cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Improvements to Quantum Wave Packet ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Using a Potential-Adapted, Time-Dependent Deterministic Sampling Technique

In a recent publication, we introduced a computational approach to treat the simultaneous dynamics of electrons and nuclei. The method is based on a synergy between quantum wave packet dynamics and ab initio molecular dynamics. Atom-centered density-matrix propagation or Born-Oppenheimer dynamics can be used to perform ab initio dynamics. In this paper, wave packet dynamics is conducted using a three-dimensional direct product implementation of the distributed approximating functional free-propagator. A fundamental computational difficulty in this approach is that the interaction potential between the two components of the methodology needs to be calculated frequently. Here, we overcome this problem through the use of a time-dependent deterministic sampling measure that predicts, at every step of the dynamics, regions of the potential which are important. The algorithm, when combined with an on-the-fly interpolation scheme, allows us to determine the quantum dynamical interaction potential and gradients at every dynamics step in an extremely efficient manner. Numerical demonstrations of our sampling algorithm are provided through several examples arranged in a cascading level of complexity. Starting from a simple one-dimensional quantum dynamical treatment of the shared proton in [Cl-H-Cl](-) and [CH3-H-Cl](-) along with simultaneous dynamical treatment of the electrons and classical nuclei, through a complete three-dimensional treatment of the shared proton in [Cl-H-Cl](-) as well as treatment of a hydrogen atom undergoing donor-acceptor transitions in the biological enzyme, soybean lipoxygenase-1 (SLO-1), we benchmark the algorithm thoroughly. Apart from computing various error estimates, we also compare vibrational density of states, inclusive of full quantum effects from the shared proton, using a novel unified velocity-velocity, flux-flux autocorrelation function. In all cases, the potential-adapted, time-dependent sampling procedure is seen to improve the computational scheme tremendously (by orders of magnitude) with minimal loss of accuracy.
Assessment of social communication skills in preschoolers

This paper orients the reader to social communication assessment and reviews methods for assessing social communication behavior in children from toddlerhood through the preschool years. Most standardized, normed tests of language in this age range focus on morpho-syntactic and semantic comprehension and production abilities. While social communication is perhaps one of the most important skills for peer acceptance, these skills are often overlooked in language evaluation with children. However, there are a number of caregiver questionnaires, interviews, or direct social-communication sampling methods that are available to assist clinicians or researchers in documenting social-communication skills or behaviors. Since assessment of social communication is essential in clinical work with children with an autism spectrum disorder, some of the tools described below are outgrowths of autism research or provide autism-related scores. While many children receiving social communication assessments do not have autism, the need to assess social communication skills in children with language impairment is highlighted by the growing literature documenting social and pragmatic difficulties in this population (Bishop 2000 Causes, Characteristics, Intervention, and Outcome. Hove, UK: Psychology press). Regardless of whether the measures presented herein were initially designed for children with autism or not, they will provide insights into the social communicative behaviors or tendencies in young children.
Investigating Mobile Device Picking-up motion as a novel biometric modality

Employing mobile sensor data to recognize user behavioral activities has been well studied in recent years. However, exploiting mobile motion data as a novel biometric modality remains a new area. In this paper, we propose two novel methods, a Statistic Method to intuitively apply classifier on the statistic features of the data; and a Trajectory Reconstruction Method to reconstruct the Mobile Device Picking-up(MDP) motion trajectories and extract specific identity features from the traces. We evaluated our methods on a multi-session motion dataset. A Equal Error Rate of 6.13% and 7.09% has been respectively achieved by the Statistic Method and the Trajectory Reconstruction Method, which demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed methods. Furthermore, experimental results showed several interesting evidences: 1) the accuracy of the methods declined in the inter-session tests; and 2) user movements(e.g., walking) have a high impact on the verification performance.
DISHA: a deadlock recovery scheme for fully adaptive routing

This paper presents a simple method of implementing an efficient and cost effective routing scheme. The strategy considers deadlock recovery as opposed to prevention to optimize performance in the absence of deadlocks. Cycles are broken by re-routing a blocked packet through a deadlock-free lane which is implemented as a central "floating" buffer. The proposed scheme is extremely simple, ensuring quick recovery from deadlocks and enabling the design of fast routers. >
Skill Characterization Based on Betweenness

We present a characterization of a useful class of skills based on a graphical representation of an agent's interaction with its environment. Our characterization uses betweenness, a measure of centrality on graphs. It captures and generalizes (at least intuitively) the bottleneck concept, which has inspired many of the existing skill-discovery algorithms. Our characterization may be used directly to form a set of skills suitable for a given task. More importantly, it serves as a useful guide for developing incremental skill-discovery algorithms that do not rely on knowing or representing the interaction graph in its entirety.
Educational Computing Concerns of Postsecondary Faculty

AbstractThis study examines teachers’ concerns related to the integration of technology into teaching practices and compares these concerns with professional and ancillary demographic variables. The study was conducted during the third year of a five-year computer integration innovation cycle. The results identified two groups: nonusers and users midway through the innovation process. Comparison based on academic task area revealed that for the areas Biglan (1973) described as hard and applied particpants exhibited higher-order concerns and higher integration levels than other academic task areas. A correlation existed among attendance of faculty development activities, integration level and higher-order concerns. Ancillary demo-graphic data revealed correlations among gender, age, and teaching experience when compared with concern, integration level, and attendance of faculty development activities. Females, young faculty, and faculty with less teaching experience expressed higher-order concerns and high...
Introduction: like finding a needle in a pile of needles: political violence and the perils of a brave new digital world

A critical framework for the analysis of political violence, terrorism and social movements must be based around a data-driven, empirical examination of primary source data. In an era of data overabundance, possible sources for analysis are all around us, from anonymous communiques issued by social movements to slick propaganda videos issued by military-styled insurgent and guerrilla movements. The problem is no longer “Where do I find data?” but has now become “Through what metric can I measure reliability?” A critically situated analysis of violence must take into account the intentional manipulation of facts which is standard practice by both state and non-state actors. If one can acknowledge that both governments and Foreign Terrorist Organizations attempt to shape public opinion through selective reporting and misrepresentation, the study of political violence through the venue of discourse is appropriate. Therefore, discourse is a fitting site for critical engagement, as it is based around subjectiv...
A 4.6mW, 22dBm IIP3 all MOSCAP based 34–314MHz tunable continuous time filter in 65nm

A inverter based filter design is proposed that uses only MOSCAPs as filter capacitors. Further in the design the load capacitance compensates the negative feedback network allowing the majority of current to flow into the load. This results in an increase in the overall power efficiency. As a proof of concept, a 3rd order inverter based 34–314 MHz tunable continuous time channel select filter for software-defined radios is fabricated in TSMCs 65nm technology. By using the high density tunable MOSCAPs at a low swing node, the filter achieves an OIP3 of +25.24 dBm while drawing 4.2mA from a 1.1V supply and occupies an area of 0.007mm2. The measured intermodulation distortion varies by 5dB across a 120° variation in temperature and 6.5dB across a 200mV variation in power supply. Further, the filter presents a high impedance node at the input and a low impedance node at the output easing system integration.
Facial Convexity and Posterior Divergence: The Class II Deformity

There is little question that the Class II skeletal deformity is the most common developmental deformity that confronts surgeons. It is estimated by the United States Public Health Service that approximately 5% of North American Caucasians have some degree of mandibular deficiency. Not infrequently, underdevelopment of the lower jaw is seen in association with vertical dysplasia of the maxilla, the most common condition being vertical maxillary excess with or without anterior open bite.
United Nations Counter-Proliferation Sanctions and International Law

This chapter addresses the subject of the legal limitations that international law places on the imposition of coercive international economic and financial sanctions, with particular reference to sanctions with counter-proliferation aims — i.e., purposed in stopping the actual or suspected proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Economic sanctions, whether imposed multilaterally by the U.N. Security Council or unilaterally by states, have become an increasingly utilized tool of coercive policy, particularly by powerful states and international organizations against weaker, developing states. This makes the identification and clarification of existing and emerging rules of international law imposing limits upon the ability of states and international organizations to lawfully impose coercive economic sanctions, an important part of the development of a more mature and equitable international legal system. This chapter will focus on two main areas of customary international legal obligation, the sources of which impose limits on the application of coercive international economic sanctions by states and international organizations, including the U.N. Security Council. The first is the general international law principle of economic non-coercion, and the second is international human rights law.
Identification of the short-lived Santa Rosa geomagnetic excursion in lavas on Floreana Island (Galapagos) by 40Ar/39Ar geochronology

A set of closely related basaltic lava flows (supersite GA-X) on Floreana Island in the Galapagos Archipelago has a published record of an excursional or transitional direction (virtual geomagnetic pole located at 153.1°E, 54.2°S with α 95 = 5.0°) and a geomagnetic field strength (1.1 × 10 22 Am 2 ) that is only ∼14% of the strength of the modern magnetic field (7.8 × 10 22 Am 2 ). The very large age uncertainty of previous dating of a lava flow (G43) from this set, however, has prevented placing this event in the geomagnetic polarity time scale. Here we report highly reproducible and precise 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages on the lava flow that indicate that the distinct geomagnetic excursion is 925.7 ± 4.6 ka (2σ; n = 6; mean square of weighted deviates = 1.23). This shows that this dramatic weakening of the geomagnetic field is associated with the Santa Rosa Excursion instead of the Matuyama-Brunhes polarity reversal. Our high-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages for Floreana provide evidence for the global significance of the Santa Rosa Excursion.
Dormant threat to the ABM Treaty

After the Administration reinterpreted the ABM Treaty as allowing Star Wars to go beyond research, it backed off, at least temporarily. But the affair has left the Treaty in a tenuous state that requires congressional attention.
Gastroenterology in Eldoret: make the journey; share the knowledge.

In 2006, my daughter Sophia, then a 4th year medical student at Brown, jumped for joy when there was a sudden opening and she was accepted to go to Kenya with Dr. Jane Carter, our program director. “I’m going to Kenya,” she exclaimed, jumping up and down. “Not without me,” said I. And so we went together on a life’s journey into another world and culture that changed us forever. We spent a month there on that first trip and ended it on safari. Since then I have returned several times. Our last trip was canceled because of political unrest regarding presidential elections there. What does the Kenya Program offer in gastroenterology? Moi University Teaching and Referral Hospital represents a huge medical facility located in Eldoret, Kenya, in the middle of the Great Rift Valley. It is a sprawling, beautifully landscaped assortment of specialty buildings connected by covered walkways surrounded by flowers and filled with the broad smiling faces of the always friendly Kenyans, patients, workers, nurses and physicians in motion. Each specialty of medicine has its own building complex: surgery, gynecology, obstetrics, psychiatry, urology, medicine, and others. So it is easy to interact with colleagues and share in their experiences. The medical wards are a separate, large complex of beds with men and women separated into two wards of 48 beds each. This number does not reflect the number of patients as there are often two in each bed lying head to foot, side by side. Each 48-bed ward is divided into open eight-bed rooms, three on each side, with large open windows giving ample light and ventilation. The beds now have curtains and some privacy. Three sets of eight-bed rooms are called a “Firm” and that is the teaching unit. When I first appeared at Moi, I was assigned to Ward 1, Firm 1, as an attending and consultant; which meant that I had the women’s side (Ward 1) and three rooms of eight beds each (Firm 1). DAILY ROUTINE We began medical rounds daily at the very civilized hour of 9 a.m. with the Kenyan registrars and medical students, the U.S. residents and students, pharmacy and nursing students and nurses – at times a crowd! We rounded, going from bed to bed, until 11:30 a.m., when the ward doors flew open and hoards of visiting family and friends bringing food and clean bedclothes would inundate the space. That ended the serious rounding. We would go back to the IU House for lunch at noon, always an exciting gathering of stimulating people sharing world experiences. I would return to the wards in the early afternoon to discuss GI cases of particular interest, see new GI consultations from there or from other specialty Dr. Nicholas Califano and daughter, Sophia, at far right, and other Brown medical students upon their arrival in Kenya, where they spent a month working at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. P H O T O S : B R O W N K E N Y A P R O G R A M
Commentary on "Waiting in Araf". Informed consent: issues and regulations.

Children have the right to safety and appropriate consideration of their physical, emotional, and psychological needs in regards to treatment or research decisions. Parents have an equal right to be honored in their parenthood and respected for what they would want as the best thing for their child as a member of the family. When children are mature enough, they should be offered the opportunity of assenting or dissenting to research participation. Until such time, parents may make what they feel to be the best decisions. If a nurse feels that these principles are being violated, he or she should attempt to seek further clarification. In order to obtain information about an ongoing research project, it would be appropriate to contact the IRB or a member of the hospital ethics committee. In most cases, a satisfactory explanation will be found. In the rare case that patient's rights are truly being violated, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics requires that nurses report incompetent, unethical, or illegal practices (ANA, 1994). Nurses who "whistle-blow" may or may not be protected against retaliation. Some states in the U.S. have developed laws that prohibit the discharge of an employee who reports unethical practices. One might expect that in some countries a nurse might not only endanger her position for such reporting but endanger his or her life as well. Ulusoy reports on research done on children without knowledge or consent of parents. Although this case took place long ago, it is certain that there are still countries in which informed consent is undeveloped and such practices continue. Nurses in developed countries with established consent policies can be hopeful that such activity is no longer seen here. As international collaboration in nursing research grows, nurses in developed nations can work to provide educational opportunities regarding the consent process for colleagues across the globe.
Stability of Vibratory Modes in Moving Media

In many mechanical systems a uniform linear or rotational motion is imposed on part of the system; e.g., rail vehicles, bandsaws, turbines, pumps, motors, generators. In such systems the kinetic energy of the steady motion provides a large reservoir of energy which under certain circumstances can be channelled into unstable vibratory modes. This paper describes a variety of destabilizing mechanisms which permit the conversion of the steady-motion energy into vibratory energy in uniaxial wave-propagation subsystems in relative longitudinal motion and in various rotordynamic systems.
Ideal cardiovascular health status and its association with socioeconomic factors in Chinese adults in Shandong, China.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. In 2010, a goal released by the American Heart Association (AHA) Committee focused on the primary reduction in cardiovascular risk. Data collected from 7683 men and 7667 women aged 18–69 years were analyzed. The distribution of ideal cardiovascular health metrics based on 7 cardiovascular disease risk factors or health behaviors in according to the definition of AHA was evaluated among the subjects. The association of the socioeconomic factors on the prevalence of meeting 5 or more ideal cardiovascular health metrics was estimated by logistic regression analysis, and a chi-square test for categorical variables and the general linear model (GLM) procedure for continuous variables were used to compare differences in prevalence and in means among genders. Seven of 15350 participants (0.05 %) met all 7 cardiovascular health metrics. The women had a higher proportion of meeting 5 or more ideal health metrics compared with men (32.67 VS.14.27 %). The subjects with a higher education and income level had a higher proportion of meeting 5 or more ideal health metrics than the subjects with a lower education and income level. A comparison between subjects with meeting 5 or more ideal cardiovascular health metrics with subjects meeting 4 or fewer ideal cardiovascular health metrics reveals that adjusted odds ratio [OR, 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI)] was 1.42 (0.95, 2.21) in men and 2.59 (1.74, 3.87) in women for higher education and income, respectively. The prevalence of meeting all 7 cardiovascular health metrics was low in the adult population. Women, young subjects, and those with higher levels of education or income tend to have a greater number of the ideal cardiovascular health metrics. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with an increasing prevalence of meeting 5 or more cardiovascular health metrics in women but not in men. It’s urgent to develop comprehensive population-based interventions to improve the cardiovascular risk factors in Shandong Province in China.
Significant disparities in risks of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome among chronic hepatitis C virus patients in the U.S.

Abstract Aim Diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) among chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients increases risks for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and more rapid progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to evaluate the prevalence of DM and MetSyn among HCV patients, focusing on age-specific and race/ethnicity-specific disparities. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 2003–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for age and race disparities in concurrent DM and MetSyn among HCV patients. Multivariate logistic regression models evaluated for independent predictors of DM and MetSyn among HCV patients. Results Overall U.S. prevalence of HCV was 1.29% from 2003 to 2012 and prevalence of DM and MetSyn among HCV patients was 17.5% and 35.0%, respectively. Higher rates of DM (36.9% vs. 3.3%, p Conclusion Among chronic HCV patients, the highest risk of DM and MetSyn was seen among older patients, African Americans, and women. These groups are at higher risk of cirrhosis and HCC due to concurrent NAFLD.
The use of a patient-reported outcome questionnaire to assess cancer survivorship concerns and psychosocial outcomes among recent survivors.

Survivor distress is well represented in the literature, but less is known about survivors’ concerns and how these relate to adaptation. Using a newly designed Survivorship Concern Scale, we examined concerns and their relationship to psychosocial adaptation among recent breast cancer (BC) survivors. One hundred forty-three stage 0–III BC survivors completed an online assessment including the Survivorship Concern Scale (0–3 scale; alpha = 0.91), unmet needs, quality of life (QoL), and anxiety and depressive symptoms within 1 year of end of treatment. Participants were predominately white (76%), middle-aged (51 years), married (70%), and college educated (79%). Eighty-two percent were stage I or II at diagnosis. Mean degree of survivorship concern was moderate (M = 1.75, SD = 0.70) though variable (range = 0.12–3.00). Survivorship concerns were not significantly related to disease, treatment, or demographic variables except income (p = 0.02). Degree of survivorship concern was significantly associated with all indices of psychosocial adaptation: unmet need (r = 0.50), physical and mental QoL (r = −0.32 and r = −0.32, respectively), depressive symptoms (r = 0.21), and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.51; all p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression suggested that each one-point increase in degree of average concern increased the odds for elevated depressive symptoms by 2.83 (p = 0.03) and increased the odds of elevated anxiety symptoms by 3.69 (p < 0.001). Survivorship concerns in the year following treatment are moderate but variable. Concerns are associated with QoL, unmet need, and psychosocial adaptation. Adequately addressing concerns may be a way to improve psychosocial outcomes early in the survivorship trajectory.
Femtosecond optical polarization switching using a cadmium oxide-based perfect absorber

Ultrafast control of the polarization state of light may enable a plethora of applications in optics, chemistry and biology. However, conventional polarizing elements, such as polarizers and waveplates, are either static or possess only gigahertz switching speeds. Here, with the aid of high-mobility indium-doped cadmium oxide (CdO) as the gateway plasmonic material, we realize a high-quality factor Berreman-type perfect absorber at a wavelength of 2.08 μm. On sub-bandgap optical pumping, the perfect absorption resonance strongly redshifts because of the transient increase of the ensemble-averaged effective electron mass of CdO, which leads to an absolute change in the p-polarized reflectance from 1.0 to 86.3%. By combining the exceedingly high modulation depth with the polarization selectivity of the perfect absorber, we experimentally demonstrate a reflective polarizer with a polarization extinction ratio of 91 that can be switched on and off within 800 fs. Indium-doped cadmium oxide performs polarization switching on a subpicosecond timescale.
Examining Students' Ability to Critique Arguments and Exploring the Implications for Assessment and Instruction

This study assessed 1,706 eighth-grade students' reasoning abilities through a critique task in an integrated argumentative reading and writing test. Results indicate that the majority of students did not detect fallacious arguments or clearly explain problems in the arguments. They encountered various challenges in critiquing an argument: (a) being off-task, (b) failing to identify fallacious arguments, (c) having difficulty explaining specific problems in reasoning, and (d) not connecting their criticisms with particular parts of the text being critiqued. Task design and instructional implications are discussed.
Smartphone Use and the Perception of Professionalism Among Medical Students and Surgical Faculty

Objective To understand the perception of professionalism surrounding smartphone use (wards/educational activities) among medical students and surgical faculty. Design A prospective cohort study was conducted using an electronic survey and distributed to third- and fourth-year medical students, obstetrics/gynecology, and surgery faculty members. Five cases were randomly presented; participants were asked to review and rate the clinician's behavior on a 5-point Likert scale. Setting The study was completed at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a tertiary care institution, in the departments of gyn/ob and surgery. Participants A total of 123 medical students (51% response rate) from the class of 2015/2016 along with 73 surgical faculty in the departments of gyn/ob and surgery completed the study. Of the surgical faculty, 48% were ob/gyn (54% response rate) and 52% were surgery (21% response rate). Of note, when quarrying the department of surgery all surgical faculty were included, however, only those with direct student interaction were asked to complete the survey leading to the lower response rate. Results In 3 of 5 scenarios, students and faculty had significant differences in perception of professionalism (p
Theoretical and Experimental Criteria for Nonlinear Reactor Stability

Criteria for nonlinear asymptotic stability of nuclear reactor systems representable by point reactor kinetics are derived. The reactor system model includes all delayed neutron precursors and line...
Methods for Assessment of Memory Reactivation.

It has been suggested that reactivation of previously acquired experiences or stored information in declarative memories in the hippocampus and neocortex contributes to memory consolidation and lea...
Unit pricing: Economics and the evolution of litter size

Variability in litter size and the concept of optimality are central to our current understanding of parental investment patterns and life histories. A fundamental component of most models of optimum litter size is an apparently inescapable trade-off between litter size and size of offspring. Most previous models of litter size have focused on the evolution of an optimum litter size rather than variability in litter size. Because variability provides the raw material from which numerous optimal litter sizes are fashioned to meet prevailing conditions, approaches that specifically address adaptive patterns of variability might provide new insights into the evolution of litter size. A model based on a non-linear relationship between total parental effort and litter size reduces trade-offs between offspring size and offspring number to simple reproductive economics, and illustrates how litter size variability might be predictable under certain environmental conditions.
The p33 protein of Citrus tristeza virus affects viral pathogenicity by modulating a host immune response

Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a general plant basal defense strategy against viruses. In this study, we show that infection by Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) triggered ROS burst in Nicotiana benthamiana and in the natural citrus host, the extent of which was virus-dose dependent. Using Agrobacterium-mediated expression of CTV-encoded proteins in N. benthamiana, we found that p33, a unique viral protein, contributed to the induction of ROS accumulation and programmed cell death. The role of p33 in CTV pathogenicity was assessed based on gene knockout and complementation in N. benthamiana. In the citrus-CTV pathosystem, deletion of the p33 open reading frame in a CTV variant resulted in a significant decrease in ROS production, compared to that of the wild type CTV, which correlated with invasion of the mutant virus into the immature xylem tracheid cells and abnormal differentiation of the vascular system. By contrast, the wild type CTV exhibited phloem-limited distribution with a minor effect on the vasculature. We conclude that the p33 protein is a CTV effector that negatively affects virus pathogenicity and suggest that N. benthamiana recognizes p33 to activate the host immune response to restrict CTV into the phloem tissue and minimize the disease syndrome.
Performance Management and Enterprise Excellence Through Sustainable Business Models

Humanity faces wicked challenges on the right, left, before, behind, above, and beneath. Many of these are of our own making; enterprises have contributed to their creation—and must contribute to their resolution. Edgeman takes a systemic approach to sustainable business modeling that integrates diverse elements usually considered in isolation. The resulting model integrates guiding principles used in leading enterprise excellence models with the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact, delivering a model for sustainable enterprise excellence, resilience, and robustness capable of attacking relevant wicked challenges such as ones embraced by the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
In situ formation of graphene-encapsulated iron nanoparticles in carbon frames through catalytic graphitization of kraft lignin:

Multilayer graphene-encapsulated iron nanoparticles in carbon frames were prepared through catalytic graphitization of kraft lignin as carbon sources using irons as the catalyst at the temperature ...
Abstract WP518: Use of American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Secondary Stroke Prevention Recommendations in Hispanic/Latino Adults With Stroke/TIA: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Background: Population studies showed that Hispanic/Latino adults have elevated rates of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) with noticeable sex-specific variations. We investigated pr...
Linker-Mediated Assembly of Virus-Like Particles into Ordered Arrays via Electrostatic Control

Nanoscale virus-like particles (VLPs), which are self-assembled from protein subunits, offer the possibility of generating hierarchically assembled functional materials such as biomimetic catalytic...
Generation of inner ear organoids from human pluripotent stem cells

The sensory epithelia of the inner ear contain mechanosensitive hair cells that transmit sound, gravity and head motion signals. This protocol describes an in vitro 3D differentiation method, by which the inner ear sensory epithelium harboring hair cells are derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). To begin the differentiation, hPSCs are aggregated in low-binding 96-well plates and treated with extracellular matrix proteins to promote epithelialization. By recapitulating signaling pathway activation and attenuation during in vivo inner ear development, the aggregates are treated with small molecules and recombinant proteins that modulate signaling pathways such as BMP, FGF and WNT in a stepwise manner. These treatments induce sequential formation of non-neural ectoderm (NNE), otic-epibranchial progenitor domain (OEPD), and otic placodes. The otic placodes subsequently undergo self-guided morphogenesis to form otic vesicles, which eventually give rise to sensory epithelia containing inner ear hair cells and supporting cells, as well as neurons forming synapses with the hair cells. These hPSC-derived inner ear sensory structures are designated human inner ear organoids. As human inner ear biopsies are nearly impossible to obtain without causing severe injuries to the auditory system of the patients, the human inner ear organoid system provides a powerful in vitro platform for studying human inner ear disease and development.
[Primary ganglioneuroblastoma in the parapharyngeal space in a 2-month-old boy: a case report].

报道深圳市儿童医院诊治1例2月龄婴儿咽旁间隙节细胞神经母细胞瘤的过程，患儿Ⅱ度喉梗阻，右侧咽后壁可见隆起，MRI显示口咽后壁占位。全麻内镜下经口咽旁隙肿物切除术，术中见肿物位于咽旁间隙前隙，包膜完整与周围粘连不紧。术后病理为节细胞神经母细胞瘤。术后4周复查头颈部MRI未见复发。MRI检查有助初步了解肿物来源及与颈动脉鞘的关系。.
Future 4 Teens: A Community-Based Therapeutic Model for African American Youth

Culturally grounded therapeutic services orchestrated to meet the needs of African American youth remain sparse. The authors address this gap in the areas of scholarship and clinical practice by de...
Improved C 1 shape functions for simplex meshes

Abstract Using continuously-differentiable ( C 1 ) interpolation methods previously developed for computer visualization and other applications, a new class of shape functions is constructed and applied to electrostatic (ES) Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations on simplex (triangle or tetrahedral) meshes. The resulting shape functions are non-negative and partition unity, and lead to a reduction of shot noise and aliasing associated with particle interpolation to and from the mesh. For an energy-conserving implementation as chosen, C 1 interpolation of the potential leads to a continuous ( C 0 ) electric field, with associated improved fidelity of particle motion.
Ixodes scapularis microbiome correlates with life stage, not the presence of human pathogens, in ticks submitted for diagnostic testing.

Ticks are globally distributed arthropods and a public health concern due to the many human pathogens they carry and transmit, including the causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. As tick species' ranges increase, so do the number of reported tick related illnesses. The microbiome is a critical part of understanding arthropod biology, and the microbiome of pathogen vectors may provide critical insight into disease transmission and management. Yet we lack a comprehensive understanding of the microbiome of wild ticks, including what effect the presence of multiple tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) has on the microbiome. In this study we chose samples based on life stage (adult or nymph) and which TBPs were present. We used DNA from previously extracted Ixodes scapularis ticks that tested positive for zero, one, two or three common TBPs (B. burgdorferi, B. miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti). We produced 16S rRNA amplicon data for the whole tick microbiome and compared samples across TBPs status, single vs multiple coinfections, and life stages. Focusing on samples with a single TBP, we found no significant differences in microbiome diversity in ticks that were infected with B. burgdorferi and ticks with no TBPs. When comparing multiple TBPs, we found no significant difference in both alpha and beta diversity between ticks with a single TBP and ticks with multiple TBPs. Removal of TBPs from the microbiome did not alter alpha or beta diversity results. Life stage significantly correlated to variation in beta diversity and nymphs had higher alpha diversity than adult ticks. Rickettsia, a common tick endosymbiont, was the most abundant genus. This study confirms that the wild tick microbiome is highly influenced by life stage and much less by the presence of human pathogenic bacteria.
Predicting “Sepsis Ruled In” in Very Low Birth Weight NICU patients: A 3-NICU collaboration

Background: Signs of late-onset septicemia (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) overlap with normal variations in preterm neonatal physiology, and about 10-20 sepsis evaluations are performed and antibiotics given for each case of proven LOS or NEC. Early diagnosis is important for improving outcomes, but unnecessary antibiotics increase multiple morbidities. Objective: To develop a model for accurate prediction of LOS or NEC using clinical variables and signs at the time of LOS/NEC evaluation. Methods: Records of consecutive very low birth weight (VLBW) infant admissions at 3 NICUs were reviewed, excluding those that died within 3 days of birth or were admitted after 28d. For infants with F0B31 blood culture for suspected LOS/NEC, the first positive workup was evaluated and if all workups were negative, the first negative was evaluated. A positive LOS/NEC evaluation was defined as a positive blood culture or radiographic diagnosis of NEC and F0B3 5d of antibiotics given, and sepsis ruled out (SRO) was …
Optimal carrier concentration for FeSb2 colossal thermopower

Crystals of FeSb2 correlated narrow-gap semiconductor host colossal thermopower values. By tuning the impurity level here, we show that electron–phonon scattering that transfers phonon momentum to electrons is efficient only for certain optimal carrier concentration in the low-mobility band. Phonon drag acting on such states in crystals with high phonon mean free path enhances thermopower to colossal values, whereas for different carrier concentration, dominant thermal transport mechanism is electronic diffusion. This highlights the dual nature of correlated in-gap states that take part in the phonon drag but also reduce phonon mean free path.
Towards analytical calculation of the magnetic flux measured by magnetometers

Abstract This paper reviews magnetic flux signal calculations through pick-up loops using vector spherical harmonic expansion under the quasi-static approximation, and presents a near-analytical method of evaluating the flux through arbitrary parametrizable pick-up loops for each expansion degree. This is done by simplifying the surface flux integral (2D) into a line integral (1D). For the special case of tangential circular sensors, we present a fully analytical recursion calculation. We then compare commonly-used cubature approximations to our (near-)analytical forms, and show that cubature approximations suffer from increasing errors for higher spatial frequency components. This suggests the need for more accurate evaluations for increasingly sensitive sensors that are being developed, and our (near-)analytical forms themselves are a solution to this problem.
Lexical Processing and Sentence Context Effects

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion on lexical processing and sentence context effects during reading. There are various sources of information that are realized within the printed letter string of an individual word that might influence lexical access such as word familiarity, word class, and lexical ambiguity. Word frequency effects have been demonstrated in virtually every standard measure of word recognition, including lexical decision. Lexical familiarity (as assessed by printed word frequency), age of acquisition, or subjective familiarity rating influence a reader's initial processing time on a word as measured by first fixation duration or gaze duration. Readers spend more time on less familiar than on more familiar words of equal length. One way of investigating the role of word meaning in lexical access is to compare reading behavior on words that differ in the degree to which they convey semantic content. Lexically ambiguous words possess multiple meanings associated with a single orthographic form and, as such, they afford unique opportunities to examine the role of word meaning in lexical access. Under this view, given sufficiently constraining context, access may be limited to the context appropriate meaning of the ambiguous word.
Study of Macromolecular Interactions by Equilibrium Molecular Sieving

Abstract A method is described in which macromolecule-macromolecule interactions are assessed in closed tubes with the use of molecular sieving (gel filtration). By incorporating appropriate markers into the system, distribution volumes can be precisely determined without the need for close control of total gel volume. The binding of an antibody fragment (Fabµ, mol wt 50,000) to its antigen (γG, mol wt 150,000) has been successfully studied.
The Case for Neutrino Oscillations

No abstract appeared in the Proceedings, but I am adding the following summary at the request of the X^3 people: The idea of neutrino masses is discussed in the context of grand unified theories., and various scenarios are presented, including the seesaw mechanism. At the end, preference is stated for maximal mixing between $\nu_\mu$ and $\nu_\tau$, and small mixing with $\nu_e$.
Increasing Leadership Behaviors in Counselor Education Doctoral Students via Study Abroad Experiences: A Single Case Study Approach

This study explored the relationship between a study abroad experience and leadership behaviors via single case study design for three counselor education doctoral students. Results showed that two out of three participants experienced an increase in leadership behaviors during the study period, as measured by the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI). Implications for the enhancement of leadership skills for doctoral students are discussed, as well as implementation and evaluation of study abroad in counselor education.
Immediate and late airway response of allergic rhinitis patients to segmental antigen challenge. Characterization of eosinophil and mast cell mediators.

Segmental antigen bronchoprovocation was used to define the nature of the inflammatory process in allergic airway disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from allergic rhinitis patients 12 min after segmental antigen instillation (immediate response) revealed a significant increase in histamine and tryptase, but no cellular response. Repeat segmental lavage 48 h later (late response) showed marked and significant increases in both low and normal density eosinophils as well as striking elevations of eosinophil granular protein levels (major basic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophil peroxidase). Leukotriene C4, but not tryptase, concentrations were also consistently elevated in late lavage samples. Further, the late lavage samples showed a significant increase in interleukin-5 concentrations that correlated with the presence of eosinophils and eosinophil granular proteins. Neither eosinophils nor soluble mediators of eosinophils increased when normal su...
Isolation and amino acid analysis of a nonspecific phospholipid transfer protein from rat liver.

Proteins that accelerate the transfer of phospholipids between natural and artificial membranes have been characterized from several different sources [ 11. In the few instances in which these proteins have been extensively purified they have been shown to be specific for phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol [2-51, We have isolated, from the soluble fraction of rat liver, two protein fractions capable of transferring labeled phosphatidylethanolam~ne, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin and cholesterol from liposomes to mitochondria or erythrocyte ghosts [6] or from microsomes to mitochondria [7]. This report describes the purification to electrophoretic homogeneity of one of these proteins and its complete amino acid composition.
Adhesion of mesh-base direct-bonding brackets

The bond strength of mesh-base and metal-base brackets to human enamel was investigated for different adhesive systems. The bond strengths were determined by means of tension, shear, and torsion tests. The data were statistically analyzed and the following conclusions were drawn: 1. An adhesive system (bracket base and adhesive) cannot be selected on the basis of one test (tension, shear, or torque) alone. The various systems generally ranked differently, depending upon the test method utilized. 2. Mesh-base brackets were more retentive than the metal-base brackets in tension, while metal-base brackets were more retentive in shear. 3. For the metal-base brackets, Bond-Eze was the most retentive material, Adaptic and Orthomite followed narrowly behind, and Genie was the least retentive. 4. For the mesh-base bracket in tension and shear, Bond-Eze, Adaptic, and Solo-Tach were the most retentive materials when used with the 60-mesh base, and Genie was the least retentive. Torsion values were not useful because of a large number of bracket wing failures.
Management of Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

In 2014, prostate cancer will affect roughly 15 % of American men during their lifetimes with about 230,000 new cases and 29,000 deaths per year. If required, most can be treated with curative surgery or radiotherapy. Upon relapse, androgen deprivation therapy (intermittent or continuous) is the cornerstone of treatment for hormone-sensitive disease. Response is variable and treatment is associated with a significant risk of toxicity. Recently, significant advances in survival have been demonstrated with chemohormonal therapy in men with high-volume disease. In addition, new findings have informed the approach to preventing bone complications in patients on therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Devising clinical prediction tools and biomarkers is needed to select patients most likely to benefit from certain therapies and allow for a personalized approach.
Methods for detection and differentiation of existing and new crinivirus species through multiplex and degenerate primer RT-PCR

A method was developed for rapid identification and differentiation of both known and novel crinivirus species involving both multiplex and degenerate reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The multiplex method can discriminate among known criniviruses infecting vegetable and small fruit crops, and rapidly identify viruses associated with disease symptoms, as well as identification of mixed crinivirus infections. Four host groups for multiplex detection of criniviruses were selected based on the types of crops where specific criniviruses would be expected to occur. Each detection group contained three to four crop-specific primers designed to the same region of the gene encoding the highly conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene (RdRp) of criniviruses for rapid, single-reaction determination of which crinivirus(es) may be infecting a plant. Degenerate reverse primers used for RT and in PCR were designed to amplify all members of each host group, and were coupled with species-specific forward primers resulting in four separate single-reaction cocktails for detection of most criniviruses sequenced to date, whether present in single or mixed virus infections. Additional viruses can be added to multiplex detection by adjustment of primer concentration for balanced detection of target viruses. In order to identify unknown putative criniviruses or those for which sequence information is not yet available, a genus-wide, universal degenerate primer set was developed. These primers also targeted the crinivirus RdRp gene, and amplify a wide range of crinivirus sequences. Both detection systems can be used with most RNA extraction methods, and with RT-PCR reagents common in most laboratories.
NMR studies of water in polyimide films

Commercial polyimide films containing up to ∼3 wt % water have been studied by proton, deuteron, and 17 O NMR. Comparisons between NMR results and previous dielectric relaxation (DR) results for a variety of Kapton films show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between specific dielectric loss peaks and features of the 2 H or 17 O NMR spectra. It is concluded that water molecules, which interact only weakly with the polymer, reside in the polyimide matrix in two configurations, randomly oriented single molecules and chains of water molecules oriented perpendicular to the plane of the film. The correspondence between NMR and DR observed in water in Kapton extends to water in Upilex and to methanol and acetic acid in Kapton