cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Abdominal Massage Practice Performed by Traditional Birth Attendants in Mamba Community Health Center, East Nusa Tenggara

Background: People in East Manggarai have a strong belief in traditional birth attendants in assisting delivery. It affects the selection of birth attendants. The strong belief in the people of East Manggarai to date is the practice of “Abdominal Massage” during pregnancy and birth delivery. This study aimed to get information about the abdo­minal massage practice performed by tra­ditional birth attendants in Mamba Com­mu­nity Health Center, East Nusa Tenggara. Subjects and Method: This study was a quali­ta­tive analytical study using a phenomenological study approach in Mamba Community Health Center. The informants of this study were tra­di­tional healers, pregnant women who were going to give birth to traditional birth attendants and women who gave birth who had been helped by traditional birth attendants, head of community health center, public figures, and village mid­wi­ves. This study used the purposive sampling tech­ni­que. This study used in-depth interviews with non-participant observation to collect the data. Results: "Abdominal massage" technique to date was still performed by the people in East Mang­garai, especially pregnant women and wo­men who would give birth. This "Abdominal Massage" technique aimed to know and adjust the fetus position. Besides, the mother would feel strong, the baby would be healthy, the maternal body could move easily, and made the process of lowering the fetal head faster. The ingredients used for "abdominal massage" were easy to find. The minimum problems when per­­­forming “abdominal massage” with no “abd­ominal massage” costs made the practice still used by mothers. Conclusion: The practice of “abdominal massage” is medically dangerous for the mother and the fetus if it is carried out by non-pro­fessionals, such as traditional birth attendants. Keywords: abdominal massage, traditional birth attendant, birth attendant Correspondence: Maria Sriana Banul, Diploma of Midwifery, Indo­nesia Catholic University of Saint Paul Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara. Email: maria­sri­a­na­@­­g­m­ail­.­com. Mobile: 082311378633. Journal of Maternal and Child Health (2020), 05(06): 715-724 https://doi.org/10.26911/thejmch.2020.05.06.11.
Application of Collagen Fibril Biografts for Enhancing Local Vascularization in an In-Vivo Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Model

Poor vascularization is a hallmark of chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. Vascularization can be improved through the use of growth factors (GFs) such as VEGF, delivered using collagen-based materials. However, the GFs are delicate to handle, costly to use, and must be administered in the correct dosages for the safety of the patient. One of the problems currently is the poor ability of collagen constructs to become vascularized within a reasonable time. This calls for the design of collagen-based drug delivery systems that allows for controlled, precise, sustained, and localized release of GFs. Affinity-based retention strategy binding VEGF to heparin and heparin to collagen has the potential to offer controlled release of VEGF through collagen while retaining the collagen fibril’s physiologically relevant self-assembly properties. Heparin and VEGF quantity should be carefully chosen to not affect VEGF or collagen biological activity and physical properties. The therapeutic vascularization potential of collagen-based systems can be tested on the Chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model because of its simplicity, inexpensiveness, and suitability for large-scale screening.
Humeral lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures — magnetic resonance imaging characteristics in the pediatric population

Avulsion fractures of the humeral lesser tuberosity are rare injuries in skeletally immature patients and can pose a diagnostic challenge that often leads to delayed identification. To describe the demographics, mechanism of injury and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures in children. A retrospective search of children with lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures on MRI was done. Available radiographs were evaluated. Demographics, mechanism of injury, MRI characteristics and treatment were recorded. Thirteen children, all male, were included (median age: 13.8 years, range: 12.5–16.8 years). The most common mechanism was blunt, overhead or hyperextension traumatic injury related to sports. All patients were skeletally immature and 10/13 demonstrated isolated avulsion fractures at the footprint. Only one patient had associated osteochondral injury to the humeral head and labral tear. Two children demonstrated medial dislocation/subluxation of the biceps tendon. The median size of the avulsed fragment was 15 mm (range: 5–29 mm), median anteroposterior displacement was 3 mm (range: 0–6 mm) and medial displacement was 1 mm (range: 0–20 mm). There was no correlation between age and the size of the avulsed fragment (P=0.29). Common injury patterns were complete avulsion of the subscapularis footprint (6/13) and partial avulsion of inferior footprint (6/13). Two-thirds of the radiographs were initially reported as normal, but retrospectively showed two missed fractures. One of the initial radiographs raised concern for bone tumor. The best view for identifying an avulsion fragment was the axillary view. Seven patients of the 13 patients underwent internal fixation. Avulsion fractures of the lesser tuberosity are rare, challenging to diagnose and often radiographically occult. MRI can identify the injury at the subscapularis tendon footprint with variable size and displacement. The long head of the biceps tendon is usually normal in location. Although this entity is rare, radiologists should be aware of it to allow for correct and prompt diagnosis and prevent unnecessary biopsy or contrast administration.
Effects of short-term, high-force resistance training on high-intensity exercise capacity

EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM, HIGH-FORCE RESISTANCE TRAINING ON HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE CAPACITY Patrick Abi Nader
Developing an adaptive global exposure model to support the generation of country : disaster risk profiles

Abstract Corresponding to increased realization of the impacts of natural hazards in recent years and the need for quantification of disaster risk, there has been increasing demand from the public sector for openly available disaster risk profiles. Probabilistic disaster risk profiles provide risk assessments and estimates of potential damage to property caused by severe natural hazards. These profiles outline a holistic view of financial risk due to natural hazards, assisting governments in long-term planning and preparedness. A Country Disaster Risk Profile (CDRP) presents a probabilistic estimate of risk aggregated at the national level. A critical component of a CDRP is the development of consistent and robust exposure model to complement existing hazard and vulnerability models. Exposure is an integral part of any risk assessment model, capturing the attributes of all exposed elements grouped by classes of vulnerability to different hazards, and analyzed in terms of value, location and relative importance (e.g. critical facilities and infrastructure). Using freely available (or available at minimum cost) datasets, we present a methodology for an exposure model to produce three independent geo-referenced databases to be used in national level disaster risk profiling for the public sector. These databases represent aggregated economic value at risk at 30 arc-second spatial resolution (approximately 1 × 1-km grid at the equator) using a top-down (or downscaling) approach. To produce these databases, the models used are: 1) a building inventory stock model which captures important attributes such as geographical location, urban/rural classification, type of occupancy (e.g. residential and non-residential), building typology (e.g. wood, concrete, masonry, etc.) and economic (replacement) value; 2) a non-building infrastructure density and value model that also corresponds to the fiscal infrastructure portion of the Gross Capital Stock (GCS) of a country; and 3) a spatially and sectorially disaggregated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) model that relates to the production (flow) of goods and services of a country. These models can be adapted to produce - independently or cohesively - a composite exposure database. Finally, we provide an example of the model's use in economic loss estimation for the reoccurrence of the 1882 Mw 7.8 Panama earthquake.
Differentiating Parent Practices Related to Adolescent Behavior in the Free Time Context

The purpose of this study was to examine parenting practices associated with adolescent free time use. Interviews (n = 17) were conducted with parents of adolescents (12-14 years) in two communities. Eight were from a university- based community in the northern U.S. and nine were recruited from rural communities outside a large metropolitan center in Eastern Canada. The parents in this study used a number of practices to structure regulate and support their adolescents behavior in the free time domain. These practices extended from: [(a)] parents beliefs and expectations of the free time context [(b)] the ways in which parents communicated and enforced these beliefs and expectations [(c)] parents actions to direct their adolescents activity engagement [(d)] strategies used to monitor the adolescents activities [(e)] the provision of resources to support preferred activity engagement and [(f)] parents efforts to support autonomous behavior in the free time context. The results are discussed in terms of extant literature on parental structuring and support of adolescents free time behavior and leisure interests. (authors)
Release of creatine phosphokinase from muscle. I. Effect of polymyxin B, compound 48-80, and serotonin.

Abstract Polymyxin B and compound 48 80 produce marked increases in the plasma levels of type III (skeletal muscle) creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Two other mast cell disrupters, dextran and ovomucoid, which also produce anaphylactoid shock, as well as the mast cell disrupters d -tubocurarine, diphenhydramine and tripellenamine, do not affect plasma CPK (PCPK) levels. The mast cell constituents histamine and heparin do not increase PCPK levels, although significant increases were noted following high doses of exogenous serotonin (5-HT). The effect of 5-HT on PCPK levels was inhibited by methysergide but that of polymyxin B was not. The neuromuscular blockade produced by polymyxin B was considered to have little if any role in the increase in PCPK levels, since neither succinylcholine or d -tubocurarine increases PCPK levels. Preventing the hypothermia secondary to polymyxin B or 5-HT did not block the increase in PCPK levels following treatment with these agents. Incubation of isolated extensor digitorum longus muscle in vitro in the presence of polymyxin B and compound 48 80 increases the rate of efflux of CPK from the muscle. It is postulated that polymyxin B and compound 48 80 have a toxic effect on muscle, one manifestation of which could be increased efflux of CPK from muscle.
Chapter 5 Multivariate Input Processes

Abstract Representing uncertainty in a simulation study is referred to as input modeling, and is often characterized as selecting probability distributions to represent the input processes. This is a simple task when the input processes can be represented as sequences of independent random variables with identical distributions. However, dependent and multivariate input processes occur naturally in many service, communications, and manufacturing systems. This chapter focuses on the development of multivariate input models which incorporate the interactions and interdependencies among the inputs for the stochastic simulation of such systems.
Modeling the Users of Information Systems

Summary Understanding user needs and the ways in which users utilize information systems is important since it can help us in developing and designing more effective and efficient information systems. This paper examines some of the theories that have evolved to explain what kind of mental processes are required for the use of information systems. Research on users of information systems is categorized into two basic groups (system-oriented vs. user-oriented studies), and reviewed. A sample of methodologies used for examining users and their information seeking behavior is then introduced and described. Finally, implications of these theories and methods for librarians and information specialists are discussed.
Robustness of Luenberger Observers: Linear Systems Stabilized via Nonlinear Control

Given a dynamical system whose state equations include time-varying uncertain parameters, it is often desirable to design a state feedback controller leading to uniform asymptotic stability of a given equilibrium point. If, however, the controller operates on some estimate of the state, instead of the true state itself, it is of interest to know whether the desired stability will be preserved; e.g., suppose that the measured output is processed by a Luenberger observer. This paper concentrates on the scenario above and in addition, our analysis permits the controller to be nonlinear. As a first step, inequalities are developed which have implications on the system's robustness; that is, when the uncertain parameters satisfy these inequalities, it becomes possible to separately design controller and observer. This amounts to an extension of the classical separation theorem to the case when the controller is nonlinear. It is also of interest to note that the approach given here enables us to guarantee stability for some nonzero range of admissible parameter variations. This is achieved by introducing a certain "tuning parameter" into the Lyapunov function which is used to assure the stability of the cambined plant-observer-controller system.
Scintigraphic investigation methods in pulmonary hypertension diagnostics and lesser pulmonary circulation reserve potential evaluation among patients with mitral valve failure

Pulmonary hypertension and bloodstream affection are considered to be major factors that determine indication for operation and limit its successful fulfillment among patients with mitral valve failure. This paper aims to develop new systematic approach to radionuclide diagnostics of pulmonary hypertension and to evaluate reserve potential of lesser pulmonary (LP) hemodynamics among patients with mitral valve failure. 35 patients aged 28 to 55 (the average age rate is 45,0/spl plusmn/2,4 years) having II-III stage of mitral stenosis and various pulmonary hypertension intensity have been examined. The evaluation of lesser pulmonary circulation (LPC) potential has been carried out with the application of acute aminophyllin test under direct manometry of the right ventricle of heart and pulmonary artery. Obtained data of pressure direct measurement have been compared with the results of radionuclide angiocardiography (RACG). Comparing the results of direct manometry in the right ventricle of heart (RVH) cavities and pulmonary artery (PA) with parameters calculated on the basis of conducted radionuclide investigations, the notions of scintigraphic index "Crvh/Cpa" (correlation of the evacuation constants from the radiopharmaceutical right ventricle of heart and pulmonary artery, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure.) During the acute pharmacological aminophyllin test direct connection of pressure in pulmonary artery and right ventricle of heart measured by the direct method with the correlation of CRVH/CPA has been detected. Carried out analysis of the obtained data showed that among people with "positive" reaction for aminophyllin early postoperative period passed without any complications with the parameters recovery of a LP hemodynamics. However, among patient shaving no LPC reaction for aminophyllin the residual pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular overload after surgical correction was still present. Suggested method of indirect pressure definition in pulmonary artery using radionuclide angiocardiography allows it objectively and accurately evaluate pulmonary hypertension level among patients with mitral valve failure. The application of acute pharmacological aminophyllin test allows to evaluate the reserve potential of lesser pulmonary circulation among such patients.
Therapeutic targets for cholestatic liver injury

Introduction: Cholestasis is a reduction in bile flow that occurs during numerous pathologies. Blockage of the biliary tracts results in hepatic accumulation of bile acids or their conjugate bile salts. The molecular mechanisms behind liver injury associated with cholestasis are extensively studied, but not well understood. Multiple models of obstructive cholestasis result in a significant inflammatory infiltrate at the sites of necrosis that characterize the injury.Areas covered: This review will focus on direct bile acid toxicity during cholestasis, bile acid signaling processes and on the development and continuation of inflammation during cholestasis, with a focus on novel proposed molecular mediators of neutrophil recruitment. While significant progress has been made on these molecular mechanisms, a continued focus on how cholestasis and the innate immune system interact is necessary to discover targetable therapeutics that might protect the liver while leaving global immunity intact.Expert opinion: ...
Experimental esophagitis affects intracellular calcium stores in the cat lower esophageal sphincter

We previously showed that lower esophageal spincter (LES) tone depends on spontaneous production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and release of intracellular Ca2+ and that acute experimental esophagitis reduces LES tone and IP3 production, suggesting damage to mechanisms responsible for release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. In the present investigation, we examined the possibility that mechanisms responsible for Ca2+ storage or uptake may also be damaged. LES circular muscle cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Contraction was measured in response to IP3 and thapsigargin, which enhances release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, and in response to calmodulin and to diacylglycerol. In addition, normal cells were incubated in thapsigargin to assess the effect of depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores on contractile response. Contraction in response to IP3 and thapsigargin was reduced in experimental esophagitis, but contraction in response to calmodulin or diacylglycerol was not. Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced contraction of normal cells was inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist CGS-9343B but not by 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine dihydrochloride (H-7). In contrast, in cells from animals with esophagitis or in thapsigargin-treated cells from normal animals, ACh-induced contraction was inhibited by H-7 and not by CGS-9343B. We conclude that experimental esophagitis may damage intracellular Ca2+ stores in the LES and change the intracellular contractile pathways activated by ACh from calmodulin dependent in normal cells to protein kinase C dependent in esophagitis.
ADRC or adaptive controller - A simulation study on artificial blood pump

Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) has gained popularity because it requires little knowledge about the system to be controlled, has the inherent disturbance rejection ability, and is easy to tune and implement in practical systems. In this paper, the authors compared the performance of an ADRC and an adaptive controller for an artificial blood pump for end-stage congestive heart failure patients using only the feedback signal of pump differential pressure. The purpose of the control system was to provide sufficient perfusion when the patients' circulation system goes through different pathological and activity variations. Because the mean arterial pressure is equal to the total peripheral flow times the total peripheral resistance, this goal was converted to an expression of making the mean aortic pressure track a reference signal. The simulation results demonstrated that the performance of the ADRC is comparable to that of the adaptive controller with the saving of modeling and computational effort and fewer design parameters: total peripheral flow and mean aortic pressure with ADRC fall within the normal physiological ranges in activity variation (rest to exercise) and in pathological variation (left ventricular strength variation), similar to those values of adaptive controller. An Active Disturbance Rejection Controller was developed for a rotary blood pump.The performance of ADRC was studied in activity and pathology variation.ADRC was easy to design and tune.ADRC demonstrated robust performance with excellent disturbance rejection.
Probing the microRNA pathway with small molecules

MicroRNA (miRNA)/RNA interference (RNAi) is recognized as one of the most important mechanisms regulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level in eukaryotic cells. The main components within the miRNA/RNAi pathway are now known and well characterized, but studies on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of the miRNA/RNAi pathway are just beginning to emerge. High-throughput reporter assays have been developed to monitor the activity of the miRNA/RNAi pathway and applied in a proof-of-concept pilot screening, which has led to the identification of some inhibitors and activators that either generally or specifically regulate the activity of the miRNA/RNAi pathway. In addition, combined with multidisciplinary approaches like proteomics, biochemistry, and genetics, some protein co-factors were found to play important roles in the regulation of the miRNA/RNAi pathway. Herein we highlight the high-throughput reporter assays developed in recent years and the resulting discovery of miRNA/RNAi enhancers and inhibitors.
The View from Anthropology: Discussion of Castle's Conceptual Framework

with a distinctive group, however, the idea of social capital has a long history in cultural anthropology. Anthropologists talk about the extent of social cohesion or integration of a group or whether a community is relatively cooperative, rather than use the newer term for these attributes of a social system. Not jumping on the social capital bandwagon probably has a lot to do with anthropologists not buying into the "everything is economics" or market-driven model for social be-
Analysis of the Crystal Structure of the ExsC·ExsE Complex Reveals Distinctive Binding Interactions of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion Chaperone ExsC with ExsE and ExsD

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, like many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, requires its type III secretion system (T3SS) to facilitate acute infections. In P. aeruginosa, the expression of all T3SS-related genes is regulated by the transcriptional activator ExsA. A signaling cascade involving ExsA and three additional proteins, ExsC, ExsD, and ExsE, directly ties the upregulation of ExsA-mediated transcription to the activation of the type III secretion apparatus. In order to characterize the events underlying the signaling process, the crystal structure of the T3SS chaperone ExsC in complex with its cognate effector ExsE has been determined. The structure reveals critical contacts that mediate the interactions between these two proteins. Particularly striking is the presence of two Arg-X-Val-X-Arg motifs in ExsE that form identical interactions along opposite sides of an ExsC dimer. The structure also provides insights into the interactions of ExsC with the antiactivator protein ExsD. It was shown that the ami...
Effects of Cooperative Learning on Achievement and Attitude Among Students of Color

Abstract The author examined the effects of cooperative learning on the achievement in and attitudes toward mathematics of a group of 5th-grade students of color in a culture different from the United States (i.e., Bermuda). Students participated in 12 weeks of R. Slavin's (1978) Student Teams Achievement Division method of cooperative learning in mathematics during the fall semester. Students completed 2 measures: the computation and application sections of the California Achievement Test (1985) Form E (Level 14) and Penelope Peterson's Attitude Toward Mathematics Scale for Grades 4-6 Students at 4 different intervals. The measures were completed as pretests at the beginning of the semester (before students were exposed to cooperative learning) and as posttests at the end of Weeks 5, 9, and 13. Data were analyzed with a 1-factor (4 levels) repeated measures analysis of variance design to ascertain whether there were significant differences among the pre- and posttest scores. Results suggest that there we...
Effect of pendant chain lengths and backbone functionalities on the chemical selectivity of sulfonated amphiphilic copolymers as pseudo-stationary phases in electrokinetic chromatography

Amphiphilic copolymers of AMPS (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) and hydrophobic monomers with various chemical structures were synthesized, characterized and used as novel electrokinetic chromatography polymeric pseudo-stationary phases, showing significant chemical selectivity differences from that of the conventional monomeric pseudo-stationary phase, sodium lauryl sulphate. Copolymers of AMPS and methacrylates with different pendant chain lengths (C8, C12 and C18) were investigated and no significant difference in chemical selectivity was observed among them. However, the spacer bonding chemistry was shown to contribute to significant chemical selectivity difference, e.g. poly(AMPS-lauryl methacrylate) showed different chemical selectivity from poly(AMPS-lauryl methacrylamide). Linear solvation energy relationship analysis of 20 solutes by eight different polymeric pseudo-stationary phases was employed to investigate the solute molecule structural contributions to the retention. Hydrogen-bonding properties (described by system constants b and a) of poly(AMPS-alkyl methacrylamide) were found stronger than those of poly(AMPS-alkyl methacrylate).
Abduction Stress and AP Weightbearing Radiography of Purely Ligamentous Injury in the Tarsometatarsal Joint

Twenty volunteers (40 feet) with no prior foot injury underwent standardized abduction stress and standing AP radiographs. Subsequently, the Lisfranc and dorsal tarsometatarsal ligaments in nine feet from cadavers were sectioned in a varying sequential manner, and interval standardized radiographs of abduction stress and AP simulated weightbearing were obtained. On abduction stress radiographs in 39 of 40 feet of volunteers and nine of nine feet of cadavers before sectioning, a line tangential to the medial aspect of the navicular and medial cuneiform (medial column line) intersected the base of the first metatarsal. Combining the sectioning of the Lisfranc and dorsal tarsometatarsal ligaments produced a disruption of the medial column line in all feet from cadavers. Disruption of this medial column line may be a simple and valuable diagnostic tool for determining significant ligamentous injury to the tarsometatarsal interval.
Modeling the catalytic activity and kinetics of lipase (glycerol-ester hydrolase)

In order to design industrial scale reactors and proceises for multi-phase biocatalytic reactions, it is essential to understand the mechanisms by which such systems operate. To illustrate how such mechanisms can be modeled, the hydrolysis of the primary ester groups of triglycerides to produce fatty acids and monoglycerides by lipase (glycerol-ester hydrolase) catalysis has been selected as an example of multiphase biocatalysis. Lipase is specific in its behavior such that it can act only on the hydrolyzed (or emulsified) part of the substrate. This follows because the active center of the enzyme is catalytically active only when the substrate contacts it in its hydrolyzed form. In other words, lipase acts only when it can shuttle back and forth between the emulsion phase and the water phase, presumably within an interphase or boundary layer between these two phases. In industrial applications lipase is employed as a fat splitting enzyme to remove fat stains from fabrics, in making cheese, to flavor milk products, and to degrade fats in waste products. Effective use of lipase in these processes requires a fundamental understanding of its kinetic behavior and interactions with substrates under various environmental conditions. Therefore, this study focuses on modeling and simulating the enzymatic activity of the lipase as a step towards the basic understanding of multi-phase biocatalysis processes.
Micro computer‐based geographic information system technology for resource assessment and rural development planning

Abstract The Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Project uses a systematic approach in natural resource assessment and land evaluation for development planning and policy analysis. In part, this involves the creation of an operational capability within selected planning institutions to develop an integrated resource data base and analyze with custom software to the comparative advantage of resource production alternatives. For this purpose, a number of software modules were developed, including mainframe and micro computer‐based Geographic Information System (GIS) software. This paper describes the latest micro computer GIS version, namely, the Master File Creator Program (GEOMAST) and the Geographic Resource Analysis Program (GEORAP) ‐ of the Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Geographic Information System (GIS) as modified for IBM‐PC, Model XT or compatible micro‐computers using the MS‐DOS operating system. GEOMAST provides the capability to store, ...
Survey of the outline of an early Roman marching-camp in Germany by Rammner's current line pertubation method

Abstract The outline of the first discovered early Roman Marching-camp north of the Limes in Germany (Dorlar, State of Hessen) was determined by electrical resistivity sounding. The camp was inhabited sometime between 11 BC and 15 AD and used as base to conquer Dunsberg, a keltic-germanic oppidum. Rammner's Current Line Pertubation Method (CLP) detected soil disturbances caused by ancient Roman construction. The CLP-Method was used to measure the perturbation of a current due to inhomogeneities in the ground. Data processing made it possible to determine the outline of the Roman marching-camp with an accuracy of ±0·15 m. The electrical soundings were confirmed by selected excavations.
User-centered Systems Engineering & Knowledge Management Framework for Design & Modeling of Future Smart Cities:

Employing human factors and user-centered systems engineering methodology and design principles to the development of smart cities has the potential of establishing a novel field of research. This paper introduces a novel human factors knowledge management framework for collaborative education, design and modeling of the next generation of smarter cities. A conceptual framework and practical applications of systems engineering approaches to support smarter cities development is proposed. The human systems component in collaborative systems engineering aims to ensure that human considerations for learners and designers have a prominent place in the integrated design and development of sustainable, smarter cities throughout the total system lifecycle. Future challenges that collaborative human and systems engineering techniques are likely to face in this domain are also discussed.
Multi-objective optimization of engineering systems using game theory and particle swarm optimization

This study proposes particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithms to solve multi-objective engineering optimization problems involving continuous, discrete and/or mixed design variables. The original PSO algorithm is modified to include dynamic maximum velocity function and bounce method to enhance the computational efficiency and solution accuracy. The algorithm uses a closest discrete approach (CDA) to solve optimization problems with discrete design variables. A modified game theory (MGT) approach, coupled with the modified PSO, is used to solve multi-objective optimization problems. A dynamic penalty function is used to handle constraints in the optimization problem. The methodologies proposed are illustrated by several engineering applications and the results obtained are compared with those reported in the literature.
Der Diacapillare Stauungshochdruck

1. Wir finden bei vielen Fallen von Kreislaufdekompensation mit Stauung, also hohem Venendruck, eine kleine hochgestellte Blutdruckamplitude. 2. Sie ist besonders haufig bei erstmalig dekompensierenden Fallen, insbesondere kardialer Genese, z. B. Myodegeneratio cordis. 3. In dem Zeitraum von der Dekompensation bis zur Kompensation senkt sich bei solchen Fallen meist die Blutdruckamplitude zur Norm. Der diastolische Druck sinkt gleichsinnig mit dem abfallenden Venendruck. 4. Die hochgestellte kleine Amplitude erklart sich durch eine diacapillare Fortwirkung der venosen Stauung. Diese wirkt als peripheres Abstromungshindernis fur das aus dem arteriellen Schenkel zufliesende Blut. Als Folgeerscheinung steigt der basale Fullungsdruck bzw. das basale Fullungsniveau im arteriellen Schenkel. Dementsprechend steigt der diastolische Meswert. 5. Es erklart sich die hochgestellte kleine Blutdruckamplitude bei gewissen Fallen der Kreislaufdekompensation als diacapillarer Stauungshochdruck. Ausnahmen werden besprochen.
Global mechanical consequences of reduced cement/bone coupling rigidity in proximal femoral arthroplasty: A three-dimensional finite element analysis

Abstract Component loosening in total hip arthroplasty is often accompanied by substantial bony remodelling, associated initially with reduced stiffness of the cancellous bone bordering the cement, and eventually with the formation and proliferation of a compliant fibrous membrane at the bone/cement interface. An anatomically based three-dimensional finite element model has been developed to explore the salient stress changes occurring with progressive degradation of the stiffness of the cancellous bone in a thin zone bordering the cement. This border zone, modelled as a distinct linearly elastic and isotropic material layer, assumed a geometry and a range of mechanical properties inferred from eventual membrane thickness apparent in recent animal studies of component loosening. The major variables considered were: stiffness (elastic modulus) and compressibility (Poisson ratio) of the border zone, stiffness changes in the outlying cancellous bone, resultant hip contact force, and trochanteric muscle loadings. The results for the limiting case of a non-degraded border zone compared reasonably with previous studies of femoral reconstructions having rigid bone-to-cement attachment. Progressive decay of border zone stiffness produced complex changes in load transmission. Foremost among these were a generalized increase in stress levels (especially of transverse-plane tension) in the proximo-lateral cancellous bone, and a corresponding generalized decrease in stress levels in the proximomedial cancellous bone. There were also large bending moment increases in the prosthesis and its cement mantle, especially at mid-stem. At almost all sites, the critical stress levels were those developed for peak stance-phase loading, rather than for the lower loads (and different resultant contact force directions) occurring elsewhere in the gait cycle. The elevated proximo-lateral cancellous bone stresses occurring with eventual membrane development, consistent with localized bony hypertrophy seen in recent animal studies, may be a response to hoop stresses occurring during pistoning of the tapered cement mantle.
MONEY REINFORCEMENT AND HUMAN OPERANT (WORK) BEHAVIOR: III. PIECEWORK-PAYMENT AND TIME-PAYMENT COMPARISONS

Two groups of 10 college male Ss were given different money reinforcement schedules in single 1-hr. work periods for each S (following a combination of “pretests” and a questionnaire, used for reasons described). The work was that of repetitively pulling a manipulandum against a constant-tension spring requiring 25 lb. of force, horizontally, through 5/8-in. distance. The control group was paid at a rate of 10¢ for each 1000 pulls. The test Ss were paid in advance with instructions that they had the job of working at the machine for 1 hr, if they wished (though they were required to remain in the room) and were given the maximum rate of pay ($1.50 per hour) which it was anticipated the control Ss might earn. The test Ss were told that their work “may provide information on which to base later studies.” As predicted, the control Ss showed markedly greater output (approximately 100% greater) than that obtained from Ss paid in advance, on a time basis.
Comparison of the Born and Glauber generalized oscillator strengths for the 2 s → 3 p transition of atomic hydrogen

Minima and maxima of the generalized oscillator strength for the $2s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3p$ transition of atomic hydrogen are found using the Glauber approximation. In contrast to the first-Born approximation, the number of extrema and their positions are found to vary with the energy of the incident particle, and the values at the minima do not vanish. There is qualitative agreement in the behavior of the first minimum with known experimental data on the resonance transitions of rare gases and mercury. For large incident energy, the transition amplitude in the Glauber approximation falls off with large momentum transfer more rapidly than predicted by a previous calculation based on the second-Born approximation.
Restricted Likelihood Ratio Tests for Functional Effects in the Functional Linear Model

The goal of our article is to provide a transparent, robust, and computationally feasible statistical approach for testing in the context of scalar-on-function linear regression models. Assuming linearity between response and predictors, we are interested in testing for the necessity of functional effects. Our methods are motivated by and applied to a large longitudinal study involving diffusion tensor imaging of intracranial white matter tracts in a susceptible cohort. In the context of this study, we conduct hypothesis tests that are motivated by anatomical knowledge and support recent findings regarding the relationship between cognitive impairment and white matter demyelination. R code and data are in the examples of refund::rlrt.pfr(). Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Unmet need for corrective eyeglasses: results from a Los Angeles County Hospital survey

To investigate the socioeconomic challenges encountered by patients from Los Angeles County Ophthalmology Clinic, California, United States, in obtaining prescription eyeglasses. A retrospective survey study. Patients sent for refraction in June 2009 were asked to rate their satisfaction with their eyeglasses. If they did not obtain eyeglasses, they were asked the reason e.g., cost, lost prescription, etc. Fifty-five percent (54/99) of patients who received a prescription did not obtain eyeglasses. The most common reason was cost (67 %). Eighty-eight percent of patients had some form of health insurance; however, 100 % were lacking eyeglasses coverage. The mean visual acuity pre-refraction was 20/80 versus 20/30 post-refraction (p < 0.001). It is well known that refractive error is a major cause of blindness worldwide, which negatively impacts the patient and their community. However, it is infrequently addressed that these conditions persist in parts of the develop world, including the United States. Los Angeles County Hospital is an example of an environment with many low-income patients in need of refractive correction who are limited mainly by cost in attaining eyeglasses. Furthermore, insurance organizations that cover low-income patients provide minimal or no coverage for prescription eyeglasses.
Critical pedagogy and rural education: A challenge from Poland

(1990). Critical pedagogy and rural education: A challenge from Poland. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 67, A Look at Rural Education in the United States, pp. 154-165.
North America as a precursor of changes in Western European food-purchasing patterns

Five economic determinants of food expenditures by households in high-income industrialised countries are identified: three factors derived from neoclassical economics (population growth, income, and relative prices) and two factors given greater weight by business marketing analysts (demographics and food preferences or attitudes). Data collected on 19 specific measures of these determinants indicate that in every case the trends observed in Western Europe parallel those in North America, with some tendency for Northern American trends to begin earlier. Therefore, both total food expenditures and the expenditure mix are expected to converge over time. It is suggested that globalisation of the food processing and distribution industries is likely to be an increasingly influential mechanism of convergence. Copyright 1994 by Oxford University Press.
On Zarembaʼs conjecture

Abstract It is shown that there is a constant A and a density one subset S of the positive integers such that, for each q ∈ S , there is some 1 ⩽ p q , ( p , q ) = 1 , so that p q has all its partial quotients bounded by A.
Estimating the Biogas Potential From Colleges and Universities

Academic institutions present a unique opportunity for anaerobic digestion (AD) projects in that they have a concentrated population that generates waste, utilizes heat and electrical power, and often are motivated to implement sustainability initiatives. However, implementation of AD on college campuses in the U.S. is only beginning to emerge and data required to size and operate digesters are limited. This paper provides formulae to estimate food waste generated at college and university campuses base upon data collected at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Bottom-up and top-down estimates are presented and results are compared to an extensive review of publicly available data from other colleges and universities. The bottom-up methodology resulted in a lower estimate (18 kg food waste/enrolled student) than the top-down estimate (29 kg/enrolled student). Both were significantly lower than the estimate previously reported in the literature (64 kg/enrolled student). Bench-scale co-digestion experiments of the food waste with dairy manure resulted in a methane yield of 437 ml CH4/g VS. Applying this methodology to only 4-year colleges in New York State has the potential to generate 27 million GJ of energy from food waste.© 2014 ASME
Topical liposomal delivery of antibiotics in soft tissue infection.

A new drug delivery system (lipid microcarriers) was studied in an experimental model of infected soft tissue wounds. Superficial, nonlethal infection was produced in the adult rat by injecting 1 ml containing 108 colonyforming units (CFU) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa under the superficial fascia of the paraspinus muscle of a 2-cm2 excised wound. All wounds were dressed with N-Terface, a nonadherent wound material, and covered with Kontor sponge, an open-cell polyurethane sponge containing either normal saline (group I), free tobramycin (groups III and V), liposome-entrapped tobramycin (groups II and IV), silver sulfadiazene (group VI), or liposome-entrapped silver sulfadiazene (group VII). At 24, 48, and 72 hr postinjection, animals were sacrificed and colonyforming units of P. aeruginosa per gram of muscle tissue were determined. Group I had significantly higher colony-forming units of P. aeruginosa per gram than groups II and III at 48 and 72 hr and than groups IV and V at all times. One single dose of liposome-encapsulated silver sulfadiazine significantly decreased bacterial counts compared to untreated controls and, to a similar extent, compared to multiple applications of free drug. Colonyforming units in all treatment groups (II and III, IV and V, VI and VII) were similar at all time periods within equivalent dosages. The ability of one application of liposomal-entrapped antibiotics to result in a therapeutic effect that requires multiple applications of topically applied free antibiotics offers potential clinical advantages.
Associativity in multiary quasigroups: the way of biased expansions

A multiary (polyadic, n-ary) quasigroup is an n-ary operation which is invertible with respect to each of its variables. A biased expansion of a graph is a kind of branched covering graph with an additional structure similar to the combinatorial homotopy of circles. A biased expansion of a circle with chords encodes a multiary quasigroup, the chords corresponding to factorizations, i.e., associative structure. Some but not all biased expansions are constructed from groups (group expansions); these include all biased expansions of complete graphs (with at least four nodes), which correspond to Dowling’s lattices of a group and encode an iterated group operation. We show that any biased expansion of a 3-connected graph (with at least four nodes) is a group expansion, and that all 2-connected biased expansions are constructed by the identification of edges from group expansions and irreducible multiary quasigroups. If a 2-connected biased expansion covers every base edge at most three times, or if every four-node minor that contains a fixed edge is a group expansion, then the whole biased expansion is a group expansion. We deduce that if a multiary quasigroup has a factorization graph that is 3-connected, or if every ternary principal retract is an iterated group isotope, it is isotopic to an iterated group. We mention applications of generalizing Dowling geometries and of transversal designs of high strength.
Acute Kidney Injury From Cherry Concentrate in a Patient With CKD

Nutraceuticals are supplements and medical foods that offer numerous health benefits. However, these substances may have adverse effects on multiple organ systems, leading to significant morbidity. I present a patient with chronic kidney disease who experienced hemodynamically mediated acute kidney injury and hyperkalemia after daily consumption of cherry concentrate. The method of injury was most likely cyclooxygenase inhibition by the compounds in cherries that mimic the mechanism of action of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Ceasing cherry concentrate consumption led to improvements in both the patient's hyperkalemia and kidney injury. Physicians should be aware of the potentially harmful side effects of cherry concentrate and approach the use of cherry extract or concentrate with caution in patients with underlying kidney disease.
Harvey Cushing's Treatment of Skull Base Infections: The Johns Hopkins Experience

Objectives In this report, we review Dr. Cushing's early surgical cases at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, revealing details of his early operative approaches to infections of the skull base. Design Following institutional review board (IRB) approval, and through the courtesy of the Alan Mason Chesney Archives, we reviewed the Johns Hopkins Hospital surgical files from 1896 to 1912. Setting The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1896 to 1912. Participants Eleven patients underwent operative treatment for suspected infections of the skull base. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure was operative approach, postoperative mortality, and condition recorded at the time of discharge. Results Eleven patients underwent operative intervention for infections of the skull base. The mean age was 30 years (range: 9 to 63). Of these patients, seven (64%) were female. The mean length of stay was 16.5 days (range: 4 to 34). Postoperatively eight patients were discharged in “well” or “good” condition, one patient remained “unimproved,” and two patients died during their admission. Conclusion Cushing's careful preoperative observation of patients, meticulous operative technique, and judicious use of postoperative drainage catheters contributed to a remarkably low mortality rate in his series of skull base infections.