cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
hνSABR: Photochemical Dose-Response Bead Screening in Droplets.

With the potential for each droplet to act as a unique reaction vessel, droplet microfluidics is a powerful tool for high-throughput discovery. Any attempt at compound screening miniaturization must address the significant scaling inefficiencies associated with library handling and distribution. Eschewing microplate-based compound collections for one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial libraries, we have developed hνSABR (Light-Induced and -Graduated High-Throughput Screening After Bead Release), a microfluidic architecture that integrates a suspension hopper for compound library bead introduction, droplet generation, microfabricated waveguides to deliver UV light to the droplet flow for photochemical compound dosing, incubation, and laser-induced fluorescence for assay readout. Avobenzone-doped PDMS (0.6% w/w) patterning confines UV exposure to the desired illumination region, generating intradroplet compound concentrations (>10 μM) that are reproducible between devices. Beads displaying photochemical...
Influence of Japanese Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Foliar Feeding on ‘Seyval Blanc’ Grapevines in Virginia

In 1985, the natural infestation level of Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia failed to reduce fruit quality, yield, or shoot growth in a commercial vineyard. Intensive preveraison feeding (occurring before the point when berries begin the ripening process) increased total titratable acidity and had no effect on soluble solid concentration, pH, berry weight, yield, leaves per vine, or shoot length. Intensive postveraison foliage feeding resulted in fruit with lower soluble solids and higher total tit ratable acidity at harvest, but did not affect pH, berry weight, yield, leaves per vine, or shoot length. When 0, 10, 20, and 33% of the leaves of individual plants were removed by hand, no relationship was shown between artificial leaf area reduction and soluble solids, total titratable acidity, or pH. Leaf area reduction by removing whole leaves did not adequately simulate leaf area loss from actual beetle feeding. Data from one season of injury by the beetle indicate that control measures may not be warranted in some years.
Digital disobedience and the law

AbstractDigital disobedience can be defined as politically motivated online lawbreaking. It includes Distributed Denial of Service actions, hacktivism, digitally based leaking (for example, Anonymous, Wikileaks), and whistleblowing (along the lines pursued by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden). Given its growing political importance, the phenomenon requires careful theoretical attention. Against the widespread tendency to criminalize digital disobedience by appealing to conventional notions of the ‘rule of law’, this article argues that some of its proponents are in fact engaging in digital lawbreaking as expressions of their fundamental respect for the rule of law. Although this diagnosis highlights the partial overlap with conventional models of civil disobedience (which oftentimes similarly conceive of politically motivated lawbreaking as necessarily resting on a more fundamental respect for the law), we should hesitate before viewing digital disobedience simply as modernized or digitalized civil diso...
Clinically Significant Correlations between Blood Transfusions, Ferritin and Prognosis in Neuroblastoma

Abstract The significance of the correlations among serum ferritin (SF), stage, extent of disease and number of blood transfusions was investigated in 36 patients with neuroblastoma seen at MSKCC between January 1981 and December 1982. Although a dominant statistical correlation was found between SF and number of blood transfusions, the results suggest that amount of disease contributes to increasing SF levels. Application of a reverse hemolytic plaque assay to the analysis of ferritin secretion by cells demonstrates that tumor cells do secrete ferritin in vitro .
A vindication of the rights of children

Cet article est un plaidoyer contre l'usage du châtiment corporel a l'encontre des enfants, quand bien meme cet usage correspond a une norme educative largement integree par de nombreux adultes. En se centrant sur les Etats-Unis, l'A. examine sur quels fondements culturels s'appuie la justification du châtiment corporel : heritage judeo-chretien de l'enfant comme propriete de ses parents, domination patriarcale, coupure famille/monde exterieur, milieu defavorise
A Pareto optimisation approach for competing failure criteria in composite design

In multidimensional design optimisation, competing objectives lead to performance trade-offs that can only be made judiciously once the trade-off surface is understood in the context of the problem constraints. Examining the Pareto front of the multi-objective problem provides the designer with an understanding of which design parameter combinations lead to various desirable trade-offs between competing objectives. We consider a bi-objective design problem in composite materials, where we wish to maximise the energy dissipation due to the cohesive failure between fibres and matrix material and minimise fibre and matrix material failure of a dynamically loaded unidirectional composite. We develop and utilise the genetic algorithm normal boundary intersection (GANBI) method to iteratively determine the Pareto front for this composite design framework. The utility of the approach is demonstrated with numerical examples.
Depressive symptom domains and alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults: Examining moderating effects of gender.

Abstract Objective A limited amount of research has examined the effects of unique depressive symptom domains on alcohol use behavior among Hispanics of any developmental stage. This study aimed to (a) examine the respective associations between depressive symptom domains (e.g., negative affect, anhedonia, interpersonal problems, and somatic complaints) and alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults, and (b) examine if gender moderates each respective association. Method 181 Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18–25) completed an anonymous cross-sectional online survey. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and the Center Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to estimate respective associations of negative affect, anhedonia, interpersonal problems, and somatic complaints in relation to alcohol use severity. Moderation tests were also conducted to examine if gender functioned as an effect modifier between respective depressive symptom domains and alcohol use severity. Results Findings indicated higher levels of anhedonia were associated with higher alcohol use severity (β = 0.20, p = 0.02). Moderation analyses indicated that somatic complaints (β = − 0.41, p = 0.02) and interpersonal problems were associated with greater alcohol use severity among men (β = − 0.60, p Conclusions Findings underscore the need to examine the relationship between specific depressive symptom domains and alcohol use; and the importance of accounting for potential gender differences in these associations.
Self-reconfigurable RFID reader antenna

This paper presents a self-reconfigurable switched beam RFID reader antenna concept and its experimental implementation. The specific antenna presented in this paper is a planar 2-element Yagi array with a parasitic element loaded with a self-oscillating switching circuit powered wirelessly, by the antenna signal itself. Once this reader antenna is fed with RF signal of sufficient power, the circuit starts oscillating, switching between the two complex impedance values, and thus changing the antenna radiation pattern. We describe a theory of operation, including modeling and simulation, and present a prototype of such an antenna operating at 900 MHz with two distinct switched beams and a peak gain of 4.5 dBi.
Microbial Inoculants for Optimized Plant Nutrient Use in Integrated Pest and Input Management Systems

The use of fertilizers and pesticides has greatly increased agricultural productivity over the past few decades. However, there is still an ongoing search for additional or alternate tools that can proffer agricultural sustainability and meet the needs of profitability and greater food production for the growing world population. This review examines the enhancement of plant nutrient use efficiency derived from interactions of the diverse microorganisms that live in and around plants such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi. These microorganisms form the major bases of the biorational sector of the agriculture industry which has exploded in the last few years with the production of many new microbial inoculant products and the improvement of existing products. Microbial inoculants cannot replace chemical fertilizers now or in the immediate future; thus this review discusses the concept of integrated pest and input management (IPIM), compatibility of inoculants with existing chemicals, and efficacy issues associated with biologicals. Also discussed are inoculant products, the conditions that may affect their success, the untapped potentials for agriculture, and the possible impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Cultivating Salt: Socio-Natural Assemblages on the Saltpans of the Venezuelan Islands, Seventeenth to Nineteenth Century

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the socio-natural assemblages of salt cultivation involving humans, other organisms and natural phenomena on the Venezuelan islands of La Tortuga and Cayo Sal from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The research is based on archaeological, documentary and oral evidence marshalled to understand the dynamics of past solar sea salt production. In the past, a keen knowledge of the climatic conditions, the tides, and the effects of the microorganisms involved in the concentration of brine and the subsequent crystallisation of sodium chloride (NaCl) was indispensable to augmenting the quantity and quality of a salt harvest. These natural phenomena could be managed through anthropic intervention to the benefit of a saltpan enterprise by investing in infrastructure and tools such as dikes and pumps, thereby modifying the natural environment of a salt lagoon. This research indicates that the Dutch in the seventeenth, the Anglo-Americans in the seventeenth and eighteenth, as wel...
Comparison of PdII vs RhI-catalyzed catalytic cycle for single step styrene production

Abstract Styrene production by a (FlDAB)PdII(TFA)(η2-C2H4) complex was modeled using density functional theory (DFT). Benzene C H activation by this complex was studied via five mechanisms, which were oxidative addition/reductive elimination, sigma-bond metathesis, and concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD). The final two mechanisms were calculated without ligated ethylene, CMD activation of ethylene, and benzene substitution of ethylene followed by CMD of the ligated benzene. Calculations provided evidence that conversion of benzene and ethylene to styrene was initiated by the fifth pathway, arylation via CMD of coordinated benzene, followed by ethylene insertion into the Ru Ph bond, and then β-hydrogen elimination. The results obtained from present study were compared with that of a recently reported RhI complex to help identify more suitable catalysts for the direct production of styrene from ethylene and benzene.
Design of low-cost phase-shifters for circularly polarized antenna elements using partially transmitting surfaces

This paper presents the design of a low-cost phase shifting mechanism for a circularly polarized antenna element that uses a partially transmitting surface (PTS) placed above the element. Designs for achieving a continuous phase variation, ranging from either (i) 100 to 700; (ii) or 100 to 430 are presented, the former with a wider phase range of 600 but a relatively narrow impedance matching bandwidth, as compared with the latter design whose phase range is 330, but the impedance bandwidth is wider. The realized 3dB axial ratio bandwidth for both is 41.5%, which is relatively wide.
Using the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY) to Conduct Life Course Analyses

The National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY) are a set of three separate US cohorts. Two of the cohorts, the NLSY79 and the NLSY97, are nationally representative, while the third, the NLSY79 Child and Young Adult cohort, follows the offspring born to female NLSY79 respondents. The NLSY79 began data collection in 1979 from an initial sample of 12,686 young men and women born between 1957 and 1964; the NLSY97 cohort, an initial group of 8984 young people born between 1980 and 1984, was first interviewed in 1997. Both the NLSY79 and NLSY97 cohorts have been interviewed annually or biennially since their inceptions. NLSY79 Child data were first obtained in 1986, when 4971 children were interviewed. Over 11,000 children have been born in total. The children have been regularly interviewed and/or assessed since 1986, many of them through their teens into their young adult years. Data for all three cohorts are remarkably suited for life course analysis due to the breadth of topical areas included in the interviews: health, education, employment, household information, family background, marital history, childcare, income and assets, attitudes, substance use, and criminal activity. The NLSY data also provide opportunities for multi-generational and kinship research. Data on health and recent research using NLSY health data are a focus of this chapter.
Interviewers' Ratings of Respondents' Health: Predictors and Association With Mortality.

OBJECTIVES Recent research indicates that survey interviewers' ratings of respondents' health (IRH) may provide supplementary health information about respondents in surveys of older adults. Although IRH is a potentially promising measure of health to include in surveys, our understanding of the factors contributing to IRH remains incomplete. METHODS We use data from the 2011 face-to-face wave of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal study of older adults from the Wisconsin high school class of 1957 and their selected siblings. We first examine whether a range of factors predict IRH: respondents' characteristics that interviewers learn about and observe as respondents answer survey questions, interviewers' evaluations of some of what they observe, and interviewers' characteristics. We then examine the role of IRH, respondents' self-rated health (SRH), and associated factors in predicting mortality over a 3-year follow-up. RESULTS As in prior studies, we find that IRH is associated with respondents' characteristics. In addition, this study is the first to document how IRH is associated with both interviewers' evaluations of respondents and interviewers' characteristics. Furthermore, we find that the association between IRH and the strong criterion of mortality remains after controlling for respondents' characteristics and interviewers' evaluations of respondents. DISCUSSION We propose that researchers incorporate IRH in surveys of older adults as a cost-effective, easily implemented, and supplementary measure of health.
Assessing the effect of antihistamines in rodents with Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

We propose that antihistamine desloratadine affects lipid content of tissues, a change that can be accessed with Raman and Brillouin spectroscopies. Antihistamines are commonly prescribed to alleviate allergy symptoms. However, reports indicate increase in appetite and weight gain among their possible side effects. This study examines the relationship between the antihistamines’ use and obesity. Four groups of rats consumed regular or high-lipid diets while daily receiving either desloratadine or placebo. We analyzed changes in the chemical composition and local elasticity of skin and adipose tissue samples using Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy respectively. Both the medicated regular-diet group and the non-medicated high-lipid-diet group showed an increase in samples’ elasticity and lipid content compared to the control group that received placebo. Interestingly, the adipose tissues’ elasticity was significantly lower in the high-lipid-diet group receiving daily desloratadine compared to other groups. Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy demonstrated that desloratadine does affect tissues’ lipid content. Antihistamines may contribute to weight gain as shown by an increased lipid content in the medicated regular-diet group. However, it remains unclear why a combination of antihistamines and a high-lipid diet decreased the elasticity of adipose. This observation may indicate a change in the adipose tissue’s density or lipid absorption.
ESRD and ESRD-DM associated with lignite-containing aquifers in the U.S. Gulf Coast region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.

Abstract Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is an irreversible, lethal kidney disease that occurs in regions of the Balkans where residents drink untreated well water. A key factor contributing to the development of BEN may be consumption of dissolved organic matter leached from low-rank coal called lignite. This hypothesis—known as lignite-water hypothesis—was first posed for areas of the Balkans. It is possible that a BEN-like condition exists in the United States (US) Gulf Coast region in parts of the Mississippi Embayment and the Texas Coastal Uplands aquifers —Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, for instance—that rely heavily on groundwater from aquifers that contain lignite. This study utilizes a geographic information system (GIS) to map the distributions of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in relation to water from lignite-containing aquifers in the tri-state region. Regional patterns emerged from geospatial analysis, suggesting that counties that relied on lignite-containing aquifers for their main water source had higher rates of ESRD in comparison to other populations in the region that rely on other water sources, including surface water and groundwater from aquifers not associated with lignite seams. Statewide rates of ESRD and diabetes associated ESRD (ESRD-DM) showed strong correlations to the percent of families at or below poverty level and the percentage of African Americans. These confounding factors somewhat mitigate the association seen between ESRD and lignite-containing regions at the state level. However, at the larger tri-state view, there is a significant (p = 0.002) increase in incidence rates where groundwater is connected to lignite-containing aquifers when considering both race and poverty. Additionally, no relationship was observed between the rate of public water supply withdrawal from lignite-bearing aquifers and rates of ESRD or ESRD-DM at the state or tri-state regions, supporting the observation that the risk associated with water from lignite-containing aquifers is limited to water from untreated domestic supply.
Matching the heart donor and heart transplant recipient. Clues for successful expansion of the donor pool: A multivariable, multiinstitutional report

Little information is available regarding donor-specific parameters that predict success or failure after heart transplantation. Furthermore, with increasing numbers of patients awaiting heart transplantation, there is tremendous pressure to expand the donor pool by stretching the margins of donor acceptability. To gain insight into donor-related and donor-recipient interrelated predictors of death after transplantation, 1719 consecutive primary transplantations performed at 27 institutions between Jan. 1, 1990, and June 30, 1992, were analyzed. Mean follow-up of survivors was 13.9 months, and actuarial survival was 85% at 1 year. By multivariable analysis, risk factors for death included younger recipient age (p = 0.006), older recipient age (p = 0.0005), ventilator support at time of transplantation (p = 0.0006), higher pulmonary vascular resistance (p = 0.02), older donor age (p < 0.0001), smaller donor body surface area (female donor heart placed into larger male patient) (p = 0.003), greater donor inotropic support (p = 0.01), donor diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01), longer ischemic time (p = 0.0003), diffuse donor heart wall motion abnormalities by echocardiography (p = 0.06), and, for pediatric donors, death from causes other than closed head trauma (p = 0.02). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 7% but increased to 11% when donor age exceeded 50 years and was 12% when inotropic support exceeded 20 micrograms/kg/min dopamine plus dobutamine and 22% with diffuse echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities. The interaction of donor risk factors was such that the heart of a smaller female donor given high-dose inotropes placed into a larger male recipient produced a predicted 30-day mortality rate of 26% and the heart of a 25-year-old male donor given high-dose inotropes with diffuse echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities transplanted into a 50-year-old male recipient led to a predicted 30-day mortality rate of 17%. This analysis supports cautious extension of criteria for donor acceptance but with an anticipated greater risk in the presence of diffuse echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities and long anticipated ischemic time, particularly in older donors given inotropic support.
Hands-on robotic programming: tutorial presentation

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to robotic programming through the use Lego Mindstorms™ RCX kits, and the new NXT kits that came out in August 2006.
Which came first: the logic or the math?

Many authors, including Oswaldo Chateaubriand, maintain that “properties” should be structured in logical grades, where the least abstract quantities comprise the lowest ranks of a hierarchy that embraces more abstract and mathematized qualities only at higher levels. But applied mathematicians warns that no quantities can be expected to possess crisp, real world extensions unless they have already been processed with a fair amount of set theoretic machinery beforehand. Resumo: Muitos autores, incluindo Oswaldo Chateaubriand, sustentam que "propriedades" deveriam ser estruturadas em uma gradacao logica, onde as quantidades menos abstratas ficariam num nivel mais baixo de uma hierarquia que abarca qualidades mais matematizadas e abstratas somente em niveis mais elevados. Mas matematicos aplicados advertem que nao se pode esperar de nenhuma quantidade que elas possuam extensoes precisas, como do mundo real, a menos que ja tenham sido tratados de antemao com uma boa dose de maquinaria conjuntista.Palavras chave: Propriedades. Conjuntos. Hierarquia. Matematica aplicada.
Incidence, Pathophysiology, and Prevention Strategies for Cerebral Venous Complications after Neurologic Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background Complications arising from cerebral venous occlusion/sacrifice during neurosurgical procedures have received comparatively less attention in the neurosurgical literature. Consequently, cerebral venous complications are not given due recognition, even though most practicing neurosurgeons would agree that they are not uncommon. We present a review of complications arising from venous sacrifice/occlusion during neurosurgery and discuss strategies described in the literature to prevent such occurrences. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the literature to provide a synopsis of the current evidence regarding cerebral venous injury after a neurosurgical procedure. The objectives of this review were to assess the incidence of venous injuries after a neurosurgical procedure with their clinical outcome and to evaluate current strategies and technical advances for their prevention. Complications related to dural venous sinuses were not considered in this review. Results Twenty-six relevant articles were identified and reviewed. Complications from cerebral venous occlusion/sacrifice are being increasingly recognized, and venous preservation strategies are being promoted in the neurosurgical literature. Based on our review of literature, the incidence of venous injury can range from 2.6% to 30%. We discuss the pathophysiology after venous injury and factors affecting outcome after cerebral venous injury. An overview of surgical techniques described to prevent or manage venous injury during neurosurgical procedures is presented. Conclusions The unpredictable response of the brain to venous injury causes catastrophic complications in a few patients. To avoid these complications, meticulous venous preservation should be a goal in all neurosurgical procedures. Increased recognition of cerebral venous complications over the last 2 decades has resulted in the increasing recognition among neurosurgeons that venous preservation is an essential tenet of neurosurgery.
On a simulation study for reliable and secured smart grid communications

Demand response is one of key smart grid applications that aims to reduce power generation at peak hours and maintain a balance between supply and demand. With the support of communication networks, energy consumers can become active actors in the energy management process by adjusting or rescheduling their electricity usage during peak hours based on utilities pricing incentives. Nonetheless, the integration of communication networks expose the smart grid to cyber-attacks. In this paper, we developed a smart grid simulation test-bed and designed evaluation scenarios. By leveraging the capabilities of Matlab and ns-3 simulation tools, we conducted a simulation study to evaluate the impact of cyber-attacks on demand response application. Our data shows that cyber-attacks could seriously disrupt smart grid operations, thus confirming the need of secure and resilient communication networks for supporting smart grid operations.
A SNAP-tag fluorogenic probe mimicking the chromophore of the red fluorescent protein Kaede

Self-labelling protein tags with fluorogenic probes serve as great fluorescence imaging tools to understand key questions of protein dynamics and functions in living cells. In the present study, we report a SNAP-tag fluorogenic probe 4c mimicking the chromophore of the red fluorescent protein Kaede. The molecular rotor properties of 4c were utilized as a fluorogenic probe for SNAP-tag, such that conjugation with SNAPf protein leads to inhibition of twisted intramolecular charge transfer, triggering fluorogenecity. Upon conjugation with SNAPf, 4c exhibited approximately a 90-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity with fast labelling kinetics (k2 = 15 000 M−1 s−1). Biochemical and spectroscopic studies confirmed that fluorescence requires formation of folded SNAPf·4c covalent conjugate between Cys 145 and 4c. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry showed that 4c is capable of detecting SNAPf proteins or SNAPf fused with a protein of interest in living cells. This work provides a framework to develop the large family of FP chromophores into fluorogenic probes for self-labelling protein tags.
A Longitudinal Analysis of the U.S. News Law School Academic Reputation Scores between 1998 and 2013

This article is a revised update to a previously released study of the U.S. News academic reputation scores (“peer assessment scores”). The revised study incorporates the results from the 2013 U.S. News rankings and encompasses the period between 1998 and 2013. The study reveals that there has been a significant downward trend in the academic reputation scores of law schools since 1998. While the academic reputation scores tended to be relatively stable throughout the sixteen year period, over 60% of the law schools in the 172 school data set finished the sixteen year period with academic reputation scores that were lower than the ones with which they began in 1998. In contrast, less than 20% of the law schools in the data set managed to finish the period with academic reputation scores that were higher (even by .1) than the ones with which they began in 1998. In addition, the study found that the declines in academic reputation scores tended to be inversely correlated to the strength of the schools’ academic reputation scores and U.S. News ranks. The schools that started the period with the highest academic reputation scores posted the largest declines as a group while the law schools that started with the lowest academic reputation scores experienced the most success in maintaining their scores. These trends strongly suggest that the U.S. News rankings themselves are influencing the way academics evaluate their competing institutions in the survey process, a fact which raises important normative questions about whether the academic reputation scores should figure so prominently in the U.S. News methodology. As part of the study, furthermore, the law school academic reputation scores for the sixteen year period were analyzed to determine whether there has been an “echo effect” between the law schools’ academic reputation scores and their overall U.S. News ranks. The empirical analysis suggests that a law school’s U.S. News rank does tend to influence its academic reputation score, particularly in instances where a law school is consistently “under” or “over” ranked relative to its academic reputation score. The article concludes with an identification of those law schools whose academic reputation scores have improved or declined the most during the sixteen year period, along with a brief discussion of some potential causes for those changes. The article includes appendices that catalog the U.S. News academic reputation scores for every law school between 1998 and 2013.
Simulating Archaeology: Designing an Effective Simulated Excavation for School-Aged Children

Simulated archaeological excavations are an engaging way of introducing school students to the processes of archaeology. Immersing students in the methodologies of the archaeologist can be an exceptionally potent and memorable learning experience. Significant challenges exist in the design and execution of a real-life simulation, however, which risk eroding both its authenticity and its educational value. The archaeological and educational imperatives of a decade-long archaeological simulation, the “I Dig Archaeology!” program, are deconstructed here as a case study, affording educators the opportunity to replicate or adapt the simulation to suit their own educational settings.
Implementation of a General Pediatric Clinical Rounding Checklist

BACKGROUND: Checklists have been found to improve patient outcomes in a variety of health care settings, but use is rare during general pediatric rounds. We aimed to decrease length of stay (LOS) by 10% within 12 months through the standardized delivery of 8 aspects of hospital care for the general pediatric unit. METHODS: For the general pediatrics unit at our freestanding children’s hospital, a clinical rounding checklist was developed through a consensus of teaching faculty. Iterative plan-do-study-act cycles were conducted in a targeted medical unit over a 12-month period. We assessed change using control charts. RESULTS: Checklist use increased from 61% to 96% early in the implementation phase. LOS (72 hours) was relatively unchanged. Cardiorespiratory monitor (CRM) duration was reduced by 28% (17.3 hours) within 4 months and was sustained for more than 12 months. A similar CRM reduction of 29% (22.5 hours) was seen in our medically complex patient subgroup. No clinically significant change was appreciated in central line, peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter, IV fluid, or IV medication duration. Thirty-day readmissions, code blue events, and rapid response team activations were not impacted. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a clinical rounding checklist on the general pediatric floor improved care in only 1 of 8 targeted domains. LOS did not change significantly over the project’s duration. CRM duration was significantly reduced in both routine patients and medically complex children, and these improvements were sustained without impacting patient safety. More study is needed to determine which checklist components, if any, may prove beneficial to patient outcomes.
A self-charging cyanobacterial supercapacitor.

Abstract Microliter-scale photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (micro-PMFC) can be the most suitable power source for unattended environmental sensors because the technique can continuously generate electricity from microbial photosynthesis and respiration through day-night cycles, offering a clean and renewable power source with self-sustaining potential. However, the promise of this technology has not been translated into practical applications because of its relatively low performance. By creating an innovative supercapacitive micro-PMFC device with maximized bacterial photoelectrochemical activities in a well-controlled, tightly enclosed micro-chamber, this work established innovative strategies to revolutionize micro-PMFC performance to attain stable high power and current density (38 μW/cm2 and 120 μA/cm2) that then potentially provides a practical and sustainable power supply for the environmental sensing applications. The proposed technique is based on a 3-D double-functional bio-anode concurrently exhibiting bio-electrocatalytic energy harvesting and charge storing. It offers the high-energy harvesting functionality of micro-PMFCs with the high-power operation of an internal supercapacitor for charging and discharging. The performance of the supercapacitive micro-PMFC improved significantly through miniaturizing innovative device architectures and connecting multiple miniature devices in series.
Activation of the PI3K/PDK/Akt signal transduction pathway decreases in vitro sensitivity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen.

3499 Breast cancer development has been associated with elevated activity of several mitogenic signal transduction pathways. Among these is the PI3K/PDK/Akt signaling cascade, which promotes cell survival and cell cycle progression. Activation of this pathway in some breast cancers has been attributed to loss of PTEN activity. Multiple mechanisms of interaction between the PI3K/PDK/Akt cascade and the estrogen receptor (ER) have been identified, which suggests this pathway may exert specific effects in estrogen dependent tumors. The hypothesis that the PI3K/PDK/Akt cascade modulates in vitro breast cancer cell sensitivity to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen was investigated in the ER positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. This hypothesis was tested by measuring sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen after stable overexpression of PTEN(WT), PTEN(C124S), PTEN(G129E), PTEN(399stop), M - Akt:ER*, M + Akt:ER*, and Bcl-2. Sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen was measured by both short term proliferation assays and long term colony formation assays. Doxorubicin sensitivity was decreased by overexpression of PTEN(C124S) or PTEN(G129E), which both lack lipid phosphatase activity. These results suggest that overexpression of mutant PTEN proteins lacking lipid phosphatase activity activate the PI3K/PDK/Akt pathway by a dominant negative mechanism. In contrast, doxorubicin sensitivity was not significantly affected by overexpression of wild type PTEN, PTEN(WT), or PTEN truncated at its carboxy terminus, PTEN(399stop). Sensitivity to 4-hydroxytamoxifen was decreased by overexpression of M + Akt:ER*, which possesses Akt activity only in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen. M + Akt:ER* is a chimeric protein comprised of mutated Akt and ER protein fragments as well as an amino terminal c-Src myristoylation targeting sequence. Sensitivity to 4-hydroxytamoxifen was not decreased by overexpression of M - Akt:ER*, which lacks a functional myristoylation targeting sequence. These results indicate that Akt must be localized to the plasma membrane to confer 4-hydroxytamoxifen resistance. Regulation of genes modulating apoptosis is likely to be an important mechanism by which the PI3K/PDK/Akt pathway decreases sensitivity to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Expression of the antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene is induced by activation of CREB by Akt. Doxorubicin sensitivity was decreased by Bcl-2 overexpression. This finding is consistent with a role for Bcl-2 as a downstream effector of doxorubicin resistance mediated by the PI3K/PDK/Akt pathway in breast cancer cells.
Self-aligned ALD AlO x T-gate footprint insulator for gate leakage current suppression in SiN x passivated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

GaN based transistors have recently demonstrated record high RF output power density at 4 and 8 GHz through refinements in materials growth and improved device design involving field plates [1]. However, to push GaN HEMT performance into the mm-wavelength frequency range (30–300 GHz) will require the use of other innovative solutions that maintain high device breakdown voltages while avoiding the incurrence of additional parasitic capacitance. High-κ dielectric gate insulators can reduce gate leakage current and improve breakdown voltage [2], but often require a blanket deposition that may degrade frequency performance due to fringing capacitance or trapping/charging effects in the gate-source and gate-drain access regions [3]. Removing the high-K dielectric in the access regions with plasma etching can present challenges in reproducibility or induce crystalline damage/surface modification that can degrade 2DEG channel properties. The devices in this study demonstrate a novel process methodology that allows for a self-aligned ALD AlO x gate insulator to be placed directly under the T-gate footprint and not in the access regions. After gate contact formation, standard PECVD SiN x passivation can be applied just as in a conventional HEMT process. Preliminary devices show promising results that this technique can be used to achieve high power mm-wave performance.
Flame spray pyrolysis optimization via statistics and machine learning

Abstract Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) is an important manufacturing process whereby nanomaterials are produced through the combustion of atomized fuel containing dissolved precursor elements. While FSP has the potential to enable the scalable production of a wide range of next generation energy materials, it also has a multi-scale, multi-physics character, and a large number of processing variables. Optimizing the process for desirable material outcomes by traditional approaches is challenging. In this work, the processing parameter space is explored via a new and efficient methodology that includes statistical methods such as Latin hypercube design of experiments, machine learning surrogate modeling, and Bayesian optimization. As a result, the FSP process is optimized for enhanced performance. Specifically, in-situ particle size measurements are used to tailor the production of silica nanoparticles for a low spread in particle diameters with respect to the mean particle diameter, resulting in an improvement of 25.5% over the baseline within 15 experimental trials. In the process, the analysis reveals distinct domains of primary particle and agglomerated particle formation.
Curcumin Ameliorates Heat-Induced Injury through NADPH Oxidase-Dependent Redox Signaling and Mitochondrial Preservation in C2C12 Myoblasts and Mouse Skeletal Muscle.

BACKGROUND Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and the mitochondrial electron transport chain are the primary sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous studies have shown that severe heat exposure damages mitochondria and causes excessive mitochondrial ROS production that contributes to the pathogenesis of heat-related illnesses. OBJECTIVES We tested whether the antioxidant curcumin could protect against heat-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and skeletal muscle injury, and characterized the possible mechanism. METHODS Mouse C2C12 myoblasts and rat flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) myofibers were treated with 5 μM curcumin; adult male C57BL/6J mice received daily curcumin (15, 50, or 100 mg/kg body weight) by gavage for 10 consecutive days. We compared ROS levels and mitochondrial morphology and function between treatment and nontreatment groups under unheated or heat conditions, and investigated the upstream mechanism and the downstream effect of curcumin-regulated ROS production. RESULTS In C2C12 myoblasts, curcumin prevented heat-induced mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS overproduction, and apoptosis (all P < 0.05). Curcumin treatment for 2 and 4 h at 37°C induced increases in ROS levels by 42% and 59% (dihydroethidium-derived fluorescence), accompanied by increases in NADPH oxidase protein expression by 24% and 32%, respectively (all P < 0.01). In curcumin-treated cells, chemical inhibition and genetic knockdown of NADPH oxidase restored ROS to levels similar to those of controls, indicating NADPH oxidase mediates curcumin-stimulated ROS production. Moreover, curcumin induced ROS-dependent shifting of the mitochondrial fission-fusion balance toward fusion, and increases in mitochondrial mass by 143% and membrane potential by 30% (both P < 0.01). In rat FDB myofibers and mouse gastrocnemius muscles, curcumin preserved mitochondrial morphology and function during heat stress, and prevented heat-induced mitochondrial ROS overproduction and tissue injury (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Curcumin regulates ROS hormesis favoring mitochondrial fusion/elongation, biogenesis, and improved function in rodent skeletal muscle. Curcumin may be an effective therapeutic target for heat-related illness and other mitochondrial diseases.
The Evaluation of Rating Systems in Online Free-for-All Games

Online competitive games have become increasingly popular. To ensure an exciting and competitive environment, these games routinely attempt to match players with similar skill levels. Matching players is often accomplished through a rating system. There has been an increasing amount of research on developing such rating systems. However, less attention has been given to the evaluation metrics of these systems. In this paper, we present an exhaustive analysis of six metrics for evaluating rating systems in online competitive games. We compare traditional metrics such as accuracy. We then introduce other metrics adapted from the field of information retrieval. We evaluate these metrics against several well-known rating systems on a large real-world dataset of over 100,000 free-for-all matches. Our results show stark differences in their utility. Some metrics do not consider deviations between two ranks. Others are inordinately impacted by new players. Many do not capture the importance of distinguishing between errors in higher ranks and lower ranks. Among all metrics studied, we recommend normalized discounted cumulative gain (NDCG) because not only does it resolve the issues faced by other metrics, but it also offers flexibility to adjust the evaluations based on the goals of the system.
Performance of a small-scale Haber process: A techno-economic analysis

In this work, the techno-economic analysis of a 20,000 metric ton (MT) green ammonia production facility is presented. This facility is 30 times smaller than a large-scale conventional process, pro...
Response of seashore paspalum and bermudagrass to topramezone and triclopyr mixtures

Few options are available for controlling bermudagrass invasion of seashore paspalum. Bermudagrass and seashore paspalum tolerance to topramezone, triclopyr, or the combination of these two herbicides were evaluated in both greenhouse and field conditions. Field treatments included two sequential applications of topramezone (15.6 g ai ha−1) alone and five rates of topramezone + triclopyr (15.6 + 43.2, 15.6 + 86.3, 15.6 + 172.6, 15.6 + 345.2, or 15.6 g ai ha−1 + 690.4 g ae ha−1). Secondary greenhouse treatments included a single application of topramezone (20.8 g ha−1) or triclopyr (258.9 g ha−1) alone, or in combination at 20.8 + 258.9 or 20.8 + 517.8 g ha−1, respectively. Greenhouse and field results showed that topramezone applications in combination with triclopyr present opposite responses between bermudagrass and seashore paspalum. Topramezone increased bermudagrass injury and decreased seashore paspalum bleaching injury compared to topramezone alone. In field evaluations, topramezone + triclopyr at 15.6 + 690.4 g ha−1 used in sequential applications resulted in >90% injury to bermudagrass, however, injury decreased over time. Furthermore, sequential applications of topramezone + triclopyr at 15.6 + 690.4 g ha−1 resulted in >50% injury to seashore paspalum. Application programs including topramezone plus triclopyr should increase bermudagrass suppression and reduce seashore paspalum injury compared to topramezone alone. However, additional studies are needed because such practices will likely require manipulation of topramezone rate, application timing, application interval, and number of applications in order to maximize bermudagrass control and minimize seashore paspalum injury.
Ethnic studies as interest divergence? Countering racial neoliberal politics and envisioning a beloved community with racial literacy

Focusing on the potential of progressive movements at the local level to expand conceptions of justice, this article examines discourses within curriculum reform efforts by focusing on public testi...
Causally informed activity flow models provide mechanistic insight into the emergence of cognitive processes from brain network interactions

Abstract Brain activity flow models estimate the movement of task-evoked activity over brain connections to help explain the emergence of task-related functionality. Activity flow estimates have been shown to accurately predict task-evoked brain activations across a wide variety of brain regions and task conditions. However, these predictions have had limited explanatory power, given known issues with causal interpretations of the standard functional connectivity measures used to parameterize activity flow models. We show here that functional/effective connectivity (FC) measures grounded in causal principles facilitate mechanistic interpretation of activity flow models. Starting from Pearson correlation (the current field standard), we progress from FC measures with poor to excellent causal grounding, demonstrating a continuum of causal validity using simulations and empirical fMRI data. Finally, we apply a causal FC method to a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region, demonstrating causal network mechanisms contributing to its strong activation during a 2-back (relative to a 0-back) working memory task. Together, these results reveal the promise of parameterizing activity flow models using causal FC methods to identify network mechanisms underlying cognitive computations in the human brain. Highlights -Activity flow models provide insight into how cognitive neural effects emerge from brain network interactions. -Functional connectivity methods grounded in causal principles facilitate mechanistic interpretations of task activity flow models. -Mechanistic activity flow models accurately predict task-evoked neural effects across a wide variety of brain regions and cognitive tasks.
Unexpected high rate of revision of a modern cemented fixed bearing modular posterior-stabilized knee arthroplasty.

Aims To establish our early clinical results of a new total knee arthroplasty (TKA) tibial component introduced in 2013 and compare it to other designs in use at our hospital during the same period...
Book Review: Seduction by Contract: Law, Economics, and Psychology in Consumer Markets by Oren Bar-Gill

Oren Bar-Gill's Seduction by Contract: Law, Economics, and Psychology in Consumer Markets examines the pull of the consumer contract and discusses why we are routinely “seduced” into entering agreements that ultimately do not benefit us. In this compact and highly readable book, Bar-Gill looks at the law, economics and psychology of consumer contracts, analyzes specific consumer markets with detailed case studies, and calls for improved legal policy providing for more effective disclosure mandates to benefit consumers. It is a recommended addition to academic, court and government libraries.