cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culture of China from the Perspective of Official Corruption

Official corruption affected personnel training,social ethos,the honest cultural construction,the building of spiritual civilization,endangering the social cultural development.From the cultural perspective analysis of the impact of China's corruption is the main cause of the negative influence of traditional culture,system culture construction,the lack of official culture quality is low,so to prevent corruption of officials must carry forward the fine culture,create good culture atmosphere;sound system culture construction,build the external long-term mechanism;to strengthen the ideological and political education of officials officials,improve the anticorrosive anti-corruption ability.
A pilot randomized clinical trial assessing the effect of cricoid pressure on risk of aspiration.

Introduction Patients at risk for microaspiration during elective intubation often receive cricoid pressure in the hopes of mitigating such risk. However, there is scarce evidence to either support or reject this practice. The objective of this investigation was to assess the effect of cricoid pressure on microaspiration and to inform the potential feasibility of conducting a larger, more definitive clinical trial. Methods This was a pilot randomized clinical trial set in the operating rooms of a tertiary referral hospital between August and October of 2014. Patients with risk factors for microaspiration (obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or diabetes) were enrolled. The patients were randomized to either cricoid pressure or no cricoid pressure during induction of anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Immediately after intubation, a sample of lower airway secretions was collected and analyzed for pepsin A. Main results A total of 95 patients were evaluated, randomized and completed the study protocol. 46 were randomized to cricoid pressure and 49 to no cricoid pressure. Seven patients crossed-over treatment arms. A total of 18 (19.6%) patients met the pre-defined criteria for microaspiration. In both the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, there were no statistically significant differences in the rate of microaspiration [OR (95% CI)] = 1.39 (0.49-3.92) and 1.30 (0.44-3.86), respectively. Conclusions Utilizing pepsin A as a biomarker of aspiration, this pilot clinical trial did not find evidence for a reduced rate of aspiration or adverse clinical events with the administration of cricoid pressure during elective endotracheal intubation of patients with risk factors for microaspiration.
Contracting Obi: Shelley’s Cosmopolitanism and the Curse of Poetry

‘And now I have a little Boat,’ William Wordsworth fancifully boasts, in the prologue that goes on for almost two hundred lines before the narrator embarks on the ‘promised Tale’ of Peter Bell (1819).1 Sailing through the clouds in a boat shaped like the crescent-moon was only the first of the perceived offenses for which this poem took criticism. To come were infractions at once stylistic (abba quatrains flattened into five-line ballad stanzas, the hero riding an ass) and political (a back story of polygamy and conversion through the example of Methodist ‘Ranters’). Even after the bounteous ‘Detraction Which Followed the Publication of a Certain Poem,’ though, Wordsworth continued to exhort his fictional hero not to hear all the satirical and outraged responses.
Unique Study Designs in Nephrology: N-of-1 Trials and Other Designs

Alternatives to the traditional parallel-group trial design may be required to answer clinical questions in special populations, rare conditions, or with limited resources. N-of-1 trials are a unique trial design which can inform personalized evidence-based decisions for the patient when data from traditional clinical trials are lacking or not generalizable. A concise overview of factorial design, cluster randomization, adaptive designs, crossover studies, and n-of-1 trials will be provided along with pertinent examples in nephrology. The indication for analysis strategies such as equivalence and noninferiority trials will be discussed, as well as analytic pitfalls.
High temperature deformation of Laves phase precipitates in alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels

Abstract Laves phases with the C14 type structure are present in recently-developed, alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steels. Here, for the first time, we show the Laves phase undergoes plastic deformation when such AFA steels are deformed at 700 °C at strain rate of 5 × 10−4 s−1. The gliding dislocations in the Laves phase leave behind stacking faults that we have analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. The stacking faults are on the basal plane of the Laves phase and are bounded by 1/3 〈1 0 1 ¯ 0〉 partial dislocations. These slip of dislocations are effective plastic deformation and improve the ductility of AFA materials.
Life History Attributes of Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) and Comparisons with Other North American Subspecies

Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus—commonly referred to as the Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow—occurs in the desert and plains grasslands of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Sonora, Mexico. Although a subspecies of conservation concern, this is the first intensive study of its life history and breeding ecology, providing baseline data and facilitating comparisons with other North American Grasshopper Sparrow subspecies. Specifically, I found A. s. ammolegus males generally weighed less than other subspecies (16.0 ± 0.8 g) but with intermediate exposed culmen length (11.6 ± 0.5 mm) and wing chord length similar to the other two migratory subspecies (62.7 ± 1.5 mm). Territory size for A. s. ammolegus was 0.72 ± 0.37 ha, with some variation between sites and among years, possibly indicating variation in habitat quality across spatial and temporal scales. The return rate for A. s. ammolegus males was 39.2%. Nest initiation for A. s. ammolegus was early to mid-July after the monsoons had begun. Domed nests were constructed on the ground, primarily under native bunch grasses, and frequently with a tunnel extending beyond the nest rim, with nest openings oriented north. Clutch size was 3.97 ± 0.68, with no evidence of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) nest parasitism. Extreme climate factors in the arid Southwest may have affected the life history and morphology of A. s. ammolegus as compared to other subspecies, influencing body size and mass, culmen length, breeding phenology, and nest orientation. Other geographic variation occurred in return rates, clutch size, and nest parasitism rates. The baseline data for A. s. ammolegus obtained in this study will inform future taxonomic and ecological studies as well as conservation planning. Comparisons of A. s. ammolegus morphometrics with those of other subspecies will assist field biologists in distinguishing among subspecies where they overlap, especially on wintering grounds.
Unintended Consequences of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)

Money laundering is illegal world-wide and constitutes a significant economic inefficiency. One must wonder why current anti-money laundering and combating the financing (AML/CFT) efforts are primarily driven by the threat of terrorism and drug-trafficking when the overwhelming majority of illicit money flows is due to other causes, primarily fraud. The significant costs imposed on financial institutions, together with ever increasing levels of regulation mandated by AML/CFT efforts and the minuscule in comparison illicit money flows intercepted by these efforts has thereby resulted in both moral hazard and conflicts of interest for financial institutions. Furthermore, AML/CFT efforts take on a new meaning when one realizes that illicit money, flows not only through traditional banks but also shadow banks and other non-bank financial intermediaries. The costs of compliance are enormous in comparison to the benefits with the “war on terrorism” superseding the more relaxed “war on drugs”, although even the latter was onerous in comparison to the even more relaxed efforts against the more widespread “white-collar” crime of fraud. In this paper, we trace the evolution of the present AML/CFT regime while at the same time assessing the costs and benefits of this government initiative on the efficiency of the financial system both in modern advanced economies and as well as the less developed economies of the world.
Designing Effective Climate Policy: Cap-and-Trade and Complementary Policies

In this article, Professor Carlson tackles a difficult and surprisingly under-examined issue about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions most effectively at the lowest cost. If policy makers commit to using cap-and-trade as a central regulatory mechanism – the dominant policy choice to date – to what extent should they also adopt additional regulatory programs that contain more traditional direct regulation (so-called complementary policies)? Cap-and-trade is by definition designed to harness market forces to allow polluters to make choices about whether and how they will reduce their own emissions or trade for a right to emit more while another polluter cuts emissions more dramatically. Complementary policies, by contrast, designate in advance how greenhouse gases must be reduced and from which sources. While complementary polices can effectively reduce emissions, they also constrain the market options available under cap-and-trade by limiting the choices emitters have about how to reduce their emissions. That constraint can also lead to higher compliance costs. Though policymakers may enact complementary policies for reasons other than greenhouse gas emissions reduction (renewable portfolio standards to promote job creation or air pollution reduction, for example), if the goal is solely about reducing greenhouse gases most cost-effectively cap-and-trade alone may be a better choice – with one exception. If systematic market failures prevent emitters subject to a cap-and-trade system from choosing the lowest cost compliance options, then from a climate policy perspective complementary polices to correct the market failure make sense. Energy efficiency measures appear to fit this exception. If no market failure exists, policymakers should recognize the trade-off inherent in limiting the market mechanisms cap-and-trade is designed to promote and evaluate whether ancillary benefits justify the reduction in market flexibility and the potentially higher costs.
Necrotizing fasciitis in children due to minor lesions

Abstract Introduction Necrotizing fasciitis is a soft tissue infection that can rapidly progress and end lethally if not treated early and radically. With an extremely low prevalence (0.02% of all pediatric in hospital cases), most physicians will probably only see very few cases during their career. Unlike adult patients, the majority of children affected by this disease are healthy individuals. There is no chronic disease and necrotizing fasciitis often arises from minor lesions. Case presentation We present two cases treated in our clinic within the past year. Our first case of necrotizing fasciitis was a 5 year old Caucasian male patient with a varicella lesion on the back. The second case, a 4 year old Caucasian male patient, presented after an insect bite at the lower limb. Both cases were triggered by a superinfection after scratching. We describe the clinical findings, difficulties in diagnosis, surgical therapy and outcome. Conclusion Rapid surgical treatment is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality in cases of necrotizing fasciitis. Due to the rarity of the disease it is often misdiagnosed by physicians. We emphasize the importance of staying alert and to keep necrotizing fasciitis in mind.
Patients' perspectives of engagement as a safety strategy

Purpose/objectives To describe patient engagement as a safety strategy from the perspective of hospitalized surgical patients with cancer. . Research approach Qualitative, descriptive approach using grounded theory. . Setting Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York. . Participants 13 hospitalized surgical patients with cancer. . Methodologic approach Grounded theory with maximum variation sampling. . Findings Participants' perceptions regarding their engagement as a patient safety strategy were expressed through three overarching themes. Conclusions Using direct messaging, such as "your safety" as opposed to "patient safety," and teaching patients specific behaviors to maintain their safety appeared to facilitate patient engagement and increase awareness of safety issues. Patients may be willing to accept some responsibility for ensuring their safety by engaging in behaviors that are intuitive or that they are clearly instructed to do; however, they described their involvement in their safety as a right, not an obligation. . Interpretation Clear, inviting, multimodal communication appears to have the greatest potential to enhance patients' engagement in their safety. Nurses' ongoing assessment of patients' ability to engage is critical insofar as it provides the opportunity to encourage engagement without placing undue burden on them. By employing communication techniques that consider patients' perspectives, nurses can support patient engagement.
Active learning with partially featured data

In this paper, we propose a new active learning algorithm in which the learner chooses the samples to be queried from the unlabeled data points whose attributes are only partially observed. In addition, we propose a cost-driven decision framework where the learner chooses to query either the labels or the missing attributes. This problem statement addresses a common constraint when building large datasets and applying active learning techniques on them, where some of the attributes (including the labels) are significantly harder or more costly to acquire per data point. We take a novel approach to this problem, first by building an imputation model that maps from the partially featured data to the fully featured dimension, and then performing active learning on the projected input space combined with the estimated confidence of inference. We discuss that our approach is flexible and can work with graph mining tasks as well as conventional semi-supervised learning problems. The results suggest that the proposed algorithm facilitates more cost-efficient annotation than the baselines.
«Abans de tot, mai no et menteixis a tu mateix»: Pedro de Valencia, la «Història de Xile» i l’autocensura

A lo largo del reinado de Felipe III, el reino de Chile estuvo en crisis. La «pacificacion» del sur de aquel lejano reino iba mal, y en la corte real se debatian las tacticas militares necesarias para garantizar la seguridad de aquella region. Habia un partido que estaba a favor de una «guerra defensiva» y otro que se mostraba favorable a una «guerra a fuego y a sangre». En medio de este debate, Pedro de Valencia, uno de los cronistas oficiales de Felipe III, decidio, en un acto premeditado de autocensura, abandonar la historia del reino de Chile que se le habia encargado escribir. La interrelacion entre la crisis en Chile, Valencia y la autocensura es complicada, pero demuestra, ya a principios del siglo XVII, la existencia de un mundo globalizado, en el que una crisis militar en un hemisferio tenia la capacidad de catalizar en otro una crisis de conciencia que, a su vez, resulto en un acto de autocensura. En las paginas siguientes, intentare hacer todo lo posible por desenredar estos varios hilos que unian lo que, en la superficie, parecen dos crisis totalmente diferentes.
Simplicity as a virtue: The effect of readability and complexity on crowdfunding attractiveness

We study how syntactic structure (readability and complexity) and non-verbal cues (smiling and professional attire) interact to influence crowdfunding project attractiveness. We employ elaboration ...
Hyperglycosylated hCG and Placenta Accreta Spectrum.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the relationship between hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG-H) and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Study Design This was a case–control study of PAS and controls. hCG-H was measured in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in women with pathologically confirmed cases of PAS and in gestational age-matched controls without PAS. We compared serum hCG-H levels in cases and controls, calculated summary statistics for diagnostic accuracy, and used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to define an optimal cut-point for diagnosis of PAS using hCG-H. Results Thirty case samples and 30 control samples were evaluated for hCG-H. Mean hCG-H was lower in the case compared with control group (7.8 ± 5.9 μg/L vs. 11.8 ± 8.8 μg/L, p = 0.03). At an optimal cut-point for hCG-H of ≤7.6 μg/L, the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios, negative likelihood ratios, and area under the ROC curve were 66.7%, 69.7%, 2.20%, 0.48%, and 0.68%, respectively. Conclusion Hyperglycosylated hCG levels in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were lower in patients with PAS than in controls, but hCG-H showed only modest capability as a diagnostic test for PAS.
Diatoms as tools for inferring ecotone boundaries in a coastal freshwater wetland threatened by saltwater intrusion

Abstract Species sorting mechanisms often control community assembly patterns across environmentally heterogeneous landscapes, particularly within microbial communities that respond quickly to environmental variability and are not dispersal-limited on intermediate time scales. In this study, we describe the spatial and seasonal patterns of two key environmental drivers, porewater (PW) conductivity and total phosphorus (TP), in the southern Everglades, FL., USA where saltwater intrusion, caused by rising sea level and hydrologic management, are transforming the natural environmental gradients of this ecological stressor and limiting nutrient. We surveyed diatom assemblages along transects capturing PW conductivity and TP gradients and searched for spatial boundaries in diatom assemblages along each transect. We also determined diatom assemblage thresholds to PW conductivity and TP, and identified significant indicator taxa with either negative (declining) or positive (increasing) relationships to each driver and their individual thresholds. We demonstrate that the southern Everglades exhibits spatially-structured gradients of conductivity and P that are oriented in two dimensions (i.e., with distance from the coast and from west to east) and are often, but not always, positively correlated. Our results show that these gradients drive spatial patterns of compositional similarity among our sampling sites. We found the location of greatest dissimilarity in diatom assemblages for each transect coincided with the upper boundary of the “white zone” – the visible ecotone between freshwater and coastal marshes. We did not detect seasonal differences in the position of the diatom-inferred ecotone as expected, nor did we detect significant differences in PW conductivity or TP between wet and dry seasons. Diatom assemblages were highly sensitive to both PW conductivity, with freshwater indicator assemblages declining above 2 mS cm−1 and becoming replaced by a brackish water assemblage at around 20 mS cm−1, and periphyton TP, with thresholds at 82 and 285 µg g−1 for negatively- and positively responding taxa, respectively. Our study highlights that small increases in PW conductivity and TP are sufficient to cause shifts in the diatom assemblages of the Everglades. As saltwater continues to encroach into this area, compositional changes in this important primary producer assemblage are expected to cascade through the ecosystem and influence the food web. The diatom indicator taxa and assemblage thresholds presented here offer a sensitive tool that should continue to be developed and applied to management strategies for saltwater intrusion while its effects can still be mitigated.
Child maltreatment reporting in the general population: Examining the roles of community, collective efficacy, and adverse childhood experiences

According to bystander theory, factors such as the community environment, collective efficacy, and history of adverse childhood experiences could be related to likelihood of reporting or intervening against maltreatment. An online survey was conducted with 946 general population Californians obtained through mixed-mode random probability and quota-based recruitment methods. Using an experimental vignette design, participants were randomly assigned to two scenarios: a) potential child abuse occurring in their neighborhood; b) potential child abuse in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Weighted multivariate logistic regression models assessed relationships between the vignette condition, collective efficacy, appraisal of the behavior, and likelihood of reporting or intervening. The results suggested that perceiving the vignette as occurring in your own neighborhood was associated with lower odds of viewing the behavior as appropriate and considering it abusive. Higher collective efficacy scores were associated with lower odds of viewing the incident as inappropriate but higher odds of personally intervening. Adverse childhood experiences were positively related to reporting the incident to child protective services and intervening. Bystanders may be more likely to give parents in their own neighborhood "the benefit of the doubt" by viewing their abusive behaviors as less severe, potentially leading to underreporting. Neighborhood collective efficacy might increase willingness to personally intervene, but not contact systems such as child protective services or police, suggesting that enhanced trust in communities does not extend to these institutions. Our findings have implications for neighborhood and education interventions to enhance understanding of and willingness to intervene on behalf of children.
Perceptions of Ethics Across Situations: A View Through Three Different Lenses

This paper examined three approaches for understanding perceptions of ethics: moral philosophies, cognitive moral development, and ethical value systems. First, the dimensionality of the moral philosophy approach was examined. Next, an attempt was made to integrate the models. Finally, each of the model's various components were used in a regression equation to isolate the best predictors of ethicality. Results indicated that the moral philosophies can be considered distinct entities, but the common underlying theme between the approaches was not as predicted. Also, individuals used a variety of approaches, not always the same ones, to determine the ethicalness of situations.
Hybridization as a Causal Mechanism of Mixed Color Broods and Unusual Color Morphs of Female Offspring in the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, Papilio glaucus

The eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus L., is comprised of three putative subspecies (P. g. canadensis R & J, P. g. glaucus L. and P. g. australis Maynard) which have a total range of approximately one billion hectares across the eastern half of the U. S. and nearly all of Canada (Fig. 1). Based upon multivariate discriminant analyses of adult mor-phometric traits, diapause differences, differential foodplant detoxication abilities of larvae, and reproductive incompatibilities of the hybrids and backcrosses (i.e., fecundity, fertility and viability) we believe that P. g. canadensis may warrant species status (Scriber et al., unpublished, and Fig. 2). The zone of potential hybrid interaction between P. g. canadensis and P. g. glaucus is felt to be restricted to the zone between latitudes of 40 and 45° north (Scriber 1982, 1983, and Fig. 1). However, the actual degree of reproductive isolation that exists between tiger swallowtails in nature is unknown. One factor which some researchers suggest should have an influence upon mating preferences of tiger swallowtails is female color (Brower 1957, Brower 1959a and 1959b, Burns 1966, Makielski 1972, Pliske 1972, Levin 1973).
Rangeland Management Under Uncertainty: A Conceptual Approach

A conceptual approach is commonly needed to provide guidance for empirical analyses concerning the use of renewable resources such as rangelands. The theoretical model constructed in this paper captures the essential aspects of dynamic and stochastic issues associated with the management of rangelands. We use our approach to discuss the connections between this paper's model and range policy. In particular, we point out scenarios in which there is limited or no role for policy. This is compared to scenarios when policy has a significant role to play in ensuring the sustainable use of rangelands. Finally, we suggest two ways in which our approach might be extended and used in an empirical application.
Style and Style Shifting

This article traces the history of style as a focus of interest in sociolinguistics. It looks at the development of theories about style, including some of the most significant models: the attention to speech model, accommodation theory, and audience design. It presents the main characteristics of each model, in addition to discussing some of the criticisms of each approach that have been raised in the literature on style. It also looks at more recent trends in research on style and sociolinguistics, including the integration of style into social constructionist models of linguistic variation.
Toponyms in Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia

Central Arabia Felix and Arabia Deserta, Syria, and Mesopotamia are some of the most promising areas for the investigation of place names on the Yale Martellus map, because they are some of the few parts of the map where a large number of toponyms are consistently legible, particularly in the 1959 ultraviolet images and the multispectral images. These toponyms derive from Ptolemy, and a comparison of Martellus’s spellings of the toponyms in these areas with those in the editions of Ptolemy published prior to the creation of his map reveals that Martellus was using a manuscript of Ptolemy, rather than a printed edition. We might expect that Waldseemuller, given his use of Martellus’s map as a source, would simply have copied the toponyms that he found in Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia on Martellus’s map. But this is not the case: Waldseemuller made his own selection of Ptolemaic toponyms in these areas, so that Martellus’s map has toponyms that do not appear on Waldseemuller’s and Waldseemuller’s map has toponyms that do not appear on Martellus’s. This is a very interesting demonstration of the fact that while Waldseemuller made extensive use of Martellus as a source for descriptive texts, he generally did not depend on him for toponyms. Another instance of Waldseemuller’s choice not to use Martellus as a source of place names is his copying of the vast majority of the toponyms on the western coast of Africa from Caverio’s map, rather than from Martellus, which will be discussed in detail below.
Low-Cost Microfluidic Sensors with Smart Hydrogel Patterned Arrays Using Electronic Resistive Channel Sensing for Readout

There is a strong commercial need for inexpensive point-of-use sensors for monitoring disease biomarkers or environmental contaminants in drinking water. Point-of-use sensors that employ smart polymer hydrogels as recognition elements can be tailored to detect almost any target analyte, but often suffer from long response times. Hence, we describe here a fabrication process that can be used to manufacture low-cost point-of-use hydrogel-based microfluidics sensors with short response times. In this process, mask-templated UV photopolymerization is used to produce arrays of smart hydrogel pillars inside sub-millimeter channels located upon microfluidics devices. When these pillars contact aqueous solutions containing a target analyte, they swell or shrink, thereby changing the resistance of the microfluidic channel to ionic current flow when a small bias voltage is applied to the system. Hence resistance measurements can be used to transduce hydrogel swelling changes into electrical signals. The only instrumentation required is a simple portable potentiostat that can be operated using a smartphone or a laptop, thus making the system suitable for point of use. Rapid hydrogel response rate is achieved by fabricating arrays of smart hydrogels that have large surface area-to-volume ratios.
Prevalence of daily flossing among adults by selected risk factors for periodontal disease—United States, 2011–2014

Background Daily flossing prevalence was determined among adults ≥30 years old in the United States, by demographic and risk factors for periodontal disease, including current tobacco use and diabetes. Methods Data from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed for 8,356 adults. Flossing prevalence was estimated. Logistic regression analysis examined the association between daily flossing and demographic and risk factors for periodontal diseases. Results Daily flossing among adults was 31.6% (standard error [SE] = 0.8). There were significant differences among the categories of flossing according to age, sex, race/Hispanic origin, poverty status, education, current tobacco use, and diabetes status. In adjusted analyses, current tobacco users (odds ratio [OR]: 0.82; 95% confidence index [CI] 0.68, 0.99) had lower odds of daily flossing than non-tobacco users; there was no significant difference between adults with and without diabetes (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.52, 1.08). Conclusion Approximately one-third of adults in the United States reported that they floss daily. Daily flossing was higher among women, those with higher income, and non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic adults, but it was lower among current tobacco users.
Helping WIN for KC provide a winning environment for girls in their summer sport camps.

AbstractThis article describes a mutually beneficial partnership between faculty and students in the Sport and Exercise Psychology Lab at the University of Kansas (KUSEP Lab) and the Women?s Inters...
Qualitative methods of road traffic crash research in low- and middle-income countries: a review.

Road traffic crashes are rapidly becoming one of the leading causes of injury and death globally. It is predicted that by 2030 crashes will become the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted li...
TROUBLESHOOTING RIGHT VENTRICULAR FAILURE: ROLE OF TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN ASSESSING IMPELLA RP ® POSITION

Management of right ventricular (RV) failure in patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can be challenging and may require concomitant RV mechanical support like Impella RP (IP). Optimal positioning of IP is critical for proper functioning. A 58 year male with ischemic cardiomyopathy
Infinite and Finite Games: Play and Visual Culture

In this article, I shall argue for the value of conceptualizing, and practicing art education as a kind of play or game, drawing inspiration from the concepts of finite and infinite games1 articula...
Representation and Warranty Enforcement: Using Blockchain Technology to Improve the Investor Experience

Wilmington Trust is proposing to utilize blockchain technology to enhance the process of enforcing the implementation of representations and warranties (R&Ws). In the past, the R&W enforcement process has taken months, if not years, to get to a proposed solution, and even then, there has been much difficulty in getting to an agreement on how best to enforce R&Ws. The blockchain technology will enhance the speed and accuracy of the process, thus solving a problem that has vexed the investor community that buys mortgage products. By utilizing blockchain technology, Wilmington Trust proposes to do the following: 1. Centralize all documentation in one system, including the documents related to R&Ws at time of origination, at time of servicing, and for the life of the servicing, as well as the supporting documents needed to make a decision. 2. Speed up identification of issues related to non-compliance with R&Ws. 3. Arrive at decision resolutions in days instead of the current months/years-long process that is often accompanied by disagreements, disputes, and lawsuits. TOPICS:Legal and regulatory issues for structured finance, MBS and residential mortgage loans Key Findings • Enforcement of R&Ws has been a huge, time-consuming, costly, acrimonious, and investor-unfriendly process. • Wilmington Trust proposes to utilize blockchain technology to centralize the process, improve the time frames dramatically, and remove the issues listed above. • Investors have expressed strong interest, hoping to remove impediments to a more efficient, fair, and balanced process that ensures adherence to the R&Ws of both origination and servicing of loans they purchase.
Diabetes medications as potential calorie restriction mimetics-a focus on the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose

The field of aging research has grown rapidly over the last half-century, with advancement of scientific technologies to interrogate mechanisms underlying the benefit of life-extending interventions like calorie restriction (CR). Coincident with this increase in knowledge has been the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), both associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Given the difficulty in practicing long-term CR, a search for compounds (CR mimetics) which could recapitulate the health and longevity benefits without requiring food intake reductions was proposed. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) are compounds that function predominantly within the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymatic digestion of complex carbohydrates, delaying and decreasing monosaccharide uptake from the gut in the treatment of T2D. Acarbose, an AGI, has been shown in pre-clinical models to increase lifespan (greater longevity benefits in males), with decreased body weight gain independent of calorie intake reduction. The CR mimetic benefits of acarbose are further supported by clinical findings beyond T2D including the risk for other age-related diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular). Open questions remain regarding the exclusivity of acarbose relative to other AGIs, potential off-target effects, and combination with other therapies for healthy aging and longevity extension. Given the promising results in pre-clinical models (even in the absence of T2D), a unique mechanism of action and multiple age-related reduced disease risks that have been reported with acarbose, support for clinical trials with acarbose focusing on aging-related outcomes and incorporating biological sex, age at treatment initiation, and T2D-dependence within the design is warranted.
Unconventional phonon-mediated superconductivity in MgB_{2}

We have evaluated the total carrier mass enhancement factor f_{t} for MgB_{2} from two independent experiments (specific heat and upper critical field). These experiments consistently show that f_{t} = 3.1\pm0.1. The unusually large f_{t} is incompatible with the measured reduced gap (2\Delta (0)/k_{B}T_{c} = 4.1) and the total isotope-effect exponent (\alpha = 0.28\pm0.04) within the conventional phonon-mediated model. We propose an unconventional phonon-mediated mechanism, which is able to quantitatively explain the values of T_{c}, f_{t}, \alpha, and the reduced energy gap in a consistent way.
Pedophilia: The Legacy Predicament of Clergy

This Article identifies the present posture of child abuse and admits that the incidence of child sexual abuse among members of the clergy is documental. Indeed, incidents of child abuse seem to be more common each day throughout all segments of the population. This has affected public trust and the public has responded by revoking such traditional clerical prerogatives as the priest-penitent privilege, developing a theory of abuse in gestation, and demanding better treatment for offenders through therapy. The precise scope of this Article is to offer recommendations concerning the legal, medical and social predicament of pedophilia regarding issues that affect clergy. Rather than avoid the issue, the Article further admits that society is justified in seeking redress through the criminal process and that victims are entitled to fair compensation in the civil courts. Clerics are not immune from this redress. Nonetheless, the focus of the Article is upon recommendations that will address the needs of all involved. Because children are involved, emotions can predominate, but when asking legislators and society to address the predicament, reason must predominate. Thus, Part I will address the issue of abuse; Part II the medical evidence available to address the problem; Part III the criminal and civil law violations; and finally, Part IV will offer recommendations.
A framework for ultrasound computed tomography virtual imaging trials that employs anatomically realistic numerical breast phantoms

In silico studies for ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) can allow to explore imaging system parameters and reconstruction methods, without the economic burden and ethical concerns of clinical trials. A framework is proposed for virtual imaging trials of USCT. First, an ensemble of three-dimensional numerical breast phantoms consisting of anatomically realistic tissue structures and lesions is created. Next, acoustic properties are assigned to each tissue-type within physiological ranges. Finally, USCT measurement data are computed by simulating acoustic wave propagation. The proposed framework will establish a standard pipeline for USCT virtual imaging trials and provide publicly available large-scale datasets
Screening Ionic Liquids Based on Ionic Volume and Electrostatic Potential Analyses.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are known to have tunable solvation properties, based on the pairing of different anions and cations, but the compositional landscape is vast and challenging to navigate efficiently. Some computational screening protocols are available, but they can be either time-consuming or difficult to implement. Herein, we perform a detailed investigation of the fundamental role of electrostatic interactions in these systems. We effectively develop a bridge between the previous volume-based approach with a quantum structure-property relationship approach to create fast, simple screening guidelines. We propose a new parameter that is applicable to both monovalent and multivalent ions, the ionic polarity index (IPI), which is defined as the ratio of the average electrostatic surface potential (V) of the ion to the net charge of the ion (q). The IPI correlation has been tested on a diverse data set of 121 ions, and reliable predictions can be obtained within a homologous series of IL compounds.
Dynamic differential evolution schemes of WRKY transcription factors in domesticated and wild rice.

WRKY transcription factors play key roles in stress responses, growth, and development. We previously reported on the evolution of WRKYs from unicellular green algae to land plants. To address recent evolution events, we studied three domesticated and eight wild species in the genus Oryza, an ideal model due to its long history of domestication, economic importance, and central role as a model system. We have identified prevalence of Group III WRKYs despite differences in breeding of cultivated and wild species. Same groups of WRKY genes tend to cluster together, suggesting recent, multiple duplication events. Duplications followed by divergence may result in neofunctionalizations of co-expressed WRKY genes that finely tune the regulation of target genes in a same metabolic or response pathway. WRKY genes have undergone recent rearrangements to form novel genes. Group Ib WRKYs, unique to AA genome type Oryza species, are derived from Group III genes dated back to 6.76 million years ago. Gene tree reconciliation analysis with the species tree revealed details of duplication and loss events in the 11 genomes. Selection analysis on single copy orthologs reveals the highly conserved nature of the WRKY domain and clusters of fast evolving sites under strong positive selection pressure. Also, the numbers of single copy orthologs under positive or negative selection almost evenly split. Our results provide valuable insights into the preservation and diversification of an important gene family under strong selective pressure for biotechnological improvements of the world’s most valued food crop.
Defining, diagnosing, classifying, and planning supports for people with intellectual disability: an emerging consensus

espanolDurante la ultima decada, un importante trabajo internacional en el ambito de la discapacidad intelectual (DI) ha dado lugar a un consenso emergente con respecto a la definicion de DI, los criterios utilizados para diagnosticar a una persona con DI, la clasificacion de las personas que han sido diagnosticadas con DI y la planificacion de apoyos individualizados para personas con DI. Este articulo describe ese consenso emergente. EnglishSignificant international work in the field of intellectual disability (ID) over the last decade has resulted in an emerging consensus regarding the definition of ID, the criteria used to diagnose a person with ID, the classification of individuals who have been diagnosed with ID, and the planning of individualized supports for people with ID. This article describes that emerging consensus
A Novel High-Gain Amplifier Circuit Using Super-Steep-Subthreshold-Slope Field-Effect Transistors

The benefits of steep-Subthreshold Swing (SS) devices, though plentiful at the device-level, have yet to be fully exploited at the circuit-level. This is evident from a look at the Three-Independent-Gate Field-Effect Transistor (TIGFET), a device renown for its ability for polarity reconfiguration. At the same time, its demonstrated dynamic control of the subthreshold slope beyond the thermal limit has only been studied at the device-level. This latter benefit is referred to as Super-Steep Subthreshold Slope (S4) operation and can lead to unprecedented gain, which is ideal for use in an amplifier circuit. In this paper, we investigate the impact of S4 operations when designing differential-amplifier circuits when using TIGFET technology. We demonstrate the benefits of our implementation both from a theoretical standpoint and through circuit-level analyses. More specifically, we show that the TIGFET -based amplifier gain is 95.5 $\times$ better, and that the gain-bandwidth product is improved by 13.8, compared to an equivalent MOSFET-based design at the 90 nm node. Besides, we show that at equivalent gains, the TIGFET-based amplifier decreases the area and power by 22.8 $\times$ and 7.2, respectively, against its MOSFET counterpart.
Precarious work and heath: Do occupation- and state-specific unemployment rates matter for women and for men?

Abstract Precarious work has the potential to undermine workers’ health and well-being, and linkages between precarious work and health may depend on contextual measures of unemployment. The present study uses data from the Current Population Survey (CPS; 2001–2019) to examine whether several characteristics of precarious work are associated with self-rated health, with attention to differences in these associations by occupation- and state-specific unemployment rates. Findings indicate that experiences of unemployment, part-time work, and poor work quality (limited social benefits and low wages) are associated with worse self-rated health for working women and men. Moreover, associations between some measures of precarious work and health are weaker at higher levels of occupation- and state-specific unemployment for men, but not for women. The present study points to precarious work as a chronic stressor for many workers that must be considered within broader economic contexts.
Home Hemodialysis—Yes, It Can Be Learned

Sacred Heart Kidney Center has maintained a strong home hemodialysis program in Spokane for the past 34 years. Patients who choose this option consistently lead more independent lives, taking more responsibility for their own care. They have the positive attitude that dialysis is a small part of their lives rather than the core of a life dominated by a schedule at a dialysis center. Sacred Heart's home hemodialysis program fosters independence and self-motivation using a stepwise training process for the patient and partner. A skilled training nurse directs the training at the dialysis center. The nurse's work is enhanced by the entire dialysis team, including the nephrologist, social worker, dietitian, and equipment technician. The patient and partner pass through a series of integrated learning blocks, mastering each at their own pace. This method is an effective and efficient way of leading the patient and partner to competence and independence. Training and follow-up provide the framework for supporting day-to-day dialysis in the patient's home and allow for continued multidisciplinary interventions.
Explicit orthogonal polynomials for reciprocal polynomial weights on (

Let S be a polynomial of degree 2n + 2, that is, positive on the real axis, and let w = 1/S on (―∞, ∞). We present an explicit formula for the nth orthogonal polynomial and related quantities for the weight w. This is an analogue for the real line of the classical Bernstein-Szegő formula for (―1,1).
Decision Making by the Modern Supreme Court: Heuristic Models of Judicial Decision Making

You really should visit the Vatican. While you are there, be sure to pause for a few moments to marvel at Raphael's “School of Athens” in the Stanza della Signatura . According to James Beck (1993, 78), “[A]mong the handful of masterpieces of the period, the picture has few equals.” In the center of this fresco, the greatest thinkers, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians of antiquity flank Plato and Aristotle. Plato, who bears an uncanny (and intended) resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci, is pointing at the sky. His partner in conversation, Aristotle, has his palm down and is pointing toward earth. These gestures are designed to represent their different philosophical ideals. Plato seems to represent normative ideals, whereas Aristotle is grounded in the empirical world. We do not think they were discussing judicial decision making, but they could have been. The normative-empirical debate has raged throughout political science for decades and has helped to shape the way scholars have studied the Supreme Court. If they had been discussing decision making on the modern Supreme Court, Plato would have been arguing that the Court uses precedents and grounds its decisions in the law. The Court follows legal interpretations and exercises restraint in its decision making. To the contrary, Aristotle would have responded, the Court is a collection of individuals who can follow their own political preferences and are not strictly bound by legal factors. They are unconstrained and free to pursue their conception of the good society.
Partial Characterization of Aerolysin, a Lytic Exotoxin from Aeromonas hydrophila

Conditions are defined for the production, in high titers, of an extracellular hemolytic toxin of Aeromonas hydrophila, here termed "aerolysin." Substantial purification of the toxin was accomplished by means of salt fractionation, dialysis, and gel filtration, with a yield of 24% of the starting activity. Analysis of the product by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed a single, heavy protein band and a number of faint protein bands. The estimated molecular weight of the heavy band (50,000) was in close agreement with that (53,000) of the substance responsible for hemolytic activity as determined by gel filtration. Purified aerolysin is a labile substance, apparently protein. It is not inactivated by any of several proteases under the conditions employed nor is it inhibited by any of several lipids tested. About 0.1 mug administered to mice intravenously is lethal. The physical properties of aerolysin show considerable resemblance to those described for the exotoxin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.