cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate and state dependent friction and the stability of sliding between elastically deformable solids

We study the stability of steady sliding between elastically deformable continua using rate and state dependent friction laws. That is done for both elastically identical and elastically dissimilar solids. The focus is on linearized response to perturbations of steady-state sliding, and on studying how the positive direct effect (instantaneous increase or decrease of shear strength in response to a respective instantaneous increase or decrease of slip rate) of those laws allows the existence of a quasi-static range of response to perturbations at sufficiently low slip rate. We discuss the physical basis of rate and state laws, including the likely basis for the direct effect in thermally activated processes allowing creep slippage at asperity contacts, and estimate activation parameters for quartzite and granite. Also, a class of rate and state laws suitable for variable normal stress is presented. As part of the work, we show that compromises from the rate and state framework for describing velocity-weakening friction lead to paradoxical results, like supersonic propagation of slip perturbations, or to ill-posedness, when applied to sliding between elastically deformable solids. The case of sliding between elastically dissimilar solids has the inherently destabilizing feature that spatially inhomogeneous slip leads to an alteration of normal stress, hence of frictional resistance. We show that the rate and state friction laws nevertheless lead to stability of response to sufficiently short wavelength perturbations, at very slow slip rates. Further, for slow sliding between dissimilar solids, we show that there is a critical amplitude of velocity-strengthening above which there is stability to perturbations of all wavelengths.
TOMBOY RESISTANCE AND CONFORMITY Agency in Social Psychological Gender Theory

Using life history narratives, the present study investigates processes of agency and consciousness among 14 women who identified themselves as tomboys. Most informants shared two “moments” of consciousness—a rejection of femininity and a choice of masculinity. Participants also revealed two forms of agency—active gender resistance and conformity. Implications for building agentic understandings of gender identity are discussed. While agency appears to be an important factor in gender identification, it tends to be overlooked by individuals themselves, perhaps through a process of “naturalized embodiment.” In addition, gender consciousness appears to be critical in understanding agency in identification processes.
Allorecognition and Effector Pathways of Islet Allograft Rejection in Normal versus Nonobese Diabetic Mice

Islet transplantation is becoming an accepted therapy to cure type I diabetes mellitus. The exact mechanisms of islet allograft rejection remain unclear, however. In vivo CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell-depleting strategies and genetically altered mice that did not express MHC class I or class II antigens were used to study the allorecognition and effector pathways of islet allograft rejection in different strains of mice, including autoimmunity-prone nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. In BALB/c mice, islet rejection depended on both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. In C57BL/6 mice, CD8(+) T cells could eventually mediate islet rejection by themselves, but they produced rejection more efficiently with help from CD4(+) T cells stimulated through either the direct or indirect pathway. In C57BL/6 mice, CD4(+) T cells alone caused islet rejection when only the direct pathway was available but not when only the indirect pathway was available. In contrast, in NOD mice, CD4(+) T cells alone, with only the indirect pathway, could mediate islet and cardiac allograft rejection. These findings indicate that different mouse strains can make use of different pathways for T cell-mediated rejection of islet allografts. In addition, they demonstrate that NOD mice, which develop autoimmunity and are known to be resistant to tolerance induction, have an unusually powerful CD4(+) cell indirect mechanism that can cause rejection of both islet and cardiac allografts. These data shed light on the mechanisms of islet allograft rejection in different responder strains, including those with autoimmunity.
STUDENT RETENTION OF COURSE CONTENT IS IMPROVED BY COLLABORATIVE-GROUP TESTING

We recently reported that collaborative testing (i.e., group test taking) increased student performance on quizzes. It is unknown, however, whether collaborative testing improves student retention ...
General Approaches To Mask Design For Binary Optics

The fabrication of binary optics using high quality lithographic processes requires binary masks with constant phase contours. Parameter driven software for the development of these masks has been developed at Perkin-Elmer. Applications include zone plates, aspheric lenses, and optics described using Zernike polynomials, arbitrary phase functions, and sampled phase arrays.
Technique and results of transfemoral superselective coil embolization of type II lumbar endoleak

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to describe the technique of transfemoral superselective coil embolization of type II endoleak and its influence on abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter. Methods Over 23 months, 104 aortic stent grafts were deployed to exclude abdominal aortic aneurysms, at an academic medical center. Increase in aneurysm diameter and perigraft findings on contrast material–enhanced computed tomography scans prompted arteriography. Procedures were performed solely by vascular surgeons in a surgical angiography suite. In 7 patients aneurysm access was via the iliolumbar branches of the internal iliac artery, and in 1 patient aneurysm access was via the inferior mesenteric artery through the arc of Riolan from the superior mesenteric artery. Coaxial catheters were placed to gain access to the aneurysm (8F to 5F to 3F, or 5F to 3F). A 3F Tracker18 was the most distal catheter through which an assortment of 0.018 microcoils were deployed within the aneurysm, and the origin of the feeding vessels when possible. Results Aneurysm diameter increased 0.48 ± 0.2 cm over 10.8 ± 5 months before superselective coil embolization. In 6 of 8 patients superselective coil embolization embolization resulted in a mean decrease in aneurysm diameter of 1.3 ± 1.2 cm over 9 ± 3.2 months. Failure was presumed due to inability to reach the aneurysm sac in 1 patient and was associated with oral anticoagulation in 1 other patient. Conclusion Proper identification of the source of type II endoleak and its complete occlusion, combined with aneurysm sac coiling, may result in prompt decrease in aneurysm size.
A tactile feedback system for robotic surgery

A tactile feedback system was developed and mounted on the da Vinci robotic surgical system. The system features silicone-based tactile balloon actuators mounted on the robotic master controls, modified commercial piezoresistive sensors mounted on the robotic end effectors, and a pneumatic control system. The system has a frequency response of up to 20 Hz, a linear input force-output pressure relationship, and provides five discrete levels of actuation over a force input range of 0 to 25 N. A demonstration of the system with four subjects grasping a phantom with an embedded pressure-sensitive film suggested that less force was applied with tactile feedback. This paper describes the design, fabrication, characterization, and demonstration of the mounted tactile feedback system and its components. Ongoing studies using the system will assess the benefit of tactile stimuli to learning and control in robotic surgery.
Interspinous Process Implantation for the Treatment of Neurogenic Intermittent Claudication

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a disabling medical condition in which narrowing of the spinal canal compresses the spinal cord and nerves causing a condition called neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC). Decompressive spine surgery is the standard of care for patients who fail to improve with conservative management. However, oftentimes, patients who suffer from LSS are elderly individuals with multiple co-morbidities who cannot withstand the risks of decompressive surgery. X-Stop, a novel and minimally invasive FDA approved interspinous process implant, has come into the scene as an alternative to decompressive surgery, and can be inserted under local anesthetic with minimal blood loss. Objectives: Despite its growing support in medical literature as an effective and conservative treatment of NIC, X-Stop remains a fairly new form of treatment. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical efficacy of its use. Patients and Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with at least two-year follow-up had a confirmed diagnosis of NIC secondary to LSS by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subsequently received an X-Stop implant. Subjects’ ages ranged from 64 to 95 with a mean age of 79, while the gender distribution comprised of 23 males and 27 females. Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) was used to assess patient outcome measures in three domains: physical function (PF), patient satisfaction (PS), and symptom severity (SS). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess trends in pain with a scale from 0–10, with 0 defined as “pain-free” and 10 designated as “the worst pain imaginable”. Results: Compared to pre-op scores, PF, SS, and VAS scores for back, buttock and leg pain had a significant mean decrease at 6, 12, 24 months post-op (P < 0.05). Based on the ZCQ and VAS scores, a success rate of 79% (27.34), 78% (30.38) and 74% (17.23) were achieved at six months, 12 months, and 24 months respectively. Conclusions: X-Stop is a safe and effective treatment for NIC that provides marked relief of symptoms with sustained beneficial outcomes at up to two years of follow-up. In addition, X-Stop permits implantation under local anesthetic with minimal blood loss”.
Approximating Optimal Survivable Scheduled Service Provisioning in WDM Optical Networks with Iterative Survivable Routing

Survivable service provisioning design has emerged as one of the most important issues in communication networks in recent years. In this work, we study survivable service provisioning with shared protection under a scheduled traffic model in wavelength convertible WDM optical mesh networks. In this model, a set of demands is given, and the setup time and teardown time of a demand are known in advance. Based on different protection schemes used, this problem has been formulated as integer linear programs with different optimization objectives and constraints in our previous work [8, 9]. The problem is shown to be NP- hard. We therefore study time efficient approaches to approximating the optimal solution to the problem. Our proposed approach is based on an iterative survivable routing (ISR) scheme that utilizes a capacity provision matrix and processes demands sequentially using different demand scheduling policies. The objective is to minimize the total network resources (e.g., number of wavelength-links) used by working paths and protection paths of a given set of demands while 100% restorability is guaranteed against any single failure. The proposed algorithm is evaluated against solutions obtained by integer linear programming. Our simulation results indicate that the proposed ISR algorithm is extremely time efficient while achieving excellent performance in terms of total network resources used. The impact of demand scheduling policies on the ISR algorithm is also studied.
Progesterone and prostaglandin H synthase-2 involvement in alcohol-induced preterm birth in mice.

Background : Recently, an association between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and shortened gestational length has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Progesterone (P4) and prostaglandins have been shown to play important roles in parturition in both human and animal models. Recently, it has been suggested that prostaglandin H synthase-2 (PGHS-2) is responsible for prostaglandin changes associated with term and preterm labor. It is possible that alcohol induces preterm birth by altering P4 or PGHS-2 levels. These studies were designed to determine the role of P4 and PGHS-2 in alcohol-induced preterm labor in mice. Methods : Experiment 1: Pregnant dams treated with either vehicle or alcohol (6 g/kg, intragastrically) on gestational day (GD) 16 were killed at various times in gestation up to the time of delivery. Plasma P4 levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and uterine PGHS-2 mRNA expression was measured by Ribonuclease Protection Assay. Results indicated that alcohol treatment was associated with an earlier decline in plasma P4 levels and an earlier rise in uterine PGHS-2 mRNA levels during gestation. Experiment 2: Pregnant C57BW6J females were treated with either P4 (2.0 mg, subcutaneously) or vehicle (sesame oil) 2 hr before receiving either 6 g/kg alcohol (intragastrically) or vehicle (isocaloric sucrose) on gestational day (GD) 16. Results indicate that P, pretreatment effectively antagonized alcohol-induced preterm delivery. Experiment 3: On GD16, pregnant dams received either 100 mgkg nimesulide (a specific PGHS-2 inhibitor) or vehiclc (saline) subcutaneously, 2 hr before treatment with either 6 g/kg alcohol (given intragastrically) or isocaloric sucrose. Nimesulide was effective in antagonizing alcohol-induced preterm labor. Conclusions : Together, these data suggest that both P4 and PGHS-2 may play roles in alcohol-induced preterm birth.
Determining Burger's Model Parameters of Asphalt Materials Using Creep-Recovery Testing Data

ABSTRACT: this paper proposes a method for determining Burger’s model parameters using creep-recovery data. With the determined Burger’s model parameters, the viscoelastic behaviors of an asphalt binder (PG64-28) and its two mastics (a binder PG64-28 blended with mineral fines passing the ASTM 100# sieve and 200# sieve, respectively) are investigated. The total deformation of the mastics was separated into three parts: the instantaneous elasticity, delayed elasticity, and viscous flow. The ratios of the viscous flow to the elasticity were calculated and analyzed. It was found the proposed method is promising where the average errors of the creep section are 3.53%, 5.28% and 8.02% for the three materials, and the errors in the recovery section are 0.69%, 1.286% and 1.80%, , respectively. INTRODUCTION The asphalt mixture has been commonly used to build the surface courses of flexible pavements, where rutting and fatigue distresses of pavement surface courses are caused due to rheological properties of asphalt mixtures. Hundreds of research literatures were published to address the rheological properties of asphalt materials in the past. By summarizing the published literatures in the past a few decades, creep, creep-recovery, and dynamic modulus tests were commonly used as loading modes and the master curves were usually utilized to analyze the test results by using time-temperature superposition principles (Dobson 1969; Marasteanu et al. 2004; Schwartz et al. 2002; Zanzotto and Stastna 1997; Zhao and Kim 2003). Several rheological models were utilized such as the Burger’s model, the six-element solid model, the generalized Maxwell model, the generalized Kelvin model, and the power law model. Although a complex model is powerful and gives better fitted results, such as the generalized Maxwell model or the Kelvin model, all rheological models cited above could well fit the laboratory test results. The errors between the fitted and measured 26
Sexism: toxic to women's persistence in CSE doctoral programs

Using longitudinal survey data from women in the CRA-W Graduate Cohort program, we measured the prevalence of observed or experienced sexism and its impact on departure from Computer Science and Computer Engineering (CSE) doctoral programs. Our data suggest that sexist behavior is perceived less often by these women than it is by women in general. In addition, few of the women who observe sexism are motivated by it to think of leaving their CSE doctoral programs. Nevertheless, when their reason for thinking of leaving is due to sexism they observed or experienced, the odds of women actually departing are at least 21 times greater than if they thought of leaving for any other reason.
On the Efficiency of Solar H2 and CO Production via the Thermochemical Cerium Oxide Redox Cycle: The Option of Inert-Swept Reduction

A thermodynamic model of the ceria-based solar thermochemical redox cycle is presented with the objective of resolving the widely varying predictions of the solar-to-fuel efficiency possible with reduction carried out in a flow of inert sweep gas. The implications of the treatment of the gas–solid interaction are explored through comparison of mixed flow and countercurrent flow configurations of reactants. The mixed flow model is applied for the first time to both reduction and oxidation reactions. The mechanical work to produce sweep gas of varying purity, separate the products, and pump gases is included. The results identify the conditions necessary for efficient operation. The two models lead to substantially different predictions of the usage of sweep gas and oxidizer and process efficiency. Efficiencies predicted with the conservative mixed flow model reach a maximum of 11% for water splitting at 1073 K, assuming reduction at 1773 K, heat recovery of 80% of the sensible heat of the gases, and an opt...
Predictions for hadronic transitions in thebb¯ system

Within the framework of the multipole expansion of quantum chromodynamics, we propose a model to compute the rates of hadronic transitions in the $b\overline{b}$ system and heavier $Q\overline{Q}$ states. Rates and estimated branching ratios of various transitions are given. The predicted result for ${\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ agrees with recent measurements. We discuss the spin-flip $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ transitions ${\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1^{1}P_{1}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ and $2^{3}P_{J}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ which can be used to reach the spin-singlet states $1^{1}P_{1}$ and $1^{1}S_{0}$.
Correlation between auditory evoked responses in the thalamus and species-specific call characteristics. I. Rana catesbeiana (Anura: Ranidae).

This evoked potential study of the bullfrog's auditory thalamic area (an auditory responsive region in the posterior dorsal thalamus) shows that complex processing, distinct from that reported in lower auditory regions, occurs in this center.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Hand-foot-mouth disease in Xuancheng Region in 2008

Objective To analyze epidemiological characteristics of HFMD reported in Xuancheng region in 2008 and provide evidence for the disease control.Methods Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to HFMD cases reported by China Information System For Diseases Prevention And Control,combined with case questionnaire and clinical data of severe case.Results 987 cases were reported in Xuancheng Prefecture in 2008.Annual incidence rate was 35.97/100,000.The peak seasons were from May to July.Patients aged from 0~5 years were 93.31% and mild cases were 99.49%.And it was mainly attacked scattered children in the rural areas.Highly sporadic distribution was observed in the cases reported.But there were 5 case clusters.Enterovirus 71 was maily pathogen of severe cases.Conclusion We need to develop measures to prevent and control HFMD in children under 5 years old in rural areas.Diagnosis and treatment level should be improved in order to reduce death rate indured by the disease.
Web Impact Factors:the Index of Quantitative Analysis for WEB Site

This paper reviews how this linkbased metric has been developed,enhanced and applied.Not only has the metric itself undergone improvement but also the relevant data collection techniques have been enhanced.WIFs have also been validated by significant correlations with traditional research measures.Bibliometric techniques have been further applied to the Web and patterns that might have otherwise been ignored have been found from hyperlinks.This paper concludes with some suggestions for future research.
Hypothalamic Cooling Induced by Chronic Antidepressant Drugs in Syrian Hamsters

Affective disorder is often accompanied by abnormalities in the circadian pattern of body temperature (Tb), which are sometimes reversed in remission (1). These observations suggest that impaired regulation of the circadian variation in Tb is part of the pathophysiology of depression. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of depression restore a more normal daily pattern of Tb in patients with these abnormalities. Tricyclic antidepressant drugs (1), lithium (2), electroconvulsive therapy (3), and bright light increase the circadian amplitude of Tb, and/or decrease average Tb during sleep. The fact that a variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments tend to restore a more normal circadian pattern of Tb suggests that daily variation in Tb is an important correlate of clinical antidepressant response.
Superior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms, the "Sui Generis" in Posterior Circulation: The Role of Microsurgery in the Endovascular Era.

Background Endovascular treatment in the present form has almost taken over the management of posterior circulation aneurysms. However, superior cerebellar artery (SCA) aneurysms are among the few that are said to be surgeon friendly with comparable outcome with microsurgery. This study includes a comparative analysis of the SCA aneurysms treated with microsurgery and endovascular techniques at our institute along with a pooled analysis of available literature on overall outcomes in these 2 forms of treatment. Methods This retrospective study included our patients with SCA aneurysms from 2000 to 2015. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at follow-up. A literature review was performed for clinical series on SCA aneurysms from 1991 to 2015 describing more than 10 patients for pooled analysis. Results Among the 20 patients (microsurgery, 12; endovascular, 8), 66% from microsurgery and 75% from the endovascular arm had good outcomes (GOS score >3 and mRS score P = 0.54). Microsurgery had an 88.8% complete occlusion rate compared with 75% in endovascular treatment ( P = 0.45). Pooled analysis of 12 studies showed that endovascular coiling is significantly associated with good clinical outcome (88.1% vs. 76.9%; P = 0.003). Microsurgery provides better radiologic outcome in terms of complete occlusion rate (90.1% vs. 67.4%; P = 0.0001) and lower recurrence rate (0% vs. 11.8%; P = 0.005). Conclusions Individual series on SCA aneurysms have not proved any outcome benefit of either treatment modality over the other. However, pooled analysis suggests that microsurgery provides complete and sustainable aneurysm occlusion, although with an inferior clinical outcome.
Regulation of lysosomal ion homeostasis by channels and transporters

Lysosomes are the major organelles that carry out degradation functions. They integrate and digest materials compartmentalized by endocytosis, phagocytosis or autophagy. In addition to more than 60 hydrolases residing in the lysosomes, there are also ion channels and transporters that mediate the flux or transport of H+, Ca2+, Na+, K+, and Cl - across the lysosomal membranes. Defects in ionic exchange can lead to abnormal lysosome morphology, defective vesicle trafficking, impaired autophagy, and diseases such as neurodegeneration and lysosomal storage disorders. The latter are characterized by incomplete lysosomal digestion and accumulation of toxic materials inside enlarged intracellular vacuoles. In addition to degradation, recent studies have revealed the roles of lysosomes in metabolic pathways through kinases such as mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and transcriptional regulation through calcium signaling molecules such as transcription factor EB (TFEB) and calcineurin. Owing to the development of new approaches including genetically encoded fluorescence probes and whole endolysosomal patch clamp recording techniques, studies on lysosomal ion channels have made remarkable progress in recent years. In this review, we will focus on the current knowledge of lysosome-resident ion channels and transporters, discuss their roles in maintaining lysosomal function, and evaluate how their dysfunction can result in disease.
Malaria Treatment Seeking Practices among Mothers in Rural Refugee Villages in Belize, Central America: A Qualitative Study

Since early and appropriate treatment is an important determinant in the outcome of malaria infection in children a study using qualitative data collection methods was conducted to investigate child malaria treatment-seeking practices among mothers in rural refugee villages in Belize Central America. Qualitative methods which included in-depth key informant interviews focus group discussions and rapid assessment interviews were used to produce in-depth details on how mothers identified and defined fever and malaria and their behaviors relating to treatment practices. The use of multi-method qualitative data collection techniques provided important contributions that were used in designing a series of health education messages to impact child malaria treatment. (authors)
El orden político y las ideologías

Para encarar este tema, lo mejor es comenzar considerando el significado original dela palabra politico, o politica. En su primer uso ha indicado siempre algo perfectivo para el hombre. La palabra latina correspondiente a civil, o civilizado: el que tiene vida politica, vida propia de la polis o civitas, es, precisamente, lo que podemos entender en un sentido mas propio como hombre civilizado. Es el hombre que, en razon de este tipo de vida en comun, tiene acceso a los bienes humanos mas altos, que otros hombres -cuyo prototipo es el salvaje, el que vive en la selva-, al no participar de ella, no pueden alcanzar.
Distributed generation: Residential storage comes at a cost

The combined effect of increased variability of demand due to distributed generation and domestic storage deployment represents a new feature in modern electricity systems. A recent study shows that while storage can reduce peak demand, it could also increase overall consumption and electricity system emissions.
The genetics of venom ontogeny in the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

The same selective forces that give rise to rapid inter- and intraspecific divergence in snake venoms can also favor differences in venoms across life-history stages. Ontogenetic changes in venom composition are well known and widespread in snakes but have not been investigated to the level of unambiguously identifying the specific loci involved. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake was previously shown to undergo an ontogenetic shift in venom composition at sexual maturity, and this shift accounted for more venom variation than geography. To characterize the genetics underlying the ontogenetic venom compositional change in C. adamanteus, we sequenced adult/juvenile pairs of venom-gland transcriptomes from five populations previously shown to have different adult venom compositions. We identified a total of 59 putative toxin transcripts for C. adamanteus, and 12 of these were involved in the ontogenetic change. Three toxins were downregulated, and nine were upregulated in adults relative to juveniles. Adults and juveniles expressed similar total levels of snake-venom metalloproteinases but differed substantially in their featured paralogs, and adults expressed higher levels of Bradykinin-potentiating and C-type natriuretic peptides, nerve growth factor, and specific paralogs of phospholipases A2 and snake venom serine proteinases. Juvenile venom was more toxic to mice, indicating that the expression differences resulted in a phenotypically, and therefore potentially ecologically, significant difference in venom function. We also showed that adult and juvenile venom-gland transcriptomes for a species with known ontogenetic venom variation were equally effective at individually providing a full characterization of the venom genes of a species but that any particular individual was likely to lack several toxins in their transcriptome. A full characterization of a species' venom-gene complement therefore requires sequencing more than one individual, although the ages of the individuals are unimportant.
Notes on the Fauna of the Chipola Formation - XLIII Additions to the Molluscan Fauna Since 1947

In the fifty years since Gardner's monumental study (1926-1947, U.S. GeologicalSurvey Professional Paper 142) of the Ali:m Bluff molluscan fauna, a large number of species, both new and previously described, have been added to the fauna of the Chipola Formation. These, for the most part, have been published in TulaneStudies in Geology and Paleontology,either in generic monographs or in the series entitled "Notes on the fauna of the Chipola Formation." As a conclusion to this series and to the journal as a whole, a final compilation seems in order.
Looking to nature for solutions

Completely stopping fossil fuel use may not be enough to avoid dangerous climate change. Recent research on the mitigation potential of conservation, restoration, and improved land management demonstrates that natural solutions can reduce emissions and remove atmospheric CO2 while safeguarding food security and biodiversity.
Caring for the adult with sickle cell disease: results of a multidisciplinary pilot program.

Background: Care for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) is often fragmented and costly. The chronic care model is recommended as a best practice approach to providing care for patients with chronic disease. However, no published reports exist examining the effectiveness of this approach in adults with SCD. Purpose: To examine selected quality and utilization measures at baseline and following implementation of a new multidisciplinary program for adults with SCD at one academic institution. Methods: Administrative data were obtained for all adults with SCD admitted to the adult emergency department or hospital or seen in the adult outpatient clinic during calendar years 2000-2009. Charts of all patients seen in the adult multidisciplinary sickle cell clinic were abstracted using prespecified criteria. Results: Prescribing of hydroxyurea increased from 13% at baseline to 44%. An additional 53% of patients had a documented reason for no prescription. Decreases in admissions, 30-day readmissions, and lengths of stay resulted in an average savings of 458 bed days per year. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary care for the adult with SCD provided in the context of the chronic care model can result in significant improvements in important quality targets and may reduce acute resource use.
Teaching Student Nurse Anesthetists to Respond to Simulated Anesthetic Emergencies

Abstract Background Life-threatening complications occur during anesthetic administration and student nurse anesthetists must know how to diagnosis and treat emergencies. Using high-fidelity simulation is one teaching method. Purpose This study compared if exposing students to the same performance criteria in simulated life-threatening anesthetic emergencies at three different intervals was statistically different from students who experienced the scenarios once. Method Using a checklist of required actions to diagnosis and treat the emergency, two faculty members documented the responses of the control group (n = 6) and study group (n = 6) as they performed the same 13 scenarios. Results Overall, the study group performed better on their third attempt at the scenarios than the control group who only performed the scenarios once. Conclusions Repeating anesthetic scenarios improves the overall outcomes for students in the simulated lab environment, but the financial impact must be considered if the required curriculum changes are to become sustainable. Further studies are needed to explore alternative teaching methods such as asynchronous computerized scenarios as a supplement to high-fidelity simulation.
Signaling of secreted semaphorins in growth cone steering.

Secreted semaphorins [class 3 semaphorins (3A-3F) in vertebrates and class 2 in invertebrates] play essential roles in the establishment of neuronal circuitry by mediating axon steering and fasciculation during development of the nervous system1, 2, 3 Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) was the first secreted form of semaphorins purified from adult chick brains and characterized as a chemorepellant with the ability to induce rapid collapse or repulsion of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) growth cones in vitro and to repel populations of neurons in vivo4, 5, 6, 7, 8 In the grasshopper, a graded distribution of Sema-2a has been shown to be essential in guiding the tibial (Ti1) pioneer neurons in the developing limb9. Like other families of guidance cues, such as netrins and ephrins, semaphorins function not only as repellents but also as attractants to neuronal growth cones, depending on the composition of receptors and signaling cascades presented in the cells. Sema3C, for example, can act as a chemoattractant to embryonic cortical axons10. Sema3B has recently been shown to attract and repel commissural axons in vitro and is critical for the positioning of anterior commissural projection11. In a slice overlay assay, Sema3A was shown to attract the dendritic growth cones of cortical neurons12 while repelling the axonal growth cones of the same neurons13. The molecular and modulating growth cone steering responses to class 3 semaphorins have been best characterized within the semaphorin family both in vitro and in vivo, and are the main focus of this chapter. Interested readers can consult other chapters of the book and several other comprehensive reviews on semaphorins and their signaling3,14, 15, 16
Prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in patients with hypothalamic-pituitary disease

The prolactin (PRL) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was evaluated in 686 patients over a 4-year period. Of the 170 control subjects tested, none had a blunted PRL response to TRH. Eighty patients with prolactinomas documented by surgery were tested. Ninety-five percent (76 of 80) of these patients had an abnormally blunted PRL response to TRH. Of the 87 patients with a prolactinoma who did not undergo surgery, 98% (85 of 87) had a blunted PRL response to TRH. Many patients with other pituitary and hypothalamic diseases (pituitary tumors other than prolactinomas [Cushing's disease, acromegaly, chromophobe adenoma], craniopharyngioma) also had an abnormal PRL response to TRH (79 of 153, 52%). In the majority of patients with hyperprolactinemia due to dopamine antagonist medications, TRH stimulation did not produce a normal rise in PRL. The TRH test may be helpful in confirming the diagnosis of prolactinoma, but it is not a decisive factor in the diagnosis or management of this entity.
Managing Information Security Risks across the Enterprise

There are many ways to approach information security. This chapter looks at information security from a risk management point of view by focusing on the evaluation of information security risks. The evaluation looks at information-related assets that are critical to the success and survivability of an enterprise. By looking at these critical assets, determining how they are at risk, and developing mitigation plans and protection strategies, the enterprise can take a strategic approach to securing vital information. Taking a broad look at all types of threats, enterprises can spend their limited resources wisely, without falling down the rat hole of a technology-centric solution.
Higher homotopies between quasigroups

Abstract The concept of homotopy has been a staple of quasigroup theory since Albert's work on isotopies in the early 1940s. In this paper, we introduce and study the dual concept of a higher homotopy.
Female Genital Cutting in Immigrant Children—Considerations in Treatment and Prevention in the United States

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a pediatric practice; however, the vast majority of United States (US) and international review articles and research have focused on women. Given recent immigration to the US of immigrants from countries where FGC is practiced, there are children living in the US who have FGC or are at risk of having FGC performed. Children with FGC are underdiagnosed in the US. It is imperative for medical providers who care for children to learn of FGC including medical findings, treatment, cultural beliefs, as well as the legal and ethical issues that may arise. Required, standardized training needs to be developed for all pediatric providers so that they can appropriately take care of children with FGC. There are no standardized national training requirements for medical providers who may care for children affected by FGC. FGC is under-identified in children and in general, pediatric providers lack the skills needed to appropriately identify and treat children with FGC as well as training to appropriately discuss prevention of FGC with patients and families. Pediatric legal and ethical guidelines are also lacking. National training requirements need to be developed for medical providers who take care of children with FGC or who are at risk of being cut. This includes the development of standard of care practice guidelines recommending that all girls have external genital examinations at all well child checks. Without such guidelines and clinical expectations, children with FGC, including those with significant morbidity from the practice, will not be identified or treated. Cultural, legal, and ethical recommendations and guidelines must also be developed to guide medical providers.
Impact of surveillance frequency on survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 86% of all lung cancers (1). Lung cancer survivors are a growing yet understudied patient population. Even with the high mortality associated with lung cancer, the number of lung cancer patients added to the survivor population every year is significantly high due to high lung cancer incidence rates (224,210 new cases diagnosed annually) (1).
Nightly Preoperative Huddle Email Improves Perioperative Efficiency.

Background Our institution created a nightly “Huddle” email for all staff involved in patient care, detailing the next day’s cases. This study evaluated the impact of the Huddle email on perioperative efficiency and identified factors associated with operating room delays. Methods A total of 1080 first start, open, nonemergent cardiac operations were stratified as Pre-Huddle (January 2013-June 2015) or Huddle (July 2015-January 2017). Scheduled start–to–in-room time (delay time), in-room–to–incision time, and total minutes utilized were analyzed. On-time starts were defined as a delay time of 0 minutes, and long delays were defined as delay time of more than 15 minutes. Long delays were compared with other cases based on preoperative factors. Multivariate regression identified independent predictors of delay time. Results The analysis included 643 Pre-Huddle and 437 Huddle cases. After Huddle implementation, delay time decreased by 2 minutes (9 minutes Pre-Huddle vs 7 minutes Huddle, P Conclusions Implementation of the Huddle improved delay time, on-time entry, and long delay. Strategies focused on optimizing perioperative care are beneficial for multidisciplinary teams.
Totally Organic Biphasic Systems

Abstract Nonaqueous biphasic systems provide complementary properties to aqueous biphasic systems for the extraction of neutral organic compounds of low-water solubility and for compounds unstable in water. The solvation parameter model is employed for the classification of totally organic biphasic systems with acetonitrile, methanol, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, propylene carbonate, 3,3,3-trifluoroethanol, formamide, and ethanolamine as the polar solvent and n-heptane (or n-hexane), isopentyl ether, 1,2-dichloroethane, triethylamine, or octan-1-ol as a low-polarity countersolvent forming 21 binary biphasic systems of low mutual solubility. Practical applications for the isolation of organic compounds are described and their use to estimate aqueous solution properties for compounds of low-water solubility otherwise difficult to measure by conventional laboratory techniques.
Prefrontal theta modulates sensorimotor gamma networks during the reorienting of attention.

The ability to execute a motor plan involves spatiotemporally precise oscillatory activity in primary motor (M1) regions, in concert with recruitment of "higher order" attentional mechanisms for orienting toward current task goals. While current evidence implicates gamma oscillatory activity in M1 as central to the execution of a movement, far less is known about top-down attentional modulation of this response. Herein, we utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a Posner attention-reorienting task to investigate top-down modulation of M1 gamma responses by frontal attention networks in 63 healthy adult participants. MEG data were evaluated in the time-frequency domain and significant oscillatory responses were imaged using a beamformer. Robust increases in theta activity were found in bilateral inferior frontal gyri (IFG), with significantly stronger responses evident in trials that required attentional reorienting relative to those that did not. Additionally, strong gamma oscillations (60-80 Hz) were detected in M1 during movement execution, with similar responses elicited irrespective of attentional reorienting. Whole-brain voxel-wise correlations between validity difference scores (i.e., attention reorienting trials-nonreorienting trials) in frontal theta activity and movement-locked gamma oscillations revealed a robust relationship in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, and right cerebellum, suggesting modulation of these sensorimotor network gamma responses by attentional reorienting. Importantly, the validity difference effect in this distributed motor network was predictive of overall motor function measured outside the scanner and further, based on a mediation analysis this relationship was fully mediated by the reallocation response in the right IFG. These data are the first to characterize the top-down modulation of movement-related gamma responses during attentional reorienting and movement execution.
On epistemic violence in psychological science

Held (2020) questioned the support for rejecting all objective knowledge as a response to epistemological violence. However, the argument presented appears to understate the support for its conclus...
Energy Management for isolated renewable-powered microgrids using reinforcement learning and game theory

This paper presents a decentralized energy management system (EMS) solving for optimal load-response strategy applying reinforcement learning (RL) and game theory for islanded renewable-powered microgrids. The EMS enables the consumers in a microgrid to independently evaluate the tradeoff between satisfying load demand and maintaining sufficient stored energy to make load-response decisions correspondingly. The evaluation and decision-making process consists of two parts: an instant virtual two-player load-response game and a long-term linear-reward inaction (LR-I) learning process adjusting consumer power/load models. The virtual two-game solving process is an instantaneous decision-making system so that the consumers could make real-time decisions, while the LR-I process gradually improves the consumer payoff based on the system feedback during the operation. Simulation of a microgrid powered by PV cells and battery banks is conducted to evaluate the EMS performance. It is shown that the game-learning EMS has a better performance compared to both the direct virtual two-player game and the naive LR-I approach. Additionally, compared to the naive LR-I approach, the proposed game-learning algorithm has a faster converging-speed.
Evaluating tests of binaural hearing for hearing impaired listeners using a portable device

Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss may have similar monaural thresholds (i.e., pure tone audiogram) but perform quite differently on tests of speech-in-noise. Additional testing using complex, binaural signals may be able to differentiate individuals with similar pure-tone hearing. Here, individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing losses were evaluated using tests of spectral, temporal, and spectrotemporal modulation, diotic and dichotic frequency modulation, gap detection, 2 kHz tone-in-noise, and spatial release from masking. Binaural psychoacoustic measurements were evaluated on an iPad using the Portable Automated Rapid Test (PART) app. Normal hearing listeners were evaluated as controls. Normal hearing results were similar to normative data previously collected by Lelo de Larrea-Mancera and colleagues (2020) and hearing-impaired results were elevated for most binaural measurements evaluated compared to normal hearing controls. Binaural psychoacoustic data were successfully measured for individuals with mild-to-moderate amounts of hearing loss using a portable system. Results show that evaluating complex stimuli on clinical populations using a portable device is feasible. Additionally, if accomplished on a larger scale the current test battery may likely add useful information on how hearing-impaired listeners process complex binaural stimuli and could compliment current clinical diagnostic test battery and, potentially, guide hearing aid fittings.
A Simplex Approach to Solving Robust Metabolic Models with Low-Dimensional Uncertainty

We address the problem of solving difficult metabolic models that arise in the study of flux balance analysis (FBA). FBA problems are regularly linear due to simplifying assumptions although quadratic, combinatorial, and robust extensions are pragmatic variations. All such extensions inherit an underlying computational difficulty from the linear model, although in many instances this concern can be avoided by selecting an appropriate solution algorithm. Robust extensions unfortunately lack a trustworthy computational standard and are thus difficult to solve and problematic to employ. We show that a robust model’s optimal value can be calculated by coupling standard nonlinear schemes with a technique of successive linear approximation, and we further indicate how the computational outcome might differ from the intent of the original robust model. We test our algorithm on two simple, motivating examples and on a standard FBA problem.
Excellence Available Everywhere.

Objectives The goal is to describe the use of a virtual platform in the delivery of Virtual Pathology Grand Rounds (VPGR) and discuss the overall experience from the perspective of hosts, speakers, and participants. Methods Zoom was a natural choice for an online format because virtual platforms had been increasingly used to conduct meetings and medical education. VPGR hosted 14 speakers on a variety of topics, including subspecialty anatomic pathology material, digital pathology, molecular pathology, and medical education. Results There were 221 registrants and 114 participants for the first lecture, reaching a maximum of 1,268 registrants for the 12th lecture and the maximum limit of 300 participants during 3 lectures. Speakers stated that VPGR conveniently provided career-building opportunities through partnerships with host universities and remote attendance. Participants identified a lack of interpersonal communication and technical challenges as downsides. Conclusions VPGR serves as strong proof of concept for the feasibility and demand for high-quality, remote academic pathology talks.