cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
8 IS ENDOSCOPY NECESSARY FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF DISEASE ACTIVITY IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Objectives Many disease activity indices are used to measure ulcerative colitis. Invasive indices incorporate an endoscopic score, while noninvasive indices do not require endoscopy. In clinical practice, many patients are treated based on their symptoms without endoscopic evaluation. However, invasive indices are commonly used in clinical research. Our objective was to determine whether endoscopy is necessary for the assessment of disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods Sixty-six consecutive ulcerative colitis patients were evaluated with invasive indices: the St. Mark9s index, and the Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity Index (UCDAI); and noninvasive indices: the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI), and the Seo index. The correlations between the indices were measured. The contribution of the endoscopic items was measured with linear regression modeling. The overlap of endoscopy with other items in the standard indices was determined through factor analysis. Results The two noninvasive indices correlated well with the invasive St. Mark9s Index (SCCAI 0.86, Seo 0.70). After adjusting for the three noninvasive UCDAI items, the UCDAI endoscopy item predicted only 0.04% of the variance in the St. Mark9s index. Factor analysis demonstrated that this is because the endoscopy items in the invasive indices correlate with stool frequency and stool blood items. Conclusions Endoscopy items contribute little additional information to indices of disease activity in ulcerative colitis. The clinical practice of treating patients based on reported symptoms is appropriate. The use of noninvasive indices in clinical trials could lower study costs and may increase subjects9 willingness to participate.
Grinding Force Prediction for Tungsten Carbides with Various Grain Sizes

After the existing grinding force models are reviewed, a grinding force mathematical model, which relates to workpiece material properties and grinding conditions, was established based on fracture mechanics. Based on the model, grinding force of tungsten carbide (WC) materials with various grain sizes can be predicted. To verify the model, an experimental study on the WC materials was performed. The influences of the grain size of the WC materials and process parameters in grinding on grinding forces and ground surface topography were analyzed. Then, the relationship between grinding force and mechanical properties of the WC materials were discussed. The model prediction shows a good agreement with the experimental results. The grain size of the WC materials has an obvious effect on grinding force and ground surface topography. Under the same grinding conditions, a better surface finish and reduced grinding force are obtained on the WC workpiece with a smaller grain size, and vice versa. This phenomenon becomes less obvious when a grinding wheel with a small grit size is used.
Research on beneficiation technology of low grade phosphate rock

Test for concentrating low grade phosphate rock was carried out.The results showed that on the condition of raw ore grade being 23.14 % P2O5,mass fraction of MgO 3.72 %,and fineness of grinding fineness 76.55 % with-200 mesh,phosphate concentrate with 30.60 % P2O5,0.68 % MgO could be obtained by double reverse floatation flowsheet in which carbonate was floated firstly,and silicate was floated secondly.The recovery of P2O5 in the concentrate could reach 81.05%.
Enkephalins and Endorphins

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the identification and distribution of enkephalins and endorphins. The two main methods of detecting and quantitating enkephalins and endorphins used so far are radioimmunoassay and bioassay. In addition, opioid receptor binding assays were originally utilized to detect general opioid activity. An area of the brain in which the localization of enkephalin seems to tie in well with certain effects of narcotics is the hypothalamus. Immunohistochemistry reveals that both enkephalin-containing terminals and cell bodies are localized within the hypothalamus. In particular, enkephalinergic terminals are localized in the external layer of the median eminence. Quantitative radioimmunoassay data have been reported by two groups for β-endorphin, both using the same antibody. Concentrations of β-endorphin and β-lipotropin in the pituitary are extremely high. The main localization of this peptide by radioimmunoassay appears to be the neurohypophysis/pars intermedia area rather than in the adenohypophysis. β-endorphin can also be degraded by an enzyme in synaptosomal membranes. The products formed depend on the pH at which the experiment is performed and also on whether bacitracin is present.
Which Truth? Otherness and Melodrama in Vargas Llosa

Without a doubt, Vargas Llosa’s prolific literary production has run a very different course than Jose Maria Arguedas’s. The themes that seem to concern him most persistently, linked in a more or less oblique way to the problem of truth (which in Arguedas’s work takes on dramatic overtones), refer to the opposite of this latter concept in Vargas Llosa’s narrative and essayistic production.
The Codes of Overt Advertisements

Turning back the cover of the October 1982 Redbook, we are drawn into an enticing sight of luxurious well-being (Figure 4.1). The camera lens positions our vision before two carved wooden doors opening to a spacious room. We might be looking at a movie screen in a darkened theatre, so real is this large two-page image that seems to place us at the room’s entrance as we hold the magazine at reading distance. Whites and golden browns predominate, while green indoor plants extend the room beyond its boundaries by directing our vision to the trees outside in the background. At middle distance the woman of the house appears enraptured in a daydream. Bathed in sunlight and dressed in white as are her furniture and walls, she presents a model of affluent leisure — the woman who need not work. Stretching between us and this fantasy of ourselves is the predominant image in the photograph, the expansive Armstrong floor “Solarian Supreme.” By purchasing it, the ad suggests, we will attain both the affluent appearance of this room and the life of leisure that the woman signifies.
The Economic Burden of Orthopedic Surgery Residency Interviews on Applicants.

BACKGROUND The intense competition for orthopedic surgery residency positions influences the interview process. The financial impact on residency applicants is less well understood. The purpose of the present study was to define the economic burden of the orthopedic surgery residency interview process while additionally describing how applicants finance the expense. METHODS We distributed surveys to 48 nonrotating applicants at our institution's residency interview days for the 2015 match year. The survey consisted of eleven questions specific to the costs of interviewing for orthopedic surgery residency positions. RESULTS The survey response rate was 90% (43/48). Applicants applied to a median of 65 orthopedic surgery residency programs (range 21-88) and targeted a median of 15 interviews (range 12-25). The mean cost estimate for a single interview was $450 (range $200-800) and the cost estimate for all interviews was $7,119 (range $2,500-15,000). Applicants spent a mean of $344 (range $0-750) traveling to our interview. Seventy-two percent borrowed money to finance their interview costs and 28% canceled interviews for financial reasons. CONCLUSIONS The financial cost of interviewing for orthopedic surgery is substantial and a majority of applicants add to their educational debt by taking out loans to finance interviews. Future considerations should be made to minimize these costs for an already financially burdened population.
Proximity to females alters circulating testosterone concentrations and body weight in male goats

Abstract To examine the effect of female proximity on circulating testosterone (T) concentrations, male French Alpine goats ( Capra hircus; ages 4 to 5 yr old ) were housed with visual contact with females (Near bucks, n = 5), or no visual contact with females (Far bucks, n = 5), prior to the onset of the breeding season (Experiment 1). After 10 wk, all males had visual contact with females. In a subsequent study (Experiment 2) Near (n = 10; ages 3 to 6) and Far bucks (n = 10; ages 3 to 6 yr old) remained in prospective housing conditions for the entire breeding season and body weight were measure weekly. To determine how T concentrations affect body weight castrated males (ages 5 yr old) were dosed with either 100 mg (n = 5), 25 mg (n = 5) or vehicle control (CON; n = 3) testosterone propionate (TP) 3x/wk subcutaneously (s.c.) and their body weight was measured every 3 mo for one year (Experiment 3). Males housed with visual contact to females had higher T concentrations than those not housed near females (P
Strategy Inference in Multi-Agent Multi-Team Scenarios

Creating simulations for multi-agent multi-team interactions is a daunting task. It is non-trivial to compose a situation where each individual agent maintains their own 'personality' while still following the assigned policy dictated by a team's central command. Further, the complexity is inflated by ensuring that each of these agent policies is coordinated into a cohesive team strategy. Finally, peaking the complexity, is evaluating the performance of the team's strategy against other teams' strategies in real-time. This is the work of this paper, proposing SIMAMT, the simulation space for multi-agent multi-team engagements, and testing it. We will first cover the system and how well it models the virtual environment for strategic interaction. Second, we will deliver results from a practical test of strategy inference within such an environment using the SIE (Strategy Inference Engine).
Control of Grafting Density and Distribution in Graft Polymers by Living Ring-Opening Metathesis Copolymerization.

Control over polymer sequence and architecture is crucial to both understanding structure–property relationships and designing functional materials. In pursuit of these goals, we developed a new synthetic approach that enables facile manipulation of the density and distribution of grafts in polymers via living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Discrete endo,exo-norbornenyl dialkylesters (dimethyl DME, diethyl DEE, di-n-butyl DBE) were strategically designed to copolymerize with a norbornene-functionalized polystyrene (PS), polylactide (PLA), or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) macromonomer mediated by the third-generation metathesis catalyst (G3). The small-molecule diesters act as diluents that increase the average distance between grafted side chains, generating polymers with variable grafting density. The grafting density (number of side chains/number of norbornene backbone repeats) could be straightforwardly controlled by the macromonomer/diluent feed ratio. To gain insight into the copolymer ...
Clinical Application of Raw and Processed EEG

Although the human electroencephalogram (EEG) was first reported in the 1920s and first proposed as an intraoperative monitor in the 1930s, only in the past few decades has the EEG received focused attention in the field of anesthesiology. The evolution of EEG in the perioperative period has occurred in three stages. First, there was an exploration of raw EEG, which proved impractical given cumbersome machines, paper records, and the lack of an invariant EEG signature for general anesthesia. Second, there was a focus on processed EEG monitors, which were practical and convenient through the display of a single index but whose neuroscientific validity and broad utility is still in question. Most recently, there have been more principled approaches to understanding the EEG during anesthesia that are based either on mechanisms of general anesthetics or mechanisms of consciousness. Originally developed to assess depth of anesthesia, processed EEG monitoring has not consistently been shown to reduce the incidence of awareness under anesthesia in comparison to alarms based on minimum alveolar concentration. It has also been suggested that EEG-guided titration of anesthetics may improve cognitive function after surgery by avoiding anesthetic overdose, but more definitive studies are needed. In this chapter, we review the basics of EEG acquisition and interpretation, the neurophysiologic properties of anesthetics, and the clinical utility of raw and processed EEG in various settings.
A High‐Throughput Process for the Solid‐Phase Purification of Synthetic DNA Sequences

An efficient process for the purification of synthetic phosphorothioate and native DNA sequences is presented. The process is based on the use of an aminopropylated silica gel support functionalized with aminooxyalkyl functions to enable capture of DNA sequences through an oximation reaction with the keto function of a linker conjugated to the 5'-terminus of DNA sequences. Deoxyribonucleoside phosphoramidites carrying this linker, as a 5'-hydroxyl protecting group, have been synthesized for incorporation into DNA sequences during the last coupling step of a standard solid-phase synthesis protocol executed on a controlled pore glass (CPG) support. Solid-phase capture of the nucleobase- and phosphate-deprotected DNA sequences released from the CPG support is demonstrated to proceed near quantitatively. Shorter than full-length DNA sequences are first washed away from the capture support; the solid-phase purified DNA sequences are then released from this support upon reaction with tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride in dry dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and precipitated in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The purity of solid-phase-purified DNA sequences exceeds 98%. The simulated high-throughput and scalability features of the solid-phase purification process are demonstrated without sacrificing purity of the DNA sequences. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Abstract 192: Mechano-growth Factor (MGF) and Cerebral Vasospasm (CV) Post Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (aSAH)

Cerebral vasospasm (CV) and related ischemic injury is a major contributor to death and disability after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Our overall goal is to understand molecular mechanisms of action of endogenous mechano-growth factor (MGF), a splice variant of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), in the brain. MGF was found to be neuroprotective after stroke in a gerbil model of ischemic injury and may serve as a potential therapeutic target to prevent CV-induced brain damage. In our studies, we characterized hypoxia induced changes in MGF expression in different brain regions, commonly affected by CV, at different time points (from 2 hours to 7 days) post 4h hypoxia treatments (6, 8,10 or 12% oxygen). The brain regions analyzed were motor cortex, hippocampus, striatum and hypothalamus. In addition, we characterized changes in MGF expression in microparticle (MP) fractions isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) extracted from CV patients. Microparticle fractions were isolated from CSF samples using serial ultracentrifugation. We used real time RT-PCR, western blots, and enzyme immunosorbent assay to quantify changes in gene expression and protein levels. In the animal model, our results showed that there were time, dose and brain region specific changes in MGF expression that correlated with changes in the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and biliverdin reductase A, which are molecules involved in neuroprotection, and caspases, apoptotic markers. These results suggest that changes in endogenous MGF due to hypoxia may activate neuroprotective pathways in the brain. In CSF MPs isolated from CV patients, we observed an increase in MGF expression that correlated with the CV onset window and with an increase in HO-1, suggesting that similar pathways are activated post-CV in humans and post-hypoxia in animals. These data indicate that endogenous MGF may play a role in CV onset and may be a neuroprotective target in CV papteins. However, further studies are required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of MGF and its exact role in CV development and patient outcome.
The source location of mantle plumes from 3D spherical models of mantle convection

Abstract Mantle plumes are thought to originate from thermal boundary layers such as Earth's core-mantle boundary (CMB), and may cause intraplate volcanism such as large igneous provinces (LIPs) on the Earth's surface. Previous studies showed that the original eruption sites of deep-sourced LIPs for the last 200 Myrs occur mostly above the margins of the seismically-observed large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) in the lowermost mantle. However, the mechanism that leads to the distribution of the LIPs is not clear. The location of the LIPs is largely determined by the source location of mantle plumes, but the question is under what conditions mantle plumes form outside, at the edges, or above the middle of LLSVPs. Here, we perform 3D geodynamic calculations and theoretical analyses to study the plume source location in the lowermost mantle. We find that a factor of five decrease of thermal expansivity and a factor of two increase of thermal diffusivity from the surface to the CMB, which are consistent with mineral physics studies, significantly reduce the number of mantle plumes forming far outside of thermochemical piles (i.e., LLSVPs). An increase of mantle viscosity in the lowermost mantle also reduces number of plumes far outside of piles. In addition, we find that strong plumes preferentially form at/near the edges of piles and are generally hotter than that forming on top of piles, which may explain the observations that most LIPs occur above LLSVP margins. However, some plumes originated at pile edges can later appear above the middle of piles due to lateral movement of the plumes and piles and morphologic changes of the piles. ∼65–70% strong plumes are found within 10 degrees from pile edges in our models. Although plate motion exerts significant controls over the large-scale mantle convection in the lower mantle, mantle plume formation at the CMB remains largely controlled by thermal boundary layer instability which makes it difficult to predict geographic locations of most mantle plumes. However, all our models show consistently strong plumes originating from the lowermost mantle beneath Iceland, supporting a deep mantle plume origin of the Iceland volcanism.
Demo: Spectrum Access System on Cognitive Radio Network Testbed

Radio frequency (RF) spectrum is transitioning from exclusive licensed to shared use in many bands. We demonstrate our design and implementation of a spectrum access system (SAS), which allows centrally coordinated access to shared spectrum. It shows how resources are requested by the radios and how the SAS tracks spectrum occupation and grants or denies access to requesting nodes. The open-source software framework is readily installed on Virginia Tech's cognitive radio network (CORNET) testbed, a remotely-accessible wireless research platform of large scale.
What are the keys to a longer, happier life? Answers from five decades of health psychology research

Abstract Rationale It has long been known that factors of the mind and of interpersonal relationships influence health, but it is only in the last 50 years that an independent scientific field of health psychology appeared, dedicated to understanding psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare. Objective and method This article (a) reviews important research that answers the question of how human beings can have longer, happier lives; and (b) highlights trends in health psychology featuring articles in Social Science & Medicine as well as other related literature. Results Since the 1970s, health psychology has embraced a biopsychosocial model such that biological factors interact and are affected by psychological and social elements. This model has illuminated all subjects of health, ranging from interventions to lower stress and/or to improve people's ability to cope with stressors, to mental and physical health. Importantly, a health psychology perspective is behavioral: The majority of chronic diseases of today can be avoided or reduced through healthy lifestyles (e.g., sufficient exercise, proper diet, sufficient sleep). Thus, behavior change is the key target to help reduce the immense public health burden of chronic lifestyle illnesses. Health psychology also focuses on how social patterns influence health behavior and outcomes, in the form of patient-provider interactions or as social forces in communities where people live, work, and play. Health psychology is congenial to other health sciences, especially when allied with ecological perspectives that incorporate factors upstream from individual behavior, such as networks linked to individuals (e.g., peer groups, communities). Over its history, health psychology research has been responsive to societal and medical needs and has routinely focused on understanding health disparities. Conclusion By relying on a strong interdisciplinary approach, research in health psychology provides a remarkably comprehensive perspective on how people can live healthier lives.
Morgenthau in America: The Legacy

In the decades before and after World War II, the leading spokesmen of the American realist tradition exhibited a persistent philosophical and historical interest in the relation between power and moral purpose. Among this group, Hans J. Morgenthau was the leader and in important senses the guide. This chapter takes up Morgenthau’s legacy and his influence upon leading scholars and public figures of his day, in addition to some contemporary international thinkers. That influence registered differently, not only according to time and issue but also according to Morgenthau’s personality and interests. Attention is devoted to the philosophical Morgenthau, the academic and public person at different periods, and in different environments.
Dispersion strengthened alloys: The possibilities for light metals

A state-of-the-art exclusive for Journal of Metals readers, written by one of the well-known metallurgists in the field.
Inside the Black Box: Developing the Process of Conflict Diplomacy

Facing numerous examples of current and plausible future conflicts that can reach crisis conditions, a model of conflict management tactics and strategies aimed at reducing diplomatic tensions and allowing for a stable cessation of hostility in relationships is needed. This essay will review the concept of preventive diplomacy as a useful basis for beginning a discussion of conflict management in situations of international crisis. A theoretical framework is then presented to describe and understand the nature of relationships between parties in conflict. This framework is then used to derive a model of specific tactics and strategies by which one can develop a processes of handling crisis interaction and diplomacy, leading to the transformation of diplomatic relationships and eventually a status of unconditional peace. Within this model, specific types of goals and issues are presented as factors of these strategies and tactics. This essay concludes by considering some of the important potential contributions of this line of research.
Shocks, seasonality, and disaggregation: Modelling food security through the integration of agricultural, transportation, and economic systems

Abstract Food insecurity is a complex phenomenon with biophysical, climatic, economic, and infrastructure facets. Despite this understanding, there are few stakeholder-based modelling tools that can capture these dynamics and thereby evaluate the direct and indirect impacts that climatic change, economic change, and policy interventions can have on food security. To address this need, we have developed the Food Distributed Extendable COmplementarity (Food-DECO) model. The Food-DECO model represents individual aggregated stakeholders as decision-makers within the agricultural, transportation, and economic systems. In this paper, we demonstrate the model's capabilities by applying it to a food system based on characteristics of Ethiopia, a frequently food-insecure country. Food-DECO produces results that show the effects of seasonality and regional distribution networks on human nutrition while disaggregating those effects by age, gender, and per capita income. We explore the impacts of a regional crop failure and evaluate the possible effectiveness of several commonly proposed food security interventions. The economic integration of agriculture and transportation in Food-DECO enables us to see, counterintuitively, that improving the capacity of the existing food distribution network between regions can negatively impact the nutritional outcomes in the region experiencing crop failure; the increased ability to meet high demand elsewhere leads to an increase in regional exports – even during a food shortage.
Introduction to Sensors and General Applications

The prolific growth of sensors and sensor technologies has an increasingly dramatic impact in our daily life. Portable microsensors and wireless links have brought security, reliability, and even harmony with our environment. The emerging field of smart sensors and wireless sensor networks is the best example for wide popularity of sensors in the recent years.
Despite the Odds: How to wage and project a successful write-in campaign

Successful write-in campaigns in major elections are extremely rare occurrences but they do occur, and they may reveal much about American electoral behavior. A model which identifies the preconditions for write-in contention is presented. The model hypothesizes that a precipitous event or chain of events must create a volatile electoral situation. Secondly, the write-in candidate must be able to manipulate the opportunity to his/her advantage. Finally, write-in voters must be willing and able to write-in a candidate's name. The determinants for write-in success and voter participation are found to be similar to the determinants that are influential in conventional elections: campaign strategy, candidate support bases, and voter intensity and awareness. But conventional survey research techniques and measures of voter support are of limited use in the write-in situation. A number of write-in ‘controls’ are presented which provide a much firmer basis for gauging and projecting voter support.
Capabilities and Personal Identity of the Researcher

In this chapter, I argue that the new type of sustainability research which I suggest makes high demands on the individual researcher, her capabilities, and personal identity. The individual researcher is a key element for the development and actualization of sustainability research. The characteristics of the issue of sustainability and the specific inter- and transdisciplinary design of sustainability research result in specific requirements for the sustainability researcher in regard to her (1) cognitive capabilities, (2) communication skills, and (3) personal morality and ethical competencies. This goes far beyond the requirements of analytical and scientific excellence usually made on a traditional scientist, which are, of course, also requirements for the sustainability researcher.
Nucleus Accumbens Modulation in Reward and Aversion

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key node of the brain's circuitry that is responsible for translating motivation into action. It has been implicated in playing critical roles in virtually all forms of adaptive and pathological motivated behaviors. It is subject to modulation by a broad array of inputs that influence NAc activity in complex ways that are still poorly understood. Here, we briefly review current knowledge about the behavioral consequences of NAc modulation, focusing on recent studies that use novel techniques developed and implemented over the last decade.
Feelings: Discipleship that Understands the Affective Processes of a Disciple of Christ

Christ calls believers to be disciples, and in turn to disciple others. For discipleship to be effective, it is important to understand the role that emotions play in our relationship with God, oth...
An Evaluation of the Effects of Commodity-Price Indexation on Developed and Developing Economies: An Application of the Rempis Model

Publisher Summary Developing nations, which depend on exports of non-oil commodities for foreign exchange, have argued that the indexation of commodity prices to some price measure in developed countries would benefit rich and poor nations alike. This proposition has been dissected theoretically but no consensus of opinion has been established. This chapter discusses the impacts of commodity-price indexation on the world economy using a specially designed global econometric simulation model. The chapter presents an overview of some issues in the debate over commodity-price indexation. It describes the regional econometric model for price-indexation studies (REMPIS) model. The chapter also presents simulation results and some conclusions are drawn from these simulations. The most important element of the indexation scenario is the selection of the indexation rule. Any “real-world” application of commodity-price indexation would involve political compromise as well as economic benefit analysis.
Structure and dynamics of a silver-doped chalcogenide glass: An ab initio study

Abstract A ternary glassy chalcogenide material, Ag20Ge28Se52, is analyzed for structural, electronic, vibrational, and ion dynamical properties. The structural analysis has revealed some interesting substructures, which are typically found only in Se-rich or Ge-rich materials. The radial distribution function of the Ag20Ge28Se52 model illustrates reasonably good agreement with experiment. The vibrational density of states (VDOS) is characterized, and the nature of the modes is revealed as a function of energy. Finally, the dynamics of Ag are explored by investigating diffusion and hopping characteristics of Ag, and the character of trapping centers.
Lessons Learned from Industrial and Natural Analogs for Health, Safety and Environmental Risk Assessment for Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide

This chapter provides information regarding potential approaches for assessing, managing, and mitigating risks associated with the deep geologic storage of CO 2 . Information is gathered from three principle sources—industrial analogs such as natural gas storage, deep injection of hazardous wastes and nuclear waste storage; natural analogs, especially those with CO 2 leaks at the surface; and industrial uses of CO 2 for a variety of applications. The chapter presents several recommendations in the areas of risk assessment framework and methodology, risk management approaches, and risk mitigation and remediation methods. A large amount of valuable information is obtained from investigating natural and industrial analogs for geologic storage of carbon dioxide. Recommendations for additional research to address gaps in knowledge and risk management approaches are also provided.
Neither solitary nor social: surviving Chinese psychiatry

This is a first-person account of my study visit to a Chinese mental hospital. What I write is based on an interview with the Chinese medical director as well as on what I witnessed in one of the i...
Design and implementation of mission assurance management environment

Group-based senior design project can improve students' software development experience, enhance students' problem solving and critical thinking skills, and increase students' teamwork coordination skills. Especially, an industry-sponsored senior design project can provide students a realistic hands-on environment and offer students experience and skills that are highly relevant to current practices of the IT industry. This paper discusses the experience of our NASA senior project - Mission Assurance Management Environment (MAME). MAME's goal is to increase the reliability, availability, and safety of aircraft by focusing on implementing the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Flight Project Practices and Design Practices in an integrated software environment. Our MAME system is the first implemented software tool to support mission assurance processes and activities in the world to the best of our knowledge.
Increasing Healthcare Value Through Simulation: Cost Savings from Reductions in Cast Saw Injuries After Simulation-based Education of Orthopaedic Trainees

Introduction: Simulation-based training may improve overall healthcare value by improving outcomes and minimizing complications. However, there is limited information regarding the cost-effectiveness of simulation curricula, particularly in musculoskeletal conditions. The purpose of this study was to estimate the cost effectiveness of simulation training aimed at reducing cast saw injury by orthopaedic surgery residents. Methods: Beginning in January 2013, third-year orthopaedic residents rotating at a tertiary care children’s hospital were enrolled in a simulation-based curriculum, involving instruction on distal radius fracture reduction, cast application, and cast removal using an oscillating cast …
Greater discrimination difficulty during perceptual learning leads to stronger and more distinct representations

Despite the conventional wisdom that it is more difficult to find a target among similar distractors, this study demonstrates that this disadvantage is short-lived, and that high target-to-distractor (TD) similarity during visual search training can have beneficial effects for learning. Participants with no prior knowledge of Chinese performed 12 hour-long sessions over 4 weeks, where they had to find a briefly presented target character among a set of distractors. At the beginning of the experiment, high TD similarity hurt performance, but the effect reversed during the first session and remained positive throughout the remaining sessions. This effect was due primarily to reducing false alarms on trials in which the target was absent from the search display. In addition, making an error on a trial with a specific character was associated with slower visual search response times on the subsequent repetition of the character, suggesting that participants paid more attention in encoding the characters after false alarms. Finally, the benefit of high TD similarity during visual search training transferred to a subsequent N-back working-memory task. These results suggest that greater discrimination difficulty likely induces stronger and more distinct representations of each character.
Strength and Conditioning Coaches' Perceptions of Sport Psychology Strategies.

Quartiroli, A, Moore, EWG, and Zakrajsek, RA. Strength and conditioning coaches' perceptions of sport psychology strategies. . J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Strength and conditioning coaches (SCCs) hold a central role in the development of student-athletes. Although they certainly focus on student-athletes' physical skill development, SCCs are in an ideal position to integrate mental skills into their strength and conditioning sessions. For example, sport psychology (SP) strategies can be used within strength and conditioning sessions to assist in athlete exercise execution by regulating arousal, improving concentration, confidence, as well as improve self-correction through self-talk and imagery. The purpose of this study was to assess collegiate SCCs' use of SP skills/strategies. A total sample of 415 SCCs (19.7% return rate) across the United States participated in an online survey. Although the majority of these coaches reported having less than moderate training in SP (59.9%), they also reported a moderate to high use of certain SP strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-talk). Strength and conditioning coaches' familiarity with, knowledge of, and confidence to use the SP strategies were found to be predictors of SCCs' frequency of SP strategy use. This study aimed to provide an initial exploration of SCCs' understanding and use of specific SP strategies, which was influenced by the SCCs' perceived level of preparation to use these strategies. For SCCs to be able to purposefully and confidently incorporate SP strategies into training sessions, the current study suggests the need for specific training aimed to enhance the SCCs' knowledge of and confidence in using specific SP strategies.
Agitation after traumatic brain injury: a review of current and future concepts in diagnosis and management.

Objectives Agitation and aggression are common following traumatic brain injury. The challenges related to these disorders affect all stages of recovery, from the acute hospital to the community setting. The aim of this literature review is to provide an updated overview of the current state of post-traumatic agitation research. Methods We performed a PubMed literature review which included recent confirmatory and novel research as well as classic and historical studies to integrate past and future concepts. Results Areas explored include the personal and societal effects of post-traumatic agitation, methods for defining and diagnosing several neurobehavioral disorders, and pathophysiology and management of agitation and aggression. Target areas for future study are identified and discussed. Discussion While much progress has been made in understanding post-traumatic agitation, there remain several key areas that require further elucidation to support the care and treatment for people with traumatic brain injury.
Development of Self-Adaptable Mechanism to Compensate Angle-Dependent Flexor Tone of the Elbow Joint Post-stroke: A Pilot Study

Upper extremity impairments are common among stroke survivors. Robotic devices enable a high-dose of repetitive training for patients, but most systems are confined to the laboratory settings due to their complexity and power requirements. Previously we developed a passive elbow device that can counteract the angle-dependent tone of flexor muscles with hypertonia, but its efficacy was found limited as the increase in passive assistance during elbow extension was found not sufficient to provide assistance to those with more severe impairments. Therefore, in this study, we developed a ‘self-adaptable’ passive device that adjusts its assistance level based on the movements of patients. In addition to the morphological design to adjust moment arms of the elastic components, we incorporated a self-adaptation mechanism, in which the lengths of the elastic bands were adjusted by a pair of miniature linear motors based on the joint position feedback signals. The capacity of the device was then tested in a pilot testing with two healthy subjects, for whom angle-dependent flexion torque was implemented to simulate flexor hypertonia. The additional adjustment of passive component lengths was found to further increase the elbow extension assistance as the elbow joint extended. The proposed self-adapting mechanism, which does not require any complex control input from the experimenters, can be incorporated with the existing passive device to improve its functional efficacy in home-based training.
Improving Mathematics Content Mastery and Enhancing Flexible Problem Solving through Team-Based Inquiry Learning

This article examines how student learning is affected by the use of team-based inquiry learning, a novel pedagogy in mathematics that uses team-based learning to implement inquiry-based learning. We conducted quasi-experimental and observational studies in intermediate level mathematics courses, finding that team-based inquiry learning led to increased content mastery and that students took a more flexible approach to solving problems. We also found that in the courses using this pedagogy, women (but not men) had a reduction in communication apprehension over the course of a semester. We conclude that team-based inquiry learning effectively enhances student learning and problem solving, preparing students for future academic success and fostering career readiness.
Computational Modeling Predicts the Stability of Both Pd+ and Pd2+ Ion-Exchanged into H-CHA

Passive NOx adsorbers (PNA) using Pd/zeolites have emerged as a promising solution for the reduction of cold-start emissions from vehicle exhaust. However, the nature of the active sites and the mechanisms underlying NOx adsorption in Pd/zeolites remain a subject of ongoing investigation. In this study, we employ quantum chemical simulations to investigate the structure of Pd species in cation-exchange sites at isolated Al and Al pairs in the 6-ring and 8-ring of the CHA framework, before the introduction of NOx. Our calculations show that the speciation of Pd in these exchange sites strongly depends on the precise Al arrangement within the framework, as well as the operating conditions. Ionically dispersed Pd is found to be the most favorable species over a wide range of oxidizing and reducing conditions. Small oligomers of PdO and metallic Pd do not appear to be competitive at either isolated Al or Al pairs. Notably, our calculations show that ion exchange sites other than next-next-nearest neighbor Al pairs in the 6-ring will be preferentially occupied by Pd+ instead of Pd2+. The stability of Pd+ in the zeolite environment is an interesting contrast with its rareness in molecular Pd compounds. Nonetheless, a detailed analysis of the electronic structure shows that predicted Pd oxidation states are consistent with chemical intuition for all complexes investigated in this study. We also discuss the potential ambiguity in Pd characterization provided by typical experimental techniques such as XANES, EXAFS and UV-VIS, and highlight the need for additional EPR spectroscopy studies to further elucidate the initial Pd speciation in zeolites for PNA applications.
Understanding Capacity Development

The practice of capacity development is considered a “silver bullet” or a “cure all” by development scholars and practitioners. The concept, however, falls short of achieving any meaningful changes on the ground. In practice, the concept is applied without understanding how actual capacity building takes place, how institutions evolve, and how to define development in the first place. It is thus no surprise that the concept is now becoming associated with quite the opposite of what it intends to do. The scholars are now referring to a “capability trap” and further hollowing of capacity as the concept is applied in a rushed, top-down, and supply-driven manner. Though capacity building has different meanings to different groups, scholars and practitioners have developed variables and indicators to describe different aspects of capacity building. The literature suggests that there is no systematic framework to help scholars and practitioners understand and measure sustainable capacity development. This chapter provides a brief overview of the current literature and debates on capacity building within the larger landscape of international development practice. The chapter is divided into three main parts: (i) definitions and historical evolution of the capacity development concept, (ii) main research areas, and (iii) gaps in the current research.
Sinus, disabling tension-type, and temporomandibular joint headaches

Purpose of review Clinicians frequently face questions from headache patients regarding the roles played by sinus issues, muscle tension, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems. This review highlights new concepts regarding the diagnosis and management of these headache conditions and their differentiation from migraine. Recent findings Recent research has clarified the roles played by pathology in the paranasal sinuses and TMJ in patients reporting headache. Additional information from physiologic studies in patients with tension-type headache (TTH) has improved the understanding of this condition. Summary Improved understanding of sinus headache, disabling TTH, and TMJ headache and their differentiation from migraine will lead to reductions in unnecessary diagnostic procedures and unwarranted medical and surgical procedures. More expedient recognition of the origin of headache should lead to improved therapeutic outcomes.
The Rapid Naming Test: Development and initial validation in typically aging adults.

Progressive word-finding difficulty is a primary cognitive complaint among healthy older adults and a symptom of pathological aging. Classic measures of visual confrontation naming, however, show c...
Fides: Reliable Trust-Region Optimization for Parameter Estimation of Ordinary Differential Equation Models

MotivationBecause they effectively represent mass action kinetics, ordinary differential equation models are widely used to describe biochemical processes. Optimization-based calibration of these models on experimental data can be challenging, even for low-dimensional problems. However, reliable model calibration is a prerequisite for many subsequent analysis steps, including uncertainty analysis, model selection and biological interpretation. Although multiple hypothesis have been advanced to explain why optimization based calibration of biochemical models is challenging, there are few comprehensive studies that test these hypothesis and tools for performing such studies are also lacking. ResultsWe implemented an established trust-region method as a modular python framework (fides) to enable structured comparison of different approaches to ODE model calibration involving Hessian approximation schemes and trust-region subproblem solvers. We evaluate fides on a set of benchmark problems that include experimental data. We find a high variability in optimizer performance among different implementations of the same algorithm, with fides performing more reliably that other implementations investigated. Our investigation of possible sources of poor optimizer performance identify shortcomings in the widely used Gauss-Newton approximation. We address these shortcomings by proposing a novel hybrid Hessian approximation scheme that enhances optimizer performance. AvailabilityFides is published under the permissive BSD-3-Clause license with source code publicly available at https://github.com/fides-dev/fides. Citeable releases are archived on Zenodo. Contactfabian_froehlich@hms.harvard.edu and peter_sorger@hms.harvard.edu Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online and at https://github.com/fides-dev/fides-benchmark.
African Refugee Youth’s Experiences and Impact on Career Development: An Adaptation of a Culturally Responsive Career Exploration Group

Of the 70.8 million people forcibly displaced from their original countries globally, 28.9 million are refugees. More than half of this refugee population are children under the age of 18, with a s...
Oncology Expanded Access and FDA's Project Facilitate.

The Oncology Center of Excellence at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched Project Facilitate on May 31, 2019, to assist oncology healthcare providers with Expanded Access requests for investigational drugs. Expanded Access, sometimes called "compassionate use" is a regulatory pathway for physicians caring for patients who have a life-threatening condition or a serious disease to gain access to an investigational drug for treatment when no comparable or satisfactory alternative treatment options are available [1]. Herein we describe the Project Facilitate program and the process for requesting Expanded Access to an investigational drug. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Project Facilitate is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) program to assist oncology healthcare providers with Expanded Access requests for investigational drugs to treat individual patients with cancer who have exhausted available therapies and are not eligible for clinical trials. Oncology healthcare providers can speak with a Project Facilitate staff member by telephone or email to discuss the process of requesting Expanded Access and receive assistance with filing the necessary documents.