cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chloroplast Development and Photosynthesis in Echinochloa (Barnyard Grass) and Rice: O2 and Flooding Stress

Primary leaf plastid development and photosynthetic activity in Echinochloa (barnyard grass) were monitored during a 5 day time course of germination and growth in a nitrogen atmosphere. After 8 hours imbibition in the light but without oxygen, the proplastids were spheroidal and contained a few rudimentary stromal thylakoids. However, during the next 126 hours of anaerobiosis, plastid size and stromal thylakoid numbers increased markedly. Under anaerobiosis plastid morphology was also characterized by the development of prolamellar bodies, previously reported only in etiolated tissues, while changes in starch grains and plastoglobuli indicated carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, respectively. Upon exposure to air the arrested development of chloroplasts was reversed. Compared to etioplasts when exposed to light, however, there was a lag for the first 18 hours before the plastids developed rapidly into typical, C4 mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts.
Clinical Reasoning, Decisionmaking, and Action: Thinking Critically and Clinically

Learning to provide safe and quality health care requires technical expertise, the ability to think critically, experience, and clinical judgment. The high-performance expectation of nurses is dependent upon the nurses’ continual learning, professional accountability, independent and interdependent decisionmaking, and creative problem-solving abilities.
Engineered particles demonstrate improved flow properties at elevated drug loadings for direct compression manufacturing.

Abstract Optimizing powder flow and compaction properties are critical for ensuring a robust tablet manufacturing process. The impact of flow and compaction properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) becomes progressively significant for higher drug load formulations, and for scaling up manufacturing processes. This study demonstrated that flow properties of a powder blend can be improved through API particle engineering, without critically impacting blend tabletability at elevated drug loadings. In studying a jet milled API (D 50 = 24 μm) and particle engineered wet milled API (D 50 = 70 μm and 90 μm), flow functions of all API lots were similarly poor despite the vast difference in average particle size ( ff c 4). This finding strays from the common notion that powder flow properties are directly correlated to particle size distribution. Upon adding excipients, however, clear trends in flow functions based on API particle size were observed. Wet milled API blends had a much improved flow function ( ff c > 10) compared with the jet milled API blends. Investigation of the compaction properties of both wet and jet milled powder blends also revealed that both jet and wet milled material produced robust tablets at the drug loadings used. The ability to practically demonstrate this uncommon observation that similarly poor flowing APIs can lead to a marked difference upon blending is important for pharmaceutical development. It is especially important in early phase development during API selection, and is advantageous particularly when material-sparing techniques are utilized.
Rare presentation of neurofibromatosis and Turner syndrome in a pediatric patient

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is classically defined by the presence of multiple c afe-au-lait macules as one of the diagnostic criteria. Turner syndrome (TS) can also present with cafe-au-lait macules along with short stature. Our patient is the fifth reported with both NF1 and TS and the first who has been on growth hormone for short stature associated with TS.
Sista Girl Rock: Women of Colour and Hip-Hop Deejaying as Raced/Gendered Knowledge and Language

AbstractThis article seeks to introduce and situate a seldom-explored subject: the role and contribution of women hip-hop deejays in the testosterone-filled genre called hip-hop. Grounding the analysis in the interviews of six women deejays – Spinderella, Kuttin Kandi, Pam the Funkstress, Reborn, Shorty Wop and Natasha Diggs – ‘Sista Girl Rock’ works to privilege the words and ideas of these visionary cultural practitioners, sponsors, sound theorists and rhetorical innovators as foundational knowledge, the primary text; the knowledge these women and (re)present becomes paramount in (re)envisioning the ways we view participants of hip-hop culture as the purveyors of knowledge. From this source, we connect various locations of scholarship that can be related to the way(s) these women operate, flourish and maintain as twenty-first-century multimodal thinkers and scholars in a mostly male-dominated industry.
Nameless in history: when the imperial English become the subjects of Hindu narrative

ABSTRACTThis article analyses an intriguing unfinished long narrative poem published in 1894 about the ‘origin and rise’ of the English empire in India. Written in Sanskrit by eminent literary scholar, P. V. Ramaswami Raju, Sreemat Rajangala Mahodyanam (The Great Park of the English Raj) also contains an English translation that he himself provides alongside. The story dramatically describes the birth of the English race through the fall to earth of a celestial musician in heaven who is cursed to be nameless. This article argues that Ramaswami Raju devised creative strategies and adapted Indian forms of narration such as the purāṇa to tell this story boldly, without fear of censure. With the imperial ruler being its subject, the narrative curates two ways of speaking within and across the Sanskrit and English texts – unfolding a double register of praise and critique – that creates an ethos of irony that suffuses the poem. Raju’s creative strategy of a double register becomes ‘visible’ to a bilingual read...
The Local Clinical Scientist

The problem of integrating science and practice in professional psychology involves two overarching issues: professional identity and methodology. Consider some definitions of these terms: Professional identity refers to a manifold context for understanding the problems of inquiry and method in professional practice, for relating to the body of scientific methodologies currently existing in psychology, for relating to scientific knowledge and the various other information sources affecting the professional’s work, and for guiding professional action. It is a view of the self as a professional (Singer, Peterson, & Magidson, 1992) as an instrument of inquiry that must be pursued actively in one’s training, and it is an ideal for the conduct of professional practice that is achieved uniquely in each successive clinical intervention. Method, in this context, suggests a means for accomplishing the goal of enacting a professional identity. It is interesting to note that the definition and etymology of the concept of method encompasses both means and ends. Skeat (1989) identified the concept as referring to an “arrangement, system, orderly procedure, [or] way.” It comes from the Greek meta (μ∈τα), meaning “after,” and hodos (οδοσ), meaning “a way.” Literally translated, it is “a way after,” or “a following after” (p. 373).
Big wigs and small wigs: Time, sex, size and shelter affect cohabitation in the maritime earwig (Anisolabis maritima)

Animal aggregations can occur for a variety of abiotic factors, such as resource limitation, or biotic factors, including group foraging and protection from predators. In our study, we examined whether time, sex, body size or shelter availability affected aggregation behavior of the maritime earwig, Anisolabis maritima (Order Dermaptera), an insect found globally at high densities under driftwood. Specifically, we monitored the distribution of two individuals in arenas with either two shelters (no habitat limitation) or one shelter (habitat limitation) to determine their propensity for cohabitation at times of peak activity and times of quiescence. Females, whose high levels of aggression are often associated with maternal care, were particularly averse to cohabitation, whereas males were generally more tolerant of other earwigs. Females initially preferred not to cohabitate when placed with a male, but were more tolerant of cohabitation later, regardless of the number of shelters. Same-sex pairs, on the other hand, were less likely to cohabitate with only one shelter present, but males were again more tolerant of conspecifics than females regardless of habitat limitation. When competition for one shelter did not lead to cohabitation, the lone occupant was more likely to be the larger individual in same-sex trials and females in mixed-sex trials. Understanding the tolerance for close proximity under these varying conditions may provide insight into aggregative behavior and spatial distribution patterns in the maritime earwig.
Evaluation of the Effects of Animal Growth and Previous Exposure on the Pharmacokinetics of Rituximab in Rats.

With a long half-life, pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation of monoclonal antibodies in rodents lasts multiple weeks during which the animals may grow significantly. We evaluated the impact of weight, age, and previous drug exposure on the PK of rituximab. Serum concentrations of rituximab were measured after intravenous and subcutaneous dosing in Sprague Dawley rats aged between 7 and 21 weeks and weighing between 200 and 600 g. The growth of rats during the study was incorporated into the model through the increase of the volumes of compartments in relation to the rats total body weight. The final model successfully captured all the data; and no difference was observed in the rituximab PK profiles between exposure naive and redosed or young and older rats. Incorporating the rodent growth over the time course of the study into the PK model was shown to be important for providing a more physiological description of the disposition of rituximab, especially when young and rapidly growing animals are used. Redosing the same rats with monoclonal antibodies might be a viable strategy for reducing the use of laboratory animals in accordance with the 3R principles.
Prepuce sparing: Use of Z-plasty for treatment of phimosis and scarred foreskin.

Summary Introduction and objectives The desire to preserve the prepuce is often based on cultural norms. Recently, the concept of “genital autonomy” has been invoked to delay circumcision (or any genital altering procedure) until the individual reaches maturity and can make his or her own decision. However, some uncircumcised boys develop one or more episodes of balanitis resulting in scarring of the prepuce and pathologic phimosis which is difficult to treat. Herein we report on the management of severe phimosis and preputial scarring using preputial Z-plasties. Materials and methods We reviewed the records of 28 patients, aged 3–12 years who underwent prepuce-sparing surgery within the previous 5 years with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. All patients were uncircumcised, with severe phimosis defined as a tight, pinpoint opening. All patients failed to respond to 6–10 weeks of betamethasone treatment. All parents requested preservation of as much of the foreskin as possible. Results All patients healed satisfactorily, without infection, hematoma, or flap necrosis. One child developed mild scarring which responded to local steroid application. At follow-up evaluation, ranging from 6 to 24 months, the prepuce was fully retractable in all patients (Fig.). Conclusions Excision of the scarred preputial ring results in a circular suture line, which is in essence a straight line, curved and connected at each end, and this is likely to contract over time. The principle of Z-plasty can be exploited to elongate and interrupt the straight line, preventing contracture thus widening and sparing the prepuce. Download : Download high-res image (422KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . A classic pinpoint phimotic ring, and post-operative images of the prepuce which is adequately lax and easily reducible.
Crystal Chemistry and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy of Titanium Carbide Precipitates in TiB2

Titanium combines readily with boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen to form a variety of refractory compounds. Several have been used in cutting tool inserts — TiC, TiN and TiB2. Although these compounds are generally treated as single-phase materials, they may contain second-phase precipitates which affect their mechanical properties at the high temperatures reached in service.
Acoustic Echo Computer Tomography

Acoustic tomography systems described in the past were designed to provide a cross-sectional image of an object by employing transmission of a beam of ultrasonic energy. The data thus obtained were processed by a computer using a suitable algorithm. This resulted in an image based upon either the acoustic velocity or the attenuation characterisic of the object. This paper describes two novel imaging techniques which are based on the reflection of acoustic waves from the distribution of scattering centers within the object. One of the primary advantages envisioned for the proposed techniques is the use of a single collimated beam of ultrasound in the plane of the tomogram in lieu of slow mechanical scanning or multiple transducer arrays. Results are presented of a laboratory experiment which was performed to test the validity of one of the proposed concepts.
INCARNATIONAL IMMERSION-BASED LEARNING IN CULTURAL CONTEXTS: A CHARITY MODEL

The Religious Pastoral Studies and Behavioral Sciences Departments of a Midwestern college have collaborated in offering academic courses in theology and anthropology that include service immersion experiences with people of diverse cultures in South Dakota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Kentucky, and Honduras. This paper explores the incarnational dimension of immersion experiences between native peoples and college students. Using a contextual theology model, students and faculty from various social science and religious studies disciplines reflect with native people on the historical and contemporary elements of their culture and spirituality. This paper discusses the historical development of the immersion courses, methodology, curriculum design, student learning objectives and outcomes, incarnational value formation in Sisters of Charity charisms, and future directions.
Theory-Ladenness of Observations as as Test Case of Kuhn’s Approach to Scientific Inquiry

The overall character of the ideas Thomas S. Kuhn has offered concerning the nature of scientific inquiry has been generally misunderstood, or, rather, misconstrued. (See Kuhn 1957, 1970.) Kuhn’s ideas do not add up to a fully articulated analysis of the structure of the scientific process. Kuhn does not offer a theory of science which should be evaluated in the same way as, e.g., the hypothetico-deductive model of science or the inductivist one. What Kuhn does is best viewed as calling our attention to certain salient phenomena which a philosophical theorist of science must try to understand and to account for. We do injustice to Kuhn if we deal with his views as if they were finished products of philosophical theorizing. They are not. Rather, they are starting-points for such theorizing;, they pose problems to be solved by a genuine theory of science.
The “pool sign” of metastatic adenocarcinoma

The differential of a newly discovered solitary intracranial mass is a primary intracranial neoplasm and metastatic disease. Differentiating between the two entities on imaging is difficult, though there are clues on conventional imaging that suggest one over the other. The purpose of this article is to describe a new imaging finding on T2-weighted imaging, the “pool sign,” that may be specific for metastatic adenocarcinomas and can help differentiate a solitary metastasis from a primary CNS neoplasm. We present a series of four patients with initial magnetic resonance imaging of a solitary intracranial mass demonstrating the “pool sign,” and therefore predicted to be metastatic adenocarcinoma. All of these cases were confirmed to be metastatic adenocarcinoma on pathology.
Pulmonary Metastases from an Undifferentiated Embryonal Sarcoma of the Liver: A Case Report and Review

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare malignant hepatic tumor that occurs primarily in children. Only a limited number of cases have been reported in the literature due to low incidence of one per million, and reports of metastatic lesion of UESL are even rarer. We hereby describe the case of a 13-year-old male who presented with a palpable mass with imaging findings suggestive of a large complex tumor in the right lobe of the liver. He underwent extended right hepatectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The tumor was confirmed to be UESL by postoperative pathology and immunohistochemical staining analysis. Four years later, surveillance imaging revealed a small lung nodule in the left lower lobe. Complete removal of the lung tumor by wedge resection was performed, and a histological diagnosis of metastatic UESL was made. The patient also received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and is currently in a good general condition and tumor-free in the present eight-month period. This case is presented with emphasis on clinicopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the primary UESL and lung metastases with the aim of collecting more data and expanding our understanding of this rare malignancy.
“How Beautiful It Sounds!”: The Lieder and Sonntagsmusiken of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

Throughout her lifetime, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was primarily known as the sister of the musical genius, Felix Mendelssohn, as the daughter of her distinguished parents, Lea and Abraham Mendelssohn and as the wife of her artistic husband, August Wilhelm Hensel. Today, Hensel is remembered for her remarkable musical talents and a wide breadth of compositions. Though often passed over as a woman in the nineteenth-century, Fanny Hensel played a key role in the musical life of the city of Berlin. Hensel’s musical voice was defined by her comprehensive musical education and through her Sonntagsmusiken (translated “Sunday Musicales”). In the next generation, British author Virginia Woolf shed light on the obstacles to a female artist’s life. In the essay, A Room of One’s Own, Woolf outlined the main elements necessary to create art: financial security and a room to one’s self. For Hensel, financial security was ensured through her family, yielding for her a rich musical education. Hensel was given a private space for her creative work in an adjacent building called the Gartenhaus. This paper investigates how Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s educational and performance opportunities shaped her compositional voice and circumscribed her influence on nineteenth-century Berlin musical society.
Assessment of Antimalarial Therapy in Patients Who Are Hypersensitive to Hydroxychloroquine.

This study evaluates the use of antimalarial therapy in patients who are hydroxychloroquine hypersensitive.
An Analysis of Truth in Kuhn’s Philosophical Enterprise

In his essay “Afterwords”, Kuhn describes his “double goal” as (1) To justify that science achieves knowledge of nature, and at the same time, (2) To show that science neither achieves, nor should aim towards achieving, truth. I hold that Kuhn’s denial of truth helps to bring out a tension between the two goals of his enterprise: Kuhn cannot both maintain that science achieves knowledge of nature and dismiss the notion of truth altogether from his philosophy of science. The same arguments that attack truth will ultimately damage the quest for knowledge. In this chapter, I intend explore this problem—which I will call the problem of inconsistency—and ultimately provide a defense on behalf of Kuhn. I argue that Kuhn can achieve both of his goals, and so remain consistent, by reevaluating the notion of truth in his philosophy of science. Here, I introduce an alternative correspondence theory of truth, which I call the phenomenal-world correspondence theory of truth. I will argue that Kuhn’s philosophy of science will remain consistent with this alternative view of correspondence. I believe that this notion of truth not only succeeds in defending Kuhn’s enterprise from the problem of inconsistency, but is also a kind of truth that Kuhn can accept into his philosophical enterprise despite his rejection of the traditional correspondence theory.
Artificial Intelligence-Aided Automated Detection of Railroad Trespassing:

Trespassing is the leading cause of rail-related deaths and has been on the rise for the past 10 years. Detection of unsafe trespassing of railroad tracks is critical for understanding and preventi...
Disabling Power of Class and Ideology: Analyzing War Injury through the Transnational Disability Theory and Praxis

My doctoral thesis, through a case study of the theocratic-nationalist politics of the Iranian regime and the imperialist politics of the U.S., Russia, and Western Europe in the Middle East, investigated the ways in which gendered-, ideological-, and raced social-relations sustain armed conflicts and generate disability/injury. The study contributed to the emerging field of materialist/Marxist disability studies and critical race moves in disability studies by engaging the dialectics of geopolitics in order to contextualize war, and by proposing a new transnational theory for theorizing disability. In this paper, I extensively discuss my theoretical framework, along with the methodology for collecting and analyzing data in order to offer a radical alternative research method to traditionally biomedical, post-conventionist, liberal, and bourgeois approaches to disability. Additionally, I discuss how I built the new model using the case study in details while introducing its core theoretical constructs emerging directly from the case study. My conceptualization of a transnational theory/model interrogates the violence of the global political economy in producing disablement on a global scale. Finally, I discuss possible directions for further development of the transnational disability model not just as a theory, but also as praxis, active revolutionary knowledge, and political consciousness.
Efficacy of FDA-Approved Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Against Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Infection

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a category B select agent pathogen that can be aerosolized. Infections in murine models and humans can advance to an encephalitic phenotype which may result in long-term neurological complications or death. No specific FDA-approved treatments or vaccines are available for the treatment or prevention of VEEV infection. Neurotropic viral infections have two damaging components: neuronal death caused by viral replication, and damage from the subsequent inflammatory response. Reducing the level of inflammation may lessen neurological tissue damage that often arises following VEEV infection. In this study, three commercially available anti-inflammatory drugs, Celecoxib, Rolipram, and Tofacitinib, were evaluated for antiviral activity in an astrocyte and a microglial model of VEEV infection. The inhibitors were tested against the vaccine strain VEEV TC-83, as well as the wild-type VEEV Trinidad donkey strain. Celecoxib, Tofacitinib, and Rolipram significantly decreased viral titers both after pre-treatment and post-treatment of infected cells. VEEV Trinidad Donkey (TrD) titers were reduced 6.45-fold in cells treated with 50 µM of Celecoxib, 2.45-fold when treated with 50 µM of Tofacitinib, and 1.81-fold when treated with 50 µM of Rolipram. Celecoxib was also shown to decrease inflammatory gene expression in the context of TC-83 infection. Overall, Celecoxib demonstrated potency as a countermeasure strategy that slowed VEEV infection and infection-induced inflammation in an in vitro model.
Impact of the thermal environment on the analog temporal response of HfOx-based neuromorphic devices

Filamentary adaptive oxide devices based on HfOx are a promising technology for neuromorphic computing applications. The resistance of these devices depends on the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the filament region. A local temperature rise from joule heating plays a significant role in the movement of oxygen ions, making thermal management crucial to reliable performance. In this work, the role of the substrate thermal conductivity on the analog performance was investigated at biologically realistic pulse widths. Au/Ti/HfOx/Au adaptive oxide devices were fabricated on substrates with two orders of magnitude difference in thermal conductivity. A lower thermal conductivity substrate dissipates heat more slowly, resulting in a large initial change in resistance from a single operation pulse, which is detrimental to the desired analog behavior. The results were validated by a COMSOL Multiphysics® model that models the flow of heat in both samples.
Modification of pyrogenic carbons for phosphate sorption through binding of a cationic polymer

This study reports on the development of modified pyrogenic carbonaceous materials (PCMs) for recovering orthophosphate (PO4-P). The PCMs include softwood and hardwood biochars and a commercial granular activated carbon (GAC) that were modified by irreversible adsorption of the quaternary ammonium polymer, poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (pDADMAC), which reverses electrokinetic charge and increases PO4-P sorption. MgO-doped biochars were prepared by a literature method for comparison. Imaging and spectroscopic analyses characterize pDADMAC coverage, MgO doping, and binding of PO4-P. At environmentally relevant concentrations, PO4-P sorption by the pDADMAC-treated biochars was ~100 times greater than that of the corresponding unmodified biochars, and was comparable to that of the corresponding MgO-doped biochars on a coating content basis. The pDADMAC-coated carbons bind PO4-P by ion exchange, while the MgO-doped biochars bind PO4-P principally by forming an amorphous Mg phosphate species. Susceptibility to competition from other relevant anions (Cl-, NO3-, HCO3-/CO32-, SO42-) and poultry and dairy manure extracts was moderate and comparable for the two types of modified softwood biochars. Sorption to the pDADMAC-treated biochars appears to be more reversible than to the MgO-doped biochars using stepwise water extraction. Greater reversibility may be advantageous for trapping and recycling phosphate.
Marriage Markets and the Rise of Dowry in India

Dowry payments are common in many marriage markets. This paper uses data on over 74,000 marriages in India over the last century to explain why the institution of dowry emerges and how it evolves over time. We find that the proportion of Indian marriages including dowry payments doubled between 1930 and 1975, and the average real value of payments tripled. We empirically test whether four prominent theories of dowry can explain this rise, and find support for only one: dowry emerges due to increased differentiation in groom quality as a result of modernization. We then show that the average real value of dowry payments declines after 1975 and that this can be rationalized by a search model of marriage markets.
Revascularization Versus Medical Therapy in Patients Aged 80 Years and Older with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background/objectives Older patients are underrepresented in acute coronary syndrome clinical trials. We sought to evaluate the benefits of revascularization in patients aged 80 years and older presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Design Retrospective study utilizing inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Setting Single tertiary referral center for an integrated healthcare system in southern California. Participants Patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography for AMI between 2009 and 2019, and subsequently treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or medical therapy alone. Measurements All-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and repeated revascularization. Results A total of 1,433 patients aged 80 years or older (median age = 83.5 years; 66% male) presenting with AMI who underwent treatment with PCI (50%), CABG (12%), or medical therapy alone (38%) were included. Those treated with medical therapy were more likely to be Black, had one or more chronic total occlusions in any vessel, had more comorbidities, and had lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Baseline characteristics were well balanced after IPTW adjustment. Median follow-up was 2.6 years. Revascularization (PCI or CABG) was associated with reduced mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.60-0.73) and nonfatal MI (HR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.58-0.78), but an increased need for repeated revascularization (HR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.15-2.23). Separately comparing PCI or CABG alone versus medical therapy yielded similar results. Revascularization was associated with lower mortality in all subgroups, except in Black patients and those with prior CABG. Conclusion Revascularization is superior to medical therapy in reducing all-cause mortality and nonfatal MI in patients aged 80 years and older with AMI. Age alone should not preclude patients from potentially beneficial invasive therapies.
Employee Assistance Program response and evolution in light of COVID-19 pandemic

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have been responding for decades to challenges put forth by employers and employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth new considerations for EAPs and has ...
Leveraging an Implementation Fidelity Framework to Assess Quality in Experiential Education

Objective. Experiential education comprises a significant component of many health professions degree programs. Since the experiential curriculum typically occurs at external sites, schools and colleges of pharmacy are often challenged with determining how and what students learn during this time. Fidelity metrics can provide insight into the extent to which experiential programs are implemented as designed. Our School implemented a new curriculum that included a series of three, two-month introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE). The objective of this study was to articulate a logic model for the first IPPE within the series, identify key variables to program implementation, define fidelity indices and benchmarks, and compute a single fidelity score for each site. Methods. Data were collected from the course syllabus, learning outcomes, assignments, and evaluations from students and preceptors for 50 sites that hosted 147 students for an IPPE. A logic model was defined to articulate inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the IPPE. Data were reviewed for key variables and measures to include in the fidelity framework; a fidelity score was generated for each site. Results. Twenty-four variables were identified across three components that were deemed critical for experience implementation (eg, patient care activities, preceptor compliance, and overall site training and evaluation). The mean fidelity score for all sites was 59.1% (16.4% SD). Conclusion. A logic model and fidelity framework provided an objective method to assess the extent to which practice sites delivered the IPPE course. This work could be used as a basis for individualizing quality assurance efforts.
Bayesian Estimation of Macro-Finance DSGE Models with Stochastic Volatility

We develop a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for estimating risk premia in dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models with stochastic volatility. Our approach is fully Bayesian and employs an affine solution strategy that makes estimation of large-scale DSGE models computationally feasible. We use our algorithm to estimate the US equity risk premium in a DSGE model that includes time-preference, technology, investment, and volatility shocks. Time-preference and technology shocks are primarily responsible for the sizable equity risk premium in the estimated DSGE model. The estimated historical stochastic volatility and equity risk premium series display pronounced countercyclical fluctuations.
A Statewide Approach to Falls Prevention: Widespread Implementation of A Matter of Balance in North Carolina, 2014–2019:

This study showcases the statewide strategies used to implement and sustain an evidence-based fall prevention program, A Matter of Balance (MOB) in North Carolina between 2014 and 2019. Statewide program implementation and data collection support strategies are detailed. The mostly White (not Hispanic/Latino), female participants were 75 years old on average. Pre- and post-self-reported assessments included demographic, health status, quality of life, and falls-related metrics. Survey responses were scaled and analyzed. Statistically significant improvements (p < .05) across health status measurements, times fallen, and falls resulting in injury were observed. These results offer a model for effective statewide implementation of the MOB program to reduce falls among older adults in community settings with support from a statewide resource center.
Behaviours of older adults and caregivers preparing for elective surgery: a virtually conducted mixed-methods research protocol to improve surgical outcomes.

Introduction Older adults (age ≥65 years) are pursuing increasingly complex, elective surgeries; and, are at higher risk for intraoperative and postoperative complications. Patients and their caregivers frequently struggle with the postoperative recovery process at home, which may contribute to complications. We aim to identify opportunities to intervene during the preoperative period to improve postoperative outcomes by understanding the preparatory behaviours of older adults and their caregivers before a complex, elective surgery. Methods and analysis As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will conduct this study via telephone and videoconferencing. Using a multiphase mixed-methods research design, we will collect data on 10–15 patient–caregiver dyads from a pool of older adults (across a spectrum of cognitive abilities) scheduled for an elective colorectal surgery between 1 July 2020 and 30 May 2021. We will collect quantitative and qualitative data before (T1, T2) and after (T3, T4) surgery. Preoperatively, participants will each complete a cognitive assessment and a semi-structured qualitative interview that focuses on their preparatory behaviours (T1). They will then answer questionnaires about mood, self-efficacy and home environment (T2). Three weeks following hospital discharge, participants will complete another qualitative interview focusing on a comparison of preoperative and postoperative preparedness (T3). Researchers will also collect information about the patient’s medical conditions, the postoperative complications and healthcare utilisation from the patient’s chart 30 days following discharge (T4). We will code and conduct thematic analysis of the qualitative data to identify salient themes. Quantitative data will be analysed using basic descriptive statistics to characterise the participants. We will integrate the qualitative and quantitative findings using results from the quantitative scales to group participants and with use of joint display analysis. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Michigan IRB. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences.
Weakness in an Elderly Woman With Asthma and Chronic Sinusitis

Weakness and sensory changes are common complaints in both the inpatient and the outpatient setting. However, this presentation remains a diagnostic challenge to clinicians due to the many possible underlying etiologies. The initial evaluation of weakness and sensory changes starts a thorough history and physical examination to guide the diagnostic process. In this article, we present the case of an elderly woman with complaints of weakness and sensory changes to highlight a step-wise approach to diagnosis and management.
Sandwich problem for Π - and Δ -free multigraphs and its applications to positional games

An n -multigraph G = ( V ; E i ? i ? I ) is a complete graph G = ( V , E ) whose edges are covered by n = | I | sets, E = ? i ? I E i , some of which might be empty. If this cover is a partition, then G is called an n -graph. We say that an n -graph G ' = ( V ; E i ' ? i ? I ) is an edge subgraph of an n -multigraph G = ( V ; E i ? i ? I ) if E i ' ? E i for all i ? I . We denote by Δ the n -graph on three vertices with three nonempty sets each containing a single edge, and by ? the four-vertex n -graph with two non-empty sets each of which contains the edges of a P 4 . In this paper, we recognize in polynomial time whether a given n -multigraph G contains a ? - and Δ -free n -subgraph, or not, and if yes, provide a polynomial delay algorithm generating all such subgraphs. The above decision problem can be viewed as a generalization of the sandwich problem for P 4 -free graphs solved by Golumbic et al. (1995).As a motivation and application, we consider the n -person positional game forms, which are known to be in a one-to-one correspondence with the ? - and Δ -free n -graphs. Given a game form g , making use of the above result, we recognize in polynomial time whether g is a subform of a positional (that is, tight and rectangular) game form and, if yes, we generate with polynomial delay all such positional extensions of g .
Modeling and Control of Complex Systems: Paradigms and Applications

In many cases, the dynamics of high dimensional nonlinear systems can be estimated from a low dimensional model. Nearly all variables are slaved by a few order parameters. If the complex system is perturbed by an external force in order to control it or to investigate it with a spectroscopic method, slaved variables can be stimulated and the prediction of the response from the low dimensional model may be impossible. We show that it is generally possible to predict the response of the complex system and to control it, if the external forces are resonant perturbations of the low dimensional model. We present this issue in terms of a few paradigms including the principle of the dynamical key, the principle of optimal interaction and the principle of matching in the framework of other paradigms in complex systems research. We discuss open problems as well as possible industrial applications.
Nonstoichiometry and Electrical Conductivity of Nanocrystalline CeO $${2 - x} $$

We synthesized dense CeO $${2 - x} $$ polycrystals of ∼10 nm grain size and characterized their electrical conductivity, in order to determine whether the defect properties of nanocrystalline solids fundamentally differ from those of conventional materials. The nanocrystals exhibit enhanced electronic conductivity, greatly reduced grain boundary impedance, and a heat of reduction more than 2.4 eV lower per oxygen vacancy compared to their coarse-grained counterparts. We propose that defect formation at low energy grain boundary sites is responsible for these properties, and that nanocrystalline oxides represent bulk materials possessing the defect thermodynamics of interfaces.
Social Conflict, Harmony, and Integration

This chapter examines psychological perspectives on intergroup relations, their implications for reducing bias and conflict, and their potential applications for enhancing social integration. Psychological research on social conflict, harmony, and integration has adopted one of two general perspectives. One perspective places an emphasis on functional relations between groups, typically pointing to competition and consequent perceived threat as a fundamental cause of intergroup prejudice and conflict (e.g., realistic group conflict theory). Another approach focuses on the roles of social categorization and collective identity, indicating that whereas different group identities tend to promote conflict, a common ingroup identity promotes harmony (e.g., social identity theory). Although functional and social categorization theories propose different psychological mechanisms, these approaches offer complementary rather than necessarily competing perspectives. For example, within the context of the Contact Hypothesis, appropriately structured intergroup contact can reduce bias and conflict by creating cooperative relations between groups while producing more individuated and personalized perceptions of others (decategorization) or creating a shared sense of identity (recategorization). Pragmatically, understanding the nature of bias and the processes that underlie it can suggest ways that these forces can be harnessed and redirected to promote social harmony. Keywords: contact hypothesis; cooperation; discrimination; group conflict; intergroup bias; prejudice; social categorization; social conflict
Review of Modern Physics, by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn. Scope: reference, textbook. Level: undergraduate, advanced undergraduate, teacher

It’s not news to be told that there’s another edition available of a Modern Physics text. Such announcements are best greeted with a yawn, since there are many choices on the market, and few change...
Speech recognition using sub-word neural tree network models and multiple classifier fusion

A new neural tree network (NTN)-based speech recognition system is presented. NTN is a hierarchial classifier that combines the properties of decision trees and feed-forward neural networks. In the sub-word unit-based system, the NTNs model the sub-word speech segments, while the Viterbi algorithm is used for temporal alignment. Durational probability is associated with each sub-word NTN. An iterative algorithm is proposed for training the sub-word NTNs. The sub-word NTN models, as well as the subword segment boundaries within a vocabulary word, are re-estimated. Thus, the proposed system is a homogeneous neural network-based, sub-word unit-based, speech recognition system. Furthermore, embedded within this word model paradigm, multiple NTNs are trained for each subword segment and their output decisions are combined or fused to yield improved performance. The proposed discriminatory training-based system did not perform favourably as compared to a hidden Markov model-based system. The paradigm presented in this paper can be argued to represent a class of discriminatory training-based, homogeneous (versus hybrid), sub-word unit-based, speech recognition systems. Hence, the results reported here can be generalized to other similar systems.
Effects of perspective taking on courtroom decisions

Four experiments examined the hypothesis that perspective taking with a defendant would lead to greater empathy, which would mediate lowered perceptions of culpability, with lowered culpability mediating a lower probability of guilt and recidivism. Experiments 1 and 2 established that perspective taking leads to a lower probability of guilty verdicts and recidivism, mediated by a decreased perception of the defendant's culpability. Experiment 2 showed that it does so by increasing empathy. Experiment 3 showed that perspective taking also heightens the perception of culpability through increased empathy for the victim. Experiment 4 showed that decreased culpability is in part driven by leniency, which is also a function of empathy. We tie our findings into other research investigating links between empathy and perspective taking.
OPINIONS ABOUT MOOSE AND MOOSE MANAGEMENT AT THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF MOOSE RANGE IN CONNECTICUT

Increasing moose ( Alces alces populations in the northeastern United States present new challenges for wildlife managers who must balance beneficial and adverse aspects of moose populations. It is important that managers understand stakeholder attitudes and values about moose and incorporate such into outreach and management programs. The objective of this research was to assess landowner and hunter perceptions about status, management, and concerns associated with a small moose population in Connecticut. The majority of landowners and hunters correctly believed that <100 moose existed in Connecticut, half believed that the population was increasing but had no opinion about appropriate size, and few had ever observed a moose in Connecticut or been involved in a moose-vehicle accident (MVA). Landowner support for viewing areas was high and moose hunting low unless MVAs increased; support for hunting moose was high among hunters. If human-moose conflicts increase, principally MVAs, we expect reduced public support for the resident moose population. Proactive education and management are suggested to reduce human-moose conflicts, MVAs, and increase acceptance of hunting as a possible population management tool.
MAGNESIUM ATTENUATES PULMONARY HYPERTENSION DUE TO HYPOXIA AND GROUP B STREPTOCOCCI

We investigated whether hypermagnesemia alleviates hypoxic or group B streptococcal (GBS) pulmonary hypertension (PH). Hypoxic PH was induced and maintained in 14 lambs by continuous ventilation wi...
Lixus cardui, a biological control agent for scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium): Safe for Australia, but not the USA?

Invasive exotic plants are often weeds in more than one country. After a biological control agent for a weed has been developed for use in one country, it is reasonable to consider using the same agent against the same weed in another country. ‘Transfer Projects’ can save considerable time and money, and they have been popular around the world. Lixus cardui Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a weevil from Europe, was first used by Australian researchers to control Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium L. (Asteraceae). There are few close relatives of Scotch thistle in Australia, but that is not the case in North America, where scotch thistle is also an important weed. I initiated a project to test some of the agents released in Australia to see if they would be appropriate for release in the United States. Test plants, primarily Cirsium spp. thistles native to California, were exposed under both choice and no-choice conditions to two populations of L. cardui, one from Greece, the other from France. The latter may represent an undescribed species, and its test results are reported separately. Both strains of L. cardui weevils fed heavily and developed on some native North American thistles, at a level comparable to the target weed, Scotch thistle. Consequently, our laboratory colonies of L. cardui were terminated, and I will not seek its release in the United States. Even though, L. cardui has established well in Australia since its release in 1993, and dispersed widely there without causing problems, it is inappropriate to release it in the United States. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Optical Signal Processing Applications of the Folded Spectrum

The two-dimensional optical Fourier transform of a raster recorded input electrical signal has been shown to result in a "folded spectrum." Selected examples and applications of this optical signal processor in signal demodulation and radar signal processing are discussed.
The necessity of mutual trust for cooperative behavior in a two-person game.

(1966). The Necessity of Mutual Trust for Cooperative Behavior in a Two-Person Game. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 149-154.
Generation Time of Epithelial Cells in the Human Colon

THE duration of the mitotic cycle in intestinal epithelial cells of rodents has been measured by radioautography after tritiated thymidine1,2. Proliferating jejunal and colonic epithelial cells in rodents have total generation times of about 18 hr., DNA synthesis (S phase) times of 5–8 hr., and pre-mitosis (G2) and mitosis times of 1.5–2 hr. In man, investigations of mitotic indices and autoradiographic studies with tritiated thymidine have suggested turnover times of intestinal epithelial cells of several days3.
Risk Aversion in the Approximate and the Exact Forms

A rigorous but intuitive framework is used to construct the Pratt-Arrow measures of absolute and relative risk aversion as exact measures of aversion to a general form of mean preserving spreads for any twice differentiable utility function. The derivation applies even to distributions that have undefined second or higher moments.