cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Congestion Road Segment Prediction Based on GPS Trajectory Data

Congestion road segments over real GPS trajectory data was predicted. The traditional methods were ostracized based on traffic flowprediction and congestion identification,and a novel method was proposed based on the congestion vector and the congestion transition matrix. The congestion vector and the congestion transition matrix were established by mining and training taxi GPS trajectory data,resulting in the implementation of the prediction of traffic congestion. In the course of prediction,time periodicity and spatial-temporal correlation of road segment congestion were both considered. The experiments on real data showthe effectiveness of the congestion road segment prediction method proposed.
Feasibility Evaluation of Using and Promoting the Multimedia Management System of Children Immunization

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using and promoting the multimedia management system of children immunization in the pilot of Jining city to promote the development of immune regulation.Methods Using the method of site investigation after training the professionals.Results The vaccination coverage has been increased with improved efficiency,standardized procedure and more systematic,procedural and scientific information of immunization.Conclusion The platform between parents and immunization clinic has been established and it becomes easy to give the vaccination notice and to vaccinate for migrant children with the use of the system.
Sterile mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans: The synaptonemal complex as an indicator of the stage-specific effect of the mutation

Two sterile mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites have been examined using the electron microscope and serial section analysis. The F4 and F80 mutants were described previously ( Mounier and Brun , 1980), and they were shown to be blocked at the start of oogenesis. In the F4 mutant, normal sperm are produced and the pachytene nuclei contain tripartite synaptonemal complexes (SC) between the homologously paired chromosomes. In the F80 asynaptic mutant, only a few sperm are produced and they have abnormal morphology. Whereas SCs and SC associated structures (termed 'SC knobs') are present in the F4, these structures are absent from the F80 . The mutation in F80 affects gametogenesis prior to the pachytene stage of meiosis and pairing of homologous chromosomes apparently does not occur. The SC knobs may influence the regulation of the disjunction of the chromosomes. For that reason, these structures are now termed 'disjunction regulator regions'.
[A nested case-control study on the influencing factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis among patients with acute encephalitis and meningitis].

肺炎链球菌是儿童细菌性脑炎/脑膜炎的主要病原体之一.由于我国缺乏规范的肺炎链球菌脑膜炎检测系统,其发病情况、危险因素等尚不清楚.本研究拟探索肺炎链球菌脑膜炎的发病与危险因素,为科学防控提供依据. 关键词：肺炎链球菌;脑膜炎;巢式病例对照研究
Occurrence of a gelatinous predator (Cyanea capillata) may affect the distribution of Boreogadus saida, a key Arctic prey fish species

Although the Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) has a pan-Arctic distribution, little is known about its occurrence in near-shore waters where this species is the principal prey for seabirds, marine mammals and other fish. Published research describes the scyphomedusa Cyanea capillata as an Arctic cod predator, and this paper presents observations from long-term investigations using active hydroacoustics that suggest the Arctic cod avoided C. capillata in two small bays of Cornwallis Island (Canadian High Arctic archipelago). Distribution patterns in echograms suggested that features such as boundary layer fronts restricted jellyfish movements and Arctic cod were often abundant on the side of fronts where C. capillata were absent. Thus, habitat partitioning allowed Arctic cod to share habitat with its predator, albeit exceptions to this sharing occurred when jellyfish abundance was high and Arctic cod were displaced. Thus, if a warmer Arctic triggers an increase in C. capillata abundance, it is possible that small-scale aspects of Arctic cod distribution could be affected. This in turn could have significant ripple effects within the Arctic food web, an additional and previously unrecognized consequence of climate change.
Controls Based Hybrid Sub-Structuring Approach to Transfer Path Analysis

In the design of mechanical systems, there are constraints imposed on the vibration of mechanical equipment to limit the vibration transmission into its support structure. To accurately predict the coupled system response, it is important to capture the coupled interaction of the two portions, i.e., the mechanical equipment and the support structure, of the mechanical system. Typically during a design, the analysis of the full mechanical system is not possible because a large part of the system may be non-existent. Existing methods known as Transfer Path Analysis and Frequency Based Substructuring are techniques for predicting the coupled response of vibrating mechanical systems. In this paper, a control based hybrid substructuring approach to Transfer Path Analysis is proposed. By recognizing the similarities between feedback control and dynamic substructuring, this paper demonstrates that this approach can accurately predict the coupled dynamic system response of multiple substructured systems including operating mechanical equipment with a complex vibration source. The main advantage of this method is that it uses blocked force measurements in the form of a power spectral density matrix measured uncoupled from the rest of the system. This substructuring method is demonstrated using a simplified case study comprised of a two-stage vibration isolation system and excited by operating mechanical equipment.
Preface and Prospectus to a planned “History vs. Philosophy of Logic” Text

This piece was an introduction to a text that Irving Anellis was working on at the time of his death. The working title was “History vs. Philosophy of Logic”. No bibliography was found, but we felt the reader would find it nonetheless both sufficiently interesting as well as revelatory of his outlook and plans.
Protecting Insecure Communications with Topology-aware Network Tunnels

Unencrypted and unauthenticated protocols present security and privacy risks to end-to-end communications. At the same time we observe that only 30% of popular web servers offer HTTPS. Even when services support it, implementation vulnerabilities threaten their security. In this paper we propose an architecture called Topology-aware Network Tunnels (TNT) which minimizes insecure network paths to Internet services without their participation. TNT is not a substitute for TLS. We determine that popular web destinations are collocated in a small set of networks with 10 autonomous systems hosting 66% of traffic. At the same time cloud providers own these networks or are very close to them. Therefore clients can strategically establish secure tunnels to these providers and route their traffic through them. As a result adversaries not able to compromise the web service or its hosting provider are presented with encrypted and authenticated traffic instead of today's plain text. The strategic placement of network tunnels, gathering of network intelligence and routing decisions of the TNT architecture are not found in VPN services, network proxies or Tor. Existing overlay routing systems such as RON and one-hop source routing cannot substitute TNT. We implement our proposal as a routing software suite and evaluate it extensively using diverse cloud and ISP networks. We eliminate plain-text traffic to the Internet for 20% of web servers, reduce it to 1 network hop for an additional 20% and minimize it for the rest. We preserve the original network latency and page load time. TNT is practical and can be deployed by clients today.
Enhancement of spatial resolution in model-based iterative CT reconstruction by using sinogram preprocessing filters

High spatial resolution in x-ray computed tomography (CT) is paramount in many clinical applications. In conventional filtered-backprojection (FBP) reconstruction, spatial resolution is optimized by using high-resolution filter kernels that have been adjusted for decades through clinical feedback. Compared to FBP, model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) has shown substantial advantage in improving spatial resolution via the use of accurate forward models. As a further step in achieving the best image quality, the balance between resolution "boosting" and noise/artifact suppression needs to be carefully optimized. In maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) image estimation, a global regularization parameter is typically adjusted for this purpose. However, the single scaling parameter provides limited degree of freedom in controlling the a priori probabilities, not allowing flexible emphasis on certain desired frequency contents as realized by FBP kernels. In this study, we attempt to explore more flexible techniques for resolution enhancement in MBIR. We investigate applying a sinogram-domain frequency-boosting filter prior to performing MBIR, to provide further "boosts" in spatial resolution independent of iterative processing. Initial evaluation with a wire phantom shows that the proposed method achieves up to about 20% improvement in MTF 50% without increasing noise standard deviation. The preprocessing filter may provide a new mechanism in controlling resolution-noise tradeoff in MBIR as compared to the conventional way of adjusting a regularization parameter.
A Look at Labor Standards and Neglected Human Rights Issues

Various groups have been demanding that discussions of labor standards be included in all future trade negotiations. The press is full of stories of alleged exploitation of child labor and other employment abuses in developing countries and human rights groups have demanded that something be done about it. However, the press and the academic literature have neglected various property, contract and association rights issues relating to labor standards in lesser developed countries. This paper attempts to remedy that deficiency and to start a discussion of some issues that have been overlooked or inadequately discussed. The tools of analysis will include both utilitarian ethics and rights-based ethics. A bibliography with links to more than 100 papers on trade is also included.
Teaching Experiment To Elucidate a Cation−π Effect in an Alkyne Cycloaddition Reaction and Illustrate Hypothesis-Driven Design of Experiments

An organic chemistry experiment is described that is based on recent research to elucidate a novel cation−π interaction between tetraalkammonium cations and propargyl hydrazines. This nonbonded interaction is a key component of the mechanism of ammonium-catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition of nitrogen to the terminal carbon of a C–C triple bond of the propargyl substrate. In this teaching experiment, reactions and control experiments are employed to demonstrate the testing of two alternative mechanistic hypotheses. Specifically, cyclization reactions are performed with a soluble base (sodium phenoxide) with and without tetrabutylammonium bromide under homogeneous conditions. Students observe that the added ammonium salt accelerates the reaction. They are then encouraged to develop a testable hypothesis for the role of the ammonium salt in the cyclization mechanism: typical phase transfer or other. IR spectroscopy is then used to directly observe a dose dependent shift of the alkyne stretching mode due t...
High pixel density concentric si spatially resolved diffuse reflectance probe: Wide absorption range phantom study

An innovative densely packed silicon photodiode array enables measurements of spatially- and spectrally resolved diffuse reflectance from liquid phantoms with a wide range of absorption concentrations. Experimentally measured reflectance spectra and the forward Monte Carlo simulations are in good agreement, with mean error < 10%.
Neighborhood determinants of mood and anxiety disorders among men who have sex with men in New York City

We examined the relationship between economic, physical, and social characteristics of neighborhoods, where men who have sex with men (MSM) lived and socialized, and symptom scores of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Participants came from a cross-sectional study of a population-based sample of New York City MSM recruited in 2010–2012 (n = 1126). Archival and survey-based data were obtained on neighborhoods, where the men lived and where they socialized most often. MSM who socialized in neighborhoods with more economic deprivation and greater general neighborhood attachment experienced higher GAD symptoms. The relationship between general attachment to neighborhoods where MSM socialized and mental health depended on the level of gay community attachment: in neighborhoods characterized by greater gay community attachment, general neighborhood attachment was negatively associated with GAD symptoms, while in low gay community attachment neighborhoods, general neighborhood attachment had a positive association with GAD symptoms. This study illustrates the downsides of having deep ties to social neighborhoods when they occur in the absence of broader access to ties with the community of one’s sexual identity. Interventions that help MSM cross the spatial boundaries of their social neighborhoods and promote integration of MSM into the broader gay community may contribute to the reduction of elevated rates of depression and anxiety in this population.
Desalination of hypersaline brines with joule-heating and chemical pre-treatment: Conceptual design and economics

Abstract Conventional seawater desalination technologies and fossil energy operations produce large volumes of hypersaline brines requiring proper management. Zero liquid discharge desalination processes can offer an economic and environmentally responsible method to manage these complex streams. The objective of this study was to assess preliminary economics for a novel Joule-heated desalination process design. Aspen Plus® was employed to model two scenarios, one with a chemical precipitation pretreatment using sodium sulfate, sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate (scenario A) and the other using CO2 instead of calcium carbonate as precipitating agent in the pretreatment stage (scenario B). The conditions for the water desalination step were 22.1 MPa and 430 °C. Internal Joule-heating provides the energy in the supercritical water separation step. The preliminary economic model projects a cost of $4.29 per m3 feed ($0.68/bbl feed) for scenario A and $7.10 per m3 feed ($1.13/bbl feed) for scenario B.
Tritium Aging Effects in Some Pd - Cr, Ni, and Co Alloys

AbstractTritium decays to 3He, and when this decay occurs inside a metal tritide, the 3He is largely retained in the material’s bulk. This impacts the subsequent behavior of the hydrogen isotope absorption and desorption, altering the materials thermodynamic characteristics. Chemical substitution can form alternative miscible hydridable metal alloys over some concentration ranges with modified thermodynamic properties. This allows the ‘tuning’ of metal hydride characteristics to expand the inventory of available materials for use, potentially allowing a closer match to desired performance characteristics. It is important to quantify tritium aging effects in order to predict the long term, in-process behavior of metal hydride materials. The Savannah River National Laboratory has been interested in elucidating the impact of tritium exposure on the behavior of hydrideable metals and metal alloys. Pd alloy foils of nominal 5 and 9 at% Cr, Ni, and Co, were loaded with tritium, and stored for ~1 year in static...
Minimum Edge Length Planar Embeddings of Trees

Valiant [1] showed how to embed any binary tree into the plane in linear area without crossovers. The edges in this embedding have a maximum length of 0(\( \sqrt {n} \)) With Paterson, we [2] showed that a complete binary tree can be embedded in the plane with maximum edge length of 0(\( \sqrt {n} \)/log n) and we argued the importance of short edge length for VLSI design and layout. Here we show that every binary tree can be embedded in the plane with all three properties: linear area, no crossovers, and 0(\( \sqrt {n} \)/log n) maximum edge length. This improves a result of Bhatt and Leiserson [3] — a graph with an n1/2-e separator theorem can be embedded (perhaps with crossovers) in linear area and with a maximum edge length of 0(\( \sqrt {n} \)) — for the case of binary trees. In the paper we also observe that Valiant’s result can be extended to the case of oriented trees [7].
Proliferative and Preneoplastic Lesions of the Breast

This article summarizes the histological forms of benign and atypical pathology that are encountered in breast biopsy material, including open surgical excisions and needle cores. It is focused particularly on lesions that are difficult to distinguish from malignancy, owing to histological mimicry caused by high levels of cellularity and/or architectural complexity. These topics include papilloma, sclerosing lesions, secretory lesions, and columnar alteration in addition to atypical ductal hyperplasia and atypical lobular hyperplasia. The text is heavily focused on providing key definitional characteristics and providing specific microscopic criteria that are useful in distinguishing between problematic examples. The level of future breast cancer risk attributable to various entities is described. Finally, current practice regarding clinical management of various lesions is reviewed.
Effects of Electrical Stimulation of the Lateral Hypothalamus on Ethanol Consumption

As the lateral hypothalamus is definitely involved in drinking and the control of other ingestive motor acts, it seemed reasonable to assume several years ago that electrical stimulation of this interesting region of the brain might change the preference-aversion taste function for ethanol in the rat. Shortly thereafter, in addition to reviewing the literature in support of such an hypothesis [9], we were able to demonstrate that lateral hypothalamic (LH) sodium sensitive neurons implicated in drinking were also very sensitive to ethyl alcohol and to confirm an earlier report [1] that LH electrical stimulation results in an increased consumption of a previously determined aversive ethanol solution.
How Shall We Play a Game?: A Game-theoretical Model for Cyber-warfare Games

Automated techniques and tools for finding, exploiting and patching vulnerabilities are maturing. In order to achieve an end goal such as winning a cyber-battle, these techniques and tools must be wielded strategically. Currently, strategy development in cyber - even with automated tools - is done manually, and is a bottleneck in practice. In this paper, we apply game theory toward the augmentation of the human decision-making process.,,Our work makes two novel contributions. First, previous work is limited by strong assumptions regarding the number of actors, actions, and choices in cyber-warfare. We develop a novel model of cyber-warfare that is more comprehensive than previous work, removing these limitations in the process. Second, we present an algorithm for calculating the optimal strategy of the players in our model. We show that our model is capable of finding better solutions than previous work within seconds, making computer-time strategic reasoning a reality. We also provide new insights, compared to previous models, on the impact of optimal strategies.
Copyright and the Academic Library: The Ambiguities of Fair Use

Copyright compliance presents a number of challenges to academic libraries including providing electronic access to materials to patrons and colloquia members, serving as copyright experts to faculty, negotiating advantageous licensing agreements, and keeping up with continually changing federal and international standards. Currently, digitization and electronic dissemination of materials dominate the academic library discourse regarding copyright. These technologies were not anticipated by the original Copyright Law (2008) and have yet to be effectively included . Current laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Section 108, library and archives exemptions to the Copyright Law (Section 108), and the Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act), all of which are intended to establish guidelines for librarians and educators, simply highlight the law’s shortcomings. The exemptions and guidelines these rules create do not address all possible scenarios forcing librarians to turn to Section 107 of the Copyright Law (2008), the vague fair use balancing test. To add to the confusion several important developments occurred in copyright law in October of 2008, which will impact academic libraries’ fair use copyright policies: the passage of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO IP), the filing of Cambridge University Press et. al. v. Patton et. al, and Google’s settlement of multiple lawsuits targeting their Google Books project.
Analysis of Hydrogen-Bond Interaction Potentials from the Electron Density: Integration of Noncovalent Interaction Regions

Hydrogen bonds are of crucial relevance to many problems in chemistry, biology, and materials science. The recently developed NCI (noncovalent interactions) index enables real-space visualization of both attractive (van der Waals and hydrogen-bonding) and repulsive (steric) interactions based on properties of the electron density. It is thus an optimal index to describe the interplay of stabilizing and destabilizing contributions that determine stable minima on hydrogen-bonding potential-energy surfaces (PESs). In the framework of density-functional theory, energetics are completely determined by the electron density. Consequently, NCI will be shown to allow quantitative treatment of hydrogen-bond energetics. The evolution of NCI regions along a PES follows a well-behaved pattern which, upon integration of the electron density, is capable of mimicking conventional hydrogen-bond interatomic potentials.
Synthesis and Coordination Chemistry of Sterically Hindered Cobalt(II) β-Ketoiminate Complexes

Abstract The reactions of cobalt(II) chloride with α,β-unsaturated-β-ketoamines, CH3C( O)CH C(NHR)CH3, where R = -phenyl, HLPh; R = -mesityl, HLmes; R = -2,6-diisopropylphenyl, HLdipp, and sodium hydride in THF solvent under anaerobic conditions affords brown or orange crystals of Co(Lph)2, Co(Lmes)2 and Co(Ldipp)2, respectively. In THF/acetonitrile solvent mixture, the complexation reactions are not successful as unreactive salts containing networks of acetonitrile-coordinated sodium cations and the respective anions are formed. One of them, the sodium salt of HLdipp, is isolated and characterized as [Na(Ldipp)(CH3CN)]4. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data for the cobalt(II) complexes reveal that the metal centers assume distorted tetrahedral geometries. The degree of distortion increases with the size of the substituents present in the phenyl groups: Co(Lph)2
Uncovering the Structural Basis of a New Twist in Protein Ubiquitination

Members of the SidE effector family from Legionella pneumophila represent a new paradigm in the ubiquitin world. These enzymes catalyze ubiquitination of target proteins via a mechanism different from that of conventional E1-E2-E3 biochemistry and play important roles in L. pneumophila virulence. They combine mono-ADP-ribosylation and phosphodiesterase activities to attach ubiquitin onto substrates, in great contrast to the orthodox pathway. A series of recent structural and mechanistic studies have clarified the action of these enzymes. Herein, we summarize the key insights into the structure and function of these proteins, emphasizing their modular nature, and discuss the biochemical implications of these proteins as well as areas of further exploration.
Syntax-based Improvements to Plagiarism Detectors and their Evaluations

Software plagiarism cheats students out of their own education and leads to unfair grading, making software plagiarism detection an important problem. However, many popular plagiarism detection tools are inaccurate, language-specific, or closed source, limiting their applicability. In this work, we seek to address these problems via a novel approach. We adapt the optimal Smith-Waterman sequence alignment algorithm to precisely measure the similarity between programs, greatly improving detection accuracy relative to competitors. Our approach is applicable to any language describable by an ANTLR grammar, which includes most programming languages. We also provide a new type of evaluation based on random program generation and obfuscation. Finally, we make our approach freely available, allowing for customizations and transparent reasoning about detection behavior.
Methods for estimating supersaturation in antisolvent crystallization systems

The mole fraction and activity coefficient-dependent (MFAD) supersaturation expression is the least-assumptive, practical choice for calculating supersaturation in solvent mixtures. This paper reviews the basic thermodynamic derivation of the supersaturation expression, revisits common simplifying assumptions, and discusses the shortcomings of those assumptions for the design of industrial crystallization processes. A step-by-step methodology for estimating the activity-dependent supersaturation is provided with focus on ternary systems. This method requires only solubility data and thermal property data from a single differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiment. Two case studies are presented, where common simplifications to the MFAD supersaturation expression are evaluated: (1) for various levels of supersaturation of L-asparagine monohydrate in water–isopropanol mixtures and (2) for the dynamic and steady-state mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal (MSMPR) crystallization of a proprietary API in water–ethanol–tetrahydrofuran solvent mixtures. When compared to the MFAD supersaturation estimation, it becomes clear that errors in excess of 190% may be introduced in the estimation of the crystallization driving force by making unnecessary simplifications to the supersaturation expression. These errors can result in additional parameter regression errors – sometimes by nearly an order of magnitude – for nucleation and growth kinetic parameters, limiting the accurate simulation of dynamic and steady-state crystallization systems.
Food Allergy and Intolerance in IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common functional gastrointestinal disorder. IBS is likely to be a multifactorial condition resulting from a number of different mechanisms such as disordered motility, visceral hypersensitivity, abnormal central processing, psychological factors, genetic factors, gut inflammation, and dietary factors. Many patients with IBS give a history of adverse food reactions, but the foods identified to be relevant have been highly variable. Food hypersensitivity can be mediated by immunoglobulin E-dependent and -independent mechanisms involving mast cells, eosinophils, and other immune cells. Recent clinical and experimental studies suggest that there is a possible role for food hypersensitivity in IBS, with improvement of IBS symptom severity in a subset of patients on elimination diets, but the underlying mechanisms in IBS have yet to be fully understood. This review considers the evidence for the role of food hypersensitivity in IBS, based on the available epidemiologic and pathophysiologic data, and the clinical implications.
A different time for tubal surgery.

"An object in motion tends to remain in motion along a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force." —Isaac Newton
Asthma-related respiratory symptoms associated with indoor air quality in healthcare facilities

Background: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) related to building sources and characteristics can potentially affect the respiratory health of workers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of asthma-related outcomes with workplace moisture/mold and renovations in a sample of urban healthcare workers in the United States. Methods: We invited housekeepers, nurses, and technicians employed at hospitals and nursing homes in New York City to complete a questionnaire that inquired about moisture/mold and renovations at work and home, and asthma-related outcomes. We used responses to questions about respiratory symptoms to generate an asthma symptom score for each participant. Regression models of outcomes included covariates for confounders and IAQ at work and home. Results: The 2,030 participants were predominantly female (76%) and African American (62%), with mean age 48.6 years. Many participants reported workplace moisture/mold (11.2% mold growth/odor, 24.7% just water damage) and renovations (47.9% wall/floor renovation, 21.7% just painting). After controlling for similar exposures at home, workplace IAQ exposures were associated with several asthma-related outcomes. The ratio mean asthma symptom score (and 95% confidence interval) was 1.80 (1.36, 2.37) for mold growth/odor, 1.39 (1.12, 1.73) for just water damage, 1.89 (1.48, 2.41) for wall/floor renovation, and 1.39 (1.05, 1.85) for just painting. Conclusions: These findings add to existing evidence for the association of workplace moisture/mold and renovations with asthma-related outcomes in healthcare workers, and suggest the need for further efforts to control these exposures in healthcare facilities.
Expression profile of micro-RNA of lymphovascular invasive colon cancer.

e16109Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is an independent predictor of disease progression in patients with colorectal cancer, and is often associated with high tumor grade and advanced tum...
Investigation of the Enhanced Sensitivity of Interdigitated Electrodes for Cellular Biosensing With Geometric, Nanostructured Surface Area, and Surface Plasmon Resonance Modes

In this work, preliminary investigations into the different sources of sensitivity enhancement of Interdigitated Electrodes (IDEs) on polymer substrates utilized in cell-based biosensing are evaluated. In studying underlying modalities involved in this IDE sensitivity enhancement, we have found that this phenomenon has several components – geometric (electrode gap width), nanostructuring of the substrate, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enhancement modes. By isolating these three modes, this article investigates and reports on the individual contribution of each of these modes in enhancing the sensitivity of IDEs during a short five days in vitro (5 DIV) assay of the HL-1 cardiomyocytes cultured on these devices. [2020-0121]
Rule Out Acute Kidney Injury in the Emergency Department With a Urinary Dipstick.

Introduction The identification of acute injury of the kidney relies on serum creatinine (SCr), a functional marker with poor temporal resolution as well as limited sensitivity and specificity for cellular injury. In contrast, urinary biomarkers of kidney injury have the potential to detect cellular stress and damage in real time. Methods To detect the response of the kidney to injury, we have tested a lateral flow dipstick that measures a urinary protein called neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). Analysis of urine was performed in a prospective cohort of 479 patients (final cohort N = 426) entering an emergency department in New York City and subsequently admitted for inpatient care. Results Colorimetric development had high interrater reliability (88% concordance rate) and correlated with traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurements (ρ = 0.732, P 2 days) elevation of SCr. Comparing the outcomes of patients with sustained versus transient or undetectable changes in SCr revealed that the urinary NGAL (uNGAL) dipstick had high specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) (high- vs. low-intermediate readings, sensitivity = 0.55, specificity = 0.91, positive predictive value = 0.24, NPV = 0.97, χ2 = 20.39, P Conclusion We show that the introduction of a bedside uNGAL dipstick permits accurate triage by identifying individuals who do not have tubular injury. In an era of shortening length of stay and rapid decisions based on isolated SCr measurements, real-time exclusion of kidney injury by a dipstick will be particularly useful to overcome the retrospective, insensitive, and nonspecific attributes of SCr.
Separation of item and context in item-method directed forgetting.

Abstract Contextual information plays a critical role in directed forgetting (DF) of lists of items, whereas DF of individual items has been primarily associated with item-level processing. This study was designed to investigate whether context processing also contributes to the forgetting of individual items. Participants first viewed a series of words, with task-irrelevant scene images (used as “context tags”) interspersed between them. Later, these words reappeared without the scenes and were followed by an instruction to remember or forget that word. Multivariate pattern analyses of fMRI data revealed that the reactivation of context information associated with the studied words (i.e., scene-related activity) was greater whereas the item-related information diminished after a forget instruction compared to a remember instruction. Critically, we found the magnitude of the separation between item information and context information predicted successful forgetting. These results suggest that the unbinding of an item from its context may support the intention to forget, and more generally they establish that contextual processing indeed contributes to item-method DF.
The Frontline Health Care Workers in Schools: Health Equity, the Distribution of School Nurses, and Student Access.

The extent to which observed disparities in access to primary pediatric care are mirrored in student access to school nursing services is unknown. Using school employment records, we linked 1,346 n...
A Novel Test Rig for the Investigation of Ball Bearing Cage Friction

This article presents a novel experimental test rig for the investigation of friction between a ball and cage of a deep groove ball bearing (DGBB). The experimental apparatus was designed and devel...
cdev: a ground-truth based measure to evaluate RNA-seq normalization performance

Normalization of RNA-seq data has been an active area of research since the problem was first recognized a decade ago. Despite the active development of new normalizers, their performance measures have been given little attention. To evaluate normalizers, researchers have been relying on ad hoc measures, most of which are either qualitative, potentially biased, or easily confounded by parametric choices of downstream analysis. We propose a metric called condition-number based deviation, or cdev, to quantify normalization success. cdev measures how much an expression matrix differs from another. If a ground truth normalization is given, cdev can then be used to evaluate the performance of normalizers. To establish experimental ground truth, we compiled an extensive set of public RNA-seq assays with external spike-ins. This data collection, together with cdev, provides a valuable toolset for benchmarking new and existing normalization methods.
Frailty and Mortality in Kidney Transplant Recipients

We have previously described strong associations between frailty, a measure of physiologic reserve initially described and validated in geriatrics, and early hospital readmission as well as delayed graft function. The goal of this study was to estimate its association with postkidney transplantation (post-KT) mortality. Frailty was prospectively measured in 537 KT recipients at the time of transplantation between November 2008 and August 2013. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for confounders using a novel approach to substantially improve model efficiency and generalizability in single-center studies. We precisely estimated the confounder coefficients using the large sample size of the Scientific Registry of Transplantation Recipients (n = 37 858) and introduced these into the single-center model, which then estimated the adjusted frailty coefficient. At 5 years, the survivals were 91.5%, 86.0% and 77.5% for nonfrail, intermediately frail and frail KT recipients, respectively. Frailty was independently associated with a 2.17-fold (95% CI: 1.01-4.65, p = 0.047) higher risk of death. In conclusion, regardless of age, frailty is a strong, independent risk factor for post-KT mortality, even after carefully adjusting for many confounders using a novel, efficient statistical approach.
Discretization of analytic element flow solutions for transport modeling

The 2D analytic element method (AEM) is an alternative to finite difference methods for simulating steady-state unconfined groundwater systems. AEM is commonly used for capture zone delineation, but has not yet been used as a basis for contaminant transport simulation. However, the analytic element method is a promising source of flow information in that it is independent of any grid, and thus suitable for developing less constrictive reactive transport discretizations. One of the reasons AEM has never been used in this capacity is that most conventional contaminant transport simulation algorithms are based upon discrete finite difference flow solutions, whereas AEM represents the flow variables needed for transport as continuous functions of space. While it is adequate to numerically integrate cell-averaged saturated thickness values for use in transport simulations, discretizing system fluxes is a more demanding process. Eulerian transport algorithms require local (cell-by-cell) mass balance of water for both accuracy and stability. While the analytic element method provides exceptionally precise globally and locally conservative results, simply interpolating the analytic functions that describe flux in AEM is not adequate for obtaining mass-conservative interfacial fluxes. Likewise, the vector geometry of the analytic element method makes it challenging to accurately distribute the various sink and source terms to grid cells. This includes terms for the influence of leakage and recharge, which may also be represented as continuous functions of space. The following paper presents a suite of algorithms used to properly translate the continuous aquifer fluxes and vector-based source and sink fluxes into a format amenable to finite-difference-based transport simulation.
A new way to interpret the DIRAC equation in a non-Riemannian manifold

The idea of internal mass terms introduced in ref. (1), is shown not to be an appropriate hypothesis when it is placed in connection with the components of the generalized (matrix) vierbeins being proportional to the Riemannian (gravitational) vierbeins. It would result in an undesirable canceling of the Electromagnetic and the Yang-Mills components in the generalized metric. Another hypothesis is introduced where the wave function psi is Taylor expanded in a small parameter p.
The National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Program: Progress and Activities

The National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 outlined a number of requirements for nutrition monitoring and research relevant to nutrition monitoring needs of today and tomorrow. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) along with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are charged with carrying out the requirements. The Act legally established the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Program and numerous activities including development and implementation of a Ten-Year Comprehensive Plan and formation of the Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research. Both requirements serve as the basis for planning and coordinating the activities of 22 Federal agencies that either conduct nutrition monitoring surveys and surveillance activities or are major users of nutrition monitoring data. As an advisory mechanism to both USDA and HHS, the law required establishment of a 9-member National Nutrition Monitoring Advisory Council. Progress and future activity plans for the Nutrition Monitoring Program are discussed.
Retinal regeneration in the Xenopus laevis tadpole: a new model system

PURPOSE Retinal regeneration research holds potential for providing new avenues for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina. Various animal models have been used to study retinal regeneration over the years, providing insights into different aspects of this process. However the mechanisms that drive this important phenomenon remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we introduce and characterize a new model system for retinal regeneration research that uses the tadpole of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. METHODS The neural retina was surgically removed from Xenopus laevis tadpoles at stages 51-54, and a heparin-coated bead soaked in fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) was introduced in the eyes to induce regeneration. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses as well as DiI tracing were performed to characterize the regenerate. A similar surgical approach but with concomitant removal of the anterior portion of the eye was used to assess the capacity of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) to regenerate a retina. Immunohistochemistry for FGF receptors 1 and 2 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK) was performed to start elucidating the intracellular mechanisms involved in this process. The role of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was confirmed through a pharmacological approach using the MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor U0126. RESULTS We observed that Xenopus laevis tadpoles were able to regenerate a neural retina upon induction with FGF-2 in vivo. The regenerated tissue has the characteristics of a differentiated retina, as assessed by the presence and distribution of different retinal cell markers, and DiI tracing indicated that it is able to form an optic nerve. We also showed that retinal regeneration in this system could take place independently of the presence of the anterior eye tissues. Finally, we demonstrated that FGF-2 treatment induces ERK phosphorylation in the pigmented epithelia 10 days after retinectomy, and that inhibition of the MAPK pathway significantly decreases the amount of retina regenerated at 30 days post-operation. CONCLUSIONS Regeneration of a complete neural retina can be achieved in larval Xenopus laevis through activation of the MAPK signaling pathway by administering exogenous FGF-2. This mechanism is conserved in other animal models, which can regenerate their retina via pigmented epithelium transdifferentiation. Our results provide an alternative approach to retinal regeneration studies, capitalizing on the advantages of the Xenopus laevis tadpole as a model system.
Quality Characteristics of Freeze-Dried, Irradiated or Freeze-Dried-Irradiated Cooked Hamburger Patties Formulated with a Novel Fat Substitute and Plum Extract for the International Space Station

The effect of adding fat substitute or plum extract on quality characteristics of frozen, freeze-dried, irradiated, or freeze-dried and irradiated cooked beef patties were determined to enhance the quality characteristics of ready-to eat (RTE) hamburger beef patties for NASA astronauts. Non-irradiated and irradiated controls (none added), 10% fat substitute Fantesk TM -added and 2% plum extract-added treatments were prepared and irradiated frozen at 0 or 44 kGy using a Linear Accelerator. Lipid oxidation, volatile profiles, color, texture, proximate analysis and sensory characteristics of cooked hamburger beef patties were determined after 0 and 30 days of storage at -20°C (for frozen samples) or room temperature (for freeze-dried and irradiated samples). Cooked beef patties added with fat substitute or plum extract had higher moisture content and carbohydrate, but lower lipid content than that of control treatment. Addition of plum extract improved the stability (TBARS values) of cooked beef patties during the 30-day storage, but the effects of processing treatments were stronger than that of lipid content. The volatile profiles of all cooked beef patties with different additive treatments were similar at day 0, but changed dramatically after 30 day storage depending upon processing treatments. Addition of 10% fat substitute did not influence the sensory characteristics of RTE hamburger beef patties, but juiciness was increased by plum extract. Processing treatments, however, were more important in the quality of cooked hamburger patties than additive treatments.
Stellate ganglion block with bupivacaine. Minimum effective concentration of bupivacaine and the effect of added potassium.

Summary Sympathetic blockade after stellate ganglion block with bupivacaine was assessed by liquid crystal thermography. The minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for successful block was between 325 and 406 μmol/litre. Further study of bupivacaine in a solution that contained potassium 5 mmol/litre showed that this reduced the minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for successful block to between 81 and 162 μmol/litre. We conclude that potassium has a major effect on the minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for sympathetic blockade.
Neural closed-loop control of a hand prosthesis using cross-modal haptic feedback

Due to the growing field of neuro-prosthetics and other brain-machine interfaces that employ human-like control schemes, it has become a priority to design sensor and actuation mechanisms that relay tactile information to the user. Unfortunately, most state of the art technology uses feedback techniques that are invasive, costly or inefficient for the general population. This paper proposes a feasible feedback method where tactile information during dexterous manipulation is perceived through multi-frequency auditory signals. In the interest of examining whether users are able to quickly learn and adapt to the audio-tactile relationship and apply it to the neural control of a robot, an experimental protocol was formed. Users were instructed to grasp several objects of varying stiffness and weight using an electromyographically-controlled robotic hand, and tactile information was provided to them in real-time through the proposed cross-modal feedback. Results show that users were able to adapt and learn the feedback technology after short use, and could eventually use auditory information alone to control the grasping forces of a robotic hand. This outcome suggests that the proposed feedback method could be a viable alternative for obtaining tactile feedback while staying non-invasive and practical to the user, with applications ranging from neuro-prosthetics to control interfaces for remotely operated devices.
A Future Charm Facility

The "BTeV/C0" experiment at Fermilab could reconstruct >10^9 charm decays, four orders of magnitude beyond the largest extant sample. The experiment is likely to run during Tevatron Run II (ca. 2000--2005). In addition to "programmatic" charm physics such as spectroscopy, lifetimes, and QCD tests, it will have significant new-physics reach in the areas of CP violation, flavor-changing neutral-current and lepton-number-violating decays, and $D^0\bar{D^0}$ mixing, and could observe direct CP violation in Cabibbo-suppressed D decays if it occurs at the level predicted by the Standard Model.