cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One organ donation, three perspectives: experiences of donors, recipients, and third parties with living kidney donation.

Although living kidney donors' experiences with donation have been studied, questions of potential bias in retrospective donor reports remain. This study examined the experience of living kidney donation from 3 perspectives: those of the donor, the recipient, and a third party involved with the donation (ie, a donor triad). Surveys were completed with 174 donor triads to examine triad members' perceptions of donors' concerns before transplantation, whether these concerns came true after transplantation, the donors' experiences with surgery and recovery, and whether they would make the same decision again today. Triad members all agreed that donors were highly satisfied with their donation experience and that the relationship between recipient and donor improved after transplantation. Although recipients and third parties correctly identified the donors' primary concerns, they underestimated the prevalence of 16 of 18 donor concerns, including the donors' willingness to make the same decision again. Recipi...
Parametric identification problem with a regularizer in the form of the total variation of the control

We consider a linear dynamical system, for which we need to reconstruct the control input on the basis of a noisy output. We form the corresponding family of parametric optimal control problems in which the performance criterion contains terms corresponding to the problem regularization and clearing the output signal from speckle noises. The weight coefficient multiplying the term used for noise filtration plays the role of a parameter in the family of problems. We prove a theorem that describes the properties of solutions of parametric problems in a neighborhood of a regular point, analyze the differential properties of solutions of that problem, and derive formulas for the computation of derivatives of the optimal trajectory and the optimal control with respect to a parameter. We suggest a simple method for constructing approximate solutions of perturbed optimal control problems. These results permit one to control the performance of the reconstruction of the control in the original identification problem. An illustrative example is considered.
School Adjustment and Behavior of Children Hospitalized for Schizophrenia as Adults.

Childhood public school records of 30 nonmigratory, hospitalized schizophrenic adults were compared with those of 90 matched control children presumed to have become normal adults. It was concluded that a substantial proportion of children destined to be schizophrenic as adults can be identified by their behavior in public school before they break down.
A Comptroller's View of the Problems Encountered in Adapting to Automation

The automation experiences of GE's Light Military Electronic Equipment Department are outlined. Military job-shop assembly quantities are established at 200 units. In balancing direct-labor savings against machine costs, it is emphasized that indirect and intangeble savings should be properly evaluated. Examples are given. The five basic problem areas of obsolence, depreciation, factory overhead ratios, cost ratios, and capital investment are discussed. The automation of clerical areas is described and answers are given to some of the associated perplexing questions. These questions are outlined as having to do with people, lack of flexibility, overuse of data processing information, and conversion. Encouragement for the future is voiced.
Emotion Research in Education: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives on the Integration of Affect, Motivation, and Cognition

This special issue was organized with the intent to highlight critical research being conducted on affect in education as well as to highlight potential areas for future research. Each of the manuscripts included in this special issue focuses on the contributing authors’ program of research, with an emphasis on the theoretical basis for their work and the methodologies they employ. The authors also consider how to integrate affect, motivation, and cognition and discuss methodological challenges to investigating affect in educational settings. Finally, the authors consider the role of affect in education, making specific suggestions for practice as well as more general suggestions for theory development.
High-Elevation Forest Soils of the Southern Appalachians: I. Distribution of Parent Materials and Soil-Landscape Relationships

Because of geomorphic instability imparted both by present-day slope processes and past periglacial activity, soils in the high-elevation spruce-fir (Picea rubens Sarg.-Abies fraseri [Pursh.] Poir) zone of the southern Appalachians have similar morphological features that make it difficult to assess their variability on the landscape, despite widespread differences in parent material and local geology. We used multiple discriminant analysis to (i) determine whether soils from three extensive areas of southern Appalachian spruce-fir forests could be separated by physical, morphological, chemical, and mineralogical properties, (ii) determine the relative effectiveness of these properties as differentiae, and (iii) assess the contribution of mineral weathering in offsetting potential base-cation depletion induced by strong-acid anion loading associated with atmospheric deposition. A total of 35 pedons at elevations >1450 m were characterized on the high mountain peaks of eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia. Physical and morphological properties used to separate and field classify these soils were not significantly different between study areas. Soil chemical and mineralogical properties inherited from different parent materials, however, were sufficiently different between study areas to result in the clear separation of soils into distinct groups with >95% classification accuracy. Soils formed from siliceous metavolcanic parent materials were dominated by K-feldspar and quartz in both the sand and silt fractions. Soils with parent materials derived from more high-grade metamorphic rocks were less quartzitic, had plagioclase as the dominant feldspar, and had high contents of expansible 2:1 phyllosilicates. Slope processes involved in the transport of solutes and sediments resulted in sorting of surficial materials, higher pH, and greater amounts of silt-size mica and kaolinite in depositional areas.
A Controlled Pilot Study of Stress Management Training of Elderly Patients With Congestive Heart Failure

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of stress management training on quality of life, functional capacity, and heart rate variability in elderly patients with New York Heart Association class I‐III congestive heart failure (CHF). While substantial research exists on stress management training for patients with coronary heart disease, there are few data on the value of psychosocial training on patients with CHF. Thirty-three multiethnic patients (mean age, 66±9 years) were assigned through incomplete randomization to one of two treatment groups or a wait-listed control group. The 14 participants who completed the treatment attended eight training sessions during a 10-week period. The training consisted of 75-minute sessions adapted from the Freeze-Frame stress management program developed by the Institute of HeartMath. Subjects were assessed at baseline and again at the completion of the training. Depression, stress management, optimism, anxiety, emotional distress, and functional capacity were evaluated, as well as heart rate variability. Significant improvements (p<0.05) were noted in perceived stress, emotional distress, 6-minute walk, and depression, and positive trends were noted in each of the other psychosocial measures. The 24-hour heart rate variability showed no significant changes in autonomic tone. The authors noted that CHF patients were willing study participants and their emotional coping and functional capacity were enhanced. This program offers a simple and costeffective way to augment medical management of CHF. Given the incompleteness of CHF medical management and the exploding interest in complementary medical intervention, it seems imperative that further work in psychosocial treatment be undertaken. (Prev Cardiol. 2002;5:168‐172, 176) ©2002 CHF, Inc.
Electronic structure of zintl phase compounds by nonlinear optimization

Since the introduction of dynamical simulated annealing (DSA) by Car and Parrinello in 1985, there has been growing interest in the use of nonlinear optimization to perform electronic structure calculations. We review here the complementary method of steepest descents (SD), a first-order treatment designed for local optimization. Modifications are discussed to adapt SD to a supercell treatment of metallic systems using a plane wave basis. An application to the Zintl phase compound NaTl is presented. The application of separable nonlocal pseudopotentials to improve this momentum space formalism is discussed. 18 refs., 1 fig.
Brief Report: Comparative ABA and DIR Trials in Twin Brothers with Autism

Trial interventions in DIR and ABA with twin brothers with autism were offered to help the parents choose one of the programs for their sons. Pre- and post-test scores on the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) revealed a slight gain in the composite score of the ABA child and a slight loss in the score of the DIR child. Contrasted gains and losses occurred in six of the seven CSBS clusters. Results from this pilot research are discussed with additional communication and behavior data from the intervention period. Careful interpretation of CSBS outcomes in counseling parents and graduate students is strongly advised. Continued research in comparative outcomes for intervention programs is strongly encouraged.
Pre-hospital statin therapy may not reduce incidence of all-cause mortality and overall MACCE during hospital stay after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background — The available literature has not been able to demonstrate the exact association between preoperative statin therapy and the reduction in the rates of major adverse cardiac and erebrova...
Surveillance Camera Coordination Through Distributed Scheduling

A challenge to scaling a video surveillance system is the amount of human supervision required for control of the cameras. In this paper we consider the problem of coordinating a network of video cameras for the purpose of identifying people. We pose the problem as a machine scheduling problem where each person is a job that should be scheduled before a deadline. To ensure scalability, we propose a distributed algorithm that only depends on neighbor to neighbor communication. We compare the performance of this algorithm to a localized scheduling approach.
Single Ply Roofing: Introduction to a New Sustainability Standard for the Roofing Industry

This standard development began with a partnership between members of the roofing industry and NSF International to facilitate the thorough communication of information that is verifiable and accurate about the environmental and social impacts associated with the production and use of single ply roofing membranes. This industry among other product manufacturing industries is responding to the global pressures of sustainable practices. Attributes in this standard were developed to address this growing need. Key elements of the standard include product design, life cycle assessment considerations, minimization of chemicals of concern, product manufacturing, energy, water, waste, durability, corporate governance (social responsibility), and innovation. Sustainability related information may influence a manufacturer’s decisions about supply chain modifications, product content changes, manufacturing adjustments, performance improvements, end-of-life options, and corporate governance with the goal of producing more sustainable products. NSF International is an accredited standards developer with American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The consensus body for this standard, called a joint committee, is balanced among the following interest categories: industry, public health/regulatory, and user. Work has been ongoing since the first stakeholder meeting in May 2009. Various task groups and experts have been participating in meetings on a monthly basis. This paper will introduce the Single Ply Roofing Membrane Sustainability Standard (NSF 347) along with background on its development. Additionally, other standards that may be applicable to single ply roofing membranes, certification, and conformance will be reviewed including third party certification versus conformity assessment. The anticipated voluntary consensus based standard should be available late 2011.
Online nonlinear guaranteed estimation with application to a high performance aircraft

The most commonly used filters (or estimators) for online control customization are based upon stochastic assumptions on the noise. In this paper a set-membership filter is extended to be used with nonlinear systems for which the Jacobian and Hessian are continuous over the uncertainty interval. This filter relies on assuming that the noise sources are bounded in order to obtain hard bounds on state and parameter estimates. These bounds are then compatible with robust control design so that the controller can be adequately updated in real-time. The method proposed is referred to as an extended set-membership filter and is applied to a two-state example and to the state and parameter estimations of a complex F-15 like model.
A Real Delay Switching Activity Simulator based on Petri net Modeling

Switching activity estimation is an important step in power estimation of digital VLSI circuits. While simulation yields accurate results, it is time consuming. In this paper, we propose a new technique based on Petri nets for real-delay switching activity estimation that yields the same accuracy as simulation, but is significantly faster in computation. We introduce a new type of Petri net called Hierarchical Colored Hardware Petri Net (HCHP-Net). The gate-level circuit is first transformed into a directed acyclic graph called, GSDAG, in which both the gates as well as the signals correspond to the nodes in the graph. The GSDAG is then mapped onto a corresponding HCHP-Net which is then simulated using a Petri net simulator. Experimental results for ISCAS '85 circuits are presented. The method replicates exactly the switching activity results for real-delay models produced by HSPICE and PowerMill. However, the per-pattern simulation time is about 51 times faster than the Synopsys PowerMill and 8900 times faster than the Avanti HSPICE.
Deliberate apprenticeship in the Pediatric Emergency Department improves experience for third-year students.

INTRODUCTION: The Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) provides medical students with learning in a high-volume, fast-paced environment; characteristics that can be stressful for new students. Shadowing can improve transitioning, yet this alone does not facilitate students’ development of independent medical care competencies. This study evaluates if third-year medical students’ deliberate apprenticeship with senior residents increases students’ comfort and patient exposure in the PED. METHODS: This study took place over the 2011-2012 academic year, and study participants were all third-year medical students during their pediatric clerkship rotation. This was a prospective educational intervention assigning students to randomized control blocks of deliberate apprenticeship (DA) intervention or control. DA students were paired with a senior resident who oriented and worked with the student, while control students were unpaired. All students completed a 20-question structured survey at shift end, which included questions about their perception of the learning environment, comfort with, and number of patient care responsibilities performed. We used independent Mann-Whitney and t-tests to compare experiences between the groups. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. We used the constant comparative method to qualitatively analyze students’ comments. RESULTS: Response rate was 85% (145/169). Students also rated on 5-point Likert-scale their level of comfort with defined aspects of working in the PED. DA students (n=76) were significantly more comfortable obtaining histories (4.2 versus 3.8) and formulating differential diagnoses (3.9 versus 3.4). DA students also performed more physical exams (2.9 versus 2.4). We categorized themes from the qualitative analysis of the students’ comments about their PED experience. The titles for these themes are as follows: PED provides a good learning experience; uncertainty about the medical student’s role in the PED; third-year medical students compete with other learners for teaching attention; opportunities provided to medical students for inclusion in patient care;
GUIDELINES FOR DRUG TRIALS IN THE TREATMENT OF AGE-ASSOCIATED COGNITIVE DECLINE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Clinical conceptualizations with respect to cognition and dementia in late life have evolved rapidly in recent years. In contrast, many of the compounds that are currently widely prescribed for the...
Aldose Reductase Drives Hyperacetylation of Egr-1 in Hyperglycemia and Consequent Upregulation of Proinflammatory and Prothrombotic Signals

Sustained increases in glucose flux via the aldose reductase (AR) pathway have been linked to diabetic vascular complications. Previous studies revealed that glucose flux via AR mediates endothelial dysfunction and leads to lesional hemorrhage in diabetic human AR (hAR) expressing mice in an apoE−/− background. Our studies revealed sustained activation of Egr-1 with subsequent induction of its downstream target genes tissue factor (TF) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in diabetic apoE−/−hAR mice aortas and in high glucose–treated primary murine aortic endothelial cells expressing hAR. Furthermore, we observed that flux via AR impaired NAD+ homeostasis and reduced activity of NAD+-dependent deacetylase Sirt-1 leading to acetylation and prolonged expression of Egr-1 in hyperglycemic conditions. In conclusion, our data demonstrate a novel mechanism by which glucose flux via AR triggers activation, acetylation, and prolonged expression of Egr-1 leading to proinflammatory and prothrombotic responses in diabetic atherosclerosis.
Placental transfer of pentobarbital in the rat.

The placental transfer of pentobarbital and/or metabolites was determined in rats using 14C-labeled pentobarbital. The level of pentobarbital and/or metabolites in fetal blood was greatly influenced by the circulating level of pentobarbital and/or metabolites in the mother. Of the total pentobarbital and/or metabolites transferred, the percentage of unbound pentobarbital in fetal blood plasma was influenced by the pentobarbital dose level administered to the pregnant rat. A greater percentage of total pentobarbital and/or metabolites was present as unbound pentobarbital in fetal blood plasma than in maternal blood plasma. Chronic administration of pentobarbital during gestation decreased sensitivity to the pharmacological effects of further drug administration to the newborn. The changes induced by pretreatment were not permanent.
Modification of radiation injury in the rabbit.

ConclusionsPostirradiation injection of mouse embryo cells or baby mouse liver or spleen cells enhances significantly the survival of rabbits exposed previously to 900 r total-body X radiation without producing an appreciable effect upon hematologic recovery as observed in the peripheral blood.
Pediatric Triplane Ankle Fractures: Impact of Radiographs and Computed Tomography on Fracture Classification and Treatment Planning

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the reliability of triplane fracture classification, displacement measurement, and treatment planning with the use of radiographs with and without computed tomography. Methods: One pediatric radiologist, one musculoskeletal radiologist, and three fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeons rated a spectrum of twenty-five triplane fractures with use of radiographs alone and then with computed tomography scans on two separate occasions (two to four weeks apart). Raters classified the fracture pattern with use of the Rapariz classification system, measured the maximum intra-articular displacement, and drew the fracture on four outlines of the distal part of the tibia: one lateral view, one anteroposterior view, one axial view above the tibial physis, and one axial view below the physis. Reliability was assessed with kappa values and intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: The Rapariz triplane fracture classification had poor inter-rater reliability (a kappa of 0.17) and intra-rater reliability (a kappa of 0.31) with radiographs alone but moderate inter-rater reliability (a kappa of 0.41) and intra-rater reliability (a kappa of 0.54) with the addition of computed tomography. After reviewing computed tomography, raters changed the fracture pattern in 46% of ratings, the displacement from ≤2 mm to >2 mm in 39% of ratings, the treatment from nonoperative to operative in 27% of ratings, and either the orientation or number of screws in 41% of ratings. Conclusions: Computed tomography had a definite impact on the fracture classification, displacement, and treatment plan, supporting its use as an adjunct to radiographs for the treatment of pediatric triplane fractures. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Field-induced phase transition and its impact on the magnetoelectric effect in P(VDF-HFP)/Metglas laminates

The field-induced phase transition driven by electric field was observed in poly (vinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) 90/10 wt% copolymers. Experimental results indicated that the electric field may remarkably affect the remanent polarization in terms of changing the D-E loop forms from double loops to single loop, starting from 68 MV/m, and completing at 216 MV/m. It was found that the remanent polarization as well as the piezoelectric constant d31 had a linear relationship with the poling electric field in above electric field range. Thus the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling coefficient αME in P(VDF-HFP)/Metglas laminates increased with the poling electric field. Moreover, the cyclic poled ME device demonstrated different peak d.c. magnetic bias field HDC on the αME - HDC curves from conventional room temperature poled ones. The peak ME coefficient obtained was ~ 4 V/cm·Oe.
Reading without phonology: evidence from aphasia.

This study of an aphasic dyslexic supports the view that there are separate visual and phonological pathways in reading. The patient retained a reading vocabulary of at least 16 500 words although she was unable to perform operations that critically depend on grapheme-to-phoneme conversion; these included reading nonsense words, recognizing rhymes and homophones, and accessing lexical entries from homophonic spellings such as “kote”. Typographical variation, such as mixed case presentation, did not interfere with her reading performance, which suggests that it is mediated by letter identification rather than by a wholistic method of word recognition. The total performance pattern strongly suggests that this patient identifies words by matching particular letter-strings with their corresponding meanings.
Biological regulation via ankyrin repeat folding.

By mimicking the phosphorylation of p19INK4d, a tumor suppressor containing five ankyrin repeats, the native state could be destabilized to such an extent that only a partially folded state is populated at physiological temperature. This partly folded state, which mimics an on-pathway folding intermediate lacking structure in ankyrin repeats 1 and 2, is more rapidly ubiquitinated than the parent construct. Thus, phosphorylation of p19INK4d is likely to regulate cell-cycle progression through both biochemical (proteasomal) and biophysical (folding and binding to cyclin-dependent kinases) mechanisms.
Serotonin stimulates mitogen-activated protein kinase activity through the formation of superoxide anion.

Our previous studies have shown that, through an active transport process, serotonin (5-HT) rapidly elevates O 2 − ⋅ formation, stimulates protein phosphorylation, and enhances proliferation of bov...
Answering the Mail: Replying to Common Questions About Qualitative Inquiry.

Qualitative inquiry is an increasingly popular way of answering important questions in graduate medical education (GME). Qualitative inquiry primarily focuses on the lived experiences of individuals in multidimensional and unique social contexts. It is also used to examine social settings and their affiliated processes. Given these focal areas, qualitative approaches are particularly well suited to answering ‘‘why’’ and ‘‘how’’ questions. Answers to such questions are critical to the exploration and understanding of different social phenomena. For example, GME scholars might ask the following:
The Quality of Pain Treatment in Community-Dwelling Persons with Dementia

Background/Aims: Despite pervasive and debilitating pain among elders, it is underassessed and undertreated; and cognitive impairment can add challenges. We assessed the quality of pain care for community-dwelling elderly patients with dementia. Methods: We phone interviewed 203 Veterans Affairs primary care outpatients with dementia and pain and reviewed medical records to score 15 quality indicators of pain assessment and management. Results: Pain assessment was documented for 98%, and a standard pain scale was used for 94%. Modified pain scales were rarely used. Though 70% self-reported pain of ‘quite bad' or worse, charts documented no pain in 64%. When pain was identified, treatment was offered to 80%; but only 59% had a follow-up assessment within 6 months. Nonpharmacological interventions were underused. Conclusion: Community-dwelling elders with dementia are underdiagnosed and undertreated for pain.
Unexpected death in a heart transplant recipient

Patient: 55-year-old Hispanic male Chief Complaint: Three weeks pre-mortem: pleuritic chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. History of Present Illness: The patient presented for routine monitoring of his heart transplant and complained of body weakness and positional chest discomfort. An echocardiogram showed a large pericardial effusion. A pericardiocentesis was performed and 550 mL of serosanguinous fluid was removed. Following pericardiocentesis, his symptoms improved temporarily. His condition worsened over the next 3 weeks, and he died. Past Medical History: Ischemic cardiomyopathy treated with a heart transplant 1 month prior to hospitalization, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, severe gastritis, and status-post cholecystectomy. He was currently taking tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone to prevent rejection of his heart allograft. At presentation, a level of tacrolimus measured at its trough was supratherapeutic. Family History: The patient’s father and brother have a history of coronary artery disease. Social History: The patient is an ex-smoker, who quit 20 years ago (10 pack years). He denies alcohol and illicit drug use. He was a landscaper until the month before his heart transplant. Autopsy Findings: 1. Solid white embolus filling the left anterior descending coronary artery. There were multifocal white areas consistent with acute ischemia, most notable in the distribution of this artery (Image 3A and Image 3B). Multiple sections of myocardium at autopsy showed no change in his grade of cellular rejection, and confirmed the absence of humoral rejection. 2. The pleural surfaces of the lungs show multi-focal fibrous patches consistent with adhesions (Image 3C). The lungs were diffusely congested, and the tracheobronchial tree was free of obstructions. There were bilateral serosanguinous effusions, totaling more than 2 liters. 3. Bile-stained liver (1300 g) with centrilobular necrosis and perisinusoidal fibrosis. Laboratory and Pathology Findings: A number of abnormal laboratory values were identified 1 day premortem (Table 1). A cardiac …
Industrial Spills and Water Distribution: Crude MCHM Sorption and Desorption in Polymer Pipes and Linings

AbstractIn response to industrial chemical spills that potentially contaminate drinking water and distribution systems, this study investigated sorption and desorption of odorous crude [(4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol] (MCHM) into polyethylene pipes, epoxy, or polyurethane linings, and granular activated carbon. MCHM sorption was compared to toluene and 1-butanol, which were investigated as reference contaminants. MCHM is the licorice-smelling industrial chemical that contaminated drinking water for over 300,000 West Virginians in 2014. For polyethylene pipes, MCHM diffusivity was 0.36–1.36×10−9 cm2/s and solubility was 0.003–0.008 g/cm3. Sorbed MCHM readily desorbed from polyethylene into water at levels above the odor threshold. MCHM diffused more rapidly into epoxy at 35×10−9 cm2/s, although its solubility was similar to that of polyethylene pipes. MCHM caused polyurethane to swell and deform. Granular activated carbon sorbed MCHM to below its odor threshold as determine by the Total Intensity of Odor ...
The Minority Party and Policy-Making in the House of Representatives

Considerable attention has recently been focused on political oppositions in democracies. A recent book examines oppositions in various western countries and a journal called Government and Opposition was founded in 1965. The significance of the role of an opposition in democracies does not have to be stressed. It is generally accepted. What of the role of the opposition in the United States? Robert A. Dahl notes that one must use the plural when speaking of opposition in this country since, “a distinctive, persistent, unified structural opposition scarcely exists in the United States … it is nearly always impossible to refer precisely to “the” opposition, for the coalition that opposes the government on one matter may fall apart, or even govern, on another.” While it is true that “the” opposition is not institutionalized as a definite cohesive, persistent, distinctive group in American politics, it is also true that there has usually been an identifiable minority party in Congress. Though it does not always oppose the majority, and cannot be expected to be synonymous with “the” opposition very often, it does persist. Despite handsome invitations to disband—in the form of successive defeats at the polls—a sizeable number of congressmen, senators, and congressional candidates continue to call themselves Republicans and to organize as such in Congress.
Pharmacotherapies for treating opioid use disorder.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health problem in the United States. It has resulted in devastating consequences for people with this condition, including psychosocial and legal problems, in addition to contraction of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. Furthermore, this disease can cause fatalities from drug overdoses and drug–drug interactions. OUD shatters families and destroys relationships. Effective treatment is crucial in order to curtail the consequences of this condition. The objective of this article is to provide a review of the pharmacotherapies currently being used to treat OUD.
Ultrahigh Sensitivity of Anomalous Hall Effect Sensor Based on Cr-Doped Bi 2 Te 3 Topological Insulator Thin Films

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) was recently discovered in magnetic element-doped topological insulators (TIs), which promises low power consumption and high efficiency spintronics and electronics. This discovery broadens the family of Hall sensors. In this paper, AHE sensors based on Cr-doped Bi2Te3 topological insulator thin films are studied with two thicknesses (15 and 65 nm). It is found, in both cases, that ultrahigh Hall sensitivity can be obtained in Cr-doped Bi2Te3. Hall sensitivity reaches 1666 $\Omega $ /T in the sensor with the 15 nm TI thin film, which is higher than that of the conventional semiconductor HE sensor. The AHE of 65 nm sensors is even stronger, which causes the sensitivity increasing to 2620 $\Omega $ /T. Furthermore, after comparing Cr-doped Bi2Te3 with the previously studied Mn-doped Bi2Te3 TI Hall sensor, the sensitivity of the present AHE sensor shows about 60 times higher in 65 nm sensors. The implementation of AHE sensors based on a magnetic-doped TI thin film indicates that the TIs are good candidates for ultrasensitive AHE sensors.
The study on surgical indication and procedures of cerebral ischemia

Objctive To study the surgical indication and procedures of cerebral ischemia. Methods The results of patients' clinical, imaging, regional cerebral blood flow and follow-up in 46 patients with cerebral ischemia were analyzed retrospectively. Results Carotid endarterectomy was performed in 10 cases and STA-MCA bypass was performed in 30 cases, there were 4 patients with TIA, no case with complete stroke in follow-up. Encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis was performed in 6 cases. Neurological deficits improved in 4 patients, no change in 2 patients in follow-up. There was no permanent surgical complication. Conclusion If surgical indications were chosen correctly, cerebral blood flow recovered and reconstructive surgery can improve the symptoms of cerebral ischemia and prevent complete stroke.
Use of mineral-enriched meats as a substitute for milk in various clinical conditions.

For general practitioners, who handle more than 85 per cent of all pediatric care, Postgraduate Medicine here presents authoritative, up-to-date summaries by specialists in pediatric problems.
Progesterone administration induced impairment of insulin suppression of hepatic glucose production

Objective To assess whether P administration impairs insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Design Two-step euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. Setting Rats studied with (n = 11) or without (n = 10) P treatment. Participants Conscious, unstressed, oophorectomized female rats. Main Outcome Measures Plasma glucose and insulin levels and the rates of glucose turnover results. Results Fasting glucose (115 ± 5 versus 109 ± 4 mg/dL; conversion factor to SI units 0.05551) and insulin (1.67 ± 0.24 versus 1.51 ± 0.22 ng/mL; conversion factor to SI units 174.5) levels were not significantly different in the control and P treated groups, respectively. However, the basal rate of glucose turnover was significantly higher in P-treated rats (8.38 ± 0.50 versus 6.59 ± 0.35 mg/kg per minute in controls. During low-dose insulin infusion (2 mU/kg per minute), there was no difference in glucose or insulin levels, or the rate of glucose utilization; however, residual hepatic glucose production was significantly greater in the P group (5.34 ± 0.68 versus 2.57 ± 1.00 mg/kg per minute) in controls. At high-dose insulin infusion (10 mU/kg per minute), hepatic glucose production was completely suppressed in both groups; there was no difference in insulin sensitivity as assessed by the glucose utilization rate or the ratio of glucose uptake to insulin level. Conclusions Chronic P therapy does not alter insulin-mediated glucose utilization in peripheral tissues but does reduce the ability of insulin to suppress endogenous hepatic glucose production.
Calcium and vitamin D supplementation did not reduce fractures in women ≥ 70 years of age

Source Citation Porthouse J, Cockayne S, King C, et al. Randomised controlled trial of calcium and suplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) for prevention of fractures in primary care. BMJ....
Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Kidney: 25-Year Experience

Seventy patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney operated upon at Barnes Hospital during the last 25 years are reviewed. The relationship of the pathologic stage, grade, findings on excretory urography and survival is studied. The stage and survival rates were predicted fairly accurately on the basis of the excretory urogram alone. Survival of patients was determined occasionally by the status of the associated bladder tumors more than by the renal cancer. Because of tumor multiplicity we recommend total nephroureterectomy as the treatment of choice. The role of radiation therapy is considered.
Abstract P160: Do Clinics With Focus on Heart Failure Provide Better Care for Patients? CHF QUERI

Objectives Heart failure (HF) is increasing in prevalence in the VA. Best processes of care have been identified that can markedly affect the outcomes. This effort was to examine how facilities with formal HF programs varied in terms of providing care for HF patients at all the facilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Method The Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) conducted a survey of all the VA facilities to examine the processes of care for HF patients. From a total of 144 facilities the Chiefs of Cardiology or the Chiefs of Medicine completed the survey with focus on the facility's current processes of care for HF. 100% response rate was obtained for these surveys. Results Data was analyzed for 144 facilities. Of them 64 facilities (45%) reported having a clinic with special focus on heart failure. Comparison of processes of care for the facilities with and without HF clinics consistently showed that facilities with HF clinics have more HF focused structure and processes of care. They have cardiologists with a special focus on HF (86% vs. 14% p<.001), protocol for diuretic titration by provider (64% vs. 36% p<.05), protocol for diuretic titration by patient (73% vs. 27% p<.001), provided HF related patient education program (64% vs. 36% p<.001), used pharmacists (60% vs. 40% p<.001) and inpatients at their facility were routinely seen by practitioner affiliated with HF program (80% vs. 20% p<.001). Regarding standardized HF orders no significant difference was observed between inpatients and outpatients. Conclusions Facilities which have clinics with special focus on HF programs with standardized programs and activities that have been associated with improved care for patients with heart failure Impact Formal heart failure clinics are associated with improved process of care for patients with heart failure
A Tale of Two Divides: Technology Experiences Among Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse Older Adults

Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) can improve older adults’ overall well-being and can be a catalyst for social integration and inclusion into society. While older adults are often compared to other age cohorts, based on previous digital divide research, there may be a significant amount of variation within older adult populations with regards to their ICT experiences, attitudes, and uses. Our study seeks to explore the potential gap by examining and comparing ICT uses, views, and experiences among older adults from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Four semi-structured focus groups (n = 40) were conducted with older adults from two separate cities in Mid-Michigan in the United States: Greater Lansing area and Detroit. Our findings reveal that older adults’ experiences, uses, and perceptions about ICTs differ down racial and socio-economic lines. Our study demonstrates that there are potential sub-divides within traditionally digitally divided populations.
Electrochemical activity of Fe-MIL-100 as a positive electrode for Na-ion batteries

Here we investigate the electrochemical activity of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as positive electrodes for Na-ion batteries in coin cell configurations. The performance of Fe-MIL-100 material is highly dependent on the choice of sodium salt source, and electrolyte system. The overall capacity fades over many cycles, however the high coulombic efficiency is maintained. This can be correlated with inaccessibility of active sites for Na intercalation, due to the increase of extra carbonaceous material inside the pores. Powder X-ray diffraction via synchrotron data and pair distribution function analyses of the as-made and cycled electrodes reveal the structure maintains the long-range order with progressive cycling. This finding suggests that careful consideration of all variables in battery components, and especially electrolyte selection can lead to greatly improved performances.
Optimized Engagement Across Life Domains in Adult Development: Balancing Diversity and Interdomain Consequences.

Adaptive life-span development involves individuals’ simultaneous coordination of motivational engagement across multiple domains of life. The present study tests this proposition using data from the Midlife in the United States National Longitudinal Study of Health and Well-Being (MIDUS I and II). Results from multilevel model analyses indicate that participants’ engagement with, perceived control over, and reported quality in the domains of work, health, and family relationships follow general trajectories across adulthood that reflect age-graded and socially structured opportunities. Furthermore, individuals adaptively managed their engagement across these central domains of adulthood, in that cross-domain associations were positive or at least nondetrimental.
Impact of Intra-meander Hyporheic Flow on Nitrogen Cycling

Abstract Redox gradients within hyporheic zones significantly impact the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen. To investigate the effect of these redox gradients on nitrogen transformation in the subsurface, we integrated a genome-informed complex reaction network into PFLOTRAN, which is an open source, massively parallel, three-dimensional, reactive flow and transport code. This study was conducted in the lower East River catchment in southwestern Colorado. The lower East River has multiple river meanders extending over a distance of 11 km in rolling to mountainous region of the East Taylor watershed. We carried out reactive flow and transport simulations within two stream meanders to describe the biogeochemical zonation that evolves due to upwelling of nutrient rich groundwater and downwelling of oxygen rich stream. The specific objectives were to examine (1) the effect of hyporheic flow on biogeochemical zonation and (2) how meanders affect local nitrogen fluxes and transformation. Simulation results demonstrate that hyporheic flow paths within intra-meander regions lead to lateral redox zonation, which significantly impact nitrogen export into the stream system. Also, meander-driven hyporheic flow paths enhance denitrification rates because of the extended hyporheic region.
Brand linguistics: A theory-driven framework for the study of language in branding

Abstract A conceptual framework examines how language influences the way consumers interact with brands. Building on a review of two decades of research in the field, this framework draws on Schmitt's model of the Consumer Psychology of Brands (2012) and integrates the language-related disciplines of psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and semiotics to convey a novel, interdisciplinary perspective to brand-related managerial concerns. Through this framework, the authors define the domain of brand linguistics, the study of language effects on consumers in brand-related settings. Brand linguistics differs from the traditional disciplines associated with linguistics in that it focuses on the consumer as a unit of analysis and utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to theory. The proposed framework recognizes the implicit emergence of brand linguistics as a subdiscipline of consumer behavior, which is in turn a subdiscipline of marketing (MacInnis & Folkes, 2010). While integrating extant knowledge on the subject, the authors generate new insights and research propositions, and provide concrete suggestions for both academics and practitioners. Moreover, they discuss how well-established findings within fundamental domains of branding might vary once an integrative approach is adopted.
Characterization of dimensional stability in flax fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

Flax fibers are a sustainable and high performance reinforcement for polymer composites. Molding polymers and polymer composites nearly always results in warpage or compromised “dimensional stability” of the part. However, there are very few reports on the quantitative analysis of dimensional stability, especially for natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. A systematic study of the dimensional stability of flax fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites is undertaken by measuring the shrinkage of the composites after molding. Shrinkage is directly related to dimensional stability. Using flax fibers decreases part shrinkage or increases dimensional stability. Shrinkage in the molding flow direction is less than shrinkage perpendicular to it, which is shown to be a result of fiber orientation in that direction. Using maleic anhydride modified PP as a coupling agent further decreases the shrinkage. It is found that less shrinkage occurs in composites of higher modulus. POLYM. COMPOS., 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Counterfactual Gaussian Processes for Reliable Decision-making and What-if Reasoning

Answering "What if?" questions is important in many domains. For example, would a patient's disease progression slow down if I were to give them a dose of drug A? Ideally, we answer our question using an experiment, but this is not always possible (e.g., it may be unethical). As an alternative, we can use non-experimental data to learn models that make counterfactual predictions of what we would observe had we run an experiment. In this paper, we propose the counterfactual GP, a counterfactual model of continuous-time trajectories (time series) under sequences of actions taken in continuous-time. We develop our model within the potential outcomes framework of Neyman and Rubin. The counterfactual GP is trained using a joint maximum likelihood objective that adjusts for dependencies between observed actions and outcomes in the training data. We report two sets of experimental results using the counterfactual GP. The first shows that it can be used to learn the natural progression (i.e. untreated progression) of biomarker trajectories from observational data. In the second, we show how the CGP can be used for medical decision support by learning counterfactual models of renal health under different types of dialysis.
The Contribution of Functional Load on Children’s Vocalic Development

Children’s phonology is replete with regular, predictable phenomena that nevertheless differ from adults. Discrepancies between adult and child speech cannot solely be attributed to environmental input, so immature motor development is often cited. Normally-developing children quickly acquire the motor skills and segment planning necessary to avoid these “errors.” But phonological development continues well into late-childhood. For example, age and segment duration/variability are negatively correlated in English and French. Here we present contradictory data from Chuquisaca Quechua that show children producing shorter vowel durations than adults and attribute this to the role of functional load (FL). Interest in FL as an explanatory device for phoneme merger and segment inventories has recently resurfaced, but extension of the metric to phonological acquisition has been limited. FL is an important concept to apply to children’s speech development because children’s relatively smaller lexicons may lead them to make different generalizations regarding the relative importance of certain phonological contrasts. We test this hypothesis in Chuquisaca Quechua, a language where we predict maximal distinctiveness between adult and child lexica due to the language’s morphological structure. We find that FL addresses this developmental pattern in the children’s vowels.