cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Process-based measures of quality: the need for detailed clinical data in large health care databases.

The Institute of Medicine defines health care quality as increasing "the likelihood of desired health outcomes" using "services ... consistent with current professional knowledge." This definition implies that quality measures can be based on either achieving health care outcomes or completing processes that experts agree have been shown by scientific evidence to improve outcomes. Process-based measures are especially suitable when the user needs to know how to improve quality, when provider comparisons show equivalent outcomes but all providers should improve processes, when measures are needed to evaluate health care that is intended to improve long-term outcomes, or when the contribution of individual providers (especially providers who have a small number of cases) needs to be defined. However, many different process-based measures are needed to comprehensively assess quality, and many process-based measures require detailed clinical data currently found only in medical records. Therefore, the expense of abstracting records is a barrier to process-based measurement. Fortunately, large-scale process-based measures are becoming more feasible because the required clinical data are being included in large databases. The merging of existing inpatient and outpatient databases with pharmacy and laboratory databases is an important step toward obtaining data that link all patient admissions, appointments, diagnostic procedures, and prescriptions with diagnoses and test results. Other data that are valuable for process-based measures must still be obtained by abstracting data from records, including clinical findings, patient preferences, and medical and family history. In the future, such data may be added to large databases to create computerized medical records.
Usage of E-resources: Virtual Value of Demographics

Abstract The focus of this study was to identify: 1) usage of library e-resources by faculty and staff affiliation and status to identify research and teaching needs; 2) usage of library e-resources by student major, status, gender, registered disability and registered veteran to establish best outreach practices and areas that need service improvement and collection development in support of student learning; and 3) the correlation between use of library e-resources and student attainment as defined by grade point average (GPA). Demographic data was collected for these users based on their university NetID logins. The findings in this study conclusively document that students and faculty use library e-resources to a statistically significant extent and that a statistical relationship exists between student GPA and their use of e-resources. This information confirms the value of library resources to institutional teaching and research needs and can be used to document library value to the institutional mission.
Nonlinear Adaptive Dynamic Inversion Applied to a Generic Hypersonic Vehicle

Flight control of hypersonic vehicles is challenging because of the wide range of operating conditions encountered and certain aspects unique to high speed flight. A particular safety concern in hypersonic flight is the risk of an inlet unstart, which not only produces a significant decrease in thrust but also results in a change to the aerodynamics and thus can lead to the loss of the vehicle. Previous work on control design for hypersonic vehicles often uses linearized or simplified nonlinear dynamical models of the vehicle, and very little work has been done on recovering from unstart events. Using a generic hypersonic vehicle as a control design and simulation model, this paper develops a nonlinear adaptive dynamic inversion control architecture with a control allocation scheme to track realistic flight path angle trajectories. A robustness analysis is performed on the initial control architecture design, which shows that the control architecture is able to handle time delays, perturbations in stability derivatives, and reduced control surface effectiveness. The control architecture then is evaluated for its ability to handle inlet unstart. Simulation results presented in the paper demonstrate that the approach achieves desired tracking performance while being robust to the particular uncertainties and inlet unstart conditions studied.
A Multiscale Red Blood Cell Model with Accurate Mechanics, Rheology, and Dynamics

Red blood cells (RBCs) have highly deformable viscoelastic membranes exhibiting complex rheological response and rich hydrodynamic behavior governed by special elastic and bending properties and by the external/internal fluid and membrane viscosities. We present a multiscale RBC model that is able to predict RBC mechanics, rheology, and dynamics in agreement with experiments. Based on an analytic theory, the modeled membrane properties can be uniquely related to the experimentally established RBC macroscopic properties without any adjustment of parameters. The RBC linear and nonlinear elastic deformations match those obtained in optical-tweezers experiments. The rheological properties of the membrane are compared with those obtained in optical magnetic twisting cytometry, membrane thermal fluctuations, and creep followed by cell recovery. The dynamics of RBCs in shear and Poiseuille flows is tested against experiments and theoretical predictions, and the applicability of the latter is discussed. Our findings clearly indicate that a purely elastic model for the membrane cannot accurately represent the RBC's rheological properties and its dynamics, and therefore accurate modeling of a viscoelastic membrane is necessary.
Nonlinear Modeling for Interface Control in a Three-Lane Microfluidic Channel

A three-lane microfluidic system, where the central fluid stream is confined between two outer streams is well suited for delivering solutes selectively to regions of samples located in the outlet channel. We present a model for the control of the interfaces where the position of the central stream in this microfluidic channel is manipulated by regulating pressure at the two outer inlets. To allow the use of reservoirs of arbitrary size, we decouple the pressure modulation mechanism from the reservoirs. The mechanism simultaneously modulates a variable fluidic resistance mechanically coupled to squeeze pump located in the fluid network between the reservoir and the channel. We show that the linearized dynamics of our nonlinear mechanism explains the high bandwidth in our system. We use the linearized model to design a linear controller and demonstrate its effectiveness for the full nonlinear dynamics in simulation. We present experimental results short-term and long-term pressure regulation at the channel inlets for stable control of laminar flow interfaces. We envision that this approach will be useful for flow cytometry, chemical synthesis, drug delivery, and investigation of spatiotemporally integrated biological responses at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
MONITOREO DE HORMONAS EN EL CAMPO: METODOS Y APLICACIONES EN ECOLOGIA REPRODUCTIVA HUMANA

RESUMEN El estudio de la ecologia reproductiva humana se ha expandido exponencialmente en la ultima decada. Esto se debe, en parte, a los nuevos avances tecnologicos que permiten el analisis de las muestras biologicas recogidas por medio de metodos simples, poco invasivos y relativamente economicos. Estas caracteristicas los hacen logisticamente apropiados para el campo y la investigacion a mediana y gran escala, aun en zonas geograficas alejadas o aisladas. Se presenta una descripcion de los metodos y tecnicas que se pueden utilizar para estimar concentraciones hormonales a nivel poblacional. Los metodos y las tecnicas de recoleccion que aqui se describen incluyen muestras de sangre seca sobre papel de filtro, de orina y de saliva. La recoleccion de muestras biologicas en la investigacion cientifica presenta complejos dilemas eticos. Se enfatiza la necesidad de capacitar a la poblacion local y de transmitir la informacion adquirida a la comunidad que ha participado en el estudio. ABSTRACT The study of human reproductive ecology has expanded exponentially in the last decade. This expansion was due in part to the recent technological advances that are making possible the analysis of biological samples collected using simple, minimally invasive, and relatively inexpensive methods. These features make them logistically appropriate for field and population-based research, even in remote or isolated areas. An overview of methods and techniques that could be used for estimating hormonal levels in large-scale population studies were showed in the present study. Sample collection methods and several techniques were reviewed in this paper, which included blood spots and urine, and saliva samples. The collection of biological samples is associated with serious ethical concerns. It was emphasized the need for increasing capacity in local people building, as well as to increase information transfer to the people which participated in such kind of studies.
Demarketing Strategy in Shortage Marketing Environment

Although demarketing is widely offered as a potentially effective strategic response to the environment of economic shortages, empirical assessment of its application in either domestic or global markets is lacking. This paper explores the relationship between the incidence of economic shortages and demarketing activity performance in six African countries. The study results suggest the existence of several forms of shortage marketing environments which reflect different approaches to demarketing. The paper concludes with observations on methods firms employ to adapt their marketing programs in an environment of scarcity within seller-dominated economies.
Gene expression in sexually dimorphic muscles in sheep.

Testosterone is known to act differen- tially on skeletal muscle from different regions of the body.Twogeneslikelytomediatethetestosteroneeffect are insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), an important growth regulator acting in an autocrine and paracrine way,and androgenreceptor (AR),because receptorden- sity could account for differential muscle growth. An- othermuscle-specificgene thatmayplayarole indiffer- ential muscle growth is myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, shown to be a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the steady state expression of these three genes in two different skeletal muscles in sheep. Eleven Dorset rams were slaughtered after reaching puberty and total RNA
Bounds on an exponential sum arising in Boolean circuit complexity

We study exponential sums of the form S = 2 −n x∈{0,1} n em(h(x))eq (p(x)) ,w herem, q ∈ Z + are relatively prime, p is a polynomial with coefficients in Zq ,a ndh(x) = a(x1 + · ·· +xn) for some 1 a<m . We prove an upper bound of the form 2 −Ω(n) on |S|. This generalizes a result of J. Bourgain, who establishes this bound in the case where q is odd. This bound has
Simbeeotic: a simulation-emulation platform for large scale micro-aerial swarms

Micro-aerial vehicle (MAV) swarms are an emerging class of mobile sensing systems. Designing the next generation of such swarms requires the ability to rapidly test algorithms, sensors, and support infrastructure at scale. Simulation is useful in the early stages of such large-scale system design, when hardware is unavailable or deployment at scale is impractical. To faithfully represent the problem domain, an MAV swarm simulator must be able to model all key aspects of the system: actuation, sensing, and communication. Further, it is important to be able to quickly test swarm behavior using different control algorithms in a varied set of environments, and with a variety of sensors.We demonstrate Simbeeotic, a simulation framework that is capable of modeling large-scale MAV swarms. Simbeeotic enables algorithm development and rapid prototyping through both simulation and hardware-in-the-loop experimentation. We demonstrate Simbeeotic running simulated applications and videos demonstrating hybrid experiments with simulated MAVs as well as helicopters flying in our testbed that show the power and versatility required to assist next generation swarm design.
Detection of macular ganglion cell loss in glaucoma by Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography.

Purpose To map ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness with high-speed Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) and compute novel macular parameters for glaucoma diagnosis. Design Observational, cross-sectional study. Participants One hundred seventy-eight participants in the Advanced Imaging for Glaucoma Study, divided into 3 groups: 65 persons in the normal group, 78 in the perimetric glaucoma group (PG), and 52 in the preperimetric glaucoma group (PPG). Methods The RTVue FD-OCT system was used to map the macula over a 7×6 mm region. The macular OCT images were exported for automatic segmentation using software we developed. The program measured macular retinal (MR) thickness and GCC thickness. The GCC was defined as the combination of nerve fiber, ganglion cell, and inner plexiform layers. Pattern analysis was applied to the GCC map and the diagnostic powers of pattern-based diagnostic parameters were investigated. Results were compared with time-domain (TD) Stratus OCT measurements of MR and circumpapillary nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness. Main Outcome Measures Repeatability was assessed by intraclass correlation, pooled standard deviation, and coefficient of variation. Diagnostic power was assessed by the area under the receiver operator characteristic (AROC) curve. Measurements in the PG group were the primary measures of performance. Results The FD-OCT measurements of MR and GCC averages had significantly better repeatability than TD-OCT measurements of MR and NFL averages. The FD-OCT GCC average had significantly ( P = 0.02) higher diagnostic power (AROC = 0.90) than MR (AROC = 0.85 for both FD-OCT and TD-OCT) in differentiating between PG and normal. One GCC pattern parameter, global loss volume, had significantly higher AROC (0.92) than the overall average ( P = 0.01). The diagnostic powers of the best GCC parameters were statistically equal to TD-OCT NFL average. Conclusions The higher speed and resolution of FD-OCT improved the repeatability of macular imaging compared with standard TD-OCT. Ganglion cell mapping and pattern analysis improved diagnostic power. The improved diagnostic power of macular GCC imaging is on par with, and complementary to, peripapillary NFL imaging. Macular imaging with FD-OCT is a useful method for glaucoma diagnosis and has potential for tracking glaucoma progression. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Comparative Study of Self-Sputtering Effects of Different Boron-Based Low-Energy Doping Techniques

Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method was used to study self-sputtering effects of different p-type (boron-based) low-energy doping techniques, including conventional monoatomic 11B beam-line ion implant, molecular beam-line ion implants, cluster B beam-line ion implant, and plasma doping (PLAD). It has been found that the self-sputtering effects of the beam-line implants correlate with the mass of ion species except for BF2 implant. Cluster B implant shows severe self-sputtering effect and surface roughness due to its very heavy and very large cluster ions. BF2 implant shows severe sputtering/etching effect but comparable roughness due to a combination of the physical sputtering and reactive ion etching. PLAD processes using B2H6 and BF3 gas species have no sputtering effects but have deposition under certain process conditions.
Evidence for a deep asthenosphere beneath North America from western United States SKS splits

The uniform southwesterly trend of fast-traveling split SKS waves that traverse the upper mantle beneath the Yellowstone swell provides good evidence for both southwesterly motion of North America over a relatively stable deep Earth interior, and young strain accommodation within the Yellowstone swell mantle via dislocation creep of olivine. These results contrast with the many SKS splits recorded across the western United States, the splitting behavior of which often is very complex at individual sites, and the orientations of which, as a set, cannot be attributed simply to plate motion or to small-scale convection beneath North America lithosphere. These data suggest that, away from Yellowstone, (1) mantle fabric is complex, and (2) North America motion is accommodated by strain at depths greater than those typically associated with asthenosphere.
Perceiving guaranteed continuously collision-free robot trajectories in an unknown and unpredictable environment

This paper addresses continuous collision-checking of a high-DOF robot trajectory in a completely unknown and unpredictable environment (i.e., obstacles are unknown and their motions are also unknown). In [1], the authors introduced how to discover, if a robot at configuration q at a future time t is guaranteed collision-free or not using the novel concept of the dynamic envelope and atomic obstacles based on sensing in such an unknown and unpredictable environment. In this paper, we further show that if a point (q; t) in the robot's configuration-time space (CT-space) is discovered collision-free, a neighborhood (CT-region) of (q; t) is also guaranteed collision-free. Based on that, given a continuous robot trajectory, we present a method to compute a set of discrete CT-points such that, if these points are discovered to be guaranteed collision-free, their associated collision-free neighborhood CT-regions contains the continuous trajectory, i.e., the trajectory is guaranteed continuously collision-free.
Microsoft Excel as a Supplement to Intermediate Algebra.

Excel assignments were used as extra credit in an intermediate algebra course. Ninety per cent of the students had a home computer and seventy per cent were familiar with Excel. There was not a significant linear correlation between the amount of Excel that the students performed and their achievement in algebra. One-third of the students did less than 50% of the extra credit Excel assignments. The old saying ‘You can lead a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink’ certainly was true in this study. Many of the students enjoyed the integration of computer software with algebra.
Validating and refining clusters via visual rendering

The automatic clustering algorithms are known to work well in dealing with clusters of regular shapes, e.g. compact spherical/elongated shapes, but may incur higher error rates when dealing with arbitrarily shaped clusters. Although some efforts have been devoted to addressing the problem of skewed datasets, the problem of handling clusters with irregular shapes is still in its infancy, especially in terms of dimensionality of the datasets and the precision of the clustering results considered. Not surprisingly, the statistical indices works ineffective in validating clusters of irregular shapes, too. We address the problem of clustering and validating arbitrarily shaped clusters with a visual framework (VISTA). The main idea of the VISTA approach is to capitalize on the power of visualization and interactive feedbacks to encourage domain experts to participate in the clustering revision and clustering validation process.
Short-course nitrofurantoin for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis in women.

Methods: To assess the efficacy of nitrofurantoin vs trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 338 women aged 18 to 45 years with acute uncomplicated cystitis were randomized to open-label treatment with either trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole, 1 double-strength tablet twice daily for 3 days, or nitrofurantoin, 100 mg twice daily for 5 days. Clinical cure 30 days after therapy was the main outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included clinical and microbiological cure rates 5 to 9 days after therapy and, for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole–treated women, clinical cure stratified by the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole susceptibility of the uropathogen. Results: Clinical cure was achieved in 79% of the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group and in 84% of the nitrofurantoin group, for a difference of �5% (95% confidence interval, �13% to 4%). Clinical and microbiological cure rates at the first follow-up visit were also equivalent between the 2 groups. In the trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole arm, 7 of 17 women (41%) with a trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole–nonsusceptible isolate had a clinical cure compared with 84% of women with a trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole–susceptible isolate (P.001). Conclusion: A 5-day course of nitrofurantoin is equivalent clinically and microbiologically to a 3-day course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and should be considered an effective fluoroquinolone-sparing alternative for the treatment of acute cystitis in women. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00391651
A memetic algorithm for distributed object allocations

We propose a memetic algorithm based approach for allocating objects in distributed computing environment. Our allocation objective is to allocate objects to different servers so that the number of inter-server communications can be minimized. Assuming servers with similar processing and storage capabilities — to avoid biased allocation of the objects on servers with higher performance — we formulate the problem of allocating distributed objects as a graph bisection problem. Using simulated data, we use the memetic algorithm to solve the graph bisection problem. We compare the performance of the memetic algorithm with the Kernighan and Lin (KL) heuristic and semidefinite programming (SDP) lower bounds for graph bisection problem. The results of our experiments show that the memetic algorithm performs better or equal to the KL heuristic and has a relative performance gap of between 2–5% from the SDP lower bounds.
Making Group Brainstorming More Effective: Recommendations From an Associative Memory Perspective

Much literature on group brainstorming has found it to be less effective than individual brainstorming. However, a cognitive perspective suggests that group brainstorming could be an effective technique for generating creative ideas. Computer simulations of an associative memory model of idea generation in groups suggest that groups have the potential to generate ideas that individuals brainstorming alone are less likely to generate. Exchanging ideas by means of writing or computers, alternating solitary and group brainstorming, and using heterogeneous groups appear to be useful approaches for enhancing group brainstorming.
Linear Arrays: Synthesis

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Sum and Difference Patterns Dolph-Chebyshev Synthesis of Sum Patterns Sum Pattern Beamwidth of Linear Arrays Peak Directivity of the Sum Pattern of a Linear Array A Relation Between Beamwidth and Peak Directivity for Linear Arrays Taylor Synthesis of Sum Patterns Modified Taylor Patterns Sum Patterns with Arbitrary Side Lobe Topography Discretization of a Continuous Line Source Distribution Bayliss Synthesis of Difference Patterns Difference Patterns with Arbitrary Side Lobe Topography Discretization Applied to Difference Patterns Design of Linear Arrays to Produce Null-Free Patterns This chapter contains sections titled: References Problems ]]>
Effectiveness of Online Advising on Honors Student Retention and Engagement

Academic advising is an important component of a student's education, and more often universities are turning to technology to aid in this task. This paper presents a case study of an online advising system that complements a university degree audit system by providing honors students and advisors up-to-date details on individual progress towards completing the honors curriculum and on the level of engagement in the honors co-curricular programming. By leveraging the features of Google Apps for Education, this advising system allows faculty and students to securely and easily access accurate information during schedule planning, and frees up honors staff from repetitive tasks allowing them to dedicate more time to helping students plan their educational journey. Effectiveness of this new system is measured by accuracy of information, time spent by the administration in maintaining the system, student retention and completion of the honors curriculum, and student engagement in honors co-curricular programming. The Google Script described in this paper can be adapted for mail-merge and automatic web page generation in several educational settings beyond academic advising.
Visual diagnosis: a 31/2-year-old boy with sickle β-thalassemia and a groin mass.

1. Aditi Bagchi, MD* 2. Ashraf Elnawawi, MD† 3. Swayam Sadanandan, MD‡ 1. *Resident (PGY-3), Pediatrics, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY. 2. †Attending Physician, Department of Pathology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY. 3. ‡Associate Chairperson, Department of Pediatrics, Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY. * Abbreviations: CFP: : calcifying fibrous pseudotumor IMT: : inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor A 3½-year-old boy with a history of sickle β-thalassemia presents to the hematology/oncology clinic for evaluation of a mass in his left groin. The child’s mother had noted a small lump in his left inguinal region 2 years ago. At that time, the pediatrician recommended observing the lump and monitoring any progression. Subsequently, the family moved out of town and did not seek further medical attention until now. Two weeks ago, his mother thought the mass had grown in size and brought him to a nearby hospital for evaluation. He was prescribed a 5-day course of oral antibiotics for a presumed local infection. However, there was no significant change in the size of the mass; so his mother brought him to the hematology/oncology clinic. There is no history of groin pain or erythema, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, or change in bowel or bladder habits. There is no history of trauma. The child was born at term after an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery, but newborn screening indicated sickle cell disease. On further evaluation, his mother was found to have β-thalassemia trait and his father had sickle cell trait. The patient was diagnosed as having sickle β-thalassemia and placed on penicillin prophylaxis and folic acid supplementation. Since then, he has had four hospitalizations for febrile illnesses but no history of documented bacteremia. He has not had any vaso-occlusive crises. His motor milestones are appropriate for age, with the exception of speech delay. On physical examination, the child is well nourished …
Artificial Kidney. II. Construction and Operation of an Improved Continuous Dialyzer.

SummaryAn improved type of continuous dialyzer specifically designed for use as an artificial kidney has been described. A thin film of blood is made to flow between 2 sheets of cellophane supported between rubber pads which are grooved to allow passage of a dialyzing solution. Details of its operation are given and its application in the treatment of acute renal insufficiency in dogs is described.
Synthesis of a Bicyclic Piperazine from l-Aspartic Acid and Application of a Fluoride-Promoted SNAr Coupling

The process development is reported of a pivotal C–N bond formation involving ((7R,9aS)-octahydro-1H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrazin-7-yl)methanol (2) undergoing nucleophilic aromatic substitution with 3-chlo...
Descending noradrenergic influences on pain.

Multiple separate and distinct supraspinally organized descending inhibitory systems have been identified which are capable of powerfully modulating spinal nociceptive transmission. Until recently, brainstem sites known to be involved in the centrifugal modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission were few in number, being limited to midline structures in the midbrain and medulla (e.g., periaqueductal gray and nucleus raphe magnus). However, with continued investigation, that number has increased and brainstem sites previously thought to be primarily involved in cardiovascular function and autonomic regulation (e.g., nucleus tractus solitarius; locus coeruleus/subcoeruleus (LC/SC); A5 cell group; lateral reticular nucleus) also have been demonstrated to play a role in the modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission. Spinal monoamines (norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin) have been shown to mediate stimulation-produced descending inhibition of nociceptive transmission from these brainstem sites. The majority of NE-containing fibers and terminations in the spinal cord arise from supraspinal sources; thus, the LC/SC, the parabrachial nuclei, the Kolliker-Fuse nucleus and the A5 cell group have all been suggested as possible sources of the spinal noradrenergic (NA) innervation involved in the centrifugal modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission. Several lines of evidence suggest that the LC/SC plays a significant role in a functionally important descending inhibitory NA system. Focal electrical stimulation in the LC produces an antinociception and increases significantly the spinal content of NA metabolites. The inhibition of the nociceptive tail-flick withdrawal reflex produced by electrical stimulation in the LC/SC has been demonstrated to be mediated by postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the lumbar spinal cord. Similarly, electrical or chemical stimulation given in the LC/SC inhibits noxious-evoked dorsal horn neuronal activity. Thus, results reported in electrophysiological experiments confirm those reported in functional studies and the NA coeruleospinal system appears to play a significant role in spinal nociceptive processing.
Dynamic Determinacy Race Detection for Task Parallelism with Futures

Existing dynamic determinacy race detectors for task-parallel programs are limited to programs with strict computation graphs, where a task can only wait for its descendant tasks to complete. In this paper, we present the first known determinacy race detector for non-strict computation graphs, constructed using futures. The space and time complexity of our algorithm are similar to those of the classical SP-bags algorithm, when using only structured parallel constructs such as spawn-sync and async-finish. In the presence of point-to-point synchronization using futures, the complexity of the algorithm increases by a factor determined by the number of future task creation and get operations as well as the number of non-tree edges in the computation graph. The experimental results show that the slowdown factor observed for our algorithm relative to the sequential version is in the range of 1.00\(\times \) – 9.92\(\times \), which is in line with slowdowns experienced for strict computation graphs in past work.
Nanotechnology to enhance transdermal delivery of hydrophilic humectants for improved skin care: a model for therapeutic applications

Abstract Nanoscience and nanotechnology have become essential concepts regarding the delivery of drugs, finding inherent popularity in the field of cosmeceutical skin care on the basis of their favorable and practical properties. The greatest challenge is providing enough drug absorption across the rather absorption-resistant skin barrier. Improvements to various formulations for transdermal hydration, such as liposomes and nanolipids are revolutionizing the cosmetics industry. One of the challenges faced by this industry, besides the sufficient downsizing of the substances to provide the prerequisites for penetration to the desired level, is to also retain the substances’ chemical properties at this reduced size, so as not to compromise effectiveness once delivered to the desired skin level. Furthermore, there is constant development of new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients. For instance, collagen has been a much utilized and thoroughly investigated substance in this field and has shown to be effective, versatile, and applicable to several different technologies. The current status of research and development of some of the most promising agents, including nanotropocollagen and hyaluronic acid, which can serve as models for nanotechnology employed for transcutaneous APIs delivery, is presented. Compounds with nanotropocollagen not only possess skin-hydrating capabilities, but also are important for skin-rejuvenating antioxidative activity. Regarding the use of collagen or any other API or excipient, it is important to be aware of the allergenic and toxic potential any substance delivered percutaneously may have and that nanotechnological forms may lead to reactions not seen with macro- and microformulations. Therefore, the proven safety record of marine collagen and hyaluronic acid is an important feature, and that is why different forms and techniques of their transcutaneous delivery are so attractive from the investigational standpoint.
Health Care Merged With Senior Housing: Description and Evaluation of a Successful Program

Objective: This article describes and evaluates a successful partnership between a large health care organization and housing for seniors. The program provides on-site, primary care visits by a physician and a nurse in addition to intensive social services to residents in an affordable senior housing apartment building located in Pennsylvania. Per Donabedian's "Structure-Process-Outcome" model, the program demonstrated positive health care outcomes for its participants via a prescribed structure. To provide guidance for replication in similar settings, we qualitatively evaluated the processes by which successful outcomes were obtained. Methods: With program structures in place and outcomes measured, this case study collected and analyzed qualitative information taken from key informant interviews on care processes involved in the program. Themes were extracted from semistructured interviews and used to describe the processes that helped and hindered the program. Results and Discussion: Common processes were identified across respondents; however, the nuanced processes that lead to successful outcomes suggest that defined structures and processes may not be sufficient to produce similar outcomes in other settings. Further research is needed to determine the program's replicability and policy implications.
EXPONENTIAL-FITTED METHODS FOR STIFF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

It is well known that exponential functions are inherently superior to polynomials for representing the solution of damped or “stiff” systems of ordinary differential equations. However, the success of Gear's method for automatically regulating the order of polynomial approximation, together with the introduction of backward-difference methods for the solution of stiff systems, has heretofore inhibited the development of the theoretical background required to enable the effective use of exponential functions as approximants for solving stiff systems of differential equations. A coherent strategy is presented for the computationally efficient estimation of local error and of local order of accuracy for exponential-based methods, which now makes it possible to achieve the same efficiency of automatic steplength control as that presently employed for linear multistep methods.
The semantic reactivity of red, blue, and purple: A linguistic analysis of post-election statements made by executive leadership of three public flagship universities

Examining post-election statements made by UC System, UT-Austin, and UW-Madison executive leadership, this study employs word frequency, collocation, and a three-pronged latent semantic analysis to...
Assessing International Teacher and Principal Perceptions of Instructional Leadership: A Multilevel Factor Analysis of TALIS 2008

While research to date on school leadership has identified instructional leadership as an effective means to improve academic achievement, little is known about how teachers and principals view ins...
Development of New Ion Beam Modification Techniques to Enhance Copper and Polyimide (PI) Adhesion in Multilevel Electronic Packaging.

Two kinds of ion beam etching techniques, Ar gas ion beam etching (IBE) and oxygen gas reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), were used for adhesion enhancement of the PI/Cu and Cu/PI interface, respectively. Ar gas IBE on Cu followed by deposition of PI film on the modified Cu surface can double the adhesion strength of spin-coated PI on Cu compared with unmodified Cu. The adhesion enhancement is due to increasing the surface contact area of the rough Cu surface to PI. However, a corrosion reaction happens at the polyamic acid (PAA) and Cu interface, resulting in the dissolution of Cu into the PI film and Cu oxide layer growth during curing of PI film. A Cr layer between Cu and spin-coated polyamic acid(PAA) is necessary to keep the Cu from dissolving in PAA and diffusing into PI. Ar IBE modification on Cu followed by deposition of a thin Cr layer on the modified Cu surface is recommended to enhance the adhesion strength of spin-coated PI on Cr. O2 RIBE on PI followed by evaporation of Cu on a modified PI increases the peel strength of Cu/PI by more than 25 times. The maximum peel strength of Cu on the PI modified by O2 RIBE is almost 70 grams/mm. The increase of adhesion is due to the mechanical interlocking of a unique structure of modified PI - a grass-like structure. This structure occurs because of the inhomogeniety of PI film - the presence of ordered and disordered phases in a PI film. In addition, the Cu/PI interface exhibits stability with thermal cycling and humidity, because the adhesion enhancement is mostly due to a mechanical effect and not a chemical effect. The diffusion of Cu into PI at various temperatures is not significant. Typically, Cu atoms can diffuse up to 300 at 400 °C in 1 hour. Another advantage of O2 RIBE on PI is the capability of enhancing the adhesion of the second PI layer on a first PI layer. These technologies allow the precise control of the adhesion strength of the PI/Cr/Cu and Cu/PI interfaces by independent variation of the beam energies, ion doses and angle of beam incidence. Also the ion source is easily installed in the same vacuum chamber for Cr and Cu evaporation. This provides low cost and simple operation.
An ELITE service model: Creating and implementing a peer-to-peer library tech support team

Academic libraries are providing technical support and assistance to their patrons using models such as the information commons, learning commons, and designated service points. Applying a construc...
High Contrast Grating Based Strain Sensor for Intraocular Applications

Glaucoma is a group of degenerative ocular diseases that affects millions of people worldwide. While the causes of glaucoma are still unidentified, there are recent studies that establish a link between glaucoma and the age-related loss in accommodation (presbyopia) resulting from the increasing inelasticity of the membrane attaching the ciliary muscle to the back of the eye. Consequently, to understand this relationship better, it becomes imperative that we be able to measure the strain at the choroid and correlate it with the intraocular pressure within the eye. Here, we report the development of an implantable, flexible, and biocompatible optical strain sensor based on a near-wavelength high contrast grating array. The change in the grating period corresponding to the choroidal strain results in a change in the observed color, allowing us to observe and measure small deformations. [2018-0034]
The Permian of China

The first question concerning the Permian of China is, “Where in the world…?” Agreement is general that China consists of a maze of blocks or terranes, amalgamated along complex sutures and fold belts (Fig. 1). There is, understandably, considerably less agreement on where they originated and their history of amalgamation (Table 1). The simplest view, thus perhaps the most useful for stratigraphic analysis, recognizes three major cratons (Huang 1978; Zhang Zhimeng et al. 1984; Ren et al. 1987): Yangtze, Sino-Korean, and Tarim (Fig. 1). Paleomagnetic data suggest that the Tarim and Sino-Korean cratons have separate histories, although no clear suture has been recognized (Nie et al. 1990). The Tarim and Sino-Korean cratons are separated from the huge Angaran or Siberian craton of the Eurasian plate by vast expanses of fold belts and intermontane basins of Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and northwestern China. Southwest China between the Tarim craton and the Himalayas is broken into a number of nearly parallel, elongate blocks, each essentially a microcontinent surrounded by accretionary fold belts (Fig. 2; Table 2). The south China fold belt, an extensive Caledonian orogen in southeast China, is lumped with the Yangtze craton as the south China block by most authors. More extreme, or perhaps only more detailed, views recognize as many as 31 tectonostratigraphic terranes (excluding Taiwan; Ji and Coney 1985; Liu Huaizhi et al. 1989).
Stability of polyvinyl chloride latex: III. Effects of simple electrolytes

Abstract The stability and electrophoretic mobility of a polyvinyl chloride sol at various concentrations of sodium and magnesium salts was studied as a function of the surface concentration of an anionic surfactant, the dodecyl sulfate. The adsorption isotherm of the latter was determined spectrophotometrically as a function of the sol concentration and the electrolyte concentration in the medium. Stability results were found to compare favorably with DLVO theory predictions. The mobility study showed electrophoretically derived surface concentrations to be poor indicators of sol stability. In addition, the presence of a permanent particle surface charge, attributed to catalyst fragments, was established.
Role of corticosteroids in the treatment of circulatory collapse states.

Corticosteroids are hormones which exert effects on virtually every organ and tissue and thereby play a key role in preserving and maintaining homeostasis. 154 In particular, corticosteroids exert prominent effects on the cardiovascular system. 65, 66 The circulatory effects of the orticosteroids have been under investigation since 1849 when Addison 2 recognized that cardiovascular collapse was a prominent feature of adrenal insufficiency. However, it has only been within the last twenty years that corticosteroids have been available in pure form, thereby permitting an investigation of their effects. The cardiovascular effects of corticosteroids are of considerable interest because hypotension is a prominent feature in adrenocortical insufficiency, and hypertension occurs in hypersecretion of adrenal corticosteroids. Furthermore, corticosteroids have been widely used in the treatment of a variety of states of circulatory shock. The particular emphasis of this review will be to discuss, in terms of recent developments in the field, the basic physiologic and pharmacologic mechanisms by means of which corticosteroids exert their cardiovascular effects in shock states. Several new findings necessitate a significant shift in our thinking about the circulatory effects of the corticosteroids.
Instrumentation and Techniques in Equine Gastrointestinal Surgery

Recent advances in abdominal surgical techniques in the horse have resulted in improved survival rates and reduced postoperative morbidity. The development of abdominal surgical procedures in horses has paralleled the development of safe anesthetic protocols and innovative technological advancements in humans. Irrespective of the species, the application of sound surgical principles is still the foundation of surgical intervention. This article describes recent advances in equine gastrointestinal surgical techniques. The availability and application of innovative intestinal surgical devices and their specific uses in equine gastrointestinal surgery are also described.
RNA-seq for identification of therapeutically targetable determinants of immune activation in human glioblastoma.

We sought to determine which therapeutically targetable immune checkpoints, costimulatory signals, and other tumor microenvironment (TME) factors are independently associated with immune cytolytic activity (CYT), a gene expression signature of activated effector T cells, in human glioblastoma (GBM). GlioVis was accessed for RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). For subjects with treatment-naive, primary GBM, we quantified mRNA expression of 28 therapeutically targetable TME factors. CYT (geometric mean of GZMA and PRF1 expression) was calculated for each tumor. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the relationship between the dependent variable (CYT) and mRNA expression of each of the 28 factors. Variables associated with CYT in multivariate analysis were subsequently evaluated for this association in an independent cohort of newly diagnosed GBMs from the Chinese Glioma Cooperative Group (CGCG). 109 TCGA tumors were analyzed. The final multiple linear regression model included the following variables, each positively associated with CYT except VEGF-A (negative association): CSF-1 (p = 0.003), CD137 (p = 0.042), VEGF-A (p < 0.001), CTLA4 (p = 0.028), CD40 (p = 0.023), GITR (p = 0.020), IL6 (p = 0.02), and OX40 (p < 0.001). In CGCG (n = 52), each of these variables remained significantly associated with CYT in univariate analysis except for VEGF-A. In multivariate analysis, only CTLA4 and CD40 remained statistically significant. Using multivariate modeling of RNA-seq gene expression data, we identified therapeutically targetable TME factors that are independently associated with intratumoral cytolytic T-cell activity in human GBM. As a myriad of systemic immunotherapies are now available for investigation, our results could inform rational combinations for evaluation in GBM.
Pancreatic Cancer Presenting as a Pancreatic Duct Disruption

The high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer necessitates accurate and early detection methods. Computed tomography currently is the primary diagnostic modality used; however, subtle imaging features in concert with novel clinical presentations may obscure the initial diagnosis. Here, we describe a unique initial presentation of pancreatic cancer as a pancreatic leak, with subtle initial CT evidence of malignancy. An 83-year-old female with prior surgical history of open splenectomy and ventral hernia repair presented with two weeks of vague abdominal pain and leukocytosis. Initial CT revealed abdominal peripancreatic fluid collections. Interventional radiology-guided drain placement was performed, which revealed amylase-rich pancreatic fluid within the collections. Repeat CT scan revealed subtle pancreatic duct dilation with slow resolution of the fluid collections. Ultimately, endoscopic ultrasound identified an ill-defined pancreatic mass, revealed to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The patient subsequently underwent an open distal pancreatectomy. Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer relies heavily on cross-sectional imaging, with no screening tests currently available. However, subtle radiographic features and unique clinical presentations may delay accurate diagnosis and staging. EUS may be a useful tool for initial evaluation of high-risk individuals.