cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Workplace practices for engineered nanomaterial manufacturers

The growth in nanotechnology has prompted a focus on the development of occupational health and safety recommendations for those working with engineered nanomaterials (ENM) at both the laboratory and the manufacturing levels. Although the nascent field of nanotoxicology has shown that some nanoparticles may present a health hazard to humans, risk assessments for all types of ENM are not possible. Hence, a precautionary approach to handling of these materials is recommended along with the development of a comprehensive health and safety program for the workplace. The traditional hierarchy of exposure controls emphasizes reducing the hazard as close to the source as possible by using elimination or substitution. Alternative control methods include engineering controls, administrative or work practice controls, and finally personal protective equipment, in order of decreasing priority. There is now ample evidence that some degree of exposure control can be achieved with each of these control methods, so that a comprehensive program will incorporate each, depending on the circumstances of the engineered nanomaterial use. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2010 2 685–692 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website
Quark confinement in quantum chromodynamics

A quark-confinement mechanism inspired by renormalization-group-improved perturbative quantum chromodynamics is proposed. We obtain a quark-antiquark confining potential in the lowest approximation, show that it yields reasonable results for the bb\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} and cc\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} spin-averaged energy levels, and comment on the significance of the higher-order effects.
Complexity of cancer: A surgeon's perspective

Key words: Cancer biology; Genetics; Cancer stem cell; Metastasis DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljs.v29i2.3942 SLJS 2011; 29(2): 55-57
Traffic performance of cellular communication systems with heterogeneous call and platform types

The proliferation of mobile, portable and personal communication systems will bring a variety of offered services. Practical systems must support different types of calls. These may include voice only, mixed voice and data, high speed data, low speed data, and image transmission. In addition there may be a mixture of platforms (such as persons, autos, and buses) having a range of mobility characteristics. In such environments, the bandwidth and/or resources needed for call sessions will not be identical. As a result, calls will generally encounter different blocking and hand-off constraints. These effects are in addition to differences in blocking and forced (call) termination probabilities that are attributable to differing platform mobilities and (resource) channel quotas.
Oral valacyclovir versus intravenous acyclovir in preventing herpes simplex virus infections in autologous stem cell transplant recipients.

Abstract Patients who are seropositive for herpes simplex virus (HSV) and are undergoing autologous marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation require prophylaxis for HSV infection. Most prophylaxis regimens have used intravenous acyclovir (ACY). Oral valacyclovir (VAL), the L-valyl ester of ACY, can be used to achieve plasma concentrations equivalent to levels achieved with intravenous ACY. In this study, adults undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation were randomized to receive ACY, 250 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) every 12 hours from day 0 to engraftment, or VAL, 1 g orally every 12 hours from day 0 to engraftment. The primary study objective was to compare cost of HSV prophylaxis between study groups. Thirty patients were randomized to receive either oral VAL (n = 14) or IV ACY (n = 16) prophylaxis. Mean pharmacy cost of HSV prophylaxis in the patient group randomized to IV ACY was $l080 versus $320 for the group randomized initially to VAL. This study demonstrates the feasibility and significant cost savings of using oral VAL for HSV prophylaxis. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2002;8(12):662-5.
Diabetes mellitus and community-acquired bloodstream infections in the critically ill.

Abstract Introduction Community-acquired bloodstream infections have not been studied related to diabetes mellitus in the critically ill. Hypothesis We hypothesized that the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and poor chronic glycemic control would increase the risk of community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) in the critically ill. Methods We performed an observational cohort study between 1998 and 2007 in 2 teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts. We studied 2551 patients 18 years or older, who received critical care within 48 hours of admission and had blood cultures obtained within 48 hours of admission. The exposure of interest was diabetes mellitus defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 250.xx in outpatient or inpatient records. The primary end point was CA-BSI ( Results Diabetes is a predictor of CA-BSI. After adjustment for age, sex, race, patient type (medical vs surgical), and acute organ failure, the risk of bloodstream infection was significantly higher in patients with diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.82; P = .006) relative to patients without diabetes. The adjusted risk of bloodstream infection was increased in patients with HbA1c of 6.5% or higher (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04-1.65; P = .02) relative to patients with HbA1c less than 6.5%. Furthermore, the adjusted risk of sepsis was significantly higher in patients with diabetes (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.54; P = .02) relative to patients without diabetes. Maximum glucose did not significantly mediate the relationship between diabetes mellitus diagnosis and CA-BSI. Conclusions A diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and HbA1c of 6.5% or higher is associated with the risk of CA-BSI in the critically ill.
A Market Response Model for Coupon Promotions

An econometric market response model for measuring the effect of coupon promotions upon market share is developed and estimated. In addition to the brand's own couponing efforts, the model takes into account retailer promotions for the brand as well as competitive couponing activity. The model is multi-equation, simultaneous, and is estimated using scanner panel data. Results indicate that coupons have a pronounced effect upon market share, although the effect varies from brand to brand and may not be strong enough for some brands for couponing to be profitable in the short term.
Motion from images: image matching, parameter estimation and intrinsic stability

Presents an image-matching algorithm that uses multiple attributes associated with a pixel to yield a generally overdetermined system of constraints. taking into account possible structural discontinuities and occlusions. Both top-down and bottom-up data flows are used in a multiresolution computational structure. The matching algorithm computes dense displacement fields and the associated occlusion maps. The motion and structure parameters are estimated through optimal estimation (e.g. maximal likelihood) using the solution of a linear algorithm as an initial guess. To investigate the intrinsic stability of the problem in the presence of noise, a theoretical lower bound on error variance of the estimates, the Cramer-Rao bound, is determined for motion parameters. >
What was that Secret? Framing Forced Disclosures from Teen Mothers

Although previous research has examined the micropractices of therapeutic interaction, few studies have focused on the expression of power in group therapy. This ethnographic study examines a therapeutic program for teen mothers to explore how self-disclosure occurs, focusing on the therapist's techniques for soliciting disclosure and subsequent responses. These techniques include the therapist's own disclosures, presentation of commands, and revelation of information, which then evoke the disclosure. Individuals respond with immediate compliance, delayed compliance, or sustained resistance. Although the therapist attempts to mask this imbalance, her strategies reinforce the power differences between herself and the teen mothers. The interactions observed here illustrate how clients may find therapeutic environments less about psychological unburdening and healing and more about the negotiation of power in an institutional setting. A more effective therapy might focus on disclosure of clients' successes rather than primarily on the revelation of discrediting information.
Baseband image rejection for diversity superheterodyne receivers

An image suppression technique is proposed for superheterodyne receivers. Adopting a dual-antenna structure, two independent signal observations are generated at baseband, containing both the desired and image signals. Independent component analysis (ICA) technique is employed to separate the desired signal from the image signal. The results of computer simulations confirm the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed technique under typical fading conditions. In addition, the algorithm has fast convergence.
Reducing CD73 expression by IL1β-Programmed Th17 cells improves immunotherapeutic control of tumors.

T helper (Th)-17 subsets hold promise in adoptive T cell transfer therapy for cancer. However, ex vivo programming of Th17 cells in presence of TGF-β increases cell surface expression of ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73, that in turn increases susceptibility to immunosuppression and reduces effector functions. Our data shows that ATP mediated suppression of IFN-γ production by Th17 cells can be overcome either by genetic ablation of CD73 or by generating TGF-β independent Th17 in presence of IL-1β. Th17 cells cultured in IL-1β are also highly polyfunctional, express high level of effector molecules and exhibit better short-term control of B16-F10 murine melanoma, despite reduced stem cell like properties. Adding TGF-β at low dose that does not up regulate CD73 expression, but induces stemness, drastically improves anti-tumor function of IL-1β cultured Th17 cells. It is likely that effector property of IL-1β dependent Th17 is due to their high glycolytic capacity, since generating IL-1β dependent Th17 cells in pyruvate containing media impaired glycolysis and its anti-tumor potential. Thus, our data suggests that due to induction of ectonucleotidase expression by TGF-β, ex vivo culture conditions for generating Th17 cells need to be reconsidered for exploiting their full potential in adoptive T cell therapy.
Identification of the asexual state of Rhizopus species on histologic tissue sections in a patient with rhinocerebral mucormycosis.

Abstract Mucormycosis is an infection caused by a group of fungi in the order Mucorales in the phylum Zygomycota. The most well-known form of this disease is rhinocerebral mucormycosis, which usually develops in diabetic or immunocompromised patients. The fungal hyphal elements are easily detected in biopsy specimens by direct or histologic examination. However, the confirmatory identification of the genus or species requires culture of the specimen. This article presents a case of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in which presumptive identification of the genus was made without microbiologic cultures and was based on the extraordinarily rare appearance of fungal sporangia and sporangiospores in histologic tissue sections. Identification of these structures allowed an early and accurate diagnosis of rhinocerebral invasive mucormycosis.
Transition Metal Carbides, Nitrides, and Phosphides

The sections in this article are Introduction General Properties Structure Binary Compounds of C and N Binary Compounds of Phosphorus Preparation The Reactions of Metals or Metal Compounds with Gas-Phase Reagents Decomposition of Metal Halide Vapors Decomposition of Metal Compounds Temperature-Programmed Methods Utilization of High-Surface-Area Supports Reaction Between Metal Oxide Vapor and Solid Carbon Liquid-Phase Methods Amorphous Materials Catalytic Properties Acid and Base Catalysis Ammonia Synthesis and Decomposition Aromatization Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation Hydrotreating Isomerization and Hydroisomerization (Reforming) Methanation and Fischer–Tropsch Oxidation Reforming (Steam, Dry, and Autothermal) Water-Gas Shift and Reverse Water-Gas Shift Perspective Keywords: transition metals; carbides; nitrides; phosphides
A Dual Band, Wide Tuning Range CMOS Voltage Controlled Oscillator for Multi-Band Radio

A novel multi-band VCO is presented, using a double-tuned, current-driven transformer load The dual frequency range oscillator (low band and high band), is based on the ON/OFF switching of current in the secondary port of the transformer. The concept is validated through measurement results from a fabricated prototype in 0.25 mum CMOS technology. The VCO has a measured tuning range of 1.94 to 2.55 GHz for the low-frequency band and 3.6 to 4.77 GHz for the high-frequency band. It draws a current of 1.0 mA from 1.8V supply with a measured phase noise of -116 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from 2.55 GHz carrier. For the high frequency band, it draws 7.5 mA from the same supply with a phase noise of -106 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from 4. 77 GHz carrier.
Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotics Prescribed to Children: What Next?

Common respiratory illnesses such as otitis media account for approximately three-quarters of all outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for US children.1,2 Unfortunately, a large fraction of those prescriptions are unnecessary.2,3 Over the last 2 decades, efforts to address this problem of overprescribing led to roughly a 25% drop in antibiotics prescribed per child. Considering that, in the United States in 1990, children received 1.5 antibiotic prescriptions per year per child,1 the public health benefits of this drop are enormous. It is a success story that has not received the attention it deserves. While the medical community should be proud of this success, the article by Vaz et al4 in this issue of Pediatrics provides an important cautionary note, Consistent with other work,5 the authors found that the trend of decreasing antibiotic prescribing has stalled in 3 health systems. They also identified persistent and rampant overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The article provides an opportunity to both review what drove the decrease in antibiotic prescribing and consider next steps. The combinations of the pneumococcal vaccines and broader influenza vaccination have decreased the number of visits for acute respiratory conditions. What is striking is that the drop … Address correspondence to Ateev Mehrotra, MD, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115-5899. E-mail: mehrotra{at}hcp.med.harvard.edu
Ezogabine: An Evaluation of Its Efficacy and Safety as Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Adults:

Objective:To evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic properties, and clinical application of ezogabine (retigabine. INN), an antiepileptic drug approved in 2011.Data Sources:Published data from in vitro, animal, and clinical studies were obtained from PubMed and CINAHL searches, from January 1980 to March 31, 2012. Other relevant data regarding the safety and efficacy of ezogabine were obtained from the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medication Agency Web sites.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Selected articles were prospective in vitro, animal, and controlled clinical studies of ezogabine. Non-English-language articles were excluded.Data Synthesis:In vitro and animal studies show that ezogabine activates voltage-gated potassium channels, leading to reduction of seizure frequency by inhibiting hyperexcitability activity in the central nervous system. Additionally, ezogabine enhances γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity and de novo GABA synthesis. Eight clinical st...
Phylogenetic diversity of geometrid moths decreases with elevation in the tropical Andes

Species diversity of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) has previously been shown to be extremely and constantly high along a continuously forested elevational gradient in the Andes of southern Ecuador. We analysed samples taken from 32 sites between 1999 and 2011 in northern Podocarpus National Park and adjacent areas from 1020 to 2916 m a.s.l. We conjecture that high elevation habitats were historically mostly colonised by species from lower elevations, and that environmental filtering (e.g. through host plant specificity or temperature tolerance) constrained colonisation from lower elevations, which would yield a pattern of elevationally decreasing phylogenetic diversity. We analysed elevational phylogenetic patterns by means of: 1) the nearest-taxon index (NTI), 2) DNA barcode-based terminal branch lengths (TBLs) from maximum-likelihood phylogeny, 3) the subfamily composition of the local assemblages, and 4), the rarefied number of morphologically defined genera per site. We counted a total of 1445 species. NTI values significantly increased with elevation, both in a conventional and a rarefaction approach. TBLs decreased significantly with elevation. Subfamily composition profoundly changed with elevation, particularly expressed as an increased proportion of the subfamily Larentiinae and decreased fractions of Sterrhinae and Geometrinae. The number of genera in equally rarefied species resamples significantly decreased with elevation. We conclude that environmental filtering indeed contributed to an altitudinal decrease in moth phylodiversity, but these constraints prevented only relatively few clades from colonising high elevation habitats.
Sharing Power: Women, Parliament and Democracy

Sharing Power: Women, Parliament and Democracy. Edited by Yvonne Galligan and Manon Tremblay. Aldershot: Ashgate. 2005. 271 pp. $50.00.This insightful volume contributes to our understanding of women's numerical and substantive representation in national legislatures around the world. Specifically, it focuses on a full array of dimensions of women's political presence: obstacles to women's entrance into parliament, policy mechanisms to improve women's underrepresentation, and the policy impact of growing numbers of women in national politics. Chapter authors draw evidence from a variety of sources—aggregate data on percentages of women in parliament, cabinets and political parties, surveys of political elites and public opinion, and in-depth interviews with party officials.
An Autonomic Performance Environment for Exascale

Exascale systems will require new approaches to performance observation, analysis, and runtime decision-making to optimize for performance and efficiency. The standard "first-person" model, in which multiple operating system processes and threads observe themselves and record first-person performance profiles or traces for offline analysis, is not adequate to observe and capture interactions at shared resources in highly concurrent, dynamic systems. Further, it does not support mechanisms for runtime adaptation. Our approach, called APEX Autonomic Performance Environment for eXascale, provides mechanisms for sharing information among the layers of the software stack, including hardware, operating and runtime systems, and application code, both new and legacy. The performance measurement components share information across layers, merging first-person data sets with information collected by third-person tools observing shared hardware and software states at node and global-levels. Critically, APEX provides a policy engine designed to guide runtime adaptation mechanisms to make algorithmic changes, re-allocate resources, or change scheduling rules when appropriate conditions occur.
The Research of Leak Detetion Technique of Oil Pipeline Based on RFID

The oil pipeline leak detection test based on RFID radio frequency identification was accomplished in the laboratory.The results of study in the laboratory show that:Radio Frequency Identification technology is possible in pipeline leak detection and location,and the error of leak point can be reduced to between (10—20) m. But there are still some technicial difficulties need to be resolved.In the near future,the Oil Pipeline Leak Detection and Location System based on RFID radio frequency identification will be tested on oil field and practically applicated after improvement,it is of great significanes to oil pipeline management.
Addressing a Central Dichotomy in Assessment: Did They Merely Learn Their Lessons or Were They Changed by What They Learned? A Report of a Seven Semester Experiment

This research reports on an original assessment administered to nearly 400 students in 12 sections of a course entitled American 20th Century Political History taught over seven consecutive semesters, including the Fall of 2014. This general education offering of my design is organized around ten large themes and does not follow a strict chronological sequence. Significant numbers of the respondents reported that they are “more likely to vote in future elections,” “will try to learn more to understand current events,” and “changed how they think about some important public issues.” Those positive responses combine the strongly agree and agree options on a five-point Likert scale. This research examines whether it is possible to measure reliably both how well students achieve specific course objectives, especially those aimed at mastery of central concepts, and whether the experience of a single course can affect larger political attitudinal and behavioral change in students.
Infrared spectra of CH2=M(H)NC, CH3-MNC, and eta2-M(NC)-CH3 produced by reactions of laser-ablated group 5 metal atoms with acetonitrile.

Methylidene isocyanides, methyl isocyanides, and η2-nitrile-π-complexes are observed in the matrix IR spectra from reactions of Group 5 metals with acetonitrile isotopomers. The primary isocyanide products with no trace of cyanide complexes are consistent with the reaction path proposed in the analogous Zr study. The major products (CH2═Ta(H)NC, CH3−NbNC, η2-Nb(NC)−CH3, and η2-V(NC)−CH3) after codeposition and reaction of metal with CH3CN clearly show the increasing preference for the higher oxidation-state complex on going down the group column, and the subsequent photochemistry provides further information for molecular rearrangements. The Group 5 metal methylidene isocyanides exhibit more agostic distortion than the Zr counterparts and are comparable to the previously studied Group 5 metal methylidene hydrides and halides. The computed structures and observed frequencies indicate that the effects of metal conjugation (C═Ta−N═C:) are minor.
Discovering Anomalies on Mixed-Type Data Using a Generalized Student- $t$ Based Approach

Anomaly detection in mixed-type data is an important problem that has not been well addressed in the machine learning field. Existing approaches focus on computational efficiency and their correlation modeling between mixed-type attributes is heuristically driven, lacking a statistical foundation. In this paper, we propose MIxed-Type Robust dEtection (MITRE), a robust error buffering approach for anomaly detection in mixed-type datasets. Because of its non-Gaussian design, the problem is analytically intractable. Two novel Bayesian inference approaches are utilized to solve the intractable inferences: Integrated-nested Laplace Approximation (INLA), and Expectation Propagation (EP) with Variational Expectation-Maximization (EM). A set of algorithmic optimizations is implemented to improve the computational efficiency. A comprehensive suite of experiments was conducted on both synthetic and real world data to test the effectiveness and efficiency of MITRE.
Cocaine Self-Administration Produces Long-Lasting Alterations in Dopamine Transporter Responses to Cocaine.

Cocaine addiction is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by uncontrolled cocaine intake, which is thought to be driven, at least in part, by cocaine-induced deficits in dopamine system function. A decreased ability of cocaine to elevate dopamine levels has been repeatedly observed as a consequence of cocaine use in humans, and preclinical work has highlighted tolerance to cocaine9s effects as a primary determinant in the development of aberrant cocaine taking behaviors. Here we determined that cocaine self-administration in rats produced tolerance to the dopamine transporter-inhibiting effects of cocaine in the nucleus accumbens core, which was normalized following a 14 or 60 d abstinence period; however, although these rats appeared to be similar to controls, a single self-administered infusion of cocaine at the end of abstinence, even after 60 d, fully reinstated tolerance to cocaine9s effects. A single cocaine infusion in a naive rat had no effect on cocaine potency, demonstrating that cocaine self-administration leaves the dopamine transporter in a “primed” state, which allows for cocaine-induced plasticity to be reinstated by a subthreshold cocaine exposure. Further, reinstatement of cocaine tolerance was accompanied by decreased cocaine-induced locomotion and escalated cocaine intake despite extended abstinence from cocaine. These data demonstrate that cocaine leaves a long-lasting imprint on the dopamine system that is activated by re-exposure to cocaine. Further, these results provide a potential mechanism for severe cocaine binge episodes, which occur even after sustained abstinence from cocaine, and suggest that treatments aimed at transporter sites may be efficacious in promoting binge termination following relapse. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Tolerance is a DSM-V criterion for substance abuse disorders. Abusers consistently show reduced subjective effects of cocaine concomitant with reduced effects of cocaine at its main site of action, the dopamine transporter (DAT). Preclinical literature has shown that reduced cocaine potency at the DAT increases cocaine taking, highlighting the key role of tolerance in addiction. Addiction is characterized by cycles of abstinence, often for many months, followed by relapse, making it important to determine possible interactions between abstinence and subsequent drug re-exposure. Using a rodent model of cocaine abuse, we found long-lasting, possibly permanent, cocaine-induced alterations to the DAT, whereby cocaine tolerance is reinstated by minimal drug exposure, even after recovery of DAT function over prolonged abstinence periods.
Nonlinear Control-Based Modified BFCL for LVRT Capacity Enhancement of DFIG-Based Wind Farm

High penetration of wind power into existing grid can be attributed largely to the doubly fed induction generators (DFIG). However, their sensitive nature to the grid faults has created concern for their mass integration into the existing power system. The grid code has been imposed by the regulatory bodies and the transmission system operators to ensure the low-voltage ride through (LVRT) capability of the wind farms for stable operation. DFIGs with their popular topology of partially rated converters are unable to provide the LVRT capability alone. In this work, a nonlinear control-based modified bridge-type fault current limiter (NC-MBFCL) is proposed to enhance the LVRT capability of DFIG-based wind farms. The efficacy of the NC-MBFCL is evaluated through performance comparison with that of the conventionally controlled bridge-type fault current limiter (BFCL) and the modified BFCL (MBFCL). Extensive simulations executed in MATLAB/Simulink environment for both the symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults reveal that the proposed NC-MBFCL is very effective in enhancing the LVRT capability of DFIG-based wind farms and outperforms the conventionally controlled BFCL and MBFCL. Also, it was found that the BFCL demonstrates better performance than the MBFCL.
Overall quality assessment of SKOS thesauri

The article proposes a methodology for a thesauri quality assessment that supports decision-makers in selecting thesauri by exploiting an overall quality measure. This measure takes into account the subjective perceptions of the decision-maker according to the reuse of thesauri in a specific application context. The analytic hierarchy process methodology is adopted to capture both subjective and objective facets involved in the thesauri quality assessment, thus providing a ranking of the thesauri assessed. Our methodology is applied to a set of thesauri by using user-driven application contexts. A step-by-step explanation of how the approach supports the decision process in the creation, maintenance and exploitation of a framework of linked thesauri is provided.
Comparison of neurocognitive performance in contact and noncontact nonconcussed high school athletes across a two-year interval

Investigating short-term effects of subconcussive impacts on neurocognitive functioning, we employed a repeated measures multivariate model and regression-based measure to examine neurocognitive changes in 771 contact and noncontact high school athletes over a two-year period. Results reveal significant changes in Visual Motor Speed for both groups over a two-year period, with small effect sizes. According to regression-based measures, differences in contact sport athletes' expected Time 2 performances were significant for Visual Motor Speed, also with minimal effects. Results do not conclusively implicate subconcussive hits as the offending factor in differences observed, with gender and sport-type possibly contributing to the small effects.
Assembly and performance of a 6.4 T cryogen‐free dynamic nuclear polarization system

We report on the assembly and performance evaluation of a 180-GHz/6.4 T dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) system based on a cryogen-free superconducting magnet. The DNP system utilizes a variable-field superconducting magnet that can be ramped up to 9 T and equipped with cryocoolers that can cool the sample space with the DNP assembly down to 1.8 K via the Joule-Thomson effect. A homebuilt DNP probe insert with top-tuned nuclear magnetic resonance coil and microwave port was incorporated into the sample space in which the effective sample temperature is approximately 1.9 K when a 180-GHz microwave source is on during DNP operation. 13 C DNP of [1-13 C] acetate samples doped with trityl OX063 and 4-oxo-TEMPO in this system have resulted in solid-state 13 C polarization levels of 58 ± 3% and 18 ± 2%, respectively. The relatively high 13 C polarization levels achieved in this work have demonstrated that the use of a cryogen-free superconducting magnet for 13 C DNP is feasible and in fact, relatively efficient-a major leap to offset the high cost of liquid helium consumption in DNP experiments.
159 The landscape of school-based violence in pennsylvania

Statement of purpose School-based violence, including violence en route to and from school, can make students afraid to go to school and frequently results in serious injury. Efforts to prevent violence in the school setting are typically not targeted but are rather deployed in the general contexts of school more broadly (i.e. metal detectors, security guards). Understanding the nuances of violence in schools across a state with rural, suburban, and urban settings could aid in the creation of more targeted violence prevention programs. Methods A cluster analysis was conducted on data on school-based violence in all public and charter schools in Pennsylvania. Thirty variables reflecting specific types of school-based violence were analysed by rural, suburban, and urban settings and school type. Results The dendrogram showed that two broad themes emerged: violent incidents involving weapons were more likely to occur in urban and suburban settings, and incidents involving drugs and threats of violence were more likely to occur in rural settings. Conclusion Results revealed that types of violent incidents were clustered by setting. For example, aggravated assaults were more likely to occur in urban settings, whereas possessing a knife was more likely to occur in a rural setting. Significance to Injury/Prevention Research This study furthers our understanding of school-based violence and could pave the way for more targeted interventions. Valuable next steps will include reviewing the results with school teachers, administrators, and students for their impressions of whether and how school features relate to whether levels of violence or safety are high or low in a given school or in specific contexts, times, and locations in and around school environments.
RELATIONS BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT: INDIVIDUATION AND THE COUNT/MASS DISTINCTION

Abstract What is the relationship between linguistic and nonlinguistic cognitive categories? How does language acquisition (specifically, the acquisition of grammatical categories) draw on prelinguistic concepts? Is it possible, as recent commentators have argued, that the acquisition of linguistic categories itself affects nonlinguistic conceptual categories? This chapter addresses these questions by focusing on the grammatical distinction between count and mass nouns and its relation to the distinction between objects and stuff (materials). We first ask whether learning count/mass syntax may help children think about objects and stuff in ways that were not antecedently available to them. We also ask whether crosslinguistic differences in marking count/mass status affect the nonlinguistic individuation criteria used by speakers of different languages. We review a number of recent findings that have been interpreted as showing such effects of count/mass syntax on nonlinguistic cognition, and we argue that they do not conclusively demonstrate language-specific influences on mental life.
Homogenized and localized stress reconfigurations of solid or hollow fiber reinforced materials in a multi-scale framework

Abstract A multi-scale model is proposed in the present work based on the effort of reducing the stress concentrations in an infinite aluminum homogeneous plate with a hole that is subjected to several types of far-field loading conditions. A set of concentric composite layers reinforced using solid or hollow fibers are employed to replace the homogenous material in the vicinity around the hole. The homogenized moduli of each layer can be easily calculated from the proposed locally exact homogenization theory. The continuity equations and boundary conditions are applied to solve the boundary value problems at structural level using assumed displacement field in terms of complex potentials, then the stress distributions at the local microstructures are investigated. It is found that the hollow fibers are more efficient than solid ones in reducing the stress concentrations at both homogenized and microstructural levels. The particle swarm optimization technique is finally introduced to search for the optimal design parameters to reduce the stress concentrations. It can be concluded that the local stresses in the matrix phase of the innermost layer are still very large and prone to suffer cracks even if the homogenized stress concentration factors are significantly reduced.
Does Anycast Hang Up on You (UDP and TCP)

Anycast-based services today are widely used commercially, with several major providers serving thousands of important websites. However, to our knowledge, there has been only limited study of how often anycast fails because routing changes interrupt connections between users and their current anycast site. While the commercial success of anycast CDNs means anycast usually works well, do some users end up shut out of anycast? In this paper, we examine data from more than 9000 geographically distributed vantage points (VPs) to 11 anycast services to evaluate this question. Our contribution is the analysis of this data to provide the first quantification of this problem, and to explore where and why it occurs. We see that about 1% of VPs are anycast unstable , reaching a different anycast site frequently (sometimes every query). Flips back and forth between two sites in 10 s are observed in selected experiments for given service and VPs. Moreover, we show that anycast instability is persistent for some VPs—a few VPs never see a stable connections to certain anycast services during a week or even longer. The vast majority of VPs only saw unstable routing toward one or two services instead of instability with all services, suggesting the cause of the instability lies somewhere in the path to the anycast sites. We point out that for highly unstable VPs, their probability to hit a given site is constant, suggesting load balancing might be the cause to anycast routing flipping. Finally, we directly examine TCP flipping and show that it is much rarer than UDP flipping, but does occur in about 0.15% (VP, letter) combinations. Moreover, we show concrete cases in which TCP connection timeout in anycast connection due to per-packet flipping. Our findings confirm the common wisdom that anycast almost always works well, but provide evidence that a small number of locations in the Internet where specific anycast services are never stable.
Contact-free trans-pars-planar illumination enables snapshot fundus camera for nonmydriatic wide field photography

In conventional fundus photography, trans-pupillary illumination delivers illuminating light to the interior of the eye through the peripheral area of the pupil, and only the central part of the pupil can be used for collecting imaging light. Therefore, the field of view of conventional fundus cameras is limited, and pupil dilation is required for evaluating the retinal periphery which is frequently affected by diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and other chorioretinal conditions. We report here a nonmydriatic wide field fundus camera employing trans-pars-planar illumination which delivers illuminating light through the pars plana, an area outside of the pupil. Trans-pars-planar illumination frees the entire pupil for imaging purpose only, and thus wide field fundus photography can be readily achieved with less pupil dilation. For proof-of-concept testing, using all off-the-shelf components a prototype instrument that can achieve 90° fundus view coverage in single-shot fundus images, without the need of pharmacologic pupil dilation was demonstrated.
Factor Analysis and Psychopathology

A major contributor to medical classification was the seventeenth-century British physician Thomas Sydenham, who promoted the concept of a syndrome. Sydenham argued that a careful observer of patients could note that certain sets of symptoms tended to co-occur. If these co-occurring sets of symptoms were seen repeatedly across a number of patients, this observance would suggest that the syndrome may represent more than a chance collection of symptoms. Instead, the consistent appearance of a syndrome would suggest a disease with a common etiology and a common treatment.
Human T-Lymphotropic Virus-Associated Neurological Disorders

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the first human retrovirus discovered, has a tropism for T lymphocytes and has been established as the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), an aggressive CD4 T-cell malignancy (1, 2, 3, 4). HTLV-2 was subsequently isolated and found to share approximately 60% nucleotide sequence homology with HTLV-1 (5). In the mid-1980s, HTLV-1 began to be associated through epidemiologic studies as a contributing factor in chronic neurodegenerative disorders. These clinical syndromes were first reported in Japan and Martinique (French West Indies), both regions that were endemic for HTLV-1 infection (6,7). Through important international cooperative studies, both syndromes were revealed to be identical in clinical presentation and are now known collectively as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-2 has been sporadically associated with lymphoproliferative diseases and recently has been implicated in isolated case reports of neurological disease (8,9).
Digital inclusiveness of health information websites

This study examines the accessibility and mobile readiness of 25 of the top health information website homepages using mobile-readiness heuristics and an accessibility analysis based on a combination of automated and manual inspection of the website code. The paper also explores whether there might be a relationship between an organization meeting accessibility guidelines and an organization making its site mobile-ready and whether there is a difference between government and non-government website digital inclusiveness. The findings revealed that the overwhelming majority of the sites were at least partially mobile-ready, reformatting for a mobile screen, but that many of the sites violated critical accessibility guidelines. While non-government sites tended to be somewhat more mobile -ready, government sites were more likely to perform well when it came to accessibility testing. The results question whether health information providers are putting a higher priority on mobile-readiness than on accessibility to users with disabilities
Barriers to Achieving Optimal Success with Medical Cannabis: Opportunities for Quality Improvement.

Abstract This commentary describes the clinician experience of certifying patients for medical cannabis (MC) in a north suburban Chicago integrative family medicine practice. The physician and rese...
Emergency Department Crowding Is Associated With Delayed Antibiotics for Sepsis.

Study objective Barriers to early antibiotic administration for sepsis remain poorly understood. We investigated the association between emergency department (ED) crowding and door-to-antibiotic time in ED sepsis. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of ED sepsis patients presenting to 2 community hospitals, a regional referral hospital, and a tertiary teaching hospital. The primary exposure was ED occupancy rate, defined as the ratio of registered ED patients to licensed ED beds. We defined ED overcrowding as an ED occupancy rate greater than or equal to 1. We used multivariable regression to measure the adjusted association between ED crowding and door-to-antibiotic time (elapsed time from ED arrival to first antibiotic initiation). Using Markov multistate models, we also investigated the association between ED crowding and pre-antibiotic care processes. Results Among 3,572 eligible sepsis patients, 70% arrived when the ED occupancy rate was greater than or equal to 0.5 and 14% arrived to an overcrowded ED. Median door-to-antibiotic time was 158 minutes (interquartile range 109 to 216 minutes). When the ED was overcrowded, 46% of patients received antibiotics within 3 hours of ED arrival compared with 63% when it was not (difference 14.4%; 95% confidence interval 9.7% to 19.2%). After adjustment, each 10% increase in ED occupancy rate was associated with a 4.0-minute increase (95% confidence interval 2.8 to 5.2 minutes) in door-to-antibiotic time and a decrease in the odds of antibiotic initiation within 3 hours (odds ratio 0.90; 95% confidence interval 0.88 to 0.93). Increasing ED crowding was associated with slower initial patient assessment but not further delays after the initial assessment. Conclusion ED crowding was associated with increased sepsis antibiotic delay. Hospitals must devise strategies to optimize sepsis antibiotic administration during periods of ED crowding.
Machine Learning for Yield Learning and Optimization

Yield learning and optimization are critical for advanced IC design and manufacturing. Recent advance in machine learning has brought a lot of new opportunities in improving the performance and efficiency of IC yield learning and optimization. This paper surveys some recent results of using various machine learning/deep learning techniques for such purpose, including performance modeling under uncertainty, lithography modeling with transfer/active learning, lithography hotspot detection, and IC mask optimization. The state-of-the-art methods are explained, and challenges/opportunities are discussed.
Effects of radar interference on search-radar operator performance

The paper describes results of a study whose primary objective was to estimate a level (or levels) of radar-caused interference whose presence would not significantly affect the performance of search-radar operators, using plan-position indicator (PPI) displays. Extensive data obtained from a simulation experiment involving 5 Air Force and 5 FAA operators, performed by the Calspan Corporation (sponsored by ECAC), are reviewed. An interference measure is provided as well as a number of performance measures; an interim permissible interference level is suggested.
Mechanism of “Modified-Self” Induced Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Antibody Unresponsiveness

It is apparent from recent reports that both antibody and cell-mediated immunity most likely participate in the immune response to primary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Effective immune responses are evidently directed against elimination of infected cells through recognition of HSV glycoproteins of the cell surface. Neutralizing antibody apparently is not a factor in primary infection because of the cell to cell transfer of virus. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (1) as well as T lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity (2) have been shown to be involved in the survival of mice challenged with lethal doses of virus. Delayed hypersensitivity is apparently involved in the elimination of HSV (3) and survival (4). However, the interaction between antibody and cell-mediated effector mechanism has not been completely explored. For example, antibody (at critical concentrations) may actually interfere with cell-mediated mechanisms thereby “enhancing” HSV infections. On the other hand, antibody may act in some manner to deregulate the induction of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response (5). Therefore, we have begun studies which will provide ways of “modulating” humoral and/or cell-mediated immune responses that would benefit the host’s recovery from an HSV infection.
Prediction of emergency department patient disposition based on natural language processing of triage notes.

Abstract Background : Nursing triage documentation is the first free-form text data created at the start of an emergency department (ED) visit. These 1–3 unstructured sentences reflect the clinical impression of an experienced nurse and are key in gauging a patient’s illness. We aimed to predict final ED disposition using three commonly-employed natural language processing (NLP) techniques of nursing triage notes in isolation from other data. Methods : We constructed a retrospective cohort of all 260,842 consecutive ED encounters in 2015-16, from three clinically heterogeneous academically-affiliated EDs. After exclusion of 3964 encounters based on completeness of triage, and disposition data, we included 256,878 encounters. We defined the outcome as: 1) admission, transfer, or in-ED death [68,092 encounters] vs. 2) discharge, “left without being seen,” and “left against medical advice” [188,786 encounters]. The dataset was divided into training and testing subsets. Neural network regression models were trained using bag-of-words, paragraph vectors, and topic distributions to predict disposition and were evaluated using the testing dataset. Results : Area under the curve for disposition using triage notes as bag-of-words, paragraph vectors, and topic distributions were 0.737 (95% CI: 0.734 - 0.740), 0.785 (95% CI: 0.782 - 0.788), and 0.687 (95% CI: 0.684 - 0.690), respectively. Conclusions : Nursing triage notes can be used to predict final ED patient disposition, even when used separately from other clinical information. These findings have substantial implications for future studies, suggesting that free text from medical records may be considered as a critical predictor in research of patient outcomes.