cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Software Engineering for Pervasive Computing: An Outlook for Educational Reform

Pervasive human-centric computing, the emerging next-generation computing, focuses on humans rather than machines. Pervasive computing's goal of "all the time, everywhere" access replaces today's mobile and distributed computing's goal of "anytime, anywhere" access. Pervasive computing requires cross-disciplinary collaborations among experts in fields such as intelligent systems, agent technologies, autonomic computing, security and privacy, human factors engineering and ergonomics, human factors psychology, augmented reality computing, wearable computing, wireless and mobile computing, location-and context-aware computing, sensor computing, device technology, and social sciences. Thus, it is crucial to reform software engineering education in order to well prepare software engineers for the new challenges and opportunities presented by pervasive human-centric computing. This paper presents and discusses our project results and the lessons learned about the software engineering education reform
An object-oriented approach to computer architecture simulation

An object-oriented approach to modeling and simulation computer architectures is presented. Rather than concentrating on a specific system, the more generic concepts of processors, memories, clocks, registers, instruction sets, etc. are developed. By building upon these basic concepts, it is then possible to simulate virtually any processor to nearly any level of detail. >
Declines of biomes and biotas and the future of evolution

Although panel discussants disagreed whether the biodiversity crisis constitutes a mass extinction event, all agreed that current extinction rates are 50-500 times background and are increasing and that the consequences for the future evolution of life are serious. In response to the on-going rapid decline of biomes and homogenization of biotas, the panelists predicted changes in species geographic ranges, genetic risks of extinction, genetic assimilation, natural selection, mutation rates, the shortening of food chains, the increase in nutrient-enriched niches permitting the ascendancy of microbes, and the differential survival of ecological generalists. Rates of evolutionary processes will change in different groups, and speciation in the larger vertebrates is essentially over. Action taken over the next few decades will determine how impoverished the biosphere will be in 1,000 years when many species will suffer reduced evolvability and require interventionist genetic and ecological management. Whether the biota will continue to provide the dependable ecological services humans take for granted is less clear. The discussants offered recommendations, including two of paramount importance (concerning human populations and education), seven identifying specific scientific activities to better equip us for stewardship of the processes of evolution, and one suggesting that such stewardship is now our responsibility. The ultimate test of evolutionary biology as a science is not whether it solves the riddles of the past but rather whether it enables us to manage the future of the biosphere. Our inability to make clearer predictions about the future of evolution has serious consequences for both biodiversity and humanity.
Clinical Outcomes with Ertapenem as a First-Line Treatment Option of Infections Caused by Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria

Background:Infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing gram-negative organisms are a growing concern in hospitalized patients. Traditionally, these infections can be effectively treated by the carbapenem class of drugs. In 2005, our institution initiated a protocol (or use of ertapenem, a carbapenem, as the first-line treatment option for these infections. It is unknown whether ertapenem is associated with similar clinical response and microbiologic cure rates as those achieved with group 2 carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem, doripenem).Objective:To describe clinical response and microbiologic cure rates associated with ertapenem as first-line treatment of infections caused by ESBL-producing organisms.Methods:This case series included patients who received ertapenem for more than 48 hours to treat a documented infection with a positive culture for an ESBL-producing organism. Efficacy was determined by the clinical response and microbiologic cure rates achieved with ertapenem.Results:...
Therapeutic options for rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder primarily targeting the synovium. Unchecked disease activity is associated with significant morbidity and an increased mortality. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of RA and the capability of biologically engineered treatments for RA have expanded the armamentarium of antirheumatic agents. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted through PubMed. Results/conclusions: At present, a common strategy for the treatment of RA uses methotrexate either as monotherapy or in combination with a variety of conventional and/or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), with the goal of inducing remission of active disease. The choice of which agent(s) to use is based upon patient-specific criteria (activity of disease, comorbidities, patient preferences, costs etc.). Emerging therapies that target specific cytokines and growth factors in the inflammatory cascade of RA offer a potent new m...
Making Popular Constitutionalism Work

Popular constitutionalism defies easy definition. Its leading theorists fail to offer a common reading of constitutional history, a common methodology, or even a common set of remedies. Given these diverse approaches, it is little wonder that one recurring complaint among popular constitutionalism’s critics is that the theory itself is incoherent. This criticism is overstated. Even as there are various strands of popular constitutionalism, its leading theorists do share one key attribute, a populist sensibility — a common belief that the American people (and their elected representatives) should play an ongoing role in shaping contemporary constitutional meaning. The question remains how best to achieve this shared goal, while also increasing popular constitutionalism’s normative appeal. In my view, the solution lies in committing to a broad-based agenda of both civic renewal and institutional reform — one that is as focused on the problems of legislative paralysis, incumbent entrenchment, and citizen apathy as it is on the threat posed by an aggressive judiciary. In this Article, I outline such an agenda. In addition, I consider one reform proposal in detail — the public reconsideration of judicial decisions — or, as I shall call it, the “People’s veto.” In the end, I seek to show that one does not have to hold anti-Court views (or unrealistic expectations about the capacities of ordinary citizens) in order to accept that the American people should play a more direct, ongoing, deliberative role in constitutional decision-making.
Semantic and object-oriented database support for software environments

In the database community there is considerable disagreement concerning the definition of 'object-oriented'. The author distinguishes between two very different ways in which this term is used in the database world, and argues that together, these two sorts of object-orientedness form a solid framework for supporting software engineering. Essentially, when database researchers use the word 'object-oriented', they are generally referring to one of two approaches-structural object-orientation or behavioral object-orientation. The former is usually called semantic modeling, after a class of data models that attempt to provide richer constructs for representing the semantics of database applications. The second class of data models is geared toward the behavior of objects and is concerned with the manipulation of data, taking an abstract data type approach of embedding operations (methods) within types. >
Photogeneration of gelatinous networks from pre‐existing polymers

In this manuscript we report the crosslinking of pre-existing macromolecules in solution through the use of photoactive benzophenone chromophores. We show that a bifunctional crosslinker composed of two benzophenone chromophores as well as a single benzophenone chromo- phore crosslink poly (butadiene) and poly (ethylene oxide) in solution to form insoluble gels when irradiated with UV light. The molecular weight between crosslinks of the photo- generated gels was compared for the two crosslinkers, for an equivalent amount of benzophenone chromophores in each solution, by measuring the swelling ratio of the gels formed. Gels formed from the bifunctional benzophenone cross- linker were shown to contain more than twice as many crosslinks compared to gels formed from the crosslinker composed of a single benzophenone chromophore. EPR measurements of a nitroxide derivative absorbed into the gels further supported a higher crosslink density for the gels formed from the bifunctional benzophenone crosslinker. V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 168-174, 2011
Integrated control of ectoparasites

Integrated control of ectoparasites of veterinary importance is being implemented on a limited basis at present. However, several forces are accelerating a global shift to integrated pest management (IPM). These accelerating forces include the following: reduction in new chemical compounds registered for use on livestock and poultry universal development of resistance to pesticides heightened environmental sensitivities to exclusive dependence on pesticide-based control need for strategies which increase profits for the producer while decreasing costs to the consumer. Integrated pest control requires many technologies for incorporation into specific pest management systems. Individual components include new chemicals, formulations and delivery systems, biological control, mechanical control, immunological control, genetic control, and regulatory control. Computer simulation models based on a quantitative ecological database are invaluable in devising and monitoring IPM approaches to controlling ectoparasites which affect livestock and poultry. IPM strategies have been developed for pests of veterinary importance, but eventually these must be incorporated into total livestock production systems. For implementation, a number of major impediments to IPM must be overcome. These problems can best be solved through a vigorous technology transfer programme. In addition to face-to-face meetings between producers and extension agents, the implementation of IPM can be further encouraged at producer group meetings, through education of animal health professionals, by the publication of articles in producer magazines, and by radio and television broadcasts to the agricultural sector. Research focusing on the development of cost-effective and environmentally-compatible IPM systems is necessary for future progress.
Multibarrier Kinetics of Brittle Fracture: I, Stress Dependence of the Subcritical Crack Velocity

A general equation for the subcritical crack velocity in brittle materials is derived using steady-state, multibarrier kinetics. It provides a basis from which specialized expressions can be developed for the crack velocity in specific cases. One social equation for v=v(K) at constant temperature, derived from the general expression, has a mathematic form that fits data representative of a wide variety of specific cases. Examples are presented and the equation is discussed in terms of its physical foundations.
Community-based memorials to September 11, 2001: environmental stewardship as memory work

This chapter investigates how people use trees, parks, gardens, and other natural resources as raw materials in and settings for memorials to September 11, 2001. In particular, we focus on ‘found space living memorials’, which we define as sites that are community-managed, re-appropriated from their prior use, often carved out of the public right-of-way, and sometimes for temporary use. These memorials are created as part of traditional mourning rituals and acts of remembrance, but are not limited to formally consecrated sites or the site of the tragedy. They are dispersed throughout the city in everyday and highly public landscapes such as traffic islands, sidewalks, waterfronts, and front yards, demonstrating how ordinary spaces can become sacred. We present several forms of found space community-based living memorials in and around New York City: shrines, viewshed parks, gardens in the public right-of-way, and tree plantings. These cases provide evidence that community-managed memorials are self-organizing, democratic processes which develop independently of state-led memorial initiatives.
The Diffusion of Innovations in Social Networks

We consider processes in which new technologies and forms of behavior are transmitted through social or geographic networks. Agents adopt behaviors based on a combination of their inherent payoff and their local popularity (the number of neighbors who have adopted them) subject to some random error. We characterize the long-run dynamics of such processes in terms of the geometry of the network, but without placing a priori restrictions on the network structure. When agents interact in sufficiently small, close-knit groups, the expected waiting time until almost everyone is playing the stochastically stable equilibrium is bounded above independently of the number of agents and independently of the initial state.
Convective influence on the stability of a cylindrical solid–liquid interface

Experiments in which a long vertical, heated wire is surrounded by concentric annuli of a melt and its crystalline solid show that the convection state changes from a stable unicell surrounded by a stationary cylindrical solid-liquid interface, to a complex time-dependent flow surrounded by a rotating, helical solid-liquid interface. This transition occurs at a Grashof number of approximately 150, which is an order of magnitude less than the critical Grashof number calculated for a liquid annulus surrounded by rigid walls. A linear stability analysis has been carried out for an infinitely tall vertical annulus. When the deformable nature of the crystal-melt interface is taken into account in the boundary conditions, two new modes of instability arise. The most dangerous mode is asymmetrical and corresponds to helical waves travelling vertically upwards. The critical Grashof number and the scaling properties of the eigenstate agree with experiments. The results clearly demonstrate the coupling of convection with crystal-melt interfacial instabilities.
School-age effects of the newborn individualized developmental care and assessment program for preterm infants with intrauterine growth restriction: preliminary findings

The experience in the newborn intensive care nursery results in premature infants’ neurobehavioral and neurophysiological dysfunction and poorer brain structure. Preterms with severe intrauterine growth restriction are doubly jeopardized given their compromised brains. The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program improved outcome at early school-age for preterms with appropriate intrauterine growth. It also showed effectiveness to nine months for preterms with intrauterine growth restriction. The current study tested effectiveness into school-age for preterms with intrauterine growth restriction regarding executive function (EF), electrophysiology (EEG) and neurostructure (MRI). Twenty-three 9-year-old former growth-restricted preterms, randomized at birth to standard care (14 controls) or to the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (9 experimentals) were assessed with standardized measures of cognition, achievement, executive function, electroencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The participating children were comparable to those lost to follow-up, and the controls to the experimentals, in terms of newborn background health and demographics. All outcome measures were corrected for mother’s intelligence. Analysis techniques included two-group analysis of variance and stepwise discriminate analysis for the outcome measures, Wilks’ lambda and jackknifed classification to ascertain two-group classification success per and across domains; canonical correlation analysis to explore relationships among neuropsychological, electrophysiological and neurostructural domains at school-age, and from the newborn period to school-age. Controls and experimentals were comparable in age at testing, anthropometric and health parameters, and in cognitive and achievement scores. Experimentals scored better in executive function, spectral coherence, and cerebellar volumes. Furthermore, executive function, spectral coherence and brain structural measures discriminated controls from experimentals. Executive function correlated with coherence and brain structure measures, and with newborn-period neurobehavioral assessment. The intervention in the intensive care nursery improved executive function as well as spectral coherence between occipital and frontal as well as parietal regions. The experimentals’ cerebella were significantly larger than the controls’. These results, while preliminary, point to the possibility of long-term brain improvement even of intrauterine growth compromised preterms if individualized intervention begins with admission to the NICU and extends throughout transition home. Larger sample replications are required in order to confirm these results. The study is registered as a clinical trial. The trial registration number is NCT00914108.
Stimulation of plasma renin activity by captopril in renovascular hypertensive conscious dogs.

The increase in plasma renin activity induced by captopril is used in the clinical evaluation of renovascular hypertensive patients. This increase in plasma renin activity could result from either the concomitant fall in systemic pressure or other effects of captopril, such as the removal of an angiotensin II inhibitory effect on renin release, the increased production of bradykinin or prostaglandins, etc. To examine the effect captopril has on plasma renin activity, independent of changes in systemic pressure, captopril (5, 10 and 50 μg/kg iv) was administered to conscious dogs before and following the development of 1 clip-2 kidney Goldblatt hypertension. Plasma renin activity, under normal conditions remained unchanged, while during hypertension It increased 2.0, 2.8 and 3.5 fold respectively in response to the three doses of captopril. These results suggest that the development of renovascular hypertension sensitized the kidney to release renin when challenged by captopril and that the effect is indep...
Traumatic tricuspid valve insufficiency: Experience in thirteen patients

From 1964 through June 1993, thirteen patients with traumatic tricuspid insufficiency were treated surgically; all were male, and the ages ranged from 17 to 64 years (median 39 years). The condition was associated with blunt chest trauma in all patients: motor vehicle accidents in twelve and an explosion of a tank of compressed air in one. The median duration between trauma and operation was 17 years (range 1 month to 37 years). Preoperatively, six patients were in sinus rhythm and seven were in atrial fibrillation. At operation, the right ventricular function appeared moderately to severely depressed in twelve patients. In twelve patients, the anterior leaflet was flail because of chordal rupture (n = 9), rupture of anterior papillary muscle (n = 3), or tear in the anterior leaflet (n = 1). In one patient, the septal leaflet was missing and in another it was retracted and adherent to the ventricular septum. In five patients the tricuspid valve was repaired and in eight it was replaced. In seven patients in the latter group, the chordae, papillary muscles, and/or tricuspid valve leaflet(s) were found to be in a contracted and atrophic state, precluding repair. No early or late deaths occurred. At follow-up extending to 26 years (median 12 years), 12 patients are in New York Heart Association class I and one patient is in class II. Nine patients were in sinus rhythm and four were in atrial fibrillation. Although our experience indicates that good functional results can still be achieved many years after the onset of traumatic tricuspid valve insufficiency, earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment should increase the feasibility of tricuspid valve repair, prevent progressive deterioration of right ventricular function, and increase the possibility of maintaining late sinus rhythm in a greater number of patients.
N-ARALKYLPOLYAMINE COMPLEXES PART 5, COMPLEXES OF COPPER(II) WITH N-BENZYLETHYLENEDIAMINE

Abstract The following N-benzylethylenediamine (MBEn) complexes were prepared: Cu(MBEn)2X2 (X = Cl, Br, I, NO3 and ClO4), Cu(MBEn)2SO4.xH2O (x = 2 and 3) and Cu(MBEn)X2 (X = Cl and Br). Their structures were deduced from their magnetic susceptibilities, reflectance spectra and i.r. spectra. MBEn and ethylenediamine (En) complexes have similar spectral behavior and therefore equivalent structures. The complexes with one MBEn molecule per copper ion have polymeric octahedral structures.
Results of cellular therapy for ischemic myocardial dysfunction. A review.

Background Ischemic heart disease (IHD) terminally injures the heart with attendant myocardial dysfunction. Effective therapy for IHD is limited when the myocardium cannot be revascularized. Thus, alternative therapies for IHD are emerging, including immature cell transplantation to injured hearts. One experience with this technique and its effect upon indices of myocardial performance are reviewed. Methods Micromanometry and sonomicrometry determined in vivo left ventricular pressure (P) and segment length (SL) following irreversible myocardial injury and 3 weeks after cell transplantation with either autologous skeletal myoblasts or autologous dermal fibroblasts. Systolic performance was based on the linear regression of stroke work and end-diastolic (ED) SL. Diastolic properties were assessed using the curvilinear relationships between LVEDP and strain (e). Cellular engraftment was assessed histologically at study conclusion. Results Skeletal myoblasts formed dense, engrafted tissue within injured hearts but did not extend beyond the borders of the injury. Engrafted fibroblasts were more uniformly distributed throughout the injured region. Diastolic performance improved following cell transplantation with either myoblasts or fibroblasts. Cell transplantation with skeletal myoblasts also improved contractile performance, but fibroblast transfer was associated with a significant decrement in systolic performance. Conclusions Cellular transplantation with either myoblasts or fibroblasts can successfully and reliably regenerate viable tissue within areas of terminally injured heart. Cellular engraftment favorably alters the regional geometry within the injured heart, conferring improved functional indices upon treated animals. Further investigation is needed to ensure the safety of these techniques, to ascertain the optimal cell type and delivery method for transplantation, and to improve the reproducibility of cellular engraftment.
Exhibition Review: The 18th Century Back in Fashion

(2013). Exhibition Review: The 18th Century Back in Fashion. Fashion Theory: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 113-122.
A Successful Collusion (Autumn 1897)

Some three years after Dreyfus had been arrested, his brother and the small group of Dreyfusards launched what they hoped would be the final campaign for revision of the case of the bordereau. ‘Mr Minister’, Mathieu wrote to Billot in an open letter of 16 November 1897, The only basis for the accusation against my unfortunate brother in 1894 was an unsigned, undated letter stating that confidential military documents had been given to a foreign power. I have the honour of informing you that the author of that letter is Count Walsin-Esterhazy, Infantry Commandant… I cannot doubt that knowing the author of the treason for which my brother was condemned you will quickly have justice done.
Biological Fandom: Our Changing Relationship to Sport and the Bodies We Watch

In the last few decades, our exposure to sport has increased dramatically through advancements in television, Internet, and mobile technologies. This rise in exposure and accessibility has increased biological knowledge among sport “fans,” a concept I use broadly, and complicated our relationship with sport. Using Rose’s notion of biological citizenship, which draws on Foucault’s concepts of biopolitics and biopower, I introduce “biological fandom” as a way to think about the intensification of bioknowledge in and around sport. As a problem space where various relationships of power intersect, biofandom creates new forms of knowledge, surveillance, and ethical problems. In this article, I sketch the relations of power that create biological fandom. First, I focus on aspects of the media that are concerned with quantifying the bodies of athletes and new biomedical treatments in sports medicine. Second, within this larger media context, I proceed to explore what I see as a particularly concentrated manifest...
Interactive Isosurface Ray Tracing of Large Octree Volumes

We present a technique for ray tracing isosurfaces of large compressed structured volumes. Data is first converted into a lossless-compression octree representation that occupies a fraction of the original memory footprint. An isosurface is then dynamically rendered by tracing rays through a min/max hierarchy inside interior octree nodes. By embedding the acceleration tree and scalar data in a single structure and employing optimized octree hash schemes, we achieve competitive frame rates on common multicore architectures, and render large time-variant data that could not otherwise be accommodated
Educational Practices in Christian Schools

As I worked to bring together this issue, I was struck by an apparent coincidence when looking at the authors’ first (given) names. Each of the lead authors’ first names include some variation of t...
Does testing increase spontaneous mediation in learning semantically related paired associates

Carpenter (2011) argued that the testing effect she observed for semantically related but associatively unrelated paired associates supports the mediator effectiveness hypothesis. This hypothesis asserts that after the cue-target pair mother-child is learned, relative to restudying mother-child, a review test in which mother is used to cue the recall of child leads to (a) greater activation of the mediator (father), and (b) greater strengthening of the links in the cue-to-mediator (mother-father) and mediator-to-target (father-child) associative chain. This chain is then spontaneously used for recalling child when mother is given as the cue in a final test. The mediator effectiveness hypothesis is supported by the finding that relative to review restudying, mother-child review testing leads to better recall of the target child in the final test when cued by either mother or father. The present Experiment 1 examined an alternative account of this testing effect for mediator-to-target recall. By this account, when given as a cue, the mediator elicits the original cue, which in turn covertly cues the target via a test-strengthened cue-target association. Contrary to this account, the mediator-to-target testing effect did not depend on the preexisting mediator-cue associative strength. Experiment 2 provided a more direct test of the mediator effectiveness hypothesis by having participants recall the mediator and then the target in the final test. Contrary to predictions made by the mediator effectiveness hypothesis, (a) the cue-to-target testing effect was of the same magnitude whether the mediator was recalled or not, and (b) overall target recall was lower, not higher, when participants recalled the mediator. Thus, spontaneous mediation does not underlie the testing effect that occurs for semantically related but associatively unrelated paired associates. (PsycINFO Database Record
Interpretation of shear strength uncertainty and reliability analyses of slopes

The variance of the friction angle or friction coefficient (tan ϕ) is often considered in geotechnical reliability analyses, which implies that the variance of the shear strength as defined by a Mohr-Coulomb envelope increases as the normal stress on the shearing surface increases. However, shear strength data sometimes has approximately constant variance, and most simple regression techniques assume constant variance. Four effective stress shear strength data sets are evaluated using both the constant variance (homoscedastic) and constant coefficient of variation (heteroscedastic) interpretations. The impact of the variance interpretation on slope stability is evaluated using infinite slope, homogeneous dam, and zoned dam examples. For relatively shallow infinite slope surfaces, the reliability index for the heteroscedastic interpretation of shear strength variance was about twice the reliability index obtained using the homoscedastic approach. In the dam examples, the difference in the reliability indices resulting from the heteroscedastic and homoscedastic interpretations was about one, indicating a tenfold increase in the probability of failure. The typical assumption of constant coefficient of variation of shear strength may result in unconservative estimates of the reliability of shallow failure surfaces and overly conservative results for deeper failure surfaces.
The dizzy patient.

PREVIEWDepending on the physiologic mechanism at fault, dizziness can represent several overlapping sensations—all of them uncomfortable. In cases with a vestibular cause (perhaps about half the cases of dizziness), vertigo is the predominant symptom, so patients have the unsettling feeling that their environment is spinning around them or that they are moving in space. Dr Baloh discusses pertinent findings to seek on history taking (eg, do certain movements elicit dizziness? did vertigo follow a blow to the head?) that may help establish the cause. He also describes further workup, treatment, and prognosis.
Applying Management by Objectives to R&D Labs

(1976). Applying Management by Objectives to R&D Labs. Research Management: Vol. 19, No. 6, pp. 35-40.
Introduction: Borderlands and Liminality Across Philosophy and Literature

A border is but a line extending infinitely, widthlessly, and abstractly; yet the moment this line is delimited and inscribed upon a map or etched within the earth, it takes on new social meaning. Borders are found nowhere in nature but where human beings impose them, and they are imposed with a purpose. A border, then, may be better understood as being more than a line: it is a physical limit. Useful, it locates the division between things, their beginnings, and their endings. We draw borders between nation states, transforming rivers, mountains, and other arbitrary features into the difference between the sovereignty of “us” and “them.” We build fences around property to distinguish between that which we possess and that which we do not. We delimit with borders those things which we identify as part of our self from those things that we have rejected as “outside.”
Triangulation V of V = cvx((S x 0) u ($$ \mathbb{G}^n $$ x 1))

Let V be the convex hull of \( \mathbb{G}^{n - 1} \) × 1 and S × 0. Our purpose here is to describe, prove, and state the replacement rules for the triangulation V of V. Although the triangulation V, as such, has been used in the solution of equations, restrictions of V properly squeezed and sheared form the principle “micro structure” for the variable rate refining triangulation S. As a preview of V consider Figure 15.1. Also as a preview let us cite three conspicuous features that the triangulation V will have: (a) V0 ⊆ (S × 0) u (Gn × 1) (b) V| (Gn × 1) = F × 1 (c) S × 0 ∈ V that is, vertices of V lie in S × 0 or Gn × 1, the restriction of V to Gn × 1 is the Freudenthal triangulation F, and the simplex S × 0 itself is in V.
Barriers and strategies for coordinating care among veterans with traumatic brain injury: a mixed methods study of VA polytrauma care team members.

Background Veterans who experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have long-term needs placing a premium on well-coordinated care. This study aimed to (1) identify barriers to care coordination for Veterans with TBI; and (2) describe strategies used by VA polytrauma care team members to coordinate care for Veterans with TBI. Methods We utilised a mixed method design, including an online survey of VA polytrauma care team members (N = 236) and subsequent semi-structured interviews (N = 25). Analysis of the survey data was descriptive; interview data was analysed using constant comparative techniques. Results The most common system-related barriers 25 for access to military records (64%) and insufficient time (58%). The most common patient-related barriers were missed appointments/no shows (87%) and the mental health issues (74%). Strategies reported on the survey to promote coordination reflected the centrality of teamwork and communication, and included promoting multidisciplinary team collaboration (32%) and holding 30 regular meetings (23%). Interview findings were consistent, emphasising the effective functioning of multidisciplinary clinics. Conclusion Polytrauma care team members encounter barriers to care coordination for Veterans with TBI, and have developed strategies in response. Information sharing, provider workload, communication, and patient engagement will be critical to address in future efforts to enhance care coordination in this context.
Extrachromosomal circular DNA-based amplification and transmission of herbicide resistance in crop weed Amaranthus palmeri

Gene amplification has been observed in many bacteria and eukaryotes as a response to various selective pressures, such as antibiotics, cytotoxic drugs, pesticides, herbicides, and other stressful environmental conditions. An increase in gene copy number is often found as extrachromosomal elements that usually contain autonomously replicating extrachromosomal circular DNA molecules (eccDNAs). Amaranthus palmeri , a crop weed, can develop herbicide resistance to glyphosate [ N -(phosphonomethyl) glycine] by amplification of the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase ( EPSPS ) gene, the molecular target of glyphosate. However, biological questions regarding the source of the amplified EPSPS , the nature of the amplified DNA structures, and mechanisms responsible for maintaining this gene amplification in cells and their inheritance remain unknown. Here, we report that amplified EPSPS copies in glyphosate-resistant (GR) A. palmeri are present in the form of eccDNAs with various conformations. The eccDNAs are transmitted during cell division in mitosis and meiosis to the soma and germ cells and the progeny by an as yet unknown mechanism of tethering to mitotic and meiotic chromosomes. We propose that eccDNAs are one of the components of McClintock’s postulated innate systems [McClintock B (1978) Stadler Genetics Symposium ] that can rapidly produce soma variation, amplify EPSPS genes in the sporophyte that are transmitted to germ cells, and modulate rapid glyphosate resistance through genome plasticity and adaptive evolution.
Spatial factors of white-tailed deer herbivory assessment in the central Appalachian Mountains.

Because moderate to over-abundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory impacts biodiversity and can alter community function, ecological benchmarks of herbivory impact are needed to assess deer impacts. We evaluated spatial patterns of deer herbivory and their relation to herbivory assessment by evaluating woody vegetation along 20 transects at each of 30 sites spread across a wide range of deer herd densities and vegetative condition throughout the biodiverse Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, USA. Surprisingly, herbivory patterns and the availability of woody forage generally were unchanged among physiographic regions and land use diversity classes. However, some relationships between browsing pattern and vegetation varied with scale. The total quantity of vegetation browsed on a given site and at the transect scale were related positively to the availability of forage, as the proportion of stems browsed decreased as stem density increased. However, this was only true when all stems were considered equally. When stem densities by species were weighted for deer preference, the proportion of stems browsed had no relationship or increased with stem density. Compared to the value from all transects sampled, on average, the mean of ≥ 3 transects within a site was within 0.1 of the browsing ratio and stem densities were within 0.5 stems m-2. Our results suggest that one transect per square kilometer with a minimum of three transects may be sufficient for most browsing intensity survey requirements to assess herbivory impacts in the Appalachian region of Virginia. Still, inclusion of spatial factors to help partition variation of deer herbivory potentially may allow for improved precision and accuracy in the design of field herbivory impact assessment methods and improve their application across various landscape contexts.
Pain catastrophizing is associated with poorer health-related quality of life in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells and is associated with chronic multisystem involvement. While SCD has been associated with poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL), there is a paucity of data on the relationship of psychological covariates other than anxiety and depression and quality of life (QoL) in children with SCD. Materials and methods We performed a cross-sectional study of psychological factors, HRQoL, and pain-related outcomes in participants with SCD and race-matched controls as part of a larger study of experimental pain phenotyping. Results Pain catastrophizing was inversely correlated with HRQoL measured by the PedsQL™ Generic Core Scale in children with SCD, while this was not noted in control participants. Psychological factors, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, were also associated with poorer HRQoL in both children with SCD and controls. We did not find an association of psychological factors with prior health care utilization. Psychological factors such as anxiety and depressive symptoms were inversely correlated with pain interference, but not pain intensity in SCD. Conclusion Catastrophizing is associated with poorer HRQoL in SCD, but in this study, it was not associated with pain intensity or interference and health care utilization in children with SCD. Further studies are needed to fully define the association of psychological factors including catastrophizing with QoL, pain burden, and SCD outcomes.
Healing with humor. Clowns on call bring hugs and happiness.

Each year tens of thousands of children visit The Detroit Medical Center's Children's Hospital of Michigan as patients. Hundreds of thousands of orders are processed and even more prescriptions are written. This year rare and different kinds of orders and prescriptions are being written ... orders for Clowns-on-Call and prescriptions for laughter.
ADHESION, CELL–CELL | Vascular

Four distinct families of adhesion molecules (cadherins, immunoglobulin superfamily members, selectins, and integrins) mediate vascular cell–cell adhesion. These molecules are required for the formation of the junctional complexes that enable the assembly of endothelial cells into functional vascular networks; they mediate the leukocyte–endothelial adhesive interactions involved in the trafficking of leukocytes out of the circulation; and they contribute to contacts between pericytes and the endothelium that are important to the regulation of endothelial cell proliferation. In the lung these vascular cell–cell interactions are the bases of the host defense to lung infection or injury, and the regulation of lung vascular permeability, but are disturbed or dysregulated in diseases such as asthma or the acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Hybrid Cavities for Axion Detectors

Hybrid cavities, cavities with a layer of superconductor applied on top of the OFHC copper, are studied. The quality factor of a single thin layer and of a multilayer superconductor/insulator stack are estimated. The results for these thin-film coatings are not good. However, if the superconductor (either multilayer or single layer) were separated from the copper by a thick dielectric spacer, one that is a fraction of the wavelength at the cavity resonant frequency, extremely high quality factors could be obtained.
The cell-free layer in simulated microvascular networks

In the microcirculation, a plasma layer forms near the vessel walls that is free of red blood cells (RBCs). This region, often termed as the cell-free layer (CFL), plays important haemorheological and biophysical roles, and has been the subject of extensive research. Many previous studies have considered the CFL development in single, isolated vessels that are straight tubes or channels, as well as in isolated bifurcations and mergers. In the body, blood vessels are typically winding and sequentially bifurcate into smaller vessels or merge to form larger vessels. Because of this geometric complexity, the CFL in vivo is three-dimensional (3D) and asymmetric, unlike in fully developed flow in straight tubes. The three-dimensionality of the CFL as it develops in a vascular network, and the underlying hydrodynamic mechanisms, are not well understood. Using a high-fidelity model of cellular-scale blood flow in microvascular networks with in vivo-like topologies, we present a detailed analysis of the fully 3D and asymmetric nature of the CFL in such networks. We show that the CFL significantly varies over different aspects of the networks. Along the vessel lengths, such variations are predominantly non-monotonic, which indicates that the CFL profiles do not simply become more symmetric over the length as they would in straight vessels. We show that vessel tortuosity causes the CFL to become more asymmetric along the length. We specifically identify a curvature-induced migration of the RBCs as the underlying mechanism of increased asymmetry in curved vessels. The vascular bifurcations and mergers are also seen to change the CFL profiles, and in the majority of them the CFL becomes more asymmetric. For most bifurcations, this is generally observed to occur such that the CFL downstream narrows on the side of the vessel nearest the upstream bifurcation, and widens on the other side. The 3D aspects of such behaviour are elucidated. For many bifurcations, a discrepancy exists between the CFL in the daughter vessels, which arises from a disproportionate partitioning between the flow rate and RBC flux. For most mergers, the downstream CFL narrows in the plane of the merger, but widens away from this plane. The dominant mechanism by which such changes occur is identified as the geometric focusing of the two merging streams. To our knowledge, this work provides the first simulation-based analysis of the 3D CFL structure in complex in vivo-like microvascular networks, including the hydrodynamic origins of the observed behaviour.
Contemporary management of spontaneous retroperitoneal and rectus sheath hematomas.

Abstract Background Retroperitoneal and rectus sheath hematomas can occur spontaneously. There is a lack of research about the disease progression, optimal treatment strategies and the need for surgical intervention. Our study investigated their outcomes and management. Study design Adult patients admitted during a one-year period with non-traumatic retroperitoneal or rectus sheath hematomas were retrospectively identified. Biographical, hospital-course, and outcome data were extracted. Results 99 patients were included; median age was 73-years (IQR 61–80). 88 patients were on an anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent. Warfarin and intravenous heparin being the most commonly utilized agents (42% and 36.4%, respectively). All 99 patients were diagnosed by CT scan. 79 patients received some sort of blood product (79.8% PRBC, 43.4% FFP, 17% platelets), and 26 patients were in hemorrhagic shock. 17 patients underwent angiography and/or angioembolization. Neither anticoagulation in general nor any specific agent was associated with the need for blood product transfusion or angiography. 13 patients died but none were attributable to the hematoma. Conclusion Both hematomas are usually self-limiting and rarely require surgical intervention. A subset may require angioembolization.
Real-world utilization of andexanet alfa.

Abstract Objective In 2018, the FDA approved andexanet alfa for the reversal of life-threatening hemorrhages in patients anticoagulated with apixaban or rivaroxaban. Yet, cost-effective factor Xa inhibitor reversal remains controversial. The objective of this study was to describe real world utilization of andexanet alfa. Methods This was a retrospective case series of patients receiving andexanet alfa between July 28, 2018 and April 29, 2019 at a large academic health system. Baseline demographics, anticoagulant type and reversal, as well as brain imaging were collected. Primary endpoints were stability of hematoma for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and hemostatic effectiveness for patients undergoing surgical procedures. Secondary endpoints were thromboembolism and 30 day mortality. Results Of the 25 patients evaluated, 13 received andexanet alfa for ICH. Eleven of the 13 had follow-up imaging available and stability was observed in 90.9%. Three patients received andexanet alfa for reversal prior to surgical procedures, and 100% hemostatic effectiveness was achieved. Nine patients received andexanet alfa for reversal of extracranial bleeding, including gastrointestinal bleed (n=4). There were no thrombotic events in our cohort, and 30 day mortality was 24%. Sixty-four percent of patients would have met exclusion criteria for the ANNEXA-4 trial. Conclusion This is the largest series to date describing real-world utilization of andexanet alfa. Our series showed hemostatic efficacy in 90.9% of patients with ICH, and 100% in patients undergoing surgical procedures. There were no thrombotic complications. Yet, larger and comparative studies are needed to clarify the optimal agent and patient selection for reversal of factor Xa inhibitors.
Losing STEAM: A Case Study of Failure in School Reform:

This study examines issues encountered during a school’s first year implementing science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) curriculum. The school year began with multiple changes in ...
Sleep and Delirium in Older Adults.

Poor sleep and delirium are common in older patients but recognition and management are challenging, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The purpose of this review is to highlight current research on these conditions, their inter-relationship, modes of measurement, and current approaches to management. Sleep deprivation and delirium are closely linked, with shared clinical characteristics, risk factors, and neurochemical abnormalities. Acetylcholine and dopamine are important neurochemicals in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and their dysregulation has been implicated in development of delirium. In the hospital setting, poor sleep and delirium are associated with adverse outcomes; non-pharmacological interventions are recommended, but tend to be resource intensive and hindered by a lack of reliable sleep measurement tools. Delirium is easier to identify, with validated tools available in both ICU and non-ICU settings; however, an optimal treatment approach remains unclear. Antipsychotics are used widely to prevent and treat delirium, although the efficacy data are equivocal. Bundled non-pharmacologic approaches represent a promising framework for prevention and management. Poor sleep and delirium are common problems in older patients. While these phenomena appear linked, a causal relationship is not clearly established. At present, there are no established sleep-focused guidelines for preventing or treating delirium. Novel interventions are needed that address poor sleep and delirium, particularly in older adults.