cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Location-aware key predistribution scheme for wide area wireless sensor networks

Key predistribution in wireless sensor networks refers to the problem of distributing secret keys among sensors prior to deployment. Solutions appeared in the literature can be classified into two categories: basic schemes that achieve fixed probability of sharing a key between any pair of sensors in a network and location-aware schemes that use a priori knowledge about sensors' communication needs, such as location information, to guarantee connectivity only among sensors that need to and can talk. Location-aware schemes achieve performance enhancement over the basic schemes by using resources efficiently. However, existing location-aware solutions are not compatible with combinatorial methods that use a set of key groups to generate sensors' key rings. Combinatorial methods are appealing as they achieve deterministic performance close to optimal. Besides, existing location-aware solutions do not have enough flexibility in terms of trade-off between connectivity and resilience. In this paper we propose a general key predistribution framework that can use any key predistribution method as its underlying scheme, including combinatorial ones. The proposed framework provides the user with options on how to allocate available resources to achieve desired performance based on the needs of the application. We also consider heterogeneous sensor networks consisting of nodes with different amount of memory and communication ranges and show that special treatment of this case results in substantial performance improvement. We confirm the good performance of our framework by providing experimental and analytical results.
Abundances of crenarchaeal amoA genes and transcripts in the Pacific Ocean

Planktonic Crenarchaea are thought to play a key role in chemolithotrophic ammonia oxidation, a critical step of the marine nitrogen (N) cycle. In this study, we examined the spatial distributions of ammonia-oxidizing Crenarchaea across a large (approximately 5200 km) region of the central Pacific Ocean. Examination of crenarchaeal 16S rRNA, ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) genes, and amoA transcript abundances provided insight into their spatial distributions and activities. Crenarchaeal gene abundances increased three to four orders of magnitude with depth between the upper ocean waters and dimly lit waters of the mesopelagic zone. The resulting median value of the crenarchaeal amoA: 16S rRNA gene ratio was 1.3, suggesting the majority of Crenarchaea in the epi- and mesopelagic regions of the Pacific Ocean have the metabolic machinery for ammonia oxidation. Crenarchaeal amoA transcript abundances typically increased one to two orders of magnitude in the transitional zone separating the epipelagic waters from the mesopelagic (100-200 m), before decreasing into the interior of the mesopelagic zone. The resulting gene copy normalized transcript abundances revealed elevated amoA expression in the upper ocean waters (0-100 m) where crenarchaeal abundances were low, with transcripts decreasing into the mesopelagic zone as crenarchaeal gene abundances increased. These results suggest ammonia-oxidizing Crenarchaea are active contributors to the N cycle throughout the epi- and mesopelagic waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Entropy Minimization for Solving Sudoku

Solving Sudoku puzzles is formulated as an optimization problem over a set of probabilities. The constraints for a given puzzle translate into a convex polyhedral feasible set for the probabilities. The solution to the puzzle lies at an extremal point of the polyhedron where the probabilities are either zero or one and the entropy is zero. Because the entropy is positive at all other feasible points, an entropy minimization approach is adopted to solve Sudoku. To escape local entropy minima at nonsolution extremal points, a search procedure is proposed in which each iteration involves solving a simple convex optimization problem. This approach is evaluated on thousands of puzzles spanning four levels of difficulty from “easy” to “evil”.
Evening Bat Summer Roost-Site Selection on a Managed Pine Landscape

Abstract Creation and maintenance of forested corridors to increase landscape heterogeneity has been practiced for decades but is a new concept in intensively managed southern pine (Pinus spp.) forests. Additionally, more information is needed on bat ecology within such forest systems. Therefore, we examined summer roost-site selection by evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) in an intensively managed landscape with forested corridors in southeastern South Carolina, USA, 2003–2006. We radiotracked 53 (26 M, 27 F) adult evening bats to 75 (31 M, 44 F) diurnal roosts. We modeled landscape-level roost-site selection with logistic regression and evaluated models using Akaike's Information Criterion for small samples. Model selection results indicated that mature (≥40 yr) mixed pine–hardwood stands were important roost sites for male and lactating female evening bats. Upland forested corridors, comprised of mature pine or mixed pine–hardwoods, were important roosting habitats for males and, to a lesser extent, l...
Corporate venturing obstacles: Sources and solutions

Abstract There is a fundamental conflict between new venture and mature company management requirements. As an enterprise evolves, the focus for success shifts from sensing and seizing opportunity to protecting and utilizing the resources that have been acquired. In surviving companies, management practices change to accommodate this changing need. The conflict arises when the mature company attempts to initiate internal new venture activities. Application of mature company practices to management of new corporate ventures is not only inappropriate, but breeds failure. To succeed with new ventures, top corporate management must first understand the inherent differences in management needs for new ventures versus the mature organization, and must then adapt a pluralistic management style that accommodates both needs. This paper examines the rationale for ten “establishment” practices and the adverse effects they can have on new ventures. From this analysis, alternative “entrepreneurial” management practices are recommended. The ten management practices examined are:(1) Enforce procedures to avoid mistakes; (2) Manage resources for efficiency and ROI; (3) Control against plan; (4) Plan long term; (5) Manage functionally; (6) Avoid moves that risk the base business; (7) Protect the base business at all costs; (8) Judge new steps from prior experience; (9) Compensate uniformly; and (10) Promote compatible individuals. Some of the adverse effects of these practices include: blockage of innovative solutions, loss of competitive lead time, entrepreneur failures, high venture failure costs, missed opportunities, fluctuating venture strategies, misread markets, reduced motivation to take risks, and loss of innovative employees. Recommended entrepreneurial management practices include: restricting “standard” procedures to those appropriate for the venture; controlling ventures by milestone planning rather than calendar budgets; being more responsive to market feedback in adjusting plans; focusing on critical issues for early determination of venture viability; assessing and choosing “affordable” risks; and making venturing a “mainstream” function of the business.
Macroscopic and Nanoscale Measurements of the Adhesion of Bacteria with Varying Outer Layer Surface Composition

The influence of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) chain length on bacterial adhesion was investigated by measuring the collision efficiencies of three Escherichia coli K12 strains, each having a different length LPS, to silica glass beads in column tests (macroscale tests). Nanoscale interactions between the bacteria and a silicon nitride tip were probed utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM). Adhesion results based on column tests indicated that collision efficiencies of the three bacteria were not consistently correlated to LPS length. Under conditions of low ionic strength (1 mM NaCl), collision efficiencies increased with LPS length for the three strains of E. coli. However, if cells were fixed with glutaraldehyde (2.5%), the strain with the shortest LPS chain had the greatest adhesion, while the bacterium with the mid-length LPS had the least adhesion to glass beads. Collision efficiencies increased when the solution ionic strength was increased from 1 to 100 mM as expected, and in most cases glutaralde...
Bisphenol A and Metabolic Syndrome: Results from NHANES

Background. Bisphenol A (BPA) is detected in the urine of >95% of US adults. Recent evidence from population-based studies suggests that BPA is associated with individual components for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, no previous study has examined the direct association between BPA and MetS. Methods. We examined 2,104 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2008. The main outcome was the presence of MetS (n = 741). Results. Increasing levels of urinary BPA were positively associated with MetS, independent of confounders such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and urinary creatinine. Compared to tertile 1 (referent), the multivariable adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of MetS in tertile 3 was 1.51 (1.07-2.12); P-trend was 0.02. Conclusions. Urinary BPA levels are positively associated with MetS, in a representative sample of US adults and independent of traditional risk factors for MetS. Future, prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Managing Employees in Interlibrary Loan, Circulation and Reserves: Supervision in a Production Environment

Abstract In a production environment, strategies for dealing with personnel problems are critical. Two of the most challenging staff problems that an interlibrary loan manager can confront are: (1) How to keep up with work when employees are absent and (2) Employee productivity problems. Interlibrary loan departments face the unique paradox of a workplace that is constantly changing and becoming more efficient due to the influence of technology on daily processes, yet still relies heavily on the daily labor and productivity of the staff. Additionally, interlibrary loan departments face almost constant time pressures, both from internal and external customers. The challenge is magnified when personnel issues arise, and the time needed to problem solve seems nonexistent. In particular, absenteeism and worker productivity can have disastrous results on interlibrary loan service quality, as well as a negative effect on departmental morale.
Online Mapping Tools for Entrepreneurs

Market research data is a critical resource for entrepreneurs. Detailed, localized data that can be depicted in map form is of particular use for a business plan. Academic and public libraries license data-rich resources of use to entrepreneurs. This article describes four licensed products currently available to libraries, discusses how well they meet the needs of entrepreneurial-type questions, and discusses issues that arise from meeting patron needs.
Hyperfemininity and attraction to macho and non‐macho men

Traditional gender role socialization has been associated with involvement in sexual aggression. The Hyperfemininity Inventory was developed to measure women's adherence to a traditional gender role. College women were divided into high hyperfeminine (n = 25) and low hyperfeminine (n = 25) groups based on their responses to the Hyperfemininity Inventory. Both groups read personality descriptions of a macho and non‐macho man and rated their responses to men in three sexual scenarios involving no sexual, consensual sexual, or nonconsensual sexual interactions. As hypothesized, women low in hyperfemininity reported less attraction, liking as a husband and sex partner, and resemblance to past or current boyfriends of the macho male than did women high in hyperfemininity. Low hyperfeminine women compared to high hyperfeminine women reported less attraction, willingness to date, more anger, and less sexual arousal to the man in the nonconsensual sexual scenario. The risks associated with attraction to macho and...
History in the Fundamentalist Imagination

Historians are not alone in reconstructing the past. Richly imagined and ingeniously documented versions of the past shape and sustain religious, social, and political movements. Such is the case with the antisecular, antimodernist religious movements that are sometimes compared under the term "fundamentalism." In this essay I first examine fundamentalist reconstructions of the past as a way of understanding the distinctive world views such histories reinforce and the appeal they hold for individuals and movements. In the second part of the essay, I explore the experience of the Islamic world in the twentieth century as it has been historicized and popularized by Sunni Muslim extremists such as Sayyid Qutb (1903-1966) and one of his contemporary disciples, Osama bin Laden. The mentality of fundamentalists is shaped by a tortured vision of the past-a construction of history that casts the long and otherwise dispiriting record of humiliation, persecution, and exile of the true believers (punctuated by an occasional, atypical golden age of faith) as a necessary prelude to the decisive intervention of God and the final vanquishing of the apostates. That sentence deserves several qualifications. First, the blanket use of the term "fundamentalism" may incorrectly suggest that Protestant fundamentalism-an early case of organized, militant religious opposition to secular modernity and its accomplices (pluralism, relativism, feminism)-is the template for all other fundamentalisms. The scriptural inerrancy invented by critics of the higher criticism of the Bible in the late 1880s, however, is hardly the defining mark of all such religious movements that arose in reaction against the modern nation-state with its absolutist pretensions and ever-increasing reach. Almost a generation before U.S. Protestant fundamentalism appeared, the Roman Catholic Church promulgated the Syllabus of Errors (1864), in which Pope Pius IX condemned most aspects of modernity, inaugurating an antimodernist campaign on a platform of ecclesial rather than scriptural "inerrancy." (The doctrine of papal infalliblity was defined by the First Vatican Council in 1870.) "Scriptural inerrancy" as a distinctive mark of fundamentalism is
Long Acting Reversible Contraception in Adolescents with Cardiovascular Conditions

Abstract Study Objective The purpose of this case series was to evaluate the efficacy and complication rate with use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods in adolescents with cardiovascular conditions. Design and Participants We performed a retrospective chart review of adolescents age 22 or younger with congenital cardiac anomalies or major cardiovascular conditions who had a LARC device placed at Seattle Children’s Hospital or University of Washington Medical Center between January 1, 2007 and March 1, 2012. Main Outcome Measures Patient characteristics, medical conditions, indications, and complications including perforation, pregnancy, expulsion, and pelvic infection were collected and analyzed. Results Thirty adolescents with congenital cardiac anomalies or other cardiovascular conditions had a LARC device inserted during the study period. Mean age at placement was 17.7 years (range 12-22). Twelve patients (40%) had reported a previous pregnancy and 12 (40%) had never been sexually active at time of placement. Common primary and secondary indications were desired contraception (22 patients, 73%), desired menstrual suppression (15 subjects, 50%) and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (8 subjects, 27%). Twenty-nine patients had a structural cardiac anomaly. There were 27 levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (IUD), 1 copper IUD, and 3 etonogestrel implants placed. There were 2 confirmed IUD expulsions and 1 removal due to persistent irregular bleeding and cramping. There were no cases of pelvic inflammatory disease or pregnancies with LARC methods in place. Twenty-seven (90%) patients were continuing LARC at last follow-up. Conclusions In this small case series of adolescents with cardiovascular conditions, LARC devices were effective at pregnancy prevention without serious complications.
Characterizing and Predicting TCP Throughput on the Wide Area Network

DualPats exploits the strong correlation between TCP throughput and flow size, and the statistical stability of Internet path characteristics to accurately predict the TCP throughput of large transfers using active probing. We propose additional mechanisms to explain the correlation, and then analyze why traditional TCP benchmarking fails to predict the throughput of large transfers well. We characterize stability and develop a dynamic sampling rate adjustment algorithm so that we probe a path based on its stability. Our analysis, design, and evaluation is based on a large-scale measurement study
Meningococcal vaccine: Position statement of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

The incidence of meningococcal disease peaks during the neonatal years and again during the adolescent years. Most adolescent cases are vaccine preventable using the current tetravalent meningococcal vaccines. In February 2005 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended routine immunization with the tetravalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine of all 11–12-year-olds with the interim recommendation including all 14–15-year-olds and special targeted populations to include incoming college freshmen living in dormitories military recruits certain travelers microbiologists working with Neisseria meningitidis and those with terminal complement component deficiencies and asplenia. The Society for Adolescent Medicine strongly supports the ACIP recommendations and encourages vaccination of all youth who are 11 years of age or greater with the tetravalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine. (excerpt)
95% of basidiospores fall within 1 m of the cap: a field-and modeling-based study

Plant establishment patterns suggest that ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) inoculant is not found ubiquitously. The role of animal vectors dispersing viable EMF spores is well documented. Here we investigate the role of wind in basidiospore dispersal for six EMF species, Inocybe lacera, Laccaria laccata, Lactarius rufus, Suillus brevipes, Suillus tomentosus and Thelephora americana. Basidiospores adhered to microscope slides placed on three 60 cm transects radiating from sporocarps. Morphological character- istics of species as well as average basidiospore volume were recorded. Number of basidiospores was quanti- fied at specific distances to produce actual dispersal gradients. We found a negative exponential decay model using characteristics for each species fit the field data well. The 95% modeled downwind dispersal distance of basidiospores was calculated for each species. The 95% modeled downwind dispersal distance increased with increasing cap height and decreasing basidiospore volume for the species sampled, with 95% of basidiospores predicted to fall within 58 cm of the cap. Differences in anatomical characteristics of EMF species influence how far basidiospores are dispersed by wind. We discuss the role of wind dispersal leading to patterns of EMF establishment during primary succession.
Defining Linear Context to Resolve Lexical Ambiguity

This paper sets out a mechanical procedure for eliminating ambiguities in machine translation in cases where a word in the source language has a number of equivalents in the target language. The procedure depends on the inspection of linear word context and the establishing of “diagnostic environments” for the ambiguous words. In the experiment described, the context was restricted to one word before and one following the ambiguous word. It demonstrated that considerable reduction in the number of ambiguities can be achieved by the procedure and that the word following the ambiguous word is more effective than the word preceding in resolving the ambiguity.
Policing on Demand: An Observational Study of Mobilization and Citizen Encounters across Communities

Police scholars generally accept that officers behave differently across communities and that those differences are influenced by specific community-level measures. This consensus is based on surprisingly scant empirical support, however. Studies designed to identify and explain community variation in police behavior have thus far largely ignored the issue of mobilization, or the various ways in which communities demand police services. This study provides information on how communities influence police using data collected through the systematic social observation of police officers. The study includes measures designed to capture the specific manner in which the police were mobilized, including instances where the police were dispatched through calls-for-service as well as non-dispatched activities. Findings demonstrate that communities vary in regard to both the types of problems handled by the police and the manner in which the police are mobilized. These differences are correlated with specific commu...
First Results in a Study Evaluating Pre-annotation and Correction Propagation for Machine-Assisted Syriac Morphological Analysis

Manual annotation of large textual corpora can be cost-prohibitive, especially for rare and under-resourced languages. One potential solution is pre-annotation: asking human annotators to correct sentences that have already been annotated, usually by a machine. Another potential solution is correction propagation: using annotator corrections to bad pre-annotations to dynamically improve to the remaining pre-annotations within the current sentence. The research presented in this paper employs a controlled user study to discover under what conditions these two machine-assisted annotation techniques are effective in increasing annotator speed and accuracy and thereby reducing the cost for the task of morphologically annotating texts written in classical Syriac. A preliminary analysis of the data indicates that pre-annotations improve annotator accuracy when they are at least 60% accurate, and annotator speed when they are at least 80% accurate. This research constitutes the first systematic evaluation of pre-annotation and correction propagation together in a controlled user study.
The Saccharomyces Genome Database: A Tool for Discovery

The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) is the main community repository of information for the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The SGD has collected published results on chromosomal features, including genes and their products, and has become an encyclopedia of information on the biology of the yeast cell. This information includes gene and gene product function, phenotype, interactions, regulation, complexes, and pathways. All information has been integrated into a unique web resource, accessible via http://yeastgenome.org. The website also provides custom tools to allow useful searches and visualization of data. The experimentally defined functions of genes, mutant phenotypes, and sequence homologies archived in the SGD provide a platform for understanding many fields of biological research. The mission of SGD is to provide public access to all published experimental results on yeast to aid life science students, educators, and researchers. As such, the SGD has become an essential tool for the design of experiments and for the analysis of experimental results.
Hostage-takers in health care settings.

Violence in health care setting takes many forms. Hostage incidents are an especially difficult one for health care providers. This article addresses the management and impact of such incidents. A series of hospital incidents are described. Recommendations for action during and after the incident are delineated. The roles of the psychiatrist are examined.
Distinct Roles of the Prefrontal and Posterior Parietal Cortices in Response Inhibition

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex have been implicated in the planning of movements and inhibition of inappropriate responses, though their precise roles in these functions are not known. To address this question, we trained monkeys to perform memory-guided saccade and anti-saccade tasks and compared neural responses in the same animals. A population of neurons with no motor responses was also activated by a stimulus appearing out of the receptive field and could therefore mediate vector inversion. These neurons were found almost exclusively in the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal cortical activity better predicted the level of performance in the task. Representation of the saccade goal also peaked in the prefrontal cortex at a time that was predictive of reaction time. These results suggest that the prefrontal cortex is the primary site of vector inversion in the cerebral cortex and explain the importance of this area in response inhibition.
Abstract 941: Targeting androgen receptor in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers account for 25-30% of all breast cancer cases and generally have a poor prognosis and little benefit from current endocrine therapy. Androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in 60-70% of human breast tumors independent of the ER status. Interestingly, while androgens inhibit the growth of ER+/AR+ breast cancer cells, they stimulate the growth of those that are ER-/AR+. However, the mechanism by which androgens and AR function to regulate breast cancer growth remains largely unknown. Analysis of gene expression microarray datasets from human breast tumors reveals enriched expression of AR in the ER- breast tumors that over-express HER2. Genome-wide analysis of the AR binding sites and androgen-regulated gene expression profiles in ER-/HER2+ breast cancer cells identified that AR mediates activation of oncogenic Wnt and HER2 signaling pathways through direct transcriptional up-regulation of WNT7B and HER3 in an androgen-dependent manner. Importantly, we demonstrate that FOXA1 and beta-catenin act as AR coactivators in inducing HER3, leading to the enforced HER2/HER3 signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of AR, Wnt or HER2 pathways impairs HER3 activation and androgen-stimulated tumor cell growth. While HER3 is receiving increased attention as a therapeutic target in HER2+ breast cancer, our study suggests that AR regulation may be yet another way to target HER3 in ER-/HER2+ tumors. Collectively, these findings not only highlight a previously unappreciated role of AR in breast cancer, but also reveals the mechanistic basis for targeting AR as a novel therapeutic opportunity for patients with invasive ER-/HER2+ breast tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 941. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-941
Preliminarily Analyse on the Characteristics of Drug Resistance and Clinical Symptoms of Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterium Infection in Tibet

Objective To explore the drug resistant situation and clinical features of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium(NTM) infection in Tibet.Methods From March 2008 to July 2010,412 strains isolated from sputum were identified and conducted drug susceptibility test in laboratory in Tibet Center for Disease Control and Prevention,and the clinical data of 18 patients infected with NTM were analyzed.Results 18 strains of NTM was identified from 412 strains of mycobacterium,occupied 4.4%.The drugs(INH,RFP,SM and EMB) resistant rate was 88.9%,77.8%,94.4% and 22.2% respectively.The multi-drug resistant rate was 77.8%,and the total rate of drugs resistantance was100%.The main symptoms of patients infected NTM were cough,expectoration,fever and haemoptysis and so on.And wide range of lung had pathological change when the patients infected NTM,which was more common in the middle-aged patients.Conclusions NTM also exist in Tibet autonomous region.NTM was resistant to INH,RFP and SM.And the treatment programs of lung disease by NTM is need to be regularized.
Humanistic Care of Socialist Core Values

Socialist core values embody the essence of humanistic care.Promoting prosperity,democracy,civility and harmony reflects the fundamental of people-oriented development,which are unity of respecting human's subjective role and affirming human need of interests.Advocating freedom,equality,justice and rule of law incarnates the goal of people-oriented development,which makes for respecting and maintaining human values and rights,as well as promoting their all-round development.And individual values of patriotism,dedication,integrity and friendship tends to human improvement,which focuses on significance of human existence and uplift of their spirits.
Identification of collagenous protein in dairy products by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Hydrooxyproline is unique component of collagenous protein,this feaature can be used for the identification of collagenous protein of hydrooxyproline through the determination of dairy products to identify whether the addition of collagenous protein ingredients.This study established a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS)-method to determinate hydrooxyproline in dairy products which detected positive ionization followed by selected reaction monitoring,hydrooxyproline was separated by the column of C8 with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-water(95∶5,V/V).The results showed,when 10~500 μg hydrooxyproline was fortified,the average recoveries were between 82.0% and 91.5%,the RSD was between 3.3% and 8.5%,the limit of determination was 1.5 mg/kg.The calibration curve was linear over a range from 0.1 mg/L to 12 mg/L(R=0.9995).The method has the advantages of easy operation,good reproducibility and accuracy without derivatization.It can be used for the supervision and inspection of dairy quality and safety.
Hybrid Membrane Plant Design and Operation

A membrane plant encompasses several technologies and processes since a standalone membrane system cannot produce a highly purified product because of physical and chemical constraints of synthetic membranes, and because membranes can foul prematurely in the case of liquid separations if the pre-treatment is not well-designed or is not working effectively. The optimal success of membrane plants, therefore, depends on the ability to operate various systems achieving the highest possible output using minimum energy and generating as little waste as possible with maximum safety for employees and environment. Process design and operation of an integrated membrane plant for producing high-purity water and a low-pressure membrane filtration plant for treating seawater prior to desalination by reverse osmosis are described. Unit operations, system controls, plant operation, troubleshooting and maintenance, process design and equipment are discussed.
Statistical Modeling Adoption on the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument Compared to Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a more utilized procedure to perform on patients deemed too frail to handle the demands of a standard open heart approach. How to determine frailty in cardiac patients, particularly TAVR candidates, has been difficult to objectively quantify. The purpose of this research was to statistically measure which outcome tool most accurately depicted frailty in patients who underwent TAVR. Our study was performed based on the comparison between two approaches: the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), which is the current national assessment standard conducted, and the Fried scale, which tests five frailty domains: gait speed, grip strength, low physical activity, exhaustion, and weight loss. Each domain of the Fried scale was explored and compared alongside the KCCQ with that frail/not frail to the TAVR patients with complications and deaths. Low physical activity was the strongest single-frailty domain predictor. Three statistical models – Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), were used to build classification systems to predict complication conditions. Comparing static numbers, such as Sensitivity, Specificity and Area under Curve (AUC), it is believed that composed models based on the five domains of the Fried scale were able to demonstrate more accurate results than the traditional KCCQ approach. Both SVM and ANN showed significant performance, but further research is necessary to confirm specificity for the Fried scale with the TAVR population.
Food allergy: immune mechanisms, diagnosis and immunotherapy

Food allergy is a pathological, potentially deadly, immune reaction triggered by normally innocuous food protein antigens. The prevalence of food allergies is rising and the standard of care is not optimal, consisting of food-allergen avoidance and treatment of allergen-induced systemic reactions with adrenaline. Thus, accurate diagnosis, prevention and treatment are pressing needs, research into which has been catalysed by technological advances that are enabling a mechanistic understanding of food allergy at the cellular and molecular levels. We discuss the diagnosis and treatment of IgE-mediated food allergy in the context of the immune mechanisms associated with healthy tolerance to common foods, the inflammatory response underlying most food allergies, and immunotherapy-induced desensitization. We highlight promising research advances, therapeutic innovations and the challenges that remain.
“I Hardly Understand English, But…”: Mexican Origin Fathers Describe Their Commitment as Fathers Despite the Challenges of Immigration

Interviews with 19 Mexican origin fathers in two parts of the United States examined how these men describe their parenting practices and give meaning to their involvement with their children. A gr...
Broadband achromatic metasurface lenses

We experimentally demonstrated broadband achromatic metasurface lenses that show ±3% focal distance error over a wavelength range of ∼400 nm in the near-infrared. Converging and diverging metasurface lenses with different numerical apertures have been realized.
Population-level outcomes of early versus delayed appendectomy for acute appendicitis using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Abstract Background The optimal timing of appendectomy for acute appendicitis has been analyzed with mixed results. We hypothesized that delayed appendectomy would be associated with increased 30-d morbidity and mortality. Materials and methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all patients undergoing nonelective appendectomy from 2012 to 2015 with a postoperative diagnosis of appendicitis. Patients were grouped based on hospital day (HD) of operation. Primary outcomes included 30-d mortality and major complications. Logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of major morbidity and mortality. Results From 2012 to 2015, 112,122 patients underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Appendectomies performed on HD 3 had significantly worse outcomes as demonstrated by increased 30-d mortality (0.6%) and all major postoperative complications (8%) in comparison with operations taking place on HD 1 (0.1%; 3.4%) or HD 2 (0.1%, P Conclusions Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program demonstrate similar outcomes of appendectomy for acute appendicitis when the operation is performed on HD 1 or 2; however, outcomes are significantly worse for appendectomies delayed until HD 3. Increased complications in this group are likely not attributable to HD of operation, but rather decreased baseline health status and procedure type.
Treatment of baboon with vinblastine: insights into the mechanisms of pharmacologic stimulation of Hb F in the adult

Vinblastine was administered to anemic baboons to test whether stimulation of Hb F takes place following distortion of erythropoiesis by an M-stage-specific compound. The treatments elicited erythroid cell cytoreduction followed by regeneration. During the phase of reticulocyte reduction, gamma/gamma + beta biosynthetic ratios increased without increment in F reticulocytes, suggesting that there was increased production of Hb F per F cell. The phase of reticulocyte regeneration was associated with sharp increments in relative (percentage) and absolute F reticulocytes. These data suggest that perturbations of erythropoiesis underlie the stimulation of Hb F synthesis by vinblastine. Accelerated or abnormal precursor maturation may account for the release of shift F reticulocytes with higher Hb F content, during the reduction phase. Accelerated total erythroid differentiation/maturation may account for the increment in F reticulocyte numbers during the phase of regeneneration.
Emerging therapies for the management of decompensated heart failure : From bench to bedside

While pharmaceutical innovation has been highly successful in reducing mortality in chronic heart failure, this has not been matched by similar success in decompensated heart failure syndromes. Despite outstanding issues over definitions and end points, we argue in this paper that an unprecedented wealth of pharmacologic innovation may soon transform the management of these challenging patients. Agents that target contractility, such as cardiac myosin activators and novel adenosine triphosphate-dependent transmembrane sodium-potassium pump inhibitors, provide inotropic support without arrhythmogenic increases in cytosolic calcium or side effects of more traditional agents. Adenosine receptor blockade may improve glomerular filtration and diuresis by exerting a direct beneficial effect on glomerular blood flow while vasopressin antagonists promote free water excretion without compromising renal function and may simultaneously inhibit myocardial remodeling. Urodilatin, the renally synthesized isoform of atrial natriuretic peptide, may improve pulmonary congestion via vasodilation and enhanced diuresis. Finally, metabolic modulators such as perhexiline may optimize myocardial energy utilization by shifting adenosine triphosphate production from free fatty acids to glucose, a unique and conceptually appealing approach to the management of heart failure. These advances allow optimism not only for the advancement of our understanding and management of decompensated heart failure syndromes but for the translational research effort in heart failure biology in general.
The deformation behavior of the L10 ordered FePd alloy

The ordered equiatomic L1{sub 0} alloys such as CuAu, CoPt, FePt and FePd undergo a cubic (disordered; fcc) {yields} tetragonal (ordered; L1{sub 0}) transformation upon cooling and generally develop a so-called polytwinned structure. This polysynthetically twinned or lamellar microstructure is shown developed in an equiatomic FePd alloy. The microstructure consists of an aggregate of twin lamellae conjugated along the {l_brace}110{r_brace} planes of the parent cubic phase. The so-called c-domains or transformation twins produce a modulated structure whereby the c-axis of the L1{sub 0} tetragonal phase changes by approximately 90{degree} across the twin interfaces. These microlaminated structures introduce a novel constraint on plastic flow and are expected to have a major influence on the plasticity and fracture behavior. The transfer of shear across the twin interfaces through successive twin lamellae is an interesting problem from both a continuum and mechanistic point of view.
Cardiac Adaption to Exercise Training: the Female Athlete

The number of female athletes participating in sports has increased exponentially over the past century. While cardiac adaptations to exercise have been well described, female athletes have been underrepresented in many prior studies. More recently, important research has embraced gender as an important biologic variable. We will review this work in order to examine how gender influences the impact of exercise on the heart. Exercise-induced cardiac remodeling (EICR) manifests slightly differently in male and female athletes. Specifically, female athletes have fewer signs of EICR on the electrocardiogram than male athletes, though are more likely to have anterior T wave inversions in the absence of cardiac disease. Cardiac enlargement due to exercise follows a different pattern in female versus male athletes, with females having similar chamber size when adjusted for body size but lower left ventricular mass. Recent research also suggests that female masters athletes may be less likely to have excess coronary disease, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial fibrosis, all of which have been posited though not proven to be sequelae of long-term endurance exercise in males. Gender appears to be an important modifier of the relationship between exercise and associated cardiac remodeling. The biological mechanisms underlying gender-based differences in EICR are poorly understood and will be an important area of future research.
Coupled BAW/SAW Resonators Using AlN/Mo/Si and AlN/Mo/GaN Layered Structures

We demonstrate coupled bulk and surface acoustic wave (BAW/SAW) resonators with significantly improved coupling efficiency as compared to SAW only devices. Two sets of stacks are investigated: one uses a thin film piezoelectric material with a bottom electrode on GaN substrate (i.e., AlN/Mo/GaN) and another includes a piezoelectric thin film with bottom metal on a Si substrate (i.e., AlN/Mo/Si). A vibrating BAW transducer induces a SAW in the substrate and between two sets of interdigitated transducers improving the coupling efficiency by a factor of ${\geq }\, \mathsf {8}{x}$ as compared to the conventional SAW. The performance of the coupled BAW/SAW resonators using each of the Si and GaN substrates is compared using FEM analysis. By using FEM, coupling efficiency of the hybrid BAW/SAW with AlN/Mo/Si stack is 2.4%, whereas it is 3.2% for the SAW using AlN/Mo/GaN stack.
Effect of Substrate on Adult Human Cardiomyocytes Contractility

Prior in vivo studies have reported that the development of heart failure is accompanied by a transition from the normal preferential metabolism of free fatty acids (FFA) to increases in glucose utilization and even ketone bodies, which normally provide a modest contribution to energy balance. However, the functional significance of the altered substrate utilization in the failing heart is poorly understood. Recognizing that nearly all prior studies examining isolated cardiomyocyte physiology have used glucose as the sole metabolic substrate, we initiated studies to examine the impact of alternative metabolic substrates on contractility in isolated human cardiomyocytes. We employed freshly isolated adult human left ventricular cardiomyocytes from non-failing hearts obtained from organ donors (NF, N=11 hearts, N=110 cells) and failing hearts obtained from transplant recipients (HF, N=13 hearts, n=130 cells). Cardiomyocytes were resuspended in a conventional 5mM Glucose Tyrode solution with alternative substrates (Glucose, FFA, R-3-Hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) or Mix (Glucose + FFA + 3-OHB)). Myocytes were field stimulated at 1 Hz and sarcomere length, fractional shortening, contraction velocity and relaxation velocity were measured using a video-based sarcomere length detection system (IonOptix Corp). Studies using isolated cardiac myocyte contractility as readout confirm that myocytes from NF human hearts are omnivorous: high levels of myocyte fractional shortening (FS) can be achieved under unstressed conditions (1 Hz, unloaded) with any substrate (FSGlucose: 0.132±0.012; FSFFA: 0.143±0.013; FS3OHB: 0.134±0.014; FSMIX: 0.155±0.020). In the failing heart, glucose alone is insufficient to produce normal unstressed myocyte fractional shortening (FSGlucose: 0.088±0.009***, p
Arthroscopic and Open or Mini-Open Rotator Cuff Repair Trends and Complication Rates Among American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons Part II Examinees (2007-2017)

Purpose To ascertain trends and reported complication rates of arthroscopic and open or mini-open rotator cuff repairs (RCRs) reported by American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Part II examinees between 2007-2017. Methods The ABOS database was queried for both arthroscopic RCR (International Classification of Diseases code 29827) and open or mini-open RCR (International Classification of Diseases codes 23410 and 23412) performed by Part II examinees from 2007-2017. A comparison between overall procedure rates, as well as reported complications (anesthetic, medical, surgical, reoperations, and readmissions) associated with the respective repair technique, was performed. Results From 2007-2017, a total of 31,907 RCRs were reported by Part II examinees. Of those, 85.2% (n = 27,189) were arthroscopic whereas 14.8% (n = 4,718) were open or mini-open. The rate of arthroscopic RCR increased from 73% (n = 2,138) in 2007 to 90% (n = 2,031) in 2017, whereas the rate of open or mini-open RCR decreased from 27% (n = 771) to 10% (n = 234) during the same period. Rates of reported annual complications were significantly lower for arthroscopic RCR (7.4%-16.2%) than for open or mini-open RCR (12.9%-30.3%) for each of the past 6 years (2012-2017) (P Conclusions ABOS Part II examinees reported an increased practice of arthroscopic RCR in comparison with open or mini-open RCR over the past 10 years. Reported annual complication rates have been significantly lower for arthroscopic RCR over the past 6 years, with an overall lower cumulative rate from 2007-2017. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Coronavirus disease 19 in minority populations of Newark, New Jersey.

The purpose of this study is to report the clinical features and outcomes of Black/African American (AA) and Latino Hispanic patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalized in an inter-city hospital in the state of New Jersey. This is a retrospective cohort study of AA and Latino Hispanic patients with COVID-19 admitted to a 665-bed quaternary care, teaching hospital located in Newark, New Jersey. The study included patients who had completed hospitalization between March 10, 2020, and April 10, 2020. We reviewed demographics, socioeconomic variables and incidence of in-hospital mortality and morbidity. Logistic regression was used to identify predictor of in-hospital death. Out of 416 patients, 251 (60%) had completed hospitalization as of April 10, 2020. The incidence of In-hospital mortality was 38.6% (n = 97). Most common symptoms at initial presentation were dyspnea 39% (n = 162) followed by cough 38%(n = 156) and fever 34% (n = 143). Patients were in the highest quartile for population’s density, number of housing units and disproportionately fell into the lowest median income quartile for the state of New Jersey. The incidence of septic shock, acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring hemodialysis and admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) was 24% (n = 59), 21% (n = 52), 33% (n = 82) respectively. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were older age, lower serum Hemoglobin 1200 U/L and > 1000 U/L. Findings from an inter-city hospital’s experience with COVID-19 among underserved minority populations showed that, more than one of every three patients were at risk for in-hospital death or morbidity. Older age and elevated inflammatory markers at presentation were associated with in-hospital death.
The New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Set against the background of mid-twentieth-century institutional changes analyzed by Jurgen Habermas, we provide an account of new social conditions that compose “the public sphere” in the contemp...