cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simplifying physiologic injury severity measurement for predicting trauma outcomes.

Background The Revised Trauma Score (RTS) is commonly used to assess physiologic injury; however its use is limited by missing data. This study compares different parameters of physiologic injury assessment in their ability to predict mortality after trauma. Methods Adult patients in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB version 7.0) were analyzed, and the following physiologic injury parameters were compared: RTS, systolic blood pressure (SBP), shock (SBP ≤ 90 mm Hg), Glasgow coma scale-total (GCS-T), and GCS-motor (GCS-M). Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROC) were calculated for unadjusted and multivariate regression models to predict mortality after trauma. Results There were 1,484,648 patients who met inclusion criteria. In unadjusted analyses, RTS had the highest proportion of missing data (21%) and was highly predictive of mortality (AUROC = 0.85). SBP and shock had a much lower AUROC of 0.67 and 0.66, respectively, but had many fewer missing cases. The combination parameters of GCS-M with SBP or GCS-M with shock showed AUROC comparable to RTS (0.85) with approximately 80,000 fewer missing cases. Conclusion The discriminatory power of RTS is significantly better than SBP, shock, or GCS alone. Given the limitation of missing data associated with RTS, the combination of SBP and GCS-M is a more reliable and equally effective method of assessing physiologic injury severity in studying trauma outcomes.
Induction of heart failure: haemodynamic comparison of three different canine models

We compared three methods: arteriovenous anastomosis, doxorubicin administration, and combination of anastomosis and doxorubicin, with the intention of designing a simple, stable model of chronic heart failure. Twelve dogs were divided into three groups of four. One group received carotid-jugular anastomosis (Ana series), another group received anastomosis and doxorubicin injection (A/D series), and the last group received only doxorubicin (Dox series). Animals were followed for eight weeks. Fifteen different haemodynamic parameters were tracked and compared to baseline values. After eight weeks, diastolic pressure in the right atrium increased from 3.8+/-2.0 mmHg at baseline to 5.3+/-5.9 mmHg in the Ana series, to 6.3+/-3.3 mmHg in the Dox series and to 8.0+/-2.0 mmHg in the A/D series (P<0.05 A/D vs. baseline). Systolic pulmonary wedge pressure increased from 11.6+/-2.0 mmHg at baseline to 15.5+/-3.4 mmHg in the Ana series, 14.0+/-3.7 mmHg in the Dox series and 17.3+/-4.2 mmHg in the A/D series (P = NS vs. baseline). Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 53.9+/-10% at baseline to 36.1+/-5.6% in the Ana series (P<0.05 vs. baseline), 31.5+/-5.4% in the Dox series (P<0.05 vs. baseline) and 25.8+/-5.8% in the A/D series (P<0.001 vs. baseline, P<0.05 vs. Ana series and Dox series). In conclusion, eight weeks are not enough to produce stable heart failure using arteriovenous anastomosis alone. Doxorubicin administration alone produces a left ventricular failure. However, a combination of both of these interventions provides a more stable model of right-and left-sided heart failure.
Project Euclid and the Role of Research Libraries in Scholarly Publishing

Project Euclid, a joint electronic journal publishing initiative of Cornell University Library and Duke University Press is discussed in the broader contexts of the changing patterns of scholarly c...
Stochastic Control Bounds on Sensor Network Performance

Consider a network of sensors, each of which has limited sensing resources, which is tasked with collecting noisy classification information on objects. The amount of resources required a given sensor to measure an object depends on the specific sensor-object geometry. Sensors exchange collected information to estimate object identities and coordinate which measurements to collect. This paper describes a computable lower bound on the classification error that can be achieved by a causal adaptive sensing schedule. This bound is based on solving a partially observed stochastic control problem. Expanding the admissible control space of this problem leads to a relaxed problem with simpler decision structure for which the bounds can be computed. The bound computations are illustrated for examples involving 100 unknown objects, and compared with the Monte Carlo performance of specific scheduling algorithms. These comparisons illustrate the tightness of the bounds.
FLORISTIC QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF ONE NATURAL AND THREE RESTORED WETLAND COMPLEXES IN NORTH DAKOTA, USA

Floristic quality assessment is potentially an important tool for conservation efforts in the northern Great Plains of North America, but it has received little rigorous evaluation. Floristic quality assessments rely on coefficients assigned to each plant species of a region's flora based on the conservatism of each species relative to others in the region. These ''coefficients of conservatism'' (C values) are assigned by a panel of experts familiar with a region's flora. The floristic quality assessment method has faced some criticism due to the subjective nature of these assignments. To evaluate the effect of this subjectivity on floristic quality assessments, we performed separate evaluations of the native plant communities in a natural wetland complex and three restored wetland complexes. In our first assessment, we used C values assigned ''subjectively'' by the Northern Great Plains Floristic Quality Assessment Panel. We then performed an independent assessment using the observed distributions of species among a group of wetlands that ranged from highly disturbed to largely undisturbed (data-generated C values). Using the panel-assigned C values, mean C values (C ¯ ) of the restored wetlands rarely exceeded 3.4 and never exceeded 3.9, with the highest values occurring in the oldest restored complex; all but two wetlands in the natural wetland complex had a Cgreater than 3.9. Floristic quality indices (FQI) for the restored wetlands rarely exceeded 22 and usually reached maximums closer to 19, with higher values occurring again in the oldest restored complex; only two wetlands in the natural complex had an FQI less than 22. We observed that 95% confidence limits for species richness and percent natives overlapped greatly among wetland complexes, whereas confidence limits for both Cand FQI overlapped little. Cand FQI values were consistently greater when we used the data- generated C values than when we used the panel-assigned C values; nonetheless, conclusions reached based on these two independent assessment techniques were virtually identical. Our results are consistent with the opinion that coefficients assigned subjectively by expert botanists familiar with a region's flora provide adequate information to perform accurate floristic quality assessments.
Program Coordinators Disposition Toward Educational Leadership Best Practices: Practicum Experience in Georgia

The importance of field experiences in educational leadership was well documented in literature. However, scholars and practitioners disagreed on how field experiences should be provided to achieve the greatest effect. On the other hand, practicum efficiency and effectiveness were not assessed in the last ten years. Therefore, this study was designed to explore how field experiences are offered in the educational leadership programs (Master of Education and Add-On Program) in Georgia. Through data analysis, the researchers shared their observation of how field experiences in educational leadership could be enhanced in Georgia. Although the study was conducted in Georgia, the findings have nationwide implications.
ROSA: distributed joint routing and dynamic spectrum allocation in cognitive radio ad hoc networks

Throughput maximization is one of the main challenges in cognitive radio ad hoc networks, where local spectrum resources may change from time to time and hop-by-hop. For this reason, a cross-layer opportunistic spectrum access and dynamic routing algorithm for cognitive radio networks is proposed, called ROSA (ROuting and Spectrum Allocation algorithm). Through local control actions, ROSA aims at maximizing the network throughput by performing joint routing, dynamic spectrum allocation, scheduling, and transmit power control. Specifically, the algorithm dynamically allocates spectrum resources to maximize the capacity of links without generating harmful interference to other users while guaranteeing bounded BER for the receiver. In addition, the algorithm aims at maximizing the weighted sum of differential backlogs to stabilize the system by giving priority to higher-capacity links with high differential backlog. The proposed algorithm is distributed, computationally efficient, and with bounded BER guarantees. ROSA is shown through discrete-event packet-level simulations to outperform baseline solutions leading to a high throughput, low delay, and fair bandwidth allocation.
Diagnosis of uncertain primary tumors with the Pathwork® tissue-of-origin test

Clinical workup of metastatic malignancies of unknown origin is an arduous and expensive process, which is reported to be unsuccessful in up to 30% of cases. Global gene expression-based molecular testing may offer accurate classification of metastatic tumors in which a primary site has not been identified. Recently, the US FDA cleared the Pathwork® tissue-of-origin test, which is a gene expression microarray-based test that quantifies the molecular similarity of tumor specimens to 15 known tissue types. A blinded, multicenter validation on poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumors showed 87.8% sensitivity and 99.4% specificity in frozen tissue samples. The availability of ancillary gene expression-based molecular tests for tissue of origin determination represents a milestone in cancer patient management as part of the personalized medicine revolution.
Comparison of Disagreement and Amendment Rates by Tissue Type and Diagnosis Identifying Cases for Directed Blinded Review

We sought to determine whether a group of cases that was relatively high in disagreements and subsequent amendments could be identified and targeted for blinded review. During a 4-year period, 8,916 surgical pathology and nongynecologic cytology cases were subjected to blinded review; of these, there were 616 disagreements (6.9%), 69 (0.8%) had subsequent amendments issued, and 33 (0.4%) represented false-negative errors of blinded review. Tissues with the highest amendment rates were breast (4.4%), endocrine (4%), gynecologic (1.8%), and cytology (1.3%). Specimen types with highest amendment rates for specimens with more than 20 cases were breast core biopsies (4.0%) and endometrial currettings (2.1%). Diagnoses were divided into negative (64.7%), malignant (21.4%), nondiagnostic (1%), defined precursor lesions (ie, atypical ductal hyperplasia, tubular adenoma) (9.8%), and atypical or “suspicious” (3.1%). Amendment rates were highest for nondiagnostic material (5%) and atypical/suspicious (2.2%). Reviewing only nondiagnostic and atypical cases would have involved reviewing only 4.0% of cases and detected 14% of amendments. Reviewing all breast, gynecologic, nongynecologic cytology, and endocrine material would have involved reviewing 26.9% of cases and detected 88% of amendments. These data can be used to define material for directed blinded review that is relatively high in potential errors.
A flexible macroblock ordering with 3D MBAMAP for H.264/AVC

H.264/AVC is the latest video coding standard from ITU-T. It provides superior and efficient video coding at low bit rates. Flexible macroblocks ordering (FMO) is an error-resilient tool included in H.264/AVC. In this paper, we present an improved three-dimensional flexible macroblock ordering, (3D FMO), which is also designed to be H.264/AVC compatible. With our 3D macroblocks allocation map, simulation results have shown the 3D FMO works better with the error concealment tool in H.264/AVC. Simulations also show a PSNR gain of about 1-2dB for IP-based broadcast video application for 10% packet loss. Better video transmissions qualities are achieved, especially under lossy transmission channels such as wireless networks.
New 3-Dimensional Cephalometric Analysis for Orthognathic Surgery

Two basic problems have been associated with traditional 2-dimensional cephalometry. First, many important parameters cannot be measured on plain cephalograms; and second, most 2-dimensional cephalometric measurements are distorted in the presence of facial asymmetry. Three-dimensional cephalometry, which has been facilitated by the introduction of cone-beam computed tomography, can solve these problems. However, before this can be realized, fundamental problems must be solved. These include the unreliability of internal reference systems and some 3-dimensional measurements, and the lack of tools to assess and measure the symmetry. In the present report, we present a new 3-dimenisonal cephalometric analysis that uses different geometric approaches to solve these fundamental problems. The present analysis allows the accurate measurement of the size, shape, position, and orientation of the different facial units and incorporates a novel method to measure asymmetry.
How Neuroscience Is Taught to North American Dental Students: Results of the Basic Science Survey Series

The purpose of this study was to determine how North American dental students are taught neuroscience during their preclinical dental education. This survey represents one part of a larger research project, the Basic Science Survey Series for Dentistry, which covers all of the biomedical science coursework required of preclinical students in North American dental schools. Members of the Section on Anatomical Sciences of the American Dental Education Association assembled, distributed, and analyzed the neuroscience survey, which had a 98.5 percent response from course directors of the sixty-seven North American dental schools. The eighteen-item instrument collected demographic data on the course directors, information on the content in each course, and information on how neuroscience content is presented. Findings indicate that 1) most neuroscience instruction is conducted by non-dental school faculty members; 2) large content variability exists between programs; and 3) an increase in didactic instruction, integrated curricula, and use of computer-aided instruction is occurring. It is anticipated that the information derived from the survey will help guide neuroscience curricula in dental schools and aid in identifying appropriate content.
Perineal Groove: A Rare Congenital Midline Defect of Perineum

Perineal groove is a rare congenital malformation that is characterized by an exposed wet sulcus with nonkeratinized mucous membrane that extends from the posterior vaginal fourchette to the anterior ridge of the anal orifice. This condition is one of the uncommon anomalies of urogenital/anogenital region that is unknown to many clinicians. Although, this condition may be self-resolved before the age of 2 years, this nonepithelized mucous membrane can pose the risk of local irritation and infection, urinary tract infection, and the possibility of nonself-resolved condition that eventually needs surgical correction. Only a few reported cases (n = 23) were found in current medical literatures. This lesion could be misdiagnosed as contact dermatitis, trauma, or even sexual abuse. Therefore, recognition of the congenital perineal groove at birth is important for the health care providers to deliver an appropriate parental counseling and appropriate follow-up.
Genetics of autoimmune diseases.

AbstractMany lines of evidence suggest that autoimmune diseases are the result of chronic immune activation in genetically susceptible individuals following specific environmental exposures. Although the rarity and heterogeneity of autoimmune diseases and the lack of understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms have inhibited progress in the field, genes encoding histocompatibility molecules, immunoglobulins, complement components, peptide transporter proteins, T-cell receptors, sex hormones, cytokines, and metabolic enzymes important in drug and toxin elimination, have been identified as risk factors for one or more autoimmune diseases. Novel molecular genetic techniques and epidemiologic approaches that subset diseases by demographics, clinical manifestations, serology, and environmental exposures, should further elucidate the environmental and genetic risk factors for these increasingly recognized multifactorial disorders.
Current Trends in Craniosynostosis.

Craniofacial syndromes and defects can be complex medical problems. They affect multiple organ systems and frequently require interventions by many different specialties. It has been recognized for years that complex craniofacial patients benefit from a comprehensive team approach. Patients with Apert and Crouzon syndromes are the most commonly treated in craniofacial teams, though patients with other diagnoses benefit as well. Providers recognize the need for specialists in each discipline and, preferably, providers who work together frequently to care for these patients. As was recently presented in Tokyo, Japan at the 16th Congress of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, surgeons from around the globe are addressing the myriad anomalies of craniosynostosis in different ways. One group from Japan is using a multidirectional distraction system. Dr. Hopper in Seattle, Washington, United States, is using rotational distraction for the treatment of sleep apnea in these patients. In Phoenix, Arizona, United States, we use a minimally invasive approach for sagittal but not other synostoses. This field is in an exciting time of
PEAK HIP, KNEE AND ANKLE JOINT FORCES DURING GAIT AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction In a previous study of subjects with no history of lower extremity injury or disease we found a linear relationship between body weight and peak hip, knee, and ankle joint forces during the stance phase of gait. To investigate the effect of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on forces in the operated joints as well as the other joints of the lower extremities, we tested TKA subjects during gait and performed inverse dynamics analyses of the results. Materials and Methods TKA subjects (3 M, 1 F; 58 ± 5 years; body mass index range (BMI): 26–36 kg/m 2 ) participated in this investigation following institutional review board approval and informed consent. One subject had bilateral knee replacement. Each patient received the same implant design (4 PS, 1 CR). Data from previously tested control subjects (8 M, 4 F; 26 ± 4 years; BMI: 20–36 kg/m 2 ) were used for comparison. Retro-reflective markers were placed over bony landmarks of each subject. A nine-camera video-based opto-electronic system was used for 3D motion capture as subjects walked barefoot at a self-selected speed on a 10 meter walkway instrumented with three force plates. Data were imported into a 12-body segment multibody dynamics model (AnyBody Technology) to calculate joint forces. Each leg contained 56 muscles whose mechanical effect was modeled by 159 simple muscle slips, each consisting of a contractile element. The models were scaled to match each subject9s anthropometry and BMI. For the control subjects, only one limb was used in determining the relationship between body mass and peak joint force at the hip, knee, and ankle. For the TKA subjects, the peak joint forces were calculated for both the TKA limb and the contralateral limb. Results Figure 1 shows the knee joint forces for the TKA subjects’ operated (red triangles) and contralateral knees (diamonds) along with the values for the control subjects (circles). Knee joint forces for the TKA subjects fell within or near the upper and lower 95% confidence intervals (dashed lines) of the mean regression lines (solid lines) for the control subjects. Three patients had other lower limb complications (osteoarthritis, ankle surgery). One subject favored the operated limb and another the non-operated limb, as ascertained from the corresponding hip (Figure 2) and ankle joint forces (Figure 3). Discussion Modeling and simulation can be used to indirectly estimate joint forces in the implanted and non-operated joints. Our gait-lab derived inverse dynamics simulations suggest that joint forces following TKA fall within or near the normal range over a wide range of body weights and that the linear dependence between joint force and body weight applies to the implanted as well as non-implanted joints.
Botanical information: Resources and user needs

Botanical libraries that once specialized only in the subject of botany now take a more interdisciplinary approach in order to meet the needs of a wide variety of patrons. Information regarding the plant sciences is critical for economic botanists, plant taxonomists, historians, anthropologists, phytochemists, geneticists, biologists, Ph.D. students and graduate fellows. These specializations reflect the academic interests of the researchers who make up the broad user community of the Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden. While these scientists agree that powerful electronic search tools have revolutionized their research, hands-on use of the library, scouring the published literature for primary references, and the ability to view journals onsite remain high priorities in their information seeking.
A new asymmetric-telechelic polyisobutylene prepared by thecis-2-pinanol/BCl3, initiating system

A new asymmetric-telechelic polyisobutylene (PIB): has been prepared by the polymerization of isobutylene (IB) using the novelcis-2-pinanol/BCl3 initiating system in CH3Cl diluent in the −30 to −50°C range. The molecular weight range explored was ¯Mn = 1000–35,000. The polymerization most likely involves thein situ formed 2-pinanyl chloride.
Pseudomembranous colitis secondary to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

A 37-year-old woman with a history of type II diabetes and Crohn9s disease, status postcholecystectomy, presented with a >2-week history of cramping abdominal pain, nausea, non-bloody/non-bilious emesis and, later, diarrhoea. A flexible sigmoidoscopy was performed, revealing that ‘a segmental pseudomembrane was found from rectum to sigmoid colon’. Clostridium difficile PCR on the stool was repeated twice and resulted negative both times. A food history prior to onset of symptoms was consistent with Staphylococcal food poisoning and a stool culture was positive for heavy growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the absence of enteric flora. The patient was successfully treated with oral vancomycin.
Revisiting the problem of the Gulf Stream separation: on the representation of topography in ocean models with different types of vertical grids

Abstract The difficulty of simulating a realistic Gulf Stream (GS) that separates from the coast at Cape Hatteras has troubled numerical ocean modelers for a long time, and the problem is evident in different models, from the early models of the 1980s to the modern models of today. The source of the problem is not completely understood yet, since GS simulations are sensitive to many different factors, such as numerical parameterization, model grid, treatment of topography and forcing fields. A curious result of early models is that models with terrain-following vertical grids (e.g., “sigma” or “s” coordinates) seem to achieve a better GS separation than z-level models of similar resolution, so the impact of the vertical grid type on GS simulations is revisited here. An idealized generalized coordinate numerical model is used to compare between a sigma-coordinate grid and a z-level grid while maintaining the same numerical code and model parameters. Short-term diagnostic–prognostic calculations focus on the initial dynamic adjustment of the GS from a given initial condition and imposed boundary conditions. In diagnostic calculations, wherein the three-dimensional flow field is adjusted to time-invariant temperature and salinity data, the GS is quite realistic independent of the grid type. However, when switching to prognostic calculations, the GS in the z-level model tends to immediately develop an unrealistic GS branch that continues along the continental slope instead of separating from the coast at Cape Hatteras. The GS is more realistic in either a sigma-coordinate model or in a z-level model with a vertical wall replacing the continental slope. Increasing the vertical resolution in the z-level model reduces numerical noise, but it does not solve the GS separation problem. Vorticity balance analysis shows that the Joint Effect of Baroclinicity and bottom Relief (JEBAR) and its associated bottom pressure torque are very sensitive to the choice of vertical grid. A stepped topography grid may disrupt the local vorticity balance near steep slopes; this vorticity balance may be important to develop a counterclockwise circulation north of the GS that pushes the GS offshore. Therefore, the study suggests that a smooth representation of bottom topography in ocean models by using either a terrain-following coordinates or a z-level grid with partial cells may allow a more realistic treatment of flow–topography interactions and potentially a better simulation of the GS.
Factors affecting variance in Classroom Assessment Scoring System scores: season, context, and classroom composition

ABSTRACTEarly care and education programme quality is usually assessed at the classroom level. One such measure of classroom quality is the classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS). In an effort to ensure higher quality programming, the CLASS is being used to direct teacher professional development. However, there has been relatively little research on environmental features that lead to differences in CLASS scores. As the CLASS becomes a regulatory tool, more research is needed on factors that can affect CLASS scores. In this quasi-experimental, descriptive study, we compare CLASS scores over the course of three years. Our data indicate patterns of seasonal fluctuation with rising scores fall to spring, but the scores revert to lower levels in the subsequent fall. We also found a relationship between CLASS scores and the proportion of boys in a classroom. These findings call for additional exploration of the factors that influence preschool CLASS scores.
Characteristics and Activities of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

The sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are a unique physiological group of procaryotes because they have the capability of using sulfate as the final electron acceptor in respiration. Initially, these bacteria were treated as biological curiosities and little research effort was devoted to them. An appreciation of the SRB grew, in part, from an interest in understanding their relationship with other life forms. In the last few decades, the metabolic processes of the SRB have received considerable attention, and from these observations it can be concluded that SRB are markedly similar to other bacteria. A hallmark characteristic that distinguishes SRB is the manner in which sulfate is metabolized. With the demonstration that SRB are broadly distributed on earth, it was recognized that these organisms displayed significant roles in nature by virtue of their potential for numerous interactions (Fig. 1). Recent reports have summarized specific life processes mediated by SRB (Postgate, 1984; Fauque et al., 1991; Odom and Singleton, 1993; Barton, 1993; Peck and LeGall, 1994; Widdel and Hansen, 1992). This chapter provides an insight into the basic activities of the SRB, with special reference to biotechnology.
Unreported workers’ compensation claims to the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Establishment factors

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest employers underreport injuries to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII); less is known about reporting differences by establishment characteristics. METHODS: We linked SOII data to Washington State workers' compensation claims data, using unemployment insurance data to improve linking accuracy. We used multivariable regression models to estimate incidence ratios (IR) of unreported workers' compensation claims for establishment characteristics. RESULTS: An estimated 70% of workers' compensation claims were reported in SOII. Claims among state and local government establishments were most likely to be reported. Compared to large manufacturing establishments, unreported claims were most common among small educational services establishments (IR = 2.47, 95%CI: 1.52-4.01) and large construction establishments (IR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.77-2.37). CONCLUSIONS: Underreporting of workers' compensation claims to SOII varies by establishment characteristics, obscuring true differences in work injury incidence. FINDINGS may differ from previous research due to differences in study methods. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2016 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Is egg freezing ready for prime time

Dr. Jain believes this technology has arrived and appears to be safe. Dr. Fritz says no, not yet, for several reasons.
Second-harmonic generation in aluminum nitride microrings with 2500%/W conversion efficiency

Photonic integrated circuits hold promise as miniaturized and scalable platforms for classical and quantum photonic information processing. Second-order nonlinearity (χ(2)) is the basis of many important applications such as second-harmonic generation, spontaneous parametric down-conversion, and optical parametric oscillation. Here, we present systematical investigation and optimization of the second-harmonic generation in a dual-resonant aluminum nitride microring resonator. By optimizing the quality factor, independently engineering the coupling conditions for dual-band operation, and perfectly fulfilling phase-match conditions through thermal tuning, we demonstrate a second-harmonic generation efficiency of 2500% W−1 in the low-pump-power regime. To the best of our knowledge, this is a state-of-the-art value among all the integrated photonic platforms. We also study the high-power regime where the pump power depletion is non-negligible. A conversion efficiency of 12% is realized with 27 mW pump power. Our high-efficiency second-harmonic generator enables integrated frequency conversion and frequency locking between visible and infrared systems, and our approach can also apply to other photonic platforms.
Low Cost and Low Jitter DDS-Like Frequency Synthesizer

Reconfigurable clock is necessary for many applications such as digital communication systems, however, using the conventional direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDS) as a pulse or clock generator may cause jitter problems. People usually employ phase-interpolation approaches to generate a pulse or clock with correct time intervals. In this paper, a DDS-like frequency synthesizer without phase accumulator is proposed, which only uses the single capacitor integration to directly achieve the clock output with the same time intervals, such that the delay generator within phase interpolation is unnecessary. Therefore, the proposed DDS-like frequency synthesizer using single capacitor integration can significantly reduce much hardware complexity, and it also obtains a low phase jitter clock output.
Transcriptional Regulation by Locking and Unlocking the Intrinsic Disorder in NfκB

Intrinsic disorder plays a crucial role in the NFκB/IκB/DNA genetic regulatory network. Past studies on intrinsic disorder in the NFκB-IκB interaction have been focusing on IκB, the inhibitor of NFκB, while the dynamics of NFκB itself remains little understood. Previous coarse-grained energy landscape models and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDXMS) experiments showed intrinsic disorder in the N-terminal DNA-binding domain (NTD) of NFκB which becomes “locked” upon binding of DNA or IκB.
Local Quantum Physics

So far we have only discussed quantum spin systems, defined on a discrete lattice. In this chapter we will also look at continuous systems, defined on Minkowski space-time. It turns out that many of the same techniques can be used in this setting. This resemblance is particularly clear in what is called algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT). This is an attempt to formulate quantum field theory in a mathematically rigorous way, using C∗-algebraic techniques. One of the first formulations is due to Haag and Kastler (J Math Phys 5, 848–861, 1964). Their goal was to give a purely algebraic description of quantum field theory, that is, without reference to any Hilbert space.
Making Sense of Sleep Sensors: How Sleep Sensing Technologies Support and Undermine Sleep Health

Sleep is an important aspect of our health, but it is difficult for people to track manually because it is an unconscious activity. The ability to sense sleep has aimed to lower the barriers of tracking sleep. Although sleep sensors are widely available, their usefulness and potential to promote healthy sleep behaviors has not been fully realized. To understand people's perspectives on sleep sensing devices and their potential for promoting sleep health, we surveyed 87 and interviewed 12 people who currently use or have previously used sleep sensors, interviewed 5 sleep medical experts, and conducted an in-depth qualitative analysis of 6986 reviews of the most popular commercial sleep sensing technologies. We found that the feedback provided by current sleep sensing technologies affects users' perceptions of their sleep and encourages goals that are in tension with evidence-based methods for promoting good sleep health. Our research provides design recommendations for improving the feedback of sleep sensing technologies by bridging the gap between expert and user goals.
Broadband polarization conversion with anisotropic plasmonic metasurfaces

Metasurfaces offer exciting opportunities that enable precise control of light propagation, optical intensity, phase and polarization. Plasmonic metasurface based quarter-wave plates have been recently studied to realize the conversion between linear polarization and circular polarization. However, it is still quite challenging to directly measure the birefringent phase retardation introduced by metasurface wave plates with a reliable technique. Here, we report a high-performance broadband metasurface quarter-wave plate made of anisotropic T-shaped plasmonic antennas in near-infrared wavelength range, where the achromatic nearly 90° transmitted phase retardation through the metasurface is precisely characterized with an optical vortex based interferometric approach. Based on the measured transmission amplitude and phase of two orthogonal linear polarization components, nearly unit degree of linear polarization is extracted from the Stokes parameters, indicating excellent broadband polarization conversion between linearly and circularly polarized light through the metasurface. Our results will be an important step forward in the advancement of integrated metasurface devices for polarization conversion and beam manipulation, structured light control, as well as new spectroscopic and interferometric techniques for metasurface characterization.
BIOAVAILABILITY OF SEDIMENT-SORBED NAPHTHALENES TO THE SIPUNCULID WORM, Phascolosoma agassizii

Abstract The peanut worm (Sipunculida: Phascolosoma agassizii ) was exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons from Prudhoe Bay crude (PBC) oil. Uptake and release of naphthalene and alkylnaphthalenes were compared for worms exposed to hydrocarbons in solution, oil on the surface of sediments and oil mixed in sediment. Spiunculids exposed for 24 hr to a water-soluble fraction of PBC contained from 2 to 10 times the concentration of naphthalenes initially in the water. After living for two weeks in sediment, either oiled on the surface or mixed thoroughly with oil, animals contained from 2 to 4 ppm of total naphthalenes. The tissue content of hydrocarbons in organisms exposed to sediment-bound hydrocarbons compared closely with hydrocarbon content of the oil-contaminated sediments and may therefore represent contaminated sediment within the gut. Depuration of naphthalenes was rapid when worms were transferred to clean water and/or sediment, perhaps indicating egestion. After two weeks of depuration, both water-and sediment-exposed worms released naphthalenes to background levels. From these results it does not appear that significant bioaccumulation of naphthalenes occurs from hydrocarbon fractions bound to sediment.
Public Libraries As Partners for Health.

Introduction Public libraries are free and accessible to all and are centers of community engagement and education, making them logical choices as partners for improving population health. Library staff members routinely assist patrons with unmet health and social needs. Methods We used a 100-question, self-administered web survey sent to all library directors listed in the Pennsylvania Library Association database (N = 621), to investigate staff interactions with library patrons to address social determinants of health. We conducted statistical comparisons of quantitative responses and a content analysis of open-ended responses. Results Respondents (N = 262) reported frequently interacting with patrons around health and social concerns - well beyond those related to literacy and education - including help with employment (94%), nutrition (70%), exercise (66%), and social welfare benefits (51%). Acute emergencies were not uncommon in Pennsylvania's public libraries, with nearly 12% of respondents having witnessed a drug overdose at the library in the past year. Most respondents felt that their professional training left them inadequately prepared to assist patrons with health and social issues. Although at least 40% of respondents offered some health programming at their library branch, their offerings did not meet the high level of need reflected in common patron inquiries. Conclusion The challenges library staff members experience in meeting their patrons' information needs suggest opportunities for public libraries to advance population health. Library staff members need additional training and resources and collaboration with public health and health care institutions to respond to community needs through effective, evidence-based public health programming.
A Multi-Anatomical Retinal Structure Segmentation System for Automatic Eye Screening Using Morphological Adaptive Fuzzy Thresholding

Eye exam can be as efficacious as physical one in determining health concerns. Retina screening can be the very first clue for detecting a variety of hidden health issues including pre-diabetes and diabetes. Through the process of clinical diagnosis and prognosis; ophthalmologists rely heavily on the binary segmented version of retina fundus image; where the accuracy of segmented vessels, optic disc, and abnormal lesions extremely affects the diagnosis accuracy which in turn affect the subsequent clinical treatment steps. This paper proposes an automated retinal fundus image segmentation system composed of three segmentation subsystems follow same core segmentation algorithm. Despite of broad difference in features and characteristics; retinal vessels, optic disc, and exudate lesions are extracted by each subsystem without the need for texture analysis or synthesis. For sake of compact diagnosis and complete clinical insight, our proposed system can detect these anatomical structures in one session with high accuracy even in pathological retina images. The proposed system uses a robust hybrid segmentation algorithm combines adaptive fuzzy thresholding and mathematical morphology. The proposed system is validated using four benchmark datasets: DRIVE and STARE (vessels), DRISHTI-GS (optic disc), and DIARETDB1 (exudates lesions). Competitive segmentation performance is achieved, outperforming a variety of up-to-date systems and demonstrating the capacity to deal with other heterogeneous anatomical structures.
SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF LONG ISLAND SOUND INFAUNA: THE ROLE OF BOTTOM DISTURBANCE IN A NEARSHORE MARINE HABITAT

Abstract: Field experiments demonstrated a characteristic response of Long Island Sound infauna to substratum disturbance. Relatively opportunistic and equilibrium adaptive strategies were discerned. Three grab sample surveys were made during 1971–1973 to test the hypothesis that benthos spatial and temporal distributions result from differential adaptation to bottom disturbance. Opportunistic species were patchily distributed in space and time; equilibrium species were evenly distributed. Opportunist-dominated stations were found on all bottom types, but in depths of less than twenty meters. Analyses of variance and canonical variate analyses of benthos samples showed that while faunal differences among bottom types do exist, depth-associated differences were most pronounced. Wave hindcasts and observation of storm effects showed that disturbance frequency and intensity were also depth-dependent. The distribution and effects of benthos predators remain unknown. Eighty-five percent of the bivalve species sampled decreased in abundance from 1972 to 1973, while only twenty percent of the polychaetes declined. Three fourths of those species possessing lecithotrophic larvae or brood protection were unaffected or increased in abundance between 1972 and 1973; only 30–40% of the species with long-lived planktotrophic larvae were unaffected. While many benthos distribution patterns appear to result from differential adaptation to bottom disturbance, others are most clearly related to plankton phenomena.
A Dedicated Pediatric Spine Deformity Team Significantly Reduces Surgical Time and Cost

Background:As high-quality health care becomes increasingly expensive, improvement projects are focused on reducing cost and increasing value. To increase value by reducing operating room (OR) utilization, we studied the effect of a dedicated team approach for posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for scoli
Ruthenium dihydride complexes as enyne metathesis catalysts

Abstract Ruthenium–catalyzed enyne metathesis is a reliable and efficient method for the formation of 1,3-dienes, a common structural motif in synthetic organic chemistry. The development of new transition-metal complexes competent to catalyze enyne metathesis reactions remains an important research area. This report describes the use of ruthenium (IV) dihydride complexes with the general structure RuH2Cl2(PR3)2 as new catalysts for enyne metathesis. These ruthenium (IV) dihydrides have been largely unexplored as catalysts in metathesis-based transformations. The reactivity of these complexes with 1,6 and 1,7-enynes was investigated. The observed reaction products are consistent with the metathesis activity occurring through a ruthenium vinylidene intermediate.
Best Practice Tips for the Assessment of Learning of Undergraduate Nursing Students via Multiple-Choice Questions.

Aim This article explores the current literature regarding multiple-choice testing and presents best practice tips to incorporate when designing a multiple-choice test. Background Multiple-choice testing is used extensively in undergraduate nursing programs as an evaluation tool, yet many nurse educators struggle with developing high quality multiple-choice tests. Flawed multiple-choice items disadvantage nursing students, conceivably resulting in failing tests they should have passed. Method This integrative review included articles published in English from 2008 to 2017; the electronic databases explored were CINAHL, Scopus, ERIC, and Education Source; and 17 search terms were applied. Twenty-eight articles were included in the final sample. Results The integrative review of the literature revealed 29 valuable tips, via four categories, for developing and using multiple-choice tests. Conclusion New and seasoned educators will benefit from this refreshing update, armed with best practice tips to consider the next time a multiple-choice test is designed.
Differential effects of cognitive ability on mind agency and perceived innocence

The current study examined how different characters could be perceived as innocent and what factors could contribute to participants’ perception of innocence. Mind agency, which is the ability to exert cognitive control, could be a key factor for perceived innocence for different characters. Study 1 suggested that only an infant was perceived innocent when rated as having lower mind agency. Other characters such as a girl and animals were perceived innocent when they were described as having higher mind agency. Thus, the perception of innocence along with the relationship with mind agency depended on the target characters. The last two studies further showed that perceived innocence for an infant was negatively related with the capability of exerting mental control with the manipulations of both mind capability and thinking about innocence. Perceived innocence for human beings varies across human targets; cognitive ability to control behaviors matters for a girl and animals but not matter for infants. The findings of the study connote the two different views of humanness proposed by Haslam and colleagues (Haslam et al. British Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 113–127, 2008): the inherited nature of humanness and uniquely human characteristics developed at later ages.
Contested affordances: teachers and students negotiating the classroom integration of mobile technology

This paper extends an emerging approach emphasizing contextual variation in the affordances of digital technologies and new media through an empirical application focused on relational dynamics of ...
Glucocorticoid receptor expression in Müllerian carcinosarcomas.

e17038Background: Carcinosarcomas (CS) are aggressive gynecologic malignancies defined by a biphasic tumor histology of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. High expression of glucocorticoid r...
An immersogeometric formulation for free-surface flows with application to marine engineering problems

Abstract An immersogeometric formulation is proposed to simulate free-surface flows around structures with complex geometry . The fluid–fluid interface (air–water interface) is handled by the level set method, while the fluid–structure interface is handled through an immersogeometric approach by immersing structures into non-boundary-fitted meshes and enforcing Dirichlet boundary conditions weakly. Residual-based variational multiscale method (RBVMS) is employed to stabilize the coupled Navier–Stokes equations of incompressible flows and level set convection equation. Other level set techniques, including re-distancing and mass balancing, are also incorporated into the immersed formulation. Adaptive quadrature rule is used to better capture the geometry of the immersed structure boundary by accurately integrating the intersected background elements. Generalized- α method is adopted for time integration, which results in a two-stage predictor multi-corrector algorithm. GMRES solver preconditioned with block Jacobian matrices of individual fluid and level set subproblems is used for solving the coupled linear systems arising from the multi-corrector stage. The capability and accuracy of the proposed method are assessed by simulating three challenging marine engineering problems, which are a solitary wave impacting a stationary platform, dam break with an obstacle, and planing of a DTMB 5415 ship model. A refinement study is performed. The predictions of key quantities of interest by the proposed formulation are in good agreement with experimental results and boundary-fitted simulation results from others. The proposed formulation has great potential for wide applications in marine engineering problems.