cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reysen ’s Muscovy and Struys’s Muscovy

Beginning with Struys’s departure from Amsterdam in 1668, with which its third act opens, Reysen’s protagonist’s adventures acquire a greater verisimilitude (and are often borne out by other sources) than its previous parts. Struys’s oral recollections of recent events were obviously shaped through the editing process that human memory exerts, suppressing moral ambiguities and ordering them into a pattern.1 Walter Benjamin has argued that traditionally in Europe ‘seamen were… masters of storytelling’, with a knack for ‘practical interests’.2 This predilection surfaces in Reysen on occasion indeed, betraying in such moments the presence in the text of the historical Jan Struys (the accurate listing of his or his fellows’ wages are instances of this). Many of the anecdotes rendered in Reysen, such as the skating forays or the tobacco quarrel on the way from Riga to Moscow, seem infused by Jan Struys’s vivid personal recollections. But the book is not a diary and Struys’s narrative leaves yawning gaps. His group’s pause at Moscow during the winter of 1668–69 gave Reysen’s ghostwriter an interlude to present a chorography of Muscovy. It was patterned after the standard view of the tsar’s empire rendered in various previous texts published in Western and Central Europe, especially in the work by Adam Olearius.3
Use of a micro- to nanochannel for the characterization of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy signals from unique functionalized nanoparticles

A micro- to nanochannel nanoparticle aggregating device that does not require any input energy to organize the particles to a specific location, i.e., no pumps, plugs, heat, or magnets, has been designed and used to characterize the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signal from four unique functionalized nanoparticles (gold, silver-gold nanocages, silver nanocubes, and silica-gold nanoshells). The SERS signal was assessed in terms of the peak signal strength from the four different Raman reporter functionalized nanoparticles to determine which nanoparticle had better utility in the channel to provide the most robust platform for a future biological analyte detection device. The innovation used to fabricate the micro- to nanochannel device is described; the TEM images of the nanoparticles are shown; the absorption data for the nanoparticles are given; and the spectral data for the Raman reporter, mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA), are depicted. In the micro- to nanochannel described in this work, 5 μl of 22.3 μM MBA functionalized silver nanocubes were determined to have the strongest SERS enhancement.
An optimal path finding routing protocol for mobile Ad-Hoc network using random mobility model

In mobile Ad-Hoc network (MANET) routing is the issue for communication. Numbers of routing protocols are available for communication in MANET, but optimality is key issue in routing to improve the performance of MANET. As reactive protocol don't preserve routing information at the network node level, if there is no communication between the nodes. Reactive protocol determines a route to a specific destination when a particular packet is intends to send. We proposed a reverse-reactive-routing based route discovery approach, which is used to find an optimal route to the destination with lower communication overhead than flooding based reverse route discovery mechanism. For optimal path, we proposed a three step based reverse reactive approach in our work and the steps are reverse route calculation in route request (RREQ), reverse route calculation in route reply (RREP) and reverse route calculation in route error (RERR). Experiments have been carried out using NS2 network simulator and result shows that reverse reactive routing protocol performance is better than reactive routing protocol (AODV).
Continuous-flow multi-pulse electroporation at low DC voltages by microfluidic flipping of the voltage space topology

Concerns over biosafety, cost, and carrying capacity of viral vectors have accelerated research into physical techniques for gene delivery such as electroporation and mechanoporation. Advances in microfabrication have made it possible to create high electric fields over microscales, resulting in more efficient DNA delivery and higher cell viability. Continuous-flow microfluidic methods are typically more suitable for cellular therapies where a large number of cells need to be transfected under sterile conditions. However, the existing continuous-flow designs used to generate multiple pulses either require expensive peripherals such as high-voltage (>400 V) sources or function generators, or result in reduced cell viability due to the proximity of the cells to the electrodes. In this paper, we report a continuous-flow microfluidic device whose channel geometry reduces instrumentation demands and minimizes cellular toxicity. Our design can generate multiple pulses of high DC electric field strength using si...
Formalizing cognitive and motor strategy of haptic exploratory movements of individuals who are blind

Perception and action are closely related in the haptic modality. While there have been a few psychological studies exploring the haptic exploration procedures of blind and sighted individuals, the results of these studies have been very abstract and have not proven to be useful in the design of computer applications. In order to develop natural and intuitive haptic interfaces, deeper knowledge of haptic manual exploration strategies is needed. This work details psychophysical experiments performed with individuals, who are blind or visually impaired, to understand their cognitive and motor exploration strategies. The paper further suggests how the exploration strategies discovered by these experiments can be used to design proactive haptic interfaces between humans and machines. Such haptic interfaces have great potential as an assistive technology for individuals who are blind.
Nonlinear coupling of interfacial instabilities with resonant wave interactions in horizontal two-fluid plane Couette-Poiseuille flows: numerical and physical observations

We investigate mechanisms governing the initial growth and nonlinear evolution of interfacial waves in horizontal two-fluid plane Couette–Poiseuille flows. Nonlinear coupling of the Kelvin–Helmholtz interfacial instability with resonant wave interactions has been shown to be capable of rapidly generating long waves through the transfer of energy from linearly unstable short waves to stable long-wave components within the context of potential flow theory. The objective of this work is to determine whether that coupled mechanism persists in laminar and turbulent viscous flows. Utilizing both theoretical and computational methods, we analyse the initial Orr–Sommerfeld instability to quantify the frequencies and growth/decay rates of each wave mode for two-fluid laminar and turbulent channel flows. The obtained dispersion relation allows for the identification of resonant and/or near-resonant triads among (unstable and damped) wave components in an interfacial wave spectrum. We perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the two-phase Navier–Stokes equations with a fully nonlinear interface to formally establish the validity of our theoretical predictions for viscous flows. DNS results show the existence of a nonlinear energy cascade from unstable short- to damped long-wavelength waves due to resonant subharmonic and/or triadic interactions in both laminar Couette and turbulent Poiseuille flows. Spectral analysis of the interfacial evolution confirms that the combined instability–resonance mechanism persists in the presence of viscosity despite being derived under the assumption of potential flow theory. Finally, we perform a detailed examination of experimentally measured wave power spectra from Jurman et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 238, 1992, pp. 187–219) and carry out a numerical sensitivity study of the flow conditions to demonstrate and verify the existence of the coupled instability–resonance mechanism in physical systems. Our analysis accurately predicts the initial instability and the resulting nonlinear energy cascade through subharmonic and triadic interfacial wave resonances.
Effect of Calcium on Myosin Binding to a Regulated Thin Filament from Single Molecule to Ensemble

Muscle contraction is regulated via two processes that both contribute to activation of the thin filament (actin+troponin+tropomyosin). First, calcium (Ca++) displaces tropomyosin, which increases the availability of myosin binding sites on actin. Second, myosin binding accelerates the attachment of neighboring myosin molecules to the thin filament. The relative importance and underlying mechanisms of these two processes remain unclear, therefore we devised assays to separately quantify their contribution . Myosin binding only activates nearby myosins, therefore by varying myosin density we varied the contribution of this process. Myosin-induced activation was eliminated by using a single myosin molecule in the laser trap assay to directly measure Ca++'s effect on myosin's interaction with a thin filament. Slightly increasing the myosin density generated mini ensembles of myosin that experienced weak coupling . Increasing the myosin density further using a motility assay created large myosin ensembles with strong myosin-induced activation, and thin filament speed was measured at increasing ATP and Ca++ levels. The data were analyzed with a mathematical model that de-convolves the effects of Ca++-induced and myosin-induced activation. This analysis revealed (1) how Ca++ affects myosin's attachment to a thin filament; and (2) that myosin molecules are coupled over a Ca++-independent distance L=400nm. Scaling up the model generated accurate predictions of isometric force production and Ca++ binding to the thin filament previously observed in muscle fibers, providing a molecular basis for how Ca++ and myosin contribute to filament activation.
MicroRNAs control mRNA fate by compartmentalization based on 3' UTR length in male germ cells.

Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression can be achieved through the control of mRNA stability, cytoplasmic compartmentalization, 3′ UTR length and translational efficacy. Spermiogenesis, a process through which haploid male germ cells differentiate into spermatozoa, represents an ideal model for studying post-transcriptional regulation in vivo because it involves a large number of transcripts that are physically sequestered in ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) and thus subjected to delayed translation. To explore how small RNAs regulate mRNA fate, we conducted RNA-Seq analyses to determine not only the levels of both mRNAs and small noncoding RNAs, but also their cytoplasmic compartmentalization during spermiogenesis. Among all small noncoding RNAs studied, miRNAs displayed the most dynamic changes in both abundance and subcytoplasmic localization. mRNAs with shorter 3′ UTRs became increasingly enriched in RNPs from pachytene spermatocytes to round spermatids, and the enrichment of shorter 3′ UTR mRNAs in RNPs coincided with newly synthesized miRNAs that target these mRNAs at sites closer to the stop codon. In contrast, the translocation of longer 3′ UTR mRNAs from RNPs to polysomes correlated with the production of new miRNAs that target these mRNAs at sites distal to the stop codon. miRNAs appear to control cytoplasmic compartmentalization of mRNAs based on 3′ UTR length. Our data suggest that transcripts with longer 3′ UTRs tend to contain distal miRNA binding sites and are thus targeted to polysomes for translation followed by degradation. In contrast, those with shorter 3′ UTRs only possess proximal miRNA binding sites, which, therefore, are targeted into RNPs for enrichment and delayed translation.
Recognition Threshold as a Function of Learning

The hypothesis that recognition threshold is determined in part by response acquistion rather than sheer frequency of exposure to stimuli was evaluated. The Ss were 25 nonpsychology majors, who learned an 8-item list of nonsense syllables to a 50% criterion of correct anticipations. Recognition thresholds were then obtained for the 8 syllables and for 2 novel syllables. The serial position curve insured that syllables in the center of the list were essentially unlearned; these syllables had higher recognition thresholds than syllables at either end of the list which had lower error scores (Pearson product—moment r =.92) The thresholds of the 2 novel stimuli were significantly greater than that of the anticipation syllable with the highest threshold.
Developing enhanced carbon nanotube reinforced composites for full-scale 3D printed components

Recent research has developed a range of novel nano-enhanced 3D Printer filaments for high-end structural applications. In this research, an enhanced carbon nanotube filament has been formulated with different concentrations of graphitized multiwalled carbon nanotubes. These have been dispersed into an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer matrix under a process of high sheer mixing. This formulation was extruded to form a 1.75 mm diameter filament that was used to 3D print custom full size aerospace components that were later tested and displayed mechanical strength enhancement. In this article the process is detailed which show a method to manufacture 3D printed nanocomposite structures. These polymer filaments can be used on any conventional fused deposition modeling 3D Printing machine for the fabrication of scale components that require mechanical enhancement.
A Model for Incident Review Committees in Behavioral Health Settings

Despite the fact that incident review committees have been a key component of quality improvement in behavioral health settings for decades, specific models of how these committees are structured and operate are not well described. We present a model for an incident review committee that has been im
A Reappraisal on Marketing Definition and Marketing Theory

This study examines the definition of marketing and different marketing theories for academic research based on historical literature review. After a comprehensive review on different approaches on marketing definition, the paper gives its own description of marketing, with a highlight on value creation and exchange. The paper also attempts to discuss the possibility that a potential new paradigm of marketing as a science by a value creation theory, which focus on the new role of marketing in value creation during the traditional transaction exchange, with a suggestion that the impact of marketing maybe underestimated.
Abstract 110: Reduced Expression, Knockout, and Pharmacological Intervention of Arhgef11-RhoA Pathway Significantly Attenuates Renal Injury and Blood Pressure

Through genetic analysis of the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat, a model of hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD), Arhgef11, a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor was implicated in kidney injury. Arhgef11, via exchange of GDP for GTP, plays a role in the activation of RhoA signaling cascades through a number of cell stimuli that impact cytoskeletal structure and influence cell-cell contacts and promotes cell transformation. Previously, we demonstrated that reduced Arhgef11 expression/protein function in an SS- Arhgef11 SHR -minimal congenic strain resulted in significantly decreased proteinuria, fibrosis, and improved renal hemodynamics compared to SS-WT, without impacting BP. More recently, an SS-Arhgef11 -/- knockout rat model was studied. On low-salt (0.3% NaCl), SS-Arhgef11 -/- animals demonstrated reduced proteinuria and renal injury, with no impact on BP versus SS-WT. In contrast, SS-Arhgef11 -/- animals on an elevated-salt diet (2% NaCl) demonstrated a significant (p Arhgef11 (on low-salt) similarly leads to renoprotection, whereas the loss of Arhgef11 (vs reduced expression) leads to blunting of salt-induced elevations in BP vs SS-WT. These animal studies, in combination with in vitro work, suggest that inhibition of Arhgef11-RhoA could be an effective therapeutic for CKD. Using an in vitro cell screen, several hundred natural product compounds were tested for ability to inhibit Arhgef11/RhoA activity and identified 3 compounds. A pilot study done using one compound (sufficient for a one-week study) was very encouraging as animals treated with XTL-019-G7 (20mg/kg/day) exhibited an ~25% reduction in proteinuria compared to vehicle (VEH) treated animals (70±8.5 versus 95±9.6 mg/24hours, p=0.07), demonstrating that in vivo testing is feasible and that the compound warrants further testing. In summary, genetic analysis of a model of CKD identified a gene/pathway involved in kidney injury that served as a target to screen natural product derived small molecules, and may ultimately lead to a new treatment for CKD.
Fast Decentralized Learning Via Hybrid Consensus Admm

The Alternating Directions Methods of Multipliers (ADMM) has witnessed a resurgence of interest over the past few years fueled by the ever increasing demand for scalable optimization techniques to tackle real-world statistical learning problems. However, despite its success in several application settings the applicability of the traditional centralized ADMM is limited by its communication requirement to a global fusion center, which might not be always feasible. Its decentralized variant D-CADMM, on the other hand, while it alleviates this need, it does so at the expense of significantly slower convergence in cases of adverse underlying network topologies. To address the aforementioned limitations, in this work we consider the presence of multiple fusion centers and we propose a unifying framework that allows leveraging the structure of the communication network to accelerate the decentralized ADMM even in cases where it is not practical to resort to its fully centralized counterpart. We prove the linear convergence rate of the proposed approach and we verify its promising performance by carrying out numerical tests on both real and synthetic networks.
Antihypertensive Medications and Change in Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Objectives. The goal of this study is to estimate the change in the relationships between use of five classes of antihypertensive medications and stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in American adults treated for hypertension. Methods. The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data sets 1999–2012 were used with the final analytical sample of 3,045 participants. Population prevalence estimates were calculated using the NHANES survey design weights. Inferential analyses were done with binomial logistic regression models. Results. The odds of advanced (3, 4, and 5 combined) versus early CKD stages (1 and 2 combined) were significantly higher among patients treated with Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) versus those not treated with ARB in 2009–2012 (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 2.52 (1.32–4.80)). From 1999 to 2012, the increase in this relationship was significant ( ) for users of ARB polytherapy and in users of ARB in patients with albuminuria ( ). Conclusion. Aggressive pharmacological management of hypertension with ARB as add-on therapy may have accelerated kidney damage in American adults. However, prospective longitudinal studies are needed to establish proper temporal sequence in this relationship.
Toxicity of functionalized fullerene and fullerene synthesis chemicals.

Abstract Fullerene is one of the most studied carbon-based nanoparticles due to its unique structure and potential for diverse applications. This study focuses on toxicological effects of two fullerene nanomaterials, contributing to ecological as well as human risk assessment strategies. The biological responses from two basic fullerene materials, aqueous-nanoC60 and alkaline-synthesized fullerenol, were examined using four model organisms. Bioassays were conducted on bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) to determine population impacts and to assess mechanisms of cellular effects for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive species. LC50 of aqu-nC60 stirred for 28 days for P. aeruginosa was estimated to be 1336 mg/L; however, toxicity of the same aqu-nC60 preparation for S. aureus was insignificant. Freshwater green algae Raphidocelus subcapitata and invertebrate Ceriodaphnia dubia were exposed to 28-day stirred aqu-nC60 with no significant toxicological impact. Aqu-nC60 stirred for 14 days bore no toxicity within two orders of magnitude greater than the highest concentration administered. LC50 for organisms exposed to alkaline-synthesized fullerenol prepared in the laboratory was 2409 mg/L for P. aeruginosa with no determinable toxicity to S. aureus, and 1462 mg/L and 45.2 mg/L for R. subcapitata and C. dubia, respectively. Toxicity thresholds for commercially-prepared fullerenol were lower for all species, an impact attributed to the presence of impurities. Mechanistic analysis of membrane damage on bacteria by laboratory-prepared fullerenol indicated necrotic and apoptotic responses with and without photoactivation. Toxicological responses from fullerenol synthesis by-products were only determinable for C. dubia with effects attributable to impurities.
Distributed Mutual Exclusion Algorithms on a Ring of Clusters

We propose an architecture that consists of a ring of clusters for distributed mutual exclusion algorithms. Each node on the ring represents a cluster of nodes and implements various distributed mutual exclusion algorithms on behalf of any member in the cluster it represents. We show the implementation of Ricart-Agrawala and a Token-based algorithm on this architecture. The message complexities for both algorithms are reduced substantially with this architecture as well as obtaining better response times due to parallel processing in the clusters...
Does ink age inside of a pen cartridge

In questioned document examination and ink dating, it has been assumed that the ink inside of a pen cartridge does not begin aging until the ink is dispensed onto paper. Positive ion laser desorption (LD) mass spectra were obtained of ink-on-paper samples containing methyl violet, from new and old pens. Mass spectral studies with methyl violet have established the mechanism for how the dye degrades over time, and have provided structural information concerning the dye's degradation products. This information was used as an indication of the relative age of ink on paper. The LD mass spectrum of the ink from a new pen was indicative of "new" ink, whereas the spectra of the ink found in some older pens may appear to be either new or old. The ink from most of the old pens studied appears not to have aged, supporting the common assumption, whereas other ink samples produced "aged" ink spectra, suggesting otherwise.
Regulation of phosphate excretion by the diseased kidney: the intrinsic proximal tubular adaptation.

The maintenance of phosphate homeostasis in chronic renal failure has been ascribed to PTH-dependent1–4 and PTH-independent mechanisms5–9. While the phosphaturic effect of elevated PTH levels undoubtedly plays an important role in modulating tubular phosphate reabsorption as nephrons are progressively destroyed, there is equally impressive evidence that intrinsic adaptations in tubular transport may occur independently of biologically active PTH levels. Such adaptations would include changes in the basal rate of phosphate transport and in the sensitivity and responsiveness of the renal tubule to PTH.
Optimal Scheduling of Refinery Crude-Oil Operations

This thesis deals with the development of mathematical models and algorithms for optimizing re finery crude-oil operations schedules. The problem can be posed as a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP), thus combining two major challenges of operations research: combinatorial search and global optimization. First, we propose a uni ed modeling approach for scheduling problems that aims at bridging the gaps between four different time representations using the general concept of priority-slots. For each time representation, an MILP formulation is derived and strengthened using the maximal cliques and bicliques of the non-overlapping graph. Additionally, we present three solution methods to obtain global optimal or near-optimal solutions. The scheduling approach is applied to single-stage and multi-stage batch scheduling problems as well as a crude-oil operations scheduling problem maximizing the gross margin of the distilled crude-oils. In order to solve the crude-oil scheduling MINLP, we introduce a two-step MILP-NLP procedure. The solution approach benefi ts from a very tight upper bound provided by the first stage MILP while the second stage NLP is used to obtain a feasible solution. Next, we detail the application of the single-operation sequencing time representation to the crude-oil operations scheduling problem. As this time representation displays many symmetric solutions, we introduce a symmetry-breaking sequencing rule expressed as a deterministic finite automaton in order to efficiently restrict the set of feasible solutions. Furthermore, we propose to integrate constraint programming (CP) techniques to the branch & cut search to dynamically improve the linear relaxation of a crude-oil operations scheduling problem minimizing the total logistics costs expressed as a bilinear objective. CP is used to derived tight McCormick convex envelopes for each node subproblem thus reducing the optimality gap for the MINLP. Finally, the refinery planning and crude-oil scheduling problems are simultaneously solved using a Lagrangian decomposition procedure based on dualizing the constraint linking crude distillation feedstocks in each subproblem. A new hybrid dual problem is proposed to update the Lagrange multipliers, while a simple heuristic strategy is presented in order to obtain feasible solutions to the full-space MINLP. The approach is successfully applied to a small case study and a larger refinery problem.
The multiple biological properties of interleukin-1 influencing immunocompetent cells.

The acute phase response is a systemic, generalized reaction despite the fact that most disease processes which induce circulating IL-1 produced at the site of the disease, for example, the lung in pneumonia. Once released into the circulation, IL-1 acts on multiple target organs and induces a variety of biological changes. Considerable attention has also focused on the local production and activity of IL-1. Local concentrations of IL-1 in specialized tissues such as the skin, kidney, endothelium, lymph node and joint space may account for much of its role in disease processes. The role of IL-1’s in acute phase responses will be matched by interest in its effects on bone and cartilage destruction as well as the pathogenesis of arthrosclerosis. The ability of the various IL-1’s to activate lymphocytes, induce the synthesis of acute phase proteins, alter various metabolic and hematologic parameters and to produce fever and sleep has provided the evidence that IL-1’s are more than interleukins but rather multifunctional molecules capable of acting on different cells types.
Sphere sedimentation in wormlike micelles: Effect of micellar relaxation spectrum and gradients in micellar extensions

We report experiments on the flow of wormlike micellar solutions based on cetylpyridinium chloride/sodium salicylate past a falling sphere via a combination of particle tracking velocimetry, particle image velocimetry, rheology, and flow induced birefringence (FIB). Recent studies have shown that beyond a critical extensional Deborah number, a falling sphere in wormlike micelles never reaches a constant terminal velocity; instead, it settles with an unsteady velocity. This behavior is linked to the wormlike micellar chain scission in the wake of the sphere. Similar instabilities in viscoelastic polymer solutions, where polymer chain scission is highly unlikely, are thought to be the results of a single-mode relaxation spectrum of the polymer chains or the asymmetry in the polymer chain extensions on the flanks of the falling sphere. In this paper, we examine the effect of micellar relaxation spectrum and gradients in micellar extensions on sphere instability in wormlike micelles over a wide range of flow parameters (10−2 < DeE < 40.7 and 10−6 < Re < 10). In wormlike micelles with a single-mode relaxation spectrum, the sphere instability occurs for DeE ≥ 2.6. However, for similar conditions (2.5 ≤ DeE ≤ 40.7 and 10−2 < Re < 10), spheres never exhibit unsteady motion in the wormlike micelles with a broad spectrum of relaxation times. This indicates the importance of the micellar relaxation spectrum on dynamics of sphere sedimentation in wormlike micelles. We show that a criterion based on the ratio of dissipated energy to the stored elastic energy of micelles can successfully describe the effect of micellar relaxation spectrum on sphere sedimentation dynamics. In addition, for conditions that give rise to sphere instability, FIB indicates that micellar extensions on sphere sideways are perfectly symmetric.We report experiments on the flow of wormlike micellar solutions based on cetylpyridinium chloride/sodium salicylate past a falling sphere via a combination of particle tracking velocimetry, particle image velocimetry, rheology, and flow induced birefringence (FIB). Recent studies have shown that beyond a critical extensional Deborah number, a falling sphere in wormlike micelles never reaches a constant terminal velocity; instead, it settles with an unsteady velocity. This behavior is linked to the wormlike micellar chain scission in the wake of the sphere. Similar instabilities in viscoelastic polymer solutions, where polymer chain scission is highly unlikely, are thought to be the results of a single-mode relaxation spectrum of the polymer chains or the asymmetry in the polymer chain extensions on the flanks of the falling sphere. In this paper, we examine the effect of micellar relaxation spectrum and gradients in micellar extensions on sphere instability in wormlike micelles over a wide range of flow ...
Ujamaa and Universal Design: Developing Sustainable Tactile Curricular Materials in Rural Tanzania

Purpose: This article illustrates the power of collaboration in the spirit of Ujamaa to build curricular materials that can engage and support the learning of a diverse group of students in under-resourced environments. The authors reflect on their personal experience overseeing collaborative service learning projects with Tanzanian partners through a study abroad programme. Method: The service learning project took place in a rural primary school in northern Tanzania, characterised by large class sizes and the unavailability of teaching and learning materials. Tactile curricular materials were collaboratively developed by Tanzanian student teachers, practising teachers, and American undergraduate students. Locally available and recyclable materials were used, such as plastic water bottles, tubing, plastic bags and cardboard boxes. Results: Examples of curricular materials that were developed are presented, and lessons learned through the experience are shared. Conclusion: The use of locally available, recyclable materials enhanced sustainability. Having sustainable curricular materials that are accessible to a diverse range of students in under-resourced educational settings has the potential to foster learning for all. The underlying cultural concept of interconnectedness or Ujamaa strengthened the collaborative relationship between participating teachers and students, and can be drawn upon to enhance future service learning and international development efforts in education.
First-attempt success of emergency intubation with bougie was higher than with endotracheal tube plus stylet.

Source Citation Driver BE, Prekker ME, Klein LR, et al. Effect of use of a bougie vs endotracheal tube and stylet on first-attempt intubation success among patients with difficult airways undergoin...
Impact, Growth, Capacity-building of Mixed Methods Research in the Health Sciences

The use of mixed methods research (MMR) by health scientists has expanded in recent years. The growth of MMR reflects the complexity of health-related research questions including the need to understand stakeholder perspectives. MMR is further incentivized by the release of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) first version of “Best Practices for Mixed Methods Research in the Health Sciences” in 2011 and their revised version which was released in early 2018, and the increase in federal funding awarded to MMR projects. Realizing the need to train health scientists, several training initiatives are underway. In this commentary, we discuss: characteristics of MMR; the rise of MMR in the health sciences; the growing need and efforts to train health scientists in MMR approaches; and the graduate-level course in MMR that was launched at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
Postural differences in shoulder dynamics during pushing and pulling.

Abstract Assessments of shoulder dynamics (e.g. the inertial, viscous, and stiffness properties of the joint) can provide important insights into the stability of the joint at rest and during volitional contraction. The purpose of this study was to investigate how arm posture influences shoulder dynamics while generating pushing or pulling torques in the horizontal plane. Sixteen healthy participants were examined in seven postures encompassing a large workspace of the shoulder. At each posture, the participant’s shoulder was rapidly perturbed while measuring the resultant change in shoulder torque about the glenohumeral axis. Participants were examined both at rest and while producing horizontal flexion and extension torques scaled to 15% of a maximum voluntary contraction. Shoulder stiffness, viscosity, and damping ratio were estimated using impedance-based matching, and changes in these outcome measures with torque level, elevation angle, and plane of elevation angle were explored with a linear mixed effects model. Shoulder stiffness was found to decrease with increasing elevation angles (p
A textual analysis of Bank of England growth forecasts

Abstract The Bank of England publishes a quarterly Inflation Report that provides numerical forecasts and a text discussion of its assessment of the UK economy. Previous research has evaluated the quantitative forecasts that are included in these reports, but we focus on the qualitative discussion of output growth, by using an in-sample textual analysis procedure to convert these qualitative assessments into a score for each report over the period 2005–2014. We also construct out-of-sample scores for reports before and after this period. We then compare the scores both to real-time output growth data and to the corresponding quantitative projections published by the bank. We find that overall developments in the UK economy were represented accurately in the text of the Inflation Report. Furthermore, efficiency regressions suggest that there is information in the text that could improve the Bank of England’s quantitative nowcasts and one-quarter-ahead forecasts.
Neonatal Ovarian Cysts

Ovarian cysts are the most common intra-abdominal masses found in female fetuses and neonates.
Projective spectrum and cyclic cohomology

Abstract For a tuple A = ( A 1 , A 2 , … , A n ) of elements in a unital algebra B over C , its projective spectrum P ( A ) or p ( A ) is the collection of z ∈ C n , or respectively z ∈ P n − 1 such that the multi-parameter pencil A ( z ) = z 1 A 1 + z 2 A 2 + ⋯ + z n A n is not invertible in B . B -valued 1-form A − 1 ( z ) d A ( z ) contains much topological information about P c ( A ) : = C n ∖ P ( A ) . In commutative cases, invariant multi-linear functionals are effective tools to extract that information. This paper shows that in non-commutative cases, the cyclic cohomology of B does a similar job. In fact, a Chen–Weil type map κ from the cyclic cohomology of B to the de Rham cohomology H d ⁎ ( P c ( A ) , C ) is established. As an example, we prove a closed high-order form of the classical Jacobiʼs formula.
Patient Perceptions About the Role of Religion and Spirituality During Cancer Care

We sought to assess the perspectives of cancer patients relative to their spiritual well-being, as well as examine the impact of religion/spirituality during cancer care. A mixed-methods concurrent embedded online survey design was used. While 86% of participants indicated a religious/spiritual belief, respondents also reported lower overall spiritual well-being than population norms (t(73) = − 5.30, p < 0.01). Open-ended responses revealed that 22% of participants desired the healthcare team to address the topic of religion/spirituality, but the majority preferred to discuss with a family member or friend (48%). Religion/spirituality might play a central role for a subset of patients across the cancer journey.
Pregnancy and Childbirth

Pregnancy and childbirth are important events in the lives of women, families, and communities, and critical for the continuation of the human race. This article begins with a definition of pregnancy and childbirth and how these events can vary. Abortions and stillbirths, which occur when a live infant is not born, are also examined. Various means of preventing pregnancy through birth control measures and sterilization and an examination of the issue of infertility and its possible solutions are also offered. Next, the variations in fertility across the globe and governments’ responses to birthrates within their jurisdictions are presented. Women’s spatial experiences of pregnancy and childbirth and also the problems associated with these events, such as illnesses and deaths and their biological (such as age of mother) and clinical (such as hemorrhage) antecedents are presented. Additionally, some societal and cultural causes of maternal illness and death are also highlighted here. In this article, policies put in place by multilateral agencies in cooperation with national governments to improve the health of women during their reproductive years, but particularly during pregnancy and childbirth are examined. Finally, the author underscores the current view that the health of women during pregnancy and childbirth is the outcome of biological as well as sociocultural aspects that impinge on the lives of girls and women over the entire life cycle.
The new horizon: programmatic responses to the HIV epidemic.

Although the current epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been recognized for at least seven years, in many respects we are just beginning to appreciate the sobering consequences of its impact. There is hardly an analyst familiar with the demographics of HIV infection who has not predicted substantial outlays for the medical care of the many infected individuals who will become symptomatic within the next decade. Researchers persist in their attempts to develop effective medical treatments, but even the most optimistic of them believe that there is no cure or vaccine on the immediate horizon. It is clear that many of our citizens will suffer prolonged, expensive, and untimely deaths as a result of the immune damage wrought by this viral infection.
Activation of Mammalian Leukemia Viruses

Publisher Summary Successful transmission of murine leukemia by the passage of cell-free filtrates from leukemic tissue was first described in 1951. Viruses have subsequently been shown to be causally related to a wide variety of leukemias and lymphomas in many different mammalian species. Many of these viral agents were initially derived from tumors other than leukemias and some of them induce neoplasias uncharacteristic of those generally seen in nature. Others, however, were recovered initially from spontaneous or induced leukemias and induce similar tumors in the recipients. Still a third group of viruses were derived from apparently the normal tissues and were found to be capable of inducing leukemias or lymphomas either in the same or in a different genus or species of mammal. In these instances, the viral genetic information may vary from being unexpressed, partially or fully expressed. When viral information initially present in covert form becomes expressed in overt form, the process can be described as virus activation or induction. Many events, both physiological and pharmacological, are associated with the activation of leukemia viruses in vivo and in vitro . Among these events are radiation, treatment with hormones or chemicals, certain specific immunological reactions, and sometimes even aging itself. This chapter covers in vivo and in vitro activation of endogcnous mammalian leukemia viruses, both descriptively and analytically. It attempts to relate the phenomena described both to the current theories of viral oncogenesis and to the pathogenesis of mammalian cancer.
Socio-Psychological Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Community Health and Well-Being

At the core of the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) debate is the level of perceived risk involved with extractive industries, such as the release of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, increased population growth, and truck traffic. However, industry supporters of fracking acclaim the benefits of oil and gas drilling, such as energy independence and economic gains. In this study, we examine the perceived impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on community health and well-being based on interviews with anti-fracking activists in Denton, Texas who were active in the “anti-fracking” community organization, Frack Free Denton (FFD). Emergent from the interviews, we discuss the socio-psychological stressors these community members experienced following the introduction of hydraulic fracturing in the region. Some of the major socio-psychological impacts included perceived physical health risks through anxiety surrounding toxins and carcinogens that may be released through this process. Participants also discussed stress put on community relations, primarily through the form of an “us vs. them” mentality related to the support for, or opposition to, fracking in the community. Moreover, we found anxiety and stress surrounding trust in community members’ relationships with governing bodies, such as the federal government, state government, and local governments. This research will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of how fracking can impact the socio-psychological well-being of the community.
Donot-DUEye: An IoT Enabled Edge Device to Monitor Blood Alcohol Concentration from Eyes

Accidents are unfortunate incidents which happen unexpectedly and unintentionally. Driving under influence (DUI) is one of the major reasons for accidents to occur. Self control is not an effective solution for reducing accidents due to DUI. In order to address this issue, the emerging auto mobile technology should have a system which allows to monitor the blood alcohol content of the user. Having this in mind, we propose a system, Donot-DUEye, which helps in automatically detecting the alcohol content and makes the decision whether the user can drive or not. Donot-DUEye uses pupil dilation, raise in blood pressure and cause of redness in people to analyze the driving capability of the person and displays the message on the vehicle's infotainment screen, with an accuracy of approximately 95%.
Topiramate reduces nocturnal eating in sleep-related eating disorder

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) is a parasomnia characterized by partial arousals from sleep with compulsive consumption of food with impaired level of awareness and memory for the event. Small case series' have demonstrated efficacy of topiramate in SRED. We conducted a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of topiramate to assess efficacy in SRED. METHODS Thirty-four participants with an ICSD-2/ICSD-3 diagnosis of SRED with >6 months of symptoms and ≥3 sleep-related eating episodes per week were randomized to placebo or topiramate with flexible dosing to a maximum dosage of 300 mg for 13 weeks. Primary outcomes were percentage of nights with eating and Clinician Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I). Intention-to-treat last observation carried forward (ITT LOCF) analysis was conducted. RESULTS Mean age was 39.5 years, 74% were female, with mean duration of sleep-related eating of 13.7 years. SRED symptoms were significantly reduced with topiramate (74.7% to 33.2% nights/week; n = 15) compared to placebo (77.0% to 57.4%; n = 17) (p = 0.035). There were significantly more CGI-I responders on topiramate (71%) than placebo (27%) (p = 0.016). Level of wakefulness (r = -0.49) and memory for nighttime eating (r = -0.58) at baseline predicted topiramate response. The topiramate group lost significantly more weight than the placebo group (-8.5 lbs vs. +1.0 lbs, p = 0.001). The most common side effects were paresthesias and cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS This first randomized controlled trial demonstrating efficacy for treatment of SRED supports preliminary data on the use of topiramate for SRED. Side effects were prominent for topiramate. Limitations include a small sample size and a high drop-out rate in both study groups. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION NCT00606411.
Accounting for small-study effects using a bivariate trim and fill meta-analysis procedure

Abstract In meta-analyses, small-study effects (SSE) refer to the phenomenon that smaller studies show different, often larger, treatment effects than larger studies, which may lead to incorrect, commonly optimistic estimates of treatment effects. Visualization tools such as funnel plots have been widely used to investigate the SSE in univariate meta-analyses. The trim and fill procedure is a non-parametric method to identify and adjust for SSE and is widely used in practice due to its simplicity. However, most visualization tools and SSE bias correction methods have been focusing on univariate outcomes. For a meta-analysis with multiple outcomes, the estimated number of trimmed studies by trim and fill for different outcomes may be different, leading to inconsistent conclusions. In this paper, we propose a bivariate trim and fill procedure to account for SSE in a bivariate meta-analysis. Based on a recently developed visualization tool of bivariate meta-analysis, known as the galaxy plot, we develop a sensible data-driven imputation algorithm for SSE bias correction. The method relies on the symmetry of the galaxy plot and assumes that some studies are suppressed based on a linear combination of outcomes. The studies are projected along a particular direction and the univariate trim and fill method is used to estimate the number of trimmed studies. Compared to the univariate method, the proposed method yields consistent conclusion about SSE and trimmed studies. The proposed approach is validated using simulated data and is applied to a meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of antidepressant drugs.
Restoring the real world records in Men’s swimming without high-tech swimsuits

The recently concluded 2019 World Swimming Championships was another major swimming competition that witnessed some great progresses achieved by human athletes in many events. However, some world records created 10 years ago back in the era of high-tech swimsuits remained untouched. With the advancements in technical skills and training methods in the past decade, the inability to break those world records is a strong indication that records with the swimsuit bonus cannot reflect the real progressions achieved by human athletes in history. Many swimming professionals and enthusiasts are eager to know a measure of the real world records had the high-tech swimsuits never been allowed. This paper attempts to restore the real world records in Men’s swimming without high-tech swimsuits by integrating various advanced methods in probabilistic modeling and optimization. Through the modeling and separation of swimsuit bias, natural improvement, and athletes’ intrinsic performance, the result of this paper provides the optimal estimates and the 95% confidence intervals for the real world records. The proposed methodology can also be applied to a variety of similar studies with multi-factor considerations.