cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
47-Year-Old Man With Pruritus.

47-year-old man with a medical history of headaches and seasonal allergies presented to the primary care clinic in late fall for evaluation of diffuse pruritus of 6 weeks’ duration that had occurred after initiating a new diet. The diet mostly restricted foods like dairy, soy, nuts, grains, and processed foods, but he stated that he had substantially increased his consumption of coconut and various spices including turmeric. The itching was present over most of his body but most prominent on the inner thighs and most notable after a hot shower. He provided picturesfromrecent episodes thatillustrated linear excoriations on the thighs. When he showered in cooler water, the diffuse pruritus was still present but minimally improved compared with a hot shower. He had been using the same body soap for years but tried a new soap without relief from the itching. In addition, he changed laundry detergent from one he had used for years with no relief. He had no occupational or habitual exposures that are suspected to contribute to pruritus. Overthe-counter hydrocortisone cream applied to his thighs provided minimal relief. His weight had been stable, and he reported no constitutional symptoms. On physical examination, the patient was a
The reliability of manufacturer-determined, instrument-specific international sensitivity index values for calculating the international normalized ratio.

Some thromboplastin manufacturers are currently supplying the instrument-specific international sensitivity index (ISI) values of their reagents, allowing clinical laboratories to calculate instrument-specific international normalized ratio (INR) values on plasma samples from patients receiving coumarin therapy. However, the assumption that systematic interinstrument variability in the INR would be eliminated if manufacturer-determined ISI values were used remains unsubstantiated. This assumption was evaluated by comparing INR values obtained on one instrument that measures a mechanical endpoint (fibrometer) with one that measures a photo-optical endpoint (MLA-700). Three thromboplastin reagents with instrument-specific ISI values supplied by the manufacturer (ISI range, 1.23–2.79) were used. For two of three reagents, the fibrometer INR values were significantly higher than the MLA-700 INR values ( P 47% of plasma samples had one INR value within and one out of the recommended therapeutic range). The implication of these findings for laboratory monitoring of oral anticoagulation is discussed.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Detect Avascular Necrosis After Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Talar Neck Fractures

Twenty-one consecutive patients with displaced talar neck fractures (12 Hawkins type II, 9 Hawkins type III) were prospectively evaluated with magnetic resonance (MR) scans performed between 3 days and 12 months after surgery. All patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation with titanium screws, except two who underwent fixation with stainless steel implants that were subsequently removed. All patients had plain radiographs. We classified the scans as follows: type A, no abnormal signal changes in the body of the talus; type B, signal changes in less than 25% of the body; type C, signal changes in 25% to 50% of the body; and type D, signal changes in greater than 50% of the body. Plain anteroposterior radiographs correlated well with MR scans in patients with type D scans, but an inconsistent correlation was noted with lesser degrees of signal changes (types A-C), with the MR scans being more accurate in displaying the volume of avascular bone. Scans obtained less than 3 weeks after injury were not helpful in assessing for avascular necrosis. We found that high-quality MR images of the talus were consistently obtained in the presence of titanium screws in contrast to images obtained with stainless steel implants. We use titanium screws in all talar neck fracture repairs, because they permit high-quality MR images. We believe that further study of patients with Hawkins type III fractures and Hawkins type II fractures with equivocal radiographic evidence of avascular necrosis is warranted to try to identify those patients at risk for collapse and perhaps to guide weightbearing recommendations.
Community involvement projects in Wharton's MBA curriculum

This article describes the evolution of extra-mural team projects in the Wharton School's new MBA curriculum, emphasizing both the benefits of doing community service and the value these projects have in providing real work opportunities for “learning teams”; five- or six-person student groups that do collective tasks in Foundations of Leadership and other required courses throughout the first of a two-year program.
Single Nanowire Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have drawn significant attention from the nanotechnology community because of their unique properties that enable new technologies. They have been suggested as elements in next generation field effect transistors,(1) single molecule (bio- or chemical) sensors,(2) nanoscale logic circuitry,(3) lasers,(4, 5) and photodetectors.(6, 7) NWs have even been used in solar cells.(8, 9) However, what is puzzling is that there have been relatively few studies about their optical properties, despite the fact that nanowires are often touted for their interesting optoelectronic properties. In this review, we describe and consolidate what we and others have learned about the optical properties of this important low dimensional system. We begin with ensemble studies about the absorption and emission of CdSe NWs. We then focus on single nanowire microscopies and spectroscopies, which remove intrinsic heterogeneities that obscure detailed yet important NW physics. In particular, we discuss sin...
A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Stability of Nanofluids Containing Metal Organic Frameworks

Computational studies on nanofluids composed of metal organic frameworks were performed using molecular modeling techniques. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations were used to study the adsorption behavior of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (R-245fa) in a MIL-101 metal organic frameworks at various temperatures. To understand the stability of the nanofluid composed of MIL-101 particles, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to compute potentials of mean force between hypothetical MIL-101 fragments terminated with two different kinds of modulators in R-245fa and water. Our computed potentials of mean force results indicate that the metal organic frameworks particles tend to disperse better in water than in R-245fa. The reasons for this difference in dispersion were analyzed and are discussed in the paper. Our results agree with experimental results indicating that the potential models employed and modeling approaches provide good descriptions of molecular interactions and the reliabilities.
Temperature Influences on Arteriovenous Anastomoses

SummaryA technique is described which employs radioactive microspheres injected into the femoral artery of the dog to quantitate the fraction of blood flow passing through precapillary arteriovenous shunts. The lung serves to retain all the spheres reaching the venous circulation through arteriovenous anastomoses. In the control state very little shunting is detectable. With rises in body temperature, there is an increase in flow through arteriovenous anastomoses. Local limb heating does not consistently enhance arteriovenous anastomotic blood flow. With cooling, either systemic or local, shunt flow diminishes to nearly zero. Cooling is associated with a significant redistribution of tissue blood flow in the limb away from the paw and away from the skin.
Research on information exchanging service bus (IESB) of SOA-based integrative simulation platform of joint warfare (ISPoJW)

To solve puzzles when ISPoJW has confronted in large-scale and complex inter-networks, especially, integrative information exchanging has become the choke point of the wide use of ISPoJW.It has to reconstruct the existing one according to advanced method of networking service-oriented architecture.From the problem's origin, the ISPoJW's service-oriented architecture is analyzed.And then the conceptual model and practical topology of information exchanging service bus(IESB) are described.In addition, the design of IESB's function modules and it's structure are given based on the functional demand of joint warfare simulation.The practice of constructing the ISPoJW indicated the IESB had efficiently improved performance of services.Finally, combined with practice of platform's rebuilding, some critical problems in the construction of platform are discussed.
Rehabilitation After Surgical Reconstruction to Restore Function to the Upper Limb in Tetraplegia: A Changing Landscape

Upper limb reconstructive surgical procedures for individuals with tetraplegia are performed in many centers internationally. Most recipients of surgery return to local communities and nonsurgical centers for postoperative rehabilitation and long-term follow-up. This supplement focuses on the clinical significance of upper extremity reconstruction, addressing issues related to the availability and choice for surgery, preoperative assessments, postoperative training paradigms, and appropriate outcome measures. Comprehensive intervention protocols are described in terms of dose, timing, specific activities, modalities, and related outcomes. Shared knowledge of current rehabilitation practice, as it relates to reconstructive surgery, can expand treatment options communicated to patients, increase the availability of postoperative muscle reeducation programs, and motivate long-term follow-up assessments.
Special situations in ureteroscopy

Ureteroscopy is the treatment of choice for small ureteral or renal calculi and for diagnosis of ureteral abnormalities suspicious for urothelial carcinoma. In certain scenarios ureteroscopy may be used to treat large stones or tumors when other more favorable treatment modalities are not possible. In such situations ureteroscopy can prove to be a challenging procedure. Specific patient anatomic and physiological characteristics can make even a simple ureteroscopy a difficult procedure. Such situations include surgically altered urinary tract anatomy, congenital anomalies and obesity. Pathologic and iatrogenic bleeding diatheses are examples of where pathophysiology can adversely affect the procedure. Finally, pregnancy is an example of where a normal physiologic condition can make diagnosis and treatment of urolithiasis difficult due to concerns for the fetus. In this review we will discuss the use of ureteroscopy in such challenging patient scenarios.
Quorum Sensing Coordinates Cooperative Expression of Pyruvate Metabolism Genes To Maintain a Sustainable Environment for Population Stability

ABSTRACT Quorum sensing (QS) is a microbial cell-cell communication system that regulates gene expression in response to population density to coordinate collective behaviors. Yet, the role of QS in resolving the stresses caused by the accumulation of toxic metabolic by-products at high cell density is not well defined. In response to cell density, QS could be involved in reprogramming of the metabolic network to maintain population stability. Using unbiased metabolomics, we discovered that Vibrio cholerae mutants genetically locked in a low cell density (LCD) QS state are unable to alter the pyruvate flux to convert fermentable carbon sources into neutral acetoin and 2,3-butanediol molecules to offset organic acid production. As a consequence, LCD-locked QS mutants rapidly lose viability when grown with fermentable carbon sources. This key metabolic switch relies on the QS-regulated small RNAs Qrr1-4 but is independent of known QS regulators AphA and HapR. Qrr1-4 dictate pyruvate flux by translational repression of the enzyme AlsS, which carries out the first step in acetoin and 2,3-butanediol biosynthesis. Consistent with the idea that QS facilitates the expression of a common trait in the population, AlsS needs to be expressed cooperatively in a group of cells. Heterogeneous populations with high percentages of cells not expressing AlsS are unstable. All of the cells, regardless of their respective QS states, succumb to stresses caused by toxic by-product accumulation. Our results indicate that the ability of the bacteria to cooperatively control metabolic flux through QS is critical in maintaining a sustainable environment and overall population stability. IMPORTANCE Our work reveals a novel role for Vibrio cholerae quorum sensing (QS) in relieving the stresses caused by toxic metabolite accumulation when the population becomes crowded through metabolic reprogramming. QS enables V. cholerae switching from a low cell density energy-generating metabolism that is beneficial to individuals at the expense of the environment to a high cell density mode that preserves environmental habitability by sacrificing individual fitness. This cooperative switch provides a stable environment as the common good in maintaining the stability of the community. However, the common good can be exploited by uncooperative mutants that pollute the environment, causing population collapse. Our findings provide insights into the metabolic stress response of a major human pathogen, with implications for our understanding of microbial social biology and cooperation from an ecological and evolutionary perspective.
Methods to Reduce Aliasing in Spherical Harmonic Analysis

The effect of aliasing is rigorously formulated for various currently practiced methods of harmonic analysis of gravity anomalies on the sphere. This shows clearly not only the suboptimality, in terms of aliasing error, of some methods, but also the inappropriateness of uniformly weighted averaging of gravity anomalies in latitude/longitude grid cells. The following results are obtained: 1) The simple quadratures method and related methods of analysis are biased even with band-limited functions. 2) A modification of Colombo’s method of least squares, requiring only a slight increase in number of computations, further reduces the aliasing error. 3) The essential elimination of aliasing can only be effected with weighted, spherical cap averages, not with the often used, unweighted, constant angular block averages.
Cooling Impoundments: Classification and Analysis

Cooling impoundments can have different degrees of internal temperature stratification and of internal flow circulations. Classification criteria are presented that predict the existence of these internal conditions based on the size and shape of the impoundment, the condenser flowrate, and temperature rise, and the design of intake and discharge structures. A computer model for the prediction of transient temperature distributions in cooling impoundments has been developed. Depending upon the hydrothermal condition one of four model elements is applied: (1)Natural reservoir model for computation of lightly loaded ponds or of natural baseline conditions; (2)a deep stratified cooling pond model for well stratified impoundments; (3)a shallow dispersive cooling pond model for well channelized elongated pond shapes; and (4)a shallow recirculating cooling pond model for ponds with significant internal circulation patterns. Comparison with applicable field data shows good agreement with the predictive models.
Wideband (15–260 kHz) acoustic volume backscattering spectra of Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica) and butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus)

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in ICES Journal of Marine Science 74 (2017): 2249–2261, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsx050.
Executive functioning, academic skills, and quality of life in pediatric patients with brain tumors post-proton radiation therapy

Radiation therapy (RT) is integral in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors; however, photon RT (XRT) often results in intellectual decline, executive functioning (EF) deficits, academic underachievement/failure, and lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Proton RT (PRT) provides more targeted therapy, minimizing damage to the developing brain, yet few studies have examined its neuropsychological effects. This study investigated the role of EF in academic skills and HRQoL in a sample of children treated with PRT. A mediation model was proposed in which academic skills mediated relations between aspects of EF and school-based HRQoL (sHRQoL). Sixty-five children (xage = 12.4; 43.9% male) treated with PRT completed follow-up neuropsychological testing as part of routine care. Measures included assessment of intellectual functioning, EF, attention, and academic skills (reading, math, spelling). Parents reported on children's EF and attention problems. sHRQoL was assessed via child self-report. Children who underwent PRT demonstrated relatively intact intelligence, academics, attention, EF, and sHRQoL, but were at risk for reduced processing speed. Poorer working memory and processing speed were related to lower sHRQoL. Better EF and faster processing speed were associated with better academic skills, which were linked to higher sHRQoL. Better working memory was associated with better math performance, which was linked to higher sHRQoL; this relationship did not hold for reading or spelling. Results highlight the importance of EF skills in academic performance and sHRQoL, and the need for routine screening of EF deficits and proactive supports. Supports may include cognitive rehabilitation and in-class accommodations. Overall, results compare favorably to XRT outcomes reported in the literature.
Strain Map of the Tongue in Normal and ALS Speech Patterns from Tagged and Diffusion MRI

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease that causes death of neurons controlling muscle movements. Loss of speech and swallowing functions is a major impact due to degeneration of the tongue muscles. In speech studies using magnetic resonance (MR) techniques, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is used to capture internal tongue muscle fiber structures in three-dimensions (3D) in a non-invasive manner. Tagged magnetic resonance images (tMRI) are used to record tongue motion during speech. In this work, we aim to combine information obtained with both MR imaging techniques to compare the functionality characteristics of the tongue between normal and ALS subjects. We first extracted 3D motion of the tongue using tMRI from fourteen normal subjects in speech. The estimated motion sequences were then warped using diffeomorphic registration into the b0 spaces of the DTI data of two normal subjects and an ALS patient. We then constructed motion atlases by averaging all warped motion fields in each b0 space, and computed strain in the line of action along the muscle fiber directions provided by tractography. Strain in line with the fiber directions provides a quantitative map of the potential active region of the tongue during speech. Comparison between normal and ALS subjects explores the changing volume of compressing tongue tissues in speech facing the situation of muscle degradation. The proposed framework provides for the first time a dynamic map of contracting fibers in ALS speech patterns, and has the potential to provide more insight into the detrimental effects of ALS on speech.
The influence of green low level laser(532 nm) irradiation on wound healing.

Many workers indicating the ability of low level laser in accelerating wound healing. Two different doses (5.7,and 11.4 J/cm2) from a green laser light (532 nm) were employed on a superficial wound on rats daily. Wound healing evaluations were donning after the 1,3, and 7th irradiations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the green (532 nm) low level laser on wound healing in rats using two different energies.The wound specimens indicated fast healing, the next day after the first irradiation,for both doses. A single dose of adequate amount of doses is active in handling the healing processes without wound scar formation. This study result pointed out that a single dose of green light of wavelength 532 nm is sufficient to complete the healing of wound. But increasing the frequency of laser irradiations causes scarring. The day after the first irradiation for both used energies, wounds healed rapidly showing less scar formation. Increasing the irradiation frequency may cuss additional stress, and enhance scar formation. Therefore Low-level green laser of wavelength 532 nm facilitates wound healing from the first irradiation dose.
The Gondarine Tributary-Military State

This chapter provides a critical analysis of the suggestive but largely descriptive literature on Ethiopian agrarian history in search of an explanation for why war makes and then unmakes the tributary state. Using a theoretical framework developed in Chap. 1 for thinking about the dynamics of transition from a civilizational-state to a territorial state, we explore the self-limiting but functional rist and gult land institution of Ethiopia. This politico-economic institution and the hostile external climate together conspired against the metamorphosis of the Gondarine state (GS) into a territorially-defined tax state (Table 3.1 for a comparative summary). However, Gondar provided a template for a modern Ethiopian state which compares quite favorably with its Afroasian peers.
History and Physical Examination – Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

The history and physical examination is the basis for diagnosis and management of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs). A comprehensive history and physical examination is essential in identifying not only symptoms of SRBDs but also of associated risk factors and adverse consequences. The history and physical examination should be structured, systematic, and detailed.
Wittgenstein and the Problem of Phenomenology

This essay begins as a twice-told tale. I have discussed the relation of Wittgenstein and phenomenology in an unpublished paper “Wittgenstein as a Philosopher of Immediate Experience”.1 Since I am to some extent carrying further the same line of thought, I must begin by summarizing some of the most salient points of the earlier paper.
Orofacial motricity in temporomandibular dysfunctions: an integrative approach to interdisciplinary intervention

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the speech-language therapist role in the interdisciplinary team in the intervention of Orofacial motricity in the temporomandibular dysfunction documented in scientific publications. Methods: the search was conducted in well-known databases using the following terms or terminological associations: Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), stomatognathic system and TMD, Mastication, Speech and TMD. Interventions related to voice or temporomandibular joint indemnity were not included. Results: the interventions indicated in the scientific publications are described, giving an account of the role of the speech pathologist in the TMD intervention team. Conclusion: the therapist’s intervention in Orofacial Motricity restores the stomatognathic system by addressing its functions. An isolated treatment approach from professionals overlooks the relationship of interdependence between function and structure. An appeal for an integrated and interdisciplinary work model, setting it free from the traditional fragmentary and multidisciplinary model, is made.
Dislocation-Based Length-Scales in Crystal Plasticity: Experiments and Modeling

Considered is a dislocation-based plasticity model that includes both temperature- and strain-rate effects, and heavily draws from a body of experimental data on various metals over broad ranges of strain rates, from quasi-static to 104/s and greater, and temperatures from 77 to 1,300K and greater. In this model, the role of the strain gradient is embedded in the nature of the dislocations, their density and distribution, and the manner by which they produce slip in crystal plasticity and affect the overall flow stress. The model includes length scales that are directly related to the dislocation densities and hence change with temperature and the strain-rate histories. The model can be used to calculate the force-deformation relations at micron to continuum dimensions. For plastic deformation of small polycrystalline samples involving only a few grains, geometric and textural incompatibilities will most likely manifest themselves through a size effect, and may affect the overall materials’ resistance to deformation (flow stress). This size effect is distinguished from the length scales in plasticity, and the size effect is viewed as a problem-dependent phenomenon. For a few interacting crystals, the proposed model of slip-induced crystal plasticity should adequately account for any such size effects
Cell–Surface Interactions

The interactions that can occur between a cell and an adjacent biomaterial in culture are vast and depend on the biochemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the biomaterial. The present chapter will discuss the effects of key biomaterial properties on cell attachment, proliferation, migration, and differentiation in culture. These cell–surface interactions will be discussed in the context of the envisioned clinical application of the biomaterials to facilitate an improved understanding of the “big picture” considerations when studying biomaterial-based technologies in cell culture, with a particular focus on tissue engineering technologies.
Improving Child Emotion Regulation: Effects of Parent–Child Interaction-therapy and Emotion Socialization Strategies

Emotion regulation is a mechanism that, when targeted in treatment, can ameliorate heterogeneous psychopathology across ontogeny. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one evidence-based intervention hypothesized to improve child emotion regulation. Building on this hypothesis, the present study examined three objectives. First, it examined whether child behavior improvement or parent positive parenting skill use during PCIT predicted improvements in post-treatment child emotion regulation. Second, it measured whether these associations persisted after controlling for baseline child emotion regulation, as well as positive and negative parent emotion socialization strategies. Third, it evaluated whether positive parenting skill use and child behavior improvement mediated associations between pre- and post-treatment child emotion regulation. PCIT participants were 86 2–8 year-olds and their caregivers. Child behavior improvement during PCIT (β = −0.65, p < 0.01) and positive pre-treatment parent emotion socialization strategies (β = −0.33, p = 0.05) were associated with improvements in post-treatment child emotion regulation. Additionally, improvements in child behavior during PCIT (β = −0.29, p < 0.01) but not mid-treatment positive parenting skill use (β = 0.00, p = 0.98) mediated the association between pre- and post-treatment emotion regulation. For children with clinically-elevated emotion regulation scores pre-treatment, over 80% of such scores fell to the normative range post-treatment. These preliminary results indicate PCIT may be effective in improving children’s emotion regulation, such effectiveness may persist even when treatment coincides with parent negative emotion socialization strategy use, and such effectiveness appears attributable to child behavior improvements over treatment. Additionally, parent positive emotion socialization strategies appear to be promising targets for future interventions.
Growth and mortality of age-0 northern squawfish, Ptychocheilus oregonensis, rearing in shoreline habitats of a Columbia River reservoir

We investigated growth and mortality of age-0 northern squawfish during early rearing in shallow shoreline habitats. Larvae and juveniles (n=22914) were collected by weekly seining at three sample sites in the upper John Day Reservoir, Columbia River, during June through early September 1994–1996. Using a length-based ageing method, it was estimated that the exponential growth rate (G) for a common growth stanza (10–28 mm standard length SL) was significantly higher in 1994 (G=0.047) than in 1996 (G=0.037). Growth rate in 1995 could not be estimated, but was probably intermediate between 1994 and 1996 based on mean standard lengths of fish collected at the end of each sampling season (46.3, 40.0, and 32.0 mm SL in 1994, 1995, and 1996, respectively). For many fish species, variations in early growth can influence survival through size-selective mortality processes. Consistent with this possibility, our estimates of instantaneous mortality rates (Z) demonstrated that larvae and juveniles had significantly higher mortality in 1996 than in 1994 (Z=0.103 in 1994, versus Z=0.138 in 1996). Enhanced growth and lower mortality in 1994 were associated with a number of interrelated environmental conditions – comparatively low flows and turbidities, abundant instream vegetative cover, and high near-shore water temperatures.
Sex comparisons of agonist and antagonist muscle electromyographic parameters during two different submaximal isometric fatiguing tasks.

To examine the task failure time of the force- and position-based submaximal elbow flexion fatiguing tasks for both sexes, twelve men and eight women visited the laboratory for two separate experimental occasions. During the experiment, they pulled against a rigid restraint for the force task and maintained a constant elbow joint angle to support an equivalent inertial load for the position task. For both fatiguing tasks (50% of the isometric strength at the elbow joint angle of 135 degree), the task failure time, along with the surface electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and mean frequency (MNF) were measured. The average failure time was longer for the force task than that for the position task (sexes combined: 39.6 ± 16.6 sec vs. 33.9 ± 14.9 sec, P = 0.033). In addition, men were overall less fatigable than women (tasks combined: 42.0 ± 14.7 sec vs. 28.7 ± 10.3 sec, P = 0.020). The multiple regression analyses showed that the task failure time in women was solely predicted by the rate of change of the triceps EMG MNF. Thus, more fatigability of women in this study was likely due to the quicker fatiguing rate of the antagonist triceps brachii muscle. Different from most previous studies that have used 90-degree elbow joint angle, the current 135-degree joint angle setup might have created a situation where greater muscle activity from the related muscles (e.g., the antagonist) were required for women than for men to stabilize the joint, thereby resulting in a shorter task failure time.
Cationic polymer for selective removal of GenX and short-chain PFAS from surface waters and wastewaters at ng/L levels

Abstract The emerging classes of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) (e.g., Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), GenX, ADONA, and F–53B) are persistent and recalcitrant to removal by conventional treatment techniques. Herein, we report on poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]acrylamide, methyl chloride quaternary, DMAPAA-Q) hydrogel matrix as an effective sorbent for sequestering PFAS from different water matrices. The selective removal of 16 PFAS from different classes using DMAPAA-Q polymer was confirmed in surface waters and treated wastewater at environmentally relevant concentration (i.e., Cl− > NO3−. The performance of poly DMAPAA-Q hydrogel was maintained in six consecutive adsorption/regeneration cycles to remove PFAS. The unique fast kinetics and high adsorption activity of poly DMAPAA-Q hydrogel towards PFAS exhibits a great potential for being a promising material for PFAS control.
Autogenous transfer of intracytoplasmic sperm injection-produced equine embryos into the uterus of the oocyte donor during the same oestrous cycle.

The clinical use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in horses usually involves the transfer of embryos into recipient mares, resulting in substantial cost increases. This is essential when subfertile mares are oocyte donors; but some donors are fertile, with ICSI compensating for limited or poor-quality spermatozoa. Fertile oocyte donors could carry pregnancies, eliminating the need for a recipient. We assessed the potential of using oocyte donors as recipients for their own ICSI-produced embryos during the same cycle. Donors in oestrus and with large dominant follicles were administered ovulation-inducing compounds to cause follicle and oocyte maturation. Maturing oocytes were collected, cultured and fertilised using ICSI. At 6 or 7 days after ICSI, developing blastocysts were transferred into respective donors’ uteri, and pregnancy rates were determined. Twenty follicles were aspirated from nine mares and 12 oocytes were collected. After ICSI, 10 of the 12 oocytes (83%) cleaved, and eight (67% of injected oocytes) developed into blastocysts for transfer. Five pregnancies resulted from the eight transferred embryos (pregnancy rate 62% per embryo and 42% per sperm-injected oocyte). Following this synchronisation regime, ICSI-produced embryos can be transferred into oocyte donors’ uteri during the same cycle, allowing donors to carry pregnancies after assisted fertilisation.
A Resident Guide to Laparoscopic Myomectomy with Endometrial Cavity Preservation

Video Objective The objective of this video is to provide a surgical guide for gynecology residents prior to entering a laparoscopic myomectomy. Setting The patient in this video is a 42 year old female with a history of abnormal uterine bleeding secondary to her known intramural 6 cm fibroid. Her bleeding was refractory to medical management, and she desired definitive surgical management with a laparoscopic myomectomy. Interventions The patient underwent a laparoscopic myomectomy with endometrial cavity preservation and scalpel morcellation of the myoma. Conclusion This video highlights five basic steps of laparoscopic myomectomy including major surgical considerations for each step. Additionally, the video highlights an example of endometrial cavity preservation. Residents with limited exposure to laparoscopic myomectomy can utilize this video as a reference prior to entering a laparoscopic myomectomy.
Prejudice toward Christians and atheists among members of nonreligious groups: Attitudes, behaviors, and mechanisms:

Much research demonstrates that people high in religiosity tend to be prejudiced against value-threatening groups. Therefore, some researchers have suggested that people who are not religious may b...
Tool wear sensors

Abstract A state of the art review of tool wear sensing is presented. A recently developed technique is described and the need for further research effort in tool wear sensing is emphasized.
Demineralization and sectioning of human kidney stones: A molecular investigation revealing the spatial heterogeneity of the stone matrix

The molecular mechanisms by which kidney stones grow are largely unknown. Organic molecules from the urine combine with mineral crystals to form stones, but analysis of the stone matrix has revealed over a thousand different proteins, with no clues as to which are important for stone growth. Molecules that are present in every layer of a stone would be candidates for having an essential function, and thus the analysis of the stone matrix at a microscopic level is necessary. For this purpose, kidney stones were demineralized, sectioned, stained, and imaged by microscopy, using micro CT for precise orientation. Histological staining demonstrated heterogeneity in the density of adjacent layers within stones. Additional results also showed brilliant and unique autofluorescence patterns in decalcified nephroliths, indicating heterogeneous organic composition in adjacent layers. Regions of calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones were dissected using laser microdissection (LMD) for protein analysis. LMD of broad regions of demineralized CaOx stone sections yielded the same proteins as those found in different specimens of pulverized CaOx stones. These innovative methodologies will allow spatial mapping of protein composition within the heterogeneous stone matrix. Proteins that consistently coincide spatially with mineral deposition would be candidates for molecules essential for stone growth. This kind of analysis will be required to assess which of the thousand proteins in the stone matrix may be fundamental for stone growth.
Bulk material interrogation experimental results and validation with Geant4 for replacement of dangerous radiological sources in oil-well logging industries.

Abstract The Kansas State University Materials Interrogation (KSUMI) test facility was set up to enable bulk-material irradiation experiments that replicate similar oil-well logging scenarios, with an aim to address the problem of replacement of conventional radioisotope sources commonly used in oil-well logging industries. An exploration tool similar to an oil-well logging tool was used to conduct experiments with water and sand as testing materials. The facility includes a 2500-gallon concrete test chamber with an aluminum pipe going horizontally through it. A machine-based 14.1 MeV deuterium-tritium neutron source as an alternative to conventional neutron sources was used. High energy neutrons assist in the investigation of a larger volume of material and also generate high energy inelastic scatter gamma rays, which provide useful information on composition. Experiments were performed with tap water and sand as a bulk testing material. Irradiation was done for one hour and results were obtained from a 3He neutron sensor, a BF3 neutron sensor, and two NaI gamma sensors placed at different locations within the exploration tool. Geant4, a Monte-Carlo based toolkit, was deployed on a high-performance computing system to simulate the entire experiment in order to benchmark the experimental responses obtained from the photon and neutron sensors. The facility was modeled in detail with accurate dimensions and material compositions. Materials such as tap water, high-density polyethylene, and aluminum metal were modeled with thermal neutron scattering cross-sections. The reference physics list QGSP_BIC_HP along with G4NDL and S(α,β) cross-sections were found to be appropriate for simulation of neutron interrogation experiments with neutron energies lower than 20 MeV. The experimental results obtained were successful in characterizing the bulk testing materials, and results obtained from Geant4 were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results in most cases.
A Survival Game Analysis to Personal Identity Protection Strategies

Throughout the years, authentication processes of individuals’ identities have become essential parts of our modern daily life. These authentication processes also introduced the heavy use of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in various applications. On the other hand, the continuous increase of using identifiable information –the unauthorized use of such PII–has created rich business opportunities for identity protection service providers. These services usually consist of a monitoring system that continuously searches through the Internet for incidents that supposedly indicates identity theft activities. However, these solutions are largely based on case studies and a quantified method is missing among different identity protection services. This research offers a tool that provides quantitative analysis among different identity protection services. By bringing together previous work in the field, namely the UT Center for Identity (CID) Identity Ecosystem (a Bayesian network mathematical representation of a person’s identity), real world identity theft data, stochastic game theory, and Markov decision processes, we generate and evaluate the best strategy for defending against the theft of personal identity information. One of the research problems that this paper addresses is the computation complexity of quantitatively evaluating identity protection strategies with real world data. In a real world database like Identity Threat Assessment and Prediction (ITAP) project which the UT CID Identity Ecosystem is built on, the number of PII attributes in use are normally in the order of 103. We propose a reinforcement learning algorithm for solving the optimal strategy to protect the user’s identity against a malicious and efficient attacker. We aim to understand how initial individual PII exposure evolves into crucial PII breaches over time in terms of the dynamic integrity of the Identity Ecosystem. Real world identity protection strategies are then translated into the system and we evaluate/simulate their effectiveness against a malicious attacker for quantitative comparison in our experiment. We present the survival analysis to these strategies and calculate the survival gap between these strategies against our active protection strategy as our experiment result. This study is aimed to understand the evolutionary process of identity under attack which may inspire a new direction for future identity protection strategies.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is preventable and treatable. Comprehensive COPD management can improve many aspects of patient functioning, but adherence tends to be poor. Barriers to adherence may be socioeconomic, patient, therapy, disease, or healthcare systems/provider-related (Sabate, 2003). This chapter describes potential barriers to participation in COPD management, including screening and assessment questions and tools. It then outlines a stepped-care approach to brief interventions to increase adherence across all aspects of COPD treatment and provides resources for patients and providers.
Place-Based Philanthropy and Measuring Community Well Being in the Age of COVID-19

Place-based philanthropic organizations have long defined their value in terms of ability to improve well-being in the communities they serve. Desire to quantify and prove this impact has led such charities to be interested in and even invest in measures of community well-being. In this paper I explore how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected local philanthropy’s relationship with data and information by increasing public awareness of community data as a tool for describing rapidly changing community needs, raising expectations for an expedited connection between data analysis and action, and compelling civic leaders to engage in scenario planning. I draw on the case of Syracuse, NY to illustrate how the presence of a real time collaborative data infrastructure presents promising opportunities to address the data needs of place-based philanthropy when it comes to monitoring and acting to improve community well-being in the COVID era.
Evaluation of skin care concerns and patient's perception of the effect of NanoSilk Cream on facial skin.

BACKGROUND Skin aging is an inevitable process with one of the key features of aging being dryness or flakiness of the skin. Previous in vivo and in vitro testing has highlighted that a silk-based product may be effective in improving moisture retention in skin. METHODS We evaluated the safety and efficacy of our silk-based product through a combination of objective- including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EpiDerm Skin Irritation tests - and subjective tests - including direct evaluation of patient's own perception of their skin. RESULTS In alignment with previous studies, patients reported significant concerns about aging, wrinkling, or saggy skin. We found that our silk-based product was safe and effective in improving hydration and resilience of facial skin and a majority of participants stated they would continue to use this product, when commercially available. CONCLUSION Our novel silk-based product, NanoSilk Cosmo, is safe for use on human facial skin and it improves skin resiliency and hydration.
An Approximate Analysis of Film Cooling on Blunt Bodies by Gas Injection Near the Stagnation Point

An approximate method for the estimation of laminar heat transfer to blunt bodies with gaseous film cooling i s developed. Attention is focused on the parameters which are important for the design of an attractive heat protection system. Application of the analysis is made to calculate the approximate coolant weight requirement for both a circular and a parabolic entry.
Demystifying 802.11n power consumption

We report what we believe to be the first measurements of the power consumption of an 802.11n NIC across a broad set of operating states (channel width, transmit power, rates, antennas, MIMO streams, sleep, and active modes). We find the popular practice of racing to sleep (by sending data at the highest possible rate) to be a useful heuristic to save energy, but that it does not always hold. We contribute three other useful heuristics: wide channels are an energy-efficient way to increase rates; multiple RF chains are more energy-efficient only when the channel is good enough to support the highest MIMO rates; and single antenna operation is always most energy-efficient for short packets
Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Ratios in Body Water and Hair: Modeling Isotope Dynamics in Nonhuman Primates

The stable isotopic composition of drinking water, diet, and atmospheric oxygen influence the isotopic composition of body water ((2)H/(1)H, (18)O/(16)O expressed as δ(2) H and δ(18)O). In turn, body water influences the isotopic composition of organic matter in tissues, such as hair and teeth, which are often used to reconstruct historical dietary and movement patterns of animals and humans. Here, we used a nonhuman primate system (Macaca fascicularis) to test the robustness of two different mechanistic stable isotope models: a model to predict the δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of body water and a second model to predict the δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of hair. In contrast to previous human-based studies, use of nonhuman primates fed controlled diets allowed us to further constrain model parameter values and evaluate model predictions. Both models reliably predicted the δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of body water and of hair. Moreover, the isotope data allowed us to better quantify values for two critical variables in the models: the δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of gut water and the (18)O isotope fractionation associated with a carbonyl oxygen-water interaction in the gut (α(ow)). Our modeling efforts indicated that better predictions for body water and hair isotope values were achieved by making the isotopic composition of gut water approached that of body water. Additionally, the value of α(ow) was 1.0164, in close agreement with the only other previously measured observation (microbial spore cell walls), suggesting robustness of this fractionation factor across different biological systems.
Role Overload Among Undergraduate College Students

This study explores stress in the form of role overload among college students. A conceptual model is developed and tested empirically on a sample of 224 students. Students responsible for paying their own tuition were found to work more hours, which in turn led to greater role overload. Student preference for polychronic (as opposed to monochronic) time use was also linked to higher role overload. The relationship between technophobia and overload was not supported. Finally, role overload lead to lower student satisfaction with the university; and there was marginal support for an inverse relationship between role overload and GPA.
Ab initio multiconfiguration reference perturbation theory calculations on the energetics of low-energy spin states of iron(III) porphyrins.

Although a major goal of inorganic spectroscopy is to determine the energetics of the low-lying spin states of transition metal complexes, surprisingly little has been accomplished in this respect by means of accurate ab initio calculations. Against this context, we present ab initio multiconfiguration reference perturbation theory (CASPT2) calculations with large basis sets on the low-lying spin states of FeIII(P)Cl and [Fe(P)Cl]+ (P2–=porphinato). The CASPT2 results on the energetics of various low-lying spin states studied differ significantly, sometimes even dramatically, from those obtained from density functional theory calculations.