cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition-Metal and Metalloid Contributions to EXAFS in Amorphous Alloys and Crystalline Compounds

EXAFS measurements were made at CHESS for an amorphous Fe78P22 alloy, for crystalline Fe, and for crystalline “Fe2P”, which was actually Fe1.7±0.2P and contained a small amount of FeP. χ(k) functions were calculated from μ(E) data measured at 8, 80, and 300 K. R-space windows, 1A to 3A, were used to extract the near-neighbor components k2χnn (k) by Fourier back-transformation (see Fig. 1).
Statistical and Metallurgical Analyses of Experimental Mark-IA Driver Fuel Element Cladding Failures in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II

A reasonably large number (39) of Mark-IA driver fuel cladding failures have been obtained from run-to-failure experiments in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II over the past few years. These experiments were designed to yield failure information for various design variables and to qualify the fuel element design to a burnup limit such that the risk of an end-of-design-life failure was exceedingly small for normal operating conditions. None of the design variables or operating conditions tested had a significant effect on the failure statistics. (auth)
Echo cancellation using a two-stage block LMS algorithm (ISDN)

A two-stage block least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm which can be used in data echo cancellation to realize full-duplex digital data full-duplex transmission is proposed. The block LMS algorithm is implemented in two stages where there is an individual convergence factor at each stage. The convergence factor is changed according to the sign correlation between the echo signal and the error signal during the convergence process. The convergence property of the algorithm is investigated. Computer simulation results are given to verify the performance improvement. The computation saving is achieved because the coefficients are updated for each block, and it also allows rapid convergence. Therefore, the two-stage block LMS algorithm is a better choice than the conventional LMS algorithm in data echo cancellation. >
Disappointing Results, But We Must Carry On.

In this issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions , Wayangankar et al. [(1)][1] report on the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed in patients in cardiogenic shock (CS) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from the American College of Cardiology–National
The Causation Equation: Summers on Science

This symposium essay briefly addresses the controversy surrounding the biology of sex differences. In particular, it considers the remarks by Lawrence Summers, then-President of Harvard University, and the heated aftermath that followed.
New Sensor Concepts Using Vibrating Cantilevers

Two new sensor concepts using small, piezoelectrically driven, vibrating cantilever blades are described. A magnetic-field sensor is realized by depositing a multiturn planar coil of aluminum on the blade. When the blade is driven at a cantilever resonance (1-3 kHz) in the presence of a magnetic field, an ac emf is induced in the coil proportional to the field strength at the site of the coil. Operation is exactly analogous to that of an ac generator
Accelerated aging of biochars: Impact on anion exchange capacity

Little is known about the stability of biochar anion exchange capacity (AEC) and by what mechanisms AEC changes as biochar ages and weathers in soil environments. The goal of this study was to investigate chemical changes that may occur during ageing of biochar in neutral or alkaline soils and to assess the impact of ageing on AEC. To simulate and accelerate ageing, biochars were oxidized in alkaline hydrogen peroxide for 4 months. Spectroscopic evidence (FTIR, XPS and13C-NMR) revealed that ageing increased carbonyl and alcoholic character in biochars produced at 500 °C and effected endoperoxide formation in biochars produced at 700 °C; the latter exhibited greater arene carbon character. Ageing caused biochar AEC to decline on average by 54% with greater decreases in biochars produced at 500 °C in contrast to biochars produced at 700 °C. The AEC of biochar derived from alfalfa meal and cellulose produced at 700 °C did not change significantly (p = 0.20 and p = 0.50, respectively) with ageing. Stability of AEC in the high temperature biochars is attributed to the presence of oxonium groups in bridging positions of arene carbon, which are sterically resistant to nucleophilic attack.
Astronauts and sugar beets: young girls' information seeking in family interactions

This paper presents preliminary results from a study examining young girls' information seeking in family interactions. Video recordings of everyday interactions of families with girls between the ages of 3 and 6 years were coded for instances of information seeking, which were then analyzed using the methodology of conversation analysis. Results indicate that young girls' information seeking typically occurs in response to ongoing talk and action, with few instances of information seeking unrelated to the locally immediate context of the family interactions.
Single-Molecule Analysis of Lipid–Protein Interactions in Crude Cell Lysates

Recognition of signaling phospholipids by proteins is a critical requirement for the targeting and initiation of many signaling cascades. Most biophysical methods for measuring protein interactions with signaling phospholipids use purified proteins, which do not take into account the effect of post-translational modifications and other cellular components on these interactions. To potentially circumvent these problems, we have developed a single-molecule fluorescence approach to analyzing lipid–protein interactions in crude cell extracts. As a proof of principle for this assay, we show that a variety of lipid-binding domains (LBDs) can be recruited from cell lysates specifically onto their target phospholipids. With single-molecule analysis in real-time, our assay allows direct determination of binding kinetics for transient lipid–protein interactions and has revealed unique assembly properties and multiple binding modes of different LBDs. Whereas single-copy LBDs display transient interaction with lipid ...
Effects of HCl on alkaline phosphatase in kidney and intestine; histochemical and quantitative study.

SummaryThe inactivation of renal and intestinal alkaline phosphatases by HCl was studied by histochemical and by quantitative methods. In the mouse, guinea pig and dog the renal enzyme is inactivated at a distinctly higher pH than is the intestinal enzyme. These observations support the view that renal and intestinal alkaline phosphatases are not identical.
Paris ou Versailles? La monarchie absolue entre deux capitales 1715–1723. By Laurent Lemarchand. (Paris, France: Editions du comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques, Collection CTHS HISTOIRE, n° 53, 2014. Pp. 416. €28.00.)

Louis XIV's death in 1715 purportedly ended an era. His libertine nephew Philippe, Duc d'Orleans and regent for his great‐grandson, the five‐year‐old Louis XV, overturned his uncle's restrictive wi...
Subjective Dynamic Information Constraints

We axiomatize a new class of recursive dynamic models that capture subjective constraints on the amount of information a decision maker can obtain, pay attention to, or absorb, via a Markov Decision Process for Information Choice (MIC). An MIC is a subjective decision process that specifies what type of information about the payoff-relevant state is feasible in the current period, and how the choice of what to learn now affects what can be learned in the future. The constraint imposed by the MIC is identified from choice behavior up to a recursive extension of Blackwell dominance. All the other parameters of the model, namely the anticipated evolution of the payoff-relevant state, state dependent consumption utilities, and the discount factor are also uniquely identified.
A THEOREM ON HOPFIELD NEURAL NETWORK

This paper presents a theorem concerning the dynamic range of the Hopfield neural network. We show that the input voltage of each neuron in the Hopfield network is bounded and the boundness is computed in a closed form which provides the foundation for designing physical systems, such as electronic circuits.
Empirical analysis of knowledge bases to support structured output in the Arden syntax.

BACKGROUND: Structured output has been suggested for the Arden Syntax to facilitate interoperability. OBJECTIVE: Tabulate the components of WRITE statements in a corpus of medical logic modules (MLMs)in order to validate requiring structured output. METHODS: WRITE statements were tabulated in 258 MLMs from 2 organizations. RESULTS: In a total of 351 WRITE statements, email destinations (226) predominated, and 39 orders and 40 coded output elements also were tabulated. Free-text strings predominated as the message data. CONCLUSIONS: Arden WRITE statements contain considerable potentially structured data now included as free text. A future, normative structured WRITE statement must address a variety of data types and destinations.
After Government and Binding Theory (Update of Chapter 6)

Government and Binding (GB) syntax led to Minimalist proposals that typically aim to keep both structures and mechanisms to a minimum. The fundamental mechanisms of some Minimalist proposals are simple enough to allow rigorous assessments of their expressive power, the recognition complexity of the languages they define, and relations to other types of grammar. Some of these results are briefly reviewed here. A first simple definition of a basic structure building operation “merge” defines an efficiently recognizable, mildly context sensitive class of languages that has already been carefully studied and related to proposals in the tradition of tree adjoining grammar (TAG). This result is preserved in many, but not all, Minimalist variants of this simplest definition, and can be extended to compare tree automaton, monadic second order, and type logical definitions of languages.
Varying approaches to causal inference

Behind many ostensibly theoretical disputes in political science lurk disagreements about the nature of valid explanations. Confrontations among advocates of realist, constructivist, and institutionalist approaches to international relations, for example, concern explanatory strategies more than directly competing propositions about how nations interact. Similarly, rampant debates about nationalism more often hinge on specifying what analysts must explain, and how, than on the relative validity of competing theories. Recent debates about democratization concern not only the choice of explanatory variables but also the very logic of explanation. Charles Tilly My approach to the subject of causality has been self-consciously syncretic, drawing from many currents of scholarship. Yet readers may wonder if I have covered this ground in a truly comprehensive fashion. Indeed, several topics of current interest are treated schematically, or not at all, in the foregoing chapters. In this chapter, which functions as a coda to the third part of the book, I briefly review approaches to causal inference that seem, at least on the face of things, anomalous. This includes causal-process observations , causes-of-effects , necessary/sufficient arguments , and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). As many of these topics overlap, each of the following sections builds on the previous.
Strategies And Demands For Digital Pathology Workflow Integration

Digital Pathology has many benefits and pathology laboratories around the world are capitalizing on many of these applications including education, telepathology, and image analysis. However, if not implemented well, digital pathology can have both positive and negative impacts on workflow. The key is to ensure that the digital imaging solution selected overall enhances workflow. Batched scanning, failed scans and downtime are examples where whole slide imaging can negatively impact workflow. High speed digitization, load balancing, and smart algorithms on the other hand can all improve workflow. Optimal image management and integration with the laboratory information system are also essential for sustaining an efficient digital pathology workflow. The aim of this talk is to address many of these critical factors, their impact on digital pathology workflow, and to discuss novel opportunities that by enhancing workflow will help evolve the practice of pathology.
Actinomycin D Blocks Transcription of Surfactant B mRNA in Marrow Cells Co-Cultured with Lung

We have previously described that RNA-filled microvesicles are shed from lung cells and are capable of entering whole bone marrow (WBM) cells in culture (Aliotta et al, Stem Cells, 2007;25(9):2245–56). WBM cells cultured with these lung-derived microvesicles appear to express lung cell-specific genes after 7 days in culture. However, it is not known if the lung cell-specific mRNA detected in these cells represents de novo transcription or previously transcribed mRNA carried into the cell via microvesicles. To address this issue, we co-cultured WBM cells extracted from C57BL/6 mice and co-cultured them opposite lung from C57BL/6 mice exposed to 500 centigrey (cGy) of total body irradiation (TBI) or no radiation. The two cell types were separated by a cell-impermeable membrane (pore size, 0.4μm). After 7 days of co-culture, WBM cells were removed, extensively washed and cultured alone for an additional 36 hours, with or without the transcriptional blocking agent Actinomycin-D (Act-D, 10 ug/ml). Control WBM cells were co-cultured without lung and not exposed to Act-D (control). WBM cells were then analyzed for the presence of a variety of hematopoietic and lung-specific markers by Real Time RT-PCR and fold difference in target gene expression was determined (relative to control cells). WBM cells co-cultured with or without lung expressed high levels of hematopoietic markers including Sca-1, c-kit and CD45. This expression was nearly or completely eliminated after exposure to Act-D in culture. Expression of the surfactant protein B (Sp-B) gene was also significantly decreased in WBM co-cultured with lung (irradiated or non-irradiated) after exposure to Act-D (mean ± SE, from 16±4.9 to 1.1±0.4-fold increase vs. control, p=0.012). Interestingly, exposure to Act-D resulted in an increase in the expression of other lung-specific genes, including surfactant protein C (Sp-C) and clara cell specific protein (CCSP), in WBM co-cultured with lung (from 165±103 to 3,700±1,625 and 2±0.9 to 93±38-fold increases vs. control, p
Estimation of a generalized linear mixed model for response-adaptive designs in multi-centre clinical trials

Response-adaptive designs are important alternatives to equal allocation in clinical trials because equal treatment allocation has been found to have ethical issues. In this article we discuss the implementation of response-adaptive designs in multi-centre clinical trials. We develop a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) for analyzing data obtained from multi-centre clinical trials and use the maximum likelihood (ML) approach to estimate the model parameters. We apply influence function techniques to derive the asymptotic properties of our estimators. The advantage of using the influence function approach is that it leads to a closed form expression for the asymptotic covariance of the estimated parameters. To our knowledge such a closed form expression does not currently exist in the literature. The performance of the ML estimator under various response-adaptive designs is examined through simulation studies. We use our simulation studies to compare the asymptotic covariance matrix, based on the influence function to that based on the inverse of the Hessian matrix obtained from the likelihood function of the observations. The techniques are applied to real data obtained from a multi-centre clinical trial designed to compare two cream preparations (active drug/control) for treating an infection. The Canadian Journal of Statistics xx: 1–16; 2017 © 2017 Statistical Society of Canada
"Taking over somebody's life": Experiences of surrogate decision-makers in the surgical intensive care unit.

Background Impaired capacity of patients necessitates the use of surrogates to make decisions on behalf of patients. Little is known about surrogate decision-making in the surgical intensive care unit, where the decline to critical illness is often unexpected. We sought to explore surrogate experiences with decision-making in the surgical intensive care unit. Methods This qualitative study was performed at 2 surgical intensive care units at a single, tertiary, academic hospital Surrogate decision-makers who had made a major medical decision for a patient in the surgical intensive care unit were identified and enrolled prospectively. Semistructured telephone interviews following an interview guide were conducted within 90 days after hospitalization until thematic saturation. Recordings were transcribed, coded inductively, and analyzed utilizing an interpretive phenomenologic approach. Results A major theme that emerged from interviews ( N = 19) centered on how participants perceived the surrogate role, which is best characterized by 2 archetypes: (1) Preferences Advocates, who focused on patients' values; and (2) Clinical Facilitators, who focused on patients' medical conditions. The primary archetype of each surrogate influenced how they defined their role and approached decisions. Preferences Advocates framed decisions in the context of patients’ values, whereas Clinical Facilitators emphasized the importance of clinical information. Conclusion The experiences of surrogates in the surgical intensive care unit are related to their understanding of what it means to be a surrogate and how they fulfill this role. Future work is needed to identify and manage the informational needs of surrogate decision-makers.
A Biomechanical Comparison of Distal Fixation for Bridge Plating in a Distal Radius Fracture Model

Purpose To compare the biomechanical properties of second versus third metacarpal distal fixation when using a radiocarpal spanning distraction plate in an unstable distal radius fracture model. Methods Biomechanical evaluation of the radiocarpal spanning distraction plate comparing second versus third metacarpal distal fixation was performed using a standardized model of an unstable wrist fracture in 10 matched-pair cadaveric specimens. Each fixation construct underwent a controlled cyclic loading protocol in flexion and extension. The resultant displacement and stiffness were calculated at the fracture site. After cyclic loading, each specimen was loaded to failure. The stiffness, maximum displacement, and load to failure were compared between the 2 groups. Results Cyclic loading in flexion demonstrated that distal fixation to the third metacarpal resulted in greater stiffness compared with the second metacarpal. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regards to maximum displacement at the fracture site in flexion. Cyclic loading in extension demonstrated no significant difference in stiffness or maximum displacement between the 2 groups. The average load to failure was similar for both groups. Conclusions Fixation to the third metacarpal resulted in greater stiffness in flexion. All other biomechanical parameters were similar when comparing distal fixation to the second or third metacarpal in distal radius fractures stabilized with a spanning internal distraction plate. Clinical relevance The treating surgeon should choose distal metacarpal fixation primarily based on fracture pattern, alignment, and soft tissue integrity. If a stiffer construct is desired, placement of the radiocarpal spanning plate at the third metacarpal is preferred.
Development of in Situ CO2 Generation Formulations for Enhanced Oil Recovery

The carbon dioxide flooding of oil reservoirs represents one of the most-proven tertiary oil recovery practices. However, there are significant challenges associated with applying CO2 flooding in certain onshore or offshore fields and applications. The common challenges include a limited supply of CO2, transportation, capital cost investment, and corrosion. For offshore flooding, the critical challenge could be more related to extreme remote and significant project cost increase. In this work, we investigated delivering CO2 indirectly to the subsurface formation by injecting the concentrated solution of ammonium carbamate (AC) as CO2 generated species. Ammonium carbamate, a highly water soluble solid (40 wt %) and commercially available, can be dissolved in aqueous solution and injected to the reservoir where it decomposes at reservoir condition, thus releasing products of CO2 and ammonia. The produced CO2 results in lowering oil viscosity and oil swelling. Increase of ammonia concentration also lead to s...
Elucidating the interaction of ticlopidine with serum albumin and its role in bilirubin displacement in vitro

Ticlopidine is an anti-platelet drug that functions as a P2Y12 receptor antagonist. The present study provides a detailed characterization of interaction of ticlopidine with a model transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as an assessment of its bilirubin displacing ability using a multi-spectroscopic approach in combination with isothermal titration calorimetry. The value of binding constant determined using ITC studies was found to be 3.03 × 103 M−1 with a binding stoichiometry of approximately 1:1. Competitive site marker experiments indicate that ticlopidine binds to Sudlow site I, located in subdomain IIA of BSA. In addition, Circular dichroism and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy indicated structural and conformational changes in BSA on interaction with ticlopidine. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the reaction was spontaneous, exothermic, entropically driven, and involved hydrophobic interactions. These results were well supported by those obtained through molecular docking studies...
Breeding: Plants, Modern

Historically, plant breeding has progressed from the initial domestication of crops to highly intensive and effective cultivar improvement methods that integrate genomic information with phenotypic evaluations of breeding populations. Plant breeders employ a wide variety of breeding methods, the choice of which is largely driven by the mating system of the species, and the type of cultivar that can be disseminated easily to farmers. Recent improvements in breeding methods include statistical methods that can combine information across different breeding families and the application of genomic information to improve selection response under certain circumstances.
QUANTUM SIMULATION USING PATH INTEGRALS

The aim of this contribution to the school is to give an elementary introduction to the use of the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics as a tool for the simulation of quantum systems. The implementation of path integration in statistical mechanics is known as the classical isomorphism. It enables us to obtain finite temperature quantum expectation values as averages over the fluctuations of an entirely classical system. The emphasis will be on understanding how quantum effects are described in terms of the classical isomorphism. In this context, we will treat several important technical issues, such as choosing the size of the classical isomorphic system and Monte Carlo sampling methods. Applications will be mentioned only to clarify and motivate the methodology. The source material for this lecture is taken from the textbooks of Refs. 1 and 2 and the chapter by David Chandler in Ref. 3.
Stranger-Making as Difference: Childhood Memories of Belonging and Exclusion by Undergraduates of Color.

In this article, we draw from the notion of stranger-making to focus on how undergraduates of color at one large university in New York City recount their subjective experiences with inclusion and ...
User-centred design and assessment of a prescription prior authorisation processing system

Electronic prior authorisation (ePA) is an efficient way to ensure prior authorisation completion for delivery of patient medications. Benefits include time savings for prescribers as well as cost-saving and quality-assurance solutions for insurers. Existing ePA systems have a gap in knowledge among medical professionals using the ePA systems and the IT solution providers designing the ePA systems. As a result, standard ePA designs lack components to facilitate the workflow. The research study presented here interviewed key stakeholders, including prescribers, care nurses, and call center agents, and used that information for development. Focusing on Case Create and Case Search functions, a new user-centred ePA system was designed. Assessment outcomes of the new system, SmartPA, include advocacy for secure centralised portals, with cross-checking search fields and integration with major formulary vendors. SmartPA proved to be more efficient in usability testing with stakeholders and provided a clean UI, supporting faster, secure case creation and searching, on a stable platform.
Abstract 1364: Tip60 dependent DNA homologous recombination repair is impaired in VHL-deficient clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Introduction: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) displays genomic instability across all tumor stages, indicative of increased replicative stress and defects in DNA damage response (DDR) pathways including homologous repair (HR); however ccRCC does not display mutations in canonical DDR genes. We hypothesized that biallelic VHL loss is sufficient to cause HR deficiency (HRD) in ccRCC via direct regulation of DDR pathways. Experimental Procedures: We performed whole-exome (WES) sequencing of 15 small ccRCC tumors. We performed in silico genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analysis of tumors in KIRC TCGA to assess for HRD, using published HRD signatures. We assessed HR efficiency as a product of biallelic VHL loss in engineered cell line models. We studied the VHL-dependent DNA damage repair molecular mechanisms with cell line models, by HR and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) using reporter gene assays. We then assessed the status of TIP60 activation in Vhl deficient murine embryo fibroblasts, isogenic VHL deficient and proficient cell lines by determining DSB induced tip60 acetylation and foci formation. DSB induced HR and NHEJ activation were analyzed by assessing the induction of marker proteins including γH2AX, RAD51, and 53BP1. To examine VHL-protein interaction, green-fluorescent protein (GFP)-trap with GFP-tagged VHL and co-immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies were used. Results: 15/15 early stage ccRCC had biallelic VHL mutations and approximately 100 additional mutations per tumor, but no driver mutations typically associated with HRD. Nonetheless, in silico analysis showed 67% of KIRC TCGA displayed an HRD gene signature, and this signature was significantly higher in stage I disease (p=2.21e-08). Patients with VHL-mutated tumors were more commonly HRD than HRI (p=0.03), with frameshift/nonsense variants in VHL more likely to result in HRD than missense variants (p=0.02). Multivariate analysis showed HRD predicted for better overall survival compared to an HR intact (HRI) state (p Citation Format: Lijun Zhou, Patrick G. Pilie, Christine B. Peterson, Xian-de Liu, Xuesong Zhang, Eric Jonasch. Tip60 dependent DNA homologous recombination repair is impaired in VHL-deficient clear cell renal cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1364.
Role of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis in PTSD: Insights From Preclinical Models

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts approximately 8% of the United States population and represents a significant public health burden, but the underlying neural mechanisms of this and other anxiety- and stressor-related disorders are largely unknown. Within the last few decades, several preclinical models of PSTD have been developed to help elucidate the mechanisms underlying dysregulated fear states. One brain area that has emerged as a critical mediator of stress-related behavioral processing in both clinical and laboratory settings is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is interconnected with essential emotional processing regions, including prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. It is activated by stressor exposure and undergoes neurochemical and morphological alterations as a result of stressor exposure. Stress-related neuro-peptides including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) are also abundant in the BNST, further implicating an involvement of BNST in stress responses. Behaviorally, the BNST is critical for acquisition and expression of fear and is well positioned to regulate fear relapse after periods of extinction. Here, we consider the role of the BNST in stress and memory processes in the context of preclinical models of PTSD.
A Comparison of Three Different Cushion Test Methods

In a classroom environment, three different cushion test procedures (MIL-P-26514E, ASTM Test Method D 1596, ASTM Test Method D 4168) were used as the basis of package designs. The packages were tested and the results compared to the design criteria. Differences in results were related to how the various test procedures describe cushion performance. A suggestion is made to use test procedures that give both material comparison data and creditable package design information.
Growth Rates of Atlantic White Cedar Depend on Hydrologic Regimes at Two Time Scales

Atlantic white cedar (AWC) stands form peat substrates in association with a seasonally flooded, saturated hydrologic regime. Less than 2% of the AWC swamp land area present during the pre-colonial era remains, and most of the current area now exhibits a temporarily flooded hydrologic regime. The purpose of this study was to quantify radial AWC growth at time scales that were cumulative (throughout ~60-year lifespans) and annual to clarify the relationship with hydrologic regime and climate in drained and undrained stands. Two 60-year-old stands having either drained or undrained conditions were selected in national wildlife refuges in Virginia and North Carolina, USA. Shallow groundwater wells fitted with continuous recorders measured depth-to-water-table during the 1999 calendar year to verify hydrologic regimes, and tree ring widths were evaluated from 54 trees per site. Cumulative time scale growth of individual tree stems was strongly suppressed by high water tables in the undrained stand. Annual growth rates among climate variables also diverged such that wetter months were positively correlated with tree ring width in the drained stand. Results suggest that AWC tree ring growth patterns can provide natural resource managers with insights into historic hydrologic conditions that influence ecosystem services and biodiversity.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): The importance of patient-reported outcomes (PRO).

Purpose Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are an optimal method for assessing quality of life (QOL), including physical and psychosocial health. This review summarizes PROs frequently assessed in the setting of a DCIS diagnosis. Recent findings Health-related QOL has generally been found to be modestly affected in women with DCIS and similar to women with invasive breast cancer. Several studies reported a substantial negative impact on sexual health and body image, including some differences based on surgery type. Some patients experience pain after treatment, although many physical symptoms resolve. The prevalence of anxiety and depression varied based on assessment timing, with symptoms improving over time. Women with DCIS often overestimate the risks associated both with DCIS and invasive cancer. Summary PROs provide critical information regarding the experiences of women following a DCIS diagnosis. Continued inclusion of PROs in clinical trials is warranted, further informing treatment decisions and adequately preparing patients for what to expect following treatment.
“We break the cycle…”: Motivations for prosocial advocacy among former gang members to end gang involvement

Gangs pose an extreme threat to at-risk individuals and disenfranchised communities. A unique insight into the gang life and a changing life narrative among former gang members may be assets in educating communities about systemic factors perpetuating gang activity. This grounded theory analysis examines motivations for joining and leaving gangs among 28 former gang members (age, M = 44; 87.5% male; 56.3% Hispanic or Latino) and explores motivations to improve societal outcomes via prosocial advocacy to end gang involvement. Narratives suggest a social-ecological system marked by adversity can inform motivations for joining and leaving gangs, and the potential of repurposing one's life into a social change agent. Findings indicate the changing perspective of former gang members can aid in deterring gang involvement if provided a platform to share their negative experiences of gang life and regrets for their actions in their communities to instigate societal change.
Characterization of youth goal setting in the self-management of type 1 diabetes and associations with HbA1c: The Flexible Lifestyle Empowering Change trial.

Introduction Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) commonly do not meet HbA1c targets. Youth-directed goal setting as a strategy to improve HbA1c has not been well characterized and associations between specific goal focus areas and glycemic control remain unexplored. Objective To inform future trials, this analysis characterized intended focus areas of youth self-directed goals and examined associations with change in HbA1c over a 18 months. Methods We inductively coded counseling session data from youth in the Flexible Lifestyle Empowering Change Intervention (n = 122, 13-16 years, T1D duration >1 year, HbA1c 8-13%) to categorize intended goal focus areas and examine associations between frequency of goal focus areas selected by youth and change in HbA1c between first and last study visit. Results We identified 13 focus areas that categorized youth goal intentions. Each session where youth goal setting concurrently incorporated blood glucose monitoring (BGM), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and insulin dosing was associated with a 0.4% (95% CI: -0.77, -0.01; P = .03) lower HbA1c at the end of intervention participation. No association was observed between HbA1c and frequency of sessions where goal intentions focused on BG only (without addressing insulin or CGM) (β: 0.07; 95% CI: -0.07, 0.21; P = .33) nor insulin dosing only (without addressing BGM or CGM) (β: 0.00; 95% CI: -0.11, 0.10; P = .95). Conclusions Findings exemplify how guiding youth goal development and combining multiple behaviors proximally related to glycemic control into goal setting may benefit HbA1c among youth with T1D. More research characterizing optimal goal setting practices in youth with T1D is needed.
Put your mask on first to help others: Attachment and sentinel behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract The objective of this research was to learn whether attachment style is related to the ways people try to warn, protect, and care for others during the pandemic and what kinds, if any, personal protective measures they are taking. Data were collected in early May 2020 from 200 Amazon MTurk (AMT) workers who participated in exchange for payment. People who were high in attachment-related anxiety were more likely to behave as “sentinels” (i.e., warning loved ones to engage in safe practices such as hand washing, wearing a face mask), whereas those high in attachment avoidance were less likely to do so. These findings suggest that insecure attachment may contribute to peoples' willingness to protect themselves and others during the pandemic.
The Production of HI in Photodissociation Regions and A Comparison with CO(1-0) Emission

The gas at the surfaces of molecular clouds in galaxies is heated and dissociated by photons from young stars both near and far. HI resulting from the dissociation of molecular hydrogen H2 emits hyperfine line emission at 21 cm, and warmed CO emits dipole rotational lines such as the 2.6 mm line of CO(1-0). We use previously developed models for photodissociation regions (PDRs) to compute the intensities of these HI and CO(1-0) lines as a function of the total volume density n in the cloud and the far ultraviolet flux G0 incident upon it and present the results in units familiar to observers. The intensities of these two lines behave differently with changing physical conditions in the PDR, and, taken together, the two lines can provide a ground-based radio astronomy diagnostic for determining n and G0 separately in distant molecular clouds. This diagnostic is particularly useful in the range Gzero <~ 100, 10 cm^{-3} <~ n <~ 10^5 cm^{-3}, which applies to a large fraction of the volume of the interstellar medium in galaxies. If the molecular cloud is located near discrete sources of far-UV (FUV) emission, the PDR-generated HI and CO(1-0) emission on the cloud surface can be more easily identified, appearing as layered ``blankets'' or ``blisters'' on the side of the cloud nearest to the FUV source. As an illustration, we consider the Galactic object G216 -2.5, i.e. ``Maddalena's Cloud'', which has been previously identified as a large PDR in the Galaxy. We determine that this cloud has n ~ 200 cm^{-3}, G0 ~ 0.8, consistent with other data.
Evaluation of a Feline Bone Surrogate and In Vitro Mechanical Comparison of Small Interlocking Nail Systems in Mediolateral Bending

Objective The aim of this study was to (1) evaluate bending structural properties of a machined short fibre epoxy (SFE) feline bone surrogate (FBS), (2) compare the bending behaviour of small angle-stable interlocking nails (I-Loc; Targon) and locking compression plates (LCP) and (3) evaluate the effect of implant removal on FBS bending strength. Methods Part 1: Feline cadaveric femurs (n = 10) and FBS (n = 4) underwent cyclic four-point bending and load to failure. Part 2: Fracture gap FBS constructs (n = 4/group) were stabilized in a bridging fashion with either I-Loc 3 and 4, Targon 2.5 and 3.0, LCP 2.0 and 2.4, then cyclically bent. Part 3: Intact FBS with pilot holes, simulating explantation, (n = 4/group) underwent destructive bending tests. Bending compliance, angular deformation and failure moment (FM) were statistically compared (p Results Native bone and FBS were similar for all outcome measures (p > 0.05). The smallest and largest bending compliance and angular deformation were seen in the I-Loc 4 and LCP 2.0 respectively (p 0.05). Conclusion The similar bending properties of short fibre epoxy made FBS and native feline femurs suggest that this model could be used for mechanical testing of implants designed for feline long bone osteosynthesis. The I-Loc constructs smaller angular deformation which also suggests that these implants represent a valid alternative to size-matched Targon and LCP for feline fracture osteosynthesis. The significantly lower FM of explanted Targon may increase the risk of secondary fracture following implant removal.
Evaluation of a new low dose CBCT imaging protocol for measuring circumferential bone levels around dental implants

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether linear accuracy and metallic scatter artifact generated between 360 degree and 180 degree Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) acquisition protocols were significantly different during evaluation of peri-implant bone levels. On ten dentate dry human skulls, dental implants were placed at two posterior mandibular implant sites in each skull, one on left and one on right, totaling 20 sites for each protocol. CBCT scans using both acquisition protocols were made on each site. The conventional 360 degree protocol contained: (Parameters: (90 kV -10 mA), 120mm x 100mm focused field of view (FOV) and 17.5 (s) exposure). The low radiation dose 180 degree protocol contained: (parameters: (80kV -2mA), 120x 100mm FOV and 9.0 (s) exposure). There was a significant difference between metallic scatter acquired by pixel intensity values during bone density measurements between 360 degree acquisition and the 180 degree acquisition (Mesial Left p=0.00; Mesial Right =0.00; Distal Left 0.51; Distal Right p=0.02; Buccal Left p=0.00; Buccal Right p=0.43; Lingual Left p=0.00, Lingual Right p=0.03). There was no significant difference in linear accuracy of measurements (Mesiodistal Left p=0.36; Mesiodistal Right p=0.13; Buccolingual Left p=0.70; Buccolingual Right p=0.92). Sensitivity and specificity of both acquisition protocols were comparable. These results dictate that low dose acquisition protocol has comparable linear measurement accuracy to conventional acquisition protocol. Additionally, there is a significant decrease in the metallic scatter, thus making the low dose 180 degree protocol significantly better for evaluating peri-implant bone levels following dental implant placement.
Economics of Globalization in Higher Education: Current Issues in Recruiting and Serving International Students

The internationalization of higher education refers to the process of integrating an international, intercultural, and global dimension into the mission, goals, and delivery of higher education. The goals of internationalization are diverse, ranging from increased awareness of the mobility and educational needs of international students to the need for enhanced cooperation among nations and postsecondary institutions in developing more internationally-focused curricula and improving the capacity, knowledge production, and research capabilities of higher education systems within developing countries. A number of barriers to the achievement of these broad higher education goals have emerged in recent years including challenges in increasing international student recruitment, institutional competition regarding the push for increased international academic prestige, rapid expansion without concern for quality, and “brain drain.” This chapter examines some of these issues with the goal of fostering campus leaders committed to creating institutional climates that promote collaboration, increased access, exchange, and preparing young adults who are more globally and culturally aware of economic, political, social, and historical issues.
Chapter 1 – Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces some of the vocabulary and concepts used in designing computer systems. It also introduces the “systems perspective,” a way of thinking about systems that is global and encompassing rather than focused on particular issues. The usual course of study of computer science and engineering begins with linguistic constructs for describing computations (software) and physical constructs for realizing computations (hardware). To develop applications that have these requirements, the designer must look beyond the software and hardware and view the computer system as a whole. In doing so, the designer encounters many new problems—so many that the limit on the scope of computer systems generally arises neither from laws of physics nor from theoretical impossibility, but rather from limitations of human understanding.
Fictions of Emancipation: Collaborations With and Against the Law

he topic of emancipation has garnered a great deal of attention recently, from Jacques Ranciere’s work, now widely read by scholars, artists, and activists, to new edited collections in my field of Latin American thought, published in Spanish and English.1 As present and necessary as this concept is, in what follows I propose that it is so because it contains within it some of the most difficult double binds faced by the intersection of art and politics. The bind of emancipation becomes evident in contrast to its supposed synonym (according to most thesauruses) of “enfranchisement.” The latter consistently signifies the liberation of the subject: his/her freedom from confinement and admission into the rights of citizenship. Emancipation, in contrast, is a fraught process, which ultimately does not guarantee the rights of all, and at times imperils the rights of very specific subjects. Nonetheless, I will argue that it is worth delving deeper into emancipation’s perils, as they reveal compelling forms of fiction that connect performance to court, and art to law.
Adoption: The Rights of Parents Versus the Best Interests of Their Children

Abstract Adoption for the benefit of children is a relatively recent historical development which continues to be influenced by the concept of children as the property of their biological parents. Courts cannot make objective findings that a child is abandoned, is in need of an adoptive home, or is in fact already a member of a family which does not include his biological parents. The court's attention is first directed to terminating parental rights, which can be accomplished only in extremes of parental behavior. Substantial changes in current practices can occur primarily through new legislation stipulating that the interests of children are to be at least equal to the rights of their parents.
Acetazolamide improves loop gain but not the other physiological traits causing obstructive sleep apnoea

There is some evidence to suggest that acetazolamide may improve obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).However, how acetazolamide affects the key traits causing OSA remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the effect of acetazolamide on the traits contributing to OSA and its severity. Acetazolamide (500 mg twice daily) was administered for 1 week to 13 OSA subjects. Pharyngeal anatomy/collapsibility, loop gain (LG), upper-airway muscle responsiveness (gain) and the arousal threshold were determined using multiple 3 min 'CPAP pressure drops': pharyngeal anatomy/collapsibility was quantified as the ventilation at CPAP=0. LG was defined as the ratio of the ventilatory overshoot to the preceding reduction in ventilation. Upper-airway gain was taken as the ratio of the increase in ventilation to the increase in ventilatory drive across the drop. Arousal threshold was quantified as the level of ventilatory drive associated with arousal. The apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI)was assessed on separate nights using standard polysomnography. Acetazolamide reduced the median [interquartile range] LG (3.4 [2.4-5.4] versus 2.0 [1.4-3.5]; P <0.05) and NREM AHI (50 [36-57] versus 24 [13-42] events h-1; P <0.05), but did not significantly alter pharyngeal anatomy/collapsibility, upper-airway gain, or arousal threshold. There was a modest correlation between the percentage reduction in LG and the percentage reduction in AHI (r =0.660, P =0.05). Our findings suggest that acetazolamide can improve OSA, probably due to reductions in the sensitivity of the ventilatory control system. Identification of patients who may benefit from reductions in LG alone or in combination with other therapies to alter the remaining traits may facilitate pharmacological resolution of OSA in the future.
A mechanistic and synthetic study of organocopper substitution reactions with some homoallylic and cyclopropylcarbinyl substrates : Application to isoprenoid synthesis

Abstract The double bond of cholesteryl and 5-norbornen-2-yl tosylates and the cyclopropane ring of cyclopropylmethylcarbinyl tosylate participate in organocuprate substitution reactions; retention of configuration at the nucleofugal sp 3 -C atom and skeletal reorganizations are observed. A plausible mechanism for these reactions is discussed. Coupling of homogeranyl iodide with a four-carbon, functionalized, vinylic cuprate reagent is applied to stereospecific synthesis of trans, trans -farnesol.