cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of the Effect of Aprotinin and ε-Aminocaproic Acid on Renal Function in Children Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Objective To assess the incidence of renal injury among pediatric patients who received aprotinin while undergoing cardiac surgery compared with those who received e-aminocaproic acid (EACA). Design A retrospective observational study. Setting A single academic center. Participants Pediatric cardiac patients who had cardiopulmonary bypass and received aprotinin or EACA. Intervention Patients undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery received aprotinin from 2005 to 2007 and EACA from 2008 to 2009. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI) defined as serum Cr elevation at discharge more than 1.5 times the baseline value. Secondary outcomes included bleeding, blood transfusion, and the volume of chest tube drainage in the first 24 hours postoperatively. One hundred seventy-eight patients met inclusion criteria; 120 patients received aprotinin, and 58 patients received EACA. These 2 groups did not differ significantly in age, weight, or duration of cardiac bypass. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables (ie, baseline Cr, sex, age, CPB time, inotropic support and vasopressors), showed a higher odds of suffering AKI at discharge with the usage of aprotinin (odds ratio = 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-19.5; p = 0.03). The volume of the first 24 hours of chest tube drainage was not significantly different between groups, as well as packed red blood cells and cryoprecipitate units. However, fresh frozen plasma and platelets showed statistically significant differences with more transfusion in the EACA group. Conclusion In this retrospective study, the authors observed a higher odds of AKI for aprotinin usage compared with EACA, suggesting that the known concern for adults with adverse kidney effects with aprotinin is also appropriate for pediatric patients.
Multi-Layer High-K Tunnel Barrier for a Voltage Scaled NAND-Type Flash Cell

Low-voltage program/erase (P/E) operations of a NAND-type flash cell have been demonstrated using a multi-layer tunnel barrier. The concept is to achieve low voltage P/E operations similar to a scaled tunnel barrier without compromising retention by exploiting a multi-layer tunnel oxide consisting of a low-k, high-k and low k material. In this study, barrier engineered tunnel oxides of SiO 2 -HfO x -SiO 2 and SiO 2 - ZrOx-SiO 2 were explored using a Metal-Insulator-Nitride-Oxide- Silicon (MINOS) capacitor with a TiN gate electrode. The device programmed/erased at 16/-22 V for 1 ms and it had a memory window of 6 V. The cell showed less than 2 V charge loss after 27 hours when programmed to a 5 V initial window. The proposed high-K tunnel barrier is a promising alternative for tunnel oxide for sub-35 nm NAND Flash technology.
The Surface Gravities of Be Stars

In an attempt to shed some light on the origin of the material in the envelopes of Be stars, surface gravities were determined for 30 objects by comparing their observed profiles of Hγ and Hδ with those computed from the Princeton model atmospheres and the VCS theory of hydrogen line broadening. The program stars are predominately well-known Be stars and display a wide range of envelope spectra and v sin i. The mean and range in log g for the Be stars appear to be identical to that obtained from a similar analysis on non-Be stars. No correlation was found between log g and Hα emission strength or the strength and/or presence of emission of Fe II, O I λ 7774 A, or the infrared Ca ii triplet. The suggestion made by Schild (1973) and Schild et al. (1974) that the extreme Be stars are in the post main sequence phase of rapid core contraction is weakened by the fact that there are several members of the class which have log g ≥3.8. All shell stars considered in the program appear to have low values of log g (≥3.5). Some possible explanations for this occurrence are discussed.
A View of Professional Learning Communities through Three Frames: Leadership, Organization, and Culture.

In this discussion of professional learning communities (PLCs) in North American public schools, we examine three theoretical frames – leadership, organization, and culture. Issues related to learning are infused throughout our presentation of the frames. Based on our analysis of the current literature on this topic, PLCs offer a promising tool for system-wide change and collaborative mentorship in public schools. Implications for collaborative mentorship within PLCs are uncovered in relation to the professional learning of teachers and leaders and their community development. We dovetail the literature on learning, learning communities, and mentoring in order to identify such expanded possibilities for school teams that are supported by practical examples of change.
The influence of cellular proliferative history on the susceptibility to oncogenic transformation

C3H mouse 10T1/2 clone 8 cells were serially transferred from passage 11 to 15 with 5 x 10(4) cells seeded per 60-mm dish at each passage. One group of cells was passaged as soon as confluence was reached. Two other groups were kept for 3 or 6 days in confluence at each passage before subculture. Cloning efficiency was found to increase progressively with passage of all three groups. At the 15th passage, cells from all three groups were harvested just prior to confluence, irradiated with ultraviolet light, and assayed for clonogenic survival and malignant transformation. Survival response was the same for all three groups, but cells which were kept constantly proliferating in previous passages were found to be much more susceptible to transformation. These results suggest that the susceptibility of these cells to transformation is influenced by their proliferative history; in particular, intermittent growth quiescence in previous passages decreased this susceptibility.
A Real-Time Algorithm for Predicting Core Temperature in Humans

In this paper, we present a real-time implementation of a previously developed offline algorithm for predicting core temperature in humans. The real-time algorithm uses a zero-phase Butterworth digital filter to smooth the data and an autoregressive (AR) model to predict core temperature. The performance of the algorithm is assessed in terms of its prediction accuracy, quantified by the root mean squared error (RMSE), and in terms of prediction uncertainty, quantified by statistically based prediction intervals (Pis). To evaluate the performance of the algorithm, we simulated real-time implementation using core-temperature data collected during two different field studies, involving ten different individuals. One of the studies includes a case of heat illness suffered by one of the participants. The results indicate that although the real-time predictions yielded RMSEs that are larger than those of the offline algorithm, the real-time algorithm does produce sufficiently accurate predictions for practically meaningful prediction horizons (~20 min). The algorithm reached alert (39°C) and alarm (39.5°C) thresholds for the heat-ill individual but did not even attain the alert threshold for the other individuals, demonstrating the algorithm's good sensitivity and specificity. The Pis reflected, in an intuitively expected manner, the uncertainty associated with real-time forecast as a function of prediction horizon and core-temperature variability. The results also corroborate the feasibility of "universal" AR models, where an offline-developed model based on one individual's data could be used to predict any other individual in real time. We conclude that the real-time implementation of the algorithm confirms the attributes observed in the offline version and, hence, could be considered as a warning tool for impending heat illnesses.
Stripping Voltammetry of Cu Overlayers Deposited on Self-Assembled Monolayers: Field Emission of Electrons through A Phenylene Ethynylene Oligomer

Copper overlayers were formed on electrodes coated with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a molecular wire candidate, 1-thio-4-[4‘-[(4‘-thio)phenylethynyl]-1‘-ethynyl]-2‘,5‘-(diethyl)phenylbenzene (TTEB), by electrochemical reduction of copper ions and by physical vapor deposition. Anodic stripping voltammetry of copper was employed to study the electrochemical and electron transport properties of SAMs of these molecules. Electrochemical copper deposition revealed that SAMs of TTEB passivate the electrode to electrochemistry in a manner similar to alkanethiols. Migration of copper ions trapped within the TTEB SAM after copper oxidation was also observed. Reduction of the solvent prevented the application of a sufficient potential to deposit copper by conduction through the TTEB SAM, so evaporation of copper metal was employed to coat the entire electrode. Anodic stripping voltammetry first removed the metal from defect sites, leaving behind copper islands connected to the gold by TTEB molecules. At high...
Memory self-awareness and memory self-monitoring following severe closed-head injury.

Objective: To examine the accuracy of memory self-awareness and memory self-monitoring abilities in participants with severe closed-head injury (CHI).Design and methods: A performance-prediction paradigm was used to evaluate meta-memory abilities in 31 participants with severe CHI (>1 year post-injury) and 31 controls. To assess memory self-awareness, before completing story recall, visual reproduction and list learning memory tasks, participants predicted the amount of information they would remember for each task. Memory self-monitoring was evaluated by examining participants’ ability to increase the accuracy of their predictions following experience with each memory task.Results: Although participants with CHI exhibited poorer recall than controls, they were equally aware of how differing task demands influence recall. They also successfully modified their predictions following task exposure.Conclusions: Meta-memory was better preserved than actual memory performance. It may be possible to build on met...
The evolution of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.

It is just over 10 years since Bonhoeffer et al. reported successful transcatheter delivery of a valved stent into a 12-year-old boy with stenosis and insufficiency of a prosthetic conduit from the...
Two New Resources Available Through the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Center

The FCS Research Center continues to expand its resources, products, and services to guide and advance research in the family and consumer sciences profession. The new tools should help to promote graduate study and encourage networking and collaboration among FCS researchers and students.
Comparative sequence analysis of a genus-common rickettsial antigen gene.

Abstract The genes encoding the 17-kilodalton genus-common antigen have been cloned and sequenced from Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia prowazekii, and Rickettsia typhi. Compared with the R. rickettsii sequence, this sequence had a high degree of homology within the coding and control regions (R. conorii, 99.8%; R. prowazekii, 88.1%; R. typhi, 88.7%). The 5' flanking regions, including the promoter and the transcription initiation sites, were extremely well conserved for all four species, suggesting that control and expression of this locus are important to the survival of the rickettsiae.
Culture and Embodied Cognition: Moral Discourses in Internet Support Groups for Overeaters

This article argues that a modified version of Bourdieu's habitus concept can generate insights into moral culture and the ways people use culture to make changes in their lives. If revised in light of recent findings from cognitive neuroscience, the habitus allows for the analysis of culture as embodied cognitive structures linking individuals to primary-group discourses. To demonstrate the utility of this conception, I examine the unique abstract language and embodied metaphors used by members of religious and secular overeaters' internet support groups. The religious group used far more cleanliness metaphors, and members who made frequent use of such metaphors remained with the group longer and posted more messages. This effect was not found for either group's abstract language or for the secular group's embodied metaphors. The findings suggest that a cultural influence on social bonding can be shown when culture is operationalized in terms of embodied cognitive schemas that operate within both the habitus and group discourses. Also, traditionally religious moral culture may be more strongly associated with cultural coherence and social bonding than is modernist culture.
The “monster” study

Abstract An unpublished study is reported that was conducted during the late 1930s in which normally fluent children were reported to have been turned into stutters. Theoretic and clinical implications are discussed.
The extended left‐handed helix: A simple nucleic acid‐binding motif

The poly-proline type II extended left-handed helical structure is well represented in proteins. In an effort to determine the helix's role in nucleic acid recognition and binding, a survey of 258 nucleic acid-binding protein structures from the Protein Data Bank was conducted. Results indicate that left-handed helices are commonly found at the nucleic acid interfacial regions. Three examples are used to illustrate the utility of this structural element as a recognition motif. The third K homology domain of NOVA-2, the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1, and the Drosophila paired protein homeodomain all contain left-handed helices involved in nucleic acid interactions. In each structure, these helices were previously unidentified as left-handed helices by secondary structure algorithms but, rather, were identified as either having small amounts of hydrogen bond patterns to the rest of the protein or as being "unstructured." Proposed mechanisms for nucleic acid interactions by the extended left-handed helix include both nonspecific and specific recognition. The observed interactions indicate that this secondary structure utilizes an increase in protein backbone exposure for nucleic acid recognition. Both main-chain and side-chain atoms are involved in specific and nonspecific hydrogen bonding to nucleobases or sugar-phosphates, respectively. Our results emphasize the need to classify the left-handed helix as a viable nucleic acid recognition and binding motif, similar to previously identified motifs such as the helix-turn-helix, zinc fingers, leucine zippers, and others.
Convection‐driven reconnection and the stability of the near‐Earth plasma sheet

Driven convection in the near-Earth plasma sheet is investigated using 3-D, full particle simulations. The inductive response to an externally imposed, uniform convection electric field leads to the effective tailward propagation of magnetic flux, the erosion of the equatorial magnetic field, the development of an embedded thin current sheet, and the eventual formation of a neutral line at the inward edge of the plasma sheet. In addition to creating a magnetic island, the neutral line permits the growth of a kink-like mode with a characteristic scale of 1-2 R E in the east-west (y) direction. The combined plasma flows from reconnection and the kink mode are in the range of 200-400 km/s and exhibit a reversal between earthward and tailward flow as a function of y. These modifications of the plasma sheet resemble the substorm breakup changes which are observed in the current disruption region.
Profit-sharing and European unemployment

Abstract This paper uses three criteria to evaluate profit-sharing as a policy to help improve Europe's economic performance: (a) reduction of the real wage, (b) expansion of firms' profits and (c) restraint of the wage demand given an expansionary demand stimulus. It is shown that under the alternative market structure of perfect competition, monopoly and Cournot-Nash oligopoly, real wage tends generally to decline with sharing. There also exists a positive share parameter such that firms' profits will rise. Lastly, if an expansionary demand policy is adopted, the union will tend to demand a smaller wage increase under a share system. This paper suggests that profit-sharing may possess useful, important properties that are relevant to the European problem.
Schools in the Landscape: Localism, Cultural Tradition, and the Development of Alabama's Public Education System, 1865-1915

by Edith M. Ziegler, Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama Press, 2010, pp. 232, US$41.50 (hardback), ISBN 978-0817317096. In this well-written, ground-breaking book, Edith Ziegler traces the operation...
Evaluation of Delivery Consolidation in U.S. Urban Areas with Logistics Cost Analysis

One of the most promising strategies for reducing truck traffic in urban centers is the consolidation of consignments through cooperation and coordination among multiple businesses. However, various factors—including existing infrastructure systems, institutional and regulatory environments, socioeconomic and geographical characteristics, political climates, past and future changes in logistics and supply chain management, and market forces—will determine whether such a strategy can be adopted and function effectively in the United States. In this paper, the cost-effectiveness of a common type of consolidation scheme used in foreign countries is examined against the peddle-run system commonly used in the United States. The analysis results indicate that the current U.S. distribution system has substantial cost advantages. Demographic factors, population density, and urban area size, while having some effect on the logistics cost under the consolidation system, do not reverse the cost advantage of the pedd...
Numerical simulation of free shear flows and far-field sound pressure directivity

SUMMARY An implicit spatial differencing technique with fourth-order accuracy has been developed based on the Pade compact scheme. A dispersion-relation-preserving concept has been incorporated into the numerical scheme. Two-dimensional Euler computation of a spatially developing free shear flow with and without external excitation has been performed to demonstrate the capability of the numerical scheme developed. Results are in good agreement with theory and experimental observation regarding the growth rate of the fluctuating velocity, the convective velocity and the vortex-pairing process. The far-field sound pressure generated by the computed shear flow solution using Lighthill's acoustic analogy shows a strong directivity with a zone of silence at the flow angle.
Viscosity ratio effects in the compounding of low viscosity, immiscible fluids into polymeric matrices

Many low viscosity, immiscible fluids are difficult to incorporate into polymer matrices because of thermodynamic immiscibility and a large mismatch of melt viscosities. In this investigation, a model system was used to determine the mechanisms and kinetics of mixing in such formulations. The model systems consisted of a series of different molecular weight polyethylenes in polystyrene. The viscosity ratio, η(polyethylene)/η(polystyrene), at 180°C and 100 s -1 was varied from 0.7 to 0.003. Phase inversion was observed during the compounding of these formulations. The phase inversion was associated with a transition from low to high mixing torque during compounding. This change was primarily due to an increase in the blend viscosity caused by the morphological transformation. The melting behavior during compounding depended on the melt viscosity of the polyethylene. A critical viscosity ratio of 0.1 exists below which softening of the polystyrene, and thus mixing of the two components, was greatly retarded. Even at very low concentrations, low viscosity polyethylene can have a significant effect on the processing behavior. Effects of mixer set temperature, degree of fill, and polyethylene particle size were explored. The roles of thermal conduction and mechanical energy input were evaluated in the melting regime of the process.
Anthropogenic Forcing and Decadal Climate Variability in Sensitivity Experiments of Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Climate

A methodology is formulated to evaluate the possible changes in decadal-timescale (10‐20-yr period) surface temperature variability and associated low-frequency fluctuations of anthropogenic forcing and changes in climate base state due to the forcing in simulations of twentieth- and twenty-first-century climate in a global coupled climate model without flux adjustment. The two climate change experiments both start in the year 1900. The first uses greenhouse gas radiative forcing (represented by equivalent CO2) observed during the twentieth century, and extends greenhouse gas forcing to the year 2035 by increasing CO2 1% yr21 compound after 1990 (CO2only experiment). The second includes the same greenhouse gas forcing as the first, but adds the effects of timevarying geographic distributions of monthly sulfate aerosol radiative forcing represented by a change in surface albedo (CO2 1 sulfates experiment). The climate change experiments are compared with a 135-yr control experiment with no change in external forcing. Climate system responses in the CO 2-only and CO2 1 sulfates experiments in this particular model are marked not only by greater warming at high latitudes in the winter
Non-yrast states in Pd-101 and their rotational interpretation

Several non-yrast states of both parities in $^{101}\mathrm{Pd}$ have been observed using three-detector $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence measurements following the reaction $^{92}\mathrm{Zr}(^{12}\mathrm{C}, 3n)^{101}\mathrm{Pd}$. Energy levels, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray mixing ratios, and branching ratios are deduced from the data and compared with the results of a rotational model calculation. Five of the newly discovered states are identified as non-yrast members of rotational bands based on the $\frac{5}{{2}^{+}}$ and $\frac{11}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ states.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE $^{92}\mathrm{Zr}(^{12}\mathrm{C}, 3n)^{101}\mathrm{Pd}$ at 48 MeV; measured ${I}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}(\ensuremath{\theta})$, 3-detector $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coin, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ DCOQ. $^{101}\mathrm{Pd}$ deduced levels, $J$, $\ensuremath{\pi}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ mixing ratios. Rotational model calculations, Coriolis, recoil, calculated levels, mixing ratios, branching ratios, half-lives.
Women and AIDS.

In many countries the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has become one of young people mainly women and children because of cultural values and the status of women and girls in society. In India and Southeast Asian countries 80-90% of HIV infection results from heterosexual intercourse; men seek unprotected sex with multiple casual partners because of taboos concerning sexual intercourse during menstruation or after childbirth. Since a womans status depends on her ability to bear sons the use of barrier methods is precluded. Women are at greater risk of HIV infection whether on a percent or per partnership basis. Because men tend to choose younger female sex partners there is a tendency for the level of HIV infection to be higher in women than in men in the same age cohort. Although serosurveillance in India initially demonstrated a higher prevalence in men the ratio is reversing. Lower levels of education among women lead to misconceptions about disease prevention reduce receptivity to public health interventions and limit access to health care. Repeated pregnancies poor reproductive hygiene a tradition of not seeking care the use of multiple partners by men and normal labor and operative procedures place women at greater risk of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV infection. Regardless of HIV transmission rates the World Health Organization recommends breast feeding. Women living in settings where the risk of the infant dying from infectious disease or malnutrition is high should breast feed even if infected with HIV; in other settings infected women should use an alternative. The choice of an artificial method and product should not be subject to commercial pressure. Counseling and family planning information and services should be provided to all infected adults. The first priority in all countries is to prevent women of childbearing age from being infected; education access to condoms and STD prevention and care are primary activities. The quality of care and access to maternal health and family planning services need to improve especially with regard to pregnancy complications.
Temporal Use of Home Range by the Hispid Cotton Rat

Hispid cotton rats ( Sigmodon hispidus ) exhibit home ranges on daily and multiday time scales. Radiotelemetry was used to demonstrate that daily use of the multiday home range was not random, but systematic; daily home ranges were occupied in a clockwise pattern within the multiday home range. Such systematic use of the multiday home range may result in more efficient foraging in habitats where required resources are distributed in a patchy fashion. To determine whether systematic use of the multiday home range was caused by behavioral interactions among conspecifics, an index of exclusivity was computed to reflect the amount of daily home range for each individual not overlapped by any other individual. Average exclusivity was 84% for the total population and 93% for same-sex pairs. Computer simulations that randomly positioned daily home ranges showed that observed exclusivities were significantly higher than expected, particularly among males during breeding seasons. Thus, biological interactions, probably territoriality, among males resulted in nearly total separation of home ranges and also may play a part in systematic use of the multiday home range.
Treatment of heart failure. 2.

Heart failure may be treated by decreasing physical activity and salt intake and giving digitalis. When these measures prove inadequate, diuretics may be added to the regimen; however, because of their adverse side effects, these agents should be given cautiously. Combined use of complementary diuretics may be necessary for maximal effectiveness. Pulmonary edema, usually caused by disease of the left side of the heart, is a true medical emergency requiring immediate therapy. Morphine is the drug of choice, except in patients with severe chronic lung disease.
Meshfree analysis with the aid of NURBS boundary

We present a meshfree analysis framework to integrate the geometric exactness of non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS)-based isogeometric analysis (IGA) (Hughes et al., Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 194:4135---4195, 2005) with the flexibility of meshfree approximations. In the framework, only the NURBS boundary surface immediately available from CAD tools is used to describe the exact problem domain, and meshfree particles are inserted inside the boundary surface, in a flexible manner, for construction of the approximation for analysis. Nitche's method is employed for imposing essential boundary conditions and the domain integration in the Galerkin formulation is performed based on variationally consistent integration (VCI) to recover integration exactness. The NURBS boundary surface from CAD serves as an aid in selecting particle distributions and as the integration net for the boundary integration required both for the Nitche's method and the VCI. As shown in numerical studies, the VCI is essential for the solution accuracy of the method. Several benchmarks are tested to examine the effectiveness of the proposed framework and numerical results are compared with those obtained by the IGA.
Encouraging organizational learning through pay after a corporate downsizing

Corporate downsizing has been implemented by a large number of American firms in an effort to become more flexible and responsive to increased competition. The results associated with these downsizings have not been as stellar as researchers and practitioners had hoped. In fact, fewer than half of downsized firms reported achieving any reduction in costs (Hitt, Keats, Harback and Nixon, 1994). In addition to these dismal financial indicators, the effects of downsizing on the remaining employees have been substantial, including increased stress, reduced career opportunities and decreased company loyalty. This article looks at the possibility that person-based compensation systems such as skill/competency based pay or broad banding may alleviate some of the problems associated with both the poor financial performance and the negative impact on survivors of downsizing. By encouraging employees to acquire new skills and knowledge, person-based pay programs may foster the development of a highly flexible workforce. Employees with wider skills may prove valuable to downsized firms coping with large losses in organizational knowledge and memory. Throughout the last two decades, many corporations have undergone extensive efforts to reengineer themselves. This reengineering, for the most part, has resulted in massive downsizing, presumably in an effort to become more competitive in the marketplace (Bowman and Singh, 1993). The underlying assumption of these downsizings has been that the bureaucracies, developed by some of these companies, hampered their ability to respond efficiently and effectively against new levels of competition. Despite the initial claims that downsizing would enhance firms’ performances by making them more flexible, there is little research showing organizational performance increases as a result of these changes (Hitt, Keats, Harback and Nixon, 1994). Potentially, one reason for these results is because as firms downsize, they let go of one critical competitive advantage: their people. Drastic reductions in staffing, such as those of downsizing, affect many aspects of the firms’ capabilities to perform not only because of the employees who were downsized out of firms, but also because of it’s effects on employees who remain, the survivors. The employees, lost during downsizing, possess unique knowledge which facilitated the firms’ performances in the past (Walsh and Ungson, 1991). These employees owned technical expertise and industry specific knowledge necessary for the firms to compete. They stored organizational memory that is now gone from the companies. Potentially, they were key people in information net
Impact of an Education Intervention on Missouri K-12 School Disaster and Biological Event Preparedness.

BACKGROUND A 2011 nationwide school pandemic preparedness study found schools to be deficient. We examined the impact of a school nurse educational intervention aimed at improving K-12 school biological event preparedness. METHODS Missouri Association of School Nurses (MASN) members were e-mailed a survey link in fall 2013 (ie, preintervention), links to online education modules (ie, intervention) in late fall, and a postintervention survey link in spring, 2014. School biological event readiness was measured using 35 indicators, for a possible score range of 0-35. A paired t-test compared pre- to postintervention preparedness scores. RESULTS A total of 133 school nurses (33.6% response rate) completed a survey; 35.3% of those (N = 47) completed both pre- and postintervention survey that could be matched. Pre- and postintervention preparedness scores ranged from 5 to 28.5 (x‾ = 13.3) and 6.5 to 25 (x‾ = 14.8), respectively. Postintervention scores were significantly higher than preintervention scores for those who watched at least 1 module (t = −2.3, p < .05). CONCLUSION: The education intervention was effective at improving school preparedness, though the impact was small. The education intervention needs to be reassessed, especially in regard to providing a longer intervention period.
Block circular and hyperbolic transformations for the block fast array RLS algorithm

Both circular and hyperbolic transformations are needed in the scalar fast array RLS (FARLS) algorithm to transform the pre-array into the post-array. These transformations ‘compress’ (in a J-unitary sense) the energy of the first column of the pre-array into the first entry of the post-array. Analogous transformations are needed in the block FARLS (BFARLS) algorithm, except the transformations need to ‘compress’ the energy of certain block matrices of the pre-array into the first square block of the post-array. A stable J-unitary block reflector is developed in this paper for transforming the pre-array into the post-array for the BFARLS algorithm.
Should Recent Clinical Trials Change Perioperative Management in Patients with Cardiac Risk Factors

A 75-year-old man with a known history of an ischemic cardiomyopathy presents for resection of a presumed malignant liver tumor. He had 2 cardiac stents placed in the last year and a half. His medications include spironolactone, lisinopril, pioglitazone, and atorvastatin. He also takes 81 mg aspirin per day. A recent cardiac catheterization showed that his stents were wide open and there was evidence of diffuse, cardiac arterial disease not amenable to stenting or surgery. His ejection fraction is 32 %, and there is diastolic dysfunction on his echocardiogram.
An evaluation of the directional relationship between head injuries and subsequent changes in impulse control and delinquency in a sample of previously adjudicated males

Abstract Research over the past decade has found that head injuries are associated with negative outcomes including lower levels of self-control and a greater prevalence of delinquent behavior. Despite this pattern of findings, previous research remains unclear as to whether head injuries influence subsequent levels of self-control and delinquency, or whether lower levels of self-control increase the likelihood of sustaining a head injury. The current study begins to address this gap in the literature by analyzing longitudinal data spanning from childhood to young adulthood on adolescent offenders from the Pathways to Desistance study. A series of cross-lagged autoregressive path models were estimated to examine the prospective associations between head injuries, changes in impulse control (a dimension of self-control), and delinquency while controlling for stability in all three constructs. Findings indicate: 1) impulse control and delinquency displayed significant levels of stability across the study period; 2) head injuries appear to occur prior to decreases in impulse control; 3) decreases in impulse control do not appear to systematically increase the odds of sustaining future head injuries; and 4) head injuries did not appear to result in systematic increases in delinquent behavior across the life course.
Building research skills in the Macalester economics major

Economics majors at Macalester College have won numerous awards for their research papers, and this success has helped them land jobs in finance, consulting, and the nonprofit sector, as well as gain admission to top graduate programs. This article describes how the Economics Department at Macalester promotes economic research among its students.
Three alternative structural configurations for phlebotomy: a comparison of effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of three alternative structural configurations for inpatient phlebotomy. It was hypothesized that decentralized was less effective when compared to centralized inpatient phlebotomy. DESIGN: A non-experimental prospective survey design was conducted at the institution level. Laboratory managers completed an organizational survey and collected data on inpatient blood specimens during a 30-day data collection period. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A random sample (n =31) of hospitals with onsite laboratories in the United States was selected from a database purchased from the Joint Commission on Accreditations of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Effectiveness of the blood collection process was measured by the percentage of specimens rejected during the data collection period. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed a statistically significant difference in the percentage of specimens rejected for centralized, hybrid, and decentralized phlebotomy configurations [F (2, 28) = 4.27, p = .02] with an effect size of .23. Post-hoc comparison using Tukey9s HSD indicated that mean percentage of specimens rejected for centralized phlebotomy (M = .045, SD = 0.36) was significantly different from the decentralized configuration (M = 1.42, SD = 0.92, p = .03). CONCLUSION: Phlebotomy configuration has a significant effect on the percentage of specimens rejected. Based on this outcome, the centralized phlebotomy configuration was found to be more effective when compared to the decentralized configuration. ABBREVIATIONS:ANOVA = analysis of variance; JCAHO = Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; Tukey9s HSD = Tukey9s honestly significant different; LSD = least significant difference; M = mean; SD = standard deviation
Social Support and Loneliness Among Parkinson Care Partners

AbstractBackground: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, neurodegenerative disorder that leads to increasing debilitation over time. Previous research has shown that care partners of persons with PD are at risk for developing loneliness. Based on the Optimal Matching Model of Social Support (Cutrona & Russell, 1990), the primary aim of this study was to determine the types of social support that are associated with loneliness in this sample which, in turn, may lead to interventions designed to help care partners deal with feelings of loneliness.Methods: A survey was mailed to care partners of persons with PD on the contact list of a regional Parkinson’s association. Response rate was 39%. Only responses from those who lived with the patient were included in the analyses (n=70). Standard measures of loneliness, perceived social support, questions related to care partners’ perspectives on patients’ disease status, and demographic information were included in the analyses.Results: Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine which of five types of social support predicted loneliness. Results indicated that Attachment (which reflects emotional support) and Social Integration (which reflects network support) were significant predictors. Conclusions: Findings indicate that care partners may benefit from specific types of support to lessen feelings of loneliness.
Neural networks for incremental dimensionality reduced reinforcement learning

State-of-the-art personal robots must perform complex manipulation tasks to be viable in assistive scenarios. However, many of these robots, like the PR2, use manipulators with high degrees-of-freedom. The complexity of these robots lead to large dimensional state spaces, which are difficult to fully explore. Our previous work introduced the IDRRL algorithm, which compresses the learning space by transforming a high-dimensional learning space onto a lower-dimensional manifold while preserving expressivity. In this work we formally prove that IDRRL maintains PAC-MDP guarantees. We then improve upon our previous formulation of IDRRL by introducing cascading autoencoders (CAE) for dimensionality reduction, producing the new algorithm IDRRL-CAE. We demonstrate the improvement of this extension over our previous formulation, IDRRL-PCA, in the Mountain Car and Swimmers domains.
Cutting-edge endonasal surgical approaches to thyroid ophthalmopathy.

Objective Thyroid orbitopathy is a poorly understood extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease that can cause disfiguring proptosis and vision loss. Orbital decompression surgery for Graves' orbitopathy (GO) can address both cosmetic and visual sequelae of this autoimmune condition. Endonasal endoscopic orbital decompression provides unmatched visualization and access to inferomedial orbital wall and orbital apex. This review examines the state of the art approaches employed in endonasal endoscopic orbital decompression for GO. Methods Review of literature evaluating novel surgical maneuvers for GO. Results Studies examining the efficacy of endonasal endoscopic orbital decompression are heterogenous and retrospective in design; however, they reveal this approach to be a safe and effective technique in the management of GO. Conclusion Subtle variations in endoscopic techniques significantly affect postsurgical outcomes and can be tailored to the specific clinical indication in GO making endonasal endoscopic decompression the most versatile approach available. Level of evidence NA.
The Theory of Computable Cost-Benefit Identification Matrices

The discussions in Chapter 1 point to the fact that the application of cost-benefit analysis to decision and choice demands reliable data on costs and benefits given the sets of social objectives, decision alternatives and social structure. Developing cost and benefit information on decision alternatives is perhaps the most expensive and most difficult part in the use of the method and technique of cost-benefit analysis. The difficulty and high expenses that come with it are due to a number of factors that make the problem complex. These factors include the idea that:
MANAGEMENT OF THE SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE, HETERODERA GLYCINES, IN SOYBEANS

The soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, was first described in Japan. It also occurs in Canada, The People’s Republic of China, Columbia, Indonesia, Korea, the Soviet Union, and in 26 states within the United States. Males are necessary for reproduction, and most of the eggs are retained within the dead female body or cyst where they can survive for many years. The primary methods of reducing yield damage caused by the soybean cyst nematode are rotation of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr ., with nonhost crops. use of nematicides. and planting resistant cultivars . Primary research on management of H. glycines involves development and deployment of resistant cultivars . This is necessary because of the great genetic variability in populations of the nematode for reproduction on cultivars with different sources of resistance . Long-term management of the nematode requires integration of control tactics.
Evaluation of Dynamic Ultrasound for Arterial Access in Children Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Objective To evaluate the effect of dynamic ultrasound (US) on the need for surgical intervention to achieve successful arterial cannulation in the pediatric cardiac surgery population. Design Retrospective, observational study. Setting Single, academic, pediatric hospital in the United States. Participants The study comprised 3,569 consecutive patients who had an arterial catheter placed in the operating room before undergoing congenital heart surgery between January 2004 and September 2016. Interventions Dynamic US was used in 2,064 cases (57.83%) to obtain arterial access. Arterial cannulation by palpation was performed in the remaining 37.8% of cases. Surgical cutdown for arterial access was required in 192 cases after failed cannulation attempts by the anesthesia team. Measurements and Main Results Use of US was associated with an overall decrease in the need for surgical access from 10.43% to 1.70% (p Conclusions Dynamic US resulted in a significant reduction in surgical intervention to achieve arterial cannulation in children presenting for cardiac surgery.
Urbanization drives unique latitudinal patterns of insect herbivory and tree condition

Urban landscapes are characterized by high proportions of impervious surface resulting in higher temperatures than adjacent natural landscapes. In some cities, like those at cooler latitudes, trees may benefit from warmer urban temperatures, but trees in many cities are beset with problems like drought stress and increased herbivory. What drives patterns of urban tree health across urbanization and latitudinal temperature gradients? In natural systems, latitude–herbivory relationships are well‐studied, and recent temperate studies have shown that herbivory generally increases with decreasing latitudes (warmer temperatures). However, the applicability of this latitude–herbivory theory in already‐warmed urban systems is unknown. In this study, we investigated how the interaction of urbanization, latitudinal warming and scale insect abundance affected urban tree health. We predicted that trees in warmer, lower latitude cities would be in poorer health at lower levels of urbanization than trees at cooler, higher latitudes due to the interaction of urbanization, latitudinal temperature and herbivory. To evaluate our predictions, we surveyed the abundance of scale insect herbivores on a single, common tree species Acer rubrum in eight US cities spanning 10° of latitude. We estimated urbanization at two extents, a local one that accounted for the direct effects on an individual tree, and a larger one that captured the surrounding urban landscape. We found that urban tree health did not vary with latitudinal temperature but was best predicted by local urbanization and herbivore abundance. We did not observe increased herbivore abundance in warmer, lower latitudes cities, but instead herbivore abundance peaked in the mid latitudes of our study. This study demonstrates that urban landscapes may deviate from classical theory developed in natural systems and reinforces the need for research reconciling ecological patterns in urban landscapes.
Conditional Life Cycle: An Examination of Operating Performance for Leaders and Laggards

The economics and management literature provides theoretical support for both leader and laggard firms to earn higher future operating returns. However, prior empirical research lacks a generalizab...
Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Associations With Mental Health Status and Individual Characteristics Among Cancer Survivors: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample

Purpose: To describe the prevalence of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and test its associations with validated mental health status measures.Design: Cross-sectional survey using the Medical Expend...
Implementation of intimate partner violence education for adolescents with spina bifida.

OBJECTIVE Intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention among adolescent patients with disability is needed, yet rarely discussed in the clinical setting. This study evaluated the feasibility of implementing a brief educational training based on an evidence-based IPV intervention in a pediatric spina bifida clinic. Frequency of IPV discussion was assessed through evaluation of patient feedback and provider surveys. METHODS Adolescent patients with spina bifida aged 12-21 completed after visit surveys before (N= 13) and after the provider training (N= 21). Primary outcomes included frequency of provider discussion about IPV and receipt of patient safety cards. Chi-square tests compared patient feedback prior to and two months following the education session. Provider knowledge and attitude changes were assessed with pre-post surveys. RESULTS More patients discussed IPV with providers following the education session compared to baseline (p= 0.03). Provider feedback, both immediately and at two months after the education session showed increased awareness of IPV, comfort with assessment, disclosure, and referral to resources. CONCLUSIONS The educational intervention increased provider comfort with addressing IPV within a specialty clinical setting. The frequency of IPV communication significantly increased as compared to baseline, patients reported the discussions were beneficial, and providers reported greater comfort discussing IPV and referring patients to resources.