cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ceria Nanocoating for Sulfur Tolerant Ni-Based Anodes of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Conventional nickel yttria-stabilized-zirconia (Ni-YSZ) solid oxide fuel cell anodes infiltrated with ceria nanoparticles showed sustained high sulfur tolerance. Cathode-supported cells with ceria-infiltrated Ni-YSZ anode delivered power density of 220-240 mW cm -2 , at 0.6 V, under an applied current of 0.4 A cm -2 , when operating on humidified H 2 fuel containing 40 ppm H 2 S, at 973 K, for 500 h. In contrast, the power density of a cell with traditional Ni-YSZ anode dropped to near 0 mW cm -2 , in ∼ 13 min, when similarly exposed. The results indicate that ceria nanoparticle infiltration can effectively increase the sulfur tolerance of conventional Ni-YSZ anodes.
System Mass Variation and Entropy Generation in 100-kWe Closed-Brayton-Cycle Space Power Systems

State-of-the-art closed-Brayton-cycle (CBC) space power systems were modeled to study performance trends in a trade space characteristic of interplanetary orbiters. For working-fluid molar masses of 48.6, 39.9, and 11.9 kg/kmol, peak system pressures of 1.38 and 3.0 MPa and compressor pressure ratios ranging from 1.6 to 2.4, total system masses were estimated. System mass increased as peak operating pressure increased for all compressor pressure ratios and molar mass values examined. Minimum mass point comparison between 72 percent He at 1.38 MPa peak and 94 percent He at 3.0 MPa peak showed an increase in system mass of 14 percent. Converter flow loop entropy generation rates were calculated for 1.38 and 3.0 MPa peak pressure cases. Physical system behavior was approximated using a pedigreed NASA Glenn modeling code, Closed Cycle Engine Program (CCEP), which included realistic performance prediction for heat exchangers, radiators and turbomachinery.
Large-Area Classification and Mapping of Forest and Land Cover in the Brazilian Amazon: A Comparative Analysis of ALOS/PALSAR and Landsat Data Sources

Information on the distribution of tropical forests is critical to decision-making on a host of globally significant issues ranging from climate stabilization and biodiversity conservation to poverty reduction and human health. The majority of tropical nations need high-resolution, satellite-based maps of their forests as the international community now works to craft an incentive-based mechanism to compensate tropical nations for maintaining their forests intact. The effectiveness of such a mechanism will depend in large part on the capacity of current and near-future Earth observation satellites to provide information that meets the requirements of international monitoring protocols now being discussed. Here we assess the ability of a state-of-the-art satellite radar sensor, the ALOS/PALSAR, to support large-area land cover classification as well as high-resolution baseline mapping of tropical forest cover. Through a comprehensive comparative analysis involving twenty separate PALSAR- and Landsat-based classifications, we confirm the potential of PALSAR as an accurate (>90%) source for spatially explicit estimates of forest cover based on data and analyses from a large and diverse region encompassing the Xingu River headwaters in southeastern Amazonia. Pair-wise spatial comparisons among maps derived from PALSAR, Landsat, and PRODES, the Brazilian Amazon deforestation monitoring program, revealed a high degree of spatial similarity. Given that a long-term data record consisting of current and future spaceborne radar sensors is now expected, our results point to the important role that spaceborne imaging radar can play in complementing optical remote sensing to enable the design of robust forest monitoring systems.
Ultrasonic measurement of the elastic modulus of the common carotid artery. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study is a prospective investigation of the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis and the etiology of clinical disease in four US communities. Noninvasive ultrasonic methods were used to determine mean wall thickness (WT), radius (R), and circumferential arterial strain (CAS) in the left common carotid artery of 3,321 white male and female study participants between the ages of 45 and 64 years. The mean and standard deviation of Young9s elastic modulus (Y) in 5-year age groups were determined for each sex by combining the ultrasonic data with concurrent noninvasive measurements of pulse pressure (PP) in the right brachial artery using the equation Y = (R/WT) x (PP/CAS). Significant (p = 0.0001) age group differences in Y were observed in both sexes, with the mean value increasing from 701 kPa in women and 771 kPa in men in the 45-49-year-old age group to 965 and 983 kPa, respectively, in the 60-64-year-old age group. Significant (p = 0.0001) age group differences were also observed for WT, the WT/R ratio, PP, CAS, and the PP/CAS ratio in both sexes. A sex difference in Y was detected (male greater than female, p = 0.0006) only in the 45-49-year-old age group. Significant (p less than 0.0001) sex differences were found, with men having a greater lumen diameter calculated as 2 x (R - WT), a greater WT, and a greater 2R in all age groups. The WT/R ratio did not differ in both sexes in all age groups. Knowledge of the arterial wall elastic modulus and the parameters required for its determination can provide important insight into structural changes occurring within the arterial wall with age and sex, and possibly with the onset of very early arterial disease.
Fever and Confusion in a 47-Year-Old Man

1. What are this patient’s most striking clinical and laboratory findings? 2. How do you explain this patient’s most striking clinical and laboratory findings? 3. What is this patient’s most likely diagnosis? 4. What is the most common parasite for this infection? 5. What are some complications of this patient’s disease? 6. Would this patient be denied as a blood donor? 7. What drugs could be used for prevention and treatment of this patient’s disease?
Printer Color Calibration Using an Embedded Sensor

The purpose of printer color calibration is to ensure accurate color reproduction and to maintain the color consistency. A closed loop color calibration system has the ability to perform the whole calibration work automatically without any user intervention. A color calibration process consists of several steps: print a pre-designed target; measure the printed color patches using an color measuring instrument; run a set of algorithms to calibrate the color variations. In this paper, we present a closed loop color calibration system. And we will show in particular how to use a low cost optical sensor to get accurate color measurement. Traditional, low cost optical sensors are only used to measure the voltage data or density data. The novelty of our approach is that we can also use a low cost optical sensor to measure colorimetric data. Using the colorimetric measurement, we can perform more complicate color calibration works for color printing systems.
Contrasting coastal and shelf nursery habitats of Pacific cod in the southeastern Bering Sea

Thomas P. Hurst1*, Daniel W. Cooper2, Janet T. Duffy-Anderson2, and Edward V. Farley3 Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365, USA Recruitment Processes Program, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA Auke Bay Laboratories, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17109 Pt. Lena Loop Road, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Symptom management in inflammatory bowel disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease can present with a wide variety of symptoms. Most are related to disease activity and should be managed with appropriate medical therapy for inflammatory bowel disease. However, some patients may develop symptoms due to the side effects of the medications, or due to immunosuppression. In these cases, the offending medications should be discontinued until resolution of the symptoms and a few may be able to restart therapy. Symptoms can also occur as an extraintestinal manifestation of the disease or due to concomitant autoimmune-mediated disorders. Regardless of the etiology, symptoms should be addressed promptly with immediate evaluation and appropriate therapy, as a delay may lead to permanent sequela.
The co-occurrence of anxiety disorders in African American parents and their children

This study examined the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders, specifically the relationship between parent and youth anxiety, in a community-based sample of 100 African American parents and their biological child between the ages of 6 and 17 years. Data were provided by both the parent and child. Parents completed the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV) Client Version about their own experiences with anxiety and related disorders and the Parent version for the child's experiences. Children were administered the ADIS-IV Child version to assess their experiences with anxiety and related disorders. Fifty-five parents met criteria for at least one anxiety disorder while 34 children met criteria for at least one anxiety disorder. Two logistic regressions were subsequently conducted to predict the presence of any form of psychopathology from the ADIS-IV and the presence of an anxiety disorder in African American offspring. Results indicated that African American offspring with an anxious parent were 4 times more likely to meet criteria for both an anxiety disorder and other forms of psychopathology.
Kinetics of Cristobalite Formation in Sintered Silica

The kinetics of the cristobalite transformation are reported for sintered silica glass from 1200°C to 1650°C and plotted as a time–temperature–transformation diagram. The 1200°C–1350°C transformation data were fit to the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov expression with an time exponent of 3.0 ± 0.6 and an apparent activation energy of 555 ± 24 kJ/mol for the kinetic constant. The temperature of maximum transformation rate was found to fall between 1500°C and 1600°C. Seeding amorphous silica powder with cristobalite resulted in accelerated transformation kinetics. Silica glass powder containing residual quartz had faster transformation kinetics than fully amorphous powder seeded with cristobalite.
Efficacy of a vacuum benthos sampler for collecting demersal fish eggs from gravel substratum

— We used two densities of eggs (low=900 eggs/m2; high=5100 eggs/m2) in laboratory experiments to estimate the recovery efficiency of the Brown benthos sampler for collecting fish eggs from gravel substrate and to determine if differences (e. g., 5-fold) in egg density in the substratum could be detected with the sampler. The mean egg recovery efficiency of the sampler in the low and high density treatments was 30% (SE=8.7) and 35% (SE=3.8), respectively. The difference between the treatment means was not significant. Therefore, data from the two treatments were pooled and used to estimate the recovery efficiency of the sampler (32.7%, SE=4.4). However, we were able to detect a 5× difference in the number of eggs collected with the sampler between the two treatments. Our estimate of the recovery efficiency of the sampler for collecting fish eggs was less than those reported for the sampler's efficiency for collecting benthic macroinvertebrates. The low recovery efficiency of the sampler for collecting fish eggs does not lessen the utility of the device. Rather, ecologists planning to use the sampler must estimate the recovery efficiency of target fauna, especially if density estimates are to be calculated, because recovery efficiency probably is less than 100%.
The Influence of Television on Measured Cognitive Abilities A Study with Native Alaskan Children

In 1979 and again in 1982 data were collected in rural Alaska to assess certain effects of commercial entertainment television, which began in 1977 in selected rural sites. The findings reported here include two major culture groups: the northern Inupiat Eskimo (four villages) and the southwestern Tlingit and Haida (two villages). In 1979, half of the villages had received television for two years; by 1982 all villages had reception capabilities, allowing for a longitudinal as well as cross-sectional study of the differential effects of television on children. Age, sex, culture area, and amount of television watched were major predictor variables while scores on four cognitive tests (CEFT, Kohs Blocks, Raven Matrices, and PPVT) were the criterion variables. Data analysis was a three-stage procedure in which the independent variables were treated as sets. There was no evidence that television by itself had a major effect on cognitive abilities. Numerous interactions show that television in Alaska did not, ...
Effect of Biting Force on the Duration of the Masseteric Silent Period

The relationship of biting force to the duration of the masseteric silent period was studied. After introduction of a bite transducer in ten individuals, the jaw jerk reflex was elicited at specific decreases in biting force. No significant alteration in the duration of the silent period was observed.
Double-blind evaluation of hydroxyzine hydrochloride for labor and delivery

Abstract A double-blind investigation was carried out on 232 private and clinic labor patients. All received meperidine hydrochloride with or without scopolamine hydrobromide. On an alternating basis, half were given intravenous hydroxyzine hydrochloride and the other half an identically marked placebo. It was impossible to detect any significant difference between the test medication and the placebo with regard to pain relief, patient activity and cooperation, and incidence of fetal anoxia. Significant differences were found in two parameters: the amount of additional narcotics was reduced and the incidence of postanesthesia vomiting was decreased in the group treated with hydroxyzine. No significant side effects were noted.
Obituary: Alice Faber Tryon (1920–2009)

Alice Faber Tryon became a member of the American Fern Society in 1946 and in 1978 was elected to honorary membership, a special category of membership for those who have made outstanding contributions to the study of ferns. An eminent student of ferns and their spore morphology, she was born Alice Elizabeth Faber in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 2, 1920 (according to her sister Jane, she celebrated her birthday on August 1, although her birth certificate reads August 2). She was the second of three children of Arthur H. and Laura Bindrich Faber, and all four of her grandparents had roots in Germany. Known in her family as an ambitious and hardworking woman, Alice was Aunt Fern to her nieces and nephews. Alice graduated from the Milwaukee State Teacher’s College, now the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, in 1941. After several years teaching in public schools, she went to the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she met Rolla M. Tryon Jr. and married him on March 16, 1945. This initiated a happy and enduring domestic
Monitoring Anticoagulant Therapy in the Setting of Thrombolytic Therapy

Controversy has surrounded the choice and monitoring of adjuvant anticoagulant therapy in the setting of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction. Much of the controversy was generated by the results of large clinical trials performed over the past few years comparing thrombolytic agents. Many of these controversial issues have been resolved in the wake of recent clinical trials focused on the role of adjuvant anticoagulant therapy. This chapter will review the controversies, their resolution and give practical guidelines for monitoring anticoagulant therapy in the setting of thrombolytic therapy.
2,4-D: An Herbicide

What the atom bomb was to theoretical physics, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was to weed control and mechanized farming.
Tuning the Photophysical Properties of the Green Fluorescent Protein with Unnatural Amino Acids

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a widely utilized protein in imaging due to its favorable optical properties. These photophysical properties have previously been modified through site-directed mutagenesis utilizing naturally occurring amino acids. Here, we have further modulated the photophysical properties of GFP in a systematic fashion by the site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into this protein. UAAs greatly enhance the ability to modulate the optical properties of this protein in a controlled manner. Optical data on these new GFP constructs containing UAAs will be presented along with initial crystallographic data relating structural changes in the protein to changes in the optical properties.
Online Tutoring Research Study for Remedial Algebra

In 2012, the City University of New York undertook to examine whether online tutoring would be helpful to remedial algebra students. The research study was done in the spring 2012 semester at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). The research question was two-fold: (a) Does online tutoring help improve pass rates among remedial algebra students? and (b) Do remedial algebra students find that online tutoring is helpful? A random sample of eight sections of Elementary Algebra was chosen from the 112 sections of that course offered in the spring semester. This amounted to a total of 195 students in the research sections, with 2,521 remaining students in the control (nontreatment) sections. All students in the eight treatment sections were given access to the Brainfuse online tutoring system. Midterm scores, final exam scores, and opinion surveys were collected. An overwhelming proportion of those who used the service found it helpful (94.7%) and would recommend it to a friend (100.0%). However, ...
Atypical Pituitary Adenoma: A Clinicopathologic Case Series

Background: In 2004 the World Health Organization (WHO) classified atypical pituitary adenoma as a distinct adenoma subtype. However, the clinical significance of this distinction remains undetermined. Objective: We sought to better characterize patient characteristics, tumor features, and treatment outcomes associated with atypical pituitary adenoma. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients undergoing evaluation at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). From 2010–14, 34 tumors demonstrated elevated mitotic index, positive p53 staining, and Ki-67 proliferative index >3%, and were included in our study. Log-rank, Kaplan-Meier, and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analyses. Results: There were 21 female patients (62%) and 13 male patients (38%), ranging in age from 10 to 65 years with a median tumor size of 2.5 cm. The majority of tumors (65%) demonstrated local invasion, a feature more often associated with macroadenomas (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.003). There was a trend toward significance when analyzing gender and tumor size; female patients appeared to present with larger tumors (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.132). Five patients (15%) suffered tumor recurrence, at a median time of 5 years. We found no statistically significant association between hormone positivity, size, extent of resection, invasion, and recurrence. Conclusion: Clinical distinction between typical and atypical adenoma remains elusive. Our analyses suggest that atypical adenomas may tend to be hormonally positive, more invasive as they get larger, exhibit a female preponderance, with a statistical trend toward women presenting more frequently than men with macroadenomas. Factors associated with recurrence remain unclear.
Application of an E.N.O. Scheme to Simulate the Ion Etching Process

A non-linear hyperbolic conservation law, used to model the Ion etching process in a single material, is solved using an Essentially Non-Oscillatory (E.N.O.) scheme with a Runge Kutta time stepping routine. The model is extended to deal with a two material configuration which is separated by a moving boundary. The numerical solution of this problem involves the introduction of a co-ordinate stretching to deal with physical restrictions at the moving boundary. A convergence result for the numerical algorithm is shown. Numerical solutions to etched profiles in a single and double material configuration are presented.
The Impact of Revised Article 9 on Missouri's Fixture Financing Scheme

ors' reliance on recording in Missouri. Section 9-403(1) continues the policy of protecting the secured party where the filing officer fails to file the financing statement properly, but this should not present any problems since the new Code makes the inclusion of filing instructions mandatory.85 Of course, even though it is clear under the current system that the only way to perfect as to fixtures is by a financing statement recorded and indexed into the appropriate real estate records, the secured party can never be sure that a court will ultimately determine that a particular item is, in fact, a fixture. If it is ultimately determined that the item remains pure personalty, filing under the fixture provisions will not amount to an act of perfection. The cautious lawyer might have to file in two or even three places under Missouri's present filing scheme. This remains a real problem under revised Article 9, although under the new filing system no more than two filings will ever be necessary. 86 In summary, the perfection system under new Article 9 is an improvement over the non-uniform provisions adopted in Missouri, just as those provisions were a significant improvement over the 1962 Official Text. New Article 9 establishes a dual perfection system 7 so that a secured party 80. U.C.C. § 9-313(1)(b) (1972). 81. Id § 9-402(1), which states the formal requirements for a financing statement, has also been amended to make it clear that a financing statement covering fixtures must comply with § 9-402(5). 82. Id. § 9-402(5). 83. See id § 9-402(3). 84. Id § 9-401(1). 85. Id § 9-402(5). 86. Id § 9-402(6) also provides that a duly recorded mortgage that meets the requirements for a financing statement is effective as a financing statement. Unlike other financing statements which lapse after five years unless a continuation statement is filed, however, a mortgage continues effective as a fixture filing "until the mortgage is released or satisfied of record or its effectiveness otherwise terminates as to the real estate." Id 87. The dual perfection system was first suggested by Professor Kripke, and his 1983]
Neural representations of sinusoidal amplitude and frequency modulations in the primary auditory cortex of awake primates.

We investigated neural coding of sinusoidally modulated tones (sAM and sFM) in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of awake marmoset monkeys, demonstrating that there are systematic cortical represent...
Sentinel surveillance of injury in Xinchang,Zhejiang,2013

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of injury cases in Xinchang,Zhejiang province and provide evidence for the prevention and control of injury. Methods Sentinel surveillance for injury was conducted in 3 hospitals in Xinchang from 1 January to 30 December 2013. Data base was established by using EpiData 3. 02software and data were analyzed by using Excel 2003 and SPSS 13. 0. Results A total of 9694 new injury cases were recorded in Xinchang in 2013. More cases occurred in males than in females with the ratio of 1. 56∶ 1. The injury cases in people aged 15- 44 years accounted for 37. 11% of the total. The cases were mainly distributed in farmers /fishers(29.54%),migrant workers(25.06%) and workers(22.74%). The injuries mainly occurred at home(33.41%),in working place(28. 19%),on city street(19. 25%) and on road(12. 54%). The first 5 injury causes were fall(26.82%),traffic accident(25.02%),blunt strike(19.26%),sting/cut(17.80%) and animal bite(7.22%). The first 3 injury sites were upper limb(31. 30%),lower limb(27. 85%) and head(27. 11%). Up to 99. 72% of the cases were mild superficial or moderate injuries and 97. 92% of the cases were unintentional injuries Conclusion The incidence of injury was high in Xinchang. Injury prevention and control should be strengthened in high risk population.
Der Begriff der Verantwortung in der Antike und im Mittelalter

In der Antike wurde nicht nur eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Begriffe verwandt, um menschliche Verantwortung zu fassen, auch die Bedeutung der Begriffe variiert oft genug von Autor zu Autor. Wahrend Aristoteles verschiedene Aspekte der Verantwortung mit ‚Ursache‘, ‚freiwillig‘ und – fur das, was in unserer Macht liegt – ‚bei uns‘ (eph’ hemin, engl. up to us) einfangt, bewegt Platon sich ausschlieslich im semantischen Feld von ‚Ursache‘. Fur die Stoiker, Epikureer und spateren Aristoteliker ist der zentrale Begriff in der Annaherung an die Verantwortungsthematik ‚das, was bei uns liegt‘. Eine Ausnahme bildet der romische Stoiker Epiktet, indem fur ihn ‚das, was bei uns liegt‘ ein ethisches Ideal darstellt, das selbst viele verantwortlich Handelnde nicht erreichen. Eine ahnlich normativ konnotierte Auffassung von dem, ‚was bei uns liegt‘, vertritt Plotin, der sie mit Platons Konzeption der Freiwilligkeit verbindet; formuliert er hingegen Fragen zur Verantwortung, spricht Plotin wie Platon von ‚Ursache‘. Im Verlauf der Antike stellen sich zwar Zweifel bezuglich der Kompatibilitat von Verantwortung und Determination ein, doch rucken sie weder in dieser Zeit noch im Mittelalter ins Zentrum der Betrachtung. Fur die Denker der Spatantike und des Mittelalters wird unsere Eigenverfugung zum sei es alleinigen, sei es mit dem Intellekt verbundenen Ausdruck unseres Willens, wobei jedoch die Meinungen uber genaues Wesen und Funktion des Willens weit auseinandergehen. Verantwortung interessiert hier nicht nur im Hinblick auf eine rein theoretische Untersuchung der menschlichen Natur, sondern auch in praktischer, insbesondere geistlich-seelsorgerischer Hinsicht.
A DUB-less step? Tighten up D-loop.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can arise through exposure to exogenous DNA damaging agents such as ionizing radiation, as well as through endogenous means; for example, via DNA replication fork co...
Helicobacter pylori and Peptic Ulcer Disease

A GRAM-NEGATIVE, microaerophilic curved bacillus found in gastric-biopsy specimens from patients with histologie gastritis was successfully cultured in Perth, Australia, in 1982 and was soon named Campylobacter pylori 1 (a name later changed to Helicobacterpylori). Little attention had been paid to previous descriptions of spiral organisms in biopsy specimens of human gastric mucosa,2 , 3 but it now appears that at the least the organism is responsible for most cases of gastritis not associated with another known primary cause (e.g., autoimmune gastritis or eosinophilic gastritis) and that it may also be a major factor in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease. The . . .
Offshore pile system model biases and reliability

ABSTRACTRecent hurricanes between 2004 and 2008 in the Gulf of Mexico provide valuable new information about design model biases and uncertainties because multiple offshore platforms were loaded beyond the predicted capacity of their pile systems and because there was a failure of a pile system. A Bayesian calibration of model bias factors based on predicted versus observed performance of pile systems in hurricanes indicates that the conventional American Petroleum Institute design method for pile capacity is slightly conservative by about 10% for base shear (i.e. lateral) failures of pile systems in clay, unbiased for overturning (i.e. axial) failures of pile systems in clay, and conservative by more than 50% for overturning failures of piles systems in sand. The epistemic uncertainty in the updated bias factors is represented by coefficient of variation values of about 0.25 for base shear and overturning failures of pile systems in clay and 0.35 for overturning failures of pile systems in sand. A reliab...
Protestant Missionary Movement In Modern China A Review of Scholarship

(1988). Protestant Missionary Movement In Modern China A Review of Scholarship. Chinese Historians: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 41-45.
Monitoring Hand hygiene Compliance among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Center: Use of Secret Observers Is the Way Forward

AbstractBackgroundHand-hygiene (HH) is known to be the most effective way to reduce healthcare acquired conditions (HACs). Despite being a simple answer to the complex HAC issue, compliance with HH practice has been abysmal with reported compliance rate of 40% among healthcare workers (HCWs). In 2015, compliance rate with HH at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) was reported to be 100% when direct observers were used to monitor compliance. In order to confirm the previously reported compliance rates, this study used secret observers to audit HH compliance and provide performance feedback to HCWs.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted at DMC from June 2016 to December 2016. Hand hygiene committee was established comprising of Infection Prevention and Hospital leadership members. Trained medical residents were appointed as “secret observers” to provide accurate HH reporting. HH auditing was performed using the smartphone app “Speedy audits” to survey and capture the 5 moments of hand hygiene among HCWs. Compliance reports based on different professions, hospital sites, unit locations and auditors were generated using online web portal and analyzed to determine HH compliance rate.ResultsDuring the 7-month study period when secret observers were used, a total of 1229 HCWs were observed. Overall, the HH opportunity compliance rate was 31% (916 complied opportunities /2939 opportunities). Hand hygiene compliance rates drastically fell when secret observers were used (31% compared with 100% in 2015 using direct observers). Based on two major before and after patient contact indications, 1022 compliances were observed from 3343 opportunities (30.5% compliance rate). The other compliance rates were 44% before aseptic procedure, 35% after body fluid exposure and 20% after patient environment contact [Figure 1]. Based on profession, compliance rates were lowest among nurses (613/2058; 30%) and medical students (36/169; 21%) when compared with physicians (445/957; 46%).ConclusionHand-hygiene monitoring by secret observers with use of smartphone app is a feasible and accurate way for tracking HH compliance. The advantage of generating profession-based and unit-based reports for feedback will help to promote HH awareness and improve adherence rates.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Nature Interrupted: Affect and Ecology in the Wake of Volcanic Eruption in Japan

On September 27, 2014 Ontake-san, a volcano in the highlands of central Japan, unexpectedly erupted sending a plume of ash and rock miles into the atmosphere. Lodge and shrine structures were heavily damaged and more than 60 climbers lost their lives as a pyroclastic flow engulfed the mountain's summit. Humans have long dwelled on and around Ontake-san, maintaining their livelihoods through farming, gathering, and hunting. The mountain has also been the focus of religious devotion and spiritual training for hundreds of years, and spiritual practitioners still visit the mountain regularly. However, in the modern era, Ontake-san and its surrounding environment has also been a site of resource development and exploitation, including industrial forestry, dam building, and tourist recreation. Thus, the mountain occupies, and its eruption occurred within, a landscape of contested meanings and values embodied by various entities and materially inscribed through their actions and interactions. In this article I employ an affective ecology framework to consider Ontake-san's eruption as an interruptive 'destabilizing moment' within which new trajectories and life projects may emerge. I argue that the affective qualities of local life projects present challenges to dominant modes of conservation, resource development, and capital accumulation.
Enhancing Collaborative Learning: Activities and Structures in a Dual Language Preschool Classroom

Changing demographics have led to a need for dual language teachers to adjust their pedagogy to best meet the needs of second language learners in dual language programs. However, the development of linguistic and cognitive skills for dual language learners continues to challenge early childhood teachers (Martinez, 2010; Garcia & Kleifgen, 2010). With this in mind, it is important to explore effective pedagogical practices in dual language programs that encourage meaningful interactions with young bilingual learners (Garcia & Garcia, 2012; Gutierrez, Zepeda, & Castro, 2010). This study used a qualitative methodology, including classroom observations and interviews, to investigate the teacher’s role in establishing students’ participation when partnered in pairs. Findings reveal the teachers use of visual and auditory scaffolding, strategic pairing of students, and intentional paired learning activities to enhance collaborative exchanges.
Nonlinear Singular Integral Equations

Abel’s integral equation, linear or nonlinear, occurs in many branches of scientific fields [1], such as microscopy, seismology, radio astronomy, electron emission, atomic scattering, radar ranging, plasma diagnostics, X-ray radiography, and optical fiber evaluation. Linear Abel’s integral equation is the earliest example of an integral equation. In Chapter 2, Abel’s integral equation was defined as a singular integral equation. Volterra integral equations of the first kind $$f\left( x \right) = \lambda \int_{g\left( x \right)}^{h\left( x \right)} {K\left( {x,t} \right)u\left( t \right)dt,} $$ (17.1) or of the second kind $$u\left( x \right) = f\left( x \right) + \int_{g\left( x \right)}^{h\left( x \right)} {K\left( {x,t} \right)u\left( t \right)dt,} $$ (17.2) are called singular [2–8] if: 1. one of the limits of integration g(x), h(x) or both are infinite, or 2. if the kernel K(x, t) becomes infinite at one or more points at the range of integration.
Strengths and limitations of randomized, controlled trials.

1. Erica M.S. Sibinga, MD, MHS* 2. Jacky M. Jennings, PhD, MPH* 1. *Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. The father of a 3-year-old boy, who has just started preschool, brings the boy to your office for “his fourth cold in a row.” The boy was back to his baseline last week but now has congestion and rhinorrhea. On physical examination, he is afebrile and has no signs of otitis media or lower respiratory tract involvement. His father expresses frustration with these frequent illnesses and asks if there is something else he can do. As a general pediatrician, you often are confronted with this clinical scenario. You recall a recent study of probiotics for the prevention of colds and influenza-like illnesses and review it more carefully. Leyer and associates (1) conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 326 children, in which 3- to 5-year-old children received one of three products for 6 months. Probiotic I consisted of one strain of probiotic, probiotic II consisted of two strains of probiotic, and a placebo preparation contained no probiotics. The investigators …
DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORT OF SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL OF THE AMAZON RIVER IN THE OCEAN

The transport of suspended material of the Amazon River was determined based on data from seven cruises in the Amazon River/Atlantic Ocean area with measurements of currents, suspended material concentration, temperature, and salinity made at three anchored stations extending over complete tidal cycles. The suspended material is thrust out the river mouth onto the shelf where it encounters a two-layer flow with entrainment and mixing. It is also carried westward along shore by a strong ocean current, as well as by prevailing longshore currents. Off the river mouth, transport is oceanward at all depths with the majority being transported in the lower half of the water column. There is a transition oceanward until the upper third of the water column on the outer shelf has negligible suspended material transport, the middle third is transported oceanward, and the bottom third of the column is transported landward. A state of equilibrium existing between the bottom transports produces a turbidity maximum out on the shelf oceanward of the river mouth and extending northwestward paralleling the coast. The sedimentation patterns are in opposition to the classic pattern with sands and silts on the shelf and winnowed mud being deposited on the coast.
Just in time: Toward a new American philosophy

In spite of rhetorical disavowals, the Analytic/Continental Split has hardened and widened in recent years, and continues to be the dominant trait of American philosophy. It is also a crippling trait: philosophers on either side who do good work are doing it in spite of the traditions to which they have been assigned. The Split has previously been interpreted in terms of a contrast between Analytical rigor and Continental relevance; but this view, I argue, misses the point entirely. Seeing it rather as a split between those (Analysts) who seek a timeless version of truth by reducing their topics and methods to a set of invariant structures, and those (Continentals) who view everything as radically temporal, points the way to a rejuvenated American philosophy. Such philosophy takes us not merely beyond the Analytic/ Continental Split, but beyond Analytic and Continental philosophy altogether.
Current state of sentinel lymph nodes for women with endometrial cancer

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been investigated as an alternative to conventional pelvic and para-aorticlymphadenectomy for the surgical staging of endometrial cancer. Clinical trials have established the accuracy of sentinel nodes in the detecting metastatic disease. Novel advancements in tracers from the historically favored blue dyes and radio labeled colloids to near infrared imaging of fluorescent dyes has improved the ability to detect sentinel nodes and increased options for surgeons. The uterine cervix has been shown to be a feasible and accurate injection site for tracer, though the potential for under-evaluation of the para-aortic nodes remains a controversy, particularly for high-risk cancers. Additionally, sentinel node evaluation provides qualitatively different information than traditional staging techniques by identifying lymph nodes outside of traditional sampling locations and through the identification of very low volume meta static disease implants, such as isolated tumor cells. It is unclear how this altered staging information should be interpreted, guide the prescription of adjuvant therapy and its impact on long term clinical outcomes such as recurrence and survival. In this review we will discuss the evidence that has supported the use of the SLN technique in the staging of endometrial cancer, the options for surgical technique and the implications of managing the results of staging pathology.
Is Noise From Suctioning Harmful to Surgeons' Hearing?

PURPOSE A growing concern in the community of oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) is the progressive hearing loss that has become more evident in older surgeons. Very few studies have focused on the effects on a surgeon's hearing based on his or her environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the noise produced by suction, compared with federal guidelines, could have a damaging effect on the hearing of OMSs. MATERIALS AND METHODS A CEM DT-8851 industrial high-accuracy digital sound noise level meter data logger (CEM Instruments, Bengal, India) was used to capture the sound intensities in various procedures. The sound meter was used to record the intensities of sound produced, in decibels, in clinics and operating rooms. The analysis was divided into different variables: non-drilling/suction (in which neither a drill nor suction was used but suction was on), suction, drilling, suction and drilling, suction and irrigation, and Yankauer suction. RESULTS A total of 50 clinic and 50 operating room procedures were recorded, focusing on suction. The noise intensities captured were analyzed based on federal workplace standards. Compared with non-drilling/suction, all other noise exposures on average were greater in intensity and statistically significant with P < .0001. Both the maximum and minimum intensity recorded occurred during non-drilling/suction periods. Noise intensities exceeded 85 dB only 0.04% of the time. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis that suction noise intensity would exceed federal guidelines was not supported and therefore was not accepted. However, it cannot conclusively be said that surgeons are not experiencing hearing loss due to their work-related noise exposure. The extent to which OMSs are exposed to this type of setting could be the cause of their progressive hearing loss because federal guidelines are based on 8-hour workdays and 16 hours of being in a quiet environment. A longitudinal study observing specific surgeons through a substantial period would perhaps be able to give more definitive results.
Breakthrough analysis for filtering facepiece respirators impregnated with activated carbon

Several manufacturers are producing disposable dual-use dust masks that are primarily designed to protect against airborne particulate exposures but that also contain a layer of activated carbon to...
Exceptional Point of Degeneracy in Backward-Wave Oscillator with Distributed Power Extraction

We show how an exceptional point of degeneracy (EPD) is formed in a system composed of an electron beam interacting with an electromagnetic mode guided in a slow wave structure (SWS) with distributed power extraction from the interaction zone. Based on this kind of EPD, a new regime of operation is devised for backward wave oscillators (BWOs) as a synchronous and degenerate regime between a backward electromagnetic mode and the charge wave modulating the electron beam. Degenerate synchronization under this EPD condition means that two complex modes of the interactive system do not share just the wavenumber, but they rather coalesce in both their wavenumbers and eigenvectors (polarization states). In principle this new condition guarantees full synchronization between the electromagnetic wave and the beam's charge wave for any amount of output power extracted from the beam, setting the threshold of this EPD-BWO to any arbitrary, desired, value. Indeed, we show that the presence of distributed radiation in the SWS results in having high-threshold electron-beam current to start oscillations which implies higher power generation. These findings have the potential to lead to highly efficient BWOs with very high output power and excellent spectral purity.
A call to multiple arms! protesting the commoditization of hindu imagery in western society

ABSTRACTOver the past two decades, with the explosion of all things yoga, Hindu imagery has become part of an “Indo-chic” marketing trend, which has seen the mass production of henna, bindis, yoga mats, and “sari-esque” merchandise for Western consumption. Lunch boxes, nightlights, and T-shirts with the likeness of Hindu gods are popular sellers. While the appearance of these products is somewhat problematic due to their decontextualized nature, these commodities are not considered inherently disrespectful to the Hindu community. It is the emergence of Hindu imagery on other types of products—objects considered polluting in certain Hindu contexts—that has been significantly more disconcerting. This essay highlights the connection between an asserted globalized Hindu community and Hindu imagery. It further explores how Hindu images are signified through the discourse of protest generated by diasporic Hindus in reaction to the representations of gods and goddesses on commodities—in the North American, Europ...
Book Introduction: The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice

When multinational corporations cause mass harms to lives, livelihoods, and the environment in developing countries, it is nearly impossible for victims to find a court that can and will issue an enforceable judgment. In this work, Professor Maya Steinitz presents a detailed rationale for the creation of an International Court of Civil Justice (ICCJ) to hear such transnational mass tort cases. The world’s legal systems were not designed to solve these kinds of complex transnational disputes, and the absence of mechanisms to ensure coordination means that victims try, but fail, to find justice in country after country, court after court. The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice explains how the ICCJ would provide victims with access to justice and corporate defendants with a non-corrupt forum and an end to the cost and uncertainty of unending litigation – more efficiently resolving the most complicated types of civil litigation.
Mapping Lanka’s Moral Boundaries: Representations of Socio-Political Difference in the Ravana Rajavaliya

This article analyses the ways in which a little-known Sinhala text called the Ravana Rajavaliya articulates a moral topography of late medieval Sri Lanka. Rather than expressing a kind of all-cons...
Bring Back the Rat

As 2020 is "The Year of the Rat" in the Chinese astrological calendar, it seems an appropriate time to consider whether we should bring back the laboratory rat to front-and-center in research on the basic biology of mammalian aging. Beginning in the 1970s, aging research with rats became common, peaking in 1992 but then declined dramatically by 2018 as the mouse became preeminent. The purpose of this review is to highlight some of the historical contributions as well as current advantages of the rat as a mammalian model of human aging, because we suspect at least a generation of researchers is no longer aware of this history or these advantages. Herein, we compare and contrast the mouse and rat in the context of several biological domains relevant to their use as appropriate models of aging: phylogeny/domestication, longevity interventions, pathology/physiology, and behavior/cognition. It is not the goal of this review to give a complete characterization of the differences between mice and rats, but to provide important examples of why using rats as well as mice is important to advance our understanding of the biology of aging.
Piperacillin-Tazobactam-Resistant/Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Susceptible Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates: Resistance Mechanisms and In vitro-In vivo Discordance

ABSTRACT We previously reported the detection of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae that displayed in vitro piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) resistance but were susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins (TZP-R/Ceph3-S). In this study, we assessed the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of 12 clinical non-clonal TZP-R/Ceph3-S E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates derived from bloodstream infections. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that most of the TZP-R/Ceph3-S E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates examined harbored blaTEM-1 and blaSHV-1 genes, respectively, but none harbored extended-spectrum β-lactamase, AmpC β-lactamase or carbapenemase genes. Increasing the tazobactam concentration from 4 mg/L to 16 mg/L restored TZP in vitro susceptibility among E. coli isolates expressing TEM-1, but had minimal impact on the susceptibility of K. pneumoniae to TZP. Real-time qPCR analysis showed that blaTEM-1 expression was amplified in TZP-R E. coli upon incubation with sub-inhibitory TZP concentrations. Using an immunocompetent murine septicemia model, the efficacy of TZP against TZP-R/Ceph3-S isolates was assessed using TZP doses that mimicked human plasma exposures following intravenous (IV) administration of TZP 4.5 g q6h over 0.5 h for 24 h. Efficacy was assessed by survival through 96 h. There was high mortality in untreated control mice for all tested isolates. Compared with controls, TZP human-simulated exposure significantly improved survival for all TZP-R/Ceph3-S E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates examined (P