cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Acute Abdomen

Pediatric oncology patients develop similar abdominal emergencies as immunocompetent children in addition to acute abdomen from malignancy or secondary to treatment. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiotherapy and extensive surgical resection all contribute to the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms. Immunocompromised children may lack the inflammatory signs of acute abdomen making prompt diagnosis of pediatric oncologic abdominal emergencies challenging. Here we review the most common abdominal emergencies secondary to malignancy including gastrointestinal hemorrhage, infection, mechanical obstruction, and perforation as well as management strategies for these conditions. A high index of suspicion and a prompt multidisciplinary approach are essential for optimal patient care. Early initiation of aggressive medical management reduces the need for invasive surgical treatment and concomitantly improves mortality rates. As there is a lack of evidence-based guidelines, the reviewed recommendations for supportive care and treatment of pediatric oncologic abdominal emergencies predominantly stem from expert opinion.
The art of development: economic and cultural development through art in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how artisans experience economic and cultural changes through art sales to tourists in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala; the aim is to analyse experiences from hosts and producers in art tourism. Using a life course approach, the artists in this area expressed how they do not copy the art of their ancestors, but draw on their past to create new art that reflects their experiences, and sell it to tourists at a price they set. Painting on canvas and murals is a way to overcome historical discrimination based on their cultural identity while they explore and communicate their new identities to themselves and outsiders. Therefore the encounter at the art market strengthens both their economic identities and cultural identities. This is contradiction because the two goals are not necessarily complementary. I argue that the painters in San Juan illustrate the art of development because the painters artfully use their new economic and cultural identities to craft a space to negotiate the...
What Is Happening

Drawing from Walter Benjamin’s essays on the poet, Charles Baudelaire, this chapter explores the consequences on individual experience due to interactions that are increasingly based on a technological rather than a human agenda. Desensitization, fear, rage, sadness and weariness are addressed in the context of exploring the extent to which the ongoing shocks of living in modernity result in self-regulating routines that replace immediate experience.
Catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol in a Lewis pair functionalized MOF

Capture and conversion of CO2 to methanol using a renewable source of H2 is a promising way to reduce net CO2 emissions while producing valuable fuels. Design of an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation is critical for the large-scale implementation of the CO2 to methanol process. Combining both capture and conversion of CO2 in a single material has the potential to reduce the overall cost through process intensification. We have used density functional theory to computationally design a catalyst capable of producing methanol from CO2 and H2, including calculating the reaction pathways and barriers of each step. The catalyst consists of a microporous metal organic framework (UiO-67) functionalized with catalytically active Lewis pair functional groups. Our calculations indicate that this novel catalyst facilitates the heterolytic dissociation of H2 to generate hydridic and protic H atoms bound to Lewis acid and base sites, respectively, which facilitates a series of simultaneous transfer of two hydrogens to produce methanol: . Importantly, our catalyst binds H2 more strongly than CO2, which prevents CO2 from poisoning the Lewis acid and base sites.
Simultaneous motor and sensory learning for imitation

One important capability for future robots to go beyond factory assembly line into human daily life is to be able to acquire new motor skill autonomously from naive human teachers. Recently, many new imitation learning algorithms were proposed with promising results, such as throwing a ball into a basket[1], jiggling ping-pong balls on a racket[2], and moving a tendon driven hand to tap a switch[3]. These robots typically start from blindly copying demonstrator's trajectory and then iteratively improve the trajectory with respect to certain predefined “goodness” function. We call it “scoring function.” Most of these tasks are spatial movements and thus the scoring function can be heuristically defined based on the end-effector position or system state. However, in many real life tasks, the outcome of an action is more important rather than the movement trajectory itself. A proper measurable scoring function that evaluates the “goodness” of the outcome is thus necessary.
The Ethics of Consent

The right of informed consent , grounded in the principle of respect for autonomy , has come to be seen by many as the central element in contemporary Western bioethics. This chapter will introduce the history and development of the role of consent in healthcare, from Pre-Enlightenment developments and Post-Medieval influences through the philosophical contributions of figures such as Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill . A review of nineteenth and twentieth century developments in consent for healthcare and research will feature legal cases, troubling research practices and shifting cultural values. The legal cases include Schloendorff v. Society of New York Hospitals , Salgo v. Leland Stanford Jr. University Board of Trustees and Canterbury v. Spence . Troubling research practices will include the infamous Nazi atrocities , the revelations of Henry Beecher regarding research in the 1960s and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study . Various codes of ethics which were created in response to the troubling research practices will also be examined, including the Nuremburg Code , the Declaration of Helsinki , the Belmont Report and the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights . Following the description of the history of consent, the predominant contemporary model of informed consent presented by Beauchamp and Childress will be described, and various critiques will be offered, including those of Franklin G. Miller and Alan Wertheimer, Robert Veatch, Y. Michael Barilan , and Rebecca Kukla . Finally, the inadequacy of the standard formulation for particular treatment forms and contexts will be examined.
Reveal LINQ Versus Reveal XT Implantable Loop Recorders: Intra- and Post-Procedural Comparison

Objectives To compare the procedure, recovery, hospitalization times, and costs along with patient/parent satisfaction after newer-generation cardiac implantable loop recorder (Reveal LINQ; Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota) and previous-generation implantable loop recorder (Reveal XT; Medtronic Inc). Study design A prospective study of patients undergoing LINQ implantations between April 2014 and October 2015 was performed. Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing XT implantations was performed for comparison. Results Thirty-one patients received LINQ and 15 patients received XT. Indications included syncope/palpitations (28/46, 61%), history of arrhythmias (9/46, 20%), arrhythmia burden in congenital heart disease (5/46, 10%), and monitoring in channelopathies (4/46, 9%). The LINQ group underwent more conscious sedation procedures than the XT group (8/31 vs 0/15, P = .04) with shorter procedural time (9 vs 34 minutes, P Conclusions LINQ offers better procedural and recovery time compared with XT. LINQ implantations under conscious sedation reduce total hospitalization time.
Nicotine replacement is effective for smoking cessation

Source Citation Silagy C, Mant D, Fowler G, Lodge M. The effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapies in smoking cessation. Online J Curr Clin Trials. 1994 Jan 14; Doc No 113:[7906 words; 110 pa...
Safety and tolerability of new-generation anti-obesity medications: a narrative review

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities is rising. Despite their weight-loss efficacy, new generation anti-obesity medications are only prescribed to a minority of adults with obesity, possibly, which in part may be due to safety concerns. This review presents detailed safety profiles for orlistat, phentermine/topiramate, lorcaserin, naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide 3.0 mg, and discusses the associated risk–benefit profiles. Two anti-obesity medications presented safety issues that warranted further discussion; phentermine/topiramate (fetal toxicity) and liraglutide 3.0 mg (risk of gallstone disease and mild, acute pancreatitis), whereas the adverse events associated with orlistat, lorcaserin, and naltrexone/bupropion were mostly transient tolerability issues. The difficulties surrounding the objective determination of risk–benefit for anti-obesity medications is discussed. The need for more long-term data, thorough patient assessment, individualization of pharmacological interv...
X-ray tomography for mineral processing technology – 3D particle characterization from mine to mill

From mine to mill, the 3D characterization of particles ranging in size from meters to micrometers is now possible. A brief review of X-ray tomography for mineral processing is given with recent advances considered, such as high-speed scanning and image analysis procedures to describe important particle properties, including size, shape and composition. Considering these new 3D characterization tools, applications in mineral processing are discussed for high-resolution X-ray microtomography (HRXMT) laboratory analysis of particles ranging from 20 mm to 5 µm, with a voxel resolution of about 1 µm, including (1) multiphase particle characterization by HRXMT and comparison with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (2) particle damage state as a result of blasting/comminution, (3) liberation characterization to describe expected separation efficiency, (4) exposed grain surface area analysis to explain the flotation of locked particles, and (5) floc size, shape and water content for polymer-induced flocculation. Finally, applications in mineral processing for plant-site analysis using high-speed X-ray computed tomography (HSXCT) are examined, including, for example, coal washability analysis, the analysis of crusher plant products, and the analysis of pebble phosphate products from central Florida. Scanning rates on the order of 1 kg/min for particle sizes ranging from 150 mm to 1 mm are possible, with a voxel resolution of about 100 µm. For coarse particles smaller than 5 to 10 mm, high scanning rates of more than 300 t/h may be possible at a voxel resolution of about 1 mm.
Obesity and Micronutrient Deficiencies

Obesity is a serious public health threat affecting millions worldwide in both the developed and developing world [1]. In 2009, approximately 40 % of US adults were classified as obese, with a body mass index (BMI) > 30.0 kg/m2 [2]. A myriad of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors are associated with the global rise in obesity [3]. Particularly, increased availability of inexpensive, energy-dense, and low-nutrient value foods are considered major contributory components associated with the rise in obesity [3]. Approximately 27–30 % of the daily caloric intake of US children and adults is comprised of low nutrient-dense foods, with sweeteners and desserts contributing 18–24 % of total calories [4, 5]. Meanwhile, modern farming and food processing techniques have led to a reduction in the micronutrient content of many common foods [6].
1/f noise in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconducting bicrystal grain-boundary junctions

We have measured 1/f noise of single-grain-boundary junctions in superconducting ${\mathrm{Y}}_{1}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ epitaxial films. The origin of 1/f noise is identified and the data are used to rule out recent suggestions for new mechanisms which generate 1/f noise. Using ozone annealing, both 1/f noise and critical current density of the grain boundary were found to improve. However, the persistence of both noise and Josephson coupling suggest that oxygen deficiency at the boundary is not the sole cause of the anomalous coupling in these materials. We speculate that the depression of the order parameter is connected with the cores of the dislocations forming an array.
Engineered Plant Minichromosomes

The advent of transgenic technologies has met many challenges, both technical and political; however, these technologies are now widely applied, particularly for crop improvement. Bioengineering has resulted in plants carrying resistance to herbicides, insects, and viruses, as well as entire biosynthetic pathways. Some of the technical challenges in generating transgenic plant or animal materials include: an inability to control the location and nature of the integration of transgenic DNA into the host genome, and linkage of transformed genes to selectable antibiotic resistance genes used in the production of the transgene cassette. Furthermore, successive transformation of multiple genes may require the use of several selection genes. The coordinated expression of multiple stacked genes would be required for complex biosynthetic pathways or combined traits. Engineered nonintegrating minichromosomes can overcome many of these problems and hold much promise as key players in the next generation of transgenic technologies for improved crop plants. In this review, we discuss the history of artificial chromosome technology with an emphasis on engineered plant minichromosomes.
On computing the evolution of temperature for materials under dynamic loading

Abstract Modeling and simulation of the dynamic response of materials is important to many applications including the development of armor systems, understanding the safety of explosives, and assessing the crashworthiness of vehicles. Within such applications it is often critical to accurately compute the evolution of the temperature because it is a state variable that affects the kinetics of competing active processes within the material (e.g., dislocation motion, phase transformation, decomposition). Depending on the selection of an independent state variable, e.g. temperature or entropy, the approach for computing temperature is well understood based on the thermodynamic framework attributed to Coleman and Noll. However, different computational codes used for modeling the dynamic response of materials adopt different independent state variables. In this work, two thermodynamically consistent strategies for computing the temperature of a coupled thermodynamic state are compared and implemented into two different Lagrangian computational codes. The equivalence of these two approaches is established through the numerical solutions of several test problems. Finally, the implication of various approximations made to each of these approaches within the literature are assessed in the context of uniaxial stress conditions (split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments) and uniaxial strain conditions (plate impact experiments). It is shown that the temperature rate or energy partition approaches are equivalent when implemented in their complete forms, but that several common simplifying assumptions, that are warranted in the case of uniaxial stress, lead to significant errors in the resulting Hugoniot state for plate impact.
Differences in perceptions of e-cigarettes across daily and non-daily users.

Abstract Objective E-cigarette use has increased significantly over the past decade. Among the growing population of e-cigarette users, several pattern-based subgroups have emerged, including daily and non-daily users. Daily users are at greater risk for experiencing negative health consequences from use. Yet, little is understood about underlying e-cigarette processes that may be related to daily use relative to non-daily use. Method The present study sought to investigate differences in three clinically-relevant e-cigarette processes, including perceived risks (including both absolute and comparable risks to combustible cigarettes), benefits, and innovation of e-cigarettes between daily and non-daily users. The study included 564 adult current e-cigarette users (51.1% female, Mage = 35.1 years, SD = 10.2). Results Results indicated a significant difference in levels of perception for all three dependent variables, such that daily users reported a higher level of perceived risks, benefits, and innovation for e-cigarettes. Conclusions Overall, the current study provides empirical evidence that perceived risks, benefits and innovations may be more strongly endorsed by more daily e-cigarette uses. Importantly, this study adds to evolving, but thus far limited, knowledge of e-cigarettes by highlighting how frequency of e-cigarette use relates to beliefs about e-cigarette use.
From the idea to validation in one step

In recent years, there has been a continuing and increasing trend towards shifting engineering activities from the manufacturers to the suppliers in the automotive industry. In order to handle the closely linked, constantly rising complexity in an efficient way, a new engineering concept for road vehicle exhaust systems was created by Tenneco. The relevant knowledge for the product development is captured, formalised and provided through a knowledge-based design methodology at an early stage of the development process.
The BRISC deubiquitinating enzyme complex limits hematopoietic stem cell expansion by regulating JAK2 K63-ubiquitination.

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homeostasis is controlled by cytokine receptor–mediated Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) signaling. We previously found that JAK2 is promptly ubiquitinated upon cytokine stimulation. Whether a competing JAK2 deubiquitination activity exists is unknown. LNK is an essential adaptor protein that constrains HSC expansion through dampening thrombopoietin (TPO)–induced JAK2 signaling. We show here that a LNK-associated lysine-63 (K63)–deubiquitinating enzyme complex, Brcc36 isopeptidase complex (BRISC), attenuates HSC expansion through control of JAK2 signaling. We pinpoint a direct interaction between the LNK SH2 domain and a phosphorylated tyrosine residue in KIAA0157 (Abraxas2), a unique and defining BRISC component. Kiaa0157 deficiency in mice led to an expansion of phenotypic and functional HSCs. Endogenous JAK2 and phospho-JAK2 were rapidly K63-ubiquitinated upon TPO stimulation, and this action was augmented in cells depleted of the BRISC core components KIAA0157, MERIT40, or BRCC36. This increase in JAK2 ubiquitination after BRISC knockdown was associated with increased TPO-mediated JAK2 activation and protein levels, and increased MPL receptor presence at the cell surface. In addition, BRISC depletion promoted membrane proximal association between the MPL receptor and pJAK2/JAK2, thus enhancing activated JAK2/MPL at the cell membrane. These findings define a novel pathway by which K63-ubiquitination promotes JAK2 stability and activation in a proteasome-independent manner. Moreover, mutations in BRCC36 are found in clonal hematopoiesis in humans. This research may shed light on the mechanistic understanding of a potential role of BRCC36 in human HSCs.
Review: Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980

Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980 Museum of Modern Art, New York 15 July 2018–13 January 2019 The grating melodrama of newsreel audio—or its retro heroism, depending on one's previous relationship to twentieth-century propaganda—sampled and simulated in the triptych of videos encountered in the first space of Toward a Concrete Utopia , powerfully reoriented this exhibition's visitors from their reality in New York City and the atmosphere of the lobby spaces of the Museum of Modern Art. The first room was darker than those that followed in the enfilade of this salon-style survey, curated by MoMA's Martino Stierli and visiting curator Vladimir Kulic (associate professor at Iowa State University), with assistance from Anna Kats. Those entering read some fairly straightforward and earnest curatorial promises on the wall out front, but absorbing what the “third way”—neither socialism nor capitalism—or “self-management” might mean, or that this show might be an invitation for the audience to contemplate its own failure to conceive an alternative world, was a demanding task of historical and political imagination. It was also immediately complicated by the visceral reaction invoked by the sounds of the newsreel voice-over and the bodies and technology organized into “mass ornaments” in the original film material and heightened by the reediting in Mila Turajlic's commissioned videos.1 Few artifacts were displayed in this first room, but those that appeared stood in for two enormously ambitious projects: the transformation of the soggy land along the rivers Sava and Danube into a new federal capital, New Belgrade (Yugoslavia's largest testing ground for housing), and the territorial plan for developing the Adriatic coast with sensitivity to its natural beauty and its status as a common good. Each of these projects was represented in oversized drawings, and together they introduced the first of the four major themes that organized the exhibition: “Modernization,” “Global Networks,” “Everyday Life,” and “Identities.” The juxtaposition of the first room's artifacts—the …
Nonholonomic Hybrid Zero Dynamics for the Stabilization of Periodic Orbits: Application to Underactuated Robotic Walking

This brief addresses zero dynamics associated with relative degree one and two nonholonomic outputs for exponential stabilization of given periodic orbits for hybrid models of bipedal locomotion. Zero dynamics manifolds are constructed to contain the orbit while being invariant under both the continuous- and discrete-time dynamics. The associated restriction dynamics are termed the hybrid zero dynamics (HZD). Prior results on the HZD have mainly relied on input–output linearization of holonomic outputs and are referred to as holonomic HZD (H-HZD). This brief presents reduced-order expressions for the HZD associated with nonholonomic output functions referred to as nonholonomic HZD (NH-HZD). This brief systematically synthesizes NH-HZD controllers to stabilize periodic orbits based on a reduced-order stability analysis. A comprehensive study of H-HZD and NH-HZD is presented. It is shown that NH-HZD can stabilize a broader range of walking gaits that are not stabilizable through traditional H-HZD. The power of the analytical results is finally illustrated on a hybrid model of a bipedal robot through numerical simulations.
Standardized Physician-Administered Patient-Centered Discharge Protocol Improves Patients' Comprehension.

Objectives Patients are 30% less likely to be readmitted or visit the emergency department if they have a clear understanding of their discharge instructions. A standardized approach to a hospital discharge plan has not been universally implemented, however. Our goal was to increase patients' comprehension of discharge instructions by implementing a standardized patient-centered discharge planning protocol that uses a physician team member to explain these plans. Methods This was a prospective study that included all of the patients discharged from an inpatient medical teaching service in a community-based hospital during the study period. We used two 4-week periods separated by 4 months in which training and practice with the study intervention took place. Patients' understanding of discharge instructions was assessed via a follow-up telephone call from a physician co-investigator within 1 week of each patient's discharge. Differences in patients' understanding between groups were analyzed. Results A total of 181 patients were enrolled, with 9 lost to follow-up. After implementation of the discharge planning protocol, a statistically significant improvement in patients' understanding was found in study subjects' knowledge of their diagnosis, the adverse effects of their medications, whom to call after discharge, and follow-up appointments. Conclusions Institution of a standardized patient-centered discharge planning protocol can improve patients' understanding of several key components of their discharge process, which may lead to improved compliance with instructions and outcomes.
Machine Learning for Asset Managers (Chapter 1)

Successful investment strategies are specific implementations of general theories. An investment strategy that lacks a theoretical justification is likely to be false. Hence, an asset manager should concentrate her efforts on developing a theory, rather than on back-testing potential trading rules. The purpose of this monograph is to introduce Machine Learning (ML) tools that can help asset managers discover economic and financial theories. ML is not a black-box, and it does not necessarily over-fit. ML tools complement rather than replace the classical statistical methods. Some of ML’s strengths include: (i) Focus on out-of-sample predictability over variance adjudication; (ii) usage of computational methods to avoid relying on (potentially unrealistic) assumptions; (iii) ability to “learn” complex specifications, including non-linear, hierarchical and non-continuous interaction effects in a high-dimensional space; and (iv) ability to disentangle the variable search from the specification search, robust to multicollinearity and other substitution effects.
Clinical application of microcolumn gel technology in the diagnosis of neonatal immune hemolytic disease

Objective To investigate the feasibility of microcolumn gel technology direct antiglobulin test in the autoimmune hemolytic disease,and to analyze the causes of autoimmune hemolytic disease.Methods One thousand six hundred and eighty-one cases of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia children taken the direct antiglobulin test by microcolumn gel technology.Results Among the 1681 cases of neonatal hyperbilirubinemi children,with microcolumn gel direct antiglobulin test positive in 497 cases,the positive rate was 29.6％ ; with autoimmune hemolytic disease due to ABO blood group system 491 cases,accounting for 98.8％ (491/497) ; six cases of autoimmune hemolytic disease due to Rh blood group system,accounting for 1.2％ (6/497).O-ABO blood group system in the mother,the infant was type A or B of 476 cases,accounting for 96.9％ (476/491) ; The mother/infant blood group A/B,matching a total of 15 cases,accounting for 3.1％ (15/491).Conclusions The accordance rate of direct antiglobulin test and clinical diagnosis was 90％ or more,and direct antiglobulin test can provide reliable laboratory diagnostic basis for hemolytic disease of newboms. Key words: Newborns; Isoimmune hemolysis; Microcolumn gel technology; Direct antiglobulin test
SNAP participation, diet quality, and obesity: robust evidence with estimation techniques without external instrumental variables

This paper examines the effects of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on obesity among women. We address several of the empirical challenges surrounding the estimation of said effects raised in Currie and Moffitt (in: Moffitt RA, Moffitt R (eds) Means-tested transfer programs in the USA. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2003). We do so by employing a battery of recently developed econometric methods that require only cross-sectional data, and alternative identification assumptions relative to the traditional instrumental variable used in the current literature. Our goal is to assess whether the common findings are robust to various methods. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we reach two important conclusions. First, the positive effect of SNAP on both obesity and the body mass index is robust to differing statistical and modeling assumptions, while statistical significance may vary. Second, we also find that decreased dietary quality among SNAP participants could be at best a weak candidate for explaining the difference in our findings (if any) on obesity.
Empowering Denver Public Schools to Optimize School Bus Operations

Denver Public Schools (DPS) serves roughly 90,000 K–12 students using a mixed bus fleet. Developing and reviewing bus-route assignments manually has been challenging and time consuming for DPS. Dur...
Early Use of Antiseizure Medication in Mechanically Ventilated Traumatic Brain Injury Cases: A Retrospective Pediatric Health Information System Database Study.

OBJECTIVES Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Post-traumatic seizures occur in 25% of children with severe traumatic brain injury and may worsen outcomes. Our objective was to use a retrospective cohort study to examine the association between the early seizure occurrence and the choice of early antiseizure medication in children with traumatic brain injury. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information Systems database, 2010-2017. SETTING Fifty-one U.S. children's hospitals. PATIENTS Children (< 18 yr old at admission) with diagnostic codes for traumatic brain injury who were mechanically ventilated at the time of admission and with hospital length of stay greater than 24 hours. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A total of 3,479 children were identified via coding and including in the analysis. Patients receiving antiseizure medication starting day 0 with levetiracetam were compared with those receiving phenytoin. The outcome was seizure occurrence, identified using validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes. The median (interquartile range) age of patients was 4 (1-11) years, and the most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accident, occurring in 960 of patients (27%). A total of 2,342 patients (67%) received levetiracetam on day 0 and 1,137 patients (33%) received phenytoin on day 0. Totally 875 patients (37%) receiving levetiracetam on day 0 developed seizures, compared with 471 patients (41%) receiving phenytoin on day 0 (p = 0.02). Upon multivariable analysis adjusting for age, injury by child abuse, subdural hemorrhage, ethnicity, and admission year, children receiving phenytoin on day 0 were 1.26 (95% CI, 1.07-1.48) times more likely to be associated with post-traumatic seizure occurrence, compared with children receiving levetiracetam on day 0 (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Early administration of levetiracetam was associated with less-frequent seizure occurrence than early administration of phenytoin in mechanically ventilated children with traumatic brain injury. Additional studies are necessary to determine if the association is causal or due to unmeasured confounders and/or selection bias.
Nodal conduction block: A unifying concept.

A newly introduced term, "axonal conduction block," brought a confusion in the electrodiagnostic diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). I am proposing the term "nodal conduction block" for "axonal conduction block." This unifying concept of nodal conduction block will accommodate both the traditional concept of demyelination as well as the new concept of nodopathy in the "axonal form of GBS,", making the practice of electrodiagnosis much easier.
The Immunomodulatory Potential of Copper and Silver Based Self-Assembled Metal Organic Biohybrids Nanomaterials in Cancer Theranostics.

Copper high aspect ratio structures (CuHARS) and silver cystine nanoparticles (AgCysNPs) are two unique micro/nano particles under study here that show extensive anti-cancer effects on a glioma tumor cell line. These micro/nano particles have shown potent toxicity in the presence of inflammatory stimulus (combination of tumor necrosis factor, [TNF] and lipo-polysaccharide, LPS). CuHARS with a concentration of 20 μg/ml uniquely increased the catalytic generation of nitric oxide (NO), an important contributor in the immune system. This NO was generated in a cell culture tumor microenvironment (TME) in the presence of 25 µM S-nitrosothiol (cysteine-NO) and the inflammatory stimulus. CuHARS increased the NO production by 68.75% when compared to untreated glioma cells with CysNO and inflammatory stimulus. The production of NO was significantly higher under similar circumstances in the case of normal primary structural cells like brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs). The production of NO by BMVECs went up by 181.25% compared to glioma cells. This significant increase in the NO concentration could have added up to tumorigenesis but the anti-cancer effect of CuHARS was prominent enough to lower down the viability of glioma cells by approximately 20% and increased the metabolism of structural cells, BMVECs by approximately 200%. The immunomodulatory effect of NO in the TME under these circumstances in the presence of the novel micro/nano material, CuHARS has risen up compared to the effect of inflammatory stimulus alone. The potency and specific nature of these materials toward tumor cells may make them suitable candidates for cancer treatment. Successive treatment of CuHARS to glioma cells also proved to be an effective approach considering the decrease in the total count of cells by 11.84 fold in case of three successive treatments compared to a single dose which only decreased the cell count by 2.45 fold showing the dose-dependent increasing toxicity toward glioma cells. AgCysNPs are another potent nanomaterial which also proved its significant toxic nature toward tumor cell lines as demonstrated here, but their immunomodulatory response is still unclear and needs to be explored further.
An Ultra-Low-Power Design of Smart Wearable Stereo Camera

This paper presents the design of an Ultra-Low-Power Smart Wearable Multisensory Stereo Camera system, which features the capabilities to be AI -enabled. In this system, two 5MP Omni vision cameras are connected to the same DCMI interface of a dual-core cortex ARM STM32 micro controller. The M7 processor can be configured to capture images from both cameras in a time-synchronized manner, run a Deep neural network, and perform onboard image recognition and object detection. The M4 processor can be interfaced with other sensors such as a motion detector, 6D IMU with a machine learning core, a BLE 5.0 module to communicate with the user, etc. The onboard 6D IMU contains a machine learning core to host a decision tree classifier and relieve some processing load on the M4 processor. The design constraints, the component selection, and interfacing details are discussed in this paper with the complete schematic and layout files so that this stereo camera can be reproduced by the researchers of the common domain and contribute to the development of an open-source blind navigation system.
Higgs to charm quarks in vector boson fusion plus a photon

Experimentally probing the charm-Yukawa coupling in the LHC experiments is important, but very challenging due to an enormous QCD background. We study a new channel that can be used to search for the Higgs decay $H\to c\bar c$, using the vector boson fusion (VBF) mechanism with an associated photon. In addition to suppressing the QCD background, the photon gives an effective trigger handle. We discuss the trigger implications of this final state that can be utilized in ATLAS and CMS. We propose a novel search strategy for $H\to c\bar c$ in association with VBF jets and a photon, where we find a projected sensitivity of about 5 times the SM charm-Yukawa coupling at 95$\%$ $\text{CL}_s$ at High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). Our result is comparable and complementary to existing projections at the HL-LHC. We also discuss the implications of increasing the center of mass collision energy to 30 TeV and 100 TeV.
The free speech century: edited by Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone, Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 2019, 376 pp., $105.00 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-0-1908-4127-9; $23.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-1908-4138-6

In The Free Speech Century, Bollinger and Stone gather some of the most influential First Amendment scholars to ruminate over 100 years of jurisprudence. Dialogues between the two editors bookend t...
Conservation of Dehaasia pugerensis (Lauraceae), a Tree Endemic to East Java (Indonesia) and Last Collected in 1940

Abstract Dehaasia pugerensis Koord. & Valeton is a threatened Indonesian Lauraceae species. It is an endemic tree known only from Jember Regency in East Java. To enhance the conservation of D. pugerensis, we conducted a population survey in several locations in Jember where the species were previously collected. The objectives were to: i) assess the current population status of D. pugerensis, ii) collect plant materials (seed, seedling, or cutting) to serve as ex situ collections, and iii) update the conservation status of the species according to IUCN Red List Category and Criteria. We only found D. pugerensis in 6 out of 16 locations in Wuluhan and Ambulu District during the survey. We successfully located 560 individuals of the species, of which 194 individuals (34.6%) were in the mature stage. Based on the diameter and height classes, the population of D. pugerensis formed a reverse J-shaped size distribution. We successfully collected 23 seeds and 15 seedlings of the species for ex situ collections. Our findings showed that the current status of D. pugerensis is Critically Endangered (CR) based on criteria B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)and C2a(ii). Under these categories, the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Therefore, prompt comprehensive conservation actions are needed to ensure the survival of the species.
SPECIFICITY DETERMINANTS OF ArmA, A RIBOSOMAL RNA METHYLTRANSFERASE THAT CONFERS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Specificity Determinants of ArmA, a Ribosomal RNA Methyltransferase, that confers antibiotic resistance By Tamara Zarubica A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Directors: Dr. H. Tonie Wright Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology And Dr. Jason P. Rife Associate Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics Bacterial resistance to 4,6-type aminoglycoside antibiotics, which target the 30S ribosomal subunit, has been traced to the arm/rmt family of rRNA methyltransferases. These plasmid-encoded enzymes transfer a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to N7 of the buried G1405 in the aminoglycoside binding site of 16S rRNA in the 30S ribosomal subunit. Neither 16S rRNA alone nor intact 70S ribosome is an efficient substrate for armA methyltransferase. To more fully characterize this family of enzymes,
Issues and Dimensions of Sustainability

As outlined in Chapter 1, sustainability comprises interlinked environmental, societal, political and economic dimensions (see also UNESCO, 2010). What is happening in relation to any one dimension will affect, and be affected by, what is happening in all the other dimensions. For example, a local water shortage (environmental dimension) could lead to loss of income for people relying on that source (economic dimension), demographic changes if people move out of the area (social dimension) and conflict between different water users (political dimension).
QUANTUM GAMES AND QUANTUM ALGORITHMS

A quantum algorithm for an oracle problem can be understood as a quantum strategy for a player in a two-player zero-sum game in which the other player is constrained to play classically. I formalize this correspondence and give examples of games (and hence oracle problems) for which the quantum player can do better than would be possible classically. The most remarkable example is the Bernstein-Vazirani quantum search algorithm which I show creates no entanglement at any timestep.
A hybrid infinite/finite impulse response (HIR) filter

Filters are used to implement signal transforms, and filter design is a very important part of the signal processing field. There are currently 2 types of filters available: the finite impulse response (FIR) filter, and the infinite impulse response (IIR) filter. While FIR filters have desirable traits such as stability (an absence of poles), IIR filters are able to generate outputs more efficiently. This paper combines the two types of filters by introducing a zero-counter, to make a hybrid impulse response (HIR) filter with desirable traits from both FIR and IIR.
THE EFFECT OF REGULATION ON STATEMENT DISCLOSURES IN THE 1915 MOODY'S MANUALS

United States firms in the early 20th century were subject to public and private regulation. Forms of regulation included rate regulation and stock exchange listing requirements. These regulations created incentives to report income statement information. This study utilizes the 1915 Moody's Analyses of Investments to test whether regulated firms in the United States reported more income statement information than unregulated firms. Rate regulation influenced utilities to report income statements more frequently than industrial companies. Stock market listing requirements also influenced the reporting of income statements. Therefore, the results indicate that both public and private regulations influenced financial reporting in the early 20th century. Another finding of the study is that income statements were more frequently reported than balance sheets for both railroads and utilities.
A mass-independent sulfur isotope effect in the nonthermal formation

A nonmass-dependent sulfur isotope effect is present in the rotationally symmetric S2F10 molecule, produced in an electrical discharge through sulfur tetrafluoride. A similar isotopic fractionation was observed in the product S2F10 from the electrodissociation of SF5Cl and in the reaction between fluorine atoms produced by F2 photolysis and SF2, collectively ruling out the SF5 formation process as the source of the mass-independent fractionation. The secondary dissociation of S2F10 as a source of the mass-independent fractionation is ruled out by control S2F10 dissociation experiments which are shown to produce small mass-dependent fractionations. Mass-dependent effects such as sulfur isotopic exchange and secondary dissociation reactions are significant processes for the system under study, and have been quantitatively accounted for. The role of symmetry in nonmass-dependent isotope effects is strengthened by the present experiments, and the search and characterization of mass-independent effects is extended to sulfur-containing molecules.
The Ability of Phage Containing 5-Iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-substituted Deoxyribonucleic Acid to Induce Enzymes

Abstract Phage, in which 60% or more of the DNA-thymidine was replaced with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IUdR), were evaluated for their ability to induce phage-specific enzymes in Escherichia coli cultured in a medium not containing IUdR. The IUdR-substituted phage were unable to induce normal levels of activity of 5'-deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase and lysozyme. Further, the appearance of these enzymic activities was delayed relative to that observed with normal phage. Dihydrofolate reductase activity followed a similar pattern. Other experiments showed that the effects observed were not caused by either poor adsorption of the phage or faulty injection of the phage DNA. In addition, the normal fluorescent lighting conditions of the laboratory did not affect the levels of enzymes induced by the IUdR-substituted phage.
The MASC Composable Computing Infrastructure for intelligent environments

Presents a system architecture and framework for creating rapidly deployable intelligent environments. The rapid pace of innovation of computer hardware and intelligent systems software has led to uncertainty that is deterring manufacturers from adopting a single processor, network or software environment for placement into their products. The MASC Composable Computing Infrastructure addresses these issues by providing an upgradable hardware and software infrastructure that supports rapid development and deployment, as well as simple and economical maintenance of intelligent environment systems.
David Hume on custom and habit and living with skepticism

This article is an exploration of David Hume's philosophy of custom and habit as a way of living with skepticism. For Hume, man is a habit-forming animal, and all politics and history take place within a history of custom and habit. This is not a bad thing: life without custom and habit would be a nightmare. Hume draws on the "new science" of thinkers such as Locke, Shaftesbury, Mandeville, Hutcheson, and Butler to foreground the importance of custom and habit. His own contribution is a detailed exploration of philosophical psychology that brings out the role of habits of action such as politeness and manners and habits of thinking such as opinion and reasoning. Finally, life in accordance with customs and habits is not inherently conservative or quietist: there are endogenous and exogenous sources of change and progress in custom and habits.
Ontogenetic scaling of the human nose in a longitudinal sample: Implications for genus Homo facial evolution

Researchers have hypothesized that nasal morphology, both in archaic Homo and in recent humans, is influenced by body mass and associated oxygen consumption demands required for tissue maintenance. Similarly, recent studies of the adult human nasal region have documented key differences in nasal form between males and females that are potentially linked to sexual dimorphism in body size, composition, and energetics. To better understand this potential developmental and functional dynamic, we first assessed sexual dimorphism in the nasal cavity in recent humans to determine when during ontogeny male-female differences in nasal cavity size appear. Next, we assessed whether there are significant differences in nasal/body size scaling relationships in males and females during ontogeny. Using a mixed longitudinal sample we collected cephalometric and anthropometric measurements from n = 20 males and n = 18 females from 3.0 to 20.0+ years of age totaling n = 290 observations. We found that males and females exhibit similar nasal size values early in ontogeny and that sexual dimorphism in nasal size appears during adolescence. Moreover, when scaled to body size, males exhibit greater positive allometry in nasal size compared to females. This differs from patterns of sexual dimorphism in overall facial size, which are already present in our earliest age groups. Sexually dimorphic differences in nasal development and scaling mirror patterns of ontogenetic variation in variables associated with oxygen consumption and tissue maintenance. This underscores the importance of considering broader systemic factors in craniofacial development and may have important implications for the study of patters craniofacial evolution in the genus Homo.
Politics and the pandemic: HIV/AIDS, Africa and the discourse of disability

In 2004, Africa News filed a report on then12-year old William Msechu, a young African who lost both of his parents to AIDS in 1999. He, too, was HIV positive. Msechu is characterized as a “very bright boy,” although, the article reports, he is “yet to come to terms with his HIV status.” “’I was told that I have tuberculosis and I am getting better,’” the article quotes William as saying to journalists (“HIV-AIDS and STDs,” 2004). William Msechu’s disbelief at having contracted HIV is unremarkable; persons diagnosed with severe diseases, including HIV/AIDS, often work through denial and incredulity. Just as unremarkable, however, is Msechu’s contention that he had not tested positive for HIV, but rather, had contracted tuberculosis, another widespread disease but not nearly as stigmatizing as HIV/AIDS. Substituting “tuberculosis” for “HIV” may be an affirming measure for Msechu, but it also provides one more example of the rhetorical slipperiness that historically, and still continues to accompany, the HIV/AIDS pandemic.