cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliabity Design of Thin-walled Pressure Vessel

reliabity theory was applied to carry out the reliabity design and analysis of thin-walled pressure vessel.The essential theoretical basis for the reliabity design of thin-walled pressure vessel was also put out.The body thickness of discontinuous distillation tower bottom re-boiling tube was designed,and compared with the traditional design method.The results show that,from the design theory,the reliabity design of thin-walled pressure vessel is more prefect than that of the traditional design.
Survey on awareness of risk factors for chronic diseases and current behavior among residents in Jinjiazhuang community Maanshan city

Objective: To investigate the awareness of the risk factors for chronic diseases and the current behavior of the residents in Jinjiazhuang community,Maanshan city so as to provide scientific evidence for the prevention of chronic diseases. Methods: Four thousand six hundred and seventy six residents aged over 18 were enrolled by stratified sampling. Each resident was scheduled to complete a questionnaire regarding to knowledge about the risk factors for chronic diseases and their current behavior. Results: The residents' overall awareness of the risk factors for hypertension was 38. 37%,and the residents with hypertension had a higher awareness than the non-hypertensive population( P 0. 05). The residents' awareness of the risk factors for diabetes was 33. 00%,and the residents with diabetes were more conscious of the risk factors than the non-diabetic population( P 0. 05). The residents' awareness of the risk factors for stroke was 38. 54%; the stroke patients and the non-stroke population had no statistically significant difference in knowledge about the risk factors( P 0. 05). Residents with hypertension,diabetes and stroke had a high smoking rate,which was 72.34%,73. 21% and 73. 24%,respectively. The drinking rate and active- exercise rate in patients with hypertension were 12. 40% and20. 57%,respectively. The rates of obesity and health education in patients with hypertension and diabetes were 43. 19% and 41. 52%,respectively. Conclusions: Behavioral risk factors such as smoking,over-drinking,obesity and lack of active exercises are widely existent in residents with chronic disease in Jinjiazhuang District. The residents' knowledge about the risk factors for chronic disease is insufficient,so it is necessary to provide health education about prevention and treatment of the chronic diseases to them to improve their awareness and health behavior.
Medical School Hotline: Liaison Committee on Medical Education Accreditation: Part II: The Graduation Objectives.

An essential accreditation requirement of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, is Standard 6: “The faculty of a medical school define the competencies to be achieved by its medical students through medical education program objectives and is responsible for the detailed design and implementation of the components of a medical curriculum that enables its medical students to achieve those competencies and objectives. The medical education program objectives are statements of the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that medical students are expected to exhibit as evidence of their achievement by completion of the program.”1 The program objectives must be defined in outcome-based terms that allow the assessment of medical students' progress, and are made known to all medical students, faculty, residents, and others with responsibility for medical student education and assessment. In June 2008, the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) Curriculum Committee developed the current set of institutional graduation objectives. The committee took into account objectives and competencies defined by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in 1998 and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 1999. The former stated the learning objectives for undergraduate medical student education, aimed to elucidate the essential attributes needed by physicians to fulfill their duties to society.2 These essential attributes are: Physicians must be altruistic. Physicians must be knowledgeable. Physicians must be skillful. Physicians must be dutiful. The ACGME stated the following general competency categories to guide medical schools to prepare graduates3: Patient care Medical knowledge Practice-based learning and improvement Interpersonal and communication skills Professionalism System-based practice These graduation objectives were communicated with the broader community through the Hawai‘i Medical Journal.4 Since then, the Curriculum Committee has annually reviewed these objectives, with the last review in March 2015. This article outlines JABSOM's Graduation Objectives and describes how they are used by faculty to monitor student progress. These objectives and detailed evaluation indicators can be found on the JABSOM website.5 The JABSOM Graduation Objectives are organized under the following seven major headings:
Noise in VLSI

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various spontaneous noise sources in very large scale integration (VLSI) circuits and their effect on circuit operation. It discusses these noise sources themselves, such as thermal noise in metal-oxide-semiconductor FETs (MOSFETs), shot noise and burst noise in bipolar transistors, flicker noise in MOSFETs, and bipolar transistors. It discusses the effect of very high frequency noise in MOSFETs and bipolar transistors, the effect of burst noise in bipolar circuits, and the effect of 1/f noise in MOSFET and bipolar VLSI circuits. A MOSFET has a conducting channel capacitively coupled to the gate. At very high frequencies, the noise in the channel gives rise, because of the capacitive coupling to the gate, to a gate noise current. This is called induced gate noise. Cross talk can be defined as the undesirable coupling of energy between signal paths. In VLSI circuits, cross talk appears from two main sources—capacitive or inductive coupling between lines or elements, and common impedance coupling in the ground and battery lines. In these circuits, the interconnection paths are extremely dense and cross talk can be a significant problem.
Entry Models Applied to Churches: Could Protestants use a Catholic Bishop to Solve Excess Entry?

This paper studies the entry behavior of churches of different religious denominations. In a given town, there tend to be fewer Catholic churches (with more members) than there are Protestant churches. Entry of Catholic churches can be considered centralized, since entry is controlled by a bishop; whereas, the entry of Protestant churches is rather decentralized. I estimate an entry game for Protestants, then conduct counterfactuals looking at how entry would change if it were centralized. I find that a large portion of the differences in entry between Catholic and Protestant churches is explained by this difference in entry regulation.
Patient-provider conversations about sterilization: A qualitative analysis

Abstract Objectives Although female sterilization is the second most commonly used contraceptive method in the US, research suggests that providers may serve as barriers to desired sterilization. Study design We conducted a modified grounded theory analysis of audio-recorded contraceptive counseling visits with 52 women who specified on a previsit survey that they wanted no future children and a supplemental analysis of visits with 14 women who wanted or were unsure about future children in which sterilization was mentioned. Results Sterilization was discussed in only 19 of the 52 visits, primarily with patients who were older women with children. Although some framed sterilization positively, many clinicians discouraged patients from pursuing sterilization, encouraging them instead to use long-acting reversible methods and framing the permanence of sterilization as undesirable. In the 33 remaining sessions, sterilization was not mentioned, and clinicians largely failed to solicit patients' future reproductive intentions. We found no clear patterns regarding discussion of sterilization in the 14 supplemental cases. Conclusion Clinicians did not discuss sterilization with all patients for whom it might have been appropriate and thus missed opportunities to discuss sterilization as part of the full range of appropriate methods. When they did discuss sterilization, they only infrequently presented the method in positive ways and more commonly encouraged patients to choose a long-acting reversible method instead. Clinicians may want to reflect on their counseling practices around sterilization to ensure that counseling is centered on patient preferences, rather than driven by their own assumptions about the desirability of reversibility. Implications Clinicians often fail to discuss sterilization as a contraceptive option with potentially appropriate candidates and, when they do, often discourage its selection. Clinicians should consider assessing reproductive intentions to ensure that potentially relevant methods are included in counseling.
Ex Vivo Fas Ligand Treatment Selectively Eliminates T Cells That Mediate GVHD.

The addition of recombinant human soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) to a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) resulted in selective reduction of the responder T cells during their activation against irradiated allogeneic stimulator cells, while sparing other T cells with anti-tumor reactivity, in studies using mouse models (Georgantas et al, Transplantation, In Press). To move our work toward reduction of clinical graft versus host disease (GVHD), we have extended these studies using a human model system. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) responders from a given individual (1 st party) were stimulated in vitro with irradiated PBMC stimulators from a second person (2 nd party), in the presence of sFasL. In control MLR cultures without sFasL, Fas expression began to increase on alloantigen-activated responder T cells by day 2. In 2–3 day MLRs done with carboxy-fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labeled 1 st party responder cells, there were greatly reduced numbers of CD25 + CFSE high , CD25 + CFSE low , and CD25 − CFSE low activated responder cells in the sFasL-treated cultures. In addition, the numbers of CD4 high CD25 + CD38 + HLADR + activated T cells that otherwise appeared in response to alloantigen were severely reduced in cultures containing sFasL. Secondary MLRs, performed on cells harvested on day 2–3 of sFasL treatment in the first MLR, showed a marked depletion of anti-2 nd party alloreactivity, but preservation of immune stimulation in response to cytomegalovirus and 3 rd party antigens. These data indicate that ex vivo sFasL/MLR-mediated depletion of alloreacting anti-donor T cells was efficient and selective. The efficacy of this method is currently being tested in vivo using a xenogeneic GVHD human-immunodeficient mouse model.
Conquests of Memory: Franciscan Chronicles of the East Asian Church in the Early Modern Period

This essay examines the ways in which Franciscan authors recounted the history of their missions in East Asia from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Key differences between Franciscan authors and those of other orders are highlighted, with special emphasis placed on disputes over precedence in the Asian mission field, over privileges accorded by the papacy for missionary activity, and over the prestige secured by acts of pious heroism and appointments to high ecclesiastical offices. Chronicles served as important adjuncts to the face-toface rivalries of Catholic religious orders, with the Franciscans dueling their peers for pride of place in historical memory. The publication of Franciscan histories in Europe ensured that the conflicts between orders extended around the globe, while their original intention was to consolidate the memories of distant efforts to plant and grow the church.
Interactive virtual reality animation STRAY SHEEP

"STRAY SHEEP" is a virtual reality character animation, which uses Oculus. This narrative film follows a quirky and curious lost sheep. The viewer will explore various imaginative environments made from common items of a child's daily life by following the sheep along its journey. The project "STRAY SHEEP" explores and illustrates, how narrative content and user interaction can coexist in VR.
Good code sets from complementary pairs via polyphase chips

In this paper, a new code is constructed by concatenating a Golay complementary code pair (A, B) with a gap in between. The autocorrelation of this code contains a zero-sidelobe region on either side of the mainlobe and an adjacent region of small cross-correlation sidelobes. This is achieved by using a polyphase code pair as chips for A and B that satisfy two conditions: they have conjugate symmetry/anti-symmetry property and are quasi-orthogonal in the convolution sense. The conjugate symmetry/anti-symmetry property results in the zero-sidelobe region, while the quasi-orthogonality property makes the adjacent region of cross-correlation sidelobes small. The complementary code pair could also be interlaced in the time domain avoiding the above mentioned gap. However, the zero-sidelobes and the small cross-correlation sidelobes are also interlaced in its autocorrelation. Polyphase codes based on linear FM (LFM) and piecewise LFM (PLFM) waveforms are used as chips for the complementary code pair, since they satisfy both the conjugate symmetry/anti-symmetry and the quasi-orthogonality conditions. Any polyphase good code set that satisfies the conjugate symmetry/anti-symmetry condition could be used as chips with the same complementary code pair to generate a good code set with a zero-sidelobe region and an adjacent region of small cross-correlation sidelobes. Such sets are constructed using polyphase code sets based on LFM and PLFM waveforms as chips.
Treatment options for hyperemesis gravidarum.

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a severe and prolonged form of nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy. HG affects 0.3–2% of pregnancies and is defined by dehydration, ketonuria, and more than 5% body weight loss. Initial pharmacologic treatment for HG includes a combination of doxylamine and pyridoxine. Additional interventions include ondansetron or dopamine antagonists such as metoclopramide or promethazine. The options are limited for women who are not adequately treated with these medications. We suggest that mirtazapine is a useful drug in this context and its efficacy has been described in case studies. Mirtazapine acts on noradrenergic, serotonergic, histaminergic, and muscarinic receptors to produce antidepressant, anxiolytic, antiemetic, sedative, and appetite-stimulating effects. Mirtazapine is not associated with an independent increased risk of birth defects. Further investigation of mirtazapine as a treatment for HG holds promise to expand treatment options for women suffering from HG.
Prayer and self-reported health among Americans with a history of cancer

B50 Background: Nearly 10.5 million Americans were alive who had been diagnosed with cancer in 2003. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 about 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed. Non-Hispanic blacks, especially males and persons with low socioeconomic status have the highest rates of both new cancers and cancer deaths. Many cancer patients may resort to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to aid in survivorship issues including specific health problems and preventive medicine for overall health. Religion and spirituality, oftentimes including prayer, have been associated with health-seeking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlates of prayer for health and self-reported health as well as the association between prayer for health and reported physical health among persons previously diagnosed with cancer. Also, we wanted to explore specifically whether there was an association between grouped cancer sites and prayer for health, that is, if the more chronic cancers (e.g., short-survival cancers) were associated with greater levels of prayer for health. Methods: We used data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) which collected information on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practices to examine the relationship between prayer for health and self-reported physical health among a sample of men and women who had a history of cancer. The statistical program SUDAAN (version 9.1) was used in the analysis to take into account this complex sampling survey design. Results: Among men and women with a history of cancer, 68.5% reported having prayed for their own health and 72% reported good or better health. For cancer survivors, praying for one’s own health was associated with several sociodemographic variables including being female, non-Hispanic black, and never married. Persons who reported a history of breast, colorectal, cancers that have short survival times, and other cancers prayed more for their health than those persons with a history of skin cancers. Overall, praying for one’s own health was inversely associated with good and better health statuses. Respondents who reported good or better health were more likely to be female, younger, have higher levels of education and income, and have no history of other chronic disease. Conclusions: Data from this nationally representative sample indicate that prayer for health is commonly used among people with a history of cancer. For persons who had ever prayed for their own health, 88% had prayed within the past year. However, we do not know the frequency of prayer (how often), its ultimate purpose for health, or its specific health-related focus. These findings should offer information and insight to both researchers and health care providers about the use of prayer among cancer survivors.
Gender and self-enterprise in the social media age: a digital double bind

ABSTRACTThe profound growth of independent employment in post-industrial economies has paralleled a vibrant ethos of self-enterprise – one captured by the prodding assertion that ‘we’re all entrepreneurs now.’ Amidst ubiquitous technologies of production, distribution, and promotion, the ideal of entrepreneurialism has taken on a political valance: that is, individuals are ostensibly ‘empowered’ to pursue their passion projects in digital environments. This project brings gender politics to the fore of contemporary discourses of online entrepreneurship. We draw upon in-depth interviews with 22 independently employed female professionals, the majority of whom work in digital media/creative fields, to understand the role of social media in their self-starter careers. Many interviewees were compelled to develop and present online personae that conformed to traditional prescriptions for femininity – a quandary that we term the digital double bind. An updated version of the career impasse that female workers f...
Estimation of Average Payloads from Weigh-in-Motion Data

Average payloads define the ton-to-truck conversion factors that are critical inputs to commodity-based freight forecasting models. However, average payloads are derived primarily from outdated, unrepresentative truck surveys. With increasing technological and methodological means of concurrently measuring truck configurations, commodity types, and weights, there are now viable alternatives to truck surveys. In this paper, a method to derive average payloads by truck body type and using weight data from weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors is presented. Average payloads by truck body type are found by subtracting an estimated average empty weight from an estimated average loaded weight. Empty and loaded weights are derived from a Gaussian mixture model fit to a gross vehicle weight distribution. An analysis of truck body type distributions, loaded weights, empty weights, and resulting payloads of five-axle tractor trailer (FHWA Class 9 or 3-S2) trucks is presented to compare national and state-level Vehicle Inve...
Suspended clays and silts: Are they independent or dependent fractions when it comes to settling in a turbulent suspension?

Abstract This research examines whether or not mixes of clay and silt in a turbulent suspension act and settle independent of each other. More specifically, we examine the following three questions: (1) does the presence of silt in suspension alter the size of mud flocs relative to those from a pure clay suspension of equivalent concentration? (2) can silt particles become bound inside clay flocs?; and (3) if silt is bound within flocs, how does this change the settling properties of the clay and silt mixture? These questions are explored through a series of laboratory experiments in which: (a) images of flocs and silt particles within the turbulent suspension are used to measure their size distribution as a function of time; and (b) the settling velocity of the individual aggregates from each of the suspensions are measured in a settling column. The experiments use pure clay, pure silt, and two different mixture ratios of silt and clay. The results show three primary conclusions. First, the presence of silt has no significant impact on floc size. Second, most of the silt in suspension became bound up within the floc aggregates. And third, the bound silt within the flocs increased the floc settling velocity by at least 50%. These results have potential implications for the modeling of suspended mud mixtures in rivers, estuaries, and turbidity currents.
Electroencephalographic, cognitive, and neurochemical effects of LY3130481 (CERC-611), a selective antagonist of TARP-γ8-associated AMPA receptors

6-[(1S)-1-[1-[5-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-pyridyl]pyrazol-3-yl]ethyl]-3H-1,3-benzothiazol-2-one (LY3130481 or CERC-611) is a selective antagonist of AMPA receptors containing transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory protein (TARP) γ-8. This molecule has been characterized as a potent and efficacious anticonvulsant in an array of acute and chronic epilepsy models in rodents. The present set of experiments was designed to assess the effects of LY3130481 on the electroencephelogram (EEG), cognitive function, and neurochemical outflow. LY3130481 disrupted food-maintained responding in rats and spontaneous alternation in a Y-maze in mice. In rat fear conditioning, LY3130481 caused a deficit in trace (hippocampal-dependent), but not in delay fear conditioning. Although these effects on cognitive performances were observed, the known cognitive-impairing anticonvulsant, topiramate, did not always produce deficits under these assay conditions. LY3130481 produced modest increases in wake times in rats. In addition, LY3130481 was able to attenuate some impairing effects of standard antiepileptic drugs. The motor-impairing effects of the lacosamide were attenuated by LY3130481 as was the decrease in non-rapid-eye movement sleep induced by carbamazepine. Evaluation of the effect of LY3130481 on neurotransmitter and metabolite efflux in the rat medial prefrontal cortex, using in vivo microdialysis, revealed significant increases in the pro-cognitive and wake-promoting neurotransmitters, histamine and acetylcholine, as well as in serotonin, telemethylhistamine, 5-HIAA, HVA and MHPG. LY3130481 thus presents a novel behavioral profile that will have to be evaluated in patients to fully appreciate its implications for therapeutics. LY3130481 is currently under clinical development as CERC-611 as an antiepileptic.
SNS Proton Beam Window Disposal

In order to support the disposal of the proton beam window assembly of the Spallation Neutron Source beamline to the target station, waste classification analyses are performed. The window has a limited life-time due to radiation-induced material damage. Analyses include calculation of the radionuclide inventory and shielding analyses for the transport package/container to ensure that the container is compliant with the transportation and waste management regulations. In order to automate this procedure and minimize manual work a script in Perl language was written.
Early barriers to neonatal porcine islet engraftment in a dual transplant model.

Porcine islet xenografts have the potential to provide an inexhaustible source of islets for β cell replacement. Proof-of-concept has been established in nonhuman primates. However, significant barriers to xenoislet transplantation remain, including the poorly understood instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction and a thorough understanding of early xeno-specific immune responses. A paucity of data exist comparing xeno-specific immune responses with alloislet (AI) responses in primates. We recently developed a dual islet transplant model, which enables direct histologic comparison of early engraftment immunobiology. In this study, we investigate early immune responses to neonatal porcine islet (NPI) xenografts compared with rhesus islet allografts at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days. Within the first 24 hours after intraportal infusion, we identified greater apoptosis (caspase 3 activity and TUNEL [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling])-positive cells) of NPIs compared with AIs. Macrophage infiltration was significantly greater at 24 hours compared with 1 hour in both NPI (wild-type) and AIs. At 7 days, IgM and macrophages were highly specific for NPIs (α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout) compared with AIs. These findings demonstrate an augmented macrophage and antibody response toward xenografts compared with allografts. These data may inform future immune or genetic manipulations required to improve xenoislet engraftment.
Obesity–Hypertension: Leptin as the Common Link to Cardiovascular and Renal Dysregulation

Leptin is a 16-kDa peptide hormone that is primarily synthesized and secreted by adipose tissue. One of the major actions of this hormone is the control of energy balance by binding to receptors in the hypothalamus, leading to reduction in food intake, elevation in temperature, and energy expenditure. In addition, increasing evidence suggests that leptin, through both direct and indirect mechanisms, may play an important role in cardiovascular and renal regulation. While the relevance of endogenous leptin needs further clarification, it appears to function as a pressure and volume-regulating factor under conditions of health. However, in abnormal situations characterized by chronic hyperleptinemia such as obesity, it may function pathophysiologically for the development of hypertension and possibly also for direct renal, vascular, and cardiac damage.
Numerical study of a micro flow reactor at engine pressures: Flames with repetitive extinction and ignition and simulations with a reduced chemical model

Abstract Combustion in a narrow channel with an imposed temperature gradient is studied numerically at elevated pressure with engine-relevant fuels. The focus is placed on unsteady flames with repetitive extinction and ignition (FREI) to determine the potential of this regime for fuel testing and calibration of reduced chemical mechanisms. First, it is shown that the FREI regime does occur at elevated pressures for sufficiently small tube diameters. The sensitivity of the extinction and ignition temperatures to low-temperature chemistry is found to be significantly enhanced at 25 bar compared to atmospheric conditions. The ignition and extinction temperatures differ by up to 100 K between PRF mixtures with varying octane numbers. Ternary mixtures of iso-octane/n-heptane/toluene and iso-octane/n-heptane/ethanol at similar research and motor octane numbers are also studied. Second, the potential of using data from the micro flow reactor to infer reaction rates is assessed. A reduced chemical mechanism combining a small fuel-dependent submechanism with a detailed fuel-independent submechanism for the core species chemistry is used for that purpose. Only the most sensitive fuel-dependent reactions are inferred. the calibrated reduced model is compared to a detailed model and good agreement in ignition delay times and laminar flame speeds is observed. This illustrates the potential of a micro flow reactor with a controlled temperature profile to test fuels and infer kinetic data.
Physical activity following acute concussion and persistent postconcussive symptoms in children and adolescents.

ABSTRACTThe management of concussion in pediatric patients has always been guided by treatment guidelines that have been drawn from consensus statements rather than clinical research projects. Grool and colleagues conducted a clinical research project on an early return to physical activity and its effect on post-concussion symptoms. The study enrolled 3063 pediatric patients, age 5.0 to 17.99 years of age who presented to one of nine Pediatric Emergency Research Centers in Canada. 2413 patients completed the primary outcome for exposure. A total of 1677 patients (69.5%) instituted some level of early physical activity, including light aerobic exercise (n = 795 or 32.9%), sport-specific exercise (n = 214 or 8.9%), non-contact drills (n = 143 or 5.9%), full-contact practice (n = 106 or 4.4%), or full competition (n = 419 or 17.4%), while 736 (30.5%) instituted no physical activity. Patients were evaluated by a web-based survey or a telephone-based survey at days 7 and 28 after their initial visit, and thei...
Multiphase Flow Associated With Geological CO2 Storage

Abstract Multiphase flow processes are one of the greatest sources of uncertainty for geological carbon storage, surpassed probably only by heterogeneity in the physical properties of the rock formations targeted for storage. The primary purpose of this chapter is to review multiphase flow processes specific to deep saline formation CO2 storage, including flow of supercritical CO2, dissolution of CO2 into formation brine, and relative permeability. The relative importance of multiphase flow processes to geological CO2 storage was evaluated through a review of previous and ongoing deep saline tests at the pilot scale, demonstration scale, and commercial scale. Uncertainty in multiphase flow is typically attributed to limitations in spatial and temporal resolution of field observations, but some components of uncertainty stem from limitations of numerical models used for quantitative analysis of geological carbon storage.
Simple and Effective Synchronization Technique for Synchronous Generator Emulating VSCs

To benefit from the stable and reliable operation of synchronous generator (SG) in power grid, the control system of a voltage source converter (VSC) can be designed in such a way that it emulates the SG behavior. This paper integrates a simple and effective synchronization mechanism to the control system of the SG-emulating VSC (SGEVSC). The synchronization system provides synchronizing active and reactive powers to regulate the frequency (phase angle) and voltage amplitude of the VSC output voltage and, as a result, synchronizes this voltage with the grid or ac-bus voltage. The paper also presents the stability analysis for the integrated synchronization and control of SGEVSC. The simulation results verify the seamless and fast transition of the SGEVSC between stand-alone and grid-connected operation modes without the need of reconfiguration for the controller.
Transplant Evaluation and Acute Posttransplant Care of the Adult with Congenital Heart Disease

As of 2010 there were approximately 2.4 million people in the United States living with congenital heart disease of which 1.4 million are adults (Gilboa SM, Devine OJ, Kucik JE, Oster ME, Riehle-Colarusso T, Nembhard WN, Xu P, Correa A, Jenkins K, Marelli AJ, Circulation. 134:101–9, 2016). With the advancement in prenatal detection, early surgical intervention, and improved medical management, more children with congenital heart disease are living into adulthood. While there has been significant advancement in palliative and corrective surgical repairs of congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure still remains a significant cause for morbidity and mortality in adults with congenital heart disease. As a result, 10–20% of adults with congenital heart disease may require heart transplantation, and they account for approximately 3% of all adult heart transplants (Goldberg SW, Fisher SA, Wehman B, Mehra MR, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 33:873–7, 2014). Although congenital heart disease is a small percentage of causes for heart transplant, the percentage of heart transplants for adults with congenital heart disease has nearly doubled in the last 18 years and will likely continue to increase as more children with congenital heart disease survive into adulthood. Much of the transplant evaluation is similar in adults with congenital heart disease and those without; however, there are unique pathologic and physiologic characteristics of those with congenital heart disease that require special consideration in the evaluation process prior to listing for heart transplantation and the postoperative care after transplantation. In this chapter we will discuss the evaluation process for transplant and the immediate postoperative management of the adult congenital heart disease population who receive a heart transplantation.
Discrepancies between conventional and viscoelastic assays in identifying trauma-induced coagulopathy.

Abstract Background Trauma-induced coagulopathy can present as abnormalities in a conventional or viscoelastic coagulation assay or both. We hypothesized that patients with discordant coagulopathies reflect different clinical phenotypes. Methods Blood samples were collected prospectively from critically injured patients upon arrival at two urban Level I trauma centers. International normalized ratio (INR), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), thromboelastography (TEG), and coagulation factors were assayed. Results 278 patients (median ISS 17, mortality 26%) were coagulopathic: 20% with isolated abnormal INR and/or PTT (CONVENTIONAL), 49% with isolated abnormal TEG (VISCOELASTIC), and 31% with abnormal INR/PTT and TEG (BOTH). Compared with VISCOELASTIC, CONVENTIONAL and BOTH had higher ISS, lower GCS, larger base deficit, and decreased factor activities (all p Conclusions Although TEG-guided resuscitation improves survival after injury, INR and PTT identify coagulopathic patients with highest mortality regardless of TEG and likely represent distinct mechanisms independent of biochemical clot strength.
Social networks and the archaeology of the Native American South.

At the point of early European colonization of the Americas, there were many Native American chiefdoms and chiefly provinces in what is now the southeastern United States associated with what is known to archaeologists as the Mississippian cultural tradition, dating from roughly AD 1000 through the 16th century (1). Archaeology sheds light on Mississippian society, economy, politics, and ideology and lends important insight into the development, collapse, and regeneration of Mississippian chiefdoms, both before and after European contact. Analytical approaches to studying patterns of interaction as well as the diverse and overlapping networks connecting people and groups within the Mississippian cultural landscape (and elsewhere) are critical to studying these aspects of life in the past. Social network analysis (SNA), as outlined by Lulewicz (2) in his insightful and innovative PNAS paper, “The social networks and structural variation of Mississippian sociopolitics in the southeastern United States,” has great potential to spark further research and findings in the field. SNA approaches in archaeology identify relational ties among actors, the structure of those relationships and associations, and patterns of continuity and change in networks through time (3⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓–9). As outlined by Mills (10), archaeological applications of SNA generally identify and interpret evidence of historical, spatial, or material networks, although networks (and different kinds of networks) can overlap and all networks have historical, spatial, and material components. Historical networks are sometimes manifested in hieroglyphic inscriptions, including those that make reference to cycles of warfare and diplomacy between cities and polities. Although some forms of visual imagery—rock art, painted designs on pottery, geometric patterns in basketry, and tattooing—are not the same as actual writing, similarities in iconography might reflect important connections between groups, as evident from Mississippian iconography depicted on engraved marine shell pendants known as gorgets (11) and … [↵][1]1Email: crodning{at}tulane.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A comparative study of parallel programming frameworks for distributed GPU applications

Parallel programming frameworks such as MPI, OpenSHMEM, Charm++ and Legion have been widely used in many scientific domains (from bioinformatics, to computational physics, chemistry, among others) to implement distributed applications. While they have the same purpose, these frameworks differ in terms of programmability, performance, and scalability under different applications and cluster types. Hence, it is important for programmers to select the programming framework that is best suited to the characteristics of their application types (i.e. its computation and communication patterns) and the hardware setup of the target high-performance computing cluster. In this work, we consider several popular parallel programming frameworks for distributed applications. We first analyze their memory model, execution model, synchronization model and GPU support. We then compare their programmability, performance, scalability, and load-balancing capability on homogeneous computing cluster equipped with GPUs.
The effect of captivity on the primate gut microbiome varies with host dietary niche

Despite careful attention to animal nutrition and wellbeing, gastrointestinal distress remains relatively common in captive non-human primates (NHPs), particularly dietary specialists such as folivores. These patterns may be a result of marked dietary differences between captive and wild settings and associated impacts on the gut microbiome. However, given that most existing studies target NHP dietary specialists, it is unclear if captive environments have distinct impacts on the gut microbiome of NHPs with different dietary niches. To begin to examine this question, we used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequences to compare the gut microbiomes of five NHP genera categorized either as folivores (Alouatta, Colobus) or non-folivores (Cercopithecus, Gorilla, Pan) sampled both in captivity and in the wild. Though captivity affected the gut microbiomes of all NHPs in this study, the effects were largest in folivorous NHPs. Shifts in gut microbial diversity and in the relative abundances of fiber-degrading microbial taxa suggest that these findings are driven by marked dietary shifts for folivorous NHPs in captive settings. We propose that zoos and other captive care institutions consider including more natural browse in folivorous NHP diets and regularly bank fecal samples to further explore the relationship between NHP diet, the gut microbiome, and health outcomes.
Management of Hepatic Coagulopathy in Bleeding and Nonbleeding Patients: An Evidence-Based Review:

Patients with varying degrees of hepatic dysfunction often present with presumed bleeding diathesis based on interpretation of routine measures of coagulation (prothrombin time [PT], international normalized ratio [INR], and activated partial thromboplastin time). However, standard markers of coagulation do not reflect the actual bleeding risk in this population and may lead to inappropriate administration of hemostatic agents and blood products. The concept of "rebalanced hemostasis" explains both the risk of bleeding and clotting seen in patients with liver dysfunction. The role of pharmacologic agents and blood products for prevention of bleeding during high-risk procedures and treatment of clinically significant bleeding remains unclear. Viscoelastic measurements of the clotting cascade provide information about platelets, fibrinogen/fibrin polymerization, coagulation factors, and fibrinolysis that might better represent hemostasis in vivo and may better inform management strategies. Due to the paucity of available data, firm recommendations for the use of blood products and pharmacologic agents in patients with hepatic coagulopathies are lacking, and thus, these products should not be routinely administered. Traditional laboratory tests such as PT/INR should not be the sole determinant of potential interventions. Rather, clinicians should assess factors such as the severity of bleed or bleeding risk of the procedure, the patient's risk of thromboembolism, and the strength of available evidence for specific agents and blood products to guide decision-making.
Distribution and effects of branched versus linear isomers of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS: A review of recent literature

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) have come to attention recently due to their widespread presence in the environment, recalcitrance, and potential negative health associations. Because of the long-term production of PFAS using ECF, which created branched isomers as byproducts in addition to the intended linear product, branched isomers of PFAS account for a significant portion of PFAS load in the environment. The distribution of isomers is not consistent in the environment, however. Geographic location appears to be a major factor in determining the isomer makeup of PFAS in surface and groundwater as well as in humans and animals. This is largely to differences in production methods; a region that produced PFAS via ECF for many years would have a higher ratio of branched isomers than one that produces PFAS using telomerization. In addition, the different structures of branched PFAS isomers as compared to linear PFAS appear to affect transport in the environment. Research suggests that linear PFAS sorb preferentially to soil and sediments, whereas branched isomers are more likely to remain in water. The higher polarity of the branched structure explains this difference. Studies in humans and animals show that most animals preferentially accumulate the linear PFOS isomer, but humans appear to preferentially accumulate the branched isomers as they are often found in human serum at percentages higher than that of ECF product. In addition, some studies have indicated that linear and branched PFAS isomers have some unique negative health associations. Very few studies, however, account for linear and branched PFAS separately.
Earnings Management in Chinese Family Firms: A Fraud Triangle Framework

There exist contradictory findings regarding the relationship between family ownership and earnings management. Relying on a fraud triangle framework, this study explores how resource constraints, ...
Androgen regulation of bowel function in mice and humans

Summary Many digestive disorders have prominent sex differences in incidence, symptomatology, and treatment response that are not well understood. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for example, affects approximately 10% of the population worldwide and tends to have different manifestations in males and females. Androgens are steroid hormones present at much higher levels in post-pubertal males than females and could be involved in these sex differences, but their normal functions in the bowel are largely unknown. Here, we show that gonadal androgens are required for normal gastrointestinal motility in vivo. In the healthy mouse gut, we detected androgen receptors in smooth muscle cells and a subset of enteric neurons. Surgical or genetic disruption of androgen signaling in adult mice selectively and reversibly altered colonic motility by affecting neurons rather than smooth muscle. To determine if androgens also influence human bowel function, we measured androgen levels in 208 adults with IBS. Free testosterone levels were lower in patients with IBS compared to healthy controls and inversely correlated with symptom severity. Taken together, these observations establish a role for androgens in the regulation of colonic motility and link altered androgen signaling with a common digestive disorder. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of gut motility, with implications for normal aging and disorders involving the gut-brain axis.
Evaluation of Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Sensors at a Low Ventilation Velocity

This paper presents the results of large-scale fire experiments on evaluating the performances of carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke sensors at low ventilation velocities. Experiments using three different combustibles—conveyor belt, coal, and diesel fuel—were conducted in the Experimental Mine at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Bruceton Research Facility. A total of eight sensor stations were located downstream of the fire with each station containing CO, smoke, carbon dioxide, oxygen, humidity, barometric pressure, temperature sensors, and two airflow sensors. The airflow velocity ranged from 0.22 to 0.26 m/s (44 to 51 fpm) in the tests. The response times were recorded for the CO and smoke sensors at each sensor station when smoke and gaseous products of combustion of each burning combustible reached the station. The response times of the CO sensors were used to determine the appropriate sensor spacing in the belt entry with a low air velocity. The performance of the smoke sensor was found to be affected by the high humidity in the experiments. The results on proper selection of sensors and the determination of sensor spacing at a low ventilation velocity can be helpful for ensuring sufficient early fire warning for underground workers, thereby improving the health and safety of miners.
How to identify and treat common bites and stings

A thorough history and physical are key to proper diagnosis and treatment following a patient's encounter with an insect, arachnid, or other arthropod.
Linear Focal Elastosis and PXE-Like Fibroelastolytic-Elastotic Papulosis Disorders

Elastic tissue disorders are heterogeneous and are characterized by increased or decreased dermal elastic tissue. The disorders are further defined by characteristic clinical morphologies and distributions, presence or absence of extracutaneous associations, and distribution and morphology of the elastic tissue alteration. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an inherited elastic tissue disorder characterized by yellowish papules coalescing into cobblestone plaques on the neck and flexural skin, with increased calcified clumped elastic tissue on biopsy and associated cardiac and ophthalmologic abnormalities. PXE-like disorders that lack systemic associations and calcification of elastic fibers may mimic PXE. These include PXE-like papillary dermal elastolysis (PXE-PDE), white fibrous papulosis of the neck (WFPN), and papillary dermal elastosis (PDE), all of which show elastic tissue loss in the papillary dermis (elastolysis), with variably increased dermal collagen. These are collectivly referred to as fibroelastolytic papulosis (FEP) disorders and are briefly covered in the elastolysis chap. 13 as well. Late-onset focal dermal elastosis (LOF9DE) also presents with PXE-like papules but shows increased reticular dermal elastic fibers. FEP disorders may also have increased elastic tissue; thus, the term fibroelastolytic and elastotic papulosis (FEEP) acknowledges this histologic variability and allows the inclusion of LOFDE in this clinical-pathologic spectrum of elastic tissue disorders. Linear focal elastosis, also characterized by increased dermal elastic fibers, is distinguished by cutaneous horizontal linear bands across the lower and mid spine. This chapter will discuss the clinical and histopathologic features of these disorders.
Complex SLI arithmetic: Representation, algorithms and analysis

The extension of the SLI (symmetric level index) system to complex numbers and arithmetic is discussed. The natural form for representation of complex quantities in SLI is in the modulus-argument form, and this can be sensibly packed into a single 64-b word for the equivalent of the 32-b real SLI representation. The arithmetic algorithms prove to be very slightly more complicated than for real SLI arithmetic. The representation, the arithmetic algorithms, and the control of errors within these algorithms are described. >