cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PERSONALITY AND COGNITIVE ABILITY AS PREDICTORS OF JOB SEARCH AMONG EMPLOYED MANAGERS

Research on employee job search and separation traditionally focuses on situationally specific variables. Such variables may change with particular employment situations (e.g., job tenure, salary, perceived organizational success), they may be differentially relevant to work situations over time (e.g., education), or may reflect individual reactions to particular work situations (e.g., job satisfaction). More enduring individual characteristics, particularly personality and cognitive ability, may affect job search in consistent ways across different situations, but to date we have little empirical research on those effects. The present study extends traditional job search investigations by incorporating these two enduring individual characteristics–personality and cognitive ability. The value of these two enduring individual characteristics, in predicting job search, is then tested on a sample of U.S. executives. Cognitive ability as well as the personality dimensions of Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience related positively to job search. These effects remained even in the presence of an array of situational factors previously shown to affect search. The relationship between Extroversion and job search became significant and positive in the presence of situational factors, particularly job satisfaction. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Citrulline is not the major product using the standard “NOS activity” assay on renal cortical homogenates

A standard approach to assessing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in tissue homogenates is 1) removal of small-molecular-weight substances by size-exclusion chromatography, 2) adding back of su...
Transiently increased variation between a Point-of-Care and laboratory INR method after a long period of correlation: a case study demonstrating the need for ongoing correlation of POC with the central laboratory.

Objectives: To perform long-term comparison between laboratory Stago and Point-of-Care (POC) i-STAT methods for determining the international normalized ratio (INR). Methods: This was a multicenter method comparison of patient INR results and factors related to performance variance. Results: For 5 years, the assays demonstrated close patient correlation within and above the 3.5 INR therapeutic range cutoff (bias, 0.23 INR units). Patient results above 3.5 INR were bimodal, with 60% demonstrating an i-STAT INR bias of less than 0.5. Several patient conditions were associated with the presence of a higher i-STAT bias. In year 6, a broader range i-STAT bias developed, increasing to 0.73 INR units. The increased bias persisted for 3 years, then returned to initial levels following i-STAT adjustments. The substantial increase in i-STAT bias after a long period of stability was partly corrected by renewed correlation to the international reference preparation. Additional assay drift is discussed in relation to thromboplastin reagents and other testing variables.
Digit replantation in children: a nationwide analysis of outcomes and trends of 455 pediatric patients.

Background The short-term outcomes of pediatric digit replantation have been derived primarily from single-center/surgeon experience. The purpose of this study was to conduct a nationwide analysis of outcomes and trends of pediatric digit replantation as compared to adult patients.
Flit-reservation flow control

This paper presents flit-reservation flow control, in which control flits traverse the network in advance of data flits, reserving buffers and channel bandwidth. Flit-reservation flow control requires control flits to precede data flits, which can be realized through fast on-chip control wires or the pipelining of control flits one or more cycles ahead of data flits. Scheduling ahead of data at rival enables buffers to be held only during actual buffer usage, unlike existing flow control methods. It also eliminates data latency due to routing and arbitration decisions. Simulations with fast control wires show that flit-reservation flow control extends the 63% throughput attained by virtual-channel flow control with 8 flit buffers per input to 77%, an improvement of 20% with equal storage and bandwidth overheads. Its throughput with 6 buffers (77%) approaches that of virtual-channel flow control using 16 buffers (80%), reflecting the significant buffer savings as a result of efficient buffer utilization. Data latency is also reduced by 15.6% as compared to virtual-channel flow control. The improvement in throughput is similarly realized by the pipelining of each control flit a cycle ahead of their data flits, using control and data networks with the same propagation delay of 1 cycle.
Peak power reduction in low power BIST

In order to meet the power and reliability constraints, it is important to reduce both average and peak power during BIST operations. In this paper we propose a Low Power Automatic Test Pattern Generator (LPATPG) with peak power. reduction. The technique can be used during on-line testing of large circuits requiring low power consumption. The LPATPG can be implemented using linear cellular automata (CA) with appropriate external weighting logic. While the average power is reduced by finding the optimal signal activities (probabilities of signal switching) at the primary inputs, the peak power is reduced by restricting the number of active primary inputs. Results on ISCAS benchmark circuits show that while achieving high fault coverage, average power reduction up to 90%, peak power reduction up to 37% and energy reduction up to 93% can be achieved (compared to equi-probable random pattern generator by linear cellular automata), and the ratio of the number of high power vectors (vectors violating the power limit) in the LPATPG sequence to the number of high power vectors in the equi-probable random sequence can be as low as 0.44%.
Boc‐tyrosyl‐d‐alanyl‐glycyl‐N‐methyl‐phenyl­alanyl‐O‐methyl‐me­thionine hydrate: a protected analog of metkephamid

In this study, we report on the X-ray diffraction analysis of the pentapeptide, Boc-Tyr-d-Ala-Gly-(NMe-Phe)-(Met-O-Me), C35H49N5O9S·1.125H2O. This is a protected intermediate in the solution phase synthesis of metkephamid (LY127,623), Tyr-d-Ala-Gly-NMe-Phe-Met-NH2. The peptide crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2 with two peptide mol­ecules and three solvent (water) mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The peptide has an extended conformation similar to other Met-enkephalins.
Effect of a Collateral Ligament Sparing Surgical Approach on Mechanical Properties of Equine Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Arthrodesis Constructs

Objective: To (1) compare the effect of a collateral ligament sparing surgical approach with an open surgical approach on mechanical properties of proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis, and (2) to determine the percentage of articular cartilage surface removed by transarticular (TA) drilling with different diameter drill bits. Study Design: Randomized paired limb design. Sample Population: Cadaveric equine limbs (n=76). Methods: Cadaveric PIPJ were drilled using a 3.5, 4.5, or 5.5 mm drill bit at 80–84° to the dorsal plane to remove articular cartilage and subchondral bone from the distal articular surface of the proximal phalanx (P1) and the proximal articular surface of the middle phalanx (P2). Bone ends were photographed and the percentage of the projected surface area that was denuded of cartilage was measured. PIPJ arthrodesis constructs (3-hole dynamic compression plate [DCP], two 5.5 mm TA screws inserted in lag fashion, medial and lateral to the DCP; DCP-TA) were created using 2 surgical approaches in paired limbs. A conventional open approach was used in 1 limb and a collateral ligament sparing approach used in the other limb. Constructs were tested to failure in single-cycle 3-point dorsopalmar/plantar or lateromedial bending. Maximum load, yield load, and composite stiffness were compared between techniques. Results: The 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 mm drill bits removed 24±4%, 35±5%, and 45±7% of total PIPJ articular cartilage surface, respectively. Constructs with the collateral ligament sparing approach had significantly greater mean yield load (11.3±2.8 versus 7.68±1.1 kN, P=.008) and mean maximum load (13.5±3.1 versus 10.1±1.94 kN, P=.02) under lateromedial bending. Under dorsopalmar/plantar bending there was no significant difference between surgical approaches. The collateral ligament sparing arthrodesis technique had a shorter surgical time (19±3 minutes) compared with the open technique (31±3 minutes). Conclusion: A collateral ligament sparing surgical approach to the PIPJ with removal of articular cartilage by TA drilling and arthrodesis by DCP-TA was faster and stronger in mediolateral bending than arthrodesis constructs created with an open surgical approach. Clinical Relevance: Preservation of the collateral ligaments and TA drilling for cartilage removal during PIPJ arthrodesis may be a superior approach to the conventional open approach and warrants clinical evaluation.
Parallel coupled actuators for high performance force control: a micro-macro concept

Current force control capabilities are limited by actuator performance. Brush friction and actuator saturation lead to limit cycles and instability in many force control systems. The authors propose that actuators with the proper passive characteristics provide the best potential for fast, accurate force control. The authors report on a new actuator concept which combines two actuators to create a micro-macro actuator which has improved force resolution and bandwidth. Unlike previous micro-macro robots which used actuators coupled in series, the actuators in this system are coupled in parallel using a compliant transmission. Three specifications for force control performance are defined and a model is presented. A control law for the combined actuator is presented and a general analysis of the design is formulated. Finally, measurements of performance in a prototype device are presented. This system has achieved force resolution of 0.25% and force control bandwidth of 60 Hz.
Vitamin Retention During Home Drying of Vegetables and Fruits

The effect of home drying on the retention of several vitamins was measured in some foods commonly dried. Little vitamin C was retained in dried green beans and tomatoes, while more was retained in dried zucchini squash, raspberries, and boysenberries. Retention of carotene (measured only in dried green beans and tomatoes) was almost negligible. Except for blanched green beans, the retention of free folacin was higher than that of total folacin in the dried products. From 60 to 96 percent of vitamin B6 was retained during drying.
Molecular phylogenetics of the dragon's blood Croton section Cyclostigma (Euphorbiaceae): A polyphyletic assemblage unraveled

Abstract The phylogenetic relationships of Croton section Cyclostigma sensu Webster were examined using nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid spacer trnL-F sequences from 48 of the 63 species in the group, including members of the four recognized subsections and representing the group's full morphological and geographic range. The two gene phylogenies concurred that section Cyclostigma sensu Webster is polyphyletic, with its members appearing in nine different clades throughout Croton. The clade that retains the taxonomic type of the section and about half of the species sampled is redefined here as a reduced, monophyletic section Cyclostigma, and the remaining species are placed in other sections or informal clades. The ITS and chloroplast phylogenies are discordant regarding the position of the redefined section Cyclostigma suggesting that reticulate evolution might have played a role in the evolutionary history of this group. These results highlight that the tree habit has evolved on multiple occasions in ...
Smoking Guns: Exposing the Gun Industry's Complicity in the Illegal Gun Market

Lawsuits against gun manufacturers, distributors, and dealers have created unprecedented new opportunities for intensive scrutiny of the gun industry and how it does business. While the industry managed to cloak itself in secrecy for many years, litigation has now forced the industry to produce internal documents and forced dozens of key industry leaders to answer questions about what the industry has known and what it has done. This unprecedented discovery of information exposes a remarkable pattern of irresponsible action by an industry badly in need of reform.
National profile of Latino/Latina children reported to the child welfare system for sexual abuse

Increasing research efforts are exploring the racial/ethnic composition of the population served by the U.S. child welfare system (CWS); however, only limited research has examined the unique experiences of CWS-involved Latino/Latina children and families, particularly those reported for child sexual abuse (CSA). This lack of research is troubling given that Latinos/Latinas are this country's largest and fastest growing minority group. To address this knowledge gap, this secondary data analysis uses data from the 2012 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System Child File to examine a sample of children reported to the CWS (N = 2,401,304) and subsample of children involved in CSA reports (n = 179,199). Using descriptive and bivariate analyses, we describe a national profile of CWS-involved Latino/Latina children reported for CSA. This profile is developed based on the child characteristics of the analytic sample, rates of case substantiation, report sources, perpetrator characteristics, and caretaker risk factors. We then compare the profile of this subgroup of Latino/Latina children with the profiles of children who are non-Latino/Latina Black or non-Latino/Latina White. RESULTS indicate several significant differences exist between the profiles of CWS-involved Latino/Latina children with a CSA report as compared with their counterparts in other racial/ethnic groups. FINDINGS are discussed with the aim of informing practice, policy, and research on sexual abuse prevention and intervention strategies for Latino/Latina populations. Language: en
Alternating ethylene–alkyl acrylate copolymers. I. polymer preparation

Properties such as viscosity correlations and spectral data of alternating ethylene–ethyl acrylate copolymers are described. The proton and 13C-NMR spectra show that there is a considerable amount of tacticity in these polymers. Although the alternating configuration predominates, there is also some random structure present. Terpolymers were prepared with cure-site monomers, such as 2-chloroethyl acrylate. The terpolymers were compounded with carbon black and cured to give vulcanizates with excellent properties. The cured products are resistant to oil, water, heat, and oxidation. They also have good low temperature properties (stiffening temperature −31°C, brittleness temperature −50°C), tensile properties (tensile strength 17.2 MPa, elongation at break 250%) and compression sets (25% at 150°C for 70 hr).
The mathematical basis for imaging cardia electrical function.

The essential difficulty of the source-imaging problem in electrocardiology is that the data (body surface potentials) depend continuously on the properties of complex uniquely determined equivalent sources (e.g., epicardial potentials) while such sources do not depend continuously on the data (precluding utility of direct inversion of the operator relating sources and data). This is in distinction to the standard digital tomographic imaging problems in radiology, which superficially resemble the electrocardiographic imaging problem in their requirement for solution of a linear integral equation. From the mathematical standpoint, the electrocardiographic imaging problem requires that an operator with a continuous inverse be constructed from the original operator. This may be accomplished either by slightly perturbing the original operator (the regularization approach), or by performing a calculation on the data (based on inherent source evolution singularities) which allows restriction of the admissible solution domain to a compact set (the topological approach). An understanding of the mathematical questions fundamental to this imaging problem is helpful in assessing its present status and in identifying promising directions for the development of a clinically useful technique.
A Calibrated Silicon Photo-Diode for Measuring and Triggering Pulsed Light Sources

AbstractA silicon photo-diode with fast response characteristics has been found useful for a number of roles in scientific and technical photography. For Xenon-flash photometry, examining camera shutter performances, and high-speed flash triggering, very simple circuitry is employed to provide reasonable accuracy with a relatively inexpensive device.
The ecological problems of rivers of Georgia (the Caspian Sea basin)

Abstract The increasing demands of fresh water in the world threaten the biodiversity and the supply of water for food production and other vital human needs. Providing adequate quantities of pure, fresh water for humans and their diverse activities is the major problem worldwide. In spite of the fact that Georgia is considered rather rich of fresh water resources our research showed that the major rivers of The Caspian Sea basin are polluted with different contaminants like, nitrates, ammonium nitrogen. Heavy metals, oil products, pesticides and other toxic chemicals. From researched rivers the most polluted are Mashavera and Kazretula (Bolnisi Municipality). They are mainly contaminated with toxic releases of joint-stock company, Madneuli's activities. The rivers are also polluted from other plants, agricultural activities and farms. To protect the public and the environment from toxic releases the government should prevent pollution by requiring industries to reduce their use of toxic chemicals and restore and strengthen protection for all water objects. Concerted actions are needed to safely manage the use of toxic chemicals and develop monitoring and regulatory guidelines. The principles and practices of sustainable development will help to contain or eliminate risks resulting from the chemical pollution.
Pathologic Markers in Surgically Treated HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer: Retrospective Study, Systematic Review, and Meta-analysis.

Objective:Human papillomavirus–associated (HPV) oropharyngeal cancer is a unique clinical entity whose incidence is increasing. It is controversial whether traditional pathologic markers of aggress...
Temporal trends and factors associated with overuse of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy in low and very low risk prostate cancer.

28Background: Evidence has emerged that androgen deprivation (ADT) use prior to radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy in low risk prostate cancer patients does not provide a survival benefit a...
DoS Attacks on Your Memory in Cloud

In cloud computing, network Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are well studied and defenses have been implemented, but severe DoS attacks on a victim's working memory by a single hostile VM are not well understood. Memory DoS attacks are Denial of Service (or Degradation of Service) attacks caused by contention for hardware memory resources on a cloud server. Despite the strong memory isolation techniques for virtual machines (VMs) enforced by the software virtualization layer in cloud servers, the underlying hardware memory layers are still shared by the VMs and can be exploited by a clever attacker in a hostile VM co-located on the same server as the victim VM, denying the victim the working memory he needs. We first show quantitatively the severity of contention on different memory resources. We then show that a malicious cloud customer can mount low-cost attacks to cause severe performance degradation for a Hadoop distributed application, and 38X delay in response time for an E-commerce website in the Amazon EC2 cloud. Then, we design an effective, new defense against these memory DoS attacks, using a statistical metric to detect their existence and execution throttling to mitigate the attack damage. We achieve this by a novel re-purposing of existing hardware performance counters and duty cycle modulation for security, rather than for improving performance or power consumption. We implement a full prototype on the OpenStack cloud system. Our evaluations show that this defense system can effectively defeat memory DoS attacks with negligible performance overhead.
“THE SESAME THAT OPENS THE DOOR OF TRADE:” JOHN HAYS HAMMOND AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN MINING, 1880–1920

In the last decades of the nineteenth century, American mining engineers fanned out around the globe to potential or existing mines in China, Mexico, Siberia, South Africa, and beyond. This article examines the rise and work of mining engineer John Hays Hammond and the mining engineers, geologists, and capitalists with whom he worked. The paper reveals ways that a segment of the investor class depended upon members of the emerging professional middle class of university-trained mining experts for collaboration—and even inspiration—regarding possible sources of remunerative investment. The search for raw materials abroad opens up a chapter in the history of U.S. capitalism in which mining engineers like Hammond encouraged and facilitated a new phase of export of redundant U.S. capital and manufactured goods in a direction where investment would be secure, labor recruitable, and profits attractive and subject to repatriation. Filling in this vital narrative makes an essential contribution to the ongoing recovery of the history of the U.S. and world capitalism in the era of rapid industrialization.
Creation of an Aesthetic Male Nipple Areolar Complex in Female-to-Male Transgender Chest Reconstruction

Female-to-male chest wall reconstruction is becoming more common, but while there is a growing body of the literature describing technique and algorithms, little detail is written on methods for creating a male appearing nipple areolar complex (NAC) from a female NAC utilizing free nipple graft techniques. Incorrect positioning of the NAC on the chest wall and suboptimal shaping and sizing of the NAC are common pitfalls in male NAC creation. With this paper, we present techniques for nipple grafting to achieve improved male appearing NACs, as well as a simple, reproducible method for appropriate placement of the NAC relative to the borders of the pectoralis muscle. To validate our technique, we performed photographic analysis of 64 NACs in 32 volunteers with BMI of 25 or less. The anatomic study determined the cis-male nipple to be positioned on average 2.5 cm medial to the lateral border of the pectoralis muscle and 2.4 cm above the inferior pectoralis insertion. This supports our surgical technique of positioning the NAC in relation to the pectoralis borders rather than previously advocated anatomic landmarks. We also present reliable techniques for creating a round or horizontally oval final NAC shape as well as a composite grafting technique for cases of large papillae. Our anatomic study supports placement of the male NAC relative to lateral and inferior borders of the pectoralis muscle. Nipple grafting techniques presented allow for a simple and reproducible method of creating an aesthetic male NAC shape in female-to-male transgender chest reconstruction. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Minimum-time soaring through a specified vertical wind distribution

The problem of minimum-time sailplane flight through a given vertical wind distribution for a specified altitude loss is presented as a nonlinear optimal control problem. Numerical solutions are obtained, using a gradient projection algorithm, for the case of a sinusoidal wind. The initial and final states are constrained to be equal; however, they may be either fixed or free. A new optimal trajectory type is found to exist for the case of free boundary conditions and relatively strong and high-frequency winds.
Black Muse 4 U: Liminality, Self-Determination, and Racial Uplift in the Music of Prince

Prince’s unparalleled, innovative musical style remains widely revered by his worldwide audience in the wake of his death less than two years ago. Since the late twentieth century, many scholars have used European critical theory to examine Prince’s musical multidimensionality. These important analyses help us understand Prince’s music and performativity in new ways but repeatedly ignore the cultural roots of his music. Indeed, many critical discussions focus on his performance of ambiguous sexualities and sartorial strategies without addressing how Prince’s understanding of his Blackness played a crucial role in his creative practice and theatricality. I contend that exploring Prince’s dynamic oeuvre through interpretive lenses of radical black theory is a productive space for understanding his performance of lyrical and musical liminality, his self-determination in the music business, and his commitment to using his music for racial uplift. Prince’s creative practices were linked to his covert, but avid, support of social justice initiatives that support black humanity. Framing my analysis through Prince’s composition “Black Muse” from his final studio album, I explain how “Black Muse” provides lyrical and musical evidence of Prince’s political thought and deployment of counter narratives. I put “Black Muse” in conversation with “Baltimore,” “Resolution,” and “Planet Earth,” unapologetically activist songs written by Prince that discuss police brutality, warmongering, and climate change. I discuss how Prince’s strategic use of musical liminality in “Lady Cabdriver” obscures his political diatribes through a layer of sonic salacity. Combining close musical analysis with Black theoretical thought that explores Prince’s definitions of Black Muse, I explore Prince’s performances of blues hybridity, his tireless effort in repositioning his relationship with the music industry, and his mission to uplift his people. While Prince had muses, who were both Black and white, Prince’s ultimate creative muse was the Black community and the black experience itself. Prince scholars can benefit from exploring and utilizing various black performance theories to better understand and explain his contribution to global music culture.
Outcomes in Patients With Acute Stroke Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: Predictors of Mortality and Successful Extubation

Abstract Background The majority of patients with acute stroke requiring mechanical ventilation have a poor prognosis and often present difficult decisions regarding extubation. The best criteria for planned extubation in these patients are uncertain. Methods We reviewed the electronic medical records of patients hospitalized between 1/1/2010 and 12/15/2015 with acute stroke requiring mechanical ventilation to determine the mortality rate, the respiratory parameters recorded before planned extubation, and the reintubation rate. Results This study included 226 patients. The mean age was 60.3 ± 14.3 years. The mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 6.5 ± 5.9 days. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 56.6%. The best predictors of mortality were age and stroke volume calculated from radiographic images. One hundred and one patients had planned extubations; 9 patients (8.9%) required reintubation. There was no difference in respiratory parameters or Glasgow coma scale scores between those patients with successful extubation and those patients with failed extubation. Conclusions The in-hospital mortality rate of patients with acute stroke who require mechanical ventilation is quite high. The success rate with planned extubation is relatively good and comparable to rates in previous studies which largely involved patients with respiratory failure. There is no single weaning parameter or Glasgow coma scale score which identifies patients with high success rates.
Freedom of Speech, Information Privacy, and the Troubling Implications of a Right to Stop People from Speaking About You

Proposed "information privacy" rules that give us the power to "control . . . information about ourselves" and to mandate "fair information practices" sound appealing. Why, after all, should a business be able to communicate information about its clients without the clients' permission, and why should the media be able to publish unnewsworthy private information about us for the whole world to see? The difficulty is that the right to information privacy -- the right to control other people's communication of personally identifiable information about you -- is a right to have the government stop people from speaking about you. And the First Amendment (which is already our basic code of "fair information practices") generally bars the government from "control[ling the communication] of information," either by direct regulation or through the authorization of private lawsuits. This article makes two main points: (1) While privacy protection secured by contract turns out to be constitutionally sound, broader information privacy rules are not easily defensible under existing free speech law. (2) Creating new free speech exceptions to accommodate information privacy speech restrictions could give us much more than we bargained for: Most of the justifications given for information privacy speech restraints are directly applicable to other speech control proposals that have already been proposed, and accepting these justifications in the attractive case of information privacy speech restrictions would create a powerful precedent for those other restraints. My chief goal is to consider, as concretely as possible, what these unintended consequences of various justifications for information privacy speech restrictions might be. I ultimately conclude that these consequences are troubling enough that I must reluctantly oppose such information privacy rules. But I hope the article will also be useful to those who are committed to supporting information privacy speech restrictions but would like to design their arguments in order to minimize the risks that I identify, and even to those who welcome the possibility that information privacy speech restrictions may become a precedent for other restrictions because they believe the Court has generally gone too far in protecting, say, nonpolitical speech or speech that injures the dignity of others.
Preventable mix-ups of tuberculin and vaccines: reports to the US Vaccine and Drug Safety Reporting Systems.

Background: Errors involving the mix-up of tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) and vaccines leading to adverse reactions and unnecessary medical management have been reported previously. Objectives: To determine the frequency of PPD-vaccine mix-ups reported to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), characterize adverse events and clusters involving mix-ups and describe reported contributory factors. Methods: We reviewed AERS reports from 1969 to 2005 and VAERS reports from 1990 to 2005. We defined a mix-up error event as an incident in which a single patient or a cluster of patients inadvertently received vaccine instead of a PPD product or received a PPD product instead of vaccine. We defined a cluster as inadvertent administration of PPD or vaccine products to more than one patient in the same facility within 1 month. Results: Of 115 mix-up events identified, 101 involved inadvertent administration of vaccines instead of PPD. Product confusion involved PPD and multiple vaccines. The annual number of reported mix-ups increased from an average of one event per year in the early 1990s to an average of ten events per year in the early part of this decade. More than 240 adults and children were affected and the majority reported local injection site reactions. Four individuals were hospitalized (all recovered) after receiving the wrong products. Several patients were inappropriately started on tuberculosis prophylaxis as a result of a vaccine local reaction being interpreted as a positive tuberculin skin test. Reported potential contributory factors involved both system factors (e.g. similar packaging) and human errors (e.g. failure to read label before product administration). Conclusions: To prevent PPD-vaccine mix-ups, proper storage, handling and administration of vaccine and PPD products is necessary.
Measuring What Matters in a Digital Age: Technology and the Design of Assessments for Multisource Comprehension

This chapter provides a discussion of issues associated with research and development to effect a more productive connection between technology and the design and deployment of assessments that can measure what matters and support learning in a digital world. Assessment is first discussed as a process of reasoning from evidence, emphasizing its necessary connections to theory and research on cognition and learning. An evidence-centered design process, which allows one to go from theory and research on cognition to actual assessment development, is described and then subsequently illustrated. Consideration is also given to the affordances of technology for expanding the scope of what we assess and how, and ways in which the information derived from a formative assessment process can then be used to support the processes of teaching and learning. To illustrate these ideas, this chapter then focuses on explicating a cognitive model of multisource comprehension and then using that model to design and deploy technology-based assessments of components of multisource comprehension. The process of applying evidence-centered design is discussed for components such as sourcing and analysis and synthesis in the content of multiple digital text sources. Illustrations are provided of technology-based tasks for assessing aspects of sourcing. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the opportunities that currently exist in a digital world to make assessment an integral part of learning environments and some of technology’s affordances to make such environments more productive and effective for all learners.
A platform for nuclear physics experiments with laser-accelerated light ions

Abstract A novel platform for nuclear physics experiments has been developed on the high-energy, short-pulse OMEGA EP Laser System. Planar foil targets are irradiated with a 10-ps, 1-kJ infrared beam focused to an intensity of the order of 1018 W/cm2. Relativistic electrons generated in the laser–target interaction escape the target, generating a very large electrostatic field, which extracts ions from the target’s back surface and accelerates them to MeV energies. The energetic ion flow from the back side of this primary target creates neutrons and charged particles through nuclear reactions in a secondary target placed in the ion flow. Charged-particle detectors were used to measure the energy spectra of the ions. The energy spectrum of the neutrons generated in the secondary target was measured using scintillator-based neutron time-of-flight detectors. First experiments to validate the performance of this setup studied d(d,n)3He and 9Be(d,n)10B reactions. This experimental platform is suitable especially for survey-type studies of nuclear reactions and for reactions that involve rare or radioactive ions like tritium.
Vaping in adolescents: epidemiology and respiratory harm.

Purpose of review This review highlights epidemiologic changes in e-cigarette use in adolescents, discusses recent advances in aerosolized nicotine delivery, and provides and updated profile of research related to the lung-specific harm of e-cigarettes. Recent findings In the past decade, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes have emerged as the most popular tobacco and nicotine delivery modality among adolescents in the United States. The surge in popularity of these devices has coincided with an outbreak of vaping-related lung injury, bringing e-cigarette use to national attention, and creating a great deal of confusion regarding their potential for respiratory harm. Newer pod-based devices and formulations of e-liquids have resulted in products appeal to youth and deliver nicotine with increasing efficiency. E-liquid aerosols are associated with direct harm to respiratory epithelium and have been shown to alter pulmonary function, inflammation, mucociliary clearance, and lung histology. Summary Although the long-term harms of regular e-cigarette use are unknown, numerous studies including early longitudinal data suggest e-cigarette use is associated with incidence of respiratory disease, independent of concurrent traditional cigarette use. Improved understanding and recognition of harm will contribute to the basis of further studies examining the role of e-cigarettes on chronic respiratory disease and will inform future prevention education.
Deploying Virtual Network Functions With Non-Uniform Models in Tree-Structured Networks

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) has promoted the implementation of network functions from expensive hardwares to software middleboxes. These software middleboxes, also called Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), are executed on switch-connected servers. Efficiently deploying such VNFs on servers is challenging because the traffic rate of flows must be fully processed by their requested VNFs when they reach destinations, and the deployed positions of VNFs are restricted by the server capacity. In addition, each network function offers non-uniform VNF models (types) with different configurations of processing volumes and costs. This paper focuses on minimizing the total cost of deploying VNFs for providing a specific network function to all flows in tree-structured networks. First, we prove the NP-hardness of non-uniform VNF deployment in a tree topology and propose a dynamic programming based solution with a pseudo-polynomial time complexity. Then we narrow it down to three simplified cases by focusing on either uniform VNFs or the linear line topology. Specifically, three algorithms are introduced: an improved dynamic programming based algorithm for deploying uniform VNFs in a tree topology, a performance-guaranteed algorithm for deploying non-uniform VNFs in a linear line topology, and an optimal greedy algorithm for deploying uniform VNFs in a linear line topology. Additionally, we generalize our approach to a case of deploying a service chain, which consists of multiple network functions applied to flows in a specific order. We propose two solutions: one is optimal but time-consuming while another is heuristic but efficient. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate our algorithms.
GaAs epitaxial growth on R-plane sapphire substrate

Abstract Achieving epitaxial growth of III-As on r-plane sapphire would potentially allow the integration of both laser and amplifier with corresponding RF electronics. Here we report on the growth of high-quality GaAs on an r-plane sapphire substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The epitaxial relationship between GaAs and r-plane sapphire is observed and explained. GaAs on r-plane sapphire resulted in (1 1 1) orientation, similar to growth orientation observed on c-plane sapphire. However, in comparison with growth of GaAs growth on a c-plane sapphire substrate, a stronger interaction is observed between GaAs on r-plane sapphire. The effect of growth temperature is also investigated for GaAs growth on r-plane sapphire. It is found that GaAs island size, density, and orientation can be tuned by varying the growth temperature. Finally, a thin AlAs nucleation layer on r-plane sapphire has been introduced to study its effect on the growth of GaAs. The introduction of the AlAs nucleation layer is found to enhance the wetting of GaAs but at the expense of introducing twinning defects.
End-to-End Automated Exploit Generation for Processor Security Validation

Editor’s notes: This article presents an end-to-end tool that, starting from a processor and a set of security-critical invariants, automatically generates exploits to help designers find security threats. — Rosario Cammarota, Intel Labs — Francesco Regazzoni, University of Amsterdam and Universitadella Svizzera Italiana
Knee joint biomechanics of simplified 24 Tai Chi forms and association with pain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot study.

Abstract Objectives Tai Chi (TC) is a multi-beneficial exercise for improving health and function in knee osteoarthritis (OA). Biomechanical insights of 24 ​TC forms at the knee joint are not well understood. We aimed to examine knee joint biomechanics of TC actions form by form and their interactions with pain in individuals with knee OA. Methods Ten knee OA participants were recruited. Their full body motion during performance of 24 ​TC forms was collected. The knee joint biomechanics were determined by using an inverse dynamic approach based on collected full body kinematics and kinetics. In addition, the knee joint pain level was scored during each TC form. The joint moments were compared between walking trials and each TC form. The relationship between knee joint biomechanics and pain scale was assessed. Results The knee adduction moment for five TC forms was different from the walking trial. The knee extension moment for 21 ​TC forms differed from the walking trial. For TC trials, the knee extension moment, but not the adduction moment, was positively correlated with pain level. Similarly, the knee extension moment was moderately proportional to pain level during the walking trials, but not the adduction moment. Conclusions Our pilot results explored the knee joint biomechanics profiles of individual TC forms and examined their associations with knee joint pain. The findings in this study could provide scientific basis to select the best TC forms for the purpose of reducing knee joint pain among individuals with knee OA.
The Effect of Training Parameters and Mechanisms on Decentralized Federated Learning based on MNIST Dataset.

Federated Learning is an algorithm suited for training models on decentralized data, but the requirement of a central "server" node is a bottleneck. In this document, we first introduce the notion of Decentralized Federated Learning (DFL). We then perform various experiments on different setups, such as changing model aggregation frequency, switching from independent and identically distributed (IID) dataset partitioning to non-IID partitioning with partial global sharing, using different optimization methods across clients, and breaking models into segments with partial sharing. All experiments are run on the MNIST handwritten digits dataset. We observe that those altered training procedures are generally robust, albeit non-optimal. We also observe failures in training when the variance between model weights is too large. The open-source experiment code is accessible through GitHub\footnote{Code was uploaded at \url{this https URL}}.
Is A Dip Still A Plunge? A Consideration of Immersion by Degree: Response to Corbett and Stephens

The author responds to discussions by Corbett and Stephens (this issue). She considers the discussants’ critique of Milner’s “plunge” metaphor as a way to capture the experience of entering immersi...
Use of prescriber requirements among US commercial health plans.

BACKGROUND: Prescriber requirements are a form of utilization management (UM) in which health plans require that a certain type of physician (eg, a rheumatologist) prescribe a drug. OBJECTIVE: To e...
Measuring the Combined Effects of Nuclear Radiation and Cryotemperatures on the Tensile and Shear Properties of Materials

The employment of nuclear power in space, either for propulsion or as a source of electrical power, will introduce the potential problem of radiation damage to mechanical and electronic components as well as to basic materials of construction. The extensive use of cryogens proposed for use in these vehicles and the exposure of many component parts to the cryotemperatures of outer space will impose the added environment of very low temperatures to many of the materials and components involved. Reliable designs of spacecraft employing nuclear power will therefore depend upon the utilization of all available information pertaining to the effects of radiation, in combination with high or low temperatures, on materials and components.
Electrophysiological Studies of the Visual Capacities at Advanced Stages of Photoreceptor Degeneration in the Rat

Contrary to what one might expect from the histological appearance of the retina, visual abilities persist when all rod cells have disappeared, and surviving cone cells have no outer and inner segments. Visual capacities were measured in the mutant, rdy (RCS-like) rat from the age of 30 to 560 days by behavioral testing of form discrimination, the ERG, single unit optic nerve activity, and cortical potentials from non-patterned and patterned stimuli. The cortical potentials from the surface of the central projection area of the visual cortex provided the most reliable, easily measured indices of the course of the degenerative process. These potentials revealed characteristic changes of latency (prolongation), threshold (increase), and optimal spatial frequency (reduction). Flicker responses of cortex and of recordable ERG components survived remarkably well. Deterioration of visual capacity measured behav-iorally at around the age of 10 months, coincided with failing cortical responses and a reduction of the number of optic nerve fibers responsive to light. At the age of 7 months, 95% of the optic nerve axons responded to visual Stimulation; receptive fields had antagonistic center-surround organization but on-center units represented a greater fraction of the responsive axons than in the normal rat. The proven photo-responsiveness of severely degenerated retinas should have a major impact on the understanding of vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and similar disorders.
The Differentiated Network: Organizing Multinational Corporations for Value Creation

Preface. The Differentiated Network. DISTRIBUTED INNOVATION IN THE DIFFERENTIATED NETWORK. Distributed Innovation in Multinational Corporations (MNCs). Optimal Slack for Distributed Innovation. Creation, Adoption, and Diffusion of Innovations Across the MNC. DIFFERENTIATION AND INTEGRATION. Internal Differentiation Within the MNC. Formal Structure and Shared Values. Integration Through Interunit Communication. Integration Through Interpersonal Networks. LIMITS AND EXTENSIONS OF THE DIFFERENTIATED NETWORK. Requisite Complexity. Beyond the Differentiated Network. Methodological Appendix. References. The Author. Index.