cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatigue Equation Considerations for the American Society of Civil Engineers Pre-Standard for Load and Resistance Factor Design of Pultruded Fiber-reinforced Polymer Structures

A recently completed pre-standard for load and resistance factor design of pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer structures includes an S-N fatigue life prediction model for the design of components, which will experience cyclic loading. The prediction is independent of material and geometric properties and is shown to be overly conservative when applied to experimental data. A different model, developed at the Constructed Facilities Center at West Virginia University, is combined with the pre-standard model in order to incorporate material and geometric properties and improve life prediction accuracy from an over-prediction of 50× cycles to failure to only 5×.
Calculation of Corona-Starting Voltage in Air-Solid Dielectric Systems [includes discussion]

A method is described for determining the corona-starting voltage in air-solid dielectric systems when the thickness and the dielectric constants are known. The method is derived by applying data from Paschen's law to the theoretical distribution of a voltage potential between air and a solid insulation. Two procedures for verifying the method and a determination of the accuracy are described. The extent of error due to field distortion and other factors is discussed. Examples showing how the method may be applied practically for air-solid dielectric systems containing more than one solid dielectric and the expected accuracy are included.
Stackable short flow Characterization Vehicle test chip to reduce test chip designs, mask cost and engineering wafers

Being successful in semiconductor manufacturing is increasingly challenging for sub 100 nm technology nodes. Typically, 10+ test chips have been used to develop and ramp a new technology, which cannot be sustained considering that mask cost alone are up to 10 times higher today than in pre-OPC days. At the same time, design rules are more and more complex demanding more experiments and thus more test chip area to characterize a technology. In short, more and more experiments have to be packed into less test chip area, while reducing overall test time and increasing learning cycles. A Stackable Characterization Vehicle® test chip will be presented that combines several test chips into ONE single mask set to reduce overall mask cost. Since experiments are stacked on top of each other over several layers, wafers can be reused for multiple runs to reduce the number of engineering wafers within a fab. Furthermore, these can be tested on an ultraparallel tester, reducing test overhead.
Adjunctive liposurgical debulking and flap dissection in neck reconstruction.

. Closing the defect resulting from excision of a 50 × 55 mm malignant lesion on the posterior aspect of the lateral neck was accomplished by mobilization of the entire submental and submandibular neck skin utilizing liposuction surgery dissecting techniques. This is the first reported case using this relatively atraumatic surgical modality to dissect redundant skin for use in flap reconstruction.
Cooperative 2-DOF robots for precision assembly

A new configuration of cooperative 2-DOF robots is presented for use in precision assembly applications. This configuration consists of direct drive planar linear motors traveling on a tabletop platen stator surface combined with overhead 2-DOF manipulators. We outline desirable features of a precision assembly system and use them to compare the proposed configuration to typical configurations that use 4-DOF robots. Advantages of the new approach are used to motivate further research needed to fully develop precision assembly systems based on this concept.
Abnormalities of diastolic filling of the left ventricle associated with aging are less pronounced in exercise-trained individuals.

Abstract To determine whether exercise training has an effect on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction associated with the normal aging process, we studied a group of 20 normal healthy adult distance runners (mean miles currently run per week was 45 for an average of 15 years) and 20 normal healthy sedentary individuals (who currently walk less than 1 mile per day and are not involved in a regular exercise program) matched for age and systolic and diastolic blood pressure with the runners. Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular diastolic filling were significantly different between the two groups. The exercise group when compared with the sedentary group had significantly decreased late diastolic peak filling velocity (0.51 ± 0.11 m/sec versus 0.66 ± 0.20 m/sec; p = 0.003), late diastolic velocity-time integral (5.2 ± 1.5 cm versus 6.6 ± 2.2 cm; p = 0.02), increased early-to-late peak filling velocity ratio (1.29 ± 0.38 versus 0.96 ± 0.24; p = 0.001), and early-to-late velocity-time integral ratio (2.08 ± 0.51 versus 1.42 ± 0.47; p
Requesting strategies of learning disabled children

Learning disabled children's pragmatic competence was examined on a task which allowed for the separate assessment of linguistic and social knowledge, that is, the ability to appropriately vary politeness and persuasive strategies as a function of listener status. Learning disabled and nondisabled children made requests of four imaginary listeners varying on the dimensions of intimacy and power. Learning disabled girls produced more polite requests than nondisabled girls to all listeners. Learning disabled boys produced a smaller variety of persuasive appeals and fewer appeals which represented sophisticated levels of listener perspective taking. Learning disabled boys' politeness and the elaboration of their persuasive appeals exhibited variations as a function of listener features, but attended to dimensions different from those reflected in nondisabled boys' requests. It appears that learning disabled boys produced less appropriate requesting strategies than nondisabled boys, even though their repertoire of linguistic forms for conveying politeness was not deficient. These results are discussed in terms of the interdependence of the social and linguistic knowledge underlying pragmatic development.
Radiation Risk From CT: Implications for Cancer Screening

OBJECTIVE. The cancer risks associated with patient exposure to radiation from medical imaging have become a major topic of debate. The higher doses necessary for technologies such as CT and the increasing utilization of these technologies further increase medical radiation exposure to the population. Furthermore, the use of CT for population-based cancer screening continues to be explored for common malignancies such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Given the known carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation, this warrants evaluation of the balance between the benefit of early cancer detection and the risk of screening-induced malignancy. CONCLUSION. This report provides a brief review of the process of radiation carcino-genesis and the literature evaluating the risk of malignancy from CT, with a focus on the risks and benefits of CT for cancer screening. The available data suggest a small but real risk of radiation-induced malignancy from CT that could become significant at the population level with...
Image authentication and tamperproofing for noisy channels

We present a new method for authenticating and tamperproofing images. It is based on the recently developed NT-MAC (noise tolerant message authentication code). The NTMAC is designed for multimedia transmitted over noisy channels. Unlike ordinary cryptographic codes, the NT-MAC fails gradually in the presence of noise or bit errors. In this work, we show how a combination of structural and random partitions allows the NTMAC to identify regions which might represent forgeries while distinguishing between forgeries and minor errors caused by communications noise. The paper concludes with a simple example of a forged image and the NTMAC's estimate of the changes.
FasL Deficiency Enhances the Development of Tumors in p53+/- Mice:

In the multistep process of tumor development, several events occur to transform cells from normal to malignant. Although p53 is one of the most commonly mutated genes in a wide variety of tumors, how other genes interact with p53 to transform cells is only just beginning to be understood. To study the effects of the interaction of the Fas system with p53 in tumor progression and development, mice with a targeted disruption of the p53 tumor supressor gene and a mutation in Fas ligand were bred. Organ weights, life expectancy, and tumor and tissue histology were assessed. Although spleen weights were drastically increased in FasL -/- p53 -/- mice, the FasL deficiency had no effect on life expectancy or the tumor spectrum of homozygous p53-deficient mice. The FasL deficiency reduced the median time to death from 12.1 months in FasL +/+ p53 +/- mice to 9.6 months in FasL -/- p53 +/- mice, and led to a shift in tumor spectrum from predominantly sarcomas (63%) when FasL was present to a large number of lymphomas (76%) in FasL -/- p53 +/- mice. Given the reduced life span and increased incidence of lymphoma in FasL -/- p53 +/- mice, these mice could be useful in carcinogenicity testing, particularly for understanding mechanisms of compounds that are nongenotoxic.
Cranial irradiation compromises neuronal architecture in the hippocampus

Cranial irradiation is used routinely for the treatment of nearly all brain tumors, but may lead to progressive and debilitating impairments of cognitive function. Changes in synaptic plasticity underlie many neurodegenerative conditions that correlate to specific structural alterations in neurons that are believed to be morphologic determinants of learning and memory. To determine whether changes in dendritic architecture might underlie the neurocognitive sequelae found after irradiation, we investigated the impact of cranial irradiation (1 and 10 Gy) on a range of micromorphometric parameters in mice 10 and 30 d following exposure. Our data revealed significant reductions in dendritic complexity, where dendritic branching, length, and area were routinely reduced (>50%) in a dose-dependent manner. At these same doses and times we found significant reductions in the number (20–35%) and density (40–70%) of dendritic spines on hippocampal neurons of the dentate gyrus. Interestingly, immature filopodia showed the greatest sensitivity to irradiation compared with more mature spine morphologies, with reductions of 43% and 73% found 30 d after 1 and 10 Gy, respectively. Analysis of granule-cell neurons spanning the subfields of the dentate gyrus revealed significant reductions in synaptophysin expression at presynaptic sites in the dentate hilus, and significant increases in postsynaptic density protein (PSD-95) were found along dendrites in the granule cell and molecular layers. These findings are unique in demonstrating dose-responsive changes in dendritic complexity, synaptic protein levels, spine density and morphology, alterations induced in hippocampal neurons by irradiation that persist for at least 1 mo, and that resemble similar types of changes found in many neurodegenerative conditions.
Auctions for PURPA purchases: A simulation study

Competition was introduced into the electric utility industry with the passage of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) of 1978. Increasing interest has appeared in structuring the PURPA purchase market into an auction system. This paper addresses the design issues associated with setting up such markets and introduces a simulation model to study them. The simulation analysis is guided by theoretical issues such as the alleged inefficiency of first-price auctions. We find that efficiency concerns raised about first-price auctions turn out to be less important than simple theoretical concerns would suggest.
Replacement of Fish Meal with Soybean Meal, Alone or in Combination with Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles in Practical Diets for Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, Grown in a Clear‐Water Culture System

The objective of this study was to evaluate inclusion of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as partial replacement of commercial, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) in fish meal-free diets for Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Aquaria connected to a recirculating biofiltration system were utilized to evaluate growth, survival, and feed conversion of shrimp during the 8-wk feeding trial. Each 110-L aquarium was stocked with 15 shrimp (mean individual weight 0.99 g) and fed one of five diets: a diet containing 20% fish meal (FM), which served as the control (Diet 1); a diet containing 0% FM and 52.5% SBM (Diet 2); and diets containing 0% FM and either 10, 20, or 30% DDGS as partial replacement of SBM (Diets 3, 4, and 5, respectively). Shrimp were fed according to a pre-determined feeding chart five times daily (0730, 1030, 1330, 1630, and 1930 h) and there were three replicates per dietary treatment. The results from the feeding trial demonstrated that final weight, weight gain (g), and percentage weight gain were significantly higher (P 0.05) final weight, weight gain (g), and percentage weight gain as shrimp fed a diet containing 0% FM and 52.5% SBM (Diet 2). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of shrimp fed Diet 1 (2.84) was significantly lower (P 0.05) among treatments and averaged 77.3% for the study. This study demonstrated that practical shrimp diets containing no FM had an adverse impact on growth performance of white shrimp when grown in a clear-water system and that further research is needed to refine diet formulations when culturing shrimp in these systems when attempting to feed a diet without FM.
QUANTIZED FIELDS AND PARTICLE CREATION IN EXPANDING UNIVERSES. II.

Spin-0 fields of arbitrary mass and massless fields of arbitrary spin are considered. The equations governing the fields are the covariant generalizations of the special-relativistic free-field equations. The metric, which is not quantized, is that of a universe with an expanding (or contracting) Euclidean 3-space. The spin-0 field of arbitrary mass is quantized in the expanding universe by the canonical procedure. The quantization is consistent with the time development dictated by the equation of motion only when the boson commutation relations are imposed. This consistency requirement provides a new proof of the connection between spin and statistics. We show that the particle number is an adiabatic invariant, but not a strict constant of the motion. We obtain an expression for the average particle density as a function of the time, and show that particle creation occurs in pairs. The canonical creation and annihilation operators corresponding to physical particles during the expansion are specified. Thus, we do not use an S-matrix approach. We show that in a universe with flat 3-space containing only massless particles in equilibrium, there will be precisely no creation of massless particles as a result of the expansion, provided the Einstein field equations without the cosmological term are correct. Furthermore, in a dust-filled universe with flat 3-space there will be precisely no creation of massive spin-0 particles in the limit of infinite mass, again provided that the Einstein field equations are correct. Conversely, without assuming any particular equations, such as the Einstein equations, as governing the expansion of the universe, we obtain the familiar Friedmann expansions for the radiation-filled and the dust-filled universes with flat 3-space. We only make a very general and natural hypothesis connecting the particle creation rate with the macroscopic expansion of the universe. In one derivation, we assume that in an expansion of the universe in which a particular type of particle is predominant, the type of expansion approached after a long time will be such as to minimize the average creation rate of that particle. In another derivation, we use the assumption that the reaction of the particle creation back on the gravitational field will modify the expansion in such a way as to reduce, if possible, the creation rate. This connection between the particle creation and the Einstein equations is surprising because the Einstein equations themselves played no part at all in the derivation of the equations governing the particle creation. Finally, on the basis of a so-called infinite-mass approximation, we argue that in the present predominantly dust-filled universe, only massless particles of zero spin might possibly be produced in significant amounts by the present expansion. In this connection, we show that massless particles of arbitrary nonzero spin, such as photons or gravitons, are not created by the expansion, regardless of its form.
065. Law Enforcement Agencies and Out-of-Hospital Emergency Medical Care: A National Survey

Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that law enforcement officers can be trained successfully to use automatic external defibrillators (AED) and reduce response time to cardiac arrests. We sought to determine the current level of interest and involvement by law enforcement agencies in working together with emergency medical services (EMS) to enhance out-of-hospital resuscitation capabilities. Methods: A 20-question survey was mailed nationwide to 800 randomly selected police chiefs and sheriffs from an American Police Hall of Fame and Museum mailing list. Survey questions requested community and EMS system descriptions, indications of current agency EMS involvement, and attitudes regarding increased involvement as EMS first-responders. Results: Of the 800 surveys mailed, 17 were returned by the post office, resulting in 783 (N) received by the addressee. We received 414 completed surveys (53.9%). The respondents served a total population of 12,612,420. The median population served was 6,000 (min = 260, max = 1.5 million). Responses indicated that 241 (58.2%) agencies routinely respond to some emergency medical situations and that 161 (38.9%) provide some level of care. Only eight (1.9%) of the respondents currently employ AEDs, yet 56 (13.5%) indicated that in the majority of cases, they have a shorter response time than EMS. Each of these 56 respondents also expressed willingness to receive more training and expand their current role in EMS. Enhanced public image was thought to be a benefit of EMS-related activities by 253 (61.1%) of respondents. Conclusion: The survey results indicate that there is substantial involvement of law enforcement agencies in out-of-hospital EMS and that most agencies would support additional training and an increased role in EMS.
Modeling of Oxygen Transport under Ischemic Blood Flow Conditions

ABSTRACT Blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissue is reduced following injury, and during many pathological disease states, including stroke, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease and atherosclerosis. Procedures for clinical treatment include hemodilution using isotonic colloid (Dextran) solutions to reduce blood viscosity, improve blood pressure and increase the volumetric blood flow rate. Consequences of hemodilution for oxygen transport to tissue under ischemic blood flow conditions are modeled. Under some conditions, the required increase in flow needed for improved oxygen transport may exceed the reduction in viscosity. The model can be adapted to evaluate hemodilution with artificial blood.
Increased expression of spinal cord Fos protein induced by bladder stimulation after spinal cord injury

These studies examined Fos protein expression in spinal cord neurons synaptically activated by stimulation of bladder afferent pathways after spinal cord injury (SCI). In urethan-anesthetized Wista...
Time-Varying Exposure to Long-Run Consumption Risk

This paper develops a model of time-varying expected returns and shows that, when investors care about the long-run consumption risk, they also care about the persistence of an asset's exposure to this risk, and demand substantially higher compensation for more persistent exposure. The model also implies a negative sensitivity of price-dividend ratios to expected excess returns, and the magnitude of the sensitivity is substantially larger for more persistent exposure. In an application of the model, I specify individual stocks' dividend growth as containing two time-varying components of exposure to the long-run consumption risk - a fast mean-reverting component whose shocks are positively correlated with the independent dividend growth shocks, and a slow mean-reverting component whose shocks are negatively correlated with the independent dividend growth shocks. Firm level simulations from this model produce short-run momentum and long-run reversal quantitatively comparable to empirically documented patterns in the cross section as well as along the time dimension. The simulations also show that the value premium across price-dividend ratio sorted portfolios is driven by a spread in the slow mean-reverting risk exposure. Together, these results propose potential interpretations of the value and momentum factors as representing time-varying loadings of different persistence on the long-run consumption risk factor.
Pediatric use of quinolones.

Since the mid-1980s, there has been dramatic development of new derivatives of nalidixic acid, the fluoroquinolones, which now comprise an established class of antimicrobials. These antibiotics are rapidly bactericidal and have an extended antimicrobial spectrum, which includes Pseudomonas, Gram-pos
Morphology and Systematics of Odonaspis minima n. sp.

The 1st instar, 2nd-stage male, and adult female of a new species of Odonaspis are described and illustrated. The relatively large macroduct orifices, lack of pygidial intersegmental scleroses, and completely unlobed pygidium of the adult female separate this species from all other described North American Odonaspis, as does the non-annulate terminal antennal segment, and the apparent trilocular disc pore of the 1st instar. A key is provided for the separation of North American species of Odonaspis, based on the adult female.
Ecohydraulics in applied river restoration: a case study in the San Marcos River, Texas, USA

The Upper San Marcos River is home to Texas wild rice (Zizania texana), an endangered aquatic macrophyte. Introduced aquatic plants Hydrilla verticillata and Hygrophila polysperma now occupy over 45% of the areal distribution. A two-dimensional hydraulic model was integrated with biological response functions for Zizania, Hydrilla, and Hygrophila to predict optimal locations for Zizania currently occupied by Hygrophila or Hydrilla. At these locations, non-native plants were manually removed and Zizania planted over approximately 20–50% of the exposed areas. Fixed grid locations were monitored bi-weekly over the next year to document plant responses. Monitoring showed a high success rate of expanding Zizania areal coverage and reductions in the non-native species distributions in restoration areas. Utilization of hydraulic modeling to direct spatially explicit aquatic plant restoration activities was shown to be an effective approach with a high success rate at identified restoration sites in the San Marco...
Gene therapy for restenosis

a multifactorial problem consisting of cell proliferation, extracellular matr ix formation, thrombosis and chronic remodeling of the vessel wall. To prevent restenosis, vascular gene transfer strategies have been developed to limit cellular proliferation and intimal formation. Vascular gene transfer is the transfer of foreign or native genes into vascular cells to modulate gene expression. Early studies of gene transfer into the vessel wall have demonstrated that endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells could express foreign genes using several vect o r s .1 1 2 The transfer of genes that encode biologically active proteins has resulted in altered vascular phenotypes. In order to develop strategies that might limit restenosis, new vectors are being developed that kill or inhibit proliferating vascular cells. Direct gene transfer involves the transfer of a vector directly into the arterial wall in vivo. The feasibility of direct gene transfer was established using a double balloon catheter in normal porcine iliac arteries with viral and nonviral vectors.2 Studies of gene transfer of reporter genes have established several important principles. The extent of gene expression is dependent upon multiple factors, including the vector, the delivery system, the arterial site and the state of the vessel (normal, injured or atherosclerotic). Adenoviral vectors produce a higher efficiency of gene transfer compared with nonviral vectors due to their widespread infectivity. Increased dwell time and pressure applied to the artery during inst il lat ion enhances vascular gene transfer regardless of the delivery device. Gene transfer resulting in expression of recombinant growth factor and cytokine genes has been used to study their roles in vascular diseases. Gene transfer of HLA-B7, a major histocompatibility complex, induced vasculitis in transduced segments.1 3 Transfer of the gene encoding transforming growth factor s1 (TGF s1) resulted in extracellular matrix production accompanied by intimal hyperplasia.1 4 T r a n s f e r of the gene encoding for human platelet derived growth factor B (PDGF B) was associated with intimal thickening due to smooth muscle cell p r o l i f e r a t i o n .1 5 Modification of the gene for fibroblast growth factor–1 with signaling sequence allowed for protein secretion following direct gene transfer in arterial segments and resulted in intimal formation and angiogenes i s .1 6 The gene encoding for consituitive endothelial nitric oxide synthetase has been transferred into injured rat carotid arteries.1 7 This transfer resulted in nitric oxide synthesis in the transfected vessels that approached the level of noninjured vessels. Transfer of growth inhibitory genes to limit cellular proliferation and intimal formation after arterial injury has been performed in several animal models. A strategy to selectively kill proliferating cells and limit neointimal formation was developed using an adenoviral vector encoding for herpesvirus thymidine kinase (tk) Gene Therapy for Restenosis
275 NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOLUBLE VASCULAR CELL ADHESION MOLECULES 1 AND REGULAR EXERCISE IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

The earliest step in the development of atherosclerosis (AS) is the recruitment of leukocytes to vascular tissues. Vascular cell adhesion molecules 1 (VCAM) may play a central role in promoting the adhesion of the leukocytes to the endothelium. Regular exercise (EX) reduces the incidence of AS and the underlying mechanisms of this protective effect remain to be investigated. The relationship between regular EX and VCAM-1 has not been well studied. We investigated the relationship between regular EX and soluble VCAM (sVCAM) in seventeen healthy volunteers (M:F = 5:12, age = 39.3 ± 15.2 yrs, mean ± SD). The amount of time spent in EX was obtained by questionnaire and the mean levels were 24.2 ± 23.9 min/day. Plasma sVCAM was measured by ELISA kit and the mean levels were 524 ± 135 ng/mL. An inverse relationship was found between sVCAM and regular EX (sVCAM = -3.14 *EX + 600, r = -.5543, p = .021). sVCAM tended to be associated with BMI (r = .373, p = .14) and plasma cyanocobalamin levels (r = .353, p = .16). The relationship between EX and sVCAM remains significant when adjusted by age, sex, race, BMI, and plasma levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and cyanocobalamin (p = .0283, R2 = .81). Our findings in human subjects are in agreement with animal studies that indicate chronic exercise decreases the expression of VCAM in aorta tissues and suggest that a decreased VCAM expression due to regular EX can be a mechanism for the protection of AS by EX.
Permeation of divalent cations through the Ca2+ channel of rabbit portal vein myocytes.

The divalent selectivity of the Ca2+ channel in the rabbit portal vein myocyte was examined by the whole cell clamp method. A concentration-dependent selectivity of divalent ion permeation was foun...
Crossed Fused Ectopia with a Blind Left Ureter in a Young Woman with Turner’s Syndrome: Sonographic and Radiological Demonstration of a Previously Undescribed Variant

AbstractA previously undocumented variant of crossed fused ectopia in a young woman with Turner’s syndrome is reported, with emphasis on sonographic and radiological techniques for diagnosis and subsequent evaluation.
Efficient and scalable labeled subgraph matching using SGMatch

Graphs are natural candidates for modeling application domains, such as social networks, pattern recognition, citation networks, or protein---protein interactions. One of the most challenging tasks in managing graphs is subgraph matching over data graphs, which attempts to find one-to-one correspondences, called solutions, among the query and data nodes. To compute solutions, most contemporary techniques use backtracking and recursion. An open research question is whether graphs can be matched based on parts and local solutions can be combined to reach a global matching. In this paper, we present an approach based on graph decomposition called SGMatch to match graphs. We represent graphs in smaller units called graphlets and develop a matching technique to leverage this representation. Pruning strategies use a new notion of edge covering called minimum hub cover and metadata, such as statistics and inverted indices, to reduce the number of matching candidates. Our evaluation of SGMatch versus contemporary algorithms, i.e., VF2, GraphQL, QuickSI, GADDI, or SPath, shows that SGMatch substantially improves the performance of current state-of-the-art techniques for larger query graphs with different structures, i.e., cliques, paths or subgraphs.
The Challenge of Assessing Civic Engagement: What We Know and What We Still Need to Learn about Civic Education in College

In this article the author builds on research from her coauthored 2003 book, Educating Citizens, which reported on a three-year study of civic education on twelve campuses and focused primarily on conceptual and implementation questions involved in civic education. This article takes up two additional and crucial issues: the empirical evidence the project elicited about the effects of these programs and practices on undergraduates, and the evidentiary issues and challenges involved in assessing students' moral and civic learning. It focuses primarily on key issues involved in assessing students' moral and civic learning and is intended to help inform and lay the groundwork for further assessment efforts.
What is the best way to gather clinical questions from physicians

Increasing attention is being paid to the clinical questions of physicians and other health care providers. Asking and answering questions is important to continuing education, the development of information sources, and the delivery of quality patient care [1–3]. Attempts are underway to systematically identify and answer the questions of clinicians with the best available evidence [4]. The number of questions per patient seen varies considerably depending on how the questions are collected. Studies using direct observation or exit interviews after each patient encounter have generally identified more questions per patient than studies using physician self-report [5–7]. On the other hand, direct observation and exit interviews are almost certainly more expensive and time consuming than self-report, because they require a full-time observer with each physician for the study period. They therefore may not be practical for ongoing surveillance of physician questions. This kind of ongoing surveillance is important because questions change as new tests and treatments are developed. This study is the first to directly compare the content of clinical questions gathered by exit interview after each patient encounter and by physician self-report.
The Impact of Price Level and Appeal Type in Hotel Advertising: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTLimited extant experimental research on advertising appeal effectiveness in the presence of price cues in a service offer provides the motivation for this study. While past research has fou...
Graphene Quantum dots for Biophotonic Applications

Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) are of interest to the biomedical community due to their unique fluorescence properties, which may be advantageous for biology and medicine. Advantages of this graphene nanomaterial over fluorescent dyes for biomedical imaging include bright emission, easy surface modification, biocompatibility, and anticipated low toxicity. We hypothesize that GQDs with desirable fluorescence properties which can be used for effective biomedical imaging (such as near infrared emission) may be synthesized from cheap carbon sources. Here, we show that these fluorescent GQDs are fabricated in a facile wet chemistry route using activated charcoal as the starting material. The GQDs were characterized with AFM, TEM, FTIR, PL spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and animal imaging techniques. The particles were visible in animals indicating their potential for biomedical imaging. The GQDs exhibited excitation that spanned the UV and visible ranges and emission that spanned the visible and near infrared ranges. The GQDs were an average of 4 nm in height, crystalline, from 1 to 60 nm in size. The GQDs were consistent with the presence of graphene and the following functional groups: C-O, C-H, C=C, and CO2H. In conclusion, GQDs with favorable photophysical properties can be produced from affordable and widely available raw materials for imaging and other biomedical application purposes.
Selective attention controls olfaction in rodents

Critical animal behaviors, especially among rodents, are guided by odors in remarkably well-coordinated manners. While many extramodal sensory cues compete for cognitive resources in these ecological contexts, that rodents can engage in such odor-guided behaviors suggests that they selectively attend to odors. We developed an operant task to reveal that rats are indeed capable of selectively attending to odors in the presence of competing extramodal stimuli and found that this selective attention facilitates accurate odor-guided behavior. Further, we uncovered that attention to odors adaptively sharpens their representation among individual neurons in a brain region considered integral for odor-driven behaviors. Thus, selective attention contributes to olfaction in rodents in a manner analogous to that observed for other sensory systems in more cognitively-advanced animals.
Theoretical and experimental investigation of forward spatter of blood from a gunshot

A theoretical model predicts forward blood spatter from a 9-mm bullet and favorably agrees with experimental data. Blood drop generation is explained through chaotic liquid disintegration built in the framework of percolation theory.
Complications of Urinary Diversion

The ileal conduit was the first successful and widely adopted technique for urinary diversion. Zaayer is credited with its early inception in the early 20th century,[1] while Bricker popularized its use.[2] As reconstructive surgery has evolved, there have been many modifications to the conduit technique as well as the evolution of continent urinary diversions. While early techniques centered around providing a durable route to divert urine, more contemporary concerns have focused on the protection of the renal units and quality of life issues.
Sarcocystis of humans

Within the phylum Apicomplexa, protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis require two hosts in a prey-predator relationship to complete their life cycle. Asexual stages develop only in intermediate hosts when, after ingesting sporocysts in food or water contaminated with animal feces, they become infected with stages that develop in blood vessels and muscles. Sexual stages develop only in definitive hosts when, after eating sarcocysts in animal muscles (meat), they become infected with stages that develop in the gastrointestinal tract. Humans can serve as both intermediate and definitive hosts for different species of Sarcocystis. Detection methods, means of identification, prevalence of infection, transmission routes, clinical signs, diagnostics, and methods of treatment and prevention are described in this chapter.
Linked Data in a Nutshell: A Starter Kit of Selected Annotated Bibliography and Resources for Academic Librarians: Part Two

It has been a decade since Tim Berners-Lee coined Linked Data in 2006. More and more Linked Data datasets have been made available for information retrieval on the Web. It is essential for librarians, especially academic librarians, to keep up with the state of Linked Data. There is so much information about Linked Data that one may wonder where to begin when they want to join the Linked Data community. With this in mind, the author compiled this annotated bibliography as a starter kit. Due to the many resources available, this list focuses on literature in English only and of specific projects, case studies, research studies, and tools that may be helpful to academic librarians, in addition to the overview of Linked Data concept and the current state of Linked Data evolution and adoption.
The Role of the Basement Plate in Physeal Bar Formation.

BACKGROUND Physeal fractures and resultant physeal bars can pose significant problems in skeletal development for the injured growing child. Although now well-recognized, only a small body of experimental literature covering this problem is available. The goal of this study was to help further develop an understanding of the different regions of the physis and the way in which each region responds to injury/fracture. METHODS This Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)-approved study assessed bar formation using radiologic and histologic methods and measured leg lengths of skeletally immature rats. The right tibia was used as the control to measure leg length discrepancy (LLD), and the left tibia received either a fracture only (F), an epiphyseal scrape (ES), an epiphyseal drilling procedure (ED), or metaphyseal drilling (MD). Radiographs and LLD measurements were obtained at postoperative days 0, 21, and 56. RESULTS A significant LLD was present at day 56 in the ED group (P=0.01). Radiographic identification of bars showed significant evidence of bar formation for the ES and ED groups at 21 days and the ED group at 56 days (P<0.05). Histologic examination showed a high incidence of histologic physeal bar formation in the ES, ED, and MD groups at 21 and 56 days. CONCLUSIONS Findings showed that the physis was able to continue to grow following an injury to the physis' hypertrophic region. MD produced little effects with few physeal bars and little LLD. By postoperative day 56, ED animals showed greater LLD than ES animals. Penetration of the basement plate was more likely to lead to bar formation/growth retardation than was ablation of the epiphyseal region of the physis (including resting cells). CLINICAL RELEVANCE Data presented here provides insight into the importance of different regions of the physis and its repair/continued growth after physeal fracture. We suggest that a better understanding of the physiological cause of physeal arrest after physeal fracture will be important for the development of treatments to prevent physeal arrest or to treat physeal arrest after it occurs.
Isolation Improvement of Cylindrical Millimeter-Wave Repeaters Using a Reactive Impedance Surface

The design and implementation of reactive impedance surfaces (RIS‘s) for cylindrical millimeter wave (mmW) repeaters are discussed in this paper. A specific consideration is for the enhancement of transmit-to-receive isolation between wideband dual-polarized antennas. Using Floquet analysis, a hexagonal mushroom unit cell is designed to have a capacitive reactance in 16-40GHz range for the TM mode, and an array of unit cells (RIS) is fabricated and mounted on a metallic cylinder. The RIS is seen to improve isolation by an average of 15 dB across a wide bandwidth in KiKa-bands.
An Efficient Survival Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction Method for Detecting Gene-Gene Interactions of Lung Cancer Onset Age

This study addresses the computational burden often encountered when analyzing gene-gene interactions in relation to time-to-event data, such as patient survival time or time-to-cancer relapse. The goal is to develop a method called Efficient Survival MDR (ES-MDR) that handles survival data by using Martingale Residuals to replace the survival outcome and uses the computationally efficient Quantitative MDR (QMDR) to identify significant interaction models. To demonstrate the strength of ES-MDR, two simulations are designed to evaluate the testing score’s null distribution and to study the success rate of the method. Additionally, ES-MDR is applied on real data with 14,935cases and 12,787 controls of European descent from the OncoArray Consortium that examined the relationship between genetic variants and lung cancer susceptibility. Martingale Residuals, which replace onset age of lung cancer, is treated as the survival outcome, cases are considered event at diagnosis age, and controls are considered censored at interview age. Froman exhaustive search over all one-way and two-way interaction models, we identified a strong association with chr17_41196821_INDEL_T_Dfrom BRCA1 gene and exm1568790_Afrom CBR1 gene as the top SNP-SNP interaction with lung cancer susceptibility at age-of-onset.
Novel ectoparasite infestation on yuma ridgway's rails (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis)

Yuma Ridgway's Rails (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis) are federally endangered birds endemic to wetlands throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin in Nevada, California, Arizona, and Mexico. The U.S. population has declined in recent years for unknown reasons. We documented a novel and severe chigger mite infestation in the Yuma Ridgway's Rails in southwestern Arizona in 2017. Prevalence of the infestation was spatially heterogeneous: 92% (48 of 52) of the Yuma Ridgway's Rails that we captured at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge were infested, whereas only 11% (2 of 18) of the Yuma Ridgway's Rails at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge were chigger infested. We know little about the origin of this infestation or the impacts of the parasites on the behavior and fitness of Yuma Ridgway's Rails. However, ectoparasite infestations in other species have caused population declines and the intensity and novelty of this ectoparasite infestation, combined with population status of this species, warrants immediate attention to this issue and further study of these ectoparasites.
Does Community Policing Help to Solve Crime? A Look at Its Relationships With Crime Clearance Rates

Prior research focused on the role of community policing in preventing and reducing crime. In the present study, logistic regression was used to compare three data sets from each of two national cr...
Correlates of animal source food consumption and its association with psychosocial functioning of adults in rural Western Uganda

The objective of this study was to examine the correlates of animal source food consumption and its association with psychosocial functioning of adults living in a rural district in Western Uganda. A cross-sectional sample of 326 rural adults living in 12 villages in Masindi District was surveyed using a questionnaire that included items on various animal source foods (ASF), psychosocial functioning, and social and economic characteristics. We calculated ASF scores using three methods suggested in the literature, including the World Food Programme’s calculation of a food consumption score. We defined psychosocial functioning as ability to complete activities of daily living or to engage in future-oriented behaviors. Multivariable results indicated that being satisfied with current household financial status, living in better dwelling conditions, ownership of livestock, and higher levels of social support were significantly associated with higher ASF scores. Household size and age were negatively associated with ASF scores. ASF consumption was positively and significantly associated with psychosocial functioning, including orientation toward success, expectations for future economic conditions, and self-perceived health. Study findings expand evidence on correlates of ASF consumption and its association with psychosocial functioning. Findings may underscore both opportunities and challenges associated with ASF consumption. Alongside hunger and undernutrition associated with low ASF consumption, the country’s increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity associated with high ASF consumption may require an integrated approach for tackling the double burden of malnutrition.
Associations between characteristics of stroke survivors and caregiver depressive symptoms: a critical review

Background: Poststroke depression is common in stroke survivors. Evidence suggests that caregivers of stroke survivors also experience depression, at rates similar to survivors (30-40%). While much research has focused on developing better understanding of poststroke depression in stroke survivors, stroke caregiver depression has received less attention. Available research suggests that characteristics of the survivor such as age, gender, relation to caregiver, mental health, and physical or cognitive deficits correlate with and may be contributing factors for caregiver depression. Knowledge of risk factors for stroke caregiver depression could translate to better screening, management, and prevention, but further investigation is needed. Objectives: To examine the existing literature and synthesize evidence surrounding survivor characteristics and their association with poststroke depressive symptoms in caregivers. Methods: Medline, PsychInfo, and CINAHL databases were searched with variations of keywords: "stroke," "caregiver" and "depression." Studies analyzing associations between at least one stroke survivor characteristic and caregiver depressive symptoms were included. Results: Seventeen studies met eligibility criteria. They analyzed a wide range of survivor characteristics. Many survivor characteristics lacked convincing evidence of an association with caregiver depressive symptoms. However, a trend emerged supporting an association between survivor depressive symptoms and caregiver depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Health-care providers should be aware that depressive symptoms in one member of a stroke survivor-caregiver dyad may indicate risk for depressive symptoms in the other. Screening both individuals may lead to earlier detection and provide information to guide interventions. Knowing risk factors for stroke caregiver depression may improve prevention/management, but further investigation is needed.
An Analysis of Realistic Due Process Rights of Children Versus Parents

The purpose of this Article is to analyze the Santosky presupposition and demonstrate why it is misdirected. In particular, the Article posits that the clear and convincing standard adopted by the Court deprives the child of his or her due process rights. The minimum standard should be reduced to at least one of preponderance of the evidence. Such a standard would recognize the so-called parental presumption, i.e. the historical preference given to parents, but give greater recognition to the rights of the child. This Article examines the due process concerns of parent and child from both a legal and a factual perspective. The legal analysis focuses on the level of proof necessary to terminate parental rights. The factual study examines the rapidly changing portrait of the American family and the efforts of individual states to address the alarming increases in abuse, neglect, and abandonment of children by parents. A synthesis of these factual and legal perspectives serves to illustrate that the best interest of the child is not served by adherence to a constitutional standard that deprives states of their legislative ability to address the significant domestic relations problems within their borders.