cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local and Systemic Consequences of Large Retroperitoneal Clot Burdens

There is a paucity of data regarding the impact of retroperitoneal hematoma (RPH) volumes, as detected by computed tomography (CT) scanning, on patient morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we wanted to determine the natural history of RPHs and the effect of size on local and systemic outcomes. We performed a volumetric analysis of CT-documented RPHs managed at our institution between 1985 and 2006 along with a retrospective chart review. We included 81 cases of RPH in this study. The mean Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 12.8 ± 0.72 (score ± SE). By univariate analysis, the size of the hematoma showed a significant correlation with the development of local mass effects, delayed mass effects, 6-month mortality, major morbidity, pulmonary complications, fluid overload, and the requirement for operative evacuation (p 80% sensitive and specific for predicting a delayed mass effect or an increase in 6-month mortality. Multivariate analysis controlling for factors such as APACHE II and packed red blood cells transfused showed that the volume of the RPH was an independent predictor for the development of local mass effects, pulmonary insufficiency, and fluid overload. Large RPHs are clearly associated with worse patient outcomes. Surgical intervention may be warranted for the treatment of RPHs ≥1600 cm3.
Alcohol Use Among Black and White Adolescents Exploring the Influence of Interracial Friendship, the Racial Composition of Peer Groups, and Communities

Black adolescents use less alcohol, on average, than white adolescents. Prior research has struggled to explain the disparity in alcohol use between blacks and whites but not for a lack of potentia...
Is it necessary to drain all postoperative fluid collections after appendectomy for perforated appendicitis

Abstract Purpose Children treated for perforated appendicitis can have significant morbidity. Management often includes looking for and draining postoperative fluid collections. We sought to determine if drainage hastens recovery. Methods Children with perforated appendicitis treated with appendectomy from 2006 to 2009 were reviewed. Patients with postoperative fluid that was drained were compared with patients with undrained fluid with regard to preoperative features and postoperative outcomes. Statistical analyses included paired Student's t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, and linear regression. Results Five hundred ninety-one patients were reviewed. Seventy-one patients had postoperative fluid, of whom 36 had a drainage procedure and 35 did not. There was no significant difference in white blood cell count at the time of assessment for drainage (16.4 ± 4.0 vs 14.6 ± 4.9, P = .14), days with fever (3.5 ± 3.0 vs 2.9 ± 2.5, P = .35), or readmission rate (19% vs 31%, P = .28). After multivariate linear regression, larger fluid volumes were associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS) ( P = .03). For fluid collections between 30-100 mL, there was no significant difference in LOS between the drain and no-drain groups (9.8 ± 3.5 vs 10.9 ± 5.2 days, P = .51). Conclusion After appendectomy for perforated appendicitis, larger postoperative fluid collections are associated with prolonged LOS. Drainage of collections less than 100 mL may not hasten recovery.
Object replacement using dynamic proxy updates

In a distributed environment, a client program bound to a server fails when the server changes (possibly due to the server being relocated, replicated or reconfigured). In this paper, we describe the design of an object-replacement scheme in a client-server environment. Our design addresses the problem of replacing a server and transparently updating the client handle so that no service interruption is experienced by the client. The programming environment, on which this work is based, provides shared objects, threads, and invocations as the building block for distributed applications. Our design takes into account the potential concurrency within clients and servers. Our task was relatively simplified by building the replacement mechanisms on top of an asynchronous event notification facility that handles events on a per-application basis, as opposed to per-task or per-thread basis. >
Molecular weight distribution of chitosan isolated from Mucor rouxii under different culture and processing conditions

The isolation of chitosan from a fungal source offers the potential of a product with controlled physicochemical properties not obtainable by the commercial chemical conversion of crustacean chitin. A variety of culture and processing protocols using Mucor rouxii were studied for their effects on biomass yield and chitosan molecular weight. Weight-averaged molecular weight determined by gel permeation chromotography ranged from 2.0 x 10(5) to approximately 1.4 x 10(6) daltons. The chitosan yield ranged from 5% to 10% of total biomass dry weight and from 30% to 40% of the cell wall. Of the culture parameters studied, length of incubation and medium composition effected biomass production and molecular weight. Modification of the processing protocol, including the type and strength of acid, and cell wall disruption in acid prior to refluxing were used to optimize the efficiency of chitosan extraction.The degree of deacetylation of fungal and commercial chitosans was compared using infrared spectrometry, titration, and first derivative of UV absorbance spectrometry. The chitosan obtained directly from the fungal cell wall had a higher degree of deacetylation than commercial chitosan from the chemical conversion process.
Detection and Localization of HTML Presentation Failures Using Computer Vision-Based Techniques

An attractive and visually appealing appearance is important for the success of a website. Presentation failures in a site''s web pages can negatively impact end users'' perception of the quality of the site and the services it delivers. Debugging such failures is challenging because testers must visually inspect large web pages and analyze complex interactions among the HTML elements of a page. In this paper we propose a novel automated approach for debugging web page user interfaces. Our approach uses computer vision techniques to detect failures and can then identify HTML elements that are likely to be responsible for the failure. We evaluated our approach on a set of real-world web applications and found that the approach was able to accurately and quickly identify faulty HTML elements.
Developing winning proposal strategies

Several strategies that comprise an overall blueprint for a winning proposal strategy are described. They are the will-to-win strategy, the customer development strategy, assessing the competition, the pricing strategy, tactics and themes, the proposal presentation strategy, and the review strategy. It is shown that the methods presented offer a deliberate and thoughtful scheme for planning a proposal development effort so that customer-critical issues are identified and addressed using an overall strategy translated into detailed sub-strategies. >
Climate Change and Breakthrough Technologies: The Role of Markets

I analyze whether self-enforcing international technological agreements to develop and adopt a breakthrough technology can greatly improve aggregate welfare if an international market for the technology is created. I assume that the technology is a private international good and countries can form two international consortiums: (1) a producing consortium that chooses whether to develop, adopt and sell the technology and (2) a consuming consortium that chooses whether to buy and adopt the technology. The ownership of the technology allows the creation of a market system that can solve the free-rider problem. I show that if the producing consortium has the bargaining power, the technology can always be developed and fully adopted and all gains from cooperation can be realized. If the bargaining power is shared between the consortiums, the aggregate welfare greatly improves and the technology can almost be fully adopted when the gains are sufficiently large.
Paul’s Freedom and Moses’ Veil: Moral Freedom and the Mosaic Law in 2 Corinthians 3.1–4.6 in Light of Philo

Whereas 2 Cor. 3.1–4.6 is traditionally understood as a polemic against Judaeans and the Mosaic law, a close examination of its rhetoric of moral freedom in light of nearly contemporaneous philosophers, and Philo of Alexandria in particular, necessitates a different conclusion. As part of his self-depiction as a sophos, Paul critiques Moses’ mediation of the law by invoking Stoic philosophical traditions which relativize slavery and freedom and assert that written codes of law are insufﬁcient for freedom in order to claim that Moses limited divine revelation. In this way, Paul casts Moses’ mediation as a foil for his mediation of the gospel, which allegedly does not limit revelation but affords freedom apart from the written law. Paul never castigates the law or Judaeans; instead, he critiques Mosaic mediation in order to bolster his own authority as a mediator of divine revelation.
Novel Biomolecular NanoPhotonic Devices, Sensors, Photonic Nanocrystals and Biochips: Advances in Medical Diagnostics, Environmental and Defense

This experimental study explores the potential of insulin molecules and other proteins, enzymes and dipolar ions, alone, or in conjunction with colloidal gold nanoparticles and other nanoparticles to modulate and enhance the detection process of optical signals by providing unique signal characteristics, such as optical gain, light shaping, and optical control capabilities. The experimental results of this study indicate that insulin molecules can be used to enhance and amplify incoming light photon signals. Further signal amplification and enhancement has been observed by doping insulin molecules with colloidal gold nanoparticles. These observations have significant implications on the development of novel biomolecular photonic materials, optical devices, sensors, nanodevices, therapeutical and imaging systems.
Effectiveness of administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone at Days 11, 14 or 15 after anticipated ovulation for increasing fertility of lactating dairy cows and non-lactating heifers.

One strategy for improving fertility in cattle is mid-cycle administration of GnRH to increase progesterone secretion and delay luteolysis. This strategy might be especially useful during hot weather because heat stress increases uterine prostaglandin release and reduces development of the elongating embryo. A series of experiments was conducted to test the efficacy of GnRH for increasing fertility. There was no effect of administration of 100 mg GnRH at Day 11 after anticipated ovulation on pregnancy rates in virgin heifers subjected to timed artificial insemination (TAI) during the summer. Similarly, there was no beneficial effect of administration of GnRH at Day 11 after anticipated ovulation on pregnancy rates of lactating cows subjected to TAI in summer and winter. Three experiments tested effects of injection of GnRH at Days 14 or 15 after anticipated ovulation on pregnancy rates of lactating cows. The first experiment used 477 lactating cows subjected to TAI. Cows receiving GnRH at Day 14 had higher pregnancy rates in both summer and winter than cows receiving vehicle (20.3 versus 12.7%, P < 0.02). When this experiment was repeated during summer with 137 cows, there was a negative effect of GnRH treatment at Day 14 on pregnancy rate. In the third experiment, lactating cows during summer were inseminated at detected estrus and cows were assigned to treatment with either GnRH or vehicle at Days 14 or 15 after insemination. Pregnancy rates were 25.6% (32/125) for cows receiving vehicle, 20.7% (19/ 92) for cows receiving GnRH at Day 14, and 20.3% (16/79) for cows receiving GnRH at Day 15. In conclusion, GnRH administration at Days 11‐15 after anticipated ovulation or estrus did not consistently increase pregnancy rates in either cool or warm seasons.
Affinity measured by microcluster

Like T cell activation, B cell activation is driven by aggregation of B cell receptors (BCRs) into microclusters. New work suggests that the early dynamics of BCR mobility and microcluster formation “translate” BCR affinity for antigen into B cell responsiveness.
Incidence of Salmonella on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Affected by Fungal Rots or Physical Injury.

ABSTRACT Enriched wash from healthy and decayed portions of 341 fruits and vegetables collected in the marketplace and affected by fungal rots were tested for suspected Salmonella appearing as black, hydrogen sulfide-positive colonies on Salmonella-Shigella agar incubated at 37°C. Suspected Salmonella occurred in 20.2% of healthy and in 26.4% of decayed portions, two-thirds of which were caused by Alternaria and Botrytis. In a similar analysis of 121 samples with mechanical injuries, in which two-thirds were gouges, cuts, and bruises, there were no significant differences in Salmonella incidence between injured and uninjured portions. Of 332 suspected Salmonella randomly isolated from healthy and decayed or injured portions, 17 (5.1%) were confirmed as Salmonella by physiological and serological testing. When tomato, potato, and onion tissues were inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium, populations of that bacterium increased by one to two logs over a 48-h incubation at room temperature. Coinoculation of ...
Reversal of clavulanate resistance conferred by a Ser-244 mutant of TEM-1 beta-lactamase as a result of a second mutation (Arg to Ser at position 164) that enhances activity against ceftazidime.

Abstract The mutation of Arg-244 to Ser (Arg-244-->Ser mutation) in the TEM-1 beta-lactamase has been shown to produce resistance to inactivation by clavulanate in the mutant enzyme and resistance to ampicillin plus clavulanate in a strain of Escherichia coli producing this enzyme. The Arg-164-->Ser mutation in the TEM-1 beta-lactamase (TEM-12 enzyme) is known to enhance the activity of the enzyme against ceftazidime, resulting in resistance to the drug in a strain producing the mutant enzyme (D. A. Weber, C. C. Sanders, J. S. Bakken, and J. P. Quinn, J. Infect. Dis. 162:460-465, 1990). The doubly mutated derivative of the TEM-1 enzyme (Ser-164/Ser-244) retains the characteristics of the Ser-164 mutant enzyme, i.e., enhanced activity against ceftazidime and sensitivity to inactivation by clavulanate. It also confers the same phenotype as the Ser-164 mutant enzyme, i.e., resistance to ceftazidime and ampicillin, with reversal of this resistance in the presence of clavulanate. Thus, the Arg-164-->Ser mutation in the TEM-1 beta-lactamase suppresses the effect of the Arg-244-->Ser mutation which, by itself, reduces the sensitivity of the enzyme to inactivation by clavulanate.
The Amino Acid Linker between the Endonuclease and Helicase Domains of Adeno-Associated Virus Type 5 Rep Plays a Critical Role in DNA-Dependent Oligomerization

The adeno-associated virus (AAV) genome encodes four Rep proteins, all of which contain an SF3 helicase domain. The larger Rep proteins, Rep78 and Rep68, are required for viral replication, whereas Rep40 and Rep52 are needed to package AAV genomes into preformed capsids; these smaller proteins are missing the site-specific DNA-binding and endonuclease domain found in Rep68/78. Other viral SF3 helicases, such as the simian virus 40 large T antigen and the papillomavirus E1 protein, are active as hexameric assemblies. However, Rep40 and Rep52 have not been observed to form stable oligomers on their own or with DNA, suggesting that important determinants of helicase multimerization lie outside the helicase domain. Here, we report that when the 23-residue linker that connects the endonuclease and helicase domains is appended to the adeno-associated virus type 5 (AAV5) helicase domain, the resulting protein forms discrete complexes on DNA consistent with single or double hexamers. The formation of these complexes does not require the Rep binding site sequence, nor is it nucleotide dependent. These complexes have stimulated ATPase and helicase activities relative to the helicase domain alone, indicating that they are catalytically relevant, a result supported by negative-stain electron microscopy images of hexameric rings. Similarly, the addition of the linker region to the AAV5 Rep endonuclease domain also confers on it the ability to bind and multimerize on nonspecific double-stranded DNA. We conclude that the linker is likely a key contributor to Rep68/78 DNA-dependent oligomerization and may play an important role in mediating Rep68/78's conversion from site-specific DNA binding to nonspecific DNA unwinding.
High total dose performance of various commercial off the shelf operational amplifiers during irradiation

The performance of various operational amplifiers during irradiation with respect to total dose are presented. These operational amplifiers may be suitable for the extreme radiation environments encountered when orbiting Europa and Io, moons of Jupiter.
Essential books in the field of instructional design and technology

This article describes the results of a study to determine the books that instructional design and technology professionals believed were most important to the field. Participants in this study were 77 professionals from different areas of the field, including education, business, and government. The purpose of the study was to create a snapshot of the books that form the theoretical and practical foundation of the field of instructional design and technology at this time in the field's history. A survey was conducted asking participants to rank the importance of books on a four-point scale from "profoundly important" to "unimportant". The data were then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that the importance of a book varies widely, based on factors such as a person's area of interest in the field, degree level, and age. Overall, however, the study found that 10 books were viewed as being among the most important by most respondent groups. This core group of books should be included in every instructional designer's or technologist's personal library.
Low-cost, high-speed identification of counterfeit antimalarial drugs on paper.

Abstract With the emergence of artesunate antimalarial counterfeiting in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, we present the production of a rapid, inexpensive and simple colorimetric-based testing kit for the detection of counterfeit artesunate in order to preserve life and prevent the development of multi-drug resistant malaria. The kit works based on paper microfluidics which offer several advantages over conventional microfluidics, and has great potential to generate inexpensive, easy-to-use, rapid and disposable diagnostic devices. Here, we have developed a colorimetric assay that is specific to artesunate and turns yellow upon addition of the sample. The test can be done within minutes, and allows for a semi-quantitative analysis of the artesunate tablets by comparing the developed yellow color on the paper test to a color-coded key chart that comes with the kit. A more accurate and precise analysis is done by utilizing a color analyzer on an iPhone camera that measures the color intensity of the developed color on the paper chip. A digital image of the chip was taken and analyzed by measuring the average gray intensity of the color developed on the paper circle. A plot of the artesunate concentration versus the average gray scale intensity was generated. Results show that the intensity of the yellow color developed on the paper test was consistent and proportional to the amount of artesunate present in the sample. With artesunate concentrations ranging from 0.0 to 20 mg/mL, a linear calibration plot was obtained with a detection limit of 0.98 mg/mL.
Dynamic slicing of multithreaded programs for race detection

Prior work has shown that computing dynamic slices of erroneous program values can greatly assist in locating the root cause of erroneous behavior by identifying faulty statements in sequential programs. These dynamic slices represent backward transitive closure over exercised read-after-write data dependences and control dependences. However, for a multithreaded program executing on a processor, data races represent an additional source of errors which are not captured by dynamic slices. We present an extended form of dynamic slice for multithreaded programs which can assist in locating faults, including those caused by data races. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach via case studies and also describe an efficient algorithm for computing dynamic slices.
INTRASPECIFIC KILLING AMONG MOUNTAIN LIONS (PUMA CONCOLOR)

Abstract Reports of intraspecific strife among mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been presented in the literature. However, there are no published accounts of an actual field observation of lion behavior during an incidence of intraspecific strife. Here we provide a report of such an incident, in which a female mountain lion was killed by a male mountain lion in rural El Dorado County, California, in 2002. Observations from a field investigation of the site and the results of the necropsy of the female also are presented. The investigation indicated that the female lion was healthy and was not pregnant, lactating, or in estrus. Mortal injury was a skull fracture resulting in brain damage and hemorrhage. We suspect the female might have been killed while defending a deer kill or as prey of the male lion.
FEEDBACK CONTROLLED VENTILATION.

Feedback control of mechanical ventilation provides continuous adjustment of ventilation in response to the patient’s metabolic rate. Arterial blood carbon dioxide concentration (PaCO2) can be held within a desired range despite wide changes in carbon dioxide production (VCO2). The input signal to the feedback controller must be wisely chosen to ensure system safety and reliability. End-tidal PCO2 is often used because of advanced sensor technology, rapid response time and because it is non-invasive. End-tidal PCO2 becomes an inaccurate control parameter in the presence of a large ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch, a rapid respiratory rate, certain pulmonary diseases or rapid changes in circulation.1 Our approach is to use end-tidal PCO2 for moment to moment control of ventilation but to modulate this control with whole body oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production. These slower changing variables related to body metabolism are used to ensure that ventilation is changed only when metabolism changes and is not changed as a result of sudden changes in circulation or V/Q mismatch. VO2 and VCO2 are also used to indicate the need for an arterial blood measurement of PCO2.
Wittgensteinian Fideism and Theology

An important critique of a “public” model of theological discourse has appeared in the work of a group of thinkers in the analytic tradition sometimes called “Wittgensteinian Fideists.” This paper explores the model of theology representative of the Wittgensteinian Fideists, particularly that found in the work of D. Z. Phillips and Paul Holmer. Three themes are examined: the relationship between theology and ordinary language, the role of faith in theology, and the justification of theological claims. Each theme is then summarized and critically assessed in an effort to show the limitations in the Wittgensteinian model of theology and some of the ways in which an understanding of theological method can be carried beyond the point where the Wittgensteinian Fideists leave it.
Development and comparison of projection and image space 3D nodule insertion techniques

This study aimed to develop and compare two methods of inserting computerized virtual lesions into CT datasets. 24 physical (synthetic) nodules of three sizes and four morphologies were inserted into an anthropomorphic chest phantom (LUNGMAN, KYOTO KAGAKU). The phantom was scanned (Somatom Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare) with and without nodules present, and images were reconstructed with filtered back projection and iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) at 0.6 mm slice thickness using a standard thoracic CT protocol at multiple dose settings. Virtual 3D CAD models based on the physical nodules were virtually inserted (accounting for the system MTF) into the nodule-free CT data using two techniques. These techniques include projection-based and image-based insertion. Nodule volumes were estimated using a commercial segmentation tool (iNtuition, TeraRecon, Inc.). Differences were tested using paired t-tests and R2 goodness of fit between the virtually and physically inserted nodules. Both insertion techniques resulted in nodule volumes very similar to the real nodules (<3% difference) and in most cases the differences were not statistically significant. Also, R2 values were all <0.97 for both insertion techniques. These data imply that these techniques can confidently be used as a means of inserting virtual nodules in CT datasets. These techniques can be instrumental in building hybrid CT datasets composed of patient images with virtually inserted nodules.
Eating melamine contaminated infant formula due to the urinary system disease epidemiology study

Objective To grasp by the melamine contamination of infant formula due to urinary tract diseases of epidemiological characteristics,in order to develop control strategies to provide a scientific basis.Methods According to the hospital to provide patients information english survey,by home and hospital investigate investigate the combination of methods,according to a unified questionnaire to conduct an investigation.The Results of 335 children have dairy feeding history,one of consumption"Santo"brand of 294 people,accounting for 87.76%;start from birth to eat 153 people,accounting for 45.67%; 0-12 months of age incidence of 146 people,accounting for 43.58%.Conclusion 3 years of age in children with urinary calculi are the history of formula feeding,milk start to eat the younger,the more susceptible to stone;to 0-12 month old age-based
Structural Comparison of M(CO)3(dppe)(η2-C60) (M = Mo, W), Mo(CO)3(dppe)(η2-C70), and W(CO)3(dppe)(η2-trans-C2H2(CO2Me)2)

The photolysis of M(CO)4(dppe) (M = Mo, W) and C60, C70, or dimethyl fumarate (dmf) in chlorobenzene provides M(CO)3(dppe)(η2-C60) (M = Mo, 1; M = W, 2), Mo(CO)3(dppe)(η2-C70) (3), and W(CO)3(dppe)...
Adiponectin Decreases C-Reactive Protein Synthesis and Secretion From Endothelial Cells: Evidence for an Adipose Tissue-Vascular Loop

Background and Objective— Inflammation is pivotal in atherosclerosis. C-reactive protein (CRP), in addition to being a cardiovascular risk marker, may also be proatherogenic. We have previously shown that in addition to the liver, human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) synthesize and secrete CRP. Whereas CRP levels are increased in obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, levels of adiponectin are reduced in these conditions. We tested the hypothesis that adiponectin reduces CRP synthesis and secretion in HAECs under normoglycemic (5.5 mmol/L glucose) and hyperglycemic conditions (15 mmol/L glucose). Methods and Results— Adiponectin dose-dependently reduced CRP mRNA and protein from HAECs. Adiponectin treatment of HAECs significantly decreased IκB phosphorylation and NFκB binding activity. There was no effect of adiponectin on STAT or C/EBP transcriptional activity. Adiponectin also activated AMP kinase resulting in decreased NFκB activity and decreased CRP mRNA and protein. These effects of adiponectin were mimicked by AICAR, an activator of AMPK, and reversed by inhibition of AMPK. Thus, adiponectin reduces CRP synthesis and secretion from HAECs under hyperglycemia via upregulation of AMP kinase and downregulation of NFκB. Similar findings were observed in rat primary hepatocytes. Conclusions— Thus, in obesity and diabetes, the hypoadiponectinemia could exacerbate the proinflammatory state by inducing CRP production.
Categorizing biological information based on function–morphology for bioinspired conceptual design

A function-based keyword search is a concept generation methodology studied in the bioinspired design area that conveys textual biological inspiration for engineering design. Current keyword search methods are inefficient primarily due to the knowledge gap between engineering and biology domains. To improve current keyword search methods, we propose an algorithm that extracts and organizes morphology-based solutions from biological text. WordNet is utilized to discover morphological solutions in biological text. The novel algorithm also adapts latent semantic analysis and the expectation–maximization algorithm to categorize morphological solutions and group biological text. We introduce a novel penalty function that reflects the distance between functions (problems) and morphologies (solutions). The penalty function allows the algorithm to extract morphological solutions directly related to a design problem. We compare the output of the algorithm to manually extracted solutions for validation. A case study is included to exemplify the utility of the developed algorithm. Upon implementation of the algorithm, engineering designers can discover innovative solutions in biological text in a straightforward, efficient manner.
Unmet need and sex: investigating the role of coital frequency in fertility control

We estimate the relationship between unmet need for contraception and coital frequency using data from the most recent Standard Demographic and Health Surveys conducted from 2005 to 2015. Individual-level analyses include 55 countries (n=245,732 women). The dependent variable is women's report of any sex in the last four weeks; the independent variable is current unmet need. Bivariate ecological results using country averages indicate that prevalence of unmet need is significantly negatively correlated with the proportion reporting recent sexual activity. Multivariate regression of individual-level data show that the overall odds ratio of having had sex in the last four weeks is 3.23 and 2.97 for women with met contraceptive need for spacing and limiting fertility, respectively, compared with women with unmet contraceptive need. These results suggest that current estimates of unmet need exaggerate the risk of unintended pregnancy because coital frequency is not uniform with respect to unmet need. Findings also suggest that, despite being categorized as having unmet need, many women may still be taking measures to control their fertility through regulating the tempo of marital coitus, thus reducing their risk of unintended pregnancy.
Thermodynamics of ionization of D2O and D2PO 4

The quotients for the ionization of D2O and the neutralization of D2PO 4 − have been determined potentiometrically in 0.2m KCl from 50 to 300°C at the saturation pressure. By combination with the other data, analytical expressions for the dependence on temperature and ionic strength have been derived. Rounded values for the thermodynamic quantities for the ionization of D2O and the neutralization of D2PO 4 − are given along with standard errors. The magnitude of the isotope effects is discussed in terms of the zero-point-energy approximation and the acid strength in light water.
Antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and lipid composition changes during long-term and short-term thermal acclimation in Daphnia

Examples of phenotypic plasticity—the ability of organisms of identical genotypes to produce different phenotypes in response to the environment—are abundant, but often lack data on the causative physiology and biochemistry. Phenotypes associated with increased protection against or reduced damage from harmful environments may, in fact, be downstream effects of hidden adaptive responses that remain elusive to experimental measurement or be obscured by homeostatic or over-compensatory effects. The freshwater zooplankton crustacean Daphnia drastically increases its heat tolerance as the result of acclimation to high temperatures, an effect often assumed to be based on plastic responses allowing better protection against oxidative stress. Using several geographically distant Daphnia magna genotypes, we demonstrate that the more heat tolerant individuals have a higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) both in the comparison of heat-acclimated vs. non heat-acclimated females and in the comparison of females to age- and body size-matched males, which show lower heat tolerance than females. However, experimental manipulations of hypothesized antioxidant pathways by either glutathione addition or glutathione synthesis inhibition had no effect on heat tolerance. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), contrary to expectations, did not appear to be a predictive measure of susceptibility to thermal damage: LPO was higher, not lower, in more heat tolerant heat-acclimated individuals after exposure to a lethally high temperature. We hypothesize that LPO may be maintained in Daphnia at a constant level in the absence of acute exposure to elevated temperature and increase as a by-product of a possible protective antioxidant mechanism during such exposure. This conclusion is corroborated by the observed short-term and long-term changes in phospholipid composition that included an increase in fatty acid saturation at 28 °C and up-regulation of certain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Phospholipid composition was more strongly affected by recently experienced temperature (4-day transfer) than by long-term (2 generations) temperature acclimation. This is consistent with partial loss of thermal tolerance after a short-term switch to a reciprocal temperature. As predicted under the homeoviscous adaptation hypothesis, the more heat tolerant Daphnia showed lower membrane fluidity than their less heat tolerant counterparts, in comparison both between acclimation temperatures and among different genotypes. We conclude that thermal tolerance in Daphnia is influenced by total antioxidant capacity and membrane fluidity at high temperatures, with both effects possibly reflecting changes in phospholipid composition.
SeamBlue: Seamless Bluetooth Low Energy Connection Migration for Unmodified IoT Devices

At present, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is dominantly used in commercially available Internet of Things (IoT) devices – such as smart watches, fitness trackers, and smart appliances. Compared to classic Bluetooth, BLE has been simplified in many ways that include its connection establishment, data exchange, and encryption processes. Unfortunately, this simplification comes at a cost. For example, only a star topology is supported in BLE environments and a peripheral (an IoT device) can communicate with only one gateway (e.g. a smartphone, or a BLE hub) at a set time. When a peripheral goes out of range, it loses connectivity to a gateway, and cannot connect and seamlessly communicate with another gateway without user interventions. In other words, BLE connections are not automatically migrated or handed-off to another gateway. In this paper, we propose SeamBlue , which brings seamless connectivity to BLE-capable mobile IoT devices in an environment that consists of a network of gateways. Our framework ensures that unmodified, commercial off-the-shelf BLE devices seamlessly and securely connect to a nearby gateway without any user intervention.
Optimisation of peptides that actively cross the tympanic membrane by random amino acid extension: a phage display study

AbstractLocal treatment of middle ear (ME) disease currently requires surgical penetration of the tympanic membrane (TM). We previously discovered 12-mer peptides that are actively transported across the intact TM, a process that could be used for non-invasive drug delivery into the ME. To optimise transport and provide further understanding of the peptides transport mechanism, we extended two of the candidate peptides by six additional amino acids at random, and screened the resulting 18-mers libraries on TMs of rats with active bacterial otitis media (OM) for transport efficiency using phage display. Six identified peptides were individually tested in vivo for trans-TM transport to verify the tissue specificity. Three exhibited enhanced transport compared to their parent 12-mer scaffold, with the best showing an approximately nine-fold increase. Sequence analysis revealed anchor residues and structural features associated with enhanced transport. This included the prominent display of conserved sequence...
Employees High in Personal Intelligence Differ From Their Colleagues in Workplace Perceptions and Behavior.

ABSTRACTPersonal intelligence (PI) involves the ability to recognize, reason, and use information about personality to understand oneself and other people. Employees in two studies (Ns = 394, 482) completed the Test of Personal Intelligence (TOPI; e.g., Mayer, Panter, & Caruso, 2017a) and assessments of workplace perception and behavior. Higher PI was associated with higher perceived workplace support and lower counterproductive work behavior. These relationships continued to hold after controlling for other key variables. The results indicate the TOPI, although still in research trials, shows promise as a screening device for selecting employees and targeting individuals for training.
Informed consent - current challenges and lessons learned from the American lung association asthma/airways clinical research centers network (ALA-ACRC).

Valid informed consent (IC) is a vital component of asthma research, yet research participants are frequently confused during the consenting process (1,2), and often are uninformed about study obje...
RRR and thermal conductivity of Ag and Ag-0.2 wt.%Mg alloy in Ag/Bi-2212 wires

Residual resistivity ratio (RRR) and thermal conductivity of metal matrix in metal/superconductor composite wires are important parameters for designing superconducting magnets. However, the resistivity of silver in reacted Ag/Bi-2212 wires has yet to be determined over temperature range from 4.2 K to 80 K because Bi-2212 filaments have a critical transition temperature Tc of ~ 80 K, and because it is unknown whether the RRR of Ag/Bi-2212 degrades with Cu diffusing from Bi-2212 filaments into silver sheathes at elevated temperatures and to what degree it varies with heat treatment. We measured the resistivity of stand-alone Ag and AgMg (Ag-0.2 wt.% Mg) wires as well as the resistivity of Ag and Ag-0.2 wt.% Mg in Ag/Bi- 2212 round wires reacted in 1 bar oxygen at 890 °C for 1, 8, 24 and 48 hours and quickly cooled to room temperature. The heat treatment was designed to reduce the critical current Ic of Bi- 2212 wires to nearly zero while allowing Cu loss to fully manifest itself. We determined that pure silver exhibits a RRR of ~ 220 while the oxide-dispersion strengthened Ag-Mg exhibits a RRR of ~ 5 in stand-alone samples. A surprising result is that the RRR of silver in the composite round wires doesn't degrade with extended time at 890 °C for up to 48 hours. This surprising result may be explained by our observation that the Cu that diffuses into silver tends to form Cu2O precipitates in oxidizing atmosphere, instead of forming Ag-Cu solution alloy. We also measured the thermal conductivity and the magneto-resistivity of pure Ag and Ag-0.2 wt. % Mg from 4.2 K to 300 K in magnetic fields up to 14.8 T and summarized them using a Kohler plot.
Digital Game-Based Learning: It's Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless.

After years of research and proselytizing, the proponents of digital game-based learning (DGBL) have been caught unaware. Like the person who is still yelling after the sudden cessation of loud music at a party, DGBL proponents have been shouting to be heard above the prejudice against games. But now, unexpectedly, we have everyone's attention. The combined weight of three factors has resulted in widespread public interest in games as learning tools. The first factor is the ongoing research conducted by DGBL proponents. In each decade since the advent of digital games, researchers have published dozens of essays, articles, and mainstream books on the power of DGBL—including, most recently, Marc Prensky's Digital Game-Based Learning (2001), James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy (2003), Clark Aldrich's Simulations and the Future of Learning: An Innovative (and Perhaps Revolutionary) Approach to e-Learning (2004), Steven Johnson's Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter (2005), Prensky's new book “Don’t Bother Me, Mom, I'm Learning!”: How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids for 21st Century Success and How You Can Help! (2006), and the soon-to-be-published Games and Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks, edited by David Gibson, Clark Aldrich, and Marc Prensky. The second factor involves today’s “Net Generation,” or “digital natives,” who have become disengaged with traditional instruction. They require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want frequent and quick interactions with
Turing machine simulation used in a breadth first computer science course

A Turing machine simulation was written in Python and used in a computer science breadth first introduction to computer science. Many Turing machine simulations exist but to the author's knowledge this is the only one written in Python. Python is the language learned by the students in the breadth first class so having the Turing machine written in Python gives the students an opportunity to see what can be done with a more sophisticated program. The usage of this software in the classroom and several advantages of developing and using it are described in the paper. The Turing machine can also be used to help describe Chomsky's formal grammars and therefore could be used in a programming language class.
Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit

The need for a neurological intensive care unit (ICU) evolved from the recognition that patients who had had brain surgery and those with brain injuries such as stroke had needs that were distinct from other critically ill patient populations. The identification of these needs prompted the creation of a special space or unit where these patients could be closely monitored. Because of the special needs of the population, the providers in these units became adept at caring for patients with neurologic and critical care conditions. These providers include nurses, physicians and mid-level providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as allied professionals such as respiratory, physical and occupational therapists.
Color Fundus Image Guided Artery-Vein Differentiation in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Purpose This study aimed to develop a method for automated artery-vein classification in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to verify that differential artery-vein analysis can improve the sensitivity of OCTA detection and staging of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods For each patient, the color fundus image was used to guide the artery-vein differentiation in the OCTA image. Traditional mean blood vessel caliber (m-BVC) and mean blood vessel tortuosity (m-BVT) in OCTA images were quantified for control and DR groups. Artery BVC (a-BVC), vein BVC (v-BVC), artery BVT (a-BVT), and vein BVT (a-BVT) were calculated, and then the artery-vein ratio (AVR) of BVC (AVR-BVC) and AVR of BVT (AVR-BVT) were quantified for comparative analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used as performance metrics of artery-vein classification. One-way, multilabel ANOVA with Bonferroni's test and Student's t-test were employed for statistical analysis. Results Forty eyes of 20 control subjects and 80 eyes of 48 NPDR patients (18 mild, 16 moderate, and 14 severe NPDR) were evaluated in this study. The color fundus image-guided artery-vein differentiation reliably identified individual arteries and veins in OCTA. AVR-BVC and AVR-BVT provided significant (P < 0.001) and moderate (P < 0.05) improvements, respectively, in detecting and classifying NPDR stages, compared with traditional m-BVC analysis. Conclusions Color fundus image-guided artery-vein classification provides a feasible method to differentiate arteries and veins in OCTA. Differential artery-vein analysis can improve the sensitivity of OCTA detection and classification of DR. AVR-BVC is the most-sensitive feature, which can classify control and mild NPDR, providing a quantitative biomarker for objective detection of early DR.
Crowdsourced approaches for stage measurements at ungauged locations using smartphones

The growing availability of smart devices with advanced sensors has increased the opportunities for citizen science applications for environmental monitoring. Accurate and widespread monitoring of ...
Prevalence and Impact of Pharmacy Students as Patient Care Extenders in Medically Underserved Community Pharmacies

Objective:The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and describe the patient care impact of student pharmacists completing community pharmacy rotations in medically underserved area...
Patriotic Elegy and Epic Illusion: Schiller’s Johanna in Russia

This chapter consists of two parts. The first part examines the translation of Jungfrau into Russian by Vasily Zhukovsky, the father of Russian romanticism. Orleanskaya deva (“The Maid of Orleans”) was never allowed to be performed but was nonetheless extremely influential to a generation of Russian poets and critics. A study of his other translations of Schiller poems and ballads reveals that he consistently prefers an elegiac tone to Schiller’s heroic one and, heightening the explicitly religious content and using words derived from Old Church Slavonic, he significantly alters and diminishes the pantheistic, Ancient Greek quality that Schiller crafted so carefully for his play. The second part explores the genesis of the eponymous opera Tchaikovsky devises from Zhukovsky’s play, for which he served as his own librettist. Compounding the effect of the alterations already inherent in the translation, Tchaikovsky has others of his compositions still very much in mind as he works, including song cycles, Romeo and Juliet, and Eugene Onegin. Finding innovative links between Schiller’s aesthetic philosophy and Tchaikovsky’s compositional approach, the author argues that The Maid of Orleans negotiates an awkward path between the lyric style for which Tchaikovsky was so well known and the epic style of grand opera to which he aspired.
Underreaction, Overreaction, and Dynamic Autocorrelation of Stock Returns

I document that aggregate stock market returns correlate negatively with past returns in the first half of the earnings seasons, and positively in the second half. While these two arms of correlation are individually strong, they cancel with each other, averaging to a weak unconditional autocorrelation. A stylized model featuring both underreaction and overreaction explains this pattern. Similar return predictability pattern in the cross section of industry returns and the international stock markets provides out-of-sample evidence for the model. The paper shows that the traditional view on stock return autocorrelation misses important information, which is that it varies over time.
Subgroup analysis with a nonparametric unimodal symmetric error distribution

In clinical trials and moving toward precision medicine, a very key issue is identifying subgroups of patients with different responses to therapy, namely, testing if there exist subgroups of patie...