cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mothers and Fathers in Family Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders in youth has been evaluated in randomized clinical trials and found to be an efficacious treatment. Studies have investigated the effects of increased parental/family involvement in treatment. In the majority of these studies, however, parental involvement is synonymous with maternal involvement leaving the role of fathers unknown. Studies including parents in treatment have yet to examine the independent contribution of mothers and fathers to child outcome. We examined the relationship between both mother (n = 45) and father (n = 45) attendance and engagement in therapy sessions, maternal and paternal psychopathology, and child (n = 45) treatment outcome when parents were included in a Family CBT program for anxiety-disordered youth. Some indications were found for the notion that greater rates of mother and father attendance in session, as well as higher ratings of mother and father engagement in session, are associated with improved child outcome. Parental psychopathology was not associated with attendance, engagement, or child outcome. Recommendations for future research are offered.
Is it Yet Time to Throw Away the Old Recipe Book and Consider High Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Clinical Populations

Is it Yet Time to Throw Away the Old Recipe Book and Consider High Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Clinical Populations? The first epidemiological exercise studies in the 1950’s established a cause-effect relationship between levels of physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease. In the interim other longitudinal, crosssectional, retrospective and prospective analyses have confirmed that physical activity is cardio-protective and also an inverse relationship exists between mortality rates and leisure time physical activity intensity.
Safety of the intranasal toll-like receptor 4 agonist CRX-675 in allergic rhinitis

Background CRX-675 is an aqueous formulation of a toll-like receptor 4 agonist and an inducer of T H 1 responses. Studies in allergic dogs showed that pretreatment with CRX-675 reduced nasal congestion induced by allergen challenge. Objective To study the safety of intranasal CRX-675 treatment in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Methods We conducted a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating safety trial of single doses of CRX-675 given intranasally before intranasal ragweed challenges. Patients with ragweed-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis received increasing concentrations of ragweed to determine the dose that would result in a 30% reduction in nasal volume (PD 30 ) during screening. Two weeks later, each patient was rechallenged with their assigned PD 30 ragweed dose. Fourteen days later, patients were treated with either placebo (n = 16) or CRX-675 (2, 20, 100, or 200 μg intranasally, n=12 per arm) 24 hours before a subsequent PD 30 ragweed challenge. Patients were rechallenged with ragweed 14 days thereafter. Results No serious or severe adverse events were reported. Most adverse events were mild (grade 1) and either were considered unrelated to CRX-675 or resolved without intervention. The adverse event profile of CRX-675-treated patients was similar to that of placebo-treated patients, and no dose-related toxic effects were observed. There was no clear trend in the ability of CRX-675 to inhibit nasal allergen challenge responses, but improvement in nasal symptom scores was observed at 100 μg. Conclusions This preliminary trial suggests that intranasally applied CRX-675 is safe at the doses tested. Appropriate dosing and timing will ultimately define its potential therapeutic role for allergies.
Use of Two-Phase Standards of Unknown Compositions to Determine Calibration Constants for Powder XRD by Linear Regression

A simple method is proposed for the determination of calibration constants for powder X-ray diffraction. The method uses two standards of unknown compositions of two phases, α and β, together with an essentially pure standard of a third phase, σ, and determines in a straightforward manner the calibration constants not only for α/β but also for σ/α mass ratios on the basis of linear regression. The method is applicable to cases when standard samples are available only as mixtures of two phases of interest.
An engineering approach to assess constraint effects on cleavage fracture toughness

This study presents a simplified approach to parameterize constraint effects on the fracture toughness of ferritic steels in the ductile-to-brittle transition (DBT) region under plane strain, small-scale yielding conditions for non-zero T-stress. The Weibull stress serves to couple near tip and global loading which enables scaling of macroscopic toughness values across varying constraint levels. Extensive finite element analyses then provide the relationship of vs. T/σ0, where , in closed form for four typical ferritic steels. Given the non-dimensional -function for a material, the scaling of fracture toughness values for constraint loss involves only simple function evaluations, making the method suitable for use in more global simulations of fracture events, e.g. parametric studies to exam a wide range of crack sizes, locations and loadings. The paper describes several possible applications of the -function model to correct toughness data for constraint loss, including shifts of the DBT reference temperature, T0, for the material determined according to ASTM E-1921. Comparisons of model predictions of ΔT0 are made with those determined from measured toughness data for an A515-70 steel.
Thermal Route for Chemical Modification and Photoluminescence Stabilization of Porous Silicon

This paper describes photoluminescence (PL) stabilization through chemical modification of freshly prepared porous silicon (PSi) surfaces. As-anodized PSi surfaces react with 1-alkenes, non-conjugated dienes and aldehydes at elevated temperatures to form organic monolayers covalently bonded to the surface. This thermal route is very general and tolerant of different functional groups. We have characterized these organic monolayers using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform (DRIFT), Auger and Raman spectroscopies. The PL intensity and peak energy of the as-anodized PSi is not affected by the chemical functionalization. Aging these derivatized PSi samples in ambient air has no effect on the PL. In fact, it is completely preserved even when they are steam treated for six weeks at 70 °C and 100% humidity. This treatment completely destroys the structural integrity of H-terminated PSi.
Immunochemical Studies on the Components of the Pepsinogen System

Rabbit antisera to pepsin and pepsinogen were characterized by several immunological criteria. Both antisera inhibited the rennet activity of pepsin. Antipepsinogen protected pepsin from alkaline denaturation. Using antipepsinogen, precipitin analysis at pH 5.5 indicated that the native enzyme resembles the precursor more closely than did the denatured enzyme. However, all three proteins have some antigenic sites in common. Both antisera reacted more efficiently with their homologous antigens. When measured by C' fixation, the pepsinogen-antipepsinogen system was inhibited by pepsin and to a greater degree, by the activation mixture and the pepsin-inhibitor complex. Pepsin-antipepsin was inhibited by pepsinogen. The specificity of these two antibodies toward pepsin and pepsinogen conformation was used to measure the disappearance of pepsinogen and the concomitant appearance of pepsin during autocatalytic conversion at pH 4.6. The experimental results obtained during the conversion could be duplicated by using varying proportions of pepsin and pepsinogen in the model system. The potentialities of employing these antisera to detect conformational changes such as the unmasking of the pepsin moiety in pepsinogen molecules modified by physical or chemical reagents are discussed.
MOMS-GA: A Multi-Objective Multi-State Genetic Algorithm for System Reliability Optimization Design Problems

A custom genetic algorithm was developed and implemented to solve multiple objective multi-state reliability optimization design problems. Many real-world engineering design problems are multi-objective in nature, and among those, several of them have various levels of system performance ranging from perfectly functioning to completely failed. This multi-objective genetic algorithm uses the universal moment generating function approach to evaluate the different reliability or availability indices of the system. The components are characterized by having different performance levels, cost, weight, and reliability. The solution to the multi-objective multi-state problem is a set of solutions, known as the Pareto-front, from which the analyst may choose one solution for system implementation. Two illustrative examples are presented to show the performance of the algorithm; and the multi-objective formulation considered for both of them is the maximization of system availability, and the minimization of both system cost, and weight.
The Kinetics of in Situ Repair in Rat Mammary Cells

The kinetics of in situ repair (ISR) was investigated in normal rat mammary epithelial cells exposed in vivo to 8 Gy 137 Cs gamma rays. ISR as measured by transplantation assay was completed by 4 hours after exposure. Although ISR in the three normal epithelial cell types thus far tested differs from repair of potentially lethal damage in tumour cells and cultured fibroblasts in that it affects the shoulder and not the slope of the survival curve, the current study shows that the time course of ISR resembles that for repair of potentially lethal damage in both tumours and fibroblasts.
Epitaxial Aluminum‐Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films on Sapphire: I, Effect of Substrate Orientation

Epitaxial thin films of Al-doped zinc oxide have been grown on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser ablation. The effect of substrate temperature, background pressure of oxygen, and substrate orientation (A, M, R, C) on the orientation relationships between ZnO and sapphire have been evaluated using on- and off-axis X-ray diffractometry. Under all growth conditions zinc oxide, on A- and C-plane sapphire, grew with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. In contrast, on M and R orientations of sapphire, ZnO grew with its c-axis parallel or perpendicular to the substrate depending on the substrate temperature and background pressure employed during growth. In all cases only one unique in-plane relationship between the sapphire substrate and the zinc oxide film was found with the exception of the M-plane at high substrate temperatures.
Transient and persistent shoreline change from a storm

[1] There is disagreement as to whether shoreline position eventually recovers from large storms. In an earlier paper we showed that statistical modeling of historical shoreline data was improved by including large storms in the model via a transient storm function. Here we show that, at shorter timescales of months to years, modeling of the shoreline at Assateague Island, MD is improved by a storm model with both transient and persistent components. We find that the shoreline recovers from the storm rapidly, almost within a year, but that the recovery is only partial, despite anthropogenic reconstruction of a pre-existing berm. The long-term trend of a shoreline (whether erosive, accretive, or stationary) can thus be regarded as the cumulative persistent component of successive storms, although most long-term data sets are too temporally sparse to make such a parameterization more useful than a steady long-term rate.
3D Vascular Shape Segmentation for Fluid-Structure Modeling

Shape signatures are fundamental in medicine to characterize abnormal patterns and track their evolution over time. Beyond the diagnosis objective, they are critical to understand the relations between structures and functions as well as to design advanced image-guided therapy. One of the most critical steps in medical imaging remains segmentation, aimed at a fast, precise, robust and reproducible extraction of the organ boundaries. We present a 3D semi-automatic technique for segmenting the inner boundary of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The method that is proposed makes use of recent developments from graph theory, the graph-cut algorithms. It requires a limited interaction with the user (for learning the object and background statistical features). Its performance is highlighted on multi-detector CT angiography data. Some perspectives are then sketched in order to show how this result could be improved to feed fluid-structure simulations.
Photoelectrochemical performance of ZnCdSe-sensitized WO3 thin films

Abstract Due to its wide gap, WO3 mostly absorbs only the ultraviolet radiation, resulting into lower charge collection and thus necessitating the coupling (doping or sensitization) of WO3 with low band gap materials so as to achieve the photoexcitation and charge separation. This study reports the sensitization of WO3 films with ternary quantum dots (ZnCdSe) using SILAR technique for the first time. The porous WO3 layer was spray deposited using ammonium metatungstate as precursor. The structural, surface morphological and optical properties of the sensitized WO3 thin films were studied. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies of the sensitized films showed superior performance to that of unmodified WO3 films. Photocurrent density of 8.53 mA/cm2 (at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl) was observed for film sensitized with 9 cycles of SILAR deposition annealed at 400 °C under nitrogen atmosphere, which is a 120-fold and 14-fold increase in photocurrent density when compared to unsensitized WO3 film and WO3/TiO2 film, respectively. Sensitization with ternary quantum dots as ZnCdSe thus offers two advantages: (i) the lower band gap of ZnCdSe allows it to absorb more energy and in turn produce more charge carriers and (ii) the conduction band of ZnCdSe, which lies above the conduction band of TiO2, results in a better charge transfer from sensitizer to the substrate material.
Field Study Confirms the Belief that Keeping Busy Helps Control Room Operators Sustain Alertness during the Night Shift

Abstract Control room operators in a nuclear power plant participated in this on-site study to test the belief that keeping busy helps sustain alertness. Since circadian rhythms strongly affect alertness, the study was designed to account for different times of the 24-hour day. The participating reactor operators worked rotating 8-hour shifts in the control room. Every 20 minutes they reported their alertness and their workload during the preceding period. These ratings were obtained throughout three of each shift, for a total of nine shifts and 560 pairs of ratings. Reduced alertness ratings (2 and 3 on the 9-point alertness scale) occurred only during the early morning hours. For these hours, results indicated a significant positive relationship between alertness and workload, with lower alertness ratings tending to occur following 20 minutes of low workload.
Abstract IA32: Commensal microorganisms and polymorphic mucosal surfaces determine the evolution of distal metastatic tumors

Humans are symbiotic organisms in which bacteria outnumber eukaryotic cells in a ratio of 10 to 1. Interactions between commensal microorganisms and immune cells at mucosal surfaces forge the orchestration of a robust immune system that is able to defend us from infections. Critical for these interactions are pattern recognition receptors, including TLRs, which exhibit functional polymorphisms in at least 30% of individuals in the general population. We show that TLR5 recognition of commensal bacteria drives malignant progression at distant, extra-mucosal locations by promoting systemic up-regulation of IL-6, which is further increased through an autocrine loop in reactive tumor cells and drives MDSC mobilization. MDSCs expanded in response to systemic IL-6 elevation produce adenosine to transform T cells into immunosuppressive players that secrete higher levels of galectin-1 on a per cell basis than any other cell type in the tumor microenvironment. In contrast, in TLR5-unresponsive individuals, there is systemic up-regulation of IL-17 during tumor development. However, this is only relevant for tumor growth when tumors generate relatively low levels of circulating IL-6, resulting in accelerated malignant progression in the absence of TLR5 signaling. Importantly, depletion of commensal bacteria abrogates any variations in tumor progression and has opposite effects in tumors that grow faster in TLR5-competent individuals (delaying malignant progression) vs. tumors that progress faster in the absence of TLR5 signaling (where malignant progression is accelerated). Shockingly, depletion of commensal bacteria has opposite effects in the progression of primary vs. metastatic breast tumors, thus opening new avenues to understand breast cancer recurrence and tumor dormancy. Together, our data indicate that both tumor-promoting inflammation and anti-tumor immunity are influenced by TLR5 signaling, which depends on a common genetic polymorphism in cancer patients. Citation Format: Melanie R. Rutkowski, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia. Commensal microorganisms and polymorphic mucosal surfaces determine the evolution of distal metastatic tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA32.
Field-plot tests with insecticides for control of Chironomus atrella.

Adults of Chironomus atrella (Townes), emerging in large numbers from a tidal cove, have been a nuisance to residents along the shore. This is the first report of this insect as a pest. Open-ended drums emplaced in the bottom of the cove were used to test insecticides against the larvae under field conditions. Abate® ( O, O -dimethyl phosphorothioate O, O -diester with 4,4'-thiodiphenol), malathion, naled, and pyrethrum were all effective when formulated to carry the insecticide to the bottom mud.
Mechanism of Plasma-Enhanced Deposition of Silicon Dioxide from Teos/O2 Mixtures

The deposition rate of silicon dioxide from TEOS/02 capacitively-coupled plasmas increases with increasing applied rf power, increasing total pressure and decreasing wafer temperature. These dependences can be explained by a mechanism in which deposition occurs through both an ionassisted and an oxygen atom initiated pathway. The ion-induced deposition rate increases with increasing rf power density and decreasing total pressure, and is independent of wafer temperature. Assuming a well-mixed plasma, and using literature values for reaction rate parameters and rate forms for oxygen plasma reactions, the rate of atom-induced deposition was found to be independent of temperature and TEOS concentration and directly proportional to oxygen atom concentration. The model suggests that the apparent negative activation energy for deposition results from competition between deposition and thermally-activated atomic oxygen surface recombination. The derived deposition rate form is consistent with an Eley-Rideal mechanism in which the rate determining step for film deposition is oxidative attack of adsorbed TEOS or TEOS fragments by a activated oxygen.
Physiologic Race Identification of Rice Blast Fungus in Heilongjiang Province from 2007 to 2011

In order to make clear composition and distribution of physiological races of the rice blast fungus in Heilongjiang,299 mono-spore strains of the rice blast fungus(Pyricularia oryzae) were isolated from five rice growing regions(30 cities,counties or farms)during 2007~2011 in Heilongjiang.7 groups with 31 physiological races were identified by comparing with seven China verified strains.The results showed that ZA,ZD and ZB groups were the dominant groups in Heilongjiang province,with the average frequencies of 34.8%,31.1% and 16.1%,respectively.The race ZD5 was the dominant race with the average frequency of 17.1%,followed by ZA49 and ZD1,which average frequency was 13.7% and 10.7%,respectively.The types and compositions of the races were different from place to place.
Do the right thing.

Management by values is essentially practicing what you preach. The statement is simple, yet in real life, solutions aren't so clear. What are some insights on making that task a little easier? The renowned management consultant and author offers helpful guidance.
Ergebnisse einer prospektiven Doppelblindstudie zur Evaluierung von laparoskopischer Sonographie versus Computertomographie bei der Erfassung von Leberherden im Rahmen der Operation kolorektaler Karzinome

Ziel der Studie war es, in einer prospektiven Doppelblindstudie die Qualitat von laparoskopischer Sonographie (LS) und kontrastmittel-verstarkter Computertomographie (CT) bei der Entdeckung von Lebermetastasen kolorektaler Karzinome zu vergleichen. Alle LS-Untersuchungen erfolgten durch 2 Radiologen, die die CT-Ergebnisse nicht kannten. Bei 43 von 77 Patienten fanden sich keinerlei Lasionen in LS und CT. Bei 34 Patienten fanden sich 13o Leberherde in LS, CT oder beiden. Alle 53 Leberzysten waren durch LS nachweisbar, nur 40 im CT. Von 25 Leberhamangiomen wurden 19 in der LS, 12 im CT gesehen. Durch LS konnten 2 Patienten mit Lebermetastasen identifiziert werden, deren CT unauffallig war. Insgesamt waren von 130 Leberherden 123 (95%) bei der LS und 101 (78%) im CT sichtbar. Die LS der Leber ist zur Metastasensuche bei laparoskopischen kolorektalen Operationen geeignet.
Allografts and xenografts in soft tissue repair: Current use and future trends

Abstract The use of allografts and xenografts in soft tissue repair has grown dramatically over the past several decades driven by dissatisfaction with existing products, a favorable regulatory environment, and an attractive business environment. Starting with a relatively small number of source tissues harvested from an equally small number of animal species that are available in the numbers necessary to support their widespread clinical use, a large number of products are now commercially available. These products are cleared for use in a variety of soft tissue augmentation procedures including dural repair, chest wall reconstruction, cardiac and cardiovascular surgery, abdominal wall repair, and pelvic organ prolapse repair. In this chapter, we review the sources, methods of processing, and clinical use of this diverse class of implants to provide insight on what is available in the marketplace today and what trends are likely in the future.
The book of nature

In 1623 Galileo crafted a famous metaphor that is still often cited by scientists. Nature, he wrote, is a book written in "the language of mathematics". If we cannot understand that language, we will be doomed to wander about as if "in a dark labyrinth".
Privileging Policy Change? Sustaining Automatic Stabilizing Mechanisms in Public Pensions

Automatic stabilizing mechanisms (ASMs) in pension systems change the policy default so that benefits or contributions adjust automatically to adverse demographic and economic conditions without direct intervention by politicians. This is politically attractive to politicians because it facilitates blame avoiding. But it only works if politicians can refrain from ad hoc interventions when an ASM is triggered. Evidence from Canada, Sweden and Germany suggests a mixed record about their sustainability. Politicians may seek to evade or manipulate the trigger mechanism to avoid blame. A cartel of major parties that insulates pension policy-making from electoral competition can help to sustain ASMs.
Comparison of 3D Joint Angles Measured With the Kinect 2.0 Skeletal Tracker Versus a Marker-Based Motion Capture System

The Microsoft Kinect is becoming a widely used tool for inexpensive, portable measurement of human motion, with the potential to support clinical assessments of performance and function. In this study, the relative osteokinematic Cardan joint angles of the hip and knee were calculated using the Kinect 2.0 skeletal tracker. The pelvis segments of the default skeletal model were reoriented and 3-dimensional joint angles were compared with a marker-based system during a drop vertical jump and a hip abduction motion. Good agreement between the Kinect and marker-based system were found for knee (correlation coefficient = 0.96, cycle RMS error = 11°, peak flexion difference = 3°) and hip (correlation coefficient = 0.97, cycle RMS = 12°, peak flexion difference = 12°) flexion during the landing phase of the drop vertical jump and for hip abduction/adduction (correlation coefficient = 0.99, cycle RMS error = 7°, peak flexion difference = 8°) during isolated hip motion. Nonsagittal hip and knee angles did not correlate well for the drop vertical jump. When limited to activities in the optimal capture volume and with simple modifications to the skeletal model, the Kinect 2.0 skeletal tracker can provide limited 3-dimensional kinematic information of the lower limbs that may be useful for functional movement assessment.
Interaction of concurrent processes in cyber-physical systems

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) require tools that enable development of design methodology that supports analysis and modeling of Interaction Dynamics of Concurrent Processes (IDCP) represented by the measurement data provided by smart acquisition systems. In this paper, are presented some results of the project aiming at the development of algorithms and software tools that could detect short-lived temporal interaction of concurrent processes. The analysis is performed in time-frequency domain using wavelet tools. Some possibilities of such analysis are presented using an example of coherence investigation of concurrent biomedical processes.
Insights into Dynamics of Thrombin W215 Mutants using Synapt G2Si with Ion Mobility Separation

Thrombin is a serine protease central to regulation of the blood clotting cascade. Active wild-type thrombin acts as a procoagulant and cleaves the zymogen fibrinogen to produce fibrin, which forms the scaffold structure of a blood clot. Thrombin contains many intrinsically disordered loops near it's active site and exosites that are believed to facilitate specificity of thrombin towards it's substrates through small time scale entropic movements when cofactors are bound. To study the dynamic properties of these mutants, we produced W215I and W215A mutants of human thrombin and carried out hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDXMS) experiments using the Synapt G2Si instrument with ion mobility separation. This new instrument gave much higher coverage of the thrombin sequence and we were able to discover where the dynamics of the thrombin had changed with the mutations. Amide exchange in the 220s loop was strongly increased in the W215A mutant as compared to wild-type, and amide exchange in the beta-sheet leading up to position 215 (res. 209-214) was markedly decreased. These results help to explain why mutants at Trp215 have markedly different substrate specificity.
An Analytical Autoethnographical Account of using Inquiry-Based Learning in a Graduate Research Methods Course

Increased emphasis is being placed on integrating research and teaching in higher education because of the numerous benefits accrued by students. In accordance, research methods courses are ubiquitously contained in curricula, ostensibly to promote research training and the research-teaching nexus. Students may not appreciate the inclusion, however, of such courses or emphasis on research training when their career ambitions are outside academia. In this analytical autoethnographic study, I examined my experience of teaching research methods to twenty graduate students using an inquiry-based learning strategy. To assist my analysis, I incorporated the students’ reflective journals of their experience of the course. Inquiry based learning motivated both the students and me, however the approach was time intensive and stressful for me. Contrary to current recommendations, guidance is of crucial importance with this teaching approach, particularly at the onset. Furthermore, an alignment between my own research interests and course content was not necessary for the research-teaching nexus to be experienced. Moreover, absence of such alignment provided opportunities for personal development both for the students and in my case, the instructor. Dans l’enseignement superieur, on met maintenant de plus en plus d’emphase sur l’integration de la recherche dans l’enseignement a cause des nombreux avantages dont peuvent beneficier les etudiants. Par consequent, les cours de methodologie de la recherche font desormais partie des programmes de cours de facon ubiquitaire, visiblement pour favoriser la formation en recherche et le lien entre l’enseignement et la recherche. Toutefois, les etudiants n’apprecient pas toujours une telle inclusion de ces cours ni l’accent mis sur la formation en recherche lorsque leurs ambitions de carriere se situent hors du milieu universitaire. Dans cette etude analytique auto-ethnographique, j’examine l’experience que j’ai eue quand j’ai enseigne un cours de methodes de recherche a vingt etudiants au cycles superieurs en utilisant une strategie d’apprentissage basee sur l’enquete. Pour faciliter mon analyse, j’ai incorpore les journaux de reflexions personnelles des etudiants dans lesquels ils ont relate leurs experiences concernant le cours. L’apprentissage base sur l’enquete a motive a la fois les etudiants et moi-meme, mais il s’est avere que cette approche avait pris enormement de temps et avait ete stressante pour moi. Contrairement aux recommandations qui circulent actuellement, il est de la plus haute importance de fournir des conseils quand on utilise cette approche d’enseignement, en particulier au debut. De plus, il n’a pas ete necessaire d’aligner mes propres interets en matiere de recherche avec le contenu du cours pour faire l’experience du lien entre la recherche et l’enseignement. Par ailleurs, l’absence d’un tel alignement a fourni des occasions de developpement personnel a la fois pour les etudiants et, dans mon cas, pour l’instructeur.
Methadone Dose Selection for Treatment of Pain Compared with Consensus Recommendations.

Abstract Background: Many factors make methadone an appealing option for treatment of pain in patients seen by palliative care; however, complex drug-related properties and variable patient response complicate appropriate conversion ratios from other opioids to methadone. Currently, there is no consensus regarding one accepted conversion method. Objective: Current patterns of prescribing for clinicians at a three-hospital academic health system on initial rotation to methadone for the management of pain were compared with a series of consensus recommendations for methadone dose calculation. Design: Retrospective chart review of 98 hospital patients. Settings/Participants: Adult subjects hospitalized in an academic medical center between January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2015, who were initiated on oral methadone for pain during the same admission. Measurements: Final target daily dose of methadone was calculated using End of Life/Palliative Education Resource Center (EPERC) and Friedman conversion methods b...
How to write abstracts for manuscripts, presentations, and grants: Maximizing information in a 30-s sound bite world.

Background and purpose Exponential growth of published conference and manuscript material, increasingly available electronic access, and heightened expectations for short, quick, and available information have propelled the written abstract into a position of extreme importance for nurse practitioners (NPs). NPs can leverage their abstract writing, to maximize exposure of their work, through presentations, publications, and grants. The purpose of this article is to detail the significance of abstract use and relevance for NPs, and to provide useful details and helpful hints for writing effective and strategic abstracts in a heavily electronic and 30-s sound bite world. Methods The manuscript is a brief report. Development procedures included detailed searches (PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar). Available literature was compiled and evaluated. Descriptions, examples, and helpful hints were developed and integrated into the manuscript. Conclusions Attention to traditions and directions of the organization to which the abstract will be submitted is important. The process requires diligence, iterative writing, a focus on relevant content, and intended audience to maximize success. Implications for practice A well-written abstract will move NP-relevant messages to heightened visibility for others. Leveraging the abstract is critical for NP patient care, professional growth, and profession overall.
MATURATION OF THE POLYMERASE POLYPROTEIN OF THE CORONAVIRUS MHV STRAIN JHM INVOLVES A CASCADE OF PROTEOLYTIC PROCESSING EVENTS

The RNA polymerase gene of the murine Coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) encodes a polyprotein of greater than 750 kDa. The amino-terminal cleavage product of the MHV polymerase polyprotein, p28, has been shown to be cleaved from the polyprotein by the virus-encoded protease PCP-1. We aim to identify the MHV-JHM proteolytic products downstream of p28 and to determine which viral proteinase domains are responsible for generating each of them. To this end, we have generated antisera directed at specific MHV-JHM ORF la regions and have used these antisera to identify six viral proteins, representing a large portion of ORF la, from MHV-JHM-infected cells. These proteins include p28, p72, p65, p250, p210, and p27.
The role of dietary patterns and exceptional parental longevity in healthy aging.

Background Individuals with exceptional longevity and their offspring manifest a lower prevalence of age-related diseases than families without longevity. However, the contribution of dietary habits to protection from disease has not been systematically assessed in families with exceptional longevity. Objective The aim of this study is to compare dietary patterns between individuals with parental longevity and individals without parental longevity. Methods Dietary intake was evaluated using the Block Brief Food Frequency Questionnaire in 234 community dwelling Ashkenazi Jewish adults aged 65 years and older who were participants of the LonGenity study, which enrolls the offspring of parents with exceptional longevity (OPEL) and offspring of parents with usual survival (OPUS). Results OPEL constituted 38% of the subjects. The two groups had similar daily intake of total calories (1119 vs. 1218 kcal, p = 0.83), grams of cholesterol (141 g vs. 143 g, p = 0.19), and grams of sodium (1324 g vs.1475 g, p = 0.45), in OPEL vs. OPUS respectively. There were also no significant differences in the intake of other macronutrients, micronutrients, nutritional supplements and consumption of various food groups between OPEL and OPUS after adjustment for age and sex. Discussion A healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases. Our study revealed that dietary intake did not differ between OPEL and OPUS; thus, pointing to the role of longevity genes in protecting from disease among individuals with familial longevity. Conclusion The offspring of long-lived parents do not differ in their dietary patterns compared to individuals without parental longevity.
Deconstructing optimal detection algorithms

Composite hypothesis testing problems admit a class of solutions that are as optimal as possible, absent a cost function. These indomitable detectors comprise a superset of all optimal solutions. However, evaluating them with finite precision arithmetic can generate unstable answers. Here we devise a general method for deriving indomitables, using an extended fusion technique. Then we show how to reverse the process to generate arbitrarily accurate approximations to indomitables that are also stable.
Incorporating detailed metabolic models into superstructure optimization of biorefineries

Abstract A superstructure optimization of an algal carbon sequestration network, including five major processing sections, is undertaken to identify optimal technologies and processing pathways. This model leads to a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem where the net present value is maximized with respect to design parameters and mass flowrates of the network streams. The genome-scale metabolic network of C. reinhardtii is used to model algae growth in the cultivation section. Open pond—a preferred cultivation technology—is modelled as a CSTR where the consumption rate of CO2 and production rate of biomass is directly obtained from the metabolic-network model. This furnishes a reliable basis for the coupling of the design parameters and flowrates, which, in turn, leads to more realistic economic assessments under various operating conditions, such as light intensity and substrate concentrations.
Unforgotten Biafra 50 Years Later.

The article focuses on the impact of the Nigerian civil war from May 1967 to January 1970 on humanitarian relief. It comments that nonprofit organizations including the French Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross had to pledge to remain silent publicly concerning atrocities committed against the Biafran people to avoid jeopardizing their neutrality and access. It mentions how a number of civil society organizations protect their independence and provide humanitarian relief.
Interfacial energetics of two-dimensional colloidal clusters generated with a tunable anharmonic interaction potential

Interfacial characteristics are critical to various properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as band alignment at a heterojunction and nucleation kinetics in a 2D crystal. Despite the desire to harness these enhanced interfacial properties for engineering new materials, unexpected phase transitions and defects, unique to the 2D morphology, have left a number of open questions. In particular, the effects of configurational anisotropy, which are difficult to isolate experimentally, and their influence on interfacial properties are not well understood. In this work, we begin to probe this structure-thermodynamic relationship, using a rotating magnetic field to generate an anharmonic interaction potential in a 2D system of paramagnetic particles. At low magnetic field strengths, weakly interacting colloidal particles form non-close-packed, fluidlike droplets, whereas, at higher field strengths, crystallites with hexagonal ordering are observed. We examine spatial and interfacial properties of these 2D colloidal clusters by measuring the local bond orientation order parameter and interfacial stiffness as a function of the interaction strength. To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure the tunable interfacial stiffness of a 2D colloidal cluster by controlling particle interactions using external fields.
Refashioning Early Modern Masculine Performance through manuales de conducta

This article examines ties between manuales de conducta and comportments specific to early modern Spanish society to demonstrate the permutations of how aristocracy understood the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century masculine archetype. Analysing Italian originals and their Spanish adaptations, I argue that instead of internalizing gender identity unconsciously as habitus, the manuales act as performative guides that allow readers to adopt it consciously. This article deconstructs the convergence of masculine behaviours towards a more civilized gender identity showcasing the historical decline of violence that generated, adapted and established courtly masculinity as the hegemonic discourse through which a prescriptive view of how courtly virility was conceived, disseminated, adopted, and ultimately performed, by both aristocrats and those who desired to learn traits that would unlock access to the privileged class. Furthermore, this article proposes that the manuales refashion pre-established sixteenth- and seventeenth-century behaviours allowing conscious internalization and performance of hegemonic courtly traits regardless of social class.
Opportunism or Self Awareness:The Misunderstood Persona of Pope Pius II

This article explores the misconstrued personality regarding one of the most famous rhetorician, humanist, diplomat, and prelate of the Italian Renaissance, Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini (1405-1464), better known by his papal name: Pope Pius II (1458-1464). This work extends beyond studies that focus exclusively on his handling of the affairs at the Council of Basel (1431-1449) and his involvement and support for the Conciliarist movement in which Piccolomini was cast as an opportunist whose “pen was at the service of the highest bidder.” In addition, this study deconstructs the notion of rank opportunism, which currently prevails in the context of his achievements and presents a more rational explanation for his behavior when he switched from being an advocate of the Conciliarst movement to an adamant member of the Holy See. In the process, he adopted a firm stance on crusading, a goal for which he would sacrifice his life leading a crusade against Mohammed II to regain control of the fallen city of Constantinople in May 1453.
The Dynamic Model of a Three Degree of Freedom Parallel Robotic Shoulder Module

Existing robot arms typically feature a serial sequence of one degree of freedom (DOF) joints. This paper describes a three DOF shoulder module which has parallel kinematic structure. The introduction of sophisticated structural modules such as the shoulder makes the integration of several such modules into a robot system with more advanced performance characteristics an accessible option to the designer. This paper presents a dynamic model analysis for the shoulder module. The rigid link modeling formulation is well established and has been successfully applied to planar mechanisms and serial robot arms. The geometric influence coefficients, the basic components of the model, relate system dynamics to the state of the generalized inputs and are derived for the shoulder module having parallel inputs. The reduced dynamic model defined using the kinematic influence coefficients is useful for model-based control. The use of the influence coefficients is extended to include a formulation based on classical optimization techniques which provides an additional tool in the design of shoulder modules.
Developing Training Research to Improve Cyber Defense of Industrial Control Systems

Cyber-attacks are a common aspect of modern life. While cyber based attacks can expose private information or shut down online services, some of the most potentially dangerous attacks change the se...
Test Point Insertion Using Artificial Neural Networks

A method of data collecting, training, and using artificial neural networks (ANNs) for evaluating test point (TP) quality for TP insertion (TPI) is presented in this study. The TPI method analyzes a digital circuit and determines where to insert TPs to improve fault coverage under pseudo-random stimulus, but in contrast to conventional TPI algorithms using heuristically-calculated testability measures, the proposed method uses an ANN trained through fault simulation to evaluate a TP's quality. The time of feature extraction is demonstrated to be significantly faster compared to heuristic-based TP evaluation, and the impact of inserted TPs is shown to provide superior stuck-at fault coverage compared to conventional heuristic-based testability analysis.
The computation of turbulent phenomena

Abstract We address multiple aspects of the numerical modeling of turbulence and mixing. Fundamental issues of thermodynamics related to nonuniqueness of solutions of the fluid Euler are addressed here. Recent developments of Front Tracking, a part of this analysis, is reviewed as well. The work presented is the result of multiple collaboration teams, and includes in some cases announcements of results yet to be published. The present paper provides a unique opportunity to view the entire range as a unified contribution to science.
Inhibition of post-termination ribosome recycling at premature termination codons in UPF1 ATPase mutants

Recognition and rapid degradation of mRNA harboring premature translation termination codons (PTCs) serves to protect cells from accumulating non-functional and potentially toxic truncated polypeptides. Targeting of PTC-containing transcripts is mediated by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway and requires a conserved set of proteins including UPF1, an RNA helicase whose ATPase activity is essential for NMD. Previously, we identified a functional interaction between the NMD machinery and terminating ribosomes based on 3' RNA decay fragments that accrue in UPF1 ATPase mutants. Herein, we show that those decay intermediates originate downstream of the PTC and harbor 80S ribosomes that migrate into the mRNA 3' UTR independent of canonical translation. Accumulation of 3' RNA decay fragments is determined by both RNA sequence downstream of the PTC and the inactivating mutation within the active site of UPF1. Our data reveal a failure in post-termination ribosome recycling in UPF1 ATPase mutants.
Connecting science fundamentals and career proficiency -- Development of multi-disciplinary science curriculum

The current conventional approach in teaching STEM seems inadequate; it is failing both the students and the work-force demands in several aspects. Perhaps it is succeeding in equipping students with information and facts but surely falls short in developing them intellectually and in sparking their passion for science. Mixing research with learning by adding components in courses to enforce creativity, reasoning, and to connect the dots between different topics and different subjects can be an effective counter to this tendency. Multi-disciplinary science curriculum connecting the dots between different subjects and the dots between fundamentals and applications and demonstrating clear path to current and future industrial jobs can offer a good approach for STEM education. An example for mutli-disciplinary science course is presented.
Optical emission and peak electromagnetic power radiated by negative return strokes in rocket-triggered lightning

Abstract Calibrated measurements of the optical radiation produced by negative return strokes in rocket-triggered lightning (RTL) have been made in the visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectral region in correlation with currents measured at the channel base. Using a simple transmission-line model, the currents have been used to estimate the peak electromagnetic (EM) fields and Poynting power that are radiated in the time-domain (i.e. from about 1 kHz to 3 MHz). The results show that the optical power radiated by RTL at the time of the peak current has a mean and standard deviation of 130±120 MW, a value that is only about 5% of the Poynting power that is radiated into the upper half-space at that time. These results are in good agreement with similar measurements made on the subsequent return strokes in natural lightning that remain in a pre-existing channel. Our methods and assumptions are similar to those of ( Guo and Krider, 1982 , Krider and Guo, 1983 ; Quick and Krider, 2013 ).