cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hormone Replacement Therapy, Insulin Sensitivity, and Abdominal Obesity in Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to determine whether insulin sensitivity differs between postmenopausal women taking estradiol, women on estrogen plus progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and women not on HRT and whether differences are explained by the differences in total and/or abdominal adiposity and fat deposition in the muscle. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We studied 28 obese, sedentary postmenopausal Caucasian women. Women taking oral estrogen (n = 6) were matched for age (57 ± 3 vs. 58 ± 2 years), weight (87.9 ± 6.0 vs. 83.0 ± 3.9 kg), and BMI (33.9 ± 1.7 vs. 33.9 ± 1.9 kg/m2) with women not on HRT (n = 6). Eight women taking oral estrogen plus progesterone were matched with eight different women not on HRT for age (59 ± 2 vs. 60 ± 2 years), weight (82.8 ± 3.7 vs. 83.7 ± 4.1 kg), and BMI (30.7 ± 1.0 vs. 29.9 ± 1.3 kg/m2). RESULTS—Vo2max (maximal aerobic capacity), percentage of fat, total body fat mass, and fat-free mass (FFM) were similar between groups. Visceral fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, sagittal diameter, and mid-thigh low-density lean tissue (intramuscular fat) did not differ by hormone status. Basal carbohydrate and fat utilization was not different among groups. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin did not differ by hormone use. Glucose utilization (M) was measured during the last 30 min of a 3-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (40 mU · m2 · min−1). Postmenopausal women taking oral estrogen had a 31% lower M than women not on HRT (42.7 ± 4.0 vs. 61.7 ± 4.7 μmol · kgFFM · min−1, P CONCLUSIONS—Postmenopausal women taking oral estrogen or those taking a combination of estrogen and HRT are more insulin-resistant than women not on HRT, even when women are of comparable total and abdominal adiposity.
Gas phase acetic acid and its qualitative effects on snow crystal morphology and the quasi-liquid layer

Abstract. A chamber was constructed within which snow crystals were grown on a string at various temperatures, relative humidities, and acetic acid gas phase mole fractions. The temperature, relative humidity, and acid mole fraction were measured for the first time at the point of crystal growth. Snow crystal morphological transition temperature shifts were recorded as a function of acid mole fraction, and interpreted according to the calculated acid concentration in the crystal's quasi-liquid layer, which is believed to have increased in thickness as a function of acid mole fraction, thereby affecting the crystal's morphology consistent with the hypothesis of Kuroda and Lacmann. Deficiencies in the understanding of the quasi-liquid layer and its role in determining snow crystal morphology are briefly discussed.
Pressurized high-speed development of diazo films

The combination of a new high-speed process and developer unit which uses pressurized anhydrous ammonia gas offers a significant increase in the speed of developing diazo photomaterials. In addition to being up to 100 times faster than conventional ambient-pressure ammonia development processes, the new process and developer provide both flexibility and uniformity of sensitometric characteristics. The unpleasant odor and corrosive character of ammonia gas required a means for positively sealing the film surface to the processing device and a means for disposing of residual ammonia gas remaining in the device at the end of the processing cycle. A developer platen, designed to meet these needs, also achieves uniform image development by utilizing the entering flow of ammonia gas to wash entrapped ambient air from the film surface and into a small reservoir. The process and its relatively simple hardware have been incorporated into an experimental photo-image converter to provide "on-line" input and output of photo-images from a random access image file. The process and a wash-type developer are used in the IBM 9950, 9954 and 9955 diazo aperture card copiers.
Variation in Apoptosis Profiles in Radiation-Induced Genomically Unstable Cell Lines

Delayed reproductive cell death or lethal mutations in the survivors of irradiated cells is a well-characterized end point associated with radiation-induced genomic instability. Although the mechanism for this delayed lethality has not been identified, it is thought to be a means of eliminating cells that have sustained extensive damage, thus preventing tissue disruption after radiation exposure. In this study we have tested the hypothesis that delayed reproductive cell death in chromosomally unstable GM10115 clones is due to persistently increased levels of apoptosis. Evidence for differences in apoptosis in two representative genomically unstable clones after irradiation is presented. In addition, one of the unstable clones was found to have abnormal levels of apoptosis after radiation exposure. An understanding of apoptosis in genomically unstable clones may provide insight into the maintenance of genomic instability and the mechanism by which genomically unstable cells evade cell death, potentially contributing to carcinogenesis.
Perioperative Serum Interleukins in Neonates With Hypoplastic Left-Heart Syndrome and Transposition of the Great Arteries

Objective: The primary study objective was to examine the impact of diagnosis on the inflammatory response in neonates with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery. The secondary objective was to study the impact of the inflammatory response on postoperative outcome in these neonates. Design: Observational study. Setting: Tertiary care children’s hospital heart center. Patients: Neonates with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome (HLHS) undergoing stage I repair and patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) undergoing arterial switch operation. Measurements and Main Results: There were 24 neonates with HLHS and 21 neonates with TGA. Serum samples to measure interleukin (IL)-6 and -10 were obtained before and after CPB at 1, 3, 6, and 24 hours postoperatively. Time to extubation, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and peritoneal fluid drainage were compared between the groups. Serum IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations increased after CPB when compared to the preoperative concentration. Preoperative concentrations of IL-6 were significantly elevated in the HLHS group (HLHS: 32 [21.1, 69.6] pg/mL v TGA: 7.2 [3.6, 22.5] pg/mL [median, 25th, and 75th percentile], p = 0.003) and remained elevated immediately after CPB, and at 3 and 6 hours postoperatively. The IL-10 to IL-6 ratio was lower in the HLHS group preoperatively and immediately after CPB. ICU length of stay was significantly longer in the HLHS group (TGA 4 [3-6] days v HLHS 6 [5-8] days, p = 0.031). Mortality in the HLHS group (4/24) was associated with significantly higher IL-6 postoperatively (IL-6 immediately postoperatively: HLHS survivors 59.9 [34.3, 65.7] pg/mL v nonsurvivors 98.7 [94.4, 104.5] pg/mL, p Conclusions: All neonates with TGA or HLHS have a significant inflammatory response after CPB. Neonates with HLHS have evidence of an activated inflammatory response before CPB, which remains significant in the postoperative period. Accelerated interleukin expression and an abnormal cytokine balance correlate with longer time to extubation, longer ICU length of stay, and increased peritoneal fluid volume.
SPOTTED SEATROUT FINGERLING PRODUCTION IN SALTWATER PONDS

Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) fingerling production in 3 0.1-ha fertilized saltwater ponds (568 kg/ha cottonseed meal, 3.3 1/ha phosphoric acid, 1.8 kg/ha urea) was compared to 3 identically fertilized ponds each receiving 4 billion brine shrimp nauplii/ha as a forage base supplement. No brine shrimp were recovered in biweekly zooplankton samples or fingerling stomachs, and no significant differences were evident for growth, survival or production between treatments. After 22 days mean (±S.D.) total length (TL), weight, and percent recovery of fingerlings from the six ponds was 39 ± 2 mm, 0.58 ± 0.10 g, and 8.4 ± 2.2%. Average (±S. D.) production was 46.9 ± 7.2 kg/ha and 2.1 ± 0.3 kg/ha/dat. Zooplankton populations were similar in all ponds with rotifers, mixed copepod nauplii, copepods, and polychaete larvae predominating in decreasing order of abundance. Copepods were the major food organism for all size classes examined, ranging from 59–100% of stomach contents. Although not enumerated in zooplankton samples, insects (> 95% Corixidae) accounted for approximately 34% of stomach contents of 30–49 mm fingerlings. Soptted seatrout percent survival and production (kg/ha/day) were increased 2.8 and 12.5 times, respectively, over previous studies. Improved pond yields resulted from combined organic and liquid inorganic fertilizers, and an increased time interval for zooplankton development between pond preparation and fry stocking.
Reconstruction of Historical Sea Surface Temperatures Using Empirical Orthogonal Functions

Abstract Studies of climate variability often rely on high quality sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Although the high-resolution National Centers for Environmental Prediction (formerly the National Meteorological Center) optimum interpolation (OI) SST analysis is satisfactory for these studies, the OI resolution cannot be maintained before November 1931 due to the lack of satellite data. Longer periods of SSTs have come from traditional analyses of in situ (ship and buoy) SST observations alone. A new interpolation method is developed using spatial patterns from empirical orthogonal functions (E0Fs)—that is, a principal component analysis—to improve analyses of SST anomalies from 1950 to 1981. The method uses the more accurate OI analyses from 1982 to 1993 to produce the spatial EOFs. The dominant EOF modes (which correspond to the largest variance) are used as basis functions and are fit, in a least squares sense, to the in situ data to determine the time dependence of each mode. A complete field...
Traditional Chinese Medicine Use and Health in Community-Dwelling Chinese-American Older Adults in Chicago

Chinese people have practiced traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, but there is a paucity of research regarding TCM use in Chinese older adult immigrants in the United States. This study aims to provide an overall estimate of TCM use for Chinese older adults in the United States and to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics, health measures, and TCM use. Data were collected through the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, a community-based participant research study that surveyed 3,158 Chinese older adults aged 60 and older. TCM use was measured using an eight-item scale that examined eight kinds of TCM. Seventy-six percent of participants reported any use of TCM within the past year. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, health status was associated with greater use of acupuncture (odds ratio (OR) = 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06–1.68) and massage therapy (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.21–1.93), and quality of life was associated with less use of prescribed herbal products (OR 0.69, 95% CI = 0.55–0.87), tai chi (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.50–0.78), and other traditional medicine (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.40–0.56). These findings call for further investigation of TCM use by Chinese older adults, especially those with poor health and those with better quality of life. In the clinical setting, physicians should have awareness of TCM when treating Chinese older adults and look toward possible integration with Western medicine for more culturally appropriate, patient-centered care.
Protracted Postnatal Development of Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampal Area CA1 Neurons

In the CNS, inhibitory synaptic function undergoes profound transformation during early postnatal development. This is due to variations in the subunit composition of subsynaptic GABAA receptors (G...
Evidence of the preferential use of disease prototypes over case exemplars among early year one medical students prior to and following diagnostic training.

BACKGROUND Two core dual processing theory (DPT) System I constructs (Exemplars and Prototypes) were used to: 1) formulate a training exercise designed to improve diagnostic performance in year one medical students, and 2) explore whether any observed performance improvements were associated with preferential use of exemplars or prototypes. METHODS With IRB approval, 117 year one medical students participated in an acute chest pain diagnostic training exercise. A pre- and post-training test containing the same 27 case vignettes was used to determine if the subjects' diagnostic performance improved via training in both exemplars and prototypes. Exemplar and Prototype theory was also used to generate a unique typicality estimate for each case vignette. Because these estimates produce different performance predictions, differences in the subjects' observed performance would make it possible to infer whether subjects were preferentially using Exemplars or Prototypes. RESULTS Pre- vs. post-training comparison revealed a significant performance improvement; t=14.04, p mid typical vignettes: t=4.94, p least typical: t=5.16, p mid typical: t=2.94, p least typical: t=6.64, p<0.001. These findings are more consistent with the performance predictions generated via Prototype theory than Exemplar theory. CONCLUSIONS DPT is useful in designing and evaluating the utility of new approaches to diagnostic training, and, investigating the cognitive factors driving diagnostic capabilities among early medical students.
AB1306 Isolated tenosynovitis is frequently detected by ultrasound in symptomatic ankles of RA patients with significantly shorter disease duration

Background Because recent advances in drug therapies for RA have increased the importance of early diagnosis, musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) has become increasingly a part of daily rheumatologic practice as a sensitive and versatile tool for the detection of synovitis. Although the application of ACR/EULAR2010 Classification Criteriafor RA facilitates the evaluation of foot and ankle joints which were neglected by DAS28 scoring system, reports about ankle US pathologies in early RA are scarce. Objectives This study aims to investigate characteristics of US findings in symptomatic ankles with early RA patients compared to those with established RA patients. Methods We analyzed consecutive records of 100 ankles in 74 RA patients (fulfilling the 2010 criteria) who underwent a scan of symptomatic ankles with PDUS in our department because of clinical need. The association between US findings and clinical data, especially disease duration (DD), were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher’s exact test and the Welch’s unpaired t test. Results Among 100 ankles, synovitis of talocrural joint, subtalar joint, and talonavicular joint were detected in 35, 33, and 27 ankles, respectively. All together, synovitis of the joints which the talus participates was observed in 56 ankles. Ankle tenosynovitis was detected in 46 ankles at medial recess (mainly Tibialis posterior tendons), in 29 ankles at lateral recess (peroneal tendons), and in 10 ankles at anterior extensors. Overall ankle tenosynovitis was observed in 61 ankles. As for Achilles tendon (AT) involvement, retrocalcaneal bursitis, AT enthesitis, AT tendonitis, and AT paratendonitis was detected in 27, 22, 13, and 4 ankles, respectively. Overall AT involvement was observed in 39 ankles. DD was significantly shorter in the ankles with tenosynovitis (11.4±21.6 months) than in the ankles without tenosynovitis (32.0±58.3 months) (p=0.039). DD was more significantly shorter in the ankles with “Isolated tenosynovitis” (which means ankle with tenosynovitis and without joint synovitis) (n=30, 5.9±8.7 months) than in all the other ankles (25.2±47.8 months) (p=0.0016). When dividing the patients into those with early RA (DD Conclusions Isolated tenosynovitis is frequently detected by ultrasound in symptomatic ankles of RA patients with significantly shorter disease duration. US examination of symptomatic ankles in early RA patients should include the scans in the medial and lateral recess for ankle tenosynovitis. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
New Perspectives on Deep Ocean Exploration

Our vision of marine mineral resources is expanding with present and potential scientific and economic benefits as our understanding of the Earth advances. The introduction of the theory of plate tectonics opened new prospects for exploration in the deep ocean within and beyond the 200 nautical mile-wide Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore coastal states. This paper presents the expanding perspective of non-living and living resources of the deep seafloor and is accompanied by the first film to clearly illuminate hydrothermal vents and their ecosystems in the deep ocean.
An enduring role for quiescent stem cells

The intestine's ability to recover from catastrophic injury requires quiescent intestinal stem cells (q-ISCs). While rapidly cycling (Lgr5+) crypt base columnar (CBC) ISCs normally maintain the intestine, they are highly sensitive to pathological injuries (irradiation, inflammation) and must be restored by q-ISCs to sustain intestinal homeostasis. Despite clear relevance to human health, virtually nothing is known regarding the factors that regulate q-ISCs. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms would likely lead to targeted new therapies with profound therapeutic implications for patients with gastrointestinal conditions. We briefly review the current state of the literature, highlighting homeostatic mechanisms important for q-ISC regulation, listing key questions in the field, and offer strategies to address them. Developmental Dynamics 245:718-726, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Long-term outcome of patients with AL amyloidosis treated with high-dose melphalan and stem cell transplantation: 20-year experience.

To the editor: In immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis, amyloid fibril deposits, derived from immunoglobulin light chains produced by a clonal plasma cell dyscrasia, accumulate in extracellular tissues and damage vital organs.[1][1] High-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell
New limits on time reversal symmetry violation in thallium fluoride

New results1 have been obtained in our search for a T-violating hyperfine interaction of the spin-1/2 thallium nucleus (spin direction σ ^ in the molecule thallium fluoride (TIF).
A Sure Bet? The Legal Status of Daily Fantasy Sports

This keynote address, delivered at Pace Law School on March 16, 2016, provides an overview of the legal status of “daily fantasy sports” and explains why the legality — or illegality — of the industry is not a sure bet. It begins by providing a brief background of the origins of fantasy sports, and then turns to the impact of technologies such as the Internet, and the legal status of these games under both federal and state laws. It concludes by discussing the recent efforts to regulate “daily fantasy sports” through the courts and legislation.
A Simplified Model for Parameter Estimation and Circuit Analysis of Inductive-Adder Modulator

In this paper, we propose a simplified model for easy estimation of design parameters and quick analysis of fast pulsed inductive adder modulators. Analytical method is used to deduct the simplified circuit model. This model offers an easy way to understand the behavior of the inductive-adder modulator circuits and provides designers a helpful tool to estimate critical parameters such as pulse rise time, system impedance, number of adder stages, etc. Computer simulations demonstrate that parameter estimation based on simplified circuit model is fairly accurate as compared to original circuit. Further more, this approach can be used in early stage of system development to assist the feasibility study of the project and to aid geometry selection and parameter selection of critical components.
Depth Transfer: Depth Extraction from Videos Using Nonparametric Sampling

In this chapter, a technique that automatically generates plausible depth maps from videos using nonparametric depth sampling is discussed. We demonstrate this method in cases where existing methods fail (nontranslating cameras and dynamic scenes). This technique is applicable to single images as well as videos. For videos, local motion cues are used to improve the inferred depth maps, while optical flow is used to ensure temporal depth consistency. For training and evaluation, a Microsoft Kinect-based system is developed to collect a large dataset containing stereoscopic videos with known depths, and this depth estimation technique outperforms the state-of-the-art on benchmark databases. This method can be used to automatically convert a monoscopic video into stereo for 3D visualization demonstrated through a variety of visually pleasing results for indoor and outdoor scenes, including results from the feature film Charade.
Body Dissatisfaction in Early Adolescence: The Coactive Roles of Cognitive and Sociocultural Factors

The sociocultural influences of the media, friends, and family on body dissatisfaction in young girls are well documented, yet further increasing our comprehension of the coaction of cognitive processes with sociocultural factors is crucial to understanding the dynamic emergence of body dissatisfaction in early adolescence. The current study examined the roles of appearance related messages and expectations from friends and family and selective attention biases in the development of body dissatisfaction. An ethnically and racially diverse sample of girls (72 % Hispanic White, 17.8 % African-American, 8.5 % non-Hispanic White, and 1.7 % Asian-American) between the ages of 9 and 13 (N = 118) completed multiple measures of attention, sociocultural attitudes toward weight and shape, and body dissatisfaction. The data from these measures were examined using path analysis. The final model fit well, and demonstrated the coactive effect of selective attention and sociocultural factors on body dissatisfaction. These findings will be instrumental in designing future body dissatisfaction intervention and prevention programs that incorporate cognitive factors, augmenting the existing sociocultural and psycho-educational frameworks.
Ultrathin wide bandwidth metamaterial absorber using randomly distributed scatterers

In this paper, a broadband, ultrathin metamaterial absorber (MA) using randomly distributed scatterers is presented. Each scattering element consists of two parallel strips. These elements can either be isolated or they may overlap with nearby elements. Three different randomly positioned structures are investigated for normal incident angle as well as oblique incident angles showing that these MAs can provide broadband absorption for all cases. The results presented here coincide with some previous works. Each structure obviously has different absorption spectrum and FWHM since the coupling between the randomly positioned scatterers is different in each case. The coupling between neighboring isolated and clustered scatterers form many resonating modes resulting in broadband absorption. The distribution of the electromagnetic fields are analyzed to obtain the physical behavior of the absorber. This shows that promising results can still be obtained for MAs when there is a significant tolerance distance between scatterers due to fabrication errors in micro and nanoscale metadevices.
Ecological Implications of Mosasaur Bone Microstructure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses ecological implications of Mosasaur bone microstructure. Marine mammals and turtles often partition the water column. They have bone microstructure very different from each other. Bone architecture can be correlated with life in specific portions of the water column in living marine mammals. A similar correlation is possible with mosasaurs. Thin sections of ribs from adult Clidastes, Platecarpus, and Tylosaurus have been studied using digital imaging analysis. Microstructure of Clidastes and Platecarpus shows that each genus has unique architecture. Platecarpus shows pachyostosis that requires an increase in lung volume. This suggests a shallower and narrower range of neutral buoyancy. Martin and Rothschild noted that all of the Platecarpus specimens that they examined were afflicted with avascular necrosis, which they interpreted as the result of decompression syndrome. Adult Clidastes exhibits osteoporosis, while adult Platecarpus microstructure shows pachyostosis. Comparison of mosasaur microstructure with extant marine vertebrates implies an ecological correlation. Clidastes and Tylosaurus microstructure correlates with life in deeper water, whereas Platecarpus microstructure correlates with life in the shallower part of the water column.
Vibration Dynamics in Solute/Solvent Clusters: Aniline (Ar)1 and Aniline (CH4)1

The first excited electronic state (S1) vibrational dynamics of aniline(Ar)1 and aniline(CH4)1 Van der Waals (vdW) clusters have been studied using molecular jet and time resolved emission spectroscopic techniques. The rates of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) and vibrational predissociation (VP) as a function of excess vibrational energy are reported for both clusters. For vibrational energy in excess of the cluster binding energy, both clusters are observed to dissociate. The dispersed emission spectra of these clusters demonstrate that aniline(Ar)1 dissociates to all energetically accessible bare molecule states and that aniline(CH4)1 dissociates selectively to only the bare molecule vibrationless state. The emission kinetics show that in the aniline(Ar)1 case, the initially excited states have nanosecond lifetimes, and intermediate cluster states have very short lifetimes. In contrast, the initially excited aniline(CH4)1 states and other vibrationally excited cluster states are very short lived (<100 ps), and the intermediate cluster 00 state i s observed. These results can be understood semiquantitatively in terms of an overall serial IVR/VP mechanism which consists of the following elements: 1. the rates of chromophore to vdW mode IVR are given by Fermi’s golden rule, and the density of vdW vibrational states is the most important factor in determining the relative [aniline(Ar)1 vs. aniline(CH4)1] rates of IVR; 2. IVR among the vdW modes is rapid; and 3. VP rates can be calculated by a restricted vdW mode phase space RRKM theory. Since the density of vdW states is three orders of magnitude greater for aniline(CH4)1 thananiline(Ar)1 at 700 cm-1 of excess energy in S1, the model predicts that IVR is slow and rate limiting in aniline(Ar)1, whereas VP is slow and rate limiting in aniline(CH4)1. The agreement of these predictions with the experimental results is very good and i s discussed in detail.
Reflections on a boom: Perceptions of energy development impacts in the Bakken oil patch inform environmental science & policy priorities

Ecosystems worldwide have been subject to new or intensified energy development facilitated by technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, activity that has generated concern for air, water, biotic, and social resources. Application of these technologies in the development of the Bakken oil patch has made it one of the most productive petroleum plays in North America, causing unprecedented landscape industrialization of otherwise rural, agricultural counties in western North Dakota. The region is isolated, and development impacts have not been well-studied. To identify concerns of citizens of the Bakken and determine how research and policy might support them, we conducted a two-part study: First, we held focus groups with resource management and community leaders in three major oil-producing counties. Second, we used an outline of the major concerns expressed by focus group members as a survey for landowners and farm/ranch operators. We found little relationship between survey respondents' reported categorization of energy impacts and actual land area impacted, suggesting factors such as attitude towards development, degree of compensation, and level of disturbance are relevant. Landowners agreed with focus groups on the nature of relationships between energy companies and locals and development impacts on infrastructure and communities; those reporting greater impacts tended to agree more strongly. But many specific problems described in focus groups were not widely reported in the survey, suggesting energy-community relationships can be improved through state-level public policy and respect from energy companies for locals and their way of life. Consideration of these concerns in future energy policy-both in the Bakken and worldwide-could reduce social tension, lessen environmental impact, and increase overall social, economic, and environmental efficiency in energy development.
Ion Transport in Dynamic Polymer Networks Based on Metal-Ligand Coordination: Effect of Cross-Linker Concentration

The development of high-performance ion conducting polymers requires a comprehensive multiscale understanding of the connection between ion–polymer associations, ionic conductivity, and polymer mechanics. We present polymer networks based on dynamic metal–ligand coordination as model systems to illustrate this relationship. The molecular design of these materials allows for precise and independent control over the nature and concentration of ligand and metal, which are molecular properties critical for bulk ion conduction and polymer mechanics. The model system investigated, inspired by polymerized ionic liquids, is composed of poly(ethylene oxide) with tethered imidazole moieties that facilitate dissociation upon incorporation of nickel(II) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Nickel–imidazole interactions physically cross-link the polymer, increase the number of elastically active strands, and dramatically enhance the modulus. In addition, a maximum in ionic conductivity is observed due to the competing e...
Critique: The Sociology of Knowledge and American Social Theory:

I believe that early American sociologists showed a concern for the relationship between social structure and ideas. What about the nature of their formulation? First, it can be noted that they app...
Staging the Complexities of Care: Martyna Majok's Cost of Living

The article discusses Martyna Majok’s play Cost of Living . This recent American play, about two couples in which a nondisabled person is the caregiver of a disabled person, could on the surface be read as a typical representation of disability in mainstream drama. Audiences might see it as a sentimental representation of care, with its characters embodying stock stereotypes of the embittered cripple or the heroic overcomer, and eventually erased at the play’s end. Yet for all that, the play matters to disability arts and activism. Cost of Living reminds us, through staging care relationships occasioned by disability, that connecting across identities, including disability, is vital in order to counteract larger systemic oppression. In this way, disability is a source of embodied and relational knowledge that compels us to understand the interwoven, oppressive forces that are threatening people who are poor, disabled, and otherwise disenfranchised because of race, gender, sexuality, or immigrant status. Bodily precarity has a complex and compelling representation in Cost of Living not in spite of, but because of disability. The play thus reminds us how we might seek out disability’s similarly nuanced deployment in other mainstream dramas as a powerful agent to counter social insecurity and injustice in a troubled age.
Investigation of several techniques for reviewing audio-tutorial instruction

Should students receiving a review of previously learned material show better retention than nonreview students? Do students using audio-tutorial review retain more than students using only a study guide? Students at Highland Park Community College participated in a learning-retention experiment. Subjects were assigned randomly to one of four review groups: study guide only, summary audiotape; compressed-speech audiotape, and no review. Analysis of retention scores incorporated Bartlett’s statistic, ANOVAs, and Dunnett’st. A CTMM IQ test also was given the subjects.
Influence of Short Time-Scale Water-Column Temperature Fluctuations on Broadband Signal Angular Beam Spreading

Temporal fluctuations in vertical thermocline structure and depth span (on a time scale of 30 to 40 min) are shown to affect the arrival angle, and focusing of measured broadband (22–28 kHz) non-surface-interacting acoustic signals at a depth of ~100 m. Measurements were taken in the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kauai island, Hawaii, for a source-receiver range of 1.0 km. The arrival time and angular spread of acoustic beams are obtained for measured signals using a plane wave beamformer with a-prior gaussian weighting. The weighting process reduces ambiguity in angular measurements due to spatial aliasing from a vertical array with element spacing d much greater than half the acoustic wavelength $$ \left(\frac{\lambda_{\mathrm{a}}}{2}\right) $$ of the highest frequency in the broadband signal. Over two full periods of thermocline oscillation, 2 times of high and 2 times of low isotherm depth are selected to show fluctuations in angular beam spreading, focusing, and the robustness of the weighted beamformer routine. To benchmark the performance of the weighted beamformer, a two-dimensional (2D) Parabolic Equation (PE) model calculates the angular signal spread and focusing using parameters to satisfy spatial sampling requirements for broadband beamforming. In the absence of spatial aliasing, beamforming the output of the 2D PE can be conducted without weighting. Comparison of measured and modeled results shows less than a degree of difference in the angular beam spread of direct, bottom reflected, and refracted paths. It is shown that a vertical array with $$ d\gg \left(\frac{\lambda_{\mathrm{a}}}{2}\right) $$ and gaussian weighting can resolve changes in angular spread and beam focusing as a function of vertical isotherm displacement.
Abelian Automorphism Group

This chapter is devoted to the spectral analysis of actions of abelian groups on a von Neumann algebra which will be used in the subsequent chapters. As a Banach space, an operator algebra presents a great challenge to functional analysis. Although an operator algebra lives on a Hilbert space, it behaves very pathologically from the point of view of Banach spaces. For example, the spectral decomposition of a one parameter group of automorphisms on a C*-algebra is out of question. Unless the group is periodic, any attempt of decomposition of the algebra relative to spectrum has been defeated. Thus, we take a moderate approach by examining the concept of spectrum of an element of the algebra relative to a given action of a locally compact abelian group. To this end, first we will look at an abelian group action on a Banach space and then move to analysis of automorphism actions of such a group on a von Neumann algebra M. The formal definition of the spectrum Sp α (x) of an element of x ∈ M is defined in somewhat convoluted way. But it is, roughly speaking, nothing but the simple oscillation component of the function: s ∈ G ↦ α s (x) ∈ M. The reader should make the techniques in this chapter as reliable tools. For those readers who are not comfortable with general locally compact groups, it is advised to assume that all the groups involved are the additive group R of real numbers.
Hydrogen Sulfide Attenuates Renin Angiotensin and Aldosterone Pathological Signaling to Preserve Kidney Function and Improve Exercise Tolerance in Heart Failure.

Cardioprotective effects of H2S have been well documented. However, the lack of evidence supporting the benefits afforded by delayed H2S therapy warrants further investigation. Using a murine model of transverse aortic constriction-induced heart failure, this study showed that delayed H2S therapy protects multiple organs including the heart, kidney, and blood-vessel; reduces oxidative stress; attenuates renal sympathetic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system pathological activation; and ultimately improves exercise capacity. These findings provide further insights into H2S-mediated cardiovascular protection and implicate the benefits of using H2S-based therapies clinically for the treatment of heart failure.
“I Want to Have the American Dream”: Messages of Materialism as a Driving Force in Juvenile Recidivism

Youth in the United States are raised with the message that economic achievement and the American Dream are the only means to obtain true success and happiness. Those youth who face barriers to the...
Are There Differences in Technical Assessment Grades Between Adjunct and Full-Time Dental Faculty? A Pilot Study

Some dental students preferentially schedule graded assessments with adjunct faculty members in expectation of obtaining a higher grade. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the grades given by full-time and adjunct faculty members in clinical periodontics to determine if a difference in grading existed. Grades for students given by seven full-time and 11 adjunct faculty members for various technical and competency assessments in D3 and D4 clinical periodontics courses in academic year 2015-16 were compared. Associations between grades and faculty type were sought using mixed model regression to account for correlations among a student's scores. A total of 845 technical assessment and competency scores from 208 students in the two classes were included in the analysis. Scores were for four procedures: periodontal examination and treatment planning, scaling and root planing, evaluation of initial therapy, and periodontal maintenance. Full-time faculty members graded 58% of the assessments, and 42% were scored by adjunct faculty members. Grades for the adjunct faculty were on average 0.14 (out of 5) higher than those for the full-time faculty (p<0.0001). The number of graded assessments was also significantly associated with a higher average score, suggesting potential student bias toward selecting faculty members who grade more favorably (p<0.0001). These students generally received higher grades from adjunct faculty members, whereas the grades given by full-time faculty members were closer in average and more consist with each other. The results point to the need for more calibration training for adjunct faculty members.
Bleeding and Thrombosis: Women’s Issues

Pregnant women can face several unique bleeding and thrombotic issues that require a different approach, taking both fetal considerations and the physiological changes of pregnancy. This chapter discusses the evaluation of thrombocytopenia and bleeding disorders in pregnant women. “Thrombosis as more common in pregnancy and with estrogen plus management of these thrombotic issues are discussed.
The problems and coping methods of caregivers of young adults with mental illness.

1. Caregivers of young adults with mental illness struggle with burden, grief, client symptomatology, and a negative impact on their family units. 2. Caregivers' coping methods include the assumption of facilitative attitudes, reliance on their faith, use of support groups, and increasing their knowledge of mental illness. 3. The professional nurse can assist this population by assuming the roles of teacher, agent of referral, and spiritual caregiver.
Off-diagonal long-range order in solid 4He.

Measurements of the moment of inertia by Kim and Chan have found that solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ acts like a supersolid at low temperatures. To understand the order in solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$, we have used path integral Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the off-diagonal long-range order (ODLRO) [equivalent to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC)]. We do not find ODLRO in a defect-free hcp crystal of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ at the melting density. We discuss these results in relation to proposed quantum solid trial functions. We conclude that the solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ wave function has correlations which suppress both vacancies and BEC.
A Machine Learning Framework to Infer Time-of-Use of Flexible Loads: Resident Behavior Learning for Demand Response

Load shapes obtained from smart meter data are commonly utilized to understand daily energy use patterns for adaptive operations in applications such as Demand Response (DR). However, they do not provide information on the underlying causes of specific energy use patterns - i.e., inference on appliances' time-of-use (ToU) as actionable information. In this paper, we investigated a scalable machine learning framework to infer the appliances' ToU from energy load shapes in a collection of residential buildings. A scalable and generalized inference model obviates the need for model training in each building to facilitate its adoption by relying on training data from a set of previously observed buildings with available appliance-level data. To this end, we demonstrated the feasibility of using load shape segmentation to boost ToU inference in buildings by learning from their nearest matches that share similar energy use patterns. To infer an appliance ToU for a building, classification models are trained for inference on subintervals of load shapes from matched buildings with known ToU. The framework was evaluated using real-world energy data from Pecan Street Dataport. The results for a case study on electric vehicles (EV) and dryers showed promising performance by using 15-min smart meter load shape data with 83% and 71% F-score values, respectively, and without in-situ training.
Supporting the Medically Fragile: Individualized Approach to Empowering Young Adults With Chronic Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Young adults with chronic and complex diseases face systemic barriers, care fragmentation, and increased vulnerabilities. Novel coronavirus pandemic has proven to further complicate care coordination for young adult patients with medical and psychosocial complexities. The BRIDGES Young Adult Program at Boston Children's Hospital has 6 years of experience advocating for and empowering young adults with chronic medical conditions, and their families, through outpatient consults aimed to assist with subspecialty guidance and defragmentation of care during the time of transition from pediatric to adult care. Recently, the BRIDGES consult team developed a pandemic-responsive approach to facilitate individual emergency planning and empowerment of self-management for these high-risk patients. Through the use of a virtual platform, consults were conducted with a multidisciplinary team to support patients and families with system navigation, advance care planning, emergency preparedness, chronic care management, and coping during this time of crisis. BRIDGES aimed to equip patients and families with knowledge and resources, within a rapidly changing environment, to allow for optimal self-care and self-advocacy.
Benchmarking Residual Limb Pain and Phantom Limb Pain in Amputees through a Patient-reported Outcomes Survey

More than 75% of major limb amputees experience chronic pain; however, data on severity and experience of pain are inconsistent. Without a benchmark using quantitative patient-reported outcomes, it is difficult to critically assess the efficacy of novel treatment strategies. Our primary objective is to report quantitative pain parameters for a large sample of amputees using the validated Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement System (PROMIS). Secondarily, we hypothesize that certain patient factors will be associated with worse pain. Methods PROMIS and Numerical Rating Scales for residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP) were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of upper and lower extremity amputees recruited throughout North America via amputee clinics and websites. Demographics (gender, age, race, and education) and clinical information (cause, amputation level, and time since amputation) were collected. Regression modeling identified factors associated with worse pain scores (P < 0.05). Results Seven hundred twenty-seven surveys were analyzed, in which 73.4% reported RLP and 70.4% reported PLP. Median residual PROMIS scores were 46.6 [interquartile range (IQR), 41-52] for RLP Intensity, 56.7 (IQR, 51-61) for RLP Behavior, and 55.9 (IQR, 41-63) for RLP Interference. Similar scores were calculated for PLP parameters: 46.8 (IQR, 41-54) for PLP Intensity, 56.2 (IQR, 50-61) for PLP Behavior, and 54.6 (IQR, 41-62) for PLP Interference. Female sex, lower education, trauma-related amputation, more proximal amputation, and closer to time of amputation increased odds of PLP. Female sex, lower education, and infection/ischemia-related amputation increased odds of RLP. Conclusion This survey-based analysis provides quantitative benchmark data regarding RLP and PLP in amputees with more granularity than has previously been reported.
International Administrative Tribunals

International administrative tribunals (IATs), like other international tribunals, generally are clearly tribunals of limited jurisdiction and not of general jurisdiction, as was recognized by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) specifically in relation to the International Labour Organization Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT). The issue of the legality of establishment of IATs, which may be raised as a jurisdictional issue, provokes several questions. The first question relates to principles of interpretation of the constitutional instruments of international organizations from which the power to establish IATs must be derived. The jurisdictional competence ratione temporis must be distinguished from inadmissibility or irreceivability ratione temporis. Inadmissibility results from conditions required to be fulfilled by those provisions, as appropriately interpreted, sometimes in the light of general principles. The statute of a tribunal provides an exception to the requirement that internal remedies must be exhausted in the case of exceptional circumstances.Keywords: inadmissibility; international administrative tribunals (IATs); International Court of Justice (ICJ); international labour organization administrative tribunal (ILOAT); irreceivability; jurisdictional competence
Finding effective therapeutic approaches for motor rehabilitation after stroke: Insights from a thematic analysis

Abstract Despite tremendous advances in the treatment and management of stroke, restoring motor and functional outcomes after stroke continues to be a major clinical challenge. Given the wide range of approaches used in motor rehabilitation, several commentaries have highlighted the lack of a clear scientific premise for different interventions as one critical factor that has led to suboptimal study outcomes. To examine this issue in greater detail, we conducted a thematic analysis of randomized controlled trials in stroke rehabilitation over a 2-year period from 2019-2020. Our results revealed three primary findings: (i) most studies did not provide an explicit rationale for why the treatment would be expected to work, (ii) there was not a close correspondence between the active ingredients mentioned versus the active ingredients measured in the study, and (iii) multimodal approaches that involved more than one therapeutic approach tended to be combined in an ad-hoc fashion, indicating the lack of a targeted approach. These results highlight the need for strengthening cross-disciplinary connections between basic science and clinical studies, and the need for structured development and testing of therapeutic approaches to find more effective treatment interventions.