cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Procyanidin on the Murine Pain Pattern Caused by Acetic Acid

Objective To investigate effects of procyanidin on the murine pain pattern caused by acetic acid. Methods 72 mice were radomly divided into 6 groups : procyanidin groups(i.g.120.0,24.0 and 4.8 mg·kg-1,respectively),negative control group(i.g.NS),positive contrl group(i.g.5 mg·kg-1morphine) and aspirin group(i.g.500 mg·kg-1 aspirin).Mice were all treated for 5 days.On the fifth day,each mice was injected with 0.6% HAc to course pain model,and was recorded the number of writhing within 15 minutes. Results The numbers writhing in the groups of high and middle dose of procyanidin were(4.33±2.43) and(6.50±2.91),both were significant lower than those in the NS group(P0.05,both);the low dose group showed no significant difference compared with NS group(P0.05);Each Procyanidin group displayed higher numbers of writhing than those in aspirin and morphine group(P0.05).Inhibiting rate for writhing in each Procyanidin groups was 74.53%,61.76%,26.46%,separately. Conclusion Procyanidin showed significantly analgesia effect on pain pattern caused by HAc,and which is dose-related.
Analysis of Partial Discharge in GIS under Impulse Voltage by Using Quadratic Short-time Fourier Transform

In order to analyze the characteristics of signals of partial discharge(PD) in GIS under the impulse voltage,a kind of timefrequency transform theory called the quadratic short-time Fourier transform was applied in analysis of the PD pulse sequence to get the distribution of energy and variation law of signals in the time-frequency plane.In this research,the time-frequency transform of a kind of typical PD pulse sequence containing noise was simulated,which showed that PD pulse could be extracted efficiently.Besides,a kind of spikes defect model was installed in the bus segment of 220 kV GIS and the PD of GIS under impulse voltage was detected.By timefrequency analysis of experiment data,it can be found that the theory of quadratic short-time Fourier transform can be applied in analysis of PD signals efficiently and the variation law of time-frequency spectrogram was affected by the length of window function.
The Social Responsibility is a Goal the Modern Enterprise Development Must have

This article elaborates the argument of the social responsibility is a goal which the modern enterprisedevelops must have.The full text discussed the enterprise behavior not only consideres economical agent,also consideres social and environment agent.To emphasize the social responsibility is the important part of the modern enterprise management goal.The enterprise only has to fulfill the social responsibility,then can realize own sustainable development.
Outsourcing Under Price and Quality Competition: Single Firm Case

In this chapter, we add another set of decision-makers to a supply chain network – that of the contractors. We present a supply chain network equilibrium model with outsourcing under price and quality competition. We consider a firm that is engaged in determining the optimal product flows associated with its supply chain network activities in the form of manufacturing and distribution. In addition to multimarket demand satisfaction, the firm seeks to minimize its cost, with the associated function also capturing the firm’s weighted disrepute cost caused by possible quality issues associated with the contractors. Simultaneously, the contractors, who compete with one another in a noncooperative manner in prices a la Bertrand, and in quality, seek to secure manufacturing and distribution of the product from the firm. This game theory model allows for the determination of the optimal product flows associated with the supply chain in-house and outsourcing network activities and provides the firm with its optimal make-or-buy decisions and the optimal contractor-selections. We state the governing equilibrium conditions and derive the equivalent variational inequality formulation. We propose an algorithm and apply it to compute solutions to numerical examples to illustrate the generality and applicability of the framework.
Business Cycle Shocks to Foreign Aid Flows

Abstract We propose a new method to construct instruments for foreign aid flows that exploits business cycle fluctuation in donor countries. In addition, we present empirical results demonstrating that the first step required to produce these instruments is both feasible given the available data and promising based on how strongly predictive donor country economic circumstances are for the size of aid flows.
Metal Ions Reverse the Inhibitory Effects of Selected Food-Grade Phosphates in Staphylococcus aureus.

Previous studies showed that levels as low as 0.1% sodium ultraphosphate (UP), 0.1% sodium polyphosphate glassy (SPG) and 0.5% tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) were bactericidal and bacteriolytic to early-exponential phase cells of Staphylococcus aureus ISP40 8325. In the present study, Ca2+ (0.01 M) or Mg2+ (0.01 M) reversed the bacteriolytic effects of UP (0.1%) and SPG (0.1%) to S. aureus. In addition, Ca2+ (0.01 M) or Mg2+ (0.01 M), when added to the culture medium before inoculation, protected cells from growth inhibition by UP and SPG. Moreover, the bactericidal effects of UP or SPG were reversed by Ca2+ or Mg2+ in metal-rescue experiments in which the metals were added to polyphosphate-containing medium after 1 h of incubation. No additive effect existed between Mg2+ and Ca2+. Growth inhibition of TSPP was not reversed by Mg2+ or Ca2+, but it was reversed by Fe3+ when Fe3+ was added to protect cells 1 h before the addition of TSPP. These studies show that the antibacterial effects of phosphates can...
Shoulder Arthroplasty Trials Are Infrequently Registered: A Systematic Review of Trials.

INTRODUCTION With the intent of improving transparency in clinical research, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) established guidelines in 2005 regarding prospective clinical trial registration. This action worked to address bias related to selective outcome reporting in the medical literature. The objective of this study was to assess and characterize the quality of registration of clinical trials appearing in shoulder arthroplasty-related medical journals. METHODS All randomized trials involving human subjects, pertaining to shoulder arthroplasty, published between July 1, 2005 and December 31, 2015, and indexed in either PubMed or SportDISCUS were analyzed. We assessed the prevalence of registration, the timing of registration relative to patient enrollment periods, and the variable rates of orthopedic journal compliance with ICMJE and Food and Drug Administration clinical registration standards for our study. RESULTS Of the 382 articles identified, 345 (90.3%) were excluded due to failure to meet inclusion criteria. From the remaining 37, only 12 (32.4%) studies were found to be registered in a trial registry. Ten (10/12, 83.3%) of these provided their registration information within the body of the article. None of the included studies from ICMJE-recognized journals were registered. From 34 included studies from non-ICMJE recognized journals, 12 (35.3%) were registered. CONCLUSION The level of compliance with clinical trial registration guidelines in the decade since their release among shoulder arthroplasty trials in orthopedic journals is poor. Given the importance of the issue, the prevalence of the problem, and the fact that many other medical specialties have already made efforts to improve ICMJE compliance, further work on the part of orthopedic surgery journal authors and editors is needed to ensure the publication of unbiased results. TRIAL REGISTRATION UMIN000022487.
Routine Activities and Delinquency: The Significance of Bonds to Society and Peer Context:

This article extends prior research on routine activities and youth deviance by focusing on a broader range of routine activity patterns (RAPs) and on how their effects are conditioned by bonds to ...
Intravascular Hemolytic Anemia with Acanthocytosis Following Alternative Treatment with Ozone, UV Light, and Perflurocarbon

Alternative medicine has become more common as patients seek approaches to diseases where traditional medicine has failed. Treatment with ozone has been purported to have benefits for a variety of infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. Treatment can be administered by the intra arterial, intravenous, intra rectal and subcutaneous routes as well as ozonated autohaemotherapy. We describe a 44 year old woman who received treatment at an alternative medical center for recurrent breast cancer including laetrile, perflurocarbon emulsion, high dose ascorbic acid, vitamin K and extracorporeal treatment of her blood with ozone and ultraviolet light. After receiving her second treatment, she presented to our hospital with a syncopal episode and was found to be anemic (Hb 4 gm/dl). The LDH was 8X> ULN, the serum haptoglobin was undetectable, and the reticulocyte count was increased. The peripheral blood smear showed aniscocytosis, poikilocytosis and polychromasia. There was also severe acanthocytosis. Heinz bodies were not detected. The patient refused blood products and after 48h of hospitalization, her Hb rose to 7gm and she was discharged. She did not return for follow-up evaluation. Acanthocytosis has been associated with impairment of cholesterol membrane fluidity seen with acquired hepatic disease as well as some congenital diseases. Oxidative stress can lead to peroxidation of membrane phospholipids, and if the intrinsic repair mechanism of the RBC is overwhelmed, the RBCs transform into acanthocytes. To date, there has been no literature describing hemolysis associated with any of the individual treatments which this patient received; however the combination of treatments exposed the RBC’s to multiple oxidative stresses which might lead to lipid peroxidation and formation of acanthocytes. This case illustrates the potential problems that face clinicians when encountering patients who seek alternative therapy.
Corroborating Evidence of a Pre-Euro-American Low- to Moderate-Severity Fire Regime in Yellow Pine–Mixed Conifer Forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Fire was the dominant ecological process controlling forest structure and succession in western North American conifer forests for thousands of years. Because fires are now suppressed, and because widespread logging has greatly altered vegetation structure, land managers often use estimates of pre-Euro-American settlement forest conditions to help guide restoration actions. It follows that it is important to fully understand the characteristics of pre-Euro-American settlement fire regimes. Percentages of high-severity fire, fire rotation period, and proportions of early, mid, and late developmental forests are intricately and inextricably linked. Early twentieth century vegetation maps that appear to reflect aspects of pre-settlement forest conditions demonstrate that large patches of montane chaparral, which is often an early seral community in yellow pine-mixed conifer forests, were mostly restricted to steep south-facing canyon slopes at higher elevations associated with fir or subalpine forests. When resampled to a 16 ha minimum mapping unit, we found that an early twentieth century vegetation map shows montane chaparral occupied only about five percent of the landscape outside of areas that were highly impacted by gold rush era mining. We found that successional modeling suggests that similar levels (7 %) of high severity per fire in pre-settlement yellow pine-mixed conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada would permit about half of the forested area to reach late development state, consistent with other estimated amounts of pre-settlement old-growth forests. In contrast, we found that high levels (30 %) of high severity per fire—the current average—would result in only about 13 % of forests in a late development state. We do not see evidence that large proportions of high-severity fire were typical during pre-settlement fires in yellow pine-mixed conifer forests in our study area.
Using the MCNP Taylor series perturbation feature (efficiently) for shielding problems

The Taylor series or differential operator perturbation method, implemented in MCNP and invoked using the PERT card, can be used for efficient parameter studies in shielding problems. This paper shows how only two PERT cards are needed to generate an entire parameter study, including statistical uncertainty estimates (an additional three PERT cards can be used to give exact statistical uncertainties). One realistic example problem involves a detailed helium-3 neutron detector model and its efficiency as a function of the density of its high-density polyethylene moderator. The MCNP differential operator perturbation capability is extremely accurate for this problem. A second problem involves the density of the polyethylene reflector of the BeRP ball and is an example of first-order sensitivity analysis using the PERT capability. A third problem is an analytic verification of the PERT capability.
Mitochondria in Muscle and Exercise

This chapter will discuss the role of mitochondria in muscle, particularly the effect of acute and chronic exercise. The focus will be on human studies. A general overview of mitochondrial structure and function will be followed by a discussion of the diverse techniques used to measure mitochondrial function. We will then discuss the role of acute and chronic effects of exercise in patients with insulin resistance/type 2 DM (T2DM) on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and identify critical knowledge gaps for future investigation.
Imaging Spectroscopy BRDF Correction for Mapping Louisiana’s Coastal Ecosystems

This paper presents the adaptive reflectance geometric correction (ARGC), a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) correction algorithm to address intensity gradients across remotely sensed images. The ARGC is developed and tested on data from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) collected over Louisiana’s Atchafalaya River Delta, an area of complex wetland vegetation and waterbodies suited to AVIRIS-NG’s fine spatial and spectral resolutions. Changing view and solar geometry, in conjunction with surfaces’ anisotropic properties, impact a scene’s observed reflectance. As traditional BRDF corrections may not be appropriate for wetland environments that have distinctive vegetation and hydrologic structures, more flexible functional corrections are shown to improve results. We compared two existing methods and the ARGC. The first method fits a quadratic function over image column averages, and the second is based on the inversion of the Ross Thick and Li Sparse kernels. Building upon the principles of these methods, the ARGC uses a multiple regression-based BRDF correction whereby the image’s solar and view geometric descriptors form the independent variables. Each BRDF correction method was applied to the set of six partially overlapping AVIRIS-NG scenes. Assuming the actual surface reflectance of a given land cover type is independent of geometry, we used adjacent images’ overlapping regions to quantitatively assess each correction method’s efficacy. The ARGC produced the lowest overall root-mean-square difference and the lowest overlap mean absolute difference across the vast majority of bands. The ARGC is proposed as a practical new BRDF correction option for investigators using AVIRIS-NG data.
“Who We Are Now”: Iñupiaq Youth On the Ice

This essay considers Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s 2011 feature film On the Ice, about Inupiaq youth in Barrow, Alaska, in the context of Arctic and Indigenous cinemas and the American western. Reading the film through Inuit and Inupiaq concepts and engaging with the film’s depictions of cultural syncretism, Indigenous hip hop, Inupiaq hunting culture, and film genres, the essay argues that Inupiaq sovereignty of the camera, as an adaptive aesthetic practice, strengthens the work and the value of traditional knowledge in a connected world.
The relationship of whole human vertebral body creep to geometric, microstructural, and material properties

Abstract Creep, the time dependent deformation of a structure under load, is an important viscoelastic property of bone and may play a role in the development of permanent deformity of the vertebrae in vivo leading to clinically observable spinal fractures. To date, creep properties and their relationship to geometric, microstructural, and material properties have not been described in isolated human vertebral bodies. In this study, a range of image-based measures of vertebral bone geometry, bone mass, microarchitecture and mineralization were examined in multiple regression models in an effort to understand their contribution to creep behavior. Several variables, such as measures of mineralization heterogeneity, average bone density, and connectivity density persistently appeared as significant effects in multiple regression models (adjusted r2: 0.17–0.56). Although further work is needed to identify additional tissue properties to fully describe the portion of variability not explained by these models, these data are expected to help understand mechanisms underlying creep and improve prediction of vertebral deformities that eventually progress to a clinically observable fracture.
An iterative algorithm for optimal variable weighting in K-means clustering

ABSTRACTThe K-means clustering method is a widely adopted clustering algorithm in data mining and pattern recognition, where the partitions are made by minimizing the total within group sum of squares based on a given set of variables. Weighted K-means clustering is an extension of the K-means method by assigning nonnegative weights to the set of variables. In this paper, we aim to obtain more meaningful and interpretable clusters by deriving the optimal variable weights for weighted K-means clustering. Specifically, we improve the weighted k-means clustering method by introducing a new algorithm to obtain the globally optimal variable weights based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions. We present the mathematical formulation for the clustering problem, derive the structural properties of the optimal weights, and implement an recursive algorithm to calculate the optimal weights. Numerical examples on simulated and real data indicate that our method is superior in both clustering accuracy and computational...
Polyolefin-based interpenetrating polymer network absorbent for crude oil entrapment and recovery in aqueous system.

In this research, a series of different two polyolefin-based interlaced polymer network material was prepared with a semi-crystalline linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE, thermoplastic) and a crosslinked 1-decene/divinylbenzene (1-D/DVB, elastomer) having high crude oil absorption capacity. The prepared absorbents, LLDPE/D/DVB, were characterized by NMR, TEM, contact angle measurement and TGA analysis. It was observed that the mixing ratio of two interlaced polymer network played a crucial role in determining its crude oil absorption capacity. The swelling capacity of absorbent prepared from a 1:1 mixing of LLDPE and D/DVB (0.2 ml) exhibit high removal efficiency in crude oil absorption over 40 g/g at both 25 °C and 0 °C. The removal of the absorbed crude oil from the water surface is effective. As the absorbent made of polyolefin materials have pure hydrocarbon content, offer significant advantages such as high absorption capacity, simple recovery, and recyclability.
Distributed Heterogeneous Sensing for Outdoor Multi-Robot Localization, Mapping, and Path Planning

Our objective is to develop a team of autonomous mobile robots that are able to operate in previously unfamiliar outdoor environments. In these environments, the robot teams should be able to cooperatively localize even when DGPS is not consistently available, to autonomously generate rough elevation maps of their terrain, and to use these generated maps to plan multi-robot paths that enable them to accomplish their mission objective, such as reconnaissance and surveillance or perimeter security. This paper briefly outlines our approaches to achieving this objective, along with some of our implementation results on our team of four ATRV-mini mobile robots.
Sustainable Educational Reform

This article examines the nature of sustainable and unsustainable educational reform. Sustainable reform is defined as reform that addresses deep issues of learning, achievement, and caring for students (rather than superficially tested attainment) – in ways that spread and last – and do no harm to students in neighboring schools elsewhere. Three prior ages of educational innovation, restructuring/reculturing, and large-scale reform are discussed along with their limited success in securing sustainability. Seven principles of sustainability are then described and illustrated in relation to two research-based examples of highly successful and sustainable school systems.
Functionalization via Reactive Polyolefins Containing p -Methylstyrene Groups

This chapter discusses a reactive comonomer, p-methylstyrene (p-MS) that can be effectively incorporated into polyolefins by transition metal catalysts and can be subsequently interconverted to various desirable functional groups, such as -OH, -NH2, -COOH, anhydride, and halides. The reactive groups can be effectively transformed to stable anionic initiators for living anionic graft-from polymerization reactions. The resulting graft copolymers, containing a polyolefin backbone and several well-defined functional polymer side chains, offer not only a high concentration of functional groups, but also preserve the desirable polyolefin properties, such as crystallinity, melting point, and glass transition temperature. The chapter further discusses the major advantages of p-MS, such as its commercial availability, easy incorporation into polyolefins, and versatility in the functionalization chemistry under various reaction mechanisms including free radical, cationic, and anionic processes. The preparation of p-MS-containing polyolefin copolymers has been greatly enhanced by the metallocene technology. The well-defined metallocene catalyst with constrained ligand geometry, having a spatially opened catalytic site, allows the effective incorporation of large co-monomers.
A media framing analysis of a U.S. presidential advisor: Alternative flacks

Abstract Political public relations became headline news when Kellyanne Conway, Advisor to U.S. President Trump, described provable falsehoods as alternative facts. Other memorable/misstatements became part of the cultural zeitgeist even as journalists continued to interview her. Public relations professionals are inextricably connected to the journalists who shape public opinion. The author therefore conducted a qualitative framing analysis to understand how journalists framed her occupational role and job performance. Articles from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal revealed that journalists assigned Advocacy and Gendered framing for her occupational role. Analysis also indicated that journalists alternately depicted her performance as adequate, unreliable, and manipulative. The author considers implications of findings for public relations professionals.
A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of the Associations Between Acculturation and Alcohol Use Outcomes Among Hispanic Americans.

Acculturation has been studied as one key sociocultural determinant that helps explain ethnic disparities in alcohol use outcomes among Hispanic Americans. Primary studies and other systematic reviews have found between-study inconsistencies regarding the extent to which acculturation is associated with alcohol use outcomes among Hispanic Americans. To better examine whether acculturation is distinctly linked to drinker status, drinking frequency, volume, intensity, binge drinking, and hazardous alcohol use/drinking problems, and to identify individual and methodological factors that moderate these associations, we conducted a comprehensive research synthesis. A systematic review was conducted on research pertaining to the associations between acculturation and alcohol use among Hispanics. We included 88 independent study samples (N = 68,282) coded from 68 manuscripts published in 1987 to 2017. Standard and robust variance estimation (RVE) meta-analyses were conducted to calculate the correlations between acculturation and overall alcohol use. We also conducted a series of analyses to examine the weighted mean correlations between acculturation and 6 specific drinking outcomes. We found a statistically significant correlation between acculturation and overall alcohol use (r = 0.09, p < 0.001). Acculturation was associated with drinker status (r = 0.10, p < 0.001), drinking intensity (r = 0.09, p = 0.001), binge drinking (r = 0.05, p = 0.006), and hazardous alcohol use/drinking problems (r = 0.06, p = 0.006), but not drinking frequency (r = 0.02, p = 0.56) or volume (r = 0.01, p = 0.73). Gender, acculturation dimension, acculturation domain, age group, and sampling settings were found to explain between-study variability in some of these associations. Findings show small relations between acculturation and various alcohol use outcomes, but the effects are relatively more robust among Hispanic women, adults, and when studies measured U.S. cultural orientation, linguistic acculturation, and behavioral practices.
Scaling Up Early Childhood Development and Education in a Devolved Setting: Policy Making, Resource Allocations, and Impacts of the Tayari School Readiness Program in Kenya

Early childhood development and education (ECDE) is devolved in Kenya, which means that each of Kenya’s 47 counties budgets for and implements ECDE independently. Kenya provides two years of preprimary education to children ages four and five. Given scarce resources, constructing facilities and hiring teachers are often principal considerations for county governments. The present study investigated whether and how counties go beyond the basic provision of facilities and teachers to invest in learning materials, expand teacher professional development, and hire coaches to improve the quality of teaching. These results are presented in the context of the Tayari ECDE program, which was designed to improve school readiness in a cost-effective way. We present qualitative findings from several counties to describe how government bodies invest in additional elements of preprimary quality improvement. We also compare results across counties that do and do not implement the Tayari model to understand whether implementation of an effective program to increase ECDE quality encourages adjustments in government resource allocations. In addition, we present quantitative results from a large-scale longitudinal treatment and control study of the Tayari model, which tested the effectiveness of curriculum-aligned instructional materials and teacher training and support in improving learners’ school readiness in public and low-cost private learning centers. Finally, we present policy implications for decentralized government structures responsible for providing ECDE, noting how these can be supported and incentivized to increase investments in ECDE quality.
The Negotiation of Multilingual Heritage Identity in a Distance Environment: HLA and the Plurilingual Turn.

This article expands upon a plenary presentation I delivered at the 2017 Arizona CALL Conference at Arizona State University. I will discuss some current perspectives in second language acquisition (SLA) which have implications for heritage language acquisition (HLA) and provide some examples from longitudinal data collected among heritage learners who participated in a collaborative program to share less commonly taught languages via videoconferencing among Yale, Columbia, and Cornell. Our findings indicate that many of the heritage language learners (HLLs) had complex multilingual backgrounds which affected both their sense of identity and their motivations for learning the heritage language. I will argue that a more dynamic model of HLA may provide a better understanding of how HLLs negotiate and construct their identities in a plurilingual world.
Can Pediatric Practitioners Correctly Interpret Electrocardiograms

Objectives To assess the impact of participation in an educational presentation on electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation in children on pediatric practitioners' ability to accurately interpret ECGs. Study design Pediatric healthcare providers at a pediatric clinic with >65 000 visits/year were eligible to participate. A 1-hour ECG educational module that provided a systematic approach to ECG interpretation was presented to 8 providers who consented (6 pediatricians, 2 pediatric nurse practitioners). A test on 11 ECGs (normal, normal-variant, and abnormal ECGs) was given before and 2 weeks after the educational module. Outcomes included correct interpretation of each ECG as normal or abnormal and correct identification of specific ECG findings. Data analysis was descriptive and included χ2 and Student t test. Results Mean score (SD) for correct interpretation of ECGs as normal or abnormal improved from 35% (48%) (95% CI 25.0-45.4) to 77% (42%) (95% CI 68.3-86.2) after the ECG educational module (P Conclusions Education of pediatric practitioners on ECG interpretation significantly improves their ability to distinguish normal from abnormal and to identify specific abnormalities. Limitations included small sample size and short-term follow-up.
Graphical Determination of Transient Cable Fault Location with Captured Time-Domain Data

This paper discusses an ‘after the fact’ analysis of distribution circuit precursor faults in underground cables, an effort which would result in the prediction of faults and their locations before they lead to permanent faults. The basis of this work is the algorithm which incorporated a sub-cycle, transient fault distance calculation formulation that had been developed using the concept of net fault voltages and currents coupled with the principles of superposition and negative voltage injection. This work, shifting the said calculation to graphical representation, generates estimates of fault distance from the characteristic points on 2D graphs made by the net currents and net voltages. It initially preprocesses centrally captured voltage and current time-domain data to obtain net value samples, maps out the 2D graphs, and extracts line parameter loci at zero crossing(s) of the fault loop current as well as those of its time derivative. A final stage is the estimation of the line fault distance in terms of two parameters; line resistance (R line ) and line inductance (L line ) to the fault point. Details of this approach are outlined with tests involving the use of fault data generated from modeling and simulation in ATP/EMTP followed by the comparison of the results with predetermined cable parameters.
Bandage contact lens retention in dogs—A pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare retention, application characteristics, and patient tolerance of nine bandage contact lens types from four manufacturers. ANIMALS STUDIED: Six research Beagles were used in this pilot study. PROCEDURE: Five bandage contact lens types from two veterinary brands and four bandage contact lens types from two human brands were evaluated in six research Beagles. Placement ease, the dogs’ contact lens tolerance, and contact lens retention time for up to 14 days were recorded. Statistical analysis with a linear mixed model was performed. RESULTS: Veterinary contact lenses had an average retention time of 0.4 days (range 0‐7 days, with an average of 10% and 3% retained ≥1 and ≥7 days, respectively), while human contact lenses had a significantly (P < 0.0001) longer average retention time of 5.2 days (range 0‐14 days, with an average of 83% and 37.5% retained ≥1 and ≥7 days, respectively). Specifically, Johnson and Johnson Vision Care Acuvue® Oasys™ with Hydraclear™ Plus lenses were retained significantly longer than all veterinary lenses, and Bausch and Lomb PureVision® 2 lenses were retained significantly longer than Keragenix HydroBlues™ 18 and AnimaLens™ HRT 78 18 mm lenses. CONCLUSION: Although all bandage contact lenses were easy to use and well tolerated by the dogs, the human lenses were retained significantly better and longer than the veterinary lenses. Additionally, human lenses were retained significantly better and longer than veterinary lenses of similar measurements. This suggests factors other than measurement and associated fit may determine contact lens retention time.
What Should Health Care Systems Consider When Implementing Complementary and Integrative Health: Lessons from Veterans Health Administration.

Abstract Objectives: Health care systems are increasingly interested in becoming whole health systems that include complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches. The nation's largest health...
Integrated Processes for Chemical Utilization of Biomass

Extraction and process technology of all kinds is faced with the selective isolation of components or conversion products derived from the raw material. The technology can only be economic if the total value of the products exceeds raw material, processing and investment costs. This can occur over the entire range of the total value obtained by multiplying the unit value or values by the yield. For example, the mining of gold, iron, coal and gravel covers the range from very low yields of high value gold to very high yields of low value gravel. Multiple products can also increase total value, and this is the pattern in the petroleum refining and meat packing industries.
Terror Management Theory and Religious Belief

Abstract Religious belief has been a stable and wide-reaching force in human culture. To sufficiently understand why, this chapter considers the role of religious beliefs in human motivation to manage the uniquely human awareness of death. Rather than viewing religion as a nonfunctional by-product of other processes, terror management theory views religion as offering a particularly powerful means of addressing the problem of humans’ natural, physical limitations. Terror management processes fuel the dualistic belief that the self is an immortal soul, separate from the mortal body, and motivates religious faith in the spiritual purity of sacred religious figures and in the power of souls to conquer the limits of the natural world. Similarly, the awareness of death fuels faith in supernatural immortality (e.g., afterlife), supporting myths about supernatural agency (gods, spirits, creation), and a variety of social behaviors designed to bolster and protect the perceived legitimacy of such religious beliefs.
Striking a Balance-Cellular and Molecular Drivers of Memory T Cell Development and Responses to Chronic Stimulation.

Effective adaptive immune responses are characterized by stages of development and maturation of T and B cell populations that respond to disturbances in the host homeostasis in cases of both infections and cancer. For the T cell compartment, this begins with recognition of specific peptides by naive, antigen-inexperienced T cells that results in their activation, proliferation, and differentiation, which generates an effector population that clears the antigen. Loss of stimulation eventually returns the host to a homeostatic state, with a heterogeneous memory T cell population that persists in the absence of antigen and is primed for rapid responses to a repeat antigen exposure. However, in chronic infections and cancers, continued antigen persistence impedes a successful adaptive immune response and the formation of a stereotypical memory population of T cells is compromised. With repeated antigen stimulation, responding T cells proceed down an altered path of differentiation that allows for antigen persistence, but much less is known regarding the heterogeneity of these cells and the extent to which they can become "memory-like," with a capacity for self-renewal and recall responses that are characteristic of bona fide memory cells. This review focuses on the differentiation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the context of chronic antigen stimulation, highlighting the central observations in both human and mouse studies regarding the differentiation of memory or "memory-like" T cells. The importance of both the cellular and molecular drivers of memory T cell development are emphasized to better understand the consequences of persisting antigen on T cell fates. Integrating what is known and is common across model systems and patients can instruct future studies aimed at further understanding T cell differentiation and development, with the goal of developing novel methods to direct T cells toward the generation of effective memory populations.
Review: Sacred Thresholds: The Door to the Sanctuary in Late Antiquity, edited by Emilie M. van Opstall

Emilie M. van Opstall, ed. Sacred Thresholds: The Door to the Sanctuary in Late Antiquity Leiden: Brill, 2018, 384 pp., 49 illus. $146 (cloth), ISBN 9789004368590 The term liminality has become so pervasive in the humanities that its overuse, or misuse, in studies of thresholds—whether real, imagined, or symbolic—often runs the risk of delegitimating the concept of a physical, material limen within architectural and art historical analysis. It is therefore refreshing to encounter a volume such as Emilie M. van Opstall's Sacred Thresholds: The Door to the Sanctuary in Late Antiquity , which explores the myriad ways in which doors to sacred spaces served as both physical objects and metaphysical conceits, and as conduits between human and divine experience. This edited volume is the product of a 2015 interdisciplinary conference held at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam titled “The Door of the Sanctuary: A Place of Transition.” The twelve essays in the book are divided among four thematic sections, with van Opstall's general introduction providing an excellent primer on the methodological approaches used by the contributing authors. More important, however, is the introduction's concise overview of the history of “liminality” in scholarship and of the principal theoretical models used to interpret the construction of sacred space and the role of doors in facilitating religious ritual. Following the introduction, van Opstall begins the first major thematic section of the volume, “Experiencing Sacred Thresholds,” with her own essay, “On the Threshold: Paul the Silentiary's Ekphrasis of Hagia Sophia .” Paul's sixth-century ekphraseis on the ecstatic, even euphoric, effects of Hagia Sophia's interior design are widely known. Rather than focusing on Paul's well-known observations regarding the church's interior, van Opstall draws attention to the church's so-called Imperial Doors and their ability to negotiate the multisensory experiences of the divine as described by Paul. This novel approach sets the tone for the essays that follow, which demonstrate that sanctuary doors not only function as permeable veils between the human and the …
Online Competitive Schemes for Linear Power-Down Systems

We consider a system which has, in addition to an on-state, a set of energy-saving states. For each of these states the system has an associated energy cost and a cost to power up to the on-state. Requests for service, i.e. for when the device has to be in the on-state, are not known in advance; thus strategies for powering down are studied in the framework of online competitive analysis. We study a systems with a continuous infinite number of states where associated costs are given by two linear functions on the states and give strategies which are analyzed in terms of online competitive analysis.
Neuroimaging and its correlation with clinical aspects of cerebral palsy

Objective To investigate neuroimaging and its correlation with clinical aspects of cerebral palsy (CP).Methods A retrospective study of 295 children with CP was conducted.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) and intelligence testing were administered,and any correlations among these measures was analysed.Results Among the 295 cases,257 presented abnormal MRIs (87.1％) due to brain maldevelopment (n =11),periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) (n =173),cortical/subcortical lesions (n =17),basal ganglia lesions (n =26),cerebellar maldevelopment (n =11) or others lesions (n =19).Thirty-nine presented with normal MRIs.About 26％ were rated at GMFCS level 1,18％ at level 2,17％ at level 3,19％ at level 4 and 20％ at level 5.Almost 82％ of the children presented with brain maldevelopment and 84.4％ with PVL-induced spastic bilateral paralysis.In 41％ of the children with cortical or subcortical lesions,induced spastic hemiplegia was observed,whereas 47％ had induced spastic bilateral paralysis.In 77％ of the children with basal ganglia lesions induced involuntary movement was observed,and all of those with maldevelopment of the cerebellum were ataxic.Most of those with spastic hemiplegic,bilateral paralysis,involuntary movement and ataxia were on GMFCS levels 1 or 2,with only 3.7％,33.5％,64.1％ and 46.2％ respectively on GMFCS level 4 or 5.Among those in whom the MRI revealed brain maldevelopment,9.1％ were on GMFCS level 1 or 2.The corresponding percentage for PVL was 43.9％,for cortical or subcortical lesions 58.8％,for basal ganglia lesions 19.2％ and for cerebellar maldevelopment 27.3％.The balance in each category were on GMFCS level 4 or 5.Epilepsy was most common in the children with brain maldevelopment (36.4％) or cortical or subcortical lesions (41.2％).Mental retardation was most common in cases of brain maldevelopment (45.5％),cortical or subcortical lesions (41.2％) or cerebellum maldevelopment (36.4％).The incidence of epilepsy and mental retardation was higher among the children on levels 4 and 5 than on levels 1 and 2.Conclusions Neuroimaging correlates significantly with the type of CP and GMFCS level.Epilepsy and mental retardation are most common in children with brain maldevelopment or lesions.The incidence of epilepsy and mental retardation is higher among children rated at GMFCS level 4 or 5 than among those on levels 1and 2. Key words: Cerebral palsy ; Neuroimaging; Gross motor function classification system ; Epilepsy ; Mental retardation
General Anesthesia Recommendations for Electroconvulsive Therapy During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious viral disease first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and very rapidly spread globally resulting in a pandemic. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Although the majority of patients recover, there are still a significant number of patients who progress to respiratory failure, multiorgan failure, and death. The virus is mainly spread during close contact and by small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, or talking. Because of the highly contagious element and easy spread in a communal living arrangement that exists within an inpatient psychiatric hospitals, the following guidelines were established to improve patient and staff safety while still maintaining efficiency and capability to provide this needed treatment to a subgroup of patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to devise a safe and efficient methodology to deliver potential lifesaving electroconvulsive therapy to inpatients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Exploring positive expectancies and quit status among adult electronic cigarette users

Initial research on electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use suggests differences exist in levels of use, beliefs, and cessation difficulties among users. However, little research has explored how th...
Ethical issues after pre-natal diagnosis

Following pre-natal diagnosis of congenital heart defect parents and family face a dramatic psychological crisis because of their state of shock, contradictory information available on potential outcomes, limited availability of time for decisions and for autonomous choices. Counselling the parents can present additional difficulties due to influence of education, cultural and religious background, individual cognitive and emotional processes, and cross-cultural patient care is a challenging issue for the caregivers. Type and quality of messages transmitted by the caregivers determine the counselling process, with the risk of misunderstandings particularly high with reduced available evidence, or with different outcomes accordingly with the various alternatives of treatment. Since the introduction of pre-natal diagnosis for congenital abnormality, interruption of pregnancy became available on these grounds in many Western countries, and the numbers of babies born with congenital heart defects has declined significantly despite concomitant advances in treatment options and outcomes. Detailed and objective information, with all available options, should be provided after pre-natal diagnosis of congenital heart defect. One of the major achievements of pediatric medicine in the last 50 years is the increased understanding of the pathogenetic causal mechanisms of congenital heart defects as well as its treatment. For congenital heart defects the progress of surgical treatments allowed a huge proportion of these children to reach adult life with a decent quality of life and social integration. Therefore, must be a considerable concern that universal pre-natal diagnosis widespread pregnancy interruption may obviate those gains. A reduction in the post-natal population undergoing treatment may have a significantly deleterious effect on the expertise of the caregivers, producing a reduction in outcome quality. With all respect for the parental choices and the obligations to follow the national laws, is necessary to remark that our society is genuinely ambivalent.
Surgical Robot-Enhanced Implantation of Intracranial Depth Electrodes for Single Neuron Recording Studies in Patients with Medically Refractory Epilepsy: A Technical Note.

Objective Single neuron or unit recording enables researchers to measure the electrophysiologic responses of single neurons using a microelectrode system. This approach is widely used in cognitive science and has become more widespread in humans with the use of hybrid (micro-within-macrowire) depth electrodes that enable the implantation of microwires into the brain parenchyma. Methods The authors describe their surgical technique in a total of 7 patients with intractable epilepsy who underwent robot-enhanced stereoencephalography in which both standard (nonhybrid) and hybrid depth electrodes were used for invasive chronic monitoring. Results The technique and accuracy of the procedure were evaluated with a total of 84 depth electrodes (46 hybrid, 38 standard) in 7 patients. No major complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage, infection or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, occurred regardless of the type of electrode used. Conclusions The addition of hybrid depth electrodes for the purpose of in vivo single neuron recording in robot-enhanced stereoencephalography procedures is safe and does not impact the accuracy of targeting or patient safety.
Abstract P671: Association Between Liver Fibrosis and Postoperative Stroke

Introduction: Chronic liver disease is associated with aberrant hemostasis, resulting in an increased risk of clotting and bleeding. We hypothesized that liver fibrosis, a manifestation of progress...
Integration Issues of Solar PV in Distribution Feeder Protection Schemes

The growth of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in distribution networks has brought about new challenges to the operation of protection devices. The new and irregular bidirectional flow patterns from PV systems may complicate the coordination of protection relays designed to detect faults. This paper highlights some of the more concerning operational scenarios of PV systems at the farm level on typical time-current overcurrent grading of Type 51 relays. A number of simulation case studies are carried out for a small radial-type distribution system considering different PV penetration or irradiance levels, fault locations and PV sites. The impacts on overall protection coordination are discussed.