cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between Chlamydia Pneumoniae Infection and Cerebral Infarction:A Meta-analysis

Objective To review the association between chlamydia pneumoniae(CP)infection and cerebral infarction.Methods We electronically searched MEDLINE,BIOSIS,VIP database,and China Full Text Journal Database from Jan.1990 through Dec.2007 to identify case-control studies about the association of CP and cerebral infarction.The quality of the included studies was assessed and the RevMan 4.2 software was used for meta-analyses.Results A total of 22 studies were included.The results of meta-analyses showed:①When the microimmunofluorescence(MIF)method was used to examine CP antibody in serum,the positive rate of the cerebral infarction group was higher than that of the control group when the positive infection was defined by IgA≥1 16n=8,OR=2.18,95%CI(1.49 to 3.49),P0.0001;but when positive infection was defined by IgA≥1 32(n=3),IgG≥1 32(n=6),or IgG≥1 64(n=5),there were no significant differences in the positive rate between the two groupsOR(95%CI)were 1.47(0.97 to 2.24),1.24(0.82 to 1.86),and 1.23(0.98 to 1.55),respectively;②When the ELISA method was used to examine CP-IgG antibody in serum,the positive rate of the cerebral infarction group was higher than that of the controlled groupn=8,OR=2.40,95%CI(1.42 to 4.06),P=0.000 2.③The acute and chronic CP infections were associated with the incidence of cerebral infarction n=4,OR=7.22,95%CI(2.68 to 19.49);n=4,OR=4.30,95%CI(3.40 to 7.40).Conclusion①The association between CP infection and cerebral infarction is determined by the positive criterion.IgA antibody is more sensitive than the IgG antibody.When the positive infection is determined by IgA≥1 16,CP infection is associated with cerebral infarction.② The results of ELISA for examining CP-IgG support the association between CP infection and cerebral infarction.③Both acute and chronic CP infections are associated with cerebral infarction,but these associations needed to be proven by more scientific studies.
Transcript Profile of Flowering Regulatory Genes in VcFT-Overexpressing Blueberry Plants.

In order to identify genetic components in flowering pathways of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), a transcriptome reference composed of 254,396 transcripts and 179,853 gene contigs was developed by assembly of 72.7 million reads using Trinity. Using this transcriptome reference and a query of flowering pathway genes of herbaceous plants, we identified potential flowering pathway genes/transcripts of blueberry. Transcriptome analysis of flowering pathway genes was then conducted on leaf tissue samples of transgenic blueberry cv. Aurora (‘VcFT-Aurora’), which overexpresses a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene (VcFT). Sixty-one blueberry transcripts of 40 genes showed high similarities to 33 known flowering-related genes of herbaceous plants, of which 17 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated genes were identified in ‘VcFT-Aurora’. All down-regulated genes encoded transcription factors/enzymes upstream in the signaling pathway containing VcFT. A blueberry CONSTANS-LIKE 5-like (VcCOL5) gene was down-regulated and associated with five other differentially expressed (DE) genes in the photoperiod-mediated flowering pathway. Three down-regulated genes, i.e., a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 2-like gene (VcMAF2), a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 5-like gene (VcMAF5), and a VERNALIZATION1-like gene (VcVRN1), may function as integrators in place of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) in the vernalization pathway. Because no CONSTAN1-like or FLOWERING LOCUS C-like genes were found in blueberry, VcCOL5 and VcMAF2/VcMAF5 or VRN1 might be the major integrator(s) in the photoperiod- and vernalization-mediated flowering pathway, respectively. The major down-stream genes of VcFT, i.e., SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of Constans 1-like (VcSOC1), LEAFY-like (VcLFY), APETALA1-like (VcAP1), CAULIFLOWER 1-like (VcCAL1), and FRUITFULL-like (VcFUL) genes were present and showed high similarity to their orthologues in herbaceous plants. Moreover, overexpression of VcFT promoted expression of all of these VcFT downstream genes. These results suggest that VcFT’s down-stream genes appear conserved in blueberry.
Developing and optimizing bacteriophage treatment to control enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli on fresh produce.

Abstract Bacteriophages are potentially useful in controlling foodborne pathogens on minimally processed products since phage application is a non-destructive treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a newly isolated environmental bacteriophage against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli on fresh produce, and optimize the treatment with consideration for potential application. Seven anti E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 bacteriophages were isolated from various sources; the most promising was isolated from municipal wastewater. This isolate (designated as E. coli phage OSY-SP) was propagated with the host, in a growth medium, to a titer of 108 PFU/ml. Before inoculation into fresh produce, E. coli phage OSY-SP was incubated with the host bacterium, spent medium was filter-sterilized, and the resulting crude lysate was used as a source of phage inocula for preliminary experiments. For optimized testing, phage in the crude lysate was purified by ultra-centrifugation and resuspension in phosphate-buffered saline. Efficacy of phage treatments was determined as a function of fresh produce type (cut green pepper or spinach leaves), treatment time (2 or 5 min rinsing), and temperature of holding treated produce (4 °C, 25°, or a combination of both temperatures). Cut green pepper was treated with UV light, to eliminate background microbiota, then spot-inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 on cut edges, and the inoculum was allowed to dry. Because of its susceptibility to damage, baby spinach leaves were not subjected to a decontamination treatment. These leaves were inoculated with the green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli O157:H7 B6–914 to facilitate inoculum enumeration in the presence of background microbiota. Phage suspension was applied to the inoculated fresh produce that was subsequently held for three days under variable storage conditions. The optimized phage treatment decreased the populations of pathogenic E. coli by 2.4–3.0 log CFU/g on cut green pepper (5-min rinse) and 3.4–3.5 log CFU/g on spinach leaves (2-min rinse), during 72 h storage. The majority of this decline was caused by the antimicrobial action of the phage. These findings suggest the utility of bacteriophage to selectively control pathogens on fresh produce.
Home/Schooling Revisited

This book raises the question of what compulsory schooling does to children and the adults who care for them. In so doing, it examines stories that help illuminate the past and present nature of the home-school relationship. I’d like to start the book by first raising for you an image. That image is of the homeschooled child.
Immune Response in Cancer Patients

Clinicians who care for patients afflicted with cancer frequently observe wide variations in the behaviour of the tumour. This has led to various speculations, including the notion that immune influence, if not control, may be responsible for these variations in behaviour. Supporting data for this belief includes (1) the discovery of tumour-specific antigens; (2) the documentation of spontaneous regression of tumours, even though infrequent; (3) the development of animal models in which effective antitumour immunization has been accomplished; and (4) the similarity of what is thought to be tumour immunity response to cell-mediated and humoral reactions occurring during tissue transplantation rejection and during bacterial infections. The study of tumour immunity has suggested possible ways in which responses might be manipulated, or engineered, to achieve an influence over the progress of the tumour. Although a vast amount of work has been done in this area by a host of investigators working in both the pre- and post-transplant eras, our present knowledge is primitive and often empirical. Nevertheless, progress has been made in assessing the immune status of cancer patients and changes in status which occur during the clinical course.
Anti-Xa monitoring of low-molecular-weight heparin in adult patients with cancer

A 68-year-old man developed a right femoral vein deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolism while receiving chemotherapy for stage IV prostate cancer. His creatinine at diagnosis is 1.4 mg/dL, with an estimated clearance of 63 mL/min. In patients with cancer, should low-molecular-weight heparin treatment be dosed according to weight, or adjusted using anti-Xa levels?
Fabrication and assessment of a thin flexible surface coating made of pristine graphene for lightning strike protection

Abstract A thin flexible coating made of pristine graphene was fabricated and applied on the surface of a commercial carbon fiber epoxy prepreg laminate to protect it against the lightning strike. To assess the coating’s effectiveness, the coated laminate was subjected to the simulated lightning strike as well as the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) testing. It was observed that the damaged area and volume in the coated laminate were reduced by 94% and 96%, respectively, as compared to the laminate without the coating. Moreover, the coated laminate had an average EMI SE of 51 dB over 100–2000 MHz range, 55 dB over 8–12 GHz range, and 60 dB over 12–18 GHz range marking 22%, 44%, and 49% improvement in EMI SE for each frequency range, respectively. The results indicate a great potential for the developed coating to protect the commercially available prepreg composites against the lightning strike.
Differential effects of curcumin on renal and systemic inflammation in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus

The afferent vagus nerve, through its connection to the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, may help regulate inflammation by relaying inflammatory stimuli to prompt release of the anti-infl...
In-motion optical sensing for assessment of animal well-being

The application of in-motion optical sensor measurements was investigated for inspecting livestock soundness as a means of animal well-being. An optical sensor-based platform was used to collect in-motion, weight-related information. Eight steers, weighing between 680 and 1134 kg, were evaluated twice. Six of the 8 steers were used for further evaluation and analysis. Hoof impacts caused plate flexion that was optically sensed. Observed kinetic differences between animals’ strides at a walking or running/trotting gait with significant force distributions of animals’ hoof impacts allowed for observation of real-time, biometric patterns. Overall, optical sensor-based measurements identified hoof differences between and within animals in motion that may allow for diagnosis of musculoskeletal unsoundness without visual evaluation.
Acute Exacerbation of COPD: Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation

Acute exacerbations of COPD complicated by hypercapnic respiratory failure are associated with significant hospital and short-term mortality. Several aspects of standard medical therapy for COPD have remained largely unchanged for years. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has emerged as a life-saving therapy, reversing respiratory failure and preventing endotracheal intubation. NIPPV is beneficial for select COPD patients with altered mental status, those with do-not-intubate orders and for recently extubated patients at high risk of respiratory failure. In addition to standard medical therapy, in the absence of absolute contra-indication, NIPPV should be initiated for all individuals with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to an acute exacerbation of COPD.
Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic risk factors in a population with mild to severe obesity.

Previous literature suggests the beneficial effects of fitness on abdominal obesity may be attenuated in obesity and abolished in severe obesity. It is unclear whether the beneficial association between fitness and health is similarly present in those with mild and severe obesity. Patients from the Wharton Medical Clinic (n = 853) completed a clinical examination and maximal treadmill test. Patients were categorized into fit and unfit based on age- and sex-categories and body mass index (BMI) class (mild: ≤ 34.9 kg/m2, moderate: 35–39.9 kg/m2 or severe obesity: ≥ 40 kg/m2). Within the sample, 41% of participants with mild obesity had high fitness whereas only 25% and 11% of the participants with moderate and severe obesity, respectively, had high fitness. BMI category was independently associated with most of the metabolic risk factors, while fitness was only independently associated with systolic blood pressure and triglycerides (P < 0.05). The prevalent relative risk for pre-clinical hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and hypoalphalipoproteinemia and pre-diabetes was only elevated in the unfit moderate and severe obesity groups (P < 0.05), and fitness groups were only significantly different in their relative risk for prevalent pre-clinical hypertension within the severe obesity group (p = 0.03). High fitness was associated with smaller waist circumferences, with differences between high and low fitness being larger in those with severe obesity than mild obesity (Men: P = 0.06, Women: P = 0.0005). Thus, in contrast to previous observations, the favourable associations of having high fitness and health may be similar if not augmented in individuals with severe compared to mild obesity.
Nonlinear Structure-Preserving Network Reduction Using Holomorphic Embedding

Network reduction is an effective tool for reducing the complexity of many analysis, design, and optimization problems. However, many of the conventional reduction methods, such as Ward and Radial, Equivalent, Independent are only accurate at the base case. When the operating condition changes, the reduced model does not match the full model performance because linearization is used somewhere in the process. In this paper, a new reduction method that preserves the model's nonlinear structure using the holomorphic embedding (HE) technique is proposed, to generate network reductions which are accurate over a broader range of operating conditions. When applied to the power-flow problem, simulation results show that the proposed method can significantly improve bus-voltage and branch-flow accuracy, matching the full-model power-flow solution exactly when moving along the so-called $\alpha $ line. In addition, the HE reduction is more efficient than traditional methods when calculating nonlinear network solutions under many operating conditions.
Selective Deficits in Prosody after Right Hemisphere Stroke (P6.325)

Objective: To demonstrate that right hemisphere stroke (RHS) can result in selective impairments to specific components of affective prosody (e.g. identifying prosodic features such as the pitch, rate, and volume of speech; accessing prosodic representations of which features convey specific emotions; retrieving the meanings of those emotions; and executing motor programs to produce prosody). Background: Impairments in both recognition and expression of affective prosody have been reported after RHS, but the acoustic and cognitive mechanisms underlying those deficits have not been identified. Design/Methods: 40 acute ischemic RHS patients and 40 healthy, age-matched controls were tested with a battery of tasks designed to evaluate each of the proposed mechanisms underlying prosody. Tasks included: (1) identifying prosodic features from auditory stimuli; (2) matching prosodic features to emotions; (3) identifying emotions from narrated sentences, assessing recognition of emotions from prosody; (4) matching emotions to situations and facial expressions; (5) reading sentences with specified emotions; and (6) repeating neutral-content sentences with the original speaker’s emotion. Deficits were defined by performance 2 standard deviations below the mean for controls on recognition tasks and by 2 SD below the mean coefficient of variation in fundamental frequency of speech on production tasks. Results: Patients with deficits in 1+ task had larger lesions than patients with normal performance on all tasks (25.9 versus 16.1 cc; p Conclusions: These selective deficits provide evidence for distinct, dissociable mechanisms underlying affective prosody recognition and production. Deficits to different mechanisms require different management strategies. Disclosure: Dr. Sutherland-Foggio has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sebastian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hillis has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for American Heart Association for serving as Associate Editor of Stroke and Elsevier for serving as Associate Editor of Practice Update Neurology.
The role of attention in remembering important item-location associations

When encountering an excess of information, people are able to selectively remember high-value information by strategically allocating attention during the encoding period, termed value-directed remembering. This has been demonstrated in both the episodic verbal and visuospatial memory domains. Importantly, the allocation of attention also plays a crucial role in the binding of identity and location information in visuospatial memory. We examined how taxing attentional resources to various degrees during encoding might affect visuospatial memory and selectivity. Participants studied items paired with point values indicating their value in a grid display and were asked to maximize their point score (a summation of the points associated with correctly remembered information). Participants viewed items under either a sequential or simultaneous presentation format and in either the presence or absence of a secondary tone discrimination task. While participants in the divided attention conditions recalled fewer item-location associations overall, participants in all encoding conditions prioritized high-value information in memory, providing further evidence that selectivity can be maintained even when attentional resources are taxed. However, differences between presentation formats emerged when conducting spatial resolution analyses examining errors. Errors in the simultaneous conditions were only influenced by item value when attention was full during encoding, while errors in the sequential conditions were not influenced by item value, regardless of available attentional resources. The results suggest participants can strategically allocate attention during encoding even under cognitively-demanding conditions and that gist-based visuospatial memory may only be influenced by information importance when adequate attentional resources are available.
Notas sobre la trayectoria científica de Mª. Dolores Fernández-Posse

The scholarly trajectory of Ma Dolores Fernandez- Posse involved an ongoing process of critical observation, reflection, and change that is quite rare in Archaeology. Her change from normativism to a historically informed functionalism is representative of the general evolution of Spanish archaeological studies over the course of the past thirty years. What is unusual about Fernandez-Posse -and attests to her straightforward and unassuming intelligence- is that she herself changed her mind and voiced that change with clarity and humor.
Concepts and Definitions of Consciousness

The term ‘consciousness’ is used in several ways: to describe a person or other creature as being awake and sentient, to describe a person or other creature as being ‘aware of’ something, and to refer to a property of mental states, such as perceiving, feeling, and thinking, that distinguishes those states from unconscious mental states. Distinguishing these different concepts of consciousness is crucial in evaluating the major theories of what it is for a state to be conscious. Among those are first-order theories, on which a mental state is conscious if being in that state results in one's being conscious of something; global-workspace theories, on which a state is conscious if it's widely available for mental processing; inner-sense theories, on which a state is conscious if one senses or perceives that state by way of a special inner faculty; and higher-order-thought theories, on which a state is conscious if one is aware of that state by having a thought about it. We will consider the advantages and shortcomings of these theories and variants of them.
Detonation on a tabletop: Nitromethane with high time and space resolution

Nitromethane (NM), a flammable liquid, has been a model system for the shock-to-detonation transition in homogeneous condensed-phase explosives for over 50 years, but we do not understand the fast processes at the molecular scale in the detonation front at the molecular scale. That is largely because prior studies triggered detonations in bomb-sized charges with input shock durations and times-to detonation that were typically microseconds, which made it impossible to observe the faster processes in real time. We studied NM shocked with 4 ns duration input pulses using a tabletop apparatus with laser-launched flyer plates and arrays of tiny disposable optical cuvettes, where the pressure and temperature were probed in real time (1 ns) with photon Doppler velocimetry, optical pyrometry, and high-speed video. Using a 4 ns shock with an input pressure close to the von Neumann spike pressure of 19 GPa, we achieved the minimum time-to-detonation, about 12 ns, where the time-to-detonation is controlled by fundamental molecular processes. We demonstrated the reproducibility of our detonations and showed that they had the same properties as in bomb-sized charges: our detonation velocity, von Neumann spike and Chapman-Jouguet pressures, temperatures, and reaction zone lengths were the same as in bomb-sized charges. Being able to trigger realistic reproducible detonations from a short pulse makes it possible to investigate molecular and fluid dynamics in the detonation by measuring transient responses in real time. We found that it took 6 ns for the temperature to reach 3430 K. The high pressure was observed at about 8 ns, when there was a volume explosion to nearly twice the von Neumann spike pressure before settling down to a steady detonation.
Potential role of stem cells in disease prevention based on a murine model of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

Abstract Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of newborns, and despite years of research, there is no known cure. The mortality rate of infants with NEC remains as high as 20%–30%. Babies who survive NEC frequently have long term complications including short gut syndrome, developmental delays and neurological sequelae. Unfortunately, despite much research over the past years, the precise pathogenesis of the disease is still not completely understood. Methods Our laboratory has focused on identifying novel therapies to prevent the disease, including the use of stem cells (SC), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and recently, stem cell derived-exosomes, a type of nanovesicle, to combat this illness. Results We have outlined the major SC lines and data suggesting potential benefit as a curative or preventive approach for NEC as well as describing several new therapeutic strategies, including stem cell derived- exosomes and HB-EGF for decreasing the incidence and severity of this disease in rat models in our lab. Conclusion Overall, our lab has demonstrated that these different types of SC equivalently reduce the incidence and severity of NEC and equally preserve intestinal barrier function during NEC. We have previously demonstrated that AF-MSC can protect the intestines from intestinal injury and may therefore hold strong therapeutic potential for the prevention of NEC. Most recently, our work with stem cell derived-exosomes has shown them to be equivalent to their derived SC lines in decreasing the incidence of this disease.
Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage Simulating Melanoma in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

Background We report a case of suprachoroidal hemorrhage simulating choroidal melanoma in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Methods Case report. Results A 79-year-old white male with a history of lung adenocarcinoma, ITP, and mild anemia noted blurred vision with photopsia and floaters in the right eye (OD) that worsened over 2 months. He was found to have a pigmented choroidal mass and was referred for evaluation of possible choroidal melanoma. Visual acuity was 20/30 in the affected right eye and 20/25 in the left eye (OS). There was mild vitreous hemorrhage and 2 pigmented peripheral choroidal tumors in the temporal and nasal fundus OD. B-scan ultrasonography confirmed 2 acoustically hollow tumors, and transillumination demonstrated no shadowing. Optical coherence tomography over the lesions revealed choroidal elevation with suprachoroidal scalloped surface. Fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography revealed normal choroidal fluorescence and cyanescence with no "double circulation" of melanoma and no dye blockage, suggesting a suprachoroidal location. These findings were suggestive of suprachoroidal hemorrhage rather than melanoma. The patient was managed conservatively, and the hemorrhages demonstrated spontaneous resolution. Conclusion Ocular manifestations of ITP are uncommon. Rarely, spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage simulating melanoma can occur. A thorough clinical evaluation with multimodal imaging is critical to establishing the appropriate diagnosis.
Key-and-lock commodity self-healing copolymers

Self-healing materials are notable for their ability to recover from physical or chemical damage. We report that commodity copolymers, such as poly(methyl methacrylate)/n-butyl acrylate [p(MMA/nBA)] and their derivatives, can self-heal upon mechanical damage. This behavior occurs in a narrow compositional range for copolymer topologies that are preferentially alternating with a random component (alternating/random) and is attributed to favorable interchain van der Waals forces forming key-and-lock interchain junctions. The use of van der Waals forces instead of supramolecular or covalent rebonding or encapsulated reactants eliminates chemical and physical alterations and enables multiple recovery upon mechanical damage without external intervention. Unlike other self-healing approaches, perturbation of ubiquitous van der Waals forces upon mechanical damage is energetically unfavorable for interdigitated alternating/random copolymer motifs that facilitate self-healing under ambient conditions.
Does the biofloc size matter to the nitrification process in Biofloc Technology (BFT) systems

Abstract In addition to environmental factors, particle size can interfere with the nitrification process because smaller flocs are less efficient in terms of ammonia and nitrite oxidation. The objective of the present study was to evaluate, in three experiments, the effect of the biofloc size on the nitrification process during the production of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in a BFT system. In all experiments, 1% of biofloc inoculum from production tanks was used. Water samples were taken to photograph and measure the flocs. Measurements of temperature, salinity, nitrogen compounds and total suspended solids were also carried out in the experiments. In experiment 1, the flocs were separated by sifting the water through mesh nets of 50, 150 and 300 μm in size. In addition, there was a control treatment with integral flocs. In experiment 2, the bioflocs were separated into 300 and 600 μm size classes and were compared with an integral control. Experiment 3 aimed to evaluate the nitrification process in treatments with flocs smaller than 150 μm, in flocs without handling (Control), and in the treatment where flocs were partially filtered in a 50 μm mesh for five days. This treatment resulted in a reduction in the particle size; however, when the meshes were later removed, and the biofloc size increased again. Different from our original hypothesis, the results of these three experiments indicate that the size of the biofloc, as well as the amount of total suspended solids, do not affect the nitrification process in the BFT system. However, all treatments that included manipulation through sifting showed a delay or a decrease in the nitrification activity. Thus, it is likely that, more than the particle size or floc abundance, the rupture of the floc structure affects the distribution and interaction of nitrifying bacteria with reflections in the nitrification process.
BENCHMARKING MARKETING SCHOLAR PRODUCTIVITY

Despite growing utilization of scholarly metrics to assess faculty research output, quality, impact, and productivity, the marketing discipline has yet to develop a comprehensive, generalizable ben...
I am not my Hair, or am I? Examining Hair Choices of Black Female Executives

Using a social-identity based impression management framework, the authors explored the influence of Eurocentric preferences on the hairstyle choices of Black female executives. Two studies were conducted examining hairstyle choices. Results suggest that Eurocentric preferences, stereotypes, and bias seem to have a significant influence on the hairstyle choices of Black women working their way up the corporate ladder and less of an influence on Black female entrepreneurs. Implications for practice are provided as well as directions for further research.
Governance of environmental health and transportation decisions: The case of New York City

Abstract Environmental health and transportation governance in New York City (NYC) is difficult to characterize because of the sheer number of stakeholders who participate in its process and shape its outcomes. This paper uses the development of New York City wide plans as a window to environmental health and transportation governance and its evolution over the last decade in the City. It examines how decisions are made, and who and what influence those decisions. The paper maps the governance process and the stakeholders who play a role in governance in the space where environment, health and transportation decisions intersect. It analyzes the engagement of technical experts, community and stewardship groups to deepen understanding of governance. Factors that shape governance including cultural logic, knowledge awareness, commitment to environmental quality, technical expertise, mechanisms for participatory decision making, balance of power, coordination among government bodies, institutional attitudes and practices are examined. The paper focuses on the process of developing PlaNYC in 2007 and OneNYC in 2014 as a prism to assess the character of environmental health and transportation governance in New York City and its evolution. The analysis informs our understanding of access and power relations in the process of governance. Evidence suggests that the new face of governance is one rooted in the involvement of citizens in arenas that were traditionally reserved for government. This is a form of government that citizens are increasingly expecting and demanding.
Implementation of a Self-matched 40:1 two arm Archimedean Spiral Antenna

The two arm Archimedean Spiral antenna is revisited in an attempt to improve the operating bandwidth and input impedance characteristics. Each arm is placed on either side of the substrate and the width of the arms has been increased to allow direct attachment of a coaxial connector at the center of the structure. Simulated results show S 11 less than −10.5dB across the band from 700MHz to 20GHz. The input impedance varies from 30Ω to 82Ω in the same band. Acceptable 3D gain pattern is observed on simulation at 30GHz which successfully sanctions the idea of this paper.
An Uncertainty Principle for Interdependence: Laying the Theoretical Groundwork for Human-Machine Teams

The deliberateness of rational decision-making is an attempt by social scientists to improve on intuition. Rational approaches using Shannon’s information theory have argued that teams and organizations should minimize interdependence (mutual information); social psychologists have long recommended the removal of the effects of interdependence to make their data iid (independent, non-orthogonal, memoryless); and the social science of interdependence is disappearing. But according to experimental evidence reported by the National Academy of Sciences, the best teams maximize interdependence. Thus, navigating social reality has so far permitted only an intuitive approach to social and psychological interdependence. Absent from these conflicting paradigms is the foundation for a theory of teams that combines rationality and interdependence based on first principles which we have begun to sketch philosophically and mathematically. Without a rational mathematics of interdependence, building human-machine teams in the future will remain intuitive, based on guesswork, and inefficient.
Relationship Between Pregnancy-Associated Malaria and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW), which are among the leading causes of infant mortality globally. Rates of PTB and LBW are high in countries with a high burden of malaria. PAM may be a contributing factor to PTB and LBW, but is not well understood. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between PAM and PTB or LBW using PubMed. The title and abstract of all studies were screened by two reviewers, and the full text of selected studies was reviewed to ensure they met inclusion criteria. Information regarding study characteristics and of PTB and LBW births among women with and without PAM was abstracted for included studies. Results Our search terms yielded 2237 articles, of which 18 met our final inclusion criteria. Eight studies examined associations between PAM and PTB, and 10 examined associations between PAM and LBW (population size ranging from 35 to 9956 women). The overall risk of LBW was 63% higher among women with PAM compared with women without PAM (95% CI = 1.48-1.80) and the risk of PTB was 23% higher among women with PAM compared with women without PAM (95% CI = 1.07-1.41). Conclusions These results indicate that infection with PAM is associated with PTB and LBW. Further understanding of the pathogenesis of disease and the immunologic changes that occur during pregnancy is essential for reducing the disproportional effects this disease has on this vulnerable population.
Characterization of defects and strain in the (AlxGa(1−x))0.5In0.5P/ GaAs system by synchrotron X-ray topography

Abstract Synchrotron white beam X-ray topography and monochromatic beam topography have been applied to study GaAs substrates and (AlxGa(1−x))0.5In0.5P epitaxial layers grown on them that are being developed for LEDs. The GaAs substrates are 15° offcut toward [1 1 0] and mainly consist of dislocations in the {1 1 1} slip planes and low angle grain boundaries. The nominally lattice matched (AlxGa(1−x))0.5In0.5P layers contain defects such as threading dislocations replicated from the substrates, inclusions and misfit dislocations generated during organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) growth. The existence of misfit dislocations (MDs) indicates that strain relaxation has taken place to accommodate the in-plane lattice mismatch between epitaxial layer and substrate. The driving force for the glide of threading dislocations and relaxation efficiency of dislocations with different Burgers vectors and glide planes has been analyzed in the wafers with 15° offcut to predict the Burgers vectors and line directions of dislocations that dominate strain relaxation. Burgers vectors have been determined using ray tracing simulations. Reciprocal space maps (RSMs) recorded from the wafers to measure the strain and tilt of the epilayers show both in-plane and out-of-plane lattice mismatch as well as tilt between epilayer and substrate. A modified Nagai′s model has been developed to analyze and account for in-plane and out-of-plane tilt.
An Argument Concerning Schizophrenia: The Left Hemisphere Drains the Swamp

Two major traditions exist in the psychological study of schizophrenia. One, stemming from cognitive theory, has focused upon attentional and information-processing factors with minimal concern for brain-behavior relations. The other has been neuropsychological, which focuses upon brain-behavior relations and topography of brain function with minimal concern for cognitive formulation. The purpose of this chapter will be to recount some problems in schizophrenia research and, in somewhat iterative fashion, discuss what might be learned from the interplay of cognitive and psychoneurological concepts in understanding schizophrenia.
Prevalence of Posterior Shoulder Subluxation in Children With Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy After Early Full Passive Range of Motion Exercises.

Abstract Background Children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) are often prescribed shoulder range of motion (ROM) exercises; however, the extent and timing of exercise implementation remains controversial in the context of shoulder joint integrity. The association of ROM exercises to delayed posterior shoulder subluxation (PSS) is unknown. Objective To determine prevalence of PSS in children with NBPP who began full passive ROM exercises before 6 months of age, and characteristics associated with development or absence of PSS in children. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary care NBPP referral center. Participants Forty-six children with NBPP, aged 24-57 months, who began full ROM exercises before 6 months of age. Methods One radiologist conducted bilateral shoulder ultrasound (US) on each child to evaluate for PSS. One occupational therapist evaluated each child clinically for PSS using defined parameters without knowledge of US results. Main Outcome Measures By US, 20% of children had PSS; 46% had PSS by clinical examination. Shoulder active ROM limitations and history of shoulder surgery were associated with presence of PSS. Extent of NBPP was not associated with PSS. Results Nine of 46 children (20%) met US criteria for PSS; α angle was 58° ± 21° (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). Twenty-one children (46%) met clinical criteria. Mean age at examination was 35 ± 10 months. Shoulder active ROM ( P ≤ .004) was associated with PSS, whereas passive ROM was not ( P ≥ .08). History of secondary shoulder surgery and primary nerve graft repair were associated with PSS ( P = .04). Extent of NBPP by Narakas classification was not associated with PSS ( P = .48). Conclusions Early use of full-arc passive ROM home exercise program is not associated with increased prevalence of PSS in children with NBPP compared to prevalence of PSS in published literature. We suggest careful clinical examination, based on defined criteria, provides a reasonable screening examination for evaluating PSS that can be confirmed by noninvasive US.
Association of nucleated red blood cell count with mortality among neonatal intensive care unit patients.

Background Nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) are associated with adverse outcomes for pediatric and adult intensive care patients. Methods The association between nRBC count and mortality was examined in an observational cohort of patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from December 2015–December 2018. Results Among the 1059 patients with at least one nRBC count obtained, 45 infants (4.2%) experienced in-hospital mortality prior to NICU discharge, the primary outcome measured in this study. Infants with any nRBC count >0 had a significantly higher risk of mortality (5.3% [45/849] vs. 0% [0/351], p Conclusion Among neonatal intensive care unit patients, including those >7 days old, nRBCs are associated with significantly elevated mortality risk. A prospective study to better characterize clinical co-variants is necessary to better establish the use of nRBCs as a predictor of mortality.
Prevalence of urinary incontinence in women seeking evaluation for chronic cough

Purpose: Cough is the most common symptom for which patients in the United States and elsewhere seek medical attention. Chronic cough (>8 weeks duration) is associated with quality of life disruption, including physical discomfort, depression, anxiety and social isolation. It is known that urinary incontinence (UI) is frequently associated with chronic cough in women, however, little information is available in the medical literature regarding the actual prevalence of this condition among women suffering from chronic cough. Methods: Consecutive women presenting to the Montefiore Cough Center (New York, USA) for evaluation of chronic cough provided data regarding occurrence of UI associated specifically and temporally with cough. Additional data collected included age, duration of cough, duration of UI, body mass index (BMI) and relationship of UI onset to cough onset. Results: To date, 112 of 180 consecutive women (62.2%) presenting for evaluation of chronic cough have reported the presence of UI associated with episodes of cough. In all but five subjects (96%), cough predated onset of UI. Women with UI were older (age 60.2±12.5(SD) yr vs. 55.5±18.2 yr; p=0.04) and had a significantly greater BMI: 30.0±7.2 kg/m2 vs. 26.8±6.3 kg/m2; p=0.003. Although duration of cough was greater in subjects with UI (50.3±76.6 months vs. 46.4±63.8 months), this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: UI is experienced by the majority of women suffering from chronic cough. In the vast majority of cases, onset of UI followed onset of chronic cough, and UI occurred exclusively and immediately following an episode of cough.
Cost-effectiveness of Screening for Osteoporosis in Older Men With a History of Falls

Importance Falls and osteoporosis share the potential clinical end point of fractures among older patients. To date, few fall prevention guidelines incorporate screening for osteoporosis to reduce fall-related fractures. Objective To assess the cost-effectiveness of screening for osteoporosis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) followed by osteoporosis treatment in older men with a history of falls. Design, setting, and participants In this economic evaluation, a Markov model was developed to simulate the incidence of major osteoporotic fractures in a hypothetical cohort of community-dwelling men aged 65 years who had fallen at least once in the past year. Data sources included literature published from January 1, 1946, to July 31, 2020. The model adopted a societal perspective, a lifetime horizon, a 1-year cycle length, and a discount rate of 3% per year for both health benefits and costs. The analysis was designed and conducted from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020. Interventions Screening with DXA followed by treatment for men diagnosed with osteoporosis compared with usual care. Main outcomes and measures Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), measured by cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Results Among the hypothetical cohort of men aged 65 years, the screening strategy had an ICER of $33 169/QALY gained and was preferred over usual care at the willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000/QALY gained. The number needed to screen to prevent 1 hip fracture was 1876; to prevent 1 major osteoporotic fracture, 746. The screening strategy would become more effective and less costly than usual care for men 77 years and older. The ICER for the screening strategy did not substantially change across a wide range of assumptions tested in all other deterministic sensitivity analyses. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000/QALY gained, screening was cost-effective in 56.0% of simulations; at $100 000/QALY gained, 90.8% of simulations; and at $200 000/QALY gained, 99.6% of simulations. Conclusions and relevance These findings suggest that for older men who have fallen at least once in the past year, screening with DXA followed by treatment for those diagnosed with osteoporosis is a cost-effective use of resources. Fall history could be a useful cue to trigger assessment for osteoporosis in men.
Design and Experimentation of a Low-cost Receiver for Visible Light Communications

Visible light communication (VLC), an emerging field of research, requires the use of visible light, optical sensors, transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), and filtration circuitry. As processing is done with voltages, TIAs convert the current from the optical source into a voltage. In this paper, we propose a low-cost receiver for long-range visible light communications. The receiver is composed of a wide bandwidth TIA using an off the shelf operational amplifier (op-amp). The design process focuses on the calculations for feedback resistance and capacitance, and other op-amp stabilization techniques for the receiver. We test the proposed receiver along with the TIA using the National Instruments simulator tool Multisim to determine the optimum operational bandwidth. The proposed VLC system is developed and experimented on a testbed composed of the transmitter circuitry, designed receiver, and National Instrument's USB-6351 data acquisition board for analog-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analog (DAC) conversion operations. Random data bit stream at a bit rate of $50\ kb/s$ is transmitted using on-off keying (OOK) modulation scheme. We study the bit-error rate (BER) performance for different transmitter and receiver distances up to 860 cm. The experimental results reveal that for a distance of 380 cm a BER of $9.76\times 10^{-5}$ is achieved.
Fracture toughness interpretation from breakdown pressure

Abstract One of the tests used to assess the possible dependence of the fracture toughness on stress relies on injecting fluid into a slotted borehole within a cylindrical rock sample subject to confining pressure and interpreting the toughness from the observed breakdown pressure. There is a wealth of experimental evidence that the so-measured toughness indeed increases with the confining stress. However, the interpretation of the observed breakdown pressure relies critically on assuming that the fluid pressure in the slots and the cracks ahead is uniform and on identifying the peak (breakdown) pressure with the fracture initiation pressure. The model described in this paper challenges these assumptions by considering the existence of a fluid lag at the tip of the hydraulic fracture and by incorporating the hydraulic compliance of the injection system. Numerical simulations indicate that there is an episode of stable crack growth, which is reflected by a continuous increase of the injection pressure after fracture initiation until the fracture becomes unstable. This model suggests that the actual toughness is generally overestimated, when it is interpreted from the breakdown pressure under the assumption of a uniform fluid pressure in the crack. Furthermore, this interpretation results in an artificial dependence of the toughness on the confining pressure. The overestimation depends essentially on two numbers, a scaled toughness and a scaled confining stress.
Closure of Educational Institutions due to Covid-19: Study on Higher Education Students

The Covid-19 pandemic is not only distressing the health of people but is also seen hampering various industries and sectors across the world. In India, the government as a part of the nationwide lockdown has closed all educational institutions, as a result, school to postgraduate students are affected. This disruption during the middle of the academic semester for higher education students forced them to adopt online classes to complete their syllabi. This study examined the challenges and constraints faced by higher education students during online classes. The results of the study found that respondents did not find online classes effective, they faced technical issues and constraints, including internet connectivity, voice quality and lack of interaction. Respondents usually have access to limited data plans, many of them sharing the same network with family members working from home. However, online education appears to be need of the hour for educational institutes, to retain their connect with the students and ensure continuous learning though technical challenges may persist for a while.