cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Nurses' Reporting of Medication Administration Errors in Taiwan

Purpose: To describe nurses' perceptions of reporting barriers to reporting medication administration errors (MAE) and to examine the relationship between the barriers to MAE reporting and cultural factors and nursing work environment in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design with self-administered questionnaires was conducted in one large medical center hospital in southern Taiwan. The measurement tools included the Chinese versions of the Work Environment Questionnaire, Barriers to MAE Reporting, Index of Hierarchy of Authority, and Face-Concern scale. A mail survey of 807 nurses using the Total Design Method was implemented for data collection with 597 questionnaires used in data analyses. Findings: The major perceived barrier was fear. Regression analysis showed that power hierarchy, face-saving concern, and work environment factors (e.g., quality management and peer relations) accounted for 54.6% variance in the barriers. Age, educational background, working experience, experience of having made MAEs, and failure to report MAEs were not associated with the barriers. Conclusions: Taiwanese nurses perceived similar barriers to MAE reporting. The more power hierarchy and face-saving concern the nurses agreed on, the more barriers they perceived. The association between the barriers and nursing work environment was negative and weak.
Design parameters of the high gain harmonic generation experiment using Cornell undulator at the ATF

We present the design parameters of a high gain harmonic generation (HGHG) FEL experiment to be carried out at the accelerator test facility (ATF) at BNL, in collaboration with APS. This experiment is a proof-of-principle experiment for the DUV-FEL at BNL. In the HGHG experiment we plan to double the frequency of a CO/sub 2/ seed laser by utilizing a 0.76 m long 9 period undulator (named the "Mini Undulator"), a 2 m long 60 period undulator (named the "Cornell Undulator A"), and a 0.3 m electromagnet chicane (the dispersive section). The first undulator will be used in conjunction with the CO/sub 2/ seed laser to generate a ponderomotive force that will bunch the electron beam. The bunching will then be enhanced by the dispersion section. The second undulator, the Cornell Undulator A, tuned to the second harmonic of the seed laser will serve as the radiator. In the beginning of the radiator the bunched beam will produce coherent emission (characterized by a quadratic growth of the radiated power), then the radiation will be amplified exponentially. We plan to study the evolution of the various radiation growth mechanisms as well as the coherence of the doubled, exponentially amplified radiation.
How Much Does a Private School Student Count? A Critical Analysis of the Athletic Multiplier

As Catholic high schools continue to experience success in interscholastic athletic leagues, state associations have repeatedly contemplated ways to thwart the perceived Catholic school advantage. One such effort, the multiplier, receives critical assessment in this article.
Classifying and Forecasting Coastal Upwellings in Lake Michigan Using Satellite Derived Temperature Images and Buoy Data

ABSTRACT Coastal upwellings are common in the Great Lakes but have lacked enumeration and systematic classification of spatial extent, frequency, duration, and magnitude. Near real-time sea surface temperature (SST) images derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) provide indices of upwelling events, but visual inspection of daily images can be tedious. Moreover, the definition of what constitutes an upwelling from AVHRR data is subjective. We developed a semi-automated method to classify upwellings during the period of thermal stratification using daily, cloud-free surface temperature charts from AVHRR SST data. Then we statistically evaluated the location, frequency, magnitude, extent, and duration of upwelling events in Lake Michigan from 1992–2000. Further, we analyzed meteorological data from the National Data Buoy Center buoys in an attempt to improve the reliability of the classification and to provide a means for future forecast of coastal upwelling. Although variable, upwe...
The impact of recalcitrant organic character on disinfection stability, trihalomethane formation and bacterial regrowth: An evaluation of magnetic ion exchange resin (MIEX®) and alum coagulation

Two South Australian reservoir waters, Hope Valley and Myponga, were selected in this study based on the differences in the character of their organic matter. Four treatment options: (a) alum coagulation without pH adjustment; (b) alum coagulation at pH 6; (c) magnetic ion-exchange (MIEX®) resin; and (d) combined alum/MIEX® treatment, were used to compare the removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and treated water quality, particularly the formation of disinfection by-products and bacterial regrowth potential. Improved DOC removal was achieved with the inclusion of MIEX® treatment in the process. Removal of DOC under optimised treatment conditions indicated combined alum and MIEX® treatment was very similar to MIEX® alone but much better than conventional and enhanced coagulation with alum. Combined treatment (alum and MIEX®) removed 2.3 and 1.4 times the DOC of enhanced coagulation with alum from Hope Valley and Myponga respectively. The DOC remaining after each treatment strategy was different in character. The molecular weight distribution results indicated that MIEX® treatment removed a broad range of compounds, whilst alum treatment targeted the removal of high molecular weight compounds. In addition, the DOC remaining after MIEX® treatment consisted of compounds with lower specific UV absorbance (SUVA). Including MIEX® in the treatment stream provided better DOC and bromide removal thus reducing chlorine decay and trihalomethane (THM) formation. The ability of the water to support bacterial growth as measured by bacterial regrowth potential (BRP) was the lowest after MIEX® treatment (option c) compared with the three other treatments (options a, b & d). In summary, laboratory tests show that including MIEX® in the treatment process can improve treated water quality.
High performance rate adaptation on ieee 802.11 networks

IEEE 802.11 standard has evolved from the basic transmission rates in early days to multiple rates today with advanced encoding and antenna techniques. The performance of IEEE 802.11 wireless networks is supposed to benefit from the support of multiple transmission rates. To take advantage of multiple available rates, a strategy is required to choose the most appropriate rate in transmission: rate adaptation in wireless networks is the selection of the optimal transmission rate for data frames under current channel conditions. For this purpose, a rate adaptation scheme must assess the channel condition and then accordingly adjust the data rate if necessary. In this dissertation, we extensively survey the rate adaptation schemes in literature. We progressively proposed three strategies to address some open problems in rate adaptation. First, we exploit the periodical mandatory beacon frames in IEEE 802.11 networks to estimate the initial rate for a stream of data frames and yield the scheme Beacon Assisted Rate Adaptation (BARA). In IEEE 802.11 networks, particularly with basic CSMA/CA access, the assessment of channel condition may become complex because frame losses likely result from channel condition degradation or transmission collision, and each type of frame loss requires a different response in rate adjustment. To diagnose the cause of a frame loss, we propose the basic rate retransmission technique and a rate adaptation scheme Loss Differentiated Rate Adaptation (LDRA), based on Signal-Noise-Ratio (SNR). However, SNR and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) are deemed not to be good channel condition indicators. Then we investigate rate adaptation schemes based on frame losses with loss differentiation ability. We discuss some anomalies observed in implementing a Linux based rate adaptation testbed. Based on the observations, we propose Effective Rate Adaptation (ERA) to effectively adapt rates in mixed frame lossy environments. ERA judiciously exploits the IEEE 802.11 fragmentation mechanism to accurately diagnose the cause of a loss and responds accordingly. We analytically prove that the fragmentation mechanism incurs less overhead and is more effective than using RTS/CTS at the basic (lowest) rate for rate adaptation in a collision dominated environment. ERA also takes effective actions to overcome abnormalities observed in other rate adaptation schemes. For performance evaluation, we first simulate all our three schemes on ns-2. Moreover, we implement ERA and four selected most recent representative rate adaptation schemes on a Linux based testbed and evaluate them with extensive experiments in both controlled and public field tests. Experiment results demonstrate that our proposed schemes outperform their peers in most scenarios.
Interaction Through Technological Lenses Computer-Mediated Communication and Language

In 2004, the second International Association of Language and Social Psychology Task Force focused on relationships involving language and emerging communication technology, culminating in a Specia...
Response to peer commentaries.

The peer commentaries accompanying our article on military genomics in the December 2014 issue of this journal,1 while generally endorsing our approach, raise important points to which we would like to respond.
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics on 20 cases of SFTSV infection

In order to explore the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of cases with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus(SFTSV) infection,the uniform diagnosis standard and questionnaire were used to collect the information of cases diagnosed in Jiangsu Province,2010.Twenty cases were confirmed as SFTSV infection by real-time RT-PCR with a fatality rate of 30%,whose primary clinical manifestations included fever(100%),weakness(80%),chills(60%),vomiting(60%),thrombocytopenia(100%) and leucopenia(90%).All 20 cases(100%) were middle to old aged,14(70%) were men,and 16(80%) were farmers living in wooded and hilly areas and had a history of working in the fields before the illness onset.Furthermore,most confirmed cases were sporadic with two peaks and some of cases had a history of tick-biting.Although most cases occurred sporadically in hilly areas,person-to-person transmission are also likely possible.
Mechanical and thermoelectric property of graphite electrically conductive concrete

Test studies are applied to mechanical and thermoelectric property of graphite electrically conductive concrete(GECC).The 28 days Compressive strength acts as the indicator of mechanical property.The test shows that compressive strength of GECC decreases by half as graphite's mass content increases by 5%.So it's important for GECC application to deal well with relation of strength and conductivity.Thermoelectric potential acts as the indicator of thermoelectric property.Thermoelectric potential just appears to conductor,but the same phenomenon appears to GECC.Furthermore,relationship between thermoelectric value and temperature is piecewise linear.Formulas about electromotive force and temperature difference are presented after analyzing the testing data.The thermoelectric potential mechanism of GECC need to be further researched.
Rapid evaluation method of sodium diphacinone,bromadioione,brodifacoum coumatetralyl,warfarin in poisoning samples by thin-layer chromatography

Objective:To develop a method for the rapid determination of sodium diphacinone,bromadioione,brodifacoum,coumatetralyl,warfarin in poisoning samples by thin-layer chromatography.Methods: The sample was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography.Results: Five rodenticide baits can be separated in selected condition.Conclusion:The method is rapid,simple and accurate.It can be used for rapid analysis of poisoning samples.
Identification of Bakb, a new platelet-specific antigen associated with posttransfusion purpura

Baka is a platelet alloantigen whose putative allele, Bakb, has not been identified previously. By using a serum, “Har,” obtained from a patient with posttransfusion purpura, we describe the platelet alloantigen Bakb. The Har serum reacted with an NP-40-extractable platelet membrane protein of 142 kd with mobility similar to platelet glycoprotein IIb alpha. We found that the antigen recognized by the Har serum is inherited in an autosomal dominant mode with an apparent gene frequency of .39. Chi-square analysis of observed and expected phenotype frequencies indicated that serum Har recognizes Bakb, the anticipated allele of Baka. Our findings provide new evidence for polymorphism of glycoprotein IIb and for the association of posttransfusion purpura with alloimmunization to determinants on this glycoprotein.
Relationship of Plasma Acute-Phase Protein to Amino Acid Levels During High-Dose Branched Chain Amino Acid Support in Sepsis

Acute-phase proteins (APP) play an important role in sepsis in the regulation of the inflammatory reaction, in the host defense against bacterial invasion, and in the related host protection from autoinjury. The whole spectrum of APP action is not fully understood; however, it is well established that changes in APP levels in sepsis mostly reflect increased protein synthetic activity. Therefore, it would be helpful to have more information about the relationship of APP to amino acid (AA) dose and plasma levels. This study was performed to assess the impact of high-dose branched chain amino acid (BCAA) support on several plasma APP and on AA patterns, with their reciprocal interactions.
The missing pieces in the scientific study of bodily awareness

AbstractResearch on bodily awareness has focused on body illusions with an aim to explore the possible dissociation of our bodily awareness from our own body. It has provided insights into how our sensory modalities shape our sense of embodiment, and it has raised important questions regarding the malleability of our sense of ownership over our own body. The issue, however, is that this research fails to consider an important distinction in how we experience our body. There are indeed two ways in which we can be aware of our body: via observational awareness, which involves attending to the body as an object, and via non-observational awareness, where the body is given as the subject of experience and does not involve attention. The research to date has focused on the former—observational bodily awareness—and has left the latter—non-observational bodily awareness—in the dark. This is detrimental to ever formulating a complete account of how we are aware of our body. It is understandable, however, because ...
Cultural Treatment and Cutting Type Affects Growth of ‘Heritage’ Birch Rooted Cuttings

Rooted cuttings of Betula nigra ‘Heritage’ originating from short shoots were either staked and lateral shoots pruned to a 3 node length or were unstaked and unpruned. One hundred and twenty-five days following propagation, the pruned and staked plants had higher net assimilation rates and lower leaf area ratios than unstaked and unpruned plants. No differences in relative growth rates, total dry weight, root/shoot ratios or shoot length were observed between control and treated plants. Pruned and staked plants had, relative to unstaked and unpruned, less leaf surface area composed of fewer but larger leaves which produced more grams of dry weight per cm2 leaf surface area per day. Pruning and staking maximized economically important dry matter production without reducing total dry weight. Plants originating from long shoots had greater root, shoot and total dry weights, and required less staking to produce upright growth than plants originating from short shoots. By exploiting the beneficial topophysis g...
Quantization in Molecular Signal Sensing via Biological Agents

One of the long-term goals of synthetic biology is to reliably engineer biological systems that perform human-defined functions such as sensing, monitoring, and processing. Molecular sensing via biological cells is often performed through receptors which interact with the signal molecules. The ligand receptors in bacteria are one of the most studied examples of such phenomenon. In this paper, we study the distortion in sensing and estimation of the concentration of molecular signals by synthetic biological agents equipped with ligand receptors. The sensing distortion is caused by random measurement of the molecular signal by the ligand receptors and the quantization of the cell output via finite number of levels. First, we consider the case where the prior distribution of the molecules in the environment is known and study the performance of the optimum as well as uniform quantizers. Next, we consider robust (minimax) quantizers, where the distribution of the molecules is unknown a priori . We study the behavior of the quantizer as a function of the number of ligand receptors and number of quantization levels. By comparing with the theoretical limits, we derive approximate bounds for the number of quantization levels versus the number of ligand receptors for good quantization performance.
Clinical Evaluation of a New 99mTc-MAA Kit for Lung Scanning

Lung scanning has been recognized as a clinically useful technique for portraying macroscopic pulmonary perfusion defects since it was first reported by Wagner in 1964 (1 ). A number of radiopharmaceuticals have been proposed to assess pulmonary perfusion. Although 1 3 1 I imposes many limitations as a radiotagging agent, the use of iodinated macroaggregated albumin (I-MAA) has received wide acceptance as the agent of choice. The desirability of 9 9 m Tc as a scanning agent, especially for static imaging systems, has long been recognized and leads to the ultimate development of 9 9 m Tc-tagged human albumin microspheres (Tc-HAM) (2). Technetium-99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin (Tc-MAA), although desirable, has not been exploited for lung scanning because of the technical requirements encountered during its preparation (3). Recently, a lyophilized macroaggregated albumin kit (Macrotec) for preparing Tc-MAA has undergone field trials by E.R. Squibb & Sons. Preparation of Tc-MAA from this kit yields a stable product which on standing may be used without resuspension and rewashing the tagged particles to remove sequestered technetium. Preparation and clinical evaluation of the Macrotec kit was undertaken in our laboratories from July 1972 to February 1973 and is the subject of this report.
Rapid Ischemic Preconditioning Protects Rats From Cerebral Anoxia/Ischemia

Mild ischemic insults may limit damage from subsequent ischemic insults in heart and brain (Murry et al., 1986; Kato et al., 1992; Li et al., 1992; Liu et al., 1992; Walker et al., 1993). This phenomenon was defined as ischemie preconditioning (IPC). In brain, for example, 3 min of sublethal ischemia followed by 3 days of reperfusion protected against hippocampal CA1 neuronal damage after 8 min of ischemia (Liu et al., 1992). Preconditioning also improved evoked potential recovery in hippocampal slices (Schurr et al., 1986; Schurr and Rigor, 1987). Studies reported here seek to further characterize IPC in intact brain and to derive insights into its mechanism through studies in hippocampal slices. The rationale for these studies is derived from the belief that understanding the mechanisms of IPC could offer unique insights into basic mechanisms of ischemie injury and into potential therapies to ameliorate the consequences of anoxia or ischemia.
Ghost-Wave Feminism: The Spectral Imagination in the Fiction of Nancy Wilson Woodrow and Ellen Glasgow

Recent scholarship has taught us that the American Gothic can be a mode of discourse that meditates on a culture’s anxieties and fears. For Martin and Savoy, the US’s “Gothic cultural production” i...
Sociolinguistic Perception as Inference Under Uncertainty

Social and linguistic perceptions are linked. On one hand, talker identity affects speech perception. On the other hand, speech itself provides information about a talker's identity. Here, we propose that the same probabilistic knowledge might underlie both socially conditioned linguistic inferences and linguistically conditioned social inferences. Our computational-level approach-the ideal adapter-starts from the idea that listeners use probabilistic knowledge of covariation between social, linguistic, and acoustic cues in order to infer the most likely explanation of the speech signals they hear. As a first step toward understanding social inferences in this framework, we use a simple ideal observer model to show that it would be possible to infer aspects of a talker's identity using cue distributions based on actual speech production data. This suggests the possibility of a single formal framework for social and linguistic inferences and the interactions between them.
The Past Recaptured: Dumas Takes on Pushkin’s Genealogy

ABSTRACTIn this article, I investigate how Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) engages with Aleksandr Pushkin’s (1799–1837) family history in his travelogue Voyage en Russie (1858–1861). It has sometimes been argued that Dumas’s reluctance to portray heroic black characters and to address his slave ancestry reveals his internalization of the racial prejudice prevalent in nineteenth-century French society. However, my reading proposes that the French writer explores his own origins and their relation to personal, national, and authorial legitimacy by rewriting Pushkin’s genealogy. The accentuated importance of African legacy in the construction of Pushkin’s identity—especially evident in the portrayal of the poet’s death—exalts diversity as crucial to national vitality as well as to literary creation, and points to a strategy of indirect self-legitimization on Dumas’s part. Through the fictionalization of Pushkin’s life and death, Dumas (re)establishes his status as a leader of the French Romantic movement and env...
How associations between products and numbers in brand names affect consumer attitudes: introducing multi-context numbers

Drawing on numerical cognition research, we identify a set of multi-context numbers (MCN) that originate from the decimal (10), duodecimal (12) and sexagesimal (60) numeral systems frequently used in numerous domains (e.g., 10, 12, 20, 24, 60, 360, 100). We propose and show that inclusion of MCN in alphanumeric brand names (ABN) generates more favorable consumer attitudes and higher preferences for product extensions in different domains. We examine three types of fit, between (1) parent brands and numbers, (2) product categories and numbers and (3) parent brands and product categories. We find that the effects of ABN numbers are mainly mediated by product–number associations. Accordingly, while some numbers that are strongly associated with the product category (e.g., 401 and retirement services) or the parent brand (e.g., Heinz and 57; Levi’s and 501) or that are familiar to consumers (e.g., 18, 21) generate favorable consumer responses in specific contexts, the same numbers fail in other product domains (e.g., 401/57/18/21 taxi service). In four empirical studies, we demonstrate that MCN in ABN can achieve and maintain favorable consumer responses and receive higher preferences than other very familiar numbers in various product extension contexts, regardless of parent brand names or product categories. Our findings suggest that it is ideal to use MCN in new extensions.
A normal diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide is rare in incidental pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis: Data from the pulmonary hypertension assessment and recognition of outcomes in scleroderma cohort

Objective:Our purpose was to determine the frequency of normal diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide defined as ⩾70% predicted, in those diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the Pulmo...
Style Studies: Adopting Personas in Fashion Design Pedagogy through Use of Social Media Web Applications with Real Consumers

The purpose of this research is to explore an innovative approach to adopting personas in fashion design pedagogy through use of social media web applications with real consumers. Based on observations, students in previous fashion design courses seem to have limited experience designing for someone other than themselves or their peers who have similar aesthetic preferences. By bringing real consumers into the design process to serve as personas, the goal of this project was for students to develop a greater understanding of their target market and consider the consumer lifestyle as the focal point of their design processes. The website, stylestudies.weebly.com, was created by the researchers for this project to enhance communication between students and their specified target consumers.
Context and Interpretation: An Archaeology of Cultural Production

This paper examines the construction of modern-world contexts in historical archaeology. To help draw out and understand the social and cultural contexts of capitalism, colonialism, and modernity, and how they may be materially understood, an explanation of the German history of everyday life school (Alltagsgeschichte) is presented. In this approach, the objects of historical study become the everyday cultural interpretations of past people and how these interpretations actively produced and reproduced cultures. This approach is illustrated by a landscape archaeology of the Bordley–Randall site in Annapolis, Maryland.
The preparation and postoperative care of an esophageal fistula in the dog.

A modification of Pavlov’s surgical procedure for preparing an esophageal fistula is described, including the method of feeding and after-care, preserving the life of the animal without loss of weight.
The Selection of Starting Material for Neutron-Transmutation Doped Silicon

The selection of starting material for neutron-transmutation doped (NTD) silicon has been described by Janus and Malmros1 for the case where the starting material is entirely of one or the other conductivity type. After defining homogeneity factors for the starting and for the NTD material, the authors derive an expression for the doping factor, which essentially sets a fixed limit on the maximum dopant concentration of the starting material for NTD material of a required homogeneity.
Impact of smoking on patient outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Background Cigarette smoking may adversely affect rotator cuff tear pathogenesis and healing. However, the impact of cigarette smoking on outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is relatively unknown. Patients and methods A cohort of 126 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with minimum 2 years follow-up were retrospectively identified from our institutional database. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and cuff tear index were collected at initial presentation. Outcome measures including American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain were collected at each clinical follow-up. Mixed model regression analysis was used to determine the impact of smoking on outcomes, while controlling for tear size and demographics. Results In our cohort, 14% were active or recent smokers. At baseline, smokers presented with higher pain, greater comorbidities and worse ASES scores than non-smokers. Smokers also had a non-significant trend towards presenting for surgical repair at a younger age and with larger tear sizes. Both smokers and non-smokers had statistical improvements in outcomes at 2 years following repair. Regression analysis revealed that smokers had a worse improvement in ASES but not WORC or VAS pain scores after surgery. Conclusion The minimal clinically important difference was achieved for ASES, WORC and VAS pain in both smokers and non-smokers, suggesting both groups substantially benefit from arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Smokers tend to present with larger tears and worse initial outcome scores, and they have a lower functional improvement in response to surgery.
Parallel Finite Element Framework for Rotorcraft Multibody Dynamics and Discrete Adjoint Sensitivities

A parallel finite element framework for high-fidelity structural dynamic analysis and gradient evaluation using the discrete adjoint method is presented. The framework is intended to be used for gr...
Exceptional responders to abexinostat (ABX) plus pazopanib (PAZ) in pretreated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and other solid tumors: Long-term follow-up of a phase 1b study.

3022Background: We previously reported the initial phase 1b study results of PAZ + ABX, a potent pan-HDAC inhibitor, demonstrating acceptable toxicity profile and encouraging anti-tumor activity (A...
Macromolecules in Nonhomogeneous Velocity Gradient Fields: Rheological and Diffusion Phenomena

Kinematically nonhomogeneous* flows are common in rheological measurement situations and in flows of technological import for polymers. Rheological anomalies1,2 and migration phenomena3–5 have been observed and/or speculated upon in these flows. Apparent “slip” at liquid-solid interfaces (for example, viscosity decreasing with channel size in small capillaries) has been reported in some such flows of macromolecular liquids. Much discussion has centered on the molecular origins of the observations leading to these reports.6,7 At least three identifiable alternatives are possible. 1. When large molecules are present in the liquid, they sample a larger portion of the flow. Thus, they “detect” in some sense the nonuniform velocity gradient field and this in turn affects the contribution they make to the fluid stress. 2. Macro-molecules migrate away from the walls leaving a concentration-depleted layer which produces lower fluid viscosity in those regions and apparent “slip”.
Don’t forget your lunch: Age and individual differences in how children perform everyday tasks

Abstract Performing everyday tasks well is important for children’s success in the home and classroom and thought to rely on cognitive processes as studied in lab-based paradigms. There has been much interest in the link between executive function (EF) and children’s achievements in real world settings. Little is known about how children’s EF is related to their capacity to complete everyday tasks typical in real world settings. There is no gold standard for measuring how children complete everyday tasks. We developed a real world paradigm in which a group of 6- to 7-year-old and a group of 8- to 10-year-old children (N = 50) were provided instructions to complete routine tasks typical of daily life in a “lab house”, such as gathering homework to prepare for a day at school. To examine the link between EF and performance on the everyday tasks, we measured children’s EF using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS). To examine the role of attention to the instructions to performance on the everyday tasks, children were fitted with a mobile eye tracker and looking time to the visual aids the instructions were displayed upon was extracted. Results showed children completed the everyday tasks more accurately and efficiently with age. Individual differences in EF and more looking time to visual aids while instructions were provided accounted for children’s performance above and beyond age. The real world paradigm provides a new platform for investigating how EF is used while completing everyday tasks and developing new methods to foster success.
Good Graph to Optimize: Cost-Effective, Budget-Aware Bundle Adjustment in Visual SLAM

The cost-efficiency of visual(-inertial) SLAM (VSLAM) is a critical characteristic of resource-limited applications. While hardware and algorithm advances have been significantly improved the cost-efficiency of VSLAM front-ends, the cost-efficiency of VSLAM back-ends remains a bottleneck. This paper describes a novel, rigorous method to improve the cost-efficiency of local BA in a BA-based VSLAM back-end. An efficient algorithm, called Good Graph, is developed to select size-reduced graphs optimized in local BA with condition preservation. To better suit BA-based VSLAM back-ends, the Good Graph predicts future estimation needs, dynamically assigns an appropriate size budget, and selects a condition-maximized subgraph for BA estimation. Evaluations are conducted on two scenarios: 1) VSLAM as standalone process, and 2) VSLAM as part of closed-loop navigation system. Results from the first scenario show Good Graph improves accuracy and robustness of VSLAM estimation, when computational limits exist. Results from the second scenario, indicate that Good Graph benefits the trajectory tracking performance of VSLAM-based closed-loop navigation systems, which is a primary application of VSLAM.
Corte Americana establece el acceso de los sindicatos y rechaza la posición de las corporaciones

On 26 February 2016, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a decision recognizing the special status of trade unions and the importance of workers´ collective rights in the American in Advisory Opinion OC-22. The case was initiated by the Republic of Panama, which requested an advisory opinion pursuant to Article 64 of the American Convention on Human Rights on the interpretation and scope of Article 1 (2) in relation to several other articles in the Convention. Article 1 of the Convention refers to the rights and freedoms of “persona”. Article 1 (2) clarifies that “for the purposes of this Convention, ʻpersonʼ means every human being.” The heart of the inquiry was whether nonhuman or legal entitles, including trade unions and corporations, meet the definition of person as referenced in Article 1 (2) and whether they have standing before the Court on their own behalf or on behalf of members or natural persons. The Court ruled that trade unions have standing on their own behalf but with the limitations based on the specific language of the Protocol of San Salvador, and that corporations do not have direct access to their Inter-American system.
Progress and Lessons Learned from Responses to Landslide Disasters

Landslides have the incredible power to transform landscapes and also, tragically, to cause disastrous societal impacts. Whereas the mechanics and effects of many landslide disasters have been analyzed in detail, the means by which landslide experts respond to these events has garnered much less attention. Herein, we evaluate nine landslide response case histories conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey over the past two decades and summarize the event history, the response conducted, and the lessons learned from each event. We group the responses into three categories—providing event context from past events, addressing ongoing hazards, and acquiring data for the future—and present the nine case studies accordingly. We also summarize the progress in landslide response that has been made over the past two decades, including insights and advancements on the preparation for such events, the use of new technologies, and the importance of clear communication between all parties during disasters. We believe that exchanging and sharing experiences such as these will promote more clear and successful approaches for responses to landslide disasters in the future.
Multiple Disease Hotspot Mining for Public Health Informatics in Resource Starved Settings: Study of Communicable Diseases in Punjab, Pakistan

Communicable diseases remain a significant challenge for public health management. In particular, for resource scarce settings, it is important to understand the linkages and dynamics of multiple diseases that share common resources, space or time. We develop a framework, called Multiple Disease Management Framework (MDMF) based on machine learning approach for managing multiple diseases occurring in close space and time to identify locations that experience high disease burden rates. We use 8 water related disease incidence data in Punjab, Pakistan from year 2013 to 2019 to investigate interactions among hotspots of different diseases. However, the model is scalable and can be applied to any number of diseases. The hotspot analysis involves multi-level clustering and tagging of individual disease incidence streams that generates a distance based graph over a geographical area and is then integrated into a single stream in the framework to identify final sensitive locations called cluster alarms. The initial individual disease clustering yielded number of clusters as high as 24 clusters for each disease with up to 16 neighboring clusters of other diseases of similar sizes. The cluster tagging and multi-level clustering process was able to identify as low as 19 locations of cluster alarms across the whole province of 38 districts. The identification of high disease hotspots and their dynamics with the neighboring hotspots of multiple diseases allows identification of locations with higher need of related public health resources. This identification is very critical for national health agencies for optimal allocation of resources and devising an effective intervention programs.
Molybdenum oxide nanoporous asymmetric membranes for high-capacity lithium ion battery anode

The cycling performance of high-capacity lithium ion battery anodes can be significantly improved by adopting 3D nanoporous structures that can efficiently accommodate large volume changes during lithiation and de-lithiation. In this study, various molybdenum oxide nanoporous asymmetric membranes were fabricated on a large scale via a spontaneous non-solvent-induced phase separation process. We explored the effects of polymer precursor, membrane geometry, and annealing condition on the porosity, composition, and electrochemical properties of the membranes as lithium ion battery anodes. We demonstrate that 97% initial capacity of MoO2 planar asymmetric membrane electrode can be retained in 165 cycles at 120 mA g−1. 74% initial capacity can be maintained while the current density is increased from 60 to 480 mA g−1. This efficient and scalable process to prepare molybdenum oxide-based LIB anode provides another alternative to enhance the electrochemical performance of transition metal oxide anodes at a relatively low fabrication cost.
Procedural time reduction associated with active esophageal cooling during pulmonary vein isolation

Background: Active esophageal cooling is increasingly utilized as an alternative to luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring for protection against thermal injury during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) when treating atrial fibrillation (AF). Published data demonstrate the efficacy of active cooling in reducing thermal injury, but impacts on procedural efficiency are not as well characterized. LET monitoring compels pauses in ablation due to heat stacking and temperature overheating alarms that in turn delay progress of the PVI procedure, whereas active esophageal cooling allows avoidance of this phenomenon. Objective: Measure the change in PVI procedure duration after implementation of active esophageal cooling as a protective measure against esophageal injury. Methods: We performed a retrospective review under IRB approval of patients with AF undergoing PVI between January 2018 to February 2020. For each patient, we recorded age, gender, and total procedure time. We then compared procedure times before and after the implementation of active esophageal cooling as a replacement for LET monitoring. Results: A total of 373 patients received PVI over the study period. LET monitoring using a multi-sensor probe was performed in 198 patients, and active esophageal cooling using a dedicated device was performed in 175 patients. Patient characteristics did not significantly differ between groups (mean age of 67 years, and gender 37.4% female). Mean procedure time was 146 minutes in the LET monitored patients, and 110 minutes in the actively cooled patients, representing a reduction of 36 minutes, or 24.7% (p<.001). Median procedure time was 141 minutes in the LET monitored patients and 100 minutes in the actively cooled patients, for a reduction of 41 minutes, or 29.1% (p<.001). Conclusions: Implementation of active esophageal cooling for protection against esophageal injury during PVI was associated with a significantly large reduction in procedure duration.
Efficiency vs. Resilience: Lessons from COVID-19

Why was the world not ready for COVID-19, in spite of many warnings over the past 20 years of the high likelihood of a global pandemic? This chapter argues that the economic goal of efficiency, focused on short-term optimization, has distracted us from resilience, which is focused on long-term optimization. Computing also seems to have generally emphasized efficiency at the expense of resilience. But computing has discovered that resilience is enabled by redundancy and distributivity. These principles should be adopted by society in the “after-COVID” era.
Genomes by design

Next-generation DNA sequencing has revealed the complete genome sequences of numerous organisms, establishing a fundamental and growing understanding of genetic variation and phenotypic diversity. Engineering at the gene, network and whole-genome scale aims to introduce targeted genetic changes both to explore emergent phenotypes and to introduce new functionalities. Expansion of these approaches into massively parallel platforms establishes the ability to generate targeted genome modifications, elucidating causal links between genotype and phenotype, as well as the ability to design and reprogramme organisms. In this Review, we explore techniques and applications in genome engineering, outlining key advances and defining challenges.
Image Processing in the Graphic Arts

One of the most productive applications of electrical engineering and computer science in the last twenty years has been in the preparation of information, i.e., text, pictures, and line drawings, destined for reproduction on paper. In this chapter, after a brief review of typography and printing technology, we present a discussion of traditional and modern methods of producing pictures by printing. Not surprisingly, we find that many of the principles discussed in earlier chapters are directly applicable to this problem. In particular, we find that perceptual phenomena, especially as they relate to the halftone process, must be given careful consideration to get good results.
Quantifying multimodal contrast agent biological activity using near-infrared flow cytometry

Prior to imaging agent use in preclinical studies and clinical diagnostics, biological activity must be validated. The Lindmo assay has been used conventionally to quantify radiolabeled antibody (Ab) immunoreactivity, although published findings suggest it does not provide consistently accurate results. We developed and tested a near-infrared (NIR) flow cytometry (FC) method for quantifying biological activity of a dual-labeled Ab for use as a multimodal contrast agent in small animal and human positron emission tomography and NIR fluorescence imaging. Antibody specific for epithelial cell adhesion molecule was conjugated to DOTA-NHS-ester, labeled with IRDye 800CW and further labeled with (64)Cu or nonradioactive Cu prior to reacting with human prostate cancer cells for testing by the Lindmo or FC method, respectively. Immunoreactivity of the dual-labeled agent was found to be 76.4 ± 15.7% by the Lindmo assay. When tested with and without Cu labeling using NIR FC, the biological activity was found to be 73.1 ± 7.7 and 79.4 ± 8.1%, respectively. No significant differences were found between these activity levels (p > 0.05), supporting NIR FC as an alternative method for measuring immunoreactivity and demonstrating that Cu labeling does not significantly affect the agent's ability to bind to its target. Biological activity was significantly reduced when the NIR dye-to-protein ratio was increased 3- to 4-fold in agent preparations when tested by FC and the Lindmo assay. In summary, NIR FC is an alternative with similar specificity and sensitivity, and greater reproducibility relative to the Lindmo assay for quantifying biological activity of NIR fluorophore-labeled, multimodal imaging agents.
Depletion of glycoprotein gp85 from virosomes made with Epstein-Barr virus proteins abolishes their ability to fuse with virus receptor-bearing cells.

Entry of an enveloped virus such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) into host cells involves fusion of the virion envelope with host cell membranes either at the surface of the cell or within endocytic vesicles. Previous work has indirectly implicated the EBV glycoprotein gp85 in this fusion process. A neutralizing monoclonal antibody to gp85, F-2-1, failed to inhibit binding of EBV to its receptor but interfered with virus fusion as measured with the self-quenching fluorophore octadecyl rhodamine B chloride (R18) (N. Miller and L. M. Hutt-Fletcher, J. Virol. 62:2366-2372, 1988). To test further the hypothesis that gp85 functions as a fusion protein, EBV virion proteins including or depleted of gp85 were incorporated into lipid vesicles to form virosomes. Virosomes were labeled with R18, and those that were made with undepleted protein were shown to behave in a manner similar to that of R18-labeled virus. They bound to receptor-positive but not to receptor-negative cells and fused with Raji cells but not with receptor-positive, fusion-incompetent Molt 4 cells; monoclonal antibodies that inhibited binding or fusion of virus inhibited binding and fusion of virosomes, and virus competed with virosomes for attachment to cells. In contrast, virosomes made from virus proteins depleted of gp85 by immunoaffinity chromatography remained capable of binding to receptor-positive cells but failed to fuse. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that gp85 is actively involved in the fusion of EBV with lymphoblatoid cell lines and suggest that the ability of antibody F-2-1 to neutralize infectivity of EBV represents a direct effect on the function of gp85 as a fusion protein. Images
Components of difference in HIV seropositivity rate among injection drug users between low- and high-HIV-prevalence regions.

Comparative studies on regional HIV seroprevalence or seropositivity rate among injection drug users (IDUs) have focused primarily on assessing the risk factors for HIV infection. This study used a nonparametric analytic approach, known as standardization and decomposition, to to compare HIV seropositivity rates among IDUs between low- and high-HIV-prevalence regions in the United States. The regional difference in HIV seropositivity rate was decomposed into different components: (1) a “rate effect,” which was attributed to the differences in factor-specific rates, and (2) “compositional factor effects,” which were attributed to the differences in distributions of sociodemographic factors across regions. The analytic results show that the regional difference in HIV seropositivityrate was considerable (21.04%); however, the difference would be adjusted down to 17.65% if sociodemographic factors were proportionally distributed across the regions. Differential distribution of ethnic groups between the two regions accounted for about 15.02% of the regional difference in HIV seropositivity rate. The application of the standardization and decomposition method provides HIV researchers with opportunities to look at familiar data from a different perspective.