cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound Integration in Undergraduate Medical Education: Comparison of Ultrasound Proficiency Between Trained and Untrained Medical Students

OBJECTIVES The benefit of formal ultrasound implementation in undergraduate medical education remains unclear. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound curriculum implementation during year 1 medical student physical examination teaching on the ultrasound proficiency of medical students. METHODS An ultrasound curriculum was formally implemented at our institution in August 2012 and since then has successfully trained 2 classes of medical students (year 1 and year 2). Year 3 and year 4 medical students did not receive any formal ultrasound training, as the curriculum had not yet been implemented during their preclinical years. With the use of a 22-point ultrasound objective structured clinical examination (US-OSCE), trained medical students were compared to untrained medical students. The US-OSCE tested image acquisition and interpretation of the following systems: ocular, neck, vascular, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and abdominal. Emergency medicine (EM) residents formally trained in bedside ultrasound were also tested with the US-OSCE to provide a reference standard. RESULTS There were 174 year 1, 25 year 2, and 19 year 3/year 4 medical students and 30 EM residents tested on the US-OSCE. Ultrasound-trained medical students were compared to untrained medical students, and overall US-OSCE scores ± SD were 91.4% ± 14.0% versus 36.1% ± 21.4% (P < .001), respectively. The EM resident group had an overall score of 99.1% ± 1.8%. The absolute percentage differences were 7.7% between EM resident and ultrasound-trained medical student scores and 63.0% between EM resident and untrained medical student scores (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Implementation of an ultrasound curriculum in undergraduate medical education showed a significant increase in trained versus untrained medical student ultrasound capabilities.
Characterization of the Caucasian haplogroups present in the SWGDAM forensic mtDNA dataset for 1771 human control region sequences. Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods.

Currently, the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) mtDNA dataset is used to infer the relative rarity of mtDNA profiles (i.e., haplotypes) obtained from evidence samples and for identification of missing persons. The Caucasian haplogroup patterns in this forensic dataset have been characterized using phylogenetic methods. The assessment reveals that the dataset is relevant and representative of U.S. and European Caucasians. The comparisons carried out were both the observation of variable sites within the control region (CR) and the selection of a subset of these sites, which partition the variation within human mtDNA control region sequences into clusters (i.e., haplogroups). The aligned sequence matrix was analyzed to determine both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a phylogenetic context, as well as to check and standardize haplogroup designations with a focus on determining the characters that define these groups. To evaluate the dataset for forensic utility, the haplogroup identifications and frequencies were compared with those reported from other published studies.
Comparison of Methods for Determination of Drugs in Serum and Plasma

At a workshop on the determination of anti-epileptic drugs with a predominantly clinical view point, there should be some discussion about the problems of laboratory practice and laboratory routine. The output of an analytical laboratory in a hospital with mainly epileptic patients must be orientated on the medical problems of the clinical departments. These problems can be of quite different make-up. Fig. 1 shows the frequency of drugs in blood samples of patients of an outpatient clinic and of an epilepsy centre hospital, the latter with the most complicated cases. From the great number of anti-epileptic drugs in use the serum levels of phenytoin (DPH), phenobarbitone (PB) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are of the greatest interest. These also have the highest frequency in our analyses (Fig. 2). Then follow succinimides (SUX), dipropylacetate (Ergenyl®, E), sulthiame (Ospolot®, O) and diazepam (Valium®, V), haloperidol (Haloperidol-Janssen®, HAL) and other neuroleptic drugs and psychopharmaceuticals.
Agile simulation based analysis for acquisition

This paper presents a model-based systems engineering approach for quantitative acquisition decisions based on cost/benefit tradeoffs. The foundation of the approach involves the mapping of three basic systems engineering metrics, namely, Measures of Performance (MOP) to Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) to a single Figure of Merit (FOM) to perform the cost/benefit analysis supportive for acquisition. Simulation modeling is an accurate means for MOP to MOE mapping within complex systems. However, the simulation models for analysis of complex systems are becoming more and more complicated, which leads to long run times and reduces the rigorousness of the analysis that can be done to analyze cost/benefit tradeoffs. This paper considers the application of simulation metamodels to enable faster analysis for acquisition decisions. The application of metamodeling may yield some loss of fidelity, but the increase in analysis capabilities enabled by metamodeling leads to solutions and system understandings that could not have been generated by evaluations made strictly on a large-scale simulation model. This paper also presents a GUI framework that facilitates the analysis process with simulation metamodels for acquisition.
Fast training on large genomics data using distributed Support Vector Machines

The field of genomics has seen a glorious explosion of high-quality data, with tremendous strides having been made in genomic sequencing instruments and computational genomics applications meant to make sense of the data. A common use case for genomics data is to answer the question if a specific genetic signature is correlated with some disease manifestations. Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a widely used classifier in computational literature. Previous studies have shown success in using these SVMs for the above use case of genomics data. However, SVMs suffer from a widely-recognized scalability problem in both memory use and computational time. It is as yet an unanswered question if training such classifiers can scale to the massive sizes that characterize many of the genomics data sets. We answer that question here for a specific dataset, in order to decipher whether some regulatory module of a particular combinatorial epigenetic “pattern” will regulate the expression of a gene. However, the specifics of the dataset is likely of less relevance to the claims of our work. We take a proposed theoretical technique for efficient training of SVM, namely Cascade SVM, create our classifier called EP-SVM, and empirically evaluate how it scales to the large genomics dataset. We implement Cascade SVM on the Apache Spark platform and open source this implementation1. Through our evaluation, we bring out the computational cost on each application process, the way of distributing the overall workload among multiple processes, which can potentially execute on different cores or different machines, and the cost of data transfer to different cores or different machines. We believe we are the first to shed light on the computational and network costs of training an SVM on a multi-dimensional genomics dataset. We also evaluate the accuracy of the classifier result as a function of the parameters of the SVM model.
Public health nursing job descriptions: are they aligned with professional standards?

Objectives The American Nurses' Association (ANA) 2007 Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice along with the Quad Council's PHN competencies frame the practice of public health nurses (PHNs). The preface for ANA's PHN Scope and Standards encourages using the standards as the basis of PHN job descriptions. This study sought to assess the extent to which PHN job descriptions are aligned with the ANA's PHN Scope and Standards and the Quad Council competencies. Design We obtained PHN job descriptions from 3 local health departments in Illinois and 3 in Washington. Statements from the job descriptions were content analyzed, categorizing statements into the 16 ANA PHN Scope and Standards and using Quad Council competencies as additional definitions of each category. To code all job statements related to PHN practice, 2 categories were added which were MPH competencies from the Associations of Schools of Public Health. Interrater reliability was established. Results All 18 PHN job descriptions had statements related to Standard 5 Implementation, followed by 94% of the job descriptions having statements related to assessment, planning, coordination of services, health education/health promotion, and collaboration. The least frequently (22%) included standard was outcome identification. Conclusions Attention to human resource management is necessary to align job descriptions with current professional scope and standards for basic and advanced PHN practice. The lack of statements regarding Outcome Identification has serious implications for PHN involvement in quality improvement and health planning.
An Integrated-Design Approach to Shorter Wavelength Quantum Cascade Lasers

In this work, we explore a novel approach that incorporates lasing and nonlinear conversion within the same QCL waveguided region using orientation-patterned substrates. The synthesis of these integrated devices and initial results are presented.
Kinetic Parameters Estimation for Three Way Catalyst Modeling

One of the critical needs of a Three Way Catalyst (TWC) model is to be able to predict light-off. This is crucial for application studies and vehicle architectural studies because most of the emissions from a TWC occur before light-off (called cold-start emissions). Laboratory experiments give detailed insights to the reaction mechanism and analytical forms of the rate expressions as they are well-controlled and well-behaved as compared to vehicle tests. However, to predict emissions on a vehicle test, the laboratory-estimated kinetic parameters are not entirely capable because of the various uncertainties in the vehicle tests. In this work, six different vehicle data sets are used to calibrate and validate the TWC global kinetic model. Our emphasis in this work is restricted to predicting the light-off (cold-start emissions) in TWC. The kinetic model is calibrated using 4 vehicle data sets (which use the FTP drive cycle) using iSIGHT software package. The kinetic parameters of the various reactions occur...
Polymer Electrolytes: Hopping, Domain Structures and Frequency-Dependent Conductivity

The dynamic bond percolation model was developed to deal with dynamic disorder, treating ion mobility by a percolation model in which the assignment of any site-to-site jump as allowed or forbidden changes on a timescale related to the local reorganizational dynamics of the polymer segments (the renewal time). Here we discuss the special cases of high-frequency spectra and partially crystalline electrolytes. At high frequencies, the present hopping model yields unphysical behavior (frequency-independent response); we trace this back to the incorrect treatment of short-time dynamics, and show how it can be corrected. For partially crystalline materials, we show that a rollover feature in the spectrum, in the microwave range, can be expected when ions are trapped in isolated regions of high conductivity, such as amorphous pockets in largely crystalline PEO.
Information Curation among Vaccine Cautious Parents: Web 2.0, Pinterest Thinking, and Pediatric Vaccination Choice.

ABSTRACTTo learn about pediatric vaccine decision-making, we surveyed and interviewed US parents with at least one child kindergarten age or younger (N = 53). Through an anthropologically informed content analysis, we found that fully vaccinating parents (n = 33) mostly saw vaccination as routine. In contrast, selective and nonvaccinating parents (n = 20) exhibited the type of self-informed engagement that the health care system recommends. Selective vaccinators also expressed multiple, sometimes contradictory positions on vaccination that were keyed to individual children’s biologies, child size, environmental hazards, specific diseases, and discrete vaccines. Rather than logical progressions, viewpoints were presented as assembled collections, reflecting contemporary information filtering and curation practices and the prevalence of collectively experienced and constructed digital “hive” narratives. Findings confirm the need for a noncategorical approach to intervention that accommodates the fluid, poly...
Who benefits from chemoradiation in stage III–IVA endometrial cancer? An analysis of the National Cancer Data Base

Abstract Objective Adjuvant therapy for advanced endometrial cancer (AEC) is not standardized. We investigated whether regional radiotherapy with chemotherapy (CRT) compared to chemotherapy alone (CT) was associated with improved overall survival (OS) in an AEC cohort and among subgroups by stage and histologic grade. Methods Women who received CT or CRT after hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for FIGO stage III–IVA AEC diagnosed in 2004–2012 were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. Multilevel modeling was used to identify covariates associated with treatment selection. OS was compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates, the log-rank test, Cox proportional hazards regression, and propensity score matching. Results We identified 9837 patients, of whom 6358 (65%) received CT and 3479 (35%) received CRT. Median follow-up was 59.6months. OS was higher in patients receiving CRT compared to CT (70% v 55% at 5years, log-rank P Conclusions Adjuvant CRT for AEC was associated with improved OS, except for patients with well-differentiated disease, who fared equally well with CT alone.
Electrostatic spray deposition based lithium ion capacitor

Conventional Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are well suited as power devices that can provide large bursts of energy in short time periods. However, their relatively inferior energy densities as compared to their secondary battery counterparts limit their application in devices that require simultaneous supply of both high energy and high power. In the wake of addressing this shortcoming of EDLCs, the concept of hybridization of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and EDLCs has attracted significant scientific interest in recent years. Such a device, generally referred to as the "lithium-ion capacitor" typically utilizes a lithium intercalating electrode along with a fast charging capacitor electrode. Herein we have constructed a lithium hybrid electrochemical capacitor comprising a Li4Ti5O12-TiO2 (LTO-TiO2) anode and a reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotube (rGO-CNT) composite cathode using electrostatic spray deposition (ESD). The electrodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements were carried out to evaluate the electrochemical performance of the individual electrodes and the full hybrid cells.
Elastic Edge-Overlay Methods Using OpenFlow for Cloud Networks

The virtualization of cloud network requires flexible and effective techniques to accommodate the rapid changes in the network configurations and updates. OpenFlow protocol has attracted attentions for cloud networks since it facilitates managing and sharing the network resources, and it can be utilized to create an overlay abstraction on top of the network infrastructure for the flow setup in the cloud. However, the traditional reactive flow setup of OpenFlow introduces higher flow latency and overhead on the network controller. This paper discusses the issues of the reactive flow setup and presents two optimized overlay network virtualization methods that leverage OpenFlow to control and forward the tenants’ traffic. The proposed methods enable tenants to use their own MAC/IP addresses in the cloud. We have implemented and evaluated the proposed overlay methods, and the experimental results show that our methods have less flow latency than the traditional reactive approach, and higher performance than the popular overlay tunneling protocols such as VXLAN, STT, and NVGRE.
The Rwandan Diaspora in Canada and the United States: Reconciliation and Justice

Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, many Rwandans fled and a modest diaspora was established throughout Canada and the United States. Diaspora are subject to many of the same concerns regarding ju...
Effects of a New State Policy on Physical Activity Practices in Child Care Centers in South Carolina

Objectives. We sought to determine the extent to which child care centers in South Carolina improved physical activity practices after a new policy took effect.Methods. In 2012, South Carolina adopted new mandatory physical activity standards within its child care quality enhancement program. This quasi-experimental study used North Carolina, a state not making policy changes, as the comparison. Participants were 34 child care centers in South Carolina and 30 centers in North Carolina. Researchers used the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool to conduct center observations before and after policy implementation and then conducted repeated-measures linear regression with interaction between state and time for the Physical Activity Environment Total Score and the 8 subscale scores.Results. Compared with centers in North Carolina, EPAO subscale scores in South Carolina centers increased significantly for the Fixed Play Environment (P < .001) and Physical Activity Training and Educati...
Severity of Acute Kidney Injury in the Post-Lung Transplant Patient Is Associated With Higher Healthcare Resources and Cost.

Objective Perioperative risk factors and the clinical impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) and failure after lung transplantation are not well described. The incidences of AKI and acute renal failure (ARF), potential perioperative contributors to their development, and postdischarge healthcare needs were evaluated. Design Retrospective. Setting University hospital. Participants Patients undergoing lung transplantation between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015. Measured Data The incidences of AKI and ARF, as defined using the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Renal Disease criteria, were measured. Perioperative events were analyzed to identify risk factors for renal compromise. A comparison of ventilator days, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay (LOS), 1-year readmissions, and emergency department visits was performed among AKI, ARF, and uninjured patients. Measurements and Main Results Ninety-seven patients underwent lung transplantation; 22 patients developed AKI and 35 patients developed ARF. Patients with ARF had significantly longer ICU LOS (12 days v 4 days, p Conclusion The severity of AKI was associated with an increase in the use of healthcare resources after surgery and discharge. Certain risk factors appeared modifiable and may reduce the incidence of AKI and ARF.
LAS FIESTAS ANUALES Y QUINQUENALES DE LA VIRGEN CANDELARIA DEL SOCORRO DE HUANCHACO: EXPRESIÓN RELIGIOSA DE LOS PESCADORES DE LA COSTA NORTE DEL PERÚ)

Se describen y analizan dos fiestas tradicionales del pueblo de pescadores y agricultores de Huanchaco en la costa norte del Peru. Ambas fiestas, aunque distintas en su origen y significado, guardan profundas raices en tradiciones ancestrales prehispanicas. En este articulo se las describe detalladamente y ademas se plantea que dichas fiestas tuvieron por objetivo yuxtaponer el culto al mar como divinidad femenina hacia un culto a iconos catolicos femeninos como la Virgen u otras santas.
New perspectives on social and militant movements in Israel and the Palestinian territories

Scholarship on militant organizations and social movements is in an evolutionary moment. Scholars are actively challenging extant approaches and paradigms in the study of non-state actors and formi...
Basal ganglia cerebral blood flow associates with psychomotor speed in adults with type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is associated with slower psychomotor speed, but the neural basis of this relationship is not yet understood. The basal ganglia are a set of structures that are vulnerable to small vessel disease, particularly in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Thus, we examined the relationship between psychomotor speed and resting state resting cerebral blood flow in a sample of adults with diabetes onset during childhood (≤ 17 years of age). The sample included 77 patients (39 M, 38 F) with a mean age of 47.43 ± 5.72 years, age of onset at 8.50 ± 4.26 years, and duration of disease of 38.92 ± 4.18 years. Resting cerebral blood flow was quantified using arterial spin labeling. After covarying for sex, years of education and normalized gray matter volume, slower psychomotor speed was associated with lower cerebral blood flow in bilateral caudate nucleus-thalamus and a region in the superior frontal gyrus. These results suggest that the basal ganglia and frontal cortex may underlie slower psychomotor speed in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Evaluation of the BacterioScan 216Dx for Standalone Preculture Screen of Preserved Urine Specimens in a Clinical Setting.

Background The BacterioScan 216Dx laser microbial growth monitoring system was evaluated as an option for preurine culture screening of preserved urine specimens at an acute care medical center. Methods The BacterioScan 216Dx system performance characteristics and the economic impact (cost effectiveness) for the laboratory were assessed. Urinalysis performance compared to urine culture was assessed if urinalysis was ordered as part of the patient care set. Results When compared to urine culture, the BacterioScan had an overall performance with corresponding 95% confidence intervals of 76% (68-83) sensitivity, 84% (80-87) specificity, 55% (48-63) positive predictive value, and 93% (90-95) negative predictive value for 610 randomly selected preserved urine specimens. Urinalysis compared to urine culture overall performance was 59% (48-69) sensitivity, 87% (83-90) specificity, 53% (43-63) positive predictive value, 89% (86-92) negative predictive value for 414 urine specimens. Conclusions While the system did improve the turnaround time to a negative report, adoption of the BacterioScan system would increase the reagent budget for laboratory urine culture by 2.34 times the current cost, potentially making BacterioScan prohibitive in a budget restricted environment. Additionally, performance when compared to traditional urine culture was less than acceptable for a diagnostic laboratory to use as a stand-alone urinary tract infection screen.
Predicting Ambivalence: When Same-Sex Sex is Only "Sometimes Wrong".

ABSTRACTDespite Americans’ growing acceptance of LGBTQ people and their sexual behaviors over the past 40 years, approximately 10% of the population consistently expresses conflicted feelings, repo...
The power and dysfunctions of evaluation systems in international organizations

Evaluations do not take place in a vacuum. Evaluation systems are embedded within organizations; they shape and are shaped by organizational norms, processes, and behaviors. In International Organizations, evaluation systems are ubiquitous. Yet, little is known about how they “function,” namely how they are used, how they contribute to organizational performance, and how they influence actors’ behaviors. These are empirical questions that cannot be solved without a robust theoretical grounding, which is currently absent from the existing evaluation literature. This article seeks to bridge some of the identified gaps by weaving together insights from evaluation theory and international organization sociology into a unifying framework of factors. The article then demonstrates how the framework can be used to empirically study the relative power and dysfunction of evaluation systems within International Organizations. A forthcoming connected contribution will illustrate such empirical inquiry through the cas...
Nano-indentation used to study pyramidal slip in GaN single crystals

The nucleation and structure of dislocations created by the nano-indentation of GaN samples with dislocation densities ≈103, 106 or 109 ⊥/cm2 were studied in the interest of learning how dislocations can be created to relieve the mismatch strain in ternary nitride films grown on (0001) oriented binary nitride substrates. Using transmission electron microscopy and stress analyses to assist in interpreting the nano-indentation data, we determined that the pop-ins in the indenter load vs. penetration depth curves are created by an avalanche process at stresses well above the typical yield stress. The process begins by the homogeneous formation of a basal plane screw dislocation that triggers the formation of pyramidal and other basal plane dislocations that relieve the excess stored elastic energy. It appears that pyramidal slip can occur on either the {1122} or {0111} planes, as there is little resistance to the cross slip of screw dislocations.
Integrated beam orientation and scanning-spot optimization in intensity-modulated proton therapy for brain and unilateral head and neck tumors.

Purpose Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) is the state-of-the-art method of delivering proton radiotherapy. Previous research has been mainly focused on optimization of scanning spots with manually selected beam angles. Due to the computational complexity, the potential benefit of simultaneously optimizing beam orientations and spot pattern could not be realized. In this study, we developed a novel integrated beam orientation optimization (BOO) and scanning-spot optimization algorithm for intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Methods A brain chordoma and three unilateral head-and-neck patients with a maximal target size of 112.49 cm3 were included in this study. A total number of 1162 noncoplanar candidate beams evenly distributed across 4π steradians were included in the optimization. For each candidate beam, the pencil-beam doses of all scanning spots covering the PTV and a margin were calculated. The beam angle selection and spot intensity optimization problem was formulated to include three terms: a dose fidelity term to penalize the deviation of PTV and OAR doses from ideal dose distribution; an L1-norm sparsity term to reduce the number of active spots and improve delivery efficiency; a group sparsity term to control the number of active beams between 2 and 4. For the group sparsity term, convex L2,1-norm and nonconvex L2,1/2-norm were tested. For the dose fidelity term, both quadratic function and linearized equivalent uniform dose (LEUD) cost function were implemented. The optimization problem was solved using the Fast Iterative Shrinkage-Thresholding Algorithm (FISTA). The IMPT BOO method was tested on three head-and-neck patients and one skull base chordoma patient. The results were compared with IMPT plans created using column generation selected beams or manually selected beams. Results The L2,1-norm plan selected spatially aggregated beams, indicating potential degeneracy using this norm. L2,1/2-norm was able to select spatially separated beams and achieve smaller deviation from the ideal dose. In the L2,1/2-norm plans, the [mean dose, maximum dose] of OAR were reduced by an average of [2.38%, 4.24%] and[2.32%, 3.76%] of the prescription dose for the quadratic and LEUD cost function, respectively, compared with the IMPT plan using manual beam selection while maintaining the same PTV coverage. The L2,1/2 group sparsity plans were dosimetrically superior to the column generation plans as well. Besides beam orientation selection, spot sparsification was observed. Generally, with the quadratic cost function, 30%~60% spots in the selected beams remained active. With the LEUD cost function, the percentages of active spots were in the range of 35%~85%.The BOO-IMPT run time was approximately 20 min. Conclusion This work shows the first IMPT approach integrating noncoplanar BOO and scanning-spot optimization in a single mathematical framework. This method is computationally efficient, dosimetrically superior and produces delivery-friendly IMPT plans.
Design Principles for Directing Energy and Energetic Charge Flow in Multicomponent Plasmonic Nanostructures

The decay of localized surface plasmons supported by plasmonic metal nanoparticles results in the formation of energetic charge carriers within the nanoparticles. Once formed, these charge carriers can transfer to chemically attached materials where they can perform a function. The efficient extraction and utilization of these charge carriers in various applications hinges on the ability to design plasmonic nanostructures with highly localized charge carrier generation at specific locations in the nanostructure. Herein, we shed light on the physical mechanisms governing the flow of energy in resonantly excited multimetallic plasmonic nanoparticles. We demonstrate that coating plasmonic nanostructures with nonplasmonic metals can result in the preferential dissipation of energy (i.e., formation of charge carriers) in the nonplasmonic metal and that the extent of this dissipation depends heavily on the electronic structure of the constituent metals. We use experimental and modeling studies of various core–s...
Taming the IoT: Operationalized Testing to Secure Connected Devices

Operationalized testing of built-environment IoT infrastructure is a key aspect of fostering security and development best practices. End-to-end automation can normalize the ecosystem and increase the velocity of system improvements and updates.
Financial Controls of Terrorism and Informal Value Transfer Methods

This chapter is concerned with the financial controls of international terrorism and informal value transfer systems (IVTS). IVTS refers to any network or mechanism that can be used to transfer funds or value from place to place either without leaving a formal paper-trail of the entire transaction or without going through regulated financial institutions at all (Passas, 2002). These may be full-time, part-time or ad hoc operations.
Dysfunction of the Bowel/Constipation

Constipation is commonly defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week and characterized by stools that are hard, dry, small in size, and difficult and painful to eliminate. Individuals who are constipated experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel.
Enhancement of Li-ion Battery Performance at Low Temperatures by DC-DC Converter Duty-cycle Autotuning

In most battery applications, the battery is designed to meet specific load requirements within an operating temperature window. At low temperatures, i.e. below freezing point, the battery performance degrades significantly due to electrolyte freezing. As a result, the battery capability of delivering required power to the load falls. This paper proposes a method to maximize the power that can be extracted from a battery at low temperatures. The method is based on operating the DC-DC converter at the input voltage which maximizes the discharge-power of the battery. This is achieved by allocating the maximum-power voltage at the input to the converter that will maximize the power discharged by the battery. Method details and experimental results using a 3.6V/1100mAh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell are presented.
Lymphoid Neoplasms of the Kidney

The kidney is one of the most common extranodal sites to be involved by systemic lymphoma. However, because renal biopsies are only performed in a minority of patients, it is likely underdiagnosed. Autopsy series tend to show a higher incidence of renal involvement by lymphoma than clinical or radiological studies. Although data vary by the type of lymphoma, secondary renal involvement was seen in 48% of patients in a large autopsy series of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Kandel et al. Cancer 60:386–91, 1987). Generally, the lymphoma is clinically silent; however, in a minority of patients, the degree of lymphomatous infiltration may compromise renal function, leading to acute renal failure. Renal involvement is most common in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with only rare cases of T-cell lymphoma reported in the literature. Primary renal lymphoma appears to be extremely rare, and accounts for approximately 0.7% of all extranodal lymphomas in North America and 0.1% in Japan (Yasunaga et al. J Surg Oncol 64:207–11, 1997; Freeman et al. Cancer 29:252–60, 1972; Aozasa et al. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 21:487–92, 1985). A large subset (>40%) have bilateral presentation.
12 – Toxicology, Safety and Disposal

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the toxicity, safety, and disposal of perfluorinated ionomers. The acute oral toxicity of perfluorinated ionomers is quite low. Perfluorinated ionomers release toxic gases when exposed to temperatures in excess of about 250°C. Fluorinated ionomers are safe to use, skin irritation was not observed in any of the subjects tested. An infrared technique has been developed for the analysis of thermal effluents. This method was used to analyze the effluents of perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSA) that evolve during overheating of fluoropolymer. PFSAs and fluoropolymers, generally, degrade during processing and generate effluents with an increasing rate with temperature. PFSAs membranes do not burn in ambient air. It has a limiting oxygen index of 95% according to ASTM D2863, which renders this material one of the most flame-resistant plastics. Local exhaust ventilation should be installed to remove the process effluents from the work areas when PFSA membranes are heated above 150°C.
Design of High-Efficiency Matching Networks for Capacitive Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Matching networks are an efficient means of providing large voltage or current gain and reactive compensation in high-frequency wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. This paper introduces an analytical optimization approach for the design of L-section matching networks in capacitive WPT systems, which maximizes the network efficiency while achieving the required overall gain and compensation. The proposed approach identifies the optimal number of matching network stages, and the optimal distribution of gains and compensations among these stages. Compared to the conventional approach to designing matching networks for capacitive WPT systems, the proposed approach results in a higher and flatter efficiency for a wide range of air-gap voltages. The proposed approach also offers a better trade-off between efficiency and power transfer density, while meeting electric field safety requirements. The efficiency predictions of the proposed design approach are experimentally validated using three 6.78-MHz 100-W prototype capacitive WPT systems, one with single-stage matching networks, one with two-stage matching networks, and another with three-stage matching networks. The measured matching network efficiencies of the prototype systems are in close agreement with the theoretical predictions. The prototype system with two-stage matching networks is also compared with a prototype system designed using the conventional approach, and is shown to achieve significantly higher efficiency.
A simulated annealing algorithm with a dual perturbation method for clustering

Abstract Clustering is a powerful tool in exploratory data analysis that partitions a set of objects into clusters with the goal of maximizing the similarity of objects within each cluster. Due to the tendency of clustering algorithms to find suboptimal partitions of data, the approximation method Simulated Annealing (SA) has been used to search for near-optimal partitions. However, existing SA-based partitional clustering algorithms still settle to local optima. We propose a new SA-based clustering algorithm, the Simulated Annealing with Gaussian Mutation and Distortion Equalization algorithm (SAGMDE), which uses two perturbation methods to allow for both large and small perturbations in solutions. Our experiments on a diverse collection of data sets show that SAGMDE performs more consistently and yields better results than existing SA clustering algorithms in terms of cluster quality while maintaining a reasonable runtime. Finally, we use generative art as a visualization tool to compare various partitional clustering algorithms.
Self-driving Reconfiguration of Data Center Networks by Deep Reinforcement Learning and Silicon Photonic Flex-LION Switches

This paper studies the use of deep reinforcement learning to reconfigure the inter-rack connectivity in HPC datacenters by silicon photonic FLEX-LION switches. Network simulation results show that the proposed approach can match the interconnection with time-varying traffic to minimize the average end-to-end latency.
Indexing in the Affordable Care Act: The Impact on the Federal Budget

Proponents of the Affordable Care Act have pointed to the Congressional Budget Offices cost estimates to support their argument that the law will result in lower federal budget deficits in the future. Much less is said about the reasons for this forecast. This paper explains that the primary reason for the projected deficit reduction is the laws heavy reliance on indexing important provisions in order to restrain spending and increase revenue. The key provisions are a productivity adjustment factor that results in across-the-board cuts to hospitals and other facilities in perpetuity; frozen income thresholds for new taxes that supposedly apply only to higher-income households; thresholds for a new Cadillac tax on high-cost insurance that rise more slowly than healthcare costs; and indexing rules for premium credits that will cause lower-income households to pay ever higher percentages of their income in premiums. As more taxpayers and beneficiaries come to understand the full implications of these provisions, pressure will build to make significant adjustments to them. The result could be much higher spending and lower revenue than originally forecast by the Congressional Budget Office.
The Promise of Quantum Simulation.

Quantum simulations promise to be one of the primary applications of quantum computers, should one be constructed. This article briefly summarizes the history of quantum simulation in light of the recent result of Wang and co-workers, demonstrating calculation of the ground and excited states for a HeH+ molecule, and concludes with a discussion of why this and other recent progress in the field suggest that quantum simulations of quantum chemistry have a bright future.
Na,K-ATPase: Reaction Mechanisms and Ion Translocating Steps

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes some selected facts that may have bearing on the question: to what extent, and in how much detail, can the biophysical observations on the operation of the sodium pump be reconciled with what is known about the biochemical reaction mechanism of the Na, K–ATPase. This selection is by necessity topical, because it is mainly inspired by the relationship between enzyme mechanisms and ion translocation. The Albers–Post model, expanded to include the low-affinity stimulation of potassium de­occlusion by ATP, has been extremely useful both in the a posteriori interpretation of experimental flux findings and in the design of critical tests. The apparent contradiction between overall ATPase kinetics and Na/K transport kinetics appears to be resolvable without the need to invoke half-of-the-sites behavior. Both high and low affinities for ATP can be accommodated by a single-unit model. Na–Na exchange, ADP–ATP exchange, and K–K exchange are predicted by the model. Many of the various ion and nucleotide interactions are qualitatively interpretable.
A deep-sea coral record of North Atlantic radiocarbon through the Younger Dryas: Evidence for intermediate water/deepwater reorganization

Our record of Younger Dryas intermediate-depth seawater Δ^(14)C from North Atlantic deep-sea corals supports a link between abrupt climate change and intermediate ocean variability. Our data show that northern source intermediate water (∼1700 m) was partially replaced by (14)^C-depleted southern source water at the onset of the event, consistent with a reduction in the rate of North Atlantic Deep Water formation. This transition requires the existence of large, mobile gradients of Δ^(14)C in the ocean during the Younger Dryas. The Δ^(14)C water column profile from Keigwin (2004) provides direct evidence for the presence of one such gradient at the beginning of the Younger Dryas (∼12.9 ka), with a 100‰ offset between shallow (<∼2400 m) and deep water. Our early Younger Dryas data are consistent with this profile and also show a Δ^(14)C inversion, with 35‰ more enriched water at ∼2400 m than at ∼1700 m. This feature is probably the result of mixing between relatively well ^(14)C ventilated northern source water and more poorly ^(14)C ventilated southern source intermediate water, which is slightly shallower. Over the rest of the Younger Dryas our intermediate water/deepwater coral Δ^(14)C data gradually increase, while the atmosphere Δ^(14)C drops. For a very brief interval at ∼12.0 ka and at the end of the Younger Dryas (11.5 ka), intermediate water Δ^(14)C (∼1200 m) approached atmospheric Δ14C. These enriched Δ^(14)C results suggest an enhanced initial Δ^(14)C content of the water and demonstrate the presence of large lateral Δ^(14)C gradients in the intermediate/deep ocean in addition to the sharp vertical shift at ∼2500 m. The transient Δ^(14)C enrichment at ∼12.0 ka occurred in the middle of the Younger Dryas and demonstrates that there is at least one time when the intermediate/deep ocean underwent dramatic change but with much smaller effects in other paleoclimatic records.
A multiverse perspective on the axiom of constructiblity

I shall argue that the commonly held V 6 L via maximize position, which rejects the axiom of constructibility V = L on the basis that it is restrictive, implicitly takes a stand in the pluralist debate in the philosophy of set theory by presuming an absolute background concept of ordinal. The argument appears to lose its force, in contrast, on an upwardly extensible concept of set, in light of the various facts showing that models of set theory generally have extensions to models of V = L inside larger set-theoretic universes.
Dehydration of Na‐jarosite, ferricopiapite, and rhomboclase at temperatures of 50 and 95 °C: implications for Martian ferric sulfates

Ferric sulfates with various hydration degrees were found on Mars by surface exploration and orbital remote sensing. The processes that they experienced during their formation and alteration relate to Martian hydrologic history and thus have been important topics for laboratory investigations. This study reports three sets of dehydration experiments conducted on Na-jarosite, ferricopiapite, and rhomboclase under two relative humidity conditions (5–6% RH and 10–11% RH) at two temperatures (50 and 95 °C), for which laser Raman spectroscopy and gravimetric measurements were the only two techniques used, in situ and non-invasively, to monitor the progress of these experiments. Our dehydration experiments show that OH-bearing Na-jarosite is relatively stable at 95 °C and RH < 11%, while H2O/OH-bearing ferricopiapite and rhomboclase have converted almost entirely into anhydrous phases. These results have important applications on uncovering the mystery of rarely detected Martian ferric sulfates and on interpreting Mars remote sensing data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Book Review of: Ryszard Cholewinksi, Migrant Workers in International Human Rights Law: Their Protection in Countries of Employment

This article reviews Migrant Workers in International Human Rights Law: Their Protection in Countries of Employment by Ryszard Cholewinski, a comprehensive look at the rights of migrant workers containing a thorough analysis of the various treaties applicable to migrant workers and a detailed description of the international laws and procedures covering migrants in Europe. The review observes that the lessons that can be gleaned from the book provide helpful tools for scrutinizing the progress of the Working Group on Migrants as well as providing suggestions for making the Working Group more effective.The review concludes that, despite the exclusion of discussion of serious violations faced by migrant workers (i.e., protection before they leave their countries; the right to life; and the right to freedom of thought and religion), and despite the limited focus on a European system, the book provides a valuable look at the laws and mechanisms that are available to protect migrant workers in the countries of employment.
Designing ‘smart’ computer-assisted markets: An experimental auction for gas networks

Abstract We study a sealed bid-offer auction market for simultaneously pricing natural gas at each delivery outlet, source, and on all pipelines that connect sources with delivery points. Wholesale buyers submit location-specific bid schedules for amounts of delivered gas at corresponding prices. Wellhead owners submit location-specific offer schedules for amounts of produced gas they are willing to sell at corresponding offer prices. Pipeline owners submit leg-specific schedules of transportation capacity they are willing to commit at corresponding prices. A computer algorithm maximizes total gains from exchange based on the submitted bids and offers and determines allocations and non-discriminatory prices at all nodes.
Influence of Fat and Fluoride on Gastric Emptying of Rats

The purpose of the study was to investigate the mechanism by which a high fat diet fed to rats enhances the toxicity of dietary fluoride. This phenomenon was pursued by giving 14C-tripalmitin or "C-palmitate in various test meals. The appearance of "COa was greatly retarded when fluoride was included. By monitoring the passage of several "C-substrates through the gastrointestinal tract, fluoride in the presence of fat was found to cause delayed gastric emptying. This effect likely accounts for the in creased toxicity of fluoride to rats fed high fat diets. Little or no effect of fluoride was observed on gastric emptying of fat-free test meals. J. N'utr. 104: 909-915, 1974.
Expression and localization of estrogen receptor-β in annulus cells of the human intervertebral disc and the mitogenic effect of 17-β-estradiol in vitro

Background Recent evidence suggests that estrogens exert effects in different tissues throughout the body, and that the estrogen receptor β (ERβ) may be important for the action of estrogen (17-β-estradiol) on the skeleton. The cellular localization of ERβ in the human intervertebral disc, however, has not yet been explored.
Nuclear-pumped flashlamp sources

Due to pump source restrictions, Nuclear-Pumped Lasers (NPLs) typically have relatively long (micro- to milli-second) pulse lengths with only modest peak powers but with very high total energy. These pump power restraints seriously limit the choice of laser media. One way to avoid this problem is to employ a Nuclear Driven Flashlamp (NDF) for the primary pumped element in the system. The fluorescence from this NDF can then be used for pumping a laser or for other high intensity light applications. The first experimental example of this approach was a 3He-XeBr2 NDF employed by Williams and Miley (1993) to pump a small iodine laser. The present paper discusses issues involved in scaling such an NDF up to high power levels. Possible optimum configurations include use of microsphere or fiber pump elements dispersed in the NPF media. Analysis of such possibilities is presented along with consideration of special reflecting surface designs.