cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limiting Skills Gap Effect on Future College Graduates

Many graduates upon graduation from college or university find it difficult to get the job they planned to enter after they leave school. Employers are claiming that the new graduates are not equipped with the necessary skills required to work for them. Hence, they are not hirable. Obviously, it is easy to shift blame on academic for failing to prepare students with the necessary skills to be gainfully employed upon graduation. However, this is an issue that needs to be addressed jointly by all stakeholders involved in educating these potential college graduates while in school. This article addresses what skills gap is, some of its causes, and what to be done by students, educators and the industry to limit its effect on the future college graduates.
Imaging properties of defocused partitioned pupils

The imaging properties of several types of large-Fresnel-number pupils in the presence of defocusing are analyzed using a straightforward interpretation of the defocused optical transfer function obtained from the slice-projection theorem. Some examples are shown.
A vector channel approach to waveform design for radar systems

In this paper we discuss the problem of radar waveform design from a new perspective that is based on a vector channel model for the radar system. For a single waveform/single target scenario we show that the capacity of the radar vector channel is identical to the mutual information between the target impulse response and the received radar signal. Noting that a water-filling strategy in designing the transmitted waveform implies maximizing channel capacity, we acknowledge previous results on radar waveform design which proved that water-filling maximizes the mutual information between a target impulse response and the received radar signal. We then discuss the radar waveform design problem in the context of multiple waveforms and/or multiple targets, outlining similarities between the corresponding radar scenarios and multiuser communication scenarios.
Parental history of hypertension and myocardial infarction predicts cardiovascular responses to behavioral stressors in middle-aged men and women.

The present study had two objectives: to examine the influence of parental history of hypertension on cardiovascular responses during behavioral stress in middle-aged men and women; and to study the impact of parental history of myocardial infarction on stress responses. Participants were separated into four groups: no parental history of cardiovascular disease; parental history of hypertension only; parental history of myocardial infarction only; or parental history of both hypertension and myocardial infarction. Heart rate and blood pressure were monitored at rest and during serial subtraction, mirror image tracing, and isometric handgrip. Analyses of residualized difference scores showed that like younger, male offspring of hypertensives, middle-aged men and women with a parental history of hypertension exhibited exaggerated diastolic blood pressure responses during all stressors. Men with a parental history of myocardial infarction, with or without a parental history of hypertension, exhibited exaggerated systolic blood pressure responses during all stressors. These data are the first to show that family history of hypertension influences middle-aged men's and women's stress responses, and that family history of myocardial infarction influences men's stress responses. Results suggest the importance of parental history of cardiovascular diseases in understanding acute psychophysiological responses of middle-aged adults.
Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan

The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of the sleep–wake cycle in children, adolescents, and adults with bipolar disorder. After reviewing the evidence that has accrued to date on the nature and severity of the sleep disturbance experienced, we document the importance of sleep for quality of life, risk for relapse, affective functioning, cognitive functioning, health (sleep disturbance is implicated in obesity, poor diet, and inadequate exercise), impulsivity, and risk taking. We argue that sleep may be critically important in the complex multifactorial cause of interepisode dysfunction, adverse health outcomes, and relapse. An agenda for future research is presented that includes improving the quality of sleep measures and controlling for the impact of bipolar medications.
The cell wall-associated kinases, WAKs, as pectin receptors

The Wall Associated Kinases, WAKs, are encoded by 5 highly similar genes clustered in a 30 kb locus in Arabidopsis. These receptor-like proteins contain a cytoplasmic serine threonine kinase, a transmembrane domain, and a less conserved region that is bound to the cell wall and contains a series of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) repeats. Evidence is emerging that WAKs serve as pectin receptors, for both short oligogalacturonic acid fragments (OGs) generated during pathogen exposure or wounding, and for longer pectins resident in native cell walls. This ability to bind and respond to several types of pectins correlates with a demonstrated role for WAKs in both the pathogen response and cell expansion during plant development.
Indicating ontology data quality, stability, and completeness throughout ontology evolution

Many application areas today make use of ontologies. With the advent of semantic Web technologies, ontology based systems have become widespread. Developing an ontology is part of the necessary early development of an ontology-based system. Since the validity and quality of the ontology data directly affects the validity and quality of the system using the ontology, evolution of the ontology data directly affects the evolution and/or maintenance of the ontology-based systems that depend on and employ the ontology data. Our research examines the quality, completeness, and stability of ontology data as ontologies evolve. We propose a metrics suite, based on standard software quality concepts, to measure the complexity and cohesion of ontology data. First we theoretically validate our metrics. Then we examine empirically whether our metrics determine ontology data quality, by comparing them to human evaluator ratings. We conclude that several of our metrics successfully determine ontology complexity or cohesion. Finally, we examine, over evolving ontology data, whether our metrics determine ontology completeness and stability. We determine that various metrics reflect different kinds of changes. Our experiments indicate our metrics' measure ontology stability and completeness; however, interpretation of specific metrics values and the interaction of different metrics requires further study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical trial results with linezolid, an oxazolidinone, in the treatment of soft tissue and postoperative gram-positive infections

Background: Infectious complications encountered after major surgery include operative site infections and nosocomial pneumonia. Recent infection surveillance programs have identified the increasin...
The meaningfulness of time; Narratives of cancer among chronically ill older adults

This study, using ethnographically-based interviews, sought to describe how chronically ill older adults experience a new cancer diagnosis and the effects of this on their interpretations of personal health, aging, and the future. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the fifteen informants. We asked questions that explored each individual's life history, chronic illness occurrence, and direct experiences with cancer. Interviews were structured to provide social and historical contexts to enhance our understanding of the informants' illness narratives. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically to describe how individuals described the cancer experience, its meaning, and its consequences. One of the major findings of our study was the role of cancer in disrupting individual biography, an interruption that fragmented time into three distinct segments: the Recalled Past, the Existent Present, and the Imagined Future. We highlight three main themes around the experience of illness-related time: (1) disruption found in individual biographical accounts as a result of fragmented time dimensions; (2) altered projections of a continuous sense of self into the future; and (3) modified treatment decisions resulting from a perceived altered life course and the finitude of advancing age. We further introduce the concept of Anomalous Time as a permutation of time central to individual experiences of cancer. Implications for how older adults understood their cancer and individual reactions relevant to seeking care are discussed.
Association of ADIPOQ gene with type 2 diabetes and related phenotypes in African American men and women: the Jackson Heart Study.

African Americans experience disproportionately higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes and related risk factors. Little research has been done on the association of ADIPOQ gene on type 2 diabetes, plasma adiponectin, blood glucose, HOMA-IR and body mass index (BMI) in African Americans. The objective of our research was to assess such associations with selected SNPs. The study included a sample of 3,020 men and women from the Jackson Heart Study who had ADIPOQ genotyping information. Unadjusted and adjusted regression models with covariates were used with type 2 diabetes and related phenotypes as the outcome stratified by sex. There was no association between selected ADIPOQ SNPs with type 2 diabetes, blood glucose, or BMI in men or women. There was a significant association between variant rs16861205 and lower adiponectin in women with minor allele A in the fully adjusted model (β(SE) p = −.13(0.05), 0.003). There was also a significant association with variant rs7627128 and lower HOMA-IR among men with minor allele A in the fully adjusted model (β(SE) p = −0.74(0.20), 0.0002). These findings represent new insights regarding the association of ADIPOQ gene and type 2 diabetes and related phenotypes in African American men and women.
Radioactive labelling of ribosomal proteins with reductive alkylation and its use in studying ribosome-cytosol interactions

Mouse brain ribosomes were radioactively labelled by a cell-free reductive alkylation reaction with NaBH4 and [14C]formaldehyde. The radioactivity was largely associated with ribosomal proteins, but little, if any, of the rRNA was radioactive after the alkylation procedure. Both ribosomal structural proteins and loosely associated components were successfully labelled by this procedure. The sedimentation properties of the ribosomes were unaltered and their ability to carry out poly(U)-directed protein synthesis, although decreased, was largely retained. Incubation of 14C-labelled ribosomes with brain cytosol resulted in a 17% loss of radioactivity, although treatment of the ribosomes with 1.0 m-KCl to remove the loosely associated factors rendered the ribonucleoprotein particles resistant to cytosol effects. The ribosome-cytosol interactions did not appear to be related to an exchange process, since the released radioactivity was largely degraded to acid-soluble material. In addition, the incubation of native ribosomes with brain cytosol resulted in an almost complete loss in the ability of the ribosomes to participate in cell-free protein synthesis.
Reverse and Forward Fractional Integral Inequalities

Here we present reverse Lp fractional integral inequalities for left and right Riemann-Liouville, generalized Riemann-Liouville, Hadamard, Erdelyi-Kober and multivariate Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals. Then we derive reverse Lp fractional inequalities regarding the left Riemann-Liouville, the left and right Caputo and the left and right Canavati type fractional derivatives. We finish the article with general forward fractional integral inequalities regarding Erdelyi-Kober and multivariate Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals by involving convexity.
Assessing ST Segment Changes and Ischemia During Exercise Stress Testing in Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Fontan Palliation

While exercise stress testing (EST) is an important tool, little is known about its use for determining ischemia in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and Fontan palliation. We sought to determine the frequency of ST segment changes during EST in HLHS patients after Fontan and examine results of further testing performed in response to ST changes. A single-center chart review of HLHS patients post-Fontan from January 1995 to December 2012 was performed. Data collected included demographics, indications for EST, resting electrocardiogram findings, EST and echocardiogram results and outcomes. ESTs were evaluated for ST segment changes concerning for ischemia. Results of additional testing performed based on concerning EST findings were collected. Twenty-seven patients underwent 64 ESTs (mean 2.4 ESTs/patient). Median age at first EST was 9.6 years (range 6.2-16.4). EST was concerning for ischemia in 13 patients (48 %) on 25 (39 %) ESTs. Based on EST results, two patients had stress sestamibi testing, two underwent coronary angiography, and one had both. No reversible perfusion defects or coronary artery obstructions were demonstrated. No patient who underwent EST has died. ST segment depression was not associated with ventricular dysfunction prior to EST or at the end of follow-up (p > 0.05). In patients with HLHS post-Fontan palliation, ST segment depression on EST is common. In patients who underwent further testing, no evidence of ischemia or coronary abnormalities was found. Additional testing may not be necessary in all patients.
Full and Fair By What Measure?: Identifying the International Law Regulating Military Commission Procedure

Treating the 9/11 attacks as acts of war offered legal advantages that the Administration quickly seized upon, including authority to try suspected terrorists by military commissions. But resort to the law of war also logically invokes its constraints, something ignored by those who developed the initial commission rules. The Supreme Court's Hamdan decision addressed this flaw, holding that at a minimum the rather ambiguous language of Common Article 3 (CA3) of the 1949 Conventions applied to the commissions and that the tribunals failed to meet requisite standard of both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and CA3. Although the subsequent Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) made some much needed improvements to the tribunal's rules, Hamdan is unlikely to be the judiciary's last word on the subject since it contains only a cursory international law analysis and fails to decide whether more specific mandates than CA3 might also apply. This article endeavors to fill Hamdan's analytical gaps. It first seeks to craft a legally sound definition of the nature and scope of the war on terror, suggesting a more accurate formulation would be the War against al Qaeda and the Taliban, (WAQT). It then assesses three general legal regimes that might provide governing standards applicable to military commission procedures: (1) law of war treaties ratified by the U.S.; (2) International Human Rights law; and, (3) customary international law. After considering both the impact on the current military commissions and the arguments for and against application of each of these standards, the paper concludes that Article 75 of Additional Geneva Protocol I of 1977, establishing baseline protections for persons not benefiting from more specific treaty provisions, should be the governing international standard. Although not ratified by the United States, this article should apply to the WAQT as being declaratory of customary international law. While the argument for application of CA3 is shown to be weaker than Hamdan portrays it, there would be nothing inconsistent with Hamdan in applying Article 75 as an adjunct to interpreting CA3 as advocated by the plurality opinion. What would be legally inconsistent would be allowing acts justified by the customary law of war to be conducted entirely free of the constraints that body of law imposes.
N-Heterocyclic Phosphenium Ligands as Sterically and Electronically-Tunable Isolobal Analogues of Nitrosyls

The coordination chemistry of an N-heterocyclic phosphenium (NHP)-containing bis(phosphine) pincer ligand has been explored with Pt(0) and Pd(0) precursors. Unlike previous compounds featuring monodentate NHP ligands, the resulting NHP Pt and Pd complexes feature pyramidal geometries about the central phosphorus atom, indicative of a stereochemically active lone pair. Structural, spectroscopic, and computational data suggest that the unusual pyramidal NHP geometry results from two-electron reduction of the phosphenium ligand to generate transition metal complexes in which the Pt or Pd centers have been formally oxidized by two electrons. Interconversion between planar and pyramidal NHP geometries can be affected by either coordination/dissociation of a two-electron donor ligand or two-electron redox processes, strongly supporting an isolobal analogy with the linear (NO(+)) and bent (NO(-)) variations of nitrosyl ligands. In contrast to nitrosyls, however, these new main group noninnocent ligands are sterically and electronically tunable and are amenable to incorporation into chelating ligands, perhaps representing a new strategy for promoting redox transformations at transition metal complexes.
Performance of Wind Turbine Blades with Several Designs

A = amplitude of oscillation a = cylinder diameter Cp = pressure coefficient Cx = force coefficient in the x direction Cy = force coefficient in the y direction c = chord dt = time step Fx = X component of the resultant pressure force acting on the vehicle Fy = Y component of the resultant pressure force acting on the vehicle f, g = generic functions h = height i = time index during navigation j = waypoint index K = trailing-edge (TE) nondimensional angular deflection rate
Phosphocreatine and Adenosine Triphosphate Content of Rat Tissues after Adrenalectomy and Cortisone Treatment

ConclusionThere was no significant effect of adrenalectomy or cortisone treatment upon the phosphocreatine or, 4TP content of rat muscle.
Four Years Outcomes of Cutting Balloon Predilatation Followed by Bare Metal Stenting for Treatment of Coronary Artery Ostial Disease

Objective:To evaluate the long-term outcomes of cutting balloon(CB)predilatation followed by bare metal stenting for treat- ment of coronary artery ostial lesions. Method:Sixty-six patients with coronary artery ostial lesions were treated by CB angioplasty and then stenting.Of the 66 pa- tients,left main coronary artery ostial lesion in 9 patients,left anterior descending artery ostial lesion in 50 patients,circumflex coronary artery ostial and right coronary artery ostia]lesions in 3 and 4 patients respectively.We selected the sizes of CB for predilatation with vessel diameter to CB ratio fo 1:1. Result:The procedural success rate for cutting balloon agioplasty followed by stenting was 100%.The in-stent restenosis rate at 6-8 month follow-up was 23.7%.Four-year follow-up was completed in 55 patients.Two patients died during the follow-up peri- od.One patient died after CABG operation,the other one died of lung cancer.Two patients had non-Q-wave myocardial infarction due to in-stent restenosis at 7 and 49 months after PCI procedure.Revascularization was performed in 8 patients including CABG in 4 and re-PCI in other 4.Major adverse cardiac events(including death,myocardial infarction,revaseularization)rate at 4-year follow up was 16.4%(9/55). Conclusion:This study indicates that use of CB predilation followed by bare metal stenting for treatment of coronary artery os- tial lesions had very good short-and long-term outcomes.No late thrombosis was found during 4-year follow-up.It is an effective method for patients who are intorlerant of long-term double antiplatelet agents after PCI.
Challenges in Applying the Results of Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice.

The relevance of clinical trial results to clinical practice hinges on 2 critical questions: Will the results be replicated in one’s practice, and Are the results clinically important? The answers to the following 5 questions may help one determine how relevant a study result is to clinical practice. First, have steps been taken to minimize bias (eg, masking, randomization)? Second, is the result likely due to the treatment (vs confounding factors)? Third, is the result unlikely to be due to chance? Fourth, is the study population representative of your patients? Fifth, is the totality of the evidence consistent across studies? To determine if a study result is likely to be clinically important, consider a 3-step approach. In step 1, decide, a priori, what a clinically meaningful difference between 2 treatments would be to define regions of beneficial, harmful, and trivial outcomes. In step 2, determine whether the CIs around the average outcome include the range of beneficial outcomes and lie outside the range of harmful outcomes. In step 3, determine the proportion of patients achieving a clinically meaningful benefit. If the CIs mostly include the range of beneficial outcomes and lie outside the range of clinically harmful outcomes and if a substantial proportion of patients achieve a clinically meaningful benefit, then the intervention is probably clinically important. Application of clinical trial results to clinical practice requires critical analysis of the extant literature as well as good clinical judgment.
Impact of Military Deployment on the Development and Behavior of Children

Many US military families have faced separations of at least 1 family member for extended periods of time. This article shows how changes in military culture have increased the repercussions for military families, and especially for military-connected children. This article provides an introduction to aspects of military culture that are most applicable to children, an overview of important aspects of childhood development, a discussion of the impact of deployment on the emotional development and behavior of children left at home and their caregivers, and a review of some interventions and resources available to help these families navigate these challenges.
Pyrolysis Two-Dimensional GC-MS of Miscanthus Biomass: Quantitative Measurement Using an Internal Standard Method

Accurate measurement of biomass pyrolysis products can provide valuable guidance for thermal processing. However, pyrolysis generates large numbers of compounds in varying concentrations, factors that can make compound identification and quantitation difficult. In this study, Miscanthus biomass samples were analyzed using pyrolysis/two-dimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GCxGC-MS), which provided a more comprehensive chromatographic separation and mass spectral compound identification. Quantitative measurement was performed for 34 calibrated pyrolysis compounds using an internal standard method. Pyrolysis efficiency was measured as a function of sample mass, pyrolysis temperature, and pyrolysis temperature ramp rate. For most of the calibrated pyrolysis products, production efficiency decreased with sample mass, increased with pyrolysis temperature, and decreased with pyrolysis temperature ramp rate. Significantly, the temperature profiles of the different pyrolysis products were variable...
Using text analysis on web filter data to explore K-12 student learning behavior

The K-12 learning space is evolving in both the United States and internationally. Students are given increasingly frequent access to the internet through various platforms such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices. Some schools are distributing mobile devices to students in order to facilitate the integration of technology in the classroom. These devices have a web filter installed on them to filter inappropriate content irrespective to the Wi-Fi network to which they are connected. These web filters collect logs of student activities on the internet. To date, however, this data has not been systematically analyzed. In this paper we explore data collected from K-12 student generated search queries on different search engines to gain insight into student learning behavior. Term frequency analysis is used to discover the relationship between effective and inappropriate usage of mobile devices in school.
Coco: runtime reasoning about conflicting commitments

To interact effectively, agents must enter into commitments. What should an agent do when these commitments conflict? We describe Coco, an approach for reasoning about which specific commitments apply to specific parties in light of general types of commitments, specific circumstances, and dominance relations among specific commitments. Coco adapts answer-set programming to identify a maximal set of nondominated commitments. It provides a modeling language and tool geared to support practical applications.
Right atrial volume by cardiovascular magnetic resonance predicts mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND Right Atrial Volume Index (RAVI) measured by echocardiography is an independent predictor of morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of RAVI assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for all-cause mortality in patients with HFrEF and to assess its additive contribution to the validated Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic heart failure (MAGGIC) score. METHODS AND RESULTS We identified 243 patients (mean age 60 ± 15; 33% women) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% measured by CMR. Right atrial volume was calculated based on area in two- and four -chamber views using validated equation, followed by indexing to body surface area. MAGGIC score was calculated using online calculator. During mean period of 2.4 years 33 patients (14%) died. The mean RAVI was 53 ± 26 ml/m2; significantly larger in patients with than without an event (78.7±29 ml/m2 vs. 48±22 ml/m2, p<0.001). RAVI (per ml/m2) was an independent predictor of mortality [HR = 1.03 (1.01-1.04), p = 0.001]. RAVI has a greater discriminatory ability than LVEF, left atrial volume index and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (C-statistic 0.8±0.08 vs 0.55±0.1, 0.62±0.11, 0.68±0.11, respectively, all p<0.02). The addition of RAVI to the MAGGIC score significantly improves risk stratification (integrated discrimination improvement 13%, and category-free net reclassification improvement 73%, both p<0.001). CONCLUSION RAVI by CMR is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with HFrEF. The addition of RAVI to MAGGIC score improves mortality risk stratification.
Chemical Leukoderma: A Rare Adverse Effect of the Rotigotine Patch.

Rotigotine, marketed as Neupro, is a non-ergot dopamine agonist (DA) available as a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS).1 It was approved in 2007 for Parkinson's disease (PD)2 and in 2008 for Restless Leg Syndrome.3 It has high affinity for the D3/D2/D1 receptors.1 The TTS gives Rotigotine the advantage of direct entry into the systemic circulation bypassing the intestinal absorption and the first pass liver metabolism with stable plasma concentration leading to uniform symptomatic control. It is available in six different strengths in the market ranging from 1mg/24hr to 8 mg/24hr. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Age Diversity in the Workplace: The Effect of Relational Age Within Supervisor–Employee Dyads on Employees’ Work Engagement:

Although having a younger supervisor or a supervisor of a similar age runs counter to the traditional older supervisor-younger subordinate norm, it is becoming increasingly common in the 21st-century workplace. The current study uses theories of relational demography and relational norms as well as Selective Optimization with Compensation theory and the job demands-resources model to understand how relational age within supervisor-employee dyads influences workers' engagement. Cross-sectional data from a multiworksite (U.S.-based) sample of 2,195 workers aged 18 to 81 years were used to estimate ordinary least squares regression models. After accounting for a variety of factors that could influence engagement levels (i.e., demographics, health status, and job or personal resources), findings indicated that employees with similar-age supervisors were less engaged than employees with older supervisors. Moreover, while employees who did not know the ages of their supervisors were just as engaged as employees with older supervisors. Implications for engaging an age-diverse workforce are discussed.
Type I Interferon Is a Catastrophic Feature of the Diabetic Islet Microenvironment.

A detailed understanding of the molecular pathways and cellular interactions that result in islet beta cell [β cell] destruction is essential for the development and implementation of effective therapies for prevention or reversal of type 1 diabetes [T1D]. However, events that define the pathogenesis of human T1D have remained elusive. This gap in our knowledge results from the complex interaction between genetics, the immune system, and environmental factors that precipitate T1D in humans. A link between genetics, the immune system, and environmental factors are type 1 Interferons [T1-IFNs]. These cytokines are well known for inducing anti-viral factors that limit infection by regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. Further, several T1D genetic risk loci are within genes that link innate and adaptive immune cell responses to T1-IFN. An additional clue that links T1-IFN to T1D is that these cytokines are a known constituent of the auto-inflammatory milieu within the pancreas of patients with T1D. The presence of IFNα/β is correlated with characteristic MHC Class I [MHC-I] hyper-expression found in the islets of patients with T1D, suggesting that T1-IFNs modulate the cross-talk between auto-reactive cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes [CTL] and insulin-producing pancreatic β cells. Here, we review the evidence supporting the diabetogenic potential of T1-IFN in the islet microenvironment.
Body Composition and Ectopic Lipid Changes With Biochemical Control of Acromegaly.

Context Acromegaly is characterized by growth hormone (GH) and insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) hypersecretion, and GH and IGF-1 play important roles in regulating body composition and glucose homeostasis. Objective The purpose of our study was to investigate body composition including ectopic lipids, measures of glucose homeostasis, and gonadal steroids in patients with active acromegaly compared with age-, body mass index (BMI)-, and sex-matched controls and to determine changes in these parameters after biochemical control of acromegaly. Design Cross-sectional study of 20 patients with active acromegaly and 20 healthy matched controls. Prospective study of 16 patients before and after biochemical control of acromegaly. Main outcome measures Body composition including ectopic lipids by magnetic resonance imaging/proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy; measures of glucose homeostasis by an oral glucose tolerance test; gonadal steroids. Results Patients with active acromegaly had lower mean intrahepatic lipid (IHL) and higher mean fasting insulin and insulin area under the curve (AUC) values than controls. Men with acromegaly had lower mean total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and estradiol values than male controls. After therapy, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, fasting insulin level, and insulin AUC decreased despite an increase in IHL and abdominal and thigh adipose tissues and a decrease in muscle mass. Conclusions Patients with acromegaly were characterized by insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia but lower IHL compared with age-, BMI-, and sex-matched healthy controls. Biochemical control of acromegaly improved insulin resistance but led to a less favorable anthropometric phenotype with increased IHL and abdominal adiposity and decreased muscle mass.
Management of Acute Gastrointestinal Bleed

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common problem found in critically ill patients that can range from self-limited bleeding to a hemorrhaging emergency. Patients can quickly develop shock and altered mental status when they develop hemodynamic instability. Therefore, it is essential that the frontline critical care nurse develop self-efficacy for management of these disorders. This article overviews standards of practice for the management of upper and lower acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Common bleeding disorders are reviewed with expanded focus on peptic ulcer, acute variceal hemorrhage, colonic diverticular bleeding, and angiodysplasias, which are commonly found in the critical care setting.
Reduced alkali-silica reaction damage in recycled glass mortar samples with supplementary cementitious materials

Abstract Recycling waste glass aggregate into concrete can reduce environmental impacts but also may lead to serious alkali silica reaction (ASR) damage. This study aims to characterize ASR damage development in the mortar samples containing reactive glass aggregates and investigate the damage reduction effect of the waste supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), including recycled glass powders and fly ash. The recycled glass aggregate mortar samples with/without SCMs were prepared in this study. The length change tests were first conducted with the prepared mortar samples based on the ASTM C1260 standard. The results demonstrated the added SCMs can largely decrease early-age ASR expansion rate. The optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were further conducted to characterize the ASR damage in mortar samples and investigate the damage mitigation mechanism with added SCMs. The combined SEM imaging and chemical analysis indicated added SCMs can decrease both the alkali and calcium content of the generated ASR gel. In addition, the ASR damage development inside mortar samples were monitored with dynamic micron X-ray CT (μCT) over a reaction period of 63 h at the temperature of 80 °C. The scanning patterns demonstrated the ASR damage can be easily developed from the area with initial cracks and sharp corners. The images of glass power and fly ash samples showed significantly reduced ASR damage. This study showed that adding of SCMs can largely reduce ASR deterioration and thus facilitate the recycling glass particles into concrete.
Topological and Fuzzy Rough Sets

The approximation theory is studied via rough sets, fuzzy sets and topological spaces (more precisely, Frechet spaces). Rough set theory is a set theory via knowledge bases. This set theory is extended to fuzzy sets and Frechet topological spaces. By these results one can show that the classification preserves the approximation. We also showed that within the approximation theory, fuzzy set and Frechet topology are intrinsically equivalent notions. Finally, we show that even though approximation is a compromised solution, the three theories allow one to draw an exact solution whenever there are adequate approximations. This implies that these three approaches are good approximation theories.
Toward a new behaviorism

Abstract This essay is a call for a modification of the basic paradigm of perceptual psychology. Based upon an earlier work (Uttal, 1990) in which I argued that neither a cognitive nor neurophysiological reductionist approach to perceptual science was likely to prove viable, the present essay carries the argument a step further. A new behaviorism is suggested that is mathematically descriptive, non-reductionist, holistic, empiricist, rationalist, and multidimensional. The meanings I attach to these terms are clarified by a short lexicon and the desired properties of the new behaviorism are spelled out.
Restoration of tropical seagrass beds using wild bird fertilization and sediment regrading.

Abstract Shallow water seagrass meadows are frequently damaged by recreational and commercial vessels. Severe injury occurs where propeller scarring, hull groundings and mooring anchors uproot entire plants, excavate sediments, and modify the biophysical properties of the substrate. In climax tropical seagrass communities dominated by Thalassia testudinum (turtlegrass), natural recovery in these disturbances can take several years to decades, and in some environmental conditions may not occur at all. During the recovery period, important ecological services provided by seagrasses are absent or substantially diminished and injured meadows can degrade further in response to natural disturbances, e.g. strong currents and severe storms. To determine if we could accelerate rehabilitation and prevent further degradation of injured turtlegrass meadows, we evaluated a restoration method called “modified compressed succession” using the fast-growing, opportunistic species Halodule wrightii to temporarily substitute ecological services for the slower-growing, climax species T. testudinum. In three experiments we showed statistically significant increases in density and coverage rates of H. wrightii transplants fertilized by wild bird feces as compared to unfertilized treatments. In one experiment, we further demonstrated that regrading excavated injuries with sediment-filled biodegradable tubes in combination with wild bird fertilization and H. wrightii transplants also accelerated seagrass recovery. Specific recommendations are presented for the best practical application of this restoration method in the calcium carbonate-based sediments of south Florida and the wider Caribbean region.
High Performance and Scalable Graph Computation on GPUs

High compute power provided by the many-threaded SIMT model of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) accompanied with the recent advancements in their programmability has allowed expression of massively parallel computations. Graph processing is one of the applications that expose such parallelism, and hence, candidates GPUs as attractive execution platforms. However, irregularities in large real-world graphs makes effective and scalable utilization of symmetric GPU architecture a challenging task. While degree distribution in graphs extracted from real-world origins is usually power law, GPUs demand homogeneous computation patterns on consecutive data elements. This article summarizes recent research advancements to overcome this challenge. We first overview the main concepts in the field of graph processing on GPUs . Then, we introduce novel graph representations that, unlike conventional storage formats, are a better match for GPUs . We then present a GPU-friendly decomposition scheme that provides balanced thread to task assignment and enhances the scalability and the execution performance. Finally, we discuss a set of techniques that allow scaling the computation over multiple GPUs efficiently.
Resonant gate-drive circuit with reduced switching loss

This paper proposes a high-frequency gate-drive circuit with reduced switching loss. A series resonant circuit is formed by the inductor and the input capacitance of the MOSFET to achieve the charge and discharge process of the transistor input capacitance. Due to the resonant soft-switching operation in the gate-drive circuit, the power dissipation is reduced. A predicted loss in the gate-driver circuit is presented to determine the overall efficiency. The proposed circuit can achieve fast switching speeds and low gate-drive loss. To validate the proposed circuit, a power MOSFET with resistive load operating at 6.78 MHz is implemented. The proposed gate driver was designed, built, and tested to verify the benefits of the circuit. The theoretical analysis was in good agreement with the experimental results. The gate driver achieved an efficiency of 89%.
Gender disparities with the use of percutaneous left ventricular assist device in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention complicated by cardiogenic shock: From pVAD Working Group.

Abstract Background Hemodynamic support with Impella (Abiomed Inc., Danvers, MA) devices is becoming a more prevalent treatment option for patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There exists only limited published data regarding outcome differences between male and female patients. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyze these gender differences between short-term survival and in-hospital outcomes in those undergoing PCI with CS. Methods Between January 2011 and July 2016, patients undergoing PCI with simultaneous use of Impella were identified. Only patients presenting with CS were included in the analysis. All-cause in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Using SAS 9.4 for propensity score matching, additional secondary outcomes were also compared. Results The primary outcome was comparable between males and females (39.5% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.33) in CS patients. Secondary outcomes were also comparable and included: myocardial infarction, stroke, CS, heart failure, dialysis requirement, bleeding within 72 h, blood transfusion, dysrhythmia, composite of all complications, major adverse cardiac events. Survival at 30 days was equal in both groups. A reduced mortality in males was noted for pre-PCI initiation of Impella. Additionally, both genders who received pre-PCI Impella support, experienced a significant reduction in inotrope use. Conclusions Despite the small number of cohorts, this study did not reveal any significant differences among gender with the use of percutaneous left ventricular assist devices for PCI in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by CS. However, initiation of Impella prior to PCI may be associated with improved mortality and morbidity in both genders.
Energy Balance, Cancer Prognosis, and Survivorship

An increasing number of men and women are being diagnosed with cancer and many cancer survivors are seeking lifestyle-based approaches to improve survival. Physical activity and diet are modifiable behaviors with a multitude of health benefits, and an increasing number of publications have shown a strong relationship between physical activity, diet, weight, and cancer survival. The purpose of this chapter is to review (1) the evidence supporting the effect of weight, physical activity, and diet on cancer prognosis and survivorship; (2) mechanisms mediating the observed associations between energy balance and improved prognosis; and (3) approaches to favorably changing physical activity, diet, and weight to improve cancer prognosis and survivorship. Since a majority of cancer survivors are overweight, and not participating in recommended levels of physical activity or eating a prudent diet, improving these behaviors has the potential to benefit a large number of cancer survivors.
The Structure and Function of Ptolemy's Physical Hypotheses of Planetary Motion

Dans son livre, « les hypotheses planetaires », Ptolemee etudie la structure de l'univers, et les lois qui gouvernent les mouvements planetaires, a partir de modeles et de calculs mathematiques, permettant de determiner la position des planetes
The World Wide Web (WWW)

In addition to Nelson’s work on Xanadu™, there have been a number of notable efforts to develop hypertext systems. Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) developed NLS (oN Line System) which was used to store research papers, memos and reports and make them accessible to collaborators separated geographically (Engelbart 1963). The Intermedia system, developed at Brown University’s Institute for Research and Information Scholarship, is an integrated environment that allows different types of applications (word processors, editors, and other programs) to be linked together (Meyrowitz 1986). Other systems were NoteCards, KMS, HyperTies, Guide, Textnet and HyperCard.
Democracy and Social Justice in Sarajevo's Schools

After the end of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, the people of Sarajevo found themselves rebuilding their country while also learning to live with their former enemies in this developing democracy. In this study we examined the extent to which democratic practices and social justice values were being taught in Sarajevo’s schools. Using a case study method, we gathered data gathered from interviews with educators in a variety of roles in Sarajevo, observations of elementary and secondary classroom teaching, and daily reflective journal entries about living and teaching in the city during the fall of 2008. Our data analyses revealed that democratic teaching practices and multicultural values are not being taught in Sarajevo’s schools. Instead, entangled and fragmented governmental structures, lingering emotional trauma from the war, and a general sense of pessimism about the future are interfering with educational reform and movement toward a democratic and socially-just
Geographically Derived Socioeconomic Factors to Improve Risk Prediction in Patients Having Aortic Valve Replacement.

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery, but is not included in commonly applied risk adjustment models. This study evaluates whether inclusion of SES improves aortic valve replacement (AVR) risk prediction models, as this is the most common elective operation performed at our institution during the study period. All patients who underwent AVR at a single institution from 2005 to 2015 were evaluated. SES measures included unemployment, poverty, household income, home value, educational attainment, housing density, and a validated SES index score. The risk scores for mortality, complications, and increased length of stay were generated using models published by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons. Univariate models were fitted for each SES covariate and multivariable models for mortality, any complication, and prolonged length of stay (PLOS). A total of 1,386 patients underwent AVR with a 2.7% mortality, 15.1% complication rate, and 9.7% PLOS. In univariate models, higher education was associated with decreased mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, p = 0.04) and complications (OR 0.97, p
Why Civilian Oversight is NOT the Answer – Addressing Use of Force and Other Human Rights Violations

The title to this chapter might strike some as surprising and possibly unfair. When thinking about many police agencies in the developing world with notoriously high levels of reported corruption and human rights abuses (e.g. Brazil, Mexico and many others), why wouldn’t the establishment of external citizen oversight be the right answer? Many would argue that this is the first thing that should take place.