cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic impact of transmission line switching on power system operating states

Power system topology control as a planned corrective action in face of contingencies and also as a measure for achieving economic gains in real time market operation has been recently studied as an enhancement in hour- and day-ahead operations. Although attractive from the reliability and economic standpoint, the attention must be paid to the impact on the power system operating states following the switching implementation to make sure the system security performance in the new migrated operating state is not jeopardized. This paper suggests a probabilistic measure to foresee the likelihood of experiencing undesirable operating state following execution of an optimal hour-ahead switching plan. The presented approach can also be helpful in selecting the most practical switching action when the optimization engine can provide multiple optimal switching scenarios. The proposed tool is tested on a modified IEEE 118-Bus Test System to demonstrate its applicability and effectiveness.
CHAPTER 4 – Modeling with Dynamic Forms

This chapter describes the modeling with dynamic forms. Systems models are synthesized by applying items from a knowledge base that may or may not include data. Dynamic forms can be calibrated with or without data. This chapter illustrates both cases, first with a systems model for harmonic oscillation , without data, followed by synthesis of polynomial models and a data-fitting example. Application of dynamic forms to these two cases is highly suggestive that additional dynamic forms and their applications to systems modeling await discovery. Knowledge acquired through analysis of a freely oscillating pendulum, together with the exponential dynamic form, provide the basis for synthesizing a systems model for harmonic oscillation. Harmonic oscillation is a phenomenon that is well known to mathematical domain experts.
E-privadesa i xarxes socials

Els riscos tecnologics per a la intimitat o privadesa no es limiten a la problematica de les bases de dades. Les xarxes socials, les etiquetes RFID, la computacio ubiqua i la robotica, per exemple, son altres exemples de risc per a la privadesa. Les xarxes socials tenen un valor economic i cada cop mes enginys cerquen la informacio personal dels seus usuaris. En canvi, l'estudi de la privadesa en les xarxes socials tot just es una nova area d'estudi. Els experts en tecnologia de la informacio sovint consideren la privadesa com un atribut quantificable que es pot negociar i probablement intercanviar entre individus a canvi de certs beneficis. Nosaltres creiem, en canvi, que la regulacio ha d'afavorir les anomenades privacy enhancing technologies (PET) o tecnologies garants de la privadesa. Aquesta garantia tecnologica de la privadesa es especialment necessaria en les xarxes socials. Els drets fonamentals no poden quedar reduits nomes a opcions individuals que cal activar. El component que tenen de politica publica podria ser garantit si s'incorporessin versions favorables a la privadesa en el mateix disseny de les tecnologies de la informacio, com per exemple la privadesa per defecte. Una altra via interessant es fer que les empreses vegin tambe un profit economic en la previsio de tecnologia garant de la privadesa.
Investigation of the mechanism of triclosan induced mouse liver tumors.

Chronic dietary exposure to Triclosan (TCS) produced increased incidence of liver tumors in mice. The mechanism for liver tumor induction has been attributed to activation of either peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPARα) or constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). To further define the mechanism of TCS induced liver tumors, male CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice were treated with TCS at 0, 10, 100 and 200 mg/kg diet/day for 14 or 28 days. In addition, a recovery group and positive control groups for CAR or PPARα activation with either phenobarbital or diethylhexyl-phthalate were included in the 14-day study. TCS induced a dose-dependent increase in relative liver weight and centrilobular hypertrophy in both strains of mice. Hepatocyte DNA synthesis (BrdU labeling) was also increased in a dose-related pattern. In comparison with previous studies, TCS induced a significant increase in CAR/PXR (Cyp2b10, Cyp3a11) and PPARα (Cyp4a10) responsive genes in both CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice. The corresponding enzyme activity for CAR (7-pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase) and PPARα (peroxisomal Acyl-CoA oxidase) were also significantly increased in a similar fashion. Oxidative stress related genes Gpx1 and Aox1 were increased in the C57BL/6 but not in CD-1 mice. The increases in gene expression and enzyme activities returned to control levels after 14-day recovery. The present results demonstrate that both CAR and PPARα activation are involved in the TCS induced mouse liver tumor.
Morcellation Efficiency in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: Oscillating Morcellator Outperforms Reciprocating Morcellator With no Apparent Learning Curve

Objective To compare the morcellation efficiency of the Wolf Piranha oscillating morcellator with the Lumenis VersaCut reciprocating morcellator. Materials and Methods After institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. The first 41 cases of HoLEP with morcellation performed with the oscillating morcellator were matched by weight of resected tissue to 41 control patients from our historic data set who underwent morcellation with the reciprocating system. The primary outcome of interest was morcellation efficiency. We also evaluated surgeon experience level to assess for a learning curve with the oscillating morcellator. Results The 41 patients from each group were comparable in terms of age, prostate size, continuation of aspirin, and catheter status. The oscillating morcellation efficiency was nearly double that of the reciprocating morcellator (8.6 g/min [range: 3.0-18.3] vs 3.8 g/min [range: 0.9-10.1], P P = .9). The total operative time and complication rates did not significantly differ. For the oscillating system, morcellation efficiency for cases performed by staff alone was 9.8 g/min compared with 8.1 g/min when trainees were involved ( P = .2), and there was no correlation between morcellation efficiency and number of cases performed (R = 0.01). Conclusion The oscillating morcellation system resulted in a morcellation efficiency double that of the reciprocating system for tissue retrieval after HoLEP. Achieving efficiency with the oscillating system was not associated with a significant learning curve and was not impacted by trainee involvement.
Interstellar Polarization and Extinction towards the Open Cluster NGC 457

NGC 457 is a moderately reddened and relatively young open cluster very rich in variable stars, particularly Be stars, but not associated with any prominent star-forming field. We combine new multi-wavelength polarization measurements with existing UBV and uvby photometries to obtain precise estimates of the total-to-selective extinction in the field of the cluster and re-evaluate its distance and age. The polarization measurements show a tight alignment of the polarization vectors with the Galactic plane and yield an average value of the total-to-selective extinction of 3.05 ± 0.17 for the cluster's field. Using this value and the confirmed color excess mag, we obtain a distance modulus of 12.20 ± 0.39, corresponding to 2.75 ± 0.49 kpc and, assuming slightly sub-solar metallicity, an age of 15.8 Myr.
Upper Critical Field of Four-CuO2-Layer TlBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ Single Crystals

Magnetic measurements have been performed on single crystals of TlBa 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O 11+δ in the magnetic fields up to 5.5 T. No change in the onset temperature of superconducting transition (T c ) was observed in the magnetic fields between 0.4 and 5.5 T, while the superconducting transitions were broadened significantly in the same field. The linear temperature-dependence of the magnetization was found in a large temperature range below T c . The slope of the magnetization versus temperature \((\frac{{d(4\pi M)}}{{dT}})\) decreased significantly with increasing magnetic field. The experimental findings indicated that the upper critical field (H C2 ) in this compound was very large and traditional methods of deriving H C2 value were not applicable. Using the measured magnetization in the reversible region, the H C2 properties of TlBa 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O 11+δ single crystals have been studied based on a new model developed by Hao et al.
Understanding Rhetoric , Understanding Genre: A Rhetorical Genre Studies Approached Writing Course

In this chapter, Austin foregrounds the concept of genre in the college writing classroom, expanding her scope beyond the traditional rhetoric of argument and persuasion central to most first-year writing courses. In doing so, she mobilizes an invitational rhetoric tradition, which Sonja J. Foss, and Cindy L. Griffin define as “an invitation to understanding as a means to create a relationship rooted in equality, immanent value, and self-determination… [It] constitutes an invitation to the audience to enter the rhetor’s world and see it as the rhetor does” (5). Austin highlights this focus on genre and form with Elizabeth Losh and Jonathan Alexander’s Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing, a graphic novel-format composition textbook, used in conjunction with The Bedford Guide to Genres, a combination that works to emphasize the wealth of possibilities and student agency engaged in choosing their form, critically considering genre, and embracing the combination of text, image, and multimodality possible within our contemporary academic writing context.
Enantioselective Intermolecular C–O Bond Formation in the Desymmetrization of Diarylmethines Employing a Guanidinylated Peptide-Based Catalyst

We report a series of enantioselective C–O bond cross-coupling reactions based on remote symmetry breaking processes in diarylmethine substrates. The key to the chemistry is multifunctional guanidinylated peptide-based ligands that allow highly selective, intermolecular Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling of phenolic nucleophiles. The scope of the process is explored, demonstrating efficiency for substrates with a range of electronic and steric perturbations to the nucleophile. Scope and limitations are also reported for variation of the diarylmethine. While the presence of an intervening tBu group is found to be optimal for maximum enantioselectivity, several other substituents may also be present such that appreciable selectivity can be achieved, providing an uncommon level of scope for diarylmethine desymmetrizations. In addition, chemoselective reactions are possible when there are phenolic hydroxyl groups within substrates that contain a second reactive site, setting the stage for applications in diverse com...
An Introduction to the Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a brain imaging technology primarily used to investigate how cognitive processes affect neural activity. Due to its non-invasiveness and high spatial resolution, this technology has quickly become one of the most important research tools in cognitive neuroscience and has played a growing role in a number of clinical applications. The interpretation of the results of an fMRI experiment involves the analysis of massive amounts of noisy, complex, multivariate data, resolved both spatially and temporally. The extraction of information from this data is a difficult and articulated task, which relies on methodologies lying at the intersection between image processing, statistics, and machine learning. We here introduce the reader to the rich and diverse literature in the fascinating field of fMRI data analysis, providing an overview of its main challenges and of the most common approaches to overcome them.
Missingness in the Setting of Competing Risks: from Missing Values to Missing Potential Outcomes

The setting of competing risks in which there is an event that precludes the event of interest from occurring is prevalent in epidemiological research. Unless studying all-cause mortality, any study following up individuals is subject to having a competing risk should individuals die during time period that the study covers. While there are prior papers discussing the need for competing risk methods in epidemiologic research, we are not aware of any review that discusses issues of missing data in a competing risk setting. We provide an overview of causal inference in competing risks as potential outcomes are missing, provide some strategies in dealing with missing (or misclassified) event type, and missing covariate data in competing risks. The strategies presented are specifically focused on those that may easily be implemented in standard statistical packages. There is ongoing work in terms of causal analyses, dealing with missing event type information, and missing covariate values specific to competing risk analyses. Competing events are common in epidemiologic research. While there has been a focus on why one should conduct a proper competing risk analysis, a perhaps unrecognized issue is in terms of missingness. Strategies exist to minimize the impact of missingness in analyses of competing risks.
Some physicochemical aspects of L-asparaginase therapy.

Clinical trials of E. coli asparaginase have been carried out with enzymes supplied by several companies [1–4]. The length of time the enzyme remains in the circulation of the host, is apparently a function of the source of the preparation [5]. In early attempts to detect the difference between two such samples (one from Bayer and one from Squibb), each was subjected to gel filtration on a G-200 Sephadex column. Identical activity patterns were obtained with each sample being divided into two peaks of activity. On disc electrophoresis the activity was separated into three bands which seem to represent a major band of monomer, an intermediate band of dimer, and a small band of trimer at the top of the gel. Each enzyme preparation was also subjected to isoelectric focusing, a procedure which separates compounds through a pH gradient according to their isoelectric point regardless of molecular size. Suprisingly, very different patterns of activity were obtained (Fig. 1).
In Vitro Flooding of a Childhood Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

An in vitro flooding package was used to treat the posttraumatic stress disorder of a 10-year-old girl. Traumatic scenes were identified and stimulus and response imagery cues were presented accord...
Winners and Losers : Foreign Firms in China's Emerging Market

(2004). Winners and Losers : Foreign Firms in China's Emerging Market. The Chinese Economy: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 5-16.
Investigating the correlation between mucus cytokine levels, inflammatory cell counts, and baseline quality‐of‐life measures in chronic rhinosinusitis

Background It is hypothesized that uncontrolled inflammation is responsible for many of the manifestations and symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Although earlier work has demonstrated an association between olfactory loss and mucus cytokines, the impact on other symptoms is unknown. In this study we investigated the relationship between cytokines, inflammatory cell counts, and patient-reported outcomes measures to better understand how the inflammatory microenvironment correlates with CRS symptomatology. Methods The 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and 8-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-8) were administered to 76 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for CRS. Mucus was collected intraoperatively from the middle meatus and tested for 17 cytokines using a multiplex flow cytometric bead assay. Eosinophil/neutrophil counts were obtained from histopathologic slide review. Spearman correlations between cytokines, cell counts, and quality-of-life subdomain scores were assessed without multiple comparisons correction due to the small sample size. Results Interleukin-4 (IL-4) correlated significantly with the Rhinologic domain (Rs = 0.25, p = 0.03), whereas eosinophil and neutrophil counts were inversely correlated with the Extranasal Rhinologic domain (Rs = -0.32, p = 0.01; and Rs = -0.27, p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis for nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) showed significant correlations between IL-6 and Total SF-8 (Rs = 0.35, p = 0.02), General Health (Rs = 0.34, p = 0.03), and Emotional (Rs = 0.47, p = 0.002) scores. In patients without polyps (CRSsNP), IL-21 correlated positively with Extranasal Rhinologic Symptoms domain (Rs = 0.41, p = 0.01). Conclusion This pilot study identifies possible pairwise correlations between mucus cytokine levels and baseline quality-of-life measures that need confirmation in larger, targeted studies. Due to the exploratory methodology, positive results may be spurious and should only be used as a starting point for future confirmatory work.
Ego Depletion as a Measure of Emotion Processing Deficits among MUS Patients

Previous studies have found a link between emotion processing deficits and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUS). The majority of previous studies have used self-report measures of emotional processing, with the majority focusing on alexithymia, and have produced inconsistent and contradictory results. In the present study, we investigated the role of emotion-processing deficits in MUS by assessing emotion regulation performance and the effects of performance on ego depletion. Participants with high or low levels of self-reported MUS watched emotion-evoking videos under instructions to allow or suppress their emotional reactions, and then performed an anagram task to measure their effort and perseverance. Contrary to the research with self-report measures, experimental analysis of emotion-processing revealed that MUS is correlated with the inability to regulate negative emotions. Unexpected self-regulatory tendencies of the participants with high symptom levels were discussed.
21st Century Realities: The Urgency of Diversifying the Dental Professional Field.

This article asserts that U.S. demographic shifts make it imperative that academic dental institutions and, in turn, the dental profession must diversify to best meet the needs of the nation’s quickly changing population. In particular, it argues that the severe underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students in dental schools is a detriment to those students who are being excluded from a field critical to the well-being of the population, their prospective peers who are thus not afforded the benefits of compositional diversity in the classroom, and the millions of Americans who live in areas with little to no access to culturally competent oral health care. With such complex challenges facing the profession, dental schools must evolve to prepare students of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds to provide adequate oral health care to the country’s changing population.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis during cotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab

Ipilimumab and nivolumab are human monoclonal antibodies used in cancer therapy. Ipilimumab targets cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen and nivolumab acts against programmed death receptor-1. Both drugs have extensive side effect profiles with high rates of cutaneous involvement. We present a 57-year-old male with stage IV esophageal/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma that developed histologically confirmed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) 6 days after cotreatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab. He presented with diffuse erythematous macules with confluence and large flaccid bullae with scrotal and mucosal involvement. He improved significantly following drug cessation, steroids, and antibiotics. TEN has been reported with ipilimumab and/or nivolumab, as have other severe drug reactions including Stevens–Johnson syndrome and erythema multiforme major. As a true dermatologic emergency, TEN should be recognized as a potential complication of ipilimumab, nivolumab, and other immune checkpoint inhibitors, so clinicians can quickly recognize the condition and initiate therapy.
Global computational mutagenesis of domain structures associated with inherited eye disease

Multidomain proteins account for 70% of the eukaryotic proteome. In genetic disease, multidomain proteins are often affected by numerous mutations, but the effects of these mutations on protein stability and their roles in genetic disease are not well understood. Here, we analyzed protein globular domains to understand how genetic mutations affect the stability of multidomain proteins in inherited disease. In total, 291 domain atomic structures from nine multidomain proteins were modeled by homology, equilibrated using molecular dynamics in water, and subjected to global computational mutagenesis. The domains were separated into 7 groups based on protein fold homology. Mutation propensities within each group of domains were then averaged to select residues critical for domain fold stability. The consensus derived from the sequence alignment shows that the critical residues determined by global mutagenesis are conserved within each group. From this analysis, we concluded that 80% of known disease-related genetic variants are associated with critical residues and are expected to have significant destabilizing effects on domain structure. Our work provides an in silico quantification of protein stability and could help to analyze the complex relationship among missense mutations, multidomain protein stability, and disease phenotypes in inherited eye disease.
Pivot-based Collective Coverage Control with a Multi-robot Team

This paper presents a novel collective coverage control strategy for robots to achieve effective coverage over a large-scale spill. The proposed idea is based on the divide and conquer approach that partitions a large irregular spill in the workspace into a number of smaller zones and let the robot team cover each packing zone sequentially. Ultimately, the robot team can cover the entire area. For an effective coverage operation in diverse and dynamic environments, we propose a pivot-based control strategy performed by a pivot robot and multiple planet robots. The pivot robot is located at the center of the area to be covered and serves as a lighthouse to all the working robots denoted as planet robots exploring the area. By doing so, the planet robots do not require a global coordinate system nor massive communication between robots for their coordination, ultimately enabling an efficient, adaptive, scalable, and fault tolerant coverage operation. The proposed strategy is validated through extensive simulation experiments with different packing shapes and different numbers of robots.
Architectural elements and depositional processes of Amazon Deep-sea Fan imaged by long-range sidescan sonar (GLORIA), bathymetric swath-mapping (Sea Beam), high-resolution seismic and piston-core data

The Amazon Fan is one of the largest deep-sea fans in the modern oceans and extends from the continental shelf off north-east Brazil downslope for c. 700 km to depths greater than 4700 m, where it merges with the Demerara and Ceara abyssal plains (Fig. 18.1). Damuth (1973) and Damuth and Kumar (1975) first described the morphology, sedimentation processes and architectural elements of the fan based on high-resolution (100 Hz airgun and 3.5 kHz PDR sonar) seismic, piston-core and seismic-refraction data. These studies revealed that a network of large, leveed distributary channels radiate outward down the fan surface (Figs 18.1–18.3). Subsequently, Damuth and Embley (1981) identified and mapped large mass-transport deposits (slides/debris-flow complexes) of regional extent on the present-day fan surface (Fig. 18.1).
Community, Social Context of: The US Case

This article is a replacement of the previous edition article by T.N. Clark, volume 4, pp. 2374–2378, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
DeepPool: Distributed Model-Free Algorithm for Ride-Sharing Using Deep Reinforcement Learning

The success of modern ride-sharing platforms crucially depends on the profit of the ride-sharing fleet operating companies, and how efficiently the resources are managed. Further, ride-sharing allows sharing costs and, hence, reduces the congestion and emission by making better use of vehicle capacities. In this paper, we develop a distributed model-free, DeepPool, that uses deep Q-network (DQN) techniques to learn optimal dispatch policies by interacting with the environment. Further, DeepPool efficiently incorporates travel demand statistics and deep learning models to manage dispatching vehicles for improved ride sharing services. Using real-world dataset of taxi trip records in New York, DeepPool performs better than other strategies, proposed in the literature, that do not consider ride sharing or do not dispatch the vehicles to regions where the future demand is anticipated. Finally, DeepPool can adapt rapidly to dynamic environments since it is implemented in a distributed manner in which each vehicle solves its own DQN individually without coordination.
Initiation Patterns and Trends of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adolescents.

Abstract Purpose The primary objectives were to (1) examine the initiation patterns of e-cigarette and cigarette smoking, (2) compare recent trends in initiation patterns for 2015, 2016, and 2017, (3) examine sociodemographic differences in initiation patterns over time and, (4) examine how initiation patterns are associated with cigarette-related perceptions, behaviors, and intentions. Methods Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires from 2015 to 2017 nationally representative samples of eighth-grade (modal ages 13–14 years) and 10th-grade (modal ages 15–16 years) students (N = 36,506) attending U.S. secondary public and private schools. Results Among lifetime e-cigarette or cigarette users (n = 9,858), initiating e-cigarettes only was the most common (47.45%). This was followed by cigarette before e-cigarette initiation (18.50%), which decreased in prevalence from 2015 to 2017. E-cigarette before cigarette initiation was the smallest group (6.89%) but increased from 2015 to 2017. E-cigarette before cigarette users were more likely to perceive cigarette use as risky (adjusted odds ratios [aOR]: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.11–1.77) but also more likely to currently smoke cigarettes (aOR:1.30; 95% CI: 1.03–1.63) compared with those who initiated cigarettes before e-cigarettes. Both cigarette only initiators (aOR: .52; 95% CI: .33–.80) and e-cigarette only initiators (aOR: .22; 95% CI: .07–.16) were less likely to report future intentions to smoke compared with those who initiated cigarettes before e-cigarettes. Conclusions Initiation patterns related to e-cigarette and cigarette use among U.S. youth appears to be changing rapidly. Furthermore, patterns of initiation should be considered in future research as cigarette-related risk among different e-cigarette and cigarette use initiation patterns is heterogeneous.
Learning the Language of Justice Through Play

Video games are often seen as a medium for entertainment. However, there is an emerging genre of video games that are designed to raise awareness about important social issues like poverty, immigration, and war. These games use persuasive strategies for engaging communities in conversations about human rights issues. This paper provides analyses of the educational strategies of twenty-one human rights video games on the Games For Change website. Our analysis reveals that the ways these games increase cognition, increase empathy and teach affective responses, as well as teach players how to participate in social change processes, serve to educate for behavioral change. Through this medium, players are immersed in simulations which give them a language to not only understand the dynamics at play in issues such as deportation, but also offers players insight into how to change these dynamics and why it is important.
Cell Biology: Marine Yeasts Deepen the Sea of Diversity.

Fewer than 10% of fungal species have been discovered, and the diversity and ecological roles of marine species are particularly enigmatic. A new study shows that exploration of this untapped fungal biodiversity may expand our understanding of basic cellular functions such as growth, polarization, and division.
Participation of Parents in the Early Exploration of Tactile Graphics by Children Who Are Visually Impaired.

Seventy-three children with visual impairments aged 2–10 and their parents participated in a project that examined the children's interest in and exploration of tactile graphics. The parents report...
Association between Opioid Prescribing in Medicare and Pharmaceutical Company Gifts by Physician Specialty

The association between pharmaceutical industry promotion and physician opioid prescribing is poorly understood. Whether the influence of industry gifts on prescribing varies by specialty is unknown. To examine the relationship between opioid-related gifts to physicians and opioid prescribing in the subsequent year across 7 physician specialties. Panel study using data from 2014 to 2016. 236,103 unique Medicare Part D physicians (389,622 physician-years) who received any gifts from pharmaceutical companies measured using Open Payments and prescribed opioids in the subsequent year. Amounts paid by pharmaceutical companies for opioid-related gifts including meals and lodging; quartile of opioid prescribing as a percent of total prescribing compared with other same-specialty physicians. In 2014–2015, 14.1% of physician received opioid-related gifts from the industry with 2.6% receiving > $100. Gifts varied by specialty and were concentrated among two pharmaceutical companies responsible for 60% of the value of opioid-related gifts. Receiving opioid-related gifts was associated with greater prescribing of opioids compared with same-specialty physicians in the next year. Primary care physicians are nearly 3.5 times as likely to be in the highest quartile of prescribing versus the lower quartiles if they were paid ≥ $100. Psychiatrists and neurologists were 7 to 13 times as likely to be in a higher quartile of opioid prescribing compared with colleagues who were paid $0 in the preceding year. The value of opioid-related gifts given to physicians varies substantially by provider specialty, as does the relationship between payment amounts and prescriber behavior in the following year.
Heterogeneous catalytic esterification of oleic acid under sub/supercritical methanol over γ-Al2O3

Abstract A continuous pack-bed reactor experimental system was employed to investigate the heterogeneous catalytic esterification of oleic acid and sub/supercritical methanol with γ-Al2O3 as the catalyst. The experiment conditions were pressure of 10–20 MPa, temperature of 175–325 °C, residence time of 0.2–7 min and methanol/oil molar ratio of 20:1. A global one-step second order reversible kinetic model and a three-step Eley-Rideal mechanism model were proposed. The influence of impurity water and reaction pressure on the supercritical heterogeneous catalytic reaction were examined, and the stability of γ-Al2O3 under supercritical conditions was also evaluated. It was found that γ-Al2O3 showed excellent catalytic performance in both subcritical and supercritical processes, promoting theoretical maximum biodiesel yield at 20 MPa, 275 °C in 1 min. The impurity water hindered the conversion of biodiesel due to its negative influence on both the esterification reaction and the catalyst. Finally, the stability of γ-Al2O3 was tested under supercritical condition for 30 h.
Effect of Water Concentration in LiPF6-Based Electrolytes on the Formation, Evolution, and Properties of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase on Si Anodes

A trace amount of water in an electrolyte is one of the factors detrimental to the electrochemical performance of silicon (Si)-based lithium-ion batteries that adversely affect the formation and evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Si-based anodes and change its properties. Thus far, a lack of fundamental and mechanistic understanding of SEI formation, evolution, and properties in the presence of water has inhibited efforts to stabilize the SEI for improved electrochemical performance. Thus, we investigated the SEI formed in a Gen2 electrolyte (1.2 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate/ethyl methyl carbonate, 3:7 wt %, water content: <10 ppm) with and without additional water (50 ppm) at varying potentials (1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.01 V vs Li/Li+). The impact of additional water on the morphological, (electro)chemical, and structural properties of SEI was studied using microscopic (atomic force microscopy and scanning spreading resistance microscopy) and spectroscopic (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) techniques. The SEI exhibits both potential- and water concentration-dependent trends in its morphology and chemical composition. The presence of additional water in the electrolyte causes parasitic reactions, which onset at ∼1.0 V, resulting in a reduction of electrolyte components and result in the formation of an insulating, fluorophosphate-rich SEI. In addition, hydrolysis of LiPF6 creates hydrofluoric acid, which reacts with the surface oxide layer on the Si electrode, leading to a pitted and inhomogeneous SEI structure.
Design of Efficient Dynamic Scheduling of RISC Processor Instructions

The state of art Tomasulo's Algorithm is implemented in a quite different manner. It has multiple data bus lines for out-of-order execution to eliminate data hazards and even to minimize control and structural hazards at compile-time, that connects the reservation station to the execution units. And reservation station controls the instruction execution, is a decentralized scheduler a feature of CPU which allows register renaming to eliminate WAR/WAW hazards. But for this project with the use of multiple data bus lines will have multiple reservation stations to eliminate the structural and control hazards. Cache coherence protocol is about maintaining consistency among multiple local caches so that storing/fetching data will be easier in various cases for multiprocessor systems. So, this modified Tomasulo's algorithm is implemented in conjunction with caches for writing this result and to attain coherency.
Castration Complications: A Review of Castration Techniques and How to Manage Complications.

Castration is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in equine practice. Open, closed, and semiclosed techniques are described for castration of horses, and the procedure may be performed in a standing, sedated animal or in a recumbent animal under general anesthesia. Although a relatively routine procedure, complications can occur, with reported complication rates ranging from 10.2% to 60%. Most complications are mild and resolve rapidly with appropriate treatment, but more serious or life-threatening complications can also occur. A thorough knowledge of male reproductive anatomy and physiology combined with good surgical technique is imperative to help reduce the rate of complications.
Introduction to the Special Issue: putting the Capitol Breach in context

I introduce the contributions to the Special Issue focused on the Capitol breach of 6 January 2021, and suggest that the breach can only be understood in the context of a long and escalating confli...
Electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter NBCe1 regulates pancreatic β cell function in type 2 diabetes

Pancreatic β cell failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is attributed to perturbations of the β cell's transcriptional landscape resulting in impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Recent studies identified SLC4A4 (a gene encoding an electrogenic Na+-coupled HCO3- cotransporter and intracellular pH regulator, NBCe1) as one of the misexpressed genes in β cells of patients with T2DM. Thus, in the current study, we set out to test the hypothesis that misexpression of SLC4A4/NBCe1 in T2DM β cells contributes to β cell dysfunction and impaired glucose homeostasis. To address this hypothesis, we first confirmed induction of SLC4A4/NBCe1 expression in β cells of patients with T2DM and demonstrated that its expression was associated with loss of β cell transcriptional identity, intracellular alkalinization, and β cell dysfunction. In addition, we generated a β cell-selective Slc4a4/NBCe1-KO mouse model and found that these mice were protected from diet-induced metabolic stress and β cell dysfunction. Importantly, improved glucose tolerance and enhanced β cell function in Slc4a4/NBCe1-deficient mice were due to augmented mitochondrial function and increased expression of genes regulating β cell identity and function. These results suggest that increased β cell expression of SLC4A4/NBCe1 in T2DM plays a contributory role in promotion of β cell failure and should be considered as a potential therapeutic target.
Understanding spreadsheets: effects of power users' learning style and computer training on performance and mental model acquisition

The availability of microcomputers and an abundance of software packages have combined to give users powerful problem-solving capabilities. A new group of computer users, power users, has been defined; noncomputer professionals who run several software applications in a business day and are computer literate but not enthralled by the machine. How do power users learn and cope with the proliferation of software? Current research in the learning of computer software has concentrated on one of two distinct areas: the construction and impact of appropriate mental models of computer systems, and the learning style of specific computer user groups. This study combines the two areas and centers on the effects of the interaction between learning styles and training methods of power users on their application of computer software; in particular, a spreadsheet program. The outcomes of interest are performance on the system, development of an appropriate mental model of the system and affective measures. Two classes of management science students (51 subjects) at a state college were taught a spreadsheet package: one class in a conceptual manner and one in a procedural manner. Their preferred learning style was assessed by administering Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (L.S.I.) and by asking them to place themselves on a scale relative to whether they like to learn by trial and error (a procedural manner) or by reading and understanding the package first (a conceptual manner). The students were then tested in their use and understanding of spreadsheets. Results showed that students who understood their learning styles and thought that it was the best way to learn for them (regardless of whether it was a conceptual or procedural style) performed better in all measures than those who had mixed or unfocused learning styles. Kolb's L.S.I. produced no practical results. The results also suggested that procedural training might be more advantageous for a category of interactive, menu-driven software packages exemplified by a spreadsheet. Future research and implications for training are discussed.
Independent Predictors of Clinical Outcomes and Prediction Models on Bladder and Upper Urinary Tract Cancer

We endeavored to summarize the most relevant data in regards of oncologic patient outcome prediction in the transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) topic. Nomograms have been used to standardize this outcome and more accurately predict future events. Bladder cancer still remains a very poor field compared to other areas such as prostate or kidney cancer. In order to facilitate understanding, we organized the chapter by tumor depth of invasion meaning, noninvasive versus invasive bladder cancer. We included a short paragraph about upper tract TCC nomograms. None of the presented nomograms is currently used on a daily basis for patient clinical care due to the lack of external validity in most environments.
Stability of Methanobrevibacter smithii Populations in the Microbial Flora Excreted from the Human Large Bowel

Total anaerobic bacteria and Methanobrevibacter smithii populations were enumerated in fecal specimens from two individuals over 10- and 13-month periods. The ratio of M. smithii to total anaerobic count varied between the individuals, but it was a relatively constant proportion of the large-bowel microbial flora within each individual. Neither a barium enema examination of one subject nor a radical change in the diet of the other had any long-term effect on the methanogen populations.
Edman Degradation on In Vitro Biosynthesized Peptidoglycans from Staphylococcus epidermidis

Edman degradations were performed on the pentapeptide bridges of peptidoglycans which were biosynthesized in vitro by using six different species of seryl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA). The ratio of glycine to serine in each of the five bridge positions varied with the concentration of crude glycyl-tRNA contained in the reaction mixtures, and serine appeared to be incorporated in a random manner. No single species of seryl-tRNA could be identified as the one active in in vivo pentapeptide bridge synthesis; however, it can be speculated that seryl-tRNA(s) from category I could be involved in the in vivo nonrandom incorporation of serine in the bridge.
Design for Interoperability in stapl: pMatrices and Linear Algebra Algorithms

The Standard Template Adaptive Parallel Library ( stapl ) is a high-productivity parallel programming framework that extends C++ and stl with unified support for shared and distributed memory parallelism. stapl provides distributed data structures ( pContainers ) and parallel algorithms ( pAlgorithms ) and a generic methodology for extending them to provide customized functionality. To improve productivity and performance, it is essential for stapl to exploit third party libraries, including those developed in programming languages other than C++. In this paper we describe a methodology that enables third party libraries to be used with stapl . This methodology allows a developer to specify when these specialized libraries can correctly be used, and provides mechanisms to transparently invoke them when appropriate. It also provides support for using stapl pAlgorithms and pContainers in external codes. As a concrete example, we illustrate how third party libraries, namely BLAS and PBLAS, can be transparently embedded into stapl to provide efficient linear algebra algorithms for the stapl pMatrix , with negligible slowdown with respect to the optimized libraries themselves.
Consumption of a Low Protein Diet Increases Norepinephrine Turnover in Brown Adipose Tissue of Adult Rats

Adult rats were fed diets containing 5 or 15% casein to determine effects of low protein intake on efficiency of energy retention and on brown adipose tissue metabolism. Efficiency of energy retention of rats fed the 5% casein diet for 4 or 8 weeks was approximately 40% lower than was efficiency of energy retention of rats fed the 15% casein diet. Rats fed the 5% casein diet also exhibited an enhanced norepinephrine (NE)-stimulated metabolic rate and an accelerated NE turnover in their brown adipose tissue relative to responses of rats fed the 15% casein diet. Additionally, NE turnover in white adipose tissue, but not heart, was accelerated in rats fed the 5% casein diet. The reduced efficiency of energy retention in rats fed the low protein diet may be linked to accelerated NE turnover and heat production by their brown adipose tissue.
Double Lesions are Produced in DNA Oligomer by Ionizing Radiation and by Metal-Catalyzed H2O2 Reactions

Abstract Patrzyc, H. B., Dawidzik, J. B., Budzinski, E. E., Iijima, H. and Box, H. C. Double Lesions are Produced in DNA Oligomer by Ionizing Radiation and by Metal-Catalyzed H2O2 Reactions. It was demonstrated previously that double lesions are produced in DNA by ionizing radiation. These double lesions consist of adjacent nucleotides each bearing a modified base. The goal of the present investigation was to determine whether Fenton chemistry can generate the same kind of lesions. DNA oligomers were exposed to metal-catalyzed H2O2 reactions, and the products were characterized by chromatography and by mass spectrometry. Double lesions are produced by this treatment in which deoxyguanosine is oxidized to 8-oxo-7,8- dihydrodeoxyguanosine and an adjacent pyrimidine nucleoside is degraded to a formamido remnant.
Coagulation of the blood in lusteroid tubes: A study of normal persons and patients with arterial or venous thrombosis

Abstract Coagulation times in the lusteroid tubes used throughout this work were in the range of 14 to 28 minutes in a series of fifty normal controls. There is apparently no significant variation in coagulation time obtained when new or used tubes from the same batch were used. However, normal values must be determined for each new batch of tubes before they are put into use. The reliability of the test varies with the range of coagulation time. In the short range the experimental variation is very small; in the normal range it is somewhat greater. In nine (50 per cent) of the eighteen patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans studied, the coagulation times as measured by the lusteroid method were definitely less than for the normal subjects. No cases of acute occlusion were studied. Ten patients with clinically active or quiescent thromboangiitis obliterans with and without phlebitis were studied. In only three (30 per cent) was there any significant decrease of lusteroid coagulation time. These were two of the group of five patients with clinically active cases. The most pronounced shortening to less than normal of lusteroid coagulation time occurred in the patients with acute thrombophlebitis. It was noted in eight of the nine patients studied. Normal coagulation times were found in the two patients with subsiding thrombophlebitis. It is suggested that determination of the coagulation time in lusteroid tubes may be of value in indicating a tendency to thrombosis.
The Ingestion of Ginkgo biloba Extract (EGb 761) Inhibits Arachidonic Acid-Mediated Platelet Aggregation and Thromboxane B2 Production in Healthy Volunteers

Twelve non-diabetic volunteers (age = 39 +/- 13 years, BMI = 23.5 +/- 3.5) undertook a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in which they ingested either 120 mg of EGb 761 or a placebo daily for 3 months and then switched to the other test capsules for the next 3 months. Platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was performed at the end of each 3-month arm, with or without 1-min incubation with graded doses of EGb 761. In the placebo cycles, AA-stimulated TXB2 production was 2581 +/-1337 pg/10(6) platelets (range 897-5485) compared to 1668 +/- 992 pg/10(6) platelets (range 6-1668) in the EGb 761 cycles (p < 0.005). Incubation of PRP with EGb 761 (150 microg/ml) completely inhibited platelet aggregation accompanied by inhibition of TXB2 synthesis in all subjects both in the placebo (<200 pg TXB2/10(6) platelets) and EGb 761 cycles (< 120 TXB2/10(6) platelets) (p < 0.0001). These results support EGb 761-mediated inhibition of platelet TXB2 synthesis in vivo.
Experimental investigation on the machinability of SiC nano-particles reinforced magnesium nanocomposites during micro-milling processes

This paper experimentally investigates the machinability of magnesium metal matrix composites (Mg-MMCs) with high volume fractions of SiC nano-particles using micro-milling process. The nanocomposites containing 5 vol.%, 10 vol.% and 15 vol.% reinforcements of SiC nano-particles were studied and compared with pure magnesium. The milling was carried out at different feedrates and spindle speeds chosen according to design of experiment (DOE) method. Cutting forces, surface morphology and surface roughness were measured to understand the machinability of the four different materials. Based on response surface methodology (RSM) design, experimental models and related contour plots were developed to build a connection between material properties and cutting parameters. Those models can be used to predict the cutting force, the surface roughness, and then optimise the machining conditions with the required cutting forces and surface roughness.