cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seebeck Enhancement Through Miniband Conduction in III-V Semiconductor Superlattices at Low Temperatures

We present theoretically that the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient of InGaAs/ InGaAlAs III-V semiconductor superlattices can be significantly enhanced through miniband transport at low temperatures. The miniband dispersion curves are calculated by self-consistently solving the Schrodinger equation with the periodic potential, and the Poisson equation taking into account the charge transfer between the two layers. Boltzmann transport in the relaxa- tion-time approximation is used to calculate the thermoelectric transport properties in the cross-plane direction based on the modified density of states and group velocity. It is found that the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient can be enhanced more than 60% over the bulk values at an equivalent doping level at 80 K when the Fermi level is aligned at an edge of the minibands. Other thermoelectric transport properties are also calculated and discussed to fur- ther enhance the thermoelectric power factor.
Multirate-PDA tracker

A methodology for the use of the multirate sampling technique in the measurement acquisition process of a probabilistic data association (PDA) filter is presented. The proposed filter, called the multirate sample probabilistic data association (MSPDA) filter, increases the computational efficiency of the tracking system without compromising the accuracy of the tracking algorithm. The use of multirate sampling enhances the utilization of the central processor, since the time spent in acquiring and processing certain measurements relevant to the components of a state vector is considerably saved. The performance of the MSPDA filter is compared with that of the traditional PDA tracker and other presently used filters. It is shown that the computational saving is about 25% while the degradation in accuracy is only to the extent of 5% of the MSE of the corresponding state vector component. >
Optical absorption and stimulated emission of neodymium in yttrium lithium fluoride

A spectroscopic investigation of Nd3+ in yttrium lithium fluoride was performed. Spectrally and orientationally resolved cross sections for the 4F3/2 − 4I11/2 and 4F3/2 − 4I9/2 transitions are presented. We applied the Judd–Ofelt theory to measured absorption spectra to determine the orientation-averaged intensity parameters Ω2 = 0.362 × 10− 20 cm2, Ω4 = 4.02 × 10− 20 cm2, and Ω6 = 4.84 × 10− 20 cm2. Using these intensity parameters, we predicted the radiative lifetime of the metastable 4F3/2 state to be 525 μS, in excellent agreement with measured 4F3/2 decay signatures. Finally, absorption cross-section data are presented that will be of interest to the laser designer.
SAMLOS: a 2D simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm based on lines of sight

Applications that require the use of softball-sized or smaller robots impose size and power constraints that prohibit the use of active sensors such as ladar or sonar for mapping and localization. The small size of such robots also makes passive stereo vision impractical due to the limited baseline. As a result, map building capabilities for such robots will need to be based on structure from motion using monocular sequences of images. This paper presents a novel algorithm for estimation of 2-D hallway structure and robot motion given a set of feature observations from multiple images. The 2-D structure from motion algorithm is posed in a way that is linear in Cartesian coordinates given a set of camera rotations. Given an observation of a feature from a camera position, for a specified rotation of the camera's coordinate system relative to the world there is a linear constraint that the camera's location and the feature's location should both lie along the line of sight between the camera and the feature. Starting with an initial set of camera orientations, the algorithm iteratively switches between refining the estimated camera and feature positions and refining the estimated camera rotations. The performance of the structure from motion algorithm is demonstrated by comparison of the algorithm results on a sequence of images to the manually measured true structure of a typical hallway.
Management of Well- Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

This review provides an overview of current guideline recommendations for the clinical evaluation and surgical management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and further examines the evidence for controversial topics such as the minimum degree of primary resection, the role of elective central neck dissection, and the extent of lateral neck dissection. Well-differentiated thyroid cancer comprises the majority of thyroid cancers, about 90%, and includes both papillary and follicular carcinomas. Despite convergence of the medical community in establishing treatment guidelines under the American Thyroid Association, there still remain many areas of disagreement.
The Massachusetts Adverse Drug Reacticn Project

AbstractThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has maintained a spontaneous voluntary system for the reporting of adverse drug events for over three decades. Based on the experience of the American Medical Association Registry for drug-related aplastic anemia, the current FDA spontaneous reporting system (FDA-SRS) was initiated in response to the public reaction to thalidomide induced phocomelia (1). A serious omission of the system has been a lack of focus on ADR observations by the health care provider. The Massachusetts Division of Food and Drugs was selected to participate in the pilot projects to promote reporting of adverse drug events. The Massachusetts Adverse Drug Reaction Project tried to increase the quantity and quality of adverse drug reaction reports filed by physicians. The basic focus of the project was to utilize various promotional mechanisms to convince providers that ADR reporting is an important public health safeguard. The project also attempted to facilitate access to reporting mech...
From Orders to Markets

Among the clearest rules in U.S. securities law is the duty that brokers have to "seek the best execution that is reasonably available for its customers' orders." The problem with the current orientation of the policy discussion on best execution is that it has focused on the narrow, yet unanswerable, question of which venue provides traders with "best execution." For example, it makes no sense to employ the same, or even a similar, legal definition of the duty of best execution for large institutional traders and for small retail traders. In this article, we examine the alternative institutions most likely to generate optimal rules regarding best execution.
The Common Sense of Sport

(1965). The Common Sense of Sport. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 38-63.
Temporal evolution of fanning in photorefractive materials

We present detailed calculations of the temporal dependence of beam fanning obtained by numerical solutions of the paraxial wave equation for the optical beam, and the equation for the time dependence of the refractive index perturbation produced by interference between the incident beam and radiation scattered by imperfections in the crystal. Our calculations extend the results for steady- state fanning1 to temporal evolution and include the effects of absorption and scattering distributed throughout the crystal.
Three-dimensional structure and origin of a 1.8 km thick ice dome within Korolev Crater, Mars

Korolev is an 80 km diameter impact crater located at 72.7°N, 164.5°E containing a large domed deposit. Perennial water ice is thought to be currently unstable there; however, using a 3-D analysis of the dome's internal radar stratigraphy, we estimate that Korolev's central mound contains between 1400 and 3500 km3 of water ice that is up to 1.8 km thick. Furthermore, the stratigraphic structure of this ice dome is strikingly similar to the north polar layered deposits (NPLD) on Planum Boreum, approximately 600 km to the north. Additionally, our stratigraphic analysis suggests that Korolev ice was not previously part of a once larger polar ice sheet but rather it was deposited locally. We conclude that Korolev Crater's ice likely deposited during the same climate regime as Planum Boreum's NPLD, but independently. This implies that the incorporation of circumpolar ice deposits such as Korolev may prove useful in reconstructing a unique Mars polar climate history.
Tetranuclear Manganese-Oxo Aggregates Relevant to the Photosynthetic Water Oxidation Center. Crystal Structure, Spectroscopic Properties and Reactivity of Adamantane-Shaped [Mn4O6(bpea)4]4+ and the Reduced Mixed-Valence Analog [Mn4O6(bpea)4]3+

The tetranuclear MnIV adamantane-like complex [Mn4O6(bpea)4](ClO4)4(1(ClO4)4) was isolated from a comproportionation reaction of Mn(ClO4)2·6H2O and [n-Bu4N][MnO4] with the ligand N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylamine (bpea) in acetonitrile. Characterization by X-ray crystallography reveals that the [Mn4O6(bpea)4]4+ cation approaches S4 point symmetry. There are three distinct types of Mn−N bonds and two types of bridging oxo ligands in 1. 1H NMR protonation studies of 1 in acetonitrile reveal that each type of oxo bridge renders a different protonation isomer and that the isomers are readily distinguished by their differences in solution structural symmetry and oxo bridge acidity. In addition, pH-dependent aqueous electrochemical studies show that the proton-coupled electron-transfer behavior of 1 is significant because it is the first example of a Mn-oxo aggregate exhibiting a e-/2H+ stoichiometry and because it displays pH-dependent e-/H+ stoichiometry. Remarkably, reaction of 1(BF4)4 with the tridentate n...
Managing dementia at home: The role of home environmental modifications

Environmental modification represents a new treatment approach to enable caregivers to manage daily care and maintain individuals with dementia at home. To advance this approach, a model of disablement is used to describe dementia-related behaviors and identify the potential role and impact of envir
Selective-Area Growth of Metal Oxide Films Induced by Patterned Excimer Laser Surface Photolysis

An excimer-laser-based method for achieving selective-area oxide growth on polymer surfaces is described. This method uses high photon energy (6.4 eV, 7.9 eV) excimer laser irradiation to change hydrophobic surfaces (surface tension <20 erg/cm2) into hydrophilic surfaces. The hydrophobic growth surfaces are prepared by exposure of a polymer to halogen-containing plasmas. Selective growth is done by simultaneously exposing patterned, laser-modified surfaces to SiC14 and H2O; the reaction takes place only where the H2O adsorbs to form a condensed adlayer. After selective growth, oxygen etching of the polymer results in the desired resist pattern. When used with a plasma-deposited carbon polymer, the result is a new all-dry lithographic process.
External Gettering Comparison and Structural Characterization of Single and Polycrystalline Silicon

Various silicon samples, both single and polycrystalline, were intentionally contaminated and externally gettered using phosphorus, aluminum and co- phosphorus/aluminum gettering. Gettering efficiencies were quantified via diffusion length improvements. Structural characterization was used to correlate defects with low gettering efficiencies. External gettering was found to be particularly effective at recovering diffusion length in large grain polycrystalline silicon and solar grade single crystal silicon despite Fe contamination and high defect densities. One of two explanations is possible, 1) the structural defects are initially undecorated and are completely gettered after Fe contamination, or 2) metal decoration on as-grown structural defects are structurally and/or chemically different from intentional Fe decoration.
The effect of molecular structure on the secondary transitions and their influence on the decoloration kinetics of photochromic dyes in co‐polycarbonates

Photochromic dyes have restricted use in rigid polycarbonates because of slow coloration and decoloration kinetics. In this study, it is shown that the decoloration kinetics of two photochromic dyes can be controlled by tuning the chain stiffness and free volume of the host matrix. The introduction of flexible moieties in rigid BPA-based polycarbonate chain accelerates the decoloration of these dyes whereas a rigid co-monomer delays the decoloration kinetics. Although Tg might be used as a parameter to improve photochromism in polymer matrices, dynamic mechanical analysis demonstrates that the decoloration kinetics of the dyes in host polymer matrices having similar Tg depends primarily on the secondary relaxations and, thus, on the polymer architecture. The effect of the co-monomer type on the characteristic ratio is also discussed underlining the potential relationship between the free volume and chain stiffness. These results open the possibility to develop transparent or semitransparent photochromic materials based on tailor-made co-polycarbonates. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 1593–1601
Dynamic Analysis on Health Status of Male Workers with Noise Exposure in An Agricultural Machinery Plant

[Objective]To investigate the dynamic effect of occupational noise on cardiovascular system of workers with exposure.[Methods]Totally 150 male workers with noise exposure from an agricultural machinery plant in Changzhou City were selected as noise group,125 male workers without noise exposure from this enterprise’s administrative and logistical departments were recruited as control group.On-site noise test and occupational health examination before and after work were adopted to analyze the changes of blood pressure,heart rate and ECG.[Results]Dynamics change in systolic blood pressure of noise group was significantly different before and after work (P0.05).The differences of systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and heart rate between noise group and control group were all significant before work(P0.01).[Conclusion]Noise has a certain effect on ambulatory blood pressure,pulse rate and ECG,which needs to take preventive measures.
Monitoring results analysis of the household's iodized salt in Hangzhou Xihu district from 2006 to 2010

Objective:To know and control the current situation of the household's edible iodized salt in Hangzhou Xihu district from 2006 to 2010,establish the scientific foundation for the future reinforcement and perfection of iodine deficiency disease elinination.Methods:According to The Zhejiang Iodine Salt Monitored Implementation Details,a total of 1440 samples of edible salt were tested on household' basis from 2006 to 2010.The tests were carried out by using direct titration,and the monitoring results were analyzed.Results:From 2006 to 2010,the rate of qualified household's iodized salt was 98.2%,the median of iodized salt was 31.9 mg/kg,the rate of non-iodized salt was 98.2%,the rate of iodized salt coverage was 98.6% and the edible rate of qualified iodized salt was 96.8%.Conclusion:The rates of qualified iodized salt,iodized salt coverage and the edible rate of qualified iodized salt were all above 90%,and the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disease was reached.
Increased angiotensinogen expression, urinary angiotensinogen excretion, and tissue injury in nonclipped kidneys of two-kidney, one-clip hypertensive rats

In angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent hypertension, there is an angiotensin type 1 receptor-dependent amplification mechanism enhancing intrarenal angiotensinogen (AGT) formation and secretion in th...
Spatial assimilation and its discontents: Asian ethnic neighborhood change in California

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the geographic and compositional dynamics of ethnic neighborhoods over time among the fastest growing racial group in California, Asian Americans. I conduct spatial analysis of Census data from 2000 and 2010 to represent changes in ethnic neighborhood boundaries and their associated structural and demographic characteristics. First, I document changing ethnic neighborhood patterns among four Asian national origin groups—Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans. Second, I synthesize this information, assessing the theoretical implications of these changes by describing indications of spatial assimilation, ethnic stratification, and resurgent ethnicity among ethnic neighborhoods and the potential repercussions for the successful incorporation of both immigrant and native-born Asian Americans. Overall, this paper demonstrates that Asian ethnic neighborhood dynamics are far from monolithic and that different spatial incorporation processes manifest both within and be...
Biology of Cancellous Bone Grafts

Despite 30 years of experimental bone grafting research, the fresh cancellous bone graft remains the most osteogenic and reliable bone grafting material. Recent experimental data suggest that modification of the graft-host interaction by antigen matching or immune manipulation may allow increasingly successful use of allografts.
International and Regional Development

This paper is addressed to two problems: (1) the analysis of international economic policies in South Asia which would permit the pursuit of basic economic and non-economic objectives with greater economic payoff than is apparent under the existing set of policies; and (2) the designing of economic policies and plans which reflect the regional constraints and dimensions which characterise each state in South Asia.
Cancer cells activate damage-tolerant and error-prone DNA synthesis

ABSTRACTTrans-lesion synthesis (TLS) is a DNA damage-tolerant and error-prone mode of DNA replication. Recent work shows that many cancer cells coopt an aberrantly expressed germ cell protein, melanoma antigen-A4 (MAGE-A4), to activate TLS. MAGE-A4–induced “pathological TLS” provides a potential mechanism through which neoplastic cells can tolerate intrinsic and therapeutic genotoxicity while acquiring mutability.
Causal Indicators Can Help to Interpret Factors

The latent factor in a causal indicator model is no more than the latent factor of the factor part of the model. However, if the causal indicator variables are well-understood and help to improve t...
Amount of Epithelioid Differentiation Is a Predictor of Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Background Macroscopic complete surgical resection with adjuvant chemotherapy can provide a survival advantage in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Patients with nonepithelioid histology are largely excluded from such radical operations even though they might benefit. The degree of epithelioid differentiation varies in biphasic histology. We report the outcomes of pleurectomy and decortication and the effect of epithelioid differentiation on overall survival of patients with MPM. Methods This report is based on the outcomes of 144 patients who underwent pleurectomy and decortication at a single institution between 2008 and 2015. The variables assessed were age, gender, histology, and pathologic T and N stage. No patients with pure sarcomatoid histology were included. Two independent pathologists estimated the percentage of epithelioid histology. A Cox regression model was used to identify significant predictors of survival. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to summarize overall and subgroup survival. Results Included were 116 men and 28 women with a median age of 69 years (range, 43 to 88 years). The 2-year survival from pleurectomy and decortication was 20%. Median survival overall was 13.34 months and was 20.1 months for the 100% epithelioid subgroup (n = 77), 11.8 months for the 51% to 99% epithelioid subgroup (n = 39), and 6.62 months for the less than 50% epithelioid subgroup (n = 28). The amount of epithelioid differentiation was a significant predictor of survival ( p Conclusions The percentage of epithelioid differentiation is an independent predictor of survival in MPM and should be taken into careful consideration when recommending surgical treatment for patients with biphasic MPM.
The Internet and Regulation

The Internet was created in a culture of collaboration and distributed decision-making. With organization behemoths co-existing with granularity, has the Internet lost this collaborative culture? Ownership of data, of domain names and control over the flow of content in the entertainment industry (net neutrality) have become central issues in the digital economy. The concern with behemoths is not pricing power but rather the power to shape ideas by controlling content. Who curates and regulates global content with a view to fairness and balance? While social media are part of this larger picture the trajectory from cause to effect is ambiguous – there is no individual directing the show, only computer code. Virtual space is a shared resource whose free consumption necessitates governance of this commons.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the development of endothelial dysfunction

The vascular endothelium plays a critical role in cardiovascular homeostasis, and thus identifying the underlying causes of endothelial dysfunction has important clinical implications. In this regard, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has recently emerged as an important regulator of metabolic processes. Dysfunction within the ER, broadly termed ER stress, evokes the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive pathway that aims to restore ER homeostasis. Although the UPR is the first line of defense against ER stress, chronic activation of the UPR leads to cell dysfunction and death and has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction. Numerous risk factors for endothelial dysfunction can induce ER stress, which may in turn disrupt endothelial function via direct effects on endothelium-derived vasoactive substances or by activating other pathogenic cellular networks such as inflammation and oxidative stress. This review summarizes the available data linking ER stress to endothelial dysfunction.
Learning stochastic model discrepancy

The vast majority of stochastic simulation models are imperfect in that they fail to fully emulate the entirety of real dynamics. Despite this, these imperfect models are still useful in practice, so long as one knows how the model is inexact. This inexactness is measured by a discrepancy between the proposed stochastic model and a true stochastic distribution across multiple values of some decision variables. In this paper, we propose a method to learn the discrepancy of a stochastic simulation using data collected from the system of interest. Our approach is a novel Bayesian framework that addresses the requirements for estimation of probability measures.
Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544 Autoaggregation Requires FliC Flagellation, Not Motility

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic nosocomial and foodborne pathogen that causes severe infections with high morbidity and mortality rates in neonates, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Little is known about the pathogenesis mechanism of this pathogen and if there are any consequences of C. sakazakii colonization in healthy individuals. In this study, we characterized the mechanisms of autoaggregation in C. sakazakii ATCC 29544 (CS29544). Autoaggregation in CS29544 occurred rapidly, within 30 min, and proceeded to a maximum of 70%. Frameshift mutations in two flagellum proteins (FlhA and FliG) were identified in two nonautoaggregating CS29544 clonal variant isolates. Strategic gene knockouts were generated to determine if structurally intact and functional flagella were required for autoaggregation in CS29544. All structural knockouts (ΔflhA, ΔfliG, and ΔfliC) abolished autoaggregation, whereas the functional knockout (ΔmotAB) did not prevent autoaggregation. Complementation with FliC (ΔfliC/cfliC) restored autoaggregation. Autoaggregation was also disrupted by the addition of exogenous wild-type CS29544 filaments in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, filament supercoils tethering neighboring wild-type CS29544 cells together were observed by transmission electron microscopy. In silico analyses suggest that direct interactions of neighboring CS29544 FliC filaments proceed by hydrophobic bonding between the externally exposed hypervariable regions of the CS29544 FliC flagellin protein. Further research is needed to confirm if flagella-mediated autoaggregation plays a prominent role in C. sakazakii pathogenesis.
Diagnostic implications of positive avian serology in suspected hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Abstract Background The diagnostic evaluation of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) often involves serologic assessment for identifiable causes such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). While not on its own defining of HP, precipitin serologies are often obtained to support clinical suspicion if other findings are inconclusive. We studied the clinical relevance of positive avian serology in patients undergoing ILD evaluation. Material and methods We identified individuals with positive avian serology (>53.3 mg/L) and undifferentiated ILD seen at our institution over a three-year period. Clinical, laboratory, pathologic, and radiologic findings were evaluated for consensus HP diagnosis by two expert pulmonologists, blinded to presenting serology levels. Results Ninety-one ILD subjects with positive avian serology were identified; mean age was 62.7 ± 15.3 years with a slight male predominance (56%). Forty-nine (54%) received a consensus HP diagnosis. Those with HP had higher mean avian serology titer (95.0 ± 38.7 mg/L vs. 68.3 ± 16.7, (P Conclusion Among patients with positive avian serology, those with higher titers were more likely to have HP diagnosis. Nonsmokers also manifested higher titers compared to those with smoking history. These results may guide the usage and interpretation of avian serology screening in the initial assessment of suspected HP.
Außenpositionierung zur Öffentlichen Verwaltung

Dr. Daniel Egli nimmt in Kap. 24 Bezug auf die Ausenpositionierung zur Offentlichen Verwaltung. Zuerst nimmt er sich der Begrifflichkeit „Beamte, Behorden und Verwaltung“ an. Danach gibt er einen detaillierten Uberblick zum Bewilligungswesen, zum Vergabeverfahren bei offentlichen Auftragen und zur Korruptionspravention. Zudem rundet er jeden Hauptabschnitt mit einer Vielzahl praktischer Empfehlungen zum Kontakt mit Behorden ab.
Africa is on the verge of a major health crisis and the need for nutrition and health surveys is imperative

The African region may be reaching a tipping point for a major health crisis. Over the last few decades for example, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities. This alarming trend is attributed to the rapid urbanization, increase in income, and unhealthy lifestyles among many others. Most importantly, managing and treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is expensive and proving to be beyond the reach of ordinary Africans. Interestingly, Africa has not fully eradicated undernutrition particularly micronutrient malnutrition especially among women and children. Additionally, HIV/AIDs, malaria, diarrheal diseases and other preventable infectious diseases continue to pose serious threat to the health of the populace. The management of NCDs is challenging and costly as most healthcare systems on the continent are largely built for the provision of curative care for communicable diseases. This article proposes the institution of nutrition and health surveys in individual countries to monitor trends. We believe this approach, in addition to addressing lifestyle and behavioral factors, may be effective in curbing the rising phenomenon of obesity and NCDs.
Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosis: Impact on DSM-IV and ICD-10

Psychiatric diagnosis is a clinical activity subjected to more clinical determinants than many others. Based on a unique human encounter, it resorts to a variety of informational sources and interpretive mechanisms that reflect strong cultural biases. Each diagnostic system has mirrored the period of history in which it became established. This article examines the effect of culture on the two best-known diagnostic and classificatory systems: the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 Section V. It is important to minimize the ethnocentrism of disease categories in psychiatry and to highlight sources of possible cultural biases in the diagnostic interview and the diagnostic process in general, including assessment of comorbidity levels of stress, multiaxial impairment, everyday functioning, and management recommendations. Research on these issues and on diagnostic and measurement instruments must be pursued without sacrificing mainstream conventions.
Conceptual Model of an Activity-Based Cost Management System

Technological advances in manufacturing industries have changed the processes involved in producing end-products, the elements within the processes, the end-products themselves, and, in turn, the management and control of these processes.
Successful aneurysm resection and coronary artery revascularization following saphenous vein graft aneurysm rupture.

Saphenous vein graft aneurysms after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been rarely reported. Their incidence and natural history are poorly defined. Herein, we present a patient who presented acutely with contained rupture of a large saphenous vein graft aneurysm 12 years after CABG, which was successfully managed with open aneurysm resection and regrafting.
CNS function and dysfunction during exposure to hyperbaric oxygen in operational and clinical settings

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) is breathed during hyperbaric oxygen therapy and during certain undersea pursuits in diving and submarine operations. What limits exposure to HBO2 in these situations is the acute onset of central nervous system oxygen toxicity (CNS-OT) following a latent period of safe oxygen breathing. CNS-OT presents as various non-convulsive signs and symptoms, many of which appear to be of brainstem origin involving cranial nerve nuclei and autonomic and cardiorespiratory centers, which ultimately spread to higher cortical centers and terminate as generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The initial safe latent period makes the use of HBO2 practical in hyperbaric and undersea medicine; however, the latent period is highly variable between individuals and within the same individual on different days, making it difficult to predict onset of toxic indications. Consequently, currently accepted guidelines for safe HBO2 exposure are highly conservative. This review examines the disorder of CNS-OT and summarizes current ideas on its underlying pathophysiology, including specific areas of the CNS and fundamental neural and redox signaling mechanisms that are thought to be involved in seizure genesis and propagation. In addition, conditions that accelerate the onset of seizures are discussed, as are current mitigation strategies under investigation for neuroprotection against redox stress while breathing HBO2 that extend the latent period, thus enabling safer and longer exposures for diving and medical therapies.
Sequential training-based receiver for On-OFF-keying diffusion-based molecular communications

In this paper, we purpose and investigate an integrated artificial neural networks (ANNs) to estimate and predict the adaptive threshold detection scheme in diffusion-based molecular communication (DMC). The proposed scheme forwards an estimate of the received bits based on the current cumulative concentrations, which is derived using sequential training principle with weight and bias. The ANN model is implemented on MATLAB software. This method is suitable for binary On-OFF-Keying (Book signaling), where the receiver biological nanomachine (Rx Bio-NM) adapts the 1/0-bit detection threshold based on all previous received bits to alleviate the inter-symbol interference (ISI) problem and reception noise. Numerical and simulation results show the improvement in molecular throughput and the optimal number of molecules in transmission. Furthermore, the performance evaluation in various noisy channel sources shows a promising improvement in the un-coded bit error rate (BER) compared with other threshold detection schemes in the literature.
Off Limits: Virtual Schools in an Era of Connection and Inequality

Using critical ethnographic methods, this dissertation study analyzes stakeholder experiences of virtual k-12 schools in the U.S. and their relation to patterns of marginalization in education and labor systems. Combining a focus on distributed labor in the platform economy with an understanding of schools as powerful conduits to well-being, anchors of community cohesion and growth, and sites of prolonged institutional violence, I posit that school digitization may provide an escape route for some from structural social harms, yet depending on its design and implementation, may also threaten to re-inscribe and extend existing hierarchies and create new challenges for social justice.
NAA is more effective than IBA for rooting stem cuttings of two Nyssa spp.

Abstract We conducted two experiments to determine whether Nyssa aquatica and Nyssa ogeche could be propagated from softwood cuttings. In the first experiment, two commercial auxin formulations were used, each at two concentrations. In the second study, we compared root formation among cuttings treated with 3000-ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in liquid or talc, 3000-ppm 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in liquid, and a combination of 1500-ppm IBA and 1500-ppm NAA in liquid. Cuttings were taken from terminal and subterminal positions on juvenile stock plants and held under intermittent mist for six weeks. More terminal cuttings rooted than did subterminal cuttings. A liquid formulation of NAA or NAA and IBA was more effective than IBA at promoting root formation for both species. Up to 93% of cuttings rooted when treated with a solution containing NAA and IBA. Cuttings of N. aquatica treated with NAA in solution produced up to eight times more roots than cuttings treated with no auxin or IBA. For both speci...
Using Lean Process Improvement to Enhance Safety and Value

The Toyota Production System (TPS) successfully maximized value in the car manufacturing industry through the application of standard work principles and continuous process improvement, or kaizen. By applying these same principles to the healthcare industry, institutions and individual care providers can achieve similar improvements in the value of patient care delivered. The translation of lean manufacturing principles to simple healthcare tasks has a well-demonstrated history of effectiveness. The application of lean methodologies to more complex processes, especially those that are considered “knowledge work,” is sometimes met with more cynicism. However, through a strict adherence to standard work principles, even complex care delivery programs, such as those involved in the delivery of high-risk surgical procedures, can see a benefit. In this chapter, we discuss a brief history of lean process improvement in healthcare and provide specific case examples of how to implement this approach for everything from simple to complex care delivery programs. In today’s value-driven healthcare economy, these principles will become increasingly important to all those engaged in the delivery of care to patients with complex healthcare needs.
Sickle Cell Disease is Associated with Increased Morbidity, Resource Utilization, and Readmissions after Common Abdominal Surgeries: A Multistate Analysis, 2007–2014

Abstract Introduction Sickle cell disease (SCD), the most commonly inherited hemoglobinopathy in the United States, increases the likelihood of postoperative complications, resulting in higher costs and readmissions. We used a retrospective cohort study to explore SCD’s influence on postoperative complications and readmissions after cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and hysterectomy. Methods We used an administrative database’s 2007-2014 data from California, Florida, New York, Maryland, and Kentucky. Results 1,934,562 patients aged ≥18 years were included. Compared to non-SCD patients, SCD patients experienced worse outcomes: increased odds of blood transfusion and major and minor complications, higher adjusted odds of 30- and 90-day readmissions, longer length of stay, and higher total hospital charges. Conclusion Sickle cell disease patients are at high risk for poor outcomes based on their demographic characteristics. Therefore, perioperative physicians including hematologists, anesthesiologists, and surgeons need to take this knowledge into consideration for management and counselling of SCD patients on the risks of surgery and recovery.
Bacchus among the Blackshirts: Wine Making, Consumerism and Identity in Fascist Italy, 1919–1937

This article explores the way in which wine came to be viewed as a quintessentially ‘Italian’ beverage among Italy's middle- and upper-class households during fascism's twenty years in power. Due to significant increases in wine consumption among the labouring classes during the years immediately following the First World War, wine, as a general category of beverage, had become closely associated within the minds of many bourgeois and wealthy consumers with the country's popular taverns and saloons, alcoholism and physical and moral ‘degeneration.’ In response, fascist Italy's typical wine growers, merchants and industrialists worked feverishly to rehabilitate the beverage's downtrodden reputation via a series of wide-ranging public relations and collective marketing campaigns during the 1920s and 1930s. By promoting the beverage's hygienic and alimentary qualities, as well as systematically intertwining the moderate consumption of the peninsula's standardised wines with the dictatorship's nationalisation and popular mobilisation programmes, this article will show, the Industrial Wine Lobby successfully re-established ‘wine's honour’ and, simultaneously, recontextualised the country's typical wines as Italy's wholesome, family-friendly, ‘national beverage’.
Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections.

A 24-year-old cisgender woman presents to your primary care clinic for a routine physical examination. Her only medication is an etonogestrel (Implanon) 68-mg implant for birth control. She reports occasional vaping of electronic cigarettes and states that she does not drink alcohol or inject drugs. Her sexual history includes three male partners in the past year and inconsistent condom use.
Applying Asset Pricing Theory to Calibrate the Price of Climate Risk

Pricing greenhouse gas emissions is a risk management problem. It involves making trade-offs between consumption today and unknown and potentially catastrophic damages in the (distant) future. The optimal carbon price is based on society’s willingness to substitute consumption across time and across uncertain states of nature. A large body of work in macroeconomics and finance has attempted to infer societal preferences using the observed behavior of asset prices, and has concluded that the standard preference specifications are inconsistent with observed asset valuations. This literature has developed a richer set of preferences that are more consistent with asset price behavior. In this paper, we explore the implications of these richer preference specifications for the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC), the expected discounted damage of each marginal ton of carbon emissions at an optimal emissions reductions pathway. We develop a simple discrete-time model in which the representative agent has an Epstein-Zin preference specification, and in which uncertainty about the effect of carbon emissions on global temperature and on eventual damages is gradually resolved over time. In our model the SCC is equal to the value of the carbon emissions price at any given point in time that maximizes the utility of the representative agent at that time. We embed a number of features including tail risk, the potential for technological change, and backstop technologies. When coupled with the potential for low-probability, high-impact outcomes, our calibration allows us to decompose the SCC into the expected damages and the risk-premium. In contrast to most modeled carbon price paths, our calibration suggests a high SCC today that is expected to decline over time. It also points to the importance of backstop technologies and, in contrast to standard specifications, to potentially very large deadweight costs of delay. We find, for example, that with damage distributions calibrated to an SCC of $40, a value associated with only a small risk premium, the deadweight loss in utility associated with delaying the implementation of optimal pricing by 15 years is equivalent to a 6% loss of consumption.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Family Medicine Residents: Attitudes and Confidence.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly being incorporated into family medicine residency training. Attitudes towards POCUS among family medicine residents (FMRs) are largely unknown, and confidence levels with performing and interpreting POCUS exams are also unknown among this group of learners. Our aim was to evaluate FMRs' attitudes and confidence levels before and after the implementation of a new POCUS curriculum. METHODS Study participants included FMRs in all postgraduate years (ie, PGY1-PGY3) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Family Medicine Residency Program. Our intervention was a yearlong implementation of a new POCUS curriculum based on the American Academy of Family Physicians POCUS curriculum guidelines. Our interventions included hands-on training sessions for both FMRs and faculty along with a resource website. We assessed attitudes and confidence levels with various POCUS exams using a pre- and postintervention survey. RESULTS Overall, FMRs felt significantly more confident in their ability to perform and interpret a point-of-care ultrasound after the implementation of POCUS curriculum. There was no significant difference in participants' expectations of their use of POCUS during or after residency. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides evidence that the implementation of a POCUS curriculum that includes hands-on and didactic training is associated with increased confidence in utilizing POCUS among FMRs.
Introduction to 'Act Your Age'

On December 3, 2018, Dutch courts rejected a request by Emile Ratelband to change his birthdate to 20 years later than his actual birthdate in 1949. According to the BBC, “Mr Ratelband argues he feels discriminated against because of his age, and that it was affecting his employment chances and his success rate on the dating app, Tinder”. The judges granted that “Mr Ratelband is at liberty to feel 20 years younger than his real age and to act accordingly”, but concluded that changing his legal documents would have “undesirable legal and societal implications”. The court observed that changing age is unlike changing one’s name or gender because rights and obligations are attached to age and that granting the request would cause all kinds of legal problems. The case illustrates some of the claims articulated in “Act Your Age”: age is a contested concept involving, but not reducible to, chronology; individuals exercise agency as they accomplish their age; the accomplishment of age is not only individual but also collective; age is constituted in interaction; age is organized, patterned, and constrained within and by institutions (like the law) and relations of power. This theoretical framework developed in “Act Your Age” has held up quite well in the twenty years since its publication. In lieu of a comprehensive review of the field of age studies, I briefly offer two lines of reasoning.
Early palliative care is associated with less intense care in children dying with cancer in Alabama: A retrospective, single-site study.

Background Regional studies show that children with cancer receive medically intense end-of-life (EOL) care, but EOL care patterns, including palliative care utilization in Alabama, remain unknown. Methods This was a retrospective study of 233 children (0-19 years) who received cancer-directed therapy at Children's of Alabama and died from 2010 through 2019. Rates and disparities in palliative care utilization and the association between palliative care and intense EOL care, death location, and hospice were examined. Results The median death age was 11 years; 62% were non-Hispanic White. Forty-one percent had a non-central nervous system (CNS) solid tumor. Fifty-eight percent received palliative care, and 36% received early palliative care (≥30 days before death). Children without relapsed/refractory disease were less likely to receive palliative care than those who had relapsed/refractory disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1-0.7). Children with CNS tumors and hematologic malignancies were less likely to have early palliative care (aOR for CNS tumors, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7; aOR for hematologic malignancies, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7) than children with non-CNS solid tumors. Late palliative care (vs none) was associated with more medically intense care (aOR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.8) and hospital death (aOR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.9-11.6). Early palliative care (vs none) was associated with more hospice enrollment (aOR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5-7.6) but not medically intense care (aOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.9) or hospital death (aOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.8-3.7). Conclusions Fifty-eight percent of children dying of cancer in Alabama receive palliative care, but EOL care varies with the receipt and timing (early vs late) of palliative care. Whether this variation reflects differences in child and family preferences or systemic factors (eg, hospice access) remains unknown.
Recent developments in anterior capsulotomy for cataract surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Successful anterior capsulotomy is an important step in cataract surgery. This article reviews the various anterior capsulotomy techniques available to surgeons to optimize the step, including those that have become available since the introduction of femtosecond-laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). Studies comparing the relative advantages of each technique will be emphasized. RECENT FINDINGS Manual continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) and FLACS remain the two most widely studied techniques for achieving anterior capsulotomy. Each technique has been shown to be effective for a wide range of patients and cataract surgery complications. Meta-analyses have shown that FLACS provides similar results to manual CCC for long-term cataract surgery outcomes. Several alternative methods for anterior capsulotomy have been described, which aim to provide some of the advantages of laser capsulotomy at a lower cost; among these, precision pulse capsulotomy (PPC) and selective laser capsulotomy (SLC) have been investigated the most in the literature so far. SUMMARY Cataract surgeons have an increasing number of techniques for anterior capsulotomy available. Manual CCC and FLACS remain the most widely used, and most well studied. The latest techniques, PPC and SLC, have shown promise in the few studies performed since they were introduced.