cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simple and robust thinning algorithm on cell complexes

Thinning is a commonly used approach for computing skeleton descriptors. Traditional thinning algorithms often have a simple, iterative structure, yet producing skeletons that are overly sensitive to boundary perturbations. We present a novel thinning algorithm, operating on objects represented as cell complexes, that preserves the simplicity of typical thinning algorithms but generates skeletons that more robustly capture global shape features. Our key insight is formulating a skeleton significance measure, called medial persistence, which identify skeleton geometry at various dimensions (e.g., curves or surfaces) that represent object parts with different anisotropic elongations (e.g., tubes or plates). The measure is generally defined in any dimensions, and can be easily computed using a single thinning pass. Guided by medial persistence, our algorithm produces a family of topology and shape preserving skeletons whose shape and composition can be flexible controlled by desired level of medial persistence.
An Alternative to Eisenhart's Model II and Mixed Model in the Case of Negative Variance Estimates

Abstract An alternative model useful for addressing the problem of negative variance component estimators is proposed. Specifically, it is possible to view certain of the parameters as covariances rather than as variances. Thus, the problems of the negative variance component estimator may be resolved by using a different model. Distributional results relating to both estimation and tests of hypotheses are also given.
Hurricane Mitigation of the Florida House Learning Center

The present study aims at investigating the applicability of the Florida Building Code (FBC) wind provisions and demonstrating benefits of the shuttering on the openings in the Florida House Learning Center, a unique demonstration structure with a large number of windows and sliding glass doors. The wind analysis of the building was performed according to the FBC on the currently existing structure with no hurricane shutters and on the strengthened structure with hurricane shutters added to all openings. It was found that wind pressures on walls and roofs for the unshuttered Florida House structure decreased by 0–95% due to the addition of hurricane shuttering. The reduction of the design forces for wall studs, anchor bolts, and uplift varies from 0 to 38% due to the addition of shutters. The only reason for wind pressure differences on the shuttered and unshuttered Florida House structure was the difference between the internal pressures on the “enclosed” and “partially enclosed” buildings, respectively....
On the Role of Variables in Phonology: Remarks on Hayes and Wilson 2008

A recent computational model by Hayes and Wilson (2008) seemingly captures a diverse range of phonotactic phenomena without variables, contrasting with the presumptions of many formal theories. Here, we examine the plausibility of this approach by comparing generalizations of identity restrictions by this architecture and human learners. Whereas humans generalize identity restrictions broadly, to both native and non-native phonemes, the original model and several related variants failed to generalize to non-native phonemes. In contrast, a revised model equipped with variables more closely matches human behavior. These findings suggest that, like syntax, phonological grammars are endowed with algebraic relations among variables that support across-the-board generalizations.
A swarm-intelligence based algorithm for face tracking

This article presents a new face tracking algorithm that employs a swarm-intelligence based method particle swarm optimisation (PSO). Firstly, all potential solutions are projected into a high-dimensional space where particles are initialised. Then, particles are driven by PSO rules to search for the solutions. The face is tracked when the particles reach convergence. Furthermore, a multi-feature model is also proposed for face description to enhance the tracking accuracy and efficiency. The proposed model and algorithm are object-independent and can be used for any free-selected object tracking. Experimental results on face tracking demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is efficient and robust in visual object tracking under dynamic environments with real-time performance.
The obesity epidemic: the impact of obesity on the perianesthesia patient.

APPROXIMATELY 65% of adults are overweight in the United States, with approximately half of the overweight individuals falling into the obese classification. Recent data shows a steady increase in the rate of obesity; adult men increased from 31.1% (2003-2004) to 33.3% (2005-2006), and adult women increased from 33.2% (2003-2004) to 35.3% (20052006). The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents is very high, with 16.3% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years obese over the same time period noted above. The reduction ofobesity in persons living in the United States is a national health objective in Healthy People 2010, with the goal to reduce obesity to less than 15% among adults and to less than 5% in children and adolescents. Obesity is associated with a striking number of medical comorbidities related to the excess body weight that are many times resolved by achieving a more normal body weight (Table 1).
Sparse touch sensing for capacitive touch screens

Improved capacitive touch screen responsiveness can be achieved at the expense of the touch screen controller analog hardware complexity and power consumption. This paper proposes a compressive sensing based approach to exploit the sparsity of simultaneous touches (e.g., 10 or less per person) with respect to the number of sensor nodes (e.g., 100s) to achieve similar levels of responsiveness with lower levels of analog complexity and power consumption. This is done by showing that the number of measurements required for touch detection is related to the number of touches rather than the number of nodes.
Heroic Bishops: Hilary of Poitiers’s Exilic Discourse

In this article, I examine the progressive development of Hilary of Poitiers’s exilic discourse in two key texts: To Constantius and Against Constantius . Hilary’s exilic identity is intimately tied to the emperor and spaces of imperial power. In the first text, To Constantius , Constantius II plays a sympathetic role in Hilary’s explanation of his exile. Hilary envisions himself in the presence of the emperor as he guides him to the truth. In Against Constantius , we find quite a different role relationship: the emperor is the chief antagonist and Hilary the champion of truth. In this second text, Hilary’s exile again confirms his orthodoxy and his overt condemnation of the emperor affirms his episcopal authority. As Hilary imagines it, his posture as an exile is enough to dethrone an emperor.
U.S. Export Trading Company: A Model of Export Promotion in the 80’s

In order to promote US exports in the 1980’s, it appears that complete reliance on the existing channel of international distribution which consists primarily of the Webb Pomerene Associations (WPA’s) and the Export Management Companies (EMC’s) would be disastrous due to many problems which stem form the organization of those export firms. the “Why bother?” and “Do-it-yourself” attitude of the US manufacturers and the lack of an adequate legal framework which is needed to promote the expansion of a viable US export organization. Lessons of experience gathered from the Japanese Sogo Shosha and European export trading companies (ETC’s) indicate that it is conceivable to formulate and American model of ETC. To be successful, such American model of ETC requires a strong back-up form the US Government in order to provide incentives to US manufacturers to export and to do so through the ETC’s. The government should also provide an adequate legal framwork in order to promulgate the development and growth of US Export Trading Companies. The Webb Pomerene Act of 1918 could be amended and improved in order to allow the US ETC’s to integrate vertically or horizontally and to include exports as well as imports for better economies of scale. Finally, it is even conceivable to make the American ETC a quasi-public institution in order to avoid anti-trust complications.
Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Cocoa in a Broth Medium and Neutralization of this Effect by Casein.

Dutch-processed cocoa (0.75 to 10.0%, w/v), when added to a broth medium, inhibited/inactivated Listeria monocytogenes strain V7. With agitated incubation at 30 degrees C, samples with 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% cocoa were free of detectable viable cells (cl/ml) 15 to 24 h after inoculation to contain ca.1 x 10(5) L. monocytogenes strain V7/ml. Without agitation at 30 degrees C, presence of 0.75 to 10.0% cocoa lengthened (1.02 to 1.12 h) the generation time of the pathogen when compared to samples without cocoa (0.94 h). However, the pathogen, in samples containing cocoa, eventually reached a higher (9.05 to 9.18 log10 CFU/ml) population than in samples without cocoa (8.81 log10 CFU/ml). The lag phase of L. monocytogenes was longer with (8.15 h) rather than without (4.41 h) agitation, at a lower (ca 1 x 10(3) CFU/ml) (6.92 h) rather than a higher (ca. 1 x 10(5) CFU/ml) (5.65 h) inoculum level, and in the presence of 0.75% (10.52 h) rather than 0% (2.04 h) cocoa. Higher maximum populations (9.18 log10 CFU/ml) developed in samples that were agitated rather than incubated quiescently (8.39 log10 CFU/ml), and in samples with (9.23 log10 CFU/ml) rather than without (8.88 log10 CFU/ml) cocoa. Casein (1.5 or 3.0%) relieved the inhibition when incubation was quiescent and inactivation of L. monocytogenes by cocoa when incubation was with agitation. Without agitation, the lag phase of the pathogen was extended in the presence of cocoa (4.01 h) compared to samples with cocoa and casein (1.77 to 2.74 h). Casein did not significantly (p>0.05) affect the maximum population attained by the pathogen, but presence of cocoa increased the maximum population (8.86 and 9.25 log10 CFU/ml for 0 and 5.0% cocoa). With agitation, presence of 5.0% cocoa completely inactivated the pathogen: however, addition of 2.5% casein to these samples allowed growth of L. monocytogenes to a population of 9.47 log10 CFU/ml (compared to 8.90 log10 CFU/ml in broth).
Forwarding Strategies for Applications in Named Data Networking

Named Data Networking (NDN), an information-centric Internet architecture, introduces a new forwarding model, in which the forwarding plane can choose between multiple interfaces when forwarding a packet. While the forwarding module brings new opportunities it also introduces challenges when the application's performance or correctness is affected by a conflict between the application design and the assigned forwarding strategy. In this paper we demonstrate the impact of the forwarding strategy decision on the performance and correctness of NDN applications.
Unusual magnetic and structural transformations of DyFe 4 Ge 2

Magnetization of DyFe${}_{4}$Ge${}_{2}$ measured as function of temperature in a 1 kOe magnetic field indicates antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ $=$ 62 K followed by two spin reorientation transitions at ${T}_{f}$${}_{1}$ $=$ 52 and ${T}_{f}$${}_{2}$ $=$ 32 K and one unusual anomaly at 15 K (${T}_{f}$${}_{3}$). Three transitions (${T}_{f}$${}_{1}$, ${T}_{f}$${}_{2}$, and ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$) are further confirmed by heat capacity measurement in a zero magnetic field. The two low-temperature magnetic transitions are broadened and gradually vanish when the applied magnetic field exceeds 30 kOe, and the AFM transition shifts toward low temperatures with an increasing magnetic field. The reentrant magnetic glassy state is observed below the freezing point of ${T}_{f}$${}_{3}$ $=$ 15 K. Two field-induced metamagnetic phase transitions are observed between 2 and 50 K in fields below 140 kOe. A temperature-magnetic-field phase diagram has been constructed. The first-principles electronic structure calculations show that the paramagnetic tetragonal structure of DyFe${}_{4}$Ge${}_{2}$ is stable at high temperatures. The calculations with collinear Dy spins confirm ferrimagnetic orthorhombic DyFe${}_{4}$Ge${}_{2}$ as the ground-state structure.
Application of RLS Adaptive Filter and Wavelet Method for Noise Reduction in Acoustic Signal Processing

In this paper, the characteristics of recursive least-squares adaptive (RLS) filter and wavelet threshold noise reduction method is studied based on simulation, both of them are chosen to process real acoustic signals. In order to get better results, different types of data in different ways are accepted. For special type of data, the combination of the two methods is used. The results are satisfactory.
Measuring of Fluctuation of Japonica Production in Northeast of China

The paper measures the long term and short term fluctuation of planting area,yield and output of japonica in northeast between 1978-2006 by HP Filter.The author suggests that the japonica production in northeast has made a great stride between 1978-2006 and still has great potentiality.However,the output of japonica in northeast is unstable,and the way to weaken the fluctuation is to change the growth mode,reduce the range of yield fluctuation.
Serogroup distribution and drug resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from inland aquatic and commercial environments

Objective To understand the serogroup distribution and drug resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from inland aquatic and commercial environments,provide scientific evidence for prevention and control of foodborne diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus,and give guidance for rational drug-use. Methods Referring to GB / T4789. 7-2008,Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from Jingzhou aquatic and commercial environments was typed with standard serum O-antigen. Drug sensitivity tests were carried out with K-B method. Results 58 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were divided to nine O serogroups by slide agglutination,mainly including O1 group( 22. 41%),O3 group( 22. 41%) and O5 group( 13. 79%). 58 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus showed resistant to more than four kinds of antibiotic; 100%resistant to penicillin,ampicillin and amoxicillin,only 100% sensitive to chloramphenicol,and resistant to other 14 kinds of antibiotic in varying degrees. Conclusion Serogroups of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Chinese inland city—Jingzhou,showed diversified features,and varying degrees of drug resistance. Standardized management of drug-use should be strengthened.
The Internet and 'Telecommunications Services,' Access Charges, Universal Service Mechanisms and Other Flotsam of the Regulatory System

As digitization and packet switching revolutionize communications networks, American communications law faces a dilemma: How can it reconcile an old law that contains distinct regulatory structures for telephony, broadcasting, cable television, and satellites, and that leaves Internet Protocol transmission largely unregulated, with a future in which voice, video, text and data will simply be different form of information to be transmitted using IP or other packet-switched protocols? In particular, to what extent should (or can) regulators impose existing telecommunications regulation, including the snarl of cross-subsidies that dominates the telephone system, on IP networks? At the heart of existing telecommunications regulation is the distinction between "telecommunications service," whose providers are subject to FCC common-carrier regulation and must pay a percentage of revenues to a federal "universal service" fund, and "information services," whose providers are subject to no such obligations. The dividing line Congress and the FCC have drawn between these categories, though, is no longer workable. We must redraw that line in the modern communications context, so as to focus regulatory obligations on the underlying transport -- otherwise, the FCC will not be able to make coherent policy when it comes to IP telephony and other new services. The FCC must approach existing subsidies so as to make its overall regulation minimally distorting and technology-neutral.
Field emission mitigation in X-band silicon-etched cavity resonators

An edge-smoothing technique for decreasing field emission and therefore increasing power handling in silicon-based cavity resonators is introduced for the first time in this paper. Specifically, this edge-smoothing process is performed in loaded evanescent-mode resonators by oxidizing the silicon surface before metal coating is applied. This process substantially decreases the cavity-etch-induced edge roughness particularly at the edges of the cavity-loading post where the electric field is the strongest inside the resonant cavity. Experimental results demonstrate that the presented technique results in a 2× power improvement (from 14.7 W to 29.4 W) for a high-quality (Qu = 558) demonstration-vehicle 11.15-GHz resonator with a 15-µm over-the-post air gap. In both the original and improved resonators, an abrupt 10–16 dB increase in loss is observed when gas breakdown inside the resonant cavity occurs. The simple yet effective edge-smoothing process is a critical technology advancement for cavity-based resonators since they are important building blocks in widely-tunable high-Q reconfigurable filters.
Associations Between Low Back Pain and Muscle-strengthening Activity in U.S. Adults.

Study design This was a cross-sectional study. Objective The primary aim of the study was to examine the association between low back pain (LBP) and muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) among U.S. adults using gender-stratified analyses. Summary of background data LBP is a common medical condition that impacts quality of life and professional productivity and increases the financial burden on the health care system by augmenting medical treatment costs. Previous studies analyzing gender-dependent relationships between MSA and LBP have produced mixed results. Methods Our sample included 12,721 participants from the 1999 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants were categorized into one of three levels of self-reported MSA: no MSA, insufficient MSA (1 day/wk), or meeting the 2008 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommendation for MSA (≥2 days/wk). Results Gender-stratified analyses revealed significantly lower odds of reporting LBP among women [odds ratio (OR) 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.96, P = 0.03] and men (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.70-0.96, P = 0.01) who reported amounts of MSA that met the DHHS recommendation compared with those reporting no MSA. Following adjustment for smoking status, the odds remained significant among women (P = 0.03) but not among men (P = 0.21). Conclusion These findings indicate that engaging in MSA at least 2 days/wk is associated with lower odds of LBP and that smoking may be an important mediating factor that should be considered in future LBP research. Level of evidence 4.
Traumatic brain injury impairs sensorimotor function in mice.

Abstract Introduction Understanding the extent to which murine models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) replicate clinically relevant neurologic outcomes is critical for mechanistic and therapeutic studies. We determined sensorimotor outcomes in a mouse model of TBI and validated the use of a standardized neurologic examination scoring system to quantify the extent of injury. Materials and methods We used a lateral fluid percussion injury model of TBI and compared TBI animals to those that underwent sham surgery. We measured neurobehavioral deficits using a standardized 12-point neurologic examination, magnetic resonance imaging, a rotating rod test, and longitudinal acoustic startle testing. Results TBI animals had a significantly decreased ability to balance on a rotating rod and a marked reduction in the amplitude of acoustic startle response. The neurologic examination had a high inter-rater reliability (87% agreement) and correlated with latency to fall on a rotating rod (R s = −0.809). Conclusions TBI impairs sensorimotor function in mice, and the extent of impairment can be predicted by a standardized neurologic examination.
A Pilot of a Brief Positive Parenting Program on Children Newly Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Disruptive behaviors can be of comparable or greater concern to parents than the core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Provision of effective interventions to address these behaviors within the first year of initial diagnosis holds great potential for improving the child's, parents', and family's functioning. We piloted a four-session, manualized, positive parenting program on 21 parents of newly diagnosed children ages 2 through 12 years using a mixed methods design. Seventy-five percent of parents completed four sessions, with 100% reporting high levels of service satisfaction. Preliminary results indicated clinically and statistically significant reductions in child maladaptive behaviors, as well as improvements in parental and family functioning. Practitioners and parents identified several potential implementation adaptations, including additional sessions to focus on ASD education and real-time parent-child interactions. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that a brief positive parenting intervention may be a feasible way to improve child, parent, and family functioning during the first year of ASD diagnosis. Findings point to the need for additional research to determine treatment efficacy and to assist with the identification of moderators and mediators of effects.
Identifying design process patterns: a sequential analysis study of design thinking

Design is a key element of both the teaching and learning of engineering and technology. However, the process of engineering design has yielded limited research results. This study explored the iterative design process by searching for sequential design thinking patterns. The researchers collected nine concurrent think-aloud protocols from fourth-grade elementary students. The study identified that idea generation plays a central role in design that features the dominant use of time. In addition, the researchers revealed significant pathways in design thinking and built a design pattern model. The results will not only help engineering and technology educators the understanding of design behavior, but also support the harmonious matching of learning and teaching styles in engineering and technology education.
Coalbed Methane Production Analysis and Filter Simulation for Quantifying Gas Drainage from Coal Seams

Gas production from coal seams is extremely important for safety of coal mining by controlling methane emissions and also for utilizing the gas as an unconventional energy resource. In this work, an integrated study of coalbed methane (CBM) production history matching and filter-based multiple point geostatistical simulation is presented to quantify gas drainage from Jagger coal seam of Alabama. Initial and after-degasification gas in place (GIP) amount at each borehole location is presented using production history matching. Training images (TI) for these data are also presented and their merits for using them in simulations are discussed. Finally, the results of filter simulation to map GIP within the coal seam to quantify gas drainage efficiency are presented.
Inclusion Is Important . . . But How Do I Include? Examining the Effects of Leader Engagement on Inclusion, Innovation, Job Satisfaction, and Perceived Quality of Care in a Diverse Nonprofit Health Care Organization:

Nonprofit leaders and managers are recognizing the benefits of creating inclusive organizations in which everyone feels valued and appreciated, yet little is known about how leaders can foster work...
Invasion percolation and global optimization

Invasion bond percolation (IBP) is mapped exactly into Prim's algorithm for finding the shortest spanning tree of a weighted random graph. Exploring this mapping, which is valid for arbitrary dimensions and lattices, we introduce a new IBP model that belongs to the same universality class as IBP and generates the minimal energy tree spanning the IBP cluster.
Inhibit versus Destroy: Are PROTAC Degraders the Solution to Targeting STAT3?

Despite the role of STAT3 as a known driver of oncogenesis, efforts to develop therapeutic STAT3 inhibitors have thus far been unsuccessful. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Bai et al. report a potent and selective STAT3 degrader capable of producing complete and long-lasting tumor regression in mouse xenograft models.
Comparison of electrical measurements of nanostructured gas sensors using wire bonding vs. probe station

Abstract A critical aspect to improving the understanding of nanostructured gas sensors is the accurate and reliable electrical characterization of these materials under real testing conditions. The comparison of sensor measurements from a probe electrical measurement station and a wire bonded sensor in a tube furnace is presented in this paper. Although sensor testing utilizing tube furnaces has shown to produce useful and promising results, a specialized probe station can be used to perform high throughput testing of unique sensor characteristics. These characterization techniques can be time consuming or difficult to achieve with more traditional testing methods. For this reason, it is important for researchers to be aware of the advantages and drawbacks of using each testing method. Gas sensing measurements from SnO2 multi-nanowire sensors obtained using the probe station are compared to measurements performed in a horizontal tube furnace on the same sensors. Results comparing a traditional tube furnace vs. probe station sensor characterization demonstrate how DC measurements and AC measurements may produce different results from each testing method.
Fascia Iliaca Regional Anesthesia in Hip Fracture Patients Revisited: Which Fractures and Surgical Procedures Benefit Most?

OBJECTIVES Perioperative fascia iliaca regional anesthesia (FIRA) decreases pain in hip fracture patients. The purpose of this study is to determine which hip fracture types and surgical procedures benefit most. DESIGN Prospective observational study compared with a retrospective historical control. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS Patients older than 60 years who received perioperative FIRA were compared with a historical cohort not receiving FIRA. SETTING This study was conducted at a Level 1 trauma center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was morphine milliequivalents (MME) consumed during the index hospitalization. Fracture pattern-specific preoperative and postoperative MME consumption and surgical procedure-specific postoperative MME consumption was compared between the FIRA and non-FIRA groups. RESULTS A total of 949 patients were included in this study, with 194 (20.4%) patients in the prospective protocol group. There were no baseline differences between cohorts. Preoperatively, only femoral neck fracture patients receiving FIRA used fewer MME (P < 0.001). Postoperatively, femoral neck fracture patients receiving FIRA used fewer MME on postoperative day (POD) 1 (P = 0.027) and intertrochanteric fracture patients used fewer MME on POD1 and POD2 (P = 0.013; P = 0.002). Cephalomedullary nail patients receiving FIRA used fewer MME on POD1 and POD2 (P = 0.004; P = 0.003). Hip arthroplasty patients receiving FIRA used fewer MME on POD1 (P = 0.037). Percutaneous pinning and sliding hip screw patients had no significant MME reduction from FIRA. CONCLUSIONS Preoperatively, patients with femoral neck fractures benefit most from FIRA. Postoperatively, both patients with femoral neck fractures and intertrochanteric fractures benefit from FIRA. Patients undergoing cephalomedullary nail fixation or hip arthroplasty benefit most from FIRA postoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Proteins: analysis and interpretation in serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract Protein analysis is foundational to understanding human physiology and is useful for diagnosis, guiding treatment, and monitoring human disease. Many analytical methods and biochemical techniques are available to measure proteins in blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid in the clinical laboratory. Gel and capillary electrophoresis are the two most common approaches to measure, fractionate, and interpret proteins. Electrophoresis of serum proteins produces a conventional pattern of five unique regions termed the albumin, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma fractions. Frequently, the beta region is divided into beta1 and beta2, because they are generally separated by modern techniques and they contain distinct protein constituents. Analysis of protein electrophoresis is important in the diagnostic workup of various plasma cell proliferative diseases such as multiple myeloma. The identification of abnormal protein patterns can lead to additional confirmatory laboratory testing. There are numerous endogenous and exogenous interferences that can affect protein analysis and interpretation. This chapter will focus on fundamental protein analysis, method interferences, and important clinical features needed to diagnosis plasma cell proliferative diseases.
Toward Deep-Tissue Super-Resolution Microscopy

Most super-resolution microscopy thus far has exploited the photophysics of fluorescent molecules. And, though several techniques for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy have found wide use in routine imaging of cells, no approaches have emerged that demonstrate super-resolution imaging in scattering tissues. Recently, we introduced a super-resolution-imaging method, multiphoton spatial-frequency-modulated imaging (MP-SPIFI), that provides enhanced resolution for both luminescent and coherent nonlinear interactions, and that opens a path for super-resolution imaging deep inside of scattering tissues.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Worker Wellness: A Scoping Review

At the heart of the unparalleled crisis of COVID-19, healthcare workers (HCWs) face several challenges treating patients with COVID-19: reducing the spread of infection; developing suitable short-term strategies; and formulating long-term plans. The psychological burden and overall wellness of HCWs has received heightened awareness in news and research publications. The purpose of this study was to provide a review on current publications measuring the effects of COVID-19 on wellness of healthcare providers to inform interventional strategies. Between April 6-May 17, 2020, we conducted systematic searches using combinations of these keywords and synonyms in conjunction with the controlled vocabulary of the database: "physician," "wellness, "wellbeing," "stress," "burnout," "COVID-19," and "SARS-CoV-2." We excluded articles without original data, research studies regarding the wellness of non-healthcare occupations or the general public exclusively, other outbreaks, or wellness as an epidemic. A total of 37 studies were included in this review. The review of literature revealed consistent reports of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in HCWs as a result of COVID-19. We describe published data on HCW distress and burnout but urge future research on strategies to enhance HCW well-being.
Logging drives contrasting animal body-size effects on tropical forest mammal communities

Abstract Anthropogenic disturbance of tropical ecosystems can re-configure mammalian communities, frequently through a process of differential impact on animal species, whereby medium- and large-bodied animals are more impacted than small-bodied animals, which often are even favored. Here we examine if logging –a prevalent activity in the tropics– drives a pattern of differential defaunation in a Neotropical forest managed by a community of indigenous people. Using a match-paired design, we conducted mammalian surveys during four consecutive years in three independent sites, each one including (1) areas for logging practiced by Maya communities of the Yucatan Peninsula (selective and interspaced harvesting), and (2) adjacent areas set aside as reserves. We found that in logged areas the abundance of medium and large mammals decreased (4.3-fold, overall), while the abundance of small mammals increased (2.5-fold, overall). We posit that these changes result from a combination of factors, including: (1) facilitated access for hunters of medium- and large-sized game, comprising both predators (potentially leading to small-prey release) and competitors of small-bodied species; (2) changes in vegetation (e.g., more shelter and food for rodents); and (3) contrasting animal life history traits (population growth rate, home range size). We conclude that although non-intensive logging interventions have negative consequences for the mammalian community (for at least ten years after harvesting), the indigenous practices of rotational harvesting and maintaining reserves help to prevent the landscape-wide mammalian declines known to occur under large-scale industrial logging.
Extremum seeking control with attenuated steady-state oscillations

Abstract We propose two perturbation-based extremum seeking control (ESC) schemes for general single input single output nonlinear dynamical systems, having structures similar to that of the classical ESC scheme. We propose novel adaptation laws for the excitation signal amplitudes in each scheme that drive the amplitudes to zero. The rates of decay for both the laws are governed by the gradient measures of the unknown reference-to-output equilibrium map We show that the proposed ESC schemes achieve practical asymptotic convergence to the extremum with a proper tuning of the parameters in the proposed schemes. As the extremum is reached, and the magnitudes of the gradient measures become small, the excitation signal amplitudes converge to zero. Thus, the proposed schemes ensure that the excitation signal is driven to zero as the system output converges to a neighborhood of the extremum and the steady-state oscillations about the extremum, typically observed for the classical ESC schemes, are attenuated. Simulation examples are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Association of Body Anthropometry and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: Impact of Hispanic Ethnicity

Abstract Objectives Obesity is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Childhood obesity rates vary amongst different ethnic groups. Here we explore the interaction of Hispanic ethnicity and obesity on OSA risk. Methods Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of consecutive children undergoing polysomnography and anthropometry using bioelectrical impedance from 2017-2020. Demographics obtained from the medical chart. Children who had also undergone cardiometabolic testing were identified to assess the relationship of cardiometabolic markers with OSA and anthropometry. Results Data from 1217 children revealed Hispanic children were more likely to have moderate-severe OSA (36.0%) compared to Non-Hispanic children (26.5%), p<0.001. Hispanic children had greater BMI, BMI percentile and percent body fat, p<0.0001. In children that underwent cardiometabolic testing, Hispanic children had significantly greater serum ALT levels. Following adjustment of age and sex, Hispanic ethnicity was not found to moderate the association of anthropometry with OSA, anthropometry with cardiometabolic markers, and OSA with cardiometabolic markers. Conclusions OSA is more likely in Hispanic children; this relationship is likely driven by obesity status rather than ethnicity. Among children undergoing cardiometabolic testing, Hispanic children were observed to have greater ALT concentrations however ethnicity did not impact the association of anthropometry and ALT or other cardiometabolic markers.
Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance: Stability and change in economic history

Institutions provide the basic structure by which human beings throughout history have created order and attempted to reduce uncertainty in exchange. Together with the technology employed, they determine transaction and transformation costs and hence the profitability and feasibility of engaging in economic activity. They connect the past with the present and the future so that history is a largely incremental story of institutional evolution in which the historical performance of economies can only be understood as a part of a sequential story. And they are the key to understanding the interrelationship between the polity and the economy and the consequences of that interrelationship for economic growth (or stagnation and decline). But just why are some forms of exchange stable while others lead to more complex and productive forms of exchange? I have discussed the theoretical issues of institutional change. Here I wish to explore the specific characteristics of historical change. In examining stability and change in history, the initial issue is the same one posed at the beginning of this study (see Chapter 2). What combination of institutions permits capturing the gains from trade inherent in the standard neoclassical (zero transaction cost) model at any moment of time? The issue is complicated enough in an ahistorical context. It is vastly more complicated in history, because rather than starting with a tabula rasa, history is always derived from past history.
PROGRAM EVALUATION OF THE PREPaRE SCHOOL CRISIS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION TRAINING CURRICULUM

This study details a program evaluation of the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum (PREPaRE), conducted in the United States and Canada between 2009 and 2011. Significant improvements in crisis prevention and intervention attitudes and knowledge were shown among 875 Crisis Prevention and Preparedness workshop (Workshop 1) participants and 1,422 Crisis Intervention and Recovery workshop (Workshop 2) participants on matched pre-tests and post-tests. Results indicated high participant satisfaction for both Workshop 1 and Workshop 2. A qualitative analysis of workshop evaluation comments indicated strengths regarding workshop aims, materials, and activities, as well as suggestions for improvement, such as utilizing more active learning components. The use of these findings in the PREPaRE curriculum revision is discussed.
Fine needle aspiration of breast masses in pregnant and lactating women: Experience with 28 cases emphasizing Thinprep findings

Background Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of breast masses in pregnant or lactating women is an uncommon procedure, and cytological interpretation is considered problematic due to atypia inherent to secretory change in glandular epithelia. Previous descriptions of “lactating adenoma” (LAd), the most common tumor in this population, have been on direct smears (DS), while ThinPrep (TP, Hologic, Boxborough, MA) findings therein remain largely uncharacterized. Methods FNA cases from breast masses in pregnant or lactating women (2005–2012), processed as TP and/or DS were retrospectively reviewed. Results 28 cases from as many patients (mean age 36 years), at 23 weeks of pregnancy to 10 months postpartum, were reviewed. Size of mass ranged from 1.0 to 4.5 cm. Corresponding histopathology was available in 21/28 cases. TP was available in 24/28 cases. Relative to DS, in TP, LAd showed “lacy” fragments, tissue paper-like texture, and globular clumps of “milky” background material, with embedded singly dispersed “bare” epithelial cell nuclei containing cherry-red macronucleoli. Architecture appeared disrupted in TP with isolated cells, smaller cell clusters, and lobules in LAd. Cellular morphology was better preserved in TP. Cytological features of carcinoma on TP were similar to DS. There were no false-positive cases. In this series, LAd was the most common diagnosis for breast masses in pregnant and lactating women (78.5%) and demonstrated background, architectural, and cellular alterations on TP. Conclusion In this setting, malignancy is an important consideration (encountered in 3/28, 11% of cases, including one false-negative angiosarcoma case). Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:188–194. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Skill-Specific Rather than General Education: A Reason for Slow European Growth?

In this paper, we develop a model of technology adoption and economic growth in which households optimally obtain either a concept-based, "general" education or a skill-specific, "vocational" education. General education is more costly to obtain, but reduces the loss of a worker's task-specific productivity whenever a new technology is incorporated into production. Firms weigh the cost of adopting and operating new technologies against increased revenues and optimally choose the level of adoption. Conditional on their education, households then choose between working in the technology-adopting sector and the non-adopting sector. We show that an economy whose policies favor vocational education will grow slower in equilibrium than one that favors general education. Moreover, the gap between their growth rates will increase with the growth rate of available technology. Our theory suggests that while European education policies that favored specialized, vocational education might have worked well during the 60s and 70s when available technologies changed slowly, it may have contributed to slow growth and may have increased the growth gap relative to the US in the information age of the 80s and 90s when new technologies emerged at a more rapid pace.
Assessing effects on dendritic arborization using novel Sholl analyses

Determining the shape of cell-specific dendritic arbors is a tightly regulated process that occurs during development. When this regulation is aberrant, which occurs during disease or injury, alterations in dendritic shape result in changes to neural circuitry. There has been significant progress on characterizing extracellular and intrinsic factors that regulate dendrite number by our laboratory and others. Generally, changes to the dendritic arbor are assessed by Sholl analysis or simple dendrite counting. However, we have found that this general method often overlooks local changes to the arbor. Previously, we developed a program (titled Bonfire) to facilitate digitization of neurite morphology and subsequent Sholl analysis and to assess changes to root, intermediate, and terminal neurites. Here, we apply these different Sholl analyses, and a novel Sholl analysis, to uncover previously unknown changes to the dendritic arbor when we overexpress an important regulator of dendrite branching, cytosolic PSD-95 interactor (cypin), at two developmental time points. Our results suggest that standard Sholl analysis and simple dendrite counting are not sufficient for uncovering local changes to the dendritic arbor.
Cloning and characterisation of cDNA encoding the Trypanosoma brucei ribosomal protein L24.

Abstract A cDNA encoding ribosomal protein L24 was amplified by PCR from the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma brucei. The 621 nucleotide cDNA had an open reading frame of 375 nucleotides, predicting a highly basic protein of 125 aa. Database searches revealed 33–40% identity between the T. brucei RPL24 protein and several eukaryotic RPL24 homologues. Southern blot analysis indicated that the gene was present as a single copy, and a transcript of approximately 620 nucleotides was detected in procyclic forms of the parasite. Interestingly, T. brucei PRL24 is the smallest eukaryotic RPL24 protein described to date. It is also the most divergent of the known kinetoplastid ribosomal proteins.
Rings: Polynomials and factorization

We begin with the properties of polynomials found in school algebra and then move in Section 5.2 to a relatively formal construction of the polynomial ring. Particularly interesting to students ought to be the altered properties of polynomials when the ring of coefficients is not a field. Section 5.3 deals with polynomial functions arising from polynomials emphasizing the distinction between these two concepts. Although this is a small point to a professional mathematician, an understanding of such distinctions helps mature the student of mathematics. The matters at stake in the factor theorem are then clearer. We are then led to the important results counting the number of roots of a polynomial and the concept of multiplicity of roots.
Dying With Dyspnea in the Hospital.

Background:While many patients hope to die at home, many die in hospitals. Patients die with unrecognized and untreated symptoms including dyspnea.Objective:We sought to determine prevalence of dyspnea at end of life in patients dying in acute hospital care and examine treatment patterns.Design/Participants:A retrospective chart review of deaths at tertiary care hospital over a 3-month period evaluated dyspnea in last 24 hours of life, opioid orders and administration as well as presence of palliative care consultation.Results:Of 106 decedents, 88 experienced dyspnea or tachypnea in last 24 hours of life. Health care providers noted only 50% as dyspneic, even those undergoing terminal comfort extubation. Almost all patients with dyspnea documented by staff had orders and received opioids; however, few orders described treatment specifically for dyspnea. Patients with palliative care consultations more often received opioids (P = .0007), and opioid orders more often specified treatment of dyspnea (P = .013...
Herding birds, interspecific communication, and translations

Robert Godfrey's 1941 publication drawing on schoolboys’ essays, in Xhosa, Bird-Lore of the Eastern Cape Province described two species of birds as herding stock by whistling to them. These were the umcelu (wagtail species of the Motacilla genus) and intengu (fork-tailed drongos, Dicrurus adsimilis). It is possible to take this extraordinary claim about herding birds seriously. The birds have reputations throughout eastern and southern Africa for interactions with both people and stock. Vernacular and ecological knowledge provides a context for these claims: the honeyguide (Indicator indicator) and sentry birds – for example, the go-away bird (Corythaixoides leucogaster) – are widely recognized in Africa as effective interspecies communicators. Ecological studies of ‘heterospecific alarm calls’ have confirmed that birds and mammals communicate with each other. Research suggests, however, that if drongos and wagtails do whistle to herds and flocks, they seek advantages other than the safety of stock. Exper...
Thermodynamic aspects of OMVPE

Abstract Thermodynamic factors are important for determining several aspects of the overall organometallic vapor phase epitaxial (OMVPE) growth process including the maximum growth rate, the occurence of parasitic homogeneous gas phase reactions, the phase diagram, i.e. the conditions necessary for the growth of a single phase III/V semiconductor without the presence of other liquid or solid phases, and the solid III/V alloy composition. Each of these is discussed in turn. A simple model is developed which assumes thermodynamic equilibrium to be established at the solid/vapor interface. This model can be used to understand the growth rate limiting process, the conditions necessary to grow a single phase III/V material, and the factors determining solid composition. Systems with mixing on the group V sublattice such as InAsSb and GaAsSb have been studied in detail. The thermodynamic calculations predict accurately the effects of the ratio of As/Sb and V/III ratio in the vapor phase on solid composition. An additional aspect of the thermodynamic analysis is that it predicts the occurrence of solid phase miscibility gaps in many III/V ternary and quaternary systems. OMVPE is found capable of growing alloys within the range of solid immiscibility. The growth and properties of the model alloy GaAsSb in the range of solid immiscibility will be discussed briefly.
Major Changes in the Life of the Slav Peasantry under Ottoman Rule

For several years, whenever time permitted, I have worked on a book, Southeastern Europe under Ottoman Rule , covering the centuries between the conquest of Gallipoli in 1354 and the beginning of the Serb revolt in 1804. As the title of my study indicates, it covers only the Balkan Peninsula, Hungary, and Romania. It is not a history of the Ottomans in Europe, but an attempt to present the story of the people who lived under Ottoman rule.