cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Education and personal development: a reflection

The practice of medicine implies life long learning, and the modern health service expects career grade doctors to engage in a programme of continuous professional development.1 Doctors are a highly motivated group, and so the expectation that they will participate seems well founded. For those in the training grades, professional development is supervised and made explicit within postgraduate medical education and training.2-4 Seniors have traditionally planned their professional development unassisted and in isolation. Most manage this with ease and confidence, moved forward by the day to day challenges of clinical practice, health service management, teaching, and research. However, a few do too little in preparing for the changes of their working lives, and as a result are resistant when confronted with new ideas or novel ways of doing things. In responding to the needs of a patient, a doctor draws upon all of his or her wisdom and life experiences. These resources far exceed the confines of medical knowledge or transferable clinical skills. For doctors, professional conduct, core beliefs, and personal integrity are inextricably interwoven.5 This being the case, professional development is contained within personal development. Personal development is part of the process of life long learning and follows basic educational principles. It shares with education a common philosophy, ethical frame work, and psychology, as well as practical components. This article reflects on the commonality between the two, with reference to the needs of senior doctors. The parallel helps to make the learning processes of personal and professional development more explicit, and allows us to see where components such as reflection, mentoring, continuous medical education, and appraisal fit in. Education begins by asking a question (fig 1). This entry step into the cycle is crucial in a number of ways. First, learning is facilitated when the process …
A Generalized Spectral Domain Analysis for Coupled Suspended Microstriplines with Tuning Septums

An efficient computation method is developed for solving the microstrip-type structures in which a number of conducting strips are located on several interfaces of dielectric layers. The method is applied to the coupled suspended microstripline with tuning septums on the underside of the suspending dielectric layer. The numerical solutions obtained by the new method are compared with available data. The method is believed useful in the design of tightly coupled structures such as the 3-dB hybrid as well as of transitions between different transmission lines for microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuit application.
Biophysics of substrate interaction: Influence on neural motility, differentiation, and repair

The identity and behavior of a cell is shaped by the molecular and mechanical composition of its surroundings. Molecular cues have firmly established roles in guiding both neuronal fate decisions and the migration of cells and axons. However, there is growing evidence that topographical and rigidity cues in the extracellular environment act synergistically with these molecular cues. Like chemical cues, physical factors do not elicit a fixed response, but rather one that depends on the sensory makeup of the cell. Moreover, from developmental studies and the plasticity of neural tissue, it is evident that there is dynamic feedback between physical and chemical factors to produce the final morphology. Here we focus on our current understanding of how these physical cues shape cellular differentiation and migration, and discuss their relevance to repairing the injured nervous system.
SALT CONCENTRATION, pH, AND FLOUR CONCENTRATION EFFECTS ON NITROGEN SOLUBILITY AND EMULSIFYING PROPERTIES OF PEANUT FLOUR

Nitrogen solubility in 2% dispersions and emulsifying properties in 8% dispersions of unheated peanut flour (50.9% protein) in water, 0.1M NaCl (low salt), and 1.0M NaCl (high salt) were measured over a pH range 2.0–10.0. Flour concentration effects were measured over the same range in water only at 2, 4, 6 and 8% flour levels (1, 2, 3, 4% protein). Both nitrogen solubility and emulsion-forming and thickening properties of the water and low-salt suspensions were lower at pH 4.0 than at levels below and above 4.0, increases in solubility being quite substantial below pH 3.0 and above pH 6.0. In the high-salt suspensions, nitrogen solubility was low at pH 3.0 and below, high at pH 6.0 and above, with near linear increase between 3.0 and 6.0; no emulsions formed at pH 2.0–4.0, with generally low-viscosity emulsions at pH 5.0–10.0. A flour concentration of 2% (1% protein) in water could support emulsion formation only at pH levels of 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, and the quality of these emulsions was extremely poor (low viscosity); at higher flour concentrations (4, 6. 8%). emulsion capacities and viscosities were improved substantially by adjusting the pH to levels below or above 4.0, with more viscous emulsions produced below pH 4.0 than above. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that deviations of pH from 4.0 were better predictors of emulsifying properties of peanut flour than simple pH alone. Altering the electrovalent properties, ionic environment, or flour concentration strongly influenced these functional characteristics.
The Accuracy of Tide-Gauge Measurements at Subtidal Frequencies

Abstract The accuracy of subinertial sea level, as measured by tide gauges in the Southern California Bight, is investigated. Sea level differences formed from tide gauges separated by less than 50 km are examined. The observed differences give an upper bound an errors in the sea level data, provided errors at each station are uncorrelated with each other and with the true sea level signal. Sea level measurements at the San Diego and La Jolla tide gauges are also compared with simultaneous bottom pressure measurements made on the shelf 25 km north of San Diego. Both comparisons sunset that rms errors in tide-gauge measurements of sea level are order 1.5 cm. Approximately half the observed error variance has time scales of 1 month and is due, in part, to inaccuracies in determining reference levels.
The Effects of Data Gaps on the Calculated Monthly Mean Maximum and Minimum Temperatures in the Continental United States: A Spatial and Temporal Study

Abstract Gaps in otherwise regularly scheduled observations are often referred to as missing data. This paper explores the spatial and temporal impacts that data gaps in the recorded daily maximum and minimum temperatures have on the calculated monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures. For this analysis 138 climate stations from the United States Historical Climatology Network Daily Temperature and Precipitation Data set were selected. The selected stations had no missing maximum or minimum temperature values during the period 1951–80. The monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures were calculated for each station for each month. For each month 1–10 consecutive days of data from each station were randomly removed. This was performed 30 times for each simulated gap period. The spatial and temporal impact of the 1–10-day data gaps were compared. The influence of data gaps is most pronounced in the continental regions during the winter and least pronounced in the southeast during the summer. In the n...
Removing Barriers to Service Delivery: An Outcome Evaluation of a ‘Remodelled’ Foster Care Programme1:

Yvonne Unrau, Michael Wells and Mary Ann Hartnett describe a US family-centred, needs-based foster care programme named Promise and present evaluation findings based on a comparison group design evaluation. Promise allowed for greater discretion among line-level workers to meet the unique service needs of families served, promoted greater team-oriented communication and involved more foster family involvement than the comparison group. An initial statistical comparison revealed that foster children in the Promise group (n = 380) experienced greater stability in their caseworker assignment and, to a lesser degree, greater placement stability over a 15-month period when compared to foster children served under the conventional model (n = 436). However, only the caseworker continuity effect remained when further analysis was undertaken. Similar rates of permanency achievement were reported for both models. Implications for foster care policy, practice and research are presented.
Taking Stock of the Relationship Between Gang Membership and Offending: A Meta-Analysis

This study takes stock of empirical research examining the relationship between gang membership and offending by subjecting this large body of work to a meta-analysis. Multilevel modeling is used t...
Clinical Utility of Biomarkers in Localized Prostate Cancer

A new generation of prostate cancer (PCa) biomarkers has emerged, including diagnostic serum and urine markers aimed at refining the identification high-grade tumors and tissue-based gene expression assays offering prognostic and predictive clinical information. Such tests seek to improve treatment-related decisions at multiple decision points, including initial diagnosis and following initial primary therapy. In this review, we aim to contextualize the body of evidence surrounding these emerging tests, with attention on studies addressing clinical utility.
Marking Pink Bollworm with Rubidium

The feasibility of marking native pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), with rubidium (Rb) was studied. When Rb was incorporated in the larval diet of pink bollworm, there was a significant increase in the Rb content in the adult moths, with no adverse effect on longevity or survival. When male pink bollworm reared on diets containing Rb were mated to females reared on a diet containing no added Rb, there was a significant increase in the Rb content in the female abdomens. There was a significant increase in the Rb content in adult moths that were reared from Rb sprayed cotton plants and in adult moths that were allowed to come in contact with Rb sprayed cotton plants.
Both invasive and optimized medical therapies improved quality of life in angina but invasive therapy had fewer major adverse cardiac events.

Source Citation Pfisterer M, Buser P, Osswald S, et al. Outcome of elderly patients with chronic symptomatic coronary artery disease with an invasive vs optimized medical treatment strategy: one-ye...
Treatment of Stage D Hormone-Resistant Carcinoma of the Prostate with Estramustine Phosphate

AbstractWe report on 51 patients with hormone-resistant, stage D prostatic carcinoma who were treated with estramustine phosphate and followed for at least 6 months. Of the 51 patients 5 (10 per cent) had a partial objective response, 30 (59 per cent) remained stable and 16 (31 per cent) had progression of the disease. All of those patients who had a partial response or remained stable also experienced subjective improvement as judged by relief of pain and performance status. Approximately 8 per cent of the patients will be unable to take estramustine phosphate because of intolerable gastrointestinal side effects.
The family of the dying child.

One of the processes involved in work with the family of a dying child, but often overlooked, is the physician’s own reaction to the child, the family, and the illness. How the family will live and develop is profoundly related to the doctor’s attitude during the terminal illness.
Models and theories

Publisher Summary Superconductivity was discovered by H. Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911. In 1933, Meissner and Ochsenfeld found that superconductors also exclude magnetic flux. However, it was in 1935 that London brothers proposed a simple theory to explain the Meissner effect. The London equations provided an early simple model for describing experimental results. In 1950, Ginzburg and Landau advanced a macroscopic theory that described superconductivity in terms of an order parameter, and they provided a derivation of the London equations. The Bean model put forward in 1962 lacks theoretical underpinning, but it has been surprisingly successful in describing some magnetic properties of superconductors. There has been a great deal of recent interest in the Hubbard and related models as ways of explaining the essential features of superconductivity from a minimum of assumptions. This chapter presents some of the results of these models as well as the results of the more sophisticated theories. However, the chapter does not provide any explanation or justification of the theories and models.
Worldwide occurrence of mycotoxins in foods and feeds--an update

In a review presented at the first FAO/WHO/UNEP Conference on Mycotoxins in 1977, the occurrence of aflatoxins, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, citrinin, trichothecenes, patulin, penicillic acid, and the ergot alkaloids was indicated to be significant in naturally contaminated foods and feeds. The information presented on aflatoxin contamination greatly exceeded that for all other mycotoxins combined. This study reviews the worldwide levels and occurrence of mycotoxins in various commodities since 1976. Comparatively few countries have lowered the acceptable levels for aflatoxins in susceptible commodities. However, intensified efforts are needed to establish control of aflatoxin levels in the global food supply, particularly in peanuts, tree nuts, corn, and animal feeds. Extensive deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of grains, especially wheat, was demonstrated. Co-contamination of grains by Fusarium toxins, especially DON and nivalenol, with zearalenone to a lesser extent, was reported. However, more information on co-occurrence of Fusarium toxins in cereals should be developed. When contamination of feeds by ochratoxin A was significant, this toxin occurred in swine kidney and smoked meats in high levels. On the basis of occurrence and/or toxicity, patulin and penicillic acid contamination of foods does not appear to be of real concern. More recent developments suggest, however, that expanded monitoring studies of Alternaria toxins, moniliformin, citrinin, cyclopiazonic acid, penitrem A, and ergot alkaloids are indicated.
Neuroscience Foundations for Human Decision Making in Information Security: A General Framework and Experiment Design

In this paper, we propose a conceptual model for information security (InfoSec) decision making that is based on cognitive science and neuroscience, and present a comprehensive framework of InfoSec decision making process. In addition, we illustrate a specific experiment design that could be used to investigate how specific automatic affective processes would impact specific components of the InfoSec decision making process.
Invited Talk: U-Net Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation

In the last years, deep convolutional networks have outperformed the state of the art in many visual recognition tasks. A central challenge for its wide adoption in the bio-medical imaging field is the limited amount of annotated training images. In this talk, I will present our u-net for biomedical image segmentation. The architecture consists of an analysis path and a synthesis path with additional shortcut-connections.
Imagery is More Powerful with Focusing: Theory and Practice

Let me begin with an extremely brief and summarized theoretical statement. How might we think about “the unconscious”, that rich source of imagery and of course, of other processes? I would like to say simply: the unconscious is the body. Of course, we need to devise entirely new kinds of concepts about the body, for this and many other reasons. The body is no mere physiological machine. The body is inherently interactional. Let me say more clearly what this means: We guide our behavior most of the time by a bodily sense of each situation. We do not speak to ourselves about each facet of a situation—if we did, we could not handle any situation at all. To do any simple thing, we must “know” what led up to the situation, what we are trying to bring about or avoid, who the people present are, how to walk, sit, speak, and countless other facets. We can think only very few of these explicitly. All the rest are “known” in a rich, holistic feeling of the whole context, which we can have only in a bodily concrete way.
Meeting Patient Expectations During Hospitalization: A Grounded Theoretical Analysis of Patient-Centered Room Elements.

Objectives:To identify patient needs and expectations that can be utilized to inform the design or renovation of medical–surgical patient rooms in a hospital.Background:There is an increased interest in supportive room design to increase patient satisfaction and improve the healing process.Methods:Patients’ and family caregivers’ reactions were elicited to intentional room elements embedded in a set of five full-scale simulated room prototypes. Small groups of patients and caregivers toured two of the five rooms and provided verbal and written evaluations of room features. A grounded theory approach was employed to generate a codebook, identify the frequency of codes, and to group codes and memos into emerging themes. Insights from emergent themes were compared with findings from written surveys on the importance of various room design elements completed at the beginning of each session.Results:A theoretical design framework was generated, showing patients expect a hospital room that provides them with th...
Increased symptom reporting in middle school athletes based on history of previous concussions

Objective Given findings of increased symptomatology in high school, college, and professional athletes with history of multiple concussions, we sought to identify incidence of symptom reporting at baseline, in middle-school youth athletes on the basis of concussion history. Design Pre-test only. Participants A multi-centre sample of 2,600 middle-school athletes, ages 10–14, who completed baseline evaluations, were assigned to groups on the basis of concussion history: None (N=1210), One (N=1191), Two or more (N=199). Intervention The Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) was administered during athletes’ pre-season baseline evaluations. Cross-sectional analyses (ANOVAs) were used to examine symptoms reported at the time of baseline testing by concussion history group Main results Otherwise healthy middle school athletes with a concussion history were statistically (p Conclusions Developmentally, younger athletes may be less insightful in identifying their cognitive or emotional symptoms. Younger athletes who sustain multiple concussions may experience residual symptoms, which may be precursors to future concussion-related difficulties. These results raise poignant implications for: 1) symptom reporting in younger athletes, thus affecting research and clinical assessment, and 2) the possible impact of early concussion residuals on future functioning of college and professional athletes. Competing interests Dr. Schatz serves on the ImPACT Scientific Advisory Board.
Hydrogen as a Reciprocating Engine Fuel

An analytical and experimental investigation of hydrogen as a reciprocating engine fuel has been carried out The analytical portion involved application of a thermodynamic model to predict trends in power, efficiency and emissions with hydrogen fuel. The experimental investigation was carried out using a single cylinder CFR engine modified to run on hydrogen. Both aspects of the investigation focused particular attention on the unthrottled direct injection hydrogen engine because of its suitability in terms of power, efficiency, and control of flashback, preignition and emissions. Model calculations and experimental results are described and compared.
Predicting with Confidence: Classifiers that Know What They Don’t Know

Abstract A useful feature for any predictive classifier is the ability to know when its predictions are unreliable. We present a general approach that should be applicable to any learning classifier system that has been trained on a set of known cases. The basic idea is simple, if for some of the training cases it knows its predictions are wrong, it can assess for any new case if it lies in the vicinity of one of these “trouble-makers.” The challenge is to quantify the degree of uncertainty and define a region of unreliability around each trouble-maker case. We provide specific algorithms to address these challenges and illustrate their use in the case of a GRNN oracle ensemble classifier that predicts the presence of Alzheimer’s disease from features extracted automatically from a sample of a person’s speech. One aspect of the challenge is that the distributions of training cases in the domain feature space is often quite poor because the training data sets are often feature-rich but case-poor. We show how the t-SNE algorithm can ameliorate this problem. We also provide an algorithm that can define a region of uncertainty based on linear interpolation of the error estimates among only those training cases that are “close enough.” No human input is needed.
The unintended consequences of uncertainty disclosures made by auditors and managers on nonprofessional investor judgments

Abstract We examine how recent proposals requiring augmented auditor and management disclosures highlighting estimate uncertainty influence investors' judgments and decisions. Specifically, we investigate the effects of auditor emphasis of matter (EOM) paragraphs, both independently and in combination with management disclosures of estimate ranges, on investors' likelihoods to invest. Using an experiment with nonprofessional investor participants, we find that the EOM has the unintended consequence of increasing investors' perceptions of management credibility, leading to higher likelihood of investment. Furthermore, despite the ability of ranges to highlight uncertainty and downside risk, we find that management's disclosure of an estimate range does not impact the positive effect of the EOM on investors' propensities to invest, unless management provides a wide range. In this circumstance, we find that a wide range mitigates the positive influence of the EOM on investment decisions. Our results have important implications for regulators, preparers, and users of financial statements as we find that augmented auditor and management reporting may have unintended consequences on investor perceptions of management credibility and resultant investment decisions.
The power of ethnic studies: portraits of first-generation Latina/o students carving out un sitio and claiming una lengua

For more than 50 years, college and high school students, families, and community activists have fought for the preservation of ethnic studies. Qualitative research studies consistently have shown ...
Active Acoustic Interference Elicits Echolocation Changes in Heterospecific Bats

Echolocating bats often forage in the presence of both conspecific and heterospecific individuals, which have the potential to produce acoustic interference. Recent studies have shown that at least one bat species, the Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), produces specialized social signals that disrupt the sonar of conspecific competitors. We herein discuss the differences between passive and active jamming signals and test whether heterospecific jamming occurs in species overlapping spatiotemporally, as well as whether such interference elicits a jamming avoidance response. We compare the capture rates of tethered moths and the echolocation parameters of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) challenged with the playback of the jamming signal normally produced by Brazilian free-tailed bats and playback of deconstructed versions of this signal. There were no differences in the capture rates of targets with and without the jamming signal, although significant changes in both spectral and temporal features of the bats' echolocation were observed. These changes are consistent with improvements of the signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of acoustic interference. Accordingly, we propose to expand the traditional definition of the jamming avoidance response, stating that echolocation changes in response to interference should decrease similarity between the two signals, to include any change that increases the ability to separate returning echoes from active jamming stimuli originating from conspecific and heterospecific organisms. Flexibility in echolocation is an important characteristic for overcoming various forms of acoustic interference and may serve a purpose in interspecific interactions as well as intraspecific ones.
Case 79: A Strange Case

A 45-year-old female (70 kg and 5 ft 11 in.) is admitted as an outpatient for ­laparoscopy for endometriosis under general anesthesia. You see her in the preoperative area with her husband. She tells you she has not had any previous operations and is very healthy. She denies any allergies. Reading the outpatient note, you see that she has had a chin implant. When you ask her again she says that is a mistake.
Myelin Plasticity and Nervous System Function

Structural plasticity in the myelinated infrastructure of the nervous system has come to light. Although an innate program of myelin development proceeds independent of nervous system activity, a second mode of myelination exists in which activity-dependent, plastic changes in myelin-forming cells influence myelin structure and neurological function. These complementary and possibly temporally overlapping activity-independent and activity-dependent modes of myelination crystallize in a model of experience-modulated myelin development and plasticity with broad implications for neurological function. In this article, I consider the contributions of myelin to neural circuit function, the dynamic influences of experience on myelin microstructure, and the role that plasticity of myelin may play in cognition.
Ray-representation formalism for geometric computations on protein solid models

Ray-representation or ray-rep formalism provides a comprehensive and simple approach for geometric computations on molecular solid models. These methods allow model formulation in terms of simple constructive solid geometry. In particular, the van der Waals exclusion volume is described by computing the ray-representation of a union of spheres and the solvent exclusion volume is computed by Minkowski dilation and erosion. Volume and area properties are calculated, respectively, by a ”pile-of-bricks” and ”collocation-of-tiles” interpretation of the rayrep. Labeling the chemical character of surface patches is facilitated by the intrinsic point ordering of the ray-rep. Definition of internal cavities can be accomplished by equivalence-set clustering of internal void segments. Finally, a Boolean intersection procedure determines placement of crystallographic waters with respect to the protein solvent excluded volume.
Soft-Tissue Injuries Of The Wrist

The wide spectrum of athletic activities places various demands on the wrists, which can result in injuries of the soft tissues of the wrist. Increased awareness of injuries particular to a sport and technologic and clinical advances have helped examiners to approach these injuries with a treatment plan that allows the athlete to return to competition quickly. Many of these injuries and their pathomechanics, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed in this article. The material presented on dorsal pain disorders, carpal instability, and the triangular fibrocartilage complex serves as a starting point for increasing understanding of wrist injuries in the athlete.
Integration of high resolution remotely sensed data and machine learning techniques for spatial prediction of soil properties and corn yield

Abstract Widespread adoption of precision agriculture requires timely acquisition of low-cost, high quality soil and crop yield maps. Integration of remotely sensed data and machine learning algorithms offers cost-and time-effective approach for spatial prediction of soil properties and crop yield compared to conventional approaches. The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate the role of remotely sensed images; (ii) compare the performance of various machine learning algorithms; and (iii) identify the importance of remotely sensed image-derived variables, in spatial prediction of soil properties and corn yield. This study integrated field based data on five soil properties (i.e., soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and pH) and yield monitor based corn yield data with multispectral aerial images and topographic data, both collected in 2013, from seven fields at the Molly Caren Farm near London, Ohio. Digital elevation model data, at a resolution of 1 m, was used to derive topographic properties of the fields. Multispectral images collected at bare-soil conditions, at a resolution 0.30 m, were used to derive soil and vegetation indices. Models developed for prediction of soil properties and corn yield using linear regression (LM) and five machine learning algorithms (i.e., Random Forest (RF); Neural Network (NN); Support Vector Machine (SVM) with radial and linear kernel functions; Gradient Boosting Model (GBM); and Cubist (CU)) were evaluated in terms of coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). Machine learning algorithms were found to outperform LM algorithm for most of the times with a higher R2 and lower RMSE. Based on models for seven fields, on average, NN provided the highest accuracy for SOM (R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 0.44) and CEC (R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 2.35); SVM for K (R2 = 0.21, RMSE = 0.49) and Mg (R2 = 0.22, RMSE = 4.57); and GBM for pH (R2 = 0.15, RMSE = 0.62). For corn yield, RF consistently outperformed other models and provided higher accuracy (R2 = 0.53, RMSE = 0.97). Soil and vegetation indices based on bare-soil imagery played a more significant role in demonstrating in-field variability of corn yield and soil properties than topographic variables. The accuracy of the models developed for prediction of soil properties and corn yield observed in this study suggested that the approach of integrating remotely sensed data and machine learning algorithms are promising for mapping soil properties and corn yield at a local scale, which can be useful in locating areas of potential concerns and implementing site-specific farming practices.
A comprehensive stress indicator for evaluating plant water status in almond trees

Abstract This study evaluated a comprehensive plant water stress indicator that integrates the leaf temperature and the environmental conditions that can provide feedback on the plant response to irrigation scheduling. This quantity—Comprehensive Stress Indicator (CSI)—is based on the reformulation of the leaf energy balance equation. Specifically, CSI is the ratio of the temperature difference between a dry leaf (i.e., a leaf with a broken stem) and a live leaf (on the same tree) [i.e., Tdry-Tleaf] and the difference between the vapor pressure inside the stomatal cavity at saturation and the vapor pressure of the air at ambient temperature [i.e., es(TL)-e(TA)]. The required measurements to compute CSI include dry leaf temperature, live leaf temperature, relative humidity, and air temperature at the tree being monitored. In this study, all measurements were obtained using a sensor suite called the leaf monitor. Leaf monitors were connected to a wireless mesh network to communicate the data to a website. The leaf monitor included two thermal infrared sensors, one for the dry leaf and one for the live leaf, both of which were housed in the same unit with almost identical environmental conditions due to a diffusing hemispherical dome that enclosed these sensors. The CSI is a dynamic indicator with a value for every data sample collected. For a single indicator representing each day, the CSI was evaluated in two ways. First, the CSI was integrated with respect to time from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. to obtain the Integrated Comprehensive Stress Indicator (ICSI). Second, the CSI was averaged from 1 P.M. to 3 P.M. to obtain the Average Comprehensive Stress Indicator (ACSI). Both ICSI and ACSI were compared to other stress indicators, including the existing Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) and Integrated Degrees Above Non-Stressed (IDANS). Results show that ICSI and ACSI are satisfactorily correlated with midday stem water potential (SWP). The ICSI and ACSI indicators may be more convenient than other stress indicators because they require measurements only at the tree being monitored.
Evaluating HIV Educational Materials for Older People.

Objective:To address the gap in knowledge about HIV risk reduction materials that target older adults. This review offered a comprehensive and rigorous examination of HIV risk reduction education m...
Opioid use and abuse following video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy lung cancer surgery.

Although opioids are frequently prescribed in the postoperative setting, the call for increased opioid stewardship among surgeons has only recently become more urgent. Recent studies have shown that opioids are overprescribed postoperatively (1,2). Given that the risk of chronic opioid use and consequently, misuse and abuse, has been demonstrated to increase with longer duration and higher dosage prescriptions, it is time for surgeons to have a proactive role in mitigating the opioid crisis (3,4). Most of the current literature to date on postoperative opioid prescribing has focused on general, gynecologic, and orthopedic surgery (1-3,5,6). Opioid prescribing patterns and implications for thoracic surgery remain mostly undefined.
Puerarin attenuates hypoxia-resulted damages in neural stem cells by up-regulating microRNA-214

Puerarin has been reported to be useful in protection against hypoxia-induced injury. In our current study, we attempted to explore the protective effects of puerarin against hypoxia-caused damages in neural stem cells (NSCs). Additionally, the relative molecular underpinning studies preliminarily proceeded. NSCs were pre-incubated with puerarin before the hypoxic stimulus. MicroRNA-214 (miR-214) inhibitor was transfected into NSCs. Subsequently, the viability of NSCs was assessed by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was employed to detect apoptotic cells after staining. qRT-PCR was performed to quantify miR-214. Western blot was applied for analyzing the expression of apoptosis-relative proteins and regulators. We found that puerarin alleviated hypoxia-induced apoptosis and maintained cell viability. Hypoxia-evoked up-regulation of miR-214 was further enhanced by puerarin. By contrast, miR-214-deficient NSCs showed the reduction in cell viability and the facilitation in apoptosis progress after pre-treatment with puerarin and stimulation in a hypoxia circumstance. Additionally, puerarin restored the phosphorylation of relative regulators, which was originally blunted by hypoxia. However, puerarin did not evidently restore the phosphorylation for response to hypoxia in miR-214-silenced NSCs. In conclusion, puerarin might be applied as a novel agent to ameliorate hypoxia-evoked damages in NSCs. Molecularly, miR-214 might be implicated in the protective roles of puerarin.
Characterization of Salmonella enterica Isolates from Selected U.S. Swine Feed Mills by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Every year salmonellosis is responsible for $2.3 billion in costs to the U.S. food industry, with nearly 6% of the reported cases associated with pork and/or pork products. Several studies have demonstrated the role of pigs as Salmonella reservoirs. Furthermore, this pathogen has been identified as a potential biological hazard in many livestock feeds. The overall objective of this research was to characterize Salmonella enterica isolates in selected U.S. swine feed mills by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and evaluate isolates in association with the season and feed production stages. Salmonella isolates were collected from 11 facilities during a previous study. Samples were analyzed for Salmonella prevalence following the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines and confirmed by PCR. WGS was carried out on either the MiSeq or NextSeq sequencer. De novo genome assemblies were obtained with the Shovill pipeline, version 0.9. ResFinder and SPIFinder were used to identify antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity islands. Finally, their phylogenetic relationship and diversity were determined by core genome multilocus sequence typing. Overall, our analysis showed the presence of S. enterica in the feed mill environment. Isolates belonged to 16 different serotypes. Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Mbandaka, Salmonella Senfenberg, and Salmonella Scharzengrund were the most frequently found, and 18 single-nucleotide polymorphism clusters were identified. In silico analysis showed that 40% of the strains carried at least one antimicrobial resistance gene. All isolates in this study could be considered of public health concern and pathogenic potential. Our findings underscore the potential role of the feed mill environment as the pathogen entry route into the human food value chain.
Quality of Life Assessment in Children with Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

As described in previous chapters, dysphagia is an impairment of swallowing function and may occur at the oral, pharyngeal, or esophageal phases of swallowing. Children with dysphagia generally present with a feeding disorder, but not all children with a feeding disorder have dysphagia. Pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders can have a profound impact on the child’s quality of life, as well as that of their parents and family. Feeding or swallowing difficulties are generally stressful in the moment, for both the child and family. In addition, parents will often be driven by concern for the long-term consequences of their child not eating enough and/or not eating “normally.” The high stakes involved underlie much of the stress that follows when pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders are present. Children may have a fear of choking or vomiting. Parents may have that same fear about their child and may also fear that the child’s feeding/swallowing disorder is an indicator that the child is not “normal” or will not consume enough to develop “normally.”
Ecocriticism in Brazil: The wastelands of Ana Paula Maia’s fictions

AbstractIn their introduction to the volume on ecological crisis in Latin American culture, Mark Anderson states that contemporary representations of the environment in Latin American culture activ...
Modern Psychometrics With R

The monograph belongs to the series “Use R!” and presents a compendium of classical and modern statistical techniques used in psychometrics, with their implementations in R packages demonstrated by...
ALPHRED: A Multi-Modal Operations Quadruped Robot for Package Delivery Applications

Modern quadruped robots are more capable than ever before at performing robust, dynamic locomotion over a variety of terrains, but are still mostly used as mobile inspection platforms. This paper presents ALPHRED version 2, a multi-modal operations quadruped robot designed for both locomotion and manipulation. ALPHRED is equipped with high force bandwidth proprioceptive actuators and simple one degree of freedom end-effectors. Additionally, ALPHRED has a unique radially symmetric kinematic design that provides a superior end-effector workspace and allows the robot to reconfigure itself into different modes to accomplish different tasks. For locomotion tasks, ALPHRED is capable of fast dynamic trotting, continuous hopping and jumping, efficient rolling on passive caster wheels, and even has the potential for bipedal walking. For manipulation tasks, ALPHRED has a tripod mode that provides single arm manipulation capabilities that is strong enough to punch through a wooden board. Additionally, ALPHRED can go into a bipedal mode to allow for dual arm manipulation capable of picking up a box off a one meter tall table and placing it on the ground.
Predictive caching at the wireless edge using near-zero caches

In this paper, we study the effect of predictive caching on the delay of wireless networks. We explore the possibility of caching at wireless end-users where caches are typically very small, orders of magnitude smaller than the catalog size. We develop a predictive multicasting and caching scheme, where the Base Station (BS) in a wireless cell proactively multicasts popular content for end-users to cache, and access locally if requested. We analyze the impact of this joint multicasting and caching on the delay performance. Our analysis uses a novel application of Heavy-Traffic theory under the assumption of vanishing caches to show that predictive caching fundamentally alters the asymptotic throughput-delay scaling. This in turn translates to a several-fold delay improvement in simulations over the on-demand unicast baseline as the network operates close to the full load. We highlight a fundamental delay-memory trade-off in the system and identify the correct memory scaling to fully benefit from the network multicasting gains.
THERMAL EMISSION AND REFLECTED LIGHT SPECTRA OF SUPER EARTHS WITH FLAT TRANSMISSION SPECTRA

Author(s): Morley, CV; Fortney, JJ; Marley, MS; Zahnle, K; Line, M; Kempton, E; Lewis, N; Cahoy, K | Abstract: Planets larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune are some of the most numerous in the galaxy, but observational efforts to understand this population have proved challenging because optically thick clouds or hazes at high altitudes obscure molecular features. We present models of super Earths that include thick clouds and hazes and predict their transmission, thermal emission, and reflected light spectra. Very thick, lofted clouds of salts or sulfides in high metallicity (1000 solar) atmospheres create featureless transmission spectra in the near-infrared. Photochemical hazes with a range of particle sizes also create featureless transmission spectra at lower metallicities. Cloudy thermal emission spectra have muted features more like blackbodies, and hazy thermal emission spectra have emission features caused by an inversion layer at altitudes where the haze forms. Close analysis of reflected light from warm (∼400-800 K) planets can distinguish cloudy spectra, which have moderate albedos (0.05-0.20), from hazy models, which are very dark (0.0-0.03). Reflected light spectra of cold planets (∼200 K) accessible to a space-based visible light coronagraph will have high albedos and large molecular features that will allow them to be more easily characterized than the warmer transiting planets. We suggest a number of complementary observations to characterize this population of planets, including transmission spectra of hot (≳1000 K) targets, thermal emission spectra of warm targets using the James Webb Space Telescope, high spectral resolution (R∼105) observations of cloudy targets, and reflected light spectral observations of directly imaged cold targets. Despite the dearth of features observed in super Earth transmission spectra to date, different observations will provide rich diagnostics of their atmospheres.
Dopant site-dependent luminescence from rare-earth doped dibarium octafluorohafnate Ba2HfF8 nanocubes for radiation detection

Development of new host materials containing heavy elements for radiation detection is highly desirable. In this work, dibarium octafluorohafnate, Ba2HfF8, doped with rare-earth ions, was synthesized as cube-shaped nanocrystals via a facile hydrothermal method. The host lattice contains two Ba2+ crystallographic sites, and dopants on these sites exhibit site-dependent photoluminescence (PL), cathodoluminescence (CL) and X-ray excited radioluminescence (RL) characteristics. Single doping contents were optimized as 25 mol% Tb3+ and 5 mol% Eu3+. In Ba2HfF8:Tb3+–Eu3+ codoped nanocrystals, preferrable occupation of Eu3+ and Tb3+ at two different Ba2+ sites in the host lattice was observed. The nanocubes exhibited enhanced emissions over micron sized particles. In PL, the presence of Tb3+ ions significantly enhanced the emission intensity of Eu3+ ions due to energy transfer from the Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions, while under high-energy irradiation in CL or RL, Tb3+ emission was intensified. X-ray induced RL with afterglow in seconds was observed. It was found that the codoped sample showed higher sensitivity than the singly doped sample, indicating that codoping is an effective strategy to develop a scintillator with this host structure for high-energy radiation detection.
Reproducibility and normalization of reactive hyperemia using laser speckle contrast imaging.

BACKGROUND Impaired perfusion indices signal potential microvascular dysfunction preceding atherosclerosis and other cardiometabolic pathologies. Post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH), a vasodilatory response following a mechanically induced ischemia, is a transient increase in perfusion and can assess microvascular function. The greatest blood flow change corresponding to the first minute of hyperemia (represented by time-to-peak, hyperemic velocity, AUC within 1st min) has been shown to indicate microvascular dysfunction. However, the reproducibility of these temporal kinetic indices of the PORH response is unknown. Our aim was to examine the inter- and intra-day reproducibility and standardization of reactive hyperemia, with emphasis on the kinetic indices of PORH, using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technique. METHODS AND RESULTS Seventeen healthy adults (age = 24 ± 3 years) completed three PORH bouts over two lab visits. LSCI region of interest was a standardized 10 cm region on the dominant ventral forearm. A 5-min brachial artery occlusion period induced by inflating an arm cuff to 200 mmHg, preceded a 4-min hyperemic period. Inter- and intra-day reliability and reproducibility of cutaneous vascular conductance (LSCI flux / mean arterial pressure) were determined using intraclass correlation (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV%). Maximal flow and area under the curve standardized to zero perfusion showed intra- and inter-day reliability (ICC > 0.70). Time to maximal flow (TMF) was not reproducible (inter-day CV = 18%). However, alternative kinetic indices such as 1-min AUC and overshoot rate-of-change (ORC), represented as a piecewise function (at 5s, 10s, 15s, and 20s into hyperemia), were reproducible (CV< 11%). Biological zero was a reliable normalization point. CONCLUSION PORH measured with LSCI is a reliable assessment of microvascular function. However, TMF or its derived hyperemic velocity are not recommended for longitudinal assessment. Piecewise ORC and 1-min AUC are reliable alternatives to assess the kinetic response of PORH.
Changes in the U.S. Pharmaceutical Import Mix under the Agreement on Trade in Pharmaceutical Products

The zero-for-zero initiative on pharmaceuticals contributed to both the substantial increase in U.S. pharmaceutical imports during the past 20 years and the growing share of such imports held by formulated (dosage-form) products. Under the initiative, the United States and its major trading partners reciprocally removed tariffs on many pharmaceuticals, their derivatives, and certain chemical intermediates used to make pharmaceuticals.
On the Steady Flow of a Gas Through a Tube with Heat Exchange or Chemical Reaction

This paper is concerned with a simple phenomenological discussion of gaseous combustion through a tube and related phenomena involving hydrodynamic, thermodynamic, and chemical considerations. I t is also indicated how the discussion can be conveniently developed into a treatment from the point of view of microscopic chemical kinetics. Indeed, some interesting results are already obtained without such an extension. For instance, when there is no chemical reaction, it is found that for the range of Mach Numbers of flow l / \ / y < M < 1 in the subsonic region, the temperature of the gas is actually decreasing while external heat is being added. I t is also shown'that , by continuous heating, both subsonic flows and supersonic flows will eventually approach the sonic state. When 1<he system undergoes chemical or physiochemical transformations, the situation is much more complicated. In extreme cases, it is possible that the temperature of the mixture decreases continuously for all Mach Numbers while heat is being evolved by the transformation. The results apply successfully to the phenomenon of detonation. A general discussion of the propagation •of flame front in a tube is then made, both in the region of slow burning and in the region of detonation.