cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clostridium difficile Infection in Children: Current State and Unanswered Questions

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in children has increased over the past decade. In recent years, new and intriguing data on pediatric CDI have emerged. Community-onset infections are increasingly recognized, even in children who have not previously received antibiotics. A hypervirulent strain is responsible for up to 20% of pediatric CDI cases. Unique risk factors for CDI in children have been identified. Advances in diagnostic testing strategies, including the use of nucleic acid amplification tests, have raised new questions about the optimal approach to diagnosing CDI in children. Novel therapeutic options are available for adult patients with CDI, raising questions about the use of these agents in children. Updated recommendations about infection prevention and control measures are now available. We summarize these recent developments in pediatric CDI in this review and also highlight remaining knowledge gaps that should be addressed in future research efforts.
Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Care for American Indian and Hispanic Veterans: Reports by 100 VA Staff

This study aimed to identify perceived barriers that might prevent American Indian (AI) and Hispanic American (HA) veterans from seeking mental health services at U.S. Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs), as reported by 100 VA mental-behavioral health staff members. A total of 100 volunteer mental-behavioral health workers were questioned, 50 from Albuquerque VAMC and 50 from Minneapolis VAMC. Participants responded to public announcements and e-mail invitations; facilitated, open-ended interviewing produced the barrier responses, which were then coded. Mental healthcare workers in both sites reported most perceived barriers as occurring in the VA system, among AI/HA veterans, and within themselves and/or their colleagues. Less commonly, they perceived barriers as occurring in the AI/HA families and communities. Mental healthcare workers at the Minneapolis VAMC reported more barriers than workers at the Albuquerque VAMC. A coding protocol derived from interviews among ethnic AI and HA staff me...
Current status of vitamin C and future horizons.

Following a brief review of the history of research in Vitamin-C. its importance to all living things it use in industrial processes and new findings on the relationships between Vitamin-C and health are summarized. Its complex relationship to the enzymes and drugs of major importance in liver functions it nutritional relationships to tumor growth and its role in growth and health are all current research topics. Work at Columbia University has shown that excessively high intake of Vitamin-C by pregnant guinea pigs results in impaired health of offspring and an excessive rate of metabolism of the vitamin. Excessive doeses also seem to affect metabolism of other vitamins. It is suggested that the recommended daily intakes are too low and should be raised to 40-45 mg/day for growing children 70-75 mg/day for adults and 100 mg/day for lactating women. Effects of excessively high intakes need to be studied. The needs for normal reproduction lactation early growth and longevity are far below the 1-20 gm/day used to treat the common cold.
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance and HomePlug AV Overviews

With availability in every building and in every room on earth and applications that span Acess, In-home networking and Command and control, the potential for powerline communications is clear. But yet, even with global ubiquity and ease of use, powerline has taken years to reach wide spread use. Why? This talk will discuss the key ingredients that are needed to drive a global powerline standard and why offering only some or one of these ingredients will limit market penetration in the industry. The talk will also describe the history, recent activities and present intitiatives of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance towards a global powerline standard.
Innovative Approaches to Studying Health Outcomes in Rare Diseases

To the Editor: As emphasized by the valuable Journal or General Internal Medicine supplement, rare diseases are important (Volume 29, Issue 3 Supplement, August 2014).1,2 They constitute heavy burdens of suffering for patients, growing problems for our health care system and important areas for scientific research. The care of patients with rare diseases is also an important aspect of primary care practice.3 Primary care physicians are specialists in the care of common problems, but common patients sometimes have rare diseases. Primary care includes the responsibility for recognizing such problems and managing such patients. Practice-based research documents that primary care physicians care for patients with a wide variety of rare disorders across the spectrum of patient age and sex, organ system involved, and medical specialty area.4 In the majority of cases, primary care physicians identify the rare problem, diagnose the disorder, and provide acute and continuing care, even for life-threatening conditions.4 Patients with rare diseases have common needs, too, and primary care physicians manage most of that continuing care.5 For the practicing primary care clinician, this responsibility is much more than a collection of rare diseases or memorable cases. It is the care of exceptional patients with special needs and it offers professional challenges and opportunities for personal growth.
Abnormal Neural Activation to Faces in the Parents of Children with Autism

Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show subtle deficits in aspects of social behavior and face processing, which resemble those seen in ASD, referred to as the “Broad Autism Phenotype ” (BAP). While abnormal activation in ASD has been reported in several brain structures linked to social cognition, little is known regarding patterns in the BAP. We compared autism parents with control parents with no family history of ASD using 2 well-validated face-processing tasks. Results indicated increased activation in the autism parents to faces in the amygdala (AMY) and the fusiform gyrus (FG), 2 core face-processing regions. Exploratory analyses revealed hyper-activation of lateral occipital cortex (LOC) bilaterally and right FG in autism parents with aloof personality (“BAP+”) and autism parents without the aloof personality (“BAP−”). Findings suggest that abnormalities of the AMY and FG are related to underlying genetic liability for ASD, whereas abnormalities in the LOC and right FG are more specific to behavioral features of the BAP. Results extend our knowledge of neural circuitry underlying abnormal face processing beyond those previously reported in ASD to individuals with shared genetic liability for autism and a subset of genetically related individuals with the BAP.
Spatial and temporal analysis of pedestrian egress behavior and efficiency

This research reports on exploring analytical methodologies for spatio-temporal data of pedestrian egress dynamics in a crowded environment. The research objective is to spatially and temporally quantify, visualize, and examine pedestrian egress behaviors and efficiency. The data of pedestrian dynamics on four different egress scenarios were collected with the use of Global Positioning System. The data were spatially analyzed with the measurement of tortuosity, which is a property of a movement path being tortuous. Specifically, fractal analysis was employed for quantifying tortuosity of movement paths and answering two specific research questions; 1) how does the structure of egress route affect the egress efficiency; 2) how does the pedestrian mode impact the egress efficiency? In terms of spatio-temporal analysis, the data of each path were visualized as a 3D space-time path, which is an individual trajectory starting from its origin and ending at its destination when using two-dimensional plain to show geographical positions and use perpendicular dimension to represent the time. Providing the 3D visualization of space-time paths helps to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the spatio-temporal patterns and tendencies for pedestrian egress dynamics.
Soulless Cities: Ann Arbor, the Cutting Edge of Discipline: Postfordism, Postmodernism, and the New Bourgeoisie

Ann Arbor, Michigan's success as a postindustrial city reflects the massive shift toward knowledge-based economies and the ascendancy of a new bourgeoisie class of corporate and university knowledge brokers. Aside from high-tech commodities, however, the city and its attendant “aristocracy of innovators” must also produce the cultural narratives to legitimize and rationalize a new capitalism. This article explores how Ann Arbor's elite creates new stories that both inscribe the physical and social landscape with their triumph and act as weapons in the ongoing struggle to solidify a hegemonic project.
Effect of chemical crosslinking on film and fiber properties of some amorphous vinyl polymers

Copolymers containing various amounts of acryloyl chloride were made with ethyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate, and styrene by bulk polymerization and by conversion of acrylic acid copolymers. Fibers and films of these polymers were crosslinked with ethylenediamine, and it was shown that increased crosslinking led to increased tenscity (at elevated temperature), modulus, zero strength temperature, and thermal stability and also greatly decreased elongation and shrinkage. The average molecular weight between crosslinks was calculated. The effect of crosslinking amorphous fibers and films was shown experimentally to produce materials with properties predicted for more rigid polymer structures.
Accreditation. Procedures and staff support for the Surgery Residency Review Committee.

• The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the accreditation procedures of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery and provide insight into the nature and functions of staff support for the committee. In the process, a better understanding of how the Residency Review Committee itself carries out its tasks should also emerge. What is described here is specific to the Residency Review Committee for Surgery and should not be generalized to other residency review committees. (Arch Surg.1990;125:1246-1251)
Acinar heterogeneity of fatty acid binding protein expression in the livers of male, female and clofibrate‐treated rats

Liver fatty acid binding protein may play a role in the intracellular transport and compartmentation of long-chain fatty acid metabolism. The distribution of liver fatty acid binding protein in the hepatic acinus was determined by means of immunocytochemistry as well as by measurement of liver fatty acid binding protein in cellular protein selectively released from zone 1 and zone 3 cells by means of anterograde and retrograde liver perfusion with digitonin. In untreated male rats, specific immunocytochemical staining for liver fatty acid binding protein showed a declining portal-to-central hepatocellular gradient in intensity, consistent with the portal-to-central ratio of liver fatty acid binding protein abundance measured in effluents from digitonin-perfused livers of 1.6:1. Female and clofibratetreated male rats, in both of which hepatic synthesis and abundance of liver fatty acid binding protein are greater than in untreated males, differed as well in the pattern of acinar expression of this protein. In females, periportal concentrations of liver fatty acid binding protein determined from the effluent of livers perfused anterograde with digitonin were similar to male values, whereas liver fatty acid binding protein concentration in pericentral hepatocytes determined from the effluent of retrograde perfused livers was increased, resulting in a marked attenuation of the portal-to-central gradient of this protein; this was also apparent on immunocytochemistry. Clofibrate-treated rats, in contrast, displayed a panacinar increase in liver fatty acid binding protein with maintenance of the portal-to-central ratio observed in untreated males. We conclude that there exists a declining portal-to-central gradient in liver fatty acid binding protein cellular abundance in the hepatic acinus of untreated male rats. Furthermore, the increased synthesis and abundance of liver fatty acid binding protein in female and clofibrate-treated male rats results in two different alterations in the acinar expression of this protein, i.e. a pericentral increase (female) or a panlobular increase (clofibrate). Elucidation of the relationship between the zonation of hepatic fatty acid metabolism and the acinar expression of liver fatty acid binding protein should provide a more detailed understanding of the function of this protein.
Test pattern generation for path delay faults in synchronous sequential circuits using multiple fast clocks and multiple observation times

The problem of test generation for path delay faults in synchronous sequential circuits is addressed. In existing testing methods, a single fast clock cycle is used to activate path delay faults and a fault is said to be detected only if the fault free response is different from the faulty response at a single output and at a specified time unit in the test sequence. We refer to these methods as single fast clock cycle and single observation time testing methods. We show that testable faults may exist, which are untestable using a single fast clock cycle and a single observation time. Such faults are testable when multiple fast clock cycles and/or multiple observation times are used. A test generation procedure is given that uses multiple fast clock cycles and multiple observation times. Experimental results are presented on MCNC synthesis benchmarks to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in increasing the fault coverage and reducing the test length. >
The solution NMR structure of Antheraea polyphemus PBP provides new insight into pheromone recognition by pheromone-binding proteins.

Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) located in the antennae of male moth species play an important role in olfaction. They are carrier proteins, believed to transport volatile hydrophobic pheromone molecules across the aqueous sensillar lymph to the membrane-bound G protein-coupled olfactory receptor proteins. The roles of PBPs in molecular recognition and the mechanisms of pheromone binding and release are poorly understood. Here, we report the NMR structure of a PBP from the giant silk moth Antheraea polyphemus. This is the first structure of a PBP with specific acetate-binding function in vivo. The protein consists of nine a-helices: a1a (residues 2 ‐ 5), a1b (8 ‐12), a1c (16 ‐23), a2 (27 ‐ 34), a3a (46 ‐ 52), a3b (54 ‐59), a4 (70 ‐79), a5 (84 ‐ 100) and a6 (107 ‐125), held together by three disulfide bridges: 19‐ 54, 50 ‐108 and 97 ‐117. A large hydrophobic cavity is located inside the protein, lined with side-chains from all nine helices. The acetate-binding site is located at the narrow end of the cavity formed by the helices a3b and a4. The pheromone can enter this cavity through an opening between the helix a1a, the C-terminal end of the helix a6, and the loop between a2 and a3a. We suggest that Trp37 may play an important role in the initial interaction with the ligand. Our analysis also shows that Asn53 plays the key role in recognition of acetate pheromones specifically, while Phe12, Phe36, Trp37, Phe76, and Phe118 are responsible for non-specific binding, and Leu8 and Ser9 may play a role in ligand chain length recognition.
CHEMISTRY AND COLLISIONS IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS

All processes for particle removal in potable water treatment require proper design and control of solution and interfacial chemistry and of interparticle collisions. This is also true for most processes used to remove particle-reactive pollutants such as natural organic matter (NOM) and arsenic. The treatment processes involved span a range from conventional plants with coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and packed bed filtration through direct filtration, flotation, solids contact systems and microsand facilities and on to various membrane technologies. The “collisions” provided by each of these technologies differ in important ways. It follows that the “chemistry” most appropriate to each of them can also differ significantly and substantially. Similarly, the aggregation and settling of particles in rivers, lakes, estuaries and the ocean and also the deposition of colloidal particles in ground waters depend on surface and solution chemistry and on collisions of suspended particles with each other or with other media such as aquifer materials. This paper presents a discussion of the similarities and the differences in the chemistry and the collisions appropriate to some of these aquatic systems. It includes a focus on the colloid chemical role of natural organic matter in potable water treatment and in natural waters.
Packet Classification on Multi-core Platforms

Internet routers perform packet classification on incoming packets for various network services such as network security and Quality of Service (QoS) routing. All the incoming packets need to be examined against predefined rules in the router; packets are filtered out for security reasons or forwarded to specific ports during this process. Another well-known name for packet classification is packet filtering.
Effect of Different Assemblages of Larval Foods on Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) Growth and Whole Body Stoichiometry

We examined how mosquito life history parameters and whole body carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content responded to changing C, N, and P content in food. The southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and the western encephalitis mosquito, Cx. tarsalis Coquillett, were reared in containers with diary waste water (high food and C, N, and P concentrations) or effluent from a constructed wetland (low food and C, N, and P concentrations). Low food density decreased survivorship and delayed development from hatching to eclosion and reduced adult mass for both species. Adult females were always heavier than adult males, and Cx. tarsalis adults were heavier than Cx. quinquefasciatus adults. There was little change in C, N, and P content for Cx. quinquefasciatus adults across food treatments, whereas Cx. tarsalis was more variable in C and P, but there was little change in N. Adult Cx. quinquefasciatus had a higher P content (3.0%) than Cx. tarsalis (2.0%). Compared with other aquatic and terrestrial taxa, the relatively high percentage of N and P content (11.5 and 2.5%, respectively) of adult mosquitoes suggest an evolutionary trend toward rapid rates of growth, especially for species that use highly enriched habitats as developmental sites.
Convective flow reversal in self-powered enzyme micropumps

Surface-bound enzymes can act as pumps that drive large-scale fluid flows in the presence of their substrates or promoters. Thus, enzymatic catalysis can be harnessed for “on demand” pumping in nano- and microfluidic devices powered by an intrinsic energy source. The mechanisms controlling the pumping have not, however, been completely elucidated. Herein, we combine theory and experiments to demonstrate a previously unreported spatiotemporal variation in pumping behavior in urease-based pumps and uncover the mechanisms behind these dynamics. We developed a theoretical model for the transduction of chemical energy into mechanical fluid flow in these systems, capturing buoyancy effects due to the solution containing nonuniform concentrations of substrate and product. We find that the qualitative features of the flow depend on the ratios of diffusivities δ = D P / D S and expansion coefficients β = β P / β S of the reaction substrate ( S ) and product ( P ). If δ > 1 and δ > β (or if δ 1 and δ β ), an unexpected phenomenon arises: the flow direction reverses with time and distance from the pump. Our experimental results are in qualitative agreement with the model and show that both the speed and direction of fluid pumping ( i ) depend on the enzyme activity and coverage, ( ii ) vary with the distance from the pump, and ( iii ) evolve with time. These findings permit the rational design of enzymatic pumps that accurately control the direction and speed of fluid flow without external power sources, enabling effective, self-powered fluidic devices.
Development of a model-based specification of a medium voltage DC amplifier for DC shipboard system studies

This paper addresses the timely issues of modeling, and defining selection criteria for, a medium voltage DC (MVDC) laboratory power supply envisioned to operate as an amplifier for MVDC power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) experiments. A MVDC system differs significantly from traditional medium voltage AC Systems and in addressing these differences, it would be wise to ensure that the design approach for the MVDC system reflects not only the challenges of developing a working system, but also takes advantage of the opportunities that the extensive use of power electronics and control has to offer. The MVDC amplifier is intended to provide an opportunity for system studies that will support the development of all electric ship technologies. In order to expand PHIL capability into the realm of medium voltage DC, this paper is gathering information regarding technical approaches, to establish an MVDC amplifier with adequate bandwidth within a given set of economical constraints. This paper subsequently derives the parameters for the MVDC amplifier by comparing the characteristics of different power electronic converter topologies and establishing the model-based specification of the MVDC amplifier. Simulation results verify the feasibility of the highly dynamic performance of the proposed test platform.
Production of Fatty Livers in Guinea Pigs with Scorbutogenic Diets

Summary and ConclusionsScurvy produced in guinea pigs by the scorbutogenic diets used is accompanied by severe fatty degeneration of the liver. This process is slightly retarded by additional carbohydrate in the diet. These diets are apparently deficient in some other factor or factors, whose presence is necessary for normal liver physiology and morphology.
A Histological Study of the Eye and Brain of a One-Eyed Bee

Alfonsus (1) has described a curious one-eyed bee which he found in the college apiary in 1930. He describes the appearance and actions of this unusual specimen, but apparently did not subject the specimen to histological treatment in an effort to find out what rearrangement had taken place in the head in order for the brain to adapt itself to the displacement of the eye and other features of the exterior.
Depth dependence of residual strains in textured Mo thin films using high-resolution x-ray diffraction

The magnitude of the average stress in a thin film can be obtained by measuring the curvature of the film-substrate couple. However, the details of the strain distribution, as a function of depth through the thickness of the film, can have important consequences in governing film quality and ultimate morphology. A high-resolution x-ray diffraction method was used to determine the depth dependence of strain in a textured Mo film, with a nominal thickness of 260 nm, which was deposited by planar magnetron sputtering onto Si (100) substrates. The principal strains, resolved onto a laboratory reference frame, displayed a negligible gradient in the azimuthal directions (x and y), but displayed a large gradient in the direction normal to the film (z). A similar trend was previously observed for a 100 nm polycrystalline film, but the magnitude of the normal strain very near the free surface was about a factor of 2 less. The increase in the normal strain may be due to the development of a preferred growth direction and grain facetting. A linear elastic model was also used to determine the strains in successive slabs of the film, where strain variations between slabs were indicated.
Principle and status quo of inverse gas chromatography in investigating physicochemical parameter of polymer

As a fast, accurate and sensitive method, Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) was well applied in polymer science and engineering. The principles, methods and applications for IGC in testing physicochemical parameter of polymer, which contains the dispersive component of the surface free energy, the surface acid-base properties, crystallinity, temperature of phase transition, Flory-Huggins interaction parameter and diffusion coefficients, were reviewed. In addition, future research directions and prospects are suggested.
Role of nonselective cation current in muscarinic responses of canine colonic muscle

The mechanism of muscarinic excitation was studied in colonic muscle strips and isolated cells. In whole cell voltage-clamp studies performed at 33 degrees C utilizing the permeabilized patch technique, acetylcholine (ACh) reduced an L-type Ca2+ current. With K+ currents blocked, depolarization to positive potentials in the presence of ACh elicited outward current. Difference currents showed that ACh activated a voltage-dependent current that reversed at about -8 mV; this current (IACh) had properties similar to the nonselective cation conductance found in other smooth muscle cells. The reversal potential of IACh shifted toward negative potentials when external Na+ was reduced, and the inward current elicited at -70 mV decreased when external Na+ was reduced. IACh was facilitated by internal Ca2+. After the current was activated at a holding potential of -70 mV, depolarizations to -30 to 0 mV elicited influx of Ca2+ via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. After repolarization to the holding potential, a large inward tail current was observed. IACh was blocked by Ni2+ and Cd2+ at concentrations of 100 microM or less. Quinine (0.5 mM) also blocked IACh. With the use of the sensitivity of IACh to reduced external Na+ and divalent cations, the role of IACh in responses of intact muscles to ACh was examined. When external Na+ was reduced, ACh failed to increase slow-wave duration, and Ni2+ (50 microM) reversed the depolarization caused by ACh. These data suggest an important role for IACh in the electrical responses of colonic muscles. The contribution of IACh appears to prolong slow waves, which would allow greater entry of Ca2+ and increased force development.
Evaluating the Feasibility of Using Remote Technology for Cochlear Implants

The use of remote technology to provide cochlear implant services has gained popularity in recent years. This article contains a review of research evaluating the feasibility of remote service delivery for recipients of cochlear implants. To date, published studies have determined that speech-processor programming levels and other objective tests (electrode impedance and electrically evoked compound action potentials) are equivalent to those obtained in the face-to-face condition. Despite these promising findings, speech perception using remote technology has proven to be more challenging. Previous investigations have evaluated speech perception with recipients of cochlear implants using videoconference (Polycom) equipment in nonsound-treated rooms (due to lack of access to audiological sound booths in rural areas). Results have revealed poorer speech perception scores using remote technology compared to face-to-face results. Additionally, it has been shown that Polycom transmission of a speech stimulus does not cause significant compression for adequate evaluation; rather, poorer results are due to testing performed in nonsound-treated environments. Based on the literature, telepractice is a feasible option for cochlear implant service delivery. Barriers to the wide-spread use of remote services for recipients of cochlear implants include a uniform system for the evaluation of speech perception, validation of services for pediatric recipients and initial activations, license reciprocity, and reimbursement for services.
Genetics of Motor and Sensory Neuropathy Type 2C

Thirty-three subjects in a large family with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) type 2C were examined by linkage analysis at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Nutrition in Children and Adolescents

Nutrition is a critical factor for appropriate child and adolescent development. Appropriate nutrition changes according to age. Nutrition is an important element for prevention of disease development, especially for chronic diseases. Many children and adolescents live in environments that do not promote optimum nutrition. Families must work to provide improved food environments to encourage optimum nutrition. Early primordial prevention of risk factors for chronic disease, such as cardiovascular disease, is important, and dietary habits established early may be carried through adult life.
Application of extrudable insulants to dc cables

1. The degree of stability of resistivity with regard to stress and temperature depends upon the chemical formulation of the extruded material.
W Scores: Background and Derivation:

W scores are used in a number of commercially available tests. Due to their complex nature, it can be hard for applied researchers and practitioners to understand them or even acquire information a...
Local changes in network structure contribute to late communication recovery after severe brain injury

Spontaneous recovery of brain function after severe brain injury may evolve over a long time period and is likely to involve both structural and functional reorganization of brain networks. We longitudinally tracked the recovery of communication in a patient with severe brain injury using multimodal brain imaging techniques and quantitative behavioral assessments measured at the bedside over a period of 2 years and 9 months (21 months after initial injury). Structural diffusion tensor imaging revealed changes in brain structure across interhemispheric connections and in local brain regions that support language and visuomotor function. These findings correlated with functional brain imaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, which demonstrated increased language network recruitment in response to natural speech stimuli, graded increases in interhemispheric interactions of language-related frontal cortices, and increased cerebral metabolic activity in the language-dominant hemisphere. In addition, electrophysiological studies showed recovery of synchronization of sleep spindling activity. The observed changes suggest a specific mechanism for late recovery of communication after severe brain injury and provide support for the potential of activity-dependent structural and functional remodeling over long time periods.
Observation of the Global Dynamic Collectivity of a Hydration Shell around Apomyoglobin.

Protein surface hydration is critical to the protein’s structural properties and biological activities. However, it is still unknown whether the hydration shell is intrinsically connected and how its fluctuations dynamically interact with protein motion. Here, by selecting five site-specific locations with distinctly different environments around the surface of apomyoglobin, we used a tryptophan scan with femtosecond fluorescence spectroscopy and simultaneously detected hydration water dynamics and tryptophan side-chain relaxations with temperature dependence. We observed two types of relaxations for both interfacial hydration water and the tryptophan side chain. The former is always faster than the latter, and both motions show direct linear correlations with temperature changes, indicating one origin of their motions and hydration water driving of side-chain fluctuations. Significantly, we found the relaxation energy barriers are uniform across the entire protein surface, all less than 20 kJ/mol, strong...
Particle boundedness in Γ{ /jk;l i }=0, g ij;k =0 field theory

We have studied the problem of particle boundedness in the field theory based on the equations Γ jk;l i =0,g ij;k =0.We have found no evidence of boundedness. However, this negative result may be the result of using too simplified a solution to the integrability equation.
Case-based flipped classroom approach to teach sustainable infrastructure and decision-making

ABSTRACTDesign, engineering, and construction for more sustainable infrastructure involve complex decisions with considerable risk and uncertainty. To prepare students for such challenges, agencies...
On Modeling the Incidence of AIDS

The AIDS epidemic is only now beginning to peak in America. According to the CDC surveillance report dated August 1, 1988, there were 69,366 reported cases of the disease in the United States with 9,647 new cases reported during the first seven months of 1988 alone. Non-drug using homosexual or bisexual men account for 63% of all adult AIDS cases. Most epidemiologists agree that there is considerable information on the prevalence of HIV infection, but much less known about the trend or incidence of the infection (Dondero et al. 1988). This is because data varies in quality due to its wide range of sources: medical centers, state and local health departments, the U.S. Public Health Service. The epidemic is also difficult to track because it is really made up of many subepidemics involving a variety of subgroups, some of which have unique methods of disease transmission: homosexuals, bisexuals, prostitutes, IV drug users transfusion recipients, and children born to victims. Until data efforts are better coordinated and until much more is known about the behavior of the infection in these various risk groups an effective model for overall incidence of the disease cannot be constructed. The purpose of this paper is to formulate stochastic epidemic models for the incidence of the disease among homosexuals, the major group at increased risk for HIV infection.
The Meaning of Efficiency

The concept of efficiency (or cost in terms of efficiency) has been used in a completely intuitive way, with the strategic motive of deferring the frustrating problem of seeking a fundamental definition. In the opinion of the author there is no hope of finding such a definition outside the circle of biological concepts themselves, that is, outside the framework of the theory of evolution. However, within this framework the idea of efficiency translates into the concept of fitness, and therefore into a form which is as elusive and primitive as fitness.
Feminist learning strategies in health professions education.

Feminist pedagogical strategies can help combat hierarchy and marginalization in health professions education.
The Value of Behavioral Perspectives in Treating Older Adults

Behavioral approaches used in the treatment of older adults have now been implemented and evaluated over about a 25-year period. The field of behavioral gerontology, as it is known, is noted by Wisocki (1991) to be “best defined as the application of behavioral principles and procedures to the problems of the elderly and the issues of aging” (p. 3). Interventions based on these principles have proven to be among the most effective treatments for a wide variety of behavior problems for all age groups.
The second-best theory of taxation with general production technologies and many consumers

This chapter presents a discussion on the second-best theory of taxation with general production technologies and many consumers. The chapter discusses the second-best analysis in two directions to make it more responsive to real-world economies. The first direction is to incorporate general production technologies with increasing cost production possibilities frontiers. The other direction is to consider the case of many consumers with different tastes and different marginal social welfare weights. With general technologies, producer prices vary as government policy variables move society along (or inside of) its production-possibilities frontier. Also, pure economic profits or losses are possible and have to be accounted for in a general equilibrium framework. As a consequence of these features, the marginal loss from taxation depends on production derivatives as well as consumption derivatives. The many-consumer economy brings the social welfare function back into the analysis in a fundamental way such that distinctions between the equity and efficiency implications of government policy become blurred. In addition, the concept of a general aggregate income measure of tax loss becomes problematic.
Patient Selection and Surgical Approach to Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

The management of complex colorectal cancer liver metastases continues to evolve as improvements in systemic chemotherapy, liver augmentation strategies, non-resectional therapies, surgical technologies, and perioperative care occur. Critical to optimizing patient outcomes is an orderly and consistent approach to patient selection as well as reliance on a multidisciplinary approach and utilization of all surgical tools available. Such an approach will permit the extension of curative-intent treatments to the largest number of patients.
Draft Genome Sequence of Halomonas sp. Strain SL1, a Putative Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Producing Halophile.

ABSTRACT Halomonas sp. strain SL1, a halophilic gammaproteobacterium, was isolated from samples from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. We report here the draft genome sequence of SL1, which has an estimated total sequence length of 3.6 Mb.
Chance Constrained Model Predictive Control via Active Uncertainty Set Learning and Calibration

Model predictive control (MPC) under chance constraints has been a promising solution to complicated control problems subject to uncertain disturbance. However, traditional approaches either require exact knowledge of probabilistic distributions, or rely on massive multi-scenarios that are generated to represent uncertainties. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed based on actively learning a compact high-density region from available data in form of a polytope. This is achieved by adopting the support vector clustering, which has been recently utilized in data-driven robust optimization. A new strategy is developed to calibrate the size of the polytope, which provides appropriate probabilistic guarantee. Finally the optimal control problem is cast as a robust optimization problem, which can be efficiently handled by existing numerical solvers. The proposed method commonly requires less data samples than traditional approaches, and can help reducing the conservatism, thereby enhancing the practicability of model predictive control. The efficacy of the proposed method is verified based on a simulated example.
X-Ray: Screenshot Accessibility via Embedded Metadata

Screenshots are frequently shared on social media, via personal communications, and in academic papers. Unfortunately, existing screenshot tools strip away semantics useful for making the content accessible, leaving only pixels. For example, a screenshot of a table removes the structural information useful for conveying it. We quantify the scale of the problem via a study of academic papers, showing that a large number of images included in academic papers are screenshots, and validate this via qualitative interviews with researchers about their figure generation process. We then introduce X-Ray, a system that captures and embeds the semantics of the underlying content into images. Using the X-Ray screenshot tool, semantic information is captured and stored in the Exif data of the resulting image, allowing it to "tag along" as the image is shared and reposted. We demonstrate that our approach retains accessibility for screen reader users via a study with five blind participants. More generally, our approach suggests a method for embedding accessibility metadata into otherwise inaccessible formats, enabling them to retain the more accessible representations that are present at capture time.
Historicity in Music

Music appears also as a function of historical determinants. How is music determined by such factors? What could be New Music versus Old Music? We argue against such fashionable but superficial terms.
Assessing Historical Variability of South Asian Monsoon Lows and Depressions With an Optimized Tracking Algorithm

Author(s): Vishnu, S; Boos, WR; Ullrich, PA; O'Brien, TA | Abstract: Cyclonic low-pressure systems (LPS) produce abundant rainfall in South Asia, where they are traditionally categorized as monsoon lows, monsoon depressions, and more intense cyclonic storms. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has tracked monsoon depressions for over a century, finding a large decline in their number in recent decades, but their methods have changed over time and do not include monsoon lows. This study presents a fast, objective algorithm for identifying monsoon LPS and uses it to assess interannual variability and trends in reanalyses. Variables and thresholds used in the algorithm are selected to best match a subjectively analyzed LPS data set while minimizing disagreement between four reanalyses in a training period. The stream function of 850 hPa horizontal wind is found to be optimal in this sense; it is less noisy than vorticity and represents the complete nondivergent wind, even when flow is not geostrophic. Using this algorithm, LPS statistics are computed for five reanalyses, and none show a detectable trend in monsoon depression counts since 1979. Both the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55) and the IMD data set show a step-like reduction in depression counts when they began using geostationary satellite data, in 1979 and 1982, respectively; the 1958–2018 linear trend in JRA-55, however, is smaller than in the IMD data set, and its error bar includes 0. There are more LPS in seasons with above-average monsoon rainfall and in La Nina years, but few other large-scale modes of interannual variability are found to modulate LPS counts, lifetimes, or track length consistently across reanalyses.
Defining a minimum number of examined lymph nodes improves the prognostic value of lymphadenectomy in pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background Lymph node (LN) metastasis is associated with decreased survival following resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In N0 disease, increasing total evaluated LN (ELN) correlates with improved outcomes suggesting patients may be understaged when LNs are undersampled. We aim to assess the optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELN) following pancreatectomy. Methods Data from 1837 patients undergoing surgery were prospectively collected. The binomial probability law was utilized to analyze the minimum number of examined LNs (minELN) and accurately characterize each histopathologic stage. LN ratio (LNR) was compared to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines. Results As ELN total increased, the likelihood of finding node positive disease increased. An evaluation based upon the binomial probability law suggested an optimal minELN of 12 for accurate AJCC N staging. As the number of ELNs increased, the discriminatory capacity of alternative strategies to characterize LN disease exceeded that offered by AJCC N stage. Conclusion This is the first study dedicated to optimizing histopathologic staging in PDAC using models of minELN informed by the binomial probability law. This study highlights two separate cutoffs for ELNs depending upon prognostic goal and validates that 12 LNs are adequate to determine AJCC N stage for the majority of patients.
Anwendung des Gesamtkonzeptes am Beispiel des Karosseriebaus

In diesem Kapitel wird das entwickelte Konzept beispielhaft im Karosseriebau eines grosen deutschen Automobilherstellers angewendet. Neben der energetischen Aufnahme eines bestehenden Karosseriebaus durch die Lastprofilanalyse sowie der Arbeitsgruppenpriorisierung werden anschliesend die Ergebnisse verwendet, um ein Karosseriebauplanungsprojekt unter Verwendung des Expertensystems energetisch zu verbessern.
Cytokine Profiling in Plasma from Patients with Brain Tumors Versus Healthy Individuals using 2 Different Multiplex Immunoassay Platforms.

We compared the performance of two 96-well multiplex immunoassay platforms in assessing plasma cytokine concentrations in patients with glioblastoma (GBM; n = 27), individuals with melanoma, breast...
Ultrasound-Guided Thrombin Injection for the Treatment of Bleeding Following Kidney and Liver Biopsies.

The purpose of this study was to describe the technique and outcomes of percutaneous thrombin injection into the superficial aspect of actively bleeding liver and kidney biopsy tracks identified with color Doppler ultrasound with the aim of hemorrhage termination. After percutaneous thrombin injection, 15/16 (94%) patients did not require further intervention. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection into the superficial site of active bleeding is an effective technique for terminating bleeding in the immediate post-procedure period following kidney and liver biopsies and should be considered if active bleeding persists on color Doppler after ≥30 minutes of compression and observation.
Housing interventions for emerging adults experiencing homelessness: A scoping review

Abstract Introduction This review aims to identify and synthesize literature focused on housing interventions for young adults experiencing homelessness. Methods Following a five-stage approach to scoping reviews, a computerized search was conducted between February 4–8, 2019 to include peer-reviewed articles from a total of eight electronic databases: PsychINFO, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Social Work Abstracts, Cochrane, Clinicaltrials.gov, and CINAHL. The search was limited to include literature published between January 1, 1987 and December 31, 2018. Search parameters included three domains: homelessness, housing intervention, and age. Results Of the initial 7,344 sources identified, 29 articles met the search criteria and were included in the final sample. Housing models discussed in the reviewed literature include Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional and Independent Housing and Living Programs, the Foyer model, Housing First, and general Supportive Housing. Housing models were discussed in the context of outcome domains including quality of life, education, employment, housing tenure, cost of intervention, systems and service use, HIV, and social network and relationships. Discussion Housing interventions for young adults experiencing homelessness remains a relatively new intervention to combat homelessness among younger demographics. While the evidence base continues to grow, there remains a need for quality research to generate empirical evidence in this area, though studies included in this review showed promise for the development of best housing practices with this population.