cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ARTIFACT: a platform for evaluating real-time window system designs

Multimedia and advanced real-time systems integrate a variety of applications and media types in one environment, many of which have timing properties which are not supported by current window systems running in multitasking environments. This paper discusses several key aspects to designing window systems which support continuous media and other real-time applications. These design considerations were used to construct ARTIFACT, a window system designed to investigate issues in building real-time window systems. Several of the behaviors of a partial implementation of ARTIFACT are described, along with preliminary scheduling models and avenues for further research.
Blind multiuser detection by kurtosis maximization/minimization

Blind multiuser detection is studied in the presence of multipath distortion. The kurtosis of the receiver's output is minimized with respect to the receiver's parameters subject to multiple linear constraints. The constraints are dependent on the spreading codes of the user of interest. In order to combine multipath signals optimally, the kurtosis is parameterized by the constraint vector as well and is further maximized. It is shown that under some conditions, the optimal constraint vector converges to the channel vector of the desired user irrespective of noise, and the proposed receiver ensures perfect cancellation of both intersymbol interference and multiuser interference. Meanwhile, a minimum mean-square-error receiver can be constructed from the constraint vector.
Spatial variability of common carp populations in relation to lake morphology and physicochemical parameters in the upper Midwest United States

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread invasive species that is tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions. Despite the circumpolar distribution of the species, limited information is available describing factors related to spatial variation in population characteristics. Eighty-four lakes and impoundments in the upper Midwest United States were sampled to investigate the relationships of common carp relative abundance with size structure, condition and growth rates. We also investigated abiotic factors (lake morphology, physical solids and water quality) that may broadly influence common carp populations. Common carp size structure and condition were inversely related to relative abundance. Common carp relative abundance increased and size structure shifted to smaller individuals with increased lake depth, whereas lake surface area, watershed:surface area ratio and physical solids were also important in explaining common carp abundance and size structure. Common carp condition was best explained by water quality parameters and increased with metrics of lake productivity. We conclude that knowledge of factors associated with variation in common carp populations among lakes provides insights into the autecology and broad provisions for management of this generalist invasive species.
Viscoelastic deformation of lipid bilayer vesicles

Lipid bilayers form the boundaries of the cell and its organelles. Many physiological processes, such as cell movement and division, involve bending and folding of the bilayer at high curvatures. Currently, bending of the bilayer is treated as an elastic deformation, such that its stress–strain response is independent of the rate at which bending strain is applied. We present here the first direct measurement of viscoelastic response in a lipid bilayer vesicle. We used a dual-beam optical trap (DBOT) to stretch 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Upon application of a step optical force, the vesicle membrane deforms in two regimes: a fast, instantaneous area increase, followed by a much slower stretching to an eventual plateau deformation. From measurements of dozens of GUVs, the average time constant of the slower stretching response was 0.225 ± 0.033 s (standard deviation, SD). Increasing the fluid viscosity did not affect the observed time constant. We performed a set of experiments to rule out heating by laser absorption as a cause of the transient behavior. Thus, we demonstrate here that the bending deformation of lipid bilayer membranes should be treated as viscoelastic.
A consistent picture for large penguins in D →π+π−, K+K−

A long-standing puzzle in charm physics is the large difference between the D 0 → K + K − and D 0 → π + π − decay rates. Recently, the LHCb and CDF collaborations reported a surprisingly large difference between the direct CP asymmetries, ΔA CP, in these two modes. We show that the two puzzles are naturally related in the Standard Model via s- and d-quark “penguin contractions”. Their sum gives rise to ΔA CP, while their difference contributes to the two branching ratios with opposite sign. Assuming nominal SU(3) breaking, we perform a U-spin based fit to the D 0 → K + π −, π + K − , π + π − , K + K − decay rates, which yields large penguin contractions that naturally explain ΔA CP. Expectations for the individual CP asymmetries are also discussed.
A moving target: : rethinking industrial recruitment in an era of growing economic uncertainty

Industrial recruitment is often portrayed by economic development scholars as an inferior or ‘second-best’ strategy to those that promote ‘home-grown’ enterprise. But this characterization overlooks improvements to industry recruitment that state and local agencies have adopted in recent decades and the underlying factors that contribute to this effort. Drawing on two case studies of strategic industrial recruitment in the U.S. South, this paper makes the case for industrial recruitment as embedded practice—rooted in placespecific contexts, adaptive and open to change, and governed by a range of institutional actors. The result is both a more strategic approach to local industrial recruitment, and also one designed to complement—not undermine—other local economic development practices
Evolutionary Aspects of Disease Avoidance: The Role of Disease in the Development of Complex Society

Avoiding disease certainly has value to the individual in escaping pain, suffering and death. It would seem obvious that mechanisms would evolve to enhance the ability of an individual to recognize and avoid contact leading to infection or exposure to infection. Social animals especially display evidence of behavior that avoid or limit disease and death, as in the grouped behavior of the water flea Daphnia where grouped animals give off more carbon dioxide than single ones and this extra CO2 can neutralize some toxic substances in the water (Allee, 1938). It is clear from animal research in the wild and captivity that behavior can play a significant role in infection and the spread of disease and the production of mortality (Loehle, 1995). Such behavior would then have a selective role to play in evolution. Hart (1988, 1990) has documented a variety of behaviors that can be described as sanitary, preventing the spread of infection among animals. Mary Douglas (1966) found that in studying the varieties of human religious practice, pollution and danger were often associated with a positive effort to organize the environment. She also found that “...pollution has indeed much to do with morals.” This book investigates the role of disease in shaping human society and its institutions.
Context-dependent effects of complex environments on behavioral plasticity

Complex environments exert variable effects on feeding and boldness behaviors. We manipulated 2 environmental factors that often vary simultaneously in nature (temperature and food availability) in corn snakes. These 2 factors independently affected feeding behavior, but they interacted to influence boldness (risk taking in an open arena). Examining individual environmental factors such as temperature or food availability may be an overly simplistic approach to understanding how animals respond to rapidly changing environments.
Dominant disorders with multiple organ involvement.

A clinical and genetic review of four multisystem disorde rstuberous sclerosis, incontinentia pigmenti, incontinentia pigme nti achromians, and focal dermal h ypoplasia-is pre sented. These disorders are presumed to be dominantly inh e rited with variable expressivity. Current information regarding the multiple manifestations of the se syndromes is necessary for accurate diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Interferon-targeted therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus: Is this an alternative to targeting B and T cells?

Clinical trials of investigational agents in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have focused on targeting dysregulated B and T cells; however, recent translational research findings of the importan...
Whither Reasonable Suspicion: The Supreme Court's Functional Abandonment of the Reasonableness Requirement for Fourth Amendment Seizures

Although the United States Supreme Court’s approach to issues governing application of the probable cause requirement of the Fourth Amendment has mutated over the years, at least one aspect of its approach has remained constant. Before information leading to probable cause or its lesser iteration of reasonable suspicion is found to exist, the government must demonstrate in some meaningful way the reliability of the person providing the information or of the information itself. Lacking such reliability, no search or seizure based on probable cause or reasonable suspicion is permitted.In its recent decision in Navarette v. California, the Court largely abandoned the requirement that this reliability be meaningful. It did so by holding that an anonymous 911 call without any impactful corroboration could supply the reasonable suspicion necessary to effect a seizure protected by the Fourth Amendment. This abandonment significantly increases the ability of the government to deprive a person of his or her freedom in conducting a seizure. Now, such a seizure can be effected without the government demonstrating that the individual who provided the information justifying the seizure is worthy of belief in any manner that has traditionally been used by the Court to show reliability. In its effort to justify this approach to reliability, the Court in Navarette misinterpreted rather egregiously its previous holdings on reliability in similar cases, and then offered new arguments to buttress its decision. These new arguments are unpersuasive in their application to the facts of Navarette and, even more troubling, are at odds with the principles embodied in the Fourth Amendment.
Team Leadership and Cancer End-of-Life Decision Making

End-of-life decision making in cancer can be a complicated process. Patients and families encounter multiple providers throughout their cancer care. When the efforts of these providers are not well coordinated in teams, opportunities for high-quality, longitudinal goals of care discussions can be missed. This article reviews the case of a 55-year-old man with lung cancer, illustrating the barriers and missed opportunities for end-of-life decision making in his care through the lens of team leadership, a key principle in the science of teams. The challenges demonstrated in this case reflect the importance of the four functions of team leadership: information search and structuring, information use in problem solving, managing personnel resources, and managing material resources. Engaging in shared leadership of these four functions can help care providers improve their interactions with patients and families concerning end-of-life care decision making. This shared leadership can also produce a cohesive car...
Improved, operationally-passive interferometric demodulation method using 3×3 coupler

An improved algorithm for demodulating the phase output of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer that uses a 3×3 coupler is presented. Error analysis and experimental data show how a generalised 3×3 coupler description eliminates signal distortion and frequency mixing.
Lysosomal Re-acidification Prevents Lysosphingolipid-Induced Lysosomal Impairment and Cellular Toxicity

Neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are severe and untreatable, and mechanisms underlying cellular dysfunction are poorly understood. We found that toxic lipids relevant to three different LSDs disrupt multiple lysosomal and other cellular functions. Unbiased drug discovery revealed several structurally distinct protective compounds, approved for other uses, that prevent lysosomal and cellular toxicities of these lipids. Toxic lipids and protective agents show unexpected convergence on control of lysosomal pH and re-acidification as a critical component of toxicity and protection. In twitcher mice (a model of Krabbe disease [KD]), a central nervous system (CNS)-penetrant protective agent rescued myelin and oligodendrocyte (OL) progenitors, improved motor behavior, and extended lifespan. Our studies reveal shared principles relevant to several LSDs, in which diverse cellular and biochemical disruptions appear to be secondary to disruption of lysosomal pH regulation by specific lipids. These studies also provide novel protective strategies that confer therapeutic benefits in a mouse model of a severe LSD.
A Load Balancing and Multi-Tenancy Oriented Data Center Virtualization Framework

Virtualization is an essential step before a bare-metal data center being ready for commercial usage, because it bridges the foreground interface for cloud tenants and the background resource management on underlying infrastructures. A concept at the heart of the foreground is multi-tenancy, which deals with logical isolation of shared virtual computing, storage, and network resources and provides adaptive capability for heterogeneous demands from various tenants. A crucial problem in the background is load balancing, which affects multiple issues including cost, flexibility and availability. In this work, we propose a virtualization framework that consider these two problems simultaneously. Our framework takes advantage of the flourishing application of distributed virtual switch (DVS), and leverages the blooming adoption of OpenFlow protocols. First, the framework accommodates heterogeneous network communication patterns by supporting arbitrary traffic matrices among virtual machines (VMs) in virtual private clouds (VPCs). The only constraint on the network flows is that the bandwidth of a server’s network interface. Second, our framework achieves load balancing using an elaborately designed link establishment algorithm. The algorithm takes the configurations of the bare-metal data center and the dynamic network environment as inputs, and adaptively applies a globally bounded oversubscription on every link. Our framework concentrates on the fat-tree architecture, which is widely used in today’s data centers.
Lack of transgene and glyphosate effects on yield, and mineral and amino acid content of glyphosate-resistant soybean.

BACKGROUND There has been controversy as to whether the glyphosate resistance gene and/or glyphosate applied to glyphosate-resistant (GR) soybean affect the content of cationic minerals (especially Mg, Mn, and Fe), yield and amino acid content of GR soybean. A two-year field study (2013 and 2014) examined these questions at sites in Mississippi, USA. RESULTS There were no effects of glyphosate, the GR transgene, or field crop history (for a field with both no history of glyphosate use versus one with a long history of glyphosate use) on grain yield. Furthermore, these factors had no consistent effects on measured mineral (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Tl, U, V, Zn) content of leaves or harvested seed. Effects on minerals were small and inconsistent between years, treatments, and mineral and appeared to be random false positives. No notable effects on free or protein amino acids of the seed were measured, although glyphosate and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were found in the seed in concentrations consistent with previous studies. CONCLUSIONS Neither glyphosate nor the GR transgene affect the content of the minerals measured in leaves and seed, harvested seed amino acid composition, or yield of GR soybean. Furthermore, soils with a legacy of GR crops have no effects on these parameters in soybean.
Update on Neurocritical Care of Stroke

This review will highlight the recent advancements in acute ischemic stroke diagnosis and treatment, with special attention to new features and recommendations of stroke care in the neurocritical care unit. New studies suggest that pre-hospital treatment of stroke with mobile stroke units and telestroke technology may lead to earlier stroke therapy with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and recent studies show tPA can be given in previously contraindicated situations. More rapid automated CT perfusion and angiography may demonstrate a vascular penumbra for neuroendovascular intervention. Further, the greatest advance in acute stroke treatment since 2014 is the demonstration that neuroendovascular catheter-based thrombectomy with stent retrievers recanalizing intracranial large vessel occlusion (LVO) improves both recanalization and long-term outcomes in several trials. Hemorrhagic transformation and severe large infarct cerebral edema remain serious post-stroke challenges, with new guidelines describing who and when patients should get medical or surgical intervention. The adage “time is brain” directs the most evidence-based approach for rapid stroke diagnosis for tPA eligible and LVO recanalization using an orchestrated team approach. The neurocritical care unit is the appropriate location to optimize stroke outcomes for the most severely affected stroke patients.
Maternal Prepregnancy Weight and Children's Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes.

Introduction This study investigated associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI and child behaviors at ages 9–11 years and examine interaction by race and gender. Methods The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the Children and Young Adults surveys are U.S.-based, ongoing longitudinal studies, initiated in 1979 and 1986, respectively. Mothers ( n =2,952) reported pregnancy and child ( n =5,660) developmental information at multiple time points. Child total, internalizing, and externalizing problems at ages 9–11 years were assessed using the Behavior Problems Index (BPI), collected biennially until 2012. Associations between prepregnancy BMI and child BPI outcomes were examined, as well as two- and three-way interactions by race and gender. Analyses were conducted in 2017. Results Boys whose mothers had higher prepregnancy weights exhibited higher total BPI and externalizing scores at ages 9–11 years versus those with normal-weight mothers. Boys with severely obese mothers had higher total BPI (mean difference=7.99, 95% CI=3.53, 12.46) and externalizing (mean difference=5.77, 95% CI=1.50, 10.04) scores. Prepregnancy underweight was associated with boys’ higher total BPI (mean difference=2.34, 95% CI=0.02, 4.66) and externalizing (mean difference=3.30, 95% CI=0.69, 5.91); these associations were not significant in sensitivity analyses. No associations emerged for girls or internalizing problems. Two-way interactions by race and three-way interactions by race and gender were not significant. Conclusions Maternal prepregnancy weight was associated with BPI level among boys. Boys with severely obese mothers exhibited markedly higher behavioral problems at ages 9–11 years versus those with normal-weight mothers, regardless of race. Maintaining healthy prepregnancy weight may be important for preventing boys’ deleterious behavior outcomes in middle childhood.
The Design and Experimental Characterization of High Flux Solar Simulators using Metal Halide Arc Lamps

Here we describe a method for designing a high flux solar simulator that produces an accurate prediction of irradiance at the target plane, while requiring only manufacturer-supplied data as input to the design calculations.
Chapter 5 – Characterization of Mixed-Phase Clouds: Contributions From the Field Campaigns and Ground Based Networks

Abstract Clouds and their associated microphysical processes regulate the atmospheric radiative transfer and the hydrological cycle. Mixed-phase clouds are an important component of the Earth cloud system, and their radiative effects are dependent on water phase partitioning. These clouds present particular challenges for observations and modeling, and their accurate representation in numerical models is essential for weather and climate simulations. The physical properties of mixed-phase clouds are derived mainly from aircraft observations, ground-based monitoring networks such as Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program and Cloudnet, and from satellites equipped with remote sensing instruments. This chapter presents a perspective on the main field experiments and ground-based networks during the last decades that resulted in improved characterization of mixed-phase clouds.
Reasoning about time from space: Visual continuity may disrupt reasoning about the passage of time within accreted materials

ABSTRACTThe ability to accurately reason using three-dimensional visualizations is vital to success in STEM disciplines, particularly the geosciences. One impediment to learning from visualizations is spatially-based misconceptions. Such errors can arise from a range of sources (e.g., prior beliefs, inaccurate application of analogy, and visual illusions). Of these sources, the potential for perceptual illusions to cause difficulty when reasoning with visualizations has been relatively unexplored. The experiments reported here consider misconceptions evident in a common type of geoscience diagram, 3D block diagrams of depositional environments (facies diagrams). Our results demonstrate a pattern of errors in temporal reasoning that we interpret to have a perceptual origin. Two experiments explored novice conceptions about the relative age of different locations in the rocks depicted in a facies diagram. Novices had difficulty reasoning about the temporal evolution of these regions. Errors appeared to be s...
Negation as failure: Careful closure procedure

Abstract The aim of this paper is a modification of Minker's Generalized Closed World Assumption that would allow application of the “negation as failure rule” with respect to a set P of (not necessarily all) predicates of a database DB . A careful closure procedure is introduced which, when applied to a database DB , produces a new database DB∗ , that is used to answer queries about predicates from DB . It is shown that DB∗ is consistent iff DB is consistent. If P is the set of all predicates from DB and DB does not contain functional symbols, then DB∗ coincides with Minker's GCWA. The soundness and completeness of the careful closure procedure with respect to a minimal model style semantic is shown. As an inference engine associated with DB∗ we propose a query evaluation procedure QEP∗ which is a combination of a method of splitting an indefinite database DB into a disjunction of Horn databases and Clark's query evaluation procedure QEP . Soundness of QEP∗ with respect to DB∗ is shown for a broad class of databases.
Environmental Contamination in Households of Patients with Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (R-CDI) is common and difficult to treat, potentially necessitating fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Although C. difficilespores persist in the hospital environment and cause infection, little is known about their potential presence or importance in the household environment. Households of R-CDI subjects in the peri-FMT period and of geographically matched and age-matched controls were analyzed for the presence ofC. difficile Household environmental surfaces and fecal samples from humans and pets in the household were examined. Households of post-FMT subjects were also examined (environmental surfaces only). Participants were surveyed regarding their personal history and household cleaning habits. Species identity and molecular characteristics of presumptive C. difficile isolates from environmental and fecal samples were determined by using the Pro kit (Remel, USA), Gram staining, PCR, toxinotyping, tcdC gene sequencing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Environmental cultures detected C. difficile on ≥1 surface in 8/8 (100%) peri-FMT households, versus 3/8 (38%) post-FMT households and 3/8 (38%) control households (P= 0.025). The most common C. difficile-positive sites were the vacuum (11/27; 41%), toilet (8/30; 27%), and bathroom sink (5/29; 17%).C. difficile was detected in 3/36 (8%) fecal samples (two R-CDI subjects and one household member). Nine (90%) of 10 households with multiple C. difficile-positive samples had a single genotype present each. In conclusion,C. difficile was found in the household environment of R-CDI patients, but whether it was found as a cause or consequence of R-CDI is unknown. If household contamination leads to R-CDI, effective decontamination may be protective.
SAUSAGES, TYPES OF | Fresh

The federal US regulations describe various types of fresh sausages and their production systems. Definitions of individual types of fresh pork sausages are also outlined. Raw materials (as well as limitations) and casings utilized in production of fresh sausages, as well as seasonings, including regional variations, are described. Hot boning system utilization in fresh sausage production is also discussed. Specific formulations as well as examples of processing procedures of the more popular types of fresh pork sausage are given in table format.
Testing Method Development and Validation for in Vitro Skin Irritation Testing (SIT) by Using Reconstructed Human Epidermis (RhE) Skin Equivalent - EPiTRI®

Current regulatory requirements focus on assessment of acute irritation potential of chemicals and cosmetics in order to support risk management. A trend has been changed from in vivo to in vitro testing due to 3R (replacement, reduction, refinement) requirements has resulted from a recent animal testing ban in Taiwan. RhE (Reconstructed human Epidermis) models use normal human keratinocytes to form a multi-layered epidermis including a stratum corneum at the top, which function as a barrier. Some commercialized RhEs passed validation of skin irritation test (SIT) examined by ECVAM, but none of them are originated from Chinese heredity. Therefore, ITRI started a RhE project some years ago based on our long-term developed cell culture experiences, such as isolation of cells from human donors, cell expansion technology, and our own GTP/GMP qualified facilities. So far, a well differentiated and with reproducible barrier function epidermis named EPiTRI® has been reconstructed. We developed a protocol for EPiTRI® SIT in accordance to OECD TG 439. The protocol displays a result of sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 70%, and accuracy of 85% in international validation study. Thus, the human epidermal skin equivalent EPiTRI® can be provided as an in vitro model for evaluation of skin irritation and a reliable method has been developed accordingly.
Satellite Drag Estimation Using Retrospective Cost Input Estimation

Orbit estimation is of increasing interest due to need to avoid close encounters between operational satellites and space debris. This paper uses input estimation to estimate the drag on a satellite, where the drag is modeled as an unknown input forcing. Retrospective cost input estimation is applied to simulated satellite data under three scenarios, namely, 1) indirect estimation of the drag acceleration in the inertial frame (that is, estimation of the total inertial acceleration), 2) direct estimation of the drag acceleration in the inertial frame (that is, estimation of only the inertial drag acceleration), and 3) estimation of the magnitude of the drag acceleration.
S-shaped long period fiber grating glucose concentration biosensor based on immobilized glucose oxidase

Abstract In this study, we fabricated an S-shaped long period fiber grating (S-shaped LPFG) using the lithography process and then used alkylation technology to immobilize glucose oxidase for glucose concentration measurements. The principles of the associated experiment suggest that this phenomenon is caused by the use of glucose oxidase and glucose-specific binding characteristics for testing. The combination of glucose oxidase with glucose alters the external refractive index of the optical fiber, changing the refractive index and thereby changing the transmission loss. The experimental results show that the transmission varied in a linear manner with differing glucose concentrations. The best sensitivity of the S-shaped LPFG glucose concentration sensor was 6.229 dB/wt% from 0 ∼ 1 wt%, and the linearity (R2) was 0.949. The results demonstrate that the proposed S-shaped LPFG has good potential for high-sensitivity glucose concentration sensor applications.
Linking yard plant diversity to homeowners’ landscaping priorities across the U.S

Abstract Residential yards contribute to human well-being and urban biodiversity. The structure, diversity, and composition of yard floras are largely determined by personal choices and landscaping priorities at local scales, but it is unclear whether these relationships hold across broader geographical areas. We investigated the relationship between homeowners’ criteria for vegetation and yard management choices, ecosystem-service based traits, and yard plant diversity (i.e., taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional) in 145 yards distributed across 6 major cities in the U.S. Individual priorities for a set of ecosystem services were collected with closed-ended questions and reduced into four main principal components using factor analyses: natural, neat, showy and low cost. Across cities, priorities for neat yards were negatively related to overall and spontaneous species richness. Priorities for showy yards were positively related to yard aesthetics (based on showiness of flowers, fruits and leaves for component plants) and spontaneous species richness. Homeowners that preferred low-cost yards had a significantly higher proportion of exotics, and yards with significantly lower functional diversity (i.e., a composite measure for plant height, seed mass, and specific leaf area). The proportion of natives was not related to homeowners’ priorities for natural yards and phylogenetic diversity was only weakly and negatively related to priorities for showy yards. Our study corroborates previous research showing that homeowners’ landscaping priorities are only partially related to their yard vegetation at the continental scale. The disconnection might be attributed to broader institutional, structural, and ecological constraints that prevent people’s personal ideals and priorities from being realized.
Sonographic Assessment of Intravascular Fluid Estimate (SAFE) Score by Using Bedside Ultrasound in the Intensive Care Unit.

Objective The objective of the study was to use an ultrasound-based numerical scoring system for assessment of intravascular fluid estimate (SAFE) and test its validity. Methods A prospective, observational study was carried out in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of an urban tertiary care teaching hospital. Patient's intravascular volume status was assessed using the standard methods of heart rate, blood pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output, lactate and saturation of venous oxygen, and others. This was compared with assessment using bedside ultrasound evaluation of the cardiac function, inferior vena cava, lungs, and the internal jugular vein. Applying a numerical scoring system was evaluated by Fisher's exact testing and multinomial logistic model to predict the volume status based on ultrasound scores and the classification accuracy. Results 61 patients in the ICU were evaluated. 21 (34.4% of total) patients diagnosed with hypovolemia, and their ultrasound volume score was -4 in 14 (66.7%) patients, -3 in 5 (23.8%) patients, and 0 in 2 (9.5%) patients (p < 0.001). 18 (29.5% of total) patients diagnosed with euvolemia, and their ultrasound volume score was 0 in 11 (61.1%) patients, +1 in 4 (22.2%) patients, and -1 in 1 (5.6%) patient (p < 0.001). 18 (29.5% of total) patients diagnosed with euvolemia, and their ultrasound volume score was 0 in 11 (61.1%) patients, +1 in 4 (22.2%) patients, and -1 in 1 (5.6%) patient (p < 0.001). 18 (29.5% of total) patients diagnosed with euvolemia, and their ultrasound volume score was 0 in 11 (61.1%) patients, +1 in 4 (22.2%) patients, and -1 in 1 (5.6%) patient (p < 0.001). 18 (29.5% of total) patients diagnosed with euvolemia, and their ultrasound volume score was 0 in 11 (61.1%) patients, +1 in 4 (22.2%) patients, and -1 in 1 (5.6%) patient (. Conclusion Using the SAFE scoring system to identify the IVV status in critically ill patients significantly correlates with the standard measures. A SAFE score of -4 to -2 more likely represents hypovolemia, -1 to +1 more likely represents euvolemia, and +2 to +4 more likely to be hypervolemia.
Coupling magnetic and plasmonic anisotropy in hybrid nanorods for mechanochromic responses

Mechanochromic response is of great importance in designing bionic robot systems and colorimetric devices. Unfortunately, compared to mimicking motions of natural creatures, fabricating mechanochromic systems with programmable colorimetric responses remains challenging. Herein, we report the development of unconventional mechanochromic films based on hybrid nanorods integrated with magnetic and plasmonic anisotropy. Magnetic-plasmonic hybrid nanorods have been synthesized through a unique space-confined seed-mediated process, which represents an open platform for preparing next-generation complex nanostructures. By coupling magnetic and plasmonic anisotropy, the plasmonic excitation of the hybrid nanorods could be collectively regulated using magnetic fields. It facilitates convenient incorporation of the hybrid nanorods into polymer films with a well-controlled orientation and enables sensitive colorimetric changes in response to linear and angular motions. The combination of unique synthesis and convenient magnetic alignment provides an advanced approach for designing programmable mechanochromic devices with the desired precision, flexibility, and scalability.
The COVID-19 Pandemic, Donald Trump, and the Future of American Politics

The United States of America was disproportionally severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current crisis exposed significant flaws in the national health care system and provoked a serious socio-economic crisis. The health care scare overlaps with the ongoing presidential electoral campaign and the extreme political polarization of the country, leading to the politicization of discussions regarding the ways and means of resolving the health care crisis and complicating the process of decision making. The pandemic is also enhancing the autarchic tendencies in the US foreign policy and it’s the increasingly anti-Chinese orientation that became visible during Donald Trump’s White House tenure. Even under these circumstances, the American elites were able to negotiate several stabilization measures designed to deal with the medical and socio-economic aspects of the current crisis. Their willingness and ability to continue such collaboration in the future will have a direct bearing on the US socio-economic and political stability.
Stable and efficient Sb2Se3 solar cells with solution-processed NiOx hole-transport layer

Abstract Sb2Se3 is a promising absorber material for thin-film solar cells owing to its earth-abundant and non-toxic constituents, superior optoelectronic properties, and unique one-dimensional crystal structure. To further increase the power conversion efficiency of the Sb2Se3, we fabricated an n-i-p structure by integrating a solution-processed NiOx hole-transport layer (HTL) into Sb2Se3 solar cells to enhance the carrier collection. In this study, we systematically screen the thickness of NiOx HTL and demonstrate an improved average power conversion efficiency from 6.12% to 7.15% with a 50 nm NiOx HTL. The mechanism associated with the improved device performance was characterized through the microstructure of the material, device physics, and interface electronic behaviors. It is also shown that the low-cost and scalable solution-processed NiOx HTL can improve device stability under an accelerated stress test. Thus, this work paves a way to further improve the performance of antimony chalcogenides-based solar cells via tailoring the inorganic HTL.
Postoperative Rehabilitation of the Elderly

Advances in medical care have led to an increasing elderly population. Elderly individuals should be able to participate in society as long as possible. However, with increasing age, their adaptive capacity gradually decreases, especially after major life events such as hospitalization and surgery, making them vulnerable to reduce functioning and societal participation. Appropriate rehabilitation strategies, particularly following emergency surgery in the elderly population, improve functional status and reduces the complication and mortality rates. Physical training is often part of a multi parallel or interdisciplinary (integrated) rehabilitation approach known under the names as fast track or enhanced recovery after surgery. These programs also include dietary guidance in adequate analgesia to unable physical activity. The merits of this program have been proven to demonstrate a decrease in length of hospital stay and postoperative complications.
The future of nuclear energy in India: Evidence from a nationwide survey

Abstract Extant research has demonstrated that public support (or lack thereof) is a primary driver for the expansion (or decline) of the use of nuclear reactors as a significant source of energy. This study uses a national survey to explore the dynamics of public support for nuclear energy in India, which remains understudied. In doing so, the study also builds on existing research by analyzing key factors that have been shown to have an influence on public opinion about nuclear energy in other contexts such as the US, UK, South Korea, and China. Survey results indicate that there is substantial support for nuclear energy amongst the Indian public and that public perceptions about the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the potential risks. Results also show that concerns about energy security and climate change correlate with support for nuclear energy, suggesting that members of the Indian public are willing to accept possible risks of nuclear energy to realize the benefits of energy security and, to a lesser extent, climate change mitigation.
Growing a Baby Bump

"I don't want my clothes to declare that I'm a mom; just that I'm a woman." There can be conflicting desires between dress and identity during pregnancy. The combination of physical, psychological, and emotional changes at this time can be one of the most symbolic transformations a woman could ever experience. Expecting mothers are often identified by the visual cues of their expanding bodies, yet in western culture the ideal female body is presumed to occupy minimal space. This contradiction can place women in a challenging transition as they shift their pregnant self-image. The purpose of this design installation is to reveal some of these pressures through the female experience, while also aiming to honor this important change. We sought to answer the question: how could design be used to better understand and illustrate a community of expecting mothers' experiences with their changing appearance?
Perioperative Evaluation of the Endocrine Patient

SUMMARY Endocrine patients require careful preoperative consideration and evaluation. This must be based on a knowledge of normal endocrine function, an understanding of the alterations caused by the disease process, and the possible complications of the endocrine disorder. A thorough preoperative evaluation allows appropriate perioperative management.
Prognostic significance of Ki-67 immunostaining and symptoms in resected stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract The proliferative rate of a tumor has been considered predictive of its clinical course. We evaluated the expression of the proliferative marker Ki-67 and its relationship to survival, disease-free survival and other clinicopathologic variables in both stage I and stage II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 260 patients with surgically resected stage I ( n =193), and II ( n =67) NSCLC with at least 5 years follow-up were identified. The median survival for patients with low expression of Ki-67 (≤25%) was 54 months, while for those with high expression (>25%), it was 45 months ( P =0.1). The disease-free survival in patients with low expression of Ki-67 was 59 months while it was only 32 months for patients with high Ki-67 ( P =0.1). Out of 136 patients, 84 (62%) had both increased S-phase (>8%) and high Ki-67 ( P =0.001). A total of 28 of 30 patients who had loss of antigen A had high expression of Ki-67 (93.3%) ( P =0.03). Ki-67 expression was also higher in squamous cell (54/63, 85.7%) compared to non-squamous cell cancer (70/108, 64%) ( P =0.03). We also analyzed for the presence of symptoms with survival. The presence of symptoms was not found to be statistically significant, for overall survival ( P =0.33) or disease-free survival ( P =0.72). When individual symptoms were analyzed, the presence of cough was statistically significant for both overall and disease-free survival. The median survival was 39 months for patients with cough, and 57 months for patients without cough ( P =0.04). Multivariate analysis showed higher N and T stages, presence of cough and loss of antigen A, predicted for poorer overall survival. Higher N and T stages, loss of antigen A, presence of mucin and cough and increased expression of Ki-67 predicted decreased disease-free survival. Although we did not find a statistically significant difference between low and high Ki-67, there was a trend for a poorer overall and disease-free survival in patients with high Ki-67 expression. Larger studies may be needed to prove a statistically significant effect of Ki-67 on survival. Future studies should assess the potential prognostic significance of the presence of symptoms (particularly cough) in addition to clinical-pathologic variables (such as T and N stage) and biological markers in patients with early stage NSCLC.
Inverse radiative transfer problems : a review

Recent solutions to inverse problems are reviewed for the estimation of optical properties or the thickness of a medium, or the presence of a spatially distributed source or an obscured object. Tim...
Doping-dependent superconducting gap anisotropy in the two-dimensional pnictide Ca10(Pt3As8)[(Fe1-xPtx)2As2]5

The characteristic features of the Ca${}_{10}$(Pt${}_{3}$As${}_{8}$)[(Fe${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Pt${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$]${}_{5}$ (the ``10-3-8'' phase) superconductor are triclinic symmetry, high anisotropy, and a clear separation of superconducting and antiferromagnetic regions in the $T$ versus doping ($x$) phase diagram, which enables the superconducting gap to be studied without complications due to the coexisting magnetic order. The London penetration depth, measured on the underdoped side of the superconducting ``dome'' ($x=$ 0.028, 0.041, 0.042, and 0.097), shows behavior remarkably similar to other Fe-based superconductors, exhibiting a robust power law, $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\lambda}(T)=A{T}^{n}$. The exponent $n$ decreases from 2.36 ($x=$ 0.097, close to the optimal doping) to 1.7 ($x=$ 0.028, a heavily underdoped composition), suggesting that the superconducting gap becomes more anisotropic at the dome edge. A similar trend is found in the lower anisotropy BaFe${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$ (``122'') -based superconductors, implying that it is an intrinsic property, unrelated to the coexistence of magnetic order and superconductivity or the anisotropy of the normal state.
Multilocus phylogeography and population structure of common eiders breeding in North America and Scandinavia

Aim Glacial refugia during the Pleistocene had major impacts on the levels and spatial apportionment of genetic diversity of species in northern latitude ecosystems. We characterized patterns of population subdivision, and tested hypotheses associated with locations of potential Pleistocene refugia and the relative contribution of these refugia to the post-glacial colonization of North America and Scandinavia by common eiders (Somateria mollissima). Specifically, we evaluated localities hypothesized as ice-free areas or glacial refugia for other Arctic vertebrates, including Beringia, the High Arctic Canadian Archipelago, Newfoundland Bank, Spitsbergen Bank and north-west Norway. Location Alaska, Canada, Norway and Sweden. Methods Molecular data from 12 microsatellite loci, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, and two nuclear introns were collected and analysed for 15 populations of common eiders (n = 716) breeding throughout North America and Scandinavia. Population genetic structure, historical population fluctuations and gene flow were inferred using F-statistics, analyses of molecular variance, and multilocus coalescent analyses. Results Significant inter-population variation in allelic and haplotypic frequencies were observed (nuclear DNA FST = 0.004‐0.290; mtDNA FST = 0.051‐0.927). Whereas spatial differentiation in nuclear genes was concordant with subspecific designations, geographic proximity was more predictive of inter-population variance in mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequency. Inferences of historical population demography were consistent with restriction of common eiders to four geographic areas during the Last Glacial Maximum: Belcher Islands, Newfoundland Bank, northern Alaska and Svalbard. Three of these areas coincide with previously identified glacial refugia: Newfoundland Bank, Beringia and Spitsbergen Bank. Gene-flow and clustering analyses indicated that the Beringian refugium contributed little to common eider post-glacial colonization of North America, whereas Canadian, Scandinavian and southern Alaskan post-glacial colonization is likely to have occurred in a stepwise fashion from the same glacial refugium. Main conclusions Concordance of proposed glacial refugia used by common eiders and other Arctic species indicates that Arctic and subarctic refugia were important reservoirs of genetic diversity during the Pleistocene. Furthermore, suture zones identified at MacKenzie River, western Alaska/Aleutians and Scandinavia coincide with those identified for other Arctic vertebrates, suggesting that these regions were strong geographic barriers limiting dispersal from Pleistocene refugia.
Abstract 1516: Automated circulating DNA purification from large volumes of plasma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The circulating DNA found in human plasma is enriched for genomic DNA from minority tissues such as tumors, fetuses, and transplanted tissue. This sub fraction of blood has become an area of interest for development and disease as the nucleic acid recovered may represent a source of biomarkers for study. One milliliter of plasma typically yields between 1 ng and 50 ng of DNA. The current commercial DNA purification methods limit researchers' ability to scale their samples in both volume and number. Automated solutions are not available to process large numbers of samples with volumes greater than 1 ml, and manual methods can process up to 5 ml of plasma. Here we present a fully automated solution to extract DNA from 1-64 samples up to 8 ml in volume. The system provides an intuitive user interface to select run options and enter barcodes for reagents and samples. Any combination of sample volumes may be processed together in a single run. Samples are eluted in 50 µl of nuclease-free water in either plates or tubes. We have found that the performance of our system meets or exceeds common commercial alternatives over their common sample input volume. Citation Format: Sydnor T. Withers, Mary Dressler, Cristopher A. Cowan. Automated circulating DNA purification from large volumes of plasma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1516. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1516