cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Room Temperature Resistive Volatile Organic Compound Sensing Materials Based on a Hybrid Structure of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes and Conformal oCVD/iCVD Polymer Coatings

Room temperature resistive volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing materials fabricated with vertically aligned-carbon nanotubes (VA-CNT) demonstrated 10-fold improved sensitivity upon application of a thin conformal layer of the conducting polymer coating ((poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)). The PEDOT was directly synthesized on the VA-CNTs via oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD). Conformal PEDOT coatings with thickness of 8 and 17 nm were easily achievable by oCVD. The hybrid VA-CNT/oCVD PEDOT sensing materials exhibited excellent response to low concentrations of analyte gases of different polarity. The projected detection limit for n-pentane is as low as ∼50 ppm. A second polymer layer, nonconducting polystyrene (PS, ∼6 nm), was further conformally coated on the VA-CNT/PEDOT via initiative chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) to enhance the gas selectivity. The iCVD PS enhanced the selectivity of n-pentane over methanol by 2.7-fold and toluene by 4.4-fold. Several unique advantages of these...
Design studies of the MIT 194-Å nickellike molybdenum laser

The soft x-ray research effort at MIT is presently centered around the design of a nickellike molybdenum collisonal laser based on the 4d—4p transition. Preliminary calculations show that the steady state gain front the nickellike molybdenum sequence is negligible.1
Automated, high‐throughput, in vivo analysis of visual function using the zebrafish

BACKGROUND Modern genomics has enabled the identification of an unprecedented number of genetic variants, which in many cases are extremely rare, associated with blinding disorders. A significant challenge will be determining the pathophysiology of each new variant. The Zebrafish is an excellent model for the study of inherited diseases of the eye. By 5 days post-fertilization (dpf), they have quantifiable behavioral responses to visual stimuli. However, visual behavior assays can take several hours to perform or can only be assessed one fish at a time. RESULTS To increase the throughput for vision assays, we used the Viewpoint Zebrabox to automate the visual startle response and created software, Visual Interrogation of Zebrafish Manipulations (VIZN), to automate data analysis. This process allows 96 Zebrafish larvae to be tested and resultant data to be analyzed in less than 35 minutes. We validated this system by disrupting function of a gene necessary for photoreceptor differentiation and observing decreased response to visual stimuli. CONCLUSIONS This automated method along with VIZN allows rapid, high-throughput, in vivo testing of Zebrafish's ability to respond to light/dark stimuli. This allows the rapid analysis of novel genes involved in visual function by morpholino, CRISPRS, or small-molecule drug screens. Developmental Dynamics 245:605-613, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Goffman in Feminist Perspective

In this paper, my aim is to call attention to Erving Goffman's contributions to feminist theory. I begin by reviewing his sociological agenda and assessments of that agenda by his critics. Next, I ...
A Study of Enterotoxin and Alpha and Beta Hemolysin Production by Certain Staphylococcus Cultures

While staphylococcal hemolysins and enterotoxin are usually considered to be separate and unrelated entities,-' a number of reports have appeared in the literature which suggest a relationship if not an identity of these toxic components of certain staphylococcal cultures. Of particular concern is the suggestion of possible relationship of betalysin and enterotoxin, since both of these substances are relatively heat resistant and both give rise to vomiting reactions following injection into kittens. For instance all of the enterotoxic
Accretion of Nitrogen and Minerals in Suckling Bats, Myotis velifer and Tadarida brasiliensis

Levels of nitrogen, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron were determined for suckling young of known-age, lactating Myotis velifer and Tadarida brasiliensis , and milk from T. brasiliensis nursing known-age young. From birth to weaning, relationships of both nutrient concentrations and nutrient accretion to age are similar for both species but differ for each nutrient and generally reach adult concentration by weaning. While total mass of body sodium and potassium reach adult levels in both species well before weaning, levels of other elements do not. Although comparable data are limited, element concentrations in suckling bats are similar to those for other suckling small mammals and nestling birds. Growth requirements for measured nutrients in these bats are lower than published values for rodents. Most mineral nutrients that were measured in milk for T. brasiliensis varied with stage of lactation and were comparable in concentration with milk of other mammals. Using daily accretion of nutrients and their concentrations in milk, we calculated the minimal mass of milk needed to meet growth requirements in suckling T brasiliensis . Among measured nutrients, calcium is the limiting nutritional factor that determines mass of milk needed by suckling young during postnatal growth.
Microhydraulic Electrowetting Actuators

The conversion of electrical to mechanical power on a sub-centimeter scale is a key technology in many microsystems and energy harvesting devices. In this paper, we present a type of a capacitive energy conversion device that uses capillary pressure and electrowetting to reversibly convert electrical power to hydraulic power. These microhydraulic actuators use a high surface-to-volume ratio to deliver high power at a relatively low voltage with an energy conversion efficiency of over 65%. The capillary pressure generated grows linearly with shrinking capillary diameter, as does the frequency of actuation. We present the pressure, frequency, and power scaling properties of these actuators and demonstrate that power density scales up as the inverse capillary diameter squared, leading to high-efficiency actuators with a strength density exceeding biological muscle. Two potential applications for microhydraulics are also demonstrated: soft-microrobotics and energy harvesting. [2015-0214]
Concentrations and compositions of plasma lipoprotein subfractions of Lpb5-Lpu1 homozygous and heterozygous swine with hypercholesterolemia.

Pigs with two mutant epitopes, Lpb5 of apolipoprotein B (apoB) and Lpu1 of a yet undefined apolipoprotein, specified by a haplotype Lpb5-Lpu1 and fed a cholesterol-free low fat diet show hypercholesterolemia. The purpose of this study was to establish whether a direct relationship exists between the swine lipoprotein concentration/composition and the genotype for the Lpb5-Lpu1 haplotype; i.e., homozygote versus heterozygote. Lipoproteins of fasted plasma from hypercholesterolemic swine, homozygous (HmHC) and heterozygous (HtHC) for Lpb5-Lpu1, and from normolipidemic (NL) pigs of other Lpb-Lpu haplotypes were separated into five layers by density gradient ultracentrifugation. Layer 1 contained particles of d less than 1.019 g/ml and layer 5 particles of d greater than 1.073 g/ml. Layers 2, 3, and 4 represented subfractions of low density lipoproteins (LDL). The plasma total cholesterol (TC) of the HmHC group (300 +/- 84 mg/dl) was different (P less than 0.05) from the HtHC group (200 +/- 80 mg/dl) and in both HmHC and HtHC, TC was significantly higher (P less than 0.0005 and P less than 0.005, respectively) than that of the NL group (69 +/- 14 mg/dl). The elevation in plasma TC was due to the increased TC in layers 2 and 3: a 13- and 7-fold increase in HmHC and a 7- and 4-fold increase in HtHC in layers 2 and 3, respectively. Parallel increases in unesterified cholesterol were observed in these two layers. Marked increases in apoB were also observed in layers 2 and 3 of HmHC and intermediate increases in apoB in the same two layers of HtHC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Anemia in infancy and childhood

The definition, clinical manifestations, and causes of anemia in childhood are age-related and reflect the dynamic processes of growth and development during this period. Although the possible causes of anemia in children are extensive, the etiology is usually unifactorial. Thus, systematic evaluation of the anemia will usually result in the diagnosis of a specific anemia, which can then be effectively treated in a gratifying number of children.
Hydrolytic Activation Kinetics of the Herbicide Benzobicyclon in Simulated Aquatic Systems

Herbicide resistance is a growing concern for weeds in California rice fields. Benzobicyclon (BZB; 3-(2-chloro-4-(methylsulfonyl)benzoyl)-2-phenylthiobicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-en-4-one) has proven successful against resistant rice field weeds in Asia. A pro-herbicide, BZB forms the active agent, benzobicyclon hydrolysate (BH), in water; however, the transformation kinetics are not understood for aquatic systems, particularly flooded California rice fields. A quantitative experiment was performed to assess the primary mechanism and kinetics of BZB hydrolysis to BH. Complete conversion to BH was observed for all treatments. Basic conditions (pH 9) enhanced the reaction, with half-lives ranging from 5 to 28 h. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) hindered transformation, which is consistent with other base-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions. BH was relatively hydrolytically stable, with 18% maximum loss after 5 days. Results indicate BZB is an efficient pro-herbicide under aqueous conditions such as those of a California ri...
Storyboard Development for Virtual Reality Simulation

Abstract Background Development of virtual reality simulations requires an interprofessional team, but effective communication is inhibited by a lack of structured methods for sharing information. A review of the literature found a paucity of tools available for virtual reality storyboard development. This paper's purpose is to provide an overview of the storyboard process developed by an interprofessional team of researchers studying Neonatal Intensive Care evacuation. Method Using Standards of Best Practices in Simulation and Jeffries model as framework, the researchers developed processes and templates for storyboarding. Results The outcomes provide a vehicle for simulation development based upon best practices. Conclusions The storyboard format that includes objectives, scenes, actions, challenges, redirection and opportunity to debrief, enabled the interprofessional team to build a virtual simulation that is reflective of best practices and the Neonatal Intensive Care evacuation scenario.
An In Vivo Evidence That Murine Very Small Embryonic Like (VSEL) Stem Cells Are Mobilized into Peripheral Blood after Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Contribute to Myocardiac Regeneration.

We have recently identified a population of SSEA-1 + /Oct-4 + /Sca-1 + /lin − /CD45 − pluripotent, very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSEL) in adult murine bone marrow (BM). We found that VSEL possess the ability to differentiate in vitro into all three germ layers including cardiac lineage. However, the input of these cells in regeneration of injured tissues including infarcted myocardium was uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish if VSEL are mobilized into peripheral blood (PB) after acute heart infarction and could play a potential role in myocardiac regeneration. To address this question C57BL/6 mice (6- or 15-wk-old) underwent a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion and were euthanized at 24 h, 48 h, or 7 days after AMI. PB samples were collected for flow cytometric, confocal microscopic, and RQ-PCR analysis. Sham controls underwent sham surgery (1-h open-chest state without AMI) while controls did not. In flow cytometric analysis, VSEL were detectable in PB on low level under baseline conditions but increased significantly after AMI, peaking at 48 h post AMI both in younger (6-wk-old) and older (15-wk-old) mice (3.33±0.37 and 7.73±1.02 cells/μl of PB, respectively) (Figure 1). By confocal microscopy, sorted PB-derived VSEL were positive for Oct-4 and negative for CD45 in contrast to hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Furthermore, RQ-PCR analysis revealed increased level of mRNA for markers of pluripotency, such as Oct-4, Nanog, Rex-1, Dppa1, and Rif1, in total PB cells of both age groups of mice at 48 h after AMI. We observed 10.01±1.98, 6.02±1.66, 5.28±1.68, 2.07±0.99 and 3.18±0.49 -fold increase in mRNA level of these genes, respectively, as compared with sham control in 6-wk-old mice. HSCs were also mobilized after AMI and were detected on higher level up to 7 days post AMI (Figure 1A). We also investigated regenerative potential of VSEL injected into infarcted myocardium in vivo . Mice underwent a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion and, 48 h later, received intramyocardial injection of vehicle (group I), freshly sorted VSEL (group II) or VSEL predifferentiated in cardiomyogenic medium (group III). At 35 day of follow up, the heart function was investigated by echocardiography. Mice in group III exhibited improved function of infarcted left ventricle (LV) showing higher LV ejection fraction (54.5±3.3% vs. 41.5±3.3% in group I) (Figure 1B). The other parameters including infarct wall thickening fraction and end-diastolic volume also indicated improvement of heart function. This report is the first showing that the pluripotent stem cells (VSEL) are not only mobilized from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood after AMI, but also participate in regenerative processes of infarcted myocardium.
Photoneutron Cross Sections for Ba 138 and N 14

Photoneutron cross sections, including $\ensuremath{\sigma}[(\ensuremath{\gamma}, n)+(\ensuremath{\gamma}, pn)]$, $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\gamma}, 2n)$, and $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\gamma}, 3n)$ for ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{138}$ and $\ensuremath{\sigma}[(\ensuremath{\gamma}, n)+(\ensuremath{\gamma}, pn)]$ for ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$, were measured with monoenergetic photons from threshold to 29 MeV. The partial cross sections were determined by neutron multiplicity counting, and the average neutron energies for both single- and double-photoneutron events were determined simultaneously with the cross-section data by the ring-ratio technique. The ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$ data, when combined with data from other laboratories, appears to show that the ($\ensuremath{\gamma}, \mathrm{pn}$) process dominates the decay of the giant resonance in this nucleus. The giant-resonance parameters for ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{138}$ are nearly the same as those for ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{141}$, which has the same (magic) neutron number.
On the temperature dependence of half-widths and line shifts for molecular transitions in the microwave and infrared regions

Abstract An expression was developed that correctly models the temperature dependence of the half-width over large temperature ranges and the temperature dependence of the line shift, even for cases where the line shift changes sign. The expression was derived from the expansion of the collisional cross-sections in a series of powers of the relative velocity of the radiator and perturber. Cutting off at two terms yields a complex double power law (DPL) expression, where the real and imaginary parts describe the temperature dependence of the half-width and line shift, respectively. Data were collected for more than 100 thousand transitions and the standard power law expression for the half-width and line shift were compared with the new double power law expression. It is shown that the double power law works well for all transitions, even those that exhibit unusual structure, which the standard power law cannot model. The DPL expression gives better results than the standard power law for all transitions studied and the DPL model gives good results for the temperature dependence of the line shift when it changes sign. The DPL model for the temperature dependence of the line shift was compared with the linear model, which is currently used on the HITRAN database. In all cases the DPL model gave much better results than the linear model no matter what temperature range was considered. The new formalism allows a substantial reduction in the number of parameters that need to be stored in databases and the same expression can be utilized in radiative transfer and simulation codes for both the half-width and line shift.
School-Based Violence Prevention: Challenges and Lessons Learned from an Action Research Project

Abstract School-based violence prevention has become a growing concern for educators, parents, and researchers. This article describes the Piscataway Project—a school-based action research project focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of violence-prevention instructional approaches—and discusses some of the challenges associated with school-based prevention efforts. Conceptual, delivery, training, and organizational variables that contribute to outcomes of school-based preventive interventions are described and their impact on the Piscataway Project is discussed. Lessons learned from the project are also presented as a guide for those interested in the development and implementation of school-based interventions.
Technology Over-Kill

Die Ruhigen sprachen: „So langsam finden wir, dass alles auf die Spitze getrieben wird. Das Schicksal mag uns auferlegt haben, im Regen zu leben und von der Flut zu fliehen, aber daruber hinaus haben wir mit dem Wasser nichts zu tun. Unsere Parzellen sind langst uberdacht, und wir mussen kaum je nass herumlaufen wie unsere Vorfahren. Woher nun eure Unruhe? Eine Parzelle in der Hohe garantiert Sicherheit. Neue Hohen sind bereits entdeckt. Die ISO-Menschen richten eure Umzuge. Es ist alles perfekt. Nun konnt ihr leben!“
Domain selection and adaptation in smart homes

Recently researchers have proposed activity recognition methods based on adapting activity knowledge obtained in previous spaces to a new space. Adapting activity knowledge allows us to quickly recognize activities in a new space using only small amounts of unlabeled data. However, adapting from dissimilar spaces not only does not help the recognition task, but might also lead to degraded recognition accuracy. We propose a method for automatically selecting the most promising source spaces among a number of available spaces. Our approach leads to a scalable and quick solution in real world, while minimizing the negative effects of adapting from dissimilar sources. To evaluate our algorithms, we tested our algorithms on eight real smart home datasets.
Systemic Vascular Resistance

The height of the systemic vascular resistance is largely dependent on the total cross-sectional area of the arterioles in the peripheral vasculature. The smooth muscle tone of these vessels is influenced by neural, humoral, and local environmental factors. In addition, changes in the caliber of these vessels may result from structural alterations, including the accumulation of water and electrolytes in the walls. The tone of these vessels also may be altered by so-called autoregulatory adjustments which tend, through several possible mechanisms, to keep flow relatively constant despite changes in perfusion pressure. The systemic vascular resistance cannot be measured directly but rather is calculated as the ratio of mean arterial pressure to cardiac output. Resistance calculated in this way is a mean value which disregards the pulsatile nature of flow and also disregards the marked regional differences in resistance which may exist in the various parallel circuits that make up the total vascular resistance.
El arquitecto como mediador político: Giancarlo De Carlo en la Triennale de Milán de 1968

espanolEl objetivo principal de este texto es el proponer una reflexion critica sobre el papel del arquitecto moderno como agente de mediacion politica. El hilo conductor de dicha reflexion es, en primer lugar, la figura y las ideas del arquitecto italiano Giancarlo De Carlo. Usando distintas referencias teoricas que van desde Jaques Lacan a Henri Lefebvre se explora la idea del arquitecto como mediador politico de lo real, a traves de la experiencia de De Carlo en la Trienal de milan de 1968. En segundo lugar, se utilizan las herramientas criticas de De Carlo y el concepto de vida cotidiana propuesto por Guy Debord para estudiar la despolitizacion de la tradicion arquitectonica moderna. Finalmente, como conclusion y enlazando las ideas de De Carlo con la lectura critica de la ciudad de David Harvey, se plantea la posibilidad de la arquitectura como accion colectiva. EnglishThe main objective of this text is to propose a critical consideration on the role of the modern architect as agent of political mediation. Firstly, this reflection follows the figure and the ideas of the Italian architect Giancarlo De Carlo. Using different theoretical references, ranging from Jaques Lacan to Henri Lefebvre, the idea of the architect as a political mediator of the real is explored through the experience of De Carlo in the Milan Triennial of 1968. Secondly, De Carlo's critical tools and the notion of everyday life proposed by Guy Debord are used to study the depoliticization of the modern architectural tradition. Finally, as a conclusion, and linking the ideas of De Carlo With the critical reading of the city by David Harvey, the possibility of architecture as collective action is proposed.
Effect of Fault Roughness on Aftershock Distribution: Plastic Off-Fault Material Properties

We perform spontaneous earthquake rupture simulations on rough strike- slip faults with off-fault plastic material properties. We examine the off-fault stress change and damage pattern resulting from dynamic fault slip in the near-fault region. We use the stress output from each simulation to calculate the Coulomb failure function (CFF). We calculate the CFF values at the extensional side of the fault using parallel receiver fault orientations as well as using variable receiver fault orientations determined using the angle at which plastic shear strain is maximum. We calculate and examine the probability density function (PDF) for the CFF values across the fault as a function of distance. We observe that the overall trend of the CFF values with distance remains similar for the extensional and compressional sides - the PDF of CFF shows a broad range of values in the near-fault region and this spread collapses into a narrow range away from the near-fault region, similar to the distribution found for elastic off-fault properties. In the near-fault region, we observe many positive CFF change zones that are potential locations of aftershocks and we calculate their areas and amplitude as a function of distance away from fault. Our comparison of CFF amplitudes as a function of rupture areas suggests that the spatial aftershock distribution surrounding a fault is controlled by both stress heterogeneity as well as the damage zone complexity. The calculations of rupture areas using our model are consistent with ruptured areas of observed aftershocks in California.
Implementation Fidelity of a Mindfulness-Based Yoga Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Families: a Pilot Study

Families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may benefit from mindfulness-based interventions; however, few studies have examined such programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the implementation fidelity of a mindfulness-based yoga program for children with ASD and their families. Eight children and their families participated in separate, concurrent yoga sessions of identical curriculum. Implementation fidelity was assessed through observations and participant/instructor interviews. The study showed a high degree of implementation fidelity with standardized curriculum instruction, positive responsiveness from participants, and unique aspects of program differentiation. Results indicate that a mindfulness-based yoga program, providing separate sessions for both children and their families, may be especially beneficial to the entire family and enhance family relationships.
Effect of using silver nylon dressings to prevent superficial surgical site infection after cesarean delivery: a randomized clinical trial.

Background Surgical site infections are associated with significant healthcare cost and burden. Silver-impregnated dressings have been associated with a decrease in surgical site infections in select populations, but it is unknown whether the benefit can be observed after cesarean deliveries. Objective We sought to evaluate the impact of silver nylon dressings in reducing superficial surgical site infections after cesarean delivery. Materials and Methods A blinded randomized clinical trial of women undergoing scheduled or unscheduled cesarean delivery at a single site was conducted. Women were recruited for participation from September 2013 to June 2016. Women with vertical skin incisions were excluded. Enrolled participants were randomized to silver nylon dressing or an identical-appearing gauze wound dressing. Wounds were evaluated in the outpatient office at 1 week and 6 weeks after delivery. The primary outcome was superficial surgical site infection as defined by Centers for Disease Control criteria at any time within the first 6 weeks after cesarean delivery. A sample size of 330 per group (n = 660) was planned to compare the 2 arms. Data were analyzed using the χ2, Fisher exact test, Student t test, Mann−Whitney U test, and logistic regression where appropriate, and a value of P Results Among the 657 participants, overall, the primary outcome was similar between the 2 groups (4.6% in the silver nylon group vs 4.2% in the gauze group, P = .96). Women allocated to silver nylon, when compared to those who were allocated to gauze, had similar rates of superficial surgical site infection within 1 week (1.2% vs 0.9%) and within 6 weeks ( 4.6% vs 4.2%) after delivery (P >.99). The 2 groups were similar in age (30.9 ± 5.6 vs 31.0 ± 5.5 years, P = .95), body mass index (36.2 ± 8.7 vs 35.3 ± 8.2 kg/m2, P = .19), pregestational diabetes (6.2% vs 3.4%, P = .14), gestational diabetes (7.9% vs 7.3%, P = .88), cesarean delivery after labor (31.9% vs 31.1%, P = .86), presence of chorioamnionitis (5.2% vs 2.1% P = .06), and operative time (56.4 ± 20.6 vs 55.9 ± 17 minutes, P = .69). After adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic confounding variables, current smoking (adjusted odds ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.8−13.4) body mass index ≥40 kg/m2 (adjusted odds ratio, 3.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.3−6.8), and surgery length (minutes) (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.002−1.04), but not use of gauze dressing, were associated with superficial surgical site infections. Conclusion Among women undergoing cesarean delivery, silver nylon dressing was not more effective than gauze in reducing the risk of superficial surgical site infections.
Discourse Intonation in L2: From theory and research to practice

Intonation, rhythm, and general “melody” of language are among the first aspects of speech that infants attend to and produce themselves. Yet, these same features are among the last to be mastered by adult L2 learners. Why is this, and how can L2 learners be helped? This book first presents the latest linguistic theories of intonation, in particular, how intonation functions in discourse not only to signal sentence types and attitudinal meanings but also to provide turn-taking and other conversational cues. The second part of the book examines the research in applied linguistics on the acquisition of L2 phonology and intonation. The third section offers practical applications of how to incorporate the teaching of intonation into L2 instruction, with a focus on using new speech technologies. The accompanying CD-ROM makes a unique addition in allowing for simultaneous audio playback and visual display of the pitch contours of utterances contained in the book. Users can start or stop the playback at any point in the utterance and can observe first-hand how such visual and audio representations could be useful for L2 learners.
Optimizing pred(25) Is NP-Hard

Usually, in data processing, to find the parameters of the models that best fits the data, people use the Least Squares method. One of the advantages of this method is that for linear models, it leads to an easy-to-solve system of linear equations. A limitation of this method is that even a single outlier can ruin the corresponding estimates; thus, more robust methods are needed. In particular, in software engineering, often, a more robust pred(25) method is used, in which we maximize the number of cases in which the model’s prediction is within the 25% range of the observations. In this paper, we show that even for linear models, pred(25) parameter estimation is NP-hard.
Long-term culture and characterization of patient-derived primary hepatocytes using conditional reprogramming.

Cultivation of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) often faces obstacles including failure of long-term in vitro culture, weak proliferation ability, rapid loss of liver-specific function and morpholo...
Obesity-Dependent Accumulation of Titanium in the Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Donors.

The most widely used white pigment of foods and medications is crystalline, anatase-phase TiO2 of 110 ± 70 nm particle diameter. Recent studies by other investigators have shown that depending on its ingested pigment amount the concentration of titanium in human blood ranges between 2 and 48 ppb and that Ti accumulates in the spleen and in the liver. Here we report titanium concentrations in the pancreas head of 30 human donors, measured by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectroscopy. Of the donors, 7 were free of pancreatic disease, 4 had pancreatitis, 10 had type 2 diabetes and 9 had type 2 diabetes with pancreatitis; 3 were underweight, 6 were normal weight, 5 were overweight, and 16 were obese. Ti accumulated in the pancreas, its accumulation increasing with obesity. The pancreatic Ti concentrations ranged from 0.75 to 3.78 ppm, averaging 1.8 ppm, much higher than the reported 40–100 ppb concentration in the spleen or the 30–100 ppb concentration reported in the liver. The corresponding nu...
GP158 The use of nitrous oxide in temple street emergency department

Background A visit to the Emergency Department (ED) can be stressful and frightening for children and their parents.1 Children perceive many of the interventions performed in ED as threatening, and a negative experience can have an impact on any future visits to hospital. 2; 3 Through our procedural sedation programme, we aim to minimise this distress, reduce pain and improve the success rate of a procedure whilst ensuring patient safety at all times. Aims The aim of this study is to review the use of Nitrous Oxide for procedural sedation within the Emergency Department between March and October 2018, and to evaluate the adverse events and outcomes. Methods When performing procedural sedation in ED, a standardised sedation record is completed by the trained staff member and uploaded to a computer database. These forms were reviewed and data was input into Microsoft Excel for interpretation and analysis. Results Over the study period, procedural sedation was performed on 142 occasions. The mean age of the patients was 6.9 years old (11 months – 15 year), and 68% were male. The overall mean duration of sedation was 9.3minutes (3minutes – 40minutes). The most common indication for use of Nitrous Oxide was in the management of a fracture or laceration (93/142). Other indications included removal of foreign bodies, lumbar punctures and IV cannulation. No serious adverse events occurred in the study period. Less significant side effects occurred in 22% of cases. Vomiting was the most common (27/142) side effect and was more likely to occur in children under 10 years of age. Conclusion Nitrous oxide is used for a wide variety of reasons in our department and is generally well tolerated. Procedural sedation can be beneficial to patients in reducing distress and avoiding a general anaesthetic with prolonged hospital stays. The implantation of a database allows for continuous audit of our practices within the department and comparison with national and international standards. References Merritt C. Fear and loathing in the ER: managing procedural pain and anxiety in the Pediatric Emergency Department. R I Med J 2013; 97(1):31–34. Krauss B. S.; GREEN, S. M. Procedural sedation and its place in paediatric emergency medicine. Emergency Medicine Journal; 33(8):525. Krieser D, Kochar A. Paediatric procedural sedation within the emergency department. J Paediatr Child Health 2016; 52(2):197–203.
Large contests without single crossing

We show that the equilibria of contests with many players and prizes are approximated by certain single-agent mechanisms. This complements the work of Olszewski and Siegel (Econometrica 84:835–854, 2016), who considered a more restricted environment in which players’ utility function satisfies a strict single crossing condition. Relaxing strict single crossing enlarges the set of approximating mechanisms and weakens the notion of approximation, but implications regarding equilibrium behavior in large contests can nevertheless often be derived. When the approximating mechanism is unique, a stronger notion of approximation obtains.
Readjustment or reversal? The ‘normalization’ of relations between France and Israel, 1957–63

French policy towards Israel in the 1950s and 1960s depended on a number of variables. Above all, French diplomacy never considered Israel apart from broader Middle Eastern and international consid...
Resolution enhancement of transmission electron microscopy by super-resolution radial fluctuations

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques have enabled dramatic development in modern biology due to their capability to discern features smaller than the diffraction limit of light. Recently, super-resolution radial fluctuations (SRRF), an analytical approach that is capable of generating super-resolution images easily without the need for specialized hardware or photoswitchable fluorophores, has been presented. While SRRF has only been demonstrated on fluorescence microscopes, in principle, this method can be used to generate super-resolution images on any imaging platforms with intrinsic radial symmetric point spread functions. In this work, we show that SRRF can be utilized to enhance the resolution and quality of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. By including an image registration algorithm to correct for sample drift, the SRRF-TEM approach substantially enhances the resolution of TEM images of three different samples acquired with a commercial TEM system. We quantify the resolution improvement in SRRF-TEM and evaluate how SRRF parameters affect the resolution and quality of SRRF-TEM results.
Assessing Cyber-Physical Risks of IoT-Based Energy Devices in Grid Operations

The growing number of consumer-grade network-enabled Distributed Energy Resources (DER) installations introduces new attack vectors that could impact grid operations through coordinated attacks. This work presents a cyber-physical model and risk assessment methodology for analyzing the emerging nexus between Internet of Things-based energy devices and the bulk transmission grid. The cyber model replicates the device-level interconnectivity and software components interaction found within these architectures to understand the feasibly of coordinated attacks, while the physical model is used to assess the attack's impacts on the grid. The manuscript questions the validity of previous papers' claims regarding IoT-based grid attacks by addressing key limitations in both the power grid and cyber infrastructure models of those works. The resulting methodology is then evaluated using the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) electrical model coupled with DER's operational statistics from California. The results suggest that current DER penetration rates are not yet significant enough to present serious risk, but continued DER growth may be problematic. Furthermore, the work identifies policies that mitigate these risks through increased device diversity and cybersecurity requirements.
Role of Interprofessional Teams in Emergency General Surgery Patient Outcomes

Abstract Background In response to duty hour restrictions, hospitals expanded residency programs and added advanced practice providers. We sought to determine if type of clinical support was associated with emergency general surgery outcomes. Methods As part of our 2015 survey of acute care hospitals, we asked hospitals whether residents and advanced practice providers participate in emergency general surgery care. Data from responding hospitals were linked to patient data (≥18 years old admitted with an emergency general surgery diagnosis) from 17 State Inpatient Databases using American Hospital Association identifiers. Analyses compared emergency general surgery patient and hospital characteristics based on type of providers assisting emergency general surgery surgeons (none, only advanced practice providers, only residents, or both). Multivariable analysis determined if presence of advanced practice providers and/or residents was associated with type of management, mortality, or complications. Results Eighty-three hospitals and 49,271 unique emergency general surgery admissions were included. Hospitals without residents and advanced practice providers were most likely to manage patients operatively. However, hospitals with residents (alone or with advanced practice providers) had reduced odds of systemic complication compared with hospitals without clinical support (adjusted odds ratio 0.77 [95% confidence interval 0.60–0.98] and adjusted odds ratio 0.77 [95% confidence interval 0.62–0.95], respectively), while hospitals with only residents had the lowest odds of operative complication. Conclusion Our findings highlight the positive effect residents (alone or partnering with advanced practice providers) can have on emergency general surgery patient outcomes.
Characteristics of U.S. Nursing Homes with COVID-19 Cases.

Author(s): Abrams, Hannah R; Loomer, Lacey; Gandhi, Ashvin; Grabowski, David C | Abstract: Background/objectivesThe 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been documented in a large share of nursing homes throughout the United States, leading to high rates of mortality for residents. To understand how to prevent and mitigate future outbreaks, it is imperative that we understand which nursing homes are more likely to experience COVID-19 cases. Our aim was to examine the characteristics of nursing homes with documented COVID-19 cases in the 30 states reporting the individual facilities affected.DesignWe constructed a database of nursing homes with verified COVID-19 cases as of May 11, 2020, via correspondence with and publicly available reports from state departments of health. We linked this information to nursing home characteristics and used regression analysis to examine the association between these characteristics and the likelihood of having a documented COVID-19 case.SettingAll nursing homes from 30 states that reported COVID-19 cases at the facility-level.ParticipantsNursing home residents in states reporting data.MeasurementsWhether a nursing home had a reported COVID-19 case (yes/no), and conditional on having a case, the number of cases at a nursing home.ResultsOf 9,395 nursing homes in our sample, 2,949 (31.4%) had a documented COVID-19 case. Larger facility size, urban location, greater percentage of African American residents, non-chain status, and state were significantly (P l .05) related to the increased probability of having a COVID-19 case. Five-star rating, prior infection violation, Medicaid dependency, and ownership were not significantly related.ConclusionCOVID-19 cases in nursing homes are related to facility location and size and not traditional quality metrics such as star rating and prior infection control citations. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1653-1656, 2020.
Instability of solutions to the Ginzburg–Landau equation on Sn and CPn

Abstract We study critical points of the Ginzburg–Landau (GL) functional and the abelian Yang–Mills–Higgs (YMH) functional on the sphere and the complex projective space, both equipped with the standard metrics. For the GL functional we prove that on S n with n ≥ 2 and C P n with n ≥ 1 , stable critical points must be constants. In addition, for GL critical points on S n for n ≥ 3 we obtain a lower bound on the Morse index under suitable assumptions. On the other hand, for the abelian YMH functional we prove that on S n with n ≥ 4 there are no stable critical points unless the line bundle is isomorphic to S n × C , in which case the only stable critical points are the trivial ones. Our methods come from the work of Lawson–Simons.
Equity in Renewable Energy Technology Adoption in China: a Review of the Social-Psychological and Demographic Barriers

Renewable energy research in China often underestimates the impact of non-technical or human factors on adoption, as well as the impacts of these factors on energy inequality. This review investigates how social-psychological and demographic factors influence the adoption of electric vehicles, photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters, and smart home technology, especially in rural China. Renewable energy technology adoption in China is extensive, but many social-psychological and demographics barriers to greater diffusion have not been addressed in research or policy. Studies suggest that subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, government support, and knowledge about the technology are the most important social-psychological factors affecting adoption intention in China. Demographic factors and concomitant equity issues have received little attention are largely unstudied in China-specific research and constitutes a major research gap. The limited available literature suggests that the significant demographic factors are, income, urban versus rural setting, education, and cultural values weighted towards collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. We conclude with future research opportunities and policy recommendations.
Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress- Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia.

Background Withania somnifera (WS), also known as Ashwagandha, is commonly used in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems. WS has seen an increase in public use worldwide due to its reputation as an adaptogen. This popularity has elicited increased scientific study of its biological effects, including a potential application for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Objective This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of preclinical and clinical studies examining the neuropsychiatric effects of WS, specifically its application in stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Methods Reports of human trials and animal studies of WS were collected primarily from the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Results WS root and leaf extracts exhibited noteworthy anti-stress and anti-anxiety activity in animal and human studies. WS also improved symptoms of depression and insomnia, though fewer studies investigated these applications. WS may alleviate these conditions predominantly through modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic-adrenal medullary axes, as well as through GABAergic and serotonergic pathways. While some studies link specific withanolide components to its neuropsychiatric benefits, there is evidence for the presence of additional yet unidentified active compounds in WS. Conclusion While benefits were seen in the reviewed studies, significant variability in the WS extracts examined prevents a consensus on the optimum WS preparation or dosage from treating neuropsychiatric conditions. WS generally appears safe for human use; however, it will be important to investigate potential herb-drug interactions involving WS if used alongside pharmaceutical interventions. Further elucidation of active compounds of WS is also needed.
Operation gridlock: opposite sides, opposite strategies

Twitter and other social media platforms are important tools for competing groups to push their preferred messaging and respond to opposing views. Special attention has been paid to the role these tools play in times of emergency and important public decision-making events such as during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we analyze the Pro- and Anti-Protest sides of the Twitter discussion surrounding the first few weeks of the anti-lockdown protests in the United States. We find that these opposing groups mirror the partisan divide regarding the protests in their use of specific phrases and in their sharing of external links. We then compare the users in each group and their actions and find that the Pro-Protest side acts more proactively, is more centrally organized, engages with the opposing side less, and appears to rely more on bot-like or troll-like users. In contrast, the Anti-Protest side is more reactive, has a larger presence of verified account activity (both as actors and targets), and appears to have been more successful in spreading its message in terms of both tweet volume and in attracting more regular type users. Our work provides insights into the organization of opposing sides of the Twitter debate and discussions over responses to the COVID-19 emergency and helps set the stage for further work in this area.
Hyperammonemia in patients receiving valproic acid in the hospital setting: A retrospective review.

Introduction Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used for the treatment of epilepsy, migraine, and a variety of psychiatric conditions. The reported incidences of hyperammonemia induced by VPA use is variable. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of VPA-induced hyperammonemia in the general adult inpatient population. Methods Adult patients who received at least 1 dose of VPA and derivatives between June 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 were included. Patients were excluded if they did not have VPA administered during their inpatient stay or if they had elevated ammonia levels (>33 μmol/L) prior to initiation of VPA. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of liver cirrhosis were also excluded. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hyperammonemia. Secondary outcomes included symptoms of hyperammonemia, diagnosis of VPA-induced hyperammonemia, and treatment of VPA-induced hyperammonemia. Results A total of 162 patients were included in this study. A total of 33 (20.4%) patients were identified as having the primary outcome of hyperammonemia; 26 (16.0%) patients had symptoms of hyperammonemia, and 13 (8.0%) patients were diagnosed with VPA-induced hyperammonemia. Treatment modalities included administration of lactulose, levocarnitine, discontinuing VPA, or decreasing the VPA dose. Discussion The administration of VPA in the general adult inpatient population resulted in a 20.4% incidence of hyperammonemia, with a lower rate of diagnosed VPA-induced hyperammonemia. Clinicians should be encouraged to obtain ammonia levels in patients receiving VPA if symptoms of altered mental status or encephalopathy develop.
Book Review of The Priority of the Person

A book review of David Walsh's The Priority of the Person: Political, Philosophical, and Historical Discoveries, Notre Dame Press, 2020.
E-scooter’s Availability and Social Equity in Minneapolis, MN: A Spatial Modeling Approach

This article examines the social equity of e-scooter availability across different socially disadvantaged groups in Minneapolis, MN (USA). The city’s northwestern part with high poverty rates has a higher e-scooter availability rate than its counterparts. Also, this study did not find any significant inequality involved with race or educational attainment. However, while the city performed well on these, areas with a high percentage of commuters, dependent on transit, bike, and walking, have fewer e-scooters available on their streets. As such an area, the local models of this study underscore the need for more e-scooter deployment in areas close to downtown.