cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Vitamin D Level on Admission for Burn Injury Is Associated With Increased Length of Stay.

Abstract Currently, there have been few studies that have evaluated the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in adult burn patients or correlated vitamin D levels with burn-related outcomes. The primary objective of the study was to identify the incidence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in an adult burn population. The secondary objective was to determine the impact of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency on clinical outcomes in burn care. A single-center, retrospective, and observational cohort analysis of adult patients admitted for initial management of burn injury, who had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) level measured on admission, was performed. Patients were categorized as vitamin D deficient (25D <10 ng/ml), insufficient (10-29 ng/ml), or sufficient (30-100 ng/ml) based on admission measurements. Clinical outcomes including complications, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS), and survival were compared between patients with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency and patients with vitamin D sufficiency. Three-hundred and eighteen patients were eligible for evaluation. Admission 25D level correlated with deficiency in 46 patients (14.5%), insufficiency in 207 (65.1%), and normal in 65 (20.4%). Patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency experienced higher rates of complications and longer ICU and hospital LOS compared with those with normal vitamin D levels. A large proportion of patients with burn injury presented with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency which was associated with poor outcomes, including prolonged ICU and hospital LOS. Additional studies are needed to further describe the relationship between vitamin D status and clinical outcomes.
Chinese consumers and European beer: Associations between attribute importance, socio-demographics, and consumption

Abstract The demand for western alcoholic beverages in China has increased tremendously in recent years. However, there is still a lack of understanding with regard to the behaviour of Chinese consumers towards European beer, which is a common western alcoholic beverage. This study explores associations between beer attribute importance scores, socio-demographic factors, general beer consumption frequency and country associations of European beer, and the consumption of imported European beer in China. The data (n = 541) were collected in two Chinese cities: Shanghai and Xi'an. Results of ordered logistic regression analyses show that the consumption of imported European beer is positively associated with importance attached to the product attributes Origin, Brand, Colour and Texture, and it is negatively associated with importance attached to Price and Alcoholic content. Furthermore, male gender, living in Shanghai city, a good financial situation, frequent beer consumption and a high-level employment position have a significantly positive influence on European beer consumption in China. In addition, about two thirds of the study participants associate imported European beer with ‘Germany’.
Meaner on Mobile: Incivility and Impoliteness in Communicating Contentious Politics on Sociotechnical Networks:

This study explores the nature of how mobile social media may potentially be sharpening the tenor of communicating online. Specifically, randomized representative Twitter data were collected for se...
Ignition and extinction of strained nonpremixed cool flames at elevated pressures

Abstract Cool flames, governed by low-temperature chemistry, are closely related to engine knock. Since the low-temperature chemical kinetics is promoted at elevated pressures, the ignition and extinction of nonpremixed cool flame at elevated pressures were experimentally and computationally investigated herein in the counterflow. Specifically, the hysteretic ignition and extinction behavior of the nonpremixed cool flame was for the first time observed and quantified. S-curve analysis was conducted to demonstrate the thermal and chemical structure of the cool flame and to elucidate the dominant chemical pathways during the ignition and extinction processes. The dominant low-temperature chemical reactions shift from those responsible for radical runaway to exothermic reactions that sustain the cool flame. Increasing the ambient pressure and/or the oxygen concentration in the oxidizer stream promote the heat release from the cool flame, and hence, result in an extended hysteresis temperature window between ignition and extinction. It is further noted that while the observed cool flame ignition temperatures were well predicted by computation, significant discrepancies existed for the extinction temperatures based on the well-adopted reaction mechanism used. Possible reasons were discussed to facilitate further cool flame studies and the development of the low-temperature chemistry.
Beating the Odds: the Journey of an African-American Microbiologist: From de facto apartheid as a youth to a productive career in research, focused on microbiology and immunology

I am an internationally recognized immunologist and microbiologist, who has had the good fortune to contribute significantly to research within my discipline. Before I could do so, I had to escape the confines of the American version of an apartheid system, into which I was born in 1936, near Annapolis, Md. This part of the country was then unabashedly racist and remained so throughout the years of my primary and secondary schooling.
Determination of the efficiency of ethanol oxidation in a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell

Abstract Products and residual ethanol in the anode and cathode exhausts of an ethanol electrolysis cell (EEC) have been analyzed by proton NMR and infrared spectrometry under a variety of operating conditions. This provides a full accounting of the fate of ethanol entering the cell, including the stoichiometry of the ethanol oxidation reaction (i.e. the average number of electrons transferred per ethanol molecule), product distribution and the crossover of ethanol and products through the membrane. The reaction stoichiometry (nav) is the key parameter that determines the faradaic efficiency of both EECs and direct ethanol fuel cells. Values determined independently from the product distribution, amount of ethanol consumed, and a simple electrochemical method based on the dependence of the current on the flow rate of the ethanol solution are compared. It is shown that the electrochemical method yields results that are consistent with those based on the product distribution, and based on the consumption of ethanol when crossover is accounted for. Since quantitative analysis of the cathode exhaust is challenging, the electrochemical method provides a valuable alternative for routine determination of nav, and hence the faradaic efficiency of the cell.
THE DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL COMPANY: FORMING, FINANCING, AND REPORTING ON AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY CORPORATION

This paper examines the case of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, chartered in 1823, to gain perspective on how a 19th century corporation obtained financing, communicated with shareholders, and sparked technological innovations in the years before the ascendance of railroads in America. Helping to expand the accounting history literature on canals, we examine the annual reports issued during the firm's first decade of existence. Despite early problems, management continually cast an optimistic view of the company's future in these reports. And, after initially increasing the amount of financial and other information disclosed, the annual reports subsequently became less forthcoming and transparent.
Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Concentration, PSA Mass, and Obesity: A Mathematical Analysis.

Objectives To provide a mathematical background for understanding the phenomenon of analyte hemodilution using a kinetic analysis. Methods The first assumption for this analysis is that change in concentration of any analyte, such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is due to the flux of the analyte from an organ into the blood minus its flux from the blood. What results is a relatively simple differential equation that emphasizes the importance of plasma volume, organ mass, and two rate constants. Results The analyses demonstrate how serum PSA can be affected by plasma volume as well as body mass and how hemodilution due to obesity can be at least partly corrected for by expressing PSA in units of total mass or total mass density. Conclusions At a time when obesity is prevalent, expressing analytes in units of total mass may make them relate more closely to disease status and prognosis.
ACS: STEMI/Non-STEMI Intervention

Acute coronary syndrome is a spectrum ranging from ST elevation myocardial infarction to troponin-negative unstable angina. Plaque rupture or erosion leads to thrombus formation resulting in ischemic myocardial damage. Guidelines recommend primary angioplasty for patients with STEMI and early invasive strategy [<72 h] for patients with high risk ACS.
Poisson Regression, Logistic Regression, and Loglinear Models for Random Counts

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a unified discussion of Poisson regression, logistic regression, and loglinear modeling of contingency tables. These are three special cases of the general loglinear model, wherein expected category counts are products of effects of independent variables. This contrasts with the general linear model in which expected means of continuous measurements are sums of such effects. Poisson and logistic regression each provide regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)-like analyses for response counts with, respectively, one and two levels. Poisson regression is most commonly used to analyze rates, whereas logistic regression is used to analyze proportions. The chapter considers statistical models for counts of independently occurring random events, and counts at different levels of one or more categorical outcomes. Furthermore, this chapter introduces and illustrates the methods for nonlinear modeling of counts that form the foundation of contemporary categorical data methodology.
Hydrothermal synthesis of ceramic materials

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the field of hydrothermal materials synthesis and shows how understanding solution thermodynamics of the aqueous medium can be used for engineering hydrothermal crystallization processes. Hydrothermal synthesis is a material synthesis technology. It utilizes single or heterogeneous phase reactions in aqueous media at elevated temperature and pressure to crystallize ceramic materials directly from the solution. Syntheses are usually conducted at autogeneous pressure. Hydrothermal synthesis is different from solvothermal synthesis methods and soft solution processing. Hydrothermal synthesis offers many advantages over conventional and non-conventional ceramic synthetic methods. All forms of ceramics can be prepared with hydrothermal synthesis, with the costs for instrumentation, energy and precursors being far less, and more environmentally benign than many other synthesis methods. Another important technological advantage of the hydrothermal technique is its capability for a continuous materials production. In order for hydrothermal synthesis to become a mainstream technology, engineering approaches must be available to facilitate rapid-technology development. By designing a hydrothermal process to be thermodynamically favored to form desired products, kinetics limitations of the process can be subsequently resolved. Thermodynamic modeling can be used to design a process to be thermodynamically favored using fundamental principles instead of the Edisonian methods. Such models can perform many functions in the design of hydrothermal experiments.
Cerebral Cortex: Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Cell Division

The six distinct laminae within the mammalian cerebral cortex contain neurons that exhibit a wide variety of specific physiological properties and synaptic connections. This diversity emerges from a restricted progenitor pool within the embryonic cortical ventricular zone. Individual cortical progenitors produce multiple subtypes over a prolonged period during corticogenesis. This article describes classical studies that suggest that neurogenesis in the cerebral cortex is dependent on asymmetric divisions, where one daughter remains in a progenitor state while the other exits to become a mature neuron. The present understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating both asymmetric cell division and the sequential production of different neuronal subtypes during development is reviewed. However, as yet only a subset of the factors controlling each of these two events has been identified. This suggests that present genetic approaches will soon significantly extend our understanding of these developmental processes.
The Information Content of FOMC Minutes

In this paper, we analyze the information content of Federal Open Market Committee minutes from 1987-2005. We apply an objective, statistical methodology known as Latent Semantic Analysis to decompose each minutes release into its characteristic themes. We show that these themes are correlated with current and future economic conditions. Our evidence suggests that market participants can extract a complex, multifaceted signal from the minutes. In particular, Treasury yield changes around the time of the minutes release depend on the specific themes expressed, the level of monetary policy uncertainty, and the economic outlook.
Improved safety and mechanical characterizations of thick lithium-ion battery electrodes structured with porous metal current collectors

Abstract Porous metal current collectors enable the fabrication of thick electrode structures with improved safety margins and unique mechanical properties. Interpenetrating phase composite LiCoO2 cathodes and graphite anodes with large active material loadings are formed using advanced slurry processing techniques with a submersible ultrasonic horn. Full cells with 600 μm thick electrodes demonstrate high aerial capacity of 16.7 mAh.cm−2, improving energy density by 22% with respect to volume versus reference cells using traditional laminate composite electrode stacks. External shorting and nail penetration testing show notably suppressed joule heating currents, limiting peak temperature accrued to just 25% of the reference. Shear testing and three-point bending of individual electrodes and stack assemblies elucidate the greater role of the binder phase in the mechanical response, and that extensive characteristics such as thickness can be more influential than the intensive properties of the materials. Optimization of electrode thicknesses to balance rate capability with abuse safety is discussed, and opportunities for multifunctional application as load-bearing structural components are considered. Improved battery safety characteristics are demonstrated by reorienting the inherent components of the cell, without altering the chemical make-up, emphasizing the profound influence of structural design.
Preparing educators for adaptive education (AE) programs

Context: There has long been awareness that educational experiences should be individualized. In the health professions, this tenet remains inconsistently implemented. Adapting to the widely divers...
Association of Mental Health Conditions With Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Background Mental health conditions are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with ischemic heart disease, and much of this risk can be attributed to poor health behaviors. Al...
Critical steps in the path to using cessation pharmacotherapy following hospital-initiated tobacco treatment

Hospital-initiated smoking cessation interventions utilizing pharmacotherapy increase post-discharge quit rates. Use of smoking cessation medications following discharge may further increase quit rates. This study aims to identify individual, smoking-related and hospitalization-related predictors of engagement in three different steps in the smoking cessation pharmacotherapy utilization process: 1) receiving medications as inpatient, 2) being discharged with a prescription and 3) using medications at 1-month post-hospitalization, while accounting for associations between these steps. Study data come from a clinical trial (N = 1054) of hospitalized smokers interested in quitting who were randomized to recieve referral to a quitline via either warm handoff or fax. Variables were from the electronic health record, the state tobacco quitline, and participant self-report. Relationships among the predictors and the steps in cessation medication utilization were assessed using bivariate analyses and multivariable path analysis. Twenty-eight percent of patients reported using medication at 1-month post-discharge. Receipt of smoking cessation medications while hospitalized (OR = 2.09, 95%CI [1.39, 3.15], p < .001) and discharge with a script (OR = 4.88, 95%CI [3.34, 7.13], p < .001) were independently associated with medication use at 1-month post-hospitalization. The path analysis also revealed that the likelihood of being discharged with a script was strongly influenced by receipt of medication as an inpatient (OR = 6.61, 95%CI [4.66, 9.38], p < .001). A number of other treatment- and individual-level factors were associated with medication use in the hospital, receipt of a script, and use post-discharge. To encourage post-discharge smoking cessation medication use, concerted effort should be made to engage smokers in tobacco treatment while in hospital. The individual and hospital-level factors associated with each step in the medication utilization process provide good potential targets for future implementation research to optimize treatment delivery and outcomes. Number: NCT01305928 . Date registered: February 24, 2011.
Righteous Shoot or Racial Injustice? What Crowdsourced Data Can(not) Tell Us About Police-Caused Homicide:

Social scientists have developed various theoretical perspectives to explain the disproportionate incidence of police-caused homicide involving Black citizens in the United States. A common approac...
Unraveling the complexity of γ-secretase.

Abstract γ-Secretase was initially defined as a proteolytic activity that cleaves within the transmembrane of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce the amyloid β-peptide of Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery of mutations in APP and the presenilins associated with familial Alzheimer’s disease and their effects on APP processing dovetailed with pharmacological studies on γ-secretase, leading to the revelation that presenilins are unprecedented membrane-embedded aspartyl proteases. Other members of what became known as the γ-secretase complex were subsequently identified. In parallel with these advances, connections between presenilins and Notch receptors essential to metazoan development became evident, resulting in the concurrent realization that γ-secretase also carries out intramembrane proteolysis of Notch as part of its signaling mechanism. Substantial progress has been made toward elucidating how γ-secretase carries out complex processing of transmembrane domains, how it goes awry in familial Alzheimer’s disease, the scope of its substrates, and the atomic details of its structure. Critical questions remain for future study, toward further unraveling the complexity of this unique membrane-embedded proteolytic machine and its roles in biology and disease.
A Robotic Framework to Facilitate Sensory Experiences for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study

The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children is commonly accompanied by a diagnosis of sensory processing disorders. Abnormalities are usually reported in multiple sensory processing domains, showing a higher prevalence of unusual responses, particularly to tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. This article discusses a novel robot-based framework designed to target sensory difficulties faced by children with ASD in a controlled setting. The setup consists of a number of sensory stations, together with two different robotic agents that navigate the stations and interact with the stimuli. These stimuli are designed to resemble real-world scenarios that form a common part of one's everyday experiences. Given the strong interest of children with ASD in technology in general and robots in particular, we attempt to utilize our robotic platform to demonstrate socially acceptable responses to the stimuli in an interactive, pedagogical setting that encourages the child's social, motor, and vocal skills, while providing a diverse sensory experience. A preliminary user study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed framework, with a total of 18 participants (5 with ASD and 13 typically developing) between the ages of 4 and 12 years. We derive a measure of social engagement, based on which we evaluate the effectiveness of the robots and sensory stations to identify key design features that can improve social engagement in children.
Correlation of CXCL10 levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid with clinical course in patients with multiple sclerosis evolution

Objective To investigate the evolution of CXCL10 in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS),and the correlation between these and the clinical neurological dysfunction.Methods Fifty-three patients with definite MS during relapsing state (relapsing MS group) diagnosed by the McDonald criteria;fifty-three patients with definite MS during remitting state ( remitting MS group);thirty-two patients with non-inflammatory neurologic disease ( NIND group) and fiftythree healthy controls (NC group) were enrolled in the study.Each patient clinical status was evaluated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale ( EDSS).Plasma and CSF levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunoassay.Results ( 1 ) The CXCL10 level in plasma in relapsing MS group elevated significantly between the 2nd ( (601 ± 365 ) pg/ml,t = - 2.898,P = 0.001) and the 4th ( (575 ± 297 ) pg/ml,t = -2.651,P=0.003) week after relapsing;GXL10 in CSF (n =32) did not changed significantly in the 4th week after relapsing( (1807 ±803) pg/ml).(2) The CXCL10 level in plasma in relapsing MS group were significantly higher than that in the healthy control group ((248±130) pg/ml,(=4.895,P=0.000) and remitting MS group ((287 ±118) pg/ml,t = 3.555,P = 0.001 ).( 3 ) The CXCL10 level in CSF in relapsing MS group (( 1774 ± 604) pg/ml) was significantly higher than that in NIND group ( ( 122 ± 114) pg/ml,t= 15.192,P =0.000).(4) The CXCL10 level in plasma in relapsing MS group had correlation with that in CSF (r=0.792,P=0.001).The CXCL10 level in CSF in relapsing MS group had correlation with EDSS scores (r = 0.526,P = 0.002 ).Conclusions The CXCL10 level in plasma might be implemented as a paraclinical marker of disease activity in MS.The CXCL10 level in plasma of MS may be relevant to that in CSF.The CXCL10 level in CSF of MS may indicate the clinical neurological dysfunction. Key words: Multiple sclerosis; Chemokine CXCL10; Plasma; Cerebrospinal fluid
Robot-assisted laparoscopic unroofing and fulguration of sequestered caliceal diverticula cluster.

Summary Introduction We report a rare case of four sequestered caliceal diverticula that failed previous percutaneous sclerotherapy and were subsequently managed with robot-assisted laparoscopic unroofing and fulguration of the sequestered diverticula cluster. Methods A 6 year-old female was admitted for urosepsis and flank pain. At age 2, a previous institution diagnosed a caliceal diverticulum. Prolonged-delayed magnetic resonance urography confirmed four sequestered caliceal diverticula. Intraoperative ultrasonography identified the diverticula cluster and ensured decompression. The defects were closed after ablating the blood supply, unroofing and decompressing the diverticula, and fulgurating the caliceal lining. Results Console time was 4 h with an estimated blood loss of 30–50 cc. The patient was discharged post-op day 3. Follow-up renal ultrasound at 6 weeks and 5 months demonstrated progressive atrophy of the left upper pole with preservation of the lower pole size and perfusion. At 9 months, the patient is free of symptoms and urinary tract infections. Conclusion Closure of unroofed and fulgurated diverticula may be considered when diverticula are anatomically sequestered from the renal collecting system. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic unroofing and fulguration is a technically feasible approach for treatment of sequestered caliceal diverticula in pediatric patients. Additional studies and monitoring of long-term renal function are required.
Optimal Attitude and Position Determination from Line-of-Sight Measurements

In this paper an optimal solution to the problem of determining both vehicle attitude and position using line-of-sight measurements is presented. The new algorithm is derived from a generalized predictive filter for nonlinear systems. This uses a one time-step ahead approach to propagate a simple kinematics model for attitude and position determination. The new algorithm is noniterative and is computationally efficient, which has significant advantages over traditional nonlinear least squares approaches. The estimates from the new algorithm are optimal in a probabilistic sense since the attitude/position covariance matrix is shown to be equivalent to the Cramer-Rao lower bound. Also, a covariance analysis proves that attitude and position determination is unobservable when only two line-of-sight observations are available. The performance of the new algorithm is investigated using line-of-sight measurements from a simulated sensor incorporating Position Sensing Diodes in the focal plane of a camera. Results indicate that the new algorithm provides optimal attitude and position estimates, and is robust to initial condition errors.
Abstract 5403: Targeting death-receptors in therapy resistant progressive neuroblastoma: A preliminary insight

Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infants and accounts for 9.1% of childhood cancer-related deaths. Despite the current standard of care (SOC), drug-resistant neuroblastoma significantly compromises patient survival. Hence it is critical to identify new and less toxic therapeutic approaches for better patient outcomes. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), which mediates its effect through the activation of the death receptor (DR) 4 and 5 are found on many cell types and are the main pathway for apoptosis. These can death receptors can kill most tumor cell types expressing TRAIL-receptor 1. Mining RNA-Seq data across multiple cohorts of neuroblastoma patients indicated that high levels of DR4 and DR5 significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes (OS, EFS, RFS). Further, examining the surface expression of DR4 and DR5 by immunohistochemistry using anti-human rabbit monoclonal antibodies on custom-archived TMAs for 100 NB patients revealed profound correlation with poor OS and RFS. Immunoblot analysis for DR4 and DR5 level in a panel of stage 4 patient-derived cell-lines during diagnosis and from progressive disease after therapy displayed high-levels of death receptor expression in progressive disease. Preliminary co-culture investigations with genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expressing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) mimicking targeted delivery showed heightened differentiation and death (limited dilution tumorosphere assay) of therapy resistant cells. Further these studies exhibited inhibition of tumor cell migration and invasion. The results demonstrate the benefit of targeted TRAIL delivery in in the treatment of therapy resistant neuroblastoma and further imply that the genetically engineered MSCs could serve as a clinically valuable tool for improved therapeutic strategy in this setting. Citation Format: Dinesh Babu Somasundaram, Andrew Maher, Sheeja Aravindan, Terence S. Herman, Natarajan Aravindan. Targeting death-receptors in therapy resistant progressive neuroblastoma: A preliminary insight [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5403.
Consent, Rape, and the Criminal Law

The story of US criminal rape law reform tends to be told as one of remarkable feminist success (between 1970–1990, feminist-led coalitions changed state laws so that rape ceased to be a crime requiring force and resistance and became instead a crime that only required sex without consent) followed by widespread stagnation. Despite comprehensive changes in the law, reporting rates, prosecution rates and conviction rates for rape increased only slightly. This essay resists that binary account of success and failure by offering a more nuanced assessment. First, it explores the full range of factors hindering the reporting, prosecution and conviction of rape crimes, including the role played by social norms. Second it argues that, by changing rape’s definition to an inquiry focused upon whether the victim consented, the law has facilitated a shift in cultural and institutional norms governing unwanted sex. In short, the law’s message that unwanted sex is wrong matters. It is naive to think that a change in law would, on its own, end rape culture. But there is ample evidence to support the conclusion that rape law reform has played a central role in reducing society’s tolerance of the rape prerogatives that have held sway for millennia.
First-principles equation of state database for warm dense matter computation.

We put together a first-principles equation of state (FPEOS) database for matter at extreme conditions by combining results from path integral Monte Carlo and density functional molecular dynamics simulations of the elements H, He, B, C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, and Si as well as the compounds $\mathrm{LiF}, {\mathrm{B}}_{4}\mathrm{C}, \mathrm{BN}, {\mathrm{CH}}_{4}, {\mathrm{CH}}_{2}, {\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}, \mathrm{CH}, {\mathrm{C}}_{2}\mathrm{H}, \mathrm{MgO}, \mathrm{and} {\mathrm{MgSiO}}_{3}$. For all these materials, we provide the pressure and internal energy over a density-temperature range from $\ensuremath{\sim}0.5$ to 50 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ and from $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{4}$ to ${10}^{9}$ K, which are based on $\ensuremath{\sim}5000$ different first-principles simulations. We compute isobars, adiabats, and shock Hugoniot curves in the regime of $\mathrm{L}$- and $\mathrm{K}$-shell ionization. Invoking the linear mixing approximation, we study the properties of mixtures at high density and temperature. We derive the Hugoniot curves for water and alumina as well as for carbon-oxygen, helium-neon, and CH-silicon mixtures. We predict the maximal shock compression ratios of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O},$ ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{2},$ ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}, \mathrm{CO}, \mathrm{and} {\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ to be 4.61, 4.64, 4.64, 4.89, and 4.83, respectively. Finally we use the FPEOS database to determine the points of maximum shock compression for all available binary mixtures. We identify mixtures that reach higher shock compression ratios than their end members. We discuss trends common to all mixtures in pressure-temperature and particle-shock velocity spaces. In the Supplemental Material, we provide all FPEOS tables as well as computer codes for interpolation, Hugoniot calculations, and plots of various thermodynamic functions.
The Role of Systems Biology, Neuroscience, and Thermodynamics in Network Control and Learning

Recent technological advances in communications and computation have spurred a broad interest in control of networks and control over networks. Network systems involve distributed decision-making for coordination of networks of dynamic agents and address a broad area of applications including cooperative control of unmanned air vehicles, microsatellite clusters, mobile robotics, battle space management, and congestion control in communication networks. To address the problem of autonomy, complexity, and adaptation for control and coordination of multiagent network systems, in this paper we look to systems biology, neurophysiology, and thermodynamics for inspiration in developing innovative architectures for control and learning.
Do Medicare's Facility Fees Incentivize Hospitals to Vertically Integrate with Oncologists?

Within the past decade, the U.S. health care market has undergone massive vertical integration, prompting economists to study the underlying causes and consequences of hospital-physician integratio...
Higher Rates of Cesarean Sections Found in Somali Immigrant Women in Minnesota

The purpose of this study was to compare prenatal characteristics and postpartum outcomes among Somali and non-Somali women residing in Olmsted County. We reviewed the medical records for a cohort of Somali women (≥18 years old; N= 298) who had singleton births between January 2009 and December 2014 and for an age-matched non-Somali cohort (N= 298) of women residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Logistic regression models which accounted for repeated measures were used to assess differences in prenatal and postpartum outcomes between Somali and non-Somali women. Somali women had a significantly higher odds of cesarean section (adjusted OR=1.81; 95% CI=1.15, 2.84). Additionally, Somali women had a significantly lower odds of postpartum depression (adjusted OR=0.27; 95% CI=0.12, 0.63). The reported adverse postpartum outcomes have implications for interventions aimed at addressing perinatal care disparity gaps for Somali women immigrant and refugee populations.
Structural Analysis for EHF Hypervapotron Twin Fingers and Beryllium Tile Size Study

The impact of Be tile size on the stress exerted on the CuCrZr heat sink for the ITER EHF finger was examined. The study especially focused on the areas beneath the tiles that are exposed to the hi...
Investigations of Pigment Granule Transport Systems in Gonodactylus oerstedii (Crustacea, Hoplocarida, Stomatopoda) II. Effects of Low Temperature on Pigment Granule Position and Microtubule Populations in Retinular Cells

Pigment granules within retinular cells of the stomatopod crustacean, Gonodactylus oerstedii, undergo rapid, radial migrations in response to changes in ambient lighting. Light stimulates centripetal migration of pigment granules towards the microvillar rhabdomeres where they absorb and scatter incoming light, analogous in function to the closure of a pupil. In the dark, pigment granules disperse centrifugally away from rhabdoms, thereby opening the pupil. Two populations of microtubules in retinular cells of G. oerstedii are appropriately oriented for participation in pigment granule migration. We investigated the possibility that microtubules are involved in pigment granule migration by subjecting animals to low temperature (which can depolymerize some microtubules) and determining the effects of low temperature on pigment granule position and microtubule density within retinular cells. When temperature was decreased, pigment granules in previously dark-adapted eyes aggregated around rhabdoms, in the light-adapted configuration. Lowering the temperature also decreased the density of palisade microtubules, which extend longitudinally in retinular cells along the subrhabdomeric palisade vacuole. These changes reversed when temperature increased. We present a model for pigment granule migration based on the idea that the position of pigment granules in retinular cells is dependent upon the presence of intact palisade microtubules.
Dynamic proportional share scheduling in Hadoop

We present the Dynamic Priority (DP) parallel task scheduler for Hadoop. It allows users to control their allocated capacity by adjusting their spending over time. This simple mechanism allows the scheduler to make more efficient decisions about which jobs and users to prioritize and gives users the tool to optimize and customize their allocations to fit the importance and requirements of their jobs. Additionally, it gives users the incentive to scale back their jobs when demand is high, since the cost of running on a slot is then also more expensive. We envision our scheduler to be used by deadline or budget optimizing agents on behalf of users. We describe the design and implementation of the DP scheduler and experimental results. We show that our scheduler enforces service levels more accurately and also scales to more users with distinct service levels than existing schedulers.
Thermal Analysis of Polymers

Thermal analysis is defined by the International Confederation of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC) as “a group of techniques in which a property of a sample is monitored against time or temperature while the temperature of the sample, in a specified atmosphere, is programmed.” The principal techniques employed are differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and dielectric analysis (DEA). Chemical reactions and phase transitions as well as mechanical, acoustical, electrical, and optical properties, can be studied and evaluated by thermal analysis. Additional uses include quality control, determination of heat capacity, thermal expansion, thermal and oxidative stability, crystallization rates, phase separation, and numerous others. This article describes the techniques, data interpretation, and applications of the method. Keywords: differential thermal analysis (DTA); differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); modulated DSC; thermogravimetry (TGA); thermomechanical analysis (TMA); dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA); dielectric analysis (DEA); thermoplastics; glass transition; polymer transitions; relaxations; viscoelastic properties; thermosets; curing
Improvements in the Cylinder-Plate Method for Penicillin Assay.

The most widely used technique for penicillin assay is the so-called cylinder-plate method of Abraham et al. (1941), with various modifications such as those described by Foster and Woodruff (1944) and by Schmidt and Moyer (1944). In using this method for large numbers of assays we have found it advantageous from the standpoint of time involved and reproducibility of the method to use a 4 1/2 x 11 1/2 inch, rectangular, culture plate on which 40 cylinders can be placed.
Suicide Attacks - Opportunistic Tactic or Strategic Campaign?

Over the last ten years scholars have examined the phenomenon of suicide attacks and offered hypotheses that emphasize the qualitatively different nature of its various manifestations. One of the main arguments is that suicide attacks are strategic by nature. They are executed mostly by national liberation groups seeking to coerce foreign (democratic) occupying forces to withdraw from the homeland. Lately however, we have seen the proliferation of suicide attacks in states such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan. Many of these areas cannot be defined as occupied by foreign forces. These attacks have typically been directed against local targets and in many cases in environments that do not provide the ‘high visibility’ and signaling capacity. Suicide attacks have also been observed to occur in parallel with other ‘conventional’ types of attacks such as car bombings and gun attacks. These developments call for a re-examination of the ‘strategic logic of suicide attacks’. In the paper we will pose the question: Should suicide attacks be seen as an opportunistic tactic rather than an outcome of a highly organized campaign? We have constructed two comprehensive databases of suicide attacks worldwide and collapsed this with data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) for the years 1998-2008. From this consolidated database, we have constructed a ranked list of terrorist groups in descending order of suicide terror attack frequency. Analyzing the attack data for each of these groups by year and month, we find that suicide attacks are significantly interspersed (in time) with non-suicide attacks. These findings suggest that Suicide attacks are one tactic among many used by terrorist groups. A further analysis of this data by target type shows that a significant number of suicide attacks have been directed against military targets rather than civilian ones. The totality of these findings suggests that suicide attacks are a set of opportunistic tactics used in conjunction with other conventional tactics in pursuit of a diverse set of goals. We begin by examining the case of Iraq and suggest a framework for future research that examines whether the targets of suicide attacks are local ethnic rivals rather than armed occupiers. We also examine whether suicide attacks are high visibility signaling attacks against prominent opponents - such as perceived foreign occupiers or local government officials in highly ‘visible’ settings – or in more ‘local’ environments against targets that may not be as prominent. Preliminary findings indicate that a significant number of suicide attacks are used in ‘low visibility’ settings and against ethnic opponents. This calls into the question the theory that suicide attacks are primarily used against foreign occupation. We propose to use this methodology to examine other cases such as Pakistan in the future to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of Suicide attacks.
The effects of disasters on children: implications for emergency nurses

The word disaster implies a sudden and calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction.’ Disasters have an impact on the lives of everyone involved, including children. The purposes of this article are to describe children’s responses to disasters, to review the effects of a disaster on children, and to identify interventions for the emergency nurse to assist children and their families to cope with the aftermath of a disaster.
Variable Immunodominance Hierarchies for H2-M3-Restricted N-Formyl Peptides Following Bacterial Infection

H2-M3-restricted presentation of N -formyl methionine (f-Met) peptides to CD8 + T cells provides a mechanism for selective recognition of bacterial infection. In this report we demonstrate that Listeria monocytogenes infection induces distinct CD8 + T cell populations specific for each of the known Listeria -derived formyl methionine peptides presented by M3. The sum H2-M3-restricted, Listeria -specific T cell response constitutes a major fraction of the total CD8 + T cell response to primary infection. H2-M3-restricted T cell populations expand synchronously in vivo and achieve peak frequencies ∼2 days earlier than MHC class Ia-restricted T cell populations. Although cross-recognition of different f-Met peptides by M3-restricted T cells was previously described, costaining of CD8 + T cells ex vivo with H2-M3 tetramers complexed with different f-Met peptides shows that the majority of Listeria -specific, M3-restricted CD8 + T cells are peptide specific. In contrast to the highly predictable size and immunodominance hierarchies of MHC class Ia-restricted T cell responses, the magnitudes of T cell responses specific for H2-M3-restricted peptides are remarkably variable between genetically identical mice. Our findings demonstrate that H2-M3-restricted T cell responses are distinct from classically restricted T cell responses to bacterial infection.
Psychiatric pharmacogenomic testing in clinical practice

The clinical adoption of psychiatric pharmacogenomic testing has taken place rapidly over the past 7 years. Initially, drug-metabolizing enzyme genes, such as the cytochrome P 4 5 0 2D6 gene (CYP2D6), were identified. Genotyping the highly variable cytochrome P 4 5 0 2D6 gene now provides clinicians with the opportunity to identify both poor metabolizers and ultrarapid metabolizers of 2D6 substrate medications. Subsequently, genes influencing the pharmacodynamic response of medications have been made available for clinical practice. Among the earliest “target genes” was the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) which has variants that have been shown to influence the clinical response of patients of European ancestry when they are treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Genotyping of some of the serotonin receptor genes is also available to guide clinical practice. The quantification of the clinical utility of pharmacogenomic testing is evolving, and ethical considerations for testing have been established. Given the increasingly clear cost-effectiveness of genotyping, it has recently been predicted that pharmacogenomic testing will routinely be ordered to guide the selection and dosing of psychotropic medications.
Medication Discrepancies at Pediatric Hospital Discharge

BACKGROUND: The pediatric hospital discharge process presents significant challenges, and medication discrepancies remain an unsolved problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the discrepancy rates at the time of discharge when multiple sources of medication documentation exist, and to characterize the medication discrepancies into error type, medication category, and discharge summary authorship. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on pediatric patients admitted to a general inpatient floor for >24 hours. After discharge, medication lists were obtained from the patients’ parent/guardian, discharge summary, and Patient Summary List, a medication list that is part of the electronic medical record. These 3 medication lists were then compared with the pharmacy record to identify discrepancies, defined as any difference in medication name, dose, route, or frequency. Medication discrepancies were analyzed in terms of error type (dosage or addition/omission), category of medication, and final signers of the discharge summary. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patient charts were analyzed, and 8% of medications contained a documentation discrepancy between sources. Overall, 26% (18 of 69) of the charts contained ≥1 discrepant medication; the Patient Summary List had the highest rate of discrepancy at 29%. Allergy (27%) and seizure medications (25%) were the categories with the highest rates of discrepancy. Addition/omission errors were much more common than dosage errors. CONCLUSIONS: Medication discrepancies exist in inpatient documentation at the time of pediatric hospital discharge when multiple sources of documentation exist.
Coal conversion with selected model compounds under noncatalytic, low solvent : Coal ratio conditions

The interaction between coal and model compounds at relatively mild conditions was investigated to explore effects of coal, solvent, and reaction conditions at low coal conversions. Five coals were reacted with five model compound solvents (eicosane, 1-phenyldodecane, 1,4-diisopropylbenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, and pyrene) at 350, 400, and 450 °C. The coals were subbituminous and high-volatile bituminous rank and were selected to have very low concentrations of pyritic sulfur, to minimize catalytic effects of mineral matter. The effects of temperature, gas atmosphere (N2 or H2), and solvent on conversion to THF-solubles were investigated. Catalysts were not used. Conversions were influenced by temperature, which directly affected the coal and the solvent behavior. The optimum temperature for conversion appears to be 400 °C. Conversions were lowest at 350 °C, and, in some cases, were lower at 450 °C than at 400 °C. The thermal decomposition behavior of the coal is more important in determining tota...