cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of multiple real-time PCR tests on nasal samples in a large MRSA surveillance program.

Objectives: We evaluated the LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Pleasanton, CA), the BD MAX MRSA assay (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ), and the Xpert MRSA assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) on nasal samples using the same population. Methods: Admission and discharge nasal swabs were collected from inpatients using a double-headed swab. One swab was plated onto CHROMagar MRSA (CMA; Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD) and then broken off into tryptic soy broth (TSB) for enrichment. TSB was incubated for 24 hours and then plated to CMA. The molecular tests were performed on the second swab. We analyzed the cost benefit of testing to evaluate what parameters affect hospital resources. Results: A total of 27,647 specimens were enrolled. The sensitivity/specificity was 98.3%/98.9% for the LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test and 95.7%/98.8% for the Xpert MRSA assay, but the difference was not significant. The positive predictive value was 86.7% for the LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test, 82.7% for the Xpert MRSA assay ( P > .1), and 72.2% and for the BD MAX MRSA test ( P < .001 compared with the LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test). All three assays were cost-effective, with the LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test having the highest economic return. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the performance of the three commercial assays is similar. When assessing economic cost benefit of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening, the two measures with the most impact are the cost of the test and the specificity of the assay results.
Bullying and Suicide: A Public Health Approach

Several recent studies have found an association between bullying and depression [1] or bullying and suicide-related behaviors [2], and one study found evidence consistent with a causal link, at least for girls [3,4]. These studies, in conjunction with extensive media coverage of the deaths by suicide of several young people who were victims of bullying, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to convene an expert panel focusing on the relationship between bullying involvement and suicide-related behaviors. The purpose of the panel, held in September 2010, was to synthesize the latest research about the relationship between youth involvement in bullying (youth who bully, youth who are bullied, and those who bully and are bullied) and suicide-related behaviors (attempts, fatalities, and risk factors associated with suicide, such as depression). Experts on the topics of bullying and suicide presented their research about the relationship between these two behaviors; their work is contained in this supplement. The panel and this special issue provide clarity around the complicated issues of bullying and suicide among youth. Three key themes emerged: (1) bullying among youth is a significant public health problem; it is prevalent and frequently has detrimental effects; (2) there is a strong association between bullying and suicide-related behaviors, but this relationship is often mediated by other factors, including depression and delinquency; and (3) there are public health strategies that can be applied to the prevention of bullying and suicide.
Prognostic features of children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract The presenting features and long-term outcome of 39 children (median age 6.5 months, range 1 day to 16 years) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) were reviewed to help determine the appropriate management of these patients. Four outcome groups were identified: those who died, improved, had IDC resolved or received transplants. Presenting clinical features of age, sex, race, congestive heart failure, cardiomegaly, and degree of systolic ventricular dysfunction did not predict final outcome. Left ventricular hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram was seen significantly more often in children who improved than in those who died or in whom IDC resolved (p = 0.002). A rhythm disturbance was also see more often in those who died than in those who survived (p = 0.025). Of 36 patients treated medically, 12 (33%) died, 15 (42%) improved and 9 (25%) resolved. Eighteen of 26 (69%) patients presenting at age ≤2 years survived, whereas 6 of 10 patients >2 years survived. There were no differences based on age at presentation, in the time to death or time of follow-up. Three patients received orthotopic heart transplants, 1 of whom died from graft failure. Thus, no clinical feature including age at presentation consistently predicts ultimate outcome in children with IDC.
Estimation of absolute spatial position of mobile systems by hybrid opto-electronic processor

A mobile system with a hybrid opto-electronic processor has been studied. The position estimation is based on analysis of landmarks being detected by a TV-camera attached to the mobile system. The difference between the known real shape of the landmark and its image provides the information necessary for determining the relative position of the mobile system to the landmark. The parameters of the landmark image are extracted at high speed using an optical processor that performs an optical Hough transform, while the coordinates of the mobile system are computed from these parameters in a digital coprocessor using fast and simple algorithms. Different sources of errors have been analyzed, and algorithms to improve the performance of the mobile system have been developed and evaluated by computer simulation. >
Extraction and estimation of the quantity of calcium oxalate crystals in the foliage of conifer and hardwood trees.

The main goal of this study was to develop a method for the extraction and indirect estimation of the quantity of calcium oxalate (CaOx) in the foliage of trees. Foliar tissue was collected from a single tree of each species (five conifers and five hardwoods) for comparison of extractions in different solvents using 10 replicates per species from the same pool of tissue. For each species, calcium (Ca) and oxalate were extracted sequentially in double deionized water and 2N acetic acid, and finally, five replicate sam ples were extracted in 5% (0.83N) perchloric acid (PCA) and the other five in 2N hydrochloric acid (HCl); three cycles of freezing and thawing were used for each solvent. Total ions were extracted by microwave digestion. Calcium was quantified with an induc tively coupled plasma emission spectrophotometer method and oxalate was eluted and quantified using a high performance liquid chromatography method. This experiment was repeated again with two conifer and two hardwood species using four trees per species, and two analytical replicates for each tree. We report here that, regardless of age of individual trees within a species, time of collection or species type, the third extraction in PCA or HCl resulted in near equimolar quantities of Ca and oxalate (r 2 ≥ 0.99). This method provides an easy estimate of the quantity of CaOx crystals using a small sample of foliar tissue. An additional benefit of PCA is that it precipitates the nucleic acids and proteins, allowing the quantification of several free/soluble metabolites such as amino acids, polyamines, organic acids and inorganic elements all from a single sample extract.
The IBM 1620 restoration project

This article describes the historical restoration of an IBM 1620 Model I computer by a team of volunteers at the Computer History Museum. The technical trajectory of the project is described as are the philosophical and museological issues attendant on the restoration of vintage computers.
New Dace of the Genus Phoxinus (Cyprinidae: Cypriniformes) from the Tennessee River Drainage, Tennessee

Abstract Phoxinus saylori is a new cyprinid described from the Tennessee River drainage. This distinctive minnow is one of seven described North American Phoxinus species and one of four that occurs in Tennessee. It differs from all congeners by the combination of two uninterrupted black lateral stripes and development of black pigment on the underside of the head of nuptial males. Based on coloration and tuberculation patterns, P. saylori is hypothesized to be part of a monophyletic group comprised of P. oreas, P. tennesseensis, and P. cumberlandensis. Phoxinus saylori appears to be very rare; it is currently known from only six localities on the Walden Ridge portion of the Cumberland Plateau. Human activities such as agriculture and timbering threaten its future existence.
Collection Management Strategies for Archivists

How can librarians and archivists effectively carry out the traditional responsibility of collecting, organizing, preserving, and providing information in the turbulent environment of the next decade? It is clear that the traditional ways of operating are being transformed. The continuing excellence of libraries and archives will depend on the ability to direct this transformation. Collection management—the systematic, planned, documented process of building, maintaining, and preserving collections—provides effective tools to shape archival collections in the future. Specifically, it encompasses four components. Planning is the most essential function in collection management, and the development of a written collection development policy is a crucial step in this planning process. A second important aspect of collection management is efficient selection or acquisition of needed materials. The third component of collection management is the ongoing evaluation and analysis of collections. Finally, fundamen...
Verbal Disputes in Mendelssohn’s Morgenstunden

Throughout Morgenstunden Mendelssohn reveals a tremendous respect for language, both its power and its limitations. When Mendelssohn rejects Helvetius’ cognitivist hypothesis (as we might dub it today) that language is a collection of empty, algebraic signs transposed and combined according to rules, he does so because such a hypothesis supposedly cannot explain the emotional and intuitive power of human language.
Suing the State: Optional Protocols and the Expansion of Domestic Human Rights Protections

How can Optional Protocols attached to human rights treaties enhance domestic human rights protections? Relying on a comparative case methodology, this chapter examines how citizens in Slovakia and Hungary used the Optional Protocols attached to human rights treaties to initiate claims at the UN that contributed to deeper levels of compliance with human rights treaties. This analysis suggests that Optional Protocols enhance domestic human rights protections in three ways: by exposing instances of non-compliance with human rights agreements, by offering citizens an opportunity to confront a global audience with domestic treaty violations, and by providing NGOs with information about treaty violations which is then used to pressure the government to improve its practices.
Lawful Discrimination in Marketing

This article represents the “positive view” of price discrimination—offenses and defenses against the Robinson-Patman Act.It provides guideposts for the businessman who wants to implement a marketi...
Response to Intervention: Where It Came From and Where It's Going

Response to intervention (RTI) emerged from the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but the roots of RTI are found embedded within the history of the field of learning disabilities (LD) as well as other sources of influence. In what follows, we provide a brief history of LD and highlight the connection between the controversies of LD and the emergence of RTI. We offer discussion on the evolution of RTI through current practice, along with implications and cautions regarding future practice so that school personnel might gain a better understanding of RTI.
Study on the gas control situation and countermeasures in Zhengzhou coal mine

According to the situation that"three soft"coal bed develops well in theZhengzhou region and its gas control is experiencing great difficulty,this paper not only analyzes the mine gas geology conditions including coalfield geological structure and the distribution of highly gassy areas in detail,but it also discusses the achievements and the problems embedded in the current gas control in this region.Based on the analysis,six recommendations about gas control to Zhengzhou region are proposed,which will provide beneficial guides for gas control in the area.
Renal dysfunction and the associated decrease in survival after elective endovascular aneurysm repair

Objective The reported frequency of renal dysfunction after elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) varies widely in current surgical literature. Published research establishes pre-existing end-stage renal disease as a poor prognostic indicator. We intend to quantify the mortality effect associated with renal morbidity developed postoperatively and to identify modifiable risk factors. Methods All elective EVAR patients with preoperative and postoperative renal function data captured by the Vascular Quality Initiative between January 2003 and December 2014 were examined. The primary study end point was long-term mortality. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative parameters were analyzed to estimate mortality stratified by renal outcome and to describe independent risk factors associated with post-EVAR renal dysfunction. Results This study included 14,475 elective EVAR patients, of whom 96.8% developed no post-EVAR renal dysfunction, 2.9% developed acute kidney injury, and 0.4% developed a new hemodialysis requirement. Estimated 5-year survival was significantly different between groups, 77.5% vs 53.5%, respectively, for the no dysfunction and acute kidney injury groups, whereas the new hemodialysis group demonstrated 22.8% 3-year estimated survival ( P 2 was protective (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21-0.53). Volume of contrast material administered during elective EVAR varies 10-fold among surgeons in the Vascular Quality Initiative database, but the average volume administered to patients is statistically similar, regardless of preoperative eGFR. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated nonsignificant correlation between contrast material volume and postoperative renal dysfunction. Conclusions Any renal dysfunction developing after elective EVAR is associated with decreased estimated long-term survival. Protecting renal function with a rational dosing metric for contrast material linked to preoperative eGFR may better guide treatment.
The replicability of cannabis use prevalence estimates in the United States.

Recent changes in cannabis policy in the United States have prompted increased interest in cannabis use estimates, and replicability of these estimates. Here, we compare prevalence estimates from two concurrent approaches: (1) standard social survey with audio computer-assisted self-interviews at respondent's home (ACASI-H), derived from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), and (2) standard health survey with ACASI assessment in a mobile health examination vehicle (ACASI-M), derived from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 2005-2012, with essentially the same standardized items in cannabis modules. NHANES ACASI-M prevalence proportions for recently-active-cannabis-use are an estimated 130-140% larger than corresponding NSDUH ACASI-H estimates (p < 0.05). In exploratory stratified analyses, we sought to understand these NHANES-NSDUH differences, and found no differences in lifetime-history-of-cannabis-use. However, for participants living with others in the same residence, moving cannabis assessment out of the dwelling unit might promote larger recently-active-cannabis-use estimates; no NHANES-NSDUH differences were found for participants living alone. The observed discrepancies might be non-ignorable in a policy or program evaluation context. A methods research program will be needed to account for between-survey differences of the type observed here, perhaps with a focus on within-residence versus non-residence assessment as a source of variation.
From arcane to essential: the changing view of programming

Up to the mid-1990s programming was deemed by CS faculty to be unnecessary for non-major college students. The public couldn't distinguish programming from using MS Word. Things have changed. Today, interest in learning programming is widespread, and parents, who may still be unclear as to what it is, want their kids to know it. The remarks will chronicle the forces that got us here, and where we might be going.
Why Would Financial Bubbles Evolve After New Technologies

This paper presents an equity market where the value of a new technology is infrequently observable while the equity claim of the asset is continuously traded. We clear the stock market between two optimal asset allocation strategies, speculative vs. fundamental, adopted by risk-averse investors who differ in their rist-aversion. The stock price path maintains a potential for endogenous bubbles or under-pricing vs. the asset as a function of total funds invested in the stock by each investor type. Bubbles grow exponentially if speculation dominates but if the fundamental strategy dominates, the stock's growth rate and its volatility will decline.
Re-use of pilot data and interim analysis of pivotal data in MRMC studies: a simulation study

Novel medical imaging devices are often evaluated with multi-reader multi-case (MRMC) studies in which radiologists read images of patient cases for a specified clinical task (e.g., cancer detection). A pilot study is often used to measure the effect size and variance parameters that are necessary for sizing a pivotal study (including sizing readers, non-diseased and diseased cases). Due to the practical difficulty of collecting patient cases or recruiting clinical readers, some investigators attempt to include the pilot data as part of their pivotal study. In other situations, some investigators attempt to perform an interim analysis of their pivotal study data based upon which the sample sizes may be re-estimated. Re-use of the pilot data or interim analyses of the pivotal data may inflate the type I error of the pivotal study. In this work, we use the Roe and Metz model to simulate MRMC data under the null hypothesis (i.e., two devices have equal diagnostic performance) and investigate the type I error rate for several practical designs involving re-use of pilot data or interim analysis of pivotal data. Our preliminary simulation results indicate that, under the simulation conditions we investigated, the inflation of type I error is none or only marginal for some design strategies (e.g., re-use of patient data without re-using readers, and size re-estimation without using the effect-size estimated in the interim analysis). Upon further verifications, these are potentially useful design methods in that they may help make a study less burdensome and have a better chance to succeed without substantial loss of the statistical rigor.
An Interactive Reverse-Engineering Cyclic Voltammetry for Uranium Electrochemical Studies in LiCl-KCl Eutectic Salt

AbstractCyclic voltammetry is one of the most common electroanalytical methods for determining the thermodynamic and electrochemical behavior of a species in the eutectic molten salt. The diffusion coefficient, apparent standard potential, transfer coefficient, equilibrium potential, and other parameters can be determined through this method. This study focused on a development of an interactive reverse-engineering method by analyzing available uranium chloride data sets (1 to 10 wt%) in a LiCl-KCl molten salt at 773 K under different scan rates to help improve and provide robustness in detection analysis. A principle method and a computational code have been developed by using electrochemical fundamentals and coupling various variables, such as the diffusion coefficients, formal potentials, and process time duration. In addition, a graphical user interface (GUI) through the commercial software Matlab was created to provide a controllable environment for different users. Results provide plots of current, ...
Treatment Integrity and Recidivism among Sex Offenders: The Relationship between CPC Scores and Program Effectiveness

ABSTRACTAlthough a large body of research suggests that adherence to RNR model is correlated with program outcome, only a small body of research examines how it applies to programs that serve sex offenders. The current study uses the Correctional Program Checklist (CPC) to measure how well eight community correctional facilities that serve sex offenders adhere to the Risk Need and Responsivity (RNR) model. Outcome evaluations are then used to see whether scores on the CPC are correlated with program effect size. The results find moderate to strong correlations between CPC scores and program effect sizes.
Lions of the North: sounds of the new Nordic radical nationalism

Benjamin Teitelbaum's Lions of the North is an unflinching assessment of modern Nordic radical nationalism seen through the lens of its fragmented musical affinities, subsequent to the decline of t...
Nonvisual Interaction Techniques at the Keyboard Surface

Web user interfaces today leverage many common GUI design patterns, including navigation bars and menus (hierarchical structure), tabular content presentation, and scrolling. These visual-spatial cues enhance the interaction experience of sighted users. However, the linear nature of screen translation tools currently available to blind users make it difficult to understand or navigate these structures. We introduce Spatial Region Interaction Techniques (SPRITEs) for nonvisual access: a novel method for navigating two-dimensional structures using the keyboard surface. SPRITEs 1) preserve spatial layout, 2) enable bimanual interaction, and 3) improve the end user experience. We used a series of design probes to explore different methods for keyboard surface interaction. Our evaluation of SPRITEs shows that three times as many participants were able to complete spatial tasks with SPRITEs than with their preferred current technology.
Total hearing health for preventing occupational hearing loss

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed the Total Worker Health program that encourages health and safety professionals to consider more than just a particular exposure. Workers can suffer hearing loss due to both workplace, but due to a wide range of activities outside of work. Training workers in the proper use and application hearing protection can extend the effectiveness of hearing loss prevention efforts and promote the concept of Total Hearing Health. Awareness of hazardous activities such as the use of power tools, firearms, and chemical exposures, can instill a safety culture beyond the workplace. Hearing protector fit testing gives workers an increased self-efficacy and assurance that they can safely enjoy noisy activities without the need to sacrifice their ability to hear. This presentation will describe the work that NIOSH has undertaken to promote hearing protector fit-testing for the workplace and describe ways in which the Centers for Disease Control and...
Redistribution of SERCA calcium pump conformers during intracellular calcium signaling.

The conformational changes of a calcium transport ATPase were investigated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as well as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements to determine the significance of a discrete structural element for regulation of the conformational dynamics of the transport cycle. Previous MD simulations indicated that a loop in the cytosolic domain of the SERCA calcium transporter facilitates an open-to-closed structural transition. To investigate the significance of this structural element, we performed additional MD simulations and new biophysical measurements of SERCA structure and function. Rationally designed in silico mutations of three acidic residues of the loop decreased SERCA domain–domain contacts and increased domain–domain separation distances. Principal component analysis of MD simulations suggested decreased sampling of compact conformations upon N-loop mutagenesis. Deficits in headpiece structural dynamics were also detected by measuring intramolecular FRET of a Cer–YFP–SERCA construct (2-color SERCA). Compared with WT, the mutated 2-color SERCA shows a partial FRET response to calcium, whereas retaining full responsiveness to the inhibitor thapsigargin. Functional measurements showed that the mutated transporter still hydrolyzes ATP and transports calcium, but that maximal enzyme activity is reduced while maintaining similar calcium affinity. In live cells, calcium elevations resulted in concomitant FRET changes as the population of WT 2-color SERCA molecules redistributed among intermediates of the transport cycle. Our results provide novel insights on how the population of SERCA pumps responds to dynamic changes in intracellular calcium.
Polynomials and Trigonometric Polynomials

Setting cos ϑ = x, the expressions $$ T_n \left( x \right) = \cos n\vartheta {\text{ }}U_n \left( x \right) = \frac{1} {{n + 1}}T'_{n + 1} \left( x \right) = \frac{{\sin \left( {n + 1} \right)\vartheta }} {{\sin \vartheta }}'{\text{ }}n = 0,1,2,... $$ are polynomials in x of degree n (the Tchebychev polynomials); the leading coefficient of T n (x) is equal to 2 n-1 and that of U n (x) is equal to 2 n , n = 1, 2, 3,....
Computation of the L-stable distributions

The first tables, M & Zarnfaller 1959, were quite difficult to compute, and the resulting figures were drawn by hand. Today, several dependable programs are available. This brief and casual chapter is neither a systematic discussion nor a full bibliography, only a collection of hopefully useful odds and ends that are close at hand.
Infantile Subconjunctival and Anterior Orbital Fibrous Histiocytoma: Ultrastructural and Immunohistochemical Studies

Abstract A fleshy, polypoidal and partially lobulated lesion that protruded between the eyelids from the medial caruncular region and that infiltrated the contiguous anterior orbital tissues developed over 1 month in a 9-month-old infant. The microscopic features of the tumor included a plump spindle cell population, more polygonal cells, early xanthoma cell transformation, infiltrating lymphocytes and eosinophils, and multinucleated giant cells, the last not exhibiting classic Touton characteristics. The histopathologic differential diagnosis ranged among fibrous histiocytoma, juvenile xanthogranuloma, and eosinophilic granuloma (histiocytosis-X). Results of electron microscopy disclosed abundant rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, a paucity of lysosomes, and no Langerhans' (Birbeck) granules. Immunohistochemistry corroborated the fibrohistiocytic nature of the tumor, because histochemical stains for the enzymes alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and lysozyme, and monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against common leukocytic antigen and S-100 protein, were negative–whereas they would have been expected to be positive in various combinations in the different histiocytic proliferations. Vimentin was identified in the tumor cells; this is an intermediate cytoplasmic filament almost always present in mesenchymal proliferations. The distinctions between fibrous histiocytomas of stromal cell origin and true histiocytic proliferations of bone marrow cell provenance are explored.
Objects and Processes

Through the remainder of this work, the focus will be on measurements in the lepton+jets channel of top quark pair production. This chapter will describe how the involved physics objects are reconstructed and identified, and how signal and background processes are modeled and estimated.
Chemoreception in the Fly: The Search for the Liverwurst Receptor

The history of insect sensory biology took an important turn in 1947 when a fly landed on an open-faced liverwurst sandwich. It sampled the substrate and began ovipositing. This was not just any liverwurst sandwich; it was to have been the lunch of one of the world’s most astute observers of insect behavior, who did not let this seemingly trivial event go unnoticed. The greater question soon became obvious: why did the fly oviposit on the liverwurst and not on the lettuce, bread, or sill of the open laboratory window, which had also been landed upon? The answer was not immediately at hand, and thus the search for the liverwurst receptor began.
Demand Theory: Constraints and Optimization

This chapter introduces the budget constraint and combines the budget constraint with the preferences developed in the preceding chapter to provide a model of rational consumer choice.
On chemical surface reactions in hydrodynamic flows

A general basis for the formulation of flow problems involving chemical reactions on solid surfaces is laid. The analysis allows one to trace a reaction history of arbitrary complexity in a general class of boundary layer type flow fields which cover both external as well as internal flows under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.
A flexible system for in situ triggers

Triggers are an important mechanism for adapting visualization, analysis, and storage actions. With this work, we describe the Ascent in situ infrastructure's system for triggers. This system splits triggers into two components: when to perform an action and what actions to perform. The decision for when to perform an action can be based on different types of factors, such as mesh topology, scalar fields, or performance data. The actions to perform are also varied, ranging from the traditional action of saving simulation state to disk to performing arbitrary visualizations and analyses. We also include details on the implementation and short examples demonstrating how the system can be used.
Bayesian Compressive Sensing of Sparse Signals with Unknown Clustering Patterns

We consider the sparse recovery problem of signals with an unknown clustering pattern in the context of multiple measurement vectors (MMVs) using the compressive sensing (CS) technique. For many MMVs in practice, the solution matrix exhibits some sort of clustered sparsity pattern, or clumpy behavior, along each column, as well as joint sparsity across the columns. In this paper, we propose a new sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) method that incorporates a total variation-like prior as a measure of the overall clustering pattern in the solution. We further incorporate a parameter in this prior to account for the emphasis on the amount of clumpiness in the supports of the solution to improve the recovery performance of sparse signals with an unknown clustering pattern. This parameter does not exist in the other existing algorithms and is learned via our hierarchical SBL algorithm. While the proposed algorithm is constructed for the MMVs, it can also be applied to the single measurement vector (SMV) problems. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our algorithm compared to other algorithms for both SMV and MMVs.
“Thinking Inside of the Box”: Zuni Indian Elders' Construction of Aging

ABSTRACT This study examined the constructions of aging through the eyes of the elders on Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. Classical ethnographic field techniques were used to collect data during 1800 hours of fieldwork on the Pueblo. In Zuni, indigenous constructs of aging are firmly rooted in their traditions. Most elders found it essential to stay on a traditional path, although, it was undeniable that Western constructions also existed in their cosmos. Zuni traditions triangulate with perspectives from the West to form a fluctuating middle that stays within prescribed boundaries of a “box” bounded by the four directions and the zenith and nadir planes. The degree to which an elder remains oral vs. literal, ages in the “Zuni way,” and within a sacred domain greatly affects decision-making, as well as action and or inaction in aging behaviors. Understanding perspectives rooted within an “inside-the-box” paradigm, valuing the old, the ancestors, sacredness, and the “Zuni way” will assist in deriving relevant t...
Societal value of newborn screening for severe combined immune deficiency in Arkansas: An economic analysis.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health program that detects genetic conditions in neonates enabling treatment before clinical symptoms manifest. Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) is a primary immune deficiency found in the absence of functioning T and B lymphocytes. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment if received within the first 42 months of life; without treatment, this condition is fatal in the first 2 years of life due to severe opportunistic infections. SCID was added to the recommended uniform panel of conditions for inclusion in state NBS programs in 2010. This manuscript examines the societal costs and benefits of NBS for SCID in Arkansas and implications to health services and social welfare. Total cost per year of all NBS for SCID and resulting early treatment for one patient with SCID in Arkansas is estimated at $1,078,714. Cost of late treatment of one patient with SCID is estimated at $1.43 million. Based on an expected diagnosis of one patient per year in Arkansas, this results in an estimated net cost savings for NBS for SCID in Arkansas of $351,286 per year. Based on cost-effectiveness analysis, NBS for SCID in Arkansas is cost-effective, with higher societal benefit than cost.
Reaching the End of the Line: Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) cause a substantial health care burden. UTIs (i) are most often caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), (ii) primarily affect otherwise healthy females (50% of women will have a UTI), (iii) are associated with significant morbidity and economic impact, (iv) can become chronic, and (v) are highly recurrent. A history of UTI is a significant risk factor for a recurrent UTI (rUTI). In otherwise healthy women, an acute UTI leads to a 25 to 50% chance of rUTI within months of the initial infection. Interestingly, rUTIs are commonly caused by the same strain of E. coli that led to the initial infection, arguing that there exist host-associated reservoirs, like the gastrointestinal tract and underlying bladder tissue, that can seed rUTIs. Additionally, catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTI), caused by Enterococcus and Staphylococcus as well as UPEC, represent a major health care concern. The host's response of depositing fibrinogen at the site of infection has been found to be critical to establishing CAUTI. The Drug Resistance Index, an evaluation of antibiotic resistance, indicates that UTIs have become increasingly difficult to treat since the mid-2000s. Thus, UTIs are a "canary in the coal mine," warning of the possibility of a return to the preantibiotic era, where some common infections are untreatable with available antibiotics. Numerous alternative strategies for both the prevention and treatment of UTIs are being pursued, with a focus on the development of vaccines and small-molecule inhibitors targeting virulence factors, in the hopes of reducing the burden of urogenital tract infections in an antibiotic-sparing manner.
Developing an Interactive Survey Instrument to Capture Hospitalized Children’s Experience:

Most child-patients do not provide their own account of their healthcare experiences and are instead represented by their parents/legal guardians. A common belief is that children lack the percepti...
Mechanisms of Anisotropy in Salt Rock Upon Microcrack Propagation

Salt rock is a polycrystalline material of interest for geostorage because of its low permeability and potential to self-heal by pressure solution at favorable stress and temperature conditions. It is often assumed that microcrack propagation and healing lead to isotropic stiffness changes. The goal of this study is to check this assumption and to gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that control the accumulation of damage and irreversible deformation. Cyclic axial loading tests are performed under a confining pressure of 1 MPa on synthetic salt rock generated by thermal consolidation. The stress–strain curves and the microstructure images taken at key stages of the cycles reveal the formation of a complex system of sliding and wing microcracks, the orientation of which is loading dependent. We interpret the mechanisms that control the coupled evolution of crack families by a discrete wing crack elastoplastic damage (DWCPD) model. Crack propagation is controlled by Mode I and Mode II fracture mechanics criteria. Sliding “main” cracks grow if a cohesive frictional criterion is met, while the wing cracks propagate in tension. Displacement jumps at crack faces are related to the deformation of the rock representative elementary volume (REV). The DWCPD model can capture the nonlinear stress–strain relationship and the degradation of stiffness during the loading cycles. Simulations show that microcracks occur following two stages: (1) wing cracks initiate and main cracks do not propagate; (2) wing cracks and main cracks then propagate simultaneously. Higher friction at the crack faces leads to higher strength. With a larger cohesion, salt rock strength increases, damage development is delayed and exhibits a stick-slip evolution. At higher confinement, the initiation of wing cracks is delayed, which results in an increase of strength. The damage rate is higher in specimens that are damaged prior to compression than in the ones that are not. The proposed DWCPD model can be extended to any polycrystalline semi-brittle material, and can be applied to understand the formation of crack patterns in geostorage facilities.
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: Indications for Prediagnostic Testing, Subsequent Diagnoses, and Follow-up Practice at Mayo Clinic

Abstract Objectives To determine the indications for prediagnostic testing, subsequent diagnoses found, and follow-up practices in patients who were incidentally diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Patients and Methods From our prospective MGUS database, we identified 329 patients residing in southeastern Minnesota who were diagnosed from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2014, and followed up at Mayo Clinic. Results Most test orders came from nonhematologists (n=310, 94.2%). The top 5 indications were neuropathy (n=65, 19.8%), renal disease (n=45, 13.7%), anemia (n=42, 12.8%), bone disorder or connective tissue pain (n=42, 12.8%), and cutaneous disease (n=19, 5.8%). Hypercalcemia was an infrequent indication (n=9, 2.7%). The final diagnosis for all neuropathy evaluations was sensory/motor neuropathy—not otherwise specified, with 18.7% having IgM MGUS. Chronic kidney disease—not otherwise specified, iron deficiency, and osteoporosis/osteopenia were the most common subsequent diagnoses for test indications of renal disease, anemia, and bone disorder or connective tissue pain, respectively. Most patients (n=213, 64.7%) had 1 or more follow-up visit during the study period. A minority were followed by hematologists (43.5%, n=143). Patients with low-risk MGUS comprised 45.0% (n=148) of the cohort. Male patients and younger patients were more likely to be followed up than their counterparts (P Conclusion Monoclonal protein testing is commonly performed for signs and symptoms not typically associated with lymphoplasmacytic malignancies. There is a significant variation in MGUS follow-up between hematologists and nonhematologists (P
Social Media and Ubiquitous Technologies for Remote Worker Wellbeing and Productivity in a Post-Pandemic World

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, remote work styles have become the norm. However, these work settings introduce new intricacies in worker behaviors. The overlap between work and home can disrupt performance. The lack of social interaction can affect motivation. This elicits a need to implement novel methods to evaluate and enhance remote worker functioning. The potential to unobtrusively and automatically assess such workers can be fulfilled by social media and ubiquitous technologies. This paper situates recent research in the new context by extending our insights for increased remote interaction and online presence. We present implications for proactive assessment of remote workers by understanding day-level activities, coordination, role awareness, and organizational culture. Additionally, we discuss the ethics of privacy-preserving deployment, employer surveillance, and digital inequity. This paper aims to inspire pervasive technologies for the new future of work.
Natural History Traits and Ecology of the Striped Mud Turtle in a Florida Wetland

The ecology of Kinosternon baurii (Striped Mud Turtle) has been studied in only a few locations within its range, which means we do not have baseline data to understand the ecology of this species. Further, no studies have been conducted on Striped Mud Turtles in restored wetlands, which are increasingly common in Florida landscapes and across the globe. Comparing populations in restored habitats to natural habitats could give insight into restoration success that focuses on supporting robust semi-aquatic turtle populations. We conducted a mark–recapture study at a restored wetland in Circle B Bar Reserve, in Polk County, FL, to assess the population size, sex ratios and morphometrics of the Striped Mud Turtle. We found a population estimate of 90 adults, from over 2849 checked trap nights over 2 years. Previous studies in natural habitats found larger populations of Striped Mud Turtles. Our morphometric data is similar to others in central and south Florida but adds to the conclusion that habitat variation can impact size variation of Striped Mud Turtles. In our population, we had more females than males (68.8% females), which appears to be consistent for Striped Mud Turtles in most other study sites. Overall, our study provides additional knowledge on the ecology, population size, and morphometrics of Striped Mud Turtles, which local reserve managers can use to better understand the turtles, especially in restored habitats.
Aerosol, chemical and physical properties of dry powder synthetic lung surfactant for noninvasive treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Inhalation of dry powder synthetic lung surfactant may assist spontaneous breathing by providing noninvasive surfactant therapy for premature infants supported with nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Surfactant was formulated using spray-drying with different phospholipid compositions (70 or 80 total weight% and 7:3 or 4:1 DPPC:POPG ratios), a surfactant protein B peptide analog (KL4, Super Mini-B, or B-YL), and Lactose or Trehalose as excipient. KL4 surfactant underperformed on initial adsorption and surface activity at captive bubble surfactometry. Spray-drying had no effect on the chemical composition of Super Mini-B and B-YL peptides and surfactant with these peptides had excellent surface activity with particle sizes and fine particle fractions that were well within the margins for respiratory particles and similar solid-state properties. Prolonged exposure of the dry powder surfactants with lactose as excipient to 40 °C and 75% humidity negatively affected hysteresis during dynamic cycling in the captive bubble surfactometer. Dry powder synthetic lung surfactants with 70% phospholipids (DPPC and POPG at a 7:3 ratio), 25% trehalose and 3% of SMB or B-YL showed excellent surface activity and good short-term stability, thereby qualifying them for potential clinical use in premature infants.
Playing with Words, Worlds, and Images

In this interview with issue editors Philippe Bornet, Stefanie Knauss and Alexander D. Ornella, Amruta Patil discusses how the unique possibilities of playing with images and words in the medium of the graphic novel allow for a creative critique and reimagination of ancient mythologies as well as contemporary social questions. Her use of the figure of the storyteller, her sensuous visual style, and continuous micro-subversion of traditional motifs invite viewers/readers to enter into the story and make it their own, while at the same time encouraging the capacity to see each other and to engage constructively even with people or viewpoints one might critique.
From St. Augustine to Salman Rushdie: Time and Narrative in Minority Literature

This article proposes that prevailing approaches to postcolonial and pluralist literatures focus the majority of attention on critiques of Western ideology and in so doing, inadvertently perpetuate the erasure of minority human experiences. To redress this tendency in contemporary literary studies, this article proposes that Paul Ricoeur's narrative and temporal theory, with its emphasis upon the acting and suffering human subject as the proper focus for all scholarship, provides a substantial counterbalance to the now-conventional theorems of scholars such as Homi Bhabha. Via a synthesis of Augustinian and Aristotelian thought, Ricoeurs three-volume Time and Narrative seeks to resolve the relationship between temporal experience and narrative understanding, between history and literature. He considers this impetus, founded finally upon a personalist norm, to be of principal importance when examining works that treat of historys forgotten and defeated, which in turn invites reengagements with literature emerging from postcolonial and pluralist settings, including Salman Rushdies Midnights Children and Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man.
First-time Fathers’ Experiences of and Desires for Formal Support: A Multiple Lens Perspective

The transition to first-time fatherhood has been shown to be a stressful time for men and social support is a factor that influences this experience. Research on first-time fathers’ experiences with formal support, such as programmatic efforts like childbirth classes and family education, is limited. This qualitative study explores firsttime fathers’ experiences with formal support, using data from focus groups with fathers and women with whom they co-parent, as well as community consultations with professionals who serve expectant and new parents. The findings indicated there is value in and benefits from formal support and at the same time there are limits in the current forms available for men. Suggestions are made to expand and tailor first-time fathers’ formal support opportunities.
Binding of biosynthetic polyribo- and polydeoxynucleotides to ribosomes.

Abstract Qualitative and quantitative aspects of the interaction of biosynthetic homopolydeoxynucleotides with ribosomes have been investigated and compared to those for polyribonucleotides. The requirements for polydeoxynucleotide binding are similar to those for the ribose analogues in that there is no requirement for neomycin, supernatant, energy, or monovalent ion. The optimal Mg++ concentration and the kinetics of binding are identical for both polyribouridylic acid and the polydeoxynucleotides tested. Polydeoxynucleotides competitively inhibit the binding of polyribonucleotides, presumably by direct competition for the same binding site on the ribosome. Polymers containing only pyrimidine bases show considerably higher affinity for the ribosome than purine polymers. Alkyl substitution on normal hydrogen bonding sites of polydeoxycytidylate drastically reduces affinity for the ribosome, suggesting that some kind of hydrogen bonding between bases is responsible for this type of binding.