cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of peanut shells as adsorbents for selected metals

Peanut shells of mesh size 10–20 were modified by combinations of treatments following a 32 factorial design. Treatments consisted of either no wash, water wash or base wash followed by no modification or modification with 0.6 M citric acid or 0.6 M phosphoric acid. The nine samples were evaluated for their uptake of five metal ions (Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II)) from solution. The results were compared with metal ion adsorption by three commercial cation exchange resins, namely, Amberlite® 200, Amberlite® IRC 718 and Duolite® GT-73. The percent of metal ions adsorbed per gram of adsorbent was significantly increased by each of the acid treatments, average values ranged from 19 to 34% compared with non-acid treated samples at 5.7%. The percent of metal ions adsorbed for base-washed samples were higher than water-washed or unwashed shells. Interaction between wash and acid treatment was not significant for most of the experimental conditions used. Acid-treated samples were as effective as Duolite® GT-73 in the adsorption of Cd(II) and almost twice as effective in the adsorption of Zn(II) from solutions containing a single metal ion. In solutions containing multiple metal ions, citric acid samples were found to be most effective and selective for Cu(II) compared with Cd(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II). In general, phosphoric acid-modified shells removed the most metals from solution for the experimental samples and were more effective in removing Cd(II) and Zn(II) than two of the three commercial resins. Acid-modified peanut shells are promising as metal ion adsorbents. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
Susumber berries: Unexpected cause of cholinergic poisoning

A 65-year-old Jamaican man with no significant medical conditions was brought to the emergency room (ER) after he had suddenly developed abdominal pain, profuse vomiting, and subsequent blurred vision, dysarthria, bilateral hand weakness, and unsteady gait. His initial vital signs and general physical examination were normal. His neurologic examination was significant for widely coarse opsoclonus; severe labial, lingual, and palatal dysarthria; distal weakness of his bilateral wrist extensors (4/5), interossei (4−/5), and opposition (4−/5); dysmetria; presence of Woltman sign, or delayed deep tendon reflexes; and severe gait ataxia. Upon speaking to his wife, who was also in the ER for abdominal pain, we discovered that she too had opsoclonus, dysarthria, bilateral hand weakness, dysmetria, and the presence of Woltman sign, though all to a lesser degree. She revealed that the prior evening, they had eaten an “authentic Jamaican dinner,” consisting of codfish, ackee, and frozen, uncooked susumber berries, which she had imported from Jamaica 3 weeks earlier and later frozen. He had consumed more of the susumber berries than she. As he was more severely affected, immediate MRI of the brain to assess for any acute brainstem pathology was performed, but it was normal. After measurement of vital capacities, his being 0.9 L and hers being 1.2 L, both were admitted to the medical intensive care unit for supportive care. The following day, despite being bradycardic to the 40s, her general and neurologic examinations were completely normal. Her husband had minimal L wrist extension weakness (4+/5), with resolution of the other signs and symptoms. Their creatine kinases and transaminases had risen dramatically but responded to aggressive medical management. As they recovered well, an EMG/NCS was not performed. They were discharged home on day 3 of the hospitalization.
Technical considerations in adult lung transplantation.

Most of the attempted lung transplantation procedures before 1983 failed because of high incidence of primary graft failure, and airway and infectious complications resulting from the use of steroids. Experimental studies done at the University of Toronto showed that steroids impaired bronchial healing 2 while cyclosporine did not impair bronchial healing 3 and that use of omental wrapping improved bronchial healing. 4 Translation of these studies into clinical practice led to the first successful lung transplant. Following success with single lung transplantation, en bloc double lung transplantation was developed for patients with septic lung diseaseandemphysema. 5 However,thistechnicallychallenging procedure had a significantly high rate of tracheal anastomotic complications resulting from ischemia 6 and was givenupinfavorofbilateralsequentiallungtransplantation. 7 Currently, this is the procedure of choice at the authors’ institution. The technical details of lung transplantation have evolved significantly. Omental wrapping is no longer used to cover the bronchial anastomoses and perioperative steroids are routinely used. 8 Bronchial artery revascularization is rarely performed. 9 Selection of suture material for the bron
Binding of gold to bovine serum albumin using flameless atomic absorption

A graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometric assay capable of accurately determining nanogram amounts of gold in biological fluids was developed. The presence of bovine serum albumin and/or phosphate in the sample reduced the method sensitivity without affecting the linear response. Binding of gold was studied by ultrafil-tration using cones with a molecular weight cutoff of 25,000. The binding of gold at various concentrations to 2 and 4% bovine serum albumin in 0.1 M, phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, was independent of the gold and protein concentrations. In the 2–10-μg/ml range, the overall binding values (mean ± SD) of gold to 2 and 4% bovine serum albumin were 98 ± 1.6 (n = 35) and 99 ± 1.0% (n = 15), respectively. When ultrafiltration cones with a molecular weight cutoff of 50,000 were used, the extent of binding to 2% bovine serum albumin was 85.4 ± 1.6% (n = 11). This statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was due to variations in the protein retention of the two cone types. Interaction studies showed that gold was not displaced from the binding sites by salicylic acid (200 μg/ml) or vice versa.
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman: Gender, Income Share and Household Expenditure in South Africa

This study examines how gendered household bargaining occurs in non-nuclear family households. We employ two South African data sets and use linear regression and household fixed effects to investigate the relationship between women’s income shares and household expenditures. In married couple households, when women garner larger shares of income, spending on food is higher and spending on alcohol is lower. However, the relationship between women’s income shares and expenditures attenuates with additional adults in the household. We find that in households with multiple adults, men and women bargain in gender groups to realize gendered preferences for expenditures. Future work should consider household members outside of the married dyad when modeling bargaining processes.
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF THE HUMAN SUPRASPINATUS TENDON

Abstract Temperature effects on the viscoelastic properties of the human supraspinatus tendon were investigated using static stress-relaxation experiments and the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) theory. Twelve supraspinatus tendons were randomly assigned to one of two test groups for tensile testing using the following sequence of temperatures: (1) 37, 27, and 17 °C (Group I, n =6), or (2) 42, 32, and 22 °C (Group II, n =6). QLV parameter C was found to increase at elevated temperatures, suggesting greater viscous mechanical behavior at higher temperatures. Elastic parameters A and B showed no significant difference among the six temperatures studied, implying that the viscoelastic stress response of the supraspinatus tendon is not sensitive to temperature over shorter testing durations. Using regression analysis, an exponential relationship between parameter C and test temperature was implemented into QLV theory to model temperature-dependent viscoelastic behavior. This modified approach facilitates the theoretical determination of the viscoelastic behavior of tendons at arbitrary temperatures.
The utility of heterogeneous swarms of simple UAVs with limited sensory capacity in detection and tracking tasks

We present a physically realizable UAV model for locating and tracking chemical clouds. Simulation results are presented for implementations of this model with two configurations, one that is faster and requires more space to avoid collisions, and one that is slower and can cover an area more densely. Heterogeneous swarms of agents are shown to have better performance than homogeneous swarms of similar size because they take advantage of the strengths of each configuration.
Convective Generation of Equatorial Superrotation in Planetary Atmospheres

In rapidly rotating planetary atmospheres that are heated from below, equatorial superrotation can occur throughconvectivegenerationofequatorialRossbywaves.Iftheheatingfrombelowissufficientlystrongthat convection penetrates into the upper troposphere, then the convection generates equatorial Rossby waves, which can induce the equatorward angular momentum transport necessary for superrotation. This paper investigates the conditions under which the convective generation of equatorial Rossby waves and their angular momentum transport lead to superrotation. It also addresses how the strength and width of superrotating equatorial jets are controlled. In simulations with an idealized general circulation model (GCM), the relative roles of baroclinicity, heating from below, and bottom drag are explored systematically. Equatorial superrotation generally occurs when the heatingfrombelowissufficientlystrong.However,thethresholdheatingatwhichthetransitiontosuperrotation occurs increases as the baroclinicity or the bottom drag increases. The greater the baroclinicity is, the stronger theangular momentum transportout oflowlatitudes bybarocliniceddies ofextratropicalorigin. Thiscompetes withtheangularmomentumtransporttowardtheequatorbyconvectivelygeneratedRossbywavesandthuscan inhibit a transition to superrotation. Equatorial bottom drag damps both the mean zonal flow and convectively generated Rossby waves, weakening the equatorward angular momentum transport as the drag increases; this can also inhibit a transition to superrotation. The strength of superrotating equatorial jets scales approximately with the square of their width. When they are sufficiently strong, their width, in turn, scales with the equatorial Rossby radius and thus depends on the thermal stratification of the equatorial atmosphere. The results have broad implications for planetary atmospheres, particularly for how superrotation can be generated in giant planet atmospheres and in terrestrial atmospheres in warm climates.
Dynamic Behavior of Laminated Graphite/Epoxy Composite under High-Strain Rate Perforation Loading

A high strain rate perforation split Hopkinson pressure bar (P-SHPB) test apparatus was developed for the quantification analysis of energy expenditure in the penetration or perforation mechanics, and dynamic fracture failure processes of laminated graphite/epoxy composite. This paper described the basic features of the P-SHPB system for perforation testing, characterized of high strain rate, and single mode as well as mixed modes of fracture failures of laminated composites. The results showed that the energy expended in a perforation process depends on the thickness of the laminate samples, the impact parameters and the incident stress delivered to the composite. The failure modes in graphite/epoxy composite exhibited four regions of damage mechanism and characterized on the basis of energy absorbed, impact energy, loading force, sample stress and strain rate. Perforation limit velocity was estimated by extrapolating the (impact velocity)2 and crack length curve to a zero-damage length and determining the velocity value.
Gove Hambidge (ed.), Climate and Man: The 1941 Yearbook of Agriculture. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office:

This work marked the beginning of a new phase in applied climatology. After this work, new manuscripts would not just incorporate the rote description of statistics or regions, but attempt to place physical aspects of climate as a dynamic factor in the natural environment.
Enhancing the performance of 16-bit code using augmenting instructions

In the embedded domain, memory usage and energy consumption are critical constraints. Dual width instruction set embedded processors such as the ARM provide a 16-bit instruction set in addition to the 32-bit instruction set to address these concerns. Using 16-bit instructions one can achieve code size reduction and I-cache energy savings at the cost of performance. We have observed that throughout 16-bit Thumb code there exist Thumb instruction pairs that are equivalent to a single ARM instruction. We have developed an approach which uses combination of compiler and architectural support to exploit the above property for improving performance of 16-bit code. We enhance the Thumb instruction set by incorporating Augmenting eXtensions (AX). The task of the compiler is to identify pairs of Thumb instructions that can be safely combined and executed as single ARM instructions. The compiler replaces such pairs of Thumb instructions by AX+Thumb instruction pairs. The AX instruction is coalesced with the immediately following Thumb instruction to generate a single ARM instruction at decode time. Thus, using AX instructions, the compiler can both generate compact 16-bit code and provide hardware with information needed to produce better performing 32-bit code.
The Effect of Reportable and Unreportable Hints on Anagram Solution and the Aha! Experience

Abstract Two experiments examine the effects of unreportable hints on anagram solving performance and on solvers' subjective experience of insight. In Experiment 1, after seeing a hint (unrelated, semantically related, or the solution) presented too briefly to identify, participants solved anagrams preceded by the solution fastest and solved anagrams preceded by unrelated hints slowest. Participants' “warmth” ratings for solution hints were more insight-like than those for unrelated hints. In Experiment 2 a hint, or no hint, was presented at one of three different exposure durations (undetectable, unreportable, or reportable). Participants benefited from solution-relevant hints that were either unreportable or reportable, but showed a cost only for unrelated hints that were reportable. Participants' ratings of their insight experiences showed that unreportable solution and semantically related hints produced more insight-like experiences than did unrelated hints. The results suggest that unreportable processing of solution-related information is important for the insight experience.
Knowledge support systems and group decision technology

A brief overview of requirements and design considerations for computer-based support to group and organizational decision-making is provided. Information needs for group and organizational decision making are identified, and the appropriate system design constructs are discussed. Distributed and organizational concerns in system design are examined. >
Antecedent short-term central nervous system administration of estrogen and progesterone alters counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia in conscious male rats

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that antecedent short-term administration of estradiol or progesterone into the central nervous system (CNS) reduces levels of neuroendocrine counte...
A low drop-out regulator for subcutaneous electrical stimulation of nanofibers used in muscle prosthesis

A low-dropout regulator (LDO) for the electrical stimulation of ionic electroactive polymers (iEAPs) used in subcutaneous muscle prosthesis is presented. The special requirement of the application and the characteristics of iEAPs impose several design challenges for the stimulator. In this paper, these challenges are discussed and solutions are provided. The proposed LDO, designed and simulated in IBM 0.13-μm CMOS technology, uses external-capacitor-less architecture to enable a fully on-chip solution for providing stable stimulation across a wide load range, as required by the properties of iEAPs. The LDO also offers precise line and load regulations, as well as improved power supply rejection (PSR) to suppress the supply noise when the LDO is powered up through wireless power transfer (WPT) links. Simulation results are provided suggesting that the proposed LDO can be used as a stable and precise stimulation source for controlling the movement of iEAPs with a potential application in muscle prostheses.
Disability and disability benefit seeking in chronic low back pain

Results There w ere 213 participants. In full models, compared with those not on disability benefits, only depression symptoms were significantly associated with seeking disability benefits (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.26) and only duration of pain was significantly associated with being on such benefits (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.01–1.09). Conclusions P atient characteristics differ between disability benefit seekers and those established on disability benefit payments. Depression may be a modifiable correlate of disability benefit seeking that if treated may reduce the number of patients who eventually come to depend on disability benefits. Additional data collection involving other pain syndromes is warranted to determine if these results are unique to CLBP or apply to other painful conditions.
Interpolation on the Manifold of K Component GMMs

Probability density functions (PDFs) are fundamental "objects" in mathematics with numerous applications in computer vision, machine learning and medical imaging. The feasibility of basic operations such as computing the distance between two PDFs and estimating a mean of a set of PDFs is a direct function of the representation we choose to work with. In this paper, we study the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) representation of the PDFs motivated by its numerous attractive features. (1) GMMs are arguably more interpretable than, say, square root parameterizations (2) the model complexity can be explicitly controlled by the number of components and (3) they are already widely used in many applications. The main contributions of this paper are numerical algorithms to enable basic operations on such objects that strictly respect their underlying geometry. For instance, when operating with a set of k component GMMs, a first order expectation is that the result of simple operations like interpolation and averaging should provide an object that is also a k component GMM. The literature provides very little guidance on enforcing such requirements systematically. It turns out that these tasks are important internal modules for analysis and processing of a field of ensemble average propagators (EAPs), common in diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging. We provide proof of principle experiments showing how the proposed algorithms for interpolation can facilitate statistical analysis of such data, essential to many neuroimaging studies. Separately, we also derive interesting connections of our algorithm with functional spaces of Gaussians, that may be of independent interest.
Celecoxib and LLW-3-6 Reduce Survival of Human Glioma Cells Independently and Synergistically with Sulfasalazine

Gliomas are among the most commonly diagnosed central nervous system tumors. Celecoxib has been utilized with success in the treatment of several types of cancer, including gliomas. The present study examined the antiproliferative effects of celecoxib and its benzimidazole-based analog, LLW-3-6, when used as co-treatment with sulfasalazine against human glioma LN18 cells. At 48-h treatment, the glioma cells maintained 60% viability in the presence of celecoxib or LLW-3-6 at the maximum concentration tested (40 μM). Co-treatment of glioma cells under a non-lethal dose (50 μM) of sulfasalazine and either celecoxib or LLW-3-6 (administered at different concentrations) resulted in improved inhibition of cell viability. The concentration of the molecules required to reduce cell growth in the combined treatment was significantly less than that needed when either molecule was administered independently. Based on computational values, LLW-3-6 has physiochemical characteristics that should allow for improved bioavailability in comparison to that of celecoxib.
Abstract WP103: Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Regulates White Matter Changes after Stroke

Background: Stroke induced white matter damage is associated with neurological functional deficits, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout...
Understanding the Barriers to Hiring and Promoting Women in Surgical Subspecialties

Background The objective of this study was to characterize potential disparities in academic output, NIH-funding, and academic rank between male and female surgical faculty and identify subspecialties in which these differences may be more pronounced. Study Design Eighty metrics for 4,015 faculty members at the top-55 NIH-funded departments of surgery were collected. Demographic characteristics, NIH funding details, and scholarly output were analyzed. A new metric, academic velocity (V), reflecting recent citations is defined. Results Overall, 21.5% of surgical faculty are women. The percentage of female faculty is highest in science/research (41%) and surgical oncology (34%), and lowest in cardiothoracic surgery (9%). Female faculty are less likely to be full professors (22.7% vs 41.2%) and division chiefs (6.2% vs 13.6%). The fraction of women who are full professors is lowest in cardiothoracic surgery. Overall median numbers of publications/citations are lower for female faculty compared with male surgical faculty (21 of 364 vs 43 of 723, p 2 = 0.14, p Conclusions Subspecialty involvement and academic performance differences by sex vary greatly by subspecialty type and are most pronounced at the assistant professor level. Identification of potential barriers for entry of women into certain subspecialties, causes for the observed lower number of publications/citations among female assistant professors, and obstacles for attaining leadership roles need to be determined. We propose a new metric for assessment of publications/citations that can offset the effects of seniority differences between male and female faculty members.
Division of spermatic vessels in orchiopexy: radionuclide evidence of preservation of testicular circulation.

AbstractSatisfactory intrascrotal position of the testicles was achieved by dividing the spermatic vessels, leaving the vas deferens intact, in 3 patients with undescended testes. A postoperative scrotal scan provided objective means of evaluating the adequacy of testicular circulation. To determine the efficacy of various procedures for orchiopexy for undescended testes we suggest that postoperative evaluation include radionuclide imaging of the scrotum.
Effective education parameters for trigger remediation in underserved children with asthma: A systematic review.

AbstractObjectives: The prevalence of asthma is highest in minority children living in urban areas. Pediatric asthma research has focused on self-management education and trigger remediation using a multi-trigger, multi-component educational intervention approach. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify common educational parameters of these proposed interventions. The review also sought to identify which clinical outcomes improved with multi-trigger, multi-component educational interventions. Data Sources: PubMed, SCOPUS and ProQuest Dissertations were searched between 2000 to 2014 using the following terms: asthma; urban population or poverty area; environmental remediation; health education; allergens or dust mites or cockroaches or mold or mice or rats. Study Selections: Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) participants were minority children identified as underserved; 2) there was a multi-trigger and multi-component intervention; 3) asthma severity was classified...
Use of Play in Parenting and Family Groups

abstractParents who play with their children are more likely to have a strong parent-child attachment. Including play in parenting and family groups can help build parent-child relationships. However, little is written about how to include play in existing protocols for parenting and family groups. This article explores how a multi-family group used playful activities to build client engagement, scaffold parent skills in using play, and increase parents’ willingness to play with their children at home. It concludes by providing a list of play activities which can be easily integrated into parenting and family groups.
Sustained persulfate activation using solid iron: Kinetics and application to ciprofloxacin degradation

Abstract Characterization of persulfate activation by solid iron was performed to determine kinetic parameters and control variables. The solid iron activated persulfate system was then used to demonstrate the degradation of the fluoroquinoline antibiotic ciprofloxacin. This study established the persulfate activation using solid iron takes place via a zero-order mechanism. Persulfate reaction rates were found to be linear functions of iron rod surface area, with a maximum reaction rate constant of 8.4 × 10−7 mol L−1 s−1 established at the highest iron rod surface area tested. Persulfate reaction rates increased with the current applied to an iron rod up to a current density of 8.2 mA cm−2 after which the rate plateaued. A maximum rate of 7.1 × 10−7 mol L−1 s−1 was established with applied current compared to 4.3 × 10−7 mol L−1 s−1 without current, when the same surface area of the iron rod was in solution. At a starting concentration of 0.121 mmol L−1, ciprofloxacin removal of 95% was achieved in 15 min. A ciprofloxacin transformation product matrix containing core quinolone structures was formed and then degraded by 90%, with total organic carbon removal of 44%. The corresponding defluorination was >95%, suggesting that solid iron activated persulfate may offer an advantage for destruction of some fluorinated compounds. Hydroxyl radicals were identified as the dominant radicals in the degradation process. Ciprofloxacin removal was independent of the applied current despite the increased persulfate activation under the same conditions.
Forming a cluster-mesh topology to boost base-station anonymity in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) may consist of a large number of resource-constrained sensor nodes. These nodes probe their surroundings and transmit their measurements over multi-hop routes to an in-situ Base-Station (BS). Given the critical role of the BS, it can be targeted by an adversary's attack. Basically, the adversary may intercept transmissions made by the individual nodes, even without being able to decode them, and apply techniques, such as Evidence Theory (ET), to uncover the routing topology. The fact that the BS is a sink for all data traffic makes it possible for the traffic analysis to reveal the location of the BS. This paper proposes a novel cross-layer approach to boost the BS anonymity by forming clusters and a cluster-mesh routing topology. Basically, a set of sensor nodes in a WSN are grouped into non-overlapping clusters, each is led by a cluster head (CH). A CH aggregates data from its cluster members. A mesh topology is then formed for all CHs and BS for dissemination of the aggregated data. The BS participates in the inter-CH packet forwarding so that it does not become distinguishable among the CHs. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Revised geometric estimates of the North Galactic Pole and the Sun's height above the Galactic mid-plane

Astronomers are entering an era of {\mu}as-level astrometry utilizing the 5-decade-old IAU Galactic coordinate system that was only originally defined to $\sim$0°.1 accuracy, and where the dynamical centre of the Galaxy (Sgr A*) is located $\sim$0°.07 from the origin. We calculate new independent estimates of the North Galactic Pole (NGP) using recent catalogues of Galactic disc tracer objects such as embedded and open clusters, infrared bubbles, dark clouds, and young massive stars. Using these catalogues, we provide two new estimates of the NGP. Solution 1 is an "unconstrained" NGP determined by the galactic tracer sources, which does not take into account the location of Sgr A*, and which lies 90°.120$\,\pm\,$0°.029 from Sgr A*, and Solution 2 is a "constrained" NGP which lies exactly 90° from Sgr A*. The "unconstrained" NGP has ICRS position: $\alpha_{NGP}$ = 192°.729 $\,\pm\,$ 0°.035, $\delta_{NGP}$ = 27°.084 $\,\pm\,$ 0°.023 and $\theta\,$ = 122°.928 $\,\pm\,$ 0°.016. The "constrained" NGP which lies exactly 90° away from Sgr A* has ICRS position: $\alpha_{NGP}$ = 192°.728 $\,\pm\,$0°.010, $\delta_{NGP}$ = 26°.863 $\,\pm\,$ 0°.019 and $\theta\,$ = 122°.928 $\,\pm\,$ 0°.016. The difference between the solutions is likely due to the Sun lying above the Galactic midplane. Considering the angular separation between Sgr A* and our unconstrained NGP, and if one adopts the recent estimate of the Galactocentric distance for the Sun of $R_{0}$ = 8.2$\,\pm\,$0.1 kpc, then we estimate that the Sun lies $z_{\odot}$ $\simeq$ 17$\,\pm\,$5 pc above the Galactic midplane. Our value of $z_{\odot}$ is consistent with the true median of 55 previous estimates published over the past century of the Sun's height above the Galactic mid-plane ($z_{\odot}$ $\simeq$ 17$\,\pm\,$2 pc).
Antifibrinolytics in Liver Transplantation

A 27-year-old male with a history of liver transplantation as a child for biliary atresia presents for retransplantation secondary to graft failure due to chronic rejection. Upon presentation to the operating room, his Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is 36. He is oliguric and has just begun single-pass dialysis. He is not intubated and not on any vasopressor infusions. His platelet count is 45,000, his international normalized ratio (INR) is 2.1, and his fibrinogen levels are 95 mg/dL. Since this is a redo liver transplantation, you place 2 large bore central venous catheters in anticipation of massive bleeding and transfusion requirements. The surgeon asks you if it would be appropriate to administer tranexamic acid prophylactically in order to minimize bleeding risk.
Got Dating: Outcomes of a Teen 4-H Relationship Retreat

To support youth in developing healthy relationships, state and county staff collaborated to offer a statewide overnight teen retreat to teach health relationship skills. Evaluation of 64 youth participants from rural and urban counties found significant increases in posttest knowledge of relationship skills for both male and female youth. Youth also reported that the content was very helpful and worth repeating. Program success may be attributed to addressing the interesting and needed subject of dating relationships as well as involvement of state ambassador and collegiate 4-H members as teachers. Implications and replication suggestions are outlined.
UV-induced proteolysis of RNA polymerase II is mediated by VCP/p97 segregase and timely orchestration by Cockayne syndrome B protein

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) acts as a damage sensor for transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) and undergoes proteolytic clearance from damaged chromatin by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Here, we report that Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97, a druggable oncotarget, is essential for RNAPII's proteolytic clearance in mammalian cells. We show that inhibition of VCP/p97, or siRNA-mediated ablation of VCP/p97 and its cofactors UFD1 and UBXD7 severely impairs ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced RNAPII degradation. VCP/p97 interacts with RNAPII, and the interaction is enhanced by Cockayne syndrome B protein (CSB). However, the VCP/p97-mediated RNAPII proteolysis occurs independent of CSB. Surprisingly, CSB enhances UVR-induced RNAPII ubiquitination but delays its turnover. Additionally, VCP/p97-mediated RNAPII turnover occurs with and without Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL), a known substrate receptor of Elongin E3 ubiquitin ligase for RNAPII. Moreover, pVHL re-expression improves cell viability following UVR. Whereas, VCP/p97 inhibition decreases cell viability and enhances a low-dose UVR killing in presence of pVHL. These findings reveal a function of VCP/p97 segregase in UVR-induced RNAPII degradation in mammalian cells, and suggest a role of CSB in coordinating VCP/p97-mediated extraction of ubiquitinated RNAPII and CSB itself from chromatin.
Tenets of Public Management and the World War II Motion Picture Genre

The motion picture as an artistic medium amplifies emotions through the combination of imagery and sound. This medium has proven ideal for chronicling the American World War II experience. The World War II film genre has portrayed the American combat soldier as heroic and resourceful (Suid 2002). These portrayals of actions and leadership on the battlefield are, to some measure, applicable to contemporary public management. This paper examines select World War II motion pictures in the context of the following questions: (1) what tenets do these motion pictures convey and (2) to what extent do these tenets apply to public management? Patton (1970), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and The Great Escape (1963) are examined
Biology in Bloom: A Primer on the Arabidopsis thaliana Model System

Arabidopsis thaliana could have easily escaped human scrutiny. Instead, Arabidopsis has become the most widely studied plant in modern biology despite its absence from the dinner table. Pairing diminutive stature and genome with prodigious resources and tools, Arabidopsis offers a window into the molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms underlying life as a multicellular photoautotroph. Many basic discoveries made using this plant have spawned new research areas, even beyond the verdant fields of plant biology. With a suite of resources and tools unmatched among plants and rivaling other model systems, Arabidopsis research continues to offer novel insights and deepen our understanding of fundamental biological processes.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C has emerged into the public consciousness as an important pathogen since its discovery a decade ago. Rapid development of new data regarding natural history, epidemiology and treatment outcomes requires frequent re-evaluation of clinical practices and research directions. This article will examine key issues related to treatment of infected patients, and will identify near-term and long-term strategies that are likely to be employed against this agent.
Examining guardianship in action in Waco, Texas

The guardianship in action (GIA) instrument was originally developed by Reynald (Crime Prev Community Saf 11(1):1–20, 2009) as a tool for measuring guardianship potential at residential properties. This research determined that guardianship intensity at the property level can be measured through direct observation, and the measurement of guardianship intensity is enhanced when measures of aspects of the physical and social environment are included. Guardianship in action has been examined previously in major metropolitan areas and suburban contexts. Research has not examined the utility of the guardianship in action instrument or the related guardianship construct in rural areas, small cities and towns, or smaller non-metropolitan cities. The current study is designed to examine guardianship in action in a smaller, non-metropolitan city—Waco, Texas. Implications for research, theory, and policy are discussed.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal Outcomes and the Disadvantage of Peripartum Black Women: A Multistate Analysis, 2007–2014

Objective Racial and ethnic disparities in obstetric care and delivery outcomes have shown that black women experience high rates of pregnancy-related mortality and morbidity, along with high rates of cesarean delivery, compared with other racial and ethnic groups. We aimed to quantify these disparities and test the effects of race/ethnicity in stratified statistical models by insurance payer and socioeconomic status, adjusting for comorbidities specific to an obstetric population. Study Design We analyzed maternal outcomes in a sample of 6,872,588 delivery records from California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and New York from 2007 to 2014 from the State Inpatient Databases, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We compared present-on-admission characteristics of parturients by race/ethnicity, and estimated logistic regression and generalized linear models to assess outcomes of in-hospital mortality, cesarean delivery, and length of stay. Results Compared with white women, black women were more likely to die in-hospital (odds ratio [OR]: 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47–2.45) and have a longer average length of stay (incidence rate ratio: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.09–1.10). Black women also were more likely to have a cesarean delivery (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.12–1.13) than white women. These results largely held in stratified analyses. Conclusion In most insurance payers and socioeconomic strata, race/ethnicity alone is a factor that predicts parturient outcomes.
A new optimization method for antenna design

Les auteurs considerent une classe d’antennes conformees representees par des courbes fermees, regulieres et limitees et tente de determiner la distribution de courant sur l’antenne qui optimise la puissance rayonnee dans un secteur angulaire donne ainsi que le diagramme de rayonnement correspondant. L’etude est limitee a des structures cylindriques infinies de facon a traiter des problemes bidimensionnels. On presente un algorithme qui permet de determiner la valeur optimale de la puissance rayonnee et du courant de surface de l’antenne, considerant les champste ettm.
Urologic and interventional radiology treatment of renal cell carcinomas—similarities and differences

Treatment modalities for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have evolved and broadened as alternatives to traditional nephrectomy. Based on incidence rates in the U.S., the American Cancer Society projects 73,820 new cases of renal cancer in 2019, with 94% of them being RCCs (1). In 2015, the prevalence of RCC in the U.S. was reported to be 505,380 (2).
Play Your Role: A Policymaker Simulation to Ground East Asian International Relations

International relations is often confusing for students. IR theories are introduced as parsimonious and elegant and then systematically challenged as students learn more about detailed events. Ther...
Studying Sensitive Topics in Fragile Contexts

This chapter discusses the challenges of studying sensitive attitudes and topics in fragility, conflict, and violence settings and summarizes the most common approaches to overcoming them. The first section reviews the challenges involved in studying sensitive attitudes and the factors that could introduce bias and affect the validity of such research. The second section discusses four techniques (endorsement experiment, list experiment, randomized response, and behavioral approaches) that have been developed by researchers to overcome these challenges. The chapter presents an overview of studies that have utilized these techniques and discusses their advantages and limitations.
Incidental Durotomy Is Associated With Increased Risk of Delirium in Patients Aged 65 and Older.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of incidental durotomy during spine surgery on the development of delirium in patients aged 65 and older. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Delirium after spine surgery has been shown to increase the risk of adverse events, including morbidity and readmissions. Durotomy has previously been postulated to influence the risk of delirium, but this has not been explored in patients 65 and older, the demographic at greatest risk of developing delirium. METHODS We obtained clinical data on 766 patients, including 182 with incidental durotomy, from the Partners healthcare registry (2012-2019). Patients had their medical records abstracted and age, biologic sex, body mass index, smoking status, preoperative diagnosis, use of a fusion-based procedure, and number of comorbidities were recorded. Our primary outcome was the development of delirium. Our primary predictor was incidental durotomy. We used logistic regression techniques to adjust for sociodemographic and clinical confounders. We performed propensity score matching as a sensitivity test. We hypothesized that elderly patients would be at increased risk of delirium following durotomy. RESULTS Delirium was identified in 142 patients (19%). Among patients with an incidental durotomy, 26% were diagnosed with delirium. The incidence of delirium was 16% in the control group. Following adjusted analysis, the likelihood of delirium was significantly greater in patients with a durotomy (odds ratio [OR] 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27, 2.88). After propensity score matching, durotomy remained significantly associated with delirium in multivariable adjusted analyses (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.07, 3.39). CONCLUSION This investigation is among the first to specifically evaluate an association between durotomy and delirium in elderly patients undergoing spine surgery. The increased association between durotomy and delirium in this cohort should prompt increased surveillance and interventions designed to minimize the potential for cognitive deterioration or impairment during postoperative management of a durotomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Surface Resistances in Zeolite Nanosheets

Most zeolite membranes contain an active layer of intergrown zeolite crystals that are hundreds of nm to a few microns thick. For such membranes, the effect of the surface resistances on trans-memb...
Spurious regulatory connections dictate the expression-fitness landscape of translation factors

During steady-state cell growth, individual enzymatic fluxes can be directly inferred from growth rate by mass conservation, but the inverse problem remains unsolved. Perturbing the flux and expression of a single enzyme could have pleiotropic effects that may or may not dominate the impact on cell fitness. Here, we quantitatively dissect the molecular and global responses to varied expression of translation termination factors (peptide release factors, RFs) in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. While endogenous RF expression maximizes proliferation, deviations in expression lead to unexpected distal regulatory responses that dictate fitness reduction. Molecularly, RF depletion causes expression imbalance at specific operons, which activates master regulators and detrimentally overrides the transcriptome. Through these spurious connections, RF abundances are thus entrenched by focal points within the regulatory network, in one case located at a single stop codon. Such regulatory entrenchment suggests that predictive bottom-up models of expression-fitness landscapes will require near-exhaustive characterization of parts.
Intrataxonomic trends in herbivore enamel δ13C are decoupled from ecosystem woody cover

Analysis of enamel stable carbon isotopes (δ13Cenamel) of fossil herbivores is an important tool for making inferences about Plio-Pleistocene vegetation structure in Africa and the environmental context of hominin evolution. Many palaeoecological studies implicitly or explicitly assume that individual variation in C3–C4 plant consumption among fossil herbivores directly reflects the abundance of C3 (trees, shrubs) or C4 (low-altitude tropical grasses) vegetation. However, a strong link between δ13Cenamel of herbivores and ecosystem vegetation structure has not been rigorously established. Here we combine δ13Cenamel data from a large dataset (n = 1,643) with multidecadal Landsat estimates of C3 woody cover across 30 African ecosystems to show that there is little relationship between intrataxonomic variation in δ13Cenamel and vegetation structure. This is especially true when removing forested ecosystems (>80% woody cover)—which numerous lines of evidence suggest are rare in the Plio-Pleistocene fossil record of eastern Africa—from our analyses. Our findings stand in contrast with the common assumption that variation in herbivore δ13Cenamel values reflects changes in the relative abundance of C3–C4 vegetation. We conclude that analyses using herbivore δ13Cenamel data to shed light on the environmental context of hominin evolution should look to explicitly community-level approaches for making vegetation inferences. Combining a published dataset of stable carbon isotopes from herbivore tooth enamel with multidecadal Landsat estimates of C3 woody cover across 30 African ecosystems, the authors show that there is little relationship between intrataxonomic variation in δ13C enamel and vegetation structure, leading them to recommend a community-level approach for making vegetation inferences.
Short-term outcomes of periprosthetic compared to native distal femur fractures, a national database study

Distal femur fractures (DFFx) are highly morbid injuries with a complication rate comparable to hip fractures. Rising rates of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have led to increasing rates of periprosthetic DFFx (pDFFx). We sought to determine how pDFFx complication rates differed from native DFFx (nDFFx). The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) was used to identify patients who sustained pDFFx or nDFFx between 2012 and 2018. Patients were further stratified by operative treatment: open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or distal femur replacement (DFR). Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare 30-day complication rates between pDFFx versus nDFFx and, among pDFFx patients, ORIF versus DFR or revision TKA (rTKA). 563 patients with pDFFx and 2259 patients with nDFFx were identified between 2012 and 2018. pDFFx patients had significantly lower rates of ORIF than nDFFx patients (36.4 vs 95.4%, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, pDFFx were associated with a higher rate of surgical site complications (OR 2.48, p = 0.009) compared to nDFFx. There were no differences in mortality, reoperations, major complications, rate of blood transfusion, venous thromboembolism and disposition. In patients with pDFFx, patients undergoing DFR/rTKA were more likely to be discharged home versus a rehab facility, compared to those undergoing ORIF (OR 2.62, p < 0.001). In this first large registry study comparing pDFFx and nDFFx, we find similar outcomes between these groups in the first 30 days after surgery. Patients with pDFFx did have higher rates of surgical site complications, including infection and dehiscence. In pDFFx patients, those undergoing DFR were more likely to return home post-operatively.
Analyzing the Effect of Consistency Violation Faults in Self-Stabilizing Programs

Consistency violation faults \cvf{s} refer to faults that occur due to inconsistent reads in a shared memory program. In the execution of shared-memory, interleaving, self-stabilizing programs, \cvf{s} offer a trade-off. Specifically, preventing \cvf{s} requires processes to coordinate with each other thereby slowing the execution of each action. On the other hand, permitting \cvf{s} requires less coordination and faster execution of each action. However, when a \cvf occurs, it can disrupt the convergence of self-stabilizing programs. Thus, a computation of a program in the presence of \cvf{s} can be thought of as a contest where program actions attempt to take the program to a legitimate state whereas \cvf{s} could potentially this convergence. We analyze three self-stabilizing programs (token ring, coloring and maximal matching) to evaluate this contest between program transitions and \cvf{s}. We find that the relative cost of \cvf{s} is generally small, i.e., as long as a few program transitions can execute between \cvf{s}, the program (probabilistically) converges. We also find that the cost-distribution of \cvf{s} is exponential in nature in that the fraction of \cvf{s} with cost $c$ exponentially decreases with $c$. We validate these results via simulation where we control the rate of \cvf{s}.