cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Success of Prostate and Testicular Cancer Awareness Campaigns Compared to Breast Cancer Awareness Month According to Internet Search Volumes: A Google Trends Analysis.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of men's and women's cancer awareness campaigns using internet relative search volume (RSV) as a surrogate for public interest. METHODS We utilized Google Trends to determine the RSV for “breast cancer,” “prostate cancer,” and “testicular cancer” from 2010 to 2017. Baseline annual RSV for each cancer was calculated as the median annual RSV, exclusive of the awareness month period. RSV was then determined for each cancer-specific awareness month and compared to baseline. The primary outcome was 2-fold rise in RSV above baseline. RESULTS Breast Cancer Awareness Month led to a significant increase in cancer-specific RSV in October each year during the study period (mean increase 180.1%). In contrast, none of the men's cancer awareness campaigns led to a significant increase in cancer-specific RSV in any year during the study period. RSV for prostate cancer increased by 2.4% and 4.1% in September and November, respectively. RSV for testicular cancer increased by 9.3% and 6.2% in April and November, respectively. CONCLUSION Men's cancer awareness campaigns did not increase cancer-specific RSV, whereas Breast Cancer Awareness Month consistently increased RSV. While additional metrics are needed to evaluate the efficacy of public health campaigns, the current data suggest the need for new approaches to generate public interest in male-specific malignancies.
Do Conflict of Interest Disclosures Facilitate Public Trust

Lab experiments disagree on the efficacy of disclosure as a remedy to conflicts of interest (COIs). Some experiments suggest that disclosure has perverse effects, although others suggest these are mitigated by real-world factors (eg, feedback, sanctions, norms). This article argues that experiments reporting positive effects of disclosure often lack external validity: disclosure works best in lab experiments that make it unrealistically clear that the one disclosing is intentionally lying. We argue that even disclosed COIs remain dangerous in settings such as medicine where bias is often unintentional rather than the result of intentional corruption, and we conclude that disclosure might not be the panacea many seem to take it to be.
Modeling and simulation of a reactive separation system for carbon capture and utilization in biogas streams

Abstract An effective energy storage approach, such as Power-to-Gas, is essential to provide the grid with a steady supply of power generated by renewable sources. In a Power-to-Gas concept, excess renewable energy is stored in the form of H2 which, in turn, can react with CO2 from sources such as biogas to be converted into CH4 and generate Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Methanation however, is an exothermic and equilibrium-limited reaction which suffers from poor heat management when carried-out in conventional packed-bed reactors. Additionally, unreacted H2 mixed with CH4 has to be removed before the RNG is injected into the pipeline. To improve the methanation of biogas, two commercial high temperature reactive separation systems have been studied numerically in this work: (i) an extractor/distributor membrane reactor employing a carbon molecular sieve membrane; (ii) a distributor membrane reactor using a palladium membrane. Both configurations have been shown to considerably reduce the content of CO2 and H2 in the resulting RNG and, hence, the post-processing efforts needed as compared to a packed-bed reactor operating under the same conditions.
Inside Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT): In-session speech trajectories and drinking outcomes

Abstract The alcohol treatment literature has established in-session client speech as a mechanism of change that therapist behavior can influence and that can predict drinking outcomes. This study aimed to explore temporal patterns of in-session speech in Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT), including the unique interplay between client and partner speech and the role of speech trajectories in predicting client drinking outcomes. Participants were 165 heterosexual couples receiving ABCT in one of four clinical trials. We coded client speech on an utterance-by-utterance basis using the System for Coding Couples' Interactions in Therapy–Alcohol. We focused on individual-level speech codes of change talk and sustain talk and couple-level variables of positive and negative interactions. We segmented the initial and midtreatment sessions into quartiles to conduct path analyses and latent growth curve models. Path analyses suggested that clients and partners may not have been aligned in terms of treatment goals at the start of the therapy. This misalignment within couples was pronounced during the initial session and decreased by the midtreatment session, reflecting progression toward treatment goals. Of the latent growth curve models, only client sustain talk during the midtreatment session predicted greater client drinking at the end of treatment. Results provide insight into the inner workings of ABCT and suggest recommendations for ABCT therapists. This study also supports a growing consensus that sustain talk may be a stronger mechanism of change than change talk in various alcohol treatment interventions.
CODE BLUE-19: A Proposed Protocol to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in the Emergency Department when Receiving Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients.

Resuscitation of cardiac arrest in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients places the healthcare staff at higher risk of exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Unfortunately, COVID-19 status is unknown in most patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), and therefore special attention must be given to protect the healthcare staff along with the other patients. This is particularly true for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who are transported to the ED. Based on the current data available on transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, we have proposed a protocolized approach to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests to limit risk of transmission.
The Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom in a 300 Level Terrorism Class

This study compares a 300 level terrorism class taught using a flipped classroom to the same class taught one year earlier in the traditional, face to face method. While one examination score was better for the face to face class, the flipped class did better than the traditional class on the final examination. Every other point of comparison showed no difference between the classes, except for the end of semester student evaluations, which were significantly higher for the face to face class than the flipped classroom.
Examining Privilege in Engineering Socialization Through the Stories of Newcomer Engineers

Prior research has demonstrated that early career socialization experiences play an important role in career outcomes, including learning, performance, satisfaction, and retention. What is not yet ...
Learning Wildfire Model from Incomplete State Observations.

As wildfires are expected to become more frequent and severe, improved prediction models are vital to mitigating risk and allocating resources. With remote sensing data, valuable spatiotemporal statistical models can be created and used for resource management practices. In this paper, we create a dynamic model for future wildfire predictions of five locations within the western United States through a deep neural network via historical burned area and climate data. The proposed model has distinct features that address the characteristic need in prediction evaluations, including dynamic online estimation and time-series modeling. Between locations, local fire event triggers are not isolated, and there are confounding factors when local data is analyzed due to incomplete state observations. When compared to existing approaches that do not account for incomplete state observation within wildfire time-series data, on average, we are able to achieve higher prediction performances.
A Holistic Game Inspired Defense Architecture

Ad-hoc security mechanisms are effective in solving the particular problems they are designed for, however, they generally fail to respond appropriately under dynamically changing real world scenarios. We discuss a novel holistic security approach which aims at providing security using a quantitative decision making framework inspired by game theory. We consider the interaction between the attacks and the defense mechanisms as a game played between the attacker and the defender. We discuss one implementation of our holistic approach, namely, game inspired defense architecture in which a game decision model decides the best defense strategies for the other components in the system.
SU-E-T-276: Dose Calculation Accuracy with a Standard Beam Model for Extended SSD Treatments

Purpose: While most photon treatments are delivered near 100cm SSD or less, a subset of patients may benefit from treatment at SSDs greater than 100cm. A proposed rotating chair for upright treatments would enable isocentric treatments at extended SSDs. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system dose calculation for standard beam geometries delivered at extended SSDs with a beam model commissioned at 100cm SSD. Methods: Dose to a water phantom at 100, 110, and 120cm SSD was calculated with the Pinnacle 3 CC convolve algorithm for 6x beams for 5×5, 10×10, 20×20, and 30×30cm2 field sizes (defined at the water surface for each SSD). PDDs and profiles (depths of 1.5, 12.5, and 22cm) were compared to measurements in water with an ionization chamber. Point-by-point agreement was analyzed, as well as agreement in field size defined by the 50% isodose. Results: The deviations of the calculated PDDs from measurement, analyzed from depth of maximum dose to 23cm, were all within 1.3% for all beam geometries. In particular, the calculated PDDs at 10cm depth were all within 0.7% of measurement. For profiles, the deviations within the central 80% of the field were within 2.2% for all geometries. The field sizes all agreed within 2mm. Conclusion: The agreement of the PDDs and profiles calculated by Pinnacle3 for extended SSD geometries were within the acceptability criteria defined by Van Dyk (±2% for PDDs and ±3% for profiles). The accuracy of the calculation of more complex beam geometries at extended SSDs will be investigated to further assess the feasibility of using a standard beam model commissioned at 100cm SSD in Pinnacle3 for extended SSD treatments.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK): The Development and Validation of an Assessment Instrument for Preservice Teachers

Based in Shulman’s idea of Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has emerged as a useful frame for describing and understanding the goals for technology use in preservice teacher education. This paper addresses the need for a survey instrument designed to assess TPACK for preservice teachers. The paper describes survey development process and results from a pilot study on 124 preservice teachers. Data analysis procedures included Cronbach’s alpha statistics on the TPACK knowledge domains and factor analysis for each domain. Results suggest that, with the modification and/or deletion of 18 of the survey items, the survey is a reliable and valid instrument that will help educators design longitudinal studies to assess preservice teachers’ development of TPACK. (Keywords: TPACK, instrument development, preservice teachers) The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument designed to measure preservice teachers’ self-assessment of their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and related knowledge domains included in the framework. TPACK is a term used increasingly to describe what teachers need to know to effectively integrate technology into their teaching practices. In this article, we detail the steps used to develop and validate an instrument to measure preservice teachers’ development of TPACK. TheoreTICAl FrAmeworK
Robust detection of heart beats in multimodal data: The PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2014

The 15th annual PhysioNet/CinC Challenge aims to encourage the exploration of robust methods for locating heart beats in continuous long-term data from bedside monitors and similar devices that record not only ECG but usually other physiologic signals as well, including pulsatile signals that directly reflect cardiac activity, and other signals that may have few or no observable markers of heart beats. Our goal is to accelerate development of open-source research tools that can reliably, efficiently, and automatically analyze data such as that contained in the MIMIC II Waveform Database, making use of all relevant information. Data for this Challenge are 10-minute (or occasionally shorter) excerpts (“records”) of longer multi-parameter recordings of human adults, including patients with a wide range of problems as well as healthy volunteers. Each record contains four to eight signals; the first is an ECG signal in each case, but the others are a variety of simultaneously recorded physiologic signals that may be useful for robust beat detection. We prepared and posted 100 training records, and retained 300 hidden test records for evaluation of Challenge entries. A total of 1,332 entries from 60 teams were processed during the challenge period.
Technological change in a changing Europe

Abstract The article describes an international research initiative linking 10 countries of Eastern and Western Europe, sponsored by the Vienna Centre, on the theme of new technology's impact on relations between the sexes. It outlines the different approaches of the participant groups and the main issues of theory and method that are emerging.
BERIBERI HEART DISEASE: PHYSIOLOGIC DATA AND DIFFICULTIES IN DIAGNOSIS.

Abstract A brief history of beriberi heart disease is presented, together with a case report that includes physiologic data before and after recovery from the congestive state. The hemodynamic findings are compared with previously reported data, all indicating a low peripheral vascular resistance that results in a high cardiac output. Presumptive and definitive diagnostic criteria are postulated for the diagnosis of cardiovascular involvement in beriberi.
Fabrication of oleophobic paper with tunable hydrophilicity by treatment with non-fluorinated chemicals

Hydrophilic-oleophobic surfaces have attracted significant attention recently due to their potential use in technologies ranging from oil–water separation to self-cleaning surfaces. However, existing methods rely heavily on fluorinated coating materials, which are harmful to the environment. In this manuscript, a simple, solution based method to fabricate oleophobic paper with tunable hydrophilicity using a non-fluorinated material is reported for the first time. Wetting control is achieved by paper surface modification using a thin film of hydrolyzed methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). Hydrophilicity is tuned by adjusting the sonication time during MTMS hydrolysis. 29Si NMR and ATR-FTIR analyses reveal that the change in hydrophilicity is caused by varying the concentration of polar silanol groups in the MTMS solution and, ultimately, on the film surface. The modified paper displays wetting behavior ranging from superhydrophilic/oleophobic (immediate water absorption; motor oil contact angle, 64.2° ± 1.4°) to amphiphobic (water contact angle 85.2° ± 3.4°; motor oil contact angle 61.2° ± 2.5°) as a function of hydrolysis time. For all surface-modified samples, no absorption of motor oil is observed for several weeks, indicating stable oil resistance. Based upon results from SEM, optical profilometry, and air permeability, the intrinsic porosity of paper is also largely retained after coating.
The Asymmetric Information Content of Going-Concern Opinion Opinions - Evidence from Bankrupt Firms with and Without Prior Distress Indicators

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether modified opinions issued for reasons of going-concern uncertainties ('going-concern opinion') mitigate the bankruptcy announcement surprise for firms that did not previously exhibit obvious public signs of financial trouble. Extant studies demonstrate that publicly available negative information that acts as a signal of financial trouble mitigates the negative announcement effect of subsequent bankruptcy filing. However, these studies also reveal that a non-trivial number of these firms do not exhibit obvious signs of financial trouble prior to the filing (eg. as exhibited by the firm being in default, its accounting ratios, or the auditor's going-concern opinion). These studies do not examine the relative information content of the going-concern opinion for firms that show obvious signs of distress and those that do not. This study hypothesizes and shows that the going-concern opinion issued by auditors mitigates the bankruptcy filing surprise for firms whose conventional public signals of financial distress are absent. The results show that going-concern opinions significantly mitigate the bankruptcy filing surprise only for firms whose financial ratios do not indicate obvious distress. To some degree, the results suggest that the informational content of the going-concern opinion is not homogenous across all states of the firm prior to bankruptcy filing. Given current public scrutiny of the audit profession in the light of recent high-profiled, alleged audit failures (eg. Enron), the findings of this study provide useful evidence in defense of the value-added of the audit function to society at large.
Improved implementation of the abnormality manipulation software tools

Collecting clinical cases for medical imaging perception studies is often challenging. We have developed a suite of software tools for manipulating medical tomographic image sets that overcome these difficulties. In our initial development, abnormalities were removed or inserted on a slice-by-slice basis. To circumvent the problem with potential artifacts in orthogonal views, we have redesigned the tools so that they operate in 3 dimensions. An operator controlled ellipsoid mask region is used to select the removal and the replacement areas. This new approach has been validated on PET data sets and has also been implemented for CT studies.
Signaling and Cell Cycle Regulation During Liver Development in the Rat|[bull]| 269

Our prior studies on liver growth during late gestation in the rat have shown that hepatocyte proliferation is developmentally modulated; it declines as term approaches, resumes in the immediate postnatal period, and declines during the latter part of the first postnatal week as hepatocytes attain an adult phenotype. The present studies were designed to elucidate mechanisms accounting for both temporary perinatal hepatocyte growth arrest and subsequent progression to the low level of cell growth seen in adult liver. Our studies focused on the family of MAP kinase signaling pathways as well as downstream cell cycle regulation. Key signaling kinases were examined for the ontogeny of their activity during late gestation and early postnatal liver development in the rat. Prior studies had shown that the prototypical MAP kinase pathway, which includes the 42 and 44 kDa MAP kinases (Erk1 and Erk2), is inactive in developing hepatocytes in vivo. We now report that the second MAP kinase pathway, involving the family of Jun N-terminal kinases(JNKs), is constitutively active in fetal liver and inactive in adult liver. However, JNK activity did not correlate with cell growth; activities in preterm and term liver were similar. The profile of JNK activity was recapitulated in gel shift assays for DNA binding activity to an AP-1 site in the liver collagenase gene promoter; nuclear extract AP-1 binding activity was high in both preterm and term fetuses, and declined after the first postnatal week. The third MAP kinase pathway, for which p38/HOG1 is the terminal kinase, was found to be inactive in livers obtained on days 17 and 19 of gestation. However, p38 was active in term (21 day) liver. It was again inactive in the immediate postnatal period, but activity increased during the first two postnatal weeks to the high level seen in adult rat hepatocytes. This activity pattern was inversely related to liver nuclear extract content of cyclin D1(determined by Western immunoblotting). Of note, p38 has been shown to regulate cyclin D1 expression in other systems. In addition, p38 is known to be regulated by cellular stresses such as change in redox state, osmolar stress and heat shock. We conclude from these studies that perinatal“stress” may result in hepatocyte growth arrest, and that this temporary period of quiescence is mediated by stimulation of p38 (but not JNK) activity which, in turn, suppresses expression of a key G1-phase cyclin.
Citizenship competencies in Colombia: Learning from policy and practice

This article provides an in-depth look at Colombia's national policy on national citizenship competencies designed to foster the peaceful resolution of conflict, promote the understanding of differences, and involve young people in mutual decision making and democratic engagement in schools. It also provides a brief overview of similar efforts in the United States in social and emotional learning and the development of civic engagement and compares and contrasts these efforts. Finally, it offers suggestions for school systems that wish to engage in similar processes to ensure the future of democracy and peaceful coexistence using education as the vehicle of change.
Total variation diminishing Runge-Kutta schemes

In this paper we further explore a class of high order TVD (total variation diminishing) Runge-Kutta time discretization initialized in Shu& Osher (1988), suitable for solving hyperbolic conservation laws with stable spatial discretizations. We illustrate with numerical examples that non-TVD but linearly stable Runge-Kutta time discretization can generate oscillations even for TVD (total variation diminishing) spatial discretization, verifying the claim that TVD Runge-Kutta methods are important for such applications. We then explore the issue of optimal TVD Runge-Kutta methods for second, third and fourth order, and for low storage Runge-Kutta methods.
Pursuing a unifying paradigm for psychotherapy: Tasks, dialectical considerations, and biopsychosocial systems metatheory.

This article focuses on salient issues and directions in pursuing a unifying paradigm for psychotherapy. This endeavor is placed in historical context, followed by discussion of the author’s definition of unification and of benefits that can accrue from this pursuit. Subsequently, attention is devoted to the core challenge of reconciling the quest for unity with the enormous, functionally invaluable plurality of knowledge elements deriving from the multiple paradigms guiding psychotherapy theory, research, and practice. Based on Staats (1991, 1999), three tasks necessary for addressing this tension are delineated: undertaking unifying theory analysis to reduce conceptual redundancy; developing bridging theory to unify divergencies, facilitated by dialectical thinking and formulation; and unifying research methodologies in psychotherapy. Discussion then turns to biopsychosocial systems metatheory as a framework for a unifying psychotherapeutic paradigm. In this context, the author examines interrelationship and process as fundamental unifying principles; insights from cybernetics, chaos theory, and their synthesis; and implications of the systems paradigm for unificationoriented scientific inquiry.
Cell cycle‐ and growth phase‐dependent variations in size distribution, antibody productivity, and oxygen demand in hybridoma cultures

Simultaneous determination of cell size and DNA content of hybridomas (HB-32) revealed a direct correlation between average cell volume and progression through the cell cycle. Pseudocontinuous experiments showed that G(1) cells, as estimated from cell size measurements, secreted monoclonal antibody at rates higher than those of cells in other stages of interphase and mitosis. Similarly, fed-batch and batch experiments suggested that specific oxygen uptake rate (qO(2)) is also a function of cell cycle, being minimum for cells in G(0) and G(1) phase. In batch cultures, HB-32 showed a rapid decrease in oxygen uptake rate (OUR) just prior to reaching maximum cell concentration. The OUR steadily increased from 0.01-0.05 to 0.5-0.7 mmol O(2)/L h as the cells went from the lag to the midexponential phase. The qO(2) increased from 0.3 x 10(-10)-0.9 x 10(-10) mmol O(2)/cell h at inoculation to 3.3 x 10(-10)-3.7 x 10(-10) mmol O(2)/cell h during the early exponential phase where it remained relatively constant. Several hours before maximum cell concentration was reached, OUR and qO(2) rapidly decreased to levels below those observed at inoculation. The time at which the shift in OUR and qO(2) occurred and the onset of decrease in the average cell size corresponded to the time of glutamine depletion. Based on monitoring OUR on-line in batch cultures, glutamine was supplemented, resulting in increased cell concentration, extension of culture viability, and increased MAb concentration.
Weaker signals induce more precise temporal-integration

It is well known that our perceptual system integrates local information to generate global percepts. Although events in the real world occur over time, it is still unclear how we integrate temporally dispersed information. Here, I systematically explore the relation between the intensity of local signals and the resultant of temporal-integration. Presented sequentially with two directions of variably coherent random dot patterns (40 degrees apart), participants were instructed to report a perceived motion direction by using a mouse driven cursor. As the strength of the motion signal was varied, the behavioral results and qualitative analyses indicate existence of two aspects of temporal-integration, subthreshold integration and suprathreshold integration. In subthreshold integration (when the local signals are subthreshold), stronger signals enhance integration. On the other hand, in suprathreshold integration (when the signals are above threshold), stronger signals decrease integration. As a result, relatively weaker, subthreshold or near threshold signals produce more precise temporal-integration than suprathreshold signals.
Reliability and Coherence of Causal, Diagnostic, and Joint Subjective Probabilities

Probabilistic knowledge is an important input to the analysis of many decisions, and may be required for long-range forecasting, classical decision analysis, influence diagrams, fault tree analysis, and expert systems. If objective probabilities cannot be calculated, it is vital that decision makers use the best available subjective measures of probability. Standard mathematical theory allows the analyst several choices in framing subjective probability assessments. When assessing cause-effect probabilities, the three choices are causal, diagnostic, and joint probabilities. Choosing among these is difficult in light of conflicting reports that, due to cognitive heuristics, probability judgment may be biased in various poorly understood ways. For example, it has been reported that, when judging causal probabilities, people are subject to the causal information bias, and thus upwardly revise their prior probabilities more than when judging diagnostic probabilities. On the other hand, it has also been reported that in some cases, people do not take proper account of new evidence, which results in under-revision of prior probabilities. Furthermore it has been reported that, when assessing joint probabilities, people are subject to the conjunction fallacy, and thus often judge a joint probability to be higher than one of the two corresponding marginal probabilities. Our research compares the relative effects of these biases in a laboratory setting: we present new empirical results comparing the test-retest reliabilities and under(over) revision rates of causal, diagnostic, and joint probabilities. Our results suggest that the tendency to both under-revise and over-revise prior probabilities is greatest when judging diagnostic probabilities, as opposed to either causal or joint probabilities. Furthermore our results suggest that joint probability judgment is more reliable than either causal or diagnostic probability judgment.
Cross-linkable highly fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketones/sulfones) for optical waveguiding applications

Novel cross-linkable, highly fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketones/sulfones) have been prepared by copolycondensation reactions of perfluorinated aromatic ketone/sulfone with 4,4‘-(hexafluoroisopr...
Household type and the demographic transition.

Demographic transition theorists postulate a post-transition steady state predicated on the nuclear family. This study reveals that other family types—community and anomic/polygynous—will, if they persist, produce different steady states at higher levels of infant mortality and fertility. Only if family type changes as countries modernize will the transition theorists' post-transition steady state be achieved.
From ideas to efficacy: The ORBIT model for developing behavioral treatments for chronic diseases.

Objective Given the critical role of behavior in preventing and treating chronic diseases, it is important to accelerate the development of behavioral treatments that can improve chronic disease prevention and outcomes. Findings from basic behavioral and social sciences research hold great promise for addressing behaviorally based clinical health problems, yet there is currently no established pathway for translating fundamental behavioral science discoveries into health-related treatments ready for Phase III efficacy testing. This article provides a systematic framework for developing behavioral treatments for preventing and treating chronic diseases. Method The Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBIT) model for behavioral treatment development features a flexible and progressive process, prespecified clinically significant milestones for forward movement, and return to earlier stages for refinement and optimization. Results This article presents the background and rationale for the ORBIT model, a summary of key questions for each phase, a selection of study designs and methodologies well-suited to answering these questions, and prespecified milestones for forward or backward movement across phases. Conclusions The ORBIT model provides a progressive, clinically relevant approach to increasing the number of evidence-based behavioral treatments available to prevent and treat chronic diseases. (PsycINFO Database Record
Palladium-coated manganese dioxide catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media

Abstract Pd-coated manganese dioxide catalysts (Pd@MnO2) were synthesized by depositing Pd on the surface of β-MnO2 nanorod particles in aqueous solutions at room temperature. TEM, XRD and electrochemical characterizations indicated that the MnO2 nanorods were successfully coated with Pd particles when the Pd weight percentage was more than 4.6%. The activities of the Pd@MnO2 catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were investigated using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) and a rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE). The ORR onset potentials on the Pd@MnO2 catalyst shifted positively for more than 250 mV compared with the MnO2 catalyst without Pd coatings. Both the ORR onset potentials and the limiting current density obtained by the RDE measurements on the Pd@MnO2 catalysts were close to those on the Pd black catalyst. The mass activity of the Pd@MnO2 catalysts (normalized by Pd mass) was 2.5 times higher than that of the Pd black catalyst. Based on the Tafel slopes of the Pd@MnO2 catalysts (which is about 60 mV dec−1 at low overpotentials), and based on the fact that the activation energies of the Pd@MnO2 catalysts are very close to the activation energies of the Pd catalysts, one may conclude that the small amount of Pd coating provides the primary ORR activity of the Pd@MnO2 catalysts.
Increased soluble E-Selectin is associated with lung inflammation, and lung injury in hyperoxia-exposed rats.

The pulmonary damage caused by prolonged exposure to high oxygen concentrations is accompanied by lung inflammation, which may contribute to the expression of hyperoxic lung injury. In turn, adhesion molecules are crucial for initiating inflammatory responses. The goal of the present study was to investigate the association of contents of soluble adhesion molecules in plasma or alveolar fluids of hyperoxic rats with lung expression of adhesion molecules, lung inflammation and lung injury. We exposed adult Sprague-Dawley rats to > 95% oxygen for up to 60 h and measured the contents of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-Selectin in plasma and lung tissue expression of the same molecules, and we assessed lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities and lung water contents as indices of lung inflammation and injury, respectively. We also assessed ICAM-1 content in lavage samples, because ICAM-1 may be shed from the alveolar epithelium. Lung water was elevated at 60 h of hyperoxia-exposure, and this effect was preceded by increases in lung MPO activities. Lung ICAM-1 expression was more than doubled at 48 h, although soluble ICAM-1 contents were not elevated in plasma or lavage. Soluble E-Selectin was increased by more than 50% at 24 h of hyperoxia-exposure, while lung expressions of E-Selectin were not increased until 48 h. The sequence of the events observed in the present studies suggests that E-Selectin contributes to lung inflammation in hyperoxia and the acceleration of lung injury immediately following the inflammatory response suggests a pivotal role for inflammation in this injury.
Meaningful use: Floor or ceiling?

Background: In 2011, federal incentive payments for meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) began. This study evaluates the impact of the program on hospitals and EHR vendors, identifying how it affects EHR planning and development. Specifically, it assesses whether vendors and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are viewing the meaningful use requirements as a floor – the minimally acceptable level of implementation, upon which development continues – or as a ceiling – the upper-bound on EHR development and implementation. Methods: The study combines interviews with EHR vendors and hospital CIOs with EHR adoption data from American Hospital Association surveys. Results from interviews with 17 hospital and system CIOs (representing 144 individual acute-care hospitals) and 8 EHR development executives (representing twothirds of installations) are detailed. Furthermore, it compares adoption of two key EHR functions, BCMA and CPOE, which are treated differently under stage 1 of the incentive program. Results: Three key findings emerge from the study. First, meaningful use requirements can serve as either a floor or a ceiling, depending on the abilities of institutions implementing EHRs. Second, the increasing focus on achieving meaningful use across both hospitals and vendors risks missing the forest of health care system change through the trees of meeting discrete requirements. Third, while the meaningful use incentive program has accelerated the development and implementation of some key functions, it has also slowed development of others. Conclusions: Policy makers should craft subsequent stages of the incentive program to ensure smaller facilities and additional features necessary for health care system change are not left behind.
Magnetic exchange in Cis-bis(glycinato)aquocopper(II), Bis-(hydrogen-o-phthalato)aquocopper(II), (o-phthalato) aquocopper(II) and the corresponding dehydrated complexes. A possible correlation between copper(II)Water bond lengths and the ability of hydrated copper(II) carboxylates to form magnetically-subnormal anhydrous complexes

Abstract The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility has been determined for several hydrated copper(II) carboxylate complexes. The susceptibility-temperature data for the hydrates bis(glycinato) aquocopper(II), bis(hydrogen-o-phthalato)diaquocopper(II) and o -phthalatoaquocopper(II) are described by the Curie-Weiss Law [θ(°K) = −7 ± 6,−0.6 ± 3.3 and −26± 7, respectively]. Additional epr studies suggest the presence of a low dimensional pathway for interactions between copper(II) ions in (o-phthalato)aquocopper(II) but only very weak interactions in bis (hydrogen-o-phtalato)diaquocooper(II). The anhydrous bis(glycinato)copper(II) also exhibits Curie-Weiss behavior (θ = −21 ± 4°K) but the anhydrous o-phthalatocopper(II) has a susceptibility maximum at about 250°K and the susceptibility - temperature data may be fit to the Bleaney-Bower's equation (J∼280 cm −1 ). Thermogravimetric analyses and differential scanning calorimetry have been used to characterize the dehydration process in the hydrated complexes. A possible correlation between copperwater bond lengths and the ability of a hydrated copper(II) carboxylate to form magnetically subnormal anhydrous complexes is proposed. Specifically, dehydration of magnetically normal hydrated copper(II) carboxylates, where water molecules occupy one or more of the short contact positions, tends to produce a magnetically subnormal anhydrous complex.
C++11 in parallel (abstract only)

As hardware designers turn to multi-core CPUs and GPUs, software developers must embrace parallel programming to increase performance. No single approach has yet established itself as the "right way" to develop parallel software. However, C++ has long been used for performance-oriented work, and it's a safe bet that any viable approach involves C++. This position has been strengthened by ratification of the new C++0x standard, officially referred to as "C++11". This workshop will introduce the new features of C++11 related to parallel programming, including type inference, lambda expressions, closures, multithreading support, and thread-local storage. The workshop will close with brief discussion of other technologies, including Intel TBB, ArBB, Cilk Plus, and Microsoft PPL, AAL, AMP. This is a laptop optional workshop.
Energetic Analysis of Pentagon Road Intermediates of C60-Buckminsterfullerene Formation

We report an energetic analysis of the principal intermediates of the pentagon road (PR) scheme for formation of C{sub 60}-Buckminsterfullerene. All calculations were initially performed using the tight-binding semiempirical method. For selected cases, more rigorous 3-21G/HF and 3-21G/B3LYP calculations were carried out. The first part of this study includes an energetic comparison between the 30-, 40-, and 50-atom PR intermediates and a representative group of 30-, 40-, and 50-atom carbon clusters. While C{sub 30} PR is higher in energy than a large variety of graphene sheets and fullerenes, C{sub 40} PR and C{sub 50} PR are considerably lower in energy than many other isomers; only fullerenes are more stable. Additionally, we examine a plausible mechanism by which C{sub 50} PR rearranges to form a C{sub 50} cage with D{sub 5h} symmetry. Because of its large energy barrier, this process is unlikely to affect the C{sub 60} growth mechanism. 17 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.
Dynamic characteristics of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Precision Engineering Research Lathe

Abstract The dynamic characteristics of the Precision Engineering Research Lathe (PERL) have been investigated experimentally, up to a frequency of 1,000 Hz. In successive tests, the exciting force was applied to either the x-slide or the (nonrotating) spindle, and in the x- or z-direction. These are the critical directions for turning operations on this T-base type lathe. Each of these tests was furthermore done with the servo system active and with the servo system off (slides clamped, control loops open). The applied force fluctuations and the resulting relative displacement, between a capacitive probe mounted on the x-slide and the spindle, were measured during the experiments. From these data, the relative dynamic compliances between the tool and the workpiece, in the z- and x-directions, have been determined. The resonant frequencies, modes, and compliances that significantly influence the surface quality of the parts turned on this machine are reported.
Demoralization Cost and Compensation Decisions

A rule is presented to facilitate efficient compensation decisions for group losses resulting from the implementation of public facilities. Two concepts, administrative cost and demoralization cost, are incorporated in the rule. These costs are defined and a procedure for the measurement of demoralization cost is discussed. This procedure utilizes nonmetric similarities and preference data, along with multidimensional scaling. Finally, problems and shortcomings in the procedure are presented.
Habitual low-intensity exercise does not protect against myocardial dysfunction after ischemia in rats.

Background It is well established that participation in a chronic exercise program can reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and improve myocardial tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Low-intensity exercise programs are known to be effective in reducing CHD risk factors in humans and rats, but whether similar programs are of sufficient intensity to improve intrinsic tolerance to I-R injury has not been established. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine whether low-intensity exercise provides self-protection to the heart against I-R injury. Methods Male, Sprague-Dawley rats were exercised on a treadmill at an intensity of 55-60% VO2max, 40 min/day, 5 days/week for 16 weeks. Reperfusion injury following 20 min of global ischemia was evaluated using the isolated perfused working heart model. Left ventricular content of the cytoprotective protein heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was determined by Western blotting. Results The exercise program elevated HSP70 2.7-fold, but did not provide enhanced protection following 20 min of ischemia. Final post-ischemic recovery of cardiac external work was 63+/-9% of pre-ischemic value in the sedentary group (n=9) and 51+/-11% in the exercising group (n=9) (P>0.05). Post-ischemic lactate dehydrogenase release was also similar between groups and the magnitude of release was low, consistent with stunning. Conclusions Regular exercise at 55-60% VO2max is below the threshold intensity necessary to induce intrinsic cardioprotection against I-R injury. Furthermore, elevated myocardial HSP70 is not necessarily a marker of improved protection against dysfunction associated with stunning.
Temperature dependency of mechanical behavior and strain rate sensitivity of an Al–Mg alloy with bimodal grain size

Abstract An Al 5083 alloy with an ultrafine grained/coarse grained bimodal has been shown to exhibit greatly improved strength when compared to conventional Al alloys. Its properties have also been observed to be sensitive to strain rate, anisotropy, and coarse grain ratio. This work studies how temperature affects this material's properties, as well as how it modifies the effects of the previously studied parameters, through uniaxial tensile tests at temperatures up to 473 K (200 °C) and microscopic examination of the specimens and their failure surfaces. It was found that the strength of the material decreased rapidly with increasing temperature such that at the highest test temperature, the bimodal material actually exhibited lower strength than conventional Al 5083 at the same temperature. No significant grain growth due to temperature effects was observed. The strain rate sensitivity exponent was found to have a non-monotonic dependence on temperature with negative values at room temperature which increased to positive value at 383 K (110 °C) and decreased to a negative value again at 473 K (200 °C). Anisotropic effects were noted both in the material's properties and in the texture of its fracture surface. Dynamic recovery was observed in the higher temperature tests and the amount of recovery was found to be affected by the material's coarse grain ratio.
Eliminating common misconceptions about behavioral psychology: One step toward increased academic productivity

The present article emphasizes the compatibility of behavioral psychology and behavioral interventions in the classroom with today's demands for educational excellence and accountability by classroom teachers. Teacher resistance to the implementation of behavioral interventions is discussed with respect to various misconceptions involving perceived practical obstacles. Misconceptions are corrected and practical suggestions for implementing behavioral interventions are provided. The use of behavioral interventions to achieve accountability and improved student performance is emphasized.
BMI vs. waist circumference for identifying vascular risk.

Objective: Current guidelines recommend measurement of both BMI and waist circumference (WC) in individuals with BMI between 25.0 and 34.9 kg/m2. We investigated the relative contributions of BMI and WC toward identifying risk of adverse vascular events in a community-based sample. Methods and Procedures: We evaluated Framingham Study participants (n = 4,195 person-examinations, 53% women) using pooled logistic regression to assess the incremental prognostic utility of WC in predicting risk of a first cardiovascular disease (CVD) event in the three BMI categories (normal, <25 kg/m2; overweight, 25 to <30 kg/m2; obese, ≥30 kg/m2) and to assess the incremental prognostic utility of BMI and WC separately for predicting risk of a first cardiovascular event. Results: On follow-up (16 years), 430 participants (158 women) had experienced a first CVD event. In overweight women, but not in overweight men, larger WC was found to be an independent predictor of CVD incidence, longitudinally (in women, multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) per s.d. increment in WC 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–3.36, P = 0.04; in men adjusted OR per s.d. increment in WC 0.91, 95% CI 0.60–1.38, P = 0.66). In obese individuals and in those with normal BMI, WC was not associated independently with incident CVD. When BMI and WC were analyzed separately for predicting risk of a first cardiovascular event, the c statistics associated with the multivariable CVD models incorporating BMI vs. WC were nearly identical in men and women. Discussion: Knowledge of WC aids identification of vascular risk among overweight women. Among normal weight or obese women and men (regardless of BMI category) WC did not appear to substantially add to prediction of risk of vascular events.
Hubbard model with smooth boundary conditions

We apply recently developed smooth boundary conditions to the quantum Monte Carlo simulation of the two-dimensional Hubbard model. At half-filling, where there is no sign problem, we show that the thermodynamic limit is reached more rapidly with smooth rather than with periodic or open boundary conditions. Away from half-filling, where ordinarily the simulation cannot be carried out at low temperatures due to the existence of the sign problem, we show that smooth boundary conditions allow us to reach significantly lower temperatures. We examine pairing correlation functions away from half-filling in order to determine the possible existence of a superconducting state. On a 10\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10 lattice for $U=4$, at a filling of $〈n〉=0.87$ and an inverse temperature of $\ensuremath{\beta}=10$, we find enhancement of the $d$-wave correlations with respect to the noninteracting case, a possible sign of $d$-wave superconductivity.