cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negative pressure therapy is effective in abdominal incision closure.

Abstract Background CDC wound classification demonstrates surgical site infection (SSI) occurs in 15%-30% of contaminated (class III) and >30% of dirty-infected (class IV) wounds. Several techniques have been used to decrease SSI rates in midline laparotomy incisions; however, no technique has shown superiority. Evidence suggests incisional negative pressure wound therapy (INPWT) can decrease wound complications, but no literature exists regarding INPWT for high-risk laparotomy incisions. We sought to analyze the efficacy of INPWT in the management of high-risk midline laparotomy incisions. Methods Retrospective review of adult patients who underwent laparotomy between January 2013 and June 2014 with midline closure using INPWT. Only class III or IV wounds were included. Laparotomy incisions were loosely closed. INPWT set at 125 mm Hg is placed over oil emulsion impregnated gauze. INPWT is removed after 5 d and the wound left open to air. Records were reviewed for immediate and/or delayed surgical site complications. Primary end point was 30-d incisional SSI. Secondary end points included other surgical site complications. Results One class III and 12 class IV wounds were treated with INPWT for a median of 5 d. The class III wound developed a small skin dehiscence with no evidence of superficial or deep SSI. Among class IV wounds, the rate of superficial and deep incisional SSI was 25% and 0%, respectively. The overall surgical site complication rate was 41.7%. Conclusions INPWT in closure of high-risk midline laparotomy incisions is a safe, effective method of wound closure with equivalent SSI rates to previously described methods.
Getting Users' Attention in Web Apps in Likable, Minimally Annoying Ways

Web applications often need to present the user new information in the context of their current activity. Designers rely on a range of UI elements and visual techniques to present the new content to users, such as pop-ups, message icons, and marquees. Web designers need to select which technique to use depending on the centrality of the information and how quickly they need a reaction. However, designers often rely on intuition and anecdotes rather than empirical evidence to drive their decision-making as to which presentation technique to use. This work represents an attempt to quantify these presentation style decisions. We present a large (n=1505) user study that compares 15 visual attention-grabbing techniques with respect to reaction time, noticeability, annoyance, likability, and recall. We suggest glowing shadows and message icons with badges, as well as more possibilities for future work.
The rising cost of hospital care for children with gastroparesis: 2004–2013

Author(s): Lu, PL; Moore-Clingenpeel, M; Yacob, D; Di Lorenzo, C; Mousa, HM | Abstract: BackgroundThe cost of hospital care for adults with gastroparesis (GP) is increasing. Our objective was to evaluate the cost of hospital care for children with GP.MethodsUsing the Pediatric Health Information System, we selected hospitalizations with a diagnosis of GP (ICD-9 536.3), dyspepsia and other specified disorders of function of stomach (DYS, 536.8) and unspecified functional disorder of stomach (UFD, 536.9) from 2004 to 2013. We recorded dates of hospitalization, demographics, costs, and length of stay (LOS).Key resultsFrom 2004 to 2013, 4015 patients were admitted for GP (54.2% female, median age 8 years). Total cost of hospitalization for GP increased 5.8 fold from $6 185 390 to $35 654 075 (p = 0.0001). Cost per hospitalization did not change. Cost of initial hospitalization was highest in patients 0-5 years and lowest in patients 16-21 years (p l 0.0001). Number of hospitalizations each year for GP increased from 252 to 1310 (p l 0.0001) and unique patients hospitalized increased from 174 to 723 (p l 0.0001). Number of hospitalizations and unique patients for DYS/UFD also increased (p l 0.0001). LOS for GP did not change with time. Females and younger GP patients had more repeat hospitalizations (p l 0.0001, p l 0.0001).Conclusions a inferencesThe financial burden of hospitalization for pediatric GP has increased dramatically from 2004 to 2013, driven by a rise in number of hospitalizations and unique patients hospitalized each year. Cost and LOS per hospitalization remain stable. Unlike in adults, hospitalizations for DYS/UFD have also increased, suggesting that the increase in hospitalizations for GP is not secondary to changing diagnostic practices.
Implications of extrinsic cognitive load on three levels of adult woodwind players

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two levels of extrinsic cognitive load when three levels of adult woodwind musicians practiced. Extrinsic load was manipulated through repeti...
The Dreams of Future Managers

We need a better way to conceive of the manager. Future managers often conceive of their work in very different terms than future physicians. Rather than seeing their future in terms of helping others, future managers tend to conceive of their work in terms of quantifiable success, especially financial success. Our contemporary context invites a transformation in the character of the manager. With regard to the character of the manager, our culture is in a state of confused transition. Young adults drawn to careers in business administration are given relatively little support to conceive of their career ambitions as service to others. Might the dreams of future managers involve not only making a good life for themselves, but also wisely acting as stewards to advance the common good?
152 : STAT4 negatively regulate hepatocyte survival during auto-immune liver inflammation

Autoimmune hepatitis is a condition where immune cells target and destroy liver cells. To date, molecular mechanisms of inflammation mediated fibrosis and necrotic changes in liver cells are poorly understood. STAT4 is expressed in immune cells as well structural cells such as hepatocytes. However, the role of STAT4 in autoimmune hepatitis is ill-defined. Therefore, we investigated the role of STAT4 signaling in Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced auto-immune hepatitis model. Our data indicate STAT4 -/- mice but not WT, IL-12p35 -/- or IL-12p40 -/- mice were resistant to ConA-induced hepatitis as measured by liver pathology and the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. Histopathological analysis of liver sections showed significant necrotic lesion in WT, IL-12p35 -/- and IL-12p40 -/- but not in STAT4 -/- mice, indicating a IL-12-independent role of STAT4. Furthermore, no significant difference in serum ALT and necrotic lesions were observed when WT or STAT4 -/- spleenocytes were adoptive transfer into lymphocyte deficient Rag2gc -/- mice, suggesting that protection in STAT4 -/- is independent of lymphocyte STAT4. Interestingly, serum IFNg level were significantly reduced in both IL-12p35 -/- and STAT4 -/- mice, and injection of recombinant IFNg into STAT4 -/- mice increase the serum ALT, but it does not reach the level observed in WT mice, suggesting a non-IFNg mediated protection in STAT4 -/- mice. Surprisingly, there were no significant difference in FAS and FasL transcript in ConA injected liver tissue in WT and STAT4 -/- mice. In addition, anti-FAS antibody injections lead to significant necrotic changes in WT, but not in STAT4 -/- mice. Our data strongly indicate absence of STAT4 signaling potentially in hepatocytes regulates cell survival, which is further confirmed by significantly more pSTAT3 staining in liver tissue of STAT4 -/-. STAT3 phosphorylation can be regulated by IL-22 or IL-6. Interestingly, serum IL-22 but not IL-6 was significantly elevated in STAT4 -/- mice. Our data strongly suggest targeting STAT4 in auto-immune hepatitis may have a therapeutic benefit.
Anemia: Evaluation and Diagnostic Tests

Anemia is among the most common medical problems and clinical and laboratory evaluation need to be approached logically. The complete blood count with red cell indices offers clues to diagnosis. Many anemias have characteristic red cell morphology. The reticulocyte count serves as a useful screen for hemolysis or blood loss. Testing for specific causes of the anemia is performed. Occasionally, examination of the bone marrow is required for diagnosis. Molecular testing is increasingly being use to aid the diagnostic process. This article reviews diagnostic tests for anemia and suggests a rational approach to determining the etiology of a patient's anemia.
An Isolation Objection to Phenomenal Conservatism

Phenomenal conservatism as developed by some philosophers faces a previously unnoticed problem. The problem stems from the fact that, as some develop the view, phenomenal conservatism holds that seemings alone justify—sensations have no justificatory impact. Given this, phenomenal conservatism faces a problem analogous to the isolation objection to coherentism. As foundationalists, supporters of phenomenal conservatism will want to allow that the isolation objection is effective against coherentism, and yet claim that a similar objection is not effective against their view. Unfortunately, it appears that on most understandings of the nature of seemings phenomenal conservatism can only avoid its version of the isolation objection by sacrificing its internalist character.
Upper GI Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Gastropathy

There is clearly no substitute for visual diagnosis reinforced by histological biopsy assessment in the diagnosis of mucosal pathology involving the stomach in children. The inflammatory pathologies which cause symptoms are amenable to diagnosis and differentiation with this tool, and anatomical abnormalities can also be identified. A distinction between “gastropathy,” which is the term used for description of visual abnormalities at endoscopy involving the stomach (and encompassing histological pathologies), should be made in contrast to the term “gastritis,” which is taken to indicate histological inflammation. In other words “gastritis” is a term that should not be used by the endoscopist to describe their macroscopic determination of pathology as this is a microscopic diagnosis. This important distinction is elegantly drawn by [1].
You deplete me: Impacts of providing positive and negative event support on self‐control

We examined how providing social support may reduce self-control. Participants who reported greater effectiveness concerns and emotion regulation while providing daily support showed greater behavioral and subjective depletion; moreover, supporting partners' negative events tended to involve greater concerns and emotion regulation than partners' positive events (Study 1). It was the act of providing support (and not just listening to events) that led to depletion (Study 2), and manipulating individuals to have greater concerns about support effectiveness caused them to show less self-control (Study 3). Overall, the results suggest that support provision can reduce self-control in a variety of ways (influencing persistence, focus, and feelings of exhaustion), particularly when there are concerns about effectiveness and the need to regulate emotions.
Space charge accumulation as a contributor to partial discharge activity in dielectric elastomer actuators under high voltage DC

Space charge accumulation is theorized to be a contributor to partial discharge activity. The analysis of partial discharge (PD) activity is a method of predicting electrical breakdown in dielectric materials. Rapid aging tests of an acrylic dielectric elastomer using a partial discharge analyzer (PDA) has shown that under DC voltage application consisting of a 1 minute period of constant voltage followed by an increase in voltage results in bursts of partial discharge activity. This paper will explore the potential cause of this phenomenon. It is theorized that space charge accumulation during the constant voltage period followed by rapid charge injection during the increase of voltage results in an impulse like stress of the elastomer causing PDs.
Room temperature operation of electro-optical bistability in the edge-emitting tunneling-collector transistor laser

Optical bistable devices are fundamental to digital photonics as building blocks of switches, logic gates, and memories in future computer systems. Here, we demonstrate both optical and electrical bistability and capability for switching in a single transistor operated at room temperature. The electro-optical hysteresis is explained by the interaction of electron-hole (e-h) generation and recombination dynamics with the cavity photon modulation in different switching paths. The switch-UP and switch-DOWN threshold voltages are determined by the rate difference of photon generation at the base quantum-well and the photon absorption via intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling controlled by the collector voltage. Thus, the transistor laser electro-optical bistable switching is programmable with base current and collector voltage, and the basis for high speed optical logic processors.
The evolution of parietal cortex in primates

Many of the adaptive changes in the functional organization of parietal cortex of humans emerged in past in the early primates as they depended on visually guided forelimb use to grasp branches and food. Currently, human, apes and some monkeys have four well-defined subdivisions of anterior parietal cortex, areas 3a, 3b, 1 and 2 of Brodmann. In some of the smaller monkeys, and in stepsirrine primates (galagos, lemurs, and lorises), especially areas 1 and 2 are less developed, and the existence of an area 2 is questionable. In galagos, area 3b, the homologue of S1 in other mammals, has a more primitive somatotopy, is less devoted to representing the hand, and information from facial whiskers is more important. Humans and other primates also have more somatosensory areas in lateral parietal cortex than most mammals. While the regions of the second somatosensory area, S2 is divided into S2 and the parietal ventral area, PV in most mammals, primates have the additional caudal ad rostral ventral somatosensory areas, VSc and VSr. Posterior parietal cortex is another region of posterior cortex that has changed greatly from non-primate ancestors in having a more caudal half that is heavily devoted to further processing visual information for guiding different actions, such as running, reaching, looking, and grasping. All primates have at least 8 small subdivisions or domains in PPC, and have matching domains in premotor and motor cortex. In humans, domains for speech and tool use appear to have been added, and other parts of PPC have expanded. In addition, parts of PPC are differently specialized in the right and left cerebral hemispheres of humans more than in other primates.
Blood in the snow: mapping murder in contemporary Nordic/French crime television

The explosion of Nordic Noir crime fiction in European culture markets aroused keen interest in Swedish-based murder narratives, spreading from literature to film and television, with rebroadcasts ...
Good Programming Practice in Ada

Overview of the language declarations, scalar types and operations control statements blocks, subprograms and exceptions composite and access types packages [LRM 7] more on types generics [LRM 12] input and output [LRM 14] tasks [LRM 9] Ada in perspective. Appendices: the implementation of real numbers predefined language environment.
Infrastructure Financing in India: At the Crossroads

The spectrum of financing infrastructure in India ranged from complete budgetary support to extensive fund raising in the private space including frantic effort to internationalize the funding Channels. The necessary regulatory changes for varied sources and varied instruments used have culminated over the years in a dynamic construct of funding avenues. The infrastructure engagement over the past years have yielded valuable lessons about project design and appraisal, poverty focus, private sector participation, environmental and social sustainability, the issue of corruption and stakeholders communication apart from supportive funding sources. The experiment of new sources of funding has some extent succeeded in certain cases and some has also floundered to meet the specific needs of the infrastructure. However, it is high time to strengthen the sources where considerable success has been achieved and reappraise the risk and potent deterrent/road blocks where the result has somewhat not up to the expected level. In short, the infrastructure funding space currently looks hazy and badly in need of a relook, if all the announced policy goals have the slender chance of meeting with success in days to come.
Activation of PPARγ in myeloid cells promotes lung cancer progression and metastasis

PPARγ activators inhibit cancer cell growth. However the role of these agents in progression/metastasis is not well-defined. Using an orthotopic model of lung cancer, we showed that pioglitazone accelerated progression/metastasis through affects on macrophages. This suggests that potential therapeutic agents may have opposing effects on cancer in different cells.
Modeling the life history of sessile rotifers: larval substratum selection through reproduction

Although the theoretical underpinnings of habitat selection by marine invertebrate larvae have been well studied, this theory has been neglected for freshwater sessile rotifers. To study how substratum selection affects larval fitness, we developed a dynamic model to examine influences of three elements of larval life (survival, substratum acceptance, substratum encounter probability) and substratum-dependent reproductive success in adults. Monte Carlo simulation models were run using an initial cohort of larvae. Our Basic Model assessed fitness as simply settling on a substratum using only the larval elements and revealed statistically greatest fitness when swimming speed decreased with age and when substratum preference was constant or exhibited mid-age competence. The Reproductive Model assessed fitness (mean number of offspring adult−1) as a function of substratum. We compared reproduction on neutral substrata to substrata where quality varied and separately as a function of adult population density: coloniality (synergism) versus competition. The model showed fitness was statistically greatest when larval swimming speed decreased with age and when coloniality increased reproduction. We also explored conditions where populations of planktonic adults could survive. The model is applicable to sessile organisms and may be modified to examine other life history activities including selection of mates, prey, or territory.
Overview of the assistive technology service delivery process: An international perspective

Abstract This chapter discusses the assistive technology (AT) service delivery system from a global perspective and how its structure and components may vary across cultures. It provides an overview of steps, stages, and core elements of the service delivery process and presents criteria for an effective service delivery system. A global outlook on the accessibility to AT and common barriers to access are discussed. The chapter also discusses environmental predispositions and the psychological resources a consumer brings to the process. These factors are presented as something both provider and consumer bring to the service delivery process, and which have an impact on AT device selection.
Celebrating the Wounded Healer Psychotherapist: Pain, Post-Traumatic Growth and Self-Disclosure

In Celebrating the Wounded Healer Psychotherapist: Pain, Post-Traumatic Growth and Self-Disclosure, Sharon Klayman Farber takes the atypical step of focusing on the pain of therapists rather than o...
Lignocellulose solubilization and conversion by extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor bescii improves by maintaining metabolic activity

The extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii solubilizes and metabolizes the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose, a process that ultimately ceases because of biomass recalcitrance, accumulation of fermentation products, inhibition by lignin moieties, and reduction of metabolic activity. Deconstruction of low loadings of lignocellulose (5 g/L), either natural or transgenic, whether unpretreated or subjected to hydrothermal processing, by C. bescii typically results in less than 40% carbohydrate solubilization. Mild alkali pretreatment (up to 0.09 g NaOH/g biomass) improved switchgrass carbohydrate solubilization by C. bescii to over 70% compared to less than 30% for no pretreatment, with two-thirds of the carbohydrate content in the treated switchgrass converted to acetate and lactate. C. bescii grown on high loadings of unpretreated switchgrass (50 g/L) retained in a pH-controlled bioreactor slowly purged (τ = 80 hr) with growth media without a carbon source improved carbohydrate solubilization to over 40% compared to batch culture at 29%. But more significant was the doubling of solubilized carbohydrate conversion to fermentation products, which increased from 40% in batch to over 80% in the purged system, an improvement attributed to maintaining the bioreactor culture in a metabolically active state. This strategy should be considered for optimizing solubilization and conversion of lignocellulose by C. bescii and other lignocellulolytic microorganisms.
Perlecan-targeted nanoparticles for drug delivery to triple-negative breast cancer.

Aim: We previously developed two antibodies that bind to a cell surface protein, perlecan, overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The goal of this study was to investigate these ant...
The Dilemma of the Negro College: Transition and the Brain Drain.

The most astonishing thing about the predominantly Negro (or Black*) college is that it has survived to face a dilemma or, more correctly, dilemmas to be involved in transition, or to be subjected to a "brain drain." From its humble beginnings, more than a century ago, to the present, it has been dedicated to what has been perhaps the most difficult mission in American higher education the education of Black Americans while the majority of other Americans could have cared less. The mission has been incomparably difficult for a number of reasons: its students, in the main, have been the most academically ill-prepared; its resources, compared with its predominantly white counterpart, have been grossly inadequate; its educational objectives for its students have been complicated and restricted by a society that limited their aspirations and their careers; its standing as an institution of higher learning has been in question throughout its history, primarily because it is Black. To have survived, the Negro college has unquestionably fulfilled Sir Eric Ashby's two indispensable conditions for the survival of an institution : fidelity to the ideal for which it was founded and continued responsiveness to the needs of the society from which it derives its support.1 In other words, despite the difficulty of its mission and the enormity of the handicaps with which it has been chronically confronted, the Negro college has provided the higher education for the vast majority of the Blacks who have achieved it; the teachers, the ministers, the lawyers, the physicians and dentists, the businessmen and the leaders in almost every socially useful walk of life. The Negro college is, nevertheless, at the crossroads; it does face dilemmas; it is in transition; and it is confronted by a brain drain whidh could further jeopardize its mission, or effectively destroy it as an institution of higher learning. Thus, it is not only appropriate but impera-
UNIT 9.5 Immunoaffinity Chromatography

This unit describes the isolation of soluble or membrane-bound protein antigens from cells or homogenized tissue by immunoaffinity chromatography. This technique involves the elution of a single protein from an immunoaffinity column after prior elution of nonspecifically adsorbed proteins. Specifically, antibodies are coupled to Sepharose (an insoluble, large-pore-size chromatographic matrix). High-molecular-weight antigens pass freely into and out of the pores and bind to antibodies covalently bound to the matrix. To elute the bound antigen from the immunoaffinity matrix, the antibody-antigen interaction is destabilized by brief exposure to high- or low-pH buffer. Batch purification of antigens is provided as an alternate procedure that shortens the column loading time. The detergent octyl β-D-glucoside can be used instead of Triton X-100 for elution. Because octyl β-D-glucoside has a high critical micelle concentration (CMC), a protocol is provided for its removal by dialysis. The procedure for covalently linking an antibody to Sepharose using the cyanogen bromide activation method is given in a support protocol.
Mercury speciation and remediation strategies at a historically elemental mercury spilled site.

Abstract This study quantified the mercury speciation in a contaminated area three decades after an elemental mercury spill from a sodium nuclear reactor experiment, and evaluated ex situ and in situ remediation strategies. Soil samples were taken across multiple sites with different soil depths. A majority of total mercury was distributed in surface soils with depths between 0–0.5 m, and decreased exponentially with depths. In top soils with depths between 0–0.5 m, a considerable fraction of mercury exists in chemical forms that are highly mobile (i.e., bound to inorganic ions) or potential mobile (i.e., bound to soil humic substances). This suggests that bioremediation and phytoremediation may be effective to remove mercury in the top soils at contaminated sites. In deep soils below 1 m, mercury predominantly exists as elemental form that is tightly bound to soil particles. While this fraction of mercury poses no immediate health risk, in situ thermal treatment may be evaluated to remove this mercury fraction. Furthermore, size fractionation data suggest that as an ex situ excavation cleanup option, reducing the volume of contaminated soils is possible by only selecting the sand and gravel size fractions of soil for offsite treatment.
Prolonged sedentary time adversely relates to physical activity and obesity among preoperative bariatric surgery patients

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery patients spend much of their waking time sedentary. Yet, little is known about their patterns of accumulation of sedentary time (ST) and whether more prolonged ST is associated with lower physical activity (PA), independent of total ST, or obesity severity. Objectives To characterize variability in prolonged ST among bariatric patients preoperatively and assess the importance of a “prolonger” pattern in relation to PA and weight status. Setting Two university hospital clinics, United States. Methods Adult patients (n = 76) wore a wrist-based accelerometer for 10 days preoperatively. ST and time spent in light and moderate-to-vigorous PA was determined using validated thresholds. Percent of total ST accumulated in ≥30-consecutive ST minute bouts was calculated, and participants were trichotomized into low, medium, and high “prolongers” based on this value. The associations of prolonged ST with PA and obesity were examined. Results On average, participants accumulated a mean ± standard deviation of 10.5 ± 2.1 hours of ST per day, 30% of which was prolonged (prolonger groups: low = 7.2%–24.5%, medium = 24.5%–33.0%, and high = 34.0%–52.6% of ST in ≥30-min bouts). Adjusting for covariates including total ST, high prolongers had fewer light PA minutes per day (P Conclusions Accumulating a greater percentage of ST in prolonged bouts appears to be adversely related to PA and obesity severity among bariatric patients. Future research should determine whether interrupting prolonged ST with brief breaks can favorably modify PA and weight in this population.
Clinical features and laboratory findings in children hospitalized with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection: a crosssectional study in a tertiary care hospital.

Caglar I, Topal S, Cokboz M, Duzgol M, Kara A, Bayram SN, Apa H, Devrim I. Clinical features and laboratory findings in children hospitalized with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 368-373. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is widespread all over the world. It causes infectious mononucleosis (IM) mostly in adolescents and adults. Although IM is considered to be rare in younger children and infants, acute EBV infection may have various manifestations in this age group. We aimed to describe the clinical features and laboratory findings of children hospitalized with acute EBV infection. All children hospitalized at Dr. Behcet Uz Children`s Hospital, between January 2010 and January 2017, who tested positive by presence of EBV-specific antibodies and had the diagnosis of acute EBV infection, were included (n=66). Thirty four of the patients (51.5%) were under 6 years of age, and 23 (34.8%) children were below 3 years of age. The most common physical finding was fever (92.4%) followed by cervical lymphadenopathy and tonsillopharyngitis. Leukocytosis (65.1%) and lymphocytosis (42.4%) were the most common laboratory findings. Reactive and atypical lymphocytes were present in 77.2% of the patients. Fifty-three (80.3%) of the patients had a doctor visit before hospitalization, and the ratio of patients using antibiotics was 77.3%. Skin rash was observed in 14 (27.4%) of the patients who used antibiotic treatment and in 2 (13.3%) of the patients who did not (p > 0.05). EBV infection resulting in admission to hospital is common in younger children, even in pre-school period. Serological tests for EBV specific antibody responses and peripheral blood smear evaluation are important diagnostic tools. In addition, rapid streptococcal antigen test and throat culture should be performed in patients presenting with tonsillopharyngitis in order to exclude Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and reduce unnecessary antibiotic consumption.
Improving practice and informing policy development: The impact of gerontological nursing research.

Abstract Nurses have always approached the clinical care challenges they encounter with a combination of critical observation and a profound concern for human suffering. Beginning in earnest in the early 1980s, nurse researchers have pursued the answers to questions about the wellbeing of older adults, particularly those suffering from serious, chronic conditions. This paper offers three exemplars of nursing research domains that illustrate the creativity and commitment of nurse researchers seeking to understand and improve pervasive clinical problems experienced by older adults and to demonstrate the profound influence these activities have had on the evolution of the science and the quality of care for older adults. The impact of this work is reflected in practice protocols, institutional policies, government oversight, and improved outcomes for patients.
Trends in Hospitalizations for Clostridioides difficile Infection in End-Stage Liver Disease, 2005–2014

Data on the current estimates of the disease burden of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection in the setting of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) are emerging. We examined the recent trends and predictors of hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality from C. difficile infection among hospitalizations with ESLD in the USA. We performed a retrospective analysis using the National Inpatient Sample, 2005–2014. We defined ESLD and C. difficile infection using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors that impacted hospitalization and mortality. The prevalence of coding for C. difficile infection in decompensated cirrhosis increased from 1.3% in 2005 to 2.7% in 2014, with an annual rate of 7.8%. In hospitalizations with hepatocellular carcinoma, C. difficile infection increased steadily from 1.0 to 1.7% with an annual incremental rate of 6.4%. Among hospitalizations with ESLD, each passing 2-year period, increasing age, female, higher Charlson index, accompanying infection, hepatorenal syndrome, and ascites were associated with C. difficile infection. Although C. difficile infection was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality during hospitalization with decompensated cirrhosis (odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.44–1.63), the proportion of in-hospital mortality during hospitalization with C. difficile infection and decompensated cirrhosis decreased from 15.4% in 2005 to 11.1% in 2014, with an annual rate of − 3.1% (95% CI − 5.7% to − 0.3%). While the prevalence of C. difficile infection in hospitalized patients with ESLD increased approximately twofold, the in-hospital mortality decreased significantly during the past decade.
Towards Microscale NFC-Enabled IoT Sensors: Physical and MAC Layer Design Analysis

Microscale sensors provide critical solutions in diverse fields, ranging from measurement, automation, and control in industrial, agricultural, and biomedical applications. However, their development is limited by many requirements and challenges, such as efficient powering and the selection of suitable wireless communication technologies. A number of wireless communication technologies have been deployed in these sensors, including terahertz (Thz) radio frequency and ultrasound. Designing sensors in micro-scale imposes challenges for any communication technique deployed. This paper investigates the use of magnetic induction-based backscatter communication in a microscale sensor. The aim here is to provide both physical and media access control (MAC) layer design analysis for a microscale mote that is powered inductively and communicates with a reader using backscattering. Magnetic induction-based communication and powering are demonstrated via analysis and simulation for the mote. Then, low-power modulation, error-correction coding, and suitable low-power MAC schemes with evidence of feasible implementation in microscale are explored. Results of the performance analysis indicate that the proposed design achieves communication at a range of at least a few centimeters (5–6 cm) with an acceptable bit error rate (BER). Finally, MAC layer analysis reveals the optimum number of motes to be deployed for various read delays and transmission rates.
Technical Note: A simulation study on the feasibility of radiotherapy dose enhancement with calcium tungstate and hafnium oxide nano- and microparticles

Purpose To assess the radiotherapy dose enhancement (RDE) potential of calcium tungstate (CaWO4) and hafnium oxide (HfO2) nano- and microparticles (NPs). A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to gauge their respective RDE potentials relative to that of the broadly studied gold (Au) NP. The study was warranted due to the promising clinical and preclinical studies involving both CaWO4 and HfO2 NPs as RDE agents in the treatment of various types of cancers. The study provides a baseline RDE to which future experimental RDE trends can be compared to. Methods All three materials were investigated in silico with the software Penetration and Energy Loss of Positrons and Electrons (PENELOPE 2014) developed by Francesc Salvat and distributed in the United States by the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center (RSICC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The work utilizes the extensively studied Au NP as the “gold standard” for a baseline. The key metric used in the evaluation of the materials was the local dose enhancement factor (DEFloc). An additional metric used, termed the relative enhancement ratio (RER), evaluates material performance at the same mass concentrations. Results The results of the study indicate that Au has the strongest RDE potential using the DEFloc metric. HfO2 and CaWO4 both underperformed relative to Au with lower DEFloc of 2-3× and 4-100×, respectively. Conclusions The computational investigation predicts the RDE performance ranking to be: Au > HfO2 > CaWO4. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Leveraging the happy meal effect: Substituting food with modest nonfood incentives decreases portion size choice

Despite much effort to decrease food intake by altering portion sizes, "super-sized" meals are the preferred choice of many. This research investigated the extent to which individuals can be subtly incentivized to choose smaller portion sizes. Three randomized experiments (2 in the lab and 1 in the field) established that individuals' choice of full-sized food portions is reduced when they are given the opportunity to choose a half-sized version with a modest nonfood incentive. This substitution effect was robust across different nonfood incentives, foods, populations, and time. Experiment 1 established the effect with children, using inexpensive headphones as nonfood incentives. Experiment 2--a longitudinal study across multiple days--generalized this effect with adults, using the mere chance to win either gift cards or frequent flyer miles as nonfood incentives. Experiment 3 demonstrated the effect among actual restaurant customers who had originally planned to eat a full-sized portion, using the mere chance to win small amounts of money. Our investigation broadens the psychology of food portion choice from perceptual and social factors to motivational determinants.
Effects of forcing scale and intensity on the emergence and maintenance of polar vortices on Saturn and Ice Giants

Abstract We present numerical simulations to systematically explore the differences in the formation and maintenance of polar vortices under Saturnian (“S-Regime”) and Ice Giant (“I-Regime”) dynamical conditions. The wide variation of polar vortices observed on the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn by the Juno and Cassini spacecraft, respectively, and on the ice giants Uranus and Neptune by ground- and space-based telescopes, was recently captured in simulations by Brueshaber et al. (2019) (hereafter, ‘B19’) using the EPIC shallow-water numerical model. B19, expanding on a prior finding by O’Neill et al. (2015), reconfirmed this prior discovery that the dynamical regimes of giant planet polar vortices are controlled primarily by the planetary Burger number, B u = ( L d 0 ∕ a ) 2 , where L d 0 is the first-baroclinic deformation length at the pole, and a is the planetary radius. Small B u , matching estimates for Jupiter produce a Jupiter-like regime of multiple circumpolar cyclones (“J-Regime”). Larger B u , matching estimates of B u for Saturn and the Ice Giants, both produce a single cyclone over each pole; the resulting polar vortex has a larger diameter in the I-Regime than in the S-Regime. However, B19 found that the effect of B u alone was not sufficient to explain the differences in the polar vortices in the S- and I-Regimes. B19 speculated that the turbulent forcing scale and intensity had an impact on the size of the resulting polar vortices, which motivate the current study. Here, like in B19, we employ a shallow-water model forced by mass pulses that represent thunderstorms in which positive/negative mass pulses geostrophically adjust to form anticyclones/cyclones. We develop a new four-parameter experimental design to systematically test the role of (1) storm size, and (2) storm wind speed. In addition, we (3) investigate the role of the storm polarity fraction (the fraction of small-scale anticyclones to cyclones), using (4) B u values that sample the S- and I-Regimes. Our results provide new key insights into the dynamics of solitary polar cyclones that emerge on giant planets as a result of moist-convective forcing. We find that the wind speed of the polar cyclones within S- and I-Regimes is substantially influenced by storm size, storm wind speed, and storm polarity fraction. The radius of the polar cyclone is also influenced by the storm polarity fraction, but, is not influenced by the storm size or storm wind speed. Our new results clarify the role of storm forcing on the intensity and size of S- and I-Regime polar cyclones. Lastly, we resolve the conundrum found in B19 regarding polar cyclone circulations, providing a more dynamically consistent set of results of classifying polar cyclones into dynamical regimes based on B u .
The SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain preferentially recognizes blood group A.

The RBD of SARS-CoV-2 shares sequence similarity with an ancient lectin family known to bind blood group antigens. SARS-CoV-2 RBD binds the blood group A expressed on respiratory epithelial cells, directly linking blood group A and SARS-CoV-2.
Efficacy of 5-Fluorouracil by Continuous Infusion as a Radiopotentiator — Anal and Rectal Carcinoma

The conventional treatment for both rectal and anal carcinomas remains surgery, with a characteristic 5-year survival rate of approximately 50% at each disease site (Enbald and Adami 1988). The role of radiation therapy in the management of these diseases was not recognized until fairly recently; initially radiation therapy played a palliative role but was not regarded with favor as either a definitive or an adjunct modality. Early suboptimal equipment and poor quality of delivery, coupled with disappointing results and significant morbidity, caused surgeons to remain antagonistic. Once supervoltage irradiation became available, results improved and it was possible to treat patients to tumoricidal doses within normal tissue tolerance dose levels.
Myosin‐X facilitates Shigella‐induced membrane protrusions and cell‐to‐cell spread

The intracellular pathogen Shigella flexneri forms membrane protrusions to spread from cell to cell. As protrusions form, myosin-X (Myo10) localizes to Shigella. Electron micrographs of immunogold-labelled Shigella-infected HeLa cells reveal that Myo10 concentrates at the bases and along the sides of bacteria within membrane protrusions. Time-lapse video microscopy shows that a full-length Myo10 GFP-construct cycles along the sides of Shigella within the membrane protrusions as these structures progressively lengthen. RNAi knock-down of Myo10 is associated with shorter protrusions with thicker stalks, and causes a >80% decrease in confluent cell plaque formation. Myo10 also concentrates in membrane protrusions formed by another intracellular bacteria, Listeria, and knock-down of Myo10 also impairs Listeria plaque formation. In Cos7 cells (contain low concentrations of Myo10), the expression of full-length Myo10 nearly doubles Shigella-induced protrusion length, and lengthening requires the head domain, as well as the tail-PH domain, but not the FERM domain. The GFP-Myo10-HMM domain localizes to the sides of Shigella within membrane protrusions and the GFP-Myo10-PH domain localizes to host cell membranes. We conclude thatMyo10 generates the force to enhance bacterial-induced protrusions by binding its head region to actin filaments and its PH tail domain to the peripheral membrane.
Strawberry Cultivar Trial

The purpose of this multiyear study is to compare the performance of newer strawberry cultivars with popular Iowa-grown older cultivars under soil and environmental conditions at the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm.
Introduction to Satellite Communications

The successful implementation of satellite wireless communications requires robust air links providing the uplink and downlink paths for the communications signal. A detailed knowledge of the types of atmospheric effects that impact satellite communications and the means to predict and model them for application to communications link design and performance is essential for wireless satellite link engineering. This chapter provides some of the basic definitions and parameters used in the satellite communications industry, which will be utilized in the evaluation and analysis of satellite communications systems design and performance. It introduces the satellite orbit terms for the most common types of orbits used in satellite communications. The frequency of operation is perhaps the major determining factor in the design and performance of a satellite communications link. The chapter provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.
In silico predictions of Escherichia coli metabolic capabilities are consistent with experimental data

A significant goal in the post-genome era is to relate the annotated genome sequence to the physiological functions of a cell. Working from the annotated genome sequence, as well as biochemical and physiological information, it is possible to reconstruct complete metabolic networks. Furthermore, computational methods have been developed to interpret and predict the optimal performance of a metabolic network under a range of growth conditions. We have tested the hypothesis that Escherichia coli uses its metabolism to grow at a maximal rate using the E. coli MG1655 metabolic reconstruction. Based on this hypothesis, we formulated experiments that describe the quantitative relationship between a primary carbon source (acetate or succinate) uptake rate, oxygen uptake rate, and maximal cellular growth rate. We found that the experimental data were consistent with the stated hypothesis, namely that the E. coli metabolic network is optimized to maximize growth under the experimental conditions considered. This study thus demonstrates how the combination of in silico and experimental biology can be used to obtain a quantitative genotype-phenotype relationship for metabolism in bacterial cells.
Solar cycle effects on parallel electric field acceleration of auroral electron beams

[1] We present the occurrence frequency of downgoing auroral electron beams in magnetic local time and invariant latitude, and the dependence on solar cycle, as indicated by F10.7, on whether the ionospheric foot point of the satellite is illuminated or dark, and on the energy flux carried by the electrons. As previously reported, we find that the occurrence of electron beams peaks in the premidnight local time sector and that solar illumination at the foot point (solar zenith angle) reduces both the occurrence and energy of the electron beams. The effect of solar maximum conditions (indicated by F10.7) is almost as large as the effect of the solar zenith angle. The characteristic energy of the electron beams is dependent on the energy flux carried, in addition to both solar zenith angle and F10.7. The beam energy (and therefore the parallel potential drop) is ~1.6 times higher for during solar minimum than during solar maximum for both dark and illuminated foot points. The beam energy during dark solar minimum conditions is a factor of ~3 more than during sunlit minimum conditions. The “area” covered by intense aurora is also reduced during solar maximum, for both sunlit and dark conditions. There is no evidence that the statistical results are due to the fact that acceleration via parallel electric fields moves to lower latitudes during solar maximum.
Differential regulation of the N-myc gene in transfected cells and transgenic mice

The N-myc gene is expressed specifically in the early developmental stages of numerous cell lineages. To assay for sequences that could potentially regulate N-myc expression, we transfected constructs that contained murine N-myc genomic sequences linked to a reporter gene and genomic clones that contained the complete human or murine N-myc genes into cell lines that either express or do not express the endogenous N-myc gene. Following either transient or stable transfection, the introduced N-myc sequences were expressed regardless of the expression status of the endogenous gene. In contrast, when the clones containing the complete human N-myc gene were introduced into the germline of transgenic mice, expression in some transgenic lines paralleled the tissue- and stage-specific expression of the endogenous murine gene. These findings demonstrate differences in the regulation of N-myc genes in recipient cells following in vitro versus in vivo introduction, suggesting that early developmental events may play a role in the regulation of N-myc expression.