cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissolved oxygen during Gymnodinium breve blooms along the Florida west coast, 1976–1978

Abstract Concentration of dissolved oxygen was measured during phytoplankton blooms of Gymnodinium breve occurring along the west coast of Florida during 1976, 1977, and 1978. The dissolved oxygen (DO) levels during the most recent outbreak, occurring in September 1978, were measured on two occasions during predawn hours. At no time were the dissolved oxygen levels below 83% saturation, although the numbers of G. breve organisms were above the ichthyotoxic threshold level.
Dual-band negative-index metamaterials in the near-infrared frequency range

Near-IR metamaterials exhibiting dual-band negative-index behavior have been presented. Magnetic resonances in two bands are obtained by incorporating two resonators of different dimensions into one period of an infinitely periodic design. Negative permittivities are provided by thin silver films via the naturally available negative dielectric function at near-IR wavelengths. The desired bands of the NIM behavior can be designed by proper combinations of the magnetic resonator dimensions and the silver film thicknesses. A two-dimensional example with two negative-index bands in the near-IR spectrum was demonstrated. The two-dimensional design was then extended to a three-dimensional doubly-periodic dual-band metamaterial design. It has been pointed out that the use of silver strips or meshes in place of thin continuous films significantly improves the loss characteristics of the metamaterial.
Bayesian methods for phase I clinical trials

Phase I clinical trials are conducted to determine the dose-response curve of a new drug with respect to toxic side effects and, in particular, to estimate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). In this paper we take a Bayesian approach to the problem of making inferences about the MTD. Working with broad classes of priors, we obtain the posterior distribution of the MTD and study its properties. We also address the question of providing updated assessments of the risk of toxicity for new patients entering the study at a specific dose level. These assessments would be useful in deciding issues of study management and ethics. Our analysis pays particular attention to the sensitivity of the inferences and risk assessments to the choice of prior and the choice of model for the dose-response relationship.
A review: dietary restrictions on hunter-gatherer women and the implications for fertility and infant mortality.

The relatively low reproductive rates of huntergatherer populations have been attributed to high natural mortality, low fertility, and cultural practices such as infanticide and sexual abstention. While we currently lack the data necessary to determine the relative effects of each of these factors on reproduction in any huntergatherer population, an analysis of the relations between cultural practices and reproduction at a more general level can set the stage for further research in huntergatherer societies. This paper reviews and discusses the current literature on specific links between female nutritional health, fertility, and infant mortality. It begins with a consideration of food taboos, one potential source of huntergatherer female nutritional stress. In particular, it is argued that the timing of food taboos on females in many huntergatherer societies often coincides with critical periods in women's reproductive careers. Next, the paper explores the interrelationships between female nutritional health and fertility and infant mortality, using data from modern huntergatherer and agricultural populations. Finally, because data adequate to test specific relationships between patterns of food restrictions and reproduction are not yet available, the paper concludes with a brief discussion of the data necessary for testing these relationships in huntergatherer populations.
Commodity Fetishism in Organs Trafficking

This article draws on a five-year, multi-sited transnational research project on the global traffic in human organs, tissues, and body parts from the living as well as from the dead as a misrecogni...
Barriers to palliative care for children: perceptions of pediatric health care providers.

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to explore barriers to palliative care experienced by pediatric health care providers caring for seriously ill children. METHODS. This study explored pediatric provider perceptions of end-of-life care in an academic children9s hospital, with the goal of describing perceived barriers to end-of-life care for children and their families. The report focuses on the responses of nurses (n = 117) and physicians (n = 81). RESULTS. Approximately one half of the respondents reported 4 of 26 barriers listed in the study questionnaire as frequently or almost always occurring, that is, uncertain prognosis (55%), family not ready to acknowledge incurable condition (51%), language barriers (47%), and time constraints (47%). Approximately one third of respondents cited another 8 barriers frequently arising from problems with communication and from insufficient education in pain and palliative care. Fourteen barriers were perceived by >75% of staff members as occasionally or never interfering with pediatric end-of-life care. Comparisons between physicians and nurses and between ICU and non-ICU staff members revealed several significant differences between these groups. CONCLUSIONS. Perceived barriers to pediatric end-of-life care differed from those impeding adult end-of-life care. The most-commonly perceived factors that interfered with optimal pediatric end-of-life care involved uncertainties in prognosis and discrepancies in treatment goals between staff members and family members, followed by barriers to communication. Improved staff education in communication skills and palliative care for children may help overcome some of these obstacles, but pediatric providers must realize that uncertainty may be unavoidable and inherent in the care of seriously ill children. An uncertain prognosis should be a signal to initiate, rather than to delay, palliative care.
Insulin Sensitizing Pharmacology of Thiazolidinediones Correlates with Mitochondrial Gene Expression rather than Activation of PPARγ

Insulin sensitizing thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are generally considered to work as agonists for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferative activated receptor-gamma (PPAR gamma). However, TZDs also have acute, non-genomic metabolic effects and it is unclear which actions are responsible for the beneficial pharmacology of these compounds. We have taken advantage of an analog, based on the metabolism of pioglitazone, which has much reduced ability to activate PPAR gamma. This analog (PNU-91325) was compared to rosiglitazone, the most potent PPAR gamma activator approved for human use, in a variety of studies both in vitro and in vivo. The data demonstrate that PNU-91325 is indeed much less effective than rosiglitazone at activating PPAR gamma both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, both compounds bound similarly to a mitochondrial binding site and acutely activated PI-3 kinase-directed phosphorylation of AKT, an action that was not affected by elimination of PPAR gamma activation. The two compounds were then compared in vivo in both normal C57 mice and diabetic KKAy mice to determine whether their pharmacology correlated with biomarkers of PPAR gamma activation or with the expression of other gene transcripts. As expected from previous studies, both compounds improved insulin sensitivity in the diabetic mice, and this occurred in spite of the fact that there was little increase in expression of the classic PPAR gamma target biomarker adipocyte binding protein-2 (aP2) with PNU-91325 under these conditions. An examination of transcriptional profiling of key target tissues from mice treated for one week with both compounds demonstrated that the relative pharmacology of the two thiazolidinediones correlated best with an increased expression of an array of mitochondrial proteins and with expression of PPAR gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1 alpha), the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Thus, important pharmacology of the insulin sensitizing TZDs may involve acute actions, perhaps on the mitochondria, that are independent of direct activation of the nuclear receptor PPAR gamma. These findings suggest a potential alternative route to the discovery of novel insulin sensitizing drugs.
Effects of dietary cholesterol on hepatic production of lipids and lipoproteins in isolated hamster liver

The effect of 2-week 2% cholesterol vs. chow feeding on regulation of hepatic lipoprotein, lipids and apoprotein (Apo), and biliary lipids production was evaluated by the isolated perfused hamster liver model. Cholesterol feeding did not change very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle size but significantly increased the hepatic production of VLDL-cholesterol fourfold, VLDL-triglyceride two and one-half-fold but not phospholipid in VLDL. It also increased LDL-cholesterol fourfold but not triglyceride or phospholipid in LDL, whereas lipids in HDL remained unchanged. Gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophesis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analysis (density of apoprotein/density of albumin/g liver) indicated that cholesterol feeding enhanced Apo B tenfold, Apo A-I fivefold but not Apo E in VLDL. Apo E and Apo B did not change in LDL. Apo E but not Apo A-I increased (threefold) in HDL by cholesterol feeding. Cholesterol feeding decreased bile salt secretion 28% but increased cholesterol secretion 118% in bile, whereas phospholipid and bile volume remained unchanged. Increased Apo A-I in VLDL suggested that Apo A-I is involved in enhanced hepatic export of cholesterol and triglyceride. Different patterns of lipid and Apos in VLDL and LDL after cholesterol feeding also suggested separate VLDL and LDL export mechanisms. Elevated Apo E but not lipids in HDL after cholesterol feeding suggests that hepatic HDL may function as a carrier of newly synthesized hepatic Apo E into the circulation for transfer to other lipoproteins (chylomicron [CM], CMr) to facilitate hepatic cholesterol uptake and clearance.
Unraveling the 1974 eruption of Fuego volcano (Guatemala) with small crystals and their young melt inclusions

This study demonstrates that crystal size may be used to temporally constrain melt inclusion data. This approach is applied to the 1974 Vulcanian-type eruption of Volcan Fuego in Guatemala to study magma conditions immediately prior to eruption. The 1974 ash deposit shows significant variations in matrix glass composition, crystal size, crystal content, and volatile (H2O and CO2) content in each of four eruptive phases occurring over a 10-day period. Matrix glass and melt inclusions hosted in small (;0.6 mg) olivine crystals have a particularly wide range in composition (basalt to andesite; 0.52‐1.22 wt% K2O) and a wide range in volatile saturation pressures (;1.0‐4.4 kbar). That small (i.e., young) crystals host diverse melt inclusions demonstrates significant compositional variability in the magma system prior to eruption. The volatile saturation pressures indicate that magma was vertically distributed in the crust. During the eruption, different magmas from varying depths were hybridized, giving rise to short-term (hours to days) variation in the observed products.
Allergic Cross-Sensitivity Between Penicillin, Carbapenem, and Monobactam Antibiotics: What Are the Chances?

Objective:To evaluate the literature on the allergic cross-reactivity between penicillin, carbapenem, and monobactam antibiotics.Data Sources:A MEDLINE search (1950–June 2008) of the English literature was performed using the search terms β-lactam, penicillin, monobactam, carbapenem, allergy, and cross-reactivity. References of review articles were also screened for inclusion.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All articles in English from the data source were identified. Studies whose primary goal was to evaluate drug hypersensitivity and the potential for cross-reactivity were evaluated.Data Synthesis:Many patients have reported penicillin allergies that have not been verified by skin testing; many healthcare providers avoid the use of other β-lactam antibiotics, namely carbapenems, in these patients due to fear of the potential for immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic cross-reactivity. A wide range of cross-reactivity between penicillins and carbapenems has been reported in various studies; however, more...
Model-Checking BNDC Properties in Cyber-Physical Systems

In Cyber-physical systems, which are the integrations of computational and physical processes, it is hard to realize certain security properties. Fundamentally, physically observable behavior leads to violations of confidentiality. We focus on analyzing certain non-interference based security properties to ensure that interactions between the cyber and physical processes preserve confidentiality. A considerable barrier to this analysis is representing the physical system’s interactions. In this paper, these physical system properties are encoded into a discrete event system and the combined Cyber-physical system is described using the process algebra SPA. The model checker, CoPS shows BNDC (Bisimulation based Non Deducibility on Compositions) properties,which are a variant of non-interference properties, to check the system’s security against all high level potential interactions. We consider a model problem of invariant pipeline flow to examine the BNDC properties and their applicability for cyber-physical systems.
From the bottom to the top: a more complete picture of the immigrant-native wage gap in Britain

This paper investigates wage assimilation of foreign-born male workers in Britain over the period 1993 to 2009. Using Labour Force Survey data, the paper employs a methodology (Blinder-Oaxaca quantile regressions) to decompose the immigrant-native wage differential at the mean and across the conditional wage distribution. Although immigrants earn more on average than natives, mean results mask that immigrants at the bottom (top) of the distribution earn less (more) than natives. Over the period investigated, the pro-UK-born unexplained component of the wage gap was greater at the bottom of the distribution and has shifted towards the centre of the distribution. J15, J16, J31, J71
Empirical Correlations: Drained Shear Strength for Slope Stability Analyses

Empirical correlations provide estimates of parameter values for preliminary design, verification of laboratory shear test data, and confirmation of back-analysis of a failed slope. The empirical correlations presented herein use liquid limit, clay-size fraction, and effective normal stress to capture the variability and stress-dependent nature of drained residual and fully softened strength envelopes. This paper describesthetestingandanalysisusedtoincreasethenumberofdatapointsintheexistingcorrelations,expandtheresidualstrengthcorrelation to include an effective normal stress of 50 kPa, and develop correlations between values of liquid limit and clay-size fraction measured using sampleprocessedthroughaNo.40sieve(ASTMprocedure)andvalues derivedusingball-milled/disaggregated sample. Inaddition,equations are presented to express the empirical correlations used to develop a spreadsheet that estimates the residual and fully softened friction angles based on entered values of liquid limit and clay-size fraction. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000824. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Shear strength; Friction; Clays; Shale; Slope stability; Drainage. Author keywords: Shear strength; Residual friction angle; Fully softened friction angle; Empirical correlation; Clay; Shale.
Purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes by ultrasonically assisted filtration

Abstract An efficient method for purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) synthesized by the laser-vaporization process has been developed. Amorphous and crystalline carbon impurities and metal particles are removed from SWNT samples by ultrasonically-assisted microfiltration. Sample sonication during the filtration prevents filter contamination and provides for a fine nanotube–nanoparticle suspension throughout the purification process. The process generates SWNT material with purity of more than 90% and yields of 30–70%, depending on the quality of the starting material. Nanotubes in purified samples are shorter than in pristine samples due to some sonication-induced nanotube cutting. Nanotube bundles in purified samples are also substantially thicker due to spontaneous nanotube alignment.
The Notion of General Value in Economics

This paper introduces the concept of general value with two components—monetary and nonmonetary. The nonmonetary component reflects individual perception of value unrelated to the monetary part of it. The fundamental difference between the concept of general value and the conventional concepts of value is in the expansion of the concept from monetary only to a more general concept by adding a distinct nonmonetary component. The paper introduces the principle of increasing general value which states that in every action or transaction the general value for each participant should increase. This principle lays the foundation for value-based decision making. To make a decision, an individual needs to assess a difference of general values before and after the action or transaction or to order values rather than to accurately calculate the values themselves. General value can be measured either rationally, similar to utility, or with “bounded rationality”, as suggested in behavioral economics, or in any other way which is appropriate and convenient to use. General value in economics plays a similar role as energy in physics and can be referred to as “economic energy.” General value constitutes a more comprehensive foundation of economics than traditionally used pure monetary value, and thus goes beyond the classical and neoclassical approaches.
Porphyromonas gingivalis invasion of gingival epithelial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, can invade primary cultures of gingival epithelial cells. Optimal invasion occurred at a relatively low multiplicity of infection (i.e., 100) and demonstrated saturation at a higher multiplicity of infection. Following the lag phase, during which bacteria invaded poorly, invasion was independent of growth phase. P. gingivalis was capable of replicating within the epithelial cells. Invasion was an active process requiring both bacterial and epithelial cell energy production. Invasion was sensitive to inhibitors of microfilaments and microtubules, demonstrating that epithelial cell cytoskeletal rearrangements are involved in bacterial entry. P. gingivalis, but not epithelial cell, protein synthesis was necessary for invasion. Invasion within the epithelial cells was not blocked by inhibitors of protein kinase activity. Invasion was inhibited by protease inhibitors, suggesting that P. gingivalis proteases may be involved in the invasion process. Low-passage clinical isolates of P. gingivalis invaded with higher efficiency than the type strain. Serum inhibited invasion of the type strain but had no effect on the invasion of a clinical isolate. Invasion of gingival epithelial cells by P. gingivalis may contribute to the pathology of periodontal diseases.
Optimizing overbreak prediction based on geological parameters comparing multiple regression analysis and artificial neural network

Abstract Underground mining becomes more efficient due to the technological advancements of drilling and blasting methods and the developing of highly productive mining methods that facilitate easier access to ore. In the perspective of maximizing productivity in underground mining by drilling and blasting methods, overbreak control is an essential component. The causing factors of overbreak can simply divided as blasting and geological parameters and all of the factors are nonlinearly correlated. In this paper, the blasting design of the tunnel was fixed as the standard blasting pattern and the research focus on effects of geological parameters to the overbreak phenomenon. 49 sets of rock mass rating (RMR) and overbreak data were applied to linear and nonlinear multiple regression analysis (LMRA and NMRA) and artificial neural network (ANN) to predict overbreak as input and output parameters, respectively. The performance of LMRA, NMRA, and optimized ANN models was evaluated by comparing coefficient correlations (R2) and their values are 0.694, 0.704 and 0.945, respectively, which means that the relatively high level of accuracy of the optimized ANN in comparison with LMRA and NMRA. The developed optimum overbreak predicting ANN model is suitable for establishing an overbreak warning and preventing system and it will utilize as a foundation reference for a practical drift blasting reconciliation at mines for operation improvements.
A Description of Midlife Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence Using Electronic Medical Record Information.

Abstract Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important health problem affecting women of all ages, but is often not addressed during healthcare visits. Purpose: To use electronic records of diagnoses and telephone advice calls to describe the clinical patterns of midlife women experiencing IPV. Materials and Methods: Using case–control methodology, women with an ICD9 diagnosis of IPV were chosen from those enrolled in 2005–2006 in Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) and matched on visit date, age, and facility with women without such a diagnosis. The study population was divided into subsets: ages 45–53 years (318 cases, 1588 controls); ages 54–64 years (200 cases, 1000 controls). Diagnoses and symptoms reported by phone that were significantly related to the cases compared with the controls were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among women aged 45–53 years, diagnoses of anxiety (odds ratio [OR] = 2.05) and of psychiatric problems (OR = 1.65) and calls for...
Aesop's fables, the ant, the grasshopper, and prophylactic first-stage elephant trunk for moderately dilated descending aorta in patients with predominately proximal disease.

From the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Disclosures: Author has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Aug 30, 2015; accepted for publication Aug 31, 2015; available ahead of print Sept 26, 2015. Address for reprints: Kevin L. Greason, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905 (E-mail: greason.kevin@mayo. edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2015;150:1158-9 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2015 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.08.104
R2 indicator based multiobjective memetic optimization for the pickup and delivery problem with time windows and demands (PDP-TW-D)

This paper defines a multiobjective variant of the Pickup and Delivery Problem (PDP), called PDP with Time Windows and Demands (PDP-TW-D), and approaches the problem with a novel memetic optimization algorithm. With respect to multiple optimization objectives, the goal of PDP-TW-D is to find a set of Pareto-optimal routes for a fleet of vehicles in order to serve given transportation requests. This paper considers five optimization objectives for PDP-TW including the number of vehicles, the total travel distance and the total waiting time. The proposed algorithm is designed as an evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithm that is augmented by a local search algorithm. It uses the population of individuals, each of which represents a solution candidate, and evolves them via genetic operators (e.g., crossover and mutation operators) through generations. In addition to this global search process, it allows individuals to improve themselves in each generation through local search. Experimental results show that the global and local search processes complement to improve convergence speed and can effectively obtain quality trade-off solutions with respect to conflicting objectives.
The future of the nation foretold in its museums

With the opening of several new musees de la societe in France we gain an exceptionally rich and revelatory way of understanding the society-wide debates about what France is and what it should be ...
Conceptual Design of a Model Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

In recent news, there has been more conversation pertaining to solar-powered aircraft due to the flight of the Solar Impulse on July 8, 2010. Because of this, more technology and studies are needed to fully understand how solar-powered aircraft operate. Over the last fifty years, there have been more studies on solar-powered aircraft because of the negative environmental impact that commercial aircraft have. This paper will study a conceptual design of a model solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will have a wingspan no more than 7 meters and have a total mass of 10 kg, 2.27 kg of which will be devoted to payload. The UAV will be used to study wildfires specifically in California and will have the necessary equipment needed for such a mission, including a Global Positioning System (GPS) and cameras.
Stimulation of ACTH-release in humans by non-pressor fraction from commercial extracts of posterior pituitary.

SummaryA non-pressor material, extracted from Protopituitrin, known to stimulate release of ACTH in vitro was shown to stimulate release of ACTH in human subjects as evidenced by measurements of plasma 17-hydroxycorticoids. This increased secretion of ACTH was obtained in absence of significant side effects.
Seasonable exploitation of resources and prevention of geohazard in karst regions

This paper is discussed the reasonable exploitations of main resources and prevention of geohazard in karst regions. There is existing the relationship chains between natural disasters in the Earth, which are included the chain between geological hazard and climatic hazard, the chain between the geological hazard and the biogenic hazard as well as the chain between the geohazard themselves. The unreasonable exploitation of all the resources will always cause the hazards. Therefore it is very important to discuss the problem related to prevention of geohazard by the reasonable exploitations.
Neuromuscular Transmission, Muscle Force, and Energetics

This chapter presents various problem sets related to neuromuscular transmission, muscle force, and energetics, which include the overlap between the thick and thin filaments when the sarcomere length is 2.8 μm; the fraction of the force generators on the thick filament that do not overlap with the thin filament when the sarcomere length is 2.8 μm; and the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) split by the SERCA pumps to return activating Ca 2+ to the SR per g tissue, if the troponin C (TnC) binds 2 Ca 2+ .
Size reduction for integrated MZI devices by utilizing slow light in one-dimensional grating

Slow light effect at 1D grating band edge is shown to be able to shorten photonic devices on integrated Mach-Zehnder Interferometer platform. Dispersion calculations according to coupled-mode theory indicate that length reduction by a few times is attainable. Multi-segment design is proposed to increase transmission in the slow light region.
Cybermanufacturing in the shared economy

The Advanced Manufacturing Program 2.0 envisages a rejuvenation of the manufacturing infrastructure in the USA. Many of the rejuvenated plants are not human-labor intensive; rather, these facilities have advanced capabilities that have automated machines with a few human operators. As such programs are rolled out to revitalize the economy, we will have many small facilities that are highly automated to execute specific tasks. However, when the market demands vary, it is very likely that the utilization of such advanced plants with limited, highly optimized, capabilities will decrease. To mitigate the losses that can arise from such idle resources, we are investigating a new framework in which such automated and optimized plants can be reused and shared across a rich variety of manufacturing applications. A cloud-hosted service offers a front end for manufacturing tasks to be submitted while it makes resource allocation and scheduling decisions across the geographically distributed plants.
Insufficient sleep in adolescents: causes and consequences

Insufficient sleep poses an important and complicated set of health risks in the adolescent population. Not only is deficient sleep (defined as both sleep duration inadequate to meet sleep needs and sleep timing misaligned with the body's circadian rhythms) at epidemic levels in this population, but the contributing factors are both complex and numerous and there are a myriad of negative physical and mental health, safety and performance consequences. Causes of inadequate sleep identified in this population include internal biological processes such as the normal shift (delay) in circadian rhythm that occurs in association with puberty and a developmentally-based slowing of the "sleep drive", and external factors including extracurricular activities, excessive homework load, evening use of electronic media, caffeine intake and early school start times. Consequences range from inattentiveness, reduction in executive functioning and poor academic performance to increased risk of obesity and cardio-metabolic dysfunction, mood disturbances which include increased suicidal ideation, a higher risk of engaging in health risk behaviors such as alcohol and substance use, and increased rates of car crashes, occupational injuries and sports-related injuries. In response to these concerns, a number of promising measures have been proposed to reduce the burden of adolescent sleep loss, including healthy sleep education for students and families, and later school start times to allow adolescents to obtain sufficient and appropriately-timed sleep.
Diagnostic Evaluation and Preoperative Work-up

Cancer of the ovary is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer. Early diagnosis is a matter of chance rather than a scientific approach. The inability to diagnose ovarian cancer is evident from reports showing that 60 to 70% of these lesions are in stages III and IV at the time of diagnosis. The physician must have a high index of suspicion, use any and all clues, and evaluate an enlarged ovary regardless of the patient’s age. Our chances for improving the low 5-year survival would be immeasurably better if we could find ways to make an early diagnosis or diagnose the borderline or potentially malignant cases. The means for diagnosis are nonspecific but are reviewed.
The Electronic Home Note Program: An Effective Intervention Package to Improve Parent Program Participation, On-Task Behavior, and Academic Performance

The current study examined the efficacy of the Electronic Home Note Program (EHNP) for improving on-task behavior, math performance, and home-school collaboration. The EHNP is a package-ready web-based home note that utilizes Google Drive. The study was conducted in a public elementary school serving predominantly low-income ethnic minority students. Student participants were four males in either the fourth or fifth grade with lower rates of on-task behavior and math performance in comparison to classroom peers. The intervention phase was 4 to 5 weeks in duration. Results indicate large effects (Tau-U = 0.90) for on-task behavior, which were maintained for all students when compared with baseline at a 3-week follow-up. During the intervention phase, three of four student’s on-task rates improved to a level that approximated that of classroom peers. Results indicate medium effects (Tau-U = 0.65) for math problem completion and large effects in math accuracy (Tau-U = 0.70). Parents consistently reviewed electronic home note (EHN) data with their child 84% at home. Parent, student, and teacher ratings indicate acceptable social validity of the EHNP. All parents and teachers reported the EHNP improved their home-school collaboration. The utility of using a web-based package-ready EHN is discussed.
An unusual cause of dyspnea, hypoxemia, and pedal edema in an 85-year-old woman

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common causes of congenital heart disease manifested in adulthood. Among the three kinds of ASD, the clinical features of secundum-type ASD have been well-characterized in patients less than 40 years of age, and account for two-thirds of all such defects (sinus venosis and ostium primum are the second- and third-type defects, respectively). More than 90% of patients with a secundum ASD die before the age of 60. However, a subgroup of patients may or may not develop symptoms until late adulthood, presenting with atrial fibrillation, dyspnea and heart failure as the first manifestation of secundum ASD. In the last 30 years, six octogenarians presenting similarly with ASD have been described in the literature. The diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion combined with careful inspection of the electrocardiogram and chest radiograph for signs of right ventricular volume overload. Transthoracic echocardiography and color Doppler interrogation of the atrial septum combined with bubble contrast should confirm the presence of secundum ASD in the majority of elderly patients presenting with this unusual clinical entity.
TRIVIAL EXTENSIONS OF ABELIAN CATEGORIES AND APPLICATIONS TO RINGS: AN EXPOSITORY ACCOUNT

This chapter discusses the trivial extensions of Abelian categories and applications to rings. It discusses the homological dimension of a map f: FA → B in terms of the homological dimensions of A, B , and the derived functors L i FA . This enables to show that the category of morphisms has finite finitistic dimension if both G and B have finite finitistic dimension, irrespective of the right exact functor F . The chapter discusses the setting for pseudoduality and discusses a k -Gorenstein category. It presents the relation between the property of being k -Gorenstein and the minimal injective resolution of projective objects. It is found that the conditions on a functor that entail that the category of morphisms has a pseudoduality. One is unable to give general conditions on F that imply the category is k -Gorenstein. It is found that many nice functors destroy any Gorenstein properties.
Neuro-ocular Lyme borreliosis.

Neurologic and ocular involvements in lyme borreliosis are being increasingly seen in neuro-ophthalmologic practice. This article reviews the specific clinical patterns encountered in the past three years at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Diagnostic workup and therapeutic regimens are recommended.
The Inner Moral Self in Tymieniecka’s Vision

Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that the mistake made by all philosophers before him was that they first accepted a certain system of values, mostly ethical, and only afterwards tried to explain reality. This means that people first make a decision about what is right and what wrong or what is good and bad, and only after this decision is made do they try to explore reality -or rather that part of reality which they first evaluated as good, i.e. worthy of being explored (hence they claim their explanation, the research, to be right). According to Nietzsche, even if the philosophers declared that they searched for the Truth (truth, by the way, is a value too), their real goal was the “majestic building of morality.”1
A particle filtering based approach to approximating interactive POMDPs

POMDPs provide a principled framework for sequential planning in single agent settings. An extension of POMDPs to multi agent settings, called interactive POMDPs (I-POMDPs), replaces POMDP belief spaces with interactive hierarchical belief systems which represent an agent's belief about the physical world, about beliefs of the other agent(s), about their beliefs about others' beliefs, and so on. This modification makes the difficulties of obtaining solutions due to complexity of the belief and policy spaces even more acute. We describe a method for obtaining approximate solutions to IPOMDPs based on particle filtering (PF). We utilize the interactive PF which descends the levels of interactive belief hierarchies and samples and propagates beliefs at each level. The interactive PF is able to deal with the belief space complexity, but it does not address the policy space complexity. We provide experimental results and chart future work.
Exiters of religious fundamentalism: reconstruction of social support and relationships related to well-being

ABSTRACTOver the past decade, researchers have documented the steady growth of religious “exiters” – those who drop their affiliation with any organised religion. Religious disaffiliation or “exiti...
Layering memories: Frank Chiche’s Je vous ai compris (2012):

This article discusses Frank Chiche’s 2012 film Je vous ai compris and sheds light on the way rotoscoping complicates memorial discourses on the Algerian War of Independence. I argue that the super...
Timing of Antenatal Steroid Administration and Effects on the Newborn Infant: A Retrospective Study.

Objective The timing of antenatal steroids (ANS) on short- and long-term effects on newborn infants was evaluated. Study Design This study was conducted at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Level-III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit by reviewing the medical records of all women with history of ANS exposure from January 2015 to December 2018. We compared outcomes of newborns delivered within the ideal therapeutic window of 24 hours to 7 days (within window [WW]) after administration to those exposed and delivered outside the therapeutic window (outside window primary group [OWP]). Outcomes included anthropometrics, blood sugars, thyroid hormone profile, and neonatal morbidities. Results A total of 669 patients were identified as having received at least two doses of ANS. Two-thirds of them delivered within the ideal therapeutic window. Significant differences were found in anthroprometrics including lower birth weight, shorter length, and smaller head circumferences in those born within the window compared with those outside the window. Derangements in glucose homeostasis requiring treatment and elevations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were seen in infants born outside the ideal therapeutic window compared with those born within the therapeutic window. No differences were found in neonatal morbidities including severe intraventricular hemorrhage (sIVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), need for resuscitation, exogenous surfactant administration, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), mechanical ventilation, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), or periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). After controlling for selected covariates, only birth length was different between the groups. Conclusion Effects on anthropometrics, glucose homeostasis, and thyroid function support the need to develop new or refine existing risk stratification systems to time the administration of antenatal steroids. Better targeting of women and fetuses may confer the benefits of systemic corticosteroids while mitigating the risks of adverse effects. Key Points
Gender Distribution in Pediatric Hospital Medicine Leadership.

Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM), a field early in its development and with a robust pipeline of women, is in a unique position to lead the way in gender equity. We describe the proportion of women in divisional and fellowship leadership positions at university-based PHM programs (n = 142). When compared with the PHM field at large, women appear to be underrepresented as PHM division/program leaders (70% vs 55%; P .05). Women appear proportionally represented in associate/assistant leadership roles when compared with the distribution of the PHM field at large. Tracking these trends overtime is essential to advancing the field.
Vaccinating Health Care Employees - Do They All Deserve Early Access?

Vaccinating Health Care Employees In vaccinating low-risk employees early, leaders of some U.S. health care organizations violated their duty to promote public health and contributed to the narrati...
Association of Kinship Support and Externalizing Problems Among Low Income African American Mothers and Adolescents

The investigation examined whether mothers’ optimism and family routine in serial order, mediated the association of kin support with adolescents’ externalizing problems in a sample of urban, low income, African American mothers and adolescents (N = 200). The study is grounded in the Integrative Model for the Study of Developmental Competencies in Minority Children, which predicts that mothers who receive more support from extended family will report higher levels of optimism and will create more routine and order in the home and in turn, will have adolescents who exhibit less problem behavior. Hypotheses were examined with structured interviews administered to mothers and adolescents. Results revealed that kin support was negatively associated with adolescents’ externalizing problems. Kin support was also positively linked to mothers’ optimism and family routine. Mothers’ optimism and family routine in serial order mediated the association of kin support with adolescents’ externalizing problems. Findings reveal some of the process through which kin support, a vital resource in many African American families, may be linked to positive outcomes. Implications for promoting adolescent adjustment and family relations are discussed.
Utilization of procalcitonin to guide antibiotic discontinuation in respiratory tract infections in a community hospital

Background: Antibiotic overuse leading to increasing antibiotic resistance has been a growing concern. Patients presenting with acute respiratory tract infections (RTI) are often started empirically on antibiotics and continued for days, unless confirmatory results are reported by microbiological testing. Procalcitonin is a serum inflammatory marker that increases in bacterial infections and is utilized as an adjunct to help differentiate viral versus bacterial pneumonia. Procalcitonin-guided management is associated with significantly lower antibiotic exposure and mortality. No studies exist in literature that assess the appropriate utilization of negative procalcitonin test for antibiotic discontinuation. This study assesses utilization of a negative PCT (<0.25 ng/ml) to guide antibiotic discontinuation in patients with pneumonia in a community hospital. Methods:Retrospective observational study including adult patients admitted to our community hospital in 1 year (July 2019-June 2020) with diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia and started on empiric antibiotic therapy and had procalcitonin levels checked. Our hypothesis was that PCT is not being appropriately used for discontinuation of antibiotics and that rate of discontinuation of antibiotics will be less despite a negative PCT. Statistical analysis was performed using XLSTAT. Categorical variables were represented by frequencies and proportions and compared using Chi-square and z test for two proportions. Results: 516 charts were reviewed. After excluding missing data, 176 patients were included. 100 patients had negative PCT. Antibiotics were discontinued in 16% of patients with negative PCT, compared to 58% (p<0.0001), in whom antibiotics were continued without any other indication (including UTI, severe COPD exacerbation, COVID pneumonia) despite a negative PCT. The difference between the percentage of antibiotic discontinuation in our PCT guided treatment sample (9%, n=16/176) was also found to be statistically significant (p< 0.001) compared to percentage of antibiotic discontinuation in population using data from a meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (42%, n=698/1658).1 Conclusion:Previous studies have shown that procalcitonin guided treatment aids in decreasing antibiotic exposure. In lower respiratory tract infections, clinicians order PCT test to aid in differentiating viral versus bacterial etiology and ultimately help guide antibiotic therapy. Our data analysis reveals that despite negative PCT, thus indicating a likely viral etiology, clinicians are not consistently making changes to empiric antibiotic use. This study addresses need for further recommendations from antibiotic stewardship programs regarding procalcitonin-guided antibiotic use and prevent unnecessary ordering of PCT test.
Bayesian distributed lag interaction models using spike and slab priors

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Distributed lag models are useful in environmental epidemiology as they allow us to investigate the time periods at which exposure to a pollutant adversely affects health outcom...
Carollia perspicillata: A Small Bat with Tremendous Translational Potential for Studies of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration

As the average human lifespan lengthens, the impact of neurodegenerative disease increases, both on the individual suffering neurodegeneration and on the community that supports those individuals. Studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms of neurodegeneration have relied heavily on observational studies of humans and experimental studies in animals, such as mice, in which aspects of brain structure and function can be manipulated to target mechanistic steps. An animal model whose brain is structurally closer to the human brain, that lives much longer than rodents, and whose husbandry is practical may be valuable for mechanistic studies that cannot readily be conducted in rodents. To demonstrate that the long-lived Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, may fit this role, we used immunohistochemical labeling for NeuN and three calcium-binding proteins, calretinin, parvalbumin, and calbindin, to define hippocampal formation anatomy. Our findings demonstrate patterns of principal neuron organization that resemble primate and human hippocampal formation and patterns of calcium-binding protein distribution that help to define subregional boundaries. Importantly, we present evidence for a clear prosubiculum in the bat brain that resembles primate prosubiculum. Based on the similarities between bat and human hippocampal formation anatomy, we suggest that Carollia has unique advantages for the study of brain aging and neurodegeneration. A captive colony of Carollia allows age tracking, diet and environment control, pharmacological manipulation, and access to behavioral, physiological, anatomical, and molecular evaluation.
Spectral study of oxide-shell in core-shell iron nanoclusters

The structural and magnetic properties of oxide passivated magnetic nanoclusters (NCs) have gained popularity and applications in various fields like data storage, spin valves, and recently in nuclear waste treatment [1-4]. In the present work, we consider an iron/iron-oxide (Fe/Fe-oxide) core/shell NC, which consists of Fe-core surrounded by Fe-oxide shell. An oxide passivation/alteration of the surface Fe-core represents the effective medium for transmission of exchange interaction and conduction electrons between the ferromagnetic metallic cores. It can easily alter the magnetic behavior of cluster depending on the chemical and lattice structure of the oxide-shell. Oxidation behavior of Fe-core is highly dependent on factors such as temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and time, in other words, the type of synthesis process primarily influences the overall oxide shell thickness. Also, irradiation has considerable influence on the oxide-shell of core-shell NCs. [5]
BIPAD: A web server for modeling bipartite sequence elements

Background Many dimeric protein complexes bind cooperatively to families of bipartite nucleic acid sequence elements, which consist of pairs of conserved half-site sequences separated by intervening distances that vary among individual sites.