cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rank and null space calculations using matrix decomposition without column interchanges

Abstract The most widely used stable methods for numerical determination of the rank of a matrix A are the singular value decomposition and the QR algorithm with column interchanges. Here two algorithms are presented which determine rank and nullity in a numerically stable manner without using column interchanges. One algorithm makes use of the condition estimator of Cline, Moler, Stewart, and Wilkinson and relative to alternative stable algorithms is particularly efficient for sparse matrices. The second algorithm is important in the case that one wishes to test for rank and nullity while sequentially adding columns to a matrix.
Progress in true-color holography

It has been a long and elusive goal of display holographers to produce true multicolored images closely matched to that of the object. Much progress has been reported ecently by K. Bazargan1-'' T. Kubota2 P . M. Hubel and A. A. Ward '' and H. Owen and A. E . Hurst (6) However most of the works reported require sandwiches of different materials independently exposed. Herein we wish to report our recent work in " true color" holography using single lements of silver halide dichromated gelatin as propose by J. Blythe and the Du Pont photopolymer material. Also new sandwich combinations are reported. 2. HEURISTIC DEFINITION OF " TRUE" COLOR" Since laser light is required to record holograms the reconstructed image by an incandescent source will never recreate precisely the image of a multicolored object as it appears under natural lighting. At least two major factors contribute to this problem: the object may fluoresce and the reconstruction bandwidth will always be wider than laser lines causing color desaturation. Furthermore because color perception is subjective there cannot ever be complete agreement among different observers as to the " truthfulness" of the reconstructed image. We offer the following heuristic definition which is amenable to scientific verification: A hologram is said to have " true color" if it recreates an image which has the same combination of wavelengths and their relative intensities as those
Movement of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes: An Elastimetry Analysis

By utilizing the technique of cell elastimetry, which measures the negative pressure required to aspirate human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) into a micropipette, a correlation between PMN deformability and cellular movement is confirmed. The effects of the synthetic chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (f-met-leu-phe) on the deformability and chemotaxis of PMNs have been investigated, and a relationship between peptide concentrations and PMN deformability, which parallels the effects of the peptide on filter (chemotactic) studies, has been established. Experimental evidences indicate that alterations in PMN deformability occur as a natural consequence of stimulation of PMNs with a chemoattractant and that cellular deformation is a prerequisite to PMN movement. Introduction of this analytical technique into the study of PMN movement disorders has already yielded significant insights which implicate a membrane-associated abnormality intrinsic to the impaired motility of neonatal PMNs. This technique can, therefore, serve to provide a sensitive probe with which to dissect the various perturbations of PMN dysfunction. Cell elastimetry can also be utilized to generate quantitative information on mechanical and deformability properties of PMNs; such information is needed for the establishment of a rheological model (for PMNs) which can assist the analysis of almost every functional problem involving PMNs.
Optimization and Learning for Registration of Moving Dynamic Textures

We address the problem of registering a sequence of images in a moving dynamic texture video. This involves optimization with respect to camera motion, the average image, and the dynamic texture model. This problem is highly ill-posed and almost impossible to have good solutions without priors. In this paper, we introduce powerful priors for this problem, based on two simple observations: 1) registration should simplify the dynamic texture model while preserving all useful information. It motivates us to compute a prior for the dynamic texture by marginalizing over specific dynamics in the space of all stable auto-regressive sequences; 2) the statistics of derivative filter responses in the average image can be significantly changed by registration, and better registration should lead to a sharper average image. This offers us the prior of requiring the derivative distribution of the estimated average image to be close to that learned from the input image sequence. With these priors, a new registration approach is proposed by marginalizing over the "nuisance" variables under a Bayesian framework. And superior motion estimation results are obtained by jointly optimizing over the registration parameters, the average image, and the dynamic texture model. Experimental results on real video sequences of moving dynamic textures show convincing performance of the proposed approach.
Human NKT Cells Mediate Antitumor Cytotoxicity Directly by Recognizing Target Cell CD1d with Bound Ligand or Indirectly by Producing IL-2 to Activate NK Cells

alpha-Galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) stimulates NKT cells and has antitumor activity in mice. Murine NKT cells may directly kill tumor cells and induce NK cell cytotoxicity, but the mechanisms are not well defined. Newly developed human CD1d/alphaGalCer tetrameric complexes were used to obtain highly purified human alphaGalCer-reactive NKT cell lines (>99%), and the mechanisms of NKT cell cytotoxicity and activation of NK cells were investigated. Human NKT cells were cytotoxic against CD1d(-) neuroblastoma cells only when they were rendered CD1d(+) by transfection and pulsed with alphaGalCer. Four other CD1d(-) tumor cell lines of diverse origin were resistant to NKT cells, whereas Jurkat and U937 leukemia cell lines, which are constitutively CD1d(+), were killed. Killing of the latter was greatly augmented in the presence of alphaGalCer. Upon human CD1d/alphaGalCer recognition, NKT cells induced potent cytotoxicity of NK cells against CD1d(-) neuroblastoma cell lines that were not killed directly by NKT cells. NK cell activation depended upon NKT cell production of IL-2, and was enhanced by secretion of IFN-gamma. These data demonstrate that cytotoxicity of human NKT cells can be CD1d and ligand dependent, and that TCR-stimulated NKT cells produce IL-2 that is required to induce NK cell cytotoxicity. Thus, NKT cells can mediate potent antitumor activity both directly by targeting CD1d and indirectly by activating NK cells.
Skills to Enhance Problem-based Learning

Problem-based Learning (PBL) has become a popular method of instruction among educators in the health professions. Central to the effectiveness of PBL is the ability of students to work together to solve problems. When these abilities are lacking, PBL outcomes can be compromised. Since these skills have not been emphasized in public school or higher education, students are often forced to muddle through group processes in the effort to learn. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the interpersonal skills necessary to enhance PBL, and suggest how these skills can be improved and incorporated into the curriculum.
Spiral Bending Waves Launched at a Vertical Secular Resonance

The excitation of spiral bending waves at a secular vertical resonance in a particle disk is examined. These waves are one-armed spirals of very long wavelength that are launched at sites where a secondary's nodal regression rate matches that of the disk. Nodal bending waves usually propagate radially outward as leading waves from a secular resonance exterior to the perturber, and inward as trailing waves from a secular resonance that lies interior. Their pattern speed is negative, so the spiral pattern rotates in a retrograde sense. The waves carry negative angular momentum but very little energy, and their excitation can damp the inclination of the secondary. Here we apply this theory to the case of two mutually precessing planets orbiting in a particle disk and compare their damping rate with the more familiar inclination excitation due to mean motion vertical resonances. We suggest that under certain circumstances, nodal wave damping may be an important element in maintaining planetary and/or embryo orbits in a nearly coplanar state.
Can I drive after my stroke

Background: Stroke can advesely affect movements, sensations, alertness, awareness, coordination, and judgement, all of which may impair the ability to drive a car. Discussion: Many stroke patients consider driving to be essential to their quality of life and want to drive if at all possible. Thus, the physician may be challenged with a tough decision about whether a patient should be allowed to drive. Conclusion: Referral to an occupational therapist can be of great help.
The Work of Ion Movements

During each cardiac cycle, Na+, Ca2+, H+ and K+ move across the sarcolemma. To initiate contraction, Na+ and Ca2+ move from the interstitium to the intracellular space, and H+ and K+ move out of the cell. During relaxation, the ions move in the opposite directions. Whether directly through the Na+ pump (also known as the Na+, K+-ATPase) or indirectly through the energy dependence of exchangers on the transmembrane Na+ gradient, ATP is the primary energy source maintaining normal ion gradients. Here the energetics of maintaining ion gradients will be illustrated by focusing on one cation, Na+. The topics of this chapter are: Maintaining the Na+ Gradient in Normal Mammalian Myocardium Characteristics of the Na+ pump and Why Ouabain is an Inotrope The Thermodynamics of the Na+, K+ ATPase Reaction On the Relationship Between ΔG∼ATP and Na+ Efflux by the Na+ pump Definitions Facilitated transport is defined by the stoichiometry of the transport process. Antiport is the simultaneous transport of two different molecules in opposite directions. The Na+/H+ exchanger or antiporter is an example. Symport is the simultaneous transport of two different molecules in the same direction. Uniport is the movement of a single molecule. Electrical character of the ion transport is designated as electroneutral (i.e., no net change in charge) or electrogenic (i.e., transport results in a charge separation in space).
Development of the nasal chemosensory organs in two terrestrial anurans: The directly developing frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui (Anura: Leptodactylidae), and the metamorphosing toad, Bufo americanus (Anura: Bufonidae)

Nearly all vertebrates possess an olfactory organ but the vomeronasal organ is a synapomorphy for tetrapods. Nevertheless, it has been lost in several groups of tetrapods, including aquatic and marine animals. The present study examines the development of the olfactory and vomeronasal organs in two terrestrial anurans that exhibit different developmental modes. This study compares the development of the olfactory and vomeronasal organs in metamorphic anurans that exhibit an aquatic larva (Bufo americanus) and directly developing anurans that have eliminated the tadpole (Eleutherodactylus coqui). The olfactory epithelium in larval B. americanus is divided into dorsal and ventral branches in the rostral and mid-nasal regions. The larval olfactory pattern in E. coqui has been eliminated. Ontogeny of the olfactory system in E. coqui embryos starts to vary substantially from the larval pattern around the time of operculum development, the temporal period when the larval stage is hypothesized to have been eliminated. The nasal anatomy of the two frogs does not appear morphologically similar until the late stages of embryogenesis in E. coqui and the terminal portion of metamorphosis in B. americanus. Both species and their respective developing offspring, aquatic tadpoles and terrestrial egg/embryos, possess a vomeronasal organ. The vomeronasal organ develops at mid-embryogenesis in E. coqui and during the middle of the larval period in B. americanus, which is relatively late for neobatrachians. Development of the vomeronasal organ in both frogs is linked to the developmental pattern of the olfactory system. This study supports the hypothesis that the most recent common ancestor of tetrapods possessed a vomeronasal organ and was aquatic, and that the vomeronasal organ was retained in the Amphibia, but lost in some other groups of tetrapods, including aquatic and marine animals. J Morphol. 261:225–248, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Delayed neurologic deficit after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Paraplegia or paraparesis secondary to spinal cord ischemia is an extremely rare complication after elective repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. We report delayed paraparesis after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in which one hypogastric artery was unintentionally occluded due to atheroembolism. A spinal catheter was immediately inserted after onset of paraplegia to promote cerebrospinal fluid drainage, which partially reversed the neurologic deficit. Our case underscores both the importance of the critical spinal collateral supply from the hypogastric artery and the role of spinal fluid drainage to maximize spinal cord perfusion in the setting of spinal cord ischemia.
Compact Wideband High-Current ( $\geq$ 1000 A) Multistage Current Transformers for Precise Measurements of Current Harmonics

In this paper, an overview of the development and performance of special compact-and-lightweight wideband high-current multistage current transformers for precise measurements of current harmonics at the National Research Council of Canada is described. These include current transformers with ratios of 1000 A/5 A and higher, with ratio errors of less than 5 10-6 in both magnitude and phase with burdens up to 0.5 Omega and at frequencies up to 5 kHz
Unusual high sensitivity in highly oriented laser ablated thin films of SnO2 on (1102) sapphire and (100) LaAlO3

A systematic investigation on growth and sensor characteristics of SnO2 thin films of different orientations is reported for the first time. Thin films were grown by pulsed laser (KrF; λ = 248 nm) ablation technique under in-situ conditions. Films deposited at 525 °C on (1102) sapphire were predominantly (101) orientated whereas those deposited on (100) LaAlO3 were highly a-axis orientated. Sensors made of predominantly (101) oriented films exhibited more than two orders magnitude change in resistance even for 100 ppm of H2 in air at 310 °C. The response and retracing times of the sensor were remarkably short respectively 30 and 200 s. Sensors made of a-axis oriented films also exhibited similar sensitivity and response time for the same quantity of both H2 and LPG. However, the retrace time was very long typically about 20 min. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) investigation reveals that the films are highly granular with an average size of about 100–150 nm which is ten times larger than the critical size of 6 nm, a criterion required for high sensitivity. (The Debye length of ${\rm SnO}_2 \cong 3.07$ nm at 293 K and the critical grain size is therefore 2 × Debye length, which is 6 nm.)
Must cognition be representational

In various contexts and for various reasons, writers often define cognitive processes and architectures as those involving representational states and structures. Similarly, cognitive theories are also often delineated as those that invoke representations. In this paper, I present several reasons for rejecting this way of demarcating the cognitive. Some of the reasons against defining cognition in representational terms are that doing so needlessly restricts our theorizing, it undermines the empirical status of the representational theory of mind, and it encourages wildly deflationary and explanatorily vacuous conceptions of representation. After criticizing this outlook, I sketch alternative ways we might try to capture what is distinctive about cognition and cognitive theorizing.
The rainbow at the edge of the shadow of the egg

Suggested citation for this article: Potter P. “The rainbow at the edge of the shadow of the egg.” Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2008 Aug [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/14/8/1339.htm
Sign-sign LMS convergence with independent stochastic inputs

The sign-sign adaptive least-mean-square (LMS) identifier filter is a computationally efficient variant of the LMS identifier filter. It involves the introduction of signum functions in the traditional LMS update term. Consideration is given to global convergence of parameter estimates offered by this algorithm, to a ball with radius proportional to the algorithm step size for white input sequences, specially from Gaussian and uniform distributions. >
Efficient Spectrum Reallocation with Hold-Ups and Without Nirvana

In 2010, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that up to 20 television channels should be shifted to mobile services. If successful, the reform could generate over $1 trillion in social gains. To achieve these efficiencies, regulators rejected traditional tools, which would have terminated existing wireless licenses, as too contentious. Instead, they chose to create a two-sided auction in which incumbent TV licensees state their offer prices to exit (broadcasting), being paid from the winning bids for mobile licenses (granted access to the reallocated TV spectrum). The FCC conducts this “incentive auction” and, importantly, unilaterally reassigns TV channels for stations remaining on the air. These involuntary transfers are designed to eliminate station hold-ups, allowing new blocks of contiguous spectrum (more valuable than scattered frequencies of equivalent bandwidth) to be made available for mobile licenses. A rival policy option – “overlay licenses” – would grandfather existing TV stations and then auction new licenses permitting liberal use of the TV Band (i.e., not restricted to broadcasting). Overlay winners could then bargain with TV stations to make more bandwidth available for mobile broadband. Policy makers rejected this approach on the grounds that incumbent TV licensees would engage in strategic hold-up, pre-empting efficient deals. But so, too, are hold-ups endemic in the design and implementation of incentive auctions; to asymmetrically ignore these costs is to commit the Nirvana Fallacy. This paper offers a template to avoid the Fallacy, evaluating transaction costs across the rival policy regimes. A first order quantification suggests that the costs of incentive auctions have been substantially under-estimated by regulators, perhaps reflecting confirmation bias and a principal-agent conflict in the assessment of policy options.
An Exploration of the Influence of Ignatian Values on Faculty Role Expectations

Purpose: This study examined whether and how Ignatian ideals influence faculty participation in role expectations as outlined in the Faculty Self-Assessment and Professional Development Plan of Rueckert-Hartman College of Health Professions (RHCHP) at Regis University (RU). The study’s aim was fourfold: (a) determine faculty perceptions of whether and how RU’s core Ignatian values influence participation in role expectations, (b) identify desires related to further exploration of core Ignatian values, (c) identify potential needs of faculty development regarding the RU mission of guiding faculty role expectations, and (d) identify service-related activities important to faculty. Participants: Faculty and Deans were invited to participate. Method: An exploratory descriptive methodology was used. Likert scale survey data were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis and quantitative frequency measures. Results: Survey results revealed that care of the person , men and women for others , and contemplatives in action were perceived to be most influential among the faculty role expectations, while finding God in all things was perceived to be least influential. Conclusions: The faculty perceived that most Ignatian values are important to role expectations. Faculty express the need for education related to implementation of these values in their faculty roles.
Nanomechanical properties of TiO2 granular thin films.

Post-deposition annealing effects on nanomechanical properties of granular TiO2 films on soda-lime glass substrates were studied. In particular, the effects of Na diffusion on the films’ mechanical properties were examined. TiO2 photocatalyst films, 330 nm thick, were prepared by dip-coating using a TiO2 sol, and were annealed between 100 °C and 500 °C. Film’s morphology, physical and nanomechanical properties were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermo-gravimetric analysis, and nanoindentation. Contrary to expectations, the maximum film hardness was achieved for 300°C annealing, with a value of 0.69 ± 0.05 GPa. Higher annealing temperatures resulted in inferior mechanical properties. No pile-up or sink-in effects were observed with minimal creep for the 300 °C annealed sample. Considerable decrease in the amount of chemisorbed water was found with increasing annealing temperature, causing gel films densification, explaining the i...
Rash from hepatitis C treatment.

Although the combination of interferon and ribavirin is the standard of treatment for chronic hepatitis C, some patients experience adverse reactions.
Image and Issue Advertising: A Corporate and Public Policy Perspective:

This article reviews current advertising case law and its implications for advocacy communication, as well as relevant image/issue advertising regulatory decisions by the FTC, FCC, and IRS. In an e...
Nonparametric Statistics in Human–Computer Interaction

Data not suitable for classic parametric statistical analyses arise frequently in human–computer interaction studies. Various nonparametric statistical procedures are appropriate and advantageous when used properly. This chapter organizes and illustrates multiple nonparametric procedures, contrasting them with their parametric counterparts. Guidance is given for when to use nonparametric analyses and how to interpret and report their results.
Towards a Big Data Benchmarking and Demonstration Suite for the Online Social Network Era with Realistic Workloads and Live Data

The growing popularity of online social networks has taken big data analytics into uncharted territories. Newly developed platforms and analytics in these environments are in dire need for customized frameworks of evaluation and demonstration. This paper presents the first big data benchmark centering on online social network analytics and their underlying distributed platforms. The benchmark comprises of a novel data generator rooted in live online social network feeds, a uniquely comprehensive set of online social network analytics workloads, and evaluation metrics that are both system-aware and analytics-aware. In addition, the benchmark also provides application plug-ins that allow for compelling demonstration of big data solutions. We describe the benchmark design challenges, an early prototype and three use cases.
EPSPs Measured in Proximal Dendritic Spines of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons.

Abstract EPSPs occur when the neurotransmitter glutamate binds to postsynaptic receptors located on small pleomorphic membrane protrusions called dendritic spines. To transmit the synaptic signal, these potentials must travel through the spine neck and the dendritic tree to reach the soma. Due to their small size, the electrical behavior of spines and their ability to compartmentalize electrical signals has been very difficult to assess experimentally. In this study, we developed a method to perform simultaneous two-photon voltage-sensitive dye recording with two-photon glutamate uncaging in order to measure the characteristics (amplitude and duration) of uncaging-evoked EPSPs in single spines on the basal dendrites of L5 pyramidal neurons in acute brain slices from CD1 control mice. We were able to record uncaging-evoked spine potentials that resembled miniature EPSPs at the soma from a wide range of spine morphologies. In proximal spines, these potentials averaged 13.0 mV (range, 6.5–30.8 mV; N = 20) for an average somatic EPSP of 0.59 mV, whereas the mean attenuation ratio (spine/soma) was found to be 25.3. Durations of spine EPSP waveforms were found to be 11.7 ms on average. Modeling studies demonstrate the important role that spine neck resistance (Rneck) plays in spine EPSP amplitudes. Simulations used to estimate Rneck by fits to voltage-sensitive dye measurements produced a mean of 179 MΩ (range, 23–420 MΩ; N = 19). Independent measurements based on fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of a cytosolic dye from spines of the same population of neurons produced a mean Rneck estimate of 204 MΩ (range, 52–521 MΩ; N = 34).
ON THE PERSISTENT RELEASE OF PARTICLES IN A FLUID FLOW

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the behavior of a set of particles in the tank, with respect to their suspension, sedimentation, and exit under similar flow conditions but different modes of release into the flow. The methods of release described in the chapter can be classified into two groups: (1) the release of a possibly random number of particles occurs either at fixed moments of time, or continuously at a given rate of release over a fixed period of time and (2) a certain, possibly random, number of particles is released at random times or over a given period of time at a random rate of release. The following conditions are assumed in the chapter: (1) all particles have identical transport characteristics (2) the effect of interaction is negligible, and (3) the hydraulic conditions are stationary.
A strategy for supporting faculty use of the Web

Depuis quelques annees, la bibliotheque et le service informatique du Lafayette College aux Etats-Unis doivent faire face a une demande importante pour la formation et l'aide a l'utilisation du reseau World Wide Web. Comme cette demande ne cessait d'augmenter et comme le personnel n'etait pas forme a cet enseignement, cette formation etait souvent inefficace. Par consequent, pour remedier a cette situation et pour encourager les universites a utiliser le Web, une strategie en collaboration entre les personnels a ete mise en place pour pour former au Web au Lafayette College. Cet article decrit donc le developpement de ce projet et ses objectifs
Enabling a National Instruments DaNI 2.0 robotic development platform for the Robot Operating System

Robotic research has recently undergone a paradigm shift as robots have switched from fixed factory floors to more mobile based platforms. This shift has presented many new challenges to the robotic research community. Development of novel robot bases, such as TurtleBot, in concert with the widespread use of robotic frameworks, such as Robot Operating System and MyRobotlab, has given researchers indispensable tools that allows for rapid development and deployment of new localization and mapping techniques. The goal of these new robot bases and frameworks is to ensure that progression in research is not hindered by the burden of lower abstractions, such as sensory setup or drive mechanisms and mechanics, but rather allows the researcher to focus on the complexity of executing higher level algorithms. This paper presents research on integrating the National Instruments DaNI 2.0 robot into the growing group of robot operating system ready mobile robot platforms. This paper presents the programming and developmental process of enabling the DaNI 2.0 robot to operate within the Robot Operating System framework and highlights the chief characteristics that separate the DaNI 2.0 from current Robot Operating System enabled robotic platforms.
From Whole Numbers to Rational Numbers

Various human activities such as listing, counting, and comparing lead, as we saw, to the natural numbers $$ N = \{ 0,1,2,3,4, \ldots \} $$ and to the operations of addition, multiplication, and exponentiation on these numbers. These operations have a variety of general properties. For example, addition for all natural numbers k, m, and n satisfies the equations $$ m + 0 = m,m + n = n + m, $$ (1) $$ k + (m + n) = (k + m) + n. $$ (2)
Food Sovereignty in the City: Challenging Historical Barriers to Food Justice

Local food initiatives are steadily becoming a part of contemporary cities around the world and can take on many forms. While some of these initiatives are concerned with providing consumers with farm-fresh produce, a growing portion are concerned with increasing the food sovereignty of marginalized urban communities. This chapter provides an analysis of urban contexts with the aim of identifying conceptual barriers that may act as roadblocks to achieving food sovereignty in cities. Specifically, this paper argues that presupposed commitments created during the birth of the modern city could act as conceptual barriers for the implementation of food sovereignty programs and that urban food activists and programs that challenge these barriers are helping to achieve the goal of restoring food sovereignty to local communities, no matter their reasons for doing so. At the very least, understanding the complexities of these barriers and how they operate helps to strengthen ties between urban food projects, provides these initiatives with ways to undermine common arguments used to support restrictive ordinances and policies, and illustrates the transformative potential of food sovereignty movements.
Fatal Pediatric Motor Vehicle Crashes on U.S. Native American Indian Lands Compared to Adjacent Non-Indian Lands: Restraint Use and Injury by Driver, Vehicle, Roadway and Crash Characteristics

There are large disparities in American Indian pediatric motor vehicle (MV) mortality with reports that several factors may contribute. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System for 2000–2014 was used to examine restraint use for occupants aged 0–19 years involved in fatal MV crashes on Indian lands (n = 1667) and non-Indian lands in adjacent states (n = 126,080). SAS GLIMMIX logistic regression with random effects was used to generate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Restraint use increased in both areas over the study period with restraint use on Indian lands being just over half that of non-Indian lands for drivers (36.8% vs. 67.8%, p < 0.0001) and for pediatric passengers (33.1% vs. 59.3%, p < 0.0001). Driver restraint was the strongest predictor of passenger restraint on both Indian and non-Indian lands exerting a stronger effect in ages 13–19 than in 0–12 year olds. Valid licensed driver was a significant predictor of restraint use in ages 0–12 years. Passengers in non-cars (SUVs, vans and pickup trucks) were less likely to be restrained. Restraint use improved over the study period in both areas, but disparities failed to narrow as restraint use remains lower and driver, vehicle and crash risk factors higher for MV mortality on Indian lands.
Validation of Claims-Based Algorithms for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Administrative claims studies do not adequately distinguish pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) from other forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Our aim is to develop and validate a set of algorithms using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes and electronic medical records (EMR), to identify patients with PAH. From January 2012 to August 2015, the EMRs of patients with ICD-9-CM codes for PH with an outpatient visit at the University of Texas Medical Branch were reviewed. Patients were divided into PAH or non-PAH groups according to EMR encounter diagnosis. Patient demographics, echocardiography, right heart catheterization (RHC) results, and PAH-specific therapies were assessed. RHC measurements were reviewed to categorize cases as hemodynamically determined PAH or not PAH. Weighted sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for the developed algorithms. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine how well the algorithms performed. External validation was performed at the University of Virginia Health System. The cohort for the development algorithms consisted of 683 patients with PH, PAH group (n = 191) and non-PAH group (n = 492). A hemodynamic diagnosis of PAH determined by RHC was recorded in the PAH (26%) and non-PAH (3%) groups. The positive predictive value for the algorithm that included ICD-9-CM and PAH-specific medications was 66.9% and sensitivity was 28.2% with a c-statistic of 0.66. The positive predictive value for the EMR-based algorithm that included ICD-9-CM, EMR encounter diagnosis, echocardiography, RHC, and PAH-specific medication was 69.4% and a c-statistic of 0.87. A validation cohort of 177 patients with PH examined from August 2015 to August 2016 using EMR-based algorithms yielded a similar positive predictive value of 62.5%. In conclusion, claims-based algorithms that included ICD-9-CM codes, EMR encounter diagnosis, echocardiography, RHC, and PAH-specific medications better-identified patients with PAH than ICD-9-CM codes alone.
Lung Histopathology in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis can show a variety of pathologic patterns as either a manifestation of systemic autoimmune disease, as drug-induced pathology, or as infectious pathology. This chapter provides an overview of the possible histologic changes and gives an approach for aiding in the differentiation of these pathologic etiologies.
Upper and Lower Probability

Patrick Suppes’s vigorous defense of the centrality of probability and of the irreducibility of randomness or chance phenomena, especially in the province of quantum mechanical phenomena, his interests in axiomatization, and the viewpoints he developed through his fundamental work on measurement theory have encouraged and enabled him to study the interpretations and formal structure of probability and to deviate from conventional probability as axiomatized by Kolmogorov. With Mario Zanotti he has pursued the concept of upper and lower or interval-valued probability initially through a measurement-theoretic algebraic viewpoint on subjective probability and subsequently through its use in meeting the challenges to probability posed by quantum mechanics. We note our parallel initial efforts to develop a concept of upper and lower probability that can be used to represent comparative probability relations and our subsequent efforts to broaden the scope of probabilistic reasoning about empirical phenomena by modeling time-invariant, nondeterministic phenomena whose long-run time averages are either divergent or have behavior about which we are ignorant.
Higher Order and Isoparametric Elements

This chapter deals with the higher order and isoparametric elements. For one-dimensional problems, quadratic and cubic interpolation polynomials are presented using three and four nodes, respectively. The polynomials are expressed in terms of global nodal unknowns of the element. To simplify the procedure, the quadratic and cubic elements are represented using natural coordinates. For two-dimensional problems, triangular and quadrilateral elements are considered using quadratic and cubic interpolation models in terms of natural coordinates. The geometrical interpretations of the resulting shape functions are also shown. In three dimensions, for the tetrahedron element, the quadratic and cubic models are developed using tetrahedral coordinates. The n-station Lagrange interpolation functions and general two-station Hermite interpolation functions (of zeroth and first-order functions) are defined. The C 0 and C 1 continuities of the interpolation model are defined. The definition of an isoparametric element is presented along with equations for a line, triangular, and quadrilateral elements. The curve-sided isoparametric elements are also defined. Finally, the details of numerical integration for different types of elements in one, two, and three dimensional spaces using Gausian quadrature are presented.
Peirce on God, Reality and Personality

The first generation of Peirce scholars generally considered his cosmological writings something of an irrelevant embarrassment. Recent commentators have realized that Peirce the tough-minded logician and philosopher of science must somehow be reconciled with Peirce the tender-minded defender of a metaphysics of evolutionary love. This paper will explain how one of the earliest proponents of a broadly verificationist approach to meaning could also defend a conception of the universe as growing toward concrete reasonableness through being loved. Verificationism and cosmology come intriguingly together in Peirce’s denial that unknowable realities can exist and his concomitant insistence that reality is thought-like. Special attention will be paid to this anti-nominalist theory of reality and to one of its consequences, viz. that a person is of the nature of a sign. Peirce’s argument that God is real and personal thus deploys distinctive, valuable and challenging conceptions of reality and personality.
A novel tool for evaluating non-cognitive traits of doctor of physical therapy learners in the United States

PURPOSE The primary aim of this study was to develop a survey addressing an individual's non-cognitive traits, such as emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, social intelligence, psychological flexibility, and grit. Such a tool would provide beneficial information for the continued development of admissions standards and would help better capture the full breadth of experience and capabilities of applicants applying to doctor of physical therapy (DPT) programs. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey study involving learners in DPT programs at 3 academic institutions in the United States. A survey was developed based on established non-proprietary, non-cognitive measures affiliated with success and resilience. The survey was assessed for face validity, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify subgroups of factors based on responses to the items. RESULTS A total of 298 participants (90.3%) completed all elements of the survey. EFA yielded 39 items for dimensional assessment with regression coefficients < 0.4. Within the 39 items, 3 latent constructs were identified: adaptability (16 items), intuitiveness (12 items), and engagement (11 items). CONCLUSION This preliminary non-cognitive assessment survey will be able to play a valuable role in DPT admissions decisions following further examination and refinement.
Impact of chronic hepatitis c virus infection in patients with non-oropharyngeal cancers.

e18027Background: Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with high prevalence of Head and Neck cancers and increased risk of cancer progression and mortality in patients (pts...
Preperitoneal (Stoppa) Open Inguinal Hernia Repair

Open preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair has many advantages and provided the initial foundation for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This approach can be advantageous for large, complicated, and recurrent inguinal hernias. This chapter provides a step-by-step pictorial, with key aspects of the surgical technique required to perform an open preperitoneal, or Stoppa, repair for inguinal hernias.
Employing electronic health record data to predict risk of ED visits for new patients.

144Background: Acute care accounts for half of cancer expenditures and is a measure of poor quality care. Identifying patients at high risk for ED visits enables institutions to target symptom mana...
Regulation of Immune Function by the Lymphatic System in Lymphedema

The lymphatic vasculature has traditionally been thought to play a passive role in the regulation of immune responses by transporting antigen presenting cells and soluble antigens to regional lymph nodes. However, more recent studies have shown that lymphatic endothelial cells regulate immune responses more directly by modulating entry of immune cells into lymphatic capillaries, presenting antigens on major histocompatibility complex proteins, and modulating antigen presenting cells. Secondary lymphedema is a disease that develops when the lymphatic system is injured during surgical treatment of cancers or is damaged by infections. We have used mouse models of lymphedema in order to understand the effects of chronic lymphatic injury on immune responses and have shown that lymphedema results in a mixed T helper cell and T regulatory cell (Treg) inflammatory response. Prolonged T helper 2 biased immune responses in lymphedema regulate the pathology of this disease by promoting tissue fibrosis, inhibiting formation of collateral lymphatics, decreasing lymphatic vessel pumping capacity, and increasing lymphatic leakiness. Treg infiltration following lymphatic injury results from proliferation of natural Tregs and suppresses innate and adaptive immune responses. These studies have broad clinical relevance since understanding how lymphatic injury in lymphedema can modulate immune responses may provide a template with which we can study more subtle forms of lymphatic injury that may occur in physiologic conditions such as aging, obesity, metabolic tumors, and in the tumor microenvironment.
On the Unique Functional Elasticity and Collagen Fiber Kinematics of Heart Valve Leaflets

With the growing prevalence of heart valve diseases, it is important to better understand the biomechanical behavior of normal and pathological heart valve tissues. Recent studies showed that heart valve leaflets exhibited a unique functionally elastic behavior, in which valvular tissues exhibited minimal hysteretic and creep behaviors under biaxial loading, yet allowed stress relaxation similar to other types of collagenous tissues. This unique behavior is in favor of heart valve function, enabling leaflets to bear peak physiological loading without time-dependent deformation. To explore the underlying micromechanical mechanisms, we used small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) under biaxial stretch to explore the collagen fibril kinematics in stress relaxation and creep. We found that collagen fibril reorientation/realignment did not contribute to stress relaxation and creep. In stress relaxation, collagen fibril strain released largely during the first 20 min and the remaining collagen fibril strain stayed relatively constant in the remaining relaxation time. The overall reduction rate of the collagen fibril strain was much larger than the stress decay rate at the tissue level. When the leaflet tissue experienced negligible time-dependent deformation under constant load (negligible creep), the collagen fibril strain was maintained at a constant level during the time course. This difference in collagen fibril kinematics implies the mechanisms responsible for creep and stress relaxation in the leaflet tissue are functionally independent. We thus speculate some type of fibril-level “locking” mechanism exists in leaflet tissue that allows for stress release under constant strain condition, yet does not allow for continued straining under a constant stress. We speculate that the degenerated ECM components in diseased valvular tissues might cause changes in these quasi-elastic behaviors and thus contribute to malfunction of heart valves.
Thirty-Day Major and Minor Complications Following Total Hip Arthroplasty-A Comparison of the Direct Anterior, Lateral, and Posterior Approaches.

Abstract Background The choice of surgical approach during total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains highly controversial. The aim of the present study was to compare 30-day major and minor complications, following primary THA between the direct anterior, lateral, and posterior approaches. Methods Our hospital performs primary THAs using all 3 aforementioned approaches based on surgeon preference. Patients who underwent primary THA from August 2010 to August 2017 were identified using our institution’s total joint registry, and their data were combined with prospectively collected data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (which evaluates a random sample of approximately 20% of all surgical patients in our hospital). Baseline characteristics, operative variables, and postoperative complications were then compared between the three groups. Results The analysis comprised 1967 primary THAs (1913 patients), whereby 56%, 29%, and 15% were performed through a posterior, lateral, and direct anterior approach, respectively. Thirty-day major and minor complications occurred in 3.9% and 9.4% of surgeries, respectively. After adjusting for baseline patient characteristics, there was no significant difference in major or minor perioperative complications between the 3 approaches. Conclusions This study compared perioperative complications between the 3 most commonly used approaches for THA utilizing a synthesis of our institutional total joint registry and high-quality National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data. Thirty-day major and minor complications were similar regardless of the surgical approach employed, which may help surgeons and patients simplify the multiple considerations taken into account when deciding on surgical approach for primary THA. Level of Evidence Therapeutic, Level III.
Bereavement support groups: breathing life into stories of the dead

Culture has a unique ability to shape perspectives and attitudes across the life course and, perhaps most particularly, about death. Often without being aware, people fall into step with certain no...
Peel-off and Stick Antennas for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Antennas on changing platforms without hindering the device performance is a fairly novel concept in antenna technologies. Reconfigurability in terms of the real estate can open new avenues for antenna designs that haven’t been explored before. This paper investigates a ‘peel off’ antenna which can be mounted on any desirable surface and can be made operational. The suggested antenna is reusable and can be made to stick on multiple surfaces based on the operational requirements at a certain point in time. This research is primarily focused on antennas for small unmanned aircraft vehicles (sUAV) and hence both conformal and planar designs are investigated.
Pedagogies and civic programs to develop competencies for democratic culture and civic learning outcomes

INTRODUCTION . Service learning is a pedagogy that can achieve civic competences for learners to participate effectively in culturally diverse democratic societies. METHODOLOGY. A qualitative analysis of research evidence is examined for why service learning provides the optimal pedagogy for achieving democratic competences and civic learning. Civic-mindedness provides a set of common civic learning objectives that can guide both curricular service learning courses and co-curricular civic programs at multiple levels (course, department, school, campus, multicampus). RESULTS . Past meta-analyses are consistent in establishing service learning as an effective means for enhancing civic learning outcomes. Research on Civic-Minded Graduate and Civic-Minded Professional demonstrates their usefulness to provide an integrative framework for civic learning outcomes that can guide the design, implementation, and assessment of both curricular service learning courses and co-curricular civic programs at multiple levels (course, department, school, campus, multicampus). DISCUSSION. Institutions of higher learning can accept the challenge to enhance civic learning through service learning, co-curricular programs focused on civic outcomes, and other effective, high-impact pedagogies to enhance long-term habits of community engagement that contribute to the public good. A key component of developing civic learning, in addition to high quality course design, is providing opportunities for dialogue and collaboration with diverse others.