cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Group A Streptococcus Epidemiology and Vaccine Implications

Group A Streptococcus (GAS ) species are responsible for a wide variety of human diseases that range from noninvasive, mild infections, such as pharyngitis and impetigo, to life-threatening, invasive conditions, such as bacteremia, pneumonia, necrotizing fasciitis (NF), and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). In addition, GAS is responsible for nonsuppurative sequelae of infection-specifically, acute rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. The global impact of disease has been estimated to be >500,000 deaths per year, primarily due to rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease, and invasive GAS infection. These figures place GAS among the world's major human pathogens, exceeded only by HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, with mortality rates comparable to those for rotavirus infection, measles, Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, and hepatitis [1]. A previous report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Active
Robust nonlinear flight control of a high-performance aircraft

This paper considers probabilistic robust control of nonlinear uncertain systems. A combination of stochastic robustness and dynamic inversion is proposed for general systems that have a feedback-linearizable nominal system. In this paper, the stochastic robust nonlinear control approach is applied to a highly nonlinear complex aircraft model, the high-incidence research model (HIRM). The model addresses a high-angle-of-attack enhanced manual control problem. The aim of the flight control system is to give good handling qualities across the specified flight envelope without the use of gain scheduling and also to provide robustness to modeling uncertainties. The proposed stochastic robust nonlinear control explores the direct design of nonlinear flight control logic. Therefore, the final design accounts for all significant nonlinearities in the aircraft's high-fidelity simulation model. The controller parameters are designed to minimize the probability of violating design specifications, which provides the design with good robustness in stability and performance subject to modeling uncertainties. The present design compares favorably with earlier controllers that were generated for a benchmark design competition.
Best practices in surgical abortion

Surgical abortion in the first trimester comprises the majority of voluntary pregnancy interruptions performed in the United States. The majority of these procedures are done in outpatient settings with the patient under local anesthesia. Appropriate volume of and deep injection of local anesthetic can reduce pain associated with the procedure. Waiting between administration of the paracervical block and initiating the procedure does not affect pain. Intravenous administration of sedation and analgesia improves patient satisfaction but does not significantly affect pain ratings. Antibiotic prophylaxis is warranted. Vasopressin is useful for prevention of hematometra and hemorrhage. Less evidence supports the routine use of ergots. Preoperative cervical priming reduces the risk of cervical injury and uterine perforation. Attention to operative technique can reduce the risk of incomplete abortion. Routine postoperative care at 2 or 3 weeks is timed to identify complications and to reinforce pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention.
Design of a compact optical see-through head-worn display with mutual occlusion capability

We present the first-order design details and preliminary lens design and performance analysis of a compact optical system that can achieve mutual occlusions. Mutual occlusion is the ability of real objects to occlude virtual objects and virtual objects to occlude real objects. Mutual occlusion is a desirable attribute for a certain class of augmented reality applications where as it can provide a critical cue to depth. Compactness is achieved through the use of polarization optics. First order layout of the system is similar to that of a Keplerian telescope operating at finite conjugates. Additionally, we require the image to lie on the plane of the object with unit magnification. An implementation of the system is designed where the same lens is used as the objective and the eyepiece. The system is capable of having very close to zero distortion.
Enterprise Adoption of ICT Innovations: Multi-disciplinary Literature Analysis and Future Research Opportunities

Enterprise adoption of information and communication technology innovations has been a topic of tremendous interest to both practitioners and researchers. The influence of technological, managerial, strategic, and economic factors has led the field to become a rich tapestry of theoretical and conceptual foundations. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the scholarly development of the enterprise adoption literature by examining articles over the past three decades. The study identifies nearly 400 articles and classifies them by functional discipline, publication, research methodology, and ICT type. The paper concludes with important implications for future research.
N*N passive fiber star coupler using grating degeneration and sandwich structures

Designs for an efficient N*N passive integrated optical star coupler are proposed. The concepts of grating degeneration and sandwich structures are presented as solutions to the dynamic range limitation problem encountered by holographic fiber star couplers. The techniques and their combinations can significantly reduce the number of gratings required by the coupler. For instance, the number of superimposed gratings is decreased from 120 to no more than 4 for a 16*16 coupler. This reduction makes it possible to build holographic N*N star couplers with recording materials of a moderate modulation index. >
Experimental and numerical models of three-dimensional gravity-driven flow of shear-thinning polymer solutions used in vaginal delivery of microbicides.

HIV/AIDS is a growing global pandemic. A microbicide is a formulation of a pharmaceutical agent suspended in a delivery vehicle, and can be used by women to protect themselves against HIV infection during intercourse. We have developed a three-dimensional (3D) computational model of a shear-thinning power-law fluid spreading under the influence of gravity to represent the distribution of a microbicide gel over the vaginal epithelium. This model, accompanied by a new experimental methodology, is a step in developing a tool for optimizing a delivery vehicle's structure/function relationship for clinical application. We compare our model with experiments in order to identify critical considerations for simulating 3D free-surface flows of shear-thinning fluids. Here we found that neglecting lateral spreading, when modeling gravity-induced flow, resulted in up to 47% overestimation of the experimental axial spreading after 90 s. In contrast, the inclusion of lateral spreading in 3D computational models resulted in rms errors in axial spreading under 7%. In addition, the choice of the initial condition for shape in the numerical simulation influences the model's ability to describe early time spreading behavior. Finally, we present a parametric study and sensitivity analysis of the power-law parameters' influence on axial spreading, and to examine the impact of changing rheological properties as a result of dilution or formulation conditions. Both the shear-thinning index (n) and consistency (m) impacted the spreading length and deceleration of the moving front. The sensitivity analysis showed that gels with midrange m and n values (for the ranges in this study) would be most sensitive (over 8% changes in spreading length) to 10% changes (e.g., from dilution) in both rheological properties. This work is applicable to many industrial and geophysical thin-film flow applications of non-Newtonian fluids; in addition to biological applications in microbicide drug delivery.
Determination of Structural Topology of a Membrane Protein in Lipid -Bilayers using Polarization Optimized Experiments (POE) for Static and MAS Solid State NMR Spectroscopy

The low sensitivity inherent to both the static and magic angle spinning techniques of solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy has thus far limited the routine application of multidimensional experiments to determine the structure of membrane proteins in lipid bilayers. Here, we demonstrate the advantage of using a recently developed class of experiments, polarization optimized experiments, for both static and MAS spectroscopy to achieve higher sensitivity and substantial time-savings for 2D and 3D experiments. We used sarcolipin, a single pass membrane protein, reconstituted in oriented bicelles (for oriented ssNMR) and multilamellar vesicles (for MAS ssNMR) as a benchmark. The restraints derived by these experiments are then combined into a hybrid energy function to allow simultaneous determination of structure and topology. The resulting structural ensemble converged to a helical conformation with a backbone RMSD ~0.44 A, a tilt angle of 24° ± 1°, and an azimuthal angle of 55° ± 6°. This work represents a crucial first step toward obtaining high-resolution structures of large membrane proteins using combined multidimensional oriented solid-state NMR and magic angle spinning solid-state NMR.
Measuring Provider Adherence to Tobacco Treatment Guidelines: A Comparison of Electronic Medical Record Review, Patient Survey, and Provider Survey

An accurate method of measuring primary care providers' tobacco counseling actions is needed for monitoring adherence to clinical practice guidelines. We compared three methods of measuring providers' tobacco counseling practices: electronic medical record (EMR) review, patient survey, and provider survey. We mailed a survey to 1,613 smokers seen by 114 Boston-area primary care providers during a 2-month period to assess what tobacco counseling actions had occurred at the visit (N = 766; 47% response rate). Smokers' reports were compared with the EMR and with their providers' self-reported usual tobacco counseling practices, derived from a provider survey (N = 110; 96% response rate). Patients reported receiving each counseling action more frequently than providers documented it in the EMR. Agreement between the patient survey and the EMR was poor for all 5A steps (kappa statistic = 0.01-0.22). Providers reported that they often or always performed each 5A action at a higher rate than indicated by EMR or patient report. However, providers who said they often or always performed individual 5A steps did not have consistently higher mean rates of EMR documentation or patient report than those who said they performed the 5A's less frequently. Little agreement was found among the three methods of measuring primary care providers' tobacco counseling actions. Implementing an EMR does not necessarily improve providers' documentation of tobacco interventions, but EMR adaptations that would standardize provider documentation of tobacco counseling might make the EMR a more reliable tool for monitoring providers' delivery of tobacco treatment services.
NEUROLOGIC IMPAIRMENT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND THE DISABILITY STATUS SCALE

Scales to measure disability in multiple sclerosis have been rather numerous. One system used includes the delineation of overall neurologic dysfunction according to a Disability Status Scale which is scored on a 0 to 10 basis, with 0 being normal, the numbers rising in proportion to severity of involvement, and 10 used for death due to MS. The other part of this system is the assessment of dysfunction according to Pyramidal, Cerebellar, Brain Stem, Sensory, Bowel and Bladder, Visual, Cerebral, and Other functions, each one save the last being graded 0 to 5 or 0 to 6 according to severity of involvement. Based on some 2000 examinations over the first 20 years or so of illness in 572 male MS patients, the overall frequency of involvement according to the functional systems was Pyramidal 80 per cent, Cerebellar 72 per cent, Brain Stem 69 per cent, Sensory 52 per cent, Bowel & Bladder 33 per cent, Visual 31 per cent, Cerebral (mood) 16 per cent, Cerebral (mentation) 5 per cent, and Other 21 per cent. Seizures were present in 1.4 per cent. When symptoms referable to pyramidal and cerebellar dysfunction were distributed by limbs involved, there was a tendency toward symmetry of involvement with the lowers much more often affected than the uppers. Sensory complaints were equally common for each limb or combination of limbs, but sensory findings on exam showed the same pattern as the motor and coordination complaints. When correlated with the Disability Status Scale, each of the functional systems showed not only increasing frequency but also increasing severity of involvement as overall disability increased. Involvement in each functional system was significantly correlated with involvement in each of the others, save for the Cerebral-Sensory pair, and the highest correlations for each functional system were with the Disability Status Scale. Accordingly, it is concluded that as groups of MS patients worsen, they worsen in all areas. Therefore, any measure which will reflect even a part of this worsening will appear to be a valid estimate for the course of disease in groups of patients, and all of the published scales designed to evaluate disability in MS meet this criterion. Whether one system is more “correct” than another is not amenable to proof, and the choice would seem to depend more on factors such as familiarity and ease of application of the system rather than on its intrinsic merits.
ADAPTATION TO OPTOKINETIC ROTATION-INDUCED MOTION SICKNESS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING NAUSEA

17 subjects highly susceptible to motion sickness were divided into Nausea and No-nausea groups depending upon whether the subjects experienced nausea during adaptation to nauseagenic rotation. Eight subjects in the Nausea group viewed an optokinetic rotation drum for repeated sessions of 16 min., with an interval of two days between every two sessions. During each session the subjects continuously viewed the rotating drum 16 min. even if they experienced nausea. nine subjects in the No-nausea group likewise viewed an optokinetic rotation drum for at most 16 min. but immediately stopped viewing the rotating drum whenever they experienced nausea during the session. The criteria for full adaptation were that the subject reported no feelings of stomach discomfort and nausea during a 16-min session. The mean number of sessions to reach full adaptation was 3.9 (SD = 0.6) with a range 3 to 5 sessions for the subjects in the Nausea group and 3.2 (SD = 0.8) with a range 2 to 4 for the subjects in the No-nausea group. It was concluded that subjects can adapt to a nauseagenic optokinetic rotation by repeated exposure without experiencing nausea and vomiting during adaptation.
A Numerical Method to Simulate Radio-Frequency Plasma Discharges

A fully conservative and efficient numerical algorithm is developed for fluid simulations of radio-frequency plasma discharges. Results are presented in one and multiple dimensions for a helium discharge. The algorithm produces accurate results even on fairly coarse grids without the use of numerical dissipation. The proposed electron flux discretization is more accurate and efficient than two of the most commonly used discretizations: low-order upwinding (M. S. Barnes, T. J. Colter, and M. E. Elta, 1987, J. Appl. Phys.61, 81) and Scharfetter?Gummel (D. L. Scharfetter and H. K. Gummel, 1969, IEEE Trans. Electron DevicesED-16, 64).
Incorporating platelet glycoprotein iib/iiia inhibition in critical pathways: Unstable angina/non—st-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors have been shown to be effective in reducing thrombotic events in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and when used as medical therapy in patients with unstable angina/non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI). Recent findings include dramatic preventive benefits in the setting of coronary stent deployment and a significant long-term preventive effect on mortality. The benefits of GP IIb/IIIa receptor inhibition suggest the utility of adopting routine use of these agents in critical pathways of unstable angina/non-ST-segment elevation MI and PCI. Because cost constraints may limit use of these agents, however, targeting treatment based on patient risk assessment may be warranted.
Rings all of whose torsion quasi-injective modules are injective

1. Introduction and background. Throughout this paper it is assumed that rings are associative, have the identity element, and all modules are left unital. R will denote a ring with identity, R-Mod the category of left R -modules, and for each left R -module M, E(M) (resp. J(M)) will represent the injective hull (resp. Jacobson radical) of M. Also, for a module M, A Q' M will mean that A is an essential submodule of M, and Z(M) denotes the singular submodule of M. M is called singular if Z(M) = M, and it is called non-singular in case Z(M) = 0. For fundamental definitions and results related to torsion theories, we refer to [12] and [14]. In this paper we shall deal mainly with Goldie torsion theory. Recall that a pair (G, F) of classes of left R-modules is known as Goldie torsion theory if G is the smallest torsion class containing all modules B/A, where A s' £}, and the torsion free class F is precisely the class of non-singular modules.
Medialization Thyroplasty Using the Montgomery Thyroplasty System

The Montgomery Thyroplasty Implant System and operative technique provides a reliable means of attaining excellent voice results in the majority of patients treated. The system requires no intraoperative carving and is standardized so as to reduce operative time while not sacrificing results.
Compliance With Hypertensive Therapy

To the Editor: Halpern et al1 propose studies to evaluate patients’ compliance and persistence with hypertensive therapy. I have been in academic medicine and private practice for 42 years, many spent treating hypertensive patients. In the 1960s and 1970s we had poorly tolerated antihypertensive medications, and that was the most common cause for noncompliance. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to …
Compressive Creep and Oxidation Resistance of an Si3N4 Material Fabricated in the System Si3N4‐Si2N2O‐Y2Si2O7

The compressive creep behavior and oxidation resistance of an Si3N4/Y2Si2O7 material (0.85Si3N4+0.10SiO2+0.05Y2O3) were determined at 1400°C. Creep re sistance was superior to that of other Si3N4 materials and was significantly in creased by a preoxidation treatment (1600°C /120 h). An apparent parabolic rate constant of 4.2 × 10−11 kg2·m-4·s−1 indicates excellent oxidation resistance.
Fusion Materials Development in the U.S.

Materials research is recognized as a key to the development of an economic and reliable fusion reactor. The environment in which materials must perform in a magnetic fusion reactor is established and general criteria for selecting structural and special purpose materials are summarized. On this basis, the US program in materials development for fusion is described. Key program elements include the development of alloys for use as structural materials, the study of fundamental processes central to radiation damage analysis, the development of components capable of handling high heat and particle fluxes that are incident on components like limiters, divertor target plates, neutral beam heat dumps, and other in-vessel components in fusion reactors. The relationship of the materials program to the rest of the national fusion program is discussed.
The lack of motor vehicle occupant restraint use in children arriving at school.

Background: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of mortality for children aged 4-14 in the United States. Many children are driven daily to school, increasing their exposure to potential injury, especially if they are not appropriately restrained. Observing the level of motor vehicle occupant restraint (MVOR) use upon school arrival could lead to valuable information for the development of an injury prevention program targeted to this population. This study compares the rate of MVOR use upon arrival to elementary schools with that at regional intersections. Methods: One hundred thirty-five census tracts in the Denver, Colorado, area were identified and combined into 5 regions. Within each region, 1 controlled intersection and 1 elementary school were observed. Observations were conducted for 1 hour at each of these locations. Results: At intersections, 618 children in private vehicles were observed. MVOR use rate was 71.2% (440/618). At schools, 665 children in private vehicles were observed. MVOR use was 24.8% (165/665). Children arriving at school were less likely to be restrained than those observed at intersections (relative risk: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.30-0.40). Conclusions: Children at elementary schools showed substantially lower MVOR use rates than those observed at controlled intersections. Further investigation is imperative to determine the reason behind the low use of MVOR in children being transported to school. Based on the reasons elicited, interventions emphasizing the importance of always using MVOR can be developed and tailored to meet the educational needs of parents transporting their children to school in private vehicles. Language: en
Varistor versus Environment: Winning the Rematch

An unusual case of difficult application of surge protective devices was solved by field measurements with retrofit of protective devices suitable for the particular environment. Onsite measurements indicated that capacitor switching transients were causing excessive current surges in the varistors and fuses protecting the input to a thyristor motor drive. Knowledge of the environment gained by the measurements allowed understanding of the problem and specification of matching surge protective devices.
Adrenal Gland: Chemically Induced Structural and Functional Changes in the Cortex

The adrenal cortex is the target of a surprisingly large number of exogenous chemicals. Until recently, the toxic action of these chemicals was discovered serendipitously. Following our observations that acrylonitrile, cystearnine or pyrazole induces hemorrhagic adrenocortical necrosis in the rat, we recently recognized a structure-activity correlation which predicts the adrenocorticolytic property of alkyl chemicals, i.e., 2-3carbons with double or triple bonds and with nucleophilic terminal radicals (e.g., -CN, -SHY -NH2). On the basis of our results obtained with electron microscopic, histochemical and biochemical studies as well as those of others, we propose the following sequence of events in the pathogenesis of chemically induced adrenocortical necrosis: 1) Depletion of glutathione and increased dopamine concentration in the adrenals; 2) Endothelial damage and rupture of capillary walls in the adrenal cortex due to either direct attack by the chemicals (metabolites) and/or released monoamines; 3) Retrograde embolization of medullary tissue fragments into the cortical capillaries; 4) Enhanced destruction of cortical vascular walls with subsequent platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition which is often associated with a systemic drop in platelet counts, and changes in blood coagulation; 5) Escape of plasma and cellular elements of blood into extravascular spaces and damage of adrenocortical parenchymal cells; and 6) Hemorrhage and necrosis in the adrenal cortex. This pathogenetic sequence was investigated in detail with acrylonitrile, and studied in various aspects with thioguanine, cysteamine and pyrazole.
KINETIC STUDIES ON ANTHRALIN PHOTOOXIDATION

The photooxidation of the antipsoriatic drug anthralin (1,8-dihydroxy-9-anthrone) has been studied by several kinetic techniques, including direct observation of 1O2 (1 delta g) luminescence at 1.27 microns. The rate of deactivation of 1O2 increases at higher pH, demonstrating that the trihydroxyanthracene anion is the reactive species. Direct determination of the rate constant of 1O2 deactivation (kR + kQ) in deuterated buffer systems by luminescence quenching gave a value of 3.0 x 10(8) M-1 s-1 for the anion; the neutral anthrone is unreactive. The rate constant for the neutral anthrone in benzene-d6 is 2.8 x 10(4) M-1 s-1. Competition experiments with tetramethylethylene in acetonitrile gave a rate constant for reaction alone (kR) of 2.1 x 10(8) M-1 s-1 for the anion.
Simulation of Wake Vortex Radiometric Detection via Jet Exhaust Proxy

This paper describes an analysis of the potential of an airborne hyperspectral imaging IR instrument to infer wake vortices via turbine jet exhaust as a proxy. The goal was to determine the requirements for an imaging spectrometer or radiometer to effectively detect the exhaust plume, and by inference, the location of the wake vortices. The effort examines the gas spectroscopy of the various major constituents of turbine jet exhaust and their contributions to the modeled detectable radiance. Initially, a theoretical analysis of wake vortex proxy detection by thermal radiation was realized in a series of simulations. The first stage used the SLAB plume model to simulate turbine jet exhaust plume characteristics, including exhaust gas transport dynamics and concentrations. The second stage used these plume characteristics as input to the Line By Line Radiative Transfer Model (LBLRTM) to simulate responses from both an imaging IR hyperspectral spectrometer or radiometer. These numerical simulations generated thermal imagery that was compared with previously reported wake vortex temperature data. This research is a continuation of an effort to specify the requirements for an imaging IR spectrometer or radiometer to make wake vortex measurements. Results of the two-stage simulation will be reported, including instrument specifications for wake vortex thermal detection. These results will be compared with previously reported results for IR imaging spectrometer performance.
Fault Detection Observer Design in Low Frequency Domain

This paper studies the H_/Hinfin fault detection problem in the low frequency domain with the aid of the recently developed generalized Kalman-Yakubovic-Popov (KYP) lemma, which gives an accurate characterization of the H_ index in the low frequency domain. The low frequency H_ index and another important performance index Hinfin norm are used to measure the low frequency fault and disturbance effects respectively, and an LMI-based method of designing fault detection observers is presented. An example of the VTOL aircraft is studied to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Polarization-preserving frequency conversion for high-efficiency photon counting and quantum communication

We report polarization-independent upconversion from infrared to visible wavelengths. This technique enables high-efficiency continuous-wave photon counting at 1.55 /spl mu/m, and is necessary for quantum-state frequency translation and long-distance teleportation.
Enhancing international assignees’ performance with online social networks

Purpose – Adjustment to the new locale is one of the primary factors that influence performance on an international assignment. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that depicts how online social networks may contribute to international assignees’ adjustment via their influence on well-being and knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach – The present research uses network theory and readily available technology to develop a model of how online supportive social networks and informational social networks may increase the international assignee’s well-being and knowledge transfer (with prior/next assignees and with the organization). These increases will subsequently have a positive impact on the assignee’s adjustment and ultimately his/her job performance. Findings – Since this paper is conceptual rather than empirical, there are no findings; however, it is argued that online social networks may have a positive impact on an expatriate’s well-being, knowledge transfer, adjustment, and job p...
Absorbent paper method for recording foot placement during gait. Suggestion from the field.

PROBLEM A simple inexpensive method was needed to record foot placement of the gait pattern of severely to profoundly retarded clients. The methods previously reported in the literature were impractical for a variety of reasons. Some were too expensive and too sophisticated for the basic information we needed to collect.1–3 Others required the use of indelible substances applied to the feet or footwear,3–5 and our subjects could not be depended upon to confine their walking to the prepared walkway. Our entire facility is carpeted, so this was a major concern. Furthermore, our subjects would not readily tolerate the application of pads or other material to their feet or shoes, nor could they understand the necessity for leaving these in place until gait recording was completed. Their interest in the materials on their feet precluded conducting natural walking trials. METHOD To circumvent these difficulties, a method was devised using absorbent paper overlaying water-soaked material placed on top of a protective floor covering.…
Subthalamopallidal Loop and Oscillations

Activity Patterns in the Subthalamopallidal Network During quiet wakefulness, GPe neurons maintain mean firing rates in excess of 40 Hz, while STN neurons average about 20 Hz (Wilson 2010). The neurons fire without rhythm, and there is rarely synchrony between the spontaneous discharges of different neurons in the BG of neurologically normal subjects (Rubin et al. 2012). During voluntary or passive movement, STN and GPe neurons display intricate spatiotemporal changes in activity, which relate in a complex manner to motor activity. During movement, activity is rarely correlated but it is highly structured, so that there is precise somatotopic specificity (Bevan et al. 2002). In Parkinson’s disease, rhythmic bursting activity at 4–10 Hz and 15–30 Hz is observed in the STN, GPe, and other parts of the basal ganglia (Bevan et al. 2002). This activity is often correlated within and between nuclei: Neurons that are close to each other within areas located throughout the BG and the BG-receiving areas of the thalamus and the cortex tend to fire in synchrony (Rubin et al. 2012).
Rigor and Responsiveness in Classroom Activity.

Author(s): Thompson, Jesica; Hagenah, Sara; Kang, Hosun; Stroupe, David; Braaten, Melissa; Colley, Carolyn; Windschitl, Mark | Abstract: Background/Context There are few examples from classrooms or the literature that provide a clear vision of teaching that simultaneously promotes rigorous disciplinary activity and is responsive to all students. Maintaining rigorous and equitable classroom discourse is a worthy goal, yet there is no clear consensus of how this actually works in a classroom. Focus of Study What does highly rigorous and responsive talk sound like and how is this dialogue embedded in the social practices and activities of classrooms? Our aim was to examine student and teacher interactions in classroom episodes (warm-ups, small-group conversations, whole-group conversation, etc.) and contribute to a growing body of research that specifies equity in classroom practice. Research Design This mixed-method study examines differences in discourse within and across classroom episodes (warm-ups, small-group conversations, whole-group conversation, etc.) that elevated, or failed to elevate, students’ explanatory rigor in equitable ways. Data include 222 secondary science lessons (1,174 episodes) from 37 novice teachers. Lessons were videotaped and analyzed for the depth of students’ explanatory talk and the quality of responsive dialogue. Findings The findings support three statistical claims. First, high levels of rigor cannot be attained in classrooms where teachers are unresponsive to students’ ideas or puzzlements. Second, the architecture of a lesson matters. Teachers and students engaging in highly rigorous and responsive lessons turned potentially trivial episodes (such as warm-ups) of science activity into robust learning experiences, connected to other episodes in the same lesson. Third, episodes featuring one or more forms of responsive talk elevated rigor. There were three forms of responsive talk observed in classrooms: building on students’ science ideas, attending to students’ participation in the learning community, and folding in students’ lived experiences. Small but strategic moves within these forms were consequential for supporting rigor. Conclusions/Recommendations This paper challenges the notion that rigor and responsiveness are attributes of curricula or individual teachers. Rigorous curriculum is necessary but not sufficient for ambitious and equitable science learning experiences; the interactions within the classroom are essential for sustaining the highest quality of scientific practice and sense-making. The data supported the development of a framework that articulates incremental differences in supporting students’ explanatory rigor and three dimensions of responsiveness. We describe implications for using this framework in the design of teacher programs and professional development models.
A Model of Multimodal Ridesharing and Its Analysis

Getting a taxi in highly congested areas (e.g. Airports, conferences) is both time consuming and expensive. Chicago Tribune reports that wait at Chicago O'Hare International airport for taxi cabs can be as long as 45 minutes [1]. In this paper we propose RSVP, a ridesharing system that uses walking and virtual pools. RSVP is aimed mainly for transportation hubs, such as airports, railway stations, etc. In these places, a steady stream of passengers arrive via some public transport mode, say train, and then depart to different destinations. We introduce a model for ride-sharing that involves walking, devise ridesharing algorithms, and evaluate them using a database that recorded real taxi trips in NYC.
The effect of temperature change rate on user thermal sensation and its implication for tablet computer heat dissipation design

Past research has shown that the rate of change of skin surface temperature can affect thermal sensation. This study investigated users’ thermal responses to a tablet heating surface with different heat pads and different temperature change rates. The test conditions included: A. keeping the surface at a constant 42°C, B. increasing the surface temperature from 38°C to 42°C at a rate of 0.02°C/s in progressive intervals, C. increasing the temperature at 0.15°C/s in progressive intervals, and D. Heating two left and right side pads alternately from 38°C to 42°C at 0.15°C/s in progressive intervals. Overall results showed the lowest temperature change rate of 0.02°C/s was most preferred in terms of thermal comfort. The findings suggest a potential to improve user thermal experience by dissipating tablet computer heat at a lower temperature change rate, or by alternating the dissipation areas.
Epidemiology of Norovirus Infection Among Immunocompromised Patients at a Tertiary Care Research Hospital, 2010-2013.

Background. Noroviruses are a major cause of infectious gastroenteritis worldwide, and viruses can establish persistent infection in immunocompromised individuals. Risk factors and transmission in this population are not fully understood. Methods. From 2010 through 2013, we conducted a retrospective review among immunocompromised patients (n = 268) enrolled in research studies at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center and identified a subset of norovirus-positive patients (n = 18) who provided stool specimens for norovirus genotyping analysis. Results. Norovirus genome was identified by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction in stools of 35 (13%) of the 268 immunocompromised patients tested, and infection prevalence was 21% (11 of 53) in persons with primary immune deficiencies and 12% (20 of 166) among persons with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. Among 18 patients with norovirus genotyping information, norovirus GII.4 was the most prevalent genotype (14 of 18, 78%). Persistent norovirus infection (≥6 months) was documented in 8 of 18 (44%) individuals. Phylogenetic analysis of the GII.4 capsid protein sequences identified at least 5 now-displaced GII.4 variant lineages, with no evidence of their nosocomial transmission in the Clinical Center. Conclusions. Norovirus was a leading enteric pathogen identified in this immunocompromised population. Both acute and chronic norovirus infections were observed, and these were likely community-acquired. Continued investigation will further define the role of noroviruses in these patients and inform efforts toward prevention and treatment.
Treatment of epilepsy in adults

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in adults and requires treatment with antiepileptic medication. While the majority of patients with epilepsy can be treated with medication, about one third will fail on medical treatment. Therefore, other treatment options such as surgery, devices, and the ketogenic diet are other options to consider, in addition to medical treatment. The treatment of epilepsy requires many other factors to be taken into consideration, and these include, but are not limited to, age, gender, coexistent medical conditions, and the use of concomitant medications. The goal of treatment is to provide optimal seizure control while using the least possible number of medications, particularly for young females at reproductive age or the elderly who may suffer from other medical diseases and receive other concomitant medications. Certain conditions may co-exist with epilepsy, such as migraine, mood disorder, and memory disturbances, therefore the decision to choose the most appropriate medication for epilepsy patients should also involve treatment of these conditions. Here, we review current clinical practice in epilepsy and focus on the most common problems and conditions that clinicians face on a daily basis to treat adult patients with epilepsy. Side effect profiles, spectrum of efficacy and optimal choices per predominant type of seizures are summarized and can be used for educational purposes.
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bloodstream infection – A 22-year experience at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive bacillus found mostly in swine, fish and sheep. E. rhusiopathiae classically causes cutaneous eruptions in butchers, fish handlers and veterinarians. Based solely on case reports, 90% of E. rhusiopathiae bloodstream infections (BSI) have been associated with infective endocarditis (IE). To assess the true frequency of IE in E. rhusiopathiae BSI as well as other clinical associations, we performed a retrospective cohort analysis of E. rhusiopathiae BSI at Mayo Clinic. This is a single-centre, retrospective study conducted between 1/1/1994 and 20/6/2016 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, E. rhusiopathiae BSI, anti-microbial susceptibilities, incidence of IE, patient comorbidities, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and duration of antibiotics. Five cases of E. rhusiopathiae BSI were identified. Risk factors included animal exposures, immunosuppression, diabetes and kidney disease. All cases involved penicillin-sensitive strains and high-grade BSI. Four cases showed no signs of IE on transesophageal echocardiogram. All patients recovered fully with intravenous antibiotics. Our retrospective review illustrates that E. rhusiopathiae can cause invasive BSI in the absence of IE and that the previously reported 90% association between BSI and IE may be overestimated due to reporting bias. E. rhusiopathiae should be suspected in any patient with Gram-positive bacilli in blood cultures and the aforementioned risk factors. A limitation of our study was the low sample size, and future studies may involve multicentre collaborations and the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serologic testing to increase the number of diagnoses..
Learning From the Experience

Abstract The evolution of the term “process safety management” is closely associated with the major accidents that occurred in the chemical processing industry during the 20th century. The study of case histories of these accidents, and others, provides valuable information and learning opportunities. This chapter presents some examples and cases to illustrate the discussion about process safety management, human factors in process safety, and risk-based process safety. The experiences from two major corporations are used: three incidents involve ExxonMobil, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the explosion and fire at the Esso Longford Gas Plant, Blackbeard well and two incidents are from BP, Texas City refinery explosion and fire, and Macondo blowout and spill. These incidents will be reviewed by providing context, a synopsis of the event, highlight some of the key findings of the investigations, and look at the lessons learned.
Abstract 423: Potential Role of Natriuretic Peptides in Atherosclerosis and Inflammation

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is currently recognized as one of the important markers of Congestive heart failure (CHF). BNP levels are simple and objective measures of cardiac functi...
Temperature-Modulated Expression of Allometric Respiration Strategies Supports a Metabolic Scaling Rule

A model based on the mass-specific oxygen consumption rate of the tolerant polychaete, Capitella telata, related meaningfully to a novel metabolic scaling rule as applied to the infaunal size spectrum. Depending on temperature, C. telata expressed divergent oxyregulating or oxyconforming strategies relative to oxygen availability. A non-linear response surface fitted to the allometric exponents of a family of VO2 curves for 12 treatment combinations of DO saturation and temperature was used to project oxygen consumption rates across the infaunal size spectrum. Plasticity in respiration strategies was evident, based on four simulated dynamic 32 d oxygen-temperature exposure scenarios and on simulated static oxygen-temperature exposures. The oxyconforming strategy of C. telata expressed under hypoxia near the upper thermal limit agreed with a hypothesized allometric scaling rule based on metabolic ecology. Conversely, an oxyregulating respiration strategy was expressed at cooler temperatures under low oxygen concentration, except organisms hyper-regulated relative to normoxic conditions. At warm temperatures, small organisms exhibited relatively greater metabolic depression than large organisms; whereas at cool temperatures, small organisms hyper-regulated relatively more than large organisms. Dichotomous shifts in respiration strategies likely reflect a breakdown in the functioning of special adaptations, and reliance on alternative coping mechanisms. Divergent temperature-dependent respiration strategies illustrate how responses to multiple stressors can be synergistic. Moreover, results imply that population responses to hypoxia may differ, depending on prevailing temperature regimes.
Instrumented Ankle–Foot Orthosis: Toward a Clinical Assessment Tool for Patient-Specific Optimization of Orthotic Ankle Stiffness

In this paper, we detail the design and operation of the instrumented ankle–foot orthosis ( i AFO), a clinical assessment tool that can be used to quantify the functional consequences of selectively modifying orthotic ankle joint stiffness, particularly for individuals with locomotor deficits such as foot drop. We discuss the sensing capabilities of the system, which include ankle joint kinematics and kinetics, electromyography, and orthosis interface pressures. We further describe the mechanical design of the device, which allows for user-defined manipulation of orthotic stiffness through an interchangeable extension spring mechanism. Finally, we demonstrate a validation of the i AFO's capabilities by presenting results both of benchtop testing and of a preliminary human-subject study. Future work will include in-depth signal analyses of gait parameters and algorithmic development for patient-specific orthosis optimization.
Amitai Etzioni Retrospective

Policy researchers — and think tanks — are rarely evaluated in terms of the results of their endeavors. This is the case despite the fact that American society tends to rank most everything from the reputation of physicians to the number of books an author sells, from football players to the number of Nobel Laureates. This article evaluates four policy recommendations on the basis of evidence and reviews provided by independent sources.
Automated diagnosis without predictability is a recipe for failure

Automated management is critical to the success of cloud computing, given its scale and complexity. But, most systems do not satisfy one of the key properties required for automation: predictability, which in turn relies upon low variance. Most automation tools are not effective when variance is consistently high. Using automated performance diagnosis as a concrete example, this position paper argues that for automation to become a reality, system builders must treat variance as an important metric and make conscious decisions about where to reduce it. To help with this task, we describe a framework for reasoning about sources of variance in distributed systems and describe an example tool for helping identify them.
Focusing the ATMS

Many problems having enormous search spaces can nevertheless be solved because only a very small fraction of that space need be traversed to find the needed solution(s). The ability of assumption-based truth maintenance systems to rapidly switch and compare contexts is an advantage for such problems, but existing ATMS techniques generally perform badly on them. This paper describes a new strategy, the implied-by strategy, for using the ATMS that efficiently supports problem solving in domains which are infinite and where the inference engine must retain tight control in the course of problem solving. We describe the three mechanisms required to implement this strategy: focus environments, implied-by consumers, and contradiction consumers. We compare the implied-by strategy to previous ATMS strategies, and demonstrate its effectiveness by performance comparisons in two simple domains. Finally, we discuss the implications for parallel processing and future ATMS design.
Bankruptcy Planning Is Not Material

Several recent judicial decisions have held that bankruptcy planning discussions by boards of directors do not have to be disclosed to the public trading markets under the obligations of the United States federal securities acts. The discussions, the courts held, are not "material." It is hard to imagine anything more important to investors than bankruptcy planning discussions by boards of directors. At issue is why courts are engaging in a legal fiction to amend a federal rule on disclosure obligations.
Comments on “Marketing Systems and Market Failure”:

William Redmond (2018) recently explored the systems context of market failure, the circumstance where exchange systems, including their interactions with the social environments in which they are ...