cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optically probed microwave resonances in negative ions

An optical technique for observing transitions between stable levels of negative ions is described and illustrated by the observation of microwave Zeeman transitions in trapped negative sulfur ions. State-selective photodetachment is used to prepare and probe the magnetic states of the trapped ions while applied microwave fields cause transitions between the states. These Zeeman transitions are the first reported observations of microwave transitions in a negative ion by a readily generalized technique.
Effect of external beam radiation therapyon serum prostate-specific antigen

Abstract The effect of external beam radiation on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) wasdetermined in 20 patients with nonmetastatic carcinoma of the prostate. An abnormal PSA was measured in 91 percent and 93 percent, respectively, of the samples collected prior to or during radiation therapy. By seven months, 8/15 men still had an abnormal PSA level. Four of 5 men with an elevated PSA at least twenty-three months after radiation therapy had a positive prostatic biopsy, and 3/3 patients with a normal PSA had a negative ultrasonically guided biopsy. The rate of decline of serum PSA after radiation therapy is variable. These preliminary data suggest that serum PSA may be useful for assessing the local response of prostate cancer to radiation therapy.
Reclaiming Education’s Doctorates: A Critique and a Proposal

The problems of the education doctorates are chronic and crippling. The purposes of preparing scholars and practitioners are con- fused; as a result, neither is done well. We must move forward on two fronts simultane- ously: rethinking and reclaiming the research doctorate (the Ph.D.), with its strong links to practice, and developing a robust and distinct practice doctorate (the P.P.D.) with a dis- tinctive scholarly base. Unlike most current education Ph.D.s and Ed.D.s, the two degrees would serve distinct purposes, and like their medical analogs—the biomedical Ph.D. and the M.D.—would have different curricula and assessments. Building on lessons learned in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate and in the Carnegie Foundation's studies of preparation for the professions, we argue that this reform is necessary and possible.
Rheological properties of vinyl polysiloxane impression pastes.

Abstract Objectives: Some vinyl polysiloxane impression (VPS) materials are claimed to be ‘thixotropic’ so that they will have ‘non-drip’ properties and not flow off an impression tray during insertion of the material into the mouth. This work was carried out to investigate rheological properties of VPS materials by determination of their flow properties under different experimental conditions relevant to their dental application. Methods: The rheological characteristics of each component paste of two low viscosity VPS materials were assessed by a Dynamic Stress Rheometer using cone and plate geometry. Results: Both pastes of one product (Imprint II) showed a yield stress of around 40 Pa in addition to some degree of true thixotropy. In contrast, both Examix pastes had no yield stress value, but the catalyst paste was markedly thixotropic, as shown by a drop in viscosity as a result of application of shear force over time. Both products had thixotropic properties. The Imprint II in addition showed a yield stress that would also contribute to the ‘non-drip’ properties. Significance: Combination of yield stress and thixotropy will prevent the undesirable drip of the materials once it has been injected around the tooth preparation until the impression tray is loaded and seated. After seating the tray, a thixotropic material will not flow.
Multi-basin dynamics of a protein in a crystal environment

Abstract The dynamics of the small protein crambin is studied in the crystal environment by means of a 5.1 nanoseconds molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The resulting trajectory is analyzed in terms of a small set of nonlinear dynamical modes that best describe the molecule's fluctuations. These modes are nonlinear in the sence that they describe a trajectory exhibiting multiple transitions among local minima at various timescales. Nonlinear modes are responsible for most of the protein atomic fluctuations. An ultrametric hierarchy of sampled local minima describes the protein trajectory when structures are classified in terms of their interconfigurational mean squared distance. Transitions among minima involve small changes in the relative atomic positions of many atoms in the protein. The character of the MD trajectory fits within the framework of rugged energy landscape dynamics. This MD simulation clarifies the unique statistical features of the barriers between minima in the energy-like configurational landscape. Longer timescale dynamics seem to sample transitions between minima separated by relatively higher barriers. The MD trajectory of the system in configurational space can be described in terms of diffusion of a particle in real space with a waiting time distribution due to partial trapping in shallow minima. A description of the dynamics in terms of an open Newtonian system (the protein) coupled to a stochastic system (the solvent and fast quasiharmonic modes of the protein) reveals that the system loses memory of its configurational space within a few picoseconds. The diffusion of the protein in configurational space is anomalous in the sense that the mean square displacement increases sublinearly with time, i.e., as a power law with an exponent that is smaller than unity.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Single-Crystal K7.5Si46 and K17.8Si136 Clathrates

Selective single-crystal growth of clathrate-I K7.5Si46 and clathrate-II K17.8Si136 was achieved from the precursor K4Si4 by reaction of the vapor phase with spatially separated graphite in a closed volume under pressure. K7.5Si46 was prepared at a temperature of 550 °C, and K17.8Si136 was prepared at 625 °C. Structural properties of both compositions were investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We compare the structural features of K7.5Si46 and K17.8Si136 with that of Na8Si46 and Na24Si136. A Na14.7Si136 single-crystal was also synthesized and used for comparison with K17.8Si136. K@Si28 was best refined in the center of the Si28 polyhedron for K17.8Si136, in contrast to the off-center refinement of Na@Si28 for NaxSi136.
Fine-tuning the calibration of the early to middle Eocene geomagnetic polarity time scale: Paleomagnetism of radioisotopically dated tuffs from Laramide foreland basins

Age calibration of the early to middle Eocene geomagnetic polarity time scale remains highly uncertain due to conflicting magnetostratigraphic, radioisotopic, and astrochronologic results. In this study, new paleomagnetic polarity determinations of 29 ash-fall tuffs preserved in strata of five Laramide foreland basins were used in conjunction with previously published 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from the same tuffs to evaluate eight different calibration models for the early to middle Eocene part of the geomagnetic polarity time scale. Reliable paleomagnetic information was recovered from 23 tuffs, of which 17 showed normal polarity and six showed reversed polarity. After comparison of the models with the paleomagnetic and radioisotopic data from the tuffs and an array of independent chronostratigraphic observations, the new Willwood model is herein selected as the best alternative to the current geomagnetic polarity time scale calibration for the early to middle Eocene. Three important implications are apparent in our proposed model. First, the early Eocene is shortened by 0.6 m.y., and the middle Eocene is lengthened by 0.8 m.y. compared with the 2004 geomagnetic polarity time scale. Also, the early Eocene climatic optimum is estimated to have lasted from 52.9 to 50.7 Ma, ∼1 m.y. longer than previously suggested, and overlapping in time with the inferred age of the Wasatchian-Bridgerian faunal transition. Our new model agrees with a previous astronomical model when it is tied to the oldest proposed age for the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum at 56.33 Ma.
Research Status of Kaolin Ore Purification Process

Occurrence of iron in kaolin was discussed in brief,and purification of kaolin beneficiation research status was reviewed,Base on development of,kaolin iron technolog y progress,it was believed that combination of various purification methods can get better results.
Disseminated Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis infection

A 35-year-old obese black American woman presented with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, cough, and chest pain of 2 weeks duration. She was pancytopenic and acidotic, with respiratory failure and hypotension. A diagnosis of septic shock was made, and the patient died 48 hours after admission. Blood cultures were positive for organisms that were reported to be Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis. At autopsy she had massive hepatic necrosis with numerous Mikulicz's cells. The lungs, spleen, and bone marrow were also involved. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of systemic infection with K rhinoscleromatis.
Imaging in 3D under pressure: a decade of high-pressure X-ray microtomography development at GSECARS

The high-pressure X-ray microtomography (HPXMT) apparatus has been operating at the GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS) bending magnet beamline at the Advanced Photon Source since 2005. By combining the powerful synchrotron X-ray source and fast switching between white (for X-ray diffraction) and monochromatic (for absorption imaging) modes, this technique provides the high-pressure community with a unique opportunity to image the three-dimensional volume, texture, and microstructure of materials under high pressure and temperature. The ability to shear the sample with unlimited strain by twisting the two opposed anvils in the apparatus allows shear deformation studies under extreme pressure and temperature to be performed. HPXMT is a powerful tool for studying the physical properties of both crystalline and non-crystalline materials under high pressure and high temperature. Over the past 10 years, continuous effort has been put into technical development, modifications to improve the overall performance, and additional probing techniques to meet users’ needs. Here, we present an up-to-date report on the HPXMT system, a brief review of some of its many exciting scientific applications, and a discussion of future developments.
A framework for transitioning patients from pediatric to adult health settings for patients with neurogenic bladder.

Background Adolescents with neurogenic bladder are a vulnerable population that severely lacks consistent transitional care from pediatric to adult urology settings. Aims Our practice determined that 100 patients with spina bifida and other neurogenic bladder conditions were not appropriately transferred to the adult setting once reaching adulthood. Methods We initiated a transitional program to establish a dedicated and formal process for adolescent patients to transition to adult urology. The REACH clinic implements a formalized staging framework to facilitate migration of adolescents and young adults to the adult health setting. A social worker was incorporated to act as a patient advocate, behavioral health consultant, and resource specialist. Results To date 45 patients have been enrolled in the transition program. We have identified and categorized according to the appropriate stage. The REACH clinic has appropriately outlined the goals and mission of the program and resources utilized are financially practical and feasible by conducting a monthly combined clinic. The program has been instrumental in improving tracking and monitoring of these patients through their transition period. Conclusion Through the efforts of the pediatric and adult urology teams, the REACH program is a dedicated framework that provides structure for transition of the adolescent patient. The addition of a social worker has resulted in enriched rapport and will likely result in improved compliance. This program allows for surveillance and evaluation of patient outcome indicators in this patient population. We believe that early introduction and frequent encounters with the adult urologic team is crucial to successful transitions. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Failure to Detect Local Increases in Risk

The registry accepts as an eligible cancer any cell growth that threatens harm by evidence of invasion into adjacent tissues or remote parts of the body. Although a negligible number of such malignancies are missed, the registry does not count non-invasive tumors. If cancers took a single day to develop, virtually no exposed cases would be missed and local risk estimates would be perfect. But if every person exposed to an important carcinogen were to move away before diagnosis, local risk could never be measured, as no means of accurately counting the annual number of exposed persons would be available. Unexpected cases of a particular origin can sometimes go unrecognized for other reasons. In any census tract, an extra case or two caused by a local factor simply may not push the relative risk high enough to meet the arbitrary high-risk criteria. Distinctive geographical patterns of cancer excess are identified in this chapter for about half of the individual malignancies such as pleural mesothelioma, which are commonly diagnosed many decades after exposure. It is likely that other less striking patterns exist but were not detectable by the relatively crude methods available.
Simulation for Teaching Communication Skills

Healthcare communication, consisting of conversations between healthcare providers and with patients and families, is ubiquitous and not always done well. Conveying both factual content and managing the emotional aspect of a conversation takes skill and practice. In this chapter, the components of a healthcare conversation are introduced, as well as several examples of how simulation has been used for healthcare communication training These examples range from the straightforward encounter, the introduction of oneself, to the more complex conversation, such as disclosing a medical error. This can be particularly challenging in pediatrics, where one may have to communicate simultaneously with a child, of varying developmental levels, as well as a parent or multiple family members who are each in their own emotional state. A review of how simulation can be used to prepare providers to communicate with other healthcare providers, specific patient populations, adolescents, family members, and mental health patients is presented, as well as a discussion on how different simulation modalities can be used to create more realistic conversations.
The Impact and Functional Outcomes of Achilles Tendon Pathology in National Basketball Association Players.

Achilles tendon rupture within professional athletes has been shown to lead to devastating consequences regarding return to athletic performance. Not only can this devastating injury affect performance for the remainder of player’s career, it frequently becomes a career-ending event. Considering these significant risks associated with complete rupture, the purpose of this study was to evaluate NBA players with a spectrum of reported Achilles tendon pathology, from tendinopathy (insertional and non-insertional) to complete rupture. Between the 1988-1989 and 2010-2011 NBA seasons, we identified 43 cases of Achilles tendon pathology treated non-operatively. A control group was matched for the players able to return to play with the following parameters: age, position played, number of seasons played in the league, and similarly rated career performance statistics. Considering the medical staff, trainers and facilities available to a professional athlete, a “weekend warrior” should be counseled that even in optimal conditions, 14% of NBA players were unable to return to function/play after Achilles tendinopathy, and that those who were able to return did so at a decreased level of performance. In conclusion, players with Achilles tendinopathy have a better chance to return if they are younger in age and early in their professional career. Furthermore, the association between Achilles pathology and decline in player performance is an important message to convey to coaching staff and team management to allow properly informed decisions when these conditions arise.
A MICROCOMPUTER RECONSTRUCTION OF PALEOCLIMATES

We describe here a computer program which solves the climate of the southwestern U.S. on a grid of points with a spacing of 7.5′ latitude and longitude. Variables computed include mean monthly values of maximum daily temperature and total precipitation. Annual values for each of these variables also are accumulated. The estimates are made with equations derived with regression procedures. Independent variables include: elevation, slope, maximum and minimum upwind elevations, ocean temperature at the coast, and distances to several key climatic controls. These are solved from boundary conditions that include: sea-surface temperature and dominant wind directions at the seasonal extremes as well as elevation and sealevel. Solutions have been obtained for the modern climate and climate characteristic of the last glacial maximum. The boundary conditions for the latter reconstruction are based upon CLIMAP reconstructions of sea-surface temperatures.
AlGaN/GaN ChemFET devices as biosensors for detection and characterization of photosystem I reaction centers

Photosystem reaction centers are special biomolecules found in oxygenic plants that absorb photons with high quantum efficiency, resulting in a separation of charges and the development of electrostatic potential across the reaction centers [1]. This paper reports the performance of AlGaN/GaN ChemFETs configured as a floating gate transistor to characterize Photosystem I (PSI) reaction centers and presents a physical model [2] to determine the number of PSIs immobilized on the gate surface of the device.
Improved Force Spectroscopy Using Focused-Ion-Beam-Modified Cantilevers

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is widely used in biophysics, including force-spectroscopy studies of protein folding and protein-ligand interactions. The precision of such studies increases with improvements in the underlying quality of the data. Currently, data quality is limited by the mechanical properties of the cantilever when using a modern commercial AFM. The key tradeoff is force stability vs short-term force precision and temporal resolution. Here, we present a method that avoids this compromise: efficient focused-ion-beam (FIB) modification of commercially available cantilevers. Force precision is improved by reducing the cantilever's hydrodynamic drag, and force stability is improved by reducing the cantilever stiffness and by retaining a cantilever's gold coating only at its free end. When applied to a commonly used short cantilever (L=40μm), we achieved sub-pN force precision over 5 decades of bandwidth (0.01-1000Hz) without significantly sacrificing temporal resolution (~75μs). Extending FIB modification to an ultrashort cantilever (L=9μm) also improved force precision and stability, while maintaining 1-μs-scale temporal resolution. Moreover, modifying ultrashort cantilevers also eliminated their inherent underdamped high-frequency motion and thereby avoided applying a rapidly oscillating force across the stretched molecule. Importantly, fabrication of FIB-modified cantilevers is accessible after an initial investment in training. Indeed, undergraduate researchers routinely modify 2-4 cantilevers per hour with the protocol detailed here. Furthermore, this protocol offers the individual user the ability to optimize a cantilever for a particular application. Hence, we expect FIB-modified cantilevers to improve AFM-based studies over broad areas of biophysical research.
Student research highlight: Gyro-aided visual tracking using iterative earth mover's distance

Visual tracking is an important problem in the field of robotics, especially for the cameras mounted on agile flying robots. The information generated from these images by the tracking algorithm can be used by autonomous vehicle navigation [1], or human-robot interaction [2], [3]. Image-based tracking algorithms are categorized as point tracking, kernel tracking, or silhouette tracking [4]. First, distinguishing features, such as color, shape, and region are selected to identify objects for visual tracking. Then, the tracked object is modeled, on the basis of the selected features. The correspondence or similarity measurement between the target and the candidate across frames is constructed, such as the sum of squared differences of the pixel intensity values [5], the mutual information (MI) [6], [7], the normalized cross correlation, and the Bhattacharyya coefficient [8]. Supervised or unsupervised online learning algorithms are also used for visual tracking.
Defining Successful Transition: Payer Perspective

The payer perspective is shaped by the transactional nature that defines the benefit management responsibilities at the core of what a health-care insurance organization exists to do. The most prominent transactions are around payment for services delivered by a health-care provider to adolescents and young adults with special health-care needs (AYASCHN). Payers are defined by their governance, either for-profit or nonprofit, and provide benefits ranging from private insurance through employer-sponsored plans to publicly funded entitlement programs through Medicaid. The payment models for payers to reimburse providers are undergoing monumental changes, and the traditional fee-for-service retrospective system based on volume of care delivered is shifting toward alternative payment models, generically referred to as value-based. Value-based models seek to pay for quality of services delivered as well as actual outcomes, many on a prospective population basis. The move toward value-based reimbursement holds great promise for aligning the financial incentives embedded in a population health approach with the opportunity to allow health-care providers to engage with patient education and care coordination necessary to partner with AYASHCN and their families around transition and get paid for this time effort.
Ultrasonic Characterization of Thin Plate Bonding

Ultrasonic spectroscopy has been widely used for characterization of thin layered structures. Most previous studies [1]–[12] have dealt mainly with analysis of the ultrasonic reflection or transmission spectra and the effect of bonding interfaces. More recently the inverse problem for interphase layer property determination from ultrasonic measurements has been addressed. Kinra and co-authors [6],[9] use normally incident ultrasonic waves for determination of the longitudinal properties of the layer. In this case the elastic modulus, thickness and density are coupled and cannot be simultaneously recovered. The method for simultaneous determination of layer thickness, density, longitudinal and shear moduli and wave attenuations has been described in [13]. A thin layer between two thick substrates(Fig. la) was considered. Experimental data at two angles (normal and one oblique) was used for reconstruction.
Application of Finite Element Methods to Study Transient Wave Propagation in Elastic Wave Guides

A thorough understanding of the mechanics of wave propagation is critical for the quantitative nondestructive evaluation of structural components. This is of special importance when considering guided waves and how they are influenced by geometric features. Analytical solutions are available for relatively simple geometries, like plates or perfect annular structures. However, there are no closed form solutions available for more complicated geometries that are present when interrogating actual structural components. As a result, other, more robust solution methodologies are needed.
FRACTURE OF PRESSURIZED METAL AND GRAPHITE/EPOXY CYLINDERS FOR APPLICATIONS TO PRESSURE VESSEL DESIGN

ABSTRACT In this paper, a fracture criterion is discussed for the design against fracture in pressurized cylindrical vessels. The design criterion incorporates correction factors to account for the geometry of the cylinders, the thickness and the plastic deformation (a la Dugdale). The criterion may now be used to predict catastrophic failures in pressurized metal cylinders by knowing only material properties. Moreover, a correlation function is shown to exist between a plate and a cylinder. This correlation function may now be used to predict failures in cylindrical vessels from experimental data performed on flat plates of same material. Comparison of experimental data on pressurized cylinders made of metal as well as of graphite/epoxy is very good.
Some Generalizations of the Euclidean Two-Sample Matching Problem

Let X 1, …,X n , Y 1,…, Y n be i.i.d with the uniform distribution λ on the unit square. The two-sample Euclidean matching problem, also called the transportation cost problem, involves the study of the functional $$T_{p}(n):=_{\pi}^ f (\frac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^{n}||X_{i}-Y_{\pi(i)}||^{p})^{1/p},$$ where π runs over all permutations of the first n integers and ∥ ∥ denotes the Euclidean norm.
Distributed Diagnosis of Electric Aircraft Powertrain

Electrically powered autonomous aircraft are being increasingly considered for intra-city short-haul air-taxi services to fly human passengers between different locations. As a result, it is critical to incorporate safety under autonomous operations into system operations by enabling such autonomous aircraft to make accurate estimates of its current health state and take the right decisions to complete its mission successfully. The first step to assess health state of the entire aircraft is for the aircraft to be able to assess the health of its individual critical systems, (e.g electrical powertrain) for it to be able to fly and reach its destination in a safe manner. The fundamental components of a powertrain in an electrically powered aircraft include key electrical components such as batteries, motors, and power electronics (e.g., electronic speed controllers). A model-based diagnosis approach of complex critical systems enables their safe and efficient operation. Typically, such model-based schemes are centralized approaches that suffer from inherent disadvantages such as computational complexity, single point of failure, and scalability issues. Distributing the diagnosis task addresses these issues. To this end, this paper presents the results of implementing a distributed diagnostics approach to a representative electric aircraft powertrain. In particular, we focus on the implementation of a distributed diagnosis framework to a quadrotor vehicle. The simulation experiments demonstrate how the distributed diagnosis algorithm correctly and efficiently diagnose faults in the rotorcraft’s electric powertrain.
Risk factors for discontinuation of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders in a multi-state sample of Medicaid enrollees

Abstract Introduction Recent U.S. trends demonstrate sharp rises in adverse opioid-related health outcomes, including opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose, and death. Yet few affected people receive treatment for OUD and a minority of those who receive treatment are effectively retained in care. The purpose of this study was to examine duration of buprenorphine treatment for OUD following treatment initiation to identify risk factors for early discontinuation. Methods We analyzed insurance claims from the 2013–2015 MarketScan multi-state Medicaid database. The sample included adults 18–64 years old with an OUD diagnosis in the 6 months before initiating buprenorphine treatment, defined as 6 months without a buprenorphine claim prior to the index buprenorphine claim (N = 17,329 individuals). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate risk of discontinuing treatment (>30 days without buprenorphine supply), and logistic regression to estimate the odds of persistent treatment for a minimum of 180 days. Results Over one-quarter of the sample discontinued buprenorphine in the first month of treatment (N = 4928; 28.4%) and most discontinued before 180 days (N = 11,189; 64.6%). In the proportional hazards model, risk factors for discontinuation included a lower initial buprenorphine dose (≤4 mg; Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.72, p Conclusion For Medicaid beneficiaries with OUD treated with buprenorphine, there is a need to implement treatment models that more effectively address barriers to treatment retention. These barriers are particularly challenging for minorities, younger individuals, and those with additional substance use disorders.
Effects of chilling on diapause development and reproductive fitness of two congeneric species of encyrtid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) of the emerald ash borer

Abstract Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang and Oobius primorskyensis Yao and Duan (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are egg parasitoids of the emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Oobius agrili has been introduced for EAB biocontrol and has established populations in several areas of the U.S., whereas O. primorskyensis is currently under evaluation for future biocontrol introduction. Both species overwinter as diapausing larvae inside parasitized host eggs; however, few studies have determined the effects of chill (or overwintering) on their diapause development and reproductive fitness. We exposed diapausing O. agrili and O. primorskyensis larvae to either 1.7 °C or 12.8 °C for 1–9 months, subsequently evaluated their post-chill development to adults, and assessed the longevity and lifetime fecundity of the emerged adult parasitoids under normal rearing conditions (25 °C, 16:8 h L:D). Results show that both species require periods of chill at either 1.7 °C or 12.8 °C to resume their development to adults under normal rearing conditions; however, there are clear differences between species in their responses to chill regimes. Chilling at either 1.7 °C or 12.8 °C for 1–9 months resulted in the development of diapausing O. agrili to adults and no significant reduction in the adults’ longevity and fecundity, although the adult emergence time was significantly longer and less synchronized when the diapausing parasitoids were chilled at 1.7 °C for ≤3 months. In addition, the mortality rate of diapausing O. agrili larvae increased significantly with chilling time at 1.7 °C, but not at 12.8 °C. In contrast, ≤3 months of chilling at 1.7 °C or ≤1 month at 12.8 °C did not result in the development of diapausing O. primorskyensis to adults, whereas 6 months of chilling at 1.7 °C or 3–6 months at 12.8 °C did. Furthermore, chilling for 9 months at 1.7 °C and 12.8 °C caused 100% and 75% mortality of the diapausing O. primorskyensis, respectively. These results have relevance to laboratory rearing and release strategies of these parasitoids for biocontrol of EAB.
Risk of subsequent cancer diagnosis in patients treated with 3D conformal, intensity modulated, or proton beam radiation therapy.

1503Background: Approximately half of cancer patients receive radiation therapy (RT). Modern RT modalities (3D conformal [3DCRT], intensity modulated [IMRT], proton beam [PBRT]) have been theorized...
The Motivating INformed Decisions (MINDs) Program – The University of California San Francisco BEST program for career exploration

Abstract The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Motivating INformed Decisions (MIND) Program, funded by an NIH Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) award, was an experiment in career development and exploration. MIND activities were organized around three aims: provide coursework for students and postdocs to develop the skills and tools they need to explore a variety of career paths; connect these trainees with MIND Program partners who are biomedical Ph.D.s to take a closer look at different careers; and assess the types of support and information faculty need to mentor trainees with diverse career interests and build resources to support faculty in these endeavors. We discuss these aims in more detail, providing information about the programmatic structure, insights from our trainees, partners and faculty, and resources developed. We also share what worked and what didn't as we developed the program, and explain how MIND will be sustained at UCSF.
Super-selective reconstruction of causal and direct connectivity with application to in-vitro iPSC neuronal networks

Despite advancements in the development of cell-based in-vitro neuronal network models, the lack of appropriate computational tools limits their analyses. Methods aimed at deciphering the effective connections between neurons from extracellular spike recordings would increase utility of in-vitro lo- cal neural circuits, especially for studies of human neural development and disease based on induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Current techniques allow statistical inference of functional couplings in the network but are fundamentally unable to correctly identify indirect and apparent connections between neurons, generating redundant maps with limited ability to model the causal dynamics of the network. In this paper, we describe a novel mathematically rigorous, model-free method to map effective - direct and causal - connectivity of neuronal networks from multi-electrode array data. The inference algorithm uses a combination of statistical and deterministic indicators which, first, enables identification of all existing functional links in the network and then, reconstructs the directed and causal connection diagram via a super-selective rule enabling highly accurate classification of direct, indirect and apparent links. Our method can be generally applied to the functional characterization of any in-vitro neuronal networks. Here, we show that, given its accuracy, it can offer important insights into the functional development of in-vitro iPSC-derived neuronal cultures by reconstructing their effective connectivity, thus facilitating future efforts to generate predictive models for neurological disorders, drug testing and neuronal network modeling.
ASSOCIATION OF DIAGNOSIS CODE-BASED AND LABORATORY RESULTS-BASED KIDNEY FUNCTION WITH DEVELOPMENT OF VISION THREATENING DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

To determine how kidney function identified by diagnosis codes compares to lab results-based kidney function for predicting the risk of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR).A US medical c...
The Challenges of the Accelerated Testing of Jointed Concrete Pavements

One of the main challenges of the accelerated pavement testing (APT) is reproducing the distress mechanisms that will cause the structural failure of the pavement in the field. This challenge is particularly difficult for jointed concrete pavements since some of their main distresses are driven by critical combinations of concrete hygrothermal conditions, slab’s support, and traffic loading that are very difficult to reproduce during the accelerated testing. Two such distresses are top-down cracking, either transverse or longitudinal, which is driven by simultaneous loading at distant locations, and faulting, which is driven by fines pumping produced by wheels moving at relatively high speed. Furthermore, while traffic loading is the main action that can be relatively easily controlled in the accelerated pavement testing, temperature and moisture-related shrinkage actions, just by themselves or in combination with traffic loading, result in slabs deformations and concrete tensile stresses that cannot be ignored. This paper presents a discussion of these and other limitations of the accelerated testing of jointed concrete pavements. The discussion is supported by modeling results and by experimental data collected during the testing of concrete pavements with the Heavy Vehicle Simulator in California.
Stability of Thin Web Composite Cantilever Beams of Random Lamination

This study addresses the analytical treatment of a closed-form buckling equation for lateral-torsional stability of thin web composite cantilever beams under mid-height tip force. The beam is compo...
Bar Bets and Generating Functions: The Distribution of the Separation of Two Distinct Card Ranks

What is the probability two distinct ranks (say, a king and a five) will appear within a card of one another in a shuffled deck? An old bar bet is predicated on it being nearly guaranteed. By model...
Extracellular microvesicles promote microglia-mediated pro-inflammatory responses to ethanol.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) pathology features pro-inflammatory gene induction and microglial activation. The underlying cellular processes that promote this activation remain unclear. Previously considered cellular debris, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as mediators of inflammatory signaling in several disease states. We investigated the role of microvesicles (MVs, 50 nm-100 µm diameter EVs) in pro-inflammatory and microglial functional gene expression using primary organotypic brain slice culture (OBSC). Ethanol caused a unique immune gene signature that featured: temporal induction of pro-inflammatory TNF-α and IL-1β, reduction of homeostatic microglia state gene Tmem119, progressive increases in purinergic receptor P2RY12 and the microglial inhibitory fractalkine receptor CX3CR1, an increase in the microglial presynaptic gene C1q, and a reduction in the phagocytic gene TREM2. MV signaling was implicated in this response as reduction of MV secretion by imipramine blocked pro-inflammatory TNF-α and IL-1β induction by ethanol, and ethanol-conditioned MVs (EtOH-MVs) reproduced the ethanol-associated immune gene signature in naive OBSC slices. Depletion of microglia prior to ethanol treatment prevented pro-inflammatory activity of EtOH-MVs, as did incubation of EtOH-MVs with the HMGB1 inhibitor glycyrrhizin. Ethanol caused HMGB1 secretion from cultured BV2 microglia in MVs through activation of PI3 kinase. In summary, these studies find MVs modulate pro-inflammatory gene induction and microglial activation changes associated with ethanol. Thus, MVs may represent a novel therapeutic target to reduce neuroinflammation in the setting of alcohol abuse or other diseases that feature a neuroimmune component. [Correction added on 5 April 2021, after first online publication: The copyright line was changed.].
Flooded with Error: Handling Uncertainty in SRTM for the Assessment of Sea Level Rise in the Mississippi River Delta

Digital elevation data are essential to estimate coastal vulnerability to flooding due to sea-level rise. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 arc-second global is considered the best free glo...
Population impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced transmissibility and/or partial immune escape

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern exhibit varying degrees of transmissibility and, in some cases, escape from infection- and vaccine-induced immunity. Much effort has been devoted to measuring these phenotypes, but predicting their impact on the course of the pandemic - especially that of immune escape - remains a challenge. Here, we use a mathematical model to simulate the dynamics of wildtype and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the context of vaccine rollout and nonpharmaceutical interventions. We show that variants with enhanced transmissibility easily rise to high frequency, whereas partial immune escape, on its own, often fails to do so. However, when these phenotypes are combined, enhanced transmissibility can carry the variant to high frequency, at which point partial immune escape may limit the ability of vaccination to control the epidemic. Our findings suggest that moderate immune escape poses a low risk unless combined with a substantial increase in transmissibility.
Extensive linear ridge networks in Nili Fossae and Nilosyrtis, Mars: implications for fluid flow in the ancient crust

[1] We have undertaken high-resolution mapping of the distribution, physical characteristics, orientation, and stratigraphic occurrence of >4000 linear ridge segments in two study areas, the Nilosyrtis highlands and the Nili Fossae region covering 1 × 105 km2. Ridges are typically hundreds of meters in length, meters in width, and up to tens of meters in height. Ridges form intersecting networks of anastomosing and bifurcating segments and consequently have variable orientations. Ridges are expressed in altered and brecciated basement materials on the floors and rims of impact craters deeply eroded by fluvial and other processes. The ridge-bearing basement is the lowest exposed stratigraphic unit and is overlain by a relatively unaltered mafic cap rock. Ridges are observed to terminate at the contact of these two units. We interpret the ridges to represent a complex of fractures, faults, shear zones, clastic and melt-bearing dikes, and pseudotachylytes that have been variably indurated by fluid percolation and mineralization. The fluid conduits were hardened relative to the host rock and are expressed as ridges due to differential erosion. The orientations of the exhumed ridges record the state of stress in the crust at the time of formation. In Nili Fossae, a significant population of ridges is aligned with the orientations of the Nili Fossae graben, indicating that their emplacement may be related to crustal loading of the Isidis Basin after the impact event. The association of ridges with the hydrated mineral-bearing basement suggests that, in the postimpact environment, the fractures served as conduits of preferential fluid flow, which were cemented by mineral precipitation.
Progressing through the Haze in Science and Mathematics Education Research: Contemporary Use of Spradley's Qualitative Inquiry in Two Case Studies

Spradley’s developmental research sequence (DRS) has been used primarily for ethnographic studies. However, this ethnographic tool has been employed in case studies without an examination of the merits of its modification. In this article the authors discuss how adapting analytical steps of DRS to case studies can be methodologically advantageous. They found that transforming Spradley’s ethnographic approach rendered it useful for articulating implicit conceptualizations in case studies, one from science education and the other from mathematics education. Investigating this issue will necessarily involve looking closely at the substantive aspects of the case studies themselves. Findings from the case studies and results from the methodological investigation are reported along with suggestions for future research.
Uterus bicornis unicollis, vagina simplex, complicating pregnancy.

Abstract An interesting case of bicornate uterus is presented in which normal delivery ensued from the left cornu without difficulty, and in which a narrow cervix with angulation created a barrier to vaginal delivery in the right cornu, necessitating two cesarean sections for delivery on that side. Thus, two normal deliveries occurred from the left cornu and two cesarean sections were performed for pregnancies in the right cornu. We are unable to find a similar case in the literature.
Linewidth Characteristics of (GaA1)As Semiconductor Diode Lasers

Use of semiconductor diode lasers as high resolution spectral sources requires an understanding of the linewidth characteristics of these devices. Reported here is a study of the power and temperature dependence of the fundamental linewidth of continuously operating (GaAl)As single mode diode lasers. The linewidths were observed to decrease linearly with reciprocal output power with a slope significantly greater than the calculated Schawlow-Townes linewidth at room temperature. At liquid nitrogen temperature, within experimental error, the slope decreased to the Schawlow-Townes limit and had a finite contribution which is attributed to index fluctuations arising from electron density fluctuations in the small gain volume of these devices.
Person Perception, Accuracy of

The accuracy of person perception concerns the connection between judgments people make of the psychological attributes of others, usually personality traits, and the actual status of those attributes in the people who are judged. Such judgments are correct roughly two times out of three and the degree of accuracy likely to be attained depends upon four moderator variables: properties of the judge, the target, the trait that is judged, and the information upon which the judgment is based.
The properties and enzymatic significance of the enzyme-diphosphopyridine nucleotide compound of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase.

Abstract The spectroscopic measurements of the kinetics and spectra of the enzyme-diphosphopyridine nucleotide compound of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from yeast have been described. A total of 3.5 moles of diphosphopyridine nucleotide are bound to the enzyme (molecular weight, 145,000) as determined by spectrophotometric measurements and direct titration. The ΔE370 on adding diphosphopyridine nucleotide to the enzyme in phosphate buffer is 4.9 cm-1 mm-1. A temperature-dependent enhancement of diphosphopyridine nucleotide binding by phosphate and arsenate was observed. Bicarbonate counteracts the effects of these anions. The inequality of the diphosphopyridine nucleotide binding sites is indicated by the biphasic kinetics for compound formation, differential reactivity to paramercuribenzoate or acetyl phosphate, and selective reactivity in the over-all oxidation reaction. With the use of special spectroscopic techniques it has been possible to measure simultaneously the formation of the enzyme-diphosphopyridine nucleotide compound and the formation of reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide in the overall oxidation of glyceraldehyde and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. These studies indicate that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate facilitates diphosphopyridine nucleotide binding and that only a small fraction of the total enzyme-diphosphopyridine nucleotide compound could be involved in the oxidation reaction. The major portion of the enzyme-coenzyme complex has kinetic patterns which are incompatible with the possibility that the compound is an active intermediate in the catalytic activity.
Infrared studies of solar system bodies

Recent progress in near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of several solar system bodies is reviewed.
DOUBLE MARGINALITY OF BLACK POLICEMEN

This article explores the extent to which black policemen are victims of “double marginality” (Alex. 1969). From secondary data on 576 black male policemen in a large metropolitan area, it was found that the concept of double marginality has little explanatory power in accounting for variation in either black officers' perception of public involvement in police affairs or black officers' perception of police authority. These findings raise serious questions about the general applicability of the marginality concept in explaining black officer' perceptions today.
Some integrals in Ramanujan’s lost notebook

On page 199 in his lost notebook, Ramanujan recorded three unusual integral formulas. Two of his assertions are correct, and proofs are given here. His third claim is incorrect, but it is true in a limiting form. The integrals arise from a claim in Ramanujan's ordinary notebooks on the equality of certain integrals and series in which the integrand and the summands are themselves the same function.
A Fresh Outlook on Cultural Selection

Programmed to Learn: An Essay on the Evolution of Culture. H. Ronald Pulliam and Christopher Dunford. Population Pressure and Cultural Adjustment. Virginia Abernethy.