cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MOVEMENT OF FEMALE WHITE-TAILED DEER: EFFECTS OF CLIMATE AND INTENSIVE ROW-CROP AGRICULTURE

Movements (e.g., migration, dispersal) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) vary greatly over the geographic range of the species. Therefore, region-specific, empirical information is needed to effectively manage deer populations. Movements of white-tailed deer have been well documented in forest dominated habitats; however, little information related to white-tailed deer movements exists in intensively (>80%) cultivated areas. From January 2001 to August 2002, we monitored movements of 77 (61 adult, 16 young) female white-tailed deer in southwest Minnesota. We collected 6,867 locations, calculated 130 home ranges, and documented 149 seasonal movements. Fifteen percent of deer were nonmigratory, whereas 35% were facultative migrators, and 42.5% were obligate migrators. Mean distance between summer and winter home range was 10.1 km. Temperature and snow depth had the greatest influence on initiation of seasonal migration, whereas crop emergence and harvest had minimal effects. Four deer (8%) dispersed a mean distance of 71.3 km with 1 adult female moving a straight-line distance of 205 km. All dispersing deer occupied a temporary staging area for approximately 1 month between previous winter and new summer ranges. Mean home range (95% use area) in winter (5.2 km2) was over twice as large as home range in summer (2.3 km2). Movements exhibited by white-tailed deer in southwest Minnesota were influenced by large annual fluctuations in climate and a highly fragmented landscape dominated by row-crop agriculture. We provide data beneficial to biologists managing northern populations of white-tailed deer in fragmented environments by detailing the relationship between climate, intensive agriculture, and deer movements.
Suspension effects on rat femur-medial collateral ligament-tibia unit

To study the influence of a 2-wk absence of normal weight-bearing forces on dense fibrous connective tissues of growing animals, the geometrical and biomechanical characteristics were examined of femur-medial collateral ligament (MCL)-tibia units (FMT unit) of age-matched controls and tail-suspended young male rats. During the 2-wk suspension, the rate of longitudinal growth of MCL decreased significantly, but no differences were found in the cross-sectional area of the MCL of the two groups. The tensile stiffness of suspension FMT units was significantly less than control, and the proportional, maximum, and failure loads of FMT units were also significantly less for the suspended animals. The stresses in the suspension MCL at the proportional limit were significantly less than control values. These results indicated that a 2-wk absence of normal weight-bearing forces adversely affected the rate of longitudinal growth of MCL and the mechanical properties of the rat FMT unit.
Diagnostic Value of Somatosensory-Evoked Potential Monitoring During Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping: A Systematic Review.

Background Perioperative stroke is a known complication in patients undergoing surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms. Objective To evaluate whether intraoperative changes in somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring during cerebral aneurysm clipping is diagnostic of perioperative stroke. Methods An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was done for studies published through May 2015 on SSEP monitoring in cerebral aneurysm clipping for predicting postoperative outcomes. All titles and abstracts were screened independently on the basis of predetermined criteria. Inclusion criteria included randomized clinical trials and prospective or retrospective cohort reviews; patients with intracranial aneurysms who underwent surgical clipping with intra-operative SSEP monitoring and postoperative neurologic assessment; studies published in English on adult humans ≥18 years with sample size of ≥50; and studies inclusive of an abstract with adequate details on outcomes. Results A total of 14 articles with a sample population of 2015 patients were analyzed. SSEP monitoring demonstrated a strong mean specificity of 84.5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] −76.3 to 90.3) but weaker sensitivity of 56.8% (95% CI 44.1−68.6) for predicting stroke. A diagnostic odds ratio of 7.772 (95% CI 5.133−11.767) suggested that the odds of observing an SSEP change among those with a postoperative neurologic deficit were 7 times greater than those without a neurologic deficit. Conclusion Intraoperative SSEP monitoring is highly specific for predicting neurologic outcome after cerebral aneurysm clipping. Patients with postoperative neurologic deficits are 7 times more likely to have had intraoperative SSEP changes. SSEP monitoring may help design prevention strategies to reduce stroke rates after cerebral aneurysm clipping.
Fractures of the Forearm in Children

Open operation should not be performed on fractures of the forearm in children. Good alignment can be obtained by closed reduction, accepting poor apposition if necessary and allowing growth to compensate. In open fractures good surgical principles should be used in the treatment of the wounds and the fracture should be reduced without internal fixation. Roentgenograms should be made ten to fourteen days after reduction since even the simplest fracture can slip. The radial head should not be removed in children. The intact cortex of a greenstick fracture should be broken to avoid recurrence of the deformity. Simple wedging of the cast can restore satisfactory alignment to a fracture that has slipped, thus saving many remanipulations under general anesthesia. Both the joint above and the joint below a fracture should be immobilized.
Global System for Transportation Simulation and Visualization in Emergency Evacuation Scenarios

Simulation-based studies are frequently used for evacuation planning and decision making. Given the complexity of and data availability for transportation systems, most evacuation simulation models focus on certain geographic areas. With routine improvement of OpenStreetMap road networks and LandScan global population distribution data, this paper presents the Toolbox for Urban Mobility Simulations (TUMS). TUMS uses unified data structure for simulation inputs. The toolbox also integrates a supernode trip distribution model as the default simulation parameter to improve the system computational performance. Two levels of visualization tools, including link-based macroscopic visualization and vehicle-based microscopic visualization, are implemented for evacuation performance analysis. For left-hand and right-hand traffic patterns in different countries, the authors propose a mirror technique to experiment with both scenarios without significantly changing traffic simulation models. Sixteen cities in the Un...
Demonstration of E. coli viability in the PET drug, 18F-FDG, sterility samples after 72 h hold

466 Objectives PET CGMP, 21 CFR Part 212, December 10, 2009, requires sterility testing be started within 30 h post end of synthesis (EOS). This study was performed to determine whether holding sterility samples, inoculated with E. coli for 72 h would reduce viability of inoculated organism, and demonstrate that equivalent results would be obtained, as suggested by the FDA Guidance, “PET Drugs—CGMP,” December 2009. Methods Three 18F-FDG lots were tested: E.coli Results All 3 18F-FDG lots plus E. coli, stored either at RT or in the refrigerator, were inoculated in TSB media @ 72 h post EOS. All samples showed bacterial growth within 3 days of incubation. All 3 control lots of 18F-FDG stored at RT for 72 h, inoculated in TSB media, showed no bacterial growth. All 3 lots of 18F-FDG, stored at RT for 72 h, then mixed with E. coli & immediately inoculated in TSB media, showed growth within 3 days. Conclusions Experimental results demonstrate holding sterility samples for 72 h does not adversely affect the sample or test results. This indicates no significant loss in viability of the USP indicator organism (E. coli)& demonstrates equivalent results
P2-S8.05 Use of cellular telephones in a study of high-risk patients

Objectives To describe interest, uptake, advantages and problems associated with the use of cellular phones in a study of incident STDs in a high-risk population. Methods Study participants (SP) (N=357; 18–29 yrs; 91% African American; 19.9% incident STD at enrolment: Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Trichomoniasis) were enrolled in a 12-week study involving weekly STD sampling and three times daily electronic diary submission via cellular phone. SPs received 3 months of free unlimited calling, texting and internet browsing as part of study and an option to retain the phone at study conclusion. Results Eligible SPs, the majority of whom were self-referred, were placed on a waiting list (volume range: 50–150 people) until space in the study was available (avg time: 4 months). About 50% of persons on the waiting list were not enrolled; common barriers included invalid contact information and no call back. Advantages to SP cell phone use included: paperless data collection (SPs who completed the study [N=261] submitted 89.99% of expected diaries), facilitated communication between SP and study staff, free cell minutes/texting and internet, and the option to keep phone at study conclusion (about 80%) as incentives to SPs. Challenges with cell phone use included issues with actual use (most common: failing to charge phone or poor care of phone), technical problems (most common: equipment failure [11.2%] and connectivity problems [21.1%]), theft (about 10%) and equipment breakage/damage [14.8%]). Once SP reported equipment issues, the time to replacement was short (average: 2 days). Conclusion The data support the feasibility of using cellular phones in a high-risk population. Participants were not recruited for the waiting list, but self-referred. SPs were able to complete and submit surveys correctly and work with technical issues encountered.
Electrical and Structural Study on Ion Implanted Poly(Dimethylsilylene-Co-Methylphenylsilylene)

The effects of ion implantation on the electrical and structural properties of poly(dimethylsilylene-co-methylphenylsilylene), DMIOPS, thin films have been investigated. Ionic species of krypton, arsenic, fluorine, chlorine, and sulfur were implfgted at energies ranging from 35 to 200 key and with doses of up to 1 × 10 16 ion/cm 2 . The conductivity of the polymer increased upon implantation reaching a maximum value of 9.6 × 10 −6 (Ω cm) −1 for the case of arsenic ion at a dose of 1 × 10 16 ion/cm 2 and energy of 100 keV. The results showed that ion implantation induced conduction in DUMPS was primarily due to structural modifications of the material brought about by the energetic ions. Infrared analysis and Auger electron spectroscopy showed evidence for the formation of a silicon carbide-like structure upon implantation.
1H NMR studies distinguish the water soluble metabolomic profiles of untransformed and RAS-transformed cells

Metabolomic profiling is an increasingly important method for identifying potential biomarkers in cancer cells with a view towards improved diagnosis and treatment. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides a potentially noninvasive means to accurately characterize differences in the metabolomic profiles of cells. In this work, we use (1)H NMR to measure the metabolomic profiles of water soluble metabolites extracted from isogenic control and oncogenic HRAS-, KRAS-, and NRAS-transduced BEAS2B lung epithelial cells to determine the robustness of NMR metabolomic profiling in detecting differences between the transformed cells and their untransformed counterparts as well as differences among the RAS-transformed cells. Unique metabolomic signatures between control and RAS-transformed cell lines as well as among the three RAS isoform-transformed lines were found by applying principal component analysis to the NMR data. This study provides a proof of principle demonstration that NMR-based metabolomic profiling can robustly distinguish untransformed and RAS-transformed cells as well as cells transformed with different RAS oncogenic isoforms. Thus, our data may potentially provide new diagnostic signatures for RAS-transformed cells.
The Aging Skin

The anatomic, biochemical, and physical changes occurring in the skin with aging are reviewed and discussed. An attempt is made to distinguish between changes resulting from accumulated injury from environmental factors and the changes of aging per se.
Identification and characterization of a haem biosynthesis locus in Veillonella

Haemin/haem is one of the essential nutrients required by periodontopathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis to grow in vitro. In the oral cavity, this nutrient is believed to be provided by the crevicular fluid, a serum-like exudate produced during gum inflammation. However, P. gingivalis is also present in the healthy dental biofilm where inflammation is absent. This study was designed to answer the question: what organism(s) in the healthy dental biofilm provides haemin/haem to those periodontal pathogens? We report here that veillonellae, a group of bridging species in dental biofilm development, harbour a complete gene cluster for haem biosynthesis. Haemin production was detected from cell lysate, suggesting that the haem biosynthesis pathway is functional in veillonellae. Using the only transformable strain Veillonella atypica OK5, we inactivated specific key genes in the haem biosynthesis pathway. Inactivation of hemE, encoding the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, not only abolished haemin production but also significantly decreased OK5-supported growth of P. gingivalis. A luciferase gene reporter to the hemEHG operon demonstrated up-regulation of operon expression by P. gingivalis. Analysis of all sequenced genomes of oral bacteria in the HOMD database identified three genera (Veillonella, Propionibacterium and Aggregatibacter) that have a complete haem biosynthesis gene cluster, suggesting that they all could be potential haemin/haem providers in the dental biofilm.
New England Lyme Disease in England

A 6 year old boy seen this month after recovery from severe neurological complications of Lyme disease prompts this report to alert pediatricians and neurologists to the increase in incidence of this seasonal infectious disease, especially among campers in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
The Asymmetry of Space: Kant’s Theory of Absolute Space in 1768

This chapter examines the 1768 article in which Kant argues for absolute space utilizing the phenomenon of incongruent counterparts. The literature on this article is in agreement that Kant fails to achieve his goal, because absolute space is unable to provide anything but “positional” relations (Lage), which cannot distinguish left and right counterparts in any absolute sense. I argue that Kant’s argument only fails when one assumes that space is an empty receptacle or an immaterial, mathematical void that lacks qualitative features. Instead, if one uses the concept of space that he has always held, then the universal qualitative asymmetry (left-to-right rotation) of the attractive force that constitutes space is able to provide a ground for directional notions (Gegenden) and, thus, to distinguish incongruent counterparts. This article from 1768 plays an important role in Kant’s development because it is his first articulation of the argument that will be central to his Critical theory of space and time. That argument is that the quantitative relations of space and time are metaphysically dependent on the qualitative notions of direction.
Reduction of Diesel Engine Emissions Performance – Further Steps Towards a Fast and Flexible Fuel Injection

Diesel engines remain the main powertrain concept in view of efficiency and robustness. On the one hand the emissions towards the future EU CO2 limit of 95 g/km by 2021 further demands the reduction of the fuel consumption. On the other hand the new WLTP test cycle and RDE emissions tests demand to reduce the engine-out raw emissions. So far, the main development path of the fuel injection system is focusing on increasing the rail pressure. The increase of the no. of injection events is another approach that aims for phasing the combustion in the working process of the Diesel engine efficiently. This approach is limited by the needle opening speed and capability of closed-coupled injection events. Such features were so far restricted to Piezo injectors. Recently the solenoid injector was enhanced to close this gap and it was firstly tested on an hydraulic test bench and a 4 cyl. passenger car Diesel engine. The hydraulic and engine performance is compared against the solenoid injector G4S and the Piezo injector G4P. With increasing the injection rate steepness and reducing the hydraulic intervals, a triple pilot injection strategy is applied to control the ignition delay and rate of combustion. The steep injection rate reduces the soot emissions without compromising the combustion noise. On the other hand the short interval and fast needle actuation reduces the injection and combustion duration. Thanks to this improved hydraulic performance the BSFC could be improved by 1.7% and soot emissions reduced by 36% at engine part load conditions (2000 rpm, BMEP=6 bar).
Abstract 81: Beta-catenin Loss-of-function in Cardiac Fibroblasts Attenuate Cardiac Fibrosis After Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice

Background: Cardiac fibrosis increases myocardium stiffness, impairs cardiac function and contributes to heart failure. Activated fibroblasts produce excessive extracellular matrix leading to fibro...
Controversies in measles immunization recommendations.

Abstract Controversy in medicine is inevitable, but it becomes problematic when the issue is a serious public health problem requiring a clear plan of action. In recent years measles has made a major resurgence in this country, with provisional figures showing 89 measles-related deaths in 1990. The Immunization Practices Advisory Committee of the US Public Health Service, the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the US Preventive Services Task Force have all issued recommendations for measles immunization. Most of these recommendations are in agreement, but they conflict on the age at which vaccination should be given and the number of doses. To assist physicians in disentangling this complex web, I review the history of measles immunization in the United States and give the rationale for particular positions wherein the groups disagree. I describe protocols for routine vaccinations, endemic areas, outbreak control, colleges and universities, and international travel.
“Strengthening the Moral Compass”: The Effects of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) Therapy on Moral and Spiritual Development

This paper argues that therapy with the drug MDMA (also known as Ecstasy) can have positive results in pain reduction for post-traumatic stress disorder and can also encourage moral development and the growth of compassion as well as religious and spiritual insight. Today, small-scale drug trials of MDMA are being performed in a highly controlled clinical environment without any spiritual or moral interpretative framework to help the subjects understand their experiences. Such a framework could help patients integrate and find meaning in the intense, traumatic experiences they have undergone. Pastoral counselors, psychologists, and religious professionals might find it useful to explore this form of therapy further.
Advances regarding Evaluation and Action in Husserl’s Ideas II

He who sees everywhere only nature, nature in the sense of, and, as it were, through the eyes of, natural science, is precisely blind to the spiritual sphere, the special domain of the human sciences. Such a one does not see persons and does not see the Objects which depend for their sense upon personal performances, i.e., Objects of “culture.” (IV: 191)
Breast cancer risk associated with atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ initially diagnosed on core-needle biopsy

BACKGROUND Breast cancer risk estimates for atypical lesions are based primarily on case-control studies of patients with open biopsies. The authors report the cumulative breast cancer incidence after a core biopsy diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia (ductal or lobular) or lobular carcinoma in situ. METHODS A cohort study with central pathology review was conducted on 393 patients who had core biopsy diagnoses of atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ from 1995 through 2010. Follow-up was available for 255 of 264 patients (97%) at a median of 87 months (range, 3-236 months). RESULTS There were 212 patients (54%) who were not upgraded on excision and had no personal history of breast cancer. Of these, 21 of 212 (9.9%) developed breast cancer, including 15 invasive carcinomas, 4 ductal carcinomas in situ, 1 pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ, and 1 unknown type. The prior core biopsy diagnoses were atypical ductal hyperplasia for 11 patients (52%) and atypical lobular hyperplasia/lobular carcinoma in situ in the remaining 10 patients (48%). The number of atypical foci in the core biopsy was not significantly associated with the subsequent development of breast cancer (P = .42). Of the 15 invasive carcinomas, 11 (73%) were ipsilateral, 11 (73%) were pathologic T1 tumors, 5 (33%) were pathologic N1 tumors, 13 (87%) were estrogen receptor-positive, and 1 (7%) was amplified for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. CONCLUSIONS In patients who had an initial diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ on core biopsy, the 7-year cumulative breast cancer incidence was 9.9%. Most tumors were ipsilateral, stage I, estrogen receptor-positive, invasive carcinomas. The current data support close clinical and radiologic follow-up for more than 5 years in this patient population. Cancer 2018;124:459-65. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Animal Models of Learning and Memory

One goal of behavioral neuroscience is to illuminate the neural underpinnings of basic learning and memory as captured in a set of reliable behavioral phenomena. A number of associative models of learning have been proposed to account for these phenomena at an elementary cognitive (i.e., associative) level and to organize these phenomena into a set of fundamental processes that demand a neural basis. This article describes critical behavioral phenomena and organizes them according to similarities in procedure and consequent behavior. These phenomena are then used as benchmarks for the most widely referenced contemporary associative models of learning.
Die Biegung gekrümmter Stäbe

Ist die in jedem Querschnitt wirkende Normalkraft nach Grose, Richtung und Angriffspunkt bekannt, so ergibt sich unter Annahme linearer Spannungsverteilung die Normalspannung an jedem Punkt nach den in Kap. IX entwickelten Gleichungen. Bleiben die Spannungen innerhalb der Proportionalitatsgrenze, so schliest die Annahme linearer Spannungsverteilung die des Ebenbleibens der Querschnitte in sich ein unter der Voraussetzung, das ein ursprunglich ebener Querschnitt eben bleibt, und ferner das alle Querschnitte vor der Deformation einander parallel sind, d. h. das die Stabachse gerade ist.
A Low Cost Single Chip VDL Compatible Transceiver ASIC

Recent trends in commercial communications system components have focussed almost exclusively on cellular telephone technology. As many of the traditional sources of receiver components have discontinued non-cellular telephone products, the designers of avionics and other low volume radio applications find themselves increasingly unable to find highly integrated components. This is particularly true for low power, low cost applications which cannot afford the lavish current consumption of the software defined radio approach increasingly taken by certified device manufacturers. In this paper, we describe a low power transceiver chip targeting applications from low VHF to low UHF frequencies typical of avionics systems. The chip encompasses a selectable single or double conversion design for the receiver and a low power IF upconversion transmitter. All local oscillators are synthesized and integrated into the chip. An on-chip I-Q modulator and demodulator provide baseband modulation and demodulation capability allowing the use of low power, fixed point signal processing components for signal demodulation. The goal of this program is to demonstrate a low cost VDL mode-3 transceiver using this chip to receive text weather information sent using 4-slot TDMA with no support for voice. The data will be sent from an experimental ground station. This work is funded by NASA Glenn Research Center.
The Weierstrass-Mandelbrot Process Provides a Series Approximation to the Harmonizable Fractional Stable Motion

We show that Weierstrass’s nowhere differentiable function can be modified and randomized, so as to provide a series approximation to the Harmonizable Fractional Stable Motion. The Harmonizable Fractional Stable Motion, which is a complex-valued, stable, self-similar process with stationary increments, is one of the many different extensions of fractional Brownian motion to the stable case.
Evidence for multiple mechanisms underlying surface electric-field noise in ion traps

Electric-field noise from ion-trap electrode surfaces can limit the fidelity of multiqubit entangling operations in trapped-ion quantum information processors and can give rise to systematic errors in trapped-ion optical clocks. The underlying mechanism for this noise is unknown, but it has been shown that the noise amplitude can be reduced by energetic ion bombardment, or ``ion milling,'' of the trap electrode surfaces. Using a single trapped $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}^{+}$ ion as a sensor, we investigate the temperature dependence of this noise both before and after ex situ ion milling of the trap electrodes. Making measurements over a trap electrode temperature range of 4 K to 295 K in both sputtered niobium and electroplated gold traps, we see a marked change in the temperature scaling of the electric-field noise after ion milling: power-law behavior in untreated surfaces is transformed to Arrhenius behavior after treatment. The temperature scaling becomes material-dependent after treatment as well, strongly suggesting that different noise mechanisms are at work before and after ion milling. To constrain potential noise mechanisms, we measure the frequency dependence of the electric-field noise, as well as its dependence on ion-electrode distance, for niobium traps at room temperature both before and after ion milling. These scalings are unchanged by ion milling.
Adjunctive therapies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis—where do we stand?

IPF is a restrictive lung disease that is characterized by dyspnea, non-productive cough and progressive loss of lung function. Some patients with IPF will have a slow and steady decline in their lung function, while others can experience a more rapid deterioration in their health and documented lung functions (1). The pathogenesis of IPF [histologically referred to as usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)], is incompletely understood. However, it may involve a number of genes including surfactant protein C and telomerase mutations, resultant pneumocyte senescence, and aberrant repair pathways hallmarked by progressive pulmonary fibrosis (2,3).
What Does Corporate Covernance Mean to Nonprofessional Investors

This paper presents an exploratory study which develops a new measure of corporate governance based on individual investors' perceptions of corporate governance factors. A survey assessing investors' perceptions of twenty-two corporate governance items selected due to their theoretical importance was developed and administered to 438 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis, 10 factors were extracted from the survey data. These factors provide insight on how individual investors view corporate governance.
Azure Networking

To create the Azure cloud, we imagined and built a massive cloud network, literally from the ground up. Azure creates and sustains a virtual data center for every tenant, under the tenant's control, meeting the tenant's goals for high security, reliability, ease of use, and performance. Building all this calls for innovation across hardware and software. I'll discuss key challenges and solutions, as well as demo new functionality.
Influenza-Related Communication and Community Mitigation Strategies: Results From the 2015 Pandemic Influenza Readiness Assessment

Emergence of a novel infectious disease, such as pandemic influenza, is the one global crisis most likely to affect the greatest number of people worldwide. Because of the potentially severe and contagious nature of influenza, a rapid multifaceted pandemic response, which includes nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and effective strategies for communication with the public are essential for a timely response and mitigating the spread of disease. A web-based questionnaire was administered via email in July 2015 to 62 Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) directors across jurisdictions that receive funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PHEP cooperative agreement. This report focuses on two modules: Public Information and Communication and Community Mitigation. Consistent and targeted communication are critical for the acceptability and success of NPIs. All 62 jurisdictions have developed or are in the process of developing a communications plan. Community-level NPIs such as home isolation, school closures, and respiratory etiquette play a critical role in mitigating the spread of disease. Effective, ongoing communication with the public is essential to ensuring wide spread compliance of NPI's, especially among non-English-speaking populations. Planning should also include reaching vulnerable populations and identifying the correct legal authorities for closing schools and canceling mass gatherings.
The utility of guaiac stool testing in the detection of gastrointestinal complications in infants with critical congenital heart disease

Background Guaiac stool testing has been routinely used as a method to detect gastrointestinal complications in infants with critical congenital heart disease (CHD); however, the sensitivity and specificity have not been established. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed investigating the presence of heme-positive stools and subsequent gastrointestinal complications as well as time to goal caloric intake and radiograph exposure. Results The presence of heme-positive stools was not a statistically significant factor in patients with critical CHD that experienced gastrointestinal complications. Additionally, patients with heme-positive stools did undergo more abdominal X-rays than those with heme-negative stools. Conclusions The routine use of guaiac stool testing in infants with critical CHD is not a predictor of possible gastrointestinal complications and leads to more radiograph exposure for the patient. Close clinical monitoring can be used to evaluate feeding tolerance in infants with critical CHD.
Application of RLC Filters and Analog Circuits for Increasing Information Bandwidth of Channels of Data Acquisition Units

Fatigue cracks can be detected and monitored by using resistive crack propagation sensors (CPS). Usually the sensor is composed by a series of conductive strands connected in parallel. When the crack propagates underneath the sensor, subsequent strands of the sensor are breaking down which results in increase of the sensor’s resistance. Therefore, by tracking the resistance of the sensor, the condition of the structure being monitored can be inferred. However, due to nonlinear behavior of the parallel connection resistance, usually CPS sensors are unidirectional only, unless the geometry of individual sensor’s strands is designed properly. Also, the result of the measurement can be influenced by many factors, e.g. the temperature, acting not only on the sensor itself, but also on other elements of the measuring system, which can bias the results and increase risk of false calls. In the paper the design of an analog device capable to track integrity of every strand of a sensor or make measurements of several CPS using single analog input channel is presented. The underlying idea is based on properly designed RLC band-pass filter. An example of the implementation and computer simulations as well as results of first laboratory tests are also delivered in the paper.
81. COMFORT AND PERCEIVED VALUE: PARENT VIEWS OF TRAINEE PARTICIPATION IN PEDIATRIC CARE

Intro Trainees require progressive autonomy to prepare for unsupervised practice as physicians. Studies show that patients largely accept trainee participation in their own medical care, but little is known about parental perceptions of medical student and resident engagement in pediatric care. Methods We conducted a national cross-sectional online survey of parents with at least one child under 18 years. The survey used 5-point Likert scale to explore acceptability, desirability, and perceived value of medical student and resident involvement in pediatric care. The survey also assessed parent comfort with progressive trainee autonomy in the clinical encounter. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare means for Likert scale responses, p Results A total of 3,000 parents completed the survey, of whom 87.9% were female, 82.5% were white, 32.3% had prior experience with medical students and 38.4% had experience with residents in their child's care. Parents appreciated the importance of trainee participation (4.0±1.1 for students, 3.9±1.0 for residents) and enjoyed having trainees present (3.8±1.0 for students, 3.9±1.1 for residents). Parents, regardless of exposure to trainees, were more comfortable with resident autonomy than student autonomy at each stage of the clinical encounter (p Conclusion Parents valued and enjoyed trainee participation in the care of their children and were more comfortable with progressive autonomy for residents than students. Prior exposure to students or residents increased parental comfort with autonomy for respective trainee types. Further studies should investigate how parent and child characteristics correlate with how parents view trainee involvement in pediatric care.
Varieties of Neutrality

Although many suggest that the government should be neutral toward religious belief and practice, much conflict exists over the meaning of neutrality. This project characterizes the conflict as one between formal and substantive neutrality. Formal neutrality neither extends special benefits to nor imposes special burdens on individuals because of their religious or nonreligious nature. Benefits or burdens that accrue are the unintended consequences of neutral and generally applicable laws. Substantive neutrality removes hindrances to religious activity through exemptions from general rules that would otherwise burden religion, thereby leveling the playing field. The contrast between John Locke and Roger Williams presents in embryo these two interpretations. Although exemptions may sometimes be necessary to protect the practices of religious minorities, religious freedom may also and often be better sustained as part of a broad right to expressive liberty, freedom of association, and equality, as in parental rights to direct children’s educations or students’ freedom from mandated expressions of political loyalty. Many conflicts resulting in exemptions under substantive neutrality may alternatively be resolved through the application formal neutrality.
Every nation has its dish: black bodies and black food in twentieth-century America

In her nuanced and engaging study Every Nation Has Its Dish: Black Bodies and Black Food in Twentieth-Century America, Jennifer Jensen Wallach examines key African American dietary reform movements...
Synthesis, biochemical evaluation, and molecular modeling of organophosphate-coumarin hybrids as potent and selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors

Abstract A small library of new organophosphorylated warfarins and 3-benzylcoumarins were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro cholinesterase inhibition by Ellman’s method. Most of the compounds were found to be selective for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) over acetylcholinesterase (AChE), with IC50 values ranging from 0.363 μM to 53.0 μM determined after 15 s of enzyme exposure. Comparison of the most potent compound, 3b with its constitutional isomer 2b revealed the high importance of phosphate positioning. Reversed selectivity and a 100-fold reduction in anti-BChE activity was observed when the organophosphate was attached to the benzyl instead of the coumarin. Docking calculations suggest that 3b binds initially as a transition state mimic with near-optimal phosphate orientation relative to S198 and occupation of the oxyanion hole prior to phosphorylation. These results might inspire the design of a new type of non-neuropathic and irreversible coumarin-based inhibitor against BChE.
Substitutions at Non-Conserved Rheostat Positions Modulate Function by Re-Wiring Long-Range, Dynamic Interactions

Amino acid substitutions at nonconserved protein positions can have non-canonical and "long-distance" outcomes on protein function. Such outcomes might arise from changes in the internal protein communication network, which is often accompanied by changes in structural flexibility. To test this, we calculated flexibilities ("DFI") and dynamic coupling ("DCI") for positions in the linker region of the lactose repressor protein ("LacI"). This region contains nonconserved positions for which substitutions alter DNA binding affinity. We first chose to study eleven substitutions at position 52. In computations, substitutions showed long-range effects on flexibilities of DNA binding positions, and the degree of flexibility change correlated with experimentally-measured changes in DNA binding. Substitutions also altered dynamic coupling to DNA binding positions in a manner that captured other experimentally-determined functional changes. Next, we broadened calculations to consider the dynamic coupling between 17 linker positions and the DNA binding domain. Experimentally, these linker positions exhibited a wide range of substitution outcomes: Four conserved positions tolerated almost no substitutions ("toggle"), ten nonconserved positions showed progressive changes from a range of substitutions ("rheostat"), and three nonconserved positions tolerated almost all substitutions ("neutral"). In computations with wild-type LacI, the dynamic couplings between the DNA binding domain and these linker positions showed varied degrees of asymmetry that correlated with the observed toggle/rheostat/neutral substitution outcomes. Thus, we propose that long-range and non-canonical substitutions outcomes at nonconserved positions arise from re-wiring long-range communication among functionally-important positions. Such calculations might enable predictions for substitution outcomes at a range of nonconserved positions.
The Indian in American Southern Literature

Indians are everywhere and nowhere in the US South. Cloaked by a rhetoric of disappearance after Indian Removal, actual southeastern tribal groups are largely invisible but immortalized in regional mythologies, genealogical lore, romanticized stereotypes, and unpronounceable place names. These imaginary 'Indians' compose an ideological fiction inextricable from that of the South itself. Often framed as hindrances to the Cotton Kingdom, Indians were in fact active participants in the plantation economy and chattel slavery before and after Removal. Dialectical tropes of Indigeneity linger in the white southern imagination in order to both conceal and expose the tangle of land, labor, and race as formative, disruptive categories of being and meaning. This book is not, finally, about the recovery of the region's lost Indians, but a reckoning with their inaccessible traces, ambivalent functions, and the shattering implications of their repressed significance for modern southern identity.
Do Markets Corrupt Our Morals?: by Virgil Henry Storr and Ginny Seung Choi, Cham, Switzerland, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, 281 pp., $34.99 (paperback), ISBN: 978-3-030-18415-5

In a new and timely book, Do Markets Corrupt Our Morals (2019), Dr. Virgil Henry Storr and Dr. Ginny Seung Choi set up court to address the claim that buying, selling, and transacting in general in...
The effect of irrigation strategies and nitrogen fertilizer rates on maize growth and grain yield

In North Florida, increasing nitrogen loads and water quality declines have become a major concern, in part as result of anthropogenic non-point source activities such as agriculture. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of irrigation strategies and nitrogen (N) fertility rates on maize biomass, yield and water productivity in sandy soils. The field experiment was conducted 2015–2017 in Live Oak, Florida using a randomized complete block with a split plot design and four replicates. Treatments evaluated five irrigation strategies: (i) GROW, mimicking grower irrigation practices in the region, (ii) SWB, using a soil water balance to schedule irrigation; (iii) SMS, using soil moisture sensors to schedule irrigation; (iv) RED, applying 60% of the GROW treatment; and (v) NON, non-irrigated, and three N fertility rates: (i) low (157 kg N/ha), (ii) medium (247 kg N/ha), and (iii) high (336 kg N/ha). In comparison to GROW, the SWB, SMS and RED irrigation treatments showed no differences in final biomass, N uptake nor grain yield; however, these treatments achieved on average 41, 47, and 36% irrigation reduction, respectively, without impacts on yield during the three maize seasons evaluated. For most of the variables, statistical differences were found between the low and the high N rates, but no differences compared to the medium N rate. A 26% reduction of N fertilizer was achieved using the medium N rate without negative impact on N uptake, biomass nor yield in comparison to the high N fertilization rate. During this experiment, maize N uptake reached a plateau; thus, potential N losses resulted from applications exceeding recommended rates. Furthermore, the implementation of these more efficient irrigation and N fertilizer management strategies reduced irrigation and N fertilizer applications without negative impacts in yield. Thus, these practices may prevent potential N leaching to waterbodies while improving profits.
In-Memory Computing in Emerging Memory Technologies for Machine Learning: An Overview

The saturating scaling trends of CMOS technology have fuelled the exploration of emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies as a promising alternative for accelerating data intensive Machine Learning (ML) workloads. To that effect, researchers have explored special-purpose accelerators based on NVM crossbar primitives. NVM crossbars have high storage density and can efficiently per-form massively parallel in-situ Matrix Vector Multiplication (MVM) operations, the key computation in ML workloads, helping over-come the memory bottleneck faced by von Neumann architectures. Despite the promises, analog computing nature of NVM crossbars can lead to functional errors due to device and circuit non-idealities such as parasitic resistances and device non-linearities. Moreover, NVM crossbars need high cost peripheral circuitry to be integrated in large scale systems. Hence, there is a need to study different levels of the design stack to realize the potential of this technology.In this paper, we present an overview of in-memory computing in NVM crossbars for ML workloads. We discuss the basic anatomy of NVM crossbars and highlight the challenges faced at the primitive level. Next, we present how the high storage density of NVM crossbars can enable spatially distributed architectures. Further, we present various modeling and evaluation tools which can effectively help us study the functionality as well as performance of NVM crossbar systems. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future research directions in this field.
A neuronal wiring platform through microridges for rationally engineered neural circuits.

Precisely engineered neuronal circuits are promising for both fundamental research and clinical applications. However, randomly plating thousands of cells during neural network fabrication remains a major technical obstacle, which often results in a loss of tracking in neurons' identities. In this work, we demonstrated an accurate and unique neural wiring technique, mimicking neurons' natural affinity to microfibers. SU-8 microridges, imitating lie-down microfibers, were photolithographically patterned and then selectively coated with poly-l-lysine. We accurately plated Aplysia californica neurons onto designated locations. Plated neurons were immobilized by circular microfences. Furthermore, neurites regrew effectively along the microridges in vitro and reached adjacent neurons without undesirable crosstalks. Functional chemical synapses also formed between accurately wired neurons, enabling two-way transmission of electrical signals. Finally, we fabricated microridges on a microelectrode array. Neuronal spikes, stimulation-evoked synaptic activity, and putative synaptic adaption between connected neurons were observed. This biomimetic platform is simple to fabricate and effective with neurite pathfinding. Therefore, it can serve as a powerful tool for fabricating neuronal circuits with rational design, organized cellular communications, and fast prototyping.
Solid Organ Donor-Recipient Race-matching: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database.

BACKGROUND: Donor ethnicity is a prognosticator in organ transplant. However, the impact of donor/recipient race-matching is unclear. We hypothesized that there would be increased survival in donor-recipient race-matched organ recipients due to genetic and physiologic similarities. METHODS: The UNOS database from 1999-2018 was queried for all solid organ transplantations including heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants. Data was sorted by donor and recipient race into matched and unmatched categories for Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic transplant recipients. After controlling for potential confounders via inverse propensity of treatment weighting, post-transplant patient and graft survival were compared between race matched and unmatched donor groups for each organ. RESULTS: Race-matched Caucasian recipients experienced 1-3% improvement in mortality across most timepoints in lung, liver, and pancreas transplants while Hispanics did not benefit. Matched African-American recipients experienced 4-6% improvement in patient and graft survival in liver transplant but had 7-9% worse survival rates at 5 years in lung and pancreas transplants. CONCLUSIONS: Race-matching does not influence patient outcomes enough to factor into organ transplant offers. African-American liver transplant recipients benefited the most. Matching was detrimental to African-American lung and pancreas transplant recipients indicating there may be other factors influencing the outcomes of these transplants.
Privacy-Preserving Distributed Edge Caching for Mobile Data Offloading in 5G Networks

Distributed edge caching has drawn great attention with the fast development of smart edge devices. Caching popular contents in the edge can reduce latency and improve the quality of service of edge mobile users. Meanwhile, the data privacy in the edge is critical to preserve the privacy of individual users and devices. How to jointly determine the caching and routing policy in the edge network in a distributed manner and simultaneously design the proper privacy preserving mechanism are challenging. We tackle these challenges in two progressive steps. First, we design a distributed algorithm which can achieve the global optimum. Second, we propose a privacy-preserving mechanism based on differential privacy and prove the privacy guarantee. We conduct extensive numerical simulations based on real-world requests to evaluate the performance of the proposed distributed algorithm and the privacy mechanism. Results highlight a significant improvement of the proposed distributed algorithm while only up to 10.1% of the total serving cost increased by the privacy mechanism.