cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Children's Literature on Gender Role Perceptions: A Reexamination.

This project reexamined young children's gender attitudes regarding occupational roles. The results of this study suggested that young children's atitudes, while still generally stereotypic, were more flexible regarding occupational roles. The reading of carefully selected books and book related activities positively influenced gender attitudes.
High-sensitivity scattering-based detection under symmetrical arrayed-waveguide platform

Scattering-based on-chip excitation and detection under arrayed-waveguide platform have been developed and implemented. Through the signal-processing algorithm, amplified, and subsequently verified, signals can be used to detect particles of different velocities.
Creating usable science: Opportunities and constraints for climate knowledge use and their implications for science policy

Abstract In the past several decades, decision makers in the United States have increasingly called upon publicly funded science to provide “usable” information for policy making, whether in the case of acid rain, famine prevention or climate change policy. As demands for usability become more prevalent for publicly accountable scientific programs, there is a need to better understand opportunities and constraints to science use in order to inform policy design and implementation. Motivated by recent critique of the decision support function of the US Global Change Research Program, this paper seeks to address this issue by specifically examining the production and use of climate science. It reviews empirical evidence from the rich scholarship focused on climate science use, particularly seasonal climate forecasts, to identify factors that constrain or foster usability. It finds, first, that climate science usability is a function both of the context of potential use and of the process of scientific knowledge production itself. Second, nearly every case of successful use of climate knowledge involved some kind of iteration between knowledge producers and users. The paper argues that, rather than an automatic outcome of the call for the production of usable science, iterativity is the result of the action of specific actors and organizations who ‘own’ the task of building the conditions and mechanisms fostering its creation. Several different types of institutional arrangements can accomplish this task, depending on the needs and resources available. While not all of the factors that enhance usability of science for decision making are within the realm of the scientific enterprise itself, many do offer opportunities for improvement. Science policy mechanisms such as the level of flexibility afforded to research projects and the metrics used to evaluate the outcomes of research investment can be critical to providing the necessary foundation for iterativity and production of usable science to occur.
On Mechanics of Connective Tissue: Assessing the Electrostatic Contribution to Corneal Stroma Elasticity

The extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in defining the mechanical properties of connective tissues like cornea, heart, tendon, bone and cartilage among many others. The unique properties of these collagenous tissues arise because of both the hierarchal structure of collagens and the presence of negatively charged proteoglycans (PGs) which hold collagen fibers together. Here, in an effort to understand the mechanics of these structures, using the nonlinear Poison-Boltzmann (PB) equation, we study the electrostatic contribution to the elasticity of corneal stroma due to the presence of negatively charged PG glycosminoglycans (GAGs). Since collagens and GAGs have a regular hexagonal arrangement inside the corneal stroma, a triangular unit cell is chosen. The finite element method is used to solve the PB equation inside this domain and to obtain the electric potential and ionic distributions. Having the ion and potential distributions throughout the unit cell, the electrostatic free energy is computed and the tissue elasticity is calculated using the energy method. It is shown that as the ionic bath concentration increases; the electrostatic contribution to tissue elasticity is reduced.
Modeling fossil plant form-function relationships: A critique

Attempts to model form-function relationships for fossil plants rely on the facts that the physiological and structural requirements for plant growth, survival, and reproductive success are remarkably similar for the majority of extant and extinct species regardless of phyletic affiliation and that most of these requirements can be quantified by means of comparatively simple mathematical expressions drawn directly from the physical and engineering sciences. Owing in part to the advent and rapid expansion of computer technologies, the number of fossil plant form-function models has burgeoned in the last two decades and encompasses every level of biological organization ranging from molecular self-assembly to ecological and evolutionary dynamics. This recent and expansive interest in modeling fossil plant form-function relationships is discussed in the context of the general philosophy of modeling past biological systems and how the reliability of models can be examined (i.e., direct experimental manipulation or observation of the system being modeled). This philosophy is illustrated and methods of validating models are critiqued in terms of four models drawn from the author's work (the quantification of wind-induced stem bending stresses, wind pollination efficiency of early Paleozoic ovulate reproductive structures, population dynamics and species extinction in monotypic and “mixed” communities, and the adaptive radiation of early vascular land plants). The assumptions and logical (mathematical) consequences (predictions) of each model are broadly outlined, and, in each case, the model is shown to be overly simplistic despite its ability to predict the general or particular behavior or operation of the system modeled. Nonetheless, these four models, which illustrate some of pros and cons of modeling fossil form-function relationships, are argued to be pedagogically useful because, like all models, they expose the internal logical consistency of our basic assumptions about how organic form and function interrelate.
Examining the Effectiveness of a Semi-Self-Paced Flipped Learning Format in a College General Chemistry Sequence.

Flipped learning has come to the forefront in education. It maximizes learning by moving content delivery online, where learning can be self-paced, allowing for class time to focus on student-centered active learning. This five-year cross-sectional study assessed student performance in a college general chemistry for majors sequence taught by a single instructor, comparing the flipped learning format to a more traditional lecture format. Students’ conceptual knowledge was captured through the use of American Chemical Society (ACS) standardized exam scores and analyzed using one-way ANCOVA. Student motivation and learning perceptions were assessed using the Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ-II) and an in-house Blended (Flipped) Learning Survey. Statistical analysis indicated that students instructed through the flipped learning platform performed better than those taught using traditional pedagogy. Student perceptions regarding flipped learning were mostly positive and reflected motivation to succeed...
Pain sensitivity in patients with temporomandibular disorders: relationship to clinical and psychosocial factors.

Objective:We have previously reported that patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) exhibit enhanced sensitivity to experimentally evoked pain (1); however, the clinical relevance of this increased pain sensitivity remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship
Discrimination Procedures for the Analysis of Nominally Scaled Data Sets

The author compares two discrimination procedures used for analyzing nominally scaled data sets, dummy variable multiple discriminant function analysis and multivariate nominal scale analysis. Both...
Multiple trauma and the elderly patient.

Summary The elderly patient is likely to suffer severer immediate effects and more long-term complications from equivalent forces of injury. However, with an aggressive approach to evaluation, monitoring, and treatment, there is hope for successful recovery in the majority of cases.
Zielparameter der Volumensubstitution nach Verbrennungstrauma

Eine adaquate Primarversorgung sowie eine ausreichende, an die individuellen Anforderungen des Patienten angepasste Flussigkeitstherapie in der Fruhphase nach Verbrennung gelten als wesentliche Voraussetzungen fur die erfolgreiche chirurgische und intensivmedizinische Therapie des Brandverletzten. Die Flussigkeitstherapie Schwerverbrannter erfolgt bevorzugt mit isotonen kristalloiden Losungen. Kolloidale Losungen sollten, wenn moglich, wahrend der ersten 24 Stunden nach Trauma vermieden werden. Nur wenn ein Patient nicht oder nur unter dauerhafter massiver Infusion von Kristalloiden zu stabilisieren ist, werden in Ausnahmefallen fruhestens nach acht Stunden Kolloide eingesetzt. Dies ist haufig bei grosflachigen Verbrennungen in Kombination mit einem Inhalationstrauma erforderlich. Die Therapie kann anhand des mittleren arteriellen Drucks (MAD) und einer bilanzierten Flussigkeitssubstitution gesteuert werden. Die Ausscheidung sollte zwischen 0,5 und 1,0 ml/kg/h und der MAD >70 mmHg eingestellt werden. Wenn die Flussigkeitstherapie, gesteuert anhand dieser Vitalzeichen, nicht den gewunschten Effekt erzielt, liefert ein erweitertes hamodynamisches Monitoring wertvolle zusatzliche Informationen. Dies ist ab einer verbrannten Korperoberflache (VKOF) von 30% empfehlenswert. Bei Vorliegen eines Inhalationstraumas, vorbestehenden kardio-pulmonalen Erkrankungen sowie einer VKOF ab 50% sollte es zum Standard der Intensivtherapie jedes Schwerverbrannten gehoren. Hierfur konnen der Swan-Ganz-Katheter oder weniger invasive transkardiopulmonale Indikatordilutions- Methoden eingesetzt werden. Es sollte eine hyperdyname, supranormale Kreislaufsituation mit hohem Herzindex (4,5 bis 5,5 l/ min/m2), hohem Sauerstoffangebot (DO2I: >600 ml/min/m2), und niedrigem Gefaswiderstand (SVRI: 900 bis 1100 dynes ·s/m2/ cm5) angestrebt und innerhalb der ersten Stunden nach Trauma erreicht werden.
Current management of testicular tumors.

Owing to improved chemotherapy, nonseminomatous testicular tumors, which previously had one of the worst prognoses among solid tumors, now have one of the best. Improved chemotherapy may greatly enhance the survival of patients with stage III seminoma as well. The minimal optimal therapy for patients with germ cell testicular tumor remains to be determined.
Corrosion Resistant Iron Aluminide Alloys

(1988). Corrosion Resistant Iron Aluminide Alloys. Materials and Processing Report: Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 2-2.
On the Initiation of Organization in the Root Apex

Root and shoot apices are the major centers of organization in the development of the higher vascular plant. Apices are sites of origin of new cells formed by repeated cellular divisions in distinctive patterns; they serve as the organizers for the elaboration of tissue patterns in the continuing development of the mature axial structures of the root and stem. Apices are where things happen. Once formed, an apex, either root or shoot, is a remarkably stable structure, unperturbable in its activities of new cell formation and tissue pattern determination. Furthermore, it hides the secrets of its inherent organizational capacity remarkably well. We know very little about the properties of apices which allow them to be essentially autonomous in their functioning. Their activities are programmed in the genetic constitution of the cells of which they are comprised and the coordinated, multicellular tissue patterns which result from correlated intercellular behavior are equally referable to the genes. One of the basic problems of understanding organization in the vascular plants is to understand how apices operate, in what ways they are themselves organized and how this distinctive organization arises.
Induction of Polyclonal T-Cell Responses Against Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas by Autologous Dendritic Cells Transfected with Amplified Tumor RNA.

Abstract The indolent course of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) patients makes them attractive candidates for immunotherapeutic strategies. However, tumor specific antigens are unknown in CTCL, and thus this is an obstacle to the development of CTCL vaccines. Recently, vaccinations with the tumor antigen repertoire has shown to be a superior strategy to elicit protective immunity for hematological malignancies since it does not require definition of tumor antigens or HLA haplotyping (Borrello IM, Sotomayor EM. Cancer Control , 9:138–151, 2002). Studies have shown that dendritic cells (DC) transfected with tumor mRNA amplified from primary tumor cells can stimulate anti-tumor T cell responses (Boczkowski et al, Cancer Research , 60: 1028–1034, 2000; Muller et al, Blood , 103: 1763–1769, 2004). In this study, we determined the efficacy of ex vivo induction of anti-CTCL T cell responses using autologous DCs transfected with tumor RNA amplified from CTCL cells. We established a protocol for amplification of whole CTCL mRNA. DCs were generated from CD14+monocytes of patients with CTCL, transfected with amplified tumor RNA (5μg/106), matured with IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE2, and co-cultured with autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes. Induction of CTCL-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), determined by IFN-γ and Granzyme B secretion, was measured by ELISPOT assays. As a result, DCs transfected with amplified tumor RNA induced a 1–3 fold increase in specific IFN-γ secreting and Granzyme B releasing CTLs, compared to control DCs that were not transfected, in 3 of 5 patients. There was only an induction of granzyme B releasing CTLs seen in the fourth patient. There was no induction of either IFN-γ secreting or granzyme B releasing CTLs in the fifth CTCL patient who had low CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood. These data suggest that vaccinations using DCs transfected with amplified tumor RNA might be a potent new strategy in the treatment of CTCL. It provides the rationale for further investigation of a potentially clinically effective and broadly applicable treatment for CTCL patients, and has the advantage of not requiring large amounts of tumor cells or characterization of a specific relevant antigen in each patient.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE DURING PREGNANCY

Use and abuse of both licit and illicit drugs is common. Although certain variables can appropriately serve as markers for increased risk, the possibility of substance abuse should be considered in all pregnant women. Alcohol is the leading identified cause of teratogenesis by drugs or environmental agents; most other drugs of abuse do not increase the risk of congenital malformations on a large scale. Substance abuse can produce significant degrees of toxicity in both pregnant women and their offspring. Screening and counseling of pregnant women concerning past and present use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs should be routine. Prenatal care must include increased surveillance for drug-related complications; coordinated, comprehensive, family-oriented drug treatment; and social services. Rehabilitation and support efforts should continue after delivery and address issues that lead to and maintain patterns of abuse. The drug-exposed neonate must be anticipated and evaluated with a knowledge of the maternal drug abuse history and specific drug risks, including neonatal abstinence syndrome. Continuing care of the child should address the increased risk of developmental and behavioral problems from both prenatal exposures and continuing socioenvironmental barriers.
Surgical intervention in early-stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

443Background: Bilimoria et al (2007) reviewed 9,559 patients from the 1995-2004 National Cancer Database (NCDB) showing that 38.2% of patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer without any identifiable contraindications failed to undergo pancreactomy. We used the 2004-2013 NCDB to look at the role of surgery in initial care plans of patients with stage I pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We also assessed differences in practice in this regard at different types of cancer centers. Methods: We analyzed 12,927 patients diagnosed with stage I pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2004-2013 from the NCDB. Survival differences between patients who received surgery at the primary site versus patients not offered surgery were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in surgery were compared using chi-squared analysis. Results: Of the stage I patients, 27.3% had surgery, 52.8% were not offered surgery, 9.3% were not offered surgery due to risk factors, 4.4% refused surgery. Patients who received surgery had an inc...
Evaluating water table response to rainfall events in a shallow aquifer and canal system

Shallow aquifers typically have greater hydrologic connectivity and response to recharge and changes in surface water management practices than deeper aquifers and are therefore often managed to reduce the risk of flooding. Quantification of the water table elevation response under different management scenarios provides valuable information in shallow aquifer systems to assess indirect influences of such modifications. The episodic master recession method was applied to the 15-min water table elevation and NEXRAD rainfall data for 6 wells to identify water table response and individual rainfall events. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of rainfall, water table elevation, canal stage, site-specific characteristics, and canal structure modification/water management practice on the fluctuations in water table elevations using multiple/stepwise multiple linear regression techniques. With the modification of canal structure and operation adjustment, significant difference existed in water table response in the southern wells due to its relative downstream position regarding the general groundwater flow direction and the structural modification locations. On average, water table response height and flood risk were lower after than before the structure modification to canals. The effect of rainfall event size on the height of water table response was greater than the effect of antecedent water table elevation and canal stage on the height of water table response. Other factors including leakance of the canal bed sediment, specific yield, and rainfall on i − 1 day had significant effects on the height of water table response as well. Antecedent water table elevation and canal stage had greater and more linear effects on the height of water table response after the management changes to canals. Variation in water table response height/rainfall event size ratio was attributed to difference in Sy, antecedent soil water content, hydraulic gradient, rainfall size, and run-off ratio. After the structure modification, water table response height/rainfall event size ratio demonstrated more linear and proportional relationship with antecedent water table elevation and canal stage.
The Queer Tourist in 'Straight'(?) Space: Sexual Citizenship in Provincetown

Provincetown, Massachusetts USA, a rural out-of-the-way coastal village at the tip of Cape Cod with a yearround population of approximately 3,500, has ‘taken off’ since the late 1980s as a popular GLBTQ tourist destination. Long tolerant of sexual minorities, Provincetown transitioned from a Portuguese-dominated fishing village to a popular ‘queer’ gay resort mecca, as the fishing industry deteriorated drastically over the twentieth century. Today Provincetowners rely mainly on tourists—both straight and gay—who enjoy the seaside charm, rustic ambience, and a healthy dose of non-heternormative performance content, in this richly diverse tourist milieu. As Provincetown’s popularity as a GLBTQ tourist destination increased throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, new forms of “sexual outlaw” lifestyles, including the leather crowd and the gay men’s “tourist circuit,” have appeared in Provincetown, which challenge heteronormative standards, social propriety rules, and/or simply standards of “good taste,” giving rise to moral outrage and even at time an apparent homophobic backlash. This conduct interrogates how far citizens are willing to go to tolerate non-heteronormative (and at times outlaw) sexual conduct, produced by sexual minorities whose lifestyle is on the edge of the law and sometimes outside it altogether. This paper will analyze sexual tourism in Provincetown, to interrogate sexual citizenship, and both contradictions and possibilities for overcoming the sexual divide.
Virtual-flux estimation and SVM based direct power control of a three-level NPC rectifier

This paper discusses an existing Direct Power Control algorithms for three-phase three-level with neutral-point clamped (NPC) rectifiers. Direct Power Control, or DPC, implies the creation of the control algorithm in order to directly control both the active and reactive powers consumed by the rectifier, increasing the grid's power factor and reducing its current total harmonic distortion. Throughout this document, we will focus on one control algorithm directly related to DPC, through which we can achieve the rectifier control. The chosen method is the virtual flux based on DPC with space vector modulation. We will develop the mathematical model stemming from this algorithm and its operation under variable load. These tests and implementations will allow us to assert the superiority of virtual flux DPC with space vector modulation algorithm over conventional control techniques, verify the results obtained through the studied literature, and demonstrate the capacity of the algorithm to abide by the requirements and constraints. These tests will valorize, when working with medium to high power loads, the advantages of a multi-level inverter.
Molecular Mechanisms of Polarized Protein Trafficking in Epithelial Cells

Abstract The transport functions of epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and elsewhere, are made possible by their remarkable apical-basolateral plasma membrane asymmetry. This property, commonly called membrane polarity, is achieved by a combination of intracellular trafficking operations, including sorting, vectorial delivery and membrane-specific docking, fusion and retention mechanisms. Here we provide a review of this rapidly evolving research field within a historically relevant context.
Multiple stressors in the Sacramento River watershed

Aquatic biota in the Sacramento River watershed are stressed by diversion of river flows, by historical mining resulting in cadmium, copper, zinc, and mercury, and, more recently, contamination by agricultural and urban chemical runoff. In addition, the proposed redirection of drainage of saline waters — containing selenium — from the western slope of the San Joaquin River into the Delta formed. by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers could add to the stress on resident organisms. These combined stressors have led to deterioration in surface water quality and the aquatic habitat. The potential interaction of these stressors, coupled with invasions of foreign species and the export of juvenile fish into aqueducts, has driven several species of fish to near extinction in the system. Effects of historical contamination by heavy metals are potentially exacerbated by presence of organophosphate pesticides, at concentrations exceeding National Academy of Sciences recommendations, throughout the lower watershed and the San Francisco Bay.
Some Metaphor-Related Issues

Now that I have articulated my account of metaphor, and have addressed the phenomenon of creation of similarity within it, it would be useful to examine what consequences it has for some other issues related to metaphor. For instance, there is the thesis “All knowledge is metaphorical,” which is as vehemently supported by some scholars as it is opposed by others. Since I have characterized the metaphorical in contrast with the conventional, it might seem that my account of metaphor implicitly rejects this thesis. On the contrary, I show in Section 2 that proponents of this thesis do not use the term ‘metaphor’ in the same sense as I have been using it; and with their sense of metaphor, my account comes out strongly favoring the thesis. I also show in this section how using the term metaphor in different senses has created a needless debate over literal-metaphorical dichotomy.
Output Characteristics of Lead Telluride Quantum-Well Diode Lasers

Threshold currents of only 7,16, and 35 mA were required at 12, 80, and 100 K, respectively, in a laser that could operate with at least 400-mA current drive at 80 K. Lasing at record high temperatures, well within thermoelectric cooling range, was also achieved.
Voice of Justice: Reclaiming the First Amendment Rights of Lawyers

The First Amendment rights of lawyers are ethereal. Most lawyers fail to realize that courts may deny them access to the First Amendment's protective shield in many regulatory and disciplinary contexts. Overall, attorneys cannot and should not assume that they can obtain First Amendment protection - especially when acting as an attorney in their role as an 'officer of the court'. Yet, it is precisely in the lawyering context - where attorneys engage in speech, association, and petitioning for the very purpose of securing client rights, invoking law, enabling the judicial power, and obtaining justice - that the need for First Amendment protection is the most acute. If regulators silence that voice, they silence justice. From overarching theory to specific real-world contexts, this illuminating book provides a critical resource for lawyers, judges, and scholars to understand the relationship between the First Amendment rights of lawyers and the integrity of the justice system.
Implementation and Evaluation of a Standard Operating Procedure for Pediatric Infliximab Infusions.

Background The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease care variation regarding infliximab delivery at a pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) center. This variation was driven by differences in provider and nurse practices within 2 distinct infliximab administration units in our center. Following the development of an infusion protocol, the primary project goal was to assess improvement in the submission and completion of a protocol-specific preinfusion safety checklist. Methods The infusion protocol was developed based on the standard of care and expert physician opinion. A safety checklist was created to screen for active IBD symptoms and infection. We utilized continuous quality improvement to evaluate and guide the implementation of this preinfusion checklist. Checklist completion was assessed monthly over 15 months. We also conducted focus group interviews with infusion nurses and physicians to solicit qualitative protocol feedback. Results We used standard run chart rules and identified a shift in the median completion rate for both units, with no trends or astronomical points. The baseline period was defined as the 6-month post-checklist implementation. The median baseline completion rate for 1 unit was 46%, and during the subsequent 9 months, the rate increased to 81%. In the other unit, the median baseline completion rate was 91%, and during the succeeding 9 months, the rate was 95%. Focus group feedback included themes of quality, communication, safety, and efficiency and helped improve the protocol. Conclusions Feasibility was established for a standardized protocol to improve completion of a preinfusion safety checklist in children with IBD who receive infliximab. Nurse and physician focus group feedback was important for guiding protocol refinements.
DNA Requirement in FANCD2 Deubiquitination by USP1-UAF1-RAD51AP1 in the Fanconi Anemia DNA Damage Response

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a multigenic disease of bone marrow failure and cancer susceptibility stemming from a failure to remove DNA crosslinks and other chromosomal lesions. Within the FA DNA damage response pathway, DNA-dependent monoubiquitinaton of FANCD2 licenses downstream events, while timely FANCD2 deubiquitination serves to extinguish the response. Here, we show with reconstituted biochemical systems, which we developed, that efficient FANCD2 deubiquitination by the USP1-UAF1 complex is dependent on DNA and DNA binding by UAF1. Surprisingly, we find that the DNA binding activity of the UAF1-associated protein RAD51AP1 can substitute for that of UAF1 in FANCD2 deubiquitination in our biochemical system. We also reveal the importance of DNA binding by UAF1 and RAD51AP1 in FANCD2 deubiquitination in the cellular setting. Our results provide insights into a key step in the FA pathway and help define the multifaceted role of the USP1-UAF1-RAD51AP1 complex in DNA damage tolerance and genome repair.
Diffuson-driven ultralow thermal conductivity in amorphous N b 2 O 5 thin films

Niobium pentoxide ($\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$) has been investigated extensively for applications such as electrochemical energy storage, memristors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and electrochromic devices. The thermal properties of $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ play a critical role in device performance of these applications. However, very few studies on the thermal properties of $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ have been reported and a fundamental understanding of heat transport in $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ is still lacking. The present paper closes this gap and provides a study of thermal conductivity of amorphous $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ thin films. Ultralow thermal conductivity is observed without any size effect in films as thin as 48 nm, which indicates that propagons contribute negligibly to the thermal conductivity and that the thermal transport is dominated by diffusons. By using the vibrational density of states of the single-crystal phase obtained from density functional theory simulations as an approximation, a diffuson-mediated minimum thermal conductivity model confirms this finding. Additionally, the measured thermal conductivity is lower than the amorphous limit, which proves that the diffuson model works better than the amorphous limit model to describe the thermal conduction mechanism in the amorphous $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ thin films. Additionally, the thermal conductivity does not change significantly with oxygen vacancy concentration. This stable and low thermal conductivity facilitates excellent performance for applications such as memristors.
A Pattern for an NFV Virtual Machine Environment

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is a recent technology with a high velocity of innovation. It leverages virtualization technology to offer network functions such as firewalls, load balancers, and switches, as software services rather than being hardware as it is in traditional network infrastructures. A key component of virtualization technology is the hypervisor, which is a collection of software modules that provide virtualization of hardware resources and thus enable several virtual machines (VMs) to be run on a single physical server. The hypervisor resides within a Virtual Machine Environment (VME), which is an environment where VMs can be created to run applications (network functions), functionally equivalent to the original machine (computer) environment. We present here a pattern for a virtual machine environment of NFV, which describes the architecture where VMs are created and managed for the purposes of NFV; the created VMs can be used to create virtualized network functions (VNFs).
Statistical and machine learning methodology for abdominal aortic aneurysm prediction from ultrasound screenings

A method of analysis of a database of patients (n = 10 329) screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is presented. Self-reported height, weight, age, gender, ethnicity, and parameters "Heart Problems," "Hypertension," "High Cholesterol," "Diabetes Mellitus," "Smoker Past 2 Years," "Ever Smoked?," "Family History AAA," and "Family History Brain Aneurysm" were provided. Incidence of a AAA (defined as 3 cm diameter) was calculated as a function of age and body mass index (BMI) of greater than or less than a BMI 25 for various patient groups. Age was grouped into one of three categories in 15-year intervals (35-50 years, 50-65 years, and 65 to 80 years). Most patients were Caucasian (n = 8575) and the largest group of patients with a AAA was the Caucasian male (198 of 279 total detected AAAs). A machine learning algorithm was written, with learning inputs from the acquired patient database. Of all groups, Caucasian males were found to have the highest incidence of AAA, with males in general higher than females. Smoking within the past two years was highly associated with AAA incidence, and a past history of smoking to a lesser extent. The incidence of AAA increased with age. When dividing groups into two cohorts by a BMI of 25, generally middle-aged patients with a BMI > 25 had a higher incidence of a AAA. However, in general, the older age group with a BMI < 25 had a higher incidence of AAA. The addition of machine learning allows one to note the effect of an input keeping other input parameters constant. This helps identify a parameter that may be an independent predictor of a particular outcome. When using BMI as the single changing input, an increasing BMI was associated with an increased probability of a AAA, most significantly in middle-aged patients, and then narrowing to similar probabilities in older age. This AAA screening program is ongoing. As data continues to be collected with particularly those patient groups presently underrepresented, questions as to an association of AAA with BMI as a function of age, and also an improvement in machine learning algorithm accuracy for various patient populations will continue.
Sentiment’s effect on the variance of stock returns

This study examines the effect that sentiment has on the conditional variance of stock returns. We find that the effect is asymmetric and differs depending upon the state of the economy. We also ex...
National Trends in Hospitalization Charges for Autologous Free Flap Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND There is significant cost variation among patients undergoing autologous free flap breast reconstruction. Previous studies hypothesize that factors like length of stay and hospital volume are key drivers of cost; however, how these factors have affected cost have not been well studied. Our study analyzes the factors influencing hospital charges relating to these procedures and their trends over a multiyear time frame. METHODS The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample database was analyzed from January 2009 to December 2014. All female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer or at a high risk for breast cancer who underwent autologous free flap breast reconstruction were included. Variables of interest included demographic data, hospital characteristics, hospitalization data, and total hospital charges. Univariate and generalized linear models were used to examine associations between selected variables and the hospitalization charges, as well as trends in these factors over the years included. RESULTS There were 659,220 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer or had a high risk of breast cancer between 2009 and 2014. Of these patients, 20,050 (3.0%) received autologous free flap breast reconstruction and were included. The mean total hospital charge was US $98,839.33 (SD = US $61,532.04). Regression analysis showed that the proportion of procedures to the total population of potential patients significantly increased over the selected time frame (P = 0.02). The average total charges also increased significantly (P < 0.01), despite a decrease in length of stay (P = 0.05). Procedures performed in the west were associated with significantly higher charges when compared with other regions (US $147,855.42, P < 0.001). Higher hospital charges were also associated with urban hospitals, regardless of teaching status. CONCLUSIONS The overall demand for the autologous free flap breast reconstruction is increasing within the patient population, in conjunction with increasing associated hospital charges. This increase in cost is seen despite an overall decrease in length of stay, originally thought to be the main contributor to regional cost variation. Further studies should be done to develop strategies to better target increased hospitalization charges, because the overall health care burden of this procedure is expected to rise if current trends continue.
Concepts and Criteria of Resolution

In the first chapter I defined the terms resolution, contrast, and magnification. I contrasted the terms resolution and magnification. I stressed the synergy between resolution and contrast in the microscope. In this chapter I discuss the various definitions and concepts that are used as metrics of resolution. In addition, I introduce some topics from physical optics and others from information theory that lead to a deeper understanding of the concept of resolution. I will answer the following questions about optical resolution and resolving power: What is resolution? How do we measure resolution? What limits resolution and what confounds our concepts and understanding of it? Then, I segue from a discussion of resolution concepts to the concept of superresolution, the content of Part III of this book.
Exploring Accessibility in DOAJ: A Case Study

This study explores the accessibility of HTML articles indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The researchers tested a random sample of journals that possessed the DOAJ seal of ap...
Free-water diffusion tensor imaging improves the accuracy and sensitivity of white matter analysis in Alzheimer's disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can assess white matter (WM) integrity through several metrics, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), axial/radial diffusivities (AxD/RD), and mode of anisotropy (MA). Standard DTI is susceptible to the effects of extracellular free water (FW), which can be removed using an advanced free-water DTI (FW-DTI) model. The purpose of this study was to compare standard and FW-DTI metrics in the context of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Data were obtained from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS-3) database and included both healthy controls (HC) and mild-to-moderate AD. With both standard and FW-DTI, decreased FA was found in AD, mainly in the corpus callosum and fornix, consistent with neurodegenerative mechanisms. Widespread higher AxD and RD were observed with standard DTI; however, the FW index, indicative of AD-associated neurodegeneration, was significantly elevated in these regions in AD, highlighting the potential impact of free water contributions on standard DTI in neurodegenerative pathologies. Using FW-DTI, improved consistency was observed in FA, AxD, and RD, and the complementary FW index was higher in the AD group as expected. With both standard and FW-DTI, higher values of MA coupled with higher values of FA in AD were found in the anterior thalamic radiation and cortico-spinal tract, most likely arising from a loss of crossing fibers. In conclusion, FW-DTI better reflects the underlying pathology of AD and improves the accuracy of DTI metrics related to WM integrity in Alzheimer’s disease.
Chapter 3 – Relaxor Ferroelectric-Based Ceramics

Ferroelectric relaxor characteristics are discussed in conjunction with the disordered arrangement of the constituent ions. Dielectric properties are characterized by giant and temperature-insensitive dielectric constants and large frequency dependence (referred to as “dielectric relaxation”). These properties are consistently explainable by the dynamic response of very small spindle-like domains. We discuss the critical exponent γ regarding the relation between the dielectric constant and temperature (or hydrostatic pressure) from the “fractal” viewpoint, which explains a high correlation of the γ value with the phase transition diffuseness. Superior characteristics in electrostriction and electro-optic effects are also introduced finally from practical application viewpoints.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Improves COVID-19 Patient Outcome Prediction

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely impacted the world. Several studies suggest an increased risk for COVID-19 patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, it is challenging to quantify such risk factors and integrate them into patient condition evaluation. This paper presents machine learning methods to assess CVD risk scores from chest computed tomography together with laboratory data, demographics, and deep learning extracted lung imaging features to increase the outcome prediction accuracy for COVID-19 patients. The experimental results demonstrate an overall increase in prediction performance when the CVD severity score was added to the feature set. The machine learning methods obtained their best performance when all categories of the features were used for the patient outcome prediction. With the best attained area under the curve of 0.888, the presented research may assist physicians in clinical decision-making process on managing COVID-19 patients.
Educational channeling, internalized stereotyping, expectations fulfillment and major choice on Asian Americans' major satisfaction: A moderated mediation model

Abstract This study examined whether culturally-valued or non-culturally-valued majors moderated the relation between educational channeling (or guiding and directing individuals) towards math and science and major satisfaction through internalized stereotyping and parental expectation fulfillment among 226 Asian American college students. Culturally-valued majors are defined as those in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) or business which tend to have a large Asian American presence. Moderated mediation models demonstrated that parental expectation fulfillment mediated a positive relation between educational channeling and major satisfaction for Asian Americans with culturally-valued majors but not for those with non-culturally-valued majors. In contrast, internalized stereotyping mediated a negative relation between educational channeling and major satisfaction for Asian Americans with non-culturally-valued majors but not for those with culturally-valued majors. Findings suggest educational channeling towards math and science may be associated with major satisfaction via different cultural mediators across Asian American college students of culturally-valued versus non-culturally-valued majors. Public significance statement When Asian Americans are steered towards math and science or culturally-valued majors, factors including their major choice, perceptions of whether they are fulfilling parental expectations, and whether their major aligns with Asian stereotypes are associated with their major satisfaction. The study's results stress the importance of considering culturally-specific factors in the context of Asian Americans' career development and encourage practitioners to consider these factors in career counseling with these students.
The GI Simulated Clinic in the Era of COVID-19: a Comparison of Virtual to In-Person Delivery

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted medical education; thus, there is a need to better understand the effectiveness of virtual learning compared to in-person learning. This is a single-center, cross-sectional study of first-year medical students who attended a gastroenterology simulated clinic activity in person in 2018 and 2019 or virtually in 2020. Participants were surveyed on the activity's relevance and effectiveness. Students' assessment of the virtual clinic's effectiveness and relevance was not significantly different from the in-person version of the activity. In addition, most students rated the virtual clinic as effective for learning about telemedicine.
p38γ MAPK is required for inflammation-associated colon tumorigenesis

Chronic inflammation has long been considered to causatively link to colon cancer development. However, signal transduction pathways involved remain largely unidentified. Here, we report that p38γ mitogen-activated protein kinase mediates inflammatory signaling to promote colon tumorigenesis. Inflammation activates p38γ in mouse colon tissues and intestinal epithelial cell-specific p38γ knockout (KO) attenuates colitis and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Significantly, p38γ KO inhibits tumorigenesis in a colitis-associated mouse model. The specific p38γ pharmacological inhibitor pirfenidone also suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and colon tumorigenesis. The tumor-promoting activity of epithelial p38γ was further demonstrated by xenograft studies. In addition, p38γ is required for β-catenin/Wnt activities and p38γ stimulates Wnt transcription by phosphorylating β-catenin at Ser605. These results show that p38γ activation links inflammation and colon tumorigenesis. Targeting p38γ may be a novel strategy for colon cancer prevention and treatment.
VIII Evaluation, Design and Extrapolation Methods for Optical Signals, Based on Use of the Prolate Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses applications, specifically dealing with the performance characteristics of optical systems. The linear prolate functions are a set of band limited functions, which like the trigonometric functions, are orthogonal and complete over a finite interval. However, unlike the trig functions, they are also complete and orthogonal over the infinite interval. Fourier transform of a linear prolate function is proportional to the same prolate function. The mathematical properties of the circular prolates, which make them readily applicable to the analysis of optical imagery, are summarized in the chapter. The optical applications arise from the modern use of the prolates as a convenient set of one-dimensional, orthogonal functions. These applications have been on the general subject of optical systems analysis. Performance characteristics of the laser have been established, along with the ultimate ability of lens and lensless systems to form high quality images. There is one physical phenomenon that unifies these applications—diffraction at a finite aperture—and it can be said that this phenomenon is optimally analyzed by use of the prolate functions.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: the Indigestible Microbe

Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives within the phagocytes of its host, yet these cells are key to the effective control of the infection. The macrophage is both an antigen-presenting cell and an immune-effector cell capable of killing M. tuberculosis if given the correct stimuli. The subtle and not so subtle influence of the host immune system on this environment was demonstrated previously through the regulated expression and dependence on isocitrate lyase (ICL1), the gating enzyme into the glyoxylate pathway. Clemens and Horwitz reported the detection of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in infected macrophages analyzed by immunoelectron microscopy. Researchers went on to confirm that treatment of macrophages with gamma interferon rendered the Mycobacterium-containing vacuoles accessible to MHC class II molecules and also H-2M molecules, inferring that activation of the macrophage relocated the pathogen into the antigen-sampling and processing pathway of the cell. It has been shown recently that dendritic cells will present bacterial lipids acquired through internalization of vesicles derived from the apoptotic death of infected bystander macrophages. Macrophages activated by gamma interferon prior to infection deliver the bacteria to acidic, hydrolytically competent lysosomes. The success of M. tuberculosis as a pathogen hinges on its ability to either modulate or respond to its host cell, the macrophage, throughout the changing phases of the infection in its host.