cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COPY NUMBER VARIANT ANALYSIS OF PATIENTS WITH MALFORMATIONS OF CORTICAL DEVELOPMENT

COPY NUMBER VARIANT ANALYSIS OF PATIENTS WITH MALFORMATIONS OF CORTICAL DEVELOPMENT. Luis Kolb, Kaya Bilguvar, Michael Di Luna, Chris Mason, Yasar Bayri, Ali Ozturk, Zulfikar Ayer, Nikhil Nayak, and Murat Gunel. Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Copy Number Variants (CNVs) are DNA fragment that are approximately 1 kilobase (kb) to several megabases for which copy-number differences have been revealed by comparison of two or more genomes. The Human Genome project has led to the identification of close to 1500 of these variable regions covering 12% of the human genome. Even though many of these variants are considered to be benign, some of these genomic rearrangement have been found to be disease causing, including several nervous system disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Williams-Beuren Syndrome, and PraderWilli syndrome. In this study we have performed copy number variant analysis on 252 patients with cortical malformations. Cortical malformations represented in our cohort included patients with cortical dysplasia (95), lissencephaly (33), heterotopia (10), pachygyria (8), and polymicrogyria (20), among other diseases. Two disease-causing copy number variants were identified, and those two diseases are the focus of this manuscript: a diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus, and cerebellar atrophy with pachygyria. Diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus is a rare cause of hydrocephalus not amenable to shunting alone. Tetrasomy of the short arm of Chromosome 9 was identified using high-resolution genomic array mapping, broadening the phenotype of this described entity to include diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus. Congenital ataxia with cerebellar hypoplasia is a heterogeneous group of disorders that presents with motor disability, hypotonia, incoordination, and impaired motor development. A homozygous deletion in the VLDLR gene was identified using high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) micro arrays in a Turkish family with two siblings affected with cerebellar atrophy and pachygyria. Previous identification of VLDLR mutations in a Turkish family with quadrupedal gait led to various speculations ranging from “reverse evolution” to cultural influences. Discovery of disease causing homozygous deletions in a new Turkish family, which maintained bipedal movement, constitutes significant evidence against these speculations.
The infant with congenital heart disease: guidelines for care in the first year of life.

This article reviews the current treatment of infants with congenital heart disease following discharge from a critical care facility. A discussion of commonly encountered cardiovascular lesions is provided, along with a discussion of physiologic correlates, current surgical therapies, follow-up care, and the use of cardiovascular pharmacologic agents.
Targeted Gene Modification Using Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides

In recent years, triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) have emerged as powerful tools for site-specific gene modification. Their sequence specificity, binding affinity, and ability to provoke repair and recombination make them promising reagents for altering gene expression. This chapter highlights the binding requirements for triplex formation, identifies a number of chemical modifications that have been used with some success, and discusses studies using TFOs for inhibiting transcription. It also reviews work done using TFOs and related molecules to direct site-specific DNA damage, inducing mutagenesis or sensitizing a site to recombination. TFOs were initially used as positioning devices for nonspecific mutagens but were later discovered to have mutagenic properties of their own in cells with functional nucleotide excision repair (NER) and transcription-coupled repair (TCR) pathways. In subsequent studies triplex formation was able to induce both intramolecular and intermolecular homologous recombination, revealing its potential application for gene therapy. Recent reports demonstrate the ability of these molecules to locate and modify their cognate sites in chromosomal DNA in both cell culture and live animals, laying the foundation for triplex technology in vivo.
Disparate differentiation in hemopoietic colonies derived from human paired progenitors.

We analyzed the differentiation of hemopoietic colonies derived from human paired daughter cells. Candidate progenitor cells were isolated by use of a micromanipulation technique from cultures of My-10 antigen-positive cord blood cells. Then nine to 36 hours later, the paired daughter cells were separated with a micromanipulator and allowed to form colonies in methylcellulose medium containing erythropoietin, phytohemagglutinin leukocyte-conditioned medium, and platelet-poor plasma. The cellular composition of the colonies was determined by differentiating all of the cells of the May-Grunwald-Giemsa-stained preparation. Of a total of 75 evaluable pairs of colonies, 35 consisted of 28 types of disparate pairs revealing nonhomologous lineage combinations. Forty pairs were homologous in lineage expression. However, the proportions of the individual cell lineages were significantly different in the members of some of the homologous pairs. Some pairs revealed significant differences in colony size. These observations are similar to those reported for murine paired progenitors and are consistent with the stochastic model of human stem cell differentiation.
Issues in wireless access broadband networks

In this paper, we discuss the effect of wireless link characteristics and mobility in wireless access broadband networks, and how major differences between wireline and wireless transmission links introduce a new networking paradigm with difficult and interesting challenges. We show that these differences have a direct impact on the packet-level quality-of-service defined by the packet loss, delay and jitter statistics. Moreover, we examine a number of alternatives such as forward error correction, antenna diversity and retransmission schemes to combat the time varying nature and high bit error rate of the wireless link, as well as how much and in what way these schemes can improve the packet-level quality-of-service. We also show that routing, call admission control, and capacity allocation functions of wireless access broadband networks need to take mobility into account. These functions can be invoked in a reactive manner at every hand-off event, or they can be invoked in a pro-active manner at the call setup time instead of being invoked at every hand-off event. In addition, we discuss the trade-offs between these two call control schemes, and show that each of these schemes is associated with a major cost. To find a balance between the cost of these two call control schemes, we use a connection tree as a basis for routing, call admission control, and resource allocation in wireless access broadband networks.
Generalized Dual Sorption Theory

A theory is formulated to explain certain classes of negative and positive deviations from Henry’s law which are frequently observed in sorption plots of penetrants in polymers. Sorption is visualized as a process in which there are dual modes: either the penetrant molecule is normally dissolved and is free to diffuse or it is immobilized, as in a sink or well. It is the second process which gives rise to deviations from normal behavior. To explain negative deviations from Henry’s law, the solubility of the penetrant is analyzed as the sum of the contributions from these two modes. A diffusion equation, which is a modification of Fick’s second law, is derived for the rate of sorption. Numerical solutions are found for the resulting nonlinear partial differential equation using finite difference techniques. A very good correspondence of the theory and data is observed for several polymer-penetrant pairs. In the case of positive deviations from Henry’s law, the polymer network swells to expose more sites, increasing the sorption level synergistically. A statistical analysis of the phenomenon of clustering is used to aid in interpretation of the sorption isotherms. Fick’s law is modified to include a rate equation for clustering (assuming a first order reversible reaction). The correlation of the data with theory is quite good; not only in predicting the behavior of sorption transients, but also in yielding the effective steady-state diffusion coefficients.
Development of Lymphoid Tissues

Knowledge of the pathways of differentiation of immunocompetent cells holds promise of providing a unique perspective on the biology of cancer. Many lymphoid malignancies of man and animals can now be classified not only as to cell of origin, but also in terms of a precise stage of differentiation of that cell type. Moreover, the oncogenic potential of several animal viruses is restricted both to a particular lymphoid cell type and to a discrete stage in the life history of that cell. Accumulation of more information on the regulation of normal lymphoid differentiation will have an important impact on the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoreticular malignancy.
Pain management strategies for patients on methadone maintenance therapy: a systematic review of the literature

Context Prescription opioid and heroin abuse has increased substantially in recent years. Enrolment on opioid agonist therapy programmes is consequently increasing as well. As a result of these trends, more patients who present with acute pain secondary to a malignancy are also on chronic methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for substance abuse. This combination of diagnoses presents a pain management challenge for palliative care providers. Objectives This paper aims to gather and review the available medical literature pertaining to the use of opioid analgesia in methadone-maintained patients. Methods The authors searched PubMED, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Clinical Key, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL from their inception to May 2015 for relevant articles. All articles that discuss opioid therapy in adult patients on methadone maintenance for opioid addiction with cancer or advanced illness were included. Data were extracted and study quality was rated independently by the authors. Results Our searches resulted in 680 hits. Of those, only 7 met inclusion criteria for the study. Most of the studies favoured the use of methadone either in scheduled divided doses every 4–8 hours or by continuous intravenous infusion. The overall strength of the evidence was poor, consisting mainly of case series, case reports and 1 single-centre retrospective cohort study lacking a comparison group. Conclusions Treating MMT-maintained patients with methadone for analgesia may be preferable to using other opioid analgesics. However, there are many systems barriers that may make this approach challenging and the evidence favouring methadone over other opioid analgesics is weak.
Environmental Conditions Associated with Stripe Rust in Kansas Winter Wheat.

Stripe rust has reemerged as a problematic disease in Kansas wheat. However, there are no stripe rust forecasting models specific to Kansas wheat production. Our objective was to identify environmental variables associated with stripe rust epidemics in Kansas winter wheat as an initial step in the longer-term goal of developing predictive models for stripe rust to be used within the state. Mean yield loss due to stripe rust on susceptible varieties was estimated from 1999 to 2012 for each of the nine Kansas crop reporting districts (CRD). A CRD was classified as having experienced a stripe rust epidemic when yield loss due to the disease equaled or exceeded 1%, and a nonepidemic otherwise. Epidemics were further classified as having been moderate or severe if yield loss was 1 to 14% or greater than 14%, respectively. The binary epidemic categorizations were linked to a matrix of 847 variables representing monthly meteorological and soil moisture conditions. Classification trees were used to select variabl...
Temporal resource scheduling equity

This paper examines the process used in scheduling limited resources for blocks of time. The paper compares a complex algorithm current used to a random assignment system on scheduling equity. This research involved scheduling contracted guides with non-regular schedules to tours in advance or the day of the scheduling process. The random assignment algorithm, which is analyzed by equity, replaces a more complex algorithm that includes a ratio to prioritize guide assignment. Data from the Gettysburg Foundation was used to compare equity between the two assignment algorithms.
Metabolomic characterization of experimental ovarian cancer ascitic fluid

Malignant ascites (MA) is a major cause of morbidity that occurs in 37% of ovarian cancer patients. The accumulation of MA in the peritoneal cavity due to cancer results in debilitating symptoms and extremely poor quality of life. There is an urgent unmet need to expand the understanding of MA to design effective treatment strategies, and to improve MA diagnosis. Our purpose here is to contribute to a better characterization of MA metabolic composition in ovarian cancer. We determined the metabolic composition of ascitic fluids resulting from orthotopic growth of two ovarian cancer cell lines, the mouse ID8- vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-Defb29 cell line and the human OVCAR3 cell line using high-resolution 1H MRS. ID8-VEGF-Defb29 tumors induce large volumes of ascites, while OVCAR3 tumors induce ascites less frequently and at smaller volumes. To better understand the factors driving the metabolic composition of the fluid, we characterized the metabolism of these ovarian cancer cells in culture by analyzing cell lysates and conditioned culture media with 1H NMR. Distinct metabolite patterns were detected in ascitic fluid collected from OVCAR3 and ID8-VEGF-Defb29 tumor bearing mice that were not reflected in the corresponding cell culture or conditioned medium. High-resolution 1H NMR metabolic markers of MA can be used to improve characterization and diagnosis of MA. Metabolic characterization of MA can provide new insights into how MA fluid supports cancer cell growth and resistance to treatment, and has the potential to identify metabolic targeting strategies to reduce or eliminate the formation of MA.
Aid, Protection, and Social Alliance: The Role of Jewelry in the Margins of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves

This article examines five miniatures in the “Hours of Catherine of Cleves” (completed 1442), each containing representations of jewelry in the margins, which operate on two different levels. First, they demonstrate Catherine of Cleves’s adoration of five female saints. I argue that the fictive jewelry may be understood as simulated ex-votos designed to secure the aid and protection of the saints. Second, the images establish strategic alliances with each saint. As a final dimension, I explore how the vitae of these saints may have had resonances for the duchess that help explain the focus placed on them in the manuscript.
Two structurally diverse Zn-based coordination polymers with excellent antibacterial activity

We report the synthesis and antibacterial properties and mechanism of two Zn-based coordination polymers (CPs). The first, [Zn(bipy)(OH2)42+]1.5[ClO4−]3·(bipy)3(H2O), consists of a one-dimensional (1D) structure with two crystallographically independent octahedral zinc centers trans-coordinated by two 4,4′-bipy units and water groups. The second, [Zn1.5(CH3CO2)2(bipy)2+][ClO4−]·H2O, is a two-dimensional (2D) layered structure with the same polymers but bridged together into a layer by acetate and 4,4′-bipy. Both compounds exhibit sustained release of Zn2+ ions upon their gradual degradation in aqueous solution, which results in highly effective antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli and particularly towards Staphylococcus epidermidis cells. This activity was evaluated in solution by broth dilution assays to determine minimal inhibition concentrations (MICs) as well as in the solid phase by agar diffusion tests to quantify the zones of inhibition (ZOI), and were in close agreement. Further, the biocidal mechanisms of the coordination polymers were investigated in vivo by fluorescence microscopy utilizing CellRox Green and propidium iodide as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane disruption indicators, respectively. Both CPs show superior antibacterial activity compared to two standards, zinc acetate and zinc oxide, which is concluded to be due to both gradual and localized release of Zn2+ ions as well as electrostatic attraction to the bacterial cell surface afforded by their unique structures. This unique Zn release profile and interaction with bacterial surfaces affords marked antibacterial activity and suggests that manipulation of the Zn structures could lead to significant advancements in antimicrobial materials.
Protecting Civilians at Home and Abroad: Why States Participate in the Liberal Post-Cold War Collective Security System

Why do leaders intervene in the domestic conflicts of other countries to protect civilians in the area? I argue that much of the emphasis of post-Cold War humanitarianism on the protection of civilians is designed to control refugee outflows from the conflict area. In addition, I treat humanitarian assistance as an evolving process, and explain how changes on the ground during a crisis affect leaders’ strategies of support during interventions. This theoretical contribution helps explain many patterns of inconsistent support by donor countries during humanitarian projects and why many illiberal leaders, who do not offer protection to their own civilians, are willing to provide promote human rights abroad. Operationalizing a leader’s expectations about refugee inflows through the predicted probabilities of a refugee flow gravity model, I find robust support for my theory. A leader expecting large refugee inflows from a given area is more likely to intervene, enter the situation quickly, and stay only as long as the refugees threaten her borders. This motivation has serious implications for how states conduct peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions.
IS FAIR TRADE ―FAIR‖?: A STUDY OF HANDMADE PAPER PRODUCERS IN NEPAL

Examines the perceptions, understanding, and practices of actors engaged in producing and marketing fair trade handmade paper products. The study also assesses the impact of fair trade affiliation ...
A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Satisfaction with Oral Medication Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Abstract Objective To provide a comprehensive comparative evaluation of the psychometric properties of satisfaction with medication surveys used for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in clinical trials. Methods Instruments identified through a comprehensive literature search were evaluated based on the following criteria: disease specificity, peer-reviewed publication (administered in English in patients with T2D on oral therapy), and availability of psychometric properties. Results Eight instruments (Diabetes Medication Satisfaction [DiabMedSat]; Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, status version [DTSQs]; Diabetes Medication System Rating Questionnaire [DMSRQ]; Diabetes Medication System Rating Questionnaire-Short Form [DMSRQ-SF]; Diabetes Tablet Treatment Questionnaire [DTTQ]; Perceptions About Medications for Diabetes [PAM-D]; Satisfaction with Oral Anti-Diabetic Agent Scale [SOADAS]; Diabetes Medication Satisfaction Tool [DMSAT]) were included in the study based on the predefined inclusion criteria. Seven of the instruments (all but DTTQ) utilized patients in the survey development process. All eight instruments could be completed within 15 minutes and thus were considered practical. DiabMedSat, DMSRQ, and DMSRQ-SF encompassed broader aspects of satisfaction than the other instruments. All of the instruments reviewed showed substantial floor or ceiling effects, except for DMSAT and DiabMedSat, without complete information. The DMSRQ and DMSRQ-SF each satisfied the criteria for reliability. DiabMedSat, DTSQs, DMSRQ, DMSRQ-SF, SOADAS, and DMSAT showed favorable convergent and discriminant validity. All of the instruments except DTTQ were determined to satisfactorily meet the criteria of responsiveness. Conclusion Although it is up to researchers to decide which instrument to use according to the resources available and specific aims of their studies, DMSRQ and DSMRQ-SF were recommended based on the evaluative criteria employed in this study.
Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Grid Integration with Fully Modular Architecture using Triple Port Active Bridges and Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter

This paper presents a novel architecture to integrate the photovoltaic and energy storage to the grid. The modular approach is provided by using the triple port active bridge DC-DC converter modules and the cascaded H-Bridge multilevel inverter structures. The modular approach helps in easy scaling up, easy maintenance and better controllability of the available power. The triple port bridge is capable of supplying and receiving power in any of its ports, allowing various control modes. Also the voltage control mode at its output allows for additional grid services. The cascaded H-bridge is a multilevel inverter with higher number of voltage levels, reduced filter size, lower switching frequency, lower dv/dt and EMC issues. The experimental and simulation results presented in this paper ensures that the proposed architecture is suitable for large scale photovoltaic and energy storage grid integration.
CRAC channels and disease - From human CRAC channelopathies and animal models to novel drugs.

Abstract Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels are intimately linked with health and disease. The gene encoding the CRAC channel, ORAI1, was discovered in part by genetic analysis of patients with abolished CRAC channel function. And patients with autosomal recessive loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in ORAI1 and its activator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) that abolish CRAC channel function and store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) define essential functions of CRAC channels in health and disease. Conversely, gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 are associated with tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Stormorken syndrome due to constitutive CRAC channel activation. In addition, genetically engineered animal models of ORAI and STIM function have provided important insights into the physiological and pathophysiological roles of CRAC channels in cell types and organs beyond those affected in human patients. The picture emerging from this body of work shows CRAC channels as important regulators of cell function in many tissues, and as potential drug targets for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
Heartbeat: guidelines versus reality for patients with severe aortic stenosis.

The increasing prevalence of aortic stenosis (AS) in our ageing population and clinical trials demonstrating the benefits of transcatheter valve implantation for severe symptomatic AS have focused attention on this disease in recent years. Yet, despite clear recommendations from professional societies, it remains unclear whether all patients receive timely and appropriate treatment. To address this concern, Frey and colleagues1 looked at data from the Study to Improve Outcomes in Aortic Stenosis (IMPULSE) registry which included 2171 adults with severe AS at 23 tertiary care hospitals in 9 European countries, including the UK. Patient mean age was 78 years, 48% were women and 27% had a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50%. Over 80% of these patients were symptomatic, but only 76% of those with severe symptomatic AS were treated appropriately with aortic valve replacement (AVR), most often by the transcatheter approach (figure 1). Of even more concern, among asymptomatic patients with an indication for AVR, 42% (22/52) were not treated, whereas AVR was performed in 36% (123/339) of asymptomatic AS patients with no established indication. Figure 1 Flowchart of the population and management according to functional status. AS, aortic …
How Sociology’s Three Identity Theory Traditions Clarify the Process of Entrepreneurial Identity Formation

The sociological literature on identity construction falls into three broad traditions. One, rooted in social psychology, underscores how individuals internalize identities that become stable self-...
Enhancing Charge Carrier Delocalization in Perovskite Quantum Dot Solids with Energetically Aligned Conjugated Capping Ligands

Compared to bulk perovskites, charge transport in perovskite quantum dot (PQD) solids is limited. To address this issue, energetically aligned capping ligands were used to prepare methylammonium le...
5.533 – Biomaterials for Central Nervous System Regeneration

Central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions are caused by disease or trauma; they are diverse, frequently severe, and nondiscriminatory in affecting the world's population. Traumatic injuries such as brain injury and spinal cord injury severely and immediately affect a person's physical and/or cognitive abilities. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) degenerate CNS neurons, again resulting in deficits in movement and cognition. Even when potential treatments are discovered, the difficulties involved in accessing the CNS may make surgical intervention to implement such treatment more debilitating, and the presence of the blood–brain barrier inhibits therapeutic molecules from passing into the CNS. Regeneration is difficult in the CNS due to the presence of inhibitory molecules and cellular heterogeneity. Additionally, diverse tissue response cascades following disease/injury in the CNS add more challenges to regeneration such as increased inflammation, invading cells, and glial scarring. Biomaterials, especially nanotechnology derived, are utilized as a tool in combating tissue response, drug delivery issues, and changes in the environmental milieu. Examples include nanofibers, liposomes, nerve channels, scaffolds, and nanoparticles. These materials can be custom-designed to provide a facilitory environment for regeneration and/or a blocker of inhibitory environmental cues and tissue processes.
Treatment-related Outcomes for Patients With Atypical Peyronie's Disease Using Xiaflex Injections.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) for the management of penile deformities in patients presenting with different categories of atypical Peyronie's disease (PD). METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of charts of patients who presented to a men's health clinic with atypical PD between October 2016 and June 2019. We included patients in the stable phase of the disease, had completed a penile duplex Doppler ultrasound before any intervention, and proceeded with CCH treatment. Gathered data included patient demographics, treatment details, outcomes, and complications. Outcomes collected were both quantitative (curvature assessments) and qualitative using the symptom bother domain (last 6 questions; Q10 to Q15) of the Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire. RESULTS Twenty-one men with stable PD underwent CCH inject therapy after penile duplex Doppler ultrasound. The mean number of injections was 8.4 (standard deviation [SD] = 3.3), and the mean follow-up was 20.5 months (SD = 5.9). The overall mean change in penile curvature was −19.2° ± 8.3°, which corresponded to a −39% ± 13% improvement in curvature (P = .0079). In men who presented with an indentation or hourglass deformity, 11 of 17 (64%) were satisfied and reported subjective improvement in narrowing/indentation after receiving CCH injections. The average composite symptom bother domain of the Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire decreased by 6.7 (P = .0029). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that CCH appears to be safe and provide significant clinical improvements in men presenting with atypical PD.
Data Saves the Whales

Data Saves the Whales! was developed as part of the Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated to Unlock Potential (AMP-IT-UP) project, funded by the National Science Foundation through its Math and Science Partnership program. A central outcome of the AMP-IT-UP project was the development of 1-week modules for core middle school math and science courses that were aligned with best practices as put forth in the Next Generation Science Standards and Standards of Mathematical Practice. Data Saves the Whales! is a middle school mathematics module that is set within a marine ecosystem. It focuses on independent and dependent variables and Cartesian coordinate graphing, and on math practices related to data representation—i.e. how data can be represented in different ways to communicate various messages to an audience. Students engage in a simulated investigation to collect oceanographic data, meant to mimic the experimental procedures used by marine scientists when collecting samples, and learn different methods of graphing the data to effectively communicate their findings. This module features work conducted by the research team of Dr. Ellery Ingall, Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science at Georgia Tech, and integrates math skills with marine science and the concepts of food webs and the interdependence of organisms.
‘Justice’ in Translation

The story of Kausalya Baisantry’s life of anti-caste activism is featured in Urmila Pawar and Meenakshi Moon’s Amhihi Itihasa Ghadavala (We Also Made History) in Marathi, and in her own book-length...
Patient and Provider Satisfaction With Telemedicine in Otolaryngology

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to evaluate patient and provider satisfaction with telemedicine encounters across 3 otolaryngology practices.Study DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingA mili...
Interpreting fitness: self-tracking with fitness apps through a postphenomenology lens

Fitness apps on mobile devices are gaining popularity, as more people are engaging in self-tracking activities to record their status of fitness and exercise routines. These technologies also evolved from simply recording steps and offering exercise suggestions to an integrated lifestyle guide for physical wellbeing, thus exemplify a new era of "quantified self" in the context of health as individual responsibility. There is a considerable amount of literature in science, technology and society (STS) studies looking at this phenomenon from different perspectives, linking it with the sociology of self-surveillance and neoliberal regimes of health. However, the human-technology interface, through which the micro- (behavioral) and macro- (social) aspects converge, still calls for extensive examination. This paper approaches this topic from the postphenomenological perspective, in combination with empirical studies of design analysis and interviews of fitness apps, to reveal the human-technology link between the design elements and people's perception through the direct experiences and interpretations of technology. It argues that the intentionality of self-tracking fitness app designs mediates the human-technology relations by "guiding" people into a quantified knowledge regime. It shapes the perceptions of fitness and health with representations of meanings about a "good life" of individual success and management. This paper also gives a critique of current individual, performance-oriented fitness app designs and offers the possibility of seeking alternatives through the multistable nature of human-technology relations-how altering interpretation and meaning of the design with a cultural or social context could change the form of technological embodiment.
Evidence-Based Practices to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission in Dialysis Facilities.

At the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we needed to quickly develop and deploy strategies to protect patients on dialysis from acquiring and spreading infection. With little information coming from the original Chinese epicenter of severe acute respiratory syndrome
Field Preheating for Large Turbine Generators [includes discussion]

Preheating of the field windings of large turbine generators is a procedure for warming up and expanding the coils somewhat during the start-up operation by heating them with direct current while the machine is at a relatively low speed. This is done to reduce the mechanical stresses in the coils and the abrasion effects on the coil insulation resulting from thermal expansion. This paper presents an analysis of the various forces which act on the coils in normal service, including a shortening effect in the cylindrical field body caused by the rotational stresses. It proceeds then to show how the coil stresses and insulation abrasion can be reduced by preheating. The procedure recommended is based on the transient heating characteristics of the rotor and requires a relatively short period of time which can normally be co-ordinated with practical turbine starting cycles. With suitable equipment, preheating can be carried out quite easily and gives promise of prolonging the useful life of generator field windings. This paper is concerned only with fields employing conventional ventilation as used for many years. In the future, preheating may well be applied to fields employing direct cooling, at least, in cases where this improved cooling is capitalized to the point where the temperature rise of the winding is comparable with present practice. However, the preheating cycle for directly cooled fields will probably require some modification on account of the more rapid heating of the winding.
Synchrotron Radiation Sources, Research Facilities, and Instrumentation

In this chapter we discuss the hardware associated with synchrotron radiation research. Of course, the major piece of equipment is the source itself—the synchrotron or storage ring. We discuss the characteristics of these two types of source and list those in operation and in construction throughout the world. The research facilities attached to the source are also discussed, particularly the beam channels and associated equipment to conduct the radiation from the ring to the experimental station. Lastly, we discuss the specialized instrumentation of synchrotron radiation research; particularly the equipment that has been developed to collect, monochromatize, and focus the radiation onto an experimental sample and then to detect the transmitted, diffracted, or re-emitted photons or secondary electrons produced.
Alternative ice shelf equilibria determined by ocean environment

[1] Dynamic and thermodynamic regimes of ice shelves experiencing weak (≲1 m year−1) to strong (~10 m year−1) basal melting in cold (bottom temperature close to the in situ freezing point) and warm oceans (bottom temperature more than half of a degree warmer than the in situ freezing point) are investigated using a 1-D coupled ice/ocean model complemented with a newly derived analytic expression for the steady state temperature distribution in ice shelves. This expression suggests the existence of a basal thermal boundary layer with thickness inversely proportional to the basal melt rate. Model simulations show that ice shelves afloat in warm ocean waters have significantly colder internal ice temperatures than those that float in cold waters. Our results indicate that in steady states, the mass balance of ice shelves experiencing strong and weak melting is controlled by different processes: in ice shelves with strong melting, it is a balance between ice advection and basal melting, and in ice shelves with weak melting, it is a balance between ice advection and deformation. Sensitivity simulations show that ice shelves in cold and warm oceans respond differently to increase of the ocean heat content. Ice shelves in cold waters are more sensitive to warming of the ocean bottom waters, while ice shelves in warm waters are more sensitive to shallowing of the depth of the thermocline.
Understanding the semantics of data provenance to support active conceptual modeling

Data Provenance refers to the lineage of data including its origin, key events that occur over the course of its lifecycle, and other details associated with data creation, processing, and archiving. We believe that tracking provenance enables users to share, discover, and reuse the data, thus streamlining collaborative activities, reducing the possibility of repeating dead ends, and facilitating learning. It also provides a mechanism to transition from static to active conceptual modeling. The primary goal of our research is to investigate the semantics or meaning of data provenance. We describe the W7 model that represents different components of provenance and their relationships to each other. We conceptualize provenance as a combination of seven interconnected elements including "what", "when", "where", "how", "who", "which" and "why". Each of these components may be used to track events that affect data during its lifetime. A homeland security example illustrates how current conceptual models can be extended to embed provenance.
Are collective political actions and private political actions substitutes or complements? Empirical evidence from China's private sector

This paper examines the circumstances under which collective and private corporate political actions are more likely to be substitutes or complements. Using data based on a series of nationwide surveys conducted on privately owned firms in China, I find that firms that are engaged in collective political actions are more likely to pursue private political actions. This positive relationship is stronger in less economically developed provinces and when there are greater opportunities for the state to redistribute economic resources in product and capital markets. Meanwhile, this relationship is weaker in the presence of heavier regulatory burdens and for firms in which the state has some equity or owned by individuals who had prior political careers. These findings contribute to the corporate political action literature
Forest Ecology in India: People's Resistance

“…The new forest rules have fallen like a fatal blight – like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. By one direful stroke of the pen ‘the man of the jungles’ finds himself at once a proscribed outcast in his own wilds. His hills and jungle fastnesses are suddenly proclaimed to be State forests. Every vegetable and mineral substance therein is declared to be ‘forest produce.’ All forest produce is declared to belong to the Crown. And no one is allowed to move any forest produce whatever without the formal permission of the ‘jungle-wallah sahib,’ the new forest King…” A letter to the Editor “Forest Conservancy in Bombay”, Indian Forester , September, 1886, p. 303. The British Forest Department and its forest policy had an everlasting and far-reaching impact on the Indian society. A society, which was primarily agrarian in nature, had a very close dependence on forests. It was not only the forest dwelling tribal communities which were dependent on forests but the entire rural population, agriculture being their main source of income, was dependent on forests in some way or the other. With their sustainable style of living, in the normal conditions poor peasants were dependent on forests for their supplementary needs. Artisans depended on them for their raw material. In case of natural calamities too, forest was the most important alternative to these communities on which they could rely for their survival. Also they could migrate from one place to another in case of famine or drought or any other disaster. Land without cultivation did not have any commercial value. However, with the establishment of the Forest Department, the poor people lost their supplementary source of livelihood.
More than Meets the Eye: Gaining Insight into the Lives of “Successful” Welfare Leavers

Past research on welfare reform finds inconsistent earnings and high poverty rates among former participants. We know relatively little, however, about those who leave welfare and have some measure of economic success. This qualitative study explores the everyday lives of former welfare applicants who had improved earnings in the year after leaving welfare. We find that access to formal and informal support is critical to the success of women leaving welfare. Employment circumstances, in particular job protection, are also important in both economic progress and decline. We discuss policy areas that may bolster and help sustain economic growth post-welfare participation.
Privatizing the Safeguards of Federalism

The contours of the United States’ federalist system are shaped not only by conventional federalism doctrines that address the scope of state and federal authority, but also by a second body of constitutional law that governs the ability of private actors to act in the political system. In particular, the Court's state action doctrine and First Amendment jurisprudence, in shielding private entities from many forms of government regulation and oversight, enable private actors to engage in a variety of cross-jurisdictional political activities that impact the function of the federalist system. In this Article, I argue that the Court's approach to private political actors interacts and conflicts with the conventionally recognized goals of federalism in a number of important and undertheorized ways.Section I of this Article describes the body of constitutional law that the Supreme Court has used to define the private political actors and activities that are beyond the reach of the federalist system of checks and balances. I argue that the Court's state action doctrine and First Amendment jurisprudence have played an important role in structuring the kinds of political activities that nominally private entities may engage in across jurisdictions. Section II describes how the cross-jurisdictional private activities made possible through this legal framework might impact the function of the federalist system. Specifically, I argue that cross-jurisdictional private activities challenge the positive assumptions of the Madisonian federalist system and potentially undermine the realization of several of federalism’s traditional normative goals.In order to illustrate the tension between federalism and cross-jurisdictional private political activity, Section III describes how private activities — particularly in the form of lobbying and political spending — have in recent decades come to play a more significant role in shaping political competition across the federalist system. The activities of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are discussed as a concrete example of the ways in which private actors can influence electoral and legislative outcomes across traditional federalism boundaries. Section IV anticipates some likely counterarguments and addresses why individuals concerned with the operation of the federalist system should care about novel forms of cross-jurisdictional political activity now, when political parties have long coexisted with the federalist system.
Multi-source Airborne IR and Optical Image Fusion and Its Application to Target Detection

This paper describes the fusion of the airborne optical image and IR (infrared) image generated from a moving platform, and the target detection from the fused images. The proposed algorithm first detects the object from optical image and IR image, respectively. Then it performs the object mapping to determine parameters for image fusion. And then it fuses the optical image and IR image and detects the target from the fused images. The real-world videos generated from a helicopter are used to test this algorithm. The experiment results validate the proposed algorithm.
Framework for a geographic districting DSS using an intelligent object-oriented model

We describe a framework for a geographic districting DSS. The components included in the framework are an object-oriented geographic data model with built-in capabilities for storing spatial and non-spatial information pertaining to the geographic objects represented in the model; an intelligent spatial query processor that uses domain specific knowledge to reason over geographic data and process complex districting queries; and a knowledge acquisition tool that is used to capture domain specific knowledge. These components are combined together to create an integrated geographic districting DSS. We describe our data model, the rule processing subsystem in the model, and the knowledge acquisition subsystem in detail. Finally, we describe a pilot implementation based on the framework which uses real life census data and demonstrates how the system would work in practice
The Double Opposing Semiocclusive Drain Dressing

Suction drainage with a Jackson-Pratt, Blake, or Hemovac drain is commonly employed for postoperative drainage of a variety of sites including the abdomen, pelvis, cutaneous tissue flaps, and skin grafts.1-3 Some patients may express complaints of discomfort and pain around the skin at the tube's insertion site and/or where it is sutured in place.4 There is no consensus in the literature on the ideal drain dressing; techniques vary and are mainly performed based on surgeon preference or accepted institutional norms. A simple, quick, and inexpensive method for minimizing patient efforts for drain dressing care and potentially, their discomfort, is described. After the suction drain has been placed and secured, two double opposing semiocclusive film dressings are placed around the suction tube at the site of insertion. At our facility, two 6x8 inch Tegaderm (3M, St. Paul, MN, USA) dressings are used. One of these clear semiocclusive dressings is placed on one side of the tube, with half of the dressing in contact with the skin and the other half supporting the tube (Figure 1A). The second is placed on the other side of the tube, directly opposite from the first dressing, again with half of it in contact with the skin, and the other half around the tube (Figure 1B). …
Noncontingent and contingent no-choice intervals and concurrent performance

Pigeons responded to changeover-key concurrent variable-interval variable-interval reinforcement schedules while there were intervals during which the changeover key was inoperative (no-choice intervals). In Experiment 1, a multiple schedule on the changeover key signaled choice and no-choice intervals. All subjects showed near-perfect discrimination during initial discrimination training and rapid reacquisition of discrimination following contingency reversals. In Experiment 2, the onset of no-choice intervals was unsignaled and contingent on interchangeover time. The temporal distribution of changeover-key responses conformed to the temporal distribution of choice intervals. The results of both experiments suggest that changeover responding is modifiable as a function of its immediate consequences. The results of Experiment 2, in particular, suggest that time or some correlate of time since the last changeover response can determine subsequent changeover behavior.