cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BILATERAL DISMEMBERED LAPAROSCOPIC PEDIATRIC PYELOPLASTY VIA A TRANSPERITONEAL 4-PORT APPROACH

ABSTRACTPurpose: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty is gaining acceptance for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction in the pediatric population, with success rates approaching those of traditional open pyeloplasty. We report our technique with a transperitoneal 4-port approach and positioning method, allowing bilateral laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty with 1 uninterrupted sterile field.Materials and Methods: Two children were diagnosed with bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Following cystoscopic ureteral stent placement operative positioning was achieved with intravenous pressure infuser bags placed under each side of the patient and rotation of the table to a lateral decubitus position. Four-port transperitoneal access was used to perform bilateral dismembered pyeloplasty with interrupted 6-zero polyglactin sutures.Results: Both patients had bilateral crossing vessels to the lower pole of the kidneys. Total operative time was 268 minutes and 284 minutes for the 8-year-old and the 14-y...
Activity of chlorine dioxide in a solution of ions and pH against Thielaviopsis basicola and Fusarium oxysporum

Copes, W. E., Chastaganer, G. A., and Hummel, R. L. 2004. Activity of chlorine dioxide in a solution of ions and pH against Thielaviopsis basicola and Fusarium oxysporum. Plant Dis. 88:188-194. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a disinfestant used to control pathogens in water. To determine if interactions between inorganic ions and pH levels effect ClO2 activity in vitro, concentrations of ClO2 (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 22, 24, 46, 58, and 70 mg/liter) were mixed for 10 min in solutions containing a nitrogen and hard water solution with equal concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and synthetic hard water (0 and 100 mg/liter) and a divalent metal ion solution with equal concentrations of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc (0, 1, 3, and 5 mg/liter) at pH 5 and 8. Macro- and microconidia of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. narcissi or conidia and aleuriospores of Thielaviopsis basicola were injected into each suspension for 30 s, captured on filter paper disks that were flushed with water, and plated on 50% potato dextrose agar. Spore germination was quantified after 1 day. ClO2 activity had a similar effect on both fungal species and all types of propagules with interactions among the divalent metal ion solution, nitrogen and hard water solution, and pH treatments. A higher concentration of ClO2 was required at pH 8 than at pH 5 to achieve a lethal dose resulting in 50% mortality of spores (LD50). The addition of the divalent metal ion solution required an increase in ClO2 concentration to maintain a LD50. When combined with the nitrogen and hard water solution, the divalent metal ion solution placed a higher demand on ClO2 at pH 5 and a lower demand on ClO2 at pH 8, thus requiring an increase and decrease in a ClO2 concentration, respectively, to achieve a LD50. Chlorine dioxide doses resulting in 50% mortality ranged from 0.5 to 7.0 mg/liter for conidia of F. oxysporum, 0.5 to 11.9 mg/liter for conidia of T. basicola, and 15.0 to 45.5 mg/liter for aleuriospores of T. basicola.
A BBN approach to certifying the reliability of COTS software systems

Best practices indicate that totally independent certification is the only safe approach to take when certifying a system assembled from COTS software components. We explore one method of certifying the reliability of COTS software systems in this paper. Certifying the reliability of a COTS software system can be problematic, given that we may have incomplete knowledge of a component and its ability to interact in a reliable manner with other components; many times, all we have to evaluate is the behavior of the components as described by their vendor(s) and evidence gathered during testing. We offer a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) that will help us resolve what we believe to be one of the major areas of uncertainty in certifying the reliability of a COTS software system and develop a reasoned level of belief in the reliability of the system in this work. Uncertainty is inherent and inevitable in software development processes and products. Active research is being performed in COTS software risk management, and several achievements have been published. However, uncertainties in COTS software remain largely unexplored, and this problem has caught researchers' attention since no one can use a system without the certain certified reliability. Our overall goal is to develop a systematic framework to interpret the sources of uncertainties inherent in COTS software using BBNs. A set of BBNs is designed to represent different types of uncertainty in the COTS software certification process. We use the object oriented BBN methodology to frame all the BBNs related to the set of uncertainties. The BBN will provide a quantitative measure of the system's reliability.
Development and Validation of the Physician—Patient Humor Rating Scale:

The purpose of this study was the development of a rating instrument to assess the use of humor in physician- patient interactions, and to compare humor use as a function of patients' socioeconomic status. The 46-item Physician-Patient Humor Rating Scale (PPHRS) was used to rate 246 audiotaped primary care interactions. Four subscales were reliable and valid, demonstrating correlations with patient satisfaction and reports of physician humor, with physician satisfaction and with separate affective communication ratings. There was a significant difference in use of humor as a function of patient socioeconomic status, such that there was greater mutual trust between physicians and high versus low income patients.
Computer Simulation of the Periodic Electrostatic Focusing Converter

A computer study was made of the various physical processes that take place in the periodic electrostatic focusing, direct energy converter. Computer simulation techniques are described and the results are presented. The effect that space charge, secondary electrons, beam size, charge exchange, and ionization have on conversion efficiency is examined. The results are applied to the design of a reactor. Finally, future plans for studies of direct converters are discussed.
Virtual id routing: a scalable routing framework with support for mobility and routing efficiency

Current flat-id based routing schemes promise support for mobility and scalability. However, providing efficient routing with minimal overheads for mobility is still a challenge. In this paper we provide a solution to these problems by introducing Virtual Id Routing (VIR). VIR meets these basic requirements of future id-based routing schemes: namely, i) scalability - by using distributed hash table based routing framework; ii) mobility support - by separating the node-identifier from the network location; and iii) routing efficiency - by exploiting network topology information, which is done by introducing a dynamic, self-organizing virtual id (vid) space layer in between the node id space (uid) and the network topology. Preliminary evaluation of the protocol shows promising results, specifically routing stretch for VIR is very close to 1, and the overheads due to mobility are also much smaller than existing schemes such as VRR.
Exploratory Studies on Silicon-Based Oxide Fuel Cell Power Sources Incorporating Ultrathin Nanostructured Platinum and Cerium Oxide Films as Anode Components

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Experimental Results and discussion Conclusions
Dialectics of Mourning

AbstractIn this paper, I look at three different perspectives on mourning in recent European thought. First, I consider Freud's discussion in “Mourning and Melancholia” and other writings. Next, I look at Roland Barthes, whose book on photography, Camera Lucida, is itself a work of mourning for his late mother; and Jacques Derrida, who in Memoires for Paul de Man and The Work of Mourning memorializes departed friends and describes the ambiguities of mourning that constrain us. I argue that Freud was mistaken: mourning is not structured in terms of investment and loss. Barthes and Derrida clarify the complexities of mourning, but mourning is intractable and resists all sublimation: It is for the self, but it is also for the departed, who is neither “present” nor “absent” in the ordinary sense of these terms. Hanging on and letting go are both inappropriate responses to bereavement – how then should we mourn?
Monumentality and Ritual Materialization in the Society Islands: The Archaeology of a Major Ceremonial Complex in the ‘Opunohu Valley, Mo‘orea

Monumentality and Ritual Materialization in the Society Islands: The Archaeology of a Major Ceremonial Complex in the ‘Opunohu Valley, Mo‘orea. By Jennifer G. Kahn and Patrick Vinton Kirch. Bishop ...
Evaluating Nicotine Craving, Withdrawal, and Substance Use as Mediators of Smoking Cessation in Cocaine- and Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients.

INTRODUCTION Smoking is highly prevalent in substance dependence, but smoking-cessation treatment (SCT) is more challenging in this population. To increase the success of smoking cessation services, it is important to understand potential therapeutic targets like nicotine craving that have meaningful but highly variable relationships with smoking outcomes. This study characterized the presence, magnitude, and specificity of nicotine craving as a mediator of the relationship between SCT and smoking abstinence in the context of stimulant-dependence treatment. METHODS This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized, 10-week trial conducted at 12 outpatient SUD treatment programs. Adults with cocaine and/or methamphetamine dependence (N = 538) were randomized to SUD treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU+SCT. Participants reported nicotine craving, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and substance use in the week following a uniform quit attempt of the TAU+SCT group, and self-reported smoking 7-day point prevalence abstinence (verified by carbon monoxide) at end-of-treatment. RESULTS Bootstrapped regression models indicated that, as expected, nicotine craving following a quit attempt mediated the relationship between SCT and end-of-treatment smoking point prevalence abstinence (mediation effect = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.04% to 0.14%, P .05, <1% of total effect). This pattern held for separate examinations of cocaine and methamphetamine dependence. CONCLUSIONS Nicotine craving accounts for a small but meaningful portion of the relationship between smoking-cessation treatment and smoking abstinence during SUD treatment. Nicotine craving following a quit attempt may be a useful therapeutic target for increasing the effectiveness of smoking-cessation treatment in substance dependence.
Prolongation and potentiation of anabolic and androgenic effects of steroids; testosterone and methyl-androstenediol.

Summary1. Testosterone cyclopentylpropionate shows the greatest anabolic and androgenic efficacy of the agents studied. Its increased efficacy cannot be explained on the basis of delayed absorption, suggesting a delayed inactivation of this ester. 2. Aluminum phosphate delays the onset and decline of the anabolic and androgenic actions of testosterone in aqueous suspensions, but produces no such effect upon the actions of methylandrostenediol.
Analysis on genetic characteristics of hemagglutinin 1 (HA1) gene of influenza H1N1 surveyed from 2008 to 2009 in Dongguan

Objective:To understand the genetic features and changes of HA1 gene of Influenza H1N1 surveyed from 2008 to 2009 in Dongguan.Methods: To obtain the nucleotide sequence of HA1 gene by RT-PCR and gene sequencing technology.The features and changes of HA1 sequences were analyzed through bioinformatics software.Results: There were 16 animo acid mutation sites between 2008 and 2009.6 sites located in antigenic determinant,2 in Ca area and 4 in Sb area.There were 4 mutation sites in receptor binding sites,1 in 130 loop,3 in 190 helix.The potential glycosylation sites and disulfide bond were relatively stable,no changes were found in 2008-2009.Conclusion: The rate of amino acid substitution of HA1 gene of Influenza H1N1 surveyed from 2008 to 2009 was relatively high,which reached 4.88%(16/328).
Nitric oxide accounts for histamine-induced increases in macromolecular extravasation

The goal of this study was to determine the role of nitric oxide in histamine-induced increases in macromolecular extravasation in the hamster cheek pouch in vivo. We used intravital fluorescent microscopy and fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-dextran; mol wt = 70,000 K) to examine extravasation from postcapillary venules in response to histamine before and after application of an enzymatic inhibitor of nitric oxide, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 1.0 microM). Increases in extravasation of macromolecules were quantitated counting the number of venular leaky sites. Histamine (1.0 and 5.0 microM) increased the number of venular leaky sites from zero (basal conditions) to 11 +/- 1 and 21 +/- 2/0.11 cm2, respectively. Superfusion of L-NMMA (1.0 microM) and LY-83583 (1.0 microM) significantly decreased histamine-induced formation of venular leaky sites, whereas L-arginine (100 microM) potentiated histamine-induced formation of venular leaky sites. In contrast, superfusion of NG-monomethyl-D-arginine (1.0 microM) did not inhibit the formation of venular leaky sites in response to histamine. Thus the findings of the present study suggest that production of nitric oxide, and subsequent activation of guanylate cyclase, plays an important role in macromolecular efflux in vivo in response to histamine.
Genetic and genomic competency in medical practice.

To stay abreast of advances in genetics and genomics, health care professionals should attain competencies in this area, learn to use point-of-care decision-support tools related to genetic testing and diagnoses, and counteract the spread of misconceptions about the certainty, sensitivity, and cost of genetic test results.
Ethical aspects of guardianship

One important device that has evolved within the legal system for dealing with the problem of cognitively incapacitated individuals and the concomitant need for some form of surrogate decision making on their behalf is guardianship. This article outlines the most salient ethical challenges related to guardianship for clinicians who interact professionally with older persons of diminished capacity and their families. Special attention is devoted to the clinician's role in initiating guardianships, questioning the guardian, in the guardianship proceeding, and evaluating the therapeutic impact of guardianship.
Timing of mesenchymal stem cell delivery impacts the fate and therapeutic potential in intervertebral disc repair.

Cell-based therapies offer a promising approach to treat intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. The impact of the injury microenvironment on treatment efficacy has not been established. This study used a rat disc stab injury model with administration of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) at 3, 14, or 30 days post injury (DPI) to evaluate the impact of interventional timing on IVD biochemistry and biomechanics. We also evaluated cellular localization within the disc with near infrared imaging to track the time and spatial profile of cellular migration after in vivo delivery. Results showed that upon injection into a healthy disc, MSCs began to gradually migrate outwards over the course of 14 days, as indicated by decreased signal intensity from the disc space and increased signal within the adjacent vertebrae. Cells administered 14 or 30 DPI also tended to migrate out 14 days after injection but cells injected 3 DPI were retained at a significantly higher amount versus the other groups (p < 0.05). Correspondingly the 3 DPI group, but not 14 or 30 DPI groups, had a higher GAG content in the MSC injected discs (p = 0.06). Enrichment of MSCs and increased GAG content in 3 DPI group did not lead to increased compressive biomechanical properties. Findings suggest that cell therapies administered at an early stage of injury/disease progression may have greater chances of mitigating matrix loss, possibly through promotion of MSC activity by the inflammatory microenvironment associated with injury. Future studies will evaluate the mode and driving factors that regulate cellular migration out of the disc. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:32-40, 2017.
Addams, Jane (1860–1935)

Jane Addams (6 September 1860–21 May 1935) was a world-renowned social activist, public intellectual, political leader, author, and lecturer, and the first American woman (and second woman) to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also a brilliant social thinker, at home in the humanities field of philosophy, and the social science fields of social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. As the founder and leader of the first settlement house in the United States, Hull House in Chicago, she is considered to be a founder of the field of social work.
The Significance and Certification of Shelf Registrations

Capital acquisition has received increased attention as publicly-traded firms endured and are now slowly emerging from the financial crisis. Along those lines, we examine ten years of shelf offerings, from 1996 to 2005, as they offer a unique manner with which firms can enhance their capital positions while hedging short and intermediate-term movements in the equity markets. We find some firms rely on the efficiencies and flexibility afforded by shelf registrations (Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 415). We also document the increased utilization of the shelf procedure, which gained significant momentum over the period of this study. This pattern continued despite the lack of underwriter certification that attaches to traditional registered equity issues. Firms were likely attracted to the lower costs of shelf offerings and to the ability to issue securities as more favorable market environments developed during the two-year shelf “window” allowed during the period studied
“No Beggars amongst Them”: Primitive Accumulation, Settler Colonialism, and the Dispossession of Narragansett Indian Land

This article explores historical processes of land dispossession through an in-depth case of the Narragansett Indians of present-day Rhode Island. Using an eventful historical methodology, I uncove...
Clinical Use of Self-Compassion Within Mindfulness-Based Biofeedback in the Treatment of Veterans and Spouses: A Case Study

Treatment of veterans necessitates the understanding of the cultural framework within which they operate. A clinical approach that is centered on teaching self-regulation while modeling self-compassion can assist veterans to assimilate into the civilian world. Compassion, recently emerging as a critical variable in the therapeutic benefit of mindfulness-based techniques, can be combined with biofeedback in order to maximize the advantageous psychological and physical changes that are seen with both. This article will present treatment considerations in a case in which compassion-based strategies within mindfulness-based biofeedback treatment were used with a veteran and his spouse.
Insights Into the Causes of Arc Rifting From 2-D Dynamic Models of Subduction

Back-arc spreading centers initiate as fore-arc or arc rifting events when extensional forces localize within lithosphere weakened by hydrous fluids or melting. Two models have been proposed for triggering fore-arc/arc rifting: rollback of the subducting plate causing trench retreat or motion of the overriding plate away from the subduction zone. This paper demonstrates that there is a third mechanism caused by an in situ instability that occurs when the thin high-viscosity boundary, which separates the weak fore arc from the hot buoyant mantle wedge, is removed. Buoyant upwelling mantle causes arc rifting, drives the overriding plate away from the subducting plate, and there is sufficient heating of the subducting plate crust and overriding plate lithosphere to form adakite or boninite volcanism. For spontaneous fore-arc/arc rifting to occur a broad region of weak material must be present and one of the plates must be free to respond to the upwelling forces.
What is the optimal exercise program for helping overweight youth to reduce body fat and enhance physical activity adherence

Overweight youth typically have been encouraged to participate in aerobic activities; however, overweight and obese adolescents tend to avoid aerobic exercise due, in part, to the ridicule they rec...
Rationality and Feminist Thought

Traditional theories of rationality have been closely tied historically to representations of gender in science, myth, religion, art, and literature. Masculinity was assumed to refer to mind, spirit, abstract thinking, activity, and culture, while women were said to represent body, emotions, passivity, and enslavement to nature. Evidence from anthropology, sociology, and psychology suggests that this gender-based theory of mind is based on cultural practices that subordinate and devaluate women and withhold power from them. As social structures are changing, women's intellectual development shows fewer actual differences from that of men. Even so, women often appear to develop a sense of inferiority and shame about their intellectual achievements. These links to gender highlight the need to transform the very concept of what constitutes rationality, a transformation that is sweeping contemporary intellectual life.
Quantitative MRI Techniques in Regional Myocardial Function

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) not only depicts anatomical details, but can be sensitized to the movement and deformation of soft tissues such as the muscle of the heart and can provide measurements of tissue motion at high resolution. A particularly useful class of methods for assessing the contractile function of the myocardial wall is displacement imaging. Magnetic resonance (MR) displacement imaging measures the change of position of tissue elements over a period of time starting from a reference time-point. In concept, it is similar to tracking the three-dimensional (3D) movement of implanted radio-opaque markers in cine fluoroscopy, but instead of using extraneous markers, controlled modulations of various aspects of tissue proton magnetization are utilized as noninvasive markers. Advances in phase modulation techniques allow all pixels of an image to be tracked simultaneously and therefore give high-density measurements of tissue motion.
An Almost Sure Convergence Theorem For Sequences of Random Variables Selected From Log-Convex Sets

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the concept of log-convex sets of random variables. It presents an assumption where if F is a nonempty set of random variables that are defined on the same probability space, then each random variable in F would become finite expectation. A set F can arise naturally, for example, in the context of a type of constrained extremum problem of information theory. However, in such a context it is uncertain whether F satisfies the property that there exists a unique random variable. The chapter presents a theorem where F is a nonempty set of random variables defined on the same probability space, each of which has finite expectation. If F is log-convex and that B(F) > -∞. Then, up to almost sure equivalence, there is a unique Y* in the L1 closure of F such that EY* = B(F).
Why Do Firms Exist

The basic economic problem is how to allocate resources in a system where information about preferences, endowments and production possibilities is dispersed among the many (Hayek 1945; Hurwicz 1973). In some areas of economic activity resource allocation happens through the “invisible hand” of markets, while in other areas one sees the visible hands of managers. What accounts for the difference in economic organization? In a system with dispersed information, the problem of efficient allocation of resources is essentially a problem of communication. And communication involves noise. Firms take less time than markets to communicate information, but markets are more robust to noise. In so far as the degree of noise and value of speed vary across economic activities, so will the optimal form of economic organization.
Model of nonassociative learning in vagal-pontine modulation of the respiratory rhythm.

Recent studies1-5 have revealed several time-adaptive components in the classic Hering-Breuer inflation reflex (HBIR)6,7 modulation of the respiratory rhythm elicited by lung inflation or electrical vagal stimulation. The primary adaptive component features a slow exponential decay that evidences a gradual habituation of HBIR, possibly due to time-dependent adaptations in the primary central pathway for neurotransmission of vagal-volume feedback (VVF) to the respiratory central pattern generator (RCPG). A secondary adaptive component is characterized by an abrupt post-stimulus rebound and exponential recovery of the respiratory rhythm following the cessation of the vagal input, an effect that has been linked to NMDA receptor-dependent desensitization of neurotransmission in a secondary vagally-modulated pathway via the pontine pneumotaxic region.3,4 The combined habituation-desensitization of HBIR via the primary and secondary central pathways conform with the classic dual-process model of nonassociative learning 4,8 These observations provide the first indication that nonassociative learning may play a role in the vagal control of the respiratory rhythm.
A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Management of Severe Hyponatremia in Patients Requiring Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

Introduction Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disorder in critically ill patients. Rapid correction of chronic hyponatremia may lead to osmotic demyelination syndrome. Management of severe hyponatremia in patients with acute or chronic kidney disease who require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is limited by the lack of commercially available hypotonic dialysate or replacement fluid solutions. Methods This was a single-center quality improvement project that consisted of the development and implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol for gradual correction of severe hyponatremia in patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and required CRRT. The protocol utilized a simplified method based on single-pool urea kinetic modeling and a hybrid technique of volume exchange, and addition of sterile water for sodium dilution of commercially available dialysate and replacement fluid solutions. Results We report data of the first 3 ICU patients who required CRRT for acute kidney injury management, had severe hyponatremia (serum sodium Conclusion We demonstrated gradual and individualized rates of severe hyponatremia correction utilizing customized (sodium dilution) dialysate/replacement fluid solutions in ICU patients who required CRRT. It is not known whether the use of customized solutions to prevent hyponatremia overcorrection has a significant impact on patient outcomes. Further research in this susceptible population is needed.
Standardizing and optimizing institutional-level documentation in the electronic medical record era.

155Background: Although electronic medical records (EMR) offer numerous potential benefits, there are significant challenges to balance high quality patient care and clinical efficiency with the ri...
Gate drivers for wide bandgap power devices

Abstract Wideband gap power devices (SiC) are becoming popular in the power electronics sector because their high switching performance and high temperature sustaining capabilities. Increase in switching frequency causes reduction in the size of energy storage components (inductors and capacitors) and the high temperature sustaining capacity reduces heat sink requirements for power electronic circuitry. Implementation of SiC devices on converter level requires properly designed gate drivers for switching operation. Apart from switching operation, gate drivers are also required for protection of device from short circuit and overvoltage operation. Design of gate driver for medium voltage Silicon carbide (SiC) devices have different specification from Silicon (Si) based devices. The gate drivers should be able to operate at higher switching frequency with adequate insulation between the low voltage and high voltage components. This makes the relevance of research and analysis of the gate driver design for the medium voltage level SiC devices. This chapter addresses the design issues and challenges required for designing the gate drivers at 1200V to 10kV level. The appropriate test results and detailed description have been given into the chapter regarding gate driver design.
Building parallel programming language constructs in the AbleC extensible C compiler framework: a PPoPP tutorial

In this tutorial participants learn how to build their own parallel programming language features by developing them as language extensions in the ableC [4] extensible C compiler framework. By implementing new parallel programming abstractions as language extensions one can build on an existing host language and thus avoid re-implementing common language features such as the type checking and code generation of arithmetic expressions and control flow statements. Using ableC, one can build expressive language features that fit seamlessly into the C11 host language.
A Study of Metacognitive Problem Solving in Undergraduate Engineering Students

One of the key challenges in engineering education is the problem of teaching future engineers’ professional skills. Engineering students need to know what they do and do not know. This is termed metacognition. There is still quite a bit that we do not know about how metacognition develops in classroom settings. In this study, we discuss an exploration of these issues using both physical and virtual reality (VR) simulations of manufacturing systems; which are performed by student teams. We discuss the incorporation of measures of metacognition into a model of conflict and error to predict what types of experiences may be most helpful to produce improved metacognition in engineering students.
CCR5 Signaling Promotes Murine and Human Hematopoietic Regeneration following Ionizing Radiation

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) depend on regulatory cytokines from the marrow microenvironment. From an unbiased cytokine screen of murine marrow supernatants, we identified C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) as an endothelial cell-secreted hematopoietic growth factor. Following treatment with CCL5, hematopoietic regeneration is accelerated and survival is prolonged after radiation. In mice with deletion of Ccr5, hematopoietic regeneration is delayed compared to control mice. Deletion of Ccr5 specifically in hematopoietic cells was sufficient to delay regeneration, while the deletion of Ccr5 in stromal/endothelial cells was not. Mechanistically, CCL5 promotes hematopoietic cell cycling and cell survival. Like murine hematopoietic cells, human hematopoietic cells (cord blood, healthy marrow, and peripheral blood) increase CCR5 expression after radiation exposure to promote cell survival. These data establish that CCL5 and CCR5 signaling play critical roles in hematopoietic regeneration and could serve as therapeutic targets to shorten the duration of myelosuppression.
Pediatric Robot-Assisted Heminephrectomy in Horseshoe Kidney

Abstract Introduction: The robotic surgical platform allows for more complex minimally invasive procedures to be performed. There are prior reports of laparoscopic treatment for nonfunctioning moie...
Engineering transferrable microvascular meshes for subcutaneous islet transplantation

The success of engineered cell or tissue implants is dependent on vascular regeneration to meet adequate metabolic requirements. However, development of a broadly applicable strategy for stable and functional vascularization has remained challenging. We report here highly organized and resilient microvascular meshes fabricated through a controllable anchored self-assembly method. The microvascular meshes are scalable to centimeters, almost free of defects and transferrable to diverse substrates, ready for transplantation. They promote formation of functional blood vessels, with a density as high as ~220 vessels mm-2, in the poorly vascularized subcutaneous space of SCID-Beige mice. We further demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating microvascular meshes from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells, opening a way to engineer patient-specific microvasculature. As a proof-of-concept for type 1 diabetes treatment, we combine microvascular meshes and subcutaneously transplanted rat islets and achieve correction of chemically induced diabetes in SCID-Beige mice for 3 months.
A randomized controlled trial examining an exam room poster to prompt communication about weight.

Background Recognition of childhood weight status is important to the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours. Objectives We assessed whether an exam room educational poster addressing weight and healthy lifestyle behaviours was acceptable to parents, prompted parent-provider communication or improved parental weight perception accuracy. Methods In this multi-site randomized controlled trial, exam rooms were randomized to display the posters (English and Spanish) or not. Children ages 3 to 8 years (N = 965) attending well visits were weighed and roomed per usual clinic protocol. After the visit, parents completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, child weight status perceptions and whether they discussed weight status with provider or were shown growth charts. We used separate logistic regression analyses to examine associations between intervention status and: asking provider about child weight, being shown growth charts, and accuracy of weight perception, adjusting for covariates and clustering by exam room. Results Of the parents who saw the poster, 97% liked seeing it and reported greater understanding of weight status visualization (96%) and healthy lifestyle behaviours (94%). Parents who saw the poster were more likely to report being shown a growth chart (OR 1.87, 95% 1.06, 3.30) but were not more likely to ask about their child's weight status nor accurately report their child's weight status. Conclusions An educational exam room poster about healthy weight was well-received by parents and prompted providers to show the child's growth chart but did not prompt parent-initiated conversations about weight status nor improve parental weight perception accuracy.
PREDICTORS OF INCREASED MORTALITY RISK IN PATIENTS WITH NEGATIVE STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

A negative result on stress echocardiography (SE) is associated with low risk (<1% per year) of adverse events and carries a favorable prognosis. We sought to identify predictors of increased mortality risk in a group of patients with negative SE (NSE). We reviewed a total of 4130 SEs performed
Using Technology to Enhance Antimicrobial Stewardship Impact in the Acute Care Setting

There are numerous opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) to utilize technology to maximize their impact on patient care. Herein we describe different technology platforms, strengths and limitations of each, and provide some examples of their use in clinical settings. Electronic medical record (EMR) upgrades and clinical decision support tools can enhance existing stewardship functions such as audit and feedback, de-escalation, “time-outs” among others. Antimicrobial utilization and resistance data reporting enables a deeper understanding of local trends in the context of benchmarked national data. User-friendly smartphone apps are prescriber-oriented platforms which house stewardship guidelines, antibiograms, and other information which can potentially reach thousands of prescribers. Finally, harnessing social media platforms can increase the visibility of stewardship and infection prevention research. There are multiple options for consuming stewardship technology, from free social media and online resources to costly EMR upgrades and clinical decision support tools. There are multiple benefits to incorporating technology into daily stewardship operations, but costs, design, and implementation challenges must be considered. Stewardship programs should evaluate the strengths and limitations of each type of technology to understand which will best suit their needs and goals.
Are Deep Neural Networks "Robust"?

Separating outliers from inliers is the definition of robustness in computer vision. This essay delineates how deep neural networks are different than typical robust estimators. Deep neural networks not robust by this traditional definition.
Direct writing of textured ceramics using anisotropic nozzles

Abstract Direct writing is a unique means to align anisotropic particles for the fabrication of textured ceramics by templated grain growth (TGG). We show that alignment of tabular barium titanate (BT) template particles (20–40 μm width and 0.5–2 μm thickness) in a PIN-PMN-PT matrix powder (d50 = 280 nm) is significantly improved during direct writing using anisotropic nozzles at high printing rates. The particle orientation distribution in as-printed filaments, and the texture orientation distribution in sintered ceramic filaments are shown to directly correlate with COMSOL Multiphysics-predicted torque distributions for direct writing with aspect ratio 2, 3 and 5 oval nozzles. Electromechanical strain properties of the textured piezoelectric ceramics significantly improved relative to random ceramics when printed with anisotropic nozzles. Simulations of aspect ratio 20 nozzles and nozzles with interior baffles demonstrate significantly increased torque and near elimination of constant shear stress cores (i.e. plug flow).
Python Native Data Structures

This chapter introduces lists and dictionaries to represent one-dimensional data, and all four possible nestings of these data structures to represent two-dimensional data. We discuss the pros and cons of each representation, and common patterns for creating them, filtering and mutating them, and extracting data from them. This discussion includes list comprehensions, accumulation, lambda functions, and mapping functions onto lists and dictionaries.
Testing the Boundaries of Upper Echelon Theory: Evidence of Top Executive Teams’ Influence on Financial Reporting Risk

Upper echelon theory posits that defining, executing, and overseeing an organization’s strategy is a shared activity among top executive teams. Prior research has applied this theory to improve our understanding of firm performance and strategy. In this study, we explore the boundaries of upper echelon theory by examining its application to managements’ financial reporting oversight function. Specifically, we examine whether greater turnover among the members of a firms’ top executive group other than those with direct financial reporting oversight responsibilities (i.e., the CEO and CFO) influences key stakeholders’ concerns about financial reporting risk or whether consistency in the CEO and CFO positions is sufficient to alleviate any such concerns. Consistent with upper echelon theory, we find that turnover among top executives other than the CEO and CFO is positively associated with increased perceptions of financial reporting risk among auditors and audit committees. Building upon labor economics literature, we then explore whether local market characteristics that should affect firms’ ability to replace top executive talent moderates this effect. We find that the positive association between executive team turnover and perceptions of financial reporting risk is greater for companies headquartered in areas with more limited local labor pools and companies that are market leaders in their local areas or industries. Further analyses suggest that the perceptions of financial reporting risk in response to executive team turnover offsets deterioration in financial reporting quality.
First report of dasheen mosaic virus infecting taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Louisiana.

Taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott], also called dasheen or malanga is an important staple crop in many tropical and subtropical countries (Chair et al. 2016). In October 2020, taro plants showing foliar symptoms consisting of mosaic, feathery mottle, and vein clearing patterns were observed in the Hilltop Arboretum, the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Botanic Gardens, and the University Lake, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Unidentified aphids were also observed infesting the plants showing the described symptoms. From each location, two foliar samples from symptomatic and two from asymptomatic plants were collected and tested by ELISA using antiserum for general potyvirus group (Agdia, Elkhart, IN). Seven of eight symptomatic samples tested positive while the asymptomatic samples were negative. The seven positive samples were used to perform an additional ELISA test using antiserum specific for dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV) (Agdia). All seven samples tested positive for DsMV. To confirm the identity of the virus, total RNA was extracted from the seven samples using the PureLink® Plant RNA Reagent Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). After DNA digestion with PerfeCta® DNase I (Qiagen, Beverly, MA), the RNA was used to perform reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primer set DMV 5708-5731-F/DMV 6131-6154-R which is specific for DsMV (Wang et al. 2017). RT-PCR was performed using the AccessQuickTM RT-PCR System (Promega, Madison, WI) following the reaction conditions described by Wang et al. PCR products of the expected size (~447 bp) were obtained with all seven samples and were Sanger-sequenced. A consensus sequence (MW284936) was obtained with the two sequences from samples collected at the University Lake and aligned with other sequences available in the GenBank using BLASTn. Our isolate of DsMV showed 90.6% nt identity to an isolate of DsMV from Ethiopia (MG602229). Mechanical inoculations to healthy taro plants were conducted using leaf tissue of symptomatic plants as source of inoculum. Inoculated plants exhibited mosaic symptoms three weeks after inoculation and were ELISA-positive for DsMV. Symptomatology, serological tests, RT-PCR testing, and DNA sequencing of RT-PCR products support that the symptomatic taro plants were infected with DsMV. Taro is a crop in Hawaii, but in the contiguous United States, it is mostly grown as an ornamental and is considered an invasive species. Its distribution is restricted to the southern continental states and Hawaii (Cozad et al. 2018). CABI, EPPO (1998) lists the presence of DsMV in several states of the United States, including Louisiana; however, there is no record in the literature of the identification of this virus in Louisiana. The potential impact of DsMV in taro and related ornamental species in southern United States is unknown. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report documenting DsMV infecting taro in Louisiana.
Practices for High Frequency Chest Compression in Children

Background: High frequency chest compression (HFCC) is an airway clearance method used for treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). It is frequently utilized in other diagnoses such as non-CF bronchiectasis, neuromuscular disease, severe neurological impairment, or other conditions with increased airway secretions. Consensus for HFCC session duration and device settings is available for CF but not other diagnoses. The aim of this study is to describe the use of HFCC in children’s hospitals. Methods: Acute care children’s hospitals in the US who were members of the Children’s Hospital Association at the time of the study were invited to participate in a survey about HFCC practices used at their institution. Respiratory department directors, managers or supervisors were contacted by email to complete an electronic questionnaire. Responses were collected in the Research Electronic Data Capture database. Survey domains included diagnoses in which HFCC is used, session duration, device settings, frequency of therapy, and concomitant inhaled medication use. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze collected data. Results: Of the 198 invitations sent, 16% (31/198) were returned for unknown address, resulting in 167 invited institutions. The response rate was 19% (31/167). The regional location of participating institutions was Midwest (14), South (10), West (4) and Northeast (3). Three institutions (10%, 3/31) stated HFCC is not used and did not proceed to the survey. The majority of institutions that completed the survey were free-standing hospitals (71%, 20/28) and most did not have a pediatric pulmonary fellowship program (61%, 17/28). The median HFCC session duration for CF was 30 min and 20 min for all other diagnoses. The use of 10 and 15 Hz were the most common settings for all diagnoses. Short-acting bronchodilators were utilized by all institutions before or during HFCC for one or more diagnoses. Frequency of HFCC therapy for inpatient treatment of pulmonary exacerbation was 4 times a day for all diagnoses most of the time: CF 75% (21/28), non-CF bronchiectasis 71% (20/28), severe neurological impairment 64% (18/28), and NMD 61% (17/28). Conclusions: Practices for HFCC use vary among US children’s hospitals. More research is needed to establish best practices and evidence-based guidelines for HFCC session duration, device settings, and concomitant inhaled medications, especially in non-CF diagnoses.
Using a fluorine-free copper mesh with dynamically tunable wetting properties for high-flux separation of oil-water mixtures

Abstract Managing oily wastewater continues to be a significant challenge with the continuous rise in oil extraction and processing, necessitating new and improved technologies to separate oil from water. In this regard, smart materials provide controllable super-wettability to separate either oil or water from their mixture based on the chosen wetting properties of the material. However, several challenges facing smart materials include high cost, low separation fluxes, poor durability, and complex equipment for separation. This study demonstrates the use of a fluorine-free superhydrophobic/superoleophilic copper mesh fabricated using N-(2-Aminoethyl)-11-Aminoundecyltrimethoxysilane. Oil-water separation using this material allows separation fluxes exceeding 80,000 L/m2/h, with separation efficiencies above 90%. This cost-effective and straightforward approach is also durable, as demonstrated via abrasion tests. More importantly, we demonstrate a simple strategy to reversibly switch the wettability of the copper mesh between hydrophilic/oleophobic and hydrophobic/oleophilic states. This strategy allows varying the static water contact angles between 150o and 0o. Consequently, oil can be separated from an oil-water mixture using the hydrophobic/oleophilic wetting state, while water can be separated from the oil-water mixture using the hydrophilic/oleophobic wetting state. With further development, this material can address oily wastewater produced in industrial applications and oil-spills.
Performance comparison of IGBTs and MCTs in resonant converters

High-voltage IGBTs and MCTs were evaluated for application in hard- and soft-switching converters. Static I-V and dynamic switching characteristics were measured at temperatures ranging from 25/spl deg/C to 125/spl deg/C. An advanced mixed device and circuit simulator was used to understand the internal carrier dynamics within the semiconductor switching device in which semiconductor and heat diffusion equations are simultaneously solved subject to device boundary conditions imposed by the circuit operation. It is shown that the simulation results are in excellent agreement with the measured data and accurately predict the di/dt- and dv/dt- dependencies of the dynamic switching characteristics. >