cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ubiquitin-Regulated Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Trafficking of the Nipah Virus Matrix Protein Is Important for Viral Budding

Paramyxoviruses are known to replicate in the cytoplasm and bud from the plasma membrane. Matrix is the major structural protein in paramyxoviruses that mediates viral assembly and budding. Curiously, the matrix proteins of a few paramyxoviruses have been found in the nucleus, although the biological function associated with this nuclear localization remains obscure. We report here that the nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of the Nipah virus matrix (NiV-M) protein and associated post-translational modification play a critical role in matrix-mediated virus budding. Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic emerging paramyxovirus that causes fatal encephalitis in humans, and is classified as a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) pathogen. During live NiV infection, NiV-M was first detected in the nucleus at early stages of infection before subsequent localization to the cytoplasm and the plasma membrane. Mutations in the putative bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) found in NiV-M impaired its nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking and also abolished NiV-M budding. A highly conserved lysine residue in the NLS served dual functions: its positive charge was important for mediating nuclear import, and it was also a potential site for monoubiquitination which regulates nuclear export of the protein. Concordantly, overexpression of ubiquitin enhanced NiV-M budding whereas depletion of free ubiquitin in the cell (via proteasome inhibitors) resulted in nuclear retention of NiV-M and blocked viral budding. Live Nipah virus budding was exquisitely sensitive to proteasome inhibitors: bortezomib, an FDA-approved proteasome inhibitor for treating multiple myeloma, reduced viral titers with an IC50 of 2.7 nM, which is 100-fold less than the peak plasma concentration that can be achieved in humans. This opens up the possibility of using an “off-the-shelf” therapeutic against acute NiV infection.
INITIAL THERAPY FOR OSTEOMYELITIS AND SEPTIC ARTHRITIS WITH CEFOXITIN

Single drug therapy with a broad spectrum antibiotic is a desirable option for patients with bone and joint infections of unknown etiology. We initiated treatment for 23 children, ages 6 months-15 years (mean 6.5 years) with cefoxitin. The infecting organisms proved to be S. aureus-10, Strep. pneumoniae-2, H. influenzae b-2, and S. epidermidis, B. melaninogenicus, Moraxella sp. and Ps. fluorescens-1 each. No agent was identified in 6 cases. Initial clinical response was good in 21 cases (91%). One primary resistant organism (Ps. fluorescens) and one cephalosporin-tolerant S. aureus failed to respond. A third child with infection due to H. influenzae b developed meningitis after 3 days. These 3, and 6 patients with negative cultures, were dropped from the study. All other patients did well and received x 15.7 days IV cefoxitin before switching to oral antimicrobials. Adverse reactions included allergic rash (1), mildeosinophilia (2) and mild elevation of SGOT (1). Cefoxitin was discontinued for reason of the rash; all other reactions resolved when the drug was discontinued at the completion of therapy. Neutropenia (PMN <1000/mm3) was seen in 2 patients but resolved spontaneously. Urinary reducing substances were detected in 5 cases (22%). Cefoxitin appears to be satisfactory initial therapy for osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in pediatric patients; it should not be used for infants <2 years of age where H. influenzae b is suspected, due to the possible development of meningitis.
Effects of foundation size on Fourier spectrum amplitudes of earthquake accelerations recorded in buildings

Abstract Hypotheses that typical building foundations attenuate amplitudes of incident earthquake motions by scattering mechanism has been investigated. By analysis of normalized spectra of motions recorded inside building foundations it is found that the effect of size of building foundation if present is much smaller than the inherent variance of the data so far recorded in 57 building. Through comparison with theoretical results for vibration of rigid hemispherical and the disk foundation it is concluded that the relative rigidity of foundation may play a major role in influencing the degree to which foundation size influences strong motion recorded in building basements.
An Efficient Parametric Technique for Doppler-Delay Estimation

Receiving an output signal that is a weighted sum of Doppler and delay shifted versions of an input signal arises in various engineering systems including radar, sonar, and communications. It is often desired to estimate the Doppler and delay parameters from noisy measurements of the output signal. An estimation algorithm is developed herein for the Doppler frequencies, delays, and amplitudes, for a specific choice of the input. The algorithm is based on a computationally efficient search-free frequency estimation technique for the sum of complex exponentials. Asymptotic performance bounds are developed for the estimated parameters. Simulation results show that the variance of the estimation error is close to the bound above a threshold signal-to-noise ratio, indicating that the estimation algorithm is statistically efficient.
Mathematical modeling of impedance controlled radiofrequency tumor ablation and ex-vivo validation

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation uses RF current to heat and kill cancer applied via an electrode inserted under image-guidance, and is in clinical use for tumors in liver, lung kidney, and bone. Mathematical models are frequently used to determine tissue temperature during RF ablation, but most prior models do not include accurate implementation of power control algorithms as are used in clinical devices. We created a computer model employing the Finite Element Method, and implemented a clinically used impedance control algorithm. We assumed a rapid increase in tissue electrical conductivity upon vaporization to approximate tissue vapor formation and allow impedance control. We performed ex vivo tissue experiments where we measured the tissue temperature and impedance to validate the computer models. Impedance and temperature time course were comparable between model and experiments, and deviations are likely due to inaccurate data on temperature dependence of tissue properties. Ablation zone diameter was 33 mm in the computer model, and 29 ± 3 mm in the experiments. Our computer model may more accurately allow tissue temperature calculation via including power control algorithms as used in clinical devices.
Adjusting for Design Effects in Disproportionate Stratified Sampling Designs Through Weighting

This article validates the necessity of adjusting for the design effects in disproportionate stratified sampling designs through the use of sample weights. Using data from the 1958 Birth Cohort study, we demonstrate that complex sampling designs introduce sampling error and even sampling bias into sample data. Such sample data are a poor representation of population parameters. These design effects can be addressed through the application of sample weights.
On computing optimal planar grasps

The quality of a grasp can often be measured as the magnitude within which any external wrench is resistible by "unit grasp force". In this paper, we present a numerical algorithm to compute the optimal grasp on a simple polygon, given contact forces of unit total magnitude. Forces are compared with torques over the radius of gyration of the polygon. Our analysis shows that the optimal grasps may be of a continuum. We also address a grasp optimality criterion for resisting an adversary finger located possibly anywhere on the polygon boundary. The disparity between these two grasp optimality criteria are demonstrated by simulation with results advocating that grasps should be measured task-dependently. The paper assumes non-frictional contacts.
Enhanced third-order nonlinear effects in optical AlGaAs nanowires

We report the first observation of enhanced third-order nonlinear effects in AlGaAs nanowires. AlGaAs nanowaveguides with widths varying from 100 to 600nm were fabricated and characterized. Nonlinear phase shifts of ~π were experimentally observed at 1.55µm with peak powers of 30–40W in 600µm long, 550nm wide guides.
Hydroxyurea therapy contributes to infertility in adult men with sickle cell disease: a review

Hydroxyurea therapy, a chemotherapeutic agent, is the only US FDA approved therapy for the prevention of vaso-occlusive pain in sickle cell disease (SCD). The National Institutes of Health has sponsored two Phase III randomized, placebo-controlled trials, initially in adults, and subsequently in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Despite the overwhelming evidence that hydroxyurea therapy is beneficial to children and adults with SCA, individuals with SCA and their families express reservations about its use, in part because of the concerns about fertility, particularly in men. As adolescent boys with SCD are now expected to reach their reproductive years, a new concern is emerging about the role of hydroxyurea therapy as a barrier to their progeny. This review will systemically evaluate compromised fertility in men with SCD, and the evidence that hydroxyurea therapy is associated with further decreasing fertility in men with SCD.
Probabilistic failure diagnosis in finite state machines under unreliable observations

In this paper we develop a probabilistic methodology for calculating the likelihood that an observed, possibly corrupted event sequence was generated by two (or more) candidate finite state machines (FSMs) (one of which could represent the normal mode of operation and the other(s) could represent the failed model(s)). Our objective is to perform failure diagnosis by deciding which FSM is most likely to have generated the observed event sequence. The underlying problem relates to the evaluation problem in hidden Markov models (HMMs) which calculates the probability that an observed sequence is generated by a given Markov model. However, the additional challenge in our setup is the fact that errors may corrupt the observed sequence, potentially causing loops in the resulting trellis diagram. These errors include, in their most basic form, event insertions and deletions and could arise under a variety of conditions (e.g., due to sensor failures or due to problems encountered in the links connecting the system sensors with the diagnoser). Given the possibly erroneous observed sequence, we propose an algorithm for obtaining the most likely underlying FSM.
Effects of including end-caps in the moment method solution of Hallen's integral equation

Hallen's integral is used to study the effects of adding hemispherical end-caps to a half-wavelength dipole. The current distributions on a-half-wavelength dipole with the end-caps and another without them are compared. A similar comparison is carried out for the impedance calculations. It is found that introducing end-caps and modeling the feed with a pulse generator results in a smoother current distribution and significantly improves the convergence of the input impedance. >
Characterization of multilocus linkage disequilibrium.

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the human genome, often measured as pairwise correlation between adjacent markers, shows substantial spatial heterogeneity. Congruent with these results, studies have found that certain regions of the genome have far less haplotype diversity than expected if the alleles at multiple markers were independent, while other sets of adjacent markers behave almost independently. Regions with limited haplotype diversity have been described as ‘‘blocked’’ or ‘‘haplotype blocks.’’ In this article, we propose a new method that aims to distinguish between blocked and unblocked regions in the genome. Like some other approaches, the method analyses haplotype diversity. Unlike other methods, it allows for adjacent, distinct blocks and also multiple, independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) separating blocks. Based on an approximate likelihood model and a parsimony criterion to penalize for model complexity, the method partitions a genomic region into blocks relatively quickly, and simulations suggest that its partitions are accurate. We also propose a new, efficient method to select SNPs for association analysis, namely tag SNPs. These methods compare favorably to similar blocking and tagging methods using simulations. Genet. Epidemiol. 28:193–206, 2005. & 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Testing reconfigured RAM's and scrambled address RAM's for pattern sensitive faults

State-of-the-art RAM chips are designed with spare rows and columns for reconfiguration purposes. After a RAM chip is reconfigured, physically adjacent spare cells may no longer have consecutive logical addresses. Another aspect that results in distinct logical and physical neighborhoods in RAM's is the scrambling of address lines, necessitated by the need to minimize the overall silicon area and the critical path lengths. Test algorithms used to test reconfigured RAM's and scrambled address RAM's for the detection of physical neighborhood pattern sensitive faults have to consider that the physical and logical neighborhoods are different and that the address mapping of the reconfigured RAM is no longer available. In this paper, we present a test algorithm that detects static five-cell physical neighborhood pattern sensitive faults in reconfigured RAMs and RAMs with scrambled address lines. This algorithm is based on the widely used MSCAN and Marching test algorithms, and requires only O(N[log/sub 2/N]) reads and writes to test an N-bit RAM array.
A theoretically-based coding system to guide assessment and evaluation of affective learning

Objective : The preparation of reflective practitioners is crucial with the ever changing dynamics of the healthcare environment. Reflection involves the personal collection of information with subsequent contemplation and deliberation. This reflective process serves as the basis for gaining understandings, attaching meaning and guiding future actions. A challenge for nursing faculty is to implement new and innovative methods to assess and evaluate both reflection and affective learning. The purpose of this study is two-fold; to develop a theory-based coding system to assess affective learning, and to evaluate the feasibility and applicability of this coding system in reading and responding to students’ reflective clinical journals. Methods : The coding system is based on an alignment of the affective domain taxonomy and Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning. A research team developed this system, and then utilizing predetermined coding guidelines, scored clinical journal entries written by graduate entry pathway students. Inter-rater reliability and qualitative data in the form of faculty anecdotal comments supported on-going revisions to the coding system. Results : In the early stages of the coding, the IRR averaged 0.5 with the last set ranging from 0.75-1.00. Team meeting and the use of the research team’s anecdotal logs served to address inconsistencies in the process. Conclusions : The results of this study support the feasibility to both establish a consistent theoretical foundation to guide student assessment and evaluation of affective learning. Identification of student exemplars was also created to orient new faculty concerning the stages of reflection. The results of this study also support the course design process in terms of alignment of student learning objectives, instructional methods and evaluation plans.
Seismology: Taking it slow

The 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake ruptured part of a fault that typically slips in slow, transient events. Laboratory experiments show that when fault rocks are sheared at slow, plate tectonic speeds, the fault can slip either quickly or slowly.
Population Structure of Peronospora effusa in the Southwestern United States

Peronospora effusa is an obligate pathogen that causes downy mildew on spinach and is considered the most economically important disease of spinach. The objective of the current research was to assess genetic diversity of known historical races and isolates collected in 2014 from production fields in Yuma, Arizona and Salinas Valley, California. Candidate neutral single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified by comparing sequence data from reference isolates of known races of the pathogen collected in 2009 and 2010. Genotypes were assessed using targeted sequencing on genomic DNA extracted directly from infected plant tissue. Genotyping 26 historical and 167 contemporary samples at 46 SNP loci revealed 82 unique multi-locus genotypes. The unique genotypes clustered into five groups and the majority of isolates collected in 2014 were genetically closely related, regardless of source location. The historical samples, representing several races, showed greater genetic differentiation. Overall, the SNP data indicate much of the genotypic variation found within fields was produced during asexual development, whereas overall genetic diversity may be influenced by sexual recombination on broader geographical and temporal scales.
Who, When, and Where? Age-Related Differences on a New Memory Test.

Our study examined age-related differences on a new memory test assessing memory for "who," "when," and "where," and associations among these elements. Participants were required to remember a sequence of pictures of different faces paired with different places. Older adults remembered significantly fewer correct face-place pairs in the correct sequence compared with young adults. Correlation analyses with standardized neuropsychological tests provide preliminary evidence for construct validity. Our results offer insight into age-related changes in the ability to remember associations between people and places at different points in time using a portable test that can be administered rapidly in various settings.
The future nexus of the Brahmaputra River Basin: Climate, water, energy and food trajectories

Abstract Advance knowledge of conflicting trajectories of water–energy–food (WEF) nexus is highly relevant for water policy and planning, especially for basins that cross national boundaries. The Brahmaputra River Basin in South Asia, home for 130 million people, is such a basin. Development of new hydropower projects, upstream water diversions and possible climate changes introduce concerns among riparian countries about future water supply for energy and food production in the basin. This study presents a new hydro-economic water system model of the basin coupled with ex post scenario analysis under the “nexus thinking” concept to identify and illustrate where development paths are in conflict. Results indicate that the ability of future development to remain free of conflict hinges mostly on the amount of precipitation falling in the basin in the future. Uncertain future precipitation along with uncertain future temperature and the unknown amount of upstream water diversion combine to strongly influence future water, energy and food production in the basin. Specifically, decreases in precipitation coupled with large upstream diversions (e.g., diversion in the territory of China) would leave one or more riparian countries unable to secure enough water to produce their desired energy and food. Future climate projected by General Circulation Models suggest a warmer and wetter climate condition in the region, which is associated with an increase in streamflow and easing of conflicts at the WEF nexus in the basin. The methodology presented here is expected to be generally useful for diagnosing the conditions that may cause water resources development goals to not be achieved due to either changes in climate or water use among competing users.
Aliphatic Carbon-Fluorine Bond Activation Using (C5Me5)2ZrH2

Carbon-fluorine bonds are among the strongest and most inert single bonds found in organic compounds.1 The extraordinary properties of fluorocarbons have led to their increased use commercially and, in turn, to an increased interest in the study of C-F activation. In particular, the development of CFC disposal methods remains a challenging task.2 A variety of early transition metal complexes have been shown to be reactive toward aromatic C-F bonds such as those in perfluorobenzene,2-4 while only a few metal complexes show well characterized reactions with aliphatic fluorocarbons.5 The use of early transition metal hydride reagents in C-F activation remains largely unexplored. In fact, only two examples of C-F activation by early transition metal hydrides have been documented.6 The dihydride complex Cp*2ZrH2 is known to react with a variety of unsaturated small molecules through what are commonly classified as electrophilic concerted addition reactions.7 We have found that Cp*2ZrH2 reacts with many types of fluorinated substrates to give hydrogenated organic products and Cp*2ZrHF. Reaction of Cp*2ZrH2 (1) with 1-fluorohexane in cyclohexaned12 at ambient temperature under 1.3 atm H2 has been found to produce hexane and Cp*2ZrHF (2) in quantitative yield (eq 1).
Integrating pharmacy students into medication reconciliation through a volunteer program.

Medication reconciliation is a focus of national quality mandates,[1][1],[2][2] with research demonstrating value in obtaining accurate medication histories.[3][3],[4][4] At the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), a 729-bed academic medical center, pharmacists are responsible for
Optimization of In Vitro Techniques for Distinguishing between Live and Dead Second Stage Juveniles of Heterodera glycines and Meloidogyne incognita

Heterodera glycines (Soybean Cyst nematode, or SCN) and Meloidogyne incognita (Root-Knot nematode, or RKN) are two damaging plant-parasitic nematodes on important field crops. Developing a quick method to distinguish between live and dead SCN and RKN second stage juveniles (J2) is vital for high throughput screening of pesticides or biological compounds against SCN and RKN. The in vitro assays were conducted in 96-well plates to determine the optimum chemical stimulus to distinguish between live and dead SCN and RKN J2. Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were evaluated for the nematode response to see if these compounds can help distinguish between viable from the dead J2. Results indicated that live SCN J2 responded equally (P ≤ 0.05) to 1 μl Na2CO3 and 10 μl NaHCO3 in 100 μl of water at pH = 10. Live SCN J2 responded by twisting their bodies in a curling shape and increasing rate of movements within 2 minutes of exposure. The twisting activity continued for up to 30 minutes. Live RKN J2 responded by increasing activity with the application of 1 μl NaOH in 100 μl of water at pH = 10 also in the 2 minutes to 30 minutes time frame. Furthermore, in growth chamber tests to confirm the infectivity of live SCN. The live SCN as determined by exposure to 1 μl of Na2CO3 indicated 60.5% of the SCN J2 were alive and of those, 29.5% were infective and entered the soybean roots. The 1 μl of NaOH stimulus revealed that 75.2% RKN J2 were alive and of those, 14.9% were infective and entered soybean roots. These results confirmed that 1 μl of Na2CO3 added to 100 μl suspension of SCN J2 and 1 μl of NaOH added to 100 μl suspension of RKN J2 are the effective stimuli for rapidly distinguishing between live and dead SCN and RKN J2 in vitro. SCN and RKN J2 responded differently to different compounds.
Attribution Reduction of Bayesian Rough Set Model

Bayesian rough set(BRS) model for two decision classes is extended to more decision classes based on the analysis of BRS model.Corresponding definitions and simple property are given.At the same time,attribute significance is measured from the sides of global relative gain.Heuristic algorithm is proposed which regardes global relative gain as the heuristic information.Corresponding algorithm is run by the programming of Matlab.Both the attribute reduction of VPRS model and the attribute reduction of BRS model are compared by the results of the practical example.The validity and feasibility of the algorithm of BRS model are proved.
Employee voice and work engagement : Macro, meso, and micro-level drivers of convergence?

Abstract Direct forms of individual employee voice are potentially important yet underexplored antecedents of work engagement. Based largely in job demands–resources theorizing, we develop a conceptual multi-level framework that explores how individual employee perceptions of voice practices affect their level of work engagement. We argue that the extent to which voice practices might converge as ‘best practice’ to create work engagement is influenced by factors at three levels: macro-level national culture (the degree of power distance), meso-level organizational climate (the extent of empowering leadership and participation), and micro-level relationship quality between employee and supervisor (leader–member exchange). Positioning this framework in the human resource management convergence/divergence debate, we develop propositions for future research linking direct employee voice and work engagement.
Exploring associations between prenatal solvent exposures and teenage drug and alcohol use: a retrospective cohort study.

Investigating the effects of prenatal and childhood exposures on behavioral health outcomes in adolescence is challenging given the lengthy period between the exposure and outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Cape Cod, Massachusetts to evaluate the impact of prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water on the occurrence of risk-taking behaviors as a teenager. An increased occurrence of risk-taking behaviors, particularly illicit drug use, was observed in those highly exposed to PCE. We hypothesized that there may be other sources of prenatal solvent exposure such as maternal consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy which might modify the previously observed associations between PCE and risk-taking behaviors and so we conducted an exploratory analysis using available cohort data. The current report presents the results of these analyses and describes the difficulties in conducting research on long-term behavioral effects of early life exposures. The exploratory analysis compared a referent group of subjects with no early life exposure to PCE or alcohol (n = 242) to subjects with only alcohol exposure (n = 201), subjects with only PCE exposure (n = 361), and subjects with exposure to both PCE and alcohol (n = 302). Surveys completed by the subject’s mother included questions on prenatal alcoholic beverage consumption and available confounding variables such as cigarette smoking and marijuana use. Surveys completed by the subjects included questions on risk-taking behaviors such as alcoholic beverage consumption and illicit drug use as a teenager and available confounding variables. PCE exposure was modeled using a leaching and transport algorithm embedded in water distribution system modeling software that estimated the amount of PCE delivered to a subject’s residence during gestation and early childhood. Subjects with early life exposure to both PCE and alcohol had an increased risk of using two or more major drugs as a teen (RR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.2, 3.0)) compared to unexposed subjects. Increased risks for only PCE exposure (RR = 1.6 (95% CI 1.0, 2.4) and only alcohol exposure (RR = 1.3 (95% CI 0.7, 2.1)) were also evident but were smaller than the increased risk associated with both exposures. While available confounding variables were controlled, many relevant social risk factors were not obtained due to limitations in the retrospective study design. This exploratory analysis found evidence for an additive effect of early life exposure to PCE and alcohol on the risk of use of multiple illicit drugs as a teenager. Because of numerous limitations in this retrospective study, further research is needed to examine longstanding behavioral effects of early life exposures. To be most informative, this research should involve long-term prospective data collection.
A mechanistic model for swelling kinetics of waxy maize starch suspension

Abstract The evolution of 8% suspension of waxy maize starch granule size distribution when subjected to heating to 65, 70, 75, 80, 85 and 90 °C at a heating rate of 15 °C/min were measured. Granule swelling was more pronounced at higher temperatures with an increase in the average size from 13 μm to 25–28 μm, eventually approaching equilibrium. Cryo SEM images revealed porous structure of swollen granule. The proposed model for starch swelling accounts for entropy of mixing, enthalpy of water-starch interaction and elastic restoring force. The second virial coefficient of waxy maize in aqueous medium was characterized by static light scattering. Chemical potential profile as well as the temperature profile within the granule were predicted from the solution of unsteady state diffusion and heat conduction respectively. The granule size was then inferred from the chemical potential profile. The proposed model predicts the evolution of average granule size and granule size distribution accurately.
Revisiting the applicability of adult early post-operative nausea and vomiting risk factors for the paediatric patient: A prospective study using cotinine levels in children undergoing adenotonsillectomies.

Background and Aims: Post-operative vomiting (POV) in children remains a significant clinical problem. This prospective study aims to investigate the applicability of well-established adult early post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) risk factors on paediatric POV after adenotonsillectomies under regulated anaesthetic conditions. Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, 213 children aged 3–10-year-old were enrolled. The participants had pre-operative questionnaires completed, followed protocolised anaesthetic plans and had saliva analysed for cotinine. The primary outcomes were POV as correlated with age, gender, family or personal history of PONV, motion sickness history, opioid use, surgical time, anaesthetic time and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, as assessed by cotinine levels and questionnaire reports. Data on analgesics, antiemetics and POV incidence before post-anaesthesia care unit discharge were collected. Statistical analysis was done through multiple logistic regression. Results: A total of 200 patients finalised the study. Early POV occurred in 32%. Family history of PONV (odds ratio [OR] = 5.3, P < 0.01) and motion sickness history (OR = 4.4, P = 0.02) were highly significant risk factors. Age reached borderline statistical significance (OR = 1.4, P = 0.05). None of the other factors reached statistical significance. Conclusion: Early POV occurs frequently in paediatric patients undergoing adenotonsillectomies. In this paediatric-aged group, the incidence of POV was affected by the family history of PONV, and history of motion sickness. Age, female gender, opioid use, surgical and anaesthetic times did not affect the incidence of POV. ETS exposure, as assessed by cotinine levels and questionnaire reports, had no protective effect on early paediatric POV.
Technical Note: Lateral Connections and Withdrawal Capacity of Western Juniper

The goal of this project is to increase the amount of available information about western juniper wood to encourage its use in structural applications. This project evaluated the performance of connections involving western juniper wood and other common wood-based building materials. The tests for this project included edge lateral nail connection tests (ASTM 2007a), dowel bearing strength tests (ASTM 2007c), and withdrawal tests (ASTM 2007b). The performance of juniper and juniper-oriented strand board (OSB) connections were characterized. The results were also evaluated against predictive design equations found in the National Design Specification (NDS). The data obtained in this study suggest that NDS equations conservatively predict the load-carrying capacity of a juniper-OSB connection but consistently predict the failure mode.
Faster homomorphic linear transformations in HElib

HElib is a software library that implements homomorphic encryption (HE), with a focus on effective use of “packed” ciphertexts. An important operation is applying a known linear map to a vector of encrypted data. In this paper, we describe several algorithmic improvements that significantly speed up this operation: in our experiments, our new algorithms are 30–75 times faster than those previously implemented in HElib for typical parameters.
Reverse translated and gold standard continuous performance tests predict global cognitive performance in schizophrenia

Attentional dysfunction contributes to functional impairments in schizophrenia (SZ). Sustained attention is typically assessed via continuous performance tasks (CPTs), though many CPTs have limited cross-species translational validity and place demands on additional cognitive domains. A reverse-translated 5-Choice Continuous Performance Task (5C-CPT) for human testing-originally developed for use in rodents-was designed to minimize demands on perceptual, visual learning, processing speed, or working memory functions. To-date, no studies have validated the 5C-CPT against gold standard attentional measures nor evaluated how 5C-CPT scores relate to cognition in SZ. Here we examined the relationship between the 5C-CPT and the CPT-Identical Pairs (CPT-IP), an established and psychometrically robust measure of vigilance from the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) in a sample of SZ patients (n = 35). Relationships to global and individual subdomains of cognition were also assessed. 5C-CPT and CPT-IP measures of performance (d-prime) were strongly correlated (r = 0.60). In a regression model, the 5C-CPT and CPT-IP collectively accounted for 54% of the total variance in MCCB total scores, and 27.6% of overall cognitive variance was shared between the 5C-CPT and CPT-IP. These results indicate that the reverse translated 5C-CPT and the gold standard CPT-IP index a common attentional construct that also significantly overlaps with variance in general cognitive performance. The use of simple, cross-species validated behavioral indices of attentional/cognitive functioning such as the 5C-CPT could accelerate the development of novel generalized pro-cognitive therapeutics for SZ and related neuropsychiatric disorders.
“Living in the Along”: Validating Experiences Among Urban Community College Students in a College Transition Program:

Objective: Despite significant attention from federal and state policy makers, postsecondary completion rates in the United States remain stratified across race and socioeconomic background. This s...
Codes over Zm, revisited

BCH codes are constructed over integer residue rings by using BCH oces over both p-adic finite fields.
Use of Social Media by Catholic Organizations

This article provides an analysis of website content and the use of social media by Catholic nonprofits to determine the level and type of usage. The research method was to select a sub- sample from 195 different Catholic websites and then provide coding and analysis. It then continues with analysis of participation rates and recommendations for how these might be increased. It suggests that the use of social media by Catholic organizations, in particular Catholic parishes, is low and that this has implications for the future of successful parish ministry. It concludes with some brief suggestions for how the quantity and quality of participation in social media and websites could be enhanced. It offers some practical ways that pastoral ministers could implement social media in their ministry.
Epidemiology of Head Injury: Future Perspective

Professor Jennett, a world authority on both the clinical care of the head injured and on the epidemiology of head injury, once again challenges us; this time, to address the sparse information available on the incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with head injury. In many of the developed and newly developing nations of the world, plans are under way to improve health care services. However, the data necessary to develop realistic and efficient plans in the area of head injury are at best minimal, and too often could be inadequate.
Humans as “Part and Parcel of Nature”: Thoreau’s Contribution to Environmental Ethics

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) develops an understanding of human beings as “part and parcel of nature” that includes the idea that we are physically, spiritually, and attitudinally (more or less) connected to the world around us. The image he offers is one in which life spent too much in civilization, where work and social expectations determine the quality of one’s daily life and personal character, lead to lives of boredom, conformity, and misplaced priorities. Time spent in more natural environments is the antidote. Such experiences have the potential to jar us out of the conformist and—to his mind—personally stunting existence into which most fall. Growth and liberation come from experiencing the “More” of which both nature and we are a part. Thoreau calls us to reevaluate our values and priorities by being in a right relationship with nature, which does not require that we accept all of his particular ontological commitments. The argument that emerges for greater protection of the environment is admittedly quite human-centered. However, Thoreau’s insight that we are part and parcel of nature is important because, as Aldo Leopold later argues, we can only progress beyond a prudential approach to nature when we see ourselves as part of the larger whole. The world looks different when it is our home and community as opposed to being mere material to be used or a stage on which our lives unfold.
Physician characteristics, industry transfers, and pharmaceutical prescribing: Empirical evidence from medicare and the physician payment sunshine act.

Objective To evaluate physician characteristics associated with pharmaceutical industry transfers and prescribing behavior after public reporting under the Sunshine Act. Data sources 2014-2016 secondary data on industry transfers to physicians from the Open Payments Dataset supplemented with Medicare Part D prescription data, Medicare service data, and practice attributes from the Physician Compare Database. Study design Using regression analysis with county/physician fixed effects, this study examines characteristics associated with the probability/magnitude of transfers and the association between transfers and prescriptions. Data collection Using an iterative matching approach, this study identifies physicians who delivered outpatient Medicare services in 2014 (n = 409 041) and tracks their annual transfers between 2014 and 2016 (N = 1 227 123) across six transfer categories. In addition, it examines their Medicare Part D prescription behavior between 2014 and 2015 (N = 741 659). Principal findings Industry transfers dramatically declined in 2015 and 2016. Transfers are significantly associated with increased prescription costs, branded prescribing, and prescribing for High-Risk Medications (HRMs). Conclusions Industry transfers have declined after public reporting. Transfers are associated with higher prescription costs and incidence of HRMs. Future research is needed to determine the causal impact on quality and cost-effectiveness of prescribed medications.
Intelligence Beyond the Edge: Inference on Intermittent Embedded Systems

Energy-harvesting technology provides a promising platform for future IoT applications. However, since communication is very expensive in these devices, applications will require inference "beyond the edge" to avoid wasting precious energy on pointless communication. We show that application performance is highly sensitive to inference accuracy. Unfortunately, accurate inference requires large amounts of computation and memory, and energy-harvesting systems are severely resource-constrained. Moreover, energy-harvesting systems operate intermittently, suffering frequent power failures that corrupt results and impede forward progress. This paper overcomes these challenges to present the first full-scale demonstration of DNN inference on an energy-harvesting system. We design and implement SONIC, an intermittence-aware software system with specialized support for DNN inference. SONIC introduces loop continuation, a new technique that dramatically reduces the cost of guaranteeing correct intermittent execution for loop-heavy code like DNN inference. To build a complete system, we further present GENESIS, a tool that automatically compresses networks to optimally balance inference accuracy and energy, and TAILS, which exploits SIMD hardware available in some microcontrollers to improve energy efficiency. Both SONIC & TAILS guarantee correct intermittent execution without any hand-tuning or performance loss across different power systems. Across three neural networks on a commercially available microcontroller, SONIC & TAILS reduce inference energy by 6.9× and 12.2×, respectively, over the state-of-the-art.
Cumulative Inequality at the End of Life?: Racial Disparities in Impairment in the Time Before Death.

Objectives Drawing from cumulative inequality (CI) theory, the current study examined racial disparities in impairment as individuals approached death to determine whether proposed mechanisms hypothesized to fuel or diminish racial disparities at late ages were at work at the end of individualized life spans. Method Black-white disparities were analyzed among decedents using latent growth curves based on the data from the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) (N = 1,926). Results Consistent with previous literature, racial inequalities in functional disparities diminish at late ages. However, significant black-white disparities emerge as older adults approach death, exponentially increasing within the 2 years immediately preceding death. Further, these disparities are not fully mediated by socioeconomic status. Discussion The results confirm that CI in health outcomes is observable in late life among individual life spans, suggesting the years surrounding death may be a particularly vulnerable period for health inequality. Future research should examine how advantaged statuses translate to increased access to health-related resources that aid in maintaining greater functional independence until the last stage of life.
"TEACHING TABLES I:" Library Instruction to Go: Online Resources @ Mason Libraries

Library research at academic institutions is increasingly becoming an online activity as more scholarly information and resources are made available in electronic format. To facilitate online research, and the research process in general, George Mason University Libraries is developing online resources that promote basic information literacy skills and that guide students to relevant and credible sources as they are completing assignments. Using various online technologies, librarians have created instructional modules, course pages, and research guides â€“ all of which can be easily adapted by faculty for use in their own teaching.This teaching table session will briefly describe some of the online resources in development at Mason Libraries, focusing on our online tutorials and InfoGuides (described in detail below). The session will explain how and why faculty may adapt these resources for their own teaching. For instance, faculty may choose to teach research skills by presenting instructional tutorials in their own classrooms, rather than bringing students in for a traditional library instruction session. Our online tutorials and research guides can also be quickly and effectively integrated into the Blackboard CE learning environment for use by on-campus students as well as distance learners. This session will touch on how to embed library resources into Blackboard and how to work with a librarian to create a customized course page.Â The Educational Services department of the library is developing a number of instructional modules that supplement face-to-face instruction. Our â€œHow Do Iâ€¦â€ pages, http://library.gmu.edu/education/students/tutorials.html, teach students the basics of doing research in an academic library with topics such as searching the Mason catalog and article databases, distinguishing the differences between popular and scholarly literature, and accessing the full-text of journal articles. Online tutorials are delivered through different mediums in order to accommodate a variety of student learning styles. An example is seen here, http://library.gmu.edu/education/students/find_fulltext.html, where the same information is presented in text-based format, as well as in video screencast.InfoGuidesMasonâ€™s liaison librarians have developed subject-specific research guides, http://infoguides.gmu.edu/arth, as well as course pages http://infoguides.gmu.edu/IT103, which are tailored to particular courses. These guides can easily be customized to meet the specific needs of a course and can be embedded into Blackboard.The session will also provide information about future online instructional content that is in development.Â
Could nature help children rise out of poverty? Green space and future earnings from a cohort in ten U.S. cities.

Abstract Background Growing up in poverty is associated with poor health, and the American Dream of upward mobility is becoming an illusion for many low-income children. But nearby green space can support academic achievement, creativity, and emotional regulation, and these traits might help children rise out of poverty. Objectives To examine the relationship between recent incomes of children born into poverty in the ten largest U.S. cities and densities of residential green space during childhood. Methods We calculate park proximity, park acreage, new park development, and NDVI greenness for 1980–1990 from Landsat and Trust for Public Land data. We obtain the 2014 income for children born between 1978 and 1982 into families in poverty from The Opportunity Atlas cohort, aggregated at the tract level (n = 5849). Results Conditional autoregressive (CAR) models of tracts show statistically significant associations between income rank and above-average levels of greenness but not between income rank and park measures, adjusting for individual and neighborhood confounders and spatial autocorrelation. We estimate that, over a 30-year career, children growing up in tracts with the most vegetative cover will earn cumulatively $28,000 more than children growing up in tracts with the least cover, on average. Tracts with lower than average levels of precipitation, higher disadvantage, higher population density, or higher annual temperatures do not show beneficial effects of green space. Conclusions Greenness may be weakly associated with children rising out of poverty in wetter, cooler, less-dense, more advantaged census tracts.
Coming Out of the Foodshed: Phosphorus Cycles and the Many Scales of Local Food

Systems of food production and provision face a set of complex and interdependent challenges to sustainably meet current and future nutrition needs and minimize the negative social and ecological c...