cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating oncogenic pathway dysregulation in adolescents and young adults with acute myeloid leukemia.

7107 Background: Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) have been shown to have better outcomes with induction chemotherapy when compared to older young adults (OYAs)....
Approximate ADMM algorithms derived from Lagrangian splitting

This paper presents two new approximate versions of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) derived by modifying of the original “Lagrangian splitting” convergence analysis of Fortin and Glowinski. They require neither strong convexity of the objective function nor any restrictions on the coupling matrix. The first method uses an absolutely summable error criterion and resembles methods that may readily be derived from earlier work on the relationship between the ADMM and the proximal point method, but without any need for restrictive assumptions to make it practically implementable. It permits both subproblems to be solved inexactly. The second method uses a relative error criterion and the same kind of auxiliary iterate sequence that has recently been proposed to enable relative-error approximate implementation of non-decomposition augmented Lagrangian algorithms. It also allows both subproblems to be solved inexactly, although ruling out “jamming” behavior requires a somewhat complicated implementation. The convergence analyses of the two methods share extensive underlying elements.
Receipt and timing of HIV drug resistance testing in six U.S. jurisdictions.

ABSTRACTThe Department of Health and Human Services recommends drug resistance testing at linkage to HIV care. Because receipt and timing of testing are not well characterized, we examined testing patterns among persons with diagnosed HIV who are linked to care. Using surveillance data in six jurisdictions for persons aged ≥13 years with HIV infection diagnosed in 2013, we assessed the proportion receiving testing, and among these, the proportion receiving testing at linkage. Multivariable log-binomial regression modeling estimated associations between selected characteristics and receipt of testing (1) overall, and (2) at linkage among those tested. Of 9,408 persons linked to care, 66% received resistance testing, among whom 68% received testing at linkage. Less testing was observed among male persons who inject drugs (PWID), compared with men who have sex with men (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81–0.97) and persons living in areas with population <500,000 compare...
A simulation-based efficiency comparison of AC and DC power distribution networks in commercial buildings

Abstract Direct current (DC) power distribution has recently gained traction in buildings research due to the proliferation of on-site electricity generation and battery storage, and an increasing prevalence of internal DC loads. The research discussed in this paper uses Modelica-based simulation to compare the efficiency of DC building power distribution with an equivalent alternating current (AC) distribution. The buildings are all modeled with solar generation, battery storage, and loads that are representative of the most efficient building technology. A variety of parametric simulations determine how and when DC distribution proves advantageous. These simulations also validate previous studies that use simpler approaches and arithmetic efficiency models. This work shows that using DC distribution can be considerably more efficient: a medium sized office building using DC distribution has an expected baseline of 12% savings, but may also save up to 18%. In these results, the baseline simulation parameters are for a zero net energy (ZNE) building that can island as a microgrid. DC is most advantageous in buildings with large solar capacity, large battery capacity, and high voltage distribution.
Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Stepsiblings

Although the bulk of stepfamily research focuses on children, only minimal attention has been paid to the potential changes that can occur as a result of adding stepsiblings and half-siblings to children’s family constellations. Many researchers identify a target child when collecting and analyzing stepfamily data so little is known regarding how siblings may be differentially affected by remarriage. In this chapter we present sibling definitions, a brief summary of the research on siblings in stepfamilies, and suggestions for future research.
How New CEOs’ Prior Board Experience Affects Post-Succession Executive Turnover and Performance

We develop a theory to explain why a new outside CEO’s prior experience with other relatively independent or diverse boards can help the CEO better manage relationship with the focal board, reducin...
Correlation Among Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates and Internet Searches in the United States.

Importance Population-level disease metrics are critical to guide the distribution of resources and implementation of public health initiatives. Internet search data reflect population interest in health topics and may be an alternative metric of disease characteristics when traditional sources are lacking, such as in basal and squamous cell carcinomas, which are not included in national cancer registries. However, these data are not yet well validated or understood. Objective To evaluate whether state-specific normalized internet search volume correlates with incidence and mortality rates of common cancers in the United States, including melanoma. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a cross-sectional analysis of Google search volume index data and US cancer incidences and mortalities of 8 of the most incident cancers in the United States in 2009 to 2013, at the state level, per the National Program of Cancer Registries. Participants were people performing Google searches and patients diagnosed as having cancers reported to cancer registries. Main Outcomes and Measures Correlation between Google search volumes, normalized to total Google search volume, and National Program of Cancer Registries recorded cancer incidence and mortality rates. Results By state, relative Google search volume statistically significantly correlated with cancer incidence rates in 5 of 8 commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States (colon cancer: R = 0.61; P R = 0.73; P R = 0.51; P R = 0.36; P = .01; and thyroid cancer: R = 0.30; P = .03). For 4 of those 5 cancers (colon cancer: R = 0.61; P R = 0.62; P R = 0.38; P = .006; and melanoma: R = 0.31; P = .03), relative Google search volume also correlated with mortality rates. Conclusions and Relevance Population-level internet search behavior may be a valuable real-time tool to estimate cancer incidence and mortality rates, especially for cancers not included in national registries, such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
Perceptions of prognosis and treatment risk in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

43Background: Older patients ( > 60 years) with AML face difficult treatment decisions as they can be treated either with risky multi-drug intensive chemotherapy for a small chance of a cure, or non-intensive and non-curative palliative chemotherapy. However, studies have not described patients understanding of their prognosis and treatment risk. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of older patients newly diagnosed with AML at two tertiary care hospitals. At enrollment, we assessed patients and oncologists perception of treatment-related mortality. At one month, we assessed patients and oncologists perception of prognosis using the Prognosis and Treatment Perception Questionnaire. Results: We enrolled consecutive patients within 72 hours of initiating intensive (n = 50) or non-intensive (n = 50) chemotherapy. The majority of patients reported that it is somewhat (58/92, 63.0%) or extremely (26/92, 28.3%) likely to die due to treatment while their oncologists reported that it is very u...
Double-Consciousness as Metaphor

When my middle school students and I discuss Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s (1943) observation that it is “only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye,” topics of friendship and personal identity invariably arise. Through discussion and observation I have observed that students often perceive their friends as possessing the practically exclusive capacity to reveal to them their true identities.
Nucleation of the lamellar phase from the disordered phase of the renormalized Landau-Brazovskii model

Using the zero-temperature string method, we investigate nucleation of a stable lamellar phase from a metastable disordered phase of the renormalized Landau-Brazovskii model at parameters explicitly connected to those of an experimentally accessible diblock copolymer melt. We find anisotropic critical nuclei in qualitative agreement with previous experimental and analytic predictions; we also find good quantitative agreement with the predictions of a single-mode analysis. We conduct a thorough search for critical nuclei containing various predicted and experimentally observed defect structures. The predictions of the renormalized model are assessed by simulating the bare Landau-Brazovskii model with fluctuations. We find that the renormalized model makes reasonable predictions for several important quantities, including the order-disorder transition (ODT). However, the critical nucleus size depends sharply on proximity to the ODT, so even small errors in the ODT predicted by the renormalized model lead to large errors in the predicted critical nucleus size. We conclude that the renormalized model is a poor tool to study nucleation in the fluctuating Landau-Brazovskii model, and recommend that future studies work with the fluctuating bare model directly, using well-chosen collective variables to investigate kinetic pathways in the disorder → lamellar transition.
Temperature responsive nanoparticles: poloxamers as a modulator of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)

An effective strategy to control the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) of a donor/acceptor emitter pair that were attached to a 60 nm poly(propargyl acrylate)(PA) nanoparticle using temperature variations was developed. The size dependent properties of a poly-(ethylene oxide)-poly-(propylene oxide)-poly-(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymer (poloxamer) was exploited to vary the spatial separation of the emitters and vary the FRET efficiency. Specifically, a 2% change in FRET efficiency between the donor/acceptor pair was achieved per 1 °C change in temperature from 49 °C to 60 °C when using a poloxamer of 2950 g mol-1 molecular weight, with sections of PPO consisting of 32 repeat units, PEO sections consisting of 12 repeat units and a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 58 °C. The methodology presented in this effort is easily extended to other temperature regimes through a judicious choice in poloxamer and corresponding LCST.
The immunology of procollagen: I. Development of antibodies to determinants unique to the proα1 chain

Abstract Rabbits immunized with proα1 chains derived from embryonic chick cranial bone procollagen developed antibodies directed specifically to the NH 2 -terminal non-triple-helical sequence unique to the precursor chain. Antibodies were detected by a sensitive radioimmunoassay which employed radiolabeled chick proα1 chains, rabbit antisera absorbed with an excess of α1 chain, and a sheep anti-rabbit γG globulin serum. The specificity of such rabbit antisera was demonstrated by inhibition assays with unlabeled proα1 chains and with CNBr and collagenase fragments obtained from the additional sequence in the precursor chain. The availability of antibodies to this relatively immunogenic region of procollagen provides a means of assaying for the collagen precursor in biosynthetic experiments and may permit the intracellular localization of the macromolecule by antibody-labeling techniques.
DYNAMIC PLASTIC BUCKLING

Publisher Summary This chapter is a survey of experimental and analytical investigations of two related types of dynamic plastic buckling in rods and cylindrical shells, carried on by the Poulter Laboratories, Stanford Research Institute. It illustrates several metal specimens of cylindrical shells, rods, strips, tubes, in permanently buckled forms. In each case, the buckling occurred in a very short time (less than 250 × 10 −6 sec) following either an explosive or an impact loading. In every case, repeated tests show a reproducibility indicating characteristic forms of dynamic plastic buckling over-shadowing accidental initial imperfections. Some can be well understood by disregarding elastic deformations, but for others, the elastic phase of the motion sets the pattern for the final permanent deformation. The former are simpler, so long as one is content to adopt a simple stress–strain relation in the plastic range—a constant strain-hardening modulus. But, there are further observations that can only be explained by admitting that for a real metal, the strain-hardening modulus is not constant.
Neural consequences of sleep disordered breathing: the role of intermittent hypoxia.

Sleep disordered breathing is characterised by periodic breathing, episodes of hypoxia and repeated arousals from sleep; symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, impairment of memory, learning and attention. Recent evidence from animal studies suggests that both intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation can independently lead to neuronal defects in the hippocampus and pre frontal cortex; areas known to be closely associated with neural processing of memory and executive function. We have previously shown that sleep disordered breathing is associated with loss of gray matter concentration within the left hippocampus (47). We have now confirmed and extended this rinding in 22 right handed, newly diagnosed male patients (mean (sd): age 51.8 (15.4) yrs, apnea / hypopnea index 53.1 (14.0) events/hr, minimum nocturnal oxygen saturation 75 (8.4) %) and 17 controls matched for age and handedness. Voxel-based morphometry, an automated unbiased technique, was used to characterise changes in gray matter concentration. The magnetic resonance images were segmented and grey matter concentration determined voxel by voxel. Analysis of variance was then preformed, adjusted for overall image intensity, with age as a covariant. Additional to the deficit in the left hippocampus, we found more extensive loss of gray matter bilaterally in the parahippocampus. No additional focal lesions were seen in other brain regions. Based on our findings and data from other human and animal studies, we speculate that in patients with sleep disordered breathing intermittent hypoxia is associated with neural deficit, and further that such lesions may lead to cognitive dysfunction.
Understanding Cervical Cancer Screening among Latinas through the Lens of Structure, Culture, Psychology and Communication

This study explored how structural and cultural forces work together with psychological and communication factors in influencing Pap test compliance among Latinas in Los Angeles County, a group who face health disparities related to cervical cancer screening, incidence and mortality. By adopting a multilevel approach to obtain a grounded understanding of this issue, this work revealed that structural barriers, fatalism, religious service attendance, perceived susceptibility, perceived costs, and cues to action from health care providers are all associated with Pap test compliance. Financial barriers also influence compliance, with underinsurance having a stronger negative impact compared to no insurance at all. These findings provide insights into how communication efforts can be strategically designed to address both individual- and system-level barriers to promote health-seeking behaviors among Latinas, and potentially among other population groups experiencing health disparities due to similar reasons.
Modeling Spatiotemporal Trajectories

In this chapter, we will focus on the spatiotemporal object modeling and put special attention on the moving objects with extended geometric representations. Our spatiotemporal frequent pattern mining algorithms primarily make use of region trajectories whose polygon-based region representations continuously evolve over time. In the rest of this chapter, we will firstly introduce the conceptual modeling of spatiotemporal trajectories and moving objects. Then, we will present the evolving region trajectories and spatiotemporal event instances which are the base data types in our mining schema.
Abstract B44: Exosomes-associated miR-3128 and miR-3613 are dysregulated in African American men with prostate cancer and correlated with poor prognosis

Background: The mortality rate of prostate cancer (PCa) is two times higher in African American (AA) than in Caucasian American (CA) men. The molecular mechanisms underlying these discrepancies among AA men have yet to be fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the role of exosomes (Exo)-associated microRNAs (miR-3613 and miR-3128) as epigenetic determinant for the racial disparity of PCa patients. Methods: Exosomes were isolated from the conditioned medium of MDA-PCa-2b and E006-A (AA-origin), and PC-3 and Du-145 (CA origin) cell lines. Exo-miRs profiling was performed to study the differential expression of AA vs CA in cells. The potential candidates were validated in Exo procured from plasma of forty AA and CA PCa patients and their aged-matched healthy subjects (n=20) using real-time PCR analysis. Circulating miRs were also determined in the plasma. The sensitivity and specificity of Exo-miRs were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Exosomes-associated miR-3613 and miR-3128 were downregulated (P Conclusion: Our findings underline the role of exosomes-associated miRs in health disparity of PC. The differential expression of miRs in AA men demonstrates their potential role as prognostic markers in the context of racial disparity. Citation Format: Hamdy Ali, Andrew B. Sholl, Pei-Yau Lung, Juan Bustamante, Jinfeng Zhang, King S. Coffield, Zakaria Y. Abd Elmageed. Exosomes-associated miR-3128 and miR-3613 are dysregulated in African American men with prostate cancer and correlated with poor prognosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B44.
Adjuvant endocrine monotherapy (ET) versus adjuvant breast radiation (RT) alone in healthy older women with stage I, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer: An analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

519Background: The NCCN guidelines state that breast RT may be omitted in patients > 70 years of age with ER+, clinically node-negative, T1 breast cancer (BC) who receive adjuvant ET. Available dat...
Prospects for Grassroots Influence: Can We Be Realistic Without Being Fatalistic?:

In The Fight for America’s Schools, Barbara Ferman and her coauthors show parents and communities mobilizing in new and effective ways to resist or reconfigure threats imposed in the name of educat...
A flower blooms in mongat (una flor brota en mongat): An exemplary trilingual program

Schools throughout the world teach in several languages, but few reach the level of linguistic proficiency of Hamelin-Laie International School in Mongat, Barcelona, Spain. This school begins instr...
NActSeer: Predicting User Actions in Social Network using Graph Augmented Neural Network

Nowadays social network platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Weibo have created a new landscape to communicate with our friends and the world at large. In this landscape our social activities, purchase decisions, check-ins etc. become available immediately to our friends/followers and thus encouraging them to involve in the same activity. This gives rise to the question, given a user and her friends' previous actions, can we predict what is she going to do next? This problem can serve as a good indicator enabling policy research, targeted advertising, assortment planning etc. To capture such sequential mechanism two broad classes of methods have been proposed in the past. First one is the Markov Chain (MC), which assumes user's next action can be predicted based on her most recently taken actions while the second type of approach i.e. Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) tries to model both long and short term preferences of a user. However, none of the two classes of models contain any integrated mechanism to capture the preferences of neighbor's actions. To fill this gap, we propose a social network augmented neural network model named NActSeer which takes the neighbors' actions into account in addition to the user's history. To achieve this NActSeer maintains a dynamic user embedding based on the activities within a time window. It then learns a feature representation for each user which is augmented by her neighbors. Empirical studies on four real-world datasets show that NActSeer is able to outperform several classical and state-of-the-art models proposed for similar problems and achieves up to 71% performance boost.
Data Analytics in Tax Research: Analyzing Worker Agreements and Compensation Data to Distinguish Between Independent Contractors and Employees Using IRS Factors

This case prompts learners to analyze compensation data and worker agreements to assess a company's likely compliance with requirements for classifying workers as independent contractors rather tha...
Trans IL-6 signaling does not appear to play a role in renal scarring after urinary tract infection.

Summary Introduction While inflammation is an important innate defense mechanism against infection, it can also lead to local tissue damage. The trans signaling pathway of interleukin (IL)-6 is a known mediator of inflammation. We hypothesized that the trans IL-6 signaling pathway is associated with the development of post febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) renal scarring. Objective To compare soluble regulators of trans IL-6 signaling between patients with a history of febrile UTI who do or do not have renal scarring. Study design After IRB-approval, we collected urine samples in pediatric patients with a history of febrile (≥38 °C) UTI (urine culture >50 K uropathogen) with documented presence or absence of renal scarring on imaging. Samples were collected at a time when patients were not actively infected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed on samples for markers of trans IL-6 signaling: IL-6, soluble (s) IL-6 receptor (R), and soluble (s)gp130, a buffer in trans IL-6 signaling. Values were normalized to urine creatinine. Results were analyzed by t-test or Mann–Whitney U. Spearman rank correlation was used. A p-value of Results A total of 50 urines from patients with a history of febrile UTI were collected: 23 with and 27 without scarring. There was no difference between groups regarding age or gender. There was no significant difference in urine IL-6, sIL-6R, or sgp130 between those with and without scarring (Figure). While IL-6 values significantly correlated with sIL-6R and sgp130 in those without renal scarring, IL-6 did not correlate with sgp130 in those with scarring. Ratios of IL-6 to sgp130 and sIL-6R to sgp130 were not different between groups. Discussion The inflammatory response generated in response to infection is believed to be largely responsible for the development of renal scarring after UTI. IL-6 is a cytokine known to be induced during UTI with a pro-inflammatory pathway, known as trans signaling. This study investigated for differences in markers of trans IL-6 signaling between patients with a history of febrile UTI with and without renal scarring. There was no significant difference between the absolute values or ratio of these markers between groups. Conclusions Markers of trans IL-6 signaling are not different between individuals with a history of febrile UTI with and without renal scarring in the non-acute setting. Download : Download high-res image (94KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Fig. 1 . Urine sample results of trans IL-6 signaling markers in patients with a history of febrile UTI who do not have scarring (NS) compared to those with scarring (S).
K-Prototype Segmentation Analysis on Large-scale Ridesourcing Trip Data

Shared mobility-on-demand services are expanding rapidly in cities around the world. As a prominent example, app-based ridesourcing is becoming an integral part of many urban transportation ecosystems. Despite the centrality, limited public availability of detailed temporal and spatial data on ridesourcing trips has limited research on how new services interact with traditional mobility options and how they impact travel in cities. Improving data-sharing agreements are opening unprecedented opportunities for research in this area. This study examines emerging patterns of mobility using recently released City of Chicago public ridesourcing data. The detailed spatio-temporal ridesourcing data are matched with weather, transit, and taxi data to gain a deeper understanding of ridesourcings role in Chicagos mobility system. The goal is to investigate the systematic variations in patronage of ride-hailing. K-prototypes is utilized to detect user segments owing to its ability to accept mixed variable data types. An extension of the K-means algorithm, its output is a classification of the data into several clusters called prototypes. Six ridesourcing prototypes are identified and discussed based on significant differences in relation to adverse weather conditions, competition with alternative modes, location and timing of use, and tendency for ridesplitting. The paper discusses implications of the identified clusters related to affordability, equity and competition with transit.
Nostalgic Emotional Valence and Its Effects on Help-Seeking in Depression. An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

In times of distress, people show a tendency to remember the ‘good old days,’ a bittersweet emotion called Nostalgia. This study advances the role of nostalgic emotions to influence help-seeking in...
Thermodynamics and design of nanocrystalline alloys using grain boundary segregation spectra

Abstract Solute segregation at grain boundaries (GBs) is a key mechanism to stabilize nanocrystalline alloys. To date, the standard approach to design and screen for nanocrystalline stability uses a simplified representation that treats the GB network as a single entity, and thus, uses a single “average” segregation energy to characterize solute GB segregation in an alloy. This simplification, however, fails to capture the highly anisotropic nature of GBs, which results in a spectrum of segregation energies that can be very broad. Here, we remove this simplification, and outline more formally correct thermodynamic criteria to screen for thermodynamic stability of polycrystalline structures, accounting for the spectral nature of GBs. We proceed to apply the developed criteria to screen over 200 alloy combinations based on embedded atom method potentials. Among its benefits, this spectral approach enables strict enforcement of the third law of thermodynamics, where an average segregation energy does not. The results of the screening are in general agreement with experimental observations.
Section 301 and Politics: Analysis of Tariff Exclusions

Section 301 tariffs were imposed as a consequence of China's discriminatory business practices against American firms. However, domestic American firms who rely on Chinese imports are now faced with paying for these tariffs. In response, the Trump administration allowed the affected firms to apply for a tariff exclusions. In this paper, we investigate the factors affecting the approval rates for these tariff exclusions. We find that an increase in county Republican vote share by 10 percentage points results in a 10% increase in probability of tariff exclusion approval.
Mechanisms of Action of Estrogens1

Publisher Summary At the biochemical level there is a small but growing body of information concerning effects of estrogenic hormones on biochemical processes. Any complete concept of mechanism of action of estrogens must ultimately bridge the gap between these phenomena and the changes noted above. It is clear from the outset that at the present time no such bridge can be built. Experimental attack from both directions should serve to narrow the gap and ultimately establish a logical connection between the events at the molecular level and those occurring in the whole animals that are seen as morphologic changes in the target tissue. Knowledge of mechanisms of hormone action is certainly less well developed than the understanding of the biochemical functions of certain vitamins. However, it is no more possible to explain the functional and anatomical changes induced by estrogen administration to the susceptible animal in terms of the presently known effects of estrogenic hormones on biochemical systems than it is possible to explain the syndrome of pellagra in terms of defects in the functioning of the known biochemical systems in which niacinamide plays a part.
The effects of patellar bracing on quadriceps EMG activity during isokinetic exercise

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a prevalent ailment experienced by a number of individuals participating in regular physical activity. Little information is available concerning the effects of patellofemoral bracing on the function of the extensor mechanism in patellofemoral malalignment patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of patellar bracing on the extensor mechanism in relation to isokinetic exercise. Sixteen subjects exhibiting patellofemoral pain symptoms were tested on an isokinetic dynamometer with and without a patellofemoral brace. The testing procedure involved three maximal concentric/eccentric quadriceps contractions at an angular velocity of 1800/s. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the VastillS medialis obliqus (VMO) and the vastus lateralis (VL) were recorded during testing. Integrated EMG activity (IEMG) was analyzed by a three-way ANOV A with repeated measures (P < 0.05). The results indicated that the application of the patell;ar brace resulted in a significantly smaller IEMG signal than during the non-braced condition in both the VMO and VL during both concentric and eccentric contractions (P < 0.05). The IEMG signal of the VMO was found to be significantly greater than the VL regardless of test or brace condition (P < 0.05). Moreover, the IEMG signal was also found to be significantly greater during the concentric contractions than the eccentric contractions during all testing conditions (P < 0.05). The clinical implication from this study suggests that muscle activation of the VMO and VL were reduced with the use of the brace. Thlis type of bracing may provide mechanical support to the patellofemoral joint as evidenced by the reduction in quadricelps activation during isokinetic knee extension exercise. Copyright @ 1996 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
COUPLING DISCRETE ELEMENTS AND MICROPOLAR CONTINUUM THROUGH AN OVERLAPPING REGION IN ONE DIMENSION

The paper presents recent progress in the development of a computational multiscale modeling approach for simulating the interfacial mechanics between dense dry granular materials and deformable solid bodies. Applications include soil-tire/track/tool/penetrometer interactions, geosynthetics-soil pull out strength, among others. The approach involves a bridging scale decomposition coupling between a three-dimensional ellipsoidal discrete element (DE) model and a finite strain pressure-sensitive micromorphic constitutive model implemented in a new multi-field coupled finite element (FE) method. The concept borrows from the atomistic-continuum bridging scale decomposition methods, except for the relevant differences for our problem in granular materials: (1) frictional, large relative motion of DE particles/grains upon shearing by deformable solid; (2) open window representation of DE region in contact with deformable solid; (3) overlapping finite strain micromorphic constitutive model for granular material with additional kinematics and higher order stresses; and (4) adaptivity of DE-FE region. The paper focusses on a simpler subset problem of topics (1–3): a one-dimensional glued elastic string of spherical DEs, overlapped partially with a one-dimensional micropolar continuum FE mesh. A numerical example is presented.
Nonparametric efficiency analysis under uncertainty

Author(s): Sengupta, Jati K. | Abstract: Production and cost frontiers of a firm in an industry are directly affected by the uncertainty of market demand and the uncertainty of input availability. The nonparametric approach of data envelopment analysis is generalized here in both static and dynamic directions by incorporating these uncertainties.
Solution–Based Processing of Nanocrystalline ZrC

ZrC-based fibers and powders with ∼20 nm crystallite size were prepared by carbothermal reduction of zirconia/carbon mixtures. The reactant mixtures were prepared by solution-based processing in which zirconium 2,4-pentanedionate (ZTP) was the zirconia-bearing precursor and phenol-formaldehyde resin was the carbon-bearing precursor. Fine-diameter fibers were prepared by dry spinning mixed sols that had been concentrated to high viscosity.
Abstract P439: Evaluating the Use of Motivational Interviewing in an Exercise Counseling Intervention

Background: Exercise continues to be promoted for the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease, yet many adults remain inactive and ethnic minority adults are less active than Whites. One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 is to increase the proportion of office visits that include counseling about exercise with patients diagnosed with heart disease; one approach may be the use of motivational interviewing (MI). However, adherence to the essential principles of MI is critical in achieving desired outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MI in an exercise counseling intervention in a sample of minority adults with heart failure (HF). Methods: Twenty ethnic minority adults with stable HF were recruited from an urban HF clinic. Measures of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); weekly step-counts via accelerometer) and functional status (Duke Activity Status Index (DASI); 6-minute walk test [6MWT]) were taken at baseline and 12-weeks. The initial exercise counseling session (15 minutes) using MI discussed previous exercise experience, future goals, and practical exercise guidelines, including symptom management. The interview guide, written using principles of MI, was reviewed with an expert in MI and revised prior to the first interview. During subject recruitment, four subjects’ interviews were reviewed (#3, #4, #16, #20) by another independent expert and scored for use of MI. After each scoring and discussion of results, the interview guide was again revised to further facilitate the use of MI. The initial session was followed by 12 weekly 5-minute phone calls. Results: Interview #3 scored 50% overall adherence to MI with more closed than open questions (6 vs.4) and 44% of reflections were complex (vs. simple). Interview #4 ranked 40% MI adherent with more closed vs. open questions (9 vs. 3) and only 30% complex reflections. Interview #16 ranked 100% adherent with more closed than open questions (6 vs. 3) but more complex reflections (54%). Interview #20 ranked 80% adherent with more open vs. closed questions (8 vs. 1) and 42% complex reflections. At 12 weeks, there were concurrent significant improvements in the IPAQ walking score (p=.04), weekly step-counts (p=.03), and 6MWT (p=.0006) with a trend toward significant improvement in the DASI (p=.08). Conclusion: The use of MI in brief exercise counseling and phone follow-up may lead to increases in physical activity and functional status. Independent scoring and repeated review of the practice of MI over time may improve its continued use. Further testing of the intervention in a randomized trial is warranted.
A comparison of feature sets for an automated skin lesion analysis system for melanoma early detection and prevention

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and on average, one American dies from skin cancer every hour. Melanoma spreads through metastasis, and can often be fatal. Statistical evidence has revealed that the majority of deaths resulting from skin cancer are as a result of melanoma. Further investigations have shown that the survival rates in patients depend on the stage of the cancer at the time it is first diagnosed; early detection and intervention of melanoma indicates higher chances of cure. Clinical diagnosis and prognosis of melanoma are challenging since the processes are prone to misdiagnosis and inaccuracies due to doctors' subjectivity. Malignant melanomas are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, notched edges, and color variations, so analyzing the shape, color, and texture of the skin lesion is important for melanoma early detection and prevention. This paper proposes the two major components of a noninvasive real-time automated skin lesion analysis system for melanoma early detection and prevention. The first component is a real-time alert to help users prevent skin burn caused by sunlight; a novel equation to compute the time for skin to burn is thereby introduced. The second component is an automated image analysis module which contains image acquisition, hair detection and exclusion, lesion segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. The proposed system uses PH2 Dermoscopy image database from Pedro Hispano Hospital for development and testing purposes. The image database contains a total of 200 dermoscopy images of lesions, including benign, atypical, and melanoma cases. A comparison of the performance of all feature sets is presented in this paper in order to determine what feature sets provide the best classification results.
The Discursive Approach

In the preceding chapters, I have tried to demonstrate that the orthodox theory of action is a formulation of the theory implicit in commonsense explanations of behavior. I have raised what I take to be serious questions about the empirical foundations and the internal logic of the orthodox/commonsense theory. As a foundation for an alternative approach to social action, I proposed that we view internal states, such as intention, motivation, and emotion, as members’ concepts. This proposal, in turn, led to a consideration of sociologically viable approaches to meaning and to rules. I refer to this alternative to the orthodox approach as discursive sociology. Discursive sociology focuses on the interpretive systems and practices through which members deal with behavior. By investigating members’ explanations of behavior, I have tried to achieve some preliminary insight into the nature of these interpretive systems and practices. Discursive sociology is an approach, not a theory or an analytic system. It is the general alternative to a motivational sociology of action. The crucial feature of the discursive approach is that behavior is viewed as meaningful by virtue of its articulation with a system of discourse rather than by virtue of its being “meant” or motivated.
Initial performance comparisons for the delta coding algorithm

Delta coding is an iterative genetic search strategy that sustains search by periodically re-initializing the population. This helps to avoid premature convergence during genetic search. Delta coding also remaps hyperspace with each iteration in an attempt to locate "easier" search spaces with respect to genetic search. Here, the optimization ability of delta coding is compared against the CHC genetic algorithm and a mutation driven stochastic hill-climbing algorithm on a suite of standard genetic algorithm test functions. >
Effect of Element Diffusion Through Metallic Networks During Oxidation of Type 321 Stainless Steel

A detailed study was conducted on localized oxidation on Type 321 stainless steel (321ss) using synchrotron x-ray nanobeam analysis along with Raman microscopy. The results showed the presence of metallic nanonetworks in the oxide scales, which plays an important role in the continued oxidation of the alloy at 750 °C. A mechanism is proposed to explain the rapid oxidation of 321ss in complex gaseous environments at elevated temperature. Neutral metal atoms could diffuse outward, and carbon atoms could diffuse inward through the metallic nanonetworks in oxide layers. Alternately, diffusion tunnels can dramatically affect the phase composition of the oxide scales. Since the diffusion rate of neutral metal and carbon atoms through the metallic nanonetworks can be much faster than the diffusion of cations through Cr2O3, the metallic nanonetwork provides a path through the protective Cr2O3 layer for the rapid outward diffusion of metallic chromium and iron atoms to the nonprotective spinel layer. This diffusion process affects the solid-state reaction near the alloy-oxide boundary, and a dense Cr2O3 protective layer does not form. The classic stable structure of the oxide scales, with a dense Cr2O3 layer at the bottom, is damaged by the rapid diffusion through the tunnel at the reaction front, resulting in locally accelerated oxidation. This process can subsequently lead to “breakaway” oxidation and catastrophic failure of the alloy.
Electronically tuned 1,3,5-triarylpyrazolines as Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes.

We have prepared and characterized a Cu(I)-responsive fluorescent probe, constructed using a large tetradentate, 16-membered thiazacrown ligand ([16]aneNS3) and 1,3,5-triaryl-substituted pyrazoline fluorophores. The fluorescence contrast ratio upon analyte binding, which is mainly governed by changes of the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) driving force between the ligand and fluorophore, was systematically optimized by increasing the electron withdrawing character of the 1-aryl-ring, yielding a maximum 50-fold fluorescence enhancement upon saturation with Cu(I) in methanol and a greater than 300-fold enhancement upon protonation with trifluoroacetic acid. The observed fluorescence increase was selective towards Cu(I) over a broad range of mono- and divalent transition metal cations. Previously established Hammett LFERs proved to be a valuable tool to predict two of the PET key parameters, the acceptor potential (E(A/A−) and the excited state energy ΔE00, and thus to identify a set of pyrazolines that would best match the thermodynamic requirements imposed by the donor potential E(D+/D) of the thiazacrown receptor. The described approach should be applicable for rationally designing high-contrast pyrazoline-based PET probes selective towards other metal cations.
Inhibition of epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation by a derivative of wheat germ agglutinin.

Abstract A nonagglutinating derivative of wheat germ agglutinin has been prepared and used as a probe to explore the initial events in platelet activation. The lectin derivative had no effect on platelet aggregation by adenosine diphosphate, collagen, ristocetin, wheat germ agglutinin or trypsin but aggregation induced by epinephrine or thrombin was inhibited. Unlike thrombin, the inhibition of aggregation by the derivative could not be overcome by increasing the concentration of epinephrine. The derivative did not affect the binding of [3H]dihydroergocryptine to platelets. A 74,000 dalton protein isolated from platelet membranes by lectin affinity chromatography strongly inhibited platelet activation by thrombin but not by epinephrine. The receptors for thrombin and for epinephrine on platelets are different but they are closely linked.
Cost effectiveness as a criterion for Medicare coverage.

The new rules for Medicare coverage proposed by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) in the January 30 issue of the Federal Register deserve comment and support. Aside from making procedural changes in response to earlier public comment, HCFA proposes to include cost effectiveness as a criterion for the funding of a technology or procedure. This is a major step forward, but one that will not be without difficulties. Until now, Medicare coverage has required only that services be "reasonable and necessary"; cost has never been an explicit criterion. I think that the intelligent use of cost effectiveness as a . . .
Effect of three chlorinated ethenes on growth rates for a methanotrophic mixed culture

The presence of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) was found to decrease the net growth rate of a methanotrophic mixed culture expressing particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO). Growth rates in the absence of CAHs were 1.48, 1.14, and 0.45 day -1 on 460, 46, and 9.3 μg/L methane, respectively. Weighted nonlinear least squares fitting ofthe Monod model with decay yielded best estimates (±95% confidence intervals) of 2.67 ± 0.08 μg of methane (μg of cells) -1 day -1 forthe maximum methane utilization rate, 15.6 ± 1.2 μg of methane/L for the methane half-saturation coefficient, and 0.20 ± 0.05 day -1 for the endogenous respiration rate. Using this single set of kinetic parameter values, the model fit captured both the shape and the spacing of methane depletion curves covering 4 orders of magnitude in initial biomass concentration and 2 orders of magnitude in methane concentration. Growth rates on 460 μg/L methane were reduced by approximately 20% in the presence of 0.05 mg/L 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE), 1 mg/L trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (t-DCE), or 1 mg/L trichloroethylene (TCE). A model for the effect of CAHs on growth rate was fitted to growth rate data by nonlinear least squares analysis. Competitive inhibition appeared the important factor for the reduction in growth rates with TCE and t-DCE, and transformation product toxicity was most significant for 1,1-DCE. Finally, an inoculum expressing sMMO showed an extreme toxicity in the presence of 0.005 mg/L 1,1-DCE, but not when the inoculum expressed pMMO.
Billiards in the Classroom: Learning Physics with Microworlds

Using a computer simulation environment that allows students to experiment and play helps them to build personal understanding of physics concepts that might otherwise be difficult to grasp. When used in conjunction with meaningful class activities, such an environment can foster active student learning, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Transfer of Patients With Suspected Acute Aortic Syndrome

Patients with acute aortic syndrome (AAS) often require emergent transfer for definitive therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of transfer and the ability to optimize hemodynamics in subjects with AAS transported by an aortic network. A total of 263 consecutive patients with suspected AAS transferred to a coronary care unit from March 2010 to June 2012 were included. Transfers were accomplished by the institutional critical care transfer system using ground ambulance (n = 47), helicopter (n = 196), or fixed-wing jet (n = 20) from referring centers directly to the coronary care unit, bypassing the emergency department. The transfer mortality rate was 0%, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 9% (n = 23). Initial systolic blood pressure and heart rate at the time of arrival of the transfer team to the referring hospital were compared with those on arrival to the coronary care unit. The median transfer distance was 66 km (interquartile range 24 to 119), and the median transfer time was 87 minutes (interquartile range 67 to 114). The transfer team achieved significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (from 142 ± 29 to 132 ± 23 mm Hg) (mean difference in systolic blood pressure 10 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval 7 to 14, p