cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open-architecture Neural Probes Reduce Cellular Encapsulation

Intracortical microelectrodes currently have the greatest potential for achieving a functional neural prosthesis in patients with neurodegenerative diseases or spinal cord injury. Device efficacy is lacking in long-term performance as seen in both chronological histology and biopotential recording studies. Some researchers have shown that small single polymer fibers (less than 7-μm diameter) do not induce an encapsulation layer in the rat subcutis so we have extended this concept to neural probe design. In this experiment we investigated the brain-tissue response of polymer probes with 4-μm feature sizes that are capable of withstanding insertion forces when penetrating the rat neocortex. This polymer probe has both a stiff penetrating shank (70-μm by 42-μm) and fine polymer structures (4-μm by 5-μm) that extend laterally from the shank. Our testing verifies that despite a flexible substrate and small dimensions, these devices are mechanically robust and practical as neural probes. We developed a microfabrication process using SU-8 and parylene to create the relatively thick probe shank and thin lateral arms. In vivo testing was conducted on seven Sprague-Dawley rats. These parylene devices were chronically implanted in the motor cortex for 4-weeks and then imaged using fluorescence microscopy. Cellular encapsulation and neuronal loss were assessed using a Hoechst counterstain and the immunomarker NeuN (neuronal nuclei). The tissue reactivity immediately around the fine-feature structures is greatly reduced, showing mild cell encapsulation (90±68increase) relative to the probe shank (460±320increase). Neuronal loss was only (21±25%) out to 25-μm relative to significant loss around the probe shank (47±19%). Additionally, laminin+, fibronectin+, and Ox42+ tissue often showed greater intensity and thickness at the shank, indicating that the dense scar formation typical of cortical implants was mitigated around the fine lateral structure. These results suggest that using MEMS-based microfabrication to create sub-cellular structures will significantly reduce encapsulation, which should extend the longevity of neural probes. We also believe this concept could be beneficial to any implantable sensor capable of scaled geometries.
Paramagnetic Resonance and Optical Absorption in Gamma‐Ray Irradiated Alpha Quartz: The “Al” Center

The optical absorption spectra between 1.0 and 8.5 eV and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra at 10 GHz of a synthetic crystal of α-quartz grown on a z plate were measured as a function of 60Co γ-ray irradiation and thermal treatment. After initial irradiation, an estimate of a lower limit for the concentration of centers contributing to the resolved optical bands gave N≳1016 cm-3 for each band. An estimate of the concentration of spins of each of the distinct paramagnetic species gave N<3×1015 cm-3 with the exception of the “Al” center for which N∼3×1015 cm-3. Thermal bleaching and re-irradiation of the crystal showed that the defects with bands in the 1.0 to 6.5 eV region were independent of the defects with bands in the 5.5 to 8.5 eV region and that undetected precursor defect configurations were altered by heating to form those defects whose optical bands (5.5 to 8.5 eV) increased after the second irradiation. The only correlation observed between paramagnetic defects and defects producing optical absorption bands was between the “Al” center and a band at 8.45 eV; the correlation was quite weak.
ICT Perceptions and Meanings: Implications for Knowledge Transfer

Driven by global competition and economic pressures, organizations are increasingly interested in transferring and leveraging local expertise at the global level. While many of the challenges of knowledge transfer (KT) have been discussed in the literature (e.g., incentives, cognitive limitations), the challenge of KT in distributed, or "virtual", settings and the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have received limited attention. While any given ICT may be described in terms of one's perceptual awareness of its capabilities (e.g., richness, interactivity), it may also be described relative to the meanings an individual attaches to it, i.e., the idea of it or its purpose, rather than capability. We propose that understanding both perceptions and meanings, particularly as new ICTs are introduced, is critical to understanding selection and use by KT participants, and ultimately outcomes. In this paper, we conceptually explore the implications of meanings and perceptions on KT in virtual settings.
Draw ratio enhancement in nonisothermal melt spinning

Nonisothermal melt spinning of materials having a step-like viscosity variation with temperature is studied in this work. A set of nonlinear equations is used to describe the fiber behavior and to obtain the draw ratio, the square of the ratio of the fiber diameter at the entrance to that at the exit of the fiber-spinning device. The fluid-flow equation is based on a slender-jet approximation, and external heating and cooling have been accounted for with a one-dimensional model in order to obtain the fiber temperature and viscosity along the fiber length. The model is similar to that used by Wylie et al. (J Fluid Mech. 2007;570:1–16) but accounts for inertia, shear stress at the fiber surface, surface tension, gravity, cooling, and larger heating rates. Steady-state analysis reveals that the draw ratio increases with an increase in the pulling force, passes through a maximum, and then starts increasing again, resulting in three possible pulling forces for the same draw ratio. However, linear stability analysis reveals that depending on the strength of heating and/or cooling, at most two of the steady states are stable. The stability analysis also predicts complicated oscillatory and nonoscillatory dynamical behavior as the pulling force varies. Nonlinear simulations reveal that an unstable system always tends to limit-cycle behavior. Systems predicted as stable by the linear stability analysis are also stable for large-amplitude perturbations. External heating is found to dramatically enhance the draw ratio of the melt-spinning process. The addition of a cooling section suppresses the draw ratio, but this can be compensated for with a higher heating strength. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
How long does the modality effect persist

Two experiments were conducted to study the modality effect with delayed free recall. The first experiment demonstrated that both auditory and vocalized-visual presentations were superior to silent visual presentation even when recall was delayed by 15 sec. The second experiment demonstrated that a slight modality effect was obtained even after a recall delay of 60 sec if the filler task was not auditory in nature. These studies suggest either that echoic memory persists longer than was previously believed or that the modality effect and suffix effect are mediated by different mechanisms.
A Method for Simulating Nonnormal Distributions with Specified L-Skew, L-Kurtosis, and L-Correlation

This paper introduces two families of distributions referred to as the symmetric κ and asymmetric κL-κR distributions. The families are based on transformations of standard logistic pseudo-random deviates. The primary focus of the theoretical development is in the contexts of L-moments and the L-correlation. Also included is the development of a method for specifying distributions with controlled degrees of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlation. The method can be applied in a variety of settings such as Monte Carlo studies, simulation, or modeling events. It is also demonstrated that estimates of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlation are superior to conventional productmoment estimates of skew, kurtosis, and Pearson correlation in terms of both relative bias and efficiency when moderate-to-heavy-tailed distributions are of concern.
Microstrip patch antennas on micromachined low-index materials

Microstrip patch antennas have been used extensively in vehicle and communication systems for the past several decades. These antennas provide low profile, low-weight, and low-cost along with easy integration into planar circuit designs and array configurations. The conventional planar microstrip geometry, however, has limited bandwidth and poor efficiency as well as limited power capability when probe fed or microstrip fed. There are several factors which influence these parameters, the patch geometry and medium directly, and feeding structure indirectly. Currently, designs are often implemented on low index materials for high patch efficiency, and wide bandwidth which can be increased further using wideband impedance matching networks and or aperture coupling methods. Herein, an alternative approach is proposed which allows for easy implementation using micromachining. The goal of this approach is to develop an "effective" low index material underneath the antenna while the feeding circuit is kept on the high index one. The design of a conventional patch antenna fed by a microstrip is developed using micromachining techniques to decrease the height of the high index material underneath the patch while the material under the feedline remains unaltered. This approach reduces the value of the effective dielectric constant only in the area under the antenna, since it is comprised of a mixed dielectric medium of high index material and air.
Fast encryption methods for audiovisual data confidentiality

Two methodologies for efficient audiovisual data encryption are studied in this research, i.e. selective encryption and MHT (multiple-Huffman-table). We first discuss benefits and limitations of selective encryption, and propose a selective encryption scheme for ITU G.723.1 speech coding. A review of all cryptanalysis work of selective encryption algorithms in the literature is given, our cryptanalysis for the JPEG/MPEG sign-bit encryption scheme is presented, and two rules to determine whether selective encryption for a compression system is suitable are concluded. Then, we investigate another encryption methodology via the manipulation of Huffman coding tables of multimedia coding systems. The MHT scheme chooses several different Huffman tables from a vast number of possible candidates, and uses them alternatively to encode multimedia data. The choice of Huffman tables and the order that they are used are kept secret as the key. This method requires very little computational overhead, and can be applied to the encryption of MPEG audio, MPEG video and JPEG/JPEG2000 images.
Simplified formula for the calculation of mitral valve area: Potential inaccuracies in patients with tachycardia

A simplified formula (cardiac output/[transvalvular pressure gradient]1/2) has been proposed as an alternative to the Gorlin equation for determining valve area in patients with mitral stenosis. This study was done (a) to assess the relationship between the results of the simplified formula and those of the Gorlin equation in patients with mitral stenosis and (b) to determine the clinical characteristics most likely to be associated with a disparity between the 2 formulae. In 96 patients with mitral stenosis, the disparity between the 2 formulae was greater than 0.2 cm2 in 43 (45%) and greater than or equal to 0.35 cm2 in 21 (22%). The results of the simplified formula were especially likely to be disparate from those of the Gorlin equation in those whose heart rates were greater than 100 beats/minute. Thus, in the patient with mitral stenosis, the simplified formula should be used with caution and cognizance of its potential inaccuracy, particularly if the patient is tachycardic.
Work in progress - disciplinary egocentrism as a barrier to interdisciplinary design

With the complexity of design problems ever increasing with our societal and technological needs, engineers in industry are working on interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to address these challenges. Interdisciplinary collaboration requires additional skills and knowledge to communicate and negotiate across traditional disciplinary boundaries. In current research on interdisciplinarity, researchers have identified several barriers to successfully crossing disciplinary boundaries, including our previous finding of disciplinary egocentrism, which encompasses a) “relatedness,” the (in)ability to relate interdisciplinary subject matter to one's discipline, and b) “perspective,” the (in)ability to identify and value the contributions from multiple disciplines to the interdisciplinary subject. In this paper, we begin to investigate the interaction of disciplinary egocentrism and the phases of design to help faculty identify appropriate contexts for intervention.
Evaluating Basic Education for Adults: Some Economic and Methodological Considerations

Basic education for adults has been one of our more popular remedial treatments financed under the War on Poverty. To date, though, very little is known about the effectiveness of this treat ment upon the economic well-being of individual participants. The need for evaluation is especially relevant, since adult basic education programs must compete for a limited amount of public revenue. However, serious methodological and conceptual prob lems, as well as the problems of definition, exist inhibiting sound evaluation.In an attempt to solve some of the difficulties associated with research in this area, this paper examines the principal benefits and costs of basic education with special emphasis on economic bene fits ; reviews some of the major methodological problems associated with the measurement of these benefits and costs; and seeks to establish the best possible research design, given these problems. Evidence will be drawn from evaluation of poverty programs which contain large remedial educational co...
Workload-Aware Resource Sharing and Cache Management for Scalable Video Streaming

The required real-time and high-rate transfers for multimedia data severely limit the number of video streams that can be delivered concurrently. Resource-sharing techniques address this problem and can be classified into two main classes: stream merging and periodic broadcasting. We evaluate through extensive simulation major resource-sharing techniques from the two classes, considering different service models and video workloads. We utilize this extensive analysis in developing a workload-aware hybrid solution (WAHS) that combines the advantages of the best performers among resource-sharing techniques. Moreover, we propose a statistical cache management (SCM) approach and derive analytical models for optimal cache allocation to reduce further the demands on the disk I/O when various resource sharing techniques are used.
Low molecular weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in urologic oncologic surgery.

Objectives: This is a prospective study in the use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in the previously unstudied subset of patients undergoing elective urologic cancer surgery.Methods: Thirty-eight patients undergoing elective urologic surgery were studied. Thirty-six had urologic malignancies. Pre-operative risk factors for venous thromboembolic disease were recorded. All patients received LMWH (dalteparin, Fragmin; Pharmacia, Stockholm, Sweden) subcutaneously on a daily basis beginning 1–2 hr before surgery and lasting for 3–7 days. Postoperative physical examination was used to check for clinical evidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Clinical parameters such as physical examination and radiological testing were used to assess for evidence of DVT. Other data included intraoperative blood loss, transfusion requirements, postoperative bleeding complications, postoperative hematocrit and coagulation profiles, and local complications related to the subcutaneou...
New Master of Science in Transportation Degree Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

More than 20 years ago the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) transportation faculty developed a new degree called the master of science in transportation (MST). Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of transportation studies, the degree was formulated as an interdepartmental program, with faculty from a number of MIT departments participating in teaching and advising students. After several decades of teaching this program, which had undergone a series of incremental changes over that period, the faculty decided the MST was overdue for a substantial reexamination. That process led to the development of a new MST design, which was implemented beginning with the class entering in 2000. The MIT transportation faculty first established some design principles and then redesigned the MST according to those principles: the need for both breadth and depth, the need for both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the integration of transportation domain knowledge and methods into classes, knowledge of the complexity of transportation systems, a set of universal core knowledge to which all MST students should be exposed, education for leadership, and research as a key component of the educational program. The new MST program is described and how this design conforms with the established principles is explained.
Examining Cultivation From a Psychological Perspective Component Subprocesses

This study attempts to elaborate the cultivation hypothesis by examining some proposed subprocesses, especially learning and construction with first-and second-order measures. The results from a sample of adolescents provide support for a construction subprocess but only with first-order measures. Results on the subprocess of learning as well as the overall cultivation process are mixed. In addition, the relationship between first- and second-order measures (generalization) are examined. It is argued that cultivation theory needs to be extended to attempt an explanation of how the effect operates.
Epidemiology of asthma and recurrent wheeze in childhood

To summarize, wheeze is common throughout childhood, although it decreases as children age. However, the characteristics of wheeze, its relations with asthma, and its risk factors all change with age. Longitudinal studies have shown that "transient early wheezing" predominates during the first years of life. The principal risks for this type of wheezing are largely mechanical, relating to small airways, and infectious, relating to the risk of becoming infected with respiratory viruses. Associated with passive exposure to cigarette smoke, exposure to other children, and not being breastfed, this form of wheezing was unrelated to increased airway liability or atopy in the child. For the majority of children, particularly those with low lung function at birth, wheezing with early LRIs is a benign condition, not associated with subsequent wheeze or risk for asthma. During the middle part of the first decade of life, wheezing appears to reflect a mix of infectious and allergic wheezing. By 6 yr of age, some children have already wheezed persistently. This group is more likely to have high total IgE levels, to be skin-test positive, and to be given a diagnosis of asthma. Further, their immunologic response to their early LRIs was consistent with a Th2 bias: persistent wheezers produced high levels of IgE, and did not demonstrate the normal pattern of decreased eosinophils. Nevertheless, the children who wheeze in middle childhood are a mixed group, with some being less allergic. Thus, although markers of allergy become increasingly important predictors of wheezing for the group as a whole, wheezing in middle childhood is not associated with later methacholine hyperresponsiveness (42). Finally, persistent allergic wheezing, usually associated with a diagnosis of asthma, predominates by the end of the first decade of life. Wheezing at this age is associated with methacholine responsiveness, peak-flow variability, and markers of atopy, such as total IgE and allergy skin-test response. Although children who wheezed early in life are more likely to wheeze later, early wheeze does not increase the risk of atopy, suggesting that early LRIs are markers of increased risk rather than causes. The gender differences in wheeze disappear, with boys becoming less likely to wheeze and to have asthma, whereas both conditions appear to increase in girls. Finally, some of the risk factors for early LRIs, such as exposure to other children in infancy, appear to be associated with protection from later allergic wheezing. Clearly, asthma and wheeze during childhood are complex entities, presenting with different characteristics at different ages, and implicating varied and changing causes. Genetic factors are important determinants of the intermediate phenotypes. However, environmental factors operating at different developmental stages also appear to influence the development of asthma. Additional research regarding these relationships is essential, both to elucidate possible causal mechanisms and to provide insight into the primary prevention of asthma.
Left ventricle quantification in 3D echocardiography using a geometric deformable model

Real-time 30 echocardiography can provide nccurate left ventricle volume measurement without geometric ussumptions with the assist of a robust segmentarion algorithm. A new 30 geometric deformable model is introduced for the purpose by combining 30 Gradient vector flow (GVF) and 30 geodesic active. contour model. The new model is successfuliy applied to left ventricle quantification in 30 echocardiography.
Nonplanar silicon strain sensors

Variations of conventional thin-membrane strain sensors are described which use a series of anisotropic etches on
Evaluation of a 10 kV, 400 kA Si SGTO at High dI/dt

The evaluation of each 10 kV, 400 kA Si SGTO included a visual inspection and high-potting of each component module prior to pulsing. The complete unit was then switched in a low inductance RLC circuit to test voltage and current capabilities and maximize dl/dt. Devices were switched as many as 70 times without failure. Voltage sharing between the layers was within plusmn2%, and current sharing between the modules was plusmn5% of ideal sharing. The peak rate of current rise attained was 40 kA/mus, and the 50% pulse width of the current was 26 mus. The peak power switched was 1.06 GW, and the action of the forward current pulse reached 6.4 MA2s. This report includes details on the methods for evaluating the 400 kA SGTO, challenges faced and peak performance of the devices under single shot pulsing conditions
Laparoscopic liver resection: benefits and controversies

Laparoscopic liver resection is feasible and safe. Small tumors located in the left-lateral segment are the most favorable for the laparoscopic approach. Complication and conversion rates are acceptable. The laparoscopic approach to malignant lesions is controversial and results should be confirmed in further prospective studies. This highly advanced laparoscopic surgery requires experience and the availability of technologies for safe dissection of liver parenchyma.
PROMIS Fatigue Item Bank had Clinical Validity across Diverse Chronic Conditions.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the comparability and responsiveness of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) fatigue item bank across six chronic conditions. Study Design and Setting Individuals ( n = 1,430) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( n = 125), chronic heart failure ( n = 60), chronic back pain ( n = 218), major depressive disorder ( n = 196), rheumatoid arthritis ( n = 521), and cancer ( n = 310) completed assessments from the PROMIS fatigue item bank at baseline and a clinically relevant follow-up. The cancer and arthritis samples were followed in observational studies; the other four groups were enrolled immediately before a planned clinical intervention. All participants completed global ratings of change at follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models and standardized response means were estimated to examine clinical validity and responsiveness to change. Results All patient groups reported more fatigue than the general population (range = 0.2–1.29 standard deviation worse). The four clinical groups with pretreatment baseline data experienced significant improvement in fatigue at follow-up (effect size range = 0.25–0.91). Individuals reporting better overall health usually experienced larger fatigue changes than those reporting worse overall health. Conclusion The results support the PROMIS fatigue measures's responsiveness to change in six different chronic conditions. In addition, these results support the ability of the PROMIS fatigue measures to compare differences in fatigue across a range of chronic conditions, thereby enabling comparative effectiveness research.
Electrochemical Generation of a Hydrogen Bubble at a Recessed Platinum Nanopore Electrode

We report the electrochemical generation of a single hydrogen bubble within the cavity of a recessed Pt nanopore electrode. The recessed Pt electrode is a conical pore in glass that contains a micrometer-scale Pt disk (1-10 μm radius) at the nanopore base and a nanometer-scale orifice (10-100 nm radius) that restricts diffusion of electroactive molecules and dissolved gas between the nanopore cavity and bulk solution. The formation of a H2 bubble at the Pt disk electrode in voltammetric experiments results from the reduction of H(+) in a 0.25 M H2SO4 solution; the liquid-to-gas phase transformation is indicated in the voltammetric response by a precipitous decrease in the cathodic current due to rapid bubble nucleation and growth within the nanopore cavity. Finite element simulations of the concentration distribution of dissolved H2 within the nanopore cavity, as a function of the H(+) reduction current, indicate that H2 bubble nucleation at the recessed Pt electrode surface occurs at a critical supersaturation concentration of ∼0.22 M, in agreement with the value previously obtained at (nonrecessed) Pt disk electrodes (∼0.25 M). Because the nanopore orifice limits the diffusion of H2 out of the nanopore cavity, an anodic peak corresponding to the oxidation of gaseous and dissolved H2 trapped in the recessed cavity is readily observed on the reverse voltammetric scan. Integration of the charge associated with the H2 oxidation peak is found to approach that of the H(+) reduction peak at high scan rates, confirming the assignment of the anodic peak to H2 oxidation. Preliminary results for the electrochemical generation of O2 bubbles from water oxidation at a recessed nanopore electrode are consistent with the electrogeneration of H2 bubbles.
Deliberate self-harm among younger and older adults

ABSTRACTThis study examined self-harming behaviors among younger and older adults who completed the Self-Harm Inventory (SHI). A 2 (age group) × 2 (gender) analysis of variance showed a significant main effect for age such that younger adult students (M = 3.42, SD = 3.86) had higher SHI total scores than community-dwelling older adults (M = 1.58, SD = 2.35). Younger adults endorsed “Yes” responses significantly more frequently than older adults on 13 of 22 items. Future research should examine specific behaviors of older adults who self-harm more frequently and explore relationships between self-harming behaviors and other risk and resiliency factors for elder suicide.
Patterns of Variation and Correlation in the Dentition of the Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes

The teeth in 51 individuals of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes , from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were measured to quantify dental variation and correlation in this species. Upper and lower first molars tend to be the least variable in the toothrow; the canines, incisors, and posteriormost molars tend to be more variable. Variability of the cheek teeth is uncorrelated with sequence of tooth eruption, but rather appears to be inversely related to occlusal complexity, with teeth in the carnassial region being the least variable. Correlations and partial correlations of tooth length were calculated for all pairs of upper and lower teeth. Surprisingly, the tooth pairs that are most highly correlated are in the premolar series where no tooth-to-tooth occlusion is possible. Reduced variability near occluding carnassials in each toothrow is presumably related to the functional importance of precise occlusion, but this is not reflected in the pattern of correlations and partial correlations.
tert-Butyl 2-(4-chloro-benzo-yl)-2-methyl-propanoate.

The title compound, C15H19ClO3, is bent with a dihedral angle of 72.02 (9)° between the mean planes of the benzene ring and a group encompassing the ester functionality (O=C—O—C). In the crystal, mol­ecules related by inversion symmetry are connected by weak C—H⋯O inter­actions into infinite chains. These inter­actions involve H atoms from a methyl group of the dimethyl residue and the O atoms of the ketone on one side of a mol­ecule; on the other side there are inter­actions between H atoms of the benzene ring and the carbonyl O atoms of the ester functionality. There are no directional inter­actions between the chains.
Regulation of levels of guanosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate in the central nervous system: effects of depolarizing agents.

Veratridine, ouabain, and K+, agents which are known to produce depolarization of nervous tissue, increase the levels of cyclic GMP in incubated slices of mouse cerebellum. Each of the agents acts in a dose-related fashion, and each produces a maximum elevation of cyclic GMP levels which is 25-30 times control levels. The effects of all three agents on cyclic GMP accumulation are dependent on Ca++. Atropine does not block and acetylcholine does not mimic the effect of the depolarizing agents. High concentrations of K+, in addition to increasing levels of cyclic GMP, also greatly increase levels of cyclic AMP in slices of mouse cerebellum. However, the rate of accumulation of cyclic AMP is more rapid than that of cyclic GMP, induction of cyclic AMP accumulation requires higher concentrations of K+, and theophylline markedly attenuates the accumulation of cyclic AMP produced by K+ but not that of cyclic GMP. Furthermore, adenosine produces an accumulation of cyclic AMP but not of cyclic GMP. These data indicate that the effects of depolarization on cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels in nervous tissue are mediated by separate mechanisms. The effects of depolarization on cyclic nucleotide levels in cerebral cortex are different from those in cerebellum. In cerebral cortex slices, high concentrations of K+ produce a much smaller accumulation of cyclic GMP than in cerebellum slices, whereas the K+-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in cerebral cortex is greater than that in cerebellum.
Anticoagulation for Mechanical Circulatory Support

Clinically significant thromboembolic events continue to be a devastating complication during Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) support. Despite monumental advances in mechanical circulatory support technology, the monitoring and management of coagulation in the presence of substantial foreign material remains an ongoing challenge. Furthermore, the peculiarity of hemostasis in children places these patients at increased risk of devastating complications even in the presence of standard anticoagulation regimes. Pre-existing coagulation abnormalities due to renal and hepatic dysfunction, exacerbated with depletion of clotting factors secondary to cardiopulmonary bypass and altered rheological state all conspire to increase bleeding in the perioperative time period. These considerations must be weighted with the eminent risk of clot formation and thromboembolic events over time.
Renewal and Remembrances

There is a downside to caregiving and that is burnout. It is not unexpected that caregivers may experience new or renewed health problems of their own. Compassion fatigue is a type of burnout characterized by a gradual lessening of compassion over time. Some level of burnout can be expected in every person who has served as a caregiver even for a short time. There are a variety of options for family caregivers to become renewed following their time of caregiving. One of the more common feelings experienced after a period of caregiving is loneliness. Every caregiver’s situation is unique, but self-care is an essential part of a caregiver’s renewal. Hospice attempts to create a balance in the life of the soon-to-die and their survivors by recognizing and sharing the good in each other’s lives.
High-pressure transformations in CaSiO 3

Wollastonite transforms to a triclinic high-pressure polymorph, wollastonite II, at pressures > 25 kb. The equilibrium boundary [P(bars)=-4.7×T°C+32.810] has a rather flat negative P-T slope. The rapid reactivity of the transition over at least a 1000° C range, its insensitivity to T and its location around 30 kb are indicative of its potential for a pressure calibration curve at high T.
A new steganography method based on hypertext

Traditional steganography schemes based on hypertext are achieved by embedding blanks and tabs at the end of every row. These schemes have many disadvantages in security and efficiency, as they can easily be detected and attacked. The paper analyzes the structure of hypertext files and proposes a new and more secure steganography method. This method achieves the aim of hiding secret information in hypertext by modifying the written state of the markup letters. Experiments and analysis prove that it is a method with high efficiency and security.
ReaDAPting the Role of PGRP-SD in Bacterial Sensing and Immune Activation

Contradictory to previous reports, Iatsenko et al. (2016) reveal that PGRP-SD regulates the Imd signaling pathway rather than the Toll pathway in Drosophila and shed light on a decade-old mystery of conflicting structural and phenotypic data.
Intertemporal production and intertemporal substitution in output supply and input demand

ABSTRACTThis article presents an intertemporal model of production with multiple inputs to investigate substitution opportunities facing firms over time. The firm’s intertemporal profit maximization problem is characterized with the familiar cost function, and various intertemporal substitution elasticities are delineated for output supply and input demand. The absence of intertemporal substitution in production can imply production smoothing, and allowance for intertemporal substitution in labour demand reinforces the prediction of the real business cycle model. For aggregate US manufacturing, we find substantial substitution in output supply and labour demand over time due to intertemporal changes in output price and wage rates.
Pneumonia Readmissions in Older Adults With Dementia.

Background/Objectives:Pneumonia readmissions have significant quality of care and policy implications for patients and health care providers. Research indicates that initiatives to decrease readmissions should target high-risk subgroups. Older adults with dementia have an increased risk of pneumonia
Intermodulation crosstalk of graphene-enabled electro-optic microring modulators for DWDM interconnects

The intermodulation crosstalk of graphene modulators integrated on silicon nitride is experimentally characterized for the first time on 1 Gb/s signals. We show that 25 GHz channel spacings are supported with < 0.1 dB penalty for DWDM applications.
Factors Affecting Dietary Practices in a Mississippi African American Community

This study examined the practices, personal motivation, and barriers of African American communities in Mississippi regarding their dietary practices. We selected the Metro Jackson Area comprised of Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties because it is a combination of urban and rural communities. The sample consisted of 70 participants from seven sites. A total of seven focus groups responded to six questions to assess practices, personal motivation, and barriers to dietary practices: (1) Where in your community can you access fresh fruits and vegetables? (2) How many meals a day should a person eat? (3) What would you consider to be a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner? (4) What would you consider to be a healthy snack? (5) What do you consider to be your motivations for eating healthy? (6) What do you consider to be your barriers to eating healthy? Each of the seven focus groups consisted of 6 to 12 participants and provided details of their dietary practices. The focus group interviews were digitally-recorded. The recorded interviews were transcribed. The majority of the participants stated that there is a limited availability of fresh fruits/vegetables in rural areas because of a shortage of grocery stores. When they do find fruits, they are priced very high and are unaffordable. Even though health conditions dictate food frequency and portion size, community members feel that individuals should eat three good balanced meals per day with snacks, and they should adhere to small portion sizes. While the desire to attain overall good health and eliminate associative risks for heart disease (e.g., diabetes, obesity) are personal motivations, the cost of food, transportation, age, and time required for food preparation were seen as barriers to healthy eating. Decisions regarding meal choice and meal frequency can have an impact on long-term health outcomes. Health promotion programs should become an integral part of academic- community collaborative agreements.
Regulation of Regeneration by Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in the Extracellular Matrix

Just as the building of a house requires a blueprint, the rebuilding of lost or damaged body parts through regeneration requires a set of instructions for the assembly of the various tissues into the right places. Much progress has been made in understanding how to control the differentiation of different cell types to provide the building blocks for regeneration, such as the bone, muscle, blood vessels, and nerves/Schwann cells. These are the cells that follow the blueprint (the pattern-following cells) and end up in the right places relative to each other in order to restore the lost function. Much less is known about the cells that are specialized to generate and regenerate the blueprint (the pattern-forming cells) in order to instruct the pattern-following cells as to how and where to rebuild the structures. Recent studies provide evidence that the pattern-forming cells synthesize an information-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) that controls the behavior of pattern-following cells leading to the regeneration of limb structures. The ability of the ECM to do this is associated with glycosaminoglycans that have specific spatial and temporal modifications of sulfation patterns. This mechanism for controlling pattern formation appears to be conserved between salamanders and mammals, and thus the next challenge for inducing human regeneration is to identify and understand the biology of these pattern-forming cells and the ECM that they synthesize. Just as the building of a house requires a blueprint, the rebuilding of lost or damaged body parts through regeneration requires a set of instructions for the assembly of the various tissues into the right places. Recent studies provide evidence that this blueprint is encoded in part by an information-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) within the loose connective tissues that controls the behavior of regeneration-competent cells. The ability of the ECM to do this is associated with sugar-rich macromolecules that have specific spatial and temporal modifications of sulfation patterns. This mechanism for controlling pattern formation appears to be conserved between salamanders and mammals, and thus the next challenge for inducing human regeneration is to identify and understand the biology of the connective tissue cells and the ECM that they synthesize.
Higher Education: How Freshmen and First-Year Journalism and Mass Communication Students at HBCUs and PWUs Used the Internet in Their Decision.

This study set out to explore how the Internet was used by Journalism and Mass Communications Program students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominately White Universities in their college choice and if these institutions were able to provide the information the respondents were looking for in their search. The study found students that attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities still report the availability of financial aid and other funding as a major reason they make their college choice. The study also found Journalism and Mass Communications units as a whole may not be providing this information to students that are using the Internet to research their future college opportunities.
Feature Selection and Imbalanced Data Handling for Depression Detection

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common disorder worldwide. Accurate detection of depression is a challenging problem. Machine learning-based automated depression detection provides useful assistance to the clinicians for effective depression diagnosis. One of the most fundamental steps in any automated detection is feature selection and investigation of the most relevant features. Studies show that regional volumes of the brain are affected in response to depression. Regional volumes are considered as features. The gray matter volumes’ correlation with depression and the most effective gray volumes for depression detection is investigated in this study. Various feature selection techniques are studied, along with the investigation on the importance of resampling to handle imbalanced data, which is typically the case for depression detection, as the number of depressed instances is commonly a fraction of the entire data size. Experimental results using Random Forests (RF) and support vector machines (SVM) with a Gaussian kernel (RBF) as classifiers show that feature selection followed by data resampling gives superior performance measured by Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) as well as prediction accuracy, and RF outperforms SVM for the depression detection task.
Patterns of palliative symptom management (PSM) medication use at end-of-life (EoL) among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced lung cancer (advLC).

130Background: Patients with advLC experience high symptom burden; undertreatment may result in poor quality of life for patients and caregivers. Hospice enrollment often happens late or not at all...
Investigating the Affect and Effect of Adaptive Parsons Problems

In a Parsons problem the learner places mixed-up code blocks in the correct order to solve a problem. Parsons problems can be used for both practice and assessment in programming courses. While most students correctly solve Parsons problems, some do not. Unsuccessful practice is not conducive to learning, leads to frustration, and lowers self-efficacy. Ericson invented two types of adaptation for Parsons problems, intra-problem and inter-problem, in order to decrease frustration and maximize learning gains. In intra-problem adaptation, if the learner is struggling, the problem can dynamically be made easier. In inter-problem adaptation, the next problem's difficulty is modified based on the learner's performance on the last problem. This paper reports on the first observational studies of five undergraduate students and 11 secondary teachers solving both intra-problem adaptive and non-adaptive Parsons problems. It also reports on a log file analysis with data from over 8,000 users solving non-adaptive and adaptive Parsons problems. The paper reports on teachers' understanding of the intra-problem adaptation process, their preference for adaptive or non-adaptive Parsons problems, their perception of the usefulness of solving Parsons problems in helping them learn to fix and write similar code, and the effect of adaptation (both intra-problem and inter-problem) on problem correctness. Teachers understood most of the intra-problem adaptation process, but not all. Most teachers preferred adaptive Parsons problems and felt that solving Parsons problems helped them learn to fix and write similar code. Analysis of the log file data provided evidence that learners are nearly twice as likely to correctly solve adaptive Parsons problems than non-adaptive ones.
Introduction to this special section: CO2 in the subsurface

The topic of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the subsurface relates to enhanced recovery efforts and the fate of CO2 in injection and sequestration scenarios. The papers in this special section address tho...
Trends in composition, collection, persistence, and analysis of IGSR and OGSR: A review

Abstract Presented is a review of scientific literature from the past two decades on the various aspects affecting deposition, persistence, and collection of organic and inorganic gunshot residue (OGSR and IGSR, respectively). With market changes in the manufacture of modern ammunition affecting typical elemental composition and morphology of particles, and complex transfer and persistence mechanisms, the forensic community is investigating means to use a more comprehensive approach that incorporates IGSR and OGSR detection. Once collected, inorganic components are more persistent over time than OGSR. Conversely, exogenous compounds that mimic OGSR markers are less prevalent in the environment than IGSR-like elements. As a result, the combined detection of IGSR and OGSR is expected to decrease the occurrence of false positives and false negatives and bring superior confidence in the interpretation of results. This manuscript also compiles information on over 180 primary IGSR and OGSR components reported in the literature for modern ammunition (standard and non-toxic) and their respective analyses. Also, this review offers a discussion of the capabilities and limitations of novel methods and future opportunities to adopt changes in the management of forensic investigations to enhance the versatility, reliability, and response time in the discipline.
Job satisfaction as a correlate of empathic behaviour among health care providers towards their patients

This study examined the influence of job satisfaction on empathic behaviour of health care workers towards their patients. Four research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. The study is an ex-post facto research design that adopted the correlation method. A sample size of 1,200 health care workers was selected through a multi-stage sampling method. The method of data collection is a questionnaire, whose psychometric properties were adjudged to be adequate. A total of 1,114 copies were questionnaire were returned after administration and was used for data analysis. The analysis was done using Pearson’s correlation and coefficient of determination for the research questions as well as regression and path analysis for the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. The result showed that job satisfaction is positively associated with emphatic behaviour of health care workers towards their patients. The study further revealed that the three components of job satisfaction; affective, cognitive and behavioural components were positively associated with emphatic behaviour and that gender does not moderate the influence of the three components of job satisfaction on empathic behaviour of health care workers towards their patients. Based on the findings, recommendations were made.
Hierarchical Coordination Frameworks Based on Metal–Organic Dimeric Nanocapsules Comprising Praseodymium and Pyrogallol[4]arene

Hierarchical coordination frameworks based on a novel praseodymium(III)-seamed metal–organic nanocapsule comprising dimerized pyrogallol[4]arene units are synthesized, characterized, and studied. F...
Ripple Effects: How Teacher Action Research on Culturally Relevant Education Can Promote Systemic Change

Teacher action research has been shown to both promote professional growth in teachers as well as produce gains for students. However, to date, little research has examined how action research migh...