cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interface co-synthesis techniques for embedded systems

Abstract: A key aspect of the synthesis of embedded systems is the automatic integration of system components. This entails the derivation of both the hardware and software interfaces that will bind these elements together and permit them to communicate correctly and efficiently. Without the automatic synthesis of these interfaces, designers are not able to fully simulate and evaluate their systems. Frequently, they are discouraged from exploring the design space of different hardware/software partitions because practical concerns mandate minimizing changes late in the design cycle, thus leading to more costly implementations than necessary. This paper presents a set of techniques that form the basis of a comprehensive solution to the synthesis of hardware/software interfaces. Software drivers and glue logic are generated to connect processors to peripheral devices, hardware co-processors, or communication interfaces while meeting bandwidth and performance requirements. We use as examples a set of devices that communicate over an infrared local communications network (highlighting a video wrist-watch display) to explain our techniques and the need for design space exploration tools for embedded systems.
Peanut Allergy in Children Relationships to Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Parental Stress

Peanut allergy prevalence appears to be increasing in the pediatric population and pediatricians need to be aware how it may affect children's psychological functioning. This study examined relationships between health-related quality of life, child anxiety, and parental stress in children with peanut allergy. A total of 51 families completed questionnaires regarding child anxiety, parenting stress, and quality of life. Child anxiety and parenting stress were found to significantly predict parent proxy report of their child's health-related quality of life. Child anxiety, parenting stress, length of diagnosis, and experiencing an epinephrine shot predicted self-report of health-related quality of life. Although many children with peanut allergy function well, a certain subset of children and families appear to experience high levels of parenting stress and high levels of child anxiety that can affect health-related quality of life and these children may require referrals for mental health treatment.
Family Members' Reports of Non-Staff Abuse in Michigan Nursing Homes

Recent research showed that mistreatment of nursing home residents by other residents may be highly prevalent. The present study examined the issue from family members' perspectives. The data came from the 2005 and 2007 random-digit dial telephone surveys of Michigan households with a family member in long-term care. Based on family members' reports, about 10% of nursing home residents aged 60 and over were abused by non-staff in nursing homes (e.g., other residents and visitors) during the past 12 months. Family members were more likely to report non-staff abuse when the nursing home residents were younger, were female, had behavior problems, and had greater level of physical functioning. Family members who reported staff abuse were four times more likely to also report non-staff abuse.
Regional brain response to visual food cues is a marker of satiety that predicts food choice

Background: Neuronal processes that underlie the subjective experience of satiety after a meal are not well defined. Objective: We investigated how satiety alters the perception of and neural response to visual food cues. Design: Normal-weight participants (10 men, 13 women) underwent 2 fMRI scans while viewing images of high-calorie food that was previously rated as incompatible with weight loss and “fattening” and low-calorie, “nonfattening” food. After a fasting fMRI scan, participants ate a standardized breakfast and underwent reimaging at a randomly assigned time 15‐300 min after breakfast to vary the degree of satiety. Measures of subjective appetite, food appeal, and ad libitum food intake (measured after the second fMRI scan) were correlated with activation by “fattening” (compared with “nonfattening”) food cues in a priori regions of interest. Results: Greater hunger correlated with higher appeal ratings of “fattening” (r = 0.46, P = 0.03) but not “nonfattening” (r = 20.20, P = 0.37) foods. Fasting amygdalar activation was negatively associated with fullness (left: r = 20.52; right: r = 20.58; both P # 0.01), whereas postbreakfast fullness was positively correlated with activation in the dorsal striatum (right: r = 0.44; left: r = 0.45; both P , 0.05). After breakfast, participants with greater activation in 4 regions—medial orbital frontal cortex (r = 0.49, P , 0.05), left amygdala (r = 0.49, P , 0.05), left insula (r = 0.47, P , 0.05), and nucleus accumbens (right: r = 0.57, P , 0.01; left: r = 0.43, P , 0.05)—chose buffet foods with higher fat content. Conclusions: Postmeal satiety is shown in regional brain activation by images of high-calorie foods. Regions including the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum may alter perception of, and reduce motivation to consume, energy-rich foods, ultimately driving food choice. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01631045. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.042341.
Lipid-Laden Macrophages in Tracheal Aspirates of Newborn Infants Receiving Intravenous Lipid Infusions: A Cytologic Study

Seventy-four neonates with respiratory distress syndrome had cytologic study of tracheal aspirates. Thirteen, all of whom were receiving intravenous lipid and nothing orally had abundant macrophages with foamy cytoplasm, positive for intracytoplasmic lipid by Sudan black stain, in the tracheal aspiration specimens. Cytologic surveillance of tracheal aspiration specimens may be a useful method of monitoring infants receiving intravenous lipid infusions.
Homonymy versus unity of form: the particle -a in Swahili

In this paper, the particle -A in Swahili will be examined in detail. This particle is often described as a "possessive" morpheme although it is used to convey a wide variety of messages, of which "possession" is but one type. Past analyses account for the variety of messages by proposing that -A has two distinct functions, one which is adjectival and one which is possessive. The concern of this paper is to determine whether such an analysis is justified. That is, can the variety of messages expressed by -A be accounted for without appealing to differences in -A, i.e. adjectival versus possessive. homonyms? Differences in the message will be shown to be direct-~y related to differences in the context in which -A is used. Therefore, by extracting differences which are determined by context, it becomes possible to see that -A is in fact a unitary form. Additional evidence that -A is best characterized as a single semantic unity, found by comparing -A with other elements in the language which appear to express similar messages, will also be discussed.
Postpyloric stimuli are necessary for the normal control of meal size in real feeding and sham feeding rats

When 0.8 M sucrose is sham fed, intake increases progressively on consecutive tests and then plateaus. Interspersing two real feeding tests between sham feeding tests prevents this increase in sham intake [J. D. Davis and G. P. Smith. Am. J. Physiol. 259 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 28): R1228-R1235, 1990]. This is consistent with an acquired control of ingestion based on an association between an oropharyngeal conditioned stimulus (CS) and a postingestional unconditioned stimulus (UCS). To determine if this postingestional UCS has a gastric or postgastric origin (or a combined one), we confined ingested 0.8 M sucrose to the stomach on real feeding and sham feeding tests by closing the pylorus with an inflatable Silastic cuff. Rats were tested on seven sham feeding tests separated by two real feeding tests and then on six consecutive sham feeding tests. In contrast to our previous results [Davis and Smith. Am. J. Physiol. 259 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 28): R1228-R1235, 1990], intake increased progressively on the real feeding and both types of sham feeding tests. We conclude that both gastric and postgastric stimuli act as a UCS for the acquired control of meal size.
The Board of Directors and Financial Interests

The article discusses the results of a study pertaining to the dominance of financial interest representation on the boards of directors of nonfinancial corporations. The inside-outside composition...
Neural Correlates of Antidepressant Treatment Response in Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder.

Abstract Objective: The neural changes underlying response to antidepressant treatment in adolescents are unknown. Identification of neural change correlates of treatment response could (1) aid in understanding mechanisms of depression and its treatment and (2) serve as target biomarkers for future research. Method: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined changes in brain activation and functional connectivity in 13 unmedicated adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and after receiving treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication for 8 weeks. Specifically, we examined brain activation during a negative emotion task and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), focusing on the amygdala to capture networks relevant to negative emotion. We conducted whole-brain analyses to identify how symptom improvement was related to change in brain activation during a negative emotion task or amygdala RSFC. Results: After treatment, clinical improvement was asso...
A primer on coding and reimbursement for gastrointestinal endoscopy.

The implementation of a payment system based on a resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) in 1992 radically changed the scheme of physician reimbursement. This article reviews the development of RBRVS and explains how relative value units translate into approved payment amounts. The process by which a procedure is assigned a Physicians’ Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code and a relative value is examined, and many of the changes in gastrointestinal endoscopy codes for 1994 are described. Code modifiers are explained, and specific examples are provided to illustrate coding for multiple and unrelated procedures.
Java Computational Platform

Java is both a programming language and a computing platform which runs Java code. This book uses both. But the Java programming language is not necessary for the approach adopted in this book, since the Java platform allows the usage of scripting languages such as Jython/Python, Groovy, Ruby/JRuby, BeanShell, and others.
Post-settlement ecological changes in the forests of the Great Lakes National Parks

National parks of the United States seek to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the United States, yet parks in the eastern and Midwestern United States were established after periods of human settlement and disturbance. In the Great Lakes region, fire and windfall originally dominated as disturbance agents, driving dynamics in prairies, savannas, and in many forested ecosystems. However, fire suppression over the last century has radically lengthened fire return intervals. Additionally, widespread logging, slash burning, mining, and agricultural settlement successively shifted the dominant forms of land use, greatly altering these forests. From 2008 to 2014, the National Park Service's Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Program surveyed vegetation in nine Great Lakes National Parks. We compared these surveys with data derived from the mid- to late-1800s Public Land Survey (PLS) to assess shifts in forest composition. Community composition has changed dramatically since the mid-19th century. Preferred timber species (e.g., Pinus strobus and Tsuga canadensis) and fire-adapted species (e.g., Quercus macrocarpa and Pinus banksiana) have declined across the region, while aspen (Populus spp.) and/or maple (Acer spp.) have consistently increased. Ordinations reveal both these general trends and substantial divergence in composition within particular parks since the PLS. Past logging practices and mesification following fire suppression account for most general trends across the region, while local differences in edaphic conditions, ungulate herbivory, and disturbance regimes account for many park-to-park differences. Understanding how these factors, alone and in combination, have affected forests in these parks provides both a picture of regional forest dynamics and tools that improve our ability to manage these parks. Continuing to monitor forest vegetation in these parks will allow us to test our understanding of forest dynamics and to use these parks as the “land laboratories” that Leopold envisioned.
Behavioral Medicine: Nutrition, Medication Management, and Exercise

Behavioral medicine is the interdisciplinary approach dedicated to the (1) study of the biopsychosocial interactions between behavior, psychosocial, and biomedical science knowledge, (2) development of techniques relevant to the understanding of health and illness, and (3) application of this knowledge and techniques to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of chronic health conditions and/or injuries (Handbook of Behavioral Medicine: Methods and Applications: Steptoe, 2010). These evidence-based practice methods are focused on improving the well-being of individuals, families, communities, and populations. Topics and health issues relevant to behavioral medicine may include health maintenance behaviors (e.g., exercise/physical activity and nutrition) and adherence to medical regimens (e.g., medication management) for conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), pain, diabetes, obesity, cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and respiratory disease, to name just a few. For the purpose of this brief chapter, we focus on the importance of nutrition, medication management, and physical activity (PA) as they all are behaviors that play a key role in the treatment and prevention of a range of adverse health outcomes relevant to overall health, rehabilitation, and recovery.
Sclerosing mesenteritis: a systematic review of 192 cases

Sclerosing mesenteritis includes a spectrum of inflammatory disorders involving the adipose tissue of the bowel mesentery. To perform a systematic review of previously reported cases of sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) to determine the epidemiology, risk factors, methods of diagnosis, treatment patterns and outcomes for this disease. Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane database were searched using keywords mesenteric panniculitis, retractile mesenteritis, mesenteric lipodystrophy and sclerosing mesenteritis. Data was collated into a single excel database, transferred into SPSS (Version 21.0) and analyzed. Patients diagnosed with SM were between ages of 3 and 88 with a mean age of 55 ± 19.2 years. SM was more common in Caucasians (n = 28, 60.8% of those reporting ethnicity) and men (n = 133, 69.3%) with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. 28.6% (n = 55) of patients reported a prior abdominal surgery or abdominal trauma, 8.9% (n = 17) had a history of malignancy, and 5.7% (n = 11) of autoimmune disease. 85.4% (n = 164) underwent surgical abdominal exploration (open or laparoscopic); 41.7% (n = 80) had surgery with resection of the involved bowel and mesentery. 34.9% (n = 67) of patients received medical treatment with the majority of them receiving steroids (n = 56, 83.5%). Symptom duration of more than a month (66.7% vs 40.4%, p < 0.05), underlying autoimmune disorder (14.3% vs 4.0%, p < 0.05) or low protein (14.3% vs 4.0%, p < 0.05) at presentation were seen more frequently in those with poor treatment response whereas patients with tender abdomen (45.0% vs 19.0%, p < 0.05) or leukocytosis (20.5% vs 0.0%, p < 0.05) at presentation were likely to have good response to therapy. The most common complications included bowel obstruction/ileus/ischemia (n = 10, 23.8%) and obstructive uropathy/renal failure (n = 10, 23.8%). There were a total of 14 deaths, 12 (85.7%) of which were secondary to SM related complications. SM is a poorly understood chronic inflammatory disease. Our study is the first systematic review of the published cases of SM. Future work is required to better understand this disease and its optimal therapy.
Validation of the NIH Toolbox in Individuals with Neurologic Disorders

Objective Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and stroke experience a variety of neurologically related deficits across multiple domains of function. The NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIHTB) examines motor, sensation, cognition, and emotional functioning. The purpose of this paper is to establish the validity of the NIHTB in individuals with neurologic conditions. Methods Community-dwelling individuals with SCI (n = 209), TBI (n = 184), or stroke (n = 211) completed the NIHTB. Relative risks for impaired performance were examined relative to a matched control groups. Results The largest group differences were observed on the Motor domain and for the Fluid Cognition measures. All groups were at increased risk for motor impairment relative to normative standards and matched controls. Fluid cognitive abilities varied across groups such that individuals with stroke and TBI performed more poorly than individuals with SCI; increased relative risks for impaired fluid cognition were seen for individuals in the stroke and TBI groups, but not for those in the SCI group. All three neurologic groups performed normally on most measures in the Sensation Battery, although TBI participants evidenced increased risk for impaired odor identification and the stroke group showed more vision difficulties. On the Emotion Battery, participants in all three groups showed comparably poor psychological well-being, social satisfaction, and self-efficacy, whereas the TBI group also evidenced slightly increased negative affect. Conclusions Data provide support for the validity of the NIHTB in individuals with neurologic conditions.
Endowing Structures with a Nociceptive Sense Enabled by a Graphene-Oxide Sensing Skin

In this work we use bio-inspired strategies to move towards a low bandwidth, robust, asynchronous structural health monitoring approach which mimics biological nociceptive sense. A novel sensing skin is developed with graphene-oxide capacitive sensors which act as structural damage receptors.
Damping properties of coatings at elevated temperatures

Abstract The research reported upon in this paper is an evaluation of the complex modulus (both storage and lose modulus) of a TBC thin coating, 8% stabilized yttrium stabilized zirconium (8YSZ). The specimen incorporated is supported in a free-free fashion and placed in a vacuum chamber surrounded by 200 W halogen lamps that allow for an isothermal temperature up to 482 °C. The use of a free-free support and the vacuum chamber enclosure is meant to remove external agents which may inject overall effects on the loading dynamic properties. The dynamic excitation was developed with a series of permanent magnets placed strategically, creating a magnetic field developed with up to 7500 mA (7500 milli amps) current. In order to separate the combined effect of the base material (a titanium beam) from the coating, a method incorporating finite elements was carried out. A strain energy ratio (SER) was used equal to the amount of elastic energy stored in the coating over that stored in the metallic beam. The results led to the dynamic moduli. In order to determine these dynamic coefficients, a vibration ring down technique was incorporated requiring time to reach a steady state. A low value for the loss factor of about 0.02 exists that is applicable across all strain levels, temperatures, and amplitudes. The strain dependency can be approximated using a lower boundary form: η c = 0.00621 ln( e 11 ) + 0.021 ; e 11 in micro strain. In addition, it was found that 8YSZ is a strain softening material. The material is strongly nonlinear with room temperature values obtained close to those of previous work but varying in strain amount and amplitude of excitation. It has a storage modulus value of 30–35 GPa like other references. Similar to previous studies, much variation in results across specimens occurs despite good repeatability. This is due to the variation in the application of the coating.
Preoperative Optimization and Enhanced Recovery Protocols in Ventral Hernia Repair

Large or complex ventral hernias remain a challenging endeavor with potential for high rates of morbidity. In an effort to maximize outcomes, pre- and perioperative management strategies have been developed to reduce wound and other patient complications, in addition to reducing hernia recurrence. While technical factors for ventral hernia repair (VHR) such as surgical technique and mesh selection are modifiable factors during the operation itself, optimizing the patient prior to surgery and immediately following VHR can provide substantial benefit to the patient with the ultimate goal of providing a safe and durable hernia repair.
Multimodal fluorescence molecular imaging for in vivo characterization of skin cancer using endogenous and exogenous fluorophores

Similarity of skin cancer with many benign skin pathologies requires reliable methods to detect and differentiate the different types of these lesions. Previous studies have explored the use of disparate optical techniques to identify and estimate the invasive nature of melanoma and basal cell carcinoma with varying outcomes. Here, we used a concerted approach that provides complementary information for rapid screening and characterization of tumors, focusing on squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. Assessment of in vivo autofluorescence lifetime (FLT) imaging of endogenous fluorophores that are excitable at longer wavelengths (480 nm) than conventional NADH and FAD revealed a decrease in the short FLT component for SCC compared to normal skin, with mean values of 0.57 ± 0.026 ?? ns and 0.61 ± 0.021 ?? ns , respectively ( p = 0.004 ). Subsequent systemic administration of a near-infrared fluorescent molecular probe in SCC bearing mice, followed by the implementation of image processing methods on data acquired from two-dimensional and three-dimensional fluorescence molecular imaging, allowed us to estimate the tumor volume and depth, as well as quantify the fluorescent probe in the tumor. The result suggests the involvement of lipofuscin-like lipopigments and riboflavin in SCC metabolism and serves as a model for staging SCC.
SSEP’s and More

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are commonly used in the OR for a variety of spinal and intracranial procedures. Findings that are consistent with ischemia and injury can easily be mimicked by the effect of anesthetics as well as physiologic changes, both of which are controlled by the anesthesiologist. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the basic concepts of these modalities is essential.
Training Student Workers for Cross-Departmental Success in an Academic Library: A New Model

Many academic libraries rely on a student workforce for everyday operations, interacting with patrons, and assistance with larger projects. Training these students for such multifaceted and custome...
Causal Cosine and Sine Response

We are all familiar with the sine/cosine system response, especially looking at it from steady state points of view. But the causal sine/cosine response is another story! What the steady state sine/cosine response is missing is the transient part of the solution. But this is not a problem for the causal sine/cosine response; not only do they reproduce the transient solution, they also produce the steady state solution for a net result of capturing the whole solution! Again we start with the transfer function of the system, multiply by either \(\omega _0/(s^2 + \omega _0^2)\) (for sine) or \(s/(s^2+\omega _0^2)\) (for cosine, and where ω0 is the angular frequency of sine/cosine input), then do inverse transform to get the solution in the time domain. Typically multiplying the transfer function by the Laplace transform of the sine/cosine will reproduce the transfer function but with a spike around ω0, and this is discussed in the chapter. Once the response is known in the frequency domain we can find the inverse transform analytically or by numerical integration. We illustrate the causal sine/cosine response on various RLC circuits and study along the way some of the interesting observations about these circuits. Another advantage of knowing the causal sine/cosine response is that we can use them to figure the response to any other causal periodic function simply by using the Fourier series! Keep in mind here we would be using the causal Fourier series, since our basis functions are causal to start with.
Contemporary circulating enterovirus D68 strains show differential viral entry and replication in human neuronal cells

Historically, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has primarily been associated with respiratory illnesses. However, in the summers of 2014 and 2016 EV-D68 outbreaks coincided with a spike in polio-like acute flaccid myelitis/paralysis (AFM/AFP) cases. This raised concerns that the EV-D68 virus could be the causative agent of AFM during these recent outbreaks. To assess the neurotropic capacity of EV-D68, we explored the use of the neuroblastoma-derived neuronal cell line, SH-SY5Y, as a tissue culture model to determine if differential infection permissibility is observed for different EV-D68 strains. In contrast to HeLa and A549 cells, which support viral infection of all EV-D68 strains tested, SH-SY5Y cells only supported infection by a subset of contemporary EV-D68 strains, including members from the 2014 outbreak. Viral replication and infectivity in SH-SY5Y was assessed using four different assays - infectious virus production, cytopathic effects, cellular ATP release, and VP1 capsid protein production - with similar results. Similar differential neurotropism was also observed in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, primary human neuron cultures, and a mouse paralysis model. Using the SH-SY5Y cell culture model, we determined that barriers to viral entry was at least partly responsible for the differential infectivity phenotype, since transfection of genomic RNA into SH-SY5Y generated virions for all EV-D68 isolates, but only a single round of replication was observed from strains which could not directly infect SH-SY5Y. In addition to supporting virus replication and other functional studies, this cell culture model may help confirm epidemiological associations between EV-D68 strains and AFM and allow for the rapid identification of emerging neurotropic strains.
THE DOGGED PATH TO ACCEPTANCE OF BORON AS A NUTRITIONALLY IMPORTANT MINERAL ELEMENT

In 1923, Warington described signs of boron deficiency for several species of leguminous plants. This was followed by a report in 1926 by Sommer and Lipman showing that boron was essential for the completion of the life cycle of a number of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These findings probably stimulated several early eminent nutrition scientists to make attempts to show that boron was essential for higher animals; these attempts failed (Follis, 1947; Hove et al., 1939; Orent-Keiles, 1941; Skinner and McHargue, 1945; Teresi et al., 1944). Thus, by 1950, the dogma had developed that boron was a unique element in that it was essential for plants but not for animals; a dogma so ingrained in nutrition that it has taken almost 20 years to overcome it. A happening in 1980 probably can be considered the seminal point in the long and vexatious path to boron being accepted as nutritionally important in higher animals including humans. After examining some growing chickens in an arsenic experiment being conducted by a graduate student, Eric Uthus, in my laboratory, I asked a quite pointed question that was preceded by a statement phrased something like: “Eric, your control chickens have abnormal looking legs and they are not growing well. Could you have left something out of the diet?” This led to the disclosure that he had made changes in the diet in an attempt to make it lower in arsenic; the changes were the
Staghorn Calculi: Controversies in Management

Staghorn calculi may be defined as urinary stones occupying the renal pelvis and one or more infundibulae, with or without extension into the calyces. Partial staghorn calculi are those stones occupying one or two infundibulae, and complete staghorn calculi are those stones that totally fill the intrarenal collecting system. Variations of this definition also exist in that a seemingly large single stone may consist of multiple smaller ones. At times, the infundibula and calyces can be filled and the central renal pelvis will, paradoxically, be stone-free. These large stones can be of various compositions; they can occupy relatively-normal intrarenal collecting systems or be found in markedly dilated and distorted systems. Their presence may be associated with much intrarenal scarring, urinary tract infections, and will often have a related metabolic disorder associated with their formation. If untreated, these stones will usually result in attrition of renal function secondary to chronic obstruction and/or infection.
A Triboelectrically Charged Granular Filter with High Filtration Efficiency

An electrostatically charged packed bed granular filter was studied. The bed media consisted of two different insulating materials: standard polystyrene beads with diameters of 100 to 500 μm and modified (low density) polystyrene beads with diameters of 100 to 200 μm. These two materials became charged to opposite polarities by triboelectrification when shaken together. Aerosol penetration through the two-component electrostatically charged filter was two orders of magnitude smaller than the penetration through single-component filters consisting of either of the two materials. Filtration efficiency as high as 99.9% was observed for 0.742 μm PLS aerosol (99% for ambient indoor aerosol) through a 0.5 cm deep filter bed which had a pressure drop of 1.3 cm of water at 10 cm/s face velocity. The pressure drop across the two-component filter was lower than that across either single-component filter. Loading the filters with ambient indoor aerosol over a period of several hundred hours gradually neutralized the charge on the granular media; however, the bed media could be cleaned with ethanol and reused with nearly the same filtration efficiency as a fresh filter.
Assessment of Left Atrial Function by Echocardiography: Novel Insights

To review the current status of measuring left atrial functions with echocardiography and the ability of atrial functional analysis to predict cardiovascular outcomes. An increasing body of data suggests that left atrium (LA) function assessed with echocardiography provides incremental prognostic information in general and referral populations, and in patients with atrial fibrillation, stroke, heart failure, and ischemic and valvular heart disease. In addition to volumetric analysis and spectral and tissue Doppler, deformational (strain and strain rate) imaging has most recently been used to assess LA reservoir, conduit, and booster pump functions and predict cardiovascular events. Studies of LA function provide new insights into the contribution of LA performance to cardiovascular disease and are promising tools for predicting cardiovascular events in healthy subjects and patients with heart disease. However, robust clinical outcome data from large prospective outcome trials are needed to confirm the incremental predictive ability of these LA functional measures before they are widely accepted.
Flow of Information in Feed-Forward Denoising Neural Networks

Due to inaccuracies in data acquisition, time series data often suffer from noise and instability which leads to inaccurate data mining results. The ability to handle noisy time series data is thus critical in many data-driven real-time applications. Using the locality feature of time series, feed-forward deep neural networks has been effectively used for time series denoising. In this paper, in order to understand the underling behavior of denoising neural networks, we use an information theoretic approach to study the flow of information and to determine how the entropy of information changes between consecutive layers. We develop analytical bounds for multi-layer feed-forward deep neural networks deployed in time series denoising. Numerical experiments support our theoretical conclusions.
Perspectives for Characterizing Drug Component of Theranostic Products Containing Nanomaterials

Drug products containing engineered nanomaterials provide unique therapeutic opportunities. However, because this field of research and development is rapidly changing, nanomaterial drug products present multiple regulatory challenges. This book chapter summarizes the evolving field of nanotheranostics by exploring the crucial factors that require a multidisciplinary strategy to reach drug safety and efficacy. This includes a brief overview of the United States Pharmacopeia, which recommends standards for drug products and coordinates efforts with the US Food and Drug Administration to ensure the quality of nanomaterial drug products. Lastly, with the safety of human health as a clear target, this chapter reviews manufacturing and analytical considerations that allow for constancy and control of novel drug products.
Correction to: Demography, Migration and the Economy at a Regional Level: Recent Evidence from Catalonia

The article Demography, Migration and the Economy at a Regional Level: Recent Evidence from Catalonia, written by Corrado Bonifazi and Massimiliano Crisci, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 14 November 2012 without open access.
On the dispersion of contaminants released far upwind of a cubical building for different turbulent inflows

Abstract The effect of turbulent inflows on the transport of contaminants around a cubical building model is investigated using large-eddy simulation with the dynamic subgrid-scale eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity models for the subgrid stress and scalar flux, respectively. Two different turbulent inflows, i.e. the synthetic turbulent inflow and the fully developed turbulent inflow, are examined in the simulations. The same concentration field is applied at the inlet for both velocity inflows. Two cases with and without the building are simulated for each inflow to examine the building effect on the dispersion of contaminants. While the simulated velocity fields from the two inflows are similar with each other upwind of the building, the concentration fields exhibit significant variations with the contaminants from the fully developed turbulent inflow case being distributed across a wider region and having significantly lower concentration compared with the synthetic turbulent inflow case. In the wake of the building the two velocity inflows result in insignificant differences among the two computed velocity fields but are shown to have a profound effect on the resulting concentration fields both in so far as mean values and statistics are concerned. The different building effects on the contaminant dispersion are caused by the different concentration fields approaching the building as a result of the different velocity inflows applied at the inlet. This work demonstrates the importance of applying proper velocity inflows at the inlet for simulating the contaminant transport in urban environments.
The role of microglial inflammasome activation in pyroptotic cell death following penetrating traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury remains a significant cause of death and disability in the USA. Currently, there are no effective therapies to mitigate disability except for surgical interventions necessitating a need for continued research into uncovering novel therapeutic targets. In a recent study, we used a rodent model of penetrating traumatic brain injury known as penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI) to examine the role of innate immunity in post-traumatic secondary injury mechanisms. We previously reported that the inflammasome, a multiprotein complex composed of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing card and caspase-1, plays a role in secondary cell death mechanisms after PBBI, including inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis). In the current study, we used flow cytometry analysis to evaluate activated microglia and CD11b-positive leukocytes after PBBI and assessed inflammasome activation and pyroptosis of specific cellular populations. Sprague-Dawley male rats underwent PBBI or sham-operated procedures and ipsilateral cortical regions processed for flow cytometry and cellular analysis. Flow cytometry results were compared using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons. At 48 h following PBBI, there was an increase in activated microglia and infiltrating leukocytes compared to sham controls that were associated with increased caspase-1 activity. Using a florescent probe to identify caspase-1 activity and a fluorescent assay to determine cell viability, evidence for pyroptosis in CD11b+ cells was also determined. Finally, while post-traumatic treatment with an anti-ASC antibody had no effect on the number of activated microglia and infiltrating leukocytes, antibody treatment decreased caspase-1 activity in both resident microglia and infiltrating leukocytes and reduced pyroptotic CD11b+ cell death. These results provide evidence for inflammasome activation in microglia and infiltrating leukocytes after penetrating traumatic brain injury and a role for pyroptotic cell death in the pathophysiology. In addition to inhibiting neuronal cell death, therapeutic treatments targeting inflammasome activation may also provide beneficial effects by reducing the potentially detrimental consequences of activated microglia and infiltrating CD11b+ leukocytes following penetrating traumatic brain injury.
Glycated Hemoglobin Differences Among Blog-Reading Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Compared With Those Who Do Not Read Blogs: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Of the estimated 23.1 million individuals diagnosed with diabetes, approximately 5% have type 1 diabetes (T1D). It has been proposed that this number will triple by 2050. With increases in technology use and resources available, many individuals are using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to help manage their T1D. They are also using online resources such as social media to find more information and advice based on real-life experiences from peers. Blogs are a particular social media modality often used by people with T1D but have not been widely investigated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) differences between blog readers and blog nonusers in a population of adults with T1D. This study also looked at differences in technology use in these two groups, as well as HbA1c differences in blog use and technology subgroups. Methods: Participants were recruited both by mail and by online T1D-themed blog postings. Respondents completed a secure online eligibility assessment and were asked questions related to their T1D, blog and internet use, and insulin pump and CGM use. Demographics were also collected. Differences between blog readers and blog nonusers were tested via chi-square and t tests. Mann-Whitney U tests, Fisher exact tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to test for differences in self-reported HbA1c between groups and subgroups. Results: A total of 282 eligible participants completed the survey (214 blog readers, 68 blog nonusers). Average duration of diabetes was 21.2 years, 77.7% (219/282) were female, 81.2% (229/282) used an insulin pump, 66.3% (187/282) used a CGM, and 95.7% (270/282) were white. HbA1c was lower for blog readers (7.0%) than blog nonusers (7.5%), P=.006; for insulin pump users (7.0%) than multiple daily injections (7.7%), P=.001; and for CGM users (7.0%) than CGM nonusers (7.5%), P=.001. After adjusting for significant covariates, the association between blog use and HbA1c remained significant (P=.04). ANOVA modeling also demonstrated significant differences in HbA1c between blog users and nonusers among subgroups by pump use and CGM use (P<.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that reading blogs is associated with lower HbA1c values. While association does not prove causation, blog readers have the benefit of learning information from peers and having 24/7 access to a community of individuals with similar daily life struggles, where they are able to ask questions and seek advice.
The U.S. Needs Conglomerate Merger Legislation

Today the largest U.S. company in terms of market capitalization, Apple, which recently hit the $1 trillion mark, could lawfully merge with the second largest company, Amazon (which has ~$800 billion in market capitalization) and also with other incredibly large firms (e.g., Exxon/Mobil and JP MorganChase), so long as they spun off any significant overlaps. In fact, under current antitrust law, it would theoretically be permissible for a series of mergers to leave the U.S. with at most ten corporations, each owning 10 percent of every industry. Sandeep Vaheesan and I are drafting and proposing legislation that would block these extremely large mergers. The bill we’re constructing would block all mergers by companies larger than clearly specified—but quite large—limits. For example, any firm with more than $10 billion in assets could be prohibited from merging with any other company also exceeding this threshold. We believe that legislation requiring this limitation would have a number of benefits, with virtually no risk of downside consequences for society.
The digital divide and K-12 student computer use

The divide between those who have computer and Internet access and those who do not appears to be narrowing, however overall statistics may be misleading. Measures of computer availability in schools often include cases where computers are only available for administration or are available only on a very limited basis (Gootman, 2004). Access to a computer and the Internet outside of school helps to reinforce student learning and emphasize the importance of using technology. Recent U.S. statistics indicate that ethnic background and other demographic characteristics still have substantial impact on the availability and use of computers by students outside of the classroom. This paper examines recent census data to determine the impact of the household on student computer use outside of the classroom. Encouragingly, the findings of this study suggest that use of a computer at school substantially increases the chance that a student will use a computer outside of class. Additionally, this study suggests that computer use outside of the classroom is positively and significantly impacted by being in a household with adults who either use a computer at work or work in an industry where computers are extensively used.
Cultural gatekeeping in cosmetic surgery: Transnational beauty ideals in multicultural Malaysia

Abstract This article examines the role of cosmetic surgeons as cosmopolitan intermediaries in transnational flows of beauty ideals. Based on semi-structured interviews with 25 Malaysian cosmetic surgeons and patients, ethnographic observation of surgeon-patient interactions, and observation of plastic surgery professional meetings in Asia, I argue that cosmetic surgeons exhibit aesthetic agency in acting as both medical and cultural gatekeepers to desired physical appearances. Malaysian cosmetic surgeons selectively facilitate the spread of beauty ideals as they construct “looks” for their patients to meet local tastes. These include looks that cosmetic surgeons call “Asian,” “Indian,” “Western,” and “Korean.” Malaysian cosmetic surgeons act as tastemakers by, for instance, drawing a symbolic boundary between unnatural “Caucasian” and natural “Asian” beauty ideals. They also engage in translation work to render beauty ideals concrete. Their ability to incorporate knowledge of patients’ physical and cultural constraints into their looks is a competitive advantage in a transnational industry. The assertion of a pan-ethnic Asian beauty ideal aligns Malaysian cosmetic surgeons with Asian rather than Western cultural and medical trajectories. Examining the beauty industry in transnational context sheds light on regional power dynamics and emerging identities.
Structural Aspects of the Dehydration and Dehydroxylation of gamma-Titanium Phosphate, gamma-Ti(PO(4))(H(2)PO(4)).2H(2)O.

The thermal transformations of γ-titanium phosphate, γ-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4)·2H2O, have been studied using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and temperature-resolved in-situ powder diffraction. The transformation sequence goes from γ-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4)·2H2O over a new partially dehydrated form γ‘-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4)·(2−x)H2O (x ∼ 1) to the anhydrous form β-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4) and then through a two-step condensation process where layered titanium pyrophosphate, Ti(PO4)(H2P2O7)0.5, is formed first and finally cubic titanium pyrophosphate TiP2O7. The dehydration of γ-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4)·2H2O and the dehydroxylation/condensation process from β-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4) to layered titanium pyrophosphate,Ti(PO4)(H2P2O7)0.5, was followed in-situ. A new partially dehydrated phase, γ‘-Ti(PO4)(H2PO4)·(2−x)H2O (x ∼ 1), which forms at approximately 50 °C has been detected and characterized. The unit cell is monoclinic with the lattice parameters a = 23.670(1) A, b = 6.264(1) A, c = 5.036(1) A, β = ...
Bucking the system: Mitigating psychiatric patient rule breaking for a safer milieu

This article examines patients' understandings of rule breaking in the hospital setting. This work is important to inpatient psychiatric nursing because considering patients' perspectives about their own rule breaking can help nurses provide more therapeutic and safer patient care. The study finds that rule breaking behaviors are often a manifestation of patient resistance to institutionalization and loss of power. These behaviors are also related to nursing practice, as patients closely observe staff and look for gaps in the system to get away with or circumvent the rules. These findings suggest rule breaking behaviors can be reduced not by trying to further curtail the patient's autonomy but, rather, by changing the rules and/or how they are administered by staff to accommodate patients' perspectives and needs for freedom. Also, nurses must be clear in communicating with patients about the rationale for rules, and be consistent in how they enforce them.
Towards Industrial Security Through Real-time Analytics

Industrial control system (ICS) denotes a system consisting of actuators, control stations, and network that manages processes and functions in an industrial setting. The ICS community faces two major problems to keep pace with the broader trends of Industry 4.0: (1) a data rich, information poor (DRIP) syndrome, and (2) risk of financial and safety harms due to security breaches. In this paper, we propose a private cloud in the loop ICS architecture for real-time analytics that can bridge the gap between low data utilization and security hardening.
Letter: The Petrov Type of the Five-Dimensional Myers-Perry Metric

We point out that the Myers-Perry metric in five dimensions is algebraically special. It has Petrov type 22, which is the Petrov type of the five-dimensional Schwarzschild metric.
Queer Talkback on Time

This chapter has two purposes. First, it provides historical accounts of the events of 2010’s from the perspective of ‘queer history’. Three case studies: Gezi Park protests of 2013, Pride ban of 2016, and Indefinite ban of LGBT events of 2017 are the central historical concerns of this work. Such historicizing is vital because it disrupts the normative historiographies that actively erases LGBT voices and concerns. Second, it analyzes how queer discourses talked about time and temporality, what it means for agency and futurity.