cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced Influence of Monetary Incentives on Go/NoGo Performance During Smoking Abstinence

INTRODUCTION Smokers may experience decreased sensitivity to nondrug incentives during acute smoking deprivation. This decreased sensitivity may undermine attempts to encourage continued abstinence by enhancing cognitive processes through the use of monetary incentives. This study assessed whether the capacity for monetary incentives to enhance cognitive performance was compromised in nicotine-deprived smokers. METHOD Eighteen smokers performed an incentivized Go/NoGo task on 2 occasions, once after smoking as usual prior to the session, and once after undergoing 12-hr abstinence. Participants could earn up to $5.00 ($2.50 per session) based on their performance on reward blocks of the Go/NoGo task. RESULTS Performance was significantly more accurate on incentivized NoGo, frequent-Go, and infrequent-Go trials relative to neutral trials during the smoke as usual session. Participants also produced fewer premature, impulsive responses on rewarded versus neutral blocks during the smoke as usual session. No significant difference between reward and neutral blocks was observed on any of the 4 performance indices during the abstinent session. CONCLUSIONS The ability for monetary incentives to enhance inhibitory control may be compromised during acute abstinence in smokers. These findings may have implications for contingency management treatment programs which are thought to promote continued abstinence partly by facilitating the allocation of cognitive resources to processes that encourage continued abstinence by increasing the value associated with continued abstinence.
Self-timed digital systems

Self-timed system organization does not require the central clock; the operation of a system progresses upon the commands or signals that are generated immediately after a particular system operation has been executed. This paper presents several implementations of self-timed systems. The performance figures for such systems match those of synchronous systems, but at the cost of added circuitry. >
Forensic Considerations in Blood Alcohol Evaluation

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the various forensic considerations that need to be taken into account while performing blood alcohol evaluation. Blood drawn from a decomposing body may yield a flawed alcohol concentration since decomposition involves fermentation, and blood sugar will allow fermentation to occur. Blood alcohol level, in fresh water drowning, may be reduced by dilution, since inhaled water enters the blood circulation. By the same token, transfusions and administration of intravenous fluids in hospitals also dilute blood alcohol concentrations. Therefore, it is advisable that in hospital cases, admission blood specimens drawn prior to fluid administration should be obtained from the emergency room and analyzed. Embalming fluids may contain methanol and/or other alcohols, however, ethanol is not a standard component. Therefore, any ethanol present in an embalmed body suggests that it was ingested prior to death. Blood, which is shed on the floor, the road, inside a vehicle, or anywhere outside the body. may be contaminated, and should not be used for alcohol testing.
Controlled neuronal cell patterning and guided neurite growth on micropatterned nanofiber platforms

Patterning neuronal cells and guiding neurite growth are important for applications such as prosthetics, cell based biosensors, and tissue engineering. In this paper, a microdevice is presented that provides neuronal cell patterning and guided neurite growth on a collagen coated gelatin/PCL nanofiber mat. The pattern consisted of a grid of polystyrene microwells/nodes to confine the cell bodies and orthogonal grooves to guide neurite growth from each node. Vacuum assisted cell seeding was used to localize cell bodies in the microwells and physically separate the cells during seeding. The electrospun nanofiber mats under the polystyrene microstructures were coated with collagen to enhance the cellular attachment and enhance differentiation. We evaluated the performance of our device using adhesion, viability, and differentiation assays of neuron-like PC12 cells compared to controls for vacuum seeding, spatial isolation and guidance, and collagen coating of the fibers. The device provided PC12 cell patterning with increased adhesion, differentiation, and guided neurite outgrowth compared to controls, demonstrating its potential for in vitro neuronal cell patterning studies.
Quest for Controlled Combustion Engines

Upon «harnessing the fire» by the early pioneers, the quest for controlled combustion provided the major incentive for progress in engine technology. At first this involved primarily the problem of knock and later that of pollutant emissions. It appears that both can be solved by treating the engine cylinder not only as a source of power but also as a controllable chemical reactor. The principal concept whereby this can be accomplished involves multi-point ignition combined with charge dilution and stratification. Means for this purpose include jet ignition, product recirculation, and chemical additives. The most suitable for the realization of this concept is a direct injection two-stroke engine
Characterization of anthropogenic methane plumes with the HyperspectralThermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES): a retrieval method and error analysis

Abstract. We introduce a retrieval algorithm to estimate lower tropospheric methane (CH4) concentrations from the surface to 1 km with uncertainty estimates using Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) airborne radiance measurements. After resampling, retrievals have a spatial resolution of 6 × 6 m2. The total error from a single retrieval is approximately 20 %, with the uncertainties determined primarily by noise and spectral interferences from air temperature, surface emissivity, and atmospheric water vapor. We demonstrate retrievals for a HyTES flight line over storage tanks near Kern River Oil Field (KROF), Kern County, California, and find an extended plume structure in the set of observations with elevated methane concentrations (3.0 ± 0.6 to 6.0 ± 1.2 ppm), well above mean concentrations (1.8 ± 0.4 ppm) observed for this scene. With typically a 20 % estimated uncertainty, plume enhancements with more than 1 ppm are distinguishable from the background values with its uncertainty. HyTES retrievals are consistent with simultaneous airborne and ground-based in situ CH4 mole fraction measurements within the reported accuracy of approximately 0.2 ppm (or ∼ 8 %), due to retrieval interferences related to air temperature, emissivity, and H2O.
What is a Normal Postoperative Temperature? Group Based Trajectory Modeling in Postoperative Knee Arthroplasty Patients in a Large Health System

significant predictors in all clusters, and included age (Group 2, likelihood estimate (LE) -0.030, p<0.001, Group 3, LE -0.027, p<0.001 and Group 4, LE -0.034, p<0.001; reference Group 1) and BMI (Group 2, LE 0.034, p<0.001, Group 3, LE 0.063, p<0.001 and Group 4, LE 0.71, p<0.001; reference Group 1). Conclusions: Patients display different temperature trajectories following elective knee arthroplasty. Further work is needed to determine whether different trajectories indicate different likelihoods of an adverse event occurring. Group based trajectory modeling may allow for personalizing the interpretation of a temperature in the postoperative setting.
Grading evaluation of arc-welders HKV chest imaging

Objective To establish the method of grading evaluation of high kV(HKV) chest images for dust exposure workers.Through the recording of pneumoconiosis process,the risks were detected and assessed as early as possible in order to provide the basis for early intervention. Methods 5-year HKV chest radiographs were collected from 194 cases of welders working in an enterprise.These cases were graded and evaluated based on the national diagnostic criteria of pneumoconiosis,and an etiology investigation at the evaluation site was carried out. Results Among 194 cases,chest radiographs were graded to the levels of 0~5.Level 0~3 meant non-pneumoconiosis,level 4 for observation object,and level 5 for pneumoconiosis periodⅠ.The relationship between chest radiograph classification and the length of dust exposure showed that HKV chest radiograph gra-ding could subsequently rise with the extension of the length of dust exposure.Either the possibility of pneumoconiosis or the risk of the pneumoconiosis increased.In this enterprise,most or all the cases graded as level 3(46.15%),4(100.00%),and 5(71.43%) in each group were working in the assembly welding site,indicating the highest incidence and greatest risk of pneumoconiosis in this enterprise located in the welding site. Conclusion Chest radiograph grading is a simple and feasible method for risk assessment of pneumoconiosis,for it can reflect the occurrence and development process of the imaging change and detect the early increased risk of pneumoconiosis.In addition,it may be more objective to design a physical examination cycle if the HKV grading evaluation method of chest radiograph is applied.
Investigation on the knowledge,behaviors and infection status about AIDS among migrants in Qujiang district of Zhejiang province

Objective To understand the knowledge awareness rate,behaviors and infection status of AIDS /HIV among migrants in Qujiang district,so as to provide effective strategy for AIDS / HIV prevention and control. Methods Cluster sampling method and questionnaire survey were adopted to survey 400 persons. Questionnaire mainly included the knowledge,manner and behaviors related to AIDS. Results The total awareness rate of HIV / AIDS prevention and control knowledge was 90. 5%. Age and educational level were important influencing factors of AIDS knowledge awareness. The proportion of migrants having sex with female sex workers( FSWs) and casual partners were 15. 5% and 5% respectively. The usage rate of condom in migrants having sex with regular sex partner,FSWs and casual partners in each sexual behaviour in one year were 5. 5%,46. 8% and 10. 0%. No case was found HIV-positive antibody or hepatitis C positive antibody. Both syphilis antibody and RPR antibody were positive in four cases,accounting for 1. 0%. Conclusion Unsafe sexual behaviors take a large proportion in migrants. It is suggested that more intensive and effective propagandistic strategies should be developed to improve the awareness rate of knowledge associated with HIV control and prevention among migrants. More attention should be paid to find individual approaches to help migrants for prevention of HIV infection and transmission.
Extreme Sports Dermatology

Extreme athletes endure many challenges, and the skin represents the main barrier that interfaces with this unforgiving environment. The athlete’s skin experiences solar, traumatic, thermal, and frictional forces that may ultimately impede their activities. The athlete’s skin also must contend with insults from creatures in their environment. Unfortunately, sports equipment, medicinal topical agents, and items in the sporting environment also commonly cause allergic skin disorders. Lastly, myriad cutaneous infections also plague athletes.
Serial cardiac MRIs in adult Fontan patients detect progressive hepatic enlargement and congestion

Background The progression of hepatic disease in adult Fontan patients is not well understood. They reviewed the experience with serial cardiac MRIs (CMR) in adult Fontan patients to determine if hepatic anatomic markers of prolonged Fontan exposure were present and if clinical predictors of progressive hepatic congestion could be identified. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort study of all adult Fontan patients who had undergone at least two CMRs was performed. Hepatic dimensions, inferior vena cava (IVC) size, right hepatic vein (RHV) size and spleen diameter were determined from images acquired at the time of clinically guided CMR. Two radiologists with expertise in hepatic imaging graded congestion and liver size independently using post–gadolinium contrast sequences. Twenty-seven patients met inclusion criteria. Over a mean time of 5.1 years between CMRs, there was a significant increase in mean lateral-medial hepatic dimension (P = .005), mean RHV diameter (P = .004), and mean splenic diameter (P = .001). Serial post–gadolinium imaging was available in 25/27 (93%) patients of which 15/27 (55%) showed evidence of progressive hepatic congestion across serial studies. Progressive hepatic congestion was associated with single ventricle ejection fraction (SVEF) less than 50% (P = .008), and larger indexed end-diastolic (EDVI) and end-systolic volume (ESVI). RHV diameter was the only anatomic variable significantly correlated with time from Fontan completion (P = .004). Conclusions Serial CMRs detected progressive liver and hepatic vein enlargement in our cohort of adult Fontan patients over a mean time of 5.2 years. Progressive hepatic congestion occurs in a significant number of adult Fontan patients and may be associated with ventricular enlargement and decreased ventricular function by CMR.
Grid Modernization - Integration of Storage

The existing electric power grid is reliable enough to meet everyday needs of U.S. electricity users. However, the grid needs major infrastructure upgrades to meet the rising demands for a reliable, resilient, and secure electricity delivery. Drivers to modernize the grid include increased demand for clean sources of energy, growing number of renewable energy sources on the grid and customer participation in power generation. Smart grid technologies are critical for monitoring, managing and controlling the power grid. Energy storage introduces an important new dimension on the grid, the ability to store electricity at one time and release the stored electricity for use at another time. Flow batteries are one type of energy storage technologies that are well suited for large-scale utility application on the grid. Currently, vanadium redox ow batteries are the most common used utility-scaled ow batteries.
Identification of a Small Molecule Activator for AphB, a LysR-Type Virulence Transcriptional Regulator in Vibrio cholerae

AphB is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) that cooperates with a second transcriptional activator, AphA, at the tcpPH promoter to initiate expression of the virulence cascade in Vibrio cholerae. Because it is not yet known whether AphB responds to a natural ligand in V. cholerae that influences its ability to activate transcription, we used a computational approach to identify small molecules that influence its activity. In silico docking was used to identify potential ligands for AphB, and saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance was subsequently employed to access the validity of promising targets. We identified a small molecule, BP-15, that specifically binds the C-terminal regulatory domain of AphB and increases its activity. Interestingly, molecular docking predicts that BP-15 does not bind in the putative primary effector-binding pocket located at the interface of RD-I and RD-II as in other LTTRs, but rather at the dimerization interface. The information gained in this st...
Online reinforcement with exploration for distributed control

This paper introduces an online reinforcement learning scheme with exploration for distributed approximate optimal control of uncertain nonlinear interconnected system. The subsystem, interconnection dynamics and input gain matrix are approximated using neural network (NN) identifiers with event-based state feedback. A second NN is designed at each subsystem to construct the mapping of states to future reward prediction via reinforcement signals with which a sequence of approximately optimal distributed control actions are generated. Since the identifiers and the controllers at each subsystem requires the local and other subsystem state vector with non-zero interconnections, a decentralized event-triggering mechanism using Lyapunov theory is developed to dynamically determine the feedback instants so as to reduce the communication overhead. Further, a novel strategy to incorporate exploration in the online control framework using identifiers is proposed to minimize the overall cost during the learning phase. The effects of network delay are discussed and finally, simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
On Knot Floer Homology and Cabling: 2

We continue our study of the knot Floer homology invariants of cable knots. For large | n|, we prove that many of the filtered subcomplexes in the knot Floer homology filtration associated to the (p, pn+1) cable of a knot, K, are isomorphic to those of K. This result allows us to obtain information about the behavior of the Ozsvath-Szabo concordance invariant under cabling, which has geometric consequences for the cabling operation. Applications considered include quasipositivity in the braid group, the knot theory of complex curves, smooth concordance, and L-space surgeries.
Characterization of Thermoplastic Matrix Composite Joints for the Development of a Computational Framework

Many industries, notably the automotive and aerospace industries, are now utilizing thermoplastic matrix composites (TPMCs) for their improved strength and stiffness properties compared to pure thermoplastic polymers, as well as their manufacturability compared to traditional thermoset matrix composites. The increase in the utilization of TPMCs ushers in the need for the development and characterization of joining methods for these materials. A widely used technique for joining thermoplastics is ultrasonic spot welding (USSW). During USSW, high frequency, low amplitude vibrations are applied through an ultrasonic horn resting on the polymer surface. The vibrations induce frictional heat, producing a solid state joint between polymer sheets. Advantages such as short weld cycle time, fewer moving components and reproducibility make this technique attractive for automation and industrial use. Prior work showed USSW as a feasible, repeatable joining method for a polycarbonate matrix filled with chopped glass fibers. The mechanical properties required for full characterization of the TPMC used in this work were not provided by the manufacturer. As such, the constitutive behavior of both as-received and USSW thermoplastic composite material (polypropylene matrix filled with 30 wt% chopped glass fibers) was characterized. The fiber orientation and distribution in TPMCs has a direct impact on constitutive behavior. To characterize these qualities, optical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro computed tomography (micro-CT) were employed. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to acquire full field strain measurements from the composite material under different loading scenarios. Because the constitutive behavior of polymers is greatly dependent on temperature, temperature measurements during the USSW process and measurement of mechanical properties as a function of temperature will be conducted through infrared (IR) imaging and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. Following the calibration of the constitutive model for the polypropylene matrix TPMC, the mechanical and thermal properties will be used to develop a computational framework for the purpose of predicting the structural response of a composite joint under various loadings.
Psychiatric Illness, Substance Use, and Viral Suppression Among HIV-Positive Men of Color Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles

For individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), viral suppression positively affects quality and length of life and reduces risks for HIV transmission. Men of color who have sex with men (MoCSM) who have been diagnosed with HIV have disproportionately low rates of viral suppression, with concomitant increases in incidence. We identified specific social, structural, and psychiatric factors associated with viral suppression among a sample of 155 HIV-positive MoCSM. Cigarette smoking and biological markers of recent drug use were significantly associated with detectable viral load. In contrast, individuals reporting a history of psychiatric illness during medical examination were more likely to be virally suppressed. Further analyses demonstrated that psychiatric illness may affect virologic outcomes through increased probability of being prescribed HIV medications. Alternatively, cigarette smoking and drug use appear to negatively affect subsequent HIV Care Continuum milestones such as medication adherence. Findings provide support for comprehensive intervention programs that emphasize prevention and treatment of cigarette, methamphetamine, and other drug use, and promote improved connection to psychiatric care. Continual achievement of this goal may be a crucial step to increase rates of viral suppression and slow HIV incidence in communities of MoCSM in Los Angeles and other urban areas.
Authors' Response Sedation Safety Has Many Perspectives, and the Discussion is Ongoing.

We agree that the hypothetical case is not representative of the care provided on a daily basis. Rather, it is meant to represent what happens when many gaps in safety result in an adverse event. Adverse events, although rare, are opportunities to learn and change. Our intention was to facilitate a discussion about how these adverse events could be framed from the perspectives of dentistry, anesthesiology, and bioethics. However, the perspectives are truly from the individual authors … E-mail: leehelen{at}uic.edu
Molecular determinant of rotavirus neutralization and protection.

Publisher Summary Human group A rotaviruses were first identified by Bishop et al. in 1973. In the ensuing 15 years, a great deal was learned about these important pathogens. Rotaviruses are members of the Reoviridae family. They are icosahedral viruses with two concentric capsid layers and a diameter of approximately 75 nm. The outer capsid of the virus contains a t least two primary gene products, VP4 and VP7, the products of genes 4 and 8 or 9, respectively. The chapter takes into account the recently revised nomenclature for rotavirus proteins. Genetic studies have demonstrated that VP4 is the viral hemagglutinin. Rotaviruses are the single most important cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea in children under the age of 2. These viruses are a major cause of infantile mortality in less developed countries and the most frequent cause of morbidity due to pediatric gastroenteritis in developed countries. Rotaviruses can be isolated from the young of many, if not most, mammalian species, and in many cases these viruses are the cause of infantile diarrhea in the mammalian species from which they are isolated.
Spark Erosion for Production of Nanocrystalline Materials

We are currently undertaking a research program to exploit spark erosion for producing nanocrystalline alloys, intermetallics, superconducting, semiconducting and magnetic materials. Therefore we are exploring ways of tuning the various parameters in order to produce uniformly small particles of well defined structure and composition. This report summarizes some productive recent developments.
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE NECESSITY OF COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Computer Based Information Systems (CBIS) have become pervasive in modern organizations. The MIS literature has always treated IS a support tool rather than a core requirement for a modern organization. But the latter is probably a more realistic picture of the role of CBIS in organizations today. This paper argues for this perspective. It argues that CBIS help organizations overcome cognitive limitations of human information processing and are necessary to meet the performance goals and assist in the decision-making processes of the organization. It points to the inherent complexity, fast rate of change, and uncertainty in modern environment and argues that the information processing requirements posed by these conditions precludes not using a CBIS if the information processing is to be done in an efficient and effective fashion. Given that a CBIS is necessary for organizations, it has important implications in areas like organization design, business process design, and CBIS development and deployment. It is hoped that this paper will put forward the idea that is explicated in the mainstream literature and create impetus and discussion for further research.
The Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS): methods and message at 12 weeks.

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the rates of physical, psychiatric, and suicide-related events in adolescents with MDD treated with fluoxetine alone (FLX), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), combination treatment (COMB), or placebo (PBO). Method Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs) collected by spontaneous report, as well as systematic measures for specific physical and psychiatric symptoms. Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior were systematically assessed by self- and clinician reports. Suicidal events were also reanalyzed by the Columbia Group and expert raters using the Columbia-Classification Algorithm for Suicidal Assessment used in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassification effort. Results Depressed adolescents reported high rates of physical symptoms at baseline, which improved as depression improved. Sedation, insomnia, vomiting, and upper abdominal pain occurred in at least 2% of those treated with FLX and/or COMB and at twice the rate of placebo. The rate of psychiatric AEs was 11% in FLX, 5.6% in COMB, 4.5% in PBO, and 0.9% in CBT. Suicidal ideation improved overall, with greatest improvement in COMB. Twenty-four suicide-related events occurred during the 12-week period: 5 patients (4.7%) in COMB, 10 (9.2%) in FLX, 5 (4.5%) in CBT, and 3 (2.7%) in placebo. Statistically, only FLX had more suicide-related events than PBO ( p =.0402, odds ratio (OR) = 3.7, 95% CI 1.00-63.7). Only five actual attempts occurred (2 COMB, 2 FLX, 1 CBT, 0 PBO). There were no suicide completions. Conclusions Different methods for eliciting AEs produce different results. In general, as depression improves, physical complaints and suicidal ideation decrease in proportion to treatment benefit. In this study, psychiatric AEs and suicide-related events are more common in FLX-treated patients. COMB treatment may offer a more favorable safety profile than medication alone in adolescent depression.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Arcobacter molluscorum Type Strain LMG 25693.

ABSTRACT As components of freshwater and marine microflora, Arcobacter spp. are often recovered from shellfish, such as mussels, clams, and oysters. Arcobacter molluscorum was isolated from mussels from the Ebro Delta in Catalonia, Spain. This article describes the whole-genome sequence of the A. molluscorum strain LMG 25693T (= F98-3T = CECT 7696T).
Endocuff Vision Reduces Inspection Time Without Decreasing Lesion Detection: A Clinical Randomized Trial.

Background & Aims Mucosal exposure devices improve detection of lesions during colonoscopy and have reduced examination times in uncontrolled studies. We performed a randomized trial of Endocuff Vision vs standard colonoscopy to compare differences in withdrawal time (the primary end point). We proposed that Endocuff Vision would allow complete mucosal inspection in a shorter time without impairing lesion detection. Methods Adults older than 40 years undergoing screening or surveillance colonoscopies were randomly assigned to the Endocuff group (n=101, 43.6% women) or the standard colonoscopy group (n=99; 57.6% women). One of 2 experienced endoscopists performed the colonoscopies, aiming for a thorough evaluation of the proximal sides of all haustral folds, flexures, and valves in the shortest time possible. Inspection time was measured with a stopwatch and calculated by subtracting washing, suctioning, polypectomy and biopsy times from total withdrawal time. Results There were significantly fewer women in the Endocuff arm (P = .0475) but there were no other demographic differences between groups. Mean insertion time with Endocuff was 4.0 min vs 4.4 min for standard colonoscopy (P = .14). Mean inspection time with Endocuff was 6.5 min vs 8.4 min for standard colonoscopy (P Conclusion In a randomized trial, we found inclusion of Endocuff in screening or surveillance colonoscopies to decrease examination time without reducing lesion detection. ClinicalTrials.gov , Number: NCT03361917.
The Supply Chain Management Applied Learning Center: A University-Industry Collaboration.

In today’s changing and intensely competitive global environment, postsecondary educational programs must find ways to adapt their method of delivery to meet the educational expectations of student...
Assessing the Demand of Problems in an Undergraduate Electrical Engineering Course

This paper describes a study to assess the demand of problems posed in undergraduate electrical engineering courses. This is part of a larger study to examine the gap between the demand of problems and the types of reasoning students use when attempting to solve them. The analysis uses a two-dimensional taxonomy table consisting of rows and columns that define cognitive processes and categories of knowledge, respectively. The cognitive process dimension (i.e., the rows of the table) contains six categories: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. The knowledge dimension (i.e., the columns of the table) contains four categories: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Preliminary results suggest that the proposed two-dimension analysis can be successfully used to characterize the demand of electrical engineering problems.
Deformation and Strength of Transversely Isotropic Rocks

Transverse isotropy is characterized by a plane of isotropy and an axis of anisotropy. For rocks, the plane of isotropy is associated with the bedding plane, whereas the axis of anisotropy is the normal to the bedding plane. Transversely isotropic rocks are known to exhibit strength that depend on the orientation of the bedding plane relative to the direction of load. In this work, we present a constitutive framework for predicting the deformation and strength of transversely isotropic rocks. The model is based on anisotropic critical state plasticity with thermal softening. We conduct numerical simulations of boundary value problems to demonstrate the impact of bedding plane orientation on the deformation and strength of a transversely isotropic rock.
Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Ethnic Produce at Farmers’ Markets

Background and Objective: Past research indicates that exposure to ethnic produce may be positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption and negatively associated with fast food consumption. The objective of this research was to examine attitudes and behaviors regarding ethnic produce among farmers’ market consumers in rural northern California. Methods: A total of 502 farmers’ market attendees completed a survey, which examined the demographic characteristics of the consumers, their attitudes toward ethnic produce at farmers’ markets, and their familiarity and preferences for a variety of food products and cuisines. Results: Most participants had positive attitudes toward products presented on the survey. However, less than half of the study participants recognized at least 11 of the 22 ethnic produce items available at area farmers' markets. Ethnic minorities, females, and older participants were more likely to have tried ethnic produce items. Women had more positive attitudes toward ethnic produce. Conclusion: These findings indicate the importance of identifying strategies tailored to specific groups of people to promote the consumption of ethnic fruits and vegetables, which may be associated with lower rates of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases.
Properties of Pertechnic Acid.

Dilute aqueous pertechnic acid has long been known as strong monoprotic acid that behaves as a simple pertechnetate ion in aqueous solution. As pertechnic acid concentrates by evaporation, it becomes yellow and then dark red, and dark-red crystalline material may ultimately be obtained. We show that as pertechnic acid concentrates, at least three compounds are formed: a yellow viscous liquid, a colorless (not red) crystalline solid, and a small amount of an intensely colored red-purple compound. The colorless crystalline compound melts at 118 °C and can be melted and recrystallized several times with little decomposition. The red-purple compound is apparently not stable at room temperature and quickly decomposes if it is isolated. UV-vis spectra show that Beer's law does not hold as pertechnic acid concentrates by evaporation. We report densities, 99Tc nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra for highly pure aqueous pertechnic acid (accompanied by the other technetium compounds that form) ranging from 1 to 14 M in technetium concentration.
Distributed Pass Gates in Power Delivery Systems With Digital Low-Dropout Regulators

On-chip digital low-dropout (LDO) regulators enable fast dynamic voltage scaling, reducing power consumption. Integrating these regulators into a highly resistive environment has complicated the design of power delivery systems. With the increasing sensitivity of complex integrated systems to power noise, effective approaches to distribute on-chip LDOs are needed due to the limited metal resources. In this article, a methodology is proposed to distribute the pass gates of a system of on-chip digital LDOs. The distribution of the pass gates considers the location of the load currents to reduce voltage variations across the power grid. The proposed pass gate distribution topology reduces the maximum voltage variations across the grid, on average, by two to three times under nonuniform load distributions.
Are You a Good Friend? Assessing Social Relationship Competence Using Situational Judgments:

Individual differences in social relationship competence (SRC) should have significant implications for social relationship success and well-being. Ability-based measures of SRC are scarce, though, particularly in social-personality psychology, and these considerations led to the present research. In specific terms, a situation judgment method was used to create and examine the correlates of a scenario-based assessment of SRC termed the Social Relationship Competence-Ability Measure (SRC-AM). Four studies (total N = 994) were conducted. Study 1 used item-total correlations and factor analyses to select scenarios from a larger pool. Studies 2 and 3 then showed that the SRC-AM predicted outcomes consistent with social relationship success (Study 2) as well as psychological well-being (Study 3). Study 4, finally, linked SRC levels to peer ratings of social competence and popularity. The research highlights a class of social inferences and abilities that possess novel implications for social relationship success.
Encountering Child Abuse and Neglect in Home Visiting: a Qualitative Study of Visitor and Supervisor Experiences.

Prevention of child maltreatment is a goal of home visiting (HV) for new mothers. How home visitors and their clinical supervisors manage concerns about child maltreatment may impact both the families’ and the home visitors’ engagement with the program. We sought to understand how HV personnel encounter and respond to concerns of child maltreatment and how these concerns are related to their work with families. We conducted an interpretive descriptive qualitative study of home visitors and supervisors in a statewide HV program, using the Parents as Teachers curriculum, to describe the experience of HV personnel. Two researchers conducted semi-structured interviews March 2016 to October 2017. Interviews were concurrently transcribed, coded, and analyzed, using thematic analysis. After 13 interviews with home visitors and 13 interviews with supervisors, codes and themes were saturated. We identified three themes: Decision to Call Child Protective Services (CPS), Relationships, and Collaborating with CPS. The decision to call CPS was described as difficult, and there was substantial variation in the details of this decision. The relationship between home visitor and family was consistently the most important. Variations were seen in how home visitors and supervisors collaborated with CPS, ranging from strong connections through liaisons to frustrations due to poor communication and perceived variation in how cases were handled. The decision to report a family to CPS is a challenging clinical issue; additional training and connections with CPS may improve consistency across sites for home visitors.
Nanoparticles for co-delivery of Osimertinib and Selumetinib to Overcome Osimertinib-acquired Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Osimertinib (OSI) is the first FDA-approved third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It can be used for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with activating EGFR mutation and for patients who are resistant to first-generation EGFR TKIs due to T790M resistance mutation. However, patients treated with OSI ultimately develop acquired resistance, which prevents its long-term benefit for patients. Therefore, the development of effective strategies to overcome OSI resistance will address a significant clinical challenge and benefit patients by prolonging their survival time. Our previous studies indicated that combination therapy was a promising strategy for overcoming OSI resistance. In this study, we developed nanoparticle (NP) formulations for co-delivery of osimertinib (OSI) and selumetinib (SEL) to treat OSI-resistant NSCLC effectively. We conjugated SEL with PEG through a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive linker to generate polyethylene glycol (PEG)-SEL conjugate prodrug (PEG-S-SEL). Due to the amphiphilic nature of PEG-S-SEL, it can self-assemble in an aqueous solution to form micelle NP and serve as a delivery carrier for OSI. The ROS-responsive linker can facilitate the release of drugs in the tumor microenvironment with elevated ROS levels. OSI and SEL combination NP can overcome OSI resistance by simultaneously inhibiting both EGFR and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), thus effectively inducing apoptosis in OSI-resistant NSCLC cells and inhibiting OSI-resistant tumors in vivo. In conclusion, the OSI+SEL NP combination therapy showed promising anticancer efficacy and demonstrated potential for treating NSCLC patients with OSI acquired resistance. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Osimertinib (OSI) is the first FDA-approved third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor. It has been successfully used for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with activating EGFR mutation. However, patients treated with OSI ultimately develop acquired resistance. This study developed OSI and selumetinib (SEL) co-delivering nanoparticles to overcome OSI-acquired resistance in NSCLC. PEG-SEL conjugate functions as reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive prodrug and forms micelle nanoparticles through self-assembly to deliver OSI. The combination NP can simultaneously inhibit EGFR and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), thus effectively inducing apoptosis in OSI-resistant NSCLC cells. In summary, the OSI and SEL nanoparticle combination therapy showed promising anticancer efficacy and demonstrated potential for treating NSCLC patients with OSI acquired resistance.
What drives dynamic connectedness of the U.S equity sectors during different business cycles

Abstract The study investigates (i) the time-varying and directional connectedness of nine equity sectors through intra- and inter-sector volatility spillover periods and (ii) assesses the impact of state variables on aggregate volatility spillovers. The study finds about 76% of volatility linkage is associated with cross-sector volatility transmissions. Aggressive sectors, which are sensitive to macroeconomic risk, play the net volatility transmission role. Defensive sectors that are largely immune to macroeconomic risk play the net volatility receiving role. The intensity and direction of volatility transmissions among the sectors vary with economic expansion and recession periods. Over time, some sectors switching from net transmitting to net receiving role and vice versa. Macro and financial market uncertainty variables significantly impact volatility spillover at lower volatility spillover (economic expansion period) and higher volatility (economic recession periods) volatility spillover quantiles. Political signals are seemingly more imprecise and uninformative during economic expansion or low quantiles, intensifying volatility spillover. Overall, the causal effects of macro, financial, and policy uncertainty variables on aggregate volatility spillover are asymmetric, nonlinear, and time-varying. The study's result supports the cross-hedging and financial contagion views of volatility transmission across nine US equity sectors.
'Underdog' Arbitration: A Plan for Transparency

The use of mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration clauses in consumer, employment, health care, and even nursing home agreements is ever-increasing, even though the general public has distrust and a lack of understanding as to the nature of arbitration. The Supreme Court in ATT (2) requiring a written statement of decision in such disputes; and (3) data-reporting requirements by the business entity imposing mandatory pre-dispute arbitration on the employee/consumer stake-holder.
Claims-based measures of prescription opioid utilization: A practical guide for researchers.

Abstract Background Given the increased attention to the opioid epidemic and the role of inappropriate prescribing, there has been a marked increase in the number of studies using claims data to study opioid use and policies designed to curb misuse. Our objective is to review the medical literature for recent studies that use claims data to construct opioid use measures and to develop a guide for researchers using these measures. Methods We searched for articles relating to opioid use measured in health insurance claims data using a defined set of search terms for the years 2014–2020. Original research articles based in the United States that used claims-based measures of opioid utilization were included and information on the study population and measures of any opioid use, quantity of opioid use, new opioid use, chronic opioid use, multiple providers, and overlapping prescriptions was abstracted. Results A total of 164 articles met inclusion criteria. Any opioid use was the most commonly included measure, defined by 85 studies. This was followed by quantity of opioids (68 studies), chronic opioid use (53 studies), overlapping prescriptions (28 studies), and multiple providers (8 studies). Each measure contained multiple, distinct definitions with considerable variation in how each was operationalized. Conclusions Claims-based opioid utilization measures are commonly used in research, but definitions vary significantly from study to study. Researchers should carefully consider which opioid utilization measures and definitions are most appropriate for their study and recognize how different definitions may influence study results.
The Significance of the Decomposition and the Arrival Theorems for the Evaluation of Closed Queueing Networks

In this paper, we show how the convolution algorithm can be based on the decomposition theorem, and we introduce mean-value analysis as an application of the arrival theorem. In the queue-dependent case, the same recursive formula is at the heart of both algorithms. This formula relates the marginal probabilities, Pi(k,K) ~ Pi(k-l, K-l), where i denotes a server, k is the queue size, and K denotes the population of the closed network. Thus, it is this recursion which relates seemingly very different computation methods. We also discuss properties of the two methods and disucss how they were extended heuristically to give approximate results for networks more general than the product-form class.
“Our Real Educated People:” Neoliberalism and Syria’s New Elites

This article summarizes how over a decade of economic liberalization resulted in increased socio-economic stratificaiton in Syria. It then considers how that stratification has impacted Syria's current conflict.
Erratum to: Rewriting the blueprint of life by synthetic genomics and genome engineering.

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0689-y.
General Analytic Solutions and Complementary Variational Principles for Large Deformation Nonsmooth Mechanics

This paper presents a nonlinear dual transformation method and general complementary energy principle for solving large deformation theory of elastoplasticity governed by nonsmooth constitutive laws. It is shown that by using this method and principle, the nonconvex and nonsmooth total potential energy is dual to a smooth complementary energy functional, and fully nonlinear equilibrium equations in finite deformation problems can be converted into certain tensor equations. The algebraic relation between the first and the second Piola–Kirchhoff stresses are revealed. A closed form solution for general three-dimensional large deformation boundary value problems is obtained. The properties of this general solution are clarified by a triality extremum principle. This triality theory reveals an important phenomenon in nonconvex variational problems. Applications are illustrated by nonlinear, nonsmooth equilibrium problems in Hencky's plasticity, 3D cylindrical structures and post buckling analysis of elastoplastic bar with jumping and hardening effects. The idea and methods presented in this paper can be used and generalized to solve many nonlinear boundary value problems in finite deformation theory.
Determinants of the polyproline II helix from modeling studies.

Publisher Summary This chapter considers the determinants of polyproline II (PPII) helix formation considered in the light of computational modeling. More complex modeling is also considered ranging from simple hard-sphere computer simulations to calculations involving more detailed energetics. Studies show that the PPII region of (φ,ψ)-space is highly populated in a model employing only steric interactions and hydrogen bonds to describe intramolecular interactions. Data indicate that this region is favored by a lack of unfavorable steric interactions, which follows from the extended nature of the conformation. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that the polypeptide backbone possesses a significant propensity to adopt the PPII helical conformation. The major determinant of this backbone propensity would appear to be backbone solvation. The calculations and modeling described in the chapter provide data in support of this hypothesis.
Silyl reagents (Me3Si-X) efficiently transfer X to Ir(H)2F(PtBuP2Ph)2

Abstract Me 3 Si-X reagents react to completion at 25°C in a short time to convert Ir(H) 2 FL 2 (L=P t Bu 2 Ph) to Ir(H) 2 XL 2 . This involves formation of Ir-O, Ir-N, Ir-I, Ir-S and Ir-C(sp) bonds. Products include some η 2 -X ligands such as carboxylate and acetamide, NHC(O)CH 3 . The acetamide is shown to be η 2 in the solid state and in solution, but readily rearranges, by a transition state with Ir-O bond cleavage, to effect site exchange of the two inequivalent hydrides. The same synthetic approach succeeds for the more crowded metallated species and these reactions arc shown to fail when F is replaced by Cl in the iridium reagent. Unsaturation at Ir is suggested to be central to the mechanism of these F/X transposition reactions.