cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate and vegetation history from a 14,000-year peatland record, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Abstract Analysis of pollen, spores, macrofossils, and lithology of an AMS 14C-dated core from a subarctic fen on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska reveals changes in vegetation and climate beginning 14,200 cal yr BP. Betula expansion and contraction of herb tundra vegetation characterize the Younger Dryas on the Kenai, suggesting increased winter snowfall concurrent with cool, sunny summers. Remarkable Polypodiaceae (fern) abundance between 11,500 and 8500 cal yr BP implies a significant change in climate. Enhanced peat preservation and the occurrence of wet meadow species suggest high moisture from 11,500 to 10,700 cal yr BP, in contrast to drier conditions in southeastern Alaska; this pattern may indicate an intensification and repositioning of the Aleutian Low (AL). Drier conditions on the Kenai Peninsula from 10,700 to 8500 cal yr BP may signify a weaker AL, but elevated fern abundance may have been sustained by high seasonality with substantial snowfall and enhanced glacial melt. Decreased insolation-induced seasonality resulted in climatic cooling after 8500 cal yr BP, with increased humidity from 8000 to 5000 cal yr BP. A dry interval punctuated by volcanic activity occurred between 5000 and 3500 cal yr BP, followed by cool, moist climate, coincident with Neoglaciation. Tsuga mertensiana expanded after ~ 1500 cal yr BP in response to the shift to cooler conditions.
Reaction Kinetics at Dispersed-Colloid/Solution Interfaces: Benzophenone Triplet-State Quenching by Methylated Silica Particles

Dispersed silica colloids are used as model surfaces for studying triplet-state reaction kinetics at liquid/solid interfaces. Phosphorescence from the triplet state of benzophenone is quenched by a hydrogen-atom abstraction from methyl groups immobilized on the surface of a silica colloid. The production of diphenylketyl radicals from this Norrish Type II reaction and their decay by recombination are also monitored using a time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence technique. Aggregation of the colloids results in a dispersion of benzophenone-triplet quenching rates; the fractions of excited-triplet states quenched by small clusters and larger aggregates were estimated and used to determine rate constants for reaction with the two populations of surface methyl groups. The rates of the interfacial reactions of triplet benzophenone were enhanced compared to reactions in free solution, which is likely due to weak adsorption of triplet benzophenone to the methylated silica surface.
Sociocultural Problem-Solving Skills in Preschoolers of High Intellectual Ability.

This study investigated the ability-related differences in planning skill on a sociocultural task, as well as the performance impact of working with a peer. Shopping routes through a model grocery store were planned by 30 average-ability and 20 high-ability preschool children. All subjects planned a total of five shopping trips. The first and last trips were completed alone, while the three middle trips were either completed alone, with a sane-ability peer, or with a peer of different ability.Data were analyzed With a series of multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) with a within-subjects factor representing the measure of planning skill across Lists 2, 3, and 4. Results indicated that preschool-aged children did not differ in planning skill on the basis of cognitive ability. In addition, high-ability preschoolers performed equally we1l when working alone, with a peer of One ability, or with a peer of less ability.
Flywheels on a roll

Superconducting bearings promise to reduce friction by up to two orders of magnitude, auguring flywheels in the 10-kWh class. The author discusses the principles of stable magnetic levitation of permanent magnets using superconductors. The author then discusses the application of the principles to bearings using high temperature superconductors. Key design parameters and application to flywheels are also discussed.
Compression Peroneal Nerve Palsy Causing Isolated Extensor Hallucis Longus Dysfunction

The authors describe a case of compression-induced peroneal nerve palsy with isolated extensor hallucis longus dysfunction that resulted in hallux lag without gross drop foot deformity. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4
Suppression of metabolic defects of yeast isocitrate dehydrogenase and aconitase mutants by loss of citrate synthase

Abstract Yeast mutants lacking mitochondrial NAD+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (idhΔ) or aconitase (aco1Δ) were found to share several growth phenotypes as well as patterns of specific protein expression that differed from the parental strain. These shared properties of idhΔ and aco1Δ strains were eliminated or moderated by co-disruption of the CIT1 gene encoding mitochondrial citrate synthase. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses indicated a particularly dramatic increase in cellular citrate levels in idhΔ and aco1Δ strains, whereas citrate levels were substantially lower in idhΔcit1Δ and aco1Δcit1Δ strains. Exogenous addition of citrate to parental strain cultures partially recapitulated effects of high endogenous levels of citrate in idhΔ and aco1Δ strains. Finally, effects of elevated cellular citrate in idhΔ and aco1Δ mutant strains were partially alleviated by addition of iron or by an increase in pH of the growth medium, suggesting that detrimental effects of citrate are due to elevated levels of the ionized form of this metabolite.
Recombinant Exosporium Protein BclA of Bacillus anthracis Is Effective as a Booster for Mice Primed with Suboptimal Amounts of Protective Antigen

Bacillus collagen-like protein of anthracis (BclA) is an immunodominant glycoprotein located on the exosporium of Bacillus anthracis. We hypothesized that antibodies to this spore surface antigen are largely responsible for the augmented immunity to anthrax that has been reported for animals vaccinated with inactivated spores and protective antigen (PA) compared to vaccination with PA alone. To test this theory, we first evaluated the capacity of recombinant, histidine-tagged, nonglycosylated BclA (rBclA) given with adjuvant to protect A/J mice against 10 times the 50% lethal dose of Sterne strain spores introduced subcutaneously. Although the animals elicited anti-rBclA antibodies and showed a slight but statistically significant prolongation in the mean time to death (MTD), none of the mice survived. Similarly, rabbit anti-rBclA immunoglobulin G (IgG) administered intraperitoneally to mice before spore inoculation increased the MTD statistically significantly but afforded protection to only 1 of 10 animals. However, all mice that received suboptimal amounts of recombinant PA and that then received rBclA 2 weeks later survived spore challenge. Additionally, anti-rBclA IgG, compared to anti-PA IgG, promoted a sevenfold-greater uptake of opsonized spores by mouse macrophages and markedly decreased intramacrophage spore germination. Since BclA has some sequence similarity to human collagen, we also tested the extent of binding of anti-rBclA antibodies to human collagen types I, III, and V and found no discernible cross-reactivity. Taken together, these results support the concept of rBclA as being a safe and effective boost for a PA-primed individual against anthrax and further suggest that such rBclA-enhanced protection occurs by the induction of spore-opsonizing and germination-inhibiting antibodies.
Independence-supportive praise versus interdependence-promoting praise:

This study used dinnertime observational data to investigate parental praise in Chinese-immigrant and European-American families. Three process models of praise with distinctive communicative content were uncovered. Two models focus on adherence to parental expectations, which promote the development of an interdependent self (interdependence-promoting praise). One focuses on child's self-initiated behaviors and supports the development of an independent self (independence-supportive praise). Consistent with past findings, independence-supportive praise is widely distributed in European-American families. Although interdependence-promoting praise has been overlooked in previous research, it is commonly found in Chinese-immigrant families. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the development of culturally inclusive models of praise.
Allotypy of Rabbit Immunoglobulin: an Agglutinating Specificity

Summary. An agglutination-inhibition system has been found which permits the classification of rabbits into groups based on the presence or absence of a new heritable allotypic marker, ‘All’, on immunoglobulin molecules.
Poor Central Nervous System Penetration of Tigecycline in a Patient with Sepsis and Ventriculitis Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Objective:To report the use of tigecycline in a case of ventriculitis and concurrent bacteremia.Case Summary:A 57-year-old African American male with a ruptured brain aneurysm was admitted to the intensive care unit after surgical intervention and external ventricular drainage placement. His hospital course was complicated by myocardial infarction, ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventriculitis, and sepsis, with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from multiple sites, including blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The patient was treated with high doses of intravenous tigecycline and gentamicin along with intrathecal gentamicin. This combination eradicated infections outside the central nervous system (CNS) within 48 hours, but it took approximately 8 days for the CSF culture to become negative. Timed serum and CSF fluid samples were collected to determine CSF penetration of tigecycline on day 12 of therapy. CSF concentrations obtained 30 minutes after the dose and at the end of the...
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 deficiency prevents hypertension and vascular fibrosis in response to long-term nitric oxide synthase inhibition.

Background Long-term inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is known to induce hypertension and perivascular fibrosis. Recent evidence also suggests that long-term NOS inhibition induces express...
Effects of improvements of poorly fitting dentures and new dentures on masseter activity during chewing

The effects of four sequential modifications to improve occlusion, vertical dimension, retention, and stability of poorly fitting dentures, and of placing new dentures, on the EMG activity were investigated in 21 denture wearers with a mean age of 67.7 years. Electromyographic recordings of right and left masseter muscles were made while the subjects performed masticatory and swallowing threshold tests and applied static guided forces were measured before and after each modification and at three intervals after the delivery of new dentures. A 2-week adaptation period was allowed for each denture modification. Three- and 12-week adaptation periods were allowed for the new dentures. No significant changes were found in guided static bite force or peak bite force during chewing following any modification or insertion of new dentures. Significant decreases (p < 0.05) from the original poorly fitting denture in preferred side and nonpreferred side muscle activity were found for the preferred side tests with both foods after both the correction of occlusion and 3 mm increase in vertical dimension. Concomitant decreases (p < 0.05) in the masseter closing burst and stroke durations were found and contributed to the reduction in masseter muscle effort. Further reductions (p < 0.01) in masseter closing bursts and stroke durations were observed with new dentures. The results revealed that new dentures or the stabilization of poorly fitting dentures through occlusal correction and restoration of occlusal vertical dimension permits patients to use less muscle effort while chewing and maintaining their initial masticatory performance.
The early lesions of poliomyelitis after intranasal inoculation

Summary 1.Intravital staining with trypan blue of monkeys intransally inoculated with poliomyelitis virus gives selective staining in the central nervous system of areas of gray matter corresponding with those in which virus has previously been found to be present—particularly in the olfactory bulb and olfactory areas of the cortex and of the corpus striatum, in the brain stem, and spinal cord.The localizations of the dye are due largely to capillary dilatation of the capillary bed and partly to staining of tissue cells (endothelium of capillaries) and, in the medulla and cord, to staining of the nerve cells themselves. It is assumed that the capillary hyperemia is the first response to invasion of nerve cells with virus after the latter has reached the critical concentration necessary to affect the cellular metabolism. 2.By sacrificing animals, intravitally stained, on various days of the preparalytic period, the order of appearance and the descending progress of the lesions can be followed. 3.The first stage consists of lesions limited to the olfactory bulb and is accompanied by fever. 4.The second dtage consists of a marked and extensive reaction in the brain stem down to the medulla, with implication of the secondary olfactory centers (amygdaloid nucleus, uncinate gyrus). 5.The third stage consists of an increased involvement of the medulla and beginning implication of the spinal cord. 6.Later stages show localization in restricted areas in the cord itself, sometimes unilateral, with beginning subsidence of the reactions in the brain stem. 7.No significant variations were found in theorder of development of the lesions, but conspicuous variations occurred in theirspeed of evolution, their extent, and severity and in their localizations in the cord. 8.The present experiments suggest that, since the host cells for poliomyelitis virus are in all probability nerve cells, and since nerve cell degeneration in most of the areas manifestly invaded above the level of the medulla was conspicuously slight or absent, these cells must in many instances be invaded by virus without undergoing destruction and are therefore capable of full recovery. This principle is probably true even in the highly susceptible anterior horns of the cord and may account not only for the nonparalytic cases but also for the recovery, partial or complete, of the many patients with paralysis. 9.Reasons are discussed for believing that the present experiments can fairly be applied to human poliomyelitis; that inflammatory reactions in the brain stem occur in the brain stem in nonparalytic cases and in the preparalytic stage of paralytic cases, and that they are responsible for the initial and other early symptoms which are constant in recognizable cases of the disease. 10.It is not necessary or correct to postulate a preliminary period of "systemic," "general," or extranervous infection. The concept of poliomyelitis as a primary disease of the central nervous system is reaffirmed.
Formative Research to Develop a Mass Media Campaign to Increase Physical Activity and Nutrition in a Multiethnic State

Poor nutrition and physical inactivity are the second leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Mass media campaigns have tremendous promise for reaching large segments of the population to influence these behaviors. There is still insufficient evidence in the literature, however, to recommend mass marketing campaigns for physical activity and nutrition. Successful mass media campaigns should have a formative research base that includes conducting preproduction research with the target audience, using theory as a conceptual foundation of the campaign, segmenting the audience into meaningful subgroups, and using a message approach that is targeted to and likely will be effective with the audience segment. In this study, these formative research steps were addressed to develop a mass media campaign based on the Theory of Planned Behavior to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in 35-55-year-old adults in the state of Hawaii. For the walking campaign, our results identified time, a control belief, as the major barrier. For fruits and vegetable, the data suggested social norm (if others around me ate them) and control (if they were available). These data then were used to develop a mass media campaign based on these principals.
High-bandwidth, chip-based optical interconnects on waveguide-integrated SLC for optical off-chip I/O

As computing systems evolve for high performance with high power efficiency and exploit multi-core architecture, requirements for high-speed I/O are getting harder and could not be satisfied with optical interconnects. In addition to realize low power with optics by utilizing CMOS technology for high-sped driver circuits, chip-level packaging of optical integration are crucial to implement high-density optical channels, which are one of the requirements for the multi-core systems. Waveguide-integrated surface laminar circuit (SLC) have been developed for the chip-based, high-density optical interconnects. The power budget of optical link based on the chip-based optical interconnects are analyzed, since the budget affects the power dissipation of the link, and the fabrication process of the waveguides-integrated SLC is optimized to reduce the loss. This technology is then exploited into optical off-chip I/O for logic ICs, i.e. FPGA in this paper.
Effect of adrenalectomy on eosinophil response of rats infected with Trichinella spiralis.

Summary(1) White mice and rats failed to show a high eosinophilia following initial infection with various doses of T. spiralis, (2) Rats also failed to elicit a striking response following reinfection. (3) Adrenalectomy influenced only slightly the number of circulating eosinophils in infected rats.
Characteristics of Students Who Take an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards

Alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) are designed to measure the academic achievement of students with disabilities who are not expected to reach grade-level standards but who do not qualify for alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). This article describes the 2010 participants of one state’s AA-MAS. AA-MAS test-takers included a higher proportion of males than were recorded for the general test, and they were more likely than other students with disabilities to be of minority ethnicity, to be English language learners, and to experience poverty. AA-MAS participants were representative of groups who are more likely than average to drop out of school due to these risk factors. Understanding the characteristics of these students will be crucial as the Common Core State Standards are widely adopted and new assessments are created to measure these standards without special testing considerations for this population.
Rapid Wuchereria bancrofti-Specific Antigen Wb123-Based IgG4 Immunoassays as Tools for Surveillance following Mass Drug Administration Programs on Lymphatic Filariasis

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis has an urgent need for rapid assays to detect ongoing transmission of lymphatic filariasis (LF) following multiple rounds of mass drug administration (MDA). Current WHO guidelines support using the antigen card immunochromatographic test (ICT), which detects active filarial infection but does not detect early exposure to LF. Recent studies found that antibody-based assays better serve this function. In the present study, two tests, a rapid IgG4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a lateral-flow strip immunoassay, were developed based on the highly sensitive and specific Wuchereria bancrofti antigen Wb123. A comparison of W. bancrofti-infected and -uninfected patients (with or without other helminth infections) demonstrated that both tests had high sensitivities and specificities (93 and 97% [ELISA] and 92 and 96% [strips], respectively). When the W. bancrofti-uninfected group was separated into those with other filarial/helminth infections (i.e., onchocerciasis, loiasis, and strongyloidiasis) and those who were parasite uninfected, the specificities of the assays varied between 91 and 100%. In addition, the geometric mean response by ELISA of W. bancrofti-infected patients was significantly higher than the response of those without W. bancrofti infection (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the Wb123 ELISA and the lateral-flow strips had high positive and negative predictive values, giving valuable information on the size of survey population needed to be reasonably certain whether or not transmission is ongoing. These highly sensitive and specific IgG4 tests to the W. bancrofti Wb123 protein give every indication that they will serve as useful tools for post-MDA monitoring.
Effect of Well and Substrate Potential Modulation on Single Event Pulse Shape in Deep Submicron CMOS

Simulations are used to characterize the single event transient current and voltage waveforms in deep submicron CMOS integrated circuits. Results indicate that the mechanism controlling the height and duration of the observed current plateau is the redistribution of the electrostatic potential in the substrate following a particle strike. Quantitative circuit and technology factors influencing the mechanism include restoring current, device sizing, and well and substrate doping.
Pathways to Sustainability Careers: Building Capacity To Solve Complex Problems

Many of the central sustainability challenges facing society today—climate change, social inequality, and resource degradation, to name a few—are socially complex, politically fraught, and imperfectly understood. To be able to effectively engage in addressing such “wicked problems,” individuals need a mixture of content knowledge and soft skills that enable them to critically analyze these challenges from a systems perspective, develop creative solutions, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with others who may not share common views. Such skill sets and abilities are also more generally valuable in navigating personal, organizational, and societal complexities. Portland State University’s (PSU) Pathways to Sustainability Careers initiative seeks to better integrate programs that provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to engage with complex problems and be competitive and effective in sustainability-related careers. While PSU already offers a number of programs relevant to this effort, these opportunities are scattered across the university; finding these opportunities and organizing them into a coherent and complementary set of experiences can be challenging. The Pathways effort is focused on more effectively knitting together existing programs and emergent initiatives from across the university in order to engage faculty and staff through a collective action approach. By doing so, this initiative endeavors to provide a more intentional, cohesive, and easily navigable set of pathways for students, which will provide them with the academic knowledge, leadership skills, and real-world experiences needed to engage with “wicked” problems, and prepare them to successfully navigate an increasingly complex world.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by the gradual but progressive loss of memory and other cognitive abilities. Pathological features include the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques and β-amyloid protein within vulnerable regions of the brain. A number of actions of estrogen have the potential to affect brain function and influence the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Mutations that Affect the Donor Midpoint Potential in Reaction Centers from Rhodobacter Sphaeroides

Modulation of the redox midpoint potential of the initial electron donor is key for achieving electron transfer with high yields in photosynthetic systems. The initial electron donor in reaction centers of purple nonsulfur bacteria, P, has a much lower potential than the donor in photosystem II reaction centers, which are capable of oxidizing water (for general reviews of chlorophylls and their oxidation potentials, see ref. 1). Isolated bacteriochlorophyll and chlorophyll have similar oxidation potentials of approximately 700 mV and 800 mV, respectively. However, in vivo the midpoint oxidation potential of the donor in bacterial systems, approximately 490 mV, is much lower than that of monomer bacteriochlorophyll, while that of the donor in photosystem II is higher than 1.0 V. This dramatic alteration of the oxidation potentials in the reaction center must be due to interactions between chlorophylls or between the donor and the surrounding protein. This is supported by the observation of changes of approximately 100 mV in the oxidation potentials for bacteriochlorophylls and chlorophylls due to changes in solvent1. In this paper we address the role of specific protein-donor interactions in modulating the potential.
Ablation of mitral annular and leaflet muscle: effects on annular and leaflet dynamics.

Mitral annular (MA) and leaflet three-dimensional (3-D) dynamics were examined after circumferential phenol ablation of the MA and anterior mitral leaflet (AML) muscle. Radiopaque markers were sutu...
Airway epithelial cells respond to mechanical forces applied via collagen and RGD coated magnetic beads

Airway epithelial cells, which synthesize and secrete inflammatory and fibrotic mediators, are exposed to mechanical stresses during bronchoconstriction. Because the deformations of the airway wall are transmitted to the airway epithelial cells via cell-cell and cell-matrix attachments, we investigated whether protein production is regulated by stresses applied directly to cell adhesion molecules. Mechanical stresses were applied to RGD and collagen coated beads bound to normal human bronchial epithelial cells using an adaptation of a previously described magnetic twisting device. Continuous stress resulted in increased Egr-1 protein at 30 minutes relative to cells with no beads, and cells with beads that were not stressed. Exposure of cells to both collagen and RGD coated beads decreased fibronectin protein at 24 hours, an effect that was partially (collagen) or totally (RGD) negated by 4 hours of continuous exposure to mechanical force. These preliminary results indicate the important role that the extracellular matrix, and forces transmitted via the extracellular matrix, may play in protein production in the normal and asthmatic airway.
Investigating the Role of Instructional Focus in Incidental Pattern Learning

The authors used a novel dual-component training procedure that combined a serial reaction time task and an artificial grammar learning task to investigate the role of instructional focus in incidental pattern learning. In Experiment 1, participants either memorized letter strings as a primary task and reacted to the stimuli locations as a secondary task or vice versa. In Experiment 2, participants were given the same dual-component stimuli but performed only one of the two training tasks. Instructional focus affected the amount of learning and the likelihood of acquiring explicit knowledge of the underlying pattern. However, the effect of instructional focus varied for the different types of stimuli. These results are discussed in terms of the role of focused attention in incidental learning.
Space Launch System Co-Manifested Payload Options for Habitation

The Space Launch System (SLS) has a co-manifested payload capability that will grow over time as the rocket matures and planned upgrades are implemented. The final configuration is planned to be capable of inserting a payload greater than 10 metric tons (mt) into a trans-lunar injection trajectory along with the crew in the Orion capsule and the service module. The co-manifested payload is located below the Orion and its service module in a 10-meter high fairing similar to the way the Saturn launch vehicle carried the lunar lander below the Apollo command and service modules. A variety of approaches have been explored that utilizes this co-manifested payload capability to build up infrastructure in deep space in support of future asteroid, lunar, and Mars mission scenarios. This paper is a report on the findings from the Advanced Concepts Office study team at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, working with the Advanced Exploration Systems Program on the Exploration Augmentation Module Project. It includes some of the possible options for habitation in the co-manifested payload volume on SLS. Findings include module designs that can be developed in 10mt increments to support these missions, including overall conceptual layouts, mass properties, and approaches for integration into various scenarios for near-term support of deep space habitat research and technology development, support to asteroid exploration, and long range support for Mars transfer flights.
Optic tract edema in a meningioma of the tuberculum sellae.

Summary: We report a case of tuberculum sellae meningioma with optic tract edema. Contrary to a prior report on this topic, edema along the optic tract is not only seen in craniopharyngiomas but may be seen (although rarely) in other common parasellar tumors, as in our case of a tuberculum sellae meningioma. The pathogenesis of this edema in meningioma is controversial.
Special Areas of Application

This final chapter includes a sampling of material in two rather different areas which have become foci for applied work in environmental problem solving, making use of behavioral science information and thinking. The first section is devoted to the area of environmental design primarily at the architectural scale. It is made up largely of contributions by design professionals with interest and expertise in the behavioral-science dimensions of environmental design, and focuses on the nature of the design process and the effective integration of behavioral science theory and methods into this process. The second section is devoted to a relatively new area, that of Social Impact Assessment, which has sprung into being in direct response to the mandate of the National Environmental Protection Act to take account of proposed projects that would alter the impact of the environment on community well- being and functioning. Social impact assessment thus represents a realm for the direct application of environment-and-behavior principles to the domain of environmental protection, and environmental decision making and management.
Readmissions Following Gastric Bypass Surgery

Interest is growing in preventing readmissions as payers start to link reimbursement to readmission rates. The purpose of this study was to assess factors contributing to 30-day readmission for patients undergoing gastric bypass (GB) and determine whether these readmissions may be preventable. Data were from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) and included all patients undergoing elective GB for obesity in 2011 (n = 4427). The outcomes measured were length of stay (LOS) and 30-day readmission. Univariate comparisons between characteristics of readmitted (n = 298) and non-readmitted (n = 4133) patients were performed. Readmission was modeled using multivariate logistic regression; LOS was modeled using linear regression. Of the 298 (6.6 %) patients who were readmitted, the most common causes for readmission were bleeding (11.84 %), infection (8.88 %), and abdominal pain (7.89 %). In multivariate analyses, black race, open GB, and history of myocardial infarction or rheumatoid arthritis were associated with increased odds of readmission. Longer LOS was also predictive of readmission (OR 1.10, p = 50 years old and those with history of congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular, and kidney diseases were more likely to have longer LOS. Black race, open surgery, and discharge to an extended care facility were also predictive of prolonged LOS. The most common causes of readmission following elective GB were bleeding, infection, and abdominal pain. Since several patient-specific factors were associated with higher odds of readmission and longer LOS, there are opportunities to design interventions to prevent readmissions and decrease LOS in this patient population.
Correlates of Sun Protection and Sunburn in Children of Melanoma Survivors.

Introduction Sunburns during childhood increase melanoma risk. Children of melanoma survivors are at higher risk, but little is known about their sunburn and sun protection. One study showed that almost half of melanoma survivors' children experienced sunburn in the past year. This study evaluated sunburn and sun protection in melanoma survivors' children, and relevant survivor characteristics from Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model. Methods Melanoma survivors (N=340) were recruited from a comprehensive cancer center. Survivors completed a baseline questionnaire administered by telephone to report on the behavior of their children (N=340) as part of an RCT of a sun protection intervention. Data were collected in 2008 and analyzed in 2015. Results In the prior 6 months, 28% of children experienced sunburn. "Always" or "frequent" sun protection varied by behavior: sunscreen, 69%; lip balm, 15%; wide-brimmed hats, 9%; sleeved shirts, 28%; pants, 48%; sunglasses, 10%; shade, 33%; and limiting time outdoors, 45%. Survivors' sunburn and sun protection were positively associated with these outcomes in children. Correlates of sunburn also included older child age and higher risk perceptions. Correlates of sun protection behaviors included younger child age; stronger intentions, higher self-efficacy, and more positive outcome expectations about sun protection; and greater number of melanomas in survivors. Conclusions Melanoma survivors may have a heightened awareness of the importance of their children's sun protection, but their children are not routinely protected. Correlates of children's sunburn and sun protection suggest subgroups of survivors to target with interventions to improve sun protection.
Biomathematical Models of Schizophrenia

This paper summarizes the work of developing and analyzing a mathematical model of schizophrenia. First the psychological and physiological studies of patients with periodic catatonia made by R. R. Gjessing are briefly described. Then a mathematical model, which is based on Gjessing's work and consists of a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, is derived. Gjessing showed that there was a periodic change in the basal metabolic rate associated with a periodic change in the symptoms of catatonia. This suggests a study of the thyroid control system, and since the thyroid control system is a negative feedback system, previous engineering studies are followed and a system of ordinary differential equations is used as a model. The first such model was due to Danziger and Elmergreen, and their model and improvements of their model are described. Then the models are analyzed qualitatively and the mathematical results are interpreted medically. Solutions of the system of differential equations corresponding to a stable set of symptoms in the schizophrenic patients, solutions corresponding to periodic patterns of symptoms (periodic catatonia), and solutions corresponding to random or unpredictable patterns of symptoms are obtained. The model suggests that since certain parameters are varied, various types of solutions and hence various patterns of symptoms are obtained. There are a number of unresolved questions in this study, and these problems are discussed in detail as they arise.
Comparisons of EEG sleep state-specific spectral values between healthy full-term and preterm infants at comparable postconceptional ages

Differences in state-specific electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral values are described between groups of preterm and full-term neonates at comparable postconceptional term ages. Eighteen healthy preterm neonates of < or = 32 weeks gestation were selected from an inborn population of a neonatal intensive care unit. Twenty-four-channel recordings were obtained at a full-term age and compared with studies of 22 healthy full-term neonates. The initial three hours of each 12-hour study were recorded on paper from which EEG sleep state scores per minute were visually assessed. Six mean spectral values (i.e. total EEG, electromyogram, delta, theta, alpha and beta energies) were calculated from each corresponding minute of digitized data, which was also assigned one of six EEG sleep states. Each neonatal group displayed statistically significant differences among sleep-state segments for all spectral values. The alpha- and beta-range spectral values of the preterm group, compared to the full-term control group, were lower during all sleep state segments. Spectral values for the theta band were lower during both quiet sleep segments only, whereas spectral values for delta were lower during all sleep stages, except trace-alternant quiet sleep. Significant differences in EEG spectral values were noted among states of sleep for both preterm and full-term infants of similar postconceptional term ages. These data also suggest differences in central nervous system maturation between neonatal populations. These findings strengthen our previously stated contention that there is a functional alteration in brain development of the preterm infant as reflected in sleep organization that results from a prolonged extrauterine experience and/or prematurity.
Revolutionary Voodoo Leaders

It is outside our major interest to trace here the formation of Voodoo as a religion on the island. The dates 1750 and 1767 given for the formation of Voodoo — which are given both by Moreau de Saint-Mery (Paul 1962: 230) and by an anonymous author (Price-Mars 1928: 113) — are misleading because they refer only to the years when colonists became aware of the existence of Voodoo on the island. In this chapter, I present data about revolutionary leaders and their use of Voodoo ideology and Voodoo meetings to show that, by the end of the eighteenth century, colonial Voodoo was indeed a politico-religious movement, and it was a critical factor that — among others — helped make successful the Haitian Revolution.
Single-station spectral discrimination using coda waves

Spectral discrimination methods applied at regional distances are based on the observation that there is a difference in the frequency content of the seismic waves radiated from the source region of earthquakes and explosions. We have investigated a spectral discrimination method that exploits the scattered energy contained in the event codas of seismograms to measure the relative source excitation of earthquakes and explosions as a function of frequency. Key strengths of the coda method include the following: (1) it is not affected by source radiation pattern because the scattering process averages the radiation over the focal sphere, (2) path corrections are not required with the coda method because coda waves are scattered throughout a common crustal volume, (3) it can be successfully applied using data from only a single station, and (4) it can be successfully applied using data with clipped direct arrivals. To implement the coda method, we first estimate a “type curve,” which represents the average shape of all the individual coda decay curves for a particular frequency band. The shape of the type curve (as well as the shape of all individual coda decay curves) is controlled by the scattering and attenuation properties of the crustal volume sampled by the coda waves (a common path effect). The amplitude of the type curve is not defined, and we arbitrarily adjust it to have a zero mean. The amplitude difference between an individual event coda decay curve and the type curve provides a relative measure of the event's source size within the particular frequency band. We define this amplitude difference as the “relative source factor.” Our approach exploits all of an event's usable coda for each spectral measurement, thus providing a more stable measure of relative source size than could be obtained from using a predefined, fixed-length time window. Analysis of 27 Nevada Test Site explosions and 15 southern Great Basin earthquakes (3.1 ≦ M ≦ 4.7), shows that the source factor difference between the 0.5- to 1- and 2- to 4-Hz bands plotted against the 1- to 2-Hz source factor is a stable event discriminant. The method reliably distinguishes small explosions from small earthquakes (3.0 < M < 3.5), even if the explosions are overburied. Because the coda method requires only one seismic station, we believe that it would be especially useful in identifying small, clandestine underground nuclear tests that occur far from established networks.
Concavo-Convex Intercentral Joints Stabilize the Vertebral Column in Sauropod Dinosaurs and Crocodylians

Sauropod dinosaurs achieved the largest body sizes and the most elongate necks and tails of any terrestrial vertebrate. The elongate, cantilevered necks of sauropods comprised opisthocoelous vertebrae joined at concavo-convex joints. Opisthocoelous centra also occurred in the dorsal region of sauropods and procoelous centra in the tails of certain lineages. Concavo-convex intercentral joints have been hypothesized to increase the flexibility of the vertebral column or to stabilize intervertebral joints against shear stresses. Using Alligator as an extant analog, condyle convexity and range of motion were measured at every intervertebral joint in an individual, with the latter measured in situ. Results reveal that convexity is greatest in the alligator presacral column where flexibility is low; amphiplatyan vertebrae occur in the distal caudal region where flexibility is highest. The negative relationship between convexity and flexibility is not significant, indicating that flexibility is independent of centrum articular morphology. Convexity is greatest in regions in which high shear stresses are predicted to result from terrestrial locomotion and tail flexion. The evolution of opisthocoelous cervical vertebrae in early sauropods likely strengthened the long and massive neck against catastrophic dislocations without compromising joint mobility. The stabilization provided by dorsal opisthocoely and caudal procoely may relate to clade-specific specializations such as the “whiplash” tails of flagellicaudatans and the “wide-gauge” limb stance in titanosaurs. The study of opisthocoely and procoely provides a means to understand the loading regimes of the vertebral column in sauropods and other vertebrates, with implications for the behavior and ecology of fossil taxa.
Introduction: Nowhere to Now Here

Using Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road as a target text, George’s introduction lays out the stakes of his argument. He provides a history of suburbanization in the USA, connecting its emphasis on planned communities to Western social contract theory to argue that suburban communities were designed according to a Romantic individualism that understands the self as inherently anti-social. This introduction not only demonstrates that Revolutionary Road mocks such individualism, but also gestures toward a more relational form of engagement that responds to the needs of the neighbor in proximity. Drawing from Heidegger’s intersubjective authenticity, George argues that Yates imagines an instance of critical hospitality in the paradigmatic middle-class suburb to create not contractual communities, but singularities of care.
Contributions of electrons and holes to total collected charge in heavily irradiated Si pad and strip/pixel detectors: A comparison simulation study

A simplified approach to compare quantitatively the contributions of electrons and holes to the total collected charge in heavily irradiated Si pad detectors and strip/pixel detectors has been carried out in this study. By applying a step function to approximate the weighting field and a step function to approximate the linear- and/or double junction-electric field, in the detector, one can obtain analytical solutions of total collected charge and contributions from electrons and hole for irradiated Si detectors with various electric field and weighting field profiles. Although the results do not exactly replicate the situation in a real detector, they qualitatively and quantitatively explain the contributions of electrons and holes in various detectors with different segmentation- and field-profiles.
Characteristics, Classification, and Prevention of Child Maltreatment Fatalities.

ABSTRACT Background: Preventing child maltreatment fatalities is a critical goal of the U.S. society and the military services. Fatality review boards further this goal through the analysis of circumstances of child deaths, making recommendations for improvements in practices and policies, and promoting increased cooperation among the many systems that serve families. The purpose of this article is to review types of child maltreatment death, proposed classification models, risk and protective factors, and prevention strategies. Methods: This review is based on scientific and medical literature, national reports and surveys, and reports of fatality review boards. Findings: Children can be killed soon after birth or when older through a variety of circumstances, such as with the suicide of the perpetrator, or when the perpetrator kills the entire family. Death through child neglect may be the most difficult type of maltreatment death to identify as neglect can be a matter of opinion or societal convention....
AACT: A mobile Augmented Reality application for Art Creation

In this paper, we present Augmented-Art Creation Tool (AACT) as our solution to the IEEE 3DUI 2017 challenge. Our solution employs multi-finger touch gestures along with the built-in camera and accelerometer on a mobile device for interaction in an Augmented Reality (AR) setup. We leverage a user's knowledge of touch gestures like pinching, swiping, etc. and physical device movement to interact with the environment making the metaphor intuitive. The system helps prevent occlusion by using the accelerometer and allowing touch gestures anywhere on the screen. The interaction metaphor allows for successful art piece creation and assembly.
Departmentalized, Self-Contained, or Somewhere in Between: Understanding Elementary Grade-Level Organizational Decision-Making

AbstractRecent trends indicate a move away from self-contained classrooms and toward content-focused departmentalization in elementary schools. This study takes a snapshot of the existing organizational structures used in elementary schools in one district and explores administrators’ beliefs and practices regarding this phenomenon. Our findings suggest administrators base their decisions to organize grade levels on various factors, including their own experiences, contextual dynamics, and personal perceptions of outcomes for students and teachers.