cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The psychological impact of cardiovascular screening: the athlete's perspective

Background Published guidelines suggest that ECG screening in US athletes may cause excessive anxiety, especially in those with false-positive findings. However, this has never been formally evaluated. Methods and study design Prospective, nonrandomised controlled trial. High school athletes received a standardised history and physical examination (control) or a history and physical examination with an ECG (experimental). Prescreen and postscreen assessments for health attitudes, anxiety and impact of screening on sport were conducted. Results 952 athletes (49.7% girls, mean age 15.5 years) participated (control=150; experimental=802). 4.4% worried about having an underlying cardiac condition, and 73% wanted to learn if they had a cardiac abnormality prior to competition. In the experimental group, 576 had normal screens, 220 had an abnormal screen (by history 15.8%, physical examination 6.2% or ECG 1.7%) but normal work up (false-positive) and 6 were identified with a serious cardiac condition (true-positive, 0.75%). Compared with the control group, those who received an ECG were more likely to: (1) be significantly more satisfied with their screening (p<0.001), (2) feel safer during competition (p<0.01), (3) support that all athletes should receive cardiac screening (p<0.001) and (4) state the ECG positively impacted their training (p<0.001). False-positive athletes did not report anxiety during or after screening. Distress levels did not differ based on reason for needing further evaluation (history, physical examination or ECG, p=0.311). Compared with control participants, individuals with false-positive results: (1) reported no difference in postscreen anxiety (p=0.775), (2) felt safer during competition (p<0.001), (3) would recommend ECG screening to others (p<0.001) and (4) expressed a positive impact on training (p<0.001). Conclusions Excessive anxiety should not be used as a reason to forego ECG screening in athletes.
Dynamics of individual perceptual decisions

Perceptual decision making is fundamental to a broad range of fields including neurophysiology, economics, medicine, advertising, law, etc. Although recent findings have yielded major advances in our understanding of perceptual decision making, decision making as a function of time and frequency (i.e., decision-making dynamics) is not well understood. To limit the review length, we focus most of this review on human findings. Animal findings, which are extensively reviewed elsewhere, are included when beneficial or necessary. We attempt to put these various findings and data sets, which can appear to be unrelated in the absence of a formal dynamic analysis, into context using published models. Specifically, by adding appropriate dynamic mechanisms (e.g., high-pass filters) to existing models, it appears that a number of otherwise seemingly disparate findings from the literature might be explained. One hypothesis that arises through this dynamic analysis is that decision making includes phasic (high pass) neural mechanisms, an evidence accumulator and/or some sort of midtrial decision-making mechanism (e.g., peak detector and/or decision boundary).
Discontinuum–Equivalent Continuum Analysis of the Stability of Tunnels in a Deep Coal Mine Using the Distinct Element Method

An imperative task for successful underground mining is to ensure the stability of underground structures. This is more so for deep excavations which may be under significantly high stresses. In this manuscript, we present stability studies on two tunnels, a horseshoe-shaped and an inverted arch-shaped tunnel, in a deep coal mine in China, performed using the 3DEC distinct element code. The rock mass mechanical property values for the tunnel shapes have been estimated through a back-analysis procedure using available field deformation data. The back-analysis has been carried out through a pseudo-time dependent support installation routine which incorporates the effect of time through a stress-relaxation mechanism. The back-analysis indicates that the rock mass cohesion, tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength, and elastic modulus values are about 35–45 % of the corresponding intact rock property values. Additionally, the importance of incorporating stress relaxation before support installation has been illustrated through the increased support factor of safety and reduced grout failures. The calibrated models have been analyzed for different supported and unsupported cases to estimate the significance and adequacy of the current supports being used in the mine and to suggest a possible optimization. The effects of supports have been demonstrated using deformations and yield zones around the tunnels, and average factors of safety and grout failures of the supports. The use of longer supports and floor bolting has provided greater stability for the rock masses around the tunnels. Finally, a comparison between the two differently shaped tunnels establishes that the inverted arch tunnel may be more efficient in reducing roof sag and floor heave for the existing geo-mining conditions.
Analysis of Hospital Ability to Provide Trauma Services: A Comparison between Teaching and Community Hospitals

HYPOTHESIS Teaching hospitals (TH) can maintain the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) criteria for Level II trauma care more consistently than can community hospitals (CH). METHODS A retrospective analysis of 2,091 trauma system patients was done to determine if TH in an urban area are better able to meet the criteria for Level II trauma care than are CH. During the study period, a voluntary trauma plan existed among five hospitals; two TH and three CH. A hospital could accept patients that met trauma system entry criteria as long as, at that moment, it could provide the resources specified by ACSCOT. Hospitals were required to report their current resources accurately. A centralized communications center maintained a computerized, inter-hospital link which continuously monitored the availability of all participating hospitals. Trauma system protocols required paramedics to transport system patients to the closest available trauma hospital that had all the required resources available. Nine of the required ACSCOT Level II trauma center criteria were monitored for each institution emergency department (ED); trauma surgeon (TS); operating room (OR); angiography (ANG); anesthesiologist (ANE); intensive care unit (ICU); on-call surgeon (OCS); neurosurgeon (NS); and CT scanner (CT) available at the time of each trauma system entry. RESULTS With the exception of OR, TH generally maintained the required staff and services more successfully than did CH. Further, less day to night variation in the available resources occurred at the TH. Specifically, ANE, ICU, TS, NS, and CT were available more often both day and night, at TH than CH. However, OR was less available at TH than CH during both day and night (p less than .01). CONCLUSIONS In this community, TH provided a greater availability of trauma services than did CH. This study supports the designation of TH as trauma centers. A similar availability can be performed in other communities to help guide trauma center designation.
Superconductivity in the Yttrium Sesquicarbide System

At the present time there are only three known crystal structures in which superconductivity with transition temperatures above 15° K have been observed. One of these structures is the A-15 structures which contains the Nb3Ge system, the Nb3Ga system, the NB3Al and V3Si systems.1 The second structure, NaCl rock salt, occurs in the NB-N-C system having a Tc up to 18°K.2 The third structure is the Pu2C3 type in which, primarily, nonstoichiomatic alloys of Y-Th-C have been observed with a Tc of 17°K.3 In the A-15 and the NaCl structure systems the high Tc compositions are regarded as normal high Tc systems in that they have an e/a ratio of 4.5 – 4.8 in accord with Matthias rules.4 The Pu2C3 systems having a high Tc, however, appear anomalous in that a simple application of the e/a rule would give an e/a ratio of 3.8 for the high Tc material.5 The high Tc material of the Pu2C3 structure type has only been synthesized under high pressures (15–25 Kilobars) and high temperatures (1200–1450°C). An apparently open question is whether these high Tc Pu2C3 structure phases are really so anomalous. A second question is whether different synthesis techniques could further raise the Tc of this system, possibly by producing phases in a composition range more in conformity with the e/a ratio rules of Matthias.
The “Voiceprint” Problem

“Voiceprints” are a problem that simply will not go away. For example, as late as 1981, the proponents of this method of speaker identification claimed that their approach had been accepted by courts of law in 25 of the states within the United States, by two military courts, plus by two courts in Canada (29). Perhaps more alarming, yet other courts (including several appellate and supreme courts) have admitted “voiceprints,” and these techniques have even been accepted in some European countries. Of course, whether the method can be successfully introduced into other courts, and continued in those that have accepted it previously, is open to question. Nevertheless, this approach to speaker identification appears to be holding on (at least marginally) even in the face of numerous setbacks, negative research and general disapproval by the relevant scientific community. How could this situation occur in countries as technologically advanced as are those cited? An answer is not easily provided.
The North American Perspective On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of the present paper is to (1) provide an overview of the nature of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as it seems to be viewed by North American clinicians and clinical scientists; (2) describe its diagnostic criteria as they are applied in that region; (3) discuss the prevalence of ADHD in the region; and (4) briefly present a new theoretical model of the authors emerging from that North American perspective. Some of the critical issues related to these matters will be raised along the way. Given the thousands of scientific papers on this topic, however, an overview of these various topics is all that space here can afford. Readers wishing a more thorough treatment of these topics as well as those pertaining to history, developmental courses, associated risks, assessment, and treatments for ADHD are directed to other writings by the author (Barkley, 1990).
Effects of motion segment level, Pfirrmann intervertebral disc degeneration grade and gender on lumbar spine kinematics

MRI allows non-invasive assessment of intervertebral disc degeneration with the added clinical benefit of using non-ionizing radiation. What has remained unclear is the relationship between assessed disc degeneration and lumbar spine kinematics. Kinematic outcomes of 54 multi-segment (L1-Sacrum) lumbar spine specimens were calculated to discover if such an underlying relationship exists with degeneration assessed using the Pfirrmann grading system. Further analyses were also conducted to determine if kinematic outcomes were affected by motion segment level, gender or applied compressive preload. Range of motion, hysteresis, high flexibility zone size and rotational stiffness in flexion-extension, lateral bending and axial rotation were the kinematic outcomes. Caudal intervertebral discs in our study sample were more degenerative than cranial discs. L5-S1 discs had the largest flexion-extension range of motion (p < 0.005) and L1-L2 discs the lowest flexion high flexibility zone size (p < 0.013). No other strict cranial-caudal differences in kinematic outcomes were found. Low flexibility zone rotational stiffness increased with disc degeneration grade in extension, lateral bending and axial rotation (p < 0.001). Trends towards higher hysteresis and lower range of motion with increased degeneration were observed in flexion-extension and lateral bending. Applied compressive preload increased flexion-extension hysteresis and augmented the effect of degeneration on hysteresis (p < 0.0005). Female specimens had about one degree larger range of motion in all rotational modes, and higher flexion extension hysteresis (p = 0.016). These results suggest that gender differences exist in lumbar spine kinematics. Additionally high disc loads, applied compressive preload or applied moment, are needed to kinematically distinguish discs with different levels of degeneration. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1389-1398, 2016.
Microstructural Indicators for Prognostication of Copper–Aluminum Wire Bond Reliability Under High-Temperature Storage and Temperature Humidity

Gold wire bonding has been widely used as the first-level interconnect in semiconductor packaging. The increase in the gold price has motivated the industry search for an alternative to the gold wire used in wire bonding and the transition to a copper wire bonding technology. Potential advantages of transition to a Cu–Al wire bond system include low cost of copper wire, lower thermal resistivity, lower electrical resistivity, higher deformation strength, damage during ultrasonic squeeze, and stability compared with gold wire. However, the transition to the copper wire brings along some tradeoffs, including poor corrosion resistance, narrow process window, higher hardness, and potential for cratering. Formation of excessive Cu–Al intermetallics may increase the electrical resistance and reduce the mechanical bonding strength. Current state of the art for studying the Cu–Al system focuses on the accumulation of statistically significant number of failures under accelerated testing. In this paper, a new approach has been developed to identify the occurrence of impending apparently random defect fall-outs and premature failures observed in the Cu–Al wire bond system. The use of intermetallic thickness, composition, and corrosion as a leading indicator of failure for the assessment of the remaining useful life for Cu–Al wire bond interconnects has been studied under exposure to high temperature. Damage in the wire bonds has been studied using an X-ray micro-Computed Tomography (CT). Microstructure evolution was studied under the isothermal aging conditions of 150 °C, 175 °C, and 200 °C until failure. Activation energy was calculated using the growth rate of intermetallic at different temperatures. An effect of temperature and humidity on a Cu–Al wire bond system was studied using the Parr bomb technique at different elevated temperature and humidity conditions (110 °C/100%RH, 120 °C/100%RH, and 130 °C/100%RH), and a failure mechanism was developed. The present methodology uses the evolution of the intermetallic compound thickness and composition in conjunction with the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm to identify accrued damage in wire bond subjected to thermal aging. The proposed method can be used for a quick assessment of Cu–Al parts to ensure manufactured part consistency through sampling.
CS Ed PhD Students Unite! (Abstract Only)

The number of PhD students researching Computer Science Education worldwide is growing. This is an organized opportunity for all those attending the largest Computer Science Education Conference to meet one another. All attendees will be invited to introduce themselves along with their institution and focus of research. They may also propose the most important question to be answered by the BOF. After introductions the attendees will have the opportunity to discuss research goals, job opportunities and career trajectories, future conference and publication plans, and even compare advisor stories. Undergraduates and masters students interested in a CS Ed PhD are also encouraged to attend and ask questions. Attendees will determine the best way to stay connected and everyone will be given the opportunity to opt-in for future communications.
Results From a Patient Experience Study in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Objective:Gastrointestinal endoscopy in children has become a standard diagnostic and therapeutic modality. The aim of our study was to characterize the most memorable elements of the patient exper...
Affective Social Competence in Adolescence: Current Findings and Future Directions

Affective Social Competence (ASC) is a conceptual framework describing complementary processes of sending, receiving, and experiencing emotions in dynamic interactions. This framework may be applied across the lifespan. To date, however, empirical studies addressing ASC have focused predominantly on childhood samples. In this review, we examine empirical evidence relevant to ASC in adolescence in comparison with childhood. We then discuss future directions that may promote understanding of Affective Social Competence among adolescent samples: the use of person-oriented analyses to integrate all three components of ASC; consideration of understudied social contexts that may influence and be influenced by ASC; and use of microgenetic designs to examine growth across transitions during early, middle, and late adolescence.
Patching for Diplopia Contraindicated in Patients with Brain Injury

Purpose Patching for double vision is a common palliative treatment for head-trauma patients with acquired strabismus when prisms are not feasible. Methods We review literature on spatial neglect and discuss possible effects of monocular occlusion on spatial attention. Results Patching the left eye has been shown to worsen spatial judgments in some brain-injured patients with left neglect by inhibiting the right superior colliculus further impairing contralateral leftward orienting (the Sprague Effect). Conclusions Because more peripheral parts of the visual field increasingly project to the contralateral superior colliculus with the temporal crescent being entirely contralateral, avoiding patching of the temporal crescent was advised, and in most cases can be achieved by taping off the spectacle lens and avoiding an elastic eye patch.
Developing an Adaptive Disposition for Supporting English Language Learners in Science: A Capstone Science Methods Course

We developed a capstone science methods course to better support preservice teachers in learning how both to teach science in ways attentive to English Language Learners (ELLs) and to develop an adaptive disposition to engage in reflection on their teaching of ELLs. Our course embodies three principles: (1) building from students’ funds of knowledge; (2) implementing cognitively demanding tasks; and (3) providing opportunities for rich language and literacy exposure and practice. Our methods and analysis were guided by three research questions: How did preservice science teacher participants understand the three principles of our capstone course? What successes and struggles did they identify when attempting to use these three principles to inform their classroom practice? What suggestions did they have for ways to improve the course? From our qualitative analysis of interviews with preservice science teachers, we found they were better at describing and identifying language rich opportunities for their students than at identifying ways they used their students’ funds of knowledge to inform their instruction. We also found that they felt they would benefit from knowing how to identify the needs of ELLs and how to better differentiate instruction for students. These findings make clear that we can certainly improve this capstone course. Still, our goal remains to foster the development of an adaptive disposition so that preservice science teachers can effectively work with their unique and diverse group of ELLs, not only as student teachers in a temporary placement but also as beginning teachers in their own science classrooms.
Abstract C27: Breast cancer presentation in a cohort of Afro-American women and Afro-Caribbean women diagnosed at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital

Background: It is documented that socioeconomic factors, such as lack of access to health care and inadequate treatment after diagnosis contribute to disparities in breast cancer, but these factors alone do not explain breast cancer disparities. Several studies suggest that several other factors, such as environmental, biological and behavioral factors may play a significant role in the observed disparities in breast cancer outcomes in women in minorities. In this study we compare Afro-Caribbean (AC) women born in the Caribbean and living in the United States and Afro-American (AA) women born and living in the United States, with a diagnosis of breast cancer in order to evaluate the effect of immigration and place of residency. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review study of black women of AA and AC origin diagnosed with breast cancer at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital between 2005 and 2015 (n = 745). For each of the groups, we collected demographic data including age, body mass index (BMI), menopausal state, and TNM stage, receptor expression of estrogen and progesterone, Her-2/neu expression, gravidity and parity. Continuous data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests when parametric and using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests when non-parametric; categorical and binary data were analyzed using Chi-squared tests. Results: We analyzed data from 745 black female patients: AA (n = 281) AC (n = 422). Place of birth was not available for 42 women. Mean age was 54.9 and 53.7 in AC and AA women, respectively. AA women had higher BMI (32.1 vs 29.8, p = 0.0001), lower proportion of HER2 positive breast cancer (12% vs 19%, p = 0.027) and more children (3.1 vs 2.8, p = 0.023) than AC. There was no difference in age (54.9 vs 53.7), premenopausal status (33% vs 31%), stage 3 or 4 (38% vs 37%), ER+ (63% vs 62%) or triple negative breast cancer (27% vs 31%) in AC compared with AA women (Table 1). Conclusion: Jackson Memorial Hospital is a Safety-Net hospital for the 2.4 million residents of Miami-Dade County. The average age of our cohort was 54 years, ER 63% positive, Stage 3 was 27% and triple negative breast cancer was 29%. Compared to SEER data, our patients developed breast cancer one decade earlier, had a higher rate of triple negative breast cancer and higher stage at presentation. This was not affected by immigration status although the AC women were thinner and had fewer children. Citation Format: Rochelle Marill, Keren Braithwaite, Jorge Monge, Diana Byrnes, Sophia George, Judith Hurley. Breast cancer presentation in a cohort of Afro-American women and Afro-Caribbean women diagnosed at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C27.
BCR-ABL1-like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: From bench to bedside.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) occurs in approximately 1:1500 children and is less frequently found in adults. The most common immunophenotype of ALL is the B cell lineage and within B cell precursor ALL, specific genetic aberrations define subtypes with distinct biological and clinical characteristics. With more advanced genetic analysis methods such as whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, novel genetic subtypes have recently been discovered. One novel class of genetic aberrations comprises tyrosine kinase-activating lesions, including translocations and rearrangements of tyrosine kinase and cytokine receptor genes. These newly discovered genetic aberrations are harder to detect by standard diagnostic methods such as karyotyping, fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) because they are diverse and often cryptic. These lesions involve one of several tyrosine kinase genes (among others, v-abl Abelson murine leukaemia viral oncogene homologue 1 (ABL1), v-abl Abelson murine leukaemia viral oncogene homologue 2 (ABL2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta polypeptide (PDGFRB)), each of which can be fused to up to 15 partner genes. Together, they compose 2–3% of B cell precursor ALL (BCP-ALL), which is similar in size to the well-known fusion gene BCR-ABL1 subtype. These so-called BCR-ABL1-like fusions are mutually exclusive with the sentinel translocations in BCP-ALL (BCR-ABL1, ETV6-RUNX1, TCF3-PBX1, and KMT2A (MLL) rearrangements) and have the promising prospect to be sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors similar to BCR-ABL1. In this review, we discuss the types of tyrosine kinase-activating lesions discovered, and the preclinical and clinical evidence for the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of this novel subtype of ALL.
Innovative Methods in Evaluation: An Application of Latent Class Analysis to Assess How Teachers Adopt Educational Innovations

Traditional methods of evaluation are limited in their ability to answer key questions often of interest to process evaluators, such as heterogeneity in the ways individuals adopt new programs. In ...
Vignettes in Coastal Plain Geology - Emily Hoskins Vokes (1930- )

Although born in northern Louisiana, Emily Hoskins moved to New Orleans at a young age. Working as a laboratory technician (in Biophysics) at Tulane University, she availed herself of the opportunity to take courses in Geology, with the ultimate goal of becomin a geomorphologist.
Military-Industrial Interactions in the Development of Chemical Warfare, 1914–1918: Comparing National Cases Within the Technological System of the Great War

This chapter examines the development of chemical warfare on the Western Front in the context of the large-scale technological systems developed by each of the major powers—Germany, France, Britain, and later the United States—in order to coordinate their industrial, academic, and military resources. As chemical warfare intensified from the tentative, small-scale experiments of 1914–1915 to the massive bombardments of 1918, it also changed qualitatively. Each side’s innovations forced similar responses from their opponents, in an escalating arms race in which military exigencies increasingly overrode ethical concerns while tending to institutionalize chemical warfare. This process exemplified the war’s increasingly “total” nature as a technological meta-system integrating the fighting fronts and home fronts on each side and across the lines. On the verge of permanently institutionalizing chemical warfare and militarizing its supporting industries, the process abruptly ended as the German system collapsed. But by then the war had transformed the image of chemical science and technology from a progressive force to one associated with the horrors of war.
Trunk and pelvic dynamics during transient turns among individuals with unilateral traumatic lower limb amputation.

Abstract Prior work has identified alterations in trunk-pelvic dynamics with lower limb amputation (LLA) during in-line walking; however, evaluations of other ambulatory tasks are limited. Turns are ubiquitous in daily life but can be challenging for individuals with LLA, prompting additional or unique proximal compensations when changing direction, which over time may lead to development of low back pain. We hypothesized such proximal kinematic differences between persons with and without LLA would exist in the sagittal and frontal planes. Three-dimensional trunk and pelvic kinematics, translational and rotational momenta, and coordination phase/variability were compared among eight persons with unilateral LLA (4 with transfemoral amputation and 4 with transtibial amputation), and five uninjured controls, who performed 90-degree turns to the left (n = 10) and right (n = 10). Participants self-selected the turn strategy (i.e., step vs. spin) and pivot limb in response to verbal cues regarding when and which direction to turn. Coordination variability and translational angular momenta did not differ between groups in either turn type. During spin turns, frontal rotational angular momenta were larger and frontal trunk-pelvis range of motion was smaller among persons with vs. without LLA. During step turns, pelvis leading transverse coordination was more frequent, frontal trunk rotational angular momentum was smaller, and sagittal pelvis range of motion was larger among persons with vs. without LLA. Altered and task-dependent modulation of trunk-pelvic dynamics among persons with LLA provides additional support for a potential link between repeated exposures to altered trunk-pelvic dynamics with elevated low back pain risk.
Diverse Volumetric Faulting Patterns in the San Jacinto Fault Zone

We examine locations, magnitudes, and faulting types of post‐2000 earthquakes in the trifurcation area of San Jacinto fault zone to clarify basic aspects of failure processes in the area. Most M ≥ 3.5 events have strike‐slip mechanisms, occur within 1 km of the main faults (Clark, Buck Ridge, and Coyote Creek), and have hypocenter depths of 10–13 km. In contrast, many smaller events have normal source mechanisms and hypocenters in intrafault areas deeper than 13 km. Additional small events with hypocenter depth <13 km occur in off‐fault regions and have complex geometries including lineations normal to the main faults. Five moderate earthquakes with M 4.7–5.4 have high aftershock rates (~150 M ≥ 1.5 events within 1 day from the mainshock). To obtain more details on aftershock sequences of these earthquakes, we detect and locate additional events with the matched filter method. There are almost no aftershocks within 1 km from the mainshocks, consistent with large mainshock stress drops and low residual stress. The five aftershock sequences have almost no spatial overlap. While the mainshocks are on the main faults, most aftershocks are located in intrafault and off‐fault regions. Their locations and spatial distribution reflect the mainshock rupture directions, and many also follow structures normal to the main faults. The significant diversity of observed features highlights the essential volumetric character of failure patterns in the area. The increasing rate of moderate events, productive aftershock sequences, and large inferred stress drops may reflect processes near the end of a large earthquake cycle.
The Medical Committee for Human Rights

The Medical Committee for Human Rights left its mark on American history and provided a model for organizations that succeeded it, like Physicians for Human Rights and Physicians for a National Health Program.
Does Meditation Give Us Unique Insight into Ultimate Reality? The Ethical Aim of Buddhism

The first part of the paper focuses on the narrow philosophical question of whether one can know ultimate reality through meditation. I argue that such knowledge is not possible, that experience is always mediated. Interpreting the Buddha naturalistically, I argue that his aim was less about knowledge and more about providing insight into how one can live a flourishing life. In the second section of the paper, I discuss ways in which a philosophical approach (broadly understood) may benefit a team engaging in neurological studies of meditation. Such an approach might help in linguistic analysis, as well as in understanding the cross-cultural context of traditional meditation traditions. I further suggest that mindfulness might make one more open to scientific discovery. Finally, I propose that the study of meditation will both benefit and be benefited by theories of extended cognition.
Velocity-Based Nearfield Acoustic Holography

Numerical investigations of nearfield acoustic holography in a contaminated acoustic field were performed. In this study, a baffled piston vibrating at low frequencies was chosen as the primary source. In addition, two types of disturbing sources were also considered. These sources were monopoles and plane waves propagating either perpendicularly or parallel to the hologram plane. Because pressure-based nearfield holography (PBNAH) was quite sensitive to the disturbing sources, a new method called velocity-based nearfield holography (VBNAH) was developed. The backpropagation images of the baffled piston obtained by using the VBNAH technique were compared to the images provided by the PBNAH technique. In the presence of the disturbing sources, VBNAH provided, in general, significantly better images than PBNAH. Errors caused by the disturbing sources depended on the type of those sources and their location with respect to the hologram plane.
Full-size Testing And Analysis of X120 Linepipe

A new high-strength steel with a specified minimum yield strength of 120 ksi has been developed for linepipe applications. Because existing specifications were not originally intended for the X120, and no service experience exists for this grade, fullsize pipe tests and finite element analyses were conducted to evaluate structural performance. The full-size testing included burst, pure bending, collapse, bending + collapse, ring expansion, curved wide plate and crack arrest tests. In addition to these tests, bending trials were performed on the X120 using commercial pipeline construction equipment to verify cold deformability. This paper presents the burst and fracture arrest studies. Results from burst tests and analyses demonstrate sufficient pressure containment capacity. For crack arrest, full-size tests were conducted to evaluate the intrinsic arrestability of the material and the effectiveness of crack arrestors. Although the X120 pipe did not have sufficient toughness for intrinsic arrest for the prescribed test conditions, tight-fitting sleeve crack arrestors were shown to be effective in stopping propagating fractures.
LIVING HISTORIES OF WHITE SUPREMACIST POLICING: Towards Transformative Justice

Prominent U.S. police officials have advocated greater acknowledgement of the role of law enforcement in historical racial injustice, including violence, in hopes of transforming police community relations. While an encouraging development, these calls for transformative justice understate the scope of this historical and contemporary problem, neglecting the often extralegal nature of police involved violence and injustice, its array of spectacular and more subtle forms, and the layered roles of state and non-state actors in perpetrating and sanctioning White supremacist violence. Drawing on historical records of racist violence implicating police, this paper analyzes overlapping aspects of White supremacy in policing, including racist ideologies and political acts of law enforcement officers and officials, and more routine underpolicing of White supremacism by legal authorities. This backdrop of normative racist violence - physical, cultural, and structural – must inform a contemporary transformative justice agenda, including demands for explicit and robust protection from White supremacism in policing.
The therapeutic significance of mutational signatures from DNA repair deficiency in cancer

Cancer is fundamentally a disease of the genome and inherited deficiencies in DNA repair pathways are well established to increase lifetime cancer risk. Computational analysis of pan-cancer data has identified signatures of mutational processes thought to be responsible for the pattern of mutations in any given cancer. These analyses identified altered DNA repair pathways in a much broader spectrum of cancers than previously appreciated with significant therapeutic implications. The development of DNA repair deficiency biomarkers is critical to the implementation of therapeutic targeting of repair-deficient tumors, using either DNA damaging agents or immunotherapy for the personalization of cancer therapy.
An iPhone Application for Blood Pressure Monitoring via the Oscillometric Finger Pressing Method.

We developed an iPhone X application to measure blood pressure (BP) via the “oscillometric finger pressing method”. The user presses her fingertip on both the front camera and screen to increase the external pressure of the underlying artery, while the application measures the resulting variable-amplitude blood volume oscillations via the camera and applied pressure via the strain gauge array under the screen. The application also visually guides the fingertip placement and actuation and then computes BP from the measurements just like many automatic cuff devices. We tested the application, along with a finger cuff device, against a standard cuff device. The application yielded bias and precision errors of −4.0 and 11.4 mmHg for systolic BP and −9.4 and 9.7 mmHg for diastolic BP (n = 18). These errors were near the finger cuff device errors. This proof-of-concept study surprisingly indicates that cuff-less and calibration-free BP monitoring may be feasible with many existing and forthcoming smartphones.
Summary of the safety and tolerability of two treatment regimens of ceftaroline fosamil: 600 mg every 8 h versus 600 mg every 12 h.

Background The recommended adult dose of ceftaroline fosamil is 600 mg q12h by 1 h intravenous (iv) infusion for 5-14 days in complicated skin and soft tissue infection (cSSTI) and 5-7 days in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A dosage of 600 mg q8h by 2 h iv infusion is approved in some regions for cSSTI patients with Staphylococcus aureus infection where the ceftaroline MIC is 2 or 4 mg/L. This analysis compares the safety profiles of the q8h and q12h regimens. Methods Safety data from six Phase III, randomized, double-blind clinical trials were collated into the q8h cSSTI pool (ceftaroline fosamil n = 506; NCT01499277) and the q12h pool {ceftaroline fosamil n = 1686; comprising five studies [two cSSTI (NCT00424190 and NCT00423657) and three CAP (NCT01371838, NCT00621504 and NCT00509106)]}. Results The pattern and incidence of adverse events were similar between the q8h and q12h ceftaroline fosamil pools. Most were gastrointestinal and of mild or moderate intensity. Overall, rash intensity was similar between the q8h pool and the q12h pool. For the q8h regimen, there was a higher frequency of rash in some Asian study sites, associated with longer duration of therapy (≥7 days); most cases were mild and resolved following treatment discontinuation. No dose-related vital sign or ECG abnormalities were detected with either regimen. Conclusions The q8h regimen in cSSTI was generally well tolerated; the observed safety profile was consistent with the known safety profile of ceftaroline fosamil, reflective of the cephalosporin class and qualitatively consistent with the q12h regimen.
Are Rib Grafts Still Used for Temporomandibular Joint Reconstruction

Purpose Patients with end-stage temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology require TMJ reconstruction, which can be accomplished with autogenous tissue or alloplastic materials. This survey study evaluates experienced TMJ surgeons' preferences for autogenous costochondral grafts (CCGs) and/or alloplastic prostheses for TMJ reconstruction. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study used an online public survey domain to query an anonymous cohort of volunteer surgeons from the American and European Societies of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons about their TMJ reconstruction preferences. The survey questioned these surgeons' current and previous use of CCG for TMJ reconstruction, changes in practice pattern in this regard over the years, indications for CCG, and postoperative CCG outcomes. The responses were subsequently catalogued, means were calculated, descriptive statistics were analyzed, and trends were identified. Results Of 150 surgeons contacted, 92 responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 84 (91.3%) reported that they had performed total TMJ reconstruction in the past or continue to perform total TMJ reconstruction. However, only the 66 surgeons who completed the survey in its entirety were included in the analysis. Among these surgeons, 95.5% (63 of 66) reported that their current preferred method for TMJ reconstruction was an alloplastic TMJ replacement prosthesis; 86.4% (57 of 66) preferred a custom TMJ prosthesis, whereas 9.1% (6 of 66) preferred a stock TMJ prosthesis. Only 4.5% of the respondents (3 of 66) currently preferred CCG for TMJ reconstruction. Conclusions Of the respondents, 95.5% preferred alloplastic TMJ replacement. This preference was reported based on fewer postoperative complications and more predictable outcomes using alloplastic TMJ prostheses. In cases in which CCG revision was indicated, an alloplastic TMJ prosthesis was used, indicating that surgeons should consider an alloplastic TMJ replacement device as the primary option for TMJ reconstruction for the management of most end-stage TMJ diseases.
Variation in crop zinc concentration influences estimates of dietary Zn inadequacy.

Background Zinc (Zn) deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. Accurate estimates of Zn intake would facilitate the design and implementation of effective nutritional interventions. Objective We sought to improve estimates of dietary Zn intake by evaluating staple crop Zn content and dietary Zn consumption by children under the age of 5 in 9 rural districts of Uganda. Methods We measured the Zn content of 581 crop samples from household farms and 167 crop samples from nearby markets, and administered food frequency questionnaires to the primary caretakers of 237 children. We estimated Zn consumption using 3 sources of crop Zn content: (i) the HarvestPlus food composition table (FCT) for Uganda, (ii) measurements from household crops, and (iii) measurements from market crops. Results The Zn content of staple crops varied widely, resulting in significantly different estimates of dietary Zn intake. 41% of children appeared to be at risk when estimates were based on market-sampled crops, 23% appeared at risk when estimates were based on the HarvestPlus FCT, and 16% appeared at risk when estimates were based on samples from household farms. Conclusion The use of FCTs to calculate Zn intake overestimated the risk of dietary inadequacy for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were produced on household farms, but underestimated the risk for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were purchased at market. More information on the Zn content of staple crops in developing countries could lead to more accurate estimates of dietary intake and associated deficiencies.
Contribution of iron and Aβ to age differences in entorhinal and hippocampal subfield volume.

Objective To test the hypothesis that the combination of elevated global β-AMYLOID (Aβ) burden and greater striatal iron content would be associated with smaller entorhinal cortex (ERC) volume, but not hippocampal subfield volumes, we measured volume and iron content using high-resolution MRI and Aβ using PET imaging in a cross-sectional sample of 70 cognitively normal older adults. Methods Participants were scanned with florbetapir 18F PET to obtain Aβ standardized uptake value ratios. Susceptibility-weighted MRI was collected and processed to yield R2* images, and striatal regions of interest (ROIs) were manually placed to obtain a measure of striatal iron burden. Ultra-high resolution T2/PD-weighted MRIs were segmented to measure medial temporal lobe (MTL) volumes. Analyses were conducted using mixed-effects models with MTL ROI as a within-participant factor; age, iron content, and Aβ as between-participant factors; and MTL volumes (ERC and 3 hippocampal subfield regions) as the dependent variable. Results The model indicated a significant 4-way interaction among age, iron, Aβ, and MTL region. Post hoc analyses indicated that the 3-way interaction among age, Aβ, and iron content was selective to the ERC (β = −3.34, standard error = 1.33, 95% confidence interval −5.95 to −0.72), whereas a significant negative association between age and ERC volume was present only in individuals with both elevated iron content and Aβ. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of studying Aβ in the context of other, potentially synergistic age-related brain factors such as iron accumulation and the potential role for iron as an important contributor to the earliest, preclinical stages of pathologic aging.
The Emergence of Conscience Rights for Health Care Professionals: How We Moved Historically from Conscience to Conscience Rights

Summary Recent debates about conscience rights of health care professionals have sometimes been conducted in a vacuum. But they have a history, going back in part to ancient times, but predominantly in the Christian era. The conscience rights issue represents a convergence of the developing concept of rights and the changing views of conscience. The first part of the story begins with the idea of conscience, an idea found in ancient philosophy and Christian thought, and more or less associated with private and individual internal moral guidance. Rights, subjective rights, came into their own some time in the Middle Ages, as individual claims in a legal or political context. However, with a few exceptions, individuals were not able to assert any religious rights of conscience until much later, though discussion of the possibility began in the late sixteenth century. The thrust of this paper is to trace the convergence of rights claims and conscience. In the seventeenth century tolerance shifted, in theory, to advocacy of certain religious conscience rights as natural rights. In the eighteenth century, these rights were embodied in the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause. Conscientious objection from those opposing military service on religious grounds also arose during this period. The conscientious objection exceptions and cases became the model for the way courts addressed conscience rights. Preferred rights doctrines in the twentieth century, combined with greater constitutional sensitivity on the part of Federal courts and Congress, as well as human rights theories, helped to define discussions of conscience rights of health care professionals.
CHUKWUMA ANYANWU: DRAMATIC REFLECTIONS ON THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY

Drama performs various roles in the society. One of such roles is the re-presentation of past events. These past events are historical antecedents which a given society is meant to be abreast of in order to cut a proper walking path for the future, either to avoid pitfalls of the past or uphold a certain standard. Likening drama to a mirror, this paper discussed the reflective nature of drama in the Nigerian society. Through the use of the literary method, Chukwuma Anyanwu’s dramatic texts, Stunted Growth, The Battle, Another Weekend, Gone! and Broken Image, were analysed to ascertain how well the playwright was able to project the Nigerian society through these works. It was discovered that the plays were well crafted by the author and that they mirrored the Nigerian milieu. It was therefore concluded that members of the society, especially the political class, should learn from these plays and build a society that is devoid of intimidation, corruption, oppression of the masses and the mass media, in order for democracy to thrive.
Habitat Suitability and Establishment Limitations of a Problematic Liana.

The US native liana, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), responsible for contact dermatitis in humans, is a competitive weed with great potential for expansion in disturbed habitats. To facilitate a better understanding of this threat, we sought to evaluate habitat suitability, population demography, and biotic interactions of poison ivy, using a series of complementary field studies in the two habitats where it most commonly occurs—forest interiors and edges. Of the 2500 seeds planted across both habitats, poison ivy initially colonized forest interiors (32% emergence) at a higher rate than edge habitats (16.5% emergence). However, forest interior seedlings were less likely to survive (interior n = 3; edge n = 15), which might be attributed to herbivore pressure when the seedlings were smaller in the less competitive forest interior. Once established, the poison ivy seedlings appeared to be more tolerant of herbivory, except that of large grazers such as deer. The early life stage of seedling emergence, survival, and establishment are critical in poison ivy success, with biotic pressure, especially from plant competition and deer, limiting recruitment. A suitable habitat of this expanding native liana would increase with increasing forest fragmentation, but might be buffered by the expanding deer population.