cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The characteristics of women smokers concerned about postcessation weight gain.

Concern about weight gain after quitting smoking is common among women, however, little is known about the characteristics of women concerned about this weight gain. We characterized concerns about smoking and weight, smoking behaviors and eating attitudes among weight-concerned women smokers. Women (N=219) were participants in a larger trial comparing different approaches to treating postcessation weight gain concerns, and endorsed considerable concern about postcessation weight gain. Women completed assessments of smoking behavior, nicotine dependence and eating attitudes prior to beginning treatment. Although weight-concerned women smokers expected to gain 16.5 lb after quitting, most were willing to tolerate a weight gain of only 5 lb. A substantial number expressed unwillingness to gain any weight at all. However, weight-concerned women did not have elevated nicotine dependency or aberrant eating attitudes. Thus, although weight-concerned women smokers expected to gain large amounts of weight after quitting, they expressed a willingness to tolerate only minimal weight gain. The discrepancy between expected and tolerable weight gain may undermine efforts to quit smoking in this group of women.
A Scalable 5–15 Gbps, 14–75 mW Low-Power I/O Transceiver in 65 nm CMOS

We present a scalable low-power I/O transceiver in 65 nm CMOS, capable of 5-15 Gbps operation over single-board and backplane FR4 channels with power efficiencies between 2.8-6.5 mW/Gbps. Nonlinear power-performance tradeoff is achieved by the use of scalable transceiver circuit blocks and joint optimization of the supply voltage, bias currents and driver power with data rate. Low-power operation is enabled by passive equalization through inductive link termination, active continuous-time RX equalization, global TX/RX clock distribution with on-die transmission lines, and low-noise offset-calibrated receivers.
Serum lipids and glucose tolerance in diabetes during therapy with a thyromimetic agent.

Ingestion of a thyromimetic compound, beta-diethylaminoethyl-3, 5 diiodo-4-(3′ iodo-4′methoxy phenoxy) phenylacetate HCL, in daily doses of 8 to 32 mg. during successive 4 week periods by 11 adults with diabetes mellitus of juvenile onset was accompanied by a decrease in serum cholesterol (Sperry-Schoenheimer method). This effect appeared earlier and during smaller doses (8 mg. per day for 2 or 4 weeks) in patients with cholesterol levels in the lower range. In those with higher cholesterol levels the hypocholesterolemic action became evident at the 20 mg. per day dose. The serum total triglycerides and the alpha and beta lipoprotein partition of cholesterol and triglycerides were not affected. The serum total iodine, inorganic iodine, protein-bound iodine (PBI), butanol extractable iodine (BEI), and the urinary total iodine all increased in proportion to the increased intake of this agent. The binding of T3 to blood cells was not affected. Thyroidal I131 uptake and the usual increase in uptake which follows thyrotropic hormone (TSH) were suppressed during drug ingestion. Slight tachycardia and limited weight loss occurred as the dosage was increased. Diastolic blood pressure decreased in the majority of cases during treatment with this compound. There were no clinically significant changes in the status of the diabetes mellitus, except for possible suppression of hyperglycemia follOWing a glucose load.
The Linkage of Liquidity, Corporate Governance, and Firm Value: Evidence from Russia

This paper examines the channel relationship of liquidity, corporate governance, and firm valuation for Russian firms over the period of 2005 to 2007. We test the hypotheses that liquidity improves corporate governance, and better corporate governance enhances firm value. We form the system of equations of liquidity measures (share turnover, market value turnover and the Amihud liquidity ratio), the transparency and disclosure (T&D) scores, and firm valuation (market value equity). The results show that liquidity has a significant positive effect on corporate governance for Russian firms, which consequently increases firm valuation. The empirical evidence is consistent with that in previous studies of other countries.
Notes on Clavarioid Fungi. XII. Miscellaneous Notes on Clavariadelphus, and a New Segregate Genus

The nomenclatural history and taxonomic characters of Clavariadelphus fistulosus are reviewed, and a new genus, Macrotyphula, proposed to accommodate this species. Macrochemical reactions on North ...
EFFICACY OF SELECTED INSECTICIDES ON CABBAGE LOOPER AND DIAMONDBACK MOTH ON CABBAGE IN SOUTH TEXAS, 2003

The test was conducted at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco, TX. Cabbage was planted on 3 Feb 2003. Insecticides were applied on 17 Mar, 1, 15 and 29 Apr. The materials were applied using a tractor-mounted sprayer with three ceramic hollow cone nozzles per row (TX-10, one over the plants, two on drops) at 100 psi and at a delivery rate of 30 gpa. Sampling was conducted weekly until 13 May. Numbers of small and large larvae of CL and DBM were counted by checking both the upper and lower surfaces of every leaf on each of 10 plants per plot. At termination, a damage/quality evaluation was made on 10 plants per plot based on the following six categories: 0 = no damage, 1 = minor feeding damage (1% eaten), 2 = minor-moderate feeding damage (2–5% eaten), 3 = moderate damage (6–10% eaten), 4 = moderate-heavy damage (11–30% eaten), and 5 = heavy damage (>30% eaten). Numbers of larvae per plant from each plot and the damage rankings were subjected to ANOVA, and the means were separated using LSD (P ≤ 0.05).
Model-Based Fault Detection and Isolation in Automotive Electrical Systems

This paper deals with the design and validation, through simulation in a Matlab/Simulink and SABER environment, of model-based diagnostic algorithms for an automotive electric power generation system (EPGS). The EPGS includes alternator with rectifier, a battery, and a voltage regulator. The mathematic models of these subsystems, based on the physics of the processes involved, consist of time-varying nonlinear ODEs. The diagnostic problem focuses on the detection and isolation of a specific set of alternator faults, including belt slipping, rectifier fault and voltage regulator fault. An in-depth analysis of the models is conducted in order to understand the effects of different failure modes on system performance; subsequently, an equivalent input-output model of the alternator is formulated and parameterized. The equivalent model permits considerable simplification of the algorithms. The proposed diagnostic approach is based on the generation of residuals obtained using system models and comparing the predicted and measured value of selected variables, including alternator output current, field voltage, battery current, battery voltage and battery temperature. This paper presents the models, diagnostic algorithms and simulation results.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Gas chromatographic analysis of estrogens. I. Preparation and measurement of the heptafluorobutyrates.

A simple method is described for the introduction of samples to a gas Chromatograph by means of a septumless port. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method have been shown by the analysis of ng quantities of estrone, estradiol, and estriol as the heptafluorobutyrates with an electron capture detector.
Error Analysis and Implementation of AC High Accuracy Measurement

Analysis was made to the several factors affecting AC collection accuracy and the corresponding solutions. The design plan, which took the A/D converter, MAX11046 and the float-point digital signal processor, TMS320F28335 as the hardware platform, was put forth. The results show that voltages and currents measurement accuracy of the designed plan reaches one-thousandth, the error accuracy of power is less than three-thousandth and the error accuracy of frequency is less than 0.05 percent.
Feature Point Extraction of Onboard DEM and Its Compression

To make full use of the physiognomy characteristics and improve compression efficiency when compressing onboard Digital Elevation Model(DEM),a new compressing method based on Radial Basis Function(RBF) neural network was proposed.Denoising process was carried out for the original DEM data to avoid that the noises be mistaken for feature points.Then an algorithm for extracting feature points including terrain ridge line and valleys was given.Finally,the RBF neural network was trained to implement DEM compression by using the extracted feature points.The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of presented method,which can enhance DEM compression effect for onboard use.
Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Advanced Near Net Shape Technology (ANNST) Method for Fabricating Stiffened Cylinders

This cost-benefit analysis assesses the benefits of the Advanced Near Net Shape Technology (ANNST) manufacturing process for fabricating integrally stiffened cylinders. These preliminary, rough order-of-magnitude results report a 46 to 58 percent reduction in production costs and a 7-percent reduction in weight over the conventional metallic manufacturing technique used in this study for comparison. Production cost savings of 35 to 58 percent were reported over the composite manufacturing technique used in this study for comparison; however, the ANNST concept was heavier. In this study, the predicted return on investment of equipment required for the ANNST method was ten cryogenic tank barrels when compared with conventional metallic manufacturing. The ANNST method was compared with the conventional multi-piece metallic construction and composite processes for fabricating integrally stiffened cylinders. A case study compared these three alternatives for manufacturing a cylinder of specified geometry, with particular focus placed on production costs and process complexity, with cost analyses performed by the analogy and parametric methods. Furthermore, a scalability study was conducted for three tank diameters to assess the highest potential payoff of the ANNST process for manufacture of large-diameter cryogenic tanks. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was subsequently used with a group of selected subject matter experts to assess the value of the various benefits achieved by the ANNST method for potential stakeholders. The AHP study results revealed that decreased final cylinder mass and quality assurance were the most valued benefits of cylinder manufacturing methods, therefore emphasizing the relevance of the benefits achieved with the ANNST process for future projects.
Brazilian studies: Online resources for researchers

L'article presente un eventail de ressources en ligne sur le Bresil presentant un interet pour les chercheurs : les index et les catalogues, les bases de donnees pour la recherche en texte integral, les portails et les ressources audiovisuelles.
Chapter 8 – Copper in the Ocean

Publisher Summary Copper can occur in seawater in several forms. The most abundant inorganic complexes of copper at the pH and ionic composition of seawater are CuCO3, various copper-chloride complexes, and Cu(OH)2, the latter as a microparticulate precipitate. Dissolved ionic and complexed copper can be thought of as being in equilibrium with insoluble cupric hydroxide in seawater. Free ionic cupric copper (Cu+2) usually represents less than 5% of the total dissolved inorganic copper in seawater. Copper has a strong affinity for complexation with organic ligands, such as humic substances, dissolved organic matter, and bacterial particles, so little is present in true solution in seawater as toxic inorganic species. The range of concentration of total copper in clean oceanic seawater is 0.05 to 0.35 μg/L at the surface. The concentration of copper may increase to more than 0.5 μg/L at abyssal depths. Concentrations of dissolved copper tend to be higher in estuaries and coastal waters; highest concentrations occur in the low salinity regions of estuaries and decrease with increasing salinity.
Convexity Theory of Probabilistic Constrained Problems

In this chapter we look at the following problems $$ Max\quad G(x) = P({g_1}(x,\xi ) \geqslant 0,{g_2}(x,\xi ) \geqslant 0,...,{g_r}(x,\xi ) \geqslant 0)\quad {\text{subject to }}{h_1}(x) \geqslant {p_{1,}}{h_2}(x) \geqslant {p_2},...,{h_m}(x) \geqslant {p_m}{\text{ }} $$ (10.1.1) and Min h(x) Subject to $$ G(x) = P({g_1}(x,\xi ) \geqslant 0,{g_2}(x,\xi ) \geqslant 0,...,{g_r}({h_m}(x) \geqslant p{\text{ }}{h_1}(x) \geqslant {p_1},{h_2}(x) \geqslant {p_2},...,{h_m}(x) \geqslant {p_m} $$ (10.1.2) where ξ ∊ R q is a random vector, and x ∊R n is the decision vector. We also prove theorems concerning various kinds of concavity (logconcavity, quasi-concavity, g-concavity) of the function G. Some theorems deal directly with the convexity of the set of x vectors satisfying the inequality G(x) ≥ p. This is, as we know, equivalent to the quasi-concavity of G(x).
Testing a Resilience Training Program in Police Recruits: A Pilot Study:

Background:Stress from multiple sources is inherent in law enforcement. However, it is possible to modify responses to stress with resilience training that includes teaching techniques to modify em...
Evaluation of energy contributions using inter-particle forces in granular materials under impact loading

A drop-tower based experimental setup was developed for the impact testing of 2D assembly of cylinders with impactor velocity of around 6 m/s. This drop tower setup was used to load 2D granular assemblies of polyurethane and polycarbonate cylinders of 1 $$^{\prime \prime }$$ –1.25 $$^{\prime \prime }$$ length with three different diameters of 1/4 $$^{\prime \prime }$$ , 3/8 $$^{\prime \prime }$$ and 1/2 $$^{\prime \prime }$$ . A high speed camera was used for recording the images at speeds between 10,000 and 55,000 fps to monitor the deformation of the cylinders. Kinematic and strain fields in individual grains during each experiment were measured using digital image correlation. These experimentally measured strain and kinematic fields were used as inputs for the granular element method (GEM) based force inference technique and the inter-particle forces in normal and tangential direction were determined at every contact in each experiment. The inter-particle forces at each contact can facilitate the calculation of frictional work done at each contact. The GEM based inter-particle forces for a simple 2 particle granular assembly were found to be in good agreement with predictions from ABAQUS explicit based FEM simulation. The influence of different model parameters was also characterized such as grain stiffness, frictional co-efficient was investigated qualitatively. The impact response of the various ordered granular assemblies was also investigated using the GEM approach and the effect of local defects such as voids or layering of granular materials on the wave propagation phenomena is also studied. The presence of the point or line defects have significant effects on the wave propagation in the granular assemblies due to wave scattering and attenuation.
An updated synthesis of [11C]carfentanil for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the μ-opioid receptor

[11 C]Carfentanil ([11 C]CFN) is a selective radiotracer for in vivo positron emission tomography imaging studies of the μ-opioid system that, in our laboratories, is synthesized by methylation of the corresponding carboxylate precursor with [11 C]MeOTf, and purified using a C2 solid-phase extraction cartridge. Changes in the commercial availability of common C2 cartridges have necessitated future proofing the synthesis of [11 C]CFN to maintain reliable delivery of the radiotracer for clinical imaging studies. An updated synthesis of [11 C]CFN is reported that replaces a now obsolete purification cartridge with a new commercially available version and also substitutes the organic solvents used in traditional production methods with ethanol.
Validation of WINROP for detecting retinopathy of prematurity in a North American cohort of preterm infants

Background WINROP (weight, insulin-like growth factor 1, neonatal, retinopathy of prematurity) is a web-based retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) risk algorithm that uses postnatal weight gain as a surrogate of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to predict the risk of severe ROP in premature infants. The purpose of this study was to validate the web-based algorithm WINROP in detecting severe (type 1 or type 2) ROP in a North American cohort of infants. Methods The records of consecutive infants who underwent ROP examinations between 2008 and 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Infants were classified into categories of “alarm” (at risk for developing severe ROP) and “no alarm” (minimal risk for severe ROP). Results A total of 483 were included. Alarm occurred in 241 neonates (50%), with the median time from birth to alarm of 2 weeks. WINROP had a sensitivity of 81.8% (95% CI, 67.3%-91.8%) and specificity of 53.3% (95% CI, 48.5%-58.0%) for identifying infants with severe ROP. Eight of the 44 infants with severe ROP were not detected (5 with type 1 and 3 with type 2). Of these 8 infants, 7 (88%) had birth weight in excess of the 70th pecentile. With additional weight data entry, sensitivity of WINROP rose to 88.6%. Conclusions Very preterm infants (gestational age of ≤27 weeks) with relatively high birth weight for gestational age may not be detected by WINROP as high risk for developing severe ROP.
Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities of a Novel Synthetic Cyclic Lipopeptide against Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans UA159

Despite continuous efforts to control cariogenic dental biofilms, very few effective antimicrobial treatments exist. In this study, we characterized the activity of the novel synthetic cyclic lipopeptide 4 (CLP-4), derived from fusaricidin, against the cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans UA159. We determined CLP-4's MIC, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and spontaneous resistance frequency, and we performed time-kill assays. Additionally, we assessed CLP-4's potential to inhibit biofilm formation and eradicate preformed biofilms. Our results demonstrate that CLP-4 has strong antibacterial activity in vitro and is a potent bactericidal agent with low spontaneous resistance frequency. At a low concentration of 5 μg/ml, CLP-4 completely inhibited S. mutans UA159 biofilm formation, and at 50 μg/ml, it reduced the viability of established biofilms by >99.99%. We also assessed CLP-4's cytotoxicity and stability against proteolytic digestion. CLP-4 withstood trypsin or chymotrypsin digestion even after treatment for 24 h, and our toxicity studies showed that CLP-4 effective concentrations had negligible effects on hemolysis and the viability of human oral fibroblasts. In summary, our findings showed that CLP-4 is a potent antibacterial and antibiofilm agent with remarkable stability and low nonspecific cytotoxicity. Hence, CLP-4 is a promising novel antimicrobial peptide with potential for clinical application in the prevention and treatment of dental caries.
Implementation of deep learning neural network for real-time object recognition in OpenCL framework

Deep learning neural network is very powerful to deal with signal processing, computer vision and many other recognition problems since its high accuracy. The CUDA based framework is a mainstream in deep learning models. In this paper, we present OpenCL based implementation of the most advanced deep learning framework. Our work shows following contributions: (1) It is a real-time object recognition framework. (2) Our framework can work across variety of compute devices, e.g., Mali and AMD, etc. (3) The framework can be applied in various constraint situations, such as portable devices (embedded system) or low power applications (embedded system and FPGA).
Endometrial Carcinoma—Molecular Genetic Aspects

The molecular genetic characterization of endometrial carcinoma has clearly contributed to the understanding of this common disease. However, the interpretation of such studies has relied on careful clinicopathological classification of the tumors. Many of the early molecular genetic studies of endometrial carcinoma were hampered by the lack of careful tumor classification. Much of the problem was related to the fact that the classification scheme, described in the previous chapter, initially described in 1983 has only recently gained widespread acceptance. Consequently, and understandably, many of the early studies did not clearly state the type (or types) of endometrial carcinomas that were included. Additionally, many studies that classified tumors lacked significant numbers to allow the results from the different tumor types to be assessed independently, partly because of the fact that type II tumors are relatively uncommon. However, recent molecular genetic studies have supported the dualistic categorization of endometrial carcinoma and have resulted in important insights into the pathogenesis of the two major types of carcinoma (Fig. 1). In addition, such studies are beginning to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of some of the more uncommon types of endometrial carcinoma that are not so easily classified in the dualistic model of endometrial carcinoma. This chapter will focus primarily on the molecular studies that have supported the dualistic model and a short discussion on one of the more uncommon forms of endometrial carcinoma. In addition, the relationship between genetics and hormones in the context of endometrial carcinoma will be briefly discussed followed by a short introduction of a genetic mouse model of endometrial carcinoma.
The Middle Ground of the NDE R&D Spectrum

Our keynote talk today has several objectives: First, we want to call attention, as some of us have before, to the interdisciplinary nature of NDE science and technology and some approaches for fostering RD we feel that they were both necessary and evolutionary. Many of you are probably familiar with these changes by now but there may be some residual concerns or questions in your minds. Since I was the initiating influence behind most of them, it is appropriate for you to hear me say what they are and what they aren’t, and to have an opportunity to question us. Finally and most importantly, we want to enlist your participation in the difficult task of identifying exploratory development programs—and we will try to define this term—which will benefit from the growing science base that all of us are helping to develop. We hope to stimulate the interaction between people such as you and the consumers of the evolving NDE technology in order to identify reduction-to-practice possibilities that should be pursued.
Assessment of prior opioid tolerance among new users of fentanyl transdermal system in FDA's Sentinel System.

PURPOSE Fentanyl transdermal system (FTS) is intended only for patients with prior opioid tolerance. The purpose of this study is to identify the proportion of new FTS users who had evidence of prior opioid tolerance, by dosage strength, in FDA's Sentinel System. METHODS We identified new FTS episodes (183-day washout) from 2009 through 2013. Members were <65 years and enrolled in medical and pharmacy coverage for 183 days prior to initial FTS dispensing (index). We assessed the proportion of users with prior tolerance stratified by dosage strength of FTS using four definitions of opioid tolerance: ≥30-mg oxycodone equivalents/day in each of 7 consecutive days immediately prior to index; ≥30-mg oxycodone equivalents/day for any 7 days in the 30 days prior to index (secondary); any dose in each of 7 days in the 7 consecutive days immediately prior to index (tertiary); and any dose for any 7 days in the 30 days prior to index (quaternary). RESULTS Of 44 450 episodes of 25 mcg/hr FTS, 37% met the primary definition, and 77% met the quaternary definition. Of 3507 episodes of 100 mcg/hr FTS, 57% and 74% met the primary and quaternary definitions, respectively. Those aged 25 to 34 years had the highest proportion of episodes with prior tolerance; those aged 55 to 64 accounted for more of the episodes overall. CONCLUSIONS In Sentinel, many new users of FTS did not have evidence of prior opioid tolerance by the primary definition, ie, the product label definition, which is the minimum standard for the lowest FTS dose (12 mcg/hr), especially at the highest strength (100 mcg/hr). Validation of this metric is warranted, but our findings suggest the need for further prescriber education regarding appropriate prescribing of FTS.
Capillary-force-directed self-assembly of suspended nanomechanical structures above the electronic circuit layer

This report reviews progress in capillary-force-directed self-assembly fabrication methods together with applications of the suspended structures as fiber-based optical components, cells scaffolds for tissue regeneration, and as templates for suspended microfluidic networks and nanomaterials. Capillary forces can direct polymeric solutions, melts and nanocomposites to form near constant diameter fibers, not just over long distances, as in electrospinning, but over micron to centimeter distances typical of integrated circuits and MEMS. Crude hand-brushing of polymeric solutions over micropillar arrays has produced, in a matter of seconds, uniform arrays of near identical nanofibers and trampolinelike membranes suspended between the micropillars. Direct point-to-point writing has also been accomplished with AFM tips, capillary syringes and electrospinning jets. The brush-on method, while fast, does not produce arbitrary patterns. The direct-write method, while producing arbitrary patterns, is slow. Recently, fast arbitrary patterning has been demonstrated by photopatterning holes through thin suspended polymer films, followed by thermal annealing which causes holes, driven by capillary force, to expand, form threads and thin into fibers. For an ablation threshold of polystyrene of 10 mJ/cm2 at 193 nm there are many adequately intense excimer lasers that could be incorporated into roll-to-roll systems. At a hole exposure threshold of ~1 mJ/cm2 , even current 193 nm wafer stepping projection printers could pattern wafers with arbitrary suspended structures at economically sustainable production rates of greater than 50 wafers per hour. A new method of extending this fabrication method to three-dimensions is also described, that additionally overcomes the need for prefabricated micropillar arrays.
Ethnic Variations in Diagnosis, Treatment, Socioeconomic Status and Survival in a Large Population-Based Cohort of Elderly Patients with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Abstract Background: Little is known about ethnic disparities in survival among patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), although these disparities have been documented for patients with many solid tumors. Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 13,321 patients diagnosed with incident NHL at age >=65 in 1992–1999, identified from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results)-Medicare linked database with 11 years of follow-up. Of these patients, 11,868 were Caucasians, 533 were African-Americans, and 920 were other ethnicities. A time-to-event Cox regression model was used to examine the relative risk of all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Results: A larger proportion (72.2%) of African-Americans were in the poorest quartile of socioeconomic status as measured by the poverty level compared to 21.8% of Caucasians, and 43.2% of African-Americans received chemotherapy compared to 52.4% of Caucasians (p Hazard ratio of all-cause and NHL-specific mortality increased significantly with age, advanced tumor stage, higher comorbidity scores, and poorer socioeconomic status. Patients receiving either chemotherapy or radiotherapy or both were significantly less likely to die. Compared to Caucasians, African-Americans were not statistically significant at risk of all-cause (Hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–1.08) and disease-specific mortality (1.07, 0.92–1.25), after adjusting for treatment, comorbidity, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The risk of mortality in patients with NH-lymphoma was associated with socioeconomic status and was reduced in patients receiving chemotherapy. No significant differences in the risk of mortality were observed between African-American and Caucasian patients after controlling for factors such as treatment and socioeconomic status.
Hospital Spiritual Care Can Complement Graduate Medical Trainee Well-Being.

Background. Burnout and depression among physician trainees is increasing at an alarming rate. Promoting well-being is of utmost importance for graduate medical education. The primary objective was to determine if spiritual care staff/chaplaincy can assist in building emotional well-being and resiliency within medical residency education. Methods. For the academic year of July 2017 through June 2018, all graduate medical trainees in our institution were given the option of attending either an individual or group spiritual care session as part of a universal “Call to Wellness” curriculum. A Post-Wellness Survey was administered to measure perceptions about the program. Results. 49% (N = 258) of residents chose to participate in a spiritual care session. Prior to the session, 51% (N = 132) rated their overall well-being as neutral and 25% (N = 64) rated their overall well-being as slightly positive, positive, or very positive. After their spiritual care session, significant improvement was seen. 25% (N = 64) rated their overall well-being as neutral, and 51% (N = 132) rated their overall well-being as slightly positive, positive, or very positive ( ). Conclusion. Spiritual care staff/chaplaincy can have a positive influence on emotional well-being for physicians during residency training.
Narrative and Identity Construction among Ethiopian Immigrants

The main objective of this study is to analyze narratives by Ethiopian immigrants in the Denver metropolitan area, as they share their immigrant experiences while attempting to integrate into the host culture. More specifically, this paper attempts to see how Ethiopian immigrants use narrative as a vehicle for constructing their identity as mainstream citizens in the United States. Focusing on the issue of language socialization, this study investigates the contrast between a former and a current self exhibited in the narratives and describes the sources of the disparity between these two identity positionings. Two main issues are addressed. The first is constructing the current self as a more socialized individual, in contrast with the former-self, representing a less socialized one characterized by linguistic insecurity, nostalgia, and lower self-esteem, among other things. This is exhibited through humorous recall, laughter, code-switching, and at times explicitly stating how one is different currently from who she/he was earlier. The second is the identity that less socialized immigrants construct through negotiation with more socialized immigrants or citizens of the host country making narrative a collaborative enterprise. Constructed around linguistic disfluency, these narratives work to project a more assimilated self who is fluent and capable both linguistically culturally.
Investigating Different Assignment Designs to Promote Collaboration in Block-Based Environments

Pair Programming is often employed in educational settings as a means of promoting collaboration and scaffolding the assignment difficulty for teams. While much research supports its inclusion as a pedagogical practice at the university level, some research has demonstrated in K-12 contexts, it can potentially lead to inequitable learning enviroments and create dynamics between partners that might negatively effect novice learners. New block-based programming environments like Netsblox have attempted to address this by creating ways for both partners to program simultaneously, but this feature has yet to be examined in detail. In this paper, we introduce several modes of Collaboration afforded by Netsblox. This includes Pair-Separate, Pair-Together, and Partner Puzzles - a mode that Splits the necessary blocks to build the assignment between team members. From an initial pilot study involving 25 pairs of middle and high school students, we find that most pairs preferred working on assignments in the Partner Puzzle mode as it presented a fun challenge to teams. We end on recommendations for building assignments using this methodology and future research directions investigating the role of collaboration in programming
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A 28-Year Experience:

ObjectiveTo evaluate the management and recurrence outcomes of head and neck Merkel cell carcinoma (HN-MCC) at a single institution.Study DesignA retrospective review of outcomes in patients with H...
Deficit of circulating CD19 + CD24 hi CD38 hi regulatory B cells in severe aplastic anaemia

Immune aplastic anaemia (AA) is caused by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that destroy haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Enhanced type 1 T helper (Th1) responses and reduced regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the immune pathophysiology. CD24hi CD38hi regulatory B cells (Bregs) suppress CTLs and Th1 responses, and induce Tregs via interleukin 10 (IL-10). We investigated circulating B-cell subpopulations, including CD24hi CD38hi Bregs, as well as total B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells in 104 untreated patients with severe and very severe AA, aged ≥18 years. All patients were treated with standard immunosuppressive therapy (IST) plus eltrombopag. CD24hi CD38hi Bregs were markedly reduced in patients with AA compared to healthy individuals, especially in very severe AA, but residual Bregs remained functional, capable of producing IL-10; total B-cell counts and the other B-cell subpopulations were similar to those of healthy individuals. CD24hi CD38hi Bregs did not correlate with responses to IST, and they recovered to levels present in healthy individuals after therapy. Mature naive B-cell counts were unexpectedly associated with IST response. Markedly reduced CD24hi CD38hi Bregs, especially in very severe AA, with recovery after IST suggest Breg deficits may contribute to the pathophysiology of immune AA.
Self-Achievement Through Creativity in Critical Care

Art in nursing is present in various forms and there is ample literature exploring creativity, including journaling for clinicians, intensive care unit diaries for patients and providers, and music therapy for patients. Illness narratives, depictions of the sick, or the effects of disease are commonly represented in media. This article highlights how creativity and various mediums of artistic expressions may can be used as a self-care practice and aid in boosting empathy in health care providers. Theories on empathy are presented as well as selected representations of nursing as creative expressions and the importance of promoting creativity and empathy.
Shifty behavior: Investigating predicates of personal taste and perspectival anaphors

Many expressions in language are perspective-sensitive, including predicates of personal taste and some anaphoric forms. This paper reports experiments testing sentences like Nora told/heard from Amy about the frightening photograph of her/herself , with two perspective-sensitive elements, to see whether and how identification of the judge of predicates of personal taste relates to identification of the antecedent of pronouns and reflexives in picture-NPs. This allows to us test if they follow a shift-together constraint requiring them to be interpreted relative to the same perspectival center. Our results corroborate earlier findings on the source/perceiver biases of reflexives and pronouns, and reveal a strong preference to interpret the individual who is the source of information as the judge, but do not provide clear evidence for a shift-together constraint on the interpretation of PPTs and pronouns and reflexives in picture-NPs.
Inverse-Designed Optical Interconnect Based on Multimode Photonics and Mode-Division Multiplexing

We experimentally demonstrate inverse-designed multimode silicon photonics for on-chip interconnect. Inverse design enables spatial mode conversion, multimode waveguide bending, and mode-division beam splitting with compact footprint and low insertion loss.
A New Non-parametric Process Capability Index

Process capability index (PCI) is a commonly used statistic to measure ability of a process to operate within the given specifications or to produce products which meet the required quality specifications. PCI can be univariate or multivariate depending upon the number of process specifications or quality characteristics of interest. Most PCls make distributional assumptions which are often unrealistic in practice. This paper proposes a new multivariate non-parametric process capability index. This index can be used when distribution of the process or quality parameters is either unknown or does not follow commonly used distributions such as multivariate normal.
Incidental Papillary Thyroid Cancer Identified During Parathyroidectomy

Current treatment guidelines recommend surgical excision of papillary thyroid carcinoma. However, the precise surgical treatment, including thyroid lobectomy, total thyroidectomy, and the need for neck dissection, is dictated by disease extent and tumor cytology. Incidental papillary thyroid carcinoma discovered during another surgery therefore presents a surgical conundrum due to lack of information. Surgeons must consider short- and long-term surgical morbidities, as well as individual patient factors, when deciding how to treat an unexpected thyroid carcinoma.
Neuroscience and the Active Jury

In 1990, the Northwestern University Law Review published The Competency and Responsibility of Jurors in Deciding Cases, 85 Nw. U. L. Rev.190 (1990). The Article conceptualized the jury “as a democratic representative of the community through its verdicts” and argued that because of this democratic role, it should be equipped for success. The Article suggested that a modern active jury model, where jurors under the proper circumstances should be permitted to take notes and ask questions, was preferable to the traditional passive model, particularly when both a cross-section of the community and verdict accuracy were desired jury parameters. That is because there is a natural conflict between the accuracy and cross-section objectives. If the cross-section of the community means jurors would be drawn from all persons in the community, the result would be to attract average citizens who may or may not have solid educational skills. Consequently, the accuracy goal would be easily marginalized, especially under a passive jury model where jurors are expected to remember evidence and arguments up to weeks—even months—at a time before they can discuss it. The argument in favor of the active jury suggested that it provided a way to improve jury efficiency and accuracy. How have those arguments of 1990 weathered the storms of intervening decades? Fairly well, I think. This short Essay doubles down on these claims, arguing that neuroscience discoveries have shown that active, engaged thinkers have better retention and recall and therefore will be better jurors overall. The Essay makes four points about how advancing neuroscience, especially in the digital age, supports active jury functioning.
Discounting and Global Environmental Change

Discounting plays a central role in decisions about global environmental change that affect the well-being of future generations. Discounting the future more heavily tilts decisions toward the pres...
Virtual implantation technique to estimate endoprosthetic contact of percutaneous osseointegrated devices in the tibia.

Abstract Percutaneous osseointegrated (OI) devices have an endoprosthesis attached to the residual bone of an amputated limb, then pass permanently through the skin to be connected to the distal prosthetic componentry outside of the body. Whether the bone-anchoring region of current OI endoprostheses are cylindrical, and/or conical, they require intimate bone-endoprosthesis contact to promote stabilizing bone attachment. However, removing too much cortical bone to achieve more contact leads to thinner and, subsequently, weaker cortical walls. Endoprostheses need to be designed to balance these factors, namely maximizing the contact, while minimizing the volume of bone removed. In this study, 27 human tibias were used to develop and validate a virtual implantation method. Then, 40 additional tibias were virtually implanted with mock cylindrical and conical bone-anchoring regions at seven residual limb lengths to measure resultant bone-endoprosthesis contact and bone removal. The ratio of bone-endoprosthesis contact to bone volume removed showed the conical geometry had more contact area per volume bone removed for all amputation levels (p ≤ 0.001). In both mock devices, cortical penetration of the endoprosthesis at 20% residual length occurred in 74% of cases evaluated, indicating that alternative endoprosthesis geometries may be needed for clinical success in that region of bone.
The Anatomy Of Increasing Inequality Of U.S. Family Incomes

Abstract This essay explores various components of a measure of pretax U.S. family income after adjusting for the size of the family in the U.S. in 1975 and 2000. Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics, an important stylized fact is revealed: The rising inequality of property incomes, particularly dividends, interest, and rent, have played the most important role in the increase of overall income inequality. Contrary to popular belief, increasing inequality of labor income plays only a secondary role. For property incomes a simple model shows why this determining role in income inequality should continue for the next decade and, most likely, even further in the future.
The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Blindness in the United States.

Abstract Importance Approximately 8 million Americans self-report vision loss and blindness (VL), potentially resulting in a significant economic burden. Objective Estimate the economic burden of VL in the US and by state. Design Analysis of secondary data sources (American Community Survey (ACS), American Time Use Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), National and State Health Expenditure Accounts (N/SHEA), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)) using attributable fraction, regression, and other methods to estimate the incremental direct and indirect 2017 costs of VL. Participants People with a yes response to a question asking if they are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses in the ACS, MEPS, or NHIS. Main Outcome Measures We estimated the direct costs of medical, nursing home (NH), and supportive services; and indirect costs of absenteeism, lost household production, reduced labor force participation, and informal care by age group (0-18 years, 19-64 years, 65+ years), sex (male, female), and state in aggregate and per person with VL. Results We estimated an economic burden of VL of $134.2bn, $98.7 bn in direct costs, and $35.5 bn in indirect costs. The most substantial burden components were NH ($41.8 bn), medical care services other than inpatient, ambulatory, and prescription care ($30.9 bn), and reduced labor force participation ($16.2 bn) which accounted for 66% of the total. Persons with VL incurred $16,838 per year in incremental burden. Informal care was the largest burden component for people ages 0-18 years, reduced labor force participation for people ages 19-64 years, and NH costs for people ages 65+ years. New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont experienced the highest costs per person with VL. Sensitivity analyses indicate total burden may range between $76 and $218 bn depending on assumptions used in the model. Conclusions and Relevance Self-reported VL imposes a substantial economic burden on the US. Burden accrues in different ways at different ages, leading to state differences in the composition of per-person costs based on their VL population's age composition. Information on state variation can help local decision-makers better target resources to address the burden of VL.
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates for multiple myeloma: An update.

Patients with multiple myeloma who are refractory to currently available effective therapies have short expected survival. Modalities harvesting the knowledge of the immune characteristics and microenvironment of myeloma such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-lymphocytes, bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates have shown potential in early phase trials. Based on data from phase 2 studies, idecabtagene vicleucel (ide cel), an anti-BCMA CAR T-product and belantamab mafodotin (belamaf), an antibody-drug conjugate are currently approved in the relapsed/refractory setting. Bispecific antibodies have shown promise with quick and deep responses. In this review, we summarize the available evidence on these treatments from clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Experimental Study of the Fluorescence Spectrum Emitted by Two-Level Atoms under Strong Bichromatic Excitation

The emission spectrum of two-level atoms driven by a strong monochromatic excitation field has been the subject of considerable theoretical and experimental study over the years. Its ultimate understanding constitutes an important achievement of quantum optics. This spectrum, initially predicted by Mollow1 and subsequently observed by various groups2, possesses a characteristic symmetric triplet structure that can be inferred with the dressed- atom model3A generalization of this problem, i.e. understanding the atomic spectra emitted under conditions of bichromatic excitation, is an intriguing and relatively unexplored subject. Bichromatic excitation of atoms has also been related to studies of laser instabilities, modulation spectroscopy, and optical bistabilities.4
A IMPORTÂNCIA DA INCUBADORA DE EMPRESAS NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DO EMPREENDEDORISMO

O tema empreendedorismo e incubadoras de empresas tem sido motivo de diversas discussoes e estudos, que visam compreender este cenario tao importante para o desenvolvimento de novos empreendimentos. O objetivo deste artigo consiste em identificar por meio da literatura a importância das incubadoras para o desenvolvimento do empreendedorismo. Na revisao da literatura optou-se por conceituar as incubadoras de empresas, seus objetivos, tipos e sua trajetoria vivificada na historia, possibilitando caracterizar esse setor e entender ainda mais suas particularidades. O metodo adotado para o presente estudo compreende-se do tipo descritivo com base no material bibliografico estudado. Como resultado observou-se a importância das incubadoras, sendo esse fato justificado nas consultorias proporcionadas e no apoio administrativo, estrutural e financeiro, oferecido aos empreendedores permitindo o reconhecimento do sucesso de seus empreendimentos. Palavras-chave: Incubadora, Empreendedorismo, Negocios.
Model checking machine code with the GNU debugger

Embedded software verification is an important verification problem that requires the ability to reason about the timed semantics of concurrent behaviors at a low level of atomicity. Combining a cycle-accurate debugger with model checking algorithms provides an accurate model of software execution at the machine-code level while supporting concurrency and allowing abstractions to manage state explosion. We report on the design and implementation of such a model checker using the GNU debugger (gdb) with different processor backends. A significant feature of the resulting tool is that we can adjust the level of atomicity during the model checking run to reduce state explosion while focusing on behaviors that are likely to generate an error.
H Infinity Control

The sections in this article are 1 ℋ2 and ℋ∞ Norms 2 Weighted ℋ∞ Performance 3 Robust Stabilization 4 Selection of Weighting Functions 5 General Problem Formulation and Solutions 6 ℋ∞ Filtering 7 Understanding ℋ∞ Control 8 ℋ∞ Loop Shaping 9 μ Synthesis 10 Additional Applications