cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classification models for the prediction of clinicians' information needs

Objective: Clinicians face numerous information needs during patient care activities and most of these needs are not met. Infobuttons are information retrieval tools that help clinicians to fulfill their information needs by providing links to on-line health information resources from within an electronic medical record (EMR) system. The aim of this study was to produce classification models based on medication infobutton usage data to predict the medication-related content topics (e.g., dose, adverse effects, drug interactions, patient education) that a clinician is most likely to choose while entering medication orders in a particular clinical context. Design: We prepared a dataset with 3078 infobutton sessions and 26 attributes describing characteristics of the user, the medication, and the patient. In these sessions, users selected one out of eight content topics. Automatic attribute selection methods were then applied to the dataset to eliminate redundant and useless attributes. The reduced dataset was used to produce nine classification models from a set of state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms. Finally, the performance of the models was measured and compared. Measurements: Area under the ROC curve (AUC) and agreement (kappa) between the content topics predicted by the models and those chosen by clinicians in each infobutton session. Results: The performance of the models ranged from 0.49 to 0.56 (kappa). The AUC of the best model ranged from 0.73 to 0.99. The best performance was achieved when predicting choice of the adult dose, pediatric dose, patient education, and pregnancy category content topics. Conclusion: The results suggest that classification models based on infobutton usage data are a promising method for the prediction of content topics that a clinician would choose to answer patient care questions while using an EMR system.
A new anti-anti-Molinist argument

This paper argues that William Hasker's ‘A new anti-Molinist argument’ offers a fascinating but ultimately unsuccessful new instalment in his continuing campaign to discredit the picture of providence based on the theory of middle knowledge. It is first shown that Hasker's argument, though suffering from a seemingly irreparable logical gap, does nicely highlight a significant (and hitherto unduly underemphasized) point of contention between Molinists and anti-Molinists – the question whether or not Molinists are committed to viewing counterfactuals of creaturely freedom as part of the history of the world. Hasker's argument that they are so committed is shown to be lacking, for that argument depends upon a premise against which several contemporary Molinists have already presented independent arguments. Furthermore, the premise is not one which, on reflection, many traditional Christians could easily accept. Hence, Hasker's argument fails. It may remind us that some of the things Molinists are led to say are surprising, but it by no means shows that those surprising consequences make the view unworthy of our allegiance.
Toroidal magnetic devices for plasma confinement

Vacuum magnetic fields appear suitable for the confinement of highly energetic plasmas for times that may become adequate to make controlled thermonuclear reactors scientifically feasible. To achieve satisfactory confinement, these magnetic fields must possess certain characteristics. The properties that toroidal magnetic fields must have are reviewed and examples presented of apparatus in use in the laboratory to provide these magnetic fields.
A Circulating Sample Cell for Temperature Control in Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

Localized sample heating by the exciting radiation is a constant problem in Raman spectroscopy of absorbing solutions. Static temperature control devices such as the Miller-Harney cell are ineffective when the sample has significant absorbance at the wavelength of excitation. Previous workers have circumvented this difficulty by employing either rotating or stirred sample cells. These methods allow the use of high exciting energy while maintaining sample temperature near ambient. However, these methods do not allow control of the sample temperature, without resorting to rather complicated accessories and scattering geometries. Furthermore, we find that the rotating cell technique sometimes leads to baseline instability in resonance Raman spectra of samples having appreciable background fluorescence.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Clinical Sources of Dolosigranulum pigrum Cultures

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of 27 clinical isolates of Dolosigranulum pigrum were determined. All were susceptible to amoxicillin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, clindamycin, levofloxacin, meropenem, penicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampin, tetracycline, and vancomycin. Fifteen of the isolates were intermediate to chloramphenicol. One isolate was resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Two isolates were susceptible, 10 were intermediate, and 15 were resistant to erythromycin.
Golden nuggets of AMHS modeling and design for semiconductor wafer fabrication

This paper presents the "golden nuggets" or principles for modeling and designing automated material-handling systems (AMHS) for semiconductor wafer fabrication. Discrete-event simulation, analytical, and spreadsheet models were developed to model the performance, reliability, and cost/benefit of conventional cleanroom material handling including manual and automated systems. The components of a conventional cleanroom material-handling system include an overhead monorail system for interbay (bay-to-bay) transport, work-in-process (WIP) stockers for lot storage, and manual systems for intrabay movement. Suggestions for selecting simulation software and a list of the steps required to develop an AMHS performance model are also presented. One of the most beneficial principles for optimizing AMHS performance is to shorten the distance traveled when transporting lots. The second most beneficial principle is to minimize the congestion of a lot in transport. Both of these principles can be implemented through an effective layout of processing equipment and by using design rules for the effective use of AMHS track options such as turntables and customized track configurations. Examples of track configurations include spine-based, perimeter-based and custom layouts. The reliability of WIP stockers is vital to the overall system reliability, especially in comparison to other components. Several principles of operator behavior are also discussed including operator response times and a subjective work aura radius. These nuggets are useful in determining WIP stocker location and in integrating manual and automated material-handling systems.
New Perspectives on Balance

Is there any activity that does not require the control of posture? The corrections of posture that are characteristic of a healthy nervous system provide stability and allow us to initiate motion and to move without falling—all with no conscious awareness. Disorders of postural control alter the efficiency and effectiveness of our actions, so it is easy to understand why the improvement of balance is a primary goal for many people receiving rehabilitation. This special series is devoted to the exploration of new concepts in the control of postural stability and balance, such as the use of touch receptors in the fingertips and hand to provide spatial orientation for balance, the management of altered reflex activity in a way that enhances mobility, and a scientific rationale for selecting the most effective exercises to treat disorders of the vestibular system.…
A new colorimetric reagent for micro determination of ammonia.

SummaryA new colorimetric procedure is substituted for microtitration in the measurement of ammonia by the Conway method. The ammonia is oxidized by addition of hypobromite, and the excess hypobromite determined by its power to decolorize phenosafranin. The range of the method as described is 0.05 to 0.5 micromole. The procedure has been applied to brain tissue and to blood, and to the measurement of glutamine. It has also been used for the determination of non-protein nitrogen after Koch-McMeekin digestion, the microdiffusion being omitted.
Improving Phosphorus Availability in Soybean Meal for Broilers by Supplemental Phytase

A 21-d experiment was conducted with day-old male broilers (n=840) to evaluate the effectiveness of supplemental phytase for improving the availability of phytate P in soybean meal when varying levels of P were fed. The semi-purified basal diet (.18% phytate P) contained soybean meal as the only protein source. Seven levels of phytase (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 U/kg diet) were added to diets formulated to contain .20, .27, or .34% nonphytate P (nP; or .38, .45, and .52% total P, respectively). The desired levels of nP in the three basal P diets were achieved by adding varying amounts of defluorinated phosphate. A 2:1 Ca:total P ratio was maintained in all diets. Body weight gains and feed intake were improved (P < .001) by phytase at all nP levels, but the magnitude of response was greatest at low nP levels, resulting in an nP by phytase interaction (P < .01). Gain:feed was unaffected by phytase addition. A high mortality (35 to 45%) was observed for the .20 and .27% nP diets without added phytase, but this declined to normal levels with the addition of 200 to 400 U phytase/kg diet. Ash percentage of toes and tibia and shear force and stress of tibia increased with added phytase. These responses clearly show that the phytate-bound P in soybean meal was made more available to broilers by microbial phytase, and the total response was related to the phytase and nP/total P levels. Based on the high R2 values for the second order translog equations, BW gain, feed intake, and toe ash percentage were the most sensitive indicators to assess P availability, followed by tibia force and ash percentage. Derived nonlinear and linear equations for BW gain and toe ash percentage at the two lower nP levels were used to calculate P equivalency values of phytase for inorganic P. Using the average function of P released ( gamma ) by microbial phytase ( chi ) derived with nP levels of .20 and .27% for BW gain and toe ash percentage, gamma = 1.120 - 1.102e-.0027chi, 1 g of P could be released with 821 U of phytase. The amount of P released increased with increasing levels of phytase, but the amount of P released per 100 U of phytase decreased. Released P ranged from 31 to 58% of phytate P for 250 to 1,000 U of phytase/kg of diet.
Vertical Distribution of the Red Oak Borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Red Oak

Red oak borer attack height was directly related to red oak size in immature oak stands. Attack density was inversely related to tree size. Borer density within size classes was not significantly different when trees from Pennsylvania stands were compared with trees from Indiana stands. Median attack height was always ≤5 m for trees up to 30.0 cm in diameter at breast height. Almost 75% of the attacks were found in the economically important basal 4-m trunk portion in all size classes of trees.
Size dependence of the structure of organic aerosol

The effects of aerosol particles on heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry and climate are determined in part by the internal arrangement of compounds within the particles. We have used cryo-transmission electron microscopy to investigate the phase separation behavior of model organic aerosol composed of ammonium sulfate internally mixed with succinic or pimelic acid. We have found that no particle with a diameter <170 nm for succinic acid and 270 nm for pimelic acid is phase separated. Larger particles adopt a phase separated, partially engulfed structure. We therefore demonstrate that phase separation of aerosol particles is dependent on particle size and discuss implications for aerosol–climate interactions.
Collections in the Plant Research Laboratory of The New York Botanical Garden

The Plant Research Laboratory at The New York Botanical Garden maintains a variety of research samples for biodiversity studies. The collections are the products of botanical exploration, laboratory research, collaborations, and donations from the scientific community. These collections are enumerated, and information about herbarium voucher specimens, the history of the collections, and their current use is provided.
Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in Songnan community

Objective To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of hypertension in Songnan community so as to provide evidence for the early prevention of hypertension.Methods Cluster sampling was employed,and questionnaire survey was performed in 10 185 residents aged above 40 years in Songnan community of Baoshan District.The questionnaires involved with hypertension and associated risk factors.Results The prevalence of hypertension was 49.9% in Songnan community of Baoshan District,and that of men was significantly higher than that of women(53.7% vs 47.3%)(P0.0001).The rates of hypertension awareness and control of this community were 70.2% and 23.7%,respectively.The prevalences of hypertension of men and women increased with age(P0.0001).Compared with those with normal body mass index(BMI),the prevalences of hypertension in patients with overweight and obesity were significantly increased(53.7% vs 36.3%,P0.0001;70.7% vs 36.3%,P0.0001).The prevalences of hypertension in patients with impaired fasting glucose and diabetes mellitus were significantly higher than those with normal glucose tolerance(64.5% vs 43.7%,P0.0001;71.2% vs 43.7%,P0.0001).Stepwise Logistic regression revealed that age,male,drinking,overweight/obesity,glycometabolism abnormality and high triglyceride level were independent risk factors of hypertension(P0.05).Conclusion It is of utmost importance to take measures to prevent and treat hypertension in communities,especially in the elderly and those with overweight and obesity.
Heart Rate Telemetry Using Micropower Integrated Circuits

Two heart rate/temperature telemetry transmitter circuits have been developed for estimating activity, physiological state or metabolic rate. Use of programmable micropower operational amplifiers permits total quiescent supply currents below 25 μA while retaining sufficient sensitivity for use on invertebrates (crabs). The first circuit responds to electrical activity of the myocardium or cardiac ganglion. It has the advantage of sensing an unambiguous all-or-nothing electrical signal which has an exact one-to-one correspondence with heart beat. Its disadvantages are low noise immunity due to high input impedance, sensitivity of other muscle potentials, possible signal loss due to electrode motion or degradation, and a requirement for critical electrode placement. The second circuit, slightly more complex, responds to a.c. impedance changes associated with heart movements. The signal waveform changes with heart rate and degree of filling and therefore is not as unambiguous as ECG. This circuit is, however, immune to both muscle potentials and external noise fields, shows very long electrode life, and does not require precise electrode placement. Both transmitters can be constructed with package weights below 5 g including batteries for two weeks operation.
Preoperative Chemoradiation for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Does Not Increase 90-Day Postoperative Morbidity or Mortality.

The impact of preoperative chemoradiation on postoperative morbidity and mortality of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial. Consecutive pancreatectomies for adenocarcinoma performed between 2011 and 2015 were prospectively monitored for 90 days by using a previously reported surveillance system to determine the association between preoperative chemoradiation and adverse events, pancreatic fistulae, readmissions, and mortality. Among 209 consecutive patients who underwent pancreatectomy, 159 (76 %) experienced at least one adverse event within 90 postoperative days. Patients who received preoperative chemoradiation (n = 137, 66 %) were more likely to have borderline resectable/locally advanced tumors, to have received induction chemotherapy, and to require vascular resection at pancreatectomy than those who did not receive chemoradiation (all P 0.05). Among patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, the rate of pancreatic fistula was similar between those who received chemoradiation and those who did not (P = 0.96). In contrast, those who received chemoradiation prior to distal pancreatectomy had a lower rate of pancreatic fistula (P < 0.01). Preoperative chemoradiation is not associated with an increase in 90-day morbidity or mortality, and it may reduce the rate of pancreatic fistula following distal pancreatectomy.
Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) By Either Flow Cytometry or Cytogenetics Prior to an Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (allo-HCT) Predicts Poor Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Outcomes

Abstract Introduction: Persistent AML is a known risk factor for poor outcomes after allo-HCT. The impact of MRD in patients who achieve complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete count recovery (CRi) has been less well studied. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of AML patients who underwent allo-HCT in morphological remission ( Results: A total of 166 eligible patients were identified. The median follow-up among living patients is 46 months (range, 13-103).Thirty seven (22%) patients had evidence of MRD (13 by flow cytometry only, 17 by cytogenetics/FISH only and 7 by both). MRD was more common in patients with poor risk karyotype at diagnosis and CRi at the time of allo-HCT (Table 1). PFS (P= 0.0016), OS (P=0.002), and CIR (P=0.02) were all significantly worse in MRD+ patients (Figures 1& 2). In univariate analysis, MRD+ patients, assessed by flow cytometry had worse PFS (P=0.0216) and OS (P=0.0314) compared to MRD- patients. Similarly patients with evidence of MRD+ by cytogenetics/FISH had worse PFS (P=0.007) and OS (P=0.0031). In a multivariate cox proportional hazards model 1) any MRD positivity prior to allo-HCT, 2) poor-risk karyotype at diagnosis, and 3) CRi at allo-HCT independently predicted significantly poor PFS and OS. Only poor-risk karyotype was associated with a significant increase in CIR, while MRD positivity showed a trend towards higher CIR. Conclusion: MRD positivity prior to HCT by either flow cytometry or by cytogenetics/FISH independently predicts adverse AML outcomes. Table 1 . Comparison of pre-transplant variables Covariate Label MRD + (N=37) MRD - (N=129) P-Value Age(years) 8 (21%) 20 (16%) 0.708 40 - 59 20 (53%) 69 (54%) ≥ 60 10 (26%) 39 (30%) Karyotype risk Favorable/ Intermediate 19 (53%) 95 (74%) 0.011 Poor 18 (47%) 33 (26%) Timing of Allo-HCT 1st remission (CR1) 28 (74%) 97 (76%) 0.792 > CR1 10 (26%) 31 (24%) Allo-HCT after1st relapse(>CR1): duration of CR1 > 12 mo 31 (82%) 113 (88%) 0.285 ≤ 12 mo 7 (18%) 15 (12%) Secondary AML No 23 (60%) 78 (61%) 0.964 Yes 15 (40%) 50 (39%) Complete remission vs CRi CR 28 (74%) 110 (86%) 0.077 CRi 10 (26%) 18 (14%) Conditioning Regimen Ablative 24 (63%) 72 (56%) 0.449 Other 14 (37%) 56 (44%) Donor Type Matched sibling donor 12 (32%) 42 (33%) 0.887 Other 26 (68%) 86 (67%) Female donor: male recipient (FDMR) Other 28 (80%) 91 (78%) 0.844 FDMR 7 (20%) 25 (22%) Download : Download high-res image (83KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (84KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Systems for Building Cooling Applications: A Preliminary Study

Thermal comfort in buildings using energy efficient methods has attracted lots of attentions during last few decades. In the present paper, the feasibility of using thermoelectric (TE) modules to provide cooling for a residential building located in Melbourne, FL is studied. It is assumed that photovoltaic (PV) panels are used to provide necessary power for TE operation. The building roof is covered with PV panels and an air channel is installed on the bottom of the panels. The TE modules are located inside the air channel and are attached to a metal sheet from the bottom which constructs the ceiling of the building. The metal sheet on the ceiling cools down in summer to provide space cooling through natural convection and radiation. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the system in MATLAB. The simulation results include transient temperature values through each layer of the system and heat removal/rejection rates from thermoelectric modules. A specific temperature is defined for thermal comfort and the number of TE modules that is required to maintain the temperature below the limit is determined. The results suggest that TE modules can be successfully used for building cooling applications. Further investigation and experiments are required for a comprehensive design of the system.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Wildlife Responses to Brush Management: A Contemporary Evaluation☆

Wildlife-associated recreation and biodiversity are important management considerations on public and private rangelands, making it imperative that rangeland professionals explicitly take wildlife conservation into account in vegetation management planning and implementation. Here, we synthesize the literature reporting effects of brush management on wildlife and make recommendations for applying brush management to accomplish wildlife conservation objectives. Key observations arising from our synthesis are that habitat-related terminology is often misused in brush management literature. Recommending brush management as a “wildlife habitat improvement” tool is a non sequitur because habitat is species specific and brush management has different consequences for different species of wildlife and plants. Communication between resource managers and stakeholders can be improved by making it clear that habitat is species specific and then identifying what constitutes a benefit of brush management. Changes in resources resulting from brush management may not benefit targeted wildlife species unless these changes overcome some limiting factor or factors. Wildlife responses to brush management treatments are too complex to make broad generalizations because they are mediated by environmental factors and depend on the plant community, size and configuration of the area manipulated, type of treatment applied, and time since application. Prescriptions aimed at improving habitat for wildlife generalists may have relatively modest positive effects on that group but have potentially detrimental effects on specialists. Given this potential trade-off, an idea to consider is that it may be best to err on the side of using brush management as a tool to manage habitat for specialists. Brush management plans and recommendations should take into account trade-offs such as benefiting grassland wildlife at the expense of woodland species. Taking a broader “systems” perspective that balances needs of wildlife in conjunction with other ecosystem services affected by woody plant encroachment and brush management should be a goal of natural resource managers.
Race and ethnicity may not be associated with risk of unintended pregnancy.

Abstract Objective The objective was to use improved measures and methodology to investigate whether race and ethnicity are associated with unintended pregnancy. Study design Cross-sectional study of English- or Spanish-speaking women, aged 16–44, with pregnancies Results Among 161 participants (mean age=27.2±6.6 years), mean gestational age was 9±4.6 weeks. Overall, 14% self-identified as White non-Hispanic, 37% Black non-Hispanic, 42% Hispanic and 7% multiracial. Most (85%) were unmarried, and 75% had at least one child. After adjustment, happiness about new pregnancies was more likely among Black non-Hispanic than White non-Hispanic women OR=5.66 (95%CI: 1.51–21.20). Neither race nor ethnicity was significantly associated with pregnancy intention, wantedness, planning, timing or desirability. Conclusion In a diverse cohort with multiple, antenatal measures of pregnancy context, neither race nor ethnicity is significantly associated with unintended pregnancy, as previous studies reported. Black non-Hispanic women were more likely to report happiness about new pregnancies than White non-Hispanic women. This study improves upon previous analyses that used retrospective and limited assessments of pregnancy intention, excluded women with miscarriages or abortions, and lacked adjustment for confounding. Implications Evaluation of multidimensional pregnancy contexts assessed antenatally is important and may capture the experiences of women more accurately, especially Black and Hispanic women.
National Trends In Specialty Outpatient Mental Health Care Among Adults.

We examined national trends in the receipt of specialty outpatient mental health care, using data for 2008–15 from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Between 2008–09 and 2014–15 the number of US adults who received outpatient mental health care in the specialty sector rose from 11.3 million to 13.7 million per year, representing an increase from 5.0 percent to 5.7 percent of the adult population. Among those recipients, however, the annual weighted mean number of visits to the specialty sector remained unchanged. We found increases in both numbers and percentages of adults who received care within the specialty sector across age and sex groups and among non-Hispanic whites, people with Medicare, people with private health insurance, and people with family incomes of $20,000–$49,999. Increases in receipt of specialty mental health care during 2012–15 may be related to recent policy initiatives aimed at reducing financial barriers to care.
Spontaneous Expulsion of Giant Bladder Stone: Case Report

Urinary stones of up to 5 mm of diameter are known to pass spontaneously through the urinary tract; whereas those exceeding 7 mm of diameter almost always require surgical intervention. To the best of our knowledge, the option of expectant management for large stones is rarely considered. We report an unusual case of a woman who spontaneously passed out two large bladder stones measuring 70 and 60 mm without having significant pain or bleeding. We find this case striking for the fact that giant bladder stones can expel spontaneously without any surgical manipulations. J Med Cases. 2018;9(2):58-60 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2850w
Importance of $\Delta V_{{\text {DIBLSS}}}/({I}_{{\text {on}}} /{I}_{{\text {off}}})$ in Evaluating the Performance of n-Channel Bulk FinFET Devices

This paper aims to investigate the recently proposed figure of merit, $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}} /(I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}})$ , in detail. Experimental results show that $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}} /(I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}})$ represents the index of device immunity to short-channel effects in bulk FinFETs. The value of its numerator, $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}}$ , accounts for the drain-induced barrier lowering and subthreshold swing. The value of its denominator, $I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}}$ , accounts for the transistor performance in transitioning between on and off states. Small $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}}$ and large $I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}}$ are desirable, representing the improved gate control over the channel potential. We found that both $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBL}}$ and $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ SS}}$ values are more correlated with the drain off-state current, $I_{\mathrm{ off}}$ , than they are with the drain on-state current, $I_{\mathrm{ on}}$ . A high-performance FinFET device exhibits $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}}$ of about 100 mV and $I_{\mathrm{ on}}/I_{\mathrm{ off}}$ of about ${\mathrm{ 1}}\times {\mathrm{ 10}}^{\mathrm{ 6}}$ . Thus, $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}} /(I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}})$ in a high-performance FinFET device is expected to be around ${\mathrm{ 1}}\times {\mathrm{ 10}}^{-{\mathrm{ 4}}}$ mV. Using this figure of merit, along with the verification using conventional parameters such as $\Delta V_{\mathrm{ DIBLSS}}$ and $I_{\mathrm{ on}} /I_{\mathrm{ off}}$ , the proposed device shows better electrical characteristics than that in our previous work due to the optimized process conditions implemented.
Rule-Consequentialism's Assumptions

Rule-Consequentialism faces ‘the problem of partial acceptance’: How should the ideal code be selected given the possibility that its rules may not be universally accepted? A new contender, ‘Calculated Rates’ Rule-Consequentialism claims to solve this problem. However, I argue that Calculated Rates merely relocates the partial acceptance question. Nevertheless, there is a significant lesson from this failure of Calculated Rates. Rule-Consequentialism's problem of partial acceptance is more helpfully understood as an instance of the broader problem of selecting the ideal code given various assumptions – assumptions about who will accept and comply with the rules, but also about how the rules will be taught and enforced, and how similar the future will be. Previous rich discussions about partial acceptance provide a taxonomy and groundwork for formulating the best version of Rule-Consequentialism.
Speak Up: A Multi-Year Deployment of Games to Motivate Speech Therapy in India

The ability to communicate is crucial to leading an independent life. Unfortunately, individuals from developing communities who are deaf and hard of hearing tend to encounter difficulty communicating, due to a lack of educational resources. We present findings from a two-year deployment of Speak Up, a suite of voice-powered games to motivate speech therapy, at a school for the deaf in India. Using ethnographic methods, we investigated the interplay between Speak Up and local educational practices. We found that teachers' speech therapy goals had evolved to differ from those encoded in the games, that the games influenced classroom dynamics, and that teachers had improved their computer literacy and developed creative uses for the games. We used these insights to further enhance Speak Up by creating an explicit teacher role in the games, making changes that encouraged teachers to build their computer literacy, and adding an embodied agent.
Reconsidering the EDUCO Program and the Influence of Its Impact Evaluations

This chapter accomplishes two tasks. First, it reevaluates what is known about the Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) program in light of the critical review provided in Chap. 5. Second, it reconsiders the influence of the impact evaluations of EDUCO in terms of national and international implications. Not only did these studies provide justification for scaling up EDUCO within El Salvador, but, internationally, they changed how international organizations and development professionals thought about decentralization and provided a basis from which these organizations and individuals could promote an extreme form of community-based management (one where parents are responsible for hiring and firing teachers, among other things). Crucially, it is also shown that, due to the knowledge base that has been created by the World Bank in the form of impact evaluations, EDUCO has taken on a life of its own and continues to live on in the literature on decentralization as well as school- and community-based management.
Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes of Sutureless vs Sutured Closure Techniques in Gastroschisis Repair.

Importance Sutureless gastroschisis repair offers an alternative to the traditional sutured method and has been associated with decreased intubation time. Published study results are inconsistent regarding the advantages of sutureless closure. Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of sutureless and sutured gastroschisis repair. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-center cohort review was performed of all consecutive patients (n = 97) who underwent gastroschisis repair from February 1, 2007, to April 30, 2017, at the University of California, San Francisco. Patients’ medical records were evaluated for clinical characteristics and outcomes. Cases with incomplete data during initial hospitalization were excluded. Main Outcomes and Measures Length of hospital stay, time to full enteral feeds, total parenteral nutrition duration, days requiring intravenous analgesia, days intubated, wound infection rate, antibiotic treatment duration, rate of umbilical hernias that required an operation, and readmission rate. Results In total, 97 patients (47 [48%] were female and 50 [52%] were male with a mean [SD] age of 2.8 [2.8] days) underwent gastroschisis repair, of which 7 were excluded for incomplete medical record. Of the 90 patients included in the study, 50 (56%) underwent sutured closure and 40 (44%) underwent sutureless closure. No statistical difference was found between the sutured and sutureless groups in length of hospital stay (mean [SD] days, 43.9 [40.4] vs 36.7 [21.2];P = .71), time to full enteral feeds (mean [SD] days, 31.4 [20.2] vs 27.9 [17.3];P = .22), total parenteral nutrition duration (mean [SD] days, 33.5 [29.8] vs 27.4 [18.2];P = .23), wound infection rates (14 [28%] vs 10 [25%];P = .81), and readmission rates (5 [10%] vs 7 [18%];P = .36). The sutureless group, compared with the sutured group, had substantially fewer days receiving antibiotics (mean [SD], 7.2 [6.4] vs 12.4 [13.2];P = .003), fewer days intubated (mean [SD], 2.8 [3.3] vs 6.8 [1.3];P = .001), fewer days receiving intravenous analgesia (mean [SD], 4.2 [4.0] vs 7.1 [4.5];P = .003), and fewer patients that required silo reduction (25 [63%] vs 48 [96%];P Conclusions and Relevance Sutureless repair of gastroschisis appears to be associated with a statistically significant reduction in mechanical ventilation duration and pain medication requirements but may increase umbilical hernia risk. Multicenter randomized clinical trials are necessary to determine the true advantages of the sutureless approach.
Tubule-vascular feedback in renal autoregulation.

Afferent arteriole (Af-Art) diameter regulates pressure and flow into the glomerulus, which are the main determinants of the glomerular filtration rate. Thus, Af-Art resistance is crucial for Na+ f...
The Representation of Sounds

This chapter discusses how the continuous speech stream is to be organized and represented for the purposes of phonological analysis and description. The chapter also reviews the major arguments for representing sounds as discrete segments, each segment analyzed into a distinctive feature matrix. Most commonly occurring speech sounds are treated in the feature format, briefly noting some of the major issues that arise in the acceptance or rejection of a particular feature system. The chapter presents some of the evidence showing that the statement of some phonological generalizations presupposes that phonetic segments are organized into syllables. It discusses some of the issues that arise in the analysis of tone. It also focuses on the claim that tone is best represented on a layer of structure separate from the nontonal aspects of an utterance. In purely physical terms, any utterance is a phonetic continuum. Articulatorily, it is a continuous flow of movements made by the vocal apparatus. All linguistic analysis presupposes that this continuum can be broken down into a sequence of discrete units that can be referred to as “phonetic segments” or “speech sounds.”
Microwave-assisted Synthesis of 1-(perfluorohexyl)-3-methylimidazolium iodide

A perfluorinated ionic liquid, 1-(perfluorohexyl)-3-methylimidazolium iodide, was synthesized via microwave reaction and compared to a non-fluorinated analog. Typically, the synthesis of fluorinated ionic liquids involves long reaction times and multiple steps. We have demonstrated a shortened synthesis and a more straightforward procedure, by using a microwave reactor for the microwave-assisted synthesis of 1-(perfluorohexyl)-3-methylimidazolium iodide. The addition of fluorinated alkyl chains on imidazolium ionic liquid cations increases the molecular free volume of the ionic liquid which is beneficial for increasing CO2 physisorption. Computational and experimental data shows an increased CO2 solubility and capacity for fluorinated ionic liquids. The perfluoroalkyl functionalized ionic liquid is characterized using 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and DSC. By DSC, a crystallization onset is near -31 °C and while the onset of the melting point between -30 and -17 °C.
Effects of Reactive Power on Photovoltaic Inverter Reliability and Lifetime

This paper performs research on predicting Photovoltaic (PV) inverters reliability and lifetime based on thermal cycling. Thermal cycling is considered the most important stressors in an inverter system. In order to achieve this, a detailed electro-thermal model of the PV inverter will be developed along with their controllers capable of providing voltage support through reactive power. An in-house inverter was built, and a PV inverter model was developed to match the physical inverter. The PV inverter electrothermal model was validated for different ambient temperatures to match the in-house inverter hardware. The in-house inverter was placed inside a thermal chamber to emulate different ambient temperatures and their losses and temperature rises within the system were measured. After the validation of the model, a reduced order model of the inverter will be implemented to translate the mission profile of ambient temperature and solar irradiance into load profile of junction temperatures of the switches. The junction temperature data will be used to identify the reliability indices and hence predict the useful lifetime of the inverter system. Along with the model to predict useful lifetime of the system, the impact of reactive power on the overall reliability of the system will be studied. The key observation in this paper shows that lifetime of the inverter decreases as the operating power factor moves away from unity.
Species-Specific Duplication Event Associated with Elevated Levels of Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Sorghum bicolor

Simple sugars are the essential foundation to plant life, and thus, their production, utilization, and storage are highly regulated processes with many complex genetic controls. Despite their importance, many of the genetic and biochemical mechanisms remain unknown or uncharacterized. Sorghum, a highly productive, diverse C4 grass important for both industrial and subsistence agricultural systems, has considerable phenotypic diversity in the accumulation of nonstructural sugars in the stem. We use this crop species to examine the genetic controls of high levels of sugar accumulation, identify genetic mechanisms for the accumulation of nonstructural sugars, and link carbon allocation with iron transport. We identify a species-specific tandem duplication event controlling sugar accumulation using genome-wide association analysis, characterize multiple allelic variants causing increased sugar content, and provide further evidence of a putative neofunctionalization event conferring adaptability in Sorghum bicolor Comparative genomics indicate that this event is unique to sorghum which may further elucidate evolutionary mechanisms for adaptation and divergence within the Poaceae. Furthermore, the identification and characterization of this event was only possible with the continued advancement and improvement of the reference genome. The characterization of this region and the process in which it was discovered serve as a reminder that any reference genome is imperfect and is in need of continual improvement.
Use of Fluorescent-Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism for Species Identification in the Genus Pulmonaria

Abstract The species identity of ‘Roy Davidson’, a popular commercial cultivar in the genus Pulmonaria, is uncertain. To determine to which species ‘Roy Davidson’ is related to, we used fifteen pri...
When Nature Invades: Resident Perceptions of the Austerity-Driven “Re-Wilding” of an Urban Park in Rock Island, Illinois

In an era of rapid urbanization, a changing climate, and deepening political division, parks represent increasingly important places for urban residents to interact with, and feel connected to, the natural environment and the mental and physical health benefits it provides. Unfortunately, in an age of austerity politics, parks and recreation departments in Midwest Rust Belt cities often lack adequate funding to maintain such public spaces. Recently, the business-minded Rock Island, Illinois Department of Parks and Recreation has implemented a creative cost-saving management solution: “naturalizing” sections of its city parks. Using a mixed-methods approach, this interdisciplinary study aims to discover how the community members near two representative urban parks in Rock Island perceive this economically motivated “re-wilding” of long-manicured and domesticated urban nature. Resident reactions reveal enduring conceptions of a nature-culture divide, as well as the upper class, White ideologies that have historically shaped park construction and use in the United States.
A new insect cell line engineered to produce recombinant glycoproteins with cleavable N-glycans.

Glycoproteins are difficult to crystallize because they have heterogeneous glycans composed of multiple monosaccharides with considerable rotational freedom about their O-glycosidic linkages. Crystallographers studying N-glycoproteins often circumvent this problem by using s1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (MGAT1)-deficient mammalian cell lines, which produce recombinant glycoproteins with immature N-glycans. These glycans support protein folding and quality control, but can be removed using endo-s-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H). Many crystallographers also use the baculovirus-insect cell system (BICS) to produce recombinant proteins for their work, but have no access to an MGAT1-deficient insect cell line to facilitate glycoprotein crystallization in this system. Thus, we used BICS-specific CRISPR-Cas9 vectors to edit the Mgat1 gene of a rhabdovirus-negative Spodoptera frugiperda cell line (Sf-RVN®) and isolated a subclone with multiple Mgat1 deletions, which we named Sf-RVNLec1. We found Sf-RVN® and Sf-RVNLec1 cells had identical growth properties and served equally well as hosts for baculovirus-mediated recombinant glycoprotein production. N-glycan profiling showed a total endogenous glycoprotein fraction isolated from Sf-RVNLec1 cells had only immature, high mannose-type N-glycans. Finally, N-glycan profiling and endoglycosidase analyses showed the vast majority of the N-glycans on three recombinant glycoproteins produced by Sf-RVNLec1 cells were Endo H-cleavable Man5GlcNAc2 structures. Thus, this study yielded a new insect cell line for the BICS that can be used to produce recombinant glycoproteins with Endo H-cleavable N-glycans. This will enable researchers to combine the high productivity of the BICS with the ability to deglycosylate recombinant glycoproteins, which will facilitate efforts to determine glycoprotein structures by x-ray crystallography.
Micro- and Nanoscale Fluid Mechanics: Transport in Microfluidic Devices

1. Kinematics, conservation equations, and boundary conditions for incompressible flow 2. Unidirectional flow 3. Hydraulic circuit analysis 4. Passive scalar transport: dispersion, patterning, and mixing 5. Electrostatics and electrodynamics 6. Electroosmosis 7. Potential fluid flow 8. Stikes flow 9. The diffuse structure of the electrical double layer 10. Zeta potential in microchannels 11. Species and charge transport 12. Microchip chemical separations 13. Particle electrophoresis 14. DNA transport and analysis 15. Nanofluidics: fluid and current flow in molecular-scale and thick-double-layer systems 16. AC electrokinetics and the dynamics of diffuse charge 17. Particle and droplet actuation: dielectrophoresis, magnetophoresis, and digital microfluidics Appendices: A. Units and fundamental constants B. Properties of electrolyte solutions C. Coordinate systems and vector calculus D. Governing equation reference E. Nondimensionalization and characteristic parameters F. Multipolar solutions to the Laplace and Stokes equations G. Complex functions H. Interaction potentials: atomistic modeling of solvents and solutes.
The oligomeric state of CtBP determines its role as a transcriptional co-activator and co-repressor of Wingless targets

C-terminal-binding protein (CtBP) is a well-characterized transcriptional co-repressor that requires homo-dimerization for its activity. CtBP can both repress and activate Wingless nuclear targets in Drosophila. Here, we examine the role of CtBP dimerization in these opposing processes. CtBP mutants that cannot dimerize are able to promote Wingless signalling, but are defective in repressing Wingless targets. To further test the role of dimerization in repression, the positions of basic and acidic residues that form inter-molecular salt bridges in the CtBP dimerization interface were swapped. These mutants cannot homo-dimerize and are compromised for repression. However, their co-expression leads to hetero-dimerization and consequent repression of Wingless targets. Our results support a model where CtBP is a gene-specific regulator of Wingless signalling, with some targets requiring CtBP dimers for inhibition while other targets utilize CtBP monomers for activation of their expression. Functional interactions between CtBP and Pygopus, a nuclear protein required for Wingless signalling, support a model where monomeric CtBP acts downstream of Pygopus in activating some Wingless targets.
Activity of Anthracyclines in Refractory Ovarian Cancer: Recent Experience and Review

First-line approaches against epithelial ovarian cancer have undergone considerable evolution in the last two decades. Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) was initially used as part of polychemotherapy regimens combined with alkylating agents. Subsequently, the activity of cisplatin and efforts to maximize its dose intensity, together with randomized trials (1), led to questioning the importance of doxorubicin in these combinations. The chemotherapy of choice, therefore, became cisplatin-based regimens, usually in combination with cyclophosphamide. More recently paclitaxel showed major activity in platinum-refractory disease (2) and became incorporated into a combination with cisplatin. Following a randomized trial by the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), the combination of paclitaxel and cisplatin is now considered the initial chemotherapy of choice for stage III and IV ovarian cancer (3). However, a number of studies and meta-analysis lend support for a positive contribution of anthracyclines in the treatment of o...