cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Centered, Nurse Averse? Nurses’ Care Experiences in a 21st-Century Hospital

Implementations of patient centeredness can vary tremendously across settings, yet we know little about how clinicians experience local interpretations of patient centeredness. In this article, we investigate nurses' experiences in a hospital designed to be patient centered in its emphasis on patient amenities and customer service. This environment altered nurses' articulation work by shifting the visibility of a number of nursing tasks; customer service tasks became more visible whereas many medical and caring tasks were obscured. We found that these changes in nursing work challenged nurses' professional roles, and the informants reported that the changes disrupted their relationships with patients and with one another. This implementation of patient centeredness resulted in a view of nursing that conflicted with many nurses' implicit and explicit understanding of their work. Our findings suggest that the adoption of some versions of patient centeredness might obscure substantial and substantive nursing work and might undermine nurses' concepts of caregiving.
Measuring Leadership Ability1

Summary To select successful leaders it is first necessary to identify the qualities that differentiate the “best” from the “poorest” leaders. Some such qualities may be common to all situations involving leadership. Others may be peculiar to specific situations. The present study tries out a technique designed to identify the factors of leadership. The technique is demonstrated on Boy Scout troops but is easily adapted to the industrial situation.
Phenotypic Changes of Rabbit Mandibular Condylar Cartilage Cells in Culture

The present study describes the behavior of mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) cells as a function of time in primary culture, since it is not yet clear whether these cells maintain their phenotype in culture. MCC cells from New Zealand white rabbits were seeded at high density and cultured in DMEM containing 50 μg/mL ascorbic acid and 10% fetal bovine serum. These cells appeared as a heterogeneous population and changed their shape, size, and refractivity as cultures aged. Cartilage-like cells, which always dominated the culture, were infiltrated with a minority of fibroblast-like cells. Cell number increased progressively, and cultures reached confluence at nine days. Antibody activity for cartilage-specific glycosaminoglycan was determined by ELISA assay. This reaction reached a maximum at six days and decreased thereafter. Cultures stained with Alcian blue (pH 1.0) supported these results. Cytoplasmic mRNA analysis indicated that the transcription of type II collagen gene was present at all time poin...
National Validation Study of a Cellulose Sponge Wipe-Processing Method for Use after Sampling Bacillus anthracis Spores from Surfaces

This work was initiated to address the gaps identified by Congress regarding validated biothreat environmental sampling and processing methods. Nine Laboratory Response Network-affiliated laboratories participated in a validation study of a cellulose sponge wipe-processing protocol for the recovery, detection, and quantification of viable Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores from steel surfaces. Steel coupons (645.16 cm2) were inoculated with 1 to 4 log10 spores and then sampled with cellulose sponges (Sponge-Stick; 3M, St. Paul, MN). Surrogate dust and background organisms were added to the sponges to mimic environmental conditions. Labs processed the sponges according to the provided protocol. Sensitivity, specificity, and mean percent recovery (%R), between-lab variability, within-lab variability, and total percent coefficient of variation were calculated. The mean %R (standard error) of spores from the surface was 32.4 (4.4), 24.4 (2.8), and 30.1 (2.3) for the 1-, 2-, and 4-log10 inoculum levels, respectively. Sensitivities for colony counts were 84.1%, 100%, and 100% for the 1-, 2-, and 4-log10 inocula, respectively. These data help to characterize the variability of the processing method and thereby enhance confidence in the interpretation of the results of environmental sampling conducted during a B. anthracis contamination investigation.
Editorial: In health care, geography is destiny

In this issue of the Journal (see page 978), Shahian and colleagues conclude that proximity to home and historical referral patterns are the two most important variables influencing where patients have heart surgery. Location and habit appear to determine where most patients seek care. These conclusions seem surprising in this modern era of consumer empowerment—more so, given that the eight competing programs in the study lie within 15 miles of one another and in a “mature” marketplace characterized by high penetration of managed care. However, these findings should not surprise us. A person who is experiencing illness needs help from family and friends. Getting and giving this kind of help is easier when the physical location of care is nearby and when the network of relationships among providers is familiar. Despite this, federal and private medical insurers and some health care administrators are attempting to change or control referral patterns. Typical strategies are to buy primary care practices, publish information about hospitals’ and surgeons’ outcomes, provide direct economic incentives to physicians and patients, and popularize “centers of excellence” to control costs, improve quality, and protect or increase clinical volume. These efforts have helped fuel public outcry against managed care that has carried the debate over a national Patients’ Bill of Rights to the top of our legislators’ health care agenda. Published data suggest that patients are better informed about medical issues and they increasingly use that information to involve themselves in heath care decisions. 1-3 Perhaps it is not ignorance or a lack of incentives that causes patients to resist changing where they receive care. There may be other forces at work. Finlayson and associates 4 report that patients anticipat
Use of transposon-transposase complexes to create stable insertion mutant strains of Francisella tularensis LVS.

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent zoonotic bacterial pathogen capable of infecting numerous different mammalian species, including humans. Elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms of F. tularensis has been hampered by a lack of tools to genetically manipulate this organism. Herein we describe the use of transposome complexes to create insertion mutations in the chromosome of the F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS). A Tn5-derived transposon encoding kanamycin resistance and lacking a transposase gene was complexed with transposase enzyme and transformed directly into F. tularensis LVS by electroporation. An insertion frequency of 2.6 × 10−8 ± 0.87 × 10−8 per cell was consistently achieved using this method. There are 178 described Tn5 consensus target sites distributed throughout the F. tularensis genome. Twenty-two of 26 transposon insertions analyzed were within known or predicted open reading frames, but none of these insertions was associated with the Tn5 target site. Analysis of the insertions of sequentially passed strains indicated that the transposons were maintained stably at the initial insertion site after more than 270 generations. Therefore, transformation by electroporation of Tn5-based transposon-transposase complexes provided an efficient mechanism for generating random, stable chromosomal insertion mutations in F. tularensis.
Triple Trouble: the Role of Malnutrition in Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-infection

Worldwide, the number of individuals who are co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis is increasing greatly. The “triple trouble” of HIV and tuberculosis infection and malnutrition may put those infected at greater risk than those with any of the three conditions alone. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic potential of nutritional interventions for co-infection with HIV and tuberculosis.
Optimized Color Sampling for Robust Matting

Image matting is the problem of determining for each pixel in an image whether it is foreground, background, or the mixing parameter, "alpha", for those pixels that are a mixture of foreground and background. Matting is inherently an ill-posed problem. Previous matting approaches either use naive color sampling methods to estimate foreground and background colors for unknown pixels, or use propagation-based methods to avoid color sampling under weak assumptions about image statistics. We argue that neither method itself is enough to generate good results for complex natural images. We analyze the weaknesses of previous matting approaches, and propose a new robust matting algorithm. In our approach we also sample foreground and background colors for unknown pixels, but more importantly, analyze the confidence of these samples. Only high confidence samples are chosen to contribute to the matting energy function which is minimized by a Random Walk. The energy function we define also contains a neighborhood term to enforce the smoothness of the matte. To validate the approach, we present an extensive and quantitative comparison between our algorithm and a number of previous approaches in hopes of providing a benchmark for future matting research.
Models for Tightly-Coupled Production Systems

Shorter lead times and lower inventories have become major goals in the operation of contemporary manufacturing systems. In the past, inventories were used to decouple adjacent stages of production and to provide some autonomy to individual stages of the process. The longer lead times that resulted were not viewed as a disadvantage in traditional markets. Today, in the new paradigm for world-class manufacturing, such inventories prevent a firm from fulfilling its potential on response time, product quality, and indirect cost, thus diminishing competitiveness. As a consequence, there is much more concern now with removing inventories and operating tightly-coupled production systems.
Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Breast Irradiation in a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Different Tumor Bed Boost Fractionations.

Purpose To identify differences in breast cancer patient-reported quality of life (QOL) between 2 radiation tumor bed boost dose regimens. Methods and Materials Four hundred patients with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer who underwent segmental mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy and/or axillary node dissection were treated with either a daily or weekly boost. Patients were treated prone to 40.5 Gy/15 fractions to the whole breast, 5 days per week. Patients were randomized to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy on Friday. Patients completed 6 validated QOL survey instruments at baseline, last week of treatment (3 weeks), 45-60 days from the completion of radiation treatment, and at 2-year follow-up. Results There were no statistically significance differences in responses to the 6 QOL instruments between the daily and weekly radiation boost regimens, even after adjustment for important covariates. However, several changes in responses over time occurred in both arms, including worsening functional status, cosmetic status, and breast-specific pain at the end of treatment as compared with before and 45 to 60 days after the conclusion of treatment. Conclusions Whole-breast, prone intensity modulated radiation has similar outcomes in QOL measures whether given with a daily or weekly boost. This trial has generated the foundation for a current study of weekly versus daily radiation boost in women with early breast cancer in which 3-dimensional conformal radiation is allowed as a prospective stratification factor.
Trade Agreement Would Promote U.S. Exports and Colombian Civil Society

A free-trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Colombia has been stalled in the U.S. Congress for more than four years since it was signed in November 2006. Proponents of the agreement argue that it will promote U.S. exports and deepen our ties with a key democratic ally in South America. Opponents in Congress and the U.S. labor movement contend that the Colombian government has not done enough to curb violence against trade unionists. In his State of the Union address on January 25, 2011, President Obama highlighted his National Export Initiative as a way to promote growth and the creation of well-paying jobs. Toward that goal, he specifically mentioned pending trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia: "Now, before I took office, I made it clear that we would enforce our trade agreements, and that I would only sign deals that keep faith with American workers and promote American jobs. That’s what we did with Korea, and that’s what I intend to do as we pursue agreements with Panama and Colombia and continue our Asia Pacific and global trade talks." The president and the leaders of the new 112th Congress are widely expected to work together in the coming months to enact the South Korea agreement (analyzed in an October 2010 Cato Trade Briefing Paper). The fate of the Colombia agreement is much more in doubt. The purpose of this bulletin will be to examine the Colombia agreement in light of the president’s call to boost U.S. exports, and to examine whether violence in Colombia against union members poses a legitimate obstacle to trade liberalization.
Sonography of Abdominal Pain in Children Appendicitis and Its Common Mimics

Abdominal pain is very common in the pediatric population (<18 years of age). Sonography is a safe modality that can often differentiate the frequently encountered causes of abdominal pain in children. This pictorial essay will discuss the sonographic findings of acute appendicitis, including the imaging appearance of a perforated appendicitis. It will also present the sonographic features of the relatively common mimics of appendicitis, such as mesenteric adenitis/gastroenteritis, intussusception, Meckel diverticulum, and ovarian torsion.
IMAGE BASED EVALUATION OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL STRAIN MECHANICS USING 4D AND 2D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

We tested the feasibility of four-dimensional echocardiography (4DE) for evaluation of RV mechanics. Eight freshly harvested porcine RV models were studied. Latex balloons were sewn into the mitral annulus and connected to a pump to create a pulsatile motion in the RV. Eight sonomicrometry crystals
Toward realistic and practical no-hair relations for neutron stars in the nonrelativistic limit

The gravitational properties of astrophysical objects depend sensitively on their internal structure. In Newtonian theory, the gravitational potential of a rotating star can be fully described by an infinite number of multipole moments of its mass distribution. Recently, this infinite number of moments for uniformly-rotating stars were shown semianalytically to be expressible in terms of just the first three: the mass, the spin, and the quadrupole moment of the star. The relations between the various lower multipole moments were additionally shown to depend weakly on the equation of state, when considering neutron stars and assuming single polytropic equations of state. Here we extend this result in two ways. First, we show that the universality also holds for realistic equations of state, thus relaxing the need to use single polytropes. Second, we derive purely analytical universal relations by perturbing the equations of structure about an $n=0$ polytrope that reproduce semianalytic results to $\mathcal{O}(1%)$. We also find that the linear-order perturbation vanishes in some cases, which provides further evidence and a deeper understanding of the universality.
Social cues establish expectations of rejection and affect the response to being rejected

Violating one’s expectations of inclusion may influence the pain of rejection. This is supported by neurological evidence on expectation violation processing (Somerville, Heatherton, & Kelley, 2006). We asked: Can an expectation of a specific social outcome affect how it feels to be rejected or included? We tested the premise that expectations for the outcome of an interaction are derived from social information. Participants were either liked or disliked following a get-acquainted exercise (Study 1), or were given inclusionary versus exclusionary cues (Study 2) or no social information (Study 3) in an imagined scenario before being rejected or included. Rejection felt worse than inclusion; however, we found rejected individuals felt increasingly worse after receiving inclusionary cues than receiving exclusionary cues. Included individuals felt an increase in need satisfaction and reduced negative affect when they initially expected to be rejected compared to when they expected to be included.
Picosecond investigations of the photorefractive effect in GaAs

We report the first observation of the photorefractive effect on time scales of <50 ps in a sample of semi-insulating, undoped GaAs. In this crystal, which is from the same boule as a sample previously investigated with a cw 1.06- μm laser,1 we observe beam coupling between two equal Intensity beams with the direction of energy transfer dependent on the orientation of the crystal, an unambiguous signature of the photorefractive effect, The magnitude of the energy transfer is consistent with theoretical calculations based on the set of equations (rate equations, continuity, and Poisson's equation) proposed by Vinetskii and Kukhtarev.2 On subnanosecond time scales the space charge grating that is responsible for the photorefractive effect is caused by charge separation between conduction band electrons and ionized traps. Unlike the photorefractive effect in GaAs on time scales greater than the electron recombination time in which the internal space charge field is limited by the trapped charge density,1 in GaAs on subnanosecond time scales recombination is unimportant and the space charge is limited by the donor number density (the number density of electrons available for photoionization).
A randomized study of a method for optimizing adolescent assent to biomedical research.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Voluntary consent/assent with adolescents invited to participate in research raises challenging problems. No studies to date have attempted to manipulate autonomy in relation to assent/consent processes. This study evaluated the effects of an autonomy-enhanced individualized assent/consent procedure embedded within a randomized pediatric asthma clinical trial. Methods: Families were randomly assigned to remain together or separated during a consent/assent process; the latter we characterize as an autonomy-enhanced assent/consent procedure. We hypothesized that separating adolescents from their parents would improve adolescent assent by increasing knowledge and appreciation of the clinical trial and willingness to participate. Results: Sixty-four adolescent–parent dyads completed procedures. The together versus separate randomization made no difference in adolescent or parent willingness to participate. However, significant differences were found in both parent and adolescent knowledge of ...
Strategies to avoid treatment-induced lineage crisis in advanced prostate cancer

The increasing potency of therapies that target the androgen receptor (AR) signalling axis has correlated with a rise in the proportion of patients with prostate cancer harbouring an adaptive phenotype, termed treatment-induced lineage crisis. This phenotype is characterized by features that include soft-tissue metastasis and/or resistance to standard anticancer therapies. Potent anticancer treatments might force cancer cells to evolve and develop alternative cell lineages that are resistant to primary therapies, a mechanism similar to the generation of multidrug- resistant microorganisms after continued antibiotic use. Herein, we assess the hypothesis that treatment-adapted phenotypes harbour reduced AR expression and/or activity, and acquire compensatory strategies for cell survival. We highlight the striking similarities between castration-resistant prostate cancer and triple-negative breast cancer, another poorly differentiated endocrine malignancy. Alternative treatment paradigms are needed to avoid therapy-induced resistance. Herein, we present a new clinical trial strategy designed to evaluate the potential of rapid drug cycling as an approach to delay the onset of resistance and treatment-induced lineage crisis in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Matrix algorithms for genome evolution (MAGE)

T recent sequencing of more than 1000 human genomes has revealed that two individuals from the same population have millions of genomic variations between them. Closely located mutations are linked together forming haplotypes that change constantly due to recombination events during gametogenesis. Evolution occurs on whole ensembles of these numerous haplotypes, where mutations influence each other and should be considered as a whole entity – a gigantic matrix, unique for every individual genome. Several mathematical theories have attempted to describe the intricate dynamics of genomic variations in populations. However, these theories are conflicting with each other, and there is no universally acknowledged understanding of genome evolution. We attempted to model mammalian population genetics using a pure computational approach, taking advantage of the enormous power of modern supercomputers. A software package named Matrix Algorithms for Genome Evolution (MAGE), has been created and tested for modeling evolution of entire chromosomes. We have validated that MAGE can precisely mimic real biological processes that have influence on genome evolution such as: 1. Authentic arrangements of genes and functional genomics elements; 2. Frequencies of various types of mutations in different nucleotide contexts; 3. Non-random distribution of meiotic recombination events along chromosomes. Computer modeling with MAGE made a breakthrough in the appreciation of mutation dynamics. In particular, we demonstrated that a numeric parameter, a number of DNA recombination events per gamete, is crucial factor that influence the population fitness under the observed intense flow of novel mutations (~50 mutations per individual). MAGE can compute the probability of fixation for a mutation with a selection coefficient s as a function of multiple parameters; 1) mutation influx and the distribution of novel mutations by their selection coefficients; 2) selection pressure (including number of offspring per individual, mating schemes, population size); 3) genomic parameters (such as number of meiotic recombinations, arrangements of genes and their degrees of dominance). Alexei Fedorov, J Data Mining Genomics Proteomics 2013, 4:5 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2153-0602.S1.002
Fission Product Yields for Thermal-Neutron Fission of Plutonium-239

Absolute cumulative yields have been determined for 49 fission products representing 36 mass chains created during thermal-neutron fission of /sup 239/Pu, including 3 mass chains for which no prior data exist. Using Ge(Li) spectroscopy, spectra were obtained of gamma rays from decay of fission products between 1550 s and 31 days after a 100-s irradiation. Data were obtained for all fission products simultaneously. Gamma rays were assigned to the responsible fission products by matching gamma-ray energies and half-lives. Gamma-ray data associated with decay of /sup 135/I and /sup 140/Ba-/sup 140/La, in particular, were thoroughly studied; uncertainties were obtained for the two largest intensity gamma rays from decay of /sup 135/I that are smaller than previously evaluated uncertainties. Fission product yields were obtained from the data by first determining the appropriate gamma-ray activity as of the end of the irradiation, then correcting for detector efficiency and gamma-ray branching ratio, and, finally, dividing by the number of fissions created in the sample. The number of fissions was determined by direct comparison of gamma rays emanating from fission products created during a careful irradiation of a wellcalibrated /sup 239/Pu-loaded fission chamber. The resulting fission product yields are compared with previous measurements and withmore » recommended yields given in two recent (and independent) evaluations.« less
The First Rule is Never Begin with the Letter A... Or, How I Learned to Love Writing Reference Books

This autobiographical reflection relates the origin of one scholar's interest in research books and her engagement in the writing and editing of reference works. Her journey from researcher to contributor to editor is detailed in light of her engagement with multidisciplinary scholarship from the history of religions, art history, cultural history, American studies, to women's and gender studies. Highlighted with examples of varied multidisciplinary dictionary and encyclopedia projects, the pitfalls and rewards of writing and editing reference works are related. Brief descriptions of the experiential differences in the editing and writing for print versus online reference publications are recorded.
Mathematical modeling of gas desorption from a metal–organic supercontainer cavity filled with stored N2 gas at critical limits

Metal–organic supercontainer (MOSC) molecules are ideal candidates for gas storage applications due to their construction with customizable ligands and tunable cavity and window sizes, which are found to be elastic in nature. Force field molecular dynamics (MD) are used to evaluate the utilization of MOSCs as nanoporous structures for gas storage. A MOSC, with nitrogen gas molecules filling the cavity, progresses through MD and releases gas molecules by applying temperature to the MOSC. It is the MOSC's elasticity which is responsible for the desorption of guests at elevated temperatures. Data obtained from MD serves as a guide for the derivation of analytical equations that can be used to describe and explain the mechanism of gas desorption from within the cavity. Mathematical modeling of gas desorption from the center cavity can provide a method of predicting MOSC behavior for a broader range of pressures and temperatures, which is challenging for direct atomistic modeling. The utilization of MD can provide data for a wide variety of properties and processes in various materials under different conditions for a broad range of technology-related applications.
Therapeutic relationship in the treatment of geriatric depression with executive dysfunction.

Abstract Background The effects of therapeutic relationship (TR) in elder mental health are understudied. A greater understanding of TR in geriatric psychotherapy is particularly needed for treating late-life depression with executive dysfunction, which predicts poor response to antidepressant medication and presents unique clinical challenges. Methods Participants were older patients (N = 220) with major depression and executive dysfunction who received 12 weeks of problem-solving therapy or supportive therapy in a randomized control trial. Multilevel growth curve modeling and latent change scores were used to analyze TR dimensions of Understanding and Accepting at the patient level (individual patient ratings, N = 194) and therapist level (ratings of each therapist averaged across participants, N = 10). Results TR predicted reduction of depression in both treatment groups, while treatment×TR interactions were not significant. Patients treated by therapists with higher average Understanding (patient and therapist level) and Accepting (therapist level) ratings had greater decreases in depression. The patient level×therapist level interaction for Understanding approached statistical significance (p=.065), suggesting a synergistic effect on treatment outcome. Together, Understanding and Accepting predicted 21% of variance in depression level changes. Limitations TR was not assessed throughout the course of treatment (only after the first therapy session and at post-treatment) and did not include ratings from an objective evaluator. Conclusions Assessment of patient's experience of the TR and of therapist ability to foster Understanding and Accepting can play a significant role in the delivery of geriatric psychosocial interventions.
Using Bronchoscopy to Detect Acquired Tracheoesophageal Fistula in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Introduction An acquired Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is commonly caused by a malignancy or trauma, with pulmonary infection or aspiration being the presenting symptom. However, in the critical care setting the presentation can be subtle and may present with difficult ventilation. High endotracheal tube cuff pressures can lead to tracheal erosions and thus increasing the chances for developing a TEF. Prolonged intubation in the presence of other risk factors like poor general state of health, episodic hypotension, nasogastric tubes, and repeated intubations can increase the likelihood of developing an acquired TEF. Angioedema of the airway is a rare but potentially devastating complication of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) that could further add insult to the tracheal mucosa, predisposing to an acquired TEF. Case presentation An elderly woman with multiple comorbidities and requiring mechanical ventilation, developed angioedema following intake of ACE inhibitor for hypertension. The ensuing airway edema made weaning off mechanical ventilation difficult. After repeated attempts at extubation, tracheostomy was performed. With the loss of airway after tracheostomy, the possibility of TEF was considered given her multiple risk factors and intra-operative findings of the tracheal mucosa. Conclusions While it may be difficult to predict who will actually develop a TEF, it is prudent to identify those at risk and take precautionary measures to prevent one. Emphasis should be placed on daily endotracheal cuff manometric pressure check to prevent ischemic changes of the tracheal mucosa resulting from high cuff pressures. Also, bronchoscopy could be used after extubating susceptible patients to detect an acquired TEF.
Assessing the ideological extremism of American party activists

In this article, we investigate whether it is appropriate to generalize about the ideological and demographic characteristics of American party activists. Many studies on party polarization emphasi...
Technical basis for using passive sampling as a biomimetic extraction procedure to assess bioavailability and predict toxicity of petroleum substances.

Solid-phase microextraction fibers coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) provide a convenient passive sampling format to characterize bioavailability of petroleum substances. Hydrocarbons absorb onto PDMS in proportion to both freely dissolved concentrations and partitioning properties of the individual constituents, which parallels the mechanistic basis used to predict aquatic toxicity in the PETROTOX model. When deployed in a non-depletive manner, combining SPME with thermal desorption and quantification using gas chromatography-flame ionization creates a biomimetic extraction (BE) procedure that has the potential to simplify aquatic hazard assessments of petroleum substances since the total moles of all hydrocarbons sorbed to the fiber can be related to toxic thresholds in target lipid of aquatic organisms. The objective of this work is to describe the technical basis for applying BE measurements to predict toxicity of petroleum substances. Critical BE-based PDMS concentrations corresponding to adverse effects were empirically derived from toxicity tests on different petroleum substances with multiple test species. The resulting species sensitivity distribution (SSD) of PDMS effect concentrations was then compared and found consistent with the previously reported target lipid-based SSD. Further, BE data collected on samples of aqueous media dosed with a wide range of petroleum substances were highly correlated to predicted toxic units derived using the PETROTOX model. These findings provide justification for applying BE in environmental hazard and risk evaluations of petroleum substances and related mixtures.
Music and Postcolonial Africa

The extraordinary number and diversity of distinct music cultures in Africa is at the root of postcolonial efforts toward establishing national identities with music and dance ensembles, forging new multi ethnic mixes for presentation on the world stage. This chapter examines these and related developments, including: the impact of colonial education; regional distribution of musical instruments, the stories they tell, and their global reach; Pan-African arts festivals; colonial imports (brass bands and Christian music); government audio and video archives preserving and stimulating the cultural heritage, now being digitized for online access; the internet and intellectual property issues; the rise and predominance of independent artists; and shared aesthetic sensibilities, especially remarkable in light of the great geographic, topographic, and ethno-linguistic diversity, overlaid by differing colonial histories.
First multi-generation culture of the tropical cuttlefish Sepia pharaonis Ehrenberg, 1831

Sepiapharaonis, the pharaoh cuttlefish was cultured through multiplegenerations in the laboratory (5 consecutive generations) using closed,recirculating water filtration systems. The eggs of the original parentalgeneration (GP) were spawned by a wild caught Gulf of Thailandfemale in alocal fisheries laboratory, then packed and shipped air cargo to Texas wherehatching occurred. The culture temperature ranged 25°–28°C, except for one generation that was chilled intentionallyto21 °C and then warmed to 25 °C after 9.6months. Spawning occurred as early as day 161. Spawning output was high in allgenerations except the group that was cultured at 21 °C. Eggfertility was low in captivity ( 70%). The average egg incubation time was 13.6 d at 25–28°C. The largest spawn resulted in 600 viable hatchlings andthesmallest resulted in 11 hatchlings. The cuttlefish ate a wide variety ofestuarine crustaceans and fishes as well as frozen shrimp. There were noapparent disease problems since survival from hatching to maturity was over70%.The average life span for cuttlefish cultured at 25–28°Cwas 8.9 months and 12.3 months at 21 °C. Size at hatching wasmeasured for fourth generation (G4) hatchlings; the mean weight athatching was 0.103 g and the mean mantle length was 6.4mm. The largest cuttlefish cultured was a male 300 mmML and 3,045 g; the oldest cuttlefish lived 340 d.This cuttlefish species presents an excellent choice for commercial mariculturebecause of its rapid growth, short life span, tolerance to crowding andhandling, resistance to disease and feeding habits.
The First International Congress of Mathematicians

From the beginning, the first volume of the Formulario was meant only as a first approach to he comprehensive list of formulas that Peano hoped to publish. He knew the value of collaboration and expected that readers of the Formulaire de Mathematiques would send him their corrections and additions. Many of them did, from all over Europe, but mostly the contributors were Italian, especially those who had personal contact with Peano in Turin — not including, however, other members of the university mathematics faculty.
Design and Experimental Testing of an In-Parallel Actuated 3 DOF Serial Robotic Manipulator for Unmanned Ground Vehicle

This paper presents the design of a 3 degree of freedom manipulator which can be easily mounted on an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). UGVs operate in closed spaces and rough terrains where human manipulation is difficult for applications involving urban search and rescue. The manipulator therefore needs to have high performance, be light-weight and compact. The proposed design of the manipulator can be easily used with different end-effectors like a camera, gripper or cutter, relevant to the application. In order to maximize the payload capacity and minimize power consumption, in-parallel actuation of the elbow joint is proposed which nullifies the load of actuator on shoulder joint. A chain mechanism is used to transfer torque from motor at base to the relevant joint. Self-locking has been achieved by using worm and gear. This approach results in an increase of 1.42 kilograms in the payload capacity of the manipulator. The results are verified through experimentation.
Taxonomic Utility of Lemma Micromorphological Characters in the Sporobolus compositus and Sporobolus Vaginiflorus Complexes (Poaceae)

Five lemma micromorphological characters including bicellular microhairs, hooks, long cells, prickles, and silica cells of six Sporobolus taxa representing the S. compositus and S. vaginiflorus complexes in Texas were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our study supplements earlier SEM treatments of Sporobolus in Valdes-Reyna & Hatch and Liu et al. and colleagues. The micromorphological differences found by our study support the taxonomic treatment of these two complexes by Peterson et al.
Millennials’ Views and Expectations Regarding the Communicative and Relational Behaviors of Leaders: Exploring Young Adults’ Talk About Work:

While research has started to debunk some millennial stereotypes, a gap between this cohort and their predecessors persists. In response, two studies were conducted with matriculating millennials t...
Achieving Perfect Secrecy with One Bit Keys

Shannon perfect secrecy, also known as one-time pad, can only be achieved by using exactly a different key bit for each information bit. This requirement makes the implementation of perfect secrecy impractical in most applications. In this paper, a novel coding scheme for security is proposed that achieves perfect secrecy with only half a bit key per packet or equivalently, one bit key per two packets, regardless of the size of the packet. This surprising result implies that the ratio of key to the ratio of the data can asymptotically go to zero. The coding scheme has been applied to distributed cloud storage systems. Further, optimal code for security is defined and it has been shown that the proposed approach is optimal.
Classical Marxism and Maoism: A comparative study

Abstract The issue of the Marxist character of “Mao Zedong Thought” has never really been resolved. The present work is a comparative analysis of the classical Marxism of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and the ideology of Mao Zedong. The argument is made that whatever Marxism there was in Maoism was the “creatively developed Marxism” of V. I. Lenin—which allowed for socialist revolution in retrograde economic circumstances—something that had been specifically rejected by Marx and Engels. That led to the theoretical idiosyncrasies that characterized Maoism throughout its history, and ultimately resulted in the form rejected by Deng Xiaoping and post-Maoist China.
Remediating Residual Rhotic Errors With Traditional and Ultrasound-Enhanced Treatment: A Single-Case Experimental Study.

Purpose The aim of the study was to examine how ultrasound visual feedback (UVF) treatment impacts speech sound learning in children with residual speech errors affecting /ɹ/. Method Twelve children, ages 9–14 years, received treatment for vocalic /ɹ/ errors in a multiple-baseline across-subjects design comparing 8 sessions of UVF treatment and 8 sessions of traditional (no-biofeedback) treatment. All participants were exposed to both treatment conditions, with order counterbalanced across participants. To monitor progress, naive listeners rated the accuracy of vocalic /ɹ/ in untreated words. Results After the first 8 sessions, children who received UVF were judged to produce more accurate vocalic /ɹ/ than those who received traditional treatment. After the second 8 sessions, within-participant comparisons revealed individual variation in treatment response. However, group-level comparisons revealed greater accuracy in children whose treatment order was UVF followed by traditional treatment versus childre...
Chronic Conditions, Medically Supportive Care Partners, And Functional Disability Among Cognitively Impaired Adults

Background and objectives To assess whether medically supportive care partners modify the associations of symptomatic chronic conditions with the number of functional disabilities in a cohort of multimorbid older adults with cognitive impairment. Research design and methods The research design is a prospective study of a nationally representative cohort of Medicare beneficiaries. National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data were linked with Medicare claims for years 2011-2015. Participants were aged 65 or older and had cognitive impairment with at least 2 chronic conditions (N = 1,003). Annual in-person interviews obtained sociodemographic information at baseline and time-varying variables for caregiving, hospitalization, and 6 activities of daily living (ADL); these variables were merged with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services data to ascertain 16 time-varying chronic conditions. A care partner was defined as a person who sat with their care recipient during doctor visits in the past year and/or who helped them with prescribed medications in the last month. Chronic condition associations and their potential effect modifications by care partner status were assessed using weighted generalized estimating equations accounting for the complex survey design of the longitudinal analytical sample. Results Chronic kidney disease, depression, and heart failure were associated with an increased number of functional disabilities. Among these, only the association of chronic kidney disease with the number of functional disabilities (interaction p value = .001) was weakened by the presence of a care partner. Discussion and implications The presence of care partners showed limited modification of the associations of symptomatic chronic conditions with functional disability.
Bullying Victimization Among Asian-American Youth: a Review of the Literature

Bullying is a significant public health and social problem in the United States. As a fast-growing immigrant population, Asian-American youth are being bullied at school, yet little is known about their experience in bullying victimization. Thus, the purpose of this article is to review current findings regarding bullying victimization among Asian-American youth. A review of the literature was conducted. Twenty-three articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in the present review. The research team identified six themes including the prevalence of bullying victimization; impacts of bullying victimization; risk factors of being bullied; reporting on bullying incidents; coping strategies of parents, teachers, and schools; and current efforts to address bullying victimization. Studies indicate that 5–50% of Asian-American youth are bullied, which tends to be lower than the rates in white students, African-American students, and Hispanic students. However, bullying victimization is associated with adverse mental health and academic performance in Asian-American youth. The included studies examine individual, family, peer, school, and community factors that are related to being bullied in this population. Research also shows that only about 33% of Asian-American youth victims notify an adult after the bullying incidents. Recommendations for bullying prevention among this population are discussed.
Frequency and Predictors of 30-Day Surgical Site Complications in Autologous Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Background Surgical site complication (SSC) is one of the known complications following autologous breast reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and predictors of 30-day surgical site complications in autologous breast reconstruction. Methods American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP) database was used to identify patients who underwent autologous breast reconstruction during 2011-2015. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent perioperative risk factors of SSC. Results Totally, 7,257 patients who underwent autologous breast reconstruction surgery were identified. The majority of the procedures were free flap (60%) versus pedicled flap (40%). The mean age was 51 years and the majority of patients were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)-II (60%) and 15% of patients had BMI>35. The overall 30-day SSC rate was 6.3%. The overall frequency of different types of SSC were superficial incisional infection (3.2%), wound dehiscence (1.8%), deep incisional infection (1.4%) and organ space infection (0.6%). BMI>35 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.38), smoking (AOR=2.0), diabetes mellitus (AOR=1.67) and hypertension (AOR=1.38) were significant risk factors of SSC. There was no association with age, ASA classification, steroid use, or reconstruction type. Conclusion The rate of 30-day SSC in autologous breast reconstruction was noticeable. The strongest independent risk factor for SSC in autologous breast reconstruction was BMI>35. The type of autologous breast reconstruction was not a predictive risk factor for SSC. Plastic surgeons should inform patients about their risk for SSC and optimizing these risk factors to minimize the rate of surgical site complications.
Candida auris: An Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance Threat

Candida auris is an emerging, multidrug-resistant yeast that is now known to have caused invasive infections in more than 30 countries spanning every inhabited continent. It is an urgent antimicrob...
Applying machine learning to predict future adherence to physical activity programs.

Identifying individuals who are unlikely to adhere to a physical exercise regime has potential to improve physical activity interventions. The aim of this paper is to develop and test adherence prediction models using objectively measured physical activity data in the Mobile Phone-Based Physical Activity Education program (mPED) trial. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first to apply Machine Learning methods to predict exercise relapse using accelerometer-recorded physical activity data. We use logistic regression and support vector machine methods to design two versions of a Discontinuation Prediction Score (DiPS), which uses objectively measured past data (e.g., steps and goal achievement) to provide a numerical quantity indicating the likelihood of exercise relapse in the upcoming week. The respective prediction accuracy of these two versions of DiPS are compared, and then numerical simulation is performed to explore the potential of using DiPS to selectively allocate financial incentives to participants to encourage them to increase physical activity. we had access to a physical activity trial data that were continuously collected every 60 sec every day for 9 months in 210 participants. By using the first 15 weeks of data as training and test on weeks 16–30, we show that both versions of DiPS have a test AUC of 0.9 with high sensitivity and specificity in predicting the probability of exercise adherence. Simulation results assuming different intervention regimes suggest the potential benefit of using DiPS as a score to allocate resources in physical activity intervention programs in reducing costs over other allocation schemes. DiPS is capable of making accurate and robust predictions for future weeks. The most predictive features are steps and physical activity intensity. Furthermore, the use of DiPS scores can be a promising approach to determine when or if to provide just-in-time messages and step goal adjustments to improve compliance. Further studies on the use of DiPS in the design of physical activity promotion programs are warranted. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01280812 Registered on January 21, 2011.