cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in ovine fetal adrenocortical responsiveness after long-term hypoxemia

This study tested the hypothesis that in the fetus long-term hypoxemia induces premature adrenocortical maturation and augments adrenal responsiveness to adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). Pregnant ewes were exposed to high altitude (3,820 m) from 30 to 120 days gestation, when surgery was performed. Maternal arterial pressure of O2 (PaO2) was maintained at approximately 60 Torr by N2 infusion through a tracheal catheter. Fetal PaO2 was significantly lower in the hypoxemic (21 +/- 0.2 Torr) vs. normoxic (26 +/- 0.4 Torr) fetuses (P < 0.01). Between 125 and 140 days, basal ACTH and cortisol concentrations were similar in both groups. To assess changes in adrenal responsiveness, we challenged the fetuses with ACTH (100 ng/kg body wt, iv bolus) at 126 and 136 days. At 126 days, after ACTH challenge, fetal plasma ACTH peaked at similar values (275 +/- 43 and 250 +/- 26 pg/ml) in normoxic and hypoxemic fetuses, respectively. Plasma cortisol subsequently increased to 84 +/- 8 and 44 +/- 6 ng/ml in these groups. At 136 days, after ACTH challenge, plasma ACTH peaked at 379 +/- 57 and 336 +/- 21 pg/ml in normoxic and hypoxemic fetuses, respectively. Although plasma cortisol concentration in normoxic fetuses increased to 180 +/- 21 ng/ml, levels in hypoxemic fetuses only reached 62 +/- 12 ng/ml (P < 0.05 compared with normoxic). Catecholamine concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups. These data do not support the hypothesis that adrenocortical maturation occurs prematurely, augmenting adrenal responsiveness to ACTH after exposure to long-term hypoxemia. Rather, the ability of the fetus to respond to an ACTH challenge is blunted.
Investigation on etiopathogenisis and disease control in a large-scale dysenteria outbreak in cynomolgus

Objective:To investigate and analyze the causes of dysenteria outbreak in cynomolgus(macaca fascicularis) and to formulate practicable measures for controling the disease and to provide experience for large laboratory animal cultivation.Methods:We carried out On-site inspection in the nursery where dysenteria outbroke,including the origin of cynomolgus,transportation,quarantine,information of onset,diet and drinking,sanitation,feeding,environment,symptoms,treatment,prognosis.Anus swabs were collected in typical invasion animals to culture,separate and identify.After identifying of pathogenic bacteria,we simultaneously tested antibiotic susceptibilities on ongoing drugs and other susceptible drugs to direct clinical treatments and finally formulate measures to control the disease.Results:One enteropathogenic E.coli was identified as the cause that result the dysenteria outbreak in this nursery by investigation and laboratory diagnosis.It resulted coincidence pneumonia in some cases,the pathogen is Klebsiella pneumoniae.The enteropathogenic E.coli has an unknown serotype that couldn't be agglutinated by 1,2 and 3 group sera.According to investigation,laboratory diagnosis and several antibiotic susceptibility tests of the two pathogens,therapeutic regimen and preventive measures were planed again to carry out.After that,this disease had been gradually controlled to achieve good effects.Conclusion:Enteropathogenic E.coli is the radical cause on this large-scale cynomolgus dysenteria outbreak.Klebsiella pneumoniae is the pathogen that causes few cynomolgus pneumonia.It is the key that we adopted the drugs were selected by antibiotic susceptibility test and used scientifically to control the disease.It plays the important role to quarantine new comers and promotion of knowledge for personnels on disease prevention and control.in prevention of large-scale dysenteria outbreak.
Injection luminescence from CdS(112-bar0) studied with scanning tunneling microscopy.

We have used a scanning-tunneling-microscope tip as a source of both electrons and holes to study injection luminescence from CdS(112\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}0) surfaces cleaved in UHV. Band-gap radiation and emission from radiative deep levels are resolved in optical spectra. Isochromat photon-intensity spectra exhibit, as a function of negative tip voltage, discrete steps which are discussed in terms of pair-creation thresholds. For positive tip polarity, hole creation in the valence band results in a continuous increase in the luminescence. Spatial maps of the resulting integrated light intensity acquired simultaneously with the conventional topographs reveal subnanometer-scale image contrasts which are attributed to defects, such as dislocations or radiative deep levels.
Adolescent Gynecomastia: Differential Diagnosis and Management

Gynecomastia signifies a transient or permanent disturbance in steroid hormone physiology and occurs when the male breast is exposed to a decreased ratio of androgen to estrogen. This article discusses pubertal and pathologic gynecomastia, diagnostic approach, and treatment.
Health insurance and productivity.

Aim To provide a conceptual understanding of the basic relationship between health insurance and overall economic productivity, and to look at the human development index as a proxy for the quality of human capital. Methods Economic data and data related to human development in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, including Croatia, were compared to the European Union (EU) average. Data were selected out of databases provided by the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the United Nations. Income and growth rates were related to the EU averages. The human development index was used to compare the level of the average achievements in the longevity of life, knowledge, and quality of living in CEE countries. Results Relative to the EU-average, human development is lagging behind in CEE countries. Considering the world as a benchmark regarding human development, 8 out of 13 CEE countries exceed the world. However, all CEE countries have 3-28% lower human development than the industrialized countries. Conclusions The specific challenge for transition countries is how to adopt strategies to translate economic progress into health and social gains through reliable institutions, among them social health insurance bodies. The institutions and the provision of social health insurance are particularly challenged at a turning point when transition in terms of macroeconomic stabilization, along with the consolidated organization and financing of social and health insurance schemes, is accommodated to a business cycle-driven market economy.
QFix: Demonstrating Error Diagnosis in Query Histories

An increasing number of applications in all aspects of society rely on data. Despite the long line of research in data cleaning and repairs, data correctness has been an elusive goal. Errors in the data can be extremely disruptive, and are detrimental to the effectiveness and proper function of data-driven applications. Even when data is cleaned, new errors can be introduced by applications and users who interact with the data. Subsequent valid updates can obscure these errors and propagate them through the dataset causing more discrepancies. Any discovered errors tend to be corrected superficially, on a case-by-case basis, further obscuring the true underlying cause, and making detection of the remaining errors harder. In this demo proposal, we outline the design of QFix, a query-centric framework that derives explanations and repairs for discrepancies in relational data based on potential errors in the queries that operated on the data. This is a marked departure from traditional data-centric techniques that directly fix the data. We then describe how users will use QFix in a demonstration scenario. Participants will be able to select from a number of transactional benchmarks, introduce errors into the queries that are executed, and compare the fixes to the queries proposed by QFix as well as existing alternative algorithms such as decision trees.
Orthobiologic Interventions Using Ultrasound Guidance

The application of regenerative therapies for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions has emerged over the last decade with recent acceleration. These include prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma, and mesenchymal stem cell therapy. These strategies augment the body's innate physiology to heal pathologic processes. This article presents an overview of platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. A brief literature review is included, as are techniques for the use of ultrasound guidance to assist with these procedures.
Leveraging Discrete Variational Mechanics to Explore the Effect of an Autonomous Three-Body Interaction Added to the Restricted Problem

With recent improvements in ground and space-based telescopes, a large number of binary systems have been observed both within the solar system and beyond. These systems can take the form of asteroid pairs or even binary stars, with each component possessing a similar mass. In this investigation, periodic motions near large mass ratio binaries are explored using the circular restricted three-body problem, which is modified to include an additional three-body interaction. Discrete variational mechanics is leveraged to obtain periodic orbits that exhibit interesting shape characteristics, as well as the corresponding natural parameters. Shape characteristics and structural changes are explained using the stability and existence of equilibrium points, enabling exploration of the effect of an additional three-body interaction and conditions for reproducibility in a natural gravitational environment.
RoadAware: Learning Personalized Road Information on Daily Routes with Smartphones

In this paper, we introduce RoadAware, an infrastructure-less system that leverages a smartphone to collect road information on people's daily routes to and from work. Unlike previous research that utilizes moving vehicles equipped with sensors to collect road information, RoadAware does not need the support from infrastructure, road-side facilities or other users and focuses on serving individuals during his/her daily commute to and back from work. RoadAware can provide road information including 1) travel distance and time between traffic lights; 2) duration of red and green signals of each traffic light; and 3) traffic volume on the road between traffic lights. RoadAware builds a model that can deduce the road information based on the wait time and the length of the waiting queue in front of the car when it stops at a traffic light. The road information not only benefits individuals in their daily commutes (e.g., predict waiting at red lights and remind whether there is a delay on daily route) but can also be collected for traffic optimization that otherwise requires costly sensor deployment. We developed RoadAware on Windows smartphones, and our extensive real-world test shows that RoadAware can provide road information with acceptable accuracy.
LearnSmart, adaptive teaching, and student learning effectiveness: An empirical investigation

ABSTRACTFacing the growing number of digital natives entering the classroom, business professors look for innovative ways to enhance the student learning experience. The authors focus on the online interactive learning tool LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill, New York, NY), and examine its impact on student learning effectiveness by testing the direct and indirect relationships among perceived competence, perceived challenge, instructors, perceived value, and satisfaction with LearnSmart. Constructionism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. About 215 students at a public university in the United States took the survey and 197 valid responses were received. Regression analysis results showed that the use of LearnSmart improved students' perceived competency, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart, as well as their satisfaction with LearnSmart. Perceived value was also found to mediate the impact of perceived competency on satisfaction with LearnSmart, and the instructor played a sig...
Low energy positron beam system for the investigation of 2D and porous materials

An advanced variable energy positron beam (~2 eV to 20 keV) has been designed, tested and utilized for coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) measurements at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). A high efficiency solidified rare gas (Neon) moderator was used for the generation of a slow positron beam. The gamma rays produced as a result of the annihilation of positrons with the sample electrons are measured using a high purity Germanium (HPGe) detector in coincidence with a NaI(Tl) detector. Modifications to the system, currently underway, permits simultaneous measurements utilizing Positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES) and CDB. The tendency of positrons to become trapped in an image potential well at the surface will allow the new system to be used in measurements of the chemical structure of surfaces, internal or external and interfaces. The system will utilize a time of flight (TOF) technique for electron energy measurements. A 3m flight path from the sample to a micro-channel plate (MCP) in the new system will give it superior energy resolution at higher electron energies as compared to previous TOF systems utilizing shorter flight paths.
Apixaban Versus Warfarin for Mechanical Heart Valve Thromboprophylaxis in a Swine Aortic Heterotopic Valve Model

Objective—Warfarin is the current standard for oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with mechanical heart valves, yet optimal therapy to maximize anticoagulation and minimize bleeding complicat...
Ruthenium(ii)-catalyzed ortho-C-H arylation of diverse N-heterocycles with aryl silanes by exploiting solvent-controlled N-coordination.

We report the first method for the direct, regioselective Ru(II)-catalyzed oxidative arylation of C–H bonds in diverse N-heterocycles with aryl silanes by exploiting solvent-controlled N-coordination. The reaction takes advantage of the attractive features of organosilanes as coupling partners, providing proof of concept for N-directed Ru(II)-catalyzed C–H arylation. This novel, operationally-simple and versatile protocol utilizes the Ru(II)/CuF2 reagent system in which CuF2 serves as a dual activator/oxidant in non-coordinating solvents to accommodate for ligand N-coordination. This first Ru(II)-catalyzed N-directed Hiyama C–H arylation offers broad implications to achieve numerous C–H bond functionalizations by versatile ruthenium(II) catalysis manifold.
Human Pancreatic Acinar Cells: Proteomic Characterization, Physiologic Responses, and Organellar Disorders in ex Vivo Pancreatitis

Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of acute pancreatitis is largely based on studies using rodents. To assess similar mechanisms in humans, we performed ex vivo pancreatitis studies in human acini isolated from cadaveric pancreata from organ donors. Because data on these human acinar preparations are sparse, we assessed their functional integrity and cellular and organellar morphology using light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy; and their proteome by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Acinar cell responses to the muscarinic agonist carbachol (CCh) and the bile acid taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate were also analyzed. Proteomic analysis of acini from donors of diverse ethnicity showed similar profiles of digestive enzymes and proteins involved in translation, secretion, and endolysosomal function. Human acini preferentially expressed the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 and maintained physiological responses to CCh for at least 20 hours. As in rodent acini, human acini exposed to toxic concentrations of CCh and taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate responded with trypsinogen activation, decreased cell viability, organelle damage manifest by mitochondrial depolarization, disordered autophagy, and pathological endoplasmic reticulum stress. Human acini also secreted inflammatory mediators elevated in acute pancreatitis patients, including IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, chemokine (C-C motif) ligands 2 and 3, macrophage inhibitory factor, and chemokines mediating neutrophil and monocyte infiltration. In conclusion, human cadaveric pancreatic acini maintain physiological functions and have similar pathological responses and organellar disorders with pancreatitis-causing treatments as observed in rodent acini.
Water and the Glass Transition Temperature in a Polyelectrolyte Complex

Hydrated polyelectrolyte complexes, H-PECs, have recently started attracting renewed interest as a class of highly solvated/plasticized blends. H-PECs are observed to undergo a transition in mechanical properties close to room temperature. Whether this is a true glass transition has been questioned recently: the material has an unusually low modulus in the “glassy” state and molecular dynamics simulations have suggested temperature-induced dehydration and water structure changes are responsible for the transition. Using in situ infrared spectroscopic methods on thin films of a widely studied H-PEC we find no definitive evidence for changes in the hydration state of functional groups, the water content, or water structure on passing through Tg for stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric H-PECs. These complexes represent a promising platform for fundamental studies of the glass transition, since the coupling between chains can be modified by “doping” the material with salt, which breaks ion pairing cross-links...
Proactive Psychiatric Consultation Services for the General Hospital of the Future

Psychiatric consultation services in general medical hospitals typically operate on a consultation-as-requested basis: medical teams determine that a patient requires a consultation, place an order for a consultation, and the patient is then seen by a psychiatrist for a standard consultation. This system may fail to detect patients who could benefit from consultation or may detect such patients after a delay, and conversely may generate consult requests for patients who will not benefit from inpatient consultation. We argue that psychiatric consultation services must become “proactive,” organized to seek out cases that require and will benefit from consultation, and to provide the services actually needed in each case. We argue that such services can improve health care and decrease length of stay (LOS).
Renal Damage Caused by Magnesium Deficiency

Metastic calcification, frequently involving the kidneys, is not infrequent in patients with hypercalcemia, whether of dietary or metabolic derivation, because of osteolytic processes, or as a result of therapy. The study by B. S. W. Smith and Nisbet (1968), which showed that magnesium-deficient rats develop nephrocalcinosis, and later osteoporosis, is an appropriate reference for the transition from bone damage to renal damage of magnesium deficiency.
Novel MPPT Algorithm for Active Power Control of Multi-Level Dual-Active Bridge PV Converter Implemented in NI myRIO

To enable high penetration of PV systems into grid, it is imperative for the existing PV converters to perform load-following functions to be more dispatchable. Contrary to implementing energy storage systems or load shedding options for active power control, this paper focuses on implementing simple, inexpensive yet effective active power control strategy for two-stage multi-level dual-active bridge converter (ML-DAB), interfacing each PV string. Modified perturb and observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm is proposed to perform active power control. NI myRIO generates the desired phase shift in ML-DAB to extract either maximum power or reduced power.
The role of Crooke’s changes in recurrence and remission after gamma knife radiosurgery

The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of Crooke’s changes (CC) in normal the peri-tumoral anterior pituitary gland, in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) with a histopathological confirmed corticotroph adenoma, and determine if there is any difference in the recurrence and remission rates in CD patients after treatment with Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS). All patients treated with GKRS for CD from 2005 to 2016 at our institution were identified. Patients had a confirmed adrenocorticotropic (ACTH)-secreting adenoma, i.e. corticotroph adenoma, and normal pituitary gland included in the surgical specimen, and specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and also immunostaining for cytokeratin and ACTH. Statistical analyses were performed in a total of 61 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Additionally, we analyzed 20 patients in each group, with and without CC, after they were matched in a propensity score fashion. Endocrine remission defined as, a normal 24 h urine free cortisol while off suppressive medication, occurred in 48 patients (78.7%), with 76.9% in those with CC and 81.8% in those without CC. There was no statistical significant difference between the two groups in regarding remission (p = 0.312) or recurrence (p = 0.659) in either the unmatched or matched cohorts. The presence or absence of CC in normal pituitary gland does not appear to confer a lower rate of remission or a higher rate of recurrence after GKRS. Patients with pituitary corticotroph adenomas that present with CC features may be well served by Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).
Experimental Evaluation of Softball Protective Headgear for Defensive Play.

The majority of head injuries sustained during softball play are due to defensive fielders being struck by a ball. The main objective of this study was to test the impact attenuation and facial pro...
A Collimator Setting Optimization Algorithm for Dual-Arc Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy in Pancreas Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy:

Purpose:To optimize collimator setting to improve dosimetric quality of pancreas volumetric modulated arc therapy plan for stereotactic body radiation therapy.Materials and Methods:Fifty-five volum...
Ambient synthesis of nanomaterials by in situ heterogeneous metal/ligand reactions

Coordination polymers are ideal synthons in creating high aspect ratio nanostructures, however, conventional synthetic methods are often restricted to batch-wise and costly processes. Herein, we demonstrate a non-traditional, frugal approach to synthesize 1D coordination polymers by in situ etching of zerovalent metal particle precursors. This procedure is denoted as the heterogeneous metal/ligand reaction and was demonstrated on Group 13 metals as a proof of concept. Simple carboxylic acids supply the etchant protons and ligands for metal ions (conjugate base) in a 1 : 1 ratio. This scalable reaction produces a 1D polymer that assembles into high-aspect ratio ‘nanobeams’. We demonstrate control over crystal structure and morphology by tuning the: (i) metal center, (ii) stoichiometry and (iii) structure of the ligands. This work presents a general scalable method for continuous, heat free and water-based coordination polymer synthesis.
An Anatomic and Clinical Study of the Innervation of the Dorsal Midfoot Capsule

Background:Dorsal pain from osteoarthritic midfoot joints is thought to be relayed by branches of the medial and lateral plantar, sural, saphenous, and deep peroneal nerves (DPN). However, there is...
Hindu-Bobtailed Multiplication: An Efficient Mathematical Algorithm.

number of digits to the right of the decimal point, and round off the product to a desired number of places (considerably fewer relative to the places appearing in the original numbers). The purpose of this article is to present a time-saving, mathematically meaningful algorithm to accomplish this task. As students of finance may know, a scheme for accomplishing this task exists in the folklore (Hummel and Seebeck 1971), but anyone who has attempted to use it cannot help but be impressed (if not hopelessly confused) by its almost blackmagic quality. For example, multiply 3.8O32O888 by 875.89.
THE DISCOVERY OF COMPARISON: transformations of fortune-telling from philip k. dick to ricardo piglia

While comparative literature is often called a discipline in crisis, it is just as often charged with the responsibility to see into the future. But why has comparative literature been given the ta...
Interdisciplinary Approach to Care

Health care teams now encompass a range of health professions, including physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), nurses, health care students, social workers, representatives of community programs, and more. This chapter discusses how an LGBTQ-friendly interdisciplinary approach enhances patient care; identifies the role of various health care professionals in providing quality comprehensive care; and examines how consulting various services can be beneficial using a case-based approach.
Fatty acid activation and utilization by Alistipes finegoldii, a representative Bacteroidetes resident of the human gut microbiome.

Members of the Bacteroidetes phylum, represented by Alistipes finegoldii, are prominent anerobic, Gram-negative inhabitants of the gut microbiome. The lipid biosynthetic pathways were analyzed using bioinformatic analyses, lipidomics, metabolic labeling and biochemistry to characterize exogenous fatty acid metabolism. A. finegoldii only produced the saturated fatty acids. The most abundant lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and sulfonolipid (SL). Neither phosphatidylglycerol nor cardiolipin are present. PE synthesis is initiated by the PlsX/PlsY/PlsC pathway, whereas the SL pathway is related to sphingolipid biosynthesis. A. finegoldii incorporated medium-chain fatty acids (≤14 carbons) into PE and SL after their elongation, whereas long-chain fatty acids (≥16 carbons) were not elongated. Fatty acids >16 carbons were primarily incorporated into the 2-position of phosphatidylethanolamine at the PlsC step, the only biosynthetic enzyme that utilizes long-chain acyl-ACP. The ability to assimilate a broad-spectrum of fatty acid chain lengths present in the gut environment is due to the expression of two acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthetases. Acyl-ACP synthetase 1 had a substrate preference for medium-chain fatty acids and synthetase 2 had a substrate preference for long-chain fatty acids. This unique combination of synthetases allows A. finegoldii to utilize both the medium- and long-chain fatty acid nutrients available in the gut environment to assemble its membrane lipids.
normGAM: an R package to remove systematic biases in genome architecture mapping data.

The genome architecture mapping (GAM) technique can capture genome-wide chromatin interactions. However, besides the known systematic biases in the raw GAM data, we have found a new type of systematic bias. It is necessary to develop and evaluate effective normalization methods to remove all systematic biases in the raw GAM data. We have detected a new type of systematic bias, the fragment length bias, in the genome architecture mapping (GAM) data, which is significantly different from the bias of window detection frequency previously mentioned in the paper introducing the GAM method but is similar to the bias of distances between restriction sites existing in raw Hi-C data. We have found that the normalization method (a normalized variant of the linkage disequilibrium) used in the GAM paper is not able to effectively eliminate the new fragment length bias at 1 Mb resolution (slightly better at 30 kb resolution). We have developed an R package named normGAM for eliminating the new fragment length bias together with the other three biases existing in raw GAM data, which are the biases related to window detection frequency, mappability, and GC content. Five normalization methods have been implemented and included in the R package including Knight-Ruiz 2-norm (KR2, newly designed by us), normalized linkage disequilibrium (NLD), vanilla coverage (VC), sequential component normalization (SCN), and iterative correction and eigenvector decomposition (ICE). Based on our evaluations, the five normalization methods can eliminate the four biases existing in raw GAM data, with VC and KR2 performing better than the others. We have observed that the KR2-normalized GAM data have a higher correlation with the KR-normalized Hi-C data on the same cell samples indicating that the KR-related methods are better than the others for keeping the consistency between the GAM and Hi-C experiments. Compared with the raw GAM data, the normalized GAM data are more consistent with the normalized distances from the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments. The source code of normGAM can be freely downloaded from http://dna.cs.miami.edu/normGAM/.
Experiences of gender-based violence in women asylum seekers from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Introduction Every year, thousands of women flee gender-based violence in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala (sometimes collectively referred to as the Northern Triangle) in an attempt to seek asylum in the United States. Once in the United States, their legal teams may refer them for a psychological evaluation as part of their application for asylum. Licensed clinicians conduct in-depth interviews in order to document the psychological impact of the reported human rights violations. Method Using archival de-identified data from a human rights program, this study gathered the experiences of gender-based violence reported by 70 asylum-seeking women from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala who participated in pro bono psychological evaluation. Descriptive data were analyzed using a modified consensual qualitative research (CQR-M) method. Results These asylum seekers reported exposure to systemic violence, including severe intimate partner violence, as well as physical and sexual assaults, and threats of death by organized criminal groups in their communities. Additionally, over a third of women reported experiences of violence during their migration. The majority of asylum seekers endorsed symptoms associated with anxiety (80%) and depression (91%), as well as trauma-and stressor-related symptoms (80%). Discussion The results of this study elucidate the many forms of gender-based violence experienced by women in this region, the physical and psychological sequelae of this persecution, and the systemic forces that prevent them from remaining in their countries of origin. The research results also highlight the potential impact of trauma on the women's ability to testify effectively during asylum legal hearings, elucidate factors that may contribute to their resilience in light of the human rights violations they survived, and suggest implications for clinical practice.
Frailty is More Predictive than Age for Complications After Thyroidectomy for Multinodular Goiter

Risks of thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter (MNG) in older and frail patients are unclear, particularly regarding hematoma and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy. MNG patients undergoing total thyroidectomy were reviewed in the ACS-NSQIP procedure-targeted database (2016–2017). Outcomes were analyzed between adult (age <65), older-adult (age ≥65 and <80), and oldest-old (age ≥80) patients. Five-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) was calculated based on functional status, diabetes, COPD, CHF, and hypertension, and used in comparative analyses. A total of 2189 adult, 635 older-adult, and 59 oldest-old patients were included. Compared to adult patients, older-adult and oldest-old patients had higher mFI-5 ≥0.4 rates (14% vs. 22% vs. 31%, respectively, p < 0.001). The overall complication rate was 17.0% and similar between groups; however, oldest-old patients had higher rates of surgical site infection (3.4% vs. 0.3% vs. 0.4%), pneumonia (5.1% vs. 0.3% vs. 0.2%), and readmission (10.2% vs. 2.4% vs. 2.6%) compared to older-adult and adult patients, respectively (p < 0.05). On multivariable analyses of thyroidectomy-specific complications, mFI-5 ≥0.4 (OR 2.5, 95%-CI 1.4–4.4) and bleeding disorder (OR 4.6, 95%-CI 1.3–16.3) were predictive of hematoma, whereas vessel-sealant device usage (OR 0.4, 95%-CI 0.3–0.7) was protective. mFI-5 ≥ 0.4 (OR 1.5, 95%-CI 1.1–2.2), bleeding disorder (OR 2.8, 95%-CI 1.04–7.8), parathyroid autotransplantation (OR 1.7, 95%-CI 1.2–2.6), and prolonged operative time (OR 1.4, 95%-CI 1.02–1.8) were predictive of RLN palsy. Age was not a significant predictor of hematoma or RLN palsy. Patients ≥80 years old are at increased risk for systemic complications and readmission after thyroidectomy for MNG. Frailty index better risk-stratifies patients than age for thyroidectomy-specific complications.
Experience of treatment of 113 cases with congenital esophageal atresia

Objective To evaluate the outcome of patients with congenital esophageal atresia. Methods The medical records of 113 patients with congenital esophageal atresia were reviewed, 41 were identified with type Ⅲ and underwent one-stage operation. The ratio of surgery treatment in all patients was 36.28%. Among them, 38 patients (92.68% ) had type Ⅲ B and 3 patients (7.32% ) had type ⅢA. Gastrostomy was done at first. Then the baby was positioned left recumbent position. Right posterial-lateral incision was made. The azygous vein was ligated and cut. The esophageal tracheal fistula was dissected, cut and sutured by interrupted suture with 5-0 prolene. The thoracic segments of the esophagus were dissected. End to end anastomosis was done by interrupted suture with 5-0 prolene. 2 to 4 relaxation suture of adventitia of esophagus and medias-tinal pleura were done. Thoracic space drainage tube was localized through next costal space, the tip was lay nearby the anastomosis. The neonates were monitored in the neonate ICU. Results Six of the 41 patients died after operation, with a mortality rate of 14.63%. The other 35 patients survived (85.37% ). Twelve cases that operated after 2007 were all survived after operation. Anastomotic striction and anastomotic leakage were the most common postoperative complications, 41. 46% and 12.20% .respectively. Two cases of anastomotic leakage died, 2 cases who were redone esophageal anastomosis survived, 1 case recovered under expectant treatment. Conclusion The outcome of one-stage repair of esophageal atresia is inspiring. Anastomotic leakage is a high-risk factor lead to death, but it is not the determinant factor. The important thing to improve outcome of one-stage repairmen of esophageal atresia depends on early diagnosis, early operation and better management preopera-tive and postoperative. Key words: Esophageal atresia; Thoracic surgical procedures
Value of Research Years for International Medical Graduates Applying to General Surgery Residency

Objective While dedicated research time (DRT) offers international medical graduates (IMGs) exposure to the US healthcare system and helps boost their residency application, it can lengthen time away from clinical activity. We aimed to determine the value of DRT/protected research time for an IMG applying to general surgeryresidency (GSR). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Academic, tertiary care center with a large GSR program (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN). Participants IMG applicants to our GSR program (2015-2018) and general surgery program directors (PDs) in the United States. Methodology Separate surveys were emailed to all IMG applicants to our GSR program (2015-2018) and general surgery PDs. Surveys to the applicants focused on the details of DRT spent in the US prior to residency and match outcomes. Surveys to the PDs focused on the importance of different aspects of an IMG applicant's research experience. Results Applicants: 320 applicants responded of which 148 (46%) applicants spent DRT in the US prior to residency. Among the research group, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of first author podium and poster presentations from the DRT were 1 (0-4) and 2 (1-5), respectively. At the time of match application, the median (IQR) number of published manuscripts among the research group was higher than that among the applicant group which did not pursue DRT (5[2-12] vs 1[0-2], p 0.05). Program Directors Seventy-six PDs responded to our survey. A median (IQR) of 2.5 (2-3) publications, and 2 (2-3) presentations per year of DRT were considered “productive.” Sixty-three percent of PDs did not recommend IMGs take time off to engage in research; only 54% attributed some importance to an IMG's research experience. Conclusions DRT does not seem to be associated with better outcomes for IMGs targeting GSR. Most PDs advocate against taking time off after graduation to engage in research activity. Decisions to pursue DRT should be individualized.
High-Speed Printed Circuit Boards: A Tutorial

Circuit designers often tend to overlook Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs. Circuits performance and the quality of measurements, however, are strongly correlated with careful and comprehensive PCB design techniques. Such design techniques are applicable to practically all circuits areas including analog, digital, RF, and power applications. This paper provides a fundamental understanding of common problems faced in designing high-performance and high-speed PCBs. While this tutorial paper does not cover basics of PCBs, it presents empirical and commonly practiced methods to deliver professional layouts. This includes studying on-board transmission lines and their matching techniques, various PCB structures that ensure good signal integrity, and bypass capacitors, for circuits up to 30 GHz. Conclusions and suggestions are justified with theoretical analysis and supported by simulations and measurements.
Driving toward modernity: cars and the lives of the middle class in contemporary China: by Jun Zhang, Cornell University Press, 2019, xiii, 240 pp., B&W photos, US$115.00 (hardback), US$23.95 (paperback)

In this excellent and rich ethnography, Jun Zhang argues that China’s automotive regime arose with the new middle class. In exploring the co-emergence of, and intricate connections between, the aut...
Does generic metacognition explain incremental variance in O–C symptoms beyond responsibility and perfectionism?

Abstract Responsibility and perfectionism have long been supported as central cognitive factors in O–C symptoms. Previous studies have reported that metacognition is involved in various psychiatric disorders as a common underlying process. The present study aimed to investigate whether generic metacognition would explain incremental variance in the severity of O–C symptoms above and beyond responsibility and perfectionism. Two hundred thirteen college students in Study 1 and fifty-one OCD patients in Study 2 completed self-report measures of responsibility, perfectionism, and generic metacognition. The O–C symptoms was measured by the Y-BOCS-SR in Study 1 and the Y-BOCS in Study 2. In Study 1 and Study 2, generic metacognition accounted for additional 16% and 22% of variance in the O–C symptoms, respectively, when responsibility and perfectionism were controlled. The “negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger of worry” dimension of generic metacognition emerged as a common significant predictor across the studies.
Aluminum Nitride Combined Overtone Resonator for Millimeter Wave 5g Applications

This paper presents the first Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Combined Overtone Resonator (COR) in the 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. The demonstrated AlN COR operates based on a multimodal excitation of the second and third order asymmetric Lamb-wave modes (A2 and A3) in a 389 nm thick AlN film. The combined overtone is observed at 23.2 GHz with a high electromechanical coupling coefficient, $k_t^2$, of 0.46% (Lateral-Field-Excited configurations with only top electrodes) and mechanical quality factor (Q m ) of 254, providing a high f · Q >6e12. Additionally, the two-dimensional vibration mode of CORs allows the resonant frequency to be lithographically defined without significant $k_t^2$ degradation. The demonstrated performance makes AlN CORs a strong candidate for the implementation of low-loss miniaturized multi-frequency filters for mmWave 5G applications.
Prelude to the special issue on novel neurocircuit, cellular and molecular targets for developing functional rehabilitation therapies of neurotrauma.

Abstract The poor endogenous recovery capacity and other impediments to reinstating sensorimotor or autonomic function after adult neurotrauma have perplexed modern neuroscientists, bioengineers, and physicians for over a century. However, despite limited improvement in options to mitigate acute pathophysiological sequalae, the past 20 years have witnessed marked progresses in developing efficacious rehabilitation strategies for chronic spinal cord and brain injuries. The achievement is mainly attributable to research advancements in elucidating neuroplastic mechanisms for the potential to enhance clinical prognosis. Innovative cross-disciplinary studies have established novel therapeutic targets, theoretical frameworks, and regiments to attain treatment efficacy. This Special Issue contained eight papers that described experimental and human data along with literature reviews regarding the essential roles of the conventionally undervalued factors in neural repair: systemic inflammation, neural-respiratory inflammasome axis, modulation of glutamatergic and monoaminergic neurotransmission, neurogenesis, nerve transfer, recovery neurobiology components, and the spinal cord learning, respiration and central pattern generator neurocircuits. The focus of this work was on how to induce functional recovery from manipulating these underpinnings through their interactions with secondary injury events, peripheral and supraspinal inputs, neuromusculoskeletal network, and interventions (i.e., activity training, pharmacological adjuncts, electrical stimulation, and multimodal neuromechanical, brain-computer interface [BCI] and robotic assistance [RA] devices). The evidence suggested that if key neurocircuits are therapeutically reactivated, rebuilt, and/or modulated under proper sensory feedback, neurological function (e.g., cognition, respiration, limb movement, locomotion, etc.) will likely be reanimated after neurotrauma. The efficacy can be optimized by individualizing multimodal rehabilitation treatments via BCI/RA-integrated drug administration and neuromechanical protheses.
Naming Moral-Political Discourses in Music Education: A Philosophical Investigation:

Given the contemporary polarized political landscape and the elective nature of much music teaching and learning, it is important that music educators understand how they reinforce or undermine sta...
The Impact of Device Uniformity on Functionality of Analog Passively-Integrated Memristive Circuits

Passively-integrated memristors are the most prospective candidates for designing high-speed, energy-efficient, and compact neuromorphic circuits. Despite all the promising properties, experimental demonstrations of passive memristive crossbars have been limited to circuits with few thousands of devices until now, which stems from the strict uniformity requirements on the IV characteristics of memristors. This paper expands upon this vital challenge and investigates how uniformity impacts the computing accuracy of analog memristive circuits, focusing on neuromorphic applications. Specifically, the paper explores the tradeoffs between computing accuracy, crossbar size, switching threshold variations, and target precision. All-embracing simulations of matrix multipliers and deep neural networks on CIFAR-10 and ImageNet datasets have been carried out to evaluate the role of uniformity on the accuracy of computing systems. Further, we study three post-fabrication methods that increase the accuracy of nonuniform 0T1R neuromorphic circuits: hardware-aware training, improved tuning algorithm, and switching threshold modification. The application of these techniques allows us to implement advanced deep neural networks with almost no accuracy drop, using current state-of-the-art analog 0T1R technology.
U.S. Manufacturing Water Use Data and Estimates: Current State, Limitations, and Future Needs for Supporting Manufacturing Research and Development

Author(s): McCall, James; Rao, Prakash; Gonzalez, Susana Garcia; Nimbalkar, Sachin; Das, Sujit; Supekar, Sarang; Cresko, Joe | Abstract: Water is essential to manufacturing operations; without it, many facilities could not operate or meet production demands. Physical, reputational, and regulatory risks to water supplies compounded by climate change-induced impacts on hydrological conditions threaten the adequacy of water supplies for manufacturing. Manufacturing water use has not been a major focus of either water or manufacturing-related research. Research and development (RaD) aimed at helping manufacturers use water more sustainably and adapt to changing water conditions is needed to ensure a thriving sector and economy. However, the ability to identify RaD needs is severely limited due to a lack of current, statistically representative data on manufacturing water use and its environmental implications. In this perspective, we outline four key questions to inform RaD on manufacturing use and highlight how the current state of water data in the U.S. does not support adequately investigating these questions. We make recommendations for the water data characteristics needed to explore the research questions and knowledgeably inform RaD on manufacturing water use.
Impact of electrode surface modulation on time-dependent dielectric breakdown

This study demonstrates the impact of electrode surface modulation on conduction mechanism and TDDB behavior. We found that the Schottky barrier height can be decreased by an unexpected change of the electrode surface materials, due to introduction of new barrier/seed materials. As TDDB is an electron-fluence driven mechanism, the changes of barrier height have a potential impact not only on the lifetime, but also on the voltage acceleration. For an accurate evaluation of samples with the same condition, a large sample size was employed in local reticle.
Evanescent Waves in the Near and the Far Field

Publisher Summary Evanescent waves play an important role in near-field optics, in which spatial resolution of a radiation field on the order of a wavelength is essential. In an angular spectrum representation, these waves have wave vectors with a parallel component, with respect to the xy-plane, corresponding to wavelengths that are smaller than the optical wavelength of the radiation, and as such they serve to resolve details of a radiating source on a scale smaller than a wavelength. In addition, at distances from the source comparable to a wavelength or smaller, evanescent waves dominate over traveling waves in amplitude. In fact, all singular behavior of a radiation field at short distances is due to evanescent waves. It is also possible that evanescent waves end up in the far field, together with the traveling waves and contribute to the emitted power. For the electric field, this happens in a cylindrical region around the z-axis, where the diameter of the cylinder is about an optical wavelength. Evanescent waves also contribute to the far field near the xy-plane.