cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Pittsburgh Studies of the Epidemiology of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes-Mellitus

The Pittsburgh project evaluating the epidemiology and etiology of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is currently one of the large ongoing studies of childhood diabetes. This paper traces the evolution of the project, from the initial basic epidemiologic approach in the early 1980s, to the current thrust where complex molecular genetic approaches are being incorporated into population-based research. The epidemiology models employed in the Pittsburgh project are similar to those that could be used in many areas of chronic disease research. The integration of immunogenetics into epidemiology produces a powerful approach for understanding the complex interaction of host susceptibility and environmental agents that contribute to the development of IDDM.
Genetic alterations associated with adult diffuse astrocytic tumors.

Astrocytic tumors make up a wide range of neoplasms that differ in their location in the central nervous system, morphologic features, progressive and invasive behaviors, and the age and gender of people they affect. This report reviews the cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetic, and molecular genetic abnormalities associated with diffuse infiltrating astrocytomas in adults. This group of tumors is subdivided into low-grade astrocytomas (WHO grade II), anaplastic astrocytomas (WHO grade III), and glioblastoma multiforme (WHO grade IV).
High-Performance Buildings

enhancing economic growth, competitiveness, productivity, and quality of life. The construction industry in the United States contributes more than one trillion dollars to the yearly gross domestic product , but based on government statistics like those shown in Figure 1, it continues to stagnate or even lose productivity, unlike most other large-scale U.S. businesses. The construction industry is characterized by a large number of small clients, vendors, designers and contractors who are often not in a position to provide leadership in adopting new technology and practice. Other industry segments, with different structures, have seen more rapid change and significant increases in the productivity of both design and construction. For example, in the process and power industry, the capital cost per kilowatt hour of output from a power plant has declined steadily over the past decade. The construction industry as a whole, and the government agencies that work with it, have not invested significantly in research and development , and have not adequately demonstrated the technologies that do exist. Often, new methods are tried out only on individual projects, and the result is slow adoption of new technology in the marketplace. Where new technology is developed, it is most often pursued to fill an identified market niche rather than being an industry-wide innovation. In looking for the reasons for this low rate of productivity, performance, and adoption of technology, it is important to consider the role of codes and standards in building design and construction in maintaining the status quo. As currently structured, the industry is primarily driven by codes and standards that establish minimum requirements; these, in turn, are based largely on typical industry performance levels. Therefore, standards typically only prescribe minimum performance requirements that can be met by most of the design, construction, and manufacturing community. An owner or builder who wants to do better than the min-
Plasma rotation in a Micro-Vacuum Arc Thruster

Summary form only given. Micro-Vacuum Arc Thruster (μVAT) is a magnetically enhanced scaled down version of a vacuum arc thruster with an objective to provide a long-time operation. This work will outline recent experimental results, discuss an interesting new physical phenomena discovered as well as present other possible application of this plasma source.Rotation of cathode spot as a result of an applied magnetic field is demonstrated by using Langmuir probes inserted inside the source channel azimuthally. Special assemble of concentric circles plan probe was used to measure the ion current distribution outside the thruster channel and 12-probe set up is used to measure plasma rotation in the plasma plume. It is shown that plasma generated at the cathode spot is guided along the magnetic field line. Our experiments suggest that the plasma source produces rotating plasma that follows the rotation of cathode spot in retrograde direction. Significantly, magnetic field can efficiently guide the plasma leading to increase of the output ion current by a factor of 50 in comparison to that without the magnetic field. In addition, ion velocity dependence on the magnetic field is studied using the time of flight technique. Thin film deposition under effect of the magnetic field is analyzed.
Matrix perturbation methods using regularized coordinates

Matrix methods for computing perturbations of non-linear perturbed systems, as formulated by Alexeev, involve an expression for the full solution of the first variational equations of the system evaluated about a reference orbit. These cannot be immediately applied to a regularized system of equations where perturbations about Keplerian motion are considered since the solution of the variational equations of regularized Keplerian motion does not in general correspond to the solution of the variational equations of the unregularized equations. But, as Kustaanheimo and Stiefel have pointed out, the regularized equations of Keplerian motion should be excellent for the initiation of a perturbation theory since they are linear in form. This paper describes a method for applying Alexeev's theorem to a regularized system where full advantage is taken of the basic linear form of the unperturbed equations.
‘Does Sex Matter to Democracy?’– A Comment

Two aspects of the relation between sexual difference and democracy are discussed: (i) the construction in classic contract theory of the ‘natural’ difference between the sexes as a relation of superiority and subordination; (ii) the peculiarities and paradoxes of women's standing as citizens as the ‘different’ sex. This is illustrated by the examples of motherhood - women have been seen as having a distinctive political duty as mothers, but motherhood is also seen as the antithesis of citizenship - by the difficulties surrounding women and consent, and by the questions raised by contemporary feminists about the meaning of (‘normal’) ‘sex’.
Nonlinear climate change and Andean feedbacks: an imminent turning point?

A 370 000-year paleoecological record from Lake Titicaca provides a detailed record of past climate change in which interglacial periods are seen to have some elements of commonality, but also some key differences. We advance a conceptual feedback model to account for the observed changes that includes previously ignored lake effects. Today Lake Titicaca serves to warm the local environment by about 4–5 °C and also to increase rainfall. We observe that as water levels in the lake are drawn down due to warm, dry, interglacial conditions, there is a possible regional cooling as the lake effect on local microclimates diminishes. Positive feedback mechanisms promote drying until much of the lake basin is reduced to salt marsh. Consequently, the usual concept of upslope migration of species with warming would not be applicable in the Altiplano. If, as projected, the next century brings warmer and drier conditions than those of today, a tipping point appears to exist within ca. 1–2 °C of current temperatures, where the relatively benign agricultural conditions of the northern Altiplano would be replaced by inhospitable arid climates. Such a change would have profound implications for the citizens of the Bolivian capital, La Paz.
Nailgun Injuries of the Hand

Nailgun injuries of the digits and palm are an occupational hazard for carpenters. Sixty-five percent of all nailgun injuries have been reported to involve the hand. Clinically they can be further classified into three types, varying with the injury and the prognosis. Prompt nail removal after i.v. antibiotics, minimal wound debridement, operative curettement of the nail tract with removal of any foreign material, irrigation, open wound drainage, and nonoperative treatment of skeletal injuries resulted in healing without infection and with good function in seven cases.
The Legal Validity of Anti-Offshoring Laws, Bills, and Policies in the United States and Other Countries

The adoption of anti-offshoring legislation by federal governments can potentially violate the commitments made by such governments to the World Trade Organization and other bilateral and regional trade agreements. This motivates examination of the constitutionality and legality of governmental actions in the offshoring arena. The Obama administration has taken several steps to favor performance of tasks in the United States. Over 40 state governments in the US have considered anti-offshoring legislation, and some of these bills have been enacted by the respective legislatures. According to the US Constitution, the federal government possesses exclusive rights over the areas of interstate commerce, foreign affairs, and foreign trade in the US. All these constitutional principles are arguably violated when state governments approve anti-offshoring legislation. Some of the policy directives of the European Union (EU) and other countries also hamper the practice of offshoring. In particular, those relating to protection of privacy of personal data are discriminatory in nature and place foreign suppliers of services at a disadvantage compared to their domestic counterparts. The US and EU are major proponents of free trade; this is a two-way street, and comes with benefits and constraints. These issues are analyzed with respect to the current situation.
Explicit Sprinkler Irrigation Uniformity: Efficiency Model

The relationship between pattern uniformity and application efficiency under a sprinkler irrigation system in which the pattern is assumed to be normally distributed over an area of uniform soil moisture depletion is expressed mathematically. Empirical equations relating the pattern’s coefficient of variation, the fraction of adequately irrigated area, and the ratio of the mean required depth and to the mean applied depth are summarized. The mathematical model is an aid in evaluating the performance of a sprinkler irrigation system on the basis of potential yield reductions over inadequately watered areas, the economic trade-off between the system’s water application uniformity and its cost, and the environmental impacts of excessive drainage. Given criteria for assessing a sprinkler irrigation system in the general sense, the model allows design and operational optimization under widely differing conditions.
Understanding the Neuropsychology of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Men

Men in the general population exhibit more autistic traits than women. In a study of autistic traits in adults with normal intelligence, Baron-Cohen and colleagues found that, among control subjects without autism spectrum disorder (ASD), twice as many men as women had elevated scores on an autism screener, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) (Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Skinner, Martin, & Clubley, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5–17, 2001). While only 4 % of male controls in their study scored at the highest level on the screening measure, none of the women scored as high, even women who were later diagnosed with ASD (i.e., Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Radioactive choline metabolism in guinea pig gallbladder. Is there measurable acetylcholine release

Acetylcholine may be released from gallbladder intrinsic nerves in response to cholecystokinin stimulation. This study characterized metabolites of [14C]choline produced in the gallbladder and released during incubation, with or without cholecystokinin-octapeptide. Radiolabeled [14C]choline was applied to the mucosal or muscle surface of intact guinea pig gallbladders in an organ bath. After radiolabeling, gallbladders were incubated with or without the contractile agonist cholecystokinin-octapeptide. Metabolites of [14C]choline were identified in gallbladder tissue and incubation buffers using HPLC and thin-layer chromatography. The major metabolites of [14C]choline were betaine and phosphocholine. [14C]Phosphocholine was incorporated slowly into [14C]phosphatidylcholine. [14C]Choline was released into buffers during incubation. [14C]Acetylcholine constituted less than 1% of radiolabel in the gallbladder. There was no identifiable [14C]acetylcholine released in buffers. Cholecystokinin-octapeptide did not affect choline metabolism. These studies showed that choline in the gallbladder is metabolized along pathways similar to those in the liver. Gallbladders released mostly choline, rather than acetylcholine, even during hormonally induced contraction.
Coupled Mesoscale Microscale Model for Wind Resource Estimation and Turbine Aerodynamics Using an Overset Grid Approach

This study investigates the performance of a one-way grid nesting between the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model framework and three di erent computational uid dynamics codes of varying complexity. WRF is run in ideal large eddy simulation (LES) mode to provide the velocity eld for a speci ed number of time steps. Slices of velocity contours from the WRF simulations are used as boundary conditions for the simulations using the CFD codes. The data interpolation between the codes are setup using an overset grid connectivity approach. The framework is parallel, automated and requires no user intervention during the simulations. The use of an automated framework allows an e cient coupling between the codes, speed-up of the calculations and the ability to add additional modules for uid-structure interaction and o -shore wind energy applications. The capabilities of the framework are demonstrated for an experimental wind farm and an operational wind farm. The results obtained from the simulations show good agreement with available data for both wind farms.
Clinical Judgment Does Not Circumvent the Need for Diagnostic Endoscopy in Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Background To better understand the ability of physicians to predict the need for endoscopic therapy and to accurately predict specific endoscopic lesions, we performed a prospective, nonrandomized, observational cohort study in patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) who were undergoing endoscopy. Aim We aimed to evaluate the pre-endoscopy diagnostic accuracy and the correct prediction of high-risk lesions in patients with UGIH according to the level of clinical expertise. Methods One hundred twenty-one patients presenting with hematemesis and/or melena within 48 hours were studied. A questionnaire was given to primary physicians, gastroenterology fellows, and gastroenterology faculty, asking them to predict the need for endoscopic therapy and the cause of the bleed. Results The need for endoscopic therapy was predicted accurately by 68% of the primary physicians, 70% of the fellows, and 74% of the faculty physicians (P = 0.61). The faculty were able to predict which patients did not need therapy more accurately than the fellows and the residents: 85%, 78%, and 68%, respectively (P = 0.03). The diagnostic accuracy of the clinicians—that is, the ability to accurately predict the bleeding lesion among the primary physicians, fellows, and faculty physicians, was similar at 46%, 52%, and 48%, respectively (P = 0.65). Conclusions The accuracy of predicting the need for endoscopic therapy and the culprit cause of UGIH, based on clinical evaluation, was similar across levels of expertise. However, the faculty gastroenterologists were better than the gastroenterology fellows and the primary providers in predicting which patients do not require endoscopic treatment. We conclude that the relative inability of any group of physicians to accurately predict the presence of high-risk lesions requiring endoscopic therapy suggests that most patients with UGIH should undergo upper endoscopy for diagnosis and possible therapy.
The Ammonium Paradox of an Urban High-Nutrient Low-Growth Estuary

Ammonium (NH4+) may act as a paradoxical nutrient in urban estuaries, where high concentrations (above saturating levels) may result in decreased phytoplankton production and chlorophyll (oligotrophication) and contribute to a high-nutrient low-growth (HNLG) condition rather than classic eutrophication. This can occur in conditions where the most abundant dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) source for growth is nitrate (NO3‒) that cannot be accessed by the phytoplankton, due to physiological repression of NO3‒ uptake by elevated NH4+. This has important consequences for estuaries and coastal ecosystems that are subject to increased anthropogenic nitrogen loading, often in the form of NH4+. Managing estuarine nutrients by reducing DIN, but ignoring the different chemical forms that make up the DIN pool, may not yield a proportional reduction in algal production and biomass. Development of nutrient criteria should consider that the redox state of the DIN pool is important. The San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem is used to illustrate the paradox (although examples from other systems have also been described) and review the role that NH4+ can play in setting up HNLG conditions and conceptually, how it acts as a gatekeeper to allow or prevent NO3‒-based phytoplankton blooms.
Fiction and metafiction in Paulo Scott's Habitante irreal

ABSTRACTGoing against the grain of the pervading trend toward neo-naturalism in contemporary Brazilian literature, and forsaking realism for fabulation, Paulo Scott's Habitante irreal revisits and updates, through an astute combination of fictional and metafictional elements, the foundational narrative of the encounter between white and indigenous peoples, while, at the same time, chronicling the growing disenchantment of the generation that came of age with redemocratization. Skirting a definitive resolution, the novel presents alternative narratives of hopeful reconciliation and helpless disillusionment. The ambiguous ending produces an alienating effect, designed to actively engage the reader in the challenges and choices currently confronting Brazilian society as it struggles with its own identity and uncertain political future. Thus the novel self-consciously underscores that literature is not just representation, but also has a critical and possibly transformative function.
Measurement and analysis of rain precipitation at MASCRAD Instrumentation Site in Colorado

We present our ongoing studies of rain precipitation synergistically using a 2D-video disdrometer, particle spectrometer, precipitation occurrence sensor system, Pluvio precipitation gauge, state-of-the-art polarimetric CSU-CHILL radar, and a higher order electromagnetic scattering method. We present and discuss measurements and analyses for several rain events in 2015 at MASCRAD Instrumentation Site in Colorado.
Right Colectomy: Straight Laparoscopic

Laparoscopic colectomy has been proven as a safe technique that has some advantages over open surgery in terms of recovery and postoperative pain. This chapter describes the straight laparoscopic approach to a right colectomy or ileocolic resection. While the chapter discusses the various approaches, the inferior approach is emphasized.
High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer and Clinical Appendix

High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy has been successfully used to treat localized prostate cancer for several decades. Recent advances in imaging, risk stratification, and maturation of clinical trials data have made major strides in improving the efficacy, safety, and convenience of this important technique. This chapter discusses the literature supporting the use of HDR as monotherapy, in conjunction with external beam radiation and hormone therapy, and as a salvage option after prior radiation. Strategies for patient selection, target visualization, catheter placement, and dose/fractionation are reviewed.
A Statistical and Spatial Analysis of Chemical Contaminants in Cocos Lagoon, Guam

Cocos Lagoon is located on the southwestern end of the coast of Guam, and contains extensive coral reefs and an array of fish species. Within the Lagoon is a former US Coast Guard LORAN station on Cocos Island. Hazardous materials appear to have been disposed of on land and in near shore waters during the operation of the LORAN station, between the years of 1944 and 1963, exposing surrounding waters, sediment, fish species and humans to these materials. As part of a project to quantify chemical contaminants in Cocos Lagoon, and to address local and agency human health concerns, approximately 190 chemical contaminants were analyzed in sediments from 25 sites, along with 27 fish tissue samples from 16 sites. Higher levels of chemical contaminants were found in fish tissues collected from around Cocos Island, the site of the former LORAN station. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), for example, were above an EPA recreational fishers’ screening value (SV) in some fish species from around Cocos Island, indicating risk to humans consuming fish from this area. PCBs at high concentrations are known to cause negative effects on resident marine aquatic organisms and human health concerns include cancer. Characterizing contaminant impacts to aquatic marine organisms and possible human health results from this project will provide resource managers with key information needed to make effective decisions for the health of Cocos Lagoon and also gauge the efficacy of restoration activities. The results show high levels of PCBs in the fish species from Coco Lagoon. This indicates that there is a high risk of adverse health effects such as cancer if consumed by humans.
Brother, Can You Paradigm? Toward a Theory of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Social Studies:

Although research on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has accelerated in recent years, social studies educators have not generally been part of the conversation. This article explores why a theory of PCK for social studies has been so difficult to elaborate, focusing on the field’s inability to come to consensus on its aims and purposes and on a pervasive distrust of traditional academic disciplines and scholarship they produce. These factors have helped make the effective preparation of social studies teachers, something researchers studying PCK hope to improve, exceptionally difficult. This article proposes that if the field can resolve its relationship to the disciplines, a more coherent conceptualization of teacher education in social studies could come into focus. Such a reconceptualization could help position social studies teacher educators to contribute to the knowledge base on PCK, particularly with regard to the transformation of disciplinary content into school curriculum.
Distributions of Tropical Precipitation Cluster Power and Their Changes under Global Warming. Part I: Observational Baseline and Comparison to a High-Resolution Atmospheric Model

AbstractThe total amount of precipitation integrated across a precipitation feature (contiguous precipitating grid cells exceeding a minimum rain rate) is a useful measure of the aggregate size of the disturbance, expressed as the rate of water mass lost or latent heat released (i.e., the power of the disturbance). The probability distribution of cluster power is examined over the tropics using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 satellite-retrieved rain rates and global climate model output. Observed distributions are scale-free from the smallest clusters up to a cutoff scale at high cluster power, after which the probability drops rapidly. After establishing an observational baseline, precipitation from the High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) at two horizontal grid spacings (roughly 0.5° and 0.25°) is compared. When low rain rates are excluded by choosing a minimum rain-rate threshold in defining clusters, the model accurately reproduces observed cluster power statistics at both resolu...
Learning Through Play in Speed School, an International Accelerated Learning Program

This paper documents how play serves as a foundation for learning in Speed School, an accelerated learning program initiative of the Luminos fund.Â Speed school provides three years of primary education, grades 1-3, through an intensive ten-month program for out-of- school children between the ages of eight and fourteen who have never attended or who have dropped out of school, living in rural or remote areas of Ethiopia and Liberia.Â Literature was reviewed using a narrative review of Speed School program evaluations conducted by the University of Sussex, and literature on play pedagogy to identify search terms. Key strengths of the Speed School pedagogy implemented through playâ€”group work, questioning, hands-on materials, demonstration and explanation, use of native tongue, and flexible planningâ€”support social constructivism. Speed School facilitators and learning environments that promote constructivist play pedagogy are discussed.Â Knowledge acquisition, relationships, social engagement, testing out ideas, and skills building are identified as outcomes from the incorporation of play pedagogy in speed school.Â The paper concludes by highlighting how play pedagogy in Speed School contributes to the development of life-long learning.
Intersextionality: Embodied Knowledge, Bodies of Knowledge

Stacey Waite’s writing moves in time from being a child beginning to negotiate the complexities of identity to becoming an adult carefully crafting a classroom that is a space of radical possibility, rather than hegemony. The chapter is a series of vignettes mapping out impactful educational moments that had an effect on Waite as a child who grew up intersex in a culture with rigid binary gender regulations. The vignettes form a narrative argument for both why Waite became a scholar of queer pedagogies and why queer pedagogies are so important in all levels of education, illuminating multiple ways students are shaped by normativity during our years of schooling. While a queer pedagogical perspective is essential for students who might find themselves queer, it is even more significant for students who might not see themselves as queer. With the vignettes beginning in her early childhood and moving, by the end, to scenes from Waite’s own college classroom, this chapter wants to lead teachers to think about the complex ways that pedagogy is always bound up in who we are, inextricably linked to our own experience as students and as bodies moving through the world.
Introduction: Refugee Teacher Consultation in Malaysia

ABSTRACTThis is the introductory article to a journal theme issue on Refugee Teacher Collaboration in Malaysia. The origins of this issue are described, as well as the Editor’s hope that these articles will inspire additional consultation research using participatory approaches. A brief synopsis of the issue is provided.
Clinical studies with vincristine.

Forty patients with malignant neoplastic disease received vincristine in an effort to define the toxicity, the tolerated dose, the effect of varying dose schedules, and the antitumor properties. The toxicity of vincristine is dose related, and the tolerated dose for the weekly schedule is 0.05 mg. per Kg. for the majority of patients. The tolerated dose per unit time is independent of the schedule of administration. The toxic manifestations relate primarily to the neuromuscular system and the gastrointestinal tract. At the tolerated dose or below, these manifestations are reversible and not accumulative. Hematologic toxicity is rare, and thrombocytosis occurs in some patients. Vincristine produces tumor regression in the majority of the patients with lymphoma where its activity compares favorably with that of the alkylating agents and vinblastine. There is suggestive evidence that cross-resistance between vincristine and the alkylating agents and between vincristine and vinblastine does not occur.
Some Disputed Points in Primary Election Legislation

The widespread interest in nominating systems, particularly during the last ten years, has given rise to a great number of problems new to American politics. These questions are puzzling the reformer, the practical politician, the lawmaker and the judge. They are of absorbing interest to the student of political institutions and tendencies. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss only three of these problems, namely: the test of party allegiance, the formation of the platform under the direct primary system, and the majority required for nomination. As the party primary becomes more and more like an election, the more important does the question of party membership become. What constitutes a republican or a democrat? and how shall a satisfactory legal test be made? Originally this was a matter over which the party authorities possessed exclusive jurisdiction, and which they might regulate and control in their discretion. The republican committee decided what evidence was necessary to establish a right to participate in republican primaries, and the democratic committee denned and determined the essentials of democracy. The abuse of this power in many cases led to legal regulation of the party test. The most frequent test required is an expression of intention to support the party candidates in the ensuing election, coupled with a statement of past support of or affiliation with the party. In Michigan the test includes a declaration of sympathy with the objects of the party. In New Jersey, the voter must state that he supported a majority of the party's candidates at the last election, and intends to support the candidates named in the primary. South Dakota requires previous support of the party, belief in a “substantial part” of principles of the party, and intention to support the candidates nominated. Pennsylvania requires a declaration that the intending voter supported a majority of the party's candidates at the last election. The Missouri law of 1901 merely required that the voter answer affirmatively the question Are you a——?
Social Work Advocacy in the Regulatory Process

Rule making by governmental administrative agencies plays an important role in the lives of people who tend to be victimized by a decrease in services. Social work advocacy can influence the proces...
Calendar synchronization of gasoline price increases

In many retail gasoline markets with Edgeworth price cycles, large and regular price increases occur on the same day of the week every week, that is, they are calendar synchronized. In this article, I test whether calendar synchronization leads to higher or lower consumer expenditures on gasoline compared to a world with cycles but without calendar synchronization. On one hand, firms may attempt to trigger price increases just prior to periods of normally high demand. On the other, consumers may be better able to predict and shift purchases to low price days of the cycle. Using high‐frequency gasoline volume data and matching it to high‐frequency price data, I find that the latter effect dominates. All else equal, consumer expenditures on gasoline fall with calendar synchronization in the study markets. I also calculate intertemporal price elasticities and find them to be high.
Biological Activities of Analogs of Riboflavin

Life as it exists in its varied forms on earth is dependent on the use of a flavin1 for cellular metabolic processes. If this essential flavin is isolated from natural sources, there is no exception to the finding that it is a derived form of riboflavin.2 Thus, the number of ways in which the biological activity of riboflavin might be studied is very large; since the biological activity of an analog3 of riboflavin might conceivably be studied in any of these many ways, the combination of several analogs with the many systems in which riboflavin functions provides a still larger number of opportunities for exploration within the subject area defined by the title of this chapter.
Abstract 17276: Cyclophilin D is Required for Mitophagy-Regulating Parkin Translocation to Mitochondria

INTRODUCTION Cyclophilin D (CyD), encoded by the Ppif gene, is a mitochondrial protein that regulates the Mitochondria Permeability Transition Pore (MPTP) and is necessary for the removal of damage...
Protein Adducts as Biomarkers for Chemical Carcinogens

Protein adducts are one of several types of biomarkers which are valuable to the study of chemical carcinogenesis (8). Over the last 15 years, a great deal of developmental work has gone into making this particular biomarker a useful one. Much of the effort has been focused on hemoglobin as the target protein, but serum albumin has also proven interesting. Enough laboratory experiments and studies of human subjects have now been conducted that it is worthwhile to reflect on the results to attempt an assessment of the role protein adducts can play in the study of chemical carcinogenesis. This chapter specifically addresses issues related to epidemiological studies.
System Identification and Modeling of Primary Electrosensory Afferent Response Dynamics

The first stage of information processing in the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish involves the encoding of electrical stimuli into trains of action potentials in primary afferent nerve fibers. Based on experimental data collected in our laboratory, we have developed a linear-nonlinear cascade model that accurately describes this transformation in the brown ghost knife fish. We use both parametric and non-parametric system identification techniques to characterize the response dynamics. To validate our methods, we have implemented a “virtual experiment” simulation environment that allows us to carry out simulated experiments using protocols that mimic those that we use in the laboratory.
The Pucker sign: an operative and radiological indicator of impending operative difficulty due to severe chronic contractive inflammation in cholecystectomy.

Introduction Marked inflammatory contraction of the gallbladder at the time of cholecystectomy is associated with biliary injury. Methods The evolution of contraction is traced in two patients who developed acute cholecystitis. Results Within months the gallbladder became fibrotically contacted and in doing so pulled the adjacent liver down, puckering the surface of the liver. This puckering could be observed preoperatively on computed tomography and also visually at the time of surgery. Conclusions Puckering of the liver ("Pucker sign") can alert the surgeon to the presence of severe contractive inflammation.
Nonpharmacological therapies for interstitial lung disease

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) cause unpredictable degrees of fibrosis and inflammation in the lungs leading to functional decline and varying symptom burden for patients. Some patients may live for years and be responsive to therapy, and other disease trajectory may be shorter and similar to patients with lung cancer. This ultimately affects the patient’s quality of life as well as their caregiver(s). Nonpharmacological therapies play an important role in treatment of interstitial lung disease. These include symptom management, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and palliative care. While ILDs are associated with high morbidity and mortality, different models of care exist globally. New tools help clinicians identify and address palliative care needs in daily practice, and specialty nurses and ILD centers can optimize care. This paper provides an overview of nonpharmacological therapies available for patients with interstitial lung disease.
Trends in utilization, mortality, major complications, and cost after total artificial heart implantation in the United States (2009-2015)

Abstract Objective Total artificial heart (TAH) is a viable bridge to transplant (BTT) strategy for patients with severe biventricular failure or complex congenital heart disease. These patients have higher mortality and morbidity than patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. To assess national trends in in-hospital mortality, major complications, cost, length of stay, and disposition of patients undergoing TAH implantation. Methods Data from the National Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer inpatient data set in the United States, and the US Census Bureau, for the years 2009 to 2015 were analyzed. Participants included all adult patients who received TAH from 2009 to 2015. Endpoints included in-hospital mortality, in-hospital complications, heart transplantation (HT) in the same admission, length of stay, cost, and disposition at the time of discharge. Results We identified a total of 143 (weighted = 703) TAH implantations. The number of TAH implants increased during the study period (average annual change +5.8%, p = 0.03). Rates of in-hospital mortality and major complications including ischemic stroke, major bleeding, postoperative infections, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis, and HT did not change significantly over the study period. Although the length of stay and disposition patterns did not change over time, we found a significant increase in cost of hospitalization (average annual change +44,362, p = 0.01). The number of HT during the same hospital stay decreased significantly (average annual change −8.1%, p = 0.02). Conclusion In-hospital mortality and complication rates associated with TAH implantation remain increased and did not change in the era of continuous flow LVADs.
deal.II Implementation of a Weak Galerkin Finite Element Solver for Darcy Flow

This paper presents a weak Galerkin (WG) finite element solver for Darcy flow and its implementation on the deal.II platform. The solver works for quadrilateral and hexahedral meshes in a unified way. It approximates pressure by Q-type degree \(k({\ge }0)\) polynomials separately defined in element interiors and on edges/faces. Numerical velocity is obtained in the unmapped Raviart-Thomas space \( RT_{[k]} \) via postprocessing based on the novel concepts of discrete weak gradients. The solver is locally mass-conservative and produces continuous normal fluxes. The implementation in deal.II allows polynomial degrees up to 5. Numerical experiments show that our new WG solver performs better than the classical mixed finite element methods.
Review of Humans and Machines at Work: Monitoring, Surveillance, and Automation in Contemporary Capitalism by Phoebe V. Moore, Martin Upchurch, and Xanthe Whittaker

This book is a collection of essays written by various authors including the editors of the collection, Phoebe V. Moore, Martin Upchurch, and Xanthe Whittaker. These essays deal with the current topics of monitoring of workers in the new gig economy, digitalization of the work, and use of big data for the restructuring of the workforce. This book examines how new forms of surveillance are being adopted into contemporary work. It draws from original empirical research engaging with existing and emerging fields of social inquiry and discusses the occurrence of surveillance and new forms of measurement of work in a range of industries.
Blood product wastage reduction by utilising low-cost, low-impact multimodal physician-to-physician communication initiatives.

Objectives To assess a multimodal physician-to-physician communication initiative that is low in cost and impact to daily workflow to reduce blood product wastage. Background Blood product stewardship is an important issue in all hospital systems. Previous studies have proposed low-cost interventions to reduce blood product wastage, but few have evaluated improvements in communication between the blood bank and providers. We undertook a prospective quality improvement project focusing on improving communication to reduce blood product wastage. Methods We conducted a prospective quality improvement project over the first quarter of 2017, identifying patients with issued but unused blood products. Each service overseeing the care of patients identified on the unit status report was contacted through two possible methods: (i) phone or (ii) proprietary Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 compliant digital messaging application. Collected variables included reserved blood product type and participant time spent. Outcomes included the rate of blood product release and changes in wastage compared with historical data tracked by the blood bank. Results Eight hundred and forty products were reserved during the study period, of which 436 (52%) were released. Average participant times ranged from 2 ± 1 min to 15 ± 4 min with no significant differences in time spent between participants (P = 0·194). Compared with the average product wastage 10 months prior to project initiation, there were significant reductions in the average wastage for platelets (5·3 ± 2·5 units vs 2·5 ± 1·5 units, P = 0·05), RBCs (6·1 ± 3·7 units vs 0 ± 0 units, P = 0·01) and overall wastage (58·3 ± 14·9 units vs 40 ± 15·7 units, P = 0·05). Conclusion Efforts focusing on improving provider-to-provider communication can reduce blood product wastage.
A ‘Peaceable and Orderly Manner’: Town Meetings and other Popular Assemblies in the American Founding

The New England town meeting has often been seen as the archetypical deliberative citizen forum (see, e.g., Mansbridge 1980). More recently, political theorists have begun to appreciate the way in which any particular public forum might be better understood as part of the larger deliberative system (Parkinson, Mansbridge, 2012). Much of this work draws on modern-day examples (Parkinson 2006). But a return to the American founding era reveals that while town meetings are often praised and have many democratic virtues, they also embody a limitation on popular action generally and especially on democratic dissent.
Upskilling Together: How Peer-interaction Influences Speaking-skills Development Online

We explore the characteristics and values of online peer-interactions in developing a fundamental soft-skill such as speaking. 60 participants recorded speech videos on 5 job-interview prompts and exchanged comments and performance ratings with their peers. We find that both (i) receiving suggestions for improvement ('tips') and (ii) having access to peers with better average ratings than one's own correspond to performance improvement (p<0.001 for both). Using linguistic features (e.g., emotions, personality, sentiment), we are able to classify tips from non-tip comments (AUC 0.89). Linguistic features from the received comments and the average ratings of one's peers incrementally improve the prediction of one's future ratings, showing the simultaneous importance of the two peer-learning sources. Qualitative analysis reveals dyadic and community-level peer-influence factors: context-driven feedback, first-hand demonstration, empathetic support, acknowledgment, opinion diversity, sense of community and comfort in interaction. These insights inform the building of intelligent human-machine symbiosis systems for speaking-skills development.
Investigating Series-Parallel Actuation Arrangement in a Bioinspired Biped Robot

A bipedal robot with serial linkage legs having passive energy storage elements distal to the knee in a Series Parallel Elastic Actuation (SPEA) arrangement is presented to demonstrate and experiment on energy input and recovery during energy-intensive low frequency squatting. The robot is based on the hind legs of the Felidae family with bio-inspired linkage ratios and spring locations. The design places special emphasis on reduction of leg inertia by qualitative assessment of placement of heavier components including motors. Natural dynamics of the system are explored by allowing the assembly to fall from a height and observing its passive spring-damping characteristics and oscillatory frequency. The same is also investigated through computational simulations in the absence of real-world constraints such as joint friction. The effects of SPEA at the knee and ankle joint is observed on the ground-reaction force through the simulation environment. An interesting proposal of incorporating an engage-disengage spring at the knee joint is discussed.
Materials science perspective of multifunctional materials derived from collagen

Grand challenges facing humanity today are closely linked to the rapid exhaustion of natural resources in conjunction with the massive growth of industrial production that sustains the booming worl...
Electrical storm: A focused review for the emergency physician.

Abstract Background Electrical storm is a dangerous condition presenting to the Emergency Department that requires rapid diagnosis and management. Objective This article provides a review of the diagnosis and management of electrical storm for the emergency clinician. Discussion Electrical storm is defined as ≥3 episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or shocks from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator within 24 h. Patients may present with a wide array of symptoms. Initial evaluation should include an electrocardiogram with a rhythm strip and continuous cardiac monitoring, a medication history, assessment of hemodynamic stability, and identification of potential triggers. Management includes an antiarrhythmic and a beta blocker. Refractory patients may benefit from double-sequential defibrillation or more invasive procedures such as intra-aortic balloon pumps, catheter ablation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for critically ill patients. These patients will typically require admission to an intensive care unit. Conclusion Electrical storm is a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the evaluation and management of these patients.
Vincent van Gogh’s Autocatalysis

RNA is a fundamental molecule that codes for protein and controls gene expression, playing a fundamental role in many biological processes.
Chapter 25 – Tanker corrosion

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on corrosion of tankers. It presents an example of marine incident caused by corrosion. It categorizes the primary cost of corrosion protection in tankers into two types: the cost as part of the new construction of the ships and the cost of repairs and maintenance. The majority of the corrosion prevention costs on new ship construction results from the application of coatings to the hulls, decks, and the ballast and storage tanks. The actual cost of applying a coating is relatively more than the cost of the coating materials themselves. The chapter describes the structure of tankers, which is very complex. The hull structures are designed to have adequate strength against failures of yielding, buckling, and fatigue. Corrosion can cause wastage of the hull plates, reducing load-bearing capacity of structural members. Single-hull and double hull tanker structures are illustrated. The chapter discusses three types of corrosion that exist within ships: general, pitting, and grooving corrosion. Several ways to protect marine structures from corrosion damages, such as coatings, cathodic protection, or using corrosion resistant materials are also discussed.
Introducing Workplace Spirituality as a Catalyst to Transform from Dysfunction to Organizational Convergence

Business transformation, innovation, lean six sigma methodology, modernization, and operational excellence are all buzzwords used in the workplace to make things better in terms of automation and business process improvement. However, all of this effort to increase production and reduce expenses may sometimes come at a cost to the morale and emotional aspect of the employees. As companies are searching for ways to remain competitive in the marketplace, workplace spirituality is an answer many are turning to. Spirituality does not necessarily mean religious, but for many believers in faith, spirituality is part of their practice. This chapter focuses on turning a dysfunctional organization into a functional workplace by using spiritual practices; some refer to them as soft skills. The instruments used in this study measured altruistic love, hope/faith, inner life, meaningful work, sense of community, and vision. All of which are focused on people more than business processes.