cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Shared Context: Kaiser Permanente and the Columbia-Bassett Program

The Columbia-Bassett Program, begun in 2010, is a unique medical school program within Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. The 4-year experience of the students in this program occurs in 2 sites: 1) in New York city at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and its affiliated health care facilities, situated in an urban community of roughly 14 million people spread over several hundred square miles; and 2) in Cooperstown, NY, at the facilities of the Bassett Healthcare Network (Bassett), serving a rural community of approximately 200,000 people living across 5000 square miles. The 2 communities are a striking contrast to each other, as are the health care systems serving them. The College of Physicians and Surgeons operates in a traditional academic health center with a fee-for-service reimbursement model, whereas Bassett operates a network of geographically dispersed facilities with a salaried model that is similar in many respects to that of Kaiser Permanente (KP). In 1931, Bassett briefly established the third prepaid health plan in the US, insuring individuals and families for a set annual fee. Henry Kaiser, American industrialist and cofounder of KP, was born and raised in Sprout Brook, NY, just 19 miles from Cooperstown. Bassett has been a teaching affiliate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons since 1947, serving as a site for medical student clinical rotations and postgraduate residency training. The Columbia-Bassett Program now provides a four-year experience for medical students that is characterized by two core themes that connect it to KP: 1) a longitudinal integrated curriculum,1 in which students follow a panel of patients throughout their major clinical year; and 2) a course called “Systems, Leadership, Improvement and Management,” in which students learn about health care delivery, health policy, and Lean Six Sigma performance improvement,2 incorporating a project to identify and to solve a problem in applied health delivery. This marriage of longitudinal physician-patient relationships and system improvement aligns the Columbia-Bassett Program with the approach to health care at KP. Not surprisingly, the Columbia-Bassett students are deeply interested in the findings and implications of the KP/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adverse Childhood Experiences Study,3 which provides physicians with valuable information about the root causes of many common and costly health problems. Recent research by Whitaker and his colleagues4 showed that dispositional mindfulness conferred resilience to the impact of adverse childhood experiences on adult health. These findings aroused interest and optimism among the students at Columbia-Bassett. These students understand the relevance of past adversity for current health and are exploring ways to communicate compassionately with patients about these matters and to alter the health system to address them.5
Homing in on the Sweet Side of Immune Checkpoint Biology

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and its glycostructural determinants facilitate responses to infection and cancer by promoting immune effector-cell trafficking into inflamed tissue. In this issue of Immunity, Tinoco et al. (2016) report homing-independent functions of PSGL-1 in immune checkpoint regulation and T cell effector activity, in models of chronic viral infection and melanoma.
Detection and tracking of dual-labeled hiv particles using wide-field live cell imaging to follow viral core integrity

Live cell imaging is a valuable technique that allows the characterization of the dynamic processes of the HIV-1 life cycle. Here, we present a method of production and imaging of dual-labeled HIV viral particles that allows the visualization of two events. Varying release of the intravirion fluid phase marker reveals virion fusion and the loss of the integrity of HIV viral cores with the use of live wide-field fluorescent microscopy.
Robust resource allocations through performance modeling with stochastic process algebra

Summary Parallel and distributed computing has led to a proliferation in solving computationally intensive mathematical, science, or engineering problems. However, such computational environments are often prone to unpredictable variations due to problem, algorithm, and system characteristics. Therefore, a robustness study of resource allocations and application scheduling is required to guarantee a desired level of performance. Given an initial workload, a mapping of applications to resources is considered to be robust if it optimizes the execution performance and guarantees a desired level of performance in the presence of unpredictable perturbations at runtime. In this research work, a stochastic process algebra, performance evaluation process algebra, is used for obtaining performance of various resource allocations via a numerical analysis of performance modeling of the parallel execution of applications on parallel computing resources. Further, a robustness analysis of various allocations is performed for finding a robust mapping from a set of initial mapping schemes. The numerical results obtained from this performance modeling of resource allocations have been validated by the simulation results of earlier research, which are available from the existing literature, thus underscoring the significance of using stochastic process algebra models in providing a cost-effective and low overhead analysis of robustness. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drugs, Devices, and the FDA: Part 2: An Overview of Approval Processes: FDA Approval of Medical Devices

As with new drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process is intended to provide consumers with assurance that, once it reaches the market place, a medical device is safe and effective in its intended use. Bringing a device to market takes an average of 3 to 7 years, compared with an average of 12 years for drugs. However, there are concerns that Food and Drug Administration processes may not be sufficient to meet the assurances of safety and efficacy as intended. This second part of a 2-part series reviews the basic steps in development and Food and Drug Administration approval of medical devices, and summarizes post-marketing processes for drugs and devices.
Building Suburban Dreams: School District Secession and Mayoral Control in Suburban Utah

Background/ContextMayoral control of large city school districts has become the newest form of school district reorganization. Researchers have documented how real and perceived crises have propell...
Manganese and Lactic Acid Bacteria

Manganese (Mn), in trace quantities, is essential for growth and metabolic activities of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The requirement for Mn has a certain degree of specifity and cannot be completely replaced by other metals. Frozen storage of LAB, species/subspecies, type of fermentable carbohydrate, interaction with other ions and chloride salts affect the extent of stimulation by Mn of LAB. Some applications of the stimulation by Mn of LAB are a bioassay for determination of this metal and its use as an aid in lactic acid fermentation of meat and plant foods. The biological effects of Mn are associated with structure/activation of enzymes, especially those involved in use of carbohydrates. Mn was also found to detoxify the superoxide radical, which is harmful to the bacterial cell, and to stabilize subcellular entities.
Meet the kaleidoholics

Two centuries after the kaleidoscope was invented, Robert P Crease stumbles into an incredible world as he visits a physicist who collects these and other "philosophical toys".
Homecare risk management: nursing issues related to technology

Traditional risk management may not address the needs of technology being introduced into homecare situations for nurses. We propose to augment traditional risk management with insights from Prevention through Design and The 8 Rights giving a more technology focus to risk management.
The Efficiency of Adjustment

Despite its current magnitude, the problem of the major overhang of “indebtedness” facing the US economy and its currency is of fairly recent origin. This chapter focuses on the identification of three categories of factors, which are likely to adversely affect the efficiency of policy measures designed to eliminate the international dissaving. The factors consist of three types: “natural phenomena;” “contrary or counterproductive measures” and “internal inefficiencies.” “Natural” phenomena are largely beyond the control of policymakers in either surplus or deficit countries. “Contrary” measures can be seen as deliberate, defensive measures adopted by policymakers in surplus nations. Contrary measures can also be instituted by groups in the deficit country who have the power to neutralize policies which adversely affect their private interests. “Internal inefficiencies” consist of existing arrangements that reduce the effectiveness of some policy instruments to be used in the elimination of a sizeable deficit. This does not mean that the latter measures were without social merit at the time of legislation but that the legislative process did not allow for the side-effects when reductions in the rate of international dissaving had to be imposed.
The Inclusion of CIOs in Top Management Teams: A Longitudinal Study of the Strategic Role of IT

The inclusion of the CIO in the top management team TMT is one indicator of how top executives view the role of IT within their firms. This study draws upon the upper echelons theory to examine the organizational factors contributing to the CIO inclusion. A panel data set is used to empirically test the hypotheses. The results show that TMT age and firm diversification are found to be linked to the CIO inclusion. The study contributes to an understanding of the relationship between the CIO and TMT and provides a potential measure of IT importance within firms.
Measuring Human Senses and the Touristic Experience: Methods and Applications

This chapter discusses measurement techniques which enable researchers to examine the role of human senses in touristic experiences in natural environments. To achieve this goal, we provide a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary review of existing studies, focusing mainly on eight sensory modalities that are related to touristic experience creation. Also, we propose a human-centered approach for extracting contextual sense information using various wearable human-traits sensors. Although each sensory modality provides different information, combining various sensing data together affords us a better understanding of how a traveler creates touristic experiences. As such, it is argued that capturing ‘human sensing’ data offers the potential to transform the way tourism researchers measure traveler’s experiences and therefore design touristic environments.
Bevacizumab Therapy for POEMS Syndrome.

41 yr old male presented with pain and weakness of upper and lower limbs. He was bed bound with ECOG score 4. Investigations confirmed the diagnosis of POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes) syndrome. He had typical features including glomerular hemangiomas on the skin, mild hepatosplenomegaly, sensorimotor polyneuropathy, IgG lambda paraprotein 3.3g/l, elevated FSH, LH and TSH. A course of cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone was given with no clinical response. He was also given a trial of plasma exchange and parenteral Immunoglobulins. Symptoms plateaued and he was followed up with rehabilitation support. He re-presented 18 months later with widespread low-grade lymphadenopathy, stable paraprotein, ascites, poor appetite and weight loss. Lymph node biopsy showed Castleman’s disease like changes along with osteosclerotic lesions in pelvis and raised CSF protein of 3.13g/l with rest of CSF analysis being normal. Bone marrow trephine showed paratrabecular deposits of lambda light chain restricted CD38 positive plasma cells. Ascitic fluid was sterile consistent with a transudate. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level prior to treatment was elevated at 4587 pg/ml (Normal: 72–704 pg/ml). Large volume abdominal paracentesis ranging between 2–3 litres of clear fluid was performed weekly. In view of the raised VEGF, 4 doses of Bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) 2.5mg/kg were administered as an intravenous infusion over one hour fortnightly. VEGF level normalised after first dose of bevacizumab (131.2 pg/ml) and remained normal prior to the fourth dose (136.5 pg/ml). There were no infusional reactions or haematologic adverse effects. Frequency of paracentesis decreased to three weekly, his appetite and performance status improved with ECOG score 2. 3 weeks after the fourth dose he was readmitted with tense ascites, pleural effusion, diarrhoea, pyrexia and severe abdominal pain. Meropenem resistant pseudomonas was grown from ascitic fluid. After therapeutic paracentesis and antibiotics a Leveen shunt from abdomen to right internal jugular vein was performed to prevent reaccumulation. Despite shunting, he reaccumulated fluid in the third space and developed respiratory and pre renal failure and succumbed to it. At post mortem there were non-specific changes in the lungs and heart with no evidence of pulmonary embolism or bowel perforation and Leveen shunt remained patent. Bevacizumab promptly reduced VEGF levels with significant reduction in pleural and peripheral effusion with subjective improvement in neurological status. Bevacizumab appears to induce clinical response in a proportion of patients with POEMS syndrome. We suggest that a Phase I study should be considered to identify dose, duration of therapy and safety of Bevacizumab.
Differentiating Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP cells in suspensions and biofilms using Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy

High quality spectra of Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP in the planktonic and biofilm state were obtained using Raman microspectroscopy. These spectra enabled the identification of key differences between free and biofilm cells in the fingerprint region of Raman spectra in the nucleic acid, carbohydrate, and protein regions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) enabled detailed visualization of ADP biofilm with confirmation of associated extracellular matrix structure. Following extraction and Raman analysis of extracellular polymeric substances, Raman spectral differences between free and biofilm cells were largely attributed to the contribution of extracellular matrix components produced in mature biofilms. Raman spectroscopy complemented with SEM proves to be useful in distinguishing physiological properties among cells of the same species. Graphical Abstract Raman spectroscopy complemented with SEM proves to be useful in distinguishing physiological properties among cells of the same species.
Communication: Characterization of Spatial Distribution of Graphite Nodules in Cast Iron

Important properties of cast iron, such as fatigue strength, wear resistance, and low-temperature toughness, relate to spatial distribution of graphite nodules. Characterization of spatial distribution can also provide insight into the solidification sequence in casting. An automated SEM/EDX analysis was utilized to distinguish graphite nodules from other structural features (pores and inclusions). The two-dimensional near-neighbor distance (NND) between nodule centers was calculated for three equal sets of nodule diameters (small, medium, and large) in each cast iron. Comparison of measured spatial distributions and ideal random distribution was executed by plotting the mean and variance ratios of NND on a spatial distribution quadrant. This method was used to clarify clustering or ordering tendencies of graphite nodules in studied cast irons. The suggested procedure was used to verify the effects of inoculation and the cooling rate on spatial distribution of graphite nodules. Inoculation of sand casting increased nodule counts, decreased mean NND, and eliminated clustering of small graphite nodules precipitated at the solidification end. Intensive surface cooling of a continuously cast bar significantly increased nodule count near the external surface and decreased NND without changing spatial distribution. The suggested analysis can be used as a tool for cast iron quality control and process development.
VITA: Visual Interaction Tool for Archaeology

VITA (Visual Interaction Tool for Archaeology) is an experimental collaborative mixed reality system for offsite visualization of an archaeological dig. Our demonstration of VITA allows multiple users to visualize the dig site in a mixed reality environment in which tracked, seethrough, head-worn displays are combined with a multiuser, multi-touch, projected table surface, a large screen display, and tracked hand-held displays. VITA augments existing archaeological analysis methods with new ways to organize, visualize, and combine the standard 2D information available from an excavation (drawings, pictures, and notes) with textured, laser range-scanned 3D models of objects and the site itself. Users can combine speech, touch, and 3D hand gestures to interact multimodally with the environment.
Increased transient Na+ conductance and action potential output in layer 2/3 prefrontal cortex neurons of the fmr1-/y mouse.

Key points Layer 2/3 neurons of the prefrontal cortex display higher gain of somatic excitability, responding with a higher number of action potentials for a given stimulus, in fmr1-/y mice. In fmr1-/y L2/3 neurons, action potentials are taller, faster and narrower. Outside-out patch clamp recordings revealed that the maximum Na+ conductance density is higher in fmr1-/y L2/3 neurons. Measurements of three biophysically distinct K+ currents revealed a depolarizing shift in the activation of a rapidly inactivating (A-type) K+ conductance. Realistic neuronal simulations of the biophysical observations recapitulated the elevated action potential and repetitive firing phenotype. Abstract Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental impairment and autism. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for higher order cognitive processing, and prefrontal dysfunction is believed to underlie many of the cognitive and behavioural phenotypes associated with fragile X syndrome. We recently demonstrated that somatic and dendritic excitability of layer (L) 5 pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex of the fmr1-/y mouse is significantly altered due to changes in several voltage-gated ion channels. In addition to L5 pyramidal neurons, L2/3 pyramidal neurons play an important role in prefrontal circuitry, integrating inputs from both lower brain regions and the contralateral cortex. Using whole-cell current clamp recording, we found that L2/3 pyramidal neurons in prefrontal cortex of fmr1-/y mouse fired more action potentials for a given stimulus compared with wild-type neurons. In addition, action potentials in fmr1-/y neurons were significantly larger, faster and narrower. Voltage clamp of outside-out patches from L2/3 neurons revealed that the transient Na+ current was significantly larger in fmr1-/y neurons. Furthermore, the activation curve of somatic A-type K+ current was depolarized. Realistic conductance-based simulations revealed that these biophysical changes in Na+ and K+ channel function could reliably reproduce the observed increase in action potential firing and altered action potential waveform. These results, in conjunction with our prior findings on L5 neurons, suggest that principal neurons in the circuitry of the medial prefrontal cortex are altered in distinct ways in the fmr1-/y mouse and may contribute to dysfunctional prefrontal cortex processing in fragile X syndrome.
Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a form of stroke with increasing incidence and significance to practitioners in neuroanesthesia and neurocritical care. Despite the evolution of interventional and surgical treatment technologies, SAH initiates a chain of secondary pathophysiological processes that can materially affect outcome despite successful control of the point of bleeding. Treatment principles must focus on these multisystem processes as well as on the maintenance of cerebrovascular integrity, and the effect of dedicated comprehensive neurocritical care can consequently benefit outcome. Bundled “Triple-H” protocols have been refined to emphasize euvolemia and perfusion, while pharmaceutical treatments of SAH-associated vasospasm have not been shown to be effective. These new perspectives force clinicians to refresh pathophysiological paradigms, and consider new therapeutic strategies.
A Drone by Any Other Name: Purposes, End-User Trustworthiness, and Framing, but Not Terminology, Affect Public Support for Drones

Projections indicate that, as an industry, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly known as drones) could bring more than 100 000 jobs and $80 billion in economic growth to the U.S. by 2025 [1]. However, these promising projections do not account for how various publics may perceive such technologies. Understanding public perceptions is important because the attitudes of different groups can have large effects on the trajectory of a technology, strongly facilitating or hindering technology acceptance and uptake [2].
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis ataxia responsive to CDCA and Riluzole.

Abstract Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare genetic disorder due to mutations in the CYP27A1 gene resulting in both systemic and neurologic manifestations from accumulation and deposition of cholestanol in tissues. Chenodeoxycholic Acid (CDCA) is the standard medical therapy, resulting in decreased cholestanol synthesis, however, neurologic improvement is typically not seen. Riluzole may have a symptomatic benefit in ataxia from a presumed protective effect on Purkinje cells. To date, there are no reports of symptomatic improvement in CTX related ataxia following treatment with Riluzole. We report the case of a 45 year old woman diagnosed with CTX-related cerebellar ataxia. Therapy with CDCA and Riluzole resulted in quantifiable improvement on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). Thus, in addition to the standard therapy with CDCA, the addition of Riluzole may have some therapeutic benefits for ataxia caused by CTX. Further controlled studies are needed.
Massive movie waves and the anthropic ocean

This article examines representations of ocean waves in disaster and science fiction movies, reading these for what they can indicate about shifting ideological accounts of human–ocean relations. I...
Microvascular network architecture in a mammary carcinoma

The distribution of blood flow in a given tumor regulates the exchange and uptake of relevant molecules in chemo-, immuno-, and radiation therapy, thereby determining the efficacy of present day cancer treatments. Because it plays a significant role in heat transfer, the distribution of blood flow is also important in both thermographic detection and hyperthermia treatment [1, 2]. But what determines the distribution of blood flow in a microvascular network? In both normal and pathologic tissues, blood flow through a vascular bed is determined by several factors including the vascular network topology and the dimensions of the blood vessels. Previous workers have made qualitative comparisons of host and tumor vasculature including both animal tumors (for review see [3]) as well as human tumor xenotransplants [4]. To date, however, there exists no quantitative data describing the microvascular network architecture of any tumor type. If such data can be obtained, then a network model capable of predicting the blood pressure and flow distribution in a given tumor can be constructed, thus allowing insight into growth rate variability among tumors and the mechanisms governing current cancer therapies. Below is a brief presentation of the results of such a quantitative analysis of the vascular network topology in a mammary adenocarcinoma from Less et al. [5].
Specification-Based Test Repair Using a Lightweight Formal Method

When a program evolves, its test suite must be modified to reflect changes in requirements or to account for new feature additions. This problem of modifying tests as a program evolves is termed test repair. Existing approaches either assume that updated implementation is correct, or assume that most test repairs require simply fixing compilation errors caused by refactoring of previously tested implementation. This paper focuses on the problem of repairing semantically broken or outdated tests by leveraging specifications. Our technique, Spectr, employs a lightweight formal method to perform specification-based repair. Specifically, Spectr supports the Alloy language for writing specifications and uses its SAT-based analyzer for repairing JUnit tests. Since Spectr utilizes specifications, it works even when the specification is modified but the change has not yet been implemented in code–in such a case, Spectr is able to repair tests that previous techniques would not even consider as candidates for test repair. An experimental evaluation using a suite of subject programs with pre-conditions and post-conditions shows Spectr can effectively repair tests even for programs that perform complex manipulation of dynamically allocated data.
Functional aspects of angiotensin type 2 receptor.

Angiotensin II (AngII) exerts various actions in its diverse target tissues controlling vascular tone, hormone secretion, tissue growth, and neuronal activities. Extensive pharmacological evidence indicates that most of the known effects of AngII in adult tissues are mediated by the seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled Angll type 1 (AT1) receptor. Recently, a second receptor subtype known as type 2 (AT2) receptor has been described and cloned by us and others (1,2). However, little is known about the regulation and physiological function(s) of this novel receptor. The intracellular signal transduction mechanism after the activation of AT2 receptor is not also well defined. The AT2 receptor is abundantly and widely expressed in fetal tissues and immature brain, but present only in at low levels in adult tissues such as adrenal gland, specific brain regions, uterine myometrium, and atretic ovarian follicles (3–5). The highly abundant expression of this receptor during embryonic and neonatal growth and quick disappearance after birth has led us to the suggestion that this receptor may be involved in growth, development and/or differentiation.
Temporal reasoning in artificial intelligence

Publisher Summary In one way or another, every area of artificial intelligence (AI) has to do with time. Medical diagnosis systems reason about the time at which a virus infected the blood system. Device troubleshooting systems look at how long it takes a capacitor to saturate. In automatic programming, the time at which a variable becomes bound is important. In robot planning, one wants to achieve one goal before another to meet deadlines, and so on. In qualitative physics, the concept of time is essential as well. One can identify several classes of tasks in AI that require reasoning about time: (1) prediction, (2) explanation, (3) planning, and (4) learning new rules. These classes of tasks, though related, have given rise to by and large disjoint fields of research. These disjoint research areas can be unified to some extent by providing a uniform framework for temporal reasoning. The somewhat mythical area of temporal reasoning aims to provide such a framework. The representation of temporal information and reasoning about such information requires a language that can capture the concept of change over time and can express the truth or falsity of statements at different times. This language should not only be well-defined but also have a clear meaning. This has led researchers to develop temporal logic. The passage of time is important only because changes are possible with time. This chapter explains two different approaches to reasoning about change: change-based and time-based. The chapter presents an introduction to a representative temporal logic with formal syntax and semantics. It also provides an overview of the problems and the advances made in nonmonotonic temporal reasoning.
Sex differences in the mechanisms mediating blunted cutaneous microvascular function in young black men and women

We demonstrate that cutaneous microvascular responses to local heating are consistently reduced in otherwise healthy young black men and women relative to their white counterparts. Inhibition of NA...
Research–Practice Partnership: Application to Implementation of Multitiered System of Supports in Early Childhood Education

Purpose Research–practice partnerships (RPPs) offer a tool for identifying, generating, and implementing evidence-based strategies that improve practice, policies, and client outcomes. We offer a d...
The Intermedial Turn and Turn to Embodiment

An accelerating intermedial turn in Shakespeare production has made itself felt in forms and formats ranging from the use of video projection in/as stage scenography to digital performance-capture techniques that produce holographic characters onstage. The first half of this chapter concentrates on two recent productions—Thomas Ostermeier’s Richard III and Romeo Castellucci’s Julius Caesar. Spared Parts—that embrace intermediality but demonstrate as well the turn to embodiment that predates, and may well postdate, emergent intermedial trends. The chapter concludes with a sustained case study of the provocative face-off between New York’s Wooster Group, representing the American theatrical avant-garde, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, established keeper of the Bardic sacred flame, in their collaborative production of Troilus and Cressida at the 2012 World Shakespeare Festival.
Recognizing the dynamics of household water insecurity in the rapidly changing polar north: Expected uncertainties in access, quality, and consumption patterns in Niugtaq (Newtok), Alaska

Abstract Variability of water sources and water consumption patterns throughout the year is an under-explored characteristic of household water insecurity globally. In this paper, I examine how expected uncertainties in access and quality, as well as and cultural dimensions shape experiences of household water insecurity in a remote Alaska Native community detrimentally affected by climate change. I use ethnographic and quantitative data from Niugtaq (Newtok), Alaska, as a case study to explore how household water security is affected by sudden changes in water access and quality, water sources, and cultural dynamics. Under normal conditions, the community uses an average of 7.2 l per capita per day (lpcd, 1.9 Gal/c/d) of water from the central facility. However, individual households reported great variation in their water use patterns, from 1.1 to 16.2 l/c/d (0.3 to 4.23 Gal/c/d). The primary factors affecting per capita treated water consumption are those that affect reliable access to an improved water source throughout the year. Household consumption of natural sources is a strategy to increase water access, and reflects how concerns about quality and safety of treated water that are part of the water insecurity experience. At the same time, consumption of natural sources reflects their cultural importance. This case study suggests that providing reliable access at least one improved water source, and incorporating trusted (traditional) water sources into improved water source development may be an effective approach to improving household water security in Indigenous communities affected by climate change.
Evaluation of Multi- and Many-Objective Optimization Techniques to Improve the Performance of a Hydrologic Model Using Evapotranspiration Remote-Sensing Data

AbstractIn this study, we explore the use of different multi- and many-objective calibration approaches in hydrological modeling when considering both observed streamflow and remotely sensed actual...
The Affordable Care Act's Enduring Resilience

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has taken numerous blows, both from the courts and from opponents seeking to undermine it. Yet, due to its policy design and the political forces the ACA has unleashed, the law has shown remarkable resilience. While there remain ongoing efforts to undo the ACA, the smart money has to be on its continued existence.
Sexualidades disidentes en la narrativa cubana contemporánea

Este libro analiza las discontinuidades de los postulados ideologicos del sistema revolucionario cubano, en un corpus representativo de la narrativa cubana contemporanea, desde 1990 hasta la actualidad. Este ensayo se ocupa del estudio de subjetividades sexuales alternativas como instrumentos desestabilizadores de la hegemonia nacional. Asimismo, estos textos desarticulan y, a menudo, difuminan los referentes nacionales, con el proposito de legitimar estas identidades marginales, previamente consideradas como incompatibles con la moral revolucionaria. En consecuencia, este volumen resalta las contradicciones de aparatos politicos y culturales que han percibido historicamente las sexualidades alternativas como "injuriosas", aunque estas fueran utilizadas como el opuesto necesario que afirmaba y legitimaba el poder. El periodo estudiado ha coincidido con el surgimiento de una apertura gradual en material sexual que sugeriria cierto afan de adaptacion oficial y controlada, con miras a nuevas realidades nacionales y globales. En este sentido, estas practicas culturales contemporaneas se apuntalan, mas que nunca, como herramientas de construccion de una Cuba posible. Patricia Valladares-Ruiz es Assistant Professor of Romance Literatures and Literatures en la University of Cincinnati.
Reliability and Validity of a Brief Self-Report Adherence Measure among People with HIV Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Health or Substance Use Disorders

The study examines the reliability and validity of a 3-item self-report adherence measure among people with HIV (PWH) experiencing homelessness, substance use, and mental health disorders. 336 participants were included from nine sites across the US between September 2013 and February 2017. We assessed the validity of a self-report scale for adherence to antiretroviral therapy by comparing it with viral load (VL) abstracted from medical records at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. The items had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficients at each time point were > 0.8). The adherence scale scores were higher in the group that achieved VL suppression compared to the group that did not. The c-statistic for the receiver-operating characteristic curves pooled across time points was 0.77 for each adherence sub-item and 0.78 for the overall score. The self-report adherence measure shows good internal consistency and validity that correlated with VL suppression in homeless populations.
A 750 mW high power CH 3 OH laser operating at 119 μm

As part of a program to measure the electron density on' the TFTR tokamak at Princeton University, a high power far-infrared (FIR) laser utilizing the 119 μm line of CH 3 OH has been constructed. This laser will be used in a ten channel interferometer/polarimeter and must eventually drive 21 Schottky diode detectors simultaneously. Therefore emphasis has been placed on delivering as much FIR power as possible.
Introducing Structure–Energy Concepts of RNA at the Undergraduate Level: Nearest Neighbor Thermodynamics and NMR Spectroscopy of a GAGA Tetraloop

Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) techniques are regularly used for the determination of RNA structures. In an effort to introduce advanced level students who are generally not acquainted with or exposed to these techniques, this work, which has been designed as a practicum, utilizes a combination of 2D NMR techniques to help students gain necessary skills for RNA structure determination. The exercises presented here will help students fold RNA and predict the thermodynamic stable secondary structure using the independent nearest neighbor hydrogen bond (INN-HB) model and calculate the RNA folding free energies. This is usually the first step for structural determination of RNA. Students will then work with 1D NMR chemical shifts to confirm the base pairing pattern of the nucleotides in their secondary structure and finally analyze several 2D homo- and heteronuclear NMR data sets of a GAGA tetraloop. Overall, the practicum will give students a solid foundation for advanced RNA structure determination.
Association of Early White Blood Cell Trend with Outcomes in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background An increasing white blood cell (WBC) count in early course of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can indicate a systemic inflammatory state triggered by the initial insult. We sought to determine the significance of the early WBC trend as a potential predictor of outcomes. Methods We analyzed a cohort of consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH. The WBC values in first 5 days of admission, plus relevant clinical and imaging data, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months after hospital discharge were retrieved and analyzed. Favorable outcome was defined as mRS 0–3. The association between WBC counts and outcomes including mRS and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) was determined using binary logistic regression models. We used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to assess accuracy of WBC in predicting outcomes. Results We included 167 patients in final analysis. Mean age was 56.4 (standard deviation [SD] 14.8) years, and 65% (109) of patients were female. Peak WBC was greater in patients with poor functional outcome (mean 17 × 109 cells/L, SD 6.4 vs. 13.5 × 109 cells/L SD 4.7). Combining peak WBC with modified Fisher scale slightly increased accuracy in predicting DCI (area under the curve 0.670, 95% confidence interval 0.586–0.755) compared with each component alone. Conclusions WBC count in the early course of SAH may have prognostic values in predicting DCI and functional outcome. WBC count monitoring may be used in conjunction with other clinical and radiographic tools to stratify patients with SAH into high- and low-risk groups to tailor neuromonitoring and treatment strategies.
Challenges in management of the Boston Keratoprosthesis Type 1.

Purpose of review The Boston Keratoprosthesis Type 1 was pioneered by Claes Dohlman several decades ago. Since its inception, the device has undergone multiple revisions to address challenges associated with retroprosthetic membrane formation, retention, extrusion, stromal melt and endophthalmitis. Although visual outcomes and retention rates have improved, challenges, especially glaucoma, remain. Recent findings The Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I device has seen an increase in popularity because of the improvement in rates of retention and visual rehabilitation. Recent outcome studies have allowed clinicians to identify diagnoses and indications that can lead to more favorable results with the Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I device. Summary The Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I device continues to play a vital role in visual rehabilitation for eyes with very low chance of realistic allograft survival -- such as in eyes where corneal grafting is considered high-risk: eyes with corneal limbal stem cell failure, extensive deep corneal stromal neovascularization, and multiple allograft failures. This review article summarizes the perioperative and postoperative challenges, as well as other considerations associated with the device.
Chapter 6 The Strychnos Alkaloids

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the strychnos alkaloids. In addition to the known Strychnos alkaloids from the Asian species nux-vomica and ignatii, Strychnos species from three widely different geographical locales have recently been examined. The various Australian species yield strychnine and brucine as well as several new alkaloids of apparently the same structural family and biogenetic origin. Throughout virtually the entire historical span of organic chemistry the problem of the structure of strychnine has stood like a massive Everest amongst the challenging peaks of that field and was practically the last of the great classical problems of its kind to yield to the assaults directed against it. In this chapter the traditional classification will generally be followed, but it is suggested that a more helpful and rigorous classification of these alkaloids will result from combining the traditional species classification with a biogenetic one.
Initial vibrational level distribution of HCN[X̃ 1Σ+(v10v3)] from the CN(X 2Σ+)+H2→HCN+H reaction

The reaction of the cyano radical (CN) with hydrogen was studied by time-resolved infrared absorption spectroscopy of individual rovibrational states of HCN. The initial vibrational level distribution of HCN(v10v3) was determined by plotting the time dependence of the fractional population of a vibrational level and extrapolating these curves to the origin of time. The experiments were carried out at two temperatures, 293 and 324 K, with similar results. It was estimated that about 50% of the available reaction exothermicity was deposited as vibrational excitation of the HCN product. Surprisingly, the HCN(101) vibrational level received a significant fraction of the observed vibrational population, implying that the CN vibration was not really a spectator bond in the reaction dynamics. Furthermore, the observed HCN(v10v3) vibrations only account for about 27% of the initial HCN population produced in the title reaction. A significant fraction of the product HCN molecules must have been produced with the b...
Laminar Dispersive and Distributive Mixing with Dissolution and Applications to Hot‐Melt Extrusion

Hot Melt Extrusion (HME), a novel and potentially disruptive process for manufacturing oral dosage pharmaceutical products, has been explored and studied in recent times, by both industrial and academic investigators, because of its potential of rendering poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) readily bioavailable to patients through oral dosages. This article presents a brief review of HME from the "elementary steps of polymer processing" perspective: handling of particulate solids, melting, mixing, devolatilization and stripping, pressurization, pumping, as well as dissolution of the API in molten polymeric excipient processed stream. In contrast to traditional polymer processing, the dissolution of the API in the molten excipient during HME is the most important, key, elementary step. The main focus of this article is to discuss the physico-chemical and transport phenomena involved in dissolution and the material, equipment design, and HME process variables which affect it. The main task of the dissolution is to completely dissolve APIs in polymeric melt within the shortest possible residence time, without raising the processed stream melt temperature, and eliminating the possibility of degradation of heat sensitive APIs. We concluded from our work that the dissolution process is a laminar forced convective diffusion process. We will also present results on how to promote the dissolution rate through three categories of variables: process variables (screw speed, feeding rate, barrel temperature,), equipment variables (screw elements and configurations) and material variables (viscosity ratio, solubility parameters and particle sizes of API and excipient particulates). A novel viscometric method for the determination of the solubility of APIs in polymeric melts will also be discussed.
Rules of thumb in data engineering

This paper reexamines the rules of thumb for the design of data storage systems. Briefly, it looks at storage, processing, and networking costs, ratios, and trends with a particular focus on performance and price/performance. Amdahl's ratio laws for system design need only slight revision after 35 years-the major change being the increased use of RAM. An analysis also indicates storage should be used to cache both database and Web data to save disk bandwidth, network bandwidth, and people's time. Surprisingly, the 5-minute rule for disk caching becomes a cache-everything rule for Web caching.
Molecular‐Dynamics Simulation of Surface Phenomena

Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation is a well-developed numerical technique that involves the use of a suitable algorithm to solve the classical equations of motion for atoms interacting with a known interatomic potential. This method has been used for several decades now to illustrate and understand the temperature and pressure dependencies of dynamical phenomena in liquids, solids, and liquid-solid interfaces. MD simulation techniques are also well suited for studying surface phenomena, as they provide a qualitative understanding of surface structure and dynamics. This article considers the use of MD techniques to better understand surface disorder and premelting. Specifically, it examines the temperature dependence of structure and vibrational dynamics at surfaces of face-centered cubic (fcc) metals—mainly Ag, Cu, and Ni. It also makes contact with results from other theoretical and experimental methods. While the emphasis in this article is on metal surfaces, the MD technique has been applied over the years to a wide variety of surfaces including those of semiconductors, insulators, alloys, glasses, and simple or binary liquids. A full review of the pros and cons of the method as applied to these very interesting systems is beyond the scope of this article. However, it is worth pointing out that the success of the classical MD simulation depends to a large extent on the exactness with which the forces acting on the ion cores can be determined. On semiconductor and insulator surfaces, the success of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations has made them more suitable for such calulations, rather than classical MD simulations. Keywords: molecular-dynamics simulation; surface behavior; temperature; related techniques; data analysis; interpretation; principles; problems
The Educational Journeys of American Indian Women: Forming Aspirations for Higher Education (pp. 21-39)

American Indians (AIs) have lower higher education enrollment and completion rates than Whites and most minority groups. AI women, however, participate at higher rates than AI men, White women, and White men. Research has not examined what contributes to their higher education aspirations. This study explored the middle and high school experiences of educationally successful AI women to determine how academic factors-activities within and beyond school and relations with peers, teachers, and counselors-affected their enrollment decisions. Findings indicate that academic engagement, community and culture, resiliency to challenges, and knowledge of higher education contribute to aspirations. Implications are discussed.
Obstacle & Lane Detection and Local Path Planning for IGVC Robotic Vehicles Using Stereo Vision

A robotic car, also known as a driverless or self-driving car, is an autonomous vehicle capable of sensing its environment and navigating itself without human input. Robotic cars exist mainly as prototypes and demonstration systems, but are likely to become more widespread in the near future. Usually, autonomous vehicles sense their surroundings for lane detection and obstacle avoidance with radar, 2D LIDAR, 3D LIDAR, and camera sensors.
Digestibility by lambs of water-stressed alfalfa as determined by total collection or internal markers.

A lamb digestion trial was conducted to compare the ability of internal markers to predict digestibility of alfalfa. Lambs were fed alfalfa hay grown with varying amounts of water stress where water per harvest ranged from 10 to 20 cm/ha and yield ranged 1400 to 4200 kg/ha. In vivo dry matter digestibility was most highly correlated with digestibility determined using acid detergent fiber insoluble ash (r = .80) followed by acid insoluble ash (r = .69). In vivo digestibility of the fibrous components was most highly correlated with digestibility determined by acid detergent insoluble ash and indigestible neutral detergent fiber followed by acid lignin and acid insoluble ash.
Identification of hydrophobic interactions between proteins and lipids: Free fatty acids activate phospholipase C δ1 via allosterism

Lipids are well recognized ligands that bind to proteins in a specific manner and regulate their function. Most attention has been placed on the headgroup of phospholipids, and little is known abou...