cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Living longer, dying longer: nursing's opportunity to make a difference.

T he good news is that advances in modern medicine have extended life; the downside is that it also has extended dying. Americans not only want a "good life," they also strive for a "good death"--quick and with little or no suffering. Although great strides have been made in delivery of care through the hospice movement, many care issues remain unresolved. Data is inadequate to support evidence-based nursing practice in most areas, such as symptom management (fatigue, dyspnea, nausea, and diarrhea), pain management, feeding, patientprovider and patient-family communication, and other key areas of end-of-life care. The major findings from the $28 million multisite research project, Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatment (SUPPORT) 1 showed that increased efforts to improve communication about patients' preferences for end-of-life care to physicians did not have a significant impact on the care provided in hospitals. Many factors were identified as possible reasons for the findings, one of which was nursing's role in communicating patients' preferences to physicians. However, nurses were not engaged in the design, conduct, and analysis of this important national study. We have to ask why nurses were not involved. However, I believe a more important question, regardless of the masons for lack of participation, is whether nursing is fulfilling its obligation to society on end-of-life care. We also must ask how this oversight can be prevented in the future so that nursing can bring to bear the contributions of our discipline to this important area of care. Research on end-of-life care of patients and caregivers has been identified as a national priority by the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research program announcement, which called for applications that include basic research or clinical studies in several key areas: management of physical and psychologic symptoms, ethics and clinical decision making, caregiver support, and the context of care delivery. Despite this emphasis at the national level, there has been little response from the nursing community to federal agencies' program announcements. There is a great need for theoretically and methodologically sound studies that will add substantially to our knowledge base on end-of-life care, moving us toward evidence-based practice.
An improved microextraction technique for measuring dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), δ13CDIC and δ18OH2O from milliliter-size water samples

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), δ 13CDIC and δ 18IH2O are traditionally measured using three different analytical techniques. Herein is described a precise, accurate and relatively simple technique for analyzing all three parameters from a single S 2-ml water sample. Water samples are injected through a septum into a temperature-controlled, water-jacketed, evacuated vessel containing ∼ 0.3 ml of orthophosphoric acid and a magnetic spinbar. The extraction line and vessel are coupled directly to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. Evolved CO2 is drawn through two −90°C traps to separate water vapor, and CO2 is condensed into a liquid-nitrogen trap. Yields of 98–100% are achieved by using a capillary tube between the reaction vessel and traps, dynamic “cold” pumping with liquid nitrogen, acidification to < 1 pH unit, and vigorous stirring. DIC is measured as a function of the voltage produced by mass 44 of the CO2 gas in a fixed volume, and CO2 is then analyzed for δ 13CDIC and δ 18OH2O using conventional mass spectrometry techniques. A correction factor of −1.10%o is applied to δ 18O-aqueous in order to compare it with δ 18O-vapor measured by the conventional Epstein-Mayeda method. The method is fast (45 min. per sample), reproducible (standard deviation DIC= ± 0.1 mmol l−1; standard deviation δ 13CDIC and δ 18OH2O= ± 0.1‰), and accurate down to 1 mmol l−1. It represents a considerable refinement over existing methods, and is especially valuable for studies in which sample size is a limiting factor. It can also replace the more cumbersome conventional methods where sample size is no object.
The challenges and opportunities in providing end-of-life care in nursing homes

Approximately 20% of deaths in the United States occur in nursing homes. That percentage is expected to increase as the population continues to age. As a setting for end-of-life care, nursing homes provide both challenges and opportunities. This article examines factors that impede the delivery of high-quality end-of-life care in nursing homes, such as inadequate staff and physician training, regulatory and reimbursement issues, poor symptom management, and lack of psychosocial support for staff, residents, and families. In addition to discussing hindrances to providing end-of-life care, this article explores characteristics of nursing homes and their staff that support the care of terminally ill residents. Also included is an overview of models for delivering end-of-life care in nursing homes, including provision of hospice services, specialized palliative care units, and consultation services. Finally, this article discusses educational programs and current educational initiatives to enhance end-of-life...
Surface Treatments and Bondability of Copper Thick Film Circuits

Crucial issues in using copper thick film microcircuits, namely, surface treatment and bondability, are addressed. A multilayer multichip ceramic substrate package with copper thick film conductors was used for these experiments. Surface treatments for bondability specific to different types of bonding sites are discussed. Using a flip tape automated bonding (TAB) technology, the resultant bond interfaces were analyzed in the as-bonded as well as thermally aged conditions. Results indicate a metallurgically stable materials system which should exhibit long-term reliability. Specific recommendations on copper surface treatments and general guidelines on materials selection are made on the production of reliable copper thick film interconnections.
Deoxynivalenol: mechanisms of action, human exposure, and toxicological relevance.

The trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is produced in wheat, barley and corn following infestation by the fungus Fusarium in the field and during storage. Colloquially known as “vomitoxin” because of its emetic effects in pigs, DON has been associated with human gastroenteritis. Since DON is commonly detected in cereal foods, there are significant questions regarding the risks of acute poisoning and chronic effects posed to persons ingesting this trichothecene. A further challenge is how to best manage perceived risks without rendering critical food staples unavailable to an ever-expanding world population. In experimental animal models, acute DON poisoning causes emesis, whereas chronic low-dose exposure elicits anorexia, growth retardation, immunotoxicity as well as impaired reproduction and development resulting from maternal toxicity. Pathophysiologic effects associated with DON include altered neuroendocrine signaling, proinflammatory gene induction, disruption of the growth hormone axis, and altered gut integrity. At the cellular level, DON induces ribotoxic stress thereby disrupting macromolecule synthesis, cell signaling, differentiation, proliferation, and death. There is a need to better understand the mechanistic linkages between these early dose-dependent molecular effects and relevant pathological sequelae. Epidemiological studies are needed to determine if relationships exist between consumption of high DON levels and incidence of both gastroenteritis and potential chronic diseases. From the perspective of human health translation, a particularly exciting development is the availability of biomarkers of exposure (e.g. DON glucuronide) and effect (e.g. IGF1) now make it possible to study the relationship between DON consumption and growth retardation in susceptible human populations such as children and vegetarians. Ultimately, a fusion of basic and translational research is needed to validate or refine existing risk assessments and regulatory standards for this common mycotoxin.
Architectural and compiler techniques for energy reduction in high-performance microprocessors

In this paper, we focus on low-power design techniques for high-performance processors at the architectural and compiler levels. We focus mainly on developing methods for reducing the energy dissipated in the on-chip caches. Energy dissipated in caches represents a substantial portion in the energy budget of today's processors. Extrapolating current trends, this portion is likely to increase in the near future, since the devices devoted to the caches occupy an increasingly larger percentage of the total area of the chip. We propose a method that uses an additional minicache located between the I-Cache and the central processing unit (CPU) core and buffers instructions that are nested within loops and are continuously otherwise fetched from the I-Cache. This mechanism is combined with code modifications, through the compiler, that greatly simplify the required hardware, eliminate unnecessary instruction fetching, and consequently reduce signal switching activity and the dissipated energy. We show that the additional cache, dubbed L-Cache, is much smaller and simpler than the I-Cache when the compiler assumes the role of allocating instructions to it. Through simulation, we show that for the SPECfp95 benchmarks, the I-Cache remains disabled most of the time, and the "cheaper" extra cache is used instead. We also propose different techniques that are better adapted to nonnumeric nonloop-intensive code.
Primary ectopic breast carcinoma in a supernumerary breast arising in the anterior chest wall: a case report and review of the literature

Accessory mammary tissue occurs in 0.2–6% of women, and is under the same hormonal influences as breast tissue, potentially undergoing malignant transformation. Carcinomas of accessory mammary tissue account for ∼0.3% of breast cancers, 5% of which are within a supernumerary breast. Due to its rarity and the low index of clinical suspicion, it is often diagnosed at a later stage compared with breast cancer. Reports of carcinoma developing in a supernumerary breast are rare. We describe a case of a 48-year-old woman, presenting with ectopic breast carcinoma within a supernumerary breast below the inframammary fold. We describe the mode of presentation, diagnosis and treatment with reference to the available literature. The radiotherapy treatment plan is discussed in detail to provide reference for future cases as the available literature offers no formal guidance on radiotherapy dose, fractionation or treatment field.
Ethical work climates: Comparing top managers in public and private organizations

This is an exploratory study of sector differences related to ethical work climates, an emerging research area of organizational ethics. A national sample was conducted of top managers from three different regions of the United States, using ethical measures from previous ethical climate research. The analysis indicates that public managers generally perceive the ethical climates of their organizations less favorably than do their private sector counterparts.
CWJess: Implementation of an expert system shell for Computing with Words

Computing with Words (CW) is an emerging paradigm in knowledge representation and information processing. It provides a mathematical model to represent the meaning of imprecise words and phrases in natural language, and to perform reasoning on perceptual knowledge. This paper describes a preliminary extension to Jess, CWJess, which allows reasoning in the framework of Computing with Words (CW). The resulting inference shell significantly enhances the expressiveness and reasoning power of fuzzy expert systems and provides a Java API which allows users to express various types of fuzzy concepts, including: fuzzy graphs, fuzzy relations, fuzzy arithmetic expression, and fuzzy quantified propositions. CWJess is fully integrated with jess and utilizes jess Rete network to perform a chain of reasoning on fuzzy propositions
On the EXIT chart analysis of low-density parity-check codes

The extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts are used to analyze the sum-product decoding algorithm of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. The codes are optimized by performing curve fitting on EXIT charts. This technique is developed for binary erasure channels based on area property and is extended to other channels. We show that on channels where the area property is not valid, the curve fitting approach is a sub-optimal method of optimizing for the best convergence threshold. On Gaussian channels, the messages from variable nodes to check nodes are approximated by a symmetric Gaussian distribution. We prove that the check node detector mutual information transfer function derived using this approximation is an upper bound. So the EXIT chart analysis predicts an optimistic value for the convergence threshold. We give an empirical lower bound for the check node detector mutual information transfer function. For few irregular LDPC codes designed for AWGN channel using density evolution, we have examined the accuracy of convergence thresholds predicted by EXIT charts using these bounds for the check node transfer function. The analysis of EXIT chart technique presented in this paper can be extended to other channels for which the distribution of channel messages can be approximated by a symmetric Gaussian/Gaussian mixture distribution.
Encountering the Past in Nature: Essays in Environmental History . Edited by Timo Myllyntaus and Mikko Saikku. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2001 (Revised Edition). Pp. xix, 166. $16.95, paper.

Environmental history could be approached using the mental models of economists. The six essays in this volume eschew a disciplinary for an interdisciplinary approach and an ambition â€œto construct a comprehensive history of interaction between nature and cultureâ€ (p. 147).
An Approach for Secure Software Installation

We present an approach that addresses the problem of securing software configurations from the security-relevant actions of poorly built/faulty installation packages. Our approach is based on a policy-based control of the package manager's actions and is customizable for site-specific policies. We discuss an implementation of this approach in the context of the Linux operating system for the Red Hat Package manager (RPM).
Pressure effects in a [2+2] photocycloaddition and -reversion☆

Abstract Evidence is presented to support the conclusion that the [2+2] photocycloaddition of acrylonitrile to naphthalene has a late transition state similar in volume to those in concerted thermal cycloadditions.
Pharmacokinetic Properties of 2nd-Generation Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 Mutants for Therapeutic Application

Fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) is an angiogenic factor with therapeutic potential for the treatment of ischemic disease. FGF-1 has low intrinsic thermostability and is characteristically formulated with heparin as a stabilizing agent. Heparin, however, adds a number of undesirable properties that negatively impact safety and cost. Mutations that increase the thermostability of FGF-1 may obviate the need for heparin in formulation and may prove to be useful ‘‘2nd-generation’’ forms for therapeutic use. We report a pharmacokinetic (PK) study in rabbits of human FGF-1 in the presence and absence of heparin, as well as three mutant forms having differential effects upon thermostability, buried reactive thiols, and heparin affinity. The results support the hypothesis that heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) in the vasculature of liver, kidney and spleen serves as the principle peripheral compartment in the distribution kinetics. The addition of heparin to FGF-1 is shown to increase endocrine-like properties of distribution. Mutant forms of FGF-1 that enhance thermostability or eliminate buried reactive thiols demonstrate a shorter distribution half-life, a longer elimination half-life, and a longer mean residence time (MRT) in comparison to wild-type FGF-1. The results show how such mutations can produce useful 2nd-generation forms with tailored PK profiles for specific therapeutic application.
High-resolution magic angle spinning proton NMR analysis of human prostate tissue with slow spinning rates.

The development of high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy for intact tissue analysis and the correlations between the measured tissue metabolites and disease pathologies have inspired investigations of slow-spinning methodologies to maximize the protection of tissue pathology structures from HR-MAS centrifuging damage. Spinning sidebands produced by slow-rate spinning must be suppressed to prevent their complicating the spectral region of metabolites. Twenty-two human prostatectomy samples were analyzed on a 14.1T spectrometer, with HR-MAS spinning rates of 600 Hz, 700 Hz, and 3.0 kHz, a repetition time of 5 sec, and employing various rotor-synchronized suppression methods, including DANTE, WATERGATE, TOSS, and PASS pulse sequences. Among them, DANTE, as the simplest scheme, has shown the most potential in suppression of tissue water signals and spinning sidebands, as well as in quantifying metabolic concentrations.
Testing the cycle of violence hypothesis: child abuse and adolescent dating violence as predictors of intimate partner violence in young adulthood

Child abuse is an important determinant of future violence perpetration and victimization. Past research examining linkages between child abuse and adult intimate partner violence (IPV) has predominantly focused on married individuals and not considered adolescent dating violence. In the present study, data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health are used to examine the impact of child abuse and adolescent dating violence on the likelihood of IPV victimization and perpetration in young adulthood. Child abuse and adolescent dating violence are common in this study population and are highly predictive of IPV. In regression models stratified by gender, child abuse and adolescent dating violence are significant predictors of IPV victimization and perpetration for both men and women, but the magnitude of these associations differs by gender. Although gender differences exist, it appears that experiencing violence during childhood and/ or adolescence is highly predictive of IPV in young adulthood.
Neuropsychological outcomes of pediatric burn patients who sustained hypoxic episodes

The neuropsychological outcomes of children who suffered hypoxic episodes following their burns are not completely understood and vary depending on the nature and severity of the episode. A retrospective review of youth that were admitted to this acute burn care facility over the past 20 years was conducted to identify the extent of cognitive and affective difficulties. Thirty-nine children who sustained hypoxic injuries related to their burns were compared with 21 controls that were matched for age, TBSA, and time of injury. Approximately a third of the children who survived from the hypoxia group continued to have long-term cognitive and emotional difficulties. For those who recovered reasonably well, no differences were found from the matched burned controls. These results probably underestimate the true extent of neuropsychological difficulties experienced by these youth given that detailed cognitive testing was not routinely performed. Prospective studies are needed to further characterize the full nature of difficulties and outcomes associated with burn related hypoxic injuries.
Pulse-Amplitude Equalized Rational Harmonic Mode-Locking by Negative Impulse Modulation

We have proposed a novel modulation scheme for rational harmonic mode-locking which does not suffer from pulse-amplitude fluctuations, and generated a 15 GHz pulse train with 16 dB harmonic suppression using 1 GHz modulation.
Study and evaluation of load current based MPPT control for PV solar systems

Because the power from Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays depends on the array operating and surrounding conditions, it is beneficial to implement a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique to enlarge the amount of output power. There are several MPPT concepts and algorithms presented in the literature. This paper evaluates a load/output current based MPPT (LOC-MPPT) technique using P&O algorithm which requires the load current sensing only as the control variable. The LOC-MPPT technique is experimentally evaluated in this paper with different perturbation step sizes using a PV solar system prototype. The effect of the perturbation step size value on controller speed and accuracy is experimentally analyzed.
Unthinkable and Tragic: The Psychology of Weapons Taboos in War

Discussions of weapons taboos have failed to take into account the possibility that prescriptive international and national norms of behavior may come into conflict. Using psychological studies of trade-offs and protected values as a guide, this article argues that when these conflicts exist, the taboos' individual-level constraining effects can be vitiated. An analysis of General George Marshall's proposal to use chemical weapons against the Japanese in 1945 demonstrates that normative conflict can produce a readiness to violate weapons taboos. In these situations, state decisions to violate taboos may depend on the extent to which the perception of normative conflict is shared by other decision makers and society more generally.
Nutritional management of urea cycle disorders

Nutritional management of patients who have urea cycle disorders is one of the most challenging tasks in clinical nutrition. The degree to which protein intake should be restricted in urea cycle disorders requires complex calculations which depend on many variables such as specific enzyme defect, age-related growth rate, current health status, level of physical activity, amount of free amino acids administered, energy intake, residual urea cycle function, family lifestyle, use of nitrogen-scavenging medications, and the patient's eating behaviors. This paper presents two case histories and a series of recommendations outlining the nutrition management of urea cycle disorders. It also identifies difficulties that arise in the course of treatment, and suggests practical solutions for overcoming them.
Geographic Variation in Variability of Pemphigus Populicaulis

Bird, J., B. Riska, and R. R. Sokal. (Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794) 1981. Geographic variation in variability of Pemphigus populicaulis. Syst. Zool., 30:58-70.-Geographic variation of variability profiles is studied based on stem mother, alate and gall characters of the aphid Pemphigus populicaulis. Significant differences among the coefficients of variation of the suite of characters in every locality were found by two methods-Bartlett's test for homogeneity of variances (using log-transformed data) and Friedman's nonparametric test for randomize'd blocks. Nine characters are highly variable and six are consistently low in variability. Coefficients of variation show significant heterogeneity among localities for every character by Bartlett's test, and for all but two characters using a modified Friedman's test. The variability profiles of the 66 localities were clustered into three groups based on both size and shape by the k-means algorithm. A mixture of two types of profiles occurs throughout the middle latitudes of the study area, while the third type is found in its northern and southern regions. This geographic pattern may in part be due to the year of collection. Attempts to relate the magnitude of the coefficients of variation to several ecological indices were unsuccessful. [Variability, variability profiles, geographic variation, coefficients of variation, Pemphigus.] This study investigates whether relative morphological variability varies geographically. A measure of variability is a fundamental parameter in evolutionary research because of the intimate relationship between natural selection and variability. Natural selection shapes variability and is in turn limited in its potential effects by the extent of the variability of a given character. Low variability in a
Neisseria mucosus Endocarditis Following Drug Abuse: Case Report and Review of the Literature

• A 30-year-old man with drug addiction had endocarditis due to Neisseria mucosus . The infection was successfully treated with ampicillin sodium. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of N mucosus endocarditis associated with intravenous drug abuse. ( Arch Intern Med 1983;143:583-585)
A user interface for assistive grasping

There has been considerable interest in producing grasping platforms using non-invasive, low bandwidth brain computer interfaces(BCIs). Most of this work focuses on low level control of simple hands. Using complex hands improves the versatility of a grasping platform at the cost of increasing its complexity. In order to control more complex hands with these low bandwidth signals, we need to use higher level abstractions. Here, we present a user interface which allows the user to combine the speed and convenience of offline preplanned grasps with the versatility of an online planner. This system incorporates a database of pre-planned grasps with the ability to refine these grasps using an online planner designed for arbitrarily complex hands. Only four commands are necessary to control the entire grasping pipeline, allowing us to use a low cost, noninvasive commercial BCI device to produce robust grasps that reflect user intent. We demonstrate the efficacy of this system with results from five subjects and present results using this system to grasp unknown objects.
Hydrocanthus (Hydrocanthus) paludimonstrus, a New Species from Bolivia (Coleoptera: Noteridae: Hydrocanthini) and its Implications for Classification of the Subgenera

Abstract Hydrocanthus (Hydrocanthus) paludimonstrus (new species) is described from specimens collected in Beni, Bolivia. Important morphological features are figured, including male and female genitalia. The character combination present in H. (H.) paludimonstrus makes the species intermediate between Hydrocanthus (Guignocanthus) Young and Hydrocanthus s. str. Based on new evidence from H. (H.) paludimonstrus and re-examination of characters previously used to diagnose the subgenera, H. (Guignocanthus) is synonymized with Hydrocanthus s. str. (new synonymy).
Sports Injuries: Mechanisms, Prevention, Treatment. 2nd ed.

Freddie H. Fu and David A. Stone, editors. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2001. 1191 pages. $169.00. The editors of this book, Dr. Fu and Dr. Stone, have brought together a fine group of authors of various ages who offer a nice combination of older experience and youthful enthusiasm, resulting in …
History and Evolution of the Journal Landscape Ecology

Since their first appearance in the seventeenth century, peer-reviewed journals have played an instrumental role in advancing science. To paraphrase Day and Gastel (2006), a scientific study is not completed before its results have been published in a peer-reviewed outlet. When a new field of study is emerging, it may be difficult for the researchers to find a place to publish their results. Thus, whether a discipline has a well-established journal is often considered an important indicator for assessing its maturity. Landscape ecologists had their days when finding a mainstream journal to publish their results was challenging, but to their credit those days are gone. Today, landscape ecologists have a well-established journal of their own, Landscape Ecology. For 25 years, the journal has documented what landscape ecologists do, how they do it, and what they find. The pages of the journal, therefore, are an important part in recording the development of this field.
The Radon-Nikodým Theorem as a Theorem in Probability

(1978). The Radon-Nikodým Theorem as a Theorem in Probability. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 85, No. 3, pp. 155-165.
Breeding biology of wedge-tailed shearwaters at Kilauea Point, Hawaii

L'etude porte sur une colonie d'environ 700 couples situee sur la cote nord de l'ile Hawaii (1978-81). Sites et chronologie de la nidification
Evaluation of a Variable-Impedance Ceramic Matrix Composite Acoustic Liner

As a result of significant progress in the reduction of fan and jet noise, there is growing concern regarding core noise. One method for achieving core noise reduction is via the use of acoustic liners. However, these liners must be constructed with materials suitable for high temperature environments and should be designed for optimum absorption of the broadband core noise spectrum. This paper presents results of tests conducted in the NASA Langley Liner Technology Facility to evaluate a variable-impedance ceramic matrix composite acoustic liner that offers the potential to achieve each of these goals. One concern is the porosity of the ceramic matrix composite material, and whether this might affect the predictability of liners constructed with this material. Comparisons between two variable-depth liners, one constructed with ceramic matrix composite material and the other constructed via stereolithography, are used to demonstrate this material porosity is not a concern. Also, some interesting observations are noted regarding the orientation of variable-depth liners. Finally, two propagation codes are validated via comparisons of predicted and measured acoustic pressure profiles for a variable-depth liner.
Effects of the herbicide monosodium methanearsonate on insect and spider populations in cotton fields

Decreases in specific monitored groups of insects were rarely observed following either one or two over-the-top or directed sprays of monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA) to cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. (‘DES 56’). A single over-the-top application of 1.1 kg (AI)/ha of MSMA temporarily reduced numbers of thrips, Frankliniella spp., in only 1 of 3 years of the study. In 1 of 3 years of study, insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus (Say); damsel bugs, Nabis spp.; leafhoppers, Cicadellidae; and adult tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), populations were significantly reduced from those of the untreated control by two applications of MSMA, at least one of which was over-the-top of cotton 20 or 30 cm tall. Parasitic wasps, Hymenoptera; spiders, Araneida; lady beetles, Coccinellidae; and bigeyed bugs, Geocoris spp., were not affected by any of the MSMA treatments. MSMA applications did not reduce seed cotton yields compared to the untreated control.
Adenosine regulates coronary blood flow during increased work and decreased supply

Adenosine may mediate coronary vasodilation during work-related hyperemia and during ischemia. We tested whether adenosine blockade with 8-p-sulfophenyltheophylline (PSPT) prevented dobutamine-induced hyperemia or magnified the reductions in flow due to vasopressin. Control (n = 8) and test (n = 7) dogs received paired infusions of dobutamine (70 micrograms/min iv for 5 min). Test dogs received PSPT (10 mg/kg iv) between doses. In both groups, paired infusions elicited comparable increases in oxygen consumption. However, in test dogs, the hyperemia was reduced significantly. Thus adenosine mediates the hyperemia of dobutamine. Separately, control dogs (n = 9) received vasopressin (0.6 microgram ic over 5 min); test dogs (n = 7) received PSPT before vasopressin. Vasopressin maximally increased coronary resistance by 3 min; effects were gone by 10 min. With PSPT, coronary resistance was increased further and remained high beyond 10 min. Thus adenosine-mediated vasodilation moderates the severity and duration of ischemia. These results indicate the importance of adenosine in mediating coronary flow during increased demand and reduced supply.
Quantitative Surface Coverage Measurements of Self-Assembled Monolayers by Nuclear Reaction Analysis of Carbon-12

We report surface coverage measurements by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of both alkyl thiols and oligophenylene thiols on Au-coated mica, Si, and pyrolytic graphite. The 12C atom concentration was probed at 4.266 MeV 24He2+ primary beam energy, which enhances the 24He2+ scattering cross section by exciting 12C nuclear resonance states; this is a submode of RBS commonly referred to as nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The surface coverage of 12C increased linearly with the number of 12C atoms in each SAM. The consistency of the 12C atom coverage values obtained by NRA was cross-checked by measuring the 32S atom concentration by conventional RBS. From these data, we obtained an average coverage of 3.5 ± 0.2 molecules/nm2 for both alkyl thiols and oligophenylene thiols on polycrystalline Au surfaces. The results show the utility of NRA for quantitative analysis of SAM coverage on Au.
The Effect of Flue Gas Desulfurization Residue on Corn (Zea mays L.) Growth and Leachate Salinity: Multiple Season Data from Amended Mesocosms

The environmental effects of applying a weathered flue gas desulfurization residue (FGD) to soil was monitored in a mesocosm experiment conducted over several cropping periods. Dry biomass and elemental composition of crop plants were measured, as well as the quality and chemical composition of soil and leachate collected from treated mesocosms. Data collected in the first year following FGD amendment showed no effect on the germination of corn (Zea mays L. var Dekalb DK-683), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. Var. Haskell Pupa 94), radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. Sparkler), and cotton (Gossypius hirsutus L. var. Deltapine 51) and a significant stimulation in biomass. Metal and metalloid enrichment of plant tissues, specifically As, B, Se and Mo was also significant. Application of FGD residue drastically altered the pH of the soil and the salinity of the leachate. Studies were continued into a second season to monitor the duration of beneficial and deleterious effects arising from FGD amendment, as it is expected that the majority of environmental effects will occur in the initial season following application. Second season data using a monoculture of corn showed no significant stimulation or inhibition of biomass, in contrast to findings of the initial year. Concentrations of metals and metalloids within plant tissues in the second season were lower, although still elevated above control concentrations. Electrical conductivity of mesocosm leachate; elevated from a control level of 0.05 dS m−1 to 3.4 dS m−1 with addition of 100 tons FGD acre −1, was still elevated 550 days after application. Repeated monitoring of leachate salinity showed evidence of only a slight decline 928 days after application. Soil data collected at the end of the second growth season showed that Se concentration had fallen below detection limits, and levels of As had also fallen by approximately 29%. The duration of environmental effects from FGD residue application can be summarized in terms of their half-lives, i.e. the length of time required for a 50% reduction in altered environmental parameters toward control levels. When half-lives for plants, soil and leachate are compared, the increase in soil pH and leachate salinity have the longest half-lives, and stimulation of plant biomass the shortest.
Sensitivity and Specificity in Three Measures of Depression Among Mexican American Women.

This paper examined the prevalence of depressive symptomotology among women of Mexican ancestry (N = 205), over the age of 18, of diverse incomes and nativity. We examined differences in rates of diagnosis by Spanish/English preference and the sensitivity and specificity of three common measures: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), and depression questions from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Short Form (MDD CIDI-SF); PHQ9 was used as the “gold standard” measure. Results indicated 18–32 % of participants met criteria for depression with higher rates found among Spanish preference participants. The K-10 had significantly higher sensitivity (0.81) but lower specificity (0.79) than the MDD CIDI-SF items (0.57 and 0.89, respectively). This study suggests that the K-10 and MDD CIDI-SF measures are complementary to each other for screening of depressive symptomatology. Implications for cultural and linguistic assessment of depression are further discussed.
Evaluating Public Health Advertising Campaigns: CPR Advertising Imperils Patient-Centered Decision Making.

Public health advertising campaigns seek to advance health through some combination of changing attitudes and imparting practical knowledge. When such campaigns focus on interventions with widespre...
Lipidomics for precision medicine and metabolism: A personal view.

This essay is to provide my personal view of lipidomics for precision medicine and lipid metabolism on its experimental procedures, inherent limitations, assessment of cross-platform reproducibility, available resource, and future challenges.
Combining passive visual cameras and active IMU sensors for persistent pedestrian tracking

A persistent pedestrian tracking system is proposed by combining visual signals and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).IMU tracking assists visual tracking when the target is occluded.The challenges of IMU tracking (calibration and drift) are alleviated by visual tracking. Vision based pedestrian tracking becomes a hard problem when long-term/heavy occlusion happens or pedestrian temporarily moves out of the visual field. In this paper, a novel persistent pedestrian tracking system is presented which combines visual signal from surveillance cameras and sensor signals from Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) carried by pedestrians themselves. IMU tracking performs Dead Reckoning (DR) approach utilizing accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. IMU tracking has nothing to do with visual occlusion, so it keeps working even when pedestrians are visually occluded. Meanwhile, visual tracking assists in calibrating IMU to avoid the bias drift during DR. The experimental results show that the IMU and visual tracking are complementary to each other and their combination performs robust pedestrian tracking in many challenging scenarios.
Distributed MAC Scheduling Scheme for C-RAN with Non-Ideal Fronthaul in 5G Networks

A typical cloud-radio access network (C-RAN) architecture in fifth-generation (5G) network is composed of one radio cloud center (RCC), moderate amount of radio aggregation units (RAU) and massive remote radio heads (RRH). This paper proposes a distributed medium access control (MAC) scheduling scheme for C-RAN, where RCC and RAU are connected with non-ideal fronthaul. In this scheme, a full scheduling operation and a limited scheduling operation are executed at RCC and RAU, respectively. The full scheduling operation at RCC is based on the overall network information and hence could generate a global-optimized scheduling result with ideal fronthaul. The limited scheduling operation at RAU is based on the latest hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information and channel state information (CSI), and could provide real-time supplement when the fronthaul transfer between RCC and RAU is delayed or lost. The integration of these two scheduling results are also provided to further exert their individual advantages. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed distributed MAC scheduling scheme could effectively mitigate the performance loss due to non-ideal fronthaul in terms of cell sum throughput and cell edge throughput, and therefore benefits in promoting the feasibility of C-RAN in 5G network architecture evolution.
On Traffic Laws for Mobile Robots (Extended Abstract)

Publisher Summary This chapter describes traffic laws for mobile robots. It discusses a theory of social laws in a computational environment, laws which guarantee successful coexistence of multiple programs and programmers in a shared environment. The chapter illustrates the issues that come up when designing a society by discussing the domain of mobile robots. Although still relatively simple, state-of-the-art mobile robots are able to perform several sorts of tasks. However, when one considers gathering several robots in a shared environment, a host of new problems arises. The activities of the robots might interfere with one another, and robots may require the assistance of other robots to carry out their task. To deal with phenomena, there are two extreme answers, one is to assume a single designer, whose job it is to program all the robots. An alternative extreme answer is to admit that agents will be programmed individually in an unconstrained fashion, and to equip the agents with the means for handling these interactions during execution.
An Introduction to the Work and Writings of Mark Siegler

Dr. Mark Siegler is a founder of the interdisciplinary field of clinical medical ethics. By insisting that ethical issues in medicine could be addressed through hypothesis-driven empirical research, Siegler transformed the theoretical field of bioethics and developed an area of study that directly addressed both the everyday realities of medicine and some of the most challenging ethical questions of the past half-century. Throughout his scholarly career, Siegler has written hundreds of papers on topics ranging from the teaching of clinical medical ethics to end-of-life decision-making and the ethics of advances in technology. His work has inspired the work of many other clinician ethicists, and his innovative approaches to the physician-patient relationship and ethics consultations are widely accepted today as the premier way to provide high-level clinical care. Students and graduates from his interdisciplinary fellowship training program in clinical medical ethics have expanded on Siegler’s body of work and brought his theories and teachings to every corner of the globe.
Comparison of Three Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Kits for Diagnosis of Dairy Cattle Shedding Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis in Feces

Sera from dairy cattle in herds free of paratuberculosis (n = 411) or infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (n = 411) were tested using a new ELISA kit (A-ELISA) for bovine paratuberculosis and two USDA-licensed commercial ELISA kits (B-ELISA and C-ELISA). Non-infected cattle were Holstein cattle in 8 Minnesota herds. Infected cattle were Jersey cattle from 28 herds across the U.S. Reference tests to classify cattle as M. paratuberculosisinfected were either fecal culture (n = 250) or real-time PCR on feces (n = 161). MAP (Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis) infected cattle were selected to represent the full range of infection severity using the prior original ELISA results (O-ELISA) as a surrogate marker. Among the 411 cases of bovine paratuberculosis 100 were O-ELISA-negative, 10 were O-ELISA-suspect, 97 had lowpositive O-ELISA results, 103 had moderate-positive O-ELISA results, and 101 had strong-positive O-ELISA results. Sensitivity estimates for the A, B and C-ELISAs were: 68.1% (CI: 63.4-72.6), 74.9% (CI: 70.979.1), and 69.8% (CI: 65.1-74.2) respectively. Specificity estimates for the A, B and C-ELISAs were: 99.3% (CI: 97.9-99.9), 100% (99.1100.0), and 100% (99.1-100.0), respectively. The accuracy of the new ELISA was statistically not different from the currently licensed ELISA kits for use on bovine serum to detect cattle infected with and shedding M. paratuberculosis in feces. The new ELISA, like the others, is quantitative and the magnitude of the result (S/P value) reflects the probability that the animal is shedding M. paratuberculosis in feces, providing a cost-effective tool for identification of infectious cattle as part of a comprehensive paratuberculosis control program.
Posthumanism, Animism, and Sérgio Medeiros's Pluriverse Poetics

The works of Sergio Medeiros are populated by a multitude of beings of diverse and often shifting orders and species. Drawing upon intersecting conceptual orientations of animal and multispecies studies, posthumanism, and ecocriticism, I survey a range of interspecies encounters and worldings in Medeiros’s writing, especially his collection of poems, O choro da aranha, etc. (2013). As Medeiros pointedly draws inspiration from diverse aesthetic and philosophical traditions—from Amerindian cosmogonies and verbal arts to Japanese Zen poetry and various strains of modernist avantgardism—I trace here as a unifying feature his engagement with animist imaginings and a post- or anti-anthropocentric unsettling of human/non-human binaries and boundaries.
Challenges of Refugee Health Care: Perspectives of Medical Interpreters, Case Managers, and Pharmacists.

Purpose Our objective was to identify perceived challenges in the provision of health care for refugees from the perspective of medical interpreters, case managers, and pharmacists working with refugee patients in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Methods Two 60-minute focus groups were performed exploring challenges in refugee health care using a literature-based semi-structured protocol. Focus groups were transcribed and de-identified prior to independent analysis by two of the investigators. Using a memoing-process qualitative approach, major concepts, cross-cutting themes, and subthemes were established and ultimately developed a narrative. The project protocol was approved as not human subject research by the local institutional review board. Results Four overarching themes regarding health care for refugee patients were identified: 1) difficulty balancing the dynamic of autonomy versus support for refugees; 2) educational needs of refugee families outpacing available resources; 3) challenges for refugees developing trust; and 4) diversity of cultures, education levels, and experiences among refugee families. Language barriers in accessing health care services and insufficient time to meet educational needs of refugees were major challenges outside of the clinic visit setting. Poor health literacy and difficulties communicating health needs and building trust within the interactive triad of refugee, physician, and interpreter impacted clinic visits. Conclusions Refugee patients and other participants in refugee care work to navigate a complicated path to equitable health care for a vulnerable population. Continued pursuit of strategies that increase time allocation, education, and support for all parties are needed as we seek to improve health outcomes for newly arrived refugee families.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Filesystem View Separation for Data Integrity and Deception

Cybercrime has become a big money business with sensitive data being a hot commodity on the dark web. In this paper, we introduce and evaluate a filesystem (DcyFS) capable of curtailing data theft and ensuring file integrity protection by providing subject-specific views of the filesystem. The deceptive filesystem transparently creates multiple levels of stacking to protect the base filesystem and monitor file accesses, hide and redact sensitive files with baits, and inject decoys onto fake system views purveyed to untrusted subjects, all while maintaining a pristine state to legitimate processes. A novel security domain model groups applications into filesystem views and eliminates the need for filesystem merging. Our prototype implementation leverages a kernel hot-patch to seamlessly integrate the new filesystem module into live and existing environments. We demonstrate the utility of our approach through extensive performance benchmarks and use cases on real malware samples, including ransomware, rootkits, binary modifiers, backdoors, and library injectors. Our results show that DcyFS adds no significant performance overhead to the filesystem, preserves the filesystem data, and offers a potent new tool to characterize the impact of malicious activities and expedite forensic investigations.