cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum and urine inhibin A but not free activin A are endocrine biomarkers of severe pre-eclampsia.

Objective Elevation of total serum inhibin A and activin A has been interpreted as evidence of placental dysfunction in women who develop pre-eclampsia. We sought to evaluate serum and urine levels of inhibin A and free activin A in normal and hypertensive pregnancies. Study design Inhibin A and free activin A were measured by immunoassay in simultaneously collected serum and urine samples from 75 women: (1) severe pre-eclampsia (n = 30); (2) mild pre-eclampsia (n = 11); (3) chronic hypertension (n = 9); (4) pregnant control women (n = 16); and (5) nonpregnant control women (n = 9). Urine levels were normalized to milligrams urine creatinine, and fractional excretions were calculated. Results Serum and urine inhibin A were increased and fractional excretion was decreased in pregnancy. Serum, urine, and fractional excretion of inhibin A were increased in severe pre-eclampsia, compared with other gravidas. The only difference observed in free activin A was a decrease in serum free activin A in chronic hypertension, compared with severe pre-eclampsia and pregnant control women. Urine inhibin A showed the greatest discrimination between severe pre-eclampsia and pregnant control women: a cut-off of 45 pg/mg urine creatinine had 96.8% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, and 93.6% accuracy. Women with urine inhibin A greater than 90 pg/mg urine creatinine had a 17-fold relative risk (95% confidence interval 9.7-459.5) of a clinically indicated delivery due to pre-eclampsia. Conclusion Serum and urine levels of inhibin A are altered in severe pre-eclampsia. Urine inhibin A may have application in the diagnosis and management of pre-eclampsia. Those with chronic hypertension have lower serum but not urine free activin A levels, compared with severe pre-eclampsia and mild pre-eclampsia.
Effects of oligonucleotide length and atomic composition on stimulation of the ATPase activity of translation initiation factor elF4A.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) has been proposed to use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to remove RNA structure in the 59 untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs, helping the 43S ribosomal complex bind to an mRNA and scan to find the 59-most AUG initiator codon. We have examined the effect of changing the atomic composition and length of single-stranded oligonucleotides on binding to eIF4A and on stimulation of its ATPase activity once bound. Substitution of 29-OH groups with 29-H or 29-OCH3 groups reduces ATPase stimulation at least 100-fold, to background levels, without significantly affecting oligonucleotide affinity. These effects suggest that 29-OH groups participate in an eIF4A conformational change that occurs subsequent to oligonucleotide binding and is required for ATPase stimulation. Replacing nonbridging oxygen atoms in phosphodiester linkages with sulfur atoms to make phosphorothioate linkages has no significant effect on stimulation, while substantially increasing affinity. Extending the length of an RNA oligonucleotide from 4 to ;15 nt gradually increases oligonucleotide affinity and ATPase stimulation. Consistent with this observation, the increase in affinity and stimulation provided by phosphorothioate linkages and 29-OH groups is proportional to the number of these groups present within larger oligonucleotides. Further, changing the position of blocks of phosphorothioate linkages or 29-OH groups within a larger oligonucleotide does not affect affinity and has only a small effect on stimulation. These observations suggest that numerous interactions between the oligonucleotide and eIF4A contribute individually to binding and ATPase stimulation. Nevertheless, significant stimulation is observed with as few as four RNA residues. These properties may allow eIF4A to operate within regions of 59 UTRs containing only short stretches of exposed single-stranded RNA. As stimulation increases when longer stretches of single-stranded RNA are available, it is possible that the accessibility of singlestranded RNA in a 59 UTR influences translation efficiency.
Pollution Abatement and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States

The passage of environmental legislation was accompanied by concerns about its potential detrimental effect on productivity. We assume inputs can be assigned to either abatement activities or good output production. This allows us to specify regulated and unregulated production frontiers to determine the association between pollution abatement and productivity growth. We then employ our “assigned input” model to determine the association between productivity and abatement activities for manufacturing industries in Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States.
Negotiating Particularity in Neoliberalism Studies: Tracing Development Strategies Across Neoliberal Urban Governance Projects

A reading of critical perspectives on neoliberalism would suggest that it is dead but dominant, a revanchist zombie that appears paradoxically ubiquitous despite its inherent idiosyncrasy. We argue that neoliberalism's paradoxical death, dominance, and retrenchment can be interpreted by analyzing the dialectic of universalizing processes and particular forms within capitalism. Neoliberal projects draw political import from systemic, universalizing tendencies in capitalism, particularly those ideological processes by which contradictions and crises come to be discursively, institutionally, and politically conceptualized within the same paradigm from which they emerged. Building on well developed research frameworks in neoliberalism studies, we propose a set of analytical tools to interpret links between particular projects and homogenizing practices. We illustrate this with a case study of urban "megaevents" (eg Olympic Games or football World Cup), demonstrating how ideological commitments to event-based development strategies allow both the homogenizing imposition of entrepreneurial urban policy, and localized innovations in urban governance.
AFM studies of nanoparticle deposition via electrospray ionization.

Electrospray ionization was used to deposit CdSe nanoparticles on graphite and InP substrates. The charge transferred to the substrate via the deposition was correlated to the number of particles found on the substrate by AFM observation. A charge per nanoparticle was determined from depositions of various lengths of time, which is ∼1 electron per nanoparticle. This value was found to be consistent for concentrations of nanoparticle solutions, which differed by an order of magnitude. Such a value may be used for predicting the density of nanoparticles deposited on a substrate during the deposition. It was found that above a critical concentration, the deposition process produced large clumps of particles rather than individual particles. At lower concentrations, individual particles deposited on the graphite substrates were found to be mobile, arranging themselves on step edges of the graphite. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment of the Common Cold with Echinacea: A Structured Review

BACKGROUND: Echinacea is a herbal preparation that is frequently used to treat the common cold. Spending on echinacea in the United States has risen to >300 million dollars annually. METHODS: A total of 322 articles related to echinacea and colds, including 9 placebo-controlled clinical trials, were identified using the Medline and PubMed databases. Eleven features of experimental design that affect the accuracy of the measurement of features of interest, the probability of a chance relationship, bias, and blinding were used to evaluate the 9 placebo-controlled studies. The criteria were validated case definition, quantifiable hypothesis, sample-size calculation, randomized assignment, double blinding, proof of blinding, measurement of compliance, measurement of drop-out rate, analysis by intention to treat, description of the methods of analysis, and measurement of probability. Equal weight was given to each criterion, since failure to meet any one of them could potentially invalidate the findings of a clinical trial. RESULTS: Of the 9 studies, 2 met all 11 criteria. The results of both studies were judged to be negative by the people who performed the studies. Of the remaining 7 studies, 6 were judged to have positive results, and 1 was judged to have negative results. The criterion most commonly not met was proof of blinding. CONCLUSIONS: This structured review suggests that the possible therapeutic effectiveness of echinacea in the treatment of colds has not been established.
Large-mutation spectra induced at hemizygous loci by low-LET radiation: evidence for intrachromosomal proximity effects

A mathematical model is used to analyze mutant spectra for large mutations induced by low-LET radiation. The model equations are based mainly on two-break misrejoining that leads to deletions or translocations. It is assumed, as a working hypothesis, that the initial damage induced by low-LET radiation is located randomly in the genome. Specifically, we analyzed data for two hemizygous loci: CD59- mutants, mainly very large-scale deletions (>3 Mbp), in human-hamster hybrid cells, and data from the literature on those HPRT- mutants which involve at least deletion of the whole gene, and often of additional flanking markers (approximately 50-kbp to approximately 4.4-Mbp deletions). For five data sets, we estimated f, the probability that two given breaks on the same chromosome will misrejoin to make a deletion, as a function of the separation between the breaks. We found that f is larger for nearby breaks than for breaks that are more widely separated; i.e., there is a "proximity effect". For acute irradiation, the values of f determined from the data are consistent with the corresponding break misrejoining parameters found previously in quantitative modeling of chromosome aberrations. The value of f was somewhat smaller for protracted irradiation than for acute irradiation at a given total dose; i.e., the mutation data show a decrease that was smaller than expected for dose protraction by fractionation or low dose rate.
Psychological Reactions to Infertility

Like many other life stresses, infertility is not a discrete event but an unfolding process. The beginning of the process is frequently marked by the passing of a year attempting to conceive without success, and by entry into medical treatment, although many couples begin to worry and seek treatment sooner. For some, a medical condition necessitates treatment such as the surgical removal of reproductive organs that suddenly impairs fertility. Thus, many events may signify the beginning of the infertility process, a process that often continues over a long period of time as individuals contend with the prospect of being unable to conceive. Indeed, in most cases, it is the possibility rather than the reality of infertility that is at issue, because there is some degree of ambiguity about the outcome. This situation initially involves a threat rather than a loss (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Launier, 1978; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). As time passes without conception, the situation is gradually transformed into one of loss.
Genomics What Every Critical Care Nurse Needs to Know About the Genetic Contribution to Critical Illness

To purchase reprints, contact The InnoVision Group, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Phone, (800) 8092273 or (949) 362-2050 (ext 532); fax, (949) 362-2049; e-mail, reprints@aacn.org. parents to offspring. Commonly, genetics refers to the study of single genes and their traits. Genetics explains how physical characteristics, susceptibility to disease, and even personality and behavior “run” in families. A genome is all the DNA contained in an organism or a cell. Thus, the human genome consists of the approximately 30 000 genes found in human beings. Genomics is the study of how all the genes function, interact, and influence the biology and physical characteristics of living things. Genomic science is used to examine common but complex diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute coronary syndromes, sepsis, infection, and the conditions that contribute to these and other complex illnesses. With genomic resources, technology, and education, the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors can be investigated, and individualized treatment can be developed. Chris Winkelman, RN, PhD, CCRN
Breaking from orthodoxy: The effects of social disorganization on perceived burglary in nonmetropolitan communities

The present research breaks from the urban orthodoxy and tests two ecological propositions in less densely populated, nonmetropolitan communities. The analysis file features 1,125 citizens nested in 31 residential units located in Michigan. Hierarchical logistic modeling is used to examine the effects of structural antecedents and social mechanisms, net of citizen-level correlates, on perceived burglary. Three findings emerge: 1) respondents living in residential units with higher levels of economic disadvantage report that burglary is significantly more problematic in their community; 2) social cohesion is inversely associated with perceived crime; and 3) social cohesion partially mediates the effect of economic disadvantage.
Study on coagulation and fibrinolytic activities in infantile Schönlein-Henoch purpura

Various factors affecting coagulation and fibrinolysis, such as factor VIII procoagulant activity, factor VIII related antigen, von Willebrand factor activity, fibrinogen, plasminogen-plasmin, plasmin inhibitor and fibrin degradation product (F. D. P.) in blood were studied together with plasminogen activator, plasminogen-plasmin and F. D. P. in urine for a total of 45 cases of Schonlein-Henoch purpura which include 25 male and 20 female Japanese children of 2 to 15 years of age.These children were classified into 4 groups, according to clinical manifestations: Group 1, which included 20 patients with no renal complications; Group 2, which included 16 patients with acute glomerulonephritis; Group 3, which included 9 patients with nephrotic syndrome; Group 4, which included no patient in this study and in whom chronic nephritis was evident.Group 1 showed a high level of serum F. D. P. in 13 cases, at the initial stage, but the other fibrinolytic factors, factor VIII procoagulant activity, factor VIII related antigen and von Willebrand factor activity fell within normal range. The high level of serum F. D. P. returned to almost normal after 2 to 4 weeks.Group 2 showed, at the initial stage, high levels (over 150%) of factor VIII procoagulant activity, factor VIII related antigen and von Willebrand factor activity in 5-8 cases and normal ranges were reverted to 3 weeks to 3 months later. A moderate increase was observed in fibrinogen content in 8 cases and a high level of serum F. D. P. in 15. Urinary levels of plasminogen activator, plasminogen-plasmin and F. D. P. were increased in 10-20 cases. Normal ranges were reverted to 6 weeks to 3 months later.Group 3 showed, at the initial stage, high levels of factor VIII procoagulant activity, factor VIII related antigen and von Willebrand factor activity, in 6-7 cases and all levels returned to normal except for a few cases. An increase was observed in plasma fibrinogen, plasminogen-plasmin and serum F. D. P. in most cases. Levels of plasminogen activator, plasminogen-plasmin and F. D. P. in the urine were increased significantly in all cases.Renal biopsy was performed on 17 children with Schonlein-Henoch purpura accompained with renal symptoms and histological findings and deposition of fibrin or factor VIII related antigen in the glomerular lesion were investigated.Histological observations revealed with minimal change, 7 with proliferative glomerulonephritis, 2 with focal segmental glomerulonephritis and 5 with focal lobular glomerulonephritis.The degree of glomerular fibrin deposits correlated closely with plasma fibrinogen, plasminogen-plasmin in plasma and urine, and F. D. P. in serum and urine.The degree of glomerular deposition of factor VIII related antigen showed a close correlation not only with factor VIII procoagulant activity, factor VIII related antigen and von Willebrand factor activity, but with fibrin deposition.
Construction of Generalized Integral Formulas by Means of Laplace Transformations

We present a method for the construction of integral identities that contain an undetermined function. Except for mild restrictions, this function can be chosen arbitrarily. Our method is illustrated by several examples leading to new integral identities.
Disciplinary Discord: The Implications of Teacher Training for K–12 Music Education

Despite changes in the consumption and production of contemporary music, current university structures replicate the same system of music teacher preparation that has been taking place for 150 years or more. In this chapter the author argues that the structure of music teacher education programs in higher education could better support new models of music-teacher development, and new ways to conceptualize music education in public schools. Today’s music teachers require training that prepares them to meet the needs of today’s music students, within the context of today’s public schools.
An Experimental Model of Group G Streptococcal Soft-Tissue Infections

Streptococci of serogroups A, B, C and G have been associated with severe skin and soft-tissue infections in humans. Many patients, particularly those with impaired lymphatic drainage, experience repetitive bouts of streptococcal cellulitis1, often due to non-group A strains2. Despite the frequency and severity of streptococcal skin and soft-tissue infections, little is known of the role, if any, of acquired immunity in such infections. We have previously demonstrated that group G streptococci isolated from invasive human infections express M proteins similar in structure and function to the class 1 M proteins of rheumatogenic group A streptococci but belonging to a multiplicity of unique serotypes3, 5, 6. We used an M-positive group G streptococcal strain isolated from blood of a patient with severe cellulitis to assess in a murine model the characteristics of repetitive bouts of severe skin and soft-tissue infection.
Investigation of a passive capstan based grasp enhancement feature in a voluntary-closing prosthetic terminal device

Body-powered prosthetic terminal devices fall into two main categories: voluntary-closing devices, which require the user to exert a force to maintain a grasp, and voluntary opening devices, which generally utilize springs to close and maintain a force. As a result, voluntary-closing devices often have a locking feature that allows the user to relax and transport objects while maintaining a firm grip. In this paper, we examine a new type of capstan-based passive brake mechanism in a voluntary-closing prosthetic terminal device. Three different mechanisms were compared on the benchtop and with human subjects: the passive capstan grasp enhancement, a “pull-to-lock, pull-to-release” mechanism, and a manual cable locking mechanism. Standard tests of prosthetic device dexterity, including the Box and Blocks test and Southampton Hand Assessment Protocol, were performed with an instrumented prosthesis socket simulator with each device. While results are similar across the three mechanisms, the passive capstan mechanism does not require a physical user input to engage or disengage the lock, adding a benefit over the existing mechanisms.
Partially Coherent Vortex Beams of Arbitrary Order

Analytic solutions for partially coherent vortex beams (PCVBs) of any azimuthal order are presented. Coherence and singular properties of these beams and their possible use in free-space optical communication are discussed.
Smoothing Vague Laws

Laws often draw sharp distinctions along properties that spread across spectra. For example, a person might use force in self-defense in a manner that is very reasonable, borderline reasonable, somewhat unreasonable, or very unreasonable. Courts typically focus, however, on whether a defendant was sufficiently reasonable and not how reasonable he was. Such legal distinctions can have dramatic implications. One person acting in reasonable self-defense may have a complete legal justification for killing someone, while another using just a bit less caution may be imprisoned for many years for murder. Though the reasonableness of two people purporting to act in self-defense may only vary slightly, their legal treatment may radically differ, even if we all agree about precisely how reasonable each was. I argue that we can ameliorate some of these harsh effects by “smoothing” the law. Namely, we can make the consequences of violating a law depend not on crossing some sharp boundary but on a feature that varies along a spectrum. While there are costs to smoothing the law that must be weighed against the benefits, we ought to look for good opportunities to make the law smoother than it is now. Leo Katz has argued that many phenomena, such as birth and death and the giving of consent warrant the sharp lines we draw around them. More generally, he believes that attempts to make the law less all-or-nothing are doomed to fail. I challenge Katz’s view and argue that attempts to make the law less all-or-nothing are not only possible but often desirable.
Burkitt lymphoma as a lead point for jejunojejunal intussusception in a human immunodeficiency virus patient

Intussusception is commonly seen in children but is rare in adults and represents only 5% of all intussusceptions causing 1% of intestinal obstructions. More than 50% of these intussusceptions in adults are due to intestinal neoplasms, including malignant lymphoma, e.g., Burkitt lymphoma. These lymphomas are more common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients than in the general population. We present a case of a young male who was diagnosed with HIV when he developed intestinal obstruction and intussusception secondary to Burkitt lymphoma. He was managed with surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and antiretroviral treatment. HIV patients presenting with acute abdomen pose a diagnostic challenge to clinicians due to a wide range of differential diagnoses including inflammatory, infectious and neoplastic conditions. In a young HIV patient presenting with acute abdomen, intussusception caused by Burkitt lymphoma should be considered in the differential.
The microwave spectrum of ferrocenecarboxylic acid

Abstract The microwave spectrum was measured for ferrocenecarboxylic acid in the 4.8–9.8 GHz range using a pulsed-beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. 27 transitions were measured and assigned, which include a-, b-, and c-type rotational transitions. From the measured transitions, the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants were determined. The values determined are A = 1138.0162(13) MHz, B = 653.81796(54) MHz, C = 559.83162(47) MHz, D J = 0.0675(52) kHz, D JK = −0.157(36) kHz, D K = 0.193(47) kHz, and d J = 0.0194(22) kHz. MP2 and B3LYP gas phase structure optimizations were performed with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis and the B3LYP method yielded rotational constants that were in far better agreement with the experimentally determined values than the MP2 results.
6.06 Synthesis of Fluorides

Current applications of fluorinated molecules as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials, and radiotracers for positron emission tomography has renewed an interest in fluorination chemistry. Despite nucleophilic and electrophilic fluorination reactions being first reported in the second half of the nineteenth century, carbon–fluorine bond formation still remains a challenging chemical transformation and lacks generality, practicality, and predictability. Fluorine’s high electronegativity and the high hydration energy of fluoride both contribute to challenges in carbon–fluorine bond formation. This chapter provides a summary of the traditional approaches to carbon–fluorine bond formation and focuses on the recent progress made in the field of fluorination.
Contextual callbacks for resource discovery and trust negotiation on the internet of things: work-in-progress

This paper introduces contextual callbacks, which allow environments to authenticate themselves to nearby devices and advertise local services in response to the reception of radio-broadcast announcements that are emitted by mobile devices.
The effects of ride-hailing companies on the taxicab industry in Las Vegas, Nevada

Ride-hailing (or ride-sharing) companies are continuing to penetrate through the market of transportation-for-hire services in major metropolitan cities all across the globe, with an endless pursuit to revolutionize travel and redefine the taxicab industry. Since the fall of 2015 Las Vegas, Nevada is another city that has recently been added to the ever growing list of Uber- and Lyft-enabled metropolises. With such Ride-hailing Companies (RHCs) being introduced to cities whose economy is predominately built on the foundations of tourism, questions have inevitably mounted as to the impacts such new services are having on the transportation system, in particular, the taxicab industry. Services such as Uber and Lyft are competing with the taxicab industry for users within the resort corridor and across the valley. This study proposes a multinomial linear regression analysis using a multi-modal time-series travel dataset from Las Vegas to capture the impacts of RHCs on taxicab ridership. After controlling for a number of explanatory variables, including total number of monthly visitors, transit ridership, and several other economic indicators, the results show that RHCs do in fact have a negative (and significant) impact on taxicab ridership. A perhaps counterintuitive finding is that transit ridership actually complements (instead of competes directly with) taxi ridership, which could have significant implications moving forward. This study aims to shed even more light on the growing market of RHCs, with an attempt to estimate and quantify observed impacts in Las Vegas, Nevada, and provide transportation agencies, jurisdictions, stakeholders, and policy- and decision-makers across the nation with tangible evidence that may help guide and steer their transportation planning and investment efforts.
All the news that you don't like: Cross-cutting exposure and political participation in the age of social media

Abstract This study investigated the factors that affect the relationship between cross-cutting exposure and political participation. It was found that cross-cutting exposure to politically disagreeable news on Facebook, overall, was associated with increased political participation both online and offline. The association was stronger when the cross-cutting exposure came from weak ties, or acquaintances and strangers, and when the individuals were highly engaged with the cross-cutting news. Cross-cutting exposure from strong ties showed no significant relationship with political participation. It is suggested that cross-cutting exposure and political participation in the age of social media are different from those of the offline world, because they are supported by the norm of individual self-expression and take place in more anonymous and comfortable settings.
The Efficacy of an Interactive Hypermedia Program for Teaching a Test-Taking Strategy to Students with High-Incidence Disabilities

Increased demand for accountability in the public schools has led to an increase in the number of testing situations for all students, including students with disabilities. The purpose of this proj...
RV form and function: a piston pump, vortex impeller, or hydraulic ram?

The iPIX by Saremi et al. ([1][1]) in this issue of iJACC highlights the precision of current imaging techniques in displaying the complex 3-dimensional structure of the right ventricle (RV). The investigators illustrate the intricacy of normal RV geometry, highlighting the distributions of
Distally based anterolateral thigh flap: an underutilized option for peri-patellar wound coverage

Wound coverage in the supra-patellar area presents a significant challenge for orthopaedic and reconstructive surgeons due to the need for preservation of knee joint function but the paucity of regional soft tissue flaps available. While many orthopaedic and reconstructive surgeons make use of the rotational gastrocnemius flap for coverage of peri-patellar defects, this flap has certain limitations. The goal of this study was to report a single-centre experience with the use of the distally based anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) and review the current literature on the use of the ALT for peri-patellar defects. In this report, both a single-centre experience using distally based anterolateral thigh (ALT) island flaps for supra-patellar wound coverage and the existing literature on this topic were reviewed. A systematic literature review was performed to assess the use of the ALT for peri-patellar wounds. Five patients with a mean age of 69 underwent a distally based ALT flap for coverage of peri-patellar defects. Four out of 5 flaps survived at the end of their respective follow-up. Based on this combined experience, the distally based reverse-flow anterolateral thigh island flap represents a useful but relatively underutilized option for appropriately selected supra-patellar wounds due to minimal donor site morbidity, multiple flap components, and predictable pedicle anatomy. The flap's major weakness is its potentially unreliable venous drainage, requiring delay or secondary venous outflow anastomosis. Given the ALT flap's favourable profile, the authors recommend consideration for its use when managing a peri-patellar coverage wound issue.
Multiagent Sensor Fusion for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles to Enhance Navigation Safety

Today, autonomous vehicle (AV) navigation systems rely solely on local sensor data feed for safe & reliable navigation. However, it is not uncommon for sensor data to contain erroneous measurements resulting in false predictions, classified as either false positives (predict non-existent obstacle) or false negatives (e.g., missed obstacle). In this paper, we propose a methodology to identify and minimize false negatives in autonomous vehicle navigation, since these are arguably the most dangerous. According to the methodology, each autonomous agent simultaneously localizes and maps its local environment. This map, in turn, is encoded into a low-resolution message and shared with nearby agents via DSRC, a wireless vehicle communication protocol. Next, the agents distributively fuse this information together to construct a world interpretation. Each agent then statistically analyzes its own interpretation with respect to the world interpretation for the common regions of interest. The proposed statistical algorithm outputs a measure of similarity between local and world interpretations and identifies false negatives (if any) for the local agent. This measure, in turn, can be used to inform the agents to update their kinematic behavior in order to account for any errors in local interpretation. The efficacy of this methodology in resolving false negatives is shown in simulation.
STM and AFM extensions (Abstract)

As device sizes get smaller and smaller, conventional optical techniques for characterisation are reaching their limit. There is an ever increasing need to perform such measurements on the nanometer scale. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope and the Atomic Force Microscope has taught us how to position a tip with angstrom accuracy over a sample surface and scan it in X, Y and Z in order to form an image. It is possible to use this principle to image other physical properties of a surface than the density of electronic states provided by the Tunneling Microscope. In this talk, we shall review several extensions of the STM and AFM that we have demonstrated recently within our group. These include high resolution magnetic force imaging, c/v imaging, thermal imaging, photovoltage microscopy, chemical potential microscopy, optical and phonon absorption microscopy. The principles of operation of these microscopies will be described together with representative results obtained on various samples.
Measurability analysis of the magnetic-type components of the linearized gravitational radiation field

Ambiguities of gravitational field measurements are resolved in the linearized version of general relativity. A potential energy of a mass quadrupole in a gravitational field is found which permits determination of the linearized Weyl tensor. AGedanken spin resonance experiment is devised to measure the magnetic-type components of the Weyl tensor; the experiment confirms the observability of these components when they are suitably averaged over a world domain.
Groundwater Overreliance Leaves Farmers and Households High and Dry

Groundwater can play a critical role in improving livelihoods and adaptation to climate change but only if we manage the resource so that it is available when we need it most. Without action, we risk increasing our vulnerability to water scarcity.
Epidemiological analysis of malaria surveillance in Jinan City from 2012 to 2016

OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of malaria reported in the malaria surveillance system in Jinan City from 2012 to 2016, so as to provide the evidence for improving the ability of diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of malaria. METHODS The data of all reported malaria cases in the malaria surveillance system were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS From 2012 to 2016, 91 malaria cases were found in Jinan City, of which one patient died. All the cases were imported and 95.60% (87 cases) of them came from Africa (note：most of the people were Chinese residents who had been in Africa for the export of labor service and came back China). Falciparum malaria accounted for the most (82.42%, 75 cases). All the cases were adult males, and were mainly migrant workers. The median time from onset to being confirmedly diagnosed was 5 days, and the median time from seeing a doctor to being diagnosed was 1 day. The medical institutions where the patients first visited were mainly municipal medical institutions (42 cases, 46.15%). The misdiagnosis rate was 100% in village clinics and township health centers (8/8 and 2/2, respectively). The misdiagnosis rate was lowest in the municipal medical institutions (3/42, 7.14%). There were 41 malaria patients (45.05%) with complications. CONCLUSIONS The situation of overseas imported malaria in Jinan City is becoming more and more serious. It is necessary to further strengthen the related professional training for doctors and strengthen the multi-sectoral cooperation for health education, etc. in order to find the cases in time and conduct the active standardized treatment, so as to prevent the second generation cases.
(28) Paravalvular Aortic Abscess: An Unusual Case of Fever and Hypoxia in a Previously Healthy Child

“Introduction” Despite high rates (>70%) of oropharyngeal carriage of Kingella kingae in children attending daycare, Kingella kingae endocarditis remains rare with 43 reported cases.1 Neurologic complications were present in 32.5% of cases and there is 16% overall mortality.2,3 As Kingella kingae is the most commonly isolated bacteria in pediatric osteoarticular infections, early detection is vital.4 “Case Report” A previously healthy 18-month-old male presented with congestion, fever, and refusal to ambulate. He was seen at other healthcare facilities twice in the preceding 48 hours and discharged with diagnosis of viral illness. Physical exam revealed tachycardia and new heart murmur. In the emergency …
Preoperative Hyponatremia and Perioperative Complications in Cervical Spinal Fusion.

Objective Preoperative patient optimization is increasingly recognized as key to good surgical outcomes. Preoperative hyponatremia is a modifiable risk factor linked to poorer postoperative outcomes in other surgical fields. We provide the first investigation of the association of preoperative hyponatremia with morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery. Methods We queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry for patients who underwent cervical spine fusion. Preoperative serum sodium levels were classified as normal (135–145 mEq/L) or hyponatremic ( Results We included 20,817 patients, of whom 5.2% were hyponatremic at presentation. Preoperative hyponatremia was a significant predictor of MMM (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.39), mortality (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.03–1.77), major morbidity (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.10–1.40), and odds of prolonged hospitalization (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04–1.23). Other significant predictors of MMM included age, undergoing an emergent versus nonemergent operation, having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, having disseminated malignancy, being functionally dependent, presenting with sepsis or septic shock, and having an American Society of Anesthesiologists status of 3, 4, or 5. Similar results were seen in analyses using only complete cases and in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, hyponatremia is observed in approximately 1 in every 20 patients undergoing cervical spine fusion. More importantly, it is a predictor of mortality, major morbidity, and prolonged hospitalization. From a systems-level perspective, preoperative hyponatremia may therefore represent a point of intervention for preoperative patient optimization.
Gastroparesis Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: A Case Series

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved outcomes in patients with various malignancies; however, they can cause immune-related hepatitis and enterocolitis. Patients on ICI may also develop upper gastrointestinal symptoms and undergo measurement of gastric emptying. Our aim was to review records of patients with gastroparesis following ICI therapy at two medical centers. We performed a retrospective review of all patients at Mayo Clinic and Brigham and Women’s/Dana-Farber Cancer Center (BWH/DFCC) who underwent gastric scintigraphy for the assessment of symptoms of gastroparesis following ICI treatment up to January 2020. Clinical presentation, medical history, laboratory evaluation, imaging, treatment, and outcomes were retrieved from the records. Gastroparesis was diagnosed as delayed gastric emptying (GE) measured by gastric scintigraphy. At Mayo Clinic, 2 patients (median age 59 years, 1 male [M], 1 female [F]) had delayed GE, while 4 patients (median age 53 years, 3M, 1F) had normal GE following ICI use. Of those with delayed GE (diagnosed after 38 and 2 months of ICI initiation), 1 patient was treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and melanoma with ipilimumab; a second patient with breast cancer was treated with pembrolizumab. At BWH/DFCC, 2 patients (median age 56 years, 1M, 1F) had normal GE after ICI treatment, while a 62-year-old female with non-small cell lung cancer developed gastroparesis 3 months following initiation of nivolumab. This report documents gastroparesis as a potential adverse effect of ICI. Further studies should explore the potential for ICI therapy to damage anti-inflammatory macrophages that preserve the enteric neurons.
Evaluation of Standard and Semantically-Augmented Distance Metrics for Neurology Patients

Patient distances can be calculated based on signs and symptoms derived from an ontological hierarchy. There is controversy as to whether patient distance metrics that consider the semantic similarity between concepts can outperform standard patient distance metrics that are agnostic to concept similarity. The choice of distance metric can dominate the performance of classification or clustering algorithms. Our objective was to determine if semantically augmented distance metrics would outperform standard metrics on machine learning tasks. We converted the neurological findings from 382 published neurology cases into sets of concepts with corresponding machine-readable codes. We calculated patient distances by four different metrics (cosine distance, a semantically augmented cosine distance, Jaccard distance, and a semantically augmented bipartite distance). Semantic augmentation for two of the metrics depended on concept similarities from a hierarchical neuro-ontology. For machine learning algorithms, we used the patient diagnosis as the ground truth label and patient findings as machine learning features. We assessed classification accuracy for four classifiers and cluster quality for two clustering algorithms for each of the distance metrics. Inter-patient distances were smaller when the distance metric was semantically augmented. Classification accuracy and cluster quality were not significantly different by distance metric. Although semantic augmentation reduced inter-patient distances, we did not find improved classification accuracy or improved cluster quality with semantically augmented patient distance metrics when applied to a dataset of neurology patients. Further work is needed to assess the utility of semantically augmented patient distances.
Fast Thermal Goodness Evaluation of a 3D-IC Floorplan

High and unevenly spread 3D chip temperatures can be reduced when appropriate thermal-aware design is incorporated in early floorplanning. We developed a fast approach to evaluate thermal goodness of 3D floorplans. The proposed algorithm uses a power-based measure calculated using the impact of the heat from adjacent intra- and inter-layer modules. This approach significantly reduces runtime compared to temperature distribution simulation when thermal optimization is included in non-deterministic 3D-floorplanners. Usually, the goal is to minimize peak temperature and generate thermally-optimized 3D floorplans. Our results show that thermal quality factors generated by our model closely agree with factors generated by more accurate simulation-based thermal models, like HotSpot [1]. We achieve a correlation coefficient of 0.96 with HotSpot results and an average speed up of 29X on evaluation grid size of 64x64x4 for GSRC benchmarks. The sensitivity of the proposed algorithm to temperature difference between the 3D floorplans being compared and the success rate is also analyzed.
Shaping the Marketing Discipline: An Analysis of Dissertations*

The value of academic activity and output has always been elusive in its measurement. Frequently, the general areas of expected performance are defined as teaching, research, and service, and contributions to each area are expected from faculty members who are good academic citizens. As far as an evaluation of the particular contribution is concerned, faculty committees and deans seek resort to proxy measures for guidance. In the field of teaching, the number of courses and students taught and the student evaluations of teachers are often used. For research, one often looks to the number of publications and the types of publication vehicles in which they appeared. For service evaluations, the number of committees on which an individual serves and the hours of time expended in the performance of service are often assessed.
Improved hydroxyurea effect with the use of text messaging in children with sickle cell anemia

Background In children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), hydroxyurea reduces morbidity, but adherence is frequently suboptimal. Because most families of children with SCA have access to cellular telephone services, we assessed the impact of text messaged reminders as a tool to improve adherence to hydroxyurea. Procedure All patients <19 years of age with HbSS or HbSβ0thalassemia who were treated with hydroxyurea at a maximal tolerated dosage (MTD) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Program and who received automated text message reminders (SIMON®) were retrospectively identified. Laboratory parameters, hospitalizations, and medication possession ratios (MPR) prior to and after initiation of SIMON® were compared to assess the impact of SIMON®. Results Of the 97.3% of families with access to a cell phone, 91% elected to receive text message reminders. Among 55 children receiving hydroxyurea at MTD, laboratory parameters reflected waning medication compliance during the 12 months prior to SIMON®. Following initiation of SIMON®, children had higher mean corpuscular volumes, hemoglobin levels and fetal hemoglobin percentages and lower absolute reticulocyte counts and bilirubin levels, suggesting improved medication adherence. Hospitalizations were uncommon before and after SIMON®, and medication possession ratios (MPRs) were high before and after SIMON®, neither was significantly changed. Conclusions SIMON® was feasible and improved hematologic parameters in children with SCA receiving hydroxyurea at a MTD. Future work will include extension of this technology to children with other chronic medical conditions who require daily use of medication. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:2031–2036. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
chapter 30 – ELECTRIC CURRENT

Publisher Summary A net flow of charge constitutes an electric current. The electric currents that charge are of greatest practical use. Around the home, food mixers, refrigerators, light bulbs, and stoves, for example, are powered by electric currents. Computers and calculators could not perform their high-speed calculations without the flow of charge through them. Nuclear fusion energy involves charges moving at very high speed in ionized gases. The intense magnetic fields used to contain the charges are produced by electric currents in conductors. This chapter presents the study of electric currents by introducing ampere as the unit of electric current. The concepts of resistance, resistivity, and conductivity describe how the physical characteristics of a conductor limit the rate of charge flow. Electrical measurements on a metallic conductor lead to Ohm's law that relates the electric current in the conductor and the potential difference between two points along the conductor.
Joel R. Oestreich: Power and principle: Human rights programming in international organizations

Joel Oestreich’s Power and Principle has the overall goal to explain “how intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the UN evolve, decide what they want, and go about pursuing it... (p.2).” He does so by analyzing how three different UN-affiliated IGOs attempted to promote and implement human rights. In this purpose, Power and Principle is successful, since it offers both thick descriptions of the new, human rights take of three important IGOs—the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO)—while also developing a theoretically informed analysis that shows how these IGOs have acted as norm entrepreneurs in ways that exceed member-state preferences and bureaucratic self-interest. Oestreich argues that IGOs can act at times as relatively autonomous agents from their principals, the UN member-states. He hypothesizes that the conditions for IGO autonomy in promoting a human rights-based discourse and policy result from strong leadership inside an organization; the presence of “true believers’’ to sustain the initial momentum; no strong, opposing state interests; a link between new functions and the previous mission and policy; and connections to transnational advocacy networks to generate momentum for these autonomous initiatives. His findings on organizational learning suggest a more general pattern that goes beyond the specific human rights initiatives undertaken by UNICEF, the Bank and the WHO. The provocative book raises some contentious issues that IGO and human rights scholars also need to address. First, while Oestreich argues that powerful states did not have opposing interests to the version of human rights pursued by these IGOs, he maintains that the IGOs went further and faster than these states would have tolerated. He thus challenges the perceived wisdom about the limited latitude available to IGO agents of states. Yet, if the IGOs really went further than what states would prefer, one might have expected the IGOs to have taken more of an Rev Int Org (2007) 2:395–397 DOI 10.1007/s11558-007-9030-1