cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric Oxide Induces Dilation of Rat Aorta via Inhibition of Rho-Kinase Signaling

NO induces vasodilation through cGMP-dependent protein kinase--dependent and --independent mechanisms. A recent study demonstrated that recombinant cGMP-dependent protein kinase can phosphorylate the small G protein, RhoA, thus inhibiting its activity. Additionally, sodium nitroprusside was found to reverse the phenylephrine-induced translocation of RhoA, which is further indicative of the inhibition of RhoA activity. RhoA is known to be involved in the Ca(2+) sensitization of vascular smooth muscle through the actions of one of its downstream effectors, Rho-kinase. This study examined whether NO endogenously induces the relaxation of intact rat aorta via the inhibition of the Rho-kinase--mediated Ca(2+)-sensitizing pathway. Endogenous Rho-kinase inhibitor activity was inhibited by the selective compound Y-27632. Treatment of endothelium-intact rat aorta with Y-27632 (1 micromol/L) resulted in an attenuation of maximal force generated in response to phenylephrine. In endothelium-denuded rings, however, 1 micromol/L Y-27632 was ineffective at inhibiting the phenylephrine-induced contraction. Additionally, 1 micromol/L Y-27632 was significantly less effective at inhibiting the phenylephrine-induced contraction of endothelium-intact rings in the presence of inhibitors of NO synthase or guanylate cyclase (N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, respectively). Interestingly, sodium nitroprusside restored the ability of 1 micromol/L Y-27632 to attenuate phenylephrine-induced contraction. Rho-kinase inhibition was also found to increase the sensitivity of the endothelium-denuded aorta to sodium nitroprusside. These data demonstrate that NO inhibits Rho-kinase activity in the intact rat aorta, supporting the hypothesis that endogenous NO-mediated vasodilation occurs through the inhibition of Rho-kinase constrictor activity in the intact rat aorta.
Mutation of Hip's carboxy-terminal region inhibits a transitional stage of progesterone receptor assembly.

Steroid receptor complexes are assembled through an ordered, multistep pathway involving multiple components of the cytoplasmic chaperone machinery. Two of these components are Hsp70-binding proteins, Hip and Hop, that have some limited homology in their C-terminal regions, outside the sequences mapped for Hsp70 binding. Within this region of Hip is a DPEV sequence that occurs twice; in Hop, one DPEV sequence plus a partial second sequence occurs. In an effort to better understand Hip function as it relates to assembly of progesterone receptor complexes, the DPEV region of Hip was targeted for mutations. Each DPEV sequence was mutated to an APAV sequence, singly or in combination. The combined mutation, APAV2, was further combined with a deletion of Hip’s tetratricopeptide repeat region that is required for Hsp70 binding or with a deletion of Hip’s GGMP repeat. An additional mutant was prepared by truncation of Hip’s DPEV-containing C terminus. By comparing interactions of various Hip forms with Hsp70, it was determined that mutation of the DPEV sequences created a dominant inhibitory form of Hip. The mutant Hip-Hsp70 complex was not prevented from interacting with progesterone receptor, but the mutant caused a dose-dependent inhibition of receptor assembly with Hsp90. The behavior of the Hip mutant is consistent with a model in which Hip and Hop are required to facilitate the transition from an early receptor complex with Hsp70 into later complexes containing Hsp90.
Magnesium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

[133395-16-1] C4F12MgN2O8S4 (MW 583.82) InChI = 1S/2C2F6NO4S2.Mg/c2*3-1(4,5)14(10,11)9-15(12,13)2(6,7)8;/q2*-1;+2 InChIKey = DMFBPGIDUUNBRU-UHFFFAOYSA-N (strong Lewis acid; catalyst for a variety of reactions) Alternate Name: magnesium triflimide. Solubility: soluble in CH2Cl2 and H2O. Form Supplied in: white powder, commercially available. Preparative Method: it may be prepared from addition of magnesium metal to bistriflimide in distilled water, filtration, and drying in vacuo. It may also be prepared by using an electrochemical method. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: moderately hygroscopic; store well sealed.
Determining the Success of Fundraising Programs.

Evaluating the effectiveness of your fundraising program is much more than simply looking at dollars raised. Other measurements, such as number of visits, proposals submitted, effectiveness in dealing with objections, and effectiveness at managing prospects, can also help university leaders determine the success of their development programs.
Medicine in the Era of Outcomes Measurement

On February 9, 2009, the headlines of the Boston Globe proclaimed that two hospitals in Massachusetts, including an institution considered one of the nation’s best, had significantly higher than expected mortality rates for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The story was based on the in-hospital risk-standardized mortality rates for hospitals throughout the state, released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.1 The unexpected result raised questions, concerns, and some confusion about hospital performance and the validity of the measures. The recent focus on hospital outcomes measures seems likely to intensify with the anticipated release by the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services of 30-day risk-standardized mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. After more than a decade of focus on structure and process, there is a growing sense that, in a health care system that strives to be patient-centered, we need assessments of what actually happens to patients. The structural characteristics of an institution—such as equipment, certification, or procedural volume—do not guarantee higher quality of patient care or superior outcomes, nor does its reputation necessarily reflect actual experience. Process measures can capture key actions by clinical teams that are strongly related to outcomes, but they may typically focus on only a small subset of the complex array of interactions, decisions, and activities that contribute to the quality of patient care. Many aspects of care that defy easy measurement contribute importantly to a patient’s likelihood of a successful outcome. Thus, to describe the performance of the system we should also pay attention to patient outcomes. The approach to the mortality measures that is used in Massachusetts improves on what was used by the Health Care Financing Administration to report outcomes in the 1980s.2 The Massachusetts Data Analysis Center (Mass-DAC), the data-coordinating center responsible for …
First-Year Mortality among Infants with Facial Clefts:

Abstract Children born with a facial cleft are not thought to be at a greater risk for infant mortality than are those without congenital anomalies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a facial cleft alone or its coexistence with other anomalies increases a child's risk for dying. Birth and death certificate data from Washington State for the years 1984 to 1988 were linked for infants who died before 1 year of age. Mortality rates for different types of facial clefts and for births without noted abnormalities were compared. Relative to infants with no diagnosed abnormalities noted in the birth certificate, infants with facial clefts without other abnormalities have a 3.7 fold increased odds for dying during their first year of life. This elevated risk for dying was fairly consistent during the first year of life. When facial clefts are associated with other abnormalities there is an 82.3 fold increase in odds for mortality during the first year of life. This elevated risk ...
Modeling of Control and Dynamical Systems in the Life Sciences

The text below was the basis for a series of lectures given by the author at the 14th Biennial Seminar of the Canadian Mathematical Congress held at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, August 12–24, 1973. Since the theme of the Seminar was “Optimal Control. Theory and Its Applications”, a fitting focus for these lectures might have been “applications of optimal control theory in the life sciences”. As the title of our lecture notes indicates, we have chosen instead to broaden the scope of these lectures to also include the contributions to the life sciences of investigators who employ the techniques and ideas in control theory, systems analysis, differential equations, and stochastic processes. Some of these efforts will, of course, involve applications of optimal control theory. But it is our view that many of the interesting efforts being made encompass much more than an application of control theory, even though they quite often do entail a utilization of the tools and approaches of this discipline.
Mechanical determinants of coronary blood flow during dynamic alterations in myocardial contractility

Recently it has been proposed that the decrease in coronary blood flow (CBF) resulting from cardiac contraction referred to as systolic flow impediment (SFI) is dependent on the level of left ventricular elastance (Ees). The average rate of LV relaxation (Ravg) has been shown to be major determinant of diastolic flow development (DFD). We tested these hypotheses using the unique hemodynamic condition of pulsus alternans (PA) where end-systolic LV pressure and instantaneous Ees vary on beat-to-beat basis. In six mongrel dogs instrumented with LV and aortic manometers, ultrasonic dimension crystals, and Doppler coronary flow probes we measured phasic CBF and Ees during PA and control conditions. Maximal pressure development over time (dP/dtmax) and SFI were significantly different between weak (WB) and strong beats (SB) as were Ravg and DFD. Minimum CBF (Qmin) was not different between SB and WB; however, Qmin and peak Ees occurred nearly simultaneously in the WB. Qmin occurred much earlier than peak Ees in the strong and control beats. Plots of instantaneous LV elastance and CBF showed that for control beats and for the strong beats of PA CBF was similar during systole and diastole, suggesting elastance is a unique determinant of CBF. This was quantified as CBF at the time in either systole or diastole when elastance was half-maximal for that beat (E50). During the WB of PA, however, CBF at E50 was significantly higher during systole than during diastole. We conclude that while SFI and DFD are highly dependent on the dP/dt and Ravg, Ees is not a unique determinant of CBF under all conditions.
Influence of periparturient and postpartum diets on rumen methanogen communities in three breeds of primiparous dairy cows

The author's would like to acknowledge the USDA Hatch Grant (VT-H01801) and the UVM Dairy Center of Excellence as funding sources for animals and laboratory supplies. Furthermore, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2014-67016-21791 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the VFA and feed analyses. We would like to thank Dr. Benoit St-Pierre of South Dakota State University for assistance with bioinformatics and Kurt Cotanch of the William H. Miner Institute for assistance with VFA analyses. We would also like to thank the Paul Miller Research Farm staff (Matt Boudette, Scott Shumway, Doug Watkin) for their on-farm maintenance and assistance. Lastly, we would like to thank Columbia University undergraduate student, Ryan C. Noyes, and the UVM undergraduate students (Pamela Bay, Katherine Boucher, Dylan Devino, Michael Eldredge, Samantha Frawley, Emma Hurley, Anne Kaufman, Danielle Semick, Mallory Sullivan, Sarah Zeger) who helped with calving, sampling, and milking.
XML-based Universal Remote Data Acquisition Services

At present,the dam data acquisition systems are developed by different manufacturers.They use different communication protocols and hardware systems,and the interoperability among them is difficult.Thus,universal remote data acquisition services are discussed and designed.Based on the services,the management center can remotely control the data acquisition systems of all dams.It is studied how to deal with the concept of hardware standardization of dam acquisition systems,security of remote data acquisition and control and standardization of universal data acquisition and control messages.
Review of smart watthour meter data analysis and applications

With the rapid development of smart grid,the core equipment smart watthour meter has attracted much attention to the relevant users,businesses and even national government. Generally,the smart watthour meter can automatically read the electricity data every 15 minutes interval. High-speed data acquisition generates vast amounts of electricity information,which constitutes the big data of power industry. By mining and analyzing these massive meter data, all the players including electricity customers,power supply enterprises and social environment can receive much better innovation service.This paper systematically summarized the research results from numerous literatures on smart watthour meter deployment,smart watthour meter data analytic with applications and also how it benefits to electricity users,power supply companies and social environment.
Studying G2 DNA Damage Checkpoints Using the Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Using synchronized cells, one can directly measure delay in mitosis brought about by the G2 DNA damage checkpoint in response to exposure to exogenous DNA damaging agents. Scoring mitosis in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is relatively simple. Many techniques exist for synchronizing cells for such assays. We present a detailed explanation of the setup and use of centrifugal elutriation to synchronize cells in G2, exposure of cells to DNA damage, and measurement of mitotic progression and delay.
When Is It Helpful to Restate Student Responses Within a Tutorial Dialogue System

Tutorial dialogue systems often simulate tactics used by experienced human tutors such as restating students’ dialogue input. We investigated whether the amount of tutor restatement that supports student inference interacts with students’ incoming knowledge level in predicting how much students learn from a system. We found that students with lower incoming knowledge benefit more from an increased level of these types of restatement while students with higher incoming knowledge benefit more from a decreased level of such restatements.
Occupational Radiation Exposure during Pregnancy: A Survey of Attitudes and Practices among Interventional Radiologists.

Abstract Purpose To assess attitudes of interventional radiologists toward occupational ionizing radiation exposure in pregnancy and to survey practice patterns and outcomes. Materials and Methods A 34-question anonymous online survey on attitudes and work practices toward interventional radiologists who worked during pregnancy was sent to active SIR members, including 582 women. Results There were 534 (10%) respondents, including 142 women and 363 men. Among respondents, men were statistically older than women ( P P 80% of their work week doing FGIs with additional protection. Perceptions of impact of pregnancy on daytime work redistribution varied significantly with gender ( P Conclusions Most pregnant interventional radiologists continue to practice IR while pregnant. Pregnancy and fetal outcomes parallel that of the general population when matched for demographics. However, perceptions of impact of pregnancy on work lives of colleagues vary notably.
Cocaine abuse and its treatment.

The authors summarize clinical and experimental findings on the effects of cocaine and describe the parameters of treatment that are relevant to dealing with patients who have problems with the drug. The majority of users take cocaine by inhaling the powder and the patterns of cocaine use are similar to those that have been identified for alcohol and marijuana. Compulsive users often have an Axis II diagnosis of borderline or narcissistic personality disorder, which requires long-term psychotherapy.
History of Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability

The history of health care for people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) shares similarities with the general population, but is composed of inequalities, a lack of access, poorer quality, and higher costs. This chapter will explore this history through a discussion of major issues.
Abstract P68: Effects of Health Services and Patient Characteristics on Length of Stay for Inpatients with Type 2 Diabetes and Myocardial Infarction

This study is a database analysis of health services outcomes for diabetic myocardial infarction inpatients admitted in non federal hospitals. Relatively little or nothing is known about the outcom...
Anaerobic treatment of a biologically inhibitory wastewater

A sequence of unit processes consisting of berl-saddle-packed-bed anaerobic reactor and an expanded-bed, granular activated carbon fluidized-bed anaerobic reactor was used for the treatment of a synthetically prepared coal conversion waste water. The waste water, with high concentrations of inhibitory compounds, was fed at three different chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations: 1513, 3027, and 7567 mg/L. Excellent removal or organic matter combined with high conversion of COD to methane was achieved. Negligible removal of COD was observed in the packed-bed reactor whereas the expanded-bed GAC reactor was removed in the majority of the organics in the waste water. Ortho- and meta-cresol resisted biodegradation and their toxicity to the anaerobic culture in the GAC reactor was overcome by partial replacement of the granular activated carbon medium in that reactor.
Circadian Waveform and Its Significance for Clock Organization and Plasticity

The daily rotation of the earth creates a strong selection pressure for the evolution of endogenous circadian clocks that, at least in mammals, are generally phase shifted slowly and incrementally by light. Because the earth’s axis of rotation is tilted relative to the revolution around the sun, there is an additional selection pressure for clocks to adjust their waveform (i.e., shape of the daily oscillation) to match seasonal variation in daylength. With a focus on rodents, this chapter reviews protocols demonstrating circadian waveform plasticity and its relationship to the functional organization of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus. Manipulation of waveform uncovers additional novel and unanticipated effects on the lability of circadian timing systems.
Management of Asymptomatic Extracranial Carotid Artery Disease

Extracranial carotid atherosclerosis is an important, potentially treatable cause of ischemic stroke. Early surgical trials showed ∼5% absolute reduction in the 5-year risk reduction of ischemic stroke or death when carotid endarterectomy was added to the medical management. However, it is becoming evident that universal application of these findings is neither feasible nor efficacious: Medical management has evolved dramatically since these trials were performed, and the annual risk of ipsilateral stroke with medical management alone has continued to decline. Additionally not all patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis have similar risk of subsequent stroke. Modern imaging techniques make it possible to identify those with higher risk of stroke and/or who are refractory to medical management, based on carotid plaque characteristics such as echolucency in carotid ultrasound, intraplaque hemorrhage in carotid plaque magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and embolic signals detected by transcranial Doppler. These techniques might offer crucial information on risk stratification and selecting patients who are most likely to benefit from revascularization.
Elbow MRI Findings Do Not Correlate With Future Placement on the Disabled List in Asymptomatic Professional Baseball Pitchers

Background:Injury rates among professional baseball players may reach as high as 5.8 per 1000 encounters, with pitchers being most vulnerable on account of the excessive biomechanical load on the u...
A Transcriptomics and Comparative Genomics Analysis Reveals Gene Families with a Role in Body Plan Complexity.

We analyzed tissue-specific transcriptomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and identified 66 gene families with a high frequency of “gradient genes” - genes showing a significant expression gradient between tissues. Gradient gene families include many with roles in hormone and peptide signaling, cell wall synthesis and remodeling, secondary metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and transport between cells. We compared the size of the gradient gene families among the genomes of four plant species with radically different body plans – a single-celled algae, a moss, a eudicot, and a monocot – and found that most of the gradient gene families (58/66) expanded in parallel with the evolution of morphological complexity. A novel measure of tissue diversity was used to show that members of any one gradient gene family tend not to be clustered in a single tissue, but are rather apportioned evenly across the tissues studied. Considered together, our results suggest that the diversification of these gene families supported the diversification of tissue types and the evolution of body plan complexity in plants.
Photochemical Cleavage of Benzylic C–O Bond Facilitated by an Ortho or Meta Amino Group

The excited state meta effect, also known as the meta-ortho effect, results from selective electron transmission from an electron-donating group to the meta and ortho sites on an aromatic ring in its first excited singlet state. This effect facilitates photochemical cleavage of benzylic C–O or C–N bond to release the corresponding alcohol, carboxylic acid, or amine when an electron-donating amino group is at the meta position, as demonstrated in our recent work of using a 3-diethylaminobenzyl (DEABn) group as an effective photolabile protecting group (PPG). Herein, we demonstrate that an ortho amino group can also facilitate benzylic C–O bond cleavage to release an alcohol or carboxylic acid. However, an amino group at the meta position results in a PPG with better overall chemical and photochemical properties.
Genomic lesions drive the metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal cancer ranks sixth in terms of cancer-associated mortality (1). The majority (over 80%) of esophageal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) (2), which is the leading cause of cancer-related death in its epidemic regions, such as northern China. Even with the advent of modern therapeutic approaches, the 5 years survival of ESCC (<20%) has not significantly improved in the past few decades. These facts necessitate the need for better characterization of the molecular basis of ESCC pathogenesis.
Medicare ACO Program Savings Not Tied To Preventable Hospitalizations Or Concentrated Among High-Risk Patients

It has been widely assumed that better management and coordination of care for chronic conditions and high-risk patients would be the leading mechanisms for achieving savings in accountable care organizations (ACOs), specifically by reducing acute care needs through enhanced outpatient and preventive care. We examined the extent to which changes in spending and hospitalizations for ACO patients in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) have been consistent with this expectation. By 2014, participation in the MSSP was associated with significant reductions in total Medicare fee-for-service spending for ACO patients but with proportionately smaller reductions in hospitalizations and some increases in hospitalizations for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions. In addition, spending reductions were not clearly concentrated among high-risk patients: Reductions for those patients accounted for only 38 percent of the total reduction among ACOs entering the MSSP in 2012, and reductions among 2013 MSSP entrants...
Contesting, (Re)producing or Surviving Precarity? Debates on Precarious Work and Informal Labor Reexamined

ABSTRACTThe discursive traverses of “precarious work” invoke a wide range of meanings, from a political frame of reference for new labor and social movements to conceptualizations framing scholarly inquiries and institutional policymaking. Often, the notion is simultaneously registered along both descriptive and analytic planes. It consequently generates a certain amount of ambiguity, flitting between different levels of analysis. Quite paradoxically, however, the terms “precarious work” and “precarity” over the last decade or so have generated a potentially stable frame of reference for labor politics against the tide of neo-liberal policies and practices. How do we go about conceptualizing “precarious work” within specific, historical contexts and arrive, from such instances, at a more historicized understanding of the notion? What does such an exercise in conceptualization reveal about its contemporary salience among labor scholars, activists and policymakers in different contexts? These questions moti...
Mechanism and Regulation of Cytoplasmic Dynein

Cytoplasmic dynein is a molecular motor responsible for nearly all minus-end directed microtubule-based transport in cells. We use the model system S. cerevisiae to purify recombinant cytoplasmic dynein and its associated complexes and subunits (dynactin, lis1 and nudel). Using this recombinant system we are able to easily engineer point mutations, truncations and genetic tags that allow us to add a variety of handles that can be used for purification or fluorescent labeling. We then measure the activity of these complexes using a number of assays including single molecule fluorescence microscopy. Our results reveal that there are a variety of mechanisms that can be used to regulate the motor activity of cytoplasmic dynein including two mechanisms that enhance dynein processivity. Using purified recombinant dynein-dynactin complexes, we find that dynactin is a dynein processivity factor, but does not use its microtubule-binding domain to enhance processivity. We also find that regulation of ATPase activity is another possible mechanism of regulation, as mutants that cannot hydrolyze ATP at one of dynein's four ATP (AAA4) binding sites are also more processive. Current studies in the lab are focused on determining additional points of regulation in the dynein mechanochemical cycle.
Further Validation for the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire

This study further investigates the validity of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith (SCSORF) questionnaire. Building and expanding upon prior research, the SCSORF, existing religiosity measures, mood, and personality adjustment scales were administered to three samples. Subjects included 290 university students and 232 recovering substance abusers. The results further validate the SCSORF as being a valid measure of strength of religious faith.
Model-Free Gait-Based Human Recognition in Video

In this chapter, the GEI-based general framework presented earlier is used for individual recognition in diverse scenarios.
FasL and Fas in Liver Homeostasis and Hepatic Injuries

Fas is a death receptor expressed by every cell type in the liver. Engagement of Fas with its cognate ligand, Fas ligand (FasL), initiates a signaling cascade resulting in cell death by apoptosis. Fas plays a central role in maintaining liver homeostasis by contributing to the elimination of senescent cells. Moreover, in many circumstances, Fas-mediated apoptosis ensures the elimination of virus-infected or damaged cells by FasL-expressing cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. However, dysregulation of apoptosis, either by excessive or defective apoptosis, always leads to disease pathogenesis, such as liver failure, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. In this chapter, we review the role of the Fas/FasL system in the physiology and pathophysiology of the liver.
Differentiability with Respect to Parameters of Integrated Semigroups

This paper is concerned with a family of non-densely defined operators A(e) and studies differentiability with respect to a multi-parameter e of integrated semigroup S(t, e) generated by A(e). The obtained results are conveniently employed for some hyperbolic and parabolic partial differential equation.
Pathologies of awakenings: the clinical problem of insomnia considered from multiple theory levels.

Abstract Limit cycle-based mid-level theories that rationalize effective clinical treatments for chronic insomnia have empirical support from whole-organism studies of sleep physiology, but their relation to network-level and cellular neurobiologies remains obscure. The neurobiology of pharmacological treatments for insomnia has been increasingly understood, but has not been fully integrated with psychological theories or electroencephalographic descriptions of sleep. Better clinical diagnostic and treatment frameworks will require both greater conceptual clarity as to what an “awakening” is descriptively and detailed investigations to relate fundamental neuroscience to clinical technologies can be both accessible and diagnostically useful to clinicians.
On the structure of the rate equations of materials with internal variables

Rate equations for internal variables are not invariant under transformations to other sets of internal variables if such transformations involve the external variables (deformation, temperature), unless the rate equations include the rates of the external variables as well. The simplest invariant rate equations are linear in the external-variable rates; for materials with such rate equations, thermodynamic relations are studied, and conditions are obtained for the reducibility of such rate equations to a form without external-variable rates. Materials with plastic behavior have rate equations that are piecewise linear in the external-variable rates, and thermodynamic relations for such materials are studied as well.
Prepaid Expenses, Unearned Income, and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expense is an expenditure that is paid for in one accounting period, but for which the underlying asset will not be entirely consumed until a future period. Therefore, prepaid expense must not be shown as expense in the accounting period in which it is paid, but instead it must be presented as such in the subsequent accounting periods in which the services in respect of the prepaid expense have been performed.
Meaning, moral realism, and the importance of morality

Many philosophers have suspected that the normative importance of morality depends on moral realism. In this paper, I defend a version of this suspicion: I argue that if teleological forms of moral realism, those that posit an objective purpose to human life, are true, then we gain a distinctive kind of reason to do what is morally required. I argue for this by showing that if these forms of realism are true, then doing what is morally required can provide a life with meaning, which is a widespread human need. I also argue that rival meta-ethical views, like anti-realism or non-naturalist realism, cannot make morality meaning-conferring in this way.
Impact of a care delivery redesign initiative for vascular surgery.

Abstract Objective A hospital-wide quality improvement process through a care delivery redesign (CDR) was initiated to improve patient care efficiency, clinical documentation, and length of stay (LOS). The impact of CDR was assessed through LOS, unplanned readmission rates, and hospital financial metrics. Methods The CDR team consisted of the Chief of Vascular Surgery, inpatient nurse practitioner, dedicated case manager, clinical documentation improvement specialist, and vascular surgery residents and faculty. The nurse practitioner facilitated patient care coordination, resident system-based education, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Tools created to track performance and to ensure sustainability included daily discussions of patient care barriers and solutions; standardized order sets; a mobile app for residents containing resident service expectations, disease-specific resources, and vascular surgery journal links; and a weekly inpatient tracker showing real-time patient care data. Outcome measures included LOS, case mix index, contribution margin, and unplanned readmissions. Each outcome was determined for all inpatient admissions the year before and the 12 months after CDR was initiated. Outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results Implementation of CDR resulted in a 23% decrease in LOS (P = .003), reducing the gap to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services geometric mean LOS from 2.1 days to 0.5 day (P Conclusions A CDR predicated on a dedicated service line advanced practitioner, clinical documentation education, weekly service tracker review, and real-time management of system-related barriers to patient care is described. Implementation of the CDR reduced hospital LOS with no change in unplanned readmissions and provided significant financial benefit to the hospital by increasing revenue and decreasing variable cost.
SNAP, Young Children's Health, and Family Food Security and Healthcare Access.

Introduction The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest nutrition assistance program in the U.S. This study's objective was to examine the associations between SNAP participation and young children's health and development, caregiver health, and family economic hardships. Methods Cross-sectional data from 2006 to 2016 were analyzed in 2017 for families with children aged Results The adjusted odds of fair or poor child health status (AOR=0.92, 95% CI=0.86, 0.98), developmental risk (AOR=0.82, 95% CI=0.69, 0.96), underweight, and obesity in children were lower among SNAP participants than among nonparticipants. In addition, food insecurity in households and among children, and health cost sacrifices were lower among SNAP participants than among nonparticipants. Conclusions Participation in SNAP is associated with reduced household and child food insecurity, lower odds of poor health and growth and developmental risk among infants and toddlers, and reduced hardships because of healthcare costs for their families. Improved SNAP participation and increased SNAP benefits that match the regional cost of food may be effective preventive health strategies for promoting the well-being of families with young children.
Beyond density: Mesostructural features of impact resistant wood

Abstract Wood is a neglected impact-resistant biological material: despite its use in tools and weapons for millennia the dynamic properties and common features between species such as maple, live oak, and others are poorly understood. In this study, the impact resistance in the radial loading direction of nine tree species was studied using drop-tower testing, micro-computed tomography, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that unlike in quasi-static conditions, density alone is a poor predictor of mechanical behavior in wood and that specific mesostructural features (interlocking grain, diffuse porous vessel distribution and intermittent rays) improved impact strength. A new, hierarchical failure of individual tracheids and the bulk fibers resembling progressive delamination of fiber-composites was observed in African mahogany, the most impact resistant tree species tested.
Atypical Relationships Between Spontaneous EEG and fMRI Activity in Autism.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been linked to atypical communication among distributed brain networks. However, despite decades of research, the exact nature of these differences between typ...
Synthesis and Molecular Structure of the Mercury-Bridged Heteronuclear Complex [Pt3(dppm)3 {(μ4-Hg)-RuCp(CO)2}2][PF6]2

Addition of a THF solution prepared by stirring [CpRu(CO)2]2 over Na/Hg amalgam to a solution of the triplatinum cluster [Pt3(dppm)3(CO)][PF6]2 (1) in THF gives the heteronuclear cluster [Pt3(dppm)3{(μ4-Hg)–RuCp(CO)2}2] [PF6]2 (2) in 40% yield following chromatography. A single crystal X-ray study of 2 reveals structural parameters for the Pt3Hg2 molecular core that are consistent with those of other structurally characterized complexes of this type. 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectra of this complex indicate that the structure observed in the solid state is retained in solution.
Fidelity in Implementing School-Based Restorative Justice Conferences

Many schools are attempting to reduce their reliance on suspension and exclusionary discipline to manage student behavior. One promising alternative involves restorative justice (RJ). However, many...
Development and Pilot Testing of a Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Management Mobile App for Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms

Though mobile mental health applications have proliferated in recent years, there are still few evidence-based self-guided mobile mental health apps focusing on post-traumatic stress. To fill this gap, the authors developed Renew, a self-guided cognitive-behavioral mobile application that includes psychoeducation, in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure, relaxation, behavioral activation, and a novel social support feature. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the acceptability, perceived helpfulness, and feasibility of Renew. Eighteen adults who have been affected by a traumatic event used Renew for 3 weeks and completed semi-structured interviews to assess the acceptability and perceived helpfulness of Renew. Usage data was tracked to assess feasibility. Qualitative themes included enjoying customization features, confusion regarding in vivo exposure exercises, appreciating accessibility, positive impacts on managing self-reported symptoms, social support privacy concerns, and needing high motivation for successful use. Results showed that on average, participants used Renew for 8 days (SD = 5.47) and completed two exposure activities (SD = 1.5). The results of this pilot found preliminary evidence of the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived helpfulness of Renew and are currently guiding a new build for an upcoming randomized controlled trial testing Renew’s efficacy.
A ROM-accelerated parallel-in-time preconditioner for solving all-at-once systems in unsteady convection-diffusion PDEs

Abstract In this paper we propose a model reduction technique to speed up the diagonalization-based parallel-in-time (ParaDIAG) preconditioner, for iteratively solving all-at-once systems from evolutionary PDEs. In particular, we use the reduced basis method to seek a low-dimensional approximation to the sequence of complex-shifted systems arising from Step-(b) of the ParaDIAG preconditioning procedure. Different from the standard reduced order modeling that uses the separation of offline and online stages, we have to build the reduced order model (ROM) online for the considered systems at each iteration. Therefore, several heuristic acceleration techniques are introduced in the greedy basis generation algorithm, that is built upon a residual-based error indicator, to further boost up its computational efficiency. Several numerical experiments are conducted, which illustrate the favorable computational efficiency of our proposed ROM-accelerated ParaDIAG preconditioner, in comparison with the multigrid-based one.
Understanding Patterns of COVID Infodemic: A Systematic and Pragmatic Approach to Curb Fake News

Abstract Amid the flood of fake news on Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), now referred to as COVID-19 infodemic, it is critical to understand the nature and characteristics of COVID-19 infodemic since it not only results in altered individual perception and behavior shift such as irrational preventative actions but also presents imminent threat to the public safety and health. In this study, we build on First Amendment theory, integrate text and network analytics and deploy a three-pronged approach to develop a deeper understanding of COVID-19 infodemic. The first prong uses Latent Direchlet Allocation (LDA) to identify topics and key themes that emerge in COVID-19 fake and real news. The second prong compares and contrasts different emotions in fake and real news. The third prong uses network analytics to understand various network-oriented characteristics embedded in the COVID-19 real and fake news such as page rank algorithms, betweenness centrality, eccentricity and closeness centrality. This study carries important implications for building next generation trustworthy technology by providing strong guidance for the design and development of fake news detection and recommendation systems for coping with COVID-19 infodemic. Additionally, based on our findings, we provide actionable system focused guidelines for dealing with immediate and long-term threats from COVID-19 infodemic.
The Antlers of a Trilemma: Rediscovering Andean Sacred Sites

The zoomorphic metaphor of deer anatomy explains Andean identity as a coupled environmental system. This is a result of mystic realism or magic pragmatism, which often obscures participation of the local cultures of the Andes cordillera, particularly in (re)defining their Andean self with strong biocultural anchors. Just like the antlers, the trilemma of Andean identity exemplifies the need for a deeper understanding of the stewardship of ecological processes that has been molded to fit geographical and cultural demands of ancestral societies. Quechua traditional ecological knowledge serves as guiding principles to define and implement sacred sites in the region that cherishes its heritage landscapes. (Kichwa is the phonetic writing of ‘Quechua’ (in Peru) or ‘Quichua’ (in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina), the language of the Andean people (runa simi). I avoid the hegemony of Castilianized words, as I support the recovery of local identity and the invigoration of vernacular culture, including the use of the non-written language of the Inka. In this text, I use italics to highlight the phonetic Kichwa alphabet, while Spanish terms appear inside single quotation marks for emphasis. Scientific names are also italicized.) The relationship of the triangular representation of cultural identity, associated with the binary concept of opposite values or Yanantin, and the driver that accentuates spiritual dimension or Masintin, the development of ritualized practices observing natural phenomena creates the wholeness among Andeanity, Andeaness, and Andeanitude. By explaining the syncretism observed in contemporary societies of the Andes Mountains, the creation, (re)creation and (pro)creation of harmonious implications between people and the environment are realized. Finally, to assess actual and potential contributions of the discourse in the sacred narrative of biodiversity conservation for Earth Stewardship, several sacred sites exemplify the application of the new trend for biocultural heritage as the driver for cultural landscape management and sustainability scenarios in the Andes.
The Trigeminocardiac Reflex in Interventional Neuroradiology

In contrast to the well-developed neurosurgical and ophthalmological literature, the literature on manifestations of the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) during neurointerventions has been reported in a total of only 16 cases. All of the cases involved the use of Onyx® as the embolic agent, with its solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the likely responsible ingredient. These reports involved the embolization of arteriovenous fistulae or nasal tumors, with injection of the internal maxillary artery, the middle meningeal artery, the inferior petrosal sinus, or the cavernous sinus. Although there has been no clear demonstration that DMSO can act as a trigeminal excitatory agonist, clinical experience, as well as the chemical similarity of DMSO to organic vaporous solvents which are known to act that way, suggests that this is the likely mechanism. All cases of the TCR discussed in the neurointerventional literature responded immediately to atropine, with no permanent sequelae. It is recommended that both neurointerventionalists and anesthesiologists performing the aforementioned procedures be prepared for the possibility of episodes of the TCR.
A harmonic pulse testing method for leakage detection in deep subsurface storage formations

Detection of leakage in deep geologic storage formations (e.g., carbon sequestration sites) is a challenging problem. This study investigates an easy-to-implement frequency domain leakage detection technology based on harmonic pulse testing (HPT). Unlike conventional constant-rate pressure interference tests, HPT stimulates a reservoir using periodic injection rates. The fundamental principle underlying HPT-based leakage detection is that leakage modifies a storage system's frequency response function, thus providing clues of system malfunction. During operations, routine HPTs can be conducted at multiple pulsing frequencies to obtain experimental frequency response functions, using which the possible time-lapse changes are examined. In this work, a set of analytical frequency response solutions is derived for predicting system responses with and without leaks for single-phase flow systems. Sensitivity studies show that HPT can effectively reveal the presence of leaks. A search procedure is then prescribed for locating the actual leaks using amplitude and phase information obtained from HPT, and the resulting optimization problem is solved using the genetic algorithm. For multiphase flows, the applicability of HPT-based leakage detection procedure is exemplified numerically using a carbon sequestration problem. Results show that the detection procedure is applicable if the average reservoir conditions in the testing zone stay relatively constant during the tests, which is a working assumption under many other interpretation methods for pressure interference tests. HPT is a cost-effective tool that only requires periodic modification of the nominal injection rate. Thus it can be incorporated into existing monitoring plans with little additional investment.
Temperature dependence of amino acid hydrophobicities

The hydrophobicities of the 20 common amino acids are reflected in their tendencies to appear in interior positions in globular proteins and in deeply buried positions of membrane proteins. To determine whether these relationships might also have been valid in the warm surroundings where life may have originated, we examined the effect of temperature on the hydrophobicities of the amino acids as measured by the equilibrium constants for transfer of their side-chains from neutral solution to cyclohexane (Kw>c). The hydrophobicities of most amino acids were found to increase with increasing temperature. Because that effect is more pronounced for the more polar amino acids, the numerical range of Kw>c values decreases with increasing temperature. There are also modest changes in the ordering of the more polar amino acids. However, those changes are such that they would have tended to minimize the otherwise disruptive effects of a changing thermal environment on the evolution of protein structure. Earlier, the genetic code was found to be organized in such a way that—with a single exception (threonine)—the side-chain dichotomy polar/nonpolar matches the nucleic acid base dichotomy purine/pyrimidine at the second position of each coding triplet at 25 °C. That dichotomy is preserved at 100 °C. The accessible surface areas of amino acid side-chains in folded proteins are moderately correlated with hydrophobicity, but when free energies of vapor-to-cyclohexane transfer (corresponding to size) are taken into consideration, a closer relationship becomes apparent.
The Death of Tax Havens

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has been fighting for the elimination of harmful tax practices since 1998, through the creation of a global co-operative framework. In June, 2000, the OECD listed thirty-five jurisdictions considered to be tax havens. These jurisdictions originally had until July 31, 2001 to make commitments for the elimination of harmful tax practices. Through subsequent meetings between the OECD and the jurisdictions, various modifications were made to the OECD guidelines, including an extension of the commitment deadline until February, 2002, and the postponement of the defensive measures until April, 2003. This Note will examine the OECD, the various meetings held between the OECD and the tax havens, the results achieved by the OECD, and the implications of the pending deadline.