cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges and opportunities for nutrition education and training in the health care professions: intraprofessional and interprofessional call to action

Understanding and applying nutrition knowledge and skills to all aspects of health care are extremely important, and all health care professions need basic training to effectively assess dietary intake and provide appropriate guidance, counseling, and treatment to their patients. With obesity rates at an all-time high and the increasing prevalence of diabetes projected to cost the Federal government billions of dollars, the need for interprofessional nutrition education is paramount. Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and others can positively affect patient care by synchronizing and reinforcing the importance of nutrition across all specialty areas. Although nutrition is a critical component of acute and chronic disease management, as well as health and wellness across the health care professions, each profession must reevaluate its individual nutrition-related professional competencies before the establishment of meaningful interprofessional collaborative nutrition competencies. This article discusses gaps in nutrition education and training within individual health professions (ie, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and dietetics) and offers suggestions for educators, clinicians, researchers, and key stakeholders on how to build further capacity within the individual professions for basic and applied nutrition education. This "gaps methodology" can be applied to all health professions, including physician assistants, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapists.
Crowding as a descriptive indicator and an evaluative standard: results from 30 years of research.

This paper examined perceived crowding using 615 evaluation contexts obtained from 181 studies that used a 9-point scale. Four methods for summarizing the crowding scale were highly correlated (r ≥ .90) across all evaluation contexts. Four independent variables (year study was conducted, region of United States, country, specific activity) affected perceived crowding for both the collapsed scale and the mean of the scale. One factor, specific location of the encounter, only affected perceived crowding for the percentages, not the mean. Consumptive versus nonconsumptive activities had no effect on perceived crowding. Using capacity judgment standards, 40% of the 615 evaluation contexts were in the suppressed crowding category, 16% were over capacity and 9% were greatly over capacity.
Some Simulations on Filler Reinforcement in Elastomers

Elastomer reinforcement is being modeled by Monte Carlo simulations on rotational isomeric state chains in order to obtain the spatial configurations of the chains in the vicinity of filler particles. The results are distributions of the chain end-to-end distances as perturbed by this excluded-volume effect, and the results obtained are in agreement with experimental results gotten by neutron scattering. The use of these distributions in standard molecular theories of rubberlike elasticity then produces stress-strain isotherms suitable for comparison with elongation experiments. Such simulations have now been carried out for elastomeric matrices reinforced by spherical filler particles (either on a cubic lattice or randomly dispersed), or by prolate or oblate particles on cubic lattices (either with their axes oriented or randomized). The simulated mechanical properties are consistent with experimental results available at the present time, and should provide encouragement and guidance for additional simu...
Effects of transportation and built environment on general health and obesity

We develop models to investigate the effects of transportation, land-use, and built environment variables along with demographic and socio-economic factors on people's general health and obesity. The work showed that transit-oriented development has a significant positive impact on the general health and obesity of the people. The study results suggest that one percent decrease in the use of automobiles can decrease obesity by 0.4%.
Multi-disciplinary care for the elderly in disasters: an integrative review

Introduction Older adults are disproportionately affected by disaster. Frail elders, individuals with chronic diseases, conditions, or disabilities, and those who live in long-term care facilities are especially vulnerable. PURPOSE The purpose of this integrative review of the literature was to describe the system-wide knowledge and skills that multi-disciplinary health care providers need to provide appropriate care for the elderly during domestic-humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts. Data sources A systematic search protocol was developed in conjunction with a research librarian. Searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were conducted using terms such as Disaster, Geological Processes, Aged, Disaster Planning, and Vulnerable Populations. Forty-six articles met criteria for inclusion in the review. CONCLUSIONS: Policies and guidance regarding evacuating versus sheltering in place are lacking. Tenets of elderly-focused disaster planning/preparation and clarification of legal and ethical standards of care and liability issues are needed. Functional capacity, capabilities, or impairments, rather than age, should be considered in disaster preparation. Older adults should be included in disaster planning as population-specific experts. Implications for Practice A multifaceted approach to population-specific disaster planning and curriculum development should include consideration of the biophysical and psychosocial aspects of care, ethical and legal issues, logistics, and resources. Johnson HL , Ling CG , McBee EC. Multi-disciplinary care for the elderly in disasters: an integrative review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-8. Language: en
IL-6 Haplotypes, Inflammation, and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in a Multiethnic Dialysis Cohort

It is unknown whether IL-6, a central regulator of inflammation, is a cause of or just a marker of atherosclerosis. Studies of genetic susceptibility to inflammation, however, avoid the potential for reverse causality. Variation in IL6 gene was studied as a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a cohort of 775 incident dialysis patients, in whom IL-6 levels are elevated. On the basis of published resequencing data on the IL6 gene, a phylogenetic tree with three main branches (clades 1 to 3) was constructed. Two “clade tag” polymorphisms, −174G/C and 1888G/T, and two missense variants, Pro32Ser and Asp162Val, were genotyped. Circulating IL-6 and albumin were measured a median of 5 mo after the start of dialysis. CVD events were ascertained from medical records. During a median follow-up of 2.5 yr, 294 CVD events occurred. The two coding variants, Pro32Ser (present only in black patients, 10% Ser allele) and Asp162Val (present only in white patients, 1% Val), were associated with lower levels of IL-6 and higher levels of albumin. The common variant in the promoter region, −174G/C, was strongly associated with higher CVD risk and weakly with IL-6 levels. Clade 3 (−174C carriers in the absence of 162 Val allele) was associated with higher IL-6 levels ( P = 0.03) and higher CVD risk (hazard ratio 1.44, P = 0.006) after adjustment for covariates. The IL6 gene has functional variants that affect inflammation and risk for CVD among dialysis patients, supporting a causal role for IL6 in CVD.
Late development of atrioventricular block after congenital heart surgery in down syndrome

1994;17:1974–1979. 4. Auricchio A, Salo RW. Acute hemodynamic improvement by pacing in patients with severe congestive heart failure. PACE 1997;20:313–324. 5. Bakker P, Sen KCA, de Jonge N, Klopping C, Algra A, Robles de Medina E, Bredee J. Biventricular pacing improves functional capacity in patients with end-stage congestive heart failure (abstr). PACE 1995;18:825. 6. Bayes De Luna A. Clinical Electrocardiography. Armonk, NY: Futura, 1998: 83–107. 7. Sahn DJ, DeMaria A, Kisslo J, Weyman A. Recommendations regarding quantitation in M-mode echocardiography: results of a survey of echocardiographic measurements. Circulation 1978;58:107. 8. Hollander M, Wolfe DA. Nonparametric Statistical Methods, 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley, 1999:190–202 & 254–259. 9. Leclercq C, Cazeau S, Le Breton H, Ritter P, Mabo P, Gras D, Pavin D, Lazarus A, Daubert JC. Acute hemodynamic effect of biventricular DDD pacing in patients with end-stage congestive heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 1998;32: 1825–1831. 10. Blanc JJ, Etienne Y, Gilard M, Mansourati J, Munier S, Boschat J, Benditt DG, Lurie KG. Evaluation of different ventricular pacing sites in patients with severe heart failure. Circulation 1997;96:3273–3277. 11. Cazeau S, Ritter P, Lazarus A, Gras D, Backdach H, Mundler O, Mugica J. Multisite pacing for end-stage heart failure: early experience. PACE 1996;19(pt: 2]):1748–1757. 12. Xiao HB, Brecker SJD, Gibson DG. Effect of abnormal activation on the time course of the left ventricular pressure pulse in dilated cardiomyopathy. Br Heart J 1992;68:403–407. 13. Xiao HB, Lee CH, Gibson DG. Effect of left bundle brunch block on diastolic function in dilated cardiomyopathy. Br Heart J 1991;66:443–447. 14. Vanderheyden M, Goethals M, Anguera I, Nellens P, Andries E Brugada J, Brugada P. Hemodynamic deterioration following radiofrequency ablation of the atrioventricular conduction system. PACE 1997;20(10 pt 1):2422–2248. 15. Maurer G, Torres MA, Corday E, Haendchen RV Meerbaum S. Twodimensional echocardiographic contrast assessment of pacing-induced mitral regurgitation: relation to altered regional left ventricular function. J Am Coll Cardiol 1984;3:986–991.
Frequency dependence of backscatter coefficient versus scatterer volume fraction

Various groups are using the frequency dependence of backscattering to characterize tissue. In most cases, sparse scatterer concentrations are assumed in relating scattering parameters to tissue properties. This study addresses the relationship between backscatter frequency dependence and scatterer volume fraction. Backscatter coefficients (BSC) in the 2.5 to 9.0 MHz frequency range were measured for agar-gel phantoms containing Sephadex scatterers (mean diameter 42 /spl mu/m) at volume fractions ranging from 5 to 50%. The BSC increased with scatterer volume fraction at low scatterer concentrations; at higher concentrations, the BSC reached a maximum with concentration and then decreased with yet increasing scatterer concentrations, as has been noted by previous authors. In addition, the volume fraction for the maximum backscatter coefficient varied with frequency, generally being greater at higher frequencies than lower frequencies, and the frequency dependence of the backscatter coefficient was greater for the higher scatterer concentrations than for the lower concentrations. These results are predicted by continuum models, where the spatial autocorrelation function depends on scatterer volume fraction.
3-D modeling from range imagery: an incremental method with a planning component

In this paper we present a method for automatically constructing a CAD model of an unknown object from range images. The method is an incremental one that interleaves a sensing operation that acquires and merges information into the model with a planning phase to determine the next sensor position or "view". This is accomplished by integrating a system for 3-D model acquisition with a sensor planner. The model acquisition system provides facilities for range image acquisition, solid model construction and model merging: both mesh surface and solid representations are used to build a model of the range data from each view, which is then merged with the model built from previous sensing operations. The planning system utilizes the resulting incomplete model to plan the next sensing operation by finding a sensor viewpoint that will improve the fidelity of the model. Experimental results are presented for a complex part that includes polygonal faces, curved surfaces, and large self-occlusions.
Affective Semiosis: Philosophical Links to Cultural Psychology

The matrices and forms of meaning-making are the shared focal concerns of a philosophical semiotics and of a cultural psychology informed by broad-based semiotic categories. C. S. Peirce’s analysis of sign processes is a fine point of entry into a reflection on their main points of intersection. However, the centrality of the notion of quality or firstness in Peirce’s model of semiosis leads to a reflection on the universality of feeling and of being affected by objective forms that emerge at the thresholds of sense. Phenomenology’s engagement with the primacy of form over explicit meaning, foregrounded by Merleau-Ponty, points toward new ways of foregrounding affectivity as a universal mode of sense-making and is complemented and extended by Susanne Langer’s development of a revised notion of feeling and by John Dewey’s extension of Peirce’s theory of quality into a core principle of a reformed pragmatist account of the multi-dimensional organism-environment relation, a prime concern of cultural psychology.
Occipital calcified pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis (CAPNON): Understanding a rare pathology

Calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis (CAPNON) are rare and typically benign lesions that can occur anywhere within the central nervous system. Aetiology of this lesion is unclear and surgical removal is usually curative. We present a 24-year-old male patient with a history of occipital migraines who was admitted after sudden onset seizure and loss of vision. CT and MRI demonstrated a small calcifying lesion in the right temporo-occipital lobe. The patient underwent gross total resection of the tumour mass and pathological analysis revealed a CAPNON. The preoperative diagnosis of CAPNON remains difficult due to unspecific radiological findings, yet a clear understanding of characteristic pathological findings and prognosis of CAPNON remains paramount.
The association between optimal lifestyle-related health behaviors and employee productivity.

Objective To investigate the association between lifestyle-related health behaviors including sleep and the cluster of physical activity, no tobacco use, fruits and vegetables intake, and alcohol consumption termed the "Optimal Lifestyle Metric" (OLM), and employee productivity. Methods Data were obtained from employee health assessments (N = 18,079). Regression techniques were used to study the association between OLM and employee productivity, sleep and employee productivity, and the interaction of both OLM and sleep on employee productivity. Results Employees who slept less or more than 7 or 8 hours per night experienced significantly more productivity loss. Employees who adhered to all four OLM behaviors simultaneously experienced less productivity loss compared with those who did not. Conclusions Adequate sleep and adherence to the OLM cluster of behaviors are associated with significantly less productivity loss.
Low-quality nursing homes were more likely than other nursing homes to be bought or sold by chains In 1993-2010

Two defining features of the nursing home industry are the tremendous churn in chain ownership and the perception of low-quality care at many facilities. We examined whether nursing homes that underwent chain-related transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, experienced a larger number of health deficiency citations than nursing homes that maintained common ownership over the same period. Using facility-level data for the period 1993–2010, we found that those nursing homes that underwent chain-related transactions had more deficiency citations in the years preceding and following a transaction than those nursing homes that maintained common ownership. Thus, we did not find that these transactions led to a decline in quality. Instead, we found that chains targeted nursing homes that were already having quality problems and that these problems persisted after the transaction. Given the high frequency of nursing home chain transactions, policy makers will need to continue to invest in tracking, reporti...
Correlation analysis of the effects of symptom clusters of cancer patients on their life quality in Shanghai community

Objective:A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the general symptom clusters and study its influence on life quality of cancer patients in community.The association between the symptom clusters and life qualities was analyzed to provide guidance for targeted intervention.Methods:We randomly selected 200 cancer patients living in Pengpu Community from "Shanghai Cancer Patients Database".They filled in the Chinese version of Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General(FACT-G) self-rating scale.Partial correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.Results:Partial correlation analysis showed that symptom clusters had no apparent correlation with the score of social/family well-being in FACT-G scale.The symptom clusters including anorexia,insomnia,fatigue,pain,and diarrhea mainly correlated with the scores of FACT-G self-rating scale.Multiple linear regression analysis explained 13.2% of the variance in FACT-G score,explained 41.8% of the variance in physical well-being,explained 27.0% of the variance in emotional well-being,and explained 4.2% of the variance in functional well-being,respectively.Conclusion:The life qualities of tumor patients in Shanghai community were associated with anorexia,pain,and insomnia named as QOL-related symptom clusters.Paying attentiation to QOL-related symptom clusters may help health care professionals to increase the intervention efficacy and improve the life quality of tumor patients.
Blockchains and Smart Contracts for the Internet of Things

Motivated by the recent explosion of interest around blockchains, we examine whether they make a good fit for the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Blockchains allow us to have a distributed peer-to-peer network where non-trusting members can interact with each other without a trusted intermediary, in a verifiable manner. We review how this mechanism works and also look into smart contracts—scripts that reside on the blockchain that allow for the automation of multi-step processes. We then move into the IoT domain, and describe how a blockchain-IoT combination: 1) facilitates the sharing of services and resources leading to the creation of a marketplace of services between devices and 2) allows us to automate in a cryptographically verifiable manner several existing, time-consuming workflows. We also point out certain issues that should be considered before the deployment of a blockchain network in an IoT setting: from transactional privacy to the expected value of the digitized assets traded on the network. Wherever applicable, we identify solutions and workarounds. Our conclusion is that the blockchain-IoT combination is powerful and can cause significant transformations across several industries, paving the way for new business models and novel, distributed applications.
Evaluation of cardiovascular risks of spaceflight does not support the NASA bioastronautics critical path roadmap.

Introduction Occurrence of serious cardiac dysrhythmias and diminished cardiac and vascular function are the primary cardiovascular risks of spaceflight identified in the 2005 NASA Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap. Methods A review of the literature was conducted on experimental results and observational data obtained from spaceflight and relevant ground simulation studies that addressed occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiac contractile and vascular function, manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease, orthostatic intolerance, and response to exercise stress. Results Based on data from astronauts who have flown in space, there is no compelling experimental evidence to support significant occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease, or reduction in myocardial contractile function. Although there are post-spaceflight data that demonstrate lower peripheral resistance in astronauts who become presyncopal compared with non-presyncopal astronauts, it is not clear that these differences are the result of decreased vascular function. However, the evidence of postflight orthostatic intolerance and reduced exercise capacity is well substantiated by both spaceflight and ground experiments. Although attenuation of baroreflex function(s) may contribute to postflight orthostatic instability, a primary mechanism of orthostatic intolerance and reduced exercise capacity is reduced end-diastolic and stroke volume associated with lower blood volumes and consequent cardiac remodeling. Conclusion Data from the literature on the current population of astronauts support the notion that the primary cardiovascular risks of spaceflight are compromised hemodynamic responses to central hypovolemia resulting in reduced orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity rather than occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias, reduced cardiac contractile and vascular function, or manifestation of asymptomatic cardiovascular disease. These observations warrant a critical review and revision of the 2005 Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap.
William D. Brewer, Staging Romantic Chameleons and Imposters and Elizabeth Maddock Dillon, New World Drama: The Performative Commons in the Atlantic World, 1649-1849

Review by Dana Van Kooy (Michigan Technological University) of William D. Brewer, Staging Romantic Chameleons and Imposters . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Pp. 255. $90. ISBN 9781137389213 and Elizabeth Maddock Dillon, New World Drama: The Performative Commons in the Atlantic World, 1649-1849 . Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014. Pp. 368. Pb. $26.95. ISBN 9780822353415.
Novel cancer therapies targeting angiogenesis

Cancer growth is generally restricted to tissue that is approximately 2 mm in diameter. At this size, the cancer receives enough oxygen and nutrients by diffusion from nearby blood vessels to survive. Upon further growth, the proliferation of cells within the cancer is matched by the induction of apoptosis due to nutrient deprivation, resulting in a steady-state size. The way cancers adapt to these physical limits is by obtaining their own new blood supply. Only through the induction of its own blood supply, generally by the process of angiogenesis, can cancers exceed the 2 mm size limit and can continue to grow virtually unchecked. Cancer cells stimulate angiogenesis by secreting soluble factors that stimulate vessel growth and/or by suppressing factors that prevent angiogenesis. These factors act primarily upon endothelial cells to promote their proliferation and migration, resulting in the sprouting and formation of tubes, which then develop into vessels.
The Role of Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Mediastinal Tumors

Although considerable clinical experience has been accumulated in applying three-dimensional (3-D) technology to the treatment of prostatic carcinoma, the potential value of this technology in the management of thoracic neoplasms has only recently been recognized [1–10]. A variety of factors have contributed to this “lag” in the routine use of 3-D based technology for the management of thoracic neoplasms. First, the routine implementation of 3-D conformal radiotherapy (3-DCRT) has been hampered by the lack of widespread availability of FDA-approved 3-D software. The labor-intensive nature of 3-DCRT and the failure of many radiation oncologists to recognize the shortcomings of standard treatment techniques have also contributed to the slow diffusion of 3-D technology. Most investigators who have access to 3-D based treatment planning are convinced that the potential benefits associated with its routine use will ultimately result in its widespread adoption. To test the hypothesis that this technology will result in improved local control and possibly survival, phase I/II dose escalation studies sponsored by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) are underway. In this review we discuss how this “tool” may allow us to improve the treatment of mediastinal tumors.
LEUKOCYTE-ENDOTHELIAL CELL INTERACTIONS

Neutrophils normally circulate within the vasculature as unstimulated cells and do not, even when present on the endothelial cell surface as marginated cells, damage the vascular endothelium. However, these cells can become activated in response to a variety of stimuli produced within or outside of the vascular compartment. Once activated, neutrophils produce potent reactive oxygen metabolites and release the contents of their granules, which contain proteolytic enzymes as well as other hydrolyses and a large amount of cationic peptides. Products of activated neutrophils are capable of damaging the vascular endothelium and are responsible for the severe endothelial damage which is a hallmark of acute inflammatory disease. The active agents in the neutrophil armamentarium have been well-described in previous reviews (Fantone and Ward, 1983; Weiss, 1989) and this information will not be repeated here. Rather, this review will focus on two topics related to the interaction of neutrophils with the endothelium. These include 1) mechanisms of adhesive interactions between vascular endothelial cells and neutrophils and 2) events which occur within the endothelial cell under attack by neutrophils.
Fluxional compiler : Seamless shift from development productivity to performance efficiency, in the case of real-time web applications

La plupart des grands services web commencerent comme de simples projets, et grossirent exponentiellement. Internet supporte cette croissance en etendant les communications et reduisant leur latence. Pendant son developpement, une application doit croitre exponentiellement, sans quoi elle risque de se faire depasser par la competition. Des le debut, il est important de s'assurer de repondre aux besoins du marche : Fail fast. Des langages comme Ruby ou Java sont devenus populaires en proposant la productivite necessaire pour iterer rapidement sur les retours utilisateurs. Une application web qui repond correctement aux besoins des utilisateurs peut etre adoptee de maniere virale. Mais a terme, une application doit etre efficace pour traiter cette augmentation de trafic. Il est difficile pour une application d'etre a la fois productive et efficace. Quand l'audience devient trop importante, il est souvent necessaire de remplacer l'approche productive pour un modele plus efficace. Aucune plateforme de developpement ne permet de concilier ces deux objectifs, il est donc necessaire de reecrire l'application vers un modele plus efficace, tel qu'un pipeline. Ce changement represente un risque. Il implique une quantite de travail consequente et incertaine. Pour eviter ce risque, cette these propose de maintenir conjointement les representations productives et efficaces d'une meme application. Javascript est un langage productif avec une communaute importante. C'est l’environnement d’execution le plus largement deploye puisqu'il est omnipresent dans les navigateurs, et egalement sur certains serveurs avec Node.js. Il est maintenant considere comme le langage principal du web, detronant Ruby ou Java. De plus, sa boucle evenementielle est similaire a un pipeline. Ces deux modeles d’execution traitent un flux de requetes en chainant des fonctions les unes apres les autres. Cependant, la boucle evenementielle permet une approche productive grâce a sa memoire globale, tandis que le pipeline permet une execution efficace du fait de sa parallelisation. Cette these etudie la possibilite pour une equivalence de transformer une implementation d'une representation vers l'autre. Avec cette equivalence, l'equipe de developpement peut suivre les deux approches simultanement. Elle peut iterer continuellement pour prendre en compte les avantages des deux approches. Cette these presente un compilateur qui permet d'identifier un pipeline dans une application Javascript, et d'isoler chaque etape dans une fluxion. Une fluxion est nommee par contraction entre fonction et flux. Elle execute une fonction pour chaque datum sur le flux. Les fluxions sont independantes, et peuvent etre deplacees d'une machine a l'autre pour amortir l'augmentation du trafic. L'equipe de developpement peut commencer a developper avec la productivite de la boucle evenementielle. Et avec la transformation, elle peut iterer pour progressivement atteindre l’efficacite du pipeline.
A stochastic approach to the bonus-malus system

This study is designed to provide an extension of well-known models of tarification in auto mobile insurance known as Bonus-Malus system. Bonus-Malus system, under certain conditions, can be interpreted as a Markov chain with constant transition matrix. The goal of this study is to find and investigate the stationary distribution of three Bonus-Malus systems used worldwide.
Analysis and Implementation of a Gaussian Addition IR-UWB Transmitter for Increased Spectral Efficiency

This paper describes a technique to improve the spectral efficiency and increase the energy in the transmitted pulse of an impulse-radio, ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) transmitter utilizing bi-phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation and working in the frequency range of 3.1–10.6 GHz. Two Gaussian bi-phase pulses are produced and form the base-band signal. These two signals are delayed with respect to each other and are independently up-converted to a different region of the UWB spectrum. The two up-converted signals are then combined to form the final IR-UWB BPSK output signal. The IR-UWB output signal is analyzed in both the time domain and frequency domain to determine time-bandwidth product and spectral efficiency ( $$\eta $$ ). By combining the two up-converted gaussian signals, the spectral efficiency is increased to 77% and the time-bandwidth product of the output signal is 1.7. For a transmitter operating at a data rate of 250 Mbps, the energy per pulse of the output signal can be increased to 4.33 pJ while staying within the FCC spectral and power limits. This technique can also be used to produce a −30 dB notch at 5.9 GHz to further reduce any interference from an IEEE 802.11p Wifi signal.
Acting the Part: Examining Information Operations Within #BlackLivesMatter Discourse

This research examines how Russian disinformation actors participated in a highly charged online conversation about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and police-related shootings in the USA during 2016. We first present high-level dynamics of this conversation on Twitter using a network graph based on retweet flows that reveals two structurally distinct communities. Next, we identify accounts in this graph that were suspended by Twitter for being affiliated with the Internet Research Agency, an entity accused of conducting information operations in support of Russian political interests. Finally, we conduct an interpretive analysis that consolidates observations about the activities of these accounts. Our findings have implications for platforms seeking to develop mechanisms for determining authenticity---by illuminating how disinformation actors enact authentic personas and caricatures to target different audiences. This work also sheds light on how these actors systematically manipulate politically active online communities by amplifying diverging streams of divisive content.
Counselors and Psychologists Mentoring Gifted Black Males With Disabilities to Foster College and Career Readiness

Despite greater emphasis on college and career readiness in PK-12 education, gifted Black males with disabilities still encounter various barriers in making successful transitions to postsecondary ...
Management of alcoholism in the primary care setting.

Abstract Primary care physicians can play an important role in managing alcoholic patients. Identifying and treating alcoholism early, before it has interfered with patients' relationships and work, may increase the likelihood of prolonged recovery. Simple office interventions can help motivate patients to abstain and seek treatment. People who abuse alcohol and are unwilling to abstain can benefit from a recommendation to reduce their intake of alcohol. For alcohol-dependent patients who decide to stop drinking, primary care physicians often can manage withdrawal on an outpatient basis. Selecting an appropriate treatment program for each alcoholic patient is important, and referral to a specialist to assist in matching patients to treatments is often necessary. Primary care physicians also can help prevent relapse. Although disulfiram is of limited value, primary care physicians can support recovery by identifying coexistent psychosocial problems, helping patients to restructure their lives, and ensuring continuity of care.
Tobacco Use Disorder

The majority of patients with schizophrenia currently smokes or has smoked in the past, at much higher rates than seen in the general population. Psychiatry needs to make smoking cessation a priority and help their patients quit smoking and remain quit. In this chapter, I discuss the assessment of smoking and treatment tools for successful smoking cessation for patients with serious mental disorders. Emphasis is placed on the use of pharmacotherapy, particularly varenicline, and opt-out care, with treatment being the default option in a chronic disease model. E-cigarettes may be a harm reduction option for patients seriously addicted to cigarettes.
Chapter 244 – Nuclear Receptor Coactivators

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the general mechanisms for coactivator complexes that enhance nuclear receptor (NR) gene activation and explains the ligand-dependent interaction between nuclear receptors and coactivator proteins and the posttranslational modifications performed by these complexes. The interactions between NRs and coactivators are dependent on the three-dimensional structure of the NR, which is influenced by the nature of the ligand and the sequence of the DNA binding site. Crystallographic analysis of several nuclear receptor ligand binding domains (LBDs) reveals a conserved three-dimensional structure in which a three-layered anti-parallel alpha-helical sandwich encloses a central, hydrophobic ligand binding pocket. In unliganded RXR structure, the helix 12 of the LBD extends away from the LBD. In contrast, in the ligand-bound RARγ, TRα, PPARγ, and ER LBD structures, helix 12 is tightly packed against the body of the LBD and makes direct contacts with the ligand. Extensive analysis of the amino acid sequences within the nuclear receptor coactivator reveals a conserved helical sequence LXXLL (L, leucine; X, any amino acid) that is necessary and sufficient for the ligand-dependent interaction between the NR hydrophobic groove and coactivator proteins. Nearly all coactivators that directly interact with NRs in a ligand-dependent manner contain an LXXLL motif, including members of the p160/SRC family, TRAP220/DRIP205, and PGC-1. Coactivator proteins are generally considered to function by modifying chromatin architecture and/or by serving as adapters that recruit core transcription factors to target promoters. The chromatin assembly results in the compaction of DNA preventing access and the binding of transcription factors. It exerts a severe repressive effect on gene transcription. Therefore chromatin remodeling needs to be one of the first steps in initiating gene transcription.
Conditions to provable system-wide optimal coordination of connected and automated vehicles

Abstract Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) provide the most intriguing opportunity to improve energy efficiency, traffic flow, and safety. In earlier work, we addressed the constrained optimal coordination problem of CAVs at different traffic scenarios using Hamiltonian analysis. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the unconstrained problem and provide conditions under which different combination of the state and control constraints become active. We present a condition-based computational framework that improves on the standard iterative solution procedure of the constrained Hamiltonian analysis. Finally, we derive a closed-form analytical solution of the constrained optimal control problem and validate the proposed framework using numerical simulation. The solution can be derived without any recursive steps, and thus it is appropriate for real-time implementation on-board the CAVs.
Amiodarone-Induced Myxedema Coma.

Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic drug often used to treat supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias with high efficacy. Amiodarone is associated with thyroid dysfunction, which can lead to myxedema coma (MC) in undiagnosed cases. Amiodarone-induced MC is a life-threatening condition that presents a complex diagnostic challenge to emergency physicians. A 71-year-old male with a past medical history of congestive heart failure presented unresponsive to the emergency department with bradycardia and syncope. His medications included amiodarone. Work-up showed hypothermia, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of 52.2 uIU/mL, and low free T4 of 0.64 ng/dL. This case suggests the importance of thyroid panels in the management of patients who are using amiodarone long-term. This case also highlights a simple and effective treatment for amiodarone-induced MC.
Patenting the Fingerprint of God: How Gene Patents Violate the Products of Nature Doctrine

This article analyzes the current practice of patenting isolated and purified DNA sequences. The article argues that the “products of nature doctrine” does not allow the patenting of isolated and purified DNA sequences. In addition, the article argues that the United States Patent & Trademark Office has misconstrued the Supreme Court’s decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, which the PTO uses to justify its current stance on gene patenting. The article posits a new utility test for courts to use when analyzing biotechnological patents that will restore the products of nature doctrine and kept the hallmark cases of patent law unperturbed.
Brain proteome-wide association study implicates novel proteins in depression pathogenesis.

Depression is a common condition, but current treatments are only effective in a subset of individuals. To identify new treatment targets, we integrated depression genome-wide association study (GWAS) results (N = 500,199) with human brain proteomes (N = 376) to perform a proteome-wide association study of depression followed by Mendelian randomization. We identified 19 genes that were consistent with being causal in depression, acting via their respective cis-regulated brain protein abundance. We replicated nine of these genes using an independent depression GWAS (N = 307,353) and another human brain proteomic dataset (N = 152). Eleven of the 19 genes also had cis-regulated mRNA levels that were associated with depression, based on integration of the depression GWAS with human brain transcriptomes (N = 888). Meta-analysis of the discovery and replication proteome-wide association study analyses identified 25 brain proteins consistent with being causal in depression, 20 of which were not previously implicated in depression by GWAS. Together, these findings provide promising brain protein targets for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies. Wingo et al. integrate depression GWAS results with human brain proteomes to perform proteome-wide association studies followed by Mendelian randomization. They identify 25 proteins as potential causal mediators of depression, of which 20 are new.
Using Peer Supports to Encourage Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Show Interest in Their Conversation Partners.

Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a multicomponent peer-mediated intervention (PMI) on teaching adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) how to show interest in peer conversation partners by asking partner-focused questions about the person, their interests, or their experiences and by making partner-focused comments that positively affirm peer statements or express concern. Method A multiple-baseline design across three verbally fluent high school students with ASD was used to assess the effects of the PMI, which involved training peers (n = 10) to support conversation and the students' use of target skills, and training the students to use partner-focused skills with the aid of a self-reflection cue sheet during conversation with trained peers in a high school cafeteria. Ten-minute samples of student-peer conversations were transcribed and analyzed. Generalization with untrained peers was assessed. Results The PMI was highly effective in increasing all students' use of partner-focused skills. Gains were maintained by two students in a return-to-baseline condition. Generalization was evident for all students with varied results. Peers and students with ASD perceived the intervention to be beneficial. Conclusions This study adds to the limited research showing that PMI can be used in high school settings to improve target conversational skills and provides preliminary evidence that PMI can successfully address an underresearched pragmatic language difficulty (i.e., introducing and maintaining topics of conversation of relevance and interest to conversation partners) common among adolescents with ASD. These findings invite replication to extend generality and assess the impact of the intervention on peer relationships. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16915663.
Treatment Outcomes Following Proton Therapy for High Grade Spinal Cord Ependymoma in Children.

Purpose/Objective(s) There is limited information published on the outcome of children treated with radiation for high-grade ependymoma of the spinal cord. Thus, little evidence is available to inform decisions of target volume or prescription dose. Moreover, there is virtually no mature outcome data on proton therapy, despite theoretical advantages in normal tissue exposure. We therefore performed a bicentric retrospective study to better inform treatment of this rare tumor in children. Materials/Methods Between 2008 and 2019, 14 consecutive pediatric patients with a non-metastatic grade II or III spinal ependymoma were treated with proton therapy at the University of Florida and Massachusetts General Hospital. The median age of the children at the time of radiation was 14 years old (range, 1.5-18 years). Five tumors arose within the cervical cord (C1-5, C1-2, C1-T1, C3-T1, C4-C6), 3 within the thoracic spine (C7-T4, T7-L1, T11-T12), and 6 within the lumbosacral spine (L3-L5, L3-L5, L4-S2, S2-S5, L2-L3, L2-L3). Six tumors were grade II histology and 8 were grade III. Prior to radiotherapy, 3 patients had undergone a subtotal resection while the other 11 had a gross total or near total resection. One patient received chemotherapy according to the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) infant regimen and 1 patient received chemotherapy according to Children's Oncology Group (COG) ACNS0831. For radiation, the gross tumor volume (GTV) was defined by the gross disease and/or tumor bed at the time of radiation. The CTV was defined by the GTV + 5-10 mm. The CTV received 50.4 Gy (n = 8), 52.2 (n = 1), or 54 Gy (n = 5), with the latter undergoing boost to just the GTV following the initial 50.4 Gy to respect spinal cord tolerance. For the cohort, the median maximum point dose to the spinal cord was 52.4 Gy (range, 0-53.9 Gy). The median maximum dose to 0.1 cc of spinal cord was 51.3 Gy (range, 0-52.5 Gy). The median volume of cord receiving ≥50.4 Gy was 3.4 cc (range, 0-17.1 cc). Results With a median follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 1.5 – 14.8 years), no tumors have progressed and all patients are alive. Serious acute toxicity was limited to 1 case of grade 2 nausea. While most patients experienced neurologic sequela following surgery, only 1 patient developed additional neurologic deficits following radiation: An 18-year-old male who received 54 Gy following gross total resection of a lumbosacral tumor developed grade 2 erectile dysfunction. There were 2 cases of chronic musculoskeletal toxicity attributable to surgery and radiation in survivors. No patients have developed cardiac, pulmonary, or other visceral organ complications, nor has any patient developed a second malignancy. Conclusion These outcomes suggest that radiation to a dose of 50-54 Gy can be safely delivered and plays a beneficial role in the multidisciplinary management of children with grade II/III spinal cord ependymoma. Proton therapy may reduce the late radiation effects and is not associated with unexpected spinal cord toxicity.
Improving Near-Surface Weather Forecasts with Strongly Coupled Land–Atmosphere Data Assimilation

Near-surface weather forecasts are critical for protecting life and human activities. However, they remain a challenging problem in modern numerical weather prediction (NWP) due to difficulties in surface data assimilation and uncertainties in representing complicated land–atmosphere interactions in numerical models. This chapter summarizes recent developments from the author’s research team to understand and develop effective data assimilation methods that enhance near-surface weather forecasts. Results from several recent journal publications are summarized and presented to introduce strongly coupled land–atmosphere data assimilation in the context of land–atmosphere interaction. The first part of the mentioned work evaluated the association between near-surface variables and soil moisture with observations, coupled land–atmosphere model, and data assimilation systems. Results indicated a strong coupling between soil moisture and the low-level atmosphere, especially the atmospheric boundary layer. Then, the weakly and strongly coupled land–atmosphere data assimilation methods were compared regarding their influence on the prediction of near-surface atmospheric conditions. Results showed that strongly coupled land–atmosphere data assimilation, with simultaneous corrections to the land and atmospheric conditions, outperformed weakly coupled data assimilation. Finally, strongly coupled land–atmosphere data assimilation in an ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation system was implemented with an NWP model. Its positive impacts on predicting both atmosphere and land states were demonstrated. The potential of strongly coupled land–atmosphere data assimilation for future developments and applications is discussed in the concluding remarks.