cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement properties and cross-cultural equivalence of negotiation with outdoor recreation constraints: an exploratory study.

This study examined the measurement properties and cross-cultural equivalence of a constraints negotiation model in the context of outdoor recreation. A convenience sample of 263 U.S. and 537 Chine...
School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: A Snapshot of Implementation in Schools Serving Students With Significant Disabilities

Implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) in K–12 schools is well documented in the literature. However, far less documentation can be found in the literature related to its implementation with students with significant intellectual and other developmental disabilities being served in either typical or alternate school settings. The purpose of this study was to highlight features of implementation of SWPBIS in alternate educational settings serving students with significant disabilities. Special education administrators situated in alternate educational settings across one Midwestern state completed a questionnaire indicating level of implementation of various SWPBIS components. Results indicated that although most respondents were engaged in implementation of SWPBIS, overall implementation was fairly low. Limitations and implications of the study for implementing the components of SWPBIS with students with significant disabilities are discussed.
The Influence of Turbulent Fluctuations on the Radiation Intensity Emitted from the Core Region of Exhaust Plumes

Turbulent radiation statistics are reported for the core region of three subsonic exhaust plumes. Spectrally integrated radiation inte nsity measurements were acquired using an infrared camera fitted with a narrowband filter (4.34+/-0.1 µm). Unsteady two-dimensional simulations were used to predict time-resolved and average temperature and partial pressure values of the exhaust species in the flow. The radiation intensity along diametric paths was calculated using the scalar values and a narrowband radiation intensity solver. Mean intensity values typically within agreed within 25% or better when using average and time-resolved scalar values. This indicates that tu rbulent fluctuations have little effect on the radiation intensity emitted from the cores of jets. Fluctuations in the measured radiation intensity increased markedly beyond the plume core. This corresponded with an increase in the skewness and kurtosis of the radiation intensit y. These findings indicate that the size of the core of a heated jet might be estimated using turbulent radiation statistics.
Simultaneous structural and control system design for horizontal axis wind turbines

Wind energy is proving to be a promising energy source to complement conventional energy systems in meeting global energy demands, and is currently one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources. Modern wind turbines are large, flexible structures operating in uncertain environments. Power capture and economic value increase with turbine size, leading to steadily increased turbine size over the last three decades. Along with larger size comes intensified structural loads, presenting challenges in mechanical system design. One of these challenges is the dynamic deflection of structural components. These passive system dynamics interact with the active control of wind turbine energy generation. Because of this interaction, addressing the physical and control system design of these devices in a comprehensive manner is vital to ensuring maximum energy extraction, system reliability, and other critical metrics. A large portion of existing work has aimed to increase energy production through optimal control system design (through some combination of rotor speed and pitch control). This strategy treats physical system design as a fixed entity, overlooking potential gains. Further performance increases can be realized through a broader systems approach where physical and control system design are tackled simultaneously. This approach, known as co-design, can capitalize on the synergy that exists between passive system dynamics and active control to increase performance further. In this article a new method for wind turbine design is presented that produces system-optimal results by accounting for the coupling between plant system and control system design. A case study is presented that demonstrates significant performance improvements over conventional sequential design approaches.
Major theorems on compactness: a unified exposition

The purpose of this article is to present a unified approach to the following, seemingly unrelated, four major results on compactness: the Stone-Weierstrass Theorem, the Tychonoff Theorem, the Stone-Cech compactification (more generally, classification of all compactifications of Tychonoff spaces) and the TietzeUrysohn Extension Theorem. It originated from the authors' realization that typical proofs of these results encountered in textbooks (see [1] or [2]) are quite tricky even though they may be short, as in the case of the Stone-Weierstrass Theorem. At the same time, there are interconnections between those basic theorems: it is well known that the Tychonoff Theorem is a consequence of the properties of the Stone-Cech compactification (see [2]), but less well known that Stone-Cech compactification plus the Stone-Weierstrass Theorem imply the Tietze Extension Theorem (see [3] and our proof in this paper). This makes one wonder if we can prove (in a natural way) a single result which would imply the four theorems. This was precisely our goal when we started to collaborate during the Research Experience for Undergraduates Program at the University of Tennessee (Summer 1989). We think that our solution to the problem offers these essential benefits to students:
A Chain Reaction Process in Number Theory

(1967). A Chain Reaction Process in Number Theory. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 55-65.
Analysis of spinal alignment and pelvic parameters on upright radiographs: implications for acetabular development.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to correlate measures of sagittal spinopelvic alignment [lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT) and pelvic incidence (PI)] and measures of acetabular coverage [lateral center edge angle (LCEA) and Tonnis angle] in asymptomatic adolescents on standing biplanar radiographs. We hypothesized that subjects with increased pelvic incidence and LL would have increased anterior PT and increased measures of acetabular coverage. Upright anteroposterior and lateral spinopelvic radiographs were obtained using EOS imaging technique. LCEA and Tonnis angle were calculated on the anteroposterior images and the lateral images were analyzed for LL, PI, PT and SS. LL was found to have a strong correlation with SS (r s = 0.786, P < 0.001), moderate correlation with PI (r s = 0.529, P < 0.001), and a poor inverse correlation with PT (r s = -0.167, P = 0.018). However, LCEA was not found to be significantly correlated with PT (r s = 0.084, P = 0.238) and Tonnis angle was not found to be correlated with any of the sagittal spinopelvic measures. Healthy, asymptomatic adolescents with increased pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis did not have increased anterior PT or increased measures of acetabular coverage. The correlations identified in previous cadaveric studies or clinical studies evaluating changes between supine and standing radiographs are not supported in this healthy adolescent population. Our findings may suggest that an individual's acetabulum develops as a dynamic adaptation to one's particular sagittal spinopelvic alignment to optimize femoral head coverage. LEVEL III Diagnostic - Investigating a diagnostic test.
Effective Weight Loss for Children: A Meta-analysis of Intervention Studies 2002-2015.

Background Investigators have implemented a variety of strategies for managing and treating childhood overweight and obesity over the past decade, yet the high prevalence of childhood overweight or obesity remains. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of childhood overweight or obesity interventions addressing weight loss from 2002–September 2015. Methods The population focused on in this review were children who were overweight. The treatment group interventions focused on weight loss for overweight children, and included dietary, physical activity, life style changes, or a combination of treatments. Control groups received no treatment other than what they would usually receive in their normal daily lives including standard healthcare assessments. Outcomes for the studies were focused on whether the overweight children in the treatment groups lost weight. Results The criteria for the meta-analysis were met by 16 intervention studies, with a total of 19 outcomes reported within those studies. Two thousand, three hundred and seventeen participants ranged from 6 to 15 years of age with a mean age of 12 years or less. The majority of the 16 studies were conducted outside the United States (n = 13), with half reporting data on the cost of running the programming (n = 8) and were overwhelmingly conducted by interdisciplinary teams without nurses as members of the team (n = 13). The M effect was g = .732, p < .001 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.351 to 1.113, with quality scores ranging from 20 to 29 out of a possible 41. The heterogeneity analyses overall Q score was 378, an I-squared of 95, with a fail-safe N of 415. Linking Evidence to Action Diverse interventions included in this meta-analysis had a significant positive effect on weight loss in overweight children. Future research needs to focus on the role of the nurse in ensuring development and translation of the effective interventions in real world settings, at a scale that would move beyond small segments of the affected populations of overweight children.
An analysis on monitoring result of the blood concentration of neonatal tetanus treated with large dose diazepam

Objective: To analyse the monitoring result of the blood concentration of neonatal tetanus treated with large dose diazepam.Methods:13 neonates hospitalized from 2003 to 2008 were given the curative scheme mainly with large dose diazepam.Diazepam was administrated as follow: first 3~5 mg/(kg·d),once every 2～4 hours by nasal feeding,and then the dosage increased to 7.5~18 mg/(kg·d) once every 2~4 hours according to the condition of convulsion seizure,after convulsion seizure got better,the dosage decreased to 0.25～1 mg/kg once every 3~12 hours till the administration stopped.While diazepam was used in large dose,blood concentration was monitorred by high performance liquid chromatography in different times.Results: All 13 cases were cured.The range of blood concentration of diazepam was 279.2~6,493.5 ng/mL.The dosage of diazepam correlated with its blood concentration to some extent and the blood concentration from 1,000 to 3,000 ng/mL was the recommended range for treatment.Conclusions: In therapy of neonatal tetanus,the dosage of diazepam should be increased or decreased according to the monitoring result of blood concentration and clinical observation.
A shared neural ensemble links distinct contextual memories encoded close in time

Recent studies suggest that a shared neural ensemble may link distinct memories encoded close in time. According to the memory allocation hypothesis, learning triggers a temporary increase in neuronal excitability that biases the representation of a subsequent memory to the neuronal ensemble encoding the first memory, such that recall of one memory increases the likelihood of recalling the other memory. Here we show in mice that the overlap between the hippocampal CA1 ensembles activated by two distinct contexts acquired within a day is higher than when they are separated by a week. Several findings indicate that this overlap of neuronal ensembles links two contextual memories. First, fear paired with one context is transferred to a neutral context when the two contexts are acquired within a day but not across a week. Second, the first memory strengthens the second memory within a day but not across a week. Older mice, known to have lower CA1 excitability, do not show the overlap between ensembles, the transfer of fear between contexts, or the strengthening of the second memory. Finally, in aged mice, increasing cellular excitability and activating a common ensemble of CA1 neurons during two distinct context exposures rescued the deficit in linking memories. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that contextual memories encoded close in time are linked by directing storage into overlapping ensembles. Alteration of these processes by ageing could affect the temporal structure of memories, thus impairing efficient recall of related information.
Bcl-2, bcl-x, and bax expression in dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors.

Background: Bcl-2, bcl-x and bax are regulatory proteins which are variably expressed in brain tissue and are known to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis; bcl-2 and bcl-x inhibit apoptosis and bax generally promotes apoptosis. This study is a retrospective clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical review of 18 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs), specifically looking for evidence of aberrant expression of apoptosis regulatory proteins which may promote the survival ofone or more ofthe cellular constituents of the tumor. Materials and methods: Eighteen patients (11 males) with DNTs comprise the study group. Patients at the time of surgery ranged in age from 2.1 -52 years (mean 16.1 years). Mean seizure duration prior to surgery was 6.4 years (n = 16 patients). Sixteen patients were alive with markedly reduced or no seizures at a mean postsurgical follow-up interval of 63 months; 2 patients were lost to follow-up. Results: All tumors were characterized by an admixture of oligodendroglial cells, neurons and astrocytic cells, focally arranged against a microcystic background. Coexistent cortical dysplasia was noted in 14 evaluable cases. Mitotic figures were rarely noted in 2 tumors. MIB- 1 la-beling indices ranged from 0 - 0.6 (mean 0.2). Astrocytes which were part of the tumor stained with all three antibodies in all cases. The oligodendroglial-like cells of DNT stained positively for bcl-2 in 2/17 tumors, bcl-x in 10/17 tumors, and bax in 12/17 tumors. The neuronal cell component of the DNT stained positively with bcl-2 in 15/17 tumors, bcl-x in 5/17 tumors, and bax in 8/17 tumors. Conclusion: Aberrant expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, similar to what has been previously described in gangliogliomas (another epilepsy-related, dysplasia-associated tumor), may play a role in the pathogenesis of DNT.
Assessing the Role of Wing Spots in Intraspecific Communication in the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae L.) Using a Simple Device to Increase Butterfly Responses

Butterflies are regularly used as model systems for understanding the role of coloration in communication because of their highly variable and conspicuous phenotypes. Most research showing a role for color in communication has focused on aspects of brightness or hue of entire wings or large color patches. However, evidence is accumulating that butterflies sometimes use smaller wing pattern elements in communication. Here we provide evidence that both male and female cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae L.) discriminate among conspecifics on the basis of the number of small but conspicuous black wing spots of the dorsal forewing. Male butterflies were more interactive with model butterflies with two spots, which resemble female butterflies, than with model butterflies with only one spot, which resemble male butterflies. Female butterflies showed the opposite response, being more interactive with male-like (one-spot) models than with female-like (two-spot) models. Some of our experiments were conducted with an electronic device designed to create a realistic and controlled fluttering behavior of the models. We describe the design and function of this device and provide evidence that it increased butterfly responses compared to a non-fluttering model. This device could prove useful for others addressing questions of communication in butterflies or other flying insects.
Use of Buprenorphine in treatment of refractory depression-A review of current literature.

Abstract Objective Current treatment strategies for depressive disorders have limited efficacy, leaving many patients unimproved or with significant residual symptoms. The development of additional treatments represent a significant unmet need for providers. Several lines of evidence suggest that the opioid system may be involved in regulation of mood and incentives salience. Intervention based on modifying central opioid receptors may represent a novel approach to treatment of depressive disorders among those unresponsive to accepted treatments. Data sources We searched the English language literature using keywords: Buprenorphine AND Major Depression; Buprenorphine AND Bipolar Depression; Buprenorphine AND Affective Disorders. Results Use of low dose buprenorphine as augmentation of pharmacotherapy for depression has shown promise in several reported studies. Effect size of available randomized controlled studies is comparable if not greater than most accepted augmentation strategies. Conclusion Review of available literature on the use of buprenorphine in individuals with treatment resistant depression demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of depressive disorders. Further prospective randomized controlled trials should be undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of buprenorphine as an adjunct for depression refractory to current pharmacotherapies.
Regenerative Responses and Axon Pathfinding of Retinal Ganglion Cells in Chronically Injured Mice.

Purpose Enhanced regeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons can be achieved by modification of numerous neuronal-intrinsic factors. However, axon growth initiation and the pathfinding behavior of these axons after traumatic injury remain poorly understood outside of acute injury paradigms, despite the clinical relevance of more chronic settings. We therefore examined RGC axon regeneration following therapeutic delivery that is postponed until 2 months after optic nerve crush injury. Methods Optic nerve regeneration was induced by virally mediated (adeno-associated virus) ciliary neurotrophic factor (AAV-CNTF) administered either immediately or 56 days after optic nerve crush in wild-type or Bax knockout (KO) mice. Retinal ganglion nerve axon regeneration was assessed 21 and 56 days after viral injection. Immunohistochemical analysis of RGC injury signals and extrinsic factors in the optic nerve were also examined at 5 and 56 days post crush. Results In addition to sustained expression of injury response proteins in surviving RGCs, we observe axon regrowth in wild-type and apoptosis-deficient Bax KO mice following AAV-CNTF treatment. Fewer instances of aberrant axon growth are seen, at least in the area near the lesion site, in animals given treatment 56 days after crush injury compared to the animals given treatment immediately after injury. We also find evidence of long distance growth into a visual target in Bax KO mice despite postponed initiation of this regenerative program. Conclusions These studies provide evidence against an intrinsic critical period for RGC axon regeneration or degradation of injury signals. Regeneration results from Bax KO mice imply highly sustained regenerative capacity in RGCs, highlighting the importance of long-lasting neuroprotective strategies as well as of RGC axon guidance research in chronically injured animals.
The Texas Heart Institute: Part 1-An Historical Perspective.

In 1962, Dr Denton A. Cooley founded the Texas Heart Institute (THI), which he considered to be his greatest achievement. At the time, he was practicing at both St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital (SLEH) and Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and was already considered one of the most renowned cardiovascular surgeons in the world. In 1956, he and his team had performed the first open-heart operations in Houston, and by 1962, SLEH and TCH had the most active open-heart surgical program in the world. Nevertheless, they were still regarded as general hospitals. To establish these hospitals as premier sites for cardiovascular medicine, Dr Cooley wanted to create an affiliated institute focused on cardiovascular medicine research and education. It would have no patients of its own, but it would draw patients from around the world to SLEH/TCH for treatment. The idea of affiliating a specialty institute with 1 or more pre-existing hospitals had a strong precedent at Dr Cooley’s alma mater, Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore. From the beginning, the Institute’s mission has been to reduce the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative programs in treatment, education, and research. On July 13, 1962, at a joint meeting of the 2 hospital boards, Dr Cooley presented his proposal for the project, and the joint boards tentatively approved his plans. On August 3, 1962, the THI charter was officially registered in Austin, the state capital. Dr Cooley immediately began raising funds to build the Institute and finally reached his goal in 1966, after he learned that the Ray C. Fish Foundation, a relatively new charitable group, was seeking a worthy project. The foundation had been established on behalf of a man who had died of heart disease. Its director, Robert R. Herring, agreed to donate $5 …
Depression and Anxiety Among Emergency Department Patients: Utilization and Barriers to Care

Background Anxiety and depression rates among ED patients are substantially higher than in the general population. Additionally, those with mental health issues often have difficulty accessing care. Unfortunately, issues of anxiety and depression are frequently not addressed in the ED due to competing care priorities. This may lead to increased burden and overcrowding in EDs. Objective This study related anxiety and depression with ED utilization and perceived barriers to care. Methods In order to limit the impact of insurance coverage on ED utilization and access to care, a convenience sample of adults 45-85 years of age in the ED were surveyed. The GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were used to measure anxiety and depression. Results A total of 251 subjects were enrolled. Severe anxiety was observed in 10% of patients, while moderately severe or severe depression was observed in 12%. Patients who were both severely anxious and depressed visited the ED nearly twice as often as non-anxious and non-depressed patients. The majority of patients cited at least one moderate barrier to care, and greater anxiety and depression scores were related to greater perceived barriers to care. Perceived barriers to care were > 3 times higher among patients who were both anxious and depressed compared to in patients who were neither depressed nor anxious and twice as high as in those who were either depressed or anxious (p<.001). Conclusion Patients identified with internalizing mental health concerns utilize the ED at elevated rates while also reporting the greatest difficulties accessing care. These findings highlight the need for ED interventions aimed at identifying patient mental health concerns, as well as perceived barriers to care, in order to design interventions to effectively improve continuity of care. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effect of cancer vaccine formulation on synergy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-L1 checkpoint blockade therapy of cancer.

3094Background: A promising avenue to increase the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-(L)1 checkpoint blockade therapies is to enhance T cell induction through vaccination. Surprisingly, concurren...
Two-Stage Silver Sintering Process Improves Sheet Resistance, Film Uniformity, and Layering Properties via Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing

Abstract The evolution of rapid solution-based deposition and 3D printing has promoted the exploitation of a number of forces to produce micro- and nanoscale-printed conductive materials that can be used for electrical connections and device electrodes, among other things. Electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing affords the opportunity to create nano-scale features with heterogeneous inks that can integrate metallic, polymer, and biological components. Though the resistivity of these printed metallic forms has continued to improve and approaches bulk resistivity in many cases, the adaptability to print vertical layers by using these deposition methodologies is lacking. Through the use of a fabricated heated vacuum chuck e-jet printing system, a two-stage curing process has been developed wherein a vertical layering of silver is demonstrated, with resultant resistivity (5.238 ± 1.650 μΩ-cm) approaching that of bulk silver (1.59 μΩ-cm). Both these stages are required to reduce the resistivity to this point...
Barrios, ghettos, and residential racial composition: Examining the racial makeup of neighborhood profiles and their relationship to self-rated health.

Abstract Racial/ethnic disparities in self-rated health persist and according to the social determinants of health framework, may be partially explained by residential context. The relationship between neighborhood factors and self-rated health has been examined in isolation but a more holistic approach is needed to understand how these factors may cluster together and how these neighborhood typologies relate to health. To address this gap, we conducted a latent profile analysis using data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (CCAHS; N = 2969 respondents in 342 neighborhood clusters) to identify neighborhood profiles, examined differences in neighborhood characteristics among the identified typologies and tested their relationship to self-rated health. Results indicated four distinct classes of neighborhoods that vary significantly on most neighborhood-level social determinants of health and can be defined by racial/ethnic composition and class. Residents in Hispanic, majority black disadvantaged, and majority black non-poor neighborhoods all had significantly poorer self-rated health when compared to majority white neighborhoods. The difference between black non-poor and white neighborhoods in self-rated health was not significant when controlling for individual race/ethnicity. The results indicate that neighborhood factors do cluster by race and class of the neighborhood and that this clustering is related to poorer self-rated health.
Malignant Orbital Meningioma Originating from the Frontal Lobe

Purpose of the study Orbital meningiomas are typically benign tumors, most commonly originating from the dura of the sphenoid wing or the optic nerve sheath. Procedures We describe an unusual case of a malignant meningioma originating from the frontal lobe that ultimately produced orbital and distant metastases. Results and conclusions Orbital invasion by the meningioma was preceded by multiple incomplete resections, which may have facilitated access to the orbit. The present case serves to remind clinicians that surgical resection of aggressive, recurrent frontal lobe meningiomas may facilitate subsequent penetration of surrounding structures, particularly by tumors that demonstrate bone-destructive properties.
Monoclinic structures of niobium trisulfide

Two new polymorphs of niobium trisulfide are established by single crystal x-ray diffraction. NbS3-iv crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with lattice parameters a = 6.7515(5) A, b = 4.9736(4) A, c = 18.1315(13) A, and β = 90.116(2)°. Its structure is based on chains of [NbS6] trigonal prisms containing Nb–Nb pairs with a bond length of 3.0448(8) A; this pairing causes the chains to corrugate slightly along their axis, a feature also present in triclinic NbS3-i that leads to semiconductor properties. The stacking arrangement of chains is different in these polymorphs, however, with NbS3-i having an ABCDE repeating sequence of chain bilayers and NbS3-iv having an AB repeating sequence. HRTEM studies show the presence of topotactically-oriented intergrown zones and numerous dislocations, which result in mosaic structuring. A second new polymorph, NbS3-v, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/m with lattice parameters a = 4.950(5) A, b = 3.358(4) A, c = 9.079(10) A, β = 97.35(2)°. In co...
Light Regulates the RUBylation Levels of Individual Cullin Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

In plants, the small protein related to ubiquitin (RUB) modifies cullin (CUL) proteins in ubiquitin E3 ligases to allow for efficient transfer of ubiquitin to substrate proteins for degradation by the 26S proteasome. At the molecular level, the conjugation of RUB to individual CUL proteins is transient in nature, which aids in the stability of the cullins and adaptor proteins. Many changes in cellular processes occur within the plant upon exposure to light, including well-documented changes in the stability of individual proteins. However, overall activity of E3 ligases between dark- and light-grown seedlings has not been assessed in plants. In order to understand more about the activity of the protein degradation pathway, overall levels of RUB-modified CULs were measured in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings growing in different light conditions. We found that light influenced the global levels of RUBylation on CULs, but not uniformly. Blue light had little effect on both Cul1 and Cul3 RUBylation levels. However, red light directed the increase in Cul3 RUBylation levels, but not Cul1. This red-light regulation of Cul3 was at least partially dependent on the activation of the phytochrome B signaling pathway. The results indicate that the RUBylation levels on individual CULs change in response to different light conditions, which enable plants to fine-tune their growth and development to the various light environments.
Selective screening for atrial fibrillation using multivariable risk models

Objective Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke if untreated, and identifying those at higher risk is necessary for cost-effective screening for asymptomatic, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Age has been proposed to identify those at risk, but risk models may provide better discrimination. This study compares atrial fibrillation risk models with age for screening for atrial fibrillation. Methods Nine atrial fibrillation risk models were compared using the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (11 373 subjects , 60.0±5.7 years old). A new risk model (Screening for Asymptomatic Atrial Fibrillation Events—SAAFE) was created using data collected in the Monitoring Disparities in Chronic Conditions study (3790 subjects, 58.9±15.3 years old). The primary measure was the fraction of incident atrial fibrillation subjects who should receive treatment due to a high CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score identified when screening a fixed number equivalent to the age criterion. Secondary measures were the C statistic and net benefit. Results Five risk models were significantly better than age. Age identified 71 (61%) of the subjects at risk for stroke who subsequently developed atrial fibrillation, while the best risk model identified 96 (82%). The newly developed SAAFE model identified 95 (81%), primarily based on age, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. Conclusions Use of a risk model increases identification of subjects at risk for atrial fibrillation. One of the best performing models (SAAFE) does not require an ECG for its application, so that it could be used instead of age as a screening criterion without adding to the cost.
Notes on CTD/O2 Data Acquisition and Processing Using Sea-Bird Hardware and Software (as available).

The predecessors of today’s CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) instruments were introduced in the 1940s, with modern accurate instruments developed in the 1970s (Emery and Thomson, 1998). Accuracy standards for these instruments remain at the WOCE targets: 0.002°C (ITS-90) for temperature, 0.002 g kg (TEOS-10) for salinity, and 3 dbar for pressure. Here we discuss some aspects of acquisition, processing, and calibration of Sea-Bird Electronics Inc. (hereafter SBE) 9plus CTD data. Oceanic measurement and calibration techniques are subject to improvement. This outline should be viewed only as a supplement to the existing literature, manufacturer documentation, and manufacturer instructions.
Transformative Schooling: Towards Racial Equity in Education

Discussions of achievement gaps are commonplace in education reform, but they are rarely interrogated as a symptom of white supremacy. As an act of disruption, award-winning scholar Vajra Watson pierces through the rhetoric and provides a provocative analysis of the ways schools can become more racially inclusive. Her research is grounded in Oakland where longitudinal data demonstrated that Black families were sending their children to school, but the ideals of an oasis of learning were being met with the realities of racism, low expectations, and marginalization. As a response to this intergenerational crisis of miseducation, in 2010, the school district joined forces with community organizers, religious leaders, neighborhood elders, teachers, parents, and students to address institutionalized racism. Seven years later, Watson shares findings from her investigation into the school district’s journey towards justice. What she creates is a wholly original work, filled with penetrating portraits that illuminate the intense and intimate complexities of working towards racial equity in education. As a formidable case study, this research scrutinizes how to reconfigure organizational ecosystems as spaces that humanize, heal, and harmonize. Emerging from her scholarship is a bold, timely, and hopeful vision that paves the way for transformative schooling.
Stereoselective N—H Insertion-Arylation Reactions of Nitrodiazoesters.

This multicomponent reactions furnishes substituted glycine derivatives in moderate to good yields but bad to low enantioselectivity.
Hospice nurses request paediatric-specific educational resources and training programs to improve care for children and families in the community: Qualitative data analysis from a population-level survey.

Background:Children with serious illness who receive hospice care often interface with nurses who lack training, experience and comfort in the provision of paediatric palliative and hospice care. H...
The Effects of Performance Audits on School District Financial Behavior

Performance audits are a form of weak financial oversight intended to curb inefficient spending and help alleviate financial problems. This study examines the effect of these performance audits on ...
Role of PAK6 in cancer.

5035 PAKs are a family of serine threonine kinases characterized by a conserved N-terminal domain (CRIB domain) that binds the p21 GTPases, Cdc42 and Rac. The Group I PAKs (PAK1-3) have an autoinhibitory domain, which binds to and inhibits the kinase domain. The binding of Cdc42 and Rac proteins to the CRIB domain blocks this autoinhibitory domain, resulting in autophosphorylation and activation of kinase activity. Group II PAKs (PAK4-6) do not appear to have an autoinhibitory domain as their kinase activities are not activated by the binding of GTP-Cdc42. PAK6 was cloned by our lab, and independently by another lab, as an androgen receptor (AR) interacting protein. PAK6 also binds to the estrogen receptor (ERα) ligand binding domain and binding to both the AR and ERα are hormone independent. PAK6 RNA expression is highest in brain and testis, with lower levels in prostate, breast, and other tissues, but the specific cell types expressing PAK6 and the biological role of the AR and ERα interactions remain to be determined. Our experimental studies using affinity purified PAK6 antibody showed that PAK6 protein is expressed in prostate (LAPC4, LNCaP, CWR22Rv1, and PC3) and breast (HS578T, MDA-MB-231, MCF7, and HCC1937) cancer cell lines. By immunohistochemistry using the affinity purified antibody on tissue arrays, it was found that PAK6 is expressed in normal prostate epithelium (on the membrane) and its expression is increased and more cytoplasmic in many advanced prostate cancers. Our in vitro transfection data using CRIB domain mutants show that PAK6 is targeted to the plasma membrane by its CRIB domain, and that the CRIB domain is not involved in the .activation of PAK6 kinase activity. In contrast, we have recently reported that PAK6 is activated by MKK6 and p38 MAP kinase, suggesting that PAK6 plays a role in the cellular response to stress (Kaur et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2005;280(5):3323-30). We are currently using immunopurification of epitope tagged PAK6 in conjunction with mass spectroscopy to identify PAK6 associated proteins. One potential partner for PAK6 that we recently found by this approach is nucleolin, which is normally expressed in nucleolus, cytoplasm and as well as on the cell membrane. Nucleolin is an RNA binding protein whose activity is increased in response to stress by p38 MAP kinase, suggesting a link to PAK6. We are currently further assessing this interaction and identifying additional PAK6 associated proteins.
Worsening disability status in multiple sclerosis predicts urologic complications

Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes voiding dysfunction and might predispose to urologic complications. However, long-term complications and risk factors for complications are unknown. We aim to assess long-term changes in voiding function and to determine risk factors for urologic complications during MS follow-up. We analyzed the records of MS patients and recorded baseline and follow-up voiding symptoms, urodynamic (UDS) findings, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), serum blood studies, imaging, and complications. T test and Chi-square test were used to determine statistical significance using a two-tailed p value < 0.05. We assessed complication-free survival using Kaplan–Meier curves and performed multiple variable Cox proportional hazard models to estimate hazard ratios predicting complications for various independent variables. 126 women and 35 men with MS were followed for a median of 9.7 years (IQR 4.3–13). Mean age at MS diagnosis was 36.7 with a mean EDSS of 3.2. During follow-up, EDSS progressed to a mean of 5.5. In addition, at least one complication occurred in 60.2% and major complications were present in 16.7%. After multivariable analysis, EDSS progression ≥ 2.0 (p = 0.003), follow-up EDSS ≥ 6.0 (p = 0.01), use of intermittent catheterization (p < 0.001) and urinary reconstruction with continent catheterizable stoma (p = 0.009) were significantly related to an increased hazard for any complications. Upper tract changes and other major complications were uncommon. Complications were related to MS progression, resultant increase in total disability, and the need for intervention to maintain functional continence. Lower tract infections occurred more frequently in patients with the need for catheterization.
A Treasure of Hidden Language Varieties and their Meaning in Karl May's Popular Novel Der Schatz im Silbersee

This article demonstrates how Karl May systematically applies several stylistic devices to represent the diverse linguistic environment of America in his western novel, Der Schatz im Silbersee. This system, it is argued, supports, though not always consistently, May's agenda of promoting good characters over bad, making the text more authentic, and helping German readers identify with the characters.
In Search of Activist Lawyers in China: A Time Machine Back to the Heyday of Political Activism in the Chinese Legal Profession

An analysis of a large corpus of online discussions—posted mostly in 2004—amongst members of the largest online community of lawyers that ever existed in China supports much of the existing literature about Chinese lawyers’ politically liberal values. At the same time, it reveals that Chinese lawyers’ political discourse was far from monolithic. By bringing into high relief the plurality of Chinese lawyers’ voices, this article contributes an unprecedented effort to disaggregate their worldviews. Previous research suggests that lawyers’ online discourse was an important catalyst of politically liberal activism in China. Findings reported in this article reveal for the first time that Chinese lawyers also called for mobilization in support of pro-regime, illiberal, and nationalistic causes. Finally, at precisely the moment of the alleged heyday of China’s so-called “weiquan movement,” there was scarcely a trace of political activism under the mantle of weiquan, or “rights defense,” in the Chinese legal profession.
Lévy Flight Foraging Hypothesis-based Autonomous Large-scale Memoryless Search under Sparse Rewards

Autonomous aerial robots are commonly tasked with the problem of area exploration, surveillance and search for certain targets or objects of interest to be detected and tracked. Traditionally, the problem formulation considered is that of complete coverage and thus - ideally - identification of all targets of interest. However, an important problem which is not often addressed is that of memoryless time-efficient search under sparse rewards that may be worth visited any number of times. An indicative application scenario relates to surveillance for moving and possibly camouflaged targets thus making map coverage an inherently memoryless process. In this paper we specifically address the largely understudied problem of optimizing the “time-of-arrival” or “time-of-detection” to robotically search for sparsely distributed rewards (detect targets of interest) within large-scale environments and subject to memoryless exploration. At the core of the proposed solution is the fact that a search-based Levy walk consisting of a constant velocity search following a Levy flight path is optimal for searching and identifying distributed target regions in the lack of map memory. A set of results accompany the presentation of the method, demonstrate its properties and justify the purpose of its use towards large-scale area exploration autonomy using aerial robots.
High Incidence of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Among African American and Hispanic Children in Chicago

Virtually all studies of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) have focused on European-origin populations in the developed world, and data regarding the incidence and prevalence of IDDM among non-Caucasian groups in the U.S. and elsewhere are extremely limited. Data from Birmingham, Alabama and from Pennsylvania indicate that the incidence among African Americans is about 2/3rd to 3/4th that of Caucasians.1,2 However, these estimates are based on fewer than 150 incident cases. Data from the Caribbean show an extremely low incidence of 5.9/100,000 among African Americans in the US Virgin Islands,3 with a significant increase in Caucasian admixture among African-origin IDDM children when compared with healthy controls. While there are very few data on the incidence of diabetes among Hispanic youth, the Colorado registry demonstrated an incidence rate of 9.5/100,000 per year, approximately 2/3rd that of the non-Hispanic Caucasian rate in Colorado.4 Data from Cuba show an extremely low incidence of 1.8/100,000 in 1988.5
The Rational Validation of Ethical Values

Can ends, goals, and values themselves be subject to rational evaluation? In an oft-cited passage in Book III of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle wrote:
Position Statement on Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation: A Consensus Statement Developed by the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Society of Interventional Radiology, American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and American Society of Spine Radiology

IT is the position of the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Society of Interventional Radiology, American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and American Society of Spine Radiology (“the Societies”) that percutaneous vertebral augmentation with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty is a safe, efficacious, and durable procedure in appropriate patients with symptomatic osteoporotic and neoplastic fractures when performed in a manner in accordance
Flavor-diagonal CP violation: the electric dipole moment

The observed baryon asymmetry in the universe cannot be reconciled with the current form of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The Standard Model breaks charge conjugation parity (CP) symmetry, but not in a sufficient amount to explain the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. Historically one of the first systems to be studied in the search of symmetry breaking within the Standard Model is the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron. The contribution to the neutron EDM coming from the SM is several order of magnitudes smaller than the current experimental bound, thus providing a unique, background-free window for potential discovery of physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). The strong CP-violating $$\theta $$ term can also contribute to the neutron EDM, as can all the CP-violating effective operators describing, at energies below the electro-weak scale, the contributions from BSM. To constrain all these contributions to the neutron EDM we need to precisely determine the hadronic matrix elements of the corresponding renormalized operators. After a brief introduction on baryon asymmetry and baryogenesis, I summarize the current stuatus for experiments in search of a neutron EDM. I then describe in more details the different CP-violating sources, and some results in Chiral Perturbation Theory precede a discussion on the current status of Lattice QCD calculations. I will in particular focus on the 2 main challenges for these type of calculations: the signal-to-noise ratio and the renormalization. I will discuss several improvement techniques trying to improve these two aspects of the calculation and I will conclude with an optimistic view into the future.