cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy-aware routing to a mobile gateway in wireless sensor networks

Almost all of the energy-aware routing protocols that have been proposed for wireless sensor networks aim at optimizing network performance while relaying data to a static nan gateway (sink). However, mobility of the gateway can make routes established through such contemporary protocols, unstable and non-optimal. The use of mobile gateways introduces a non-traditional trade-off between the need for frequent re-routing to ensure optimal network operation and the desire for minimizing the overhead of topology management. In this paper, we propose an energy aware mechanism for efficient and continual data delivery to a moving gateway. Our approach tracks the distance of the gateway from the last hops to the gateway, and dynamically adjust the routes either via increasing the last hop nodes' radio ranges or introducing new forwarder nodes as part of the routes. Rerouting is triggered when the current routes become unacceptably inefficient. The presented approach is validated in a simulation environment.
REMOVAL OF RADIOPAQUE ORGANIC IODINE FROM SERUM HORMONAL IODINE--USE OF BLAU'S REAGENT COUPLED WITH COUNTERCURRENT DISTRIBUTION.

By treatment with a combination of Blau's reagent and countercurrent distribution, serum hormonal iodine can be separated from iodinated compounds used for x-ray contrast and the metabolites of such dyes. The regular procedure for BEI is first tried on samples containing such materials. Countercurrent distribution, either a short procedure with a small manual machine or a 200-tube procedure with an automatic machine, is used where the BEI procedure is inadequate. The solvent system used is secbutanol: 3.7% (wt) aqueous ammonia, 1:1. All samples for countercurrent distribution are treated with Blau's solution. Some correlation between chemical structure and successful purification procedures is noted; the oils such as Lipiodol are removed more easily than the usual aromatic iodinated compounds which are closer chemically to theodothyronines. Evidence for formation of metabolites and decomposition products or both is found in the case of Cholografin methylglucamine, Telepaque and Lipiodol by countercurrent ...
The importance of fungi in shaping the paleoecosystem

Although fungi have a long geologic history, many aspects regarding their origins and subsequent evolution remain impossible to document from the fossil record. As heterotrophs, fungi must interact with other organisms, and it is here that the fossil record can provide an important source of biological and paleoecological information about fungal interactions. Saprophytic, parasitic and biotrophic interactions among fungi and other organisms are ancient; examples of these interrelationships are discussed as they relate to the establishment and evolution of the biological and physical paleoecosystem.
Greenhouse warming by nitrous oxide and methane in the Proterozoic Eon.

An anoxic, sulfidic ocean that may have existed during the Proterozoic Eon (0.54–2.4 Ga) would have had limited trace metal abundances because of the low solubility of metal sulfides. The lack of copper, in particular, could have had a significant impact on marine denitrification. Copper is needed for the enzyme that controls the final step of denitrification, from N_2O to N_2. Today, only about 5–6% of denitrification results in release of N_2O. If all denitrification stopped at N_2O during the Proterozoic, the N2O flux could have been 15–20 times higher than today, producing N_2O concentrations of several ppmv, but only if O_2 levels were relatively high (>0.1 PAL). At lower O_2 levels, N_2O is rapidly photodissociated. Methane concentrations may also have been elevated during this time, as has been previously suggested. A lack of dissolved O_2 and sulfate in the deep ocean could have produced a high methane flux from marine sediments, as much as 10–20 times today’s methane flux from land. The photochemical lifetime of CH_4 increases as more CH_4 is added to the atmosphere, so CH_4 concentrations of up to 100 ppmv are possible during this time. The combined greenhouse effect of CH_4 and N_2O could have provided up to 10° of warming, thereby keeping the surface warm during the Proterozoic without necessitating high CO_2 levels. A second oxygenation event near the end of the Proterozoic would have resulted in a reduction in both atmospheric N_2O and CH_4, perhaps triggering the Neoproterozoic "Snowball Earth" glaciations.
Digging Deeper: the Laddering Interview, a Tool for Surfacing Values:

Personally held values play a fundamental role in business. As such, it is critical that students understand the nature of values pertaining to the workplace. Using an innovative classroom exercise...
At the interface of social cognition and psychometrics: Manipulating the sex of the reference class modulates sex differences in personality traits

Abstract Psychometric surveys suggest that sex differences in personality are minimal. Herein, we argue that (a) the mind is likely biased toward assessing oneself relative to same-sex others, and (b) this bias may affect the measurement of sex differences in personality. In support of this, an experiment demonstrates modulation of sex differences on the HEXACO facets by manipulating the sex of the “reference class”—the group of people subjects compare themselves to when making self-assessments on survey items. Although patterns varied across traits, sex differences were relatively small in the “unspecified” and “same-sex” reference class conditions—but substantially larger in the “opposite-sex” condition. These findings point to a same-sex comparison bias that may impact the measurement of sex differences in personality.
Phosphors by Design: Approaches Toward the Development of Advanced Luminescent Materials

1Replacing inefficient incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED) technology is one of the best opportunities to dramatically reduce energy use due to their outstanding efficiency. 2 LED lights have additional advantages of longer lifetimes compared to incandescent bulbs, they are compact in physical size, and they are composed of environmentally benign materials, unlike compact fluorescent bulbs that contain toxic heavy metals. This has led to the use of LEDs in a range of applications from indicator lights to display backlighting; yet, to truly impact global energy use, their use is necessary in homes as general white luminaries. There are three principle strategies for creating a useful broad spectrum white light from a monochromatic LED. 3,4 One employs multiple LEDs, e.g., red, green, and blue, in a single device, as illustrated in Fig. 1a. Although viable, the low efficiency and shorter lifetime of green LEDs along with the need for complex circuitry prevents the current widespread use of these devices. Another solution uses a UV (or near-UV) LED in combination with three (red, green, and blue) inorganic phosphors (Fig. 1b). Here, the narrow LED emission is completely converted to longer wavelengths by three rareearth substituted inorganic phosphors that when blended in the correct ratios produces white light. The third, and industry standard approach, is to generate white light by using rare-earth substituted (usually Ce 3+
Expanding pharmacy's reach across the care continuum.

As health-system pharmacists, we take great pride in our ability to manage patients’ drug therapy. Our skills and competencies have increased substantially. Pharmacists now interact with other health care professionals on a regular basis, have committed themselves to improving medication systems,
The Motivations behind Child Welfare Work

This report seeks to explore the findings of a qualitative research study concerning the motivations behind child welfare work. Child welfare is a major field within the social work profession that demands a great deal of expertise and effort from workers. Professionals employed as case managers within the child welfare field are held accountable for a wide variety of social work roles, often placing these individuals at risk of emotional trauma and high levels of work-related stress. Due to this, workers who remain in the field for extensive periods of time often experience strong sensations of purpose relative to their work. Our study found that child welfare caseworkers were motivated by altruism and a deep desire to improve the lives of their clients. They were also kept motivated by the successes that came from time to time. While trials seem to be experienced on a regular basis, child welfare caseworkers generally found their work to be a positive presence within the families they serve. Further research is needed to expound upon the findings of this study.
A Mixture Theory for Suspensions

There are a wide variety of engineering problems involving suspensions of particles in a fluid. In many cases, it is important to be able to predict the rheological properties of the suspension in the situation of interest. Classically, this problem has been addressed from the micromechanical point of view.1 That is, the detailed behavior of an individual particle in the flow field is determined, often with the aid of kinematical simplifying assumptions. Then, assuming that the suspension is dilute so that interactions between the particles are negligible, a rheological equation of state for the suspension is developed. Inherent to this approach is the assumption that the length scale of the gross motion of the suspension is much larger than the average particle size.
A statewide controlled trial intervention to reduce use of unproven or ineffective breast cancer care.

Abstract Background Challenged by public opinion, peers and the Congressional Budget Office, medical specialty societies have begun to develop “Top Five” lists of expensive procedures that do not provide meaningful benefit to at least some categories of patients for whom they are commonly ordered. The extent to which these lists have influenced the behavior of physicians or patients, however, remains unknown. Methods We partner with a statewide consortium of health systems to examine the effectiveness of two interventions: (i) “basic” public reporting and (ii) an “enhanced” intervention, augmenting public reporting with a smart phone-based application that gives providers just-in-time information, decision-making tools, and personalized patient education materials to support reductions in the use of eight breast cancer interventions targeted by Choosing Wisely® or oncology society guidelines. Our aims are: (1) to examine whether basic public reporting reduces use of targeted breast cancer practices among a contemporary cohort of patients with incident breast cancer in the intervention state relative to usual care in comparison states; (2) to examine the effectiveness of the enhanced intervention relative to the basic intervention; and (3) to simulate cost savings forthcoming from nationwide implementation of both interventions. Discussion The results will provide rigorous evidence regarding the effectiveness of a unique all-payer, all-age public reporting system for influencing provider behavior that may be easily exportable to other states, and potentially also to large healthcare systems. Findings will be further relevant to the ACO environment, which is expected to provide financial disincentives for ineffective or unproven care. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number pending.
90° hybrid-coupler based phase-interpolation phase-shifter for phased-array applications at W-band and beyond

This paper presents a 90° hybrid-coupler based passive phase interpolator that is utilized to design a W-band 5-bit phase shifter in 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS process. In the proposed phase shifter, amplitude weighting is made first by VGAs. Then, a 90°-hybrid performs I/Q phase splitting and phase interpolation to synthesize all four quadrant phases. In this way, the accuracy of the phase synthesis is less vulnerable to an amplifier loading effect. Further, by cascading all building blocks with a low matched impedance the phase shifter will be less sensitive to parasitic capacitance, suitable for mm-Wave applications. The phase shifter is optimized for a transmitter application and the measured peak-to-peak gain variation for all 5-bit phase states is 4.8–9.7 dB at 94 GHz. The measured rms gain error is < 1.6 dB over 93–108 GHz. The measured RMS phase error is < 1.5° at 94 GHz. The input and output P−1dB is −13 dBm and −4.7 dBm, respectively, at 94 GHz. The chip consumes 37 mW from 2.2 V supply voltage. The chip size is 1.87×0.75 mm2.
The Use of a Novel NanoLuc -Based Reporter Phage for the Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Rapid detection of the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 is of vital importance for public health worldwide. Among detection methods, reporter phages represent unique and sensitive tools for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 from food as they are host-specific and able to differentiate live cells from dead ones. Upon infection, target bacteria become identifiable since reporter genes are expressed from the engineered phage genome. The E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage ΦV10 was modified to express NanoLuc luciferase (Nluc) derived from the deep-sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. Once infected by the ΦV10 reporter phage, E. coli O157:H7 produces a strong bioluminescent signal upon addition of commercial luciferin (Nano-Glo®). Enrichment assays using E. coli O157:H7 grown in LB broth with a reporter phage concentration of 1.76 × 102 pfu ml−1 are capable of detecting approximately 5 CFU in 7 hours. Comparable detection was achieved within 9 hours using 9.23 × 103 pfu ml−1 of phage in selective culture enrichments of ground beef as a representative food matrix. Therefore we conclude that this NanoLuc reporter phage assay shows promise for detection of E. coli O157:H7 from food in a simple, fast and sensitive manner.
Coronary Blood Flow Measurements

Measuring coronary blood flow and pressure provides unique information that complements the angiographic evaluation and facilitates decision-making regarding therapy. Precise quantification of stenosis severity by angiography is limited by the inability to provide accurate two or three dimensional resolution on coronary “luminograms”. The limitations of coronary angiography have been well documented by comparisons to intravascular ultrasound and ischemic stress testing. Direct measurement of coronary blood flow velocity and distal perfusion pressures allow the interventional cardiologist to have a complete assessment of both coronary anatomy and physiology.
Investigating the impacts of avatar gender, avatar age, and region theme on avatar physical activity in the virtual world

This study proposed a research model to examine the impacts of avatar gender, avatar age, and location (region theme) on avatars' physical activity. Each construct was measured at two levels: male and female for avatar gender, young and old for avatar age, commercial transaction and help-supporting for region theme, and high-active and low-active for avatar physical activity. The model was tested on Second Life, one of the most popular virtual worlds. An advanced data collection technique was created and applied to gather large-scale behavior data from real virtual-world residents in Second Life. To test the model and hypotheses, both the main effects and detailed interaction effects of the three factors were analyzed. Overall, the data analysis results indicated that in general male avatars were more physically active than female avatars, young avatars were more physically active than old avatars, and avatars in commercial transaction regions (for buying and selling virtual goods) were more physically active than avatars in help-supporting regions (for seeking or offering help). Impacts of avatar gender, age, and region theme on physical activity were examined.Large-scale data from real virtual-world residents in Second Life were collected.In general, male avatars were more physically active than female avatars.In general, young avatars were more physically active than old avatars.Avatars were more physically active in shopping-related than help-related regions.
Comparison of Platelet-Rich Plasma Serotonin Level and Quantitative Neutrophil PRV-1 Assay in Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders.

In a prospective study of 100 subjects, an ELISA assay was used to measure platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serotonin levels in patients with polycythemia vera (PV; n=26), essential thrombocythemia (ET; n=14), myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM; n=26), secondary or spurious polycythemia (SP; n=20) and controls (n=14). Neutrophil PRV-1 expression was concurrently assayed by real-time PCR in 69 patients (23 PV, 17 SP, 12 ET, 7 MMM, 10 controls). Table 1 outlines the median and range of measured values across the different study groups. Table 1 A highly significant difference (p PRV-1 expression in each of the three myeloproliferative disease variants. Tests of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in distinguishing PV from SP were 92, 95, and 93% for the PRP serotonin assay and 78, 95, 86% for neutrophil PRV-1 assay, respectively. The current study suggests that PRP serotonin concentration might be considered as one of several biological markers that complement each other for the diagnosis of PV.
A near-optimal sampling strategy for sparse recovery of polynomial chaos expansions

Abstract Compressive sampling has become a widely used approach to construct polynomial chaos surrogates when the number of available simulation samples is limited. Originally, these expensive simulation samples would be obtained at random locations in the parameter space. It was later shown that the choice of sample locations could significantly impact the accuracy of resulting surrogates. This motivated new sampling strategies or design-of-experiment approaches, such as coherence-optimal sampling, which aim at improving the coherence property. In this paper, we propose a sampling strategy that can identify near-optimal sample locations that lead to improvement in local-coherence property and also enhancement of cross-correlation properties of measurement matrices. We provide theoretical motivations for the proposed sampling strategy along with several numerical examples that show that our near-optimal sampling strategy produces substantially more accurate results, compared to other sampling strategies.
Reading against the grain, finding the voices of the detained

ABSTRACTEvery day approximately 34,000 people are held in immigration detention centers across the United States, including asylum seekers fleeing persecution and violence. Yet they are often invisible in our public discourse about immigration and mass incarceration. For the Humanities Action Lab’s States of Incarceration traveling exhibition, students at Rutgers University–Newark researched a “riot” that occurred at a New Jersey detention center in 1995. To center the voices of the detainees, we used the technique of reading against the grain, or interpreting documentary evidence to gain information counter to the perspective of the original creators, with news articles, photos, and legal depositions. This article discusses difficulties finding archival information about immigration detention and using the practice of reading against the grain to emphasize the agency of detainees, developing a practice of use to museum professionals eager to contend with contemporary social issues when there are few or c...
Blurring the Margins: Ardalén (2012) and Coleective Memory in Spain

The title of Miguelanxo Prado’s Ardalen is a word invented by its author, but which refers to a real phenomenon: a long-distance wind that carries the scent of salt and sea far inland from the coast. In the fictional tale, this sea breeze carries with it not just air and smells, but also stories, as well as living sea creatures. Appropriate to its title, this winner of the 2012 National Spanish Comics Prize blurs lines between the real and the imaginary, between self and other, between land and sea, and between life and death. Blurry margins exist metaphorically in the book’s story as well as visually in its images, both within its panels and in its gutters. Drawing on Anne Whitehead’s recent discussion of modes of inscription and collective memory, this article explores the representation of memory and the fantastic in Miguelanxo Prado’s 2012 graphic novel Ardalen, noting the strong implications of Ardalen’s main character’s incapacity to distinguish between what he lived and what he heard in the context of the Recovery of Historical Memory in Spain’s early 21st century.
The Role of Echocardiography in the Surgical Management of Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease

The mitral valve has a complicated 3D structure made up multiple, distinct anatomical components. The entire unit is situated in the left atrioventricular groove allowing blood to move freely from the left atrium into a relaxed left ventricle during diastole. In order to correctly identify lesions and describe dysfunction of the mitral valve unit, it is important to understand the complex physiology of each component. The following paragraphs will, therefore, explore in detail the mitral valve annulus, leaflets, commissures, chordae, papillary muscles, and left ventricle.
Meta-Analysis of Culprit-Only Versus Multivessel Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Coronary Disease

Recently, several randomized controlled trials (RCT) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD) have compared a strategy of routine multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed either as a single procedure or as staged procedures to culprit-only PCI. All of these trials have been underpowered for clinical end points. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for RCT comparing multivessel PCI with culprit-only PCI in patients with STEMI and MVD. The primary efficacy outcome was the composite rate of death or MI. Other efficacy outcomes included death, MI, and repeat revascularization. Safety outcomes were contrast-associated acute kidney injury, stroke, and major bleeding. Pairwise direct comparison and mixed-treatment comparison network meta-analyses were performed. Eleven trials that enrolled 3,150 patients with a total of 5,296 patient-years of follow-up were included. In direct comparison meta-analysis, single-procedure multivessel PCI was associated with a reduction in the risk of death or MI (rate ratio [RR] = 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37 to 0.73; p 2 = 0) was present between studies. In contrast, staged multivessel PCI did not significantly reduce death or MI compared with culprit-only PCI. Both multivessel PCI strategies reduced the risk of repeat revascularization without significant differences in safety outcomes. Results were consistent in the mixed-treatment comparison meta-analysis. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis suggests that single-procedure multivessel PCI may be the preferred strategy in patients with STEMI and MVD.
The Effect of Packaging and Instruction on Outpatient Compliance with Medication Regimens

The effect of packaging and instruction on outpatient compliance with medication regimens was evaluated. Data derived from pill count assessments of patient prescriptions demonstrated marked differ...
Risk Factors of Sexual Assault and Victimization Among Youth in Custody

Research suggests that youth are at higher risk of sexual assault and victimization while in custody than adult inmates. However, compared with adult inmates, very little is known about the risk factors associated with such violence among youth in custody. Without sufficient research on risk factors associated with sexual assault and victimization among youth in custody, practitioners and policy makers may be reliant on the adult literature when making decisions about how to address and prevent such violence among juveniles. This article seeks to determine if extrapolating data from the substantial prison literature is appropriate by assessing the parallels between risk factors of sexual assault and victimization among youth in custody and those identified for adult inmates. This study uses data of 8,659 youth from the second administration of the National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC-2) to assess correlates of sexual assault and victimization during periods of detention. Study findings show that experiences with assault and victimization prior to the present period of detention were stronger indicators of sexual assault and victimization while in custody than youth characteristics and demographics and other experiences with assault and victimization. Further, there are differences in risk factors associated with sexual assault and victimization among youth in custody compared to adult inmates, which emphasizes the risk of prior sexual assault and victimization in the community and prior custodial settings.
Linguistic type-frequency in preschool boys and girls with and without hearing loss

Linguistic type-frequency, how many different lexical types are used, has been examined in usage-based models of child language acquisition. In general, it has been shown that exposure to greater type-frequencies increases children’s productive use of language and that language in turn bootstraps later development including language and literacy. It is not currently known if pediatric hearing loss impacts the type-frequency of those children’s early communicative productions. In this study, we used a public database available via HomeBank [http://homebank.talkbank.org] to examine the type-frequency in 53 cognitively intact children, 37 with mild to moderate hearing loss (HL) and 16 peers who were typically-developing (TD). For each child, we analyzed 15 minutes of high volubility from a representative daylong recording collected in a natural family setting via an audio recorder worn by the child. Results indicate a main effect of sex favoring girls, but no main effect of HL. There were, however, interacti...
Isotopic composition of sinking particles: Oil effects, recovery and baselines in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010–2015

The extensive release of oil during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico perturbed the pelagic ecosystem and associated sinking material. To gauge the recovery and post-spill baseline sources, we measured Δ14C, δ13C and δ34S of sinking particles near the spill site and at a reference site and natural seep site. Particulates were collected August 2010–April 2016 in sediment traps moored at sites with depths of 1160–1660 m. Near the spill site, changes in Δ14C indicated a 3-year recovery period, while δ34S indicated 1–2 years, which agreed with estimates of 1–2 years based on hydrocarbon composition. Under post-spill baseline conditions, carbon inputs to sinking particulates in the northern Gulf were dominated by surface marine production (80–85%) and riverine inputs (15–20%). Near the spill site, Δ14C values were depleted in October 2010 (–140 to –80‰), increasing systematically by 0.07 ± 0.02‰ day–1 until July 2013 when values reached –3.2 ± 31.0‰. This Δ14C baseline was similar to particulates at the reference site (3.8 ± 31.1‰). At both sites, δ13C values stayed constant throughout the study period (–21.9 ± 0.5‰ and –21.9 ± 0.9‰, respectively). δ34S near the spill site was depleted (7.4 ± 3.1‰) during October 2010–September 2011, but enriched (16.9 ± 2.0‰) and similar to the reference site (16.2 ± 3.1‰) during November 2012–April 2015. At the seep site, Δ14C values were –21.7 ± 45.7‰ except during August 2012–January 2013 when a significant Δ14C depletion of –109.0 ± 29.1‰ was observed. We interpret this depletion period, also observed in δ13C data, as caused by the incorporation of naturally seeped oil into sinking particles. Determination of post-spill baselines for these isotopic signatures allows for evaluation of anthropogenic inputs in future.
Risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma incorporating revised IMWG diagnostic criteria.

In 2014, the International Myeloma Working Group reclassified patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) and bone marrow-plasma cell percentage (BMPC%) ≥ 60%, or serum free light chain ratio (FLCr) ≥ 100 or >1 focal lesion on magnetic resonance imaging as multiple myeloma (MM). Predictors of progression in patients currently classified as SMM are not known. We identified 421 patients with SMM, diagnosed between 2003 and 2015. The median time to progression (TTP) was 57 months (CI, 45–72). BMPC% > 20% [hazard ratio (HR): 2.28 (CI, 1.63–3.20); p 2g/dL [HR: 1.56 (CI, 1.11–2.20); p = 0.01], and FLCr > 20 [HR: 2.13 (CI, 1.55–2.93); p 20%, M-protein > 2 g/dL, and FLCr > 20 at diagnosis can be used to risk stratify patients with SMM. Patients with high-risk SMM need close follow-up and are candidates for clinical trials aiming to prevent progression.
Coronary Stents and Subsequent Surgery: Reported Provider Attitudes and Practice Patterns:

Management of antiplatelet therapy in patients with cardiac stents who need subsequent surgery is complex. Current guidelines recommend delaying elective surgery or, if surgery is emergent, proceeding without aspirin cessation. This study assessed provider knowledge, attitudes, and practices for patients with cardiac stents needing subsequent surgery. A national survey was administered to Veterans Administration surgeons, anesthesiologists, and cardiologists. Questions examined guideline awareness and agreement, perceptions of bleeding risk and stent thrombosis, practice patterns for antiplatelet therapy management, and experience with perioperative stent thrombosis. Chi-square tests and generalized estimating equations were used to examine differences in reported practices. Among 295 respondents, guideline awareness (92%) and agreement (93%) were high but higher among cardiologists and anesthesiologists than surgeons. Guideline agreement and personal experience with stent thrombosis were also associated with reported practice patterns. In adjusted models for early surgeries, cardiologists and anesthesiologists were more likely to report continuation of dual therapy as compared with surgeons regardless of stent type (drug-elutingP 5 0.03; bare metalP\0.01). Despite successful guideline adoption, significant variations in practice patterns by provider type were found. Understanding reasons behind the variation and outcomes of various antiplatelet management strategies are important steps in optimizing care of patients with coronary stents undergoing noncardiac surgery.
Coping After a Relationship Ends

The most typical form of romantic/sexual relationships in our society today is that of serial monogamy. Though our culture still plays lipservice through the mass media to the idea of one great love, the actual experience of the vast majority of our citizens involves an extended series of greater, or lesser, loves. Dating, for example, now begins at an extremely early age and lasts longer as the average age at first marriage has risen over the last decade Divorce has become commonplace and so has remarriage. Never before in human history have so many people had so many romantic/sexual involvements.
End-of-life care: evolution of the nurse's role.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe nurses' expanded roles during end-of-life patient care considering changing attitudes toward death and the use of increased technology in medical care. DATA SOURCES: Books, journals, and professional exchange. DATA SYNTHESIS: Historical and currently changing attitudes toward death and medical technology have led to nurses increased involvement in end-of-life patient care activities. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses assume important roles in the end-of-life care of patients. Their roles, which still are evolving, are influenced by individual patient wishes, attitudinal changes toward death, technologic advances in medical care, and changing laws. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses today do more than merely provide comfort care to dying patients. They also assist patients in making difficult decisions regarding care and making choices regarding death. This expanded nursing role must continue to be recognized, developed, and evaluated in order to provide quality outcomes, even in situations where death is inevitable.
Unification of Seismic Performance Estimation and Real Estate Investment Analysis to Model Post-Earthquake Building Repair Decisions

Post earthquake decisions on whether to repair or to demolish and rebuild a damaged commercial building can be influenced by factors other than repair costs. These factors include the property's ab...
Performance differences between face-to-face and online students in economics

The author analyzes differences in student performance in an economics course offered face to face (F2F) and online over a period of four semesters at a comprehensive public university. Apart from ...
Kir4.1/Kir5.1 Activity Is Essential for Dietary Sodium Intake-Induced Modulation of Na-Cl Cotransporter.

Background Dietary sodium intake regulates the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Whether the basolateral, inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir4.1/Kir5.1 (a heterotetramer of Kir4.1/Kir5.1) in the DCT is essential for mediating the effect of dietary sodium intake on NCC activity is unknown. Methods We used electrophysiology, renal clearance techniques, and immunoblotting to examine effects of Kir4.1/Kir5.1 in the DCT and NCC in wild-type and kidney-specific Kir4.1 knockout mice. Results Low sodium intake stimulated basolateral Kir4.1/Kir5.1 activity, increased basolateral K + conductance, and hyperpolarized the membrane. Conversely, high sodium intake inhibited the potassium channel, decreased basolateral K + currents, and depolarized the membrane. Low sodium intake increased total and phosphorylated NCC expression and augmented hydrochlorothiazide-induced natriuresis; high sodium intake had opposite effects. Thus, elevated NCC activity induced by low sodium intake was associated with upregulation of Kir4.1/Kir5.1 activity in the DCT, whereas inhibition of NCC activity by high sodium intake was associated with diminished Kir4.1/Kir5.1 activity. In contrast, dietary sodium intake did not affect NCC activity in knockout mice. Further, Kir4.1 deletion not only abolished basolateral K + conductance and depolarized the DCT membrane, but also abrogated the stimulating effects induced by low sodium intake on basolateral K + conductance and hyperpolarization. Finally, dietary sodium intake did not alter urinary potassium excretion rate in hypokalemic knockout and wild-type mice. Conclusions Stimulation of Kir4.1/Kir5.1 by low intake of dietary sodium is essential for NCC upregulation, and inhibition of Kir4.1/Kir5.1 induced by high sodium intake is a key step for downregulation of NCC.
Output Control Techniques for Dual-Frequency SIMO Buck Converters

The recently-proposed dual-frequency single-inductor multiple-output (DF-SIMO) buck converter topology is a promising approach for enabling the implementation of multiple fully-integrated power supplies with superior dynamic and cross-regulation performance in SoCs. However, switching the input and output stages at different frequencies raises many questions about the optimum strategy for controlling such converter topology. This paper explores and analyzes the various classes of controllers that can be employed in the output stage of the DF-SIMO buck converter topology, while taking account of key comparison metrics, such as circuit complexity, stability, steady-state and dynamic performance, and the range of operating conditions each controller may be suitable for. This includes average-based voltage-mode, ripple-based charge-mode, and ripple-based voltage-mode controllers. The predictions made by the analytical expressions derived for the various controllers are verified through system-level and transistor-level circuit simulations.
Understanding fecal sludge drying in membrane-lined container-based toilets for developing countries with CFD modeling

A new sanitation technology that employs a laminated hydrophobic membrane liner as an integral component of container-based sanitation (CBS) systems was recently proposed for fecal sludge (FS) drying. Previous experimental data were described with a stagnant film model but resulted in an effective diffusive length for the laminate (λ) that increased with system scale and was not a fixed property of the laminate. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to determine λ for a commercial laminate (eVent® fabric) that is invariant with system scale, to verify the applicability of CFD modeling for describing drying from laminate-lined CBS containers, and to predict the performance of a laminate-lined 40 L toilet in a CBS system for five developing countries. CFD modeling described drying well for experimental systems ranging from centimeter to meter scale using a single, laminate-specific λ, since CFD modeling allowed accurate characterization of the temperature and relative humidity in the vicinity of the laminate. Using λ determined for the eVent laminate, drying of FS from a laminate-lined 40 L toilet was estimated for developing countries selected to cover a range of climatic conditions with an assumed loading rate of 7.8 L FS per day. CFD model predictions showed that the filling time of the laminate-lined 40 L drum increased from 5.1 days with no laminate to 5.3–9.4 days, depending on the location and wind conditions. These modest increases in filling time might be enhanced significantly for alternative container designs that allow more uniform airflow near the laminate enclosure.
Molecular simulations of analyte partitioning and diffusion in liquid crystal sensors

Chemoresponsive liquid crystal (LC) sensors are promising platforms for the detection of vapor-phase analytes. Understanding the transport of analyte molecules within LC films could guide the design of LC sensors with improved selectivity. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to quantify the partitioning and diffusion of nine small-molecule analytes, including four common atmospheric pollutants, in model systems representative of LC sensors. We first parameterize all-atom models for 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), a mesogen typically used for LC sensors, and all analytes. We validate these models by reproducing experimentally determined 5CB structural parameters, 5CB diffusivity, and analyte Henry's law constants in 5CB. Using the all-atom models, we calculate analyte solvation free energies and diffusivities in bulk 5CB. These simulation-derived quantities are then used to parameterize an analytical mass-transport model to predict sensor activation times. These results demonstrate that differences in analyte–LC interactions can translate into distinct activation times to distinguish activation by different analytes. Finally, we quantify the effect of LC composition by calculating analyte solvation free energies in TL205, a proprietary LC mixture. These calculations indicate that varying the LC composition can modulate activation times to further improve sensor selectivity. These results thus provide a computational framework for guiding LC sensor design by using molecular simulations to predict analyte transport as a function of LC composition.
A Principal’s Approach to Leadership for Social Justice: Advancing Reflective and Anti-Oppressive Practices:

This case study explores an urban elementary school principal’s efforts to advance reflective and anti-oppressive practices to counter teachers’ beliefs and behaviors toward their Black male studen...
The orbitofrontal cortex spontaneously encodes food health and contains more distinct representations for foods highest in tastiness

The human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has long been associated with food reward processing and is thought to represent modality-independent signals of value. Food tastiness and health are core attributes of many models of food choice and dietary self-control. Here we used functional neuroimaging to examine the neural representation of tastiness and health for a set of 28 food categories selected to be orthogonal with respect to both dimensions. Using representational similarity analysis, in conjunction with linear mixed-effects modeling, we demonstrate that the OFC spontaneously encodes food health, whereas tastiness was associated with greater neural dissimilarity. Subsequent analyses using model dissimilarity matrices that encode overall tastiness magnitude demonstrated that the neural representation of foods grows more distinct with increasing tastiness but not with increasing health. In a separate study, we use lexical analysis of natural language descriptions of food to show that food tastiness is associated with more elaborate descriptions of food. Together these data show not only that the OFC spontaneously encodes the dimensions of health and tastiness when viewing appetitive food cues, but also that the neural and cognitive representations of food categories that are the highest in tastiness are more refined than those lower in tastiness.
Predatory selection of mucoid, antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas putida phenotype by myxobacterium Cystobacter ferrugineus

Predation contributes to the structure and diversity of microbial communities. Predatory myxobacteria are ubiquitous to a variety of microbial habitats and capably consume a broad diversity of microbial prey. Predator-prey experiments utilizing myxobacteria have provided details into predatory mechanisms and features that facilitate consumption of prey. However, prey resistance to myxobacterial predation remains underexplored, and prey resistances have been observed exclusively from predator-prey experiments that included the model myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus. Utilizing a predator-prey pairing that instead included the myxobacterium, Cystobacter ferrugineus, with Pseudomonas putida as prey, we infrequently observed surviving phenotypes capable of eluding predation. Comparative transcriptomics between P. putida unexposed to C. ferrugineus and the survivor phenotype suggested that increased expression of efflux pumps, genes associated with mucoid conversion, and various membrane features contribute to predator avoidance. The P. putida survivor phenotype was confirmed to be resistant to the antibiotics kanamycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline and to produce more alginate than predator-unexposed P. putida. Unique features observed from the survivor phenotype including small colony variation, efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance, and increased mucoid conversion overlap with traits associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa predator avoidance and pathogenicity. The survivor phenotype also benefited from increased predator resistance during subsequent predation assays. These results demonstrate the utility of myxobacterial predator-prey models and provide insight into prey resistances in response to predatory stress might contribute to the phenotypic diversity and structure of bacterial communities.
Applications of thick rigid flat-folding origami to practical objects

This paper presents an approach to rigid flat origami design, with applications including a portable boat and travel-size musical instrument. The conditions for rigid flat folding are summarised, and a set of procedural design guidelines are presented systematically to apply these principles, including a symmetry-based strategy for achieving additional compactness, a corner-fold insertion technique to achieve constraint in the desired shape while preserving mobility for transition to the flat configuration, and a plane-assignment algorithm for the flat configuration. The portable boat is developed from a symmetric, four-vertex origami pattern, and a simplified construction is identified through eliminating the panels which remain adjacent in the open and flat-folded configurations. The musical instrument is a modified box in the shape of an octagonal right prism, and is designed using methods similar to those used in the boat construction. Prototyping methods for both objects, and light testing, are presented.
Neural interfacing architecture enables enhanced motor control and residual limb functionality postamputation

Despite advancements in prosthetic technologies, patients with amputation today suffer great diminution in mobility and quality of life. We have developed a modified below-knee amputation (BKA) procedure that incorporates agonist-antagonist myoneural interfaces (AMIs), which surgically preserve and couple agonist-antagonist muscle pairs for the subtalar and ankle joints. AMIs are designed to restore physiological neuromuscular dynamics, enable bidirectional neural signaling, and offer greater neuroprosthetic controllability compared to traditional amputation techniques. In this prospective, nonrandomized, unmasked study design, 15 subjects with AMI below-knee amputation (AB) were matched with 7 subjects who underwent a traditional below-knee amputation (TB). AB subjects demonstrated significantly greater control of their residual limb musculature, production of more differentiable efferent control signals, and greater precision of movement compared to TB subjects (P < 0.008). This may be due to the presence of greater proprioceptive inputs facilitated by the significantly higher fascicle strains resulting from coordinated muscle excursion in AB subjects (P < 0.05). AB subjects reported significantly greater phantom range of motion postamputation (AB: 12.47 ± 2.41, TB: 10.14 ± 1.45 degrees) when compared to TB subjects (P < 0.05). Furthermore, AB subjects also reported less pain (12.25 ± 5.37) than TB subjects (17.29 ± 10.22) and a significant reduction when compared to their preoperative baseline (P < 0.05). Compared with traditional amputation, the construction of AMIs during amputation confers the benefits of enhanced physiological neuromuscular dynamics, proprioception, and phantom limb perception. Subjects' activation of the AMIs produces more differentiable electromyography (EMG) for myoelectric prosthesis control and demonstrates more positive clinical outcomes.
Regulating gene expression to achieve temporal precision

Abstract Cellular response to a stimulus is often triggered by accumulation of an appropriate gene product up to a critical threshold. How cells regulate gene expression to achieve precision in timing of such responses is a question of interest. Earlier work has shown that for a stable gene product, a constant rate of accumulation provides minimum noise in the time of response, provided that initial gene product distribution is degenerate. Here, we show that this strategy is no longer optimal if the initial gene product level is drawn from a non-degenerate distribution. We also discuss biological relevance of this finding.
Granulomatous Tubulointerstitial Nephritis in a Kidney Transplant Recipient: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

ABSTRACT Background Granulomatous tubulointerstitial nephritis (GTIN) is a rare pathologic finding on kidney biopsy. GTIN can be associated with drugs, infection, systemic granulomatous disease, and tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis syndrome. We present a case of GTIN in a kidney transplant recipient (KTR) and a literature review of published cases of GTIN in KTRs. Case Presentation A 65-year-old man with a history of pulmonary and ocular tuberculosis (TB), who had undergone deceased donor kidney transplant 8 years prior, was admitted for acute kidney injury, hypercalcemia, and uveitis. His medications included rifabutin, isoniazid, and tacrolimus. Serum laboratory tests revealed creatinine of 2.65 mg/dL (baseline 1.1-1.5 mg/dL) and corrected calcium of 13.2 mg/dL. Hypercalcemia workup showed parathyroid hormone 7 pg/mL, 1,25(OH) vitamin D 54 pg/mL, parathyroid hormone–related peptide Discussion GTIN is a rare entity seen in less than 1% of transplanted kidney biopsies. The exactly etiology of this GTIN case remains unknown. TB could not be entirely ruled out, because the patient was receiving active anti-TB therapy. Our literature review showed infection to be the leading cause of GTIN in KTRs and that GTIN with concomitant uveitis remains exceedingly rare. Steroids may be useful in certain cases.