cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantization, time delays, and nonlinear stabilization

The purpose of this note is to demonstrate that a unified study of quantization and delay effects in nonlinear control systems is possible by merging the quantized feedback control methodology recently developed by the author and the small-gain approach to the analysis of functional differential equations with disturbances proposed earlier by Teel. We prove that under the action of a robustly stabilizing feedback controller in the presence of quantization and time delays satisfying suitable conditions, solutions of the closed-loop system starting in a given region remain bounded and eventually enter a smaller region. We present several versions of this result and show how it enables global asymptotic stabilization via a dynamic quantization strategy.
Are community environmental surfaces near hospitals reservoirs for gram-negative nosocomial pathogens?

Background Hospital visitors and staff visit neighboring businesses, creating the potential for contamination of surfaces with hospital flora. Methods Cultures were obtained from environmental surfaces in hospital lobbies and the surrounding community of 6 hospitals in Brooklyn, NY. As a control, cultures were taken from surfaces >1.5 miles from any hospital. Screening for β-lactamases was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and select isolates were fingerprinted by the repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-PCR method. Results Of 493 cultures, most (70%) involved doors from local businesses. Cephalosporin-resistant Citrobacter freundii (n = 3), Escherichia coli (n = 2), and Enterobacter sp (n = 2) were recovered from surfaces near hospitals, but not from control sites. One isolate of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia harbored an integron-associated VIM-2. Acinetobacter baumannii was recovered in 15 samples, including 4.5% of swabs from ≤0.5 miles of the hospitals versus 0% from ≥0.6 miles ( P = .004). Eleven A baumannii isolates were clonally related by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-PCR and were also related to a known clinical isolate. Conclusions Strains of A baumannii and cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae can be recovered from environmental surfaces surrounding hospitals. Finding these pathogens in the perihospital environment suggests hand cleansing should be emphasized for all people entering and leaving hospitals. The finding of integron-associated VIM-2 in our region is disconcerting, and further vigilance is warranted.
Supervenience and Reductionism

Contemporary philosophy of mind is materialist but antireductionist. This antireductionism derives from two traditions. One is the tradition of functionalism; the other is the tradition of action theory. Now it is often thought that these traditions lead to antireductionism by different routes, but that nonetheless both routes lead to the same conclusion: that there are no lawlike relations between the mental and the physical. Jaegwon Kim has proposed a formulation of the thesis of materialist antireductionism that has the virtue of neutrality between action theory and functionalism.1 On Kim’s view, both functionalism and action theory give rise to forms of antireductionism that are forms of supervenience. The mental is said to supervene on the physical in the sense that two identical physical states are necessarily associated with the same mental states but two identical mental states are not necessarily associated with identical physical states. That is to say, a particular kind of mental state can be associated with more than one kind of physical state while the converse is not true. Supervenience implies the possibility of a many-one relationship between the physical and the mental.
Attitudes Underlying Reluctance to Donate Blood

Attitudes underlying reluctance to donate blood were examined in two samples, college and general public, by means of direct and indirect questionnaires. Results were highly consistent across samples and sexes, and indicated that personal and emotional concerns, such as fear of the needle, fear of the sight of blood, fear of dizziness, inconvenience, and possibly ill effects on health, contribute more heavily to reluctance than people can (or will) recognize. Forthright handling of these fears and concerns by blood collection agencies is advocated.
Creating Three-Dimensional Polymeric Microstructures by Multi-Beam Interference Lithography

It is attractive to produce true three‐dimensional (3D) microstructures both rapidly and economically over a large area with negligible defects for a wide range of applications. Multi‐beam interference lithography is one of the promising techniques that can create periodic microstructures in polymers without extensive lithography and etching steps. This review discusses the formation of interference patterns, their dependence on beam parameters, the lithographic process, and the applications to the formation of photonic crystals. Various photoresist systems, including thick films of negative‐tone and positive‐tone photoresists, liquid resins, organic‐inorganic hybrids, and holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals, are also reviewed.
Generation of modified duobinary RZ signals by using one single dual-arm LiNbO 3 modulator

We will demonstrate a simple method to generate modified duobinary return-to-zero (MD-RZ) signals by using only one single dual-arm Mach-Zehnder LiNbO/sub 3/ modulator (LN-MOD). Different duty cycle signals can be generated only by changing the time delay between two-arm electrical signals added on the LN-MOD. MD-RZ signals show high receiver sensitivity relative to duobinary nonreturn-to-zero signals.
A comparison of the impact of avoidance cues in hazard avoidance during evaluation of text entry

The research presented in this paper is part of an ongoing investigation into how best to support meaningful lab-based evaluations of mobile technologies. In our previous work, we developed a hazard avoidance system for use during lab evaluations [1]; in the work reported here, we further assess the impact of this system, specifically in terms of the effect of avoidance cue type on speech-based text entry tasks.
Scalable consistency in Scatter

Distributed storage systems often trade off strong semantics for improved scalability. This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of Scatter, a scalable and consistent distributed key-value storage system. Scatter adopts the highly decentralized and self-organizing structure of scalable peer-to-peer systems, while preserving linearizable consistency even under adverse circumstances. Our prototype implementation demonstrates that even with very short node lifetimes, it is possible to build a scalable and consistent system with practical performance.
Around the world in 10 million years: biogeography of the nearly cosmopolitan true toads (Anura: Bufonidae)

Aim The species-rich family of true toads (Anura: Bufonidae) has been the focus of several earlier studies investigating the biogeography of geographically widespread taxa. Herein, we employ newly developed Bayesian divergence estimate methods to investigate the biogeographical history of this group. Resulting age estimates are used to test several key temporal hypotheses including that the origin of the bufonid clade pre-dates Gondwanan vicariance (~105 million years ago, Ma). Area cladograms are also invoked to investigate the geographical origin of the family. Location Worldwide, except the Australia‐New Guinea plate, Madagascar and the Antarctic. Methods A phylogenetic hypothesis of the relationships among true toads was derived from analysis of 2521 bp of DNA data including fragments from three mitochondrial ( 12S , tRNA val , 16S ) and two nuclear ( RAG-1 , CXCR-4 ) genes. Analysis of multiple, unlinked loci with a Bayesian method for estimating divergence times allowed us to address the timing and biogeographical history of Bufonidae. Resulting divergence estimates permitted the investigation of alternative vicariance/dispersal scenarios that have been proposed for true toads. Results Our area cladogram resulting from phylogenetic analysis of DNA data supports a South American origin for Bufonidae. Divergence estimates indicate that the family originated earlier than had been suggested previously (78‐99 Ma). The age of the enigmatic Caribbean clade was dated to the late Palaeocene‐early Eocene. A return of bufonids to the New World in the Eocene was followed by rapid diversification and secondary expansion into South America by the early Oligocene (Rupelian). Main conclusions The South American origin of Bufonidae in the Upper Cretaceous was followed by relatively rapid expansion and radiation around the globe, ending with a return to the Americas via a Eurasian/North American land bridge in the Eocene. Though the exact route of this dispersal (Beringia or North Atlantic) remains unclear, an argument is made for the less frequently invoked North Atlantic connection. The origin of the enigmatic Caribbean lineage was found to be consistent with colonization following the bolide impact at the K/T boundary. These findings provide the first, firm foundation for understanding true toad divergence times and their truly remarkable and global radiation.
Connectedness in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the processes involved with connectedness in community-dwelling older adults, which the authors contend is quality of life from a generative perspective. Using a grounded theory approach, 12 older adults were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. The tape-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, categories were created to code the data, and themes were extracted. Four processes involved with connectedness in older adults were identified: (a) having something to do, (b) having relationships, (c) having a stake in the future, and (d) having a sense of continuity. Various aspects of spirituality were also apparent in each of the four processes. This study suggests that connectedness provides older adults with a mechanism to engage life in meaningful, positive, and purposeful ways.
Airway epithelial cells suppress T cell proliferation by an IFNγ/STAT1/TGFβ-dependent mechanism

Organ-specific regulation of immune responses relies on the exchange of information between nonimmune and immune cells. In a primary culture model of the lung airway, we demonstrate that T cell proliferation is potently inhibited by airway epithelial cells (ECs). This is mediated by activation of the IFNγ/STAT1 pathway in the EC and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ)-dependent suppression of T cell proliferation. In this way, the EC can restrict the expansion of T cells. Given the constant exposure of the airway to inhaled antigen, this may be important in setting a threshold for the initiation of T cell-dependent immune responses and preventing unwanted, chronic inflammation.
Adherence to Guideline‐Recommended Therapy Is Associated With Decreased Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Major Adverse Limb Events Among Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease

Background Current guidelines recommend that patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) cease smoking and be treated with aspirin, statin medications, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. The combined effects of multiple guideline-recommended therapies in patients with symptomatic PAD have not been well characterized. Methods and Results We analyzed a comprehensive database of all patients with claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI) who underwent diagnostic or interventional lower-extremity angiography between June 1, 2006 and May 1, 2013 at a multidisciplinary vascular center. Baseline demographics, clinical data, and long-term outcomes were obtained. Inverse probability of treatment propensity weighting was used to determine the 3-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events (MACE; myocardial infarction, stroke, or death) and major adverse limb events (MALE; major amputation, thrombolysis, or surgical bypass). Among 739 patients with PAD, 325 (44%) had claudication and 414 (56%) had CLI. Guideline-recommended therapies at baseline included use of aspirin in 651 (88%), statin medications in 496 (67%), ACE inhibitors in 445 (60%), and smoking abstention in 528 (71%) patients. A total of 237 (32%) patients met all four guideline-recommended therapies. After adjustment for baseline covariates, patients adhering to all four guideline-recommended therapies had decreased MACE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.89; P =0.009), MALE (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.83; P =0.005), and mortality (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.82; P =0.003), compared to patients receiving less than four of the recommended therapies. Conclusions In patients with claudication or CLI, combination treatment with four guideline-recommended therapies is associated with significant reductions in MACE, MALE, and mortality.
Unusually Strong Binding to the DNA Minor Groove by a Highly Twisted Benzimidazole-Diphenylether: Induced Fit and Bound Water †

RT29 is a dicationic diamidine derivative that does not obey the classical “rules” for shape and functional group placement that are expected to result in strong binding and specific recognition of the DNA minor groove. The compound contains a benzimidazole-diphenyl ether core that is flanked by the amidine cations. The diphenyl ether is highly twisted and gives the entire compound too much curvature to fit well to the shape of the minor groove. DNaseI footprinting, fluorescence intercalator displacement studies and circular dichroism spectra, however, indicate that the compound is an AT specific minor groove binding agent. Even more surprisingly, quantitative biosensor-surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetric results indicate that the compound binds with exceptional strength to certain AT sequences in DNA with a large negative enthalpy of binding. Crystallographic results for the DNA complex of RT29 compared to calculated results for the free compound show that the compound undergoes significant conformational changes to enhance its minor groove interactions. In addition, a water molecule is incorporated directly into the complex to complete the compound-DNA interface and it forms an essential link between the compound and base pair edges at the floor of the minor groove. The calculated ΔCp value for complex formation is substantially less than the experimentally observed value in support of water being an intrinsic part of the complex with a major contribution to the ΔCp value. Both the induced fit conformational changes of the compound and the bound water are essential for strong binding to DNA by RT29.
Effect of chronic perinatal hypoxia on the role of rho-kinase in pulmonary artery contraction in newborn lambs

Exposure to chronic hypoxia during gestation predisposes infants to neonatal pulmonary hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that moderate continuous hypoxia during gestation causes changes in the rho-kinase pathway that persist in the newborn period, altering vessel tone and responsiveness. Lambs kept at 3,801 m above sea level during gestation and the first 2 wk of life were compared with those with gestation at low altitude. In vitro studies of isolated pulmonary arterial rings found a more forceful contraction in response to KCl and 5-HT in high-altitude compared with low-altitude lambs. There was no difference between the effects of blockers of various pathways of extracellular Ca2+ entry in low- and high-altitude arteries. In contrast, inhibition of rho-kinase resulted in significantly greater attenuation of 5-HT constriction in high-altitude compared with low-altitude arteries. High-altitude lambs had higher baseline pulmonary artery pressures and greater elevations in pulmonary artery pressure during 15 min of acute hypoxia compared with low-altitude lambs. Despite evidence for an increased role for rho-kinase in high-altitude arteries, in vivo studies found no significant difference between the effects of rho-kinase inhibition on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in intact high-altitude and low-altitude lambs. We conclude that chronic hypoxia in utero results in increased vasopressor response to both acute hypoxia and serotonin, but that rho-kinase is involved only in the increased response to serotonin.
Shoulder Arthroplasty. Edited by Gilles Walch and Pascal Boileau. New York, Springer, 1999. $185.00, 444 pp.

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential growth of interest in shoulder arthroplasty for the management of glenohumeral pathology. This text, with sixty contributors, is dedicated exclusively to shoulder-replacement procedures but includes a wide spectrum of topics, such as historical …
The Imperfect Solid—Color Centers in Ionic Crystals

The study of defects in ionic crystals through their interaction with electromagnetic radiation has been an important area of research for several decades. Such research has not yet directly resulted in the development of many important devices, although such developments are by no means precluded. In fact, much of the best work from a scientific point of view has been done on alkali halide crystals, which have not proved very useful technologically.
Multi-View AdaBoost for Multilingual Subjectivity Analysis

Subjectivity analysis has received increasing attention in natural language processing field. Most of the subjectivity analysis works however are conducted on single languages. In this paper, we propose to perform multilingual subjectivity analysis by combining multi-view learning and AdaBoost techniques. We aim to show that by boosting multi-view classifiers we can develop more effective multilingual subjectivity analysis tools for new languages as well as increase the classification performance for English data. We empirically evaluate our two multi-view AdaBoost approaches on the multilingual MPQA dataset. The experimental results show the multi-view AdaBoost approaches significantly outperform existing monolingual and multilingual methods.
Boronic acid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as sugar-sensing materials in water

Boronic acids can be used as receptors in chemical sensors for sugars, but their binding affinity and solubility are usually very poor in water. We improved these parameters by covalently connecting boronic acid moieties to the surface of third-generation poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) dendrimers to form a family of PAMAM–boronic acid receptors that display multivalent behavior. We confirmed the increased interaction strength of these modified boronic acid receptors using diol-containing dyes such as 4-methylesculetin and alizarin red S as probes in optical spectroscopy experiments. We then translated these results to sugar sensing using the self-assembled [PAMAM-ba·(dye)n] complexes as sensors in an indicator displacement assay. Our approach successfully detected simple sugars (e.g. fructose, glucose, galactose and ribose) in water, traditionally a very challenging medium for carbohydrate detection. Finally, we demonstrated the use of these polymer-based sensors in a multivariate array sensing platform for the discrimination of simple sugars in water as a proof of principle towards their broader applicability under physiologically and environmentally relevant conditions.
Alaryngeal speech and development of an internal tracheopharyngeal fistula.

Excellent speech can be produced by diverting expired pulmonary air to the pharynx through a tracheopharyngeal fistula. This study contributes basic information regarding the selection and fate of autogenous skin-lined tubes created for this purpose in a standardized fashion in pigs. Our specific objectives were to determine (1) the best cutaneous autograft for constructing a 6- to 7-cm skin-lined tube, (2) the airflow resistance of surviving skin-lined tubes, and (3) the effect of salivary contamination on the survival of tube grafts.
Modernization and Conflict: The Second Image Implications of Scarcity

The thesis of this article is that under conditions of scarcity, modern systems dependent on high energy and resource throughputs will become increasingly conflict prone. There are two separate scenarios in which conflict may occur. The first of these takes place under conditions of severe overshoot where adjustment time is short, the number of shortages high, the type of shortage essential, and the military capability of the state high. A second scenario can be constructed around a sequence of events in which overshoot and its causes remain unperceived and in which modern societies become unstable, leading to the exportation of violence, erratic decision-making, and a greater possibility of foreign penetration. The author concludes that peace in any future era of scarcity must be rooted in alternate domestic structures which are less energy and resource intensive.
Automated synthesis of [18F](2S,4R)-4-fluoroglutamine on a GE TRACERlab™ FX-N Pro module

Glutamine (Gln) and its analogues may serve as imaging agents for tumor diagnosis using positron emission tomography (PET), especially for tumors with negative [(18)F]FDG scan. We report the first automated synthesis of [(18)F](2S,4R)-4-fluoroglutamine ([(18)F]FGln) on a GE TRACERlab™ FX-N Pro module. [(18)F]FGln was obtained in 80±3min with a radiochemical yield of 21±3% (n=5, uncorrected). The radiochemical purity was >98%, and optical purity 90±5%. The synthesis is highly reproducible with good chemical purity, radiochemical yield, and is suitable for translation to cGMP production.
Congenital heart diseases in children.

In recent years surgery has achieved excellent results in a number of congenital cardiovascular anomalies. In three of these, namely, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta and double aortic arch, the diagnostic symptoms and signs are discussed.
Preparation and Properties Study of G-POSS/EP Hybrid Materials

With triethylene tetramine(TETA)as curing agent,glycidyl ether polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes/epoxy resin(G-POSS/EP)was prepared by blending method.The influence of G-POSS in curing reaction,dielectric property,mechanical properties and thermal property of hybrid materials was studied,and the microstructure and properties of hybrid materials were characterized and analyzed.The results showed that with the introduction of G-POSS the reactivity of EP improved,the transparency was favorable,the mechanical properties and dielectric properties of hybrid materials all improved.The dielectric property,mechanical strength and rigidity of the hybrid materials increased more obviously when the mass ratio of m(G-POSS)∶m(EP)was 20∶100 and the fracture surface was ductile fracture.The tensile strength,elongation at break and bend strength of G-POSS/EP materials were 67.8 MPa,3.44% and 116.7 MPa,compared with pristine epoxy,they were increased by 83.20%,320.13%,49.17%,respectively.
Characterization of structural defects in SnSe2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates

Abstract Tin selenide thin films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates at a growth temperature of 150 °C, and a microstructural study has been carried out, primarily using the technique of transmission electron microscopy. The Se:Sn flux ratio during growth was systematically varied and found to have a strong impact on the resultant crystal structure and quality. Low flux ratios (Se:Sn=3:1) led to defective films consisting primarily of SnSe, whereas high flux ratios (Se:Sn > 10:1) gave higher quality, single-phase SnSe 2 . The structure of the monoselenide films was found to be consistent with the Space Group Pnma with the epitaxial growth relationship of [011] SnSe // [ 1 1 ¯ 0 ] GaAs , while the diselenide films were consistent with the Space Group P 3 ¯ m1 , and had the epitaxial growth relationship [ 2 1 ¯ 1 ¯ 0 ] SnSe2 // [ 1 1 ¯ 0 ] GaAs .
The origin of the galaxy color bimodality

The star formation history of galaxies is a complex process usually considered to be stochastic in nature, for which we can only give average descriptions such as the color-density relation. In this work we follow star-forming gas particles in a hydrodynamical N-body simulation back in time in order to study their initial spatial configuration. By keeping record of the time when a gas particle started forming stars we can produce Lagrangian gas-star isochrone surfaces delineating the surfaces of accreting gas that begin producing stars at different times. These surfaces form a complex a network of filaments in Eulerian space from which galaxies accrete cold gas. Lagrangian accretion surfaces are closely packed inside dense regions, intersecting each other, and as a result galaxies inside proto-clusters stop accreting gas early, naturally explaining the color dependence on density. The process described here has a purely gravitational / geometrical origin, arguably operating at a more fundamental level than complex processes such as AGN and supernovae, and providing a conceptual origin for the color-density relation.
Warped image factor analysis

In factor analysis of sequential data (e.g., time-series or digitized images), the measurement sequence remains "intact" and is assumed to be consistent across all measurement conditions. Otherwise, recovered sequential factors would be distorted. Shifted and warped factor analyses (SFA and WFA) explicitly fit such measurement-sequence inconsistency. Warped image factor analysis (WIFA) combines two ideas: (a) fitting systematic shape variation of image factors, and (b) decomposing many 2D images into a few image factors. WIFA allows image factors to change shape independently, unlike what is assumed in a data-level adjustment: synchronized shape changes of image factors. The latent-level shape variation modeled in WIFA seems to make recovered factors "unique" in some two-way cases, as in SFA and WFA. The shape variation of image factors is parameterized as bilinear warping of segmented images. A quasi-ALS (alternating least squares) algorithm for WIFA is described, which uses alternating regression for factor weights and nonlinear optimization for warping-size parameters. The method is demonstrated with a simulated example
Zika Virus Infection in Early Pregnancy, a Case Report

Objectives: Vertical Zika virus transmission is reported to affect fetal development, and usually the fetal abnormalities can be detected by ultrasonography in second trimester. However, there is no report about the histopathological findings on fetus at earlier stage. Here we present a case of a pregnant woman with Zika virus infection in the first trimester. …
ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRON TRAPPING DEFECTS IN THICK-OXIDE MNOS STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT The energy distribution of electrons trapped during internal photoemission in the Si 3 N 4 layer of the thick-oxide A1-Si 3 N 4 -SiO 2 -Si structure has been investigated. Five well-defined electron trap levels were determined to be located at 2.50, 2.76, 3.03, 3.36 and 3.76 eV below the Si 3 N 4 conduction band edge at room temperature. The data suggests an association of the trapped charge with oxygen impurity in the Si 3 N 4 layer.
The Witch-Hunt Narrative: Reflections on Knowledge About Child Sexual Abuse and the Impact of McMartin in the State of California.

Responding to Ross E. Cheit’s Witch-Hunt Narrative, this article is a commentary chronicling the emergence of child sexual abuse as a social issue in Los Angeles County in the 1980s. Based on the r...
Major effect of transcytosis on nano drug delivery to pancreatic cancer

ABSTRACTWe demonstrated that activated transcytosis is a major mechanism to complement the classic enhanced permeability and retention effect in pancreatic cancer. This was achieved by using an iRGD peptide that triggers transcytosis pathway at the tumor site. Co-administration of unconjugated iRGD substantially improved the effect of the chemotherapeutics delivering nanocarrier, and resulted in survival improvement in mice. Since the iRGD effect is commensurate with neuropilin-1 expression on tumor vasculature, it is necessary to contemplate a personalized approach to implement this technology.
A review of flame retardant nanocoatings prepared using layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes

As flammable polymeric materials become more ubiquitous in consumer goods, home furnishings, and transportation, there is a growing need for safe and effective flame retardant treatments. Recent studies suggest that certain flame retardant chemistries exhibit environmental and health problems, which has prompted the development of new flame retardant technologies. Layer-by-layer assembly has emerged as a promising technique for depositing environmentally-benign flame retardants on a variety of polymeric substrates. This technology has allowed the translation of common flame retardant mechanisms onto the surfaces of flammable polymers in the form of nanometer-scale coatings. Significant reductions in heat release rates and smoke release, as well as the ability to self-extinguish in open flame tests, have been observed on a variety of substrates. This review provides a comprehensive description of flame retardant multilayer nanocoatings on textiles, foams, and bulk polymers, as well as insight into the future direction of this growing field.
Structural Competency and African Contexts: A Mixed Methodological Approach to Interrogating Strategies for Greater Health Equity

In this chapter, Esther L. Jones compares health care systems and inequities in sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. Applying Jonathan Metzl and Helena Hansen’s concept of “structural competency,” developed within a US context to describe the strategies that must be deployed to understand the systemic and institutionalized structures that produce inequity in health care delivery, Jones defines national systems of structural violence and structural frailty to explore health care education contexts, delivery challenges, and their relationship to poverty in generating structurally frail health systems. Utilizing empirically derived data from regional and global studies alongside a narrative literary analysis of Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone, she highlights both challenges and opportunities for generating structural resilience in health systems.
AMINOGLYCOSIDE RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCAL ENDOCARDITIS

There are few well-documented cases of infective endocarditis due to highly aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci reported to date. Nevertheless, strains with high-level resistance to both streptomycin and gentamicin are now sufficiently common that the number of cases of endocarditis due to these organisms will undoubtedly continue to increase. Serious efforts to develop appropriate alternative treatment strategies are now clearly necessary. All high-level gentamicin-resistant bloodstream isolates from patients with suspected or proven endocarditis should be screened for high-level streptomycin resistance. Because these two resistance traits are mediated by distinct genetic elements, a significant minority of highly gentamicin-resistant enterococci will be susceptible to synergistic killing by combinations of cell wall-active antibiotics with streptomycin. For strains highly resistant to both aminoglycosides, there is no evidence of benefit from use of these toxic antimicrobials, and treatment with a cell wall-active agent alone is warranted. Based on older literature and animal models, perhaps as many as 40% to 50% of cases of enterococcal endocarditis might be curable by such regimens. Alternative combinations using a cell wall-active antibiotic together with a fluoroquinolone or rifampin cannot be specifically recommended based on any firm data from the literature, but possible merits of such combinations can be explored in vitro under appropriate circumstances. For ampicillin- and vancomycin-susceptible strains, ampicillin would seem preferable because this drug typically demonstrates greater bactericidal activity in vitro as a single agent. Consideration could be given to administration of ampicillin by continuous intravenous infusion. Several animal studies indicating effectiveness of penicillins for enterococcal endocarditis have used dosing regimens resulting in sustained serum levels. It is unknown whether these observations are relevant to human enterococcal infections. Testing for beta-lactamase production should be undertaken if penicillins are to be used. For strains that are resistant to achievable concentrations of penicillins, or when the patient is intolerant of beta-lactams, vancomycin can be used. In animal models, teicoplanin has appeared to be superior to vancomycin, but high concentrations must be attained. This drug is not yet approved for clinical use, however, and it is unclear if any advantage would exist in treatment of human infections. The recent emergence of enterococci which are resistant to glycopeptides has introduced another potential complicating factor; some of these are also substantially resistant to beta-lactams as well. In some reports, favorable interactions between vancomycin and beta-lactams have been observed against vancomycin-resistant strains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Spotlight on the Dance: A Message from the Division Chairman

(1966). Spotlight on the Dance. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 37, No. 7, pp. 73-74.
The Possible Future of mHealth: Likely Trends and Speculation

Seemingly, the most certain component of mHealth’s likely future is uncertainty. As a concept, mHealth has been addressed in the literature for many years. As a reality, its past is more recent. While mHealth is recognized as a disruptive innovation, one that promises to provide needed health care access at lower cost than face-to-face encounters, many expected benefits remain unrealized. Among the remaining challenges to achieving more of the potential for improved access and lower cost in health care are information privacy and security concerns, inability to vet applications and assure efficacy, uncertainty in product regulation, adequate business models for product development, and third-party payment for provider services delivered using mHealth. Currently, the market is dominated by a few large suppliers, notably Apple, but new players are entering a competitive landscape replete with relatively short product life cycles. Long-term viability and sustainability of mHealth as a health care delivery option will depend largely on the ability to meet stakeholder needs and to establish payment mechanisms that motivate providers to adopt mobile technologies as effective alternatives to many in-person interactions.
FACTORS INFLUENCING NITRATE ACQUISITION BY PLANTS; ASSIMILATION AND FATE OF REDUCED NITROGEN

ABSTRACT The uptake and assimilation of nitrate into reduced nitrogen were investigated in barley, annual range grasses and wheat. The absorption of nitrate showed saturation kinetics and was closely coupled to metabolism with ATP or other high energy intermediates apparently responsible for accumulation of this ion. The uptake system is inducible by nitrate and is suggestive of a permease transport mechanism. The nitrate uptake system strongly influenced nitrate reduction and accumulation by supplying the initial nitrate flux into the plant. The kinetic patterns for uptake and reduction by barley seedlings were identical over time and nitrate concentrations. Evidence is strong that the uptake system can function independently from the nitrate reduction system. On the other hand, studies showed that uptake was greater in plants which had an already induced NR system indicating that NR activity may also influence the rate of uptake. Two varieties of wheat, Anza and UC 44-111, showed marked differences in nitrate content of foliar tissue. A systematic study of the uptake, NR activity, assimilation, protein content and distribution was conducted with these two genotypes. The breakdown and retranslocation of protein from the foliage to the grain during seed filling time were critical physiological markers for grain protein content of these two varieties.
Appetite-Modifying Effects of Bombesin Receptor Subtype-3 Agonists

Studies on bombesin-like peptides (BLP) and their respective mammalian receptors (Bn-r) have demonstrated a significant biological impact on a broad array of physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Pharmacological experiments in vitro and in vivo as well as utilization of genetic rodent models of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRP-R/BB2-receptor), neuromedin B receptor (NMB-R/BB1-receptor), and the bombesin receptor subtype-3 (BRS-3/BB3-receptor) further delineated their role in health and disease. All three mammalian bombesin receptors have been shown to possess some role in the regulation of energy balance and appetite and satiety. Compelling experimental evidence has accumulated indicating that the orphan BRS-3 is an important regulator of body weight, energy expenditure, and glucose homeostasis. BRS-3 possesses no high affinity to the endogenous bombesin-like peptides (BLP) bombesin, GRP, and NMB, and its endogenous ligand remains unknown. Recently, the synthesis of novel, selective high-affinity BRS-3 agonists and antagonists has been accomplished and has demonstrated that BRS-3 regulates energy balance independent of other established pathways. Accordingly, the availability of new BRS-3 selective agonists and antagonists will facilitate further elucidation of its role in energy homeostasis and provides a potential approach for the pharmacological treatment of obesity.
Implementation by cultural infusion: an approach for managing the introduction of information technologies

This article describes an approach for managing the introduction of information technologies in organizations which we have called "implementation by cultural infusion." The approach was developed and successfully used in response to the necessity of setting up a low-overhead, high-growth computer services function for a small research organization of about 200 nontechnical users. The article first describes how the organization established the infrastructural mechanisms to make such an implementation method successful. It then describes the concepts and dynamics of the cultural infusion approach to implementing information technologies, how it was used in the organization, what successes and failures were encountered, and what the impacts were after four years. Finally, the possibility of using the cultural infusion approach in larger organizations and different settings is examined.
Second Law of Thermodynamics-Based Optimization of Spark-Ignition Engine Operation

Sophisticated combustion engine control strategies involving First Law of Thermodynamics parameters (FLT) have been developed over the last several decades to increase fuel conversion efficiency. However, FLT quantifies the energy of a system without considering exergy losses due to high-entropy generation in processes such as combustion. The focus of this work is to minimize the power tracking error and the entropy generation of a conventional, gasoline-fueled, spark-ignition (SI) engine by applying optimal control that considers the Second Law of Thermodynamics (SLT). Two scenarios are considered: (i) optimization over a single engine cycle to track a load value and (ii) use of model predictive control to track a changing engine load profile over many engine cycles. In both scenarios, a baseline test was performed without the minimization of the availability destruction included in the optimization cost function. The first scenario suggests a significant reduction in fuel consumption and availability destruction of 13.4% and 9.4% at full load, and 14.4% and 10.8% at a partial load, respectively, when compared to the baseline results. The second scenario confirms a lower specific fuel consumption along with an improved SLT efficiency. The maximum load tracking error was approximately 3% when considering the availability destruction in the cost function.
Unpacking decision difficulty: Testing action dynamics in Intertemporal, gamble, and consumer choices.

The study examined the two-factor structure of decision difficulty proposed by Cheng and Gonzalez-Vallejo (2017) in new domains, and the role of numeracy in relation to these factors. Using the measurement methodology of 'mouse' (cursor) movements, participants' temporal and spatial measures were recorded when making decisions in the domains of intertemporal, gamble, and consumer choices. Task manipulations designed to affect difficulty included the sign of the payoffs (gains vs. losses), the similarity of the attribute values being compared, and attribute importance. A psychometric analysis of the measures revealed three orthogonal components, two of which, conflict and wavering, described decision difficulty. The conflict component was most affected by changes in the sign of the payoffs of intertemporal and gamble choices, with greater means observed in the loss than in the gain context. By contrast, the wavering component was most affected by changes of the similarity between the options' attributes, with greater means when the options were more similar. The study also found that choosing the long-term advantageous options in an intertemporal choice task; choosing the riskier gain and safer loss in a gamble choice task; and choosing the more expensive/better-quality hotel in a consumer choice task demonstrated greater conflict and/or wavering. The study further found that numeracy, or the degree to which individuals are able to use and interpret numbers, was negatively related to the conflict component. Taken together, the study demonstrated that decision difficulty varied with contextual changes, and action-dynamic measures reflected different facets of decision difficulty.
A Socio-technical Architecture

This chapter introduces the range of socio-technical systems and their interest for system engineers. It reiterates the need to include human focused data at the system architecting stage, in contrast to the traditional practice of leaving the human-system design for the final stages of system development. It notes the benefits of augmenting frameworks with the Human Viewpoint and the opportunity to improve system performance by capturing the contributions of the human component. The chapter details the Human Views as they were originally designed as well as the modifications to the views over time. The Human Viewpoint is an integrated viewpoint, with associations to both the Operational and System Viewpoints.
Liquid Biofuels From Microalgae: Recent Trends

Abstract Microalgae have a promising role as a renewable raw material for the generation of biofuels. These microorganisms are highlighted because of their rapid cell growth, their ability to use wastes as a nutrient source, and their capability to produce biomass rich in biocompounds that can be converted into biofuel. This chapter will explore important aspects of the production of liquid biofuels from microalgae, discussing the advantages of third-generation biofuels of microalgal origin as compared to first and second generation. In addition, the production of the main liquid biofuels, the growing conditions for biomass production, extraction of compounds, conversion processes, as well as obtaining coproducts for designing a microalgae biorefinery will all be addressed in detail. Therefore, the prospects, trends, and progress of the production of liquid biofuels using microalgae as a raw material in order to facilitate the process forward to conventional fuel production methods will be discussed.
Use of Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Angiography for Feeder Vessel Ligation and En Bloc Resection of Intramedullary Hemangioblastoma

Background As vascular tumors, intramedullary hemangioblastomas are associated with significant intraoperative blood loss, making them particularly challenging clinical entities. The use of intraoperative indocyanine green or other fluorescent dyes has previously been described to avoid breaching the tumor capsule, but improved surgical outcomes may result from identifying and ligating the feeder arteries and arterialized draining veins. Objective To describe the use of combined preoperative angiography and intraoperative indocyanine green use for the identification of feeder arteries and arterialized draining veins to decrease blood loss in the resection of intramedullary hemangioblastomas. Methods A patient with cervical myelopathy secondary to a large C3 hemangioblastoma and cervicothoracic syrinx underwent a C2-3 laminoplasty with resection of the lesion. To reduce intraoperative blood loss and facilitate safe lesion resection, the vascular architecture of the lesion was defined via preoperative digital subtraction angiography and intraoperative use of indocyanine green. The latter permitted ligation of the major and minor feeding arteries and arterialized veins prior to tumor breach, allowing for facile en bloc resection of the lesion. Results The lesion was resected en bloc with minimal blood loss (approximately 100 mL) and without intraoperative neuromonitoring signal changes. The patient remained at neurological baseline throughout their stay. Conclusion We present a written and media illustration of a technique for intraoperative indocyanine green use in the en bloc resection of intramedullary hemangioblastoma.
A Decision Support System for Containership Stowage Planning

The results of a project intending to design and develop a microcomputer-based, interactive graphics decision support system for containership stowage planning are presented. The objective was to create a working prototype that would automate data management tasks and provide computational capabilities to allow the stowage planner to continuously assess vessel trim, stability, and strength characteristics
Measurement of substance-free reinforcement in addiction: A systematic review.

Abstract A robust body of theoretical and experimental work highlights the influence of alternative, substance-free rewards on decisions to use alcohol and other drugs. However, translational applications have been limited in part by the lack of consensus on how to measure substance-free reinforcement in applied and clinical settings. The current study summarizes extant research utilizing self-report reinforcement or reward methodologies, and critically reviews the psychometric properties of the available measures. These studies (N = 50) fell into three categories: measures of recent substance-related and substance-free activity participation and enjoyment (n = 32), measures of time or monetary resource allocation (n = 15), and rating scale measures of reward availability and experience (n = 8). The available research suggests that, consistent with experimental laboratory research and with behavioral economic predictions, there is an inverse relation between substance-free reinforcement and substance use. These studies also support the clinical utility of these measures in predicting substance use severity and course. Reinforcement measures could be improved by enhancing content validity, multimethod convergent validity, and generalizability.
Older Workers and the Gig Economy

As the workforce ages, how will the work lives of older people evolve? One way to ease into retirement is to move to the gig economy where workers choose hours and intensity of work that fit their needs and capabilities. However, older workers are often reaping the benefits of the latter end of an implicit contract while gig economy workers are paid their marginal product. We show that age/earnings profiles in the traditional labor market are different than for Uber drivers. While the move to the gig economy generates flexibility, older workers are paid less than their younger coworkers.