cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pacemaker assessment and care plans in long-term care

Summary Residents with implanted pacemakers are a real challenge, especially to nurses, in long-term care. The facility is accountable for the quality and timeliness of care and service to the resident. Documenting the physical assessment, developing and implementing a significant plan of care, and monitoring that care, for a resident with a pacemaker, are serious professional nursing responsibilities.
Systemic change in limited family therapy

Some families present with so many problems and disordered family processes that where and how to begin is an extremely important question. When premature termination of therapy also appears likely, a family therapist may simply attempt to initiate a structural change within the family system so that the family can continue on its own. This article describes the responses of a highly chaotic family to such a single therapeutic intent.
Higgs boson mass in split supersymmetry at two-loops

The mass of the Higgs boson in the split-supersymmetric standard model is calculated, including all one-loop threshold effects and the renormalization group evolution of the Higgs quartic coupling through two-loops. The two-loop corrections are very small ($\ensuremath{\ll}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$), while the one-loop threshold corrections generally push the Higgs mass down several GeV.
Top-Stop Nipper Reduces Leader Growth in Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. Abies fraseri, shearing, consumer preference, crown density SUMMARY. The Top-Stop Nipper (TSN), a four-bladed, hand-held tool used to reduce leader growth in Christmas trees, was evaluated on fraser fir (Abies fraseri). The TSN placed incisions (nips) on the previous year’s leader to reduce the amount of photosynthate transported to the developing leader. Treatments consisted of a control (zero nips), and one, two, three, or four nips at each of three stages of leader elongation (pre-budbreak, 2‐3 cm, and 6‐9 cm). The TSN significantly reduced leader elongation. The percentage of leaders that were within the target range of 8 to 14 inches (20.3‐35.6 cm) increased from 18% for the control (no nips) to 46% with four nips. The TSN, when combined with traditional knife shearing or growth regulator treatments, might offer a method to produce dense trees with minimal shearing or to leave longer leaders to produce a more open ‘‘European-style’’ tree during a shorter rotation time.
Human Capital Development in Science and Technology Education: Challenges and New Responsibilities of the Teacher

The importance of science and technology education cannot be over-emphasized. Human capital development in science and technology education is the gateway to a scientific, technological, and progressive society. It is also the very bedrock upon which modern and advanced nations are based. However, science was featured in a few secondary and teacher training schools in Nigeria between 1859 and 1929. The major subjects taught in the schools were astronomy, chemistry, physiology, geology, and botany. These were later systematized and then changed first to Nature Study and later General Science. Training of technology education teachers in Nigeria started in 1962 with the establishment of the Department of Vocational Teacher Education at the University of Nigeria-Nsukka under the supervision of Michigan State University (USA) at its formative years. Human capital development in science and technology education is faced with a lot of challenges such as retraining of science and technology teachers, dearth of qualified technology trainers, and inadequate funding among others. This paper addressed how these challenges could be forestalled for successful implementation of human capital development and also the new responsibilities of the teachers for science and technology education in Nigeria.
Rainwater Harvesting as an Effective Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in Rural and Urban Settings

Human societies are known for their resilience and ability to adapt to short- and long-term environmental change. Despite their pragmatism and adaptability, humans could be forced to move and/or seek better conditions for survival, especially when climate change and water availability are at issue. This chapter provides case studies on easy-to-adopt rainwater harvesting applications as effective climate change adaptation strategies in rural and urban settings to increase human resiliency.
Right and left vagus nerves regulate breathing by multiplicative interaction.

Although it has been recognized for more than a century, we still do not know how the two vagus nerves interact to produce Hering-Breuer reflex. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that the vagus nerves interact via a multiplicative effect. We examined the Hering-Breuer reflex before and after unilateral (first) and then bilateral (second) vagotomies in the mouse. The lung is mostly innervated homolaterally. Since the right and left lung formed 68.2 and 31.8% of total lung weight, if the interaction is mediated by an additive mechanism, unilateral vagotomy would remove the reflex effects by 68.2 and 31.8%, respectively. Instead, unilateral vagotomy removed 85.4 ± 6.0% (>68.2%) or 52.8 ± 3.7% (>31.8%) of the reflex effects on respiratory rate (n=9, P 68.2%) or 59.3 ± 9.1% (>31.8%) of the effect on expiratory pause induced by lung inflation (n=12, P<0.05). Since the first vagotomy removes more reflex effect than the second vagotomy, we conclude that the two vagus nerves exert their Hering-Breuer reflex effects by a multiplicative effect.
The In-Session and Long-Term Role of a Significant Other in Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorders

Abstract Objective To examine how significant other (SO) language in support of or against client abstinence from alcohol influences clients' in-session speech and drinking behavior over the 9months post-Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). Method Sequential analyses were used to examine the language of Project MATCH clients who invited an SO to participate in an MET session. Hierarchical regressions investigated the predictive relationship between SO language and clients' post-treatment drinking behavior. A cohort analytic design compared the change language of these SO-involved participants against a matched group who chose client-only therapy. Results 'SO Support Change' language increased the odds of client Change Talk in the next utterance ( p p =.04). In the matched comparison, the proportion of change-related client language was comparable across the SO-involved and client-only groups. Conclusions Motivational interviewing theory was supported by the sequential association between SO and client language as well as the predictive link between SO Against Change and client drinking intensity. Given the centrality of pro -sobriety language in the literature, it was surprising that SO Support Change did not predict alcohol use outcomes. Findings are discussed in relation to contemporary treatment process research and clinical practice.
Modifying the Teaching of Modifiers: A Lesson from Universal Grammar

This chapter considers the implications for classroom teaching and materials development of recent research on the second language acquisition of modifiers, specifically regarding word order of prepositional modifiers (e.g., right back into the desert) and attributive adjectives (e.g., great new haircut). While word order of prepositional modifiers is generally not taught in the classroom, adjectival hierarchies in contrast are covered by most ESL grammar series, although never systematically. Universal orderings of prepositional modifiers (Stringer D, Burghardt B, Seo H-K, Wang Y-T. Sec Lang Res 27:289–311, 2011) and adjectives (Cinque G. The syntax of adjectives. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2010) raise the question of whether orderings of modifiers need to be taught at all, or whether such hierarchies might be naturally manifested without explicit instruction. Results from experimentation targeting the acquisition of prepositional modifiers reveal innate knowledge of the syntax of modification and suggest that teaching materials should focus on the lexicon rather than word order in this domain. In contrast, results from experiments on acquisition of adjective order suggest that while a more general distinction (absolute vs. nonabsolute) may be universal, more fine-grained distinctions are poorly understood by learners even at advanced proficiency levels, regardless of first language background, and require the development of more effective teaching of word order, plausibly though enhanced input.
Water: a responsive small molecule.

Unique among small molecules, water forms a nearly tetrahedral yet flexible hydrogen-bond network. In addition to its flexibility, this network is dynamic: bonds are formed or broken on a picosecond time scale. These unique features make probing the local structure of water challenging. Despite the challenges, there is intense interest in developing a picture of the local water structure due to water’s fundamental importance in many fields of chemistry.Understanding changes in the local network structure of water near solutes likely holds the key to unlock problems from analyzing parameters that determine the three dimensional structure of proteins to modeling the fate of volatile materials released into the atmosphere. Pictures of the local structure of water are heavily influenced by what is known about the structure of ice. In hexagonal Ih ice, the most stable form of solid water under ordinary conditions, water has an equal number of donor and acceptor bonds; a kind of symmetry. This symmetric tetrahe...
Laboratory Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease of unknown etiology, is the most common cause of nontraumatic disabling neurologic disease of young and middle-aged adults in the United States. It is also one of the most difficult illnesses to define and characterize in neurologic practice. Until recently, neurologists had few laboratory tools to use in diagnosis. Today, however, technological breakthroughs in neurogenetics and laboratory methodologies are yielding useful assays for the clinical laboratory. The diagnosis of MS commonly is made on the basis of established clinical criteria. Although no specific laboratory diagnostic test exists, abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) help support the clinical diagnosis of MS. Careful correlation among laboratory data, clinical history, and imaging studies is necessary. This review describes the most common CSF abnormalities. This article is the first in a three-part continuing education series on neurology. Other articles will focus on stroke and neuropathy syndromes and antibodies.
Fatty acids of human brain cerebrosides

Four regions of two human brains were analyzed for the individual cerebroside acids: cerebral cortex white and gray matter, cerebellum (mainly gray matter), and corpus callosum. The total lipids were extracted from each section and passed through a column of Florisil to remove cholesterol and phosphatides. The crude cerebrosides were next passed through a column of mixed ion exchange resins to remove cerebroside sulfate and then purified by elution from a silicic-acid column. The acids were cleaved from the cerebrosides and separated into four classes: normal saturated, hydroxy saturated, normal unsaturated, and hydroxy unsaturated. The individual acids were then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The cerebroside content of each brain region differed somewhat, as did the relative contents of hydroxy acids. However, the distribution of the acids within each class was rather independent of brain location. The normal saturated acids contained stearic and lignoceric as the major acids, but fairly large amounts of the C22, C23, and C25 acids were also present. The hydroxy saturated acids were similar, but contained little hydroxystearic acid. The unsaturated acids of both classes contained the C24, acid as the major constituent, together with considerable amounts of the C25 and C26 acids.
Review of information technology for surgical patient care.

Abstract Background Electronic health records (EHRs), computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and patient portals have experienced increased adoption by health care systems. The objective of this study was to review evidence regarding the impact of such health information technologies (HIT) on surgical practice. Materials and methods A search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify data-driven, nonsurvey studies about the effects of HIT on surgical care. Domain experts were queried for relevant articles. Two authors independently reviewed abstracts for inclusion criteria and analyzed full text of eligible articles. Results A total of 2890 citations were identified. Of them, 32 observational studies and two randomized controlled trials met eligibility criteria. EHR or CPOE improved appropriate antibiotic administration for surgical procedures in 13 comparative observational studies. Five comparative observational studies indicated that electronically generated operative notes had increased accuracy, completeness, and availability in the medical record. The Internet as an information resource about surgical procedures was generally inadequate. Surgical patients and providers demonstrated rapid adoption of patient portals, with increasing proportions of online versus inperson outpatient surgical encounters. Conclusions The overall quality of evidence about the effects of HIT in surgical practice was low. Current data suggest an improvement in appropriate perioperative antibiotic administration and accuracy of operative reports from CPOE and EHR applications. Online consumer health educational resources and patient portals are popular among patients and families, but their impact has not been studied well in surgical populations. With increasing adoption of HIT, further research is needed to optimize the efficacy of such tools in surgical care.
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Films: Ablation Dynamics and Growth

Thin films of diamond-like carbon have been grown by pulsed laser deposition using a Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. Time-of-flight mass spectroscopy was used to investigate the effects of laser power density and background gas pressure on the plume characteristics including the species in the plume and the kinetic energy distribution of each species. We found that with increasing laser power density (1) the relative amount of C+ ions increases, (2) the kinetic energy distributions of C+ get broader and can be deconvoluted into fast and slow components, and (3) the kinetic energy of the fast component of C+ ions increases from several to 40 eV. The resistivity and the local carbon bonding in films grown under these same conditions were also characterized. It was found that there is direct correlation between the characteristics of fast part of C+ ions in the plume and the diamond-like properties of the thin films. Under optimal growth conditions diamond-like carbon films with a large fraction of sp3 bonding can be prepared, although the maximum fraction appears to saturate at 70%. The implications of these results are discussed.
Coherence Threshold and the Continuity of Processing: The RI-Val Model of Comprehension

Common to all models of reading comprehension is the assumption that a reader's level of comprehension is heavily influenced by their standards of coherence (van den Broek, Risden, & Husbye-Hartman, 1995). Our discussion focuses on a subcomponent of the readers' standards of coherence: the coherence threshold. We situate this discussion within our RI-Val model of comprehension in which we assume that three prominent processes—activation, integration, and validation—all run to completion regardless of whether readers have reached their coherence threshold. This continuity assumption provides the basis for predictions about the timing of processing effects both before and after the reader has reached the coherence threshold. We suggest that the coherence threshold assumption may have implications for several current areas of discourse processing research.
¡Miranos! (Look at Us! We Are Healthy!): Home-Based and Parent Peer–Led Childhood Obesity Prevention

Parent interventions for childhood obesity prevention have traditionally experienced low participation rates or used passive methods such as newsletters. In contrast, the iMiranos! intervention home-based activities included parent-led face-to-face meetings delivered after school, take-home bags with educational materials, and scavenger hunt games to deliver health information to Head Start families regarding nutrition, physical activity, and healthy growth promotion for their preschooler. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with three intervention centers (two that received only center-based activities and one that received center- and home-based activities) and one comparison center. Data were collected on participating Head Start children and their parents/guardians and included parent attendance, parent health message recall through intercept interviews, parent knowledge through pre- and posttests, and family supportive behaviors and child health behaviors through a parent questionnaire. Parents/guardians that received both center- and home-based activities significantly increased knowledge scores (t = 2.50, degrees of freedom = 123, p < .05) and family supportive behaviors from baseline to follow-up (t = 2.12, degrees of freedom = 122, p < .05). This study demonstrates the effects home-based interventions can have when coupled with center-based activities and implemented in the center at the end of the school day.
Biases in multicriteria decision analysis: The case of environmental planning in Southern Nevada

Multicriteria decision analysis is a decision support aid touted for its ability to help participants overcome bias and make holistic assessments. However, few offer empirical tests of this thesis. This research examines the use of multicriteria decision analysis to implement the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. The Act called upon federal, regional, and local agencies to develop a connected system of parks, trails, and natural areas throughout Nevada. The partners used multicriteria decision analysis to make decisions about which parks, trails, and natural areas projects to fund. We assess the extent of political and cognitive biases among the participants when using the multicriteria decision analysis process. We find no strong evidence of strategic behavior, a finding that highlights many of the celebratory claims made about multicriteria decision analysis. However, we also note a preference for projects adjacent to high-income areas as well as the presence of cognitive biases in the assign...
Advances in Researches on Airborne Allergenic Pollen and Bronchial Asthma

Pollens are one group of airborne allergens which may cause bronchial asthma and pollinosis and affect patients daily lives. The prevalence of bronchial asthma increased dramatically in recent decades. In order to prevent bronchial asthma, it is of great importance to carry out researches on airborne allergenic pollens and bronchial asthma. The paper reviewed the latest advances on the dispersion characteristics and forecast of pollens, the identification of allergenic pollens, the latest progress on control and prevention of allergic bronchial asthma as well as immunotherapy. Monitoring pollens and related actionswere proposed.
Organizational Factors in Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress

This chapter targets the challenges associated with addressing secondary trauma and job burnout at the organizational level (including military, business, and community-based milieu), rather than the more common individual-level focus. A review of critical organizational structure and cultural factors that affect burnout and potentially STS are offered. Leadership style is also reviewed along with a number of individually based organizational factors (e.g., role conflict) that negatively impact job burnout. Finally, we offer a set of best practices for ameliorating STS and job burnout from an organizational perspective.
A Combined Independent Source Separation and Quality Index Optimization Method for Fetal ECG Extraction from Abdominal Maternal Leads

The non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) technique has recently received considerable interest in monitoring fetal health. The aim of our paper is to propose a novel fECG algorithm based on the combination of the criteria of independent source separation and of a quality index optimization (ICAQIO-based). The algorithm was compared with two methods applying the two different criteria independently—the ICA-based and the QIO-based methods—which were previously developed by our group. All three methods were tested on the recently implemented Fetal ECG Synthetic Database (FECGSYNDB). Moreover, the performance of the algorithm was tested on real data from the PhysioNet fetal ECG Challenge 2013 Database. The proposed combined method outperformed the other two algorithms on the FECGSYNDB (ICAQIO-based: 98.78%, QIO-based: 97.77%, ICA-based: 97.61%). Significant differences were obtained in particular in the conditions when uterine contractions and maternal and fetal ectopic beats occurred. On the real data, all three methods obtained very high performances, with the QIO-based method proving slightly better than the other two (ICAQIO-based: 99.38%, QIO-based: 99.76%, ICA-based: 99.37%). The findings from this study suggest that the proposed method could potentially be applied as a novel algorithm for accurate extraction of fECG, especially in critical recording conditions.
Electronmicroscopic Study of Ultrathin Solute Barrier Layer of Composite Membranes and their Solute Transport Phenomena by the Addition of Alkali Metal Salts

The morphological structure of the membrane has a large influence on membrane performances[1]. The membrane structures have been designed to suit each purpose for which membranes are used. Many kinds of membrane processes have been proposed theoretically, and some of them are now becoming commercially feasible processes, such as reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, dialysis, ion exchange, gas separation and so on[2]. Among them the reverse osmosis membrane has been investigated intensively in the United States and Japan, since the discovery of the asymmetric membrane by Loeb and Sourirajan. Consequently a new class of membrane materials and it’s fabrication methods has emerged, so-called ‘thin film composite’ membranes[3]. They are made by depositing a very thin layer of solute-rejecting barrier onto the surface of a suitable finely porous substrate and each of those components can be designed separately to have excellent performance. Some of the thin film composite membranes have reached a commercial stage, such membranes being tradenamed as ‘PA-300’[4], ‘FT-30’[5] and ‘PEC-1000’[6,7]. They exhibit high performance, which made it possible to produce a potable water by single stage seawater desalination, which cannot be accomplished by the asymmetric flat sheet membranes. At the same time a few of them are known to have a potentiality for the separation of low molecular weight water-soluble organic compounds such as ethanol, which is expected as a new energy resource from biomass, and acetic acid and so on[6,7]. Although the thin film composite membranes have been designed, their fine structural feature has remained unclear.
Perceptions of Black Student Athletes About Academic Mentorship at a Predominantly White Institution in Higher Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the mentorship experiences of Black student athletes attending undergraduate programs at a Predominantly White Institution in Higher Education (PWI-HE). The research site for this study was a co-educational public research institution (PWI-HE) with an approximate enrollment of 45,000 students. A total of six Black student athletes (five African American and one Jamaican) agreed to participate in this study. Four major interrelated and complex themes emerged from the data analyses. These themes were: (a) mentoring study habits and routines, (b) mentoring academic schedule and time management, (c) personal development within an isolated environment, and (d) family members’ support and encouragements. To better support Black student athletes at PWI-HEs, athletic department administrators, coaches, faculty, and all students should be encouraged to respect, value, and embrace the racial identities, origins, languages, and cultures of the student athletes that are being mentored.
First records of Dentridactylinae (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae) from Colombia, with description of two new species of Dentridactylus Günther.

Two new species of Dentridactylus Gunther (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae) are described and illustrated: Dentridactylus quadratus sp. nov. and Dentridactylus truncatus sp. nov. The new species represent the first record of the subfamily Dentridactylinae from Colombia and the second record for the Americas. Both come from the south of the country and are readily separated from congeners by their larger body size; D. quadratus sp. nov. is further delimited by the quadrate outline of the epiproct, and D. truncatus sp. nov. by the epiproct with lateral lobes and lateral margin of epiproct not indented. Keys for the identification of species in the Americas are provided.
Theorien der Magnetostriktion

Bringt man einen Korper in ein magnetisches Feld, so unterliegt die Materie in jedem Volumenelement gewissen, durch die Wirkung des Feldes auf die magnetischen Teilchen des Korpers hervorgerufenen Kraften. Addiert man die Krafte zwischen den benachbarten Molekulen dazu, so kann eine betrachtliche Anderung als Ergebnis der molekularen Ruckorientierung, die die Magnetisierung begleitet, auftreten. Beide Wirkungen tragen dazu bei, eine Deformation des Korpers hervorzurufen, die als „Magnetostriktion“ bekannt ist.
Building the Next Seven Wonders: The Landscape Rhetoric of Large Engineering Projects

No aspect of macroengineering makes sense unless it is understood as part of a cultural landscape symbol system, as an element of the cultural messages seen throughout the human landscape. Investment in large projects is based not only on economic calculations, it is also investment in a message. As high cost productions of large corporate or state entities, megaengineering projects carry rhetorical content that is almost always about elaborating and sustaining the authority and power of those actors. The archetypal suite of historic landscape symbols of power and authority is the 2200 year old Hellenistic “Seven Wonders of the World” list. The Wonders are manifestations of a set of cultural landscape tropes still recognizable today in the political messages contained within large scale engineering projects. The Seven Wonders are landscapes of authority, demonstrating elements recognized by Hellenistic society as projecting and reinforcing political power. Engineering landscape symbol systems continue to evolve as the modern world is changed by globalization, geopolitical conflict, economic disruption, and environmental degradation, but the root meanings of large scale alterations of the landscape are still to be found on this short list of landscapes chosen as an allegory for the conquests of Alexander.
Models of the Universe

The usual way of setting up a model of the Universe is to suppose that all the matter, which is contained mainly in the stars, is smoothed out and replaced by a uniform density at rest. One then obtains a solution of the Einstein field equations to agree with this matter distribution.
Comentario de comentarios: los Naufragios

La edicion de los Naufragios de Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca que preparo Enrique Pupo-Walker (1992) es de veras excelente; deja muy atras a todas las que se han hecho del mismo texto, y sin duda alguna constituye uno de los esfuerzos editoriales mejor logrados en el campo de la literatura colonial hispanica. Asi y todo, dice el consabido refran que "habent sua fata libelli" y se aplica bien a este caso: casi inmediatamente despues de la aparicion de la edicion de Pupo-Walker se anuncio el descubrimiento de un manuscrito de los Naufragios (NIETO NUNO, "Manuscritos"), que luego salio a luz en una hermosa reproduccion facsimil (NIETO NUNO, Historia). Ni que decir tiene que la existencia del manuscrito (Osterreichische Nationalbibliotek, Viena, codex vindobonensis 5620; en adelante designado el "codice vienes") nos obliga a replantear las bases de una edicion critica de la obra. En lo que sigue, senalo algunas lecciones del codice vienes que parecen superiores a las correspondientes de las ediciones impresas.
Electrically stimulated acupuncture increases renal blood flow through exosome-carried miR-181

Acupuncture with low-frequency electrical stimulation (Acu/LFES) can prevent muscle atrophy by increasing muscle protein anabolism in mouse models of chronic kidney disease. During the treatment of...
Risk of malignancy in the categories of the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology system for reporting pancreaticobiliary cytology.

Background Management of pancreatic lesions depends on the risk of malignancy, which is primarily determined from the cytologic and radiologic evaluation findings. The Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology (PSC) published a classification system for reporting pancreaticobiliary cytology. However, the “neoplastic: other” category can be further stratified by high-grade atypia (HGA). Studies on the risk of malignancy using the PSC system have been limited. Materials and methods All patients who had undergone endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for a pancreatic lesion at Massachusetts General Hospital from January 2016 to December 2016 were prospectively classified. The clinical, radiographic, and endoscopic findings, cytologic and histologic diagnoses, and follow-up data from 334 FNA biopsies from 322 patients were reviewed. The neoplastic: other category was subclassified as low-grade atypia or HGA. The absolute risk of malignancy was determined by the histologic outcome or follow-up of ≥6 months. Results The absolute risk of malignancy was 7.7% for the nondiagnostic category; 1.0% for negative; 28.0% for atypical; 0.0% for neoplastic: benign; 30.3% for neoplastic: other; 90.0% for neoplastic: other with HGA; 100% for suspicious; and 100% for positive. When the neoplastic: other with HGA, suspicious, and positive cytologic diagnoses were considered positive, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for pancreatic FNA biopsy was 92.2%, 98.8%, 98.3%, and 94.3%, respectively. Conclusions Categories of the PSC system each carry an implied absolute risk of malignancy, increasing from the negative to positive categories. The presence of HGA identifies lesions at the greatest risk of malignancy in the neoplastic: other category, and its inclusion with suspicious and positive as positive diagnoses optimizes the diagnostic performance of identifying high-risk lesions that warrant surgical excision.
Maximization of thermal conductance at interfaces via exponentially mass-graded interlayers

We propose a strategy to potentially best enhance interfacial thermal transport through solid–solid interfaces by adding nano-engineered, exponentially mass-graded intermediate layers. This exponential design rule results in a greater enhancement than a linearly mass-graded interface. By combining calculations using non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF) and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD), we investigated the role of impedance matching and anharmonicity in the enhancement in addition to geometric parameters such as the number of layers and the junction thickness. Our analysis shows that the effect on thermal conductance is dominated by the phonon thermalization through anharmonic effects, while elastic phonon transmission and impedance matching play a secondary role. In the harmonic limit, increasing the number of layers results in greater elastic phonon transmission at each individual boundary, countered by the decrease of available conducting channels. Consequently, conductance initially increases with number of layers due to improved bridging, but quickly saturates. The presence of slight anharmonic effects (at very low temperature, T = 2 K) turns the saturation into a monotonically increasing trend. Anharmonic effects can further facilitate interfacial thermal transport through the thermalization of phonons at moderate temperatures. At high temperature, however, the role of anharmonicity as a facilitator of interfacial thermal transport reverses. Strong anharmonicity introduces significant intrinsic resistance, overruling the enhancement in thermal conduction at the boundaries. It follows that at a particular temperature, there exists a corresponding junction thickness at which thermal conductance is maximized.
Heterogeneity in the land cover composition and configuration of US cities: implications for ecosystem services.

Cities are comprised of complex matrices of differing development intensities, as well as interstitial natural and agricultural lands. While changes in development intensity along an urban-to-rural gradient within a city are well established, variation among cities is largely unexplored but has important in understanding heterogeneity of urban ecosystems and their services. The objectives were to: (1) characterize the variation in population density and land cover composition of cities of different population sizes and city ages, (2) determine differences among cities and the relationship with political and physiographic boundaries, and (3) determine if environmental characteristics differed by with composition and the implications for ecosystem services. We quantified the land cover composition, configuration, population density, and environmental characteristics of all urban areas with populations greater than 1000 people in the conterminous United States. Six types of cities emerged with differing dominant developed and interstitial land covers and configurations. Larger cities tend to be more similar and less representative of the typical US city, while urban age had little influence on characteristics. City types were clustered in different regions that were better accounted for by ecoregion than by state boundary. City types accounded for differences in environmental characteristics. The land cover composition and configuration varies among US cities of different sizes and physiographic regions likely contributing to variability in ecosystem services. Urban ecologists and planners should consider inter-city heterogeneity in developing experimental design and management of ecosystem services.
Small Bodies of the Solar System

This report summarizes some of the significant results achieved in the last four years on asteroids, comets, and small satellites. These objects are interrelated in several ways - some objects may be considered either asteroids or comets; some small satellites may have been comets or asteroids captured into planetary orbits; and these small, low gravity objects are thought to be subject to many common processes. This summary is not comprehensive; rather it focusses on several topics dealing chiefly with the physical characteristics of these small objects. 116 refs.
An Analysis of the Connections Between Involvement in Study Abroad, Other High-Impact Practices, and Co-Curricular Activities

In the present study, the linkages between study abroad particip ation, participation in other high impact educational practices, and participation in co curricular activities were examined. It was the purpose of the study to determine if study abroad participants also chose to participate in multiple other high impa ct educational practices and co curricular activities at significantly higher rates than their peers who did not study abroad. The present study demonstrated that many students who study abroad tend toward multiple participation (e.g. participation in mul tiple voluntary activities) when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and academic major. While multiple participation was established among many study abroad subgroups, the current study was not able to substantiate multiple participation among all st udent subgroups.
The prognostic value of polymorphisms in the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR) pathway in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC)

4500 Background: The IGFR pathway is activated in pancreatic cancer and may result in aggressive disease course. The study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in this pathway may pro...
Defining communities of interest: political self-definition in Los Angeles County during the first California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission

This study analyzes how the 2010 establishment of the California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission allowed communities to assert their presence and define their borders in order to protect their political influence. I examine the use of the term “communities of interest” in public comments submitted for Los Angeles County to the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission in the period from January 1st to August 15th, 2011, to discover who participated in California’s redistricting process, how stakeholders used the term “communities of interest”, and when this tactic was successfully used to achieve the creation of political boundaries. Using ArcGIS software, I identify associations between participation in the commenting process and the demographic makeup, economic status, and population density of participating communities. In addition, I identify three primary types of advocate groups who argue for redistricting on behalf of a proclaimed “community of interest”—environmental advocate groups, suburban advocate groups, and minority advocate groups. I analyze their effectiveness for these three causes in obtaining their goals in the redistricting process. These findings have important implications for understanding how the shift from a top-down redistricting model to a grassroots model may allow for an “un-gerrymandering” of the American political landscape, wherein politically motivated districting is reimagined in a community-defined process. Grassroots redistricting may provide a model for diverse communities to express common goals; this project increases understanding of the usage of “communities of interest” in this practice.
Early Recognition of Sepsis Saves Lives, but a 1-Hour Antibiotic Target Misses the Mark

Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to infection that causes shock and multiorgan dysfunction.1 Of the estimated 50 million people worldwide who develop sepsis annually, ∼10 million die, and survivors can have lasting or permanent organ damage.2 Long-term effects include renal failure, cardiac damage, and neurocognitive dysfunction.3–6 Quick recognition and resuscitation of sepsis including antibiotic administration has been championed by acute care and infectious disease specialties in both adult and pediatric medicine. In the pediatric population, there is some evidence to support these efforts, showing that shorter time to recognition of sepsis, initiation of treatment, and completion of a sepsis bundle lead to improved outcomes.7–9 However, one component of many sepsis quality-improvement recommendations, the goal of antibiotic administration within an hour of sepsis recognition, is not well supported by available evidence and should be challenged.1 Since 2004, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign’s “International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock” have included a strong recommendation for administration of intravenous antibiotics within 1 hour of recognition of sepsis, citing published evidence that empirical antibiotic treatment reduces mortality in severe sepsis and septic shock from the first hour.1,10,11 This recommendation has been applied to management of both children and adults despite an acknowledgment that “the feasibility with which clinicians may …
Effects of smoking and different BMI cutoff points on surgical site infection after elective open ventral hernia repair.

BMI > 40 kg/m2 and smoking have been identified as risk factors for surgical site infections (SSIs) after ventral hernia repair, however, the relationship with lower BMI values has not been described. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between different BMI thresholds, smoking, and SSI after open ventral hernia repair. All patients who underwent an elective non-emergent open ventral hernia repair with mesh were extracted from the 2011 to 2016 NSQIP database. Bivariate, multivariate logistic regression, and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses were used. Of 55,240 patients, 2,620 (4.7%) developed SSIs (superficial: 58.5%, deep:27%, organ–space: 16%). BMI (OR: 1.035; 95% CI:1.03–1.04; p 42.3 kg/m2 (12%). Between these values, there was a stepwise increase in SSI rate as BMI increased, while smoking added additional risk in each group. Following open hernia repair, the association between SSI and being overweight starts at a BMI of 24.2, a threshold lower than previously described. The risk of SSI increases in a stepwise fashion as BMI increases and is augmented by smoking. Future studies are needed to determine if SSI reduction can be achieved with a combination of smoking cessation and weight loss using these BMI thresholds.
Contribution of K+ Channels to Solute Exit from Endolymph-secreting Dark Cells

ABSTRACT Formation of endolymph by dark cells involves uptake of potassium (K + ) into dark cells which can be monitored as K + -induced cell swelling and was found to occur via the Na + /cl-/K + cotransporter powered by the (Na + +K + ) ATPase. Further, endolymph formation requires exit of K + from dark cells across the apical membrane. The exit of solutes can be monitored as cell shrinking after K + -induced swelling. Both cell shrinking and apical K + channels were blocked by the same series of drugs, suggesting that K + exit during cell shrinking may occur via a K + channel found in the apical membrane of dark cells. This channel may therefore participate in the secretion of K + into endolymph.
Cone beam computed tomographic-Based retrospective study on newark population for the assessment of distance between incisive canal and maxillary central incisors: Clinical implications.

Aims: To calculate the relative distance between the incisive canal and maxillary central incisors using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and utilize the results in treatment planning in a clinical setting. Methods and Materials: A retrospective study was conducted on CBCT taken for other purposes in the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Department. All the quantitative measurements were performed between the incisive canal and both maxillary central incisors using CBCT on 61 subjects. The anterior-posterior measurements were taken on both sides and the average of both values was considered for the statistical analysis. All the linear measurements were performed on the axial plane at three different vertical reference points located on the sagittal plane. Statistical Analysis: The interexaminer reliability was tested by interclass correlation coefficient using two-way mixed and absolute agreement model. The comparison of linear measurement among each level was done by “Repeated measure ANOVA” and contrast method was used for pair-wise comparison when repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was significant. Results: The average anterior-posterior distance between the maxillary central incisor roots and the incisive canal measured was approximately 5–6 mm. The incisive canal width increases from the root apex level of maxillary central incisors (P3) to the oral opening level of the incisive canal (P1). Conclusions: The results of our study could be helpful in a clinical setting requires significant retraction of maxillary incisors or implant placement in maxillary anterior region.
Lignin lags, leads, or limits the decomposition of litter and soil organic carbon.

Lignin's role in litter and soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition remains contentious. Lignin decomposition was traditionally thought to increase during midstage litter decomposition, when cellulose occlusion by lignin began to limit mass loss. Alternatively, lignin decomposition could be greatest in fresh litter as a consequence of co-metabolism, and lignin might decompose faster than bulk SOC. To test these competing hypotheses, we incubated 10 forest soils with C4 grass litter (amended with 13 C-labeled or unlabeled lignin) over 2 yr and measured soil respiration and its isotope composition. Early lignin decomposition was greatest in 5 of 10 soils, consistent with the co-metabolism hypothesis. However, lignin decomposition peaked 6-24 months later in the other five soils, consistent with the substrate-limitation hypothesis; these soils were highly acidic. Rates of lignin, litter, and SOC decomposition tended to converge over time. Cumulative lignin decomposition was never greater than SOC decomposition; lignin decomposition was significantly lower than SOC decomposition in six soils. Net nitrogen mineralization predicted lignin decomposition ratios relative to litter and SOC. Although the onset of lignin decomposition can indeed be rapid, lignin still presents a likely bottleneck in litter and SOC decomposition, meriting a reconsideration of lignin's role in modern decomposition paradigms.
Machine Learning Control for Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Individual Blade Pitch Control

The cost of energy from current floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are not economical due to inefficiencies and maintenance costs, leaving significant renewable energy resources untapped. Co-designing lighter less expensive FOWTs with individual pitch control (IPC) of each blade could increase efficiencies, decreases costs, and make offshore wind economically viable. However, the nonlinear dynamics and breadth of nonstationary wind and wave loading present challenges to designing effective and robust IPC for each desired location and situation. This manuscript presents the development, design, and simulation of machine learning control (MLC) for IPC of FOWTs. MLC has been shown effective for many complex nonlinear fluid-structure interaction problems. This project investigates scaling up these component-level control problems to the system level control of the NREL 5MW OC3 FOWT. A massively parallel genetic program (GP) is developed using MATLAB Simulink and OpenFAST that efficiently evaluates new individuals and selectively tests fitness of each generation in the most challenging design load case. The proposed controller was compared to a baseline PID controller using a cost function that captured the value of annual energy production with maintenance costs correlated to ultimate loads and harmonic fatigue. The proposed controller achieved 67% of the cost of the baseline PID controller, resulting in 4 th place in the ARPA-E ATLAS Offshore competition for IPC of the OC3 FOWT for the given design load cases.