cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Intrathoracic Stomach with Polypropylene Mesh Prosthesis Reinforced Transabdominal Hiatus Hernia Repair

Abstract Background: Posterior cruroplasty repair of a large paraesophageal hiatus hernia has a higher than desirable rate of recurrence attributable to the inexorable cyclic negative intrathoracic pressure of respiration and positive intraabdominal pressure produced by straining, physical exertion, and coughing. To reduce the risk of recurrence after repair of a large hiatus hernia and intrathoracic stomach, we have used posterior cruroplasty reinforced with an onlay polypropylene mesh prosthesis. This paper reviews the feasibility of this technique. Study Design: We did a retrospective review of 44 patients with large hiatus hernia and intrathoracic stomach who had posterior cruroplasty and onlay of polypropylene mesh prosthesis applied to the crura and adjacent diaphragm to repair the hiatal defect. Results: Preoperative symptoms (mean duration, 26 months) included pain (33 patients), vomiting (21), dysphagia (19) and anemia (8). The typical patient (28 men and 16 women, mean age, 60) had two-thirds or more of the stomach above the diaphragm. Organoaxial gastric volvulus and herniated large or small bowel were present in 10 and 9 patients, respectively. A gastrostomy was performed for temporary drainage in 38 patients in addition to the hernia repair; 11 patients underwent a concomitant Nissen fundoplication. Postoperative complications included pleural effusion (four patients), atrial dysrhythmia (three patients), and superficial wound infection (two patients). Mean followup for 43 patients was 52 months. There have been no clinical recurrences. Conclusions: Mesh prosthesis reinforced hiatus hernia repair is effective, appears to have a low clinical recurrence rate, and should be an option in the treatment of a large hiatus hernia with intrathoracic stomach.
DEVELOPMENT OF TEMPERATURE TOLERANT SURIMI GELS USING STARCH–PROTEIN INTERACTIONS

Two modified starches (acetylated, phosphated tapioca di-starch [TAPDS], acetylated waxy maize di-starch [WADS]) were combined 2:1:1 with native corn and potato (CP) starches and compared with CP at 1:1 and 0% starch (CON). Starch mixtures (2, 4, 6 and 8%) were added to Alaska pollock surimi. Heat stability (5–55C), frozen storage (0, 3 and 6 freeze/thaw [FT] cycles), and refrigerated storage (0, 3 and 6 days) of cooked gels were evaluated. In addition, micro differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic rheology were used to evaluate starch–protein interactions. TAPDS (4 and 6%) and WADS (2–8%) maintained water retention ability of fish protein gels significantly better (P < 0.05) than CON and CP (2–8%). WADS (2 and 6%) and TAPDS (4 and 6%) minimized variability in force and deformation values between 0 and 6 FT. Performance of TAPDS (4 and 6%) and WADS (2%), with regard to maintaining textural properties under different serving temperatures, indicates these special, modified starches could be effectively used in surimi seafood products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS TAPDS (4 and 6%) and WADS (2%) used in surimi seafood performed similar to (P > 0.05) or better than (P < 0.05) to CON with regard to maintaining textural properties at 5 and 55C. This indicates that reduction of surimi content from 75 to 51%, and subsequent increase in water and starch content, respectively, by using optimum levels of modified starch can possibly be achieved without sacrificing textural and other physical properties. Even though the cost of modified starches would be higher than native starch, the role of special, modified starch was significantly noted in maintaining physical properties of cooked starch-surimi fish protein gels. The performance of TAPDS (4 and 6%) starch mixture and WADS (2%) with regard to maintaining textural attributes at hot and cold serving temperatures, as well as frozen and refrigerated storage stability, suggests that these formulations could be effectively used as a starch blend in surimi seafood products.
A Pilot Study of Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Pancreatic Cancer

PURPOSE: In the current study we examined the ability of diffusion MRI (dMRI) to predict pathologic response in pancreatic cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation. METHODS: We performed a prospective pilot study of dMRI in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. Patients underwent dMRI prior to neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Surgical specimens were graded according to the percent tumor cell destruction. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were used to generate whole-tumor derived ADC histogram distributions and mean ADC values. The primary objective of the study was to correlate ADC parameters with pathologic and CT response. RESULTS: Ten of the 12 patients enrolled on the study completed chemoradiation and had surgery. Three were found to be unresectable at the time of surgery and no specimen was obtained. Out of the 7 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, 3 had a grade III histopathologic response (> 90% tumor cell destruction), 2 had a grade IIB response (51% to 90% tumor cell destruction), 1 had a grade IIA response (11% to 50% tumor cell destruction), and 1 had a grade I response (> 90% viable tumor). Median survival for patients with a grade III response, grade I-II response, and unresectable disease were 25.6, 18.7, and 6.1 months, respectively. There was a significant correlation between pre-treatment mean tumor ADC values and the amount of tumor cell destruction after chemoradiation with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.94 (P = .001). Mean pre-treatment ADC was 161 × 10− 5 mm2/s (n = 3) in responding patients (> 90% tumor cell destruction) compared to 125 × 10− 5 mm2/s (n = 4) in non-responding patients (> 10% viable tumor). CT imaging showed no significant change in tumor size in responders or non-responders. CONCLUSIONS: dMRI may be useful to predict response to chemoradiation in pancreatic cancer. In our study, tumors with a low ADC mean value at baseline responded poorly to standard chemoradiation and would be candidates for intensified therapy.
Questioning Patterns and Language Proficiency in Bilingual Students

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between the relative language proficiency and the types of questions, as speech acts, produced by bilingual children in different settings. The main premise of the study was that in studying language proficiency of bilingual children, a holistic perspective should be used, and the whole language repertoire, in both languages and in different settings, should be taken into account. The subjects of the study were six third grade students attending a self-contained maintenance bilingual program in a midwest city. Video and audio taped data collected in the classroom and in informal settings were coded and analyzed for the study. The data showed that children produced the same question repertoire as previously found in studies with monolingual English-speaking children and adults. There were differences in the type of question patterns used both in Spanish and English and across settings. It is suggested that further study of the use of different speech acts, ...
Simulator Fidelity in Electro-Mechanical Maintenance Training

A program of research aimed at investigating the degree of functional and physical fidelity needed in maintenance training simulators is described. A unique aspect of this work is the use of a generic reference system to serve as both an actual equipment trainer and system for simulation. This system as well as five training simulators differing in their functional and physical resemblance to the reference system are described. Program plans, objectives, and preliminary observations are discussed.
Analyzing the energy-efficiency of sparse matrix multiplication on heterogeneous systems: A comparative study of GPU, Xeon Phi and FPGA

Hardware accelerators have evolved as the most prominent vehicle to meet the demanding performance and energy-efficiency constraints of modern computer systems. The prevalent type of hardware accelerators in the high-performance computing domain are PCIe attached co-processors to which the CPU can offload compute intensive tasks. In this paper, we analyze the performance, power, and energy-efficiency of such accelerators for sparse matrix multiplication kernels. Improving the efficiency for sparse matrix operations is of eminent importance since they work at the core of graph analytics algorithms which are in turn key to many big data knowledge discovery workloads. Our study involves GPU, Xeon Phi, and FPGA co-processors to embrace the vast majority of hardware accelerators applied in modern HPC systems. In order to compare the devices on the same level of implementation quality we apply vendor optimized libraries for which published results exist. From our experiments we deduce that none of the compared devices generally dominates in terms of energy-efficiency and that the optimal solutions depends on the actual sparse matrix data, data transfer requirements and on the applied efficiency metric. We also show that a combined use of multiple accelerators can further improve the system's performance and efficiency by up to 11% and 18%, respectively.
A Man With a Giant Retroperitoneal Mass.

Aman aged 54 years,who had not seen a physician for nearly 10 years, presented to the emergency department with a 1-month history of generalized weakness and bilateral lower extremity swelling that had progressed to his upper abdomen. Physical examination revealed at least 4 lower extremity edemas and an abdomen that was large, taut, and distended (Figure 1A). A computed tomographic scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis was obtained (Figure 1B). A
Presenting and analyzing movie stimuli for psychocinematic research

Movies have an extraordinary way of capturing our perceptual, conceptual and emotional processes. As such, they offer a useful means of exploring psychological phenomenon in the laboratory. Until recently, it has been rather difficult to present animated stimuli and collect behavioral responses online. However, with advances in digital technology and commercially available software to construct, present, and analyze movies for behavioral investigations, there is a growing interest in psychocinematic research. A rather simple, yet useful procedure is described that presents movie clips and collects multiple behavioral responses during its presentation. It uses E-prime 2.0 Professional software to run the experiment and Microsoft Excel to sort and analyze the data.
Reconstructing the Irradiated Rectum

The increasing use of preoperative imaging in rectal cancer has led to the increased use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation. In addition, there are enteric consequences as a result of the use of adjuvant radiation therapy for other malignancies (including those in the prostate and the cervix). This chapter outlines the approach by coloproctologists to this specific problem, highlighting different specialized types of colorectal reconstructions when indicated.
Multi-objective design and optimization of a vienna rectifier with parametric uncertainty quantification

The performance of power electronic converters is sensitive to main design variables such as topology, control algorithm, and modulation scheme as well as details such as manufacturing variability. In this paper, sensitivity index is introduced as an indicator of design quality to measure converter robustness in the presence of manufacturing uncertainty. This paper presents the design and optimization of a Vienna rectifier that converts variable frequency 115 V AC voltage into 340 V DC voltage to illustrate the multi-objective optimization with parametric uncertainty quantification. The primary design target is to maximize converter efficiency and robustness within given size limitations and operation requirements.
Antianthropocentrism and Science Fiction Part II: After World War II and into the Twenty-First Century

This chapter continues the survey of selected sf writers who interrogate and/or reject outright an anthropocentric viewpoint. By working in a speculative realm, these writers operate in ways unavailable to realists. Among the writers I discuss are George R. Stewart, J.G. Ballard, and Ursula K. Le Guin. I conclude the chapter with a discussion of the MaddAddam novels of Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. These novels (as well as many of those discussed in this and all my previous chapters) are, I argue, less predictive or merely pessimistic than rhetorical warnings for us to reexamine our hubris and our anthropocentric assumptions about the world.
The Effect of Continuous Auditing, Role Duality, and Organizational Identification on the Incidence and Likelihood of Reporting Management Opportunism

Increasingly more internal audit functions use company-developed technology to provide timelier assurance to management and that could decrease management opportunism. However, serving in the dual role as provider of consulting and assurance services related to this technology could present objectivity concerns. In this study, 255 practicing internal auditors estimate the likelihood of either accrual-based or real earnings management in one of two experiments manipulating internal audit frequency (continuous vs. periodic) and auditor objectivity (separate vs. combined assurance and consulting activities). Although managers may be better able to predict their responses to the hypothetical scenario, their predictive capability is limited by their own prior experience with earnings manipulation and with the internal audit function. Additionally, prior auditing research suggests internal auditors provide responses no different from the responses of managers when assessing the effectiveness of IA assurance. In both experiments, I predict and find that internal auditors expect the likelihood of earnings management will be lower when the internal audit function uses continuous auditing, regardless of the level of objectivity. However, the effect of objectivity is context-dependent such that accrual-based (real) earnings management is less likely (no different) when the internal audit function is more objective, regardless of audit frequency. This study has implications for internal and external audit practice as auditing regulators begin to examine potential changes to auditing standards that encourage the use of recent technological advances in the audit. In addition, this study suggests ways to improve the internal auditor’s role in corporate governance.
A neighborhood regression approach for removing multiple types of noises

Image denoising is an important first step to provide cleaned images for follow-up tasks such as image segmentation and object recognition. Many image denoising filters have been proposed, with most of the filters focusing on one particular type of additive or multiplicative noise. In this article, we propose a novel neighborhood regression approach. Using the neighboring pixels as predictors, our approach has superb performance over multiple types of noises, including Gaussian, Poisson, Gaussian and Poisson, salt & pepper, and stripped noise. Our L2 regression filter can be parallelized to significantly speed up the denoising process to process a large number of noisy images. Meanwhile, our regression approach does not need tuning parameters or any training images, and it does not need any prior knowledge of the variance of the noise. Instead, our regression filter can accurately estimate the variance of the added Gaussian noise. We have performed extensive experiments, comparing our regression filter with the popular denoising filters, including BM3D, median filter, and wavelet filter, to demonstrate the superb performance of our proposed regression filter.
A Novel Cell Penetrating Peptide for the Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells.

Retinoic acid (RA) is a bioactive lipid that has been shown to promote neural stem cell differentiation. However, the highly hydrophobic molecule needs to first solubilize and translocate across the cell membrane in order to exert a biological response. The cell entry of RA can be aided by cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), which are short amino acid sequences that are able to carry bioactive cargo past the cell membrane. In this work, a novel cell penetrating peptide was developed to deliver RA to human neural stem cells and, subsequently, promote neuronal differentiation. The novel CPP consists of a repeating sequence, whose number of repeats is proportional to the efficiency of cell penetration. Using fluorescence microscopy, the mode of translocation was determined to be related to an endocytic pathway. The levels of β-III tubulin (Tubb3) and microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) expression in neural stem cells treated with RA conjugated to the CPP were assessed by quantitative immunocytochemistry.
Efficient diagnosis of multiple disorders based on a symptom clustering approach

Diagnosis of multiple disorders can be made efficient using a new representation and algorithm based on symptom clustering. The symptom clustering approach partitions symptoms into causal groups, in contrast to the existing candidate generation approach, which assembles disorders, or candidates. Symptom clustering achieves efficiency by generating aggregates of candidates rather than individual candidates and by representing them implicitly in a cartesian product form. Search criteria of parsimony, subsumption, and spanning narrow the symptom clustering search space, and a problem-reduction search algorithm explores this space efficiently. Experimental results on a large knowledge base indicate that symptom clustering yields a near-exponential increase in performance compared to candidate generation.
Assessment of a computer-aided instructional program for the pediatric emergency department

Computer aided instruction (CAI) software is becoming commonplace in medical education. Our experience with CAI programs in our pediatric ED raised concerns about the time commitment some of these programs require. We developed a just-in-time learning program, the Virtual Preceptor (VP) and evaluated this program for use in a busy clinical environment. Forty-three of 47 pediatric residents used the VP at least once. Interns used the program 2 (1/2) times more often than upper level residents. Of 321 topics available in 18 subject categories, 153 (48%) were selected at least once. Content was rated as appropriate by 72% of users. 95% of residents would use the program again. Although no resident felt the program itself took too long to use, 51% said they were too busy to use the VP. Time of use and level of training may be important factors in CAI use in the pediatric ED environment.
Humanlike robots: state of the art and challenges

Humans have always sought to mimic the appearance, mobility, functionality, intelligent operation, and thinking process of biological creatures. In recent years, significant advances have been made in making sophisticated biologically inspired systems. Using these advances, scientists and engineers are increasingly reverse engineering many animals' capabilities. Progress in artificial intelligence, artificial vision, and many other biomimetic related fields are leading to many benefits to humankind. The mimicking of humans is the ultimate and most challenging goal of developing biologically inspired technologies. Lifelike robots that appear and function like humans are becoming increasingly an engineering reality. The use of biomimetic technologies are enabling the possibility of making realistically looking and operating robots. New actuators, sensors and software control algorithms are being developed to support the mobility and the operation in the vicinity and in cooperation with humans. The accelerated pace of the advances in biomimetics seems to make inevitable the development of such machines as our household appliance or even companion. This paper covers the current state-of-the-art and challenges to making humanlike robots.
Understanding How High‐Protein Bar Formulations Impact Their Mechanical and Wear Behaviors Using Response Surface Analysis

High-protein bars are popular snack items that can have significant processing issues like sticking, clogging, and cold flow. These issues are primarily problematic during formulation development because current predictive testing is reliant on highly empirical bench tests or pilot plant testing, which is expensive and time-consuming. Wear testing, which has been used in the medical field to evaluate the lifetime of soft materials used in joint replacements, may have promise in evaluating food processing ability. Wear and rheological testing were used to better understand high-protein bar processing ability. The objective of this study was to determine bench-level instrumental tests that would be able to predict processing ability for a given formulation. Two response surface designs were used for formulations of model bar systems comprising whey protein isolate (WPI), high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and either canola oil or vegetable shortening. Ingredient formulation affected processing ability, wear behaviors, and rheological behaviors. Formulations with high ratios of WPI to HFCS and either shortening or oil exhibited good processing ability, lower wear rates, and increased elastic-type behavior, indicating that processing ability is related to formulation. The results of this study indicated that material mechanical and wear behaviors were related to processing ability; both were controlled by formulation. Because it was shown to be a good indicator of high-protein bar processing ability, wear testing of food has potential significance in benchtop testing. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Understanding of how high-protein bar formulations impact their mechanical behaviors can help streamline their formulation development and scaling from bench to industrial production. Processing ability may be predicted with a quick wear test, providing a rapid testing method that requires little sample for evaluating bar formulations.
Students' strategies for solving a multirepresentational partial derivative problem in thermodynamics

Introducing representational transformation diagrams to show the steps involved in a problem-solving process; a tool for researchers and instructors.
Countering Misperceptions to Reduce Prejudice: An Experiment on Attitudes toward Muslim Americans

Muslim Americans constitute one of the United States’ most vulnerable minority groups, facing frequent discrimination from both the public and the government. Despite this vulnerability, few studies evaluate interventions for reducing prejudice against Muslim Americans. Building from an insightful literature on the sources of prejudice against Muslim Americans, this paper tests whether attitudes can be improved with information countering misperceptions of the community as particularly foreign, threatening, and disloyal to the United States. The experimental treatment modestly improved attitudes, including among some subgroups predisposed to prejudice against Muslim Americans. However, the treatment struggled to change policy views, and it demonstrated some vulnerability to social desirability bias and priming on terrorism threats. The findings suggest that information campaigns addressing misperceptions can help to reduce prejudice on the margins, but primarily in less politicized contexts.
Motor cortex facilitation: a marker of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder co-occurrence in autism spectrum disorder.

The neural correlates distinguishing youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD-) and ASD with co-occurring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ASD+) are poorly understood despite significant phenotypic and prognostic differences. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures, including intracortical facilitation (ICF), short interval cortical inhibition (SICI), and cortical silent period (CSP) were measured in an age matched cohort of youth with ASD- (n = 20), ASD + (n = 29), and controls (TDC) (n = 24). ASD− and ASD+ groups did not differ by IQ or social functioning; however, ASD+ had significantly higher inattention and hyperactivity ratings. ICF (higher ratio indicates greater facilitation) in ASD+ (Mean 1.0, SD 0.19) was less than ASD− (Mean 1.3, SD 0.36) or TDC (Mean 1.2, SD 0.24) (F2,68 = 6.5, p = 0.003; post-hoc tests, ASD+ vs either TDC or ASD−, p ≤ 0.05). No differences were found between groups for SICI or age corrected active/resting motor threshold (AMT/RMT). Across all ASD youth (ASD− and ASD+), ICF was inversely correlated with worse inattention (Conners-3 Inattention (r = −0.41; p < 0.01) and ADHDRS-IV Inattention percentile (r = −0.422, p < 0.01) scores. ICF remains intact in ASD− but is impaired in ASD+. Lack of ICF is associated with inattention and executive function across ASD. Taken with the present findings, ADHD may have a distinct electrophysiological “signature” in ASD youth. ICF may constitute an emerging biomarker to study the physiology of ADHD in ASD, which may align with disease prognosis or treatment response.
The Effect of Audit Firm Internal Governance on Auditor Behavior and Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from Internal Inspections

We examine the effect of large audit firms’ internal inspection programs, an important monitoring mechanism, on auditor behavior and financial reporting quality. Internal inspections are often predictable, and engagement teams concentrate their effort on audits ultimately selected for inspections. The extra-effort increases the likelihood of a favorable inspection rating. We find some evidence of improvement in financial reporting quality in the inspection year, suggesting that internal inspections are effective in deterring auditor shirking. Upon receiving a favorable rating, the engagement team reverts audit effort back to the pre-inspection level. However, if the rating is unfavorable, the team increases effort on future engagements of the client, and this higher effort improves the client’s financial reporting quality if the internal inspection program is considered effective by the PCAOB. The results suggest that higher effort under ineffective internal inspection programs likely involves excessive documentation and reflects lower audit efficiency.
Are Disney Characters ‘Frozen’ in Stereotypes? An Intersectional Analysis of Frozen

This paper analyzes changes and continuities in the popular princess characters created by the Walt Disney Studios, specifically in the 2013 movie Frozen . The analysis focuses on five themes suggested by an intersectionality framework: the historical and geographical contexts of Disney characters; the controlling images that are revealed; the power relations among the characters; the macro and micro conditions of Disney movies; and the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, and class in the portrayed characters. The main finding is that the traditional Disney princess has made way for a new and more modern princess character that seems to transcend the conventional stereotype of former characterizations. Yet, closer inspection of the Frozen movie also shows that a new stereotype has developed that depicts a princess as someone who merely thinks she is independent, but who often still needs to rely on a man.
Chapter 15 – Leading Change in an Organization

One of the most vexing challenges in the job of leadership is that of managing change. Leadership would be much easier if we lived in a static or nearly static world. In a fictional world where everyday is the same, such as in the film “Groundhog Day,” a leader’s role would be much less demanding. Leaders like handling problems that they have seen before. Things that come up repeatedly are much easier to handle than the unknown. Instead, in the real world we live in, time marches on, and waves of change, some very substantial, roll through our lives and careers. By its nature, the complexity of change usually means that we will perceive both positive and negative elements. In the case of those of us in healthcare, particularly those of us in countries where recent societal change has been especially swift, we have been cursed to live in interesting times. Our careers have seen change that is not only rapid and complicated, but also very difficult to predict accurately. To continue with the surf analogy, we have caught a wave or waves that are quite challenging and with more than a small element of danger. This chapter will discuss how to lead an organization through the challenging periods when things must change whether you are ready or not, and where change often comes with challenges of many types, not only the expected financial and political burdens but very often emotional as well as personal costs as well.
Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review

Virtual teams (i.e., geographically distributed collaborations that rely on technology to communicate and cooperate) are central to maintaining our increasingly globalized social and economic infrastructure. “Global Virtual Teams” that include members from around the world are the most extreme example and are growing in prevalence (Scott and Wildman in Culture, communication, and conflict: a review of the global virtual team literature, Springer, New York, 2015). There has been a multitude of studies examining the difficulties faced by collaborations and use of technology in various narrow contexts. However, there has been little work in examining the challenges faced by virtual teams and their use of technology to mitigate issues. To address this issue, a literature review was performed to highlight the collaboration challenges experienced by virtual teams and existing mitigation strategies. In this review, a well-planned search strategy was utilized to identify a total of 255 relevant studies, primarily focusing on technology use. The physical factors relating to distance are tightly coupled with the cognitive, social, and emotional challenges faced by virtual teams. However, based on research topics in the selected studies, we separate challenges as belonging to five categories: geographical distance, temporal distance, perceived distance, the configuration of dispersed teams, and diversity of workers. In addition, findings from this literature review expose opportunities for research, such as resolving discrepancies regarding the effect of tightly coupled work on collaboration and the effect of temporal dispersion on coordination costs. Finally, we use these results to discuss opportunities and implications for designing groupware that better support collaborative tasks in virtual teams.
Coupled effects of electronic and nuclear energy deposition on damage accumulation in ion-irradiated SiC

Abstract Coupling between electronic and nuclear energy dissipation in ion-irradiated, single crystal 4H-SiC has been investigated using Si, Ti, and Ni ions over a range of energies at 300 K, and irradiation damage accumulation is characterized using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in channeling geometry. The damage production rate from nuclear energy loss (Sn) is observed to decrease with increasing electronic energy loss (Se) of the incident ions. A dynamic threshold (Se,th) in electronic energy loss is determined for each ion species, which defines two regions: i) Se > Se,th, where electronic energy dissipation fully suppresses damage production due to nuclear energy loss along incident ion paths, and ii) Se
Mortality Rate in ARDS Is Higher in Those Meeting NIH ARDSNet Exclusion Criteria

Background: ARDS mortality is lower among subjects participating in randomized controlled trials (RCT) versus the general ARDS population (23-29% vs. 35-46%). 1 The need to exclude subjects with inordinately high mortality risk is necessary in RCTs to prevent masking the impact of potentially effective treatments. We inquired whether these differences would be apparent in subjects managed clinically using the ARDSNet ventilation protocol based upon ARDSNet eligibility or exclusion criteria. Methods: The SFGH ARDS quality assurance database used for tracking lung protective ventilation (LPV) practices was queried to identify 1, 986 subjects meeting Berlin Taskforce criteria for ARDS from July 2002 through December 2017. Subjects had been differentiated by enrollment criteria into an ARDSNet trial (eg, exclusions based on comorbidities, moribund conditions). Mortality was assessed at 90 days after ARDS onset by two-sided chi-square test with Yates correction. Cox proportional hazard model was used to compare the risk of death between subjects eligible for or excluded from enrollment into a RCT. Alpha was set at 0.05. Results: Day 90 mortality was significantly lower in those meeting eligibility criteria vs. exclusion criteria (29% vs 52%, P Conclusions: Among subjects not enrolled into an RCT, but managed using the ARDSNet ventilator protocol, mortality differences were apparent based upon standard ARDSNet RCT eligibility and exclusion criteria. This likely reflects differences in the presence of comorbidities. Moreover, the relatively precipitous drop in survival over the first week of ARDS underscores the importance of excluding this cohort from RCTs as it suggests insufficient time for potentially beneficial treatments to demonstrate efficacy. 1. Pais F, et al. Influence of clinical factors and exclusion criteria on mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome between observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Respir Care 2018;63(8):1060-1069.
A preliminary survey of dysphagia practice patterns among speech-language pathologists in India

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to survey and describe dysphagia practice patterns among speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in India, where no standardized practice pattern guidelines currently exist. Although the overarching goals of dysphagia rehabilitation are largely similar, population needs, clinical practice patterns, availability of resources, and dysphagia research varies around the world. Professional bodies related to swallowing disorders in countries such as the USA, the UK, Australia, and Canada have implemented preferred national practice guidelines for dysphagia clinicians, to ensure consistency in clinical practices, high standards of care, and to improve the patient outcomes. In India, consensus-driven SLP services for dysphagia management are yet to be fully established. Detailed knowledge of current practices is necessary to inform future training and infrastructure needs, to which end this pilot survey was conducted. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was created using Qualtrics. Twenty-five questions related to dysphagia assessment and treatment practices were included. Five dysphagia experts rated the questionnaire for content validity. Blast E-mail solicitations were requested, and forty-eight participants responded to the survey anonymously. Results: The results demonstrated considerable variability in practice patterns for swallowing assessment and dysphagia treatment among SLPs in India, with barriers related to funding, access to instrumental assessments, and limited clinical education and training. The findings from this survey highlight ongoing challenges to professional education and growth in dysphagia practices in India. Conclusions: The variability in responses indicates a need to establish the national guidelines that will enable Indian SLPs to move toward standards of practice, largely compatible with more established dysphagia services, and practices in some other countries. This will likely help improve clinical competence, in addition to patient outcomes and quality of care.
The Cave and Service-Learning: Developing a Sense of Belonging in Summer Bridge.

This article focused on findings of case study that explored the use of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to supplement a service-learning project. The project was initiated in an academic orientation...
The Perceived Metalinguistic and Cognitive Influences of Bilingual Education

Despite the substantial body of academic research regarding the metalinguistic and cognitive effects of bilingual education, most of the literature reports on large-scale experimental studies (e.g., Bialystok et al., 2010) while little is known about how individuals who have participated in bilingual programs view their learning outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there are trends in the self-perceived outcomes of bilingual immersion education on people who have spent at least four years in a bilingual educational setting. Ten individuals who met this criterion were interviewed and the audio recordings of their interviews were transcribed and analyzed inductively to allow themes to emerge from the participants’ words. Findings indicate there were identifiable themes in how participants perceived their education and the amount of time and specific grade levels spent in bilingual programs tended to correspond with certain participant response patterns. This study has implications for the many emerging Georgia dual language immersion programs and their recruitment strategies. Keywordsbilingual education, dual language immersion, metalinguistic ability, cognitive ability
Conclusion: Some Open Questions

In the course of the P receding discussions and in the notes I have made frequent ces to how Buler’s work bears on and intersects with other research references projects, within the framework of both contemporary semiotic theory and other disciplines. lines. Semiotic theory has advanced greatly since the time of Buhler, but a great deal of his work continues to be, it is clear, of crucial and vital importance and has entered into the tradition of later thought both as scaffolding and as foundation.
The internalization of yeast Ste6p follows an ordered series of events involving phosphorylation, ubiquitination, recognition and endocytosis.

A general pathway for the internalization of plasma membrane proteins that involves phosphorylation, ubiquitination, recognition and endocytosis has recently emerged from multiple studies in yeast. We refer to this series of events as the PURE pathway. Here we investigate whether the yeast a-factor transporter Ste6p, an ATP-binding cassette protein, utilizes the PURE pathway. Deletion of a 52-amino acid sequence (the ‘A box’) within the linker region of Ste6p has previously been shown to block ubiquitination and endocytosis (Kolling R, Losko S. EMBO J 1997; 16:2251-2261). Using wild-type and mutant forms of GFP-tagged Ste6p, we identified two residues (T613 and S623) within the A box as likely sites of Ste6p phosphorylation important for internalization. Mutation of these residues to alanine blocked ubiquitination and endocytosis of Ste6p, similar to the effect of deleting the entire A box, while substitution with glutamic acid (to mimic phosphorylation) suppressed the ubiquitination and endocytic defects. Importantly, a translational fusion of monoubiquitin to the C-terminus of Ste6p-T613A, S623A or Ste6p-ΔA restored endocytosis, providing strong evidence that the role of phosphorylation is to direct ubiquitination, which in turn is a critical signal for Ste6p internalization. We also identified multiple (five) lysine residues in the linker that are important for Ste6p ubiquitination. Our results demonstrate that Ste6p follows the PURE pathway and that GFP-tagged Ste6p provides a powerful model protein for studies of endocytosis and post-endocytic events in yeast.
A 10 A automotive high-side switch

A 10-A high-side driver device that has on-chip intelligence to provide self-protection and diagnostics for an automotive antilock braking system application is described. The device is fabricated by means of a multiepitaxial bipolar process that combines the ruggedness of discrete power transistors with junction-isolated IC circuits. The process combines single or multiple vertical epitaxial-base power transistors with either standard bipolar or CMOS logic, without the compromises typically associated with this type or merged technology. The power components are fabricated by means of an epitaxial process. The process characteristics include wide and uniformly doped base and collector regions affording forward- and reverse-bias safe operating area typical of discrete bipolar power transistors. The power device closely resembles a single diffused bipolar power transistor. A comparison of safe operating area characteristics of several technologies is provided, and the advantage of bulk-epitaxial fabricated devices over power IC surface-control devices is shown. >
Violet Balestreri Archer (1913-2000): An Update

Abstract Violet Archer, one of Canada's well-known composers, passed away in 2000. This article is meant to add biographical information not previously available and to bring closure to her works list. Selected bibliographical citations are also included.
Impact of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on pickleweed (Salicornia virginicaL.) in a San Francisco Bay wetland

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are widely used in a variety of wetland management activities, but their ecological effects on vegetation are poorly known. Two types of ATVs – the ArgoTM, and LightfootTM – were tested in Petaluma Marsh, Sonoma Co., California, to determine their effects on pickleweed ( Salicornia virginica) in terms of: (1) stem-height reductions and stem breakage (as biomass), by simulating light (a path traversed twice) and heavy vehicle use (20 times), and by evaluating damage immediately after manipulation and one year later; and, (2) biomass and growth by using a BACI (before-after-control-impact) design, with two sets of replicated samples collected before a light-use treatment, two sets after treatment (during the same growing season), and one set the following year. Stem height was significantly reduced by both vehicles immediately following use, and was similar for both light and heavy use; biomass of broken stems was significantly higher for the LightfootTM than for the ArgoTM, and with heavy use by both vehicles. One year later, biomass of broken stems was not significantly different in light use treatments with either vehicle, but lower stem height was still visually evident from LightfootTM in heavy use treatments. Post-treatment biomass-growth measurements were significantly lower for both vehicles during the same growing season, but no significant differences were found between either vehicle treatment and controls one year later. However, the LightfootTM treatment had lower productivity. Results indicated that even limited ATV use can cause immediate impact to pickleweed but that limited use with soft-tread vehicles, like the Argo, can recover within a year. Management of pickleweed wetlands should involve vehicles with non-damaging tracks or tire tread and, when possible, walking is preferable to reduce immediate habitat damage.
Molecular-wire behaviour in p-phenylenevinylene oligomers

Electron transfer from electron-donor to electron-acceptor molecules via a molecular ‘bridge’ is a feature of many biological andchemical systems. The electronic structure of the bridge component in donor–bridge–acceptor (DBA) systems is known to play a critical role in determining the ease of electron transfer1,2. In most DBA systems, the rate at which electron transfer occurs scales exponentially with the donor–acceptor distance — effectively the length of the bridge molecule. But theory predicts that regimes exist wherein the distance dependence may be very weak, the bridge molecules essentially acting as incoherent molecular wires3,4,5,6. Here we show how these regimes can be accessed by molecular design. We have synthesized a series of structurally well-defined DBA molecules that incorporate tetracene as the donor and pyromellitimide as the acceptor, linked by p -phenylenevinylene oligomers of various lengths. Photoinduced electron transfer in this series exhibits very weak distance dependence for donor–acceptor separations as large as 40 A, with rate constants of the order of 1011 s−1. These findings demonstrate the importance of energy matching between the donor and bridge components for achieving molecular-wire behaviour.
Toward a cost-effective DSM organization that exploits processor-memory integration

Dramatic increases in the number of transistors that can be integrated on a VLSI chip will soon allow commodity microprocessors to include both processor and a sizable fraction of main memory on chip. Distributed Shared-Memory (DSM) multiprocessors typically use the latest off-the-shelf microprocessors and thus will be affected by the upcoming processor-memory integration. In this paper, we explore how a cache-coherent DSM machine built around Processor-In-Memory (PIM) chips might be cost-effectively organized. To take advantage of the close coupling between processor and memory, we propose tagging the memory and organizing it as a cache. Furthermore, commercial considerations dictate the use of off-the-shelf hardware largely designed for uniprocessors. Consequently, we keep the directory control off-chip. To keep the multiprocessor cheap and simple, and to allow for reconfigurability, directory control is performed by chips that are identical to the ones used as compute nodes. As a result, the machine hardware can be easily reconfigured for computing or coherence-handling depending on the needs of the application. We also propose a cache coherence protocol that is tailored to our architecture: it uses the memory very efficiently while exploiting the large caching space available. Overall, the resulting machine is simple and inexpensive, and delivers performance that is comparable to, and higher than, the more expensive traditional COMA and CC-NUMA organizations, respectively.
Nonuniform grid method for turbulent boundary layers

A Crank-Nicolson type finite-difference scheme with a nonuniform grid spacing has been interpreted in terms of a coordinate stretching approach to show that it is second-order accurate. The variable grid scheme is applied to a flat plate laminar to turbulent boundary layer flow with a rapidly changing grid interval across the layer. The accuracy of the solution is determined for a different number of intervals and compared to results obtained with the Keller box scheme. The influence of changing the grid spacing on the accuracy of the solutions is determined for three coordinate stretching or grid spacing relations.
[22] Analysis of membrane association in vivo and targeting of viral proteins in polarized epithelial cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the morphological and biochemical methods used for studying the posttranslational membrane association of viral proteins and for targeting viral proteins to either the apical or basolateral plasma membrane. There are two types of membrane proteins: (1) the first consists of proteins that are cotranslationally translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and then vectorially transported sequentially through the exocytic pathways from the ER, pre-Golgi, cis-Golgi, medial Golgi, trans-Golgi, and trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the plasma membrane and (2) proteins of the second type associate posttranslationally with membranes either via a direct interaction with the lipid bilayer or by an indirect interaction with the cytoplasmic tail/transmembrane domain of another transmembrane protein or by a combination of both. Membrane association and targeting of viral proteins during the assembly process are important steps in the biology of enveloped viruses because of the following reasons: (1) when the specific interaction between membrane components is inhibited, the budding of mature virus particles does not take place, and therefore virus infection becomes abortive, (2) the elucidation of the steps in the assembly process would explain why some viruses bud selectively from the ER, the Golgi apparatus, or the plasma membrane, and (3) an understanding of the steps involved in the membrane association of viral proteins may facilitate the development of antiviral agents that may interfere with one or more steps involved in virus assembly and budding. Similarly, the targeting of viral proteins to specific domains of the plasma membrane plays an important role in viral pathogenesis. Viruses such as influenza, Sendai, and parainfluenza viruses bud from the apical membrane, whereas viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or retroviruses bud from the basolateral membrane in polarized epithelial cells.