cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
pH Impedance and high-resolution manometry in laryngopharyngeal reflux disease high-dose proton pump inhibitor failures†‡§

Objectives/Hypothesis: Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) patients often fail empiric treatment with high-dose, twice-daily (BID) proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Further testing is warranted to rule in or out nonacid reflux (NAR) or breakthrough acid reflux (BAR) as the etiology of the symptoms. Results of coordinated multichannel intraluminal pH impedance (MII) and high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) testing while patients are on high-dose BID PPIs is lacking in the LPRD population. The objective of this study is to evaluate if coordinated MII and HRM aid in the management of patients with persistent LPRD symptoms despite high dose BID PPIs. Study Design: Retrospective case series. Methods: MII and HRM were administered while on medication to 23 persistent LPRD subjects who had failed 3 months of high-dose BID PPIs. Number and pH of total and proximal reflux episodes, DeMeester score, reflux symptom correlation, and motility/physiology findings were recorded. Subjects were grouped into significant NAR, BAR, or nonsignificant NAR. Results: Fifty-two percent of subjects had significant NAR and 22% had BAR despite high-dose BID PPIs. Statistically significant differences were found between groups for the MII outcomes of DeMeester score, number of total and proximal reflux events, and nonacid reflux events. HRM demonstrated dysmotility in five subjects. Conclusions: For recalcitrant LPRD subjects who fail empiric high-dose BID PPI therapy, this study demonstrated significant NAR or BAR in 74% of subjects. Evaluation by MII and HRM performed on PPI therapy proved useful for diagnosis and further management.
A new auto-focus sharpness function for digital and smart-phone cameras

Passive auto-focusing is a key feature in digital cameras and smart-phones which uses the image sharpness information to capture focused images without any user intervention. This paper introduces a new sharpness function for achieving passive auto-focusing in digital cameras and smart-phones. It is shown that this sharpness function produces a peak when the image is in-focus and drops when the image goes out-of-focus and the amount of drop is proportional to the degree of defocus. A comparison is made between this introduced sharpness function and the commonly used sharpness functions in terms of focusing accuracy and focusing speed. The results obtained indicate that the introduced sharpness function possesses a comparable accuracy while it achieves faster focusing.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome after transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement

Objective An inflammatory response after cardiac surgery is associated with worse clinical outcomes, but recent trials to attenuate it have been neutral. We evaluated the association between systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and mortality after transcatheter (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for aortic stenosis (AS) and evaluated whether diabetes influenced this relationship. Methods Patients (n=747) with severe AS treated with TAVR (n=264) or SAVR (n=483) between January 2008 and December 2013 were included and 37% had diabetes mellitus. SIRS was defined by four criteria 12–48 h after aortic valve replacement (AVR): (1) white blood cell count 12; (2) heart rate >90; (3) temperature 38°C; or (4) respiratory rate >20. Severe SIRS was defined as meeting all four criteria. The primary endpoint was 6-month all-cause mortality (60 deaths occurred by 6 months). Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was performed on 44 baseline and procedural variables to minimise confounding. Results Severe SIRS developed in 6% of TAVR patients and 11% of SAVR patients (p=0.02). Six-month mortality tended to be higher in those with severe SIRS (15.5%) versus those without (7.4%) (p=0.07). After adjustment, severe SIRS was associated with higher 6-month mortality (IPW adjusted HR 2.77, 95% CI 2.04 to 3.76, p Conclusions Severe SIRS was associated with a higher mortality after SAVR or TAVR. It occurred more commonly after SAVR and had a greater effect on mortality in diabetic patients. These findings may have implications for treatment decisions in patients with AS, may help explain differences in outcomes between different AVR approaches and identify diabetic patients as a high-risk subgroup to target in clinical trials with therapies to attenuate SIRS.
Temporal distribution of weather catastrophes in the USA

The temporal distributions of the nation’s four major storm types during 1950–2005 were assessed, including those for thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and winter storms. Storms are labeled as catastrophes, defined as events causing $1 million or more in property losses, based on time-adjusted data provided by the insurance industry. Most catastrophic storms occurred in the eastern half of the nation. Analysis of the regional and national storm frequencies revealed there was little time-related relationship between storm types, reflecting how storm types were reported. That is, when tornadoes occurred with thunderstorms, the type producing the greatest losses was the one identified by the insurance industry, not both. Temporal agreement was found in the timing of relatively high incidences of thunderstorms, hurricanes, and winter storms during 2002–2005. This resulted in upward time trends in the national losses of hurricane and thunderstorm catastrophes, The temporal increase in hurricanes is in agreement with upward trends in population density, wealth, and insurance coverage in Gulf and East coastal areas. The upward trends in thunderstorm catastrophes and losses result from increases in heavy rain days, floods, high winds, and hail days, revealing that atmospheric conditions conducive to strong convective activity have been increasing since the 1960s. Tornado catastrophes and their losses peaked in 1966–1973 and had no upward time trend. Temporal variability in tornado catastrophes was large, whereas the variability in hurricane and thunderstorm catastrophes was only moderate, and that for winter storms was low.
Tornado Codes for MAID Archival Storage

This paper examines the application of Tornado codes, a class of low density parity check (LDPC) erasure codes, to archival storage systems based on massive arrays of idle disks (MAID). We present a log- structured extent-based archival file system based on Tornado Coded stripe storage. The file system is combined with a MAID simulator to emulate the behavior of a large-scale storage system with the goal of employing Tornado Codes to provide fault tolerance and performance in a power-constrained environment. The effect of power conservation constraints on system throughput is examined, and a policy of placing multiple data nodes on a single device is shown to increase read throughput at the cost of a measurable, but negligible, decrease in fault tolerance. Finally, a system prototype is implemented on a 100 TB Lustre storage cluster, providing GridFTP accessible storage with higher reliability and availability than the underlying storage architecture.
Dietary docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid: Emerging mediators of inflammation

The inflammatory response is designed to help fight and clear infection, remove harmful chemicals, and repair damaged tissue and organ systems. Although this process, in general, is protective, the failure to resolve the inflammation and return the target tissue to homeostasis can result in disease, including the promotion of cancer. A plethora of published literature supports the contention that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) in particular, are important modulators of a host's inflammatory/immune responses. The following review describes a mechanistic model that may explain, in part, the pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties of EPA and DHA. In this review, we focus on salient studies that address three overarching mechanisms of n-3 PUFA action: (i) modulation of nuclear receptor activation, i.e., nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) suppression; (ii) suppression of arachidonic acid-cyclooxygenase-derived eicosanoids, primarily prostaglandin E(2)-dependent signaling; and (iii) alteration of the plasma membrane micro-organization (lipid rafts), particularly as it relates to the function of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and T-lymphocyte signaling molecule recruitment to the immunological synapse (IS). We propose that lipid rafts may be targets for the development of n-3 PUFA-containing dietary bioactive agents to down-modulate inflammatory and immune responses and for the treatment of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Synthesis of N-Valued Switching Circuits

The concept of a functionally complete set is defined and examples are given in the familiar field of 2-valued logic and 2-valued switching circuits. Several functionally complete sets, already Known to investigators in n-valued logic, are discussed, with particular emphasis on applications to the synthesis of n-valued switching circuits. It is noted that much of the switching in a base-n computer will be, in a sense, binary, permitting the use of relatively simple elements in the synthesis. As an example, an n-valued switching matrix is synthesized.
Sodium-selective salt sensitivity: its occurrence in blacks

We tested the hypothesis that the Na(+) component of dietary NaCl can have a pressor effect apart from its capacity to complement the extracellular osmotic activity of Cl(-) and, thus, expand plasma volume. We studied 35 mostly normotensive blacks who ingested a low-NaCl diet, 30 mmol/d, for 3 weeks, in the first and third of which Na(+) was loaded orally with either NaHCO(3) or NaCl, in random order (250 mmol/d). In subjects adjudged to be salt sensitive (n=18; Delta mean arterial pressure: >or=5 mm Hg with NaCl load), but not in salt-resistant subjects (n=17), loading with NaHCO(3) was also pressor. The pressor effect of NaHCO(3) was half that of NaCl: mean arterial pressure (millimeters of mercury) increased significantly from 90 on low NaCl to 95 with NaHCO(3) and to 101 with NaCl. The pressor effect of NaCl strongly predicted that of NaHCO(3.) As judged by hematocrit decrease, plasma volume expansion with NaCl was the same in salt-resistant and salt-sensitive subjects and twice that with NaHCO(3), irrespective of the pressor effect. In salt-sensitive subjects, mean arterial pressure varied directly with plasma Na(+) concentration attained with all Na(+) loading. In salt-sensitive but not salt-resistant subjects, NaHCO(3) and NaCl induced decreases in renal blood flow and increases in renal vascular resistance; changes in renal blood flow were not different with the 2 salts. Responses of renal blood flow and renal vascular resistance to NaHCO(3) were strongly predicted by those to NaCl. In establishing the fact of "sodium-selective" salt sensitivity, the current observations demonstrate that the Na(+) component of NaCl can have pressor and renal vasoconstrictive properties apart from its capacity to complement Cl(-) in plasma volume expansion.
Microwave-Assisted Tandem Processes for the Synthesis of N-Heterocycles

Over the years, microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) became a commonly applied mainstream tool for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. The broad range of emerging applications in this field is mainly due to the significant contribution of MAOS to the development of ecofriendly processes. Various transformations have been developed for the synthesis of N-heterocycles under microwave conditions, including fast and selective processes. Tandem reactions involving greener reaction media, solvent-free conditions, and solid-phase synthesis are of exceptional interest in this area. In most transformations, microwave conditions dramatically enhanced reaction rates, as well as provided improved yields. This account highlights the most recent advancements in MAOS-based tandem processes for the synthesis of N-heterocycles.
Ego Depletion Is Not Just Fatigue: Evidence From a Total Sleep Deprivation Experiment

Is the self-regulation failure that comes from prior exertions of self-regulation--the ego-depletion effect--the result of fatigue? A reading of the literature suggests that self-regulatory resource depletion and fatigue might be overlapping constructs, but direct empirical evidence is lacking. The authors put this question to the test by subjecting half of their participants to total sleep deprivation for 24 hours whereas others were rested; they crossed this factor with a self-regulation manipulation in which participants did or did not suppress their emotional reactions to a film. The authors' measure of self-regulation was aggressive responses in a game involving blasting noise at an opponent. Contrary to expectations, there was no effect of sleep deprivation on aggression. In confirmation of the limited-resource model, the authors found that depleted participants were more aggressive than nondepleted participants (irrespective of fatigue condition). Lax self-regulation seems to be from a lack of self-regulatory capacity, not fatigue.
Depolarization of the macula densa induces superoxide production via NAD(P)H oxidase

Superoxide (O2−) enhances tubuloglomerular feedback by scavenging nitric oxide at the macula densa. However, the singling pathway of O2− production in the macula densa is not known. We hypothesized...
Modeling the performance of HTTP over several transport protocols

This paper considers the interaction of HTTP with several transport protocols, including TCP, Transaction TCP, a UDP-based request-response protocol, and HTTP with persistent TCP connections. We present an analytic model for each of these protocols and use that model to evaluate network overhead carrying HTTP traffic across a variety of network characteristics. This model includes an analysis of the transient effects of TCP slow-start. We validate this model by comparing it to network packet traces measured with two protocols (HTTP and persistent HTTP) over local and wide-area networks. We show that the model is accurate within 5% of measured performance for wide-area networks, but can underestimate latency when the bandwidth is high and delay is low. We use the model to compare the connection-setup costs of these protocols, bounding the possible performance improvement. We evaluate these costs for a range of network characteristics, finding that setup optimizations are relatively unimportant for current modem, ISDN, and LAN users but can provide moderate to substantial performance improvement over high-speed WANs. We also use the model to predict performance over future network characteristics.
A biomechanical study of the finger pulley system during repair

This paper addresses the mechanics of the finger/pulley system when subjected to various excisions and repairs. Several cadaver hands were used to study the finger/pulley's function, finger joint dynamics, and the relationship between tendon excursion and finger joint angles of rotation. By using a method of continuous and simultaneous data acquisition of the entire finger joint's motion, a more detailed analysis was achieved. Our experimental investigation is based on the use of four micro-potentiometers inserted at the finger's joints and a pulley system to simulate tendon excursion. Using this procedure, a detailed kinematic analysis of the entire finger was performed. This included analysis of the intact hand, various pulley excisions, and reconstruction. In addition to introducing a new method of acquisition, a mathematical model was developed for the inverse dynamic analysis of the finger pulley system. From this model, the torques required at the joints for the motion were computed. The results provided new insight into possible ways of characterizing kinematic changes resulting from pulley damage and repair.
Functional restitution of pituitary grafts re-transplanted from kidney to median eminence.

The present study is based on the fact that rat pituitaries autografted on the kidney lose power to maintain ovarian follicles and interstitium, although luteotropic function is retained or enhanced. In 62 adult, cycling rats the pars distalis was autotransplanted to the kidney immediately after parapharyngeal hypophysectomy In the definitive experimental group of 14 rats (MEm-1) the grafts were re-transplanted after 3 to 4 weeks via the transtemporal route into close relation to the median eminence. Estrous cyclesreturned spontaneously in 13 animals 8 to 68 days later; 7 rats became pregnant. Ovaries, uteri and vaginae were histologically normal save for reduced numbers of follicles and corpora lutea. In another group of 10 rats (MEm-2) grafts were re-transplanted under the median eminence 2 to 3 weeks after the first operation. These were each “primed” later with a short sequence of FSH and LH injections, a treatment of little benefit. Gonadotropin secretion became evident at 11 to 66 days; 3 rats cycle...
Design of a Small Scale Gas Turbine for a Hybrid Propulsion System

As part of the Great Horned Owl (GHO) program Southwest Research Institute© (SwRI©) has developed a small, lightweight gas-turbine generator to provide power for an electric or hybrid electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This original design for a fuel-to-electricity component of a hybrid propulsion system was designed, built and tested at the SwRI facility in San Antonio, TX. The design is based on a patented SwRI gas-turbine configuration and went through five major design iterations leading to the final configuration. The design iterations of the gas generator were driven by aggressive targets for weight, size and performance that were part of program requirements. The design of the GHO machine evolved from the initial concept based on lessons learned from previous testing at SwRI and considerations to improve manufacturability and operability. Improvements to the design were also incorporated to meet performance goals and increase life of hot section parts.This machine is low-cost and simple to operate and in addition to the original design intent of fuel-to-electricity use in a hybrid propulsion system can be used as a technology demonstration platform. SwRI plans to use the GHO machine in projects such as instrumentation development, as a test bed for new technologies such as ceramic or additive manufactured parts and for use as a component in a hardware-in-the-loop system.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Bacterial mercury resistance from atoms to ecosystems

Bacterial resistance to inorganic and organic mercury compounds (HgR) is one of the most widely observed phenotypes in eubacteria. Loci conferring HgR in Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria typically have at minimum a mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) that reduces reactive ionic Hg(II) to volatile, relatively inert, monoatomic Hg(0) vapor and a membrane-bound protein (MerT) for uptake of Hg(II) arranged in an operon under control of MerR, a novel metal-responsive regulator. Many HgR loci encode an additional enzyme, MerB, that degrades organomercurials by protonolysis, and one or more additional proteins apparently involved in transport. Genes conferring HgR occur on chromosomes, plasmids, and transposons and their operon arrangements can be quite diverse, frequently involving duplications of the above noted structural genes, several of which are modular themselves. How this very mobile and plastic suite of proteins protects host cells from this pervasive toxic metal, what roles it has in the biogeochemical cycling of Hg, and how it has been employed in ameliorating environmental contamination are the subjects of this review.
Convicted Survivors: Comparing and Describing California's Battered Women Inmates

This study describes women incarcerated at a California prison for the death of their male abusers and compares them with a statewide sample of women inmates. Women convicted for using lethal violence against abusive partners differ from the broader population of California women prisoners on key demographic markers. Furthermore, despite a clear lack of criminal or violent histories, the overwhelming majority of battered women are convicted of first- or second-degree murder and receive long, harsh sentences whether they are represented by private or by public attorneys. This research suggests the possibility of a systematic criminal justice bias against women who kill their male partners.
Family-Centered Rounds: A Decade of Growth

In the last decade, in an effort to improve family-centered care, pediatric hospitalists have incorporated family-centered bedside rounds into the inpatient setting. By involving patients and families in decision-making during rounds, we have given a new twist to the old concept of bedside rounds and called it family-centered rounds (FCRs). In 2007, Muething et al1 developed the first FCR model for improvement and described the role of FCRs in enhancing family-centered care, trainee education, and reducing discharge timeliness. Since then, many hospitalists programs have incorporated FCRs into their daily rounds, and by 2010, >44% of pediatric hospitalists reported conducting FCRs.2 Sisterhen et al3 defined FCRs as a model that involves planned, purposeful interaction that requires the permission of patients and families and the cooperation of physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff. Although the last decade was spent in establishing FCRs and identifying the attendees’ perceptions of FCRs and their impact on patient care, a recent study by Sharma et al4 in the current issue of Hospital Pediatrics has taken FCRs to the next level by better operationalizing FCRs and setting the stage for future …
A Study on Flow Boiling in Microchannel With Piranha Pin Fin

In this paper we reported an advanced structure, the Piranha Pin Fin (PPF), for microchannel flow boiling. Fluid flow and heat transfer performance were evaluated in detail with HFE7000 as working fluid. Surface temperature, pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF) were experimentally obtained and discussed. Furthermore, microchannels with different PPF geometrical configurations were investigated. At the same time, tests for different flow conditions were conducted and analyzed. It turned out that microchannel with PPF can realize high-heat flux dissipation with reasonable pressure drop. Both flow conditions and PPF configuration played important roles for both fluid flow and heat transfer performance. This study provided useful reference for further PPF design in microchannel for flow boiling.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The New Generation of the Congo: Migration, Social Change, and Innovation

This roundtable will focus on the multi-directional and multi-dimensional movements of people, capital and ideas in and out of the Congo, with particular attention to new expressions emerging from Congolese young adults in the Diaspora. Confident in their social politics, this generation has produced innovations that shift the narrative on the Congo and enable social change in the Congo via the arts, grassroots activism, and media production. Such social change enables consciousness-raising among youth in conflict-areas, the teaching of Congolese political history to the general public, and economic independence for women-headed households. Defying the war and victim narratives, these initiatives present an alternative prism of a country that has been the focus of pessimistic news headlines and predictably downbeat academic conferences alike. The speakers’ ability to move in and out of the Congo, understand the cultural context, amplify the voices of positive forces for change, and utilize new technologies, is a unique combination that enables a new layer of understanding of the Congolese landscape in its various manifestations. All speakers lead independent social initiatives through the force of their commitment to their homeland, and offer complementary energies to the important contributions of Congolese or many other academics.
A Pointwise “o” Saturation Theorem for Positive Convolution Operators

We wish to consider the saturation of positive convolution operators in the space C* [ — π,π] of 2π-periodic and continuous functions.
Existential Fixed-Point Logic as a Fragment of Second-Order Logic

The standard translation of existential fixed-point formulas into second-order logic produces strict universal formulas, that is, formulas consisting of universal quantifiers on relations (not functions) followed by an existential first-order formula. This form implies many of the pleasant properties of existential fixed-point logic, but not all. In particular, strict universal sentences can express some co-NP-complete properties of structures, whereas properties expressible by existential fixed-point formulas are always in P. We therefore investigate what additional syntactic properties, beyond strict universality, are enjoyed by the second-order translations of existential fixed-point formulas. In particular, do such syntactic properties account for polynomial-time model-checking?
Mathematics and morality on the cusp of modernity

Cette note suggere qu'une facon feconde d'etudier l'histoire des mathematiques est de considerer les visees pedagogiques de ces dernieres. Afin d'illustrer les grandes orientations qu'une telle approche peut definir, l'article etudie les arguments qui ont ete mis en avant au debut de l'epoque moderne en faveur de l'utilite pratique des mathematiques et de ses capacites a inculquer de bonnes habitudes de pensee. Il examine aussi l'apparition a la fin du XVIIIe et au debut du XIXe siecles de nouveaux usages pour l'education mathematique, qui servent les interets de l'Etat en cours de modernisation, avec l'accent mis de maniere caracteristique sur les criteres impersonnels d'evaluation des individus. L'article vise une approche de la pedagogie mathematique, qui refuse de la traiter comme non problematique et qui cherche des reponses dans l'histoire sociale et culturelle.
Phase-Selective Sorbent Xerogels as Reclamation Agents for Oil Spills

12-Hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA) xerogels derived from 12-HSA–acetronitrile organogels are highly effective sorbent materials capable of adsorbing apolar, spilled materials in aqueous environments. 12-HSA xerogels made from 12-HSA–acetronitrile organogels are more effective than 12-HSA xerogels made from 12-HSA–pentane organogels because of the highly branched fibrillar networks established in acetonitrile molecular gels. This difference arises because of dissimilarities in the network structure between 12-HSA in various solvents. These xerogels, being thermoreversible, allow for both the spilled oil to be reclaimed but also the gelator may be reused to engineer new xerogels for oil spill containment and cleanup.
An Epidemiology Investigation of the Brucellosis in Key Population of Ningxia in 2010

Objective To investigate epidemiological features and trends of brucellosis in Ningxia and to provide theoretical basis for formulating prevention and control strategy and comprehensive measures.Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in the key population of Ningxia by household survey and blood samples were collected.Results 145 serum positive subjects(3.65%) were found in 3977 key population.113 cases with brucellosis were diagnosed and the prevalence rate was 2.84%(113/3977).Infection rates showed significantly different between different genders(χ2=23.668,P=0.000),different age groups(χ2=16.930,P=0.005),different degree of education(χ2=18.782,P=0.000) and different cities(χ2=76.719,χ2=150.010,P=0.000).Conclusion Young men had higher infection rates;the lower education degree was,the higher infection rates was.we should further complete the cooperation of prevention and controlling,strengthen the health education and risk behavior intervention in key population and minimize the high risk population of brucelesis in the future.
Neuronal responses in cat primary auditory cortex to electrical cochlear stimulation. III. Activation patterns in short- and long-term deafness.

The effects of auditory deprivation on the spatial distribution of cortical response thresholds to electrical stimulation of the adult cat cochlea were evaluated. Threshold distributions for single...
Range information for reducing fall false alarms in assisted living

Fall detection using radar technology is emerging to be an area of significance research and development. The main challenges remain in reducing false alarms to a level that is acceptable to healthcare providers and retirement homes. One source of false alarms is the confusion of actual falls and fall-like gross-motor activities, such as sitting. Discriminative features based on only Doppler frequency may declare fast sitting as a slow fall. However, sittings, unlike falls, have limited range extent which can be easily revealed by using a range-Doppler radar, in lieu of continuous wave (CW) radar. Using experimental data from two different ultra-wideband (UWB) radars operating different carrier frequencies as well as data from Kinect-based UWB pulse-Doppler radar simulator, this paper demonstrates reductions in fall false alarm rates exploiting the range information compared to Doppler only processing.
Calibrating Respiratory Strain Gauges: What the Numbers Mean for Monitoring Respiration

How can you be sure that a larger abdominal waveform, as compared with a smaller chest waveform, means that a client is breathing more abdominally than thoracically? Could this difference be due to discrepancies in the sensitivity of the sensors? This article describes a procedure for measuring the sensitivity of respiratory strain gauges and provides practical recommendations for accurate measurement and display of the relative expansion and contraction of the chest and abdomen.
Thermal Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in Liquid Egg Yolk and Egg White

Decimal reduction times (D values) were determined for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes (five pooled strains per pathogen) in raw liquid egg yolk (pH 6.3) and liquid egg white (pH 8.2 versus 9.1) by using a low-volume (0.05 ml per sample) immersed sealed-glass capillary-tube procedure. For Salmonella , D values ranged from 0.087 min (at 62.2°C) to 0.28 min (at 60°C) in yolk. and from 1.00 min (at 58.3°C) to 7.99 min (at 55.1° C) in egg white (pH 8.2). For Listeria , D values ranged from 0.58 min (at 62.2°C) to 1.34 min (at 60°C) in yolk, and from 2.41 min (at 58.3°C) to 7.59 min (at 55. 1°C) in egg white (pH 9.1). Mean ZD values for Salmonella ranged from 3.54 to 4.33°C; for Listeria , ZD values ranged from 6.06 to 9.43°C. In egg white, the heat sensitivity of both pathogens was enhanced at pH 9.1, although this trend was more evident for Salmonella spp. than for L. monocytogenes over the temperature range tested. The results indicate that USDA-prescribed minimal pasteurization requirements for liquid egg yolk (equivalent to 3.9- to 22.1-D processes, on the basis of the present study) would be far more lethal to the Salmonella and L. monocytogenes strains tested than would the corresponding thermal processes for liquid egg white (equivalent to 0.7- to 2.2-D processes).
Calling for Care? The Risky Proposition of Teletriage in Healthcare Demand Management

Many healthcare providers and payers oﬀer teletriage, a service where concerned patients can get advice over the phone about what kind of medical care they should seek. In theory, teletriage should help patients choose an appropriate provider (or choose not to visit a provider at all), reducing unnecessary and duplicate provider visits. This decision support should beneﬁt patients and improve demand management in the healthcare system, yet teletriage is not widely used despite a growing push for telemedicine in healthcare operations. We use a Markov decision process to model a patient’s choice of providers during an illness episode where the illness severity is only partially observable to the patient. Allowing teletriage improves the patients’ outcomes and reduces the rate of arrivals to the emergency department (ED), because patients with a high level of uncertainty in their state use the teletriage service. Whether teletriage is cost eﬀective depends on the extent to which calling teletriage changes the action that the patient would otherwise take. However, when patients are biased about their own state transition probabilities, we show that they may actually be better oﬀ without the option to use teletriage. We show that when patients underestimate their probability of worsening, adding a teletriage option can increase the overall arrival rate to the ED. Making teletriage more accessible exacerbates this problem, which occurs when too many patients use teletriage as a substitute for visiting a primary care physician. Our results demonstrate that teletriage is a risky proposition and highlight the need for more personalized medicine, such as targeting teletriage services based on a patient’s risk proﬁle.
U.S. federal fire and forest policy: emphasizing resilience in dry forests

Current U.S. forest fire policy emphasizes short-term outcomes versus long-term goals. This perspective drives managers to focus on the protection of high-valued resources, whether ecosystem-based or developed infrastructure, at the expense of forest resilience. Given these current and future challenges posed by wildland fire and because the U.S. Forest Service spent >50% of its budget on fire suppression in 2015, a review and reexamination of existing policy is warranted. One of the most difficult challenges to revising forest fire policy is that agency organizations and decision making processes are not structured in ways to ensure that fire management is thoroughly considered in management decisions. Current resource-specific policies are so focused on individual concerns that they may be missing the fact that there are “endangered landscapes” that are threatened by changing climate and fire. We propose that forest restoration should be at least equal to other land management priorities because large-scale restoration is necessary for the sake of forest ecosystem integrity now and into the future. Another proposal is to switch the “default” rule in federal planning documents that currently have to “justify” managed wildland fire; instead, U.S. federal agencies should be required to disclose the long-term ecological impacts of continued fire suppression. Proposed legislation that identifies the most expensive 2% of wildfires annually to be funded from emergency funding instead of by the federal land management agencies. If increases in forest restoration fail to accompany the change in how large wildfires are funded, then U.S. fire suppression costs will remain high while resilience will continue to decline. Expansion of the wildland–urban interface will continue to drive suppression costs higher; new federal partnerships with States and local governments are needed to address this problem. Given the legacy of fire suppression and a future of climate change, management for other values in forests will be, in the long run, futile without also managing for long-term forest resilience.
Effect of Diurnal Variation of Dissolved Oxygen in a Eutrophic Polymictic Reservoir

To evaluate the diurnal and seasonal Dissolved Oxygen (DO) variations and their effects on water quality, a comprehensive study was conducted in a eutrophic polymictic reservoir under artificially aerated and non-aerated conditions. The effect of aeration among sampling locations and along the water column of DO and DO saturation and diurnal variation of DO, water temperature, pH and conductivity was evaluated under aerated and non-aerated conditions. Dissolved oxygen and water temperature exhibited diurnal variations under aerated and non-aerated conditions; however, no notable diurnal variation was observed in conductivity and pH. The anoxic condition was observed in near-bottom waters at night under non-aerated conditions. The diurnal DO concentration at the surface level was higher under non-aerated conditions than aerated conditions. The diurnal DO variation implies that excessive algae and weed growth cause a major impact on DO production and consumption during the day and night, respectively. The DO concentration at different sampling locations revealed that artificial aeration increased DO concentration in the deep portion of the reservoir. However, results showed that the existing aeration system was inadequate to increase the DO concentration in the entire reservoir.
Engineered surfaces to control secondary electron emission for multipactor suppression

A significant problem for space-based systems is multipactor — an avalanche of electrons caused by repeated secondary electron emission (SEE). The consequences of multipactor range from altering the operation of radio frequency (RF) devices to permanent device damage. Existing efforts to suppress multipactor rely heavily on limiting power levels below a multipactor threshold [1]. This research applies surface micromachining techniques to create porous surfaces to control the secondary electron yield (SEY) of a material for multipactor suppression. Surface characteristics of interest include pore aspect ratio and density. A discussion is provided on the advantage of using electroplating (vice etching) to create porous surfaces for studying the relationships between SEY and pore aspect ratio & density (i.e. porosity). Preventing multipactor through SEY reduction will allow power level restrictions to be eased, leading to more powerful and capable space-based systems.
On Maximum-Likelihood Methods for Localizing More Sources Than Sensors

This letter offers several new insights into the maximum-likelihood direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation problem, when the number of sources exceeds the number of sensors. Two maximum-likelihood problems are studied: one for estimating the Toeplitz-structured coarray covariance matrix from the measurements, and the other for estimating the DOAs directly from the measurements. We establish the equivalence of both problems when the number of sources is assumed to be unknown and can potentially exceed the number of sensors. Additionally, it is shown that when the source waveforms satisfy certain orthogonality conditions, the Toeplitz-constrained maximum-likelihood covariance estimation framework provably produces the true DOAs without requiring to know the number of sources. When the number of sources exceeds the number of sensors, the maximum-likelihood algorithms studied in this letter outperform other recently studied methods, as demonstrated through numerical experiments.
Emerging Embedded and Cyber Physical System Security Challenges and Innovations

The papers in this special issue focus on deeply embedded systems and the challenges of cyper-physical security systems. Deeply-embedded systems (deployed in human body, with computer programs sending and receiving sensitive data and performing data mining for the decisions) are increasingly popular, but the security and privacy issues are not fully understood and studied. For example, issues relating to the conﬁdentiality/integrity/availability/privacy of implantable and wearable medical devices, secure and private big data analytics, acquisition, and storage, privacy-preserving data mining, secure machine learning, cyber physical systems security, and security of hardware and software systems used for databases (with diverse societal contexts) are critical, and can be challenging to address due to their unique constraints and usage model. Existing systems for such computations would need to be transparently integrated into sensitive environments-the consequent size and energy constraints imposed on any security solutions are demanding. Thus, unique challenges arise due to the sensitivity of computation processing, need for security in implementations, and assurance “gaps.” This special issue is dedicated to the identiﬁcation of techniques designed for embedded systems and cyber-physical systems, such as emerging cryptographic solutions applicable to extremely-constrained, sensitive infrastructures.
Application of Quaternion in Robot Control

Abstract This paper investigates the usefulness of the quaternion representation of kinematics for robotics applications. Both the direct and inverse kinematics for a robotic manipulator are derived using quaternions. The usefulness of quaternion in robot control depends on the sensor arrangement adopted and is discussed in the paper
Auto-Mobilität 2040

Die Ausfuhrungen dieses Kapitels werfen einen Blick in das Jahr 2040 und wagen anhand einiger Beispiele eine Vision, wie sich die Umwelt, die IT, sowie Autoindustrie und Mobilitat entwickeln konnten. Dieser Ausblick wird untermauert durch ein fiktives „day in a live scenario“ eine Freiberuflers, der im „liquid work force“ Modell arbeitet. Der futuristische Ausblick soll fur die mit Hochdruck anlaufende digitale Transformation zusatzliche Ideen geben und besonders die Attitude und den Mut starken, innovativ und agil in kurzen Schritten voranzugehen. Nur in dieser Angehensweise besteht die Chance, dass die Goliaths bzw. die etablierten Hersteller sich weiter gegen die Davids bzw. die neuen Herausforderer durchsetzen.
Medical and Preoperative Evaluation of the Older Adult

Because of age, increased rates of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, functional changes, and cognitive impairment, older adults are at higher risk for perioperative complications. Identifying modifiable risk factors and educating patients and families about what to expect can improve surgical outcomes and satisfaction. Comprehensive preoperative evaluation assesses these potential factors and should include recommendations for risk reduction. The optimal preoperative evaluation for older adults should address medical conditions and other areas pertinent to the care of older adults including assessments of cognition, capacity, delirium risk, function, frailty, nutrition, medications, and treatment preferences.
Regulation of Macrophage Functions by Complement, Complement Receptors, and IgG-Fc Receptors

Membrane receptors provide the essential recognition function required for control of macrophage responses to changes in their cellular environment. Considering the complexity and number of different functions performed by macrophages, it is likely that only a small proportion of the total number of different types of receptors are presently known. Among these various receptors there are at least six distinct types of complement (C) receptors and three different types of IgG-Fc receptors (Table 1). Of these nine types of receptors, only four have been characterized structurally. Although a function has been described for six of these receptors, it is possible that each of these receptors may control several other additional functions that are presently unknown.
Is self or caregiver report comparable to Medicare claims indicators of healthcare utilization after stroke

Background Claims data from Medicare or other payers might not generalize to other populations regarding service use after stroke especially among younger patients. However, high agreement between self-report and Medicare claims data would support the use of self-reported healthcare utilization data in these populations. Methods A population-based sample of 147 stroke participants with traditional fee-for service Medicare and their family caregivers was examined. Concordance with Medicare claims was examined for stroke participant self-report for Emergency Room visits, hospitalizations, and physician visits for a six-month period after stroke, and for both stroke participant and caregiver reports of receipt of Physical Therapy (PT), Speech and Language Pathology (SLP), or Home Health Agency (HHA) visits. Results Agreement was good for Emergency Room visits (kappa 0.75), hospitalization (kappa 0.70), and physician visits (Prevalence Adjusted Bias Adjusted Kappa [PABAK] 0.69) but more moderate for physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and home health agency visits (kappa 0.56-0.63). Caregiver agreement with Medicare claims was similar to stroke participant agreement. African Americans were less likely to self-report therapy compared to whites (OR 0.32 PT, 0.38 SLP, 0.29 HHA, p < 0.03). Younger stroke participants reported lower levels of Emergency Room visits than claims (OR 0.81, p = 0.001). Conclusion Healthcare utilization after stroke can be reliably assessed from Medicare claims, Stroke participant, or Caregiver report for salient events such as hospitalizations and Emergency Room visits. Self-report and caregiver report appear to be less reliable for identifying use of therapy or home health services. Caution should be used when interpreting disparities based on self-report data alone in these areas.
Band Parameterization for Imaging Spectrometer Systems: Lessons Learned from Crism at Mars

Band parameters can effectively be used as a rapid precursor processing step to enhance and augment the use of imaging spectrometer data by scientists that are not spectroscopy experts. Simple algorithms can be applied to large regional areas with consistent interpretation of surface composition and mineral exposures. Where these methods have been tested, they provide good agreement with results from more time consuming spectral feature fitting and detailed spectral mapping methods. We have tested band depths determined using three channels and derivative methods that have been shown to work well for CRISM.
The recombination mediator proteins RecFOR maintain RecA* levels for maximal DNA polymerase V Mut activity.

DNA template damage can potentially block DNA replication. Cells have therefore developed different strategies to repair template lesions. Activation of the bacterial lesion bypass DNA polymerase V (Pol V) requires both the cleavage of the UmuD subunit to UmuD′ and the acquisition of a monomer of activated RecA recombinase, forming Pol V Mut. Both of these events are mediated by the generation of RecA* via the formation of a RecA–ssDNA filament during the SOS response. Formation of RecA* is itself modulated by competition with the ssDNA-binding protein (SSB) for binding to ssDNA. Previous observations have demonstrated that RecA filament formation on SSB-coated DNA can be favored in the presence of the recombination mediator proteins RecF, RecO, and RecR. We show here using purified proteins that in the presence of SSB and RecA, a stable RecA–ssDNA filament is not formed, although sufficient RecA* is generated to support some activation of Pol V. The presence of RecFOR increased RecA* generation and allowed Pol V to synthesize longer DNA products and to elongate from an unpaired primer terminus opposite template damage, also without the generation of a stable RecA–ssDNA filament.