cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving medication adherence through technology: analyzing the managing meds video challenge.

Background: Poor adherence to medication is an enormous problem. While many measures to improve adherence have been proposed, patients may be a good source of novel approaches. The Managing Meds Video Challenge was designed, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the National Consumers League Script Your Future campaign, for patients to create short videos containing ideas on how to better take medications as directed. Purpose: Determine what forms of technology patients use to help adhere to their medication regimens. Methods: The 17 available videos from the Managing Meds Video Challenge were analyzed to determine what forms of technology patients use to help adhere to their medication regimens. Results: Approaches to improve adherence included calendar and reminder applications, and third-party applications such as MedCoach Medication Reminder, Walgreens Pharmacy, and CVS/Pharmacy. Patients also improved adherence by using the Internet to access websites such as www.rememberitnow. com to manage medications, access electronic health records, and to order medications from online pharmacies. Limitations: This study only analyzes the 17 available videos from the Managing Meds Video Challenge. Conclusions: Patients are using a variety of technology to manage their medications. They appear to rely primarily on reminder systems.
Faster sequential universal coding via block partitioning

Rissanen provided a sequential universal coding algorithm based on a block partitioning scheme, where the source model is estimated at the beginning of each block. This approach asymptotically approaches the entropy at the fastest possible rate of 1/2log(n) bits per unknown parameter. We show that the complexity of this algorithm is /spl Omega/(nlog(n)), which is comparable to existing sequential universal algorithms. We provide a sequential O(nlog(log(n))) algorithm by modifying Rissanen's block partitioning scheme. The redundancy with our approach is greater than with Rissanen's block partitioning scheme by a multiplicative factor 1+O(1/log(log(n))), hence it asymptotically approaches the entropy at the fastest possible rate.
Stress-driven Melt Segregation in Partially Molten Feldspathic Rocks

High-strain torsion experiments were performed on a series of samples composed of anorthite plus51 to 12% melt to investigate the formation of melt-rich bands produced by stress-driven melt segregation. Fine-grained (3^4 � m) samples were deformed in the diffusion creep regime at a temperature of 1450 K and a confining pressure of 300 MPa at shear strain rates of 1 � 10 ^4 to 16 � 10 ^4 s ^1 and shear stresses of 15^150 MPa to shear strains between � ¼ 1� 9a nd 6� 6. The dependence of viscosity, � , on melt fraction, � , for these partially molten aggregates can be expressed as � ¼ 2� 6 � 10 12 exp (^24 � ) Pa s. In each sample, melt-rich bands develop by a shear strain of � ¼ 1, forming a population of bands at an angle of 5^158 to the shear plane and 40^308 to the applied maximum principal stress. The spacing between and width of the meltrich bands increases as melt fraction increases from50� 01 to 0� 06, then roughly levels off as melt fraction increases to 0� 12. This band spacing, � s, increases linearly with increasing compaction length,
Water and Health in Limpopo: Designing a sustainable filtration and distribution system

This report describes the plan of action for the implementation of a water supply system and an evaluation of the current status of sanitation systems in the villages of Tshapasha and Tshibvumo in Limpopo, South Africa. Previous work related to the Water and Health in Limpopo (WHIL) project has included the construction of a slow-sand filter in Tshapasha and design of a sustainable water supply scheme for both villages. Given the current state of water and sanitation (WASAN) infrastructure in both villages, this report outlines the goals and objectives for the WASAN components of the project for the 2012 trip. Primary objectives include connecting the slow-sand filter and expanding the distribution system in Tshapasha, designing and implementing an initial water supply system in Tshibvumo, analyzing pit latrine and waste disposal sites in both villages, and establishing an apprenticeship program for community participants to build capacity. The report describes analyses of alternatives of source location and storage method in Tshibvumo, provides a preliminary plan for the operator apprenticeship curriculum for both communities. Lastly, a work plan is introduced for the team to follow during implementation from June-August 2012.
In vitro and in vivo antihyperglycemic effect of 2 amadori rearrangement compounds, arginyl-fructose and arginyl-fructosyl-glucose.

During the heat processing of raw ginseng to produce red ginseng, amino acid derivatives such as arginyl-fructose (AF) and arginyl-fructosyl-glucose (AFG) are formed at high levels, through amadori rearrangement, the early step of Maillard reaction, from arginine and glucose or maltose, respectively. However, very limited information is available about the effect of the structural difference between AF and AFG on various biological activities. This is the first report of the mode of action and effect of AF and AFG on the type 2 diabetes management related inhibition of postprandial hyperglycemia in vitro and in animal model. In our previous study, standards AF and AFG were chemically synthesized and in this study their inhibitory activities against rat intestinal α-glucosidases and porcine pancreatic α-amylase were investigated in vitro. The IC(50) value of the in vitro inhibitory activity of AF and AFG on rat intestinal sucrase was high and in similar levels (6.40 and 6.20 mM, respectively). Additionally, a mild pancreatic α-amylase inhibitory activity was observed, with IC(50) values 36.30 and 37.60 mM for AF and AFG, respectively. The effect of AF and AFG on the postprandial blood glucose increase after meal was investigated in Sprague Dawley rats fed on starch or sucrose meals. Both amadori compounds significantly reduced the postprandial blood glucose levels after starch or sucrose loading. These results indicate that AF and AFG, Maillard reaction products, may have antidiabetic effect by suppressing carbohydrate absorption in the gastrointestinal level, and thereby reducing the postprandial increase of blood glucose.
Seepage into drain tubes in stratified soil I ‐ Drains in the surface stratum

Expressions for the drain flow, the surface inflow distribution , and flow nets are derived for surface water seeping into drain tubes embedded in water-saturated soil consisting of two horizontal strata of different permeabilities. In Part I, the drain tubes are located in the upper layer. Numerical results are presented. It is shown in the case of the flow nets how Kennelly's tables of the complex hyperbolic sine may be used to obtain numerical values for equipotentials and stream lines simultaneously. The flow nets, as well as other results, show that unless the lower layer is of high permeability compared to the upper layer, the lower layer has little effect on the flow. In Part II, the drain tubes are located in the lower layer which extends to great depth. It is shown that, unless the drain tubes are very near the upper layer, or unless the upper and lower layers are of approximately the same permeability, fee lower layer governs the flow. Quantitative results are worked out for several cases, including a flow net. The mathematical analysis in both cases is presented in some detail. This is done so that the reader will be able to work out certain details readily for himself. But the material is presented in such a way that readers not desiring to follow mathematical details may, without loss of continuity, skip all but the first few paragraphs of the Analysis and proceed to Results and Discussion.
Scheduling with preemption for incident management: when interrupting tasks is not such a bad idea

Large IT service providers comprise hundreds or even thousands of system administrators to handle customers' IT infrastructure. As part of the Information Systems that support the decision making of this environment, Incident Management Systems are used and usually provide human resource assignment functionalities. However, the assignment poses several challenges, such as establishing priorities to tasks and defining when and how tasks are allocated to available system administrators. This paper describes a set of incident dispatching policies that can be used, and by using workloads from different departments of an IT service provider, this work evaluates the impact of task preemption on incident resolution and service level agreement attainment.
Resistance to Bacterial Pathogens in Plants

To successfully infect a plant, pathogens must overcome three layers of defense: (1) preformed physical barriers; (2) a cell-surface-based surveillance system that detects conserved pathogen molecules and (3) an intracellular surveillance system that detects effector proteins injected into host cells. Bacterial plant pathogens overcome the first layer either by invading through natural openings and wounds, and/or by secreting hydrolytic enzymes that break down surface layers. Bacteria typically overcome the second layer by injecting effectors that interfere with defense signaling. Bacteria overcome the third layer either by modifying or eliminating existing effectors, or by evolving new effectors that suppress defense activation. Keywords: bacterial pathogens; disease resistance; effector proteins; type three secretion system; plants
Systematic biases and culture in project failures

Project success rates have improved, and much of the credit can be given to the knowledge, practices, and standards that have contributed to the professionalization of the field. Unfortunately, too...
The energy transfer process in planetary flybys

Abstract We illustrate the energy transfer during planetary flybys as a function of time using a number of flight mission examples. The energy transfer process is rather more complicated than a monotonic increase (or decrease) of energy with time. It exhibits temporary maxima and minima with time which then partially moderate before the asymptotic condition is obtained. The energy transfer to angular momentum is exhibited by an approximate Jacobi constant for the system. We demonstrate this with flybys that have shown unexplained behaviors: (i) the possible onset of the “Pioneer anomaly” with the gravity assist of Pioneer 11 by Saturn to hyperbolic orbit (as well as the Pioneer 10 hyperbolic gravity assist by Jupiter) and (ii) the Earth flyby anomalies of small increases in energy in the geocentric system (Galileo-I, NEAR, and Rosetta, in addition discussing the Cassini and Messenger flybys). Perhaps some small, as yet unrecognized effect in the energy-transfer process can shed light on these anomalies.
Synthesis of notched antenna patterns for wideband processing

Antenna patterns can be designed to have broad notches in regions where clutter and jamming are expected to be received. A number of narrowband pattern synthesis techniques exist to design notched antenna patterns, but they break down in the presence of wideband signals on arrays which employ a combination of phase and time steering. The authors derive definitions for wideband antenna patterns and present a new synthesis procedure which can be used to design notched patterns for signals having specified bandwidths on any type of array.
Prime‐time politics: News, parody, and fictional credibility in Chile

Chile's public television station, TVN, relies on a programming structure that places a telenovela before and after the national news hour. This programming model's popularity is due to what producers call its “umbrella effect,” meaning that the ratings of one program help to protect what comes before and after. In the months leading up to the 2009–10 presidential election, TVN blurred the boundaries between these two televisual genres by producing one telenovela that parodied the inner workings of a news station and another that enlisted a well-known journalist to serve as its narrator. Drawing on fieldwork with media producers and telenovela fans, I argue that the overlaps between these two genres make visible the relation between media, political, and economic infrastructures. Analysis of these programming flows in the context of the electoral campaign provides insight into the role of transitions as places of politics making.
Mobius : an integrated discrete-event modeling environment

Summary: Mobius has found numerous applications in computa- tional biology to build and solve stochastic models of biological processes. It provides the user with a modeling workflow and several sophisticated features that are not available in the simulation tools commonly used by computational biologists. Availability: Mobius is free for academic users. It can be down- loaded from www.mobius.uiuc.edu.
Identity and Language Contributions to and Consequences of Speaking Spanish in the Workplace

Language is an important marker of identity. Guided by social identity theory and using a grounded theory approach, this study examined how languages are chosen and shape experiences in the workplace. Results suggest that language use is influenced by both external (norms, business needs) and internal (identity, language comfort) processes. Furthermore, speaking Spanish in the workplace has both positive (inclusion, camaraderie) and negative effects (exclusion, harassment, discrimination), with many more negative effects reported by our participants. Speaking Spanish appears to mark the speaker as an outsider. Together, our results indicate that language use is an important choice, personally and professionally, for employees and plays an important role in the way individuals are treated in the workplace.
Genetic diversity of resident soil rhizobia isolated from nodules of distinct hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) genotypes

Abstract Hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa Roth, HV) is widely grown as a legume cover crop throughout the U.S.A., with biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) through symbiosis with Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae (Rlv) being one of the most sought after benefits of its cultivation. This study determined if HV cultivation history and plant genotype affect genetic diversity of resident Rlv. Soil samples were collected from within farmers’ fields at Graham, Cedar Grove and Ivanhoe sites in North Carolina and pairs of genetically similar hairy vetch genotypes used as trap hosts. A total of 519 Rlv strains were isolated from six paired field soils, three with and three without histories of HV cultivation. A total of 46 strains failed to PCR-amplify the nifH gene; however nodC PCR amplification of these nifH-negative strains resulted in amplification of 22 of the strains. Repetitive element polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) with BOX-A1R primer and redundancy analysis showed rhizobial diversity to vary greatly within and between fields, with over 30 BOX banding patterns obtained across the six fields. Cluster analysis of BOX-PCR banding patterns resulted in 36 genetic groups of Rlv at a similarity level of 70%, with 15 of the isolates from fields with HV history not belonging to any of the clusters. Site was found to be the main driver of isolate diversity overall, explaining 57%, of the total variation among rhizobia occupying HV nodules, followed by history of hairy vetch cultivation. Evidence of a HV host genotype influence on the populations of rhizobia that infect hairy vetch was also observed, with plant genotype explaining 12.7% of the variation among all isolates. Our results show that second to site, HV cultivation history was the most important driver of rhizobial nodule community structure and increases the genetic diversity of resident Rlv in soils.
Optimizing Material Deposition Direction for Functional Internal Architecture in Additive Manufacturing Processes

Abstract One of the major constraints of additive manufacturing processes is its relatively slower speed. Higher throughput is achieved by using newer and better hardware which is limited under many circumstances. Better additive manufacturing process plan algorithm to expedite the process is quick and easy to implement. Current material deposition techniques are primarily differentiated into fine contours and course infill deposition for faster build time. However, the internal architecture of the part cannot be ignored in functional and free-form objects. A free-form object with internal feature can be decomposed into two dimensional layers with islands where each island represents an associated feature's properties. The material deposition path-plan in such multi-contour layers can be interrupted by frequent directional changes. Dealing with these interruptions during fabrication requires more resources and may affect the part's integrity, quality, and build time. This research aims to minimize such interruptions in the decomposed slices for layer based additive manufacturing by focusing on deposition direction. A computational algorithm is proposed for the free form object with or without internal hollow feature that quantifies the deposition direction considering the feature geometry and building time. Moreover, a new filling pattern is proposed following the optimal deposition direction. The proposed algorithm to optimize the deposition direction will improve the process plan for objects containing internal hollow features.
Outcome of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in children: A 2-year follow-up study.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in children seen at a level 4 epilepsy center. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients under the age of 18 years who were diagnosed with PNES based on evaluation in the epilepsy monitoring unit and had a follow-up of at least 2 years postdiagnosis. Remission of events was noted at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months of follow-up, and patient and disease variables affecting outcome were studied. Results Ninety patients met inclusion criteria (58 females; mean age: 14.03 ± 3.3 years). Thirty-two out of ninety (36%) patients had early (within 6 months) and sustained remission (until 2 years of follow-up) of their events (“favorable outcome”), while 30/90 patients (33%) never achieved remission during the study period (“unfavorable outcome”). The factors that were associated with “unfavorable outcome” included the presence of comorbid epilepsy [12/30 (40%) vs 0/32, p Conclusions About a third of children with PNES achieve early and sustained remission of symptoms, while another third continue to manifest seizure-like events until at least two years after the diagnosis. The presence of comorbid epilepsy and prolonged duration of PNES are associated with a poor two-year outcome. Early suspicion and diagnosis of PNES, especially in patients with epilepsy, is essential.
The use of novel monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Regardless of age, patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have extremely poor outcomes. The success of reinduction chemotherapy remains dismal, because complete remission rates are low and seldom durable. Clearly, new and novel strategies are needed to improve the outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory ALL. Patients with early relapse, especially those still receiving chemotherapy, tend to have a much poorer outcome and are often chemotherapy resistant. Although high-dose approaches may overcome chemotherapy resistance, long-term disease-free and overall survival remains limited. Several approaches have been used to target antigens, including cluster of differentiation (CD) 19, CD20, CD22, and CD52, on the surface of the malignant lymphoblast with striking efficacy. This review will focus on the clinical application of the major classes of antibodies, including naked antibodies, drug-antibody conjugates, immunotoxins, and T cell-engaging bispecific antibodies. Hopefully, these novel monoclonal antibodies will result in a significant improvement in the outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory ALL.
Imaging the Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex, heterogeneous, and dominant component of solid tumors. Cancer imaging strategies of a subset of characteristics of the TME are under active development, and currently used modalities and novel approaches are summarized in this article. Understanding the dynamic and evolving functions of the TME is critical to accurately inform imaging and clinical care of cancer. Novel insights into distinct roles of the TME in cancer progression urge careful interpretation of imaging data and impel the development of novel modalities.
Uncertainty in Tropical Rainfall Projections: Atmospheric Circulation Effect and the Ocean Coupling

AbstractUncertainty in tropical rainfall projections under increasing radiative forcing is studied by using 26 models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Intermodel spread in projected rainfall change generally increases with interactive sea surface temperature (SST) warming in coupled models compared to atmospheric models with a common pattern of prescribed SST increase. Moisture budget analyses reveal that much of the model uncertainty in tropical rainfall projections originates from intermodel discrepancies in the dynamical contribution due to atmospheric circulation change. Intermodel singular value decomposition (SVD) analyses further show a tight coupling between the intermodel variations in SST warming pattern and circulation change in the tropics. In the zonal mean, the first SVD mode features an anomalous interhemispheric Hadley circulation, while the second mode displays an SST peak near the equator. The asymmetric mode is accompanied by a coupled pattern of wind–evaporati...
Effects of tocopherol and deprenyl on the progression of disability in early Parkinson's disease

Background and Methods. In 1987 we began a multicenter controlled clinical trial of deprenyl (a mono-amine oxidase inhibitor) and tocopherol (a component of vitamin E that traps free radicals) in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. We randomly assigned 800 patients to one of four treatments: placebo, active tocopherol and deprenyl placebo, active deprenyl and tocopherol placebo, or both active drugs. The primary end point was the onset of disability prompting the clinical decision to begin administering levorlopa
The Application of Behavioral Science Theory to Professional Development

The paper uses a proposition-strategy-consequence analysis as a vehicle for presenting behavioral science findings in a form useful to the designer or administrator of a professional development system.
Documentary Film Study–A Supplementary Aid to Public Relations * -->

The success of two V. S. documentary films, “The Plow That Broke the Plains” and “The River,” written and directed by Pare Lorentz, has focused new attention upon this type of film. The school of Public Affairs of American University conducts a film course of eight weeks, with screenings, film analyses, and discussions conducted by visiting experts in film-making and film use. The subjects covered are: the newsreel as contemporary historian; the “March of Time” as a document; federal, educational, and scientific films; U. S. Government documentary films; documentary aspects of Hollywood films; foreign documentaries; industrial, sales, and domestic propaganda films. Technical aspects with reference to advances in film production were discussed. — In addition to regular discussion and study, a number of reports were made on documentary film activities. Among the most important was a complete survey of all U. S. government films.
Measurement of picosecond excitation relaxation and dephasing of localized excitoms in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells

Disorder caused by non-ideal growth conditions in MQW’s has an important effect on the optical properties and relaxation dynamics of the lowest-energy excitons. Interface roughness leads to fluctuations in the potential energy and is the major origin of inhomogeneous broadening of the exciton optical resonance at low temperature. The broadening is from localization at potential energy minima by disorder-induced scattering of the extended exciton wave function. Experimental evidence suggests that in GaAs quantum wells, states below the absorption line center are localized but those above it are delocalized.
Guaifenesin stone matrix proteomics: a protocol for identifying proteins critical to stone formation

Drug-related kidney stones are a diagnostic problem, since they contain a large matrix (protein) fraction and are frequently incorrectly identified as matrix stones. A urine proteomics study patient produced a guaifenesin stone during her participation, allowing us to both correctly diagnose her disease and identify proteins critical to this drug stone-forming process. The patient provided three random midday urine samples for proteomics studies; one of which contained stone-like sediment with two distinct fractions. These solids were characterized with optical microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Immunoblotting and quantitative mass spectrometry were used to quantitatively identify the proteins in urine and stone matrix. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the sediment was 60 % protein and 40 % guaifenesin and its metabolite guaiacol. Of the 156 distinct proteins identified in the proteomic studies, 49 were identified in the two stone-components with approximately 50 % of those proteins also found in this patient's urine. Many proteins observed in this drug-related stone have also been reported in proteomic matrix studies of uric acid and calcium containing stones. More importantly, nine proteins were highly enriched and highly abundant in the stone matrix and 8 were reciprocally depleted in urine, suggesting a critical role for these proteins in guaifenesin stone formation. Accurate stone analysis is critical to proper diagnosis and treatment of kidney stones. Many matrix proteins were common to all stone types, but likely not related to disease mechanism. This protocol defined a small set of proteins that were likely critical to guaifenesin stone formation based on their high enrichment and high abundance in stone matrix, and it should be applied to all stone types.
Inflammation and Healthy Lifestyle Choices Influence Cardiometabolic Risks in African American Women.

Objectives Individuals of African origin in Europe and the Caribbean have a lower prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) than do Europeans and European Americans; however, African Americans, especially women, do not possess the same low CHD prevalence as Africans. As such, this study was designed to determine whether highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fitness (V˙O2max) cluster with other cardiometabolic risks (CMRs) or whether their influence is independent of other CMRs in African American women. Methods Fifty African American women were compared on fasting glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and adiposity-based hsCRP classifications (low 1, group 2). Participants were obese but metabolically healthy. Results Oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) was correlated with systolic blood pressure, and percentage of fat in group 1. V˙O2max was related to systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and percentage of fat, and hsCRP was related to triglycerides, and percentage of fat was related to diastolic blood pressure in group 2. These data indicate that CMRs are inversely related to V˙O2max at moderate hsCRP values in African American women. Inflammation and obesity are relatively independent of other CMRs. Conclusions Inflammation along with sedentary lifestyles may contribute to the disparity observed for CHD morbidity and mortality in African American women. Adding the CMR profile may improve the prediction of CHD in African American women.
Effects of 3-D Printed Structural Characteristics on Magnetic Properties

Additive manufacturing, particularly 3-D printing, allows for completely customizable designs with relatively no limits on geometric complexities. In order to ensure optimal part design for potential magnetic applications, it is crucial to study how the different 3-D printer settings impact the magnetic properties of the printed part. Specifically, in this paper, it was determined how three structural print parameters (outer shell thickness, internal fill factor, and internal layer orientation) affect the resulting magnetic properties of 3-D printed cubic samples. The samples are made using fused deposition modeling of an iron–polymer composite filament. Hysteresis loops were gathered for fields applied along the [100], [110], and [001] directions of the printed cubes. From this, it was determined which combination of print settings should be used to achieve the most desirable magnetic response in terms of magnetic susceptibility, net magnetic moment, and mass-normalized saturation magnetization.
Chapter 24 – DCT, Entropy, Predictive Coding, and Quantization

In this chapter, we will discuss some of the basic concepts used in data compression, including video and image compression. Up until now, we have considered only uncompressed video formats, such as RGB or YCrCb, where each pixel is individually represented (although this is not strictly true for 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 forms of YCrCb). However, much greater levels of compression are possible with little loss of video quality. Reducing the data needed to represent an individual image or a sequence of video frames is very important when considering how much storage is needed on a camera flash chip or computer hard disk, or the bandwidth needed to transport cable or satellite television, or stream video to a computer or handheld wireless device.
Effects of Acoustic Environment on Tinnitus Behavior in Sound-Exposed Rats

Laboratory studies often rely on a damaging sound exposure to induce tinnitus in animal models. Because the time course and ultimate success of the induction process is not known in advance, it is not unusual to maintain sound-exposed animals for months while they are periodically assessed for behavioral indications of the disorder. To demonstrate the importance of acoustic environment during this period of behavioral screening, sound-exposed rats were tested for tinnitus while housed under quiet or constant noise conditions. More than half of the quiet-housed rats developed behavioral indications of the disorder. None of the noise-housed rats exhibited tinnitus behavior during 2 months of behavioral screening. It is widely assumed that the “phantom sound” of tinnitus reflects abnormal levels of spontaneous activity in the central auditory pathways that are triggered by cochlear injury. Our results suggest that sustained patterns of noise-driven activity may prevent the injury-induced changes in central auditory processing that lead to this hyperactive state. From the perspective of laboratory studies of tinnitus, housing sound-exposed animals in uncontrolled noise levels may significantly reduce the success of induction procedures. From a broader clinical perspective, an early intervention with sound therapy may reduce the risk of tinnitus in individuals who have experienced an acute cochlear injury.
Preventing Traumatic Urinary Catheter Insertion Through a Computerized Ordering System: Quasi-experimental Study From a Tertiary Academic Center

Background: Iatrogenic urethral injury is a well-known risk of urinary catheter insertion. Associated morbidities include stricture formation, catheter associated infection, risk for instrumentation, and extended length of stay. Yet, insufficient attention is paid to its prevention. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a computerized ordering system in reducing iatrogenic urethral injuries in men at high risk for iatrogenic urethral injury from traumatic catheterization. Methods: A pre-post study was performed to assess the impact of a computerized ordering system that recommended a 16 Fr Coude-tip catheter be used instead of the standard 16 Fr Foley catheter for men at high risk for difficult catheter insertion. The intervention was implemented in October 2012. The rates of traumatic and non-traumatic insertion consults were compared between the pre-intervention (10/1/2010-09/30/2011) and post-intervention (10/1/2012-9/30/2013) time periods. Results: The results showed that 78.5% of patients with iatrogenic urethral injury possessed at least one identified risk factor for difficult catheterization. There was no significant difference in frequency of traumatic or non-traumatic insertion consults between the pre- and post-intervention cohorts. Conclusion: The current study highlights the possibility of preventing traumatic insertions by targeting men at high risk for iatrogenic injury. Without a simultaneous plan for improving catheter placement awareness and training, any change in the ordering process is unlikely to succeed on its own.
Effects of 3D Printing Project-based Learning on Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Science Attitudes, Science Content Knowledge, and Anxiety About Teaching Science

3D printing technology is a powerful educational tool that can promote integrative STEM education by connecting engineering, technology, and applications of science concepts. Yet, research on the integration of 3D printing technology in formal educational contexts is extremely limited. This study engaged preservice elementary teachers (N = 42) in a 3D Printing Science Project that modeled a science experiment in the elementary classroom on why things float or sink using 3D printed boats. The goal was to explore how collaborative 3D printing inquiry-based learning experiences affected preservice teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs, anxiety toward teaching science, interest in science, perceived competence in K-3 technology and engineering science standards, and science content knowledge. The 3D printing project intervention significantly decreased participants’ science teaching anxiety and improved their science teaching efficacy, science interest, and perceived competence in K-3 technological and engineering design science standards. Moreover, an analysis of students’ project reflections and boat designs provided an insight into their collaborative 3D modeling design experiences. The study makes a contribution to the scarce body of knowledge on how teacher preparation programs can utilize 3D printing technology as a means of preparing prospective teachers to implement the recently adopted engineering and technology standards in K-12 science education.
Mesothelioma and Thymic Tumors

This chapter will discuss the workup and management of mesothelioma and thymic tumors, with an emphasis on external beam radiotherapy technique and published evidence.
Brain and spinal cord MRI lesions in primary progressive vs. relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Background Primary progressive (PP) multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered a clinically distinct entity from the spectrum of relapsing-remitting (RR) forms of the disease. Objective To compare the presence of brain and spinal cord lesions between PP and RR subjects. Methods We studied people with PPMS [ n = 40, 17 (42.5%) men, age 50.7 ± 7.7 years, disease duration 10.1 ± 7.4 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 4.6 ± 2.1] and RRMS [ n = 40, 12 (30%) men, age 47.9 ± 4.2, disease duration 13.7 ± 5.9, EDSS 1.7 ± 1.3]. MRI of the brain and full spinal cord at 1.5T was analyzed to define patients having: 1. brain only, 2. spinal cord only, or 3. brain and spinal cord MS lesions. Results Lesions in the brain only were less common in PP ( n = 1, 2.5% of people) than RR ( n = 10, 25%) (Fisher's exact p = 0.007). Lesions in the spinal cord only (PP: n = 6, 15%, RR: n = 3, 7.5%, p = 0.481) or brain plus spinal cord (PP: n = 33, 83%, RR: n = 27, 68%, p = 0.196) were similar between groups. PP had higher EDSS and timed 25-ft walk (Wilcoxon tests, both p t -test p = 0.049), lower disease duration ( t -test, p = 0.02), and a similar sex ratio (Fisher's exact p = 0.352) vs. RR. Conclusions We report a topographic difference in MRI lesion involvement between PPMS and RRMS. Lesions restricted to the brain are more common in RRMS. These findings provide support to the notion that PP may have features distinctive from the RR spectrum of the disease. Longitudinal comparisons and quantitative MRI analysis would be necessary to confirm and extend these results.
Production of Microcytospheres

Cytoplasmic vesicles can be isolated by several methods which utilize agents with cross-linking capabilities, formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde (Scott et al., 1979). These partially fixed vesicles are unable to attach to a substrate. Since, in certain types of experiments, cytoplasmic vesicles containing only the active ribosomal components and a normal cell membrane are desirable, a method was needed to ensure minimal contamination of vesicles with other organelles. Cytochalasin B has been used in the past to break down the microfilaments associated with the cell membrane (Carter, 1967) and to enucleate cells (Prescott et al., 1971; Veomett et al., 1976; Wigler and Weinstein, 1975; Gopalakrishnan and Tompson, 1975). The resulting cyto-plasts can then be fused with cells or karyoplasts of different origin (Shay, 1977). However, these cytoplasts contain all of the cellular organelles. We describe here a procedure that is speedy, sterile, and applicable to a variety of experiments in which it is essential that cytoplasmic parts of one cell type containing only defined components are fused with other cells. These types of cytoplasmic vesicles are named microcytospheres.
MOLECULAR ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE PUCKERING OF THE PROLINE RING

The conformational properties of polyproline and peptides containing proline have been studied extensively by semi-empirical [1–15] and molecular orbital energy calculations. [16, 17] The importance of the flexibility of the pyrrolidine ring has been realized relatively recently and the ring flexibility has been considered in some of the calculations [4, 5, 7–9, 12–16]. Apart from the well-known X-ray analysis of crystal structures, NMR has emerged as a powerful tool in studying the puckering of the proline ring [18, 19]. The mobilities of the ring atoms have been inferred from relaxation time measurements [20–22]. In the light of these experimental studies, it is interesting to theoretically analyze the nature of the ring puckering. In this paper, we examine some aspects of the effect of molecular environment on the puckering of the prolyl ring.
Normalized stress-strain for undrained shear tests

Normalized stress-strain curves are obtained by use of maximum shearing stress to normalize shear stress and reference strain to normalize shear strain. Reference strain is defined by initial tangent shear modulus and maximum shearing stress. This paper defines initial tangent shear modulus and maximum shearing stress to be functions of effective stress state. Consequently, the normalizing parameters vary with stress points along the stress path. An incremental procedure is established whereby normalized stress-strain curves can be obtained. These curves are relatively independent of effective stress path and are nearly identical to those obtained from drained tests. This method shows promise for correlating results from drained and undrained triaxial tests with results from other types of shear tests.
What Are Grateful People Like? Characteristics of Grateful People

In this chapter I describe the characteristics of grateful people. I use McAdams and Pals (Am Psychol 61:204–217, 2006) organizational scheme to describe the basic dispositions, the characteristic adaptations, and the life stories of grateful people. There are many studies that have investigated the traits of grateful people, and these are described in the context of the gratitude amplification theory. In general, results from these studies support this theory. Because there is a rich database that speaks to the spirituality of grateful individuals, I explore the religious and spiritual characteristics that have been found to be associated with gratitude. In summary, grateful individuals tend to be agreeable and cheerful. Gratitude is also associated with spirituality. I propose that the picture of the grateful person may be characterized by grace: grateful people sense that they have received undeserved favor and good will, and grateful people are prone to showing favor and good will toward others.
Unsolved Problems in the Theory of Random Graphs

Several problems for random graphs are suggested that involve the investigation of hamiltonicity, connectivity, independence number, reconstruction and properties of trees.
The Policy of Family Privacy: Uncovering the Bias in Favor of Nuclear Families in American Constitutional Law and Policy Reform

Recent scholarship on family privacy suggests that family privacy is not a right belonging to family units per se but to each member of a family. This article, reexamining family privacy doctrine in light of recent controversial developments in the areas of grandparental visitation rights and the abortion rights of minors, among others, argues that the quality of family privacy bestowed on individuals depends in large measure on whether the choices made by those individuals promote the formation and longevity of nuclear families. This bias in favor of nuclear families is reflected not only in constitutional law jurisprudence, but, likewise, permeates even policy reform efforts seemingly aimed at safeguarding the rights of nontraditional families. To show this bias at the level of policy reform, this article analyzes recent reform efforts in the areas of inheritance, adoption, and move-away custody disputes and explains how in each of these contexts the substance of policy reform proposals perpetuates the law's bias in favor of nuclear families.
Cancer Prevention Education for Providers, Staff, Parents, and Teens Improves Adolescent Human Papillomavirus Immunization Rates.

Objective To develop a program to educate providers, office staff, patients, and parents on life-long cancer prevention strategies, including the use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to improve adolescent HPV vaccination rates. Study design A 2-phase program was implemented at 6 pediatric practices across upstate New York. Phase 1 included provider and staff education regarding practice-specific vaccination challenges and discussion of the contents of a study-specific cancer-prevention booklet, which included HPV vaccine information. Throughout phase 2, the booklets were distributed to all adolescents and their parents during office visits over a 12-month period. Practice-specific, countywide, and statewide HPV vaccination rates were assessed before phase 1, and 6 and 12 months after the launch of phase 2. Results One year after implementing phase 2 in 6 practices, adolescent HPV vaccine series initiation increased by at least 10% in 3 practices, and at least 5% in 5 practices. Similarly, adolescent vaccine series completion rates increased by more than 10% in 3 practices. The percent change in vaccine series completion rates across all study sites postintervention ranged from 12% to 20% for 11- to 12-year-olds, and from 7% to 23% for 13- to 18-year-olds. Conclusions Cancer prevention education targeting providers, office staff, patients, and parents was modestly effective for improving adolescent HPV vaccination rates.
Dynamic Data-Driven Uncertainty Quantification via Polynomial Chaos for Space Situational Awareness

Knowledge of all space objects in orbit and the space environment is collected and maintained by the Space Surveillance Network (SSN). This task is becoming more difficult as the number of objects currently tracked increases due to breakup events and improvements in sensor detection capabilities. The SSN is tasked with maintaining information on over 22,000 objects, 1,100 of which are active. In particular, low-Earth orbiting satellites are heavily influenced by atmospheric drag which is difficult to model due to fluctuations in the upper atmospheric density. These fluctuations are caused by variations in the Solar energy flux which heats Earth’s atmosphere causing it to expand. This research uses probabilistic models to characterize and account for the fluctuations in the Earth’s atmosphere. By correctly estimating the fluctuations, our work contributes to improving the ability to determine the likelihood of satellite collisions in space.
Horizontal visibility graphs are uniquely determined by their directed degree sequence

Abstract Horizontal visibility graphs (HVGs) are graphs generated from time (or otherwise ordered) series data. Components of the graph reveal key underlying properties of the series data that generated the graph and there are several applications that use HVGs to uncover information about series data. Recently, a bijection between the degree sequence and adjacency matrix of canonical form HVGs was established. This paper extends the relation between the degree sequence and adjacency matrix of HVGs and then presents an algorithm to uniquely construct an HVG from its directed degree sequence.
A Novel Method of Pudendal Nerve Blockade for Managing Pain Following Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery

Objective: Pudendal nerve blockade has been used for more than a century for obstetric analgesia. With the current opioid crisis, gynecologists recognize the importance of nonnarcotic alternatives ...
Two Generally Recognized as Safe Surfactants plus Acidulants Inactivate Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in Suspension or on Dip-Inoculated Grape Tomatoes.

ABSTRACT Contamination of fresh produce with the foodborne pathogens Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 continues to be problematic, resulting in outbreaks of foodborne illness and costly corporate recalls. Various individual concentrations of citric or lactic acids (0.35 to 0.61%) or isopropyl citrate (0.16 to 0.54%) combined with two generally recognized as safe surfactants, 0.025% sodium-2-ethyl-hexyl sulfate and 0.025% sodium dodecylbenzene-sulfonate, were tested against these three pathogens in suspension and when inoculated and dried on the surface of grape tomatoes. The efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO; at 46 ppm) was also evaluated under dirty and clean conditions in suspension after addition of 0.3 or 0.03% bovine serum albumin, respectively, as an organic load. NaClO (46 ppm) inactivated the three pathogens in suspension by <0.76 log CFU/mL after 5 min in the presence of 0.3% bovine serum albumin, whereas 9 and 15 ppm of free chlorine inactivated the pathogens by 0.64 and 2.77 log CFU/mL, respectively, after 5 min under clean conditions. Isopropyl citrate (0.16% acidulant) plus 0.05% total concentration of the two surfactants inactivated the pathogens in suspension by up to 7.0 log CFU/mL within 2 min. When applied to grape tomatoes for 2 min, 0.54% isopropyl citrate plus 0.025% concentrations of each of the two surfactants reduced Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes by as much as ca. 5.47, 4.89, and 4.19 log CFU/g, respectively. These reductions were significantly greater than those achieved with 49 ppm of free chlorine. Citric acid and lactic acid plus surfactant washes achieved greater inactivation than water-only washes, reducing Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes on tomatoes by up to 4.90, 4.37, and 3.98 log CFU/g, respectively. These results suggest that these combinations of acidulants and surfactants may be an effective tool for preventing cross-contamination during the washing of grape tomatoes, for reducing pathogens on the fruit itself, and as an alternative to chlorine for washing fresh produce. HIGHLIGHTS