cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy/security scalable mobile cryptosystem

Time-sensitive mobile commerce is vulnerable to message authentication delays. Significant power consumption incurred by cryptography is another limiting factor of most mobile devices. In this paper, we present a scalable mobile cryptosystem, which installs a group key and an elliptic curve private/public key pair in each device to enable both symmetric key and public key cryptography. Scalable key establishment protocols and secure routing protocols with scalable authentication are proposed to make tradeoffs between security and energy, according to different mobile applications.
Shifting Multicultural Citizenship: Trinidad Orisha Opens the Road

The political sponsorship of the Orisha religion by Trinidad's first Indian Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday (1995–2001), reveals the dynamics and tensions between black cultural citizenship and multicultural citizenship. How do multiple cultural citizenships intersect? Specifically, in Trinidad what is the role of black cultural citizenship within a national multicultural frame where African and Indian descendants represent two roughly equal majority minority populations? The concept of cultural citizenship is challenged by the tension between Indo-Trinidadian cultural citizenship and Afro-Trinidadian cultural citizenship. Panday's sponsorship was critical to the granting of state concessions (from land grants to a national holiday) that facilitated the Orisha religion's movement from the margins to the mainstream in Trinidad's public culture. This in turn has served as the foundation for an emergent black cultural citizenship centered on the Orisha religion and revalorizations of Africanness and blackness. At the same time the multicultural rhetoric shifted to open space for Indo-Trinidadian contributions to national culture. Ultimately, this article asks questions that illuminate tensions between cultural citizenship, religion, and multiculturalism within the framework of the African diaspora.
New low-Voltage fully programmable CMOS triangular/trapezoidal function Generator circuit

A versatile low-voltage CMOS circuit with a triangular/trapezoidal transconductance characteristic and independently programmable slope (keeping constant height or constant width), height (keeping constant slope or constant width), and horizontal position is presented. Simulation results using Cadence DFW-II that verify the functionality of the circuit with /spl plusmn/1.5-V supplies are presented. A chip prototype has been fabricated in a 0.5-/spl mu/m technology and experimentally verified. The circuit can find application in the implementation of high resolution, high speed folding analog-to-digital converters, in piecewise-linear approximation, and in the implementation of membership functions in analog and mixed-signal neuro-fuzzy systems.
Is there a relationship between glomerular filtration rate and detrusor overactivity in women

Aims The relationship of detrusor overactivity (DO) to neuromuscular causes is well established, but a connection to kidney function has not yet been studied. We sought to evaluate whether patients with DO have differences in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Methods After Institutional Review Board approval, we collected data from all patients who underwent urodynamic testing in our office from September 1, 2006 to February 28, 2007 and calculated eGFR using the equation derived from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study. Results Data were collected on 359 patients, who had a mean eGFR for all patients of 82.99 ml/min/1.73 m2 (±22.2). The patients were divided into groups by the presence or absence of DO on filling cystometry. There was no significant difference in eGFR between the patients with and without DO (80.9 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 84.4, P = 0.290). Conclusions Kidney function does not differ between patients with or without DO. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:202–204, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Measurement of the Timoshenko Shear Stiffness. I: Effect of Warping

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite beams are increasingly finding use in construction. Due to their lower stiffness relative to steel sections, the design of FRP structures is usually deflection controlled. Furthermore, shear deformation can be significant in FRP beams, thus, requiring the use of the Timoshenko beam theory to estimate deflections. However, the Timoshenko shear stiffness can be difficult to measure. Part of the measurement error has been attributed to shear warping effects. It has been hypothesized that warping restraints at loading points and supports increase the apparent shear stiffness to a degree that is significant at relatively short spans, e.g., L∕h<10 to 15. In this study, the influence of warping on short to moderate length FRP beams under various types of loading and boundary conditions is considered using finite-element analysis. In particular, a commercially available thin-walled FRP beam was investigated. The results suggest that warping has a negligible effect for thin...
Contribution of membrane elastic energy to rhodopsin function.

We considered the issue of whether shifts in the metarhodopsin I (MI)-metarhodopsin II (MII) equilibrium from lipid composition are fully explicable by differences in bilayer curvature elastic stress. A series of six lipids with known spontaneous radii of monolayer curvature and bending elastic moduli were added at increasing concentrations to the matrix lipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and the MI-MII equilibrium measured by flash photolysis followed by recording UV-vis spectra. The average area-per-lipid molecule and the membrane hydrophobic thickness were derived from measurements of the 2H NMR order parameter profile of the palmitic acid chain in POPC. For the series of ethanolamines with different levels of headgroup methylation, shifts in the MI-MII equilibrium correlated with changes in membrane elastic properties as expressed by the product of spontaneous radius of monolayer curvature, bending elastic modulus, and lateral area per molecule. However, for the entire series of lipids, elastic energy explained the shifts only partially. Additional contributions correlated with the capability of the ethanolamine headgroups to engage in hydrogen bonding with the protein, independent of the state of ethanolamine methylation, with introduction of polyunsaturated sn-2 hydrocarbon chains, and with replacement of the palmitic acid sn-1 chains by oleic acid. The experiments point to the importance of interactions of rhodopsin with particular lipid species in the first layer of lipids surrounding the protein as well as to membrane elastic stress in the lipid-protein domain.
Spanning the continuum to quantum length scales in a dynamic simulation of brittle fracture

We have coupled the continuum, the atomistic, and the quantum descriptions of matter for a unified treatment of the dynamic fracture of silicon. We have devised schemes for handshaking between the finite-element, molecular dynamics and semi-empirical tight-binding representations. We illustrate and validate the methodology for brittle crack propagation in silicon.
Bacterial contamination of hands increases risk of cross-contamination among low-income Puerto Rican meal preparers.

Abstract Objective To examine the association of microbial contamination of the meal preparer's hands with microbial status of food and kitchen/utensil surfaces during home preparation of a “Chicken and Salad” meal. Design and Setting Observational home food safety assessment. Before starting meal preparation, participants' hands were tested to estimate total bacterial and coliform counts and the presence of Campylobacter , Salmonella , Listeria , and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ). Microbiological testing was conducted on samples from kitchen/utensil surfaces, and on food ingredients obtained before and during meal preparation. Participants Sixty Puerto Rican women residing in inner-city Hartford, CT. Main Outcome Measures Total bacterial and coliform counts, and presence of S. aureus in target samples. Analysis Bivariate tests and multiple logistic regression. Results Participants considering food safety as “very important” were less likely to test positive for S. aureus on hands ( P S. aureus on post-handling chicken, counter/cutting board, and salad was positively associated with S. aureus on participants' hands ( P Conclusions and Implications Meal preparer's hands can be a vehicle of pathogen transmission during meal preparation.
Clinical and Laboratory Update on Blastomycosis

Summary: Blastomycosis is endemic in regions of North America that border the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, as well as in the Mississippi River and Ohio River basins. Men are affected more often than women and children because men are more likely to participate in activities that put them at risk for exposure to Blastomyces dermatitidis. Human infection occurs when soil containing microfoci of mycelia is disturbed and airborne conidia are inhaled. If natural defenses in the alveoli fail to contain the infection, lymphohematogenous dissemination ensues. Normal host responses generate a characteristic pyogranulomatous reaction. The most common sites of clinical disease are the lung and skin; osseous, genitourinary, and central nervous system manifestations follow in decreasing order of frequency. Blastomycosis is one of the great mimickers in medicine; verrucous cutaneous blastomycosis resembles malignancy, and mass-like lung opacities due to B. dermatitidis often are confused with cancer. Blastomycosis may be clinically indistinguishable from tuberculosis. Diagnosis is based on culture and direct visualization of round, multinucleated yeast forms that produce daughter cells from a single broad-based bud. Although a long course of amphotericin B is usually curative, itraconazole is also highly effective and is the mainstay of therapy for most patients with blastomycosis.
Committing conflicting transactions in an STM

Dependence-aware transactional memory (DATM) is a recently proposed model for increasing concurrency of memory transactions without complicating their interface. DATM manages dependences between conflicting, uncommitted transactions so that they commit safely.The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we provide a safety proof for the dependence-aware model. This proof also shows that the DATM model accepts all concurrent interleavings that are conflict-serializable.Second, we describe the first application of dependence tracking to software transactional memory (STM) design and implementation. We compare our implementation with a state of the art STM, TL2 [4]. We use benchmarks from the STAMP [21] suite, quantifying how dependence tracking converts certain types of transactional conflicts into successful commits. On high contention workloads, DATM is able to take advantage of dependences to speed up execution by up to 4.8x.
Stem cells to replace the optic nerve

Methods that exist now and that might be developed are suggested to replace retinal ganglion cells and their axons in the optic nerve, ultimately to re-establish functional vision in eyes blind from glaucoma.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulates glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels in alpha T3 cells by increasing transcription and mRNA stability.

Pulsatile GnRH stimulates gonadotropin secretion, whereas continuous exposure to GnRH causes pituitary desensitization and suppressed levels of LH and FSH. At the level of gene expression, continuous GnRH also causes partial or complete suppression of the LH beta and FSH beta genes, but expression of the alpha-subunit gene is stimulated without evidence of desensitization. In this report, we examined the transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms by which GnRH controls alpha-gene expression using the gonadotrope-derived alpha T3 cell line. Continuous GnRH caused a 4- to 5-fold accumulation of alpha mRNA over 72 h, without evidence of a decline. In contrast, measurements of alpha-gene transcription, either by nuclear run-on assays or using a stably integrated alpha LUC reporter gene, revealed that GnRH caused a transient increase in alpha-promoter activity, followed by a decline after 4-6 h. The prolonged accumulation of alpha mRNA at a time when transcriptional activity had abated was accounted fo...
Proteinases and Proteinase Inhibitors

The peritoneal cavity is well endowed with proteinases both in the parietal and viseral peritoneum as well as in the peritoneal fluid. Proteinases have a major role in activating and modulating the complement, coagulation, kinin, fibrinolytic, and extracellular matrix remodeling systems, and thus are critical components of the peritoneal response to inflammation and tissue injury. Inflammation or trauma initiate proteinase release from a number of cells, including neutrophils, platelets, and macrophages. Proteinase inhibitor proteins are part of the regulatory mechanisms controlling the activity of proteolytic enzymes. Like proteinases, inhibitor proteins are ubiquitous, making up 10% of the total proteins in human plasma. Most inhibitors are relatively specific for a particular proteinase. The balance of activity between proteinases and proteinase inhibitors contributes to the final resolution of fibrin after tissue injury. This chapter summarizes information on proteinases and proteinase inhibitors that are implicated in peritoneal response to injury.
The 39K(p,γo)40Ca reaction between 2.9 and 6.0 MeV

Abstract The excitation function of the 39K(p, γo)40Ca reaction has been measured from 2.88 to 6.01 MeV bombarding energy. Some resemblance is found to the predictions of particle-hole calculations particularly above 13 MeV excitation.
Characterization of Foot-Strike Patterns: Lack of an Association With Injuries or Performance in Soldiers.

ABSTRACT Objectives: Characterize the distribution of foot-strike (FS) patterns in U.S. Army Soldiers and determine if FS patterns are related to self-reported running injuries and performance. Methods: 341 male Soldiers from a U.S. Army Combined Arms Battalion ran at their training pace for 100 meters, and FSs were recorded in the sagittal plane. Participants also completed a survey related to training habits, injury history, and run times. Two researchers classified FS patterns as heel strike (HS) or nonheel strike (NHS, combination of midfoot strike and forefoot strike patterns). Two clinicians classified the musculoskeletal injuries as acute or overuse. The relationship of FS type with two-mile run time and running-related injury was analyzed (p ≤ 0.05). Results: The Soldiers predominately landed with an HS (87%) and only 13% were characterized as NHS. Running-related injury was similar between HS (50.3%) and NHS (55.6%) patterns (p = 0.51). There was no difference (p = 0.14) between overuse injury ra...
Remembering Florence Schorske Wald, Friend and Mentor:

The world knows Florence S. Wald as “the mother of the American hospice movement.” I knew her in her later life as a mentor and friend. This may not seem unusual, as Florence was a warm and generous human being who continued her professional involvements late into her life. In fact, the unusual aspect of our relationship resulted from two of Florence's many extraordinary qualities: 1) her willingness to share her own life experience in ways that informed others of life's possibilities; and 2) her insight that professionals continue to benefit from—actually need—mentorship throughout the life of their careers. She provided me with professional support at critical times and afforded me the privilege of witnessing life's closing chapters, a tutorial filled with wisdom and borne of uncommon generosity.
Overwintering of Stethorus punctum punctum (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Apple Orchard Ground Cover

Overwintering of adult Stethorus punctum punctum (LeConte) was investigated in apple orchards in south-central Pennsylvania. A separation technique was developed to remove adults from soil samples. Density of overwintering adults in the autumn was greatest in the area around the trunks of the apple trees, but because of the relatively small area of the ground cover in the trunk zone, more adults were located in the remainder of the herbicide strip and in the border between the herbicide strip and drive row. In the spring, however, >70% of the adults were located in the trunk zone. Adults were associated with fallen leaves and apple root suckers. Density of adults in orchard ground cover peaked in midautumn and declined to relatively low levels in the spring. Methods to conserve this predator while managing tufted apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis (Walker), are discussed.
Parent/Teacher Concordance for Diagnosis of ADHD

The concordance between parent and teacher reports of DSM-IV attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its symptoms was studied in 74 clinically referred children examined at Queens College, the City University of New York, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.
Highway Runoff In Situ Treatment: Copper and Zinc Removal through MOGFC

AbstractThe primary objective of this study is to develop and evaluate multifunctional open-graded friction course (MOGFC) for use as an in situ treatment technique to remove Cu and Zn from highway runoff. First, the conventional porous pavement, open-graded friction course (OGFC), was prepared with varying air voids. Five different types of adsorbents were selected based on cost, applicability, and availability. Second, MOGFC was prepared by adding different adsorbents into the void of OGFC. A series of laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents and metal removal efficiency of MOGFC. The tests included air void content, permeability, moisture susceptibility of OGFC and MOGFC, batch adsorption study of adsorbents, and metal removal by MOGFC. Results showed that three adsorbents have moderate to high adsorption capacity for copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) removal from its aqueous solution. With these adsorbents, MOGFC could also considerably reduce metal concentration f...
The natural history of human gait and posture: Part 3. The knee

The human fossil record is one of the most complete for any mammal. A basal ancestral species, Australopithecus afarensis, exhibits a well-preserved postcranium that permits reconstruction of important events in the evolution of our locomotor skeleton. When compared to those of living apes and humans, it provides insights into the origin and design of the modern human frame. Evolutionary aspects of the human knee are reviewed, including its highly specialized design with respect to upright walking and running. Design elements include increased tibial cartilage contact derived by both genomic and epigenetic mechanisms, valgus stance angulation, a mechanism for patellar retention, and a somewhat increased patellar moment arm. The history of these features in early hominids and their fundamental differences from their counterparts in apes are discussed.
Abstract 205: An Integrated Computer Decision Support Tool is Associated with Increased Frequency of Global Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

Introduction: Current guidelines recommend assessing global cardiovascular risk in all asymptomatic adults requiring primary prevention of coronary heart disease. Yet, physicians infrequently calcu...
An effective time-constant algorithm for drug transport to capillaries and surrounding tissues

Expressions for a single time constant were developed in Maple (Waterloo Maple, Inc.) to calculate the rate at which a drug reaches steady-state levels in the blood capillaries and neighboring tissues. The solute concentration in the capillary region was represented by a one-dimensional convection-diffusion model. In a first case study, the plasma and the tissue reached equilibrium very quickly. Within the dynamic regime, the amount of drugs collected in both compartments increased with the Peclet number while the relaxation time to a steady-state value decreased. A similar conclusion was drawn, in a second case study, when axial and radial diffusive transports were considered important in the lungs or the skin. Also, as the mass transfer Biot number decreased, a larger amount of medication was delivered to the tissue at a given time during the transient period. Additional applications of the approach included the analysis of oxygen transport in peripheral nerves and the design of hollow fibre bioreactors.
Reducing the computational complexity for whole word models

In a previous study, we demonstrated the feasibility to build a competitive, greatly simplified, large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system with whole words as acoustic units. In that system, we model about 100,000 words directly using deep bi-directional LSTM RNNs. To alleviate the data sparsity problem for word models, we train the model on 125,000 hours of semi-supervised acoustic training data. The resulting model works very well as an end-to-end all-neural speech recognition model without the use of any language model removing the need to decode. However, the very large output layer increases the computational cost substantially. In this work we address this issue by adding TDNN (Time Delay Neural Network) layers that reduce the frame rate to 120ms for the output layer. The TDNN layers are interspersed with the LSTM layers, gradually reducing the frame rate from 10ms to 120ms. The new model reduces the computational cost by 60% while improving the word error rate by 6% relative. Compared to a traditional LVCSR system, the whole word speech recognizer uses about the same CPU cycles and can easily be parallelized across CPU cores or run on GPUs.
Has Financial Regulation Been a Flop? (or How to Reform Dodd‐Frank)

Recent bank regulations have imposed large compliance costs on banks of all sizes, and have increased the costs of borrowing to both consumers and companies. But in this summary of his recent book, the author argues that the problems with banking system regulation go well beyond the excessive costs. Indeed, Doddâ€ Frank and other postâ€ crisis regulatory reforms have failed to address the major shortcomings that produced the crisis of 2007â€“2009. Most importantly, excessive housing finance risk was not dealt with adequately, and is already on the rise again. And prudential standards for banks, while much stricter, remain unreliable in a severe economic downturn. After providing evidence of the shortcomings of major parts of the regulatory structure created after 2008, the author points to fundamental problems in the thinking underlying the postâ€ crisis regulatory changes that made those reforms unlikely to succeed. Moreover, he argues that the new processes of financial regulation have fostered many abuses of the rule of law, which have politicized regulation, adding to its cost and discrediting important supervisory and regulatory agencies. The author suggests that simpler, more effective, less costly, and more respectable approaches to regulation are possible. He offers a set of principles to guide reform and proposes over 20 specific actions that would enhance the effectiveness, reduce the costs, and improve the processes of bank regulation.
A review of algal research in space

Abstract With the continued expansion of human presence into space, typical mission durations will routinely exceed six months and extend to distances beyond the Moon. As such, sending periodic resupply vehicles, as currently provided to the International Space Station, will likely no longer be feasible. Instead, self-sustaining life support systems that recycle human waste products will become increasingly necessary, especially for planetary bases. The idea of bioregenerative life support systems using algal photobioreactors has been discussed since the beginning of the space age. In order to evaluate how such a system could be implemented, a variety of space flight studies aimed at characterizing the potential for using algae in air revitalization, water recycling, food production, and radiation shielding applications have been conducted over the years. Also, given the recent, growing interest in algal research for regenerative fuel production, food supplements, and cosmetics, many algal strains are already well documented from related terrestrial experiments. This paper reviews past algal experiments flown in space from 1960 until today. Experimental methods and results from 51 investigations utilizing either green algae (Chlorophyta), cyanobacteria (Cyanophyta), or Euglenophyta are analyzed and categorized by a variety of parameters, including size, species and duration. The collected data are summarized in a matrix that allows easy comparison between the experiments and provides important information for future life support system requirement definition and design. Similarities between experiment results are emphasized. Common problems and shortcomings are summarized and analyzed in terms of potential solutions. Finally, key research gaps, which must be closed before developing a functional life support system, are identified.
A Good Life: Friendship, Art and Truth

In September 2017 Alexander Nehamas1 kindly accepted our invitation to have a meeting in Athens in order to discuss several issues of philosophical interest; with his latest publication On Friendship (New York: Basic Books, 2016) as a starting point we soon moved over to a multitude of topics Nehamas has so far dealt with. The whole conversation spirals around the probably most challenging and demanding issue as far as practical philosophy is concerned – yet one every moral agent needs to provide an adequate answer to during his lifetime: Values. Do they exclusively belong to the domain of morality? Nehamas claims that “although moral values […] are important […], they are not the only values that determine whether a life is or is not worthwhile”. This view inevitably shifts the focus from individual values - even fundamental ones such as friendship, art and truth - to the real issue: What is a good life, after all?
Intersectional health-related stigma in persons living with HIV and chronic pain: implications for depressive symptoms.

ABSTRACT“Intersectional health-related stigma” (IHRS) refers to stigma that arises at the convergence of multiple health conditions. People living with HIV (PLWH) and chronic pain have two highly s...
"Hey daktari, will you sign this?".

A Peace Corps physician working in Africa describes in his latest online journal entry that one of the most difficult challenges of his job is maintaining physician confidentiality when treating volunteers who knowingly engage in behaviors that put other people's health at risk. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Behavioral Experiments With Social Algorithms: An Information Theoretic Approach to Input–Output Conversions

ABSTRACTWhile traditional computer-mediated communication happened through transparent, passive, and neutral channels, today’s communication channels are obscure, proactive, and distorted. Social a...
From Data Dashboards to Human Hearts

The purpose of this chapter is to trace trends in government reforms, to connect them to public administration theory, and to explain why emotional labor should be integrated into theory and practice. Three main phases are described. First is reliance on bureaucratic processes, second is reliance on market mechanisms, and third is reliance on collaborations across multiple entities. Attempts to preserve the best of the first two phases—the scale and predictability of bureaucracy with the responsiveness and agility of the market—while adding an emphasis on service and attention to the citizen–state encounter, characterize the third phase. As governments use organizations and networks to address public problems, the importance of responsiveness, co-production, and citizen engagement demands emotive competencies. Easily measured “things” stop short of comprehending the wholeness that public administration seeks to achieve. Emotional labor is foundational to effective public service delivery, and it is time for public administration theory to embrace it.
In-Hospital Formula Feeding and Breastfeeding Duration

* Abbreviation: IHFF — : in-hospital formula feeding Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for all newborns for ∼6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding plus complementary foods for at least a year.1 This recommendation results in numerous beneficial health outcomes for the mother and infant, lasting well beyond the period of breastfeeding.2 Recent evidence provides the scientific basis to explain the importance of an exclusive breast milk diet and draws attention to the potential health risks of early infant formula supplementation.3 By using observational studies and controlling for confounding variables, in-hospital formula feeding (IHFF) has been linked to a greater than twofold increase in early cessation of breastfeeding.4–6 However, authors of these previous studies may be criticized for using inappropriate methods because the outcome of breastfeeding duration is also related to demographic and other characteristics that influence in-hospital formula use. This issue was addressed by McCoy and Heggie7 in a study published in this issue of Pediatrics using an eloquent study design with propensity scoring. In propensity scoring, covariates (such as those listed in Table 1 of McCoy and Heggie's article7) are used to assign … Address correspondence to Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, 3 Cooper Plaza, Suite 309, Camden, NJ 08084. E-mail: winter-lori{at}cooperhealth.edu
Effect of Laser Polarization on Fiber Bragg Grating Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Ultrasound Detection

High-finesse fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) have shown great promise as sensitive ultrasonic sensors. However, the fabrication process of the sensors usually introduces birefringence to the fiber, which makes the sensor operation sensitive to the polarization of the probe laser. Here, we theoretically study the effect of laser polarization on the sensitivity of the sensor with birefringence. We show that, to maintain the sensitivity above half of its maximum of a high-finesse FBG-FPI sensor, the spectral notch separation caused by sensor birefringence should be less than ∼61% of the spectral notch width of the sensor. We fabricate an FBG-FPI sensor with negligible overall birefringence by rotating the fiber by 90° between the fabrication of the two FBGs. As a result, the birefringence introduced during the fabrication of the two FBGs cancels out each other. For comparison, a regular FBG-FPI fabricated without fiber rotation was also tested. While the regular FBG-FPI exhibited large variations in detection sensitivity with laser polarization, the polarization-insensitive showed little changes. As a result, no control on the laser polarization is needed during the operation of the polarization-insensitive FBG-FPI for ultrasonic detection, an important attribute required in many practical applications of the sensor.
Empowering nurses and residents to improve telemetry stewardship in the academic care setting

Aims and objectives Inappropriate use of telemetry frequently occurs in the inpatient, non-intensive care unit setting. Telemetry practice standards have attempted to guide appropriate use and limit the overuse of this important resource with limited success. Clinical-effectiveness studies have thus far not included care settings in which resident-physicians are the primary caregivers. Methods We implemented two interventions on general internal medicine units of an academic hospital. The first intervention, or nurse-discontinuation protocol, allowed nurses to trigger the discontinuation of telemetry once the appropriate duration had passed according to practice standards. The second intervention, or physician-discontinuation protocol, instituted a best-practice advisory that notified the resident-physician via the electronic medical record when the appropriate telemetry duration for each patient had elapsed and suggested termination of telemetry. Data collection spanned 8 months following the implementation of the nurse-discontinuation protocol and 12 months following the physician-discontinuation protocol. Results During the control period, the average time spent on telemetry was 86.29 hours/patient/month. During the nurse-discontinuation protocol, patients spent, on average, 70.86 hours/patient/month on telemetry. During the physician-discontinuation protocol, patients spent, on average, 81.6 hours/patient/month on telemetry. During the nurse-discontinuation protocol, there was no significant change in the likelihood that a patient was placed on telemetry throughout their admission when compared with the control period. During the physician-discontinuation protocol, there was a significant decrease of 56.1% in the likelihood that a patient would be put on telemetry when compared with the control time period. Conclusions These findings expand our understanding of telemetry use in the academic care setting in which trainees serve as the primary caregivers. Furthermore, these findings represent an important addition to the telemetry and patient monitoring literature by demonstrating the impact that nurse-managed protocols can have on telemetry use and by highlighting effective strategies to improve telemetry use by physicians in training.
Evaluation of hydrogen peroxide and ozone residue levels on N95 masks following chemical decontamination.

Summary Background Hydrogen peroxide and ozone have been used as chemical decontamination agents for N95 masks during supply shortages. If left behind on the masks the residues of both chemicals are representing a potential health hazard by skin contact and respiratory exposure. Aim Characterization of hydrogen peroxide and ozone residues on mask surfaces after chemical decontamination. Methods Various N95 masks were decontaminated using two commercial systems employing either aerosol spray or vaporization of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of ozone. Following the decontamination, the masks were aired out to eliminate moisture and potential chemical residues. The residual hydrogen peroxide and ozone were monitored in the gas phase above the mask surface, and hydrogen peroxide residue directly on mask surfaces using a colorimetric assay. Findings After decontamination, hydrogen peroxide and ozone were detectable in the gas phase in the vicinity of masks even after five hours (h) of aeration. Hydrogen peroxide was also detected on all studied masks, and levels up to 56 mg per mask were observed after 0.5 h of aeration. All residues gradually decreased with aeration, likely due to decomposition and vaporization. Conclusion Hydrogen peroxide and ozone were present on N95 masks after decontamination. With appropriate aeration, the gaseous residue levels in the vicinity of the masks decreased to permissible levels as defined by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The reliable assays to monitor these residues are crucial to ensure the safety of the mask users.
Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Older Adults Hospitalized for Acute Myocardial Infarction According to Cognitive Status: The SILVER-AMI Study

Abstract Background While survival after acute myocardial infarction has improved substantially, older adults remain at heightened risk for hospital readmissions and death. Evidence for the role of cognitive impairment in older myocardial infarction survivors’ risk for these outcomes is limited. Methods 3041 patients aged ≥75 years hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (mean age 82 ± 5 years, 56% male) recruited from 94 US hospitals. Cognition was assessed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status; scores of Results Mild and moderate/severe cognitive impairment were present in 11% and 6% of the cohort, respectively. Readmission and death at 6 months occurred in 41% and 9% of participants, respectively. Mild and moderate/severe cognitive impairment were associated with increased risk of readmission (odds ratio [OR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.72 and OR 1.58; 95% CI, 1.18-2.12, respectively) and death (OR 2.19; 95% CI, 1.54-3.11 and OR 3.82; 95% CI, 2.63-5.56, respectively) in unadjusted analyses. Significant associations between moderate/severe cognitive impairment and death (OR 1.69; 95% CI, 1.10-2.59) persisted after adjustment for demographics, myocardial infarction characteristics, comorbidity burden, functional status, and depression, but not for readmissions. Conclusions Moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment is associated with heightened risk of death in older acute myocardial infarction patients in the months after hospitalization, but not with readmission. Routine cognitive screening may identify older myocardial infarction survivors at risk for poor outcomes who may benefit from closer oversight and support in the post-discharge period.
Research Progress on Crop Diseases and Insect Pests Monitoring Based on Spectrum

Every year crop diseases and pests bring huge losses to global food production.Field artificial measure-ment and identification are both time consuming and laborious,and it is lag and will easily miss the best control period.Monitoring the crops health status based on spectral data is fast,high efficient and nondestructive,which could provide a powerful support for solving the problems of crop production with dispersiveness,territoriality,spatial and temporal variability.This paper summarized the theory of monitoring crop diseases and insect pests by spectrum,and reviews in detail the research progresses achieved in relevant technology from 2 aspects of imaging and non-imaging spectrum.It also introduced some vegetation indices for monitoring diseases and insects.Before ending,the paper discussed and analyzed the problems existing in this research field,and put forward suggestions for future development and application of spectrum monitoring technique.
Experimental investigation of structural system capacity with multiple fatigue cracks

Abstract Few experimental data sets exist in the literature to support the development and evaluation of digital twins predicting structural degradation. The literature is especially sparse for system tests where multiple failures occur and interact. In this work, a laboratory-level experiment is conducted to mimic many of the properties of larger and more complex marine structures with redundant load paths, failure interaction, and component-to-system level integration. In the experiment, such properties are reflected by a hexagon tension specimen with four propagating fatigue cracks tested under displacement-controlled loading. The applied loading cycles and corresponding crack lengths are recorded as the major time-varying data of degradation, with the resisting force at maximum extension used as the system capacity. A novel computer vision method is used to measure the crack length. Strain gauges are also used to monitor the structure’s status. The experimental data is presented and analyzed in this paper. The resulting data sets can be used to evaluate the performance of different digital twin updating approaches.
Ethical Dilemmas in Inter-State Disputes

Despite the growth of international adjudication in the past few decades, ethical standards for counsel appearing before public international courts and tribunals remain underdeveloped. Today, counsel has scant guidance—as a matter of international norms or law—as to what behavior is appropriate and professional. Consequently, litigants’ behavior is largely governed by ethical rules established and enforced by domestic regulatory authorities. This Essay challenges this ethical status quo and urges a firmer set of internationally transcendent ethical principles to apply in public international litigation. In particular, this Essay considers the lack of ethical guidance for counsel litigating inter-state disputes before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It argues that, as a baseline, concrete duties of diligence and disclosure should be developed as the foundation of an ICJ-specific ethical code of conduct. The Essay questions, however, whether the ICJ would be the ideal enforcer of such code, and points to several reasons why assuming such a role may undermine some of the Court’s broader purposes and goals. It suggests that national courts or political systems could be more effective in playing an enforcement role if domestic commitment to do so could be firmly secured. Ultimately, the Essay aims to spark conversation between scholars and practitioners of international law about the need to set ethical boundaries for litigants appearing before the International Court. It also seeks to encourage further steps toward drafting diligence and disclosure standards and identifying a credible and authoritative mechanism to enforce them.
Fantasy Football Prediction

The ubiquity of professional sports and specifically the NFL have lead to an increase in popularity for Fantasy Football. Users have many tools at their disposal: statistics, predictions, rankings of experts and even recommendations of peers. There are issues with all of these, though. Especially since many people pay money to play, the prediction tools should be enhanced as they provide unbiased and easy-to-use assistance for users. This paper provides and discusses approaches to predict Fantasy Football scores of Quarterbacks with relatively limited data. In addition to that, it includes several suggestions on how the data could be enhanced to achieve better results. The dataset consists only of game data from the last six NFL seasons. I used two different methods to predict the Fantasy Football scores of NFL players: Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Neural Networks. The results of both are promising given the limited data that was used.
Surveying and Mapping, and Environmental Engineering

Among the fundamental problems encountered by engineers in providing the facilities needed and desired by society are problems concerning natural and man-made environments. By modern surveying and mapping, environmental factors influencing engineering decisions are readily ascertained and easily portrayed. From aerial photography by photographic interpretation, the fundamental details of natural and man-made features are determined and classified on a qualitative basis, and by photogrammetry are measured the position, configuration, and dimension of the features. For engineering use according to purpose and need, the classifications, configurations, and dimensions are represented by appropriate maps, which are named.
Zinc supplementation in infants with a nutritional pattern of failure to thrive: a double-blind, controlled study

The objective of this study was to determine whether zinc deficiency is one of the factors involved in nutritional failure to thrive in infants and toddlers. Participants were selected on the basis of anthropometric criteria, particularly a decline in weight velocity preceding changes in length gains. The investigation was designed as a double-blind, randomized, pair-matched, controlled study of dietary zinc supplementation of 6 months' duration. Anthropometric data were collected at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months. Twenty-five pairs of infants completed the project. When compared with placebo-treated control children, the zinc-supplemented group (combined sexes) and the supplemented boys showed significant improvements in standard deviation scores for weight for all three intervals, the largest differences occurring for the 0- to 3-month interval (P less than or equal to .0001). The zinc-supplemented girls demonstrated a trend toward improvements in changes in standard deviation scores for weight (P = .056). There were no differences in length gains for either boys or girls. This improvement in weight gains after zinc supplementation demonstrates that mild zinc deficiency can be one of the etiologic factors in nutritional failure to thrive during infancy.
Expanded Worldwide Ocean Optics Database

Abstract : The long-term objective is to provide a comprehensive worldwide optics database that includes data on a broad range of important optical properties, including diffuse attenuation, beam attenuation, and scattering. For the public version of the database, data from ONR-funded bio-optical cruises are given priority for loading into the database, but data from other scientific programs (NASA, NODC, NSF) and from other countries will also be routinely added to the Worldwide Ocean Optics Database (WOOD). For the operational Navy version of the database, forward area datasets, such as those collected in US Naval Oceanographic Office "military surveys" will be given priority. A main objective in FY10 has been to add the NASA world-wide monthly climatologies for chlorophyll concentration, and another objective was to publish a paper that documents the DoD-restricted version of WOOD. The US Navy has a special interest in locations such as the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf. As a result special attention is given to obtaining and loading data from such locations. An on-going objective is to develop more automated procedures for ingesting complex datasets, such as from hyper-spectral sensors or from high-density measurement systems like a glider or SeaSoar system. Finally, assuring high data quality is a major objective, so substantial effort is given to removing noise, calibration shifts, and other data artifacts from the data.
Autoimmune Antibody in a Hemorrhagic Patient Interacts With Thrombin-Activated Factor XIII in a Unique Manner

Without a prior history of hemorrhagic disease, a 62-year-old man suffered recurrent episodes of bleeding. Solubility of the patient’s clot in 5 mol/L urea indicated a problem with fibrin stabilization. The transamidase activity potential of factor XIII, measured by the incorporation of radioactive putrescine into N,N-dimethylcasein as test substrate, was 62% of control, close to the normal range of values. Examination of the patient’s clot from recalcified plasma by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that essentially none of the  chains and only about two thirds of the γ chains of fibrin became cross-linked under conditions where both were fully cross-linked in the controls. An antibody to factor XIII was isolated which, although recognizing the recombinant rA2subunits, as well as the virgin A2B2 plasma ensemble, showed a 100-fold greater affinity for the thrombin-activated rA2′ and A2′B2 forms of the zymogen, suggesting that the latter would be its main target during coagulation. Furthermore, the patient’s IgG has an ability, never seen before, for inducing an enzymatically active configuration in the thrombin-activated zymogen in the absence of Ca2+.
Two-Step Protocol for Isolation and Culture of Cardiospheres

Cardiac progenitor cells (CPC) are a unique pool of progenitor cells residing in the heart that play an important role in cardiac homeostasis and physiological cardiovascular cell turnover during acute myocardial infarction (MI). Transplanting CPC into the heart has shown promise in two recent clinical trials of cardiac repair (SCIPIO & CADUCEUS). CSCs were originally isolated directly from enzymatically digested hearts followed by cell sorting using stem cell markers. However, long exposure to enzymatic digestion can affect the integrity of stem cell markers on the cell surface and also compromise stem cell function. Here, we describe a two-step procedure in which a large number of intact cardiac progenitor cells can be purified from small amount of heart tissue.