cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A diffusion-viscous analysis and experimental verification of defect formation in sintered silver bond-line

The low-temperature joining technique (LTJT) by silver sintering is being implemented by major manufacturers of power electronic devices and modules for bonding power semiconductor chips. A common die-attach material used with LTJT is a silver paste consisting of silver powder (micrometer- or nanometer-sized particles) mixed in organic solvent and binder formulation. It is believed that the drying of the paste during the bonding process plays a critical role in determining the quality of the sintered bond-line. In this study, a model based on the diffusion of solvent molecules and viscous mechanics of the paste was introduced to determine the stress and strain states of the silver bond-line. A numerical simulation algorithm of the model was developed and coded in the C++ programming language. The numerical simulation allows determination of the time-dependent physical properties of the silver bond-line as the paste is being dried with a heating profile. The properties studied were solvent concentration, weight loss, shrinkage, stress, and strain. The stress is the cause of cracks in the bond-line and bond-line delamination. The simulated results were verified by experiments in which the formation of bond-line cracks and interface delamination was observed during the pressure-free drying of a die-attach nanosilver paste. The simulated results were consistent with our earlier experimental findings that the use of uniaxial pressure of a few mega-Pascals during the drying stage of a nanosilver paste was sufficient to produce high-quality sintered joints. The insight offered by this modeling study can be used to develop new paste formulations that enable pressure-free, low-temperature sintering of the die-attach material to significantly lower the cost of implementing the LTJT in manufacturing.
Elaborating pedagogical content knowledge: what it means to know students and think about teaching

The purpose of this study was to examine how a teacher understood her students and then thought and made decisions about content, curriculum and pedagogy. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and Deweyan philosophies of experience and education provided the theoretical frameworks. Data were collected through observations (N = 38) and interviews (N = 38) over four months and analysed using constant comparison. Findings indicated that this teacher possessed a broad repertoire of knowledge about students that she used to think and make decisions about content, curriculum and pedagogy. The connections between knowing students and thinking about teaching were more sophisticated and interconnected than is typically recognized or articulated in teacher knowledge literature. Three themes are used to explain how this teacher understood her students’ emotional and social lives in and out of her classroom, and ways it influenced her thinking and teaching. The discussion centers on the need for more comprehensive anal...
Impact of Correlated Synaptic Input on Output Firing Rate and Variability in Simple Neuronal Models

Cortical neurons are typically driven by thousands of synaptic inputs. The arrival of a spike from one input may or may not be correlated with the arrival of other spikes from different inputs. How does this interdependence alter the probability that the postsynaptic neuron will fire? We constructed a simple random walk model in which the membrane potential of a target neuron fluctuates stochastically, driven by excitatory and inhibitory spikes arriving at random times. An analytic expression was derived for the mean output firing rate as a function of the firing rates and pairwise correlations of the inputs. This stochastic model made three quantitative predictions. (1) Correlations between pairs of excitatory or inhibitory inputs increase the fluctuations in synaptic drive, whereas correlations between excitatory‐inhibitory pairs decrease them. (2) When excitation and inhibition are fully balanced (the mean net synaptic drive is zero), firing is caused by the fluctuations only. (3) In the balanced case, firing is irregular. These theoretical predictions were in excellent agreement with simulations of an integrate-and-fire neuron that included multiple conductances and received hundreds of synaptic inputs. The results show that, in the balanced regime, weak correlations caused by signals shared among inputs may have a multiplicative effect on the input-output rate curve of a postsynaptic neuron, i.e. they may regulate its gain; in the unbalanced regime, correlations may increase firing probability mainly around threshold, when output rate is low; and in all cases correlations are expected to increase the variability of the output spike train.
Distributed adaptive task allocation in heterogeneous computing environments to maximize throughput

Summary form only given. We consider the task allocation problem for computing a large set of equal-sized independent tasks on heterogeneous computing systems. This problem represents the computation paradigm for a wide range of applications such as SETl@home and Monte Carlo simulations. We consider a general problem in which the interconnection between the nodes is modeled using a graph. We maximize the throughput of the system by using an extended network flow representation. We then develop a decentralized adaptive algorithm. This algorithm leads to a simple decentralized protocol that coordinates the resources in the system. The effectiveness of the proposed task allocation approach is verified through simulations.
Activity Budgets Derived From Time–Depth Recorders in a Diving Mammal

Abstract We describe a method to convert continuously collected time–depth data from archival time–depth recorders (TDRs) into activity budgets for a benthic-foraging marine mammal. We used data from 14 TDRs to estimate activity-specific time budgets in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) residing near Cross Sound, southeast Alaska, USA. From the TDRs we constructed a continuous record of behavior for each individual over 39–46 days during summer of 1999. Behaviors were classified as foraging (diving to the bottom), other diving (traveling, grooming, interacting), and nondiving (assumed resting). The overall average activity budget (proportion of 24-hr/d) was 0.37 foraging (8.9 hr/d), 0.11 in other diving (2.6 hr/d), and 0.52 nondiving time (12.5 hr/d). We detected significant differences in activity budgets among individuals and between groups within our sample. Historically, the sea otter population in our study area had been expanding and sequentially reoccupying vacant habitat since their reintroduction to th...
The effects of hyperosmotic agents on the electrical properties of the amphibian lens in vitro

Hyperosmotic concentrations of NaCl, mannitol, urea, and ethanol decreased the electrical potential difference (PD) and short-circuit current (SCC) across the amphibian lens in vitro. NaCl and mannitol were most effective and their effects were reversible. The osmotic agents were only effective when placed on the anterior side of the lens, which is the site of the lens epithelium. The PD across the anterior side of the lens was decreased by the osmotic agents, and the resistance across this side increased. A small decline in the PD was observed across the posterior side under these conditions. The decline in the translenticular PD and SCC was substantially reduced, but not abolished, when Na was excluded from the anterior bathing solution. Absence of Na from the posterior solution also decreased the response. When the anterior side of the lens was bathed with Na-free Ringer's, mannitol produced a much larger increase in resistance then when Na was present. The lens accumulated Na in the presence of mannitol and ethanol, but there was no concomitant decline in K. The extracellular space was unchanged, so that the Na was in the cells. The translenticular flux of 22Na in the direction anterior to posterior was increased, while that from posterior to anterior was not changed significantly. Lens opacities were observed to occur when the lens was bathed on the posterior surface with mannitol, but this was not associated with electrolyte changes. The osmotic agents appear to influence the electrical activity of the lens by decreasing the activity of the Na-pump in the anterior lens epithelium and increasing its passive permeability to Na.
Factors Associated With Colorectal Cancer Screening Among the US Urban Japanese Population

Objectives. The author examined the prevalence and predictors of colorectal cancer screening among the urban Japanese population of the United States. Methods. A sample of Japanese residents of major US metropolitan areas completed a self-administered mailed survey. Results. Physician recommendation, acculturation, and perceived psychological costs were consistent predictors of screening for colorectal cancer. Gender and marital status were related to screening via fecal occult blood testing; age, susceptibility, and health insurance were related to sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy screening. Conclusions. Colorectal cancer screening among the urban Japanese population could be increased with interventions seeking to promote physician recommendations for screening, alleviate perceived pyscological costs among patients, and improve physician-patient communication.
Factors associated with decision to hospitalize emergency department patients with skin and soft tissue infection.

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) hospitalizations for skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) have increased, while concern for costs has grown and outpatient parenteral antibiotic options have expanded. To identify opportunities to reduce admissions, we explored factors that influence the decision to hospitalize an ED patient with a SSTI. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of adults presenting to 12 U.S. EDs with a SSTI in which physicians were surveyed as to reason(s) for admission, and clinical characteristics were correlated with disposition. We employed chi-square binary recursive partitioning to assess independent predictors of admission. Serious adverse events were recorded. Results: Among 619 patients, median age was 38.7 years. The median duration of symptoms was 4.0 days, 96 (15.5%) had a history of fever, and 46 (7.5%) had failed treatment. Median maximal length of erythema was 4.0cm (IQR, 2.0-7.0). Upon presentation, 39 (6.3%) had temperature >38oC, 81 (13.1%) tachycardia, 35 (5.7%), tachypnea, and 5 (0.8%) hypotension; at the time of the ED disposition decision, these findings were present in 9 (1.5%), 11 (1.8%), 7 (1.1%), and 3 (0.5%) patients, respectively. Ninety-four patients (15.2%) were admitted, 3 (0.5%) to the intensive care unit (ICU). Common reasons for admission were need for intravenous antibiotics in 80 (85.1%; the only reason in 41.5%), surgery in 23 (24.5%), and underlying disease in 11 (11.7%). Hospitalization was significantly associated with the following factors in decreasing order of importance: history of fever (present in 43.6% of those admitted, and 10.5% discharged; maximal length of erythema >10cm (43.6%, 11.3%); history of failed treatment (16.1%, 6.0%); any co-morbidity (61.7%, 27.2%); and age >65 years (5.4%, 1.3%). Two patients required amputation and none had ICU transfer or died. Conclusion: ED SSTI patients with fever, larger lesions, and co-morbidities tend to be hospitalized, almost all to non-critical areas and rarely do they suffer serious complications. The most common reason for admission is administration of intravenous antibiotics, which is frequently the only reason for hospitalization. With the increasing outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy options, these results suggest that many hospitalized patients with SSTI could be managed safely and effectively as outpatients. [West J Emerg Med.–0.]
State Estimation for Discrete Systems with Switching Parameters

The problem of state estimation for discrete systems with parameters which may be switching within a finite set of values is considered. In the general case it is shown that the optimal estimator requires a bank of elemental estimators with its number growing exponentially with time. For the Markov parameter case, it is found that the optimal estimator requires only N2 elemental estimators where N is the number of possible parameter values.
Using Big (and Critical) Data to Unmask Inequities in Community Colleges

This chapter presents various definitions of big data and examines some of the assumptions regarding the value and power of big data, especially as it relates to issues of equity in community colleges. Finally, this chapter ends with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of using big data, critically, for institutional researchers.
A TEST OF ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESES FOR THE EVOLUTION OF REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION BETWEEN SPADEFOOT TOADS: SUPPORT FOR THE REINFORCEMENT HYPOTHESIS

How do species that interbreed become reproductively isolated? If hybrids are less fit than parental types, natural selection should promote reproductive isolation by favoring the evolution of premating mechanisms that prevent hybridization (a process termed reinforcement). Although reinforcement should generate a decline in hybridization over time, countervailing forces of gene flow and recombination are thought to preclude natural selection from enhancing and finalizing reproductive isolation. Here, I present recent estimates of hybridization frequency between two species of spadefoot toad, Spea multiplicata and S. bombifrons. I compare these recent measures of hybrid frequency with previously published estimates and show that hybridization between these species has declined precipitously over the past 27 years. Although previous studies suggest that reinforcement possibly accounts for this decline in hybrids over time, three alternative hypotheses also can explain the observed decrease in hybridization. First, if one of the two interacting species becomes rare, opportunities for and incidence of hybridization may decrease. Second, if one of the two interacting species is initially rare, hybridization may be initially common if the rare species has difficulty locating conspecific mates. Third, if hybrids are produced only in particular environments, hybrid frequency may decline if habitat changes result in loss of those environments that promote hybrid formation. I found no support for these three alternative explanations of the decline in hybrids. Instead, reinforcement appears to best account for the evolution of enhanced reproductive isolation between these species. Moreover, the finding that hybridization declined precipitously in only 27 years suggests that many systems that have undergone reinforcement may be overlooked because reproductive isolation between the interacting populations or species may already be complete.
Specific modulation of ectodermal cell fates in Xenopus embryos by glycogen synthase kinase

Shaggy is a downstream component of the wingless and Notch signaling pathways which operate during Drosophila development. To address the role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3 beta), a mammalian homologue of Shaggy, in vertebrate embryogenesis, it was overexpressed in Xenopus embryos. Microinjection of rat GSK3 beta mRNA into animal ventral blastomeres of 8-cell-stage embryos triggered development of ectopic cement glands with an adjacent anterior neural tissue as evidenced by in situ hybridization with Xotx2, a fore/midbrain marker, and NCAM, a pan-neural marker. In contrast, animal dorsal injection of the same dose of GSK3 beta mRNA caused eye deficiencies, whereas vegetal injections had no pronounced effects on normal development. Using several mutated forms of rat GSK3 beta, we demonstrate that the observed phenotypes are dose-dependent and tightly correlate with GSK3 beta enzymatic activity. Lineage tracing experiments showed that the effects of GSK3 beta are cell autonomous and that ectopic cement glands and eye deficiencies arose directly from cells containing GSK3 beta mRNA. Molecular marker analysis of ectodermal explants overexpressing GSK3 beta has revealed activation of Xotx2 and of cement gland marker XAG-1, but expression of NCAM and XIF-3 was not detected. Phenotypic effects of mRNA encoding a Xenopus homologue of GSK3 beta were identical to those of rat GSK3 beta mRNA. We hypothesize that GSK3 beta mediates the initial steps of neural tissue specification and modulates anteroposterior ectodermal patterning via activation of Otx2 transcription. Our observations implicate GSK3 beta in signaling pathways operating during neural tissue development and during specification of anterior ectodermal cell fates.
SURGICAL TREATMENT OF LOW BACK DISABILITIES

To summarize the points in this paper: 1. Ankylosis of lumbosacral or sacro-iliac joints will produce rapid relief in cases of pain and disability due to mechanical instability or to disease limited to these joints. 2. The best operative procedure for the lumbosacral region is a combination of the Hibbs technique with one or more large bone grafts removed preferably from the ilium; where great speed is imperative, the original Albee technique is recommended. 3. A single sacro-iliac joint can be satisfactorily fused by the SmithPetersen technique, or by the Campbell or Chandler method. When both sacro-iliac joints require fusion, or where the trisacral fusion is required, Campbell's or Chandler's method should be combined with the lumbosacral operation above described.
Electrolyte Additives for Reducing the Irreversible Capacity Loss, Impedance and Polarization of a Doped LiCoPO4 Cathode

High voltage cathode materials show promise for improving the specific energy of the state-of-the-art lithium ion battery. One notable cathode material that displays a discharge voltage of ~4.8V, and has the potential to improve the specific energy to ~802Wh/kg, is the olivine-structured LiCoPO4. A significant issue, however, that has plagued LiCoPO4-based systems is the irreversible electrolyte decomposition that occurs at the electrolyte/electrode interface at higher voltages. Electrolyte additives have long been used to improve the passivation layer on the anode, but little is known about the importance of electrolyte additives on the cathode surface. The following study demonstrates a design of experiment (DOE) approach for optimizing the electrolyte additive concentration. The optimized electrolyte improves the cycle life and specific capacity of the cell, while reducing the interfacial impedance. The resulting full-cell containing the optimized electrolyte demonstrates a specific energy that is improved 60% over a full-cell containing the standard electrolyte.
All-Silicon, Ultrafast, Integrable Optoelectronic Interface

We report on the computed and experimental studies of an ultrafast, all-silicon optical receiving and modulating system that is compatible in processing with the integrated-circuit technology. A silicon metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is demonstrated to be an optical receiver with resolvable bit rate as high as 60 Gb/s. An all-silicon light-intensity modulator is proposed as an optical transmitter. The field-effect nature of this proposed modulator provides high-speed performance in addition to low-power dissipation. A sample device with 300-µm interaction length is calculated to have a modulation depth of ~40% with 5-V bias, and the operational speed is expected to be 70 GHz, limited by the RC time constant.
Antimony-Supported Cu4I4 Cuboid with Short Cu-Cu Bonds: Structural Premise for Near-Infrared Thermoluminescence.

Herein we report the synthesis, temperature-dependent X-ray structures (100, 150, 200, 250, 273, and 300 K), and solid-state emissive properties of the antimony–copper(I)–iodo cluster [Cu4(I)4(SbiPr3)4] (1), supported by the trialkylantimony donor SbiPr3. Overall, 1 exhibits a distorted cuboidal structure, wherein a twisting of the “cube” generates an interconnected Cu4 tetrahedron, as well as long Cu–I and Cu–Sb bonds [e.g., 2.707(2) and 2.571(2) A]; in the 100 K X-ray structure, the Cu–Cu bonds are quite short [2.761(3) A]. Solid-state emission spectra of 1 were obtained over a range of temperatures (163–298 K), wherein 1 exhibits only a low-energy emission feature centered near 700 nm (λEm = 711 nm, fwhm = 150 nm, and λEx = 390 nm). Because 1 contains no aryl units, the emission spectrum (and absorption) can be unambiguously attributed to the Cu4I4 core [no L (pnictogen ligand) component]. The luminescence is sharply attenuated upon warming from 150 to 200 K. An overlaid plot of the emissive properties...
Modified dissection technique for diagnosis of tracheal mites (Acari: Tarsonemidae) in honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A technique is described for rapid dissection of adult honey bees, Apis mellifera L., to facilitate diagnosis of honey bee tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi Rennie, in the large tracheae connected to the first pair of thoracic spiracles. After dissection, tracheae are visible along their entire length. Light infestations or single-mite infestations near the spiracular opening are detectable. A dissecting microscope (25–50×), an adequate light source, and simple dissection tools are required.
Quality Insights: Systems-based product quality assessment for customer preferences

Customer preference is a key element of determining the characteristics of a product. Manufacturers who strive to satisfy customer needs must adequately assess the preferences of the customers. In the distant past, manufacturers might not have paid sufficient attention to customer preferences. They, rather, supplied the market with what their manufacturing capabilities could provide. The market is far more astute and discriminating in the modern era of global competition. Manufacturers must, thus, respond accordingly. This paper presents an analytical approach to assessing customer preferences. A case study from the US automotive industry is presented in the paper as a good benchmark or template for pursuing customer preference assessment using a quantification methodology. Such a quantification approach is useful for an analytical assessment of customer needs, wants, and desires in the marketplace.
Stringency-based ranking of normality tests

ABSTRACTMany parametric statistical inferential procedures in finite samples depend crucially on the underlying normal distribution assumption. Dozens of normality tests are available in the literature to test the hypothesis of normality. Availability of such a large number of normality tests has generated a large number of simulation studies to find a best test but no one arrived at a definite answer as all depends critically on the alternative distributions which cannot be specified. A new framework, based on stringency concept, is devised to evaluate the performance of the existing normality tests. Mixture of t-distributions is used to generate the alternative space. The LR-tests, based on Neyman–Pearson Lemma, have been computed to construct a power envelope for calculating the stringencies of the selected normality tests. While evaluating the stringencies, Anderson–Darling (AD) statistic turns out to be the best normality test.
IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ADVANCED HEART FAILURE, NON RESPONSE TO DECREASE LV FILLING PRESSURE IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE SURVIVAL AND OUTCOMES: INSIGHTS FROM THE ESCAPE (EVALUATION STUDY OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND PULMONARY ARTERY CATHETERIZATION EFFECTIVENESS) TRIAL

Data ESCAPE trial showed the use of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) did not improve outcomes in patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We sought to determine whether patients who had improvement in filling pressures (responders) differed from patients who did not (non responders)
Epidemiological investigation of simple obesity among middle school students in Yangchun City.

Objective To study the prevalence of overweight and obesity in middle school students, and its associated factors. Method An investigation was conducted in the middle school students using the multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Results The prevalence rate of overweight and obesity were 6.98% and 2.81%, respectively, for middle school students in Yangchun.Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in boys than in girls. Parents' obesity, speed of eating, types of vegetable consumed were the risk factors of obesity. Conclusion Bad eating habits and lifestyles are the risk factors associated with obesity of middle school students.Parents also have an influence on the obesity of their children.
Gaussian quadrature for matrix inverse forms with applications

We present a framework for accelerating a spectrum of machine learning algorithms that require computation of bilinear inverse forms uτ A-1 u, where A is a positive definite matrix and u a given vector. Our framework is built on Gausstype quadrature and easily scales to large, sparse matrices. Further, it allows retrospective computation of lower and upper bounds on uτ A-1 u, which in turn accelerates several algorithms. We prove that these bounds tighten iteratively and converge at a linear (geometric) rate. To our knowledge, ours is the first work to demonstrate these key properties of Gauss-type quadrature, which is a classical and deeply studied topic. We illustrate empirical consequences of our results by using quadrature to accelerate machine learning tasks involving determinantal point processes and submodular optimization, and observe tremendous speedups in several instances.
Long-term Increase in Peritoneal Membrane Transport Rates following Incidental Intraperitoneal Sodium Hypochlorite Infusion:

A patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis using an "O" set connection system with sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant incidentally infused the disinfectant intraperitoneally on two occasions. The product of peritoneal membrane permeability and peritoneal membrane surface area increased after both infusions as judged by peritoneal equilibration test results and/or serum chemistries. Elevated peritoneal solute transport rates and reduced ultrafiltration gradually subsided but did not return to preinfusion values. This observation suggests that intraperitoneal sodium hypochlorite infusion may cause significant long-term alteration in peritoneal membrane transport characteristics.
Hypertension in pregnancy and preeclampsia. Knowledge and clinical practice among obstetrician-gynecologists.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the knowledge and practice patterns of obstetrician-gynecologists concerning management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Surveys were mailed to 1,116 fellows of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology; 416 of them constituted the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network. Seven hundred more were chosen at random. The survey contained questions on physician and patient demography and on knowledge and practice patterns concerning management of various hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 401 completed surveys were analyzed. There was no difference between respondents and nonrespondents in either sex ratio (P=.410) or age (46.9±0.4 versus 48.1±0.4 years, P=.131). Most respondents (84.5%) would manage mild preeclampsia on an outpatient basis, and most (58.6%) usually managed preeclampsia independently. There was considerable variation in clinical practice. For example, about one of four respondents (27.4%) do not use seizure prophylaxis during labor in mild pre-eclampsia. Among physicians who do utilize magnesium sulfate for seizure prows phylaxis, the mean standard loading dose was 4.5±.1 g intravenously. More than half the respondents (54.9%) would employ preeclampsia prevention procedures. Most respondents (74.6%) said that there is a role for management of severe preeclampsia remote from term. Intrauterine growth restriction would be used as an indication for immediate delivery by 60.6% of respondents; female physicians were more likely to use intrauterine growth retardation as an indication for immediate delivery (X 2 = 5.7, P =.017). CONCLUSION: Much of the clinical management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is based on expert opinion, which often varies. Efforts to standardize management through consensus and algorithm development may be warranted pending results from conclusive evidence-based clinical investigations.
Worsening Hypoxemia in the Face of Increasing PEEP: A Case of Large Pulmonary Embolism in the Setting of Intracardiac Shunt

BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale (PFO) are common, normally resulting in a left-to-right shunt or no net shunting. Pulmonary embolism (PE) can cause sustained increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right atrial pressure. Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves oxygenation at the expense of increasing intrathoracic pressures (ITP). Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) decreases shunt fraction, improves ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) matching, increases cardiac output, and decreases right atrial pressure by facilitating low airway pressure. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old man presented with dyspnea and hemoptysis. Oxygen saturation (SaO2) 80% on room air with A-a gradient of 633 mmHg. Post-intubation SaO2 dropped to 71% on assist control, FiO2 100%, and PEEP of 5 cmH20. Successive PEEP dropped SaO2 to 60-70% and blood pressure plummeted. APRV was initaiated with improvement in SaO2 to 95% and improvement in blood pressure. Hemiparesis developed and CT head showed infarction. CT pulmonary angiogram found a large pulmonary embolism. Transthoracic echocardiogram detected right-to left intracardiac shunt, with large PFO. CONCLUSIONS There should be suspicion for a PFO when severe hypoxemia paradoxically worsens in response to increasing airway pressures. Concomitant venous and arterial thromboemboli should prompt evaluation for intra-cardiac shunt. Patients with PFO and hypoxemia should be evaluated for causes of sustained right-to-left pressure gradient, such as PE. Management should aim to decrease PVR and optimize V/Q matching by treating the inciting incident (e.g., thrombolytics in PE) and by minimizing ITP. APRV can minimize PVR and maximize V/Q ratios and should be considered in treating patients similar to the one whose case is presented here.
Differential views of the police: Testing the effect of relational ties

This paper examines citizens’ attitudes toward the police by testing the effect of relational ties. Using data collected from Ghana, the study tests specific hypotheses about the influence of relat...
Factor analysis of temperament and personality traits in bipolar patients: Correlates with comorbidity and disorder severity.

Abstract Background Temperament and personality traits have been suggested as endophenotypes for bipolar disorder based on several lines of evidence, including heritability. Previous work suggested an anxious-reactive factor identified across temperament and personality inventories that produced significant group discrimination and could potentially be useful in genetic analyses. We have attempted to further characterize this factor structure in a sample of bipolar patients. Methods A sample of 1195 subjects with bipolar I disorder was evaluated, all with complete data available. Dimension reduction across two inventories identified 18 factors explaining 39% of the variance. Results The two largest factors reflected affective instability and general anxiety/worry, respectively. Subsequent analyses of the clinical features associated with bipolar disorder revealed specificity for the factors in a predictable pattern. Cluster analysis of the factors identified a subgroup defined by a strong lack of general anxiety and low affective instability represented by the first two factors. The remaining subjects could be distinguished into two clusters by the presence of either more positive characteristics, including persistence/drive, spirituality, expressivity, and humor, or more negative characteristics of depression and anxiety. Limitations These analyses involved bipolar I subjects only and must be extended to other bipolar spectrum diagnoses, unaffected relatives, and individuals at risk. Conclusions These results suggest that temperament and personality measures access latent traits associated with important clinical features of bipolar disorder. By translating clinical variables into quantitative traits, we may identify subgroups of bipolar patients with distinct clinical profiles, thereby facilitating both individual treatment strategies and genetic analyses.
A guide to multi-objective optimization for ecological problems with an application to cackling goose management

Abstract Choices in ecological research and management are the result of balancing multiple, often competing, objectives. Multi-objective optimization (MOO) is a formal decision-theoretic framework for solving multiple objective problems. MOO is used extensively in other fields including engineering, economics, and operations research. However, its application for solving ecological problems has been sparse, perhaps due to a lack of widespread understanding. Thus, our objective was to provide an accessible primer on MOO, including a review of methods common in other fields, a review of their application in ecology, and a demonstration to an applied resource management problem. A large class of methods for solving MOO problems can be separated into two strategies: modelling preferences pre-optimization (the a priori strategy), or modelling preferences post-optimization (the a posteriori strategy). The a priori strategy requires describing preferences among objectives without knowledge of how preferences affect the resulting decision. In the a posteriori strategy, the decision maker simultaneously considers a set of solutions (the Pareto optimal set) and makes a choice based on the trade-offs observed in the set. We describe several methods for modelling preferences pre-optimization, including: the bounded objective function method, the lexicographic method, and the weighted-sum method. We discuss modelling preferences post-optimization through examination of the Pareto optimal set. We applied each MOO strategy to the natural resource management problem of selecting a population target for cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii minima) abundance. Cackling geese provide food security to Native Alaskan subsistence hunters in the goose's nesting area, but depredate crops on private agricultural fields in wintering areas. We developed objective functions to represent the competing objectives related to the cackling goose population target and identified an optimal solution first using the a priori strategy, and then by examining trade-offs in the Pareto set using the a posteriori strategy. We used four approaches for selecting a final solution within the a posteriori strategy; the most common optimal solution, the most robust optimal solution, and two solutions based on maximizing a restricted portion of the Pareto set. We discuss MOO with respect to natural resource management, but MOO is sufficiently general to cover any ecological problem that contains multiple competing objectives that can be quantified using objective functions.
Chemotherapy Significantly Improves Survival for Patients with T1c-T2N0M0 Medullary Breast Cancer: 3739 Cases From the National Cancer Data Base

Background Medullary breast cancer (MBC) is a rare tumor associated with a better prognosis compared with other breast cancers. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy has not been extensively studied.
The Unique Effects of Fathers’ Warmth on Adolescents’ Positive Beliefs and Behaviors: Pathways to Resilience in Low-Income Families

The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathways through which fathers’ warmth influences adolescents’ grades. We investigated the positive beliefs of optimism and academic self-efficacy, and the motivational construct of determination, as possible mediators. Questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 183 sixth-graders (78 male, 105 female) from low-income families: 133 Mexican Americans, 36 African Americans, 11 European Americans, and 3 other ethnicity. Multigroup SEM path analysis was used to test two path models and investigate variations in these models by adolescents’ gender. Results revealed that, controlling for mothers’ warmth, fathers’ warmth predicts adolescents’ positive beliefs and that these relations vary by adolescents’ gender. For male adolescents, relations between fathers’ warmth and English language arts grades are mediated by academic self-efficacy and determination to persist on challenging schoolwork. For female adolescents, relations between fathers’ warmth and math grades are mediated by optimism and determination. These results demonstrate the unique contributions of fathers’ warmth to their sons’ and daughters’ emotional and academic development. Our study suggests that counselors and educators may positively influence adolescents’ well-being by encouraging fathers to communicate warmth and acceptance to their adolescents.
Steam gasification of a thermally pretreated high lignin corn stover simultaneous saccharification and fermentation digester residue.

Abstract Efficient conversion of all components in lignocellulosic biomass is essential to realizing economic feasibility of biorefineries. However, lignin cannot be fermented using biochemical routes. Furthermore, high lignin and high ash residues from simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is difficult to thermochemically process due to feed line plugging and bed agglomeration. In this study a corn stover SSF digester residue was thermally pretreated at 300 °C for 22.5 min and gasified in a fluidized bed gasifier to study the effect of thermal pretreatment on its processing behavior. Untreated, pelletized SSF residue was gasified at the same conditions to establish the baseline processing behavior. Results indicate the thermal pretreatment process removes a substantial portion of the polar and non-polar extractives, with a resultant increase in the concentration of lignin, cellulose, and ash. Feed line plugging was not observed, although bed agglomeration occurred at similar rates for both feedstocks, suggesting that overall ash content is the most important factor affecting bed agglomeration. Benzene, phenol, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the tar were present at higher concentrations in the treated material, with higher tar loading in the product gas. Total product gas generation is lower for the treated material, although overall gas composition does not change.
Efficient Charge Transport via DNA G-Quadruplexes.

The dynamics and efficiency of photoinduced charge transport has been investigated in DNA capped hairpins possessing a stilbenedicarboxamide (Sa) hole donor and stilbenediether (Sd) hole acceptor separated by DNA G-quadruplex structures possessing 2-to-4 tetrads by means of femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with global analysis. The results for the quadruplex structures are compared with those for the corresponding duplex structures having G-C base pairs in place of the G-tetrads. Following photoinduced charge separation to form a contact radical ion pair, hole transport to form the Sa–•/Sd+• charge-separated state is slower but more efficient for the quadruplex vs duplex structures. Thus, the G-quadruplex serves as an effective conduit for positive charge rather than as a hole trap when inserted into a duplex, as previously postulated.
More than just fun: a place for games in playful learning / Más que diversión: el lugar de los juegos reglados en el aprendizaje lúdico

AbstractGames play a significant role in childhood, fuelling hours of engagement and social interaction, and probably much learning as well. Board games, card games and outdoor games (such as Tag) first come to mind, but more recently, games have also gone digital. In this piece, we offer a new perspective by placing games within the established construct of ‘playful learning’. We review key elements of playful learning and the two subtypes: free play and guided play. We suggest that games promote learning in ways similar to other playful learning situations. Games involve fun, a sense of curiosity and an inhibition of reality, in active, engaging, meaningful and socially interactive contexts. We argue that games therefore belong alongside free play and guided play to form a trio of playful learning experiences. This perspective adds to a growing understanding of the role of games in supporting children’s learning and development.
Advances in Phototherapy of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

The advent of phototherapy for the treatment of jaundice in the newborn, originally reported in the studies of Cremer et al.1 in 1958, has stimulated further investigation of the transport, bind ing, and metabolism of bilirubin. It is not an exaggeration to say that this mode of therapy is considered by many to have been responsible for much of the recent broad medical interest in the photobiological effects of visible light. Because of this there has been a further interest in the study of varied light sources — fluorescent to laser.
Hybrid covalent/ionic self-assembly of second order nonlinear optical films

Ionically self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) films spontaneously assemble with a noncentrosymmetric ordering that gives rise to a substantial second order nonlinear optical (NLO) response with exceptional temporal and thermal stability. Typically, polar ISAM films are made from two oppositely-charged polyelectrolytes with an ionic, conjugated NLO chromophore attached as a side-chain to one of the polymers. The second order susceptibility of such a system is diminished due to competing dipole alignment at opposing ends of each polyelectrolyte layer and by randomized chromophore orientation within thicker layers. Significant enhancements in NLO response have been achieved by replacing the NLO-active polyelectrolyte with a monomeric chromophore that has reactive functionality and ionic moieties on opposite ends of the molecule, as illustrated in Figure 1 for the case of Procion Red MX-5B [1]. The growth of multilayers through alternating mechanisms of covalent coupling and electrostatic adsorption results in highly polar chromophore ordering with χ(2) values as large as 30× 10−9 esu, fifteen times that of quartz. Variation of the solution pH allows one to turn the reactive coupling on and off, verifying the important role of the alternating adsorption mechanisms in producing a film with bulk polar order. Quadratic growth of the second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity with the number of layers demonstrates that the bulk polar order exists through large (>50) numbers of bilayers. Since the solution cells, aqueous solutions, and glass susbtrates are all amorphous and exhibit negligible SHG, in situ SHG measurements allow real-time measurement of the growth of a single, polar monolayer onto the substrate from the solution. These measurements demonstrate that the covalent formation of the chromophore monolayer is complete in less than two minutes, allowing for relatively rapid buildup of thick multilayer films. In addition, we will discuss the effects of the glass-film and film-air interfaces on the observed SHG signals. Each of these produces a large SHG signal that causes a plot of the square root of the SHG versus the number of bilayers to intercept the ordinate axis well-above the origin but does not affect the slope of this plot, which determines χ(2). However, this does demonstrate that care must be taken in determining the χ(2) values of selfassembled films comprising small numbers of layers.
InGaN-based solar cells for space applications

III-nitrides InGaN solar cells have exhibited many favorable physical properties for space photovoltaic (PV) applications. Here we demonstrate the first nonpolar and semipolar InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) solar cells grown on nonpolar m-plane and semipolar (2021) plane bulk GaN substrates. The optical properties and PV performance of these InGaN solar cells were systematically studied, including the absorption spectra, current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics, external quantum efficiency (EQE), and internal quantum efficiency (IQE). Overall nonpolar m-plane InGaN/GaN MQW solar cells demonstrated the best performance across all devices, with a high open-circuit voltage and the highest EQE and IQE. This huge difference is attributed to the better carrier transport and collection on nonpolar m-plane devices due to the reduced polarization effects, which were further confirmed by bias-dependent EQE measurements. Furthermore, high temperature measurements reveal that peak EQE values exceeds 80% at 500 °C and a positive thermal power coefficient up to 350 °C for nonpolar m-plane solar cells. These results demonstrate the high potential of nonpolar and semipolar InGaN solar cells for high temperature PV applications, which are required for space missions close to the sun.
Modeling the effect of collagen fibril alignment on ligament mechanical behavior

Ligament mechanical behavior is primarily regulated by fibrous networks of type I collagen. Although these fibrous networks are typically highly aligned, healthy and injured ligament can also exhibit disorganized collagen architecture. The objective of this study was to determine whether variations in the collagen fibril network between neighboring ligaments can predict observed differences in mechanical behavior. Ligament specimens from two regions of bovine fetlock joints, which either exhibited highly aligned or disorganized collagen fibril networks, were mechanically tested in uniaxial tension. Confocal microscopy and FiberFit software were used to quantify the collagen fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation in the mechanically tested specimens. These two structural parameters served as inputs into an established hyperelastic constitutive model that accounts for a continuous distribution of planar fibril orientations. The ability of the model to predict differences in the mechanical behavior between neighboring ligaments was tested by (1) curve fitting the model parameters to the stress response of the ligament with highly aligned fibrils and then (2) using this model to predict the stress response of the ligament with disorganized fibrils by only changing the parameter values for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation. This study found that when using parameter values for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation based on confocal imaging data, the model strongly predicted the average stress response of ligaments with disorganized fibrils ([Formula: see text]); however, the model only successfully predicted the individual stress response of ligaments with disorganized fibrils in half the specimens tested. Model predictions became worse when parameters for fibril dispersion and mean fibril orientation were not based on confocal imaging data. These findings emphasize the importance of collagen fibril alignment in ligament mechanics and help advance a mechanistic understanding of fibrillar networks in healthy and injured ligament.
Modification to the Side Rails of a Manufacturer’s Couch

Abstract A new version of a manufacturer’s couch no longer has rails that span the length of each side of the couch. Modification of the original couch to include a spinal section and a stretched mylar top have split this rail into three sections. The gaps between these sections have been fitted with interlocking bars that can readily be removed. By this means, the usefulness of the earlier model couch in terms of attaching treatment devices and aids to any part of the side has been restored, while at the same time not interfering with the demands of the new, multipurpose couch.
Renin Cell Identity and Homeostasis

Renin-expressing cells are precursors for vascular smooth muscle cells within the kidney, which in turn are capable of dedifferentiating and synthesize renin in response to challenges to homeostasis. The mechanisms that determine the identity of renin cells are the subject of many studies. Using a cell model of renal arteriolar smooth muscle cells dually labeled with fluorescent markers we showed that in vitro the cells can reexpress renin upon cAMP stimulation. In addition, reexpression of renin through the cAMP pathway involves chromatin remodeling by acetylation of histone 4. Further experiments confirmed that histone acetyl transferases play an essential role in the maintenance of the renin cell identity.