cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of morphological variation among parthenogenetic Aspidoscelis neomexicana, gonochoristic A. Sexlineata viridis, and their hybrids (Squamata: Teiidae) from Ute Lake and Conchas Lake, northeastern New Mexico

Abstract Meristic morphological variation among samples of A. neomexicana, A. sexlineata viridis, and their hybrids from Ute and Conchas lakes, New Mexico, was assessed to determine if evidence of separate introductions resided in differences in A. neomexicana between the two localities. However, there were no significant differences between samples of A. neomexicana (and between samples of A. sexlineata viridis) based on multivariate statistical analyses of eight meristic characters. Paradoxically, hybrids from the two localities were significantly different in principal components 1 and 2 and in pigmentation. Hybrids from Ute Lake were paler than hybrids from Conchas Lake and A. neomexicana from both localities. All hybrids could be visually distinguished from A. neomexicana by the absence of thin transverse gray bands on the ventral surface of the tail and closer paravertebral stripes.
Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy of Solid Renal Masses Without Hilar Clamping Using a Monopolar Radio Frequency Device

ABSTRACTPurpose: Partial nephrectomy is currently recommended for most amenable solid renal tumors, especially if they are exophytic and less than 4 cm. We reviewed our initial experience with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for solid renal masses without clamping the renal vasculature using a monopolar device that uses radio frequency energy with low volume saline irrigation for simultaneous blunt dissection, hemostatic sealing and coagulation of the renal parenchyma (TissueLink, TissueLink Medical, Inc., Dover, New Hampshire).Materials and Methods: From September 2002 to April 2003, 10 patients underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, including 9 with solid renal masses and 1 with a complex cyst. In all cases the renal hilum was dissected and the renal vessels were isolated but none had renal vascular clamping. The TissueLink DS dissecting sealer or Floating Ball (TissueLink Medical, Inc.) was used to dissect the tumor free bluntly, while simultaneously sealing and coagulating bleede...
Semantic Topic Models: Combining Word Distributional Statistics and Dictionary Definitions

In this paper, we propose a novel topic model based on incorporating dictionary definitions. Traditional topic models treat words as surface strings without assuming predefined knowledge about word meaning. They infer topics only by observing surface word co-occurrence. However, the co-occurred words may not be semantically related in a manner that is relevant for topic coherence. Exploiting dictionary definitions explicitly in our model yields a better understanding of word semantics leading to better text modeling. We exploit WordNet as a lexical resource for sense definitions. We show that explicitly modeling word definitions helps improve performance significantly over the baseline for a text categorization task.
Bedside Postpyloric Placement of Weighted Feeding Tubes

A pilot study to evaluate a technique for the bedside placement of small-bore, weighted feeding tubes past the pylorus in critically ill patients is described. The technique involves the use of a #8 or #10 French small-bore, tungsten-weighted feeding tube, specific patient positioning, and defined insertion techniques, including gastric distention with air. The tubes were placed at the bedside in the intensive care unit by the nutrition support team nurse. Successful postpyloric placement was achieved in 85 (83%) of 103 patients. Approximate time for successful insertion was 30 minutes. A follow-up study to define factors influencing success or failure of this technique is planned.
Backward recognition masking as a general type of interference in needed poststimulus processing.

Auditory backward recognition masking (ABRM) has been argued to reflect interference in the storage and/or processing of a short-lived sensory form of information and has been viewed as a relatively invariant attribute of auditory pitch processing for very brief stimuli that are minimally separated in frequency (ΔF). In contrast, the present study demonstrates that ABRM reflects interference with several basic principles of auditory processing. Measured in terms of target tone duration, rather than ΔF, ABRM is demonstrated for target stimuli representing the interval of a musical fifth and masker—target stimulus intervals of a musical third, with thresholds ranging from approximately 22 to 55 msec and psychometric functions that are indicative of more than one contributing factor. On the basis of common underlying principles, the possibility that the threshold for the identification of temporal order of onset reflects ABRM and possible implications for the perception of complex stimuli, including speech, are discussed.
The pH dependence of motility and the acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa

The effect of pH on both motility and the acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa was examined by transferring fully capacitated spermatozoa from Ca2+ -free medium to Ca2+ -containing media with various pH values (8.2, 7.5, 7.0, 6.7, 6.4, and 6.1). When transferred to media of pH 7.5 or 8.2, the spermatozoa underwent their acrosome reactions to the maximum level within 15–20 min. Acrosome-reacted spermatozoa were vigorously motile. The intensity of sperm motility and the incidence of the acrosome reaction declined with decreasing pH values. At pH 6.1, the motility of all the spermatozoa quickly became very weak. No acrosome reactions occurred at this low pH. The inhibition of motility and the acrosome reaction at pH 6.1 was reversed by transferring the spermatozoa back to the alkaline medium unless they were exposed to this low pH for longer than 3 hr. The inhibition of the acrosome reaction at low pH values (other than 6.1) was counteracted to some extent by increased concentrations of Ca2+ (4–10 mM). Possible mechanisms by which low pH reversibly inhibits sperm motility and the acrosome reaction are discussed.
Cutting the distance in distance learning: perspectives on effective online learning environments

This qualitative research study informs the development and implementation of effective online learning environments by examining course content, sequencing, methods, and sociological approaches, as identified by students and instructors, which contributed to positive online learning experiences. Researchers interviewed 6 online course instructors and 9 adult students about their experiences in undergraduate and graduate level online degree programs. Using a Cognitive Apprenticeship Model to inform data analysis, findings revealed how various components of one online program provided students with an effective online learning experience. The study has implications for individuals who develop and/or teach online courses.
Cyclic Sedimentation in Agua Hedionda Lagoon, Sourthern California

Agua Hedionda Lagoon is near Carlsbad, CA, and is near the middle of the Oceanside littoral sedimentation cell. Since its initial dredging in 1954, the lagoon has become a coastal sediment trap that must be dredged almost yearly. The purpose herein is to show the rate of sediment deposition in the lagoon from 1955 to 1961.
Interface styles for the intelligent cockpit - Factors influencing automation deficit

Automation in modem cockpits presents a new challenge for interface design. This challenge is heightened because there is still relatively little experience with the new systems, the avionics hardware provides greater flexibility in display generation, and the automation being introduced has the potential to move the pilot in and out of the loop. Our response to this challenge is to design the cockpit interface style in a manner that minimizes the effects of automation deficit. As part of this effort, we are examining the factors that produce automation deficit. Results reported previously show that automation deficit in response time is related to interface style and the type of decision. Results reported here show that there are effects on tracking performance due to adaptive automation and interface style.
Structural and Electrical Properties of Thermally Annealed InN Thin Films on Native and Ain-Nucleated (00.1) Sapphire

The effects of thermal annealing at 400°C in 5 MTorr of N 2 on the structural and electrical properties of thin films of InN grown at 100°C on native and AIN-nucleated (00.1) sapphire by reactive magnetron sputtering have been studied. The variations in the properties of the two sets of films have qualitatively similar, yet quantitatively different dependencies on anneal time. In each case, surface decomposition to give (101) textured rods of elemental indium is seen at short anneal times, and markedly so in the more highly strained films on the AIN-nucleated substrates. The electrical properties in both cases improve with annealing time, yielding a Hall Mobility that is enhanced 2–3 times relative to as-deposited films and similar to that for films grown at a substrate temperature of 400°C. The evolution of the electrical properties appears to be relatively insensitive to the surface decomposition and to largely reflect the nature of the bulk InN Matrix.
Antisense 2'-O-methyloligoribonucleotides hybridized to RNA block a nuclear, ATP-dependent 3'-5' exonuclease.

RNA hybridized to 2′-O-methyloligoribonucleotides and incubated in nuclear extracts from HeLa cells is truncated, resulting in a distinct product terminated at the 5′ end of the antisense oligonucleotide. The activity responsible for this effect is not RNase H but rather a novel exonuclease degrading RNA in the 3′ to 5′ direction. The enzyme requires ATP and Mg2+ ions. Except for dATP, no other nucleoside triphosphate or nonhydrolyzable ATP analog supports the exonucleolytic activity. In spite of the nuclear origin and activity requirements similar to those required for pre-mRNA splicing, the exonuclease operates with equal efficiency on intron-containing and intronless RNAs, excluding the possibility that it is associated with the splicing machinery.
PHELLINUS BICUSPIDATUS (HYMENOCHAETALES, HYMENOCHAETACEAE), A NEW SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH A WHITE SAP ROT OF OAK IN LOUISIANA

A new wood-inhabiting basidiomycete, Phellinus bicuspidatus, is described from oak in Louisiana. Characteristics of the fruiting body and culture are presented and compared to those of P. johnsonianus and P. spiculosus. Key patterns and species codes are given for the three species. In the summer of 1931, Dr. L. O. Overholts of The Pennsylvania State Uni? versity collected wood-decay fungi in Louisiana for the Division of Forest Pa? thology, Bureau of Plant Industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cultures were isolated from many of the specimens. He sent portions of the specimens and cultures to Washington, D.C, for the Division's herbarium and culture collection. He kept other portions of the specimens for his own herbarium. During that summer, he made one collection of a brown "Poria" that he recognized as a new species and used the epithet "cuspidata" for the specimen in his herbarium. However, the epithet bicuspidatus" seems to us to be more aptly descriptive. Our purpose here is to describe the basidiocarp and culture of this species of Phellinus from oak in the southern United States.
Peripheral immunization induces functional intrahepatic hepatitis C specific immunity following selective retention of vaccine-specific CD8 T cells by the liver.

It is believed that an effective HCV vaccine must induce strong HCV-specific cytotoxic IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells able to migrate into and become fully activated within the liver, an organ known to suppress T cell responses and induce tolerance. Given the importance of intrahepatic HCV-specific T cells in the clearance of acute infection, the goal of this present study was to determine if peripheral immunization was able to induce functional intrahepatic HCV-specific T cell based immunity both in the presence and absence of HCV antigen expression within the liver. Using a novel HCV NS3/NS4A DNA vaccine, we show that peripheral immunization of C57BL/6 mice results in the formation of a large pool of fully functional HCV-specific cytotoxic IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells within the liver and that these cells were highly enriched within the liver as compared to the spleen. Following hepatic expression of cognate HCV antigen using a previously described liver transfection method, we show that this pool of vaccine-induced HCV-sp...
The God of the groups

I argue that Social Trinitarians can and should conceive of God as a group person. They can by drawing on recent theories of group agency realism that show how groups can be not just agents but persons distinct from their members – albeit, I argue, persons of a different kind. They should because the resultant novel view of the Trinity – that God is three ‘intrinsicist’ persons in one ‘functional’ person – is theologically sound, effectively counters the most trenchant criticisms of Social Trinitarianism, and enjoys independent theological support from the biblical notion of ‘corporate personality’.
Islamic State and Reversing Colonialism Naivete and the Nature of Evil

A discussion of the nature of evil is pertinent today in a world driven by religious fundamentalism and the consequences of inequality, ethnic violence and intolerance. Increasingly today the image of evil has an ethnic face in one location in the world or another. That face changes by location, but the construction of that stereotype evokes ancient dialogues we should revisit. Early in the present “war against terror” some scholars provided the idea of a “clash of civilizations” as being the basis for the war. A number of politicians used this idea to denote a separation in the world of peoples and motivations for living, e.g., “they hate our freedom,” etc. Some evoked past struggles in the Crusades as a means of defining the struggle. An east-west orientation was described similar to the ideological struggle between capitalism and communism in the 20th century, as Toynbee had once argued that Russian communism was as opposed to western ideas and lifestyles as Near Eastern Islam. These divisions of the world contrast sharply with the concept of Jasper of a near world-wide awakening at a meridian in time some 2,600 years ago in his Axial Age of philosophical and ethical transformation. The unity of purpose and meaning in life of Jasper’s vision contrasts with that of Bernard Lewis and Toynbee of an almost oppositional meaning to east and west. Examination of these ideas as the basis for contemporary failures to resolve political issues is the focus of this paper.
Cytometry of Single-Cells for Biology and Biomedicine

Flow and image cytometry are mature single-cell analysis technologies that have been developed over the past 50 years. Fluorescence has been the primary mode of generating single-cell signals. There are now hundreds of different color fluorescent probes linked to thousands of different molecules including antibodies, ligands, and other molecules. Increasingly sophisticated commercial flow cytometry instruments measure multiple colors (e.g., 17 or more colors per cell) of fluorescence per single-cell. Often these fluorescent labels are being used to identify combinations of biomarkers in many human diseases. Recently, microfluidic systems have shown the advantage of either reexamining the same cells at different time points or capturing and treating those cells and measuring their response. These microfluidic structures can combine flow and imaging technologies in the same structure. Other technologies such as PCR can be added to these multifaceted microfluidic structures. The microfluidic devices can be built to provide low-cost, point-of-care medicine. Making multiple correlated measurements per cell is extremely powerful leading to very large amounts of data of high dimensionality. Recently, bioinformatics techniques are being employed to study “big data” from large ensembles of single-cell data. This is leading to questions whether any two single-cells are really ever the same if you are able to measure enough parameters at sufficient accuracy? When are two cells similar enough to have similar biology, functions and predictable outcomes when challenged with drugs and/or environmental factors? Single-cell analyses provide us with the tools to answer these intriguing questions.
Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection(OBI) and its phylogenetic analysis among a rural general population in Zhejiang Province,China

Objective To investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of both overt and occult hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection in a general rural population in Deqing county,Zhejiang Province. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study based on multi-stage sampling.Questionnaires and blood samples were collected after informed consent.Questionnaire database was built using Epidata 3.2.ELISA detection of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)and real-time PCR detection of HBV viral load were performed in all blood samples.PCR amplification and sequencing of HBV S gene were further performed in HBsAg-positive or HBV viral loadpositive samples.Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA5.0 software.Data analysis was done using SPSS 18.0 software. Results Questionnaires and parallel blood samples of 1 720subjects were collected.HBV prevalence was 9.65%(166/1 720),with 162 HBsAg-positive cases and 4 occult HBV infection(OBI)cases.OBI prevalence was 2.57‰(4/1 558).HBV viral load in overt HBV strains was significantly higher than that in OBI strains with the medians and inter-quatile ranges 866(425,12 500)IU/mL and314(216,677.5)IU/mL respectively.All of the OBI strains were genotype C and serotype adrq+.While 54 of 71overt HBV strains were genotype B,of which 2 were serotype adw3 and 52 were serotype adw2,and the other 17 were genotype C and serotype adrq+.The proportion of genotype C was significantly higher in OBI strains than in overt HBV strains.I104F,L109V,I110L,S113T,T126I,P127T,Q129R,M133L,F134L,P135A,T140A,K141I,T143M/S,V159A,Y161F,A166G,and R169P mutations were found in genotype B overt HBV strains,while I126S,I126T and F158S mutations were found in genotype C overt HBV strains.I126T,Q129R,M133T and F161Y mutations were found in OBI strains. Conclusions A certain proportion of OBI cases occurs in general population of Deqing county in Zhejiang Province.Viral load of OBI strains is probably lower.Genotype C is probably the prior genotype in OBI strains.More attention should be paid to OBI prevention issue.
Radiation by Arbitrary Aperture Antennas

This paper treats the radiation from an arbitrary aperture in a perfect conducting plane backed by waveguide. The radiated field into the half space, the reflected field in the waveguide, and the surface currents on the conducting plane are calculated by means of matching technique between the waveguide cavity and the plane wave expansion of the free space field. A system of linear equations which determine their coupling relationship is achieved and can be readily solved. Numerical examples demonstrated the validity.
Medieval Literature on the Air: Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann in Twentieth-Century Radio Adaptations

This essay explores the remediation of Johannes von Tepl’s Der Ackermann (ca. 1401) for radio. Since November 1924 at least thirty-one productions of von Tepl’s piece have been aired on various German radio stations. The reasons for the continued success of Der Ackermann in the medium of radio, particularly in the 1920s and after the Second World War, are twofold. In the context of the aesthetic debates in the 1920s on remediation, immediacy, and the appropriate form “word art” should take on the radio, von Tepl’s piece was considered the perfect radio play, or Horspiel, paradoxically because of its un-play-like form: the focus on the word, the absence of plot, and its lack of scenic complexity. In addition, the radio adaptations of Der Ackermann served to embed this late medieval text in a culture of commemoration that was particularly vital in the 1920s and then again in the immediate post–Second World War years.
Dynamics and VLSI Implementation of Self–Organizing Networks*

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the dynamics and VLSI implementation of self-organizing networks. Present artificial neural models encounter severe degradation in economy as larger, more complex perceptual and cognitive problems are approached. In particular, several fundamental scaling problems arise that need to be overcome before artificial neural technology can provide real-time solutions to the large, complex problems solved by biological systems. The high dimension of many data representations severely impact the cost of neural classifiers through three factors. The first factor, of primary importance for hardware implementation, is the scaling of VLSI implementation costs with increased node fan-in. The second scaling problem concerns learning time. For neural algorithms, the number of links and nodes, and thus the number of free parameters, grows with increasing input dimension. Third, recent advances in learning theory suggest that the required number of training examples may be expected to grow linearly with the number of network links.
Difference in C3-C4 metabolism underlies tradeoff between growth rate and biomass yield in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1.

Two variants of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 demonstrated a trade-off between growth rate and biomass yield. In addition, growth rate and biomass yield were also affected by supplementation of growth medium with different amounts of cobalt. The metabolism changes relating to these growth phenomena as well as the trade-off were investigated in this study. 13C metabolic flux analysis was used to generate a detailed central carbon metabolic flux map with both absolute and normalized flux values. The major differences between the two variants occurred at the formate node as well as within C3–C4 inter-conversion pathways. Higher relative fluxes through formyltetrahydrofolate ligase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and malic enzyme led to higher biomass yield, while higher relative fluxes through pyruvate kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase led to higher growth rate. These results were then tested by phenotypic studies on three mutants (null pyk, null pck mutant and null dme mutant) in both variants, which agreed with the model prediction. In this study, 13C metabolic flux analysis for two strain variants of M. extorquens AM1 successfully identified metabolic pathways contributing to the trade-off between cell growth and biomass yield. Phenotypic analysis of mutants deficient in corresponding genes supported the conclusion that C3–C4 inter-conversion strategies were the major response to the trade-off.
Performance Analysis of Qos Parameters of WSN by Varying Density of the Network

Objective: Performance analysis of QoS parameters of wireless sensor network by varying the density of the network (Number of Nodes) using NS-2. The performance metrics considered are packet delivery ratio, throughput, delay, routing overheads, average energy consumed and average residual energy etc. Methods/Analysis: Using NSG tool, scenarios with varying density are formed in 1000*1000 m*m area. NS2 is used to simulate the working of a network. AODV protocol is used for routing and CBR is used for traffic generation in network. Results: Packet delivery ratio decreases and routing overhead, delay increases as the number of nodes in the network increases. Throughput initially increases but starts decreasing after threshold point i.e, 50 nodes. It can be said that energy consumption decreases and residual energy increases with increasing density. Conclusion: From all the results it can be said that for constant reporting rate and packet size , 50 nodes scenario gives optimum result for all the parameters.
Popular Influence on Stochastic Choice

Stochastic choices can harm welfare. We study how welfare can be improved when agents’ choices instead evolve via a novel class of stochastic processes, wherein an alternative’s popularity influences its probability of selection. We show that: 1) when agents’ choices follow such processes, they must reach a deterministic equilibrium; and, 2) under fairly weak conditions, the resulting reduction in randomness boosts average expected welfare. This ‘popular-stopping’ result applies robustly to most existing theories of why stochastic choices occur. It also establishes a framework for analyzing beneficial levels of imitation, based on menu and group size, network structure, and time horizon.
Overview of Pregnancy in Renal Transplant Patients

Kidney transplantation offers best hope to women with end-stage renal disease who wish to become pregnant. Pregnancy in a kidney transplant recipient continues to remain challenging due to side effects of immunosuppressive medication, risk of deterioration of allograft function, risk of adverse maternal complications of preeclampsia and hypertension, and risk of adverse fetal outcomes of premature birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age infants. The factors associated with poor pregnancy outcomes include presence of hypertension, serum creatinine greater than 1.4 mg/dL, and proteinuria. The recommended maintenance immunosuppression in pregnant women is calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus/cyclosporine), azathioprine, and low dose prednisone; and it is considered safe. Sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil should be stopped 6 weeks prior to conception. The optimal time to conception continues to remain an area of contention. It is important that counseling for childbearing should start as early as prior to getting a kidney transplant and should be done at every clinic visit after transplant. Breast-feeding is not contraindicated and should not be discouraged. This review will help the physicians in medical optimization and counseling of renal transplant recipients of childbearing age.
Cognitive Changes and Physician Performance: Causes, Clinical Implications, and Treatment

Just like their patients, physicians are susceptible to a variety of medical, neurological, and psychiatric conditions that have the potential to impair cognitive functioning which can lead to declines in patient care. Given the nature of the work environment, physicians are also at greater risk of problems related to stress and sleep deprivation, factors that can also impact cognition. Early recognition of potential problems on the part of the individual physician and the clinical institution is key. Having a model in place that triggers mechanisms for a comprehensive assessment of the problem, development of remediation or accommodation plans, and guidance throughout will maximize successful outcomes while protecting patient safety.
Nanoscale deformation of multiaxially forged ultrafine-grained Mg-2Zn-2Gd alloy with high strength-high ductility combination and comparison with the coarse-grained counterpart

Abstract Cold processing of magnesium (Mg) alloys is a challenge because Mg has a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) lattice with limited slip systems, which makes it difficult to plastically deform at low temperature. To address this challenge, a combination of annealing of as-cast alloy and multi-axial forging was adopted to obtain isotropic ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure in a lean Mg-2Zn-2Gd alloy with high strength (yield strength: ∼227 MPa)-high ductility (% elongation: ∼30%) combination. This combination of strength and ductility is excellent for the lean alloy, enabling an understanding of deformation processes in a formable high strength Mg-rare earth alloy. The nanoscale deformation behavior was studied via nanoindentation and electron microscopy, and the behavior was compared with its low strength (yield strength: ∼46 MPa) − low ductility (% elongation: ∼7%) coarse-grained (CG) counterpart. In the UFG alloy, extensive dislocation slip was an active deformation mechanism, while in the CG alloy, mechanical twinning occurred. The differences in the deformation mechanisms of UFG and CG alloys were reflected in the discrete burst in the load-displacement plots. The deformation of Mg-2Zn-2Gd alloys was significantly influenced by the grain structure, such that there was change in the deformation mechanism from dislocation slip (non-basal slip) to nanoscale twins in the CG structure. The high plasticity of UFG Mg alloy involved high dislocation activity and change in activation volume.
EU Accession, NGOs, and Human Rights: Discrimination Against the Roma in Slovenia and Croatia

This paper measures discrimination against the Roma (commonly known by the disfavored term "Gypsies") to test the ground level efficacy of two strategies of human rights improvement: top-down diffusion and bottom-up change. The study spans three towns, Murska Sobota and Novo mesto in Slovenia and Cakovec in Croatia, and includes over 600 subjects. Levels of discrimination were estimated via trust games played with money, which are particularly appropriate because the Roma are widely stereotyped as cheaters and thieves. The findings suggest that the EU accession process, widely regarded as an exceptionally strong incentive-based mechanism of rights diffusion, does not severely reduce discrimination on the ground. Instead, they suggest that ground level organizing aimed at improving relations between Roma and non-Roma helps reduce discrimination.
Absence of an Ideal Observer II: The Agonizing Search for Experts Without a Conflict of Interest.

The concept of an ideal observer, advanced by Green,1 proposes that a truth exists beyond the distortions created by our preconceptions and prejudices, and that it can be discerned by a “fully informed, imaginative, impartial and calm observer.” Our current ethos depends profoundly on the presumption that an objective reality can be perceived and described by an unbiased and knowledgeable person. My prior exploration of this concept focused on the lack of an ideal observer in the planning, execution, and interpretation of clinical trials.2 This article explores the difficulties of finding an ideal observer in our efforts to identify trustworthy, reliable, and unconflicted experts. We are obsessed with conflicts of interest, and we should be. When we seek experts, we want them to be ideal observers, but we know that their guidance may be imperfect. We accept imperfections if they are related to a lack of wisdom or experience, but we are repulsed if they are because of financial involvements that benefit the expert. We are comfortable if an expert speaks wrongly because of ignorance but not because of self-interest. Being deceived is acceptable if it is innocent but not if it is motivated. How can we discern whether a motivation to distort or deceive exists? If we were travelers in a strange land and asked for directions, we would be annoyed but not aggrieved if we received the wrong guidance from another (presumably equally ill informed) visitor. Yet, we would be offended if the poor advice …
Stress and Hypertension

Psychosocial risk factors are defined broadly as the influence of social factors on an individual’s psychological process and perceptions or behavior and to the interrelation of behavioral and social factors. Increasing evidence demonstrates that psychosocial factors play an important role in the development of hypertension. In this book chapter, we provide a synthesis of the literature examining six categories of psychosocial stressors: occupational stress, personality, mental health, housing instability, interpersonal relationships, and sleep quality. The strongest evidence linking psychosocial factors to HTN is for occupational stressors, housing instability, loneliness, and stressors related to interpersonal relationships. Despite this evidence, inconsistent results within categories of mental health, discrimination, personality, and sleep quality persist due to limitations in the study design, confounding of moderating and mediating variables on the stressor-HTN association, and limited inclusion of diverse populations. Areas for future research based on these findings are discussed.
Photothreshold of an α-GeS Layered Crystal: First-Principles Calculation

The photothreshold of an α-GeS layered crystal is calculated from first principles based on the functional density method depending on its thickness. Two neighboring crystal plates consisting of several layers are separated by vacuum 4 layers thick, which corresponds to the doublet unit cell size of a bulk crystal. It is shown that the magnitude of the photothreshold is almost invariable with a crystal thickness larger than 10 layers.
Positionierung im Forschungsdiskurs

Die Forschungsarbeiten zu Jugendlichen der zweiten Generation sind eng an die Stromungen in der allgemeinen Migrationsforschung gekoppelt, die als Meta-Diskurse verstanden werden konnen. Auch wenn die Paradigmen Assimilation, Multikulturalismus, Transnationalismus sowie die anti-essentialistische Kritik in der Reihenfolge ihres historischen Auftauchens abgehandelt werden, sich meistens als Kritik auf fruhere Paradigmen verstehen und ohne Zweifel zu gewissen Zeiten popularer sind als zu anderen, durfen sie keineswegs als fortschreitende und lineare Entwicklung aufgefasst werden.
Applications to Partial Differential Equations

In this chapter, the methods developed previously are applied to partial differential equations. The plan is the same as for the cases of ordinary differential equations discussed earlier. First, the very simplest case is discussed, in which a singular perturbation problem arises. This is a second-order equation which becomes a first-order one in the limit e → 0. Following this, various more complicated physical examples of singular perturbations and boundary-layer theory are discussed. Next, the ideas of matching and inner and outer expansions are applied in some problems that are analogous to the singular boundary problems of Section 2.7. The final section deals with multiple variable expansions for partial differential equations, and several applications dealing with different aspects of the procedure are discussed.
Observer-Based Feedback Controllers for Exponential Stabilization of Hybrid Periodic Orbits: Application to Underactuated Bipedal Walking

This paper presents a systematic approach to design observer-based output feedback controllers for hybrid dynamical systems arising from bipedal walking. We consider a class of parameterized observer-based output feedback controllers for local exponential stabilization of hybrid periodic orbits. The properties of the Poincare map are investigated to show that the Jacobian linearization of the Poincare map takes a triangular form. This demonstrates the nonlinear separation principle for periodic orbits. In particular, the exponential stabilization of hybrid periodic orbits under dynamic output feedback control can be achieved by solving separate eigenvalue placement problems for the nonlinear state feedback and the observer. The paper then solves the state feedback and observer design problems by employing an iterative algorithm based on a sequence of optimization problems involving bilinear and linear matrix inequalities. The theoretical results are confirmed by designing a nonlinear observer-based output feedback controller for underactuated walking of a 3D humanoid model with 18 state variables, 54 state feedback parameters, and 271 observer parameters.
Financial Strain and Contraceptive Use Among Women in the United States: Differential Effects by Age.

Abstract Introduction Low-income and young women experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy. Traditional measures of socioeconomic status may not be appropriate indicators of financial status, particularly during emerging adulthood. This study investigates the relationship between financial strain and contraceptive use, focusing on the differential effects by age group. Methods Multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between financial strain and contraceptive use in a national sample of U.S. women ages 18–39 years (N = 932). Models were adjusted for income, employment status, and other sociodemographic characteristics and tested the interaction of financial strain and age group. Results Women with high financial strain were less likely to use short-acting methods (compared with using no method) in the adjusted model; when the age and financial strain interaction was included, associations held only for women ages 18–24 and 25–29 years of age. Relative to contraceptive nonuse, women ages 18–24 years with high financial strain were less likely to use long-acting reversible (relative risk ratio [RRR], 0.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01–0.99) and short-acting hormonal (RRR, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.00–0.18) methods. Women ages 25–29 with high financial strain were less likely to use short-acting hormonal (RRR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05–0.87) and coital-specific (RRR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02–0.51) methods. Implications for Practice and/or Policy Young women may be vulnerable to the effect of high financial strain on contraceptive nonuse. Providers working with this group should consider incorporating financial strain into screening tools to identify patients who may need extra attention in contraceptive decision-making conversations. Antipoverty programs could also have a positive effect on effective contraceptive use.
Power and Trust Dynamics of Sexual Violence: A Textual Analysis of Nassar Victim Impact Statements and #MeToo Disclosures on Twitter

Employing a natural language processing approach, we analyzed textual content derived from publicly-available athlete victim impact statements (VIS) from the Larry Nassar trial (N = 111) to examine...
Errare Humanum Est

A 19-year-old woman, 10 weeks pregnant, presented to her local hospital with heavy vaginal bleeding. Spontaneous incomplete miscarriage was diagnosed. She continued bleeding for the next 24 h. Hemoglobin decreased from 11.5 to 7.9 g/dl.
Why Expectations Matter

This chapter outlines the book’s theoretical foundation: misaligned expectations of teaching are often “shadow narratives”—stories based on flat and two-dimensional understandings that only partially reflect reality. The chapter uses Plato’s “Parable of the Cave,” Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra, and psychological distinctions between “illusions” and “delusions” to build the foundation upon which the subsequent chapters rest: it is both easy and dangerous to mistake shadows for reality, even for pre-service teachers. The chapter ends with questions for reflection and self-analysis.
Editorial 1: Jacob Israel De Haan, the First Legal Semiotician

This chapter and the two next chapters are texts of the first legal semiotician in the world: the Dutch poet, novelist, politician, lawyer and legal scholar Jacob Israel de Haan, who lived until 1919 in Amsterdam and until 1926 in Jerusalem. The editorial focuses primarily on the inaugural lecture, held on October 31, 1916 and translated in English here for the first time. The lecture contains clearly an expose of signific principles and forms via them a fruitful challenge to legal thought formation. Major issues of the latter are: the advances and disadvantages of focusing on the word as a particle of language; the unnecessary isolation of legal argumentation and law’s reasoning from ordinary day-to-day language, the urgent need to understand more deeply and correctly all implications of the meanings of legal expressions. Most of these problems bring the author in vicinity to principles of Vienna positivism, but his signific/semiotic intuition makes him concentrate also on the social dimensions in his credo: “better language, better law”.
Colloidal Gels for Guiding Endothelial Cell Organization via Microstructural Morphology

One of the fundamental challenges in vascular morphogenesis is to understand how the microstructural morphology of a 3D matrix can provide the spatial cues to organize the endothelial cells (ECs) into specific vascular structures. Colloidal gels can provide well-controlled distinct morphological matrices because these gels are formed by the aggregation of particles. By altering the aggregation mode, the spatial organization of the particles can be controlled to yield different microstructural morphology. To demonstrate this, colloidal aggregates and gels were developed by electrostatic interaction-mediated aggregation of cationic polyurethane (PU) colloidal particles by using low molecular weight electrolyte and polyelectrolyte to develop microstructurally different colloidal gels without altering their bulk elasticity. Compact dense colloidal aggregates with constricted voids were developed via electrolyte-mediated aggregation, whereas stranded branched networks with interconnected voids were formed via polyelectrolyte-mediated bridging interactions. Results show that the microstructure of aggregated colloids and gels can regulate EC organizations. Within endothelial matrices, ECs track the microstructure of particulate phase to interconnect with stranded colloidal network but cluster around compact colloidal aggregate. Similarly, in colloidal gels, ECs formed capillary-like structures by interconnecting along the stranded networks with enhanced cell-matrix interactions and increased cell extension but aggregated within the constricted voids of compact dense gel with enhanced cell-cell interaction. Both morphometric analysis and expression of EC markers corroborated the cell organizations in these gels. Using these colloidal gels, we demonstrated the role of 3D microstructural morphology as an important regulator for spatial guidance of ECs and simultaneously established the significance of colloidal gels as 3D matrix to regulate cellular morphogenesis.
Degralescence, Prince Codec, and the Kingdom of Media

Once upon a time, a king and queen ruled the kingdom of Media. Media was a peaceful land that was home to all things audio and video. Its subjects lived happy analog lives where preservation, access, and the means of production all revolved around their physical forms. But the king and queen had felt the winds of change blowing across their lands. They had heard tell of an unspeakable evil lurking about their borders. And they knew that the old ways could hold fast no longer.
Imaging of pediatric cutaneous melanoma

Melanoma accounts for 7% of all cancers in adolescents ages 15–19 years but is an unexpected malignancy in younger children. The prevalence of malignant melanoma is very rare in children ages 1–4 years, but certain non-modifiable risk factors such as xeroderma pigmentosum, congenital melanocytic nevus syndrome and other inherited traits increase the risk for its development in these young children. Recent genomic studies have identified characteristics of pediatric melanoma that differ from conventional melanoma seen in adults. In this review the authors inform on the types of melanoma seen in children and adolescents, discuss similarities and differences in melanoma between children and adults, and discuss the role of imaging in the care of these children.
Additively-Manufactured Cylindrical Array with Snap-fit Connector Integration

Recent improvements to the resolution and surface roughness of additive manufacturing have made this technology an enticing method for fabricating antennas. Challenges including connector integration have kept additive manufacturing from being widely used for antenna fabrication. In this paper, a novel solderless snap-on connector backplane concept is demonstrated.
Rational construction of a scalable heterostructured nanorod megalibrary

Integrating multiple materials in arbitrary arrangements within nanoparticles is a prerequisite for advancing many applications. Strategies to synthesize heterostructured nanoparticles are emerging, but they are limited in complexity, scope, and scalability. We introduce two design guidelines, based on interfacial reactivity and crystal structure relations, that enable the rational synthesis of a heterostructured nanorod megalibrary. We define synthetically feasible pathways to 65,520 distinct multicomponent metal sulfide nanorods having as many as 6 materials, 8 segments, and 11 internal interfaces by applying up to seven sequential cation-exchange reactions to copper sulfide nanorod precursors. We experimentally observe 113 individual heterostructured nanorods and demonstrate the scalable production of three samples. Previously unimaginable complexity in heterostructured nanorods is now routinely achievable with simple benchtop chemistry and standard laboratory glassware.
Postcombustion Capture or Direct Air Capture in Decarbonizing US Natural Gas Power

This analysis investigates the cost of carbon capture from the US natural gas-fired electricity generating fleet comparing two technologies: postcombustion capture and direct air capture (DAC). Many of the existing natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) units are suitable for postcombustion capture. We estimated the cost of postcombustion retrofits and investigated the most important unit characteristics contributing to this cost. Units larger than 400 MW, younger than 14 years, more efficient than 45%, and with a utilization (capacity factor) higher than 0.5 were found to be the most promising for retrofit. Counterintuitively, DAC (which is usually not considered for point-source capture) may be cheaper in addressing emissions from nonretrofittable NGCC units. DAC can also address the residual emissions from retrofitted units. Moreover, the economic challenges of postcombustion capture for small natural gas-fired units with low utilization, such as gas turbines, make DAC look favorable for these units. After considering the cost of postcombustion capture for the entire natural gas-related emissions and incorporating the impact of learning-by-doing for both carbon capture technologies, our results show that DAC is the cheaper capture solution for at least 1/3 of all emissions.
Faculty Development on Family-Centered Rounds: A QI Project

Background/Purpose: Family-centered rounds (FCR) have long been considered the gold standard for conducting rounds in pediatric hospital medicine (PHM). Educational efforts around FCR at our institution revealed wide variation in how rounds were conducted by faculty and received by residents. We sought to improve the performance of FCR by improving adherence to best practices for conducting FCR. Methods: We instituted a QI initiative to improve faculty and resident performance of FCR. Residents and PHM faculty were anonymously surveyed regarding features of and barriers to FCR …
Styloidogenic jugular venous compression syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Styloidogenic jugular venous compression syndrome (SJVCS) has been shown to present with a similar symptomatology to idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and is caused by compression of the internal jugular vein (IJV) between the lateral tubercle of C1 and the styloid process. Treatments including venous stenting and styloidectomy have been reported with good outcomes; however, treatment of a pediatric patient with SJVCS with styloidectomy has not previously been reported in the literature. A 12-year-old male presented with refractory positional headaches, nausea, and vomiting, and after, workup including lumbar puncture (LP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring was found to have intracranial hypertension associated with contralateral neck turning. Computed tomography venogram (CTV) revealed severe bilateral compression of the IJV’s between the styloid processes and C1 tubercle. The patient was successfully treated with unilateral right-sided styloidectomy with symptomatic relief. This is the first reported pediatric case of SJVCS treated successfully with styloidectomy to our knowledge and adds to the limited literature that styloidectomy is a durable treatment option for SJVCS.