cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family Caregivers' Strains: Comparative Analysis of Cancer Caregiving With Dementia, Diabetes, and Frail Elderly Caregiving

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of cancer from family caregivers' perspective, based on a comparative analysis of caregiving burden and distress, among four types of caregivers. Methods: The sample included caregivers of persons with cancer, dementia, diabetes, or frail elderly from a nationally representative sample of 606 caregivers. Results: Although the four different types of caregivers were comparable in most sociodemographic characteristics, caregiving involvement and caregiving outcomes differed among the caregiving groups. Both cancer and dementia caregivers reported greater levels of physical burden and psychological distress than other caregivers, after controlling for sociodemographic and caregiving involvement (i.e., level of burden and caregiving duration) factors. Discussion: The comparative analysis provided a systematic review of cancer caregiving in the context of three other types of caregiving. Given the high levels of burden and distress, greater emphasis should...
An alternative low-cost current-sensing scheme for high-current power electronics circuits

A lightweight and low-cost current sensor for application in high-current, high-frequency inverters and power converters is described. The current sensor consists of three elements. The first is a Rogowski coil, also known as a Maxwell Worm, which is a nonmagnetic toroid wound like an inductor. The output voltage at the open terminals of this winding is proportional to the time derivative of the current flowing in a conductor passing through the toroid. The second element of the sensor is an integrator which has as its input the output of the Rogowski coil. The third element of the sensor is a circuit to reset the integrator to zero whenever the current through the Rogowski coil is known to be zero. Resetting the integrator prevents the error generated by the integration of offset voltages and biases, which cannot be avoided in practical integrators, from becoming unacceptably large. For the case of a semiconductor switch, the current through the switch is known to be zero when the switch is gated off. The results presented using this current sensing scheme demonstrate its feasibility for use in high-power motor drive applications. The sensor has its largest advantage for measuring currents with peak values greater than 50 A and with switching frequencies greater than 1 kHz. >
Measure and topology

Given a topological space X, there is a natural \(\sigma\)-algebra of subsets of X, namely the \(\sigma\)-algebra B X of Borel sets. When X is locally compact (that is, every point has a relatively compact neighborhood) another useful \(\sigma\)-algebra is the \(\sigma\)-algebra generated by the compact G δ subsets of X. This collection is called the \(\sigma\)-algebra of Baire sets and is denoted Ba X . The \(\sigma\)-algebra Ba X is defined the same way for arbitrary topological spaces, but it is not so useful when X is not locally compact.
Multisensory Integration in the Superior Colliculus of the Alert Cat

Wallace, Mark T., M. Alex Meredith, and Barry E. Stein. Multisensory integration in the superior colliculus of the alert cat. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1006–1010, 1998. The modality convergence patterns...
Reading Pegmatites—Part 2: What Tourmaline Says

THIS IS THE SECOND OF SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT ARE MEANT TO INFORM MINERAL MINERS, COLLECTORS, AND AMATEUR SCIENTISTS ABOUT THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE MINERALS THEY ACQUIRE AND SEEK. In these ar...
Contemporary Pathogens of the Gastrointestinal System

Recognition of several new gastrointestinal pathogens has prompted clinical microbiologists to re-examine the methods in use for detection of these organisms. Media requirements, special stains, and identification techniques are discussed for Helicobacter pylori , the Campylobacter sp, and Aeromonas sp. The increasing significance of the parasites Cryptosporidium and Blastocysts and the recently described enteric adenoviruses are also covered.
Febrile neutrophilic dermatosis associated with acute leukemia

Febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's Syndrome) is an uncommon syndrome characterized clinically by fever, neutrophilia, and erythematous, non-ulcerating papules or plaques on the face, neck, upper thorax, and extremities. A case associated with acute myelogenous leukemia is reported and nine other reported cases associated with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia are reviewed. The appearance and location of the lesions on the face, neck, upper trunk and extremities, a female predominance, an associated fever, marked dermal infiltrates of mature neutrophils, and rapid clearing of lesions with parenteral corticosteroids were manifestations similar to febrile neutrophilic dermatosis not associated with leukemia. Although the etiology of febrile neutrophilic dermatosis associated with acute leukemia is unknown, the resolution of lesions and symptoms with systemic corticosteroids and recurrence with relapse of leukemia suggests an immune process with the leukemic cell population serving as a possible antigenic source.
The Face of Civility: Engaging Critical Pedagogy Through Hypermodality

Hypermodal pedagogy is a form of instruction that incorporates multiple modes of media, technology, and physical performance that link to course material and virtual spaces. In this essay and accompanying website, Amber Johnson explains the utility of hypermodal pedagogy, how it fosters civic engagement, and showcases student work across two courses, Photojournalism and Communication, Culture & Identity.
Fat content of ectopic marrow implants and cellularity of resulting ossicles.

AbstractThe capacity of marrow stroma to transfer a microenvironment conducive to hematopoiesis was studied in rabbits by means of subcutaneous implants of autologous marrow with variable hematopoietic cellularity and fat content as determined by histologic analysis. Cellularity of marrow in ossicles present at the implantation site 3 months later was found to be sigmoidally related to cellularity of the implant, with a linear component which became asymptotic in ossicles formed after implantation of the more cellular marrow containing less than 50% fat. Hypocellular marrow with fat content in excess of 50% was associated with onset of a sharp increase in saturated lipids as revealed by histochemistry. These results, which confirm and extend earlier qualitative observations of a difference in potential of red and yellow marrow upon ectopic implantation, are consistent with the putative regulatory role of stromal elements in hematopoiesis.
A Comparative Survey on Knowledges, Relative Attitudes and Behaviors of Cardiovascular Disease between Medical and Engineering Students

Objective: To study knowledges, attitudes and behaviors of cardiovascular disease between medical and engineering students, and to explore the problems and provide corresponding guidance. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted among sophomore students drawn randomly from medical and engineering colleges. Results: The correct answers to common knowledges of the cardiovascular diseases were high in both groups, and medical students' were better than engineering students', but there were no significant differents. Though the correct answers to special medical knowledges were lower in both groups, medical students' were significantly higher than engineering students' (P0. 05). The percentage of medical students who knewn blood pressure themselves and treated promptly if their blood pressure was high, was significantly higher than that of engineering students( P 0.05 ). The percentage of medical students who drink alcohol was significantly lower than that of engineering students ( P 0. 05 ). Conclusion: Health education to engineering students should be promoted.
A family-based intervention for improving children's emotional problems through effects on maternal depressive symptoms.

Objective This study focused on whether a brief family-based intervention for toddlers, the Family Check-Up (FCU), designed to address parent management skills and prevent early conduct problems, would have collateral effects on maternal depressive symptoms and subsequent child emotional problems. Method Parents with toddlers were recruited from the Women, Infants, and Children Nutritional Supplement Program based on the presence of socioeconomic, family, and child risk (N = 731). Families were randomly assigned to the FCU intervention or control group with yearly assessments beginning at child age 2. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale at child ages 2 and 3. Child internalizing problems were collected from primary caregivers, alternative caregivers, and teachers using the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 7.5 and 8.5. Results Structural equation models revealed that mothers in families randomly assigned to the FCU showed lower levels of depressive symptoms at child age 3, which in turn were related to lower levels of child depressed/withdrawal symptoms as reported by primary caregivers, alternative caregivers, and teacher at ages 7.5-8.5. Conclusions Findings suggest that a brief, preventive intervention improving maternal depressive symptoms can have enduring effects on child emotional problems that are generalizable across contexts. As there is a growing emphasis for the use of evidence-based and cost-efficient interventions that can be delivered in multiple delivery settings serving low-income families and their children, clinicians and researchers welcome evidence that interventions can promote change in multiple problem areas. The FCU appears to hold such promise.
Evaluation of Human Sera for Antibodies Against Sperm by Immunofluorescence

Newborn cord sera and sera from pregnant women and from couples with unexplained infertility were observed by indirect immunofluorescence for reactions against human sperm. The sera from the infertile couples had been tested for macro-agglutination and complement-dependent immobilizing antibodies as well. Nonspecific fluorescence was noted only on the quatorial segment. Acrosomes and tail end-pieces were strongly immunofluorescent (positive at a serum dilution of 1:16) with 60 to 70% and 30 to 50%, respectively, of the sera from each main group, with the exception of the nonreactive cord blood. End-piece fluorescence was primarily due to the IgM globulin fraction. It is suggested that cord serum anti-sperm antibodies, directed mainly against the tail main piece, are due to IgG passively acquired from the mother. There was no apparent difference in immunofluorescence between infertile patients and control groups (except for the acrosome and end-piece, with cord sera). However, when the sera from infertile patients were subdivided into groups containing only agglutinating antibody, only immobilizing antibody, and both types of antibody, a higher percentage of the sera from the group having only agglutinating antibody reacted with all sperm areas. This reaction seemed more uniform over the sperm and included the usually negative posnuclear cap and midpiece. The other subgroups showed no obvious trends.
Beyond the Conflict Tactics Scale: Assessing gender differences in partner violence.

Previous studies of partner assault, particularly those using the Conflict Tactics Scales, have produced the controversial finding that women are as likely to assault their partners as are men. Such findings are clearly at odds with medical, legal, and social service agencies which find that women are far more often the victims of partner assault. Self-reported data from a national sample of young adults were used to determine the extent to which this apparent discrepancy could be reconciled. Results confirm previous findings of extensive violence by women, with little evidence of systematic over-or underreporting by either men or women. However, although both men and women engaged in frequent minor assaults, men were more likely than women to repeatedly beat their partner during the course of a year. In addition, women were far more likely than men to suffer physical injury and seek medical treatment as a consequence of incidents of male violence. Taken together, these findings somewhat reconcile the discrepancy regarding partner assault: women are more often than men the victims of severe partner assault and injury not necessarily because men strike more often, but because men strike harder. Language: en
Industrial Syntheses of Hydrohaloolefins and Related Products

In this chapter we outline routes to hydrohaloolefins that are being made commercially for used as refrigerants, and foam expansion agents, and also in a variety of other applications. These new compounds have low global warming potential and zero or near- zero ozone depletion potential. The focus of the industry has been to develop synthetic schemes to these classes of compounds that are economically viable and have a low environmental footprint.
Effect of Copper-Treated Containers on Transplant Survival and Regrowth of Four Tree Species

Abstract Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea Muenchh.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflura L.), and ‘Autumn Flame’ red maple (Acer rubrum L.) liners were produced in copper-treated (100 gm Cu(OH)2/1 white latex paint) or untreated black plastic 3.8 1 containers (Lerio C-700) in 1989. In spring 1990, liners were transplanted into field plots. Half the liners produced in untreated containers were root pruned just before transplanting, half were not. Liners grown in copper-treated containers were not root pruned before transplanting. Survival percentage was high for all species ranging from 92% for red maple to 65% for scarlet oak. Three years after transplanting, red and scarlet oak liners produced in copper-treated containers had higher survival rates (but not statistically significant) and greater regrowth (taller, greater trunk caliper and percent central leader formation) than liners produced in untreated containers, whether root pruned or not before transplanting. Regrowth of ...
Heterogeneity quantification in waterfloods using a multiphase network approach

Abstract Knowledge of reservoir heterogeneity in waterflooding is key to achieving a better sweep efficiency in a waterflooding process. However, a high degree of spatial variation in reservoir properties and a limited number of measurements make heterogeneity quantification difficult. Furthermore, the contributions of heterogeneities to waterflooding efficiency are unknown. We present a multiphase reservoir network model that can not only approximate interwell heterogeneity, but that can also be used to improve the performance of the waterflood. We develop the network model by dividing the reservoir into a number of node volumes, each of which contains a well. Flow between the node volumes is obtained by solving for the pressure field in the diffusivity equation. A network of pseudo-streamlines connecting wells (producer-injector and injector-injector) is then generated in order to map the saturation between the wells. Instead of grid properties, flow area and interwell Dykstra-Parsons coefficients for time of flight characterize flow and saturation along the streamlines. The model parameters are estimated by a history matching of the fractional-flow data. A derivative-free optimization algorithm is then used to minimize the objective function (the sum of the squared differences between the simulated and actual producer fractional flow). The approach that we present uses only injection and production rates, well positions, and well fractional-flow values, which are the most accessible data in a field. The method was tested using several reservoir models with different synthetic permeability distributions and geologic features. Results show that as interwell heterogeneity increases, Dykstra-Parsons coefficients increase, and flow areas decrease. Furthermore, frontal shock, which is a characteristic of displacement of immiscible incompressible phases, is prevented by the introduction of Dykstra-Parsons coefficients. Flow area and the time-of-flight Dykstra-Parson coefficient can be used to improve waterflood sweep efficiency. Resulting parameters also help in decision making regarding injected water reallocation, but only through a study of injection and production rates.
Attempts to Create a Deeper Reservoir, Redrilling of EE-3, and Completion of the Phase II Reservoir

With the very difficult task of directionally drilling the lower portions of the EE-2 and EE-3 boreholes complete, in early 1982 the critical next step in the development of the Phase II reservoir began. Recall that at this time, the theory that a penny-shaped, vertical hydraulic fracture could be created in jointed basement rock still held sway with the HDR Project management (although many of the Project staff had by then abandoned it). This, of course, was why the lower portions of EE-2 and EE-3 had been inclined 35° from the vertical by costly and time-consuming directional drilling, with EE-3 terminating about 1,200 ft vertically above EE-2. Mort Smith, in his Abstract for the 1982 Annual Report (HDR 1983b), stated that “During Fiscal 1982, emphasis in the Hot Dry Rock Program was on development of methods to produce the hydraulic fractures required to connect the deep, inclined wells of the Phase II system at Fenton Hill.”
Violence Exposure and Psychopathology in Latino Youth: The Moderating Role of Active and Avoidant Coping

Despite high rates of exposure to community violence among Latino youth in urban communities, there is considerable variability in individual outcomes. This study examined (a) associations between coping and indices of Latino culture, (b) main effects of active/avoidant coping on psychopathology, and (c) whether coping moderates the impact of violence exposure on mental health in Latino youth. Participants included 168 Latino youth (56% female; ages 11–14) that took part in a short-term longitudinal study. Results indicate that youth acculturation was positively associated with active coping, but enculturation level and immigrant status were not associated with coping. Structural equation models suggested that active coping was negatively associated with internalizing problems (p = .046) while avoidant coping was positively associated with internalizing problems (p = .013) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p = .024). Moderation analyses revealed that violence exposure was more strongly associated with internalizing problems as reliance on avoidance coping increased. However, at high levels of violence exposure, a greater reliance on active coping was related to increased posttraumatic stress problems. Findings suggest that consideration of the specific stressor, level of stress exposure, and mental health problem-type may be crucial in determining the effectiveness of a coping strategy. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
Spiritual Care in the Hospital: Who Requests It? Who Needs It?

Reports the results of a survey of general medical and surgical patients (N=202) who were asked if they wanted to have a chaplain talk with them, have a chaplain pray with them, and/or receive the ...
Exposure opportunity in epidemiologic studies

Pooles examples in his article on the relationship of exposure opportunity to validity and efficiency of case-control studies clearly demonstrate that the validity of a case-control study is not affected by inclusion or exclusion of persons who had no opportunity for exposure provided that opportunity for exposure is not associated with other factors that alter the risk of the study disease. With regard to validity in other words exposure opportunity is important only insofar as it indicates confounding by some other factor. On the basis of Pooles reasoning one might be led to think that opportunity for exposure is irrelevant to planning case-control studies. It will be shown to the contrary that consideration of exposure opportunity is important not only for the design of case-control studies but also for epidemiologic studies generally. The rationale for restricting a study to persons with an opportunity for exposure is principally a matter of focus i.e. designing studies to answer questions of relevance and importance. Thus despite Pooles suggestion to the contrary one does not study the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) use in men when the real issue is the risk of disease in women who choose this contraceptive method. Pooles assertion that "exposure opportunity does not seem to concern researchers when they conduct follow-up studies" is clearly wrong. The prototypic followup study is a study that employs randomization to ensure that opportunity for exposure is identical for all participants. Observational followup studies when appropriately designed apply enrollment criteria based upon exposure opportunity to approximate the effects of randomization. Examples are cited to show that the target population for epidemiologic studies consists of persons at risk of both the study exposure(s) and disease(s). As a consequence opportunity for exposure should be a criterion for enrollment of subjects. In case-control studies opportunity for exposure like other eligibility criteria must be applied equally to cases and controls in order that they be sampled from the same target population. In practice confounding by factors related to exposure opportunity is common. Any exposure that involves an element of choice should be considered a candidate for confounding. Pooles arguments for studying sterile women based on considerations of "precision" are misleading. Even if a studys precision were "improved" by including subjects with no opportunity for exposure investigation still should be restricted to persons with exposure opportunity first by reason of properly focusing the study and second to avoid the possibility that the assumption of no confounding by exposure opportunity might be wrong. Poole exaggerates the practical difficulties of determining exposure opportunity and underestimates its value in avoiding wasted effort. Consideration of exposure opportunity is crucial to planning epidemiologic investigations because it focuses studies on questions of relevants helps to identify links to variable that can distort the assessment of an exposures effect and it reduces the cost of investigation.
Factors Affecting the Ductility of the Superplastic Ti-6A1-4V Alloy

ABSTRACT The factors which influence the ductility of the superplastic Ti-6A1-4V alloy were investigated for two temperatures and over the strain-rate 8.5x10-5 1.7x10-2 s-1. The maximum total elongation was found to correspond closely to the strain-rate were the strain hardening coefficient (n) vs. log true strain-rate e and the inverse final grain size d*(ef) vs. log true strain-rate e curves intersect. At every test temperature the total elongation vs. strain-rate plot follows broadly the terminal strain-rate sensitivity coefficient vs. strain-rate plot. An empirical relation that relates the total elongation in superplasticity to the terminal value of strain-rate-sensitivity coefficient and a geometrical parameter involving the dimensions of the gage of specimen, was found to predict fairly well the experimental total elongation in this alloy.
Inter-Fetal Communication and Adult Phenotype in Mice

Chemical signals can influence mammalian reproduction at several levels, ranging from molecular signals within the cell derived from the genome to pheromones being communicated among individuals. Among adult mammals, chemical signals can serve as conspecific attractants to bring mates into proximity (Johnston, 1983) or result in regulation of the onset of puberty and adult ovarian cyclicity (Vandenbergh, 1983; 1994). We have become accustomed to calling such signals pheromones when they are emitted by one organism, transmitted through the environment, and have a behavioral or physiological effect on another organism. Here, we propose to include the chemical agents that are transmitted from one fetus to another in the intrauterine environment as priming pheromones (Vandenbergh, 1991).
Optic Pathway Gliomas

Although comprising only 1% of all brain tumors, optic pathway glioma (OPG) is the most common optic pathway tumor. While many cases are found in young children, 20–40% are found in patients ≥15 years. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a well-known risk factor, with about 15–20% with NF1 developing OPG which tend to be more indolent than the non-NF1 OPG. Most are pilocytic astrocytomas, but other types of low-grade and malignant gliomas have been reported. The role of surgery is to obtain tissue diagnosis or resection in the patient with glioma confined just to the optic nerve and complete visual loss. Chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin and vincristine is a popular treatment approach to delay radiotherapy (RT) in children <10 years and preserve neurocognitive function. In NF1 patients, RT is often avoided because of the higher chance of developing vascular and neoplastic events. RT is the mainstay of treatment for non-NF1 patients who are ≥10 years. The 10-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates range from 80% to 95% and 70% to 85%, respectively, with RT. In addition, stabilization and improvement in vision have been observed in more than 70% of patients receiving RT.
Distributed execution of communicating sequential process-style concurrency: Golang case study

In the last decade, the majority of new central processing units (CPU) have become multicore. To take advantage of these new architectures, we need programming languages that can express parallelisms. The programming language Golang is well known for providing developers with an easy programming model for communicating sequential process-style concurrency enabling programmers to easily write functions that will execute on the different cores of a modern multicore CPUs. Unfortunately, Golang does not support distributed execution of goroutines on clusters or distributed systems. In this paper, we extend the concurrency capabilities of Golang to a distributed cluster by providing a library called Gluster that is simple and easy to use. We developed a programming model that allows users to easily distribute work between machines, in a similar way as workloads are distributed in multicore CPUs by using operating system threads with libraries similar to Pthreads and OpenMP. Our Gluster solution is based on a single master node that connects to peers over a network and distributes work to these peers. The master node is able to send function arguments over the network to worker nodes as well as receive return values. Results using matrix multiplication show that our distributed implementation can speed up the goroutines by 5 $$\times $$ in a small 16 nodes cluster, but more importantly, it shows that the results are scalable to cluster size.
Adding a Helper Can Totally Remove the Secrecy Constraints in a Two-User Interference Channel

In many communication channels, secrecy constraints usually incur a penalty in capacity, as well as generalized degrees-of-freedom (GDoF). In this paper, we show an interesting observation that adding a helper can totally remove the penalty in sum GDoF for a two-user symmetric Gaussian interference channel. For the interference channel where each transmitter sends a message to an intended receiver without secrecy constraints, the sum GDoF is a well-known “W” curve, characterized by Etkin–Tse–Wang in 2008. If the secrecy constraints are imposed on this interference channel, where the message of each transmitter must be secure from the unintended receiver (eavesdropper), then a GDoF penalty is incurred and the secure sum GDoF is reduced to a modified “W” curve, derived by Chen recently. In this paper, we show that, by adding a helper into this interference channel with secrecy constraints, the secure sum GDoF turns out to be a “W” curve, which is the same as the sum GDoF of the setting without secrecy constraints. The proposed scheme is based on the cooperative jamming and a careful signal design such that the jamming signal of the helper is aligned at a specific direction and power level with the information signals of the transmitters, which allows us to totally remove the penalty in GDoF due to the secrecy constraints. Furthermore, the estimation approaches of noise removal and signal separation due to the rational independence are used in the secure rate analysis.
Chapter 10 – Inherited Disorders of Human Memory: Mental Retardation Syndromes

Publisher Summary This chapter explores human mental retardation syndromes and their underlying molecular basis. It gives three examples of the convergence of basic memory research with clinical investigation, highlighting neurofibromatosis mental retardation, Angelman Syndrome, and Fragile X mental retardation. It is quite striking the way the detailed analysis of the basic signal transduction mechanisms underlying rodent learning and memory have converged upon many of the same molecular systems recently identified using human genetic characterization approaches in the study of mental retardation syndromes. The convergence of human and basic studies onto the same molecular cascades suggests that the process of generating insights into the molecular basis of human cognition is going on. This line of thinking raises an interesting issue as well: the distinction between developmental necessities for the gene products versus an acute, ongoing necessity as part of the signal transduction mechanisms subserving cognition. Many of the mutations do not lead to gross morphological changes in the human central nervous system (CNS). Mouse studies indicate that baseline synaptic transmission is normal after loss of these gene products. These observations are consistent with a necessity for an ongoing need for the gene products in human learning and memory. In the case of both the ERK/CREB/CBP system and the CaMKII system, there is direct evidence from animal studies that acute inhibition of these systems in adults is sufficient to cause learning deficiencies. These types of considerations suggest a rethinking of the outlook on human learning disorders, changing from the traditional view of them as purely developmental problems to a new view of them as cognitive deficiencies.
Mobilytics-Gym: A Simulation Framework for Analyzing Urban Mobility Decision Strategies

The rise in deep learning models in recent years has led to various innovative solutions for intelligent transportation technologies. Use of personal and on-demand mobility services puts a strain on the existing road network in a city. To mitigate this problem, city planners need a simulation framework to evaluate the effect of any incentive policy in nudging commuters towards alternate modes of travel, such as bike and car-share options. In this paper, we leverage MATSim, an agent-based simulation framework, to integrate agent preference models that capture the altruistic behavior of an agent in addition to their disutility proportional to the travel time and cost. These models are learned in a data-driven approach and can be used to evaluate the sensitivity of an agent to system-level disutility and monetary incentives given, e.g., by the transportation authority. This framework provides a standardized environment to evaluate the effectiveness of any particular incentive policy of a city, in nudging its residents towards alternate modes of transportation. We show the effectiveness of the approach and provide analysis using a case study from the Metropolitan Nashville area.
Assessing the utility of pre-operative first pass radionuclide angiography to predict right ventricular failure post left ventricular assist device implantation.

Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement is associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that decreased right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (EF) as well as qualitative assessments of RV function and dilation, as assessed by first pass radionuclide angiography (FPRNA), are associated with an increased risk of RVF following LVAD implantation. We retrospectively identified 46 patients from 1/2008 to 11/2017 that underwent FPRNA and LVAD implantation. RVF was defined as requiring inotropes for greater than 14 days after LVAD implantation or requiring a right ventricular assist device. FPRNA-derived variables of RV performance and structure were compared between those that did and did not have RVF post implant. Statistical analyses were performed with Mann–Whitney U tests for ordinal and continuous variables. Fisher’s exact tests and Pearson’s χ2 tests were used for categorical variables. Eight patients developed RVF after device implantation. The average RV EF on FPRNA was 41.45% in those that did not develop RVF and 40.13% in those that did (P = 0.787). RV dilation (P = 0.896) and global RV function (P = 0.827) by FPRNA were not statistically different between the two groups. In patients that required FPRNA for further assessment of RV function prior to LVAD implantation, decreased RV EF, RV dilation and global RV function on FPRNA were not associated with an increased risk of RVF.
Patient and Provider Perspectives on Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors

The aim of the current study is to describe proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing trends in an older adult population and elucidate perspectives regarding PPI deprescribing. A retrospective chart review and a prospective cross-sectional analysis of provider and patient surveys were conducted. The retrospective chart review identified 107 patients age ≥65 who were prescribed PPI therapy. Nineteen patients on PPI therapy and 74 providers completed surveys regarding their perspectives on PPI deprescribing. PPI therapy was potentially inappropriate for 66% of patients based on dose, duration, and/or indication. Provider barriers to deprescribing included fear of outcomes, access to documentation, and uncertainty of current guidelines. This study illustrates the prevalence of long-term PPI use in geriatric patients without associated clinical indications, as well as perceived barriers to deprescribing. Long-term PPI use is associated with significant side effects; therefore, successful deprescribing must address these perceived barriers. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(10), 9-17.].
Genetic generalized epilepsies with frontal lesions mimicking migratory disorders on the epilepsy monitoring unit.

Objective Some patients with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) may present with ambiguous and atypical findings and even focal brain abnormalities. Correct diagnosis may therefore be difficult. Methods We retrospectively collected six patients investigated on the epilepsy monitoring unit with MRI abnormalities mimicking focal cortical dysplasia (FCD-like) or heterotopias, but with semiology and EEG features of GGE. We compared them to four additional patients with GGE and nonmigratory abnormalities. Results All six patients presented with frontal MRI lesions: radial ("transmantle," n = 4), cortical-subcortical (n = 1), and periventricular heterotopia (n = 1). Five had positive family histories. Semiologic lateralizing signs compatible with the lesion were seen in four. Five patients had 3/s spike-wave complexes, with an asymmetric appearance in three. Regional EEG changes matched with the side of the abnormality in three patients. Invasive EEG (n = 2) or postoperative outcomes (n = 3) argued against an ictogenic role of the MRI abnormalities. Histology showed mild malformation of cortical development, but no focal cortical dysplasia. The six patients were finally diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (n = 2), juvenile absence epilepsy (n = 2), or GGE not further specified (nfs, n = 2). Compared to these patients, the other four (final diagnoses: childhood absence epilepsy, n = 1; perioral myoclonia with absences, n = 1; and GGE nfs, n = 2) had no lateralizing EEG findings. Significance Patients with GGE may have coincidental MRI abnormalities. These cases are challenging as frontal epilepsy and GGE can present with similar semiologies. GGE with coincidental FCD-like lesions/heterotopias is in particular difficult to diagnose as patients have more lateralizing features (in semiology and EEG) than those with tumors. A detailed noninvasive presurgical evaluation may be justified. We point out red flags that may help to distinguish GGE from frontal epilepsy, even in the presence of brain abnormalities: 3/s spike waves (even if asymmetric), changing lateralizing signs at different times, and a positive family history hinting at GGE.
Molluscum Contagiosum: Review and Update on Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, Risk, Prevention, and Treatment

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a self-limited cutaneous viral infection that most commonly affects children and immunocompromised populations. This review provides an update on the clinical manifestations, risk, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this frequently encountered infection. A recent Cochrane review concluded that there is insufficient evidence to establish the superiority of any specific treatment modality or to confirm that active intervention is superior to benign neglect (van der Wouden JC et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev 5:CD004767, 2017). Interim pilot study data suggests that cantharidin outperforms placebo (Guzman AK et al., Int J Dermatol 57:1001–1006, 2018). Imiquimod is no longer recommended for treatment of MC (van der Wouden JC et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev 5:CD004767, 2017; Papadopoulos EJ, https://www.fda.gov/files/drugs/published/N20-723S020-Imiquimod-Clinical-BPCA.pdf, 2006; Katz KA et al., Pediatr Dermatol 35:282–283, 2018). Optimal management strategies for MC remain unclear due to the multitude of proposed therapies, lack of high-quality evidence, and uncertain benefit of intervention for uncomplicated disease. Aside from watchful waiting, destructive therapies such as cantharidin and curettage are among the best studied methods and remain the treatment of choice for most patients.
Review: Woodsmoke and emerging issues

Abstract Wood is a type of biomass commonly burnt as a means of energy. When burnt, it releases harmful components linked to adverse health outcomes. In the scientific community toxicologists and epidemiologists continue to consider the individual components of woodsmoke — such as particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — as a way to better understand the relationship between inhaled woodsmoke and acute and chronic disease. In recent years, research focus has shifted toward the underlying mechanisms that could be associated with long-term health consequences. Alongside this research, novel studies in molecular toxicology that examine the impacts of woodsmoke could provide a link between woodsmoke and telomere length. Such studies could provide scientists with a better understanding on how woodsmoke leads to chronic diseases. As researchers from various disciplines come together to work on this complex and widespread issue, hope emerges to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this global air pollutant.
Health literacy and education level correlates of participation and outcome in a remotely delivered epilepsy self-management program.

Abstract Significance Health literacy, the ability to understand necessary health information to make proper health decisions, has been linked to greater frequency of hospitalizations. However, there is limited literature on the associations between health literacy and outcomes in patients with epilepsy, and thus, this secondary analysis investigates the associations between health literacy and outcomes in patients with epilepsy enrolled in the self-management intervention “Self-management for people with epilepsy and a history of negative events” (SMART). We examined the associations between higher health literacy and higher education level and outcomes of the SMART trial. Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from the SMART self-management intervention, where individuals were randomized to the SMART intervention or a 6-month waitlist (WL) control. Health literacy was assessed at baseline before randomization using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM-R). Education level was self-reported by participants at baseline. Pearson correlations between REALM-R scores and continuous demographic and clinical variables were conducted. Point-biserial Pearson correlations were computed for REALM-R and dichotomous variables. The effect of education on change in negative health events (NHEs) counts from baseline to six months was conducted using a linear regression. A logistic regression with health literacy and randomization arm as predictors and improvement in NHE (1 = improvement, 0 = no change or increased NHEs at 6 months) as the outcome was conducted. Results Lower education and lower income were significantly correlated with lower health literacy (p Conclusions The SMART intervention appears effective for individuals regardless of health literacy competency. Nevertheless, individuals with higher levels of education have fewer epilepsy complications, and thus, those with limited education may still require additional support while participating in epilepsy self-management programs.
Measuring Catholicity on Campus: A Comparative Example at Four Colleges.

More than 200 American colleges and universities call themselves Catholic. This affiliation contains surprising variability in its organizational and cultural manifestations, as well as its adherence to Church teachings and practices. Prospective students, parents, alumni, benefactors, accrediting agencies, and Church leaders all have an interest in gauging the effective “Catholicity” of an institution. However, there are no easy metrics to separate the most “orthodox” from the most secular, and public reputations are often misleading. This article suggests that one way to assess an institution is to go directly to the students with carefully designed surveys of religious beliefs and practices. The author describes one such effort that compares representative samples of Catholic students on four Catholic campuses. The results demonstrate that even fairly subtle differences in Catholicity among the institutions are empirically measurable and potentially useful. The recent history, benefits, and limitations of such benchmarking are also discussed.
The dichotomous role of the gut microbiome in exacerbating and ameliorating neurodegenerative disorders.

Age related neurodegenerative disorders affect millions of people around the world. The role of the gut microbiome (GM) in neurodegenerative disorders has been elucidated over the past few years. D...
“Attempts to Change the World Itself”: American Political Theory and Rhetorics of Political Significance

Although the subfield of political theory often struggles to be recognized as producing scholarship that meaningfully contributes to the practical improvement of American political life, claims con...
Counting Backwards: Tracing the Effect of Human Factors in Anesthesiology

The physical ergonomics of the anesthesiologist’s environment requires accommodation to the surgical field, which can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Tubes, wires, and cables can lead to injuries due to falls. Operating room (OR) design could benefit from the influence of human factors engineering principles to improve the space for anesthesiologists with a focus on how their workspace interacts with others in the operating room. Communication when coordinating medical care, especially during emergent situations, can be hindered by the noise in an operating room, including alarms which average 1.2 alarms per minute. The anesthesiologist’s handoff requires delivering critical and timely information as quickly as possible without decreasing the level of care. Handoffs may lack pertinent information or increase the risk of controlled drug discrepancies, which highlights the need to reduce the amount of transfers of care during anesthesia and the need for standardized handoff protocols. The design of the operating room should aim to place anesthesiologists as the focal point within their workspace.
Improving the referral rate of universal genetic counseling for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center: A quality improvement project.

196Background: While most PDAC are sporadic, up to 10% are inherited. In 2018, ASCO and NCCN guidelines were updated to recommend that all patients with PDAC be considered for genetic counseling (G...
Rethink Vape: Development and evaluation of a risk communication campaign to prevent youth E-cigarette use

Abstract Introduction E-cigarettes are now the most common form of tobacco use among adolescents, and use is associated with increased risk of initiation of cigarette smoking. This project used a community-engaged research process to develop and pilot a risk communication campaign to prevent youth vaping. Method The research team worked with a 36-member Teen Advisory Council and a 19-member Expert Panel. Together, the team employed survey (N = 674) and focus group (N = 82) methodologies, and hired a marketing company to partner on development of the campaign. Campaign concepts were developed, eliminated, and/or modified through an iterative process of feedback and refinement. The final campaign included video ads ( https://bit.ly/2QMR8gH ) a microsite ( rethinkvape.org ), and social media sites (@rethinkvape). The campaign communicated three messages to teens: what’s in the vapor, health risks, and connections to big tobacco. Prior to launch of the campaign, a randomized controlled 2 (time) × 2 (group) online experiment was conducted to evaluate the campaign (N = 268). Results Repeated measures mixed analyses of variance indicated that vaping knowledge, perceptions of risk, and anti-vape intentions significantly increased among teens viewing the Rethink Vape Materials compared to their own baseline, while control participants did not change. Following evaluation, the team launched a 6-week online media campaign with a teen-targeted geo-fence radius to deliver 3,838,465 impressions, 770,443 completed video views, and 18,316 clicks in mobile app, Snapchat, YouTube, and Spotify platforms. The majority of placements exceeded industry standards, with mobile pre-roll and Snapchat as top performers. Conclusions The e-cigarette campaign showed promising signs of effectiveness and scalability.
MAP-21 to FAST Act: Did the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program Better Support High-Risk Transportation Infrastructure Projects?:

The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program acts as the U.S. federal government’s largest direct financing program for domestic transportation infrastructure develo...
BlueFi: bluetooth over WiFi

Bluetooth and WiFi are the two dominant technologies enabling the communication of mobile and IoT devices. Built with specific design goals and principles, they are vastly different, each using its own hardware and software. Thus, they are not interoperable and require different hardware. One may, therefore, ask a simple, yet seemingly impossible question: “Can we transmit Bluetooth packets on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) WiFi hardware?” We answer this question positively by designing, implementing and demonstrating a novel system called BlueFi. It can readily run on existing, widely-deployed WiFi devices without modifying NIC firmware/hardware. BlueFi works by reversing the signal processing of WiFi hardware and finds special 802.11n packets that are decodable by unmodified Bluetooth devices. With BlueFi, every 802.11n device can be used simultaneously as a Bluetooth device, which instantly increases the coverage of Bluetooth, thanks to the omnipresence of WiFi devices. BlueFi is particularly useful for WiFi-only devices or environments. We implement and evaluate BlueFi on devices with widely-adopted WiFi chips. We also construct two prevalent end-to-end apps — Bluetooth beacon and audio — to showcase the practical use of BlueFi. The former allows ordinary APs to send location beacons; the latter enables WiFi chips to stream Bluetooth audio in real time.