cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diamond growth chemistry during atmospheric-pressure plasma CVD

Diamond films were deposited by chemical vapor deposition using a radiofrequency induction plasma operating at 130 torr. Linear growth rates of polycrystalline diamond films ranged from 18 to 37 µm h−1. For a fixed substrate temperature of 1000°C the input methane-hydrogen ratio was varied from 2% to 10%. Over this range the resulting film morpologies changed from faceted ball-like structures to well-faceted diamond, then to non-faceted balls, and for the well- faceted films increases in methane-hydrogen ratio caused the film texture to shift toward the direction. During these experiments gas sampled through an orifice in the center of the substrate was delivered to a gas chromatograph for measurement of stable hydrocarbon species. As the input methane-hydrogen ratio was increased the measured methane-acetylene ratio decreased. The gas chromatograph measurements showed marked differences from measurements made for an RF reactor with somewhat different flow geometry operating at atmospheric pressure.
Seedcorn Maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) Infestation Levels and Effects on Five Crops

During 2 years of field experiments, five crops showed consistent differences in their response to the seedcorn maggot, Delia platura (Meigen). Watermelons and cantaloupes showed greatest stand losses, snap and lima beans were intermediate, and sweet corn appeared to be unaffected despite a seed infestation level of at least 50%. More than twice as many seedcorn maggot larvae and pupae were collected from lima beans than from the melon crops. The smallest number of larvae and pupae were taken from plots where no seeds were planted. In these plots seedcorn maggots that were present either immigrated before pupation or developed on organic soil debris and weed seeds. In 1982 the bean and corn plots produced heavier pupae than the melon plots. Thus, seedcorn maggot populations may build up more rapidly in bean and corn crop areas than in those planted with melons, although stand loss may be more evident in the latter.
Bleeding risk associated with resection of the middle turbinate during functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

BackgroundThe decision to resect the middle turbinate (MT) during functional endoscopic sinus surgery is controversial. Although there have been a variety of studies that examined the functional ou...
Navigating the Borderland of Scholar Activism Narrative Practice as Applied Sociology in the Movement for Single Payer Health Care Reform

While applied sociology can take on many forms, it has been argued that public sociology is very much connected to the work of social movements. In this paper, I discuss my own scholar activism wit...
pp→tbar tH, H→τ + τ - : toward a model independent determination of the Higgs boson couplings at the LHC

The possibility of detecting a Higgs boson through several production and decay channels is instrumental to the measurement of its couplings. In this paper we study the pp → tH → τ + τ − channel at the LHC, for the case of a scalar Higgs boson, and use the obtained results to improve on existing strategies toward a model independent determination of the Higgs boson couplings. The case of a scalar Higgs boson with mass below 140 GeV looks particularly promising.
75 EFFECTS OF RENAL ARTERY STENTING ON KIDNEY FUNCTION AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH ATHEROSCLEROTIC RENAL ARTERY DISEASE: OUR EXPERIENCE.

Purpose of Study Earlier studies have shown that renal artery stent revascularization in the presence of atherosclerotic renal artery disease has a beneficial effect on blood pressure (BP) control and renal function, while some authors have reported that stent revascularization has minimal or no effect on kidney function. We did a retrospective chart review of the effect of stenting in our patient population with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Methods This study involved 18 patients who underwent stent placement for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis between 1999 and 2004 in our facility. The most common indication for the procedure was a combination of uncontrolled hypertension requiring three or more medications and worsening renal function. Patients whose serum creatinine was greater than 4.0 mg/dL at the time of stenting were excluded from the study. Renal function was estimated by calculating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using the MDRD equation. BP and GFR were recorded just before the procedure and at regular 3-month interval follow-up visits at the outpatient clinic up to 1 year. Differences in GFR and BP at baseline and 1 year after the procedure were compared for statistical significance using the Wilcoxon matched pairs sign rank test. A p value Results Mean age of our study population was 74 ± 14 years and 70% of patients also had diabetes mellitus type 2. At 1 year after the procedure mean systolic blood pressure decreased from 143 mm Hg at baseline to 131 m mHg (p = .05). Mean diastolic blood pressure decreased from 76 mm Hg to 67 mm Hg (p = .006) and the mean arterial pressure decreased from 98 mm Hg to 88 mm Hg (p = .0195). Further, the mean GFR decreased from 38.14 mL/min/1.73 sq.m to 35.16 mL/min/1.73 sq.m (p = .2634). Conclusions Significant improvement was noted in the blood pressure variables in patients who were treated with stent deployment. There was a small but statistically nonsignificant decrease in GFR; perhaps improved blood flow and blood pressure control helped stabilize kidney function in the face of underlying diseases such as diabetes. Our findings support a clinically important and statistically significant decline in blood pressure following stenting of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. However, in contrast to some previous studies, no significant improvement was noted in the renal function.
Local temperature modulates alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction in men.

Previous work in the canine saphenous vein has shown that cooling augments alpha 2- but not alpha 1-mediated contractile responses and that warming produces the opposite effects. Here we sought to ...
Automated measurement of midline shift in brain ct images and its application in computer-aided medical decision making

The severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to be characterized by the shift of the middle line in brain as the ventricular system often changes in size and position, depending on the location of the original injury. In this thesis, the focus is given to processing of the CT (Computer Tomography) brain images to automatically calculate midline shift in pathological cases and use it to predict Intracranial Pressure (ICP). The midline shift measurement can be divided into three steps. First the ideal midline of the brain, i.e., the midline before injury, is found via a hierarchical search based on skull symmetry and tissue features. Second, the ventricular system is segmented from the brain CT slices. Third, the actual midline is estimated from the deformed ventricles by shape matching method. The horizontal shift in the ventricles is then calculated based on the ideal midline and the actual midline in TBI CT images. The proposed method presents accurate detection of the ideal midline using anatomical features in the skull, accurate segmentation of ventricles for actual midline estimation using the information of anatomical features with a spatial template derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and an accurate estimation of the actual midline based on the robust proposed multiple regions shape matching algorithm. After the midline shift is successively measured, features including midline shift, texture information of CT images, as well as other demographic information are used to predict ICP. Machine learning algorithms are used to model the relation between the ICP and the extracted features. By using systematic feature selection and parameter selection of the learning model, promising results on ICP prediction are achieved. The prediction results also indicate the reliability of the proposed midline shift estimation.
Seeking a Feminist Pedagogy for Children’s Dance (1998, Revised)

The author narrates her own journey of becoming, and continuing to become, a dance educator and a feminist, weaving in theory which illuminates the changes in her thinking over time. In the discussion of multiple versions of feminism, she places herself in a category of socialist feminism. At the same time, she notes that deciding on basic positions of belief and value doesn’t necessarily offer clear guidance for personal and professional decision-making, because “most of us have a great deal of inconsistency between what we say we believe and what we do, a conflict we are able to maintain only by not thinking about it too much.” Engaging in a reflective process brings these conflicts to the forefront, the painful process that is necessary to generate growth. To that end, the author critically examines several approaches to teaching dance (traditional dance pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and gender models for pedagogy/creative dance), and their relationship to feminist pedagogies. She then describes and critiques her own developing vision, identifying three key points related to feminist pedagogies: Finding one’s own voice and inner authority, Cultivating awareness of relationship (with others in class, with one’s own body, between self and world), and Responsibility and power for change.
Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Individuals with the Woodcock–Johnson IV

Abstract Much like its predecessors, the Woodcock–Johnson IV (WJ IV) represents perhaps the most technically sophisticated psychometric batteries available to practitioners and offers a wide range of measurement of cognitive, academic, and linguistic abilities. Fair and equitable assessment of individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse populations with the WJ IV, however, continues to require knowledge and comprehension of the many ways varying levels of English language proficiency and acculturative knowledge acquisition can negatively impact test scores and attenuate overall performance.
A Probabilistic Approach to Autonomic Security Management

Intrusion Response Systems (IRSs) have been a major research topic in the last decade. At the core of an IRS is the response selection algorithm, which selects the best response action to counter the currently detected attack. Most of the IRSs proposed so far, statically or dynamically evaluate the mapping between response actions and specific attacks, ignoring the actual system state, thus providing only short-term decisions. In this paper we propose a controller based on Markov Decision Process (MDP) for an autonomic IRS. The proposed controller is able to compose atomic response actions to create optimal long-term response policies to protect a system. Experimental results show that long-term policies are always more effective than short-term policies and that they can reduce the threat resolution time up to 56% in the considered scenario.
Reverse Elevated Source/Drain (RESD) MOSFET for deep submicron CMOS

A new Reverse Elevated Source/Drain (RESD) CMOS process has been developed as part of a deep submicron CMOS technology featuring ultra-shallow source/drain junctions with reversed (with respect to epi formation) phosphorus LDD implantation. This new structure utilizes disposable nitride spacers to define the selective silicon offset from the gate edge prior to LDD implantation. Since the LDD junctions are not exposed to the high temperature prebake and deposition conditions, shallow phosphorus junctions provide improved short-channel behavior while maintaining good hot-carrier protection. >
Engineering the RNA-Nanobio Interface

RNA nanotechnology is attracting a great deal of attention recently. As the multiple roles that RNA plays in molecular biology and physiological regulation become clearer, there are many opportunities for engineering RNA-Nanoparticle Complexes (RNA-NPCs). The high “engineerability” of RNA-NPCs comes from the ability to modify the RNA and NP chemistry. For example, the NP can be derived from materials with anticancer activity and the RNA delivered by it, designed to target cell signaling pathways that contribute to the molecular basis of these diseases. Despite this rapid advancement and the availability of new quantification and characterization techniques, a key challenge is to develop a better understanding of the RNA-nanobio interface; that is, the interactions of RNA with NP (RNA-nanobio interface) and how that impacts the structure, function, delivery, and activity of the RNA. Here, we attempt to summarize the state-of-the-art in this new and exciting field, and to lay out potential directions for bioengineering research on RNA-NPCs.
Politics of education and teachers’ support for high-stakes teacher accountability policies

Although educators are at the center of contentious high-stakes teacher accountability policies, we know very little about their attitudes toward these policies. This research gap is unfortunate because teachers are considered key actors in successful implementation of educational reforms. To what extent do the politics that accompany the introduction of high-stakes teacher accountability policies affect teachers’ support for the policies themselves? To address this gap, we used data from an experimental survey of teachers in New Jersey (n=444), where a new reform—Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for Children of New Jersey Act (TEACHNJ)—was signed into law in 2012 and implemented shortly after. The cornerstone of the reform is a new evaluation system that ties student performance on standardized tests to teachers’ evaluation. We found that the majority of teachers oppose the new evaluation system. Teachers’ attitudes were shaped by the politics of the key actors advocating for the policy, perceptions of implementation efforts, and beliefs in the potential outcome of the policy. Open-ended responses indicated that teachers question the validity of the evaluation system and are concerned about the negative intended and unintended consequences of the system. We conclude this paper by discussing the implications of these findings for policy studies and policymaking.
Parameters of the 1.056-eV Resonance in 240Pu and the 2200 m/s Neutron Total Cross Sections of 235U, 239Pu, and 240Pu

The Bayesian method was applied to the simultaneous fitting of neutron transmission measurements on five thin and two thick samples of 240Pu to obtain the parameters of the very large resonance nea...
Long-Term Deficits in Cortical Circuit Function after Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation in Developing Rats.

Abstract Cardiac arrest is a common cause of global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Poor neurologic outcome among cardiac arrest survivors results not only from direct cellular injury but also from subsequent long-term dysfunction of neuronal circuits. Here, we investigated the long-term impact of cardiac arrest during development on the function of cortical layer IV (L4) barrel circuits in the rat primary somatosensory cortex. We used multielectrode single-neuron recordings to examine responses of presumed excitatory L4 barrel neurons to controlled whisker stimuli in adult (8 ± 2-mo-old) rats that had undergone 9 min of asphyxial cardiac arrest and resuscitation during the third postnatal week. Results indicate that responses to deflections of the topographically appropriate principal whisker (PW) are smaller in magnitude in cardiac arrest survivors than in control rats. Responses to adjacent whisker (AW) deflections are similar in magnitude between the two groups. Because of a disproportionate decrease in PW-evoked responses, receptive fields of L4 barrel neurons are less spatially focused in cardiac arrest survivors than in control rats. In addition, spiking activity among L4 barrel neurons is more correlated in cardiac arrest survivors than in controls. Computational modeling demonstrates that experimentally observed disruptions in barrel circuit function after cardiac arrest can emerge from a balanced increase in background excitatory and inhibitory conductances in L4 neurons. Experimental and modeling data together suggest that after a hypoxic-ischemic insult, cortical sensory circuits are less responsive and less spatially tuned. Modulation of these deficits may represent a therapeutic approach to improving neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest.
Elder Self-Neglect: Another Ethical Dilemma for Physicians.

Cases of elder self-neglect require physicians to balance the patient’s wish for independence and the risks of poor self-care.
Five new replacement names in Reduviidae (Heteroptera)

The following five new replacement names are proposed for homonymous genus- and species-level names in four different subfamilies of Reduviidae: Dithectocoris nom. nov. for Echinocoris Livingstone & Ravichandran, 1992 nec Echinocoris Miller, 1949 (Ectrichodiinae); Sphedanolestes picturellus tordoi nom. nov. for Sphedanolestes picturellus annulipes Tordo, 1969 nec Sphedanolestes annulipes Distant, 1903 (Harpactorinae); Acanthaspis celidota nom. nov. for Acanthaspis maculata Sucheta & Chopra, 1989 nec Acanthaspis maculata (Distant, 1903); Reduvius lasius nom. nov. for Reduvius villosus Fabricius, 1794 nec (Thunberg, 1783) (Reduviinae); and Oncocephalus enallus nom. nov. for Oncocephalus bipunctatus Livingstone & Ravichandran, 1990 nec Oncocephalus bipunctatus Villiers, 1952. The genus-level replacement also results in Dithectocoris coromandelensis (Livingstone & Ravichandran, 1992) comb. nov.
Cinematic rendering of small bowel pathology: preliminary observations from this novel 3D CT visualization method

3D visualization methods for volumetric CT data have played an important role in diagnostic imaging of the small bowel, a structure which intrinsically crosses numerous slices in any 2D imaging plane. Recently, a new approach to 3D CT image creation has become available-cinematic rendering (CR). CR differs from other 3D methods in making use of a global lighting model that produces high surface detail and realistic shadowing effects that lead to 3D visualizations with photorealistic quality. Although the utility of these images for improving diagnostic accuracy has not yet been established, our group's early experience in regions of complex anatomy and pathology has been encouraging. In this pictorial review, we review the established role of 3D CT in many of the most common small bowel pathologies, provide examples of those pathologies visualized with CR, and suggest future directions for researchers to pursue.
Housing crisis, hardship and safety net support: examining the effects of foreclosure on households and families

The housing market crash in the mid-2000s was characterized by unusually high rates of mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures. Thus, many householders and their families faced the prospect of losi...
Bonded Hemishell Approach to Encapsulate Microdevices in Spheroidal Packages

Silicon-based micromachining techniques were investigated as a method of encapsulating electronics in thin-walled spheroidal shells. Various bulk isotropic etching methods were utilized to produce hemispherical cavities in silicon wafers. sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) based plasma was determined to be a preferable alternative to wet HNA etching when performing repeatable isotropic etches in silicon. Silicon crystal orientation’s effect on etch variance and anisotropy was also investigated. HNA polishing was demonstrated as an effective method of reducing undercutting, surface roughness, and anisotropy. Image processing routines were developed and incorporated into etch analysis, improving data collection efficiency. These hemispherical silicon cavities serve as a template for thin film deposition of a hemispherical shell, or hemishell. Photoresist can be patterned over the hemishells with 3D photolithography techniques, facilitating the deposition of metal traces and bonding sites. To improve throughput, a novel closed-loop photolithography technique was developed. This technique leverages the capabilities of existing cleanroom devices to perform precise alignment and patterning. After patterning, hemishells can be aligned and bonded using modern packaging technologies, and separated from the silicon wafers using selective etch chemistries. The 0.1–1 mm3, spheroidal structures present an innovative packaging alternative for a wide variety of microdevices. Particular applications include electrostatically actuated microrobots and non-invasive ubiquitous microsensors.
Análisis y aplicación de la medición y gestión del valor económico agregado (EVA) a una empresa que cotiza en la bolsa

La creacion de valor es el objetivo de toda buena gestion de empresas. Antiguamente el objetivo de la gestion empresarial se fundamentaba en maximizar el beneficio y el patrimonio de los accionistas, hoy hablamos de creacion de valor, pero, Como se mide el valor. Esta problematica parece ser muy sencilla, sin embargo a la hora medir la creacion o destruccion de valor, se evidencian las dificultades. Una forma que permite medir el valor creado por la empresa es considerar no solo el beneficio, sino tambien el costo que ha supuesto generar ese beneficio. En definitiva si el beneficio obtenido supera el costo de los recursos implicados, podremos decir que se ha creado valor. En este trabajo se describen dos formas para medir valor a traves de la informacion contable y financiera de una empresa en particular, de forma tal de correlacionar la creacion de valor determinada a traves de metricas y la percepcion del mercado sobre la empresa en cuestion. La metrica de creacion de valor propuesta, denominada, EVA(Economic Value Added) y su desempeno a traves del tiempo. En segundo lugar, valorar a precio de mercado actual (precio y evolucion de las acciones a valor de mercado) y la correlacion de estas, en donde se espera que la metrica EVA sea inductora de valor para la empresa y exprese su consecuente valoracion economica. 1 Academicos de la Departamento de Auditoria y Sistemas de Informacion, de la Facultad de Ciencias Economicas y Administrativas de la Universidad Catolica de la Santisima Concepcion. ivalenzuela@ucsc.cl, jgallegos@ucsc.cl, smanriquez@ucsc.cl 2 El EVA, o valor economico anadido, es la diferencia entre el beneficio operativo(antes de intereses pero despues de impuesto) y la retribucion que esperan los inversores por aportar el capital. El termino EVA ha sido acunado por Ster Stewart & Co y es un refinamiento del concepto de Economic profit o beneficio economico, acunado por Alfred Marshall en 1890.
Christmas in U.S. K-12 schools: categorizing and explaining teacher awareness of Christo-normativity

To reduce Christo-normativity in United States of America schools, most schools tend to only educate teachers about what religious practices are allowed by law. The question we ask is whether a foc...
Functional brain connectivity in electrical status epilepticus in sleep

Electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) is an age-related, self-limited epileptic encephalopathy. The syndrome is characterized by cognitive and behavioral abnormalities and a specific EEG pattern of continuous spikes and waves during slow-wave sleep. While spikes and sharp waves are known to result in transient cognitive impairment during learning and memory tasks performed during the waking state, the effect of epileptiform discharges during sleep on cognition and behavior is unclear. There is increasing evidence that abnormalities of coherence, a measure of the consistency of the phase difference between two EEG signals when compared over time, is an important feature of brain oscillations and plays a role in cognition and behavior. The objective of this study was to determine whether coherence of EEG activity is altered during slow-wave sleep in children with ESES when compared to typically developing children. We examined coherence during epochs of ESES versus epochs when ESES was not present. In addition, we compared coherence during slow-wave sleep between typically developing children and children with ESES. ESES was associated with remarkably high coherences at all bandwidths and most electrode pairs. While the high coherence was largely attributed to the spikes and spike-and-wave discharge, activity between spikes and spike-and-wave discharge also demonstrated high coherence. This study indicates that EEG coherence during ESES is relatively high. Whether these increases in coherence correlate with the cognitive and behavioral abnormalities seen in children with this EEG pattern remains to be determined.
Determinants of total and available phosphorus in forested Alfisols and Ultisols of the Ozark Highlands, USA

Phosphorus is an important nutrient limiting forest growth in many parts of world, and soil P forms and concentrations may be associated with a host of soil and environmental attributes in a complex soil landscape. The objective of this study was to identify key environmental and soil properties influencing total and available soil P concentrations in a mixed oak (Quercus L.)–hickory (Carya Nutt.) forest ecosystem. Soil samples and soil characterization data were obtained from fifty pedons sampled at the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) located in south-central Missouri, USA. Additional soil chemical analyses were conducted to measure total P, available P (Mehlich-3 P and Bray-1 P), and citrate bicarbonate dithionite (CBD) extractable Fe, Al, and Mn content. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was applied to explain relationships between P concentrations and environmental and soil properties. Total P concentration in the soils studied ranged from 15.6 to 410 mg kg− 1 and the range of available P concentration was 0.29 to 30.6 mg kg− 1. The CART analysis identified variables, primarily soil attributes, explaining 48, 71, and 65% of the variability associated with total P, Mehlich-3 P, and Bray-1 P concentrations, respectively. Extractable Mn was the most important explanatory variable in all CART models (explaining 28–33% of soil P variation). The CART analysis provided a concise framework for coupling soil and environmental variables to understand and identify locations within a complex soil landscape that may be susceptible for nutrient depletion. Furthermore, findings of this research highlight a need to more thoroughly evaluate relationships between Mn and P forms and concentrations in soil.
Imaging Aβ Plaques in Living Transgenic Mice with Multiphoton Microscopy and Methoxy-X04, a Systemically Administered Congo Red Derivative

The identification of amyloid deposits in living Alzheimer disease (AD) patients is important for both early diagnosis and for monitoring the efficacy of newly developed anti-amyloid therapies. Methoxy-X04 is a derivative of Congo red and Chrysamine-G that contains no acid groups and is therefore smaller and much more lipophilic than Congo red or Chrysamine-G. Methoxy-X04 retains in vitro binding affinity for amyloid beta (Abeta) fibrils (Ki = 26.8 nM) very similar to that of Chrysamine-G (Ki = 25.3 nM). Methoxy-X04 is fluorescent and stains plaques, tangles, and cerebrovascular amyloid in postmortem sections of AD brain with good specificity. Using multiphoton microscopy to obtain high-resolution (1 microm) fluorescent images from the brains of living PSI/APP mice, individual plaques could be distinguished within 30 to 60 min after a single i.v. injection of 5 to 10 mg/kg methoxy-X04. A single i.p. injection of 10 mg/kg methoxy-X04 also produced high contrast images of plaques and cerebrovascular amyloid in PSI/APP mouse brain. Complementary quantitative studies using tracer doses of carbon- 11-labeled methoxy-X04 show that it enters rat brain in amounts that suggest it is a viable candidate as a positron emission tomography (PET) amyloid-imaging agent for in vivo human studies.
Denosumab in the treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is the most common form of secondary osteoporosis. In May 2018, denosumab was approved for the treatment of GIOP in men and women at high risk of fracture. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the efficacy and safety of denosumab in the prevention and treatment of GIOP. Methods We searched PubMed, CINAHL, American College of Rheumatology and American Society for Bone and Mineral Research meeting abstracts for relevant studies. We included studies in which subjects were taking systemic glucocorticoid therapy and were assigned to take denosumab or control therapy, and assessed the effect of treatment on areal bone mineral density (BMD), fractures and/or safety. Results Three eligible studies were included in the primary meta-analysis. Denosumab significantly increased lumbar spine BMD (2.32%, 95% CI 1.73%, 2.91%, P<0.0001) and hip BMD (1.52%, 95% CI 1.1%,1.94%, P<0.0001) compared to bisphosphonates. Adverse events, serious adverse events and fractures were similar between denosumab and bisphosphonate arms. Conclusion Results suggest that denosumab is superior to bisphosphonates in its effects on lumbar spine and total hip BMD in patients with GIOP. There was no difference in the incidence of infections, adverse events or serious adverse events. Studies were underpowered to detect differences in the risk of fracture. Denosumab is a reasonable option for treatment of GIOP. However, further studies are needed to guide transitions off denosumab.
On the asymptotic exit control problem for stochastically perturbed prescription opioid epidemic models

Abstract In this paper, we consider the problem of asymptotic exit control for a prescription opioid epidemic that describes the interaction between the regular prescription or addictive use of opioid drugs, and the process of rehabilitation and that of relapsing into the opioid drug use. In particular, our interest is in the situation, when the optimal control effort appearing linearly in the opioid epidemic model is interpreted as the rate at which the susceptible individuals are effectively removed from the population due to an opioid-related intervention policy, while a small perturbing noise enters through the dynamics of the susceptible group in the population compartmental model. To this end, we introduce a mathematical apparatus that minimizes the asymptotic exit-rate with which the solution for such stochastically perturbed prescription opioid epidemics exits from a given bounded open domain. Moreover, under certain conditions, we provide an admissible optimal control for the corresponding optimal control problem that optimally effected removal of the susceptible or recovered individuals from the population dynamics.
Opioid Addiction Stigma: The Intersection of Race, Social Class, and Gender

Objectives: To investigate whether public stigma toward people addicted to opioids varies according to the race, social class, and gender of the person who uses opioids, the social class and gender of the individual evaluating them, and their attributions of the cause of opioid addiction. Methods: An online survey was sent to White undergraduate students at a public university. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight vignettes depicting an individual addicted to opioids as either Black or White, male or female, and working- or middle-class. The vignettes were followed by measures of reactions to the vignette character including stigma, attributions, and preferred consequences, i.e. criminal prosecution or medical care. ANOVAs and mediation analyses were conducted to assess the direct and indirect effects of race, class, and gender on stigma, criminalization, and medicalization. Results: Participants tended to judge working-class opioid users more harshly than middle-class users, and participants who were middle- to upper-class themselves tended to judge all opioid users more harshly than participants who were working class. Expressed stigma was greater toward White than Black opioid users. Attributing addiction to bad character partially mediated the relationships between opioid user social class and the dependent variables. There were few effects of user or participant gender on attitudes. Conclusions: Efforts to shift public opinion toward supporting funding to address the opioid epidemic should be informed by awareness of biases against working-class users on the part of middle- and upper-class members of the public and the consequences of blaming addiction on opioid users' character.
Uncertainty Quantification in Fault Tree Analysis: Estimating Business Interruption due to Seismic Hazard

AbstractThis paper presents an approach based on fault tree analysis and subset simulation for quantifying uncertainty in the risk assessment of complex industrial facilities. Downtime estimation o...
Impact of Localized Radiative Loss on Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions.

The impact to fusion energy production due to the radiative loss from a localized mix in inertial confinement implosions using high density carbon capsule targets has been quantified. The radiative loss from the localized mix and local cooling of the reacting plasma conditions was quantified using neutron and x-ray images to reconstruct the hot spot conditions during thermonuclear burn. Such localized features arise from ablator material that is injected into the hot spot from the Rayleigh-Taylor growth of capsule surface perturbations, particularly the tube used to fill the capsule with deuterium and tritium fuel. Observations, consistent with analytic estimates, show the degradation to fusion energy production to be linearly proportional to the fraction of the total emission that is associated with injected ablator material and that this radiative loss has been the primary source of variations, of up to 1.6 times, in observed fusion energy production. Reducing the fill tube diameter has increased the ignition metric ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{no}\text{ }\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ from 0.49 to 0.72, 92% of that required to achieve a burning hot spot.
Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions.

Purpose Pediatric patients with cancer benefit significantly from psychosocial support during and after treatment, but to date, limited data exist regarding the patterns of psychosocial support provided to patients in radiation oncology departments. The purpose of this study was to assess the supportive care services provided at proton therapy institutions in the United States with a specific focus on education, parental involvement, and coping techniques. Materials and methods Physicians, nurses, and child life specialists at 29 operational proton therapy facilities in the United States were sent an online questionnaire regarding pediatric treatment support. The survey consisted of 10 questions exploring strategies employed to educate and support pediatric patients before and during radiotherapy. Results Staff members from 23 of 29 operational proton centers (79%) in the United States completed the survey. Three centers (10%) declined to participate, and three (10%) did not complete the questionnaire. Respondents permitted parental presence for body positioning on the first day of treatment and every day of treatment if needed at 95.6% (22 of 23) and 73.9% (17 of 23) of the centers, respectively. Primary education methods included a facility tour (91.3%; 21 of 23) and psychological preparation (78.3%; 17 of 23). Physicians (82.6%; 19 of 23), nurses (73.9%; 17 of 23), and child life specialists (69.6%; 16 of 23) most commonly provided education to pediatric patients and their families. Only 21.7% (5 of 23) of the facilities reported documentation of a psychosocial support policy. Common coping techniques included music (87.0%; 20 of 23), parental presence for positioning (73.9%; 17 of 23), listening to audio recordings (73.9%; 17 of 23), aromatherapy on or near the patient (73.9%; 17 of 23), and use of a stress ball (65.2%; 15 of 23). Conclusion Proton therapy institutions frequently offered psychologic preparation before treatment and employed various coping strategies. Based on this survey, we propose several recommendations to raise awareness and improve the experience of pediatric patients at radiation oncology centers.
Highly Conductive and Permeable Nanocomposite Ultrafiltration Membranes Using Laser-Reduced Graphene Oxide

Electrically conductive membranes are a promising avenue to reduce water treatment costs due to their ability to minimize the detrimental impact of fouling, to degrade contaminants, and to provide other additional benefits during filtration. Here, we demonstrate the facile and low-cost fabrication of electrically conductive membranes using laser-reduced graphene oxide (GO). In this method, GO is filtered onto a poly(ether sulfone) membrane support before being pyrolyzed via laser into a conductive film. Laser-reduced GO composite membranes are shown to be equally as permeable to water as the underlying membrane support and possess sheet resistances as low as 209 Ω/□. Application of the laser-reduced GO membranes is demonstrated through greater than 97% removal of a surrogate water contaminant, 25 μM methyl orange dye, with an 8 V applied potential. Furthermore, we show that laser-reduced GO membranes can be further tuned with the addition of p-phenylenediamine binding molecules to decrease the sheet resistance to 54 Ω/□.
Moral disengagement mechanisms and its relationship with aggression and bullying behaviour among school children and youth at psychosocial risk

This study aims to analyse the relationship between moral disengagement mechanisms, aggression and bullying behaviour in 221 high school students between 11 and 17 years who took the Mechanisms of ...
A Domain-Independent Approach

Problem solving with building augmented generalizations by generating extended recurrences' (BAGGER) situation calculus rules can be viewed as transforming and expanding situations until one is found in which the goal is known to be achieved. The BAGGER system has two types of inference rules: (1) inter-situational rules that specify attributes that a new situation will have after application of a particular operator, and (2) intra-situational rules that can embellish BAGGER's knowledge of a situation by specifying additional conclusions that can be drawn within that situation. Each inter-situational inference rule specifies knowledge about one particular operator. However, operators are not represented by exactly one inference rule. A major inference rule specifies most of the relevant problem-solving information about an operator. However, it is augmented by many lesser inference rules that capture the operator's frame axioms and other facts about a new situation. The advantage of the STRIPS approach is that the system can always be assured that it has represented all that there is to know about a new situation.
A validated, risk assessment tool for predicting readmission after open ventral hernia repair

To present a validated model that reliably predicts unplanned readmission after open ventral hernia repair (open-VHR). A total of 17,789 open-VHR patients were identified using the 2011–2012 ACS-NSQIP databases. This cohort was subdivided into 70 and 30 % random testing and validation samples, respectively. Thirty-day unplanned readmission was defined as unexpected readmission for a postoperative occurrence related to the open-VHR procedure. Independent predictors of 30-day unplanned readmission were identified using multivariable logistic regression on the testing sample (n = 12,452 patients). Subsequently, the predictors were weighted according to β-coefficients to generate an integer-based Clinical Risk Score (CRS) predictive of readmission, which was validated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis of the validation sample (n = 5337 patients). The rate of 30-day unplanned readmission was 4.7 %. Independent risk factors included inpatient status at time of open-VHR, operation time, enterolysis, underweight, diabetes, preoperative anemia, length of stay, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of bleeding disorders, hernia with gangrene, and panniculectomy (all P < 0.05). ROC analysis of the validation cohort rendered an area under the curve of 0.71, which demonstrates the accuracy of this prediction model. Predicted incidence within each 5 risk strata was statistically similar to the observed incidence in the validation sample (P = 0.18), further highlighting the accuracy of this model. We present a validated risk stratification tool for unplanned readmissions following open-VHR. Future studies should determine if implementation of our CRS optimizes safety and reduces readmission rates in open-VHR patients.
A phase I trial of a synthetic mucin peptide vaccine. Induction of specific immune reactivity in patients with adenocarcinoma

We tested a 105 amino acid synthetic mucin MUC-1 peptide that has 5 repeated immunodominant epitopes to evaluate toxicity and detect mucin-specific immune responses in patients with adenocarcinoma. We also studied the enhancement of these responses by vaccinating patients with the synthetic mucin peptide admixed with BCG. Mucins are glycoproteins present on the luminal surface of ductal epithelial cells and on tumors derived from them. The MUC-1 mucin is hypoglycosylated and nonpolarized on tumors and this exposes epitopes that can stimulate cytotoxic T-Cells (CTL). We vaccinated 63 patients with 100 μg of the 105aa mucin peptide mixed with BCG. Two additional vaccinations were given at 3-week intervals. All patients were able to tolerate vaccination, with most experiencing local ulceration at the vaccination site. All patients underwent hypersensitivity (DTH) testing with the 105aa and shorter mucin peptides, prior to vaccination. DTH responses were evaluated at 48 hr and the sites of highest peptide concentration were biopsied. Only 3 patients had a strong skin response to the long peptide. Examination of 55 biopsies showed intense T-Cell infiltration in 37 patients and lesser infiltration in 7. Seven of 22 patients tested had a 2- to 4-fold increase in mucin-specific CTLp. Serum levels of IL-6 were measured sequentially using the B9 hybridoma bioassay. Increasing serum levels of IL-6 correlated with constitutional symptoms (significance 0.001) and hypoalbuminemia (significance 0.007) but not with the extent of skin breakdown at vaccination sites. We conclude that mucin vaccination is safe and might serve to enhance specific responses to tumor antigens. IL-6 may be responsible for the constitution symptoms and hypoalbuminemia in these patients.
Online speed adaptation using supervised learning for high-speed, off-road autonomous driving

The mobile robotics community has traditionally addressed motion planning and navigation in terms of steering decisions. However, selecting the best speed is also important - beyond its relationship to stopping distance and lateral maneuverability. Consider a high-speed (35 mph) autonomous vehicle driving off-road through challenging desert terrain. The vehicle should drive slowly on terrain that poses substantial risk. However, it should not dawdle on safe terrain. In this paper we address one aspect of risk - shock to the vehicle. We present an algorithm for trading-off shock and speed in realtime and without human intervention. The trade-off is optimized using supervised learning to match human driving. The learning process is essential due to the discontinuous and spatially correlated nature of the control problem - classical techniques do not directly apply. We evaluate performance over hundreds of miles of autonomous driving, including performance during the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. This approach was the deciding factor in our vehicle's speed for nearly 20% of the DARPA competition - more than any other constraint except the DARPA-imposed speed limits - and resulted in the fastest finishing time.
One-to-One Computing in Teacher Education: Faculty Concerns and Implications for Teacher Educators.

AbstractThis study examines initial faculty concerns during implementation of a one-to-one laptop teacher education pilot program. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model of Change provides the theoretical framework and guides the methodology. In fall 2007, 29 teacher candidates began a one-year multiple-subject (elementary) credential program with an added emphasis on teaching and learning in a one-to-one laptop environment. Circumstances of faculty involvement in the pilot program were varied and not controlled. Eight instructional faculty and three field supervision faculty participated in this study. Results indicate that, as a group, faculty participants had high-level awareness, management, and impact concerns, yet highest concerns for individual faculty varied. Data pointed to three major implications regarding technology-rich teacher education and faculty issues to be addressed for program success: faculty readiness, faculty preparation, and faculty differences. Implications of this study extend to coll...
Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in the Czech Republic: A Survey of Municipality Expenditure Patterns

A survey of Czech local officials probes perceptions of intergovernmental relations. Perceived autonomy and municipality size are tested as autonomy indicators. The impact of city size on municipal expenditures from different funding sources is evaluated. Cross-tabulations of city size identify revenue sources for various expenditures and activities. For all expenditures, use of funds is more effectively explained by city size than by the fiscal choices of high- and low-autonomy groups. A graphic analysis of relationships between expenditures and revenue sources complements the statistical analysis. Radar charts reveal revenue sources for small versus large and low- versus high-autonomy cities.
A Translation System for Enabling Flexible and Efficient Deployment of QoS-Aware Applications in Ubiquitous Environments

Ubiquitous Quality of Service(QoS)-aware applications, such as e-business or multimedia delivery are becoming available anywhere anytime. In the past decade, also QoS-oriented middleware services, assisting QoS-aware applications with different aspects of QoS provisions, have been proposed. Assuming the availability of these middleware services, in this paper, we present the application to middleware service translation system. This system helps an application developer to develop a QoS-aware application which can be deployedflexibly and efficiently in ubiquitous environments with different available middleware services. We introduce the middleware abstraction layer (MAL) between the application view of middleware and the specific middleware implementations. The translation system assists the QoS-aware application in two phases: (1) environment-independent translation, and (2) environmentdependent translation. The first phase maps the QoS-aware application to configurations of middleware services without indication of specific implementations, to satisfy the qualitative QoS requirements. Its result is the portable MAL representation. The secondphase helps the application developer to customize the MAL representation within a specific deployment environment. It deals with (a) mapping of MAL representation into configurations of specific middleware implementations, and (b) mapping of application quantitative QoS requirements into specific middleware implementation's expected parameters. Our translation system facilitates the rapidgro wth of QoS-aware applications in the ubiquitous environments.
First in Class? The Performance of Latent Class Model 1

Researchers have been using the latent class model (LCM) to value recreational activities for years. Then the reliability of this model becomes an issue. We conduct Monte Carlo simulations to test if the latent class model is able to recover the truth. The simulation results show that LCM does a better job on recovering population average values than recovering underlying population segments.