cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing the potential for conflicting selection on floral chemical traits by pollinators and herbivores: predictions and case study

Summary 1. There are myriad ways in which pollinators and herbivores can interact via the evolutionary and behavioural responses of their host plants. 2. Given that both herbivores and pollinators consume and are dependent upon plant-derived nutrients and secondary metabolites, and utilize plant signals, plant chemistry should be one of the major factors mediating these interactions. 3. Here we build upon a conceptual framework for understanding plant-mediated interactions of pollinators and herbivores. We focus on plant chemistry, in particular plant volatiles and aim to unify hypotheses for plant defence and pollination. We make predictions for the evolutionary outcomes of these interactions by hypothesizing that conflicting selection pressures from herbivores and pollinators arise from the constraints imposed by plant chemistry. 4. We further hypothesize that plants could avoid conflicts between pollinator attraction and herbivore defence through tissue-specific regulation of pollinator reward chemistry, as well as herbivore-induced changes in flower chemistry and morphology. 5. Finally, we test aspects of our predictions in a case study using a wild tomato species, Solanum peruvianum, to illustrate the diversity of tissue-specific and herbivore-induced differences in plant chemistry that could influence herbivore and pollinator behaviour, and plant fitness.
Structured Teacher Ratings to Identify Students in Need of Academic Assistance Validation of the Brief Academic Competence Evaluation Screening System

The Brief Academic Competence Evaluation Screening System (BACESS) is a multiphase universal screening measure designed to assist educators in the identification of students who are likely to experience learning difficulties in elementary school. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the measure for this purpose. The BACESS was used in 25 elementary classrooms in Wisconsin, and the entire sample included 285 students. The phases of the BACESS were each found to be highly reliable for their respective numbers of items. Internal structure evidence indicated that the phases functioned well together. The BACESS was found to share good concurrent validity with achievement test proficiency, approaching .70 on Bayesian conditional probability analysis. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis supported the use of the BACESS, incorporating different cutoff rules in different academic environments. Feedback via an evaluation survey indicated teacher opinion that the information gained from u...
Pattern Formation by Spatially Organized Approximate Majority Reactions

Pattern formation is a topic of great interest in biology and nanotechnology. In this paper we investigate a system of spatially-organized reactions inspired by a well-known distributed algorithm for approximate majority voting, and demonstrate that this system can lead to pattern formation from a randomly initialized starting state. We also show that the approximate majority reaction scheme can preserve an existing pattern in the face of noise, and that exerting control over reaction rates can influence the generated pattern. This work has potential applications in the rational design of pattern-forming systems in DNA nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
X-ray determination and finite-element modeling of stress in passivated Al-0.5%Cu lines during thermal cycling.

We have measured the principal strain state of Al-0.5%Cu lines passivated with silicon nitride directly and used it to calculate the stress state. The stress was determined as the lines were thermally cycled from room temperature to 450°C. The general stress-temperature behavior shows good fundamental agreement with that calculated using finite-element methods, although the magnitude of the stresses measured with x-rays is less than that predicted by modeling due to stress-induced voiding in the lines. This is shown with a high voltage scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) operated in the backscattering mode.
Adaptive Autopilot Designs for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

*† ‡ This paper summarizes the application of two adaptive approaches to autopilot design, and presents an evaluation and comparison of the two approaches in simulation for an unmanned aerial vehicle. One approach employs two-stage dynamic inversion and the other employs feedback dynamic inversions based on a command augmentation system. Both are augmented with neural network based adaptive elements. The approaches permit adaptation to both parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics, and incorporate a method that permits adaptation during periods of control saturation. Simulation results for an FQM117B radio controlled miniature aerial vehicle are presented to illustrate the performance of the neural network based adaptation. Nomenclature an = normal acceleration (an = -az) ax, ay, az = acceleration along the body x, y, and z-axis, respectively Ixx, Iyy, Izz = moment of inertia in x, y, and z-axis, respectively p, q, r = rotational rate along the body x, y, and z-axis, respectively δe,δa,δr = elevator, aileron, and rudder control deflections, respectively ∆ = modeling error ν = pseudo-control
“Vicissitude and Woe”: The Theatrical Misadventures of John Banvard

John Banvard was one of the more colorful and eccentric entrepreneurs of the nineteenth century American popular theatre. The hero of a Horatio Alger “rags to riches” story, he garnered honors, wealth, and fame on the strength of the enormous success of his massive panorama, now lost, of the Mississippi River. In the 1860s, his reputation as an artist secure, he dreamed of establishing a theatre and museum that would not only reflect the emerging cultural consciousness of the American urban population, but turn a neat profit as well.
The Surprising Resilience of State Opposition to Abortion: The Supreme Court, Federalism, and the Role of Intense Minorities in the U.S. Politics System

INTRODUCTION In 1973, in Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court found a right in the U.S. Constitution for a pregnant woman, in consultation with her doctor, to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. In the forty plus years since the decision, the Court has repeatedly upheld that basic right. In this period over 53 million legal abortions have been performed in the United States. In 2011, the most recent year for which reliable and complete data are available, the Guttmacher Institute reports 1.06 million legal abortions were performed in the United States. Yet, despite forty years of this constitutional right, and its use by tens of millions of women, opposition remains. Indeed, legislative opposition is growing. The Guttmacher Institute reports that more abortion restrictions were enacted in just the years 2011–2013 than in the entire previous decade. From Texas to the Dakotas and from Arkansas and Arizona to Idaho, legislation has been enacted creating obstacles to women seeking abortion, including prohibiting abortion after fewer weeks of pregnancy. Why is it that state
Procalcitonin to guide antibiotic therapy for gram-negative bacilli infections in newborn infants

OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of procalcitonin(PCT)in guiding the antibiotic therapy for gram-negative bacilli infections in neonates so as to reduce the infection rate.METHODS From Jan to Dec,2012,totally 129neonates were selected and randomly divided into the test 1group with 44cases,the test 2group with 35cases,and the control group with 50cases,then the treatment efficacy and the prognosis were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The time of use of antibiotics and the NICU stay were shorter in the test 1 group and the test 2group than in the control group,while the dosage of antibiotics and the total cost of NICU stay were less in the test 1group and the test 2group than in the contrl group.As compared with the control group,the exacerbation rates and the incidence rates of the multidrug-resistant bacteria infections of the test 1 group and the test 2group were 6.82%and 22.86%,11.36%and 14.29%,significantly lowre thah 30.00%and 28.00% of the control group,the difference was significant(P0.05).CONCLUSION The PCT measurement value as 0.25ng/ml can be used as an indicator for the use of antibiotics,which can cut the drug treatment course and the total amount of antibiotic treatment,reduce the bacterial drug resistant,shorten the hospitalization duration,and lighten the burden on the patients.
Origin and control of gastrointestinal motility.

The whole organ, cellular, and electrical bases of intestinal motility are reviewed. The origin and control of both fasted and fed states are dissected and modeled. Control mechanisms of motility also are addressed, in particular the role of the extrinsic neural system, the intrinsic myenteric plexus, and the importance of local myogenic factors. Understanding normal motility at such a level is critical in understanding the pathophysiology brought on by disease, and is the scientific basis of our approach to both medical and surgical treatment.
An American's perspective of Hungarian health care.

As U.S. health care affordability becomes a major issue, the author looks at the national health care system in Hungary. The statistics of Hungary's health care system are daunting: it is free, but not without cost to the patient. The system is being expanded and improved.
Emerson: Facing the Ignoble World

In a Journal entry for 6 October 1836, a month after Nature was published, Emerson wryly records: ‘Transcendentalism means says our accomplished Mrs B., with a wave of her hand, a little beyond.’1 It is a view shared by Williams when he criticises Emerson for rising superior ‘into a world of thought’ (SE 155). However, this, as indeed Williams recognises, is hardly a full account of Transcendentalism and it is, I will argue, the focus on the world at hand which gives American Transcendentalism its unique identity. The emphasis on the need to express a truthful reconciliation between spirit and matter, Reason and Understanding, motivates this ‘school’ to engage mundane subjects as Emerson would be distracted by ‘puss’ in his crisis essay ‘Experience’ or Thoreau would be fascinated by a piece of rotten wood in The Maine Woods or that a ‘spear of summer grass’ would become what one critic terms a ‘constitutive metaphor’ for Whitman’s epic Leaves of Grass.2
Structure and Life Cycle of Tropical Cyclones

The hurricane has three stages in its life cycle. In the genesis stage, a relatively disorganized array of clouds and squalls is associated with a wave perturbation in the easterly flow. The mature stage consists of a strong rotational circulation with a large axisymmetric component and clouds which are well organized about a center of low pressure. In the decaying stage, the circulation weakens, expands in size and becomes asymmetric about the center. We discuss the properties of the mature stage first. Then we can concentrate on the physical processes that lead to development of the mature structure during the formation stage. Finally, we describe the decaying stage of the hurricane.
Refusing curriculum as a space of death for Black female subjects: A Black feminist reparative reading of Jamaica Kincaid's “Girl”

The currents of elitism surging through curriculum studies in the United States have long been of chief concern to critical scholars in the field. Elements of this elitism running along racialized,...
Recommendations for Castration and Dehorning of Cattle

Pain associated with routine husbandry procedures such as dehorning and castration is increasingly being scrutinized by the public. The results of a survey of AABP and AVC members suggest that surgical castration with a scalpel followed by emasculator (>200 lb or 90 kg) or twisting ( <200 lb or 90 kg) is the most common castration method used by practitioners in the United States. Risk of injury to the operator, calf size, handling facilities, and experience were the most important considerations in selecting a castration method. Non-surgical castration is perceived to cause more adverse events than surgical castration. One in five veterinarians currently report using anesthesia or analgesia at the time of castration. Ninety percent of veterinarians vaccinate and dehorn at the time of castration. The Barnes dehorning tool appears to be the most common method of dehorning used in the US. Results of studies that use plasma cortisol or weight gain to determine the optimal timing and method of castration and use of analgesia are often equivocal or conflicting. The preliminary findings of a study using electroencephalography to examine the effect of age at the time of castration on brainwave activity show a more prominent shift toward high-frequency, low-amplitude brain activity in older calves compared with six-week-old calves. Meloxicam tablets administered orally at 0.45 mg/lb (1 mg/kg) may provide a convenient and cost-effective means of providing analgesia in cattle. A mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of3.10 ug/mL (Range: 2.64- 3.79 ug/mL) was recorded at 11.64 hours (Range: 10 - 12 hours) with a half-life (T ½ Az) of 27.54 hours (Range: 19.97 - 43.29 hours) after oral meloxicam administration. In recent studies we found that meloxicam administered prior to dehorning at 0.23 mg/lb (0.5 mg/kg) IV significantly increased average daily weight gain in calves after dehorning. A second study found that calves receiving oral meloxicam 24 hours prior to surgical castration tended to have a lower incidence of bovine respiratory disease.
Habitual sleep and human plasma metabolomics

Sleep plays an important role in cardiometabolic health. The sleep-wake cycle is partially driven by the endogenous circadian clock, which governs a range of metabolic pathways. The association between sleep and cardiometabolic health may be mediated by alterations of the human metabolome. To better understand the biological mechanism underlying the association between sleep and health, we examined human plasma metabolites in relation to sleep duration and sleep timing. Using an untargeted approach, 329 fasting plasma metabolites were measured in 277 Chinese participants. We measured sleep timing (midpoint between bedtime and wake up time) using repeated time-use surveys (4 weeks during 1 year) and previous night sleep duration from questionnaires completed before sample donation. We found 64 metabolites that were associated with sleep timing with a false discovery rate of 0.2 or lower, after adjusting for potential confounders. Notably, we found that later sleep timing was associated with higher levels of multiple metabolites in amino acid metabolism, including branched chain amino acids and their gamma-glutamyl dipeptides. We also found widespread associations between sleep timing and numerous metabolites in lipid metabolism, including bile acids, carnitines and fatty acids. In contrast, previous night sleep duration was not associated with plasma metabolites in our study. Sleep timing was associated with a large number of metabolites across a variety of biochemical pathways. Some metabolite associations are consistent with a relationship between late chronotype and adverse effects on cardiometabolic health.
The speciation of water in sea water and in gelatinous marine animals

Abstract Raman spectra provide important information on the speciation of water in sea water, and its relationship to temperature, pressure, and salinity. These spectra reveal two primary water bands: a bending mode doublet peak at 1640 cm −1 , and a dominant water stretching mode band with Raman shifts in the 2900–3800 cm −1 region. Early laboratory work revealed the presence of an ‘isosbestic point’ within the water spectra, which is consistent with a two component structure. Ocean scientists working with aircraft based pulsed time gated laser systems used the temperature dependence of the two component water structure observed within the water stretching band to determine upper ocean temperature profiles. We find that our results are consistent with the Walrafen water pentamer as the primary structure in rapid exchange with H 2 O monomers, and we have deconvoluted the stretching band into 5 peaks. From laboratory pressure cell data very clear trends in water structure with temperature, pressure, and to a lesser degree salinity can be observed, and a plot of the natural log of the water peak amplitudes versus the inverse of the absolute temperature permits estimation of the strength of the hydrogen bond. While there is no definitive way to distinguish between a fully “intact” and a fully “broken” hydrogen bond and the hydrogen bonded water structures are evanescent, our observations are consistent with ΔH = 2.48 kcal/mol. From our compiled expeditionary data (primarily from Monterey Bay, California) from ~ 280 m to 2740 m depth we find strong compensation of the opposing temperature and pressure effects such that the observed water peaks show a remarkable consistency throughout the deep water column. In situ Raman observations of the gelatinous mass (mesoglea) of many deep-sea animals show that liquid water there is absent, and essentially all salts are excluded. Within the mesoglea the water bending modes are eliminated and the O H stretching modes are composed of only 3 bands.
Equivalent representation of machine winding in frequency domain model for fast transient studies

Winding models based on transmission line theory are commonly used to predict the transient voltage distribution along machine coils. During a fast transient, the highest overvoltages and dielectric stresses usually appear on the first coil. Therefore, most computer models available consider only one coil and approximate the remaining of the winding by means of a constant lumped element. In this paper, a nonuniform transmission line model is used to predict the voltage distribution along machine windings. Electrical parameters of the model are computed using finite element method (FEM). Three strategies to represent the rest of the winding after the first coil as a function of frequency are proposed: Kron reduction, equivalent Pi circuit, and chain matrix. The results show that these strategies do not involve any loss of accuracy when compared to the behavior of the complete winding, which is not the case of the approximation by a constant lumped parameter.
Smart grid electricity system planning and climate disruptions: A review of climate and energy discourse post-Superstorm Sandy

Abstract Superstorm Sandy hit the northeastern United States in October 2012, knocking out power to 10 million people and highlighting energy and critical infrastructure system vulnerabilities in the face of a changing climate. The increased frequency and intensity of such disruptive events is shifting priorities in electricity system planning around the world, including how multiple stakeholders consider linkages between climate vulnerability and energy. This research links smart grid development with adaptation to changing climates and explores how different stakeholders grapple with system vulnerabilities and climate disruptions. To illustrate this, the in-depth case study assesses post-Sandy discourse to compare how electricity sector stakeholder groups in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont associate energy, smart grid, and climate change. To explore how different energy system stakeholders frame the impacts of Superstorm Sandy on energy system planning, we conducted 22 focus groups with a broad range of organizations representing diverse aspects of the electricity system including utilities, regulatory authorities, research and development agencies, regional transmission organizations, academic research institutions, consumer advocacy and environmental organizations across the three states. We used these data to examine post-Sandy discourse about climate mitigation and climate adaptation, routine system management, and the potential value of “smart grid” for future energy system planning. We found that both New York and Massachusetts stakeholders focused more on climate adaptation than climate mitigation, while stakeholders in Vermont focused more on mitigation. In all three states stakeholder discussions of adaptation focused most heavily on system resilience and reliability, whereas discussions of mitigation focused on demand-side management and demand response followed by alternative energy strategies. These results suggest that extreme weather and climate disruptions will differentially shape discourse around smart grid and energy system change and shift the focus among energy system stakeholders on climate adaptation compared to climate mitigation. This research demonstrates variation between political jurisdictions (states) and energy system stakeholders in energy system planning in the face of new challenges related to an uncertain and rapidly changing world.
A Meaningful Life is a Healthy Life: A Conceptual Model Linking Meaning and Meaning Salience to Health:

Accumulating evidence suggests that a global sense of meaning in life is related to physical health, including increased longevity and reduced morbidity. However, the mechanisms responsible for the...
Courtly Ceremonies and a Cultural Urban Geography of Power in the Habsburg Spanish Empire

This chapter traces colonial developments in concepts like “city-theater” and “theater-state” in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spanish baroque, examining how the highly theatrical displays produced representational equivalents for the monarch’s body in South American cities. Ceremonies for the king’s proclamation and his royal funeral were important political moments of truth for the renewal of loyalties and obedience to the distant monarch. Yet these kingly ceremonies did not always follow one script emanating from Madrid. This chapter examines the impact of local contingencies (weather and geography, but also size, social makeup, and distance of the court) in shaping local political cultures centered on the Spanish king’s body in various cities of this vast empire, and their role in the creation of an imperial urban geography of power.
Scene reconstruction via coherency imaging

We implement numerical back-propagation of the experimentally obtained spatial complex coherence function to estimate both the axial and transverse positions of 1D objects. The measurement of the coherence function of partially coherent light is performed using dynamical double slits implemented via digital micromirror device.
Building immigrant engagement practice in urban planning: The case of Somali refugees in the Twin Cities

As the number of resettled refugees arriving in North American and European cities has grown in the 21st century, urban planners have largely failed to adapt their practice in ways that would allow...
Barriers to Creativity and Creative Attitudes

Two interacting concepts that influence both general and highly specialized types of creativity are removing or minimizing barriers to creativity and fostering the growth of creative attitudes . Barriers are blocks, internal or external, that either inhibit creative thinking and inspiration or else prevent innovative ideas from being accepted and implemented. Most barriers result from learning. They may originate with one's family, peers, community, or educational environment, or from others in the culture or business organizations. Creative attitudes are tied intimately to a creative personality. Creative attitudes include traits that predispose one to think creatively and be creatively productive. The contrast between creative and uncreative people lies more in barriers and uncreative attitudes than in differences in intelligence or thinking styles.
Association of Metformin Treatment with Reduced Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Purpose. To evaluate effects of long-term metformin on the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in high-risk type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients. Methods. A retrospective chart review study was conducted involving 335 DR patients with T2D ≥ 15 years from 1990 to 2013. The severity of DR was determined by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scale. The associations between metformin and DR severity were evaluated. Comparison with stratification for the use of sulfonylurea and insulin was performed to identify possible confounding effects. Results. Severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (SNPDR/PDR) was more often diagnosed in nonmetformin users (67/142, 47%) versus metformin users (48/193, 25%) ( ), regardless of gender and race of the patients. The odds ratio of metformin associated with SNPDR/PDR was 0.37 in all cases ( ), 0.35 in sulfonylurea use cohort ( ), 0.45 in nonsulfonylurea use cohorts ( ), and 0.42 in insulin use cohort ( ). Insulin users had a higher rate of SNPDR/PDR. Metformin had no influence on the occurrence of clinical significant diabetic macular edema. Conclusions. Long-term use of metformin is independently associated with a significant lower rate of SNPDR/PDR in patients with type 2 diabetes ≥ 15 years.
The Impact of Passenger Mix on Load Factors in the Airline Industry

We explore how the dramatic increase in the share of leisure travel has changed aircraft utilization in the U.S. airline industry. We argue that the growth in leisure travel—which is due to increases in household income and to airline deregulation—has been responsible for an increase in airlines’ load factors. Because of data limitations, we use cross-sectional variation in the mix of passenger types to identify the effect of passenger mix on load factors. We find that routes that have a greater share of leisure travelers also have higher load factors. We use this evidence to argue that the growth of leisure travel since airline deregulation is an important driver of aircraft utilization and other characteristics of the U.S. airline industry.
Prevention of Childhood Mental Disorders: A Literature Review Reflecting Hope and a Vision for the Future

Mental illness takes its emotional and financial toll on the 7.5 million children presently inflicted with a mental disorder in the United States, their families, and society as a whole. Resources and a vision for preventive research has been limited, but the tide appears to be turning. The following paper reviews the literature on prevention and resiliency related to children's mental disorders and outlines some of the recent recommendations from The Institute of Medicine (1994) in regards to the urgency of their proposed agenda for preventive intervention research in the area of child and adolescent mental disorders. Recommendations and implications for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners are considered.
Hydrogen peroxide affects specific epithelial subpopulations in cultured rabbit lenses.

Purpose. To investigate the effect of hydrogen peroxide on the epithelial cells of cultured rabbits lenses. Methods. Lenses were cultured in minimum essential medium containing a single dose of 0.03, 0.1, or 0.2 mM H 2 O 2 . Three hours later the medium was replaced with peroxide-free minimum essential medium. Lenses were also treated with 0.5 mlM 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1 nitrosourea (BCNU) to lower the activity of glutathione reductase and then exposed to 0.03 mM H 2 O 2 maintained nearly constant by glucose oxidase. After H 2 O 2 treatment, lenses were fixed and whole mounts of the epithelium were prepared or lenses were processed for electron microscopy. Results. Cells exposed to a single dose of 0.03 mM H 2 O 2 appeared normal; 0.1 mM H 2 O 2 was not cytotoxic. Exposure to 0.2 mM H 2 O 2 elicited swelling in cells in the pre-equatorial region (30 minutes) followed by the formation of islands of cells in the pre-equatorial region at 1 hour. Central epithelial cells appeared normal at 1 hour, were swollen at 3 hours and dead at 24 hours. By 48 hours, dead cells were found in the pre-equatorial and central regions. Cells in the peripheral region of the epithelium did not exhibit cytotoxicity. If lenses were pretreated with BCNU and then challenged with a maintained level of 0.03 mM H 2 O 2 , cytotoxicity was induced in the central and pre-equatorial regions. Cells in the peripheral region survived BCNU-H 2 O 2 treatment. Conclusions. Cells in the peripheral region of cultured lenses were more resistance to H 2 O 2 cytotoxicity than cells in the central and pre-equatorial regions. The antioxidant defense or repair systems for H 2 O 2 -induced damage do not appear to be uniformly distributed in subpopulations of the lens epithelium
Analysis and pharmacokinetics of cyclopiazonic acid in market weight pigs.

The pharmacokinetic behavior of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was determined in market weight pigs using a competitive indirect ELISA developed for the determination of the mycotoxin in various biological matrices. Sample preparation for corn and skeletal muscle was achieved with a single extraction and recoveries of 53+/-6% over the effective range of the standard curve. The detection limit of CPA was 1 ppb in plasma, which required no extraction, and 20 ppb in corn and skeletal muscle with average intra- and interassay CV of 11 and 23%, respectively. Levels of CPA contamination in corn grown and stored in Michigan were unremarkable compared with published toxicity thresholds; the highest level of CPA found in any sample was 47 ppb. In pigs given a 20-mg i.v. bolus, CPA distributed rapidly among three compartments, with an overall volume of distribution (49 L) nearly equivalent to total body water. Cyclopiazonic acid was eliminated with a half-life of 24 h. Estimates of these pharmacokinetic parameters were supported by the achievement of steady-state plasma CPA levels within 6 d in pigs consuming a diet containing 10 ppm CPA, and by measured concentrations of CPA in plasma (410+/-44 ng/mL) and skeletal muscle (469+/-86 ng/ g). From these and other data, we concluded that the threat of CPA toxicity to livestock from consumption of cereal grains or to humans from consumption of animal products is minimal.
Evidence-based intraoperative microbreak activities for reducing musculoskeletal injuries in the operating room.

BACKGROUND Neuromusculoskeletal pain and fatigue have been self-reported by over 70% surgeons who perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS). These problems can become impairments impacting surgical performance, patient outcomes, and career longevity. Human factors engineering has identified microbreaks coupled with activities as a viable strategy to counteract known physical, cognitive, and environmental stressors as well as mitigate neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) problems for workers in office and manufacturing domains. OBJECTIVE Develop a novel set of intraoperative surgical microbreaks activities tailored for MIS surgeons to mitigate surgery-induced neuromusculoskeletal fatigue and pain. METHODS Using NSM problems identified by practitioners and literature, a clinician determined causes and solutions and ranked them based on literature and clinical expertise. Solutions were incorporated into synchronized activities that addressed overarching goals and multiple tissues. RESULTS The resulting activities, translating contemporary science in clinical physical medicine and rehabilitation practice and tissue biomechanics, specifically address the overarching goals of: 1) posture correction; 2) normalization of tissue tension and soft tissue mobility/gliding; and 3) relaxation/stress reduction. CONCLUSION Surgeons can perform the activities in approximately one minute inside the sterile field. Movements encompassing multiple requirements and engaging multiple body segments are combined to provide an efficient and effective intervention to the target tissues.
What Money Can’t Buy: Face-to-Face Cooperation and Local Democratic Life

At bottom, what makes the golden passport wrong is that it undermines political equality, not that it puts closed communities in question, or shatters the separations between the spheres of justice. What remains priceless is the active face-to-face partaking and building of democratic institutions on the basis of principles of equality and solidarity: that is what money can’t buy.
Ageism and Health in Patients Undergoing Cosmetic Procedures.

Background Ageism is a common form of prejudice that negatively affects the health of older adults. Anti-aging procedures are increasingly popular among patients seeking aesthetic surgery and minimally invasive treatments. Objectives This study aimed to identify the prevalence of age-based discrimination, and its relationship to health, among patients seeking cosmetic procedures. Methods Patients from a university-based, single-surgeon, aesthetic plastic surgery clinic completed the Everyday Discrimination Scale, which assesses the frequency with which individuals have experienced "microaggressions" and the main reason(s) for discrimination (including age). Participants also completed: measures of perceived age discrimination across interpersonal, romantic, work, and healthcare contexts and anticipation of age-based discrimination in the future; a single-item measure of self-rated health (rated 1-5); and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results Fifty patients consented to participate in the study (94% women, 78% white, mean age 49.4 ± 13.5 years). More than 30% of participants reported age as the main reason for everyday discrimination. Participants who reported experiencing age-based discrimination, compared with those who did not, had worse self-rated health, lower self-esteem, and greater anticipated age-based discrimination. Participants most frequently endorsed experiencing age-based discrimination in an interpersonal context (36.0%) followed by work settings (20.0%). Conclusions A significant portion of patients seeking cosmetic procedures may experience age-based discrimination, which could negatively affect their health and well-being. Patients might benefit from expectation management about how their procedure may or may not address their concerns about age-based discrimination. More research is needed to determine whether cosmetic procedures help to mitigate discrimination in aging patients.
A Miniaturized Tree-Shaped Fractal Antenna Printed on a Flexible Substrate: A Lightweight and Low-Profile Candidate With a Small Footprint for Spaceborne and Wearable Applications

In this article, an inkjet-printed tree-shaped fractal antenna (FA) with a small metal footprint is presented along with its method of fabrication on a flexible substrate. The antenna includes a tree-shaped fractal part, a tapered matching line, and a coplanar waveguide (CPW) line with filleted grounds. The fractal tree is formed by repeating a scaled V-shaped unit cell in each iteration. As the fractal iterations of the antenna are increased, the resonance frequency of the antenna shifts in a large range of frequencies while its radiation properties, dimension, and metal footprint remain almost constant. Six different versions of the proposed FA were fabricated by an inkjet printer on a flexible substrate, and their characteristics were measured. Simulation and measurement results showed that a 16% increase in the antenna's metal footprint shifts the resonance frequency from 16.38 GHz to 5.08 GHz. The shift of 3.22 times of the resonance frequency after four iterations is 61% higher than the state of the art of tree-shaped FAs in the literature. The proposed FA provides a 1.36-GHz bandwidth (BW) and a torus-shaped far-field radiation pattern with a 92d half-power beamwidth (HPBW) in the azimuth direction at 5.08 GHz, whereas the wavelength-normalized metal footprint is 87% smaller than a rectangular patch antenna and at least 60% smaller than other similar FAs. The area of the proposed antenna is more than 3.54 times smaller than similar FAs in the literature. The proposed flexible FA weighs about 2.08 g, of which 1.54 g is the weight of its SMA coaxial connector. The antenna thickness is 130 mm. The lightweight construction and low profile of the miniaturized antenna make it a good candidate for spaceborne and wearable applications.
Size threshold for follow-up of postmenopausal adnexal cysts: 1 cm versus 3 cm.

To assess 3 cm size threshold for follow-up of simple cysts in postmenopausal women. Radiology information system was retrospectively queried for “US pelvis complete” over 8 years in women > 50 years, with keywords ovarian cyst, adnexal cyst, ovarian mass, cystic mass, cystic neoplasm, ovarian neoplasm, and ovarian mass. Premenopausal women were excluded. Cysts, were classified as ≤ 1 cm, 1–3 cm, 3–5 cm, and ≥ 7 cm. Largest cysts on each ovary was recorded. EMR and imaging archives were reviewed for assessing size, stability duration, and surgical records. Descriptive statistics and confidence interval were performed. 4388 patients met the initial search criteria. 919 cysts in 896 women (age: 50–91 years, mean: 61.5 years) were identified. We found 162 cysts ≤ 1 cm, 352 1–3 cm, 296 3–7 cm , and 51 ≥ 7 cm cysts. 127 patients with 1–3 cm cysts had no follow-up. Final analysis of 225 1–3 cm cysts included 203 ovarian and 22 paraovarian cysts (average size = 1.95 cm (1.1–3.0 cm)). 103 ovarian cysts had less than 2 years, and 100 cysts had more than 2 years follow-up. All except one ovarian cyst were stable for the entire duration of their follow-up (Mean duration of follow-up 5.4 years) (0.3%, 95% CI 0.0–0.05). 40 cysts resolved. One simple cyst increased in size (followed over 3.25 years) without suspicious imaging features and benign on surgery. 1–3 cm cysts represented the most common size range (> 40%) in postmenopausal women, majority of which are stable over follow-up with benign outcome. 3 cm size threshold is appropriate for simple cyst follow-up in postmenopausal women.
Blackfish and SeaWorld: A Case Study in the Framing of a Crisis:

This research focuses on the crisis that the documentary Blackfish precipitated at SeaWorld. The study begins with a brief account of the growth and evolution of SeaWorld and the financial and repu...
Ideate-Generate: Design Thinking and User Experience (UX) for Sustainable Impact on Global Product Development of Wearable Technologies in the Healthcare Industry

Recently user experience (UX) has become a critical component of product innovation. Research and development teams often use this data to help determine a product’s potential prior to going to market. As companies are increasingly becoming global, products and services must be developed to meet the needs of global users. Understanding how the country of origin impacts a specific user’s experience and their desires is important to new product development. This chapter examines how user experience impacts the development of new innovations globally. Additionally, we examine and address the following research questions. How do companies ideate and generate design thinking through UX for new product development worldwide? How does the UX data collected from user feedback of users around the world encourage ideas for new product development? How can companies redesign and redevelop products to meet new user needs, or generate raw ideas for designing new products designed based on UX?
Physical activity habit formation through a technology-based program.

Background Only about half of adults in the United States meet the minimum federal guidelines for physical activity (PA), with less than one quarter getting an optimal amount of weekly activity. Programs to increase PA can improve health and increase worker productivity. Local problem Clinic patients of a nurse practitioner-run employee health clinic in a self-insured health care system experienced health conditions associated with insufficient PA and wanted to form habits of adequate PA for health promotion. Methods A quantitative design was used to assess pre- and postintervention measures in this quality improve project. Interventions Patients of the clinic enrolled in a technology-based 3-month PA habit development program that included wearable technology, tracked step counts, daily text messaging, and weekly electronic newsletters. Biometric and habit measures were taken at baseline and at the conclusion of the 3-month program to determine effectiveness. Results Participants who completed the program developed strong habits of PA, on average. Small improvements in blood pressure, weight, and body mass index occurred but were not clinically significant. Two thirds of participants dropped out, which was fewer than anticipated based on prior reports. Conclusions Habits make an activity less difficult to continue than to stop. Thus, PA habits developed through this innovative intervention should persist and lead to decreased risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and dementia. The self-insured employer should reap the benefits of employee's PA through increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, and lower health care costs.
Integrated analysis of metabolomic profiling and exome data supplements sequence variant interpretation, classification, and diagnosis.

Abstract Purpose A primary barrier to improving exome sequencing diagnostic rates is the interpretation of variants of uncertain clinical significance. We aimed to determine the contribution of integrated untargeted metabolomics in the analysis of exome sequencing data by retrospective analysis of patients evaluated by both exome sequencing and untargeted metabolomics within the same clinical laboratory. Methods Exome sequencing and untargeted metabolomic data were collected and analyzed for 170 patients. Pathogenic variants, likely pathogenic variants, and variants of uncertain significance in genes associated with a biochemical phenotype were extracted. Metabolomic data were evaluated to determine if these variants resulted in biochemical abnormalities that could be used to support their interpretation using current American College of Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. Results Metabolomic data contributed to the interpretation of variants in 74 individuals (43.5%) over 73 different genes. The data allowed for the reclassification of 9 variants as likely benign, 15 variants as likely pathogenic, and 3 variants as pathogenic. Metabolomic data confirmed a clinical diagnosis in 21 cases, for a diagnostic rate of 12.3% in this population. Conclusion Untargeted metabolomics can serve as a useful adjunct to exome sequencing by providing valuable functional data that may not otherwise be clinically available, resulting in improved variant classification.
Flamelet chemistry model for efficient axisymmetric counterflow flame simulations with realistic nozzle geometries and gravitational body force

A flamelet model is applied to the simulation of axisymmetric counterflow laminar flames including gravitational acceleration and the geometrical details of main nozzles and annular shrouds. The fl...
MutaGAN: A Seq2seq GAN Framework to Predict Mutations of Evolving Protein Populations.

The ability to predict the evolution of a pathogen would significantly improve the ability to control, prevent, and treat disease. Despite significant progress in other problem spaces, deep learning has yet to contribute to the issue of predicting mutations of evolving populations. To address this gap, we developed a novel machine learning framework using generative adversarial networks (GANs) with recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to accurately predict genetic mutations and evolution of future biological populations. Using a generalized time-reversible phylogenetic model of protein evolution with bootstrapped maximum likelihood tree estimation, we trained a sequence-to-sequence generator within an adversarial framework, named MutaGAN, to generate complete protein sequences augmented with possible mutations of future virus populations. Influenza virus sequences were identified as an ideal test case for this deep learning framework because it is a significant human pathogen with new strains emerging annually and global surveillance efforts have generated a large amount of publicly available data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) Influenza Virus Resource (IVR). MutaGAN generated "child" sequences from a given "parent" protein sequence with a median Levenshtein distance of 2.00 amino acids. Additionally, the generator was able to augment the majority of parent proteins with at least one mutation identified within the global influenza virus population. These results demonstrate the power of the MutaGAN framework to aid in pathogen forecasting with implications for broad utility in evolutionary prediction for any protein population.
Anesthesia for Conjoined Twins-Basic Principles

Conjoined twinning is a rare and fascinating congenital abnormality which occurs when the bodies of monoamniotic twins join in utero. Surgery to separate conjoined twins may range from relatively simple to extremely complex, depending on the point of attachment and the internal parts that are shared. Most cases of separation are extremely risky and life-threatening. The successful perioperative management is highly dependent on a multidisciplinary team approach. It involves extensive medical work-up on patients, multiple meetings, rigorous planning, close cooperation, and coordination of all the involved specialties and supporting staff, psychosocial counselling of parents and rehearsal of planned surgical procedures. Their anesthesia management poses unique challenges due to their complex anatomical conjunctions, multiple congenital anomalies, and variable extent of cross circulation. The conduct of the anesthesia requires attention to safe airway management, intravascular access, color-coding, careful medication and intravascular volume management, temperature maintenance and positioning.
Outcomes between intensity-modulated radiation therapy versus 3D-conformal in early stage glottic cancer.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to evaluate practice patterns and outcomes between intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and 3D-conformal radiation (3D-CRT) in early stage glottic cancer. METHODS The linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database was used to identify and compare patient and disease profiles, mortality, and toxicity in patients with T1-2 larynx cancer undergoing definitive radiation (RT). RESULTS A total of 1520 patients underwent definitive radiation with 3D-CRT (n = 1309) or IMRT (n = 211). Non-white race, those with a Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2, T2 disease, and those treated at community practices were more likely to undergo IMRT. Rates of IMRT increased from 2006 to 2015, while relative rates of 3D-CRT decreased. Two-year CSS was superior with 3D-CRT (hazard ratio [HR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-0.65; p < 0.001). There was no difference in OS between 3D-CRT and IMRT (p = 0.119). CONCLUSIONS Patients receiving 3D-CRT had improved CSS compared to IMRT with no difference in OS.
Business Architecture for Change Program Design and Planning

It is an established practice of program and project management to plan based on product breakdown structures or rather to decompose the end product into individual deliverables. Following this common practice we consider how the key elements of our product (the changed business), described by the business architecture can and should be applied in designing and managing business change. In particular, we address the challenge of identifying and managing dependencies in large complex programs—something classical program management methodologies leave as an “exercise for the reader.” The approach employs key business architecture deliverables that define the target architecture as well as those documenting the current architecture. In applying key aspects of the business architecture, such as capabilities, in program planning we seek to ensure alignment in various aspects of change across the organization and its resources, including IT systems. Our approach is a synthesis of project/program management and architecture practices. The approach described is based on the experience of taking an architecture-driven approach to a major business change program (Sprott 2008).