cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EDGE: Extreme Scale Fused Seismic Simulations with the Discontinuous Galerkin Method

This article introduces EDGE, a solver package for fused seismic simulations. Fused seismic simulations are a novel technique addressing one of the grand challenges of computational seismology: large ensemble runs of geometrically similar forward simulations. Application fields include, but are not limited to: uncertainty quantification in the context of seismic hazard analysis or the accurate derivation of velocity models through tomographic inversion. For efficient and accurate handling of complex model geometries (topography, fault geometries, material heterogeneities), EDGE utilizes the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for spatial and Arbitrary high order DERivatives (ADER) for time discretization, implemented for unstructured tetrahedral meshes. EDGE’s ADER-DG scheme requires sparse and dense matrix-matrix multiplications at the kernel level. By choosing a sufficient memory layout and relying on runtime code generation and specialization, both, sparse and dense operations, can be efficiently vectorized on wide-SIMD machines. We present a convergence study of single and fused seismic simulations, code verification in an established benchmark, as well as a detailed performance assessment for different discretization orders. As target architecture we select the recently released Intel Xeon Phi processor, which powers the Theta and Cori-II supercomputers. For a single sixth order seismic forward simulation we achieved 10.4 PFLOPS of hardware performance and 5.0 PFLOPS for fused simulations in fourth order, both occupying 9,000 nodes of Cori-II. From a throughput perspective, fused seismic simulations can outperform a single forward simulation by 1.8\(\times \) to 4.6\(\times \), depending on the chosen order of the method.
Das Periodensystem – Anordnung der Elemente nach drei Ordnungskriterien

Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts gab es zwar die Theorie von Atomen als kleinste unteilbare Einheiten der Elemente, aber keine konkreten Vorstellungen uber die Struktur dieser Teilchen. Von den 92 naturlich vorkommenden Elementen kannte man lediglich 60; samtliche Edelgase waren noch unentdeckt. Es war bereits damals klar, dass die Atome unterschiedlicher Elemente verschiedene Massen aufweisen. Erst die Festlegung der relativen Atommassen auf dem Karlsruher Kongress 1860, dem ersten internationalen Symposium fur moderne Chemie, brachte den Durchbruch in den Bemuhungen, Ordnung und Regelmasigkeiten zwischen den Elementen herzustellen.
Getting Familiar with LabVIEW: Part II

This chapter illustrates the method followed for building a virtual instrument (VI), illustrating an example regarding the same. The example is described in a step-by-step fashion. LabVIEW7.1 can be launched by double-clicking on the LabVIEW 7.1 icon. The first step is to create a new VI, which can be done by choosing file and then a new VI from the menu. This results in the generation of a blank front panel (FP) and a blank (block diagram) BD. The next step involves the creation of the number of inputs and outputs for a VI that essentially depends upon its function. This is followed by labeling the inputs. It is noted that for a better visual appearance, objects on an FP window can be aligned, distributed, and resized using the appropriate buttons appearing on the FP toolbar. Furthermore, a graphical program on the BD is created. To have a proper data flow, functions, structures, and terminal icons on a BD need to be wired. This is achieved through a wiring tool. In the next step, the BD is labeled. Lastly, the created VI is saved and the functionality of a VI can be tested and verified. For creating a SubVI, that is a VI that is used as part of a higher level VI, its connector pane needs to be configured.
Insult to veneration: The evolution of prehistoric intrusiveness within the Casma Valley of Peru

Abstract Excavation data from monumental architecture at the site of Sechin Alto near the Peruvian coast that span more than 20 centuries are used here to explore archaeological intrusiveness, the post-primary reuse of archaeological sites, from a diachronic perspective. Three substantial cultural intrusions have been documented, and they are examined here as a means to study the processes involved as the function of the monumental architecture changes, as the associated social memory evolves, and as intentionality or agency changes. Initially, strong negative social memory resulted in a “branding” of the monument by its rivals followed by an era of desecration, destruction, and rebuilding by a hostile local population that changed the monument’s function. The final intrusive episode documents changes in monument function and social memory as the monument came to be viewed as a sacred space for burial and a vantage point overlooking the valley floor.
The Impact of Drought and Vascular-Inhabiting Pathogen Invasion in Pinus taeda Health

The complex interaction of various biotic and abiotic factors may put the overall stand health of Pinus spp. at risk. A study was designed to determine the combined impact of drought and vascular-inhabiting fungi (Leptographium terebrantis and Grosmannia huntii) in Pinus taeda. Seedlings from two P. taeda families were planted and watering treatments, (i) normal watering, (ii) moderate drought, and (iii) severe drought, were applied. One month following the initiation of watering treatments, seedling stems were artificially inoculated with L. terebrantis and G. huntii. Drought and fungal interaction significantly affected lesion length/seedling height, occlusion length/seedling height, and seedling fine root biomass. Leptographium terebrantis was more pathogenic under moderate and severe drought than normal watering condition, whereas the pathogenicity of G. huntii remains unaltered. The susceptibility of the families to vascular-inhabiting fungi remained the same under different watering treatments. Drought and specific vascular-inhabiting fungi may negatively impact P. taeda stand health.
A proximal retinal component in the primate photopic ERG a-wave.

Purpose. The monkey photopic ERG was studied during administration of glutamate analogs to determine whether the photopic a-wave derives exclusively from photoreceptors. Methods. Monkey photopic ERGs were elicited using 200-msec flashes or 30-Msec xenon photostrobe flashes on a steady light-adapting background of 40 cd/m 2 (3.3 log scotopic troland). Intravitreal injections of APB, PDA, or both were given to block transmission to depolarizing and hyperpolarizing second-order retinal neurons, respectively. Results. After injecting PDA to block light responses of horizontal cells and hyperpolarizing bipolar cells, part of the photopic a-wave was eliminated. The PDA-sensitive component, presumed to be due to activity postsynaptic to cones, was responsible for the photopic a-wave threshold and dominated the response over the initial 1 to 1.5 log units of intensity. For brighter stimuli, this component made a constant contribution to the photopic a-wave. A non-PDA-sensitive contribution to the a-wave, presumed to originate directly from cones, was first evident 1 to 1.5 log units above photopic a-wave threshold. It progressively dominated the a-wave at higher intensities, particularly at early time points after the flash. Injecting PDA almost eliminated the photopic a-wave elicited with bright xenon photostrobe flashes that are commonly used for human clinical ERG diagnostic testing, indicating that this a-wave may contain significant postreceptoral activity. Conclusion. The primate photopic ERG a-wave derives, in part, from retinal activity postsynaptic to cone photoreceptors, particularly for stimuli near the photopic ERG threshold that are typically used for human clinical studies. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994; 35:635-645.
The Basics of the Economic Model

Rationality implies that the individual will fully allocate his resources and will do this in a way as to maximize his own well-being. This means the individual will do those things for which the benefits exceed the costs. The costs are in all cases those alternatives which could have been acquired. Perhaps, needless to say, the individual will not do those things for which the costs exceed the benefits.
Preliminary Exploration of Simulation Preparation, Clinical Judgment and Reflective Process -

Objective: How are clinical judgment and reflection enhanced with use of simulation is an area that requires exploration in addition to developing evidence about how best to prepare faculty and students for simulation. Simulation has proven to be an effective teaching strategy. Incorporating best practices to achieve optimal learning outcomes continues to require development. Methods: Triangulated evaluatory pilot study utilizing Survey Monkey for data collection. Seven students and 4 educators provided the convenience sample. Results: All participants felt more prepared with the prebriefing preparatory material. Students felt they had a better grasp of the simulation experience with sufficient understanding to respond effectively and decide on a course of nursing action to participate in patient care. Instructors felt more prepared with the additional information to effectively facilitate the simulation. Conclusions: Preparatory material enhanced simulation experience which further augmented clinical judgment and reflective practice. Simulation is essential to continued education of nursing students, preparing faculty and students for simulation improves outcomes.
Attention, Movie Cuts, and Natural Vision: A Functional Perspective

Paying attention to the right thing at the right time underlies the ability of humans and other animals to learn, perceive, and interact with their environment. Attentional selection enables biological organisms with limited neural resources to extract the most pertinent information from the barrage of sensory inputs that they normally experience in the real world. The goal of the research described in this dissertation is to characterize the output, input, and associated computational transformations that underlie attentional selection during natural vision. Such functional understanding of attentional selection would help build more intelligent machines that could behave autonomously in real world environments. It could also lead to better diagnostic tools and treatments for medical conditions, such as Autism, ADHD, and Parkinson Disease, which are characterized by anomalous patterns of attentional selection. The following key questions are addressed: What do movies reveal about the nature of sensory inputs to the human visual system? Which sensory inputs causally attract attention and how do they compare to each other? How is attentional selection affected by interactions between past and present sensory inputs? To answer these questions, the eyes of human observers were tracked non-intrusively as they watched either continuous or MTV-style (discontinuous) video clips. The main conclusions of this dissertation are based on a series of quantitative analyses, in which human gaze behavior and the prediction accuracy of related computational models were compared across viewing conditions, space, and time. The results indicate that sensory inputs are naturally discontinuous, and that the human visual system can keep the mind informed of the most pertinent information at every point in time without requiring either visual or mental continuity. It is also shown that dynamic visual correlates of attentional selection (e.g., motion contrasts) play a dominant causal role in attracting attention during natural vision. In comparison, some static visual correlates (e.g., color contrasts) play a relatively weaker causal role, whereas others (e.g., orientation contrast) are non causal correlates, potentially reflecting top-down causes. Lastly, it is demonstrated that perceptual memory is utilized for guiding attention across several gaze shits when persistent visual context is available.
Cancellation of harmonic torque disturbance in permanent magnet synchronous motor drives by using an adaptive feedforward controller

The effects of disruptive harmonic torque disturbances on permanent magnet synchronous motor drives originating at the mechanical load or from cogging can be mitigated by producing a counteracting electric torque. The study proposes using an adaptive feedforward controller (AFC) for this purpose. The AFC is designed to operate as an auxiliary loop in parallel with a field-oriented controller, which provides speed control. The AFC input is the motor speed control error. The loop is tuned at the frequency of the harmonic torque and its output is added to the q -axis current reference as a variation current of the same frequency. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it does not require an estimation of the disturbance torque. The theoretical analysis of the scheme is presented in the study. Experimental results are also presented in the study from a motor drive system where the mechanical load produces harmonic torques. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the AFC in significantly reducing speed oscillations by cancelling the effect of the torque harmonic disturbance.
Probing supraglacial debris on Mars 1: Sources, thickness, and stratigraphy

Abstract Geomorphic and geophysical evidence supports a debris-covered glacier origin for a suite of landforms at the mid-latitudes of Mars, including lobate debris aprons (LDA), lineated valley fill (LVF), and concentric crater fill (CCF). These large reservoirs of ice and their near-surface structure provide a rich record for understanding the planet's climate and history of global volatile exchange over the past billion years. LDA, LVF, and CCF are also potential sites for future robotic and human missions but the accessibility of glacial ice for direct sampling and in situ resource utilization depends largely on the geotechnical properties of the surface debris (“supraglacial debris”), including its thickness, grain sizes, and density structure. The physical properties of this supraglacial debris layer have been poorly constrained. We use images of morphology, digital elevation models, thermal inertia data, and radar sounding data to probe the near surface of LDA, LVF, and CCF in Deuteronilus Mensae in order to place constraints on the sources, grain sizes, thickness, and stratigraphy of supraglacial debris. We find evidence for at least a two-layer stratigraphy. Layered mantle consisting of atmospherically emplaced dust and ice superposes boulder-rich sediment sourced by rockfalls glacially transported downslope. High thermal inertia, boulder-rich termini and debris bands reminiscent of medial moraines are found throughout the study region, supporting a rockfall origin for at least a fraction of the debris exposed at the surface. This supraglacial debris layer would have thickened with time from sublimation of glacial ice and liberation of englacial sediment and dust. At present, the entire supraglacial debris package is a minimum of a few meters in thickness and is likely tens of meters in thickness in many locations, possibly thinning regionally at lower latitudes and locally thinning toward the headwalls. The lack of terracing or interior structures in craters formed within LDA, LVF, and CCF and the absence of near-surface reflectors in SHARAD radar data further suggest that no strong contrasts in permittivity or strength occur at the interface of the layers.
Innovative Implementation Studies Conducted in US Safety Net Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review:

Little is known about dissemination and implementation in safety net settings. The authors conducted a literature review of innovation/implementation studies in US safety net health care settings between 2008 and 2017. Each article was coded for (1) intervention characteristics, (2) implementation stage, (3) internal versus external ownership, and (4) prespecified implementation outcomes (eg, acceptability and fidelity). Twenty studies were identified; the majority were implemented within community clinics or integrated safety net systems (15 articles), most involved care process improvements (13 articles), and most were internally developed (13 articles). The internally developed innovations reported fewer barriers to acceptability among staff/providers, higher leadership involvement and organizational alignment, greater amounts of customization to the local setting, and better sustainment. Future work should harness the high levels of alignment and acceptability in implementation research within safety net settings, with an eye toward maintaining fidelity to facilitate dissemination across sites.
Mechanisms for Wind Direction Changes in the Very Stable Boundary Layer

AbstractLarge, rapid, and intermittent changes in wind direction were commonly observed in low–wind speed conditions in the very stable boundary layer during the phase 2 of the Project Sagebrush fi...
Second-order asymptotics in a class of purely sequential minimum risk point estimation (MRPE) methodologies

Under the squared error loss plus linear cost of sampling, we revisit the minimum risk point estimation (MRPE) problem for an unknown normal mean $$\mu$$ when the variance $$\sigma ^{2}$$ also remains unknown. We begin by defining a new class of purely sequential MRPE methodologies based on a general estimator $$W_{n}$$ for $$\sigma$$ satisfying a set of conditions in proposing the requisite stopping boundary. Under such appropriate set of sufficient conditions on $$W_{n}$$ and a properly constructed associated stopping variable, we show that (i) the normalized stopping time converges in law to a normal distribution (Theorem 3.3), and (ii) the square of such a normalized stopping time is uniformly integrable (Theorem 3.4). These results subsequently lead to an asymptotic second-order expansion of the associated regret function in general (Theorem 4.1). After such general considerations, we include a number of substantial illustrations where we respectively substitute appropriate multiples of Gini’s mean difference and the mean absolute deviation in the place of the general estimator $$W_{n}$$ . These illustrations show a number of desirable asymptotic first-order and second-order properties under the resulting purely sequential MRPE strategies. We end this discourse by highlighting selected summaries obtained via simulations.
Reductive Reprogramming: A Not-So-Radical Hypothesis of Neurodegeneration Linking Redox Perturbations to Neuroinflammation and Excitotoxicity.

Free radical-mediated oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity have long been considered insults relevant to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other aging-related neurodegenerative disorders (NDD). Among these phenomena, the significance of oxidative stress and, more generally, redox perturbations, for NDD remain ill-defined and unsubstantiated. Here, I argue that (i) free radical-mediated oxidations of biomolecules can be dissociated from the progression of NDD, (ii) oxidative stress fails as a descriptor of cellular redox states under conditions relevant to disease, and (iii) aberrant upregulation of compensatory reducing activities in neural cells, resulting in reductive shifts in thiol-based redox potentials, may be an overlooked and paradoxical contributor to disease progression. In particular, I summarize evidence which supports the view that reductive shifts in the extracellular space can occur in response to oxidant and inflammatory signals and that these have the potential to reduce putative regulatory disulfide bonds in exofacial domains of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, leading potentially to aberrant increases in neuronal excitability and, if sustained, excitotoxicity. The novel reductive reprogramming hypothesis of neurodegeneration presented here provides an alternative view of redox perturbations in NDD and links these to both neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity.
Suitability of outpatient or ambulatory extended recovery cancer surgeries for obese patients.

Abstract Study objective An increasing number of overweight and obese patients are presenting for ambulatory surgical procedures and may be at risk of complications including longer surgeries, longer length of stay (LOS), and possible increase in unanticipated return visits or hospital admissions. Design Observational study using prospectively-collected data. Setting Freestanding and hospital-based ambulatory surgery facilities. Patients and Interventions 13,957 patients underwent ambulatory cancer surgery procedures at the Josie Robertson Surgery Center (JRSC) since opening in 2016, and 4591 patients eligible for ambulatory surgery at JRSC underwent surgery at the main hospital during the same timeframe. Measurements We assessed whether BMI was associated with increased operative time, post-operative LOS, hospital transfer after surgery, or hospital readmission or urgent care center visits within 30 days. Using multivariable logistic regression, we assessed whether BMI was associated with decision to do surgery at JRSC controlling for age, ASA score and surgical service. Main results While higher BMI was associated with a higher rate of transfer out of JRSC (p = 0.014), the difference in rate was small (mean risk 0.8% for BMI 25 vs 1.3% for BMI 40, difference in risk 0.52%, 95% CI 0.05%, 1.0%). We found no evidence that higher BMI increased the risk of urgent care visits or readmissions within 30 days or outpatient LOS (p = 0.7 for all). There was a statistically but not clinically significant difference in operative time for outpatient procedures (p = Conclusions Ambulatory cancer surgeries can be performed safely among clinically eligible patients. Patients with BMI up to 50 or more can be treated safely in an ambulatory setting if they otherwise meet eligibility criteria.
Leukemogenic MicroRNA-29a Causes Myeloproliferation by Inhibiting Apoptosis and Inducing Aberrant Self-Renewal in a Developmental Stage Specific Manner

Abstract Abstract 2556 We recently reported that miR-29a is highly expressed in AML as well as in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Overexpression of miR-29a in mouse bone marrow resulted in myeloproliferative disease characterized by a granulocyte/macrophage differentiation bias and progressive disease culminating in AML. Prior to the development of AML, committed myeloid progenitors including common myeloid progenitors (CMP) and granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (GMP) aberrantly acquired the ability to self-renew, demonstrated by long-term engraftment of FACS-purified transplanted cells. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of miR-29a induced leukemogenesis, we characterized the immature hematopoietic compartment during the myeloproliferative phase of disease. Similar to our prior studies, miR-29a primary chimeras exhibited granulocytic hyperplasia as soon as 6–8 weeks after transplantation, with increased frequencies of GFP+Gr-1+Mac-1+ granulocytes in the peripheral blood of animals transplanted with miR-29a versus empty vector transduced cells (mean 34.7% vs. 9.2%, p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
17 Improving the workplace experience for pediatricians in an academic practice

Background Physician burnout has a negative effect on the quality of care; however, effective interventions are lacking. Objectives To identify and impact key drivers of physician workplace satisfaction in an academic pediatric department. Methods A quality improvement approach was used to impact key drivers of faculty workplace satisfaction. In 2017, 2018, and 2019 faculty completed anonymous surveys that combined the Maslach Burnout Inventory(MBI) and Areas of Worklife Survey(AWS). Interventions included changes to compensation plan, clinical practice, departmental communication, workplace community, individual wellness, and culture. Descriptive statistics and data visualization were performed. Two-sided t-tests and ANOVA regression analysis were used to compare responses. Results Survey completion rates were: 160/195 (82%) in 2019; 139/180 (77%) in 2018; and 155/171 (91%) in 2017; 101 physicians completed all three surveys. Statistically significant improvements were observed in reward (3.4 vs 3.3; p 75% clinical effort (2.8 vs 2.1; p Conclusions Interventions targeting the workplace improved physicians’ experience of reward and values. Risk factors associated with a high emotional exhaustion score included female gender or individuals working >75% clinical effort.
Early career interview: Nathan Bahr.

Nathan Bahr is an Assistant Professor in infectious disease research at the University of Kansas (USA). He works in global health, tuberculosis meningitis, cryptococcal meningitis and histoplasmosi...
Protein Precipitation to Remove Carbohydrates that Interfere in Protein-Bound Tryptophan Quantification in Soybean Seeds

Tryptophan is one of the nine essential amino acids in humans that can only be obtained through diets and supplements. It is a precursor to many biological processes, such as serotonin, melatonin, kynurenin, and niacin (nicotinamide) vitamin synthesis. The content of tryptophan in foods, such as soybean is an important indicator of nutritional value. Therefore, accurate quantification of tryptophan in soybean is crucial to soybean nutritional improvement. Quantification of soybean protein-bound amino acids first involves acid hydrolysis of total protein to liberate amino acids. However, tryptophan quantification following acid hydrolysis is difficult or impossible due to its reactions with soybean carbohydrates. Therefore, removal of carbohydrates from soy proteins prior to acid hydrolysis is necessary. In this study, we compared four common protein precipitation methods (i.e., methanol, acetonitrile, acetone, and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) protein precipitation methods) to determine the best method to separate soy proteins from carbohydrates, and concluded that acetone provided the highest recovery of soy proteins. Tryptophan content in the precipitated proteins was determined after acid hydrolysis of the proteins using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry multiple reaction monitoring (LC–MS/MS–MRM). No significant difference in the tryptophan content was found among proteins precipitated with methanol, acetonitrile, and TCA, suggesting that these precipitated proteins have similar compositions. A slightly lower, but statistically significant tryptophan content was found in the acetonitrile-precipitated proteins, suggesting that these proteins contain slightly higher glycosylated proteins.
Accessibility issues in Android apps: state of affairs, sentiments, and ways forward

Mobile apps are an integral component of our daily life. Ability to use mobile apps is important for everyone, but arguably even more so for approximately 15% of the world population with disabilities. This paper presents the results of a large-scale empirical study aimed at understanding accessibility of Android apps from three complementary perspectives. First, we analyze the prevalence of accessibility issues in over 1, 000 Android apps. We find that almost all apps are riddled with accessibility issues, hindering their use by disabled people. We then investigate the developer sentiments through a survey aimed at understanding the root causes of so many accessibility issues. We find that in large part developers are unaware of accessibility design principles and analysis tools, and the organizations in which they are employed do not place a premium on accessibility. We finally investigate user ratings and comments on app stores. We find that due to the disproportionately small number of users with disabilities, user ratings and app popularity are not indicative of the extent of accessibility issues in apps. We conclude the paper with several observations that form the foundation for future research and development.
A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Cognitive Dysfunction in Adult Glioma

Cognitive decline is common among patients with low- and high-grade glioma and can significantly impact quality of life. Although cognitive outcomes have been studied after therapeutic interventions such as surgery and radiation, it is important to understand the impact of the disease process itself prior to any interventions. Neurocognitive domains of interest in this disease context include intellectual function and premorbid ability, executive function, learning and memory, attention, language function, processing speed, visuospatial function, motor function, and emotional function. Here, we review oncologic factors associated with more neurocognitive impairment, key neurocognitive tasks relevant to glioma patient assessment, as well as the relevance of the human neural connectome in understanding cognitive dysfunction in glioma patients. A contextual understanding of glioma-functional network disruption and its impact on cognition is critical in the surgical management of eloquent area tumors.
AYA Considerations for Aggressive Lymphomas.

Lymphoma is the one of the most common cancer diagnoses among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15–39. Despite significant advances in outcomes observed in older adults and younger children, improvements in AYAs have lagged behind. The reasons for this are likely multifactorial including disparities in access to health insurance, low rates of enrollment to clinical trials, potential differences in disease biology, and unique psychosocial challenges. Here we will review Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBCL), two of the most common aggressive lymphomas that occur in AYAs. We will discuss the current knowledge about disease biology in AYAs, adult and pediatric treatment strategies, novel targeted therapies, and ongoing AYA clinical trials in these lymphoma subtypes. We also will review unique considerations for treatment-related toxicities in AYAs and psychosocial issues relevant to this population. Pediatric and adult trials in HL and PMBCL have demonstrated that treatment with dose-intense chemotherapeutic regimens with or without radiation results in high cure rates but can also be associated with long-term toxicity which must be considered in this young population. Novel targeted agents such as the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin and/or antibodies targeted against PD-1/PD-L1 have demonstrated activity in the relapsed setting and are currently being evaluated in the upfront setting, which may reduce our reliance on therapies associated with long-term toxicity. AYA-focused clinical trials are currently underway to better elucidate the optimal therapy for lymphomas in this age group. There is an urgent need for clinical trials including AYAs in order to increase the knowledge of age-specific outcomes, toxicities, disease biology, and the need to develop comprehensive AYA care models that meet the unique and complex care needs of this patient population.
Criminality, cognitive distortions, empathy, and legitimacy of laws: Behaviors and perspectives of youth offenders

The purpose of the present study was to examine links between thinking about criminal behavior and committing criminal behavior This research investigated youth offenders’ participation in aggravated and simple assault and whether their involvement was associated with different aspects of social thinking (i.e., egocentric and victim blaming biases, ability to empathize, and beliefs about the legitimacy of creating laws prohibiting criminal behaviors). We also examined the impact of gender in these associations. The participants were 251 youth offenders (158 males; 93 females) who were incarcerated in a juvenile center. There were several consistent and predictable results based on gender. For example, females, in comparison to males, reported that it was legitimate to create laws prohibiting violent and non-violent behaviors, and displayed more dimensions of empathy than males. There were also findings that were consistent across gender. For instance, empathic youth were more likely to believe in the legitimacy of the government to create laws. Results also indicated that youth were at the greatest risk for committing aggravated assault when they believed it unacceptable for the government to create laws and their cognitive distortion was high. In contrast, youth who believed it relatively acceptable for the government to make laws showed a lower likelihood of committing aggravated assault, even when cognitive distortion was high. Thus, the current data suggest that beliefs about the legitimacy of creating law appears to be stronger in predicting criminal behavior than cognitive distortion alone.
Community stakeholders' perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests rural communities operate differently than urban neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in rural areas—further exploiting outed community members within "close-knit" environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion, crime, and victimization between rural and urban counties across one Midwestern rural state. Using a mixed-methods approach, community stakeholders from a variety of professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion in rural and urban communities while qualitative responses paint a much different picture—an image of rural communities "minding their own business" and both formally and informally intervening only in the most extreme and personalized scenarios.
Augmenting Translation Models with Simulated Acoustic Confusions for Improved Spoken Language Translation

We propose a novel technique for adapting text-based statistical machine translation to deal with input from automatic speech recognition in spoken language translation tasks. We simulate likely misrecognition errors using only a source language pronunciation dictionary and language model (i.e., without an acoustic model), and use these to augment the phrase table of a standard MT system. The augmented system can thus recover from recognition errors during decoding using synthesized phrases. Using the outputs of five different English ASR systems as input, we find consistent and significant improvements in translation quality. Our proposed technique can also be used in conjunction with lattices as ASR output, leading to further improvements.
Opioid/sphingosine-1-phosphate1 (S1P1) interactions in antinociception

The antinociceptive effects of morphine are mediated in part by activation of the S1P1 receptor as indicated by attenuation of morphine-induced antinociception by a S1P1 receptor antagonist VPC4411...
Geometry and Arithmetic

Everyone knows what a rational number is, a quotient of two integers. We call a point (x, y) in the plane a rational point if both of its coordinates are rational numbers. We call a line a rational line if the equation of the line can be written with rational numbers, that is, if it has an equation $$\displaystyle{ax + by + c = 0}$$ with a, b, and c rational. Now it is pretty obvious that if you have two rational points, then the line through them is a rational line. And it is neither hard to guess nor hard to prove that if you have two rational lines, then the point where they intersect is a rational point. Equivalently, if you have two linear equations with rational numbers as coefficients and you solve them, you get rational numbers as answers.
Safety analysis of software product lines using state-based modeling and compositional model checking

Software product lines are widely used due to their advantageous reuse of shared features while still allowing optional and alternative features in the individual products. In high-integrity product lines such as pacemakers, flight control systems, and medical imaging systems, ensuring that common and variable safety requirements hold as each new product is built or existing products are evolved is key to the safe operations of those systems. However, this goal is currently hampered by the complexity of identifying the interactions among common and variable features that may undermine system safety. This is largely due to (1) the fact that the available safety analysis techniques lack sufficient support for analyzing the combined effects of different features, and (2) existing techniques for identifying feature interactions do not adequately accommodate the presence of common features and results in repeated checking across different products. The work described here addresses the first problem by systematically exploring the relationships between behavioral variations and potential hazardous states through scenario guided executions of the state model over the variations. It contributes to a solution to the second problem by generating formal obligations at the interfaces between features, so that sequentially composed features can be verified in a way that allows reuse for subsequent products. The main contributions of this work are an approach to perform safety analysis on the variations in a product line using state-based modeling, a tool-supported technique that guides and manages the generation of model-checkable properties from product-line requirements, and a formal framework for model checking product-line features that removes restrictions on how the features can be sequentially composed. The techniques and their implementations are demonstrated in the context of a medical-device product line.
Plasma volume findings in patients with mild pregnancy-induced hypertension

Abstract With the Evans blue dye-dilution technique, plasma volume was serially measured at 29 to 33 weeks' and 34 to 40 weeks' gestation in 74 pregnant women with documented mild pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and 25 well-matched normotensive primigravid women. The relationship of plasma volume to clinical course, perinatal outcome, and other laboratory findings was subsequently analyzed. The patients with mild PIH were categorized into two groups based on infant outcome: appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA). The mean age, height, and hematocrit of the study and control patients were similar. The group of patients with mild PIH had significantly higher mean arterial blood pressures and uric acid levels (p
The Role of Health Information Sources in Decision-Making Among Hispanic Mothers During Their Children’s First 1000 Days of Life

This qualitative research aimed to explore how health information sources inform decision-making among Hispanic mothers during their children’s first 1000 days of life (conception-age 24 months), and to generate appropriate health information sources and communication strategies for future interventions. We conducted seven focus groups with 49 Hispanic women who were pregnant or had children <2 years old. Domains included interpersonal and media sources, source trustworthiness, dealing with contradictory information, and how information affects decision-making. We used immersion/crystallization process for analysis. Trusted health information sources included health care providers, female and male family members, BabyCenter.com and other Internet sources, selected social media, and television. Some immigrant women reported preferring the Internet citing less established local support networks. Women highlighted the importance of validating health information through checking multiple sources for consistency and resolving contradictory information. Mothers expressed interest in receiving reliable website links from healthcare professionals and outreach to extended family. Cultural factors, including immigration status, are important in understanding the use of health information sources and their role in decision-making about pregnancy and child health among Hispanic mothers. Healthcare providers and public health professionals should consider Hispanic mothers health information environment and provide culturally-relevant communication strategies and interventions during this high information-seeking time period.
SweetDeal: Representing Agent Contracts with Exceptions Using Semantic Web Rules, Ontologies, and Process Descriptions

This paper addresses the problem of how to represent exception-handling provisions in automated knowledge-based e-contracts. In many natural language contracts, such provisions constitute the majority of the contract volume. The paper makes three novel contributions. (1) The rule-based SweetDeal e-contracting approach is extended to incorporate ontology knowledge (specifically, ontologies about business processes), and an application scenario about late delivery in manufacturing supply-chain management shows how it can be used to represent provisions for exception-handling. The contract rules are represented in the Situated Courteous Logic Programs knowledge representation encoded in RuleML, the leading approach to Semantic Web rules. The process ontologies are represented in description logic encoded in DAML+OIL, close predecessor of W3C's OWL, the leading approach to semantic Web ontologies. This system is the first to combine these emerging semantic Web standards with one another and for a practical e-business application domain. (2) A simple new technical mechanism for the semantic Web is presented that integrates ontology knowledge with rule knowledge: Rule predicates are defined by reference to ontological classes or properties. (3) Process ontology knowledge drawn from the MIT Process Handbook, a large repository used by practical industrial process designers, is represented in DAML+OIL/OWL, and some of this knowledge is formalized and used for the e-contracting application scenario. Stated more generally, the approach in this paper provides a foundation for representing and automating deals about services--in particular, for helping to search, select, and compose semantic Web services.
Setting the Record Straight: Three Concepts of the Independent Director

Despite the surprisingly shaky support in empirical research for the value of independent directors, their desirability seems to be taken for granted in policy-making circles. Yet important elements of the concept of and rationale for independent directors remain curiously obscure and unexamined. As a result, the empirical findings we do have may be misapplied, and judicial gap-filling may be harder than imagined when legislative intent cannot be divined or is contradictory. This article attempts to unpack the concept broadly understood by the term independent director and to distinguish among its various concrete manifestations. In particular, I discuss the critical differences between independent, outside, and disinterested directors, arguing that these manifestations serve different purposes and should not be confused one with the other. This discussion is illustrated with examples from U.S. state and federal law as well as stock exchange regulations, and supplemented with comparative reference to the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, with a brief mention of Chinese practice as well. I also argue that the whole purpose of having independent directors is surprisingly undertheorized, leading to inconsistent rules, in particular regarding the effect of director shareholding, both across countries and within the United States.
Carbon nanowire‐based temperature sensor

A temperature sensor based on an array of carbon nanowires written by a 30 keV Ga+ focused ion beam on diamond substrate has been developed. The temperature sensitivity of the electrical conductuctance between the nanowires is explained by the thermal activation of charge carriers in a heterostructure graphite-diamond over an energy barrier of 0.24 eV. The sensor shows an exponential increase of current with temperature at a rate of 0.1 dB/°C in the temperature range from 40 to 140 °C. The advantages of the novel carbon nanowire sensor are light blindness, compatibility with carbon nanotechnology, reproducibility and simplicity of fabrication. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Comparative In Vitro Activity and Pharmacodynamics of Five Fluoroquinolones Against Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Study Objective. To compare in vitro activity and pharmacodynamics of five fluoroquinolones against clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Design. In vitro analysis. Setting. University research laboratory. Intervention. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for penicillin and five fluoroquinolones by E test for 201 S. pneumoniae isolates. Serum concentration-time profiles were simulated for the following regimens: ciprofloxacin 750 mg orally every 12 hours and 400 mg intravenously every 8 hours; levofloxacin 500 mg orally and intravenously every 24 hours; trovafloxacin 200 mg orally and intravenously every 24 hours; gatifloxacin 400 mg orally and intravenously every 24 hours; and clinafloxacin 200 mg orally and intravenously every 12 hours. Measurements and Main Results. Free 24-hour areas under the serum concentration-time curves (AUC0–24) were calculated using the trapezoidal rule, and the average AUC0–24:MIC ratio was calculated for each regimen. Differences in ratios among agents were determined by analysis of variance (Scheffe post hoc test, p<0.05). For intravenous dosing, the average AUC0–24:MIC for gatifloxacin, clinafloxacin, trovafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin was 146, 142, 122, 71, and 61, respectively. For both oral and intravenous regimens, gatifloxacin and clinafloxacin ratios were significantly greater than those for trovafloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin (p≤0.007). Ratios for trovafloxacin were significantly greater than those for levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin (p<0.0001), and levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin ratios were not significantly different from each other. Conclusion. Gatifloxacin and clinafloxacin achieve significantly higher AUC0–24:MIC ratios for S. pneumoniae than trovafloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Large comparative studies are necessary to determine the clinical significance of these findings.
The Use of Toxicological Research Information: How and by Whom

Abstract The Use of Toxicological Research Information: How and by Whom. Friess, S. L. (1995). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 26, 151-155.
Compensation of Paleozoic orogens: a comparison of the Urals to the Appalachians

Abstract The Urals and Appalachians are two Paleozoic mountain belts with similar geologic and morphologic features. We combine geophysical (Bouguer gravity and deep seismic sounding) and geological observations from the Ural Mountains to test whether the surficial similarities of these Paleozoic orogens extend to include deep lithospheric structure and compensation mechanism. We find the combined data suggest support of the mountains by a stiff continental slab which is depressed by an effective subcrustal load in addition to the topography. As has been recently proposed for the Appalachians, our preferred model, which fits the geophysical data and predicts the presence and shape of the Ural foredeep to the west of the mountains requires eastward-directed underthrusting of the Russian platform behaving as an elastic plate more than 50-km thick. It is unlikely that an elastic plate this stiff could have resulted from conductive cooling of a thermal plate only 125-km thick. The weight of the existing mountains on such an elastic plate is insufficient to produce the deflection of the Moho inferred from seismic and gravity data. An additional load on the elastic plate may be provided by a buried mass of similar origin to surface outcrops of dense mafic and ultramafic rocks in the eastern Urals. Alternatively, the load may represent the effect of a shallowing of the Moho east of the mountains which is a remnant of a buried passive continental margin. Seismic data and Bouguer gravity anomalies suggest that the effect of the subsurface mass anomaly is at least as great as the present-day topography and that the Russian plate flexurally underthrusts the Urals for more than 100 km. We speculate that similar effective subsurface loads may exist at younger continental orogens but are obscured by the topographic load in less eroded mountain belts.