cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics associated with discharge to home following prolonged mechanical ventilation: a signal detection analysis.

The objective of study was to identify characteristics associated with being home at 6 months in 80 patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) (≥7 days). At 6 months, 47.5% were home, 13.8% institutionalized, and 38.8% deceased and classified “not home.” Using signal detection methodology (SDM), four mutually exclusive groups at high and low probability of being home were identified. The best outcome (94.4% home) was achieved by patients with an admission Charlson Comorbidity Score ≤3 and an Acute Physiology Score (APS) ≤21 and the worst outcome (23.4% home) by patients with an admission Charlson Comorbidity Score >3 and Health Assessment Questionnaire score >2.7. SDM provided an effective means of identifying subgroups likely to be discharged home using available information. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 29: 510–520, 2006
Biochemical phenomena associated with stomatal function

Revue discutant les informations sur le metabolisme dans les cellules de garde, les preuves disponibles ainsi que l'orientation des recherches futures
Efficacy of Chenodeoxycholic Acid and Ursodeoxycholic Acid for Lowering Cholesterol Saturation Index of Gallbladder in Patients With a Sphincterotomy

After endoscopic retrograde sphincterotomy, patients with an intact gallbladder are at risk for developing symptoms or complications of gallbladder stones. Medical dissolution of such stones would be desirable, especially in elderly patients with an increased surgical risk. However, sphincterotomy alters emptying dynamics of the gallbladder and markedly reduces bile salt pool size, effects that may alter response to chenodeoxycholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid treatment. Studying two groups of 5 patients with an intact gallbladder after endoscopic retrograde sphincterotomy, we found that 15 mg/kg · day of chenodeoxycholic acid increased the mean (±SEM) biliary percentage of chenodeoxycholic acid from 35.5% ± 4.0% to 88.8% ± 1.9% (p
Causes of Dysphagia Among Different Age Groups: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Dysphagia is a common problem that has the potential to result in severe complications such as malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia. Based on the complexity of swallowing, there may be many different causes. This article presents a systematic literature review to assess different comorbid disease associations with dysphagia based on age. The causes of dysphagia are different depending on age, affecting between 1.7% and 11.3% of the general population. Dysphagia can be a symptom representing disorders pertinent to any specialty of medicine. This review can be used to aid in the diagnosis of patients presenting with the complaint of dysphagia.
c-kit expression in dedifferentiated and well-differentiated liposarcomas; immunohistochemistry and genetic analysis

Background: c-kit expression by immunohistochemistry has been utilized to identify cancer patients who can be treated with imatinib-mesylate. In gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), an activating mutation in c-kit predicts treatment response; its presence in other soft tissue tumors is unexplored. Materials and Methods: We evaluated seven cases of dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLS) and compared those with seven well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLS). Immunohistochemical staining for c-kit was performed using a polyclonal antibody. Using PCR, exons 9, 10-11, 12-13 and 17 of c-kit were amplified and direct DNA sequencing performed. Results: Two out of 7 (30%) DDLS showed focal weak immunoreactivity with c-kit; no (0%) WDLS stained with c-kit. Seven out of 7 (100%) DDLS showed an allelic variation in exon 10, with a single base pair substitution (A>C) at codon 541; 3/7 (43%) WDLS showed the same change. Conclusion: c-kit immunoreactivity did not correlate with the change in DNA sequence; DDLS showed a consistent allelic variation in c-kit that may have significant prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Prologue: The World's First Prisoner's Dilemma Experiment

Prologue to Field, Alexander J. (2001) Altruistically Inclined: The Behavioral Sciences, Evolutionary Theory, and the Origins of Reciprocity. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
The Better Trigger: Insuring Against Disaster Risk

Index triggers have enabled the extension of insurance to disaster risks by providing a simple mechanism to determine insurance payment. Disaster risks are notoriously difficult to insure against due to the covariant nature of risks, moral hazard and adverse selection. Index based risk transfer minimizes these obstacles by not fully insuring the risk. However, such incompleteness generates basis risk, that is the risk that claims do not match losses. This paper analyzes the upside basis risk (receiving a claim without a loss) and downside basis risk (having a loss but no claim) to determine a partial order ranking of indices for any risk averse individual. The partial ranking allows the selection of an index that is optimal for any individual with unknown risk aversion. Results demonstrate that correlation and covariance can provide incorrect comparisons between indices.
Contesting climate injustice during COP17

Africans are the continental population most affected by, and least responsible for, the impacts of climate change. As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prepared to descend on Durban for its 17th yearly Conference of the Parties (COP17) in late November 2011 many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social movements formulated positions around themes of justice in connection to Africa's situation and the political upheavals of 2011. Two developments within the convention importantly shaped those positions: the implementation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), agreed during the previous COP as a means to 'scale up the provision of long-term financing for developing countries', and the question of binding commitments to reduce emissions after the (planned,but now averted) expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.
Land-Water Interactions: The Influence of Terrestrial Diversity on Aquatic Ecosystems

As ecologists, we have learned much about the effects of species diversity on the biological aspects of communities. In an effort to expand our understanding to broader levels of organization, there has been much recent attention given to the role of species diversity in the workings of ecosystems, including abiotic as well as biological effects (see Schulze and Mooney 1993). Despite this recent attention, and despite an increasing awareness of the importance of landscape heterogeneity (Hansen and di Castri 1992), there has been little explicit study of the interactions between land and water as they relate to ecological diversity. An analysis of the role of biological and landscape diversity in the interaction between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems requires information about the following questions: (1) which inputs from land regulate aquatic systems?, (2) which of these inputs is related to terrestrial species diversity or landscape diversity?, and (3) what controls the transfer of important inputs across the land-water boundary? This chapter reviews the information available and needed from tundra systems to answer these questions within the general framework of diversity and land-water interactions.
Special Instrumental Methods

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a non-instrumental method, since even ordinary volumetric analysis depends ultimately on use of an analytical balance for standardization. This chapter will be restricted to explanations of the functions in analytical chemistry of several instruments that are “special” in that they are not a part of the common equipment of analytical laboratories. These instruments differ in relative availability in rough proportion to their cost. For instance, flame photometers, Polarimeters and less expensive types of fluorometers are found in quite a few food laboratories, while mass spectrometers and nuclear magnetic resonance devices are uncommon.
Safety of a picosecond laser with diffractive lens array (DLA) in the treatment of Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI: A retrospective review.

Background Laser therapy in patients with skin of color is associated with an increased rate of complications. The 755-nm picosecond laser with the diffractive lens array (DLA) has been used for the treatment of scars, striae, and rejuvenation. By delivering high energy to focused areas, the DLA minimizes complications. Objective This study explores the adverse events associated with treatment with the 755-nm picosecond laser with DLA in individuals with Fitzpatrick skin type IV to VI. Method A retrospective chart review of patients treated with the 755-nm picosecond laser with DLA with a standardized spot size of 6 mm, fluence of 0.71 J/cm2, and pulse width of 750 to 850 picoseconds was performed. Standard clinical photographs were obtained before treatment and at follow-up. Treatment sites were assessed for dyspigmentation, erythema, edema, and herpetic lesions. Results A total of 56 patients with Fitzpatrick skin type IV to VI, atrophic and hypertrophic scars, and pigmented lesions or striae were included. Ten patients (17.9%) were lost to follow-up. Transient adverse events, most commonly erythema and hyperpigmentation, were reported after therapy; these resolved in all cases. Limitations Retrospective design is a limitation. Conclusion The 755-nm picosecond laser with the DLA device may be a safe therapeutic alternative for unwanted scars, pigmented lesions, and striae in patients with skin of color.
The Role of Scientific Research in Risk Assessment and Risk Management Decisions

Risk-based decisions are an integral part of societal efforts to protect the public from the harmful health effects of environmental pollution. Scientific information about the magnitude and extent of risks experienced by people and about the causes of those risks is a critical factor in setting priorities and choosing cost-effective mitigation strategies. To be effective in strengthening risk assessment and risk management decisions, research must focus on developing four types of predictive tools: (1) methods to screen and characterize toxicity; (2) biologically based dose-response models; (3) physiologically based pharmacokinetic models; and (4) integrated human exposure models. This approach is the key to reducing the uncertainties currently associated with many environmental health problems.
Choosing the Right Contraceptive

Healthcare providers must choose from the wide variety of options when addressing contraceptive needs of their patients. Most women are looking for a method that is effective and easy to use with few side effects. While oral contraceptive pills along with rings and patches have traditionally been the most popular methods in the United States, the highly effective long-acting reversible methods [LARC methods are the intrauterine devices and subdermal implants] are quickly gaining increased popularity and are now recommended as first-line options. The goal of the healthcare provider is to educate and aid in finding the right contraceptive method that the user will use consistently and correctly.
Timoptic® (Merck Sharp & Dohme)

Timolol, an ophthalmic preparation, is a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist with little or no agonist activity and no local anesthetic properties. Timoptic ophthalmic solution, when applied topically in the eye, reduces both elevated and normal intraocular pressure. (Timolol was recently released in an oral formulation for treatment of hypertension as well as for use after myocardial infarction. See Medical Letter reference for further information.)
A fast simulator for the analysis of sub-threshold thermal noise transients

The gate length of CMOS transistors is continuing to shrink down to the sub-10nm region and operating voltages are moving toward near-threshold and even sub-threshold values. With this trend, the number of electrons responsible for the total charge of a CMOS node is greatly reduced. As a consequence, thermal fluctuations that shift a gate from its equilibrium point may no longer have a negligible impact on circuit reliability. Time-domain analysis helps understand how transient faults affect a circuit and can guide designers in producing noise-resistant circuitry. However, modeling thermal noise in the time-domain is computationally very costly. Moreover, small fluctuations in electron occupation introduce time-varying biasing point fluctuations, increasing the modeling complexity. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a new approach to modeling thermal noise directly in the time domain by developing a series of stochastic differential equations (SDE) to model various transient effects in the presence of thermal noise. In comparisons to SPICE-based simulations, our approach can provide 3 orders of magnitude speedup in simulation time, with comparable accuracy. This simulation framework is especially valuable for detecting rare events that could translate into fault-inducing noise transients. While it is computationally infeasible to use SPICE to detect such rare events due to thermal noise, we introduce a new iterative approach that allows detecting 6a events in a matter of a few hours.
Evaluation of the onset time and intubation conditions of rocuronium bromide in children

SUMMARY We have assessed, in children aged three to eight years, the intubating conditions after administration of rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg at 50 or 60 seconds, in groups of 15 patients. Intubating conditions were excellent in 11, good in 3 and fair in 1 patient at 50 seconds and excellent in 12 and good in 3 patients at 60 seconds. The mean onset time, for all patients, to when the first twitch of the train of four (T1), measured at the adductor pollicis, was depressed to less than 30% and 5% of control was 50 (SD 11.4) seconds and 94 (SD 31.7) seconds respectively. Depression of T1 to less than 30% of control, measured at the adductor pollicis in children, appears to indicate that intubating conditions will be clinically acceptable when using rocuronium.
Echocardiographic findings in a contemporary Afro-Caribbean population referred for evaluation of atrial fibrillation or flutter.

Atrial fibrillation and/or flutter is the most common and the most significant cardiac arrhythmia in the Caribbean. This study is an attempt to determine the echocardiographic findings in a current, consecutive series of Afro-Caribbean patients referred for evaluation of atrial fibrillation and flutter. Between May 1998 and June 2000, 50 patients (mean age 67 years, 58% male) had echocardiograms done. Measurements included left atrial dimension (LA), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (L VESD), LV end-diastolic dimension (L VEDD), LV posterior wall thickness (L VPWT) and ventricular septal thickness (VST). Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was calculated. LA > 4 cm, LVPWT or VST> 13 mm, and L VEF < 50% were considered abnormal. Atrial fibrillation was seen in 92%, atrial flutter in 8%; 60% were chronic, 40% paroxysmal; 56% had congestive heart failure. The most frequent echocardiographic finding was LV hypertrophy (19/50, 38%). Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was present in 12/50, 24% (25% with LV hypertrophy also). Valvular disease (abnormal appearing valve, no Doppler study), was seen in 9/50, 18%. Normal findings ("lone atrial fibrillation") were seen in 10/50, 20%. Increased LA dimension was seen in 39/50, 78%. Patients with lone atrial fibrillation were younger (mean 56 years) than those with valvular disease (mean 64 years), L V systolic dysfunction (mean 69 years) and those with LV hypertrophy (mean 72 years). Thus, L V hypertrophy, probably secondary to hypertension, is the most frequent echocardiographic finding, with LV dysfunction (such as seen in coronary artery disease) seen less often. Valvular disease and lone atrial fibrillation rates are similar to rates in developed countries.
Effects of zeranol implantation and late castration on sexual, agonistic and handling behavior in male feedlot cattle.

Seventy-two Angus feedlot bulls were observed to determine the effects of implanting with zeranol (0, 36 or 72 mg; four groups of six/level) at 8 mo of age (d 0), and of castration midway through the feedlot period (d 115) vs remaining intact (six groups/treatment) on sexual, agonistic and handling behaviors. All 36-mg-treated cattle were re-implanted (36 mg) on d 112; 72-mg-treated cattle were not re-implanted. Each group was observed for a total of 8 h at the time of sunset +/- 30 min for sexual and agonistic behaviors during the trial. Observations on handling were made during 15 weighings and on seven occasions in the pens of the animals. Zeranol did not affect sexual or agonistic behavior. Before imposition of castration, implanted bulls entered the scales more quickly, took longer to stand still on the scales and were less quiet than non-implanted bulls (P less than .05). Castration decreased the sexual behaviors of masturbation (.75 vs .08 X pen-1 X h-1; P less than .05), attempted mounts (.75 vs .33 X pen-1 X h-1; P less than .05) and chinning (10.70 vs 4.75 X pen-1 X pen-1; P less than .10) and the agonistic behavior of butting (42.42 vs 31.50 X pen-1 X h-1; P less than .01) in contrast to intact bulls. Castrated animals entered (P less than .10) and exited (P less than .05) the scales more quickly than did intact males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dr. Schlesinger replies.

To the Editor: Risk factors and comorbidities associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with gout include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, advanced age, obesity, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, certain medications, and tobacco abuse. We suggested1 that hyperuricemia and inflammation may be independent risk factors for ED in addition to the conventional ones. Lv and Chen2 suggest another … Address correspondence to Dr. N. Schlesinger; e-mail: schlesna{at}rutgers.edu
Plasticity of Arterial and Venous Endothelial Cell Identity Some Nerve

The vascular endothelium, the innermost lining of the blood vessel wall, forms a critical barrier between blood and all tissues. Endothelial injury in large caliber arteries contributes to coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease, whereas endothelial injury in veins may predispose to venous thromboembolic disease such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Accumulating studies over the past few decades revealed that endothelial cells (ECs) from arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels exhibit important differences with respect to their appearance, function, regenerative capacity, and molecular repertoire. The identification of specific markers for arterial (EphrinB2) and venous (EphB4) ECs lead to the appreciation that upstream signaling pathways may govern arterial versus venous EC fate specification.1–4 For example, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated induction of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) activation facilitates the induction of Dll4/Notch signaling leading to arterial EphrinB2 expression.2–4 In contrast, transcriptional activation of Coup-TFII (chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II) inhibits the VEGF receptor neuropilin to suppress notch signaling, thereby inducing venous marker expression.5 The role of VEGF in promoting arterial EC identity has been well recognized from genetic ablation studies across species. However, VEGF-independent mechanisms may also be contributory as suggested by the observation that arterial VEGF expression is significantly reduced after birth.6 In addition, the heterogeneity of ECs within the vessel wall7 raises the question of flexibility of EC identity toward arterial or venous differentiation. In keeping with this, arterial cells contribute to venous vessels, and venous cells may differentiate into arteries or lymphatic ECs in zebrafish embryos.8,9 Collectively, these studies suggest that extrinsic factors, potentially independent of VEGF, may govern EC fate plasticity during development and in their maintenance in adult vessels. Article, see p 607 In this issue of Circulation …
A Panel of TrpB Biocatalysts Derived from Tryptophan Synthase through the Transfer of Mutations that Mimic Allosteric Activation.

Naturally occurring enzyme homologues often display highly divergent activity with non-natural substrates. Exploiting this diversity with enzymes engineered for new or altered function, however, is laborious because the engineering must be replicated for each homologue. A small set of mutations of the tryptophan synthase β-subunit (TrpB) from Pyrococcus furiosus, which mimics the activation afforded by binding of the α-subunit, was demonstrated to have a similar activating effect in different TrpB homologues with as little as 57 % sequence identity. Kinetic and spectroscopic analyses indicate that the mutations function through the same mechanism: mimicry of α-subunit binding. From these enzymes, we identified a new TrpB catalyst that displays a remarkably broad activity profile in the synthesis of 5-substituted tryptophans. This demonstrates that allosteric activation can be recapitulated throughout a protein family to explore natural sequence diversity for desirable biocatalytic transformations.
Anticipatory policymaking in global venues: Policy change, adaptation, and the UNFCCC

Abstract The subfield of public policy depicts policymaking as reactive process wherein public officials respond to existing social problems. While this depiction holds true in many cases, it fails to account for instances where policy change occurs in anticipation of emerging threats or hazards. “Anticipatory problems” are projected to occur in the future, and it is the prospect of their occurring that generates policy debate. This paper examines the policymaking pattern engendered by anticipatory policy problems, highlighting the ways in which they challenge and support existing assumptions about the process of policy change. To illustrate this distinctive dynamic, this paper will present a case study examining the evolving debate over climate change adaptation policy within United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Meeting the Unmet Needs of Aging Heart Failure Patients: A Role for Palliative Care

Older patients with heart failure suffer from many symptoms. Many patients and their families not only face heart failure-related symptoms, but also financial burdens, side effects from medication and treatment, changes in their normal routine, difficult medical decisions, and limited social support. Palliative care aims to alleviate the pain and distress associated with illnesses and these difficulties, especially in the context of chronic and progressive illness. There have been strides to increase palliative care services for heart failure patients, but many barriers exist such as misconceptions about symptom burden, unpredictability of disease course and prognosis, and ambivalence of providers to discuss difficult topics with patients. Although there has been increased recognition of palliative care services, especially in heart failure, there still exists a paucity of implementation and research of these services for patients. There is a need for larger scale, randomized clinical trials for palliative care programs and systematic guidelines to further the implementation and efficacy of palliative care services for older patients with heart failure.
Identification of quality parameters associated with 3V's of Big Data

Big Data approach uses an empirical process that does not lie on the understanding of underlying mechanisms, but lies on the observation of facts. Achieving high quality in Big Data is a critical issue for both the database researchers and practitioners. More explicit consideration must be given to data quality since data increasingly outlives the application for which it was initially designed. In this paper, identification of quality parameters is done which are compatible to the 3V's of big data which will further provide enhancement in achieving quality data to be stored in the repository. Good utilization of Big Data strengthens the performance and competitiveness of the firms by enabling better and faster results to its customer needs. In this paper GQM (Goal Question Metric) methodology is proposed to measure quality using metrics. It describes how to include data quality metrics to project, progress and maintain levels of quality in an organization. It helps to make a decision whether or not our current data satisfies our quality prospects.
A systems approach to obesity

Obesity has become a truly global epidemic, affecting all age groups, all populations, and countries of all income levels. To date, existing policies and interventions have not reversed these trends, suggesting that innovative approaches are needed to transform obesity prevention and control. There are a number of indications that the obesity epidemic is a systems problem, as opposed to a simple problem with a linear cause-and-effect relationship. What may be needed to successfully address obesity is an approach that considers the entire system when making any important decision, observation, or change. A systems approach to obesity prevention and control has many benefits, including the potential to further understand indirect effects or to test policies virtually before implementing them in the real world. Discussed here are 5 key efforts to implement a systems approach for obesity prevention: 1) utilize more global approaches; 2) bring new experts from disciplines that do not traditionally work with obesity to share experiences and ideas with obesity experts; 3) utilize systems methods, such as systems mapping and modeling; 4) modify and combine traditional approaches to achieve a stronger systems orientation; and 5) bridge existing gaps between research, education, policy, and action. This article also provides an example of how a systems approach has been used to convene a multidisciplinary team and conduct systems mapping and modeling as part of an obesity prevention program in Baltimore, Maryland.
Validity and repeatability of inertial measurement units for measuring gait parameters

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are small wearable sensors that have tremendous potential to be applied to clinical gait analysis. They allow objective evaluation of gait and movement disorders outside the clinic and research laboratory, and permit evaluation on large numbers of steps. However, repeatability and validity data of these systems are sparse for gait metrics. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and between-day repeatability of spatiotemporal metrics (gait speed, stance percent, swing percent, gait cycle time, stride length, cadence, and step duration) as measured with the APDM Opal IMUs and Mobility Lab system. We collected data on 39 healthy subjects. Subjects were tested over two days while walking on a standard treadmill, split-belt treadmill, or overground, with IMUs placed in two locations: both feet and both ankles. The spatiotemporal measurements taken with the IMU system were validated against data from an instrumented treadmill, or using standard clinical procedures. Repeatability and minimally detectable change (MDC) of the system was calculated between days. IMUs displayed high to moderate validity when measuring most of the gait metrics tested. Additionally, these measurements appear to be repeatable when used on the treadmill and overground. The foot configuration of the IMUs appeared to better measure gait parameters; however, both the foot and ankle configurations demonstrated good repeatability. In conclusion, the IMU system in this study appears to be both accurate and repeatable for measuring spatiotemporal gait parameters in healthy young adults.
Control of Feeding and Drinking in Diapausing Insects

The insects provide an excellent example of the diverse morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations involved in obtaining food and water. In addition to coping with the problem of obtaining a given food and water supply, insects frequently face periods completely devoid of either of these commodities. These periods of stress have placed selective pressure on insects forcing them to develop specific strategies to counter the natural pressures imposed by the adverse environmental conditions.
Two-component additive manufacturing of nanothermite structures via reactive inkjet printing

With an eye towards improving the safety of the deposition of energetic materials while broadening the scope of materials compatible with inkjet printing, this work demonstrates the use of combinatorial inkjet printing for the deposition of energetic materials. Two largely inert colloidal suspensions of nanoaluminum and nanocopper (II) oxide in dimethylformamide with polyvinylpyrrolidone were sequentially deposited on a substrate using piezoelectric inkjet printing. The materials were deposited in such a way that the aluminum and copper (II) oxide droplets were adjacent, and overlapping, to allow for in situ mixing of the components. The alternating deposition was repeated to create a sample with multiple layers of energetic materials. Energetic performance was subsequently tested on samples printed with 3, 5, and 7 layers of materials using a spark igniter. This ignition event was observed with a high speed camera and compared to representative samples printed with pre-mixed nanothermite. High speed ther...
Fast maximum clique algorithms for large graphs

We propose a fast, parallel maximum clique algorithm for large sparse graphs that is designed to exploit characteristics of social and information networks. Despite clique's status as an NP-hard problem with poor approximation guarantees, our method exhibits nearly linear runtime scaling over real-world networks ranging from 1000 to 100 million nodes. In a test on a social network with 1.8 billion edges, the algorithm finds the largest clique in about 20 minutes. Key to the efficiency of our algorithm are an initial heuristic procedure that finds a large clique quickly and a parallelized branch and bound strategy with aggressive pruning and ordering techniques. We use the algorithm to compute the largest temporal strong components of temporal contact networks.
An enhanced model-based checkpointing protocol

Checkpointing and rollback recovery are widely used techniques to handle failures in distributed computing systems. Usually we avoid taking checkpoints that are useless during the recovery process. Communication-Induced checkpointing algorithms guarantee the usefulness of all the checkpoints and provide considerable autonomy with relatively low overhead. In this paper, we propose an enhanced Communication-Induced checkpointing algorithm. Our algorithm is likely to have less checkpointing overhead than an existing algorithm in the literature.
Investigation on structural, electrical and magnetic properties of titanium substituted cobalt ferrite nanocrystallites

Abstract The doping of parent compound with selective dopants usually enhances the properties of the parent compound. In this paper, titanium doped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Co 1−x Ti x Fe 2 O 4 with x = 0–0.075) via the sol-gel route is reported. The effect of titanium ions on the properties of cobalt ferrite is detailed. Structural evolution is confirmed using XRD technique and the titanium ion induced changes are given in terms of lattice constant, grain size, X-ray density, tetrahedral and octahedral hopping length and tetrahedral and octahedral bond length. The X-ray diffraction pattern displayed the formation of cubic inverse spinal structure belonging to the Fd3m space group. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic peaks of ferrites around 400 cm −1 and 600 cm −1 . Raman spectroscopy revealed reduction in peak intensities of Raman active modes. SEM characterization had shown the formation of well resolved spherical particles. Elemental composition was evaluated by EDAX spectrum. TEM images also confirmed the spherical morphology of the nanocrystallites and crystallite size calculated is in agreement with that calculated from the XRD analysis. The SAED pattern shows uniform fringes of width 0.428 nm belonging (2 2 2) plane. The diffraction pattern of HRTEM confirmed cubic spinel structure of the samples. Magnetic properties are evaluated from room temperature hysteresis loops. Increase in the saturation magnetization and coercivity was observed with increasing titanium content. Gradual increase in impedance with the increase in titanium concentration was estimated by impedance spectroscopy.
Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Accelerator Programming using Directives

This workshop aims to bring together leading researchers and software designers at the forefront of the application of high-level directives to program accelerator-based architectures. Using directives improve productivity, and program portability with minimal changes to the applications while achieving good power-efficiency and performance. HPC researchers and programmers (including Energy, Climate, Oil & Gas, Computational Chemistry, and Machine Learning) wishing to tap into the performance benefits of commodity accelerators are starting to use directives to program accelerators including OpenACC, OpenMP and other similar programming interfaces vigorously to tap into commodity accelerators and speed up applications. The goal of this workshop is to bring together users, vendors, and tools providers to share their knowledge and experiences to program heterogeneous systems using directive-based programming interfaces such as OpenACC, OpenMP, etc to achieve good performance. This year's workshop will also emphasize in the future direction of accelerator programming using directives and how we can address better the user and tools-ecosystem needs.
An Experimental Study of a Single Droplet Impacting Onto a Heated Surface at High Impact Weber Numbers

Spray cooling is known to be one of the most effective methods of cooling high heat flux electronics. In order to better understand the fundamental physics and heat absorption of spray cooling, single droplet impingement on a heated surface has gained numerous attention. Although extensive research has been performed on single droplet impingement, the literature is sparse regarding the study of the heat transfer at high impact velocities. Upon the impact of the droplet, the surface temperature drops dramatically and rapidly. At higher impact conditions this temperature drop is even more severe and therefore fast response thermal instrumentation is required to measure the instantaneous surface temperature. In this work, intrinsic thermocouples were designed and fabricated to effectively capture the dramatic surface temperature gradient immediately upon the impact. High speed digital video camera was utilized to capture the hydrodynamics of the droplet, the spreading and receding phases, and to observe the evaporation process. It was found that the surface temperature dropped more significantly as impact We number was increased. This was due to the formation of a larger diameter and thinner liquid film on the heated surface. Consequently, the evaporation rate was found to increase as impact We number was enhanced.
Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? Measuring the impact of the ABS flexible endoscopy curriculum

In 2014, the ABS introduced the Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum (FEC). The FEC did not alter the minimum defined category case volumes for endoscopy; however, it did introduce specific cognitive and technical milestones for endoscopy training. It also mandated that residents pass the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Skills (FES) exam to qualify for board certification. Although significant research has been published regarding residents’ success on the FES exam, very little is known regarding how the FEC has changed the way general surgery programs train their residents in surgical endoscopy. The aim of this study was to quantify changes in flexible endoscopy education at a large academic program in the 4 years since the FEC was published. We classified the impact of FEC into four categories: (a) case volume or distribution, (b) clinical rotations, (c) required didactics or simulation exercises, and (d) FES pass rates. For category (a), we reviewed current and historical case logs for all categorical residents from 2013 to 2018. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare endoscopy volumes for each PGY level in 2013–2014 to the respective PGY level in 2017–2018 with p < 0.05 considered significant. For categories (b)–(d), we gathered historical records from the residency coordinator and endoscopy rotation director. Complete data were available for 57 residents in the 2013–2014 academic year and 56 residents in the 2017–2018 academic year. Median total endoscopies performed by PGY2, PGY3, and PGY5 residents all significantly increased during the FEC rollout. Our program’s focus on endoscopy also expanded with absolute increases in endoscopy rotations, didactics, and simulation exercises. These changes translated into significantly increased pass rates on the FES exam from 40 to 100%. Implementation of the FEC at a large academic program led to measurable improvements in clinical experience, program structure, educational programing, and performance on high-stakes assessments.
The relationship between hourly energy balance and fat mass in female collegiate soccer players

Introduction: Soccer athletes have better performance if they maintain low fat mass (FM) relative to fat-free mass. Recent evidence suggests that maintenance of energy balance (EB) is associated with lower FM in athletes. Prior studies have used daily EB rather than hourly, but this approach does not consider duration of time athletes spend in EB versus surplus or deficit. Objective: Test the hypotheses that (1) time spent in EB is inversely associated with FM, and (2) athletes with mean hourly EB in the deficit range have lower FM than those in balance or surplus. Methods: Collegiate female soccer players (n = 20) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A 3-day diet/activity record was obtained and analysed to estimate EB in hourly increments. Hourly EB was categorized as: Surplus, > 400 kcal EB; Balance, between ± 400 kcal EB; Deficit, < -400 kcal EB. Total hours spent in each category and mean EB (kcals) was calculated from the 3-day period. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis was used to derive indices of FM (total FM in kg, % fat, fat mass index). Pearson correlations evaluated associations between FM measures and time spent in each EB category. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc testing was used to assess differences in FM among athletes stratified into surplus, balance, or deficit based on mean hourly EB. Results: Hourly energy deficit was associated with higher FM compared to energy surplus or balance. Conclusion: Female collegiate soccer players who sustain EB during the day, and limit time spent in energy deficit, had lower FM measures.
Amyand hernia: considerations for operative approach and surgical repair.

The patient is presented to the emergency department following the acute onset of abdominal pain, nausea and a painful mass in the right groin. This was following several months of experiencing a painless bulge in the groin that appeared only with heavy lifting or straining. Physical exam exam revealed normal vital signs, a diffusely tender abdomen and an irreducible, exquisitely tender 5 cm firm mass in the right inguinal crease. The white cell count was 15.7×109/ L and CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous contrast showed an indirect right inguinal hernia containing a dilated appendix measuring 11 mm with wall enhancement, a 5 mm appendicolith and surrounding fat stranding (figure 1). Based on the physician exam, clinical presentation and imaging, the patient was diagnosed with incarcerated right indirect hernia containing an acutely inflamed appendix without rupture. This was consistent with an amyand hernia. Figure 1 CT abdomen pelvis showing the appendix within an indirect right inguinal hernia. The appendix measures up to 11 mm with wall enhancement, and there is a 5 mm appendicolith. There is mild fat …
Electrospun carbon/iron nanofibers: The catalytic effects of iron and application in Cr(VI) removal

Abstract Electrospun polyacrylonitrile/iron nitrate (PAN/Fe(NO3)3) nanofibers were prepared, and used as precursor nanofibers for production of carbon/iron nanofibers via the carbonization process. The catalytic effects of metallic iron on morphologies, chemical structures, graphitic carbon growth, and thermal behavior during and after the carbonization process were carefully investigated. The existence of iron nitrate can increase the fiber size and convert the non-woven morphology into self-aligned assembly. The presence of catalytic iron facilitates the stabilization and the carbonization of PAN fibers resulting in an increased carbon yield, along with more ordered and larger graphitic crystallites. The developed carbon/iron nanofibers can be used as an ultra-effective nanoadsorbent to remove the toxic Cr(VI) in water, as one of the potential applications. The nanoadsorbent shows a fast and powerful performance in Cr(VI) removal through reduction and adsorption (maximum removal capacity of 445.3 mg/g). The α-Fe nanoparticles on carbon nanofiber surface is first oxidized to rapidly reduce the mobile Cr(VI) into the static Cr(III). Subsequently, the diffusion controlled redox reactions between the iron inside of carbon matrix and the Cr(VI) achieve a sustained continuous Cr(VI) removal for 60 days. Furthermore, this versatile material is magnetic making separation and recycle easy to perform.
Clinical outcomes and survival following lung transplantation in patients with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Abstract Objective The primary intention of our study is to describe disease-specific outcomes in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) following lung transplantation (LT). Methods We reviewed the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network database to identify AATD patients who have undergone LT in the United States. Results Two thousand two hundred and thirteen patients with AATD underwent LT between March 1992 and September 2019. A total of 1556 patients received LT with a median age at listing was 51 years. The median time spent on the LT waitlist was 263 days. The median ischemic time was 4.75 h. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis following LT for AATD patients at 1-, 5-, and 10 years was 82%, 56%, and 34%, at 1-, 5-, and 10 years, respectively. The median survival time post-LT is 6.4 years (Interquartile range 5.6–6.8 years). The post-LT survival was significantly better in double LT compared to single LT (Median 7.7 vs 4.4 years, p Conclusion The median survival after LT in AATD is 6.4 years and is similar to other lung diseases. When compared to usual COPD LT, AATD patients have increased post-LT mortality due to infections and liver disease. Recipients of a double lung transplant had a favorable outcome compared to single lung transplant.
Effects of early life stage exposure of largemouth bass to atrazine or a model estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol)

Endocrine disrupting contaminants are of continuing concern for potentially contributing to reproductive dysfunction in largemouth and smallmouth bass in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) and elsewhere. Exposures to atrazine (ATR) have been hypothesized to have estrogenic effects on vertebrate endocrine systems. The incidence of intersex in male smallmouth bass from some regions of CBW has been correlated with ATR concentrations in water. Fish early life stages may be particularly vulnerable to ATR exposure in agricultural areas, as a spring influx of pesticides coincides with spawning and early development. Our objectives were to investigate the effects of early life stage exposure to ATR or the model estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on sexual differentiation and gene expression in gonad tissue. We exposed newly hatched largemouth bass (LMB, Micropterus salmoides) from 7 to 80 days post-spawn to nominal concentrations of 1, 10, or 100 µg ATR/L or 1 or 10 ng EE2/L and monitored histological development and transcriptomic changes in gonad tissue. We observed a nearly 100% female sex ratio in LMB exposed to EE2 at 10 ng/L, presumably due to sex reversal of males. Many gonad genes were differentially expressed between sexes. Multidimensional scaling revealed clustering by gene expression of the 1 ng EE2/L and 100 µg ATR/L-treated male fish. Some pathways responsive to EE2 exposure were not sex-specific. We observed differential expression in male gonad in LMB exposed to EE2 at 1 ng/L of several genes involved in reproductive development and function, including star, cyp11a2, ddx4 (previously vasa), wnt5b, cyp1a and samhd1. Expression of star, cyp11a2 and cyp1a in males was also responsive to ATR exposure. Overall, our results confirm that early development is a sensitive window for estrogenic endocrine disruption in LMB and are consistent with the hypothesis that ATR exposure induces some estrogenic responses in the developing gonad. However, ATR-specific and EE2-specific responses were also observed.
Accuracy of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, serum amyloid A and neopterin for low-dose CT-scan confirmed pneumonia in elderly patients: A prospective cohort study.

Objective The diagnosis of pneumonia based on semiology and chest X-rays is frequently inaccurate, particularly in elderly patients. Older (C-reactive protein (CRP); procalcitonin (PCT)) or newer (Serum amyloid A (SAA); neopterin (NP)) biomarkers may increase the accuracy of pneumonia diagnosis, but data are scarce and conflicting. We assessed the accuracy of CRP, PCT, SAA, NP and the ratios CRP/NP and SAA/NP in a prospective observational cohort of elderly patients with suspected pneumonia. Methods We included consecutive patients more than 65 years old, with at least one respiratory symptom and one symptom or laboratory finding suggestive of infection, and a working diagnosis of pneumonia. Low-dose CT scan and comprehensive microbiological testing were done in all patients. The index tests, CRP, PCT, SAA and NP, were obtained within 24 hours. The reference diagnosis was assessed a posteriori by a panel of experts considering all available data, including patients' outcome. We used area under the curve (AUROC) and Youden index to assess the accuracy and obtain optimal cut-off of the index tests. Results 200 patients (median age 84 years) were included; 133 (67%) had pneumonia. AUROCs for the diagnosis of pneumonia was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.56-0.72) for CRP; 0.59 (95% CI: 0.51-0.68) for PCT; 0.60 (95% CI: 0.52-0.69) for SAA; 0.41 (95% CI: 0.32-0.49) for NP; 0.63 (95% CI: 0.55-0.71) for CRP/NP; and 0.61 (95% CI: 0.53-0.70) for SAA/NP. No cut-off resulted in satisfactory sensitivity or specificity. Conclusions Accuracy of traditional (CRP, PCT) and newly proposed biomarkers (SAA, NP) and ratios of CRP/NP and SAA/NP was too low to help diagnosing pneumonia in the elderly. CRP had the highest AUROC. Clinical trial registration NCT02467092.