cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oximetric quantitation of intracardiac left-to-right shunting: limitations of the Qp/Qs ratio.

Abstract For over 40 years, analysis of the blood oxygen content in the right heart chambers has been used to detect and quantitate intracardiac left-to-right shunting. 1 Using the Fick principle, pulmonary and systemic blood flows are calculated and then their ratio ( Qp Qs ) is determined. Subsequently, numerous studies-including indicator dilution, 2 radionuclide angiocardiography 3,4 and Doppler echocardiography 5,6 —have used this ratio as the gold standard for measuring intracardiac left-to-right shunting, but its widespread use as such suggests an insufficient understanding of its potential inaccuracies. We performed this study to assess and quantitate the limitations of the Qp Qs ratio in patients with intracardiac left-to-right shunting.
A Noninvasive System for Biomechanical Properties Measurement of Soft Tissue

A device for measuring the biomechanical properties of soft tissue via palpation was developed. The device, which is worn by a medical professional, incorporates sensors that collect data on the position of the users' hand in three-dimensional space as well as the force that the user applies to the tissue. The depth of palpation, the force used to achieve that depth, and the thickness of the tissue obtained from a computed tomography scan of the abdomen were used to calculate the stiffness properties of each individual layer of tissue. Some experimental data obtained by curve fitting force-displacement curves are presented. The data obtained from this experiment illustrates the potential of this device to be used for accurate measurement of soft tissue properties.
Measurement of the osmotic threshold for vasopressin release in human subjects, and its modification by cortisol.

The level of plasma osmolality at which hydrated human subjects first respond to an intravenous infusion of 5 % saline with a statistically significant fall in free water clearance (without a fall in osmolal clearance or creatinine excretion) has been called the osmotic threshold for vasopressin (ADH) release. The mean osmotic threshold in 8 normal subjects was found to be 289.51 ± (sd) 2.35 mOsm/kg and to rise by 3.72 ±0.53 (se) mOsm/kg after treatment with 100 mg cortisol daily, by mouth, for 2 days (p <.001, by t test for paired comparisons). In 6 normal subjects, the osmotic threshold was elevated by 2.57 mOsm/kg ±0.63 (se) by infusing cortisol intravenously with the hypertonic saline (p <.01). Thus, both acute intravenous administration of cortisol over the space of less than 2 hr and the oral administration of the steroid for 2 days raised the level to which the plasma osmolality had to be elevated in order to stimulate ADH release. Cortisol was shown neither to delay nor to diminish the renal respo...
Two week nicotine treatment selectively increases bone vascular constriction in response to norepinephrine.

Abstract This study was designed to determine if nicotine treatment alters the constrictor and/or dilator function of the vessels which regulate blood flow to intact bone. Nicotine (1.7 mg/kg/day) or nicotine-free, phosphate-buffered saline was administered subcutaneously to mature male rats for 2 weeks via osmotic mini-pumps. On the 14th day, the rats were anesthetized and in vivo experiments were performed to quantitate the changes in arterial blood pressure and perfusion of the intact tibia (measured by laser Doppler flowmetry) in response to two constrictor agonists (norepinephrine, NE and arginine vasopressin, AVP) and two vasodilator agents (acetylcholine, ACh and sodium nitroprusside, SNP). Dose–response curves were generated by plotting the change in the bone vascular resistance index (mmHg/bone perfusion units) evoked by each dose of agonist. In addition, bone arteriolar expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein was quantitated by Western blot analysis. Nicotine treatment significantly enhanced the constriction of the bone vasculature in response to NE, but not to AVP. Vascular dilation in response to ACh and SNP was not changed by nicotine. These results indicate that nicotine selectively accentuates the constrictor response of the bone vasculature to exogenous NE. This enhanced constriction to NE is not due to impaired endothelial cell release of nitric oxide or diminished smooth muscle response to nitric oxide. Since NE and AVP activate similar cell signaling mechanisms to induce constriction, the selective enhancement of NE-induced constriction suggests that nicotine alters a mechanism unique to NE signaling; possibly the number or binding affinity of alpha adrenergic receptors. Since endogenous NE regulates basal blood flow to bone, the effect of nicotine to augment NE-induced constriction could lead to a chronic reduction in blood flow to bone.
Adrenocorticotropin in rat brain: immunocytochemical localization in cells and axons

By means of antiserum (purified by affinity chromatography) directed against adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) 11-24, cell bodies and beaded axons were visualized in rat brain. The ACTH-like immunoreactivity (ACTH-LI) was primarily located in the hypothalamus (cells and axons). Fibers were scattered throughout thalamus, amygdala, periaqueductal gray area, and reticular formation. There was no change in the distribution of ACTH-LI in rats that had been subjected to hypophysectomy. This distribution of ACTH-LI parallels that of beta-lipotropin and is altered by specific lesions in a similar fashion. The presence of ACTH-LI in cells and beaded axons in brain raises the possibility that it is a neuroregulator functioning as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, or neurohormone.
Claisen ortho ester rearrangement with trimethyl 3-(phenylseleno)orthopropionate: A synthon for the preparation of 2-substituted acrylates and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones

Abstract Trimethyl 3-(phenylseleno)orthopropionate may be utilized as a synthon for the preparation of either 2-substituted acrylates or α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones via Claisen ortho ester rearrangement with allylic alcohols followed by oxidative-elimination of PhSeOH.
Raman Spectroscopy of Nickel Sulfide Ni3S2

Raman spectra of nickel sulfides reported in previous studies are inconsistent due possibly to the difficulty in obtaining samples of the required purity in composition and phase. In this study, Ra...
A combined treatment approach for adults with ADHD--results of an open study of 43 patients.

Objective: Increasing numbers of adults are seeking treatment for ADHD. Pharmacotherapy is well established as the first line treatment for adult ADHD, although medications alone may be insufficien...
I1‐Imidazoline Receptors

Data were presented showing that I1-imidazoline sites show a unique ligand specificity that differs markedly from that of any of the alpha 2-adrenergic subtypes or the I2-imidazoline sites labeled by [3H]idazoxan. On the other hand, the ligand specificity of I1-imidazoline sites is maintained across mammalian species (cow, rat, dog, and human) and between different tissues and cell types. I1-Imidazoline sites can be further distinguished from I2 sites because the latter, unlike I1 sites, were not present in RVLM membranes from bovine brain stem. Furthermore, I1-imidazoline sites were modulated by guanine nucleotides with a specificity appropriate for a receptor coupled to G-protein and were mainly localized to plasma membranes. I1-Imidazoline sites show a unique pattern of distribution between diverse tissues and cell types and appear to be a neuroepithelial marker as well as being present in secretory cells of the pancreatic islets. The widespread distribution of I1-imidazoline sites implies that the functional significance of this putative receptor may have been underestimated. The signaling pathway associated with the I1-imidazoline receptor remains to be fully elucidated, but is likely that activation of phospholipase A2 leading to release of arachidonic acid and subsequent generation of prostaglandins plays a major role.
Distributed optimal control and viscosity solutions of infinite dimensional Bellman equations

The Bellman equation for two infinite dimensional optimal control problems is studied here in the context of the Crandall and Lions [3] theory of viscosity solutions. We apply the method introduced in Barron and Jensen [1] to derive the Pontryagin maximum principle using the Bellman equation and the fact that the value function is a viscosity supersolution. The specific problems considered are governed by (1) nonlinear differential-difference equations as dynamics or (2) a nonlinear, divergence form, parabolic p.d.e, as dynamics.
Viscoelastic properties and phase behavior of 12‐tert‐butyl ester dendrimer/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

This study used refractometry, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and dielectric analysis to assess the viscoelastic properties and phase behavior of blends containing 0–20% (w/w) 12-tert-butyl ester dendrimer in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Dendritic blends were miscible up through 12%, exhibiting an intermediate glass-transition temperature (Tg; α) between those of the two pure components. Interactions of PMMA CO groups and dendrimer NH groups contributed to miscibility. Tg decreased with increasing dendrimer content before phase separation. The dendrimer exhibited phase separation at 15%, as revealed by Rayleigh scattering in ultraviolet–visible spectra and the emergence of a second Tg in dielectric studies. Before phase separation, clear, secondary β relaxations for PMMA were observed at low frequencies via dielectric analysis. Apparent activation energies were obtained through Arrhenius characterization. A merged αβ process for PMMA occurred at higher frequencies and temperatures in the blends. Dielectric data for the phase-separated dendrimer relaxation (αD) in the 20% blend conformed to Williams–Landel–Ferry behavior, which allowed the calculation of the apparent activation energy. The αD relaxation data, analyzed both before and after treatment with the electric modulus, compared well with neat dendrimer data, which confirmed that this relaxation was due to an isolated dendrimer phase. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1381–1393, 2001
Fluorescence enhancement from an array of subwavelength metal apertures

We report the resonant excitation of a fluorescing molecular monolayer applied to a periodic array of subwavelength apertures in a metal film. The peak fluorescence occurs under conditions of maximum transmission of the excitation light, which indicates strong enhancement of the incident light within the apertures under resonant conditions. Fluorescence output normalized to the aperture fill fraction is enhanced by nearly 40 times, and the rate of photobleaching is increased by approximately a factor of 2, suggesting an increase in the fluorescence yield.
Guiding global placement with wire density

This paper presents an efficient technique for the estimation of the routed wirelength during global placement using the wire density of the net. The proposed method identifies congested regions of the chip and incorporates the model of the routed wirelength into the objective function in order to effectively alleviate these regions from congestion. The method is integrated in the analytical placement framework and the two-level structure improves the scalability of the placer and speeds up the algorithm. The proposed analytical placer provides the best-so-far average routed wirelength in the IBM version2 benchmark suite.
A Model for Cutting and Healing of Deltaic Mouth Bars at the Shelf Edge: Mechanism for Basin-Margin Accretion

Abstract The architecture and facies variability of shelf-edge deltaic deposits from Permian–Triassic strata of the Karoo Basin, South Africa, are described. The architecture of the deposits are used to propose a model of repetitive collapse and re-establishment of mouth-bar packages at the shelf edge, and associated delivery of sand to the slope and basin floor. Accretion of basin-margin sediment wedges is facilitated through deposition of sediment on the basin-margin clinoform. This sediment is delivered by deltas at the shelf edge in the form of turbidity currents, delta collapse, and other gravity-driven processes. A well exposed 3-km-long transect that records the transition between the outer shelf and upper slope for one progradational unit is described. The strata are defined by basinward-dipping, offlapping clinoform packages of soft-sediment-deformed and undeformed sandstone and mudstone. Undeformed sandstone units are characterized by meter-thick beds of mouth-bar sandstones with internal scour incisions, 1–2 m deep. Sets of undeformed sandstone beds thicken in a basinward direction from less than 1 m to over 10 m, and in multiple locations the bed sets are truncated by slump-scar surfaces that are overlain by mass-transport deposits. Soft-sediment-deformed strata are defined by packages of contorted, broken, and overturned beds. The deformed deposits are interpreted as being the product of dewatering features, as well as slumps, slides, and debrites, all of which emanate from slump-scar features at the shelf edge. On the uppermost slope, thin-bedded prodelta turbidites are interbedded with mass transport deposits, most of which pinch out within 2 km of the shelf edge. The clinoformal packages presented record the basinward transition between: a) prograding mouth-bar deposits on the delta topset, b) truncation of the mouth-bar deposits by slump-scar incisions, 2–6 m deep, c) deposition of mass-transport deposits on the delta front and prodelta, and finally, d) re-establishment of mouth-bar deposition above and basinward of the slump-scar and mass-transport deposits. The observed stratigraphic stacking patterns, facies transitions, and interpreted depositional systems form the basis of a model for cutting and healing of deltaic packages that describes the repetitive deltaic progradation, delta collapse, and subsequent re-establishment of deltaic deposition. This process of repetitive collapse and reestablishment records the depositional-element-scale progradation of the shelf edge and accretion of the basin margin within the same depositional sequence.
Slow shock interactions in the heliosphere using an adaptive grid MHD model

A one-dimensional (1-D), time-dependent, adaptive-grid MHD model with solar wind structure has been used in the past to study the interaction of shocks. In the present study, we wish to study some fundamental processes that may be associated with slow shock genesis and their possible interactions with other discontinuities. This adaptive-grid model, suitable for appropriate spatial and temporal numerical simulations, is used for this purpose because its finer grid sizes in the vicinity of the steep gradients at shocks make it possible to delineate the physical parameters on both sides of the shocks. We found that a perturbation with deceleration of solar wind will generate an ensemble consisting of a forward slow shock, a fast forward wave and a reverse slow shock. On the other hand, a perturbation with an increase in acceleration of solar wind will generate both a slow shock and a fast shock. These two perturbations, although not unique, may be representative of momentum and pressure changes at the solar surface. During the transition of a fast shock overtaking a slow shock from behind, the slow shock might disappear temporarily. Also, during the process of the merging of two slow shocks, a slow shock-like structure is formed first; later, the slow shock-like structure evolves into an intermediate shock-like structure. This intermediate shock-like structure then evolves into an intermediate wave and a slow shock-like structure. Finally, the slow shock-like structure evolves into a slow shock, but the intermediate wave disappears by interacting with the non-uniform solar wind. This complex behavior demonstrates the non-unique nature of the formation of slow shocks, intermediate shocks and their derivative structures. We emphasize the main aim of this work to be both: (a) non-unique input physical parameters to explain the paucity of observed slow shocks, as well as (b) the impossibility of backward tracing to the history of input boundary conditions in view of the present inability to describe unambiguous inputs at the Sun.
Distributed Spectral Access Schemes for Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we study the distributed spectral access technique for multi-band interference channels over cognitive radio networks (CRNs). We propose some novel shared carrier assignment (SCA) and exclusive carrier assignment (ECA) schemes using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) in CRNs, and compare their performance under different system parameters. Based on SCA we propose a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) threshold based iterative waterfilling (IWF) method which improves the sum rate than the original IWF method. Furthermore, we design a closed-form iterative approach to implement IWF which avoids numerical search. For ECA we propose an OFDMA splitting algorithm to achieve both proportional fairness and near-optimal throughput. Effects of various parameters (such as spectral mask, SNR, and the interference level) are illustrated by simulation results, which show that ECA is preferred to SCA in the case of non-trivial interference and for medium to high SNRs.
Peripheral angioplasty with same-day discharge in patients with intermittent claudication

Background As the number of endovascular interventions increase and resources become scarce, surgeons need to be aware of cost-effective and efficient practice options. Many surgeons routinely admit their patients for overnight observation after uneventful endovascular interventions. Although this may be appropriate for patients with tissue loss and rest pain, we believe that peripheral angioplasty in patients with claudication can be safely performed as an outpatient procedure with significant cost savings. Methods All patients with intermittent claudication undergoing peripheral angioplasty by a single vascular surgeon were enrolled prospectively in a same-day discharge protocol. Involved arteries and use of stent and closure device were recorded. Time to mobilization and time to discharge were determined. Patients were observed in an observation unit by a registered nurse, and were examined by the surgeon at the time of ambulation and before discharge. Patients were admitted to the hospital if complications arose during the predetermined observation period. Periprocedural complications and reasons for admission were noted. Patients were evaluated at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 3 to 6 months after the intervention. Results During 27 months, 112 interventions were performed in 97 patients. The superficial femoral artery was the most frequent site of intervention (47%). Multiple sites had angioplasty in 27 (24%) procedures. Nine (8%) procedures resulted in admission. One patient was admitted for a major puncture site hematoma requiring blood transfusion, two patients for observation of a minor hematoma at the puncture site, one for chest pain, and one for observation of transient bradycardia. The mean time to mobilization was 1.4 ± 1.3 hours, and the mean time to discharge was 2.8 ± 1.2 hours. The average postprocedural cost for patients undergoing same-day discharge was $320 per patient, which contrasts with $1800 for routine overnight observation. No deaths or unplanned admissions to the hospital occurred ≤30 days of intervention. Conclusions Same-day discharge after peripheral angioplasty is safe and cost-effective. Need for admission is evident within 2 hours. Routine admission after peripheral angioplasty for patients with claudication is unnecessary and should no longer be the standard of care.
Cognition-Based Extraction and Modelling of Topographic Eminences

Abstract Terrain is generally stored in GIS as an elevation field, whereas human cognition of the landscape is usually object based. To address this mismatch of terrain data models, we propose object-based terrain representation, using topographic eminences, which are landforms that rise up conspicuously from the ground to visibly dominate the landscape, to illustrate our case. We propose a cognition-based methodology for automated detection and delineation of eminences from digital elevation models (DEMs). Alternative conceptualizations of the landscape can be realized by simple manipulation of intuitive parameters such as a peak's relative height and distance. Our approach delimits the extent of eminences based purely on topographic gradient and aspect, much like the delineation of ridges as watershed boundaries. Smaller eminences can be incrementally aggregated into larger cognitive wholes, enabling scale-sensitive landscape reconstruction. The ability to integrate field and object views of the landsca...
Transgenic mice with increased astrocyte expression of IL-6 show altered effects of acute ethanol on synaptic function.

A growing body of evidence has revealed that resident cells of the central nervous system (CNS), and particularly the glial cells, comprise a neuroimmune system that serves a number of functions in the normal CNS and during adverse conditions. Cells of the neuroimmune system regulate CNS functions through the production of signaling factors, referred to as neuroimmune factors. Recent studies show that ethanol can activate cells of the neuroimmune system, resulting in the elevated production of neuroimmune factors, including the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Here we analyzed the consequences of this CNS action of ethanol using transgenic mice that express elevated levels of IL-6 through increased astrocyte expression (IL-6-tg) to model the increased IL-6 expression that occurs with ethanol use. Results show that increased IL-6 expression induces neuroadaptive changes that alter the effects of ethanol. In hippocampal slices from non-transgenic (non-tg) littermate control mice, synaptically evoked dendritic field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) and somatic population spike (PS) at the Schaffer collateral to CA1 pyramidal neuron synapse were reduced by acute ethanol (20 or 60 mM). In contrast, acute ethanol enhanced the fEPSP and PS in hippocampal slices from IL-6 tg mice. Long-term synaptic plasticity of the fEPSP (i.e., LTP) showed the expected dose-dependent reduction by acute ethanol in non-tg hippocampal slices, whereas LTP in the IL-6 tg hippocampal slices was resistant to this depressive effect of acute ethanol. Consistent with altered effects of acute ethanol on synaptic function in the IL-6 tg mice, EEG recordings showed a higher level of CNS activity in the IL-6 tg mice than in the non-tg mice during the period of withdrawal from an acute high dose of ethanol. These results suggest a potential role for neuroadaptive effects of ethanol-induced astrocyte production of IL-6 as a mediator or modulator of the actions of ethanol on the CNS, including persistent changes in CNS function that contribute to cognitive dysfunction and the development of alcohol dependence.
Development of a Rapid Cartilage Damage Quantification Method for the Lateral Tibiofemoral Compartment Using Magnetic Resonance Images: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

The purpose of this study was to expand and validate the cartilage damage index (CDI) to detect cartilage damage in the lateral tibiofemoral compartment. We used an iterative 3-step process to develop and validate the lateral CDI: development (100 knees), testing (80 knees), and validation (100 knees). The validation set included 100 knees from the Osteoarthritis Initiative that was enriched to include all grades of lateral joint space narrowing (JSN, 0-3). Measurement of the CDI was rapid at 7.4 (s.d. 0.73) minutes per knee pair (baseline and follow-up of one knee). The intratester reliability is good (intraclass correlation coefficient (3, 1 model) = 0.86 to 0.98). At baseline, knees with greater KL grade and lateral JSN had a lower mean CDI (i.e., greater cartilage damage). Baseline lateral CDI is associated with both lateral JSW (r = 0.81 to 0.85, p < 0.01) and HKA (r = -0.30 to -0.33, p < 0.05). The SRM is good (lateral femur SRM = -0.76; lateral tibia SRM = -0.73; lateral tibiofemoral total SRM = -0.87). The lateral tibiofemoral CDI quantification allows for rapid evaluation and is reliable and responsive, with good construct validity. It may be an efficient method to measure lateral tibiofemoral articular cartilage in large clinical and epidemiologic studies.
Affordable housing in National Register districts: recognizing the advantages of historic urban neighborhoods in Louisville and Covington, Kentucky, USA

This paper draws attention to the public policy opportunities created by the spatial characteristics of urban historic districts. Using the Kentucky cities of Louisville and Covington as case studies, the research uses geographic information systems (GIS) to demonstrate that Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units developed in historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places are closer to libraries, transit stops, parks, and schools than are LIHTC units developed in ‘non-historic’ areas of these cities. The findings are particularly relevant for policy-makers adopting a neighborhood-oriented approach to improving the quality of affordable housing, and for those seeking strategies for bringing new life to declining urban areas.
The Impact of Pepsin on Human Nasal Epithelial Cells In Vitro A Potential Mechanism for Extraesophageal Reflux Induced Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Objectives:To describe potential mechanisms by which pepsin induces inflammation in refractive chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Our hypothesis was that pepsin induces mitochondrial damage and cytokine...
Evaluation of the Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners.

Purpose: From 1996 to 2013, a 6-day Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners has been offered yearly in the United States. An evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the course on building public health capacity for physical activity and on shaping the physical activity and public health careers of fellows since taking the courses. Method: An evaluation quantified time that fellows spent in different course offerings and surveyed fellows. Results: From 1996 to 2012, 410 fellows attended the course, and in 2013, 186 participated in the Web-based survey (56% response rate). The number of fellows attending the course ranged from 15 to 33 yearly. From 1996 to 2012, the course averaged 38 hr of instructional time that included topics on interventions and environment/policy work to increase physical activity, program evaluation, public health research, and health disparities. The course included consultations, collaborative work, and field-based experiences. Fellows who participated...
Maternal and neonatal death from advanced choriocarcinoma due to a delay in diagnosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic choriocarcinoma rarely coexists with a normal pregnancy. CASE: A 36-year-old multipara presented to the hospital at 23 weeks' gestation with progressive dyspnea and tachycardia. She was admitted and evaluated by the Psychiatry Department for presumed panic disorder and had perinatology, pulmonary, cardiology and infectious disease consultations. Over the course of 5 days she developed respiratory failure, delivered a nonviable infant and died from complications of metastatic pulmonary choriocarcinoma. Choriocarcinoma was not considered in the differential diagnosis of the respiratory failure until the day prior to the patient's death. CONCLUSION: Choriocarcinoma, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pregnant women presenting with abnormally elevated serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels and respiratory failure.
Classification of breath and snore sounds using audio data recorded with smartphones in the home environment

In this paper, classification between snore-inhale (SI), snore-exhale (SE), breathe-inhale (BI), breathe-exhale (BE) and noise (NS) sounds is performed. The database is obtained from 7 subjects, who recorded whole night audio data in their private home environments with their own smartphones. Preprocessing is done by a modification of an adaptive noise suppression method [1]. The classification system consists of 5 binary RobustBoost classifiers (RBs) [2] applying the one-vs.-rest strategy and an artificial neural network (ANN) for voting on the outputs. ReliefF and Sequential Forward Selection (SFS) extract a 5-dimensional feature vector, consisting of psychoacoustic features from time and spectral domain. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) in percent on a preprocessed (i.e. the signal contains only sound activity segments), representative 1 h 20 min dataset are: Sesi, sE, Bi, BE, NS = {80.91, 80.01 34,12, 66.45, 29.53} Spi, SE, Bi, BE, NS = {83.56, 91.70, 90.53, 83.32, 93.51}
Design of a Reconfigurable Tripod Machine System and Its Application in Web-based Machining

This chapter introduces a reconfigurable tripod-based machine system. The objective is to develop such a machine system that is capable of performing different machining tasks with the same set of system modules. The tripod system can be applied to different light machining operations, such as deburring and polishing. It consists of core modules and customised modules. The core modules, such as linear actuators, spherical and universal joints, are essential to all tripod machines, whereas the customised modules, such as base, end-effector platforms and support legs, can be changed and optimised for a specific task. This chapter focuses on the design methodologies of the reconfigurable machine system, and the theoretical model development for analysing and synthesising machines with alternative configurations. An integrated toolbox has also been implemented to support the system reconfiguration design processes.
Coroner Duties that Differ from Typical Medical Examiner Duties

State death investigation laws were reviewed to determine which duties coroners have that go beyond death investigation and are not typical duties of medical examiners. Twenty-four states have stat...
Some Preliminary notes on the Development of Basic Moods, Including Depression*:

L'auteur donne un resume de ses conceptions de certains etapes du developpement de l'enfant, basees sur les reconstructions des psychanalyses des adultes et des enfants, mais surtout sur des observ...
Validation of a Single Question Health Literacy Screening Tool for Older Adults

Objectives: Health Literacy skills are important for people of all ages. Older adults have the lowest health literacy rates. The purpose of this study was to assess health literacy rates and validate the use of a screening tool with older adults. Methods: Participants included a convenience sample, age 65 years or older, English speaking with corrected vision of 20/100 or better and typical cognitive skills. Participants completed the 36-item Short Test of Functional Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA) and a single item screening (SIS) tool. Results of STOFHLA and SIS were compared using nonparametric statistics. Results: Of the 64 participants, 94% had adequate scores on the STOFHLA, while 64% self-reported confidence in filling out medical forms, p = .006, χ2 = 7.606, df(1). Conclusion: Results suggest that use of health literacy screening tools for older adults may be of value. Additional studies are needed to expand the study sample and validate the findings of this study.
Teatro do Pequeno Gesto: O Último Tango no Rio de Janeiro de Nelson Rodrigues

The playwright Nelson Rodrigues is considered as the main responsible for beginning the modernization process of the Brazilian Theatre. Among the plays he wrote is A Serpente (The Serpent), directed by Antonio Guedes with his Rio de Janeiro company Teatro do Pequeno Gesto. The article proposes to demonstrate that the staging faithfully illustrates Rodrigues’ text by means of a Grotowskian poor-theatre production, which includes minimalist stagecraft, simple costumes, a style of movement that belongs as much to dance as to marking places, and lighting that changes according to the number of characters on stage, emotional states, and style of movement. The production offers a combination of choreography, music, poor-theatre techniques, and most important, Nelson Rodrigues’ minimalist play that tells the story of the poisonous serpent of love, betrayal, the lethal power of sex, and Paradise lost.
Infrastructure as a Catalyst for the Prosperity of African Cities

Abstract Improved infrastructure can deliver major benefits capable of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Despite the importance of infrastructure in the functioning of African cities, there are few attempts at investigating its contribution from a city perspective. This paper investigates how the provision of infrastructure contributes to the prosperity of African cities, using Expert Opinion Survey from a diverse selection of cities. Trends in three components of infrastructure – water supply, road network and telecommunications are examined. Serious water shortage characterizes 79% of the African cities in the study. However, cities such as Gaborone and Algiers located in arid regions of Africa are better able to meet their water supply needs largely due to effective water governance and management. The dysfunctional nature of roads in African cities poses a major challenge to the prosperity of these cities. Compared to other components of infrastructure, telecommunications is ranked as the most developed form infrastructure in African cities. This is attributed to the spectacular growth in the mobile phone industry over the last one and half decades. The mobile phone industry acts a catalyst for growth in African cities. Further analysis of the Expert Opinion Survey shows that if developed and effectively managed, infrastructure can contribute to the prosperity of African cities by: driving economic growth; facilitating urban mobility; ensuring greater access to health and education; enhancing safety and security; guiding urban growth; enhancing environmental quality; improving slums conditions; and reducing intra-urban disparities.
GLOBAL DIFFUSION PATTERN AND HOT SPOT ANALYSIS OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLEDISEASES

Abstract. Spatial characteristics reveal the concentration of vaccine-preventable disease in Africa and the Near East and that disease dispersion is variable depending on disease. The exception is whooping cough, which has a highly variable center of concentration from year to year. Measles exhibited the only statistically significant spatial autocorrelation among all the diseases under investigation. Hottest spots of measles are in Africa and coldest spots are in United States, warm spots are in Near East and cool spots are in Western Europe. Finally, cases of measles could not be explained by the independent variables, including Gini index, health expenditure, or rate of immunization. Since the literature confirms that each of the selected variables is considered determinants of disease dissemination, it is anticipated that the global dataset of disease cases was influenced by reporting bias.
Heat-Treated Non-precious-Metal-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are a green alternative to the internal combustion engine, particularly in the transportation sector. System costs unfortunately are still too high from a techno-economic standpoint, with approximately half of the total stack cost arising from the platinum catalysts. Therefore, the development of entirely non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) catalysts for the inherently slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable. Among several non-PGM catalysts, the most promising are heat-treated metal, nitrogen, carbon (M–N–C) catalysts. In this work, we have reviewed critical factors affecting the performance and durability of these catalysts, such as precursors and heat treatment temperature/time. We have also provided background information on the electrochemical and non-electrochemical evaluation techniques applicable to these catalysts, along with active site structure discussions. In terms of catalyst performance, while fuel cell activity for heat-treated non-PGM catalysts has been dramatically improved over the past two decades, further improvements are still required to compete with state-of-the-art Pt catalysts. Though indispensable, the heat treatment destroys the initial structure of precursors, producing a highly heterogeneous, complicated structure that makes it very difficult to elucidate and understand the active site(s) of the resulting non-PGM catalysts. At this stage, these authors think that fundamental knowledge surrounding the active site structure(s) and their formation is required in order to propel non-PGM catalyst development to new levels of achievement through rationally guided research efforts.
The Treatment of Estrogen Deficiency in Women at Risk for Breast Cancer and Survivors of the Disease

Many women choose not to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause even though medical indications are present (1–5). Among all menopausal women in the United States, only 20–40% ever take HRT (5). Among those given prescriptions, only 65% continue to take the HRT after the first prescription and only 25% for more than three years (6). Many of these women feel that menopause is a natural transition in life and that menopause-associated problems do not require therapy. Others are fearful of complications such as deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, and stroke or endometrial and breast cancer. For the estimated 2.5 million survivors of breast cancer in the United States, concern about mammary carcinoma risk strongly influences decision making processes regarding HRT.
‘Free country, free internet’: the symbolic power of technology in the Hungarian internet tax protests:

In 2014, the Hungarian government announced the introduction of a tax on internet usage. The proposal generated large protests, which led to its eventual withdrawal. In this article, I investigate the puzzling success of the ‘internet tax’ protests: how could a small tax on internet consumption generate so much contestation? I argue that the internet tax was able to give way to a broader mobilization against the government, because of the symbolic power of the idea of ‘the internet’, to which different political meanings can be attached. Through interviews with Hungarian activists, I reconstruct how the internet was associated with a mobilizing discourse that I term ‘mundane modernity’, which reproduces tropes of Western modernity about the equalizing properties of technology, progress, and rationality, while grounding them in the everyday practices of internet use. I then discuss the types of freedom embedded in mundane modernity and assess its political limitations.
Association of Fitness With Racial Differences in Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction Non-white minorities are at higher risk for chronic kidney disease than non-Hispanic whites. Better cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with slower declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate and a lower incidence of chronic kidney disease. Little is known regarding associations of fitness with racial disparities in chronic kidney disease. Methods A prospective cohort of 3,842 young adults without chronic kidney disease completed a maximal treadmill test at baseline in 1985–1986. Chronic kidney disease status was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate of Results Chronic kidney disease incidence was higher among blacks (n=83/1,941, 1.61 per 1,000 person years) than whites (43/1,901, 0.82 per 1,000 person years). Every 1-minute shorter treadmill duration was associated with 1.14 (95% CI=1.04, 1.25) times higher risk of chronic kidney disease. Blacks were 1.72 (95% CI=1.13, 2.63) times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease compared with whites. The risk was reduced to 1.54 (95% CI=1.01, 2.39) with fitness added. This suggests that fitness is associated with 20.4% (95% CI=5.8, 43.0%) of the excess risk of chronic kidney disease attributable to race. Conclusions Low fitness is a modifiable factor that may contribute to the racial disparity in chronic kidney disease.
Factory Farming and Ethical Veganism

The most compelling arguments for ethical veganism hinge on premise-pairs linking the serious wrongness of factory farming to that of buying its products: one premise claiming that buying those products stands in a certain relation to factory farming itself, and one claiming that entering into that relation with a seriously wrong practice is itself wrong. I argue that all such “linkage arguments” on offer fail, granting the serious wrongness of factory farming. Each relevant relation is such that if it holds between factory farming and buying its products, then it holds between some seriously wrong practice and economic transactions of an absurd number and breadth. Hence, all these premise-pairs would, if true, generate unacceptable moral overreach; each premise-pair contains at least one unacceptable member, and the linkage arguments for ethical veganism fail.
Privatization and the Reagan Administration: Ideology and Application

Ronald Reagan arrived at the White House in 1981 armed with a quixotic strategy for reducing the size and scope of the federal government and for closing the budget deficit. The President's strategy required a massive reduction in taxes and, simultaneously, even greater reductions in expenditures. But by 1984, President Reagan had failed to translate his commitment to minimalist government into reality.1 Although President Reagan sought and achieved large tax reductions in 1981, his budget proposals, due to sustained real growth in defense expenditures, actually increased gross federal spending. The Reagan Administration's initial approach failed, in part, because it ignored the strength of coalitions of beneficiaries, service providers, activists, and members of Congress, all of whom had definite interests in the preservation and expansion of particular programs.2 Members of the Reagan Administration erroneously had assumed that an arithmetical imperative would constrain federal expenditures once the President was successful in choking off the revenue sources that finance federal programs.3 Despite the failure of its earlier efforts, the Administration did not give up its hope of somehow reducing the size and the scope of the federal sector. In
When is a Hat a Mountain? The Material Religion of Gesar Bards’ Hats

AbstractBased on interviews performed in Qinghai, this article examines the ritual for creating the “mountain hat” used by bards of Tibet’s Gesar epic in the Yushu and Golok provinces to argue for ...
Games Education Within the Broader Liberal Arts

According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), there are currently 519 games programs at higher education institutions in the United States (Entertainment Software Association 2019). The Higher Education Video Game Alliance (HEVGA)’s 2019 “Survey of Program Graduates” finds that ‘520 institutions offered 1200 + game-related programs and degrees in 2018’ (Phelps et al. 2019, p. 14). Although some of these programs are professionally oriented undergraduate and graduate game design, game studies, game arts, and/or game development programs, others are situated within broader disciplines like computer and information sciences, engineering and engineering technologies, and visual and performing arts programs (Steinkuehler et al. 2015, p. 3). Given the geographic distribution of the institutions that offer games programs, the geographic concentration of game industry jobs, and the distribution of the respondents to the survey, I believe it is a fair assumption that there are more students enrolled in academic games programs in the U.S. than there are available entry-level jobs in the games industry. Given that situation, this paper attempts to answer the question: “What are games courses for in a broader interdisciplinary media arts program at a liberal arts college?” It is part autoethnography, part case study, and part position paper, as it acknowledges the specific circumstances of my own game design education and experience. As such, it is a story of my open-ended games education followed by my tacit acceptance and self-imposition of the hegemonic culture of games as primarily economic production. Then, as I went into teaching, a story of my subsequent burnout, eventual reflection on, and acceptance of my academic origins and the origins of my current academic program. I conclude by offering a possible framework for situating a games curriculum as a liberal art by using William Cronon’s essay “Only Connect…: The Goals of a Liberal Education” (1998) as a framing device.
Orphan Drugs Offer Larger Health Gains but Less Favorable Cost-effectiveness than Non-orphan Drugs.

Background Orphan drugs offer important therapeutic options to patients suffering from rare conditions, but are typically considerably more expensive than non-orphan drugs, leading to questions about their cost-effectiveness. Objective To compare the value of orphan and non-orphan drugs approved by the FDA from 1999 through 2015. Design We searched the PubMed database to identify estimates of incremental health gains (measured in quality-adjusted life-years, or QALYs) and incremental costs that were associated with orphan and non-orphan drugs compared with preexisting care. We excluded pharmaceutical industry-funded studies from the dataset. When a drug was approved for multiple indications, we considered each drug-indication pair separately. We then compared incremental QALY gains, incremental costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for orphan and non-orphan drugs using the Mann-Whitney U (MWU) test (to compare median values of the different distributions) and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test (to compare the shape of different distributions). Results We identified estimates for 49 orphan drug-indication pairs, and for 169 non-orphan drug-indication pairs. We found that orphan drug-indication pairs offered larger median incremental health gains than non-orphan drug-indication pairs (0.25 vs. 0.05 QALYs; MWU p = 0.0093, KS p = 0.02), but were associated with substantially higher costs ($47,652 vs. $2870; MWU p Conclusions Our study suggests that orphan drugs often offer larger health gains than non-orphan drugs, but due to their substantially higher costs they tend to be less cost-effective than non-orphan drugs. Our findings highlight the challenge faced by health care payers to provide patients appropriate access to orphan drugs while achieving value from drug spending.
A Conceptual Framework for Clearer Ethical Discussions About COVID-19 Response.

Improving the clarity and detail of our ethical frameworks can help ensure that triage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic do justice to the complexity of our values. In this commentary, I propo...
The Work of the Sixth Committee at the Fifty-Fourth Session of the UN General Assembly

At the fifty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Sixth (Legal) Committee reviewed the annual reports of the International Law Commission (ILC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization (Special Committee), and the Committee on Relations with the Host Country (Host Country Committee). The Sixth Committee also considered proposals for three new legal instruments relating to nationality of natural persons in relation to the succession of states; international terrorism; jurisdictional immunities of states and their property; as well as other topics concerning the establishment of the International Criminal Court, the United Nations internal justice system, the United Nations Decade of International Law (Decade), and the UN Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law. The Sixth Committee adopted, without a vote, the draft resolutions on the items mentioned above -- with the exception of international terrorism.