cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Sickle Cell Patients Wait Longer to See Physicians in the Emergency Department

Abstract Abstract 2070 BACKGROUND: Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) often complain of long wait times in the emergency department (ED) when they present for treatment of pain. It is known that African-Americans in general often have longer ED wait times than other patients. Because patients with SCD in the US are much more likely to be African-Americans, it can be difficult to separate the effects of disease vs. race on SCD patient wait times. We attempted to disentangle these effects by examining a national sample of ED visits in the US. METHODS: We examined data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), which is conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics. Weights are provided to allow for the estimation of national level statistics. We examined NHAMCS data from 2003 through 2008. Our outcome variable was waiting time (in minutes) from ED arrival to being seen by a physician. Our primary independent variable was disease status, comparing patients with SCD to those with long bone fracture (LBF) and all other patients. We used a two-part approach for our analyses. First, we examined the association of disease status with wait times among all patients in the sample. We then restricted all analyses to the African-American sample of patients. Because of the highly right-skewed nature of the outcome variable, multivariable regressions were conducted using generalized linear models assuming a gamma distribution and a log link function. All analyses accounted for the complex design of the survey. RESULTS: An estimated 553,943,439 ED visits occurred over the study period, with LBF patients accounting for 1.1% of those visits (n = 5,929,085), and SCD patients accounting for 0.2% of those visits (n = 1,142,078). SCD patients were significantly younger than all non-SCD patients (27.6 vs. 36.9, p CONCLUSIONS: Compared to patients with LBF, and all other patients, SCD patients were consistently found to have longer wait times to see physicians in the ED. The disparity between SCD patients and all other patients appeared to be explained by patient race. Nevertheless, analyses restricted to African-American patients still found a significant disparity between SCD patients and patients with LBF. Our findings suggests that both the black race of SCD patients, and their status as SCD patients, contribute to longer wait times in the ED compared to other patient populations. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Pressure–Rate-of-Strain, Pressure Diffusion, and Velocity–Pressure-Gradient Tensor Measurements in a Cavity Flow

Pressure-related turbulence statistics in a two-dimensional open cavity shear layer flow was investigated experimentally at a Reynolds number of 4.0×104 based on a cavity length of 38.1 mm. Time-re...
The effects of estimation of heteroscedasticity on stochastic kriging

In this paper, we study the effects of using smoothed variance estimates in place of the sample variances on the performance of stochastic kriging (SK). Different variance estimation methods are investigated and it is shown through numerical examples that such a replacement leads to improved predictive performance of SK. An SK-based dual metamodeling approach is further proposed to obtain an efficient simulation budget allocation rule and consequently more accurate prediction results.
School Personnel’s Bystander Action in Situations of Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, and Sexual Harassment Among High School Teens: A Qualitative Analysis:

We examined school personnel's engagement in bystander action in situations of teen dating violence (DV), sexual violence (SV), and sexual harassment (SH). We conducted focus groups with 22 school personnel from three high schools in New Hampshire. School personnel identified their own barriers to intervening in situations of teen DV, SV, and SH (e.g., not having the time or ability to intervene). School personnel also discussed the ways in which they intervened before (e.g., talking with teens about healthy relationships), during (e.g., breaking up fights between dating partners) and after (e.g., comforting victims) instances of teen DV, SV, and SH. These data can be used to support the development of bystander training for school personnel as one component of comprehensive DV, SV, and SH prevention for teens. In addition, these data provide information that can be used to develop measures that assess school personnel bystander action barriers and behaviors in instances of teen DV, SV, and SH.
Robin: Enabling Independence For Individuals With Cognitive Disabilities Using Voice Assistive Technology

Individuals diagnosed with dementia are often most concerned about loss of independence, defined as the ability to continue living in one's own home. Currently, assistive technologies that provide in-home cognitive support for those with degenerative brain diseases have not been widely adopted, and individuals often rely entirely on informal caregivers to aid them in planning and performing the daily activities that allow them to continue living independently. To help these individuals, we designed Robin, a conceptual context-aware assistive application that supports independent living for users with cognitive impairments by providing temporally and physically appropriate audio prompting for the routine tasks that are most important for health outcomes and life satisfaction.
Comparative topology and power loss study for high power density and high conversion ratio integrated switching power converters

This paper presents a theoretical topology and power loss study on three fundamental inductive switching converters, with focus on high power density and high conversion ratio. With high input voltage and at high switching frequency, efficiency of conventional half-bridge buck converters is severely degraded, due to significant switching loss. Zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) buck and 3-level buck converters become more attractive in this scenario. Detailed power loss breakdowns of the two converter topologies are derived and verified to examine their effectiveness on efficiency improvement. New design method is proposed to achieve optimized design for both efficiency and power density.
Functional not chronologic age: Frailty index predicts outcomes in advanced ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objectives To assess the impact of frailty as measured by a frailty deficit index (FI) on outcomes in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) after primary debulking surgery (PDS). Methods Women with Stage IIIC/IV EOC who underwent PDS between 1/1/2003–12/31/2011 were included. Medical records were reviewed for patient characteristics and outcomes. The FI includes 30 items scored at 0, 0.5 or 1 and is calculated by summing across all the item scores and dividing by the total. Frailty was defined as a FI ≥0.15. Associations were assessed using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Of the 535 studied, 78% had stage IIIC disease and mean (SD) age was 64.3 (11.3) years. Median FI was 0.08, and 131 patients (24.5%) were considered frail with FI ≥0.15. Compared to non-frail patients, frail patients were more likely to have an Accordion grade 3+ complication (28.2 vs. 18.8%; odds ratio (OR): 1.70, 95% CI: 1.08–2.68) and more likely to die within 90days of surgery (16.0 vs. 5.2%; OR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.83–6.61). After adjusting for known risk factors, these associations remained significant, adjusted OR (aOR): 1.62, 95% CI: 1.00–2.62; aOR: 2.60, 95% CI 1.32–5.10; and aOR: 0.57, 95% CI 0.34–0.97, respectively. Overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 39.6months (m). OS was shorter in the frail versus non-frail (median 26.5 vs 44.9m, p Conclusions Frailty is a common finding in patients with EOC and is independently associated with worse surgical outcomes and poorer OS. Routine assessments of frailty can be incorporated into patient counseling and decision-making for the EOC patient beyond simple reliance on single factors such as age.
Development and characterization of a thermophilic, lignin degrading microbiota

Microbial communities and associated enzymes that hydrolyze lignocellulose in the presence of lignin decomposition products are important for industrial and environmental bioconversion processes. The aims of this study were to identify microorganisms capable of decomposing lignocellulose and tolerating lignin decomposition products under high-solids and thermophilic conditions, and to elucidate potential mechanisms of tolerance. High-solids incubations were conducted to enrich for thermophilic communities that decompose Douglas fir. Bacterial and fungal communities were determined using 16S rRNA and ITS region gene sequencing, and PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) was applied to predict genes involved in lignocellulose degradation and tolerance to lignin decomposition products. Lignin decomposition increased with enrichment of specific microorganisms. The dominant bacterium identified with enrichment was from the genus Rubrobacter while the dominant fungus was from the genus Talaromyces. Bacteria containing predicted genes associated with lignin degradation and tolerance to breakdown products were identified. These included organisms from the genus Rubrobacter, and families Beijerinckiaceae and Xanthomonadaceae. The dominant bacteria and fungi identified may be promising sources of enzymes that degrade lignocellulose and genes that confer tolerance to lignin decomposition products.
Molecular Targets of Breast Cancer: AKTing in Concert

Despite significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, many patients succumb to this disease. The elucidation of aberrant signaling pathways that lead to breast cancer should help develop more effective therapeutic strategies. The Akt signaling pathway plays an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer. Overexpression/activation of Akt has been associated with poor prognosis and resistance to hormonal and chemotherapy. Although mutations in Akt are rare in breast cancer, the activity of Akt is regulated by hormones, growth factors, growth factor receptors, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that are often deregulated in breast cancer. The objective of this commentary is to discuss recent literature on how activation of Akt by various signaling pathways contributes to breast cancer and confers resistance to current therapy.
Best case lower bounds for heapsort

The performance of Heapsort algorithms on arbitrary input is examined. It is proved that ann logn−O(n) lower bound on the number of comparisons holds for a set of Heapsort algorithms, including Williams-Floyd's algorithm, Carlsson's bottom-up linear or binary insertion algorithm, and all up-down algorithms, on any input.
Low-Dose Versus High-Dose Postoperative Naloxone Infusion Combined With Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Objectives The aim of this prospective randomized clinical trial was to compare low (0.5 μg/kg/h) and high (2.5 μg/kg/h) dose naloxone infusion on the time to tolerate liquids and meals after surgery, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) opioid requirements, nausea and pruritus ratings, and hospital length of stay. Summary of Background Data Adolescents undergoing posterior spinal fusion often receive PCA after surgery and may experience common opioid-associated side effects, including nausea and pruritus. Low-dose naloxone infusion has been shown to reduce the incidence of pruritus and nausea while preserving analgesia, although an ideal dose has not been determined. Less is known about the potential for naloxone to improve bowel function after surgery. Methods Eighty-four patients (age 10–21 years) were randomly allocated to receive low- or high-dose naloxone infusion postoperatively. Surgical anesthetic consisted of propofol and opioid infusion with intrathecal morphine (10–15 μg/kg) at the conclusion of surgery. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to rate nausea and pruritus. Results The groups had similar time to oral liquid intake after surgery and transition from PCA to oral pain medication. The VAS scores for pruritus and nausea were also similar, as was the need to treat these side effects. Morphine equivalents were similar between groups on postoperative day (POD) 0 and 1. On POD 2, the high-dose infusion group had significantly greater PCA bolus use (1.41±0.9 vs. 1.04±0.6; p Conclusion High-dose naloxone infusion was associated with similar rates of opioid side effects as low-dose. Increased PCA use noted on POD 2 may represent partial reversal of opioid analgesia in the high-dose naloxone group. Level of Evidence Level 1.
On the Ubiquity of Twisted Sheaves

We describe some recent work on the uses of twisted sheaves in algebra, arithmetic, and geometry. In particular, we touch on the role of twisted sheaves in: 1. The geometry of the period-index problem for the Brauer group 2. The connection between finiteness of the u-invariant and Colliot-Thelene’s conjecture on 0-cycles 3. The link between the Tate conjecture for K3 surfaces and finiteness of the set of isomorphism classes of K3 surfaces over a finite field 4. The geometry of rational curves on the moduli spaces of supersingular K3 surfaces
Resection of Gallbladder Cancer, Including Surgical Staging

Gallbladder cancer was first described in 1777. The average age at diagnosis is 65 years, with women being three times more affected than men. In gallbladder cancer, 90% of the cancers are adenocarcinomas. Gallstones and chronic inflammation of the gallbladder are associated with malignant disease. It is estimated that 1% of patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gallstones are found to have cancer. Twenty percent to 60% of gallbladders with calcifications (porcelain gallbladder) will develop cancer.
Heparin half-life in normal and impaired renal function.

The half-life of heparin was calculated in persons with normal renal function and in patients in chronic renal failure. Intravenous heparin, 0.3 and 0.6 U/ml of blood volume, was administered. The anticoagulant half-life of heparin was found to be dose-related. The normal renal function group gave a mean anticoagulant half-life of 36.S minutes for the 0.6 U/ml dose and 22.7 minutes for the 0.3 U/ml dose. The chronic renal failure population had a mean half-life of 47.5 minutes for the 0.6 U/ml dose and a mean half-life of 32.6 minutes for the 0.3 U/ml dose. By use of the equations of first-order pharmacokinetics, a heparin dosage schedule was derived through which anticoagulation of patients can proceed by means of constant infusion of the drug. The schedule not only is applicable to patients in renal failure but also may be used in heparinization of patients with normal renal function.
ANCF analysis of the crude oil sloshing in railroad vehicle systems

Abstract With the increase in crude oil rail transportation, accurate modelling of non-Newtonian crude oil rheological properties and the corresponding nonlinear sloshing effects becomes necessary in order to establish safety and operation guidelines. In this investigation, nonlinear continuum-based crude oil constitutive models are used in a total Lagrangian formulation to study the effect of the sloshing on railroad vehicle dynamics and stability. In particular, the Oldroyd constitutive model is employed to capture the non-Newtonian characteristics of three different crude oil types; classified as light, medium, and heavy. The crude oil complex deformation shapes are captured using the finite element (FE) absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF). The FE continuum-based liquid sloshing formulation is systematically integrated with a fully nonlinear multibody system (MBS) railroad vehicle algorithm that allows for wheel/rail separation. A general penalty contact approach is developed to allow for studying the effect of sloshing suppression devices such as bulkheads. Different braking scenarios, including electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking are considered to study the effect of crude oil sloshing on the train longitudinal stability. The ECP braking computer simulations show that increasing the crude oil viscosity can lead to approximately 30% reduction in the maximum coupler force compared to the light oil case. It is observed that the coupler force response to the sloshing excitations as the result of ECP braking reaches steady state faster as the viscosity increases. Furthermore, installing the bulkheads in tank cars can lead to a 70% reduction in the maximum coupler force and more uniform distribution of the normal contact forces to the front and rear wheels. The effect of crude oil rheological properties on the centrifugal forces during curve negotiation is also evaluated. The curve negotiation results show that the increase in crude oil density is responsible for exacerbating train lateral instability effects, thus the risk of vehicle roll over, especially when the train travels at a speed higher than the balance speed.
Japanese American Ethnic Return Migration Across the Generations

Researchers have yet to systematically analyze internal differences among specific ethnic return migrant groups, especially in terms of generational distance from the ancestral homeland. This paper will examine differences in the ethnic return migration experiences of Japanese Americans from the second to the fourth generation. I argue that the amount of ethnic return and level of homeland immersion do not naturally decline across the generations in a unilinear manner because of increasing cultural assimilation and social incorporation into mainstream American society. Instead of following such predictable patterns, the level of homeland engagement of different generations of Japanese Americans is much more complicated and contingent and also depends on their specific historical and contemporary ethnic experiences.
XML: GATEWAY FOR DATA MOBILITY AND UNIVERSAL CONNECTIVITY

Extensible Markup Language (XML) started as an effort to simplify the standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), which was the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) standard for defining data vocabularies. This study investigates XML technology as a substitute to SGML that would be Web friendly, and easy to learn and use while supporting a variety of applications for faster and more efficient data mobility on the Web. It describes several compelling reasons why XML is a useful technology for representing structured data mobility. XML is a markup language used for data structure in a textual form. A specific goal of XML is to keep most of the descriptive power of SGML, while removing as much of the complexity as possible. This article includes an overview of XML and its specifications and corresponding components, development of schemas for defining industry standards data definitions, potential problematic impact on information systems and recommended solutions for developers and practitioners.
Charged Hadron Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at High T </i? from STAR

We report high statistics measurements of inclusive charged hadron production in Au+Au collisions at \(\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200\) GeV and 130 GeV. A large, approximately constant hadron suppression is observed in central Au+Au collisions for 5 ‖pT‖ 12 GeV/c. The collision energy dependence of the yields and the centrality and pT dependence of the suppression provide stringent constraints on theoretical models of suppression. Models incorporating initial-state gluon saturation or partonic energy loss in dense matter are largely consistent with observations. The pT-dependent suppression expected from models incorporating jet attenuation in cold nuclear matter or absorption of fragmentation hadrons is not observed.
Databases and Metadatabases in Planetary Geology—The Mars Crater Database

Impact crater databases are one of the first data products produced from images acquired by planetary spacecraft missions and are used in a variety of studies investigating the formation ages and geologic histories of surface units. Martian crater databases have been compiled since the first global images of the planet were acquired by the Mariner 9 mission and today include a variety of morphologic and morphometric data about each crater. Three of the most widely used Martian crater databases are described in this contribution.
Error Tolerance of Machine Learning Algorithms across Contemporary Biological Targets.

Machine learning continues to make strident advances in the prediction of desired properties concerning drug development. Problematically, the efficacy of machine learning in these arenas is reliant upon highly accurate and abundant data. These two limitations, high accuracy and abundance, are often taken together; however, insight into the dataset accuracy limitation of contemporary machine learning algorithms may yield insight into whether non-bench experimental sources of data may be used to generate useful machine learning models where there is a paucity of experimental data. We took highly accurate data across six kinase types, one GPCR, one polymerase, a human protease, and HIV protease, and intentionally introduced error at varying population proportions in the datasets for each target. With the generated error in the data, we explored how the retrospective accuracy of a Naive Bayes Network, a Random Forest Model, and a Probabilistic Neural Network model decayed as a function of error. Additionally, we explored the ability of a training dataset with an error profile resembling that produced by the Free Energy Perturbation method (FEP+) to generate machine learning models with useful retrospective capabilities. The categorical error tolerance was quite high for a Naive Bayes Network algorithm averaging 39% error in the training set required to lose predictivity on the test set. Additionally, a Random Forest tolerated a significant degree of categorical error introduced into the training set with an average error of 29% required to lose predictivity. However, we found the Probabilistic Neural Network algorithm did not tolerate as much categorical error requiring an average of 20% error to lose predictivity. Finally, we found that a Naive Bayes Network and a Random Forest could both use datasets with an error profile resembling that of FEP+. This work demonstrates that computational methods of known error distribution like FEP+ may be useful in generating machine learning models not based on extensive and expensive in vitro-generated datasets.
Dynamics and Vibrational Spectroscopy of Alcohols in Ionic Liquids: Methanol and Ethanol

The structure, dynamics, and vibrational spectroscopy of dilute HOD, methanol, and ethanol in the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [emim][NTf2], ionic liquid (IL) are ...
Mitochondrial fragmentation and network architecture in degenerative diseases

Fragmentation of mitochondrial network has been implicated in many neurodegenerative, renal, and metabolic diseases. However, a quantitative measure of the microscopic parameters resulting in the impaired balance between fission and fusion of mitochondria and consequently the fragmented networks in a wide range of pathological conditions does not exist. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial networks in cells with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), optic neuropathy (OPA), diabetes/cancer, acute kidney injury, Ca2+ overload, and Down Syndrome (DS) pathologies that indicates significant network fragmentation in all these conditions. Furthermore, we found key differences in the way the microscopic rates of fission and fusion are affected in different conditions. The observed fragmentation in cells with AD, HD, DS, kidney injury, Ca2+ overload, and diabetes/cancer pathologies results from the imbalance between the fission and fusion through lateral interactions, whereas that in OPA, PD, and ALS results from impaired balance between fission and fusion arising from longitudinal interactions of mitochondria. Such microscopic difference leads to major disparities in the fine structure and topology of the network that could have significant implications for the way fragmentation affects various cell functions in different diseases.
EasyPass: combating IoT delay with multiple access wireless side channels

Many IoT applications have stringent requirements on wireless transmission delay, but have to compete for channel access with other wireless traffic. Traditional techniques enable multiple access to wireless channels, but yield severe delay when the channel is congested. In this paper, we present EasyPass, a wireless PHY technique that allows multiple IoT devices to simultaneously transmit data over a congested wireless link without being delayed. The key idea of EasyPass is to exploit the excessive SNR margin in a wireless channel as a dedicated side channel for IoT traffic, and allow multiple access to the side channel by separating signals from different transmitters on the air. We implemented EasyPass on software-defined radio platforms. Experiment results demonstrate that EasyPass reduces the data transmission delay in congested IoT networks by 90%, but provides a throughput up to 2.5 Mbps over a narrowband 20MHz wireless link that can be accessed by more than 100 IoT devices.
Acquisition and Retention of Skills

A primary responsibility of the military is to train and maintain job skills at levels of proficiency required for successful performance. Rapid, high-quality initial training must be provided. This initial training must produce skills that will endure--the skills must be able to withstand long periods of infrequent use or practice. Likewise, the military must plan for and provide opportunities for periodic retraining; some skills learned during initial training may not be called for on the job for extended periods of time.
Exosome-Mediated Transfer of ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) from Endothelial Progenitor Cells Promotes Survival and Function of Endothelial Cell.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an emerging cardiovascular protective target that mediates the metabolism of angiotensin (Ang) II into Ang (1–7). Our group has demonstrated that ACE2 overexpression enhances the function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Here, we investigated whether ACE2-primed EPCs (ACE2-EPCs) can protect cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) against injury and dysfunction in an in vitro model, with focusing on their exosomal and cytokine paracrine effects on endothelial mitochondria. Human EPCs were transfected with lentivirus containing null or human ACE2 cDNA (denoted as Null-EPCs and ACE2-EPCs, respectively). Their conditioned culture media, w/wo depletion of exosomes (ACE2-EPC-CMEX-, Null-EPC-CMEX-, ACE2-EPC-CM, and Null-EPC-CM), were used for coculture experiments. EC injury and dysfunction model was induced by Ang II before coculture. Apoptosis, angiogenic ability, mitochondrion functions (ROS production, membrane potential, fragmentation), and gene expressions (ACE2, Nox2, and Nox4) of ECs were analyzed. The supernatant was collected for measuring the levels of ACE2, Ang II/Ang-(1–7), and growth factors (VEGF and IGF). Our results showed that (1) ACE2-EPC-CM had higher levels of ACE2, Ang (1–7), VEGF, and IGF than that of Null-EPC-CM. (2) Ang II-injured ECs displayed an increase of apoptotic rate and reduction in tube formation and migration abilities, which were associated with ACE2 downregulation, Ang II/Ang (1–7) imbalance, Nox2/Nox4 upregulation, ROS overproduction, an increase of mitochondrion fragmentation, and a decrease of membrane potential. (3) ACE2-EPC-CM had better protective effects than Null-EPC-CM on Ang II-injured ECs, which were associated with the improvements on ACE2 expression, Ang II/Ang (1–7) balance, and mitochondrial functions. (4) ACE2-EPC-CMEX- and Null-EPC-CMEX- showed reduced effects as compared to ACE2-EPCs-CM and Null-EPCs-CM. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that ACE2 overexpression can enhance the protective effects of EPCs on ECs injury, majorly through the exosomal effects on mitochondrial function.
Working Beyond Retirement: Are there Gender Differences in Bridge Employment?

This paper examined gender differences associated with bridge employment using a sample of American workers aged 50 and older. Gender role theory and gendered life course retirement models informed this research. Gender differences and similarities were found in reasons why workers retired from their main job. Logistic regressions indicated that men and women who had health care benefits available at work and men with lower family incomes were more likely to be pursuing bridge employment. Work interfering with family was related to a decreased likelihood of bridge employment for men and women, while work-family synergy was positively related to bridge employment for men. Health variables (self-rated health and mental health) were unrelated to bridge employment. Finally, gender and marital status interacted to predict engagement in bridge employment. Policy implications are discussed including the notion that working beyond retirement represents a new and complex career stage.
Antidotal Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy: Delayed QTc Prolongation and Cardiovascular Events

Sodium bicarbonate therapy (SBT) is currently indicated for the management of a variety of acute drug poisonings. However, SBT effects on serum potassium concentrations may lead to delayed QTc prolongation (DQTP), and subsequent risk of adverse cardiovascular events (ACVE), including death. Emergency department (ED)–based studies evaluating associations between SBT and ACVE are limited; thus, we aimed to investigate the association between antidotal SBT, ECG changes, and ACVE. This was a secondary data analysis of a consecutive cohort of ED patients with acute drug overdose over 3 years. Demographic and clinical data as well as SBT bolus dosage and infusion duration were collected, and outcomes were compared with an unmatched consecutive cohort of patients with potential indications for SBT but who did not receive SBT. The primary outcome was the occurrence of ACVE, and secondary outcomes were delayed QTc (Bazett) prolongation (DQTP), and death. Propensity score and multivariable adjusted analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between adverse outcomes and SBT administration. Planned subgroup analysis was performed for salicylates, wide QRS (> 100 ms), and acidosis (pH < 7.2). Out of 2365 patients screened, 369 patients had potential indications for SBT, of whom 31 (8.4%) actually received SBT. In adjusted analyses, SBT was found to be a significant predictor of ACVE (aOR 9.35, CI 3.6–24.1), DQTP (aOR 126.7, CI 9.8–1646.2), and death (aOR 11.9, CI 2.4–58.9). Using a propensity score model, SBT administration was associated with ACVE (OR 5.07, CI 1.8–14.0). Associations between SBT and ACVE were maintained in subgroup analyses of specific indications for sodium channel blockade (OR 21.03, CI 7.16–61.77) and metabolic acidosis (OR: 6.42, 95% CI: 1.20, 34.19). In ED patients with acute drug overdose and potential indications for SBT, administration of SBT as part of routine clinical care was an independent, dose-dependent, predictor of ACVE, DQTP, and death. This study was not designed to determine whether the SBT or acute overdose itself was causative of ACVE; however, these data suggest that poisoned patients receiving antidotal SBT require close cardiovascular monitoring.
Predicting and Monitoring Upper-Limb Rehabilitation Outcomes Using Clinical and Wearable Sensor Data in Brain Injury Survivors

Objective: Rehabilitation specialists have shown considerable interest for the development of models, based on clinical data, to predict the response to rehabilitation interventions in stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors. However, accurate predictions are difficult to obtain due to the variability in patients’ response to rehabilitation interventions. This study aimed to investigate the use of wearable technology in combination with clinical data to predict and monitor the recovery process and assess the responsiveness to treatment on an individual basis. Methods: Gaussian Process Regression-based algorithms were developed to estimate rehabilitation outcomes (i.e., Functional Ability Scale scores) using either clinical or wearable sensor data or a combination of the two. Results: The algorithm based on clinical data predicted rehabilitation outcomes with a Pearson's correlation of 0.79 compared to actual clinical scores provided by clinicians but failed to model the variability in responsiveness to the intervention observed across individuals. In contrast, the algorithm based on wearable sensor data generated rehabilitation outcome estimates with a Pearson's correlation of 0.91 and modeled the individual responses to rehabilitation more accurately. Furthermore, we developed a novel approach to combine estimates derived from the clinical data and the sensor data using a constrained linear model. This approach resulted in a Pearson's correlation of 0.94 between estimated and clinician-provided scores. Conclusion: This algorithm could enable the design of patient-specific interventions based on predictions of rehabilitation outcomes relying on clinical and wearable sensor data. Significance: This is important in the context of developing precision rehabilitation interventions.
Expanding a single‑lead mobile electrocardiographic device to multiple‑lead recordings improves diagnostic accuracy and confidence.

Abstract Background Mobile electrocardiographic (mECG) devices that record ECG lead I have been used to detect atrial fibrillation. Other arrhythmias may not be readily diagnosed with one lead. Obtaining multi‑lead tracings from an mECG (MLmECG) to simulate a 12‑lead ECG may lead to more accurate diagnoses. Methods We developed a method to generate multi‑lead ECGs using a mECG device by attaching it with alligator clips connected to an insulated copper wire to adhesive electrodes on the patient's limbs and torso according to standard lead configurations. Different rhythm and conduction abnormalities from a sample of inpatients were collected. Arrhythmias were recorded in three ways (single lead, MLmECG, and standard 12‑lead) and grouped by category. Recordings were sent to cardiology fellows in the form of a multiple choice survey. Participants were asked for their diagnosis and confidence in their decision. Results Survey response rate was 100%. Single‑lead, MLmECG, and 12‑lead yielded 48.2%, 81.6%, and 88.6% of agreement with the correct diagnosis, respectively (single‑lead vs. MLmECG or 12‑lead; p Conclusion The diagnostic accuracy of MLmECGs were similar to that of a standard 12‑lead ECG. Fellows' confidence in their diagnosis were similar between MLmECG or 12‑lead ECG, and higher with both modalities compared to a single‑lead tracing. The ability to recreate, as fully as possible, a standard 12‑lead ECG is a reasonable goal for mobile technology.
Dataset or Not? A Study on the Veracity of Semantic Markup for Dataset Pages.

Semantic markup, such as Schema.org, allows providers on the Web to describe content using a shared controlled vocabulary. This markup is invaluable in enabling a broad range of applications, from vertical search engines, to rich snippets in search results, to actions on emails, to many others. In this paper, we focus on semantic markup for datasets, specifically in the context of developing a vertical search engine for datasets on the Web, Google’s Dataset Search. Dataset Search relies on Schema.org to identify pages that describe datasets. While Schema.org was the core enabling technology for this vertical search, we also discovered that we need to address the following problem: pages from 61% of internet hosts that provide Schema.org/Dataset markup do not actually describe datasets. We analyze the veracity of dataset markup for Dataset Search’s Web-scale corpus and categorize pages where this markup is not reliable. We then propose a way to drastically increase the quality of the dataset metadata corpus by developing a deep neural-network classifier that identifies whether or not a page with Schema.org/Dataset markup is a dataset page. Our classifier achieves 96.7% recall at the 95% precision point. This level of precision enables Dataset Search to circumvent the noise in semantic markup and to use the metadata to provide high quality results to users.
Systemic inequities and depressive symptomology in Hispanic mothers: A path analysis model

BACKGROUND Hispanic mothers are one of the largest groups to give birth. They also experience high rates of morbidity and mortality; however, there is limited data related to their health inequities. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate systemic inequities associated with discrimination using the Reproductive Justice Framework to observe factors that influenced depressive symptomology in Hispanic women. METHODS A path analysis was conducted to evaluate systemic inequities that influenced postpartum depression using the public database, Listening to Mothers III (LMIII). The sub-sample consisted of n = 406 Hispanic mothers. Data was initially collected between the years 2011 and 2013. RESULTS Hispanic mothers were more likely to experience occurrences of perceived discrimination while seeking perinatal healthcare. These occurrences of discrimination led to lower trust in their healthcare providers, lower satisfaction with care, more instances of unwanted medical procedures, the need to feel to hold back comments about their health which ultimately resulted in higher rates of self-reported postpartum depression. The model fit indices supported the model's plausibility (χ2 /df ratio = 3.16, Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS This data supported our hypothesis that the pathway of discriminatory barriers Hispanic mothers experience during pregnancy influence postpartum depression.
Interplay among cytokines and T cell subsets in the progression and control of immune-mediated diseases

Cytokines serve as key mediators of inflammation and tissue damage in a variety of immune-mediated disorders. The induction, progression, and resolution of inflammation in such disorders are characterized by a dynamic balance between both the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as the pathogenic and protective T cell subsets. Over the past two decades, the roles of the interleukin-17 (IL-17) /IL-23 axis and the T helper 17 (Th17)/ T regulatory (Treg) cell balance in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and other inflammatory diseases have extensively been analyzed, and their significance validated. However, these studies, coupled with others devoted to well-established Th1/Th2 cytokines, have unraveled some challenging issues including the dual action of cytokines and the plasticity of T cell subsets. Nevertheless, major positive advances have also been made regarding cytokines and T cell subsets as therapeutic targets/agents. In this special issue, "Cytokines in Immune Pathology and Therapy," leading experts have shared their research work and perspectives on the roles of cytokines in the development and control of immune-mediated diseases. An outline of 14 articles in the first volume is presented here. The second volume will follow soon.
Uplift Capacity of Group Piles in Sand

The purpose of this paper is to present some recent laboratory model test results to study the variation of uplift capacity of pile groups with various shape, size, and pile spacings in loose sand. However, it may be pointed out that for all of these tests the length-to-diameter ratios of the piles were kept constant, and other variables such as soil type and degree of compaction have not been considered in this study.
Faculty/Student Mentor Program: Effects on Academic Performance and Retention.

A university faculty/student mentor program was evaluated for its effects on academic performance and retention. A matched pairs design was used in which 339 undergraduates assigned to mentors were paired with nonmentored students based on gender, ethnicity, GPA, and entering enrollment status. The results showed a higher GPA for mentored students (2.45 vs. 2.29), more units completed per semester (9.33 vs. 8.49), and lower dropout rate (14.5% vs. 26.3%). Amount of mentor-protege contact was positively correlated with GPA. Academic achievement and retention were unrelated to gender and ethnicity of the mentor, the protege, or the gender and ethnic match between the two.
Cleavage of Poliovirus-Specific Polypeptide Aggregates

Zonal electrophoresis resolves two aggregates of poliovirus type 2 cytoplasmic polypeptides. The more negatively charged aggregate contains mainly noncapsid viral-specific polypeptides (NCVP) 2 and x, whereas the other consists of the capsid polypeptides (VP) 0, 1, 2, and 3 (VP0, VP1, VP2, VP3). After treatment with sodium deoxycholate (DOC), the aggregates sediment at 5 to 6S. Their electrophoretic mobilities are unaffected by DOC or RNase. The capsid polypeptide aggregate is similar in mobility to virions but can be converted to a faster electrophoretic form, resembling empty capsids, by heating. If infected HeLa cells are allowed to synthesize poliovirus polypeptides in the presence of iodoacetamide, no capsid polypeptides are produced, but rather NCVP1a (the precursor to capsid polypeptides) is accumulated, along with NCVP2 and NCVPx. When analyzed by electrophoresis and centrifugation, uncleaved NCVP1a migrates with the NCVP2-x aggregate. NCVP1a can be cleaved to capsid-like polypeptides in vitro by using extracts of infected cells, but not uninfected cells, indicating either a virus-specified protease or a cellular enzyme activated during infection. After cleavage of NCVP1a by infected cell extracts, the capsid polypeptides which are produced dissociate from the NCVP2-x complex.
Decadal water‐property trends in the California Undercurrent, with implications for ocean acidification

[1] This study uses data along the West Coast of North America to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of water properties to around 500 m depth. The analysis uses potential density ( σθ) as the vertical coordinate and bottom depth and latitude as the horizontal coordinates. The study uses historical data from the World Ocean Database 2009 from 25°N to 50°N and 1950–2012 for a large-scale analysis of water-property spatial structure and temporal trends in the California Current System (CCS), finding significant trends from 1980 to 2012 along density surfaces near the core of the California Undercurrent (CUC), including decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, increasing warmth and salinity, and decreasing potential vorticity. All these changes are consistent with an increasing influence of Pacific equatorial waters with time. Mixing characteristics along the core of the CUC ( σθ=26.5 kg m−3) reveal that the 1980–2012 trends in the water-mass properties in the CUC are mostly consistent with a northward shift of these properties, with additional decreases in DO concentration. These modifications are associated with the shoaling and strengthening of the CUC. The changes also imply increased ocean total (natural and anthropogenic) acidification, as the trend in the DO concentration is consistent with a natural decrease in pH all along the CUC, suggesting that significantly more acidic waters are feeding upwelling onto the shelf around 2012 than around 1980.
A high-efficiency variable-voltage CMOS dynamic dc-dc switching regulator

Dynamically adjusting supply voltage based on processing load in applications that involve variable workloads to reduce energy consumption has been proposed. A similar idea for tracking temperature and process variations using a dynamic switching regulator has also been proposed. In this paper a buck-converter switching regulator chip for use in an energy-on-demand system is shown.
Pricing and Market Segmentation for Software Upgrades

Upgrades are endemic in the software industry and create the possibility that customers might either postpone purchase or buy early on and never upgrade: When will a customer upgrade? Is it better to upgrade now or to wait for an improved version? When should we release an improved product? How much should we charge for each version? Should we give discounts on upgrades to existing customers? Will today's sales be cannibalized by the anticipated improved version? We focus on pricing and how it is affected by the degree to which a product is improved between versions. In particular, we are interested how the firm should price different versions of its product and whether it should offer "upgrade discounts" to existing customers. To address these issues, we analyze a two-period model in which a firm sells an initial version of its product in the first period and an improved version the second. In each period, the firm (i.e., the software supplier) selects the selling prices, and customers decide whether to purchase. Customers may purchase the product in either or both periods and, at the firm's discretion, are given a discounted price if they repurchase/upgrade in the second period. We solve this model for subgame perfect equilibrium prices and purchasing decisions and investigate how equilibrium prices, profits, and cash flows are influenced by the degree of product improvement. We also uncover a number of managerial insights; for example, equilibrium pricing induces all of the first period purchasers to upgrade to the improved product in the second period.
Phenomenology, Logic, and the Philosophy of Mathematics: Gödel's Philosophical Remarks on Logic and Mathematics

The publication of Volumes I, II, and III of Kurt Godel: Collected Works ( KG : CW ) (Feferman 1986, 1990, 1995) marks a major event in the history of logic and the foundations of mathematics. The material included in the volumes not only presents us with a picture of the great scope, depth, and significance of Godel's accomplishments, but will also open up new avenues of thought and research for future generations of logicians, mathematicians, philosophers, computer scientists, and others who will find Godel's ideas on various subjects to be of substantial interest. There is an abundance of material to be considered in studying these books, including work on relativistic cosmology, Kant and the philosophy of time, an ontological proof for the existence of God, and Godel's abortive but interesting efforts late in his career to settle the continuum hypothesis. In this chapter I will focus only on indicating Godel's main philosophical theses about mathematics and logic; even with this limitation, it will only be possible to scratch the surface. The bulk of Godel's technical work in logic and foundations was completed between 1929 and 1943. The most important results are the completeness theorem for first-order logic (1929), the incompleteness theorems (1931), and the theorems on the relative consistency of the axiom of choice (AC) and the continuum hypothesis (CH) (1938–40). From 1943 on, Godel devoted himself almost entirely to philosophy, but he did not publish most of his work.
Synthetic and immunological studies of sTn derivatives carrying substituted phenylacetylsialic acids as cancer vaccine candidate

To search for effective cancer vaccines based on sTn, a sialylated tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen (sialo-TACA) expressed by a number of tumors, four unnatural N-acyl sTn derivatives, including 5'-N-p-methylphenylacetyl sTn (sTnNMePhAc), 5'-N-p-methoxylphenylacetyl sTn (sTnNMeOPhAc), 5'-N-p-acetylphenylacetyl sTn (sTnNAcPhAc) and 5'-N-p-chlorophenylacetyl sTn (sTnNClPhAc), as well as their protein conjugates, were synthesized by a highly convergent procedure. The immunological properties of these sTn derivatives in the form of keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate were evaluated in mice and compared to that of sTnNPhAc, a sTn derivative previously investigated as a vaccine candidate. It was shown that sTnNMePhAc, sTnNMeOPhAc, sTnNAcPhAc and sTnNClPhAc are all much more immunogenic than sTnNPhAc and that they provoked strong T cell-dependent IgG1 immune responses useful for cancer immunotherapy. It was concluded that sTnNClPhAc is a promising candidate for cancer vaccine development and is worthy further investigation.