cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Body fat attenuates muscle mass catabolism among physically active humans in temperate and cold high altitude environments

Objective Typical diet plans are based on an individual's body mass; however, body composition may be important to consider when an individual is in a negative energy balance. This study examines if high initial body fat and dietary macronutrient content reduce muscle mass catabolism during excursions in temperate and cold high altitude environments. Methods Subjects—53 healthy, un-acclimated volunteers (37 males and 16 females)—took part in 12-16 week-long outdoor education courses in moderately high altitude temperate and cold climates in the western United States. Body mass, body fat percentage, fat mass, and muscle mass were measured before and after each excursion. Total energy expenditure and dietary intake were also measured. Results In temperate and cold environments, both sexes lost significant amounts of body mass. In temperate climates both sexes lost a significant amount of fat mass, but not muscle mass. In cold climates, there was no significant change in fat mass for either sex; however, females gained muscle mass while males lost muscle mass. In both climates subjects with lower initial body fat percentages lost significantly more muscle mass than subjects with higher initial body fat percentages. There was no significant relationship between macronutrient intake and muscle mass loss for either sex. Conclusion These results suggests that during a negative energy balance dietary macronutrient content cannot abate the loss of muscle mass, but body fat may have a protective effect. This information should be used to improve individualized diets based on body composition, not body mass.
Effect of Early and Prophylactic Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on Flare Duration in Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome: An Observational Study of Patients Followed by an Academic Community-Based Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Clinic.

Abstract Introduction: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) is characterized by the sudden onset of severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms and/or eating restriction along with at least two coinciding neuropsychiatric symptoms. When associated with group A Streptococcus, the syndrome is labeled Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS). An abnormal immune response to infection and subsequent neuroinflammation is postulated to play an etiologic role. We evaluated the impact of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment on flare duration in PANS/PANDAS. Methods: Patient inclusion criteria: Patients were included if they had at least one neuropsychiatric deterioration (“flare”) that met strict PANS/PANDAS research criteria and for which flare duration could be assessed. Flare inclusion criteria: Any flare that started before October 15, 2016 was included and followed until the flare resolved or until the end of our data collecti...
Asymptotically optimal sticky-insertion-correcting codes with efficient encoding and decoding

The problem of constructing sticky-insertion-correcting codes with efficient encoding and decoding is considered. An {n, M, r) sticky-insertion-correcting code consists of M codewords of length n such that any pattern of up to r sticky insertions can be corrected. We utilize BCH codes and their analogous in the Lee space to construct explicit and systematic codes that are immune to up to r sticky insertions. It is shown that the ratio of the number of constructed redundancy bits in the construction to a certain upper bound approaches one as the block length grows large, which implies asymptotic optimality of the construction.
Why Nomenclature for Pharmacist-Led Interventions Matters: Conquering the State of Confusion.

Hospitalizations are the principal driver of the enormous total cost of care for patients with CKD. Total Medicare spending for care of patients with CKD older than age 65 years old exceeded $55 billion in 2015, accounting for 20% of total Medicare spending ([1][1]). CKD is associated with a high
Computational Thinking Equity in Elementary Classrooms: What Third-Grade Students Know and Can Do

The Computer Science Teachers Association has asserted that computational thinking equips students with essential critical thinking which allows them to conceptualize, analyze, and solve more complex problems. These skills are applicable to all content area as students learn to use strategies, ideas, and technological practices more effectively as digital natives. This research examined over 200 elementary students’ pre- and posttest changes in computational thinking from a 10-week coding program using adapted lessons from code.org’s Blockly programming language and CSUnplugged that were delivered as part of the regular school day. Participants benefited from early access to computer science (CS) lessons with increases in computational thinking and applying coding concepts to the real world. Interviews from participants included examples of CS connections to everyday life and interdisciplinary studies at school. Thus, the study highlights the importance of leveraging CS access in diverse elementary classr...
Assessment of the accuracy of nutrient calculations of five popular nutrition tracking applications.

ObjectiveTo assess the accuracy of nutrient intake calculations from leading nutrition tracking applications (apps).DesignNutrient intake estimates from thirty 24 h dietary recalls collected using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) were compared with intake calculations from these recalls entered by the researcher into five free nutrition tracking apps. Apps were selected from the Apple App Store based on consumer popularity from the list of free ‘Health and Fitness’ apps classified as a nutrition tracking apps.SubjectsDietary recall data collected from thirty lower-income adults.ResultsCorrelations between nutrient intake calculations from NDSR and the nutrition tracking apps ranged from 0·73 to 0·96 for energy and macronutrients. Correlations for the other nutrients examined (Na, total sugars, fibre, cholesterol, saturated fat) ranged from 0·57 to 0·93. For each app, one or more mean nutrient intake calculations were significantly lower than those from NDSR. These differences included total protein (P=0·03), total fat (P=0·005), Na (P=0·02) and cholesterol (P=0·005) for MyFitnessPal; dietary fibre (P=0·04) for Fitbit; total protein (P=0·0004), total fat (P=0·008), Na (P=0·002), sugars (P=0·007), cholesterol (P=0·0006) and saturated fat (P=0·005) for Lose It!; Na (P=0·03) and dietary fibre (P=0·005) for MyPlate; and total fat (P=0·03) for Lifesum.ConclusionsFindings suggest that nutrient calculations from leading nutrition tracking apps tend to be lower than those from NDSR, a dietary analysis software developed for research purposes. Further research is needed to evaluate the validity of the apps when foods consumed are entered by consumers.
Social Media Envy: How Experience Sharing on Social Networking Sites Drives Millennials’ Aspirational Tourism Consumption:

The sharing of travel experiences has become ubiquitous in today’s era. This study focuses on a pervasive trend among Millennial consumers: the experience of benign envy toward others’ positive travel experience sharing on social networking sites. Drawing on social comparison theory, the current study reveals why and under what conditions others’ positive experience sharing may trigger Millennial consumers’ destination visit intention. Using a mixed experimental design, this study finds that, among consumers with low trait self-esteem, luxury travel experiences shared by similar others stimulate focal consumers’ own intentions to visit the same destination. In addition, destination visit intention is triggered by benign envy toward the experience sharer. Important theoretical insights are provided regarding peer influence mechanism on social networking sites and travel consumption. Finally, managerial implications for destination marketers are presented with a focus on how to improve the effectiveness of social media marketing in targeting Millennials.
Extending the Resource-based View Beyond Private Resources to Common-pool Resources

This paper expands the generalizability of the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) beyond private resources to other types of resources increasingly implicated in firm performance heterogeneity. ...
The Metabolic Basis for the Taurine Requirement of Cats

Taurine is an essential dietary nutrient for cats because the rate of synthesis under most conditions is less than the rate of loss from the body. A deficiency of taurine results in pathological states affecting a number of organ systems, (Morris et al., 1990). Definition of the minimal dietary requirements of cats for taurine has been particularly challenging. Unlike many other nutrients, the loss of taurine from the body is dependent on the composition of the diet, and the method by which the diet is processed. The minimal concentrations of taurine in the diet to satisfy each physiological function of taurine at this time are unknown and likely to be somewhat different for each function. For example, two clinical conditions attributed to taurine deficiency in cats, feline central retinal degeneration (FCRD) and dilated cardiomyopathy do not always occur together in the same cat, each can occur without presence of the other (Pion et al., 1987). The purpose of this paper is to briefly review two important factors that determine the requirement for this nutrient, i.e. endogenous synthesis of taurine and loss of taurine from the body.
Hypertension: Mechanisms and Diagnosis

Hypertension, defined as an arterial blood pressure (BP) of ≥140/90 mmHg, affects one in three US adults and is a major independent risk factor for myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal failure. Only 43 % of the total hypertensive population has their BP controlled to goal (<140/90 mmHg). Pre-hypertension refers to a BP of 120–139/80–89 mmHg and also increases cardiovascular risk, compared with normal BP (<120/80 mmHg). Definitions are provided for the terms essential hypertension, secondary hypertension, refractory (resistant) hypertension, pseudohypertension, white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, and hypertensive crisis. This chapter deals with definitions, measurement of BP, the initial workup of the hypertensive patient, target-organ damage (vascular hypertrophy, left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, stroke, encephalopathy, chronic kidney disease, and retinopathy), hypertensive emergency and urgency, and risk factor profiling. The section on the pathogenesis of primary hypertension deals with genetic factors, increased cardiac output, excessive dietary sodium, renal sodium retention, increased activity of the renin–angiotensin system, increased sympathetic activity, increased peripheral resistance, abnormal cell membrane ion transport, endothelial function, and insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Causes of secondary hypertension include renal artery stenosis, renal parenchymal disease, pheochromocytoma, and abnormalities of adrenocortical function.
But Why Care

Not long ago, I met a woman for coffee. She had been one of my students in a small rural town where I taught for 10 years. Her childhood had been difficult; she had lived in a foster home during high school and shortly thereafter became pregnant. She found me through a social networking site. While sipping our coffee, she thanked me.
Simple Bayesian classifiers do not assume independence

Bayes` theorem tells us how to optimally predict the class of a previously unseen example, given a training sample. The chosen class should be the one which maximizes P(C{sub i}/E) = P(C{sub i}) P(E/C{sub i}) / P(E), where C{sub i} is the ith class, E is the test example, P(Y/X) denotes the conditional probability of Y given X, and probabilities are estimated from the training sample. Let an example be a vector of a attributes. If the attributes are independent given the class, P(E{sub i}C{sub i}) can be decomposed into the product P(v{sub i}/C{sub i}) ... P(V{sub a}/C{sub i}), where v{sub i} is the value of the jth attribute in the example E.
Enhanced light absorption in simulations of ultra-thin ZnO layers structured by a SiO2 photonic glass

Hierarchically organized nanostructures are often employed to improve the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells. Ultra-thin semiconductors can improve the internal carrier collection yield in materials with poor carrier lifetimes by reducing the characteristic length scales of collection. However, reducing the dimension of the light absorber requires strategies to increase absorption and the overall photogeneration when the material is to be used in broadband solar energy conversion applications. Here, we explore a strategy for improving light absorption in nanometer-scale, ultra-thin film ZnO layers by integrating them into a SiO2 colloidal crystal-based photonic glass. We use three-dimensional finite-difference electromagnetic simulations to study the local and total absorption improvements on composite films of close-packed, randomized colloidal structures coated with a thin layer of ZnO. These simulations show that the near band-gap absorption in the ZnO coating i...
GoldenEye: stream-based network packet inspection using GPUs

High-performance packet analysis systems have attracted great interest as tools to deal with security concerns in high-speed networks. Recently, researchers have utilized GPUs to improve packet processing performance. However, most existing work has been targeted at per-packet analysis level. Flow-centric operations have been challenging for GPUs because they require sequential operations and large buffers for flow reassembly. In this work, we present the GoldenEye GPU Packet Processing System (GoldenEye), a deep packet inspection (DPI) system that tracks out-of-order TCP packets and provides stream-based signature matching. When a batch of packets arrives, GoldenEye sorts packets into flow-reassembled streams and normalizes retransmission through a GPU-implemented reordering module. For signatures that straddle batch boundaries, GoldenEye couples a small set of metadata with a functionally-equivalent minimal regular expression retrieval algorithm to connect the partial matches. Results show that GoldenEye can reassemble tens of millions of packets/sec and conduct stateful DPI operations on TCP streams at multi-ten Gbit/sec rates.
A master regulator of regeneration.

Hofstenia miamia, commonly called the three-banded panther worm, is a small flatworm that can be found along the shores of the Caribbean and other warm waters. It is known for its impressive regenerative capabilities, including the ability to regenerate any body part within a few days of amputation. Previous reports identified some of the molecular signals used to coordinate regeneration (1), although the specific genes and gene networks that regulate this response were unknown. On page 1191 of this issue, Gehrke et al. (2) developed an impressive collection of genomic resources for the species, including extensive DNA, RNA, and chromatin accessibility data to promote H. miamia as a new model system for studying regeneration. Using these data, they identify early growth response (Egr), which encodes a candidate pioneer transcription factor responsible for regulating the molecular regenerating response to wounding.
Context and Content in Rural Gifted Education: A Literature Review:

Understanding the nuances of the two individually specialized fields of rural education and gifted education is challenging for practitioners and education researchers. However, the combined field ...
Hydraulic Downpull on Ice Harbor Powerhouse Gate

Results of a hydraulic model study show the relative importance of certain geometric factors, initial discharge, and closure speed on the hydraulic downpull on a high-head leaf gate used for emergency closure of a powerhouse intake. When the initial discharge is large (design condition), the downpull on the top and bottom beams is the major part of the maximum downpull on the gate, and the shape of the gate bottom has a marked influence on the magnitude of the downpull. Proper design of the gate slot headwall minimizes the downpull on the top seal of the gate. Variation of the gate closure speed within the normal operation range of 7.6 fpm to 11.9 fpm has a negligible effect on the downpull, but the maximum downpull on the moving gate during closure is only 74% to 79% of that on the gate at fixed openings. The downpull data for the top and bottom beams (eight bottom shapes) and the discharge ratings (three initial discharges) are generalized for use in the design of similar gates.
Issues in the Reproducibility of Deep Learning Results

The Neuronix high-performance computing cluster allows us to conduct extensive machine learning experiments on big data [1] . This heterogeneous cluster uses innovative scheduling technology, Slurm [2] , that manages a network of CPUs and graphics processing units (GPUs). The GPU farm consists of a variety of processors ranging from low-end consumer grade devices such as the Nvidia GTX 970 to higher-end devices such as the GeForce RTX 2080. These GPUs are essential to our research since they allow extremely compute-intensive deep learning tasks to be executed on massive data resources such as the TUH EEG Corpus [2] . We use TensorFlow [3] as the core machine learning library for our deep learning systems, and routinely employ multiple GPUs to accelerate the training process.
Protibadi: Starting the fight against sexual abuse

The story of how a group of Bangladeshi volunteers used technology to address the country's sexual abuse problem.
Dosimetry evaluation of the GammaPod stereotactic radiosurgery device based on established AAPM and IAEA protocols.

Purpose The GammaPod is a novel dedicated prone breast stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) device recently developed at the University of Maryland Medical Center. This device utilizes multiple rotating Co-60 sources to create highly conformal dose distributions for breast treatments, including boosts, partial breast irradiation, or presurgery SRS. However, due to its small field sizes and nonstandard geometry, existing calibration protocols cannot be directly applied. In this study, we adapt and implement the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 21 (TG-21) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Technical Report Series 483 (TRS 483) protocols for reference dose measurements for the GammaPod. This represents the first published dosimetric investigation GammaPod and is meant to serve as a reference to future users commissioning and calibrating these devices. Methods Reference dose measurements were performed following the TG-21/IAEA TRS 483 protocols using an ADCL-calibrated Exradin A1SL thimble chamber in a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) breast-mimicking phantom. Monte Carlo calculations and measurements were also performed in water to determine chamber-specific k PMMA Q m s r , Q 0 f msr , f ref quality conversion factor converting reference field size (fref ) to machine-specific field sizes (fmsr ) (25-mm) as well as k PMMA f clin , f msr , the conversion factor from the (fmsr ) to the clinical field size (fclin ) (15mm). Verification was performed using the thermoluminescent dosimeter remote monitoring service from the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) in Houston, TX. Results The (fref ) to (fmsr ) chamber-specific factor k PMMA Q m s r , Q 0 f msr , f ref was 0.992 while the (fmsr ) to (fclin ) chamber-specific k PMMA f clin , f msr factor was 1.014. The radiation absorbed dose to water measured in the PMMA phantom based on the TG-21/IAEA TRS 483 formalism agreed with IROC values to within 1% and 2% for the 25- and 15-mm collimators, respectively. Conclusion We successfully implemented the TG-21 and TRS 483 reference dosimetry protocols for the GammaPod. These results show agreement between measurements performed with different reference dosimetry protocols and independent thermoluminescent measurements.
An Update on XMEN Disease.

"X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and neoplasia" (XMEN) disease is an inborn error of glycosylation and immunity caused by loss of function mutations in the magnesium transporter 1 (MAGT1) gene. It is a multisystem disease that strongly affects certain immune cells. MAGT1 is now confirmed as a non-catalytic subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex and facilitates Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation of specific substrates, making XMEN a congenital disorder of glycosylation manifesting as a combined immune deficiency. The clinical disease has variable expressivity, and impaired glycosylation of key MAGT1-dependent glycoproteins in addition to Mg2+ abnormalities can explain some of the immune manifestations. NKG2D, an activating receptor critical for cytotoxic function against EBV, is poorly glycosylated and invariably decreased on CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells from XMEN patients. It is the best biomarker of the disease. The characterization of EBV-naive XMEN patients has clarified features of the genetic disease that were previously attributed to EBV infection. Extra-immune manifestations, including hepatic and neurological abnormalities, have recently been reported. EBV-associated lymphomas remain the main cause of severe morbidity. Unfortunately, treatment options to address the underlying mechanism of disease remain limited and Mg2+ supplementation has not proven successful. Here, we review the expanding clinical phenotype and recent advances in glycobiology that have increased our understanding of XMEN disease. We also propose updating XMEN to "X-linked MAGT1 deficiency with increased susceptibility to EBV-infection and N-linked glycosylation defect" in light of these novel findings.
LongTron: Automated Analysis of Long Read Spliced Alignment Accuracy

MotivationLong read sequencing has increased the accuracy and completeness of assemblies of various organisms genomes in recent months. Similarly, spliced alignments of long read RNA sequencing hold the promise of delivering much longer transcripts of existing and novel isoforms in known genes without the need for error-prone transcript assemblies from short reads. However, low coverage and high-error rates potentially hamper the widespread adoption of long-read spliced alignments in annotation updates and isoform-level expression quantifications. ResultsAddressing these issues, we first develop a simulation of error modes for both Oxford Nanopore and PacBio CCS spliced-alignments. Based on this we train a Random Forest classifier to assign new long-read alignments to one of two error categories, a novel category, or label them as non-error. We use this classifier to label reads from the spliced-alignments of the popular aligner minimap2, run on three long read sequencing datasets, including NA12878 from Oxford Nanopore and PacBio CCS, as well as a PacBio SKBR3 cancer cell line. Finally, we compare the intron chains of the three long read alignments against individual splice sites, short read assemblies, and the output from the FLAIR pipeline on the same samples. Our results demonstrate a substantial lack of precision in determining exact splice sites for long reads during alignment on both platforms while showing some benefit from postprocessing. This work motivates the need for both better aligners and additional post-alignment processing to adjust incorrectly called putative splice-sites and clarify novel transcripts support. Availability and implementationSource code for the random forest implemented in python is available at https://github.com/schatzlab/LongTron under the MIT license. The modified version of GffCompare used to construct Table 3 and related is here: https://github.com/ChristopherWilks/gffcompare/releases/tag/0.11.2LT O_TBL View this table: org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@117255borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@95a815org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14e21faorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@98e040org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@aab93e_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_TBL O_FLOATNOTable 3.C_FLOATNO O_TABLECAPTIONIsoform comparison table, using gene models from Gencode V29, plus the isoforms from all the union of annotations; both exact and fuzz comparisons of the set of long-read derived isoforms which 1) match in number of introns or 2) are contained or contain a reference isoform. Percentages use the "Total Intron Chains" as the denominator for the row. C_TABLECAPTION C_TBL Supplementary InformationSupplementary notes and figures are available online.
Qualitative analysis of Amazon customer reviews of penile clamps for male urinary incontinence.

Author(s): Lee, Austin; Mmonu, Nnenaya A; Thomas, Hannah; Rios, Natalie; Enriquez, Anthony; Breyer, Benjamin N | Abstract: AimsPenile clamps offer an alternative to manage male urinary incontinence in patients who are unfit for surgery. Patient experience with penile clamps is poorly understood. Our study elucidates patient opinions on commercially available penile clamps and the factors that associate with favorable and unfavorable opinions.MethodsWe collected Amazon reviews of all penile clamps marketed for male urinary incontinence from November 2011 to January 2020 and qualitatively assessed the overall sentiment towards penile clamps, key praises and key complaints. Covariates such as designated Amazon star rating were further explored for association with coding patterns.ResultsAmazon reviews of penile clamps were found to be more positive (n = 425) in overall sentiment than negative (n = 294). The most frequent praise was effective incontinence control (n = 334) and the most frequent complaint was bad design or material (n = 166). The majority of reviews were for lower priced penile clamps, had higher Amazon star ratings, were written for Wiesner-produced clamps, and were written more recently (i.e., 2015-2020). Penile clamps with higher Amazon star ratings were more often coded positive and with a praise compared to lower rated penile clamps.ConclusionsPenile clamps are seen favorably by users as an effective treatment modality for male urinary incontinence. User reviews suggest opportunities for improvement in penile clamp design. The most frequently reviewed clamp seen positively is the Wiesner Incontinence Clamp Penile Clamp whereas the most frequently reviewed clamp seen negatively is the Pacey Cuff Male Incontinence Device.
A two-state ribosome and protein model can robustly capture the chemical reaction dynamics of gene expression

We derive phenomenological models of gene expression from a mechanistic description of chemical reactions using an automated model reduction method. Using this method, we get analytical descriptions and computational performance guarantees to compare the reduced dynamics with the full models. We develop a new two-state model with the dynamics of the available free ribosomes in the system and the protein concentration. We show that this new two-state model captures the detailed mass-action kinetics of the chemical reaction network under various biologically plausible conditions on model parameters. On comparing the performance of this model with the commonly used mRNA transcript-protein dynamical model for gene expression, we analytically show that the free ribosome and protein model has superior error and robustness performance.
Copyright and Democratization in Africa

Many studies have attempted to identify the factors that contribute to the institutionalization of democracy in Africa. Two of the most important of these factors are a robust civil society, and a democratic culture nurtured and supported by widespread dissemination of information, a free and independent media, and the belief in the ability and freedom of individuals to contribute to public discourse. Copyright law can be used to enhance the realization of these democratic ideals. Each African country should adopt a copyright regime that, given the country's collective historical experiences and specificities, can enhance the development of a robust civil society and a democratic culture, both of which can enhance the introduction of democracy, its deepening, and its institutionalization.
Day-to-day variability in sleep parameters and depression risk: a prospective cohort study of training physicians.

While 24-h total sleep time (TST) is established as a critical driver of major depression, the relationships between sleep timing and regularity and mental health remain poorly characterized because most studies have relied on either self-report assessments or traditional objective sleep measurements restricted to cross-sectional time frames and small cohorts. To address this gap, we assessed sleep with a wearable device, daily mood with a smartphone application and depression through the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) over the demanding first year of physician training (internship). In 2115 interns, reduced TST (b = −0.11, p < 0.001), later bedtime (b = 0.068, p = 0.015), along with increased variability in TST (b = 0.4, p = 0.0012) and in wake time (b = 0.081, p = 0.005) were associated with more depressive symptoms. Overall, the aggregated impact of sleep variability parameters and of mean sleep parameters on PHQ-9 were similar in magnitude (both r2 = 0.01). Within individuals, increased TST (b = 0.06, p < 0.001), later wake time (b = 0.09, p < 0.001), earlier bedtime (b = − 0.07, p < 0.001), as well as lower day-to-day shifts in TST (b = −0.011, p < 0.001) and in wake time (b = −0.004, p < 0.001) were associated with improved next-day mood. Variability in sleep parameters substantially impacted mood and depression, similar in magnitude to the mean levels of sleep parameters. Interventions that target sleep consistency, along with sleep duration, hold promise to improve mental health.
Development of a design and characterization framework for fabrication of functionally graded materials using magnetic field-assisted digital light processing stereolithography

Abstract Functionally graded materials (FGMs) offer several advantages over traditional materials. Fabrication of FGMs via additive manufacturing (AM) processes would allow creating a part with a complex geometry while controlling the graded structure and has gained significant interest in the recent years. Magnetic field-assisted digital light processing (DLP) stereolithography is a promising technique to fabricate FGMs. However, it is still challenging to be able to fabricate FGMs with precisely controlled structures and properties. In this study, a design, manufacturing, and characterization framework is developed for using DLP to fabricate FGMs. In this work, a customized DLP printer with assisitve magnetic field is developed and used to fabricate polymeric composites with embedded magnetic particles. By varying the magnetic field, different gradients of particle concentration can be achieved. The particle distribution within the sample is characterized by nano-computed tomography and the greyscale analysis using optical microscopy. Nanoindentation is performed to measure the local material properties in the graded area. Standard tensile tests are also conducted on samples with preset particle contents, and the results are cross compared with nanoindentation results. A finite element model is developed to analyze the effect of magnetic flux density on the resulting particle content. Correlations between the magnetic flux density and particle content, and between the particle content and the local material behavior are shown, which form the foundation of the proposed framework. This framework provides a guided method for designers and manufacturers to create FGMs with more predictable results.
Exploring the Factors that Influence Ethical Spanish Use among Medical Students and Solutions for Improvement.

There is a need for greater access to Spanish language services in United States healthcare. One approach to increasing language concordant care is the use of second language skills by healthcare s...
Pneumatic Soft Actuators With Kirigami Skins.

Soft pneumatic actuators have become indispensable for many robotic applications due to their reliability, safety, and design flexibility. However, the currently available actuator designs can be challenging to fabricate, requiring labor-intensive and time-consuming processes like reinforcing fiber wrapping and elastomer curing. To address this issue, we propose to use simple-to-fabricate kirigami skins --- plastic sleeves with carefully arranged slit cuts --- to construct pneumatic actuators with pre-programmable motion capabilities. Such kirigami skin, wrapped outside a cylindrical balloon, can transform the volumetric expansion from pneumatic pressure into anisotropic stretching and shearing, creating a combination of axial extension and twisting in the actuator. Moreover, the kirigami skin exhibits out-of-plane buckling near the slit cut, which enables high stretchability. To capture such complex deformations, we formulate and experimentally validates a new kinematics model to uncover the linkage between the kirigami cutting pattern design and the actuator's motion characteristics. This model uses a virtual fold and rigid-facet assumption to simplify the motion analysis without sacrificing accuracy. Moreover, we tested the pressure-stroke performance and elastoplastic behaviors of the kirigami-skinned actuator to establish an operation protocol for repeatable performance. Analytical and experimental parametric analysis shows that one can effectively pre-program the actuator's motion performance, with considerable freedom, simply by adjusting the angle and length of the slit cuts. The results of this study can establish the design and analysis framework for a new family of kirigami-skinned pneumatic actuators for many robotic applications.
High-Pressure Synthesis of Bulk Cobalt Cementite, Co3C

Transition metal carbides find use in a wide range of advanced high-resilience applications including high-strength steels, heat shields, and deep-earth drills. However, carbides of the mid-to-late...
Utilization of ccta for structural diseases

The objective of this chapter is to outline basic epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and imaging findings of common structural heart disease. Structural heart disease can result from a variety of processes effecting the myocardium, pericardium, vasculature, or cardiac valves. This chapter will outline disease processes effecting the aforementioned and highlight imaging findings that can aid in diagnosis and patient management.
A Unifeid Bias-Variance Decomposition and its Applications

This paper presents a unified bias-variance decomposition that is applicable to squared loss, zero-one loss, variable misclassification costs, and other loss functions. The unified decomposition sheds light on a number of significant issues: the relation between some of the previously-proposed decompositions for zero-one loss and the original one for squared loss, the relation between bias, variance and Schapire et al.’s (1997) notion of margin, and the nature of the trade-off between bias and variance in classification. While the biasvariance behavior of zero-one loss and variable misclassification costs is quite different from that of squared loss, this difference derives directly from the different definitions of loss. We have applied the proposed decomposition to decision tree learning, instancebased learning and boosting on a large suite of benchmark data sets, and made several significant observations.
The Double Riordan Group

The Riordan group is a group of infinite lower triangular matrices that are defined by two generating functions, $g$ and $f$. The kth column of the matrix has the generating function $gf^k$. In the Double Riordan group there are two generating function $f_1$ and $f_2$ such that the columns, starting at the left, have generating functions using $f_1$ and $f_2$ alternately. Examples include Dyck paths with level steps of length 2 allowed at even height and also ordered trees with differing degree possibilities at even and odd height(perhaps representing summer and winter). The Double Riordan group is a generalization not of the Riordan group itself but of the checkerboard subgroup. In this context both familiar and far less familiar sequences occur such as the Motzkin numbers and the number of spoiled child trees. The latter is a slightly enhanced cousin of ordered trees which are counted by the Catalan numbers.
The precore gene of the woodchuck hepatitis virus genome is not essential for viral replication in the natural host.

Abstract A number of naturally occurring hepatitis B virus mutants that cannot synthesize the virus precore protein have been identified. Such mutants have been associated with more severe forms of hepatitis, including fulminant hepatitis. The most common mutation observed is a substitution of G to A in the distal precore gene that converts a codon specifying Trp (TGG) to a termination codon (TAG). Using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, we have produced the same point mutation in the precore gene of an infectious clone of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). Transfection of mutant WHV DNA into the livers of adult woodchucks resulted in replication of the mutant in three of three susceptible animals. Levels of virus replication and transient elevations in liver enzymes in serum were similar to those of adult animals infected with wild-type WHV. Virions, found to possess mutant precore genes by polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing, were recovered from the serum of one of the animals and inoculated subcutaneously into neonatal woodchucks. They produced infection in all five animals studied. The level of virus replication in neonatal animals infected with this mutant virus was comparable to that found in neonatal woodchucks infected with wild-type WHV, but none of five woodchucks infected with the precore mutant virus as neonates became chronic virus carriers. It was concluded that the precore gene of the WHV genome is not essential for virus replication in the natural host but may be important for chronic infection.
Numerical methods of high-order accuracy for nonlinear boundary value problems

with Dirichlet boundary conditions d D~u(O) = D k u ( l ) -0, D ........ dx' O ~ k < ~ n t , (/.2) where (1.3) ~Eu (x)~ = Z ( l)J+lDJEpj(x) DJu(x)l, n==_t. i=0 Basically, the Rayleigh-Ritz-Galerkin method for (1.1)--(1.2) was applied in [4] to a variety of finite dimensional subspaces, such as polynomial and spline subspaces, these subspaces having been selected in part with an eye toward efficient digital computation. Our aim here is simply to extend the results of [4] to nonlinear boundary conditions. Although such extensions will be explored more fully in [5], we restrict ourselves here, for ease of exposition, to the case n = t of (1.1), i.e.,
Building a real-time kernel: first steps in validating a pure process/Adt model

A model based on simple, unadorned processes and abstract data types has been proposed for the design and implementation of real-time systems. We describe our generally successful experiences in using this model for the construction of a real-time operating system kernel containing services for process control, synchronization, time and input-output. Our work and results focus on the usefulness of the scheme for designing modules at hardware/software interfaces, for predicting deterministic timing behaviour, and for software development.
Optimized dynamic framing for PET-based myocardial blood flow estimation

An optimal experiment design methodology was developed to select the framing schedule to be used in dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) for estimation of myocardial blood flow using 82Rb. A compartment model and an arterial input function based on measured data were used to calculate a D-optimality criterion for a wide range of candidate framing schedules. To validate the optimality calculation, noisy time-activity curves were simulated, from which parameter values were estimated using an efficient and robust decomposition of the estimation problem. D-optimized schedules improved estimate precision compared to non-optimized schedules, including previously published schedules. To assess robustness, a range of physiologic conditions were simulated. Schedules that were optimal for one condition were nearly-optimal for others. The effect of infusion duration was investigated. Optimality was better for shorter than for longer tracer infusion durations, with the optimal schedule for the shortest infusion duration being nearly optimal for other durations. Together this suggests that a framing schedule optimized for one set of conditions will also work well for others and it is not necessary to use different schedules for different infusion durations or for rest and stress studies. The method for optimizing schedules is general and could be applied in other dynamic PET imaging studies.
“Order” sensitivity and its applications

Abstract The concept of “order” sensitivity is proposed and a definition is given. The usefulness of this concept is illustrated by an examination of the order sensitivity of classical Butterworth and Chebyshev filter approximations and a study of the order sensitivity of an nth order lumped-parameter representation of a distributed-parameter RC transmission line.
Coronal Mass Ejections Associated with Impulsive Solar Energetic Particle Events

An impulsive solar energetic particle (SEP) event observed on the Wind spacecraft on 2000 May 1 was associated with an impulsive solar active region M1 X-ray flare. The timing and position of a fast (v = 960 km s-1), narrow CME observed in the LASCO coronagraph on SOHO make clear the connection between the CME and the flare and SEP event. Impulsive SEP events have long been associated with impulsive flares, but only gradual SEP events have thus far been found to be associated with CMEs. A comparison of impulsive SEP events with CME observations from the Solwind and LASCO coronagraphs revealed further good cases of narrow (10°-40°) CMEs associated with impulsive SEP events. A recent model of impulsive flares includes jets or plasmoids that are ejected upward from magnetic reconnection sites over active regions and might therefore be expected to appear in exceptional cases as faint and narrow CMEs in coronagraphs. We suggest that this model allows us to understand better SEP production and propagation in impulsive flares.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Space Solar Dynamic Heat Receivers with Cyclic Phase Change

A physical and thermodynamic model of space solar dynamic heat receivers employing solid-liquid phase change storage is developed. Generalized first and second law efficiencies are defined for cyclic operation. The solar heat received of NASA Glenn Research Center's Solar Dynamic Ground Test Demonstration System is used to generate numerical results from startup through balanced-orbit (asymptotic) conditions. In addition, a parametric study is performed to assess changes in receiver first and second law efficiencies due to changes in various system measurable parameters. Results show that parametric changes in system parameters result in maximum deviations of the asymptotic first law efficiency of less than 5 percentage points. The maximum departures of the asymptotic second law efficiency are less than 4 percentage points. Although the NASA receiver configuration is not optimized for cyclic thermodynamic performance, the cycle-integrated first and second law efficiencies compare favorably with steady-state numerical and experimental first and second law efficiencies.
Surface structure of MX-Chains studied by atomic force microscopy

The surfaces of mixed-valence halogen-bridged transition metal linear chain compounds [[Pt(en){sub 2}][Pt(en)]{sub 2}(X{sub 1-y}X{prime}{sub y}){sub 2}](ClO{sub 4}){sub 4} (X, X{prime} = Cl, Br, or I; en = C{sub 2}H{sub 8}N{sub 2}; y = 0.0 - 1.0) were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images are consistent with the surfaces expected from the bulk crystal structure. The surface unit cell parameters of the images correspond to the lattice constants of the bulk crystals. The patterns of the atomic-scale AFM images are dominated by the most protruded H atoms of the en ligands and the most protruded O atoms of the ClO{sub 4}{sup -} anions.
Infrared spectral observations of chlorophyll-a and ethyl chlorophyllide-a in the solid state.

— Infrared spectra of ethyl chlorophyllide-a and chlorophlyll-a in Nujol mulls show a shift of the C9 ketone carbonyl absorption band to higher frequencies when the pigments are subjected to drying processes. The ketone band can then be reversed back to lower frequencies by exposing the material to moisture. These observations indicate that the nature of chlorophyll aggregation in the solid state varies with the water content of the pigment.
What Strategies Are Helpful in the Operative Management of Third Molars

Purpose The purpose of this review was to investigate and report strategies that might improve patient recovery after third molar (M3) surgery. Materials and Methods This was a literature review on various topics to identify the methods of improving outcomes after M3 removal. Numerous topics were reviewed, including patient age, flap design, effect of smoking, use of antibacterial rinses, pre-emptive analgesia, and the role of antibiotics and corticosteroids in recovery. Results Increased patient age appears to be a factor in a higher complication rate, but the literature is sparse. The results of studies on flap design are contradictory, but there is no difference in long-term periodontal health. Systematic reviews clearly show that longer periods of smoking cessation decrease surgical complications, but few studies have addressed M3 surgery. Likewise, the role of pre-emptive analgesia, although beneficial in a general surgical setting, has not been studied thoroughly with regard to M3 surgery. The use of chlorhexidine rinses to prevent alveolar osteitis and surgical site infection has been studied extensively, but meta-analyses have not convincingly proved this effect. The evidence is convincing that antibiotics decrease alveolar osteitis and surgical site infection. Similarly, it is clear that corticosteroids decrease postoperative trismus and edema; however, the role of steroids in decreasing pain is not proved. Conclusion This review found various factors associated with improving recovery and minimizing complications in M3 surgery.
Polyamine−Quantum Dot Nanocomposites: Linear versus Starburst Stabilizer Architectures

Recently, a number of research groups have found that dendrimers are effective templates for the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials (Sooklal, K.; Hanus, L. H.; Ploehn, H. J.; Murphy, C. J. Adv. Mater. 1998, 10, 1083. Balogh, L.; Tomalia, D. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 7355. Zhao, M.; Sun, L.; Crooks, R. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 4877.). Here, we report that linear polymer analogues of the dendrimer molecules can be used to make CdS nanocomposites with similar optical properties in solution, albeit with reduced quantum yield of emission. High local concentration of chelating nitrogens on the polymer or dendrimer is hypothesized to be the key feature for ultrasmall, defect-free CdS nanoparticle formation. Immobilization of the nanocomposites in a sol−gel glass is an effective means to capture them in a solid form.
Gene for alpha 2(I) collagen is on mouse chromosome 6 not 16.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the animal world and a principal component, of the extracellular matrix of tissues. Type I collagen is composed of two α1chains and one α2 chain. The human α2(I) locus (COL1A2)has been assigned to human chromosome 7q21.3–q22.1. Here, we report the mapping of its murine counterpart Colla-2to mouse chromosome 6 (MMU6) by Southern blotting using somatic cell hybrids. This result disagrees with the previously reported mapping of Colla-2to MMU16 by immunochemical techniques. Our results are supported by comparative mapping data showing conserved homology between regions of human chromosome 7 and mouse chromosome 6.
THE PRINCESS AND THE NICE FROG: STUDY IN PERSON PERCEPTION

The present study investigated how individuals are perceived as a function of their association with others. An unattractive male was perceived in a more favorable light when he was paired with an ...