cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation as a Vehicle for Enhancing Collaborative Practice Models

Clinical simulation used in a collaborative practice approach is a powerful tool to prepare health care providers for shared responsibility for patient care. Clinical simulations are being used increasingly in professional curricula to prepare providers for quality practice. Little is known, however, about how these simulations can be used to foster collaborative practice across disciplines. This article provides an overview of what simulation is, what collaborative practice models are, and how to set up a model using simulations. An example of a collaborative practice model is presented, and nursing implications of using a collaborative practice model in simulations are discussed.
DEVELOPMENT AND VERIFICATION OF A MATLAB DRIVER FOR THE SNOPT OPTIMIZATION SOFTWARE

The MATLAB program and computing language has seen increased usage both in industry and academia in recent years. This is due to the ease in which it handles matrices and numerical computations. This computing environment also has an array of toolboxes for different mathematical and engineering tasks (e.g., controls, optimization). These toolboxes provide a general suite of numerical tools within a specific discipline for the user. The toolbox codes are general tools and are not typically as robust or as efficient as state of the art numerical codes develop by advanced users in a given discipline. In this research a MATLAB driver which links an existing robust and efficient optimization program SNOPT is developed and tested. The resulting program and driver have proved to be more efficient than the existing MATLAB toolbox codes for optimization.
Work Representations for Evaluating and Modeling Human-Machine Systems

Effective modeling of Human-Machine systems depends on an appropriate representation of work. This note discusses why format of work representation is important for modeling. Work representations vary in how specific versus abstract they are, with different levels providing different benefit. I identify some limitations of the predominant emphasis on highly specific work representations and benefits of pursuing more abstract representations. A new, abstract representation format (Work-Function X Variable Matrices) is proposed and illustrated with an example from cockpit aviation; a contrasting, specific-level example is sketched.
A Place at the Window Theorizing Organizational Change for Advocacy of the Marginalized

Using Giddens’s Structuration Theory as a lens, this article theorizes an organizational change perspective that emphasizes the role of the marginalized. The context for this work is the current changes within the Roman Catholic Church, with respect to its teaching and norms around homosexuality. The change perspective proposes the emergence of “Legitimate Alternative Structural Configurations” (LASC) from which organizational actors find guidance for enacting behaviors that promote greater inclusion of the marginalized in a global organization. Six propositions are offered for considering the ways in which marginal actors facilitate the emergence of LASC. This conceptualization of change provides a useful lens for recognizing, understanding, and promoting the transformation of oppressive organizational structures (in this case, the Roman Catholic Church), while emphasizing the role of marginal actors in the process of change.
Can our choice of contrast media impact renal and cardiovascular outcomes

Contrast media vary in their ionic status, viscosity, osmolarity--and these factors all play into clinical effects. Iso-osmolar and low-osmolar contrast media dominate clinical use today. The differences between these two agents in terms of kidney injury remain uncertain. Ionic agents have theoretical properties which may help prevent thrombus formation; however this phenomenon has not translated to differences in clinical outcomes.
Aerobic biodegradation of azo dyes in biofilms

Factors affecting biofilm removal of azo dyes from a synthetic, municipal-type wastewater were investigated using lab-scale, rotating drum biofilm reactors. Among the three azo dyes studied - Acid Orange 8, Acid Orange 10, and Acid Red 14 - only AO-8 degraded aerobically. The azo bond cleavage occurred very easily for all three dyes under anaerobic conditions. AO-8 removals ranged from 20% to 90%. Statistically designed experiments were used to characterize the response of pseudo-steady state biofilms. Two AO-8 removal rate maxima were identified - one at high bulk-phase dissolved oxygen and low COD removal flux, and the other at low dissolved oxygen and high COD flux. The presence of azo dyes, along with other factors such as COD loading, bulk-phase DO level and shear force, showed impact on biofilm accumulation.
Subcritical Aqueous Phase Reforming of Wastepaper for Biocrude and H2 Generation

This paper reports subcritical aqueous phase re-forming of wastepaper in presence of homogeneous Ni(NO3)2 catalyst for biocrude and H2 production. Reforming of aqueous wastepaper slurry (15 g/150 mL) was performed using 5 wt % catalyst in high-temperature high-pressure 300 mL SS316 PARR reactor at 200–275 °C. During the progress of the reforming reaction, gas and liquid samples were withdrawn at regular time intervals and analyzed using gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At 200 °C, negligible liquefaction of wastepaper was noticed; however, liquefaction was found to increase with temperatures from 225–275 °C. At 250 °C, about 44 wt % biocrude and 3.8 mol % H2 were observed after 120 min of reaction time. The other gases observed in product gas were CO2, CO, and CH4 whereas the liquid phase (biocrude) was found to contain sugars (7.5 wt %), HMF/furfural (∼1 wt %), oxygenated hydrocarb...
Plasma volume changes in egg-white injected rats; effect of cortisone.

SummaryEgg-white administration to rats results in loss of plasma from circulating blood. In adrenalectomized rats egg-white injection causes a greater loss of plasma than in intact animals. In animals pretreated with cortisone the loss of plasma is significantly smaller than in unprotected animals. The observations suggest that cortisone may act by preserving capillary function and maintaining plasma volume above the critical level.
Ringworm in a population of Snowshoe Hares.

The occurrence of ringworm, or dermatomycosis, in wild animals has been rarely reported. DeLamater (1939) described infections of Trichophyton mentagrophytes in common gray squirrels on and near the Johns Hopkins University campus at Baltimore. Errington (1942) and Charles (1946) reported on the occurrence of T. mentagrophytes in 35 of 364 litters (9.6%) of muskrats ( Ondatra zibethicus zibethicus ) in northwestern Iowa. Ninety-eight of 134 members (73%) of infected litters were recorded as contracting the fungus disease; of the 98, 90 died. Paul (1917), Lawrence (1918), and Connor (1932) mentioned ringworm epidemics of T. mentagrophytes among mice in wheat stacks of New South Wales and Victoria. During the course of studies on a population of wild snowshoe hares ( Lepus americanus ) on 100-acre Bull Island in Flathead Lake, northwestern Montana, a diseased condition of the skin was observed in many of the animals. It is the purpose of this paper to show that this pathologic skin condition was caused by the fungus T. mentagrophytes , and to describe the extent of this disease among the hares. Materials and methods .—Hares were trapped for four consecutive nights at intervals of 2–5 weeks over a period of nine months. The animals were live-trapped in wire cages (about 1 × 1 × 4 feet) which were examined each morning during the trapping periods. The occupants of the traps were ear tagged and released immediately. Most of the hares that lived on the island were trapped several times during the nine months that had elapsed since the first observation of disease. Thus repeated observations of the same hares were possible. Efforts were directed toward isolating and identifying the etiologic agent. In the field, the diseased areas of the skin were first washed with 70 per cent alcohol to destroy some of the saprophytic microorganisms. Scrapings …
Investigation on Influential Factors of Formulation of Capsule Shell of Compound Shenqi Soft Capsule

Objective To select an optimal capsule shell of compound shenqi soft gelatin capsule and study the effect of the formulation factor on the dissolution rate of gelatin shell.Methods UV method was set up to determine the release of lemon yellow from the gelatin shell.The effect of some additions on the dissolution rate of gelatin shell was studied.Results The results showed that the dissolution rate changed irregularly with the increase of the ratio of the gelatin to glycerine.The optimal formulation of capsule shell was gelatin-glycerin-water,with a ratio of 1.0:0.4:1.0,containing 1.2%(volume) of citric acid,0.4%(volume) of glycine,0.2%(volume) of titanium and 0.2%(volume) of chocolate.Conclusion The formula of the capsule shell of the compound shenqi soft gelatin is feasible and applicable for production.
Analysis on AIDS prevention and control among floating population in some areas of China

With the increasing number of HIV positive people among the floating population,AIDS prevention and control among them has become one of the most important issues in China.The two-stage stratification sampling method was employed to enroll 4 009 individuals from 7 vocations in immigrating and emigrating regions.A questionnaire survey was conducted among all participants.In addition,151 floating people and 147 officials from multi-sectors were in-depth intervied.Awareness rate of HIV-related knowledge of the participants,status on receiving AIDS prevention and control service,status on high risk behavior and STD-related symptoms,and cooperation with multi-sectors were analyzed.Finally the status and problems on AIDS prevention and control among floating population were summarized and the policy recommendations were made based on the study findings.
Comparison on physio-biochemical characteristics of different rice varieties under drought stress

To study the effects of drought stress on the protective enzymes and electrical conductance(EC) in leaves of different rice varieties,four rice cultivars including two drought tolerant hybrids Hanyou 3 and Peizaguihan 1,and two conventional hybrids(the controls) Qiuyougui 99 and Qiuyou 1025,were planted in pot and were stopped watering for drought stress after booting stage of rice.The results showed that activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POD),catalse(CAT),the content of malondialdehyde(MDA) and the EC of four rice cultivars increased continuously under drought stress.The protective enzyme indexes of drought tolerant rice cultivars were significantly higher than those of conventional rice cultivars,but the EC were lower with the aggravation of drought stress.It indicated that drought tolerant rice cultivars had relatively higher ability of osmotic adjustment and antioxidation ability as compared with the conventional ones,and had stronger adaptation ability under drought stress.
Remyelination Is Correlated with Regulatory T Cell Induction Following Human Embryoid Body-Derived Neural Precursor Cell Transplantation in a Viral Model of Multiple Sclerosis

We have recently described sustained clinical recovery associated with dampened neuroinflammation and remyelination following transplantation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in a viral model of the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis. The hNPCs used in that study were derived by a novel direct differentiation method (direct differentiation, DD-NPCs) that resulted in a unique gene expression pattern when compared to hNPCs derived by conventional methods. Since the therapeutic potential of human NPCs may differ greatly depending on the method of derivation and culture, we wanted to determine whether NPCs differentiated using conventional methods would be similarly effective in improving clinical outcome under neuroinflammatory demyelinating conditions. For the current study, we utilized hNPCs differentiated from a human induced pluripotent cell line via an embryoid body intermediate stage (EB-NPCs). Intraspinal transplantation of EB-NPCs into mice infected with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV) resulted in decreased accumulation of CD4+ T cells in the central nervous system that was concomitant with reduced demyelination at the site of injection. Dampened neuroinflammation and remyelination was correlated with a transient increase in CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) concentrated within the peripheral lymphatics. However, compared to our earlier study, pathological improvements were modest and did not result in significant clinical recovery. We conclude that the genetic signature of NPCs is critical to their effectiveness in this model of viral-induced neurologic disease. These comparisons will be useful for understanding what factors are critical for the sustained clinical improvement.
The local geographic distribution of diabetic complications in New York City: Associated population characteristics and differences by type of complication

Abstract Aims To identify population characteristics associated with local variation in the prevalence of diabetic complications and compare the geographic distribution of different types of complications in New York City. Methods Using an all-payer database of emergency visits, we identified the proportion of unique adults with diabetes who also had cardiac, neurologic, renal and lower extremity complications. We performed multivariable regression to identify associations of demographic and socioeconomic factors, and diabetes-specific emergency department use with the prevalence of diabetic complications by Census tract. We also used geospatial analysis to compare local hotspots of diabetic complications. Results We identified 4.6million unique New York City adults, of which 10.5% had diabetes. Adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, diabetes-specific emergency department use was associated with severe microvascular renal and lower extremity complications ( p -values p -values of 0.39 and 0.29). Our hotspot analysis demonstrated significant geographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of diabetic complications depending on the type of complication. Notably, the geographic distribution of hotspots of myocardial infarction were inversely correlated with hotspots of end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations (coefficients: −0.28 and −0.28). Conclusions We found differences in the local geographic distribution of diabetic complications, which highlight the contrasting risk factors for developing macrovascular versus microvascular diabetic complications. Based on our analysis, we also found that high diabetes-specific emergency department use was correlated with poor diabetic outcomes. Emergency department utilization data can help identify the location of specific populations with poor glycemic control.
Contemporary Citizenship: Four Types

The paper begins with an examination of three ideal types citizenship which are not necessarily mutual exclusive. The first type is national citizenship, typically associated with ethno-nationalism. The second form is social citizenship or ‘welfare citizenship’ refers to the creation of social rights and is closely connected to civil-society institutions rather than to the state or market. The third form of citizenship identifies the citizen with participation in the work force emphasizing self-reliance and autonomy. In this discussion, I argue that with economic globalization and the development of neo-liberal strategies the various forms of citizenship have converged towards a new model of passive citizenship in which the state is or has withdrawn from commitment to full employment and the provision of social security, especially universal provision of welfare services, and civil-society institutions have been eroded. The result is the emergence of the apolitical,isolated citizen as consumer. The fourth model of citizenship presupposes a consumer society, a weak state and the decline of civic institutions, where the passive citizen becomes a consumer of privatized goods and services. The rise of a fourth model of citizenship – the consumer-citizen – can be interpreted as a logical consequence of financialization.1 1 Some aspects of this chapter first appeared in Bryan S. Turner (2010), ‘Ralf Dahrendorf on Citizenship and Life Chances’, Citizenship Studies, 14 (2): 237–43.
Short-Term Outcome of Clipping Versus Coiling of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Treated by Dual-Trained Cerebrovascular Surgeon: Single-Institution Experience

Objective Studies that showed endovascular coiling of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RAs) to be superior to microsurgical clipping have compared dedicated endovascular interventionists versus open cerebrovascular surgeons. This is the first study to evaluate outcomes of coiling versus clipping of RAs treated by a dual-trained cerebrovascular surgeon using a specific intervention protocol. Methods The prospectively maintained database was reviewed for all patients with RAs undergoing endovascular coiling (± stenting) or clipping by the senior author (dual-trained vascular neurosurgeon) between July 2010 and April 2015. Results Of the 252 patients identified, 70 underwent clipping and 182 underwent endovascular treatment. The mean and median time to last follow-up were 179.6 and 176.5 days in the endovascular cohort and 203.9 and 154.0 days in the surgical cohort. There was no difference in age, gender, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade and Fisher grade, mean aneurysm size, and length of stay in the hospital/intensive care unit. Clipping had a higher proportion of middle cerebral artery aneurysms (37.1% vs. 8.8%; P Conclusions RA treatment should be individualized, with clipping and coiling being 2 complementary arms. Assessment of patient and aneurysm characteristics along with the advantages of both techniques provides an optimal therapeutic modality.
Health Care in China

China has recently emerged as an important global partner. However, like other developing nations, China has experienced dramatic demographic and epidemiologic changes in the past few decades. Population discontent with the health care system has led to major reforms. China's distinctive health care system, including its unique history, vast infrastructure, the speed of health reform, and economic capacity to make important advances in health care, nonetheless, has incomplete insurance coverage for urban and rural dwellers, uneven access, mixed quality of health care, increasing costs, and risk of catastrophic health expenditures.
Formation of Di-tert-butylurea from a Mononuclear Iron Tris(isocyanide) Complex

We report the synthesis and characterization of the tripodal iron tris(isocyanide) complexes [TmR′Fe(CNR)3](OTf) (R = tBu, Ad; R′ = Me, Ph, Mes). These complexes generate the corresponding disubstituted ureas when treated sequentially with a reductant (KC8) and a proton source (H2O). A series of labeling experiments indicate air to be the source of the urea oxygen, while the urea carbon is derived from the isocyanide. Crossover experiments indicate a key role for H2NR in the formation of the disubstituted urea, and we propose a pathway for urea formation that involves a diaminocarbene intermediate that is formed from H2NR attack on a bound isocyanide ligand.
Homodimeric Kinesin-2 KIF3CC Promotes Microtubule Dynamics.

Abstract KIF3C is one subunit of the functional microtubule-based kinesin-2 KIF3AC motor, an anterograde cargo transporter in neurons. However, KIF3C has also been implicated as an injury-specific kinesin that is a key regulator of axonal growth and regeneration by promoting microtubule dynamics for reorganization at the neuronal growth cone. To test its potential role as a modulator of microtubule dynamics in vitro, an engineered homodimeric KIF3CC was incorporated into a dynamic microtubule assay and examined by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The results reveal that KIF3CC is targeted to the microtubule plus-end, acts as a potent catastrophe factor through an increase in microtubule catastrophe frequency, and does so by elimination of the dependence of the catastrophe rate on microtubule lifetime. Moreover, KIF3CC accelerates the catastrophe rate without altering the microtubule growth rate. Therefore, the ATP-promoted KIF3CC mechanism of catastrophe is different from the well-described catastrophe factors kinesin-13 MCAK and kinesin-8 Kip3/KIF18A. The properties of KIF3CC were not shared by heterodimeric KIF3AC and required the unique KIF3C-specific sequence extension in loop L11 at the microtubule interface. At the microtubule plus-end, the presence of KIF3CC resulted in modulation of the tapered structure typically seen in growing dynamic microtubules to microtubule blunt plus-ends. Overall our results implicate homodimeric KIF3CC as a unique promoter of microtubule catastrophe and substantiate its physiological role in cytoskeletal remodeling.
Efficiency Analysis of the U.S. Publicly Held Insurance Industry: A Two-Stage Efficiency Model

This paper aims to measure and analyze the efficiency of the US publicly-held insurance industry from 2011 to 2013. The paper uses a two-stage efficiency model: 1 data envelopment analysis DEA, a non-parametric model for measuring the efficiency of 141 panel data of US publicly-held insurance firms, and 2 stochastic Tobit regression model for determining associations between insurers' financial performance and efficiency. Three significant findings are obtained: 1 There is no evidence that US insurance firms consistently improve in efficiency over time using the input-output mix. 2 There is an overall positive significant association between insurers' financial performance and technical efficiency at a very high confidence level. 3 Type of insurance is found to have a negative and significant effect on efficiency. These new findings add empirical evidence to the efficiency analysis of the US insurance industry.
Developing a Clinical Question Into a Research Question: The “Use It or Lose It” Example

Clinicians encounter countless questions every day. This paper provides an overview of the basic steps to translate a clinical question into a research question, then practical considerations for p...
Review on viscoelastic behavior of dielectric polymers and their actuators

This paper reviews state-of-the-art modeling of viscoelastic behavior elastomer (DE) as active material for actuators. First reviewed are the fundamentals of viscoelasticity theory and modeling based on Boltzmann's Superposition Principle, the key operator based on Laplace transform and its inverse Laplace transform, and Correspondence Principle by which solutions of viscoelastic boundary value problems can be determined if the elastic solution is known. Also discussed are the experimental methods of characterizing viscoelastic behavior of DE materials. Finally, viscoelastic constitutive equations are demonstrated to predict the time-dependent bending displacement and blocking force of DE actuators.
New-Onset LV Dysfunction

A 50-year-old male with a history of hypertension (treated with diuretic therapy) for >10 years and a family history of early coronary artery disease (father with myocardial infarction in his late 1930s) presents with chest discomfort, rapid heart rate, and dyspnea. He has no history of recent viral illness, endocrine disorder, or family history of cardiomyopathy. His medications include hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg daily. There are no allergies. There is no illicit drug use. He consumes 3–4 beers every 2–3 days. His physical examination is significant for a temperature of 98.5 °F, blood pressure of 90/60, heart rate 140/min irregularly irregular, and normal respirations and oxygen saturation. He has jugular venous distension to the angle of the mandible, with normal carotid upstrokes. Apart from an irregularly irregular heart rhythm, he has an S3 gallop. No murmur is auscultated. His pulmonary examination demonstrates rales approximately one-half up the chest. There is no hepatosplenomegaly and the remainder of the abdominal examination is normal. He has 1+ edema bilaterally and his extremities are warm.
CommAnalyzer: automated estimation of communication cost and scalability on HPC clusters from sequential code

To deliver scalable performance to large-scale scientific and data analytic applications, HPC cluster architectures adopt the distributed-memory model. The performance and scalability of parallel applications on such systems are limited by the communication cost across compute nodes. Therefore, projecting the minimum communication cost and maximum scalability of the user applications plays a critical role in assessing the benefits of porting these applications to HPC clusters as well as developing efficient distributed-memory implementations. Unfortunately, this task is extremely challenging for end users, as it requires comprehensive knowledge of the target application and hardware architecture and demands significant effort and time for manual system analysis.To streamline the process of porting user applications to HPC clusters, this paper presents CommAnalyzer, an automated framework for estimating the communication cost on distributed-memory models from sequential code. CommAnalyzer uses novel dynamic program analyses and graph algorithms to capture the inherent flow of program values (information) in sequential code to estimate the communication when this code is ported to HPC clusters. Therefore, CommAnalyzer makes it possible to project the efficiency/scalability upper-bound (i.e., Roofline) of the effective distributed-memory implementation before even developing one. The experiments with real-world, regular and irregular HPC applications demonstrate the utility of CommAnalyzer in estimating the minimum communication of sequential applications on HPC clusters. In addition, the optimized MPI+X implementations achieve more than 92% of the efficiency upper-bound across the different workloads.
Labor Organizations: International

Rapid globalization of economic activity posed new challenges to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and to the major international union bodies: The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), and the international trade secretariats (ITSs), the principal agencies dedicated to protect the rights and needs of workers and unions. The Cold War deepened divisions among trade union bodies and damaged the ILO's effectiveness. It was the major cause of the suspension of ILO membership by the United States, and participation in the ICFTU by the AFL–CIO, between 1977 and 1980. It increased the difficulties in rebuilding labor linkages, and strengthening the ILO's role in the governance and rule-making of international economic relationships. The center of gravity in academic research and writing had shifted in that period from support of labor rights and social welfare in favor of the values of markets, privatization, freedom of capital movements, and a limited government role; economists were specially influential. Efforts to redress these imbalances drew strength from new ILO leadership in 1999, renewed international union relationships following the 1995 election of new AFL–CIO leaders, and changes in the priorities and political preferences of important national labor organizations. Growing understanding of, and popular resistance to, the effects of globalization on workers' welfare, and of the subordination of national laws to the requirements of the international economic institutions—especially the IBRD, the IMF and the WTO—helped to stimulate both advocacy and academic analyses that challenged the hegemony of neoliberalism and encouraged the vision of an international economic order that gives greater weight to the welfare of workers, the protection of the environment, and the preservation of communities.
Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey.

(1985). Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 132-134.
A Transactional Model of Adjudication

This Article defines a new way of thinking about adjudication. American procedural theory encompasses three familiar models of adjudication: the traditional adversary system model; a model of public law litigation that describes large civil rights cases; and a model of managerial judging that attempts to account for the increasing judicial emphasis on settlement, as opposed to adjudication. None of these models, however, can explain much of contemporary class action litigation. A new model of civil litigation has emerged: a transactional model. The large, sprawling class action lawsuits that occupy the current procedural domain have more in common with business deals than they do with traditional adversarial litigation, legislative activity, or executive management. The salient attributes of contemporary class actions are most familiar in transactional terms: (1) Defendants purchase a commodity - finality. They buy from the plaintiffs' representative the plaintiffs' rights to sue. (2) The attorneys' activities are primarily business-oriented, not legal, in nature. They negotiate and structure large financial arrangements. Traditional litigation work - client meetings, legal research, discovery, motion practice, brief drafting, oral argument, trial - is of secondary importance. (3) The familiar signposts of adjudication - pleading, discovery, and trial - are of minor importance. Pleadings often do not initiate adjudicatory activity, but rather succeed the finalization of the transaction, and rarely do they frame the nature of the dispute as much as they reflect the nature of the deal. Huge transactions take placed based on discovery from other cases, or no discovery at all. Trial is rarely contemplated. (4) Judges broker deals, they do not adjudicate cases or even simply manage settlements. (5) The desire for nationwide deals and global peace has displaced familiar sovereign boundaries on the judicial capacity and function. This Article demonstrates the failure of current doctrinal and theoretical frameworks through an in-depth analysis of three recent Supreme Court cases - Amchem & Ortiz (mass tort class actions) and Matsushita (securities class actions ). The Article then describes the new transactional model, making the case for conceptualizing large, private law class action lawsuits as commercial transactions. The Article demonstrates the descriptive and explanatory value of such a model. The Article concludes by considering some of the normative questions raised by the adjudicatory developments.
A Source of Error in Self-Reports of Pap Test Utilization

The prevention and early detection of cervical cancer is achieved through women's regular use of Pap tests. Ascertaining adherence to Pap screening guidelines is often based on self-report, which may be unreliable. This study examined the reliability of Pap test self-reports and one potential source of error in them. We predicted that women having any gynecological examination (other than Pap tests) would falsely report having had a Pap test more often than women who had not experienced gynecological procedures. We compared self-reported Pap test utilization with medical records among 161 low-income women. Women with no Pap test in their medical record but who had experienced other gynecological procedures falsely reported a Pap test significantly more often than those women who actually received a Pap test or who had not received any gynecological procedure. Confusion over what type of gynecological procedures these women received could result in their under-utilization of Pap tests. Further, these findings question the validity of study findings based only on self-reported outcomes.
The inactivation of foot-and-mouth disease virus at ionic-strength dependent isoelectric points.

Abstract Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) isoelectric point (pI) values, determined by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, were linear with respect to the square root of the ionic strength. This effect for proteins is attributed to the preferential binding of anions. The Longsworth and Jacobsen equation, pI=pI0−(AΓ/2)/(1+BΓ/2), was evaluated for FMDV; Γ/2 is the ionic strength, pI0 is the isoionic point 7.6, and constants A and B are 21.5 and 4.2, respectively. With pI values of 3.25−7.5 estimated from this equation, it was found that FMDV was always inactivated at its pl, while at 2 pH units above its pI there was no loss of infectivity. Storing virus at conditions greater than 2 pH units above isoelectric points at alkaline pH also resulted in inactivation. Thus, virus inactivation or stability can be predetermined over a range of hydrogen ion concentrations and ionic strengths. Inactivation of FMDV below pH 7.0 in isotonic solution or degradation at pH 7.5 in hypotonic solution (Γ/2 0.002) which previously appeared to occur by two independent mechanisms are both the result of isoelectric inactivation.
Infrared Clear Air Turbulence Detection and Warning System

Atmospheric turbulence is an environmental condition which affects both passenger safety and comfort, and may be physically destructive to aircraft. Most air turbulence is caused by jet streams, mountain waves, and convection thunderstorms. Detection of turbulence in clear air is of particular interest because pilots have no visible indication of impending change in air flow magnitude and direction, and because high-speed jets operate at the altitude at which clear air turbulence (CAT) is most prevalent.
Mapping and KASP marker development for wheat curl mite resistance in “TAM 112” wheat using linkage and association analysis

Wheat curl mite (WCM, Aceria tosichella Keifer) and WCM-transmitted wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV, genus Tritimovirus) are devastating production constraints for wheat in the US Great Plains. Breeding wheat cultivars with genetic resistance to WCM and WSMV is a viable and economically feasible way to reduce yield loss. The objectives of this study were to (a) identify tightly linked markers for WCM resistance in the wheat cultivar TAM 112 (PI 643143) using linkage and association analysis with the 90K Infinium iSelect SNP array and genotyping-by-sequencing, respectively and (b) develop and test kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of WCM resistance. We tested 124 F5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross of TAM 112 and the WCM-susceptible cultivar TAM 111 (PI 631352). All lines were infested with a Texas WCM collection 2 (TWCMC2) that is virulent to resistance found on the wheat-rye 1AL.1RS translocation at the two-leaf stage and were rated for symptoms on the first and second week after infestation. Linkage maps were constructed with 4890 markers, including SNPs, simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and sequence-tagged site (STS) markers covering 21 chromosomes. A WCM resistance gene present in TAM 112 (CmcTAM112) was mapped onto chromosome arm 6DS. A genome-wide association study of wheat streak mosaic (WSM) symptoms from a separate experiment in Colorado showed significant marker-trait associations at the target regions on 6DS where CmcTAM112 was located, which demonstrated the effectiveness of this gene to reduce symptom severity. Four SNPs flanking CmcTAM112 were mapped within 3.6 cM in the biparental mapping population. We developed two KASP markers that are within 1.3 cM distal to CmcTAM112 and tested in diverse germplasm. These two markers can be used in MAS for improving WCM resistance in some wheat genetic backgrounds.
Improving relations among conservatives and liberals on a college campus: A preliminary trial of a contextual-behavioral intervention

Abstract The US has never been more divided politically. Polarization is notable on majority-liberal college campuses where conservatives feel outnumbered and marginalized. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a half-day workshop to decrease polarization and improve closeness between conservatives and liberals at a majority-liberal college campus. Informed by political psychology and relationship science, the intervention employed exercises derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy to encourage identification of core beliefs and vulnerable discussions of deeper reasons for core political beliefs aimed at generating closeness and understanding between participants. Participants (N = 20) were assigned to 2 groups: one of mixed conservatives and liberals, and one of all liberals. All participants reported improvements in attitudes and hostility towards outgroup members from pre- to post-workshop, but only differences in relations with specific outgroup workshop participants were maintained at 1-month follow-up. Participants also reported arguing less than expected.
UDE-based Robust Control for AC/DC Converters

In this paper, an uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE)-based robust control strategy is developed for AC/DC converters to achieve accurate DC-link voltage regulation. The models of both DC-link voltage dynamics and power delivering are derived firstly. The UDE strategy is introduced into both voltage-loop design and power-loop design to handle the uncertainties (e.g., the effects of model/parametric uncertainties), and external disturbances (e.g., variations of both amplitude and frequency in the grid, or load change). The proposed control strategy simplifies the parameter tuning and algorithm implementation, and offers a very robust disturbance rejection capability without additional synchronization units. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Streamlined analysis of LINCS L1000 data with the slinky package for R.

Summary The L1000 dataset from the NIH LINCS program holds the promise to deconvolute a wide range of biological questions in transcriptional space. However, using this large and decentralized dataset presents its own challenges. The slinky package was created to streamline the process of identifying samples of interest and their corresponding control samples, and loading their associated expression data and metadata. The package can integrate with workflows leveraging the BioConductor collection of tools by encapsulating the L1000 data as a SummarizedExperiment object. Availability and implementation Slinky is freely available as an R package at http://bioconductor.org/packages/slinky.
Childhood socioeconomic status and inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Recent research suggests that risk for chronic diseases of aging including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer can be programmed early in the lifespan as a result of exposure to chronic stressors like low socioeconomic status (SES) that are hypothesized to promote a pro-inflammatory response in immune cells that results in chronic, systemic inflammation. The present paper conducted a meta-analysis to establish whether exposure to low (versus higher) SES in childhood and adolescence is associated with higher levels of inflammation (as measured by C-reactive protein, IL-6, and fibrinogen) concurrently and in adulthood. We conducted meta-analyses with both unadjusted bivariate associations between SES and inflammation and with adjusted associations that controlled for a range of covariates including demographic factors, body mass index, smoking, physical activity and current SES. A systematic review of Pubmed and PsycINFO identified a total 35 studies (26 with unadjusted and 31 adjusted effect sizes) to be included in the meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis showed that individuals who were exposed to low SES in childhood and adolescence had significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers (r = −0.07, p
Psychotropic Medication and Academic Success: Supportive Evidence

This brief study reports on health center visits for psychotropic medication prescriptions and academic success. We analyzed records for students with mental health needs from 2000 to 2008. Buildin...
Pick Your Poison: Benzalkonium Chloride and Copper Enable Nanocellulose Derivatives to Form Antimicrobial Properties Against a Spectrum of Microorganisms

ABSTRACT TEMPO nanofibrillated cellulose (TNFC), nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and lignin were used as templates for the addition of two well-known antimicrobial substances, benzalkonium chloride (BZK) and copper. The resulting hybrid of cellulose and antimicrobial materials were analyzed for biocidal activity in three separate products. Assays of the nanocellulose-antimicrobials were assayed for viability against Escherichia coli in suspension, against Saccharomyces cerevisiae on PVA plastic, and against bacillus lincheniformis in paper additives. Instant biocidal activity was achieved with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 0.116 M BZK-TNFC hybrid suspension. BZK-Lignin and BZK-CMC suspensions demonstrated increased antimicrobial activity with longer exposure times during a 24-hour exposure which completely inhibited the bacteria. BZK was slowly released into the suspension, a desirable trait for long-term antimicrobial activity. PVA plastic incorporated with BZK/Cu-nanocellulose scaffolds created solid films that completely inhibited yeast growth by 270 seconds. Interestingly, lignin-BZK PVA films counteracted each other and showed no biocidal activity at all. The multiple combinations of nanocellulose and biocidal agents in the surface viability assay demonstrates the importance of synergy between both components in designing nanocellulose antimicrobials. TNFC-Cu was more suited to inhibit growth in paper than NFC-Cu as seen in a zone of inhibition assay. The most potent biocidal material in PVA was NFC-BZK. Here we show the diversity of the cellulosic derivatives and their impact on the antimicrobial additive. We employed a variety of assays to assess to biocidal of these nanoparticles against three species of bacteria and yeast relevant to food packaging and medical fields. From our study, there are many factors that play a role in the design of antimicrobial materials; cellulose derivative scaffold, antimicrobial agent, type of final material in which to be incorporated, target organism, and duration of application.
A thin-plate analysis and experimental evaluation of couple-stress effects

Couple-stress effects in materials have received much theoretical consideration recently but little or no experimental verification. The first part of this paper deals with a simplified elastic analysis for thin plates with couple stress which should provide a simple experimental approach to the determination of the order of magnitude of these effects. Classical concepts were utilized where applicable and many existing solutions can be modified by the present analysis to include couple stress.
A QTL for the genetic variance in free-running period and level of locomotor activity between inbred strains of mice.

Many genes support the manifestation of the circadian period in mice. In a multiple-gene trait all genes contributing in a minor way to this characteristic are quantitative trait loci (QTL). Screens of both the BXD and the CXB panels of recombinant inbred mice suggested that distal chromosome 1, between 90 and 100 cM, contained a QTL, Cplaq3, for a difference in the circadian period of locomotor activity between the C57BL/6J and the DBA/2J and between the BALB/cBy and the C57BL/6By progenitor strains. The mice studied were a commercially available congenic strain, B6.D2-Mtv7a/Ty, from 50 to 100 days old. This congenic strain contains a small DBA/2J genomic insert that covers the region of the provisional QTL in a 99.9% C57BL/6J background. The congenic mice had a shorter period than C57BL/6J mice, confirming that this region has a QTL for the difference in period between the C57BL/6J and the DBA/2J strains. In addition, these data suggest that this region has a QTL for the mean amount of daily activity and for the pattern of locomotor activity.
Animal models for the discovery of novel drugs for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Existing pharmacological treatments for PTSD are limited and have been used primarily because of their effectiveness in other psychiatric conditions. To generate novel, PTSD specific pharmacotherap...
Unveiling the Synergistic Role of Oxygen Functional Groups in the Graphene-Mediated Oxidation of Glutathione

This is the first report of an atomic-scale direct oxidation mechanism of the thiol group in glutathione (GSH) by epoxides on graphene oxide (GO) at the room temperature. The proposed reaction mech...
The FARC and the Colombian Left: Is it Time for a Political Solution?

This paper examines the current impact of the continued presence of the FARC in Colombia. Is the FARC merely a terrorist organization engrossed in narcotrafficking and the predatory tactics of survival or does it represent a legitimate political movement or alternative? Does the continued existence of the FARC represent an asset or an impediment to the various groups, movements and parties seeking alternatives to capitalist globalization and Colombia's acquiescence to U.S. economic/political policies? Finally should the Colombian 'left' sever any ties to the FARC or should it attempt to integrate the group into the political process? The aforementioned questions hold particular salience now as the political left in Colombia is arguably emergent while the FARC has faced vigorous military and political attacks during the Uribe administration and has had to endure the loss of membership and the deaths of several high level leaders.
Live Simulations

The next exciting step for large-scaled, data-driven, agent-based simulations is to make them live. In this article we describe what is meant by a live simulation, how this concept goes beyond the state of the art, why this would be transformative in multiple domains, and a path for achieving this vision. We discuss the major challenges to building live simulations covering aspects such as (i) data integration and unification, (ii) time scales and spatial resolutions, and (iii) simulation model scalability covering both computational tractability and sparse data, all with an eye on progress on various fronts that can be integrated towards realizing this vision.
Complete CFTR gene sequencing in 5,058 individuals with cystic fibrosis informs variant-specific treatment.

Abstract Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive condition caused by variants in each CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) allele. Clinically affected individuals without two identified causal variants typically have no further interrogation of CFTR beyond examination of coding regions, but the development of variant-specific CFTR-targeted treatments necessitates complete understanding of CFTR genotype. Methods Whole genome sequences were analyzed on 5,058 individuals with CF. We focused on the full CFTR gene sequence and identified disease-causing variants in three phases: screening for known and structural variants; discovery of novel loss-of-function variants; and investigation of remaining variants. Results All variants identified in the first two phases and coding region variants found in the third phase were interpreted according to CFTR2 or ACMG criteria (n = 371; 16 [4.3%] previously unreported). Full gene sequencing enabled delineation of 18 structural variants (large insertions or deletions), of which two were novel. Additional CFTR variants of uncertain effect were found in 76 F508del homozygotes and in 21 individuals with other combinations of CF-causing variants. Both causative variants were identified in 98.1% (n = 4,960) of subjects, an increase of 2.3 percentage points from the 95.8% (n = 4,847) who had a registry- or chart-reported disease-causing CFTR genotype. Of the remaining 98 individuals, 78 carried one variant that has been associated with CF (CF-causing [n = 70] or resulting in varying clinical consequences n = 8]). Conclusions Complete CFTR gene sequencing in 5,058 individuals with CF identified at least one DNA variant in 99.6% of the cohort that is targetable by current molecular or emerging gene-based therapeutic technologies.