cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infusion protocol improves delivery of enteral tube feeding in the critical care unit.

Background: Numerous factors may impede the delivery of enteral tube feedings (ETF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). We designed a prospective study to determine whether the use of an infusion protocol could improve the delivery of ETF in the ICU. Methods: In a prior prospective study, we monitored all patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) or cardiac care unit (CCU) who were made nil per os and placed on ETF (control group). We found that critically ill patients received only 52% of their goal calories, primarily due to physician underordering (66% of goal), frequent cessations of ETF (22% of the time), and slow advancement (14% at goal by 72 hours). Based on these findings, we developed an ETF protocol that incorporated standardized physician ordering and nursing procedures, rapid advancement, and limited ETF interruption. After extensive educational sessions, the ETF protocol was begun. Again, all patients admitted to the MICU or CCU who were made nil per os and placed on ETF were prospectively followed (protocol group). Results: Thirty-one patients in the protocol group were followed during 312 days of ETF and compared with the control group (44 patients with 339 days of ETF). Despite efforts by the nutritional support team, the infusion protocol was used in only 18 patients (58%). The main reasons for noncompliance with the protocol were physician preference and system failure (ETF order sheet not placed in chart). When used, the infusion protocol improved physician ordering (control 66% of goal volume, noncompliant 68%, compliant 82%, p <.05); delivery of calories (control 52% of goal, noncompliant 55%, compliant 68%, p <.05); and advancement of ETF (control 14% at goal by 72 hours, noncompliant 31%, compliant 56%, p <.05). Although significant reduction in ETF cessation due to nursing care was noted, it represented only a fraction of the total time ETF were stopped. Cessation due to residual volumes, patient tolerance, and procedure continued to be a frequent occurrence and was often avoidable. Conclusions: An evidence-based infusion protocol improved the delivery of ETF in the ICU, primarily because of better physician ordering and more rapid advancement. The nursing staff rapidly assimilated these changes. However, physicians' reluctance to use the protocol limited its efficacy and will need continued educational efforts.
The Relationship Between Auditory Perceptual Skills and Reading Ability A Meta-analysis

A review of research examining the relationship of auditory perceptual skills to reading ability is presented. The techniques of meta-analysis were used to statistically integrate the findings from 106 studies. A total of 723 correlation coefficients were collected and aggregated across five auditory perceptual skills, five reading achievement variables, three grade levels, and three subject characteristics. In addition, a correlation matrix was constructed from the 723 coefficients and used as the basis for a factor analysis, cannonical correlation analysis, and step-wise multiple regression analyses describing the interrelationships among auditory perception, intelligence, and reading achievement. The present findings indicate that auditory perception is an important correlate of reading ability with the proportion of explained variance in reading achievement depending on the combination of auditory and reading variables considered. It was concluded that auditory perceptual skills should be considered i...
Sortase C-Mediated Anchoring of BasI to the Cell Wall Envelope of Bacillus anthracis

Vegetative forms of Bacillus anthracis replicate in tissues of an infected host and precipitate lethal anthrax disease. Upon host death, bacilli form dormant spores that contaminate the environment, thereby gaining entry into new hosts where spores germinate and once again replicate as vegetative forms. We show here that sortase C, an enzyme that is required for the formation of infectious spores, anchors BasI polypeptide to the envelope of predivisional sporulating bacilli. BasI anchoring to the cell wall requires the active site cysteine of sortase C and an LPNTA motif sorting signal at the C-terminal end of the BasI precursor. The LPNTA motif of BasI is cleaved between the threonine (T) and the alanine (A) residue; the C-terminal carboxyl group of threonine is subsequently amide linked to the side chain amino group of diaminopimelic acid within the wall peptides of B. anthracis peptidoglycan.
Retirement Migration and Economic Development in High-Amenity, Nonmetropolitan Areas

There has been a rapid growth of retired inmigrants in high-amenity, nonmetropolitan areas in the Southeast during the last two to three decades. This article examines the economic impact they have made on these counties and the economic development opportunities they present. Data used in this study were obtained from 350 in-home interviews of households who had moved to these counties for the purpose of retiring.
"Machiavelli's Political Science”

Machiavelli is presented as the founder of modern political science, with due regard to the fact that he never spoke of “political science.” His usage of “prudence” and “art” in The Prince is examined to see whether, as founder, he was a teacher or a ruler of future generations. His comprehensive attack on classical political science is outlined and developed through two essential points, the cycle and the soul.
Development and benchmarking of TASSERiter for the iterative improvement of protein structure predictions

To improve the accuracy of TASSER models especially in the limit where threading provided template alignments are of poor quality, we have developed the TASSERiter algorithm which uses the templates and contact restraints from TASSER generated models for iterative structure refinement. We apply TASSERiter to a large benchmark set of 2,773 nonhomologous single domain proteins that are ≤ 200 in length and that cover the PDB at the level of 35% pairwise sequence identity. Overall, TASSERiter models have a smaller global average RMSD of 5.48 A compared to 5.81 A RMSD of the original TASSER models. Classifying the targets by the level of prediction difficulty (where Easy targets have a good template with a corresponding good threading alignment, Medium targets have a good template but a poor alignment, and Hard targets have an incorrectly identified template), TASSERiter (TASSER) models have an average RMSD of 4.15 A (4.35 A) for the Easy set and 9.05 A (9.52 A) for the Hard set. The largest reduction of average RMSD is for the Medium set where the TASSERiter models have an average global RMSD of 5.67 A compared to 6.72 A of the TASSER models. Seventy percent of the Medium set TASSERiter models have a smaller RMSD than the TASSER models, while 63% of the Easy and 60% of the Hard TASSER models are improved by TASSERiter. For the foldable cases, where the targets have a RMSD to the native <6.5 A, TASSERiter shows obvious improvement over TASSER models: For the Medium set, it improves the success rate from 57.0 to 67.2%, followed by the Hard targets where the success rate improves from 32.0 to 34.8%, with the smallest improvement in the Easy targets from 82.6 to 84.0%. These results suggest that TASSERiter can provide more reliable predictions for targets of Medium difficulty, a range that had resisted improvement in the quality of protein structure predictions. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Risk Factors for Tibial Tuberosity Fracture after Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy in Dogs

Objective— To evaluate factors that predispose to tibial tuberosity (TT) fracture after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs. Study Design— Retrospective study. Animals— Dogs (n=182) with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture undergoing 213 TPLO surgeries. Methods— Medical records and radiographs of 2 groups of dogs that had TPLO surgery (2000–2001, 2004–2005) were evaluated to determine the effect of operative technique and surgeon experience on TT fracture. Results— TT fracture was diagnosed in 8 dogs (9 TPLO, 4.2% of surgical procedures). Four fractures occurred after unilateral TPLO in 167 dogs (2.4%), 4 fractures occurred after simultaneous bilateral TPLO in 5 dogs (40%), and 1 fracture occurred after staged bilateral TPLO in 36 dogs (2.8%). Simultaneous bilateral TPLO resulted in a 12.4 times higher odds of TT fracture versus unilateral TPLO (P=.046). The mean absolute thickness of the TT after TPLO was less in dogs sustaining TT fractures (7.2 ± 2.2 mm) than those that did not (10.8 ± 2.7 mm, P<.0001). The odds of fracture decreased by 37% when the absolute TT width postosteotomy increased by 1 mm (P<.0001). An increase in tibial plateau angle at follow-up versus immediately postoperative was associated with TT fracture (P=.025). Surgeon experience was not associated with TT fracture. Conclusion— A combination of surgical decision-making and surgical technique play a role in the occurrence of TT fracture after TPLO. Simultaneous bilateral TPLO was associated with a high percentage of TT fracture. Clinical Relevance— Careful planning of osteotomy positioning is advised while performing TPLO surgery.
The balance of all things: Explaining household poverty dynamics in 50 villages of Gujarat, India

Explanations for poverty have often tended to focus on momentous, especially calamitous, events. In this analysis we show how households' longer-term economic fortunes are more significantly influenced by a succession of quotidian, recurring, and comparatively minor events. Rather than any single event, it is the balance of positive and negative everyday events that better explains where a household will eventually land up. Policy interventions can make a deeper impact on poverty by influencing the balance of everyday events.
Mass transport in a novel two-fluid taylor vortex extractor

Flow instabilities occurring in rotating flows can be exploited as a new approach to liquid-liquid extraction. Two immiscible liquids are radially stratified by centrifugal force in the annulus between corotating coaxial cylinders. When the inner cylinder is rotated above a critical speed, Taylor vortices form in one or both of the fluids. Although the flow pattern yields a relatively small amount of interfacial surface area, the surface is highly active for interphase mass transfer due to the local vortex motion. By adding countercurrent axial flow, efficient continuous processing is also possible. This flow yields a viable extraction process, particularly for fluid pairs that are easily emulsifiable and therefore have limited processing options with the current equipment commercially available. This article demonstrates that two-fluid Taylor-Couette flow with countercurrent axial flow is achievable in practice and explores, experimentally and computationally, the mass-transfer characteristics of the flow. Experimentally, when the vortices first appear, axial dispersion decreases and the interphase mass transfer starts to increase. Upon further increase in differential rotation rate, the extraction performance continues to improve, with the mass-transfer coefficient proportional to the strength of Taylor vortices. This suggests that very high extraction efficiencies can be obtained with even larger relative rotation rates. Furthermore, mass-transfer boundary-layer theory, in combination with computational fluid dynamics, provides a reliable method for predicting the extraction performance.
Albedo of the ocean-atmosphere system: influence of sea foam.

The influence of the ocean's optical properties and wind induced sea surface foam (white caps) on the short-wave albedo of the ocean-atmosphere system is studied by solving the radiative transfer equation using a Monte Carlo method. It is found that for a foam free ocean, the planetary albedo of a very clear ocean is at most 10 percent greater than that for a totally absorbing ocean. However, the introduction of a relatively small amount of sea foam on the surface can produce a considerable increase in the albedo, especially if the foam is highly reflecting. For example, it is shown that for foam which is totally reflecting (the foam albedo is 1), an increase in the wind speed from 6 to 14 m/sec would double the planetary albedo for small solar zenith angles.
Language Comprehenders Mentally Represent the Shapes of Objects

We examined the prediction that people activate perceptual symbols during language comprehension. Subjects read sentences describing an animal or object in a certain location. The shape of the object or animal changed as a function of its location (e.g., eagle in the sky, eagle in a nest). However, this change was only implied by the sentences. After reading a sentence, subjects were presented with a line drawing of the object in question. They judged whether the object had been mentioned in the sentence (Experiment 1) or simply named the object (Experiment 2). In both cases, responses were faster when the pictured object's shape matched the shape implied by the sentence than when there was a mismatch. These results support the hypothesis that perceptual symbols are routinely activated in language comprehension.
Droplet breakup and viscosity-stratified flows in microchannels

The hydrodynamic coupling between droplets and viscous stratifications is examined in square microchannels. A segmented flow of droplets is injected into a viscosity-stratified flow region. The large difference in velocity between parallel streams having dissimilar viscosities produces a variety of droplet dynamics, including breakup into an array of daughter droplets. We characterize stable viscous stratifications generated using hydrodynamic focusing into a square microchannel and we present a general phase-diagram of droplet behavior. The capillary number is shown to influence both the morphology and dynamics of daughter droplets. In particular, the film thickness between droplets and walls is measured along with the droplet velocity. Deformable droplets significantly disrupt viscous stratifications at low Reynolds numbers and a plume is produced in the trail of the last daughter droplet. The formation and evolution of viscous fingers from the edges of high-viscosity stratifications are discussed. This study shows the possibility to displace high-viscosity oil with droplets in microgeometries.
The Behavior of Carbon Black-Filled Natural Rubber under High Strain Rates3

Abstract Tensile tests were conducted to obtain the deformation and failure characteristics of unfilled natural rubber (NR) and natural rubber with 25, 50, and 75 phr of N550 carbon black filler under quasistatic and dynamic loading conditions. The quasistatic tests were performed on an electromechanical INSTRON machine, while the dynamic test data were obtained from tensile impact experiments using a Charpy impact apparatus. In general, the modulus of the stress-extension ratio curves increases with increasing strain rate up to about 407, 367, 346, and 360 s−1 for unfilled, and 25, 50, and 75 phr for filled NR, respectively. Above these strain rates, the unfilled and filled natural rubber stress-extension ratio curves remained unchanged. The modulus increased with increasing strain rate because there was little time for stress relaxation. Above a critical strain rate, no change in modulus was observed because the time of the experiment was short compared to the lowest characteristic relaxation time of th...
Optical fiber ring 150 Gbps data storage loop and spontaneous variable-length-pattern generator

Summary form only given. In future ultra-high-speed optical networks, there will be a need for ultra-high-speed packet buffers. The highest-data-rate stored packets reported to date were 80 Gbps, discounting the 200 GHz pulsed laser. Here we report spontaneous generation and storage of 150 Gbps packets in a fiber ring, using 9:1 rational-harmonic modulation, so that the packet roundtrip time is 1616 1/9 RF periods. The loop stores up to 14545 bits at 150.01713 Gbps.
Embedding security in wireless embedded systems

We present an overview of how the need for security will impact the design of embedded systems and the ICs they contain. After a brief introduction to security, we discuss the challenges security processing poses to embedded system architects, integrators, HW designers, and SW engineers. These challenges, as well as current and emerging solutions to address them, are discussed in the context of a specific application domain, namely resource-constrained wireless embedded systems.
Reaction plane approach for estimating the effects of buffers on the dissolution rate of acidic drugs.

A mass transfer model was developed to describe the dissolution and reaction of an acidic drug, naproxen [(+)-6-methoxy-α-methyl-2-naphthaleneacetic acid], from a rotating disk in buffered solutions. Dissolution in 0.0010 to 0.030 M acetate, citrate, and phosphate buffer solutions, with 0.1 M KCI added, over a pH range of 2 to 8 at 25 °C, was investigated. Features of the mass transfer model include: treatment of the mass transfer as a convective diffusion process; use of the buffer reactions and the acid ionization as a single flux boundary condition; the capacity to make accurate a priori predictions without fitting film thicknesses or diffusion coefficients; and the option of considering two limiting cases for the maximal increase in dissolution that could be expected in a reactive buffer and the increase in dissolution in a buffer at maximum buffer capacity.
Transient and Steady-State Temperature Distribution in Foil-Wound Solenoids and Other Electric Apparatus of Rectangular Cross Section

The formal solution is obtained for the transient thermal response of a rectangular region with orthotropic thermal conductivity, Joulean heating, and general boundary conditions (where the temperature in the surrounding medium is a function of both space and time). In the most practical case, where the surrounding medium is at a constant ambient temperature, the transient solution takes the form of a rapidly converging doubly infinite sum whose leading term is a very simple and accurate approximation for the thermal response. Graphical aids are presented which allow the designer to quickly obtain estimates of the temperature distribution, the maximum temperature, the average temperature, the heat flow from the boundaries, and the thermal time constant. A new and interesting result is that the solution indicates that no steady-state condition exists if the heat transfer coefficients on the boundaries are below certain critical values, or if the current density is above a critical value.
Restorativeness, Procedural Justice, and Defiance as Long-Term Predictors of Reoffending of Participants in Family Group Conferences:

This study extends Hipple and colleagues' variation analysis by examining how varying degrees of restorative justice, procedural justice, and defiance in family group conference (FGC) processes and outcomes affect long-term juvenile recidivism measures in one large Midwestern U.S. city. The current study uses two data sets from the Indianapolis Juvenile Restorative Justice Experiment that include conference observations, juvenile histories, and adult criminal histories to examine how variations in FGC elements shape juvenile recidivism outcomes in a long-term follow-up period. FINDINGS reveal that the greater fidelity of FGCs to the theoretical foundations of restorativeness and procedural justice, the better outcomes in the long term as measured by future offending. Specifically, offense type and conference restorativeness influenced the probability of recidivism in the long term. RESULTS are consistent with the theoretical predictions of reintegrative shaming and procedural justice theories, providing further support that FGCs are a viable youth justice program option. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Abstract P399: Development of a Claims-Based Algorithm to Identify a Coronary Heart Disease Free Population in Medicare

Introduction: There is increasing interest in using claims data to study risk for incident coronary heart disease (CHD). However, claims-based algorithms for identifying a population without a history of CHD are not well established. Objective: To develop a claims-based algorithm for identifying a population without previous myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary revascularization. Methods: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study is a national cohort that included a baseline study visit in 2003-2007. Participants linked to Medicare claims were used to identify cohorts with continuous 6 month, 1 year, 2 year, or 3 year coverage prior to the REGARDS baseline (“look-back” periods). History of CHD at baseline was defined as a self-report of a previous MI or cardiac revascularization. We examined Medicare claims prior to baseline to identify evidence of CHD. Approaches used fixed-window look-back periods (e.g., claims within a 1 year window prior to baseline) and all available look-back (e.g. requiring a minimum of 1 year of Medicare coverage, but using all claims available prior to baseline). Among those without CHD claims in Medicare, we calculated the percent who self-reported CHD for the different look-back periods. Results: There were 8,104 participants with 6 months of look-back and no CHD claims. Requiring 1, 2 or 3 year look back periods reduced the number of participants by 1,001 (5%), 2,237 (16%) and 3,157 (26%), respectively. Using fixed-window look-back periods, the percent without CHD claims who self-reported CHD was lower with longer look-back periods (Table). Requiring 6 months of look-back and using all available claims resulted in a lower percent self-reporting CHD than any fixed-window look-back period. The percent self-reporting CHD was only modestly lower when requiring longer all available look-back periods. Conclusion: We found that a 6 month minimum look-back period is adequate for identifying a CHD-free population in Medicare when all available claims data are used. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Engaging CS students in service teaching projects

Two of the current initiatives in higher education involve engaging students in project-based learning, and increasing the numbers of K-12 students in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) pipeline. Where these two intersect are initiatives to both formally (in the context of a course) and informally (outside of a class setting) engage Computer Science students in service teaching projects This paper present the efforts and qualitative results of two such initiatives.
Reply to Yenter: Spinoza, Number, and Diversity

In his recent article, ‘Clarke Against Spinoza on the Manifest Diversity of the World’, Timothy Yenter discusses an objection which Samuel Clarke makes against Spinoza. Spinoza seems to accept the ...
Interdisciplinary Trends of Law Faculty: Possible Implications for Reference Librarians

Legal scholarship is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. This article explores some possible implications for academic reference librarians and suggests a method for gathering statistics to better understand the research needs of law faculty. The author develops a reference question classification scheme and analyzes one year of faculty research requests at the University of Washington School of Law's Gallagher Law Library.
An Addendum to the Paper “A Characterization of the n × n Matrices Over a Finite Field”

(1973). An Addendum to the Paper “A Characterization of the n × n Matrices Over a Finite Field”. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 80, No. 9, pp. 1041-1043.
Development of the expert advisory system in drug evaluation

Recently,several drug adverse events occurred,which made the community and media began to pay much attention to the construction of drug supervision system.How to develop the expert advisory system in drug evaluation and to make the drug evaluation more scientific,open,fair and justified have become an important aspect of practicing scientific concept of supervision and construction of scientific monitoring system for drug regulatory authority.In this article,we compared expert advisory system and expert database system in drug evaluation,and also recommended the proposal of improving the present expert database.
114 A CASE OF AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE INFANTILE OSTEOPETROSIS DUE TO MUTATION IN TCIRG1 PRESENTING WITH MULTIPLE CONGENITAL ANOMALIES.

Autosomal recessive infantile osteopetrosis (ARIO) is a rare and potentially fatal disorder of bone metabolism caused by a defect in osteoclast function. The pathologic features are secondary to insufficient bone resorption and usually present in the infancy. Symptoms include sclerotic bones leading to bone marrow compromise with resultant pancytopenia, cranial nerve impingement, hydrocephalus, and fracture. This is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in either TCIRG1, CLCN7, or OSTM1. Malformations are not a part of this disorder. We present a 6-month-old male, the first child between nonconsanguineous parents, who was referred to our clinic for limb defects. Findings prompting the referral included congenital left upper limb anomalies of syndactyly and radial-ulnar synostosis. There was an ipsilateral anterior rib defect, though there was no clinically appreciable hypoplasia of the pectoralis major. He also had a left low-lying, cross-fused kidney. Besides the limb anomalies, the patient presented in our clinic having signs of hydrocephalus. He had left facial nerve palsy and oculomotor abnormalities. The diagnosis of ARIO was made after hospitalization; radiographs demonstrated characteristic findings of diffuse osteosclerosis and periosteal thickening in all bones. The patient had surgical management for noncommunicating hydrocephalus with good results. The majority of cases with ARIO are compound heterozygotes. Reported homozygous patients most commonly result from a consanguineous mating or come from an isolated population (Costa Rica). Genetic testing of this patient revealed homozygosity for a rare mutation in TCIRG1, a subunit of the osteoclast vacuolar proton pump. Because this child was a product of a nonconsanguineous union, this was an unexpected result. To explain the malformations in this case, we postulated either uniparental disomy or a spontaneous contiguous gene deletion on one chromosome that included the TCIRG1 gene, which then unmasked a hemizygous recessive state. Subsequent sequence analysis of both parents for TCIRG1 mutations showed that each was a heterozygous carrier of their son9s mutation. The presence of the limb and kidney anomalies complicated the diagnosis in this case. No other reported patients with ARIO have had similar birth defects. Without treatment, early demise secondary to bone marrow failure is predicted in nearly all cases. Associated features, natural history, and management recommendations for ARIO will be reviewed.
Tenofovir Alafenamide: A Review of Its Use in the Treatment of HIV-1 Infection

Objective: To review the pharmacology, efficacy, safety, and place in therapy for tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). Data Sources: A search using PubMed was conducted (2004 to May 2016) using the followi...
Ultra-scaled AlN/GaN enhancement-& depletion-mode nanoribbon HEMTs

Due to its high electron density (> 1 × 1013 cm-2) and high electron mobility (> 1000 cm2/V.s), AlN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) present themselves as attractive candidates for high power and high speed applications. In order to continue increasing their high frequency performance, gate length (L g ) needs to be scaled downed below 30 nm. According to Jessen et al. [1], the aspect ratio of gate length (L g ) to barrier thickness (t g ) for AlGaN/GaN HEMT without back barriers should be greater than 15 to avoid the short channel effects. For ultrascaled HEMTs, the barrier thickness includes the thickness of Al(GaIn)N and a possible gate dielectric. To maintain this ratio with a reasonable two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel and low gate leakage, the gate length will be limited to be ~ 75 nm assuming a 2 nm AlN and a 3 nm gate dielectric. In this paper, a 3-dimensional nano-ribbon AlN/GaN HEMT structure is studied by simulations in comparison with experiments as a candidate for mitigating the short channel effects. By reducing the ribbon width, the device threshold voltage can also be continuously tuned from depletion mode to enhancement mode.
Flint Water Crisis: What Happened and Why?

The Flint River is a variable water source and thus a challenge to treat; oversights and missteps combined with inherent chemical conditions set the stage for the historic water crisis in Flint, Mich.
Local dominance effects on self-evaluations and intrinsic motivation

AbstractPrevious research indicates that local comparisons with one or a few people in the immediate environment have a stronger influence on self-evaluations than general comparisons with larger samples. Two studies examined whether this local dominance effect extends to intrinsic motivation. Study 1 suggests that local comparisons have a stronger effect on both self-evaluations and task enjoyment than general comparisons. Study 2 suggests that local comparisons have a stronger effect on intrinsic motivation than general comparisons and that local comparisons have a significant indirect effect on persistence via intrinsic motivation. Altogether, the present findings are among the first to demonstrate the contribution of local social comparisons to intrinsic motivation. We highlight the implications of these findings for social comparison theories.
A survey of supervised machine learning models for mobile-phone based pathogen identification and classification

Giardia lamblia causes a disease known as giardiasis, which results in diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and bloating. Although conventional pathogen detection methods used in water analysis laboratories offer high sensitivity and specificity, they are time consuming, and need experts to operate bulky equipment and analyze the samples. Here we present a field-portable and cost-effective smartphone-based waterborne pathogen detection platform that can automatically classify Giardia cysts using machine learning. Our platform enables the detection and quantification of Giardia cysts in one hour, including sample collection, labeling, filtration, and automated counting steps. We evaluated the performance of three prototypes using Giardia-spiked water samples from different sources (e.g., reagent-grade, tap, non-potable, and pond water samples). We populated a training database with >30,000 cysts and estimated our detection sensitivity and specificity using 20 different classifier models, including decision trees, nearest neighbor classifiers, support vector machines (SVMs), and ensemble classifiers, and compared their speed of training and classification, as well as predicted accuracies. Among them, cubic SVM, medium Gaussian SVM, and bagged-trees were the most promising classifier types with accuracies of ~ 94.1%, 94.2%, and 95%, respectively; we selected the latter as our preferred classifier for the detection and enumeration of Giardia cysts that are imaged using our mobile-phone fluorescence microscope. Without the need for any experts or microbiologists, this field-portable pathogen detection platform can present a useful tool for water quality monitoring in resource-limited-settings.
Malaria: Old Knowledge, New Developments

ABSTRACT Malaria is widespread in the tropics and subtropics, infecting and causing symptomatology in several hundred million people yearly. It is actually increasing in prevalence, partially due t...
Ypt4 and lvs1 regulate vacuolar size and function in Schizosaccharomyces pombe .

The yeast vacuole plays key roles in cellular stress responses. Here, we show that deletion of lvs1, the fission yeast homolog of the Chediak-Higashi Syndrome CHS1/LYST gene, increases vacuolar size, similar to deletion of the Rab4 homolog ypt4. Overexpression of lvs1-YFP rescued vacuolar size in ypt4Δ cells, but ypt4-YFP did not rescue lvs1Δ, suggesting that lvs1 may act downstream of ypt4. Vacuoles were capable of hypotonic shock-induced fusion and recovery in both ypt4Δ and lvs1Δ cells, although recovery may be slightly delayed in ypt4Δ. Endocytic and secretory trafficking were not affected, but ypt4Δ and lvs1Δ strains were sensitive to neutral pH and CaCl2, consistent with vacuolar dysfunction. In addition to changes in vacuolar size, deletion of ypt4 also dramatically increased cell size, similar to tor1 mutants. These results implicate ypt4 and lvs1 in maintenance of vacuolar size and suggest that ypt4 may link vacuolar homeostasis to cell cycle progression.
Morel-Lavallee lesion in pediatric trauma

Morel-Lavallee lesions (MLL) are closed degloving injuries that have been rarely described in the pediatric literature. These internal degloving injuries can have serious complications and long-term morbidity. Early diagnosis and intervention is imperative. We present the case of a 20-month-old with MLL of the thigh.
Valuing the air quality effects of biochar reductions on soil NO emissions

While it is clear that biochar can alter soil N2O emissions, data on NO impacts are scarce. Reports range from 0 to 67% soil NO emission reductions postbiochar amendment. We use regional air quality and health cost models to assess how these soil NO reductions could influence U.S. air quality and health costs. We find that at 67% soil NO reduction, widespread application of biochar to fertilized agricultural soils could reduce O3 by up to 2.4 ppb and PM2.5 by up to 0.15 μg/m3 in some regions. Modeled biochar-mediated health benefits are up to $4.3 million/county in 2011, with impacts focused in the Midwest and Southwest. These potential air quality and health cobenefits of biochar use highlight the need for an improved understanding of biochar’s impacts on soil NO emissions. The benefits reported here should be included with estimates of other biochar benefits, such as crop yield increase, soil water management, and N2O reductions.
Hospitalization in low-level trauma centres after severe traumatic brain injury: review of a population-based emergency department data base.

Objective: To achieve the best possible recovery, individuals with severe TBI should be treated at Level I/II trauma centres (I/II TC). Increased morbidity and mortality can result when injured pat...
Estimation of ICE basal reflectivity of byrd glacier using RES data

Ice basal conditions determine the ice flow dynamics and are needed for the accurate modeling of ice sheets. In this paper, a large volume of data, collected over Antarctica's Byrd Glacier in 2011–2012 with multichannel radar, is analyzed to infer the basal conditions. The analysis of received radio echo sounding data includes power loss corrections for spherical spreading and roughness of the ice-surface and ice-bed interfaces, and the estimate of relative englacial attenuation and basal reflectivity values. From the estimated relative basal reflectivity values, basal conditions are inferred, and are validated using geophysical features from radar images, abruptness and coherence index values. The identified locations of high basal reflectivity values provide new insights on the subglacial hydrological network of Byrd Glacier.
“Peek-A-Boo, We See You Too”: Homelessness and visuality in New York City:

This paper examines an anti-homeless visual campaign which appeared in New York City in the summer of 2015, in the midst of a resurgence of public concern over the visibility of homeless New Yorker...
Vascular Basement Membrane Abnormalities and Alzheimer’s Disease

There is a growing consensus that microvascular damage is an important contributing factor to the pathogenesis of dementia (1). Increased vascular tortuosity and narrowing is a frequent consequence of normal aging and is significantly worsened by Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Furthermore, late-onset sporadic AD, which comprises approximately 90% of AD cases, has been associated with homozy-gosity for the circulating plasma high-density lipoprotein apo E4. This chapter describes some of the recent work that has been conducted to suggest an association between damage to the microvascula-ture within the central nervous system (CNS) and AD development.
Introduction to Mathematica

In this first chapter, we give a general overview of the abilities and possible applications of Mathematica by examples, along with some of its limitations. We present the most important syntactic differences between Mathematica and other programming languages, including the use of symbols, parentheses (), braces ·×, and brackets [ ] . The preferred way for formatting source code is also discussed. A short tour is taken through the numerical, graphical, symbolic, and programming capabilities of Mathematica. One important subject omitted (because the main focus of this book series is the application of Mathematica to problems from the natural sciences and engineering) is the typesetting- and electronic document-related feature set of Mathematica. See The Mathematica Book [1157] and [457] for details.
Phase I study of PF‐04895162, a Kv7 channel opener, reveals unexpected hepatotoxicity in healthy subjects, but not rats or monkeys: clinical evidence of disrupted bile acid homeostasis.

During a randomized Phase 1 clinical trial the drug candidate, PF-04895162 (ICA-105665), caused transaminase elevations (≥grade 1) in six of eight healthy subjects treated at 300 mg twice daily for 2-weeks (NCT01691274). This was unexpected since studies in rats (<6 months) and cynomolgus monkeys (<9 months) treated up to 100 mg/kg/day did not identify the liver as a target organ. Mechanistic studies showed PF-04895162 had low cytotoxic potential in human hepatocytes, but inhibited liver mitochondrial function and bile salt export protein (BSEP) transport. Clinical relevance of these postulated mechanisms of liver injury was explored in three treated subjects that consented to analysis of residual pharmacokinetic plasma samples. Compared to a nonresponder, two subjects with transaminase elevations displayed higher levels of miRNA122 and total/conjugated bile acid species, whereas one demonstrated impaired postprandial clearance of systemic bile acids. Elevated taurine and glycine conjugated to unconjugated bile acid ratios were observed in two subjects, one before the onset of elevated transaminases. Based on the affinity of conjugated bile acid species for transport by BSEP, the profile of plasma conjugated/unconjugated bile acid species was consistent with inhibition of BSEP. These data collectively suggest that the human liver injury by PF-04895162 was due to alterations in bile acid handling driven by dual BSEP/mitochondrial inhibition, two important risk factors associated with drug-induced liver injury in humans. Alterations in systemic bile acid composition were more important than total bile acids in the manifestation of clinical liver injury and may be a very early biomarker of BSEP inhibition.
BioRad BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay: Incidence of false positivity in a low-prevalence population and its effects on the current HIV testing algorithm.

Abstract Background The BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay, unlike other HIV 1/2 antigen/antibody immunoassays, is capable of differentiating positive HIV-1 antibodies (Groups M and O) from HIV-2 antibodies and/or HIV-1 p24 antigen in a single test. Objective The Alaska State Virology Laboratory (ASVL) adopted the BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay early 2017 and can report on its performance in terms of false positivity in a low-prevalence population and its effects on the current HIV testing algorithm recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Study Design Specimens received between March 2017 and August 2018 were screened using the BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay. Specimens screening positive for HIV antibodies or antigen were further confirmed using the Geenius™ HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay and/or HIV RNA testing. Results Of the 12,338 sera screened by the BioPlex assay for HIV, 35 specimens were positive. Only 22 of the specimens were confirmed by supplemental testing and were considered to be truly positive (PPV, 62.9%). RNA was not detected in these cases suggesting initial false positivity on the BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay. True positive results had index values (IDX) of >180 whereas false positive IDX’s were between 1 and 4, with the exception of one specimen. Conclusions We suggest that specimens demonstrating positivity with low IDX values 4 on the BioPlex® HIV Ag-Ab assay proceed directly to RNA testing, essentially bypassing supplemental antibody confirmation tests, to reduce turnaround time and cost of HIV confirmation.
Distribution Estimation for Stochastic Approximation in Finite Samples Using A Surrogate Stochastic Differential Equation Method

Evaluating the statistical error in the estimate coming from a stochastic approximation (SA) algorithm is useful for confidence region calculation and the determination of stopping times. Robbins-Monro (RM) type stochastic gradient descent is a widely used method in SA. Knowledge of the probability distribution of the SA process is useful for error analysis. Currently, however, only the asymptotic distribution has been studied in this setting in asymptotic theories, while distribution functions in the finite-sample regime have not been clearly depicted. We developed a method to estimate the finite sample distribution based on a surrogate process. We described the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) process as a Euler-Maruyama (EM) scheme for some RM types of stochastic differential equations (SDEs). Weak convergence theory for EM schemes validates its surrogate property with a convergence in distribution sense. For the first time, we have shown that utilizing the solution of Fokker-Planck (FP) equation for the surrogate SDE is appropriate to characterize the evolution of the distribution function in SGD process.
Synthesis of Pyrrolidines and Pyrroles by Tandem Amination/Cyanation/Alkylation and Amination/Oxidation Sequences.

A three component tandem reaction of primary amino-tethered alkynes gives α-CN substituted pyrrolidines in good regioselectivities.
Effects of prestressing and saw-cutting on the freeze-thaw durability

Abstract There are many factors that affect the freeze-thaw durability of concrete elements, including proper air entrainment system, freeze-thaw durable aggregates, low permeability, and proper curing. While ASTM C666 allows the excising of small freeze-thaw samples from larger sections it doesn't address the issues that can arise when excising samples from prestressed concrete and subsequent testing in freezing and thawing. In order to investigate the effects of saw-cutting, the existence of reinforcement, and use of prestressing, concrete samples of different sizes, with and without saw-cutting, with and without reinforcement, and with and without prestressing were tested in freeze-thaw. The freeze-thaw mechanism was adjusted, from that of ASTM C666, for the larger sample in terms of freezing and thawing rates and the testing method. The results indicate that saw-cutting through plain concrete had minimal effect on the freeze-thaw durability, whereas sawcuts through reinforcement were shown to be very detrimental to the measured durability in the tests.
Photobiomodulation therapy in diabetic wound healing

Abstract Chronic wounds in diabetics present a significant healthcare burden due to the complexity of the underlying pathophysiological responses. Several novel modalities are being actively explored to aid diabetic wound management, including biological and biophysical agents. Among them, the use of low-dose biophotonics treatments termed Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been noted to be effective at improving acute and chronic wound healing. The use of this noninvasive, nonionizing source of low-dose light provides an attractive clinical modality to promote wound healing. There has been significant mechanistic insights in the past decade on the precise molecular pathways mediating its therapeutic efficacy that include mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase, photosensitive cell membrane receptors and transport channels and extracellular activation of latent TGF-β1. This review focuses on the signal transduction pathways involved in PBM-induced diabetic wounds to examine putative therapeutic implications.
Technology for condition and performance evaluation of highway bridges

Today, bridge owners must consider increasing traffic demands (in both volume and weight) and also face concerns related to sustainability, resilience and liveability which were virtually unknown in the 1950s. Furthermore, legislators demand data-driven asset management decisions based on objective, quantitative and reliable bridge condition and performance evaluation. To explore the current state-of-the-art in objective performance and condition evaluation of constructed systems by leveraging technology, a 30-year old freeway bridge in New Jersey, exhibiting multiple complex performance deficiencies, was transformed into a field laboratory. To identify the root causes of performance concerns, Visual Inspection, Operational Monitoring, Forced Excitation Testing, Controlled Load Testing, Non-destructive Probes, Long-term Monitoring, Finite Element Modelling and Parameter Identification were conducted within a Structural Identification framework. The results showed that root causes of some performance deficiencies of the test bridge were identified definitively only through the application of field measurements and analyses integrated by following a scientific approach—i.e. Structural Identification. Controlled Proof-Load Testing was especially useful in demonstrating the location and impacts of damage and the remaining capacity although such an approach can only be considered for the most critical cases due to its high cost and disruption to operations. Operational monitoring was shown as a sufficient and much cheaper alternative for structural identification permitting the development of a 3D digital twin of the bridge, which proved critical in identifying the root causes of its deficiencies and formulating meaningful interventions. Without an a-priori model used for designing the experiments as well as a model (i.e. a digital twin) calibrated by parameter identification and used for simulations, it was not possible to offer options for corrective measures confidently. The study demonstrated the challenges in relying only on visual inspection when a multitude of interdependent mechanisms lead to damage and deterioration, and the information value of different experimental methods such as vibration testing, proof load testing, wide-area NDE scans and multi-year SHM in being able to understand the root causes of various damages.
Estimation of Construction Site Elevations Using Drone-Based Orthoimagery and Deep Learning

AbstractUsing deep learning to recover depth information from a single image has been studied in many situations, but there are no published articles related to the determination of construction si...