cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low‐Temperature Solid‐State Phase Transformations in 2H Silicon Carbide

Study of the phase transformations taking place in 2H SiC single crystals at temperatures as low as 400 C. Some crystals transformed to a structure with one-dimensional disorder along the crystal c axis. Others transformed to a faulted cubic/6H structure. The transformation is time and temperature dependent, and is greatly enhanced by dislocations. The transformation takes place by means of a slip process perpendicular to the c axis. Cubic SiC crystals were observed to undergo a solid-state transformation above 1400 C.
Optically Switched-Drive-Based Unified Independent dv/dt and di/dt Control for Turn-Off Transition of Power MOSFETs

To control the switching dynamics of an optically triggered hybrid device, a photonic-control mechanism is outlined. The optically triggered hybrid device comprises a power MOSFET, as the main power semiconductor device (PSD), and a pair of GaAs-based optically triggered power transistors (OTPTs), serving as the driver for the power MOSFET . The switching-transition controller modulates the turn-off transition of the power MOSFET by modulating the optical intensity of the OTPTs. The independent and unified $dv/dt$ and $di/dt$ control of the PSD is achieved using a single control circuit which also predicts the onset of transition between the $di/dt$ and the $dv/dt$ regions of control. Experimental control results validating the OTPT-based dynamical modulation of the turn-off characteristic of the power MOSFET are provided. In this study, the power MOSFET is chosen to be a SiC mosfet . However, the proposed photonic-control mechanism can be extended to Si power MOSFETS as well.
Grain sorghum response to banded acid‐type fertilizers in iron‐deficient soil

Abstract Two fluid acid‐type fertilizers made by mixing urea with H3PO4 or urea with H3PO4 and H2SO4, an ammonium polyphosphate (APP) fluid, and granular triple superphosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) were banded alone or with FeSO4 in an Fe‐deficient Epping silt loam soil (Ustic Torriorthent) in two greenhouse pot experiments. Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) forage yields and Fe uptake increased with band application of FeSO4 alone or with these fertilizers except with DAP. Forage yields and Fe uptake with band application of fertilizers alone (no FeSO4) were somewhat higher with all three fluid fertilizers and TSP, indicating that Fe availability in this soil may have been increased by band application of these fertilizers or that Fe contaminants in these fertilizers may have been available to plants. Each fertilizer also was banded to soil in plexiglass cells in the laboratory. Soil in radial increments around the fertilizer bands was sampled after 7, 21, and 35 days. Within 1 cm ...
A transformation approach for model order reduction of nonlinear systems

A novel technique for nonlinear model order reduction is developed. A transformation matrix is devised from a representative model of the original nonlinear system and applied to the nonlinear model to provide a reduced-order nonlinear model. Linearization is not necessary. Most methods used to compute the transformation matrix for linear system model reduction, such as balancing and aggregation, can be used. In certain situations, the linear system obtained by linearizing the nonlinear system about its equilibrium point can be used as the representative model. To illustrate the proposed procedure, a numerical example is included. >
The Thyroid Gland

The prostaglandins affect many endocrine glands, including the thyroid, where control by the tropic hormone is exercised through specific adenylate cyclases. Thus many of the effects of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) are reproduced by exogenous prostaglandins.
Ecosystem services and agriculture: Cultivating agricultural ecosystems for diverse benefits

Crop and rangelands are over 25% of the Earth's land area, and they are expanding. Agricultural ecosystems rely on a suite of supporting ecosystem services to provide food, fiber and fuel as well as a range of accompanying but non-marketed ecosystem services (ES). Ecosystem services from agriculture include regulation of water and climate systems, aesthetic and cultural services, as well as enhanced supporting services (such as soil fertility). Many of these ES are appreciated by people, but they lack markets, so they lack the incentives for provision that come with prices. For public policy decisions to take them into account, non-market valuation techniques are needed, such as travel cost, contingent valuation, hedonic valuation, and cost-based or factor-income approaches. This article offers an overview of ES from agriculture and non-market valuation methods as it introduces the articles in this special section on “Ecosystem Services and Agriculture.” Understanding how ecological functions generate ES is fundamental to management, but so too is understanding how humans perceive and value those services. Research is required both to design cost-effective incentives to provide ES and to measure which kinds of ES could provide the greatest overall welfare benefits to society. Agricultural ecosystems offer newly recognized potential to deliver more diverse ecosystem services and mitigate the level of past ecosystem disservices. This special section of Ecological Economics conveys both how these are becoming possible and the challenges to science and public policy design of turning that potential into reality.
Platelet contractile force (PCF) and clot elastic modulus (CEM) are elevated in diabetic patients with chest pain.

Aims Platelet function and clot structure may be altered in diabetes. We have noted increased platelet contractile force (PCF) and clot elastic modulus (CEM) in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain. Twenty-six of the chest pain patients were diabetic. Here, we compare the PCF, CEM and platelet aggregation in diabetic chest pain patients, non-diabetic patients with chest pain and asymptomatic controls. Patients and methods PCF, CEM and collagen whole blood aggregations were measured in 100 chest pain patients and 25 asymptomatic controls. Results Platelet concentrations for diabetic patients, non-diabetic patients and controls were identical. PCF was significantly (P 7% were higher than in any other group. Conclusion PCF and CEM are elevated in diabetic chest pain patients. The significance of these laboratory findings awaits additional clinical studies.
Dysfunctional Cognitions among Offspring of Individuals with Bipolar Disorder

Background: Individuals with bipolar disorder often endorse dysfunctional beliefs consistent with cognitive models of bipolar disorder (Beck, 1976; Mansell, 2007). Aims: The present study sought to assess whether young adult offspring of those with bipolar disorder would also endorse these beliefs, independent of their own mood episode history. Method: Participants (N = 89) were young adult college students with a parent with bipolar disorder (n = 27), major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 30), or no mood disorder (n = 32). Semi-structured interviews of the offspring were used to assess diagnoses. Dysfunctional beliefs related to Beck and colleagues’ (2006) and Mansell's (2007) cognitive models were assessed. Results: Unlike offspring of parents with MDD or no mood disorder, those with a parent with bipolar disorder endorsed significantly more dysfunctional cognitions associated with extreme appraisal of mood states, even after controlling for their own mood diagnosis. Once affected by a bipolar or depressive disorder, offspring endorsed dysfunctional cognitions across measures. Conclusions: Dysfunctional cognitions, particularly those related to appraisals of mood states and their potential consequences, are evident in young adults with a parent who has bipolar disorder and may represent targets for psychotherapeutic intervention.
Failure to Deliver Therapy by a Riata Lead with Internal Wire Externalization and Normal Electrical Parameters During Routine Interrogation

Failure to Deliver Therapy by a Riata Lead. We present a case of failure to deliver a shock by a St. Jude Medical defibrillator involving a Riata lead that was discovered incidentally while the device was attempting to deliver inappropriate therapy. Routine interrogation, including high voltage (HV) impedance, failed to reveal any abnormality. Failure to deliver therapy was confirmed during DFT testing, which revealed extremely low HV impedance only while attempting to deliver therapy. Fluoroscopy indicated moderate externalization of internal wires. This case highlights an under-recognized issue with St. Jude Medical systems, namely the possibility that therapy may not be delivered despite the presence of normal electrical parameters during routine surveillance. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 94-96, January 2013)
Context and Rationality In Mezirow's Theory of Transformational Learning

Transformational learning is fundamentally concerned with construing meaning from experience as a guide to action. In his theory of perspective transformation, Mezirow presents a significant concep...
Wavelet Models for Video Time-Series

In this work, we tackle the problem of time-series modeling of video traffic. Different from the existing methods which model the time-series in the time domain, we model the wavelet coefficients in the wavelet domain. The strength of the wavelet model includes (1) a unified approach to model both the long-range and the short-range dependence in the video traffic simultaneously, (2) a computationally efficient method on developing the model and generating high quality video traffic, and (3) feasibility of performance analysis using the model.
Meaning Established by Classical Conditioning: Failure to Replicate:

A classical conditioning procedure was used in which CS nonsense syllables were paired with UCS words of either positive, negative, or neutral evaluative meaning. Information presented to S concerning the nature of the task was designed to prevent awareness. of the 240 Ss serving in the experiment, 16 Ss revealed an awareness of the CS-UCS word pairings. These Ss were not included in the data analysis but were replaced by 16 other Ss who did not reveal awareness. Results indicated that there was no significant conditioning effect for any of the unaware Ss. Although the number of aware Ss was not large enough for meaningful statistical evaluation, it was noted that in many of the cases, the conditioned response was in the direction predicted for their respective experimental groups.
"We Incarcerate to Set Free:" Negotiating Punishment and Rehabilitation in Jail

Criminology has documented the decline of rehabilitation in the age of get-tough approaches to crime and punishment. Therapy and punishment, however, are not mutually exclusive. Rehabilitation and traditional punishment have long co-existed in penal facilities. In this article, I examine the role of rehabilitation at Northeast Jail, a county jail in the U.S. that adhered to an ideology of rehabilitation. But Northeast Jail was, first and foremost, a penal facility where offenders were confined and punished. While staff and administrators at Northeast Jail routinely invoked a rhetoric of rehabilitation, they adhered to rules and engaged in punitive practices that interfered with the rehabilitative process. Based on 18 months of participant observation, I found that managing the irresolvable tensions between confinement and rehabilitation was part of the job for staff at Northeast Jail. I identify three strategies that staff used to negotiate these tensions: rehabilitation as rhetoric, role-switching, and deferring to punishment.
Characterization and Understanding Machine-Specific Interconnects

The use of efficient communication patterns is becoming increasingly important to utilize high concurrency and achieve high throughput and low latency of modern high-performance supercomputers. Efficacy is not only dictated by an application communication pattern, but also driven by the interconnect properties, the node architecture, and the quality of runtime communication libraries. Different systems require different tradeoffs with respect to communication mechanisms, which can impact the choice of application implementations. We use the in-house MPI benchmark suite to study the communication behavior of the interconnects and guide the performance tuning of scientific applications. We report the results of our investigation of four supercomputer systems located at ALCF, and present lessons learned from our experience.
Possible Importance of Proteolytic Systems as Secondary Antioxidant Defenses During Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Oxygen radicals, and other activated oxygen species, have been suggested as damaging agents during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Much attention has already been focused on lipid (per)oxidation, but here we show that proteins are also subject to oxidative damage. We have isolated novel proteolytic systems from the cytoplasm of cardiac cells, and from the cardiac mitochondrial matrix. These proteolytic systems are able to selectively recognize and degrade proteins which have undergone oxidative damage. The novel proteolytic systems exhibit no stimulation of activity with ATP, magnesium, or calcium, which are commonly found to enhance protein degradation in many cells. In contrast, the transition metal chelator EDTA strongly inhibits proteolysis, suggesting the involvement of metallo-proteases. It is suggested that these novel proteolytic systems may act to selectively degrade ox i datively damaged proteins in vivo, thus preventing more serious cross-1inking reactions and providing amino acids for protein synthesis. Such proteolytic systems could be considered to form part of a series of “Secondary Antioxidant Defenses” which remove or repair oxidatively damaged cell components. The possible importance of such “Secondary Antioxidant Defenses” in ischemia-reperfusion injury is discussed.
Effects of Head Trauma in a Four-And-One-Half-Year-Old Child: Developmental Issues

Evaluation of children represents one of the most difficult challenges to the neuropsychologist. Not only is it necessary to evaluate where the child is at the present time, but it is necessary to predict how the child’s injuries will interact with normal developmental processes to predict how the child will be as an adult. The present case illustrates some of these issues.
Unusual Heat Transfer Characteristics of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Heat transfer mechanisms in supercritical fluids is quite different due to the fact that the thermophysical properties vary drastically within a span of few degrees Celsius near the critical point. A series of integral experiments were performed to investigate the unusual turbulent heat transfer characteristics of supercritical carbon dioxide flow in round tubes under heating conditions. Wall temperatures were measured over a range of experimental parameters that varied fluid inlet temperature from 20° C to 60° C, operating pressure from 7.5 to 10.2 MPa, mass flux from 100 to 1000 kg/m2-sec and a maximum heat flux of 100 KW/m2. Measurements were made for horizontal, upward, and downward flow to study the effects of buoyancy and flow acceleration caused by large variation in density. Existing criteria to predict the influence of buoyancy suggested that the experimental data can be classified into three regimes, namely normal, deteriorated, and enhanced heat transfer. Localized deterioration in heat transfer was characterized by a sharp increase in wall temperature and observed mainly in the case of upward flow due to reduction in the turbulent shear stress. Enhanced heat transfer regime was characterized by smooth variation in wall temperature and observed in the case of downward flow due to increase in the turbulent shear stress. Flow stratification occurred in horizontal flow resulting in a circumferential variation in wall temperature. Thermocouples mounted 180° apart on the tube revealed that wall temperatures on the top side are significantly higher than the bottom side of the tube. When the bulk temperature is much higher than the pseudocritical temperature, normal heat transfer was observed for all three tube orientations indicating that the buoyancy effects were negligible. Deterioration and enhancement in heat transfer were also observed in downward and upward cases respectively due to the flow acceleration effects. This occurred in the cases where outlet fluid density was much lower than the inlet fluid density causing the flow to accelerate. In the case of upward flow, this acceleration enhanced the turbulent shear stress and heat transfer. The large experimental database was used to evaluate the existing popular heat transfer correlations for supercritical fluids.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Regulation of Maritime Fisheries by Treaty

The conventional law regarding fishing rights has had a long and complicated development. Beginning before the concepts of international law as we know them were at all defined, it has played its part in shaping that law and in influencing its development. Many of the earliest fishing treaties were concerned with insuring freedom from molestation while fishing. From that time when the sea was a place of “war of everyone against everyone” the conventional law regarding fishing rights passed through the period of the struggle between the rival claims of mare clausum and mare liberum and played a part in the solution of that controversy. It likewise has been significant in the development of the idea of territorial waters as we know it today. It has helped determine both the limits assigned to and the rights enjoyed within those limits. In any future development of maritime law it will undoubtedly play its part.
Quantification of acidic compounds in complex biomass-derived streams

Biomass-derived streams that contain acidic compounds from the degradation of lignin and polysaccharides (e.g. black liquor, pyrolysis oil, pyrolytic lignin, etc.) are chemically complex solutions prone to instability and degradation during analysis, making quantification of compounds within them challenging. Here we present a robust analytical method to quantify acidic compounds in complex biomass-derived mixtures using ion exchange, sample reconstitution in pyridine and derivatization with BSTFA. The procedure is based on an earlier method originally reported for kraft black liquors and, in this work, is applied to identify and quantify a large slate of acidic compounds in corn stover derived alkaline pretreatment liquor (APL) as a function of pretreatment severity. Analysis of the samples is conducted with GCxGC-TOFMS to achieve good resolution of the components within the complex mixture. The results reveal the dominant low molecular weight components and their concentrations as a function of pretreatment severity. Application of this method is also demonstrated in the context of lignin conversion technologies by applying it to track the microbial conversion of an APL substrate. Here too excellent results are achieved, and the appearance and disappearance of compounds is observed in agreement with the known metabolic pathways of two bacteria, indicating the sample integrity was maintained throughout analysis. Finally, it is shown that this method applies more generally to lignin-rich materials by demonstrating its usefulness in analysis of pyrolysis oil and pyrolytic lignin.
Can Risk-benefit Analysis be Used in resolving the Acid Rain Problem?

Risk analysis can be described as the use of common sense combined with arithmetic. Computers can ensure that the arithmetic, even complex arithmetic, is done right. However common sense is not as common as it should be. The errors in a risk-benefit analysis are not usually errors of arithmetic, but errors of common sense.
Between-visit changes in suicidal ideation and risk of subsequent suicide attempt

Background While clinicians are expected to routinely assess and address suicide risk, existing data provide little guidance regarding the significance of visit-to-visit changes in suicidal ideation. Methods Electronic health records from four large healthcare systems identified patients completing the Patient Health Questionnaire or PHQ9 at outpatient visits. For patients completing two questionnaires within 90 days, health system records and state vital records were used to identify nonfatal and fatal suicide attempts. Analyses examined how changes in PHQ9 item 9 responses between visits predicted suicide attempt or suicide death over 90 days following the second visit. Results Analyses included 430,701 pairs of item 9 responses for 118,696 patients. Among patients reporting thoughts of death or self-harm “nearly every day” at the first visit, risk of suicide attempt after the second visit ranged from approximately 2.0% among those reporting continued thoughts “nearly every day” down to 0.5% among those reporting a decrease to “not at all.” Among those reporting thoughts of death or self-harm “not at all” at the first visit, risk of suicide attempt following the second visit ranged from approximately 0.2% among those continuing to report such thoughts “not at all” up to 1.2% among those reporting an increase to “nearly every day”. Conclusions Resolution of suicidal ideation between visits does imply a clinically important reduction in short-term risk, but prior suicidal ideation still implies significant residual risk. Onset of suicidal ideation between visits does not imply any special elevation compared to ongoing suicidal ideation. Risk is actually highest for patients repeatedly reporting thoughts of death or self-harm.
Constitutive short chromosome-specific telomere length of 17p and 12q, but not XpYp, 11q and 2p is associated with increased esophageal cancer risk

A10 Telomere length plays a very critical role in the maintenance of genome integrity. The shortening of telomeres may cause genetic instability and thus promote cancer development. Previous studies mainly shaded light on the overall telomere shortening. However, the association between the chromosome-specific telomere shortening and tumorigenesis of a certain type of cancer has yet to be established. Therefore, in the present study, we measured both the overall telomere length and individual telomere lengths of XpYp, 17p,2p, 11q and 12q with quantitative real-time PCR in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from an esophageal cancer case-control study consisting of 92 cases and 92 controls matched on age (±1 year), gender and ethnicity. The results showed that, compared with matched controls, EC patients had significantly shorter overall telomere length [case vs. control (mean ± standard deviation): 1.19±0.39 vs. 1.36±0.42; p=0.001] and individual telomere lengths of 17p (case vs. control: 1.08±0.27 vs. 1.23±0.38; p=0.018) and 12 q (case vs. control: 1.44±0.99 vs. 2.14±2.08; p=0.008). No significant differences of the individual telomere length were observed between cases and controls for chromosome XpYp (case vs. control: 0.91±0.31 vs. 0.85±0.23; p=0.08), 2p (case vs. control: 1.20±0.58 vs. 1.20±0.54; p=0.988) and 11q (case vs. control: 0.77±0.83 vs. 0.75±0.68; p=0.834). We further categorized the overall telomere lengths using the 50% value in the controls as cutoff points and found that short overall telomere length was associated with significantly increased EC risks [adjusted odds ration (OR) = 4.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.85-12.05]. In a tertile analysis, a dose response association was noted between the short overall telomere length and increased EC risk (p for trend = 0.004).The joint effect on EC risk between telomere length and smoking status was also identified. Using never smokers with long telomere length as the reference group, we found that ever smokers with long telomere length, never smokers with short telomere length and ever smokers with short telomere length exhibited significantly increased EC risk with ORs (95% CI) of 3.83 (1.06-13.85), 4.93 (1.21- 20.14), and 10.65 (2.94-38.56), respectively. Our findings provide the first evidence linking short overall and individual telomere lengths of 17p and 12q in PBLs to elevated EC risk, which warrants further investigation in large-size studies.
Abstract 3839: MLN8237 treatment in an orthoxenograft rodent model for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are soft tissue sarcomas that arise from peripheral nerves and often occur in the extremities. MPNSTs arise sporadically or in the neurofibromatosis type one (NF1). NF1 is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by neurofibromas, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, and intellectual deficits affecting 1 in 3000 births. The lifetime risk of a person with NF1 developing MPNSTs ranges between 8-13%. MPNSTs have increased expression of the oncogene Aurora kinase A. This leads to enhanced cell proliferation, making MPNSTs extremely aggressive, with high potential for metastasis, and devastating prognosis, with five year survival estimates ranging from a dismal 15-60%. MPNSTs are currently treated with surgical resection, sometimes requiring limb amputation, as well as chemoradiation, all of which demonstrate limited effectiveness, and highlight the necessity for novel therapies. To evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments, a translationally accurate, robust, and cost-effective model is crucial. A major goal of this study was to produce an orthotopic xenograft murine MPNST model for evaluation of novel therapies, which we created by intra-neural injection of luciferase transfected MPNST cells into the mice sciatic nerve. Our model circumvents drawbacks of previous in vivo models by producing a robust tumor in the physiologically relevant microenvironment of the nerve that allows for accurate tumor burden quantification through luciferin fluorescence. Another goal of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of MLN8237 for MPNST treatment. MLN8237 is an aurora kinase A inhibitor that we demonstrate to decrease MPNST burden and increase survival significantly. This study provides a robust and reproducible MPNST model, allowing for the advancement of MPNST therapy. This study also demonstrates the effectiveness of MLN8237 for MPNST treatment. Together, our data has major implications on the future of MPNST research by providing a robust murine model as well providing evidence that MLN8237 is an effective treatment for MPNSTs. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Oliver Mrowczynski. MLN8237 treatment in an orthoxenograft rodent model for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3839. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3839
Reliability of a commercially available and algorithm-based kinetic analysis software compared to manual-based software

AbstractThere is a need for reliable analysis techniques for kinetic data for coaches and sport scientists who employ athlete monitoring practices. The purpose of the study was: (1) to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability within a manual-based kinetic analysis program; and (2) to determine test-retest reliability of an algorithm-based kinetic analysis program. Five independent raters used a manual analysis program to analyse 100 isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) trials obtained from previously collected data. Each trial was analysed three times. The same IMTP trials were analysed using an algorithm-based analysis software. Variables measured were peak force, rate of force development from 0 to 50 ms (RFD50) and RFD from 0 to 200 ms (RFD200). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) were used to assess intra- and inter-rater reliability. Nearly perfect reliability was observed for the manual-based (ICC > 0.92). However, poor intra- and inter-rater CV was observed fo...
Teaching Practices for Making E-Textiles in High School Computing Classrooms

1Recent discussions have focused on rich STEM learning opportunities and various equity challenges in setting up and researching out-of-school makerspaces and activities. In turning to school classrooms, we want to understand the critical practices that teachers employ in broadening and deepening access to making. In this paper, we investigate two high school teachers' approaches in implementing the Exploring Computer Science curriculum using a novel 8-week, electronic textiles unit where students designed wearable textile projects with a microcontroller, sensors and LED lights. Drawing on observations and interviews with teachers and students, we share emergent practices that teachers used in transforming their classrooms into a makerspace, including modeling in-progress artifacts, valuing expertise from students, and promoting connections in personalized work. We discuss in which ways these teaching practices succeeded in broadening access to making while deepening participation in computing and establishing home-school connections.
Principles of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicodynamics

Abstract Pharmacodynamics and toxicodynamics relate doses of an agent to the characteristics, quantity, and time-course of its biological effect. Together with pharmacokinetic considerations, the mechanism of action is a key determinant of effect and toxicity. This chapter reviews the terminology, theory, and graphical representation of receptor occupancy by a drug/toxin (Scatchard, sigmoidal log-dose response), and then compares them with graded dose–effect relationships. A brief review of signal transduction mechanisms introduces a more detailed discussion of receptor agonism and antagonism using the reversible two-state receptor theory. Dynamic receptor phenomena leading to hyporeactivity and hyperreactivity are explained through signal transduction and other physiological mechanisms. Finally, methods of estimating drug selectivity and safety (therapeutic index) are summarized. The increasing importance of non-monotonic dose–effect curves, such as those characterized by endocrine disruption, is highlighted. Finally, principles of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling are outlined as a way of improving clinical trial design.
Personal awareness of domestic violence: implications for health care providers.

Objectives To estimate how many Californians know a victim of domestic violence, to examine their knowledge of certain characteristics of the violence, and to estimate and examine such knowledge among specific demographic groups. Method A total of 3713 California adults (similar numbers of whites, blacks, Hispanics, Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans, and other Asian Americans) completed a random-digit-dial interview. Respondents were asked whether a friend, relative, or coworker had been threatened or harmed by an intimate partner. Weights were applied to the cross-sectional sample to obtain estimates for the general population. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regressions were used with the full sample. Results Nearly half (45.5%) of the adult general population of California knows a victim of domestic violence (DV); 40.5% know a woman and 5.0% know a man. More than one-third of the population (35.7%) knew the victim while the abuse was happening. Although 86.5% of those who reported knowing a DV victim indicated that the victim incurred physical harm, only 18.3% of the injured victims were reported to have sought medical care. Gender was the most consistent respondent predictor: Men were less likely to know someone who was a victim of DV and to have specific information about the violence. Ethnic differences were fewer, but distinctions among groups were documented. Conclusions Knowing a victim of DV is common among California adults. Implications for medical practice are discussed in terms of the ethnicity, gender, and work force status of the population served and geographic location of the medical practice.
Vascular Access for Left Heart Catheterization

While traditionally viewed as benign when compared with nonaccess-site complications, vascular access-site complications are associated with a short- and long-term risk of morbidity or mortality as well as increased costs. In a study of 17,901 consecutive patients undergoing transfemoral PCI at the Mayo Clinic, Doyle et al. demonstrated that major femoral complications (including major hematoma, external bleeding, and retroperitoneal bleeding) were independently associated with a 30-day adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for a mortality of 9.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 6.94–14.3, p < 0.001). Similarly, Yatskar et al. reported that hematomas requiring transfusions were associated with an increased 1-year mortality (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.01–2.70, p = 0.048) among patients undergoing PCI during the NHLBI Dynamic registry recruitment waves. While relatively uncommon, retroperitoneal bleeding remains a catastrophic vascular access-site complication, with 73.5% requiring transfusion and 10.4% dying during hospitalization. Furthermore, in an era of increasing public concern regarding healthcare costs, it is also worth noting that even after adjustments for baseline differences among patients enrolled in an economic sub-study of Gusto IIb, each moderate or severe bleeding event increased costs by $3770 and each transfusion event increased costs by $2080. In current practice, while the risk of major bleeding is dependent on patient characteristics and to an extent the choice of antithrombotic agent, the choice of vascular access strategy (transfemoral vs. transradial) and a meticulous attention to good technique, proper equipment, and skilled operators may reduce major bleeding and thereby reduce morbidity, mortality, as well as costs.
Flow-Field Measurements in a Wing-Fuselage Junction Using an Embedded Particle Image Velocimetry System

A novel, embedded, 2D Particle Image Velocimetry system has been developed and implemented to obtain off-body velocity measurements in the junction of an 8% wing-body configuration in the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. Although the initial purpose for implementing the system during this test was to evaluate system performance and identify potential risks, the system worked remarkably well and a considerable amount of data were obtained in the wing-fuselage junction near the trailing edge at a Reynolds Number of 2.4 Million and angle of attack of 5 degrees. In addition to providing notable efficiencies with regard to image acquisition and test operations, the PIV system proved to be quite capable of capturing unique details of the flow separation to complement the extensive suite of measurement techniques applied during the test. Instantaneous PIV vector fields reveal that the flow separation is not stationary but rather highly dynamic. Mean flow statistics calculated from the PIV measurements highlight where reverse flow and Reynolds stresses are concentrated in the separated region and agree well with results from the embedded Laser Doppler Velocimeter system and Computational Fluid Dynamics. The comparisons and additional insight gained during this effort will help guide system improvements for follow-on tests.
Crystal structure of 3-amino-5-methyl-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1-oxide: Evidence for formation of a covalent attachment between a carbon-centered radical and the antitumor agent tirapazamine

The compound 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxide (tirapazamine, 1) is a potent antitumor agent. We isolated 3-amino-5-methyl-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1-oxide (5) from the reaction tirapazamine with methyl radical and characterized this compound by X-ray crystallography. The crystal structure of 5 provides clear evidence that this carbon-centered radical forms a covalent attachment with the drug tirapazamine. Given that tirapazamine generates carbon-centered DNA radicals as part of its mechanism of action, this finding may provide a chemical basis for understanding the small but significant levels of drug that become covalently associated with DNA during the damage process. The title compound C8H8N4O crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with unit cell parameters: a = 15.670(8), b = 7.381(4), c = 13.491(7) A, α = 90(1), β = 95.623(9), γ = 90(1)°, and Z = 8.
Static Positional Nystagmus in the Healthy Vestibular System.

BACKGROUND A repeat of the seminal 1973 study on static positional nystagmus (PN) using more accurate recording techniques. PURPOSE The purpose was to further characterize PN and, using current data, introduce new clinical criteria for its identification. RESEARCH DESIGN Static PN was recorded in ten positions with vision denied. Each position was analyzed using age, gender, presence, direction, and persistence of nystagmus while taking into account the number of beats and mean slow-phase velocity (SPV). STUDY SAMPLE One hundred healthy patients who were asymptomatic with no known neurological disorders were tested. INTERVENTION No intervention was used. DATA COLLECTION Analysis of variance, descriptive statistics, and confidence intervals were used to describe results. RESULTS Results showed 74% of normal participants had horizontal nystagmus in at least one position. Only 7% of the observed nystagmus was persistent. The average SPV was 2°/sec. The mean number of positions in which nystagmus was observed was three. Neither age nor gender influenced the occurrence of nystagmus. Forty-three percent of the participants had vertical nystagmus in at least one position; however, the SPV was 2°/sec or less. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that intermittent or persistent PN in four or fewer positions should not be considered pathological when the SPV is 4°/sec or less (n = 100). Observance of vertical nystagmus in one position should not be considered pathological if the SPV is 2°/sec or less. Suggested positions for positional testing should include seated-upright, supine, head right, head left, head-hanging, and the precaloric (30° supine) positions. Fixation when PN is observed is indicated.
Critical Observations on the Labor Theory of Value and Sraffa's Standard Commodity

Publisher Summary The pure Ricardo-Marx labor theory of value asserts that the ratio of the values of any two commodities is equal to the ratio of their total labor costs, that is, the sum of direct labor costs and indirect labor costs embodied in machines and other factors of production. Samuelson provided an exposition and critique of this labor theory of value and its relationship to the so-called transformation problem between Marxian values and competitive prices; when such values and prices differ, the door is open for a Marxian theory of exploitation. Such a labor theory of value can be stated in three equivalent forms, each having certain advantages. A labor theory of value can be interpreted as a mark-up theory of pricing. The chapter also discusses the close relationship between the pure labor theory of value and Sraffa's standard commodity. More general labor theories of value based on Sraffa's results are economically insignificant. When substitution among factor inputs is possible, the labor theory of value must be modified as now labor and other input coefficients depend upon factor prices. A labor theory of value is possible in such circumstances, although the necessary and sufficient conditions for its validity are so severe that the case must be dismissed as a freak. Ironically, when this labor theory of value is valid for a technology with neoclassical production functions, then the model behaves qualitatively similar to the one-sector Solow–Swan model.
Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Elicit Lower Direct Inhibitory Effect on Human Gut Microbiota Than Silver Nanoparticles

Due to continued technological development, people increasingly come in contact with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) that are now used in foods and many industrial applications. Many ENMs have historically been shown to possess antimicrobial properties, which has sparked concern for how dietary nanomaterials impact gastrointestinal health via microbial dysbiosis. We employed an in vitro Human Gut Simulator system to examine interactions of dietary nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) with human gut microbiota. Electron microscopy indicated a close association of TiO2 particles with bacterial cells. Addition of TiO2 to microbial communities led to a modest reduction in community density but had no impact on community diversity and evenness. In contrast, administration of known antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (NPs) in a control experiment resulted in a drastic reduction of population density. In both cases, communities recovered once the addition of nanomaterials was ceased. Constrained ordination analysis of community profiles revealed that simulated colonic region was the primary determinant of microbiota composition. Accordingly, predicted community functional capacity and measured production of short-chain fatty acids were not changed significantly upon microbiota exposure to TiO2. We conclude that tested TiO2 NPs have limited direct effect on human gut microbiota.
Stability and Error Analysis of Operator Splitting Methods for American Options Under the Black–Scholes Model

The operator splitting method has shown to be an effective approach for solving the linear complementarity problem for pricing American options. It has been successfully applied to various Black–Scholes models, and it is implementation friendly because the differential equation and the complementarity conditions are decoupled and easily solved on its own part. However, despite its popularity, no stability and error analysis is available for these operator splitting methods. The challenge mainly arises from the special splitting associated with the slack function and the complementarity constraints. In this paper, we establish stability results for the operator splitting schemes based on the backward Euler and BDF2 methods, as well as an error estimate for the scheme based on the backward Euler method. We also provide numerical experiments to demonstrate the convergence behaviors of the two operator splitting methods.
A Novel Frequency-Modulation (FM) Demodulator for Microwave Photonic Links Based on Polarization-Maintaining Fiber Bragg Grating

A novel scheme for demodulating frequency-modulated optical signals is proposed. It uses polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) as a frequency discriminator. The basic principle and preliminary results of linearity and demodulation are presented.
Non-catalytic ubiquitin binding by A20 prevents psoriatic arthritis–like disease and inflammation

A20 is an anti-inflammatory protein that is strongly linked to human disease. Here, we find that mice expressing three distinct targeted mutations of A20's zinc finger 7 (ZF7) ubiquitin-binding motif uniformly developed digit arthritis with features common to psoriatic arthritis, while mice expressing point mutations in A20's OTU or ZF4 motifs did not exhibit this phenotype. Arthritis in A20ZF7 mice required T cells and MyD88, was exquisitely sensitive to tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-17A, and persisted in germ-free conditions. A20ZF7 cells exhibited prolonged IκB kinase activity that drove exaggerated transcription of late-phase nuclear factor-κB response genes in vitro and in prediseased mouse paws in vivo. In addition, mice expressing double-mutant A20 proteins in A20's ZF4 and ZF7 motifs died perinatally with multi-organ inflammation. Therefore, A20's ZF4 and ZF7 motifs synergistically prevent inflammatory disease in a non-catalytic manner.
33 Impact of mental illness in the risk of incident comorbid drug use disorder in individuals who survive firearm injury

Statement of Purpose To determine the risk of emergency department (ED) or hospital readmission with new Drug Use Disorder (DUD) among patients who survive an index firearm injury, with and without mental illness at baseline, and if the risk varies based on treatment pathway. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of drug-use naive patients surviving index firearm injury treated in emergency departments (ED) in California from 2006–2010. We compared patients with and without mental illness at baseline and treatment pathway (ED alone and ED+hospitalization). Of the 18,941 treated in ED alone and 10,370 with ED+hospitalization, 1,875 (9.9%) and 2,568 (24.8%) had pre-existing mental illness at index injury. Results Patients with mental illness had a greater risk of readmission with new DUD at one year [5.6% vs 2.1%; adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 2.04 (95% CI 1.60, 2.60)] than those without. In patients not hospitalized, 7.7% of those with mental illness were readmitted with incident DUD versus 2.2% for those without (aHR=2.99, 95% CI 2.18, 4.09). No such risk was demonstrated in hospitalized patients. The risk of readmission with incident opioid use at 1-year among patients with and without mental illness was 1.5% versus 0.6%, [aHR=1.81 (95% CI 1.13, 2.90)]. Conclusion Patients exposed to firearm injury with mental illness have an increased risk of 1-year readmission with new DUD when treated in ED without hospitalization. This vulnerable population may benefit from an additional evaluation, treatment, and possible hospitalization, to reduce the risk of future DUD. Significance Our study reveals the impact of identifying patients with pre-existing mental illness at the time of firearm injury, considering mental illness in treatment decisions, and addressing mental illness as a risk factor for post-injury complications, regardless of their injury severity, to avoid the development of drug use and dependence that may lead to further adverse outcomes.
Pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and safety considerations for the use of antifungal drugs in the neonatal population.

Invasive fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in infants, particularly in extreme prematurity. Successful systemic treatment requires consideration of antifungal effi...
Distributed-Model-Based Approach for Electrical and Thermal Analysis of High-Frequency GaN HEMTs

A fully distributed modeling approach is proposed in this paper that incorporates the wave propagation effects in developing the equivalent circuit and works as a simulation tool for analyzing high-frequency transistors such as GaN high electron mobility devices. The details regarding the device arrangement are discussed and it is explained how the parameter extraction in the proposed modeling approach is developed merely based on the physical structure of the device along with the electrode dimensions and geometry. The governing equations for obtaining the currents and voltages at each time interval and spatial distance are analyzed based on a finite difference time domain method, where an implicit scheme is developed to ensure the unconditional stability of the technique along with reducing the computation time of the developed solution. The obtained results for the current gain and maximum available gain are verified by the measurement results from a 0.1-μm nitrogen-polar oriented GaN HEMT at 0.25-67 GHz frequency range. The results are also generated for wider cases and over higher frequency ranges to show the importance of using a fully distributed modeling technique and demonstrate the convergence of the results. An experiment is also developed regarding the thermal analysis of the high-frequency HEMT device and to discuss the heat transfer phenomenon over the device width and its effects on the distributed modeling approach are analyzed.