cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Closed Nesting and Checkpointing in Fault-Tolerant Distributed Transactional Memory

We consider the closed nesting and checkpointing model for transactions in fault-tolerant distributed transactional memory (DTM). The closed nested model allows inner-nested transactions to be aborted (in the event of a transactional conflict) without aborting the parent transaction, while checkpointing allows transactions to rollback to a previous execution state, potentially improving concurrency over flat nesting. We consider a quorum-based replicated model for fault-tolerant DTM, and present algorithms to support closed nesting and checkpointing. The algorithms use incremental validation to avoid communication overhead on commit, and ensure 1-copy equivalence. Our experimental studies using a Java DTM implementation of the algorithms on micro and macro benchmarks reveal the conditions when they improve transactional throughput over flat nesting, and also their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Ensuring Racial, Cultural Harmony in the School.

It is incumbent upon principals to ensure that the school climate pro motes acceptance of all races and cultures. Here's a look at the areas covered by one district's policy.
Generalized perfectly matched layer-an extension of Berenger's perfectly matched layer boundary condition

Berenger's perfectly matched layer (PML) has been found very effective in absorbing propagating waves, but it is ineffective in absorbing evanescent waves. Also, since the impedance of PML does not match those of most of lossy media, the PML technique can generally not be applied to terminate lossy media. Derived from the modified Maxwell's equations in the stretched coordinates, the absorber, which we call the generalized perfectly matched layer (GPML), presented in this letter cannot only absorb propagating waves, but also accelerate the attenuation of evanescent waves and perfectly match arbitrary lossy media. Verifications of GPML are provided with numerical examples.
Occupation in Lifestyle Redesign: The Well Elderly Study Occupational Therapy Program

This article describes an innovative preventive occupational therapy intervention for well older adults, the Well Elderly Treatment Program. In a previously reported large-scale randomized effectiveness study, this intervention was found to be highly successful in enhancing the physical and mental health, occupational functioning, and life satisfaction of multicultural, community-dwelling elders. In this article, the philosophical background, manner of development, topical content, methods of program delivery, and mechanisms underlying the program's positive effects are discussed, along with implications for occupational therapy practice. The treatment was based on application of occupational science theory and research and emphasized the therapeutic process of lifestyle redesign in enabling the participants to actively and strategically select an individualized pattern of personally satisfying and health-promoting occupations. The wide-ranging effectiveness of the program supports the occupational therapy profession's emphasis on occupation in affecting health and positions practitioners to extend their services to the realm of preventive interventions.
Complexation thermodynamics and the formation of the binary and the ternary complexes of tetravalent plutonium with carboxylate and aminocarboxylate ligands in aqueous solution of high ionic strength

Abstract The stability constants of the binary and the ternary complexes of Pu 4+ have been measured for certain carboxylate and aminocarboxylate ligands in aqueous solution of I = 5.0 M (1 M perchloric acid + 4 M ionic strength perchlorate media) and temperatures of 0–45 °C by the solvent extraction technique. The stability constants of the binary and the ternary complexes increased with increased temperature. The complexation enthalpy and entropy of the binary Pu–Ox and the ternary Pu–EDTA–Ox and DGA complexes indicated the stability of these complexes is due to the highly favorable entropy contribution while complexation enthalpies either oppose complexation or are weakly favorable.
Unilateral nerve injury produces bilateral loss of distal innervation

There are no known anatomical connections between neurons that innervate homologous right and left body parts. Nevertheless, some patients develop bilateral abnormalities after unilateral injury, a phenomenon often unrecognized and not yet characterized. Therefore, we examined in rats the effects of ligating and cutting one tibial nerve on sensory function and on density of innervation in hind paws contralaterally as well as ipsilaterally to the injury, at times between 1 day and 5 months after surgery. Punches removed from tibial- or sural-innervated plantar paw skin were immunolabeled to quantitate epidermal nerve endings. Naive and sham-operated rats provided controls. Axotomized rats had near-total loss of PGP9.5 + innervation within ipsilateral tibial-innervated skin at all time-points. Adjacent ipsilateral sural-innervated skin had persistent hyperalgesia without denervation, and robust axonal sprouting at 5 months after surgery. Contralesional hind paws lost 54% of innervation in tibial-innervated epidermis starting 1 week after surgery and persisting throughout. Contralesional sural-innervated skin had neither neurite loss nor sprouting. These results imply that unilateral nerve injury can cause profound, long lasting, nerve-branch-specific loss of distal innervation contralaterally as well as ipsilaterally. They discredit the practice of using tissues contralateral to an injury to provide normative controls and suggest the possibility of rapid, transmedian postinjury signals between homologous mirror-image neurons.
TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF INEQUITY.

A theory of social inequity, with special consideration given to wage inequities is presented. A special case of Festinger's cognitive dissonance, the theory specifies the conditions under which inequity will arise and the means by which it may be reduced or eliminated. Observational field studies s
Response: Mechanism of Action of High-Dose Factor VIIa

There are two areas of disagreement between our groups concerning the mechanism of action of supraphysiological factor VIIa concentrations in hemophilia: 1. Whether high concentrations of factor VIIa can support vigorous thrombin generation in the absence of factor VIII and factor IX in a tissue factor-independent manner. 2. Whether phospholipid additions can increase the hemostatic (or thrombotic) potential of the factor VIIa/tissue factor complex. Recombinant factor VIIa at supraphysiological concentrations has been used primarily for the treatment of bleeding episodes related to hemophilia with inhibitors.1 However, the “standard” dose of 90 μg/kg (≈26 nmol/L) has also been used for the treatment of a variety of bleeding disorders,1 leading to reports of either success or failure …
Strategies for managing heterosexism used among African American gay and bisexual men.

Oppression and oppression management are focal topics of inquiry in research on African Americans’ social behaviors. Previous research has failed to investigate the methods that African Americans w...
Using Epidemiology to Inform Community Health Programs and Policy

There’s an increasing awareness of the need to bring together aging ­services research and research on the mechanisms of health and aging. The application of epidemiologic methods to aging services research requires an expansion of traditional epidemiology to include greater flexibility and methods, access to large administrative data sets that allow only partial control over selection bias in the identification of diagnostic groups and service episodes, and the incorporation of new measures that account for program access and reach. The use of traditional epidemiologic tools in aging services research is demonstrated by the increasing number of randomized controlled trials in this area. The ultimate goal of aging services research is to find methods for delivering effective medical and supportive care services to older adults which may enable them to continue living in the community. This may involve evaluating particular programs or assessing the implementation of evidence-based programs that were developed for different settings or populations. It may also involve assessing changes in national policy or attempts at quality assurance in hospitals and nursing homes. Such research is critical for the implementation of rational policy and it demonstrates the value of expanding epidemiologic tools into aging services research.
Individual participation in intergroup contests is mediated by numerical assessment strategies in black howler and tufted capuchin monkeys

Asymmetries in resource-holding potential between opposing groups frequently determine outcomes of intergroup contests. Since both numerical superiority and high intergroup dominance rank may confer competitive advantages, group members should benefit from assessing the relative strength of rivals prior to engaging in defensive displays. However, differences in individual assessment may emerge when cost-benefit trade-offs differ among group members. We examine the influence of numerical superiority and intergroup dominance relationships on individual participation in intergroup encounters in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) and tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus). Black howlers responded with longer vocal displays during encounters with neighbours with an equal number of resident males, while tufted capuchins increased their participation with increasing relative male group size. Within each species, males and females responded similarly to varying numerical odds, suggesting that despite pay-off asymmetries between males and females, both sexes were similarly influenced by numerical asymmetries in deciding to participate in collective group defence. Whereas the outcome of contests among tufted capuchins was determined by relative male group size, reflected in a pronounced intergroup dominance hierarchy, the absence of dominance relationships among black howler groups may have provoked prolonged vocal displays in order to assess rival groups with matching competitive abilities.
Needleless Robotic-Assisted Abdominal Cerclage in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Patients

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate the step-by-step surgical technique of “needle-free” robotic-assisted transabdominal cerclage placement. Design Through surgical video footage, presentation of a step-by-step demonstration of robotic-assisted laparoscopic placement of abdominal cerclage (Canadian Task Force classification III). Setting The procedure was undertaken at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The local Institutional Review Board does not consider case reports research, and thus its approval was not required. Patients The patients had a history of cervical insufficiency. The first patient (case 1) was a nongravid 32-year-old woman with 2 late second trimester pregnancies delivered by cesarean section owing to cervical insufficiency. The second patient (case 2) was a 26-year-old woman in her sixth pregnancy with 4 previous second trimester losses due to cervical insufficiency, including a failed McDonald cerclage. Interventions Robotic-assisted abdominal cerclage placement was performed in both patients. The procedure used an 8-mm, 0° scope; an 8-mm, 30° scope; monopolar scissors; and Maryland bipolar graspers. Following a complete survey of the pelvis and abdomen, the cervicouterine isthmus was identified bilaterally. The anterior leaflet of the right broad ligament was entered sharply, and the dissection was carried out in small increments to ensure safety and hemostasis. The right uterine artery was identified and skeletonized. The left broad ligament was entered in a similar fashion. Once a bladder flap was developed, a gentle wiping technique allowed for mobilization of the bladder from the vesicouterine junction with excellent hemostasis. In case 1, a uterine manipulator was used to flex the uterus. In case 2, a laparoscopic paddle device was introduced gently to allow for mobilization of the gravid uterus. An avascular tunnel was created on both sides of the cervicouterine isthmus, thereby eliminating the need for the Mersilene tape needle. Thus, a needleless Mersilene tape was introduced into the tunnel formed previously. In our opinion, the ideal knot placement is in the posterior cul-de-sac, as shown in the nongravid uterus. However, in the gravid uterus, owing to the difficulty of access, the knot was placed anteriorly, and reperitonization was performed. Four square knots were sufficient, with the snug (but not too tight) Mersilene tape at the cervicouterine isthmus. In both cases, there was minimal blood loss with no complications. In addition to these 2 operations, robotic-assisted transabdominal cerclage was successfully performed in another 21 patients. Conclusion A needle-less robotic-assisted laparoscopic technique can be performed safely and effectively in both gravid and nongravid patients.
Water Motions in Closed-End Residential Canal

Waterfront housing on closed-end canals is a frequently encountered mode of shoreline development in Florida and other States. Indications are that many of these canals at one time or another have substandard water quality as characterized by low dissolved oxygen and plankton blooms. In general these substandard conditions are associated with weak circulation and insufficient exchange with the parent body of water. In engineering evaluations it has been common practice to attribute the circulation and exchange in residential canals to tidal currents and tide-induced mixing. The objective of the present study is to test this hypothesis or more generally to delineate the various water motions in closed-end canals and to determine their relative importance with regard to circulation and exchange with the parent body of water. To this extent measurements were carried out in Martinique Waterway, a straight closed-end canal on Marco Island, FL. Even Though the study was of an exploratory nature, publication of the results seems justified at this time in view of, on the one hand, the large interest in the design and improvement of canals and, on the other hand, the limited amount of available scientific data.
Hair Craft Project

The Hair Craft Project is an exercise in socially engaged art practices, based on the premise that hairdressing is the primordial textile art form. Sonya Clark, artist and project director, sought to bridge multiple communities: African American hair salons; students, faculty, and alumni of Virginia Commonwealth University’s nationally ranked arts programs; and the broader art community. The project frames the complex craftsmanship, engineering, and skill of hairstylists specializing in African hair-braiding techniques in cultural, historical, and contemporary-art contexts. The Hair Craft Project is innovative in its methods of attracting, building, and bridging audiences while supporting and acknowledging the parallel skills of artists and hairstylists. Through this art form, the project connected cultures, class, and race in Richmond, Virginia, a city with a history of being racially, culturally, and economically divided. The project went on to gain national attention. It was selected by artists Leonardo Drew, Katherina Grosse, and the late founder of Art 21, Susan Sollins, for the Juror's Grand Prize at Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in fall 2014. The Hair Craft Project will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in Fall 2015.
Detection of Macro and Micro Elements in Selected Traditional Medicinal Plants of India

The results revealed that the medicinal plants accumulate the elements at different concentrations. The maximum concentration (mg/l) of macro elements in analysed samples were 21248.75 Ca in Cannabis sativa, 545.2 Na in Pongamia glabra and 13100 K in Eclipta alba respectively. The maximum concentration (mg/l) of micro elements were 21.06, 25.00, Zn, Cu in Datura stramonium and 85.40, Fe in Aloe vera respectively. Although all the plants are found to accumulate good quantity of Fe, Ca, Na and K, hence they are safe for consumption according to the international safety standards. Key words: Medicinal Plants; Macro; Micro elements
Intimate Bonds, Healthy Communities: Blood-Brotherhoods as Technologies of Community Building Between the Great Lakes, c. 500 BCE-1500 CE

Sometime around the turn of the first century CE, several new words relating to blood-brotherhoods entered the vocabularies of newly forming speech communities living in the Great Lakes region of Central East Africa. Such lexical and semantic innovations illuminate a drastic shift in blood-brotherhood relationships from informal, social ties to institutionalized, intimate and therapeutic bonds between men over time. West Nyanza-speakers settling around the coast and hinterlands of Lake Victoria between c. 0 and 500 CE, for instance, innovated *-kago for "blood pact" from the proto-Bantu verb *-kA g "use charms for protection," as well as new intimate rituals to activate the therapeutic power of the pact. David Schoenbrun has shown, the innovation of *-kago, "clearly reflects the renewed importance of such alliances to West Nyanza community builders," and "made explicit that one of their purposes in making blood brotherhood was protection and that the exchange of blood was also the exchange of a type of medicine." While several scholars have analyzed the words, symbolism, and ritual structure of blood pact ceremonies, few have explored the processes of establishing and maintaining the intimate and affectionate male relationships that both preceded and far outlived the pact ritual. Using historical linguistics, comparative ethnography, and Great Lakes oral traditions, this paper will trace and historicize the shifting meanings of blood-brotherhood from the beginning of the first millennium CE through the early twentieth century, and argue that intimate and affective dimensions of the blood-brotherhood relationships were crucial for activating and sustaining the pact's creative and instrumental power. Perhaps more importantly, I will argue that the ideology of blood-brotherhood serves as a useful microcosm and conceptual bridge for broader intellectual, therapeutic, and affective historical transformations over the longue duree.
Wireless Body Area Networks for Healthcare: A Survey

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) are emerging as important networks, applicable in various fields. This paper surveys the WBANs that are designed for applications in healthcare. We present a comprehensive survey consisting of stand-alone sections focusing on important aspects of WBANs. We examine the following: monitoring and sensing, power efficient protocols, system architectures, routing and security. We conclude by discussing some open research issues, their potential solutions and future trends.
Some principles for the “Three Controls” nutrient management technology for irrigated rice

The"three controls" nutrient management(TCNM) is a new technology with which high and stable yield can be achieved with less fertilizer and pesticide input.Discussed in this paper are some principles of this new technology.(1)Fertilizer-N use efficiency(NUE) is negatively correlated with total N input and N rate at basal and/or at tillering stage.The NUE is greater when fertilizer-N is applied during panicle development and at heading than that applied as basal or at tillering.Therefore the amount of N applied as basal and/or at tillering should be reduced.(2)Tillering rate is determined quantitatively by the existing tiller number,leaf N concentration,and leaf area index.Higher productive tiller percentage(PTP) can be achieved either by reducing maximum tiller number or preventing existing tillers from death.The PTP is closely related with dry matter accumulation dynamics.Limiting dry matter production before panicle initiation is important for reducing maximum tiller number and hence achieving high PTP.(3) The occurrence and development of sheath blight is determined both by climatic factors and canopy indices,i.e.the maximum tiller number,leaf area index,leaf chlorophyll content,and light transmission ratio of the canopy at heading.Thus the disease incidence can be reduced through improved crop management.
A trial of recombinant alpha 2 interferon in the myelodysplastic syndromes: I. Clinical results.

Interferon has been reported to have differentiation promoting effects in certain model systems. Because of this and other potentially beneficial effects, a trial of recombinant alpha 2 interferon was undertaken in myelodysplastic syndromes. The study population consisted of 14 patients, subclassified as two refractory anemia (RA), one RA with ring sideroblasts (RARS), nine RA with excess blasts (RAEB), and two chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL). The planned dosage schedule was 2.0 MU/M2 t.i.w. sc x 2 weeks q 4 weeks for at least two cycles. No patient achieved the prospective remission criteria, which included sustained blood count improvements. Transient improvements of platelet counts of greater than 50% in baseline were noted in six patients, and a transient antileukemic effect was noted in one patient with CMMoL. Myelodysplastic syndrome patients were found to be sensitive to the count suppressing effects of alpha 2 interferon with greater than 25% suppression of granulocytes, platelets, or reticulocytes transiently noted in 11 patients and decreasing bone marrow cellularity noted in two while on treatment. Because of these effects, dosage adjustments were frequently instituted in the RA, RARS, and RAEB patients. The average dosages and durations of treatment received were thus 1.48 MU/M2 x 19.4 injections for patients with RA, RARS, and RAEB and 2.25 MU/M2 x 27 injections for the CMMoL patients. Progression to acute myeloid leukemia or RAEB in transformation was noted in five patients, and increasing leukocytosis was noted in one CMMoL patient while on protocol. It cannot be determined at this time whether these transformations were accelerated by alpha 2 interferon or represent selection bias in this study population. Although some evidence of beneficial effects was noted, alpha 2 interferon in this dosage and schedule is not a useful treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes.
Local and Generalized Endogenous Pain Modulation in Healthy Men: Effects of Exercise and Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage.

Isometric exercise has been shown to activate endogenous pain inhibitory pathways in healthy adults, but not in some clinical pain populations. Objective Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and the associated delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) are a model for studying clinical pain; thus, our purpose was to examine the effects of isometric exercise on pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the presence and absence of DOMS. Methods Data were collected on 23 males (22.8 ± 2.5 yrs). PPT was assessed in the right (exercising) and left (resting) quadriceps prior to, every 30 seconds during, and 2 and 15 minutes following an isometric contraction of the right quadriceps at 25% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) held until fatigue. Unilateral eccentric exercise was performed to induce DOMS in the exercising leg and testing was repeated 48 hours later. Results DOMS increased ( P < 0.001) and resting PPT decreased ( P = 0.03) following EIMD. PPTs were elevated during exercise in the exercising ( P ≤ 0.002) and resting ( P ≤ 0.002) quadriceps but did not differ between the control and EIMD conditions in either leg ( P ≤ 0.61). PPT remained elevated 2 and 15 minutes postexercise ( P < 0.05) in the exercised quadriceps in both conditions, but values returned to baseline at 2 ( P = 0.91) and 15 minutes ( P = 0.28) postisometric exercise in the resting quadriceps. Conclusions Unlike clinical pain, DOMS had no effect on the PPT response during exercise in either the exercising or resting quadriceps. The fact that exercise altered PPT in both quadriceps during exercise suggests a generalized pain inhibitory mechanism was activated. However, the restriction of postexercise effects to the exercised limb suggests localized inhibitory mechanism(s) were activated after exercise.
Tracking an Imaginary Monster: Isolating T Cell Receptor Genes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the importance of the discovery of first T cell receptor gene. By the early 1970s, it was clear that lymphocytes could be subdivided into two categories: B cells that bear cell surface immunoglobulins (Ig) and can be turned into antibody secreting factories; and T cells, a much more mysterious category, that were primarily responsible for phenomena such as delayed type hypersensitivity, B cell “help,” and graft rejection. Both B and T lymphocytes seemed capable of antigen recognition and a particularly sensational aspect of the T cell version was that at least some T cells required both a specific antigen and a particular major histocompatibility cell type simultaneously. A consensus in favor of a one-receptor model was reformed where a single site could recognize both antigen and major histocompatibility cell simultaneously. Also, the virtue of having a gene gives many lines of attack not available to those working the antibody–protein angle.
How the codfish changed its immune system.

A common ancestor of the modern codfish acquired a set of mutations that eliminated a major arm of the adaptive immune system—the MHC II pathway of antigen presentation to CD4+ T cells. Subsequent to this event, there was a radiation of these fish in which the number and diversity of MHC I genes increased in species-specific ways.
Children and Elderly with Stones: Stones for the Ages!

The management of patients with urinary tract stones (urolithiasis) can be quite challenging, especially in the pediatric population, in the elderly and medically fragile. This chapter aims to discuss stone disease in this challenging group of patients.
Transitioning Toward Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems in Developing Countries

A nutrition-sensitive food system is one that goes beyond staple grain productivity and places emphasis on the consumption of micronutrient-rich nonstaples through a variety of market and nonmarket interventions. A nutrition-sensitive approach not only considers policies related to macrolevel availability and access to nutritious food, but it also focuses on household- and individual-level determinants of improved nutrition. In addition to agriculture, intrahousehold equity, behavior change, food safety, and access to clean water and sanitation are integral components of the food system. This article provides a detailed review, from an economic perspective, on the multisectoral pathways through which agriculture influences nutrition. A critical challenge is to identify and implement food and nutrition policies that are appropriate to the particular stage of structural transformation in the country of concern.
Photorhabdus Luminescens Phase II Cells Growth Kinetic Study Using A 5L A Plus Sartorius Stedim Biostat® Fermentation System

Photorhabdus luminescens lives symbiotically with the nematode species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. This symbiotic couple may become a bio-control key to replacing chemical pesticides. The nematode is able to infect a wide variety of destructive insects without causing harm to beneficial insect species. There are numerous advantages of biocontrol methods including decreased maintenance and less repeated use than chemical pesticides. Nematodes are also resilient to the environment for reproduction. To better assess the growth characteristics of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, the growth kinetics of the bacterial symbiont Photorhabdus luminescens must be understood. By varying the media composition, optimal conditions were found to present the highest specific growth rate and the shortest doubling time of P. luminescens. These conditions could be scaled into mass production with high yield.
Detecting, quantifying and accessing impact of news events on Indian stock indices

The impact of different types of events reported in News articles on stock market is a widely accepted phenomenon. Market analysts rely heavily on technology to combine data from different sources and generate appropriate insights for predicting stock movements. With plethora of sources reporting news on plentitude of events happening across the world, a combination of text mining techniques and predictive technologies can play a significant role in this arena. In this paper we have presented methodologies to identify and quantify the presence of different types of information that can affect the market from a multitude of web sources, and finally use the information for predicting stock movement direction. We propose the use of PESTEL factors to categorize market-impacting information. We have analyzed large volumes of past available data using Granger causality to understand how these categories impact the market. We propose a paragraph-vector based information classification mechanism. We also present Long-Short term memory Network (LSTM) based prediction model to investigate the prediction capabilities of the information components. The proposed system outperforms state of the art linear SVM on data from different stock indices.
The Ethics of Organ Tourism: Role Morality and Organ Transplantation

Organ tourism occurs when individuals in countries with existing organ transplant procedures, such as the United States, are unable to procure an organ by using those transplant procedures in enough time to save their life. In this paper, I am concerned with the following question: When organ tourists return to the United States and need another transplant, do US transplant physicians have an obligation to place them on a transplant list? I argue that transplant physicians have a duty not to relist organ tourists. Specifically, I contend that we should locate physicians' duties in these cases within the new role of "transplant physician." This role results from transplant physicians' participation in a system that depends on organ donors' voluntary act of donation.
A versatile modeling technique for predicting dielectric strength improvements in gas mixtures for superconducting applications

This study presents a procedure that improves the dielectric strength estimation of gas mixtures for superconducting applications. The procedure introduces a generalization factor into the conventional formula of ionization coefficient, which provides versatility and higher accuracy in the regression process of ionization coefficients obtained by solving the Boltzmann equation of gas mixtures with various combination ratios. Generalization factors, which provide the highest accuracy in the regression process are identified. Then, versatile models are derived for each gas mixture based on the Townsend breakdown criterion. The versatile modeling procedure not only provides improved accuracy in the dielectric strength estimation of gas mixtures, but also presents an effective way of estimating variations in dielectric strength caused by changes in gas composition and temperature. The validity of the versatile modeling procedure is confirmed by breakdown measurements conducted with a number of gas mixtures at various gas pressures and temperatures.
Occupational Settings: Considerations for the Laborer

Many occupational conditions expose workers to thermal stressors. The combination of heavy activity and environmental heat stress can create a dangerous work environment. These factors in combination with the limited safety standards for this population have resulted in an increased incidence of heat illnesses. Therefore, employers and employees must work together to develop appropriate heat illness prevention and treatment plans and procedures.
Robust stability and stability radius for linear time delay systems with multi-structure perturbations

Abstract This paper considers the problems of robust stability and stability radius pertaining to delay systems with multi-structure perturbations. The connection between recently published results on stability robustness in the domain of time delays and robust stability with respect to structured perturbation of system matrices is investigated. We present computable stability radius formula for multi-delay systems using Rekasius substitution. Using the concepts of kernel and offspring curves, which describe the complete portrait of possible imaginary characteristic roots, the fundamental stability region is defined among a set of disjoint stability regions for two time-delay systems. This enables us to provide a necessary and sufficient condition for stability robustness of two time-delay systems with structured uncertainties in terms of two distinct linear matrix inequalities. We also report an explicit formula for stability radius of a special class of time-delay systems. Illustrative examples are included to capture the stability radius surfaces with respect to two time-delays in an arbitrary stability region
The Impact of Education and Prescribing Guidelines on Opioid Prescribing for Breast and Melanoma Procedures.

Excessive opioid prescribing is common in surgical oncology, with 72% of prescribed opioids going unused after curative-intent surgery. In this study, we sought to reduce opioid prescribing after breast and melanoma procedures by designing and implementing an intervention focused on education and prescribing guidelines, and then evaluating the impact of this intervention. In this single-institution study, we designed and implemented an intervention targeting key factors identified in qualitative interviews. This included mandatory education for prescribers, evidence-based prescribing guidelines, and standardized patient instructions. After the intervention, interrupted time-series analysis was used to compare the mean quantity of opioid prescribed before and after the intervention (July 2016–September 2017). We also evaluated the frequency of opioid prescription refills. During the study, 847 patients underwent breast or melanoma procedures and received an opioid prescription. For mastectomy or wide local excision for melanoma, the mean quantity of opioid prescribed immediately decreased by 37% after the intervention (p = 0.03), equivalent to 13 tablets of oxycodone 5 mg. For lumpectomy or breast biopsy, the mean quantity of opioid prescribed decreased by 42%, or 12 tablets of oxycodone 5 mg (p = 0.07). Furthermore, opioid prescription refills did not significantly change for mastectomy/wide local excision (13% vs. 14%, p = 0.8), or lumpectomy/breast biopsy (4% vs. 5%, p = 0.7). Education and prescribing guidelines reduced opioid prescribing for breast and melanoma procedures without increasing the need for refills. This suggests further reductions in opioid prescribing may be possible, and provides rationale for implementing similar interventions for other procedures and practice settings.
Distinct mutation in the feline coronavirus spike protein cleavage activation site in a cat with feline infectious peritonitis-associated meningoencephalomyelitis:

Case summaryThis report describes a cat with chronic, progressive, non-painful, non-lateralizing multifocal neurologic clinical signs associated with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The cat initially presented as underweight, despite a good appetite, and a complete blood count showed non-regenerative anemia. Three months later the cat was returned having developed ataxia and paraparesis, which then progressed over 2 months to tetraparesis, tail plegia, urinary and fecal incontinence, and titubation. Histologic examination of the tissues with subsequent immunohistochemistry confirmed FIP-associated meningoencephalomyelitis following necropsy. Molecular analysis of the coronavirus spike protein within the tissues identified a specific, functionally relevant amino acid change (R793M), which was only identified in tissues associated with the central nervous system (ie, brain and spinal cord).Relevance and novel informationThis case report describes an early presentation of a cat with primarily neurologic FIP, with molecular characterization of the virus within various tissues.
Choice of Intravenous Crystalloid Fluid and Mortality in Critically Ill Adult Patients

OBJECTIVES Intravenous balanced crystalloid fluid therapy may improve mortality and other outcomes in critically ill adult patients, but data are conflicting. We conducted a meta-analysis and literature review to evaluate the impact of intravenous balanced crystalloid, as compared with normal saline, fluid therapy on outcomes in critically ill adult patients. METHODS We searched PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials for relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of balanced intravenous crystalloids with normal saline on intensive care unit (ICU) or hospital mortality were included. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) were calculated using a fixed effects model. Heterogeneity was calculated using the I2 statistic. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. RESULTS Seven randomized controlled trials with 20,171 patients (10,179 participants received balanced crystalloids and 9992 participants received normal saline) were included. For hospital mortality, the pooled RR (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 0.92 (0.85-1.00). For ICU mortality, the pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.91 (0.82-1.00). For major adverse kidney events at 30 days, pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.95 (0.88-1.01). For stage ≥2 acute kidney injury, the pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.94 (0.86-1.02). For receipt of new renal replacement therapy, the pooled RR (95% CI) was 0.91 (0.77-1.07). None of these findings reached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Intravenous balanced crystalloid use, compared with normal saline, does not result in a statistically significant reduction in hospital or ICU mortality, major adverse kidney events at 30 days, stage ≥2 acute kidney injury, or receipt of new renal replacement therapy in critically ill adult patients.
An Investigation into Using Kalman Filtering for Phase Estimation in IEEE 802.15.4 /ZigBee Receivers Running on Adjacent Channel Interference

Recent research states that IEEE 802.15.4 /ZigBee is prone to run on Adjacent Channel Interference (ACI) when dealing with wireless industrial networks because of the increasing number of sensors and actuators. Costas Phase Locked-Loop (PLL) is used in ZigBee receivers for phase carrier recovery. The study in this paper aims at investigating the performance of applying Linear Kalman Filter (LKF) as (PLL) to estimate the phase changes in IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee receivers in industrial environments. LKF is used to estimate and optimize the carrier phase of Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulated signal by reducing the phase error in the presence of Gaussian noise and Adjacent Channel Interference (ACI). A MATLAB-based simulator is developed to demonstrate ZigBee transceiver with the impact of such a filter. The results show that LKF estimates the changes of carrier phase of BPSK modulated signal correctly and the performance of estimation is measured by Mean Square Error (MSE) for different Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). MSE measures the phase error deviation of LKF estimator and Costas PLL from the true phase. This study proposes a novel method to address the need for implementing optimal filter instead of traditional and Costas PLL to estimate the carrier of the transmitted signal in the presence of Gaussian noise along with ACI.
Applying the General Diagnostic Model to Proficiency Data from a National Skills Survey

Large-scale educational surveys (including NAEP, TIMSS, PISA) utilize item-response-theory (IRT) calibration together with a latent regression model to make inferences about subgroup ability distributions, including subgroup means, percentiles, as well as standard deviations. It has long been recognized that grouping variables not included in the latent regression model can produce secondary bias in estimates of group differences (Mislevy, RJ, Psychometrika 56:177–196, 1991). To accommodate the ever-increasing number of background variables collected and required for reporting purposes, a principal component analysis based on the background variables (von Davier M, Sinharay S, Oranje A, Beaton AE, The statistical procedures used in national assessment of educational progress: recent developments and future directions. In: Rao CR, Sinharay S (eds) Handbook of statistics: vol. 26. Psychometrics. Elsevier B.V, Amsterdam, pp 1039–1055, 2007; Moran R, Dresher A, Results from NAEP marginal estimation research on multivariate scales. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago, 2007; Oranje A, Li D, On the role of background variables in large scale survey assessments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, New York, NY, 2008) is utilized to keep the number of predictors in the latent regression models within a reasonable range. However, even this approach often results in the inclusion of several hundred variables, and it is unknown whether the principal component approach or similar approaches (such as latent-class approaches) are able to generate consistent estimates for individual subgroups (e.g., Wetzel E, Xu X, von Davier M, Educ Psychol Meas 75(5):1–25, 2014). The primary goal of the current study is to provide an exemplary application of diagnostic models for large-scale-assessment data. Specifically, a latent-class structure is used for covariates while continuing to use IRT models for item responses in the analytic model. Previous applications focused on adult literacy data (von Davier M, Yamamoto K, A class of models for cognitive diagnosis. Paper presented at the 4th Spearman invitational conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2004), as well as large-scale English-language testing programs (von Davier M; A general diagnostic model applied to language testing data (Research report no. RR-05-16). Educational Testing Service, Princeton, 2005, von Davier M, The mixture general diagnostic model. In: Hancock GR, Samuelsen KM (eds) Advances in latent variable mixture models. Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, pp 255–274, 2008), while the current application uses diagnostic modeling approaches on data from NAEP.
How much of the dark triad is accounted for by sexism

Abstract This study explores the relationship between sexism (both hostile and benevolent) and the dark-triad personality traits of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, using the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, the Short Dark Triad, and the Dirty Dozen. It also assesses whether the genders differed in dark-triad scores, as in other studies, and whether any gender differences are mediated by sexism scores. In bivariate correlations, sexism accounted for 12%-17% of dark triad scores. The magnitude of correlations between sexism and dark-triad scores were similar for men and women. Replicating earlier research, t-tests indicated that men had higher dark-triad scores than women. Analyses of covariance indicated that these gender differences in dark triad scores were substantially, though not completely, accounted for by hostile sexism. These findings demonstrated that sexist ideology substantially predicted dark-triad scores, suggesting sexism as one source of dark-triad traits. Though correlational, these findings are consistent with the idea that, the dark triad, unlike many other traits, is partly the result of sexism and the socially-supported, unearned male power and privilege that sexism reflects.
INSECTS & PATHOGENS Regulators of Forest Ecosystems

Today's forest managers are challenged by issues such as soil productivity, biodiversity, threatened and endangered species, and ecosystem sustainability; and ecosystem management has been proposed as a way to deal with them. The Society of American Foresters (1993) defines this term as keeping forest ecosystems functioning well over long periods of time in order to provide resilience to short-term stress and adaptation to long-term change.
High Rates of Obesity at Presentation Persist into Survivorship across Childhood Cancer Types.

Background: Subtypes of pediatric oncology patients and childhood cancer survivors who are overweight or obese have worse prognosis than their healthy-weighted peers. Several studies have examined ...
Abstract WP143: Identification of Socially-Regulated Circulating Microrna Signatures in Stroke

Introduction: Epidemiological and clinical studies strongly support that social isolation (SI) is associated with higher mortality after stroke. SI has been identified as a risk factor in a wide va...
Hospitalization and Critical Illness in Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are hospitalized with a critical illness are at increased risk for adverse outcomes. We studied the predictors of hospitalization with critical illness among patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD stages 3 and 4 in a safety-net healthcare setting. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients ≥18 years of age with CKD stages 3 and 4 using a CKD registry from a safety-net healthcare system. Hospitalizations with critical illness were identified among patients requiring nonelective admission or transfer to the intermediate or intensive care unit during a 3-year period after the diagnosis of CKD. Poisson regression was used to determine associations between baseline characteristics and hospitalization requiring intermediate or intensive care among all CKD patients and in those with different stages of CKD. Outcomes of these hospitalizations were also tabulated. RESULTS Among 8,302 patients with CKD stages 3 and 4, 1,298 were hospitalized and 495 required intermediate or intensive care during a 3-year follow-up period. In the adjusted analysis, advanced CKD, Hispanics (incident rate ratio [IRR]: 1.88), non-Hispanic Blacks (IRR: 1.48), presence of congestive heart failure (IRR: 2.09), cardiovascular disease (IRR: 1.57), chronic pulmonary disease (IRR: 1.60), liver disease, malignancy, and anemia were associated with higher risk of hospitalization requiring intermediate or intensive care. The association of age, gender, race/ethnicity, congestive heart failure, anemia, and body mass index with hospitalization requiring intermediate or intensive care differed significantly by CKD stage (p value for interaction term <0.05). Congestive heart failure and severity of anemia were associated with a higher risk of hospitalization requiring intermediate or intensive care among patients with mild CKD, and the magnitude of association attenuated among patients with advanced CKD. CONCLUSIONS The burden of hospitalization with critical illness among patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD stages 3 and 4 remains high and was associated with demographic factors and comorbid medical conditions, especially among those with congestive heart failure and cardiovascular disease. Targeted, effective interventions to reduce the burden of hospitalization and critical illness in CKD patients within safety-net healthcare systems are needed.
The Migration and Politics of Monsters in Latin American Cinema

In recent years, rhetoric scholars such as Bernadette Marie Calafell and Kendall Phillips have productively explored tropes of monstrosity and horror as they appear in film, the resulting work prov...
Surface Phonon Polariton Modes in Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

We characterize two phonon polariton modes in ZnO nanoparticles, as well as strong absorption at frequencies near an infrared-silent phonon mode, suggesting that disruption of symmetry in the crystal lattice may be activating this mode.