cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultra-long vertically aligned lead titanate nanowire arrays for energy harvesting in extreme environments

Abstract Recent research has shown that nanowire arrays can be fabricated into power harvesting devices that convert ambient vibrations to electrical power. These devices, however, are limited to low temperature environments due to material constraints. To solve this problem, this paper offers a route to obtain a nanowire energy harvester that is capable of operating at extreme temperatures. This is achieved by developing a method to synthesize vertically aligned arrays of ultra-long lead titanate nanowires and fabricating them into an energy harvester. Performing power characterization measurements of the device in a temperature-controlled environment illustrates useful power generation at temperatures up to 375 °C. This work offers a new method for the fabrication of extreme temperature device thereby offering a significant advancement in the field of energy harvesting by demonstrating energy production in extreme environments where previous systems would fail.
Assessment of current practices for developing “preceptors in training”

All accredited postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs are required to follow the ASHP Accreditation Standard for PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Programs.[1][1] The standard includes a newly defined role of “preceptor in training” (PIT). In section 4.9 of the standard, a PIT is defined
Role of interface shape on the laminar flow through an array of superhydrophobic pillars

In this study, measurements of the pressure drop and the velocity vector fields through a regular array of superhydrophobic pillars were systematically taken to investigate the role of air–water interface shape on laminar drag reduction. A polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel was created with a regular array of apple-core-shaped and circular pillars bridging across the entire channel. Due to the shape and hydrophobicity of the apple-core-shaped pillars, air was trapped on the side of the pillars after filling the microchannel with water. The measurements were taken at a capillary number of Ca = 6.6 × 10−5. The shape of the air–water interface trapped within the superhydrophobic apple-core-shaped pillars was systematically modified from concave to convex by changing the static pressure within the microchannel. The pressure drop through the microchannel containing the superhydrophobic apple-core-shaped pillars was found to be sensitive to the shape of the air–water interface. For static pressures which resulted in the apple-core-shaped superhydrophobic pillars having a circular cross section, D/D 0 = 1, a drag reduction of 7% was measured as a result of slip along the air–water interface. At large static pressures, the interface was driven into the apple-core-shaped pillars, resulting in decrease in the effective size of the pillars and an increase in the effective spacing between pillars. When combined with a slip velocity measured to be 10% of the average velocity between the pillars, the result was a pressure drop reduction of 18% compared to the circular pillars at a non-dimensional interface diameter of D/D 0 = 0.8. At low static pressures, the pressure drop increased significantly as the expanded air–water interface constricted flow through the array of pillars even as large interfacial slip velocity was maintained. At D/D 0 = 1.1, for example, the pressure drop increased by 17% compared to the circular pillar. This drag increase was the result of an increased form drag due to a decrease in porosity and permeability of the pillar array and a decrease in the skin friction drag due to the presence of the air–water interface. For D/D 0 = 1.1, the slip velocity was measured to be 45% of the average streamwise velocity between the pillars. When compared to no-slip pillars of similar shape, the drag reduction was found to increase from 6 to 9% with increasing convex curvature of the air–water interface.
Factorization of Verbs: An Analysis of Verbs of Seeing

In 1972, I spent a year at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, as a Guggenheim Fellow. I was invited to join a group of visitors, all interested in various aspects of language. George Miller was heading this group. The other visitors were Phil Johnson Laird, now at Princeton University and Pim Levelt, now at Max Plank Institute, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. It was truly a wonderful year. I was allowed to continue my research in Computational Linguistics and branch out in other directions of my choosing. I continued my work in Mathematical Linguistics, ‘testing’ it by explaining it to George, Phil, and Pim. These interactions allowed me to formulate a long term program in Mathematical Linguistics (ML). At the same time I was quite attracted by the work on Verbs of Motion that George and Phil had initiated. I thought it might be interesting to look at the Verbs of Seeing from this perspective. George encouraged me very strongly, always reminding me to follow an independent direction. The enclosed manuscript was finished in June 1972, a couple of months before I returned to Penn, where they roped me into the job of the Department Chair for Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania, a newly created Department. I was ‘stuck’ in this job for almost 12 years. Over the years, I have talked about this paper and the general topic of lexical decomposition but I never got around to write a long paper on this topic.
Scaling the Response of Deltas To Relative-Sea-Level Cycles By Autogenic Space and Time Scales: A Laboratory Study

Abstract: Relative-sea-level (RSL) change influences surface processes and stratigraphic architecture of deltaic systems and has been studied extensively for decades. However, we still lack a quantitative framework to define how the magnitude and period of a RSL cycle influences deltaic morphodynamics and the resulting stratigraphy. One method for scaling the magnitude and period of RSL cycles is through comparison with the autogenic time and space scales that characterize individual deltaic systems. We explore this method using a suite of physical experiments that shared identical forcing conditions with the exception of sea level. This approach utilizes two nondimensional numbers that characterize the magnitude and period of RSL cycles. Magnitude is defined with respect to the maximum autogenic channel depth, while the period is defined with respect to the time required to deposit one channel depth of sediment, on average, everywhere in a basin. The experiments include: 1) a control experiment lacking RSL cycles, used to define autogenic scales, 2) a low-magnitude, long-period (LMLP) stage, and 3) a high-magnitude, short-period (HMSP) stage. We observe clear differences in the response of deltas to the forcing in each experiment. The RSL cycles in the HMSP stage induce allogenic surface processes and stratigraphic products with scales that exceed the stochastic variability found in the control stage. These include the generation of rough shorelines and long temporal gaps in the stratigraphy. In contrast, the imprint of LMLP cycles on surface processes and stratigraphy is found in properties that define the mean state of a system. These include the mean shoreline location and the timing and location of mass extraction from the transport system. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of defining the magnitude and period of RSL cycles through autogenic scales and provides insights for generation of forward stratigraphic models influenced by RSL change.
Identification of a Novel Polyamine Scaffold With Potent Efflux Pump Inhibition Activity Toward Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterial Pathogens

We have previously reported the use of combinatorial chemistry to identify broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. Herein, we extend our analysis of this technology toward the discovery of anti-resistance molecules, focusing on efflux pump inhibitors. Using high-throughput screening against multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we identified a polyamine scaffold that demonstrated strong efflux pump inhibition without possessing antibacterial effects. We determined that these molecules were most effective with an amine functionality at R1 and benzene functionalities at R2 and R3. From a library of 188 compounds, we studied the properties of 5 lead agents in detail, observing a fivefold to eightfold decrease in the 90% effective concentration of tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and aztreonam toward P. aeruginosa isolates. Additionally, we determined that our molecules were not only active toward P. aeruginosa, but toward Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus as well. The specificity of our molecules to efflux pump inhibition was confirmed using ethidium bromide accumulation assays, and in studies with strains that displayed varying abilities in their efflux potential. When assessing off target effects we observed no disruption of bacterial membrane polarity, no general toxicity toward mammalian cells, and no inhibition of calcium channel activity in human kidney cells. Finally, combination treatment with our lead agents engendered a marked increase in the bactericidal capacity of tetracycline, and significantly decreased viability within P. aeruginosa biofilms. As such, we report a unique polyamine scaffold that has strong potential for the future development of novel and broadly active efflux pump inhibitors targeting multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.
Software for Numerical Linear Algebra

Because of the importance of linear algebraic computations, there is a wide range of software for these computations. The Guide to Available Mathematical Software (GAMS) (see the bibliography) is a good source of information about software.
Measurement of magnetic dipole moments of /sup 129/Xe/sup m/ and /sup 131/Xe/sup m/ by spin exchange with optically pumped Rb

The magnetic moments of xenon atoms ${(}^{129}$${\mathrm{Xe}}^{\mathrm{m}}$ and $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}^{\mathrm{m}}$) have been measured with a high precision nuclear-magnetic-resonance method. The nuclei of gaseous xenon were polarized by spin exchange with optically pumped rubidium and the polarization was measured by gamma-ray anisotropy. The static magnetic field for the nuclear magnetic resonance experiment was stabilized and calibrated by optical pumping magnetometers. The measured magnetic moments are \ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\mu}(129m)\ensuremath{\Vert}=0.891 223(4) ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{N}}$ and \ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\mu}(131g)\ensuremath{\Vert}=0.994 048(6) ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{N}}$.
Young children with psychotic symptoms and risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a research note.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are prevalent among youth with psychotic disorders (PD) relative to the general population. Recent research now suggests that STBs may present during the prodromal phase of the disease, or the clinical high risk (CHR) state. While this knowledge is important for the development of suicide prevention strategies in adolescent and adult populations, it remains unclear whether risk for suicide extends to children with or at risk for psychosis. The current study is an extension of previous work assessing STBs in youth across the psychosis continuum. We examine STBs in 37 CHR and PD children ages 7–13 years old, and further explore the prodromal symptom correlates of STB severity among CHR children. CHR and PD children endorsed STBs with a frequency and severity similar to what is observed in older CHR and PD populations. A number of children had never previously vocalized their suicidal plans or intent. Among CHR children, Social Anhedonia and Odd Behavior or Appearance were significantly correlated with STB severity. These findings underscore the importance of screening for STBs even in young children presenting with psychotic symptoms.
Intermarriage, Technological Diffusion, and Boundary Objects in the U.S. Southwest

This article draws upon ethnographic accounts of female potters’ movement and intermarriage into multi-ethnic Pueblo communities in the U.S. Southwest to illustrate how marriage networks created opportunities for innovation through the production, distribution, and consumption of boundary objects. These objects did not define boundaries but facilitated boundary crossing or bridging by potters. I argue that the concept of boundary objects is more useful than hybridity for understanding the processes of culture contact and material culture diffusion. Archaeological evidence for late twelfth through thirteenth century migrations from the Four Corners to the southern Colorado Plateau is used to make a case for a high degree of intermarriage and post-marital movement of women. Such patrilocality challenges normative views of post-marital residence, including those employed by early ceramic sociologists working in the same area of the Southwest and even at the same sites. The case that I discuss provides a contrast to other Southwest examples in which conformist transmission was more common, and helps to solve a paradox in explanations of the Southwest Pueblo Sprachbund. I conclude that the concept of boundary objects complements formal social network approaches in archaeology by bringing out the active role of objects in linking social actors.
Using genomics to define pediatric blood cancers and inform practice

Over the past decade, there has been exponential growth in the number of genome sequencing studies performed across a spectrum of human diseases as sequencing technologies and analytic pipelines improve and costs decline. Pediatric hematologic malignancies have been no exception, with a multitude of next generation sequencing studies conducted on large cohorts of patients in recent years. These efforts have defined the mutational landscape of a number of leukemia subtypes and also identified germ-line genetic variants biologically and clinically relevant to pediatric leukemias. The findings have deepened our understanding of the biology of many childhood leukemias. Additionally, a number of recent discoveries may positively impact the care of pediatric leukemia patients through refinement of risk stratification, identification of targetable genetic lesions, and determination of risk for therapy-related toxicity. Although incredibly promising, many questions remain, including the biologic significance of identified genetic lesions and their clinical implications in the context of contemporary therapy. Importantly, the identification of germ-line mutations and variants with possible implications for members of the patient's family raises challenging ethical questions. Here, we review emerging genomic data germane to pediatric hematologic malignancies.
Differences in burnout prevalence between clinical professionals and biomedical scientists in an academic medical centre: a cross-sectional survey.

Objective To determine the prevalence and associated factors for personal, work-related and patient/client-related burnout in clinical professionals and biomedical scientists in academic medicine. Design Prevalence survey using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Setting Mid-size academic health centre. Participants Clinical providers (n=6489) and biomedical scientists (n=248) were invited to complete the survey. 1646 completed responses (response rate 24.4%) were analysed. Primary and Secondary outcome measures Prevalence estimates and adjusted ORs (AOR) were stratified for gender, age and professional category. Results Type of burnout varies across professional categories, with significant differences between clinicians and scientists. The prevalence of personal burnout was 52.7% (95%CI 50% to 55%), work-related burnout 47.5% (95%CI 45% to 49%) and patient/client-related burnout 20.3% (95%CI 18% to 22%). The prevalence of personal and work-related burnout was higher among women, while those aged 20–30 had a higher prevalence of all three burnout categories. Overall, clinical professionals had higher personal and work-related burnout, while biomedical scientists had higher client-related burnout. Accounting for the effects of gender and age, a significantly higher risk for personal burnout was found for physicians (AOR 1.64; 95%CI 1.3 to 2.1) and nurses (AOR 1.5; 95%CI 1.03 to 2.2). Significantly higher odds of work-related burnout were found for nurses (AOR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2 to 1.9) and residents (AOR 1.9; 95%CI 1.04 to 3.6). Basic scientists (AOR 10.0; 95%CI 5.7 to 17.6), physicians (AOR 2.8; 95%CI 1.9 to 4.1) and nurses (AOR 2.1; 95%CI 1.3 to 3.5) had higher odds of patient/client-related burnout. Conclusions Types of burnout are unevenly distributed in academic medical centres. Physicians have higher risk of personal and patient/client-related burnout, residents have higher risk of work-related burnout, basic scientists are at higher risk of client-related burnout and nurses have higher odds of all three types of burnout. Interventions addressing the problem of burnout in clinical environments may be inadequate to support biomedical scientists.
The effect of physiological stretch and the valvular endothelium on mitral valve proteomes.

Heart valves reside in a dynamic mechanical environment experiencing a multitude of forces. These forces have been shown to play a key role in valvular pathophysiology. However, knowledge of protei...
Great vessel anomalies and their impact on the surgical treatment of tracheobronchomalacia.

Abstract Background Tracheobronchial compression (TBC) from great vessel anomalies (GVA) can contribute to tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) symptoms. The frequency, impact on symptoms and optimal management of GVA in these patients, with or without a history of esophageal atresia (EA), are still unclear. Study design Patients who underwent surgery for TBM/ TBC between 2001 and 2017 were reviewed. Demographics, type of GVA, and operative interventions were collected. The frequency and treatment modalities of GVA between EA and non-EA patients were compared. Results Overall, 209 patients met criteria; 120 (57.4%) patients had at least one GVA, including double aortic arches (n = 4, 1.9%), right aortic arches (n = 14, 6.7%), aberrant right subclavian arteries (n = 15, 7.2%), and innominate artery compression (n = 71, 34.0%). Non-EA patients were more likely to have surgery later in life (29.5 months versus 16 months, p = 0.0002), double aortic arch (p = 0.0174), right aortic arch (p Conclusion The frequency of GVA in patients with symptomatic airway collapse is substantial. Multidisciplinary evaluation is imperative for operative planning as many require complex reconstruction and collaboration with cardiac surgery, particularly patients without a history of EA. Level of evidence Level III.
Colorectal polyp prevalence and aspirational detection targets determined using high definition colonoscopy and a high level detector in 2017

Abstract Background Colorectal adenoma prevalence can be determined by autopsy studies, or imaging studies such as colonoscopy. We describe the prevalence of colorectal adenomas determined by a single high detecting colonoscopist using high definition colonoscopes. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients aged ≥18 years undergoing colonoscopy with a high level detector for the indications of screening, surveillance, and diagnostic reasons from December 29, 2016 to January 12, 2018. Results During the study period, 1172 eligible patients underwent colonoscopy. Women comprised 55% (n = 646) and the majority (89%, n = 1038) were aged ≥50 years (mean age, 62.1 years). In persons aged ≥50 years undergoing screening, the prevalence of ≥1 conventional adenoma was 48.5% and ≥1 sessile serrated polyp was 15.3%. Diminutive polyps (1–5 mm in size) comprised three-quarters of all resected polyps (2236/2986). Among 246 patients (21%), 1050 hyperplastic appearing polyps were not resected from the recto-sigmoid. Adenoma prevalence was strongly associated with age and indication but serrated lesion prevalence was not. Conclusions The true prevalence of precancerous lesions in the colorectum determined by modern colonoscopy exceeds determination by autopsy studies. These data help define aspirational detection targets for colonoscopy. The economic burden associated with colonoscopic resection of tiny lesions is substantial.
A chemical tanker scheduling problem: Port of Houston case study

The objective of this study was to develop scheduling solutions for chemical vessels in a port. Chemical tankers carry multiple liquid cargos and have to visit multiple terminals to load/unload these cargos. The practice to date in scheduling these loading/unloading activities for the Port of Houston (PoH) has primarily involved manual methods, which result in several inefficiencies such as long waiting times and inefficient resource utilisation. This paper proposes three methods for tanker-scheduling problems, formulated as an open-shop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent post-set-up times: a mixed-integer programming (MIP); a constraint programming (CP); and a dispatching rule, longest processing time (LPT) scheduling heuristic. Overall, the results showed the MIP method to be a more suitable tool for hourly and daily scheduling, whereas the CP and the LPT heuristic proved suitable for longer-horizon scheduling problems (weekly, monthly, or semi-annual) and for use as real-time scheduling tools.
Predicting wildfire burned area in South Central US using integrated machine learning techniques

Abstract. Occurrences of devastating wildfires have been on the rise in the United States for the past decades. While the environmental controls, including weather, climate, and fuels, are known to play important roles in controlling wildfires, the interrelationships between fires and the environmental controls are highly complex and may not be well represented by traditional parametric regressions. Here we develop a model integrating multiple machine learning algorithms to predict gridded monthly wildfire burned area during 2002–2015 over the South Central United States and identify the relative importance of the environmental drivers on the burned area for both the winter-spring and summer fire seasons of that region. The developed model is able to alleviate the issue of unevenly-distributed burned area data and achieve a cross-validation (CV) R2 value of 0.42 and 0.40 for the two fire seasons. For the total burned area over the study domain, the model can explain 50 % and 79 % of interannual total burned area for the winter-spring and summer fire season, respectively. The prediction model ranks relative humidity (RH) anomalies and preceding months’ drought severity as the top two most important predictors on the gridded burned area for both fire seasons. Sensitivity experiments with the model show that the effect of climate change represented by a group of climate-anomaly variables contributes the most to the burned area for both fire seasons. Antecedent fuel amount and conditions are found to outweigh weather effects for the burned area in the winter-spring fire season, while the current-month fire weather is more important for the summer fire season likely due to the controlling effect of weather on fuel moisture in this season. This developed model allows us to predict gridded burned area and to access specific fire management strategies for different fire mechanisms in the two seasons.
Celebrating differences: A single-molecule approach to DNA nanotechnology

Download : Download high-res image (323KB) Download : Download full-size image Wei Jia Crystal Chen is a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postgraduate scholar in the Schlau-Cohen lab in the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research currently focuses on using a bio-inspired framework and spectroscopic techniques to understand the fundamental principles behind energy transport under physiological conditions. She received her HBSc from the University of Toronto, where she focused on theoretical chemical physics.
The Available Criteria for Different Sepsis Scoring Systems in the Emergency Department-A Retrospective Assessment.

Objective The goal of the study was to assess the criteria availability of eight sepsis scoring methods within 6 hours of triage in the emergency department (ED). Design Retrospective data analysis study. Setting ED of MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC), a 912-bed urban, tertiary hospital. Patients Adult (age ≥ 18 years) patients presenting to the MWHC ED between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018 and admitted with a diagnosis of severe sepsis with or without shock. Main Outcomes Measured Availability of sepsis scoring criteria of eight different sepsis scoring methods at three time points-0 Hours (T0), 3 Hours (T1) and 6 Hours (T2) after arrival to the ED. Results A total of 50 charts were reviewed, which included 23 (46%) males and 27 (54%) females. Forty-eight patients (96%) were Black or African American. Glasgow Coma Scale was available for all 50 patients at T0. Vital signs, except for temperature, were readily available (>90%) at T0. The majority of laboratory values relevant for sepsis scoring criteria were available (>90%) at T1, with exception to bilirubin (66%) and creatinine (80%). NEWS, PRESEP and qSOFA had greater than 90% criteria availability at triage. SOFA and SIRS consistently had the least percent of available criteria at all time points in the ED. Conclusion The availability of patient data at different time points in a patient's ED visit suggests that different scoring methods could be utilized to assess for sepsis as more patient information becomes available.
Committed to Caring: Cluster-Analysis of Appraisals and Feelings of Family Childcare Work.

There is a concern regarding the decreasing number of family childcare (FCC) providers, due to the population that primarily relies on it. Compared to studies of center- and school-based preschool practitioners, the FCC literature is lacking robust workforce studies, including examinations of whether and how FCC providers’ workplace appraisals of and feelings while at work are associated with indicators of interaction quality (relationships with families, relationships with children, and responsiveness to children's negative emotions) and the quality of their interactions with children and families. The present study examines how groups of FCC providers, categorized based on differences in appraisals of and feelings experienced at work, differ in the quality of interactions with children and families. The study seeks to extend the FCC literature by also describing socio-ecological factors, such as provider and program characteristics, of these different groups of providers. Survey data was collected through a national study of FCC providers (N = 888). A person-centered analysis using hierarchical clustering was used to classify providers into groups based on their workplace appraisals and feelings experienced at work. A person-centered cluster analysis identified four groups. Indicators of interaction quality varied between groups. Group membership was associated with FCC providers' professional commitment, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. Findings from the current study support calls to increase investment in the support of the FCC workforce by addressing FCC providers’ needs through recognition of differences in workplace appraisals and provider feelings at work. In particular, reducing FCC providers’ emotional exhaustion may be an effective way to increase the quality of their interactions with children and families.
Distribution and occupancy of Atlantic salt marsh mink (Neovison vison lutensis) in Northeastern Florida (USA)

Salt marsh is a unique and biologically productive ecosystem characterized by relatively few endemic terrestrial vertebrates. Salt marsh continues to decline worldwide and the persistence of species restricted to salt marsh may depend on understanding characteristics associated with their use of these ecosystems. Atlantic salt marsh mink (Neovison vison lutensis) were historically found throughout Northeastern Florida (USA) but their numbers and distribution may have declined following coastal development beginning in the 1800s. Information on their current distribution and ecology in Florida is unknown but they are suspected of being restricted to salt marsh. Between 2013 and 2015, we conducted camera surveys for mink in 42.1 km2 units in salt marsh to determine their occupancy, extent of occurrence, and drivers of habitat use. We measured 20 site-specific environmental covariates to model occupancy and detectability. Mink were detected in a 226 km2 area within 14 km of the Atlantic coast between two of the region’s major rivers. We found positive associations in our top overall occupancy model between mink and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) biomass and between detectability and low marsh dominated by cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Our detection data provides further support that mink may be endemic to coastal salt marsh in Florida and that they currently occupy approximately half the northern portion of their historical distribution. We suggest that the long-term persistence of Atlantic salt marsh mink in Florida may depend on the presence of healthy and functional low marsh where aquatic food resources, particularly blue crab, are locally abundant.
A randomized pilot study using calcitriol in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The systemic illness associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection results in hospitalization rate of 380.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 population, overwhelming health care systems. Vitamin D regulates expression of approximately 11,000 genes spanning many physiologic functions that include regulation of both innate and adaptive immune function. We investigate potential benefit of calcitriol therapy given to patients hospitalized with COVID-19. This was an open label, randomized clinical trial of calcitriol or no treatment given to hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19. Subjects were randomly assigned treatment with calcitriol 0.5 µg daily for 14 days or hospital discharge; or no treatment (1:1) at time of enrollment. We enrolled 50 consecutive patients, 25 per trial arm. The change in peripheral arterial oxygen saturation to the inspired fraction of oxygen (SaO2/FIO2 ratio) was calculated on admission and discharge between the groups. The control group had an average increase of +13.2 (±127.7) on discharge and the calcitriol group had an increase of +91.04 (±119.08) (p = .0305), suggesting an improvement in oxygenation among subjects who received calcitriol. Additionally, 12 patients in the control group required oxygen supplementation on admission and 21 of them were discharged on room air. 14 subjects needed oxygen supplementation in the calcitriol group on admission while all 25 were discharged on room air. Other clinical markers showed the average length of stay was 9.24 (±9.4) in the control group compared to 5.5 (±3.9) days in the calcitriol group (p = .14). The need for ICU transfer was 8 in the control group and 5 in the calcitriol group. There were 3 deaths and 4 readmissions in the control group and 0 deaths and 2 readmissions in the calcitriol group. This pilot study illustrates improvement in oxygenation among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with calcitriol and suggests the need for a larger randomized trial.
Observation Studies in Special Education: A Synthesis of Validity Evidence for Observation Systems:

Classroom observation research plays an important role in policy, practice, and scholarship for students with disabilities. When interpreting results of observation studies, it is important to cons...
Youth-appealing features in popular e-cigarette brand advertising in the USA after heightened scrutiny in 2018

Purpose Youth electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use remains high in the USA, and advertising is a contributor. The purpose of this study was to identify themes and characteristics of popular e-cigarette companies’ advertising after e-cigarette companies became more highly scrutinised in 2018. Methods Using a systematic, quantitative content analysis, three trained coders coded e-cigarette advertisements from JUUL, Puff Bar, Vuse and Blu from 2019 and 2020. Based on previous work, they coded for: type of advertisement, flavours, promotions, product cues, descriptors, claims, imagery, youth-oriented themes and sensational appeals. Results Of the 401 e-cigarette advertisements, the majority were emails (38.2%) and Instagram posts (30.9%). Over half (53.6%) showed flavours other than tobacco, with Puff Bar leading the brands (70.2%; p Conclusion Even with heightened scrutiny of e-cigarette brands, advertisements still included youth-appealing content such as flavours, fruit imagery and positive sensations. Puff Bar led in all these categories, and it rapidly gained market share after market leader JUUL limited the sales of its flavoured products. Research should continue to monitor the characteristics of e-cigarette advertisements and consider their impact on youth.
La poesía iba en serio. La Escritura de Ana Rossetti de José Jurado Morales (ed.)

Es resena de: JOSE JURADO MORALES (ed.), La poesia iba en serio. La Escritura de Ana Rossetti, Madrid, Visor Libros, 2013, 375 pags.
The g-machine: a fast, graph-reduction evaluator

The G-machine is an abstract architecture for evaluating functional-language programs by programmed graph reduction. Unlike combinator reduction, in which control is derived dynamically from the expression graph itself, control in programmed graph reduction is specified by a sequence of instructions derived by compiling an applicative expression.
Lower extremity injury criteria for evaluating military vehicle occupant injury in underbelly blast events

Anti-vehicular (AV) landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) have accounted for more than half of the United States military hostile casualties and wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Department of Defense Personnel & Procurement Statistics, 2009). The lower extremity is the predominantly injured body region following an AV mine or IED blast accounting for 26 percent of all combat injuries in OIF (Owens et al., 2007). Detonations occurring under the vehicle transmit high amplitude and short duration axial loads onto the foot-ankle-tibia region of the occupant causing injuries to the lower leg. The current effort was initiated to develop lower extremity injury criteria for occupants involved in underbelly blast impacts. Eighteen lower extremity post mortem human specimens (PMHS) were instrumented with an implantable load cell and strain gages and impacted at one of three incrementally severe AV axial loading conditions. Twelve of the 18 PMHS specimens sustained fractures of the calcaneus, talus, fibula and/or tibia. The initiation of skeletal injury was precisely detected by strain gages and corresponded with local peak axial tibia force. Survival analysis identified peak axial tibia force and impactor velocity as the two best predictors of incapacitating injury. A tibia axial force of 5,931 N and impactor velocity of 10.8 m/s corresponds with a 50 percent risk of an incapacitating injury. The criteria may be utilized to predict the probability of lower extremity incapacitating injury in underbelly blast impacts.
Measurements of vasopressinase in maternal and cord blood

A s E A R L Y as 1937 Schockaert and Lambillor? observed that the increase in blood pressure in the laboratory animal caused by 0.1 unit of vasopressin could be eliminated by 5 ml. of serum from a woman in the eighth month of pregnancy. In 1950 Dieckmann and co-workers2 reported that the antidiuretic effect of a solution of posterior pituitary would also be eliminated by a substance in the plasma of pregnant women from the fourteenth week of pregnancy through the early puerperium. More recendy Hawke+ 4 and Dicker and Tyler5 have confirmed and extended these observations. The studies of both these groups of workers point to an enzymatic mechanism of inactivation, and Hawker has found this enzyme (vasopressinase) in placental extracts as well as in the plasma of pregnant women. The studies herein reported were undertaken to determine whether or not this enzyme was present in the plasma of the fetus, and, if so, its relative concentration in comparison with maternal levels determined at the same time. No investigations of the presence or absence of vasopressinase in fetal plasma could be found in the literature, although there would seem to be good a priori reason to suspect inactivation of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in the newborn.
Activity patterns in mesolimbic regions in rats during operant tasks for reward.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the existence of a rich diversity of coding in prefrontal cortex related to reward. These include: (1) subsets of neurons that generate activity specific for the task sequence leading to reward, (2) selectivity for the reward modality, (3) cognitive signals corresponding to position, task segment, and outcome, with behavior governed by associative rules; and (4) embedded timing mechanisms. The ingredients of elemental operations ascribed to primate brain in the view appear in modified form in rat when appropriate behavioral paradigms are employed. The chapter discusses that some components of frontal cortical-striatal information flow may be used solely as learning signals functioning mainly to form associations in regions of cortex responsible for future behavior. One conjecture is that the neural machinery responsible for timing behavior may play a critical role in assigning a possible significance to the events, which have preceded a reward, such that a process of strengthening an association can begin. Investigation of these issues will constitute a major experimental task for the future.
Hopping of atoms between two traps containing Bose condensates

Experimental demonstrations of magnetic1 and all-optical2 traps for neutral atoms suggest that in such traps low enough temperatures and high enough atomic densities might eventually be reached so that the atoms undergo the Bose condensation (BC).
Optical and microwave performance of GaAs-AlGaAs and strained-layer InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs graded-index separate-confinement heterostructure single quantum well lasers

The authors have fabricated InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs strained-layer graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure (GRINSCH) quantum-well lasers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Use of optimized growth conditions resulted in low-threshold performance. The lasers emit at a wavelength of 1.03 mu m and have threshold currents of 12 mA for 3- mu m*400- mu m devices and threshold current densities of 168 A/cm/sup 2/ for 150- mu m*800- mu m devices. They emit at longer wavelengths and have lower threshold currents than previously reported strained-layer lasers grown by MBE and have threshold currents below those of strained-layer lasers grown by OMVPE (organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy). Measurements of threshold current and microwave modulation response have been performed on strained-layer InGaAs and unstrained GaAs GRINSCH SQW (single-quantum-well) lasers with identical cladding and graded regions grown by molecular beam epitaxy. They confirm the lower threshold currents and higher modulation bandwidths that have been theoretically predicted for strained-layer lasers. >
Dimension Compactification - a Possible Explanation for Superclusters and for Empirical Evidence Usually Interpreted as Dark Matter

According to modern quantum physics, at the microlevel, the dimension of space-time is \(\ge \)11; we only observe 4 dimensions because the others are compactified: the size along each of the other dimensions is much smaller than the macroscale. There is no universally accepted explanation of why exactly 4 dimensions remain at the microscopic level. A natural suggestion is: maybe there is no fundamental reason why exactly 4 dimensions should remain, maybe when we go to even larger scales, some of the 4 dimensions will be compactified as well? In this paper, we explore the consequences of the compactification suggestion, and we show that—on the qualitative level—these consequences have actually been already observed: as superclusters and as evidence that is usually interpreted as justifying dark matter. Thus, we get a new possible explanation of both superclusters and dark matter evidence—via dimension compactification.
Collaborative networking in an uncooperative Internet

Collaborative applications often require peer-to-peer interaction and peer discovery mechanisms. In today's Internet, Firewall and NAT technology, and a lack of support of IP multicast, have made it very difficult to support such applications. Application Level Gateways and Directory Services can solve these problems to some extent, but have scalability problems and should be used as a last resort. This paper describes our experience with implementing a service called Astrolabe which uses a peer-to-peer epidemic protocol. We show how we solved peer-to-peer communication, auto-configuration, and peer discovery. The resulting Astrolabe service can be used to support the development of other peer-to-peer protocols and applications.
Protocol for prevention of spinal cord ischemia after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery.

ObjectiveThis manuscript was written to present a systemic protocol for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of spinal cord ischemia following open and endovascular thoracoabdominal aorti...
A highly reducing metal-free photoredox catalyst: design and application in radical dehalogenations

Here we report the use of 10-phenylphenothiazine (PTH) as an inexpensive, highly reducing metal-free photocatalyst for the reduction of carbon–halogen bonds via the trapping of carbon-centered radical intermediates with a mild hydrogen atom donor. Dehalogenations were carried out on various substrates with excellent yields at room temperature in the presence of air.
Bounce-averaged Monte-Carlo calculations of ripple transport in stellarators

A rapid simulation of transport by trapped particles in stellarators, based on conservation of J, has been developed. At very low collision frequency the diffusion rates are not entirely in agreement with analytic theory. The potential importance of effects not described by an 'averaged' theory is discussed.
The effect of glutathione on survival of endotoxin treated mice.

ConclusionInjection of mice with 30 mg of GSH, especially intravenously, was complicated by the unphysiologic, extracellular distribution of the exogenous glutathione. The GSH given to mice to replace nonprotein sulfhydryl lost as a result of endotoxin shock provided only slight protection. Survival was significantly improved by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg of GSH 4 hr before the endotoxin. Thus, there appears to be little therapeutic potential for GSH in endotoxin shock.
Altered metabolic rhythm of rabbit osteoblasts by tetracycline.

Abstract To establish whether there are single or multiple pools of osteoblasts in rabbit bone, animals were injected with tetracycline on various schedules for 1–3 days. Metabolic restraints predicted that a multiple pool model would be feasible only if the percent labeled surfaces of trabecular bone (tibia) doubled when animals were injected on days 1 and 2, 1 and 3, or on days 1, 2, and 3. A single population would be indicated if the extent of labeled surfaces failed to double. Herein, 41.9 ± 8.1 % of bone surfaces labeled after a single injection, and only 60–68 % of surfaces labeled after injections on the other schedules. The data inferred that serial pulse tetracycline injections at 24h intervals caused a shift in the activities of a single population of osteoblasts and their progenitor cells.
Retinoic acid and rapamycin differentially affect and synergistically promote the ex vivo expansion of natural human T regulatory cells.

Natural T regulatory cells (Tregs) are challenging to expand ex vivo, and this has severely hindered in vivo evaluation of their therapeutic potential. All trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plays an important role in mediating immune homeostasis in vivo, and we investigated whether ATRA could be used to promote the ex vivo expansion of Tregs purified from adult human peripheral blood. We found that ATRA helped maintain FOXP3 expression during the expansion process, but this effect was transient and serum-dependent. Furthermore, natural Tregs treated with rapamycin, but not with ATRA, suppressed cytokine production in co-cultured effector T cells. This suppressive activity correlated with the ability of expanded Tregs to induce FOXP3 expression in non-Treg cell populations. Examination of CD45RA+ and CD45RA− Treg subsets revealed that ATRA failed to maintain suppressive activity in either population, but interestingly, Tregs expanded in the presence of both rapamycin and ATRA displayed more suppressive activity and had a more favorable epigenetic status of the FOXP3 gene than Tregs expanded in the presence of rapamycin only. We conclude that while the use of ATRA as a single agent to expand Tregs for human therapy is not warranted, its use in combination with rapamycin may have benefit.
Insider trading and the valuation of international strategic alliances in emerging stock markets

Because stock markets in emerging economies are relatively new, under-regulated, and often segmented, investors' responses to public announcements by firms in these economies may differ from responses in developed economies' stock markets. We draw on the institutional and corporate governance literatures to explain investor reactions to announcements of international strategic alliances (ISAs) between foreign and emerging-market firms. We argue that emerging economies' stock markets positively value ISAs; however, information leakages due to weak regulatory environments siphon off the “good news” before the ISA announcement date. The level of state ownership of publicly traded firms and the nationality of foreign partners both affect the size and timing of market reactions.
Canonical correlations with fallible data

The technique of canonical correlation may be used to determine the extent to which two sets of measurements reflect the same underlying traits. However, if the two sets are not perfectly reliable, the unreliability may obscure the fact that they are essentially dependent on similar processes. If we attempt to determine sets of weights so as to maximize the correlation between linear composites after correction for attenuation in the composites, it turns out that the results may be obtained by determining the canonical correlations and canonical regression weights between the true score components of the measures making up the two sets. In addition, formulas are developed for calculating the correlations between the canonical variates and original measures, both corrected and uncorrected for attenuation. A numerical example relating the verbal to the performance subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is presented.