cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do You Know the Way to L.A.? San Jose Shows How to Turn an Urban Area into Los Angeles in Three Stressful Decades

California cities have the least affordable housing and the most congested traffic in the nation. California's housing crisis results directly from several little-known state institutions, including local agency formation commissions (LAFCos), which regulate annexations and the formation of new cities and service districts; the California Environmental Quality Act, which imposes high costs on new developments; and a 1971 state planning law that effectively entitles any resident in the state to a say in how property owners in the state use their land. Cities such as San Jose have manipulated these institutions and laws with the goal of maximizing their tax revenues. Meanwhile, California's transportation planning has allowed transit agencies, such as San Jose's Valley Transportation Authority and Los Angeles' Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to hijack tax revenues that were originally dedicated to highways so they can build rail empires that will do little or nothing to relieve congestion. New highway construction in the 1990s cut San Jose congestion in half, but congestion is again worsening as funds once spent on highways are now diverted to expensive and little-used rail transit projects. California should change its planning laws to forbid cities and counties from conspiring to drive up housing prices in order to maximize tax revenues. California and its urban areas should also fund transportation out of user fees instead of taxes, thus making transportation more responsive to the needs of users instead of politically powerful special interest groups. Other states should avoid passing laws that create similar conditions. These recommendations and eight others in this report will greatly improve the livability of San Jose and other California urban areas.
Assessing for mild TBI among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Outcomes of injury severity and neurological factors

AbstractObjective: To investigate injury severity markers and neurological symptoms associated with clinician-confirmed mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.Setting: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centre and five affiliated community-based outpatient clinics.Participants: Three hundred and fifty Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with positive initial VA TBI screens between 1 April 2007 and 1 June 2010 and clinician-confirmed TBI status by 1 December 2010.Methods: Retrospective-cohort study of medical record data. Main measures included clinician-confirmed TBI status, injury severity markers (e.g. loss of consciousness (LOC), post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) or confusion/disorientation) and neurological symptoms.Results: Among veterans who screened positive on the initial VA TBI and then received a clinician evaluation, 60% were confirmed to have a TBI diagnosis. Veterans reporting at least one LOC, confusion or PTA were almost 18-times more likely to receive a confirm...
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Allport-Ross I/E Scales in a Religiously Heterogeneous Sample

Psychometric analysis confirmed that the Allport-Ross Religious Orientation Scale measures three distinct dimensions of religiousness: I, Ep, and Es. On the basis of this analysis a more internally consistent intrinsic scale was proposed. Comparisons of five religious groups indicated that religious affiliation mediated relationships between religious orientation and independent variables. Intrinsicness predicted lower depression for Christian respondents but was unrelated to depression for the nonChristian subsamples. Ep and Es were significantly related to higher depression for Unitarians. Low reliabilities for the extrinsic subfactor scales may be remedied by adding three new items to each scale.
Patient-Centered Homes and Integrated Behavioral Health Care: Reclaiming the Role of “Consultant” for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The notion of patient-centered care has long been linked with nursing practice since Florence Nightingale. The discipline of nursing is focused on the holistic care of individuals, families, and communities in times of sickness and/or health. However, in psychiatric-mental health nursing, the concepts of mental health and psychiatric illness still remain marginalized in our health care delivery systems, as well as in nursing education, knowledge development, and practice. Even with the concept of patient-centered homes, acute and primary care providers are reluctant to embrace care of those with psychiatric illness in their respective settings. Psychiatric illness was and continues to be in the shadows, hidden and often ignored by the larger community as well as by health care providers. This paper describes a Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education (ANE) training grant's objective of reintegrating psychiatric-mental health practice into ALL health care delivery systems using the concept of patient-centered nursing care as a foundation for, and promotion of, the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMH-NP) as the "navigator" for not only the patients and their families, but also for their acute and primary care colleagues using an Interprofessional Education Model. The major barriers and lessons learned from this project as well as the need for psychiatric-mental health nurses to reclaim their role as a consultant/liaison in acute, primary, and long-term care settings will be discussed. The PMHNP as a consultant/liaison is being revitalized as an innovative advanced practice nursing health care model in North Carolina.
γ c Family Cytokines: Role in Immune Cell Development and Function

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21 are members of a family of type I cytokines that share the common cytokine receptor γ chain, γ c , as a critical receptor component. The gene encoding γ c , IL2RG , is mutated in humans with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, a profound inherited disease characterized by nonfunctional B cells and the lack of T cells and NK cells. γ c cytokines collectively serve broad roles in the innate and adaptive immune systems, and the molecular pathways driving their production and actions, and immune-related diseases caused by their dysregulation have been extensively studied. In this article, we provide an overview of γ c family cytokines, their receptors, and their major biological actions, including the development of immune cells as well as their functions during immune responses.
Supremacía Constitucional Y Tratados Internacionales: Aproximaciones a Los Efectos Del Control Previo De La Constitucionalidad De Tratados Internacionales En República Dominicana (Constitutional Supremacy and International Treaties: Study of the Effects of Preventive Judicial Review of International Treaties in the Dominican Republic)

Spanish Abstract: La reforma constitucional de 2010 incorporo al ordenamiento juridico dominicano la figura del control preventivo de los tratados internacionales. Esto abre la pregunta de cual es la naturaleza de la relacion entre la Constitucion y los tratados internacionales. Sobre todo en el caso de los tratados relativos a Derechos Humanos, que cuentan con especial proteccion constitucional. Determinar las consecuencias de esta nueva institucion requiere analizar los ambitos de aplicacion de los tratados y de la Constitucion de la Republica. Los efectos del control preventivo son distintos dependiendo de si la relacion entre la Constitucion y los tratados es puramente jerarquica o si intervienen factores que la hacen mas compleja.English Abstract: The Dominican Republic’s 2010 constitutional amendment introduced into its legal framework the possibility of applying preventive judicial review to international treaties. This opens up the question of the nature of the relationship between said treaties and the Constitution. Especially in the case of human rights treaties, which enjoy extraordinary constitutional protection.Determining the consequences of this new institution requires the analysis of the ambit of application for both the Constitution and international treaties. The effects of preventive judicial review are dependent on whether the relationship between the Constitution and international treaties is purely hierarchical or whether other factors intervene to make it more complex.
Effect of zirconium purity on the glass-forming-ability and notch toughness of Cu43Zr43Al7Be7

Abstract The effect of substituting standard grade zirconium lump (99.8% excluding up to 4% hafnium) for high purity zirconium crystal bar (99.5%) in a Cu 43 Zr 43 Al 7 Be 7 bulk metallic glass (BMG) is examined. The final hafnium content in the BMG specimens was found to range from 0 to 0.44 at%. Introducing low purity zirconium significantly decreased the glass-forming-ability and reduced the notch toughness of the BMG. In contrast, when adding high purity hafnium to Cu 43 Zr 43 Al 7 Be 7 made with high purity zirconium, no significant change in the glass-forming-ability or toughness was observed. This suggests that the introduction of low purity zirconium in BMGs creates a more complex response than a simple addition of hafnium. It is likely that other impurities in the material, such as oxygen, play a role in the complex crystallization kinetics and change in mechanical properties. The notch toughness was measured through four-point-bend tests, which showed a decrease in notch toughness from an average of ~53 MPa m 1/2 for the high purity samples to an average of ~29 MPa m 1/2 with full substitution of low purity zirconium. A similar decrease in glass-forming-ability and toughness is observed in commercially synthesized high purity Cu 43 Zr 43 Al 7 Be 7 . The large scale commercial process is expected to introduced some unintentional impurities, which decrease the properties of the BMG in the same way as the lower purity elements. Lastly, Weibull statistics are used to provide an analysis of variability in toughness for both ingots synthesized in a small laboratory arc-melter and those synthesized commercially.
One fluid to rule them all: Viscous hydrodynamic description of event-by-event central p+p, p+Pb and Pb+Pb collisions at s = 5.02 TeV

Abstract The matter created in central p+p, p+Pb and Pb+Pb collisions at s = 5.02 TeV is simulated event-by-event using the superSONIC model, which combines pre-equilibrium flow, viscous hydrodynamic evolution and late-stage hadronic rescatterings. Employing a generalization of the Monte Carlo Glauber model where each nucleon possesses three constituent quarks, superSONIC describes the experimentally measured elliptic and triangular flow at central rapidity in all systems using a single choice for the fluid parameters, such as shear and bulk viscosities. This suggests a common hydrodynamic origin of the experimentally observed flow patterns in all high energy nuclear collisions, including p+p.
Fungal Keratitis Secondary to Trametes betulina: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Purpose We report the first case of human infection and keratitis secondary to Trametes betulina, a rare filamentous fungus.
Association of Competition Volume, Club Sports, and Sport Specialization With Sex and Lower Extremity Injury History in High School Athletes:

Background:High school athletes are increasingly encouraged to participate in 1 sport year-round to increase their sport skills. However, no study has examined the association of competition volume, club sport participation, and sport specialization with sex and lower extremity injury (LEI) in a large sample of high school athletes.Hypothesis:Increased competition volume, participating on a club team outside of school sports, and high levels of specialization will all be associated with a history of LEI. Girls will be more likely to engage in higher competition volume, participate on a club team, and be classified as highly specialized.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Methods:High school athletes completed a questionnaire prior to the start of their competitive season regarding their sport participation and previous injury history. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations of competition volume, club sport participation, and sport speciali...
Rectus Muscle Reapproximation at Cesarean Delivery and Postoperative Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective Rectus muscle reapproximation at cesarean delivery (CD) is performed frequently by some obstetricians; however, the effect on postoperative pain is unclear. To this end, we investigated whether rectus muscle reapproximation increases postoperative pain. Materials and Methods This is a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of women undergoing primary CD with singleton or twin pregnancy at >35 weeks' gestation. Women were randomized to rectus muscle reapproximation with three interrupted sutures or no reapproximation. Exclusion criteria were prior cesarean, prior laparotomy, vertical skin incision, active labor, chronic analgesia use, allergy to opioid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and body mass index ≥ 40. Intra- and postoperative pain management was standardized within the study protocol. The primary outcome was a combined movement pain and opioid use score averaged over the 72-hour study period, called the Silverman integrated assessment. Movement pain scores were assessed at 24, 48, and 72 postoperative hours. Results In total, 63 women were randomized, of whom 35 underwent rectus muscle reapproximation and 28 did not. Demographic and obstetric variables were similar between groups. Silverman integrated assessment scores during the 72-hour postoperative period were higher in the rectus muscle reapproximation group (15 ± 100% vs. -31 ± 78% difference from the mean; p = 0.04). Operative times were similar between groups (63 ± 15 vs. 65 ± 15 minutes; p = 0.61), and there were no surgical complications in either group. Maternal satisfaction with analgesia at 72 hours was high in both groups (85% [73-90] rectus muscle reapproximation vs. 90% [75-100]; p = 0.16). Conclusion Rectus muscle reapproximation increased immediate postoperative pain without differences in operative time, surgical complications, or maternal satisfaction. Benefits of rectus muscle reapproximation should be weighed against increased postoperative pain, and analgesia should be planned accordingly.
The Politics of Participation in Cape Town’s Slum Upgrading: The Role of Productive Tension:

This article studies Cape Town’s new slum “reblocking” paradigm, in which settlements are reorganized, housing upgraded, and services delivered in situ. Though not without structural and long-term ...
Single-molecule detection of proteins and toxins in food using atomic force microscopy

Abstract Background Food safety is vital in everyday life. Food toxins are small peptides or proteins that can cause disease by disrupting biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins are introduced either externally or from internal, spoilage-related pathogens. To keep these unsafe foods off the market, detection techniques for various toxins have been devised. Although many techniques serve this purpose well, challenges remain regarding sensitivity, specificity, and cost, especially for trace amounts of highly lethal proteinaceous toxins. Scope and approach Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used nanotechnology for imaging and force measurement in biophysics and biology. Its high sensitivity in probing specific, single-molecule binding between molecules is applicable to food toxin detection. In this review, after a summary of the development of AFM, different detection operation modes are introduced along with examples of their applications. Key findings and conclusions Cantilever sensing and recognition imaging are found to be the appropriate AFM techniques for detection. Their shared functionalization approaches are outlined for two categories of surfaces: silicon and gold. Recent progress in AFM biosensors and their applications to food toxin detection are discussed. Single-molecule sensitivity and ease of designing sensing schemes make these AFM techniques excellent candidates for real-world application. Existing challenges in designing sensing molecules and preventing the food matrix from confounding signals are not only applicable to AFM techniques but to most current biosensors. Through the collaboration among materials science, chemistry, and molecular biology, solving these issues will promote significant advancement in AFM-based food toxin detection.
Covering undetected transition fault sites with optimistic unspecified transition faults under multicycle tests

Transition faults require scan tests with two functional clock cycles between a scan-in and a scan-out operation to activate the faults and propagate their effects to observable outputs. Multicycle tests, with two or more functional clock cycles between scan operations, provide the following advantages. (1) They potentially increase the defect coverage by exercising the circuit at-speed for several functional clock cycles. (2) They allow test compaction to be achieved. (3) Multicycle tests can address features such as multiple clock domains and partial scan. (4) They create closer-to-functional operation conditions that are important for avoiding overtesting of delay faults.
Inhibition of choline acetylase from the house fly (Musca domestica L.) and mouse.

Abstract Thirty-one compounds have been evaluated against house fly and mouse choline acetylase (ChA). Styrylpyridine analogs were inactive against fly ChA but active against mouse ChA. 3-Bromoacetonyltrimethylammonium bromide (BAT) irreversibly inhibited fly and mouse ChA. Replacing the trimethylammonium bromide group by triethylammonium bromide completely destroyed the inhibitory activity. α-Bromoacetophenone, α, p-dibromoacetophenone and α-bromo-2'-acetonaphthone possessed greater inhibitory activity against mouse ChA. Alkyl bromothiolacetates which resemble part of the acetyl CoA structure inhibited ChA, while ethyl thiolacetate which also resembles part of acetyl CoA did not inhibit ChA. Other halogen-containing compounds such as iodoacetamide or ethyl bromoacetate were inactive. Tetraalkylammonium ions and substituted pyridinium ions were also inactive. N, N,-Dialkyl-2-phenylaziridinium ions possessed some inhibitory activity against fly ChA while being inactive against mouse ChA. Other miscellaneous compounds such as diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP), 2, 2-bis- p -chlorophenyl l, l, l-trichloroethane (DDT), 3, 3-dimethyl butylacetate and hemicholinium-3 were inactive. p -Hydroxyl mercuribenzoate at 10−4 M inhibited fly ChA activity 50%, whereas mouse ChA was 50% inhibited at 6 × 10−5 M.
Aligning Tactics with Market Capabilities in the Art World: Strategically Capitalizing on Repeat Print Sale Economies

We apply both auction-dynamics and assortment planning/revenue management lenses to study the effectiveness of repeatedly offering prints of a series for sale at various international auction houses. Theory suggests the potential for differences in the ability of auction houses to buffer sale prices against the repeat appearance of prints, hence positioning certain houses to leverage such repetition. To investigate this potential empirically we employ a fairly novel two-step analysis procedure. We start with the use of a hedonic variant of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to estimate the ostensibly unique capabilities of auction houses to obtain relatively high sales prices for repeated-offering print sales of specific genres of art. To account for tradeoffs associated with leveraging multiple repeated-sale capabilities for various genres, we then apply data envelopment analysis to the residuals for the internally repeated sales derived from the hedonic HLM estimation procedures. We find auction houses to generally align their offerings of recently sold print series with their own repeat sale capabilities (RSCs). We also find houses that often repeat the sale of prints internally, and possess strong repeat sale capabilities, further enjoy the prospects of operational efficiency.
Protein Microsequencing by HPLC Peptide Purification and Solid Phase Edman Degradation

The rate determining step in the total sequence analysis of proteins, by protein chemical means, is generally found to be the isolation of purified fragments in sufficient quantity for sequence analysis. The amount of material necessary for automated sequence analysis is dependent upon both the level at which the sequenator can function and the level at which the individual amino acid residues resulting from the sequencing process can be identified. In addition, if the sequencing method used is solid-phase Edman degradation then the level at which fragments can be immobilized to a solid-support must also be considered. The application of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to the problem of peptide purification (1–3) has greatly reduced the time required for the isolation of purified material while extending the lower working limits into the picomole range using totally nondestructive means (UV absorbance) for detection. Identification of PTH-amino acids by HPLC using UV detection at 254 nm has lowered the level of detection into the 1–100 pmole range (4, 5) while allowing each cycle to be easily quantified.
Adaptive model predictive control for hybrid energy storage energy management in all-electric ship microgrids

Abstract Hybrid energy storage systems have been widely used in transportation, microgrid and renewable energy applications to improve system efficiency and enhance reliability. However, parameter uncertainty can significantly affect system performance. In order to address this issue, an adaptive model predictive control is developed in this paper. Online parameter identification is used to mitigate parameter uncertainty, and model predictive control is used to optimally split power, deal with constraints, and achieve desired dynamic responses. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify major impact factors. In order to validate the proposed method, both simulation and experiments are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive model predictive control. Compared to the model predictive control without online parameter identification, the power loss reduction can be as high as 15% in the experiments. This study focuses on all-electric ship energy management to mitigate load fluctuations and improve system efficiency and reliability. The proposed method could also be used in other applications.
AGING ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: AN EXPLORATION OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND IMPLICATIONS

Social isolation is associated with poor health and well-being in older adults. Little is known about isolation in persons aging on the Autism Spectrum (AS), a group with varied physical and mental health comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to explore social networks of adults aging on the AS. We conducted in-depth interviews (N=30) with adults on the AS (age 50+) and analyzed findings using a constant comparative method. Findings suggest that older adults on the AS struggle to build and maintain social networks over the life course, in large part, because of challenges with communication and trust. Implications of isolation include challenges with community supports and employment. We propose several social convoy models and intervention mechanisms to support this population--as their social networks narrow over time, and they face aging-related challenges without the buffer of strong social relations.
Anaesthesia for surgery in infancy

Abstract Specialist surgery in infancy provides challenges for paediatric anaesthetists. There is growing appreciation that the relatively higher rate of severe critical events in infants during the perioperative period requires appropriate competence, experience and resources for the safe conduct of anaesthesia. Both common (inguinal hernias and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis) and less common conditions (tracheo-oesophageal fistula, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, exomphalos, gastroschisis, and congenital lobar emphysema) require a sound understanding of the relevant pathology and the particular issues that may be encountered in these infants. In the last decade there has been a rise in the number of procedures in infancy being performed with a minimally invasive technique and this has a wide range of implications for anaesthesia.
Identifying network properties that influence the vulnerability of power systems to extreme contingencies

Research into transmission system vulnerability has shown that different power networks respond differently to large multiple contingencies, in terms of how much load shedding is required to restore a power system to within its operating limits after the contingency. Specifically, the mean and variance in blackout sizes differ substantially among different cases. This paper aims to understand why these differences exist by studying relationships between the properties of several test cases and the vulnerability of those networks to severe multiple contingencies. The results suggest that the graph density (the relative number of transmission lines) and the geographic dispersion of loads significantly influence the vulnerability of networks to multiple contingencies.
Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A variation between female varsity athletes and nonathletes.

Objectives Exercise can lead to changes in immune function. To further investigate this relationship, we examined possible differences in salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) secretion rates among female college athletes and nonathlete students. We predicted that athletes would have higher sIgA secretion rates than nonathletes and show greater declines in sIgA during the study period as intensive exercise training continued. Methods We recruited 52 female participants aged 18-22 years (13 swimmers, 20 runners, and 19 nonathletes). We collected two saliva samples from each participant: baseline and a second sample 2 weeks later. Additionally, participants reported minutes of cardiovascular activity performed per week and completed a survey that included a modified Profile of Mood States and the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire. Results We found no significant differences in mean salivary sIgA secretion rates between athletes and nonathletes. Salivary sIgA significantly increased between sample collections for both groups, with nonathletes exhibiting a greater increase in sIgA than athletes. Cardiovascular activity was not associated with sIgA secretion rates. Illness status was a significant positive predictor of sIgA secretion rates. Conclusions Cardiovascular activity did not predict salivary sIgA secretion rates in this sample of female college students, and athletes did not show significantly different sIgA secretion rates than nonathletes. Together, these findings suggest that exercise may not be associated with altered immune function in well-nourished college-aged women. The increase in secretion rates among both athletes and nonathletes suggests that additional factors shared by both groups may have led to increases.
Biosynthesis: SAM cycles up for colibactin.

The introduction of a cyclopropyl group is critical for imparting colibactin with the ability to cleave DNA. Nonribosomal peptide synthetase ClbH and polyketide synthase ClbI are now shown to work in concert to convert S-adenosylmethionine into this cyclopropyl group.
Digitally mediated remote learning of pragmatics

The COVID‐19 outbreak has greatly impacted world language education. With social distancing in practice, teachers, and students have been forced to adopt distance learning. As an effort to support this shift, this paper presents a range of resources and activities available for technology‐mediated remote learning of pragmatics in three categories: structured, semistructured, and unstructured digital spaces. The paper illustrates the benefits of attempts in each area and presents implicatures for teaching.
Central nervous system stimulants

Abstract The characteristic response to consumption of a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant is to increase the levels of neurotransmitters including dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin or blocking their breakdown or reuptake in the brain. CNS stimulants are also called sympathomimetic drugs that directly or indirectly stimulate adrenergic receptors. Commonly abused CNS stimulants include cocaine and compounds from the phenethylamine family particularly amphetamine and methamphetamine. CNS stimulants are abused by self-administration via oral or intravenous routes. A patient with toxic exposures to a CNS stimulant presents with restlessness, anxiety, irritability, and hyperactivity. During a CNS stimulant overdose, it is not uncommon to encounter aggressive and even bizarre behavior. The symptoms of acute toxicity of amphetamine and cocaine are very similar. Death from overdose usually occurs due to cardiac effects. Clinical laboratories encounter samples from patients exposed to CNS stimulants on a routine basis. The advent of designer stimulants into this realm has challenged the analytical capabilities of toxicology laboratories to promptly identify the culprit stimulant drug. This chapter describes the toxicokinetics, clinical management and analytical considerations for commonly abused CNS stimulant drugs.
Adverse effect of mesophase pitch draw-down ratio on carbon fiber strength

Abstract The adverse effect of draw-down ratio (DDR) during melt-spinning of mesophase pitch on resulting properties of carbon fibers (CFs) is reported. Precursor fibers were obtained using spinneret capillaries of various diameters. For CFs with equivalent diameters (ranging between 8 and 13 μm), the tensile strength of CFs increased from 1.4 to 2.3 GPa as the DDR of precursor fibers decreased from 189 to 14. This is contrary to that observed for CFs derived from polyacrylonitrile precursor, where strength increases with increasing precursor fiber DDR. Raman spectroscopy revealed an inverse relationship between pitch fiber DDR and CF coherence length (increase from 58 to 85 nm when DDR decreased from 189 to 14). Further, x-ray diffraction results confirm a larger CF crystalline orientation with decreasing DDR. Thus, a smaller DDR during mesophase spinning could facilitate intra-crystalline graphitic-plane orientation and decrease defects in the inter-crystalline regions along fiber axis in resulting CFs, leading to increased strength (a defect-controlled property). Thus, while it is generally known that tensile strength increases with decreasing CF diameter, for mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers this relationship is not fully valid if the diameter reduction is obtained by merely increasing the draw-down ratio of precursor fibers during melt-spinning.
Flow and Angiography: Artifacts and Imaging of Coherent Motion

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) uses the same MRI system and methods we have been discussing to make images of blood vessels. Though the MRA images are cross-sectional images just like all other MR images, 3D rendering is commonly used in MRA, and you are probably most used to looking at these 3D images (Fig. 16-1). Open image in new window Figure 16-1. Maximum intensity projection (MIP). The MRA images are rendered using an algorithm that reports the maximum signal intensity from each of multiple vantage points. The result is a 3D model of the vasculature that can be rotated in any direction.
What is a method? On the different uses of the term method in sociology

This article has two major goals: to present the different ways in which sociologists use the term ‘method’; and to suggest a tentative explanation why these been invested with their current meanin...
Risk factors for catheter-associated urinary tract infections following radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer

Objectives: Radical hysterectomy is the mainstay of treatment for early-stage cervical cancer. Urinary tract dysfunction is one of the most common complications after radical hysterectomy, and prolonged catheterization has previously been defined as a significant risk factor for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of CAUTI after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer and identify additional risk factors for developing CAUTI in this population. Methods: We reviewed patients who underwent a radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer from 2004-2020 after institutional IRB approval. All patients were identified from our institution's Gynecologic Oncology surgical database. Inclusion criterion was radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. Exclusion criteria included inadequate hospital follow-up, insufficient records of catheter use in the electronic medical record, urinary tract injury, and preoperative chemoradiation. CAUTI was defined as an infection diagnosed in a catheterized patient or within 48 hours of catheter removal, with significant bacteriuria (>103 cfu/mL) and symptoms or signs attributable to the urinary tract. Data analysis was performed using comparative analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression using Excel, GraphPad, and SPSS. Results: A total of 276 patients were identified. After applying exclusion criteria, 160 patients were included in the data analysis. The distribution of patients across FIGO stage is as follows: IA1 4.5% (n=4), IA2 6.3% (n=10), IB1 75.6% (n=121), IB2 13.8% (n=22), IIA2 1.9% (n=3). The mean length of indwelling catheter use was 9.3 days (range 0-33 days). 28.8% of patients (n=40) had a urinary catheter placement more than 1 time prior to passing a voiding trial. 12.6% of patients (n=20) were diagnosed with CAUTI. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) was associated with longer catheterizations compared to an open approach (mean 12.8 days vs 6.9 days, p Conclusions: Catheterization over five days significantly increased the risk for CAUTI development after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. Smoking history, increased age, and minimally invasive surgical route are independent predictors for CAUTI. Earlier catheter removal should be encouraged in patients with these risk factors.
Neglected Peers in Merger Valuations

Using merger documents filed with the SEC from 1994 to 2018, we show that being selected by investment banks as “comparable peers” are more than twice as likely to become a target themselves in the future compared to control firms matched for industry and size. They also experience an increase in analyst coverage and institutional ownership. Investment banks’ informational advantage as well as their ability to facilitate future takeover transactions, appear to contribute to peers’ significantly higher probability of becoming targets. Investors and equity analysts largely ignore the rich information contained in merger filings. A portfolio that longs peers and shorts non-peers matched for industry and size earns up to 15.6% alpha in the subsequent year. Alphas come entirely from the long-leg, which cannot be explained by short-sale constraints.
The role of fiber and matrix in crash energy absorption of composite materials

Static crushing tests were conducted on tube specimens fabricated from graphite/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy and hybrid combinations of graphite-Kevlar/epoxy to examine the influence the fiber and matrix constitutive properties and laminate architecture have on energy absorption. Fiber and matrix ultimate failure strain were determined to significantly effect energy absorption. The energy absorption capability of high ultimate failure strain materials (AS-6/F185 and AS-6/HST-7) was less than materials having lower ultimate failure strain. Lamina stacking sequence had up to a 300 percent change in energy absorption for the materials tested. Hybridizing with graphite and Kevlar reinforcements resulted in materials with high energy absorption capabilities that have postcrushing integrity.
The stability and structure of mixed lipid monolayers and bilayers: II. The effect of retinol and α-tocopherol on the structure and stability of lipid bilayers

Myelinics were prepared by dispersing ovolecithin alone, ovolecithin and retinol, ovolecithin and tocopherol, or ovolecithin and cholesterol in water. Electron microscopic observations of the negatively stained myelinics showed that retinol, tocopherol, and cholesterol decreased (in the order given) the thickness of the hydrophobic regions of the lipid bilayers and increased the mean hydrophilic layer thickness, compared to myelinics of ovolecithin alone. When OsO 4 was applied to the dried myelinics prior to negative staining, the organization of the pure ovolecithin myelinics was completely destroyed, whereas the mixed lipid myelinics resisted the destructive effect of this treatment. It is therefore suggested that retinol and α-tocopherol may influence the structure and stability of specific areas of biological membranes by their interaction with phospholipid molecules in the lipid bilayers of the membrane.
Antecedents of Physical and Sexual Victimization Among Homeless Women: A Comparison to Homeless Men

Homeless women experience extensive health risks including physical and sexual victimization. Few studies that have gathered information on homeless persons have reported results separately for women or have compared them directly with men. Research that both investigates antecedents of victimization among homeless women and compares them to those for men is necessary to determine whether prevention efforts must be different for each group. We investigated potential antecedents of recent (past 30 days) physical and sexual victimization in a probability sample of 394 homeless women and compared findings to those for 1159 homeless men. As hypothesized, mental disorder, substance dependence, and engaging in economic survival strategies significantly predicted victimization among homeless women. With few dissimilarities, these characteristics also predicted victimization among homeless men. Although differences in the needs and experiences of homeless women and men must be recognized, both women and men require assistance to establish and maintain safe residences, treatment of any substance use and mental disorder, and alternatives to economic survival strategies that place them at risk for victimization.
Fast and Accurate Collision Detection for Virtual Environments

A realistic simulation system, which couples geometry and physics, can provide a useful toolkit for virtual environments. Interactions among moving objects in the virtual worlds are modeled by dynamic constraints and contact analysis. In order to portray the geometric interaction in a dynamical system or to simulate physical behaviors of entities in the virtual environments, it is essential to perform collision detection at interactive rate with minimal computation possible. In this paper, we present efficient algorithms for contact determination and interference detection between geometric models undergoing rigid motion. The set of models includes polyhedra and surfaces described by B-splines. The algorithms make use of temporal and spatial coherence between successive instances to reduce the number of pairwise tests and hierarchical data structures for checking overlaps between a pair of objects. Their running time is a function of the motion between successive instances. The main characteristics of these algorithms are their simplicity and efficiency. They have been implemented. A subset of these implementations, including I-Collide, RAPID and V-Collide are available as part of the collision detection packages at the UNC-CH website.
An Energy Assessment for Liquids in a Filled Precessing Spherical Cavity

Experimental results and analytical approximations for energy dissipation due to liquids in a filled precessing spherical cavity are presented. The range of physical parameters include kinematic viscosities from 1 to 1000 centistokes, half coning angles from 5/8 to 10 deg, precession speeds from 0.15 to 200 rpm, and spin speeds (relative to the precessing frame) of from 7.5–900 rpm. These parameters and the associated energy dissipation rates, as low as 10−4 watts, place the results in the region of direct applicability to spinning satellite stability problems. A dimensionless parameter related to an Ekman number is used to correlate energy dissipation rates with laminar, intermediate, and fully turbulent flows. The reduced data are integrated with data from other sources and used to develop equations in dimensionless form for the experimental and analytical results. The results, while not defining details of fluid motion, place experimental bounds on the integrated shear stress at the cavity wall for analytical models.
The genetics of age and weight at sexual maturity based on individually tagged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Age and body weight at sexual maturity are important traits for aquaculture as is the relationship between the traits. The genetics of rainbow trout age at maturity (days), an indication of the time of spawning within a season, and body weight at maturity were investigated for two consecutive spawning seasons. The relationship of the maturity traits to each other and to body weight at specific ages was evaluated. During the first spawning season, data were obtained on early maturing males (E-males), mature at an average of 301 days post-fertilization. During the second spawning season, data were collected on females, males mature for the first time (T-males), and males mature for the second time (E-males), mature at an average of 697, 685, and 673 days, respectively. Estimation of genetic parameters was accomplised using an additive genetic and maternal mixed model. Heritability estimates for age at maturity were high, 0.86 and 0.60 for the first and second seasons, respectively. The heritability estimate for body weight at maturity for the first season was also high, 0.89, but was a moderate 0.27 for the second season. For both spawning seasons, there appeared to be little genetic relationship between age at maturity and body weight measured approximately 0 and 2 months before the first mature fish was found. However, the genetic correlation between age at maturity in the second season and body weight measured on the day the last mature fish was found (740 days) was 0.56. The genetic correlations between age at maturity and body weight at maturity within the same season were 0.67 and 0.58 for the first and second seasons, respectively. For both seasons, genetic correlations between body weight at maturity and body weight measured at other specific ages were fairly high, ranging from 0.50 to 0.99. The genetic correlation between body weight at maturity for the first and second seasons was 0.51. Selection to genetically improve body weight from 0 to 2 months before the spawning season should not affect the timing of spawning. However, selection to decrease the age at maturity and alter the spawning season may affect body weight at maturity and thus characteristics of the eggs.
Sublethal abnormalities in embryos of winter flounder,Pseudopleuronectes americanus, from Long Island Sound

Sublethal abnormalities were examined in developing embryos of the winter flounder,Pseudopleuronectes americanus, as part of a study of its early reproductive success in Long Island Sound and two sites in Boston Harbor. These sites represented varying levels of anthropogenic contamination that were possibly affecting reproduction, as ascertained by chromosomal abnormalities and lowered developmental rates in the embryos. Effort was focused on examination of blastula and tail-bund embryos from field-captured females spawned at the laboratory. Abnormalities observed included evidence of cytotoxicity and chromosome damage. Embryos of fish from New Haven were usually the most aberrant, while embryos from other sites, notably Hempstead, Shoreham, and both Boston Harbor stations, showed subtle indications of abnormality.
Elastic-plastic finite element analysis of thermoplastic composite plates and shells

A quadrilateral Mindlin-type plate finite element is developed for the elastic-plastic analysis of laminated composite plates and shells. A simple one-parameter plasticity model is used for characterizing the plastic behavior of the AS4/PEEK thermoplastic composite. A facet representation of the general shell geometry is adopted for the shell structural analysis. Numerical examples illustrate the effect of plasticity on the residual stresses in AS4/PEEK thermoplastic composite plates and shells after they are subjected to lateral pressures. NLIKE thermosetting composites, advanced thermo- plastic composites can be used to form structures by using conventional high-speed, hot-forming techniques and can be reformed under certain pressure and at certain tem- perature without losing their integrity and strength. However, understanding their forming behavior presents a challenge to manufacturing engineers; In forming fiber reinforced ther- moplastic composites, conventional trial and error method may prove costly or even futile because of the many param- eters that may affect the quality of the final product. High- speed computers combined with finite element technique pro- vide us with powerful tools in simulating the forming process and optimizing various parameters, thereby saving much time and expense during the design stage. The forming process of laminated thermoplastic composites often involves plastic bending deformations. Thus, an under- standing of the elastic-plastic response of laminated ther- moplastic composite plates and shells is very important. Although considerable progress has been made in the elastic- plastic analysis of isotropic plate/shell structures, work on laminated composite plate/shell structures is limited. Whang1 considered the elastoplastic finite element analysis of small deformation orthotropic plates and shells with strain hard- ening parameters. Owen and Figueiras2-3 used the semiloof element and thick shell element to study the problem. Their nonlinear material models were based on Hill's modified von Mises yield function and the associated flow rule;4"7 In the present study, the four-noded Mindlin-type T-element8'9 is chosen for its good performance in overcoming the "lock- ing" difficulty without introducing the reduced integration technique, allowing the inclusion of bending-transverse shear coupling in plastic deformation. The one-parameter plastic constitutive model developed by Sun and Chen10 is used be- cause of its simplicity j which is even more attractive when cost becomes the overriding consideration in the nonlinear analysis. The facet approximation of general shell geometry11-12 is adopted. The temperature-dependent material properties of AS4/PEEK advanced thermoplastic composites13 are used in the numerical examples.
3D NURBS representation of surfaces for illumination

Use of NURBS surfaces to create facets on a reflecting surface will be considered. Specifically, the design of a reflector that generates a circular illuminance pattern will be investigated. Important considerations are: choice of variables used to represent a NURBS surface, total number of variables, parameterization and/or knot vector specification, and where to use algorithmic vs. optimization approaches.