cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Examination Reexamining the Importance of the Left Upper Quadrant View

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and predominant location of isolated free fluid in the left upper quadrant (LUQ) on focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examinations of adult patients with trauma presenting to the emergency department. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients with positive FAST results for free fluid in the abdomen at 2 academic emergency departments. Eligible FAST examinations were reviewed for the presence of fluid in the LUQ and exact location of free fluid within the LUQ. Results A total of 100 FAST examinations with free fluid in the abdomen that met inclusion criteria were identified during the study period. Overall 32 of 100 (32%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 23.5%-41.6%) of patients with positive FAST results were found to have free fluid in the LUQ. Only 6 of 100 (6%; 95% CI, 2.5%-11.9%) patients with positive FAST results had free fluid isolated to the LUQ. Of these 6 patients with isolated LUQ free fluid, none had free fluid isolated to the splenorenal fossa alone; 1 had free fluid isolated to the subphrenic space (above the spleen/below the diaphragm); and 4 had free fluid visible only in the left paracolic gutter/inferior to the spleen. Twenty-seven of 32 patients (84%; 95% CI, 69.1%-93.8%) with free fluid anywhere in the LUQ were also found to have fluid in the left paracolic gutter. Conclusions Free fluid isolated to the LUQ occurs in a clinically significant number of adult patients with trauma and positive FAST results. Isolated fluid accumulation was often seen within the left paracolic gutter.
Development of Thin Film and Nanorod ZnO-Based LEDs and Sensors

The development of new etching and contact metallurgies for the ZnO/ZnMgO/ZnCdO materials system and various approaches for realizing ZnO LEDs are reviewed. ZnO nanorod MOSFETs and pH sensors have been demonstrated. In addition, selective detection of hydrogen with Pt-coated single ZnO nanorods is discussed discussed. The Pt-coated single nanorods show a current response approximately a factor of three larger at room temperature upon exposure to 500ppm H2 in N2 than thin films of ZnO. The power consumption of these sensors can be very small (in the nW range) when using discontinuous coatings of Pt. Once the Pt coating becomes continuous, the current required to operate the sensors increases to the μW range. The ZnO nanorods are insensitive to oxygen in the measurement ambient.
Virulence and coagulases of Staphylococcus aureus. II. Survival of certain coagulase-negative mutants in the organs of intravenously infected rabbits.

Prior studies (Kapral and Li, 1960; Li and Kapral, 1962) indicated that the bound and soluble coagulases were not essential for virulence of Staphylococcus aureus in rabbits infected intradermally, subcutaneously or intravenously. Coagulase-negative mutants were able to multiply as rapidly and to the same extent in the kidneys of intravenously infected rabbits as the parent strain from which they were derived. Since it was possible that these findings might be relevant to the rabbit only, it was decided to extend the investigations and employ mice as an alternate host species. Quantitation of the staphylococcal populations within various organs of mice subsequent to intravenous inoculation with coagulase-negative mutants as well as the parent strain of S. aureus revealed that these strains behaved in a manner similar to that observed in
Intestinal metabolism in thiamine deficienty.

SummarySevere thiamine deficiency in rats was found to depress intestinal mucosal pyruvate decarboxylase and transketolase activities by 56 and 93% (p < 0.05), respectively. Whole gut transketolase activity in thiamine deficiency was also reduced by 70-80% (p < 0.05). Despite the major decline in intestinal pyruvate decarboxylase activity, ATP levels in both mucosa and whole gut of thiamine-deficient rats remained normal. By contrast, the decrease in mucosal transketo-lase activity in thiamine-deficient animals was accompanied by a 40% decline in pentose cycle activity (p < 0.05), which reverted to normal after administration of thiamine.
Contrasting long-term alpine and subalpine precipitation trends in a mid-latitude North American mountain system, Colorado Front Range, USA

Background: Long-term climate trends in mountain systems often vary strongly with elevation.Aims: To evaluate elevation dependence in long-term precipitation trends in subalpine forest and alpine tundra zones of a mid-continental, mid-latitude North American mountain system and to relate such dependence to atmospheric circulation patterns.Methods: We contrasted 59-year (1952–2010) precipitation records of two high-elevation climate stations on Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range, Rocky Mountains, USA. The sites, one in forest (3022 m a.s.l.) and the other in alpine tundra (3739 m), are closely located (within 7 km horizontally, ca. 700 m vertically), but differ with respect to proximity to the mountain-system crest (the Continental Divide).Results: The sites exhibited significant differences in annual and seasonal precipitation trends, which depended strongly on their elevation and distance from the Continental Divide. Annual precipitation increased by 60 mm (+6%) per decade at the alpine site, with no sign...
Changes in Team Behaviors during Operational Training

Instruments designed to validate the TEAM model (cf. Salas, Morgan, & Glickman, 1987) were field tested in an operational team training setting. The results and techniques of the novel analyses of the Trainee Self-Report Questionnaire are reported. The resuslts provide empirical support for the concepts embodied in the TEAM model. Use of the Trainee Self-Report Questionnaire as an instructional team training aid is explored and addressed.
Antigenic Fingerprinting following Primary RSV Infection in Young Children Identifies Novel Antigenic Sites and Reveals Unlinked Evolution of Human Antibody Repertoires to Fusion and Attachment Glycoproteins.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the major cause of pneumonia among infants. Here we elucidated the antibody repertoire following primary RSV infection and traced its evolution through adolescence and adulthood. Whole genome-fragment phage display libraries (GFPDL) expressing linear and conformational epitopes in the RSV fusion protein (F) and attachment protein (G) were used for unbiased epitope profiling of infant sera prior to and following RSV infection. F-GFPDL analyses demonstrated modest changes in the anti-F epitope repertoires post-RSV infection, while G-GFPDL analyses revealed 100-fold increase in number of bound phages. The G-reactive epitopes spanned the N- and C-terminus of the G ectodomain, along with increased reactivity to the central conserved domain (CCD). Panels of F and G antigenic sites were synthesized to evaluate sera from young children (<2 yr), adolescents (14–18 yr) and adults (30–45 yr) in SPR real-time kinetics assays. A steady increase in RSV-F epitope repertoires from young children to adults was observed using peptides and F proteins. Importantly, several novel epitopes were identified in pre-fusion F and an immunodominant epitope in the F-p27. In all age groups, antibody binding to pre-fusion F was 2–3 folds higher than to post-fusion form. For RSV-G, antibody responses were high following early RSV infection in children, but declined significantly in adults, using either G proteins or peptides. This study identified unlinked evolution of anti-F and anti G responses and supportive evidence for immune pressure driven evolution of RSV-G. These findings could help development of effective countermeasures including vaccines.
DETERMINATION OF REASONABLE WATER INJECTION RATE BY USING CAPILLARY PRESSURE CURVE

The reasonable water injection rate is an important factor in waterflooding reservoir. The determination method of a reasonable injection rate using the capillary pressure curve wasn't reported before. Based on hydrodynamics theory and the simplified porous medium model (pore doublet model),and according to poiseuille equation and capillary pressure curve, we obtained equations of reasonable rate proportion and oil rate calculation between the two parallel connection capillaries, and we also established a method of determination the reasonable water injection rate in waterflooding reservoir. The field case studies showed that the calculated results went well with the real injection rate, which means the determination method of reasonable water injection rate using the capillary pressure curve presented in this paper is reliable and practical.
Timewarp: A Graphical Tool For The Control Of Polyphonic Smoothly Varying Tempos

We present a parametric method for the variable control of tempo with specification of shape and phase alignment constraints, and its implementation as a graphical interface written in C for the Max/MSP environment. This tool aids in the construction and management of polyphonic streams of independent, fixed or smoothly-varying tempos suitable for live performance or computer-generated scores. We also present a brief history of how polyphonic tempo manipulation has been used in context and compare our work with two recent projects to implement similar tools.
Goethe’s World Literature, Universal Particularism, and European Imperialism

In his article "Goethe's World Literature, Universal Particularism, and European Imperialism" Dongho Cha tracks the ideology in Goethe's concept of "world literature." Early comparatists claim to stand for the universalism of this concept by understanding it to totalize all literatures across linguistic, territorial, and national boundaries and intended to go beyond European nationalism. Cha argues that Goethe's idea of world literature is not a universal category that includes all of the world nliteratures, but a limited category that includes European literatures only and posits that world literature's and comparative literature's universalism is related to nineteenth-century European imperialism. Contrary to the paradigm of world literatures as practiced in comparative literature, Cha argues that the building and the politics and practice of world literature understood as world literatures must be characterized by boundlessness and limitlessness in order to achieve an understanding and practice of the universal and planetary.
Improved synchrony of estrus and ovulation with the addition of GnRH to a melengestrol acetate-prostaglandin F2alpha synchronization treatment in beef heifers.

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of a GnRH injection within a melengestrol acetate (MGA)-PGF2alpha (PGF) estrus synchronization protocol on follicular dynamics and synchronization of estrus. Pubertal crossbred beef heifers (n = 34) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Both treatment groups were fed MGA (0.5 mg x hd(-1) x d(-1)) for 14 d and injected (i.m.) with PGF (25 mg of Lutalyse) 19 d after MGA withdrawal. Melengestrol acetate was delivered in a feed supplement of 1.8 kg x hd(-1) x d(-1). Seventeen heifers received an injection of GnRH (100 microg Cystorelin) 12 d after MGA withdrawal and 7 d before PGF. The control group (n = 17) received only MGA-PGF. Estrus was detected four times/d for 7 d beginning on the day PGF was injected. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed daily on eight heifers from each treatment to monitor ovarian activity and characterize changes in follicular dynamics after MGA withdrawal and until ovulation after PGF. Each of the GnRH-treated heifers either ovulated or had a luteinized dominant follicle following GnRH and subsequently initiated a new follicular wave (8/8, 100%). All GnRH-treated heifers (17/17, 100%) and 94% of controls (16/17) exhibited estrus after PGF. Estrus was exhibited over a 132-h period (12 to 144 h) for control heifers compared with 60 h (48 to 108 h) for GnRH-treated heifers. The peak synchronized period for both treatments was between 48 and 72 h after PGF, during which time 76% (13/17) of the GnRH-treated heifers exhibited estrus compared with 63% (10/16) for controls. Seventy-one percent (12/17) of the GnRH-treated heifers exhibited estrus from 48 to 60 h after PGF, compared with 38% (6/16) for controls (P < 0.05). In summary, injection of GnRH within a 14- to 19-d MGA-PGF protocol increased the synchrony of estrus during the synchronized period and concentrated the period of detected estrus. This protocol may offer potential for the fixed-time insemination of replacement beef heifers.
Adherence to diet, physical activity and body weight recommendations and breast cancer incidence in the Black Women's Health Study.

Adherence to cancer prevention recommendations has been associated with lower incidence of breast cancer in previous studies, but evidence in African American women is limited. This project evaluated the association between adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) cancer prevention recommendations and breast cancer incidence among African American women. The Black Women's Health Study (analytic cohort = 49,103) is an ongoing prospective cohort study of African American women, ages 21-69 years at baseline (1995). Adherence scores for seven WCRF/AICR recommendations (adherent = 1, partial adherence = 0.5, non-adherence = 0) were calculated using questionnaire data and summed for overall (maximum = 7) and diet only (maximum = 5) scores. Associations between baseline and time-varying adherence scores and breast cancer incidence (N = 1,827 incident cases through 2011) were evaluated using proportional hazards regression. In this cohort, 8.5% adhered >4 recommendations. Adherence at baseline was not associated with breast cancer incidence. Higher overall time-varying adherence (per 0.5 point increase) was associated with lower breast cancer incidence (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.84-0.96). Adherence to physical activity, sugar beverage and red and processed meat recommendations were also associated with reduced risk. Adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations was low and may be associated with lower breast cancer incidence in African American women.
Neurogenic stunned myocardium in subarachnoid hemorrhage

"Stunned myocardium," characterized by reversible left ventricular dysfunction, was first described via animal models using transient coronary artery occlusion. However, this phenomenon has also been noted with neurologic pathologies and collectively been labeled "neurogenic stunned myocardium" (NSM). Neurogenic stunned myocardium resulting from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a challenging pathology due to its diagnostic uncertainty. Traditional diagnostic criteria for NSM after SAH focus on electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities and troponemia. However, tremendous heterogeneity still exists. Traditional pathophysiological mechanisms for NSM encompassed hypothalamic and myocardial perivascular lesions. More recently, research on pathophysiology has centered on myocardial microvascular dysfunction and genetic polymorphisms. Catecholamine surging as a mechanism has also gained attention with particular focus placed on the role of adrenergic blockade in both the prehospital and acute settings. Management remains largely supportive with case reports acknowledging the utility of inotropes such as dobutamine and milrinone and intra-aortic balloon pump when NSM is accompanied by cardiogenic shock. Neurogenic stunned myocardium that follows SAH can result in many complications such as arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, and prolonged intubation, which can negatively impact long-term recovery from SAH and increase morbidity and mortality. This necessitates the need to accurately diagnose and treat NSM.
Issues in modeling small devices

What issues remain unanticipated in modeling ultrasmall devices? We attempt to offer a few, possibly new, ideas to the existing and prevailing thoughts on this subject. We focus on only three areas: quantum mechanics, self-consistency and Coulomb effects, all from a Si MOSFET perspective.
Influences of energy density on microstructure and consolidation of selective laser melted bismuth telluride thermoelectric powder

Abstract Selective laser melting is a well-established additive manufacturing technique for metals and ceramics, and there is significant interest in expanding the manufacturing capability of this technique by enabling processing of more materials. Notably, selective laser melting has not been demonstrated on semiconducting materials which are significant for energy conversion technologies. Thermoelectric materials are semiconductors that can convert heat into electrical power. The traditional thermoelectric manufacturing process involves many assembly and machining steps which lead to material losses, added time and cost, and performance degradation. Utilizing selective laser melting in the manufacturing of thermoelectric modules can minimize assembly steps and eliminate machining processes. In this study, a standard bismuth telluride thermoelectric powder was processed for the first time in a commercial Prox™ 100 selective laser melting system under different energy densities. The surfaces of Bi2Te3 specimens were successfully melted under all processing conditions, and the entire thickness of specimens processed at higher laser power inputs was mostly melted. The increase in laser power also reduced the presence of porosities on the surface of the specimens. However, cross-sectional examination showed that internal pores were present within the molten region and at the interface between the molten region and the unmelted powder under all investigated laser power inputs. The consistency of these results with early results for select laser melting of metals demonstrates the promise for expanding the materials processing capabilities of this additive manufacturing technique.
Minimum precision requirements for the SVM-SGD learning algorithm

It is well-known that the precision of data, weight vector, and internal representations employed in learning systems directly impacts their energy, throughput, and latency. The precision requirements for the training algorithm are also important for systems that learn on-the-fly. In this paper, we present analytical lower bounds on the precision requirements for the commonly employed stochastic gradient descent (SGD) on-line learning algorithm in the specific context of a support vector machine (SVM). These bounds are obtained subject to desired system performance. These bounds are validated using the UCI breast cancer dataset. Additionally, the impact of these precisions on the energy consumption of a fixed-point SVM with on-line training is studied. Simulation results in 45 nm CMOS process show that operating at the minimum precision as dictated by our bounds improves energy consumption by a factor of 5.3× as compared to conventional precision assignments with no observable loss in accuracy.
Recruiting machine learning methods for molecular simulations of proteins

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are critical to understanding the movements of proteins in time. Yet, MD simulations are limited due to the availability of high-resolution protein structures, a...
The marriage of heaven and hell : Reconciling deflationary semantics with correspondence intuitions

This paper has three main concerns. First, it proposes a deflationary theory of the concept of truth, arguing thatthe concept can be explicitly defined in terms of substitutionalquantification. Second, it attempts to describe and explainthe intuitions that have traditionally been thought tofavor correspondence theories of truth over deflationarytheories. And third, it argues that these intuitions areultimately compatible with deflationism, maintaining,among other things, that the relation of semantic correspondence can itself be characterized in terms ofsubstitutional quantification.
Biological clocks at the end of the 20th century

Biological systems regulate their internal environments as well as their relationships to the outside world. The regulatory mechanism usually involves negative feedback. This leads to the generation of oscillations because of delay in the feedback loops. Natural selection has often acted to dampen the amplitude of these oscillations but a few have been enhanced and their periods have been adjusted to match closely the periods of astronomical events that are of importance to living things (daily, tidal, lunar and annual cycles). They function as endogenous clocks built into organisms at the most fundamental level of gene transcription and translation. Best studied are the so-called circadian clocks with natural periods of about a day, normally synchronized to the day-night cycle, and used by their owners in an extraordinary variety of adaptations, many of which are discussed in this volume. In a little more than forty years, the progress has been made from superb observational natural history and ingenious behavioral experiments, to identification of clock components at organ, tissue, cellular and molecular levels, and a reasonable understanding of mechanism at each of these levels about how circadian (and other) clocks evolved and how they function in real-world ecological communities. The study of temporal programs and in particular those that generate clocks, will occupy an increasingly important place in biological research of the 21st century.
Nonoperative management of stable pediatric osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum: predictors of treatment success.

Background Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the capitellum is a rare but potentially debilitating condition. We sought to determine the healing potential of stable capitellar OCD treated nonoperatively, as well as factors predictive of successful nonoperative management. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients younger than 19 years who presented with stable OCD of the capitellum and were treated nonoperatively for a minimum of 2 months. The average clinical and radiographic follow-up period was 12.1 months (range, 3.1-63.7 months). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine independent predictors of healing. Results The study included 89 patients (93 elbows), including 49 male patients (55%); the mean age was 12.7 years (range, 8.9-18.6 years). Of the 93 elbows, 50 (53.8%) had successfully healed at a mean of 8.3 months. The symptom duration was significantly shorter in the healing group than the nonhealing group (5.3 ± 4.4 months vs 8.8 ± 9.0 months, P = .02). There were no significant differences in age, physeal status, sex, hand dominance, or sport. Hefti stage I lesions had a higher rate of healing (64.3%) than stage II (31.4%, P = .004), as did OCDs without cyst-like lesions (CLLs, 62.0%) compared with those with CLLs (20.8%, P = .001). The normalized lesion area was significantly larger in the nonhealing group (26.9% vs 18.6%, P Conclusions Over half of stable capitellar OCD lesions have the potential to heal with activity restriction. Smaller lesions without CLLs are more likely to heal with nonoperative treatment.
Deconstructing the nPVI: A Methodological Critique of the Normalized Pairwise Variability Index as Applied to Music

The normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI) is a measure originally used to compare the rhythms of languages. Patel and Daniele (2003a) introduced the nPVI to music research and it has since been used in a number of studies. In this paper, I present a methodological criticism of the nPVI as applied to music. I discuss the known qualitative features of the nPVI and illustrate the nPVI9s fundamental features and assumptions through its application to a number of musical datasets. My principle criticism regards the application of a linear average (the nPVI) to categorical data (rhythmic notation). I argue that that simpler mathematical characterizations, which are more musically intuitive, can capture the same useful information as the nPVI. Specifically, counting the proportion of successive IOIs that are identical accounts for as much as 98% of variation in nPVIs in musical corpora. I argue that abstract mathematical measures ought to be avoided in preference for more concrete empirical descriptions of specific rhythmic features, and that, rather than focusing on a single measure, multiple measures ought to be used. Finally, I conclude that the usage of nPVI in music research should be limited to specific methodologically justified contexts.
Capacitance-based self-sensing of flaws and stress in carbon-carbon composites, with reports of the electric permittivity, piezoelectricity and piezoresistivity

Abstract Capacitance-based nondestructive flaw evaluation (NDE), electric permittivity, piezoelectricity (capacitance-based stress/strain self-sensing) and piezoresistivity (resistance-based stress/strain self-sensing) of carbon-carbon composite (C/C, density 1.5 g/cm3, PAN-based carbon fiber) are unprecedentedly reported. The in-plane capacitance measured using coplanar electrodes decreases monotonically with increasing cumulative artificially inflicted damage (1–62 blind/through holes, diameter 1.00 mm), indicating NDE feasibility. The in-plane relative permittivity is 1.1 × 104 (2 kHz); the in-plane DC resistivity is 2.4 × 10−3 Ω .cm. These values are similar to those previously reported for PAN-based carbon fiber. The permittivity increases reversibly by up to 16% with increasing elastic tensile strain (up to 0.0081%). However, the contribution of the stress-dependent permittivity to the piezoelectric effect is negligible. The observed in-plane direct piezoelectric effect is primarily due to the reversible monotonic decrease of the electric field output with the increasing tensile strain. The piezoelectric coupling coefficient d33 is negative, -(8.1 ± 0.2) × 10−9 pC/N, in contrast to the positive value of +(1.7 ± 0.3) × 10−8 pC/N for PAN-based carbon fiber. The in-plane piezoresistivity gage factor is negative, −7804 ± 429, which is much higher in magnitude than −1830 ± 47 previously reported for PAN-based carbon fiber. The differences in d33 and gage factor between C/C and PAN-based carbon fiber are attributed mainly to the carbon matrix in the C/C.
Accelerated First-Order Methods: Differential Equations and Lyapunov Functions

We develop a theory of accelerated first-order optimization from the viewpoint of differential equations and Lyapunov functions. Building upon the previous work of many researchers, we consider differential equations which model the behavior of accelerated gradient descent. Our main contributions are to provide a general framework for discretizating the differential equations to produce accelerated methods, and to provide physical intuition which helps explain the optimal damping rate. An important novelty is the generality of our approach, which leads to a unified derivation of a wide variety of methods, including versions of Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent, FISTA, and accelerated coordinate descent.
Primary Care Provider Familiarity with Binge Eating Disorder and Implications for Obesity Management: A Preliminary Survey

Current guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of obesity recommend referring individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) to a mental health professional. However, it is unclear how familiar primary care providers are with BED. The purpose of this study was to assess providers' familiarity with BED diagnosis and treatment. Providers in two primary care clinics completed a questionnaire, which assessed perceived familiarity with BED and demonstrated familiarity with BED diagnosis and treatment. Results indicated that 61% of respondents demonstrated familiarity with the essential symptoms of BED, and 80% reported familiarity with the diagnosis of BED. However, 35% of respondents who perceived themselves as familiar with BED did not demonstrate familiarity with the most basic symptoms. These results demonstrate that while many providers in primary care are familiar with BED, steps to improve provider familiarity with the disorder and provide appropriate mechanisms to address BED are warranted.
Atterberg limits and shrink/swell capacity of soil as indicators for sodium sensitivity within a gradient of soil exchangeable sodium percentage and salinity

Abstract Soil sodification and salinization present a global soil degradation risk to agricultural production since they affect soil hydraulic properties. Soils containing smectite clays have been found to be most sensitive to sodicity although little research exists directly relating sodicity to clay swelling under varying levels of salinity and Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP). The goal of this study is to determine whether soil swelling related measurements can be a proxy to determine soil sensitivity to exchangeable sodium. This study examined the response of three smectitic soils treated with salt solutions having concentrations ranging between 5 and 40 mmolc dm−3 and ESP levels between 0 and 50% to create differing degrees of sodicity. Whole soil Atterberg limits and the coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE) were measured prior to and after treatments. Liquid limit, plasticity index and the coefficient of linear extensibility increased for all three soils after treatment with a salt concentration of 5 mmolc dm−3 at an ESP of 25 and 50% and 10 mmolc dm−3 at an ESP of 50%. Comparing liquid limit of low salinity treatment at 50% ESP to low salinity 0% ESP revealed the presence of swelling smectite clay and the sensitivity of the soils to sodicity and a soil measurement to identify soil sodicity risk.
“It Is Time to Make Our Way Home”*: How Contingent Labor Practices Impact Transformative Possibilities of Teaching About Violence Against Women:

This article explores the intersection of teaching about gender-based violence and contingent employment. Drawing upon Patricia Hill Collins’s (1986) theory of the outsider-within to illuminate how...
DarkReader: Bridging the Gap Between Perception and Reality of Power Consumption in Smartphones for Blind Users

This paper presents a user study with 10 blind participants to understand their perception of power consumption in smartphones. We found that a widely used power saving mechanism for smartphones--pressing the power button to put the smartphone to sleep--has a serious usability issue for blind screen reader users. Among other findings, our study also unearthed several usage patterns and misconceptions of blind users that contribute to excessive battery drainage. Informed by the first user study, this paper proposes DarkReader, a screen reader developed in Android that bridges users' perception of power consumption to reality. DarkReader darkens the screen by truly turning it off, but allows users to interact with their smartphones. A second user study with 10 blind participants shows that participants perceived no difference in completion times in performing routine tasks using DarkReader and default screen reader. Yet DarkReader saves 24% to 52% power depending on tasks and screen brightness.
A comparative study of video lecture versus video lecture and high fidelity simulation for training nurses on the delivery of targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest.

Abstract Introduction Targeted temperature management (TTM) is recommended for cardiac arrest patients. Successful implementation of a TTM protocol depends on the nurses’ knowledge and skills. The study’s aim was to compare the level of knowledge, psychomotor skills, confidence and satisfaction before, immediately after and at 6 weeks after training nurses on the delivery of TTM with video lecture versus video lecture and high fidelity simulation. Method Demographic variables were compared across treatment groups using t-tests and Chi-square tests. Change over 6 weeks after intervention was tested with mixed effects model. Results Fifty-two registered nurses were enrolled. Knowledge test scores, the primary outcome, did not differ between the groups immediately after the training (beta = 3.80, SE = 3.47, p = .27), but there was a strong trend 6 weeks after the training in favor of simulation (beta = 7.93, SE = 3.88, p = .04). Skills were significantly better immediately after the training in the simulation group, but no different 6 weeks later. No difference in confidence was found at either post-test point. Simulation-trained nurses were more satisfied with their training at both post-testing points. Conclusion In this study of training approaches to TTM after cardiac arrest, nurses trained with video lecture and high fidelity simulation benefitted from this approach by maintaining their TTM knowledge longer.
Tools to Build Their Best Learning: Examining How Kindergarten Teachers Frame Student Mistakes

In this portrait, Maleka Donaldson vividly illustrates how two teachers in real-world, public school settings convey their expectations for kindergarten student performance and set the tone for lea...
The Role of Local Inhomogeneities on Dendrite Growth in LLZO-Based Solid Electrolytes

Author(s): Barai, P; Ngo, AT; Narayanan, B; Higa, K; Curtiss, LA; Srinivasan, V | Abstract: The majority of the ceramic solid electrolytes (LLZO, LATP) demonstrate polycrystalline grain/grain-boundary (G/GB) microstructure. Higher lithium (Li) concentration and lower mechanical stiffness result in current focusing at the GBs. Growth of Li dendrites through local inhomogeneities and subsequent short circuit of the cell is a major concern. Recent studies have revealed that bulk Li metal is a viscoplastic material that has low (∼0.3 MPa) and high (∼1.0 MPa) yield strength during deformation at smaller and larger rates of strain, respectively. It has been argued that during deposition at smaller current densities, due to its lower yield strength, Li metal should demonstrate plastic flow against stiff ceramic electrolytes, and Li dendrites will be prevented from penetrating through solid electrolytes. In this manuscript, a multiscale modeling framework has been developed for predicting properties of GBs and the bulk of ceramic electrolytes using atomistic calculations for input to mesoscale models. Using the parameters obtained from the atomistic simulations, the mesoscale model reveals that, given enough time, even at low charge rates, lithium dendrites can grow through the GBs of LLZO. The present multiscale model results also provide information regarding the dendrite growth velocity through LLZO.
Coping with illness digitally: by Stephen A. Rains, Cambridge, Mass., The MIT Press, 2018, 230 pp., $35.00 (hardcopy), ISBN 9780262038287

Coping with Illness Digitally represents a unique, very contemporary, worldview, which reflects one of the fields of research that still-quite-new digital world opens! Evidence, via a somewhat curs...
Sphagnum peat moss thermotolerance is modulated by the microbiome

Abstract Sphagnum peat mosses is a major genus that is common to peatland ecosystems, where the species contribute to key biogeochemical processes including the uptake and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon. Warming threatens Sphagnum mosses and the peatland ecosystems in which they reside, potentially affecting the fate of vast global carbon stores. The competitive success of Sphagnum species is attributed in part to their symbiotic interactions with microbial associates. These microbes have the potential to rapidly respond to environmental change, thereby helping their host plants survive under changing environmental conditions. To investigate the importance of microbiome thermal origin on host plant thermotolerance, we mechanically separated the microbiome from Sphagnum plants residing in a whole-ecosystem warming study, transferred the component microbes to germ-free plants, and exposed the new hosts to temperature stress. Although warming decreased plant photosynthesis and growth in germ-free plants, the addition of a microbiome from a thermal origin that matched the experimental temperature completely restored plants to their pre-warming growth rates. Metagenome and metatranscriptome analyses revealed that warming altered microbial community structure, including the composition of key cyanobacteria symbionts, in a manner that induced the plant heat shock response, especially the Hsp70 family and jasmonic acid production. The plant heat shock response could be induced even without warming, suggesting that the warming-origin microbiome provided the host plant with thermal preconditioning. Together, our findings show that the microbiome can transmit thermotolerant phenotypes to host plants, providing a valuable strategy for rapidly responding to environmental change.
Effects of standardized feeding protocol on growth velocity and necrotizing enterocolitis in extremely low birth weight infants.

Objective To assess the effect of a standardized feeding protocol (SFP) on growth velocity (GV) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in extremely low birth weight infants. Methods This single-study center retrospectively compared growth, nutritional, and gastrointestinal outcomes in two infant cohorts before (cohort 1; n = 145) and after (cohort 2; n = 69) SFP implementation. Results Although weekly GV in the first 4 weeks of life did not differ between the two cohorts, median GV at 36 weeks' post-menstrual age (PMA) was higher in cohort 2 compared with cohort 1 (26.8 g/day [24.7, 28.9] vs 24.9 g/day [22.9, 28.3], p = 0.02). The odds of NEC were lower in cohort 2 by 63% after adjusting for birth weight, small-for-gestational-age, and gender (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.142-0.993, p = 0.047). Conclusion Our SFP was associated with improved GV at 36 weeks' PMA and a lower adjusted rate of NEC.
Proximal contact alterations between implant-supported restorations and adjacent teeth in the posterior region: A 3-month prospective study.

Background Interproximal contact loss (ICL) is a multifactorial implant complication. The aims of this prospective clinical study were to evaluate proximal contact alterations between implant-supported fixed prostheses (IFPs) and adjacent teeth and to identify potential contributing factors. Material and Methods This study was conducted from April to September 2019 at the Department of Prosthodontics. Forty-three patients (23 females and 20 males, age range 31-70) treated with 43 posterior IFPs were recruited for this study. All proximal contacts (64) were checked visually and radiographically. Proximal contact tightness (PCT) was clinically evaluated using dental floss and measured during removal of a calibrated 0.05 mm thick metal strip previously inserted into the proximal area. Mesial and distal PCT were measured at restoration insertion (T0), 1-month follow-up (T1), and 3-month follow-up (T2). ICL was assessed in relation to the patients' age, gender, smoking habits, implant system, proximal contact position, jaw position and restoration type of the implant prostheses. The significance level was set at P value ≤ 0.05. Results The PCTs between fixed implant prostheses and adjacent teeth decreased significantly between T0 and T2. Restoration type affected the loss of interproximal contact at the mesial (free-end restorations; P = 0.008) and distal aspects (P< 0.001), whereas implant system affected only the distal aspects of the proximal contacts (P = 0.002). Conclusions Proximal contact tightness between fixed implant prostheses and adjacent teeth decreased over the 3-month observation period. Contact loss between fixed implant prostheses and adjacent teeth may be influenced by restoration type and implant system. Key words:Adjacent teeth, dental implants, implant complication, implant fixed prostheses, interproximal contact loss, proximal contact strength, proximal contact tightness.
Multilevel Barriers to Sexual Health Behavior Among Vulnerable Adolescent Girls in the USA

Most sexual health interventions focus on individual-level predictors of sexual behavior. Given the considerable influence of environmental factors on adolescent girls’ sexual health, current interventions may be insufficient to promote safer sex. In this study, we aimed to understand adolescent girls’ anticipated barriers to engaging in safer sex behavior after completing a brief, web-based sexual health intervention called HEART. This study used qualitative interviews with 50 adolescent girls who were recruited from community-based organizations that serve vulnerable youth. All participants were 12 to 19 years old (mean age = 15.62, SD = 1.83), and identified with a marginalized racial/ethnic group (58% Black; 18% Latinx; 24% Asian, biracial, or multiracial). Further, 24% identified as LGBTQ + , and 58% were sexually active. Guided by the social ecological model, we delineate six unique barriers to safer sex discussed by adolescents: partner manipulation, slut shaming, unclear sexual values, present time orientation, embarrassment, and access to sexual and reproductive health services. We conclude with recommendations for addressing these barriers to optimize adolescent girls’ sexual health.
Abstract 2350: xCT overexpression induces metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic alterations, and DNA damage in precancerous airway epithelial cells

Metabolic reprogramming and genomic instability are two hallmarks of cancer known to drive tumorigenesis. While each has been investigated individually, there is a growing interest in their interplay during early cancer development. High expression of the cystine/glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 (xCT) is frequently observed in lung cancer. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that overexpressing xCT in normal bronchial airway epithelial cells induced metabolic reprogramming and caused cells to display precancerous properties, such as increased proliferation and colony formation in soft agar. In this study, we further investigated the effects of xCT overexpression in the airway epithelium with the goal of elucidating the role of xCT in influencing cancer-driving hallmarks and the interplay of these hallmarks during early tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that xCT overexpression-induced metabolic reprogramming leads to epigenetic changes through the perturbation of epigenetic-related metabolite levels. Furthermore, we posited that this altered epigenome changes the expression levels of key genes involved in genome stability maintenance, ultimately inducing genomic instability. Utilizing a LC-MS/MS-based metabolomic analysis, we observed significantly altered levels of 224 different metabolites in our xCT overexpressing cells, including metabolites involved in epigenetic processes such as S-adenosylhomocysteine and acetyl-CoA. We found that xCT overexpression alters several global histone modifications, increasing H3K9me3 and H3K9ac by 3.2 (P = 0.02) and 3.9-fold (P = 0.02) respectively. We also showed that xCT overexpression increased global DNA methylation by 56% (P = 0.04). Additionally, RNA-seq revealed significant alterations (logFC>2 or Citation Format: Dalton Hill, Jamshedur Rahman, Christien Kluwe, Jamey Young, Emily Hodges, Pierre P. Massion. xCT overexpression induces metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic alterations, and DNA damage in precancerous airway epithelial cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2350.
Constructing a Coastal Plains Wetland Delineation Model Using Hyperspatial LiDAR Data

Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services across a range of environmental gradients and are at heightened risk of degradation from anthropogenic pressures and continued development, especially in coastal regions. There is a growing need for high resolution, spatially and temporally, accurate habitat identification and precise delineation of wetlands across a variety of stakeholder groups, including wetlands loss mitigation programs. Traditional wetland delineations are costly, time-intensive and can physically degrade the systems that are being surveyed, while aerial surveys are relatively fast and unobtrusive and can be performed on demand. One significant drawback of delineations performed using remote sensing is often the lack of structural data to help differentiate between spectrally-similar vegetation types. In order to more accurately assess the vertical structure of complex forested wetlands in the Atlantic Coastal Plains, we quantitatively assess the relative performance of UAS-borne LiDAR data in terms of point cloud and terrain metrics when compared with traditional airborne LiDAR. We show that UAS-borne LiDAR data is effective in penetrating canopies to provide high resolution, high accuracy ground measurements, supplemented by vegetation structure measurements under a range of canopy cover densities. The ultra-high resolution of LiDAR-derived topography models can fill wetlands mapping needs and increase accuracy and efficiency of detection and prediction of sensitive wetland ecosystems.
Low resolution crystal structure of muconolactone isomerase: A decamer with a 5-fold symmetry axis☆

Abstract Muconolactone isomerase from Pseudomonas putida crystallizes from sodium sulfate solution in space group P2 1 ( a = 65.84 A , b = 105.70 A , c = 77.20 A , β = 90.5 ° ) with ten 11,000 M r subunits per asymmetric unit. The 7 A resolution crystal structure was solved by single isomorphous replacement followed by 10-fold symmetry averaging. The decameric enzyme has an uncommon non-crystallographic 5-fold symmetry axis and a large cavity in its center.
Fluorescence and protein structure: XI. Fluorescence quenching by disulfide and sulfhydryl groups

Abstract 1. 1.|Compounds were synthesized as models for quenching of tryptophan and tyrosine fluorescence in proteins. Bis-indole-3-methylene disulfide, bis-4-methoxybenzyl disulfide and their corresponding reduced, sulfhydryl derivatives were of extremely low fluorescence. The loss of fluorescence is ascribed to internal quenching by the disulfide and sulfhydryl groups. 2. 2.|Similar results were obtained for l -cystinyl-bis- l -tyrosine, HOOC(CH 2 ) 2 -S-S-Cys-Tyr, ribonuclease-(SCH 2 CH 2 COOH) 8 , and their reduced or carboxy-methylated products. That is, the disulfide group strongly quenched the fluorescence; the reduced sulfhydryl group quenched less. 3. 3.|The mechanism of quenching has not been established but several of the common pathways were rejected. The most probable mechanism seems to be an extremely short-range interaction between the aromatic ring and the sulfur atoms that facilitates a vibrational dissipation of the excitation energy.
Elementary Differential Calculus on Discrete and Hybrid Structures

We set up differential calculi in the Cartesian-closed category CONV of convergence spaces. The central idea is to uniformly define the 3-place relation __ is a differential of __ at __ for each pair of convergence spaces X,Yin the category, where the first and second arguments are elements of Hom(X,Y) and the third argument is an element of X, in such a way as to (1) obtain the chain rule, (2) have the relation be in agreement with standard definitions from real and complex analysis, and (3) depend only on the convergence structures native to the spaces Xand Y. All topological spaces and all reflexive directed graphs (i.e. discrete structures) are included in CONV. Accordingly, ramified hybridizations of discrete and continuous spaces occur in CONV. Moreover, the convergence structure within each space local to each point, individually, can be discrete, continuous, or hybrid.