cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
O-015 what every neurointerventionalist should know about the rvu system

Introduction/purpose Explore the history and development of the relative value unit (RVU) system Explain the current formula utilized to calculate RVUs Provide the neurointerventionalist with current examples of RVU calculation for many common neurointerventional procedures The Resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) was established in order to assign a specific value to physician services. Procedures performed by physicians are assigned a relative value unit (RVU). Physician groups often evaluate the RVU production of their partners as a performance measure of physician productivity and value. This presentation will explore the components of the RVU system and how physicians are reimbursed under the RBRVS. Materials/methods The formula for RVU calculation has three components: physician work, practice expense (PE) and malpractice expense. A geographic practice cost index (GPCI) is multiplied by each of these three components to account for the cost difference in medical practices across different geographical locations. A conversion factor converts the RVU values into a reimbursable dollar amount, which is $35.7547 per RVU for 2015. The formula for calculating the fee schedule amount is: Payment = [(RVU work x GPCI work) + (RVU PE x GPCI PE) + (RVU malpractice x GPCI malpractice) x Conversion Factor. Data for RVU calculation was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Results RVU values were calculated for 27 common neurointerventional procedures. 2015 RVU values and reimbursement rates were calculated. The 2015 reimbursement values were compared to 2013 values. 15/27 procedures demonstrate declining reimbursement since 2013. Conclusion Physician management groups, practicing neurointerventionalists, and trainees should have an understanding of the RVU system and how payments for procedures are calculated. The total RVU calculation is constantly changing for individual procedures as the RVU values and conversion factors are updated. A strong knowledge of the process is important to understand how the RVU is derived. Some physician groups may conclude that the RVU is not necessarily the best measure of physician performance and production. Disclosures R. Trojan: None. G. Snowden: None. V. Kadakia: None. M. Fortes: None.
Arm Posture and Muscular Activity while Inserting and Aiming with Laparoscopic Tools

Two laparoscopic tools, a scissor-type grasper and an ergonomically designed grasper, were compared in terms of arm posture and muscle activity during insertion into a trocar and during a standardi...
Use of a Structured Life Review and Its Impact on Family Interactions

Communication is vital to our ability to provide quality end-of-life care. Although research has focused on communication between healthcare professionals and the patient/family unit, this qualitative study explored the impact of a life review technique on family interactions. Life review interviews were conducted with 33 participants (residents of a nursing facility and their family members). Follow-up interviews with participants identified potential impacts on family interactions. Themes that emerged included affirmation of prior knowledge, living legacy, new information, opened communication, enhanced understanding, affirmation of the older adult, testimonials, and bridging distant family relationships. A review of the themes and potential uses for this technique are discussed.
Low-Level Work in Japan without Foreign Workers:

This article explores how the Japanese have avoided dependence on foreign labor for low skill, and low status employment. Findings suggest that the demand for low-level work remains strong; but is ...
Effect of Polymer/Solid and Polymer/Vapor Instantaneous Interfaces on the Interfacial Structure and Dynamics of Polymer Melt Systems.

Polymers are used in a wide range of applications that involve chemical and physical processes taking place at surfaces or interfaces which influence the interaction between the polymer material and the substance that comes into contact with it. Polymer surfaces are usually modified either chemically or physically for specific applications such as facilitating wetting, reducing friction, and enhancing adhesion. The variety and complexity of surface and interfacial processes requires a molecular-level understanding of the structural and dynamical properties of the surface/interface layer to help in the design of materials with desired functional properties. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the structure and dynamics at the surface of polymer films. We find that the density profiles of the films as a function of distance relative to an instantaneous surface have a structure indicative of a layering at the polymer/vapor interface similar to the typical layered structure observed at t...
An interactive variation risk management environment to assess the risk of manufacturing variations

Recently, many manufacturing industries have adopted the methods of “Key Characteristics” (KCs) to identify and analyze product and process critical attributes which need extra control on several levels: product, assembly, sub-assembly, part and process to trace manufacturing variations. Manufacturing variations are those unwanted deviations from nominal values which significantly impact product’s quality, performance and cost. However, those manufacturers face some challenges in the implementation of such procedures. This is due to lack of quantitative models to prioritize those (KCs) and quantify their associated risk of variation. Therefore, there is a need for proactive quantitative mechanisms which incorporate knowledge about the current process capability by communicating Process Capability Data (PCD) during the early design stages to reduce design’s sensitivity to manufacturing variations. The present work builds a systematic interactive environment between the design model and the current process capabilities to analyze PCD which processed and stored in designated databases along with proactive mechanisms to capture the impact of manufacturing variations on performance. It prioritizes and quantifies expected future variations due to possible deviations of the design parameters from their nominal values to assess the related risk of variation. This study comes under the broadest risk management procedure to establish for a novel variation risk management methodology works in an interactive design and manufacturing environment. A case study of a connector beam for an edge card has been carried out successfully to prove the effectiveness of the present methodology in quantifying manufacturing variations and assessing their associated risk of variation.
Formal reliability analysis of protective systems in smart grids

Given the enormous amount of random and uncertain parameters that affect the performance of smart grids, compared to traditional power grids, a rigorous reliability analysis holds a vital role in ensuring the safe operation of this safety-critical domain. Based on such an analysis, appropriate protective systems are designed and included in the smart grid systems. Traditionally, the reliability analysis of smart grids is done using numerical methods and computational intelligence based techniques. However, none of these traditional analysis techniques can guarantee absolute accuracy of the load flow analysis results due to their inherent incompleteness. As a more accurate alternative, we propose to use probabilistic model checking, i.e., a formal analysis method for Markovian models, for conducing the load flow analysis of smart grids. In particular, the paper provides a reliability assessment of smart grid components with backup protection using the PRISM model checker. Our results have shown significant improvement in terms of completeness and precision compared to the results obtained via numerical methods for the same load flow analysis problems.
Beyond the Edge and in Between: (Re)conceptualizing the Rural–Urban Interface as Meaning–Model–Metaphor

As examinations of the rural–urban interface move beyond a focus on the rural or urban fringe as a location and move toward examining the patterns and processes that both divide and link rural and urban places, a broader (re)conceptualization of the rural–urban interface becomes increasingly important. Thus far the question of boundaries and interfaces between so-called urban and rural locales has mostly revolved around where and when such boundaries occur (including significant coverage of the differences and conflicts between urban vs. rural people), rather than asking what physical or social functions are being served by the rural–urban interface itself. In response, I (re)frame the rural–urban interface not only as a boundary between two distinct spaces but also as a conduit, a place of exchange, and a flux point between them. Using a particular case of contested ecologies in the exurban Sierra Nevada foothills of California, I (re)conceptualize the rural–urban interface as meaning, model, and metapho...
Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and ALS mortality in the United States

Objective: To determine whether race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mortality in the United States. Methods: The National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS), a United States–representative, multistage sample, collected race/ethnicity and socioeconomic data prospectively. Mortality information was obtained by matching NLMS records to the National Death Index (1979–2011). More than 2 million persons (n = 1,145,368 women, n = 1,011,172 men) were included, with 33,024,881 person-years of follow-up (1,299 ALS deaths , response rate 96%). Race/ethnicity was by self-report in 4 categories. Hazard ratios (HRs) for ALS mortality were calculated for race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status separately and in mutually adjusted models. Results: Minority vs white race/ethnicity predicted lower ALS mortality in models adjusted for socioeconomic status, type of health insurance, and birthplace (non-Hispanic black, HR 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48–0.78; Hispanic, HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.88; other races, non-Hispanic, HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31–0.86). Higher educational attainment compared with Conclusion: Higher rate of ALS among whites vs non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic other races was not accounted for by multiple measures of socioeconomic status, birthplace, or type of health insurance. Higher rate of ALS among whites likely reflects actual higher risk of ALS rather than ascertainment bias or effects of socioeconomic status on ALS risk.
Science, democracy, and peace: Churchill on society and statesmanship, in the Fulton Address and beyond

The observations and proposals made by Churchill in the Fulton Address rested on his understanding of two forces shaping politics in the twentieth century – science and democracy – and their effect on the need for and possibility of statesmanship. Neither of these two forces had effects that were simple or unreservedly beneficial. Only through wise rule could these forces achieve desirable effects and be safeguarded from their pernicious potential. In Fulton, Churchill was reiterating and applying to new circumstances concerns that he had voiced many times before; the speech can therefore be seen as more than an immediate response to the events of the day.
Surface studies of solids using integral X-ray-induced photoemission yield

X-ray induced photoemission yield contains structural information complementary to that provided by X-ray Fresnel reflectivity, which presents an advantage to a wide variety of surface studies if this information is made easily accessible. Photoemission in materials research is commonly acknowledged as a method with a probing depth limited by the escape depth of the photoelectrons. Here we show that the integral hard-X-ray-induced photoemission yield is modulated by the Fresnel reflectivity of a multilayer structure and carries structural information that extends well beyond the photoelectron escape depth. A simple electric self-detection of the integral photoemission yield and Fourier data analysis permit extraction of thicknesses of individual layers. The approach does not require detection of the reflected radiation and can be considered as a framework for non-invasive evaluation of buried layers with hard X-rays under grazing incidence.
Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Chloride on Enumeration of Thermally Stressed Cells of Staphylococcus aureus.

Evidence is presented suggesting that the decreased enumeration of heat-stressed Staphylococcus aureus cells on selective media is the result of accumulation of metabolic H2O2. It accumulates due to the decreased activity of catalase caused by the synergistic effects of heat and NaCl. Heated cells enumerated anaerobically on tryptic soy agar (TSA) containing 6.5% NaCl (TSAS 6.5) exhibited a 200-fold increase compared to cells enumerated aerobically on the same medium. The anaerobic counts on TSAS 6.5 were similar to the aerobic counts on TSA. Increases in both death and injury occurred when S. aureus was propagated in tryptic soy broth (TSB) plus 10% NaCl (TSBS) instead of TSB before thermal injury. Addition of catalase to TSA and TSA containing 7.5% NaCl (TSAS) increased the count to approximately the same levels on TSA and TSAS as that found following thermal injury after propagation in TSB. Catalase activity was 12-fold higher in stationary phase cells propagated in TSB than in TSBS. Indirect evidence indicates that toxic levels of H2O2 accumulated rapidly, causing one to two log decreases in enumeration after 30 to 60 min incubation on TSAS.
The Closed Enterprise System

(1973). The Closed Enterprise System. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 728-732.
Caudal Edge of the Liver in the Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) View Is the Most Sensitive Area for Free Fluid on the FAST Exam.

INTRODUCTION The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exam is a critical diagnostic test for intraperitoneal free fluid (FF). Current teaching is that fluid accumulates first in Morison’s pouch. The goal of this study was to evaluate the “sub-quadrants” of traditional FAST views to determine the most sensitive areas for FF accumulation. METHODS We analyzed a retrospective cohort of all adult trauma patients who had a recorded FAST exam by emergency medicine (EM) physicians at a Level 1 trauma center from January 2012 – June 2013. Ultrasound fellowship-trained faculty with three EM residents reviewed all FAST exams. Studies were excluded if they were incomplete, of poor image quality, or with incorrect medical record information. Positive studies were assessed for FF localization, comparing the traditional abdominal views and on a sub-quadrant basis: RUQ1 - hepato-diaphragmatic, RUQ2 - Morison’s pouch, RUQ3 - caudal liver edge and superior paracolic gutter, LUQ1 - splenic-diaphragmatic, LUQ2 - spleno-renal, LUQ3 – around inferior pole of kidney, SP1 - bilateral to bladder, SP2 - posterior to bladder, SP3 – posterior to uterus (females). FAST results were confirmed by chart review of computed tomography (CT) results or operative findings. RESULTS Of the included 1008 scans, 48 (4.8%) were positive. The RUQ was the most positive view with 32/48 (66.7%) positive. In the RUQ sub-quadrant analysis, the most positive view was the RUQ3 with 30/32 (93.8%) positive. CONSLUSIONS The RUQ is most sensitive for FF assessment with the superior paracolic gutter area around the caudal liver edge (RUQ3) being the most positive sub-quadrant within the RUQ.
A DNA methylation signature for stemness in acute myeloid leukemia.

7104 Background: In an effort to assign immunophenotypes to AML samples where no immunohistochemistry had been recorded, we trained a DNA methylation classifier using Illumina HumanMethylation450 b...
The impact of oxidative stress and inflammation on RPE degeneration in non-neovascular AMD

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a highly specialized, unique epithelial cell that interacts with photoreceptors on its apical side and with Bruch's membrane and the choriocapillaris on its basal side. Due to vital functions that keep photoreceptors healthy, the RPE is essential for maintaining vision. With aging and the accumulated effects of environmental stresses, the RPE can become dysfunctional and die. This degeneration plays a central role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathobiology, the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in western societies. Oxidative stress and inflammation have both physiological and potentially pathological roles in RPE degeneration. Given the central role of the RPE, this review will focus on the impact of oxidative stress and inflammation on the RPE with AMD pathobiology. Physiological sources of oxidative stress as well as unique sources from photo-oxidative stress, the phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments, and modifiable factors such as cigarette smoking and high fat diet ingestion that can convert oxidative stress into a pathological role, and the negative impact of impairing the cytoprotective roles of mitochondrial dynamics and the Nrf2 signaling system on RPE health in AMD will be discussed. Likewise, the response by the innate immune system to an inciting trigger, and the potential role of local RPE production of inflammation, as well as a potential role for damage by inflammation with chronicity if the inciting trigger is not neutralized, will be debated.
Temperament and Individual Differences

Temperament refers to a child's initial biologically-based bias for certain feelings and behavior due to inherited patterns of neurochemistry or events that occurred during fetal development. The bias produces variations in the form and strength of reactions to experience and the ability to regulate these reactions. Two extensively studied temperaments refer to the variation in the reaction to unfamiliar events. Highly reactive infants are biased to become shy, timid children; low reactive infants are likely to become sociable, bold children. Males and females, as well as different ethnic groups, begin life with a bias. However, life experiences have profound influences on the final outcomes of all temperaments.
Whaling Culture and Whale Graves in the Hokkaidō and Tōhoku Regions

This chapter first investigates the whaling culture of the Ainu people in Hokkaidō, who went through similar plights in the early history of Japan to those of indigenous peoples in North America. Although they do not have a written language, they have preserved a rich culture distinctive from that of Honshū (the largest island of Japan), including whaling culture. This chapter next looks at whaling culture and memorial rites for whales in the Tōhoku Region (northeastern Honshū). Most of the coastal communities in the region were destroyed by the East Japan Massive Earthquake/Tsunami of March 11, 2011, and field research for this project includes Rikuzen-Takata, one of the hardest-hit areas, where much of the destruction remains today. The field research extends to Ayukawa, a small fishing town, one of the few communities in Japan that legally engage in small-type coastal whaling today.
Abstract P231: Offspring of Captopril Treated Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Have Lower Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Expression Which is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure

It has been reported that SHR rats receiving angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor Captopril decrease blood pressure (BP) in at least two generation after the treatment was stopped. A decreased response to an intracerebroventricular infusion angiotensin I and angiotensin II in treated animals and their offspring was reported; however there is no reported mechanism that explains the changes observed in the untreated offspring of the Captopril treated animals. We hypothesize that captopril reduces angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) expression in CNS of the offspring of SHR rats treated with captopril. Animal groups are as follows: control animals, captopril treated animals, offspring of the control animals, offspring of the treated animals where the mother was removed from the treatment immediately after giving birth and Offspring of treated animals where the mother was removed from the treatment at weaning. BP was measured by intra-arterial method and Tail cuff. AT1R expression was measured in brain tissue using the posterior wall of the forth ventricle, as well as the top half of the brain stem. BP was different between treated groups and their offspring vs. control (Table 1). AT1R expression was significantly reduced in both offspring groups of the treated animals, when compared to control (Table 1). Therefore we conclude that captopril reduces blood pressure in the offspring of captopril treated SHR rats and that associates with a decrease in AT1R expression in CNS. Further research is necessary to determine the possible epigenetic mechanisms involved in AT1R reduction.
Clinical outcomes following ICSI cycles using surgically recovered sperm and the impact of maternal age: 2004-2015 SART CORS registry.

The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate clinical outcomes after ICSI cycles using surgically recovered sperm and (2) to assess the influence of maternal age on those outcomes. A retrospective cohort study of 24,763 IVF cycles of fresh autologous oocytes and ICSI using surgically recovered sperm reported to the SART CORS database from 2004 to 2015. Older women had significantly longer stimulation (p 42 years, and for cleavage-stage transfers, the LBR ranged from 47.3% in women 42 years. There were no differences in gestational age at delivery, proportion of term deliveries, preterm deliveries, neonatal birth weight 4000 g and average birthweight of neonates for singleton pregnancies according to age. For twin pregnancies, women < 30 years had significantly higher number of live births, term deliveries, and lower preterm deliveries than older women. There was a similar number of female (6051) and male neonates (5858; p = 0.2). Overall, pregnancy outcomes with ICSI using surgically recovered sperm are reassuring and comparable to those of ICSI with ejaculated sperm.
Health Care Technology

This article reviews three different sociological conceptualizations of health care technology. Health- care technology is broadly defined as ‘the drugs, devices, and medical and surgical procedures used in medical care, and the organizational and supportive systems within which such care is provided,’ (US Congress 1982) including diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, organizational, information, educational, and supportive technologies. The conceptualizations differ with regard to the power they grant technologies to shape human behavior. The conceptualizations include social essentialism (social relationships influence technology), technological determinism (technology determines society), and technological practice (health-care technology and human relationships interact). The article reviews the sociological literature on organ transplantation (including the technological imperative), reproductive technologies, and the role of technology in escalating health care costs.
Chapter 3 – Boundary-Layer Equations

This chapter considers the layer of fluid called the boundary layer in the narrow boundary region, where the velocity gradient may be so large that, even if the fluid viscosity is small, the viscous forces may be of the same order as the inertia forces. There, because gradients perpendicular to the surface are much larger than gradients parallel to the surface, some of the terms in the Navier-Stokes equations can be ignored, which simplifies the equations considerably. Boundary-layer approximations for compressible laminar and turbulent flows are discussed; then continuity, momentum, and energy equations are considered in relation to two-dimensional, three-dimensional and axisymmetric flows. Following this mean-kinetic-energy flows and Reynolds-stress transport equations are dealt with and the chapter concludes with an examination of integral equations of the boundary layer, including momentum, mean energy and turbulent energy integral equations.
An Overview of the Application of Remote Sensing to Archaeology During the Twentieth Century

Powered flight was perfected at the dawn of the twentieth century and ­provided us with a bird’s eye view of large swaths of landscape for the first time in human history. Over the course of the twentieth century, this bird’s eye view expanded to space, as the frontier of powered flight was pushed, literally, to the moon. This chapter overviews the role that advances in aerial photography and imaging and spaceborne photography and imaging played in the advancement of archaeological research in the twentieth century. It is noted that through the twentieth century most applications of remote sensing to archaeology have involved data from one remote sensing platform at a time. As the century came to a close, and new remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR were being introduced to archaeology, some started to realize that the most promising aspect of applying these technologies to archaeology may be how they can be integrated.
Slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging of cold C7- and C9-.

High-resolution anion photoelectron spectra of cryogenically cooled C7− and C9− clusters obtained using slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging are presented, providing insight into the vibronic structure of neutral C7 and C9. These spectra yield accurate measurements of vibrational frequencies for the neutral clusters as well as electron affinities of 3.3517(4) and 3.6766(14) eV for C7 and C9, respectively. In the C7− spectrum, transitions involving the previously unreported v1 and v2 symmetric stretching modes, as well as the v9, v10, and v11 asymmetric bending modes, are assigned. Spin–orbit splitting is observed for several transitions in this spectrum, giving an energy difference of 28(6) cm−1 between the Π1/2g2 and Π3/2g2 spin–orbit levels of the C7− anion. In the spectrum of C9−, transitions involving the previously unreported symmetric stretch v1 and the asymmetric bend v11 are observed. In both spectra, several features are assigned to Franck-Condon forbidden transitions involving the doubly degenerate v10 and v11 modes of C7 and the v13 and v14 modes of C9. The appearance of these transitions is attributed to Herzberg-Teller coupling between the electronic states of the neutral clusters. Additional FC-forbidden transitions to states previously observed in gas-phase infrared experiments are observed and attributed to vibronic coupling between the electronic states of the anion, resulting in non-totally symmetric character in the anion’s full vibrational ground state. Finally, consideration of the energy dependence of detachment cross sections and Dyson orbital analyses reveal that addition of more carbon atoms to the linear chain results in photodetachment from delocalized molecular orbitals with increasing nodal structure, leading to threshold photodetachment cross sections that differ considerably from simple symmetry considerations.
Patellar Tendon-Lateral Trochlear Ridge Distance: A Novel Measurement of Patellofemoral Instability.

Background:Abnormalities in the trochlea-patella-tibia relationship have been shown to be risk factors for recurrent patellofemoral instability, although no current measurements quantify patellar c...
The Family Seguenziidae Verrill, 1884 in the Northeast Pacific, including a comment on excessive numbers of taxonomic data portals

The family Seguenziidae, including the genus Adeuomphalus , of the northeast Pacific are here revised. Seguenzia megaloconcha Rokop, 1972 is here synonymized under S. cervola Dall, 1919, S. quinni McLean, 1985 is here synonymized under S. gioviae Dall, 1919, S. catalina Dall, 1919 and S. certoma Dall, 1919 are synonymized under S. stephanica Dall, 1908. They represent either growth stages of one another, or are based on insignificant minor sculptural differences. A short commentary on the contraproductive proliferation of taxonomic data portals and the need for a single resource akin to GenBank is given.
Extensions, Refinements, and Prospects

This chapter discusses consequences of the analysis presented in Chaps. 4 and 5 by extending it to several other languages or linguistic phenomena than what we have already looked at. Our discussions will show how the ordering restrictions on Mandarin RCs and their other seemingly “peculiar” behaviors may be explained under the proposed OT-based analysis; how cross-linguistic variation on DEM meanings may be captured within a binary feature-based framework; whether all languages have supplementary RCs or not and if not, what type of languages tend to have them; what might be the internal syntax of DemPs in all human languages and whether a uniform analysis may be possible for them; how Korean CogDem KU and Slovenian determiner-like lexeme ta compare with each other and whether the cognitive indexical analysis of KU presented in Chap. 5 can be carried over to ta. The chapter ends by taking up two additional issues relevant for our purposes, namely, factors determining the interpretative possibilities of adnominal APs and the number of focus positions inside a DP.
Racial Determinism and Immigration in the Works of Ludwig von Mises: A Critique of Slobodian’s Alt-Right Thesis

A recent argument by historian Quinn Slobodian contends that the modern Alt-Right movement’s genealogy derives, in part, from a posited ambiguity in the early 20th century writings of Ludwig von Mises about race and immigration. This article argues that while Slobodian has correctly identified an Alt-Right precursor in the work of Hans-Hermann Hoppe, he errs in attributing its derivation to earlier works by Mises or to the Austrian school of economics more generally. Mises’s arguments on immigration and race are shown to be in direct tension with the Hoppean position, and Slobodian’s treatments of the same rely upon misconstructions of Mises’s written works. The article concludes with an alternative genealogy of Hoppe’s anti-immigration arguments, showing that they emerged from a far-right adaptation of Habermasian discursive analysis and critical theory. As a result, Hoppe's epistemic framework may be better understood as what Murray Rothbard called a "libertarian extension" of Juergen Habermas and Karl-Otto Apel.
A detailed Monte Carlo evaluation of 192 Ir dose enhancement for gold nanoparticles and comparison with experimentally measured dose enhancements

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been studied extensively as promising radiation dose enhancing agents. In the current study, the dose enhancement effect of GNPs for Ir-192 HDR brachytherapy is studied using Monte Carlo N-Particle code, version 6.2 (MCNP6.2) and compared with experimental results obtained using Burlin cavity theory formalism. The Ir-192 source is verified using TG-43 parameters and dose enhancement factors (DEFs) from GNPs are simulated for three different mass percentages of gold in the GNP solution. These results are compared to DEFs previously reported experimentally by our group1 for a GNP-containing volume in an apparatus designed in-house to measure dose enhancement with GNPs for high dose rate (HDR) Ir-192 brachytherapy. An HDR Ir-192 Microselectron v2r HDR brachytherapy source was modeled using MCNP6.2 using the TG-43 formalism in water. Anisotropy and radial dose function were verified against known values. An apparatus designed to measure dose enhancement to a 0.75 cm3 volume of GNPs from an Ir-192 brachytherapy seed with average energy of 0.38 MeV was built in-house and modeled using MCNP6.2. Burlin cavity correction factors were applied to experimental measurements. The macroscopic DEF was calculated for GNPs of size 30 nm at mass percentages of gold of 0.28%, 0.56% and 0.77%, using the repeating structures capability of MCNP6.2. DEF was calculated by dividing dose to the GNP solution by dose to water in the same volume. The radial dose function and anisotropy factor values at varying angles and distances were accurate when compared against known values. DEFs of 1.018 ± 0.003, 1.031 ± 0.003, and 1.041 ± 0.003 for GNP solutions containing mass percent of gold of 0.28%, 0.56% and 0.77%, respectively, were computed. These DEFs were within 2% of experimental values with Burlin cavity correction factors applied for all three mass percentages of gold.
Christianity and Vocational Education in Africa

If vocational education is defined as any education aimed at the importing of manual and technical skills and the intellectual knowledge associated with those skills, then it can be said that starting with the European missions that began to arrive on the western coast of Africa at the end of the eighteenth century, Christianity was propagated on the African continent through the use of vocational education. Imparting vocational knowledge was never the primary or exclusive focus of Christian evangelism, which was always the communication of the basic tenets of Christian belief, but vocation training was always seen as complementary form of cultural transfer that had the potential to give Africans who converted to Christianity a way to make a living. The history of vocational education, as taught by European missionaries, can be argued to have developed from church practices in Europe that went back to the European Middle Ages. In Africa, after its initial introduction by missionaries at the start of the nineteenth century, vocational education went through three different periods of evolution. The first period, 1800–1880, was characterized by missions operating in situations where European states had no formal political, but some real economic presence. Missions in these situations offered training in skills that fit the needs of seaport economies that connected to the global markets. The second period, from 1880 to 1920, involved competing groups of Christians, European and African, attempting to utilize industrial education to advance their evangelical agendas. This competition took place against a backdrop of European conquest and colonization. The last period, from 1920 to 1960, featured European missions working in tandem with colonial governments to provide skills that fit colonial government development ambitions. The success of the two European groups in the latter effort had the unintended consequence of creating new African corps of social welfare workers who took the fore in introducing other Africans to European civilization.
Analysis and Treatment Process of abnormal manual Shutdo wn of 1000MW thermal Power Unit

The unit 2 of a power plant was shut down manually due to the fire detection fault of coal seam and oil layer. The paper analyzes the specific causes of the incident, points out the problems exposed in the production process, and puts forward the handling and preventive measures.
Exploring Partner Scarcity: Highly Educated Black Women and Dating Compromise

Research examining negative outcomes (e.g., condom use) among Black women traditionally focuses on those from lower educational backgrounds. There is a void in the literature surrounding negative outcomes for highly educated Black women. The current study uses a modified version of the theory of scarcity framework and mixed methods. These methods provide an in-depth examination of 22 highly educated Black women’s (earning or have earned degrees over a bachelor’s degree) engagement in behaviors that lead to negative outcomes (e.g., partner sharing). Participants were recruited in the summer of 2016 until spring of 2017. Three broad themes were uncovered: (a) perceptions of partner availability, (b) compromising behaviors, and (c) negative outcomes influenced by both. Factors perceived to influence limited partner availability included (1) the number of equally educated and financial stable Black men, (2) interracial dating trends, and (3) regional preferences for women of other races. Negative outcomes occurred most often among women who compromised their personal values in their relationships. Findings are consistent with current literature that suggest that Black women, despite educational attainment, perceive low partner availability. A common concern of Black women is that Black males’ desires for women of other racial groups is a contributing factor to their limited pool of available partners. It is important to understand the influence of perceived partner availability on highly educated Black women’s intimate relationship decision-making and create interventions that help them engage in conversations surrounding condom use and partner sharing in their romantic relationships.
Which policies most effectively reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools?

Abstract Introduction New York City (NYC) has the largest public school system in the United States (US). During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, NYC was the first major US city to open schools for in-person learning in the 2020-2021 academic year. Several policies were implemented to reduce the risk of in-school transmission, including infection control measures (facemasks, physical distancing, enhanced indoor ventilation, cohorting of small groups, and hand hygiene), option of all-remote instruction, alternative options for how class schedules would rotate in-person and remote instruction, daily symptom screening, and testing 10-20% of students and staff weekly or monthly depending on local case rates. We sought to determine which of these policies had the greatest impact on reducing the risk of in-school transmission. Methods We evaluated the impact of each policy by referring to global benchmarks for the secondary attack rate (SAR) of SARS-CoV-2 in school settings and by simulating the potential for transmission in NYC’s rotating cohort schedules, in which teachers could act as “bridges” across rotating cohorts. We estimated the impact of (1) infection control measures, (2) providing an option of all-remote instruction, (3) choice of class scheduling for in-person learners, (4) daily symptom screening, (5) testing to curtail transmission, and (6) testing to identify school outbreaks. Each policy was assessed independently of other policies, with the exception of symptom screening and random testing, which were assessed both independently and jointly. Results Among the policies analyzed, the greatest transmission reduction was associated with the infection control measures, followed by small class cohorts with an option for all-remote instruction, symptom screening, and finally randomly testing 10-20% of school attendees. Assuming adult staff are the primary source of within-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission, weekly testing of staff could be at least as effective as symptom screening, and potentially more so if testing days occur in the beginning of the workweek with results available by the following day. A combination of daily symptom screening and testing on the first workday of each week could reduce transmission by 70%. Conclusions Adherence to infection control is the highest priority for safe school re-opening. Further transmission reduction can be achieved through small rotating class cohorts with an option for remote learning, widespread testing at the beginning of the work week, and daily symptom screening and self-isolation. Randomly testing 10-20% of attendees weekly or monthly does not meaningfully curtail transmission and may not detect outbreaks before they have spread beyond a handful of individuals. School systems considering re-opening during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic or similarly virulent respiratory disease outbreaks should consider these relative impacts when setting policy priorities.
Hydrogen sulfide sensing using an aurone-based fluorescent probe

Hydrogen sulfide detection and sensing is an area of interest from both an environmental and a biological perspective. While many methods are currently available, the most sensitive and biologically applicable ones are fluorescence based. In general, these fluorescent probes are based upon large, high-molecular weight, well-characterized fluorescent scaffolds that are synthetically demanding to prepare and difficult to tune and modify. In this study, we have reported a new reduction-based, rationally designed and synthesized turn-on fluorescent probe (Z)-2-(4′-azidobenzylidene)-5-fluorobenzofuran-3(2H)-one (6g) utilizing a low molecular weight aurone fluorophore. During these studies, the modular nature of the synthesis was used to quickly overcome problems with solubility, overlap of excitation of the probe and reduced product, and rate of reaction, resulting in a final compound that is efficient and sensitive for the detection of hydrogen sulfide. The limitation of slow reaction and the reduced fluorescence in a biologically relevent medium was solved by employing cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The probe features a high fluorescence enhancement, fast response (10–30 min), and good sensitivity (1 μm) and selectivity for hydrogen sulfide.
Typical chest pain and dyspnoea in a young man with a history of intravenous drug use.

A patient in his 30s with a history of intravenous drug use and traumatic aortic injury requiring endovascular stenting 10 years prior presents with 1 week of chest pain, dyspnoea on exertion and chills. His vitals were heart rate (HR) 108 bpm, blood pressure (BP) 136/87, temperature (T) 36.4°C, respiratory rate (RR) 27, saturating 97% on 3 L nasal cannula. There was a loud S2 on cardiac auscultation, but the rest of his physical exam was unremarkable. Electrocardiogram (EKG) showed sinus tachycardia with T wave inversions in V2–V4. Chest X-ray demonstrated normal cardiac silhouette and was unremarkable for pulmonary pathology. CT pulmonary angiography showed a linear saddle embolus extending across the branch point of the right and left main pulmonary arteries (PAs) …
Geometrical Optics Ray Tracing in a Thick Anisotropic Slab

Geometrical optics (GO) analysis of an infinitely extended thick anisotropic slab is presented. At the point where a ray trace in the anisotropic medium is performed, half-space coefficients for an isotropic-anisotropic interface are determined and field contributions from different orders of reflection and refraction are evaluated.
Childhood Drawing: The Making of a Deficit Aesthetic.

This article introduces and explores the concept of the deficit aesthetic. Particular attention is given to how the deficit aesthetic was made and the extent to which it continues to be sustained i...
Post-Conviction Relief After a Guilty Plea?

Should a person who pled guilty to an offense later be allowed to set aside that conviction when making an actual innocence claim based on newly discovered evidence? Or should prior entry of a guilty plea automatically bar a convicted person from seeking such relief? Some state legislatures have enacted post-conviction relief statutes that take opposing positions on these questions. A growing number of state cases also divide in answering these questions. In this ethics column, we review some of these statutes and cases. We also briefly canvas competing arguments advanced in support of each position. We conclude that, as the Innocence Project and the National Registry of Exonerations have shown, a very troubling number of innocent persons plead guilty and they should be entitled to relief. Additionally, prosecutors, in jurisdictions that have adopted Model Rule 3.8(h) of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, who know of clear and convincing evidence establishing that a defendant in the prosecutor's jurisdiction was convicted of an offense the defendant did not commit should join with the defense in seeking post-conviction relief for the accused regardless of whether a trial or guilty plea underlies the conviction.
Titration studies overestimate continuous positive airway pressure requirements in uncomplicated obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives:Attended manual continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration is the standard practice for determining optimal positive airway pressures for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) tr...
Are you listening? Consciousness raising on the failures of neoliberalism

Fundamentals of Communication, Intercultural Communication, Relational Communication, Public Speaking.After completing this unit, students should be able to: reduce listening barriers during conver...
Vivien Thomas: The Unnamed Father of Atrial Septostomy.

Background Vivien Thomas is a black man that is often only known for his contribution to the revolutionary Blalock-Taussig shunt used in “blue baby” operations. However, his contribution to the field of cardiac surgery goes beyond that. His fingerprints are all over the Blalock-Hanlon procedure, the antecedent to today’s balloon atrial septostomy.
USE OF PRELACTEAL FEEDS- STUDY IN TRADITION

Objective: To find the types and frequency of prelacteal use, factors influencing their use and its impact on breastfeeding. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from Jul to Dec 2019. Methodology: In the study, mothers and female attendants of newborn babies were interviewed following a specific questionnaire. The given answers were recorded and captured data about socio-demographics, knowledge, attitude and actual practices of mothers and families related to use of prelacteals. The results were analysed using SPSS 22. Results: We interviewed 1601 mothers and female attendants of neonates. The mean age was 32.3 ± 8.2 years. Most of the females were married (1211, 75.6%) and resided in Lahore (1281, 80%). About one third, 581 (36.3%) were either illiterate or had inadequate schooling. Two-thirds (1000, 62.5%) of women wanted to give some prelacteal feed soon after birth. Honey was the most the commonest choice (in 722, 45.1%), seconded by ghutti (107, 6.7%). Most females (1467, 91.6%) wanted to give colostrum, and 1552 (96.9%) would breastfeed the baby. 1221 (75.2%) wanted to start mother-feed immediately or within 2 hours of birth. Conclusion: The use of prelacteal is common in Pakistan culture. A consistent effort is needed to counter the unsafe prelacteal use.
Abnormal Psychology: Neuroscience Perspectives on Human Behavior and Experience

1. An Overview of Psychopathology 2. Changing Conceptualizations of Mental Illness 3. Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Psychopathology 4. Research Methods 5. Classification and Assessment 6. Disorders of Childhood 7. Schizophrenia 8. Mood Disorders 9. Stress and Trauma 10. Anxiety Disorders 11. Dissociative Disorders and Somatic Symptom Disorders 12. Feeding and Eating Disorders 13. Sexuality Disorders and Gender Dysphoria 14. Substance-related Disorders 15. Personality Disorder 16. Neurocognitive Dementia 17. Law and Mental Health
Studies of Stub to Carbon Voltage

The top part of a stubbed anode was sawed off to expose the bottom portion of the stub. Numerous voltage probes were attached to the stub, cast iron and carbon. Provision was made for measuring expansion. The anode was heated to simulate temperatures encountered in cell operation. A 1000 amp D.C. current flowed from the top of the stub to the bottom of the anode. During the heat-up period, appreciable voltage drops were measured at the interfaces of steel, cast iron and carbon. However, at operating temperature, these voltage drops were very low. Cast iron thickness affected the temperature at which the assembly became tight.