cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of the Effects of Formal Nutrition Education on Online Nutrition Information Retrieval among College Students

ABSTRACTFew studies have examined online nutrition-health information seeking practices by college students using observational methods. The purpose of this study was to describe how college students search for health facts and credible recommendations related to nutrition, and to examine differences in information searching practices between students who have completed or not completed a formal introductory nutrition course. Undergraduate students (n = 48) were given three nutrition fact scenarios and three nutrition recommendation scenarios and used the Internet to find solutions. Observations were recorded using video and audio recording software (Camtasia). Nutrition students had higher nutrition knowledge (p < .001) and reported significantly higher satisfaction with their overall performance (p < .035) compared to nonnutrition students. Overall, students with nutrition education were able to recognized reputable websites as sources, more so that students without nutrition education. Public health ed...
Kidney cancer: Undertreatment of small renal masses by overuse of biopsy.

Recent evidence from series of small renal mass biopsy samples and methodologically robust meta-analyses provides improved guidance on cost–benefit trade-offs for diagnosis and management of this disease. Renal mass biopsy sampling should be reserved for situations in which it will affect management decisions – which it will not do for all patients.
Out of our skulls: How the extended mind thesis can extend psychiatry

AbstractThe thesis that mental states extend beyond the skull, otherwise known as the extended mind thesis (ExM), has attracted considerable philosophical attention and support. It has also been accused of lacking practical import. At the same time, the field of psychiatry has remained largely unacquainted with ExM, tending to rely instead upon what ExM proponents would consider to be outdated models of the mind. ExM and psychiatry, therefore, have much to offer one another, but the connection between the two has remained largely unexplored. Here, I consider what implications ExM may have for psychiatry and, in so doing, reveal how psychiatry may lend practical import to ExM. First, I detail the possibility of the extension of one mental state relevant to psychiatry. I augment this example by surveying other possibilities for extension in the context of psychiatric diagnoses. I then consider ways in which such extensions might alter psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Overall, I argue that recognition of...
Into the Dark: Shifts in Corporate Political Activity after Social Movement Challenges

Using a unique database on social movement boycotts of corporations, we examine how firms alter their political activities in the wake of a reputational threat. We show that boycotts lead to significant reductions in the amount of targets’ political action committee campaign contributions and simultaneous increases in targets’ CEOs’ personal campaign contributions, as well as targets’ lobbying expenditures. We argue that these patterns represent a shift toward more covert forms of political engagement that present new problems for activists and shareholders seeking to monitor corporate political activity.
Public Perceptions of Overlapping Surgery

Background Overlapping surgery is highly contentious, both in terms of the safety of the practice and the degree to which patients should be informed. However, no study has surveyed attitudes of the general public toward overlapping surgery and willingness to consent to such a procedure. Study Design A survey on overlapping surgery was completed by participants using Amazon Mechanical Turk, an online crowd-sourcing worksite. Responders completed a 51-question survey on their knowledge of overlapping surgery, expectations on disclosure during the informed consent process, and their willingness to participate in such a procedure. In addition, responders completed the Health Care System Distrust Scale. Results The survey was completed by 1,454 respondents. Median age was 33 years (range 21 to 74 years). Only 56 respondents (3.9%) had any knowledge of the practice of overlapping surgery. Overall, 440 respondents (31%) supported or strongly supported this practice. The majority of respondents believed that the attending surgeon should inform them in advance of overlapping surgery (94.7%), define what the critical components of the operation are (95.6%), and document what portion of the operation he or she was present for (91.5%). Conclusions A small minority of the general public is aware of the practice of overlapping surgery. The majority of responders were not supportive of the practice, although would consider it acceptable in specific circumstances. However, responders consistently reported that the practice of overlapping surgery should be disclosed during the informed consent process.
The prognostic utility of the “Tumor Burden Score” based on preoperative radiographic features of colorectal liver metastases

Background Recently, a tumor-burden “metro ticket” score (TBS) based on final pathology was proposed to predict outcome following resection of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). We sought to validate the TBS prognostic tool using preoperative radiologic cross-sectional imaging. Methods Imaging TBS was defined on a Cartesian plane that incorporated both maximum tumor size (x-axis) and lesion number (y-axis) assessed by pre-operative imaging. The discriminatory power (area under the curve [AUC]) and goodness-of-fit (Harrel's C statistic and Somer's D statistics) of the imaging TBS model was assessed. Results Imaging and pathologic TBS correlated strongly (r = 0.76, P 0.05). An incremental worsening of long-term survival was noted as the imaging TBS increased (5-year OS: Zone1, Zone2, and Zone3—61.3%, 46.7%, and 38.5%, respectively; P = 0.03). The imaging-based TBS model outperformed the “classic” pathology-based Fong score (Harrel's C-index: imaging TBS-0.56 vs. Fong score-0.53; Somers'D-index: imaging TBS-012 vs. Fong score-0.06). Conclusions Imaging-based TBS was superior to traditional tumor size and number and was comparable to pathology-based TBS. Imaging-based TBS may have the potential to facilitate improved preoperative risk stratification of patients with CRLM.
Caveats in the Established Understanding of CMT1A

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type-1A (CMT1A) is one of the most common types of inherited peripheral nerve diseases. It is caused by the trisomy of chromosome 17p12 (c17p12), a large DNA segment of 1.4 Mb containing PMP22 plus eight other genes. The size of c17p12 is formidable for any cloning technique to manipulate, and thus precludes production of models in vitro and in vivo that can precisely recapitulate the genetic alterations in humans with CMT1A. This limitation and other factors have led to several assumptions, which have yet been carefully scrutinized, serving as key principles in our understanding of the disease. For instance, one extra copy of c17p12 in patients with CMT1A results in a higher gene dosage of PMP22, thereby expected to produce a higher level of PMP22 mRNA/proteins that cause the disease. However, there has been increasing evidence that PMP22 levels are highly variable among patients with CMT1A and may fall into the normal range at a given time point. This raises an alternative mechanism causing the disease by dysregulation of PMP22 expression or excessive fluctuation of PMP22 levels, not the absolute increase of PMP22. This has become a pressing issue since recent clinical trials using ascorbic acid failed to alter the clinical outcome of CMT1A patients, leaving no effective therapy for the disease. In this article, we will discuss how this fundamental issue might be investigated. In addition, several other key issues in CMT1A will be discussed, including potential mechanisms responsible for the uniform slowing of conduction velocities. A clear understanding of these issues could radically change how therapies should be developed against CMT1A.
Parallel actuation of multiple bubble microrobots in saline solution in an open reservoir

Eight opto-thermocapillary flow-addressed bubble (OFB) microrobots were independently actuated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) in an open reservoir. The bubble microrobots were nucleated using opto-thermal heating of the fluid medium and independently controlled by a computer-generated holographic (CGH) control system. Independent actuation of multiple microrobots in PBS solution demonstrates the capability of the system to perform tasks such as cell-laden microgel assembly with increased throughput. This work also shows this microrobotic system is compatible with a conventional open-reservoir cell-culturing environment.
Mechanisms of Quinolone Resistance in Vibrio parahemolyticus strains Isolated from Imported Shrimp

Sixty-one quinolone-resistant strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were isolated from 247 shrimp samples. These isolates had MICs of 256 and 4-8 µg/mL for nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin respectively. Template DNA of the 61 isolates were screened by PCR for the quinolone resistance genes. Purified PCR amplicons of gyrA, gyrB and parC from these isolates were sequenced and analyzed for point mutations that confer resistance to these antibiotics. Point mutations in the quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR) of GyrA at positions 68, 83, 85 and 89 and in ParC at positions 85 as well as in the non QRDR of GyrA at positions 48 along with 4 different point mutations in GyrB at positions 311, 354, 360 and 374 conferred resistances to these antibiotics. Structural analysis were undertaken to determine the role of these four novel point mutations in V. parahaemolyticus at codons 48, 68, 83 and 89 on GyrA in enhanced MICs to quinolone antibiotics. Homology analysis indicated that all four mutations are localized in the vicinity of quinolone binding and DNA binding major grooves. These four mutations are known to play pivotal roles in readjusting the position of α-helices, stabilization of GyrA, loss of electrical charges or the formation of A2 dimers resulting in enhanced MICs to the quinolone antibiotics. Ethidium bromide uptake experiments indicated higher efflux pump activities in drug resistant V. parahaemolyticus than their sensitive counterparts. Our results indicate that imported shrimp is a reservoir of quinolone-resistant V. parahaemolyticus.
A head-to-toes approach to computerized testing of executive functioning in young children

Abstract The Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task is a commonly used measure of executive functioning (EF) designed for use with young children. Substantial associations between the HTKS task and early academic skills and behavioral outcomes have consistently been reported. Although the HTKS task is a useful measure of EF for young children, the original version of the task has a number of limitations, including ceiling effects toward the end of kindergarten, potential motivational issues with older children, and the possibility of errors in administration and scoring due to the live administration of the task. Lonigan (2013) developed a computerized version of the HTKS task (HTKS-c) as a means of addressing these issues. This study examined the construct, convergent, and divergent validity of the HTKS-c task with important developmental outcomes, to determine its utility as a measure of EF for use with young children. In the current study, 126 preschool-aged children were administered both versions of the HTKS as well as a battery of performance-based EF tasks, measures of pre-literacy and mathematics skills, and a delay task. Parents and teachers completed report-based measures of externalizing behaviors. Findings indicated that the HTKS-c task offered a valid measure of EF, equivalent to that of the original HTKS task, for use with preschool children. Furthermore, the HTKS-c offered the added benefits of standardized administration, more accurate scoring of self-corrected responses, and, although not examined in this study, the capability of response-latency scoring in addition to accuracy scoring.
Intervenções psicoeducacionais positivas para promoção de resiliência: o profissional da educação como tutor de desenvolvimento

This article intends to contribute with reflections on the role of educators in initiatives of positive psychoeducational interventions in situations characterized by psychosocial risks. Thus, the concept of positive interventions will be presented, based on the assumptions of Positive Psychology and the phenomenon of resilience. It will be argued that the appreciative and optimistic view of the professional educator in contexts of vulnerability requires good practices and resilience mentoring that set up standards of respectful and supportive professional relationships. These can be preventive of socially toxic environments and help in protecting and preventing the innumerable threats to the human development of children, adolescents and their families. Two examples of positive intervention practices in the school context and their results will be presented.
Reconfigurable architectures for chip multiprocessors

Prior research in chip-level reconfigurable computing has involved augmenting a single processor core with reconfigurable logic. Despite significant performance gains for some applications, the area and power costs can easily outweigh the benefits, especially when considering the breadth of applications run on a general purpose processor and the benefit they receive from reconfigurable logic, from orders of magnitude benefit to no benefit at all. Moreover, this prior work focused almost exclusively on uniprocessor systems and did not address the unique requirements of parallel applications. This dissertation proposes novel reconfigurable architectures for chip multiprocessors (CMPs). In our approach, the reconfigurable fabric is shared among multiple threads from both sequential and parallel applications to amortize the area and power costs and increase fabric utilization. To further reduce the overhead, we propose a heterogeneous CMP where different regions are optimized for different tasks, including regions with shared reconfigurable fabrics, and other regions with only conventional cores. Within a reconfigurable region, the architecture dynamically manages the use of the shared fabric and includes mechanisms that accelerate parallel applications and enable parallelization of otherwise sequential applications. We first identify a number of features from previous proposals that enable efficient sharing of reconfigurable logic. With these features in mind we design Specialized Programmable Logic (SPL), a reconfigurable fabric specially tailored for sharing among multiple cores, and evaluate and optimize the SPL under a range of both single- and multi-threaded applications. As with other shared structures, shared SPL must be intelligently controlled in order to achieve optimal performance. We propose a number of sharing schemes and find that, with proper management, shared SPL achieves performance similar to providing each core with its own large, private fabric, while substantially reducing area and peak power costs. When multiple single- and multi-threaded applications are running on multiple SPL clusters, the assignment of threads to clusters and the dynamic partitioning of the fabric significantly impact performance. To address these issues, we propose a number of management algorithms that control both thread scheduling and SPL sharing. Finally, the shared nature of the SPL makes it well suited for communicating among the attached cores. We propose modifications to the baseline SPL design that allow it to provide a means of fine-grained interthread and barrier communication among cores sharing the fabric. Performing communication through the SPL provides the additional benefit of allowing computation to be performed on the data while it is in-flight to the recipient. When incorporated into a heterogeneous CMP, the combined computation and communication abilities of the SPL provide significant benefits over a CMP with only traditional cores.
Epilepsy Surgery in Antibody-Associated Autoimmune Encephalitis and Epilepsies: Review of Literature

There is lack of studies that explore the role of epilepsy surgery in the treatment of drug-refractory antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis and epilepsies. Some case reports and series suggest that surgical treatment may still be an option, but compared with other etiologies, its surgical outcome seems to be less favorable. The following review summarizes the existing experience on the surgical treatment of drug-refractory seizures associated with antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis and epilepsies.
Anthocyanin Content Characterization on Pigmented Local Rice as Genetic Resources of Functional Food

Varietas lokal padi warna merupakan plasma nutfah berharga yang dapat berperan sebagai pangan fungsional di masa depan. Padi warna memiliki kandungan antosianin yang berfungsi sebagai komponen nutrien bioaktif, yang dinamakan antioksidan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengarakterisasi kadar antosianin 27 aksesi varietas lokal padi warna Indonesia dan 2 varietas unggul padi merah hasil pemuliaan (Aek Sibundong dan Inpari 24), serta 1 varietas padi beras putih (Ciherang) sebagai kontrol. Analisis dilakukan dengan metode High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), menggunakan standar sianidin-3-glukosida. Hasil analisis laboratorium, varietas Aen Metan dan Melik mengandung bahan aktif antosianin tertinggi, yaitu 0,7953 mg/g dan 0,7806 mg/g. Kedua varietas lokal ini merupakan padi hitam yang sering digunakan sebagai tetua dalam persilangan. Aek Sibundong dan Inpari 24 memiliki kadar antosianin sebesar 0,6496 mg/g dan 0,4423 mg/g, secara berturut-turut. Kandungan antosianin terendah terdapat pada varietas Ciherang yang merupakan varietas unggul padi beras putih. Empat varietas lokal padi beras merah yaitu Baliman Putih, Sari Kuning, Karamanting, dan Iden memiliki kandungan antosianin yang lebih tinggi daripada padi varietas unggul beras merah hasil pemuliaan.
Physical/chemical closed-loop water-recycling for long-duration missions

Water needs, water sources, and means for recycling water are examined in terms appropriate to the water quality requirements of a small crew and spacecraft intended for long duration exploration missions. Inorganic, organic, and biological hazards are estimated for waste water sources. Sensitivities to these hazards for human uses are estimated. The water recycling processes considered are humidity condensation, carbon dioxide reduction, waste oxidation, distillation, reverse osmosis, pervaporation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, carbon sorption, and electrochemical oxidation. Limitations and applications of these processes are evaluated in terms of water quality objectives. Computerized simulation of some of these chemical processes is examined. Recommendations are made for development of new water recycling technology and improvement of existing technology for near term application to life support systems for humans in space. The technological developments are equally applicable to water needs on earth, in regions where extensive water ecycling is needed or where advanced water treatment is essential to meet EPA health standards.
Dual Cation Exchanged Poly(ionic liquid)s as Magnesium Conducting Electrolytes

Solid-state magnesium-ion conductors are desired for next-generation battery applications. Here we investigate magnesium conducting polymer electrolytes produced through dual cation exchange of a p...
Lipid Oxidation of American Grain-Fed and New Zealand Grass-Fed Strip Loins Varying in Aging Time and Marbling Level

ObjectivesGrass-fed beef imported from New Zealand has been known to be lower in fat content and undergo a longer wet-aging period during transport compared to domestically produced beef. The effects of wet-aging time on oxidative metrics in highly marbled grass-fed beef are not fully known at this time. Therefore, the objective of this research was to assess the lipid stability of grass-fed strip loin steaks in comparison to grain-fed strip loin steaks from 5 different United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) quality grades, wet-aged for 7, 21, and 42 d.Materials and MethodsBeef strip loins (n = 200) representing 2 fed cattle types (n = 100/finishing type: grass-finished and grain-finished) and 5 different USDA quality grades (n = 20 per quality grade: USDA Standard, Select, Low Choice, “Top” Choice: High and Average Choice, and Prime) were acquired from beef processing facilities in New Zealand (grass-fed) and Nebraska (grain-fed). Each strip loin was equally portioned into thirds, vacuum packaged, and assigned to 1 of 3 wet aging periods (7, 21, or 42 d). After the appropriate aging period, portions (n = 600) were frozen and stored at the Gordon W. Davis Meat Science Laboratory until further fabrication. Frozen strip loin portions were cut into 2.54 cm steaks using a band saw. Prior to cutting portions into steaks, steak samples for thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were taken from the anterior and posterior face steaks of each strip loin portion. The steak pieces for TBARS analysis were vacuum packaged and frozen until homogenization. Samples were thawed for 12 to 24 h, trimmed of subcutaneous fat and connective tissue, frozen in liquid nitrogen and homogenized for TBARS analysis. The amount of TBARS was determined to estimate lipid oxidation, and results were reported in mg malondialdehyde/kg sample. Statistical analyses were conducted using the procedures of SAS (Version 9.3; SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Treatment comparisons were tested for significance using PROC GLIMMIX with ɑ = 0.05.ResultsA diet by age time interaction was found for TBARS values (P 0.05), indicating prolonged aging periods had no detrimental effect on grass-fed strip loins. Whereas, grain-finished strip loins aged 42 d had greater TBARS values than shorter aged product (P 0.05). The TBARS values for all samples were low, ranging from USDA Standard at 0.098 mg/kg to USDA Low Choice at 0.111mg/kg.ConclusionIn conclusion, all steaks had very low levels of lipid oxidation, due to aging in a vacuum package. Although lipid oxidation tended to increase with longer periods of wet-aging time, steaks from grass-fed cattle were less susceptible to lipid oxidation than grain-fed cattle.
Reviewing, reviewers and the scientific enterprise.

Despite their critical importance to the scientific enterprise, reviewers receive no formal training and reviewing has become a skill that they pick up through trial and error. Additionally, because most reviewers do not receive any feedback on their performance, any bad reviewing habits become entrenched over time. This has contributed to significant and unnecessary anxiety about reviewing and to antagonistic encounters between reviewers and authors. This paper seeks to ameliorate this situation by defining reviewers as co-creators of scholarship and reviewing as a quality control process in the production of scientific scholarship. The paper provides three groups of activities aimed at creating the right reviewer mindset to facilitate this co-creation and quality control activities: relationships, commitment and honest and clear recommendations to the editor.
Make Your Escape: An Active Learning Approach

This lightning talk describes the use of escape rooms in Computer Science and Mathematics education. Escape rooms are games where players work collaboratively to solve a series of puzzles in order to achieve a goal within a limited time frame. Student created escape room puzzles are a novel way for students to foster and demonstrate their knowledge through non-traditional methods. This activity can be used in courses across the CS curriculum as well as in K-12 education. Students enjoy building the escape rooms, so they don't consider it a formal assessment and it promotes creativity and teamwork skills. Our presentation will cover the key elements in this process from formation of groups to acquiring traditional escape room elements as well as other resources that students use to create the puzzles. We will also discuss how we familiarized the students with escape rooms before the activity. We will give examples of some of the puzzles created by our CS students that included the history of computing, tracing computer code, designing algorithms, solving logic problems, binary numbers, decoding ASCII codes, encryption and sequence and series problems.
Forming COVID-19 Policy Under Uncertainty

This paper presents my thinking and concerns about formation of COVID-19 policy. Policy formation must cope with substantial uncertainties about the nature of the disease, the dynamics of transmission, and behavioral responses. Data uncertainties limit our knowledge of the past trajectory and current state of the pandemic. Data and modeling uncertainties limit our ability to predict the impacts of alternative policies. I explain why current epidemiological and macroeconomic modeling cannot deliver realistically optimal policy. I describe my recent work quantifying basic data uncertainties that make policy analysis difficult. I discuss approaches for policy choice under uncertainty and suggest adaptive policy diversification.
What is educational entrepreneurship? Strategic action, temporality, and the expansion of US higher education

The massive expansion of US higher education after World War II is a sociological puzzle: a spectacular feat of state capacity-building in a highly federated polity. Prior scholarship names academic leaders as key drivers of this expansion, yet the conditions for the possibility and fate of their activity remain under-specified. We fill this gap by theorizing what Randall Collins first called educational entrepreneurship as a special kind of strategic action in the US polity. We argue that the cultural authority and organizational centrality of universities in the US national context combine with historical contingency to episodically produce conditions under which academic credentials can be made viable solutions to social problems. We put our theorization to the test by revisiting and extending a paradigmatic case: the expansion of engineering education at Stanford University between 1945 and 1969. Invoking several contemporaneous and subsequent cases, we demonstrate the promise of theorizing educational expansion as an outcome of strategic action by specifically located actors over time.
Reversing tozasertib resistance in glioma through inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases.

Acquired resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents limits their effectiveness and can cause cancer treatment to fail. Because enzymes in the aurora kinase family are vital regulators of several mitotic events, we reasoned that targeting these kinases with tozasertib, a pan-aurora kinase inhibitor, would not only cause cytokinesis defects, but also induce cell death in high-grade pediatric and adult glioma cell lines. We found that tozasertib induced cell cycle arrest, increased mitochondrial permeability and reactive oxygen species generation, inhibited cell growth and migration, and promoted cellular senescence and pro-apoptotic activity. However, sustained exposure to tozasertib at clinically relevant concentrations conferred resistance, which led us to examine the mechanistic basis for the emergence of drug resistance. RNA-sequence analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the gene encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 4 (PDK4), a pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) inhibitory kinase that plays a crucial role in the control of metabolic flexibility under various physiological conditions. Upregulation of PDK1, PDK2, PDK3 or PDK4 protein levels is positively correlated with tozasertib-induced resistance through inhibition of PDH activity. Tozasertib-resistant cells exhibited increased mitochondrial mass as measured by 10-N-nonyl-Acridine Orange. Inhibition of PDK with dichloroacetate (DCA) resulted in increased mitochondrial permeability and cell death in tozasertib-resistant glioma cell lines. Based on these results, we believe that PDK is a selective target for the tozasertib-resistance phenotype and should be considered for further preclinical evaluations.
Bidirectional Transformer based on online Text-based information to Implement Convolutional Neural Network Model For Secure Business Investment

Real estate investment decisions are critical for low-income people who have just one home as their life-time investment option. So during the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment causes many homeowners with a low income to lose their homes because of two major factors: one, they could not pay their mortgages without a job, and second, their house could not be rented easily. Rent prediction in real-estate can guarantee the success of an investment. Online information from real estate websites plays a significant role in making a business decision to buy a home. This paper applies natural language processing models to introduce a new model for safe real estate investment based on online information. For the first time, we use a transfer learning model based on online information from various online resources to detect a profitable rental property. Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers(BERT) are used to implement a semantic convolutional neural network model to predict real estate investment safety. This work introduces a new model for rent prediction based on the United States housing market. Our contribution is three-fold: (1) using natural language processing approach to use the semantics of online information on Airbnb, Zillow, Schools, Public transportation, and crime rate websites for rent prediction (2) We perform a comprehensive analysis of eager and lazy machine learning models as a traditional Machine learning models with our proposed new transfer learning model for rent prediction. (3) Creating a new public data set of semantic analysis for more than 5 million houses in the United States based on online information. This data set will be available for public research in natural language processing research for people analytic applications. This work introduces a new machine learning model to guarantee safe investment in the real estate market using a transfer learning approach based on online information.
Post-disaster recovery in urban and rural communities: Challenges and strategies

Abstract The reconstruction of the houses that were destroyed or sustained significant damage from naturally-triggered disasters in rural and urban communities is one of the first steps towards physical, environmental, social, and economic recovery; however, various pervasive challenges negatively affect the success of the process. This study identifies and categorizes the global barriers to a successful housing reconstruction process after naturally-triggered disasters occurring different parts of the world. The barriers in each class are ranked according to the frequency that they are cited and/or mentioned in the reviewed literature, and strategies for effectively addressing the barriers are identified. For this study, 209 peer-reviewed articles were reviewed in detail and analyzed based on the name of the journal, year of study, disaster type, and region of disaster. Sixty-nine (69) barriers were identified and categorized into five main categories: management and coordination, resources, social and cultural, physical and territorial, and legal. Based on the time of adoption, 26 strategies to effectively address the barriers were identified and categorized into four main phases: pre-disaster, emergency, restoration, and reconstruction. The outcomes of this study will help decision makers identify the barriers in a timely manner in order to allocate resources effectively and improve the performance of post-disaster housing reconstruction in both rural and urban communities.
ABA Triblock Brush Polymers: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, Conductivity, and Rheological Properties

The synthesis, self-assembly, conductivity, and rheological properties of ABA triblock brush polymers (BBCPs) with grafted polystyrene (A block, NPS = 21) and poly(ethylene oxide) (B block, NPEO = 45) side chains are reported. Two backbone molecular weights (NA:NB:NA = 11:78:11 and 15:119:15) were investigated with lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI) doping ratios 2 ≤ [EO]:[Li+] ≤ 20. Blends with 2 ≤ [EO]:[Li+] ≤ 10 suppress PEO crystallization and self-assemble into hexagonally packed cylinders of the minority gPS component. Conductivity is on the order of 10–3 S/cm at 105 °C with a corresponding elastic modulus ca. 104 Pa. The optimum conductivity occurs at a blend ratio near 10:1 [EO]:[Li+], similar to that reported for linear block copolymer analogues.
Aortic Valve Dilation

In aortic stenosis the valve is most often bicuspid with a single fused commissure, either the intercoronary or right and noncoronary commissure. Less frequently, it is unicommissural, with an orifice at the left and noncoronary commissure (1). The course of left-sided disease is quite different from that of the right side. Again we well refer to the natural history study to review outcomes with aortic stenosis (2).
An analytical theory of electron-cyclotron-resonance plasmas

Summary form only given, as follows. An analytical theory of the electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasmas is developed. In the steady-state, plasma generation is in balance with plasma loss due to diffusion. Based on the ambipolar diffusion and Poisson equation caused by charge separation, coupled differential equations are obtained for electron density and electric field, which are described interns of the position x, the normalized ionization rate /spl alpha/, the current density /spl zeta/ and the maximum plasma density n/sub 0/. Making use of these coupled differential equations, we obtain simple analytical expressions for electron and ion densities, and therefore the electric field and potential. Particularly, the conditions for ion sheath development, and a simple scaling law of the ion sheath strength and associated electric field are found. Several points are noteworthy from the analytical study. First, normalized strength of the ion sheath at the beginning is inversely proportional to the one-third power of the plasma density n/sub 0/. Electric field at the beginning of the sheath is proportional to the one-third power of the plasma density, thereby showing that the field strength increases as the plasma density increases. Second, the cathode ion sheath is stronger than the anode ion sheath. The anode ion sheath disappears when the current density /spl zeta/ is larger than the square root of the ionization rate /spl alpha/. Third, the electric potential for the current density satisfying 0</spl zeta/</spl alpha//sup 1/2/ increases, reaches its peak and decreases, as the position moves from the anode to cathode. Otherwise, the potential decreases monotonically.
Hilbert's formalism and arithmetization of mathematics

Etude de la preuve non-constructive de l'existence d'une base finie pour les invariants algebriques etablie par Hilbert contre la methodologie formaliste dominant la theorie des invariants. Examinant l'analyse hilbertienne de la geometrie non-euclidienne et de l'arithmetisation des mathematiques propres au XIX e siecle, l'A. montre que le formalisme logique et mathematique d'Hilbert s'inscrit dans le projet d'une axiomatisation non-elementaire de la geometrie plane sans recours a la differentiabilite
Drug–Nutrient Interactions in Patients Receiving Parenteral Nutrition

Describe parenteral nutrition and discuss its indications and routes of administration. Define stability and compatibility as it relates to parenteral drugs and nutrition. Determine the stability of drugs admixed with parenteral nutrition or co-infused by Y-site administration. Discuss the guidelines for safe administration of drugs with parenteral nutrition.
Topological considerations in isosurface generation

A popular technique for rendition of isosurfaces in sampled data is to consider cells with sample points as corners and approximate the isosurface in each cell by one or more polygons whose vertices are obtained by interpolation of the sample data. That is, each polygon vertex is a point on a cell edge, between two adjacent sample points, where the function is estimated to equal the desired threshold value. The two sample points have values on opposite sides of the threshold, and the interpolated point is called an intersection point.When one cell face has an intersection point in each of its four edges, then the correct connection among intersection points becomes ambiguous. An incorrect connection can lead to erroneous topology in the rendered surface, and possible discontinuities. We show that disambiguation methods, to be at all accurate, need to consider sample values in the neighborhood outside the cell. This paper studies the problems of disambiguation, reports on some solutions, and presents some statistics on the occurrence of such ambiguities.A natural way to incorporate neighborhood information is through the use of calculated gradients at cell corners. They provide insight into the behavior of a function in well-understood ways. We introduce two gradient consistency heuristics that use calculated gradients at the corners of ambiguous faces, as well as the function values at those corners, to disambiguate at a reasonable computational cost. These methods give the correct topology on several examples that caused problems for other methods we examined.
How many operating rooms are needed to manage non-elective surgical cases? A Monte Carlo simulation study.

Patients often wait to have urgent or emergency surgery. The number of operating rooms (ORs) needed to minimize waiting time while optimizing resources can be determined using queuing theory and computer simulation. We developed a computer program using Monte Carlo simulation to determine the number of ORs needed to minimize patient wait times while optimizing resources. We used patient arrival data and surgical procedure length from our institution, a tertiary-care academic medical center that serves a large diverse population. With ~4800 patients/year requiring non-elective surgery, and mean procedure length 185 min (median 150 min) we determined the number of ORs needed during the day and evening (0600–2200) and during the night (2200–0600) that resulted in acceptable wait times. Simulation of 4 ORs at day/evening and 3 ORs at night resulted in median wait time = 0 min (mean = 19 min) for emergency cases requiring surgery within 2 h, with wait time at the 95th percentile = 109 min. Median wait time for urgent cases needing surgery within 8–12 h was 34 min (mean = 136 min), with wait time at the 95th percentile = 474 min. The effect of changes in surgical length and volume on wait times was determined with sensitivity analysis. Monte Carlo simulation can guide decisions on how to balance resources for elective and non-elective surgical procedures.
Modeling a weather environment

The need to model environmental effects arises frequently as the depth and coverage of simulation studies increase. Many military and commercial operations are in some way affected by weather conditions. The addition of weather effects modeling enhances simulation studies of these kinds of operations. Weather and weather effects models have been successfully utilized in several recent simulation studies conducted by Convair division of General Dynamics.A mathematical formulation of weather conditions, the construction of two distinct kinds of weather models, the construction of a predictive mechanism, and the implementation of these concepts in GPSS/360 are presented.
Recruitment of CREB binding protein is sufficient for CREB-mediated gene activation.

Phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB leads to the recruitment of the coactivator, CREB binding protein (CBP). Recent studies have suggested that CBP recruitment is not sufficient for CREB function, however. We have identified a conserved protein-protein interaction motif within the CBP-binding domains of CREB and another transcription factor, SREBP (sterol-responsive element binding protein). In contrast to CREB, SREBP interacts with CBP in the absence of phosphorylation. We have exploited the conservation of this interaction motif to test whether CBP recruitment to CREB is sufficient for transcriptional activation. Substitution of six nonconserved amino acids from SREBP into the activation domain of CREB confers high-affinity, phosphorylation-independent CBP binding. The mutated CREB molecule, CREBDIEDML, activates transcription in F9 teratocarcinoma and PC12 cells even in the absence of protein kinase A (PKA). Addition of exogenous CBP augments the level of transcription mediated by CREBDIEDML, and adenovirus 12S E1A blocks transcription, implicating CBP in the activation process. Thus, recruitment of CBP to CREB is sufficient for transcriptional activation. Addition of PKA stimulates transcription induced by CREBDIEDML further, suggesting that a phosphorylation event downstream from CBP recruitment augments CREB signaling.
Investigation of the adsorption of ferroin-type ligands and metal chelates on activated carbons for applications in reagent purification and trace metal enrichment and determination

Abstract A representative group of ferroin-type ligands and various activated carbons were screened for possible use in trace metal separations. Selected as most promising, 2,2′-dipyridylketone-2-pyrid ylhydrazone (DPPH) and Norit A were investigated more extensively with special attention to p K a values and ionic charges of DPPH species, isotherms and Langmuir parameters for the adsorption of DPPH and its chelates on Norit A, and to conditions and procedures optimal for analytical separations and recoveries of trace metal ions. The results provide evidence of two types of sites on Norit A for adsorption of DPPH and its chelates. These are interpreted in terms of Langmuir parameters and ionic charge types of the adsorbates. Practical applications are demonstrated for removing iron, cobalt, nickel and copper ions from various reagents and for preconcentrating trace amounts of these metal ions prior to their quantitation. Metal ion concentrations remaining unextracted are less than 10 −7 M, 100-fold or higher enrichments are feasible, and recoveries of the metal ions by desorption from Norit A average 99%, with 2–5% relative standard deviations for their determinations.
Small Molecules Facilitate the Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts into Pancreatic Lineages

Summary Pancreatic β cells are of great interest for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. A number of strategies already exist for the generation of β cells, but a general approach for reprogramming nonendodermal cells into β cells could provide an attractive alternative in a variety of contexts. Here, we describe a stepwise method in which pluripotency reprogramming factors were transiently expressed in fibroblasts in conjunction with a unique combination of soluble molecules to generate definitive endoderm-like cells that did not pass through a pluripotent state. These endoderm-like cells were then directed toward pancreatic lineages using further combinations of small molecules in vitro. The resulting pancreatic progenitor-like cells could mature into cells of all three pancreatic lineages in vivo, including functional, insulin-secreting β-like cells that help to ameliorate hyperglycemia. Our findings may therefore provide a useful approach for generating large numbers of functional β cells for disease modeling and, ultimately, cell-based therapy.
Disseminated Miliary Blastomycosis Leading to Acute Respiratory Failure in an Urban Setting

Disseminated blastomycosis, usually a chronic slowly progressive illness, primarily occurs in individuals with a history of exposure to a rural environmental source. We report a case of disseminated blastomycosis leading to acute respiratory failure in a young man confined to prison in an urban area.
Numerical modeling of impact heating and cooling of the Vredefort impact structure

Large meteorite impacts, such as the one that created the Vredefort structure in South Africa ~2 Ga ago, result in significant heating of the target. The temperatures achieved in these events have important implications for post-impact metamorphism as well as for the development of hydrothermal systems. To investigate the post-impact thermal evolution and the size of the Vredefort structure, we have analyzed impact-induced shock heating in numerical simulations of terrestrial impacts by projectiles of a range of sizes thought to be appropriate for creating the Vredefort structure. When compared with the extent of estimated thermal shock metamorphism observed at different locations around Vredefort, our model results support our earlier estimates that the original crater was 120­-160 km in diameter, based on comparison of predicted to observed locations of shock features. The simulations demonstrate that only limited shock heating of the target occurs outside the final crater and that the cooling time was at least 0.3 Myr but no more than 30 Myr.
An α/β-barrel full of evolutionary trouble

The eight-stranded α/β-barrel (TIM barrel) is by far the most common shape for an enzyme: roughly one out of 10 enzymes have this domain. Three different evolutionary pathways have been proposed for this group of proteins. Recent work still cannot differentiate between the proposed pathways.
Writing in the Age of Humans: (Post)Rhetoric-Composition and Vichian Ingenium

Rhetoric-composition's turn toward posthumanism and complexity theory promises to help the field grasp contemporary writing. However, the turn's promise is undermined by its disregard for history, overvaluation of complexity, and unwillingness to engage the field's common sense. Giambattista Vico's theories of rhetoric and human development not only challenge the turn's representation of Enlightenment humanism but also point to the turn's inability to help writers participate in today's complex institutions. Vichian ingenium can serve as a touchstone for critical humanist scholarship and pedagogies that seek to chart a course between a bourgeois humanism and a barbaric posthumanism.
Dementia in Parkinson disease: A neuropsychological analysis

An extensive set of neuropsychological measures was administered to 60 Parkinson's disease patients and age-, sex-, and education-matched controls in order to investigate the nature and prevalence of the cognitive deficit in the disease. Parkinsonian patients performed significantly poorer on all measures with the exception of tests for apraxia and object recognition, and on a test of vocabulary knowledge. Discriminant analysis of the test data revealed that over 93% of patients are impaired relative to matched controls, but that assigning a prevalence rate for dementia in the disease may be difficult due to the continuous distribution of cognitive deficits.