cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, characterization, and photoinduced electron transfer properties of core-functionalized perylene-3,4: 9,10-bis(dicarboximide)s with pendant anthracenes

A series of donor–acceptor molecules consisting of core-brominated and -cyanated perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) structures covalently linked to two terminal pendant alkylanthracenes (A) is described. These hybrid molecules, having varying alkyl tether lengths as well as PDI electron affinities, were synthesized by condensation of a 1,7-dibromoperylene tetracarboxylic acid anhydride with the appropriate aminoalkylanthracene, followed by cyanation with CuCN. Thermal, optical, and electrochemical properties were characterized. PDI moiety photoexcitation results in pendant anthracene oxidation, generating 1(A+˙-PDI−˙-A) species. The solution dynamics of this one-electron charge separation were characterized by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, and charge separation rates are found to vary with alkyl tether length. Trends in these rates are attributed to solution phase geometric variations of the PDI-A structure, reflecting the flexibility of the spacer.
The Early Business History of Four Massachusetts Railroads—III

This study is an exploration, on a limited scale, of the part played by businessmen in early railroad construction and operation. The business history of railroading is significant not only for that industry but also for the leadership that the railroads maintained among the large business units in the nineteenth century and the consequent influence on organization, management methods, and policies of big business. In this paper we are concerned only with a sample, the beginnings in the decades of the 'thirties and 'forties, in order (1) to see wherein our knowledge of early railroad history needs enlarging and (2) to demonstrate the type of information that can be gleaned from the manuscript minutes, reports, and correspondence of early railroads.
Pilot Study of Rapid Infusion of 2 L of 4°C Normal Saline for Induction of Mild Hypothermia in Hospitalized, Comatose Survivors of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background— Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that mild hypothermia (32°C to 34°C) induced by surface cooling improves neurological outcome after resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Results from animal models suggest that the effectiveness of mild hypothermia could be improved if initiated as soon as possible after return of spontaneous circulation. Infusion of cold, intravenous fluid has been proposed as a safe, effective, and inexpensive technique to induce mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Methods and Results— In 17 hospitalized survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, we determined the effect on temperature and hemodynamics of infusing 2 L of 4°C cold, normal saline during 20 to 30 minutes into a peripheral vein with a high-pressure bag. Data on vital signs, electrolytes, arterial blood gases, and coagulation were collected before and after fluid infusion. Cardiac function was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography before fluid administration and 1 hour after infusi...
Neuronal Development in Culture

Analysis of the development of such a complex structure as the mammalian CNS obviously requires a variety of approaches in which different degrees of simplification and reductionism will be involved. It has been evident from the earliest experiments in cell culture that neural properties are expressed in culture and that application of this technique to appropriate questions could give highly instructive results. We wish to discuss one approach to a neurodevelopmental question which involves a relatively complex central neuronal preparation. Despite the complexity of our preparation, it departs significantly from the level of organization that characterizes intact neural structures and we note some of the substantial reservations that such departure entails. The difficulty in equating in vitro with in vivo phenomena must be addressed and we will point out some of the close parallels as well as the discrepancies.
Theory of moves: The anticipation problem: there may be no resolution

Introduction In chapter 1 I illustrated, using just one game, a startling difference between the predictions of the standard theory (i.e., based on Nash equilibria) and TOM. Whereas TOM predicts one of three possible NMEs in game 56, depending on the initial state, the standard theory picks out only one of these NMEs as the (Nash) equilibrium. But if the players anticipate the NMEs in a prior “anticipation game,” the one that is also the Nash equilibrium will be chosen, as I shall show later. However, this may not always be the case, which gives rise to an “anticipation problem.” I begin the analysis in this chapter with one of these games, which is a game of total conflict: what is the best (4) outcome for one player is worst (1) for the other, and what is next best (3) for one is next worst (2) for the other. This is game 11 and is shown in figure 2.1. To characterize these states verbally, let 4 indicate that a player “wins,” 3 that it is “advantaged”; not shown, 2 means that it is “disadvantaged,” and 1 that it “loses.” Observe that the sum of the ranks for the players in each state in game 11 is 5. If these ranks were cardinal utilities, then game 11 would be a constant-sum game , wherein the constant is 5.
Continuous spectrophotometric measurements of arteriovenous oxygen difference

A relatively inexpensive dual-beam optical absorbance monitor was tested and adapted to measure arterio-enous oxygen difference ((a - v)delta O2). Since the molar extinction coefficients of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin are markedly different at 660 nm, the difference in optical density between arterial and venous blood, as measured by the absorbance monitor, was shown to be linearly related to (a - v)delta02. When appropriate cuvettes (optical path length = 0.5 mm) were used, the instrument's 90% response time (4.4 s) was sufficiently rapid for most physiological applications such as Fick determinations of the rate of an organ's oxygen consumption. The theoretical basis of this spectrophotometric (a - v)deltaO2 measurement and sources of error are discussed in detail.
Micro examination of museum workplace culture: how institutional changes influence the culture of a real-world art museum

ABSTRACTThis paper explores how the art museum's leadership, management structure, and internal communications influence its workplace culture. Using ethnographic inquiry and grounded theory, the paper demonstrates how a specific museum's organizational culture is constructed and how it can be changed through various structural and value-driven changes based on an emerging theory of an organization as an open system. At the museum, an unstable organizational structure caused by frequent leadership turnover factored heavily in creating a non-collaborative workplace with ongoing personal conflicts. The institutional and internal changes called for a more flexible management system than the traditional hierarchical structure. However, by adopting qualities of a learning organization that constantly evolves and grows, this art museum can become a more effective and efficient organization with a stable management structure, sustainable and collective leadership, an effective communicational system, and therefo...
Hybrid model and appearance based eye tracking with kinect

Existing gaze estimation methods rely mainly on 3D eye model or 2D eye appearance. While both methods have validated their effectiveness in various fields and applications, they are still limited in practice, such as portable and non-intrusive system and robust eye gaze tracking in different environments. To this end, we investigate on combining eye model with eye appearance to perform gaze estimation and eye gaze tracking. Specifically, unlike traditional 3D model based methods which rely on cornea reflections, we plan to retrieve 3D information from depth sensor (Eg, Kinect). Kinect integrates camera sensor and IR illuminations into one single device, thus enable more flexible system settings. We further propose to utilize appearance information to help the basic model based methods. Appearance information can help better detection of gaze related features (Eg, pupil center). Plus, eye model and eye appearance can benefit each other to enable robust and accurate gaze estimation.
Future Lidar Platforms in Space

Current Agency plans for the NASA Space Station Program include development of a laser facility to conduct scientific experiments from a polar-orbiting platform. A recommended set of experiments for the facility is to improve scientific understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere utilizing techniques of laser atmospheric backscatter (optical radar), Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL), altimetry and retro-ranging. Laser atmospheric backscatter experiments have a long heritage as remote sensing experiments to measure the vertical profiles of atmospheric aerosols, the altitude and optical thickness of clouds, and the height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). These experiments have been conducted since the early seventies from ground-based facilities, and more recently from low-altitude aircraft. For optical backscatter experiments, wavelength tunable lasers have not been essential, and these experiments have been conducted using conventional ruby lasers, and Nd:YAG lasers at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies (i.e. 1064 nm; 532 nm; 355 nm; 694 nm; 347 nm). The basic principle of optical radar when compared to conventional radar depends upon the fact that at optical frequencies, the wavelength is approximately five orders of magnitude smaller and approaches the size of atmospheric particulates and molecules. This enhances the backscatter cross section considerably, and through range gating techniques provides a capability to measure the vertical profiles of atmospheric aerosols with a resolution of better than 1 km. The narrow field of view provided by the coherence of the laser beam, in principle, allows a horizontal resolution on the order of 50 meters from space.
Crystal orientation dependent intersubband transition in semipolar AlGaN/GaN single quantum well for optoelectronic applications

The optical properties of intersubband transition in a semipolar AlGaN/GaN single quantum well(SQW) are theoretically studied, and the results are compared with polar c-plane and nonpolar m-plane structures. The intersubband transition frequency, dipole matrix elements, and absorption spectra are calculated for SQW on different semipolar planes. It is found that SQW on a certain group of semipolar planes (55° < θ < 90° tilted from c-plane) exhibits low transition frequency and long wavelength response with high absorption quantum efficiency, which is attributed to the weak polarization-related effects. Furthermore, these semipolar SQWs show tunable transition frequency and absorption wavelength with different quantum well thicknesses, and stable device performance can be achieved with changing barrier thickness and Al compositions. All the results indicate that the semipolar AlGaN/GaN quantum wells are promising candidate for the design and fabrication of high performance low frequency and long wavelength optoelectronic devices.
Water from air: an overlooked source of moisture in arid and semiarid regions

Water drives the functioning of Earth’s arid and semiarid lands. Drylands can obtain water from sources other than precipitation, yet little is known about how non-rainfall water inputs influence dryland communities and their activity. In particular, water vapor adsorption – movement of atmospheric water vapor into soil when soil air is drier than the overlying air – likely occurs often in drylands, yet its effects on ecosystem processes are not known. By adding 18O-enriched water vapor to the atmosphere of a closed system, we documented the conversion of water vapor to soil liquid water across a temperature range typical of arid ecosystems. This phenomenon rapidly increased soil moisture and stimulated microbial carbon (C) cycling, and the flux of water vapor to soil had a stronger impact than temperature on microbial activity. In a semiarid grassland, we also observed that non-rainfall water inputs stimulated microbial activity and C cycling. Together these data suggest that, during rain-free periods, atmospheric moisture in drylands may significantly contribute to variation in soil water content, thereby influencing ecosystem processes. The simple physical process of adsorption of water vapor to soil particles, forming liquid water, represents an overlooked but potentially important contributor to C cycling in drylands.
Abstract 810: The CARRIERS consortium: Establishing refined breast cancer risk estimates in known predisposition genes

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer, and has a strong heritable component, with approximately 15 percent of new cases having family history of breast cancer. Genetic panel testing for patients with a family history of breast cancer has become a popular clinical resource. However, the risk of breast cancer associated with inactivating mutations in the predisposition genes is largely undefined, creating critical limitations in the interpretations of the results from panel testing and subsequent medical management. The Cancer Risk Estimates Related to Susceptibility Genes (CARRIERS) consortium was established to determine the risk of cancers associated with truncating mutations in the known predisposition genes and to extend these studies to the clinical classification of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the relevant genes. CARRIERS involves screening of approximately 30,000 population-based breast cancer cases and 30,000 study matched controls for mutations in 28 established or proposed breast cancer predisposition genes. Population-based risks for breast cancer associated with mutations in each gene will be estimated. In parallel, 10,000 breast cancer cases from moderate and high-risk breast cancer families will be similarly screened for mutations and the penetrance of the mutations in high-risk families will be estimated. Furthermore, VUS identified by mutation screening will be characterized by functional and family-based studies and models for classification of the clinical relevance of VUS in each gene will be developed. These data are expected to lead to improvements in cancer risk assessment and improved management of patients found to carry mutations or VUS in breast cancer predisposition. Citation Format: Jenna Lilyquist, Peter Kraft, Steven N. Hart, Emily J. Hallberg, Chunling Hu, Raymond Moore, Rohan Gnanaolivu, Susan M. Domchek, Jeffrey N. Weitzel, Katherine L. Nathanson, David E. Goldgar, Fergus J. Couch. The CARRIERS consortium: Establishing refined breast cancer risk estimates in known predisposition genes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 810.
Movements Indicate Threat Response Phases in Children at Risk for Anxiety

Temporal phases of threat response, including potential threat (anxiety), acute threat (startle, fear), and post-threat response modulation, have been identified as the underlying markers of anxiety disorders. Objective measures of response during these phases may help identify children at risk for anxiety; however, the complexity of current assessment techniques prevent their adoption in many research and clinical contexts. We propose an alternative technology, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), that enables noninvasive measurement of the movements associated with threat response, and test its ability to detect threat response phases in young children at a heightened risk for developing anxiety. We quantified the motion of 18 children (3−7 years old) during an anxiety-/fear-provoking behavioral task using an IMU. Specifically, measurements from a single IMU secured to the child's waist were used to extract root-mean-square acceleration and angular velocity in the horizontal and vertical directions, and tilt and yaw range of motion during each threat response phase. IMU measurements detected expected differences in child motion by threat phase. Additionally, potential threat motion was positively correlated to familial anxiety risk, startle range of motion was positively correlated with child internalizing symptoms, and response modulation motion was negatively correlated to familial anxiety risk. Results suggest differential theory-driven threat response phases and support previous literature connecting maternal child risk to anxiety with behavioral measures using more feasible objective methods. This is the first study demonstrating the utility of an IMU for characterizing the motion of young children to mark the phases of threat response modulation. The technique provides a novel and objective measure of threat response for mental health researchers
Using the Native Afferent Nervous System to Sense Bladder Fullness: State of the Art

The regulation of micturition involves complex neurophysiologic pathways, and its understanding has grown immensely over the past decade. Alternative approaches and applied technologies in the treatment of bladder dysfunction have minimized the complications that result from neurogenic bladder. The use of natural bladder mechanoreceptors and electroneneurographic (ENG) signal recordings from afferent nerves to chronically monitor bladder volume is a promising concept, but the technology to accomplish this has proven to be a great biomedical engineering challenge. The focus of this paper will be to describe the current state of ENG signal recording as a method to detect bladder fullness.
Why Care Whether Scepticism is Different from Other Philosophies

L’article porte sur la facon dont Sextus, dans les derniers chapitres du Livre I des Esquisses pyrrhoniennes, repond aux argumentations qui tendent a rattacher le scepticisme a diverses philosophies plus anciennes. Apres une etude de la nature et des sources de ces argumentations a partir du temoignage de Diogene Laerce et d’autres auteurs, et le constat que bien des questions a ce sujet ne peuvent que rester sans reponse, la majeure partie de l’article est consacree a l’analyse des contre-arguments avances par Sextus. Dans presque tous les cas, il apparait que Sextus s’oppose fermement a tout rapprochement du scepticisme avec d’autres philosophies. Cela est d’autant plus surprenant que la philosophie de l’Antiquite tardive manifeste une tendance marquee a se reclamer de predecesseurs. L’attitude de Sextus s’explique par son desir de faire comprendre le plus clairement possible que le scepticisme, en realite, n’a rien d’une philosophie au sens ordinaire du terme. La rarete, chez Sextus, des references a des predecesseurs nommement designes, y compris au sein de la tradition pyrrhonienne, peut aussi s’expliquer par le souhait de paraitre completement different des philosophes tels qu’on les comprend habituellement.
Em defesa do Direito Probatório fundado em regras - e da Epistemologia também

RESUMO: Desde que Jeremy Bentham escreveu a sua severa critca ao Direito Probatorio, filosofos e juristas tem critcado as regras probatorias excludentes argumentando que as regras formais que excluem classes inteiras de provas em razao da sua alegada infabilidade violam maximas epistemologicas fundamentais que exigem que toda prova pertinente seja levada em consideracao. Embora algumas partes da prova possam ser excluidas por falta de fabilidade -- argumentam eles -- seria um erro fazer tais juizos em relacao a categorias inteiras, em oposicao a faze-los somente em relacao a provas especifcas apresentadas para propositos especificos. Este artgo poe em causa essas alegacoes, argumentando que exclusoes fundadas em regras servem a propositos similares aqueles desempenhados pelas regras nas teorias morais consequencialistas de regras, e que, de maneira ainda mais importante, elas sao totalmente consistentes com a natureza excludente das regras juridicas em geral. Na verdade, uma vez visto o papel que as regras excludentes podem desempenhar na Epistemologia Juridica, se torna possivel ver que elas poderiam ter um papel a desempenhar na avaliacao epistemica em geral. ABSTRACT: Ever since Jeremy Bentham wrote his scathing critique of the law of evidence, both philosophers and legal scholars have criticized the exclusionary rules of evidence, arguing that formal rules excluding entre classes of evidence for alleged unreliability violate basic epistemological maxims mandating that all relevant evidence be considered. Although particular pieces of evidence might be excluded as unreliable, they argue, it is a mistake to make such judgments for entire categories, as opposed to making only in the context of particular pieces of evidence offered for specifc purposes. This paper challenges these claims, arguing that rule-based exclusions serve similar purposes to those served by rules in rule-consequentalist moral theories, and that, even more importantly, they are entirely consistent with the exclusionary nature of legal rules in general. Indeed, once we see the role that exclusionary rules might serve in legal epistemology, we can see that they might have a role to play in epistemic appraisal more generally.
Inundative Release of Archytas marmoratus (Diptera: Tachinidae) Against the Corn Earworm and Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Whorl-Stage Corn

A 3-yr pilot test was conducted to determine the feasibility of controlling early-season populations of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith...
Polarization energy of two charged dielectric spheres in close contact

Evaluating the interaction energy between charged dielectric spheres in close contact is difficult because interfacial charge polarization becomes increasingly stronger as separation decreases. The limit of high dielectric permittivity is amenable to theoretical treatment because the particles become equipotential upon close contact. For particles with low permittivity, the constitutive equation for the induced surface charges demanded by the boundary conditions is derived in this work, based on which the contact energy of symmetric cases is evaluated. The known result for conducting spheres is recovered as a limiting case.
Overexpressing TPTE2 (TPIP), a homolog of the human tumor suppressor gene PTEN, rescues the abnormal phenotype of the PTEN-/- mutant.

One possible approach to normalize mutant cells that are metastatic and tumorigenic, is to upregulate a functionally similar homolog of the mutated gene. Here we have explored this hypothesis by generating an overexpressor of TPTE2 (TPIP), a homolog of PTEN, in PTEN-/- mutants, the latter generated by targeted mutagenesis of a human epithelial cell line. Overexpression of TPTE2 normalized phenotypic changes associated with the PTEN mutation. The PTEN-/- -associated changes rescued by overexpressing TPTE2 included 1) accelerated wound healing in the presence or absence of added growth factors (GFs), 2) increased division rates on a 2D substrate in the presence of GFs, 3) adhesion and viability on a 2D substrate in the absence of GFs, 4) viability in a 3D Matrigel model in the absence of GFs and substrate adhesion 5) loss of apoptosis-associated annexin V cell surface binding sites. The results justify further exploration into the possibility that upregulating TPTE2 by a drug may reverse metastatic and tumorigenic phenotypes mediated in part by a mutation in PTEN. This strategy may also be applicable to other tumorigenic mutations in which a homolog to the mutated gene is present and can substitute functionally.
Induction of aquaporin-1 mRNA following cardiopulmonary bypass and reperfusion.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) are important components of congenital cardiac surgery. Ischemia/reperfusion injury and inflammatory cascade activation result in endothelial damage and vascular leak, which are clinically manifested as pulmonary edema and low cardiac output postoperatively. Newborns are particularly susceptible. Subtraction cloning is a useful method of isolating induced genes and can be applied to CPB/HCA. We used a newborn lamb model replicating infant CPB with HCA to obtain tissues during various periods of reperfusion. We utilized subtraction cloning to identify mRNA induced in lung following CPB/HCA and reperfusion. Ribonuclease protection was used to quantify mRNA levels. We isolated a cDNA encoding ovine aquaporin-1 in a subtracted cDNA screen comparing control lung with lung exposed to CPB/HCA and reperfusion. Aquaporin-1 mRNA levels increased 3-fold in lung (p =.006) exposed to CPB/HCA and 6 hr of reperfusion. No induction was observed immediately following bypass or after 3 hr of reperfusion. We found no significant induction of aquaporin-1 mRNA following bypass, arrest, and reperfusion in other tissues surveyed, including ventricle, atrium, skeletal muscle, kidney, brain, and liver. Our finding that aquaporin-1 mRNA is reproducibly induced in lung following CPB/HCA with 6 hr of reperfusion suggests an important role for the water channel in the setting of pulmonary edema. Induction of Aquaporin-1 is late compared with other inflammatory mediators (ICAM-1, E-selectin, IL-8). Further studies are needed to determine if aquaporin-1 contributes to the disease process or if it is part of the recovery phase.
Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents

This article presents a pragmatic approach to assessing and managing suicide risk in children and adolescents. We first present general recommendations for conducting risk assessments with children and adolescents, followed by an algorithm for designating risk. Risk assessment and designation should be based on both distal (i.e., a prior history of self-harm behaviors) and proximal (i.e., suicide ideation, plans, intent, and preparations) predictors of suicide attempt. We then discuss safety planning as an easy-to-implement approach for intervening and managing suicide risk when working with children and adolescents. We end with a case example illustrating the implementation of risk assessment, risk designation, and safety planning with an adolescent client and her mother.
Computations in Kinematics

Several methods to solve sets of nonlinear equations are discussed. Then a modification of dialytic elimination is described, and two methods for obtaining new linearly independent equations are presented. Finally, one of the methods is applied to three quadratics and is shown to yield all of the solutions, without any extraneous roots.
Constrained maximum entropy models to select genotype interactions associated with censored failure times.

We propose a novel screening method targeting genotype interactions associated with disease risks. The proposed method extends the maximum entropy conditional probability model to address disease o...
Transplant Discharge Education: Technology Versus People

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) inpatients require a vast amount of teaching to keep them safe at home. Teaching is completed throughout the hospital stay. As discharge approaches, education is reviewed and discharge instructions are given. Patients and caregivers must fully understand discharge instructions to prevent complications, which include infection, graft-versus-host-disease, decreased quality-of-life, and even death. BMT nurses collaborated to develop a PowerPoint presentation to summarize discharge education. Content was approved by the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Consortium (BBMTC). Transplant nurses learned how to teach the discharge class using the presentation. However, with a large staff, high patient acuity, class length, and infrequent opportunities to teach, the information presented was inconsistent, and nurses were uncomfortable teaching. Also, some family members weren't available during class time. Therefore, the Transplant Discharge Video (TDV) was designed, using the PowerPoint presentation with a narrator reading the approved script. This video is shown to each patient and caregiver prior to discharge. The video provides consistent, reliable information, which is available anytime, and can be viewed as many times as necessary. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis To ensure the TDV was effective preparing viewers for discharge, an assessment tool was created reviewing essential discharge topics. While viewing the TDV, patients are given a copy of the slides to refer to for notetaking and questions. Upon completion of the TVD, a nurse asks assessment questions and records the patient and caregiver's answers. The nurse clarifies any misunderstandings. The assessment results were tallied to identify areas for improvement. Findings & Interpretation Overall, data revealed positive results, the viewers retained a majority of the information, and felt more comfortable with discharge. The TDV decreased the time required for the nurse to be at the patient's bedside while still communicating discharge instructions effectively. Patients and caregivers liked reviewing the material with a transplant nurse to clarify their understanding. Patients and family members were able to watch the video multiple times to reinforce their knowledge and help them feel ready for discharge. Discussion & Implications Areas identified for improvement include the TVD could be: translated into other languages, introduced earlier, broken into smaller segments, and revised to include more patient participation.
Transatlantic Antifascisms: From the Spanish Civil War to the End of World War II. By Michael Seidman. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Pp. xi, 339. $28.99.)

Transatlantic Antifascisms provides a fresh re‐interpretation of the history of major Atlantic nations from the Spanish Civil War to the end of the Second World War through the lens of counterrevol...
Group therapy and cancer survival - Where does the evidence lie in 2007?

One of the most hotly debated questions within oncology over the past decade has been whether the promotion of psychological wellness can extend survival for patients with advanced cancer. The converse--that psychiatric disorder shortens survival--seems true, with mechanisms of poor self-care and reduced adherence to anticancer treatments resultant from depressive or psychotic disorders explaining this outcome.
Human colon function ex vivo: Dependence on oxygen and sensitivity to antibiotic.

Background Human intestines contain a heterogeneous collection of cells that include immune, neural and epithelial elements interacting in a highly complex physiology that is challenging to maintain ex vivo. There is an extreme oxygen gradient across the intestinal wall due in part to microbiota in the lumen and close to the gut wall, which complicates the design of tissue culture systems. The current study established the use of an organotypic slice model of human intestinal tissue derived from colonoscopy biopsies to study host-microbial interactions after antibiotic treatment, and the influence of oxygen concentration on gut wall function. Methods Organotypic slices from human colon biopsies collected during routine colonoscopy provided three-dimensional environments that maintained cellular morphology ex vivo. Biopsy slices were used to study impacts of oxygen concentrations and antibiotic treatments on epithelial proliferation rates, and metabolites from tissue culture supernatants. Results Immune function was validated via demonstration of a T lymphocyte response to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Following 24 h of Salmonella exposure there was a significant increase in CD3+ T-lymphocytes in biopsy slices. Metabolite profiling of tissue culture supernatants validated the influence of antibiotic treatment under varied oxygen culture conditions on both host and microbiome-mediated metabolism. Epithelial health was influenced by oxygen and antibiotic. Increased epithelial proliferation was measured in lowered oxygen conditions (1% = 5.9 mmHg) compared to atmospheric conditions standard at 5000 feet above sea level in Colorado (~17% = 100 mmHg). Antibiotic treatment reduced epithelial proliferation only in 5.9 mmHg oxygen cultured slices. Conclusions A human colon organotypic slice model was established for applications ranging from gut epithelial proliferation to enteric pathogen influence on mucosal immune functions ex vivo. The results further support the need to account for oxygen concentration in primary tissue cultures, and that antibiotic use impacts gut-microbe-immune interactions.
A comparison of mand training and discrete trial training on the acquisition of vocal mands suggests that an antecedent verbal stimulus may inhibit independent manding

Q (1) Is mand training or discrete trial training (DTT) more effective in increasing the rate of acquisition of independent vocal mands?(2) What teaching procedures can produce a transfer of stimul...
ONE-YEAR CHANGES IN RIGHT VENTRICULAR STRAIN FOLLOWING PULMONARY THROMBOENDARTERECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC THROMBOEMBOLIC PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is a curative procedure for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). There is little evidence on whether right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain (e) improves after PTE. Twenty-three of 28 consecutive patients with CTEPH consented to this study
16 – Microorganism protection

Publisher Summary Among health care professionals today, there is increasing concern over exposure to, and transference of, various microorganisms that are commonly carried through bodily fluids. The increase in the presence of resistant pathogens that can be transmitted is also of concern. These issues have led to the production and development of innovative new products in the textile industry. Textiles have the potential to be suitable barriers but they must prevent the transmission of bacteria and fluids found in the operating room. Protective surgical apparel can play an important role in minimizing disease transmission in the operating theater. Bacterial and viral diseases are spread through both airborne and blood-borne pathways. There are a number of factors that contribute to the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections. It is known that various protocols in the operating theatre and routine care of patients have a significant impact on the healthcare associated infections. One factor that reduces these infections is the use of appropriate personal protective apparel that includes surgical gowns and drapes. Protective surgical apparel can play an important role in minimizing disease transmission in the operating theater. This chapter discusses the characteristics that govern the suitability of a fabric as a barrier to the transmission of bacteria. To do that, it is necessary to have an understanding of the mechanism of bacterial transmission through fabrics and to be familiar with those fabric characteristics that influence this transmission.
The Epistemic Value of Diversity in Democratic Publics

Diversity is a key term that does a major part of the “epistemic work” in this Deweyan account of democratic judgment. This chapter clarifies how this account understands diversity and how the account contrasts and overlaps with deliberative and other epistemic theories of democracy that assign diversity a central role in democratic procedures. I present the idea of thinking about the epistemic benefit of diversity in connection with social inquiry in terms of reducing the risk of cognitive distortions and injustices, insofar as diverse perspectives and judgments potentially work as corrective or compensating sources. In the second part of the chapter I address the question how the positive epistemic effects of diversity in social and political inquiry can get a hold in a fragmented polity and under contemporary political circumstances of global politics. I take up Dewey’s suggestion in The Public and its Problems that the “Great Community” should be seen as the entity that can best coordinate democratic interaction in a way that brings about the learning effects in political inquiry; this interaction should arise on the basis of the inclusion of experimental and perspectival diversity, according to Dewey’s social epistemology and to his conception of social and political inquiry. However, I suggest that Dewey’s notion of “publics”—the basic collective units of democratic interaction—is a more adequate way of conceptualizing democratic interaction than his own favored way of theorizing it, which gives priority to the local community over other forms of dispersed and diverse political associations.
COVID-19 and endoscopy

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant disruptions in health care. Gastrointestinal (GI) societies have strongly recommended the rescheduling of elective procedures to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection. This has impacted patients, endoscopists, fellows in training, and administrators in different ways. While the world adjusts to this new normal, GI experts and committees are addressing the challenging task of resuming endoscopy to restore care for patients. This article addresses the current challenges and stakeholder priorities involving endoscopy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Informed Self-Management Program for Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors: A Feasibility Study

Background: The number of people surviving critical illness is rising rapidly around the globe. Survivorship comes at a cost, with approximately half of patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) experiencing clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, and 32–40% of survivors having substantial anxiety symptoms in the months or years after hospitalization. Methods: This feasibility study reports on 11 consecutive ARF patients receiving up to six sessions of a psychological intervention for self-management of anxiety. Results: All 11 patients accepted and received the psychological intervention. Four patients did not fully complete all 6 sessions due to death (n = 1, 2 sessions completed), and early hospital discharge (n = 3, patients completed 2, 3 and 5 sessions). The median (IQR) score (range: 0–100; minimal clinically important difference: 13) for the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety (VAS-A) pre-intervention was 70 (57, 75) points. During the intervention, all 11 patients had a decrease in VAS-A, with a median (IQR) decrease of 44 (19, 48) points. Conclusions: This self-management intervention appears acceptable and feasible to implement among ARF patients during and after an ICU stay.
High-resolution μCT imaging for characterizing microcalcification detection performance in breast CT.

Purpose: To demonstrate the utility of high-resolution micro-computed tomography ( μ CT ) for determining ground-truth size and shape properties of calcium grains for evaluation of detection performance in breast CT (bCT). Approach: Calcium carbonate grains ( ∼ 200 μ m ) were suspended in 1% agar solution to emulate microcalcifications ( μ Calcs ) within a fibroglandular tissue background. Ground-truth imaging was performed on a commercial μ CT scanner and was used for assessing calcium-grain size and shape, and for generating μ Calc signal profiles. Calcium grains were placed within a realistic breast-shaped phantom and imaged on a prototype bCT system at 3- and 6-mGy mean glandular dose (MGD) levels, and the non-prewhitening detectability was assessed. Additionally, the μ CT -derived signal profiles were used in conjunction with the bCT system characterization (MTF and NPS) to obtain predictions of bCT detectability. Results: Estimated detectability of the calcium grains on the bCT system ranged from 2.5 to 10.6 for 3 mGy and from 3.8 to 15.3 for 6 mGy with large fractions of the grains meeting the Rose criterion for visibility. Segmentation of μ CT images based on morphological operations produced accurate results in terms of segmentation boundaries and segmented region size. A regression model linking bCT detectability to μ Calc parameters indicated significant effects of μ Calc size and vertical position within the breast phantom. Detectability using μ CT -derived detection templates and bCT statistical properties (MTF and NPS) were in good correspondence with those measured directly from bCT ( R 2 > 0.88 ). Conclusions: Parameters derived from μ CT ground-truth data were shown to produce useful characterizations of detectability when compared to estimates derived directly from bCT. Signal profiles derived from μ CT imaging can be used in conjunction with measured or hypothesized statistical properties to evaluate the performance of a system, or system component, that may not currently be available.
Synthesis and thermal characterization of solid state organic electrolytes for their potential lithium ion battery applications

Abstract Solid state organic electrolytes offer the advantages of low flammability, superior thermal stability and straightforward production with the ability to form a stable solid-electrolytes interface layer. The ease of synthesis of these zwitterions and their high thermal stability made them desirable materials for their potential lithium ion battery applications. Here in, series of imidazolium and benzimidazolium salts with high thermal stability and simple synthetic approach were prepared. Sulfonate functionalized zwitterions with varying alkyl groups including n-butyl, sec-butyl and 2-ethylhexyl were synthesized based on benzimidazole and imidazole moieties and characterized. The six zwitterions synthesized exhibited high thermal stability (317-341 °C).
Trauma Computed Tomography in the Modern Era: Not Always Quick and Safe.

BACKGROUND Computed tomography (CT) has emerged as the diagnostic modality of choice in trauma patients. Recent studies suggest its use in hemodynamically unstable patients is safe and potentially lifesaving; however, the incidence of adverse events (AE) during the trauma CT scanning process remains unknown. STUDY DESIGN Over a 6-month period at a Level 1 trauma center, data on patients undergoing trauma CT (whole-body CT (WBCT) +/- additional CT studies) were prospectively collected. All patients requiring a trauma team activation (TTA) were included. Adverse events and specific time intervals were recorded from the time of TTA notification to the time of return to the resuscitation bay from the CT suite. RESULTS Of the 94 consecutive patients included in the study, 47.9% experienced 1 or more AE. Median duration away from the resuscitation bay for all patients was 24 minutes. Patients with AE spent a significantly longer time away from the resuscitation bay and had longer scan times. Vasopressor support and ongoing transfusion requirement at the time of CT scanning were associated with AE. CONCLUSION Adverse events of varying clinical significance occur frequently in patients undergoing emergent trauma CT. A standard trauma CT protocol could improve the efficiency and safety of the scanning process.
The Subjective Digression

Every philosophy endeavors to be as comprehensive as possible, and when philosophers speak they do so for the whole world. But their critics have long ago recognized that, although they usually have something to say, what is genuine is something less than they have supposed. So long as philosophies are limited, rival claimants may both speak for the truth; and this is no less the case when one truth is narrower than another.
Irrational Beliefs, Rational Actions: Understanding Subjects' Behavior in a Laboratory Experiment

Rational choice models are commonly used in political science. However, many experimental results find humans do not behave as we would predict from simple rational choice models. In this paper we report on the result of experiments in which subjects both play a standard trust game and make predictions about other players in an experiment, thereby revealing information about how they expect others to behave in the experiment. We find that conditional on their beliefs, subjects play quite rationally in these games. The results suggest we need to understand individuals’ beliefs and knowledge when we model behavior in experimental and empirical settings.
A non-neural fuzzy rule base approach for modeling complex systems

Studies the modeling of complex systems using fuzzy rules for the description of the underlying plant. The current research is a modification and an extension of a bisection and homogeneity algorithm that generates rules directly from the data. This modified approach examines correlation-product inference as a method for approximating nonlinear 2D systems and 3D chaotic systems. The iterative process of trajectory reconstruction combines fuzzy inference and a variable-time-step Euler method. Experimental results are presented for the Van der Pol oscillator and for the Lorenz system.
Is Our Students Learning?: Using Assessments to Measure and Improve Law School Learning

The primary role of a law school is to make sure students learn skills to become competent lawyers. Learning is a loop in which the teacher facilitates learning, students perform tasks to show what they have learned, the teacher assesses and provides feedback on students' performance, and students use the feedback to improve their learning skills for the next learning task. Teacher assessment feedback is critical to student learning. Prompt and frequent feedback allows students to take control of their learning by (a) obtaining necessary remediation for identified deficiencies in the development of their learning skills and (b) adjusting their approaches to performing the next learning tasks. Assessments, therefore, have a greater influence on how and what students learn than any other factor. As the recent Carnegie Report noted, there is currently no coordinated effort in American legal education to determine the best use of assessments to improve law student learning. Without a suitable program to provide students timely feedback on their performance, the learning loop is broken. The Carnegie Report urges law schools to incorporate a coordinated approach to assessments as a way to develop competent lawyers. In addition to encouraging law teachers and law schools to use assessments to improve student learning, this article provides a set of best practices for using assessments and furnishes examples of various forms of assessments.
Diversity in Organizations

During the last two decades, industrial and organizational psychology has devoted an increasing proportion of its efforts to understanding the effects of increasing organization and identity group diversity. As the discipline has broadened its scope to address these complex phenomena, investigators have employed a variety of theories and methods for research and practice. While some have favored the search for reproducible empirical generalizations, others have moved in the direction of formulating systematic theoretical positions to define, explain, predict, and control the phenomena of interest. This chapter examines the contributions and limitations of inductive empiricism, individual collectivism theory, social identity theory, relational demography, and embedded intergroup relations theory for understanding and changing diversity in organizations. The present authors identify areas of agreement and of divergence among the several perspectives and, on a comparative basis, indicate the ways in which embedded intergroup relations theory addresses problematic issues unresolved by the other points of view. Keywords: embedded intergroup relations theory; identity group diversity; individualism-collectivism; inductive empiricism; organization diversity; relational demography; social identity theory