cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey on Sleep Behavior of School Children with Obesity in A City

Objective To survey sleep behavior of school children with obesity in Shenyang city.Methods A total of 55 school children with obesity were selected from Shenzhou Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College,while another 59 healthy children were selected as the control group.All children were treated with time of daily life activities of school children and the Children’ Sleep Habits Questionnaire(CSHQ).Results The playing time in the obesity group was significantly lower than that in the control group,but the hours of sleep in the obesity group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P0.05-0.01).Moreover,the item scores and total scores of CSHQ in the obesity group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P0.05-0.01).Conclusion The hours of sleep,especially in forms of sleep disorders,of school children with obesity in Shenyang city is significantly longer.
Marker Half-Life Analysis as a Prognostic Tool in Testicular Cancer

In a retrospective study we compared the actual half-life of the serum tumor markers alphafetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin to the clinical course of patients who underwent an operation or chemotherapy for germ cell cancer. Of the 7 patients with residual disease postoperatively 5 had abnormal half-life values and in 3 this knowledge would have been of clinical value. Only 1 of 10 patients with a complete response to chemotherapy had an unfavorable actual half-life compared to 17 of 19 with a less than complete response. Prolonged marker decay rates during the first month of chemotherapy reflected ineffective chemotherapy and appeared to be independent of tumor bulk. Postoperatively, actual half-lives probably are useful prognostically only if the values are abnormal. Similar calculation may be of prognostic value early in the course of induction chemotherapy.
Two new species of eyeless amphipods from a coastal area in Japan (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hadziidae, Melitidae), with reinstatement of the genus Paraniphargus Tattersall, 1925

ABSTRACTTwo new species of eyeless amphipods are described from coastal Japan. Dulzura projecta sp. nov. (Hadziidae) was collected under large stones and in coarse sand from Osaka to Mie Prefectures. Dulzura projecta can be distinguished from the other Dulzura species by the distinct projection on article 1 of the male pleopod 3 inner ramus and the very long carpus of male gnathopod 1. Paraniphargus shiosai sp. nov. (Melitidae) was collected in coarse sand from Mie Prefecture, and can be differentiated from the other two species in the genus by the dorsal teeth on the pleonites, the smaller coxa 4 with shallow excavation and the shorter antenna 1 flagellum. Paraniphargus is reinstated as a distinct genus, following observation of the gnathopods, which revealed sexual monomorphism between males and females.
Preparation and stability of milk somatic cell reference materials

Our objectives were to develop a method to produce milk somatic cell count (SCC) reference materials for calibration of electronic somatic cell count (ESCC) using gravity separation and to determine the effect of refrigerated storage (4°C) and freeze-thaw stability of the skim and whole milk SCC reference materials. Whole raw milk was high-temperature short-time pasteurized and split into 2 portions. One portion was gravity separated at 4°C for 22 h and the second portion was centrifugally separated to produce skim milk that was also gravity separated with somatic cells rising to the surface. After 22 h, stock solutions (low SCC skim milk, high SCC skim milk, high SCC whole milk) were prepared and preserved (bronopol). Two experiments were conducted, one to compare the shelf-life of skim and whole milk SCC standards at 4°C and one to determine the effect of freezing and thawing on SCC standards. Both experiments were replicated 3 times. Gravity separation was an effective approach to isolate and concentrate somatic cells from bovine milk and redistribute them in a skim or whole milk matrix to create a set of reference materials with a wider and more uniformly distributed range of SCC than current calibration sets. The liquid SCC reference materials stored using the common industry practice at 4°C were stable (i.e., fit for purpose, no large decrease in SCC) for a 2-wk period, whereas frozen and thawed reference materials may have a much longer useful life. A gradual decrease occurred in residual difference in ESCC (SCC × 1,000/mL) versus original assigned reference SCC over duration of refrigerated storage for both skim and whole milk SCC samples, indicating that milk ESCC of the preserved milks was gradually decreasing during 28 d of storage at 4°C by about 15,000 SCC/mL. No difference in the ESCC for skim milk was detected between refrigerated and frozen storage, whereas for whole milk the ESCC for frozen was lower than refrigerated samples. Future work is needed to determine the time and temperature of longer term frozen storage over which the SCC results are stable.
Commentary on Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in Operations and Supply‐Chain Management

The title of this paper might have been Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in the POM Domain. Instead, these accomplished authors (who shall be dubbed with honorable intentions as RSST) define the POM domain as Operations and Supply-Chain Management. Thereby, they leave no doubt that the POM domain spans the entire supply chain from shovels in the mine and seeds in the ground to recycled waste that is remanufactured and sold as new (as well as refurbished) products. RSST declare that sustainability of the ecosystem cycle must be achieved (even in the face of disaster conditions) by all institutions. RSST believe that practitioners can be taught the necessary attitudes and skills by business and engineering schools. It is noteworthy that the ecosystem cycle they describe is accompanied by marketing and financial decision cycles running parallel from inception of ideas to the 'end of life' closure that starts a new cycle for closed-loop product planning. For these coexisting, interdependent, all-encompassing systems, the RSST team leaves no doubt about the evolution of teaching and research opportunities for young POM scholars. These authors focus on the fact that everything that is not morphing is likely to become counterproductive in the not too far future. This is a critical point of view which is based on the fact that the status quo is highly vulnerable. Also, very special is the RSST warning that changes are required in the status quo which must be made without damaging the existing fabric. This non-disruptive way of doing POM business has been remarkably successful for the cohesion of the field over the past 25 years. There is agreement that it is great to shake things up without tearing those things apart. All of this leads to the conclusion that the advice of these authors ( RSST) is correct and valuable. Debate and disputation of these points is encouraged and expected by the RSST team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Hybrid surface phononic waveguide using hyperbolic boron nitride

Sub-diffraction limited waveguides have been studied as a means to manipulate light into nanoscale regions. Hybrid waveguides are popular candidates in optical regimes for subwavelength confinement and long range propagation. However, advances in the mid-IR are lacking due to high propagation losses and limited confinement. Here we present the first analysis of hybrid phononic waveguide using a hyperbolic material h-BN to generate surface phonon polaritons. The strong coupling between the photonic cylinder and phononic surface enhances the confined field up to 10−3 λo 2 (λo is free-space wavelength) and enables propagation distances up to 100 λo. Our work is fully compatible with integrated polaritonic devices in the mid-IR and provides a systematic approach to design hybrid phononic waveguides.
A fuzzy gap statistic for fuzzy C-means

The gap statistic is a statistical method for determining the number of optimal clusters for an unsupervised clustering algorithm and has been shown to outperform other cluster validity indices for the K-means clustering algorithm. In this paper, we assess the performance of the gap statistic when applied to the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm and introduce a fuzzy gap statistic. We compare the gap statistic performance versus the partition coefficient and entropy indices introduced by Bezdek, the Xie-Beni and extended Xie-Beni indices, and the Fukuyama-Sugeno index. We show that the fuzzy gap statistic is more robust than the ordinary gap statistic for the IRIS data set, and we show promising results when comparing the gap statistic to the traditional fuzzy clustering indices.
Application of Hyperspectral Data

Three decades of airborne imaging spectroscopy have demonstrated the added value of this remote sensing technique to improve the understanding of Earth’s functioning. With the advent of airborne imaging spectroscopy, the specialized image processing system has made the generation of quantitative methods such as semi-analytical and analytical methods possible. Producing thematic maps depicting spatial and temporal distribution patterns of optical water quality parameters are based on the image interpretation and calibration for better monitoring and management of water resources.
Evaluation of BMP-2 Mediated Bone Formation Using Enzymatically Crosslinkable Injectable Hydrogels: An In Vivo Study Using Transgenic Fluorescent Reporter Mouse Model

The study highlights the potential of Col3.6 transgenic fluorescent reporter mouse models to understand BMP mediated localized bone formation, using enzymatically crosslinkable glycol chitosan hydrogel as a delivery vehicle. Using the injectable gel, rhBMP-2 (0.5 µg/defect) was able to fully regenerate the critical sized calvarial defect in vivo at 8 weeks. At a cellular level, the tissue showed the presence of mature osteoblasts (bright green) with active mineralization (AC) and osteogenic activity (ALP) as well as presence of osteoclasts (TRAP) carrying out active remodeling, indicating the quality and maturation of the mineralized, regenerated tissue.
PRISM Software: Processing and Review Interface for Strong‐Motion Data

ABSTRACT A continually increasing number of high‐quality digital strong‐motion records from stations of the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as data from regional seismic networks within the United States, calls for automated processing of strong‐motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. In combination with the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System (AQMS), PRISM automates the processing of strong‐motion records. When used without AQMS, PRISM provides batch‐processing capabilities. The PRISM software is platform independent (coded in Java), open source, and does not depend on any closed‐source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine composed of modules for each processing step, and a review tool, which is a graphical user interface for manual review, edit, and processing. To facilitate use by non‐NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and review tool) is easy to install and run as a stand‐alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible to accommodate implementation of new processing techniques. All the computing features have been thoroughly tested.
Proteomic mapping of cytosol-facing outer mitochondrial and ER membranes in living human cells by proximity biotinylation.

The cytosol-facing membranes of cellular organelles contain proteins that enable signal transduction, regulation of morphology and trafficking, protein import and export, and other specialized processes. Discovery of these proteins by traditional biochemical fractionation can be plagued with contaminants and loss of key components. Using peroxidase-mediated proximity biotinylation, we captured and identified endogenous proteins on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and endoplasmic reticulum membrane (ERM) of living human fibroblasts. The proteomes of 137 and 634 proteins, respectively, are highly specific and highlight 94 potentially novel mitochondrial or ER proteins. Dataset intersection identified protein candidates potentially localized to mitochondria-ER contact sites. We found that one candidate, the tail-anchored, PDZ-domain-containing OMM protein SYNJ2BP, dramatically increases mitochondrial contacts with rough ER when overexpressed. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry identified ribosome-binding protein 1 (RRBP1) as SYNJ2BP’s ERM binding partner. Our results highlight the power of proximity biotinylation to yield insights into the molecular composition and function of intracellular membranes.
Level of Cigarette Consumption and Duration of Smoking Abstinence During Failed Quit Attempts Among Long-Term Daily Smokers: the Role of Race/Ethnicity and Cessation Aids.

The goal of this study was to determine whether race/ethnicity and use of smoking cessation aids are associated with the duration of the last serious quit attempt and reductions in cigarette consumption among long-term daily smokers who tried, and failed, to quit smoking during the preceding year. Data came from the 2010–2011 Tobacco Use Supplement survey conducted in the USA, and analyses included 6672 reports of long-term daily smokers (i.e., smokers who smoked daily for 1 year or longer) who made at least one serious quit attempt in the past 12 months. About 39% of these smokers used at least one smoking cessation aid during their last quit attempt. Use of aids was significantly lower for non-Hispanic Black (NHB, 29%) and Hispanic (HISP, 29%) smokers than for non-Hispanic White (NHW, 42%) smokers, possibly due to differences in socioeconomic status and access to healthcare for smoking cessation. The effect of using any aids on mean cigarette reduction and duration of the last long quit attempt (i.e., one that lasted a day or more) was similar across race/ethnicity. Using any aids did not substantially influence mean cigarette reduction but was positively associated with duration of the quit attempt: the duration was 6 days longer (CI = 3:10), on average, when aids were used than when smokers attempted to quit unassisted. Race/ethnicity was significantly associated with mean cigarette reduction (p = 0.023); non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native smokers had the highest mean reduction (of 3 cigarettes, CI = 1:5) among the racial/ethnic groups considered. Use of aids may help increase duration of quit attempts﻿ and thus, may increase likelihood of quitting successfully in the near future.
Genotyping of Bartonella bacteria and their animal hosts: current status and perspectives

Growing evidence demonstrates that bacterial species diversity is substantial, and many of these species are pathogenic in some contexts or hosts. At the same time, laboratories and museums have collected valuable animal tissue and ectoparasite samples that may contain substantial novel information on bacterial prevalence and diversity. However, the identification of bacterial species is challenging, partly due to the difficulty in culturing many microbes and the reliance on molecular data. Although the genomics revolution will surely add to our knowledge of bacterial systematics, these approaches are not accessible to all researchers and rely predominantly on cultured isolates. Thus, there is a need for comprehensive molecular analyses capable of accurately genotyping bacteria from animal tissues or ectoparasites using common methods that will facilitate large-scale comparisons of species diversity and prevalence. To illustrate the challenges of genotyping bacteria, we focus on the genus Bartonella, vector-borne bacteria common in mammals. We highlight the value and limitations of commonly used techniques for genotyping bartonellae and make recommendations for researchers interested in studying the diversity of these bacteria in various samples. Our recommendations could be applicable to many bacterial taxa (with some modifications) and could lead to a more complete understanding of bacterial species diversity.
Reaction Catalyzed by GenK, a Cobalamin-Dependent Radical S-Adenosyl-l-methionine Methyltransferase in the Biosynthetic Pathway of Gentamicin, Proceeds with Retention of Configuration.

Many cobalamin (Cbl)-dependent radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) methyltransferases have been identified through sequence alignment and/or genetic analysis; however, few have been studied in vitro. GenK is one such enzyme that catalyzes methylation of the 6′-carbon of gentamicin X2 (GenX2) to produce G418 during the biosynthesis of gentamicins. Reported herein, several alternative substrates and fluorinated substrate analogs were prepared to investigate the mechanism of methyl transfer from Cbl to the substrate as well as the substrate specificity of GenK. Experiments with deuterated substrates are also shown here to demonstrate that the 6′-pro-R-hydrogen atom of GenX2 is stereoselectively abstracted by the 5′-dAdo· radical and that methylation occurs with retention of configuration at C6′. Based on these observations, a model of GenK catalysis is proposed wherein free rotation of the radical-bearing carbon is prevented and the radical SAM machinery sits adjacent rather than opposite to the Me-Cbl cof...
Scheduled Lightpath Switching with Spatio-Spectral Resource Affinity

This work proposes Lightpath switching to nonuniformly diversify the particular resource configurations allocated to extreme-scale optical wavelength-routed reservations at intermittent intervals within their allotted uptimes. Lightpath switching exposes the traffic scheduler to enhanced potential for predictably apportioning unconsumed and fragmented resources, thereby increasing utilization efficiency without requirement for augmenting the underlying network equipment. The price of effective lightpath switching is accrued as costly transponder reconfiguration overhead. Cost is assessed at per-session granularity and then halved at scale through the incorporation of heuristics designed to incentivize lightpath resource affinity and minimize surplus lightpath switching.11This work has been supported by National Science Foundation grants ACI-1541434 and CNS-1406370, as well as Department of Energy grant DE-SC0012115TDD.
The Effects of Militarized Interstate Disputes on Incumbent Voting Across Genders

Gender and politics research argues that men are more hawkish and supportive of militarized confrontations with foreign foes, while women ostensibly prefer more diplomatic approaches. This suggests that, after a militarized confrontation with a foreign power, women’s likelihood of voting for the incumbent will both decrease and be lower than that of men. Our individual-level, cross-national examinations cover 87 elections in 40 countries, 1996–2011, and show only some support for such notions. Women punish incumbents when their country is targeted in a low-hostility militarized interstate dispute (MID) or when their country is the initiator of a high-hostility MID. The low-hostility MID initiation and high-hostility MID targeting scenarios, meanwhile, prompt women to be more likely to vote for the incumbent. Importantly, men’s reactions rarely differ from women’s, casting doubt on the existence of a gender gap in electoral responses to international conflict.
Goal Programming Sensitivity Analysis: The Tolerance Approach

Traditional sensitivity analysis, because of its inherent one degree of freedom, is not adequate in dealing with the uncertainties of penalty weights in goal programming. Here we show how the recently developed Tolerance Approach can be used to address such uncertainties and can be implemented as an interactive sensitivity analysis of the penalty weights.
The Influence of Intra-arterial Administration of Histamine upon the Circulating Leukocytes of Man

1. The leukocyte content of femoral arterial and venous blood was determined simultaneously following the administration of 0.1 to 0.3 mg. of histamine (as base) directly into the femoral artery in 5 patients at rates varying from 1.1 to 6.7 µg. per second. 2. A marked and prompt decrease in leukocyte number was found in the blood from the femoral vein of the same leg after the histamine infusion started; this preceded the changes in the blood from the femoral artery. 3. The discrepancy between the venous and arterial counts indicates the withdrawal of leukocytes within the circulation of the lower extremity which is generally related to the rate and amount of histamine administered. 4. In 6 patients, histamine (0.15 to 0.4 mg.) was administered directly into the aorta at levels from T 3 to L 2 . In five of nine instances, blood from the pulmonary artery or inferior vena cava initially showed a prompt fall in leukocyte number, which exceeded the leukopenia observed in blood sampled from the aorta. In two instances, the leukocyte counts from the aorta exhibited no significant change. 5. The venous leukopenia following the administration of histamine into the aorta probably occurs as a result of sequestration of leukocytes in the peripheral capillaries which accompanies the arterial leukopenia due to a similar effect in the pulmonary circulation.
The role of the fiberscope in the critically ill patient

Applications of the fiberoptic bronchoscope (fiberscope) in the intensive care unit setting include evaluation of the airway, trachea and bronchial intubation, aid to changing endotracheal tubes, and placement for difficult nasogastric tubing. Intubation of the awake versus the unconscious or anesthetized patient is discussed along with the devices available. Finally, success of alleviating major airway complications begins with proper training.
Differential Regulation of Putative M1/M2 Muscarinic Receptors: Implications for Different Receptor-Effector Coupling Mechanisms

This chapter focuses upon results from our recent studies concerning the drug specificities and regulatory profiles of high-affinity muscarinic agonist binding site subtypes. The data are presented in conjunction with other evidence for muscarinic receptor subtypes and a significant portion of the discussion emphasizes the potential involvement of distinct receptor-effector coupling mechanisms for these subtypes. Other reviews relevant to this topic are currently available (1–4).
Mobile Phone, Computer, and Internet Use Among Older Homeless Adults: Results from the HOPE HOME Cohort Study.

Background: The median age of single homeless adults is approximately 50 years. Older homeless adults have poor social support and experience a high prevalence of chronic disease, depression, and substance use disorders. Access to mobile phones and the internet could help lower the barriers to social support, social services, and medical care; however, little is known about access to and use of these by older homeless adults. Objective: This study aimed to describe the access to and use of mobile phones, computers, and internet among a cohort of 350 homeless adults over the age of 50 years. Methods: We recruited 350 participants who were homeless and older than 50 years in Oakland, California. We interviewed participants at 6-month intervals about their health status, residential history, social support, substance use, depressive symptomology, and activities of daily living (ADLs) using validated tools. We performed clinical assessments of cognitive function. During the 6-month follow-up interview, study staff administered questions about internet and mobile technology use. We assessed participants’ comfort with and use of multiple functions associated with these technologies. Results: Of the 343 participants alive at the 6-month follow-up, 87.5% (300/343) completed the mobile phone and internet questionnaire. The median age of participants was 57.5 years (interquartile range 54-61). Of these, 74.7% (224/300) were male, and 81.0% (243/300) were black. Approximately one-fourth (24.3%, 73/300) of the participants had cognitive impairment and slightly over one-third (33.6%, 100/300) had impairments in executive function. Most (72.3%, 217/300) participants currently owned or had access to a mobile phone. Of those, most had feature phones, rather than smartphones (89, 32.1%), and did not hold annual contracts (261, 94.2%). Just over half (164, 55%) had ever accessed the internet. Participants used phones and internet to communicate with medical personnel (179, 64.6%), search for housing and employment (85, 30.7%), and to contact their families (228, 82.3%). Those who regained housing were significantly more likely to have mobile phone access (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.81, 95% CI 1.77-8.21). Those with ADL (AOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.92) and executive function impairment (AOR 0.49; 95% CI 0.28-0.86) were significantly less likely to have mobile phones. Moderate to high risk amphetamine use was associated with reduced access to mobile phones (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10-0.72). Conclusions: Older homeless adults could benefit from portable internet and phone access. However, participants had a lower prevalence of smartphone and internet access than adults aged over 65 years in the general public or low-income adults. Participants faced barriers to mobile phone and internet use, including financial barriers and functional and cognitive impairments. Expanding access to these basic technologies could result in improved outcomes.
Best Vascular Access in the Elderly: Time for Innovation?

Background: Conflicting data continue to surround the optimal dialysis access for the elderly. Many propose that catheters are the best option for this population; others emphasize the creation of an arteriovenous fistula. Summary: While an arteriovenous access is the best available access, it has a high early failure rate, particularly in the elderly. However, significant differences exist in forearm (men ≥65 years ~70%; women ≥65 years ~80%) versus upper arm (men ≥65 years ~40%; women ≥65 years ~38%) fistula failure rates in the elderly, with upper arm having much lower failure rates. Two percutaneous innovative techniques that successfully establish fistulas at the upper arm using proximal radial/ulnar ­artery as the inflow have been recently introduced. These procedures have been successfully performed in the elderly. Importantly, these techniques bypass the open surgical exploration and as such avoid the surgical manipulation of the juxta-anastomotic region (a common cause for the development of juxta-anastomotic stenosis and early fistula failure). Key Message: This article discusses the arteriovenous fistula creation in the elderly, highlights the factors necessary for successful fistula creation, and describes the 2 innovative techniques that can be used to provide a robust platform for successful fistula creation in this population.
UNIT B6.4 Contrast Agents

Contrast agents in general are exogeneous substances employed to alter natural tissue contrast. The motivation behind the use of contrast agents in MR imaging is to further enhance contrast between normal and diseased tissue types and indicate functionality of an organ. The focus of this unit is to give to the basic mechanisms of contrast agents in MR without going into their clinical applications.
Exercise Practice and Compliance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The purpose of this study was to examine the “anatomy” of exercise in a cohort of older adults. First, the characteristics of those able to meet an exercise benchmark (i.e., five exercise events per week or more) at baseline or follow-up were also identified. Second, the exercise profile of compliers (those able to meet the exercise benchmark at baseline and follow-up) was dissected to address the question, How is compliance with an exercise standard achieved by older adults? The implications of cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the data were designed to provide insight into community-based exercise and physical activity programming for older adults. Subjects were derived from an archived, longitudinal data set of 2,592 adults in the United States, including an over-sampling of those aged 60 and older. This study was restricted to 1,103 subjects 60 and older at baseline and 614 subjects available at follow-up. “Regular” exercisers (those able to meet the exercise benchmark at baseline or follow-up) were compared to non-exercisers at baseline and follow-up to identify factors that discriminated between the two groups. Longitudinal analysis involved tracking those subjects who were regular exercisers at baseline and follow-up and then examining the structure of their exercise. The results suggested that older adults who regularly exercised in this cohort were clearly advantaged with respect to health-related and demographic characteristics: a little younger, better educated, less functionally limited, fewer chronic conditions, less likely to be employed, and more apt to have the support that comes with marriage or having a partner. Compliers and regular exercisers were best represented as avid walkers, with compliers characterized notably by either of two “cross-trainer” typologies; they were prone to practice more than one of physical activity option rather than persist with only one mode of exercise. Practical implications urge programs for older adult physical activity that support a variety of walking options—outdoor trails, mall walking, city circuits around neighborhoods, walking groups, walking in the water, and treadmill walking. The frequency of cross-training among compliers underscores the need for a greater diversity of physical activity choices and more varied exercise venues for seniors, such as resistance training, aquatic exercise, dancing, yoga, tai chi, balance exercises, even adapted physical education classes for older adults in pools, recreation centers, and parks.
Are adrenergic overactivity and splanchnic vasoconstriction the prime pathophysiological events in shock

During the past three decades, an hypothesis has evolved to explain the pathophysiology of lethal human shock states. I shall refer to this hypothesis as the “adrenergic theory of shock”. The adrenergic theory is widely accepted (2,6,7). In essence, the theory holds that the stress that produces shock—whether by blood loss, sepsis, myocardial infarction, or trauma—activates mechanisms in the body which initially restore arterial pressure and cardiac output back to normal. Among these compensatory mechanisms is stimulation of the sympathetic nervous sytem and release of circulating catecholamines. The adrenergic system is overstressed by the severe and prolonged cause of shock. The result is widespread arteriolar constriction, particularly in the splanchnic region. Poor perfusion of critical abdominal viscera ensues, leading to ischemic damage of tissues in the liver, the reticulo-endothelial system, and the gut. Impaired defense processes, deranged metabolic activity, and loss of function of the intestinal barrier are major consequences of splanchnic vasoconstriction. Toxic molecules, such as endotoxins, enter the circulation and cannot be cleared by normal defenses.
Human-Like Combat Behaviour via Multiobjective Neuroevolution

Although evolution has proven to be a powerful search method for discovering effective behaviour for sequential decision-making problems, it seems unlikely that evolving for raw performance could result in behaviour that is distinctly human-like. This chapter demonstrates how human-like behaviour can be evolved by restricting a bot’s actions in a way consistent with human limitations and predilections. This approach evolves good behaviour, but assures that it is consistent with how humans behave. The approach is demonstrated in the \({UT{\char 94}2}\) bot for the commercial first-person shooter videogame Unreal Tournament 2004. \({UT{\char 94}2}\) ’s human-like qualities allowed it to take second place in BotPrize 2010, a competition to develop human-like bots for Unreal Tournament 2004. This chapter analyzes \({UT{\char 94}2}\) , explains how it achieved its current level of humanness, and discusses insights gained from the competition results that should lead to improved human-like bot performance in future competitions and in videogames in general.
Venous Thrombosis in Nephrotic Syndrome

The column in this issue is supplied by Whitney Sharp, D.O., and Juan Jose Olivero, M.D. Dr. Sharp is chief medical resident in internal medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital and earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Olivero is a nephrologist at Houston Methodist Hospital and a member of the hospital's Nephrology Training Program. He obtained his medical degree from the University of San Carlos School of Medicine in Guatemala, Central America, and completed his residency and nephrology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Nutrition in Chronic Liver Disease: A Point‐of‐Care Review

Patients with chronic liver disease have a very high lifetime risk of malnourishment. It has been increasingly identified in literature that the severity of liver disease affects severity of malnutrition and vice versa. The objective of this review article is to recognize the severity of complications associated with malnutrition in patients with cirrhosis and ways to overcome these obstacles.
Sputtered SrxNbO3 as a UV-Transparent Conducting Film.

Expanding the application space of transparent electrodes toward the ultraviolet range has been found challenging when utilizing the conventional approach to degenerately dope semiconductors with band gaps larger than ZnO or In2O3. Here, it is shown that the correlated metal SrxNbO3 with x < 1 is ideally suited as a UV-transparent electrode material, enabling UV light-emitting diodes for a wide range of applications from water disinfection to polymer curing. It is demonstrated that SrxNbO3 thin films can be grown by radio frequency (RF) sputtering and that they remain in the perovskite phase despite a sizeable Sr deficiency. The electrical and optical properties are characterized and compared to those of commonly used indium tin oxide (ITO) and Sn-doped Ga2O3 transparent conductor standards. SrxNbO3 films were found to have sheet resistances as low as 30 Ω sq-1 with optical transmission at a wavelength of 280 nm up to 86%, marking a two-order-of-magnitude increase over the performance of traditional UV-transparent conductors. The compatibility of SrxNbO3 with a physical vapor deposition technique that is widely employed in the transparent conductor coating industry along with the robustness of the highly electrically conducting and optically transparent perovskite phase makes it an ideal transparent electrode for applications in the UV spectrum.
Evaluation of a Comprehensive Skin Toxicity Program for Patients Treated With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors at a Cancer Treatment Center

Importance Up to 90% of patients treated with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi) experience cutaneous toxic effects that are negatively associated with quality of life and lead to treatment interruptions. The Skin Toxicity Evaluation Protocol With Panitumumab trial found reduced incidence of skin toxicity and quality of life impairment with preemptive use of doxycycline hyclate, topical corticosteroids, moisturizers, and sunscreen, demonstrating the benefit of prophylactic treatment for skin toxicity. Objective To evaluate the association of a comprehensive skin toxicity program with adherence to prophylaxis guidelines for the prevention of EGFRi-associated cutaneous toxic effects. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all adult patients receiving at least 1 dose of cetuximab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the calendar year 2012 (2 years after publication of the Skin Toxicity Evaluation Protocol With Panitumumab) or the calendar year 2017 (2 years after full implementation of the Skin Toxicities from Anticancer Therapies program). Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were rate of preemptive rash treatment and selection of preemptive agents. Secondary outcomes were incidence of rash, rates of rescue treatments, rates of cetuximab dose changes or interruptions, and overall survival at 2 years. Results There were 118 patients (85 men; median age, 62.4 years [range, 23.5-91.7 years]) treated with cetuximab in 2012 and 90 patients (70 men; median age, 62.5 years [range, 30.7-90.5 years]) treated with cetuximab in 2017; 11 patients (9%) in 2012 and 31 patients (34%) in 2017 were treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute affiliate sites. At cetuximab treatment initiation, 29 patients (25%) in 2012 and 42 patients (47%) in 2017 were prophylactically treated for skin toxicity (P Conclusions and Relevance Dermatologists can add value to oncology care by raising awareness of appropriate treatment options and increasing adherence to evidence-based prophylaxis protocols for EGFRi-associated rash, which is associated with decreased interventions and toxicity-associated chemotherapy interruptions.
Atomic force microscopy for nanoscale mechanical property characterization

Over the past several decades, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has advanced from a technique used primarily for surface topography imaging to one capable of characterizing a range of chemical, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic material properties with subnanometer resolution. In this review, we focus on AFM as a nanoscale mechanical property characterization tool and examine various AFM contact and intermittent contact modes that add mechanical contrast to an imaged surface. Through detailed analysis of the tip-sample contact mechanics, this contrast can be converted into quantitative measurements of various nanomechanical properties including elastic modulus, shear modulus, wear rate, adhesion, and viscoelasticity. Different AFM modes that provide such measurements are compared and contrasted in this work on a wide range of materials including ceramics, metals, semiconductors, polymers, and biomaterials. In the last few years, considerable improvements have been made in terms of fast imaging capabilities, tip preservation, and quantitative mechanics for multifrequency measurements as well as well-known AFM modes like amplitude modulation and peak-force tapping. In line with these developments, a major highlight of this review is the discussion of the operation and capabilities of one such mode, namely, intermittent contact resonance AFM (ICR-AFM). The applications of ICR-AFM to nanoscale surface and subsurface quantitative mechanical characterizations are reviewed with specific examples provided for thin polymeric films and patterned nanostructures of organosilicate dielectric materials. The combination of AFM-based mechanical characterization with AFM-based chemical spectroscopy to allow nanoscale structure-property characterization is also discussed and demonstrated for the analysis of low-k dielectric/copper nanoelectronic interconnect structures and further highlights synergistic advances in the AFM field.
Prediction of crystallized phases of amorphous Ta2O5-based mixed oxide thin films using a density functional theory database

The genomics approach to materials, heralded by increasingly accurate density functional theory (DFT) calculations conducted on thousands of crystalline compounds, has led to accelerated material discovery and property predictions. However, so far, amorphous materials have been largely excluded from this as these systems are notoriously difficult to simulate. Here, we study amorphous Ta2O5 thin films mixed with Al2O3, SiO2, Sc2O3, TiO2, ZnO, ZrO2, Nb2O5, and HfO2 to identify their crystalline structure upon post-deposition annealing in air both experimentally and with simulations. Using the Materials Project open database, phase diagrams based on DFT calculations are constructed for the mixed oxide systems and the annealing process is evaluated via grand potential diagrams with varying oxygen chemical potential. Despite employing calculations based on crystalline bulk materials, the predictions agree well with the experimentally observed crystallized phases of the amorphous thin films. In the absence of ternary phases, the dopant acts as an amorphizer agent increasing the thermal stability of Ta2O5. The least efficient amorphizer agent is found to be Nb2O5, for which the cation has similar chemical properties to those of Ta in Ta2O5. These results show that DFT calculations can be applied for the prediction of crystallized structures of annealed amorphous materials. This could pave the way for accelerated in silico material discovery and property predictions using the powerful genomic approach for amorphous oxide coatings employed in a wide range of applications such as optical coatings, energy storage, and electronic devices.
S&P Coupon Bond Ratings and Business Cycles: 1985-2009

Many argue that credit rating agencies have perverse incentives to allow the quality of bond ratings to slip, and that this tendency had important implications for the recent market meltdown and ensuing protracted recession. I conduct an empirical study of whether the long-term corporate bond ratings issued by S&P became milder between 1985 and 2009. I use an option-based measure of the probability of firm default as a benchmark against the ratings. I find that the ratings actually became slightly tougher over recent decades. During a typical recession S&P gives softer ratings against the probability of default than during normal economic times. In the expansion between 1991 and 2001, the ratings were more rigorous in the early phase of recovery, but milder in the later phases of expansion. However, during the most recent expansion, from 2001 to 2007, there is little evidence of a slackening of the credit quality standards late in the cycle.
A comparison of COVID-19 inpatients by HIV status.

COVID-19 in-hospital morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH) were compared to HIV-negative COVID-19 patients within a New York City metropolitan health system, the hardest hit region in the United States early in the pandemic. A total of 10,202 inpatients were diagnosed with COVID-19, of which 99 were PLWH. PLWH were younger (58.3 years (SD = 12.42) versus 64.32 years (SD = 16.77), p < 0.001) and had a higher prevalence of men (73.7% versus 57.9%, p = 0.002) and Blacks (43.4% versus 21.7%, p < 0.001) than the HIV-negative population. PLWH had a higher prevalence of malignancies (18% versus 7%, p = < 0.001), chronic liver disease (12% versus 3%, p < 0.001), and end-stage renal disease (11% versus 4%, p = 0.007). Use of a ventilator, admission to the ICU, and in-hospital mortality were not different. Of the 99 PLWH, 12 were virally unsuppressed and 9 had CD4% < 14. Two of the 12 virally unsuppressed patients and 4/9 patients with CD4% < 14 died. Ninety-one of the 99 PLWH were on treatment for HIV, and 5 of the 8 not on treatment died. Among PLWH with prior values, absolute CD4 count decreased an average of 192 cells/mm3 at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis (p < 0.001). Hospitalized patients with HIV and COVID-19 coinfection did not have worse outcomes than the general population. Among PLWH, those with CD4%<14 or not on treatment for HIV had higher mortality rates. Those PLWH who received IL-6 inhibitors had lower mortality rates. PLWH given antifungal medications, hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics (including azithromycin), steroids, and vasopressors had higher mortality rates.
Broadband CARS Probe Using the Picosecond Continuum

Coherent antistokes Raman scattering (CARS) provides a potentially useful diagnostic approach to the identification and study of transient molecular fragment species produced as the primary events in UV laser photolysis of molecules. GROSS, GUTHALS, and NIBLER [1] applied nanosecond dye laser techniques to obtain scanned as well as broadband single-shot CARS spectra of transient species from 266-nm photolysis of benzene vapor and derivatives. This work was extended to the picosecond time scale by HETHERINGTON III, KORENOWSKI, and EISENTHAL [2] who used optical parametric generation to provide tunable frequency Stokes pulses for a point-by-point probe of the photolysis spectrum. Earlier, GREEN, WEISMAN, and HOCHSTRASSER [3] had demonstrated single frequency picosecond CARS measurements in molecular nitrogen. In the present paper, development of a broadband picosecond CARS probe technique is reported. The method uses the picosecond white-light continuum [4] as Stokes light and enables an extensive antistokes spectrum to be obtained in a single 5-ps laser pulse.
Base Isolation of Buildings for Control of Ground-borne Vibration

These works, edited by Malcolm Crocker, positioned Wiley as a major player in the acoustics reference market.
Using hash functions as a hedge against chosen ciphertext attack

The cryptosystem recently proposed by Cramer and Shoup [CS98] is a practical public key cryptosystem that is secure against adaptive chosen ciphertext attack provided the Decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption is true. Although this is a reasonable intractability assumption, it would be preferable to base a security proof on a weaker assumption, such as the Computational Diffie-Hellman assumption. Indeed, this cryptosystem in its most basic form is in fact insecure if the Decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption is false. In this paper we present a practical hybrid scheme that is just as efficient as the scheme of of Cramer and Shoup; indeed, the scheme is slightly more efficient than the one originally presented by Cramer and Shoup; we prove that the scheme is secure if the Decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption is true; we give strong evidence that the scheme is secure if the weaker, Computational Diffie-Hellman assumption is true by providing a proof of security in the random oracle model.
Site Model of Allometric Scaling and Fractal Distribution Networks of Organs

At the basic geometric level, the distribution networks carrying vital materials in living organisms, and the units such as the nephrons and alveoli, form a scaling structure named here the site model. This unified view of the allometry of the kidney and lung of mammals is in agreement with the existing data, and in some cases, improves the predictions of the previous fractal model of the lung. Allometric scaling of surfaces and volumes of relevant organ parts are derived from a few simple propositions about the collective characteristics of the sites. New hypotheses and predictions are formulated, some verified by the data, while others remain to be tested, such as the scaling of the number of capillaries and the site model description of other organs.
Vicarious Peer Victimization and Adolescent Violence: Unpacking the Effects of Social Learning, General Strain, and Peer Group Selection

This study examines how the victimization of a close friend, or vicarious peer victimization, affects adolescent violence. Competing processes linking vicarious peer victimization and violence are empirically evaluated including social learning theory, general stain theory, and peer group selection models. The analyses use peer-network data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Regression models demonstrate that the association between vicarious peer victimization and violence is attributed primarily to peer-group selection and social learning mechanisms. These findings indicate that victimization affects not only the immediate victims of violence, but permeates throughout adolescent social networks.
Minimum Separating Circle for Bichromatic Points in the Plane

Consider two point sets in the plane, a red set of size n, and a blue set of size m. In this paper we show how to find the minimum separating circle, which is the smallest circle that contains all points of the red set and as few points as possible of the blue set in its interior. If multiple minimum separating circles exist our algorithm finds all of them. We also give an exact solution for finding the largest separating circle that contains all points of the red set and as few points as possible of the blue set in its interior. Our solutions make use of the farthest neighbor Voronoi Diagram of point sites.