cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On perturbation analysis of queueing networks with finitely supported service time distributions

Infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) has emerged as an efficient tool for estimating the gradient of a function defined on the steady state of a queuing network. Differentiability of such functions is often assumed due to difficulties in proving it. It is pointed out that such functions may be nondifferentiable at an infinite set of points, dense in a given interval, for a large class of realistic system models. This phenomenon is largely due to correlation of traffic patterns on the links of a network, and to the presence of atoms in the distributions of their service times. The issue of nondifferentiability goes beyond IPA, to any method for estimating the gradients of functions in steady state. >
The Resurgence of Heroin Abuse in the District of Columbia

Prospectively collected drug abuse trend surveillance data suggest that the rate of heroin use in Washington, D.C. is rising following a two year decline in the magnitude of this problem. Supportive data include increased potency of street level heroin, increased numbers of heroin-related deaths, increased detection of heroin positive urine specimens in the D.C. Superior Court arrestee population, increased demand for addiction treatment services and rising property crime rates. Increased prevalence of heroin use has not yet been associated with an increase in incidence, suggesting that former heroin users have begun to use once again following a period of abstinence.Analysis of heroin specimens seized across the United States suggests that cities formerly dependant upon European (white) heroin have now developed a new heroin distribution system which supplies Mexican (brown) heroin. This has offset the reduction in heroin use observed during 1972–1973 concomitant with the East Coast heroin shortage and w...
Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) aspiration

In this short report we illustrate a case of extensive sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) aspiration as an immediate cause of death in a terminally ill patient. SPS is a cation exchange resin utilized to decrease potassium levels in patients with renal failure. When administered rectally in conjunction with sorbitol, colonic necrosis and perforation have been documented. On the other hand, oral administration can be complicated by aspiration, especially in very ill or debilitated patients. In our current report, histological examination of a patient who aspirated SPS shows multiple polygonal to amorphous basophilic crystalline particles deposited intraalveolarly. The purpose of our report is to familiarize pathologists with the histologic features of this rare iatrogenic complication of therapy for hyperkalemia.
Iterative Decoding using Eigenmessages

The eigenmessage approach to iterative decoding introduces a degree of nonlocality into a belief propagation decoder by representing an entire set of messages around a cycle of the Tanner graph as a linear operator. The eigenvector for the operator represents a fixed point of the belief propagation algorithm around a cycle, with incident messages fixed. A multiple eigenmessage approach is also presented, in which messages around several cycles are simultaneously expressed. The eigenmessage approach may be applied to any graph with cycles, but we demonstrate its use on LDPC decoding. In this setting, computational results compare eigenmessage methods with conventional belief propagation decoding showing, using simulation and EXIT charts, that the eigenmessage approaches slightly reduce the number of decoder iterations compared to belief propagation decoding while preserving the probability of error of conventional decoding.
Raymond Aron’s engagement with Weber: Recovery or retreat?

This article traces the arc of Aron’s interpretation of Weber from his dynamic political reading of Weber’s sociology to his deflationary criticism, a criticism that robs Weber’s sociology, in particularly his political sociology, of the very force that led Aron to embrace it in the first place. At the outset I trace Aron’s stylized dynamic political reading of Max Weber’s historical sociology, political sociology, and sociologically informed political ethics, a reading in which Weber’s interpretive notion of meaningful action and his notion of counterfactual judgment in providing explanation become central to Weber’s political sociology. I show how for Aron Weber’s historical sociology in general and his political sociology in particular serve to provide a model for how sociology can clarify for political actors the existential political choices they may face in making decisions. But I also argue that when Aron subsequently turns to a criticism of Weber in the name of cleansing his theory of political ex...
The relationships of sex size ratio and-season to mating intensity in some Calanoid copepods'

Samples of four species of Calanoid copepod were analyzed to obtain the sex size ratios and the percentage of females carrying a clutch or spermatophore. A multiple regression model was developed to determine if the percentage of successfully mated females was related to either season or sex size ratio. Three of the species had peaks in sexual activity when sex size ratios approached the mean ratios observed in nature, but the fourth did not exhibit such a peak. Three species appeared most sexually active in summer months; the fourth was more sexually active during the colder months. We hypothesize that characteristic sex size ratios promote successful copulation and that co-occurrence of species of similar size is more likely if there are temporal differences in sexual activity.
DERIVED DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION WATER: THE CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

Estimation of the demand function for area resources is a major concern of many regional economic analyses. Resource demand is dependent upon several variables, including the nature of demand for the products, supply of other inputs, degree of substitutability of inputs, the time period available for adjustment, and market structure. A major problem is how to explicitly consider these important variables in a reasonable manner with limited research means. This paper reports the application of one approach, a regional linear programming allocation model for California, to the derivation of demand for irrigation water as a productive input to agriculture in one developing subregion – the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley.
The carboxy-terminal portion of the aflatoxin pathway regulatory protein AFLR of Aspergillus parasiticus activates GAL1::lacZ gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

AFLR, a DNA-binding protein of 444 amino acids, transactivates the expression of aflatoxin biosynthesis genes in Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus, as well as the sterigmatocystin synthesis genes in Aspergillus nidulans. We show here by fusion of various aflR coding regions to the GAL4 DNA-binding coding region that the AFLR carboxyl terminus contained a region that activated GAL1::lacZ gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and that the AFLR internal region was required for the activation activity. Compared to the AFLR carboxy-terminal fusion protein (AFLRC), a mutant AFLRC retained approximately 75% of the activation activity after deletion of three acidic amino acids, Asp365, Glu366, and Glu367, in a previously identified acidic stretch. Removal of the carboxy-terminal amino acid, Glu444, did not affect the activation activity. Substitutions of acidic Glu423, Asp439, or Asp436/Asp439 with basic amino acids, Lys and His, resulted in 10- to 15-fold-lower activation activities. Strikingly, the Asp436His mutation abolished the activation activity. Substitutions of basic His428 and His442 with acidic Asp resulted in 20 and 40% decreases in the activation activities, respectively. Simultaneous substitutions of Arg427, Arg429, and Arg431 with Leu also significantly decreased the activation activity; the decrease was approximately 50-fold. Results suggest that the AFLR carboxy-terminal region is involved in transcription activation and that total acidity in this region is not a major determinant of AFLR’s activation ability in S. cerevisiae.
Self-diffusion in strongly driven flows: A non-equilibrium molecular dynamics study

The self-diffusion of simple liquids is studied in the presence of strong shear-free flow fields. At the state point of the system the shape of the velocity autocorrelation function is markedly different in the extension or contraction directions of elongation flow. Despite this pronounced directional dependence of the autocorrelation functions, the diagonal elements of the diffusion tensor are more uniform than in the case of planar Couette flow.
The effect of valvular heart disease on maternal and fetal outcome of pregnancy

Abstract OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between valvular heart disease (VHD) and maternal and fetal outcome in a relatively large group of patients by a comparison to a well-matched control group. BACKGROUND Available information regarding outcome of pregnancy in women with VHD is limited to either anecdotal reports or small series of patients without an appropriate control. A better understanding of the effects of valvular abnormalities on pregnancy outcome is of value for risk assessment and the design of a therapeutic plan. METHODS A retrospective evaluation was made of 66 pregnancies in 64 women with VHD cared for at a tertiary-care center with a high-risk obstetrics/cardiology clinic and 66 individually selected normal pregnant women matched in age, ethnicity, obstetrical and medical history, time of initial prenatal care, and year of pregnancy. RESULTS Women with VHD had a significantly higher incidence of congestive heart failure (38% vs. 0%; p CONCLUSIONS Pregnancy in women with MS and AS is associated with marked increase in maternal morbidity and unfavorable effect on fetal outcome, which are related to severity of disease. Despite high maternal morbidity, mortality is rare.
Field Surveys and Evaluation of Native and Established Predators of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Homoptera: Adelgidae) in the Southeastern United States

There has been little research conducted on the effects of native or established predators on populations of the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand. This study used field surveys and cage exclusion experiments to examine the relationship between established predators and A. tsugae in the southeastern United States. Predators were collected in very low densities in both years. Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae), and gall gnats (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) represented 81% of the total predators collected in 1998. Cage exclusion experiments revealed no significant predator effects in all three sites in 1997 and 1998. It is unlikely that established predators are exhibiting any significant control on adelgid populations because of the low densities of predators that were encountered at a time when adelgids were abundant. Therefore, controlled releases of non-native predators into these sites should be considered.
ReCAP: Insights Into the Potential Preventability of Oncology Readmissions

QUESTION ADDRESSED:Are oncology readmissions preventable? If so, what resources and changes in practice or culture would be required to reduce readmissions?CONCLUSION:Three independent reviewers analyzed 72 hospital readmissions and found that 22 (31%) of the 72 readmissions were preventable. The most common causes of preventability were overwhelming symptoms in patients who qualified for hospice but were not participating and insufficient communication between patients and the care team about symptom burden. The most common reason for nonpreventability were high symptom burden among patients not appropriate for hospice or for whom aggressive outpatient management was inadequate despite extensive efforts (Table). Readmissions from nursing facilities—where there is little oncology supervision—accounted for 35% of the total.METHODS:Standardized criteria to define preventability/nonpreventability were developed before data collection began. The records of sequential nonsurgical readmissions were reviewed ind...
Living-Donor Kidney Transplantation: Reducing Financial Barriers to Live Kidney Donation—Recommendations from a Consensus Conference

Live-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is the best treatment for eligible people with late-stage kidney disease. Despite this, living kidney donation rates have declined in the United States in recent years. A potential source of this decline is the financial impact on potential and actual living kidney donors (LKDs). Recent evidence indicates that the economic climate may be associated with the decline in LDKT and that there are nontrivial financial ramifications for some LKDs. In June 2014, the American Society of Transplantation's Live Donor Community of Practice convened a Consensus Conference on Best Practices in Live Kidney Donation. The conference included transplant professionals, patients, and other key stakeholders (with the financial support of 10 other organizations) and sought to identify best practices, knowledge gaps, and opportunities pertaining to living kidney donation. This workgroup was tasked with exploring systemic and financial barriers to living kidney donation. The workgroup reviewed literature that assessed the financial effect of living kidney donation, analyzed employment and insurance factors, discussed international models for addressing direct and indirect costs faced by LKDs, and summarized current available resources. The workgroup developed the following series of recommendations to reduce financial and systemic barriers and achieve financial neutrality for LKDs: (1) allocate resources for standardized reimbursement of LKDs' lost wages and incidental costs; (2) pass legislation to offer employment and insurability protections to LKDs; (3) create an LKD financial toolkit to provide standardized, vetted education to donors and providers about options to maximize donor coverage and minimize financial effect within the current climate; and (4) promote further research to identify systemic barriers to living donation and LDKT to ensure the creation of mitigation strategies.
Electrochemical Investigations of Polycaprolactone-Coated AZ31 Mg Alloy in Earle’s Balance Salt Solution and Conventional Simulated Body Fluid

Polycaprolactone (PCL) coating has been shown to increase the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys when exposed to a simulated body fluid. A PCL dip coating was applied to AZ31 Mg alloy. Samples were immersed in both Earle’s Balance Salt Solution (EBSS) and conventional simulated body fluids (c-SBF) up to 14 days. Microscopic morphology, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed to evaluate the corrosion behavior changes of PCL coatings against immersion times in EBSS and c-SBF as compared to the uncoated AZ31 substrate. PCL-coated samples demonstrated improved corrosion resistance compared to bare AZ31 in both EBSS and c-SBF, indicating that the PCL coating exhibited good corrosion protection of AZ31 in simulated body fluid. Samples immersed in EBSS showed significantly higher electrochemical impedance values and slower corrosion progression as compared to the samples in c-SBF, because of the decreased chloride content and CO2 buffering mechanism of the EBSS.
Dreams of Pakistani Grill and Vada Pao in Manhattan

AbstractThe theoretical discussion of taste is overwhelmingly shaped by concerns about distinction and omnivorousness from the perspective of the white, anglophone consumer. The scholarship on what customers get out of eating ethnic food is substantial, yet it dismisses any volition or aspiration on the part of the immigrant producer of food outside of economic necessity. This paper inserts the habits, memories, work and dreams of immigrant entrepreneurs into the discussion of taste. It focuses on the “ethnic” restaurateur as the hinge between taste and toil—two streams of theoretical accounts that could be put in productive conversation with each other. It is based on interviews with thirty immigrant restaurateurs, and buttressed by descriptive quantitative data derived from US historical censuses, mainstream and diasporic newspaper coverage of restaurants, guidebooks (current and historical), telephone directories, restaurant reviews in print and online, menus, recipes and practices of cooking. The work...
Valley Current Reduction in Lateral Resonant Tunneling

In resonant tunneling devices it is advantageous to minimize the valley current to enable clear digital switching and reduce off-state power dissipation. High current peak-to-valley ratio also gives high power output and better dc-to-ac conversion efficiency1. In a double-barrier resonant tunneling (DBRT) device, the current peak-to-valley ratio is limited even in the ballistic transport regime,2 since the transmission minimum has a finite value.
The rise of new powers (800–900)

It has been persuasively suggested that far from being a response to the Arab conquest of Crete in 826 or to the beginning of the Arab conquest of Sicily, the creation of the fourth Byzantine theme in the Balkans, Peloponnesus, may be dated as early as the aftermath of Staurakios' expedition into Peloponnesus. The purpose of this theme created c . 800 must have been less the protection of the coasts against the Arab naval raids and more the protection of the Byzantine outposts on the coasts (mainly Corinth and Patras) against attacks from the interior. According to the much later testimony of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in 805 the Slavs “who were in the province of Peloponnesus, decided to revolt, and first proceeded to sack the dwellings of their neighbors, the Greeks, and gave them up to rapine, and next they moved against the inhabitants of the city of Patras and ravaged the plains before its walls and laid siege to itself, having with them African Saracens also.” With the miraculous assistance of St. Andrew, the inhabitants of Patras were able to repel the attack, even if they lacked the support of the local military governor, who at the time was “at the extremity of the province, in the city of Corinth.”
The Mental Readiness Form as a Measure of Competitive State Anxiety

Two studies were designed to test the validity of the Mental Readiness Form (MRF; Murphy, Greenspan, Jowdy, and Tammen, 1989) with collegiate athletes. In Study 1, male and female athletes completed the CSAI-2 and the original or a modified MRF within 60 minutes prior to competition. In Study 2, subjects completed two forms of the MRF with slightly different anchor terms, the CSAI-2, trait anxiety measures, and a social desirability scale. Overall, results indicated moderate to strong correlations between corresponding CSAI-2 subscales and MRF items, supporting its concurrent validity. The intercorrelations among MRF items were high, but were similar to the intercorrelations among CSAI-2 subscales. Correlations with trait anxiety also supported the concurrent validity of the MRF. None of the MRF scales or the CSAI-2 were significantly correlated with social desirability. The preliminary analyses in these studies provide initial support for the MRF as a measure of competitive anxiety when expediency is an ...
An inverse methodology for calculating strains from conductivity changes in piezoresistive nanocomposites

Carbon nanofiller-modified composites have incredible potential for self-sensing, structural health monitoring (SHM), and damage identification because they are piezoresistive. This means that conductivity changes can be monitored to detect mechanical perturbations such as damage and strain. Recently, considerable research effort has been dedicated to understanding the effect of strain on nanocomposite conductivity. However, from a SHM perspective, it is more desirable to know the strain state giving rise to an observed conductivity change. Therefore, we herein develop an inverse relation for nanocomposite piezoresistivity. That is, given a conductivity change, we seek to determine the underlying strain state of the nanocomposite. This is done by formulating an inverse problem wherein we seek the strain state that minimizes the difference between the observed conductivity and the conductivity predicted by a piezoresistivity model. This approach is verified through simulations by making use of a piezoresistivity model published in the literature. Our results show that strains can indeed be reconstructed from known conductivity changes. When coupled with conductivity-based SHM such as electrical impedance tomography, these results have the potential to provide unprecedented insight into the mechanical response of nanofiller-modified materials and structures.
Production of Italian Dry Salami. I. Initiation of Staphylococcal Growth in Salami Under Commercial Manufacturing Conditions.

Three strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S-6, 137 and 472) were inoculated, in duplicate, into Italian-style dry salami made with finished product as starter and processed under commercial manufacturing conditions. Five levels of S. aureus ranging from 2.2 × 102 - 1.8 × 107 cells/g were used. A fourth strain (264) was inoculated at a level of 105 cells/g. All strains of S. aureus grew at every level of inoculation, but the amount of growth was dependent on inoculum size. Strains S-6 and 472 increased in number by 1.2 - 2.9 logs (mean 2.14) at inoculum levels of 2.3 × 102 - 2.5 × 103 cells/g, and by 2.1 - 3.2 logs (mean 2.66) at inoculum levels of 3.7 × 104 - 6.6 × 105 cells/g. Strain 137 was very sensitive to salami environment and only increased by 0.47 - 1.86 logs (mean 1.23) even at the greatest inoculum level. Strain 264 increased in numbers by 1.5 logs in the presence of 5 × 105 inoculated lactobacilli/g and by 2.5 logs in the presence of 6 × 104 naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria. Staphylococci occurring naturally in salami mix were unable to grow to levels greater than 2 × 104 cells at any time during processing of experimental sausages. Thermonuclease was detected only in salamis inoculated with strains S-6 and 472 at initial levels of greater than 3.7 × 104 cells/g and only when growth reached levels greater than 107 cells/g. No enterotoxin was detected in any of the inoculated samples. Development of regression equations allowed description of the growth of inoculated S. aureus in the salami during manufacturing as affected by a number of variables.
Lattice-Enabled Nuclear Reactions in the Nickel and Hydrogen Gas System

Thousands of lattice-enabled nuclear reaction (LENR) experiments involving electrochemical loading of deuterium into palladium have been conducted and reported in hundreds of papers. But, it appears that the first commercial LENR power generators will employ gas loading of hydrogen onto nickel. This article reviews the scientific base for LENR in the gas-loaded Ni-H system, and some of the tests of pre-commercial prototype generators based on this combination.
A Theory of Facts and Circumstances

The legal consequences of an action often depend on information that only the actor knows. This information is typically inferred from the observable “facts and circumstances” attending the actor’s conduct, which creates a seemingly unresolvable tension in legal design. On the one hand, these unstructured inquiries give free rein to the factfinder’s judgment about which facts justify an inference to the hidden information. On the other hand, specifying the facts that will be used to draw that inference would provide a roadmap for actors to strategically adjust their conduct to manipulate the factfinder’s conclusions. I argue that this tension can be resolved by applying insights from the economics literature on asymmetric information. These insights help answer both the substantive question of which facts and circumstances should be taken into account and the procedural question of whether they should be specified by the legislature or left to the courts.
UNCOUPLING OF THE HEMAGGLUTINATING AND NEURAMINIDASE ACTIVITIES OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS (NDV)

ABSTRACT We have isolated and characterized revertants of an RNA+ temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of the virulent strain Australia Victoria ( AV ) of NDV. Among the stable isolates was a revertant with wild-type levels of hemagglutinating activity (HA) but with only 3% of the neuraminidase activity (NA) of strain AV . The uncoupling of HA and NA in this revertant raises the possibility that the activities occupy different sites on the HN glycoprotein. The deficiency in the NA of this revertant did not impair its reproduction in cultured chicken embryo (CE) cells not its virulence in ovo .
Beyond Private Ordering: Families and the Supportive State

In this article for a symposium issue on private ordering, I discuss the state's relationship to private ordering in families not narrowly in terms of the extent to which courts should enforce private agreements among family members, but more broadly in terms of the extent to which we should expect families to function completely on their own. A longstanding account of the state's proper role in American law, which is often associated with this country's grounding in liberal political thought, focuses on the importance of adult individuals being free to choose their own life plan. This story has it that the state should be neutral on whether citizens enter families, and, when they do, on how these families function. The state, in this view, can still enforce the private agreements of the individuals who enter into families, since this enforcement enhances the liberty of these individuals, who can then order relationships as they choose. For the state to go beyond this posture of neutrality in order to support families, however, unfairly favors some ways of life over others, and distorts individuals' preferences. In some versions of this story, state support also skews the proper and 'natural' ways that families should function, since families are seen to function properly only when they act removed from state influence. In this article, I argue that this longstanding account is fundamentally wrong about the proper role of the state when it comes to families. This account, I contend, fails to consider adequately the dependency that is a fundamental part of the human condition. This dependency creates needs for both care taking and human development that must be satisfied in any flourishing society. And properly satisfying these needs requires, as I shall show, more than a hands-off attitude on the part of the state toward families, the institution in which these needs are largely satisfied.
Analyzing Classroom Activities: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

In this chapter, I present theoretical arguments for the study of spoken and written discourse in science classrooms. Drawing from science studies, sociolinguistics, and activity theory, I make the case that a healthy research ecology should include the study of discourse processes in educational settings. I present examples from two studies to illustrate this methodological orientation focused on the interactional accomplishment of everyday life. The first study, situated in a university oceanography course, focuses on disciplinary inquiry and learning to use evidence in science writing. The second study, which occurred in a teacher education context, concerns developing a professional vision for teaching through reflection. Across the studies, I provide examples that illustrate the importance of situating the study of discourse in social practices, making choices about units of analysis and time scales, and considering the multiple types of discourse forming the interpretative field in a given science education setting. I present transcripts of educational events at different levels of specificity to demonstrate how talk and action build meaning over time. These descriptive studies provide examples for reflection and critique, thus demystifying scientific and pedagogical knowledge and practice. For each of the two studies, I describe how these analyses of classroom activities lead to educational implications.
Sleep fragmentation delays wound healing in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes.

Study objectives This study tested the hypothesis that sleep fragmentation (SF) delays wound healing in obese B6.BKS(D)-Leprdb/J (db/db) mice with impaired leptin signaling and type 2 diabetes compared with wild-type C57BL/6J (B6) mice. Methods Adult male mice (n = 34) were anesthetized and bilateral full-thickness excisional wounds were created on the back of each mouse. Half of the db/db and B6 mice were housed in SF cages equipped with a bar that moved across the cage floor every 2 min, 12 hr/day for 23 days. The other half of each group of mice was housed in the same room and did not experience SF. The dependent measures were number of days required to achieve wound closure, mRNA expression of four inflammatory mediators, blood glucose, insulin, and corticosterone. Results SF in the db/db mice caused a significant delay in wound healing relative to db/db mice with no SF. Days to achieve 50 per cent wound healing were 13.3 ± 0.4 with SF compared with 10.3 ± 0.7 without SF. All B6 mice achieved 50 per cent wound healing within 6 days and complete healing after 16 days. SF caused a significant increase in wound levels of TNF-α mRNA only in the db/db mice and an increase in corticosterone only in the B6 mice. Conclusions The delayed wound healing in obese, diabetic mice caused by SF is homologous to delayed wound healing in some patients with type 2 diabetes. The results support the interpretation that altered leptinergic signaling and inflammatory proteins contribute to delayed wound healing.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing is Associated With Increased Mortality in Hospitalized Infants With Congenital Heart Disease.

Study Objectives:Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has adverse cardiovascular effects in children and adults. In adults with cardiac disease, SDB is highly prevalent and confers increased mortality ...
Past behavior and the decision to text while driving among young adults

Abstract This study examined how past behavior influences the decision to text while driving among young adults. Exposure to distracted driving behaviors, such as texting and driving, were measured in conjunction with variables related to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Participants completed a questionnaire measuring past distracted driving behaviors and traditional TPB variables (intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control), as well as self-efficacy and moral norms. Texting and driving was found to be a very prevalent behavior, with 83.5% and 76.6% of participants reporting reading or writing a text message while driving in the last 30 days, respectively. Replicating previous studies, regression analyses found that the traditional TPB variables explained a significant proportion of the variance in intentions to text and drive. However, the addition of past behavior, self-efficacy, and moral norms into the model reduced the predictive strength of the traditional TPB variables while increasing the amount of explained variance. The surprising strength of past behavior, self-efficacy, and moral norms suggests that future campaigns and interventions to reduce distracted driving among young adults ought to focus on crafting messages that disrupt the influence of past behavior on future intentions, and concentrate on moral and self-effectual aspects of the behavior.
Variability of Seawater Chemistry in a Kelp Forest Environment Is Linked to in situ Transgenerational Effects in the Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

While the value of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) as a habitat-forming foundation species is well-understood, it is unclear how they impact the oxygen concentration and pH of the surrounding seawater, and further, how such a dynamic abiotic environment will affect eco-evolutionary dynamics in a context of global change. Here, we profiled the nearshore kelp forest environment in Southern California to understand changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH with high spatiotemporal resolution. We then examined transgenerational effects using sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) as our study organism. Using enclosures on the benthos, we conditioned adult sea urchins in situ at two locations - one inside the kelp forest and one outside the kelp forest. After a 11 week conditioning period timed to coincide with gametogenesis in the adults, the urchins were collected, spawned, and cultures of their progeny were raised in the laboratory in order to assess the performance of the progeny to simulated ocean acidification. In terms of the physical observations, we observed significant changes in DO and pH not only when comparing sites inside and outside of the kelp forest, but also between surface and benthic sensors at the same site. DO and pH at the benthos differed in mean, the amplitude of the diel signal, and in the profile of background noise of the signal. Ultimately, these results indicated that both DO and pH were more predictably variable inside of the kelp forest environment. On the biological side, we found that adult sea urchins inside the kelp forest produced more protein-rich eggs that developed into more pH-resilient embryos. Overall, this study in a temperate kelp forest ecosystem is one of the first studies to not only observe biological response to highly characterized environmental variability in situ, but also to observe such changes in a transgenerational context.
The earliest timing of ultrasound in screening for developmental dysplasia of the hips

Purpose The current study aimed to evaluate the results of ultrasound screening for developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH) done at various weeks of life, to determine the earliest time that ultrasound screening can be performed reliably. Methods In this 17-year cohort study, all neonates who underwent ultrasound screening prior to the 12th week of life with subsequent follow-up radiography done at 1 year of life were included. The ultrasound images were evaluated according to the Graf classification, Harcke's dynamic ultrasound screening method, and Terjesen's femoral head coverage method. The radiographic images were evaluated according to the acetabular index and the femoral head position. The accuracy and correlation between the ultrasound findings from various weeks of life with the radiographic findings at 1 year of life were evaluated. Results A total of 348 neonates were included in the study, of whom 92 had abnormal ultrasound findings and 42 had abnormal radiographic findings at 1 year. Significant differences were identified between the findings of ultrasound screening examinations performed prior to the fourth week of life (day 21 and before) and the radiographic findings at 1 year of life (P 0.05). The accuracy of ultrasound screening was 79.2% or higher when performed during or after the fourth week of life (day 22 and beyond). Conclusion The earliest that ultrasound screening for DDH can be performed reliably is during the fourth week of life (day 22 and beyond).
A dynamical system approach to soil salinity and sodicity

Abstract Soil salinity and sodicity impose severe constrains to agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, where good-quality water for irrigation is scarce. While detailed models have been proposed in the past to describe the dynamics of salt and sodium in the soil, they typically require cumbersome calculations and are not amenable to theoretical analysis. Here we present an analytical model for the dynamics of salinity and sodicity in the root zone. We determine the dependence of steady-state salinity and sodicity levels on irrigation water quality and derive the trajectories in the phase space. The only stationary solution the equations admit is a stable node. Through numerical integration and analysis of the eigenvalues of the derived two-dimensional system of equations, the slower time scale associated with sodification is quantified with respect to the faster time scale associated to salinization. The role of different cation exchange equations (Gapon and Vanselow conventions) are shown to be practically the same with regard to the phase-space dynamics and the time scales. The results can be applied in controlling for low levels of salinity and sodicity, and in planning remediation strategies that are timely and economical.
Mitral Valve Endocarditis with Perforation from a Urinary Source: An Unusual Case and Literature Review

Aerococcus urinae (AU) is a rare pathogen, identified as gram-positive, catalase-negative coccus that grows in pairs and clusters which has been reported to mainly cause urinary tract infections (UTI), especially in elderly males. Treatment for this microorganism is usually with beta-lactams although cultures with antibiotic susceptibility testing are imperative. We present a case of AU endocarditis initially treated with IV antibiotics; nevertheless, the patient required emergent mitral valve replacement due to severe mitral insufficiency and perforation. We also present an analysis with high-yield points summarizing epidemiology, risk factors, microbiology, clinical features, diagnostic workup, and management of AU in general and AU endocarditis. Finally, we post a literature review of relevant cases and the impact of different variables associated with it.
Synthetic and isolation studies related to the marine natural products (+)-elisabethadione and (+)-elisabethamine.

These studies were conducted to determine the discrepancies between the spectroscopic data of the isolated and synthetic samples of the marine natural product (+)-elisabethadione. Attempts at the r...
Making connections work: An initial analysis of the identity claims of parents and children in a hands-on making workshop

Parents and children enter learning experiences with individual and social histories that shape engagement. Educational making environments that are attentive to these histories can support more equitable and inclusive participation. In this design-based implementation research study of family making, we discuss our preliminary analysis of the identity work parents and children engage in during hands-on making workshops. In particular, we focus on expressions and re-evaluations of identities, interests, assets and connections.
Evaluation of free-floating bike-share on a university campus using a multi-method approach.

Abstract Bike-sharing, especially free-floating bike-share, has tremendous potential for increasing active transport on a college campus. Increased bike use improves public health, reduces pollution, and solves traffic congestion problems. Like other innovations, free-floating bikeshare proceeds through various stages while disseminated and before being widely adopted and accepted. A multi-method study using quantitative bike usage data, a cross-sectional survey, and focus group discussions was used to evaluate the Spring 2018 launch of a free-floating bike-share program at a large public university. Three months after implementation, there were 19,504 registered users, 24,371 different riders, 165,854 rides, and 85,778 miles traveled. The average trip length was 0.52 miles and lasted 8.3 min. Survey data from 2845 students, faculty, and staff revealed that 33.6% had used the bikes. Bike users were more likely to be students, freshmen, living on campus, be a current biker, and have confidence in their biking ability. Focus groups revealed that safety was a concern, knowledge about how the program worked was low among non-users and faculty and staff, cost was a barrier, and that adherence to bike-share rules needed to be improved. A large segment of the university population quickly adopted free-floating bike-share. However, continued work needs to be done to enhance safety, provide clear guidelines on bike-share rules (e.g., bike parking), and increase knowledge of the program with a specific focus on use by faculty and staff to ensure continued success and ultimately improve health.
Design, Modeling, and Analysis of a Liquid Cooled Proprioceptive Actuator for Legged Robots

Thermal management has always been an essential part of designing robots for extended run times in real world scenarios. Recently, legged robots that utilize proprioceptive actuators have shown impressive results in a laboratory setting, but in order for them to be successful in the real world, it is necessary to manage the excessive joule heating produced by the actuators. To address this need, this paper presents a new high performance proprioceptive actuator with liquid cooling designed for dynamic legged robots. Prior work in the area of liquid cooled actuators fails to address how a liquid cooling system would affect the performance of a legged robotic system as a whole. This work develops a new thermal model that is capable of modeling multiple liquid cooled actuators within a single cooling system. Using this new model as a design tool we were able to determine the trades-offs between peak torque and continuous torque resulting from varying cooling systems.
Effects of a Companion Plant on the Formation of Mycorrhizal Propagules in Artemisia tridentata Seedlings

Abstract Inoculation of seedlings with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase their establishment after outplanting. The success of this practice depends partly on the extent of root colonization and abundance of AMF propagules in the outplanted seedlings. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of a companion plant, the native grass Poa secunda J Presl (Sandberg bluegrass), on the formation of spores and vesicles, AMF colonization, and AMF taxa present in the roots of the shrub Artemisia tridentata Nutt (big sagebrush). These effects were tested at two phosphorus (P) fertilization levels, 5 μM and 250 μM. Neither coplanting nor differences in P had an effect on spore density in the potting mix. In contrast, coplanting increased vesicular colonization of A. tridentata from 5% to 18%, but only at low P. Differences in P also affected vesicular colonization of P. secunda, which was 10% and 30% at high and low P, respectively. Arbuscular colonization of A. tridentata was not affected by the treatments and ranged between 12% and 20%. In P. secunda, arbuscular colonization was lower but increased from high to low P. Coplanted seedlings exposed to low P also had the highest levels of total AMF colonization, 70% for A. tridentata and 63% for P. secunda. On the basis of partial sequences of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene, coplanting did not affect the AMF taxa, which were within the Glomeraceae. In some taxa within this family, root fragments containing vesicles are the main propagules. Particularly in this situation, increases in vesicle density caused by coplanting and low P are likely to facilitate mycorrhization of A. tridentata after outplanting, resulting in higher levels of colonization than those naturally occurring in the soil. Such outcomes are critical for assessing the extent to which A. tridentata establishment is limited by insufficient AMF colonization.
Splenectomy (Open and MIS Approach)

This chapter describes the surgical procedure for splenectomy, as performed by the following approaches: open and MIS (minimally invasive surgical). Elective splenectomy in a child is often required for management of splenomegaly or splenic sequestration secondary to hematologic pathologies (i.e., hereditary spherocytosis, immune thrombotic purpura, sickle cell anemia, and Felty Syndrome). Splenectomy for traumatic injury in a child is uncommon but occasionally required for a child who has failed nonoperative management. In the latter case, this should always be performed as an open procedure. Risks of surgery include bleeding, pancreatic and bowel injury, and future risk of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection. If splenectomy is being considered for management of hematologic pathology, cross-sectional imaging should be pursued before surgery to rule out accessory splenic tissue that would require additional resection. Alternatives to splenectomy include medical management of underlying hematologic pathologies and nonoperative management of blunt splenic injury as outlined by Advance Trauma Life Support (ATLS). Essential steps include mobilizing the splenic flexure, entering the lesser sac, ligation of the short gastric vessels, exposure of the hilar vessels, ligation of the hilar vessels, division of the splenodiaphragmatic, splenocolic, and splenorenal attachments, and extraction of the spleen. In the acute trauma setting, serially clamping the short gastric vessels along the greater curvature of the stomach, ligation of the splenic hilum with a vascular clamp, and mobilization of the spleen occurs rapidly utilizing the clamp-cut-ligate technique. Utilization of a self-retaining retractor such as a Bookwalter enhances visualization. For elective MIS approaches, a 5-mm Ligasure device and a vascular load EndoGIA facilitate exposure and hemostasis. Often, extraction of the spleen via an MIS approach requires upsizing the umbilical trocar to 15 mm, deployment of a 15-mm Endocatch bag, and morcellation of the spleen within the bag until the surgeon is able to extract the remaining specimen through the 15-mm trocar site.
Caregiver strain among biological, foster, and adoptive caregivers caring for youth receiving outpatient care in a public mental health system

Abstract Caregivers of children with mental health disorders often report high levels of stress. Although children in the child welfare system have high rates of mental health problems, to date, little is known about the stress experienced by foster and adoptive caregivers. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in both internalized (e.g., worry and guilt) and externalized (e.g., anger and resentment) caregiver strain among biological, foster and adoptive caregivers, and assess the degree to which characteristics of the caregivers and the children in their care impact strain. Caregivers of youth under age 18 who were receiving treatment in a publically-funded mental health system completed the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CSQ), along with the Youth Services Survey for Families (YSSF) which has questions about the youth’s functioning and the mental health care he or she is receiving. A total of 1828 caregivers returned surveys that were eligible for analyses. Generalized Estimating Equations were used examine associations between caregiver type and internalized and externalized strain while controlling for caregiver demographics and social support, and youth demographics, functioning, and time in treatment. Results show that foster and adoptive caregivers reported experiencing less internalized strain than biological caregivers. Caregiver type was not significantly related to feelings of externalized strain. Several additional caregiver and youth characteristics were associated with both types of strain, and caregivers with higher levels of social support experienced less strain. Providers working with children with mental health disorders, particularly those in the child welfare system, should assess families for caregiver strain and provide and/or facilitate supports for caregivers with high levels of stress. Finally, additional research is needed to identify which types of interventions may be most effective for alleviating caregiver strain.
The Impact of Health Promotion Interventions on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review:

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion interventions in delaying telomere shortening (a biomarker for aging).Data Source:PubMed, PsychINFO, EMBASE, C...