cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fault analysis and hybrid protection scheme for multi-terminal HVDC using Wavelet transform

Transmission of power over long distances has become an important aspect in today's world because of offshore generations from wind, ocean currents, tidal, waves and others. In general, HVDC technology is well-accepted around the world. The VSC-HVDC has gained importance over the years. Certain problems regarding protection still remain, but with the implementation of the hybrid breaker, the system can be protected from system faults. This paper discusses the effects of various kinds of faults on the VSC-HVDC system and detection of fault current using Wavelet transform (WT). The output of the wavelet transform is used for detection of the fault currents. The system is designed and simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC and results are discussed.
Knowledge combination in graphical multiagent models

A graphical multiagent model (GMM) represents a joint distribution over the behavior of a set of agents. One source of knowledge about agents' behavior may come from game-theoretic analysis, as captured by several graphical game representations developed in recent years. GMMs generalize this approach to express arbitrary distributions, based on game descriptions or other sources of knowledge bearing on beliefs about agent behavior. To illustrate the flexibility of GMMs, we exhibit game-derived models that allow probabilistic deviation from equilibrium, as well as models based on heuristic action choice. We investigate three different methods of integrating these models into a single model representing the combined knowledge sources. To evaluate the predictive performance of the combined model, we treat as actual outcome the behavior produced by a reinforcement learning process. We find that combining the two knowledge sources, using any of the methods, provides better predictions than either source alone. Among the combination methods, mixing data outperforms the opinion pool and direct update methods investigated in this empirical trial.
The travels, triumphs and travails of new urbanism: representational geographies in US newspapers, 1990–2012

AbstractThis paper seeks to contribute to our geographical understanding of New Urbanism as an important reform movement by exploring its representational rather than physical experience within the United States. Specifically, we analyze US newspaper accounts of New Urbanism from 1990 to 2012, looking for broad patterns in how it is portrayed to popular audiences around the country – what we think of as its “triumphs” and “travails” across American space. We also explore the stated reasons given for these portrayals, without attempting in this contribution to theorize motivations, agendas or broader political-economies that shape perceptions of planning and design. The paper finds that positive accounts of New Urbanism outnumber negative accounts by nearly three-to-one. In addition to overall tone, the paper discusses the qualitative content of articles to establish key justifications and rationales for positive, negative and neutral framings. Further research might extend our findings by analyzing how Ne...
Performance Portability of HPC Discovery Science Software: Fusion Energy Turbulence Simulations at Extreme Scale

As HPC R&D moves forward on a variety of “path to exascale” architectures today, an associated objective is to demonstrate performance portability of discovery-science-capable software. Important application domains, such as Magnetic Fusion Energy (MFE), have improved modelling of increasingly complex physical systems -- especially with respect to reducing “time-to-solution” as well as “energy to solution.” The emergence of new insights on confinement scaling in MFE systems has been aided significantly by efficient software capable of harnessing powerful supercomputers to carry out simulations with unprecedented resolution and temporal duration to address increasing problem sizes. Specifically, highly scalable particle-in-cell (PIC) programing methodology is used in this paper to demonstrate how modern scientific applications can achieve efficient architecture-dependent optimizations of performance scaling and code portability for path-to-exascale platforms.
Downwind evolution of the volatility and mixing state of near-road aerosols near a US interstate highway

Abstract. We present spatial measurements of particle volatility and mixing state at a site near a North Carolina interstate highway (I-40) applying several heating (thermodenuder; TD) experimental approaches. Measurements were conducted in summer 2015 and winter 2016 in a roadside trailer (10 m from road edge) and during downwind transects at different distances from the highway under favorable wind conditions using a mobile platform. Results show that the relative abundance of semi-volatile species (SVOCs) in ultrafine particles decreases with downwind distance, which is consistent with the dilution and mixing of traffic-sourced particles with background air and evaporation of semi-volatile species during downwind transport. An evaporation kinetics model was used to derive particle volatility distributions by fitting TD data. While the TD-derived distribution apportions about 20–30 % of particle mass as semi-volatile (SVOCs; effective saturation concentration, C∗ ≥ 1µm−3) at 10 m from the road edge, approximately 10 % of particle mass is attributed to SVOCs at 220 m, showing that the particle-phase semi-volatile fraction decreases with downwind distance. The relative abundance of semi-volatile material in the particle phase increased during winter. Downwind spatial gradients of the less volatile particle fraction (that remaining after heating at 180 °C) were strongly correlated with black carbon (BC). BC size distribution and mixing state measured using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) at the roadside trailer showed that a large fraction (70–80 %) of BC particles were externally mixed. Heating experiments with a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer (V-TDMA) also showed that the nonvolatile fraction in roadside aerosols is mostly externally mixed. V-TDMA measurements at different distances downwind from the highway indicate that the mixing state of roadside aerosols does not change significantly (e.g., BC mostly remains externally mixed) within a few hundred meters from the highway. Our analysis indicates that a superposition of volatility distributions measured in laboratory vehicle tests and of background aerosol can be used to represent the observed partitioning of near-road particles. The results from this study show that exposures and impacts of BC and semi-volatile organics-containing particles in a roadside microenvironment may differ across seasons and under changing ambient conditions.
Circulation Services for Distance Education: A Case Study Comparing Two Institutions

ABSTRACTThe way students experience higher education in today's world is rapidly changing, and students have the choice to earn their college degree in a number of non-traditional ways. Library services also need to transform to meet the needs of all students regardless of how they experience higher education. The following article outlines how library circulation and document delivery services can be provided to distance education students. Two institutions' services are compared: the distance education circulation services offered at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University and the equivalent services at the Ottenheimer Library at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This case study provides examples of how document delivery and interlibrary loan can fill the resource needs of distance education patrons.
White-Lipped Tree Viper (Cryptelytrops albolabris) Envenomation in an American Viper Keeper.

Abstract Background Snakebites are common in many regions of the United States. Bites from exotic species, however, are rare. The white-lipped tree viper, Cryptelytrops (formerly Trimeresurus) albolabris, is a pit viper native to Southeast Asia. Bites are common in countries such as Myanmar, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and China. In this report, we describe an envenomation in an American viper keeper. Case Report A healthy 28-year-old right-handed man who collects venomous snakes experienced a bite to the distal left thumb from a neonatal C. albolabris while feeding it. Upon arrival to the Emergency Department 30 min after the bite, the patient complained of significant pain and swelling that had progressed across his entire hand. He also experienced nausea, lightheadedness, mild dyspnea, and a burning sensation in his lungs. After discussing the risks and benefits, we elected to treat with five vials of Thai Red Cross Green Pit Viper antivenin. The patient was also treated with intravenous fluids, parenteral opioids, and ondansetron. He received an additional five vials due to worsening hematologic laboratory values. His laboratory tests normalized and his local findings improved significantly. He was asymptomatic at discharge and at multiple follow-up visits. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Envenomation by C. albolabris is characterized by local tissue injury and hematotoxicity. Supportive care and specific antivenom therapy comprise the management of these bites. This case reminds physicians that not all bites that present to the hospital will be from native snakes and helps direct emergency physicians to specific expertise and uncommon antivenoms.
“I possess your soul, your mind, your heart, and your body”: External and Internal Gothic Hauntings in Eminem’s Relapse

In 2009, Eminem released Relapse, his sixth studio album and his first since overdosing on—and nearly dying from—prescription pain medication. Building on Michael Chaney and Jason Lindquist’s recent work, which appeared before the 2009 album, this chapter argues that in Relapse, more than in any of his other albums, Eminem borrows and repurposes tropes found in dark Romantic literature to expose his darkest fears and secrets while simultaneously casting his tribulations as a microcosm of contemporary American culture. With Relapse, Eminem positions himself as a modern Romantic artist as defined by Robert Sayre and Michael Lowy and uses tropes found in traditional and modern gothic Romantic art to criticize and to parody a culture addicted to consuming art and artists, as well as to expose his own haunting failures as an individual and the destruction of his own identity within a capitalist system.
SOA and gas phase organic acid yields from the sequential photooxidation of seven monoterpenes

Abstract We investigate secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and gas phase organic acid yields from the sequential photooxidation of seven monoterpene isomers (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, sabinene, terpinolene, α-terpinene, and γ-terpinene) using an Oxidative Flow Reactor under dry conditions. SOA yields were highest for terpinolene (33% at 5.7 days of aging), followed by sabinene, β-pinene, α-pinene, limonene, γ-terpinene, and α-terpinene. Isomers with exocyclic double bonds (i.e. immediately adjacent to a ring) had higher SOA yields than those with endocyclic double bonds, or with double bonds that are unattached to a ring structure. SOA yields increased with OH exposure, highlighting the limitation of using single values for SOA yield in modeling studies, and the need for isomer-specific SOA parameterizations. SOA yields were adequately fit by a one-product model and in broad agreement with previous studies. SOA yields linearly increased with organic aerosol mass concentration, possibly the result of high OH loading and short residence times in the flow reactor. Gas phase yields of formic, acetic, butyric, and methacrylic acid (or their isomers) followed very different patterns as a function of OH exposure from SOA yields, and were poorly correlated with OH rate constants. These observations suggest that higher volatility (fragmentation) products of monoterpene photooxidation were produced and lost on different timescales from the production and condensation of lower-volatility (functionalization) products. Formic acid yields ranged from 0.06 to 9.3% across all OH exposures. Formic acid yields from γ-terpinene (0.36–3%) monotonically increased with OH exposure, unlike the other monoterpene isomers, which exhibited initial increases in formic acid yields with OH exposure, followed by decreases at higher OH concentrations. This difference in organic acid yield trends is consistent with the distribution of carbon-containing species identified by chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
Ceramic and Metal Sintering: Mechanisms of Material Transport and Density-Limiting Characteristics

Professor Lenel’s paper [1] covered the material on the derivation of sintering models [2,3], the features which distinguish different mechanisms of material transport, and the behavior of some metallic systems where the applicability of specific models has been demonstrated. It has been shown that a diffusion mechanism is generally operative in metal sintering. In this paper further data are presented showing that diffusion sintering occurs in ceramics. The main purpose is to discuss the similarities and differences in the behaviors of metals and ceramics considering solid-phase sintering, liquid-phase sintering, boundary diffusion effects observed in several systems, and some recent results on the mechanisms of material transport during hot-pressing. These are the various mixtures of systems which are sintered to fabricate materials of controlled density and grain size. We wish to understand what controls the density limit, what controls grain growth, and how these are interrelated. The interrelations are understandable if the mechanisms of matter transport that govern the kinetics of density change and of grain growth are known; this provides the reason for the emphasis on the mechanism of material transport in sintering studies.
Cisplatin Dose-intensity in Testicular Cancer Treatment: Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

The hypothesis that larger dose-time quotients of chemotherapy result in improved therapeutic outcome is firmly fixed in modern oncologic thought and practice. This hypothesis has enjoyed currency not only for the intuitive “rightness” of the concept, but based on the results of carefully conducted retrospective analysis of clinical trials which often demonstrate superior outcome in patients receiving more dose-intensive treatments. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of randomized prospective trials adequately testing this hypothesis.
Energy Delay Product

In this chapter, data from both the CPU frequency tuning experiments (Chap. 6) and the network bandwidth experiments (Chap. 7) are analyzed using a range of fused metrics based on Energy Delay Product (EDP). The analysis in this chapter demonstrates how multiple metrics can be combined and observed as a single fused metric. Additionally, a form of weighted EDP is used to more highly prioritize, or weight, performance over energy savings.
Tumor Stem Cells and Metastasis

The last decade has seen the emergence of a shift in paradigm in the therapeutic strategies to target cancer. This is based on the existence of a small reservoir of cells within the tumor mass that exhibits the capacity for self-renewal, as well as undergo differentiation to give rise to phenotypically heterogeneous progeny with limited proliferative potential. These stem-like cells likely drive the continued growth of the tumor mass and are capable of disseminating and are subsequently metastasized. Relapse is probably orchestrated by the post-therapy residual drug-resistant “cancer stem cells” that escape treatment. Therefore, the selective targeting of cancer stem cells is supposed to offer radical advances in the treatment and diagnosis of lung cancer. This chapter will discuss the emerging data supporting the validity of this notion and consider the growing evidence that cancer stem cells may contribute to tumor progression, drug resistance, metastasis, and speculates about how taking these cells into consideration may affect the way we treat lung cancer in the future.
Chapter 3 The Cytoskeleton and Deformability of White Blood Cells

Publisher Summary White blood cells (WBCs) are the cellular elements of the immune system in humans and other animals. Their primary function is to patrol the body for potential sources of infection and destroy invading pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasitic microorganisms. Leukocytes derive from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and are specialized into four morphologically different cell types of myeloid lineage (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes) and lymphoid cells that include natural killer (NK) cells and T- and B-lymphocytes. WBCs, also known as “leukocytes,” migrate to the sites of infection to destroy pathogenic microorganisms. The ability of WBCs to deform is essential for this function, but it is also an important determinant of healthy vasculature. This chapter analyzes the effects of leukocyte deformability on leukocyte–endothelial interactions, presents the evidence for the critical role of the cytoskeleton in bulk mechanical properties of leukocytes, summarizes recent advances in rheological measurements of leukocytes, and discusses pathologies associated with leukocyte activation and reduced deformability of these cells.
Lymphatic drainage imaging of the breast cancer in mice using the micro-magnetic resonance mammo-lymphangiography using a nano-size contrast agent

BA-4 In breast cancer patients, the presence of lymph node metastases greatly affects the prognosis of the patients. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been a routine practice in the surgical treatment of patients with breast cancer. However, direct visualization/confirmation by imaging technology of the lymphatic flow from the mammary gland to draining lymph nodes in each patient will greatly circumvent limitations of the current biopsy method. To this end, we developed a dynamic micro-MR mammo-lymphangiography method to visualize the lymphatic flow from the breast region to draining lymph nodes to identify a sentinel lymph node and determine the presence or absence of nodal metastasis. We synthesized a new macromolecular MRI contrast agent (G6; 240 kD) based on a generation-6 polyamidoamine dendrimer and employed a non-invasive micro-MRI to visualize the lymphatic flow from the mammary gland to draining lymph nodes in mice with implanted or spontaneous (HER2 transgenic) mammary tumors on a 3D-cine display. The G6 agent enabled visualization of the lymphatic flow from the mammary gland to both metastatic and non-metastatic draining lymph nodes. In contrast, a conventional MR contrast agent, Gd-[DTPA]-dimeglumine (
Gender differences in arousal priming effects on humor advertising

Numerous studies have observed arousal and mood effects on ad processing, but no study has examined the ways in which the core arousal effect in humor advertising, which could make or break humor a...
Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Upfront Surgical Resection for Pancreatic Cancer Is Uncommon Yet Associated With Improved Survival.

Multiple trials have demonstrated a survival benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to identify the rate for completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, factors associated with completion, and its impact on survival after surgical resection. The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Medicare-linked data was used to identify patients who underwent upfront resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2004 to 2013. Billing codes were used to quantify receipt and completion of chemotherapy. Factors associated with completion of chemotherapy were identified using multivariable regression. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional-hazards modeling were used to examine survival. The inclusion criteria were met by 2440 patients. Of these patients, 65% received no adjuvant chemotherapy, 28% received incomplete therapy, and 7% completed chemotherapy. The factors associated with chemotherapy completion were nodal metastases and treatment at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center (p ≤ 0.05). Comorbidities decreased the odds of completion (p ≤ 0.05). The median overall survival (OS) was 14 months for the patients who received no adjuvant chemotherapy, 17 months for those who received incomplete adjuvant chemotherapy, and 22 months for those who completed adjuvant chemotherapy (p ≤ 0.05). More recent diagnosis, comorbidities, T stage, nodal metastases, and no adjuvant chemotherapy were associated with an increased hazard ratio for death (p ≤ 0.05). Evaluation of 15 or more nodes and completion of chemotherapy decreased the hazard ratio for death (p ≤ 0.05). Only 7% of the Medicare patients who underwent upfront resection for pancreatic cancer completed adjuvant chemotherapy, yet completion of adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved OS. Completion of adjuvant chemotherapy should be the goal after upfront resection, but neoadjuvant chemotherapy may ensure that patients receive systemic chemotherapy.
Sleep in Social Cognition and Judgment

To successfully navigate the social world, individuals must be able to employ appropriate social cognitive processes to guide behaviors. This includes the ability to perceive and comprehend the behaviors and social dispositions of oneself and that of others, and place these perceptions into the context of one’s own interpersonal norms before a behavior can be enacted. Due to its complexity, social functioning is mediated by a number of factors, including sleep quantity and quality. Our society is currently facing a sleep loss epidemic, and unfortunately such frequent and cumulative sleep loss can have drastic consequences on an individual’s social functioning. Sleep loss impairs decision-making, self-regulation, and emotional processing - all of which impact social cognitive processes. This chapter provides a concise overview of the available literature assessing sleep loss in the context of social cognition and judgment. Sleep loss has been shown to unmask biases, prejudices, and ethical behavior. In addition, sleep loss significantly impacts social decision-making and prosocial behaviors such as trust, bargaining, altruism, and general team dynamics. Research efforts in these areas should utilize naturalistic testing paradigms and sleep schedules to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between sleep and social cognition.
Bayesian dropout approximation in deep learning neural networks: analysis of self-aligned quadruple patterning

Predictive modeling of the pitch-walk variance from multistep coupled processes, such as SAQP using experimental metrology observables, has the potential to give both deep understanding and a control mechanism for pitch-walk variance. In this study, with the Bayesian dropout approximation, a methodology using Bayesian inference via use of stochastic neural networks was employed to both model and predict the SAQP pitch-walk variance distribution. Bayesian neural networks were implemented as variational ensembles of networks with hidden layers, where the neural net training uses conventional dropout, while the forward solves employ a dropout Bayesian vector methodology previously developed by Gal and Ghahramani.1, 2 An important distinction here is that the forward propagations effectively sample the network to make a prediction, resulting in a distribution of outputs achieving the best model, not just a single expectation value. A complete dataset of fin module OCD metrology measurements per chip at top mandrel, bottom mandrel, and final fin reveal were used. Since the measured dataset was limited to small number chip locations, data augmentation with the highly efficient method of the volume of simplex was used to generate 30K samples. The synthetic data and the experimental data were used for neural network calibration and validation, respectively.
5.12 – Neuroimmunology

The nervous and immune systems are known to communicate with each other to influence each other’s function. A role for such a bidirectional communication in helping to maintain homeostasis is becoming well established. However, any type of miscommunication between the two systems and its relevance in mediating the development and/or progression of a disease state remain inconclusive and understudied. The latter limitation is complicated further when one considers that the nervous and immune systems are often studied as separate disciplines, which contributes much to an understanding of how each system functions autonomously, but not to an understanding of how a communication between the two systems might be relevant clinically. This chapter will review the evidence supporting the existence of a functional line of communication between the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system, with a particular emphasis on the role of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine and immune cell-derived cytokines in modulating immune and nervous system function, respectively. This chapter will also discuss some possibilities as to how a toxicant might target this neuroimmune communication to potentially affect immune responsiveness, contribute to a disruption in homeostasis, and subsequently contribute to the possible development of clinical disease, without ever directly affecting any cells of the immune system itself.
David, King of Israel, and Caleb in Biblical Memory: Ittai the Gittite

After the account of Uriah, the remainder of the Book of Samuel, as well as the first chapters of Kings, depicts the problems that beset David throughout the remainder of his reign. The authors recount these problems as a way of proving the veracity of Nathan’s declaration – that “the sword shall henceforth never depart from your house.” Of all the blocks of material portraying the crises within David’s household, the largest is the account of David’s flight from Absalom. It illustrates the scourge that plagued David after his murder of Uriah. But it also frames the story of his life. It depicts him ending his career in the same way he began it – seeking refuge from his adversaries. Although the identity of his adversary has changed, many other features remain the same. As in the account of David’s flight from Saul, the authors used this narrative as a framework in which they embed little episodes that commemorate the loyalty and wartime contributions of some groups and document the duplicity and betrayal of others. My task in this and the following chapter will be to examine the texture of the Absalom account. I will focus on the various political issues that its authors address through the means of war commemoration.
Trans-Ocular Electric Current In Vivo Enhances AAV-Mediated Retinal Transduction in Large Animal Eye After Intravitreal Vector Administration

Author(s): Song, Hongman; Zeng, Yong; Sardar Pasha, Sheik Pran Babu; Bush, Ronald A; Vijayasarathy, Camasamudram; Qian, Haohua; Wei, Lisa; Wiley, Henry E; Wu, Zhijian; Sieving, Paul A | Abstract: PurposeElectric micro-current has been shown to enhance penetration and transduction of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors in mouse retina after intravitreal administration. We termed this: "electric-current vector mobility (ECVM)." The present study considered whether ECVM could augment retinal transduction efficiency of intravitreal AAV8-CMV-EGFP in normal rabbit and nonhuman primate (NHP) macaque. Potential mechanisms underlying enhanced retinal transduction by ECVM were also studied.MethodsWe applied an electric micro-current across the intact eye of normal rabbit and monkey in vivo for a brief period immediately after intravitreal injection of AAV8-CMV-EGFP. Retinal GFP expression was evaluated by fundus imaging in vivo. Retinal immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the distribution of retinal cells transduced by the AAV8-EGFP. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was analyzed by quantitative RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Muller glial reactivity and inner limiting membrane (ILM) were examined by the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin staining in mouse retina, respectively.ResultsECVM significantly increased the efficiency of AAV reaching and transducing the rabbit retina following intravitreal injection, with gene expression in inner nuclear layer, ganglion cells, and Muller cells. Similar trend of improvement was observed in the ECVM-treated monkey eye. The electric micro-current upregulated bFGF expression in Muller cells and vimentin showed ILM structural changes in mouse retina.ConclusionsECVM promotes the transduction efficiency of AAV8-CMV-GFP in normal rabbit and monkey retinas following intravitreal injection.Translational relevanceThis work has potential translational relevance to human ocular gene therapy by increasing retinal expression of therapeutic vectors given by intravitreal administration.
The Effect of Coordinated Replenishment Policies on Quality

Coordinated replenishment is a supply chain policy that affects many operational performance measures, including cost, lead time, and quality. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model of a simplified supply chain in which conformance quality is one of the supplier's decision variables and both the supplier and its customer are trying to minimize expected annual cost. Our expected cost model includes the important quality costs (appraisal, prevention, internal failure, and external failure) as well as holding, set-up, and ordering costs. Our results indicate that coordination leads to a decline in total cost but that coordination does not necessarily lead to an improvement in quality. In other words, buyers who are using coordinated replenishment may be trading higher quality for lower cost.
Simulation Based Educational Intervention for Enhancing Irrigation Skills of Nurses Caring for Patients With Cutaneous Continent Urinary Diversions and Orthotopic Neobladders.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a nurse practitioner-led simulation-based education program on nursing knowledge and confidence in the care of patients with a cutaneous continent urinary diversion (Indiana pouch) or orthotopic neobladder. Design Single-group, before-after study. Subjects and setting The sample comprised 11 RNs practicing at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Subjects were predominantly female, ethnically diverse, and held a bachelor's degree. About half of the subjects had less than 3 years of experience, and more than half reported prior experience caring for patients with a urinary diversion. Methods Participants completed a demographic survey, and a continent urinary diversion confidence survey and pretest measuring knowledge of nursing care of patients with a urinary diversion. Following baseline data collection, an educational session focused on the irrigation of a continent urinary diversion was made available for participants to review. An onsite simulation experience was scheduled several weeks later. Investigators provided education on proper irrigation of a continent urinary diversion and observed participants' skills when irrigating a continent urinary diversion on a high-fidelity simulated patient mannequin. The simulation intervention was followed by video replay and debrief providing feedback on each participant's performance. At the conclusion of the onsite simulation intervention, participants completed a postintervention confidence survey and a knowledge posttest related to the care of a continent urinary diversion. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze baseline and postintervention changes in nursing knowledge and confidence. Results Participants achieved significant improvements in knowledge (P = .005) and confidence (P = .009) following the simulation-based educational intervention. Conclusions A nurse practitioner-led simulation-based educational program for RNs caring for patients with continent urinary diversions demonstrates enhanced nursing knowledge and confidence caring for patients with continent urinary diversions. We anticipate this experience will enhance care we provided to patients undergoing cystectomy and continent cutaneous urinary diversion or orthotopic neobladder construction.
Improving intention to back projects with effective designs of progress presentation in crowdfunding campaign sites

Abstract Despite the crucial role a crowdfunding campaign webpage can play in attracting potential backers, there has been a lack of theory-driven studies to investigate how to design effective campaign webpages for successful campaigns. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, HCI theories, and literature on information diagnosticity, this study investigates how the effects of progress presentation designs can improve intention to back a crowdfunding campaign project. A total of 463 subjects participated in two controlled experiments. MANCOVA and subsequent ANCOVA tests were conducted. We find significant effects of progress cue designs on backers' perceptions, in turn inducing their intention to back projects.
The Overlooked Import of Masterpiece Cakeshop

The Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is widely construed as a narrowly tailored opinion with minimal import for the Court’s Free Exercise Clause jurisprudence. This paper submits that in fact, the opinion establishes two largely overlooked but significant principles that must guide future litigation relating to the Free Exercise Clause. It is argued that these components of the Court’s analysis are central to its holding and therefore carry the full weight of stare decisis. The first relates specifically to cases in which free exercise rights collide with the civil rights of LGBT persons, as in Masterpiece itself. The second applies more broadly across free exercise cases in which the purported claim is discrimination against religion in an adjudicatory context. Part I is broken into two sections. Part I (A) posits that Masterpiece elevated important dicta from the Court’s opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges to the full status of a “holding”. Part I (B) argues that Masterpiece implicitly rejected a powerful argument often advanced by LGBT litigants and activists in antidiscrimination cases. Part II explains that Masterpiece did more than simply reaffirm the Court’s opinion in Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah.
SU-E-T-171: Characterization of the New Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy Source Using PRESAGE Dosimeters

Purpose: To characterize the Xoft Axxent electronic brachytherapy source using PRESAGE™ dosimeters to obtain independent confirmation of TG-43U1 dosimetry values from previous studies and ascertain its reproducibility in HDR brachytherapy. Methods: PRESAGE™ dosimeters are solid, polyurethane-based dosimeters doped with radiochromic leucodyes that produce a linear optical-density response when exposed to radiation. Eight 1-kg dosimeters were scanned prior to irradiation on an optical-CT scanner to eliminate background signal and any optical imperfections from each dosimeter. To quantify potential imaging artifacts due to oversaturated responses in the immediate range of the source, half of the eight dosimeters were cast with a smaller channel diameter of 5.4 mm, and the other half were cast with a larger channel diameter of 15mm. During irradiation, the catheters were placed in the center of each channel. Catheters fit the 5.4mm diameters channels whereas polyurethane plugs were inserted into the larger channels to create a sturdy, immobile catheter which allowed uniform dose distributions. Two dosimeters of each 5.4mm and 15mm were irradiated at either 1517.3 cGy or 2017.5 cGy. Post-irradiation scans were performed within 48 hours of irradiation. A 3D reconstruction based on subtraction of these two images and the relative dose measurements were made using in-house software. Results: Comparing measured radial dose rates with previous results revealed smaller percent errors when PRESAGE™ irradiations were at lower maximum dose. The dosimeters showed small deviations in radial dose function, gp (r), from previous studies. Among the dosimeters irradiated at 1517.3 cGy, the gp(r) compared to previous studies fluctuated from 0.0043 to 0.3922. This suggests small fluctuations can drastically change radial dose calculations. Conclusion: The subtraction of pre-irradiation and post-irradiation scans of PRESAGE™ dosimeters using an optical-CT scanner shows promising results in determining 3D dosimetry for Xoft Axxent devices; however, further research is recommended. NIH Grant#: 5-U24-CA081647-13; ROI Grant#: 5R01CA100835
Sampling, Quantization and Reconstruction

This chapter discusses sampling, quantization, and reconstruction aspects of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog signal conversion processes with the help of suitable examples. The aliasing effect becomes evident, when the normalized frequency f/fs of the discrete signal becomes greater than 0.5 or the Nyquist frequency. A case structure is generally used to handle the sampling cases with aliasing and without aliasing. If the normalized frequency is greater than 0.5, as corresponding to the True case, the third sine wave virtual instrument (VI) generates an aliased signal. All the inputs are the same, except for the aliased signal frequency. The analog frequency should satisfy the particular condition in order to avoid any discontinuity in discrete Fourier transform (DFT). The chapter also explains signal reconstruction VI that exhibits a sampled signal and its reconstructed version. In order to reconstruct an analog signal from the sampled signal, a convolution operation with a sinc function is carried out.
Phosphorylation of mammalian RNA polymerase II.

Abstract This chapter has described procedures for the phosphorylation of mammalian RNAP II with CKII and CTD kinases. The naturally occurring CKII site at the C terminus of the largest mammalian RNAP II subunit provides a convenient means to tag RNAP II with 32 P. The positioning of 32 P at the CKII site, in conjunction with the change in electrophoretic mobility that accompanies the multisite phosphorylation of the CTD, has provided a convenient assay for CTD kinase and CTD phosphatase. Furthermore, the utilization of CKII-labeled RNAP II in in vitro transcription reactions has made it possible to establish the state of CTD phosphorylation as a function of the progression of RNAP II through the transcription cycle. The ability to convert RNAP IIA to RNAP IIO by phosphorylation with different CTD kinases should facilitate both an analysis of the function of specific CTD kinases and a critical examination of the idea that phosphorylation of the CTD with CTD kinases of different specificities differentially affect RNAP II activity.
Primitives Merging For Rapid 3D Modeling

Developing three dimensional models of infrastructure and construction in progress can be useful for designing modifications, for tracking work completed, and for facilitating advanced equipment control and safety functions. An emerging 3D modeling method involves scanning scenes with laser ranging devices. The resulting dense or sparse point clouds are converted to primitive geometric objects. Merging those objects is useful for visualization and advanced manipulation. Factors that influence this merging process are identified here. Heuristics are proposed for automated merging, and initial results presented.
Bone-muscle crosstalk: more than mechanical (704.3)

The intricacy of cell interactions with their microenvironment and their ability to communicate at the autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine levels continues to be revealed. Until recently, the muscu...
Scale matters: Indicators of ecological health along the urban–rural interface near Columbus, Georgia

Abstract Ecological data obtained from field plots can provide detailed information about ecosystem structure and function. However, this information typically reflects processes that occur over small spatial areas. Accordingly, it is difficult to extrapolate these data to patterns and processes that take place at regional scales. Satellite imagery can provide a means to explore environmental variables over a larger area. Therefore, our main objective was to examine the utility of a regional ecological assessment tool using landscape indicators of ecosystem health in a rapidly developing area of West Georgia near the city of Columbus. Indicator variables included in the assessment were: population density and change, road density, percent forest land-cover, forest patch density, landscape Shannon's Diversity Index, proportion of all streams with roads within 30 m, proportion of area that has agriculture on slopes >3%, proportion of all streams with adjacent agriculture, and proportion of all streams with adjacent forest cover. Cluster analysis was used to combine these variables into different groups, and resulting cluster means were used to rank regional areas according to degree of environmental impact. To assess the spatial accuracy of this tool results were compared to those obtained from a separate plot-level field-based forest condition study. Results derived using the landscape ecological assessment tool suggest that rural areas were the least environmentally impacted (or most healthy) of all areas in West Georgia, and support the findings from the field study. Results for developing areas were mixed between the two different studies and may be attributed to differences in scale. Overall, it appears that this tool is useful for broad generalizations about a given landscape, but is not detailed enough for site-specific management goals due to its inherent coarse spatial resolution (30 m × 30 m). However, these site-specific goals may be achieved using higher resolution (1 m × 1 m) satellite imagery and warrants further research. In any case, this tool is a useful asset for anyone needing a rapid diagnosis of ecosystem health in an inexpensive and timely manner.
Colorimetric detection of anthrax DNA with a peptide nucleic acid sandwich-hybridization assay

Technologies for genomic detection most commonly use DNA probes to hybridize to target sequences. To achieve required sensitivity, the use of PCR to amplify target sequences has remained standard practice in many labs. Direct detection methods that eliminate the requirement for a PCR step could afford faster and simpler devices that can be used outside of a laboratory. We have developed a sandwich-hybridization DNA detection system in which the DNA detection probes are replaced with a class of synthetic nucleic acid mimics called peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). There are numerous advantages to using PNA instead of DNA probes in hybridization assays, including complete resistance to degradation by enzymes, increased sequence specificity to complementary DNA, and higher stability when bound with complementary DNA. In this communication, several different strategies are described to improve and fine-tune the properties of PNA so that anthrax DNA can be detected at a 10 zmol limit. Key to the success of these s...
Specifying and solving Boolean constraint problems in relational databases: a case study

A two-part approach for extending relational database systems to solve boolean constraint problems is presented. The first is a SQL-extension frontend for specifying boolean constraint problems, and the second is a coupling of constraint solvers with the database engine in the backend. The language extension is high-level and domain-specific, thereby allowing users to focus on writing specifications at the abstraction level of the problem domain. Both a stand-alone solver and a stored-procedure solver are integrated in the backend, and a simple approach for finding "acceptable answers" to overly-constrained problems is discussed. A prototype system is described along with an application to scheduling tennis matches.
Resolution dependent relative dispersion statistics in a hierarchy of ocean models

Abstract In order to determine the effect of Eulerian spatial resolution on the two particle statistics of synthetic drifter trajectories, we examine a hierarchy of ocean models, starting from 2D turbulence simulations, progressing to idealized simulations of a buoyant coastal jet with ROMS, and finally to realistic HYCOM simulations of the Gulf Stream. In each case, particle dispersion at large time and space scales is found to be controlled by energetic meso-scale features of the flow that are relatively insensitive to the resolution of finer scale motions. In all cases, time-distance graphs given in terms of computed Finite Scale Lyapunov Exponents show an expected increase in the extent of exponential scaling with increasing spatial smoothing of the velocity field. The limiting value of the FSLE at small separation distances is found to scale remarkably well with the resolution of Eulerian velocity gradients as given by the average of positive Okubo–Weiss parameter values.
Individual differences in social referencing

The present study investigated the relation between individual differences in temperamental fear and referencing, affect and behavior regulation, and quality of parent messages in two groups of infants (younger, 11 to 15 months; older, 16 to 22 months). Fifty-five infants participated with a parent in a laboratory social referencing situation, involving two message conditions (positive/fearful). Temperamental fear was assessed by parent report. Quality of parents' messages was influenced by temperamental fear, with parents providing higher quality positive and lower quality fearful messages to high fear boys. Temperamental fear and regulation were related in the younger group of infants, with infants classified as low fear demonstrating affect and behavior regulation. Gender was related to affect regulation across both age groups; girls showed regulation, whereas boys did not. These findings indicated that individual differences in temperament are related to regulation and parents' messages, but not to child looking at parents.
β‐carotene uptake and effects on intracellular levels of retinol in vitro

The purpose of the present study was to determine beta-carotene uptake and resultant effects on intracellular levels of retinol in cell lines of varied origin. Human skin fibroblasts, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, rabbit corneal epithelial cells, and rat liver cells were studied. Cells were cultured in medium supplemented with beta-carotene in a water-dispersible beadlet formulation. At selected intervals, cells and media were sampled and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for beta-carotene and retinol content. beta-Carotene was taken up by all four cell lines. An increase in the intracellular levels of retinol was concomitant with beta-carotene uptake in all cell lines. The uptake of beta-carotene and the increase in intracellular retinol were highest in the two fibroblast cell lines. Incubation with media supplemented with crystalline beta-carotene, dissolved in tetrahydrofuran, resulted in significantly lower beta-carotene uptake and intracellular retinol levels. We view these results as a demonstration that a wide variety of cells, cultured in vitro, are able to convert beta-carotene to retinol. Therefore, beta-carotene's provitamin A activity should be carefully considered when the protective effects of beta-carotene in vitro are interpreted.
Comparative biochemistry of Haliotis pigmentation: Unusual bilipeptides of Haliotis cracherodii

Abstract 1. 1. The outer prismatic layer of the black abalone Haliotis cracherodii has been shown to contain two highly acidic bilipeptides, both with different bilin chromophores: 2. 2. The blue peptide (0.41 mg/g shell weight) has a mol. wt 5600, with approx 36% of the residues composed of aspartic acid and glycine in an approx 1:1 molar ratio. 3. 3. The green peptide (1.31 mg/g shell weight) has a mol. wt 5300, and contains approx 83% aspartic acid and glycine in a 3:2 molar ratio. 4. 4. These results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that suggests that repeating sequences of the (Asp-Y)n type are involved in shell calcification.