cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2244: Objectively assessing student learning and effectiveness of an introductory educational program in clinical and translational research

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The first goal of this project is to test the reliability and validity of an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) that was designed to assess competency in clinical and translational research. The second goal is to evaluate the impact of MICHR’s Summer Research Program on the participating trainee’s competency development. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The methodology used for this study was reviewed and exempted from oversight by the U-M Institutional Review Board (HUM00113293). The participants in the study include 17 pre-doctoral students in health professions programs at U-M who participated MICHR’s Summer Research Program. The Research OSCE was administered using a pretest, post-test design. The pretest was administered once during the 1st week of program in the Summer of 2016 and the post-test during the 10th week of the program. The Research OSCE was proctored and rated by trained staff members. We will assess the reliability of the Research OSCE using Generalizability Theory (Webb et al., 2006). And the construct validity of the Research OSCE will be tested using factor analysis and other statistical analyses. Growth in the competence of the trainees participating in the Summer Research program will be evaluated by testing for significant differences between their pretest and post-test scores. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We anticipate that this study will show that the Research OSCE is a reliable competency assessment with proven construct validity. We also anticipate that the use of the Research OSCE will show the trainees participating in the Summer Research program experienced a gain in competence during the course of the 10-week program. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This project uses a common and standardized testing approach. The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the reliability and validity of an OSCE to assess competency in clinical and translational research. It represents a new application for a well-studied testing method used extensively in the health professions to assess the clinical competency of health practitioners. This project will lead to a better understanding of (a) the reliability and validity of the Research OSCE designed to test research competency and (b) the effectiveness of the Summer Research Program curriculum in better preparing participants to conduct clinical and translational research. Showing how a specific competency assessment can be used for this purpose will provide the administrators, evaluators, and other stakeholders of clinical and translational research training programs with information that can be used to design more rigorous and relevant evaluations of their research training programs.
Effect of Health Information Technologies on Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Patients with Diabetes

To identify a common effect of health information technologies (HIT) on the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) across randomized control trials (RCT). CVD is the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes. HIT are effective in reducing HbA1c; however, their effect on cardiovascular risk factor management for patients with T2D has not been evaluated. We identified 21 eligible studies (23 estimates) with measurement of SBP, 20 (22 estimates) of DBP, 14 (17 estimates) of HDL, 14 (17 estimates) of LDL, 15 (18 estimates) of triglycerides, and 10 (12 estimates) of weight across databases. We found significant reductions in SBP, DBP, LDL, and TG, and a significant improvement in HDL associated with HIT. As adjuvants to standard diabetic treatment, HIT can be effective tools for improving CVD risk factors among patients with T2D, especially in those whose CVD risk factors are not at goal.
Prospective mathematics teachers' engagement with inclusive equity: An exploratory case study in anti-ableist sociopolitical grounding

Abstract Students with disabilities lack opportunities to engage in cognitively challenging mathematics and instead are afforded remedial forms of learning in segregated settings. This exploratory case study reports on prospective teachers' peer-led responses as they engaged with inclusive equity (i.e., inclusive education-oriented concepts) during a reflexive conversational assignment. Participants were enrolled in a teacher preparation program that embedded elements of Disability Studies in Education. Through an interpretive approach, we analyze their responses, illustrating how they reflect tensions associated with unlearning assumptions derived from medical models of disability.
Activity in orbitofrontal neuronal ensembles reflects inhibitory control

Stopping, or inhibition, is a form of self-control that is a core element of flexible and adaptive behavior. Its neural origins remain unclear. Some views hold that inhibition decisions reflect the aggregation of widespread and diverse pieces of information, including information arising in ostensible core reward regions (i.e., outside the canonical executive system). We recorded activity of single neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of macaques, a region associated with economic decisions, and whose role in inhibition is debated. Subjects performed a classic inhibition task known as the stop signal task. Ensemble decoding analyses reveal a clear firing rate pattern that distinguishes successful from failed inhibition and that begins after the stop signal and before the stop signal reaction time (SSRT). We also found a different and orthogonal ensemble pattern that distinguishes successful from failed stopping before the beginning of the trial. These signals were distinct from, and orthogonal to, value encoding, which was also observed in these neurons. The timing of the early and late signals was, respectively, consistent with the idea that neuronal activity in OFC encodes inhibition both proactively and reactively.
Asymmetric Synthesis and Absolute Configuration Determination of an Enantioenriched Alcohol: A Discovery-Based Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

An undergraduate organic chemistry experiment has been developed that features asymmetric synthesis of an enantioenriched secondary alcohol, followed by determination of its absolute configuration ...
Abstract B40: Role of mutant HRAS in growth and drug sensitivity of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC)

Activating mutations in the HRAS oncogene are present in 5-11% of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC). We set out to determine if HRAS is a driver of HNSCC growth and whether pharmacologic inhibitors of HRAS membrane association and/or RAS effector signaling may have therapeutic value in these cancers. To determine the importance of HRAS, we depleted it genetically from HRAS-mutant HNSCC cell lines by shRNA and evaluated the effects on cell growth and survival. To determine the potential therapeutic value of blocking HRAS membrane association and/or signaling through the key RAS effector, ERK MAPK, we treated HNSCC cells with inhibitors of farnesyltransferase (FTIs, tipifarnib and lonafarnib) or ERK1/2 (ERKi, SCH772984), respectively. We monitored target inhibition by aqueous/detergent fractionation, gel shift and immunoblotting; quantitated cell viability by Alamar blue assay; and assessed cell cycle distribution and apoptosis by flow cytometry. We found that genetic depletion of mutant HRAS inhibited the growth of HRAS-mutant HNSCC cell lines in vitro, caused a modest G1 cell cycle arrest and robustly induced apoptosis. Since genetic depletion is not clinically feasible, we wished to identify targeted therapies suitable for this patient population. Several cancer types driven by mutant RAS are sensitive to inhibitors of the ERK pathway downstream of RAS, and HRAS is the sole RAS isoform whose activity is blocked by FTIs. We found that FTIs and ERKi each inhibited their respective targets at nanomolar range but only FTIs inhibited the growth of HRAS-mutant HNSCC in a target-dependent manner. In cell lines where FTI treatment upregulated ERK signaling, ERKi enhanced sensitivity to FTI. We established that genetic suppression of mutant HRAS blocks HNSCC growth, validating HRAS as a potential therapeutic target. HRAS-mutant HNSCC cell lines are sensitive to FTI but, surprisingly, less sensitive to ERKi. The combination of FTI and ERKi may further sensitize a subset of HRAS-mutant HNSCC. Other targeted combinations will also be discussed. Citation Format: Sehrish Javaid, Andrew M. Waters, Victoria V. Nguyen, Channing J. Der, Adrienne D. Cox. Role of mutant HRAS in growth and drug sensitivity of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr B40.
Variation in Health Among Unstably Housed Youth From Cities, Suburbs, Towns, and Rural Areas.

Abstract Purpose Youth face similar rates of homelessness across rural and urban areas, yet little is known about how the health of unstably housed youth varies by location. We assessed differences in health by location (city, suburb, town, and rural) and housing status among youth facing a range of unstable housing experiences. Methods This secondary data analysis from 8th, 9th, and 11th graders completing the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey examined youth who had experienced housing instability in the prior year (n = 10,757), including running away (48%) or experiencing homelessness (staying in shelter, couch-surfing, or rough sleeping) with (42%) or without (10%) an adult family member. We conducted multifactor analysis of variance to assess differences by location (urban, suburban, town, and rural) and housing experience for each of five health indicators: suboptimal health, depressive symptoms, suicide attempts, ≥2 sexual partners, and e-cigarette use. Results In main effects models, all health indicators varied based on housing status; suboptimal health, ≥2 sexual partners, and e-cigarette use also varied by location. Interaction models showed that unaccompanied homeless youth in suburbs reported poorer health compared with those in cities. Compared with suburbs, youth in towns were more likely to report ≥2 sexual partners (19.9%, 24.1%) and e-cigarette use (39.5%, 43.3%). Conclusions Our findings suggest that unstably housed youth face a similar burden of poor health across locations, with only subtle differences in health indicators, yet most research focuses on urban youth. Future research is needed to identify how to best meet the health needs of unstably housed youth across locations.
Does grand theory shape officials’ speech?:

In what situations is the speech of foreign policy officials a reflection of speech expounding grand theories of International Relations? Using a linear support vector classification algorithm, we ...
When team sponsorship of cause-related messages leads to unfavorable fan reactions: the interplay among competency, cause orientation, and message source

One general conclusion from existing studies is that if a team spends more resources and efforts on socially responsible initiatives, fan responses are more likely to be favorable. In the current s...
Mechanisms of adipose-derived stem cell aging and the impact on therapeutic potential

Abstract Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are being increasingly exploited for regenerative medicine applications owing to their many unique features, such as abundant donor tissue, easy isolation, immunomodulatory capacities, and migratory, proliferation, and lineage differentiation functions. Results from a large number of clinical trial studies suggest their significant potential in treating a wide range of diseases. However, the functions of ASCs decline with aging, negatively impacting their clinical application. To overcome this obstacle, rejuvenation of aging stem cells is a fast-developing research field. The development of strategies to rejuvenate stem cells is critically dependent on the knowledge of stem cell aging mechanisms. As such, extensive studies have been devoted to generating a global understanding of stem cell aging and the specific cellular mechanisms responsible for regulating the aging process.
Information maintenance of food sources is associated with environment, spatial cognition and age in a food-caching bird

Traditionally, exploration and exploitation of resources have been viewed as mutually exclusive behaviours in which animals can either allocate time to gathering information or to using known resources. But these behaviours can also be viewed as opposite ends of a continuum, with intermediate behaviours that balance exploration and exploitation, such as information maintenance. Updating previously acquired information through information maintenance can allow animals in unpredictable environments to track changing environmental conditions. Theoretical studies predict that the degree of involvement in information maintenance should depend on environmental predictability – when the overall environment is less predictable, animals should update previously acquired information more frequently because such information is less certain and could change quickly. We tested this hypothesis by allowing wild food-caching mountain chickadees, Poecile gambeli, to visit and sample multiple feeders with temporarily stable, unlimited food for five consecutive winters. We used an index of feeder use breadth to explore how feeder visits across multiple feeders varied with environmental conditions. Each feeder visit is associated with information updating, and more information maintenance should be associated with distributing more visits across more feeders. While controlling for the total number of visits by each individual, we found that (1) chickadees redistributed feeder use among more feeders when environmental conditions were harsh and unpredictable, (2) juveniles had a higher feeder use breadth than adults, and individuals reduced their feeder use breadth as they aged, (3) better spatial learning and memory ability but not spatial cognitive flexibility was associated with smaller feeder use breadth and (4) learning associated with decreased food availability reduced subsequent feeder use breadth. Our data supported our predictions that factors affecting the predictability of resource information (environmental conditions and individual characteristics such as cognition and age) affect how individuals engage in information maintenance.
Assessment of immigrant certified nursing assistants’ communication when responding to standardized care challenges

Abstract Objective Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide 80% of the hands-on care in US nursing homes; a significant portion of this work is performed by immigrants with limited English fluency. This study is designed to assess immigrant CNA's communication behavior in response to a series of virtual simulated care challenges. Methods A convenience sample of 31 immigrant CNAs verbally responded to 9 care challenges embedded in an interactive computer platform. The responses were coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS), CNA instructors rated response quality and spoken English was rated. Results CNA communication behaviors varied across care challenges and a broad repertoire of communication was used; 69% of response content was characterized as psychosocial. Communication elements (both instrumental and psychosocial) were significant predictors of response quality for 5 of 9 scenarios. Overall these variables explained between 13% and 36% of the adjusted variance in quality ratings. Conclusion Immigrant CNAs responded to common care challenges using a variety of communication strategies despite fluency deficits. Practice implications Virtual simulation-based observation is a feasible, acceptable and low cost method of communication assessment with implications for supervision, training and evaluation of a para-professional workforce.
Optical performance monitoring: Perspectives and challenges

Today's network infrastructure is required to adapt for anticipated future growth and be capable of detecting impairments and identify threats, intentional or otherwise. This deficiency in the measurement science and metrology of networks leads to the overbuilding and inefficient use of current networks. The ability to monitor both the data quality and the network paths' physical state in a real-time fashion has traditionally proven difficult due to the large number of impairments, variety of data formats, variety of data rates, and the continuous growth and change of the network structure. Specific technical challenges include localizing any security breaches to specific points in the network, isolating the specific cause and location of a degrading effect, rather than simply sound an alarm, and the monitor should accommodate various advanced modulation formats. It would be desirable to enable “smart” and secure network operation, such that the network can provide accurate and repeatable network performance monitoring. The desirable functionalities of optical performance monitoring highly depend on the system's intelligence, complexity, and bit rates. The right balance should be kept among monitoring coverage, sensitivity, and cost.
Better Late Than Never: Settlement at the Federal Court of Appeals

The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 encouraged all federal district courts to implement alternative dispute resolution programs. Federal Courts of Appeals implemented alternative dispute resolution programs as early as 1974. This article surveys federal alternative dispute resolution programs then takes an in-depth look at the Eleventh Circuit’s program. The article provides advice for appellate advocacy during mediation.
The Structure of Wages in the American Iron and Steel Industry, 1860–1890 *

The literature of American economic history is replete with discussions of the crucial role of the ferrous industries in nineteenth-century economic development. Analysis of the internal wage structure in the industry, however, has been somewhat neglected in the historical treatment.
Capturing the Direct Binding of CFTR Correctors to CFTR by Using Click Chemistry

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lethal genetic disease caused by the loss or dysfunction of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel. F508del is the most prevalent mutation of the CFTR gene and encodes a protein defective in folding and processing. VX-809 has been reported to facilitate the folding and trafficking of F508del-CFTR and augment its channel function. The mechanism of action of VX-809 has been poorly understood. In this study, we sought to answer a fundamental question underlying the mechanism of VX-809: does it bind CFTR directly in order to exert its action? We synthesized two VX-809 derivatives, ALK-809 and SUL-809, that possess an alkyne group and retain the rescue capacity of VX-809. By using Cu(I) -catalyzed click chemistry, we provide evidence that the VX-809 derivatives bind CFTR directly in vitro and in cells. Our findings will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of action of CFTR correctors and the design of more potent therapeutics to combat CF.
Computable fields and weak truth-table reducibility

For a computable field F, the splitting set SF of F is the set of polynomials with coefficients in F which factor over F, and the root set RF of F is the set of polynomials with coefficients in F which have a root in F. Results of Frohlich and Shepherdson in [3] imply that for a computable field F, the splitting set SF and the root set RF are Turing-equivalent. Much more recently, in [5], Miller showed that for algebraic fields, the root set actually has slightly higher complexity: for algebraic fields F, it is always the case that SF ≤1 RF, but there are algebraic fields F where we have RF ≤1 SF. Here we compare the splitting set and the root set of a computable algebraic field under a different reduction: the weak truth-table reduction. We construct a computable algebraic field for which RF ≤wtt SF.
Cerebrospinal fluid cytology of an endolymphatic sac tumor.

Endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST) is a rare neoplasm which is seldom evaluated by cytopathology. We report the clinicopathologic course and cytologic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings in a 58-year-old patient with brainstem lesions who originally presented with vertigo but progressed to having left 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th cranial nerve palsies, right-sided weakness, and occipital headaches. Cytospin of the CSF revealed large epithelioid cells similar to cells seen in a surgical resection of a brain mass three months previously. Review of the surgical specimen revealed a well-differentiated glandular and papillary neoplasm, most consistent with an endolymphatic sac tumor. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:339–342. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Indignation: Psychology, Politics, Law

Moral intuitions operate in much the same way as other intuitions do; what makes the moral domain is distinctive is its foundations in the emotions, beliefs, and response tendencies that define indignation. The intuitive system of cognition, System I, is typically responsible for indignation; the more reflective system, System II, may or may not provide an override. Moral dumbfounding and moral numbness are often a product of moral intuitions that people are unable to justify. An understanding of indignation helps to explain the operation of the many phenomena of interest to law and politics: the outrage heuristic, the centrality of harm, the role of reference states, moral framing, and the act-omission distinction. Because of the operation of indignation, it is extremely difficult for people to achieve coherence in their moral intuitions. Legal and political institutions usually aspire to be deliberative, and to pay close attention to System II; but even in deliberative institutions, System I can make some compelling demands.
Thought suppression is associated with psychological distress in homebound older adults

Background Engaging in thought suppression as a coping mechanism has been associated with higher rates of anxiety and depressive disorders in younger adults. Homebound older adults are a population of elders experiencing poor health and high levels of depression and anxiety. It is unclear the extent to which psychological factors, such as thought suppression, are associated with distress, given that their health and disability status may be more salient. The aim of this study was to investigate thought suppression in relation to anxiety and depressive symptoms in homebound older adults.
A theoretical study of conformations and electronic band structures for two benzoxazole polymers

The extended Huckel method within the tight-binding approximation was applied to two benzoxazole polymers of a type much studied because of their excellent mechanical properties. Specifically, band structure calculations were carried out in part to identify the most stable conformation of the polymers in the crystalline state. In the preferred conformation of one polymer the rotational angle between the bibenzoxazole groups is 20°, and that between the bibenzoxazole group and the p-phenylene group is 0°. The other polymer consists simply of benzoxazole groups, and these are predicted to be coplanar. The above conformational predictions are in excellent agreement with the results of both experimental and theoretical studies on relevant model compounds. In addition, the band gaps in the axial direction were found to be 1,86 and 2,31 eV, respectively, and these values are close to the corresponding experimental values 1,4 to 1,8 eV reported for trans-polyacetylene. In both benzoxazole polymers the band gap was found to increase with increase in nonplanarity due to the concomitant reduction in charge delocalization.
Bacterial Synthesis of Nucleotides

General properties of bacterial nucleoside phosphotransferase were demonstrated. Nucleoside phosphotransferase activity was observed somewhere in cells, and the activity and the specificity for donor and product in this reaction are described to be due to the basic character of strains. Such aromatic phosphates as p-nitrophenylphosphate, phenylphosphate, benzylphosphate and the nucleotides were apparent to be useful for nucleotide synthesis, and the ability as donor did not always depend upon the energy consideration. The product specificity of this reaction was confirmed to correlate with nucleotide isomer added as donor; that is, the bacteria characterized to phosphorylate at 5′-position of nucleoside catalyzed the interconversion of phosphoryl or phosphate radical between 5′-nuclotides and those characterized to do at 3′(& 2′)-position of nucleoside catalyzed the interconversion of that between 3′(& 2′)-nucleotides. The phosphoryl or phosphate transfer reaction using nucleotide as donor is reversible b...
Follow the river and you will find the C

We present a one-semester transition course intended to bridge the gap between a Java-based introductory sequence and advanced systems courses. We chose to structure our course as a series of lab assignments that, while independent, are also milestones in a single main project, writing a web server from scratch. By anchoring the course on a single real-world application, we were able to provide depth, instill good programming practices, give insight into systems, and generate excitement.
Prescription privileges for psychologists: Can differing views be reconciled?

This article introduces papers addressing reasons to oppose prescription privileges for psychologists. The articles are organized in terms of six topics that appear in the testimony presented to state legislatures by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology (AAAPP). The six topics concern whether there is a societal need for psychologists to practice medicine, whether psychology as a discipline has evolved in this direction, how training would change the discipline, what the addition of medical training would cost financially, if the current collaborative model is adequate, and how the policy of APA and AAAPP can be better understood. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 58: 589–597, 2002.
Normal integral bases in quadratic and cyclic cubic extensions of quadratic fields

Let K be a number field and let G be a finite abelian group. We call K a Hilbert-Speiser field of type G if, and only if, every tamely ramified normal extension L/K with Galois group isomorphic to G has a normal integral basis. Now let C 2 and C 3 denote the cyclic groups of order 2 and 3, respectively. Firstly, we show that among all imaginary quadratic fields, there are exactly three Hilbert-Speiser fields of type $C_{2}: \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt {m})$, where $m \in \{-1, -3, -7\}$. Secondly, we give some necessary and sufficient conditions for a real quadratic field $K = \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt {m})$ to be a Hilbert-Speiser field of type C 2. These conditions are in terms of the congruence class of m modulo 4 or 8, the fundamental unit of K, and the class number of K. Finally, we show that among all quadratic number fields, there are exactly eight Hilbert-Speiser fields of type $C_{3}: \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt {m})$, where $m \in \{-11,-3, -2, 2, 5, 17, 41, 89\}$.
A White Queer Geek at School: Intersections of Whiteness and Queer Identity.

Tetra is an “out” middle school student. She identifies as a “lesbian,” a “tomboy,” “butch,” an “oddball,” and a “geek.” These identifications could place her as a marginalized and alienated student. However, Tetra was a successful student, both socially and academically. At her diverse public middle school, Tetra was privileged in her Whiteness and economic class status. Tetra's story is the tale of how one lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender student used her privilege and power to counteract the negative impact of homophobia she faced at school. She was an outsider at school, and she used this oppositional identity for both survival and to maintain her own privilege. Tetra speaks to how we as educators can help students become active agents in handling their marginalizations and confronting their own race and class-based privilege.
The evolution of lineage-specific clusters of single nucleotide substitutions in the human genome

Genomic regions harboring large numbers of human-specific single nucleotide substitutions are of significant interest since they are potential genomic foci underlying the evolution of human-specific traits as well as human adaptive evolution. Previous studies aimed to identify such regions either used pre-defined genomic locations such as coding sequences and conserved genomic elements or employed sliding window methods. Such approaches may miss clusters of substitutions occurring in regions other than those pre-defined locations, or not be able to distinguish human-specific clusters of substitutions from regions of generally high substitution rates. Here, we conduct a 'maximal segment' analysis to scan the whole human genome to identify clusters of human-specific substitutions that occurred since the divergence of the human and the chimpanzee genomes. This method can identify species-specific clusters of substitutions while not relying on pre-defined regions. We thus identify thousands of clusters of human-specific single nucleotide substitutions. The evolution of such clusters is driven by a combination of several different evolutionary processes including increased regional mutation rate, recombination-associated processes, and positive selection. These newly identified regions of human-specific substitution clusters include large numbers of previously identified human accelerated regions, and exhibit significant enrichments of genes involved in several developmental processes. Our study provides a useful tool to study the evolution of the human genome.
Modeling Discrete Choice with Uncertain Data: An Augmented MNL Estimator

This article introduces a multinomial logit model that uses ancillary information to control for uncertainty in both the observed choices made by respondents, and in the attributes of a respondent's choice set. Simulated data are used to compare the performance of this estimator versus simpler models, under several different kinds of uncertainty.
Career exploration: Work-role salience, work preferences, beliefs, and behavior

Abstract Career exploration was investigated in two studies, each using a longitudinal design. Relationships were observed among work-role salience, work preferences, beliefs about exploration, and exploratory behaviors that suggest career exploration is as much a motivational process as a behavioral one. In Study 1, work-role salience, and to a lesser extent work preferences, was significantly related to beliefs in the instrumentality of exploration and the importance of obtaining one's preferred position. In Study 2, exploration instrumentalities and the importance of obtaining one's preferred position were significantly related to exploratory behavior and the amount of information obtained. Gender was also related to beliefs regarding the instrumentality of exploration, with women indicating greater search instrumentality than men.
A new sharp-crease bending element for folding and wrinkling surfaces and volumes

We present a novel sharp-crease bending element for the folding and wrinkling of surfaces and volumes. Based on a control curve specified by an artist or derived from internal stresses of a simulation, we create a piecewise linear curve at the resolution of the computational mesh. Then, the key idea is to cut the object along the curve using the virtual node algorithm creating new degrees of freedom, while subsequently reattaching the resulting pieces eliminating the translational degrees of freedom so that adjacent pieces may only rotate or bend about the cut. Motivated by an articulated rigid body framework, we utilize the concepts of pre-stabilization and post-stabilization in order to enforce these reattachment constraints. Our cuts can be made either razor sharp or relatively smooth via the use of bending springs. Notably, our sharp-crease bending elements can not only be used to create pleats in cloth or folds in paper but also to create similar buckling in volumetric objects. We illustrate this with examples of forehead wrinkles and nasolabial folds for facial animation. Moreover, our sharp-crease bending elements require minimal extra simulation time as compared to the underlying mesh, and tend to reduce simulation times by an order of magnitude when compared to the alternative of mesh refinement.
Benefits and Barriers of Pediatric Healthcare Providers toward Using Social Media in Asthma Care

Abstract Background: Adolescents with asthma are the least compliant age group for asthma management. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of two pediatric physician groups towards using social media technology (SMT) to improve asthma management in adolescents. Methods: We employed in-depth interviews and a focus group to understand pediatric attending physicians' and residents' perspectives of SMT use in asthma management. We analyzed data using the constant comparative method. Results: Physicians acknowledge the importance of health education for asthma management and the potential for SMT. Identified benefits include enhanced understanding of how adolescents perceive asthma, improved patient-provider relationships, the availability of an interactive venue and an additional way to provide accurate information to asthmatic teens. The barriers consisted of time constraints during office hours, personal commitments, work schedules, lack of comfort with the te...
2Peripheral Scatter Photocoagulation for Neovascularization Associated With Pars Planitis

Background: Peripheral cryotherapy appears to be efficacious in the treatment of neovascularization of the vitreous base in patients with pars planitis, although it may be associated with the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of peripheral scatter photocoagulation for treatment of neovascularization of the vitreous base when used alone or combined with pars plana vitrectomy. Methods: Six patients (10 eyes) presented with vitritis, cystoid macular edema, and neovascularization of the vitreous base, unresponsive to corticosteroid therapy. Three patients (five eyes) received scatter diode or argon photocoagulation treatment alone. The other three patients (five eyes) underwent pars plana vitrectomy coupled with argon or diode photocoagulation, placed in three rows, posterior to the area of inferior neovascularization of the vitreous base. Results: Pretreatment visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/200. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months. After placement of photocoagulation (with or without concurrent pars plana vitrectomy), the neovascularization regressed, inflammation was stabilized, and cystoid macular edema improved in all eyes. There were no retinal detachments or other complications of treatment. Posttreatment visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/100. When final visual acuity was 20/40 or less, cataract formation was generally responsible. Conclusions: Peripheral scatter photocoagulation is efficacious and appears at least equal to peripheral cryotherapy in causing regression of neovascularization of the vitreous base in patients with pars planitis.
Nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis in rats with small bowel resection

Intestinal resection (IR) may lead to hyperoxaluria and nephrolithiasis. A rat model of IR was developed, in which kidney stones form. We describe the urine chemistries and histopathologic features. Rats underwent resection of 40–45 cm of distal ileum (n=16) or sham resection (SR) (n=8), and were then fed a 1% Na oxalate, 0.02% Ca diet. After 1 week on the diet, 24 h urine samples were obtained for stone chemistries. At 4–7 months after surgery, kidneys were examined grossly and by light microscopy. The extent and location of crystallization was assessed by polarized light. Histochemistry and infrared spectroscopy were used to determine crystal composition. IR rats had higher urine oxalate excretion (P<0.01) and concentration (P<0.001) than SR rats, and lower urine citrate excretion; only IR rats formed kidney stones (12/15 surviving rats). Tissue calcification was found only in kidneys from IR rats, located in the cortex (83% of kidneys), medulla (73%) and papillary tip (47%). Crystals, composed of CaOx, apatite, and calcium carbonate, filled collecting duct lumens, and were associated with tubular obstruction, and interstitial inflammation. Crystals in the papillary interstitium incited inflammation with tubular destruction and development of progressive papillary erosion. This new rat model of nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis resembles the pattern of urinary abnormalities and tissue calcification that may be seen in humans with small bowel resection. The model allows further studies of the mechanisms of renal crystal formation, and possible therapeutic interventions.
A THEORY OF SYSTEM COMPLEXITY

Abstract A theory is developed, using the basic principles of information theory, which explains the error behavior in systems. The results are system and configuration independent and have applicability across many disciplines. As an example, the results may be used in understanding the defect properties of computer programs. An explicit formula is given for deriving the critical size of systems. The effect of modularity on system properties is analyzed and the optimum size of a subsystem is derived. It is shown that modularity increases the critical size and decreases the number of expected faults in the system.
Therapeutic laparoscopic suturing techniques.

With the introduction of the technique of Interventional laparoscopy, a new era of minimally invasive general surgery has begun. The well-established principles of general surgical technique have not been altered by this new technology. As the new laparoscopic technology has become available, intraabdominal laparoscopic suturing and ligating techniques have been developed. The authors have attempted to elucidate the techniques of endoligation, “Endoloop” application, endosuture placement, sling suture placement, and continuous suture placement in laparoscopic surgery.
Prophylactic Use of Factor IX Concentrate in a Jehovah's Witness Patient

In Jehovah's Witness patients, the use of red blood cells, platelets, and fresh frozen plasma is not optional. Various blood conservation techniques are available, but complex cardiac surgery remains a major challenge. The feasibility of fractions of "primary components" has not been fully considered in published case reports. For Jehovah's Witness patients who preoperatively give consent, factor IX concentrates may be acceptable for hemostatic therapy. We hereby describe a combination of "secondary components" to prevent excessive bleeding in a Jehovah's Witness patient undergoing complex replacement of the aortic arch.
The coupled hole-phonon system and minority-electron transport in p-GaAs

We present a Monte-Carlo study of minority-electron transport in p-GaAs including dynamic screening and plasmon-phonon couping using a phenomenologically damped quasi-nonequilibrium two-band dielectric function. Calculated mode spectra contain the acoustic and optical plasmons of the two-component hole plasma, and suggest that despite the role of the acoustic plasmon, plasma oscillations do not extend to wave vectors as large as the inverse screening length. Furthermore, we find no evidence of the drag effect. For heavy dopings, calculated high-field minority-electron drift velocities are significantly larger than experimental values, indicating that further work is required to achieve a true understanding of minority-electron transport.
Designing extensible protein-DNA interactions for synthetic biology

Protein-DNA interactions are essential to constructing biological devices for synthetic gene circuits. Ideal devices should be interoperable and extensible with respect to each other. They should also exhibit minimal unwanted interactions with the host cells in which they reside and be portable between different host chassis. Here, we discuss two classes of protein-DNA devices, memory modules and transcription factors, that can be used to construct genetic circuits with novel functionalities. In addition, we describe a methodology for identifying candidate DNA targets to be used in designing artificial protein-DNA interactions. We identified 9 base-pair (bp) sites within each of six useful host organisms that were absent in individual host genomes but were unable to find any 9 bp sites that were absent from all of the genomes. Extending our search to 12 bp and 15 bp DNA sequences revealed tens of thousands and millions, respectively, of DNA sequences that were absent in all host organisms we evaluated; these sequences were targetable by publicly accessible zinc-finger methodologies. By targeting these sites, it may be possible to build interoperable, orthogonal, and portable protein-DNA devices. This work lays a foundation for future efforts to engineer novel biological devices in the emerging field of synthetic biology.
Closed form solutions for mapping general distributions to quasi-minimal PH distributions

Approximating general distributions by phase-type (PH) distributions is a popular technique in stochastic analysis, since the Markovian property of PH distributions often allows analytical tractability. This paper proposes an algorithm for mapping a general distribution, G, to a PH distribution, which matches the first three moments of G. Efficiency of our algorithm hinges on narrowing the search space to a particular subset of the PH distributions, which we refer to as Erlang-Coxian (EC) distributions. The class of EC distributions has a small number of parameters, and we provide closed form solutions for these. Our solution applies to any distribution whose first three moments can be matched by a PH distribution. Also, our resulting EC distribution requires a nearly minimal number of phases, within one of the minimal number of phases required by any acyclic PH distribution.
Test of Time: Agreeing about Disagreements: A Personal Reflection on Achenbach, McConaughy, and Howell (1987)

Whether behavior is determined mainly by situational factors or by more stable personality characteristics has been a classic debate in the social sciences. The question of the situational specificity of behavior has important implications for the assessment of children and adolescents. Because children function in multiple settings, clinicians are faced with the task of integrating information obtained from multiple informants from different settings, as well as their own clinical observations and impressions, and making clinical judgments based on this information. This process is challenging when information from different sources is not in agreement. Clinical decision-making and, ultimately, the accuracy of clinical judgments, will be influenced by how clinicians handle such discrepancies. With clinical accuracy being the chief concern in assessment, the debate about the stability vs situational specificity of behavior is an important one. The article by Achenbach, McConaughy, and Howell (1987) entitl...
Robustness to Variability in Project Networks

Our aim in this paper is to highlight the relative impact of activity variability on the completion time of different project configurations. We show that there is, in general no categorical connection between the stage of a project in its life-cycle and the impact of increased activity variability on the expected remaining project duration. Thus investing resources to decrease activity variability is, in general, as important in the early stages of the project life-cycle as it is in the later stages. However, our analysis suggests that in projects with dominant critical paths, it pays to invest resources to reduce activity variability at an early stage rather than at a later stage in the project. We apply some of our analytical results to gain insights into the issue of structuring project activities into work packets and assigning the work packets to project teams. We extend our framework to examine different modes of subcontracting projects.
Comparison of infrared radiometers used to gather background signature data

Over the past several years there has been a large quantity of infrared target and background signature data collected using imaging radiometers. As with any data, one of the primary questions that must be answered is, `How has the measurement system affected the data?' During the smart weapons operability enhancement (SWOE) signature measurement program this question was addressed using two `identical' AGEMA 880 dual band radiometer systems. These two systems were used to determine how much of the variation that is observed in the signature data can be accounted for by measurement system differences. Measurements were made at the Yuma Proving Ground over a 47 day period from 15 March to 30 April 1993. The radiometers were mounted side-by-side and the fields of view registered as closely as possible. Most of the background signature measurements were preceded by simultaneous blackbody measurements with all four radiometers. These blackbody measurements were used to compare the performance of the two systems under the various weather conditions experienced during the measurement period. The blackbody measurements have shown that over an ambient temperature range of almost 40 degree(s)C the variation between radiometer pairs was less than 1 degree(s)C for the long-wave (8 - 12 micrometers ) and less than 2.5 degree(s)C for the short-wave (3 - 5 micrometers ).© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Correction to: Age Replacement Policies for Weibull Failure Times

Table 1 in the original paper is practical and useful. But a normalization factor needs to be pointed out to make the table ready to use.
Influence of luminance and geometry on glare impression.

Federal specifications restrict glare of reflected sunlight from certain automotive-trim items by calling for a maximum specular (mirrorlike) reflectance of 2% (40 gloss units), thus reducing glare by decreasing the luminance of the reflection. This approach, which requires the use of matte surfaces, has disadvantages. Observations showed that glare of sunlight reflected from bright surfaces could be reduced as effectively by demagnifying the sun’s image by use of increased surface curvature. A glare comparator was constructed, by which glare control by restriction of luminance was related visually to control by restriction of angular area. About 1000 observations were made during the course of more than 150 tests. Results showed that glare was regulated to the same extent by a proportional change of either luminance or angular area.