cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Management of Acute Severe Asthma

Acute severe asthma exacerbations resulting in emergency department visits and hospitalization usually constitute a failure of long-term control therapy. However, even patients with relatively mild asthma can have severe life-threatening episodes. In both children and adults, viral respiratory infections are the major triggering event, although outbreaks of severe asthma have been associated with high concentrations of aeroallergens. Patients should be provided with written action plans on what to do for acute deterioration, and more severe patients may keep prednisone at home to begin after consultation with their physician. The primary therapy of acute asthma exacerbations remains frequent administration of aerosol β2-agonists and systemic corticosteroids for those patients not fully responding to the β2-agonists. Mild exacerbations may be treated with an increased dosage of inhaled corticosteroids. Patients at risk for acute exacerbations may benefit from peak flow measurement, particularly those who h...
Distinct molecular and cellular contributions to stabilizing selectin-mediated rolling under flow

Leukocytes roll on selectins at nearly constant velocities over a wide range of wall shear stresses. Ligand-coupled microspheres roll faster on selectins and detach quickly as wall shear stress is increased. To examine whether the superior performance of leukocytes reflects molecular features of native ligands or cellular properties that favor selectin-mediated rolling, we coupled structurally defined selectin ligands to microspheres or K562 cells and compared their rolling on P-selectin. Microspheres bearing soluble P-selectin glycoprotein ligand (sPSGL)-1 or 2-glycosulfopeptide (GSP)-6, a GSP modeled after the NH2-terminal P-selectin–binding region of PSGL-1, rolled equivalently but unstably on P-selectin. K562 cells displaying randomly coupled 2-GSP-6 also rolled unstably. In contrast, K562 cells bearing randomly coupled sPSGL-1 or 2-GSP-6 targeted to a membrane-distal region of the presumed glycocalyx rolled more like leukocytes: rolling steps were more uniform and shear resistant, and rolling velocities tended to plateau as wall shear stress was increased. K562 cells treated with paraformaldehyde or methyl-β-cyclodextrin before ligand coupling were less deformable and rolled unstably like microspheres. Cells treated with cytochalasin D were more deformable, further resisted detachment, and rolled slowly despite increases in wall shear stress. Thus, stable, shear-resistant rolling requires cellular properties that optimize selectin–ligand interactions.
Linking childhood abuse and hypertension: sleep disturbance and inflammation as mediators

The indirect association of childhood abuse with prevalent hypertension in adulthood through sleep disturbance and pro-inflammatory biomarkers was investigated in 589 community-dwelling, middle-aged adults. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and self-reported current sleep disturbance and medical diagnoses including hypertension. Blood pressure was taken and blood samples were analyzed for C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen. Hypertension was present in 41.3 % of the sample. In the full multiple mediation model, tested using structural equation modeling, all hypothesized pathways were significant (p's < 0.05). Childhood abuse was significantly related to both body mass index and sleep disturbance, which, both in turn, were significantly associated with inflammation, which was subsequently associated with hypertension status. The model demonstrated good fit [χ(2) (122) = 352.0, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.918, RMSEA = 0.057] and the indirect effect of all mediators was significant (indirect effect: 0.02, 95 % CI 0.005-0.03, p = 0.001). Sleep disturbance, body mass, and inflammation may be independent, intermediate steps between childhood abuse and subsequent hypertension that may be amenable to biobehavioral interventions.
A Discussion on Setting up Land Use Database at County Level

Before setting up a land use information system at county level,it is necessary to specify requirements for the design of database and data quality, to understand technical standards and procedures, and to set a definitive objective for the collection and handling of information, the collection of data and the output of the results.
Vaccination against hepatitis A and B in patients with chronic liver disease and type 2 diabetes: has anything changed?

BACKGROUND & AIMS Given the severity of acute hepatitis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) and patients with type 2 diabetes (DM), most of these patients are recommended to be vaccinated. The aim is to assess the recent changes in HAV and HBV vaccination rates in patients with CLD and DM in the U.S. using the most recent population data. METHODS We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) cycles 2009-2012 and 2013-2014, and compared those to previous cycles (1999-2004 and 2005-2008). RESULTS In general U.S. population, the rates of quality measure (QM, serologic immunity or history of vaccination) for HBV increased from 31.9% in 1999-2004 to 49.5% in 2013-2014 (P < 0.0001), synchronously with an increase in self-reported HBV vaccination: from 24.4% to 41.3% (P < 0.0001). A similar increase was noted for HAV: 12.0% in 1999-2004 to 33.4% in 2013-2014 in vaccination, 44.0% to 52.4% in HAV QM (all P < 0.0001). Greater recent increases in HBV QM were noted in non-HBV CLD patients: 34.7% to 56.8% in HBV QM and 22.7% to 51.1% in HBV vaccination (all P < 0.0001), while the changes in patients with diabetes were similar to those in general U.S. population despite the recent CDC recommendation (for the age 19-59): 31.0% to 45.1% (P = 0.007) in HBV QM, and 22.3% to 39.0% (P = 0.0004) in HBV vaccination. CONCLUSIONS Despite recommendations, HAV and HBV vaccination rates in patients with CLD and DM remain relatively low. Better vaccination strategies for these high risk patients should be undertaken.
Clausal intonation after unilateral brain damage.

Thirteen right-handed adult speakers, including five patients with unilateral left-hemisphere damage, four patients with unilateral right-hemisphere damage, and four patients with non-neurological damage, read aloud sentences designed to test influences of clause and utterance length on two acoustical measures of intonation, fundamental voice frequency (Fo) and timing. Patients with unilateral damage to the left-hemisphere exhibited more abnormality in Fo and speech timing than did patients with right-hemisphere damage.
Clinical evaluation of fosfomycin

A total of 15 patients with a variety of infectious disease were treated with fosfomycin in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaoshiung. The drug was administered by iv drip infusion in doses of 204g per day for 5-28 days. The clinical response was satisfactory in 6 (100%) of 6 patients with urinary tract infection, 8 (80%) of 10 with septicemia and 1 with pneumonia. Overall, fosfomycin was effective in 13 (86%) of all patients treated. Except for 1 isolate of the pathogen, B. fragilis, and another 1 isolate of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, all the other 16 pathogens isolated, including Escherichia coli, Aeromonas, Klebsiella. Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were successfully eradicated. Only 1 case developed skin rash. So fosfomycin is a useful agent and gram (-) organisms including oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
WE‐FG‐206‐05: New Arterial Spin Labeling Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Arterial Cerebral Blood Volume, Cerebral Blood Flow and Arterial Transit Time

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of a novel Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) method for simultaneously measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial transit time (ATT), and arterial cerebral blood volume (aCBV) without the use of a contrast agent. Methods: A series of multi-TI ASL images were acquired from one healthy subject on a 3T Siemens Skyra, with the following parameters: PCASL labeling with variable TI [300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000] ms, labeling bolus 1400 ms when TI allows, otherwise 100 ms less than TI, TR was minimized for each TI, two sinc shaped pre-saturation pulses were applied in the imaging plane immediately before 2D EPI acquisition. 64×64×24 voxels, 5 mm slice thickness, 1 mm gap, full brain coverage, 6 averages per TI, no crusher gradients, 11 ms TE, scan time of 4:56. The perfusion weighted time-series was created for each voxel and fit to a novel model. The model has two components: 1) the traditional model developed by Buxton et al., accounting for CBF and ATT, and 2) a box car function characterizing the width of the labeling bolus, with variable timing and height in proportion to the aCBV. All three parameters were fit using a nonlinear fitting routine that constrained all parameters to be positive. The main purpose of the high-temporal resolution TI sampling for the first second of data acquisition was to precisely estimate the blood volume component for better detection of arrival time and magnitude of signal. Results: Whole brain maps of CBF, ATT, and aCBV were produced, and all three parameters maps are consistent with similar maps described in the literature. Conclusion: Simultaneous mapping of CBF, ATT, and aCBV is feasible with a clinically tractable scan time (under 5 minutes).
Perforated dielectric surface wave antenna with directive radiation pattern

In this paper, we present a planar perforated dielectric surface wave antenna with high directivity and wide bandwidth. The proposed antenna is practically realizable and composed of a grounded quarter of a dielectric cylinder with a low-profile corner reflector. The permittivity of the quarter dielectric cylinder is gradually tapered by drilling air holes with different radii. Simulation results using ANSYS HFSS software reveal the proposed antenna to have a directive radiation pattern with directivity better than 8.1 dB. Results also show that a fractional impedance bandwidth of more than 42% can be achieved with this design.
Current practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical fixation of closed long bone fractures: a survey of 297 members of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association

The risk of postoperative surgical site infection after long bone fracture fixation can be decreased with appropriate antibiotic use. However, there is no agreement on the superiority of a single- or multiple-dose perioperative regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis. The purpose of this study is to determine the following: 1) What are the current practice patterns of orthopaedic trauma surgeons in using perioperative antibiotics for closed long bone fractures? 2) What is the current knowledge of published antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines among orthopaedic trauma surgeons? 3) Are orthopaedic surgeons willing to change their current practices? A questionnaire was distributed via email between September and December 2015 to 955 Orthopaedic Trauma Association members, of whom 297 (31%) responded. Most surgeons (96%) use cefazolin as first-line infection prophylaxis. Fifty-nine percent used a multiple-dose antibiotic regimen, 39% used a single-dose regimen, and 2% varied this decision according to patient factors. Thirty-six percent said they were unfamiliar with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines; only 30% were able to select the correct CDC recommendation from a multiple-choice list. However, 44% of surgeons said they followed CDC recommendations. Fifty-six percent answered that a single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis regimen was not inferior to a multiple-dose regimen. If a level-I study comparing a single preoperative dose versus multiple perioperative antibiotic dosing regimen for treatment of closed long bone fractures were published, most respondents (64%) said they would fully follow these guidelines, and 22% said they would partially change their practice to follow these guidelines. There is heterogeneity in the use of single- versus multiple-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical repair of closed long bone fractures. Many surgeons were unsure of current evidence-based recommendations regarding perioperative antibiotic use. Most respondents indicated they would be receptive to high-level evidence regarding the single- versus multiple-dose perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of closed long bone fractures.
Racial/ethnic variation in mental health correlates of substance use among college students

ABSTRACTThis study investigated mental health indicators, substance use, and their relationships, by race/ethnicity. A probability sample of 1,053 students at two California universities self-reported their frequency of substance use and rated their experience with indicators of mental health. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square tests, and multivariate censored regression models were estimated to examine which indicators of mental health were associated with each substance use form by race/ethnicity. Results from the one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests showed differences in substance use prevalence and mental health by race/ethnicity. For example, students who identified as White demonstrate a higher prevalence for every form of substance use in comparison to the Asian, Latino, and “All other” categories. Results from the regression showed, among Whites, inattention was associated with prescription stimulant misuse, and psychological distress was associated with marijuana use. Among Latinos, i...
Modeling the thermal poling of glasses using molecular dynamics. Part 2: Effects on elastic properties

Abstract In this work, thermal poling of ternary oxide glasses, including borosilicates and aluminosilicates, is studied using molecular dynamics. For the glass compositions simulated, results show that thermal poling lowers the Young's modulus of those ternary oxide glasses. Additionally, comparisons between the structures of as-melted and poled glasses, as well as comparisons with their binary as-melted counterparts of the same composition, reveal that the changes in elastic properties can be partially attributed to changes in void size distributions within those glass networks. Overall, this study shows that thermal poling can effectively be used to alter the elastic properties of oxide glasses.
Biomarkers reflect differences in osteoarthritis phenotypes of the lumbar spine: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Summary Objective To determine differences in biomarker levels between radiographic phenotypes of facet joint osteoarthritis (FOA) only, spine OA only ((disc space narrowing (DSN) and vertebral osteophytes (OST)) or the combination of FOA and spine OA. Design A cross-sectional analysis of data from 555 participants in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project was performed. Lumbar spine levels were graded by severity (OST and DSN) and presence (FOA) of degeneration. Biomarkers included hyaluronan (HA) and type II collagen (CTX-II). Adjusted risk ratios (aRRR) were estimated using multinomial regression, with adjustment for age, race, sex, body mass index (BMI), and radiographic OA (knee, hip, hand). Interactions were tested between sex, race and low back symptoms. Results FOA only was present in 22.4%, 14.5% had spine OA only, and 34.6% had the combination of FOA and spine OA. Compared to the reference group of neither FOA or spine OA, a one unit higher ln HA level was associated with 31% higher relative risk ratio (RRR = 1.31 (95% 1.03, 1.67)) of having FOA only, while, a one unit higher lnuCTX-II level was associated with 84% higher relative risk ratio (RRR = 1.84 (95% CI 1.19, 2.84)) of having spine OA only. No significant interactions were identified. Conclusion Interestingly, OA affecting the synovial facet joint was associated with a marker of inflammation (HA). Spine OA, affecting intervertebral discs that contain collagen type II, was associated with a marker reflecting collagen type II degradation (CTX-II). These findings suggest that biomarkers may reflect the different pathophysiologic processes of lumbar spine OA phenotypes.
Companion Animals and the Development of Children: Implications of the Biophilia Hypothesis

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the implications of the biophilia hypothesis for understanding the role of animals in children's development. Biophilia suggests that animal contact has the potential, if not the power, to promote a child's feelings of safety and security. Also, biophilia calls attention to animals as perceptually and cognitively salient categories. This implies that animals may be effective stimuli for many children in drawing and sustaining their attention, encoding memories, and linguistically organizing thoughts. Furthermore, biophilia hypothesizes that interest in animals leads children to speculate about animal minds as well as human minds as they develop theory of mind ideas. Such speculation draws children into the challenge of decoding distinctive (from human) repertoires of behaviors and may make children more nonverbally literate. An important implication of biophilia is that children are intrinsically interested in animals, but not intrinsically attracted or attached to them. Thus, in this view, children bring heightened affect to encounters with animals, but this affect is readily channeled into either positive or negative directions.
Cell Biology: Capturing Formin's Mechano-Inhibition.

Summary Formins polymerize actin filaments for the cytokinetic contractile ring. Using in vitro reconstitution of fission yeast contractile ring precursor nodes containing formins and myosin, a new study shows that formin-mediated polymerization is strongly inhibited upon the capture and pulling of actin filaments by myosin, a result that has broad implications for cellular mechanosensing.
Repetitive Microteaching: Learning to Teach Elementary Social Studies

The role of deliberate practice in the development of performance has been studied extensively in many contexts, such as in athletics (eg. Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-R?mer, 1993). The construct of deliberate practice in the development of teacher performance has been receiving heightened examination lately, though the role of practice in the development of elementary social studies teachers remains essentially unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a repeated practice microteaching model on the teaching behaviors of 64 elementary preservice teachers who taught the same social studies lessons to small groups of 4th-grade students four times in succession. Candidate reflection journals from all candidates, observational transcripts of 14 teaching pairs, focus group interviews with the candidates, and informal cooperating teacher interviews revealed that the preservice teachers’ lessons changed over the four successive teaching episodes. The candidates became more comfortable and confident after teaching the same social studies lesson multiple times. Candidates also reported that their lessons became better, yet the qualitative data revealed that even though their teaching became more efficient and student work correctness improved, only a few preservice teachers increased the cognitive demand of their questions and activities. Nonetheless, most candidates demonstrated increased use of social studies pedagogical content knowledge through their examples and discussions, as well as increased attention to student thinking. Repeated practice field experiences seem to hold potential for elementary candidates to develop their use of social studies pedagogical content knowledge.
CART3 Field Tests for Wind Turbine Region-2 Operation With Extremum Seeking Controllers

For wind turbines operating in below-rated wind-speed conditions (Region 2), the primary objective is to maximize energy capture. This brief presents the results of a comprehensive field-test evaluation of extremum seeking control (ESC) for Region 2. The test has been conducted on the 600-kW CART3 facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The ESC algorithm tested uses feedback of the rotor power only to control the torque gain and/or blade pitch angle for maximum power production. The results show that ESC control increases the energy capture by 8%–12% relative to a baseline controller.
Response spectrum devices for active learning in earthquake engineering education

Abstract Structural and geotechnical engineers regularly use response spectra to assess the response of civil infrastructure to earthquakes; however, the underlying concepts of response spectra are often difficult for civil engineering students to grasp. Hardware specifications for two low cost response spectrum devices (RSDs) facilitate an inductive approach for teaching response spectrum concepts to students. The RSDs, which consist of wooden masses, compression springs, and accelerometers, can be excited manually or on a portable shake table to show the effects of mass and stiffness on the dynamic response of structures subjected to earthquake ground motion. Auxiliary Python scripts record real time accelerometer data, enabling students to compare the observed RSD response to numerical computations.
Scalable High Resolution Traffic Heatmaps: Coherent Queue Visualization for Datacenters

We propose a new high resolution – temporal and spatial – 10 Gbps Ethernet monitoring technique based on time-coherent congestion ‘heatmaps’, revealing (all) the queue occupancies at μs granularity. Notably, queues are sampled with a slightly modified version of the new commodity Ethernet hardware congestion management protocol, i.e., IEEE 802 Quantized Congestion Notification. Our technique is evaluated through high-accuracy Layer-2 simulations of a 10 Gbps datacenter Ethernet fabric. Early results reveal that our proposal enables the detection of ephemeral – yet consequential – events and transients essential for datacenter workload characterization: e.g., TCP Incast, Head-of-Line blocking and congestion trees, which may trigger within 10s of μs and were not directly detectable until now.
Epipodophyllotoxin and Cisplatin on Continuous Infusion Schedules

The Epipodophyllotoxins, VP16-213 and VM26, and the heavy metal cytotoxic agents, Cisplatin and its analogs, Spirogermanium and Gallium, represent two classes of agents which in clinical trials are traditionally delivered on an intermittent bolus schedule. Extensive clinical reviews of the clinical trials employing these agents have not emphasized the continuous infusion schedule (1–3). In fact, the thrust has been directed toward maximizing the dose of delivery on an intermittent bolus schedule to increase therapeutic effects (4,5). Such has been the traditional approach to cancer chemotherapy in general based upon the concept of the dose-response relationship developed in experimental tumor systems and upon practical issues involving patient convenience and outpatient delivery. Such precepts have been the basic tenets for the day one and eight schedule for such programs as MOPP chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease and the CMF program for breast cancer.
Applications of Social Systems Modeling to Political Risk Management

Risk is inexplicably linked to complex inter-related structural and behavioral factors. Of these, human factors tend to be overarching and predominant. Any model that would assist with exploring the inter-relationships among structural and human factors would be immensely valuable to risk management. A social system model constructed with a valid set of software agent framework and complete with factions, institutions and other organizational descriptors, all based on best-of-breed social science theories, can act as the desired testbed to evaluate effects that may arise from alternative courses of action. Through our past case studies, we describe in this article, how social systems modeling and associated intelligent system tools could be applied to assess and manage political risk (and by extension other social systems based risks). We also enumerate the challenges of such a testbed and describes best-of-breed theories drawn from across the social sciences and synthesized and implemented in an agent-based framework. These predictions are examined in a real world cases (Bangladesh) where the agent models are subjected to a validity check and the political risks are estimated.
Measures of Anger

The quick-view table in this chapter provides easy access to basic descriptive information on each measure of anger that was reviewed. The goal is to provide preliminary information and to assist the practitioner in deciding whether additional information about a particular measure would prove fruitful. Table entries are organized alphabetically and provide the name of the measure, the purpose for which the measures was developed, and the target population. The table also provides information on the method of assessment, the amount of time involved, and the page number where additional information is available. The table is followed by the individual review for each of the 40 measures deemed relevant to the assessment of anger.
Analyzing Change-in-Control Payments Since the Enactment of Say-on-Pay:

Since the enactment of Say on Pay in January 2011, companies are required to disclose the amounts payable to named executive officers as a results of an acquisition. There have been 1,524 U.S. publ...
Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors and Proteoglycan 4 in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints, is the most common form of arthritis in the knee. Total joint arthoplasty is a commonly used treatment for joint degeneration and osteoarthriti...
Robot Ipsa Loquitur

Accidents are becoming automated. From self-driving cars to self-flying drones, robots are increasingly colliding with the world. And one of the most pressing questions raised by these technologies—indeed, one of the great regulatory challenges of the coming era—is how the law should account for crashes involving such complex automated systems. By now, many have weighed in, including the field’s luminaries. And, though responses vary, a tentative consensus has emerged on at least one front. Age-old liability regimes are essentially nonstarters. For negligence and design defect theories both require a showing of fault. And in a world where vexingly complex robots roam, how could one possibly find the needle of fault in a haystack comprised of millions of lines of computer code? This Article challenges that view. In sharp contrast to the prevailing wisdom, it argues that widespread debates over the so-called ‘vexing tort problems’ raised by modern robots have overlooked a crucial issue: inference. Fault, after all, needn’t be shown by pointing directly to a faulty line of code. Like all facts, it can be proven indirectly through circumstantial evidence. Indeed, as the ancient negligence rule of res ipsa loquitur makes plain, sometimes an accident can “speak for itself.” Using the first robot accused of negligence as a case study, this Article shows how advanced data-logging technologies in modern machines provide richly detailed records of accidents that, themselves, speak to the fault of the parties involved. In doing so, it offers the first wide ranging account of how inference-based analysis can—and, in fact, already does—elegantly resolve liability determinations for otherwise confoundingly complex accidents. After showing that the purportedly novel challenges posed by robots are neither unprecedented, unresolvable, nor even unique to emerging technologies, the Article then takes a more practical turn. Drawing from a rich vein of precedent involving automated accidents, it outlines steps that courts, practitioners, and policymakers can take to streamline fault determinations using an approach it calls robot ipsa loquitur. With trillion-dollar markets and millions of lives on the line, it argues that drastic calls by leading experts to upend conventional liability are ahistorical, contrary to tort law’s fundamental goals, and unnecessary to protect the interests of accident victims. A simpler, more productive approach would let the robot speak for itself.
The Emergence of Renminbi as an International Invoicing Currency and The Spillover

China has aggressively promoted Renminbi(RMB), or Chinese Yuan, to be the next international currency since 2005. Has China's effort been paid off as RMB gradually emerged as an invoicing currency? What are the spillover effects of the RMB internationalization on the current vehicle currency country, US, and the rest of the world? It's hard to estimate the externality of RMB internationalization because of the endogeneity of the regime change. We adopt a dynamic trading post model developed by (Rey, 2001) and (Devereux & Shi, 2013), that exchange rates, prices, consumption, and trade flows are endogenously determined. Hence we can solve the endogeneity and estimate the quantity of externalities by simulating the international goods and foreign exchange market. We find positive(negative) externality on import and export prices when RMB becomes an invoicing(reserve) currency in international trades. The externality on the real side of the economy, such as, export, import and real exchange rate, is significant only if RMB rises as an international reserve currency. The spillover effect is also sensitive to the relative size of China, which means the timing of RMB internationalization matters.
The Politics of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in the USA

Although recently Chinese investment in the USA has grown exponentially, it has not flowed equally among the US states. Controlling for popular explanations in the foreign direct investment literat...
Efficient Broadband Class AB Amplifier

In this paper, feed-forward and class AB techniques are explored for the design of high-frequency Operational Transconductance Amplifiers (OTA) suitable for ADC architectures. The paper is focused on high gain broadband amplifiers; the first part of the paper revisited the recycling folded-cascode (RFC) architectures. These topologies are power efficient solutions but careful design is needed to avoid the presence of medium-frequency zero-pole pairs that may significantly increase residue amplifier settling time.The two stage class AB amplifier is revisited as well; the popular Monticelli’s biasing circuit for class AB amplifiers is power efficient and result in high slew-rate solutions. An alternative class AB solution is proposed in this paper. The biasing of the class AB output stage employs a common-mode feedback, and results in a faster and more power efficient architecture; power consumption is around 75% that of the conventional class AB architecture and shows 3dB lower IM3 for the design of a state-variable 25MHz high-Q biquadratic filter.
An Agonistic Notion of Political CSR: Melding Activism and Deliberation

Flagging labor governance in far-flung supply networks has prompted greater scrutiny of instrumental CSR and calls for models that are tethered more closely to accountability, constraint, and oversight. Political CSR is an apt response, but this paper seeks to buttress its deliberative moorings by arguing that the agonist notion of ‘domesticated conflict’ provides a necessary foundation for substantive deliberation. Because deliberation is more viable and effective when coupled with some means of coercion, a concept of CSR solely premised on reciprocal corporate-stakeholder engagement is pre-mature; efforts should first be directed toward the antecedents of reciprocity and how it is to be achieved, and only then does deliberation become a reliably substantive exercise. The resulting account of agonistic CSR is generated through agonistic principles of realism, pro-action, contestation, and countervailence, and illustrated by the Bangladesh Accord.
Pos-Bolaño y Piglia: la nueva narrativa latinoamericana del siglo XXI

How has Latin American literature been articulated since Ricardo Piglia and Roberto Bolano? In the 21st century, a new generation of writers appeared renewing literary forms and reflecting on the structural changes in their countries after the fall of the Left, symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall, and in the consolidation of neoliberalism in Latin America. Starting from the dialectic Bolano / Piglia, that is to say from the writer in exile and / or in the Academy, I will review the new Latin American fiction in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico that discusses the remains of a leftist ideology and proposes some formal experimentation for its own writing. From the fetishization and nostalgia of the ideology of the Left to the reconstruction of a post-dictatorship middle class, these texts reflect from fiction and essay the possibilities of the Latin American narrative in the 21st century.
All trauma is not created equal: Redefining severe trauma for combat injuries.

Abstract Injury severity scores (ISS) and shock index (SI) are popular trauma scoring systems. We assessed ISS and SI in combat trauma to determine the optimal cut-off values for mortality and trauma outcomes. Retrospective analysis of the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, 2008–2016, was performed. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) were calculated for ISS and SI on mortality, massive volume transfusion (MVT), and emergent surgical procedure (ESP). Optimal cut-off values were defined using the Youden index (YI). 22,218 patients (97.1% male), median ages 25–29 years, ISS 9.4 ± 0.07, with 58.1% penetrating injury were studied. Overall mortality was 3.4%. AUROCs for ISS on mortality, MVT, and ESP were 0.882, 0.898, and 0.846, while AUROCs for SI were 0.727, 0.864, and 0.711 respectively. The optimal cut-off values for ISS on mortality, MVT, and ESP were 12.5 (YI = 0.634), 12.5 (YI = 0.666), and 12.5 (YI = 0.819), with optimal values for SI being 0.94 (YI = 0.402), 0.88 (YI = 0.608), and 0.81 (YI = 0.345) respectively. Classic values for severe ISS underrepresent combat injury while the SI values defined in this study are consistent with civilian data.
Reaction of Diphenyldiazomethane with Benzoic Acids in Batch and Continuous Flow

As green chemistry and engineering are being integrated into chemical processes in academia and industry, it becomes equally important to equip students with the relevant tools in the fields of sustainable chemistry and processes. In this context, continuous flow technology has been identified as one of the promising strategies. Herein, we describe an approach which unites flow chemistry, undergraduate research, and chemical education research. Teams of undergraduate students designed, developed, validated, and implemented batch and flow experiments for an upper-level organic chemistry laboratory. The research to develop the experiment, which was part of an undergraduate research course (Vertically Integrated Project course, VIP), the pedagogic implementation, and the outcome in the instruction laboratory are reported.
Dose of aspirin to prevent preterm preeclampsia in women with moderate or high-risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective To evaluate the effect of aspirin dose on the incidence of all gestational age preeclampsia and preterm preeclampsia. Data sources Electronic databases (Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Web of Science) were searched for articles published between January 1985 and March 2019 with no language restrictions. Methods We followed the PRIMSA guidelines and utilized Covidence software. Articles were screened by 2 independent reviewers, with discrepancies settled by an independent 3rd party. Study selection criteria were randomized trials comparing aspirin for prevention of all gestational age and preterm preeclampsia to placebo or no antiplatelet treatment in women aged 15–55 years with moderate or high-risk factors according to the list of risk factors from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. The quality of trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis comparing aspirin at doses of <81, 81, 100, and 150 mg. Pre-specified outcomes were all gestational age and preterm preeclampsia. Results Of 1,609 articles screened, 23 randomized trials, which included 32,370 women, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In preterm preeclampsia, women assigned at random to 150 mg experienced a significant 62% reduction in risk of preterm preeclampsia (RR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.20–0.72; P = 0.011). Aspirin doses <150 mg produced no significant reductions. The number needed to treat with 150 mg of aspirin was 39 (95% CI: 23–100). There was a maximum 30% reduction in risk of all gestational age preeclampsia at all aspirin doses. Conclusions In this meta-analysis, based on indirect comparisons, aspirin at a dose greater than the current, recommended 81 mg was associated with the highest reduction in preterm preeclampsia. Our meta-analysis is limited due to the deficiency of homogeneous high evidence data available in the literature to date; however, it may be prudent for clinicians to consider that the optimal aspirin dose may be higher than the current guidelines advise. Future research to compare the efficacy aspirin doses greater than 81 mg is recommended. Study registration PROSPERO, CRD42019127951 (University of York, UK; http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/).
Sequential oxidation-depolymerization strategies for lignin conversion to low molecular weight aromatic chemicals

Abstract Lignin is the largest source of bio-derived aromatic chemicals, and oxidative conversion of this polymeric material can generate valuable oxygenated aromatic compounds. Oxidative depolymerization of lignosulfonate feedstocks under alkaline conditions is used commercially for vanillin production. Recent studies have led to other oxidation methods that access different aromatic products from lignin in good yields. A particularly effective strategy that accesses some of the highest yields of aromatic monomers to date features a two-step process in which the oxidation of specific alcohol groups in lignin is followed by an oxidative, reductive, or redox-neutral step that cleaves the polymer into aromatic monomers and oligomers. Studies of model compounds have provided crucial mechanistic insights and contributed to the development of effective lignin depolymerization methods. This review provides a general overview of lignin depolymerization methods, followed by a survey of oxidation-depolymerization methods that access oxygenated aromatic monomers in good yields.
Complex Pathology and Management in the Obstetric Patient: A Narrative Review for the Anesthesiologist.

Pregnant patients may present with multiple complex comorbidities that can affect peripartum management and anesthetic care. The preanesthesia clinic is the ideal setting for early evaluation of high-risk pregnant patients. Comorbidities may include cardiovascular pathology such as valvular abnormalities, septal defects, aortopathies, arrythmias and cardiomyopathies. Additional comorbidities include pulmonary conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea as well as preexisting neuromuscular and skeletal disorders that may impact anesthetic management. Hematologic conditions involving both bleeding diathesis and thrombophilias may present unique challenges for the anesthesiologist. Patients may also present with endocrinopathies including diabetes and obesity. While not as common, high-risk patients may also have preexisting gastrointestinal conditions such as liver dysfunction, renal failure, and even post-transplant status. Ongoing and prior substance abuse, obstetric conditions such as placenta accreta spectrum disorders, and fetal conditions needing ex utero Intrapartum treatment also require advanced planning. Preanesthesia evaluations also help address important ethical and cultural considerations. Counseling patients regarding anesthetic considerations as well as addressing concerns will play a role in reducing racial and ethnic disparities. Anticipatory guidance by means of pre-anesthetic planning can facilitate multidisciplinary communication and planning. This can allow for an impactful and meaningful role in the care provided, allowing for safe maternal care and optimal outcomes.
CRAFT: Charge Re-use Analog Fourier Transform

Conventional software defined radios (SDR) (Mitola, Software radios–survey, critical evaluation and future directions, in Telesystems Conference 1992) strive to digitize the RF signal and perform spectrum sensing in the digital domain. However, for wideband inputs, this translates to infeasible ADC specifications (Abidi, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2007). Time interleaving (O’Donnel and Brodersen, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2005) and N-path filter-banks (Valezquez et al., Proceedings of the IEEE-SP International Symposium on Time-Frequency and Time-Scale Analysis, 1994; Namgoong, IEEE Transactions for Wireless Communications, 2003) have been proposed to tackle instantaneous wideband digitization. However, while time interleaving the ADCs reduces their speed, the input dynamic range (exponentially related to ADC power) remains large.
Incomplete pretransfusion testing leads to surgical delays

BACKGROUND:The Joint Commission has highlighted the importance of having appropriate and complete pretransfusion testing before surgery begins. The maximum surgical blood ordering schedule (MSBOS) indicates which patients require preoperative transfusion testing. We determined the number of times su
Assessment of non-electric cooling alternatives to reduce the electric demand of New York's power grid

Electric cooling technologies impose significant demand on the utility grid. For instance, the cooling system for a 200,000 square foot building can add over 300 kW of electric load onto the grid during peak summer periods. A typical 600,000-square-foot building has an electric chiller plant that peaks at nearly 1 MW. Natural gas and steam chillers, on the other hand, impose only a fraction of these loads on the electric grid. This article highlights the potential and importance of subsidies and incentive programs in promoting non-electric cooling technologies to help reduce the peak demand load on the New York power grid. The results obtained also provide valuable equipment-installed costs and energy/demand parameters for both electric and non-electric chillers. The technical and economic viability of five non-electric cooling technologies are compared to standard practice electric chillers. The five non-electric cooling technologies are: 1. Gas engine-driven chiller 2. Two-stage gas-fired absorption chiller 3. Two-stage steam-fired absorption chiller 4. Single-stage steam-fired absorption chiller 5. Steam-turbine driven centrifugal chiller The energy consumption and peak summer demand were calculated for the chillers in each of three different size ranges. Installed cost estimates were developed for each chiller technology in two regions of New York State. The results presented here will help design consultants, estimators, utilities, and government energy officials assess preliminary estimates for installed costs, energy savings, and incremental maintenance costs. Normalized costing indices such as $/ton, $/hp, $/sqft. and $/lin.ft and operating characteristics such as full load hours and kW/ton rules of thumb for the chiller and plant components are also presented. The study reports typical office building savings and economic paybacks. Chiller operation of 800 equivalent full load hours (EFLH) for upstate New York sites and 850 EFLH for downstate/NYC sites were used.
Shear Deflection of Wide Flange Steel Beams in the Plastic Range

The following topics are included in this paper: (a) Results of tests of two continuous steel wide-flange beams, each having regions subjected to pure bending, bending combined with low shear, and ...
Assessment of the storz video Macintosh laryngoscope for use in difficult airways: A human simulator study.

Objectives: Video laryngoscopy has been shown to improve glottic exposure when compared to direct laryngoscopy in operating room studies. However, its utility in the hands of emergency physicians (EPs) remains undefined. A simulated difficult airway was used to determine if intubation by EPs using a video Macintosh system resulted in an improved glottic view, was easier, was faster, or was more successful than conventional direct laryngoscopy. Methods: Emergency medicine (EM) residents and attending physicians at two academic institutions performed endotracheal intubation in one normal and two identical difficult airway scenarios. With the difficult scenarios, the participants used video laryngoscopy during the second case. Intubations were performed on a medium-fidelity human simulator. The difficult scenario was created by limiting cervical spine mobility and inducing trismus. The primary outcome was the proportion of direct versus video intubations with a grade I or II Cormack-Lehane glottic view. Ease of intubation (self-reported via 10-cm visual analog scale [VAS]), time to intubation, and success rate were also recorded. Descriptive statistics as well as medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs) are reported where appropriate. The Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test was used for comparison testing of nonparametric data. Results: Participants (n = 39) were residents (59%) and faculty. All had human intubation experience; 51% reported more than 100 prior intubations. On difficult laryngoscopy, a Cormack-Lehane grade I or II view was obtained in 20 (51%) direct laryngoscopies versus 38 (97%) of the video-assisted laryngoscopies (p < 0.01). The median VAS score for difficult airways was 50 mm (IQR = 28–73 mm) for direct versus 18 mm (IQR = 9–50 mm) for video (p < 0.01). The median time to intubation in difficult airways was 25 seconds (IQR = 16–44 seconds) for direct versus 20 seconds (IQR = 12–35 seconds) for video laryngoscopy (p < 0.01). All intubations were successful without need for an invasive airway. Conclusions: In this simulation, video laryngoscopy was associated with improved glottic exposure, was perceived as easier, and was slightly faster than conventional direct laryngoscopy in a simulated difficult airway. Absence of secretions and blood limits the generalizability of our findings; human studies are needed. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:1134–1137 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Embodied Software: Patents and the History of Software Development, 1946-1970

In the late 1960s, attorneys and programmers used the term "embodying software"' in reference to a patent-drafting technique for software inventions. This strategy consisted of claiming a computer in which a program served as the control system instead of claiming the program itself. If the application was successful, this machine would receive patent protection in lieu of the program. This article argues that the histories of embodied software and software patenting are constitutive of, and inseparable from, one another. It traces the origins of embodying software to Bell Laboratories in the late 1940s and studies the flowcharting program Autoflow to illustrate how and why firms embraced this technique. The history of embodied software demonstrates that software patenting predated the birth of the software industry, and it invites a revision of how we account for the history of software patents.
Dynamics of a Bose condensate with attractive interactions

One approach to experimentally verifying that collapses occur is to nonperturbatively observe the gas and monitor N, over time. In principle, phase-contrast imaging techniques can be used to make such observations, by illuminating the cloud with a weak, far-detuned probe laser. However, because l, is relatively small, a probe that is sufficiently weak to avoid perturbing the atoms does not provide a large enough signal to accurately determine N,. This difficulty can be circumvented by sacrificing imaging resolution and measuring instead the total number of trapped atoms in the cloud. Collapses are then detected as discontinuous drops in the signal. We have implemented this detection scheme and are attempting to observe collapses and measure their frequency.