cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of soy-flour hydrolysates for wood adhesive systems

Soy-protein-based adhesives have not been used extensively in wood products since the 1960's because of poor performance, stability, and waterresistance issues compared to petroleum-based adhesives. The early soy-protein adhesives were made from defatted flours and were dispersed in alkaline solutions to denature proteins and make more polar amino acid groups available for adhesion bonding. Recent research has focused on soy flour adhesives due to increased phenol prices and environmental concerns related to the use and exposure to formaldehyde. Soy protein isolates can be modified in highly caustic alkaline solutions to reduce viscosity and improve adhesive properties, but the price of isolates is cost prohibitive for most industry applications. Soy flour hydrolysates produced with enzymes were evaluated in adhesive formulations. Soy hydrolysate and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin blends made from four types of enzymatic hydolysates were tested for the time required for polymerization, water-resistance, and their performance in medium-density fiberboard applications. Results show that for all of the aforementioned analyses that as the level of soy hydrolysate increased, properties of hydrolysate-PF blends decreased. Testing also showed distinguishable differences between alkaline and enzymatic hydrolysates, as well as differences among enzymatic treatments when used in resin blends.
Particle DynamicsWarping Approach for Offline Signature Recognition

Offline signature recognition is an important form of biometric identification that can be used for various purposes. Similar to other biometric measures, signatures have inherent variability and so pose a difficult recognition problem. In this paper we explore a novel approach for reducing the variability associated with matching signatures based on curve warping. Existing techniques, such as the dynamic time warping approach, address this problem by minimizing a cost function through dynamic programming. This is by nature a one dimensional optimization process that is possible when a one dimensional parametrization of the curves is known. In this paper we propose a novel approach for solving the curve correspondence problem that is not limited by the requirement of one dimensional parametrization. The proposed approach utilizes particle dynamics and minimizes a cost function through an iterative solution of a system of first order ordinary differential equations. The proposed approach is therefore capable of handling complex curves for which a simple parametrization is not available. The proposed approach is evaluated by measuring the precision and recall rates of documents based on signature similarity. To facilitate a realistic evaluation, the signature data we use was collected from real world documents spanning a period of several decades.
Scenic form in Shakespeare

This study focuses attentionon a vital but neglected aspect of Shakespeare's work as a dramatist: the invention and shaping of scenes. Jones opens with a description of Shakespeare's legendary mastery of scenic organization, and goes on to cover related topics concerning scenes and sequence. Included are the presentation of time (with a critical scrutiny of the "double-time" theory); the use of a two-part structure, with the implications this has for the meaning of the plays; and the ways in which Shakespeare evolves new scenic occasions largely out of his earlier work. The book closes with a detailed examination of four of Shakespeare's tragedies.
Program transformation in massively parallel systems

The authors present two problems in mapping highly maintainable expressive parallel code manipulating multidimensional arrays in massively parallel computers: bottlenecks due to simultaneous accesses in the EREW model, and interprocessor communication. They present a source code transformation approach to solve the expressibility-high-performance problem for the multidimensional arrays designed with a four-level hierarchical design of the data types (aggregate, abstract, logical, and physical levels). A systematic method is developed to transform parallel high-level low-performance code into parallel low-level efficient ones. The method is illustrated with matrix multiplication. The method is also used to generate high-performance logical-level code for the backpropagation algorithm of neural networks that makes extensive use of matrices. The transformed code has a much higher performance than the code with a naive mapping. >
Indoor High-Bandwidth Optical Wireless Links for Sensor Networks

Emergence of sensor networks for data-procurement in wide-ranging applications, including defense, medical, environmental and structural health monitoring, has led to development of low-power miniature devices employing radio frequency (RF) communications. In contrast to RF, optical devices are smaller and consume less power; reflection, diffraction, and scattering from aerosols help distribute signal over large areas; and optical wireless provides freedom from interference and eavesdropping within an opaque enclosure. Optics can accommodate high-bandwidth transmission of multimedia in aircrafts, where RF is shunned due to interference with control signals. These motivate use of optical wireless as a mode of communication in sensor networks. We have set up and experimented on an infrared laser transceiver test-bed with ceiling used as reflector to establish an intensity-modulated/direct-detected (IM/DD) link. Frequency measurements are conducted to characterize the link up to 1 GHz, and are transformed to obtain impulse responses and eye diagrams. These experimental findings demonstrate the capability of indoor optical wireless links of delivering 1 gigabit per second and beyond, without intersymbol interference. Thus, a broadband infrastructure can be deployed allowing high-quality audio-visual data communication among sensor nodes.
Performance Flexibility of Reconfigurable Families of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Nomenclature A = area D = drag PS = specific excess power T = thrust TSFC = thrust-specific fuel consumption W = aircraft weight Wf = fuel weight w = weighting factor for mission mix selection V = velocity
Integrating Hearing Loss into One's Life

Hearing loss is the single most prevalent chronic physical disability in the United States. Little is known about the experience of integrating hearing loss as a part of one's life, particularly from the perspective of the hearing-impaired person. This phenomenological inquiry explored how adults with onset of hearing loss after acquisition of language integrate the hearing loss into their lives. The author interviewed 32 deafened adults. Using a modification of P. F. Colaizzi's method of data analysis, four distinct themes, each with subthemes, emerged around a core variable labeled as dancing with. These themes were dancing with loss and fear, dancing with fluctuating feelings, dancing with courage amidst change, and dancing with an altered life perspective. This study provides a beginning understanding of how people integrate a hearing loss into their lives and is the first step in developing and implementing appropriate strategies to provide assistance to others experiencing hearing loss.
Beyond “all-or-nothing” climbing fibers: graded representation of teaching signals in Purkinje cells

Arguments about the function of the climbing fiber input to the cerebellar cortex have fueled a rabid debate that started over forty years ago, and continues to polarize the field to this day. The origin of the controversy can be traced back to 1969, the year David Marr published part of his dissertation work in a paper entitled ‘A theory of cerebellar cortex’. In Marr’s theory, climbing fibers play a key role during the process of motor learning, providing an instructive signal that serves as a “teacher” for the post-synaptic Purkinje cells. Although this influential idea has found its way into the mainstream, a number of objections have been raised. For example, several investigators have pointed out that the seemingly “all-or-nothing” activation of the climbing fiber input provides little information and is too ambiguous to serve as an effective instructive signal. Here, we take a fresh look at these arguments in light of new evidence about the peculiar physiology of climbing fibers. Based on recent findings we propose that at the level of an individual Purkinje cell, a graded instructive signal can be effectively encoded via pre- or post-synaptic modulation of its one and only climbing fiber input.
Improving image derived vegetation maps with regression based distribution modeling

Incorporating ecological information into image-based vegetation mapping remains a challenge. Much attention has been placed on the use of ancillary information layers in image classification (e.g. slope, aspect, elevation) in that they provide indirect links to information that is ecologically relevant to species distributions. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of incorporating regression-based distribution model surfaces with image classification results using a consensus theoretic approach. We used spatially explicit non-parametric regression modeling in order to incorporate ancillary information in the production of an existing vegetation map for the Lake Tahoe basin. Probability surfaces for 19 prevalent species or genera were produced using generalized additive modeling (GAM). Models were fit to plot data obtained from multiple resource agencies using land-form based explanatory variables derived from a digital elevation model. Model evaluation was assessed by examining species response curves and through cross-validation, resulting in a range of accuracies for individual species (ROC values from 0.58 to 0.85). Probability surfaces for the study area were subsequently generated within a GIS. These surfaces were spatially re-sampled and used in conjunction with IKONOS imagery for use in vegetation mapping. The GAM surfaces were combined with maximum likelihood image classification results using consensus theory and a simple iterative weighting scheme. Results from the analysis demonstrate that the inclusion of the GAM surfaces improved individual class accuracies and suggests the need for implementing standardized and objective species modeling techniques for improving vegetation maps.
Long-term testing of a vibration harvesting system for the structural health monitoring of bridges

Abstract Advances in energy harvesting systems are needed to power wireless sensors for structural health monitoring. Research on developing a harvesting system that converts the low frequency, non-periodic, and low-acceleration vibrations present on bridges is continued and significantly extended in this work. The mechanics of the harvester were optimized to increase its robustness and lifetime, power electronics were added, and the complete system was installed on the New Carquinez suspension bridge in California. The complete results and analysis are presented in this study. The power management circuit is added to rectify and boost the low AC output of the harvester and convert it into a usable DC voltage. The harvester design is further enhanced to significantly improve performance and robustness. During short-term on-bridge testing, the system was able to charge a 10 μF capacitor to 2 V DC, and the average harvester output power ranges from 1.6 to 5.0 μW, depending on the location on the bridge, a 10× improvement over previous results. A long-term test of the harvesting system has been conducted, during which the performance of the system was monitored remotely using a wireless sensor network. The system improvements described in this study enabled continuous operation in the harsh bridge environment for 13 months starting April 30, 2012 and constitute a major milestone in the development of miniaturized motion harvesters. Finally, the system was retrieved and analyzed to understand and verify the cause of observed long-term performance changes.
Cost and Energy Consumption Optimization of Product Manufacture in a Flexible Manufacturing System

A manufacturing system for discrete part production under flexible process routings is studied for the reduction of cost and energy. Focus is centered on the process planning stage for product manufacture, i.e. machine tool selection. Machine tool scheduling was implemented in a discrete-event simulation environment for the evaluation of several scenarios in which the number of machines tools in a manufacturing cell was varied. Cost was found to be dominated by labor rate and processing time, whereas the energy consumption for the best case scenario was reduced by 8.5% for the production of 1000 parts.
Nanophotodetector array for nano-imaging

A novel near-field nano-imager based on nanophotodetector (NPD) array is presented. Simulation shows lambda/10 resolution could be obtained by NPD array. The initially realized NPD devices at 1.5 mum wavelength have the smallest pixel size of 50 nm.
Differential expression of cytokeratins 8 and 20 distinguishes craniopharyngioma from rathke cleft cyst.

Abstract Background.—Craniopharyngiomas are epithelial neoplasms usually located in the sellar and suprasellar regions. Distinguishing craniopharyngioma from Rathke cleft cyst is sometimes difficult, and the distinction is clinically significant because Rathke cleft cysts have a better prognosis than craniopharyngiomas. Design.—We retrieved 10 cases with a primary diagnosis of craniopharyngioma and 5 cases with a diagnosis of Rathke cleft cyst for analysis. Five cases of normal pars intermedia of pituitary glands from autopsy served as controls. We evaluated the expression patterns of a broad range of low– to intermediate–molecular weight cytokeratins (CK7, CK8, CK10, CK17, CK18, CK19, and CK20) and high–molecular weight cytokeratins (K903: a combination of CK1, CK5, CK10, and CK14; and CK5/6) in these cases. Results.—Craniopharyngiomas had a cytokeratin expression pattern distinct from that of Rathke cleft cysts and pituitary gland pars intermedia: craniopharyngiomas did not express cytokeratins 8 and 20...
Improving Pant Fit for Women 55 and Older through an Exploration of Two Pant Shapes

Relationships of sizing, body shape, and pattern shape to pants fit were explored for women aged 55 and older. Test pants were designed in two shape options (full/flat seat) in five sizes, produced, and tested on 176 participants in five states. Sizes were developed using ASTM D5586-94 data. Both participants and experts evaluated fit. Participants with flatter seat shape were significantly more satisfied with fit at the hip indicating that the introduction of a shape variable can improve satisfaction with fit for population segments with equivalent body shape variations. Experts were more critical, identifying areas of variation not addressed in the study. Results highlight the complexity of fit. Variations in body size, shape, proportion, and posture make creation of effective ready-to-wear sizing systems with a practical number of sizes difficult. Solutions to provide good fit may include creating sizing for a subset of mature women and developing custom fit methods.
Portable security transaction protocol

The Portal Security Transaction Protocol (PSTP) is a new signature technology that adds signature semantics to one-time password technology. PSTP was developed to secure transactions in the financial services industry; however, PSTP may be applicable to signatures in other spaces. PSTP technology provides high signature strength of mechanism without requiring asymmetric key pairs deployed to client machines. PSTP provides cryptographic after-the-fact evidence of a transaction event in a secured log.
An efficient technique for modeling and synthesis of automotive engine sounds

This paper presents a new method for modeling and synthesis of automotive engine sounds using a deterministic-stochastic signal decomposition approach. First, the deterministic component is extracted using a synchronous discrete Fourier transform method and this is subtracted out from the original signal. Next, the (residual) stochastic component is modeled (and synthesized) using a new multipulse excited time-series modeling technique. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated using recorded data sets of actual engine sounds. The results of both numerical and subjective assessment tests are presented.
Benign pleural mesothelioma with tumour-induced hypoglycaemia.

: Benign pleural mesothelioma with tumour-induced hypoglycaemia. K. R. Burgess, J. Rutland, G. E. Marlin, P. J. Maloney and D. C. Perry, Aust. N.Z. J. Med., 1982, 12, pp. 70–72. A patient with a rare tumour, benign pleural mesothelioma, associated with hypoglycaemia is reported. He presented with a neuropsychiatric disturbance and was successfully treated by surgical removal of the tumour. Glucose tolerance tests and serum insulin levels suggested secretion of an insulin-like substance by the tumour. Glucose consumption by the tumour may have contributed to the hypoglycaemia.
Simulation technology: A strategy for implementation in surgical education and certification

Virtual reality and simulation technology promise to be key technologies in medical education. The flight simulator tech nology that has so effectively replaced live, inflight training of pilots is being reengineered for use in medical and surgi cal education. Despite the considerable enthusiasm for this concept, very little practical work has been performed to integrate simulation technology into surgical education and certification. To achieve the potential offered by medical simulation, developers of these new technologies must join with medical/surgical educators to develop meaningful simu lators and virtual learning tools. This paper reviews the cur rent paradigm in surgical education and suggests a strategy for effecting a paradigm shift that facilitates the adoption of simulation technology in surgical education.
IRBs and Psychological Science: Ensuring a Collaborative Relationship

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are federally-mandated, locally-administered groups charged with evaluating risks and benefits of human participant research at their institution. To a greater or lesser extent, risks and potential benefits exist in virtually any research with human participants, including research in the behavioral/social sciences. Federal law and APA standards require IRB review of all human participant research projects. IRB review and approval will likely bring an investigator into contact with two in- ter-related groups: the IRB and the professional staff that administers IRB activities. Due to a variety of factors, including increased IRB and faculty workload and enhanced federal oversight, the potential for conflict among IRB members, IRB administrators, and investigators may be great. Indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests that this potential for conflict may be particularly high for behav- ioral scientists, and that dissatisfaction with IRB review may jeopardize compliance with federal regulations, research participant protection, and research itself. The purpose of this paper is to suggest specific strategies that IRB members, IRB administrators, and investigators can use to avoid potential conflict and facilitate human research participant protection. We contend that when these groups understand and face these responsibilities collaboratively, conflict will be minimized and safe, ethical, high quality research will flourish.
Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS), Version 2: A Critical Look

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to highlight the potential challenges associated with the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System, version 2 (PI-RADS v2), and to offer, when possible, suggestions and ideas for improvement. CONCLUSION. PI-RADS v2 offers clear improvements to its earlier version and will greatly benefit the prostate MRI community. Nonetheless, caution remains on the basis of early user experience, and potential ambiguities and gaps of PI-RADS v2 are noted. Continued data-driven clarification and refinement of the guidelines will be invaluable for PI-RADS v2 to achieve its goal of improving patient care.
Specification and Enforcement of Location-Aware Attribute-Based Access Control for Online Social Networks

Online social networks (OSNs) are gaining in popularity and are used by a large number of users with varied educational and socio-economic backgrounds. OSNs contain a plethora of personal information which, if misused, may cause enormous damage to individuals. A well-designed and userfriendly authentication and access control mechanism are the initial steps towards protecting personal information stored on OSNs. Researchers have proposed access control models for OSNs, some of which are classified as relationship based and others are in the category of attribute based access control models. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of an attribute-based access control model which has an attribute called location to provide additional security for OSNs. A user location attribute authenticates user credential during login process by correlating geolocation of the incoming IP address with user behaviors characterized by geographic metadata. Specifically, we focus on the enforcement of this location attribute and demonstrate how it can be used to detect security violations arising out of stolen credentials of authorized users. We implemented a prototype and performed experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.
A direct electrochemical method for the determination of allopurinol and uric acid mixtures.

Abstract Uric acid and allopurinol are both electrochemically oxidized at the pyrolytic graphite electrode (P.G.E.) in aqueous solution, the oxidation of allopurinol occurring at more positive potentials. Allopurinol is polarographically reducible at the dropping mercury electrode, and the wave is not affected by uric acid. Uric acid is strongly adsorbed at the P.G.E., so that concentration vs . anodic peak current curves are not linear, but when the solution is saturated with allopurinol, these plots become linear. and changes in scan rate have less effect. It is shown that allopurinol is adsorbed at the P.G.E., and in saturated solutions, displaces adsorbed uric acid from the electrode surface. Allopurinol (0.1–1 m M ) can be determined via its polarographic reduction wave at the D.M.E.; the solution is then saturated with allopurinol and uric acid (0.05–0.5 m M ) is determined via its anodic peak at the P.G.E. The procedure is satisfactory in supporting electrolyte systems of pH 0–6.
Hugo: directed by Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by John Logan. Based on a novel by Brian Selznick (2007). Produced by Graham King, Tim Headington, Martin Scorsese, and Johnny Depp. Hollywood, CA: Paramount Pictures, 2011.

In November of 2011, Paramount Pictures released the film Hugo, directed by the decorated Martin Scorsese. Available in both 2-D and 3-D, Hugo immediately received rave reviews from both film criti...
Clinical course and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma who relapse after autologous stem cell therapy

Clinical course and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma who relapse after autologous stem cell therapy
Quantifying Changes in Intrinsic Molecular Motion Using Support Vector Machines.

The ensemble of three-dimensional (3-D) configurations exhibited by a molecule, that is, its intrinsic motion, can be altered by several environmental factors, and also by the binding of other molecules. Quantification of such induced changes in intrinsic motion is important because it provides a basis for relating thermodynamic changes to changes in molecular motion. This task is, however, challenging because it requires comparing two high-dimensional data sets. Traditionally, when analyzing molecular simulations, this problem is circumvented by first reducing the dimensions of the two ensembles separately, and then comparing summary statistics from the two ensembles against each other. However, since dimensionality reduction is carried out prior to ensemble comparison, such strategies are susceptible to artifactual biases from information loss. Here, we introduce a method based on support vector machines that yields a normalized quantitative estimate for the difference between two ensembles after compar...
C 0 Interior Penalty Galerkin Method for Biharmonic Eigenvalue Problems

We consider the C0 interior penalty Galerkin method for biharmonic eigenvalue problems with the boundary conditions of the clamped plate, the simply supported plate and the Cahn-Hilliard type. We establish the convergence of the method and present numerical results to illustrate its performance. We also compare it with the Argyris C1 finite element method, the Ciarlet-Raviart mixed finite element method, and the Morley nonconforming finite element method.
An Initial Examination into the Associative Nature of Systems Concepts

Systems thinking is the application of general system theory to problem solving. The concepts of general system theory are foundational in the field of Information Systems, especially information systems analysis and design. It has been stated that the principles underlying systems thinking are extremely intuitive Senge, 1990. This study examined the intuitive nature of basic system theory constructs. Some system theory constructs are more intuitive than others. The constructs of Input and Output were found to be more intuitive than the constructs of Relationship and Boundary. The constructs of Component and Interface were not intuitive. In an introductory exposure to systems constructs, respondents were able to identify, on average, 2.5 out of 6 constructs correctly.
Exploring Visualization of Data Transforms

In the context of data exploration, users often interact with relational database systems in an interactive query session to form useful insights. Each query a user executes can potentially transform a resultset in complex ways. We explore some of the challenges in understanding these transformations, and how these challenges can be solved through more informative visual representations of data transforms. We present the concept of "tweening" of resultsets as a method of incrementally visualizing data transformations, and explore approaches towards generating these resultset tweens. Through a series of user studies, we evaluate tweening as an effective method of understanding the changes that result from data transformations.
Thunder and Lightning

In the previous two chapters, we focused on Franklin’s careful laboratory experiments which culminated in his theory of electricity. But he also had a strong interested in the weather, and he wrote many scientific correspondences on meteorological topics such as waterspouts, trade winds and thunderstorms. Franklin’s interests in meteorology and electricity converged in his famous kite experiment. This perilous experiment is described in detail in letter XI, transcribed below. On a closely related topic, Franklin describes the use of lightning rods to protects buildings from damage in letter LIX, also included below. Sandwiched between these two scientific letters I have included one of Franklin’s more whimsical correspondences: in letter XLVIII, he provides friendly advice to Miss Polly Stevenson, the daughter of a widow with whom Franklin lodged while serving as a diplomat in London before the onset of the Revolution.
Communication in the Empowering Organization

In this ethnographic account, the concept of an empowering organization is developed through a description of the practices that distribute power and opportunity, provide open communication, integrative problem solving, and an environment of trust, and encourage high performance and self-responsibility. Returning to theory, the “rules of empowerment” are provided.
An Integrated Computational Simulation System for Injury Assessment

Injury prediction and prevention are subject areas that will significantly benefit from the use of digital human models (DHMs). The subject of this research is to investigate human simulation to predict injuries. This work over the past few years seeks to integrate high-fidelity computational methods for stress/strain analysis, namely finite element analysis (FEA) with biomechanics predictions through DHMS to yield measures (indices) for the propensity for injury. Indeed, a multi-scale FEA model using continuum-mechanics-based theories was developed in order to obtain highly accurate simulations of the segmental stress fields during a specific task. Previous work by this group is a simulation environment called Santos™ that enables the prediction of human motion including all aspects of its biomechanics. The Santos environment provides a joint- on physics-based, predictive capability including a muscle model. While FEA models are certainly useful as independent tools, their benefits can be fully realized when they are integrated with a complete system-level human model. This integration essentially connects the local model to a virtual environment, whereby the DHM model yields the muscle forces and motion profiles (i.e., the kinematics of the motion across time for each degree-of-freedom for the body). These motion profiles and muscle forces are calculated for each task and are used as input for the multi-scale FEA model. The results of the FEA model executed across a statistically viable set of data is fed into a neural network for learning and evaluating a pre-determined injury index measure that was developed by this group. This paper presents the initial promising results for this integrated multi-scale approach to quantify and predict injury in a particular joint that is undergoing a specific motion. The joint injury index system is developed based on the yield stress of the joint components. The injury index includes both the bone and soft tissue structures of the joint where bone was modeled as elastic material and the soft tissue was modeled as hyper-elastic material with the Noe-Hookean method. This integrated system allows one to study the effects of various motions and task-parameters on knee joints so as to modify tasks, save analysis time, and reduce the likelihood of injury.
Two-level singularity extraction for curl-type operators in layered-medium green's functions

In this paper, a two-level asymptotic subtraction method is developed to remove all unbounded singularities that appear in the curl-type layered-medium Green's function (LMGF) for uniaxial media. This allows for a more robust and more accurate interpolation scheme for the efficient evaluation of the curl-type operators in the LMGF.
Commonalities and Contrasts in the Development of Major United States Urban Areas: A Spatial and Temporal Analysis from 1910 to 2000

Using newly available data, simple measures, and recently developed spatial analysis techniques, this paper addresses the following questions: 1) What are the general patterns of growth and decline in United States urban settlements from early in the twentieth century through 2000? 2) How varied are the patterns found? Do they vary by urban area or by period? 3) For three major metropolises in the United States, is the pattern of growth similar over the entire history of each city? How are they different or similar? Relying upon the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) data for census tracts from 1910 to 2000, this paper uses comparable data to assess patterns of growth in all urban areas with available data in the United States. Findings indicate that cities grew away from their centres in the early decades, but growth was more patterned in Chicago and Los Angeles than in the New York area. Later, growth and decline coexisted in similar zones; by 2000, no patterning was apparent in any of the three major metropolises. Implications are drawn for further research.
Facilitating Tough Conversations: Using an Innovative Simulation-Primed Qualitative Inquiry in Pediatric Research

Deep exploration of a complex health care issue in pediatrics might be hindered by the sensitive or infrequent nature of a particular topic in pediatrics. Health care simulation builds on constructivist theories to guide individuals through an experiential cycle of action, self-reflection, and open discussion, but has traditionally been applied to the educational domain in health sciences. Leveraging the emotional activation of a simulated experience, investigators can prime participants to engage in open dialogue for the purposes of qualitative research. The framework of simulation-primed qualitative inquiry consists of 3 main iterative steps. First, researchers determine applicability by consideration of the need for an exploratory approach and potential to enrich data through simulation priming of participants. Next, careful attention is needed to design the simulation, with consideration of medium, technology, theoretical frameworks, and quality to create simulated reality relevant to the research question. Finally, data collection planning consists of a qualitative approach and method selection, with particular attention paid to psychological safety of subjects participating in the simulation. A literature review revealed 37 articles that used this newly described method across a variety of clinical and educational research topics and used a spectrum of simulation modalities and qualitative methods. Although some potential limitations and pitfalls might exist with regard to resources, fidelity, and psychological safety under the auspices of educational research, simulation-primed qualitative inquiry can be a powerful technique to explore difficult topics when subjects might experience vulnerability or hesitation.
Aulus Gellius and Roman Reading Culture: Text, Presence, and Imperial Knowledge in the Noctes Atticae

Long a source for quotations, fragments, and factoids, the Noctes Atticae of Aulus Gellius offers hundreds of brief but vivid glimpses of Roman intellectual life. In this book Joseph Howley demonstrates how the work may be read as a literary text in its own right, and discusses the rich evidence it provides for the ancient history of reading, thought, and intellectual culture. He argues that Gellius is in close conversation with predecessors both Greek and Latin, such as Plutarch and Pliny the Elder, and also offers new ways of making sense of the text's 'miscellaneous' qualities, like its disorder and its table of contents. Dealing with topics ranging from the framing of literary quotations to the treatment of contemporary celebrities who appear in its pages, this book offers a new way to learn from the Noctes about the world of Roman reading and thought.
Factors associated with increased risk of suicide among survivors of head and neck cancer: A population-based analysis.

Abstract Objectives Cancer diagnosis is considered an independent predictor of suicide. We aimed to determine whether gender and human papillomavirus (HPV)-relatedness are associated with increased risks of suicide in the head and neck cancer (HNC) population. Materials and methods Adult patients ≥18 years with HNC were selected using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from 1973 to 2014. Using anatomic sites as proxy, patients were grouped as HPV-related or not HPV-related. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were calculated, and association between suicide, gender, HPV-relatedness were estimated as adjusted rate ratios (aRR) using multivariable Poisson regression model. Results There were 1036 suicides among 287,901 HNC patients in the study period (63 suicides per 100,000 person-years). Male patients were six times more likely to commit suicide compared to female patients (aRR = 5.74, 95% CI 3.88, 8.50); however, HPV-relatedness did not increase risk of suicide (aRR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.58, 1.29). Compared with white patients, blacks (aRR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.12, 0.33) and Hispanics (aRR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.14, 0.43) were less likely to commit suicide. Additionally, increased risks of suicide were found among the widowed (aRR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.10, 1.99) and divorced/separated (aRR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.00, 1.69), compared with married patients. Conclusion Gender, not HPV-relatedness, was associated with risk of suicide in our study. We identified HNC patients more likely to commit suicide as: previously married, white, male, widowed, divorced or separated, ≥70 years. Our findings may be useful clinically in planning personalized cancer care and lifelong surveillance of HNC patients with higher risks of suicide.
An Agent-based Framework for Enhancing Helping Behaviors in Human Teamwork

This paper proposes an intelligent training framework where agents are used with explicit teamwork models for desired teamwork behaviors. In the framework, we divide coaching process into two manageable sub-phases and model trainees regarding teamwork dynamics and team performance. We have implemented the framework on a team-based agent architecture (CAST) and applied it to train helping behaviors for a simulated command and control (C2) task. The framework and its implementation enable us to design experiments for studying the effectiveness of agent-based coaching for helping behaviors among team members.
The Centers for Disease Control-National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Lipid Standardization Program. An approach to accurate and precise lipid measurements.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, has supported programs for standardization of lipid measurements for more than 30 years. The cornerstone of these lipid standardization programs has been an accuracy base of lipid reference materials and methods developed by the CDC. Through its efforts with manufacturers of diagnostic products and specialized lipid research laboratories, CDC′s standardization programs have become a national resource for improving accuracy in the measurement of cholesterol and other lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins.
Phase stability of γ′-Ni2Cr and α-Cr in the Ni-Cr binary

Abstract The stability of the γ′-Ni2Cr long-range order (LRO) phase present on the Ni-Cr binary phase diagram was examined in a Ni-55Cr (wt. %) alloy. It is shown that the γ′-Ni2Cr phase is metastable, and that the two-phase γ-Ni + α-Cr phase field extends to room temperature. The as-cast alloy consisted of a typical dendritic microstructure, with Cr-rich primary α-Cr dendrites and a Cr-lean, γ-Ni interdendritic. Annealing the as-cast alloy at 500 °C for 1000 h (γ′-Ni2Cr + α-Cr phase field) resulted in pockets of α-Cr and γ-Ni + γ′-Ni2Cr at the dendritic/interdendritic interface, with little change to the interdendritic γ-Ni microstructure. Annealing at 900 °C for 4 h (γ-Ni + α-Cr phase field) resulted in the interdendritic precipitation of α-Cr, both as a continuous and discontinuous precipitate. Annealing at 900 °C for 4 h followed by 500 °C for 1000 h resulted in the interdendritic precipitation of α-Cr at 900 °C, but no precipitation of γ′-Ni2Cr during subsequent annealing at 500 °C. This behavior suggests that the γ′-Ni2Cr phase is not the equilibrium phase, but rather a metastable transition phase. Furthermore, it is speculated that this phase in more complex alloys (i.e. Alloy 690) is also metastable, and its metastability should be considered in applications involving long-term, high temperature exposures.
Elastic, plastic, and creep mechanical properties of lithium metal

With the potential to dramatically increase energy density compared to conventional lithium ion technology, lithium metal solid-state batteries (LMSSB) have attracted significant attention. However, little is known about the mechanical properties of Li. The purpose of this study was to characterize the elastic and plastic mechanical properties and creep behavior of Li. Elastic properties were measured using an acoustic technique (pulse-echo). The Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio were determined to be 7.82 GPa, 2.83 GPa, and 0.381, respectively. To characterize the stress–strain behavior of Li in tension and compression, a unique load frame was used inside an inert atmosphere. The yield strength was determined to be between 0.73 and 0.81 MPa. The time-dependent deformation in tension was dramatically different compared to compression. In tension, power law creep was exhibited with a stress exponent of 6.56, suggesting that creep was controlled by dislocation climb. In compression, time-dependent deformation was characterized over a range of stress believed to be germane to LMSSB (0.8–2.4 MPa). At all compressive stresses, significant barreling and a decrease in strain rate with increasing time were observed. The implications of this observation on the charge/discharge behavior of LMSSB will be discussed. We believe the analysis and mechanical properties measured in this work will help in the design and development of LMSSB.
Sulforaphane induces p21 and Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in human colon Caco2 cells

4231 Sulforaphane (4-methylsulfinylbutyl isothiocyanate), obtained from the consumption of broccoli, has been implicated as a potentially important dietary anticarcinogen. It has been reported to be a potent inducer of Phase II detoxification enzymes, and to induce expression of genes associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both cell cultures and animal models. To further investigate the bioactivity of sulforaphane, particularly with regard to cell cycle regulation, we quantified gene expression in Caco2 cells following exposure to a range of physiologically appropriate concentrations of sulforphane (1 –50μM) via Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays and Real-Time PCR. Following treatment with 50μM sulforaphane, 125 genes were upregulated and 81 downregulated (p
Inflammatory regulatory network mediated by the joint action of NF-kB, STAT3, and AP-1 factors is involved in many human cancers

Using an inducible, inflammatory model of breast cellular transformation, we describe the transcriptional regulatory network mediated by STAT3, NF-κB, and AP-1 factors on a genomic scale. These proinflammatory regulators form transcriptional complexes that directly regulate the expression of hundreds of genes in oncogenic pathways via a positive feedback loop. This transcriptional feedback loop and associated network functions to various extents in many types of cancer cells and patient tumors, and it is the basis for a cancer inflammation index that defines cancer types by functional criteria. We identify a network of noninflammatory genes whose expression is well correlated with the cancer inflammatory index. Conversely, the cancer inflammation index is negatively correlated with the expression of genes involved in DNA metabolism, and transformation is associated with genome instability. We identify drugs whose efficacy in cell lines is correlated with the cancer inflammation index, suggesting the possibility of using this index for personalized cancer therapy. Inflammatory tumors are preferentially associated with infiltrating immune cells that might be recruited to the site of the tumor via inflammatory molecules produced by the cancer cells.
\( {J}_{E_T} \): a global jet finding algorithm

We introduce a new jet-finding algorithm for a hadron collider based on maximizing a $$ {J}_{E_T} $$ function for all possible combinations of particles in an event. This function prefers a larger value of the jet transverse energy and a smaller value of the jet mass. The jet shape is proved to be a circular cone in Cartesian coordinates with the geometric center shifted from the jet momentum toward the central region. The jet cone size shrinks for a more forward jet. We have implemented our $$ {J}_{E_T} $$ algorithm with a reasonable running time scaling as Nn 3, where “N” is the total number of particles and “n” (≪N) is the number of particles in a fiducial region. Many features of our $$ {J}_{E_T} $$ jets are similar to anti-k t jets, including the reconstructed jet momentum and the “back-reaction” from soft contamination. Nevertheless, when the jet parameters in the two algorithms are matched using QCD jets, we find that the $$ {J}_{E_T} $$ algorithm has a larger efficiency than anti-k t for identifying objects with hard splittings such as a W-jet.
Optimized Timing of Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide in MHC-Haploidentical Murine Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) reduces the risks of severe acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Yet, the standard clinical dose and timing of PTCy were partly extrapolated from MHC-matched skin allografting models and were partly empirical. Here we investigated the impact of differential dosing and timing of PTCy on its efficacy in preventing GVHD in a murine MHC-haploidentical HCT model. Administration of PTCy on days +3/+4 was superior to administration on days +1/+2, +5/+6, or +7/+8, whereas low-dose (10 mg/kg/day) PTCy on days +1/+2 actually led to accelerated death. Although the optimal timing of PTCy dosing was day +2 or +3 in the skin allografting models, in our MHC-haploidentical HCT model, PTCy on days +2/+3 was inferior to PTCy on days +3/+4 at lower doses. PTCy administered on days +3/+4, +4/+5, or +3/+5 were similarly efficacious. Single-day versus 2-day dosing schedules demonstrated that PTCy is maximally effective when given on day +4. Flow cytometric analysis showed that optimal PTCy dosing schedules both decreased alloreactive CD4+CD25−Foxp3− T cell proliferation at day +7 and allowed preferential CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cell reconstitution at day +21, suggesting that this combination may be a potential predictive biomarker of successful GVHD prevention by PTCy. These results show that the dose, timing, and cumulative exposure of PTCy all are critical for its efficacy in preventing GVHD. We are currently investigating the clinical relevance of these findings in a protocol seeking to optimize PTCy dose and timing and test these T cell endpoints as candidate biomarkers of successful GVHD prevention by PTCy.
The Impact of the Duration of Antibiotic Therapy in Patients With Community-Onset Pneumonia on Readmission Rates: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background:Recent publications have confirmed that 70% of hospitalized adults with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia and health-care-associated pneumonia are prescribed a duration therapy ...
Diabetes Mellitus and Metformin Are Not Associated With Breast Cancer Pathologic Complete Response.

Abstract Background Metformin use has been linked to pathologic complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for several malignancies. We aimed to investigate the association of diabetes mellitus (DM) and metformin use with pCR in breast cancer. Materials and methods All breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy during June 2013-October 2016 at two academic medical centers were identified. A retrospective cohort study evaluated patients who did and did not achieve pCR. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of pCR, specifically looking at metformin use and DM. Results The study group included 351 breast cancer patients, with 90 (25.6%) achieving pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The rate of DM did not differ between those with and without pCR, nor did the rate of metformin use. Multivariable logistic regression identified HER2-positive tumors and smaller preoperative tumor size as predictors of pCR. The estrogen receptor (ER) positivity was associated with an absence of pCR. Importantly, neither DM nor metformin use was predictive of pCR. Conclusions This study by the two institutions supports previous data of tumor-related factors known to be associated with pCR; however, the current analysis found neither DM nor metformin to be independently associated with pCR. Thus, additional prospective study is warranted prior to validating metformin as an antitumor agent.