cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship of plasma gelsolin levels to outcomes in critically ill surgical patients.

Despite modern surgical and medical care, mortality and healthcare costs of surgical patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) remain unacceptably high.1 As physicians, moreover, we are often limited in providing prognosis for patients and their families following critical illness. Several scoring systems of illness severity provide some population-based risk assessments but offer limited prognostic value for the individual patient.2 Plasma gelsolin is an actin-binding plasma protein that is part of an “actin-scavenging” system that buffers potentially harmful actin molecules released from injured tissues.3 Low circulating levels of plasma gelsolin may indicate significant depletion of this actin-scavenger system and may serve as a marker of injury severity in critically ill patients, consistent with the report of Mounzer et al that patients admitted to the hospital with severe trauma had lower admission plasma gelsolin levels than patients with lesser injuries.4 Since low circulating levels of plasma gelsolin have been documented in humans subjected to severe trauma, sepsis, myonecrosis, conditioning regimens for stem cell transplantation, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and liver necrosis,4–9 and partial restoration of depressed plasma gelsolin levels ameliorated pulmonary injury in rodents exposed to hyperoxia or full-thickness burns6,10 and decreased the lethality of endotoxin or cecal ligation puncture in mice (abstract, in press), the administration of plasma gelsolin to patients with low plasma gelsolin levels and at risk for critical care complications appears worthy of consideration. We therefore measured daily plasma gelsolin levels of critically ill patients admitted to a surgical ICU (SICU) following burns, trauma, or major surgery to determine the stability or lability of plasma gelsolin levels and the predictive value of these measurements on the clinical outcome of a broader group of critically ill surgical patients.
Introduction to myocutaneous and muscle flaps.

Myocutaneous and muscle flaps provide an added dimension to reconstructive surgery in small animals. Myocutaneous flaps composed of a muscle unit and the overlying skin can be utilized for skin wound closure, especially when the additional bulk of the transplanted muscle can be utilized for padding or closure of body cavities. Alternatively, muscle units alone can be employed for a variety of conditions, including closure of defects of the thorax and abdominal cavities and management of chronic bone infections. They also facilitate bone healing when delayed unions and nonunions occur. This article discusses the newer myocutaneous flaps and muscle flaps clinically applicable in small animal surgery.
Ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol blends

Abstract The presence of the aliphatic hydroxyl group in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) suggests that these copolymers have the potential for forming miscible blends with a variety of polymers containing complementary functional groups such as esters, (meth)acrylates, acetoxys, pyridines, etc. There is a paucity of examples of miscible EVOH blends in the literature, however. Hydrogen bonding, which is very complicated in EVOH copolymers and involves an extraordinary variety of nter- and intramolecular species, plays an important role in the phase behavior of EVOH blends. We have applied an association model to this problem and arrived at the following important conclusion. Miscibie EVOH blends with polymers containing ester or acetoxy groups do exist, but they have lower critical solution temperatures below normal processing temperatures (< 200 °C). This is primarily a consequence of the fact that EVOH copolymers are strongly self-associated, while the interassociation of the hydroxyl groups of EV...
Salience modeling based on non-verbal modalities for spoken language understanding

Previous studies have shown that, in multimodal conversational systems, fusing information from multiple modalities together can improve the overall input interpretation through mutual disambiguation. Inspired by these findings, this paper investigates non-verbal modalities, in particular deictic gesture, in spoken language processing. Our assumption is that during multimodal conversation, user's deictic gestures on the graphic display can signal the underlying domain model that is salient at that particular point of interaction. This salient domain model can be used to constrain hypotheses for spoken language processing. Based on this assumption, this paper examines different configurations of salience driven language models (e.g., n-gram and probabilistic context free grammar) for spoken language processing across different stages. Our empirical results have shown the potential of integrating salience models based on non-verbal modalities in spoken language understanding.
Physiological Balance of Haemostasis and Bleeding

A complex series of cellular and molecular interactions is involved in fibrinolysis, which is controlled by mechanisms that provide for localised activation or suppression without systemic effects, thereby providing an orderly process of haemostasis, healing and response to thrombotic injury. Excessive or deficient fibrinolysis may be congenital or acquired, the latter including iatrogenic interventions, and such variations in the balance may result in accelerated recovery from disease or a thrombotic or haemorrhagic complication.
The dynamic effects of education on voter turnout

In this paper I investigate the dynamic relationship between formal education and voter turnout over the past half century. I reframe Brody’s puzzle about why rising education levels did not produce higher voter turnout using The American Voter’s ‘‘funnel of causality’’ to allow for a dynamic relationship between education and turnout. Analyzing survey data from 1952 to 2004, I show that the effect of college education increased starting in 1980s, thereby magnifying the ability of educational attainment to predict turnout. In contrast, education had a constant effect on political knowledge, another common measure of civic engagement. I conclude by evaluating several explanations for these divergent results.
Water-soluble amphiphilic gold nanoparticles with structured ligand shells

Highly water-soluble mixed monolayer protected "rippled" gold nanoparticles were synthesized through a one step reaction with sodium 11-mercaptoundecanesulfonate and octanethiol ligands at various ratios.
Three-Dimensional Image Reconstruction Procedure forFood Microstructure Evaluation

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a noninvasive technique for evaluating the microstructure of foods and other materials. CLSM provides several sequential subsurface layers of two-dimensional (2-D) images. An image processing algorithm was developed to reconstruct these 2-D layers into a three-dimensional (3-D) network. Microstructure of fat globules in cheese was used as an example application. The validity of the image reconstruction algorithm was evaluated by processing several layered digital images of known shape and size. Differences between the original and reconstructed images were 2–5% in terms of object size and 1–8% in terms of shape.
Amino Acid Substitutions within the Leucine Zipper Domain of the Murine Coronavirus Spike Protein Cause Defects in Oligomerization and the Ability To Induce Cell-to-Cell Fusion

The murine coronavirus spike (S) protein contains a leucine zipper domain which is highly conserved among coronaviruses. To assess the role of this leucine zipper domain in S-induced cell-to-cell fusion, the six heptadic leucine and isoleucine residues were replaced with alanine by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant S proteins were analyzed for cell-to-cell membrane fusion activity as well as for progress through the glycoprotein maturation process, including intracellular glycosylation, oligomerization, and cell surface expression. Single-alanine-substitution mutations had minimal, if any, effects on S-induced cell-to-cell fusion. Significant reduction in fusion activity was observed, however, when two of the four middle heptadic leucine or isoleucine residues were replaced with alanine. Double alanine substitutions that involved either of the two end heptadic leucine residues did not significantly affect fusion. All double-substitution mutant S proteins displayed levels of endoglycosidase H resistance and cell surface expression similar to those of the wild-type S. However, fusion-defective double-alanine-substitution mutants exhibited defects in S oligomerization. These results indicate that the leucine zipper domain plays a role in S-induced cell-to-cell fusion and that the ability of S to induce fusion may be dependent on the oligomeric structure of S.
Preserving user privacy from third-party applications in online social networks

Online social networks (OSNs) facilitate many third-party applications (TPAs) that offer users additional functionality and services. However, they also pose serious user privacy risk as current OSNs provide little control over disclosure of user data to TPAs. Addressing the privacy and security issues related to TPAs (and the underlying social networking platforms) requires solutions beyond a simple all-or-nothing strategy. In this paper, we outline an access control framework that provides users flexible controls over how TPAs can access user data and activities in OSNs while still retaining the functionality of TPAs. The proposed framework specifically allows TPAs to utilize some private data without actually transmitting this data to TPAs. Our approach determines access from TPAs based on user-specified policies in terms of relationships between the user and the application.
Passive discrimination: the normal person.

(1966). Passive Discrimination: The Normal Person. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 23-31.
Acute HIV revisited: new opportunities for treatment and prevention

Inability to recognize incident infection has traditionally limited both scientific and public health approaches to HIV disease. Recently, some laboratories have begun adding HIV nucleic acid amplification testing to HIV diagnostic testing algorithms so that acute (antibody-negative) HIV infections can be routinely detected within the first 1–3 weeks of exposure. In this review article, we will highlight critical opportunities for HIV treatment and prevention that are presented by these diagnostic strategies.
Modulation of collagen-induced arthritis by adenovirus-mediated intra-articular expression of modified collagen type II

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease manifested by chronic inflammation in multiple articular joints, including the knees and small joints of the hands and feet. We have developed a unique modification to a clinically accepted method for delivering therapies directly to the synovium. Our therapy is based on our previous discovery of an analog peptide (A9) with amino acid substitutions made at positions 260 (I to A), 261 (A to B), and 263 (F to N) that could profoundly suppress immunity to type II collagen (CII) and arthritis in the collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA). Methods: We engineered an adenoviral vector to contain the CB11 portion of recombinant type II collagen and used PCR to introduce point mutations at three sites within (CII124-402, 260A, 261B, 263D), (rCB11-A9) so that the resulting molecule contained the A9 sequence at the exact site of the wild-type sequence. Results: We used this construct to target intra-articular tissues of mice and utilized the collagen-induced arthritis model to show that this treatment strategy provided a sustained, local therapy for individual arthritic joints, effective whether given to prevent arthritis or as a treatment. We also developed a novel system for in vivo bioimaging, using the firefly luciferase reporter gene to allow serial bioluminescence imaging to show that luciferase can be detected as late as 18 days post injection into the joint. Conclusions: Our therapy is unique in that we target synovial cells to ultimately shut down T cell-mediated inflammation. Its effectiveness is based on its ability to transform potential inflammatory T cells and/or bystander T cells into therapeutic (regulatory-like) T cells which secrete interleukin (IL)-4. We believe this approach has potential to effectively suppress RA with minimal side effects.
The natives are restless, but not often and mostly when disturbed

The argument that the threat posed by introduced species is overblown is often buttressed by the observation that native species sometimes also become invasive. An examination of the literature on plant invasions in the United States shows that six times more nonnative species have been termed invasive than native species, and that a member of the naturalized nonnative pool is 40 times more likely than a native species to be perceived as invasive. In the great majority of instances in which a native plant species is seen as invasive, the invasion is associated with an anthropogenic disturbance, especially changed fire or hydrological regime, livestock grazing, and changes wrought by an introduced species. These results suggest that natives are significantly less likely than nonnatives to be problematic for local ecosystems.
The Redemption of Yhwh: a Literary Critical Function of the Songs of Hannah and David

The Songs of Hannah and David have been noted to function as hermeneutical frames for the book of Samuel, serving the purpose of guiding the reader's interpretation of the history of Israel presented in the rest of the book. This article, while agreeing with the framing principle, argues that these pieces of poetry serve the function of presenting a theologically orthodox picture of Yhwh, which attempts to offset the depiction of Yhwh found in the narrative sections of the book. The argument is developed by performing a character analysis of Yhwh, as suggested by the contours of the narrative. Specifically the article looks at two aspects of the narrative: the choices of leaders made by Yhwh and the speeches and actions of Yhwh. In addition, there is a focus on what the writer of the book of Samuel is telling the exiles in Babylon about their deity by presenting them with such stories in the structured arrangement of the final form of the book.
Maternal Blame Battered Women and Abused Children

Participants (N = 126) read one of four scenarios depicting an incident of child physical abuse inflicted by the father. Scenarios varied history of wife abuse (present vs. absent) and severity of child abuse (battering vs. death). Overall, the father was held highly responsible. Greater maternal culpability was assigned when a history of wife abuse was present. The degree to which the mother should have been able to predict the incident of child abuse and maternal responsibility were mitigated when the abuse resulted in the death of her child. Perceptions of maternal psychological stability were jeopardized as a function of the presence of wife abuse. Implications are discussed.
Direction-selective visual responses in macaque superior colliculus induced by behavioral training.

Abstract In a previous report, we described a heretofore undetected population of neurons in the intermediate and deep layers of the monkey superior colliculus (SC) that yielded directionally selective visual responses to stimuli presented within the central 4° of the visual field. We observed these neurons in three monkeys that had been extensively trained to perform a visual direction discrimination task in this region of the visual field. The task required the monkeys to report the perceived direction of motion by making a saccadic eye movement to one of two targets aligned with the two possible directions of motion. We hypothesized that these neurons reflect a learned association between visual motion direction and saccade direction formed through extensive training on the direction discrimination task. We tested this hypothesis by searching for direction-selective visual responses in two monkeys that had been trained to perform a similar motion discrimination task in which the direction of stimulus motion was dissociated from the direction of the operant saccade. Strongly directional visual responses were absent in these monkeys, consistent with the notion that extensive training can induce highly specific visual responses in a subpopulation of SC neurons.
Mice Engrafted with Human Fetal Thymic Tissue and Hematopoietic Stem Cells Develop Pathology Resembling Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Abstract Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a significant roadblock to long-term hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation success. Effective treatments for cGVHD have been difficult to develop, in part because of a paucity of animal models that recapitulate the multiorgan pathologies observed in clinical cGVHD. Here we present an analysis of the pathology that occurs in immunodeficient mice engrafted with human fetal HSCs and implanted with fragments of human fetal thymus and liver. Starting at time points generally later than 100 days post-transplantation, the mice developed signs of illness, including multiorgan cellular infiltrates containing human T cells, B cells, and macrophages; fibrosis in sites such as lungs and liver; and thickened skin with alopecia. Experimental manipulations that delayed or reduced the efficiency of the HSC engraftment did not affect the timing or progression of disease manifestations, suggesting that pathology in this model is driven more by factors associated with the engrafted human thymic organoid. Disease progression was typically accompanied by extensive fibrosis and degradation of the thymic organoid, and there was an inverse correlation of disease severity with the frequency of FoxP3+ thymocytes. Hence, the human thymic tissue may contribute T cells with pathogenic potential, but the generation of regulatory T cells in the thymic organoid may help to control these cells before pathology resembling cGVHD eventually develops. This model thus provides a new system to investigate disease pathophysiology relating to human thymic events and to evaluate treatment strategies to combat multiorgan fibrotic pathology produced by human immune cells.
Effect of Silica Nanoparticle Size on the Stability of Alumina/Silica Suspensions

The influence of the addition of silica particles (5, 15, 25, and 300 nm) on the zeta potential and viscosity of aqueous alumina slurries (250 nm particles) was investigated in a pH range where the surface charge was positive for alumina and negative for silica. For slurries formulated with the smaller silica particles, the isoelectric point shifted from pH 9.0 to pH ’3 (depending on the particle size of the silica) with increasing volume fraction of silica particles. At pH 9, the original isoelectric point for the alumina alone, these mixed slurries had a shear-rate-independent, low viscosity (Newtonian behavior). Both of these results show that the smaller (<25 nm) silica particles adsorb to the surface of alumina. The fraction of silica adsorbed to the alumina surface was dependent on the size of the silica particles, and was consistent with surface coverage calculations based on the effect of surface curvature on the limits of dense random parking. The larger silica particles (300 nm) could not physically cover the surface of the alumina particles, and simply formed a mixed, attractive particle network that exhibited a much higher viscosity with non-Newtonian (viz., shear rate thinning) behavior.
Spectral Interpretation and Kinetic Studies of the Fe3+-H2SO4 (Zak) Procedure for Determination of Cholesterol

Spectral changes and kinetic data presented for the Zak reaction show the pseudo-first-order character of the consecutive oxidative reactions undergone by cholesterol and selected steroid dienes. These data give excellent support to the proposed formation of the homologous series of steroidal enylic cations which are the absorbing species in the spectrophotometric cholesterol determination. Typical thermodynamic quantities of Δ G ‡, Δ H ‡, Δ S ‡ and Ea are also reported for several different reactions. Low acetic-sulfuric acid ratios evidently result in the stabilization of the lower members of the homologous enylic series. Although excellent reproducibilities are obtained for premixed and non-premixed Zak reagents, it is necessary to use the premixed reagent if good temperature control is required, as would be the case for kinetic methods of analysis run under the conditions we used. The isosbestic point observed at 503 nm may also be used as an analytical wavelength because it is less sensitive to variables such as temperature, time, and steroid concentration.
Ethics Issues in Representing Intergovernmental Entities

The creation and operation of intergovernmental entities raise special professional responsibility issues for the lawyers involved in the formation and the long-term activities of multi-governmental bodies. It is particularly important for attorneys to pay attention to conflicts of interest that arise from giving simultaneous assistance to several governments, or from representing one entity in negotiations with other governments the attorney or firm represents. This paper briefly reviews various categories of interlocal entities in Washington State, as an example. It points out the distinctly different dynamics during the formation period and the operations period of an intergovernmental body. It then analyzes lawyer ethics problems during formation, and later operation, of an interlocal entity, suggesting ways to minimize violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The paper recommends, among other things, that when a lawyer is asked to assist a group of governments conceptualize and document the formation of a new interlocal body, that lawyer must determine whether she will seek to represent all of the governments in that process (obtaining consents under RPC 1.7), or to serve as a third-party neutral under RPC 2.4 (representing no client, but providing a clear explanation of that role). The choice has implications in terms of other concurrent and subsequent representations of parties. Consent letters in either situation should provide warnings about confidential information. When an intergovernmental body enters the operations phase, a lawyer selected to represent that body must analyze the potential conflicts of interest and procure consents — often numerous consents — from various parties. The paper includes sample consent letters.
Strange results and implausible correlations in Croucher (2013)

ABSTRACTThis comment addresses inconsistencies in Croucher (2013) that, taken as a whole, suggest that the results presented in the paper are implausible. Specifically, I address how the direction of relationships is opposite that found in the vast majority of work focused on the relationship between contact experiences and threat. Additionally, the magnitude of observed relationships falls well outside those observed in previous studies. Finally, I demonstrate that reported correlations produce impossible relationships between variables, suggesting substantial errors in the presentation of results.
Reproducibility in coagulation assays

The design and results of a 6-month study of test precision in a coagulation laboratory are reported. The assays under evaluation were fibrinogen, factor X, plasminogen, euglobulin lysis, antiurokinase, and antiplasmin. Analytical coefficients of variation for normal plasma samples ranged from 13% to 30%. In most cases, the assays studied showed significant day-to-day variability. The importance of considering day-to-day variability in the estimation of test error is emphasized.
Properties of the bbg vertex

Abstract We have used the unique strengths of the SLAC Linear Collider (SLC) and the SLD detector to study some important properties of the b b g vertex. Using the excellent impact parameter resolution to identify and tag jets produced by light quarks, by charmed quarks, or by bottom quarks, we have measured the lack of dependence of the strong coupling αs on quark flavor to within 1.6% (uds), 7.9% (c), and 3.1% (b). We have set an upper limit of less than 7% on an anomalous chromomagnetic coupling at the b b g vertex. Finally we have shown the parity violation and symmetry properties of the b b g vertex with QCD calculations to the 10% level.
Assay method for the fibrin-stabilizing factor.

Summary1. A test is described to measure the FSF activity of plasma. 2. Under the conditions defined, normal human plasma gives a critical FSF value in amounts between 0.1 and 0.2 ml. 3. There is an indication for elevated FSF values under pathologic conditions. 4. The FSF activity of serum is greatly reduced as compared with levels in plasma, because FSF is strongly adsorbed to fibrin. 5. It is suggested that the physiological formation of a urea-insoluble plasma clot is a prerequisite for normal clot retraction, and that the plasma component needed for syneresis may turn out to be identical with FSF.
The Florence Schorske Wald Professor of Nursing Endowed Chair

Setting the purpose and honor of an endowed chair in context, this article explains the great privilege that encompasses the author's holding of the Florence Schorske Wald Endowed Chair in Nursing. Wald served as a professional inspiration through her foundational work in end-of-life care and hospice institutions, the fruits of which can be seen in Dr. McCorkle's own pursuit of more dignified institutional care for the dying. Throughout Dr. McCorkle's career she has consistently sought to dedicate herself to Wald's vision—a vision that countless other health care clinicians pursue and from which countless patients benefit. Wald's accomplishments make it clear that her giant imprint on the world of nursing will only continue for future caregivers and undoubtedly warrants the high honor of an endowed chair in her name.
A partially validated finite element whole-body human model for organ level injury prediction

A finite element whole-body human model, which represents a 50th percentile male, was developed by integrating three detailed human component models previously developed at Wayne State University (WSU): a thorax model with detailed representation of the great vessels [1], an abdomen model [2], and a shoulder model [3]. This new model includes bony structures such as scapulae, clavicles, the vertebral column, rib cage, sternum, sacrum, and illium and soft tissue organs such as the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, diaphragm, kidneys, liver, spleen, and all major blood vessels including the aorta. In addition to model validations already reported at the component level, the new whole-body model was further validated against two sets of experimental data reported by Hardy [4]. In these experiments, human cadavers were loaded either by a seatbelt or by a surrogate airbag about the mid-abdomen, approximately at the level of umbilicus. It is believed that exercising a validated human model is an inexpensive and efficient way to examine potential injury mechanisms. In some cases, this can provide insight into the design of subsequent laboratory experiments.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Noncontact sub-10 nm temperature measurement in near-field laser heating.

An extremely focused optical field down to sub-10 nm in an apertureless near-field scanning optical microscope has been used widely in surface nanostructuring and structure characterization. The in...
Enabling comprehensive failure analysis of complex physical system using cognitive map-based approach

The rapid evolution in technology is leading to complex engineering systems confounding the problems of failure analysis processes. Earlier efforts have concentrated on failure analysis of components but have proven insufficient for analysing the complex physical systems. In this paper, a cognitive map-based approach suggested by Augustine et al. (2012) for system interaction failure analysis is further improved to develop populated network structure considering structural variation. The numerical values to causal arcs are assigned considering qualitative linguistic variables to represent causal relationship between two nodes. The structural variability in cognitive maps due to input from experts or sources is addressed by effectively combining the cognitive map diagrams (networks) and related information received from several sources into single network diagram. A combined adjacency matrix is developed considering credibility weight assigned to each experts. The proposed approach is capable of capturing system interaction failures as well as component failures, which is useful at the early stage of design. A relatively complex physical engineering system of fuel injection is presented as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Enhancement of the Bladder Defense Mechanism by an Exogenous Agent

The mucopolysaccharide layer produced by the transitional cells coating the bladder plays an important role in the defense mechanism of the lower urinary tract. Carbenoxolone, a drug derived from licorice, has been shown to be beneficial to patients with peptic ulcer disease by stimulating increased mucous production in the stomach. Since the bladder epithelium has an endodermal derivation, the question of whether carbenoxolone has an effect on the mucopolysaccharide layer in the bladder was put forth. Carbenoxolone was shown to provide a protective effect to laboratory-induced lower urinary tract infections in the rabbit model.
HISTORY AND FUTURE EXPECTATION OF STARCH USE

Publisher Summary Starch is the lowest priced and most abundant worldwide commodity. It is produced in most countries and is available at low cost in all countries. Its level price over many years is impressive and makes it especially attractive as an industrial raw material. Its production by the wet-milling industry has continued to increase and may increase at a faster rate because starch takes more of the sweetener market and as governments subsidize ethanol production. The birth of enzyme engineering made possible the low cost conversion of starch to D-glucose and on to an equilibrium mixture of D-glucose and D-fructose equivalent in sweetness to invert sugar from cane or beet. With the development of more sophisticated methods of enzyme chemistry, it will become possible to transform starch into novel molecules possessing new properties suitable for new applications.
OpenCL and CUDA software implementations of encryption/decryption algorithms for IPsec VPNs

Graphics Processing Unit accelerated-computing technology is the innovative use of graphics processing units together with a CPU to significantly accelerate scientific, engineering, and enterprise applications. This paper presents the outcomes of a research project focused on the development and performance analysis of encryption/decryption algorithms in various modes of operation using OpenCL and CUDA development platforms; those implementations were tested and compared to ciphers' single CPU-based serialized performance analysis in IPsec Virtual Private Networks.
Effects of roughness on droplet apparent contact angles on a fiber

Abstract This paper reports on our investigation of the effects of surface roughness on the equilibrium shape and apparent contact angles of a droplet deposited on a fiber. In particular, the shape of a droplet on a roughened fiber is studied via the energy minimization method implemented in the surface evolver finite element code. Sinusoidal roughness varying in both the longitudinal and radial directions is considered in the simulations to study the effects of surface roughness on the most stable shape of a droplet on a fiber (corresponding a global minimum energy state). It is found that surface roughness delays droplet shape transition from a symmetric barrel to a clamshell or an asymmetric barrel profile. A phase diagram that includes the effects of fiber roughness on droplet configurations—symmetric barrel, clamshell, and asymmetric barrel—is presented for the first time. It is also found that droplet apparent contact angle tends to decrease on rough fibers. Likewise, roughness tends to increase the force required to detach a droplet from a fiber but the effect diminishes as droplet size increases relative to the size of surface roughness. The results presented in our study have been compared with experimental data or those from prior studies whenever possible, and good agreement has been observed.
Research Note: Mapping spatial patterns in sewer age, material, and proximity to surface waterways to infer sewer leakage hotspots

Abstract Identifying areas where deteriorating sewer infrastructure is in close proximity to surface waterways is needed to map likely connections between sewers and streams. We present a method to estimate sewer installation year and deterioration status using historical maps of the sewer network, parcel-scale property assessment data, and pipe material. Areas where streams were likely buried into the sewer system were mapped by intersecting the historical stream network derived from a 10-m resolution digital elevation model with sewer pipe locations. Potential sewer leakage hotspots were mapped by identifying where aging sewer pipes are in close proximity (50-m) to surface waterways. Results from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA), indicated 41% of the historical stream length was lost or buried and the potential interface between sewers and streams is great. The co-location of aging sewer infrastructure (>75 years old) near stream channels suggests that 42% of existing streams are located in areas with a high potential for sewer leakage if sewer infrastructure fails. Mapping the sewer-stream interface provides an approach to better understand areas where failing sewers may contribute a disproportional amount of nutrients and other pathogens to surface waterways.
Moral Development, HIV/AIDS Knowledge, and Attitude toward HIV/AIDS among Counseling Students in the United States

People living with HIV/AIDS will likely require services from mental health professionals to address the complex psychosocial effects of the illness. In the United States, counseling students are not likely to be well prepared to serve clients affected by HIV/AIDS, and little is known about their HIV-related knowledge and attitudes. The present study assessed the moral development, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS among a national sample of counseling students in the United States. Results indicated that students held biases toward people living with HIV/AIDS and that their attitudes toward HIV/AIDS were inversely related to their level of moral development.
Countercurrent Staged Diafiltration for Formulation of High Value Proteins.

A number of groups have studied the application of continuous bioreactors and continuous chromatographic systems as part of efforts to develop an integrated continuous biomanufacturing process. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a countercurrent staged diafiltration process for continuous protein formulation with reduced buffer requirements. Experiments were performed using a polyclonal immunoglobulin (IgG) with Cadence™ Inline Concentrators. Model equations were developed for the product yield, impurity removal, and buffer requirements as a function of the number of stages and the stage conversion (ratio of permeate to feed flow rate). Data from a countercurrent two-stage system were in excellent agreement with model calculations, demonstrating the potential of using countercurrent staged diafiltration for protein formulation. Model simulations demonstrated the importance of the countercurrent staging on both the extent of buffer exchange and the amount of buffer required per kg of formulated product. The staged diafiltration process not only provides for continuous buffer exchange, it could also provide significant reductions in the number of pump passes while providing opportunities for reduced buffer requirements.
Evaluation and management of cytomegalovirus-associated congenital hearing loss.

Purpose of review The current article reviews the current literature related to congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related hearing loss. The discussion will focus on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation of human CMV infection as it pertains to hearing loss. Current methods of CMV diagnosis with a focus on the evolving trend toward broader neonatal screening protocols will also be explored. Discussion of medical, surgical, and audiologic management of the condition will also be addressed. Recent findings Much of the current research on this topic is focused on improving detection of CMV through screening programs. Some advances in understanding cochlear pathogenesis have also been made. Summary Congenital CMV infection remains an important cause of hearing loss in infants and children. Early detection of CMV infection can broaden treatment options and allow for improved hearing and language outcome for patients with CMV-associated sensorineural hearing loss.
Flight deck surface trajectory-based operations (STBO): A four-dimensional trajectory (4DT) simulation

In four-dimensional trajectory (4DT) Surface Trajectory-Based Operations (STBO), aircraft are assigned a conflict-free 4DT which defines an expected location (x, y coordinates) at all times, t, along the taxi route (with altitude, being fixed). These 4DTs afford the highest temporal certainty at all points along the taxi route, and at the departure runway. In the present study, a 4DT flight deck display was presented on the Airport Moving Map (AMM) to support pilot conformance to a 4DT clearance while taxiing under manual control. This pilot-in-the-loop simulation compared the effect of 4DT flight deck display formats on distance from the expected 4DT location, conformance to the displayed tolerance band, eyes-out time, and pilot ratings of safety and workload. In the defined-tolerance display format, a graphical representation of the expected 4DT location, with a distance-based allowable-tolerance band, was depicted on the AMM. Two defined-tolerance band sizes were tested +/−164 ft and +/−405 ft. In the undefined-tolerance display format, the expected 4DT location was displayed graphically on the AMM, with no indicated allowable-tolerance bounds. Each taxi trial included 4DT speed changes (two or five, per trial) and a range of 4DT taxi speeds. Results showed that the larger (+/−405 ft) defined-tolerance band yielded higher conformance levels than the smaller (+/−164 ft) band, with pilots staying within the specified and displayed conformance bounds more in the larger (99.71%) than the smaller defined-tolerance band (93.37%). However, in terms of being able to predict the location of the aircraft compared to the expected 4DT location, the smaller defined-tolerance band resulted in pilots keeping their aircraft closer to the 4DT location, for both average distance and for a given confidence interval (e.g., 95%), than either the larger defined-tolerance band or the undefined-tolerance display format. The larger tolerance band yielded more “eyes out-the-window” time than the smaller tolerance band. Pilots also rated taxing with the larger tolerance band as safer than the smaller tolerance band.
The Promise and Perils of Algorithmic Lenders' Use of Big Data

Like many new technologies, algorithmic lenders’ use of Big Data holds great promise but may also be perilous. At the most basic level, Big Data is simply a toolkit for “creating, refining, and scaling financial solutions for consumers.” A company’s decision to use Big Data is “neither inherently good nor bad.” Instead — as with any other tool — it can be used to help or to harm consumers. The Janus-faced nature of emerging financial technology (“fintech”) firms is particularly noteworthy, and lies at the heart of this Article. Appropriate regulation will likely be key to delivering on Big Data’s promises in the financial services sector. All financial services companies are potentially subject to a significant amount of regulation. But while regulators have paid attention to fintech’s development, regulations “have not kept pace with modern Big Data capabilities.” This presents challenges both for regulators and “for companies looking for firm legal guidelines as they build” their companies. Indeed, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) noted in a recent Request for Information that it needs to better understand these technologies to “encourage their responsible use and lower unnecessary barriers, including any unnecessary regulatory burden or uncertainty that impedes such use.” Impliedly, it will also seek to prevent fintech’s irresponsible use. This Article proceeds as follows. Part I provides a (very brief) overview of Big Data, machine learning/predicative analytics, and their use in making credit determinations. Part II discusses the promising and perilous nature of “algorithmic lending 2.0.” Its major promise is to bring the so-called “credit invisibles” into the credit markets by using non-traditional credit measures. Its primary threat is the possibility that it will exacerbate financial services discrimination. Part III discusses several major pieces of the current regulatory regime, where it fails to adequately address the worst threats, and how we might improve oversight of algorithmic lenders.
Is 60 the New 50? Examining Changes in Biological Age Over the Past Two Decades

Increasing life expectancy has been interpreted as improving health of a population. However, mortality is not always a reliable proxy for the pace of aging and could instead reflect achievement in keeping ailing people alive. Using data from NHANES III (1988-1994) and NHANES IV (2007-2010), we examined how biological age, relative to chronological age, changed in the United States between 1988 and 2010, while estimating the contribution of changes in modifiable health behaviors. Results suggest that biological age is lower for more recent periods; however, the degree of improvement varied across age and sex groups. Overall, older adults experienced the greatest improvement or decreases in biological age. Males, especially those in the youngest and oldest groups, experienced greater declines in biological age than females. These differences were partially explained by age- and sex-specific changes in behaviors, such as smoking, obesity, and medication use. Slowing the pace of aging, along with increasing life expectancy, has important social and economic implications; thus, identifying modifiable risk factors that contribute to cohort differences in health and aging is essential.
Oxidopyrylium-Alkene [5 + 2] Cycloaddition Conjugate Addition Cascade (C3) Sequences: Scope, Limitation, and Computational Investigations.

Oxidopyrylium-alkene [5 + 2] cycloaddition conjugate addition cascade (C3) sequences are described. Intramolecular cycloadditions involving terminal alkenes, enals, and enones were investigated. Substrates with tethers of varying lengths delivered five- and six-membered carbocycles and heterocycles thus demonstrating the scope and limitation of the cycloaddition–conjugate addition cascade. Several experiments and theoretical calculations provide evidence for the proposed mechanistic pathway.
On Incomplete Polynomials

In [2], G. G. Lorentz recently raised interesting new questions concerning the uniform approximation of continuous functions on [0,1] by sequences of polynomials of the special form \(\sum\limits_{k = [\theta n]}^n {{a_k}{x^k}}\) , θ fixed with 0 < θ < 1, n arbitrary, n ≥ 0. Some convergence properties of sequences of such incomplete polynomials were studied by the authors [6], and by Kemperman and Lorentz [1]. In this present paper, we investigate the analog of the classical Chebyshev polynomials for this new approximation problem.
Options for measuring unintended pregnancy in cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth

The National Survey of Family Growth staff contracted with researchers for an improved measurement of unintended pregnancy for Cycle 6 in the year 2001. There is a need for additional data related to unintended pregnancy for individuals practicing contraception and for individuals who wanted to be pregnant but are not using any method. Substantive additions for the study include motivation desire to avoid pregnancy ambivalence and reasons for unintended pregnancy. Moreover the introduction at the beginning of the "intendedness" series is to know about the feelings of a woman right before she becomes pregnant. A question is asked on the method or methods used in the month of conception. The impact of the question on the respondents needs to be assessed.
Sensory Mapping Adaptation Under Multiple Task Scenarios

Demands on auditory perception change constantly with natural changes in everyday acoustic environments. Mechanisms, such as attentional feedback, direct the brain to adapt processing of the incoming signal to maximize its ability to detect the presence of a sound of interest or enhance its representation. These top-down feedback processes induce adaptation of the spectrotemporal representation of incoming sounds in a manner that enhances our ability to perform the desired task. In this work, we propose a computational model to implement and study sensory mapping adaptation under different task-demands. We propose a common processing framework to examine how sensory mapping adaptation manifests under different task -driven conditions like speech enhancement and robust speech activity detection. Objective measures of speech enhancement and discrimination are used to quantify the impact of the adaptation under different contexts and its impact on performance outcomes.
The Concept of the Effective Energy Gap

In our previous discussions of U, H, and D bonding modes, we have made the uniform assumption that the CT matrix elements are all equal. What happens when this approximation is not valid? For example, how does the picture we developed above change if the relative magnitudes of these matrix elements, h1 and h2, are as shown below?
Shift Work Disorder

Shift work and its negative consequences are becoming more relevant as the economy becomes increasing globalized. For many individuals, shift work serves as a significant biological and psychosocial challenge leading to Shift Work Disorder (SWD). Beyond the symptoms of sleep and excessive sleepiness, the range of consequences for health and daily functioning in those with SWD are reviewed, along with evidence-based recommendations for clinical management, including comprehensive clinical assessments and intervention strategies that target multiple domains through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods. A review of important recent scientific and technological developments for assessment and intervention is also provided.
REACTIVE OXYGEN METABOLITES AND HEMOLYSIS

ABSTRACT Evidence presented suggests an interrelationship between the peroxidatic enzymes and superoxide dismutase in the red cell, which is glucose-mediated and depends on the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Red cells were incubated with 1,4-naphthoquinone-2-sulfonic acid, a hemolytic substance that generates superoxide anions which dismutate to hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide causes a functional inactivation of catalase, followed by diminished activity of superoxide dismutase. This protective role of catalase to superoxide dismutase has been determined in cellular studies by addition of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and in vitro enzyme studies.
Pragmatic Trials and New Informatics Methods to Supplement or Replace Phase IV Trials

Given the importance of clinical trials (CT) for the approval of new drugs, and the many current obstacles to CT execution, there is an urgent need for CT improvement. This chapter discusses pragmatic trials and other informatics-enabled enhancements to Phase IV CT that completely change the original definitions of CT and may be seen as full replacements to Phase IVs. These developments are important for reducing costs and time-lines for the CT process, reducing risk of withdrawal from the market, and they are also useful for drug repurposing. Importantly, the future of Phase IV CTs is one that relies heavily on data collected via the EHR enabling a continuous and individualized Phase IV trial model. The EHR thus is a foundation to a continuous pragmatic Phase IV registry and a key tool in support of precision medicine.