cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Costs in the Context of Disease

Background: To determine the contribution of laboratory costs to the overall costs of managing hospital patients with different diseases, we studied the costs of laboratory testing overall and in relation to the other costs incurred during hospitalization. Methods: We used a database developed by the University HealthSystems Consortium containing >1 million patients in 60 University Hospitals with diseases included in 486 diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Laboratory costs included in the database comprised those associated with testing in the clinical laboratory together with those incurred in point-of-care testing and anatomic pathology but not those involving blood products and their transfusion. Results: The mean laboratory costs to manage surgical patients were greater than those to manage medical patients in 19 of the 25 major diagnostic categories. The median laboratory costs for patients with liver transplants exceeded $8000, and the laboratory costs to support other organ transplants were among the highest. The highest proportion of total costs attributable to the laboratory was 18.3% for acute leukemia and kidney and urinary tract signs and symptoms, both in children. Laboratory costs were <1.0% of the total costs for only 15 DRGs. The highest median daily laboratory cost, $416, was attributable to liver transplant patients. Several conditions had median laboratory costs less than $30 per day, in spite of lengths of stay that exceeded 10 days in some cases. Conclusions: Although laboratory costs generally average 6% of the total costs for surgical conditions and 9% of the total costs for medical conditions, there is considerable variability. In general, laboratory costs were relatively poorly correlated with total costs. However, observation of high daily laboratory costs for many DRGs suggests that reducing length of stay would reduce both laboratory and total costs.
Unusual Doppler finding in fatal right ventricular outflow obstruction caused by lymphoma

A 57-year-old male presented with dyspnoea, cough, and weight loss for a month. He was in mild respiratory distress and had BP of 90/60 mmHg and heart rate of 130 bpm. CT scan of the chest showed large mediastinal mass compressing the main pulmonary artery, large pericardial effusion, and no pulmonary embolism ( Panel A ). His BP dropped to 60/30 mmHg, which responded to …
Cation reduction and comproportionation as novel strategies to produce high voltage, halide free, carborane based electrolytes for rechargeable Mg batteries

Here we describe the cation reduction and comproportionation as novel routes to synthesize electrolytes for rechargeable Mg-ion batteries. Reduction of the ammonium cation in [HNMe31+][HCB11H111−] with metallic Mg affords the halide free carborane salt [Mg2+][HCB11H111−]2. Comproportionation of [Mg2+][HCB11H111−]2 with MgPh2 affords the novel monocationic electrolyte [MgPh1+][HCB11H111−], which reversibly deposits/strips Mg with a remarkable oxidative stability of 4.6 V vs. Mg0/+2.
Creating realistic BGP models

Modeling the Internet infrastructure is a challenging endeavor. Complex interactions between protocols, increasing traffic volumes and the irregular structure of the Internet lead to demanding requirements for the simulation developer. These requirements include implementation detail, memory efficiency and scalability, among others. We introduce a simulation model of the Border Gateway Protocol that we call BGP++, which is built on the popular ns-2 simulation environment. A novel development approach is presented that incorporates the public domain routing software GNU Zebra in the simulator. Most of the original software functionality is retained, while the transition to the simulation environment required a manageable amount of effort. Moreover, the discussed design inherits much of the maturity of the original software, since the later is only minimally modified. We analyze BGP++ features and highlight its potential to provide significant aid in BGP research and modeling.
Drop size distribution comparisons between Parsivel and 2-D video disdrometers

Abstract. Measurements from a 2-D video disdrometer (2DVD) have been used for drop size distribution (DSD) comparisons with co-located Parsivel measurements in Huntsville, Alabama. The comparisons were made in terms of the mass-weighted mean diameter, Dm, the standard deviation of the mass-spectrum, σm, and the rainfall rate, R, all based on 1-min DSD from the two instruments. Time series comparisons show close agreement in all three parameters for cases where R was less than 20 mm h−1. In four cases, discrepancies in all three parameters were seen for "heavy" events, with the Parsivel showing higher Dm, σm and R, when R reached high values (particularly above 30 mm h−1). Possible causes for the discrepancies include the presence of a small percentage of non-fully melted hydrometers, with higher than expected fall velocity and with very different axis ratios as compared with rain, indicating small hail or ice pellets or graupel. We also present here Parsivel-to-Parsivel comparisons as well as comparisons between two 2DVD instruments, namely a low-profile unit and the latest generation, "compact unit" which was installed at the same site in November 2009. The comparisons are included to assess the variability between the same types of instrument. Correlation coefficients and the fractional standard errors are compared.
A low-capacitance bipolar/BiCMOS isolation technology. I. Concept, fabrication process, and characterization

A device isolation structure for low-parasitic bipolar transistor integration is presented. The concept involves two selective epitaxial growth steps (SEG) and two polishing cycles which replace the collector-epitaxy and the deep/shallow trench formation in conventional device isolation. With an optimum device layout, the collector-substrate capacitance is reduced to /spl sime/30%, the collector-base capacitance to /spl sime/70%, and the extrinsic base contact resistance to >
A New Monthly Climatology of Global Radiation for the Arctic and Comparisons with NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis and ISCCP-C2 Fields

Abstract Measurements from the Russian “North Pole” series of drifting stations, the United States drifting stations“T-3” and “Arlis II,” land stations, and, where necessary, over the northern North Atlantic and coastal Greenland, empirically derived values from earlier Russian studies are used to compile a new gridded monthly climatology of global (downwelling shortwave) radiation for the region north of 65°N. Spatio-temporal patterns of fluxes and effective cloud transmittance are examined and comparisons are made with fields from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis and those derived from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) C2 (monthly) cloud product. All months examined (March–October) show peak fluxes over the Greenland ice sheet. March, September, and October feature a strong zonal component. Other months exhibit an asymmetric pattern related to cloud fraction and optical depth, manifested by an At...
PhoU enhances the ability of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073 to colonize the murine urinary tract.

The phoU gene is the last cistron in the pstSCAB–phoU operon and functions as a negative regulator of the Pho regulon. The authors previously identified a phoU mutant of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073 and demonstrated that this mutant was attenuated for survival in the murine model of ascending urinary tract infection. It is hypothesized that the PhoU protein might serve as a urovirulence factor by indirectly affecting the expression of virulence-related genes. In this study, the phoU mutant was further characterized and PhoU was confirmed as a virulence factor. Western blot analysis demonstrated that insertion of the transposon in the phoU gene disrupted the expression of PhoU. The phoU mutant had derepressed alkaline phosphatase activity under phosphate-excess and -limiting conditions. In single-challenge murine ascending urinary tract infection experiments, quantitative cultures of urine, bladder and kidney revealed no significant differences between the phoU mutant strain and the wild-type strain CFT073. However, in competitive colonization experiments, the phoU mutant strain was significantly out-competed by the wild-type strain in the kidneys and urine and recovered in lower amount in the bladder. Complementation of the phoU mutant with a plasmid containing the wild-type phoU gene restored the expression of PhoU and alkaline phosphate activity to wild-type levels and no significant difference in colonization was observed between the phoU mutant containing the complementing plasmid and wild-type in competitive colonization experiments. In human urine, the phoU mutant and wild-type grew comparably when inoculated independently, indicating that the attenuation observed was not due to a general growth defect. However, as observed in vivo, the wild-type out-competed the phoU mutant in competition growth experiments in human urine. These data indicate that PhoU contributes to efficient colonization of the murine urinary tract and add PhoU to a short list of confirmed urovirulence factors.
Behavior-aware user-assignment in hybrid PON planning

We investigate an efficient user-assignment scheme for planning a hybrid WDM/TDM-PON by exploiting users' behavior, namely the complementary daily traffic profiles of business and residential customers. Our algorithm significantly reduces the number of wavelengths needed.
Unlocking the Iron Cage: Public Administration in the Deliberative Democratic Theory of Jürgen Habermas

This article explores the relationship between public administration and deliberative democracy by examining the development in Jurgen Habermas’s thought on public administration. The argument is made that a shift has occurred in the way that Habermas conceptualizes public administration—a shift that makes it possible to see both the plausibility and necessity of a deliberative democratic form of state administration. Shown is how Habermas’s later democratic theory can be used as a resource for those defending the administrative discretion necessary to create a collaborative government with citizens.
Discovering predictive rules of chemistry from property landscapes

Abstract Predicting the chemical and physical properties of molecules often relies on systematic rules relating the properties to molecular characteristics. This Letter introduces a novel method to reveal predictive chemical rules based on analysis of the chemical property landscape , which specifies the functional relationship between a measured property and an appropriate set of molecular variables. As an illustration, we consider landscapes relating the 17 O NMR chemical shift, 13 C NMR chemical shift, and IR vibrational frequency to the moieties attached to a carbonyl group. Implications of this ‘Chemscape’ formulation for general molecular property prediction are discussed.
Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas Consisting of 3D Hexagonally Ordered Interconnected Globular Pores

A new family of periodic mesoporous organosilicas with 100% E-configured ethenylene-bridges and controllable pore systems is presented. 2D hexagonally ordered hybrid nanocomposites consisting of cylindrical pores are obtained, of which some are filled with solid material. The architectural composition of these hybrid materials can be accurately controlled by fine-tuning the reaction conditions; that is, there is a unique correlation between the reaction mixture acidity and the amount of confined mesopores. This correlation is related to the filling of the pores with solid material whereby the length of the pore channels can be tailored. Hereby the mesophase either shifts toward long-ranged 2D hexagonally ordered open cylinders or toward 3D hexagonally ordered interconnected spheres. The synthesis of these organic-inorganic hybrid composites is straightforward via the direct condensation of E-1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethene, in the presence of pluronic P123. The true nature of these periodic mesoporous organosilicas is disclosed by means of nitrogen gas physisorption, nonlocal density functional theory, SAXS, TEM, and electron-tomography.
Soft impacts on aerospace structures

Abstract This article provides an overview of the literature dealing with three types of soft impacts of concern for the aerospace applications, namely impacts of rain drops, hailstones and birds against aircraft. It describes the physics of the problem as it has become better understood through experiments, analyses, and numerical simulations. Some emphasis has been placed on the material models and the numerical approaches used in modeling these three types of projectiles.
Greek and Vedic Geometry

L'A. du present article part d'abord du fait que la geometrie de l'Inde vedique et de la Grece antique etait fondee sur des rituels qui exigeaient que l'on change la taille et la forme des autels et des briques. Puis il montre qu'a partir de ces rituels une forme de geometrie theorique plus pure s'est developpee en meme temps qu'en Inde est apparue la linguistique, de la pratique de la recitation. Le rituel et la geometrie rituelle ont pris les memes chemins que les langues indo-aryennes et proto-indo-aryennes : du centre vers le sud de l'Asie pour la plupart. Toutefois, un tout petit groupe a atteint les rivages de la Mediterranee orientale et y a laisse assez d'elements de geometrie rituelle pour que s'y developpe une forme proche de geometrie.
Comfort Women: Case Comment: Nishimatsu Construction Co. v. Song Jixiao Et Al., Supreme Court of Japan (2d Petty Bench), April 27, 2007, and Ko Hanako Et Al. V. Japan, Supreme Court of Japan (1st Petty Bench), April 27, 2007

The panoply of claims against Japan and Japanese parties arising from wartime acts in the mid-twentieth century remains a pressing matter of diplomacy, international affairs, economic affairs, and domestic politics for the many nations involved in Imperial Japan’s fifteen-year wars in Asia and the Pacific. One strand in this tangled web - involving claims for compensation in Japanese domestic courts - was firmly cut by the Japanese Supreme Court in a linked pair of decisions handed down in April 2007. The court dismissed two claims brought by kidnapped Chinese victims, one of which was forced into hard labor and the other into sexual slavery. The decisions, determined by two separate panels of the Court, presented verbatim identical reasoning that the terms of the Japan-China Joint Communique of 1972 implicitly incorporated by reference provisions of the San Francisco Peace Treaty to bar compensation claims by private individuals against Japan and its nationals for wartime acts. The holdings effectively foreclose all pending and future similar lawsuits in Japanese domestic courts. This article analyzes both decisions and how justice still eludes the victims of Imperial Japan’s wartime actions.
α-Smooth muscle actin is an inconsistent marker of fibroblasts responsible for force-dependent TGFβ activation or collagen production across multiple models of organ fibrosis

Fibrosis is a common pathological sequela of tissue injury or inflammation, and is a major cause of organ failure. Subsets of fibroblasts contribute to tissue fibrosis in multiple ways, including generating contractile force to activate integrin-bound, latent TGFβ and secreting excess amounts of collagens and other extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) that make up pathologic scar. However, the precise fibroblast subsets that drive fibrosis have been poorly understood. In the absence of well-characterized markers, α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) is often used to identify pathologic fibroblasts, and some authors have equated αSMA(+) cells with contractile myofibroblasts and proposed that these cells are the major source of ECM. Here, we investigated how well αSMA expression describes fibroblast subsets responsible for TGFβ activation and collagen production in three commonly used models of organ fibrosis that we previously reported could be inhibited by loss of αv integrins on all fibroblasts (using PDGFRβ-Cre). Interestingly, αSMA-directed deletion of αv integrins protected mice from CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis, but not bleomycin-induced pulmonary or unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis. Using Col-EGFP/αSMA-RFP dual reporter mice, we found that only a minority of collagen-producing cells coexpress αSMA in the fibrotic lung and kidney. Notably, Col-EGFP(+)αSMA-RFP(-) cells isolated from the fibrotic lung and kidney were equally capable of activating TGFβ as were Col-EGFP(+)αSMA-RFP(+) cells from the same organ, and this TGFβ activation was blocked by a TGFβ-blocking antibody and an inhibitor of nonmuscle myosin, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that αSMA is an inconsistent marker of contractile and collagen-producing fibroblasts in murine experimental models of organ fibrosis.
Exploring how residential mobility and migration influences teenage pregnancy in five rural communities in California: youth and adult perceptions

Teenage birth rates among young people aged 15-19 years in California, USA, have declined from 47 births per 1000 in 2000 to 24 per 1000 in 2013. Nevertheless, the US counties with the highest teenage birth rates are predominantly rural and have a high proportion of Latinos/as. We conducted 42 interviews with key stakeholders and 12 focus groups with 107 young people in five rural communities to better understand local migration patterns and their influence on intermediate and proximate variables of pregnancy, such as interaction with role models and barriers to access contraception. The migration patterns identified were: residential mobility due to seasonal jobs, residential mobility due to economic and housing changes and migration from other countries to California. These patterns affect young people and families' interactions with school and health systems and other community members, creating both opportunities and barriers to prevent risky sexual behaviours. In rural areas, residential mobility and migration to the USA interconnect. As a result, young people dually navigate the challenges of residential mobility, while also adapting to the dominant US culture. It is important to promote programmes that support the integration of immigrant youth to reduce their sense of isolation, as well as to assure access to sexual health education and reproductive health services.
InP Photonic IC-based transmitters, receivers, and transceivers for regional and metro networks

Infinera is a pioneer in large-scale Photonic Integrated Circuit technology for long-haul DWDM systems. In this paper we report on recent progress in adapting the PIC technology for the fast-growing regional and metro cloud applications.
NC-13CRANIAL RADIATION ENCOMPASSING THE GENU IS ASSOCIATED WITH NEURO-PSYCHOLOGICAL SEQUELAE IN CHILDREN: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF DIFFUSION TENSOR IMAGING (DTI) AND PROTON MR SPECTROSCOPY (MRS)

PURPOSE: This study examines white matter integrity as measured by DTI and proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) and their associations with region specific radiation dose and neuropsychological functioning in children treated with cranial irradiation. METHODS: 20 patients and 34 age-& sex-matched controls participated. MRS and DTI and neuropsychological assessment were conducted at baseline, 6, 15, 27 months (times 1-4) following RT and compared to a single visit in controls. Neuro-psychological battery included: motor dexterity, visual attention/processing speed, visual and verbal working memory. White matter regions contoured and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were recorded for each. Concentrations of neuro-metabolites were expressed as ratios N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho)/Cr. Linear mixed effects (LME) regression models were used to examine associations among ADC, FA, metabolite ratios, RT dose to contoured structures, and performance on testing, and to compare findings for patients versus controls. RESULTS: Mean prescription dose: 44.2 Gy (range 2-59.4 Gy). LME analyses demonstrated significant differences between patients and controls in NAA/Cr and ADC, with the greatest difference at time 4 (p = <0.01 and <0.0001, respectively). At time 4, the ADC difference was most significant in the temporal lobes (p < 0.0001), genu (p = 0.01) and splenium (p = 0.01). Increasing radiation dose was associated with an increase in ADC at time 3 (p = 0.005), with the most pronounced effects in the genu. There was no significant difference in RT dose to the genu versus splenium. Overall, there was poorer performance on visual working memory with higher ADC in the genu, especially in patients (group by ADC, p = 0.02) and a trend towards poorer performance on motor dexterity with higher ADC in the genu in patients at baseline (p = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: The genu is a region with increased susceptibility to injury associated with neuro-psychological sequelae. Efforts should be made to limit radiation dose to this region during treatment planning.
An Inexpensive Gravity Reaction Time Device

Abstract This article describes a simple and inexpensive hand reaction time device which should help meet the needs of institutions with limited research budgets. A detailed description of construction procedures and use of the device is presented.
Mobilizing the Community to Prevent Older Adult Suicide

Older adults are at an elevated risk for suicide. A comprehensive framework for preventing older adult suicide should include knowledge about risk factors, a theoretical basis that explains the high prevalence of older adult suicide, and a transdisciplinary prevention strategy that shares responsibility for suicide prevention among professional and lay members of the community. The author introduces a community-based suicide prevention strategy that employs health and mental health professionals, aging sector professionals, caregivers, and older adults to recognize and respond to older adults who may be in distress.
Natural Attenuation of Nonvolatile Contaminants in the Capillary Fringe

When anoxic polluted groundwater encounters the overlying vadose zone an oxic/anoxic interface is created, often near the capillary fringe. Biodegradation of volatile contaminants in the capillary fringe can prevent vapor migration. In contrast, the biodegradation of nonvolatile contaminants in the vadose zone has received comparatively little attention. Nonvolatile compounds do not cause vapor intrusion, but they still move with the groundwater and are major contaminants. Aniline (AN) and diphenylamine (DPA) are examples of toxic nonvolatile contaminants found often at dye and munitions manufacturing sites. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that bacteria can aerobically biodegrade AN and DPA in the capillary fringe and decrease the contaminant concentrations in the anoxic plume beneath the vadose zone. Laboratory multiport columns that represented the unsaturated zone were used to evaluate degradation of AN or DPA in contaminated water. The biodegradation fluxes of the contaminants were estimated t...
Rethinking subnational government capacity in China

AbstractIt is clear that some subnational governments are better than others at orchestrating major policy programs, yet important questions remain about how and why subnational government capacity varies from case to case. Scholarship that emphasizes political agency in explaining subnational policy outcomes is not always clear as to where such agency comes from. Meanwhile, research that defines the power of subnational units in terms of their formal administrative authority, fiscal capacity, and political status does not fully explain how these structural endowments translate into effective agency. This article works toward a conception of subnational government capacity better able to integrate these approaches and bridge the agency-structure divide. I call for greater attention to the connective structures that enable subnational governments to take the initiative in policymaking and mobilize resources, stressing provinces’ internal cohesion and upward political ties. To illustrate the need for a broa...
Evapotranspiration in Rain Gardens Using Weighing Lysimeters

AbstractQuantification of evapotranspiration (ET) and infiltration from vegetated stormwater control measures (SCMs), such as rain gardens, is necessary to properly assess their volume reduction po...
Lifestyle and Clinical Correlates of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in South Texas: A Matched Case-control Study.

Accepted Manuscript Lifestyle and clinical correlates of hepatocellular carcinoma in South Texas: a matched case-control study Amelie G. Ramirez, Edgar Munoz, Dorothy Long Parma, Joel E. Michalek, Alan E.C. Holden, Timothy D. Phillips, Bradley H. Pollock PII: DOI: Reference: S1542-3565(17)30322-1 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.03.022 YJCGH 55166 To appear in: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Accepted Date: 18 March 2017 Please cite this article as: Ramirez AG, Munoz E, Parma DL, Michalek JE, Holden AEC, Phillips TD, Pollock BH, Lifestyle and clinical correlates of hepatocellular carcinoma in South Texas: a matched case-control study, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.03.022. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Pregnancy and the Opioid Epidemic

The USA is currently experiencing related epidemics of opioid misuse, use disorder, (over) prescribing, and overdose. We review the current literature on opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy including intrapartum and postpartum considerations, breastfeeding, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and contraception. Screening for OUD in pregnancy should be universal, and pregnant women with opioid use disorder should have access to opioid pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy with opioid agonists, methadone, or buprenorphine remains the standard of care for treating opioid use disorder in pregnancy. Medically assisted opioid withdrawal is associated with high maternal relapse rates and without demonstrable benefit for mother or newborn. Extended release naltrexone is emerging as treatment option for carefully selected pregnant and postpartum women. Breastfeeding for women stabilized on opioid pharmacotherapy is safe and beneficial for the mother-infant dyad. Enhanced postpartum care for these women should include relapse prevention, recovery support, promotion of breastfeeding to reduce neonatal abstinence syndrome, access to contraception, and synchronized transfer to primary care and addiction medicine specialists.
Potential Mediators between Fibromyalgia and C-Reactive protein: Results from a Large U.S. Community Survey

Fibromyalgia, a potentially debilitating chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology, may be characterized by inflammation. In this study, we investigated the relation of FMS to serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in a large population of adults (18+) and investigated the influence of other factors on this relationship, including BMI, comorbidities, as well as mood and sleep disturbance. Participants were 52,535 Ohio Valley residents (Fibromyalgia n = 1125). All participants completed a comprehensive health survey (2005–2006) part of the C8 Health Project; serum levels of CRP were obtained, as was history of Fibromyalgia physician diagnosis. Logistic and linear regressions were used for this cross-sectional analysis. Mean CRP was higher among participants reporting Fibromyalgia than those without (5.54 ± 9.8 vs.3.75 ± 7.2 mg/L, p < .0001)). CRP level showed a strong, positive association with FMS (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest quartile = 2.5 (CI 2.1,3.0;p for trend < .0001)); adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors attenuated but did not eliminate this association (AOR for highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.4 (CI 1.1,1.6;p for trend < .0001)). Further addition of body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities to the model markedly weakened this relationship (AORs, respectively, for highest vs lowest CRP quartile = 1.2 (CI 1.0,1.4) and 1.1 (CI 0.9,1.3). In contrast, inclusion of mood and sleep impairment only modestly reduced the adjusted risk estimate (AORs for highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.3 (CI 1.1,1.5) for each)). Findings from this large cross-sectional study indicate a significant positive cross-sectional association of Fibromyalgia to serum C-reactive protein may be explained, in part, by BMI and comorbidity. Prospective research is needed to confirm this, and clarify the potential mediating influence of obesity and comorbid conditions on this relationship.
Checking-in with my friends: Results from an in-situ deployment of peer-to-peer aging in place technologies

Abstract Many older adults in need of care are not able to afford formal caregivers or assisted living facilities, and prefer to age in their homes. We propose a new model of peer-care facilitated by a suite of four in-home technologies that enable older adults to provide some elements of care for each other. In this chapter, we investigate older adults’ experiences with the technology suite that we designed specifically to address the needs of urban, low-socioeconomic status older adults. We deployed certain technologies (Activity Clock, Community Window, Check-In Tree, and Trip Coordinator) in participants’ homes for 8 weeks with the aim of enabling an interactive, peer-to-peer support system within the community. We explored older adults’ technology-related privacy concerns with a privacy-enhancing feature (DigiSwitch) that allowed participants to control which peers in their network could view activity information. We conducted weekly surveys to assess loneliness, quality of life, interpersonal support, perceived burden, usability, satisfaction with the technologies, and privacy perception. We find that older adults not using DigiSwitch feel lonelier when the peer-care suite first gets introduced, but their perceived loneliness goes back to baseline over time. Furthermore, the presence of DigiSwitch does not increase caregiver burden and there is no additional caregiver burden when older adults provide peer care. The quality of life of older adults without DigiSwitch increases over time significantly, while neither the presence of DigiSwitch, nor time significantly affects users’ level of interpersonal support and privacy perception. In addition, participants’ overall satisfaction and perceptions on the usability of these technologies does not change significantly over time, indicating the technologies did not frustrate users.
Haptic Information Access Using Touchscreen Devices: Design Guidelines for Accurate Perception of Angular Magnitude and Line Orientation

The overarching goal of our research program is to address the long-standing issue of non-visual graphical accessibility for blind and visually-impaired (BVI) people through development of a robust, low-cost solution. This paper contributes to our research agenda aimed at studying key usability parameters governing accurate rendering and perception of haptically-accessed graphical materials via commercial touchscreen-based smart devices, such as smart phones and tablets. The current work builds on the findings from our earlier studies by empirically investigating the minimum angular magnitude that must be maintained for accurate detection and angular judgment of oriented vibrotactile lines. To assess the minimum perceivable angular magnitude (i.e., cord length) between oriented lines, a psychophysically-motivated usability experiment was conducted that compared accuracy in oriented line detection across four angles (2°, 5°, 9°, and 22°) and two radiuses (1-in. and 2-in.). Results revealed that a minimum 4 mm cord length (which corresponds to 5° at a 1-in. radius and 2° at a 2-in. radius) must be maintained between oriented lines for supporting accurate haptic perception via vibrotactile cuing. Findings provide foundational guidelines for converting/rendering oriented lines on touchscreen devices for supporting haptic information access based on vibrotactile stimuli.
Surgical Approach to Functional Bowel Disease

Nowhere in surgery must greater caution be exercised nor a more deliberate course of action taken than in the management of motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The main reason for this is that their pathophysiology is poorly understood and appropriate corrective surgical procedures are, therefore, difficult to design. Indeed, poorly conceived surgical decisions can result in sequelae that are worse than the original disease. The success of surgical treatment varies with different disorders of motility. Best results are obtained when a defined, well-understood problem, such as Zenker’s diverticulum or achalasia, is treated. The worst results can be expected in such poorly understood conditions as biliary dyskinesia, chronic idiopathic intestinal obstruction, or postgastrectomy syndromes. The indication for surgery in such disorders must be either extreme functional impairment or the development of complications that must be corrected. Surgery is usually considered only after all conservative measures fail.
Potential chemotherapeutic activity of 4-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide: Metabolic reduction to the 3-nitroso derivative and induction of cell death in tumor cells in culture

A C-nitroso prodrug, 4-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide, was synthesized, and its action on a variety of tumor cells of human and animal origin tested. This prodrug was reduced transiently by tumor cells to 4-iodo-3-nitrosobenzamide at a very low rate, which was, however, sufficient to kill tumor cells. The final reduction product was 4-iodo-3-aminobenzamide, and no intermediates accumulated. No toxicity could be observed in hamsters even at 200 mg/kg, given i.p. daily for 7 days. The chemical reactivity of both 4-iodo-3-nitrosobenzamide and its noniodinated homolog with reduced ascorbate yielded the hydroxylamines. With glutathione, 4-iodo-3-aminobenzamide was formed, suggesting glutathione sulfinic acid formation. Confirming earlier studies, 4-iodo-3-nitrosobenzamide inactivated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase by zinc ejection from the first zinc finger of this nuclear protein. The iodinated nitroso compound was more effective than its iodine-free analog. Selective tumoricidal action appeared to correlate with the reduction of the nitro group to nitroso in tumor cells, and with the previously described subsequent induction of tumor apoptosis by the C-nitroso intermediate. These processes were accelerated by buthionine sulfoximine, which diminishes cellular GSH.
Liability Rules and the Environment

This article surveys economic principles and literature on the use and design of liability rules and regulation to address environmental externalities. It explores the implications of enforcement costs and limited liability for the optimal design and combination of liability and regulation, including the economic merits of eliciting producers' environmental self-auditing, self-reporting, and voluntary remediation/cleanup (self-policing). Key themes in optimal regulatory design include the merits of sharp incentives for pollution prevention using negligence-type rules; flexible regulation that allows interfirm trading of pollution rights; landowner rights regimes that elicit efficient location decisions in coming-to-the-nuisance situations; and potential environmental costs of extended (lender) liability for environmental harm.
Spinoza and Bible Scholarship

Spinoza is usually considered one of the creators of modern biblical scholarship and biblical criticism because of the views about the Bible that he expressed in the Tractatus Theologico-politicus (hereafter abbreviated TIP) and in some of his letters. In this paper I shall briefly indicate a way in which Spinoza’s views might have developed, then present what his views were and compare and contrast them with those of some of his contemporaries. Finally I will try to evaluate the extent of his originality.
DISCUSSION PAPER. COLLECTIVE ION ACCELERATION VIA THE TWO‐STREAM INSTABILITY*

Microinstabilities associated with a cold, low $nu$/$gamma$, intense relativistic electron beam passing through a cold underdense ion background are studied. A one-dimensional homogeneous model is assumed. A restriction was made to the relativistic electron-ion longitudinal two-stream instability. (MOW)
TiO2 on Gold Nanostars Enhances Photocatalytic Water Reduction in the Near-Infrared Regime

Summary The growth of a conformal layer of crystalline TiO2 on gold nanostars was achieved by a simple hydrothermal route preserving the large aspect ratio of the protruding spikes of the nanostar and enabled the photocatalytic evolution of hydrogen under near-infrared (NIR) illumination. The delicate structure of the underlying nanostars is otherwise extremely sensitive to atom migration. It has been revealed that the (101) crystal plane of anatase TiO2 grows epitaxially on the surface of gold, and TiO2 layer thickness and crystallinity can be controlled by varying synthesis conditions. TiO2-coated gold nanostars (AuNS@TiO2) displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible-NIR illumination compared with reported TiO2-coated gold nanoparticles and commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles. The high photocatalytic activity is attributed to effective hot electron generation via absorption of radiation via localized surface plasmon resonance modes of the spikes and further injection to the conduction band of the TiO2 shell across the gold nanoparticle-TiO2 interface.
Catalytic enantioconvergent coupling of secondary and tertiary electrophiles with olefins

Carbon-carbon bonds, including those between sp3-hybridized carbon atoms (alkyl-alkyl bonds), typically comprise much of the framework of organic molecules. In the case of sp3-hybridized carbon, the carbon can be stereogenic and the particular stereochemistry can have implications for structure and function1-3. As a consequence, the development of methods that simultaneously construct alkyl-alkyl bonds and control stereochemistry is important, although challenging. Here we describe a strategy for enantioselective alkyl-alkyl bond formation, in which a racemic alkyl electrophile is coupled with an olefin in the presence of a hydrosilane, rather than via a traditional electrophile-nucleophile cross-coupling, through the action of a chiral nickel catalyst. We demonstrate that families of racemic alkyl halides-including secondary and tertiary electrophiles, which have not previously been shown to be suitable for enantioconvergent coupling with alkyl metal nucleophiles-cross-couple with olefins with good enantioselectivity and yield under very mild reaction conditions. Given the ready availability of olefins, our approach opens the door to developing more general methods for enantioconvergent alkyl-alkyl coupling.
Outside Looking In: Edgar Allan Poe and New York City

This chapter discusses the hopes and disappointments and the high and low points of Poe’s New York years (early 1837 to early 1838 and April 1844 to October 1849). It also examines two sets of articles that reflect his anomalous position in relationship to the metropolis—“Doings in Gotham” (1844), a kind of travelogue by an outsider who shares what he has learned about the city with provincial readers, and “The Literati of New York City” (1846), a mix of gossipy portraits and glib assessments of New York writers from the perspective of a purported insider—as well as Poe’s 1846 story about an outsider and an insider, “The Cask of Amontillado.”
Femtosecond Laser Ablation of Monolayer Graphene with Analysis of the Structural Deformations

Experimental femtosecond laser ablation of graphene at a high repetition rate of 80 MHz with moderate pulse energies up 27.5 nJ is analyzed and structural deformations studied by reactive molecular dynamics simulations. © 2019 The Author(s)
Opposition to Nonprescription Naloxone Access: Measurement and Psychosocial Predictors

Background: Access of naloxone has been increased in recent years, yet opposition to unrestricted availability persists. Objectives: To validate a measure of opposition to the policy of nonprescrip...
The flight of the condor: a letter, a song and the story of intangible cultural heritage

The use of audiovisual supports for scholarly production in critical heritage studies is not a usual occurrence, neither is the production of documentaries on intangible heritage focused less on ae...
Review: Depositions: Roberto Burle Marx and Public Landscapes under Dictatorship, by Catherine Seavitt Nordenson

Catherine Seavitt Nordenson Depositions: Roberto Burle Marx and Public Landscapes under Dictatorship Austin: University of Texas Press, 2018, 336 pp., 20 maps, 161 b/w illus. $45 (cloth), ISBN 9781477315736 Roberto Burle Marx is well known for his innovative, abstract, tropical modernist landscape designs, and for his advocacy in protecting Brazil's natural landscapes and exotic flora. His first commission, completed in 1932 with the architects Gregori Warchavchik and Lucio Costa, marked the beginning of his many collaborations with Costa and, later, Oscar Niemeyer. Burle Marx's designs are widely admired and have influenced many subsequent landscape designers around the world. His work has been celebrated in numerous exhibitions, including recent shows at the Museum of Brazilian Sculpture in Sao Paulo and the Jewish Museum in New York. Catherine Seavitt Nordenson's Depositions: Roberto Burle Marx and Public Landscapes under Dictatorship interrogates Burle Marx's legacy, exploring the nuances of his role as a designer, conservationist, and public figure working under Brazil's dictatorial military government, which lasted from 1964 until 1985. Nordenson analyzes eighteen position papers, or depositions, that Burle Marx presented and published from 1967 to 1974 while serving on the advisory board of the Ministry of Education and Culture and as a member of the Federal Council of Culture. Addressing issues of land conservation and the ecological devastation of Brazilian landscapes, Burle Marx generally opposed the government's strategy …
Intraoperative localization of cardiac conduction tissue regions using real-time fibre-optic confocal microscopy: first in human trial.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of fibre-optic confocal microscopy (FCM) using fluorescein sodium dye for the intraoperative location of conduction tissue regions during paediatric heart surgery. METHODS The pilot study included 6 patients undergoing elective surgery for the closure of isolated secundum atrial septal defect aged 30 days to 21 years. FCM imaging was integrated within the normal intraoperative protocol for atrial septal defect repair. Fluorescein sodium dye was applied on the arrested heart. FCM images were acquired at the atrioventricular node region, sinus node region and right ventricle (RV). Total imaging time was limited to 3 min. Any adverse events related to the study were recorded and analysed. Subjects received standard postoperative care. Trained reviewers (n = 9) classified, de-identified and randomized FCM images (n = 60) recorded from the patients as presenting striated, reticulated or indistinguishable microstructures. The reliability of reviewer agreement was assessed using Fleiss' kappa. RESULTS The FCM imaging instruments were integrated effectively into the cardiac surgery operating room. All adverse events found in the study were deemed expected and not related to FCM imaging. Reticulated myocardial microstructures were found during FCM imaging at atrioventricular node and sinus node regions, while striated microstructures were observed in RV. Reliability of agreement of reviewers classifying the FCM images was high (Fleiss' kappa: 0.822). CONCLUSIONS FCM using fluorescein sodium dye was found to be safe for use during paediatric heart surgery. The study demonstrates the potential for FCM to be effective in identifying conduction tissue regions during congenital heart surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03189134.
V.9 – SUBDIVIDING SIMPLICES

Publisher Summary It is not well-known that simplices can be divided into subsimplices just as boxes can be divided into subboxes. This chapter presents two methods for dividing an n-simplex into 2n simplices and discusses some applications of the subdivision of simplices. The generalization of a triangle or tetrahedron to any dimension is a simplex, which is defined as the convex hull of an affinely independent point set. The structure of a simplex is such that any pair of its vertices form an edge, any three of its vertices form a face, any four of its vertices form a cell, and so on. A simplex is the simplest kind of polytope. The chapter describes how a uniform simplicial quadtree can nearly approximate a closed curve. Simplicial quadtrees are convenient tools in systems that manipulate multivariate Bernstein polynomials of fixed degree. Such polynomials are naturally defined by a set of coefficients over a domain simplex. Polygonalizers for algebraic surfaces and systems for modeling with trivariate freeform deformations are more naturally based around simplicial quadtrees than box-based trees.
Rapid Utilization of Telehealth in a Comprehensive Cancer Center as a Response to COVID-19: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: The emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020 created unprecedented challenges in the provision of scheduled ambulatory cancer care. As a result, there has been a renewed focus on video-based telehealth consultations as a means to continue ambulatory care. Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the change in video visit volume at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Comprehensive Cancer Center in response to COVID-19 and compare patient demographics and appointment data from January 1, 2020, and in the 11 weeks after the transition to video visits. Methods: Patient demographics and appointment data (dates, visit types, and departments) were extracted from the electronic health record reporting database. Video visits were performed using a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)-compliant video conferencing platform with a pre-existing workflow. Results: In 17 departments and divisions at the UCSF Cancer Center, 2284 video visits were performed in the 11 weeks before COVID-19 changes were implemented (mean 208, SD 75 per week) and 12,946 video visits were performed in the 11-week post–COVID-19 period (mean 1177, SD 120 per week). The proportion of video visits increased from 7%-18% to 54%-72%, between the pre– and post–COVID-19 periods without any disparity based on race/ethnicity, primary language, or payor. Conclusions: In a remarkably brief period of time, we rapidly scaled the utilization of telehealth in response to COVID-19 and maintained access to complex oncologic care at a time of social distancing.
Asian Economic Integration and Stock Market Comovement

Using daily returns from 1988 to 1998, we investigate to what degree twelve equity markets in Asia are integrated with Japan's equity market and examine the factors that affect the level of economic integration. We find that the equity markets of Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore are highly integrated with the stock market in Japan. There is also evidence for these Asian markets to become more integrated over time, especially since 1994. A higher import share as well as a greater differential in inflation rates, real interest rates and gross domestic product growth rates have negative effects on stock market comovements between country pairs. Conversely, increased export share by Asian economies to Japan and greater foreign direct investment from Japan to other Asian economies contribute to greater comovement.