cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Smartphone-based Haptic Vision Substitution system for the blind

Haptic Vision Substitution is a relatively new Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designed to help the blind to ‘see’ through touch. This paper documents the implementation and design of a Smartphone-based vibrotactile system that uses Catadioptric stereo imaging to increase the spatial awareness of a visually impaired individual. The system computes a disparity map, where distance from an object is inversely proportional to the intensity, using Computer Vision techniques. This information is then compressed and sent to a microcontroller via Bluetooth to be actuated on an 8×8 matrix of shaftless coin vibration motors composing the vibrotactile interface. The interface is built into a wearable vest, where actuation occurs on the upper back region. The upper back was chosen as it is a relatively unused area of the body, providing minimal contraction, and has the somatosensory neuron resolution to accommodate an 8×8 vibrotactile array. This study also includes research on the effectiveness of the haptic transduction and methods of enhancing the tactile sensation to provide a more seamless user experience. It also builds the basis for a programmable tactile interface that would open the doors to a variety of applications for the blind.
Integrated structure and controller design

Modern problems which require severe constraints on the dynamic response will demand a theory for system design, integrating plant design with controller design. Successive covariance approximation is proposed for integrating structure and control designs.
Approaches to the I-Consciousness: Its Depths, Normal and Abnormal

In the context of this paper, the self is that which is conscious of itself; it is self-consciousness, a consciousness that is conscious of its own being. If there is self anywhere, it affirms itself as “I;” it is, therefore, I-consciousness. The I-consciousness is the cue to the presence of self. The “I” is never experienced by anyone without the “am;” if the “I” is true, the “am” must be true. There is no “I” without the “am” and no “am” without the “I.” There can be only one reality about which the “I” can be asserted, and that is myself. But the “You are” and “He is” can be asserted about many. That is why, when there is doubt about existence, I can doubt the existence of the You and the He, but not about my “I.” Bertrand Russell said that consciousness or being known makes no difference to the existence of the object known; but it makes all the difference in the world in the case of the consciousness of the “I.” If the “I” does not know itself, it does not exist.
Clinical Results of Interlaminar Approach for Endoscopic Discectomy in the Herniated Lumbar Disc at L5-S1

Objective: This retrospective study of 57 patients was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic surgery by using interlaminar approach (ILA) in symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH) at L5-S1. Methods: Visual analogue pain score (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used to assess the clinical outcome. All assessment was done on 1 day before the operation, 3 days, 3 months and 12 months after the operation Results: The mean preoperative back and leg VAS was decreased from 5.6±1.4, 8.5±1.7 to 1.8±1.2, 1.5±1.3 at 3 days, 1.2±1.1, 1.8±1.7 at 3 months, and 1.4±1.7, 1.6±1.3 at 12 months after the operation. Mean preoperative ODI score was improved from 46.8±22.4% to 17.7±11.6% at 3 days, 15.3±10.1% at 3 months, and 16.2±9.3% at 12 months after the operation. There were 2 cases of surgical failure due to dural tearing and calcified disc. One patient presented with transient paresthesia postoperatively. Two patients showed the recurrent disc herniation at the same level and same side, and underwent second open surgery. Conclusion: The present study revealed that percutaneous endoscopic surgery by using ILA is an effective surgical modality for the selective cases of LDH at L5-S1.
A Process for the Formation of Nanocrystals of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients with Poor Aqueous Solubility in a Nanoporous Substrate

A potential process for the formation of nanocrystals of the poorly soluble drug, ibuprofen, within a nanoporous material is demonstrated. Nanocrystalline ibuprofen (IBP) is prepared at ≤106 nm by adding a solution containing IBP to particles of controlled pore glass (CPG) within a column so that the pores contain IBP solution. The imbibed particles of CPG are then rinsed with a minimal amount of solvent to remove excess solution at the surface of CPG, and a flow of air within the column is used to evaporate the solvent, resulting in crystallization of IBP within the pores of CPG. Crystallinity is determined using X-ray powder diffraction. IBP is confirmed as being in the nanosize range by observation of a negative shift in the melting point measured by differential scanning calorimetry, and loading of IBP nanocrystals within the pores (% w/w) is determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Parameters were investigated for the process and demonstrate that an increase in percentage loading is achieved with in...
O2-S4.05 Serosorting behaviours and beliefs among MSM at an urban LGBT health center

Background Serosorting, preferentially engaging in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with partners of the same HIV status, is practiced by some MSM as a risk reduction strategy. Methods May through November 2010, we assessed serosorting practices and beliefs among MSM seeking STI testing at an urban LGBT health center. We compared serosorting practices and beliefs by HIV status and partner characteristics with Pearson χ 2 tests. Sexual behaviours, partner characteristics, and HIV status were based on self-report. Results 705 HIV-negative and 88 HIV-positive MSM completed the assessment. Median time since last HIV test was 7.5 months; nearly a third had not been tested in the last year. Overall, 53% reported no UAI, 27% reported seroconcordant UAI, and 18% reported serodiscordant UAI with last sex partner. UAI was more common with seroconcordant partners than with serodiscordant partners (55% vs 37%, p Conclusions Discrepancies between serosorting endorsement and practice underscore the importance of assessing cognitions related to risk-taking and behaviour. High rates of partner concurrency, infrequent testing, and indirect assessment of partner serostatus may limit the effectiveness of serosorting as a risk reduction strategy, even with main partners. The contribution of serosorting to HIV transmission within primary relationships warrants further research.
The past, present, and future of AJP-Cell

paul horowicz, the first editor of AJP-Cell , wrote in an editorial in the inaugural issue (in January, 1977), “It is the hope and intention of the Publications Committee of the American Physiological Society and the Editors that the American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology will provide a
Quantitative trait locus mapping using sets of near-isogenic lines: relative power comparisons and technical considerations

The power to detect QTL using near-isogenic line (NIL) comparisons versus recombinant inbred (RI) populations was assessed. The power to detect QTL was found to be generally greater when using RI populations than when using NIL contrasts. Power to detect QTL with NIL contrasts never exceeded that of RI populations when the number of RI lines is maximized relative to replication of lines for a given number of experimental units. The relative power of NIL contrasts is highest for traits with high heritability and when a gain in precision is realized due to increased replication of entries. Although NIL populations are generally less powerful than RI populations of similar size, some practical considerations may enhance the value of these materials. Availability of NILs allows the genetic effect of a specific chromosome region to be determined by comparing two lines; all RI lines in a population need to be rescored for each new trait even if the effect of a specific chromosome region is suspected. NIL comparisons may allow genetic differences to be detected by visual inspection; genetic effects can only be expressed as means and variances with recombinant inbred populations. In summary, RI populations generally, and in some cases, substantially, provide better power for QTL detection than NIL comparisons. Practical considerations, however, indicate that many factors need to be considered when choosing a population structure to meet an experimental objective.
Should nishiyama’s K123 (Ipomoea trifida) be designatedI. batatas?)

An interesting Ipomoea was collected and designated K123 by Nishiyama (9) while he was on tour in the United States and Mexico in 1955. It has since been extensively discussed (10, 11, 12, 13). Following preliminary observations, K123 was tentatively considered as Ipomoea commutata Roem., and, because of its 90 somatic chromosomes, possibly an ancestral species to the sweet potato, I. batatas (L.) Lam. (9). In this first report of K123, Nishiyama recognized that it may actually be a direct prototype of the modern cultivated sweet potato. In subsequent reports, it has been considered to represent I. trifida (H.B.K.) G. Don and has received considerable attention in phylogenetic discussions of the sweet potato (4, 10, 11, 12, 13). Observations of K123 (very graciously supplied to me by Dr. Nishiyama) lead me to the inescapable conclusion that it should be considered an extreme segregate of the sweet potato rather than a different species as previously postulated. This paper presents information relative to that conclusion.
Black Girls and School Discipline: The Complexities of Being Overrepresented and Understudied

Using Critical Race Theory and Critical Race Feminism as guiding conceptual frameworks, this mixed-methods empirical study examines Black girls’ exclusionary discipline outcomes. First, we examined...
Joint Data Harmonization and Group Cardinality Constrained Classification.

To boost the power of classifiers, studies often increase the size of existing samples through the addition of independently collected data sets. Doing so requires harmonizing the data for demographic and acquisition differences based on a control cohort before performing disease specific classification. The initial harmonization often mitigates group differences negatively impacting classification accuracy. To preserve cohort separation, we propose the first model unifying linear regression for data harmonization with a logistic regression for disease classification. Learning to harmonize data is now an adaptive process taking both disease and control data into account. Solutions within that model are confined by group cardinality to reduce the risk of overfitting (via sparsity), to explicitly account for the impact of disease on the inter-dependency of regions (by grouping them), and to identify disease specific patterns (by enforcing sparsity via the \(l_0\)-‘norm’). We test those solutions in distinguishing HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder from Mild Cognitive Impairment of two independently collected, neuroimage data sets; each contains controls and samples from one disease. Our classifier is impartial to acquisition difference between the data sets while being more accurate in diseases seperation than sequential learning of harmonization and classification parameters, and non-sparsity based logistic regressors.
Exploring Social Structure, Participation and Knowledge Dissemination within an Online Game Design Community: Sploder

This study explores social ranks, participations and knowledge dissemination within an online game design community. We describe how social ranks have evolved and supported the overall participation over time. We argue that higher social rank members drive the community in terms of forming effective idea and knowledge sharing. A multi-method analysis technique using content analysis, qualitative interview, and server level quantitative data of users in Sploder.com supports our claim.
Optofluidic Fano resonance photonic crystal refractometric sensors

We report an ultra-compact surface-normal optofluidic refractometric sensor based on a two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal on insulator. In contrast to the conventional symmetric Lorentzian resonance that is prevalently used in the label-free sensors, the asymmetric lineshape and steep peak-to-dip transition of a Fano resonance enable the enhanced detection sensitivity. The detection limit of 1.3 × 10−6 refractive index units is achieved, which is among the lowest reported experimentally in the defect-free photonic crystal sensors.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Suspected Liver Metastases

Liver metastases are the most common malignant liver tumors. The accurate and early detection and characterization of liver lesions is the key to successful treatment strategies. Increasingly, surgical resection in combination with chemotherapy is effective in significantly improving survival if all metastases are successfully resected. MRI and multiphase CT are the primary imaging modalities in the assessment of liver metastasis, with the relative preference toward multiphase CT or MRI depending upon the clinical setting (ie, surveillance or presurgical planning). The optimization of imaging parameters is a vital factor in the success of either modality. PET/CT, intraoperative ultrasound are used to supplement CT and MRI. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.
Simulated Wind Action on Photovoltaic Module by Non-uniform Dynamic Mechanical Load and Mean Extended Wind Load

Abstract Taiwan is centrally situated in the main path of typhoons generated in the Northwest Pacific Ocean (19-28° N, 117-125° E). On average in last one hundred years, three or four typhoons approach or make landfall in Taiwan yearly. This typhoon issue has received considerable attention, since the associated strong winds generally damage photovoltaic (PV) modules severely. Previous IEC standards have examined the effect of static (or dynamic) uniform loads for PV module, but did not consider the non-uniform loads due to wind effects on PV modules. In this paper, we develop an analytical model about a mean extended wind load (MEWL) test method, and a non-uniform dynamic mechanical load (NUDML) system, which can simulate the wind action on PV module by uneven mechanical loads. Results of this study revealed that the result of MEWL test strongly rely on the environmental condition of wind velocity, wind direction angle and the inclined angle of the PV module.
Abstract 20454: Electronic Cigarette Aerosols and Constituents Induce Bradycardia and Prolonged QT in Mice -- Does E-Cigarette Use Increase Cardiovascular Disease Risk?

Introduction: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, including E-cigarettes) use is increasing rapidly, especially among youth who perceive ENDS as generally safer than smoking. The cardiovasc...
Training the next generation of physician researchers – Vanderbilt Medical Scholars Program

As highlighted in recent reports published by the Physician-Scientist Workforce Working Group at the National Institutes of Health, the percentage of physicians conducting research has declined over the past decade. Various programs have been put in place to support and develop current medical student interest in research to alleviate this shortage, including The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Medical Scholars Program (MSP). This report outlines the long-term program goals and short-term outcomes on career development of MSP alumni, to shed light on the effectiveness of research training programs during undergraduate medical training to inform similar programs in the United States. MSP alumni were asked to complete an extensive survey assessing demographics, accomplishments, career progress, future career plans, and MSP program evaluation. Fifty-five (81%) MSP alumni responded, among whom 12 had completed all clinical training. The demographics of MSP alumni survey respondents are similar to those of all Vanderbilt medical students and medical students at all other Association of American Medical College (AAMC) medical schools. MSP alumni published a mean of 1.9 peer-reviewed manuscripts (95% CI:1.2, 2.5), and 51% presented at national meetings. Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported that MSP participation either changed their career goals or helped to confirm or refine their career goals. Results suggest that the MSP program both prepares students for careers in academic medicine and influences their career choices at an early juncture in their training. A longer follow-up period is needed to fully evaluate the long-term outcomes of some participants.
Temporal Trends of Sources of Cigarettes Among US High School Students: 2001-2015.

Introduction Restricting the supply of cigarettes to youth plays an important role in reducing youth smoking. Methods The study included data from 8 years of the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from 2001 to 2015 with 99572 high school students less than 18 years old. Data were weighted to provide national estimates of the temporal trends of cigarette sources. Each cigarette source was analyzed by a separate multivariable logistic regression model and the linear trend odds ratio (aOR) was adjusted by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking frequency. Results The current smoking prevalence among US high school students less than 18 years of age declined from 26.9% in 2001 to 9.9% in 2015. Among current smokers, we found an overall downward trend of buying cigarettes in a store (aOR = 0.98, confidence interval [CI] = [0.96-1.00]) and an overall upward trend of getting them "some other way" (aOR = 1.03, CI = [1.01-1.05]). The prevalence of purchasing cigarettes in a store significantly declined among smokers aged 16-17, male smokers, white smokers, and daily smokers, but not among other categories. The prevalence of getting cigarettes "some other way" significantly increased across all groups except Hispanic smokers and medium-level or daily smokers. Conclusions The proportion of high school students reporting that they bought cigarettes from a store has been declining over the years, while the proportion of high schoolers reporting that they got cigarettes "some other way" has been increasing. The temporal trends also varied by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking frequency. Implications Patterns of high school student access to cigarettes have changed from 2001 to 2015, with access from "some other way" becoming more prevalent. The differences in cigarette acquisition by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking frequency highlight the importance of implementing tailored policies and interventions to reduce youth access to cigarettes and prevent youth from smoking.
Introduction: landscape of opioid dependence.

BACKGROUND: The use of opioids for chronic noncancer pain increased 222% from 1992 to 2002. Opioid dependence has also increased significantly, leading to a burden on patients, employers, insurers, society, and the entire health care system. It is imperative that opioid dependence is addressed and treated properly, in order to return patients to being productive participants in the workplace and society. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of addiction, abuse, and dependence and identify risk factors for addiction. SUMMARY: Studies have shown that intensive use of opioids is associated with increased utilization of costly health care services, prolonged disability, and continued use of opioids, leading to abuse and dependence in many patients. While identifying patients at risk for developing opioid dependence is difficult, there are many risk stratification tools now available to practitioners, including the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) or Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP). Understand...
Models with Uncertain Estimates

In many cases, decision makers may be able to express a range for the relative importance of one alternative or criterion over another without being that confident of a precise numerical value. For instance, in buying a house, someone might feel that interior arrangement might be 2 to 4 times as important as the exterior appearance. The methods we have looked at so far have either expected the decision maker to state a specific value (interior is 3 times as important as exterior) or provided means to obtain such a specific value. This chapter discusses two methods (ARIADNE and HIPRE 3+) that allow decision makers to input ranges for relative advantage or performance.
Problems in Understanding Program Efficacy in Child Welfare

Understanding program efficacy in child welfare is challenging due to the nature of how children and families are, or are not, served and the diversity in population characteristics, policy regimes and program components across regions. Additionally, there is increasing research interest in the effects of adding a new or evidence-based intervention to usual care. Although difficult, this chapter argues that answering questions of efficacy in child welfare is not impossible. This chapter is not a crash course on evaluation methodology, but rather a targeted discussion of the particular challenges related to conducting research on usual care and/or interventions combined with usual care. To provide structure, the discussion focuses on legislative child welfare goals of safety and permanency, but the issues raised are applicable to other outcomes of interest. The chapter concludes with suggestions for addressing research challenges to advance the knowledge base and improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
Selection of Residential Building Design Requirements to Achieve Community Functionality Goals under Tornado Loading

AbstractAn essential aspect of community disaster recovery planning is understanding the recovery process and developing appropriate probability-based recovery simulation tools to account for inter...
Joost A.M. Meerloo, M.D.: “Some Psychological Processes in Supervision of Therapists”

THEODORE SHAPIRO M.D.* Meerloo's 1952 commentary on the psychological processes in supervision provides a practical working frame for teaching dynamic psychotherapy. The brief paper alerts us to the pitfalls of controlling our supervisees versus teaching them while offering good homey recommendations that include catch-phrases such as "personal guidance." He notes that his approach revives "an old way of learning and teaching medicine," i.e., learning by precept. Curiously, the piece is both modern and dated as evidenced by the didactic tone and recommendations about empathy as well as the assumption that teaching psychotherapy is a feature of medical education. The former seems modern, the latter an unlikely assumption for our next generation, as physicians are being taught other forms of therapy in most areas of the U.S. The contrast Meerloo makes between the technical present in 1952 and the humane personal aspects of meeting with a patient remain current concerns. Indeed, in usual psychiatric curriculum planning we contrast knowledge and skill learning. At the same time we contrast blind spots to dumb spots, a distinction that has been attributed to so many that I dare not use a citation because it is bound to offend someone. At any rate, the blind spot must be analyzed for its unconscious dimensions; the dumb spot, by contrast, may be removed by education. Since Meerloo's paper, using the psychoanalytic frame, there have been multiple commentaries and one book, Becoming a Psychoanalyst: A Study of Psychoanalytic Supervision by Robert Wallerstein,1 in 1981 and more recently, in 1993, a paper by Szecsody, Kachele and Dreyer,2 among others, that address the supervisory process. Szecsody described four ambiguities in supervision: 1. The candidate must be "good enough" in his openness to learn. 2. The supervised candidate must now consider his/her role as real as well as fantasied transference object. 3. Parallel process between patient and analyst and analyst and supervisor must be considered. 4. The triangular situation established is central in any dialogue between two of the parties. In addition, the COPE Study Group of the American Psychoanalytic Association described three styles of supervision: (1) didactic, (2) collegial, and (3) Socratic. Each has its pitfalls. Turning to formal empirical research on psychotherapy, we find that supervision now takes the shape of formal training. The therapist is taught to adhere to a specific procedure, for there is no possibility of studying any therapy without reviewing and judging the therapist's reliability and adherence to a manual designed to deliver a specific treatment. …
QuickR: A Novel Routing Strategy for Wireless Mobile Information-centric Networks

In traditional mobile networks that do not support in-network caching, node mobility can cause a large number of requests to get dropped due to unavailability of paths from users to the origin servers (content custodians). In comparison, in information-centric networks (ICN) that cache content at storage-enabled network nodes in addition to the content custodians, a significantly higher percentage of requests can be served by effectively leveraging in-network caching even when direct paths are unavailable. In this paper, we propose QuickR, a routing algorithm that augments shortest path routing with features such as multi-path routing, content search, random walk, request caching and path recomputation to provide superior performance in wireless mobile ICN. We propose two versions of QuickR-i) a low-overhead version 1 that includes multi-path routing, neighbor search, random walk and request caching, and ii) version 2 that includes route recomputation along with all the other features of version 1. To demonstrate its robustness, we evaluate the performance of QuickR on diverse mobile networks–synthetic mobility models (i.e., Grid, Random waypoint), pedestrian mobility traces (i.e., Stockholm pedestrian trace) and real-world vehicular mobility traces (i.e., Rome taxi cab, Seattle bus). We also test QuickR’s performance on real-world request streams from YouTube and Wikipedia, and on multiple cache eviction and insertion policies. Our experiments demonstrate that QuickR outperforms shortest path and multi-path routing in terms of percentage of requests served by a factor of 3. 5x on average.
Development of the Value Alignment and Adaptation Strategies (VAAS) Instrument

This work in progress research paper describes the development of the Value Alignment and Adaptation Strategies (VAAS) instrument. This survey has been designed to better understand how the personal and perceived workplace cultural values of early career engineers, and women in particular, relate to the behaviors they adopt at work (termed “adaptation strategies”). Grounded in Schwartz’s personal and cultural value theory, Berry’s acculturation theory, and the literature on gender and persistence in engineering, the survey proposes three new constructs — Value Alignment, Value Orientation, and Adaptation Strategies (operationalized based on Berry’s model as assimilation, integration, separation, and marginalization). The online instrument is being piloted in spring and summer 2019 to recent engineering alumni of a large, public southwestern university. Exploratory factor analysis and tests of reliability are being conducted using the pilot data to establish preliminary evidence of construct validity and internal consistency for each scale before deploying the survey to a larger alumni population. Findings using this survey have a potential to influence researchers, university and industry stakeholders, practicing engineers, and students, which may in turn lead to greater inclusivity within the engineering profession and better preparation of engineers for the workplace.
Assessment of knowledge and perception about silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for treating older adults among graduating dental students.

Purpose/objectives Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a promising therapy for arresting and preventing caries in difficult to treat, high-risk populations, including institutionalized older adults. This study investigates the knowledge and perceptions about SDF of graduating dental students in multiple U.S. dental schools, as well as their willingness to use SDF in their practices. Methods A survey was designed consisting of 21 total questions: 6 questions regarding students' demographic information and their SDF content exposure contextualization, 8 questions tailored to investigate 2 domains regarding students' knowledge about SDF (properties and indication), and 7 questions aiming to investigate 3 domains regarding students' perceptions about SDF (SDF usefulness, appropriateness of using SDF, and willingness to use SDF when in private practice). The survey was then distributed to graduating dental students at 7 U.S. dental schools. Results A total of 386 surveys (response rate of 55%) was collected from 7 schools in the Spring of 2019. The median score resulting from the SDF content exposure questions was 3 (SD = 1.43) from a range of 0-5. The median score from knowledge about SDF properties was 4 (SD = 1.18) from a range of 0 to 6. In the multivariate analysis, a linear model found that the covariates "SDF Usefulness", "SDF Appropriateness" and "SDF Patient Willingness to Use" were significantly associated with higher student willingness to use SDF (R2 = 0.395). Conclusion The results indicated that the graduating students have a positive perception of SDF regarding its usefulness and appropriateness. Graduating students appear inclined to utilize SDF upon entering private practice.
On dropping the first Sobol' point.

Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) points are a substitute for plain Monte Carlo (MC) points that greatly improve integration accuracy under mild assumptions on the problem. Because QMC can give errors that are $o(1/n)$ as $n\to\infty$, changing even one point can change the estimate by an amount much larger than the error would have been and worsen the convergence rate. As a result, certain practices that fit quite naturally and intuitively with MC points are very detrimental to QMC performance. These include thinning, burn-in, and taking sample sizes such as powers of $10$, other than the ones for which the QMC points were designed. This article looks at the effects of a common practice in which one skips the first point of a Sobol' sequence. The retained points ordinarily fail to be a digital net and when scrambling is applied, skipping over the first point can increase the numerical error by a factor proportional to $\sqrt{n}$ where $n$ is the number of function evaluations used.
Factors Influencing the Commitment of Students to Radiology as a Career Choice During Medical School Education

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the significance of specific factors in choosing radiology as a specialty compared to switching to/from a different specialty as reported in the Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) and Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ) data provided by Association of American Medical Colleges. Method and Materials The study cohort included students who completed both the MSQ and GQ questionnaires in the span of 3-5 years. The cohort was divided into three groups—“Committed” (students who chose radiology in both the first and final year of medical school), “Switched Away” (students who chose radiology on the MSQ but later switched to a different specialty, and “Switched-To” (students who chose radiology on GQ after initially selecting an alternate specialty on the MSQ). Results Of 1965 students who chose radiology between the years 2013 and 2016, 281 were Committed, 625 Switched-Away, and 1059 Switched-To. There were significant differences among the groups for salary, length of residency, and work-life balance factors. In the Switched-Away group, more students were influenced by length of residency (18% vs. 5%, p 0.05) for length of residency (6% vs. 5%), salary (30% vs. 30%) and work-life balance (69% vs. 66%). Conclusion The data provide insight into factors that influence medical students to initially commit to, switch away from, and switch to radiology during medical school. Understanding these dynamics can inform mentors to guide medical students who are interested in a radiology career.
The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: Statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America.

Background Early studies on COVID-19 identified unequal patterns in hospitalization and mortality in urban environments for racial and ethnic minorities. These studies were primarily single center observational studies conducted within the first few weeks or months of the pandemic. We sought to examine trends in COVID-19 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality over time for minority and rural populations, especially during the U.S. fall surge. Methods Data were extracted from a statewide cohort of all adult residents in Indiana tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 1 and December 31, 2020, linked to electronic health records. Primary measures were per capita rates of infection, hospitalization, and death. Age adjusted rates were calculated for multiple time periods corresponding to public health mitigation efforts. Comparisons across time within groups were compared using ANOVA. Results Morbidity and mortality increased over time with notable differences among sub-populations. Initially, hospitalization rates among racial minorities were 3–4 times higher than whites, and mortality rates among urban residents were twice those of rural residents. By fall 2020, hospitalization and mortality rates in rural areas surpassed those of urban areas, and gaps between black/brown and white populations narrowed. Changes across time among demographic groups was significant for morbidity and hospitalization. Cumulative morbidity and mortality were highest among minority groups and in rural communities. Conclusions The synchronicity of disparities in COVID-19 by race and geography suggests that health officials should explicitly measure disparities and adjust mitigation as well as vaccination strategies to protect those sub-populations with greater disease burden.
Membrane Fusion can be Driven by Sec18/NSF, Sec17/αSNAP, and trans-SNARE complex without HOPS

Yeast vacuolar membrane fusion has been reconstituted with R, Qa, Qb, and Qc-family SNAREs, Sec17/αSNAP, Sec18/NSF, and the hexameric HOPS complex. HOPS tethers membranes and catalyzes SNARE assembly into RQaQbQc trans-complexes which zipper through their SNARE domains to promote fusion. Previously, we demonstrated that Sec17 and Sec18 can bypass the requirement of complete zippering for fusion (Song et al., 2021), but it has been unclear whether this activity of Sec17 and Sec18 is directly coupled to HOPS. HOPS can be replaced for fusion by a synthetic tether when the three Q-SNAREs are pre-assembled. We now report that SNARE zippering-arrested fusion intermediates that are formed without HOPS support Sec17/Sec18-triggered fusion. This zippering-bypass fusion is thus a direct result of Sec17 and Sec18 interactions: with each other, with the platform of partially zippered SNAREs, and with the apposed tethered membranes. As these fusion elements are shared among all exocytic and endocytic traffic, Sec17 and Sec18 may have a general role in directly promoting fusion.
Recognizing the Multitude of Housing Barriers Facing Homeless and Unstably Housed Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) seek services from domestic violence (DV) programs for a multitude of reasons. One critical need for many survivors, that has often been overlooked when considering the services DV programs provide, is stable housing. DV programs typically offer safety planning, counseling, advocacy, support groups, and some form of temporary safe housing (e.g., shelter, transitional housing), but increasingly, survivors need assistance securing safe and stable long-term housing. It is imperative, then, that program staff have the information, resources, and skills needed to effectively assist survivors with this essential need. This study examined the housing barriers facing 406 homeless or unstably housed intimate partner violence survivors seeking help from one of five domestic violence programs. In-depth interviews conducted shortly after they sought services revealed that many survivors had a prior history of homelessness, and the vast majority reported at least five issues they faced that made obtaining safe and affordable housing difficult. Findings emphasize the importance of advocates specifically asking about potential housing barriers, and having the knowledge, skills, and community connections needed to effectively assist homeless and unstably housed survivors.
Fundamental and molecular composition characteristics of biochars produced from sugarcane and rice crop residues and by-products

Biochar conversion of sugarcane and rice harvest residues provides an alternative for managing these crop residues that are traditionally burned in open field. Sugarcane leaves, bagasse, rice straw and husk were converted to biochar at four pyrolysis temperatures (PTs) of 450 °C, 550 °C, 650 °C, and 750 °C and evaluated for various elemental, molecular and surface properties. The carbon content of biochars was highest for those produced at 650-750 °C. Biochars produced at 550 °C showed the characteristics of biochar that are commonly interpreted as being stable in soil, with low H/C and O/C ratios and pyrolysis fingerprints dominated by aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. At 550 °C, all biochars also exhibited maximum CEC values with sugarcane leaves biochar (SLB) > sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) > rice straw biochar (RSB) > rice husk biochar (RHB). The pore size distribution of biochars was dominated by pores of 20 nm and high PT increased both smaller and larger than 50 nm pores. Water holding capacity of biochars increased with PT but the magnitude of the increase was limited by feedstock types, likely related to the hydrophobicity of biochars as evident by molecular composition, besides pore volume properties of biochars. Py-GC/MS analysis revealed a clear destruction of lignin with decarboxylation and demethoxylation at 450 °C and dehydroxylation at above 550 °C. Overall, biochar molecular compositions became similar as PT increased, and the biochars produced at 550 °C demonstrated characteristics that have potential benefit as soil amendment for improving both C sequestration and nutrient dynamics.
The evolution and current state of public affairs in Hungary

This paper discusses the recent developments in public affairs in Hungary from a historical perspective. The country's communist/socialist past and the relative novelty of the public affairs industry paint an interesting picture of the evolution and the direction of this field. The paper covers the political and economic processes starting from the transition period through recent events. Although there have been several promising developments in the area of public affairs and corporate lobbying during the last 20+ years, Hungary's increasingly anti-democratic policies, corruption scandals, and centralized decision-making processes have hindered the proper functioning of the public affairs profession and have limited the influence of corporations and interest groups in the country. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Yield Responses to Winter Application of Chicken Manure

During the fall and winter months, many farmers are applying chicken manure as a fertilizer source. Although not desirable, applications have been made to snow-covered fields. In 2000, an experiment was started to evaluate yield response to chicken litter applied to snow-covered fields. The objective of the experiment was to document yield responses to applications made at two different rates, during the winter and spring.
On the correlation of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin levels in plasma of women with normal menstrual cycles

Abstract During seven follicular, five periovulatory, and seven luteal days of the menstrual cycle, concentrations of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), total estrogen (TE), and progesterone (P) were measured every 20 minutes over a 3 or a 5 hour period in samples of venous plasma obtained from women with normal menstrual cycles. Episodic peaks of LHRH, LH, and PRL and less pronounced elevations of FSH were observed. Correlation analysis of the study demonstrated the following: (1) During early follicular and late luteal days, a synchrony was observed between LHRH and LH pulses and trends. There was a positive correlation between LHRH and LH levels only during the early follicular days (p
Solving Some Deterministic Finite Horizon Inventory Models

We consider two single-item, deterministic, continuous, finite horizon inventory models having no shortage. A demand rate function, which is relatively general, for the item is assumed. In the first model, units of the item do not deteriorate; while in the second units deteriorate in a constant fraction rate. Some optimality conditions are shown for the models. Based on these properties, single variable search methods are described to obtain globally optimal solutions. Numerical experiments indicate that the methods yield acceptable solutions within small time and are suitable for practical applications.
Rationality and reality in organizational management: Using the coupling metaphor to understand educational (and other) organizations – a concluding comment

In this paper, I argue that ideas about loose coupling can serve a useful purpose in organization theory, but only if they are re‐worked substantially. This re‐working, I argue, will involve merging ideas about loose coupling with ideas found in other lines of work developed contemporaneously, including research on the “new” managerialism, institutional theory, and organizational ecology. Such a re‐working, I hope, will entail closer attention to the elements in educational systems that can be coupled and to an expanded list of coupling mechanisms. Using this expanded list of coupling mechanisms, and thinking more clearly about how educational organizations are embedded in dense and complex webs of couplings calls for a movement away from an exclusive concern with loose and tight couplings among dyadic elements in organizational systems, and toward a concern with “tangled” couplings.
Method-dependent Changes in “HDL-Cholesterol” with Recombinant Apolipoprotein A-IMilano Infusion in Healthy Volunteers

Warnick et al. (1) recently reviewed the status of the measurement of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and cautioned against the use of the new homogeneous methods, when atypical specimens may be present, without additional validation of the accuracy of the methods. We recently had the opportunity to analyze specimens from a clinical trial, which will serve as an excellent example of the warning given by these authors. In a phase I clinical trial, 32 healthy volunteers were infused with a synthetic HDL comprising recombinant apolipoprotein (Apo) A-IMilano and phospholipid [1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-3-glycerophosphocholine (POPC)]. This cholesterol-free, HDL-like complex is referred to as ETC-216. The intent of the trial was to determine safety/tolerability before initiating a phase II study in patients with acute coronary syndromes. It has been suggested that ApoA-IMilano/phospholipid infusions may rapidly stabilize atherosclerotic lesions by mobilizing vessel wall cholesterol (2). Initial measurements of HDL-C concentrations before and 30 min after the start of the infusion gave divergent results when we compared results obtained …
Preoperative pulmonary artery pressure and mortality after lung transplantation.

Background:The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of changes in pulmonary artery pressure during the waiting period on survival after lung transplantation for pulmonary fibrosis.Methods:We identified 65 patients with pulmonary fibrosis who underwent lung transplantation from 2003 to 2010. Pulmonary artery pressure determined at listing was compared with intraoperative pressure. The primary outcome was overall survival. Co-variates included type of transplantation (single or bilateral), ischemic time, recipient and donor age and sex.Results:The median age of the 65 patients undergoing transplantation was 58 years, and 27 (43%) underwent bilateral sequential transplantation. Twenty-two (35%) patients presented at transplantation with a mean pulmonary artery pressure increased by at least 10% compared to the initial pressure at the time of listing. Rising pulmonary artery pressure at transplantation was associated with increased mortality (p = 0.022). Other factors including type of operati...
Troglitazone Action Is Independent of Adipose Tissue

We have investigated the antidiabetic action of troglitazone in aP2/DTA mice, whose white and brown fat was virtually eliminated by fat-specific expression of diphtheria toxin A chain. aP2/DTA mice had markedly suppressed serum leptin levels and were hyperphagic, but did not gain excess weight. aP2/DTA mice fed a control diet were hyperlipidemic, hyperglycemic, and had hyperinsulinemia indicative of insulin-resistant diabetes. Treatment with troglitazone alleviated the hyperglycemia, normalized the tolerance to intraperitoneally injected glucose, and significantly decreased elevated insulin levels. Troglitazone also markedly decreased the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids both in wild-type and aP2/DTA mice. The decrease in serum triglycerides in aP2/DTA mice was due to a marked reduction in VLDL- and LDL-associated triglyceride. In skeletal muscle, triglyceride levels were decreased in aP2/DTA mice compared with controls, but glycogen levels were increased. Troglitazone treatment decreased skeletal muscle, but not hepatic triglyceride and increased hepatic and muscle glycogen content in wild-type mice. Troglitazone decreased muscle glycogen content in aP2/DTA mice without affecting muscle triglyceride levels. The levels of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor gamma mRNA in liver increased slightly in aP2/DTA mice and were not changed by troglitazone treatment. The results demonstrate that insulin resistance and diabetes can occur in animals without significant adipose deposits. Furthermore, troglitazone can alter glucose and lipid metabolism independent of its effects on adipose tissue.