cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impedance-Based Battery Management System for Safety Monitoring of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Multifrequency impedance measurements have been recognized as a technique for the monitoring of individual cells in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. However, its practical introduction for battery management has been slow, mainly due to added size and larger operating power requirements. Here, we describe a small, low-power, multifrequency (1–1000 Hz) impedance-based battery management system (BMS) for multicell batteries of varying capacities. This BMS ensures battery safety and efficiency by tracking and acting on emerging mismatches and other electrical and thermal abnormalities in each individual cell without adding cost, volume, weight, and power, compared to conventional BMSs. Multicell batteries face a unique problem that single-cell Li-ion batteries do not: mismatching of one or more cells is detrimental to the safety and efficiency of the entire battery. Thus, cell matching is an important first step required for safe operation of multicell Li-ion batteries. Cell mismatch can occur due to battery overdischarge, overcharge, internal and external shorts, etc., or even when leaving a battery unused for an extended period (calendar aging). Predicting a mismatch is essential for a battery's thermal safety and electrical efficiency. Conventional BMSs typically monitor cell voltages and surface temperature. However, these measurements and related protocols have not succeeded in ensuring battery safety or improving efficiency. Data for batteries with intentionally calendar-aged and overdischarged cells convincingly demonstrate that such BMSs cannot identify cell mismatches and emerging failures. In contrast, the impedance-based BMS, described here, tracks, identifies, and acts on changes in the internal state of each cell continuously in real time, including battery charging, discharging, and at rest.
The Challenge of Family Engagement Policy Implementation: A Case Study of Title I School–Family Compacts in the USA

Using critical discourse analysis, this chapter highlights how policies, and the way they are framed using particular language, can create and reinforce the very forms of parent involvement they seek to discourage. The chapter focuses on Title I schools in the USA and highlights parents’ lack of agency as well as the absence of student voice when it comes to decision-making in schools about curriculum and learning in different contexts.
Theory-based Change and Change-based Theory: Going Deeper, Going Broader

This article examines the questions of sustaining and extending theory-based educational change reforms, which are designed by laboratories outside of schools and whose motivating theoretical base assumes change in elemental aspects of classroom practice. This article defines sustainability of theory-based reform as more than maintaining current implementation, rather as deepening reforms in ways that allow for flexible response to changes in student, curricular, and school contexts. It draws upon five years of research in schools and classrooms engaged in one of three theory-based reforms to discuss five essential factors affecting sustainability: resources, reformers' learning, knowledge of the first principles of the reform and the support of a community of practice, the principal, and the district. This article then turns to ``scaling up.'' Rather than merely replicating structures, extending theory-based reform to new sites requires building compatibility between the normative base of the reform with that in the classrooms, schools and districts in which they are growing as well as the capacity of the classroom, school, and district to see it through. This article suggests three main factors that reform founders must focus upon to scale up their reforms – attention to site selection, a proactive stance toward district contexts, and planned transfer of authority. The article concludes that issues of invention, implementation, sustainability, and scale occur simultaneously when going deeper and broader with theory-based change.
Blood Pressure Variability in CKD: Treatable or Hypertension's Homocysteine?

BP variability can be observed over multiple timeframes ([1][1]). Beat to beat variability in BP can be due to physiologic and environmental changes, such as body position, stress, and the simple act of breathing. Variability in BP throughout the day, often referred to as short-term BP variability,
Reducing socioeconomic disparities in the STEM pipeline through student emotion regulation.

Educational attainment is one lever that can increase opportunity for economically disadvantaged families—especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Unfortunately, students from lower-income backgrounds often perform poorly and fail high school STEM courses, which are a necessary step in pursuing fast-growing and lucrative STEM careers, graduating high school, and matriculating to college. We reasoned that, because high school STEM courses often use high-stakes tests to gauge performance, and such tests can be especially stressful for lower-income students, interventions that help students regulate their negative emotions during tests should reduce the achievement gap between higher- and lower-income students. In a large-scale (n = 1,175) field experiment conducted in ninth grade science classrooms, students were asked to complete a control exercise, or they were given the opportunity to complete an exercise to help them regulate their worries and reinterpret their anxious arousal before their tests. We found significant benefits of emotion regulation activities for lower-income students in terms of their science examination scores, science course passing rate, and students’ attitudes toward examination stress, suggesting that students’ emotions are one factor that impacts performance. For example, 39% of lower-income students failed the course in the control group compared with only 18% of students failing the course if they participated in the emotion regulation interventions—a reduction in course failure rate by half. Our work underscores the crucial importance of targeting students’ emotions during impactful points in their academic trajectories for improving STEM preparedness and enhancing overall academic success.
Abstract WP135: CD36 Contributes to Stroke Induced Cognitive Deficits

Introduction: The number of preclinical studies employing long term behavioral testing is increasing. However, long-term behavioral evaluations in genetic animal models is often confounded by their...
Evolving trends in the management of high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer in the United States.

Abstract Objective Gynecologic oncology group protocol 249 (GOG 249) is the contemporary US study that aimed to define the standard of care adjuvant therapy for patients with high-intermediate risk (HIR) endometrial cancer; patients were randomized to pelvic radiation therapy (RT) or vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) with chemotherapy (VBT-C). The preliminary results of GOG 249 were recently presented, yet the management of patients represented in this trial remains controversial. We set out to review US patterns of care for patients meeting eligibility criteria for GOG 249. Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify patients meeting GOG 249 eligibility criteria between 2010 and 2015. The Man-Kendall trend test was used to assess for significant trends over time. Results We identified 23,015 patients that met study inclusion criteria. Between 2010 and 2015, there was a decline in the use of pelvic RT from 9.8% to 7.5%, although not meeting statistical significance (p = 0.136), and an increase in the use of VBT-C from 4.6% to 7.7% (p = 0.017). Most patients did not receive treatment per either arm of GOG 249, with observation being the most common approach throughout this era, although the percentage of patients observed decreased from 58.1% to 45.8% between 2010 and 2015 (p = 0.003). Further, 21.5% of patients received VBT alone in 2010, increasing to 30.3% by 2015 (p = 0.003). Conclusions National practice trends in HIR endometrial cancer reveal that a large number of patients are observed in lieu of receiving adjuvant therapy. Further, the utilization of pelvic RT has declined below utilization of VBT-C, despite a lack of data supporting either improved disease outcomes or toxicity with this experimental regimen on GOG 249.
Artificial intelligence: Implications for the future of work

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad transdisciplinary field with roots in logic, statistics, cognitive psychology, decision theory, neuroscience, linguistics, cybernetics, and computer engineering. The modern field of AI began at a small summer workshop at Dartmouth College in 1956. Since then, AI applications made possible by machine learning (ML), an AI subdiscipline, include Internet searches, e-commerce sites, goods and services recommender systems, image and speech recognition, sensor technologies, robotic devices, and cognitive decision support systems (DSSs). As more applications are integrated into everyday life, AI is predicted to have a globally transformative influence on economic and social structures similar to the effect that other general-purpose technologies, such as steam engines, railroads, electricity, electronics, and the Internet, have had. Novel AI applications in the workplace of the future raise important issues for occupational safety and health. This commentary reviews the origins of AI, use of ML methods, and emerging AI applications embedded in physical objects like sensor technologies, robotic devices, or operationalized in intelligent DSSs. Selected implications on the future of work arising from the use of AI applications, including job displacement from automation and management of human-machine interactions, are also reviewed. Engaging in strategic foresight about AI workplace applications will shift occupational research and practice from a reactive posture to a proactive one. Understanding the possibilities and challenges of AI for the future of work will help mitigate the unfavorable effects of AI on worker safety, health, and well-being.
PediatricDB: Data Analytics Platform for Pediatric Healthcare

Many drugs prescribed to pediatric patients were never tested for use in children. Yet, there are multiple physiological and anatomical differences that lead to variations in therapeutic response and adverse side effects in children compared with adults. While some information about pediatric drug response is available on the World Wide Web, it is often disseminated in form of unstructured texts or web sites with limited analytics capabilities. In this work, we prototyped a data analytics platform called PediatricDB, to address an unmet need of integrating public data on safety and efficacy of drugs in pediatric patients. Our web portal provides a seamless access to these assessments for prescribers, drug developers, regulators, and researchers.
Race and Sex Differences in Modifiable Risk Factors and Incident Heart Failure.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine race- and sex-based variation in the associations between modifiable risk factors and incident heart failure (HF) among the SCCS (Southern Community Cohort Study) participants. Background Low-income individuals in the southeastern United States have high HF incidence rates, but relative contributions of risk factors to HF are understudied in this population. Methods We studied 27,078 black or white SCCS participants (mean age: 56 years, 69% black, 63% women) enrolled between 2002 and 2009, without prevalent HF, receiving Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, physical underactivity, high body mass index, smoking, high cholesterol, and poor diet was assessed at enrollment. Incident HF was ascertained using International Classification of Diseases-9th revision, codes 428.x in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data through December 31, 2010. Individual risk and population attributable risk for HF for each risk factor were quantified using multivariable Cox models. Results During a median (25th, 75th percentile) 5.2 (3.1, 6.7) years, 4,341 (16%) participants developed HF. Hypertension and diabetes were associated with greatest HF risk, whereas hypertension contributed the greatest population attributable risk, 31.8% (95% confidence interval: 27.3 to 36.0). In black participants, only hypertension and diabetes associated with HF risk; in white participants, smoking and high body mass index also associated with HF risk. Physical underactivity was a risk factor only in white women. Conclusions In this high-risk, low-income cohort, contributions of risk factors to HF varied, particularly by race. To reduce the population burden of HF, interventions tailored for specific race and sex groups may be warranted.
Erratum: RIPped for neuroinflammation

Correction to: Cell Research advance online publication 19 May 2017; doi:10.1038/cr.2017.75 During web production, there is an error in the web site for the DOI of this Research Highlight. The DOI is 10.1038/cr.2017.75, not 10.1038/cr.2017.71. The pdf file is correct. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been caused by our error.
Inorganic clusters as metalloligands: ligand effects on the synthesis and properties of ternary nanopropeller clusters

Redox-active multimetallic platforms with synthetically addressable and hemilabile active sites are attractive synthetic targets for mimicking the reactivity of enzymatic co-factors toward multielectron transformations. To this end, a family of ternary clusters featuring three edge metal sites anchored on a [Co6Se8] multimetallic support via amidophosphine ligands are a promising platform. In this report, we explore how small changes in the stereoelectronic properties of these ligands alter [Co6Se8] metalloligand formation, but also substrate binding affinity and strength of the edge/support interaction in two new ternary clusters, M3Co6Se8L6 (M = Zn, Fe; L(−) = Ph2PN(−)iPr). These clusters are characterized extensively using a range of methods, including single crystal X-ray diffraction, electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Substrate binding studies reveal that Fe3Co6Se8L6 resists coordination of larger ligands like pyridine or tetrahydrofuran, but binds the smaller ligand CNtBu. Additionally, investigations into the synthesis of new [Co6Se8] metalloligands using two aminophosphines, Ph2PN(H)iPr (LH) and iPr2PN(H)iPr, led to the synthesis and characterization of Co6Se8LH6, as well as the smaller clusters Co4Se2(CO)6LH4, Co3Se(μ2-PPh2)(CO)4LH3, and [Co(CO)3(iPr2PN(H)iPr)]2. Cumulatively, this study expands our understanding on the effect of the stereoelectronic properties of aminophosphine ligands in the synthesis of cobalt chalcogenide clusters, and, importantly on modulating the push–pull dynamic between the [Co6Se8] support, the edge metals and incoming coordinating ligands in ternary M3Co6Se8L6 clusters.
Analysis of Nb3Sn surface layers for superconducting radio frequency cavity applications

We present an analysis of Nb3Sn surface layers grown on a bulk Niobium (Nb) coupon prepared at the same time and by the same vapor diffusion process used to make Nb3Sn coatings on 1.3 GHz Nb cavities. Tunneling spectroscopy reveals a well-developed, homogeneous superconducting density of states at the surface with a gap value distribution centered around 2.7 ± 0.4 meV and superconducting critical temperatures (Tc) up to 16.3 K. Scanning transmission electron microscopy performed on cross sections of the sample's surface region shows an ∼2 μm thick Nb3Sn surface layer. The elemental composition map exhibits a Nb:Sn ratio of 3:1 and reveals the presence of buried sub-stoichiometric regions that have a ratio of 5:1. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments indicate a polycrystalline Nb3Sn film and confirm the presence of Nb rich regions that occupy about a third of the coating volume. These low Tc regions could play an important role in the dissipation mechanisms occurring during RF tests of Nb3Sn-coated Nb...
Sonographic characteristics and follow-up of pancreatic cysts.

Objectives To assess sonographic characteristics and outcome of patients with pancreatic cystic lesions seen by ultrasound. Methods From our ultrasound electronic reporting database we identified all patients in which "pancreatic cyst" or "pancreatic cysts" were reported from 1995 to 2018. In patients with more than one sonogram, the first was used for our study. For each case, we recorded sonographic characteristics, maximal diameter, cyst location, and results of follow-up ultrasound, CT or magnetic resonance imaging, as well as patient sex, age, relative clinical history, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or surgical findings when available. Results Our study included 177 patients of whom 121 were female (68.4%). Mean age at diagnosis was 65 (±16, SD, range 22-99). Ultrasound was the initial diagnostic test in 122 (68.9%). Mean diameter of the index cyst was 13.7 mm (±11.5 mm, SD, range 2-91 mm). Among 177 index cysts, 155 were simple and 22 complex. Three complex cysts were surgically resected, yielding a primary pancreatic malignancy, a metastasis, and an epithelial-lined cyst. One simple cyst was resected, yielding a benign intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. Seventeen patients underwent EUS showing six mucinous cysts and 11 nonmucinous cysts. One hundred-eighteen patients had follow-up imaging for a mean time of 5.6 years (±3.8, range 0.25-21 years). One patient was presumed to have primary pancreatic cancer. The overall rate for primary pancreatic malignancy was 1.7% (2/118). Conclusions Cystic pancreatic lesions seen on ultrasound are most often benign, with a low risk of pancreatic malignancy. Ultrasound is an excellent method to follow-up these cysts.
AI education matters: data science and machine learning with magic: the gathering

In this column, we briefly describe a rich dataset with many opportunities for interesting data science and machine learning assignments and research projects, we take up a simple question, and we offer code illustrating use of the dataset in pursuit of answers to the question.
Endocrine and immunomodulatory effects of social isolation and loneliness across adulthood.

Abstract Experimental and observational evidence agreed on two interconnected biological mechanisms responsible for the links between social isolation/loneliness and health: alterations in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and compromised functioning of the innate immune system. However, most existing studies did not consider the simultaneous impact of social isolation and loneliness on biological outcomes. Further, they only assessed one biological outcome at a time and did not test any moderation by age, despite empirical and theoretical evidence supporting the plausibility of this hypothesis. To address these gaps in the literature, we tested the associations between two indicators of social isolation (living status and frequency of social contacts) and loneliness and daily cortisol secretion and two markers of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP] and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) in a sample of adults aged between 25 and 75 years old. Data were drawn from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher study (N = 314). We found that, above and beyond loneliness, living alone was associated with a flattened diurnal cortisol slope (i.e., reduced changes in cortisol levels during waking hours that are indicative of a dysregulated HPA axis) and higher CRP levels. On the other hand, higher loneliness was associated with higher IL-6 levels, above and beyond our measures of social isolation. Loneliness did not mediate any of the effects of social isolation on either cortisol or CRP, and age did not moderate any of the relationships reported above. Our findings support the idea that social isolation and loneliness have unique and independent endocrine and immune effects despite being linked to each other. Understanding the specific biological pathways through which these aspects of social well-being exert their effects on health across the lifespan has critical consequences for both intervention development and public health policies.
Sensitivity and specificity of the CRAFFT to identify heavy cannabis use: Evidence from a large statewide adolescent sample

Abstract Background and Aim Screening adolescents at risk for cannabis use disorders is critical. The CRAFFT is a screening tool designed to address both alcohol and drug use among youth. Current study tests the psychometric properties of the CRAFFT and attempts to modify one of the screening items to compare the efficiency. Design We examined the ideal cut-off point of the CRAFFT for identifying persons with heavy cannabis use and compared the utility of the original and revised CRAFFT. Participants Sample (N = 132,555) averaged 16.19 (±1.21) years of age; 51.0% were female, 59.7% were White, 15.2% were Latino/Latina, and 6.7% were African-American. Majority resided in non-rural area and 34.5% were receiving free or reduced lunch at school. Measurements Heavy cannabis use was defined as using cannabis 10 or more times in the past 30 days. Sensitivity, specificity, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and Youden value were analyzed to determine the ideal cut-off point. Findings Maximum overall predictive accuracy was at a cutoff score of 2 or higher when using the original CRAFFT questions. At a cutoff score of 2, sensitivity was 82.0%, specificity was 83.7%, with an AUC of 0.880. On the contrary, when an alternative CAR question was used, maximum predictive accuracy was at a cutoff score of 1 or higher when predicting heavy cannabis use. At a cutoff score of 1, sensitivity was 92.7%, specificity was 75.5%, with an AUC of 0.900. Conclusions The results provide evidence that the CRAFFT is a promising brief diagnostic instrument for heavy cannabis use among youth. Modification to Car item may have potential in reducing disparities in sensitivity among different racial ethnic groups, as well as those who with low socioeconomic status.
Estimates of Single Dose and Full Dose BNT162b2 Vaccine Effectiveness among USAF Academy cadets, 1 Mar - 1 May 2021

Beginning in early March 2021 and continuing through May 2021, the USAF Academy began vaccinating cadets for protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccine. During this period, vaccination of the almost 4200 cadet population increased from 3% to 85% and prevalence of COVID-19 in the cadet population was constant at approximately 0.4% as indicated by weekly surveillance testing. In this study, vaccine effectiveness at preventing infection is estimated by comparing infection risk as a function of time since vaccination. A statistically significant four-fold reduction in infection risk was observed 14 days after the first vaccine dose and an eleven-fold reduction in infection risk was observed in fully vaccinated cadets. Overall, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 91% (95% confidence interval = 55-99%) effective at preventing infection in healthy young adults (17-26 years of age) in a university setting and military training environment.
Focal Prostate Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy With Correlative Pathological and Radiographic-Based Treatment Planning.

Introduction Advances in multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) combining anatomic and functional imaging can accurately identify foci of adenocarcinoma within the prostate, offering the possibility of partial gland therapy. We performed tandem prospective pilot trials to investigate the feasibility of focal prostate SBRT (f-SBRT) based on correlating diagnostic mpMRI and biopsies with confirmatory pathology in treatment planning. Materials and Methods Patients with pathologic focal Gleason 6-7 disease and a corresponding PIRADS 4-5 lesion on mpMRI underwent targeted and comprehensive biopsies using MRI/ultrasound fusion under electromagnetic sensor navigation. After rigorous analysis for imaging biopsy concordance, five of 18 patients were eligible to proceed to f-SBRT. Chi-squared test was used for differences from expected outcomes, and concordance was estimated with binomial distribution theory and Wilson's method. Results Six patients had Gleason 6 and 12 had Gleason 3 + 4 disease (mean PSA: 5.8 ng/ml, range: 2.2-8.4). Absolute concordance was 43.8% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.64). Patterns of discordance included additional sites of ipsilateral disease, bilateral disease, and negative target. Five were upstaged to a new NCCN risk category necessitating treatment escalation. The five patients with concordant pathology completed three-fraction f-SBRT with sparing of the surrounding normal structures (including contralateral neurovascular bundle), with no reported grade 2+ toxicities and favorable PSA responses (mean: 41% decrease). Conclusions On our pilot trials of f-SBRT planning using rigorous imaging and pathology concordance, image-guided confirmatory biopsies frequently revealed additional disease, suggesting the need for caution in partial-gland therapy. For truly focal disease, f-SBRT provided excellent dosimetry, minimal toxicity, and encouraging biochemical response. Clinical Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02681614; NCT02163317.
Examining the Risk of Recurring Use of Force Incidents Among Newly Hired Police Officers

Police force, though rare, has profound implications for citizens and officers involved and the community-at-large. It is vital for police agencies to review officer use of force, identify potentia...
Oral and IV Antibiotic Administration After Single-Stage Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty: Study of Survivorship and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients without Clear Preoperative or Intraoperative Infection.

Background Following revision shoulder arthroplasty, postoperative antibiotics are selected before the results of intraoperative cultures become available. We determined infection-free survival, revision-free survival, complications, and patient-reported outcomes for patients selected to receive oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics after revision arthroplasty. Methods This study included 92 patients who had revision shoulder arthroplasty. IV antibiotics were administered if the surgeon had a high index of suspicion for infection, and oral antibiotics were given if there was a low suspicion. Antibiotic therapy was modified based on intraoperative culture results. Patient-reported outcomes and adverse events were documented at a mean of 4.1 years. Results In selecting antibiotic therapy, surgeons correctly predicted the presence or absence of multiple positive cultures of specimens from the revision surgery in 72% of the 92 cases. Subsequent re-revision surgery was required in 17 (18%) of the patients; 8 of these 17 patients had ≥2 positive cultures at re-revision. Patients who initially received IV antibiotics and those who initially received oral antibiotics had similar revision-free (p = 0.202) and infection-free (p = 0.155) survivorship. Patients requiring a change from oral to IV antibiotics based on positive cultures had similar survivorship compared with those initially treated with IV antibiotics. The IV and oral antibiotic groups had similar postoperative Simple Shoulder Test (SST), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and satisfaction scores. Patients receiving IV antibiotics had a higher rate of antibiotic-related adverse events. Conclusions Post-revision antibiotic therapy was associated with an infection-free survival rate of 91% at a mean of >4 years of follow-up. Infection-free survival, revision-free survival, and patient-reported outcomes were similar in high-risk patients placed on IV antibiotics and low-risk patients placed on oral antibiotics. Further study is needed to define the indications for IV or oral antibiotics after revision arthroplasty. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Structure and Function of Mammalian Mitochondrial Ribosomes

The discovery of ribosomes in mitochondria (O’Brien and Kalf, 1967) foreshadowed the surprising diversity of ribosome types in nature. The 55S ribosomes from mammalian mitochondria resemble bacterial ribosomes and eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosomes in their main functional properties, but in terms of their fine structure and physical chemical properties, they differ unexpectedly from both these kinds of ribosomes, as well as from other kinds of mitochondrial ribosomes (O’Brien, 1977; O’Brien and Matthews, 1976; Kitakawa and Isono, 1991). Also, mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes have an intrinsic GTP binding site in the small subunit, an unprecedented occurrence in translational systems (Denslow et al., 1991).
The 208Pb(α, 3He)209Pb reaction at 58 MeV

Abstract The 208 Pb(α, 3 He) 209 Pb reaction at 58 MeV has been used to search for high-spin states in 209 Pb. Only three levels are excited with appreciable intensity: the ground state (2 g 9 2 ) and levels at 0.781 ( li 11 2 ) and 1.426 MeV ( lj 15 2 ) . The angular distributions for these levels have been measured and analyzed using standard DWBA calculations to obtain spectroscopic strengths. The 208 Pb(α, α) elastic scattering was measured and optical parameters deduced from the data. A normalization value N = 50 yields spectroscopic values which are close to the values measured in the (d, p) reaction. The (α, 3 He) reaction should easily pick out any appreciable components of the j 15 2 shell model state, which weak-coupling calculations predict should be fragmented. However only three weak transitions previously seen in a (d, p) experiment are observed.
Introductory Clifford Analysis

This paper is an elaboration of an introductory talk given by the author at a workshop on Clifford algebras at Tennessee Technical University, in May 2002. We give an introduction to the basic concepts of Clifford analysis, including links to harmonic analysis, Fourier analysis and conformally flat manifolds.
Acetylation of human AP-endonuclease 1, a critical enzyme in DNA repair and transcription regulation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses function of a critical DNA repair protein, AP-endonuclease 1 (APE1), as a trans-acting factor in mammalian cells. Furthermore, because APE1 was found to be acetylated in vivo, procedures have been described for identification and characterization of acetylated APE1. Finally, assays for examining the effect of acetylation of APE1 on its affinity to the negative Ca 2+ responsive elements have been described. The in vitro binding studies were further validated in a reporter expression assay using transiently transfected cells. The presence of nCaREs in the promoter of APE1 gene itself suggests that APE1 is autoregulated. Identification of acetylated APE1 (AcAPE1) utilized FLAG-tagged APE1 in transiently-expressed human cells. Thus, acetylated FLAG-APE1 rather than endogenous AcAPE1 was isolated and characterized because of the ease of quantitative recovery of FLAG-tagged proteins as immunoprecipitates using a commercially available, anti-FLAG-monoclonal mouse antibody.
Wall shear stress in major cerebral arteries as a function of age and gender--a study of 301 healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND The hemodynamic force of wall shear stress (WSS) has demonstrated a critical role in atherogenesis. PURPOSE To study the effect of age and gender on mean WSS (MWSS) values in major cerebral arteries. METHOD Thirteen cerebral arterial location sites in 301 healthy (157 M, 144 F; mean 47 ± 15 years; range 18-84 years old) were studied. Quantitative magnetic resonance angiography was used to obtain volume flow and diameter, and subsequently to calculate MWSS via the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. RESULTS MWSS decreased significantly with age in all vessels, declining from 9.5 to 5.7 dynes/cm2 in the neck vessels and from 22.9 to 16.2 dynes/cm2 in the intracranial vessels. MWSS is significantly higher in females than in males in all six neck vessels. The most significant drop in MWSS occurred between the age groups 48-57 and 58-67 (P < .05 for 12 vessels). CONCLUSION The overall decline in MWSS observed with age may be due to a decrease in flow. However, the marked drop in MWSS between the 48-57 and 58-67 age groups corresponded with an increase in diameter and systolic blood pressure rather than a significant drop in flow.
Minimizing upgrade cost to achieve LEED certification for existing buildings

AbstractAging buildings represent a significant percentage of existing buildings and are often in urgent need of upgrading to improve their operational, economic, and environmental performance. The owners of these buildings often seek to identify and implement building upgrade measures that are capable of improving building sustainability as well as achieving certification under various green building rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In order to support decision-makers in promoting building sustainability and achieving LEED certification for existing building, this paper presents the development of a novel optimization model that is capable of minimizing the required upgrade cost of achieving a desired LEED certification level such as Silver or Gold. The model is designed to identify cost-effective building measures, plans, and/or performance to achieve a specified LEED certification for existing buildings while keeping required upgrade cost to a minimum. Th...
Treating Compassion Fatigue

Section I: Contemporary Views and Findings Introduction: Treating Compassion Fatigue, Charles Figley 1. Diagnosis and Treatment of Helper Stresses Traumas and Illnesses, Paul Valent 2. The Trauma of Working with Traumatized Children, Tracy Woodard-Myers and Thomas A. Cornille 3. Stress Responses of Mental Health Workers Following Disaster: The Oklahoma City Bombing, David F. Wee and Diane Myers 4. Secondary Traumatic Stress in Case Managers Working in Community Mental Health Services, Lenore Meldrum, Robert King, and Darren Spooner 5. Measuring Compassion Satisfaction As Well As Fatigue: Developmental History of the Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Test, B. Hundall Stamm Section II: Treatment and Prevention Innovations 6. The Accelerated Recovery Program for Compassion Fatigue, Eric Gentry, Anna B. Baranowsky and Kathleen Dunning 7. Humor as a Moderator of Compassion Fatigue, Carmen C. Moran 8. The Silencing Response in Clinical Practice: On the Road to Dialogue, Anna B. Baranowsky 9. Trauma Treatment Training for Bosnian and Croation Mental Health Workers, Geoffry D. White 10. Strategies for Managing Disaster Mental Health Worker Stress Diane Myers and David F. Wee Epilogue, Charles R. Figley Index
An Approach to Discrete Quantum Gravity

This article presents a simplified version of the author's previous work. We first construct a causal growth process (CGP). We then form path Hilbert spaces using paths of varying lengths in the CGP. A sequence of positive operators on these Hilbert spaces that satisfy certain normalization and consistency conditions is called a quantum sequential growth process (QSGP). The operators of a QSGP are employed to define natural decoherence functionals and quantum measures. These quantum measures are extended to a single quantum measure defined on a suitable collection of subsets of a space of all paths. Continuing our general formalism, we define curvature operators and a discrete analogue of Einstein's field equations on the Hilbert space of causal sets. We next present a method for constructing a QSGP using an amplitude process (AP). We then consider a specific AP that employs a discrete analogue of a quantum action. Finally, we consider the special case in which the QSGP is classical. It is pointed out that this formalism not only gives a discrete version of general relativity, there is also emerging a discrete analogue of quantum field theory. We therefore have discrete versions of these two theories within one unifying framework.
A data intensive distributed computing architecture for “grid” applications

Abstract Modern scientific computing involves organizing, moving, visualizing, and analyzing massive amounts of data from around the world, as well as employing large-scale computation. The distributed systems that solve large-scale problems will always involve aggregating and scheduling many resources. Data must be located and staged, cache and network capacity must be available at the same time as computing capacity, etc. Every aspect of such a system is dynamic: locating and scheduling resources, adapting running application systems to availability and congestion in the middleware and infrastructure, responding to human interaction, etc. The technologies, the middleware services, and the architectures that are used to build useful high-speed, wide area distributed systems, constitute the field of data intensive computing. This paper explores some of the history and future directions of that field, and describes some specific application examples.
Image mapping spectrometry: a novel hyperspectral platform for rapid snapshot imaging

This paper presents the Image Mapping Spectrometry a new snapshot hyperspectral imaging platform for variety of applications. These applications span from remote sensing and surveillance use to life cell microscopy implementations and medical diagnostics. The IMS replaces the camera in a digital imaging system, allowing one to add parallel spectrum acquisition capability and to maximize the signal collection (> 80%). As such the IMS allows obtaining full spectral information in the image scene instantaneously at real time imaging rates. Presented implemention provides 350x350x48 datacube (x,y,λ) and spectral sampling of 2 to 6 nm in visible spectral range but is easily expandable to larger cube dimensions and other spectral ranges. The operation of the IMS is based on redirecting image zones through the use of a custom-fabricated optical element known as an image mapper. The image mapper is a complex custom optical component comprised of high quality, thin mirror facets with unique 2D tilts. These mirror facets reorganize the original image onto a single large format CCD sensor to create optically "dark" regions between adjacent image lines. The full spectrum from each image line is subsequently dispersed into the void regions on the CCD camera. This mapping method provides a one-to-one correspondence between each voxel in the datacube and pixel on the CCD camera requiring only a simple and fast remapping algorithm. This paper provides fundamentals of IMS operations and describes an example design. Preliminary imaging results for gas detection acquired at 3 frames / second, for 350x350x48 data cubes are being presented. Real time unmixing of spectral signatures is also being discussed. Finally paper draws perspective of future directions and system potential for infrared imaging.
Stylistic Components of Human Judgment: The Generality of Individual Differences:

In an effort to discover the generality of individual differences in judgmental processes, 12 potential styles were assessed from the predictions made by 86 judges across two or four replications of each of four judgmental tasks. The analyses focused on the internal consistency (across replica tions, within occasions), temporal stability (across occasions, within tasks), and intertask congruence of each of the judgmental variables. The findings suggested that five variables—linear predictability, judgmental consistency, subjective complexity, dif ferentiation, and confidence—have sufficiem generality to assume the provisional status of judg mental styles. Highly significant relationships were found, for male though not for female judges, be tween each of the provisional styles and a number of personological and demographic variables, in cluding scales from the MMPI, CPI, EPPS, and SVIB.
Molecular dynamics simulation of nonlinear effects in sputtering — Cu(100) targets☆

Nonlinear effects in sputtering from Cu(100) targets have been simulated with the multiple-interaction molecular dynamics code SPUT2. Both dimer and single-ion impacts were studied for Ar, Cu, Kr, and Xe ions normally incident on Cu(100) with energies of 5 keV/atom. Statistically significant nonlinear yields were found for bombardment with Kr and Xe dimers, but not for Ar and Cu dimer bombardment. Even for those cases not exhibiting nonlinearities in yield, differences were found in the energy and angular distributions of sputtered atoms for dimer impacts compared to the sum of individual ion impacts. For both dimer and single-ion impacts most sputtering was found to occur within 200 fs of impact; however, atom ejection tended to be shifted to later times for dimer impacts. Likewise, energy degradation in the collision cascades was much slower for dimer impacts than for single-ion impacts. These results suggest that a thermal spike begins to develop relatively early in collision cascades initiated by dimer impacts on Cu. This developing spike together with collisional disruption of the surface contributes to the excess yield found with dimer impacts.
Understanding 3D human torso shape via manifold clustering

Discovering the variations in human torso shape plays a key role in many design-oriented applications, such as suit designing. With recent advances in 3D surface imaging technologies, people can obtain 3D human torso data that provide more information than traditional measurements. However, how to find different human shapes from 3D torso data is still an open problem. In this paper, we propose to use spectral clustering approach on torso manifold to address this problem. We first represent high-dimensional torso data in a low-dimensional space using manifold learning algorithm. Then the spectral clustering method is performed to get several disjoint clusters. Experimental results show that the clusters discovered by our approach can describe the discrepancies in both genders and human shapes, and our approach achieves better performance than the compared clustering method.
Proton NMR spectroscopy in myocardial ischemic insult.

Proton NMR methods can monitor mobile lipids (e.g., fatty acids and glycerides) in intact tissue. Lipids play a major role in cardiac energy production, and elevated levels of myocardial lipids have been reported following an ischemic insult. The present study examines the potential of high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy to monitor lipid alterations 24 h following coronary occlusion in dogs, and to correlate these finds with regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) measured by radiolabeled microspheres. The dogs were killed, and samples of excised myocardium were studied by high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis using solvent suppression in combination with the Hahn spin-echo pulse sequence. Mobile lipids levels in myocardium with moderate blood flow reduction (28.6 f 7, integral values, arbitrary units; flow 5–50% of control) were significantly elevated compared to the mobile lipid levels in control myocardium (5.3 ± 8, P < 0.001) and in myocardium with severe flow reduction (7.2 ± 10, P < 0.001; flow 5% of control). The mobile lipids in myocardium with severe flow reduction were not elevated significantly relative to control tissue. As anticipated, depression in the level of creatine paralleled the microsphere determined degree of ischemia, i.e., compared to control (9.0 ± 3); creatine levels were moderately decreased with flows 5–50% of control (5.5 ± 4, P < 0.001) and markedly decreased with flows < 5% of control (1.0 ± 2, P < 0.001). This study suggests that high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy may be used to evaluate alterations in myocardial lipid levels following an ischemic insult. This observation, in addition to changes in other selected metabolites, may provide diagnostic and pathophysiologic insight into the severity of the myocardial injury. © 1987 Academic Press, Inc.
Balance screening of an inner city older adult population

Abstract Objective: Until recently, studies of balance abilities were conducted on nursing home residents or volunteers in a clinical laboratory setting. Little is known about balance abilities of older adults living independently in large urban cities or who represent different ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to describe balance abilities in these individuals. Subjects: Older adults ( n = 251) ranging in age from 60 to 95 years of age (X= 74.3, SD=7.7) participated. The majority of individuals (85.7%) were African-American or Hispanic. Procedure: The elders were screened for past and current medical conditions, activity level, and confidence in performing interactions with the environment (instrumental activities of daily living), and were administered the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, and Reach in Four Directions Test. Results: The mode on the Berg Balance Scale was 53 (maximum 56). Mean on the Timed Up and Go was 15 seconds, and Reach in Four Directions Test was: forward, 8.9in; backward, 4.6in; right, 6.8in; and left 6.6in. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the frequency of performing activities and the comfort in performing activities without fear of falling significantly contributed to the scores on the balance tests. The results of this study can serve as norms for balance testing in urbandwelling older adult populations from diverse backgrounds and may be useful for clinicians who are developing health promotion and fall prevention programs.
Nutrition in pregnancy: the argument for including a source of choline

Women, during pregnancy and lactation, should eat foods that contain adequate amounts of choline. A mother delivers large amounts of choline across the placenta to the fetus, and after birth she delivers large amounts of choline in milk to the infant; this greatly increases the demand on the choline stores of the mother. Adequate intake of dietary choline may be important for optimal fetal outcome (birth defects, brain development) and for maternal liver and placental function. Diets in many low income countries and in approximately one-fourth of women in high income countries, like the United States, may be too low in choline content. Prenatal vitamin supplements do not contain an adequate source of choline. For women who do not eat foods containing milk, meat, eggs, or other choline-rich foods, a diet supplement should be considered.
Dynamic-Kinetic Evolution of a Single Plume of Interacting Species

Abstract The coupled dynamic and kinetic evolution of chemical species are considered for an assumed exhaust plume from an SST at proposed flight altitudes of about 20 km. A systematic effort is made to determine whether chemical and radiative interactions seriously alter the exhaust specie distributions determined on the basis of scale-dependent diffusion alone. In the present coupled treatment, use is made of the plume dispersion coefficients from previous dynamic calculations, and a moderately complex kinetic mechanism is incorporated. The sensitivity to transport rates is presented, and the role of inhomogeneity correlations is discussed.