cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE-D-204-00: Session in Memory of Franca Kuchnir: Excellence in Medical Physics Residency Education

Speakers in this session will present overview and details of a specific rotation or feature of their Medical Physics Residency Program that is particularly exceptional and noteworthy. The featured rotations include foundational topics executed with exceptional acumen and innovative educational rotations perhaps not commonly found in Medical Physics Residency Programs. A site-specific clinical rotation will be described, where the medical physics resident follows the physician and medical resident for two weeks into patient consultations, simulation sessions, target contouring sessions, planning meetings with dosimetry, patient follow up visits, and tumor boards, to gain insight into the thought processes of the radiation oncologist. An incident learning rotation will be described where the residents learns about and practices evaluating clinical errors and investigates process improvements for the clinic. The residency environment at a Canadian medical physics residency program will be described, where the training and interactions with radiation oncology residents is integrated. And the first month rotation will be described, where the medical physics resident rotates through the clinical areas including simulation, dosimetry, and treatment units, gaining an overview of the clinical flow and meeting all the clinical staff to begin the residency program. This session will be of particular interest to residency programs who are interested in adopting or adapting these curricular ideas into their programs and to residency candidates who want to learn about programs already employing innovative practices. Learning Objectives: 1.To learn about exceptional and innovative clinical rotations or program features within existing Medical Physics Residency Programs. 2.To understand how to adopt/adapt innovative curricular designs into your own Medical Physics Residency Program, if appropriate.
Delay-dependent H ∞ control for a class of uncertain time-delay singular Markovian jump systems via hybrid impulsive control

This paper deals with the problem of robust normalization and delay-dependent H∞ control for a class of singular Markovian jump systems with norm-bounded parameter uncertainties and time delay. A new impulsive and proportional-derivative control strategy with memory is presented, which results in a novel class of hybrid impulsive systems. Sufficient conditions are developed to guarantee that the resultant closed-loop system is not only robust normal and stochastically stable, but also satisfies a prescribed H∞ performance level for all delays no larger than a given upper bound. In addition, the explicit expression of the desired impulsive control gains is also given together with the design approach. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Posttraumatic dizziness and vertigo

Traumatic brain injury is an increasingly common public health issue, with the mild variant most clinically relevant for this chapter. Common causes of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) include motor vehicle accidents, athletics, and military training/deployment. Despite a range of clinically available testing platforms, diagnosis of mTBI remains challenging. Symptoms are primarily neurosensory, and include dizziness, hearing problems, headaches, cognitive, and sleep disturbances. Dizziness is nearly universally present in all mTBI patients, and is the easiest symptom to objectify for diagnosis. Aside from a thorough history and physical exam, in the near future specialized vestibular function tests will be key to mTBI diagnosis. A battery of oculomotor (antisaccade, predictive saccade) and vestibular tasks (head impulse test) has been demonstrated to sensitively and specifically identify individuals with acute mTBI. Vestibular therapy and rehabilitation have shown improvements for mTBI patients in cognitive function, ability to return to activities of daily living, and ability to return to work. Dizziness, as a contributor to short- and long-term disability following mTBI, is ultimately crucial not only for diagnosis but also for treatment.
Sinus opacification in the intensive care unit patient.

Objectives/Hypothesis The significance of sinus opacification in intensive care unit (ICU) patients remains uncertain. Our objectives were to determine the baseline incidence and risk factors associated with the development of radiographic sinus abnormalities in the ICU population. Methods A retrospective study of head computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging from April 2013 through April 2014 of 612 neurologic ICU patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was performed. Images were scored by the Lund-Mackay system (LMS). Exclusion criteria included prior sinus or skull base surgery, history of sinonasal malignancy, facial fractures, ICU admission less than 3 days, or inadequate imaging. Results At the time of admission, 40.7% of patients had a LMS greater than zero (mean 2.2). Worsening sinus opacification occurred in 42.6% of patients (mean highest LMS 4.6) during ICU admission. There was a peak between days 8 and 10, during which 65% of scans exhibited worsening opacification compared to baseline. On multivariate analysis, risk factors associated with increased sinus opacification (higher LMS) included the presence of an endotracheal tube (odds ration [OR] 3.28, P < .001) or nasogastric tube (OR 3.34, P < .001) and increased length of stay (OR 2.50, P < .001). Age greater than 60 was found to be protective for the development of worsening sinus opacification (OR 0.57, P = .007). Conclusion Using serial imaging and comparison control groups, this study finds that there is a high baseline incidence of sinus opacification in the ICU population. Prolonged length of stay, younger age, and presence of nasogastric or endotracheal tubes all corresponded to worsening LMS. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2016
Shock compression and release of a-axis magnesium single crystals: Anisotropy and time dependent inelastic response

To gain insight into inelastic deformation mechanisms for shocked hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals, particularly the role of crystal anisotropy, magnesium (Mg) single crystals were subjected to shock compression and release along the a-axis to 3.0 and 4.8 GPa elastic impact stresses. Wave profiles measured at several thicknesses, using laser interferometry, show a sharply peaked elastic wave followed by the plastic wave. Additionally, a smooth and featureless release wave is observed following peak compression. When compared with wave profiles measured previously for c-axis Mg [Winey et al., J. Appl. Phys. 117, 105903 (2015)], the elastic wave amplitudes for a-axis Mg are lower for the same propagation distance, and less attenuation of elastic wave amplitude is observed for a given peak stress. The featureless release wave for a-axis Mg is in marked contrast to the structured features observed for c-axis unloading. Numerical simulations, using a time-dependent anisotropic modeling framework, showed tha...
The Elusive Pathophysiology of Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrially inherited disorder characterized by rapid, subacute vision loss. LHON has historically been a difficult disease to study due to its low incidence. Many questions concerning its pathophysiology have remained unanswered. A significant enigma concerns LHON’s gender bias as represented by the male-to-female ratio of about 4:1. Another source of confusion includes the variable penetrance, since the mitochondrial mutation is necessary, but not sufficient, to cause conversion. A third challenge involves the tissue specificity, since typically only the optic nerve is involved with a specific pattern of optic atrophy due to primary loss of the papillomacular bundle (PMB) in affected individuals. The fourth remaining complexity is the pattern of rapid, subacute vision loss observed in nearly all affected individuals. Several clinical genetic studies, cybrid experiments, and histochemical studies have been conducted to address the three enigmas of gender bias, variable penetrance, and tissue specificity. Despite elucidation of these three aspects of the pathophysiology, the mechanism behind the rapid, significant vision loss remains a mystery.
The Importance of Contextual and Temporal Accuracy When Studying Novel Tobacco Products.

The study by Dutra and Glantz examined cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) trends among US middle and high school students via an interrupted time-series analysis of the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). The authors concluded that the rate of decline in smoking prevalence did not change after the introduction of e-cigarettes into the US market. We vehemently disagree with their choice to test change in slope at 2009 and note additional problems with their methodology and subsequent interpretations. An interrupted time-series study design, “requires a clear differentiation of the preintervention period and the postintervention period…. This does not necessarily require the intervention to be … E-mail: michelle.manderski{at}rutgers.edu
Proliferation and Differentiation Control Mechanisms in Myeloid Leukemia

Studies of myeloid leukemic cell lines and primary cultures of leukemic bone marrow have yielded information on humoral regulation of growth and differentiation of myeloid cells and have revealed specific abnormalities in regulatory control that would appear to play important roles in the development and progression of hematopoietic neoplasia. Already considerable in vitro data have been accumulated to document the feasibility of the clinical application of such biological response modifiers as retinoic acid, interferon, tumor necrosis factor, prostaglandin E, and differentiation-inducing proteins in a strategy designed to revert malignant hematopoietic cells to a pattern of normal proliferation and differentiation, or to mediate their selective ablation.
Mediators between parenting history and expected at-risk parenting: Role of conformity, coping, and attitudes.

The current study used a multimethod approach to consider potential mediators and moderators of the relationship between harsh, authoritarian parenting history and future at-risk parenting defined as child abuse potential and authoritarian parenting. The study involved 114 childless undergraduate students, a group that could represent a potential target group for child abuse prevention efforts. The role of coping, conformity, and attitudes towards harsh discipline were evaluated and considered as potential moderators or mediators of future at-risk parenting. Attitudes that approve of parent-child aggression and greater conformity were found to partially mediate the relationship between a history of authoritarian parenting and future at-risk parenting. In other words, approval of parent-child aggression and an inclination to be more socially conformist partly explained the relationship between a history of harsh, authoritarian discipline as children and whether participants expected to become harsh parents. However, neither greater coping skill nor lower conformity moderated the association between parenting history and at-risk parenting. This study implies that altering the acceptability of parent-child aggression could serve as an important prevention target in pre-parents to minimize the likelihood of adopting at-risk parenting practices. Additionally, the role of social conformity in at-risk parenting warrants further investigation given the current findings suggest that part of why one may later assume a harsh at-risk parenting approach reflects embracing a conformist style.
The Etiology of Multiple Myeloma: A Role for Viruses?

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy which presents a complex picture of immune dysfunction. There is abnormal production of monoclonal antibody coupled with a diminished capacity to produce antibody in general. Impairment in cellular immunity is also apparent (Jacobson and Zolla-Pazner 1986). The abnormal plasma cells have low proliferative activity in vitro, requiring the presence of macrophages or IL-6 for continuing growth (Barlogie, this meeting). There is active suppression of antibody synthesis which is mediated by a immunoregulatory B cell (MacKenzie et al. 1987). Increased lymphotoxin production appears to be responsible for the bone destruction and hypercalcemia seen in patients (Garrett et al. 1987). Cytogenic abnormalities are common, typically involving chromosomes and sites related to immune regulatory genes, yet no consistent abnormality nor oncogene is present (MacKenzie and Lewis 1985, Selvanayagam et al. 1988).
Fascism, Torture, and Affect in Postwar Spain: Memoria Histórica Narratives and Audience Empathy

This chapter notes that, unlike the rest of Europe, where fascism was defeated after World War II, Spain had to endure a long and repressive dictatorship (1939–1975). One consequence is that a memoria historica movement seeks to gain acknowledgment of Franco’s crimes and offer compensation to the families of his victims, but these efforts face the continuing obstruction by Franco’s sympathizers. Nonetheless, narratives of memoria historica have emerged in novels, plays, films, and soap operas, but also through administrative and popular media discourses in legal and human rights settings. Exploring the 2002 memoria historica novel La voz dormida [The Sleeping Voice] by Dulce Chacon and its 2011 film adaptation by Benito Zambrano, this chapter analyzes the interplay between empathy and social awareness in the context of the current movement to recover historical memory in Spain. In particular, the essay focuses on the strategies that Chacon and Zambrano employ to engage audiences empathically in hopes of prompting them to acknowledge and reflect on what may be called the Spanish historical memory problem .
CALCIUM ANTAGONISM OF OPIATE ACTION IN THE NON-TOLERANT AND TOLERANT GUINEA PIG ILEUM

Calcium antagonized in a competitive manner the inhibitory action of normorphine and B-endorphin in the electrically stimulated guinea pig ileum. Although a marked decrease in sensitivity to both opiates was observed in the ileum after rendering the animals tolerant by morphine pellet implantation, the inhibitory effect elicited by higher concentrations of normorphine and B- endorphin was still effectively antagonized by Ca++ in a dose- dependent manner. Ca++ exhibited greater antagonistic effect against normorphine than B-endorphin on ilea from non-tolerant animals but in tolerant ones Ca++ was more effective against B- endorphin. In striking contrast the inhibitory response to acetylcholine in electrically induced contractions was modified to a considerably lesser degree by Ca++ in both non-tolerant and tolerant ilea. The results are interpreted to suggest that the Ca++-opiate interaction is presynaptic and that normorphine and B-endorphin are interacting either with different receptors or different conformations of a common receptor.
Measuring Adherence to Hepatitis C Direct-Acting Antiviral Medications: Using the VAS in an HCV Treatment Clinic.

Objectives To implement the widespread treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), validated self-report measures to assess medication adherence are needed for monitoring patients who are prescribed HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is an efficient and well-validated tool for measuring adherence to antiretrovirals in human immunodeficiency virus populations. This study compared VAS scores with pill counts and serum levels of HCV RNA in a sample of HCV-infected veterans prescribed DAAs. Methods Veterans initiating HCV DAAs were offered enrollment in our study. HCV treatment was prescribed in accordance with the standard of care. Follow-up study visits were scheduled every 28 days for a total of 12 weeks. Adherence to DAAs was assessed at weeks 4, 8, and 12 using pill counts and the VAS score. Serum levels of HCV RNA were measured at baseline, week 4 of DAA therapy, and week 12 (Ampliprep/Taqman, lower limit of quantification 43 IU/mL). Results Between May 2013 and December 2014, 30 veterans were enrolled. Mean adherence via pill count at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (96.2%, 95.2%, and 98.2%, respectively) was nearly identical to the mean VAS scores (96.2%, 96.0%, and 98.2%, respectively). Wilcoxon signed rank tests demonstrated no differences between each VAS and pill count pair. The VAS score inversely correlated with HCV viral load 4 weeks after DAA initiation (r -0.98) and at 12 weeks of treatment (r -0.97). Conclusions The VAS score compared favorably with objective measures of adherence. If future studies confirm our results, then the VAS will provide a simple and reliable method of assessing adherence to HCV DAAs in real-world treatment clinics.
Firewall: Health Essentials for Ministers and Their Families:

Ministerial formation is an essential function of Christian education. Its goal is for ministers and their families to experience a lifetime of fruitful service. When formation does not take into a...
Perceptions of God by survivors of childhood sexual abuse: An exploratory study in an underresearched area.

While the sexual abuse of children and its possible sequelae are major societal issues, there has been a scarcity of data in the literature concerning the relationship between religion and incest. ...
A mathematical model for assessing the probability of contaminating Europa

The Europa Clipper mission must comply with the NASA Planetary Protection requirement in NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8020.12D, which states: “The probability of inadvertent contamination of an ocean or other liquid water body must be less than 1×10-4 per mission”. Mathematical approaches designed to assess compliance with this requirement have been offered in the past, but no accepted methodology was in-place to trace the end-to-end probability of contamination: from a terrestrial microorganism surviving in a non-terrestrial ocean, to the impact scenario that put them there, to potential flight system failures that led to impact, back to the initial bioburden launched with the spacecraft. As a result, hardware could presumably be either over-or under-cleaned. Over-specified microbial reduction protocols can greatly add to the cost (and schedule) of a project. On the other hand, if microbes on hardware are not sufficiently eliminated, there is increased risk of potentially contaminating another body with terrestrial microorganisms — adversely affecting scientific exploration and possibly conflicting with international treaty. Discussed here is the Icy Bodies Planetary Protection Probabilistic Model, a mathematical model developed by the Clipper Project to demonstrate compliance with the NPR requirement above: Given an initial bioburden launched with the Clipper flight system, the model calculates the probability of inadvertently contaminating the Icy Bodies Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. For purposes of the paper, discussions are focused on contamination of Europa specifically. This model first calculates the probability of the hypothetical event that Clipper fails to perform a planned maneuver and impacts Europa. Then the model assesses the conditional probability at least one viable microorganism survives the impact and reaches the Europa ocean. An initial bioburden launched with the Clipper flight system is provided to the model from the Planetary Protection Equipment List (PPEL). Since there is uncertainty as to which trajectory Clipper would follow to Europa if a maneuver is missed, tens-of-thousands of trajectories are sampled and weighted by their probability of occurrence, given that a particular maneuver is not performed. Flight system reliability and exposure to micro-meteoroids, as pertains to maneuverability, are included in this calculation. Microorganism survival probabilities are calculated along each of these potential trajectories by quantifying microorganism mortality when exposed to the known lethality factors of space such as radiation, temperature and vacuum. The concept of a bio-region is introduced, a critical notion to this modeling which allows us to understand how lethality depends on the flight system design and configuration. This paper will briefly address each of these topics, driving assumptions and areas of uncertainty and conservatism. Preliminary model results are summarized.
Interacting Particle Effects

In the previous Lecture, I made a formal calculation of part of the time dependence of the dynamic structure factors g(1)(k, t) and g (1) s (k, t).The calculation was limited to lowest order in concentration (pair interactions), second order in scattering vector k, and first order in time (first cumulant in a time cumulant expansion). I obtained for the first cumulant of g(1)(k, t) and for the first cumulant of g (1) s (k,t)
Tropical Islands as Paleoecological Laboratories: Gauging the Consequences of Human Arrival

Inter-island paleoecological comparisons have provided useful information concerning the role of humans vs. background-level disturbance in tropical ecosystems. Major ecological changes have occurred since human arrival in Madagascar, the West Indies, the Hawaiian Islands, and elsewhere. Prehuman vegetation changes and disturbances have also been documented for many islands. Instructive inter-island similarities and differences have been detected in the chronology, distribution, and extent of human activities, vegetation changes, and biotic extinctions. The earliest stratigraphic proxy evidence for initial human impacts (including increased charcoal particle influx to sediments, first appearance of exotic pollen, increase in ruderal pollen, and paleolimnological evidence for cultural eutrophication of lake waters) generally confirm but sometimes predate the earliest conventional archaeological evidence for human activity. Carefully chosen sites permitting the close integration of palynological, paleontological, and archaeological data from a variety of island settings with differing geographic and historical contingencies can enable investigators to more fully evaluate the importance of a range of human and ecological variables in determining the overall character and dynamics of ecosystems.
Negotiating the terms of engagement: Humor as a resource for managing interactional trouble in after-school tutoring encounters

Abstract This paper examines how tutors and tutees negotiate the terms of their engagement within the context of an after-school program in the United States of America that pairs university students with immigrant children from Bangladesh for the purpose of working through the children's homework assignments. Drawing on insights and approaches from linguistic ethnography, it argues that humor plays a meaningful yet overlooked role both in managing the transactional and interpersonal dimensions of homework help sessions and in illuminating the ongoing tensions and uncertainties at various levels of social organization that tutors and tutees encounter as they engage with one another. Likewise, it shows how a focus on humorous talk can illuminate aspects of tutees’ communicative repertoires as emergent bilinguals that may go unnoticed when only serious talk is considered. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of this study's findings for the preparation of tutors working in bi/multilingual settings.
Effects on Stroke Metrics and Outcomes of a Nurse-led Stroke Triage Team in Acute Stroke Management

Background Timely administration of healthcare in acute stroke, congruent with national stroke metrics, relates to better patient outcomes. A nurse-led stroke triage team instituted at our facility was hypothesized to improve metrics and outcomes. To evaluate the effect of the nurse-led stroke triage team we compared specific stroke metrics and patient outcomes before and after the program initiation. Methods In retrospective review, we analyzed stroke metrics one year prior to the start of the triage program (controls) and one year after the start of the program (cases), including the following metrics: patient arrival, emergency department assessment, neurology contact, head computed tomography (CT) scan, and delivery of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or puncture for mechanical thrombectomy. Primary outcome measures were improved metric times. Results Ninety-five acute stroke events were analyzed: 26 controls and 69 cases. Cohort demographics included means of age 72.82 years, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 15.96, discharge and 90-day mRS 3.71 and 3.55 respectively, and length of stay 5.98 days. There were significantly different improvements in metrics between arrival time to CT start, emergency room physician evaluation to CT start, neurology contact to CT start, and neurology contact to tPA initiation for cases post-triage team institution. No significant differences during this period were seen for other metrics. Multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex and NIHSS found no significant difference for discharge or 90-day mRS scores. Conclusions An interdisciplinary approach to acute stroke management can impact stroke metrics. These data support the integration of specially trained stroke nurses in acute stroke triage for quality improvement efforts.
The Choice of Structure and Characteristics of the Information Processing System Taking into Account the Functional of Elements

The model for estimation of the parameters of the information processing system is developed taking into account the functional state of the elements. The study is carried out and data on the loss of system performance depending on the functional reliability of the elements is obtained.
Between cooperation and conflict: the national union of road transport workers in Lagos, Nigeria

Foregrounding urban public transport as a terrain of political action and meaning-making, this article explores the role and politics of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, located in the south-west of the country. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which political agency is being exercised at different levels (that is, both within the NURTW and towards workers and the state), the manner in which the union-state relationship is weaponized by both parties, and how the union is drawn into patronage networks that redistribute resources provided by the state. The analysis extends to the insecurities that road transport workers face on a daily basis in their struggle to navigate the extortionate power of the union-state alliance, and make ends meet.
Crystal structure of a proteolytically cleaved, amino terminal domain of apolipoprotein E3.

Abstract A sample of Apolipoprotein E3 used in the original structure determination by X-ray crystallography (PDB code 1NFN) was crystallized under different conditions and its structure determined by molecular replacement at 298° K. The original model (1NFN) began at amino acid 23 and ended at amino acid 164, but the amino acid segment 81 through 91 (a loop between helices) was not visible in the electron density and presumed disordered. The model reported here is essentially identical to 1NFN, but now includes amino acids 18 through 22 at the amino terminus, 165 at the carboxy terminus and includes as well the segment 83 through 91. Leu 82 is not visible, but the separation between Gln 81 and Thr 83 is more than 10 A, thereby indicating a proteolytic cleavage occurred between those two residues.
A Survey of Tick Surveillance and Control Practices in the United States

Tickborne diseases are an increasing public health threat in the United States. Prevention and diagnosis of tickborne diseases are improved by access to current and accurate information on where medically important ticks and their associated human and veterinary pathogens are present, their local abundance or prevalence, and when ticks are actively seeking hosts. The true extent of tick and tickborne pathogen expansion is poorly defined, in part because of a lack of nationally standardized tick surveillance. We surveyed 140 vector-borne disease professionals working in state, county, and local public health and vector control agencies to assess their 1) tick surveillance program objectives, 2) pathogen testing methods, 3) tick control practices, 4) data communication strategies, and 5) barriers to program development and operation. Fewer than half of respondents reported that their jurisdiction was engaged in routine, active tick surveillance, but nearly two-thirds reported engaging in passive tick surveillance. Detection of tick presence was the most commonly stated current surveillance objective (76.2%). Most of the programs currently supporting tick pathogen testing were in the Northeast (70.8%), Upper and Central Midwest (64.3%), and the West (71.4%) regions. The most common pathogens screened for were Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) and bacterial and viral agents transmitted by Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. Only 12% of respondents indicated their jurisdiction directly conducts or otherwise financially supports tick control. Responses indicated that their ability to expand the capacity of tick surveillance and control programs was impeded by inconsistent funding, limited infrastructure, guidance on best practices, and institutional capacity to perform these functions.
Reframing mental illness: The role of essentialism on perceived treatment efficacy and stigmatization

People believe that treatments for illnesses are effective when they target the cause of the illness. Prior work suggests that biological essentialist explanations of mental illness lead people to prefer medications or other pharmacological treatments. However, prior work has not distinguished between biological and essentialist explanations. In three studies (total n = 517), we presented adults with vignettes about an individual with an artificial mental illness and manipulated the descriptions to emphasize or de-emphasize essentialist characteristics. Critically, none of the vignettes made reference to a biological basis for the disorder. Participants rated their willingness to interact with the person described in the vignettes and how effective they believed drug treatment and talk therapy would be on the mental illness. Across the three studies, describing mental illness with an essentialist framing led participants to think drug treatments would be more effective, but there was no effect for stigma or perceived effectiveness of talk therapy. This effect appears to be mediated by how much participants essentialized individuals with the disorder. The first framing that participants encountered seemed to shape their reasoning for the remainder of the study, even if they saw conflicting framing later on. The framing manipulation had similar effects for individuals with and without a mental illness. Results suggest that it is important to consider how mental illness is framed to the general public as it might impact people's treatment preferences.
Inductorless Soft Switching DC-DC Converter with an Optimized Piezoelectric Resonator

The inductor presents one of the biggest obstacles in miniaturizing power electronics. Inductive circuit elements are required by almost all switch mode converter topologies but inductors are relatively large and lossy. Piezoelectric resonators can provide an inductive impedance around resonance with low loss, offering the possibility of replacing inductors and increasing power density. High frequencies are needed to achieve high power density with piezoelectric resonators, which is now achievable with wide band-gap semiconductors. In this paper we present a piezoelectric resonator for power conversion fabricated out of lithium niobate, a material that has several advantages for high frequency power conversion compared to the more commonly used PZT ceramics. The piezoelectric resonator is used in a step-down dc-dc converter that achieves zero voltage soft switching and a continuously variable conversion ratio without the use of magnetic components. The converter operates at 6.3MHz and has a maximum power output of 30W at an efficiency of 92.7%, achieving a power density of 16.7 W/cm3
AKI in Hospitalized Patients with and without COVID-19: A Comparison Study.

Background Reports from centers treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have noted that such patients frequently develop AKI. However, there have been no direct comparisons of AKI in hospitalized patients with and without COVID-19 that would reveal whether there are aspects of AKI risk, course, and outcomes unique to this infection. Methods In a retrospective observational study, we evaluated AKI incidence, risk factors, and outcomes for 3345 adults with COVID-19 and 1265 without COVID-19 who were hospitalized in a large New York City health system and compared them with a historical cohort of 9859 individuals hospitalized a year earlier in the same health system. We also developed a model to identify predictors of stage 2 or 3 AKI in our COVID-19. Results We found higher AKI incidence among patients with COVID-19 compared with the historical cohort (56.9% versus 25.1%, respectively). Patients with AKI and COVID-19 were more likely than those without COVID-19 to require RRT and were less likely to recover kidney function. Development of AKI was significantly associated with male sex, Black race, and older age (>50 years). Male sex and age >50 years associated with the composite outcome of RRT or mortality, regardless of COVID-19 status. Factors that were predictive of stage 2 or 3 AKI included initial respiratory rate, white blood cell count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and lactate dehydrogenase level. Conclusions Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a higher incidence of severe AKI compared with controls. Vital signs at admission and laboratory data may be useful for risk stratification to predict severe AKI. Although male sex, Black race, and older age associated with development of AKI, these associations were not unique to COVID-19.
On the Erdős primitive set conjecture in function fields

Abstract Erdős proved that F ( A ) : = ∑ a ∈ A 1 a log ⁡ a converges for any primitive set of integers A and later conjectured this sum is maximized when A is the set of primes. Banks and Martin further conjectured that F ( P 1 ) > ⋯ > F ( P k ) > F ( P k + 1 ) > ⋯ , where P j is the set of integers with j prime factors counting multiplicity, though this was recently disproven by Lichtman. We consider the corresponding problems over the function field F q [ x ] , investigating the sum F ( A ) : = ∑ f ∈ A 1 deg f ⋅ q deg f . We establish a uniform bound for F ( A ) over all primitive sets of polynomials A ⊂ F q [ x ] and conjecture that it is maximized by the set of monic irreducible polynomials. We find that the analogue of the Banks-Martin conjecture is false for q = 2 , 3, and 4, but we find computational evidence that it holds for q > 4 .
Tools for a New Situational Policing

This chapter builds on the ideas in Chapters 2 and 5 by presenting a number of essential tools for a new situational policing. By envisioning strong, safe places as the ultimate goal of policing, these tools help the police and communities engage in dialogue, act together, and assess progress towards this desired end. The “strong neighbourhood” goal sets up a new game which requires the police to work with the community to create an atmosphere where residents are willing to intervene for the common good and the police are there to help. The new game requires new concepts, tools, and strategies which are the focus of this chapter.
Why Enhanced Subnanosecond Relaxations Are Important for Toughness in Polymer Glasses

This manuscript explores the connection between the fast relaxation processes in an undeformed polymer glass and essential trends in the mechanical toughness, a nonlinear mechanical property that i...
On formation flying in low earth mirrored orbits — A case study

Abstract Spacecraft formation flying in co-planar identical orbits with oppositely directed apse lines (eccentricity vectors) allows simultaneous in-situ measurements in different altitudes and time-sequential measurements in a limited altitude range (rapid revisit); a key enabling factor in understanding many poorly understood phenomena in our atmosphere and its interaction with the magnetosphere. The dynamics and control problem for flying formations in mirrored orbits are investigated using the Mechanisms of Energetic Mass Ejection - Explorer (MEME-X) mission concept as a case study. It is determined that the proposed two-craft and four-craft configurations require routine maintenance to correct their relative motion. The formation maintenance costs are quantified for both configurations and determined to be within the capabilities of small satellites. A high-fidelity end-to-end simulation is developed to model the entire two-craft mission concept, from orbit insertion to decommissioning, providing an approximate baseline for the flight dynamics costs of similar missions using multiple spacecraft flying in mirrored orbits.
NUMA-aware memory coloring for multicore real-time systems

Abstract Non-uniform memory access (NUMA) systems are characterized by varying memory latencies so that execution times may become unpredictable in a multicore real-time system. This results in overly conservative scheduling with low utilization due to loose bounds on a task’s worst-case execution time (WCET). This work contributes a controller/node-aware memory coloring (CAMC) allocator inside the Linux kernel for the entire address space to reduce access conflicts and latencies by isolating tasks from one another. CAMC improves timing predictability and performance over Linux’ buddy allocator and prior coloring methods. It provides core isolation with respect to banks and memory controllers for real-time systems. This work is the first to consider multiple memory controllers in real-time systems, combine them with bank coloring, and assess its performance on a NUMA architecture, to the best of our knowledge.
Protocol: analytical methods for visualizing the indolic precursor network leading to auxin biosynthesis

The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in regulation of plant growth and response to environmental stimuli. Multiple pathways have been proposed for biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the primary auxin in a number of plant species. However, utilization of these different pathways under various environmental conditions and developmental time points remains largely unknown. Monitoring incorporation of stable isotopes from labeled precursors into proposed intermediates provides a method to trace pathway utilization and characterize new biosynthetic routes to auxin. These techniques can be aided by addition of chemical inhibitors to target specific steps or entire pathways of auxin synthesis. Here we describe techniques for pathway analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings using multiple stable isotope-labeled precursors and chemical inhibitors coupled with highly sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) methods. These methods should prove to be useful to researchers studying routes of IAA biosynthesis in vivo in a variety of plant tissues.
The Disability Data Report

The Disability Data Initiative (ddi) is a new initiative that aims to review the availability of disability data in national censuses and household surveys and analyzes such data when disability questions are internationally comparable. Its 2021 Disability Data Report provides (i) a systematic analysis of the disability questions in national censuses and household surveys globally from 2008 to 2019; and (ii) for 41 countries nationally representative estimates of disability prevalence and indicators disaggregated across disability status. Indicators cover education, work, health, standard of living and multidimensional poverty. The report also includes country briefs.
Finding Superman in Cyberspace (Poisoned Flowers, Pt. 1): Resolving Focal Point and Trademark Disputes on the Internet and in Cyberspace by Rewriting Code*

In cyberspace, dynamically coded focal points (some but not all of which include trademarked expressions) don't just provide salient references; they can actually deliver a person's augmented presence to a location. Placing reliable focal points as navigational markers in coded
Complementary l 1 -graphs

Abstract We classify pairs of complementary graphs on υ ⩾ 22 vertices, that are both l 1 -graphs.
Half Full or Half Empty

Excitons--that is, pairings of electrons with holes in a semiconductor--are examples of quantum particles called bosons. Like other bosons, such as those studied in ultracold atomic vapors, excitons should form under Bose condensation and fall into a single quantum state. In his Perspective, Eisenstein discusses recent efforts to observe excitonic Bose condensation in layered materials. The major obstacle has been the tendency of the electron and the hole to simply recombine and disappear. By applying a magnetic field, however, the excitons can be stabilized, leading to increased hopes that a clear case of condensation will eventually be observed.
Trauma Studies and the Literature of the U.S. South

The history of the U.S. South is one undeniably littered with traumatic acts, laws, and legitimized behaviors: racially biased laws that relegated Blacks to the status of disposable bodies denied by White culture; the regulated, segregated spaces of Jim Crow; and brutal, repetitive acts of violence that include lynching, incest, rape, and murder. This essay assesses the role that trauma studies, as an interdisciplinary area of investigation that came to prominence in the early-to-mid-1990s, has played in assessing the ways that injury is troped, represented, and repeated in southern literature and its criticism. This essay first outlines the history of trauma as a theory, drawing attention to the fissures within the concept as it has developed over time, while also surveying the surge of works published under this rubric. The essay then assesses how trauma studies, with its attention to the nuances of testimony, the interlocked nature of personal and political traumas, and the importance of collective and cultural perspectives, has come to influence criticism on the literature of the U.S. South.
Three-dimensional tracking of Cuvier's beaked whales' echolocation sounds using nested hydrophone arrays

Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) were tracked using two volumetric small-aperture (∼1 m element spacing) hydrophone arrays, embedded into a large-aperture (∼1 km element spacing) seafloor hydrophone array of five nodes. This array design can reduce the minimum number of nodes that are needed to record the arrival of a strongly directional echolocation sound from 5 to 2, while providing enough time-differences of arrivals for a three-dimensional localization without depending on any additional information such as multipath arrivals. To illustrate the capabilities of this technique, six encounters of up to three Cuvier's beaked whales were tracked over a two-month recording period within an area of 20 km(2) in the Southern California Bight. Encounter periods ranged from 11 min to 33 min. Cuvier's beaked whales were found to reduce the time interval between echolocation clicks while alternating between two inter-click-interval regimes during their descent towards the seafloor. Maximum peak-to-peak source levels of 179 and 224 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m were estimated for buzz sounds and on-axis echolocation clicks (directivity index = 30 dB), respectively. Source energy spectra of the on-axis clicks show significant frequency components between 70 and 90 kHz, in addition to their typically noted FM upsweep at 40-60 kHz.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GALILEI GROUP AND ANY INTERNAL SYMMETRY GROUP OF NONRELATIVISTIC PARTICLES.

Seeking insights into the relationship between the internal and dynamical symmetries of relativistic particles, the analogous well-defined relationship for an isolated nonrelativistic system of particles is explored. Denoting, the center-of-mass position, momentum and mass byR, P andM the internal energy and angular momentum areH0=H−P2/2M andS=J-R×P. We define a general,intrinsic, symmetry group to be one whose generators commute withH0, and a generalinternal symmetry groupZ to be one whose generators commute withH0,R andP. The dynamical inhomogeneous Galilei groupG, whose Casimir operators areH0 andS2, is then anintrinsic symmetry group. The groupSU2int generated byS is aninternal symmetry group andSU2int ϒZ. The Lie algebras ofZ andG close to form the Lie algebra of theintrinsic symmetry groupI of the system, which is the factor group of the semi-direct productZ⊠G by the cyclic groupC2,i.e.I=Z⊠G/C2. The Casimir operators ofI areH0 and the Casimir operators ofZ. Angular momentum degeneracy for a given value ofH0 depends upon whether or notS2 is a Casimir operator ofZ. As examples ofZ exhibiting this degeneracy we review theO4 andO3,1 of the hydrogen atom and theU3 of the spinless two-particle isotropic harmonic oscillator.
Solubility and freezing effects of Fe2+ and Mg2+ in H2SO4 solutions representative of upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric sulfate particles

[1] Chemical elements characteristic of earth minerals and meteorites are present within background tropospheric and stratospheric sulfate aerosol particles. However, it is unknown if these elements are present predominantly as solids, including possible sulfates, carbonates, and oxides, or rather as soluble aqueous metal ions or complexes. Further, it is unclear how these impurities could affect particle freezing. To address these questions, we have determined the total equilibrium metal solubility ([Fe2+]T and [Mg2+]T) in 20–90 wt % sulfuric acid solutions over the temperature range 200–300 K. We have measured solubilities using samples of MgSO4, FeSO4·7H2O, and a mixture of metal sulfates representative of some meteorite samples. Because Fe2+ oxidation by O2 was found to be negligible over a 28 day period when air was bubbled through the solutions, we conclude that aqueous Fe2+ may be present at high concentrations in atmospheric sulfuric acid particles. We estimate that soluble Fe2+ and Mg2+ compose ∼0.01–0.28 wt % of the H2SO4/H2O/{Fe2+, Mg2+} solutions at temperatures and acid compositions representative of the atmosphere. Compared to composition measurements done by mass spectrometry of atmospheric particles showing ∼0.75 wt % Fe and 0.20 wt % Mg, we conclude it is plausible that solid Fe2+ and Mg2+ minerals often occur inside atmospheric sulfuric acid particles. Bulk freezing experiments were also carried out on H2SO4 solutions containing amounts of dissolved metal determined by the low-temperature solubility studies. It was found that 57.6 wt % H2SO4 containing soluble meteoritic metal and 60 wt % H2SO4 containing either soluble Fe or soluble meteoritic metal froze ∼12–20 K higher than solutions containing no soluble metal. Soluble metal ions in sulfuric acid solution may therefore provide a mechanism for sulfuric acid tetrahydrate formation in the lower stratosphere.