cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“I just did everything physically possible to get in there”: How men and women chemists enact masculinity differently

This ethnographic study focuses on how men and women chemistry graduate students are socialized to “do masculinity” differently in scientific contexts. Using results from nine months of observation and 40 semistructured interviews from five labs at a research-intensive university, I argue that the link between men, science, and academia may allow men, but not women, graduate students leeway in establishing their claim to scientific authority. Thus, men graduate students may be able to perform gender in more varied and complex ways than their women peers. In contrast, women graduate students, who do not embody masculinity, may feel more pressure to conform to the strict norms of competition that are associated with traditional masculinity.
Preserving Mobile Home Communities through Shared-Equity Ownership Mechanisms: A Case Study of the Burnsville Land Community (BLC)

As sprawl and an increase of new residents in many rural areas in Western North Carolina (WNC) lead to increased land values, the owners of many mobile home communities (MHCs) are selling the land for development, resulting in the displacement of tenants. In some areas of the U.S. residents of MHCs have formed models of social ownership of the land on which their homes are located to prevent such displacement. This case study traces the events leading up to and surrounding the establishment of the Burnsville Land Community (BLC), the result of the first such effort in North Carolina. Initiated in 2007 by a group of predominantly Mexican families, residents were assisted by a number of non-profit organizations from outside the community. In describing the events leading up to and surrounding the establishment of the BLC the authors seek to meet three research objectives: a) Shed light on the emerging and under-researched phenomenon of predominantly Latino mobile home communities in the mountains of Southern/Central Appalachia; b) Consider the efficacy of social models of home ownership in preventing displacement of mobile home residents in this region; and c) Explore similarities between development of Latino MHCs in Appalachia and colonia housing developments along the U.S./Mexico border region. We do so for the purpose of determining whether lessons learned from the colonia experience could have been, or might still be, useful to those concerned with displacement of residents in predominantly Latino MHCs in Southern/Central Appalachia or elsewhere.
Means Generated by an Integral

1. the arithmetic mean: A(a, b) = (a + b)/2 2. the geometric mean: G(a, b) = -b 3. the harmonic mean: H(a, b) = 2ab/(a + b) 4. the logarithmic mean: L(a, b) = (b a)/(ln b In a) 5. the Heronian mean: N(a, b) = (a + Na-b + b)/3 6. the centroidal mean: T(a, b) = 2(a2 + ab + b2)/3(a + b) Recently, Professor Howard Eves [1] showed how many of these means occur in geometrical figures. The integral in our title is
Feasibility of Small Unmanned Spacecraft Launches via Low Acceleration Railguns Comprising Helical Tracks

Electromagnetic railguns show tremendous promise in small orbital spacecraft launches. However, in order to achieve the necessary muzzle velocities to achieve orbit, the railgun needs to be over 100 kilometers in length to keep acceleration down to levels tolerable by small satellites. This poses massive logistical and practical issues in the real world. In an attempt to reduce this distance to more reasonable levels, this paper assesses the feasibility of developing an electromagnetic railgun with helical tracks. By looping the tracks of the railgun, a significantly smaller amount of land will be needed for the construction. This opens up new locations for the development of an electromagnetic spacecraft launch system. This paper will look into the challenges and development considerations introduced by such a design. It will consider efficiency losses necessitated by a multiturn railgun setup, the thermal limitations of the rails, and the forces the rails would need to handle at hypersonic velocities.
Toxicity of Mono Methyl Ether of Dipropylene Glycol (Dowanol 50B) in Studies on Auricular Fibrillation

Summary and conclusionsWhen administered intravenously to dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital, Dowanol 5OB in adequate dosage produces auricular fibrillation, but in 4 dogs was found unsuitable for use in repeated experiments on different days, since it caused respiratory depression, prolonged anesthesia, disturbances of gait, intestinal hemorrhages and death. One animal surviving a first experiment required a significantly higher single dose and higher cumulative dose for production of fibrillation during a second experiment and succumbed following the latter.
In Search of the New Second Generation: Alternative Strategies for Identifying Second Generation Children and Understanding Their Acquisition of English:

Social scientists are devoting increasing attention to second-generation childrenfor insights into the long-term consequences of immigration for American society. However, there is considerable disagree- ment over the operational criteria that should be used to determine membership in the second generation. Using the Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 U.S. Census, this study examines several issues. First, the implications of different operational criteria for descriptive analyses thatfocus on the size and composition of the second-generation child popu- lation are considered. We then assess whether different operational strate- gies have implicationsfor multivariate analyses, especially those thatfocus on language skills. The results indicate that a key decision for most studies, except those thatfocus on socioeconomic composition, is howforeign-born children are classified. Foreign-born children should not be combined with native-born children on the grounds that they comprise the "de facto" second generation. Instead, researchers should make distinctions between the "decimal" generations to avoid obscuring diversity within the child population. The United States has experienced at least three dramatic swings in immigration during the 20th century. After reaching its nadir during the Great Depression and the Second World War, the volume of immigration is now approaching the previ- ous recorded highs set during the first decade of the century (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service 1991). The origins of immigrants have also shifted.
Guoguo: Enabling Fine-Grained Smartphone Localization via Acoustic Anchors

Modern smartphones and location-based services and apps are poised to transform our daily life. However, current smartphone-based localization solutions are limited mainly to outdoor, mostly missing practical, robust and accurate indoor location solutions. Despite significant efforts on indoor localization in both academia and industry in the past two decades, highly accurate and practical smartphone-based indoor localization remains an open problem. To enable indoor location-based services (ILBS), e.g., step-by-step navigation for the Blind and visually impaired, there are several stringent requirements: highly accurate (foot-level); no additional hardware components or extensions on users’ smartphones; scalable to massive concurrent users. Current GPS, Radio RSS (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee), or Fingerprinting based solutions can only achieve meter-level or room-level accuracy. In this paper, we propose a practical and accurate solution that fills the long-lasting gap of smartphone-based fine-grained indoor localization. Specifically, we design and implement an indoor localization ecosystem Guoguo. Guoguo consists of an anchor network with a coordination protocol to transmit modulated localization beacons using high-band acoustic signals, a realtime processing app in a smartphone, and a backend server for indoor contexts and location-based services. We further propose approaches to improve its coverage, accuracy, and location update rate with low-power consumption. Our prototype shows centimeter-level localization accuracy in several typical indoor environments. Such precise indoor localization is expected to have high impact in the future ILBS and our daily activities.
Research and development of digital simulation software for power electronics and FACTS devices in power systems

This paper introduces the research and development of the digital simulation software for power electronics and FACTS (flexible AC transmission system) devices in power systems. It includes the algorithms for digital calculation of power electronics and FACTS devices, the models of fully controllable power electronics components such as GTO, IGBT, IGCT, MTO, ETO etc., phasor measurement and control models, the calculation method for switching surge flashover rates, the software work platform and graphic user interface, and the simulations of some important FACTS apparatus. The test results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of new algorithms.
FINITE ELEMENT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF AIR GAP ON STRESS DISTRIBUTION OF CONTINUOUS CAST BILLET IN MOLD

A finite element mathematical model was developed to calculate the thermal elastoplastic stress of continuous casting billet in mold. The variations of material properties and yield function with temperature and strain rates are incorporated in the thermal elstoplastic constitutive equation. The influence of air gap on stress distribution of continuous casting billet in mold was investigated. The simulation results indicate that hot spot is formed at the billet corner when there is an enough large air gap. In hot spot, the shell is subjected to tensile stress so that subsurface crack is likely formed.
The Best-Laid Plans of "Back Mice" and Men: A Case Report and Literature Review of Episacroiliac Lipoma.

Background Back mice, or episacroiliac lipoma, represent a potentially treatable cause of low back pain that may be under-recognized in clinical practice. Despite being well characterized based on clinical history and physical examination findings, implementation of appropriate treatment may be delayed or missed based on a lack of familiarity with the diagnosis. Objectives In this case report and literature review, we describe a 47-year-old woman with history of persistent low back pain who presented with a pain exacerbation consistent with a back mouse. The history, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, differential diagnosis, potential mechanisms for pain, and treatment options for back mice were then reviewed. Study design Case report and literature review. Setting Academic university-based pain management center. Results Studies included one randomized clinical trial, 4 cross-sectional studies, 8 case reports or series, and 16 other publications prior to 1967. Limitations A single case report. Conclusions Firm, rubbery, mobile nodules that are located in characteristic regions of the sacroiliac, posterior superior iliac, and the lumbar paraspinal regions may represent fatty tissue that has herniated through fascial layers. When painful, these back mice may be confused with other causes of low back pain. In particular, the presence of point tenderness may mimic myofascial pain, and reports of radicular pain may imitate herniated nucleus pulposus. However, back mice may be distinguished from other entities based on findings from the history and physical examination such as absence of neurological deficit. Treatment consisting of injection of local anesthetic into the nodule with or without corticosteroid followed by repeated, direct needling has been reported to relieve pain in many case reports. The one clinical trial comparing injection of local anesthetic to normal saline, which did not include repeated needling, found only mild and transient benefit in the treatment group.
Physician Assistance at Death or Euthanasia

This chapter confronts the glaring ambiguities of definition and use in distinguishing physician assisted suicide from euthanasia. Taxonomies of confusion should yield to the clinical experience or praxis of humane and compassionate care at the conclusion of life. Wise policy dictates confusing ethical and religious directives and interpretations be secondary to a medical assessment of end-of-life care adjusted by a situation ethic shaped by beneficence and palliation. This approach is preferred to a rigid, unyielding a priori ethic which mandates care—rehabilitative or curative—when, in reality, such treatment is not licit.
Perspectives on Some Controversies in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment in the Pharmaceutical Development of Glucose-Lowering Medications

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance on requirements to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with drugs being developed for approval for clinical use. The guidance was triggered by a meta-analysis published by Nissen and Wolski that suggested an increased risk for myocardial infarction with the use of rosiglitazone. This article discusses controversies around CVD trials in diabetes beginning with the University Group Diabetes Program. This is followed by a brief description of the FDA guidance for evaluating CVD risk with glucose-lowering medications. Limitations of meta-analyses of data from phase 2 and 3 (phase 2/3) trials to inform CVD risk are highlighted. These include the differences between patient characteristics in phase 2/3 trials and those in cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) and the relatively short exposure time in phase 2/3 trials. The differences may partly explain the observed disparity between phase 2/3 meta-analyses and the results of completed CVOTs. Approaches to understanding CVD risk with a new medication should get to the answer about risk as efficiently as possible to minimize any potential harm to patients. In that context, we discuss options for clinical trial design and an alternative approach for statistical analyses.
A Collision Detection Chip on Reconfigurable Hardware

Collision detection algorithms check the intersection between two given surfaces or volumes. They are computationallyintensive and the capabilities of conventional processors limit their performance. Hardware acceleration of these algorithms can greatly benefit the systems that need collision detection to be performed in real-time. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a great platform to achieve such acceleration. An FPGA is a collection of digital gates which can be reprogrammed at run time, i.e., it can be used as a CPU that reconfigures itself for a given task. In this paper, we present an FPGA based collision detection chip. The chip can be used as a co-processor for a traditional computer or several of them can be utilized to work in parallel to create a very fast collision detection server for real time environments. In our experiments we have seen speeds-up of 36 with respect to a fast Pentium 4 chip. Further improvements are possible by using more advanced collision detection techniques.
Communicatively Making Sense of Doulas within the U.S. Master Birth Narrative: Doulas as Liminal Characters.

Doulas-or designated women experienced in childbirth who provide support to a birthing mother-have been shown to improve mothers' medical outcomes, but they are relatively underused in U.S. births. We assert that doulas are rarely used, in part, because it is difficult to situate them within the contemporary U.S. master birth narrative that places family and medical staff as expected characters in the birth story. This qualitative study uses narrative theorizing to describe the communicatively situated position of doulas in light of the dominant U.S. master birth narrative. Through an analysis of interviews and focus groups with mothers, expectant parents, doulas, and medical staff (n = 52) at a community hospital, we explain how individuals communicatively located the doula as a character who occupied a liminal space that is (a) between borders, (b) crossing borders, and (c) outside borders. Although doulas' liminal location enables individuals to creatively explain and promote doulas to important publics, doulas' conceptual ambiguity in the birth narrative can also be constraining. We conclude with theoretical and practical implications.
Batch job scheduling for Reducing Water footprints in data center

The number and scale of data centers explode with the dramatically surging demand for cloud computing services, raising serious sustainability concerns. While reducing energy consumption is undoubtedly essential for sustainability, the enormity of water consumption (both directly by cooling systems and indirectly by electricity generation) has been long-neglected despite its emergence as a critical consideration in light of the growing conflicts between water supply and demand. In this paper, we take the first step towards the data center water sustainability. Specifically, we exploit the temporal diversity of data center water efficiency and propose an online algorithm, called BREW (Batch job scheduling for REducing Water footprint), which dynamically schedules batch jobs to minimize the water-power cost (quantified in terms of a weighted sum of water consumption and electricity cost) while bounding the maximum job queue backlog. It is formally proved that BREW achieves a close-to-minimum water-power cost compared to the optimal offline algorithm with future information. We also perform a trace-based simulation study and the result validates our analysis: compared to the state-of-the-art solution that solely minimize the electricity cost, BREW can significantly reduce the water-power cost while incurring a negligible delay increase (e.g., over 24% water-power cost saving but only 30 minute delay increase).
Regularization Techniques to Overcome Overparameterization of Complex Biochemical Reaction Networks.

Models of biochemical reaction networks commonly contain a large number of parameters, while at the same time, there is only a limited amount of (noisy) data available for their estimation. As such, the values of many parameters are not well known as nominal parameter values have to be determined from the open scientific literature and a significant number of the values may have been derived in different cell types or organisms than that which is modeled. There clearly is a need to estimate at least some of the parameter values from experimental data; however, the small amount of available data and the large number of parameters commonly found in these types of models require the use of regularization techniques to avoid overfitting. A tutorial of regularization techniques, including parameter set selection, precedes a case study of estimating parameters in a signal transduction network. Cross-validation results rather than fitting results are presented to further emphasize the need for models that generalize well to new data instead of simply fitting the current data.
Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Intercalation Chemistry

Intercalation of guest species in the galleries of layered host crystals is a time-honored route to the synthesis of new materials. Generally, the guest species enters at extended defects in the host or at the longitudinal surface (a-face). Given the high anistropy and the difficulty of obtaining good cleaved surfaces on the a-face, the initial stages of the reaction are difficult to study experimentally.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) pharmacotherapy and the risk of serious infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The magnitude of risk of serious infections due to available medical therapies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of the existing IBD literature to estimate the risk of serious infection in adult IBD patients associated with available medical therapies. Studies were identified by a literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Randomized controlled trials comparing IBD medical therapies with no restrictions on language, country of origin, or publication date were included. A network meta-analysis was used to pool direct between treatment comparisons with indirect trial evidence while preserving randomization. Thirty-nine articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria; one study was excluded from the analysis due to disconnectedness. We found no evidence of increased odds of serious infection in comparisons of the different treatment strategies against each other, including combination therapy with a biologic and immunomodulator compared to biologic monotherapy. Similar results were seen in the comparisons between the newer biologics (e.g. vedolizumab) and the anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. No treatment strategy was found to confer a higher risk of serious infection than another, although wide confidence intervals indicate that a clinically significant difference cannot be excluded. These findings provide a better understanding of the risk of serious infection from IBD pharmacotherapy in the adult population. The protocol for this systematic review was registered on PROSPERO ( CRD42014013497 ).
Fabrication, chemical modification, and topographical patterning of reactive gels assembled from azlactone‐functionalized polymers and a diamine

The work reported here demonstrates an approach to the fabrication of chemically reactive and topographically patterned hydrogels using the azlactone-functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4'-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) and the hydrophilic diamine Jeffamine®. Gels were initially assembled in DMSO but can be subsequently transferred into aqueous media to form hydrogels. Spectroscopic characterization of assembled gels demonstrated that variation in the stoichiometric ratio of azlactones to amines during gel synthesis permits control over the extent of crosslinking in the gels. Residual azlactones not consumed during crosslinking can be exploited to further functionalize these gels with hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and macromolecular amines that influence the physicochemical properties of these materials in aqueous solvents. The surface and bulk of these gels can be differentially functionalized (i.e., different functional groups on the gel surface relative to the bulk) by taking advantage of different rates of diffusion of macromolecular amines versus small molecule amines into assembled gels. Finally, these azlactone-functionalized gels can be topographically patterned with microwell arrays using a replica molding technique and chemically modified postfabrication with amine nucleophiles. This reactive approach to the fabrication of topographically patterned and chemically functionalized hydrogels offers a straightforward method for the rapid synthesis of micropatterned scaffolds of interest in a broad range of applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017
Pediatric Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders: Primary Care Provider Perspectives

Somatization, or physical symptoms that are inconsistent with a physiological cause that may or may not involve an identified stressor, is common in outpatient pediatrics. When these symptoms persist, they can impair function and progress to a somatic symptom and related disorder (SSRD), resulting in increased health care use and increased demands on primary care providers (PCPs). We performed a needs assessment among PCPs to better understand how best to support providers caring for children with SSRDs. Pediatric PCPs (n = 77) were surveyed to better understand their training, experience, perceptions, and practices of SSRD care. Findings indicate that PCPs have limited training in SSRD care but express interest in learning more. Many barriers to effective care were reported. We hope to use these findings to develop training materials and support services for pediatric PCPs managing SSRDs.
Showing Off: Promise and Peril in Unilateral Policymaking

Presidents have substantial unilateral policymaking powers in the United States despite constitutional provisions for checks and balances. I study how electoral concerns encourage officeholders to exercise these powers, using a formal model in which unilateral policymaking skill varies across officeholders and is unknown to voters. Undesirable unilateral action is unavoidable in equilibrium under broad conditions. This perverse behavior occurs when the incumbent acts unilaterally to show off policymaking skill even though unilateral action is inferior policy. Showing off is driven by electoral motivations and occurs because unilateral action is important for re-election. I also characterize conditions under which the incumbent acts unilaterally in equilibrium if and only if it improves voter welfare.
Creating and Managing Metadata

This chapter introduces the reader to metadata as well as the standards and tools that can be used to generate and manage standardized metadata during a research project. First, metadata is defined and many of the benefits that accrue from creating comprehensive metadata are listed. Second, the different types of metadata that may be necessary to understand and use (e.g., analyze, visualize) a data set are described along with some relevant examples. Third, the content, characteristics, similarities and differences among many of the relevant ecological metadata standards are presented. Fourth, the various software tools that enable one to create metadata are described and best practices for creating and managing metadata are recommended.
98 Feasibility and acceptability of using a mobile phone app to assess substance use among adolescents and emerging adults

Substance use is an alarming public health issue, associated with morbidity, mortality, and significant societal costs. Mobile phone apps are a promising data collection and intervention delivery tool for research with substance-using youth, as most teens (73%) and young adults (92%) own a smartphone; yet, existing mobile apps in the substance use field lack data collection capabilities and require a therapist to push intervention content. Our team has developed a prototype Android mobile phone app called SARA (Substance Abuse Research Assistant), which features a customizable suite of data collection methods (e.g., sensors, ecological momentary assessments, cognitive/behavioural tasks) and allows for add-on intervention delivery components (e.g., text messages, intervention videos). To mitigate the challenges of long-term app use, SARA creates a game-like environment in which participants can earn non-financial rewards for completing assessments, such as unlocking fish to populate a virtual aquarium on the app’s home screen. In May-August 2017, SARA will be field tested with 60 participants recruited from the University of Michigan Health System Emergency Department. Screened participants will be eligible if they are 14–24 years old, report past-month binge drinking (4/5 drinks tailored by gender) or recreational cannabis use, can download SARA, and provide written consent/assent. Enrolled participants will complete a baseline survey, use the app for 30 days to complete daily and weekly assessments, and provide feedback about the app at follow-up. Key findings will include: assessment compliance rates; participants’ interaction with SARA during field testing; and participants’ feedback about SARA, including their comfort answering sensitive questions via the app. Our findings will indicate the feasibility and acceptability of using SARA as a data collection and intervention delivery tool with substance-using youth in behavioural research.
Neurologial interpretations and the information in the cognitive pupillary response.

It has been known for 70 years that the human pupil dilates when a person responds to a cognitive task. Further, it is known that parasympathetic pupillary innervation decreases with raised attention state while sympathetic innervation increases. But the information the pupil transmits during elevated attention states about such neurological dynamics and a quantitative measure of this information have defied statistical modelling. Now we describe experiments using a short-term memory task called an acoustic impulse test in which the pupillary dynamics in response to random acoustic impulses are recorded with a high resolution (0.01mm) pupillometer with the result that parasympathetic and sympathetic pupillary dilation components are quantifiable, as is the information transmitted by these components.
Clinical and Electroencephalographic Correlates in Pediatric Cardiac Arrest: Experience at a Tertiary Care Center.

Pediatric cardiac arrest is a significant cause of death and neurologic disability; however, there is a paucity of literature specifically evaluating the utility of prognostic factors in the pediatric population. This retrospective chart review examines clinical, laboratory, and electroencephalographic (EEG) data in children following cardiopulmonary arrest to better characterize findings that may inform prognosis. Pre-arrest clinical characteristics, resuscitation details, and post-arrest hospital course variables were analyzed and neurologic outcome was determined using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scale. Forty-one patients were identified who had cardiac arrest from March, 2011 to January, 2015. Duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (p = 0.013), out-of-hospital arrest (p = 0.005), arterial pH (0.014), arterial lactate (0.004), lack of pupil reactivity to light (p < 0.001), absent motor response to noxious stimuli (p < 0.001), and absent brainstem reflexes (p < 0.001) were all predictors of poor neurologic outcome. EEG background suppression (p = 0.005) was associated with poor outcome. Nine patients had electrographically recorded seizures, which began up to 1 week following cardiac arrest. Two patients (4.9%) experienced post-anoxic myoclonic status epilepticus and both had a poor outcome.
Student-Authored Ethics Vignettes: Giving Voice to Values All Semester:

Critics of ethics education suggest that students need to learn about contextual pressures of workplace ethical decisions and develop skills to handle them. Thus, instructors are often challenged t...
Chapter 2 – Methods for Analysis of Hyaluronan and Its Fragments

In recent years, a growing number of physiological and biological roles have been ascribed to hyaluronan in addition to its role as an essential structural component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Its rheological properties have led to an increasing number of applications for hyaluronan in the pharmaceutical industry. Numerous functions have been ascribed to hyaluronan. Its ability to regulate water balance and fill space, and interact with a variety of extracellular molecules makes it an essential structural component in the organization of the ECM. It can also interact with different cell surface receptors, thereby activating intracellular signaling pathways and inducing proliferative and migratory responses. The majority of extracellular HA-binding proteins belong to the Link protein superfamily. Proteins in this family contain a conserved Link module that consists of a disulfide-linked domain of about 100 amino acid residues. The interaction of hyaluronan with the cell surface receptor, CD44, is one of the most widely known and studied interactions. The physical properties of hyaluronan as a high molecular weight polymer account for its role as an essential structural component of the ECM. Biological effects of hyaluronan vary with its average mass. Hyaluronan fragments have been used to establish a novel signal transduction cascade downstream from CD44 activation that involves Ras and protein kinase C in T-24 carcinoma cells. During inflammation, there is an increased degradation of components of the ECM and as expected, hyaluronan is broken down to lower molecular weight forms.
ON-SITE BUILDING MATERIALS USING UMR WATER JET TECHNOLOGY

ABSTRACT The creation of underground space, concurrently generates a volume of “waste” rock. This paper discusses the energy savings that can be achieved if this rock mass is cut up into blocks for use on On-Site Building Material. The use of high pressure water jets as a means of cutting out these blocks, is evaluated and shown to be energy economical. The energy thus conserved is considerable and can be reallocated for other more productive uses. It also generates new local employment and energy efficient buildings through its use.
Bone Marrow Biopsy and Its Utility in the Diagnosis of AL Amyloidosis and Other Plasma Cell Dyscrasias

Amyloid disease should be suspected when organ dysfunction occurs at multiple sites; the diagnosis of amyloidosis is made by histological evaluation of a tissue biopsy using a Congo red stain. Approximately 75% of patients with systemic amyloidosis have the AL type associated with amyloidogenic immunoglobulin light chains originating from plasma cells present in the bone marrow. Thus, following confirmation of the presence of amyloid, the next step is to perform a bone marrow biopsy, assess plasma cell volume and clonality, and review for concomitant conditions, such as multiple myeloma or B-cell proliferative disorders (Rajkumar et al., Cancer 82:1501–1505, 1998; Sanchorawala et al., Am J Hematol 81:692–695, 2006). In this chapter, we will describe bone marrow biopsy staining procedures, review characteristic bone marrow biopsy findings in patients with AL amyloidosis (including the immunophenotypic profile of plasma cells), highlight the role of the Congo red stain in diagnosing amyloid, compare and contrast methods for establishing a diagnosis of a plasma cell dyscrasia, correlate bone marrow results with laboratory detection of paraproteins, and delve into molecular and cytogenetic features of patients with AL amyloidosis.
PSCluster: Differentially Private Spatial Cluster Detection for Mobile Crowdsourcing Applications

Spatial cluster detection has been employed to identify significant connected spatial clusters in a variety of crowdsourcing applications in bioinformatics, social networks, and network security. However, despite of providing tremendous social benefits, the release of crowdsourced data will pose a considerable threat to mobile users’ privacy. Differential privacy has been adopted for privacy preservation of crowdsourced data, yet the effective mining of protected data becomes challenging. In this paper, we investigate the problem of spatial cluster detection on privacy-preserving crowdsourced data. Specifically, we propose PSCluster, a differentially private spatial cluster detection mechanism to provide services with data protected under a differential privacy model. PSCluster’s key components include a hypothesis testing framework for modeling differentially private spatial data, and a hybrid algorithm that jointly conducts expectation maximization (EM)-based parameter estimation and free-form spatial cluster detection. We evaluate PSCluster over synthetic data and real data from mobile crowdsourcing applications, and compare PSCluster with two state-of-the-art baseline methods. The experimental results show that PSCluster improves the utility without sacrificing privacy.
Loneliness predicts a preference for larger interpersonal distance within intimate space.

Loneliness is thought to serve as an adaptive signal indicating the need to repair or replace salutary social connections. Accordingly, loneliness may influence preferences for interpersonal distance. If loneliness simply motivates a desire to socially reconnect, then loneliness may be associated with a preference for smaller interpersonal distances. According to the evolutionary model of loneliness, however, loneliness also signals an inadequacy of mutual aid and protection, augmenting self-preservation motives. If loneliness both increases the motivation to reconnect and increases the motivation for self-protection, then the resulting approach-avoidance conflict should produce a preference for larger interpersonal distance, at least within intimate (i.e., proximal) space. Here, we report two survey-based studies of participants’ preferences for interpersonal distance to distinguish between these competing hypotheses. In Study 1 (N = 175), loneliness predicted preferences for larger interpersonal distance within intimate space net gender, objective social isolation, anxiety, depressive symptomatology, and marital status. In Study 2 (N = 405), we replicated these results, and mediation analyses indicated that measures of social closeness could not adequately explain our findings. These studies provide compelling evidence that loneliness predicts preferences for larger interpersonal distance within intimate space, consistent with predictions from the evolutionary model of loneliness.
CAREGIVER BURDEN AMONG ADULT CHILDREN ASSOCIATED WITH OLDER ADULTS’ CARE NEEDS

Adult children are often involved in caring for older adults in the family. Literature has evidenced the negative consequences of caregiving tasks on the well-being of caregivers. Little is known about the distinctive role of each specific caregiving burden on the well-being and burden of adult caregivers. Thus, we considered two types of caregiver burden (i.e., ADL related and IADL related) and their associations with caregiving difficulties. Using the recent panel data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), we examined the links between caregiver tasks and difficulties in caregiving. Our findings showed that adult children caregivers reported higher CG difficulties when care recipients reported both higher ADL-related and IADL-related needs. Our findings have implications for the needs of adult children caregivers who provide various types of care for their aging parents.
Ordinary anti-Fascism? Italy and the fall of Fascism, 1943–1945

This article focuses on the immediate years after the fall of the Fascist regime from 1943 through the end of World War II. It asks: What did the Italians make of Fascism and its role in the countr...
Reconsidering sex differences during place learning in túngara frogs.

In tungara frogs, female mate choice requires remembering the location and/or calls of preferred males who advertise from fixed positions within a breeding pond. A previous study found that, when solving a place discrimination task in the laboratory, female tungara frogs were able to learn a visual cue to solve the task, whereas males were not. In that task, male performance appeared to be inhibited, in part, by their attempt to use egocentric cues. We tested whether the sex difference in place learning previously reported would generalize to other training parameters with different cues available by eliminating the potential to use egocentric cues and increasing the number of trials per day. As before, frogs were given a choice between a red or yellow door, one of which led to shelters and return to their home cage. In the current testing conditions, we detected a preference for the red door; thus, we only considered frogs rewarded to the yellow door. Training was associated with an increase in correct choices and an increased preference for the yellow door. However, there was no evidence for a sex difference in learning. In summary, under the current training conditions, we found that the apparent female advantage in place learning was no longer evident. Future studies that investigate sex differences in cue preference and/or ability to switch among cues will further illuminate the conditions under which sex differences in learning are manifest in tungara frogs.
Probabilistic Skill of Subseasonal Surface Temperature Forecasts over North America

AbstractThe skill of surface temperature forecasts up to 4 weeks ahead is examined for weekly tercile category probabilities constructed using extended logistic regression (ELR) applied to three en...
Endogenous GHB in Segmented Hair Part II: Intra-individual Variation for Exogenous Discrimination.

The endogenous presence of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) complicates the interpretation of results in cases where an exogenous dosing is suspected. Due to GHB's rapid metabolism and clearance following exogenous doses, hair has become a preferential matrix for confirmation of GHB exposure in drug-facilitated crimes. However, unlike blood and urine where an agreed-upon cut-off concentration for differentiation between endogenous and exogenous GHB has been made, there has been no consensus on a cut-off concentration for hair. This is due in part to the wide inter- and intra-individual variation that has been observed in endogenous GHB hair studies. A large (>50) population study of 214 donors was conducted to better understand these variations and to evaluate whether a cut-off concentration could be established for endogenous GHB in human hair. As seen in our previous study, the inter-individual variation was large, with concentrations ranging from <0.40 to 5.47 ng/mg. This range made an absolute cut-off concentration recommendation inappropriate, so an alternative approach for GHB discrimination was investigated utilizing the intra-individual variation. Male donors appeared to have greater intra-individual variation than female donors, yet it was noted that segment-to-segment variation along the length of hair had minimal change between individual donor's adjacent segments. Overall, 97.1% of the adjacent segment differences were within ±0.5 ng/mg. Therefore, instead of a recommended cut-off concentration, it appears that using adjacent segment concentration differences could be a strategy to assist in differentiating endogenous from single exogenous GHB exposure. In the absence of controlled dosing data, previously published segmented results from controlled and suspected dosing donors are examined using the adjacent segmental difference approach and the results compared to currently used ratio-based calculations.
Caseload and Workload: Current Trends in School-Based Practice Across the United States

Importance Practitioners working in school settings have a variety of job-related responsibilities in addition to direct service provision. Models of best practice indicate that a workload approach to service delivery allows practitioners to provide effective and productive interventions in the school setting; however, current information related to service delivery by school-based practitioners in the United States is lacking. Objective To explore current caseloads, service delivery models, implementation of workload models, knowledge of state and local policies, and job satisfaction of school-based occupational therapy practitioners and how they relate to best practice. Design Web-based survey. Setting School-based practice. Participants Three hundred seventy-one school-based practitioners from across the United States completed the study. Outcomes and measures Investigator-developed survey with both closed- and open-ended questions. Results School-based practitioners recruited via social media platforms and snowball sampling completed an online survey. Results indicate that practitioners wanted to move their practice to a workload model but cited lack of administrative support, time, procedural knowledge, and decreased advocacy skills as barriers to implementation. Moreover, despite current philosophy regarding best practice, occupational therapy practitioners continue to provide services outside of the classroom and other natural settings. Conclusions and relevance There seems to be a disconnect between intent (e.g., service delivery in natural settings, expanding the scope of practice) and current practice trends. Practitioners need support to advocate for and implement alternative service delivery models and to incorporate a workload approach to meet the diverse needs of students in educational settings. What this article adds Practical resources related to caseload and workload guidelines and implementation, service delivery models, and methods of advocacy and negotiation skills are needed to support practitioners as they advocate for changes in their practice.
Are You Ready for Clothing with Environmental and Social Labels

This study aims to empirically address how US consumers perceive apparel labelling and sustainable apparel labels, and if there are any differences among different age groups on their perceptions. The research provides valuable insights to the apparel industry.
Preparing U.S. Medical Students to Respond to Climate Change

The devastating hurricane season this year has brought the economic and health impacts of a changing global climate into stark relief. The varied health impacts of climate change can no longer be ignored by anyone who practices medicine – whether primary care or specialist. Physicians are already at the forefront of the response to climate change, advocating on behalf of their patients. Through professional organizations, membership groups, and individual actions, doctors are working to mitigate the impact of climate change as well as advocating for reductions in carbon emissions. In the future, physicians will be managing the health impacts of climate change, from worsening air quality to frequent heat waves. Medical schools provide a structured space for future physicians to learn about the interaction between human health and climate change. While international efforts to prepare the future health workforce have proceeded at a rapid clip, US medical schools have lagged behind. Medical schools must incorporate environmental health concepts into general curriculum efforts to prepare their graduates to meet the challenges of a changing climate.
Understanding the Information Disseminated Using Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Twitter, with its ever-growing influence, has continued to serve as a means of spreading information and often providing early warnings to the situations that the world is encountering. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. With this disease resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths, it is valuable that an analysis is conducted regarding the source of information posted on social media sites such as Twitter. In this study, we specifically analyze the source- URLs being posted by influential Twitter accounts. Our main goal in this study is to understand the kind of online materials, i.e., external weblinks that Twitter users prefer to promote/share about COVID-19.
Statistical atlases of bone anatomy: construction, iterative improvement and validation

We present an iterative bootstrapping framework to create and analyze statistical atlases of bony anatomy such as the human pelvis from a large collection of CT data sets. We create an initial tetrahedral mesh representation of the target anatomy and use deformable intensity-based registration to create an initial atlas. This atlas is used as prior information to assist in deformable registration/segmentation of our subject image data sets, and the process is iterated several times to remove any bias from the initial choice of template subject and to improve the stability and consistency of mean shape and variational modes. We also present a framework to validate the statistical models. Using this method, we have created a statistical atlas of full pelvis anatomy with 110 healthy patient CT scans. Our analysis shows that any given pelvis shape can be approximated up to an average accuracy of 1.5036 mm using the first 15 principal modes of variation. Although a particular intensity-based deformable registration algorithm was used to produce these results, we believe that the basic method may be adapted readily for use with any registration method with broadly similar characteristics.