cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Military Masculinity and the Travails of Transitioning: Disclosure in Social Media

Research suggests that the disclosure of struggles and the connection with sympathetic others are critical during periods of transition. Whereas disclosure has been studied in various contexts, the disclosure strategies of USA (US) veterans transitioning back into civil society has not been explored. Through a qualitative study with 15 veterans re-integrating into civil society, we find that the culture of hyper-masculinity learned and performed during military service leads to challenges to disclosure, or non-disclosure, post-service, negatively impacting how military veterans navigate the transition back into civil society. We explore the disclosure issues and strategies of veterans in both offline and online contexts, finding that veterans used online platforms to navigate the challenges limiting disclosure and connect with supportive resources. We conclude by introducing the concept of delayed disclosure--when people postpone making their struggles known in transition--and provide implications for policy, design and future work to help veterans manage their transitions.
Location-based Questions: Types and Implications for Consortial Reference Services

This paper explores location-based questions asked to a statewide consortial reference service. Literature assumes that non-local librarians would have difficulty responding to questions about places beyond their own library. Based upon the types of questions asked, non-local librarians would benefit from additional local knowledge added to their participating libraries' websites. Cette communication explore les questions geodependantes posees a un consortium de service de reference offert a l’echelle d’un Etat. La litterature suppose que les bibliothecaires distants ont plus de difficulte a repondre aux questions non locales. Selon le type de questions posees, les bibliothecaires distants tireraient profit d’un ajout d’information locale sur le site Web des bibliotheques participantes.
Tumor genotype and clinical outcomes for 229 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

e19141 Background: Advances in genetic analysis have created a successful paradigm shift in the treatment of advanced lung cancer. Prior studies characterizing molecular profiles in lung cancer hav...
Muscle Weakness and Physical Disability in Older Americans: Longitudinal Findings from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study

Muscle weakness is an important indicator of disability, chronic disease and mortality. While we recently proposed sex/race specific grip strength cutpoints for clinical muscle weakness in a diverse, nationally representative sample of older Americans, the extent to which these cutpoints predict physical disability remains unknown. To examine whether sex/race specific muscle weakness cutpoints predict physical disability status in a nationally representative sample of Americans age 65+. We used data from the 2006-2010 Health and Retirement Study. Fully-adjusted, weighted multinomial logistic regression models were used to quantify the odds of experiencing the onset, progression or persistence of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) among weak versus non-weak individuals over a 2-year period. General community, nationally representative sample of older Americans. Population-based, community dwelling sample of older American adults aged 65-years+; 57 percent were women, 91% were White and the mean age was 75 years. The primary outcome of interest was disability dynamics, defined by changes in ADL status across at 2- year period. The primary exposure was clinical muscle weakness as defined by previously identified cutpoints. Hypotheses were formulated before analyses were conducted. In this nationally representative sample (n= 8,725), 44% of individuals were classified as weak at baseline. At follow-up, 55% remained independent with no change in their ADL status, 11% had an onset of disability and 4% progressed in their disability status. The odds of experiencing an onset of ADL disability was 54% higher among weak individuals compared those who were not weak at baseline (OR= 1.54, 95% CI= 1.54, 1.5, p<.0001); the odds of experiencing a progression in physical disability status was 2.16 times higher among those who were weak at baseline compared to non-weak individuals (OR= 2.16, 95% CI= 2.15, 2.16, p<.0001). This is the first study to use grip strength weakness cut-points to identify those who may be at greatest risk for experiencing physical disability in later life. Results underscore the importance of using population-specific cutpoints for clinical weakness in order to identify individuals at greatest risk for adverse health outcomes.
Examining Predictors of Self-Care Behaviors in Korean Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

The current study tested a theory-based research model that hypothesizes the relationship between online communication activity, online network size, computer-mediated social support (CMSS), and self-care behaviors among 219 Korean patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Results indicated empirical support for the model, with significant relationships among online communication activity, online network size, CMSS, and self-care behaviors. CHB patients who more actively communicate with a larger number of others within an online community perceived greater CMSS from the community. Perceived CMSS was a significant predictor of patients’ self-care behaviors. The implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
On using biocomposite filaments to additively manufacture substrates for microstrip transmission lines

As the requirements for wireless systems become more complex, researchers and designers are turning to unique technologies for solutions. In support of this, a new design that uses biocomposite filaments to additively manufacture substrates for microstrip transmission lines is presented here. In particular, the measured complex permittivity of the material manufactured with three different biocomposite filaments; namely Buzzed, Entwined and Wound Up is determined. This information is then used to design prototype 50Ω microstrip transmission lines. Overall, simulations and measurements compare well and show that biocomposite filaments can be used to support propagation up to 3.0 GHz on the microstrip transmission lines.
Effects of a physical and energetic challenge on male California mice (Peromyscus californicus): modulation by reproductive condition

ABSTRACT Reproduction strongly influences metabolism, morphology and behavior in female mammals. In species in which males provide parental care, reproduction might have similar effects on fathers. We examined effects of an environmental challenge on metabolically important physiological, morphological and behavioral measures, and determined whether these effects differed between reproductive and non-reproductive males in the biparental California mouse ( Peromyscus californicus ). Males were paired with an ovary-intact female, an ovariectomized female treated with estrogen and progesterone to induce estrus, or an untreated ovariectomized female. Within each group, half of the animals were housed under standard laboratory conditions and half in cages requiring them to climb wire towers to obtain food and water; these latter animals were also fasted for 24 h every third day. We predicted that few differences would be observed between fathers and non-reproductive males under standard conditions, but that fathers would be in poorer condition than non-reproductive males under challenging conditions. Body and fat mass showed a housing condition×reproductive group interaction: the challenge condition increased body and fat mass in both groups of non-reproductive males, but breeding males were unaffected. Males housed under the physical and energetic challenge had higher blood lipid content, lower maximal aerobic capacity and related traits (hematocrit and relative triceps surae mass), increased pain sensitivity and increased number of fecal boli excreted during tail-suspension tests (a measure of anxiety), compared with controls. Thus, our physical and energetic challenge paradigm altered metabolism, morphology and behavior, but these effects were largely unaffected by reproductive condition.
Trans-nasal OCT imaging of the small intestine (Conference Presentation)

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a poorly understood condition of the small intestine prevalent in low and middle income countries. This disease is believed to cause nutrient malabsorption and poor oral vaccine uptake, resulting in arrested neurological development and growth stunting in children that persists as they grow into adulthood. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the small intestine can potentially capture some of the microstructural changes, such as villous blunting, in the small gut that accompany EED, and hence could potentially improve the understanding of EED and help in determining and monitoring the effectiveness of EED interventions. Notably, EED must be studied and diagnosed in infants, aged 0-24 months as this is the only window in which interventional strategies can reverse the disease. In order to address this need, we propose a trans-nasal OCT imaging technique for imaging the small intestine that may be suitable for low-resource settings owing to its simplicity, ease of administration, and implementation in unsedated infants. To demonstrate the potential of transnasal OCT intestinal imaging, we have created a 10 Fr transnasal OCT imaging probe and have submitted an IRB application for a first-in-human study using this probe to image the adult small intestine. We anticipate that the results from this pilot study will justify the development of a transnasal OCT intestinal imaging device for infants.
Intraconversion of Polar Ginsenosides, Their Transformation into Less-Polar Ginsenosides, and Ginsenoside Acetylation in Ginseng Flowers upon Baking and Steaming

Heating is a traditional method used in ginseng root processing, however, there aren’t reports on differences resulting from baking and steaming. Moreover, ginseng flowers, with 5.06 times more total saponins than ginseng root, are not fully taken advantage of for their ginsenosides. Transformation mechanisms of ginsenosides in ginseng flowers upon baking and steaming were thus explored. HPLC using authentic standards of 20 ginsenosides and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS were used to quantify and identify ginsenosides, respectively, in ginseng flowers baked or steamed at different temperatures and durations. Results show that baking and steaming caused a 3.2-fold increase in ginsenoside species existed in unheated ginseng flowers (20/64 ginsenosides) and transformation of a certain amount of polar ginsenosides into numerous less polar ginsenosides. Among the 20 ginsenosides with standards, polar ginsenosides were abundant in ginseng flowers baked or steamed at lower temperatures, whereas less polar ginsenosides occurred and were enriched at higher temperatures. Furthermore, the two types of heating treatments could generate mostly similar ginsenosides, but steaming was much efficient than baking in transforming polar- into less polar ginsenosides, with steaming at 120 °C being comparably equivalent to baking at 150 °C. Moreover, both the two heating methods triggered ginsenoside acetylation and thus caused formation of 16 acetylginsenosides. Finally, a new transformation mechanism concerning acetyl-ginsenosides formation was proposed.
Evaluating active learning methods for annotating semantic predications.

Objectives This study evaluated and compared a variety of active learning strategies, including a novel strategy we proposed, as applied to the task of filtering incorrect semantic predications in SemMedDB. Materials and methods We evaluated 8 active learning strategies covering 3 types-uncertainty, representative, and combined-on 2 datasets of 6,000 total semantic predications from SemMedDB covering the domains of substance interactions and clinical medicine, respectively. We also designed a novel combined strategy called dynamic β that does not use hand-tuned hyperparameters. Each strategy was assessed by the Area under the Learning Curve (ALC) and the number of training examples required to achieve a target Area Under the ROC curve. We also visualized and compared the query patterns of the query strategies. Results All types of active learning (AL) methods beat the baseline on both datasets. Combined strategies outperformed all other methods in terms of ALC, outperforming the baseline by over 0.05 ALC for both datasets and reducing 58% annotation efforts in the best case. While representative strategies performed well, their performance was matched or outperformed by the combined methods. Our proposed AL method dynamic β shows promising ability to achieve near-optimal performance across 2 datasets. Discussion Our visual analysis of query patterns indicates that strategies which efficiently obtain a representative subsample perform better on this task. Conclusion Active learning is shown to be effective at reducing annotation costs for filtering incorrect semantic predications from SemMedDB. Our proposed AL method demonstrated promising performance.
Transition of p- to n-Type Conductivity in Mechanically Activated Bismuth Telluride

Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) exhibits a transition from p- to n-type conduction as a result of high-energy ball milling. The transition is monitored over mechanical activation through measurement of the thermoelectric properties in the temperature range of 1.9 K to 390 K. Data show a flip in polarity of the Seebeck coefficient from 225 μV K−1 for the bulk sample to − 120 μV K−1 (at 315 K) that correlates to fracturing the layered-like structure of stoichiometric Bi2Te3 into platelets and fine particles. The electronic transition is generated by fracturing the crystal 90° to the basal plane. This is the structural equivalent to inducing n-type, anti-site defects on grain boundaries. The observed phenomenon could be exploited to fabricate p- and n-type legs for thermoelectric devices from the same material. In this report, we demonstrate that the value of the Seebeck coefficient for bismuth telluride can be tuned using mechanical treatment. We also determine how mechanical activation of Bi2Te3 impacts physical properties of the system, including: particle size, crystal structure, band gap, electrical and thermal conductivity, carrier concentration and mobility, average hopping distance, and the concentration of localized charged centers.
Limitations of Second Order Modeling of Passive Scalar Diffusion

The problem of modeling scalar variance from an elevated source is discussed at length. From a simple model, it is shown that observed behavior is entirely a result of the growth of the instantaneous plume width relative to the mean plume width. From a model valid for large sources, we suggest a simple explanation for the apparent dependence of asymptotic levels of variance on source size. Pope (1983) has pointed out that second order models of passive scalar transport do not retain the superposability of the primitive equations. Explanations for this, and possible consequences are explored. It is shown how second order models for the rapid terms, the time scales of which are determined by the mean velocity (rather than inertial spectral transfer), can be constructed in a superposable manner (Shih, 1984). Difficulties are described in simultaneously satisfying requirements imposed on the cross-dissipation by realizability and by superposability. We present computations of the data of Warhaft (1984) using a model in which the transport is based on first principles, and much of the rest of the model satisfies realizability. The model is able to reproduce the data of Warhaft satisfactorily if the initial plume width is larger than the Kolmogorov microscale. Calculations are carried out of a plume superposed on a background; satisfactory results are achieved when the background level is low, despite the lack of formal superposability, leading to the conclusion that this may not be a serious problem.
Advances in protoplast fusion and transformation in Streptomyces

Rapid advances have been made in recent years on protoplast research in the economically important Streptomyces. The use of protoplasts has facilitated the development of efficient techniques for intra- and interspecific genetic recombination by fusion and by gene cloning. This report summarizes current protoplast methodologies as they relate to both protoplast fusion and genetic transformation, points out some genetic instabilities associated with protoplast techniques, and speculates on future directions to broaden the applications of protoplasts for heterospecific gene recombination and cloning in Streptomyces.
Fullerenes as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy: pros and cons.

One class of carbon nanomaterials is the closed cages known as fullerenes. The first member to be discovered in 1985 was C60, called “buckminsterfullerene” as its cage structure resembled a geodesic dome. Due to their extended π-conjugation they absorb visible light, possess a high triplet yield and can generate reactive oxygen species upon illumination, suggesting a possible role of fullerenes in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Pristine C60 is highly hydrophobic and prone to aggregation, necessitating functionalization to provide aqueous solubility and biocompatibility. The most common functional groups attached are anionic (carboxylic or sulfonic acids) or cationic (various quaternary ammonium groups). Depending on the functionalization, these fullerenes can be designed to be taken up into cancer cells, or to bind to microbial cells (Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, fungi). Fullerenes can be excited with a wide range of wavelengths, UVA, blue, green or white light. We have reported a series of functionalized fullerenes (C60, C70, C82) with attached polycationic chains and additional light-harvesting antennae that can be used in vitro and in animal models of localized infections. Advantages of fullerenes as photosensitizers are: (a) versatile functionalization; (b) light-harvesting antennae; (c) ability to undergo Type 1, 2, and 3 photochemistry; (d) electron transfer can lead to oxygen-independent photokilling; (e) antimicrobial activity can be potentiated by inorganic salts; (f) can self-assemble into supramolecular fullerosomes; (g) components of theranostic nanoparticles; (h) high resistance to photobleaching. Disadvantages include: (a) highly hydrophobic and prone to aggregation; (b) overall short wavelength absorption; (c) relatively high molecular weight; (d) paradoxically can be anti-oxidants; (e) lack of fluorescence emission for imaging.
Aberrant Brain Connectivity in Schizophrenia Detected via a Fast Gaussian Graphical Model

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It has been proposed that this disorder is related to disrupted brain connectivity, which has been verified by many studies. With the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), further exploration of brain connectivity was made possible. Region-based networks are commonly used for mapping brain connectivity. However, they fail to illustrate the connectivity within regions of interest (ROIs) and lose precise location information. Voxel-based networks provide higher precision, but are difficult to construct and interpret due to the high dimensionality of the data. In this paper, we adopt a novel high-dimensional Gaussian graphical model – $\psi$ -learning method, which can help ease computational burden and provide more accurate inference for the underlying networks. This method has been proven to be an equivalent measure of the partial correlation coefficient and, thus, is flexible for network comparison through statistical tests. The fMRI data we used were collected by the mind clinical imaging consortium using an auditory task in which there are 92 SZ patients and 116 healthy controls. We compared the networks at three different scales by using global measurements, community structure, and edge-wise comparisons within the networks. Our results reveal, at the highest voxel resolution, sets of distinct aberrant patterns for the SZ patients, and more precise local structures are provided within ROIs for further investigation.
Using Science Notebooks To Promote Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Formative Assessment

The research project described in this article explored how using science notebooks in science methods courses affected preservice teachers’ understanding of and predicted use of formative assessment involving science notebooks. The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council [NRC], 1996) have called for teachers to continually assess their students’ scientific understanding and reasoning and their students’ achievement and opportunity to learn. Teachers are encouraged to plan for opportunities where their students can discuss and display their levels of science understanding (NRC, 2001a). In order to implement these recommendations and focus on the learning of each student, teachers need to employ formative assessments: assessing, or helping students assess, current levels of understanding and then helping the students with strategies to reach predetermined learning and performance goals (Sadler, 1989). In a review of research on formative assessment, Black (1998) stressed that “innovations that include strengthening the practice of formative assessment produce significant, and often substantial, learning gains” (p. 41). Professional development and preservice teacher training should provide instruction in “how students learn and how learning can be assessed” (NRC, 2001b, p. 309). Teachers need to experience how to
Polymers for Fibers

Almost any polymer can be converted into a fiber if its molecular weight is above some critical minimum value (e.g. somewhat above the chain entanglement point), if it melts before decomposition occurs or if it is soluble in some solvent which does not degrade it too rapidly. In fact many thousands of polymers have been evaluated as fibers in the laboratories of the the world but only a few have succeeded in becoming of commercial importance based on their balance of properties and cost. In apparel end uses, properties sought (e.g. modulus) are in some respects similar to those of natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk and flax) but with superior strength, durability, processibility and end use performance. To achieve this kind of performance requires not only proper selection of the polymers but the engineering techniques to develop the potential inherent in them. The major synthetic polymers developed for apparel fibers include nylon 6,6 and nylon 6, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). A higher performance polyamide fiber based on bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and dodecanedioic acid (PACM-12), which yielded fabrics with excellent aesthetic qualities and wash and wear wrinkle performance, was commercialized by Du Pont but was eventually withdrawn because of cost considerations. This exemplifies the major importance of cost as a polymer and fiber property.
Infusional gemcitabine + docetaxel/melphalan/carboplatin (GemDMC) ± bevacizumab (BEV) as an effective high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) regimen for refractory of poor-risk relapsed germ-cell tumors (GCT).

4519Background: Tandem HDC with carbo/etoposide (CE) is curative for a portion of relapsed GCT pts. However, outcomes of refractory or high-risk relapsed pts remain poor. We tested a new HDC regime...
Cationic Branched Polyethylenimine (BPEI) Disables Antibiotic Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE).

Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the most prevalent prokaryotic species on human skin and mucosal membranes that constitute the commensal flora. S. epidermidis has become one of the most common causes of primary bacteremia. Infections are difficult to diagnose because the pathogen has natural niches on human skin and the ability to adhere to inanimate surfaces via biofilms. Alarmingly, S. epidermidis has acquired resistance to many antibiotics, which presents a danger to human health. Known as methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE), most clinical isolates of MRSE in North America exhibit β-lactam resistance primarily due to the presence of mecA, a gene that bestows β-lactam antibiotic resistance in a manner similar to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MecA encodes for expression of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which is absent in β-lactam susceptible strains of S. epidermidis. We can disable this resistance factor in MRSE with 600-Da branched polyethylenimine (BPEI). Cationic BPEI targets anionic wall teichoic acid (WTA), an essential cofactor for proper functioning of PBP2a. We found that BPEI synergizes the activity of β-lactam antibiotics against MRSE. Growth curves suggest that the combination of BPEI and oxacillin is bactericidal. Electron micrographs indicate abnormalities in the cellular septa and cell walls of treated samples. Therefore, first-line clinical treatments can be effective against MRSE when used in combination with BPEI.
The Role of Salvage Second Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma.

ABSTRACT Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignant disorder of plasma cells affecting primarily elderly patients, is the second most commonly diagnosed hematologic neoplasm. With the recent influx of effective new agents available, including proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, targeted monoclonal antibodies, and now chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, the treatment landscape is evolving rapidly. Although the role of consolidative autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in first remission is well established, in the relapsed setting after upfront ASCT, the role of a second ASCT (SAT) following reinduction is less clear and understudied. Practice patterns vary significantly across institutions, and most of the literature available to guide clinical decisions consists of single-institution experiences, with only 1 randomized study evaluating the role of SAT compared with a nontransplantation approach. SAT is likely underused, because it has not been included in clinical trials examining novel regimens for relapsed disease. Furthermore, outcomes likely can be improved with approaches to intensify the preparative regimen and the use of standard post-transplantation maintenance. In this review, we examine the role of SAT in the current MM treatment landscape in the context of recent data on the efficacy of CAR-T therapy in this disease. We caution the abandonment of SAT, given that CAR-T therapy is in its infancy in MM treatment, and that real-world data in the relapsed setting are consistently inferior to clinical trial outcomes.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Spring Ligament Augmentation With the FiberTape Device in a Cadaveric Flatfoot Model.

Background:The structural importance of the spring ligament complex in arch stability has been described. Furthermore, the pathology of this complex is often noted in patients with posterior tibial...
Clinical Traits Characterizing an Exacerbation-Prone Phenotype in Chronic Rhinosinusitis:

ObjectiveAcute exacerbation of chronic rhinosinusitis (AECRS) is associated with significant quality-of-life decreases. We sought to determine characteristics associated with an exacerbation-prone ...
Who counts as Asian

We introduce a novel test of racial assignment that has significant implications for how racial categories are popularly understood, even among the populations for whom they purportedly apply. We t...
A “teachable moment”: using archives to re-examine a new university’s identity

Stockton University, located in New Jersey, USA, was named for Richard Stockton, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The University was established in 1969, at the height of ...
Field notes on the virus emergency

When I was a teenager, I spent a sweltering summer in New York City, and I found refuge inside air-conditioned museums. The coolness (and free admissions) drew me in, but it was the rich history an...
On-Line Detection of Dc Arc Faults Using Hurst Exponents for Hybrid-Electric Vehicles

Series arc faults are a severe safety hazard in modern pure electric and hybrid electric vehicles, as well as dc electrical distribution systems. A new method utilizing Hurst Exponents was recently proposed that is strongly resistant to switching harmonics, load profiles, and high frequency noise. In this paper, further analysis and implementation of the Hurst based detection is performed. A method of filtering out signal noise is presented, and an on-line operation prototype is constructed using common hardware. The on-line prototype is demonstrated to successfully detect series arc faults in under 50 ms. A statistical analysis of the method effectiveness is performed to determine the success rate of the on-line prototype, which is expressed through the metrics of Precision and Recall.
Modeling aging and its impact on cellular function and organismal behavior

Aging is a complex phenomenon of functional decay in a biological organism. Although the effects of aging are readily recognizable in a wide range of organisms, the cause(s) of aging are ill defined and poorly understood. Experimental methods on model organisms have driven significant insight into aging as a process, but have not provided a complete model of aging. Computational biology offers a unique opportunity to resolve this gap in our knowledge by generating extensive and testable models that can help us understand the fundamental nature of aging, identify the presence and characteristics of unaccounted aging factor(s), demonstrate the mechanics of particular factor(s) in driving aging, and understand the secondary effects of aging on biological function. In this review, we will address each of the above roles for computational biology in aging research. Concurrently, we will explore the different applications of computational biology to aging in single-celled versus multicellular organisms. Given the long history of computational biogerontological research on lower eukaryotes, we emphasize the key future goals of gradually integrating prior models into a holistic map of aging and translating successful models to higher-complexity organisms.
Optimizing Pediatric Induction Experiences Using Human-centered Design.

Purpose Anesthesia inhalation induction (falling asleep for a surgery using a medical mask) is often stressful for children. When children become anxious about induction, they may resist wearing the anesthesia mask. High anxiety during induction is associated with poorer outcomes after surgery, such as increased emergence delirium, increased pain and negative behavioral changes after discharge. The purpose of this project was to design an optimal anesthesia induction experience for children, with a focus on decreasing patient anxiety during inhalation induction. Design Designing for the perioperative environment requires in-depth knowledge of existing processes, needs of key stakeholders, strengths/shortcomings of existing approaches, and iterative testing of design concepts. We used a human centered design model (design research) to approach this challenge. Methods Hospital staff partnered with a design team at the Live Well Collaborative. Families and staff were consulted during all phases of the design process. The iterative design research process (research, ideation, refinement) was used to develop product and process concepts for optimizing the induction experience. Requirements for an optimal induction experience were defined during the research phase through reviewing the scientific literature, process mapping and benchmarking with other products. Product and process concepts were developed during the ideation phase. Concepts were tested and refined during the refinement phase. Findings The research phase provided insights about the current anesthesia induction process and what interventions help engage children in medical care. Key insights included normalizing the anesthesia mask through medical play, providing patients with an increased sense of control preoperatively and during induction, and engaging multiple senses during the process. The ideation phase led to the development of several design concepts, including an app that is activated by breathing into the anesthesia mask. During the refinement phase, concepts were shared and refined with input from families and clinical staff. This phase led to the development of a novel zoo-themed gaming app. Conclusions The design research process facilitated the creation of a new anxiety reduction tool for the perioperative environment. The breath-controlled induction app simultaneously employs multiple evidence-based anxiety reduction techniques and is designed to seamlessly integrate into the fast-paced perioperative workflow during key stress points. Testing in the clinical setting is needed to determine the effectiveness of the app for preoperative anxiety reduction.
Bacteria-immune system interactions. III. Isolation of a Bacillus globigii cell wall component involved in binding to human lymphocytes.

Abstract The cell wall components involved in the adherence of Bacillus globigii to lymphocytes were studied. Lipoteichoic acid inhibited B. globigii -lymphocyte interaction. The interaction was not affected by Escherichia coli outer membranes or lipopolysaccharides.
Crack Growth in Sapphire

Crack growth was studied in sapphire on both the m-plane and the r-plane (rhombohedral twin plane). The crack growth rate on the m-plane was expressed in terms of a power law function of stress-intensity factor and an Arrhenius function of temperature. Crack growth on r-plane double-torsion specimens was irregular. Spurts of growth on the r-plane were mixed with propagation on rough surfaces. Control of crack growth was not possible. Our studies suggest that r-plane fracture requires a lower K I than that on the m-plane. We suggest that propagation on the r-plane may be associated with twinning at the crack tip during or prior to crack growth.
Child-Rearing Practices and Nursing Caries

Objective. To determine which child-rearing practices are associated with nursing caries. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. Hospital-based general pediatric clinic. Participants. Sequential sample of 110 healthy children aged 18 to 36 months. Outcome measures. Feeding practices of children, limit-setting issues, and familial dental health were determined by maternal interview. Nursing caries were diagnosed by dental examination. Results. Nursing caries were found in 22 (20%) of the children. Ninety percent of children with and without caries were bottle-feeding at 12 and 18 months of age. Ninety-one percent of children with caries and 84% without were still drinking a nighttime bottle at 18 months (P = .33). The mothers of children with caries were found to have fewer years of education, 8.9 vs 10.8 years (P = .02), and were more likely to have eight or more cavities, 55% vs 19% (P = .002). More infants in the caries group had been breast-fed, 72% vs 46% (P = .02), although length of breast-feeding was similar, 5.4 vs 6.7 months. Fewer children with caries drank fluoridated tap water 27% vs 54% (P = .05), but there were no differences in topical fluoride use, dental hygiene practices, or visits to the dentist. Conclusions. These findings fail to substantiate a straightforward relationship between child-rearing practices and nursing caries and suggest that well-designed prospective studies are need to clarify the etiology of early caries.
Long Memory in Volatility and Return Predictability

This paper proposed a new way to measure variance risk premium by applying the fractional cointegration relationship between implied variance and realized variance. To find the fractional cointegration coefficient between implied variance and realized variance, we proposed a searching method by minimizing the score test statistic proposed by Robinson(1994). We used daily, weekly and monthly data of 5 stock market indexes (SP500, SP100, DJIA, NASDAQ100 and Russell2000) and their volatility indexes from CBOE. We find our new measurement could improve the return prediction power of variance risk premium both in-sample statically and out-of-sample dynamically, and the result is robust for the monthly data among all 5 indexes.
Modeling of Sea Storms on Cryogenic Installations

It is proposed that wind-driven waves (including sea storms) can be modeled in a laboratory, using a big cryogenic helium tank. By the proper choice of the temperature of helium one can get the ratio of densities of gaseous and liquid phases as ρ a /ρw ⋍ 0.1, which is two orders of magnitude greater than in the real ocean. This makes it possible to model air-water interaction on a space scale that is smaller by a factor of four hundred.
Cardio-protective effects of carnitine in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes (STZ-D) in rats has been associated with carnitine deficiency, bradycardia and left ventricular enlargement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral carnitine supplementation would normalize carnitine levels and cardiac function in STZ-D rats. Wistar rats (48) were made hyperglycemic by STZ at 26 weeks of age. Same age normal Wistar rats (24) were used for comparison. Echocardiograms were performed at baseline 2, 6, 10, and 18 weeks after STZ administration in all animals. HbA1c, serum carnitine and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured at the same times. Since STZ-D rats become carnitine deficient, 15 STZ-D rats received supplemental oral carnitine for 16 weeks. The heart rates for the STZ-D rats (290 ± 19 bpm) were less than control rats (324 ± 20 bpm) (p < 0.05). After 4 weeks of oral carnitine supplementation, the serum carnitine and heart rates of the STZ-D rats returned to normal. Dobutamine stress increased the heart rates of all study animals, but the increase in STZ-D rats (141 ± 8 bpm) was greater than controls (79 ± 8 bpm) (p < 0.05). The heart rates of STZ-D rats given oral carnitine, however, were no different than controls (94 ± 9 bpm). The left ventricular mass/body weight ratio (LVM/BW) in the diabetic animals (2.7 ± 0.5) was greater than control animals (2.2 ± 0.3) (p < 0.05) after 18 weeks of diabetes. In contrast, the LVM/BW (2.3 ± .2) of the STZ-D animals receiving supplemental carnitine was the same as the control animals at 18 weeks. Thus, supplemental oral carnitine in STZ-D rats normalized serum carnitine, heart rate regulation and left ventricular size. These findings suggest a metabolic mechanism for the cardiac dysfunction noted in this diabetic animal model.
Exalt: empowering researchers to evaluate large-scale storage systems

This paper presents Exalt, a library that gives back to researchers the ability to test the scalability of today's large storage systems. To that end, we introduce Tardis, a data representation scheme that allows data to be identified and efficiently compressed even at low-level storage layers that are not aware of the semantics and formatting used by higher levels of the system. This compression enables a high degree of node colocation, which makes it possible to run large-scale experiments on as few as a hundred machines. Our experience with HDFS and HBase shows that, by allowing us to run the real system code at an unprecedented scale, Exalt can help identify scalability problems that are not observable at lower scales: in particular, Exalt helped us pinpoint and resolve issues in HDFS that improved its aggregate throughput by an order of magnitude.
A Lax Pair for the Dynamics of DNA Modeled as a Shearable and Extensible Elastic Rod

We introduce a spectral parameter into the geometrically exact Hamiltonian equations for the elastic rod in a way that creates a Lax pair. This assures integrability and permits application of the inverse scattering transform solution method. If the method can be carried through, the solution of the original problem is recovered by setting the spectral parameter to zero.
Integrin alpha 2 beta 1 mediates interactions between developing embryonic retinal cells and collagen

In the developing nervous system, the extracellular matrix provides a source of extrinsic cues to guide determination of cell fate, neuroblast migration, axon outgrowth and synapse formation. In the neural retina, undifferentiated neuroepithelial precursor cells contact extracellular matrix that contains multiple collagen types. Collagens have been shown to support retinal cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth, but the integrin receptors mediating neuronal responses are not understood. Here we provide evidence that integrin alpha 2 beta 1 acts as a collagen receptor in the developing avian retina and examine its expression pattern. Using a recently described monoclonal antibody, MEP-17, alpha 2 protein was detected in the developing retina by immunofluorescence in tissue sections and dissociated cells, and by immunoprecipitation. At embryonic day 4 (E4), when the majority of retinal cells are undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells, alpha 2 immunoreactivity in sections was widespread and about half of cells dissociated in culture were alpha 2 positive. At E6, after the retinal ganglion cell layer had differentiated, immunoreactivity in sections decreased in the central, more developed portion of the retina and 25% of dissociated cells were alpha 2 positive. E6 retinal ganglion cells, identified by neurofilament immunoreactivity, did not express detectable alpha 2 immunoreactivity. Immunoprecipitation experiments using E6 extracts demonstrated that the alpha 2 subunit was paired with the beta 1 integrin subunit. By E12, alpha 2 immunoreactivity in sections was confined to the extreme peripheral retina, although the antigen may be masked since expression levels comparable to or slightly higher than E6 could be detected in dissociated cells and extracts. By employing function blocking antibodies, it was shown that alpha 2 beta 1 integrin is necessary for cell adhesion and process outgrowth by embryonic retinal cells on collagens I and IV. Although alpha 2 expression continued through E12, alpha 2 activity was down regulated with increasing embryonic age, since alpha 2-dependent adhesion and outgrowth declined. These data suggest a role for alpha 2 beta 1 in neuroepithelial cell interactions with collagen rather than for axon extension by retinal ganglion cells.
Characterization of protein adsorption by composite silica-polyacrylamide gel anion exchangers II. Mass transfer in packed columns and predictability of breakthrough behavior

Abstract Rates of uptake of proteins by a composite silica-polyacrylamide gel ion exchanger known as Q-HyperD are obtained for hydrodynamic conditions identical to those found in a chromatographic column operated at a high mobile phase velocity by means of a shallow bed technique. Under conditions of intraparticle mass transfer control, mass transfer rates in the shallow bed were the same as those measured when the sorbent particles were suspended in an agitated vessel, indicating that the intraparticle mass transfer rate is independent of the hydrodynamic conditions outside the particle and consistent with a purely diffusional transport mechanism. The predictability of breakthrough curves based on kinetic parameters obtained from batch experiments is assessed by comparing experimental results for different proteins with predictions of a model which incorporates the external film resistance and intraparticle diffusion. This model is in excellent agreement with the experimental results even at extremely high mobile phase velocities. Very large dynamic capacities are obtained with columns packed with Q-HyperD media as a result of their high static capacity, rapid uptake kinetics and mechanical strength that prevents compression of the particles even at elevated flow-rates.
Ventriculocoronary artery connections with the hypoplastic left heart: a 4-year prospective study: incidence, echocardiographic and clinical features

Ventriculocoronary connections (VCCs), also called sinusoids, occur with hypoplastic left heart (HLH). Previous reports are limited to case reports, pathologic series, and surgical series with limited detail, which may underestimate the incidence and overestimate the severity of VCCs in HLH. A study was conducted to determine the incidence VCCs in HLH, their effect on survival, and their echocardiographic and clinical features. The echocardiograms and medical records of 100 consecutive neonatal HLH cases were analyzed. All had an aortic and a mitral valve diameter and a left ventricular (LV) volume less than Z-3. For palliation, Norwood, Sano, or hybrid procedures were used, and if the patient was alive, subsequent bidirectional Glenn and extracardiac Fontan procedures were applied. Cases were classified as manifesting mitral and aortic atresia (MAAA), mitral and aortic stenosis (MSAS), or mitral stenosis and aortic atresia (MSAA). All other diagnoses or any case with additional cardiac anomalies were excluded from the study. Overall, VCCs were found in 15% of the cases. They occurred in 56% of the MSAA subtype cases and were not statistically associated with a high mortality rate. However, in one case, large and multiple VCCs definitely caused or contributed to early death. All VCCs had a transmyocardial course, a turbulent color-Doppler flow, and a dominant usually retrograde systolic coronary artery flow pattern. The VCCs were associated (p < 0.05) with MSAA, endocardial fibroelastosis, and ascending aortic size less than 2 mm. As shown by the findings, 15% of the HLH patients had MSAA with VCCs. Unless the VCCs were large or extensive, they did not contribute to mortality. Detailed echocardiographic analysis of VCCs in HLH was feasible. Recent reports emphasize more severe cases.
Chairman's editorial: Control Alt Delete.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was a computer newbie, trying to learn the basics of how to operate a computer without destroying it or myself in the process. Fortunately for me I had a very patient teacher and friend in Eliot Siegel, who has taught me many things about computers and their applications over the past few years. Whenever I found myself in trouble and unable to exit an application I would consult Eliot, much like the cartoon characters Tooter Turtle and Mr. Wizard. Tooter would get into all sorts of crazy predicaments, and call out for assistance by shouting, “Help, Mr. Wizard!” Mr. Wizard would in turn invoke his magical powers and get him home by uttering his magical chant, “Drizzle, Drazzle, Drizzle, Drome. Time for this one to come home.”
Interpopulational variation in the cold-tolerance of hatchling painted turtles

Abstract 1. 1. We studied hatchling painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta ) from northern Illinois to determine whether animals from this region withstand exposure to subzero temperatures during winter by tolerating freezing or by avoiding freezing. 2. 2. Turtles that were isolated from all contact with ice supercooled quite readily to −6°C. However, animals began to freeze spontaneously between −6° and −8°C, thereby indicating that a heterogeneous nucleator was present in body fluids to initiate freezing over this limited range of temperature. 3. 3. Hatchlings that came into contact with crystals of ice sometimes were caused to freeze by inoculation at temperatures above the limit for supercooling. However, many turtles were not inoculated, so their integument seemingly resisted the penetration of ice into body compartments from the environment. 4. 4. Animals that froze did not survice exposure to cold, and animals that survived did not freeze. Thus, the adaptive strategy exploited by hatchling painted turtles overwintering in northern Illinois apparently is to sustain a state of supercooling and to remain unfrozen. 5. 5. The heterogeneous nucleator in body fluids set an absolute limit for cold-tolerance in these animals at about −8°C. Thus, hatchlings from Illinois seem to be less tolerant of cold than hatchlings from Nebraska, despite the fact that neonates from both localities exploit the same basic mechanism for surviving at subzero temperatures.