cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic evidence of vitamin B-12 deficiency, including high homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and low holotranscobalamin, is more pronounced in older adults with elevated plasma folate

Background: An analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that in older adults exposed to folic acid fortification, the combination of low serum vitamin B-12 and elevated folate is associated with higher concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and higher odds ratios for cognitive impairment and anemia than the combination of low vitamin B-12 and nonelevated folate. These findings await confirmation in other populations. Objective: The purpose was to compare metabolic indicators of vitamin B-12 status, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms among elderly Latinos with elevated and nonelevated plasma folate. Design: Cross-sectional data were analyzed for 1535 subjects (age: ≥60 y) from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. Subjects were divided into 4 groups on the basis of plasma vitamin B-12 ( 45.3 nmol/L). Homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, holotranscobalamin, ratio of holotranscobalamin to vitamin B-12, Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, delayed recall, and depressive symptom scores were compared between the groups. Results: Individuals with low vitamin B-12 and elevated folate (n = 22) had the highest concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and the lowest concentration of holotranscobalamin and ratio of holotranscobalamin to vitamin B-12 when compared with all other groups (P ≤ 0.003). No differences in Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, delayed recall, and depressive symptom scores were observed between the low vitamin B-12 and elevated-folate group compared with other groups. Conclusions: Low vitamin B-12 is associated with more pronounced metabolic evidence of vitamin B-12 deficiency when folate is elevated than when folate is not elevated. These data should be considered when assessing the potential costs, risks, and benefits of folic acid and vitamin B-12 fortification programs.
Basin-Scale, High-Wavenumber Sea Surface Wind Fields from a Multiresolution Analysis of Scatterometer Data

Abstract A numerical technique sensitive to both spectral and spatial aspects of sea surface wind measurements is introduced to transform the irregularly sampled satellite-based scatterometer data into regularly gridded wind fields. To capture the prevailing wavenumber characteristics (power-law dependence) of sea surface wind vector components, wavelet coefficients are computed from the scatterometer measurements along the satellite tracks. The statistics of the wavelet coefficients are then used to simulate high-resolution wind components over the off-track regions where scatterometer data are not available. Using this technique, daily wind fields with controlled spectral features have been produced by combining the low-wavenumber wind fields from ECMWF analyses with the high-wavenumber measurements from the ERS-1 scatterometer. The resulting surface wind fields thus reflect nearly all available measurements affecting surface wind, including the synoptic surface pressure. The new surface wind forces a b...
Family Commitment and Work Characteristics among Pharmacists

Factors associated with family commitment among pharmacists in the south central U.S. are explored. In 2010, a cross-sectional mailed self-administered 70 item survey of 363 active licensed pharmacists was conducted. This analysis includes only 269 (74%) participants who reported being married. Outcome measures were family commitment (need for family commitment, spouse’s family commitment), work-related characteristics (work challenge, stress, workload, flexibility of work schedule), and job and career satisfaction. Married participants’ mean age was 48 (SD = 18) years; the male to female ratio was 1:1; 73% worked in retail settings and 199 (74%) completed the family commitment questions. Females reported a higher need for family commitment than males (p = 0.02) but there was no significant difference in satisfaction with the commitment. Work challenge and work load were significantly associated with higher need for family commitment (p < 0.01), when controlled for age, gender, number of dependents, work status, and practice setting. Higher work challenge was associated with higher career satisfaction. Higher job related stress was associated with lower job satisfaction. High work challenge and work load may negatively impact family function since married pharmacists would need higher family commitment from their counterparts. The impact of work-family interactions on pharmacy career satisfaction should be further investigated.
Pediatric Oncologic Emergencies

Pediatric oncologic emergencies can be defined as the clinical situations that arise from the disease process or from complications of its treatment or from both.
Effects of increased afterload on left ventricular function in closed-chest dogs

Mechanical response of the left ventricle (LV) in an intact circulatory system to steady-state increases in afterload may differ from that of an isolated LV, because secondary hemodynamic changes cannot be independently manipulated when the circulation is intact. To evaluate the integrated response of the LV in closed-chest dogs to sustained increases in afterload, six animals chronically instrumented with three orthogonal diameter gauges and LV manometers were studied after autonomic blockade and fentanyl-droperidol anesthesia. End-systolic pressure-volume (PES-VES) and stroke work end-diastolic volume (SW-EDV) relations and the relations between pressure-volume area (PVA, area bounded by PV loop and PES-VES relation) and EDV were quantified. Balloon inflation (BI) in the proximal descending aorta increased LV PES from 100.7 +/- 13.4 to 140.2 +/- 19.3 mmHg (P less than 0.002) and LVEDV from 39.1 +/- 11.3 to 43.3 +/- 12.2 ml (P less than 0.01). The slope of the PES-VES relation was not significantly changed, whereas V100, a volume intercept in the common range of pressures, was reduced from 27.5 +/- 7.3 to 23.7 +/- 6.1 ml (P less than 0.005). PVA-EDV relation was highly linear; its slope was increased after BI. Comparison of beats with matched LVEDV before and after BI showed significant increases in maximum rate of pressure development and PVA; the change in SW after BI was modest and not significant. The efficiency of energy transfer from PVA to SW (TransPVA, SW/PVA X 100) decreased from 52.5 +/- 8.6 to 42.6 +/- 6.3% (P less than 0.002).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Good Compromise is Hard to Find

A good compromise achieves the most good attainable given the goals people seek and the power and resources they possess when they confront the possibilities of the historical moment, and their opponents. The achievements endure by gaining widespread legitimacy with least amount of coercion necessary. These successful outcomes adapt to social, natural, and moral complexity. Their legitimacy is earned in open questioning by proving that they comport with people's basic values and interests and achieve right and good beyond the harm and wrong they encompass. Ultimately, good compromises open to the possibility of refinement in light of ongoing politics and knowledge. Good compromisers seldom have time to touch on each of the major concerns, but in an open and empowered society, almost all the challenges will be raised. The responsibility to raise them lies with active and responsible citizens. Burke once remarked, "There is however a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue." A strong and principled preference for compromise suggests that the achievement of a goal through democratic persuasion is always preferable to achievement through coercive enforcement of settlements. This preference, however, does not rule out resorts to violence or militancy as methods to assert heretofore denied claims, nor does it rule out resort to just revolution in extreme circumstances. If a political order makes all compromises capitulation; if compromises consistently sacrifice future hope and never change a public discourse that delegitimizes people's aspirations; if every effort to compromise exposes lives and the power base to threats; and if a compromise does not ensure that the other side will "live with" the settlement or "fight fair" by public rules, then compromise gives way to justified militancy and coercion and politics to revolution or tyranny.
Secure Reliable Group Communication for Tactical Networks

Tactical communication networks lack infrastructure and are highly dynamic, resource-constrained, and commonly targeted by adversaries. Designing efficient and secure applications for this environment is extremely challenging. An increasing reliance on group-oriented, tactical applications such as chat, situational awareness, and real-time video has generated renewed interest in IP multicast delivery. However, a lack of developer tools, software libraries, and standard paradigms to achieve secure and reliable multicast impedes the potential of group-oriented communication and often leads to inefficient communication models. In this paper, we propose an architecture for secure and reliable group-oriented communication. The architecture utilizes NSA Suite B cryptography and may be appropriate for handling sensitive and DoD classified data up to SECRET. Our proposed architecture is unique in that it requires no infrastructure, follows NSA CSfC guidance for layered security, and leverages NORM for multicast data reliability. We introduce each component of the architecture and describe a Linux-based software prototype.
Factors Associated with Supplemental Formula Feeding of Breastfeeding Infants During Postpartum Hospital Stay.

Abstract Objective: To determine reasons potentially amenable to interventions that mothers choose to supplement breastfeeding with formula in the immediate postpartum period. Study Design: We distributed surveys to all mothers in the postpartum unit who delivered a live newborn on day of maternal discharge to assess feeding behaviors during their inpatient admission. We evaluated, when applicable, their reasons for supplementation and examined cultural and demographic information to uncover trends for formula use and potential areas for provider intervention. Results: Seven hundred twelve of 1,400 mothers responded, of which 478 (65%) reported supplementing breastfeeding with formula (BF+F). The most common reasons for formula supplementation were perception of inadequate milk supply (36.4%), desire for sleep (35.4%), and a plan to breast and bottle feed (35.2%). Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was associated with primiparous status (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.3–3.0), higher education level (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.7–3.9)...
SPONTANEOUS SUBDURAL HEMORRHAGE WHILE ON RIVAROXABAN FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Historically, warfarin had been the standard anticoagulant for prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) since 1954. Recently several novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been approved as alternatives to warfarin with the potential advantage of improved short-term
Microbial transformation of phenazines by Aspergillus sclerotiorum.

Aspergillus sclerotiorum Huber was observed to produce a bright red pigment (Compound A) when grown in mixed culture with a bacterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis (Guignard & Sauvageau) Bergey et al. ...
Reversible dislocation motion and microcracking in plastically anisotropic solids under cyclic spherical nanoindentation

Recently, fully reversible dislocation motion was postulated to result in hysteretic nanoindentation load–displacement loops in plastically anisotropic solids. Since microcracking can also result in hysteretic loops, here we define a new parameter, reversible displacement (RD) that can differentiate between the two. For C-plane LiTaO3 surfaces and five other plastically anisotropic solids, the RD values either increase initially or remain constant with cycling. In contradistinction, for glass and A-plane ZnO surfaces, where energy dissipation is presumably due to microcracking or irreversible dislocation pileups, respectively, the RD values decreased continually with cycling.
Mechanoresponsive musculoskeletal tissue differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells

Musculoskeletal tissues are constantly under mechanical strains within their microenvironment. Yet, little is understood about the effect of in vivo mechanical milieu strains on cell development and function. Thus, this review article outlines the in vivo mechanical environment of bone, muscle, cartilage, tendon, and ligaments, and tabulates the mechanical strain and stress in these tissues during physiological condition, vigorous, and moderate activities. This review article further discusses the principles of mechanical loading platforms to create physiologically relevant mechanical milieu in vitro for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. A special emphasis is placed on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) as an emerging valuable tool for regenerative musculoskeletal tissue engineering, as they are easily isolated, expanded, and able to differentiate into any musculoskeletal tissue. Finally, it highlights the current state-of-the art in ADSCs-guided musculoskeletal tissue regeneration under mechanical loading.
Dynamic High-Temperature Tensile Characterization of an Iridium Alloy.

Iridium alloys have been utilized as structural materials for certain high-temperature applications due to their superior strength and ductility at elevated temperatures. In some applications where the iridium alloys are subjected to high-temperature and high-speed impact simultaneously, the high-temperature high-strain-rate mechanical properties of the iridium alloys must be fully characterized to understand the mechanical response of the components in these severe applications. In this study, the room-temperature Kolsky tension bar was modified to characterize a DOP-26 iridium alloy in tension at elevated strain rates and temperatures. The modifications include (1) a unique cooling system to cool down the bars while the specimen was heated to high temperatures with an induction heater; (2) a small-force pre-tension system to compensate for the effect of thermal expansion in the high-temperature tensile specimen; (3) a laser system to directly measure the displacements at both ends of the tensile specimen independently; and (4) a pair of high-sensitivity semiconductor strain gages to measure the weak transmitted force. The dynamic high-temperature tensile stress–strain curves of the iridium alloy were experimentally obtained with the modified high-temperature Kolsky tension bar techniques at two different strain rates (~1000 and 3000 s−1) and temperatures (~750 and 1030 °C).
Ethical Use of diagnostic technology: balancing what's new and what's necessary.

This case boils down to being realistic about what new screening tools and techniques can and can't do, and understanding their actual value in diagnoses. I'd argue that it is not unethical to accommodate a patient's requests, as long as the physician's approach to the patient, the pathology, the technology, and the decision-making process was pragmatically sound and prudent.
Detection of Long Noncoding RNA Expression by Nonradioactive Northern Blots

With the advances in sequencing technology and transcriptome analysis, it is estimated that up to 75 % of the human genome is transcribed into RNAs. This finding prompted intensive investigations on the biological functions of noncoding RNAs and led to very exciting discoveries of microRNAs as important players in disease pathogenesis and therapeutic applications. Research on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is in its infancy, yet a broad spectrum of biological regulations has been attributed to lncRNAs. As a novel class of RNA transcripts, the expression level and splicing variants of lncRNAs are various. Northern blot analysis can help us learn about the identity, size, and abundance of lncRNAs. Here we describe how to use northern blot to determine lncRNA abundance and identify different splicing variants of a given lncRNA.
Cardiac and respiratory disease in aged horses

Respiratory and cardiac diseases are common in older horses. Advancing age is a specific risk factor for cardiac murmurs and these are more likely in males and small horses. Airway inflammation is the most common respiratory diagnosis. Recurrent airway obstruction can lead to irreversible structural change and bronchiectasis; with chronic hypoxia, right heart dysfunction and failure can develop. Valvular heart disease most often affects the aortic and/or the mitral valve. Management of comorbidity is an essential element of the therapeutic approach to cardiac and respiratory disease in older equids.
Recent Developments in Learning Automata

The paper surveys the major developments in learning automata theory and applications in the last two decades. Since a survey article on the subject appeared in 1977, the emphasis is on subsequent developments. Of particular importance is some recent work on the use of many automata interacting in a decentralized manner. This framework provides a conceptual focus and an analytical basis for future research on modeling and control of complex systems. Applications of the theory are also reviewed, with special attention devoted to the problem of traffic routing in telecommunication networks.
Seals in medieval London 1050-1300: a catalogue

Local record publishing societies in the British Isles have long provided invaluable routes into sources that might not otherwise find a ready audience. They are currently innovating in the edition...
Mechanisms of Enhanced Phrenic Long-Term Facilitation in SOD1G93A Rats.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative motor neuron disease, causing muscle paralysis and death from respiratory failure. Effective means to preserve/restore ventilation are necessary to increase the quality and duration of life in ALS patients. At disease end-stage in a rat ALS model (SOD1G93A ), acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) restores phrenic nerve activity to normal levels via enhanced phrenic long-term facilitation (pLTF). Mechanisms enhancing pLTF in end-stage SOD1G93A rats are not known. Moderate AIH-induced pLTF is normally elicited via cellular mechanisms that require the following: Gq-protein-coupled 5-HT2 receptor activation, new BDNF synthesis, and MEK/ERK signaling (the Q pathway). In contrast, severe AIH elicits pLTF via a distinct mechanism that requires the following: Gs-protein-coupled adenosine 2A receptor activation, new TrkB synthesis, and PI3K/Akt signaling (the S pathway). In end-stage male SOD1G93A rats and wild-type littermates, we investigated relative Q versus S pathway contributions to enhanced pLTF via intrathecal (C4) delivery of small interfering RNAs targeting BDNF or TrkB mRNA, and MEK/ERK (U0126) or PI3 kinase/Akt (PI828) inhibitors. In anesthetized, paralyzed and ventilated rats, moderate AIH-induced pLTF was abolished by siBDNF and UO126, but not siTrkB or PI828, demonstrating that enhanced pLTF occurs via the Q pathway. Although phrenic motor neuron numbers were decreased in end-stage SOD1G93A rats (∼30% survival; p < 0.001), BDNF and phosphorylated ERK expression were increased in spared phrenic motor neurons (p < 0.05), consistent with increased Q-pathway contributions to pLTF. Our results increase understanding of respiratory plasticity and its potential to preserve/restore breathing capacity in ALS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Since neuromuscular disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), end life via respiratory failure, the ability to harness respiratory motor plasticity to improve breathing capacity could increase the quality and duration of life. In a rat ALS model (SOD1G93A ) we previously demonstrated that spinal respiratory motor plasticity elicited by acute intermittent hypoxia is enhanced at disease end-stage, suggesting greater potential to preserve/restore breathing capacity. Here we demonstrate that enhanced intermittent hypoxia-induced phrenic motor plasticity results from amplification of normal cellular mechanisms versus addition/substitution of alternative mechanisms. Greater understanding of mechanisms underlying phrenic motor plasticity in ALS may guide development of new therapies to preserve and/or restore breathing in ALS patients.
Why Do Some Companies Leave? Evidence on the Factors that Drive Inversions

Corporate inversions have gone through periods of intense scrutiny over the last several years with politicians and much of the media calling out these companies for being greedy and unpatriotic, while the CEOs defend their actions as being necessary to stay competitive in a global economy where US corporations face the highest statutory tax rate in the developed world. Despite all this attention, there is very little evidence in the academic literature regarding the factors that influence a company’s decision to invert. In this paper we gather a unique sample of 80 inversion announcements to examine this issue. We find no evidence that the firms that choose to invert have abnormally high effective tax rates, instead we find evidence of “tax aggressive” behavior even before these companies invert. We do find evidence that inversions are more likely in highly competitive industries. We also find evidence for a number of board and CEO characteristics that seem to affect the probability that a firm will invert.
Heavy is the House: Rent Burden among the American Urban Poor

Abstract: During the past decade, the incomes of poor Americans have fallen or flat‐lined, housing costs have soared and public policy has failed to bridge the gap. As a result, the majority of poor renting families in America now devote at least half of their income to covering housing costs, and eviction has become a common yet consequential event in their lives. While housing is central to the lives of the urban poor, it remains marginal to the sociology of American inequality. This essay begins by charting the growing rent burden among low‐income households, and then draws on the unique contributions of Pierre Bourdieu to the study of the home to sketch an agenda for analyzing the roots and implications of the loss of affordable urban housing, a prerequisite for offering policy prescriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Extending Pasteur's quadrant: university strategic groups and sources of heterogeneity in university technology transfer office activities

We seek to understand how technology transfer offices (TTOs) help universities translate academic research into commercialised products. Building on the innovation literature that postulates that value capture from inventions depends on the nature of the technology, we theorise that the nature of research that the university pursues likely drives the activities within TTOs. We theoretically extend Pasteur's quadrant to the domain of TTO research and posit that TTOs of universities that belong to the same strategic group in 'Pasteur's cube' are likely to have similar activities. Our research suggests that, on the one hand, future investigations of TTOs need to take into account the heterogeneity in their activities rather than treating TTOs of all universities as homogenous and, on the other hand, universities planning to initiate technology transfer activities should look into the processes of the TTOs of universities that are in the same strategic group.
Guiding multidimensional analysis using decision trees

Visualization technology makes it easier for users to spot patterns in data that would be difficult to find using only a computer algorithm. However, the discovery of a particular pattern is often only the first step in any analytical process, with the ultimate goal being insight into the underlying causes of this pattern. In current explorative interfaces, this analytical process often involves iterative hypothesis generation and testing, which gets exponentially more complex and time consuming as the dimensionality of the data set increases. In this paper, we suggest a technique that helps a user generate potential hypotheses for a particular observation or visual feature by reporting correlated dimensions. We use a modified decision tree algorithm that is not tuned for optimal classification, but for broad correlation detection. This paper presents the rationale for, algorithmic improvements in, and performance characteristics of the proposed technique, as well as a prototype implementation into a commercial data analysis tool.
An Interdisciplinary Design Studio: How Can Art and Engineering Collaborate to Increase Students’ Creativity?

(2010). An Interdisciplinary Design Studio: How Can Art and Engineering Collaborate to Increase Students’ Creativity? Art Education: Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 49-53.
Becoming a Warehouse of Things: The Audio World is Changing, and Collection Development Methods Must Change, Too

ABSTRACTMusic libraries continue to dedicate money and space to the physical CD, and yet usage of those collections is winding down. This article attempts to draw a holistic picture of the current ...
Bringing close others to the emergency department for an acute coronary event is associated with increased patient perception of threat

Abstract Objective Relationship quality is one of the most consistent psychosocial predictors of physical and mental health. Yet, little research examines relationship types or support within the immediate context of acute health events. We tested the unexplored role that close others play in patients' experience of threat during evaluation for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Emergency Department (ED), as well as the indirect effect of close others on ACS-induced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method Participants were 871 patients evaluated for ACS at an urban academic ED (60.86 years old; 54.08% male; 56.37% Hispanic, 19.86% Black, 16.65% White). Threat perceptions were assessed in-ED and median 3 days later. ACS-induced PTSD was assessed median 41 days later using the PTSD checklist cued to a specific stressor. Non-overlapping categories were created representing close others in the ED (i.e., spouse/significant other, child), non-close others (e.g., neighbor), or no one. Results Patients who brought close others recalled experiencing greater threat in the ED: vs. no one, b = 0.11, p = .072; vs. non-close others, b = 0.16, p = .030. There was no direct effect of close others on ACS-induced PTSD; however, recalled threat mediated the effect of close others on development of ACS-induced PTSD, ps Conclusions Close others were associated with recalling greater threat during ED evaluation, which predicted ACS-induced PTSD. ACS-induced PTSD is associated with medication nonadherence, event recurrence, and mortality, highlighting the need to develop a greater understanding of the impact stressful medical environments have on patients and close others.
Collaborative use of multimodal resources in discussions of L2 grammatical meaning: A microgenetic analysis

Gesture use in the second language classroom has been a focus of much recent research pairing a micro-discourse analytic lens with sociocultural theory (Matsumoto and Dobs, 2016; Rosborough, 2014; Smotrova and Lantolf, 2013; van Compernolle, 2015; van Compernolle and Smotrova, 2014), with several researchers noting that examination of gesture use during grammar lessons is an under-researched area (Hudson, 2011; Lazaraton, 2004; Smotrova, 2014). This study addresses this gap by examining the collaborative multimodal interaction of learners and their teacher during a teacher-fronted grammar lesson in an adult English as a Second Language classroom, with particular focus on gesture. By revealing how spontaneously occurring gestures in the classroom facilitate discussion, and ultimately, understanding of a grammatical form, this study underscores the value of using fine-grained analysisof multimodal classroom interaction to reveal microgenesis.
Education and Training in Psychological Assessment

This chapter concerns key issues in teaching and learning personality assessment, including a discussion of: (1) the difference between “testing” and “assessment”, (2) reasons for teaching and learning assessment, (3) methods of helping students to develop critical thinking skills in the interpretation and integration of data, (4) material on teaching students how to select appropriate assessment batteries, and (5) methods to help students overcome their natural resistance to the application of their assessment knowledge, lest they make errors and injure the patient/client. The chapter focuses on the experience of the student as he or she learns the material and on methods to make assessment more meaningful to the student and the patient/client. It also deals with ethical and political issues in teaching assessment, the influence of cultural diversity on assessment data, and assessment on internship. Several controversies are discussed, such as the preference for self-report measures or projective measures and whether the academic programs or internship faculty should be primarily responsible for teaching assessment. The chapter concludes with a discussion of new and innovative issues in teaching personality assessment, use of computers and the Internet, therapeutic assessment, assessment of healthy aspects of personality, development of focused personality measures, and an expanded concept of intelligence to include personality variables. Keywords: critical thinking; cultural diversity; hypothesis generation; psychological health; test batteries; testing vs. assessment; therapeutic assessment
Using Estrus-Detection Patches to Vary Time of Insemination Improves Pregnancy Rates Compared with One Single Timed Insemination

Timed artificial insemination (TAI) of beef cows at a predetermined time is a management tool that reduces labor costs associated with conventional heat detection before insemination. Multiple research trials have examined timing of the individual components of the developed protocols associated with TAI. The 7-day CO-Synch + progesterone insert (controlled internal drug release; CIDR) protocol has been shown to initiate ovulation effectively in cycling and noncycling suckled beef cows, often producing pregnancy rates greater than 50% in beef cows. In the current research, we examined using two targeted insemination intervals depending on the occurrence of estrus. We hypothesized that by more closely synchronizing estrus and insemination that pregnancy rates would be increased. We further hypothesized that cows that do not demonstrate estrus and are subjected to a TAI protocol might benefit from an increased interval to insemination.
Factors associated with early in vitro fertilization treatment discontinuation.

Objective To investigate factors associated with early IVF treatment discontinuation. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Six hundred sixty-nine first-attempt IVF patients who did not have a live birth. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Treatment discontinuation and time to return for a second IVF cycle. Result(s) Women without IVF insurance coverage were more likely to discontinue treatment than women with insurance coverage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.22–4.40). African-American women were more likely to discontinue treatment (aOR = 2.95; 95% CI, 1.54–5.66) and returned for treatment more slowly (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28–0.71) than non-Hispanic white women, regardless of IVF insurance coverage or income. Women with a poor prognosis were more likely to discontinue treatment than women with a good prognosis. Older women with IVF insurance coverage or a good prognosis had a shorter time to return for a second IVF cycle than older women without IVF insurance coverage or with a poor prognosis. Estimated income, distance to clinic, fertility diagnosis, number of oocytes retrieved, and history of previous live birth were not associated with treatment discontinuation or time to return for a second IVF cycle after adjustment for covariates. Conclusion(s) IVF insurance coverage, race, age, and future treatment prognosis are associated with IVF treatment discontinuation and time to return.
Exploring the diverse motivations of day hikers: implications for hike marketing and management.

Day hiking is a popular outdoor recreation activity, yet relatively little is known about hikers and their reasons for participating. Focusing on the popular First Day Hikes initiative, we sought to discover who hikes, why, and how those motivations might differ among sub-groups of hikers. Data were collected using intercept surveys of First Day Hikers (n = 1,934) across three states on January 1, 2016. We identified 10 broader categories of hiking motivations addressing a wide range of physiological and psychological needs. These included enjoying nature (reported by 27% of participants), trying something new (22%), celebrating the new year (19%), learning from others (15%), spending time with family (14%), and exercising (14%). Logistic regression models exploring motivation correlates showed that hikers’ motivations varied across socio-demographic groups (e.g., age, first-time hikers, hikers with children) and influenced the types of hikes selected. Some of these differences were anticipated. For example, compared to other groups, first time hikers were more likely to be motivated by trying something new and hikers with children more likely to be motivated by spending time with family. Models also yielded new insights. Compared to repeat hikers, first time hikers were more likely to hike for exercise and health reasons and older participants were more likely to hike for exercise. Participants who chose easy hikes were more likely to be motivated by learning from others and spending time with family; participants who chose hikes close to home were more likely to be motivated by exercise and celebrating the New Year. Overall, a majority of First Day Hike participants lived within 30 miles of the state park they visited, highlighting the important contributions of local parks (especially state parks) to outdoor recreation. With enhanced knowledge of day hiking motivations, managers will be better equipped to create and advertise hiking opportunities with certain combinations of attributes that offer a variety of desired benefits to diverse constituents. Additional research exploring hiking motivations and preferences will continue to inform marketing and management approaches that appeal to different types of hikers. Subscribe to JPRA
Effect of Level of Dietary Calcium-Phosphorus During Growth and Gestation on Calcium-Phosphorus Balance and Reproductive Performance of First-Litter Sows

Twenty-four bred gilts were used in a Ca-P metabolism trial. Twelve gilts were fed gestation treatment A (13 g Ca, 10 g/day), while the other 12 were fed gestation treatment B (19.5 g Ca. 15 g P/day). One-half of the gilts in each treatment group were fed .65% Ca, .50% P from 7 to 94 kg, and half were fed .975% Ca, .75% P for the same period. Treatment B gilts excreted more (P less than .005) fecal and urinary P. Twenty-four first litter sows fed the same treatment diets during growth and gestation and given .75% Ca, .50% P during lactation were used in a Ca and P balance trial conducted from day 38 to 42 of lactation. No difference in fecal, urinary or milk Ca or P were noted between sows fed the different diets during growth or gestation. A higher (P less than .05) value for Ca balance during lactation was observed for sows fed treatment diet B during gestation than for those fed gestation diet A. There were growth treatment x gestation treatment interactions (P less than .05) for both Ca and P balance. No differences were noted in total pigs farrowed, total pigs farrowed alive, average weaning weight or number of pigs weaned. Birth weights were higher (P less than .05) for pigs from sows fed diet B during gestation than for pigs from sows fed diet. A. Pre- and postfarrowing weights, weaned sow weight and lactation gain were similar regardless of treatment fed during growth or gestation.
What a difference a delay makes! CT urogram: a pictorial essay

The aim of this pictorial essay is to demonstrate several cases where the diagnosis would have been difficult or impossible without the excretory phase image of CT urography. A brief discussion of CT urography technique and dose reduction is followed by several cases illustrating the utility of CT urography. CT urography has become the primary imaging modality for evaluation of hematuria, as well as in the staging and surveillance of urinary tract malignancies. CT urography includes a non-contrast phase and contrast-enhanced nephrographic and excretory (delayed) phases. While the three phases add to the diagnostic ability of CT urography, it also adds potential patient radiation dose. Several techniques including automatic exposure control, iterative reconstruction algorithms, higher noise tolerance, and split-bolus have been successfully used to mitigate dose. The excretory phase is timed such that the excreted contrast opacifies the urinary collecting system and allows for greater detection of filling defects or other abnormalities. Sixteen cases illustrating the utility of excretory phase imaging are reviewed. Excretory phase imaging of CT urography can be an essential tool for detecting and appropriately characterizing urinary tract malignancies, renal papillary and medullary abnormalities, CT radiolucent stones, congenital abnormalities, certain chronic inflammatory conditions, and perinephric collections.
Encounter Preparedness, Satisfaction, and Performance Effects of Influence in Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams

Assertive community treatment (ACT) teams are linked to high quality outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness. This paper tests arguments that influence shared between team members is associated with better encounter preparedness, higher work satisfaction, and improved performance in ACT teams. Influence is conceptualized in three ways: the average level according to team members, the team’s evaluation of the dispersion of team member influence, and as the person-organization fit of individual perception of empowerment. The study design is a retrospective observational design using survey data from a longitudinal study of 26 ACT teams (approximately 275 team members total) over 18 months. This study finds that average team influence and person-organization fit are positively correlated with encounter preparedness and satisfaction. Dispersion of influence was not significantly correlated with study outcomes. Influence in ACT teams has multiple dimensions, each with differential effects on team outcomes. These findings provide guidance as to how one might encourage equal and substantive contribution from ACT team members.
A Practice-Based, Clinical Pharmacokinetic Study to Inform Levetiracetam Dosing in Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration (PADRE-01)

Limited data exist on the effect of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) methods on anti-epileptic drug pharmacokinetics (PK). This prospective practice-based PK study aims to assess the impact of continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), a modality of CRRT, on levetiracetam PK in critically ill patients and to derive individualized dosing recommendations. Eleven patients receiving oral or intravenous levetiracetam and CVVH in various intensive care units at a large academic medical center were enrolled to investigate the need for dosing adjustments. Prefilter, postfilter, and ultrafiltrate samples were obtained before dosing, after the completion of the infusion or 1-hour postoral dose, and up to 6 additional time points postinfusion or postoral administration. Patient-specific blood and ultrafiltrate flow rates and laboratory values were also collected at the time of sampling. The average sieving coefficient (SC) for levetiracetam was 0.89 ± 0.1, indicating high filter efficiency. Six of the 11 patients experienced concentrations outside the reported therapeutic range (12-46 mg/L). The average volume of distribution was 0.73 L/kg. CVVH clearance contributes a major fraction of the total levetiracetam clearance (36-73%) in neurocritically ill patients. The average bias and precision of the estimated vs. observed total clearance value was ~ 10.6% and 21.5%. Major dose determinants were identified to be SC and effluent flow rate. Patients with higher ultrafiltrate rates will have increased drug clearance and, therefore, will require higher doses in order to match exposures seen in patients with normal renal function.
Chapter 5 – Metabolomics

Food and nutrition play a critical role in human health and disease. Efforts to understand the link between diet and disease are increasing in recent years and focused on designing strategies for the prevention of numerous widespread diseases. In this chapter, the field of metabolomics is described, which involves the measurement of many hundreds of metabolites in a single experiment. Metabolomics provides the capabilities to discover and develop food and nutritional biomarkers important for identifying connections between diet and disease, as well as to improve our understanding of food components, micronutrients, and their effects on the body at a molecular level. A description of the tools, processes, and practices currently used in metabolomics for analyzing complex biological samples and mixtures is provided, along with their application to the investigation of food and nutrients.
Review of thermophysical property methods applied to fueled and un-fueled molten salts

Abstract Recent investigation into designs of molten salt reactors (MSR) requires accurate data of candidate salts. Review of the literature shows lacking thermophysical (TP) property data for coolants and fuel-bearing salts of Advanced High Temperature Reactors (AHTR). Measurement uncertainties of current data are even more deficient, and this affects ongoing research where MSR modeling and testing are being performed. Melting temperature, viscosity, density, specific heat capacity, and thermal and electrical conductivity measurements are often not arranged together or discussed in great detail, especially for fuel-bearing salts. Raw data from key findings spanning over 70 years for LiF, LiF-BeF2, LiF-NaF-KF, KCl-MgCl2, KF-ZrF4, and NaF-KF-MgF2 have been organized and presented here. Brief description of methods used to obtain these results, in addition to the TP data of some of these salts as fuel carriers, has also been discussed. Thermal conductivity data are particularly weak due to older, high-error measurement techniques. More recent measurement systems to evaluate salt thermal conductivity show promise for obtaining consistent absolute values. This paper concludes that measurement systems such as transient hot-wire method, forced Rayleigh scattering, and laser flash analysis provide the most promise to fill these data gaps and reduce current uncertainty in thermal conductivity measurements of both fueled and un-fueled molten salts.
Civic Thinking and Public Policy Analysis: A Comparative Approach to Political Decision-Making

In an effort to increase students’ preparation for and participation in civic life, teachers and schools across the United States have incorporated action civics programs into their social studies courses. These programs resemble many of the key characteristics of the public policy analysis process. However, there is little evidence suggesting that civic leaders use this process when engaging a civic issue. This study explores the processes that civic leaders in one community use when thinking aloud about two hypothetical civic action scenarios, comparing their processes with the public policy analysis process. Qualitative analysis demonstrates that civic leaders engage in the public policy analysis process but also include the crucial initial step of seeking community deliberation . This initial step makes the whole process community-based, especially in the Research, Planning, and Action phases. These findings indicate that action civics programs should consider incorporating more community awareness and involvement into the early parts of their curricula, enabling youth to work with community members rather than isolating action civics work to K-12 classrooms.
Terms of inclusion: Data, discourse, violence:

Inclusion has emerged as an early cornerstone value for the emerging domain of “data ethics.” On the surface, appeals to inclusion appear to address the threat that biased data technologies making ...
The tornadoes of 30–31 May 2019 in south-Central Chile: Sensitivity to topography and SST

Abstract Tornadoes were reported in south-central Chile on 30 and 31 May 2019. To better understand the mechanisms that supported the organization and severity of the storms that generated them, a series of high-resolution sensitivity simulations were conducted using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. In addition to a control simulation, three simulations were run that successively reduced the topography to 50%, 25%, and 0% of original height; three more simulations were run that increased SST by 2 K everywhere, decreased it by 2 K everywhere, and set all SSTs greater than 16 °C to exactly 16 °C; finally, two more simulations were run to explore the combined effects of SST changes and lower topography. Results indicate that as topography was lowered, a strong northerly low-level jet along the upslope of the Andes weakened and broadened in both vertical and horizontal extent. Values of 0–6-km bulk shear and 0–3-km storm-relative helicity (SRH) over the regions where the tornadoes occurred diminished with successive reduction of the topography. As a result, simulated brightness temperatures were warmer, and swaths of updraft helicity were fewer and shorter. These results indicate that on 30–31 May 2019, flow blocking by the Andes topography generated mesoscale wind shear conditions that favored tornadoes. When SSTs were increased, instability (quantified by convective available potential energy, CAPE) also increased, although primarily offshore, and updraft helicity swath length increased, indicating a positive impact on simulated storm intensity. When SSTs were decreased, CAPE also decreased along with a decline in magnitude of updraft helicity. These results suggest that SSTs also impact storm severity via an influence on atmospheric instability. When the two factors were combined, warmer SSTs were not able to overcome a reduction in wind shear associated with a decrease in the topography. This suggests that in south-central Chile, wind shear is more important than CAPE for tornadic thunderstorms, as has been found for other regions around the world).
A Peek into the DNS Cookie Jar

The Domain Name System (DNS) has been frequently abused for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and cache poisoning because it relies on the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Since UDP is connection-less, it is trivial for an attacker to spoof the source of a DNS query or response. DNS Cookies, a protocol standardized in 2016, add pseudo-random values to DNS packets to provide identity management and prevent spoofing attacks. In this paper, we present the first study measuring the deployment of DNS Cookies in nearly all aspects of the DNS architecture. We also provide an analysis of the current benefits of DNS Cookies and the next steps for stricter deployment. Our findings show that cookie use is limited to less than 30% of servers and 10% of recursive clients. We also find several configuration issues that could lead to substantial problems if cookies were strictly required. Overall, DNS Cookies provide limited benefit in a majority of situations, and, given current deployment, do not prevent DDoS or cache poisoning attacks.