cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Working With the Millennial Generation: Challenges Facing 21st-Century Students From the Perspective of University Staff

This study explored university staff's general perceptions of millennial generation college students. Analysis of structured interviews with university professionals revealed that millennial students generally tend to ignore what may be expected of them, resist being accountable for their own actions, and depend on others for problem solving. Implications for college counselors are discussed.
Enhanced release of nitric oxide in response to changes in flow and shear stress in the superior mesenteric arteries of portal hypertensive rats

Increased nitric oxide (NO) release has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertension. NOS 3 (eNOS) causes NO release from the endothelium in response to physical stimuli, such as increased blood flow and shear stress. We evaluated the functional activity of the endothelium in the superior mesenteric arterial bed of portal hypertensive rats through direct measurement of NO metabolites (NOx) during changes in flow and shear stress. The in vitro perfusion system (McGregor) was used in sham and portal vein-ligated (PVL) rats. Shear stress was applied gradually to superior mesenteric arterial beds by increasing the perfusion rate. Flow studies were performed serially before and after incubation with either Krebs solution alone or with the NO-inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). NOx concentrations in the perfusate were measured using chemiluminescence. The slope of NOx release versus flow-induced shear stress was calculated. Before L-NMMA administration, NOx concentrations and release of NO in PVL rats were significantly elevated in comparison with sham rats at flow rates of 32, 40, and 48 mL/min. The slope of NOx production versus shear stress index was significantly higher in PVL than in sham rats. After L-NMMA incubation, the decrease in slope was significantly larger in PVL rats. This study provides direct evidences of an increased NO synthesis by the superior mesenteric arterial vascular endothelium of PVL animals in response to shear stress. The increased NO output in response to shear stress suggests an adaptative mechanism developed by the vascular endothelial cells in response to a chronic increase in flow-mediated shear stress.
Assumed strain stabilization of the 4-node quadrilateral with 1-point quadrature for nonlinear problems

Abstract Stabilization methods which are based on material and geometric parameters are developed via the Simo-Hughes assumed strain method. The assumed strain fields are constructed so that those portions of the fields which lead to volumetric and shear locking are eliminated by projection. The stabilization forces are then independent of the bulk modulus making them ideal for nonlinear incompressible problems such as plasticity in metals. Convergence studies are made for several test problems.
Steady-State and Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of F420 Extracted from Methanogen Cells and Its Utility as a Marker for Fecal Contamination

Methanogenic bacteria, which are common inhabitants of the animal digestive tract, contain the fluorescent compound F420 (coenzyme 420), a 7,8-didemethyl-8-hydroxy-5-deazariboflavin chromophore. F420 was characterized as an initial step in determining if this compound would be useful as a fluorescent marker for the detection of fecal and ingesta contamination. Using a single anion exchange chromatographic process, F420 was separated from other cell components of a Methanobrevibacter sp. cell culture. The extent of separation was determined spectroscopically. To aid in the development of possible techniques for the detection of fecal contamination using F420 as a marker, further spectroscopic investigation of F420 was conducted using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence methods. The fluorescence lifetime of F420 in an elution buffer of pH 7.5 was found to be 4.2 ns. At higher pH values, the fluorescence decay, F(t), was best described by a sum of two exponentials: at pH 13, F(t) = 0.31 exp(-t/4.20 ns) + 0.69 exp(-t/1.79 ns). Further investigation using front-faced fluorescence techniques has shown that emission from F420 can be collected efficiently from samples of methanogen cell cultures as well as from fecal material.
Media-isolated sensor

In pressure-sensing applications it is often desirable to expose the sensor to harsh media. Some applications, for example, gauge measurements, require exposure to harsh media from one side only, but others often require differential measurements between two locations. If the silicon piezoresistive pressure sensor is used in such an application, then the harsh environment could quickly corrode and destroy the unprotected side of the sensor. Historically, protection of silicon piezoresistive sensors from harsh media was provided by enclosing the sensor in an oil-filled compartment with stainless-steel diaphragms. This paper describes another approach to media isolation. An accurate low-cost differential pressure sensor has been developed using standard silicon piezoresistive pressure sensors, and does not require any oil filling for media isolation. It is in mass production for the automotive market now, but can also be used in many other non-automotive applications.
Reimaging the Imagined Community: Homeland Tourism and the Role of Place

This article offers an exploration of the diasporic public sphere in order to understand the processes by which identities are ascribed, resisted, or embraced. The author explores how American dias...
Efficient backward second-harmonic generation in quasi-phase-matched second-order nonlinear medium: a novel configuration

Summary form only given. A conventional second-order nonlinear material such as KTP or LiNbO/sub 3/ can be periodically poled to achieve second-harmonic generation (SHG). In this type of the medium, quasi-phase matching (QPM) has been achieved by spatial modulation of the second-order susceptibility such that the fundamental and second-harmonic waves can be in phase when they propagate in the same direction. The thickness of each domain is usually much larger than the wavelength of the fundamental or SH wave. Here, we present our results of investigating possibility of generating a backward SH based on a novel scheme. In this novel configuration the period of the domain structure is equal to the SH wavelength in the material. Therefore the second-order susceptibility has to be modulated spatially with the period much shorter than that achieved before.
The relationship between previous fluoroquinolone use and levofloxacin resistance in Helicobacter pylori infection.

The relationship between prior fluoroquinolone use and levofloxacin resistance in Helicobacter pylori infection is unknown. Among 125 enrolled patients, 8.8% had H. pylori isolates that were resistant to levofloxacin. Levofloxacin resistance was associated with any prior fluoroquinolone use over the previous 10 years and with the total number of fluoroquinolone courses prescribed (P < .001).
Complex dynamic behavior during transition in a solid combustion model

Through examples in a free-boundary model of solid combustion, this study concerns nonlinear transition behavior of small disturbances of front propagation and temperature as they evolve in time. This includes complex dynamics of period doubling, and quadrupling, and it eventually leads to chaotic oscillations. Within this complex dynamic domain we also observe a period six-folding. Both asymptotic and numerical solutions are studied.We show that for special parameters our asymptotic method with some dominant modes captures the formation of coherent structures. Finally,we discuss possible methods to improve our prediction of the solutions in the chaotic case. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2009 This article was submitted as an invited paper at the Understanding Complex Systems conference held at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, May 2007.
ON THE COORDINATE FUNCTIONS OF LÉVY'S DRAGON CURVE

Levy's dragon curve (P. L´, Les courbes planes ou gauches et les surfaces composees de parties semblables au tout, J. Ecole Polytechn., 227-247, 249-291 (1938)) is a well-known self-similar planar curve with non-empty interior. We derive an arithmetic expression for the coordi- nate functions of Levy's dragon curve, and show that the 3 -dimensional Hausdorff measure of the graph of each coordinate function is strictly pos- itive and finite. This complements known dimensional results concerning the coordinate functions of space-filling curves of Peano and Hilbert. The proof is based on deriving suitable uniform upper bounds for the sizes of the graphs' level sets.
Approximate Expected Delays for Several Maneuvers by a Driver in Poisson Traffic

Models are given for calculating the expected delay to a driver in making several maneuvers at or near a traffic light. These include going straight through, turning left, and various entrances and exits from the traffic stream. Traffic approaching the intersection is assumed to be Poisson. Approximations are used that apply at medium and low traffic flows.
Geographic region and racial variations in polypharmacy in the United States

Purpose Medications can have unintended effects. High medication use populations may benefit from increased regimen oversight. Limited knowledge exists concerning racial and regional polypharmacy variation. We estimated total medication distributions (excluding supplements) of American black and white adults and assessed racial and regional polypharmacy variation.
Synthesizing software Defined Radio components from Rosetta

The software defined radios movement is revolutionizing radio design by separating function from specific implementation. Like traditional software systems, software defined radio systems use a common operational definition that may be realized across numerous platforms. This paper describes initial efforts at realizing the promise of software defined radios by synthesizing radios to multiple implementation fabrics from a common Rosetta specification. We outline the approach by describing specifications used at each abstraction level, the operations implemented to synthesize radios, and various analysis techniques used to provide assurance in the resulting radio.
Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: The moderating role of pet ownership.

The physician utilization behavior of 938 Medicare enrollees in a health maintenance organization was prospectively followed for 1 year. With demographic characteristics and health status at baseline controlled for, respondents who owned pets reported fewer doctor contacts over the 1-year period than respondents who did not own pets. Furthermore, pets seemed to help their owners in times of stress. The accumulation of prebaseline stressful life events was associated with increased doctor contacts during the study year for respondents without pets. This relationship did not emerge for pet owners. Owners of dogs, in particular, were buffered from the impact of stressful life events on physician utilization. Additional analyses showed that dog owners in comparison to owners of other pets spent more time with their pets and felt that their pets were more important to them. Thus, dogs more than other pets provided their owners with companionship and an object of attachment.
A Phase I/II Study Combining Erlotinib and Dasatinib for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background. EGFR and Src are frequently activated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In preclinical models, combining EGFR and Src inhibition has additive synergistic effects. We conducted a phase I/II trial of the combination of Src inhibitor dasatinib with EGFR inhibitor erlotinib to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetic drug interactions, biomarkers, and efficacy in NSCLC.
Propagating constants past software to hardware peripherals on fixed-application embedded systems

Many embedded systems include a microprocessor that executes a single program for the lifetime of the system. These programs often contain constants used to initialize control registers in peripheral hardware components. Now that peripherals are often purchased in intellectual property (core) form and synthesized along with the microprocessor onto a single chip, new optimization opportunities exist. We introduce one such optimization, which involves propagating the initialization constants past the microprocessor to the peripheral, such that synthesis can further propagate the constants inside the peripheral core. While constant propagation in synthesis tools is commonly done, this work illustrates the benefits of recognizing initialization constants from the software as really being constants for hardware. We describe results that demonstrate 2-3 times reductions in peripheral size, and 10-30% savings in power, on several common peripheral examples.
Integrins: Implications for Aging in Heart Failure Therapy

Integrins are a large family of heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that attach cells to extracellular matrix proteins of the basement membrane. They are bidirectional signaling molecules composed of noncovalently associated α and β subunits. They can form over 24 pairs in mammalian cells creating a wide range of ligand specificity for binding to different components of the extracellular matrix. Integrin expression changes depending on the type of cell, its developmental stage, or the pathological status. There is also an age-associated change in integrin expression which may, at least in part, be responsible for the high prevalence of age-associated disorders. The focus of this chapter is to discuss (1) general structure and function of integrins, (2) expression of integrins in the heart, (3) change in the expression of integrins in the heart during aging, (4) their role in regulation of the remodeling process of the heart, and (5) their therapeutic potential for treatment of heart failure.
Pressure Effects on Great Lakes Vertical Control

This study investigated the warping effects of atmospheric pressure fields on the assumed level geopotential Great Lakes water surfaces during the 28-month period used in establishing the 1955 International Great Lakes Datum. The hydrostatic analysis used in the study indicated variations in lake water surface elevations of up to 4 cm during the study period. These variations were compared with computed gravitational effects similar to those included in the 1955 International Great Lakes Datum establishment. The atmospheric pressure effects were found to be of the same order of magnitude as those resulting from the nonuniform gravitational forces. Thus, the assumption that the water surfaces of the Great Lakes are level geopotential surfaces is erroneous and atmospheric pressure corrections should be included when establishing and revising the vertical control on the Great Lakes.
Case 27: A Patient with Supraglottic Mass

A 2-year-old child is scheduled for pharyngoscopy and biopsy for a pharyngeal mass. The child is breathless but has no stridor. The mouth opening is adequate, with a good view of the uvula. The chest X-ray is normal, and the lateral X-ray of the soft tissues of the neck shows a large supraglottic soft-tissue mass. This mass projects from the posterior pharyngeal wall into the larynx, which is narrowed by approximately 70 %.
Abstract 2503: Plasma Estradiol and Testosterone Levels and Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Large randomized trials have shown that use of exogenous estrogens with or without progestin increase the risk of ischemic stroke among women. Current data on the association between endogenous sex hormones and ischemic stroke are very limited. Data are also lacking on the association with endogenous androgens, which, through aromatization, are the primary source of endogenous estrogen in postmenopausal women. Thus, we evaluated plasma estradiol and testosterone levels and risk for ischemic stroke among women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS). Methods: Among 32,826 participants in the NHS who provided blood samples in 1989-1990, 405 postmenopausal women (209 never/past users and 196 current users of hormone therapy) had a confirmed diagnosis of ischemic stroke through 2006. An equal number of controls who were free of stroke during follow-up were matched for age, use of postmenopausal hormones, and smoking status. Estradiol and testosterone levels were measured by mass spectroscopy. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of log-transformed levels of estradiol and testosterone with stroke risk, within strata of hormone therapy use. Results: Circulating estradiol was not associated with stroke risk among never/past users; the relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval) for highest to lowest estradiol quartiles was 1.27 (0.74-2.19), when adjusted for matching factors (p trend=0.75). However, there was a nonsignificantly increased risk of stroke among current users with higher estradiol levels; conditional on matching factors, the RRs were 2.28 (1.20-4.33), 1.55 (0.81-2.96), and 1.90 (0.96-3.79), for quartiles 2-4, respectively (p for trend=0.56). No association was observed between total testosterone levels and stroke risk in either group; the RRs for highest to lowest quartiles were 0.86 (0.50-1.49) and 1.06 (0.60-1.87) in never/past and current users, respectively (p for trends ≥0.39). The associations with free sex hormone levels were similar to those observed with total circulating levels. Additional adjustment for body mass index, aspirin use, alcohol consumption, and history of diabetes, elevated cholesterol, hypertension, or coronary heart disease, as well as levels of c-reactive protein (CRP) and the total/HDL cholesterol ratio did not materially change the associations. No association was observed between total and free testosterone levels and stroke risk in either never/past or current users (p for trends ≥0.39). These associations did not vary across levels of aspirin use smoking status, or CRP (p for interactions >0.05). Conclusions: Estradiol and testosterone levels were not associated with risk of ischemic stroke in this cohort of postmenopausal women.
Principles and Basic Techniques

Comprehensive body contouring surgery coordinates multiple procedures for complete artistic rehabilitation in as few stages as safely possible. There are eleven surgical principles that guide this approach. Regardless of the initial complaint, (1) conduct a comprehensive analysis and offer the entire package of operative opportunities to the patient. Multiple operations demand (2) efficiency in design, organization, and execution. Orient the tissue excision (3) for optimal removal of loose skin. Plan the preoperative excisions accurately (4) for speed of execution. Focus on obtaining (5) the best contour and shape. Contour (6) with autogenous tissue. Integrate liposuction (7) with excisional surgery. Preserve (8) dermis, subcutaneous fascia, and neurovasculature to reduce morbidity. Stitch a tight (9) and secure closure without strangulating tissue. Anticipatory perioperative management (10) speeds recovery. Analyze clinical experience (11) to modify clinical behavior. Complications and aesthetic failings are bases for improvement.
Influence of methionine derivatives on effluent flow of methionine from continuous culture of ruminal bacteria.

Two separate studies were conducted using a continuous culture fermenter system to determine effects of supplementing D,L-methionine and various methionine derivatives on degradation of methionine by ruminal bacteria. A basal diet containing 20% alfalfa hay, 20% corn silage and 60% grain mix (DM basis) was provided at a rate of 75 g DM/d per fermenter and served as an unsupplemented control in both experiments. In Exp. 1, methionine sources included D,L-methionine, D,L-methionine hydantoic acid, D,L-methionine hydantoin, N-acetyl-D,L-methionine, methylthio-isobutyric acid, methylthio-propionic acid and D,L-methionine sulfoxide. These sources were added directly to fermenters twice daily and supplied an equivalent of 98 mg/d D,L-methionine (.13% of diet DM) and 21 mg/d S. Effluent methionine flow from fermenters was higher (P less than .05) with diets supplemented with D,L-methionine hydantoic acid (245 mg/d), D,L-methionine hydantoin (245 mg/d) and N-acetyl-D,L-methionine (270 mg/d) than with control (211 mg/d) or D,L-methionine (211 mg/d) treatments, indicating a lower ruminal bacterial degradation of these methionine derivatives. There were no major effects on bacterial fermentation due to methionine supplementation or source. In Exp. 2, methionine sources included D,L-methionine, methionine hydroxy analog and N-hydroxymethyl-D,L-methionine; these were mixed with the basal diet to provide an equivalent of 250 mg/d D,L-methionine (.33% of diet DM). Sodium sulfate was added to the control diet to attain equal S (54 mg/d) levels across treatments. Flow of methionine was not affected (P greater than .05) by methionine supplementation, indicating extensive degradation of all three methionine sources by ruminal bacteria.
Examining Subtypes of Behavioral/Emotional Risk Using Cluster Analysis:

Behavioral and emotional problems among children and adolescents can lead to numerous negative outcomes without intervention. From a prevention standpoint, screening for behavioral and emotional risk is an important step toward identifying such problems before the point of diagnosis or referral. The present study conducted a k-means cluster analysis to determine the subtypes of risk captured by one such screening instrument, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS). The final solution produced four clusters: Well-Adapted, Internalizing/Adjustment Problems, Mild Externalizing Problems, and General Problems-Severe; these results were similar to those found with the full Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), suggesting that the BESS assesses similar constructs. Predictive validity evidence suggested that cluster membership was associated with standard achievement scores and in-school disciplinary incidents.
Perspective of ophthalmology residents in the United States about residency programs and competency in relation to the International Council of Ophthalmology guidelines.

Purpose To evaluate the perspective of ophthalmology residents in the US about their residency programs and compare the competency of residency programs to international competency levels set by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).
Validity of Polygraph Techniques and Decision Methods

This chapter describes the current methods and uses of polygraph techniques for the detection of deception. Following a brief overview of the basic principles of polygraph tests, it provides a detailed description of the most widely applied technique for physiological detection of deception, the Comparison Question Test (CQT), and the various analytic methods for determining the outcomes of such tests. It analyzes the scientific research and validity of the CQT, and compares the diagnostic reliability and validity of polygraph tests to other commonly used psychological and medical tests and diagnostic procedures. The findings refute the misguided and disingenuous attack on the polygraph by the National Research Council. There is an extensive description and analysis of current methods for rendering decisions, and the chapter concludes with a discussion of some of the major issues concerning uses of polygraph tests, including its accuracy on psychopaths and victims of crimes, confidential tests for defense attorneys, and government uses of polygraph examinations.
Hegel, Marx and Social Theory: Reason and Revolution

Reason and Revolution (hereafter R&R) contains Marcuse’s most detailed analysis of the Hegelian and Marxian philosophies, and provides, in effect, a historical-theoretical foundation for critical theory by tracing the rise of critical social theory in the nineteenth century and by articulating its basic presuppositions. The book was received as an important interpretation of Hegel, Marx, and the rise of social theory, and it remains today one of the best works on the topic.1 Marcuse emphasizes the critical-revolutionary elements in Hegel taken over by Marx, arguing that the Marxian theory is the authentic continuation and development of Hegel’s philosophy. He also attempts to show that Hegel’s thought is incompatible with the contemporary fascist ideas and theories of the authoritarian state which many associated with Hegel. Marcuse combats the interpretations of Hegel as a proto-fascist thinker by positing the Hegelian and Marxian theories as ‘negative philosophy’ which is rational, critical and subversive of conformist thinking and contrasting it with the ‘positive philosophy’ that arose after Hegel’s death and which ‘undertook to subordinate reason to the authority of established fact’ (R&R, p. xv).
The association between hemoglobin concentration and neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest

Purpose The purpose of the study is to determine the association between hemoglobin concentration (Hgb) and neurologic outcome in postarrest patients.
Selection and Coevolution in Industrial Economies

A defining characteristic of modern industrial economies is extremely rapid change. This phenomenon as a general characteristic is evidently unique in human history. Judging from the archaeological record, in hunting and gathering societies stasis was the norm. Technologies remained essentially unchanged for very long periods until they were (relatively) rapidly replaced by other equally persistent technologies. The Acheulean technology, associated with Homo erectus and characterized by a type of finely worked handaxe, lasted for about 1 1/2 million years (Rowley-Conwy 1993, p. 64). The Mousterian technology, associated with Neanderthals, lasted almost 100,000 years. Identifiable agricultural technologies such as the Hopewellian of the eastern U.S. and the Anazazi of the southwest persisted for hundreds of years. Observers of contemporary agricultural or peasant societies also report the persistence of economic and social traditions and a reluctance to change. In industrial societies, on the other hand, economic and technological punctuations come rapidly and in seemingly limitless forms.
Role of Consolidative Radiation Therapy After Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the role of the addition of consolidative radiotherapy following high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Methods and Materials Medical records were reviewed from a total of 80 consecutive patients who underwent high-dose chemotherapy with AHCT treated under a single protocol at XXXX between 11/2005 – 1/2014. Of these, 32 patients received radiotherapy following AHCT as planned consolidation. Results At a median follow-up of 25 months, the 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for the entire cohort was 96% and 52%, respectively. Consolidative radiotherapy was found to significantly improve the 2-year PFS (67% vs 42%, p Conclusion The addition of consolidative radiotherapy following high-dose chemotherapy and AHCT demonstrated a significant improvement in 2-year PFS and no impact on OS. Radiotherapy was well tolerated with minimal toxicity. Our study supports a role of consolidative radiotherapy in patients with HL treated with AHCT.
Inference-Enabled Information-Theoretic Exploration of Continuous Action Spaces

We consider an autonomous exploration problem in which a mobile robot is guided through an a priori unknown environment by a controller that chooses the most informative action within a local region. We propose a novel approach to efficiently evaluate information gain over the continuous action space that leverages supervised learning, with the anticipated mutual information achieved by a discrete set of action primitives serving as training data. We describe an autonomous exploration algorithm that uses this approach to cover a priori unknown environments. Computational results demonstrate that the method offers an improved rate of entropy reduction, surpassing a baseline approach that selects from the discrete action set, which in some instances requires more computational effort and yields less information.
Effects of lightboard usage on circuit problem skills

While assessing electric circuit homework assignments in an Electrical Engineering program at West Virginia University, it is sometimes difficult to follow students' logic and thinking process. When instructors grade homework assignments, they only see what is written down on paper. Most students neglect to write out their thoughts, which can cause difficulty in comprehending why they choose a particular method to solve the problem, or the point where they experienced difficulty. A class of twenty-two students in a 200-level undergraduate Digital Electronics course that was offered at West Virginia University were asked to conduct several of their assigned homework problems using a Lightboard, a lecture recording tool that allows the user to face the camera while writing on a transparent surface. The intent of these exercises was to gain a better understanding of the students' thought process and see the effect on their self-confidence in circuit solving skills. While conducting the assignments, students would narrate how they were solving the circuit problem on the Lightboard, as if they were teaching the problem to their peers. These recorded sessions were assessed for problem-solving skills using a rubric with the following performance indicators: defining the problem, determining the strategy and procedure, evaluating the outcomes, creating diagrams and sketches, using neatness and organization, and referencing terminology and notation. Students were also asked to complete a survey prior to and after the Lightboard sessions using a five-point Likert scale to gauge their self-confidence. This data, in correlation with the students' course performance, was analyzed to determine if this approach to problem-solving techniques impacted the students' course grades and competency in problem-solving skills.
A micromechanical framework and modified self-consistent homogenization scheme for the thermoelasticity of porous bonded-particle assemblies

Abstract Thermoelasticity of porous bonded-particle assemblies is modeled within a micromechanical framework that considers damage at the inter-particle interfaces. Connections between void space and interface damage are developed and incorporated into a modified self-consistent homogenization (M-SCH) scheme that includes a contribution to the mean strain field from local displacement discontinuities over interfacial void spaces. The M-SCH scheme is developed for particles of a general ellipsoidal shape with anisotropic elastic and thermal expansion properties. Two types of porosity are distinguished: (1) dispersed inter-particle porosity and (2) isolated porosity. A means of separating out the relative contributions of each type of porosity to the homogenization scheme is provided, and an explicit expression is obtained for an effective damaged interphase thickness as a function of the dispersed porosity and the particle morphology. Numerical examples are provided for quartz bonded-particle assemblies in order to examine the influence of the porosity type on the predicted elastic moduli. The model is also calibrated to the neutron diffraction measurements provided by Yeager et al. (2016) of triclinic TATB crystal lattice orientation (texture) and lattice strain induced under thermal loading. The model simulations of lattice strain are compared with the measurements, and the predicted statistical distributions of inter-particle displacement discontinuities and contact tractions within the assembly are examined.
Crossflow Instabilities in the Approximation of Detonation Waves

We describe a mechanism which can cause crossflow instabilities in the approximation of multidimensional detonation waves. Crossflow instabilities can grow if a discontinuity is nearly aligned with the mesh and if the velocity transverse to the discontinuity is close to zero. When these conditions are met a continuous perturbation of the constant state transverse to the discontinuity can cause the crossflow instability to grow. In both the reactive and the nonreactive case such a continuous perturbation can be caused by oscillations which arise behind the discontinuity. In the nonreactive case these oscillations are a numerical artifact of the scheme, whereas in the reactive case the oscillations reflect a physical instability inherent in the problem. We suggest a fix which avoids the crossflow instability without limiting the oscillatory wave structure, which can arise behind detonation waves.
Chemistry of Isoprenoid Compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the chemistry of isoprenoid compounds. The chemical analysis of plant and animal material has shown the occurrence of a large number of compounds with a molecular structure, which can be constructed from isoprene or isopentane units. This structure appears in volatile oils of plants, the essential oils, valued since early history because they carried the Quinta essentia , the fragrance of the plants. The occurrence of this type of compound in oil of turpentine impressed upon them the name “terpenes.” Higher boiling fractions of the oils contained closely related compounds, which received the name of sesquiterpenes, because their formula contained 1.5 times as many carbon atoms as the monoterpenes. The variety in structure of the terpenoids is caused not only by the number of isopentane or isoprene units, but also by the way in which carbon atoms of the units are interlocked.
Slow Wave Sleep Is Protective Against Obstructive Sleep Apnea (P05.020)

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis of whether slow wave sleep is protective against obstructive sleep apnea. BACKGROUND: It is known that obstructive sleep apnea may worsen in REM stage of sleep as well as in supine sleep but limited data exist on the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea in the different NREM stages of sleep including N1, N2 and N3. There is limited data to support that obstructive sleep apnea improves in slow wave sleep. DESIGN/METHODS: A retrospective design study was conducted of the last 40 consecutive OSA patients who presented to the sleep lab. Data regarding medication use, Epworth, BMI, age were collected. The polysomnograms were analyzed for stages of sleep and the Apnea Hypopnea Index for REM, NREM, N1,N2 and N3 stage of sleep. The polysomnograms were scored using the American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria. RESULTS: There were 40 patients with OSA. The mean AHI for the entire cohort was 24 events per hour. The AHI in REM sleep was 34 events per hour. The AHI in NREM sleep was 21 events per hour. The AHI in N1, N2 and N3 sleep were 40, 21 and 3 events per hour, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: OSA patients demonstrate a reduced AHI in N3 stage of sleep compared to N1 and N2 stages of sleep. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea in this series displayed the largest AHI in N1 stage of sleep followed in descending order by REM, N2 and then N3 stage of sleep. Disclosure: Dr. McCaskill has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brass has received personal compensation for serving as a scientific advisory board for UCB Pharma.
Abelian Functions: Problems of Hermite and Kronecker

During the 1880s, Frobenius published several papers investigating diverse aspects of the theory of abelian and theta functions. In this and the following chapter, three of these works from 1880 to 1884 will be discussed in detail. (Some other papers from this era dealing with theta functions with half-integer characteristics are considered more tangentially in Chapter 12.)
Extreme Logistic Regression: A Large Scale Learning Algorithm with Application to Prostate Cancer Mortality Prediction

With the recent popularity of electronic medical records, enormous amount of medical data is being generated every day at an exponential rate.Machine learning methods have been shown in many studies to be capable of producing automatic medical diagnostic models such as automated prognostic models. However, many powerful machine learning algorithms such as support vector machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF) or Kernel Logistic Regression (KLR) are unbearably slow for very large datasets. This makes their use in medical research limited to small to medium scale problems.This study is motivated by an ongoing research on prostate cancer mortality prediction for a national representative of US population where the SVM and RF took several hours or days to trainwhereas simple linear methods such as logistic regression or linear discriminant analysis take minutes or even seconds.Because, most real-world problems are non-linear, this paper presents a large scale algorithm enabling a recently proposed least squares extreme logistic regression to learn very large datasets. The algorithm is shown on a case study of mortality prediction for men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer to provide very fast and more accurate result than standard statistical methods.
Incision Choices in Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: A Comparative Analysis of Outcomes and Evolution of a Clinical Algorithm.

BACKGROUND Nipple-sparing mastectomy allows for preservation of the entire nipple-areola complex using various incision patterns. Reconstructive trends and overall risk associated with these diverse nipple-sparing mastectomy incisions have yet to be fully elucidated. METHODS All nipple-sparing mastectomies from 2006 to 2017 were identified; outcomes were stratified by type of mastectomy incision: lateral or vertical radial, inframammary fold, Wise pattern, previous, and periareolar. RESULTS A total of 1207 nipple-sparing mastectomies were included for final analysis. Of these, 638 (52.9 percent) used an inframammary fold incision, 294 (24.4 percent) used a lateral radial incision, 161 (13.3 percent) used a vertical radial incision, 60 (5.0) used a Wise pattern incision, 35 (2.9 percent) used a previous incision, and 19 (1.6 percent) used a periareolar incision. The groups were heterogeneous and differed significantly with regard to various factors, including age (p < 0.001), body mass index (p < 0.001), reconstruction modality (p < 0.001), and others. In crude multivariate logistic regression analysis, vertical radial (16.1 percent) and inframammary fold incisions (21.0 percent) were associated with lower overall complication rates. In a reduced multivariate logistic regression model, inframammary fold incisions (p = 0.001) emerged as significantly protective of overall complications after controlling all variables. CONCLUSIONS Nipple-sparing mastectomy may be safely performed using various mastectomy incisions, each with unique advantages and limitations. Overall, inframammary fold incisions appear to be associated with the lowest risk, whereas Wise pattern incisions may increase risk. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, III.
Mental and physical support (MAPS) for moms: preliminary findings from a prenatal health support program.

Abstract Background The low incidence of exercise during pregnancy and the high rates of prenatal depression indicate more opportunities are needed for mothers to engage in exercise and obtain health-related support and education. MAPS (mental & physical support) was developed to support mothers’ psychological and physical health during pregnancy. MAPS consisted of physical activity classes 2×/week followed by either a speaker or group discussion regarding a parenting or health-related topic. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the format was feasible prior to developing a main scale randomized trial. Methods Program measurements included a pre/post survey, post-program focus group, attendance logs and scales for exercise, self-efficacy, and social support. Results Findings indicated the program format is well-received by participants; however, issues in attendance warrant program format alterations. Further, larger scale studies and the addition of a control group are needed. Conclusion This format offers practitioners an effective strategy for supporting pregnant women's physical and psychological health.
Structure of the sensory domain of McpX fromSinorhizobium meliloti, the first known bacterial chemotactic sensor for quaternary ammonium compounds.

The α-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti can live freely in the soil or engage in a symbiosis with its legume host. S. meliloti facilitates nitrogen fixation in root nodules, thus providing pivotal, utilizable nitrogen to the host. The organism has eight chemoreceptors, namely McpT to McpZ and IcpA that facilitate chemotaxis. McpX is the first known bacterial sensor of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) such as choline and betaines. Because QACs are exuded at chemotaxis-relevant concentrations by germinating alfalfa seeds, McpX has been proposed to contribute to host-specific chemotaxis. We have determined the crystal structure of the McpX periplasmic region (McpXPR) in complex with the proline betaine at 2.7 A resolution. In the crystal, the protein forms a symmetric dimer with one proline betaine molecule bound to each monomer of McpXPR within membrane-distal CACHE module. The ligand is bound through cation–πinteractions with four aromatic amino acid residues. Mutational analysis in conjunction with binding studies revealed that a conserved aspartate residue is pivotal for ligand binding. We discovered that, in a striking example of convergent evolution, the ligand-binding site of McpXPR resembles that of a group of structurally unrelated betaine-binding proteins including ProX and OpuAC. Through this comparison and docking studies, we rationalized the specificity of McpXPR for this specific group of ligands. Collectively, our structural, biochemical, and molecular docking data have revealed the molecular determinants in McpX that are crucial for its rare ligand specificity for QACs.
Identifying Sleep-Deprived Authors of Tweets: Prospective Study.

Background: Social media data can be explored as a tool to detect sleep deprivation. First-year undergraduate students in their first quarter were invited to wear sleep-tracking devices (Basis; Intel), allow us to follow them on Twitter, and complete weekly surveys regarding their sleep. Objective: This study aimed to determine whether social media data can be used to monitor sleep deprivation. Methods: The sleep data obtained from the device were utilized to create a tiredness model that aided in labeling the tweets as sleep deprived or not at the time of posting. Labeled data were used to train and test a gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network as to whether or not study participants were sleep deprived at the time of posting. Results: Results from the GRU neural network suggest that it is possible to classify the sleep-deprivation status of a tweet’s author with an average area under the curve of 0.68. Conclusions: It is feasible to use social media to identify students’ sleep deprivation. The results add to the body of research suggesting that social media data should be further explored as a potential source for monitoring health.
University of Connecticut Department of Statistics

The Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut was founded in 1962. As one of the major statistics departments in New England, it provides outstanding preparation for careers in academia, industry, or government. With a core faculty of 15 members whose teaching and research expertise span virtually all major specializations in statistical science, our department has both national and international reputation in undergraduate and graduate education, research, and service to the profession. The department offers BA/BS majors, BA/BS majors in mathematics and statistics jointly, as well as Masters and PhD degrees in statistics.
Toward a Community of Professionalism

Professionalism amongst American litigators has declined. Many jurisdictions have adopted codes of conduct in order to restore professionalism. These attempts have done little to restore professionalism. Similar adversarial systems, like England's, are admired for their professionalism. What creates this value amongst barristers is a sense of community. A similar practice should be adopted in the United States in order to restore a sense of professionalism in litigation.
Obesity-related multimorbidity and risk of cardiovascular disease in the middle-aged population in the United States

Abstract To investigate the prevalence of obesity-related multimorbidity (co-occurrence of ≥2 obesity-related chronic diseases, ORCDs) and the risk of cardiovascular disease in the presence of multimorbidity in middle-aged adults in the United States. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2016 were used. Target ORCDs included hypertension (H), diabetes (D), coronary heart disease (C), and stroke (S). Age-standardized prevalence for obesity-related multimorbidity in its combination and permutation was calculated. Risk for cardiovascular disease (C or S) was estimated conditional on demographics, degree of obesity, and presence and duration of pre-existing ORCDs. Analyses were conducted at Washington University in 2019. The analytic sample included 14,243 individuals age 40–79 years, representing a population size of 110,003,550. Age-standardized prevalence for obesity-related multimorbidity was 12.3%. Hypertension was most commonly the first diagnosed ORCD for populations with 2–4 ORCDs, followed by diabetes for populations with 2–3 ORCDs. Compared with no pre-existing hypertension/diabetes/stroke, pre-existing hypertension in combination with diabetes/stroke significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease [H + S (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, aHR 27.6, 95% CI 10.9–70.2), D + H + S (aHR 20.3, 95% CI 7.9–52.2)]. Compared with no hypertension/diabetes/coronary heart disease, pre-existing hypertension in combination with diabetes/coronary heart disease significantly increased risk of stroke [C + D + H (aHR 32.6, 95% CI 12.2–87.1), C + H (aHR 25.4, 95% CI 12.1–53.6), D + H (aHR 5.3, 95% CI 2.6–10.8)]. Obesity-related multimorbidity is prevalent and highly associated with cardiovascular disease development. To reduce the detrimental health impact of multimorbidity, intervention strategies should target preventing increasing multimorbidity and detecting/managing diabetes and hypertension prior to the onset of cardiovascular disease.
Data, Politics and Public Health: COVID-19 Data-Driven Decision Making in Public Discourse

In spring 2020, New York City became the acknowledged epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. To keep residents informed, Governor Cuomo conducted a streak of 111 daily press briefings reporting critical information about the status of the pandemic in the State at large, and New York City in particular. We show that through these briefings Governor Cuomo introduced an audience of New Yorkers and others to concepts basic to data-driven decision making such as data, science, models, and projections, and in so doing claimed that his decisions were unrelated to politics or whim. But we further suggest that data-driven decision making is not always immune from politics and human frailty in government. We conclude that basing policy decisions on data requires that policymakers insure the creation of a resilient and trustworthy health care data infrastructure to function as the scaffolding upon which policy making takes place.