cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relating geologic units and mobility system kinematics contributing to Curiosity wheel damage at Gale Crater, Mars

Curiosity landed on plains to the north of Mount Sharp in August 2012. By June 2016 the rover had traversed 12.9 km to the southwest, encountering extensive strata that were deposited in a fluvial-deltaic-lacustrine system. Initial drives across sharp sandstone outcrops initiated an unacceptably high rate of punctures and cracks in the thin aluminum wheel skin structures. Initial damage was found to be related to the drive control mode of the six wheel drive actuators and the kinematics of the rocker-bogie suspension. Wheels leading a suspension pivot were forced onto sharp, immobile surfaces by the other wheels as they maintained their commanded angular velocities. Wheel damage mechanisms such as geometry-induced stress concentration cracking and low-cycle fatigue were then exacerbated. A geomorphic map was generated to assist in planning traverses that would minimize further wheel damage. A steady increase in punctures and cracks between landing and June 2016 was due in part because of drives across the sharp sandstone outcrops that could not be avoided. Wheel lifetime estimates show that with careful path planning the wheels will be operational for an additional ten kilometers or more, allowing the rover to reach key strata exposed on the slopes of Mount Sharp.
The personal is political in The Deaf Mute Howls: deaf epistemology seeks disability justice

AbstractThis article builds on Carol Padden and Tom Humphries’ assertion that culturally identified deaf people inhabit a different center of knowledge than the non-deaf. Over generations of inhabiting a different center, deaf people have developed and transmitted embodied knowledge. The core of this knowledge is the role of sign language in developing language, cognition, and social structures. Modern fields of science search for truth by deconstructing false narratives. That is, anything worth being scientific is worth testing. While this approach may be effective for science, it devalues community knowledge since core tenets have no value until they are tested. To illustrate this, we critique a literary work, The Deaf Mute Howls, by deaf writer Albert Ballin in 1930. His work is particularly compelling because he suggests a radical approach to disability justice. Many of his claims were later verified by science, which presents questions about future research praxis centering deaf epistemology.
Minimizing Fisher information with absolute moment constraints

Abstract Given p > 0 , we minimize the Fisher information of the probability measure μ with density g with given first moment ∫ x g ( x ) d x = m and given absolute p th moment ∫ | x | p g ( x ) d x = c p .
User-Defined Control Limits for Acceptable Message Transmission Delays in Computer-Mediated Communications

Growing use of computer-mediated communications technology in organizations has increased the demands on system performance and intensified the need for technology implementations that are responsive to user needs and expectations, situation constraints, and task demands. This paper describes research intended to develop control limit specifications for one class of communications systems, electronic voice mail. Based on surveys of over 1000 respondents, this research uses a feedback control model of tolerance for message transmission delay to determine upper control limits of “maximum tolerable delay” across a range of situation constraints related to message urgency, message volume, and sender-receiver distance.
Regional dysregulation of taurine and related amino acids in the fetal rat brain following gestational alcohol exposure.

Abstract The fetal brain exhibits exquisite alcohol-induced regional neuronal vulnerability. A candidate mechanism for alcohol-mediated brain deficits is disruption of amino acid (AA) bioavailability. AAs are vitally important for proper neurodevelopment, as they comprise the most abundant neurotransmitters in the brain and act as neurotransmitter precursors, nitric oxide donors, antioxidants, and neurotrophic factors, which induce synaptogenesis, neuronal proliferation, and migration. We hypothesized that gestational alcohol alters brain AA concentrations, disrupts AAs associated with neuropathogenesis, and that alterations are region-specific. We assigned pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to either a pair-fed control or a binge alcohol treatment group on gestational day (GD) 4. Alcohol animals were acclimatized via a once-daily orogastric gavage of a 4.5 g/kg alcohol dose from GD 5–10, and progressed to a 6 g/kg alcohol dose from GD 11–20. Pair-fed animals received isocaloric maltose dextrin (once daily; GD 5–20). Fetal cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus were collected on GD 21. Following collection, Fluorometric High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) involving pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde quantified regional content of 22 AAs. Chronic binge alcohol administration to pregnant dams regionally altered AA concentrations in all three structures, with the cerebral cortex exhibiting the least vulnerability and the hippocampus exhibiting maximal vulnerability. We conjecture that the AA imbalances observed in this study are critically implicated in pathological and compensatory processes occurring in the brain in response to gestational alcohol exposure.
Suprasellar and third ventricular cavernous malformation: Lessons learned in differential diagnosis and surgical planning.

Background While craniopharyngiomas (CPs) are the most common cystic suprasellar lesions in adults, cavernous malformations (CMs) only exceptionally occur in this location and are seldom considered in the differential diagnosis of such lesions. However, unlike CPs, suprasellar CMs are not typically approached via an endoscopic endonasal approach. Case description We present a unique clinical case of suprasellar and third ventricular CM mimicking a CP, posing a major decision-making dilemma at the levels of both preoperative diagnosis and surgical planning. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of carefully considering all the differential diagnoses of sellar pathology to select the most appropriate management strategy and surgical approach.
Product Reliability, R&D, and Manufacturing Cost Shocks

Suppose a firm’s research and development (R&D) improves product reliability which in turn decreases the cost of product failure for both the firm and its customers. The primary research question of the paper is how a firm with market power optimally adjusts its R&D if it experiences a manufacturing cost shock. Our model suggests that a manufacturing cost shock prompts the firm to do less R&D in the cases where the replacement cost is low or the marginal manufacturing cost is high. Conversely, if the replacement cost is high and the marginal manufacturing cost is low, then the firm increases R&D, mitigating some of the increase in the manufacturing cost. The paper also compares the outcomes for reliability, profits, consumer surplus, and social surplus for the optimal R&D case as compared to the case of doing no R&D, paying particular attention to how exogenous changes in the marginal manufacturing cost affect this comparison.
Financial Ratios as Financial Distress Predictors for SME in Czech Republic

Constructing models for predicting financial distress of small and medium enterprises requires its own treatment, because these firms differ from large campanies. The aim of this paper is to quantify the predictive power of selected ratios and to develop a statistical model for financial distress. We tested 16 financial ratios and the study relies on observations from 1563 firms. The model obtained by a methodology of conditional logit analysis includes quick liquidity ratio, average receivables collection period, leverage, solvency and interest coverage or debt coverage from current cash flow. The result confirmed that financial distress is closely related with the ability of a firm to pay its debts. Rentability wasn´t found as so decive predictor in short period, there is a more complicated relation between rentability and payment capacity. As significant predictor was identified current cash flow (adjusted ordinary profit), which is much closely connected with cash.
Persistent effects of social instructional dialog in a virtual learning environment

Interactions between learners and pedagogical agents may take on a more or less social tone, dependent on many possible factors. We investigate the effects of manipulating agent dialog on learner-agent interpersonal relations, which is hypothesized to promote learning. We have implemented our model of social instructional dialog (SID) in an agent in a virtual learning environment for instructing intercultural interactions. SID is designed to support students in taking a social orientation towards learning, through the use of conversational strategies that are theorized to produce positive interpersonal effects. This paper reports on the results of an empirical study (N=60) comparing SID to a corresponding task informational dialog (TID) model without these social features. We found that the SID model had significant positive effects on learners' entitativity, shared perspective, and trust with the agent. Moreover, these effects transferred to other non-SID based agents in the environment. We discuss how these findings may impact development of dialog for future agents.
Right Hemicolectomy and Ileocecectomy: Laparoscopic Intracorporeal Anastomosis

A laparoscopic approach is increasingly regarded as a gold standard for resection of benign and malignant colonic lesions. Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy can include either an extracorporeal or intracorporeal anastomosis. The extracorporeal anastomosis is performed similar to an open approach and is therefore utilized more frequently. In this chapter, we will discuss the potential advantages and technical nuances of the intracorporeal approach.
An Ultra-Low-Power, High Gain Mixer for Smart Cities Applications

A high gain, ultra-low-power mixer in 45 nm standard CMOS process is presented. The mixer is designed by using coupling capacitors across drain-gate of the transconductance stages. The proposed mixer achieves a conversion gain of 18.5 dB and noise-figure of 19.2 dB at LO power of 0 dBm. The mixer achieves 14.5 dBm IIP3 and −16.2 dB $\mathbf{P}_{1dB}$ for RF signal of 5.9 GHz. Operating at 0.4 V supply, the mixer consumes 170 $\mu \mathbf{W}$ power for RF frequencies of 2.4-5.9 GHz. The layout area of mixer core is 0.0046 mm2. Post-layout simulations demonstrate that the proposed design achieves a very high figure-of-merit when compared to other state-of-the-art down-conversion CMOS mixers.
Zinc Deficiency and the Recurrence of Clostridium difficile Infection after Fecal Microbiota Transplant: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is an effective therapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). However, in 12% of patients treated with FMT, CDI recurs within one month. Zinc deficiency predicts increased diarrheal frequency in malnourished children, but little is known about its association with FMT outcome. We hypothesized that zinc levels were an independent predictor of CDI recurrence after FMT. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 80 patients (mean age, 66; 59 women) receiving FMT for CDI from 9/2013–9/2016 at a tertiary care center. Zinc levels were measured within 90 days before FMT. The primary outcome was CDI recurrence within 90 days after FMT. We controlled for risk factors for FMT failure using Cox regression. We also analyzed the effect of zinc supplementation in individuals with deficiency. Results. Forty-nine subjects had a normal zinc level, and 31 had a low level ( ). Among low zinc subjects, 2 of 25 (8%) that received zinc supplements and 3 of 6 (50%) that did not receive zinc supplements had recurrence of CDI (HR = 0.102, 95% CI = 0.015–0.704, ). Conclusion. Zinc deficiency was associated with increased CDI recurrence after FMT. Among zinc-deficient patients, supplementation was associated with reduced recurrence. Further study is needed to determine whether zinc deficiency represents a pathophysiologic mechanism and target for therapy.
The German Nuclear Program

It is not widely known that an active nuclear research effort was conducted in Germany during World War II, and that this effort actually ran ahead of its Allied counterpart for a time. This chapter describes the origins and organization of the German effort, and how it eventually stalled due to organizational missteps, infighting, errors of physics, Allied countermeasures, and the increasingly dire situation in Germany as the war progressed. The reaction of German scientists to their Allied counterparts’ success is also described.
Self-cleaning filtration with spark discharge in produced water

Abstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of using spark type plasma discharges to provide a self-cleaning effect for filtration of produced water. A new co-axial electrode system was developed for the generation of spark discharges in high-conductivity produced water. The validation experiment was conducted with the spark-assisted self-cleaning (SASC) filtration system in both synthetic produced water and actual produced water at different total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS) levels and at three different flow rates of 0.126, 0.315, and 0.631 L/s (i.e., 2, 5 and 10 gpm). The pressure drop across the filter surface was measured over time. The pressure drop obtained without spark discharges increased consistently over time, often resulting in pump failure due to excessive pressure buildup at the pump. The pressure drop obtained with spark discharges was significantly smaller than those obtained without spark discharges. The present study sufficiently demonstrated the validity of the SASC filtration concept. The range of water properties that were shown to be treatable with the SASC filtration system using 10-in cartridge filter of 3- and 5-micron pores was TDS level ⩽50,000 mg/L and TSS level ⩽2500 mg/L.
Development and Validation of a Tool to Assess Military Veterans' Status, Functioning, and Satisfaction with Key Aspects of their Lives

Background We developed and validated the Well-Being Inventory (WBI) to address the need for a tool that can provide a comprehensive assessment of key aspects of military veterans' lives. This multidimensional instrument assesses status, functioning, and satisfaction with regard to vocation, finances, health, and social relationships. Methods Two large multi-phase studies (Study 1 Ns = 301, 286; Study 2 Ns = 9,566, 7,342) were conducted to develop and validate this tool among military veterans. Results Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed factor structure, with separate factors observed for all scales except the health functioning scale, which was best represented as three factors rather than a single factor. Cronbach's alphas were satisfactory, with an average alpha of 0.86. Most WBI measures discriminated among individuals with and without mental health conditions and demonstrated expected declines among those with a new mental health condition. Conclusions This study provides initial evidence for the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the WBI. This tool can be used to provide insight into areas in which military veterans would benefit from additional support and inform efforts to promote the well-being of this population. Given its broad focus, it may also prove useful with other civilian populations.
Nitrogen gets radical.

The direct formation of C–N bonds onto arenes provides a simple route to synthesize a variety of important products. Now, formation of a highly polarized, aminium radical cation enables direct C–H amination, allowing the coupling of an exceptionally broad range of alkyl amines and arenes.
Coronary Disease and Carbohydrate and Fat Abnormalities

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the interrelationship between carbohydrates and lipid abnormalities. There are two types of lipid abnormalities: (1) type II lipoprotein abnormality and (2) type IV lipoprotein abnormality. The type II lipoprotein abnormality with hypercholesterolemia can be treated with a number of measures with varying success. For this type of abnormality, the dietary measures include a low cholesterol, low animal fat diet with the addition of unsaturated fats and oils, and the drug therapy includes nicotinic acid, cholestyramine, β-sitosterol, neomycin, d-thyroxine, and clofibrate. The type IV lipoprotein abnormality with hypertriglyceridemia is known to be carbohydrate-induced. Thus, a low-carbohydrate diet—diabetic, weight-reduction type—is appropriate for this type of abnormality. Clofibrate can serve as a useful adjunct to such a diet and helps lower the triglyceride levels toward normal in such patients. However, at present, there is no real evidence that these therapeutic programs can inhibit or reverse atherosclerosis. In fact, there is conflicting statistical evidence regarding whether mortality is changed by treatment.
Invasive grasses: A new perfect storm for forested ecosystems?

Abstract Exotic grasses are a widespread set of invasive species that are notable for their ability to significantly alter key aspects of ecosystem function. Understanding the role and importance of these invaders in forested landscapes has been limited but is now rising, as grasses from Eurasia and Africa continue to spread through ecosystems of the Americas, Australia, and many Pacific islands, where they threaten biodiversity and alter various aspects of the fire regime. The ecological, social and economic impacts of the grass-fire cycle associated with species such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) have been long recognized in aridlands such as the iconic sagebrush ecosystems of the western US. However, the damaging impacts of invasive grasses in forestlands have received considerably less attention. We review literature, conceptual models, model output, and empirical evidence that indicate grass invasion in forest ecosystems may be an important yet largely under-recognized phenomenon. In combination with climate change, wildfire, and overstory management, invasive grasses could create a “perfect storm” that threatens forest resilience. Invasive grasses can be successful in forested environments or develop strongholds within forested mosaics and could provide the literal seeds for rapid change and vegetation type conversion catalyzed by wildfire or changes in climate. Although invasive grass populations may now be on the edge of forests or consist of relatively rare populations with limited spatial extent, these species may disrupt stabilizing feedbacks and disturbance regimes if a grass-fire cycle takes hold, forcing large portions of forests into alternative nonforested states. In addition, forest management actions such as thinning, prescribed fire, and fuel reduction may actually exacerbate invasive grass populations and increase the potential for further invasion, as well as broader landscape level changes through increased fire spread and frequency. Lack of understanding regarding the ecological consequences and importance of managing invasive grasses as a fuel may lead to unintended consequences and outcomes as we enter an age of novel and rapid ecological changes. This paper focuses on the contributory factors, mechanisms, and interactions that may set the stage for unexpected forest change and loss, in an effort to raise awareness about the potential damaging impact of grass invasion in forested ecosystems.
Temporal Trends in the Association between Participation in Physical Education and Physical Activity among U.S. High School Students, 2011-2017

The purpose of this study was to assess trends in physical education and physical activity among U.S. high school students from 2011 to 2017, respectively, and to evaluate temporal trends in the relationship between physical education class participation and physical activity levels. Data from a total of 51,616 high school students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2011 to 2017 were analyzed for this study. Physical education was measured as follows: In an average week when you are in school, on how many days do you go to physical education classes? Physical activity was measured as follows: During the past 7 days, on how many days were you physically active for a total of at least 60 min per day? Meeting physical activity guideline was defined as engaging in 7 days per week of at least 60 min per day. Across the 2011-2017 YRBSS, there were no linear (p = 0.44)/quadratic trends (p = 0.37) in physical education and linear (p = 0.27)/quadratic trends (p = 0.25) in physical activity, respectively. Regarding the trends in the association between physical education and physical activity, there were no statistically significant linear (unstandardized regression coefficient (b) = 0.013, p = 0.43) or quadratic (p = 0.75) trends; however, at the sample level, there was a slight increase in the odds ratio effect sizes from 2011 to 2017 (ES = 1.80-1.98). The pooled association between physical education participation and physical activity was statistically significant, OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.75-2.03, p < 0.001. That is, on average across the four YRBSS cycles, students who participated in physical education had 1.88 times higher odds of meeting physical activity guideline when compared to students who did not participate in physical education. The trends of physical education and physical activity did not change between 2011 and 2017. Overall, we observed a significant relationship between participation in physical education and physical activity. There was a non-significant yet stable trend of association between participation in physical education and physical activity over time.
Spectral homogenization techniques for the hyperspectral image projector

In an effort to improve technology for performance testing and calibration of multispectral and hyperspectral imagers, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been developing a Hyperspectral Image Projector (HIP) capable of projecting dynamic scenes than include distinct, programmable spectra in each of its 1024x768 spatial pixels. The HIP is comprised of a spectral engine, which is a light source capable generating the spectra in the scene, coupled to a spatial engine, capable of projecting the spectra into the correct locations of the scene. In the prototype HIP, the light exiting the Visible-Near-Infrared (VNIR) / Short-Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) spectral engine is spectrally dispersed and needs to be spectrally homogenized before it enters the spatial engine. In this paper we describe the results from a study of several different techniques for performing this spectral homogenization. These techniques include an integrating sphere, a liquid light guide, a randomized fiber bundle, and an engineered diffuser, in various combinations. The spectral uniformity of projected HIP scenes is measured and analyzed using the spectral angle mapper (SAM) algorithm over the VNIR spectral range. The SAM provides a way to analyze the spectral uniformity independently from the radiometric uniformity. The goal of the homogenizer is a spectrally uniform and bright projected image. An integrating sphere provides the most spectrally uniform image, but at a great loss of light compared with the other methods. The randomized fiber bundle generally outperforms the liquid light guide in both spectral homogenization and brightness. Using an engineered diffuser with the randomized fiber bundle increases the spectral uniformity by a factor of five, with a decrease in brightness by a factor of five, compared with the randomized fiber bundle alone. The combination of an engineered diffuser with a randomized fiber bundle provides comparable spectral uniformity to the integrating sphere while enabling 40 times greater brightness.
Examining the measurement invariance of the Practice Environment Scale–Nursing Work Index in the United States

The increasingly diverse nursing workforce in the United States often creates challenges for researchers in meaningfully interpreting survey data from large samples of nurses with heterogeneous cultural backgrounds. Considering this, the purpose of this study was to determine the measurement invariance of the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) between registered nurses (RNs) reporting as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting as White. Data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators®, collected in 2018 from RNs (N = 27,619) providing direct patient care, were used in this study. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine measurement invariance. Interpretation of the fit indices across models (configural, metric, and scalar) provides support for measurement invariance of the PES-NWI across the two groups. There is empirical support for pooling PES-NWI data and comparing it across these two groups.
Discretizing Unobserved Heterogeneity

We study discrete panel data methods where unobserved heterogeneity is revealed in a first step, in environments where population heterogeneity is not discrete. We focus on two-step grouped fixed-effects (GFE) estimators, where individuals are first classified into groups using kmeans clustering, and the model is then estimated allowing for group-specific heterogeneity. Our framework relies on two key properties: heterogeneity is a function - possibly nonlinear and time-varying - of a low-dimensional continuous latent type, and informative moments are available for classification. We illustrate the method in a model of wages and labor market participation, and in a probit model with time-varying heterogeneity. We derive asymptotic expansions of two-step GFE estimators as the number of groups grows with the two dimensions of the panel. We propose a data-driven rule for the number of groups, and discuss bias reduction and inference.
Abstract P383: AI-Guided Detection and Volumetric Analysis of Embolic and Watershed Infarcts on Diffusion-Weighted MRI Enables Measurement of the Absolute and Relative Ischemic Infarct Burden

Acute ischemic strokes frequently present with multiple restricted diffusion lesions scattered throughout the brain parenchyma, particularly embolic and watershed infarcts. The morphological variet...
Inventing Laziness: The Culture of productivity in Late Ottoman Society

Neither laziness nor its condemnation are new inventions, however, perceiving laziness as a social condition that afflicts a 'nation' is. In the early modern era, Ottoman political treatises did not regard the people as the source of the state's problems. Yet in the nineteenth century, as the imperial ideology of Ottomanism and modern discourses of citizenship spread, so did the understanding of laziness as a social disease that the 'Ottoman nation' needed to eradicate. Asking what we can learn about Ottoman history over the long nineteenth-century by looking closely into the contested and shifting boundaries of the laziness - productivity binary, Melis Hafez explores how 'laziness' can be used to understand emerging civic culture and its exclusionary practices in the Ottoman Empire. A polyphonic involvement of moralists, intellectuals, polemicists, novelists, bureaucrats, and, to an extent, the public reveals the complexities and ambiguities of this multifaceted cultural transformation. Using a wide variety of sources, this book explores the sustained anxiety about productivity that generated numerous reforms as well as new understandings of morality, subjectivity, citizenship, and nationhood among the Ottomans.
Persistence or Abeyance

Most hair practices originated in ancient understandings, were modified by culture, and were then adopted by adherents for many reasons. The primary drivers are spiritual discipline and group identity. They have amended over time but maintain a place in the lives of many believers. Will they survive? Their future persistence is investigated for each religious tradition, leading to a conclusion about their likely future.
Poly(Adp-Ribose) Drives Condensation of Fus Via a Transient Interaction

Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is an RNA-like polymer that regulates an increasing number of biological processes. Dysregulation of PAR is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal protein aggregation, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). PAR forms condensates with FUS, an RNA-binding protein linked with ALS, through an unknown mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that a strikingly low concentration of PAR (1 nM) is sufficient to trigger condensation of FUS near its physiological concentration (1 µM), which is three orders of magnitude lower than the concentration at which RNA induces condensation (1 µM). Unlike RNA, which associates with FUS stably, PAR interacts with FUS transiently, triggering FUS to oligomerize into condensates. Moreover, inhibition of a major PAR-synthesizing enzyme, PARP5a, diminishes FUS condensation in cells. Despite their structural similarity, PAR and RNA co-condense with FUS, driven by disparate modes of interaction with FUS. Thus, we uncover a mechanism by which PAR potently seeds FUS condensation.
Simultaneous Multi-Isotope PET: A Computational Framework for Line of Response (LOR) Identification

PET imaging using non-pure positron emitters as radiotracers can be used to simultaneously image distributions of different molecules. We study the use of radionuclides that emit a high energy gamma in conjunction with positrons, producing triple coincidences. A given triple coincidence could be a true coincidence corresponding to two annihilation photons and a high energy gamma emitted from the same source, or it could be a random triple coincidence arising from different sources. We develop an algorithm to identify true triple coincidences and the correct line of response (LOR) within these coincidences. We employ a probabilistic approach to the identification problem through synthesizing geometric, spatial, energy, and temporal information. These criteria are used to create a joint MLE representing the probability that a given set of particles is a true triple coincidence and contains a valid LOR. This approach allows for more accurate identification of true triple coincidences as opposed to only using a high energy threshold. For proof of concept image reconstruction, we use GATE Monte Carlo simulations. With a simple phantom composed of three spheres, we correctly identified 99% of true triple coincidences and 97% of true double coincidences for image reconstruction. Further correction factors should be implemented to obtain more accurate images.
Gender differences in the prevalence of heroin and opioid analgesic misuse in the United States, 2015-2019

Abstract Objectives Gender differences in the prevalence of opioid misuse continue to evolve and have not been well characterized in recent years. Our objective was to investigate gender differences in the prevalence of opioid misuse and use disorder in the US over the 5-year period from 2015 to 2019. Methods We used annual survey data from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to estimate gender differences in the prevalence of opioid misuse. We examined past-year opioid analgesic misuse initiation, opioid analgesic misuse, heroin use, opioid analgesic use disorder and heroin use disorder. Logistic regression models were used to test gender differences, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results In adjusted analyses, women had higher odds of having initiated opioid analgesic misuse in the past year compared to men. In contrast, men had higher odds of misuse of opioid analgesics, heroin use, and an opioid analgesic or heroin use disorder. Conclusions Although opioid misuse has historically been more prevalent in men, the gender difference in opioid analgesic misuse continues to narrow, with more women initiating misuse than men including higher rates of misuse in adolescent girls. Heroin use continues to be approximately twice as common in men as women.
Gadamer's Aspectival Realism

Gadamer claims that human beings are capable of understanding only ‘aspects’ of reality, yet he also holds that, through these aspects, we understand reality itself. In this sense he is an ‘aspectival realist.’ This paper considers two attempts to explain Gadamer’s aspectival realism: the ‘schematization’ reading defended by Charles Taylor, and the ‘holist’ reading of Brice Wachterhauser. I criticize these views on two fronts: that they are at odds with Gadamer’s texts, and that they fail to reconcile aspectivalism and realism into a consistent philosophical position. I articulate an alternative reading that I call the ‘presentational’ account. At the heart of this account is the claim that, on Gadamer’s view, the ‘occasionality’ that characterizes language also characterizes being itself. I argue both that this interpretation fits Gadamer’s texts better than the views currently on offer in the literature and that it avoids the philosophical difficulties those views encounter.
{2,6-Bis[(2,6-diisopropyl­phosphan­yl)­oxy]-4-fluoro­phenyl-κ3P,C1,P′}(1H-pyrazole-κN2)nickel(II) hexa­fluoro­phosphate

The title compound, [Ni(C18H30FO2P2)(C3H4N2)]PF6, was prepared by halide abstraction with TlPF6 in the presence of CH3CN in CDCl3 from the respective neutral pincer chlorido analogue followed by addition of pyrazole. The PO—C—OP pincer ligand acts in typical trans-P2 tridentate fashion to generate a distorted square-planar nickel structure. The Ni—N(pyrazole) distance is 1.925 (2) A and the plane of the pyrazole ligand is rotated 56.2 (1)° relative to the approximate square plane surrounding the NiII center in which the pyrazole is bound to the NiII atom through its sp2-hybridized N atom. This Ni—N distance is similar to bond lengths in the other reported NiII pincer-ligand square-planar pyrazole complex structures; however, its dihedral angle is significantly larger than any of those for the latter set of pyrazole complexes.
The power of Collision: randomized parallel algorithms for chaining and integer sorting

We address the problem of sorting n integers each in the range {0, ..., m - 1} in parallel on the PRAM model of computation. We present a randomized algorithm that runs with very high probability in time O(lg n/lg lg n + lg lg m) with a processor-time product of O(n lg lg m) and O(n) space on the CRCW (Collision) PRAM [7]. The main features of this algorithm is that it matches the run-time and processor requirements of the algorithms in the existing literature [2, 10], while it assumes a weaker model of computation and uses a linear amount of space. The techniques used extend to improved randomized algorithms for the problem of chaining [11, 15], which is the following: given an array x1, ..., x n , such that m of the locations contain non-zero elements, to chain together all the non-zero elements into a linked list. We give randomized algorithms that run in O(1) time using n processors, whenever m is not too close to n. A byproduct of our research is the weakening of the model of computation required by some other sorting algorithms.
Sulfite both stimulates and inhibits the yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase.

The yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) exhibits nonlinear hydrolysis kinetics, i.e. an initial rapid rate followed by a slower, steadily declining rate. Sulfite (50-100 mM) stimulates the yeast V-ATPase specifically during the latter period. Sulfite activation has been observed for the F-ATPases and archaebacterial ATPases and is thought to be caused by the release of tightly bound nucleotide at the catalytic site. However, turnover-dependent inactivation of the yeast V-ATPase, and sulfite stimulation, were only observed at MgATP concentrations > 1.0 mM. Below 1.0 mM MgATP, the hydrolysis time course was linear, and sulfite was inhibitory. The inhibition during the initial phase and the stimulation during the later phase of the time course could be accounted for by a 5.5-fold sulfite-induced increase in the apparent Km, and a small increase in the apparent Vmax. Sulfite also protected the enzyme against inhibition by cold inactivation and by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide but not by bafilomycin. Sulfite stimulation during the later phase was antagonized by delta mu H+, particularly by delta pH. In contrast to its effects on hydrolysis, sulfite inhibited the formation of a pH gradient at all times and failed to enhance the membrane potential even when delta pH was collapsed by nigericin. These results indicate that sulfite partially uncouples hydrolysis from proton transport in a way that preserves regulation by delta mu H+.
Post-traumatic aspects of the treatment of victims of sexual abuse and incest.

The authors assess the frequency of child abuse and adult traumatization and the presence of symptomatology of post-traumatic stress and dissociation across different DSM-III diagnostic categories. Findings revealed high levels of child abuse among patients with dissociative disorder and borderline personality disorder and that patients with dissociative disorder experience an increased incidence of rape and wife battery in adulthood. The findings from this study and others highlight the need to assess all psychiatric patients for a history of physical or sexual trauma. Major treatment issues in working with traumatized patients, such as the development of trust, abreaction and working through of trauma, and the use of conjoint sessions with concerned others, are discussed.
Limit Process Expansions for Ordinary Differential Equations

In this chapter, the methods developed in Chapter 2 are applied to partial differential equations. The plan is the same as for the cases of ordinary differential equations discussed earlier. First, we discuss the very simplest case in which a singular perturbation problem arises; that of a second-order equation that becomes a first-order one in the limit ∈ → 0. Following this, various more complicated physical examples of boundary-layer theory in fluid mechanics are discussed. The final section deals with a variety of physical examples for singular boundary-value problems.
Access to the Accessible in the Internet-Age – The Current State of Exceptions to Copyright Infringement for Persons with Print Related Disabilities

As recent as late last century, people with a print-related disability (PRD) had extremely limited access to educational materials. Computers and related software, scanners and the Internet have now provided society with the tools to allow information to be readily accessible. Yet, these tools are often inhibited, or may alternatively be facilitated, by the laws and regulatory framework in which they operate. This article discusses how laws with respect to copyright, and also disability law, facilitate accessibility to persons with PRDs in lieu of copyright infringement in the Internet and information age. It also briefly outlines how these laws have and should progress to fall in line with recent international and domestic proposals.
Influence of temperature on the reproductive success, brood development and brood fitness of the eastern larch beetle Dendroctonus simplex LeConte

The eastern larch beetle Dendroctonus simplex LeConte colonizes the phloem of tamarack Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch, preferring recently dead or moribund trees weakened by insect defoliation or other factors that predispose trees to beetle attack. Outbreaks of eastern larch beetles are typically localized, of short duration, and collapse when the supply of stressed hosts is exhausted. Although rare, landscape-level outbreaks of eastern larch beetles can occur if large areas of tamarack become stressed. From 2000 onward, an ongoing outbreak of eastern larch beetles in the Great Lakes Region of North America has resulted in extensive mortality to more than 75 000 ha of tamarack forest in Minnesota, U.S.A. This outbreak has no known biotic predisposing factor, such as extensive defoliation. Trends of recent climate warming, however, are suspected to be a contributing factor. Current efforts to model the effects of climate on eastern larch beetle population dynamics are hampered by an absence of data relating beetle developmental biology to temperature. In a laboratory study, we studied eastern larch beetle reproductive success, larval development and offspring fitness at temperatures in the range 9.9–29.4 °C. Offspring production was similar across temperatures. Successful brood development occurred at 9.9 °C, whereas the minimum and optimal developmental temperatures were calculated to be 7.5 and 27.9 °C, respectively. Offspring size and lipid content were maximized between 20 and 22 °C. Our results indicate a potential trade-off between temperatures that maximizes eastern larch beetle offspring fitness versus developmental rate. The implications of such a trade-off are discussed with respect to beetle population dynamics.
Frequency domain decomposition of layouts for double dipole lithography

Double Dipole Lithography (DDL) uses a combination of X and Y dipole exposures to achieve extreme off-axis illumination for both vertical and horizontal orientations. DDL requires decomposition of a given layout into two set of patterns for the respective dipole exposures. In this work, we propose a frequency domain decomposition flow for DDL. Our experiments show that the proposed frequency domain method not only eliminates the inherent ambiguity of the spatial rule-based flows but it also produces contours that exhibit significantly improved pattern fidelity across lithographic dose and focus variation.
Inhibition of the Adrenomedullin/Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway in Early Diabetic Retinopathy

The nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway is integrally involved in visual processing and changes in the NO pathway are measurable in eyes of diabetic patients. The small peptide adrenomedullin (ADM) can activate a signaling pathway to increase the enzyme activity of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). ADM levels are elevated in eyes of diabetic patients and therefore, ADM may play a role in the pathology of diabetic retinopathy. The goal of this research was to test the effects of inhibiting the ADM/NO signaling pathway in early diabetic retinopathy. Inhibition of this pathway decreased NO production in high-glucose retinal cultures. Treating diabetic mice with the PKC β inhibitor ruboxistaurin for 5 weeks lowered ADM mRNA levels and ADM-like immunoreactivity and preserved retinal function as assessed by electroretinography. The results of this study indicate that inhibiting the ADM/NO signaling pathway prevents neuronal pathology and functional losses in early diabetic retinopathy.
Open circuit voltage enhancement due to reduced dark current in small molecule photovoltaic cells

We demonstrate high open circuit voltage photovoltaic cells achieved by reducing the electron leakage current through the introduction of both organic and inorganic electron blocking layers between the donor layer and the anode contact. As an example, the blocking layers reduce the dark current in tin (II) phthalocyanine (SnPc)∕C60 solar cells with response across the visible and near infrared spectral region up to a wavelength of 1000nm, is decreased by two orders of magnitude compared to cells lacking the layers, resulting in a doubling of the open circuit voltage. The structure: indium tin oxide/electron blocker/SnPc (100A)∕C60 (400A)/bathocuproine (100A)∕Al, has a power conversion efficiency of (2.1±0.1)% at 1sun, standard AM1.5G solar illumination. This work demonstrates the importance of reducing dark current to achieve high organic thin film photovoltaic cell efficiencies.
Numerical Simulation of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Flexible Pavements

In traditional analyses of flexible pavements the linear elastic material behavior is assumed for pavement materials. However, pavement materials do not behave as linear elastic materials. They can be better modeled by using elasto-plastic constitutive relationships. The consequences of the assumption of linear elasticity in the prediction of the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavements are presented. The effect of the stiffness of geosynthetic reinforcements on pavement behavior is also studied. The behavior of a geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavement is analyzed by the finite-element method with different constitutive models. The results of six analyses where E is Young's modulus [Case 1, linear elastic models with geosynthetics (Case 1a, E = 1 GPa; Case Ib, E = 100 GPa); Case 2, linear elastic models without geosynthetics; Case 3, elasto-plastic models with geosynthetics (Case 3a, E = 1 GPa; Case 3b, E = 100 GPa); and Case 4, elasto-plastic models without geosynthetics on the same pave...
Selected Fructooligosaccharide (1-Kestose, Nystose, and 1F-β-Fructofuranosylnystose) Composition of Foods and Feeds

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring sugars with potentially beneficial nutritional effects. They are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. An ion chromatographic method was developed to rapidly and accurately measure FOS in selected food and feed ingredients ingested by humans and animals. The objective of this study was to determine the 1-kestose (1-kestotriose; GF2), nystose (1,1-kestotetraose; GF3), and 1F-β-fructofuranosylnystose (1,1,1-kestopentaose; GF4) content of a wide variety of foods and feedstuffs. After extraction with water and appropriate filtration, samples were chromatographed, using an alkaline sodium acetate gradient, through an ion exchange column and guard fitted to a Dionex chromatography unit equipped with a pulsed electrochemical detector. All samples were prepared both with and without spikes of standards to verify recovery and peak identification. Samples of the Compositae family were highest in total FOS followed by Allium species of the Amaryllidadea...
University Students' Perceptions of the Internet: An Exploratory Study

Focus group participants are more sophisticated in their perceptions and appreciation of both Internet resources and traditional library resources than was hypothesized. They do not, however, associate the Internet with the library and do not think of asking a librarian for help when using the Internet for research.
Geology and paleontology of the Permian beds near Las Delicias, Coahuila, Mexico

About 3,000 m of Permian strata near Las Delicias, southwestern Coahuila, Mexico, are divided into five informal units: Las Sardinas, El Tordillo, Palo Quemado, La Difunta, and La Colorada beds. The lithology and the ammonoid, brachiopod, and fusulinid biostratigraphy are described briefly. The age of the beds ranges from the Aktastinian through the Amarassian Stages (of Furnish). The major structural features are a large-scale synclinal fold and northeast-trending faulting. Major episodes in the geologic history are outlined.
Dynamic Pricing and Stabilization of Supply and Demand in Modern Electric Power Grids

The paper proposes a mechanism for real-time pricing of electricity in smart power grids, with price stability as the primary concern. In previous publications the authors argued that relaying the real-time wholesale market prices to the end consumers creates a closed loop feedback system which could be unstable or lack robustness, leading to extreme price volatility. In this paper, a mathematical model is developed for characterization of the dynamic evolution of supply, (elastic) demand, and market clearing (locational marginal) prices under real-time pricing. It is assumed that the real-time prices for retail consumers are derived from the Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs) of the wholesale balancing markets. The main contribution of the paper is in presenting an effective stabilizing pricing algorithm and characterization of its effects on system efficiency. Numerical simulations conform with our analysis and show the stabilizing effect of the mechanism and its robustness to disturbances.