cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A galactose-specific sugar: phosphotransferase permease is prevalent in the non-core genome of Streptococcus mutans

Summary Three genes predicted to encode the A, B and C domains of a sugar : phosphotransferase system (PTS) permease specific for galactose\(EIIGal) were identified in the genomes of 35 of 57 recently sequenced isolates of Streptococcus mutans, the primary etiological agent of human dental caries. Mutants defective in the EIIGal complex were constructed in six of the isolates and showed markedly reduced growth rates on galactose-based medium relative to the parental strains. An EIIGal-deficient strain constructed using the invasive serotype f strain OMZ175 (OMZ/IIGal) expressed significantly lower PTS activity when galactose was present as the substrate. Galactose was shown to be an effective inducer of catabolite repression in OMZ175, but not in the EIIGal-deficient strain. In a mixed-species competition assay with galactose as the sole carbohydrate source, OMZ/IIGal was less effective than the parental strain at competing with the oral commensal bacterium Streptococcus gordonii, which has a high-affinity galactose transporter. Hence, a significant proportion of S. mutans strains encode a galactose PTS permease that could enhance the ability of these isolates to compete more effectively with commensal streptococci for galactose in salivary constituents and the diet.
Processing of Novel Electronic Health Data to Support Public Health Surveillance

Describes the underlying business processes, activities, and roles used in transforming novel data sources, during the H1N1 response, into informative assets to support public health surveillance. By formally articulating and describing each of these steps, in a structured manner, we hope to contribute to the dialogue of developing useful practices for leveraging electronic health data to meet the public health surveillance challenges of the 21st century.
Evaluation of ELISA for imidacloprid detection in eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) wood and needle tissues.

BACKGROUND: Imidacloprid is the primary insecticide used against the exotic invasive insect hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, a pest of eastern hemlock [Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere] trees in the eastern United States. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated for quantification of imidacloprid in eastern hemlock wood and needle tissues. RESULTS: Matrix effects in the form of false positives and overestimated imidacloprid concentrations were observed in both wood and needle extracts. Tissues required a 100–1000-fold dilution with water in order to reduce matrix effects. Standard curves in 1% wood or needle extract were not significantly different from standard curves prepared in water. Matrix effects were more pronounced at concentrations in the lower working range of the kit, with recovery of 5 µg L−1 imidacloprid more accurate than recovery of 0.2 µg L−1. CONCLUSION: ELISA remains a valuable tool for semi-quantitative imidacloprid detection within the hemlock system because of its sensitivity, cost and ease of use. However, a 1000-fold dilution of hemlock tissue extract is recommended to ensure accurate imidacloprid determinations. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
High data rate signal integrity in micron-scale silicon ring resonators

A ring resonator with a FWHM of 0.095 nm (11.6 GHz) is experimentally measured to have a 1.4 dB power penalty for a 10 Gbps NRZ OOK signal, due to spectral distortions. Numerical simulations match these results.
Local heat transfer distribution and effect of instabilities during flow boiling in a silicon microchannel heat sink

Abstract Flow boiling of the perfluorinated dielectric fluid FC-77 in a silicon microchannel heat sink is investigated. The heat sink contains 60 parallel microchannels each of 100 μm width and 389 μm depth. Twenty-five evenly distributed temperature sensors in the substrate yield local heat transfer coefficients. The pressure drop across the channels is also measured. Experiments are conducted at five flow rates through the heat sink in the range of 20–80 ml/min with the inlet subcooling held at 26 K in all the tests. At each flow rate, the uniform heat input to the substrate is increased in steps so that the fluid experiences flow regimes from single-phase liquid flow to the occurrence of critical heat flux (CHF). In the upstream region of the channels, the flow develops from single-phase liquid flow at low heat fluxes to pulsating two-phase flow at high heat fluxes during flow instability that commences at a threshold heat flux in the range of 30.5–62.3 W/cm2 depending on the flow rate. In the downstream region, progressive flow patterns from bubbly flow, slug flow, elongated bubbles or annular flow, alternating wispy-annular and churn flow, and wall dryout at highest heat fluxes are observed. As a result, the heat transfer coefficients in the downstream region experience substantial variations over the entire heat flux range, based on which five distinct boiling regimes are identified. In contrast, the heat transfer coefficient midway along the channels remains relatively constant over the heat flux range tested. Due to changes in flow patterns during flow instability, the heat transfer is enhanced both in the downstream region (prior to extended wall dryout) and in the upstream region. A previous study by the authors found no effect of instabilities during flow boiling in a heat sink with larger microchannels (each 300 μm wide and 389 μm deep); it appears therefore that the effect of instabilities on heat transfer is amplified in smaller-sized channels. While CHF increases with increasing flow rate, the pressure drop across the channels has only a minimal dependence on flow rate once boiling is initiated in the microchannels, and varies almost linearly with increasing heat flux.
Errors as allies: error management training in health professions education

This paper adopts methods from the organisational team training literature to outline how health professions education can improve patient safety. We argue that health educators can improve training quality by intentionally encouraging errors during simulation-based team training. Preventable medical errors are inevitable, but encouraging errors in low-risk settings like simulation can allow teams to have better emotional control and foresight to manage the situation if it occurs again with live patients. Our paper outlines an innovative approach for delivering team training.
Postsurgical Follow-up for a Repaired Nutcracker Syndrome: A Case Study

Nutcracker syndrome is a venous entrapment phenomenon characterized by the impingement of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta. Treatment, if necessary, co...
U.S. FUEL CYCLE TECHNOLOGIES R&D PROGRAM FOR NEXT GENERATION NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cycle Technologies R&D program under the Office of Nuclear Energy is working to advance technologies to enhance both the existing and future fuel cycles. One thrust area is in developing enabling technologies for next generation nuclear materials management under the Materials Protection, Accounting and Control Technologies (MPACT) Campaign where advanced instrumentation, analysis and assessment methods, and security approaches are being developed under a framework of Safeguards and Security by Design. An overview of the MPACT campaign's activities and recent accomplishments is presented along with future plans.
Aggregate data and the prohorov metric framework: efficient gradient computation

Abstract We discuss efficient methods for computing gradients in inverse problems for estimation of distributions for individual parameters in models where only aggregate or population level data is available. The ideas are illustrated with two examples arising in applications.
A Content Analysis of Quantitative Research in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy: A 10‐Year Review

We examined the trends of quantitative research over the past 10 years in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT). Specifically, within the JMFT, we investigated the types and trends of research design and statistical analysis within the quantitative research that was published in JMFT from 2005 to 2014. We found that while the amount of peer-reviewed articles have increased over time, the percentage of quantitative research has remained constant. We discussed the types and trends of statistical analysis and the implications for clinical work and training programs in the field of marriage and family therapy.
Quenching of I(2P1/2) by NO2, N2O4, and N2O

Quenching of excited iodine atoms (I(5p5, 2P1/2)) by nitrogen oxides are processes of relevance to discharge-driven oxygen iodine lasers. Rate constants at ambient and elevated temperatures (293-380 K) for quenching of I(2P1/2) atoms by NO2, N2O4, and N2O have been measured using time-resolved I(2P1/2) --> I(2P3/2) 1315 nm emission. The excited atoms were generated by pulsed laser photodissociation of CF3I at 248 nm. The rate constants for I(2P1/2) quenching by NO2 and N2O were found to be independent of temperature over the range examined with average values of (2.9 +/- 0.3) x 10(-15) and (1.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(-15) cm3 s(-1), respectively. The rate constant for quenching of I(2P1/2) by N2O4 was found to be (3.5 +/- 0.5) x 10(-13) cm3 s(-1) at ambient temperature.
Localization of Collagen Type IV in Basement Membranes by Monoclonal Antibodies

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies against type IV collagen from human placenta as well as conventionally raised antibodies against type IV from mouse EHS-tumor were used to evaluate the distribution of this collagen in the normal human kidney and other organs. Immunofluorescence staining of frozen sections demonstrated that type IV was distributed in a linear fashion along basement membranes of tubules, glomeruli and Bowman's capsule in the kidney and along basement membranes in other tissues. The distribution of type IV collagen was examined using 600- to 800-A thick frozen sections and a four-step procedure that involved type IV antibodies, rabbit-anti mouse IgG, biotinyl sheep anti-rabbit IgG and avidin-imposil conjugates. When labelled by this procedure specific staining of all basement membranes in the kidney was observed with monoclonal antibodies. Conventional EHS-type IV-collagen antibody showed similar labeling patterns.
Board Certification for Sleep Clinicians

Sleep Medicine is a rapidly evolving field that has gone through many changes, especially during the last 40 years. There are several entities like The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), The American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), The American Osteopathic Association, and the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine that are working to make the practice of sleep medicine more structured and uniform throughout the medical and healthcare system. This chapter comprehensively reviews in detail all the requisites, pathways, requirements, and methods that are currently available for clinician certification by all of these boards.
Impact of alcohol use motives and internalizing symptoms on mood changes in response to drinking: An ecological momentary assessment investigation

Abstract Background Theory implies that individuals who use alcohol to cope with negative emotions experience the acute mood-altering effects they desire. However, no study to date has directly tested whether alcohol coping motives map onto alcohol-induced changes in mood in real-time or how co-occurring internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety) impact the relation between coping motives and alcohol-induced changes in mood. Method The current study tested the unique and interactive effects of alcohol coping motives and internalizing symptoms on mood changes during drinking using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in a sample of young adults (n = 257). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and a 7-day EMA assessment protocol. Results In general, alcohol use was associated with greater positive mood and reduced negative mood while drinking. However, individuals who reported that they use alcohol to cope with anxiety, but not depression, experienced less mood benefits from alcohol relative to those without mood coping motives. In contrast, individuals with high internalizing symptoms experienced greater mood benefits while drinking relative to those with low levels of internalizing symptoms; and at high levels of anxiety, alcohol consumption was reinforcing for everyone regardless of coping motives. Only at low levels of anxiety symptoms, did coping with anxiety motives attenuate alcohol’s acute reinforcing effects. Conclusions These results together confirm that alcohol has a robust impact on real-time mood in young adults and sheds light on the processes that may contribute to repeated alcohol use within individuals who do, and do not, use alcohol as a means of coping.
Asymptotically Normally Distributed Person Fit Indices for Detecting Spuriously High Scores on Difficult Items.

Snijders developed a family of person fit indices that asymptotically follow the standard normal distribution, when the ability parameter is estimated. So far, lz*, U*, W*, ECI2z*, and ECI4z* from this family have been proposed in previous literature. One common property shared by lz*, U*, and W* (also ECI2z* and ECI4z* in some specific conditions) is that they employ symmetric weight functions and thus identify spurious scores on both easy and difficult items in the same manner. However, when the purpose is to detect only the spuriously high scores on difficult items, such as cheating, guessing, and having item preknowledge, using symmetric weight functions may jeopardize the detection rates of the target aberrant response patterns. By specifying two types of asymmetric weight functions, this study proposes SHa(λ)* (λ = 1/2 or 1) and SHb(β)* (β = 2 or 3) based on Snijders’s framework to specifically detect spuriously high scores on difficult items. Two simulation studies were carried out to investigate t...
Pathogens transmitted in red blood cell transfusions: An up-to-date table.

According to a recent publication, 36,000 units of red blood cells are transfused into patients each day in the United States.1 Fortunately, with excellent screening techniques now in place, the as...
Sensitivity analysis of a smart soft composite robotic finger design using geometrically nonlinear laminated composite finite beam elements

Abstract Soft robotics is an emerging research field that uses deformable materials to build compliant and adaptable systems, using simple integrated mechanisms, enabling biomimetic behavior. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of a shape memory alloy (SMA)-driven smart soft composite (SSC) bending actuator that is used as an artificial finger in robots or prosthetics. This SSC structure is made of a flexible material, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), reinforced with some layers of glass fiber sheets, and actuated via SMA wires embedded in the flexible material. The SMA wires shrink when thermally activated, resulting in bending the three flexible hinges of the finger. Designing such smart soft structures involves optimizing large number of design parameters such as the flexible hinge length and thickness, the number of composite layers and their orientation, the number of SMA wires and their diameters. Hence an accurate and efficient computational tool is required to perform sensitivity analysis, and facilitate and accelerate the design process. The mathematical model should also account for geometric nonlinearity due to the large deformation and rotation of the structure in hand. A recently-developed accurate and efficient novel geometrically-nonlinear laminated composite beam finite element model is used in this work for analyzing the SSC robotic finger. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the effect of the flexible hinge thickness in the studied design is much more significant than the hinge length, and that the relationship between the fingertip rotation and the hinge thickness is nonlinear for the case of one glass fiber sheet and approaches linearity as the number of sheets increases to three.
Occupational therapy treatment of an adult with an eating disorder: one woman's experience

A case study, resulting from a naturalistic inquiry, describes the inpatient occupational therapy experience of an adult woman with an eating disorder. The details that emerged as the study unfolded through observation and interview allowed the inquirer, as well as the respondent, to make sense of the respondent's illness and the benefits of occupational therapy to her health while a patient, and following her discharge. The patient elaborated about the importance of her relationship with her occupational therapist, and provided details about task and process groups that demonsirate the efficacy of these groups to the positive outcome of hcr trcatment.
Central Axonal Development and Pathology in Early Life

Critical to brain development is the proper growth and maturation of the axons underlying neuronal circuitry and communication throughout the nervous system. During development, the axon undergoes a remarkable process of outgrowth from the cell body, elongation, pathfinding to its target, differentiation of its synaptic junction, and establishment of connections with dendritic and/or somatic synapses. In the human brain, the most dramatic period of axonal development is midgestation to the end of the second year of life (i.e., the period when the brain itself attains approximately 80% of its adult weight). During this period, the developing axon is especially vulnerable to different types of injury as it undergoes rapid elongation and differentiation. In this chapter, we review critical aspects of axonal development and pathology in early human life with a focus on the central nervous system. These aspects include the initial growth of the axon, the pathfinding mechanisms by which the axon locates the proper target, elimination of axonal connections to ensure the correct axon-to-target balance, and maturation of the axons to ensure proper transmission of signal, as well as the susceptibility of the developing axon to injury and selected disorders of axons in the developing human brain.
A Micro Packed-Bed Reactor for Chemical Synthesis

A microchemical device has been fabricated using deep-reactive-ion etch technology for the purpose of gas-liquid contacting and for use as a micro packed-bed reactor. A 4 µL volume reaction chamber holds the packing as reactants are fed continuously in a co-current fashion and distributed at the inlet of the bed. The gas and liquid reactant streams are brought into contact by a series of interleaved, high-aspect ratio (25µm × 300µm) inlet channels. The inlet channels meet at the inlet of the reaction chamber which is sized to accommodate a variety of packing materials. These packing materials are fed into the reaction chamber through separate inlets and are held in place by a grating of 40µm wide posts with 25µm gaps. Several types of materials have been successfully loaded into the reaction chamber, such as glass spheres 50µm diameter, polystyrene beads, and granular catalyst particles.
The Queue G/G/1 and Associated Random Walk

We consider the single-server queueing system where successive customers arrive at the epochs t0(= 0), t1, t2, ..., and demand services times υ1, υ2, ... . The inter-arrival times are then given by u n = t n − tn−1 (n ≥ 1). Let X k = υ k − u k (k ≥ 1), and S0 ≡ 0, S n = X1 + X2 + ⋯ + X n (n ≥ 1). We assume that the X k are mutually independent random variables with a common distribution; the basic process underlying this queueing model is the random walk {S n }. To see this, let W n be the waiting time of the nth customer and I n the idle period (if any) that just terminates upon the arrival of this customer. Then clearly for n ≥ 0 $$ {W_{n + 1}} = \max \left( {0,{X_{n + 1}} + {W_n}} \right),\;\;\;{I_{n + 1}} = - \min \left( {0,{X_{n + 1}} + {W_n}} \right). $$ (1)
Exercise Rehabilitation for Older Breast Cancer Survivors

Despite improved survival rates during the past 25 years, older breast cancer survivors have a significantly higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared to age- and sex-matched noncancer controls, a finding attributed, in part, to sedentary (cardiovascular) deconditioning during and following cancer treatment. As a result, breast cancer survivors’ peak exercise oxygen uptake (peak VO2) is ~20% lower than age-matched noncancer controls. The objective of this chapter is to highlight the mechanisms responsible for impaired peak VO2 in older breast cancer survivors and discuss the role of exercise rehabilitation training to improve peak VO2, muscle strength and functional outcomes, fatigue resistance, and quality of life. Evidence to date suggests that the reduced peak VO2 in older breast cancer survivors is the result of both central and peripheral abnormalities that result in decreased oxygen delivery and/or utilization by exercising muscle. Exercise rehabilitation training improves peak VO2 by ~11% in older breast cancer survivors; however, the relative contributions of central (cardiac) and peripheral (skeletal muscle and vascular) adaptations to this improvement remain unclear and warrant further investigation. Breast cancer patients who perform exercise training during chemotherapy experience fewer changes in therapy regimens, better treatment effectiveness, and improved survival. Exercise training also increases muscle strength and preserves bone mineral density with subsequent improvements in functional outcomes (timed up and go and 6-min walk distance). Finally, older breast cancer survivors also report improvements in fatigue resistance and quality of life following exercise training.
Oncolytic herpes simplex virus therapy for malignant glioma: current approaches to successful clinical application.

Introduction: With the approval of talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) for advanced malignant melanoma, virotherapy using oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) is now emerging as a viable therapeutic ...
Teaching the Foundations of Education: A Developmental Perspective

The Education Department at La Salle University in Philadelphia has restructuredits teacher preparation program around the principles of human growth anddevelopment. Instructors teaching the foundations courses are encouraged tostress developmental principles through the application of four themes: (a)Educational Practice in Developmental Perspective, (b) Image of the Child inDevelopmental Perspective, (c) Educational Theory in Developmental Perspective,and (d) Educational Language in Developmental Perspective. The focus andcoherence of foundations courses approached according to these themes wouldbe improved, especially because these courses are frequently weakened byencyclopedic, disj uncted texts and by inadequately trained instructors.
Resolution of atrial-ventricular block secondary to Listeria monocytogenes with antimicrobials

Abstract Listeria endocarditis is a rare, but serious disease with high mortality rate. Currently, little is known regarding the optimal treatment modality of Listeria endocarditis in affected individuals. Here, we present the case of a 66-year-old female with history of mitral and aortic replacement with bioprosthetic valve, and hospital course complicated by Listeria monocytogenes infective endocarditis with atrial-ventricular (AV) block. Listeria monocytogenes infection was eradicated by a 6-week antimicrobials course involving ampicillin and gentamicin, culminating in the resolution of AV block. On further investigation, the patient admitted to frequent consumption of salami and provolone cold-cut sandwiches, which based on previous evidence in literature is hypothesized to be the source of infection. Our findings suggest the development of perivalvular abscesses as the cause of the AV block. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in literature where AV block secondary to listeriosis resolved with treatment solely by antimicrobials. While further research and larger studies are needed to extend our findings, patients with AV block secondary to listeriosis may benefit from optimized management with antimicrobials.
Chapter 10 – Communication in the Heart: Cardiokines as Mediators of a Molecular Social Network

Cell–cell communication depends upon secretion, which is the process by which substances are transferred across the plasma membrane from intracellular to extracellular spaces. The heart is comprised of numerous cell types that communicate by secretion with each other, and with cells in other tissues. This chapter focuses on proteins secreted by the heart, which are called cardiokines. Cardiokines and their receptors constitute a molecular social network that facilitates interactions between cells in the heart and other tissues. As critical elements of this network, cardiokines contribute in a combinatorial fashion to the intricate communication system that forms the basis of acute and chronic responses of the heart to environmental cues. In this chapter, we review the varied mechanisms of cardiokine synthesis and secretion that illustrate the complexities, as well as the subtleties and novelty of communication in, and from the heart.
AN UNUSUAL CASE OF ABDOMINAL PAIN: RIGHT VENTRICULAR LEAD PERFORATION CAUSING DIAPHRAGMATIC PACING

Myocardial perforation from leads is a rare complication following permanent pacemaker implantation. Diaphragmatic pacing may be a sign of perforation and multiple imaging techniques can help in the diagnosis. A 73 year old male with history of sick sinus syndrome status post dual chamber permanent
GRAMARCH: a GPU-ReRAM based heterogeneous Architecture for neural image segmentation

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) employed for image segmentation are computationally more expensive and complex compared to the ones used for classification. However, manycore architectures to accelerate the training of these DNNs are relatively unexplored. Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM)-based architectures offer a promising alternative to commonly used GPU-based platforms for training DNNs. However, due to their low-precision storage capability, these architectures cannot support all DNN layers and suffer from accuracy loss of the learned models. To address these challenges, we propose GRAMARCH, a heterogeneous architecture that combines the benefits of ReRAM and GPUs simultaneously by using a high-throughput 3D Network-on-Chip. Experimental results indicate that by suitably mapping DNN layers to processing elements, it is possible to achieve up to 53X better performance compared to conventional GPUs for image segmentation.
Student Connections: The Critical Role of Student Affairs and Academic Support Services in Retention Efforts:

The connections we establish in college are transformative and redirect our lives to make lasting impacts on others around us and in the world. Student affairs and academic support services can mak...
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings in a Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Background: Health care personnel and patients are at risk to acquire severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in health care settings, including in outpatient clinics and ancillary care areas. Methods: Between May 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, we identified clusters of 3 or more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in which nosocomial transmission was suspected in a Veterans Affairs health care system. Asymptomatic employees and patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 if they were identified as being at risk through contact tracing investigations; for 7 clusters, all personnel and/or patients in a shared work area were tested regardless of exposure history. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to determine the relatedness of SARS-CoV-2 samples from the clusters and from control employees and patients. Results: Of 14 clusters investigated, 7 occurred in community-based outpatient clinics, 1 in the emergency department, 3 in ancillary care areas, and 3 on hospital medical/surgical wards that did not provide care for patients with known COVID-19 infection. Eighty-one of 82 (99%) symptomatic COVID-19 cases and 31 of 35 (89%) asymptomatic cases occurred in health care personnel. Sequencing analysis provided support for several transmission events between coworkers and in 2 cases supported transmission from health care personnel to patients. There were no documented transmissions from patients to personnel. Conclusions: Clusters of COVID-19 with nosocomial transmission predominantly involved health care personnel and often occurred in outpatient clinics and ancillary care areas. There is a need for improved measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by health care personnel in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Comparison of accuracy of two uncalibrated pulse contour cardiac output monitors in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery patients using pulmonary artery catheter-thermodilution as a reference.

Cardiac output (CO) is a key measure of adequacy of organ and tissue perfusion, especially in critically ill or complex surgical patients. CO monitoring technology continues to evolve. Recently developed CO monitors rely on unique algorithms based on pulse contour analysis of an arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveform. The objective of this investigation was to compare the accuracy of two monitors using different methods of pulse contour analysis – the Retia Argos device and the Edwards Vigileo-FloTrac device – with pulmonary artery catheter (PAC)-thermodilution as a reference. Fifty-eight patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery formed the study cohort. A total of 572 triplets of CO measurements from each device – Argos, Vigileo-FloTrac (third generation), and thermodilution – were available before and after interventions (e.g., vasopressors, fluids, and inotropes). Bland–Altman analysis accounting for repeated measurements per subject and concordance analysis were applied to assess the accuracy of the CO values and intervention-induced CO changes of each pulse contour device against thermodilution. Cluster bootstrapping was employed to statistically compare the root-mean-squared-errors (RMSE = √(μ2 + σ2), where μ and σ are the Bland–Altman bias and precision errors) and concordance rates of the two devices. The RMSE (mean (95% confidence intervals)) for CO values was 1.16 (1.00–1.32) L/min for the Argos device and 1.54 (1.33–1.77) L/min for the Vigileo-FloTrac device; the concordance rate for intervention-induced CO changes was 87 (82–92)% for the Argos device and 72 (65–78)% for the Vigileo-FloTrac device; and the RMSE for the CO changes was 17 (15–19)% for the Argos device and 21 (19–23)% for the Vigileo-FloTrac device (p < 0.0167 for all comparisons). In comparison with CO measured by the PAC, the Argos device proved to be more accurate than the Vigileo-FloTrac device in CO trending and absolute CO measurement in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Outcomes of Pediatric Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Excision.

Introduction Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are the most common form of congenital neck cysts. They may become infected causing dysphagia or respiratory distress. Accordingly, the treatment is always surgical removal. Objectives The objectives of this article were to examine complications following TGDC excision by surgical specialty, demographics, and comorbid conditions. Methods A retrospective review of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was performed. Pediatric cases from January 1, 2014 to November 1, 2015 with a current procedure terminology code of 60,280 (excision of TGDC or sinus) were included. Statistical analysis was performed to assess associations between complications and surgical specialty, demographics, and comorbidities. Results Of the 867 cases that met inclusion criteria, the median age was 4 years. There were 448 males (52.3%) and 408 females (47.7%). Thirty-six patients (4.2%) experienced at least one 30-day complication. The most predominant complications were reoperation (19 patients, 2.2%), readmission (18 patients, 2.1%), and surgical site infection (16 patients, 1.9%). There was no statistically significant difference between complications and surgical specialty. In those experiencing a complication, there was a statistically significant difference between males (86.1%) and females (13.9%). Of patients with at least one comorbidity, 36.67% had a complication, while 17.22% did not have a complication. There was also a statistically significant difference in the percentage of patients with a past medical history of asthma between those with at least one complication (16.67%) compared to those without any complications (4.76%). Conclusions excision is a generally safe procedure across surgical specialties. There is a higher complication rate in males compared to females as well as those with a history of at least one medical comorbidity and those with asthma. The most common 30-day complications are reoperation, readmission, and surgical site infection.
Back to the future: Looking back while looking ahead at changes to educational conferences in the COVID-19 era.

The COVID-19 era is in its second year and the changes it has imposed across medical education have been addressed in several recent articles.1–4 The lack of in-person meetings, replaced by virtual gatherings or conferences via such programs as Zoom (Zoom Technologies), Microsoft Teams (Microsoft, Inc.), and WebEx (Cisco Systems), is typically acknowledged as the primary alteration in the landscape.1–4 Advantages of a remote model include convenience, the ability to involve people at remote sites, and the absence of basic structural challenges like conference room size and availability. Previously, cases were chosen from the active interesting CT case file collected by the organizer of the meeting, then shown in real time on the PACS system (Carestream) and reviewed interactively. [...]a conversational tone may have been one of the more important elements, along with responding to the desire to avoid complete isolation, in facing the challenges of holding remote meetings. The discussion or interaction, not the answer, was identified as the goal. Since we moved to remote conferences, we have oscillated between 29 and 45 attendees as compared to 10–15 in the pre-COVID era of in-person meetings.
Analisis Gemma Tulud Cruz tentang Teologi Bertahan Hidup di tengah Pandemi: Perspektif Teologi Asia

Abstract: Surviving under challenging situations and suffering is a natural act for someone who has hope. Because if not, then suicide is the chosen path. The Covid-19 pandemic to date has caused suffering for humans in all aspects throughout the world, predominantly in Asian countries. The question of how to deal with suffering and the implementation of salvation today is relevant for discussion. This article aims to reveal the particular way Asian people, according to Gemma Tulud Cruz's perspective in deal with suffering. The method used is qualitative exploratory with a focus on disclosing the thoughts of Gemma Tulud Cruz. The results show that Asian ways to survive are silence, humor, laughter, community storytelling, singing, and dancing. This can apply to a community that not bound by religion, ethnicity, and race. Of course, the main thing is faith and hope in the person of Jesus. This characteristic can be correlated with the context of survival in Indonesia in the face of suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Abstrak: Bertahan hidup dalam situasi sulit dan penderitaan adalah tindakan wajar yang dilakukan oleh seseorang yang memiliki pengharapan. Sebab jika tidak, maka bunuh diri adalah jalan yang dipilih. Pandemi covid-19 hingga saat ini melahirkan penderitaan bagi manusia dalam segala aspek di seluruh dunia, khususnya negara-negara Asia. Pertanyaan bagaimana menghadapi penderitaan itu dan implementasi keselamatan di masa kini menjadi relevan untuk didiskusikan. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan cara khusus orang Asia menurut perspektif Gemma Tulud Cruz dalam menghadapi penderitaan. Metode yang digunakan adalah kualitatif eksploratif dengan fokus pengungkapan pemikiran Gemma Tulud Cruz. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kekhususan dari cara orang Asia untuk bertahan hidup adalah dengan berdiam, humor dan tertawa, bercerita dalam komunitas, bernyanyi dan menari. Hal tersebut dilakukan dalam komunitas yang tidak tersekat agama, suku, dan ras. Tentu yang utama adalah iman dan pengharapan kepada pribadi Yesus. Ciri khas ini dapat dikorelasikan dengan konteks bertahan hidup di Indonesia dalam menghadapi penderitaan akibat pandemi covid-19.
Construction procedures for rapid replacement of bridge decks

Full depth precast or precast prestressed concrete bridge deck panels can be used to replace deteriorated decks. These precast elements can be supported on steel rolled beams or plate girders as well as precast prestressed or reinforced concrete girders. This system can be used advantageously to reduce construction time, hence, lowering the cost imposed by the rehabilitation process. Staged construction can be implemented to maintain traffic flow in both directions. Half of the bridge deck can be replaced while the other half remains operational. Replacement of the deck system using conventional cast-in-place concrete prolongs and interferes extensively with the flow of traffic.
Toward a comprehensive emergency medical system for children.

Systems management of life-threatening injuries in children and adults is now accepted as state-of-the-art by those who care for trauma victims in the United States and Canada. A few regional trauma systems for adults have had several decades of experience and have recently served as models for inclusion of pediatric trauma.1 In certain instances, notably the state of Pennsylvania, an emergency medical services (EMS) system has come into being with fully integrated adult and children9s components. That the National Pediatric Trauma Registry includes more than 12 000 children is indicative of the significant problem of trauma in childhood; the Registry has provided a necessary base for statistical analysis of injury severity and long-term rehabilitation needs.2 Since 1985, several federally funded state demonstration grants for EMS for children (EMSC) have attempted to establish guidelines for patient care and to suggest methods of ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of these systems, surveillance of quality, and review of patient outcome. A statewide designated pediatric trauma center for Maryland located in The Johns Hopkins Children9s Center has been functional for 12 years.3 Data are now available for objective evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of this regional pediatric trauma program. The level of compliance within Maryland9s regionalized pediatric trauma system from 1979 through 1986 was recently examined using hospital discharge abstract data routinely recorded for all discharges from 58 acute care hospitals in the state of Maryland.4 Compliance with regionalization was measured by examining (1) the proportion of patients with injuries of varying injury severity scores5,6 who were treated at each of three levels of care (statewide pediatric trauma center, regional trauma center, and community hospital) and (2) the proportion of in-hospital deaths occurring at each level of care.
Alternative Memory Technologies

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Limitations of Flash Memory NROM Memories Ferroelectric Memories Magnetic Memories Single-Electron and Few-Electron Memories Resistive and Hybrid CMOS/Nanodevice Memories NOVORAM/FRAM Cell and Architecture Phase Change Memories References ]]>
A Survey of Recent Results in the Spectral Theory of Ergodic Dynamical Systems

The purpose of this paper is to survey recent results in the spectral theory of ergodic dynamical systems. In addition we prove some known results using new methods and mention some new results, including the recent solution to Rokhlin's problem concerning ergodic transformations having a homogeneous spectrum of multiplicity two. We emphasize applications of ideas arising from the theory of joinings and Markov intertwinings.
Network Research Experiments

This essay attempts to lay the foundation of modern social networks research with a jolt toward innovative ways to create data or finding ways to access newly available data to address meaningful political questions. We focus on outlining potential new resources for data, discuss the emergent theoretical arguments involving political networks, and present some current empirical estimates for the magnitude of the effects of political networks. With the rise of social media and new technology, ordinary citizens socialize online with old friends from elementary school, siblings across the country, and local neighbors. While these relationships have long been part of the social fabric of ordinary life, the ability to observe these exchanges directly and on a daily basis is new, for both researchers and citizens. Records of our social interactions have the potential to transform our academic understanding of the relationship between communication among family, friends, and coworkers and how we become informed about politics and act politically. Whether the relationship occurs on or offline, the social element of the relationship can be incredibly vital in understanding the way individuals react and interact with their political environments. Processing and understanding these interactions, however, can be difficult without knowing where to look for new information, what patterns to look for, and how to interpret data in the context of other findings on the effects of social and political networks. We conclude by considering the new and exciting directions this research may take in the future. Keywords: social networks; new media; experiments; social media; political information; Facebook; Twitter
Aerobic heterotrophic bacterial populations of sewage and activated sludge. V. Analysis of population structure and activity.

Abstract Two procedures, the confidence interval method and Mountford's index, were tested in analyses of the microbial populations of 11 laboratory activated sludges acclimated to aromatic compounds. The two methods gave somewhat different results but indicated that the populations were quite dissimilar. The activity of seven of the sludges correlated well with the population structure. Some considerations in analysis of microbial population structure are discussed.
Evaluation of convergent and discriminant validity with multitrait–multimethod correlations

A procedure for evaluation of convergent and discriminant validity coefficients is outlined. The method yields interval estimates of these coefficients in a construct validation study conducted via the multitrait-multimethod approach, as well as permitting examination of their population relationships. The procedure is readily employed in behavioural research using the increasingly popular latent variable modelling methodology. The method is illustrated with a numerical example.
Metal/GaP(110) interface formation: Ti, Pd, Ag, and Au adatom deposition

The evolution on interfaces formed at 300 K by the deposition of atoms of Ti, Pd, Ag, and Au on cleaved GaP(110) has been studied using synchrotron-radiation photoemission. For Ti, Pd, and Au, metal deposition induces immediate disruption of the substrate and atomic intermixing. In contrast, Ag deposition at 300 K onto GaP(110) leads to cluster formation, and there is no observable surface disruption. Comparison of these results for atom condensation on GaP(110) to those for GaAs(110) and InP(110) indicates that the Ga and P redistribution and the formation of reaction products is indistinguishable, regardless of the particular semiconductor substrate.
Convection from a periodically stretching plane wall

This paper documents the convection heat transfer enhancement effect that is associated with the periodic (timewise and spatial) longitudinal stretching of an infinite-plane wall bathed by a semi-infinite fluid reservoir. It is shown that the flow field reaches a truly periodic state, and that the temperature field does not. The time-dependent heat transfer rate is greater than the classical pure-diffusion limit only when the Reynolds number based on wall speed and wavelength is greater than 1. The enhancement effect becomes pronounced as Re increases above 10. The enhancement effect increases also as the Prandtl number increases, provided Re is greater than 1. The same conclusions apply in the case of convective mass transfer, when a concentration difference is maintained between the flexible wall and the ambient fluid.
E‐box protein E2‐2 is a crucial regulator of plasmacytoid DC development

DC play central roles in priming both innate and adaptive immune responses. Multiple DC subsets have been identified on the basis of their phenotype and function. Plasmacytoid DC (pDC) are professional IFN-producing cells that play an essential role in anti-viral immunity. A series of recent studies demonstrates that the regulation of pDC development is different from other types of DC. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, new insight is provided into how human pDC development is regulated by various transcription factors, in particular by the Ets family protein Spi-B and E-box protein E2-2.
The Energy Sensor AMP-activated Protein Kinase Directly Regulates the Mammalian FOXO3 Transcription Factor

The maintenance of homeostasis throughout an organism's life span requires constant adaptation to changes in energy levels. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a critical role in the cellular responses to low energy levels by switching off energy-consuming pathways and switching on energy-producing pathways. However, the transcriptional mechanisms by which AMPK acts to adjust cellular energy levels are not entirely characterized. Here, we find that AMPK directly regulates mammalian FOXO3, a member of the FOXO family of Forkhead transcription factors known to promote resistance to oxidative stress, tumor suppression, and longevity. We show that AMPK phosphorylates human FOXO3 at six previously unidentified regulatory sites. Phosphorylation by AMPK leads to the activation of FOXO3 transcriptional activity without affecting FOXO3 subcellular localization. Using a genome-wide microarray analysis, we identify a set of target genes that are regulated by FOXO3 when phosphorylated at these six regulatory sites in mammalian cells. The regulation of FOXO3 by AMPK may play a crucial role in fine tuning gene expression programs that control energy balance and stress resistance in cells throughout life.
Sequence selectivity and degeneracy of a restriction endonuclease mediated by DNA intercalation.

The crystal structure of the HincII restriction endonuclease–DNA complex shows that degenerate specificity for blunt-ended cleavage at GTPyPuAC sequences arises from indirect readout of conformational preferences at the center pyrimidine-purine step. Protein-induced distortion of the DNA is accomplished by intercalation of glutamine side chains into the major groove on either side of the recognition site, generating bending by either tilt or roll at three distinct loci. The intercalated side chains propagate a concerted shift of all six target-site base pairs toward the minor groove, producing an unusual cross-strand purine stacking at the center pyrimidine–purine step. Comparison of the HincII and EcoRV cocrystal structures suggests that sequence-dependent differences in base–stacking free energies are a crucial underlying factor mediating protein recognition by indirect readout.