cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary and tissue selenium in relation to methylmercury toxicity.

Abstract Selenium (Se) supplementation in the nutritionally relevant range counteracts methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity. Since Se tends to be abundant in fish, MeHg exposures alone may not provide an accurate index of risk from fish consumption. Molar ratios of MeHg:Se in the diets and Hg:Se in tissues of exposed individuals may provide a more accurate index. This experiment compared MeHg toxicity in relation to MeHg exposure vs. Hg:Se molar ratios in diets and tissues. Diets were prepared using low-Se torula yeast basal diets supplemented with Na 2 SeO 4 to contain 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 μmol Se/kg (∼0.01, 0.08, or 0.8 ppm Se), reflecting low-, adequate-, or rich-Se intakes, respectively. Diets contained either low or high (0.5 μmol or 50 μmol MeHg/kg) (∼0.10 or 10 ppm Hg). Sixty weanling male Long Evans rats were distributed into six weight-matched groups (three Se levels × two MeHg levels) that were supplied with water and their respective diets ab libitum for 18 weeks. No Se-dependent differences in growth were noted among rats fed low-MeHg diets, but growth impairments among rats fed high-MeHg were inversely related to dietary Se. After 3 weeks on the diet, growth impairments were evident among rats fed high-MeHg with low- or adequate-Se and after 10 weeks, rats fed low-Se, high-MeHg diets started to lose weight and displayed hind limb crossing. No weight loss or hind limb crossing was noted among animals fed high-MeHg, rich-Se diets. Methylmercury toxicity was not predictable by tissue Hg, but was inversely related to tissue Se ( P P
Dietary Treatment in Duodenal Ulcer

F OR YEARS the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders (duodenal ulcers included) has been largely a matter of tradition based on meager facts and many food
Tyramine from the leaves of wild parsnip: a stimulant and synergist for oviposition by the black swallowtail butterfly

.Oviposition stimulants from the foliage of wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa (Apiaceae), were isolated by column chromatography and HPLC and tested in bioassay experiments with hand-held female black swallowtail butterflies, Papilio polyxenes (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Two of the stimulants were identified as tyramine and trans-chlorogenic acid. A combination of tyramine, trans-chlorogenic acid and an active neutral fraction was needed to elicit a significant oviposition response. These results are discussed in the context of previous research on the oviposition stimulants of swallowtail butterflies and on the significance of tyramine as a neuromodulator of physiological processes in invertebrates.
Characterization of particle emissions and fate of nanomaterials during incineration

As the use of nanotechnology in consumer products continues to grow, it is inevitable that some nanomaterials will end up in the waste stream and will be incinerated. Through laboratory-scale incineration of paper and plastic wastes containing nanomaterials, we assessed their effect on emissions of particulate matter (PM) and the effect of incineration on the nanomaterials themselves. The presence of nanomaterials did not significantly influence the particle number emission factor. The PM size distribution was not affected except at very high mass loadings (10 wt%) of the nanomaterial, in which case the PM shifted toward smaller sizes; such loadings are not expected to be present in many consumer products. Metal oxide nanomaterials reduced emissions of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Most of the nanomaterials that remained in the bottom ash retained their original size and morphology but formed large aggregates. Only small amounts of the nanomaterials (0.023–180 mg g−1 of nanomaterial) partitioned into PM, and the emission factors of nanomaterials from an incinerator equipped with an electrostatic precipitator are expected to be low. However, a sustainable disposal method for nanomaterials in the bottom ash is needed, as a majority of them partitioned into this fraction and may thus end up in landfills upon disposal of the ash.
Invisible men and women: A status report on race as a variable in organization behavior research†

Twenty-five years after passage of the Civil Rights Act, the full integration of racial minorities in the Unites States workforce has still not been achieved. Recent demographic trends indicating that the workforce will be increasingly composed of racial minorities make this a critical issue for academics and practitioners alike. This paper reports on a review of journal research addressing issues of race in organizations. Articles published in twenty major outlets for organization behavior research between 1964 and 1989 were reviewed. Data on the quantity, types and topics of published work are presented. Results indicate that the amount of total published research is small relative to the importance of the topic, that the recent trend is for less rather than more research, that the designs and research questions have been very narrow, and that the topics covered are not representative of the domain of organization behavior. Based upon the findings, some suggestions for future research are offered.
Topographical mapping of brain electrical activity

Current topographical mapping methods and problems associated with mapping are reviewed, and one approach for improving the spatial resolution of scalp recorded EEGs is detailed. In particular, techniques for interpolating the potential distribution and estimating the surface Laplacian from multichannel data are presented and applied to human evoked potential data. Although developed for electroencephalographic data, these spline algorithms can be applied to a variety of fields where visualization of spatial information is desired. >
Characteristics of Kodak Insight, an F-speed intraoral film.

Abstract Objectives. This study reports film speed, contrast, exposure latitude, resolution, and response to processing solution depletion of Kodak Insight intraoral film. Methods. Densitometric curves were generated by using International Standards Organization protocol. Additional curves were generated for Ultra-speed, Ektaspeed Plus, and Insight films developed in progressively depleted processing solutions. Eight observers viewed images of a resolution test tool for maximum resolution assessment. Images of an aluminum step-wedge were reviewed to determine useful exposure latitude. Results. Insight’s sensitivity in fresh automatic processor solutions places it in the F-speed group. An average gradient of 1.8 was found with all film types. Insight provided 93% of the useful exposure latitude of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight maintained contrast in progressively depleted processing solutions. Like Ektaspeed Plus, Insight was able to resolve at least 20 line-pairs per millimeter. Conclusions. Under International Standards Organization conditions, Insight required only 77% of the exposure of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight film provided stable contrast in depleted processing solutions. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2001;91:120-29)
Professionals and Saints How Immigrant Careworkers Negotiate Gender Identities at Work

This chapter examines the meanings that Russian-speaking immigrants, women and men, assign to paid caring labor and the deployment of distinct discursive practices. The term “discursive practices” draws on the work of Michel Foucault. For Foucault, discourse is not language but a structure of statements that is historically and structurally specific and embedded in the material world. To study discourse is to study practices of preservation or reproduction (Foucault 1972, 1991). Salzinger (2003: 22) argues that feminist poststructuralists, in an attempt to correct tendencies toward “essentialism” in previous feminist theory, have shifted from talking about “gendered subjects to gendered meanings—looking at the symbolic logics and internal patterns through which a particular discourse successfully ‘made sense’ of sexed bodies.” The cost of this shift, according to Salzinger (2003: 22), is that the focus on meanings has detached discourse from practice leading to “symbolic systems disconnected from those who articulate them and from the practices through which they are enacted.” In using the term “discursive practices,” I aim to emphasize the Foucauldian notion that discourses are embedded in structures that are historically specific and are reproduced through the practices of individual and institutional actors.
Defective recycling of synaptic vesicles in synaptotagmin mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans

SYNAPTOTAGMIN, an integral membrane protein of the synaptic vesicle1,2, binds calcium and interacts with proteins of the plasma membrane4–6. These observations suggest several possible functions for synaptotagmin in synaptic vesicle dynamics: it could facilitate exocytosis by promoting calcium-dependent fusion3, inhibit exocytosis by preventing fusion7, or facilitate endocytosis of synaptic vesicles from the plasma membrane by acting as a receptor for the endocytotic proteins of the clathrin AP2 complex8. Here we show that synaptic vesicles are depleted at synaptic terminals in synaptotagmin mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This depletion is not caused by a defect in transport or by increased synaptic vesicle release, but rather by a defect in retrieval of synaptic vesicles from the plasma membrane. Thus we propose that, as well as being involved in exocytosis, synaptotagmin functions in vesicular recycling.
X-ray shadowgraphing in laser-produced plasma experiments

We discuss a design for an x-ray framing camera. Shadowgraphing experiments using a laser-generated x-ray source demonstrate that 5-μm spatial resolution can be obtained for this camera with less than 7 J of laser energy to produce the x-ray source.
The Network Paradigm in Organizational Research: A Review and Typology

In this paper, we review and analyze the emerging network paradigm in organizational research. We begin with a conventional review of recent research organized around recognized research streams. Next, we analyze this research, developing a set of dimensions along which network studies vary, including direction of causality, levels of analysis, explanatory goals, and explanatory mechanisms. We use the latter two dimensions to construct a 2-by-2 table cross-classifying studies of network consequences into four canonical types: structural social capital, social access to resources, contagion, and environmental shaping. We note the rise in popularity of studies with a greater sense of agency than was traditional in network research.
Platelet activating factor receptor (PAF-R) is found in a large endosomal compartment in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

In previous studies, we have localized the platelet activating factor receptor (PAF-R) in situ on the surface of the endothelium in a number of microvascular beds without providing information on its intracellular location. In the present study, we used human umbilical vein cells (HUVECs) as a model to immunolocalize PAF-R by light and electron microscopic procedures. We raised two different polyclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides of the C- and N-terminal of PAF-R and used them for immunolocalization studies. By immunofluorescence, we found that the anti-C-terminal antibody (CPAF-R) stains an extensive intracellular tubular network. By electron microscopy, using a preembedding staining procedure, we detected PAF-R on the surface of the plasmalemma in a staining pattern similar to that described on microvascular endothelia in situ, but at a considerably lower density. Immunogold labeling of thin frozen sections revealed the presence of PAF-R on the plasmalemma, and especially in an extensive network of tubular-vesicular elements and vesicles associated with it. No detectable amounts of PAF-R were found in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or in Golgi cisternae. Double immunofluorescence labeling with antibodies for compartment marker proteins and PAF-R revealed that PAF-R localizes in an endosomal compartment. Confocal microscopy showed that PAF-R colocalizes in this compartment together with the transferrin receptor (Tf-R) and the thrombin receptor (TH-R), but it also showed that the colocalization was partial rather than complete. These findings suggest that the endosomal network is either discontinuous or, conversely, that the proteins in its membrane do not have a fully randomized distribution.
Differences in the peripheries of lewis lung tumor cells growing in different sites in the mouse.

The peripheries of Lewis lung (3LL) tumor cells growing in different organs of the mouse were studied by cell electrophoresis and electron microscopic quantitation of colloid iron hydroxide (CIH) adsorption before and after incubation with neuraminidase. The results show that cells growing in the kidney after direct injection have significantly higher anodic mobilities than cells growing in the subcutaneous sites from which they were derived, or in intramuscular sites, liver or spleen. The proportional contributions of cell surface sialic acids were similar in all sites. Electron microscopy of cells reacted with CIH indicates that the increased surface charge density of the tumor cells growing in the kidney is due to the presence of increased densities of non-CIH-binding ionogenic groups. Before neuraminidase treatment, the surface distribution patterns of CIH were indistinguishably random for 3LL cells growing in all sites. After neuraminidase treatment, significantly more clustering of CIH particles was observed on 3LL cells with a history of growth in the kidney than in subcutaneous sites. The changes observed in the 3LL cells growing in the kidney were irreversible, and persisted on multiple back-transplantation to subcutaneous sites. Detailed analysis of the results shows the changes to be due to the preferential selection of a subpopulation consisting of approximately 10% of the original (subcutaneous) tumor-cell population. This evidence for an irreversible site-induced selection of a pre-existing sub-population of 3LL cells contrasts with the reversible (modulation) site-induced adaptation previously observed by us in Walker-256 cancer cells, and therefore indicates that both selective and adaptive processes can occur. Even in the case of the 3LL cells, site-specific selection is not general, since the changes were observed in tumors growing in the kidney but not in the other anatomic sites. At present we cannot comment on the relevance of these reported changes to naturally occurring metastasis.
What difference does inherited difference make? Exploring culture and gender in scientific and technical professions

A course design and the material for implementing a course in which students explore the status of women and minorities in the scientific and technical professions and the possible reasons for that status are presented. The course is offered as a model for the integration of intercultural and gender issues into the technical communication classroom. Since cultural and gender issues are neither scientific nor technological but humanities issues, core readings for the course are humanities texts. By working in teams of culturally and gender-diverse colleagues, students explore the intercultural concerns and gender issues in the field of technical communication. Students conduct personal interviews, study published reports, obtain policy statements and current statistics, analyze data, draw conclusions, and submit a comprehensive technical report to audiences who might act on those findings, such as the National Science foundation. >
Who will lead and who will follow: Identifikation einflussreicher Nutzer in Online Social Networks

Einhergehend mit dem explosionsartigen Wachstum des Phanomens Online Social Networks (OSN) hat die Identifikation einflussreicher Nutzer in OSN in den letzten Jahren erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit erfahren. Die Entwicklung geeigneter Ansatze zu deren Identifikation befindet sich jedoch noch in den Anfangen. Daher erfolgt mittels einer strukturierten Literaturrecherche eine umfassende Analyse und Synthese bisheriger Veroffentlichungen aus zwei Perspektiven: Aus einer Forschungsperspektive lasst sich feststellen, dass bestehende Ansatze meist auf der Vernetzung und Aktivitat der Nutzer beruhen, jedoch kaum weitere Charakteristika einflussreicher Nutzer berucksichtigen. Daruber hinaus werden zwei zentrale Forschungsrichtungen vorgestellt. Es wird deutlich, dass die meisten marketingorientierten Beitrage auf Realweltdatensatze von OSN zuruckgreifen, wohingegen technikorientierte Beitrage einen eher theoretischen Ansatz verfolgen und ihre Artefakte meist mittels formaler Beweise evaluieren. Es zeigt sich, dass eine engere Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Wirtschaftsinformatik- und der Marketing-Community als heutzutage zu beobachten fur beide Seiten vorteilhaft sein konnte. Im Hinblick auf die Praxisperspektive werden Ratschlage fur die Identifikation einflussreicher Nutzer zusammengestellt. Die Autoren hoffen, dass die Ergebnisse zukunftige Forschungsarbeiten in diesem Feld anregen und als Orientierung dienen konnen.
The acid lipase of the castor bean. Properties and substrate specificity

SUMMARY A castor bean lipase with apH optimum of 4.3 is found within the fatty layer obtained by centrifuging a hom0genat.e of the bean; most of the fat may be removed by extraction with ethyl ether in the presence of saturated sodium chloride solution, yielding a preparation which consists of about 55y0 protein and 5% lipid and which is insoluble in neutral buffer. This preparation emrilsifies triglycerides and hydrolyzes them completely; the enzyme is inhibited by mercurials but not by diisopropylfluorophosphate. The data on effect of enzyme concentration on hydrolysis rate suggest that a second component, perhaps an emulsifier, is required for activity. Hydrolysis of triglycerides of saturated fatty acids is maximum at a chain length between C4 and Cg. Triacetin is not hydrolyzed. Glycerides of long-chain fatty acids, predominantly unsaturated CIS, are also hydrolyzed, but not as rapidly EM the maximum for the glycerides of shortrchain fatty acids. Mono- and dibutyrin are hydrolyzed less rapidly than tributyrin, but diolein is hydrolyzed more rapidly than triolein; this suggests that there may be two separate enzymes for the short-chain and long-chain triglycerides, respectively. Esters of ricinoleic acid and monohydric alcohols are hydrolyzed at a much lower rate than is castor oil.
Functional Outcomes Following Pilon Fractures of the Middle Phalanx Managed with the Ligamentotaxor External Fixator.

Background: The surgical aims in managing displaced intra-articular fractures of the base of the middle phalanx include early joint reduction, maintaining congruence and early mobilization. Achieving this can be a challenge. However dynamic external fixators offer a solution. The study aim was to evaluate the use and outcomes of the Ligamentotaxor external fixator in patients with such injuries. Methods: A total of 12 patients were managed with this device and outcomes were assessed. All patients reached clinical and radiological union. Results: An average range of movement to the proximal interphalangeal joint of 63° was noted along with an average end of care-cycle quick-DASH score of 9.1. Two patients developed pin-site infections. Conclusions: The outcomes seen support the use of the Ligamentotaxor in the management of middle phalanx intra-articular fractures. It is simple to apply, potentially avoids the secondary complications of open reduction and gives reproducible results. However judicious patient selection is advised.
Chapter 6 Methods for assessing the benefits of environmental programs

Publisher Summary Environmental regulations that lead to the reduction in the emissions of air and water pollutants presumably have been undertaken in this chapter because of the welfare gains they generate for people. Several models and techniques have been developed to interpret individual's responses to allow the calculation of the money benefits of the hypothetical changes. The chapter discusses a simple model of the process through which an environmental regulation results in economic benefits. The chapter shows that economic measures of benefits require an understanding of the underlying physical, chemical, and biological processes that make up the environment. It considers some fundamental questions in the definition and measurement of welfare changes. The chapter examines models based upon the revealed behavior of producers and consumers responding to price signals and changes in environment quality and models based upon how people respond to specific hypothetical changes.
Evaluating revised biomass equations: are some forest types more equivalent than others?

In 2014, Chojnacky et al. published a revised set of biomass equations for trees of temperate US forests, expanding on an existing equation set (published in 2003 by Jenkins et al.), both of which were developed from published equations using a meta-analytical approach. Given the similarities in the approach to developing the equations, an examination of similarities or differences in carbon stock estimates generated with both sets of equations benefits investigators using the Jenkins et al. (For Sci 49:12–34, 2003) equations or the software tools into which they are incorporated. We provide a roadmap for applying the newer set to the tree species of the US, present results of equivalence testing for carbon stock estimates, and provide some general guidance on circumstances when equation choice is likely to have an effect on the carbon stock estimate. Total carbon stocks in live trees, as predicted by the two sets, differed by less than one percent at a national level. Greater differences, sometimes exceeding 10–15 %, were found for individual regions or forest type groups. Differences varied in magnitude and direction; one equation set did not consistently produce a higher or lower estimate than the other. Biomass estimates for a few forest type groups are clearly not equivalent between the two equation sets—southern pines, northern spruce-fir, and lower productivity arid western forests—while estimates for the majority of forest type groups are generally equivalent at the scales presented. Overall, the possibility of very different results between the Chojnacky and Jenkins sets decreases with aggregate summaries of those ‘equivalent’ type groups.
Pricing index options in a multivariate Black & Scholes model

The price of an index option depends on the distributions of the marginals and the dependence structure. In this paper we assume that the stocks composing the index can be described by a multivariate Black & Scholes model, which is the most straightforward extension of the one-dimensional Black & Scholes model. In this multivariate stock price model, vanilla option prices can be determined in closed form, but the price of an index option as well as the cdf of the index cannot be determined analytical. In this paper, we use the theory of comonotonicity to derive approximate index option prices which can be determined using the Black & Scholes formula. Furthermore, we show that the approximate index option curve can be interpreted as an index option curve of a modified, synthetic, index and the cdf of this synthetic index is given in closed form.
Managing Reclamation Facilities for Ecosystem Benefits

This article describes how environmental laws, especially the Endangered Species Act, are requiring changes in the operation of Bureau of Reclamation facilities.
The measurement of fractionated bilirubin by Ektachem film slides. Method validation and comparison of conjugated bilirubin measurements with direct bilirubin in obstructive and hepatocellular jaundice.

Abstract The authors evaluated the Kodak Ektachem Slides for total, "direct," conjugated, unconjugated, and albumin-bound ("delta") bilirubin. For various concentrations of control material, the precision (CV) within- and between-day ranged from 1.7 to 2.4% (2.8-6.6%) for total bilirubin, 0.8-4.2% (1.6-11.5%) for unconjugated bilirubin, and 1.6-9.5% (2.6-20.7%) for conjugated bilirubin. The Ektachem total and "direct" bilirubin assays demonstrated excellent correlation with the Jendrassik and Grof procedure; a 30% difference was observed, however, between absolute numbers with the two direct bilirubin methods. We found the measurement of true conjugated bilirubin by the Kodak Method to be superior to the measurement of "direct" bilirubin in following the response to treatment of various hepatic disorders manifested by extrahepatic and intrahepatic biliary obstruction.
Computers in Oceanography

For the most part oceanographers are physicists, chemists, geologists, biologists and engineers who have turned their interests toward problems in the seas. Consequently their use of computers for scientific research closely parallels that of their solid-earth counterparts. In so far as analysis of data is concerned we can not distinguish the work of the clay mineralogist who obtains his samples from deep sea cores from that of the mineralogist who obtains his from a well in driest Kansas.
Raman Markers from Silver Nanowire Crossbars

We fabricated silver nanowire crossbars partially decorated with silver nanoparticles via a double-step transversal capillary transfer microprinting approach and demonstrated their polarization-dep...
Understanding covariate shift in model performance

Three (3) different methods (logistic regression, covariate shift and k-NN) were applied to five (5) internal datasets and one (1) external, publically available dataset where covariate shift existed. In all cases, k-NN’s performance was inferior to either logistic regression or covariate shift. Surprisingly, there was no obvious advantage for using covariate shift to reweight the training data in the examined datasets.
Nursing implications of the Department of Defense coordinated care program

As the Department of Defense implements the Coordinated Care Program (CCP), it is essential to examine the implications of such a change for nursing. The nursing aspects of a CCP must be designed with consideration of nursing's contribution to patient care and hence the relationship of nursing to quality, access, and cost containment goals. In this paper, following an overview of the CCP, three major nursing implications of the CCP are identified and addressed. These are: (a) the cost of nursing, (b) the structure of nursing, and (c) the role of nurses.
The effects of handheld network service look on the acquisition of common ground

Constructing common ground and the associated convergent conceptual change is critical to cooperative work and learning. Convergent conceptual change is achieved as participants in a conversation update common ground through presentations, repairs, and acceptances of utterances (Roschelle, 1992). People employ available techniques that utilize the least collaborative effort for current purposes (Clark and Brennan, 1991). Although sharing physical co-presence of interlocutors' facial expressions doesn't make grounding more efficient even in more open-ended and less task-focused dialogues (DiNardo et al., 2005), visual co-presence of the addressee's workspace is essential to work-related tasks, such as information transmission and collaborative problem-solving (Clark and Krych, 2004). However, handheld-mediated collaborative activity makes sharing the workspace challenging, especially when we consider that handhelds possess small screens and permit activities of a distributed nature. In a handheld-mediated classroom, a teacher must be able to check students' work for various reasons (e.g., grading, checking whether they are following directions correctly or paying attention) and at various phases of the activity. Gazing into the small screen of a handheld over someone's shoulder is a tricky task at best. The teacher may misread the information on the screen and thus provide incorrect feedback. Another challenge involves the difficulty inherent in latecomers joining the collaborative activity when each student is involved with his or her individual and small screen. This exclusion from joining on-going activity can reduce the chance of student's vicarious and serendipitous learning. Although such events may occur naturally in the learning environment, they become important concerns when one attempts to focus collaborative activities with handheld devices. I therefore created a new handheld network service called "Look," which is designed to facilitate the acquisition of common ground and allow a latecomer to do meaningful monitoring of ongoing conversation about the workspace. I tested empirically the value of this shared physical/virtual context in the task of creating common ground by examining task performance and conversation quality.
Arteriovenous fistula complicating endopyelotomy.

AbstractWe report a case of arteriovenous fistula and pseudoaneurysm formation following endopyelotomy. Presentation, successful management with interventional radiology techniques, and the relationship between variant renal artery anatomy and endopyelotomy are discussed.
Knock it Off, Forever 21! The Fashion Industry's Battle Against Design Piracy

For the Presidential Inauguration Ball, First Lady Michelle Obama wore a stunning ivory-colored one-shoulder chiffon gown adorned with Swarovski crystals. An emerging young designer, Jason Wu, created the dress as a one-of-a-kind piece for Mrs. Obama with no intention of reproducing versions of it for sale. Nonetheless, in a matter of days, fast-fashion retailers were selling copies of the dress online. This phenomenon is
Driving performance comparing older versus younger drivers

ABSTRACTObjectives: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Touro University California campus to compare differences in reaction times and driving performance of younger adult drivers (18–40 years) and older adult drivers (60 years and older). Each test group consisted of 38 participants.Methods: A Simple Visual Reaction Test (SVRT) tool was used to measure reaction times. The STISIM Drive M100 driving simulator was used to assess driving parameters. Driving performance parameters included mean lane position, standard deviation of mean lane position measured, mean speed, standard deviation of mean speed, car-following delay, car-following modulus, car-following coherence, off-road accidents, collisions, pedestrians hit, and traffic light tickets.Results: Compared to younger participants, older drivers experienced significantly slower reaction times (510.0 ± 208.8 vs. 372.4 ± 96.1 ms, P =.0004), had more collisions (0.18 ± 0.39 vs. none, P =.0044), drove slower (44.6 ± 6.6 vs. 54.9 ± 11.7 mph, P <.00...
Almost global stochastic stabilization of attitude motion with unknown multiplicative diffusion coefficient

In this paper, we design a geometric stochastic feedback controller to almost globally asymptotically stabilize the rigid body attitude in probability. The attitude motion is represented on the tangent bundle of SO(3) and is subject to an stochastic input torque with an unknown multiplicative diffusion coefficient. In addition, we assume that the variance parameter of the stochastic input torque is unknown. We, first, interpret the attitude dynamics in the Ito sense and the Frobenius norm of the unknown diffusion coefficient is approximated by an unknown bounded scalar parameter. An adaptive backstepping method and a suitable Morse-Lyapunov (M-L) function candidate is then employed to obtain a nonlinear continuous stochastic feedback control law. The almost global asymptotic stability of system is guaranteed in probability and the control gain matrix is obtained through solving LMI feasibility problem. A simulation example is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme on TSO(3).
Introduction: Regulation versus Technology as Tools of Behavior Change

In this volume, we attempt to remedy this shortcoming of the nudge literature by comparing and contrasting the two primary tools for behavior change: regulations and technology. As the chapters in this volume discuss, there is a wide array of products on the market that aim to help consumers make better decisions and improve their lives. Financial advisors and personal finance apps help consumers stay on track with their finances. Numerous diets and recently popular wearable technology tools help consumers reduce the negative impacts of excess weight. Similar to policy nudges, these tools increasingly incorporate behavioral insights to become more effective in helping consumers overcome their biased decision-making.
Using the Veterans Health Administration as a Laboratory for Integrated Decision Tools for Patients and Clinicians

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system emphasizes patient-centered, evidence-based, collaborative health care in a system that seeks continuous quality improvement. Integrated decision support is central to realizing this vision. Decision support systems provide a platform to engage clinicians and patients in making health decisions that incorporate the best evidence on diagnostic and treatment options, the patient’s clinical information and risk factors, and patient values, goals, and preferences for care. The early adoption of health information technology systems in the VA, such as the electronic health record (EHR), has provided the infrastructure for highly innovative research on applied decision making. This chapter highlights contributions of VA investigators using these technologies to advance clinical decision support tools and improve shared decision making in the VA healthcare system and beyond.
Planar visual fusion scintigraphy

Planar scintigraphy, while providing useful information about the distribution of a particular radiopharmaceutical being imaged, often does not provide adequate information about the surrounding anatomical structures, thereby complicating diagnosis. We have therefore explored a means of fusing planar scintigraphic images with visual photographic images to supply an anatomic correlate to regions of radiopharmaceutical accumulation. The digital visual image will provide a context for the relevant structures in the scintigraphic image. Phantom data confirm registration accuracy to within 1 pixel. Inaccuracy of camera-patient distance results in <1% image size change per cm height error. Initial clinical imaging has subjectively been very useful in low background applications such as lymphoscintigraphy, whole body I-131 NaI imaging for thyroid cancer and In-111 white blood cell infection imaging.
Regulation of Spontaneous Propagating Waves in the Embryonic Mouse Brainstem.

Spontaneous activity modulates many aspects of neural development, including neuronal phenotype, axon path-finding and synaptic connectivity. In the embryonic mouse brainstem, spontaneous activity initially is recorded in isolated cells at embryonic day (E) 9.5, and 48 hours later takes the form of propagating waves. The majority of these waves originate from one midline initiation zone (InZ), which is situated within the developing serotonergic raphe. InZ cells express a t-type calcium channel, are depolarized, and have high membrane resistance, the combination of which allows spontaneous depolarization. Propagating events require signaling at metabotropic 5-HT receptors; a possible source could be 5-HT released by newly differentiating 5-HT neurons. At E11.5, waves propagate throughout the hindbrain, with some events crossing into the midbrain. At E12.5, lateral cells (further than 150 μm from the midline) up-regulate expression of a K channel that increases resting conductance and hyperpolarizes them, preventing the propagation of waves laterally. At the same stage, cells in the isthmus up-regulate t-type calcium channels, permitting more events to cross into the midbrain, some of which form recurring loops of activity that are able to keep intracellular calcium levels high for many minutes. At E13.5, caudal hindbrain cells hyperpolarize utilizing the same K conductance, and 24 hours later, at E14.5, the InZ hyperpolarizes and no longer undergoes spontaneous events. Thus, 5-HT receptor-dependent propagating waves in the embryonic brainstem are generated and propagated by regulation of membrane conductance. We discuss these mechanisms, and the possible role of this spontaneous activity in neuronal development.
Use of computerized interview scheduling program for pediatric surgery match applicants

Abstract Background Pediatric surgery fellowship applicants and programs coordinate over 20 interviews per cycle. We hypothesized that replacing e-mail and phone communication with a computerized-scheduling program (CSP) could benefit both parties. Methods We used a CSP to schedule 2016 interviews. Time to schedule and e-mail communication per applicant was compared to 2015, when traditional scheduling was used. Additionally, 2016 interviewees were surveyed about their experience with the CSP vs. traditional means. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and a Student's T-test. Results We found a significant decrease in mean scheduling time from 14.4 to 1.7h (p Conclusions Using CSPs improved the scheduling process for the significant majority of interviewees, and our program. If widely adopted, this could greatly improve the efficiency of pediatric surgery interview scheduling. Level of evidence N/A.
Extremist YouTube Videos

With the emergence of Web 2.0, sharing personal content, communicating ideas, and interacting with other online users in Web 2.0 communities have become daily routines for online users. User-generated data from Web 2.0 sites provide rich personal information, such as personal preferences and interests, and can be utilized to obtain insight about cyber communities and their social networks. Many studies have focused on leveraging user-generated information to analyze blogs and forums, but few studies have applied this approach to video-sharing web sites. In this chapter, we proposed a text-based framework for video content classification of online video-sharing web sites. Different types of user-generated data (e.g., titles, descriptions, and comments) were used as proxies for online videos, and three types of text features (lexical, syntactic, and content-specific features) were extracted. Three feature-based classification techniques (C4.5, Naive Bayes, and SVM) were used to classify videos. To evaluate the proposed framework, user-generated data from candidate videos, which were identified by searching user-given keywords on YouTube, were first collected. Then, a subset of the collected data was randomly selected and manually tagged by users as our experiment data. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach was able to classify online videos based on users’ interests with accuracy rates up to 87.2%, and all three types of text features contributed to discriminating videos. SVM outperformed C4.5 and Naive Bayes in our experiments. In addition, our case study further demonstrated that accurate video classification results are very useful for identifying implicit cyber communities on video-sharing web sites.
Adults with Poor Reading Skills, Older Adults, and College Students: the Meanings They Understand During Reading Using a Diffusion Model Analysis.

Abstract When a word is read in a text, the aspects of its meanings that are encoded should be those relevant to the text and not those that are irrelevant. We tested whether older adults, college students, and adults with poor literacy skills accomplish contextually relevant encoding. Participants read short stories, which were followed by true/false test sentences. Among these were sentences that matched the relevant meaning of a word in a story and sentences that matched a different meaning. We measured the speed and accuracy of responses to the test sentences and used a decision model to separate the information that a reader encodes from the reader’s speed/accuracy tradeoff settings. We found that all three groups encoded meanings as contextually relevant. The findings illustrate how a decision-making model combined with tests of particular comprehension processes can lead to further understanding of reading skills.
Imaging of Clinically Suspected Malrotation in Children

■ Malrotation of the bowel is associated with risk of intestinal volvulus and can be fatal (strong evidence). Volvulus is a surgical emergency that is treated with the Ladd procedure (strong evidence).
An innovative adaptation of general purpose accounting software for a municipal social services agency

Organizations with unique characteristics and transaction processing requirements, such as government agencies, often satisfy these requirements by (a) acquiring software from vendors who have developed applications for that particular type of organization, or (b) developing software internally from scratch. When either of these approaches is taken, the development costs are spread over a relatively small number of organizations, and the resulting system can be very expensive. Also, due to the uniqueness of the application and the relatively small number of users, it may take a long time to identify and correct any processing errors. An alternative is to acquire generalpurpose software that has been developed for a wide range of organizations, and to adapt it for the agency in which it will be installed. However, this alternative approach is frequently not undertaken because it is often believed that general-purpose software is unable to provide all of the information required by the organization. When the required information can be provided, though, general-purpose software can be less expensive and less timeconsuming to implement.
Freeze Out Purification of Gases in Heat Exchangers

The technique of removing impurities from low-temperature process streams by freeze-out in heat exchangers is not new. However, published work indicating design criteria for this mode of impurity removal is practically nonexistent. The work discussed in the following sections provides one avenue of approach to the problem of predicting pressure-drop time histories of process heat exchangers in which frozen solids are accumulating. The study derives its original impetus from the need to establish a suitable cycling period for a reversing heat exchanger in which nitrogen is frozen out of a hydrogen stream (i.e., it is desirable to predict the magnitude of pres sure-drop build up as frozen impurity is deposited. The duration of the reversing cycle then depends upon that increased pressure drop with which the system can still economically operate.)
Peripheral blood metabolite profiles associated with new onset atrial fibrillation

Background Peripheral blood metabolite profiles have yielded mechanistic insights into various cardiovascular disease states. We hypothesized that peripheral blood metabolite profiles would be associated with new onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results The study population comprised 1892 patients without AF at baseline, who, as part the MURDOCK Cardiovascular Disease Study molecular profiling cohort (n = 2023), had previously had determination of levels of 69 metabolites from frozen, fasting plasma specimens obtained during coronary angiography. We used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association of 13 uncorrelated metabolite factors created from these data using principal components analysis (PCA) with new occurrences of AF during a median follow up of 2.8 (0.1–4.9) years. A total of 233 patients developed new AF (12.3%) during follow up. Patients with new onset AF were older (median 67 vs. 60 years); more often white (82 vs. 71%) and male (68 vs. 60%), and had more comorbidities than those who did not develop AF. After adjustment, PCA factor 1 (medium chain acylcarnitines; hazard ratio [HR]: 1.11 [1.01–1.22]), factor 2 (short chain dicarboxylacylcarnitines; HR: 1.21 [1.09–1.34]) and factor 5 (long chain acylcarnitines; HR: 1.19 [1.06–1.34]) were associated with new onset AF. Conclusion Metabolite profiles were associated with new onset AF among patients referred for coronary angiography. Validation of these observations in broader patient populations may provide better mechanistic insight into the development of AF, and may provide new opportunities for prevention and treatment.
Intercultural Knowledge Development During Short-Term Study Abroad in the Basque Country: A Cultural and Linguistic Minority Context

This investigation examined intercultural knowledge development in a short-term study abroad program in a cultural and linguistic minority context (Basque Country, Spain). A pre- and post-program quantitative and qualitative design was used with 26 participants. The quantitative, survey-based results demonstrated an increase in intercultural knowledge over the five weeks. Qualitative analysis of interview data indicated that students’ intercultural knowledge aligned with Lussier’s (2007)description of knowledge about small c culture and included knowledge of social groups—a distinct finding from prior research. Students’ knowledge changed over the period abroad, indicating adjustment to City life and Time and Schedule norms. Additionally, knowledge growth was greatest with respect to subthemes strongly linked to the minority context (e.g. Basque ethnicity, culture, language). This study offers detailed information about intercultural knowledge development during short-term study abroad and demonstrates that minority context programs encourage development of intercultural knowledge about small c culture and social groups.
Kindness and cellular aging: A pre-registered experiment testing the effects of prosocial behavior on telomere length and well-being.

Author(s): Fritz, Megan | Advisor(s): Lyubomirsky, Sonja | Abstract: Empirical research suggests that prosocial behavior (i.e., doing acts of kindness for others) leads to improvements in psychological well-being and physical health, including mortality. However, little work has focused on identifying the underlying biological mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between prosociality and physical health. In this pre-registered experiment, I tested whether a 4-week kindness intervention that has been demonstrated in previous work to elicit changes in pro-inflammatory gene expression (Nelson-Coffey, Fritz, Lyubomirsky, a Cole, 2017) could shift a related psychobiomarker of health – namely, leukocyte telomere length – as well as improve psychological health. Across a diverse community sample (N = 230), participants who performed three kind acts for other people each week for 4 weeks did not demonstrate hypothesized shifts in telomere length (i.e., reduced rates of shortening), nor in well-being and related constructs, relative to those who tracked daily activities (i.e., controls). Exploratory analyses revealed that, relative to controls, participants who performed three self-focused acts (i.e., kindness to the self) also did not demonstrate shifts in telomere length, but did report greater declines in loneliness across the intervention period, relative to controls, although this effect attenuated at the 2-week follow-up. However, participants who performed kind acts for others showed reductions in loneliness through the 2-week follow up, relative to controls. In conclusion, the salubrious effects of prosocial behavior may not likely to be due to the inhibition of cellular aging. However, kindness holds promise as a plausible intervention to alleviate the growing public health crisis of loneliness.