesis.
IUCN greatly underestimates threat levels of endemic birds in the Western Ghats

Abstract The validity of the threat status assigned to a species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List relies heavily on the accuracy of the geographic range size estimate for that species. Range maps used to assess threat status often contain large areas of unsuitable habitat, thereby overestimating range and underestimating threat. In this study, we assessed 18 endemic birds of the Western Ghats to test the accuracy of the geographic range sizes used by the IUCN for their threat assessment. Using independently reviewed data from the world's largest citizen science database (eBird) within a species distribution modeling framework, our results show that: (a) geographic ranges have been vastly overestimated by IUCN for 17 of the 18 endemic bird species; (b) range maps used by IUCN contain large areas of unsuitable habitat, and (c) ranges estimated in this study suggest provisional uplisting of IUCN threat status for at least 10 of the 18 species based on area metrics used by the IUCN for threat assessment. Since global range size is an important parameter for assigning IUCN threat status, citizen science datasets, high resolution and freely available geo-referenced ecological data, and the latest species distribution modeling techniques should be used to estimate and track changes in range extent whenever possible. The methods used here to significantly revise range estimates have important conservation management implications not only for endemic birds in the Western Ghats, but for vertebrate and invertebrate taxa worldwide.
Comparison of Sampling Strategies for Tobacco Retailer Inspections to Maximize Coverage in Vulnerable Areas and Minimize Cost.

Introduction In the United States, tens of thousands of inspections of tobacco retailers are conducted each year. Various sampling choices can reduce travel costs, emphasize enforcement in areas with greater noncompliance, and allow for comparability between states and over time. We sought to develop a model sampling strategy for state tobacco retailer inspections. Methods Using a 2014 list of 10,161 North Carolina tobacco retailers, we compared results from simple random sampling; stratified, clustered at the ZIP code sampling; and, stratified, clustered at the census tract sampling. We conducted a simulation of repeated sampling and compared approaches for their comparative level of precision, coverage, and retailer dispersion. Results While maintaining an adequate design effect and statistical precision appropriate for a public health enforcement program, both stratified, clustered ZIP- and tract-based approaches were feasible. Both ZIP and tract strategies yielded improvements over simple random sampling, with relative improvements, respectively, of average distance between retailers (reduced 5.0% and 1.9%), percent Black residents in sampled neighborhoods (increased 17.2% and 32.6%), percent Hispanic residents in sampled neighborhoods (reduced 2.2% and increased 18.3%), percentage of sampled retailers located near schools (increased 61.3% and 37.5%), and poverty rate in sampled neighborhoods (increased 14.0% and 38.2%). Conclusions States can make retailer inspections more efficient and targeted with stratified, clustered sampling. Use of statistically appropriate sampling strategies like these should be considered by states, researchers, and the Food and Drug Administration to improve program impact and allow for comparisons over time and across states. Implications The authors present a model tobacco retailer sampling strategy for promoting compliance and reducing costs that could be used by US states and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The design is feasible to implement in North Carolina. Use of the sampling design would help document the impact of FDA's compliance and enforcement program, save money, and emphasize inspections in areas where they are needed most. FDA should consider requiring probability-based sampling in their inspections contracts with states and private contractors.
Utility of routine surveillance imaging for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma post autologous transplant: A single center experience.

Abstract Surveillance scans after autologous stem cell transplant (auto-HCT) for patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) diffuse large B Cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have no proven survival benefit. We studied survival differences among patients with RR DLBCL post auto-HCT whose recurrences were detected clinically versus with routine surveillance imaging. Among the 139 patients with RR DLBCL that underwent auto-HCT from 2000 to 2014 at our institution, 37 relapsed: 21 clinical and 16 radiological. The median time to progression was 167 days for the clinical cohort and 565 days for the radiological cohort (p = 0.03), and median overall survival (OS) was 587 days and not reached, respectively (p = 0.006). Most patients with relapsed DLBCL after auto-HCT were diagnosed clinically and were likely to be detected earlier and have a shorter OS. Relapse in patients with aggressive disease will likely be detected when clinically apparent, and the outcome of these patients is independent of the way the relapse is diagnosed. Thus, universal scanning after auto-HCT appears to have little benefit.
Reengineering Critical Laboratory Testing for Timely Chemotherapeutic Management

Background: Delivery of cytotoxic therapy is a complex multifaceted process that involves harmonized collaboration between all systems involved. Optimizing laboratory turnaround time (TAT) ensures timely delivery of chemotherapy, which potentially translates into improved patient outcomes and satisfaction. In this study, we aimed to reduce the laboratory TAT for key laboratory tests to optimize the timely administration of chemotherapy. Methods: TAT data for complete blood count (CBC) and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) included specimen collection to receipt (Col-Rcv), specimen receipt to result release (Rcv-Res), and the overall TAT from specimen collection to result release (Col-Res). Work flows were reconfigured to transport CBC specimens directly to the hematology laboratory after collection and to treat all CMP samples from chemotherapy clinics as urgent [i.e., shortest turnaround time (STAT)]. From the CMP, total bilirubin and creatinine—the 2 key analytes for liver and renal toxicity assessment before chemotherapy drug administration—were analyzed on ABL 800 whole blood analyzers to further improve the laboratory TAT. Results: CBC showed a significant reduction in the median (Col-Res) TAT to 16 min ( P P P Conclusion: Careful work flow analysis and reengineering of preanalytical and analytical process for key laboratory tests significantly reduced median overall TAT to
Phasing DNA Markers Using Digital PCR.

Besides quantifying the absolute number of copies of known DNA targets, digital PCR can also be used to assess whether two nonpolymorphic gene sequences or two heterozygous markers reside on the same DNA molecule (i.e., are physically linked). Some useful linkage applications include: phasing variants to define a haplotype; genotyping of inversions; determining the presence of multimarker pathogenic bacteria in a metagenomic sample; and assessing DNA integrity. This chapter describes an efficient and cost-effective method for analyzing linkage of any two genetic sequences up to at least 200 Kb apart, including phasing of heterozygous markers such as that which occur abundantly in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.
Stem Cell Technology and Drug Development

Stem cell technology holds the potential to offer new therapeutic options for poorly treated and debilitating diseases either by cell replacement therapies or by identification of drugs using high-throughput stem cell cultures differentiated into specific mature cell types. This promising technology is based on isolation of pluripotent cells that can be expanded in culture and differentiated into a mature phenotype. In addition to the social and political considerations, many methodological issues, such as choice of cell type, culture and differentiation methods, stability of cells in culture, and transplantation techniques, remain. This chapter reviews these issues and presents some novel potential applications.
Starvation and the Mating Success of Wild Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Recent evidence suggests that the nutritional state of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) (medfly), is an important influence on various components of their reproductive biology, including mating success. The objective of the present study was to examine experimentally the effect of temporary starvation on the mating success of wild male C. capitata. Males were maintained on protein–sugar or sugar-only diets, and for each diet we compared the mating success of continuously fed males versus males starved for 18 or 24 h immediately before testing. In trials conducted on field-caged, host trees, males starved for 24 h obtained only about half as many matings as fed males for both diets. However, when the starvation period was 18 h, starved males reared on the protein–sugar diet mated significantly less frequently than fed males, whereas starved males reared on sugar mated as often as fed males. Measurements of male pheromone calling and female attraction revealed that reduced mating success likely reflected the decreased signaling activity of starved males.
The Nanotechnology Challenge: Labeling the Little Things

Nanotechnology processes and nanoscale particles are widely used in consumer products. Yet relatively few products containing nanomaterials reveal this fact on the product label. Is this a problem? The use of nanotechnology in consumer products has many potential benefits, but it may also pose unforeseen risks. There is as yet no definitive evidence that nanoscale materials used in consumer products pose a threat to human health, but such risks may still exist. Do such risks justify mandatory labeling requirements? Mandatory labels would not reduce the threat posed by the use or disposal of nanotech products, but could increase consumer awareness and empower concerned consumers to limit their exposure. Properly designed product labels can help consumers manage their exposure to risky or unproven products without unduly inhibiting consumer preferences generally. On the other hand, poorly developed labeling requirements could frustrate market responses to changes in scientific understanding or consumer preferences, impose unnecessary costs on manufacturers, and fail to address marketplace inefficiencies. In the United States, mandatory labeling requirements also raise potential First Amendment concerns. Before adopting a mandatory labeling requirement, policymakers should consider whether mandatory labels are necessary, or whether voluntary labeling regimes may be superior, with or without government assistance.
Osseous dysplasia (cemento-osseous dysplasia) of the jaw bones in western Pennsylvania patients: analysis of 35 cases.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the demographic, clinical, and radiographic presentations of osseous dysplasia of the jaws in western Pennsylvania patients and its associated complications. Materials and methods The clinical records and radiographs of patients diagnosed with osseous (cement-osseous) dysplasia were retrieved from the electronic health record of the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine from 2007 to 2012. All cases were reviewed; the WHO criteria and classification for osseous dysplasia was used. Clinical and demographic data, radiographic findings, and final diagnoses were collected and analyzed. Results 35 cases of osseous dysplasia were retrieved over the six-year period.The majority (33) were females [94.3%], with ages ranging from 26 to 89 years, with a mean age of 53.9 years +/- standard deviation of 15.6 years, 32 [91.4%] were African Americans and 3 [8.6%] were Caucasians. 17 [48.6%] were florid osseous dysplasia, 13 [37.1%] periapical osseous dysplasia and 5 [14.3%] focal osseous dysplasia. Of the 35 patients only 8 [22.9%] patients were symptomatic. All florid osseous dysplasia patients were African American females, with 7 of the patients being symptomatic and the commonest symptom being pain. Also, all periapical osseous dysplasia patients were African Americans (12 females and 1 male), with 1 of the patients presenting with widening of the diastema. Of the focal osseous dysplasia patients, 3 were Caucasians and 2 African American (4 females and 1 male). Conclusion The cases occurred mostly in African American females with a peak incidence in the fifth and sixth decades of life; most cases occurred in the mandible. The commonest form of osseous dysplasias was the florid osseous dysplasia which is most likely to present with symptoms.
Spatial Structure of the SeaWiFS Ocean Color Data for the North Atlantic Ocean

As part of a longer-term marine ecosystem modeling project, we examine the spatial structure of satellite-derived ocean color data for the North Atlantic Ocean. Ocean color is considered a proxy for surface layer phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations, and the large-scale ocean color field is governed by the seasonal distributions of light, nutrients, and upper ocean mixing (e.g., [Wro89]). On the so-called mesoscale (approx. 10–200 km), ocean color variability is modulated by biological sources and sinks (e.g., phytoplankton growth, zooplankton grazing), ocean flow, and mixing [Ste78], [Hau78]. The spatial correlation function of ocean color provides a useful measure for quantifying these biological—physical interactions [Yod87], [Was98], [Abb98] and discriminating among theoretical models. It is also a necessary component of future work to objectively analyze ocean color images (e.g., [Dav86]).
Receiver Design for Doppler Positioning with Leo Satellites

A framework for positioning with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signals is proposed. The framework employs an extend Kalman filter (EKF) to estimate a receiver’s position using Doppler frequency measurements from LEO satellites. The satellites’ positions and velocities are known through two-line element (TLE) files. A receiver architecture to acquire and track LEO satellite signals and extract Doppler measurements to LEO satellites is discussed. Simulation results show that 11 m positioning accuracy can be achieved with 25 LEO satellites. Experimental results are presented demonstrating the proposed stationary receiver estimating its position using Doppler measurements from 2 Orbcomm LEO satellites with an accuracy of 360 m over a 1 minute period.
Developing and Validating a Measure to Estimate Poverty in Medicare Administrative Data.

Objective To develop and validate a measure that estimates individual level poverty in Medicare administrative data that can be used in studies of Medicare claims. Data sources A 2008 to 2013 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey linked to 2008 to 2013 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiary summary file and census data. Study design and methods We used the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to define individual level poverty status and linked to Medicare administrative data (N=38,053). We partitioned data into a measure derivation dataset and a validation dataset. In the derivation data, we used a logistic model to regress poverty status on measures of dual eligible status, part D low-income subsidy, and demographic and administrative data, and modeled with and without linked census and nursing home data. Each beneficiary receives a predicted poverty score from the model. Performance was evaluated in derivation and validation data and compared with other measures used in the literature. We present a measure for income-only poverty as well as one for income and asset poverty. Principal findings A score (predicted probability of income poverty) >0.5 yielded 58% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and 84% positive predictive value in the derivation data; our score yielded very similar results in the validation data. The model's c-statistic was 0.84. Our poverty score performed better than Medicaid enrollment, high zip code poverty, and zip code median income. The income and asset version performed similarly well. Conclusions A poverty score can be calculated using Medicare administrative data for use as a continuous or binary measure. This measure can improve researchers' ability to identify poverty in Medicare administrative data.
Abstract P2054: Experiencing the Primary Composite Cardiovascular Outcome is More Strongly Associated With Serious Adverse Events Than Intensive Treatment in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial

Background: SPRINT was the first large-scale trial to investigate the benefits of intensive versus standard blood pressure treatment (goal of <120 vs <140 mmHg, respectively). Participants who were...
Trehalose recycling promotes energy-efficient mycomembrane reorganization in nutrient-limited mycobacteria

The mycomembrane layer of the mycobacterial cell envelope is a barrier to environmental, immune and antibiotic insults. We find that there is mycomembrane remodeling along the periphery of nutrient-starved, non-replicating mycobacterial cells. Remodeling is supported by recycling of trehalose, a non-mammalian disaccharide that shuttles long-chain mycolate lipids to the mycomembrane. In the absence of trehalose recycling, mycomembrane synthesis continues but mycobacteria experience ATP depletion, enhanced respiration and redox stress. Redox stress from depletion of the trehalose pool is suppressed in a mutant that lacks the OtsAB de novo trehalose synthesis pathway. Our data suggest that trehalose recycling alleviates the energetic burden of mycomembrane remodeling. Loss of trehalose salvage is known to attenuate M. tuberculosis during infection and render the bacterium more susceptible to a variety of drugs. Recycling pathways are emerging targets for sensitizing resource-limited bacterial pathogens to host and antibiotic stress.
Is a 3-D image necessary to determine eye gaze?

This paper describes an experiment that was conducted to evaluate the ability to determine the eye gaze of a facial animation system. Subjects were asked to identify the direction of the eye gaze of a 3-D image, a 2-D image, and a human subject. Results indicate that, although there is no significant difference between determining the eye gaze of a 3-D image and a 2-D image, other factors, such as horizontal distance from the center of vision, have a major influence on the ability to accurately ascertain eye gaze.
New antiepileptic drugs

Antiepileptic drugs are the first treatment option in patients with epilepsy. Drugs developed after 2000 are known as third generation antiepileptic drugs. These medications offer new mechanisms of action and favorable pharmacokinetics, decreasing the occurrence of side effects and drug-drug interactions. Broad spectrum antiepileptic drugs, such as brivaracetam and clobazam are good choices for generalized tonic colonic seizures and are well tolerated.New sodium channel blockers such as lacosamide and eslicarbazepine, have a more "benign" side effect profile than the first or second generation of sodium channel blockers. These new drugs are useful therapies in patients with epilepsy of difficult control. Cannabidiol and fenfluramine are useful in the treatment of Dravet or Lennox Gastaut syndrome. Allopregnenolona and ganaxolone showed good efficacy in status epilepticus and could play an important future role in this clinical scenario.
Implementing receiver-driven handoffs to the emergency department to reduce miscommunication

Background Miscommunications during care transfers are a leading cause of medical errors. Recent consensus-based recommendations to standardise information transfer from outpatient clinics to the emergency department (ED) have not been formally evaluated. We sought to determine whether a receiver-driven structured handoff intervention is associated with 1) increased inclusion of standardised elements; 2) reduced miscommunications and 3) increased perceived quality, safety and efficiency. Methods We conducted a prospective intervention study in a paediatric ED and affiliated clinics in 2016–2018. We developed a bundled handoff intervention included a standard template, receiver training, awareness campaign and iterative feedback. We assessed a random sample of audio-recorded handoffs and associated medical records to measure rates of inclusion of standardised elements and rate of miscommunications. We surveyed key stakeholders pre-intervention and post-intervention to assess perceptions of quality, safety and efficiency of the handoff process. Results Across 162 handoffs, implementation of a receiver-driven intervention was associated with significantly increased inclusion of important elements, including illness severity (46% vs 77%), tasks completed (64% vs 83%), expectations (61% vs 76%), pending tests (0% vs 64%), contingency plans (0% vs 54%), detailed callback request (7% vs 81%) and synthesis (2% vs 73%). Miscommunications decreased from 48% to 26%, a relative reduction of 23% (95% CI −39% to −7%). Perceptions of quality (35% vs 59%), safety (43% vs 73%) and efficiency (17% vs 72%) improved significantly post-intervention. Conclusions Implementation of a receiver-driven intervention to standardise clinic-to-ED handoffs was associated with improved communication quality. These findings suggest that expanded implementation of similar programmes may significantly improve the care of patients transferred to the paediatric ED.
Drowning in Children: Retrospective Analysis of Incident Characteristics, Predicting Parameters, and Long-Term Outcome.

Background: Drowning is the second leading cause of unnatural death in childhood worldwide. More than half of the drowned children, who were in need of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the scene suffered from lifelong neurological sequelae. There are few data about prognostic predictors in the pediatric population of drowning victims. The objective of the study was to assess incident characteristics, prognostic parameters, and long-term outcome of children recovering from a drowning incident. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of data of the cohort of pediatric cases (age 0–18) of drowning victims admitted in the years 2000–2015 to the emergency room/intensive care unit/pediatric ward at the University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland. Outcome was classified by the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category Scale (PCPCS). New subcategories of severity for known prognostic parameters have been defined. A correlation analysis was performed between the subcategories of the prognostic parameters and the PCPCS. Results: A total of 80 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 64% were male, most of the patients were at the age of 0–5 years. More than 80% of the patients were unattended at a public or private pool when the drowning incident happened. In all, 61% (n = 49) needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Of the resuscitated children, 63% showed good to mildly impaired long-term outcome (PCPCS 1–3). Furthermore, 15% (n = 12) were transferred to rehabilitation. Seven children died during the hospital stay and another four died due to complications in the ten years following the incident. The newly defined subcategories of the parameter submersion time, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at time of admission, body temperature at time of admission, blood pH, blood glucose, and blood lactate level correlated significantly with the PCPCS. Conclusions: Supervision of children, especially boys of the age 0–5 years, next to public or private pools is most important for prevention of drowning incidents in Switzerland. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation done by trained staff leads to a better long-term outcome. Medical decision making in severe cases of drowning should consider submersion time, GCS at time of admission, body temperature at time of admission, blood pH, blood glucose, and blood lactate levels, as these parameters correlate with long-term outcome.
Transnational Feminist Theory and Practice: An Introduction

This article introduces central features of transnational feminism and discusses how these characteristics provide a foundation for transnational feminist practice in psychology. These core themes ...
Magnetic structure of Fe 16 N 2 determined by polarized neutron diffraction on thin-film samples

Strain-free ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{16}{\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ thin films were obtained on MgO (001) single-crystal substrates with Cr seed layers. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the film is textured in all three spatial directions with crystallographic orientation determined by epitaxial constraints from the substrate. Average grain size was estimated to be in the range of tens of nanometers. Ten pieces of 40-nm-thick ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{16}{\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ thin-film samples were stacked together for half-polarized neutron diffraction study at room temperature. A total of six reflections were usable, from which the magnetic structure of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{16}{\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ was determined and compared to existing models. Contrary to most electronic structure calculations, the present results suggest that the magnetic moment of Fe atoms at the $8h$ site is large and larger than that of the $4d$ site. Our results support the giant magnetization of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{16}{\mathrm{N}}_{2}$.
The Right to Knowledge and the Superfund Program: A Fundamental Cause Approach to Disparities in Resident Awareness of Hazardous Waste Sites

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program was designed to remediate environmentally hazardous waste sites and, in doing so, inform and engage the public. Awareness of su...
Emergency unemployment benefits and health care spending during Covid.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of the $600 per week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments on health care services spending during the Covid pandemic and to investigate if this impact varied by state Medicaid expansion status. DATA SOURCES: This study leverages novel, publicly available data from Opportunity Insights capturing consumer credit and debit card spending on health care services for January 18-August 15, 2020 as well as information on unemployment insurance claims, Covid cases, and state policy changes. STUDY DESIGN: Using triple-differences estimation, we leverage two sources of variation-within-state change in the unemployment insurance claims rate and the introduction of FPUC payments-to estimate the moderating effect of FPUC on health care spending losses as unemployment rises. Results are stratified by state Medicaid expansion status. EXTRACTION METHODS: Not applicable. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: For each percentage point increase in the unemployment insurance claims rate, health care spending declined by 1.0% (<0.05) in Medicaid expansion states and by 2.0% (<0.01) in nonexpansion states. However, FPUC partially mitigated this association, boosting spending by 0.8% (<0.001) and 1.3% (<0.05) in Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, respectively, for every percentage point increase in the unemployment insurance claims rate. CONCLUSIONS: We find that FPUC bolstered health care spending during the Covid pandemic, but that both the negative consequences of unemployment and moderating effects of federal income supports were greatest in states that did not adopt Medicaid expansion. These results indicate that emergency federal spending helped to sustain health care spending during a period of rising unemployment. Yet, the effectiveness of this program also suggests possible unmet demand for health care services, particularly in states that did not adopt Medicaid expansion.
Distribution of G143A mutations conferring fungicide resistance in Virginia populations of Parastagonospora nodorum infecting wheat

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) caused by Parastagonospora nodorum is an important leaf spot disease in the mid-Atlantic U.S. Disease management approaches include use of resistant varieties, cul...
Motion Planning and Feedback Control for Bipedal Robots Riding a Snakeboard

This paper formulates a methodology to plan and control flat-terrain motions of an underactuated bipedal robot riding a snakeboard, which is a steerable variant of the skateboard. We use tools from non-holonomic motion planning to study snakeboard gaits and develop feedback control strategies that enable bipedal robots to produce the desired gaits while maintaining balance, regulating the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the snakeboard, achieving sharp turns, and avoiding obstacles.
Automatic Diagnosis and Prediction of Cognitive Decline Associated with Alzheimer’s Dementia through Spontaneous Speech

With the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it is important to develop detectable biomarkers to reliably identify AD in the early stage. Language deficit is one of the common signs that appear in the early stage of mild Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, using natural language processing and related machine learning algorithms for AD diagnosis using patients’ speech recordings has drawn more attention in recent years. In this study, three approaches are proposed to extract features through speech recording in this model: (1) using fine-tuning pre-trained encoder model (BERT) for transcripts from automatic transcription, (2) hand-crafted linguistic features for transcripts from automatic transcription, and (3) selected acoustic features for denoised speech recordings. The three designed approaches are applied to three tasks: AD diagnosis, MMSE score prediction, and cognitive decline inference. The approach using BERT yields the best performance in all three challenge tasks based on cross-validation results using the training dataset. Specifically, in the AD diagnosis task, 5-fold cross-validation using encoded features based on transcripts generated from Deep Speech yields an average classification accuracy of 97.18%. In the MMSE score prediction task, 5-fold cross-validation using BERT encoded features based on transcripts generated from Deep Speech yields an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 3.76. In the cognitive decline inference task, the leave-one-out cross-validation using BERT encoded features based on transcripts generated from Sphinx or Deep Speech yields an average classification accuracy of 100%. The analyses suggest that the combination of automatic transcription and BERT may produce a significant performance in AD related detection and prediction problems.
Classroom Assessment as Inquiry

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the question as to what should the classroom teacher know and be able to do in assessing student achievement. This handbook chapter promises both context and depth on a topic. It begins with a brief review of assessment practices and policies over the past half-century, as they bear on the classroom teacher's role in judging student achievement. Next, it proposes several criteria for gauging the adequacy of classroom assessment practices at the local school site. Then it outlines a framework for the process of classroom assessment as inquiry or applied research. The final section attempts to reconcile an issue raised at the outset—the tension between the demands of external and internal mandates for assessing student achievement. Given the current upheaval in assessment generally and classroom assessment in particular, deciding what to include and what to exclude has been difficult. The chapter offers a conceptual and practical analysis of classroom assessment more than a listing of sources and citations. We have relied for background on several recent works. Finally, the
Marginal Sea Overflows for Climate Simulations

This note describes a very simple parameterization of water mass transformation by marginal seas. This parameterization attempts to collapse marginal sea processes into a sidewall boundary condition suitable for an OGCM. Exchange dynamics are treated by hydraulic control models, and descent and mixing are treated by a model of a rotating, entraining density current. This parameterization has been tested by comparison to some well-measured overflows, and it has been implemented in a z-level OGCM to see what effects marginal sea processes have on the deep circulation of an Atlantic-sized basin. Compared to an OGCM solution without a marginal sea, but one which still has a vigorous thermohaline circulation, the combined model solution has much better deep water properties and a rather different circulation in the northern basin.
Activation of rabbit liver high affinity cAMP (type IV) phosphodiesterase by a vanadyl-glutathione complex. Characterization of the role of the sulfhydryl.

Activation of rabbit liver microsomal high affinity cAMP phosphodiesterase (Type IV PDE) by vanadyl-glutathione complexes was studied as a possible model of insulin stimulation of the enzyme in a cell-free system. The effect of VO.2GSH activation of PDE was a 21-fold decrease in the IC50 value for cGMP inhibition and a 2.6-fold increase in the Vmax of the higher affinity cAMP catalytic site. Cyclic AMP and cGMP substrate affinities and cGMP hydrolysis were unaffected by VO.2GSH activation. Selective Type IV PDE inhibitors and cGMP analogs indicated that VO.2GSH complexes activated the cGMP-inhibitable form of the Type IV PDE activities which co-localized in hepatic microsomes. The Type IV PDE activating complex appears to consist minimally of vanadyl ion and 2 oxidized electron donor compounds. The components of the electron donor required to achieve an enzyme activation complex are: 1) a free -SH group as the electron donor for vanadate reduction and 2) a minimum structure of cysteamine (NH2-CH2-CH2-SH). Maximal activation of the enzyme required near 2:1 molar ratios of either glutathione or cysteamine mixed with sodium orthovanadate. Active vanadyl-cysteamine complexes were isolated by reverse- phase high performance liquid chromatography. Tungsten, niobium, and tantalum, but not manganese, chromium, or molybdenum, substituted for vanadium to form enzyme-activating complexes with glutathione. VO.RSH complex activation occurred rapidly upon addition to microsomes and was reversible. We conclude from these studies that VO.RSH complexes and insulin activate the same form of Type IV PDE in rabbit liver microsomes; our findings are discussed with respect to the involvement of a possible electron transfer enzyme oxidation in the activation mechanism.
A STUDY OF CURRENT EVENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION: LA POLAR S.A FINANCIAL SCANDAL AND ITS ECONOMIC CONTRAST BY THE FINANCIAL MASS METHOD

This work aims to deliver a professional and ethical reflection of the social responsibility of any for-profit organization under free competition and healthy economic growth and development of any given country. This is extremely important considering there is always a social responsibility with the market and, above all, with the people. We consider that an ethical crisis ends up creating a financial crisis motivated by bad practices. Thus, we will study this kind of practice carried out by the managers of La Polar S.A. in Chile. With publicly available information, mainly consolidated financial statements, we are able to apply a new so-called financial analysis method, "financial mass", in which homogeneous monetary aggregates enable to classify the accounting information. This proposal interprets financial statements, specifically those indexes derived from it, and compares them to traditional indexes. This will allow us to conclude that the company under study showed figures much higher than in the industrial sector. Therefore, with the publicly available information, it is possible to notice the irregularity that would later on impact the Chilean capital market .
Ground States and Magnetic Responses of Model Valence-Fluctuation Systems

One of the main obstacles for the understanding of valence-fluctuation materials has been the absence of a clear model to illustrate the essential nature of the valence-fluctuation ground state. Our goal here is to present such a model, or rather, two closely related models, and to demonstrate that they have a number of intuitively reasonable features.
Concurrent Logic Programs a la Mode

This paper describes and compares two compile-time analysis algorithms for deriving the path modes of a moded concurrent logic program. A path describes a subterm of a procedure argument. Deriving all path modes is a way to perform certain valuable optimizations, such as sequentialization of too-fine concurrent tasks, and scheduling to reduce suspension. We describe our own variation of Ueda and Morita’s original constraint propagation scheme, which includes our novel circular unification algorithm. We also describe an alternative method of finite domain analysis that we developed. The two methods are critiqued and we show the relationship between them.
ROBUST ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF UNCERTAIN NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

Abstract An adaptive control problem for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems is formulated as a disturbance attenuation problem. In particular, the class of problems having nominal linear dynamics perturbed by small polynomial functions of the state which multiply the state, control and measurements is considered. Using a perturbation approach, an approximate solution to the resulting differential game problem is found which provides an implementable form of the robust adaptive compensator.