cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5212: Ablation of SMAD4 repression on Elf3 promotes the progression of lung cancer in vivo

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in United States. ELF3, a transcription factor, overexpresses in human and mouse lung cancer and plays an oncogenic role in lung cancer cells1,2. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms for ELF3 may help to develop related target therapies. Ablation of Smad4 and Pten in mice results in an increase of Elf3 expression and the development of adeno-squamous carcinoma1. Results from in vivo ChIP-Seq analysis demonstrate SMAD4 occupancy near the Elf3 promoter in the pulmonary epithelium1. Therefore, we hypothesize that this SMAD4 occupancy is required to repress Elf3 expression and subsequently suppresses lung cancer progression. To test this hypothesis, we deleted this SMAD4 binding region in vivo and characterized the phenotypic consequences. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to ablate the SMAD4 ChIP-Seq binding peak on Elf3 promoter region in mice. This resulted in mice with 12 and 17 nucleotide deletions in the Elf3 promoter region. ChIP-qPCR analysis showed that SMAD4 binding was decreased while H3K27ac bindings were increased in the Elf3 promoter region. The reduction in SMAD4 binding and the epigenetic changes in the Elf3 promoter region resulted in an increased expression of ELF3 in these lungs of these mice. Histological analysis of these mouse lungs showed the presence of pulmonary hyperplasia and the development of lung tumors. In order to identify potential interacting factors with SMAD4 in the Elf3 promoter, motif analysis of the deleted SMAD4 binding peak identified GATA2, ETS1 and OXT2 as potential interacting factors. In summary, small disruption of Elf3 promoter region bound by SMAD4 leads to the increase of ELF3 expression with the enhanced binding of H3K27ac and the decrease of SMAD4 binding and promotes lung hyperplasia and lung cancer development. SMAD4 may interact with GATA2, ETS2 and OXT2 in the regulation of Elf3expression. Key references 1. Liu, J. et al. ErbB2 Pathway Activation upon Smad4 Loss Promotes Lung Tumor Growth and Metastasis. Cell Rep, doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2015.02.014 (2015). 2. Wang, H. et al. Overexpression of ELF3 facilitates cell growth and metastasis through PI3K/Akt and ERK signaling pathways in non-small cell lung cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 94, 98-106, doi:10.1016/j.biocel.2017.12.002 (2018). Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Jian Liu, Tianyuan Wang, San-pin Wu, Jian-liang Li, Francesco J. Demayo. Ablation of SMAD4 repression on Elf3 promotes the progression of lung cancer in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5212.
What Is the Zoo Experience? How Zoos Impact a Visitor’s Behaviors, Perceptions, and Conservation Efforts

Modern zoos strive to educate visitors about zoo animals and their wild counterparts' conservation needs while fostering appreciation for wildlife in general. This research review examines how zoos influence those who visit them. Much of the research to-date examines zoo visitors' behaviors and perceptions in relation to specific exhibits, animals, and/or programs. In general, visitors have more positive perceptions and behaviors about zoos, their animals, and conservation initiatives the more they interact with animals, naturalistic exhibits, and zoo programming/staff. Furthermore, zoo visitors are receptive to conservation messaging and initiatives at zoos and are more likely to participate in on-site conservation opportunities as opposed to after their visits. The research also suggests that repeat visitors are even more inclined to seek out conservation efforts compared to those visiting zoos for the first time. While current research suggests that repeat visitors are more likely to engage in conservation efforts, little is known about causal factors related to such findings, and almost no research exists to-date comparing the conservation efforts of visitors vs. non-visitors. This latter comparison will likely play a greater role in future zoo visitor research, since it poses one of the most important metrics for evaluating the specific effects visiting a zoo can have on people engaging in conservation efforts in general.
Longitudinal characterization of local perfusion of the rat placenta using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

The placenta performs many physiological functions critical for development. Insufficient placental perfusion, due to improper vascular remodelling, has been linked to many pregnancy-related diseases. To study longitudinal in vivo placental perfusion, we have implemented a pixel-wise time-intensity curve (TIC) analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images. CEUS images were acquired of pregnant Sprague Dawley rats after bolus injections of gas-filled microbubble contrast agents. Conventionally, perfusion can be quantified using a TIC of contrast enhancement in an averaged region of interest. However, the placenta has a complex structure and flow profile, which is insufficiently described using the conventional technique. In this work, we apply curve fitting in each pixel of the CEUS image series in order to quantify haemodynamic parameters in the placenta and surrounding tissue. The methods quantified an increase in mean placental blood volume and relative blood flow from gestational day (GD) 14 to GD18, while the mean transit time of the microbubbles decreased, demonstrating an overall rise in placental perfusion during gestation. The variance of all three parameters increased during gestation, showing that regional differences in perfusion are observable using the pixel-wise TIC approach. Additionally, the high-resolution parametric images show distinct regions of high blood flow developing during late gestation. The developed methods could be applied to assess placental vascular remodelling during the treatment of the pathologies of pregnancy.
Silicon carbide double-microdisk resonator.

We demonstrate the first silicon carbide (SiC) double-microdisk resonator (DMR). The device has a compact footprint with a radius of 24 μm and operates in the ITU high frequency range (3–30 MHz). We develop a multi-layer nanofabrication recipe that yields high optical quality (Q∼105) for the SiC DMR. Because of its strong optomechanical interaction, we observe the thermal-Brownian motions of mechanical modes in a SiC DMR directly at room temperature for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The observed mechanical modes include fundamental/second-order common modes and fundamental differential (D1) modes. The D1 modes have high mechanical qualities >3800 at around 18.4 MHz tested in vacuum. We further show that optomechanical interactions, including linear and nonlinear optomechanical spring effects, can be observed in a SiC DMR at sub-milliwatt optical power. The SiC DMR has great potential for low-power optomechanical sensing applications in harsh environments.
Silicon photodetectors integrated with GSST phase change material for switchable color filter pixels

We report the use of an optical phase change material, Ge2Sb2Se4Te1, in a color filter integrated on a photodetector for low-loss and fast-switching applications. Filter design and simulations along with the photodetector fabrication are presented.
Evaluating the Incidence of Urinary Tract Infection after Hysterectomy for Benign Conditions

Study Objective To report rates and identify risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) following hysterectomy for benign conditions. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database. Patients or Participants Women undergoing benign hysterectomy by any modality between 2010 and 2017. Interventions Abdominal hysterectomy (AH), total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), vaginal hysterectomy (TVH). Measurements and Main Results 67,243 women included in the analysis with 1,310 postoperative UTIs identified, at a rate of 19.5 per 1000 hysterectomies. Women who developed UTIs were more likely to smoke (19.6% vs 15.7%, p= Procedures complicated by UTI were longer (148.1min +/-79.4 vs 135.5min +/-65.6, p= Following regression analysis, cystotomy (aOR=4.16, 95%CI=2.57-6.73) and TVH (aOR=2.45, 95%CI=1.99-2.99) were significant independent predictors of associated with an increased risk of post-hysterectomy UTI. Conclusion The risk of UTI after hysterectomy is low. Intraoperative cystotomy and vaginal hysterectomy are the most significant predictors of subsequent urinary tract infection.
1 Preventing diagnostic disorientation is the key to preventing overdiagnosis

Objectives Providing patients and students with a simplified orientation to the cognitive framework clinicians use to make diagnoses is central to preventing overdiagnosis. Emphasizing this framework helps avoid diagnostic disorientation, a common phenomenon that results in waste of time, overuse of technical resources, and diagnostic limbo. Rheumatic diagnoses, with nuanced or overlapping clinical features, are often considered difficult to make. A diagnostic strategy that begins with a quickly visualized ‘choice framework’, functioning like a menu or field guide to pattern recognition, orients the student, clinician, and patient, thereby limiting the risk of over-testing and other drivers of overdiagnosis. Method A novel clinical decision support method (rheumatologyCDS.com), adapted for bedside use as a mobile health tool, mimics how experienced rheumatologists organize their diagnostic reasoning. It serves to quickly bring patients, students, and primary care clinicians to a level playing field for interacting and choosing effective diagnostic strategies. As a patient-centered care tool, it demystifies the diagnostic process. Rheumatologic examples will be used to highlight the role that orientation plays in preventing overdiagnosis in many other healthcare settings: Showing how diagnostic orientation can be a critical first step in avoiding the disarray of over–testing and other overuse of resources; Discussing patient case histories to exemplify the several main causes of diagnostic limbo and how limbo, as a type of stressor, amplifies many of the processes underlying overdiagnosis; Comparing the processes of disease recognition, disease naming, and diagnostic reasoning in the medical setting to how field guides are effectively used in nature to more readily and accurately identify species. Reference Sager D. A field guide to rheumatology. Afr J Rheumatol 2016;3(1):1–2.
Lessons from an Indian Day School: Negotiating Colonization in Northern New Mexico, 1902–1907, A. Lawrence. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (2011), 280 pp.

In recent years a significant literature has emerged on the American Indian boarding school movement and its failed experiment in Americanization. This literature, whether based on school records, ...
The new 'normal': Rapid adoption of telemedicine in orthopaedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Background Telemedicine provides a safe and effective means for the delivery of care by physicians amongst many subspecialties. Historically, orthopaedic practices in the United States have not widely utilized telemedicine for the delivery of orthopaedic care. As technology improves the adoption and utilization of telemedicine will likely grow, especially in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Our study aims to assess patient and surgeon satisfaction and efficacy of telemedicine during a rapid adoption due to the global pandemic. Methods All patients who completed a telemedicine encounter (telephone or video) with an orthopaedic surgeon were contacted. Patients were individually contacted after their visit, and a standardized validated post-visit satisfaction survey was completed. Orthopaedic surgeons completed a standardized post-encounter survey after each visit. Pre-COVID-19 patient satisfaction data was used for comparison. Results Orthopaedic surgeons completed 612 telehealth encounters either via phone or video consultation between April 6, 2020 and May 22, 2020. 95% of patients rated both surgeon sensitivity to their needs and response to their concerns as ‘good’ or ‘very good.’ 93% of patients reported they would participate in a telemedicine encounter again. Surgeons reported high satisfaction with telemedicine encounters (80%, 86% phone and video respectively), and that 78.4% of the time a telemedicine encounter was successful in replacing an in-person visit. Conclusion Patients and orthopaedic surgeons documented high levels of satisfaction with telehealth encounters during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Telemedicine does not appear to be a replacement for all in-person clinic encounters, however, when used in the appropriate context demonstrated favourable results. Level of Evidence Level 4 Study.
Mechanism of Lamellar Body Formation by Lung Surfactant Protein B

Breathing depends on pulmonary surfactant, a mixture of phospholipids and proteins, secreted by alveolar type II cells. Surfactant requires lamellar bodies (LBs), organelles containing densely packed concentric membrane layers, for storage and secretion. LB biogenesis remains mysterious but requires surfactant protein B (SP-B), which is synthesized as a precursor (pre-proSP-B) that is cleaved during trafficking into three related proteins. Here, we elucidate the functions and cooperation of these proteins in LB formation. We show that the N-terminal domain of proSP-B is a phospholipid-binding and -transfer protein whose activities are required for proSP-B export from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and sorting to LBs, the conversion of proSP-B into lipoprotein particles, and neonatal viability in mice. The C-terminal domain facilitates ER export of proSP-B. The mature middle domain, generated after proteolytic cleavage of proSP-B, generates the striking membrane layers characteristic of LBs. Together, our results lead to a mechanistic model of LB biogenesis.
Design, Implementation, and Analysis of High-Speed Single-Stage N-Sorters and N-Filters

There is strong interest in developing high-performance hardware sorting systems which can sort a set of elements as quickly as possible. The fastest of the current FPGA systems are sorting networks, in which sets of 2-sorters operate in parallel in each series stage of a multi-stage sorting process. A 2-sorter is a single-stage hardware block which sorts two values, so any list with more than 2 values must be sorted with a series network of 2-sorters. A primary contribution of this work is to provide a general methodology for the design of stable single-stage hardware sorters which sort more than 2 values simultaneously. This general methodology for $N$ -sorter design, with $N{>}2$ , is then adapted for use in modern FPGAs, where it is shown that single-stage 3-sorters up to 9-sorters have speedup ratios from 2.0 to 3.5 versus the comparable state-of-the-art 2-sorter networks. A design system modification is shown to produce even faster single-stage $N$ -max and $N$ -min filters. When used for max pooling 32-bit data in the fastest analyzed FPGA, a single 9-max filter will process 500 million 9-pixel groups per second (4K:3840x2160 at 500 frames/second). The single-stage 9-median filter using this design methodology, useful in image processing, is shown to have speedup ratios of 3.0 to 4.1 versus state-of-the-art FPGA network implementations, even though its resource usage is comparable to, often better than, the network implementations. Ten 8-bit 9-median filters operating in parallel in the fastest FPGA will process over 5.4 billion pixels/sec (4K at over 600 frames/second).
Pyomyositis as an Unusual Presentation of Colonic Adenocarcinoma.

Introduction Pyomyositis has been described in association with hematological malignancies. It is rarely associated with solid cancers, particularly colorectal carcinoma. Colorectal carcinoma can present with local or systemic abscesses by causing perforation of the colonic mucosa, followed by local or hematogenous spread of infection. Case presentation A 68-year-old male with a history of hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of left thigh pain. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thigh showed extensive intramuscular edema in the left thigh adductor and psoas muscles consistent with pyomyositis. An urgent debridement and irrigation of the left thigh revealed pan-sensitive Escherichia coli and Streptococcus viridans. Due to the suspicion of a gastrointestinal or genitourinary source of infection, computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis showed an apple-core lesion along the mid-distal segment of the descending colon. Colonoscopy and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of colonic adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy with an end colostomy and was started on an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen with no significant side effects. Conclusion Colorectal carcinoma can be associated with local or systemic abscess formation. When cultures from an abscess show enteric pathogens, it is essential to look to gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts for the source of infection. Although rare, the diagnosis of pyomyositis should warrant further investigations to unmask the possible underlying cause.
Enzymatic synthesis of N-glucosyluronic acid conjugates.

Chemicals-o-Aminophenyl glucosiduronic acid was kindly supplied by Dr. R. T. Williams, St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London. oAminobenzoyl and p-aminobenzoyl glucosiduronic acids were prepared enzymatically with UDP-glucuronic acid’ and aglycone (5). Phenolphthalein glucosiduronic acid and bacterial P-glucuronidase were obtained from the Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri. UDP-glucuronic acid was prepared enzymatically from UDPG, with UDPG dehydrogenase and DPN (4). An aniline-glucuronic acid complex was generously supplied by Dr. R. T. Williams (6). This compound contained 2 moles of aniline per mole of glucuronic acid. 1 mole of aniline could be removed by washing a solution of the compound at pH 8.0 with ether. The resulting aniline-glucuronic acid compound did not reduce triphenyltetrazolium in 0.5 N NaOH, but, following acidification with 0.1 N HCl, both the reducing group of glucuronic acid and the amino group of aniline were liberated. These observations indicated that the compound was N-phenylglucuronosylamine, in which the amino group was linked to carbon 1 of glucuronic acid. Methods--Aniline and p-toluidine were extracted at pH 7.0 or above into 5 volumes of ethylene dichloride containing 1.5 per cent isoamyl alcohol. The compounds were returned to 1 ml. of 0.1 N HCl and determined in 0.5 ml. of the acid extract by diazotization and by coupling
Emergency Department Utilization and Readmissions Following Major Surgery: A Retrospective Study of Medicare Data.

ABSTRACT Background Reliable strategies for reducing postoperative readmissions remain elusive. As the emergency department (ED) is a frequent source of post-operative admissions, we investigated whether hospitals with high readmission rates also have high rates of post-discharge ED visits and high rates of readmission once an ED visit occurs. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1,947,621 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing 1 of 5 common procedures in 2,894 hospitals between 2008 and 2011. We stratified hospitals into quintiles based on risk-standardized, 30-day post-discharge readmission rates (RSRR) and then compared rates of post-discharge ED visits, proportion readmitted from the ED, and readmissions within 7 days of ED discharge across these quintiles. Results RSRR varied widely across extremes of hospital quintiles (3.9% to 17.5%). Hospitals with either very low or very high RSRR had modest differences in rates of ED visits (12.4% versus 14.6%). In contrast, the proportion readmitted from the ED was nearly 3 times greater in Hospitals with very high RSRR compared with those with very low RSRR (12% versus 32.2%). These findings were consistent across all procedures. Importantly, hospitals with a low proportion readmitted from the ED did not exhibit an increased rate of readmission within 7 days of ED discharge. Conclusions Although hospitals experience similar rates of ED visits following major surgery, some EDs and their affiliated surgeons and health system may deliver care preventing readmissions without an increased short-term risk of readmission following ED discharge. Reducing 30-day readmissions requires greater attention to the coordination of care delivered in the ED.
Disparity of perception of quality of life between head and neck cancer patients and caregivers.

Background Caregivers are invaluable sources of support for individuals recovering from head and neck cancer (HNC). Accordingly, minimizing caregiver distress is essential to promote the well-being of both caregivers and their patients. This study assessed if psychosocial distress (i.e., anxiety and depression) among HNC caregivers is associated with a difference in how caregivers and their patients perceive patients' quality of life (QOL) after treatment completion. Methods Caregivers' and patients' perceptions of patient QOL were assessed using the University of Washington QOL Questionaire (UWQOL), a validated HNC-specific health-related QOL questionnaire. The survey is interpreted in terms of its two composite scores: a physical QOL score and a social-emotional QOL score with higher scores indicating better QOL. Caregiver anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Questionaire-7 (GAD-7) and caregiver depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionaire 8 (PHQ-8). Patients completed the UWQOL as part of clinic intake while caregivers were asked to complete the UWQOL for their patients in addition to the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 in private. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between differences in caregivers' and patients' QOL scores (both social-emotional and physical QOL subscale scores) and GAD-7 and PHQ-8 scores. Results Of 47 caregivers recruited, 42.6% (n = 20) viewed patients' social-emotional QOL more negatively than patients themselves, while 31.9% viewed patients' physical QOL more negatively. After controlling for covariates, differences in perception of social-emotional QOL (p = .01) and differences in perception of physical QOL (p = .007) were significantly associated with caregiver depression, but not anxiety. Caregivers who disagreed with patients regarding patients' social-emotional QOL scored 6.80 points higher on the PHQ8 than agreeing caregivers. Caregivers who disagreed regarding patients' physical QOL scored 6.09 points higher. Conclusion Caregivers commonly view patients' QOL more negatively than patients themselves. These caregivers tend to have greater psychosocial distress than caregivers who agree with their patients. Interventions designed to identify and aid at-risk caregivers are critically needed. We propose screening for differences in perception of patient QOL as a way of identifying distressed caregivers as well as provider-facilitated communication between patients and caregivers as possible interventions that should be examined in future research.
Probing r-Process Production of Nuclei Beyond Bi209 with Gamma Rays

We estimate gamma-ray fluxes due to the decay of nuclei beyond Bi209 from a supernova or a supernova remnant assuming that the r-process occurs in supernovae. We find that a detector with a sensitivity of about 10**(-7) photons/cm**2/s at energies of 40 keV to 3 MeV may detect fluxes due to the decay of Ra226, Th229, Am241, Am243, Cf249, and Cf251 in the newly discovered supernova remnant near Vela. In addition, such a detector may detect fluxes due to the decay of Ac227 and Ra228 produced in a future supernova at a distance of about 1 kpc. As nuclei with mass numbers A > 209 are produced solely by the r-process, such detections are the best proof for a supernova r-process site. Further, they provide the most direct information on yields of progenitor nuclei with A > 209 at r-process freeze-out. Finally, detection of fluxes due to the decay of r-process nuclei over a range of masses from a supernova or a supernova remnant provides the opportunity to compare yields in a single supernova event with the solar r-process abundance pattern.
Evaluation of denosumab in adult oncology patients for the prevention of skeletal related events across a large academic health system.

Introduction Denosumab (Xgeva®) and zoledronic acid (Zometa®) are widely utilized for prevention of skeletal related events (SREs) in oncology patients. Drug costs, renal function, ease and logistics of administration, and adverse effect profile are factors frequently considered by patients and/or providers when selecting an optimal agent. Given the significantly higher drug cost of denosumab compared to zoledronic acid, an evaluation of our institution's denosumab use and investigation into opportunities to shift denosumab administrations to zoledronic acid and/or to lower cost sites-of-care was warranted. Methods A single-center, multi-site, retrospective, observational analysis of the electronic medical record (EMR) was conducted for adult oncology patients who received denosumab 120 mg for prevention of SREs from October 1st, 2018 to September 30th, 2019 at three institutions within our health system. Additional information was collected to characterize the patient population based on cancer diagnosis, renal function, and concomitant calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Our primary objective was to evaluate if the use of denosumab met current formulary restrictions of the health system. Results In total, 304 adult oncology patients received 1411 doses of denosumab for the prevention of SREs. The majority of reviewed patients had a primary oncology diagnosis of breast (35%) or lung (24%) cancer. Of the patients who received denosumab, 278 (93%) met the health system's current formulary restrictions. The majority of patients who did not meet formulary restrictions were those with multiple myeloma (MM) (20/22; 91%). Of the 304 patients reviewed, 70 had the appropriate parameters in the EMR to calculate creatinine clearance (CrCl) using Cockcroft-Gault Equation. Of those 70 patients, 59 (84%) would have been eligible to receive zoledronic acid instead of denosumab given that their CrCl >30 mL/min with no documented intolerance to bisphosphonates. Concurrent use of calcium and vitamin D is recommended when using denosumab. Based on the most recent prior to admission (PTA) medication list obtained from the 304 patients evaluated, 222 (73%) had both calcium and vitamin D listed as "taking". Conclusions Within our health system, denosumab is restricted to those who meet formulary restrictions. Additional education is recommended to help limit the use of denosumab, specifically in MM, to reduce drug costs when zoledronic acid is also an appropriate first-line agent.
Progress in Medical Genetics: Legal Problems

There has been an explosive increase in scientific knowledge of human genetics. The media have alerted people to the seriousness of genetic diseases and to the amazing possibilities of so-called genetic manipulation. Legally and ethically, however, there have been endless inconclusive discussions. On such basic issues as personal versus societal interests and policies regarding the population explosion in the face of limited economic resources two salient points are clear.
Effect of Electroanesthesia upon Circulating Serotonin

It is well known that serotonin occurs in high concentrations in various structures within the brain, but the physiological significance of this substance has not been clearly identified (1). Jouvet has suggested that serotonin plays a role in the sleep process (2). Other authors have suggested changes in dihydroxyphenylalinine and dopamine during electroanesthesia (EA) (3). However, there has been little investigation on the changes occurring in serotonin levels during electroanesthesia. In these studies, 5-hydroxytryptamine was assayed before, during, and after the application of electroanesthesia in six primates.
Dynamic Analysis of Horizontally Curved I-Girder Bridges

The finite element displacement method is used with annular plate, thin-walled curved beam, straight prismatic beam, and frame-type diaphragm elements for the dynamic analysis of horizontally curved I-girder highway bridges. The stiffness and inertia properties of the finite elements are obtained within the bounds of linear elasticity and small displacement theories. Warping of the girder cross section due to torsion is included in the analysis. The moving vehicle on the bridge is idealized as a sprung mass supported on two unsprung masses. The centrifugal forces arising due to the motion of the vehicle in a circular path are included in the analysis. The inclusion of the vehicle inertia in the bridge-vehicle interaction results in a set of differential equations, the coefficients of which depend on the speed of the vehicle and thus are not constant. These equations of motion are solved by the linear-acceleration method of numerical integration.
A competitive Texas Hold'em poker player via automated abstraction and real-time equilibrium computation

We present a game theory-based heads-up Texas Hold'em poker player, GS1. To overcome the computational obstacles stemming from Texas Hold'em's gigantic game tree, the player employs our automated abstraction techniques to reduce the complexity of the strategy computations. Texas Hold'em consists of four betting rounds. Our player solves a large linear program (offline) to compute strategies for the abstracted first and second rounds. After the second betting round, our player updates the probability of each possible hand based on the observed betting actions in the first two rounds as well as the revealed cards. Using these updated probabilities, our player computes in real-time an equilibrium approximation for the last two abstracted rounds. We demonstrate that our player, which incorporates very little poker-specific knowledge, is competitive with leading poker-playing programs which incorporate extensive domain knowledge, as well as with advanced human players.
Door Crashworthiness Criteria

The object of the program was to make long duration head impacts and to develop scaling relationships to allow extrapolation of impact data for infra-human primates to living humans. A series of primate side impacts, to the head and body was conducted in parallel with a series of impacts to human cadavers. Dimensional analysis techniques were employed to estimate in vivo human tolerance to side impacts. The threshold of closed brain injury to humans was found to be 76G's for a pulse duration of 20 msec and an impact velocity of 29.5 mph. The maximum tolerable penetration to the chest was found to be 2.65 inches for both the left and right sides. Scaling of abdominal injuries to humans was accomplished by employing a factor which relates impact contact area, animal mass, impact force, and pulse duration, to injury severity. The maximum tolerable contact pressure to the upper abdomen of a human was found to be 32 psi.
Generating Interest, Enthusiasm, and Opportunity for Scholarship: How Law Schools and Law Firms Can Create a Community and Culture Supportive of Scholarship

Legal scholarship educates. The goal of this essay is to help lawyers and academics interested in improving legal writing create more scholarship. By creating a culture where scholarship is the norm — where scholarship is both an expected product of our intellectual pursuits and an expected creator of knowledge in the field — we can increase overall scholarly activities as well as our professional satisfaction.
Polish group actions: Dichotomies and generalized elementary embeddings

The results in this paper involve two different topics in the descriptive theory of Polish group actions. The book Becker-Kechris [6] is an introduction to that theory. Our two topics—and two collections of theorems—are rather unrelated, but the proofs for both topics are essentially the same. Locally compact Polish groups, i.e., second countable locally compact groups, are the traditional objects of study in the field known as “topological groups”. More recently, there has been interest in nonlocally compact Polish groups, such as S∞, the symmetric group on N, topologized as a subspace of NN. Much of this paper is concerned with a proper subclass of the class of Polish groups, namely those Polish groups which admit a complete left-invariant metric. We call these cli groups. The class of cli groups includes all locally compact groups (Proposition 3.C. 2 (d)), but also much more. For example, all solvable groups are cli (Hjorth-Solecki; see Proposition 3.C.2 (f)), and a closed subgroup G of S∞ is cli iff G is closed in NN (see Example 3.C.3 (a)). We study continuous actions by Polish groups on Polish spaces and the associated orbit equivalence relation. For locally compact groups, all of our results are known, or trivial, or both. But some of our results can be viewed as generalizations of known theorems about locally compact groups to the larger class of cli groups. One of the two topics considered in this paper is dichotomy theorems for equivalence relations. These are theorems which assert that either the quotient space is “small” or else it contains a copy of a specific “large” set. We prove some dichotomy theorems for the orbit space of actions by cli groups. There are two types of dichotomies, which we call the Silver-Vaught Dichotomy and the Glimm-Effros Dichotomy. The Silver-Vaught Dichotomy asserts that either there are only countably many equivalence classes or else there is a perfect set of pairwise inequivalent elements. Assuming the negation of the continuum hypothesis, the Silver-Vaught Dichotomy is equivalent to the proposition that there are either countably many equivalence classes or 2א0 equivalence classes. The Topological Vaught Conjecture, which is open, is: for any continuous action by a Polish group G on a Polish space X , the orbit equivalence relation satisfies the Silver-Vaught Dichotomy. This conjecture implies—and was motivated by—the Vaught Conjecture in model theory. Indeed,
China's Vision of Its Seascape: The First Island Chain and Chinese Seapower

This article examines the lively Chinese discourse about Beijing's maritime geography. In particular, the debates over the so-called first island chain, which stretches from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan to the Philippines, offer a unique window onto Chinese geostrategic thought. This article relies on an extensive open-source literature in China to discern the contours of this debate. It finds that the first island chain construct resonates deeply with analysts on the mainland. The island chain idea stimulates China's fears of strategic encirclement, underscores the geostrategic value of Taiwan, frames Chinese military options at sea, and engages important economic interests. As such, this geostrategic dimension of China's maritime rise will likely continue to drive Beijing's naval activism in East Asian waters, with lasting implications for regional stability.
Prevalence of and familial influences on purging disorder in a community sample of female twins.

Objective Purging disorder (PD) was recently included as an otherwise specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) in the DSM-5; however, limited information is available on its prevalence, and its etiology is unknown. Method Data from 1,790 monozygotic and 1,440 dizygotic European American female twins (age range = 18–29 years) from the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study were used to investigate prevalence and familial influences for PD. A structured clinical interview assessed lifetime DSM-IV criteria for eating disorders and PD. After adjustment for age, twin correlations and biometrical twin models were used to estimate familial (i.e., genetic plus shared environmental) influences on PD. Results One hundred and twenty one (3.77%; 95% CI: 3.14, 4.49) women met criteria for lifetime PD. Twin correlations suggested that genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors influenced liability to PD. Nonshared environmental factors accounted for 56% [35%, 79%] of the variance in PD. Although familial effects accounted for a significant proportion of variance (44% [21%, 65%]), it was not possible to disentangle the independent contributions of additive genetic effects (20% [0%, 65%]) and shared environmental effects (24% [0%, 57%]). Discussion PD is a prevalent form of eating pathology. Familial factors are relevant to the development of PD but do not demonstrate the magnitude of heritable factors found for other eating disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:601–606)
The Issue of “Authenticity” in California Language Restoration

Two language revitalization programs in California are described here with a focus on how new words can be developed in a way authentic to a given language which reflects traditional values and thoughts. The importance of combining classroom approaches with community-based programs is also discussed.
Transport and retention of a conservative tracer in an isolated creek–marsh system

A study of tracer transport and retention in a small tidal creek and marsh system located in the southeastern US was conducted using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model and data from a dye tracer release. The model simulated tidally driven flow, including inundation and drying out of the marshes and the dispersal of the dye tracer. Flow measurements in the tidal creek showed that the simulations appeared to generally duplicate the tidally driven flow into and out of the tidal creeks and marshes. The dye tracer experiment was conducted to test the hydrodynamic model's ability to simulate dispersal of a point release of pollutants into the creek during an incoming tide. The simulations reproduced much of the experimental measurements, but bathymetric errors and lack of resolution of the smallest arms of the tidal creeks affected the ability to faithfully reproduce the initial peak in measured dye tracer concentrations at a sampling location far from the boundary. The lack of the smallest tidal creeks led to some trapping of water and dye in the marshes. Two independent estimates of flushing time yielded values between 1.6 and 2.4 days. An uncertainty analysis indicates that model simulations are sensitive to variations in parameters such as water depth and marsh grass density. On the other hand, omission of the smallest tidal creeks in simulations may be partially offset by decreasing marsh grass density. Further improvements must rely on more accurate and detailed bathymetric data that resolves the smaller arms of the tidal creeks and includes quantitative information about the density and distribution of marsh grass.
Cerebrovascular response in small preterm infants during routine nursery gavage feedings.

Although gavage feedings are considered a standard of care, they are often accompanied by hemodynamic changes that may have important effects on the cerebral circulation. In 23 premature infants recei
Organized Psychology and the Crisis in Testing

Psychological testing and many other areas of psychology have suffered markedly from a lack of understanding by the American public. The public has lost many benefits to be derived from psychology. A Department of Public Affairs should be established in the APA to inform and educate the public concerning the problems and benefits of testing and to make the theories, methods, and findings of psychologists understood by, and useful to, as many people as possible.
The Impact of Relational Factors on Contracting Management in Public Organizations

This study examines how public managers perceive the value of contractors who hire former agency employees. We find that contractors strategically hire former agency employees to ensure the accompl...
Interaction of fluid interfaces with immersed solid particles using the lattice Boltzmann method for liquid-gas-particle systems

Due to their finite size and wetting properties, particles deform an interface locally, which can lead to capillary interactions that dramatically alter the behavior of the system, relative to the particle-free case. Many existing multi-component solvers suffer from spurious currents and the inability to employ components with sufficiently large density differences due to stability issues. We developed a liquid-gas-particle (LGP) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) algorithm from existing multi-component and particle dynamics algorithms that is capable of suppressing spurious currents when geometry is fixed while simulating components with liquid-gas properties. This paper presents the LGP algorithm, with several code validations. It discusses numerical issues raised by the results and the conditions under which the algorithm is most useful. The previously existing particle dynamics algorithm was augmented to capture surface tension forces arising from the interface, which was validated for the case of a 2D capillary tube. Using the full algorithm, a particle situated in a region of bulk fluid in an otherwise quiescent situation remained in its original location, indicating that spurious currents were suppressed. A particle brought into the interface of a drop (without gravity) achieved its expected depth of immersion into the drop, demonstrating that all aspects of the code work together to produce the correct equilibrium state when a particle is in the interface. As in an experiment, two particles on a flat interface approached each other due to capillary effects. The simulation approach velocity was faster than that of the experiment, but agreed qualitatively, achieving the same equilibrium state. Given the validations and the favorable, though imperfect, experimental comparison, this algorithm can be a useful tool for simulating LGP systems. The motion of particles normal to the interface can be considered reliable, and the motion tangent to the interface can be considered qualitatively accurate, leading to the correct equilibrium state.
A comparison between multiple interaction computer simulations and the linear theory of sputtering

Abstract A multiple interaction simulation, and a binary collision simulation modified to mimic the analytic linear theory of sputtering, have been used to study the sputtering of metal targets by ions with keV energies. Detailed comparisons between the two models disclose fundamental differences in the behavior of collision cascades at energies below 1.0 keV. The binary collision models' failure to include multiple interactions, i.e. many-body collision effects, is a significant shortcoming, which can lead to serious misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the basic physical processes which are commonly identified as “ nonlinear” sputtering.
Veto theorems with expansion consistency conditions and without the weak Pareto principle

Abstract It is shown that a social choice function satisfying certain expansion-consistency conditions but without the weak Pareto principle generates somewhat asymmetric power structure, e.g., veto- quasi-dictatorship.
Localization and characteristics of rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenases.

Two NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes from rat liver mitochondria have been partially purified and characterized. One enzyme (enzyme I) has molecular weight of 320,000 and has a broad substrate specificity which includes formaldehyde; NADP is not a cofactor for this enzyme. This enzyme has Km values for most aldehydes in the micromolar range. The isoelectric point was found to be 6.06. A second enzyme (enzyme II) has a molecular weight of 67,000, a Km value for most aldehydes in the millimolar range but no activity toward formaldehyde. NADP does serve as a coenzyme, however. The isoelectric point is 6.64 for this enzyme. By utilization of the different substrate properties of these two enzymes it was possible to demonstrate a time-dependent release from digitonin-treated liver mitochondria. The high Km, low molecular weight enzyme (enzyme II) is apparently in the intermembrane space while the low Km, high molecular weight enzyme (enzyme I) is in the mitochondrial matrix and is most likely responsible for oxidation of acetaldehyde formed from ethanol.
XPS studies of vanadium and vanadium oxides

Abstract XPS (ESCA) measurements are presented of the X-ray-induced photoelectron lines and Auger transitions of metallic vanadium and of two vanadium oxides. The oxidation states of vanadium are compared and discussed for vanadium in the maximal valence state, with a 3 d 0 electron configuration, and in the state with a 3 d 1 electron configuration.
Fundamental Investigation of Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Rhodium Sulfide-Based Chalcogenides

Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including the surface-specific ΔXANES technique, is used to investigate the active reaction site for water activation and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the novel, mixed-phase chalcogenide electrocatalyst RhxSy/C (De Nora). The specific adsorption of water, OH, and O as a function of overpotential is reported. This study builds on a prior communication based solely on interpreting the XAS spectra of RhxSy with respect to the metallic Rh3S4 phase. Here, a more extensive overview of the electrocatalysis is provided on RhxSy/C, the thermally grown Rh2S3/C and Rh3S4/C preferential phases and a standard 30 wt % Rh/C electrocatalyst, including results obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD), XAS, high-resolution transmission electron imaging, microanalysis, and electrochemical investigations. Heating of the RhxSy catalysts to prepare the two preferential phases causes Rh segregation and the formation of Rh metal particles, and immersion in TFMSA causes ...
Specific inactivation of pepsin by benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanyldiazomethane.

THE report by Delpierre and Fruton1 on the inactivation of pepsin by L-1-diazo-4-phenyl-3-tosylamidobutanone catalysed by copper ions prompts us to report our results on the inactivation of pepsin by benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanyldiazomethane (ZPDM) which combines with the enzyme in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. Our results agree with those of Delpierre and Fruton1 except that copper ions are not essential for the inactivation of pepsin by ZPDM (compare ref. 2). In addition, we observed that during the attachment of ZPDM to pepsin the optical rotatory properties of the enzyme change in a way similar to that observed for heat-inactivated pepsin3.
Blending in the extended finite element method by discontinuous Galerkin and assumed strain methods

SUMMARY In the extended finite element method (XFEM), errors are caused by parasitic terms in the approximation space of the blending elements at the edge of the enriched subdomain. A discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation is developed, which circumvents this source of error. A patch-based version of the DG formulation is developed, which decomposes the domain into enriched and unenriched subdomains. Continuity between patches is enforced with an internal penalty method. An element-based form is also developed, where each element is considered a patch. The patch-based DG is shown to have similar accuracy to the element-based DG for a given discretization but requires significantly fewer degrees of freedom. The method is applied to material interfaces, cracks and dislocation problems. For the dislocations, a contour integral form of the internal forces that only requires integration over the patch boundaries is developed. A previously developed assumed strain (AS) method is also developed further and compared with the DG method for weak discontinuities and linear elastic cracks. The DG method is shown to be significantly more accurate than the standard XFEM for a given element size and to converge optimally, even where the standard XFEM does not. The accuracy of the DG method is similar to that of the AS method but requires less application-specific coding. Copyright q 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.