cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self‐reported daily stress, squelching of anger and the management of daily stress and the prevalence of uterine leiomyomata: the ultrasound screening study

Self-reported daily stress, ways of managing stress and squelching anger were examined in association with uterine leiomyomata (aka fibroids). These stress factors were obtained from 560 Black and 375 White women enrolled in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Uterine Fibroid Study. Race-specific prevalence differences (PD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Black women with severe stress had a prevalence of fibroids that was 11% higher (95% CI: 0%, 21%) than those in the no or mild stress group (referent). White women with severe stress, compared to the referent, had a non-significantly (NS) higher prevalence of fibroids [PD = 7%; 95% CI: (-103, 213)]. For both groups, moderate daily stress was associated with a weak elevation (NS) in fibroid prevalence. Black women who reported squelching their anger had an elevated prevalence of fibroids (8%) compared to non-squelchers [95% CI: (-03, 153)] while there was no association for White women. Women with symptomatic fibroids had higher stress than those without, but exclusion of symptomatic women only slightly attenuated the associations. Consistent with a previous report, symptomatic fibroids may cause stress. However, further research is warranted to prospectively investigate a possible aetiologic role for stress in the development of fibroids.
Gestational Carrier: Medical Aspects

There are many women who have functioning ovaries but cannot carry a pregnancy. Reasons for this include having no uterus, having an abnormal uterus, having a history of poor pregnancy outcomes, and having illnesses that would preclude pregnancy. Many of these women understandably would like to have a baby who is genetically related to them. These women can have their eggs extracted from their ovaries, have the eggs fertilized with their husband’s sperm, and have the resulting embryos put into the uterus of a gestational carrier. The gestational carrier will then carry the baby, who is genetically related to the woman and her husband. Gestational carriers can also be used in cases where single men or gay male couples would like to have a baby. In these cases, the sperm of the man is used to fertilize the egg of an egg donor. The resulting embryos are then placed in the uterus of a gestational carrier.
Flow-Dependent Regulation of Endothelial Toll-Like Receptor 2 Expression Through Inhibition of SP1 Activity

Innate immune system activation is associated with atherosclerotic lesion development. The specific sites of lesion development are believed to be defined by the shear stress of blood flow. Consequ...
Mutually pulse-coupled neurons that do not synchronize in isolation can synchronize via reciprocal coupling with another neural population

Phase locking between similar or dissimilar clusters (synchronized groups) of neurons may be widespread in the nervous system [1-3]. We examine two reciprocally coupled clusters of pulse-coupled oscillatory neurons. Neurons within each cluster are presumed to be identical and identically coupled but not necessarily identical to neurons in the other cluster. We construct a discrete map using Phase Response Curves (PRCs) for a firing pattern in which the neurons within each cluster are synchronized but the two clusters fire out of phase with respect to each other. We extend this map to include a perturbation of a single neuron within one cluster and linearize about the fixed point of the original map. We derive expressions that give stability of the phase-locked cluster solution using only the slopes of the PRC at the locking points. We give an example of a cluster of inhibitory Type II excitable neurons that cannot synchronize in isolation because the absolute value of the eigenvalue that determines synchrony in the isolated cluster is greater than one. The reciprocal coupling with another cluster scales this eigenvalue such that it becomes less than one, guaranteeing stability (Figure ​(Figure1).1). These results suggest a mechanism by which local synchronization can be induced through reciprocal coupling between brain regions via the feedback loop. Figure 1 A1,A2) Cluster 1 isolated and after coupled to cluster 2. B1) Neurons in cluster 1 firing out of phase B2) Cluster 1 neurons firing synchronously. (C) Examples of characteristic shapes of first and second order phase resets with Type II inhibition. D) ...
Inability of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients to reproduce VO2peak indicates functional impairment

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a multi-system illness characterized, in part, by increased fatigue following minimal exertion, cognitive impairment, poor recovery to physical and other stressors, in addition to other symptoms. Unlike healthy subjects and other diseased populations who reproduce objective physiological measures during repeat cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs), ME/CFS patients have been reported to fail to reproduce results in a second CPET performed one day after an initial CPET. If confirmed, a disparity between a first and second CPET could serve to identify individuals with ME/CFS, would be able to document their extent of disability, and could also provide a physiological basis for prescribing physical activity as well as a metric of functional impairment. 22 subjects diagnosed with ME/CFS completed two repeat CPETs separated by 24 h. Measures of oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (Ve), workload (Work), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were made at maximal (peak) and ventilatory threshold (VT) intensities. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Wilcoxon’s Signed-Rank Test (for RER). ME/CFS patients showed significant decreases from CPET1 to CPET2 in VO2peak (13.8%), HRpeak (9 bpm), Ve peak (14.7%), and Work@peak (12.5%). Decreases in VT measures included VO2@VT (15.8%), Ve@VT (7.4%), and Work@VT (21.3%). Peak RER was high (≥1.1) and did not differ between tests, indicating maximum effort by participants during both CPETs. If data from only a single CPET test is used, a standard classification of functional impairment based on VO2peak or VO2@VT results in over-estimation of functional ability for 50% of ME/CFS participants in this study. ME/CFS participants were unable to reproduce most physiological measures at both maximal and ventilatory threshold intensities during a CPET performed 24 hours after a prior maximal exercise test. Our work confirms that repeated CPETs warrant consideration as a clinical indicator for diagnosing ME/CFS. Furthermore, if based on only one CPET, functional impairment classification will be mis-identified in many ME/CFS participants.
An iterative filtered backprojection inverse treatment planning algorithm for tomotherapy

Purpose : An inverse treatment planning algorithm for tomotherapy is described. Methods and Materials : The algorithm iteratively computes a set of nonnegative beam intensity profiles that minimizes the least-squares residual dose defined in the target and selected normal tissue regions of interest. At each iteration the residual dose distribution is transformed into a set of residual beam profiles using an inversion method derived from filtered backprojection image reconstruction theory. These residual profiles are used to correct the current beam profile estimates resulting in new profile estimates. Adaptive filtering is incorporated into the inversion model so that the gross structure of the dose distribution is optimized during initial iterations of the algorithm, and the fine structure corresponding to edges is obtained at later iterations. A three dimensional, kernel based, convolution/superposition dose model is used to compute dose during each iteration. Results : Two clinically relevant treatment planning examples are presented illustrating the use of the algorithm for planning conformal radiotherapy of the breast and the prostate. Solutions are generally achieved in 10-20 iterations requiring about 20 h of CPU time using a midrange workstation. The majority of the calculation time is spent on the three-dimensional dose calculation. Conclusions : The inverse treatment planning algorithm is a useful research tool for exploring the potential of tomotherapy for conformal radiotherapy. Further work is needed to (a) achieve clinically acceptable computation times ; (b) verify the algorithm using multileaf collimator technology ; and (c) extend the method to biological objectives.
Options for the Treatment of Gemcitabine-Resistant Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Are We There Yet?

We read with interest the review article by Gounaris et al. entitled ‘Options for the Treatment of GemcitabineResistant Advanced Pancreatic Cancer’, published in the March issue of JOP. J Pancreas (Online) [1]. The authors searched the OVID and MEDLINE databases from 1950 to present using the MeSH terms "pancreatic neoplasms", "drug treatment", and "gemcitabine". In addition to 31 published studies identified, these results were supplemented by abstracts published in the last three (2007-2009) American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) proceedings of annual meetings. They found that the evidence for second line treatments of metastatic pancreatic cancer consists mainly of single arm, small phase II studies. Only oxaliplatin-fluoropyrimidine combinations have been compared against supportive care and seem promising. However, we will add that oral capecitabine seems to be a very convenient and an optimal therapy too [2]. We agree with the authors that there is growing evidence supporting benefit of chemotherapy after gemcitabine failure in selected patients with good performance status as we published similar data earlier in JOP. J Pancreas (Online) [2]. Lack of data to support second-line treatment strategy in advanced pancreatic cancer is probably due to the fact that we still do not have an effective first-line treatment that renders true survival benefit [3]. In order to establish a much needed effective second-line treatment options for advanced pancreatic cancer, we need cooperative efforts among institutions and community practices in enrolling gemcitabine refractory patients in clinical trials. Moreover, development of novel therapeutic agents should be an obvious area of our focus in the future. We must improve study design and be more rigorous in scrutinizing phase II data before moving forward with large phase III randomized trials that require enormous resources. One solution would be more frequent implementation of randomized phase II trials to test agents with encouraging activities before undertaking phase III trials. Patient selection and individualized medicine is another area of increased interest at present. While it is still at a very early stage before we can see clinical application, pharmacogenomics in pancreatic cancer is an important area to watch. There are various preclinical studies investigating polymorphisms and expression levels of genes associated with gemcitabine sensitivity and/or resistance [4]. In brief, selected advanced pancreatic cancer patients with good performance status should be considered for second-line chemotherapy after first-line gemcitabine failure. With better patient selection, we can improve clinical outcomes of advanced pancreatic cancer in second-line settings, which will ultimately improve the
Redefining and analysis of hydrogen from a fuel to a highly refined energy storage and transfer medium

Hydrocarbon fuels can be defined as ancient sunlight. They have been produced by solar powered organic processes over millions of years. The earth should be recognized as a finite size fuel tank. Although there is not a precise level indicator, these nonrenewable fuels are rapidly being depleted. They are also increasing the levels of CO/sub 2/ in the atmosphere and possibly causing an undesirable warming of the earth by the "greenhouse effect". The search for a solution has resulted in visions of hydrogen as the fuel of the future to power transportation and to generate electricity with water as the only combustion product. While such a future would be highly desirable it is fundamentally flawed. That is because hydrogen is not a fuel. To consider hydrogen a fuel is akin to considering electricity as a fuel. Fuels are extracted from the earth. Neither free electricity nor free hydrogen exist in nature. Each is a highly refined and thus relatively expensive medium for the transfer of energy. Hydrogen like electricity must be produced by energy and capital intensive processes.
The human leukocyte integrin CD11a promoter directs expression in leukocytes of transgenic mice.

The human CD11a molecule is expressed specifically on lymphocytes, monocyte/macrophages, and neutrophils, in which it mediates important adhesion-related functions. We used 1.7 kb of regulatory sequences upstream from the human CD11a gene transcription start site to drive expression of a modified human CD4 reporter gene in transgenic mice. The transgene was expressed in a tissue-specific fashion on all leukocytes and paralleled endogenous mouse CD11a expression. All five founder mice expressed the transgene, providing evidence for integration site-independent expression. However, expression was not proportional to transgene copy number. These studies indicate that (1) the mutated human CD4 serves as an excellent reporter for analysis of leukocyte-specific promoters; (2) the CD11a regulatory unit used here represents a novel reagent for targeting gene expression to leukocytes; and (3) additional regulatory regions will be required for copy-number- dependent activity of CD11a regulatory sequences.
Rest and recreation (R&R)

R&R refers to a special leave given to active-duty soldiers and other military employees who cannot take regular vacations during war and other difficult long-term deployment away from family. It stems from the military's need to ensure combat readiness of its soldiers by providing them with time to rest and recuperate especially after extremely stressful labor under such circumstances. R&R appears to be institutionalized by the U.S. military during and after World War II when it officially established a large standing army for the first time and emerged as a Superpower with the global network of overseas bases during the Cold War era. Theoretically, military personnel during their R&R leaves can pursue various activities to relax, ranging from reunions with their families and loved ones, tourism, and sports to religious service. Yet, in practice, R&R leaves have been sexualized and commonly associated with sex industry and prostitution. Keywords: heterosexuality and militarized masculinity; institutionalization of RR sex industry; sexualization of R&R
Assuring Continuity of Government

This is a short comment on Seth Barrett Tillman's MODEL CONTINUITY OF CONGRESS STATUTE. I am a great admirer of Tillman's work. There are few people who are so interested in, and knowledgeable about, the consequences of what most people unfortunately dismiss as the minutiae of constitutional procedure. The problem he has now turned his attention to - how to assure a functioning Congress in case of catastrophic disasters - is extremely important, and his model statute provides the basis for what should be a continuing conversation. In any event, whether or not Seth Barrett Tillman has delivered the last word on what a framework statute should look like, which is almost certainly not the case, he has given us a very valuable first cut at a precise delineation of what might work to preserve our Republican Form of Government even under extreme conditions. This is a signal act of good citizenship, as well as of careful lawyering. I hope that his proposal gets the attention that it deserves.
Full-field optical strain measurement having postrecording sensitivity and direction selectivity - A coherent optical technique is described which allows for strain determination along any direction and with variable sensitivity using a single photographic recording (shearing-specklegram)

An optical method of strain measurement is described which possesses numerous advantages over conventional and holographic interferometry. The method consists of imaging the coherently illuminated object by a lens, and double-exposing a photographic plate in a misfocused image plane before and after deformation of the object. The processed photographic plate or ‘specklegram’ is subsequently Fourier-filtered to provide fringe patterns representing derivatives of surface displacements with respect to any desired direction and with variable and controllable sensitivity.
Correlates of Political and Civic Engagement Among Youth During the 2012 Presidential Campaign

A national mail survey of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 (n = 876) was conducted immediately before the U.S. presidential election (October 2012) to investigate socialization agents that...
E-054 initial procedural outcomes in 20 consecutive pipeline flex cases: the first american series

Background Flow diversion is an effective and increasingly accepted method for the endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms. The Pipeline FLEX Embolization Device (PED FLEX) is a second-generation flow diverter recently approved in the United States. We report our initial experience of 20 cases with this device. Methods Twenty consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysms amenable to flow diversion were treated with the PED FLEX. Data were collected for patient demographics, aneurysms characteristics, technical procedural details, and length of post-procedure hospital stay. Results Twenty patients (mean age 56.1 ± 3.6 years; range 29 to 81 years) with 20 unruptured aneurysms (mean size 6.4 ± 0.9 mm; range 2.7 to 15 mm) were treated. For proximal access, 8/20 cases (40%) had significant cervical ICA tortuosity, and 12/20 (60%) had cavernous ICA ≥ grade II. The PED FLEX was implanted in 100% of cases. A single device was used in 19/20 (95%) cases, and 3 devices were used in one case. Post-processing balloon angioplasty was performed 6/20 (30%) of cases. Re-sheathing was only used in 1 case for device re-positioning. Complete aneurysm neck coverage and adequate vessel wall apposition was obtained in all 20 cases. No periprocedural stroke or hemorrhage was observed. Mean post-procedure hospital stay was 1.3 ± 0.1 days, with 15/20 (75%) of patients being discharged on post-procedure day 1. Conclusions Pipeline FLEX is a second-generation flow diverter with unique delivery-specific features compared to the traditional Pipeline. Our initial experience in 20 cases demonstrates a favorable technical and clinical profile for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Disclosures G. Colby: 2; C; Covidien, Microvention. L. Lin: None. J. Caplan: None. B. Jiang: None. J. Huang: None. R. Tamargo: None. A. Coon: 2; C; Covidien, Stryker, Microvention.
Efficacy of coronary bypass grafting in exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia.

The effects of coronary bypass grafting on ventricular tachycardia induced by treadmill stress testing (TST) were analyzed in nine patients by repeating the test an average of 5 months after operation. Preoperatively, eight patients experienced pain and all had ischemic ST-segment depression during exercise. Six patients had a single episode and two patients had multiple episodes of ventricular tachycardia; in one patient ventricular tachycardia degenerated into ventricular flutter necessitating direct-current cardioversion. Postoperatively, time of exercise and double product were significantly higher during TST. Electrocardiographic ischemic changes were present in only two patients and ventricular tachycardia was not observed. All patients are alive an average of 24 months after the operation, and eight of them are asymptomatic. In conclusion, among patients with coronary artery disease who have exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial revascularization is associated with improvement of exercise capacity and suppression of arrhythmias.
Geriatric education and practice of family practice graduates: an alumni survey.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this research was to study the relationship between family practice residency training in geriatrics and subsequent postresidency geriatric practice patterns. METHODS: We surveyed all graduates of the University of Maryland Family Practice Residency Program through 1990 to determine their attitudes toward their geriatric training and the extent of their geriatric practice. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with 1) making house calls, 2) making weekly nursing home visits, and 3) having a practice in which more than 25% of patients were older than age 65. RESULTS: The responses of 143 graduates were analyzed. Most respondents (58.8%) made house calls, and the majority (51%) saw nursing home patients weekly. Older respondents and those possessing Certificates of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine (CAQGMs) were more likely to treat patients older than age 65. Respondents with larger nursing home practices rated their geriatric training more favorably. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that the following factors were associated with making house calls: working in a group family practice (odds ratio [OR] = 3.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.58-5.84) and a rural practice location (OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.77-4.17). Physicians who had additional training after residency (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.10-0.25) were less likely to make house calls. Factors associated with making weekly nursing home visits were: additional training after residency (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.19-0.50) and working in a group family practice (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.63-3.65). Attainment of a CAQGM was the only factor associated with having more than 25% geriatric patients in the office practice (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 2.72-13.24). CONCLUSIONS: Most graduates of the University of Maryland Family Practice Residency Program maintain significant geriatric practices and value geriatric training, but whether favorable training experiences influence graduates' practices is unknown. Prospective studies of family practice residents are needed to clarify the influence of geriatric curricula on residents' future clinical practices.
Affinity Labeling of Phosphoribulokinase by Adenosine Polyphosphopyridoxals

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK; EC 2.7.1.19) catalyzes a key step in the reductive pentose phosphate cycle, namely, production of the CO2 acceptor, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate. In recent years, substantial structural information has become available for the spinach leaf enzyme. For example, the primary structure has been deduced from the cDNA sequence (Milanez and Mural, 1988; Roesler and Ogren, 1988). PRK’s cysteine residues have been examined in some detail. For example, the identity of cysteines that participate in disulfide formation has been determined (Porter et al., 1988). One of these cysteines (cys-16) has been demonstrated to be located in the ATP binding domain (Krieger and Miziorko, 1986; Krieger et al., 1987) although it is not essential for catalysis (Porter and Hartman, 1988). It seemed that additional structural information could be generated for PRK if ATP analogs that have proven to be effective in modifying other classes of amino acids in ATP-utilizing enzymes could be used to selectively modify this enzyme. Recent results indicate that adenosine di- and triphosphopyr-idoxals (Tamura et al., 1986) function as affinity labels of spinach leaf PRK. The results of this protein modification work indicate the existence of a reactive lysine within the ATP binding domain.
Left Ventricular Myocardial Function in Children With Pulmonary Hypertension: Relation to Right Ventricular Performance and Hemodynamics.

Background— Through ventricular interdependence, pulmonary hypertension (PH) induces left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We hypothesized that LV strain/strain rate, surrogate measures of myocardial contractility, are reduced in pediatric PH and relate to invasive hemodynamics, right ventricular strain, and functional measures of PH. Methods and Results— At 2 institutions, echocardiography was prospectively performed in 54 pediatric PH patients during cardiac catheterization, and in 54 matched controls. Patients with PH had reduced LV global longitudinal strain (LS; −18.8 [−17.3 to −20.4]% versus −20.2 [−19.0 to −20.9]%; P =0.0046) predominantly because of reduced basal (−12.9 [−10.8 to −16.3]% versus −17.9 [−14.5 to −20.7]%; P P P =0.0098), as were septal and free-wall segments. Mid circumferential strain was reduced within the free-wall. Strain rates were reduced in similar patterns. Basal septum LS, the combined average LS of basal and mid interventricular septal segments, correlated strongly with degree of PH ( r =0.66; P r =0.60; P r =0.64; P r =0.48; P =0.0038). PH functional class correlated moderately with LV free-wall LS ( r =−0.48; P =0.0051). The septum, shared between ventricles and affected by septal shift, was the most affected LV region in PH. Conclusions— Pediatric PH patients demonstrate reduced LV strain/strain rate, predominantly within the septum, with relationships to invasive hemodynamics, right ventricular strain, and functional PH measures.
Which Humanist Are You? Reflections on Our Trans- and Posthumanity

Humanism is broadly based on concepts of individual rights and essential human dignities, the rule of evidence and reason, embedded within a recipe for and narrative of human progress—scientific and moral, practical and aesthetic progress. The foundations of humanism, however, must be reexamined today in light of transhuman and posthuman discourses and the dramatic advances in science and technology that are transforming nature, including our evolving human natures.
Change in expressed emotion and treatment outcome in adolescent anorexia nervosa

ABSTRACTExpressed emotion (EE) has been associated with poor outcomes in anorexia nervosa (AN); however, whether changes in EE predict superior treatment outcomes is unknown. The current study examined whether decreases in EE during an open trial of a novel family-based treatment for AN predicted symptoms at end of treatment. Forty-seven adolescents (12–18 years of age) with AN or sub-threshold AN and their parents (mothers: n = 47, fathers: n = 39) participated in 6 months of family treatment. Measures of AN symptomatology (Eating Disorder Examination completed by adolescent and end of treatment recovery status) and parental EE (Family Questionnaire completed by parents which measures two facets of EE: critical communication [CC] and emotional over-involvement [EOI]) were collected at baseline and end of treatment. Parental EOI, but not CC, significantly decreased during the course of treatment. Change in mothers’, but not fathers’, EE accounted for additional variance in AN symptomatology at end of trea...
What Do We Know About Globalization?: Issues of Poverty and Income Distribution

(2008). What Do We Know About Globalization?: Issues of Poverty and Income Distribution. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 1169-1170.
Opportunities and constraints in organic rice marketing - A study in Sirkazhi block of Nagapattinam district

India is a large country with inherent geographic, ecological and cultural diversity and providing safe food to the nation is a challenging task. Production and marketing of organic food material is one of the way outs for providing safe food to the people. So, in order to analyse the opportunities and constraints in organic rice marketing, a study was conducted in Sirkazhi block of Nagapattinam district, taking a sample size of 60. Major findings emanated from the study which is based on the analysis on the constraints faced by the organic rice growers revealed that the prime constraint was the "risk of low yield" for the initial two years of transition from conventional to organic farming. The study indicated that 76 per cent of the farmers had awareness regarding certification and out of which only 64 per cent materialized the certification process. Reasons attributed for not growing certified organic rice showed that the "purpose for own family consumption" was the prime reason. Marketing channel study revealed that the farmers preferred to market organic rice through contract farming with CIKS. Awareness on consumption of organic rice showed that 60 per cent of the consumers having awareness on organic rice, out of which only 40 per cent of them were turned into organic rice consumers. Consumption pattern of organic rice revealed that out of the total consumers of organic products, 65 per cent of them were rice consumers. Factors determining consumers preference for organic rice exposed that "health" is the main attribute preferred by the consumers for shifting to organic rice consumption. Among the various options ensuring consumer credibility on organic rice purchase "buying organic rice from specific identified organic farmer" was considered as the best option, Marketing through small organic rice co-operative was the main suggestion given by the farmers to popularize organic rice consumption. Traders had awareness regarding organic rice but out of the total trader's only 20 per cent really marketing organic rice. The price factor appeared to be the key motivating factor for organic rice production, the healthy and safety factors were appeared to be the key motivating factors in the consumption or purchase of organic rice and unavailability of organic rice was found to be the major constraint in organic rice marketing.
Low-Order Parametric Analysis of a Rotating Detonation Engine in Rocket Mode

A low-order analytical performance model for the rocket-mode rotating detonation engine was developed. Starting from the general form of the continuity, momentum, and energy equations and integrati...
High-speed compressive measurement using a time-lens spectral shaper

We present a method for high-speed pseudorandom spectral patterning using a time lens. When combined with compressed sensing we can measure spectrally mapped signals using far fewer measurements than required by Nyquist sampling.
An in situ grown bacterial nanocellulose/graphene oxide composite for flexible supercapacitors

Recently, the development of flexible supercapacitors has received significant attention due to their application in flexible electronics such as bendable mobile phones, flexible displays and wearable devices. Owing to numerous advantages such as excellent mechanical strength, low cost, high porosity and natural abundance, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is considered to be highly attractive for the fabrication of flexible supercapacitors. This work demonstrates that BNC can serve as an ideal layered matrix for incorporation of active two-dimensional (2D) materials. A novel strategy for the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) sheets into layered BNC during its growth is presented. GO flakes can be interlocked within the nanocellulose network during BNC growth, enabling facile chemical reduction of GO sheets, which prevents their restacking and loss of active area and leads to excellent energy storage performance as well as mechanical flexibility. Significantly, the fabrication approach demonstrated here can be extended to other 2D nanomaterials to realize flexible BNC-based energy storage devices.
Rhizosphere microorganisms affected by soil solarization and cover cropping in Capsicum annuum and Phaseolus lunatus agroecosystems

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of soil solarization or cover crop on bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) and lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) rhizosphere microorganisms. In Experiment I, flat surface solarization (FSS), raised bed solarization (RBS), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) cover crop alone (CP), and the combination of cowpea cover crop followed by raised bed soil solarization (CP + RBS) were compared with methyl bromide fumigation (MB) and an untreated control (UTC) for effects on rhizosphere bacteria and fungi on bell pepper. In Experiment II, effects of cover crop on rhizosphere microorganisms were examined on lima bean in a 3 × 3 split-plot experiment with three summer cover crop treatments: sunn hemp (SH) (Crotalaria juncea), cowpea (CP), and fallow (F) as main plots, and three organic amendments: sunn hemp hay (SHH), cowpea hay (CPH), and no hay (NH) as subplots. Rhizosphere bacteria including siderophore producers, gram-positive spore-formers, and fluorescent pseudomonads were assessed, as well as two fungi, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani. In year 1 of Experiment I, CP + RBS reduced F. oxysporum and R. solani in the rhizosphere, resulting in levels similar to those in MB fumigation. This was not observed in year 2. Heavy rainfall in year 2 resulted in a severe outbreak of Pythium on bell pepper, which was most destructive in MB fumigated plots. Effects of solarization and cover crop on rhizosphere bacteria also differed between years. Fluorescent pseudomonads were abundant across treatments in year 1, but were greatly reduced in year 2, when the Pythium outbreak occurred. In Experiment II, populations of rhizobacteria on lima bean were not affected by cover crop in either year. At the end of year 1, isolation of R. solani from lima bean roots increased in SHH plots. SH cover crop reduced gram-positive spore forming bacteria and fluorescent pseudomonads. In year 2, CP followed by CPH had higher levels of fungi and bacteria than CP followed by either NH or SHH. Overall, cover crop amendments did not result in consistent enhancement of rhizobacteria, and some treatments resulted in increased abundance of pathogenic fungi. The most consistent treatment for reducing rhizosphere fungal populations was MB.
The Model Identification and Optimal Control of Distributed Parameter Systems in Economic Management

Abstract The paper studied the model identification method of the Green’s function for dsitributed parameter systems in economy, maeagement or engineering. It discussed the method of the establishment of the model with the non-quantitative input besides the model with common input and the problem of the optimal control undler this case.
Social media responsiveness in the public sector: A study of social media adoption in three functional areas of local government

Based on the importance of citizen participation and the collaborative potential of online social media tools, this study tests four proposed influences on administrators who are deciding whether or not to adopt these tools to engage citizens. A survey of 157 department managers from large U.S. cities shows that 82% report using some form of social media to engage citizens and that perceived organizational influences and administrator preconceptions have the strongest impact on the respondentsʼ decision to adopt social media. Possible explanations for the results are that the use of online social media in the public sector may be following a similar path of adoption as earlier forms of e-government or managers may be operating in a rational environment when deciding whether or not to adopt online social media tools.
Mesoporous Materials Produced from Hydrothermally Synthesized Hectorites

Novel mesoporous materials having exceptionally large pores were produced from hydrothermally synthesized silicate-bearing hectorites. Experiments suggest that interlayer anisotropic silicates act as larger pillars. Method of preparing such materials is described, together with their porous properties. The mesoporous material from a precursory hectorite synthesized at 150°C has a total specific surface area of 848 m 2 g −1 , a pore volume of 0.98 cm 3 g −1 and an pore average diameter of 46 A, values which are significantly higher than those of conventional pillared clays.
BASIC FEATURES OF FREQUENCY-INDEPENDENT ANTENNAS

This chapter discusses the basic features of frequency independent antennas, general formulas for shapes determined by angles, and a fundamental characteristic of the pattern. A frequency-independent antenna must be a truncated version of some infinite structure that is entirely specified by angles. The pattern must go to zero in all directions that would be occupied by the infinite structure. The biconical antenna does not, in fact, fit the truncation principle. The truncation principle implies that I approaches zero with distance away from the terminals, and that the pattern of the finite structure approaches a limiting form with increasing frequency. The latter is the clearest indication of frequency independent operation in practice. The frequency-independent operation is observed only over a limited band. The low-frequency limit is evidently set by the maximum dimension, and the high-frequency limit is set by how precisely the input terminal region can be constructed. Thus, if the outside dimension of the antenna were about 10 ft and the outside dimension of the transmission line were about 1 10 inch, the bandwidth would be very roughly 1000:1.
Rate of accumulation and emission of N2, N2O and CH4 from a flooded rice soil

In a field experiment using microplots, a flooded Crowley silt loam (Typic Albaqualfs) rice soil was fertilized with 15N labelled (60–74 atom %) urea and KNO3. Emission of N2, N2O and CH4 and accumulation in soil were measured for 21 d after fertilizer application. Emission of 15N2-N measured from the urea and KNO3 treated plots ranged from <15 to 570 and from 330 to 3,420 g ha−1 d−1, respectively. Entrapped 15N2-N in the urea treated microplots was significantly lower (<15 g to 2.1 kg ha−1) on all sampling dates compared to the 15N2-N gas accumulation in the KNO3 treated plots (6.4 to 31.5 kg ha−1). Emissions of N2O-N were low and did not exceed 4 g ha−1 d−1. Fluxes of CH4 from the fertilizer and control plots were low and never exceeded 33 g ha−1 d−1. Maximum accumulation of CH4 in the flooded soil measured 460 and 195 g ha−1 for the urea and KNO3 treatments, respectively.
Bewertung und Abschreibung

Die Vorschriften des HGB und des Aktiengesetzes uber die Bewertung des Betriebsvermogens verfolgen den Grundsatz der vorsichtigen Bewertung. Er dient dem Schutz der Glaubiger, die sich auf die Kreditwurdigkeit ihrer Schuldner verlassen wollen. Es ist daher dem Bilanzierenden untersagt, sich in seiner Bilanz reicher darzustellen, als er tatsachlich ist.
The Mediating Role of Trauma Symptoms in the Association between Past and Future Teen Dating Violence Victimization

We examined whether the frequency of recent physical and sexual teen dating violence (TDV) victimization is positively associated with trauma symptom clusters (re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal), and whether these symptom clusters, in turn, are positively associated with the frequency of later TDV victimization. Participants were recruited primarily from truancy courts, and the sample consisted of 108 (47% female) 14-to-17-year-olds. Participants completed three assessments, spaced three months apart. Results indicated that the frequency of recent TDV victimization related positively to all three trauma symptom clusters. Re-experiencing symptoms mediated the relation between recent TDV victimization and TDV victimization six months later, even after controlling for exposure to community and interparental violence and demographic variables. The findings suggest that the trauma symptom clusters may differentially contribute to risk of future TDV victimization. Further research examining the cognitive and emotional processes involved in re-experiencing trauma symptoms will likely enhance our understanding of risk factors for TDV re-victimization.
Thermally driven topology in frustrated systems

Topological spin textures, such as magnetic skyrmions, have been extensively discussed in magnetic materials with broken inversion symmetry. Most of these textures are stable at low temperatures and form long-range orders. However, the topological nature of these textures, characterized by the index called topological charge, is actually persistent at elevated temperatures. In this work, the topological charge of a two-dimensional frustrated spin model with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction was calculated by the Monte Carlo simulations. At finite temperatures, nontrivial topology driven by thermal fluctuation was discovered in a spin-disordered phase. This thermally driven topology is the dominant topology at low magnetic fields. The magnitude of topological charge is quadratic in the DM interaction and linear in the external magnetic field or uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. We also propose a real frustrated system, the Mn-Bi monolayer film, with large DM interaction to enable such thermally driven topology. A full phase diagram of this system has been explored.
Impact of a multimedia teaching tool on parental anxiety and knowledge during the informed consent process

Before performing a surgical procedure, informed consent (IC) is obtained. Parents may exhibit anxiety and/or a desire for more knowledge during the IC process for their child. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a multimedia intervention (MMI) versus conventional discussion on parental understanding and anxiety during the IC process for infants undergoing surgery for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. A time-interrupted series design was employed over a 9-month period. In the first phase, conventional discussion for IC was performed. In the second phase, a MMI was utilized. In both phases, anxiety scores and post-consent knowledge tests were collected. 31 participants were included in the study, 17 in the conventional consent and 14 in the MMI phase. Parental anxiety around the IC discussion was measured. There was a significant decrease in anxiety noted with use of the MMI (p = 0.046) but no significant difference in knowledge (p = 0.84). The MMI significantly reduced parental anxiety during the IC process. Providers may consider applying this type of MMI to other surgical procedures. Securing IC in a manner that improves knowledge and decreases anxiety may improve long-term understanding and parental satisfaction with the health care process.
Controlling surface chemical states for selective patterning of CoFeB

Controlling the surface chemical states of CoFeB thin films was employed to create a chemical contrast between the modified surface and the underlying intermetallic thin film, thereby enabling a selective etching process. The oxidation states of Co and Fe were tailored by reacting the CoFeB surface to chlorine or oxygen plasmas. This modified surface resulted in an enhanced etch rate as well as selectivity in an etchant such as H2 plasma or an organic vapor such as formic acid. Hydrogen plasma was found to be effective in removing metal chlorides and restoring the magnetic properties of CoFeB. For a halogen-free process, the formic acid vapor was found to be most effective in removing oxidized CoFeB. To realize atomic layer etch, a cyclical process was developed with alternating cycles of oxygen plasma with a −100 V substrate bias and formic acid vapor, resulting in a controlled etch rate at 1.8 nm/cycle and extremely high selectivity to the underlying intermetallic CoFeB.
MP02-17 LONG-TERM REOPERATION RATES ARE EQUIVALENT FOR PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE REPAIRS WITH BIOLOGIC AND SYNTHETIC GRAFTS IN A LARGE POPULATION BASED COHORT

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:The use of synthetic mesh to augment pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repairs has been declining due to growing concerns regarding long-term mesh specific complications. As a...
The School-To-Prison Pipeline: An Examination of the Association Between Suspension and Justice System Involvement:

The purpose of this study is to contribute to understanding the school-to-prison pipeline by examining the extent to which low school commitment and deviant peer association mediate the relationshi...
Girthiness: Retrospective study of 37 horses (2004-2016)

Girth aversion or girthiness is a nonspecific clinical sign anecdotally associated with multiple conditions in the horse (behavioral problems, gastric ulcers, back pain); however, studies have not been conducted to definitively correlate this clinical sign to specific pathologies. This retrospective study aims to describe the clinical signs and final diagnoses of 37 horses evaluated at the University of California, Davis with a presenting complaint of girthiness. Medical records of all horses presented to the veterinary hospital between 2004 and 2016 for girthiness were reviewed. Twelve horses were diagnosed with gastric ulceration, 10 with various orthopedic problems, 3 with ill-fitting saddles, 1 with reproductive tract neoplasia, and 10 with various diseases including liver abscessation, vena cava aneurism, sternum pain, and urinary tract infection. Identifying the exact cause of girthiness remains a challenge; however, gastric ulcers was a common finding; therefore, a clinical examination should be oriented to further investigate this condition because 92% of gastroscoped horses in this study were diagnosed with gastric ulcers.
17-Phenyl-trinor-PGE 2

17-Phenyl trinor PGE2 is an analog of the natural prostanoid, PGE2. It is used for experimental purposes only. It interacts with the EP1 and EP3 receptor subtypes of PGE …
Inpatient Clinical Outcomes in the Elderly Patients with Heart Failure: Preserved Ejection Fraction versus Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background Heart failure is a major cause of disability, hospitalization, and mortality in elderly patients over the age of 65 in the United States, and its prevalence is increasing with an increasing life expectancy. In this study, we compared baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes between elderly patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) versus reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data between 2012 and 2016 was used in this study. All elderly patients (age ≥65 years) (n=669,392) hospitalized with heart failure were included in this study. These subjects were divided into two groups based on ICD 9/10 codes; patients with HFpEF (n=337,519) and HFrEF (n=331,873). Chi-squared tests and Students t-test were used to compare clinical characteristics and inpatient clinical outcomes between the two groups. Results Compared to patients with HFrEF, patients with HFpEF were more likely to be older (79.5±7.8 vs. 78.1±7.8; p-value Conclusion In elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure, there are a various demographic characteristics that distinguish patients with HFpEF from those with HFrEF. Most notably, patients with HFpEF more likely to be older, females, and Caucasian. In addition, patients with HFpEF have better inpatient clinical outcomes and less comorbidities when compared to those patients with HFrEF.
Modeling and Design Scenario Analysis of Long-Term Monitored Bioretention System for Rainfall-Runoff Reduction to Combined Sewer in Cincinnati, OH

AbstractGreen infrastructure (GI) is a contemporary approach to the management of stormwater and limits its intrusion into wastewater collection systems. GI practices, such as bioretention systems,...
pTrans: A Scalable Algorithm for Reservation Guarantees in Distributed Systems

Providing performance QoS (Quality-of-Service) guarantees in a distributed data center environment poses unique challenges. In a typical setting, a client must be guaranteed a minimum amount of service (its contractual reservation) aggregated over all servers on which it has demand for service. A server may receive service demands from multiple clients, which may in aggregate exceed its service capacity. The system must decide how much service to provide to each client on each server that it has demand, in order to satisfy all clients' reservations. In case there is no feasible allocation of the service, the amount of reservation that is fulfilled must be maximized. In practice, the number of clients is several orders of magnitude larger than the number of servers. We describe a simple iterative algorithm called pTrans for reservation allocation based on a directed graph model; servers are vertices and edges are characterized by a vector of feasible service transfers between adjacent servers. We provide formal proofs that the algorithm converges to the global optimal and has a polynomial worst-case running time. Moreover, pTrans can be easily parallelized using multiple threads. Empirical evaluation results show pTrans has low runtime overheads.