cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altered immediate early gene expression in injured diabetic nerve: implications in regeneration.

To study the role that immediate early gene responses may play in impaired nerve fiber regeneration in diabetes, diabetic male BB/Wor rats were subjected to sciatic nerve crush at 6 wk of diabetes. Sciatic nerve mRNA expression of IGF-I, IGF-1-receptor, NGF, and p75 (low affinity NGF receptor), as well as protein expression of C-FOS, were examined at various time points following crush injury and compared with age- and sex-matched nondiabetic BB/Wor rats. Diabetic rats showed a delay in the early peak expression of IGF-1, C-FOS, NGF, and p75. The earliest immediate gene responses were those of IGF-I and IGF-1-receptor, which peaked at 0.5 h post-crush in control rats. In diabetic rats, IGF-1 peaked at 24 h whereas IGF-1-receptor mRNA revealed no early peak. The early NGF mRNA expression showed a maximum response at 6 h and of p75 at 4 days post-crush in control rats, whereas in diabetic rats they occurred at 2 days and 6 days, respectively. C-FOS protein expression showed a maximum at 6 h in control rats and in diabetic animals an attenuated peak was present at 2 days. These data provide the first evidence that immediate early gene responses are delayed in diabetes following sciatic nerve crush injury. The delayed IGF-1 expression may affect C-FOS induction and may be responsible for the delay in the NGF response in diabetic rats. The delayed immediate early gene responses precede the previously described perturbed macrophage recruitment and delayed Wallerian degeneration in this type 1 model and provide a possible explanation for impaired nerve regeneration in diabetes.
Analysis of influencing factors of hand-foot-mouth disease in Huaian City

Objective To explore the relationship of Hand-Foot-Mouth disease(HFMD) with temperature, students behavior in holiday and pathogen results. Methods Information on incidence of HFMD, temperature, holiday and pathogen results were collected from 2011 to 2012 in Huaian City. The Spearman correlation analysis and Chi-square test were used in statistics. Results HFMD epidemic was positively correlated with monthly average temperature and became more positive below 25℃(r=0.71, P0.01); Incidence of HFMD decreased after students leaved schools(χ2=85.86, P0.01); The positive rate of pathogen detection was significantly positively associated with HFMD cases last month(r=0.51, P=0.01). Conclusion Incidence of HFMD could be affected by temperature,holiday and virus. Public health prevention and control of diseases can develop measures according to the influencing factors.
Analysis of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests of 184 Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Strains

Objective To investigate the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Leye County and provide scientific basis for the treatment and prevention of gonorrhea.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were tested by Disk diffusion.Results Susceptive rates of Penicillin、Ofloxacin、Ciprofloxacin、Ceftriaxone、Spectinomycin、Azithromycin were 3.26%、7.07%、15.22%、96.20%、100.00%、100.00%,respectively.Conclusion Penicillin、Fluoroquinolone can not be used as the first line therapy for gonorrhea;and Spectinomycin、Azithromycin and Ceftriaxone can be used as primary medicine to cure gonorrhea in Leye County.
Behavioral Bioassays and Their Uses in Tetrahymena

The swimming behaviors of Tetrahymena can be used in sensitive behavioral bioassays for estimating the effects of drugs, mutations, and other conditions on the physiological state of the cell. These assays can be used in both forward and reverse genetic approaches to help understand cellular functions from genotype to phenotype.
Marie Marvingt and the development of aeromedical evacuation.

The development of air ambulances was one of the most important advances in military medicine in the 20 th century. It is often forgotten today how difficult a task it was to achieve military, governmental, popular, and medical support in the early years of the century for this then-heretical concept. While many individuals were involved in this development, one of the most influential and effective proponents was Mademoiselle Marie Marvingt, of France. One of the foremost sportswomen of her day, she was a free balloon pilot, a surgical nurse, and the third woman in the world to receive her fixed-wing pilot's license. In the area of air evacuation., she was a true visionary, ordening the construction of an air ambulance in 1912, and devoting the remainder of her long life to gaining its full acceptance in the medical armamentarium. Unlike many visionaries, she lived to see the full adopting of her proposals; her efforts should forever be remember whenever an air ambulance is seen.
Accumulation of 131I hippurate in rat heart allografts during rejection.

The accumulation of 131I hippurate in heterotopic (abdominal) rat heart allografts (Brown-Norway to Lewis) in comparison with native (autologous) hearts 6 and 7 days after transplantation was studied by noninvasive scintigraphic imaging and by direct isotope counting of excised hearts. Six hours after intravenous isotope injection, isotope accumulation in the allografted heart was clearly identified by scintigraphic study in comparison with the background, kidneys, urinary bladder, and native heart. Six and 7 days after transplantation, excised allografted hearts were significantly increased in weight in comparison with native hearts. A significant increase in isotope accumulation in allografted hearts in comparison with native hearts was found both per heart and per gram of heart. The findings of this study suggest the potential usefulness of 131I hippurate in the immunoinflammatory monitoring of organ allograft rejection by direct counting as well as by noninvasive scintigraphic study if sufficient time is allowed to permit clearance of high concentrations of isotope from the background areas, kidneys, and urinary bladder.
Trends and Reinterventions in the Surgical Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence among Female Medicare Beneficiaries

Abstract Introduction We compare the use of bulking agents and slings for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence among female Medicare beneficiaries. Methods We analyzed data from a 5% national random sample of Medicare claims from 2000 to 2011. Female beneficiaries who underwent a sling or bulking agent procedure were identified based on CPT-4 and ICD-9 procedure codes. Statistical analysis for categorical data determined differences in the distribution of patient demographics and comorbidities. The 90-day adverse events and reinterventions were compared between treatment groups. Time to event analysis was used to determine freedom from reintervention after therapy. Results We identified 21,134 and 3,475 patients treated with sling and bulking procedures, respectively. There was a 29.7% increase in the number of sling procedures and a 59.5% decrease in bulking procedures from 2001 to 2011. Patients treated with bulking agents had higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure and renal failure (p Conclusions Sling and bulking procedures are safe in terms of short-term performance, although the rates of retention were high in both groups. Patients treated with reinterventions tend to repeat the same therapy instead of converting to another procedure.
How Things Feel: Biblical Studies, Affect Theory, and the (Im)Personal

This essay offers an intellectual history of affect theory within biblical studies. Rendered as an ecology of thought, it describes the landscape of biblical studies through some frictions and discontentments with its legacies, as well as some meaningful encounters under its auspices.
Radiation exposure associated with the performance of radiologic studies in radioactive patients

The radiation exposure associated with performing a radiologic examination which requires close proximity to a radioactive patient is small. Furthermore, one's exposure may be reduced significantly by several «common sense» radiation precautions
Does Russia Matter?: European Institutions, Strategic Framing, and the Case of Stateless Children in Estonia and Latvia

Through an analysis of parliamentary debates concerning naturalization procedures for stateless children in Estonia and Latvia from independence through 2015, this article explores how Russia has influenced policymaking toward Russian-speakers. By shifting the focus from policy outcomes to the policymaking process, operationalizing policymakers as their own field of contestation within the “quadratic nexus” framework, and treating external pressures as strategic opportunities for domestic policymakers, I find that Russia has been utilized as both a motor and a brake on reform in these cases. Nationalizers in both states have used Russia’s activism to discredit European recommendations and to deflect responsibility for Russian-speakers, explaining the delays, controversies and suboptimal outcomes surrounding the passage of simplified procedures in1998, despite the use of EU conditionality. While Russia’s kin-state activism has been used primarily to justify exclusionary preferences in post-accession Latvia...
Novel permanent magnet machines with integrated fluid dynamic design for compression applications

The goal of this paper is to propose a novel concept of permanent magnet machine with integrated airfoil-shaped rotor that can perform compression action. Electrically driven conventional compressor systems need electric machines as prime movers to provide mechanical energy to rotate the compressor. The proposed novel integrated permanent magnet machine system synthesizes both an electric machine and an axial-flow compressor into a single device to convert electrical power to mechanical rotational power of the rotor, which simultaneously compresses the gas. This novel integrated design simplifies the compressor system by eliminating the connection between the electric machine and compressor. Weight, volume, and cost savings are expected. The feasibility of the proposed concept is demonstrated by combining the principle knowledge in electric machine design and compressor design. The operating principles of this novel integrated machine are described in the paper. Analytical design methods are used to study the proposed integrated machine and compressor. Possible topology variations of the proposed concept are discussed.
In and Out of the Shadows of Citizenship

Recent killings between contacted Waorani and Waorani in voluntary isolation raise questions about the meaning and consequences of citizenship for indigenous peoples, and, importantly, how to protect vulnerable groups for whom citizenship, belonging, and inclusion are yet undetermined. We trace the historical trajectory of the politics of citizenship and indigeneity in Ecuador, from top-down legal frameworks to indigenous mobilization and collective action. While contacted Waorani are seen and heard as citizens—they receive formal education and access to urban public works, for example—the Taromenane, a group of Waorani in voluntary isolation, are within the shadows of citizenship. They exist within geographic boundaries created by the state, but do not recognize its authority, and by definition cannot represent themselves in political processes. Despite the designation of an “intangible zone” and other constitutional protections, PVI are sometimes “erased” from the geopolitical map and are inadequately protected by the state’s precautionary measures. Issues of indigenous citizenship thus do not merely pertain to the politics of difference, participation, and recognition, but are matters of life or death.
Measuring Unmet Needs for Anticipatory Guidance Among Adolescents at School-Based Health Centers

Abstract Purpose Our previously validated Youth Engagement with Health Services survey measures adolescent health care quality. The survey response format allows adolescents to indicate whether their needs for anticipatory guidance were met. Here, we describe the unmet needs for anticipatory guidance reported by adolescents and identify adolescent characteristics related to unmet needs for guidance. Methods We administered the survey in 2013–2014 to 540 adolescents who used school-based health centers in Colorado and New Mexico. A participant was considered to have unmet needs for anticipatory guidance if they indicated that guidance was needed on a given topic but not received or guidance was received that did not meet their needs. We calculated proportions of students with unmet needs for guidance and examined associations between unmet needs for guidance and participant characteristics using the chi-square test and logistic regression. Results Among participants, 47.4% reported at least one unmet need for guidance from a health care provider in the past year. Topics with the highest proportions of adolescents reporting unmet needs included healthy diet (19.5%), stress (18.0%), and body image (17.0%). In logistic regression modeling, adolescents at risk for depression and those with minority or immigrant status had increased unmet needs for guidance. Adolescents reporting receipt of patient-centered care were less likely to report unmet needs for guidance. Conclusions The Youth Engagement with Health Services survey provides needs-based measurement of anticipatory guidance received that may support targeted improvements in the delivery of adolescent preventive counseling. Interventions to improve patient-centered care and preventive counseling for vulnerable youth populations may be warranted.
Abstract 135: Low Income Patients With Diabetes: High Risk For Uncontrolled Hypertension?

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease and not hyperglycemia is the major cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Hypertension is particularly burdensome in low income groups, where the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension is higher than the general population. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide care for low income and medically underserved populations (both immigrant and non-immigrant population). Objectives: 1) to determine the rate and predictors of Blood Pressure (BP) control in patients with diabetes and hypertension. 2) to identify differences by immigration status in BP control among patients attending FQHCs. Methods: The Office Guidelines Applied to Practice (Office-GAP) study is a cluster randomized trial designed to improve cardiovascular care for minority and low income populations in outpatient clinical settings. Office-GAP intervention included: provider training, patient education in a group visit, and use of Office-GAP checklist and patient decision aids during office visits. We describe baseline patient characteristics (prior to any intervention) in the FQHC sites. Retrospective review was performed of charts of all patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease and or, diabetes mellitus (DM) from September 2010 to December 2012. Hypertension was defined as Systolic BP>140 mmHg (>130 mm Hg in DM patients) and diastolic BP > 90 mmHg (>80 mm Hg in DM patients). A multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the effects of potential predicators on BP control. Results: Of 242 patients identified, 169 had DM, and 166 had hypertension. The mean age was 54.47 ± 11.91 years and 44.39 % were men (99 of 223). Of the total sample, 178 (73.55%, 178 of 242) were non-immigrants, 23.87 % (53 of 222) were covered by Medicaid, 40.99% (91 of 222) by Medicare, 39.19 % (87 of 222) by county outpatient insurance; 33.06% (70 of 242) were Black, 34.71 % (84 of 242) White and 32.23% (78 of 242) formed other races (Hispanics, Somalis, Nepalese). BP control was 36.73% (83 of 226) 95% CI = [30.44, 43.02] and 27.22% (46 of 169) 95% CI = [20.51, 33.93] in total sample and DM patients respectively. BP control among immigrants was 32.2% (19 of 59) 95% CI = [20.28, 44.12] vs. 38.32% (64 of 167) 95% CI = [30.95, 45.69] in non-immigrants. A logistic regression model identify the DM status as the sole significant predictor associated with BP control, with patients without DM having the best BP control (p-value<0.0001). This effect of DM on BP control remained significant even after adjusted for other predictors. Conclusions: We found that significant number of patients attending FQHCs do not have their BP controlled. Immigration status did not play any role in BP control; however BP control among patients with DM was substantially lower than the whole sample. This underscores the urgent need for strategies to improve BP control in FQHCs, particularly among diabetic patients.
Atrial Substrate and Triggers of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with atrial remodeling, atrial fibrillation (AF), and increased incidence of arrhythmia recurrence after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. We aimed to characterize the atrial substrate, including AF triggers in patients with paroxysmal AF and OSA. Methods and Results In 86 patients with paroxysmal AF (43 with ≥moderate OSA [apnea–hypopnea index ≥15] and 43 without OSA [apnea–hypopnea index P =0.0005; left atrial, P =0.0001), slower conduction velocities (right atrial, P =0.02; left atrial, P =0.0002), and higher prevalence of electrogram fractionation ( P =0.0001). The areas of atrial abnormality were consistent among patients, most commonly involving the left atrial septum (32/43; 74.4%). At baseline, the PVs were the most frequent triggers for AF in both groups; however, after PV isolation patients with OSA had increased incidence of additional extra-PV triggers (41.8% versus 11.6%; P =0.003). The 1-year arrhythmia-free survival was similar between patients with and without OSA (83.7% and 81.4%, respectively; P =0.59). In comparison, control patients with paroxysmal AF and OSA who underwent PV isolation alone without ablation on extra-PV triggers had increased risk of arrhythmia recurrence (83.7% versus 64.0%; P =0.003). Conclusions OSA is associated with structural and functional atrial remodeling and increased incidence of extra-PV triggers. Elimination of these triggers resulted in improved arrhythmia-free survival.
DYNAMICAL METEROLOGY | Rossby Waves

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 5, pp 1923–1939, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Effects of Wetting Agent Use to Reduce Turf Damageon Sand-Capped Athletic Fields

Athletic field playability and safety is a growing national concern, particularly at the high school sports level. Athletic field usage rates increase each year while field maintenance budgets are stagnant, if not reduced. Many municipal and high school athletic fields endure multiple practices and games per week, despite weather-related conditions detrimental to field integrity. For example, Friday night high school games cannot be rescheduled due to a past or pending rain event. Research is needed to improve current cultural practices and to maximize playability and safety of natural grass athletic fields, especially in reference to prolonging field surface integrity throughout the high school football season. The objective of this trial is to investigate the use of wetting agent products and application timings as part of a sand-capped natural grass athletic field management plan in preparation for a game event coinciding with a large rain event. Six products and three timings will be investigated to improve rootzone water content management
HIV-1 resistance to antiretroviral agents: relevance to mothers and infants in the breastfeeding setting.

HIV is a retrovirus whose genetic material is comprised of RNA. It is a decidedly adaptable virus with properties of high replication rates in association with an RNA copying enzyme—reverse transcriptase—which possesses a relatively high copying error rate, in the order of 1 error or mutation for every 10,000 nucleotides copied. This translates to a single mutation for every viral replication event on average in the setting of a billion viral copies produced daily in an infected individual. As such, the viral quasispecies (the pool of viral variants present at a given time) can and does adapt rapidly to environmental pressures such as the immune response or antiretroviral agents. It should not be surprising, therefore, that as antiretroviral agents have been developed and deployed, mutations in HIV genes associated with ARV resistance have rapidly been detected, underscoring the strategy of multiple agent and multiple class ARV therapy known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Prediction research of neuroleptic treatment outcome in schizophrenia — state of the art: 1978–1993

In spite of the proven benefits of neuroleptics in reducing acute psychotic symptoms and in preventing relapse in many schizophrenic patients, not all patients benefit equally from neuroleptic therapy. The marked variability of the course in schizophrenia and its response to drug therapy are widely recognized (Awad 1989). Not surprisingly then, a good deal of interst has been devoted to predictive research and prognostic issues in general. Bellak (1948), surveying almost three decades of extensive literature on schizophrenia research concluded; ‘...the criteria for improvement, recovey and all other factors pertaining to prognosis are vague and disorderly.’
Genetic and Epigenetic Regulations of Post-prandial Lipemia

Post-prandial lipemia (PPL), characterized by elevated levels of triglyceride (TG) following a meal, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This review summarizes current knowledge on the genetic and epigenetic determinants of the PPL TG response and provides perspectives on future directions. Recent studies suggested that PPL-related traits have heritability between 38 and 80%. Genomics studies identified genetic variants in or near APOA1/C3/A4/A5 cluster region affecting PPL TG levels. Epigenomics studies found DNA methylation levels of many genes known to be related to lipid metabolism including CPT1A gene are associated with fasting TG and PPL TG. Both genetic polymorphisms and epigenetic modifications are important determinants of PPL variation. Epigenetics may have even more significant impact than genetic variants on PPL. Further studies with multi-omics system biology approach are needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of PPL regulation to combat the atherogenic effect of PPL.
Analysis of Molecular Structure with Electronic Spectroscopy

We have constructed a view of biochemical state space based predominantly on the ideas of a limited set of mechanical motions and the existence of electrical charge. Using just these basic concepts we have been able to develop useful descriptions of light and electromagnetic radiation and subsequently of atomic and molecular structure. These ideas are developed from the same core physical concepts. Therefore it is not surprising that a substantial interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter will be found. A great deal of structural information can be gained by studying these interactions. In general we can explore structure of biological molecules by either focusing on either the quantum mechanical aspects or the wave-like nature of light. The first forms the basis of spectroscopic experimental methods and is the subject of this chapter and the second, the basis of light scattering (e.g., x-ray diffraction) and is the subject of Chapter 29.
Phylogeny of the emergence of T-B collaboration in humoral immunity.

In order to deal effectively with the phylogeny of cellular collaboration in humoral immunity, it is first necessary to review briefly what is known of lymphoid heterogeneity within the ectothermic vertebrates. All extant vertebrates possess circulating lymphocytes. With the possible exception of the Agnatha (hagfish and lamprey), the most primitive jawless “fishlike” creatures, all vertebrates possess the requisite morphologic diversity of lymphopoietic sites. Only the thymus and spleen appear to be present consistently throughout vertebrate groups less primitive than the Agnatha.
Predicting particle deposition for flow over a circular cylinder in combustion environments

Abstract Particle deposition on heat exchanger tubes is a serious concern in solid fuel combustion and gasification systems, such as power plants and syngas coolers. To predict deposition rates, several detailed computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models have been developed. However, these models are computationally expensive and cannot be used for quick determination of deposition rates and/or slagging tendencies. Particle impaction efficiency correlations, while not as accurate as detailed CFD models, are easier to use and are able to estimate the impaction rate of particles on the heat exchanger tubes. Nonetheless, since deposition and slagging are not just functions of particle impaction rates, but also sticking propensity, which is related to the particle temperature at impact, the impaction efficiency correlations fail to provide sufficient information. To address this shortcoming, similar correlations for particle temperature at impact have been developed in this work, based on a non-dimensional parameter that captures the flow and boundary conditions, as well as particle properties. When used alongside the impaction efficiency correlations, the new correlations developed can provide a reasonable estimate of the deposition and slagging tendencies, at negligible computational expense.
Sputnik and the avenues: The art of Chaz Bojórquez

Charles “Chaz” Bojorquez is recognized internationally for his role in developing a West Coast calligraphic style and an oeuvre of text-based paintings featuring original typographies inspired by t...
3CAP: categorizing the cognitive capabilities of Alzheimer’s patients in a smart home environment

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive illness that affects more than 5.5 million people in the United States with no effective cure or treatment. Symptoms of the disease include declines in memory and speech abilities and increases in aggression and insomnia. Recent research suggests that NLP techniques can detect early cognitive decline as well as monitor the rate of decline over time. The processed data can be used in a smart home environment to enhance the level of home care for Alzheimer’s patients. This paper proposes early-stage research in software engineering and natural language processing for quantifying and evaluating the patient’s cognitive state to determine the required level of support in a smart home.
The Female Genital Self-image Scale in Adult Women With Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus.

ObjectiveThere is no agreed upon standard way to measure vulvar lichen sclerosus disease severity. The Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS) is a validated survey tool assessing female genital self-image and is positively correlated with women's sexual function. A lower score represents a negative
Cervical Hemicontusion Spinal Cord Injury Model

This chapter describes a unilateral cervical spinal cord contusion model that causes ipsilateral respiratory and/or forelimb motor deficits. Additional techniques are presented to assess forelimb function via grooming and paw placement tasks, as well as respiratory activity using additional lesion techniques that remove descending compensatory respiratory motor control. Cervical injury is the most common type of human spinal cord injury. Modeling functions of highest priority for this spinal cord injured population (i.e. respiratory and arm/hand control) provides a translational approach for the evaluation of potentially therapeutic interventions.
Method Comparison Using 2 Point-of-Care Meters and a Reference Analyzer for Measuring Blood Triglycerides in Psittacine Birds

Female reproductive disorders, such as chronic egg laying, are common in captive psittacine birds. While a disease diagnosis related to reproductive disorders can often be accomplished by physical examination and diagnostic imaging, monitoring of the response to environmental modification and medical treatment is more challenging. Monitoring ideally would involve measurement of luteinizing hormone or estrogen to assess ovarian activity. However, the amount of blood required for hormone analysis is greater than the small sample size that one can collect from these birds. Additionally, the lack of reference intervals limits their use as a diagnostic tool. Because plasma triglyceride increases during sustained estrogen release from the ovary, it may be used as an alternative method for assessing ovarian activity in birds. Point-of-care (POC) analyzers for measuring lipids in human plasma use very small sample volumes and have been used for measuring triglycerides in animals, including chickens. The authors therefore performed a method comparison study with 2 POC analyzers and a reference analyzer and plasma and whole blood from psittacine birds to determine whether these meters are suitable for triglyceride measurement in a known population of psittacine birds. Correlation, Deming regression, and Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess performance, and the total observed error for each meter relative to the reference analyzer was calculated. One of the meters exhibited fair performance and, with species-specific reference intervals, is likely to be clinically useful for triglyceride measurement in psittacine birds. The other meter demonstrated poor performance with unacceptable error, and its use for this purpose is strongly discouraged.
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments and Their Use of Assistive Technology: Measuring the Proficiency of Teachers and Their Identification with a Community of Practice.

IntroductionThis article presents an instrument that measures the assistive technology proficiency of teachers of students with visual impairments and their identification with a community of pract...
Telerobotic Control in Virtual Reality

More than 400 underwater sites in and around the U.S. are potentially contaminated with hazardous undetonated munitions due to military testing activities [1]. The main remediation methods currently employed are 1. sending divers to manually retrieve the munitions and 2. blowing the munitions in place. Manual remediation is dangerous to the divers and blow-in-place strategies are environmentally damaging and harmful to nearby marine life. Teleoperation is an alternative remediation method that does not put people's lives at risk, and, if successfully carried out, is environmentally friendly. However, traditional teleoperation methods suffer from unintuitive and ineffective operator input control due to limitations such as poor depth perception by viewing the worksite from 2D displays and poor operator input control methods by using awkward input devices. Virtual reality interfaces immerse users in simulated environments and allow them to view and interact with simulated objects naturally. In this work, intuitive and effective input control methods based on Virtual Reality were designed and implemented as a ROS (Robot Operating System) package to teleoperate a robot arm for the remediation of underwater munitions using commercial off-the-shelf VR hardware. The control methods and ROS package are generalizable for other telerobotic applications.
Inhalation Exposure Technologies

Inhalation exposure systems are necessary to conduct controlled experiments of various test atmospheres. Inhalation toxicology experiments involve such controlled exposures either using whole animals, humans, or cultured cells. Inhalation exposure systems need to be designed and used very carefully to achieve the desirable endpoint. Exposure of subjects requires a dependable gas or aerosol delivery system and adequate monitoring instruments to insure proper temperature, humidity, air flow, and atmosphere concentration. Inhalation exposure systems range in size and complexity from simple blow by systems for small animals or cells to whole body chambers for controlled human experiments that can be 20-70 cubic meters in size. Samples of such systems are listed in Table 6-1.
Towards asynchronous federated learning for heterogeneous edge-powered internet of things

Abstract The advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) brings new opportunities for collecting real-time data and deploying machine learning models. Nonetheless, an individual IoT device may not have adequate computing resources to train and deploy an entire learning model. At the same time, transmitting continuous real-time data to a central server with high computing resource incurs enormous communication costs and raises issues in data security and privacy. Federated learning, a distributed machine learning framework, is a promising solution to train machine learning models with resource-limited devices and edge servers. Yet, the majority of existing works assume an impractically synchronous parameter update manner with homogeneous IoT nodes under stable communication connections. In this paper, we develop an asynchronous federated learning scheme to improve training efficiency for heterogeneous IoT devices under unstable communication network. Particularly, we formulate an asynchronous federated learning model and develop a lightweight node selection algorithm to carry out learning tasks effectively. The proposed algorithm iteratively selects heterogeneous IoT nodes to participate in the global learning aggregation while considering their local computing resource and communication condition. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our proposed asynchronous federated learning scheme outperforms the state-of-the-art schemes in various settings on independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) and non-i.i.d. data distribution.
Can a US-UK Trade Agreement Become a Reality in 2021?

A US-UK trade agreement would be a major economic policy initiative for both nations. From January through November of 2019, Americans exported $63.6 billion in goods to the United Kingdom, representing 4.2 percent of total US exports. During that same period, Americans imported $57.6 billion in goods from the United Kingdom, or 2.5 percent of total US imports. As a 2018 research paper from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University notes, the United Kingdom is America’s seventh-largest partner in two-way goods trade, the fifth-largest market for US exports, and the leading partner in services trade and foreign direct investment, with more than 1 million Americans working for UK-owned affiliates in the United States. A US-UK agreement would offer both countries the opportunity to lower barriers to trade in important sectors such as motor vehicles, agricultural products, financial services, and digital trade. Recent events in the United Kingdom have brought an agreement closer to reality.
Actively tunable narrowband thermal emission from coupled-mode metasurfaces

Thermal radiation is nominally broadband, incoherent, and isotropic, so controlling the spectral, temporal, and directional characteristics of thermal emission is an important frontier in imaging and chemical fingerprinting. The use of thermal metasurfaces, whose emission properties can be finely tailored, has recently become of great interest. Here we theoretically demonstrate the thermal emission of a metasurface arising from the coupled emission from a plasmonic mode in graphene nanoribbons and the guided mode resonance of a 1D photonic crystal. We also discuss the utility of a computationally cheap approach based on coupled-mode theory to model the device scattering characteristics.
Inefficiencies in Residency Matching Associated with Gale–Shapley Algorithms

Objective This study aimed to investigate emerging trends and increasing costs in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and San Francisco Residency and Fellowship Match Services (SF Match) associated with the current applicant/program Gale–Shapley-type matching algorithms. Design A longitudinal observational study of behavioral trends in national residency matching systems with modeling of match results with alternative parameters. Patients and Methods We analyzed publicly available data from the SF Match and NRMP websites from 1985 to 2020 for trends in the total number of applicants and available positions, as well the average number of applications and interviews per applicant for multiple specialties. To understand these trends and the algorithms' effect on the residency programs and applicants, we analyzed anonymized rank list and match data for ophthalmology from the SF Match between 2011 and 2019. Match results using current match parameters, as well as under conditions in which applicant and/or program rank lists were truncated with finalized rank lists, were analyzed. Results Both the number of applications and length of programs' rank lists have increased steadily throughout residency programs, particularly those with competitive specialties. Capping student rank lists at seven programs, or less than 80% of the average 8.9 programs currently ranked, results in a 0.71% decrease in the total number of positions filled. Similarly, capping program rank lists at seven applicants per spot, or less than 60% of the average 11.5 applicants ranked per spot, results in a 5% decrease in the total number of positions filled. Conclusion While the number of ophthalmology positions in the United States has increased only modestly, the number of applications under consideration has increased substantially over the past two decades. The current study suggests that both programs and applicants rank more choices than are required for a nearly complete and stable match, creating excess cost and work for both applicants and programs. “Stable-marriage” type algorithms induce applicants and programs to rank as many counterparties as possible to maximize individual chances of optimizing the match.
The Design of a Test a Development Board for the Training of PIC18F4550 Microcontroller

Microcontrollers are commonly used in the industrial applications. For that reason, it is crucial to learn microcontroller software and using a hardware which the written software is tested. In this study, a trial and development board which a dual in-line package PIC18F4550 microcontroller could be programmed and the written programs could be tested. In the training sets designed up to now, the connection between the microcontroller and the peripherals was fixedly executed on a copper plaque. For example, the fixed connections of LCD, graphic LCD, touch panel, analog data reading or display are provided through definite pins of microcontroller. Thus, the flexibility disappears while writing the program due to those fixed connections. In such an approach, moreover, the necessary changes may be forgotten in case related peripherals are connected to different pins. Flexibility was provided in the connections between all the peripherals and the microcontroller in the designed training set. The set includes a group of buttons, the LED group, LCD screen, graphic LCD, 7 segment displays, a keypad, an analog input, an external EEPROM, a step motor, buzzer, a real-time clock, temperature sensor, the USB and the communications unit. In any of all the aforementioned components, there is no connection which inhibits the programmer. All the industrial applications will be executed without any limitations of designing through using this experiment set.
Athletic trainers' comfort and competence in addressing psychological issues of athletes

ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ COMFORT AND COMPETENCE IN ADDRESSING PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES OF ATHLETES by Gina M. Biviano, ATC The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the frequency with which athletic trainers address certain psychological issues related to injury and non-injuryrelated psychological issues with their student-athletes, their comfort and competence level with these discussions, and referral patterns to other mental health professionals. An electronic survey was adapted from Mann, Grana, Indelicato, O’Neill, and George (2007) and administered through www.surveymonkey.com®. A random sample of 1,000 athletic trainers (ATs) who were members of the NATA were invited to participate, which yielded a response rate of 31.1%. More than half (n=170, 55.7%) of all subjects had completed 1-2 psychology classes in their undergraduate education. ATs reported frequently encountering psychological issues both related to and unrelated to injury in their student-athletes. Furthermore, ATs believed it was their role to address injury and non-injury-related psychological issues with athletes. Respondents reported feeling slightly less competent and much less comfortable dealing with non-injury-related psychological issues with athletes as compared to injury-related issues. Lastly, the more comfortable and competent ATs were with psychological issues, the more likely they were to refer an athlete to a mental health professional.
Revision Programming, Database Updates and Integrity Constraints

We investigate revision programming, a logic-based mechanism for describing changes in databases and enforcing certain type of integrity constraints. We show that revisions justified by an initial database and a revision program can be computed by a sequential execution of the rules of the program (with subsequent check of the applicability of the rules). In general, a program may determine none, exactly one or many justified revisions of a given initial database. We exhibit two classes of programs, safe and stratified, with the property that for every initial database a unique justified revision exists. We study the complexity of basic problems associated with justified revisions. Although the existence problems are NP-complete, for safe and stratified programs justified revisions can be computed in polynomial time.
Principles of the Law of Software Contracts: Some Highlights

The final draft of the Principles of the Law of Software Contracts ("Principles") was unanimously approved by the American Law Institute membership in May of 2009. The goal of the project is to “clarify and unify the law of software transactions.” However, the Principles will not become law in any jurisdiction unless and until a court adopts them, so only time will tell whether the project will accomplish this goal. Nevertheless, one thing is certain. The current law of software transactions, a mish-mash of common law, Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, and federal intellectual property law, among other things, is in dire need of improvement. This should not be a surprise. Most of the bodies of law that courts draw upon to decide software contract cases predate software and are not responsive to its needs. But software transactions are too important to be relegated to a second-hand legal-subject-matter status.In this symposium essay for the Tulane Law Review, we discuss the nature of the Software Principles and describe some of what we believe are highlights. By highlights, we mean not only Principles that we believe are helpful contributions to the goal of clarification and unification of software contract law, but also those that have already received some attention because of their controversial nature.
Preoperative thrombocytopenia and outcomes of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background Platelet count is known to be an indirect indicator of portal hypertension but is not a part of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score or the Child–Pugh score for risk stratification in hepatobiliary surgery. Methods Data from 2097 hepatic resections for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were evaluated from 2005–2012 using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patient demographics, morbidity, and mortality were evaluated. Results Median age and body mass index were 64 y and 26.5 kg/m2, respectively. Majority of the patients had American Society of Anesthesiologists ≥3 (78.1%) and median MELD score was 7. On multivariate analysis, thrombocytopenia (platelet count Conclusions Thrombocytopenia, which is an indirect indicator for portal hypertension, is significantly associated with adverse outcomes after hepatectomy, independent of the MELD score. Platelet count should be integrated into the selection criteria for hepatic resections for HCC.
ToF-SIMS characterization of silk fibroin and polypyrrole composite actuators

Abstract Biocompatible materials capable of controlled actuation under biologically relevant conditions are in high demand for use in a number of biomedical applications. Recently, we demonstrated that a composite material composed of silk biopolymer and the conducting polymer polypyrrole can bend under an applied voltage using a simple bilayer device. Here, further characterization of these bilayer actuators using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is presented. The roles of different electrolyte components and factors affecting device performance and stability are clarified. Results of this study are discussed in the context of strategies for optimization of device performance.
Secrecy From Parents and Type 1 Diabetes Management in Late Adolescence

ObjectivesThis study examined (a) associations of parent‐adolescent relationship characteristics and adolescent problem behavior with late adolescents’ secrecy from parents about type 1 diabetes management, and (b) whether secrecy was associated with diabetes and psychological outcomes independently of these factors.MethodsAdolescents (N¼247,M age ¼17.76 years) completed survey measures of diabetes-related secrecy from parents, disclosure, parental acceptance, parental knowledge, and conduct problems. Mothers and adolescents reported on adolescent adherence to diabetes regimens and adolescents reported their depressive symptoms. Glycemic control was obtained from HbA1c test kits.ResultsAdolescent-reported disclosure to parents was uniquely negatively associated with secrecy from parents. Controlling for relationship variables, conduct problems, and sociodemographic and illness-related variables, secrecy from mothers was uniquely associated with poorer glycemic control and secrecy from both parents was associated with lower adherence.ConclusionsSecrecy about type 1 diabetes management is uniquely associated with diabetes outcomes independent of other relationship characteristics and problem behaviors.
Comparison of the uncertainties calculated for the results of radiochemical determinations using the law of propagation of uncertainty and a Monte Carlo simulation

Quantitative determinations of many radioactive analytes in environmental samples are based on a process in which several independent measurements of different properties are taken. The final results that are calculated using the data have to be evaluated for accuracy and precision. The estimate of the standard deviation, s, also called the combined standard uncertainty (CSU) associated with the result of this combined measurement can be used to evaluate the precision of the result. The CSU can be calculated by applying the law of propagation of uncertainty, which is based on the Taylor series expansion of the equation used to calculate the analytical result. The estimate of s can also be obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation. The data used in this simulation includes the values resulting from the individual measurements, the estimate of the variance of each value, including the type of distribution, and the equation used to calculate the analytical result. A comparison is made between these two methods of estimating the uncertainty of the calculated result.
American Movie Audiences of the 1930s

he Depression and movies with sound changed movie audiences of the 1930s from those of the 1920s and earlier. Sound silenced audiences, discouraging the sociability that had marked working-class audiences before. The Depression led movie companies to change marketing strategies and construction plans. They stopped selling luxury and building movie palaces. Instead, they expanded their operation of neighborhood theaters, displacing independents that had been more worker friendly, and instituted centrally controlled show bills and policies. Audiences also appear to have become more heterogeneous. All this, too, discouraged the voluble behavior of working-class people. Ironically, in this era of labor activism, workers and their families seem to have become quieter in movie theaters, satisfied with the convenience of chain-operated movie houses.