cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decentralized Mobile Search and Retrieval Using SMS and HTTP to Support Social Change

Recent events have demonstrated the utility of mobile devices to coordinate mass gatherings and organize protests in support of social change and the cause of democracy. However, a common attack against the social networking abilities of mobile phone wielding protesters has been government action to censor centralized search and social networking sites. This paper describes a decentralized search and retrieval system, named iTrust, that provides greater resistance against the vulnerabilities inherent in centralized services. In particular, it describes the iTrust with SMS interface and the iTrust SMS-HTTP bridge, which enable any SMS-capable mobile phone to communicate with other nodes in the iTrust network. It also describes an Android mobile phone interface that builds on the basic SMS capabilities of a mobile phone and that offers a user-friendly way of accessing the iTrust with SMS implementation. Finally, the paper presents an evaluation of the iTrust search and retrieval system.
Receiver bias for exaggerated signals in honeybees and its implications for the evolution of floral displays

Mechanistic models of animal signals posit the occurrence of biases on the part of receivers that could be potentially exploited by signallers. Such biases are most obvious when animals are confronted with exaggerated versions of signals they normally encounter. Signalling systems operating in plant–pollinator interactions are among the most highly coevolved, with plants using a variety of floral signals to attract pollinators. A number of observations suggest that pollinators preferentially visit larger floral displays although the benefit of this to either the plant or the pollinator is not always clear. We use a standard dual-choice experimental protocol to show that honeybees display a receiver bias for exaggerated size and colour contrast—two important components of floral signals—even when such signals do not indicate quality. We discuss the implications of this receiver bias for the evolution of floral displays and its possible exploitation by invading alien plants.
Possible Gatifloxacin-Induced Seizure

OBJECTIVETo report a case of seizure activity following gatifloxacin administration during treatment of urosepsis in an intensive care unit.CASE SUMMARYAn 86-year-old African American male nursing home resident with a history of hypertension and cerebrovascular accident with aphasia was initiated on gatifloxacin therapy for treatment of urosepsis. After 2 intravenous doses (400 mg followed 24 h later with 200 mg), he developed 2 generalized seizures lasting <2 minutes each. Gatifloxacin was discontinued, and the patient was switched to ceftazidime. Phenytoin was initiated, and no recurrent seizures were witnessed.DISCUSSIONFluoroquinolones have been shown to induce seizures or decrease seizure threshold. The majority of reports include older-generation fluoroquinolones such as ofloxacin. The incidence of seizures associated with fluoroquinolones varies among the individual agents and is relatively rare. Risk factors include increased age, compromised renal function, history of seizures, and coadministrati...
Sensor scheduling algorithms requiring limited computation [vehicle sonar range-finder example]

In this paper, we consider the scenario where many sensors co-operate to estimate a process. Only one sensor can take a measurement at any time step. We wish to come up with optimal sensor scheduling algorithms. The problem is motivated by the use of sonar range-finders used by the vehicles on the Caltech multi-vehicle wireless testbed. We see that this problem involves searching a tree in general and propose and analyze two strategies for pruning the tree to keep the computation limited. The first is a sliding window strategy motivated by the Viterbi algorithm, and the second one uses thresholding. We also study a technique that employs choosing the sensors randomly from a probability distribution which can then be optimized. The performance of the algorithms are illustrated with the help of numerical examples.
Sustained membrane depolarization and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular medial hypertrophy greatly contribute to the elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with pulmonary hypertension. A rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([...
A decoupling method for analysis of coupled RLC interconnects

In this paper we present an efficient decoupling model for on-chip interconnect analysis. This model decouples multiple RLC transmission lines into independent lines with separate drivers and receivers. Based on this model we propose an efficient algorithm to solve the far end responses of multiple RLC lines. Experiments show good matching between our decoupling model and SPICE simulation. Based on the model, we further develop an Nmax algorithm to quickly determine the noise amplitudes of far end responses. Experiments show that Nmax algorithm gives conservative but reasonably accurate results compared to SPICE simulation.
Power and Thermal Constrained Test Scheduling Under Deep Submicron Technologies

Conventional power constrained test scheduling methods do not guarantee a thermal-safe solution. In this paper, we propose a test scheduling algorithm that satisfies the resource, power, and thermal constraints. First, in contrast to existing schemes, the proposed algorithm exploits superposition principle to perform fast and accurate thermal simulation, which, in turn, allows the algorithm to search for solutions which introduce cooling periods between tests to reduce the overall test length. Second, we propose a test partition-based method to further improve the performance of the test scheduling. We apply our test scheduling algorithm to ITC'02 SoC benchmarks and the results show considerable improvement in the total test length over existing methods.
Treatment of chronic wounds with bone marrow-derived cells.

Background Recent evidence indicates that bone marrow contains stem cells with the potential for differentiation into a variety of tissues, including endothelium, liver, muscle, bone, and skin. It may thus be plausible that bone marrow–derived cells can provide progenitor and/or stem cells to wounds during healing. Our objective in this study was to establish proof of principle that bone marrow–derived cells applied to chronic wounds can lead to closure of nonhealing wounds. We applied autologous bone marrow cells to chronic wounds in 3 patients with wounds of more than 1-year duration. These patients had not previously responded to standard and advanced therapies, including bioengineered skin application and grafting with autologous skin. Observations Complete closure and evidence of dermal rebuilding was observed in all patients. Findings suggesting engraftment of applied cells was observed in biopsy specimens of treated wounds. Clinical and histologic evidence of reduced scarring was also observed. Conclusion Directly applied bone marrow–derived cells can lead to dermal rebuilding and closure of nonhealing chronic wounds.
Differential tolerance of native and nonnative fish exposed to ultraviolet radiation and fluoranthene in Lake Tahoe (California/Nevada), USA.

Within Lake Tahoe (CA/NV), USA, multiple environmental stressors are present that can affect both native and nonnative fish species. Stressors include natural ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many PAHs, such as fluoranthene (FLU) are phototoxic to aquatic organisms in the presence of UVR. Decreasing levels of UVR due to eutrophication and increasing levels of PAHs due to recreational activities may combine to affect the relative ability of native versus nonnative fish species to survive in the lake. The objective of the present study was to examine the differential effects of exposure to different levels of UVR and phototoxic FLU in native and nonnative fish species. Responses to these changes in the native Lahontan redside minnow (Richardsonius egregius) and the nonnative warm-water bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were compared during toxicity tests, which were conducted in controlled outdoor exposures. Physiological defenses were also investigated in an attempt to elucidate ways each species may tolerate UVR and UVR + FLU exposures. It was determined that the native redside minnow is more tolerant to UVR and UVR + FLU exposure when compared to the nonnative bluegill. In addition, a natural UVR coping mechanism, increased pigmentation, is exhibited to a greater extent in the native redside. The present study will help determine the potential for a future successful invasion of the bluegill and similar species in Lake Tahoe and other oligotrophic, montane lakes that are susceptible to habitat alteration, nutrient inputs, and recreational activity. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 1129–1135. © 2012 SETAC
Distribution and readability of periodontal health education literature.

This investigation was undertaken to determine the distribution pattern and readability level of 20 widely distributed printed items containing periodontal health education literature. Average annual distribution was obtained from distributors of the material. The Minnesota Interactive Readability Approximation Program (MNIRAP) was used to determine the reading skill (educational grade level) necessary to understand each of the pieces of literature. Results indicated that over two million pieces of printed materials were distributed annually. The MNIRAP analysis revealed that three of the 20 materials studied (15%) would be understood by persons reading at the sixth-grade level. Those reading at the 10th-grade level would understand seven of the 20 materials (35%), while the 12th-grade level would allow individuals to understand 17 of them (85%). Only those reading as well as a typical third-year college student could be expected to understand all of the materials analyzed.
Continual surface-based multi-projector blending for moving objects

We introduce a general technique for blending imagery from multiple projectors on a tracked, moving, non-planar object. Our technique continuously computes visibility of pixels over the surfaces of the object and dynamically computes the per-pixel weights for each projector. This approach supports smooth transitions between areas of the object illuminated by different number of projectors, down to the illumination contribution of individual pixels within each polygon. To achieve real-time performance, we take advantage of graphics hardware, implementing much of the technique with a custom dynamic blending shader program within the GPU associated with each projector. We demonstrate the technique with some tracked objects being illuminated by three projectors.
Friction Forces Within the Cylinder Bores of Swash-Plate Type Axial-Piston Pumps and Motors

In this research, the friction within the cylinder bore of a swash-plate type axial-piston machine is examined. Unlike previous research, this work develops a mathematical model for the friction based upon lubricating conditions which are described by the well-known Stribeck curve. Furthermore, a test device is built for measuring the frictional charac­ teristics during low pressure and low speed operation and these results are compared with the mathematical model. For high pressure and high speed considerations, a numerical investigation based upon the model is conducted and it is shown that the friction associated with a pumping piston is greater than the friction associated with a motoring piston. It is also shown that increased piston speeds usually reduce the friction within the cylinder bore; however, a "cross-over" condition may exist where the increased speed will actually increase the friction as a result of increased fluid shear. Furthermore, it is shown that speed changes have a more significant impact on motoring pistons as opposed to pumping pistons due to a difference in the location of hydrodynamic lubrication within the cylinder bore. It is noted that this difference exits due to the bore geometry and the direction of piston travel.
International Migration and Growth in Developed Countries: A Theoretical Analysis

We use a two-country version of the quality ladders endogenous growth model and show that free international migration raises world growth if it is driven by imbalances in labour supplies. International migration may, however, lower growth if it is induced by policy differences across, countries. Moreover, other things being equal, workers want to migrate to less populated countries, to countries that subsidize R&D less, to countries with lower tariffs, and to countries with wealthier consumers. Neither structural nor public policy differences generate any differences in growth rates across countries when tariffs are set at non-prohibitively high levels.
Alaskan Glaciology from Space

Global totals of ice area and volume for mountain glaciers are small compared to the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, however, their present contribution to sea level rise (SLR) is on par with the ice sheets. Alaska Glaciers provide the largest contribution of all mountain glaciers to SLR. We discuss the use of spaceborne remote sensing techniques to study Alaska glacier contributions to sea level and suspected changes in ice velocity. Direct calculation of ice volume changes and rates of change on Kenai Peninsula glaciers are based on differences in USGS and SRTM DEMs and airborne Lidar profiles. A preliminary study of ice velocities on the Seward Glacier using L-band InSAR from PALSAR is presented.
Micromachined silicon fuel atomizers for gas turbine engines

This paper presents results on fabrication and testing of micromachined fuel atomizers for gas turbine engines. Pressure-swirl (simplex) atomizers are batch fabricated by bulk micromachining of silicon using deep reactive-ion-etching (RIE). The atomizers are fabricated as an array, according to a designed experiment, and the influence of the geometric features on the performance of the atomizers is studied. The atomizer design is optimized by a response surface methodology. Finally, a comparative study is done, comparing and contrasting the performance of the silicon atomizers with conventional and metallic atomizers.
Regime Age and Terrorism: Are New Democracies Prone to Terrorism?

One of the earlier empirical studies of the relationship between regime type and terrorism published in International Interactions determined that while established democracies were significantly less likely to experience terrorist attacks than were nondemocratic countries, newly established democracies were highly vulnerable to terrorism. Subsequent empirical studies have routinely controlled for both regime type and age, but scholarly understanding of the effect of regime longevity on terrorism remains underdeveloped. This study revisits the relationship between terrorism and regime type and regime age using updated data, analytical techniques, and time-series and finds that while young democracies experience more terrorism than older democracies, dictatorships of any age experience less terrorism than any other type of regime.
The Effects of Cueing and Framing on Youth Attitudes towards Gun Control and Gun Rights

I analyze attitudes towards gun control from a recent survey of American high school students. For students who most closely identify as Republicans, cueing them to think about prior school shootings increases their agreement that armed staff in schools will improve safety and arming citizens will reduce risk of mass shootings. For those identifying as Democrats and Independents, providing them with selective information that certain states have loose gun control laws and low rates of gun violence makes them more supportive of gun rights. For Republicans, providing selective information that certain states have loose gun control laws and high rates of gun violence makes them less supportive of gun rights. These results suggest that emotional cues may exacerbate a priori biases, while informational cues may be more likely to change people’s minds about firearm policies.
Zero-bias anomaly in CrO2 junctions

CrO2 thin films, with crystallites of several microns size, provide the opportunity for the investigation of the intergrain tunneling between a few crystals separated by a 1–2 nm thick Cr2O3 film. A pronounced zero-bias anomaly of the conductance is found at low temperatures. Combined photoemission and inverse photoemission temperature-dependent studies confirm the occurrence of Coulomb blockade. For the strong-tunneling case (R > RQ), the magnetoresistance decreases by a factor two with increasing bias, as predicted by a co-tunneling model.
AN ARTISTIC TECHNIQUE FOR AUDIO -TO -VIDEO TRANSLATION ON A MUSIC PERCEPTION STUDY

The paper presents an audio-to-visual instrument that allows sound-to-image transformation based on an empirical investigation of the relationship between four auditory parameters – pitch, amplitude, timbre, and duration - and four visual parameters – color, location, shape, and size - in the multimedia context. Implementing the audio-to-visual instruments involves real-time sound analysis by using a constant-Q transform and image generation in a Max/MSP/Jitter environment.
PHYSIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY SYMPOSIUM: Effects of insulin on mammary gland differentiation during pregnancy and lactation

Differentiation of the mammary gland during pregnancy and the first several days following parturition is required for the establishment of a normal lactation. The expansion and development of the secretory compartment into lobuloalveloar structures that secrete milk is a complex process that is under the tight control of an array of hormones and growth factors that interact at multiple levels. Of the many factors that are required to orchestrate functional differentiation during pregnancy, insulin is often overlooked. This is likely related to the difficulty in manipulating insulin without disrupting its widespread systemic effects on metabolism. In addition, crosstalk with the IGF type 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and activation of similar downstream signaling pathways through the insulin receptor (IR) and IGF-1R often make it difficult to specifically link biological outcomes to insulin. The objective of this review is to summarize the available data that address a role for insulin in secretory differentiation of the mammary gland. Much of these data focus on a role for insulin in milk protein synthesis. However, data using conditional knockout of the IR in the mammary epithelium during mid pregnancy as well as transcriptomic approaches are discussed to present an expanded understanding of a role for insulin in functional differentiation that includes both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of multiple genes involved in the process.
Scattering and dip angle decomposition based on subsurface offset extended wave-equation migration

ABSTRACTAn angle-dependent reflection coefficient is recovered by seismic migration in the angle domain. We have developed a postmigration technique for computing scattering and dip angle common-image gathers (CIGs) from seismic images, extended by the subsurface offset, based on wave-equation migration methods. Our methodology suggests a system of Radon transform operators by introducing local transform relations between the subsurface offset image and the angle-domain components. In addition to the commonly used decomposition of the scattering angle, the methodology associates the wave-equation migration with dip-domain images as well. The same postmigration subsurface offset image is used to decompose scattering and dip angle CIGs individually or to decompose a multiangle CIG by showing simultaneously both angles on the gather’s axis. We show that the dip-angle response of seismic reflections is a spot-like signature, focused at the specular dip of the subsurface reflector. It differs from the well-stu...
Analysis on High-risk Sexual Behaviors of HIV,HBV and HCV among Intravenous Drug Users in Beijing City

[Objective] To analyze high-risk behaviors among Intravenous drug users(IDUs).[Methods]Clinical data,HIV,HBV and HCV infection status,sexual behaviors,relative knowledge and attitude to(HIV/AIDS),and other social psychological factors of 300 IDUs who perform drug rehabilitation in Beijing City were collected;Influencing factors of high-risk sexual behaviors were analyzed.[Results]86.8% of IDUs could not insist on using condoms,25.7% had multiple sexual partners,49.0% had IDUs as sexual partners,70.7%didn't know whether comate had infected HIV.High-risk sexual behavior was relative with these factors:starting drug taking at younger age,more frequencies of excessive injection,denial attitude to condom using,and using dirty injection equipment with others.Unmarried status,willingness to use condoms and voluntary HIV testing related with secure sexual behaviors.[Conclusion]High-risk behaviors among IDUs is ubiquity in Beijing area,therefore the study on it should not be ignored.
Sonographic diagnosis of prostatic cancer

In 75-80% of all clinically significant prostate cancer, the peripheral zone appears to be hypoechoic on transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). However, examination by TRUS alone in a screening program is not recommended due to its low sensitivity. The combination of prostate-specific antigen, digital rectal examination, and TRUS increases the detection rate of prostate cancer. In prostate cancer arising from the transition zone, TRUS findings are often nonspecific. Even prostate biopsies might be negative due to the location of this tumor. Anterior biopsies of the transition zone will identify these prostate cancers. Color Doppler ultrasound of the prostate has little additional value over TRUS alone in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Comparison of Conventional, Revascularized, and Bioengineered Methods of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Reconstruction.

Importance Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is highly detrimental to voice, swallow, and cough. The optimal method for reconstitution of a nerve gap after injury is unknown. Objective To evaluate multiple methods of RLN reconstruction. Design, Setting, and Participants This study used an established canine model of RLN injury to examine purpose-bred, conditioned, female, 20-kg mongrel hounds at Washington University. A total of 32 dogs were examined, with 63 experiments performed. Interventions Surgical transection or excision of the RLN with reconstruction by multiple methods. Main Outcomes and Measures Six months after injury repair, laryngeal adductor pressures (LAPs), spontaneous and stimulable movement, and graft axon counts by histologic analysis were assessed. Results Simple RLN transection with direct neurorrhaphy provided a mean (SD) recovery of 55.5% (12.5%) of baseline LAPs ( P = .18 for comparison of LAP recovery among cases from the conventional nerve graft [39.4% (22.2%)]; P = .63 for comparison of LAP recovery among cases from the reverse autograft [60.8% (27.5%)]). Revascularized grafts provided a recovery of 54.5% (46.4%) while short and long acellular grafts provided recoveries of 60.4% (NA) and 39.5% (17.0%). Two of 11 polyglycolic acid reconstructions provided a measurable LAP with a mean (SD) recovery of 37.1% (8.9%) of baseline. Reconstruction with a neural conduit in any condition provided no measurable LAP recovery. Conclusions and Relevance Conventional nerve grafting resulted in no significant difference in recovery of LAP function compared with simple neurorrhaphy or reverse autograft. Conventional and revascularized nerve grafts provided similar recovery. The use of bioengineered acellular nerve grafts or nerve conduits for reconstruction resulted in poor recovery of function.
Evidence that injection of vitamin A before mating may improve embryo survival in gilts fed normal or high-energy diets.

The hypothesis was that administration of vitamin A before ovulation would improve embryo survival in gilts fed a high-energy diet intentionally to reduce embryo survival. Forty crossbred ([Landrace x Large White] x [Duroc x Hampshire]) gilts were fed control (5.5 Mcal ME/d) or high-energy (11.0 Mcal ME/d) diets from 7 d after second estrus until 11 to 12 d after third estrus. Gilts in each dietary group received (i.m.) corn oil or retinyl palmitate (1 x 10(6) IU, vitamin A) on d 15 after second estrus and were mated at third estrus. Blood for determination of progesterone and estradiol was collected twice daily. The uterus and ovaries were removed on d 11 or 12 after third estrus for assessment of number of CL, and number, size and aromatase activity of embryos. Neither diet nor vitamin treatment affected number of CL. The high-energy diet exerted a negative effect on number of embryos (P = .09) and embryo survival (P = .07), whereas vitamin A exerted a positive effect on number of embryos (P = .07) and embryo survival (P = .08). The high-energy diet increased variation in embryo diameter, whereas vitamin A reduced variation in diameter and increased average diameter. Neither diet nor vitamin treatment influenced aromatase activity of embryos. Diet and vitamin treatment interacted with day to influence serum progesterone, but not estradiol. Injecting vitamin A before estrus restored embryo survival to normal levels in gilts fed high-energy diets, and this may be attributable to decreased variation in size of embryos.
Surgical therapy of early rectal carcinoma.

The surgical options in the treatment of early-stage rectal carcinomas are reviewed. With careful clinical staging, procedures that spare the rectum can be employed. Additionally, the rationale for a multimodality approach to treating patients with early-stage disease is discussed.
Integrating videos with LIDAR scans for virtual reality

LIDAR range scans can be used to quickly create accurate 3D models for virtual reality and as a basis to visualize sets of photographs, videos, and virtual objects in a cohesive environment. The number of existing virtual reality programs that use LIDAR data as input has motivated our group to develop methods for fusing images with 3D scans and for augmenting the scans with both dynamic objects present in videos and virtual models. Bringing together as many data sources as possible increases users' abilities to present related information in one, intuitive venue. We demonstrate how to register a variety of 2D imagery with a range scan to construct photo-realistic models and to extract walking people captured in videos and model them in a 3D space. We also present a method for determining the sun position from a set of stitched photographs in order to apply correct lighting to virtual objects placed amongst real world data. Naturally lit objects can be inserted into original photographs using our 2D-3D registration information. These methods are all combined to display and study photos, videos, and virtual objects in a complete 3D environment.
Bee System Based Base Station Cooperation Technique for Mobile Cellular Networks

Mobility with high degree of network-facility is a mandatory attribute for better QoS in cellular networks, but it leads to a huge increment in energy consumption, a significant fraction of which related to the base stations within the service area. In this paper, we are introducing a base station cooperation technique for energy efficiency in mobile communication networks, and it is based on nature-inspired computing, especially the Bee system. All serving base stations within a given geographical area will work together to provide a better network experience to the mobile subscriber. In order to achieve this, base stations will check for availability of unutilized (or underutilized) bandwidth and if it is over a certain threshold, all base stations perform a re-reunion procedure to provide a uniform distribution of the consumed bandwidth (bandwidth load), thereby providing better service to users. We have formulated the proposed technique to determine the effectiveness, efficiency and scalability of work. Further we create a simulation setup for proposed algorithm using OPNET to implement a real time cellular networks. It has been observed that results of proposed work have sufficient improvement in energy efficiency at the base station with respect to traditional schemes.
Hospital Infection Control: Considerations for the Management and Control of Drug-Resistant Organisms

The prevalence of hospital-acquired, antibiotic-resistant organisms has increased significantly over the last 20 years. Data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) report published in 2013 revealed an alarming proportion of drug-resistant pathogens [1]. The NHSN system report represents data from more than 4000 medical facilities throughout the United States. Reports of hospital-acquired infections and microbiology data from participating institutions are published annually. From the sample, in 2009–2010, 43.7–58.7 % of all S. aureus isolates were resistant to methicillin, depending on the site of infection. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were 6.2–9.8 % and 62.3–82.6 % vancomycin resistant, respectively [1]. An increase in drug-resistant staphylococci and enterococci has also been reported in Europe and South America [2–4].
Cell Wall Remodeling of Staphylococcus aureus in Live Caenorhabditis elegans

Peptidoglycan (PG) scaffolds are critical components of bacterial cell walls. They counter internal turgor pressure to prevent lysis and protect against external insults. It was recently discovered that various types of bacteria release large quantities of PG building blocks (d-amino acids) into their surrounding medium. Contrarily, cultured bacteria were also found to incorporate d-amino acids (both natural and synthetic) from the medium directly into their PG scaffold. These two processes may potentially function, in concert, to metabolically remodel PG in live host organisms. However, demonstration that bacteria can decorate their cell surfaces with exogenous d-amino acids was limited to in vitro culture conditions. We present the first evidence that bacteria remodel their PG with exogenous d-amino acids in a live host animal. A tetrazine click partner was conjugated onto the side chain of a d-amino acid to capture incorporation into the bacterial PG scaffold using a complementary click-reactive fluoro...
Reliability of upper limb and trunk joint angles in healthy adults during activities of daily living

Abstract Assessments of upper limb performance should require participants to perform tasks that challenge the limits of their ability. In order to select appropriate tasks, it is important to know which joints are used to perform the movement and how reliably those movements can be measured. The purpose of this work was to quantify the reliability of upper limb and trunk joint angles in healthy adults during common activities of daily living (ADLs). Nineteen participants performed six ADLs with the right arm (applying deodorant, turning a doorknob, answering a desk telephone, placing a pushpin in a bulletin board, wiping a plate with a towel, and pouring water from a pitcher) during two separate sessions. Within- and between-session reliability was quantified using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and minimum detectable change values (MDCs). Reliability was generally better within-session than between-session. The ICCs exceeded 0.75 for 88% of the joint angles and exceeded 0.90 for 32% of the angles. All MDCs were less than 25° and 61% were also less than 10°. The MDCs represented a larger percent of the average angles for the trunk (61%) and wrist (62%) compared to the shoulder (18%) and elbow (26%). Although these results show that most angles can be measured reliably for these six ADLs, reliability varied considerably between joints. It is therefore important to select tasks for assessing of upper limb performance based on which specific joints need to be evaluated.
Attitudes Toward Smoke-Free Public Housing Among U.S. Adults, 2016.

Introduction Effective February 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development published a rule requiring each public housing agency to implement a smoke-free policy within 18 months. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of favorability toward smoke-free public housing among U.S. adults. Methods Data from 2016 Summer Styles, a nationally representative web-based survey conducted among adults (N=4,203) were analyzed in 2017. Participants were asked: Do you favor or oppose prohibiting smoking in public housing, including all indoor areas of living units, common areas, and office buildings, as well as in all outdoor areas within 25 feet of buildings? Multivariate Poisson regression was used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios of favorability (strongly or somewhat). Results Overall, 73.7% of respondents favored smoke-free public housing. Favorability was 44.3% among current cigarette smokers, 73.2% among former smokers, and 80.4% among never smokers. The adjusted likelihood of favorability was greater among non-Hispanic, non-black racial/ethnic minorities than whites, and among those in the West than the Northeast (p Conclusions Most U.S. adults favor prohibiting smoking in public housing. These data can inform the implementation and sustainment of smoke-free policies to reduce the public health burden of tobacco smoking in public housing.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of an Adherence-Promotion Intervention for Children With Leukemia: A Markov Model-Based Simulation.

Objective Improving medication adherence among children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has the potential to reduce relapse rates but requires an investment in resources. An economic evaluation is needed to understand the potential costs and benefits of delivering adherence-promotion interventions (APIs) as part of standard clinical care. Methods A Markov decision analytic model was used to simulate the potential incremental cost-effectiveness per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) to be gained from an API for children with B-ALL in first continuous remission compared with treatment as usual (TAU, no intervention). Model parameter estimates were informed by previously published studies. The primary outcome was incremental cost (2015 US$) per QALY gained for API compared with TAU. Results The model predicts the API to result in superior health outcomes (4.87 vs. 4.86 QALYs) and cost savings ($43,540.73 vs. $46,675.71) as compared with TAU, and simulations indicate that, across a range of plausible parameter estimates, there is a 95% chance that the API is more effective and less costly than TAU. The API was estimated to remain more effective and less costly than TAU in situations where the prevalence of nonadherence exceeds 32% and when API improves baseline adherence in at least 3% of patients. Conclusions Providing APIs to children with B-ALL may improve health outcomes and save costs over a 6-year period.
Anesthesia for Weight Reduction Surgery

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, affecting over a third of the adult population. Excess body weight has implications for nearly every organ system, increasing the risk of life-altering comorbidities including heart disease, respiratory dysfunction, diabetes, cancer, and musculoskeletal injury. Bariatric surgery offers patients surgical rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract, causing caloric malabsorption, restriction, or both. Patients lose more weight, sustain greater weight loss, and experience better comorbidity reduction compared to medical management. The anesthesia team plays a critical role in achieving successful perioperative outcomes. Understanding the technical surgical approaches allows one to facilitate the procedure and anticipate complications. Special attention to airway management, cardiopulmonary physiology of obesity, and patient positioning mitigates the risks of anesthesia in the obese. Thorough knowledge of pharmacology and its application to the obese is critical to appropriately apply total, lean, or ideal body-weight calculations and achieve therapeutic drug levels. By learning the advances in surgical technique and appreciating the perioperative implications of obesity, one can effectively coordinate with the surgical team and contribute to successful perioperative outcomes.
Theoritical and Empirical Literature Review

The role of conventional innovation in achieving competitive advantage has been examined from the views of comparative and competitive advantage model, resource-based perspective, product life cycle, and internalization theories, such as transaction cost in developed countries (Chudnovsky et al. 2006). However, the ­relevance of incremental and adaptive innovation in escalating competitive position of a firm in a developing country has not been adequately studied (Chudnovsky et al. 2006). To develop the research framework, this study draws mainly from two interrelated fields: innovation model and comparative and competitive advantage model. It also derives relevant aspects from technological cycle, resource-based perspective, path-dependency theory, and sectoral innovation system.
Energy Transduction by the Two Molecular Motors of the F1Fo ATP Synthase

The F1Fo ATP synthase has nearly universal importance as the major source of ATP among all life forms. These molecular motors couple the energy provided by a transmembrane proton gradient to the production of ATP from ADP and phosphate. The intrinsic membrane complex of ab2c10–15 subunits, known as Fo, functions as a proton channel via a Brownian ratchet mechanism and the F1 peripheral membrane complex of α3β3γδe subunits contains one site for ATP synthesis/hydrolysis per αβ heterodimer. When F1 is purified from Fo and the membrane, it retains the ability to hydrolyze ATP. The ring of three αβ heterodimers form the stator around the γ-subunit rotor that rotates in response to ATP hydrolysis activity producing a torque of 61 pN nm. Rotation occurs via the alternating site mechanism in which ATP binds to one site, while product release occurs at another site. It uses the non-equilibrium transmembrane electrochemical proton gradient derived from the oxidation of metabolites or light during photosynthesis to drive the reaction ADP + Pi ↔ ATP + H2O away from equilibrium, and thereby maintains high cellular concentrations of ATP. Under some conditions, the enzyme can catalyze ATPase-driven proton pumping in the reverse direction across the membrane. However, the enzymes from mitochondria and chloroplasts employ mechanisms to minimize this reverse reaction.
Peer Review Procedures: Employee Involvement in Dispute Resolution

Peer review procedures provide a mechanism for incorporating employee involvement into nonunion dispute resolution procedures in the workplace. Under peer review procedures, fellow employees who are peers of the grievant sit on a panel that hears and decides the employee's grievance. The intended effect is to increase employee trust in and use of dispute resolution procedures by providing a final decision-maker that is viewed as more independent of management and more favorable to the employee perspective in disputes. From a legal perspective peer review procedures are useful because they can be structured to avoid violating the limitations on nonunion employee representation plans contained in section 8(a)(2) of the National Labor Relations Act. This paper investigates the implications for organizations of adoption of peer review procedures. Case study and survey evidence provides support for the effect of peer review on increasing employee use of dispute resolution procedures. In a survey of 203 establishments in the telecommunications industry, employees were over twice as likely to appeal disciplinary decisions through nonunion dispute resolution procedures where those procedures included peer review, though the rate of usage of peer review procedures was under half that for grievance-arbitration procedures in unionized establishments. Both case study and survey evidence also supports a linkage between peer review and the use of self-managed teams in the workplace. The average percentage of workers organized into self-managed teams was over twice as high in establishments with peer review as in either other nonunion establishments or unionized establishments.
Simple Questions for Interactive Information Retrieval

Abstract : We explore simple questions that can be used for interactive information retrieval. We develop four techniques that have the potential to be used in an interactive setting. The techniques are designed to be easy to use and understand, and provide good improvements in performance with minimal effort from the user. We test the automatic versions of the techniques in two environments known to be difficult, and report significant improvements in performance as measured by MAP and GMAP over pseudo-relevance feedback. Our successful testing of one of the techniques in an interactive setting encourages the pursuit of more similar techniques to improve information retrieval with a new approach.
Impact of Electronic Medical Records on Patient-Provider Communication:

Previous research found electronic medical records (EMRs) to have negative impact on patient-provider (PP) communication. However, very few studies were focused on specific age ranges especially yo...
The utility of impedance cardiography in hemodynamic monitoring of patients with sepsis.

Background Commonly used biochemical indicators and hemodynamic and physiologic parameters of sepsis vary with regard to their sensitivity and specificity to the diagnosis. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate non-invasive impedance cardiography as a monitoring tool of the hemodynamic status of patients with sepsis throughout their initial volume resuscitation to explore the possibility of identifying additional measurements to be used in the future treatment of sepsis. Methods Nine patients who presented to the emergency room and received a surgical consultation during a 3-month period in 2016, meeting the clinical criteria of sepsis defined by systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the 2012 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines, were included in this study. We applied cardiac impedance monitors to each patient’s anterior chest and neck and obtained baseline recordings. Measurements were taken at activation of the sepsis alert and 1 hour after fluid resuscitation with 2 L of intravenous crystalloid solution. Results Nine patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 60±17 years and two were female; eight were febrile, five were hypotensive, four were tachycardic, seven were treated for infection, and six had positive blood cultures. Hemodynamic parameters at presentation and 1 hour after fluid resuscitation were heart rate (beats per minute) (97±13 and 93±18; p=0.23), mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) (81±13 and 85±14; p=0.55), systemic vascular resistance (dyne-s/cm−5) (861±162 and 1087±272; p=0.04), afterload measured as systemic vascular resistance index (dyne-s/cm−5/m2) (1813±278 and 2283±497; p=0.04), and left cardiac work index (kg*m/m2) (3.6±1.4 and 3.3±1.3; p=0.69). Discussion Through measuring a patient’s systemic vascular resistance and systemic vascular resistance index (afterload), statistical significance is achieved after intervention with a 2 L crystalloid bolus. This suggests that, along with clinical presentation and biochemical markers, impedance cardiography may show utility in providing supporting hemodynamic data to trend resuscitative efforts in patients with sepsis. Level of evidence Level IV.
Wellposedness and smoothing properties of history-state-based variable-order time-fractional diffusion equations

We prove the wellposedness of history-state-based variable-order linear time-fractional diffusion equations in multiple space dimensions. We also prove that the regularity of their solutions depends on the behavior of the variable order at the initial time $$t=0$$, in addition to the usual smoothness assumptions. More precisely, we prove that their solutions have full regularity (i.e., the solutions can achieve high-order smoothness under high-order regularity assumptions of the data) as their integer-order analogs if the variable order has an integer limit at $$t=0$$ or exhibits singular behaviors at $$t=0$$ like in the case of the constant-order time-fractional diffusion equations if the variable order has a non-integer value at $$t=0$$.
Gut microbiota, endotoxemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with heart failure, left ventricular assist device, and transplant.

BACKGROUND Gut microbial imbalance may contribute to endotoxemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress in heart failure (HF). Changes occurring in the intestinal microbiota and inflammatory/oxidative milieu during HF progression and following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplantation (HT) are unknown. We aimed to investigate variation in gut microbiota and circulating biomarkers of endotoxemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with HF (New York Heart Association, Class I–IV), LVAD, and HT. METHODS We enrolled 452 patients. Biomarkers of endotoxemia (lipopolysaccharide and soluble [sCD14]), inflammation (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and endothelin-1 adiponectin), and oxidative stress (isoprostane) were measured in 644 blood samples. A total of 304 stool samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS Gut microbial community measures of alpha diversity were progressively lower across worsening HF class and were similarly reduced in patients with LVAD and HT (p CONCLUSIONS Reduced gut microbial diversity and increased endotoxemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress are present in patients with Class IV HF. Inflammation and oxidative stress are lower among patients with LVAD and HT relative to patients with Class IV HF, whereas reduced gut diversity and endotoxemia persist in LVAD and HT.
A Novel Vetting Approach to Cybersecurity Verification in Energy Grid Systems

The cybersecurity auditing for Operation Technology is critical and has been largely missing from the cybersecurity research, especially in the energy sector. In this paper, we present a novel “cybersecurity vetting” approach (CYVET) to the problem of verification and validation of cybersecurity in complex cyber-physical installations underlying modern energy grid systems.
Translesion synthesis of the major nitrogen mustard-induced DNA lesion by human DNA polymerase η

Nitrogen mustards are among the first modern anticancer chemotherapeutics that are still widely used as non-specific anticancer alkylating agents. While the mechanism of action of mustard drugs involves the generation of DNA interstrand cross-links, the predominant lesions produced by these drugs are nitrogen half-mustard-N7-dG (NHMG) adducts. The bulky major groove lesion NHMG, if left unrepaired, can be bypassed by translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases. However, studies of the TLS past NHMG have not been reported so far. Here, we present the first synthesis of an oligonucleotide containing a site-specific NHMG. We also report kinetic and structural characterization of human DNA polymerase η (polη) bypassing NHMG. The templating NHMG slows dCTP incorporation ∼130-fold, while it increases the misincorporation frequency ∼10-30-fold, highlighting the promutagenic nature of NHMG. A crystal structure of polη incorporating dCTP opposite NHMG shows a Watson-Crick NHMG:dCTP base pair with a large propeller twist angle. The nitrogen half-mustard moiety fits snugly into an open cleft created by the Arg61-Trp64 loop of polη, suggesting a role of the Arg61-Trp64 loop in accommodating bulky major groove adducts during lesion bypass. Overall, our results presented here to provide first insights into the TLS of the major DNA adduct formed by nitrogen mustard drugs.
A Critical Essay on Black Male Teacher Recruitment Discourse

Drawing from the framework of populational reasoning, this paper explores the implicit and explicit discourses within recruitment calls for Black male teachers. Populational reasoning helps to cons...