cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 100 Classic Papers in Spinal Deformity Surgery.

Abstract Study Design Bibliometric review of the literature. Objective To identify and analyze the top 100 cited articles in spinal deformity surgery. Summary of Background Data The field of spinal deformity surgery is an ever-growing and complex field that owes its development to the work and visions of many dedicated individuals. Methods The authors searched the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge for citations of all articles relevant to scoliosis and spinal deformity surgery. The number of citations, authorship, year, journal, and country and institution of publication were recorded for each article. Results The most cited article was the 2001 work by Lenke et al. describing a new 2-dimensional classification system of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis used to determine the appropriate vertebral levels to be included in an arthrodesis. The second most cited was Harrington's 1962 article describing the first instrumented method for the treatment of scoliosis. The third most cited article was the 1983 study by King et al. recommending specific vertebral levels for inclusion into spinal arthrodesis. Most articles originated in the United States (62), and most were published in Spine (32). Most were published in the 1990s (28), and the 3 most common topics, in descending order, were adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (28), spinal instrumentation (18), and surgical complications (5). Author Suk had 5 articles in the top 100 list, whereas authors Kim, Liljenqvist, Lonstein, and Weinstein had 3 each. Washington University in St. Louis had 7 articles in the top 100 list. Conclusions This report's identification of the 100 classic articles in spinal deformity surgery allows insight into the development and trends of this challenging subspecialty of spine surgery. Furthermore, this article identifies individuals who have contributed the most to the advancement of spinal deformity surgery and the body of knowledge used to guide evidence-based clinical decision making in spinal deformity surgery today.
Phytogeography of the Kaieteur Falls, Potaro Plateau, Guyana: floral distributions and affinities

Aim The plant diversity of one location on the Guiana Shield, Kaieteur National Park in Guyana, is used to examine the various hypothesized origins of the flora and to evaluate which may best explain the current plant distributions. Location Kaieteur National Park is located on eastern edge of the Potaro Plateau in central Guyana, South America. The species examined have distributions that vary from local to global. Methods The distribution patterns of the families, genera and species known from Kaieteur are examined using generalized distribution patterns. Results Data on distribution patterns, elevation and habitat were gathered from 131 flowering plant families, 517 genera and 1227 species. These plants represent all taxa that are currently known to occur in the area of the original Kaieteur National Park. Families tend to have cosmopolitan or pantropical distribution, genera are mostly neotropical and at the species level, most species are restricted to the Guiana Shield (c. 40%), northern South America (69%) or neotropical (96%) in distribution, each level inclusive of the previous.
Influence of Interfacial Composition on in Vitro Digestibility of Emulsified Lipids: Potential Mechanism for Chitosan\'s Ability to Inhibit Fat Digestion

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of interfacial composition and electrical charge on the in vitro digestion of emulsified fats by pancreatic lipase. An electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition technique was used to prepare corn oil-in-water emulsions (3 wt% oil) that contained droplets coated by (1) lecithin, (2) lecithin–chitosan, or (3) lecithin–chitosan–pectin. Pancreatic lipase (1.6 mg mL−1) and/or bile extract (5.0 mg mL−1) were added to each emulsion, and the particle charge, droplet aggregation, and free fatty acids released were measured. In the presence of bile extract, the amount of fatty acids released per unit amount of emulsion was much lower in the emulsions containing droplets coated by lecithin–chitosan (38 ± 16 μmol mL−1) than those containing droplets coated by lecithin (250 ± 70 μmol mL−1) or lecithin–chitosan–pectin (274 ± 80 μmol mL−1). In addition, there was much more extensive droplet aggregation in the lecithin–chitosan emulsion than in the other two emulsions. We postulated that lipase activity was reduced in the lecithin–chitosan emulsion as a result of the formation of a relatively thick cationic layer around each droplet, as well as the formation of large flocs, which restricted the access of the pancreatic lipase to the lipids within the droplets. Our results also suggest that droplets initially coated by a lecithin–chitosan–pectin layer did not inhibit lipase activity, which may have been because the chitosan–pectin desorbed from the droplet surfaces thereby allowing the enzyme to reach the lipids; however, further work is needed to establish this. This information could be used to create food emulsions with low caloric level, or to optimize diets for individuals with lipid digestion problems.
A compilation of cold cases using scanning electron microscopy at the University of Rhode Island

Scanning electron microscopy combined with microchemical analysis has evolved into one of the most widely used instruments in forensic science today. In particular, the environmental scanning electron microscope (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), has created unique opportunities in forensic science in regard to the examination of trace evidence; i.e. the examination of evidence without altering the evidence with conductive coatings, thereby enabling criminalists to solve cases that were previously considered unsolvable. Two cold cases were solved at URI using a JEOL 5900 LV SEM in conjunction with EDS. A cold case murder and a cold missing person case will be presented from the viewpoint of the microscopist and will include sample preparation, as well as image and chemical analysis of the trace evidence using electron microscopy and optical microscopy.
Two-dimensional linear and nonlinear wave propagation in a half-space

Abstract We examine a staggered pseudospectral method to solve a two-dimensional wave propagation problem with arbitrary nonlinear constitutive equations, and evaluate a general image method to simulate the traction-free boundary condition at the surface. This implementation employs a stress-velocity formulation and satisfies the free surface condition by explicitly setting surface shear stress to zero and making the normal stress antisymmetric about the free surface. Satisfactory agreement with analytical solutions to Lamb9s problem is achieved for both vertical point force and explosion sources, and with perturbation solutions for nonlinearly elastic wave propagation within the domain of validity of such solutions. The Rayleigh wave, however, suffers much more severe numerical dispersion than do body waves. At four grids per wavelength, the relative error in the Rayleigh-wave phase velocity is 25 times greater than the corresponding error in the body-wave phase velocity. Thus for the Rayleigh wave, the pseudospectral method performs no better than a low-order finite difference method. A substantial merit of the image approach is that it does not assume any particular rheology, the method is readily applicable even when stresses are not analytically related to kinematic variables, as is the case for most nonlinear models. We use this scheme to investigate the response of a nonlinear half-space with endochronic rheology, which has been fit to quasi-static and dynamic observations. We find that harmonics of a monochromatic source are generated and evolve with epicentral range, and energy is transferred from low to higher frequencies for a broadband source. This energy redistribution characteristic of the propagation is strain-amplitude dependent, consistent with laboratory experiments. Compared with the linear response, the nonlinear response of an endochronic layer near the surface shows a deamplification effect in the intermediate-frequency band and an amplification effect in the higher-frequency band. The computational method, with modifications to accommodate realistic nonlinear soil characteristics, could be applied to estimate earthquake strong ground motions and path effects.
Gerson: Plain Meaning and the GSTT

In Gerson, the Tax Court upheld the government's regulation regarding the grandfather exception to the generation-skipping transfer tax and held that the decedent's exercise of a general testamentary power of appointment in 2000, granted under a trust created by her husband at his death in 1973, was subject to the GSTT. The article reviews the decision and the plain meaning of the grandfather exception to the GSTT.
Ligand Control of Donor-Acceptor Excited-State Lifetimes

Transient absorption and emission spectroscopic studies on a series of diimineplatinum(II) dichalcogenolenes, LPtL′, reveal charge-separated dichalcogenolene → diimine charge-transfer (LL′CT) excited-state lifetimes that display a remarkable and nonperiodic dependence on the heteroatoms of the dichalcogenolene ligand. Namely, there is no linear relationship between the observed lifetimes and the principle quantum number of the E donors. The results are explained in terms of heteroatom-dependent singlet–triplet (S–T) energy gaps and anisotropic covalency contributions to the M–E (E = O, S, Se) bonding scheme that control rates of intersystem crossing. For the dioxolene complex, 1-O,O′, E(T2) > E(S1) and rapid nonradiative decay occurs from S1 to S0. However, E(T2) ≤ E(S1) for the heavy-atom congeners, and this provides a mechanism for rapid intersystem crossing. Subsequent internal conversion to T1 in 3-S,S produces a long-lived, emissive triplet. The two LPtL′ complexes with mixed chalcogen donors and 5-S...
Analysis of Network Clustering Algorithms and Cluster Quality Metrics at Scale.

Overview Notions of community quality underlie the clustering of networks. While studies surrounding network clustering are increasingly common, a precise understanding of the realtionship between different cluster quality metrics is unknown. In this paper, we examine the relationship between stand-alone cluster quality metrics and information recovery metrics through a rigorous analysis of four widely-used network clustering algorithms—Louvain, Infomap, label propagation, and smart local moving. We consider the stand-alone quality metrics of modularity, conductance, and coverage, and we consider the information recovery metrics of adjusted Rand score, normalized mutual information, and a variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work. Our study includes both synthetic graphs and empirical data sets of sizes varying from 1,000 to 1,000,000 nodes. Cluster Quality Metrics We find significant differences among the results of the different cluster quality metrics. For example, clustering algorithms can return a value of 0.4 out of 1 on modularity but score 0 out of 1 on information recovery. We find conductance, though imperfect, to be the stand-alone quality metric that best indicates performance on the information recovery metrics. Additionally, our study shows that the variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work cannot be assumed to differ only slightly from traditional normalized mutual information. Network Clustering Algorithms Smart local moving is the overall best performing algorithm in our study, but discrepancies between cluster evaluation metrics prevent us from declaring it an absolutely superior algorithm. Interestingly, Louvain performed better than Infomap in nearly all the tests in our study, contradicting the results of previous work in which Infomap was superior to Louvain. We find that although label propagation performs poorly when clusters are less clearly defined, it scales efficiently and accurately to large graphs with well-defined clusters.
Noncooperative Satellite Range Scheduling

In previous work the authors have provided the first game-theoretic approach to the Satellite Range Scheduling problem, modeling the problem as a Stackelberg game and computing its equilibrium in polynomial time. Compared to previous work which focused on the perfect information case, this chapter introduces several variants of this problem with limited information, sheds some light on alternative models, and provides further insight on the relations with the centralized version of the problem. (This research was performed while the author held a National Research Council Research Associateship Award at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).)
On query-adaptive online partitioning: A study of evolutionary algorithms

This paper initiates a new study on online partitioning algorithms that are sequentially optimized for a query sequence. As queries arrive one at a time, given the option to reconfigure the partition after each query so that it can best serve the next query, the objective is to minimize the query read cost and data migration cost. This is an online problem without an optimal solution; online heuristics are the only resort. We investigate this problem by formulating it as a multi-objective optimization and proposing an Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) framework incorporating several online heuristics to explore Pareto-optimal solutions. This study is driven by our conjecture that if an online heuristic helps EA converge faster to better partitioning solutions then practically this heuristic should be preferred for adapting the partition to the query sequence.
Preliminary Evaluation of Butterfly Diversity and Rural Agriculture in Montane Costa Rica

Agriculture continues to expand in the tropics, capturing a subset of original biodiversity. Here, butterfly diversity was sampled in four land uses resulting from montane Neotropical agriculture: a forest fragment, a coffee plantation, a banana grove, and a cattle pasture. Butterflies were sampled in both traps baited with rotting fruit and visual transects during the dry season in the tropical premontane moist forest life zone near Monteverde, Costa Rica. The samples were dominated by Cissia spp., overshadowing the diversity and evenness, therefore statistical analyses were run with and without the species. Diversity was highest in the coffee, followed by the forest, then pasture, and banana. Excluding Cissia spp., diversity increased in all sites but remained highest in the coffee, then banana grove, followed by the forest fragment, with the pasture the least diverse. Coffee displayed the highest diversity presumably because it had the highest structural diversity that still allowed abundant light. The pasture may have the lowest diversity because of low structural diversity and high winds. Forest-dwelling butterfly species were less common as habitats lost structural diversity, indicating that while highest local diversity can occur with agriculture, regional species diversity may suffer.
Discount Rates of Children and High School Graduation

We present direct evidence that children who are unwilling to wait for a larger reward and instead prefer a small one earlier (i.e. they have a higher discount rate) are less likely to graduate from high school. Using an incentivised experiment to measure the discount rates of 878 children, we find large effects on human capital accumulation - a one standard deviation increase in the discount rate decreases the probability of graduating from high school by four percentage points. Importantly, the impact of a child's discount rate is distinct from behavioural problems (e.g. disciplinary referrals), academic achievement, risk attitudes, demographics and household environment. Consistent with the existence of non-pecuniary costs to finishing high school, impatient children with poor academic achievement are significantly less likely to graduate than impatient children with high achievement.
A new species of Donlesia (Ceratophyllaceae) from the Early Cretaceous of Kansas, USA

Abstract A new species of Donlesia (Ceratophyllaceae) from the Early Cretaceous Cheyenne Sandstone of Kansas, USA is reported. The fruits of Donlesia cheyennensis sp. nov. are achenes with four lateral spines, a stylar spine, and a long pedicel. The four lateral spines are arranged on two perpendicular planes. The leaves associated with D. cheyennensis fruits dichotomize three to four times. The fruit morphology of D. cheyennensis differs from Donlesia dakotensis, from the younger Dakota Formation, other fossil and extant members of Ceratophyllaceae in its tetra-radial symmetry, the presence of four lateral spines, and its long pedicel. The presence of Donlesia in the Cheyenne Sandstone extends the fossil record of Ceratophyllaceae to the earliest late Albian and this indicates that the Ceratophyllaceae clade probably diverged from its sister clade at least 105 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.
Epidemiology and social costs of hip fracture

Hip fracture is an important and debilitating condition in older people, particularly in women. The epidemiological data varies between countries, but it is globally estimated that hip fractures will affect around 18% of women and 6% of men. Although the age-standardised incidence is gradually falling in many countries, this is far outweighed by the ageing of the population. Thus, the global number of hip fractures is expected to increase from 1.26 million in 1990 to 4.5 million by the year 2050. The direct costs associated with this condition are enormous since it requires a long period of hospitalisation and subsequent rehabilitation. Furthermore, hip fracture is associated with the development of other negative consequences, such as disability, depression, and cardiovascular diseases, with additional costs for society. In this review, we show the most recent epidemiological data regarding hip fracture, indicating the well-known risk factors and conditions that seem relevant for determining this condition. A specific part is dedicated to the social costs due to hip fracture. Although the costs of hip fracture are probably comparable to other common diseases with a high hospitalisation rate (e.g. cardiovascular disease), the other social costs (due to onset of new co-morbidities, sarcopenia, poor quality of life, disability and mortality) are probably greater.
Low frequency noise in MOS 2 negative capacitance field-effect transistor

In this work, we report on low frequency noise studies in MoS 2 NC-FETs for the first time. Low frequency noise of the devices is systematically studied depending on various interfacial oxides, different thicknesses of interfacial oxide, and ferroelectric H 0.5 Z 0.5 O (HZO). The low frequency noise is found to decrease with thicker ferroelectric HZO in the subthreshold regime of the MoS2 NC-FETs, in stark contrast to the conventional high-k transistors. This result can be interpreted as electrostatic improvement induced by the negative capacitance effect. It demonstrates that negative capacitance can not only improve the device performance in the on-and off-states, but also suppress the noise of the devices.
Postpartum Care of Young

Parental care is a subset of total parental investment and happens when parents increase the chances of their offspring’s survival at the expense of their ability to invest in others. It involves parental behaviors1 that provide support and maintenance to offspring. Here, I restrict my consideration of parental care to the investments made in oocytes, ova, or embryos following their initial release from the maternal body. This is an admittedly narrow interpretation of parental care. It does not include parental investments that are made in potential offspring prior to their release from the maternal body.
S&L Closures and Survivors: Are there Systematic Differences in Behavior?

During the 1980s, the S&L industry experienced its worst performance since the 1930s. More than a thousand institutions failed and were resolved by regulators from January of 1980 through December of 1992 at an estimated present-value cost of nearly $130 billion. The resolution of additional troubled S&Ls will likely result in a final cost of $150 billion or more. These costs, when measured relative to the size of the industry in the 1980s, are actually greater than those incurred for S&Ls in the Great Depression.
Refractory Dysmyelopoietic Anemia and Acute Leukemia

One hundred and seventeen consecutive patients with refractory dysmyelopoietic anemia (RDA) were followed and studied over 6 yr. All RDA cases had at least two marrow cell lines involved with dysplasia and usually all three. Morphologically, the series could be divided into 55 cases that had primarily "erythroid" hyperplasia and 62 cases with primarily "myeloid" dysplasia. There was a significantly higher number of acute leukemias in the myeloid group, 21/62 (33.9%), than in the erythroid group, 7/55 (12.7%). Of the 117 cases, 64 had marrow culture studies performed using implanted diffusion chambers (DC) in an irradiated rat host. There was a highly statistically significant correlation between the development of leukemia and abnormal growth in DC during the RDA stage.
PERMEABILITY EVOLUTION IN FRACTURED ROCK IN RESPONSE TO MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Large-scale carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects are required to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The large rate and volume of injection induce pressure and stress gradients within the formation that could activate existing fractures and faults, or drive new fractures through the caprock. In addition, over longer periods of time, geochemical processes lead to evolution in the porosity and permeability of the storage domain. These processes involve coupling over multiple scales and require development of appropriate simulation capabilities. We present the results of investigations using two classes of computational tool: Distinct Element Methods and Boundary Element Methods. We present several demonstration applications of these codes to CO2 injection scenarios. These examples highlight the advantages of explicitly including the geomechanical response of each interface within the formation.
Responses to Influence

This chapter focuses on the time between the judicial conference and the announcement of the Court’s opinion. What takes place during this period (which usually lasts several months but can even traverse court terms) is not public, although the willingness of some justices to release their conference dockets, notes, and memoranda has provided a degree of information about what takes place during this interval. At the conference only the participating judges are present, and no public record is made of the vote—if there is a vote. Recall that any decision made about the disposition of the case at the case conference is a tentative one; allegiances can shift, and slippage can develop in what appeared to be a firm majority.
Information behaviour that keeps found things found

This paper reports on a study that the researchers call: ‘Keeping found things found on the Web’ or ‘KFTF’. The research focuses on the classic problem of ensuring that once a useful information source or channel has been located, it can be found again when it is needed. To achieve this goal, individuals engage in information behaviour that the research team refers to as keeping and re-finding. The research study observed both types of information behaviour. To study keeping, the researchers designed an observational study to record what people do in their offices when they are searching or browsing the Web and they find information they want to keep for re-use. This behaviour was observed and then analysed for its underlying purpose in the first phase of the KFTF study (the keeping study). In the second phase of the study (the re-finding study), the researchers designed a delayed recall observation which required participants to re-find information on the Web that they had located during the observations of phase 1. This delayed recall study focused upon observations of re-finding information. Finally, the researchers conducted a survey to validate and augment the data from the keeping study. Two hundred and fourteen individuals participated in the survey.
Dynamical Properties of the Antarctic Circumpolar Vortex Inferred from Aircraft Observations

The amount of dynamical mixing and transport during winter and spring plays a key role in the seasonal evolution of total ozone in the middle atmosphere of the Southern Hemisphere. Too much mixing and heat transport will shut off the ozone-destroying chemistry. A small amount of transport can actually enhance the amount of ozone destroyed photochemically in the lower stratosphere. Aircraft observations taken during the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment in August and September 1987 allow the estimation of the amount of mixing and transport of ozone during the time that the ozone hole developed in that year. Estimates based on conservative tracer data indicate that ozone was transported into the region where the ozone hole developed, thus requiring a photochemical sink for ozone that is at least as large as the observed rate of decline of ozone. By assuming a mean radiative cooling of 0.2 K day-1, it is estimated that the net transport of ozone was relatively small, only 20% ± 10% of the observed trend and of the opposite sign. An independent estimate of the lateral mixing at the edge of the region of chemical depletion yields an effective meridional diffusion coefficient of 6 x 103 m2s-1, a rather small value that is consistent with weak transport. These estimates apply only to the period 23 August to 22 September 1987 when the measurements were taken.
Influence of calcium and magnesium ions on CO2 corrosion of carbon steel in oil and gas production systems - A review

Abstract Calcium and magnesium ions are major constituent species in produced brines associated with oil and gas production. Existing literature is often contradictory and unclear as to whether the presence of such ions accelerates or retards general corrosion. Furthermore, their influence on initiation and propagation of localized corrosion remains ambiguous. This review presents state-of-the-art knowledge concerning how Ca2+ and Mg2+ influence the CO2 corrosion mechanism. In addition, a best way forward is proposed in order to bridge the existing literature gaps in studying the influence of these alkaline earth cations on CO2 corrosion.
Skeletal muscle specific overexpression of the mitochondrial H2O2 scavenger, peroxiredoxin 3, rescues mitochondrial dysfunction and sarcopenia phenotypes elicited by redox imbalance

Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to impair contractile function and contribute to muscle atrophy, and one of the primary sources of ROS is mitochondria. The goal of this study is to test whether muscle specific overexpression of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide scavenger, peroxiredoxin3 (Prdx3), can prevent loss of muscle mass and function associated with sarcopenia. Methods We overexpressed prdx3 by flanking a prdx3 transgene with a stop codon that can be released by skeletal muscle specific expression of cre recombinase driven by the human skeletal actin (HSA) promotor. Muscle specific cre expression allows the transcription of the prdx3 transgene and leads to increased prdx3 expression in skeletal muscle. The prdx3 muscle specific transgenic mice were crossed with an established mouse model of accelerated sarcopenia (Sod1KO) to generate Sod1KO/mPrd3Tg mice. Results In agreement with our previous results, the basal rate of ROS generation was significantly elevated in isolated mitochondria from Sod1KO mice but normalized by prdx3 overexpression in the Sod1KO/mPrd3Tg mice. The reduction in oxygen consumption rate from complex II present in mitochondria from Sod1KO muscle was also restored by prdx3 overexpression. To determine the effects of mitochondrial ROS on skeletal muscle weakness, we tested in vitro contractile properties of extensor digitorum longus (EDL). Maximum isometric specific force was decreased by ~20% in Sod1KO mice, but the reduction in force was rescued inSod1KO/mPrd3Tg mice. Importantly, the loss in gastrocnemius mass that occurs in the Sdo1KO mice was fully restored by prdx3 overexpression. Conclusion Our data demonstrate, for the first time, a direct role of skeletal muscle-specific mitochondrial H2O2 in promoting contractile abnormalities and atrophy of skeletal muscle. This study implicates mitochondrial H2O2 generation as a novel therapeutic target to ameliorate skeletal muscle pathologies.
Anatomic Considerations in Cosmetic Blepharoplasty of the Lower Eyelid: An Oculoplastic Perspective:

Cosmetic blepharoplasty presents a significant challenge to surgeons, as patient expectations tend to be very high. A sophisticated understanding of the normal topography of the eyelid and periorbital anatomy as well as patient desires and expectations are crucial to achieve the best results for both surgeon and patient.
Energy dissipation in polymer-bonded explosives with various levels of constituent plasticity and internal friction

Abstract The ignition of energetic materials (EM) under dynamic loading is mainly controlled by localized temperature spikes known as hotspots. Hotspots occur due to several dissipation mechanisms, including viscoplasticity, viscoelasticity, and internal friction along crack surfaces. To analyze the contributions of these mechanisms, we quantify the ignition probability, energy dissipation, damage evolution, and hotspot characteristics of polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) with various levels of constituent plasticity of the energetic phase and internal crack face friction. Using PBX9501 consisting of HMX (Octahydro-1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,2,3,5-Tetrazocine) and Estane as a reference material, we analyze variants of this material with several values of the yield stress of the energetic phase and coefficients of internal crack face friction, while other parameters are kept unchanged. The impact loading involves piston velocities between 200 and 1200 m/s. The analysis uses a Lagrangian cohesive finite element framework that explicitly accounts for finite-strain elastic-viscoplastic deformation of the grains, viscoelastic deformation of the binder, arbitrary crack initiation and propagation in the grains and the binder, debonding between the grains and the binder, contact between internal surfaces, friction and frictional heating along internal surfaces, heat generation resulting from inelastic bulk deformation, and heat conduction. To determine the ignition status of the material or “go” or “no-go” state, we use a criterion based on a criticality threshold obtained from chemical kinetics calculations. For PBX with various levels of HMX plasticity and friction, the probability of ignition, the evolution of dissipation caused by plasticity and friction, the density of cracks, and the locations of cracks are quantified. Results show that samples with higher levels of constituent plasticity (lower yield strengths) or lower levels of internal friction are less likely to ignite. The relative importance of plasticity and friction depends on load intensity, with frictional heating decreasing as load intensity increases. Although the overall viscoplastic heating outweighs the overall frictional heating, friction plays a very important role in hotspot development at all load intensities analyzed, owing to the fact that frictional heating is more localized than viscoplastic heating. The predicted thresholds and ignition probabilities are expressed in a load intensity-load duration relation for PBX with different constituent properties.
Natural visualizations

This paper demonstrates the prevalence of a shared characteristic between visualizations and images of nature. We have analyzed visualization competitions and user studies of visualizations and found that the more preferred, better performing visualizations exhibit more natural characteristics. Due to our brain being wired to perceive natural images [SO01], testing a visualization for properties similar to those of natural images can help show how well our brain is capable of absorbing the data. In turn, a metric that finds a visualization's similarity to a natural image may help determine the effectiveness of that visualization. We have found that the results of comparing the sizes and distribution of the objects in a visualization with those of natural standards strongly correlate to one's preference of that visualization.
Improved Microcontact Test Fixture for Efficient Reliability and Performance Characterization

In Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, the microcontact plays a crucial role in determining reliability and performance. Microcontact test fixtures facilitate to study micro contact surface physics, contact resistance, contact force, adhesion, and contamination research associated with microcontacts. Although AFM, SPM, and Nanoindentation based microcontact test setups are excellent at measuring adhesion, material transfer, contact resistance, and contact force, their performance is limited by low resonance beams and piezoelectric actuators. Moreover, these test stations are not optimized to simultaneously measure contact force and contact resistance in a unique ambient environment. To overcome these issues, Coutu et al. developed a novel microswitch lifecycle test fixture. In this work, we have proposed, designed, and simulated an microcontact support structure. We will fabricate the contacts using silicon on insulator (SOI) micromachining techniques which enable a very simple and efficient way of performing the postmortem analysis of microcontacts. The test fixture will be used to characterize the force/position and contact resistance/force performance parameters associated with wide range of contact materials and geometries that will facilitate designs for reliable, robust microswitches for future RF applications.
The Implications Associated with Teacher Perception and Understanding of the Danielson Framework in Selected High Schools in the U.S.A.

The improvement of teacher pedagogical practice is a central focus of contemporary school reform in the U.S.A. Moreover, the systematic evaluation of teacher pedagogical practice is viewed as an essential means to improve student achievement. The Danielson Framework is a theoretical construct that is widely used by school districts in the U.S.A. to conduct the evaluation of teachers. This paper is based on the summary findings of a study conducted in three selected suburban Chicago high schools in the State of Illinois. The study assessed teacher perceptions of their understanding of the Framework, teacher perceptions of their evaluators understanding of the Framework, and the extent to which teachers altered pedagogical practice as a result of teacher evaluation. Data were collected through survey, interviews, document analysis, and focus groups and were analyzed employing descriptive statistics and qualitative research methods to identify codes and themes. An analysis of the data revealed that there is an ongoing need to develop professional practices that enhance collaboration and deepen the mutual understanding among stakeholders of components within the Framework. While the survey results demonstrated a clear understanding of the Framework among the teachers, it was also revealed that teacher evaluation has a low impact on teacher’s pedagogical practice. There are important implications of this study related to teacher development and the targeting of particular components within the evaluation that are high impact. The study highlights the limitations of teacher evaluation as a tool to improve pedagogical practice. Implications for practice for school administrators responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of teacher evaluation are presented.
ALL OUR RELATIONS: levinas, the posthuman, and the more-than-human

AbstractThe aim of this essay is to examine the status and promise of Emmanuel Levinas’s humanism for a posthuman and more-than-human age. I suggest that, even though Levinas’s approach partially reproduces classical forms of anthropocentrism, a careful reading of his writings on humanism uncovers surprising resources for thinking about ethics and relationality beyond human beings. I close by suggesting that one of Levinas’s early writings on ritual anticipates the need to adopt practices that reconfigure our habitual relations to the world as a whole, both human and more-than-human. As such, I argue that his work can be mined for important insights for reconstituting a genuinely post-anthropocentric form of life.
Novel tools for a learning health system: a combined difference-in-difference/regression discontinuity approach to evaluate effectiveness of a readmission reduction initiative

Current methods used to evaluate the effects of healthcare improvement efforts have limitations. Designs with strong causal inference-such as individual patient or cluster randomisation-can be inappropriate and infeasible to use in single-centre settings. Simpler designs-such as prepost studies-are unable to infer causal relationships between improvement interventions and outcomes of interest, often leading to spurious conclusions regarding programme success. Other designs, such as regression discontinuity or difference-in-difference (DD) approaches alone, require multiple assumptions that are often unable to be met in real world improvement settings. We present a case study of a novel design in improvement and implementation research-a hybrid regression discontinuity/DD design-that leverages risk-targeted improvement interventions within a hospital readmission reduction programme. We demonstrate how the hybrid regression discontinuity-DD approach addresses many of the limitations of either method alone, and represents a useful method to evaluate the effects of multiple, simultaneous heath system improvement activities-a necessary capacity of a learning health system. Finally, we discuss some of the limitations of the hybrid regression discontinuity-DD approach, including the need to assign patients to interventions based upon a continuous measure, the need for large sample sizes, and potential susceptibility of risk-based intervention assignment to gaming.
Adherence to study drug in a stroke prevention trial

Abstract Objective Standards for reporting and analyzing adherence to medical therapy have recently improved due to international consensus efforts. If applied to clinical trial research in patients with stroke, these improvements have the potential to identify when in the sequence of trial operations participants are at risk for non-adherence and opportunities to safeguard adherence. Methods We analyzed three phases of adherence according to the European Society for Patient Adherence, COMpliance, and Persistence (ESPACOMP) Medication Adherence Reporting Guideline (EMERGE) taxonomy in the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial: initiation (did patient start drug), implementation (did patient take a drug holiday, defined as temporary cessation lasting ≥14 days), and persistence (did patient prematurely and permanently discontinue drug). IRIS was a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind trial testing pioglitazone to prevent stroke or myocardial infarction in patients with a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Adherence was classified by self-report. Researchers used coaching algorithms to seek adherence recovery if participants went off drug. Results During 2005-2013, 3876 participants were enrolled from 179 sites in seven countries and followed for a mean of 4.8 years. Less than 1% of participants in each group did not initiate study drug. 20% of patients assigned to pioglitazone and 17% assigned to placebo took at least one drug holiday. 36% and 30%, respectively, discontinued the study drug prematurely with or without a prior holiday. The risk for stopping the study drug (temporarily or permanently) in the first year after randomization was twice the risk in each of the subsequent four years. This was true both for patients assigned to active therapy and placebo. More participants assigned to pioglitazone, compared to placebo, took a drug holiday or permanently stopped study drug, but the difference in rates of discontinuation was only evident in year one. In years two through five, rates of discontinuation were similar in the two treatment groups. The difference in rates during year one was the result of adverse effects related to the active study drug, pioglitazone. During the remainder of the trial, the attribution of discontinuations to adverse effects potentially related to pioglitazone was reduced but still higher in those assigned to active drug. Other reasons for discontinuation were similar between treatment groups and were largely unrelated to pharmacodynamic effects of the study drug. Rates of discontinuation varied widely among research sites. Conclusion Patients in a drug trial for stroke prevention are at greatest risk for premature drug discontinuation early after randomization. Reasons for discontinuation change over time. Variable discontinuation rates among sites suggests that adherence can be improved by using best practices from high-performing sites.
Exosomes as therapeutic solutions for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one the deadliest cancers worldwide. It is characterized by elevated mortality rates because of the lack of effective diagnostic methods, the dense stroma that shields the tumor from effective drug penetration, and the emergence of chemoresistance. Recent research has elucidated the role of PC-derived exosomes in driving and fueling PC progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance by transporting key molecules from tumor cells to recipient cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we delineate some of the key exosomal molecules involved in immune suppression and reprogramming of the TME, the establishment of metastatic niches, and drug resistance. We also explore the potential of exosomes as both diagnostic tools for early PC detection and management and as therapeutic targets.
Rules are made to be broken: a "simple" model organism reveals the complexity of gene regulation.

Global methods for assaying translation have greatly improved our understanding of the protein-coding capacity of the genome. In particular, it is now possible to perform genome-wide and condition-specific identification of translation initiation sites through modified ribosome profiling methods that selectively capture initiating ribosomes. Here we discuss our recent study applying such an approach to meiotic and mitotic timepoints in the simple eukaryote, budding yeast, as an example of the surprising diversity of protein products—many of which are non-canonical—that can be revealed by such methods. We also highlight several key challenges in studying non-canonical protein isoforms that have precluded their prior systematic discovery. A growing body of work supports expanded use of empirical protein-coding region identification, which can help relieve some of the limitations and biases inherent to traditional genome annotation approaches. Our study also argues for the adoption of less static views of gene identity and a broader framework for considering the translational capacity of the genome.
Le langage des murs qui enferment dans L'Étranger de Camus et Hiroshima mon amour de Duras

Meursault de L’Etranger et « Elle » d’Hiroshima mon amour sont des personnages tragiques qui, comme pousses par un fatum antique, ont commis un crime, crime de sang ou crime d’amour, pour lequel ils doivent payer. Tandis que le premier est accuse d’insensibilite et condamne a mort parce que la justice voit en lui un « monstre moral », le deuxieme est accuse de « collaboration horizontale » et puni par la « justice populaire ». Des lors, enfermes, dans une cellule pour le premier, alternativement dans une chambre et une cave pour le second, ces deux etres cherchent les visages et voix d’amours passees. La quete de ces visages et voix d’un monde revolu qui font souffrir les protagonistes par leur disparition va laisser la place chez les deux personnages a un etat d’apaisement allant permettre, au heros comme a l’heroine, de se reconcilier avec leur passe. Tandis que Meursault, qui a change en prison, va redecouvrir sa mere et finalement comprendre la volonte de celle-ci de reprendre gout a la vie a l’asile de vieillards, « Elle », guerie par le Japonais, va retrouver un equilibre sentimental.
Answer to an Isomorphism Problem in $\mathbb{Z}^2$

For $S \subset \mathbb{R}^n$ and $d > 0$, denote by $G(S, d)$ the graph with vertex set $S$ with any two vertices being adjacent if and only if they are at a Euclidean distance $d$ apart. Deem such a graph to be ``non-trivial" if $d$ is actually realized as a distance between points of $S$. In a 2015 article, the author asked if there exist distinct $d_1, d_2$ such that the non-trivial graphs $G(\mathbb{Z}^2, d_1)$ and $G(\mathbb{Z}^2, d_2)$ are isomorphic. In our current work, we offer a straightforward geometric construction to show that a negative answer holds for this question.
DOES FEAR OF MOVEMENT ALTER BRAIN ACTIVITY? INVESTIGATING THE NEURAL MARKERS OF KINESIOPHOBIA IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN:

Background:Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a chronic knee condition that inhibits movement quality and can cascade into kinesiophobia (i.e., fear of pain/movement). Despite its high prevalence in adol...
Adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and ethanol heightens sensitivity to fear stimuli

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) has doubled in prevalence over the past decade as a nation-wide trend toward legalization allows for increased drug accessibility. As a result, marijuana has become the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States particularly among the adolescent population. This is especially concerning since there is greater risk for the harmful side effects of drug use during this developmental period due to ongoing brain maturation. Increasing evidence indicates that CUD often occurs along with other debilitating conditions including both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety disorders such post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, exposure to cannabis, alcohol, and stress can induce alterations in glutamate regulation and homeostasis in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that may lead to impairments in neuronal functioning and cognition. Therefore, in order to study the relationship between drug exposure and the development of PTSD, these studies utilized rodent models to determine the impact of adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and ethanol on responses to fear stimuli during fear conditioning and used calcium imaging to measure glutamate activity in the prelimbic cortex during this behavioral paradigm. The results from these experiments indicate that adolescent exposure to THC and ethanol leads to enhanced sensitivity to fear stimuli both behaviorally and neuronally. Additionally, these effects were attenuated when animals were treated with the glutamatergic modulator N-acetylcysteine (NAC). In summary, these studies support the hypothesis that adolescent exposure to THC and ethanol leads to alterations in fear stimuli processing through glutamatergic reliant modifications in PFC signaling.
Recent technological developments for native mass spectrometry.

Abstract Native mass spectrometry (MS), the analysis of proteins and protein complexes from solutions that stabilize native solution structures, is a rapidly expanding area. There is strong evidence supporting the retention of proteins' native folds in the absence of solvent under the experimental timescales of MS experiments. Therefore, instrumentation has been developed to use gas-phase native-like protein ions to exploit the speed, sensitivity, and selectivity of mass spectrometry approaches to solve emerging problems in structural biology. This article reviews some of the recent advances and applications in gas-phase instrumentation for structural proteomics.
Multimodality therapy in metastatic pancreas cancer with a BRCA mutation and durable long-term outcome: biology, intervention, or both?

Metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a rapidly lethal disease, with less than half of patients surviving 12 months, and 5-year survival approximately 3%. These outcomes are in large part ...