cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamical computer simulation of the evolution of a one-dimensional dislocation pileup

The dynamical evolution of a one-dimensional dislocation pileup is numerically studied in this paper. By extending particle methods of computational statistical mechanics, criteria for accurate numerical simulation of the pileup evolution are established. A combination of explicit integration of the equations of motion and dislocation freezing after 40 position oscillations gives a maximum error of 5% in the trajectory of the leading dislocation. Explicit integration preserves spatially oscillatory behavior and is shown to give accurate results. The evolution of the dislocation distribution function shows small density wave formation during the compression phase of the pileup.
Profit Opportunities with the American Put-Call Parity When Dividends Are Not Expected

The objective of this research is to study borrowing and lending profit opportunities with the put-call parity of American options when dividends on the stock are not expected. Studying profit opportunities embedded in the put-call parity is intriguing because of their relative simplicity. The only assumptions necessary for the parity to hold are that option markets are frictionless and generate efficient prices of puts and calls around the underlying stock price. For this reason alone (parsimony of postulates) the put-call parity is a tempting vehicle for studying option market efficiency. In this work it is shown that both synthetic lending and borrowing parities (before and after transaction costs), on average and ex post, have negative expected profits (i.e. put-call parity implied rates are inferior to the observed riskless rate). When certain trading rules are established, however, empirical evidence of substantial profit opportunities with both lending and borrowing with the American parity (even after considering transaction costs) is observed. It is also shown that these opportunities are greater for some stocks than for others. The existence of these disparities might be an indication that the pricing mechanism of the respective options is not always in sync. The duration of disequilibrium between the options market and the stock market suggests that such occurrences are not just random bursts.
On optimal power allocation for turbo codes

A scheme for optimum power allocation for the different bits of a turbo code is introduced. It is shown that by employing this scheme performance improvements in the range of 0.5-0.7 dB can be achieved without introducing any complexity or delay at the decoder.
Coordination Adducts of Niobium(V) and Tantalum(V) Azide M(N3)5 (M=Nb, Ta) with Nitrogen Donor Ligands and their Self‐Ionization

Several new donor-acceptor adducts of niobium and tantalum pentaazide with N-donor ligands have been prepared from the pentafluorides by fluoride-azide exchange with Me3SiN3 in the presence of the corresponding donor ligand. With 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline, the self-ionization products [MF4(2,2'-bipy)2](+)[M(N3)6](-), [M(N3)4(2,2'-bipy)2](+)[M(N3)6](-) and [M(N3)4(1,10-phen)2](+)[M(N3)6](-) were obtained. With the donor ligands 3,3'-bipyridine and 4,4'-bipyridine the neutral pentaazide adducts (M(N3)5)2⋅L (M=Nb, Ta; L=3,3'-bipy, 4,4'-bipy) were formed.
Erosion of fine-grained marine sediments: Sea-floor and laboratory experiments

Estimates of threshold erosion velocities have been obtained in the field and in the laboratory for marine mud relatively rich in organic matter and having an active infauna. A sea-floor flume was used to erode undisturbed sediments on the sea floor, and a laboratory flume was used to study the effects of sampling, redeposition, bioturbation, organic-matter content, and compaction time on erosion resistance. Critical shear velocity, u * c , for erosion of muds in situ ranged from 0.32 to 0.84 cm/s, and u * c was apparently independent of season or bulk physical properties. Erosion was often but not always initiated in biogenically disturbed parts of the bed. Lee drifts around small bed-roughness elements were the most common constructional bedforms observed during the sea-floor experiments, and narrow and shallow longitudinal furrows were the most commonly observed erosional features. Tidal u * c values measured at the field site were of the same magnitude as the u * c values measured with the sea-floor flume. Mean u * c for muds redeposited and bioturbated for 1 to 60 days in the laboratory flume (0.92 cm/s) was greater by a factor of two than mean u * c for muds eroded in situ (0.45 cm/s). As bioturbation time in the laboratory increased, u * c decreased. Increases in sediment organic content were found to increase u * c systematically in flat, nonbioturbated laboratory beds.
14N NMR relaxation in monovalent ions in aqueous metal ion solutions

Abstract 14 N NMR relaxation rates are investigated in several singly charged ions including ammonium and several pseudohalogen ions. The results indicate that the changes in the electric field gradient sensed at the nitrogen nuclei when these ions bind to a metal ion are relatively small. Extension of these relaxation measurements to the investigating macromolecule-metal ion interactions is discussed. It is concluded that these relaxation measurements will only infrequently be a fruitful approach to characterizing metal-macromolecule binding sites.
Erythropoietin Increases Endothelial Biosynthesis of Tetrahydrobiopterin by Activation of Protein Kinase Bα/Akt1

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH 4 ) is an essential cofactor required for enzymatic activity of endothelial NO synthase. Recently, it has been shown that vascular protective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) are dependent on activation of endothelial NO synthase. Therefore, our objective was to characterize the effect of EPO on the biosynthesis of BH 4 in the vascular wall. Incubation of isolated C57BL/6J mouse aortas for 18 hours with recombinant human EPO (1 to 50 U/mL) caused a concentration-dependent increase in intracellular BH 4 levels and activity of GTP-cyclohydrolase I. Maximal biosynthesis of BH 4 was detected at therapeutic concentrations of 5 U/mL. Removal of the endothelium abolished EPO-induced biosynthesis of BH 4 demonstrating that the vascular endothelium is a major source of BH 4 . Treatment with a selective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin significantly reduced BH 4 biosynthesis stimulated by EPO. The stimulatory effect of EPO on vascular GTP-cyclohydrolase I activity, BH 4 production, and phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase was also detected in vivo in mice treated with recombinant human EPO. These effects of EPO were abolished in protein kinase Bα/Akt1-deficient mice. In addition, EPO significantly increased systolic blood pressure and the number of circulating platelets in Akt1-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate that EPO stimulates biosynthesis of BH 4 in vascular endothelium and that the increase in BH 4 levels is caused by de novo biosynthesis of BH 4 via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt1 pathway. This effect is most likely designed to provide optimal intracellular concentration of the cofactor necessary for EPO-induced elevation of endothelial NO synthase activity.
The discrete dynamics of monotonically decomposable maps

We extend results of Gouze and Hadeler (in Nonlinear World 1:23-34, 1994) concerning the dynamics generated by a map on an ordered metric space that can be decomposed into increasing and decreasing parts. Our main results provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a globally asymptotically stable fixed point for the map. Applications to discrete-time, stage-structured population models are given.
Preserving ovarian function in patients receiving cyclophosphamide

CA Slater, MH Liang*, JW McCune, GM Christman and MR Laufer Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Rheumatology, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Division of Gynecology, Department of Surgery, Division of Adolescent=Young Adult Medicine, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Feeding polyunsaturated vegetable oils to lactating cows.

Abstract Holstein cows fed concentrate:hay diets also were fed for 14 days supplements of soybean oil plus casein, soybean oil protected from ruminal hydrogenation by encapsulation in a casein-formaldehyde matrix, cottonseed oil plus casein, or cottonseed oil protected with casein-formaldehyde. The supplements were fed at rates to give a linoleic acid (18:2) intake of 225 g/day. Yields of milk and milk protein were not affected by treatment. Milk 18:2 was not increased by the unprotected soybean oil or cottonseed oil but was increased by protected soybean and cottonseed oil from a control of 2.3 to 5.7% of total milk fat. Milk 18:0 and 18:1 also increased. Compensatory declines were observed in milk 16:0 and 14:0 acids. In fecal fatty acids during the treatment periods, percentage of 18:2 of the total fat decreased and 18:0 markedly increased. These results indicate hydrogenation of the dietary oils in the alimentary tract or a differential absorption. Fecal 16:0 and 14:0 decreased.
49er Alerts: Utilizing Mobile Marketing Technology for Library Outreach

The increase in smartphone ownership presents new opportunities for libraries to reach their users beyond traditional communication channels. This article describes a grant-funded project to design and develop a smartphone application to enhance library outreach activities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's J. Murrey Atkins Library. Adapting strategies commonly used by retailers in proximity marketing, the application utilizes technologies such as Bluetooth and iBeacon to deliver information about resources and services directly to mobile devices when users enter the library. The authors describe the project's initial development process and offer future directions for mobile marketing technology in libraries.
Modeling, Simulation and Experimental Validation of Heat Transfer During Selective Laser Melting

Selective Laser Melting (SLM), a laser powder-bed fusion (PBF-L) additive manufacturing method, utilizes a laser to selectively fuse adjacent metal powders. The powders are aligned in a bed that moves vertically to allow for layer-by-layer part construction-Process-related heat transfer and thermal gradients have a strong influence on the microstructural features, and subsequent mechanical properties, of the parts fabricated via SLM. In order to understand and control the heat transfer inherent to SLM, and to ensure high quality parts with targeted microstructures and mechanical properties, comprehensive knowledge of the related energy and mass transport during manufacturing is required. In this study, the transient temperature distribution within and around parts being fabricated via SLM is numerically simulated and the results are provided to aid in quantify the SLM heat transfer. In order to verify simulation output, and to estimate actual thermal gradients and heat transfer, experiments were separately conducted within a SLM machine using a substrate with embedded thermocouples. The experiments focused on characterizing heat fluxes during initial deposition on an initially-cold substrate and during the fabrication of a thin-walled structure built via stainless steel 17-4 powders. Results indicate that it is important to model heat transfer thorough powder bed as well as substrate.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Abstract 3546: Arming a tumor targeted oncolytic herpes simplex sirus type 1 with matrix metalloproteinase 9 for enhanced vector distribution and killing activity

Early phase human clinical trials using several versions of oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (oHSV) have shown promise in the treatment of GBM, but efficacy has been limited. Impediments to oHSV therapy include poor virus spread due in part to the tumor extracellular matrix, and insufficient replication in tumor cells as a result of attenuating mutations. Thus, the central goal of this project is to improve oncolytic vector delivery, replication and spread while maintaining safety and tumor specificity. We have already developed a new class of two stage tumor targeted oHSV combining (i) selective infection through tumor-specific receptors and (ii) selective replication based on differential expression of microRNAs (miRs) in tumor and normal cells. We further modify our vector by arming with the matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) as a means to reduce vector trapping in the tumor extracellular matrix. Here we show that MMP9 expression (i) enhances Oncolytic vector spreading in GBM neruospheres in vitro and (ii) improves tumor killing in a xenogeneic model of primary human GBM with significant long-term survival (≥50%) comparable to the control. Citation Format: Aofei Li, Marco Marzulli, Mingdi Zhang, William Goins, Balveen Kaur, Chelsea Bolyard, Nduka Amankulor, Daniela Leronni, Paola Sette, Justus Cohen, Joseph Glorioso, Paola Grandi. Arming a tumor targeted oncolytic herpes simplex sirus type 1 with matrix metalloproteinase 9 for enhanced vector distribution and killing activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3546. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3546
Effect of Competitive Surface Functionalization on Dual-Modality Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

It is well-known that ionic surfactant coated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) possess higher near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) quantum yield than nonionic polymer functionalized SWNTs. However, the influence of surface functionalization on the magnetic properties of SWNTs for T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not been reported. Here, we demonstrate that SWNTs functionalized by nonionic polymers display superior T2 relaxivity for MRI as compared to those coated by ionic surfactants. This difference may indicate that micelle structures formed by ionic surfactants are sufficiently tight to partially exclude water protons from the iron catalysts attached to the ends of SWNTs. On the basis of the different effects of the two types of suspension agents on NIRF and MRI of functionalized SWNTs, we further explore the competitive surface functionalization between ionic surfactants and nonionic polymers by stepwise replacing ionic surfactant molecules in a nanotube suspension with nonionic polymers. The superior NIRF of ionic surfactant coated SWNTs gradually quenches whereas no improvement on T2 relaxivity is observed during this replacement process. This result may indicate that nonionic polymers wrap around the outside of micelle structures to form small nanotube bundles rather than replacing ionic surfactants in the micelle structures to directly interact with the SWNT surface. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of dual-modality NIRF and MRI of nonionic polymer functionalized SWNTs in brain cells.
Instructional Methods and Mental Models of Students: An Empirical Investigation

In this study I explore the differences in the mental models of students exposed to three instructional methods of teaching an organizational behavior course—lecture–discussion, experiential, and h...
Fatigue Behavior of Neat and Polymer-Modified Binders and Mastics

The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of strain amplitude and filler on long term-aged neat and polymer modified binders using two different methods of analysis. The strain amplitudes tested were 0.5% and 1.5%. The filler content for the mastic binder was 3% dust to binder by mass. The paper will compare the fatigue life of the neat and modified PAV-aged binders and mastics, and determine the influence of strain amplitude, and filler on fatigue life. The lesser the strain amplitude, the longer is the fatigue life. Adding 3% filler to neat binder shortens the fatigue life. However, adding 3% filler to a modified binder will lengthen the fatigue life. The impact of addition of dust to the binders on fatigue life is dependent on whether the binder is modified or not.
STUDY OF FREQUENCY CHARACTER OF THE SELF-EXCITED OSCILLATION CAVITY AND ITS CAVITY DESIGN

The self-excited oscillation cavity is the device that produces pulse jet. After it had been applied to the petroleum industry, great profit has been obtained. UP to now, little has been known about its structure character in order to make it work efficiently, it is necessary further research it. Therefore the characteristics of the inherent frequency and the relations with related parameters were analyzed in this paper. The theoretical formulas were verified by experiment. A new kind of cavity design method to the 4 1/2” mono-cone bit and 5” diamond bit installed the self-excited oscillation cavity were provided in this paper. At the same time, some fundamental studies for the fluid flow law and computer simulation were also accomplished.
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage. An unusual complication of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage.

A newborn boy had exsanguinating gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the first week of life secondary to an unusual form of infradiaphragmatic pulmonary venous drainage. Autopsy and postmortem angiograms demonstrated huge esophageal varices as the source of the uncontrolled bleeding. The occurrence of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage should be considered to be a rare but possibly lethal complication in patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) types III and IV.
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group studies of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in advanced breast cancer

Based on their single-agent activity in metastatic breast cancer, paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) and doxorubicin have been alternated and combined in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group studies to identify a tolerable dose and schedule. A pilot trial in patients who had received no more than one prior chemotherapy regimen alternated paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 and doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Seven of 12 patients had objective (complete plus partial) responses. A second (phase I) trial combined doxorubicin as an intravenous push and paclitaxel as a 24-hour continuous infusion. To evaluate the effect of the schedule on toxicity, the drug administration sequence (doxorubicin-->paclitaxel or paclitaxel-->doxorubicin) was alternated both between and within patients. initial doses were paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 and doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 in six patients, with a subsequent six patients receiving 175 and 60 mg/m2, respectively. Dose-limiting mucositis was seen at the second dose level when paclitaxel preceded doxorubicin, suggesting an important role for the administration sequence in determining toxicity (and possibly efficacy) in this regimen. These results support the sequence of doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 followed by paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 as the maximum tolerated dose. This combination has been incorporated as a treatment arm in an ongoing randomized prospective phase III Intergroup trial. By comparing the combination with both drugs as single agents (with crossover to the opposite agent at disease progression), investigators will attempt to assess response, toxicity, and time to progression as well as the degree of cross-resistance between the two agents. Given the poor prognosis of patients with advanced breast cancer, the three arms also will be evaluated in terms of patients' quality of life.
Observation of a Feshbach Resonance in Cold Atom Scattering

Due to atomic interactions, a dilute gas Bose-Einstein condensate acquires a self- energy proportional to the two-body scattering length a. This self-energy strongly influences the stability, formation rate, size and shape, collective excitations, and other properties of a condensate. For a given atomic species at zero magnetic field, the scattering length is fixed, and this had led to a rather limited range of interaction strengths in experiments. However, it has been predicted that a magnetically tunable Feshbach resonance could be used to strongly modify scattering lengths [1]. We have observed such a Feshbach resonance in collisions of ultracold 85Rb(f =2, mf=−2) atoms in a magnetic field B. From our measured resonance position and width, we infer that the scattering length a2,−2 for collisions of these atoms has the dispersive resonance form.
Outcomes Using a Conservative Versus Liberal Red Blood Cell Transfusion Strategy in Infants Requiring Cardiac Operation.

Background The optimal hemoglobin for infants after cardiac operation is unknown. Red blood cells (RBCs) are commonly transfused to maintain high hemoglobin concentrations in the absence of a clinical indication. We hypothesized that infants can be managed with a postoperative conservative RBC transfusion strategy, resulting in lower daily hemoglobin concentrations, without evidence of impaired oxygen delivery (ie, lactate, arteriovenous oxygen difference [avO 2 diff]), or adverse clinical outcomes. Methods Infants weighing 10 kg or less undergoing biventricular repair or palliative (nonseptated) operation were randomly assigned to either a postoperative conservative or liberal transfusion strategy. Conservative group strategy was RBC transfusion for a hemoglobin less than 7.0 g/dL for biventricular repairs or less than 9.0 g/dL for palliative procedures plus a clinical indication. Liberal group strategy was RBC transfusion for hemoglobin less than 9.5 g/dL for biventricular repairs or less than 12 g/dL for palliative procedures regardless of clinical indication. Results After the operation of 162 infants (82 conservative [53 biventricular, 29 palliative], 80 liberal [52 biventricular, 28 palliative]), including 12 Norwood procedures (6 conservative, 6 liberal), daily hemoglobin concentrations were significantly lower within the conservative group than the liberal group by postoperative day 1 and remained lower for more than 10 days. The percentage of patients requiring a RBC transfusion, number of transfusions, and volume of transfusions were all significantly lower within the conservative group. Despite lower hemoglobin concentrations within the conservative group, lactate, avO 2 diff, and clinical outcomes were similar. Conclusions Infants undergoing cardiac operation can be managed with a conservative RBC transfusion strategy. Clinical indications should help guide the decision for RBC transfusion even in this uniquely vulnerable population. Larger multicenter trials are needed to confirm these results, and focus on the highest risk patients would be of great interest.
Purpose and Method

My purpose in this book is to examine, with special reference to the Bible, the concept of the knowledge of God. This task will involve me in both philosophical analysis and biblical exegesis. Philosophically, I shall have to examine whether or not the expression ‘the knowledge of God’, as used in the Bible, makes sense. This will involve me in a consideration of what anything has to be in order to be knowledge, and what God has to be in order to known. Exegetically, my task will be to examine a selection of claims to know God which occur in the Bible in order to discover precisely what they purport to claim.
Proteome analysis of posttranslational modifications.

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on current progress in the identification of protein modifications, with an emphasis on phosphorylation and glycosylation. One of the most important posttranslational protein modifications used to modulate protein activity and propagate signals within cellular pathways and networks is phosphorylation. The radioactive proteins are used in fractionation procedures, such as two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To determine the amino acid types that are modified, the phosphor-proteins is completely hydrolyzed and the phosphor-amino acid content determined. The specific site(s) of phosphorylation can be determined by the proteolytic digestion of the radio-labeled protein, separation and detection of phosphorylated peptides. Although mass spectrometry (MS) measurements can confirm the presence of a phosphate group on a peptide, tandem MS is still necessary to establish the specific site of phosphorylation when two or more phosphorylatable residues are present. Because most phosphorylation sites are identified at the peptide level, the focus of this chapter is on the MS analysis of phosphopeptides. The two main types of glycosylation are referred to as “N-linked” (covalently attached to the nitrogen atom of Asn side chains) or “O-linked” (attached to the oxygen atom of primarily Ser and Thr side chains). The advances that have been made in the technology to identify proteins in complex biological mixtures have also benefited the characterization of posttranslational modifications. Although the characterization of phosphorylated proteins, and even more so glycoproteins, is far from routine, a much greater effort is being focused on these two classes of proteins than ever before.
Rapid Enumeration of Psychrotrophic Bacteria in Raw and Pasteurized Milk

A plating method was developed to enumerate psychrotrophic bacteria in raw and pasteurized milk. Standard Methods agar plates were prepared according to Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, and incubated at 21 C for 25 h (21 C-25 h). Counts obtained by this method were in very good agreement with those obtained by the standard psychrotrophic count. The correlation coefficients between counts obtained by the 21 C-25 h method and by the standard psychrotrophic count method for 132 samples of raw milk and 190 samples of pasteurized milk were 0.992 and 0.996, respectively.
FACTORS INFLUENCING PRODUCTION RATES IN SOLUTION MINING OF URANIUM USING BASIC LIXIVIANTS.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the rate of uranium and molybdenum extraction from a flow reactor. Specific variables tested are fluid throughput and flow rate, lixiviant cation, and injected pH and carbonate concentration. The ore tested was from the Felder mine in southern Texas. It contained substantial quantities of marcasite and molybdenum disulfide that competed with the uranium ore for oxidant. Flow studies showed the oxidation of molybdenum disulfide under field conditions is mass transfer controlled, whereas the uranium oxidation is limited by surface reaction rate. The rate of uranium oxidation decreased with decreasing pH. The total carbonate levels, on the other hand, were unimportant. Ammonium carbonate appears to greatly decrease, if not completely halt, the reaction of marcasite with the oxygen. This effect was not found using either sodium or potassium carbonate.
A class of nonstatic exact solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations

In this paper, we present a class of spherically symmetric nonstatic exact solutions of Einstein–Maxwell’s field equations. We have assumed the pressure distribution to be anisotropic and have taken ansatz on two of the gravitational potentials. The solutions admit negative values of the radial pressure. We have also discussed criteria on the physical variables to be acceptable.
Recovery of methotrexate-induced anuric acute kidney injury after glucarpidase therapy.

Objectives:This case report describes two cases of high-dose methotrexate–induced nephrotoxicity: death in the case of conventional supportive care and successful renal function recovery in a patient treated with glucarpidase and continuous dialysis.Methods:High dose methotrexate is widely used for management of adult and pediatric malignancies. However, high-dose methotrexate–induced renal nephrotoxicity may cause severe, even lethal complications. Here we present examples of such outcomes.Results:We present one case of lethal high-dose methotrexate nephrotoxicity in a patient treated with conventional rescue therapy. We contrast this outcome with another patient with high-dose methotrexate–induced anuric acute kidney injury, who has recovered renal function following therapy with glucarpidase and continuous dialysis.Conclusions:This is only the second reported case of high-dose methotrexate–induced anuric acute kidney injury, and the only one with a reported clinical outcome. This first report of recove...
Long-Term Consequences of Pain and Stress in Neonates

Historically, researchers believed that human neonates were not fully capable of perceiving localized pain. This was based on the assumption that immaturity of the nervous system, more specifically, incomplete cortical synaptogenesis and incomplete myelination limit the processing of nociception. Numerous investigations over the past 30 years have produced evidence to strongly dispute this view [1–5]. Evidence is clear that in even the most prematurely born infants, for example, at a postmenstrual age of 24 completed weeks, the neuronal circuitry and neurochemical capacities necessary for nociceptive processing of pain are intact [6]. While the physiologic and behavioral responses of pain in neonates have been well described, the long-term effects of repeated exposures to pain and stress have been less well studied. The purpose of this chapter is to first present a review of stress dysregulation within the context of prematurity and stress-related painful events; second, to examine potential linkages among pain/stress exposures, brain structure, and neurobehavioral development; and, third, to address the potential long-term impact of pain/stress exposures on families and health care providers.
Inappropriate Off-label Use of a Qualitative, Point-of-care hCG Device.

Author(s): Nerenz, Robert D; Gronowski, Ann M; Grenache, David G | Abstract: N/A, letter to the editor
Comparison of Pelvic Osteotomies in the Treatment of Congenital Hip Dislocation

In the child beyond walking age, several types of pelvic osteotomy have been popularized in order to improve the mechanics of the hip joint and to retard the development of osteoarthritis. Each procedure has its own rationale and method, and accordingly, the indications vary somewhat for each type of procedure. Our purpose is to review the principles of patient assessment and to discuss the Pemberton pericapsular osteotomy, the Steel triple innominate osteotomy, Sutherland’s osteotomy and the shelf acetabuloplasty.
Feasible encodings for GA solutions of constrained minimal spanning tree problems

We solve by a genetic algorithm (GA), three NP-hard, constrained, minimal spanning tree (MST) problems on a complete graph using a novel encoding for the genotype which ensures feasibility of the search space when performing crossover and mutation and when initializing the population. By employing a feasible encoding the standard, mainstream, GA paradigm is preserved allowing us to capture the full benefits of the genetic operators. We do not need to resort to the elaborate and time consuming detection and repair operations proposed by other researchers to handle non feasible population members. The feasible genotype for the degree constrained or leaf constrained MST problem is a permutation code which is suitably mapped into a Prufer code (phenotype) whose spanning tree obeys the desired tree constraints. This methodology can provide a framework for the development of feasible GA encodings for a wide class of other constrained minimal spanning tree problems on a complete graph. The effectiveness and competitive performance of this methodology is demonstrated by convergence to a global optimum for various degree constrained MST problems including a benchmark problem often cited in the literature.
Active metal brazing of advanced ceramic composites to metallic systems

: Advanced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) outperform traditional ceramics in many ways and have shown potential for demanding applications. Net-shape manufacture of CMC parts is challenging, and many advanced applications demand robust and reliable integration technologies such as brazing. Brazing of CMC/metal joints is reviewed, highlighting scientific issues together with a discussion of some of the challenges that brazing of CMCs presents. Brazing practices for SiC–SiC, C–SiC, C–C, ZrB2-based ultra-high-temperature composites, and oxide, nitride and silicate-based composites are presented. Recent research results on interface microstructure, composition and properties are discussed. Scaling effects, time–temperature–environment dependent thermomechanical properties, design guidelines and life-prediction analyses, and tools for CMC/metal joints to be used in structures constitute future research imperatives.
Communicating with patients who have psychiatric problems

Psychiatric or emotional problems may become barriers to effective communication. These barriers may include factors that the physician cannot control, factors that can be controlled and factors that stem directly from psychopathology. External factors include language differences or hearing impairment. Internal factors generally stem from prejudices, maladaptive attitudes or misinformation on the part of the physician. All of these barriers must be surmounted in the interest of enhancing patient care.
Efficient Worker Assignment in Crowdsourced Data Labeling Using Graph Signal Processing

The first step in solving a classification problem is to collect and label a sufficient amount of training data. Given the time and cost associated to data labeling, crowdsourcing systems (e.g., Amazon Mechanical Turk) are often used. However, one of the key disadvantages of crowdsourcing systems is the presence of spammers or workers who are not as skilled or careful, thus leading to many false labels being assigned. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a novel algorithm based on graph signal sampling theory, which optimally assigns data to different workers for labeling by taking into account the expected quality of labeling provided by each worker. Our simulation of the labeling process using these schemes shows that the classification error can be reduced significantly with respect to a random assignment of workers.
Improving Hypertension Control in Primary Care With the Measure Accurately, Act Rapidly, and Partner With Patients Protocol.

Better blood pressure (BP; mm Hg) control is a pivotal national strategy for preventing cardiovascular events. Measure accurately, Act rapidly, and Partner with patients (MAP) with practice facilit...
First-in-Human Experience With Integration of a Hydrocephalus Shunt Device Within a Customized Cranial Implant.

Background Implantable shunt devices are critical and life saving for hydrocephalus patients. However, these devices are fraught with high complication rates including scalp dehiscence, exposure, and extrusion. In fact, high shunt valve profiles are correlated with increased complications compared to those with lower profiles. As such, we sought a new method for integrating shunt valves for those challenging patients presenting with scalp-related complications. Objective To safely implant and integrate a hydrocephalus shunt valve device within a customized cranial implant, in an effort to limit its high-profile nature as a main contributor to shunt failure and scalp breakdown, and at the same time, improve patient satisfaction by preventing contour deformity. Methods A 64-yr-old male presented with an extruding hydrocephalus shunt valve and chronic, open scalp wound. The shunt valve was removed and temporary shunt externalization was performed. He received 2 wk of culture-directed antibiotics. Next, a contralateral craniectomy was performed allowing a new shunt valve system to be implanted within a low-profile, customized cranial implant. All efforts were made, at the patient's request, to decrease the high-profile nature of the shunt valve contributing to his most recent complication. Results First-in-human implantation was performed without complication. Postoperative shunt identification and programming was uncomplicated. The high-profile nature of the shunt valve was decreased by 87%. At 10 mo, the patient has experienced no complications and is extremely satisfied with his appearance. Conclusion This first-in-human experience suggests that a high-profile hydrocephalus shunt device may be safely integrated within a customized cranial implant.
Adverse effects of BMPR2 suppression in macrophages in animal models of pulmonary hypertension

Inflammatory cells contribute to irreversible damage in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We hypothesized that in PAH, dysfunctional BMPR2 signaling in macrophages contributes to pulmonary vas...
On the capacity of multi-hop wireless networks with partial network knowledge

In large wireless networks, acquiring full network state information is typically infeasible. Hence, nodes need to flow the information and manage the interference based on partial information about the network. In this paper, we consider multi-hop wireless networks and assume that each source only knows the channel gains that are on the routes from itself to other destinations in the network. We develop several distributed strategies to manage the interference among the users and prove their optimality in maximizing the achievable normalized sum-rate for some classes of networks.
Select Numerical Methods

The basic concept of the numerical simulation is to discretize the accurate, spatially and temporally continuous differential equations into approximate, discrete algebraic equations that can be solved by a compute
Physician and Trainee Experiences With Patient Bias.

Importance As the clinical workforce becomes more diverse, physicians encounter patients who demean them based on social characteristics. Little is known about physicians’ perspectives on these encounters and their effects. This knowledge would help develop policies and best practices for institutions and training programs. Objective To describe the range and importance of encounters with biased patients and the barriers and facilitators to effective responses. Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study recruited convenience samples of hospitalist attending physicians, internal medicine residents, and medical students from 3 campuses affiliated with 1 academic medical center. Data were collected from 50 individuals within 13 focus groups from May 9 through October 15, 2018. Focus groups were conducted using open-ended probes, audiotaped, and transcribed. Participants used their own definition of biased patient behavior. Each transcript was independently coded by at least 2 investigators. Data were analyzed from May 2018 through February 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Major themes associated with types of encounter, importance to the participant, and barriers and facilitators to effective responses were abstracted through the constant comparative approach. Results Overall, 50 individuals (11 hospitalists, 26 residents, and 13 students) participated; 24 (48%) were nonwhite. At total of 26 participants (52%) identified as women; 22 (44%), as men; and 2 (4%), as gender nonconforming. Reports of biased behavior ranged from patient refusal of care and explicit racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks to belittling compliments or jokes. Targeted physicians reported an emotional toll that included exhaustion, self-doubt, and cynicism. Nontargeted bystanders reported moral distress and uncertainty about how to respond. Participant responses ranged from withdrawal from clinical role to a heightened determination to provide standard of care. Barriers to effective responses included lack of skills, insufficient support from senior colleagues and the institution, and perception of lack of utility associated with responding. Participants expressed a need for training on dealing with biased patients and for clear institutional policies to guide responses. Conclusions and Relevance In this qualitative study of physicians and medical students, encounters with demeaning patients ranged from refusal of care to belittling jokes and were highly challenging and painful. Addressing biased patient behavior will require a concerted effort from medical schools and hospitals to create policies and trainings conducive to a clinical environment that respects the diversity of patients and physicians alike.
Competition for limited neural resources in older adults leads to greater asymmetry of bilateral movements than in young adults

We provide evidence for greater asymmetry of interlimb differences in bilateral coordination for stabilizing and preserved asymmetry of reaching with aging. These results provide the first evidence...
Disability and Recovery After Hospitalization for Medical Illness Among Community-Living Older Persons: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives To determine for each basic, instrumental, and mobility activity after hospitalization for acute medical illness: (1) disability prevalence immediately before and monthly for 6 months after hospitalization; (2) disability incidence 1 month after hospitalization; and (3) recovery time from incident disability during months 2 to 6 after hospitalization. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting New Haven, Connecticut. Participants A total of 515 community-living persons, mean age 82.7 years, hospitalized for acute noncritical medical illness and alive within 1 month of hospital discharge. Measurements Disability was defined monthly for each basic (bathing, dressing, walking, transferring), instrumental (shopping, housework, meal preparation, taking medications, managing finances), and mobility activity (walking a quarter mile, climbing flight of stairs, lifting/carrying 10 pounds, driving) if help was needed to perform the activity or if a car was not driven in the prior month. Results Disability was common 1 and 6 months after hospitalization for activities frequently involved in leaving the home to access care including walking a quarter mile (prevalence 65% and 53%, respectively) and driving (65% and 61%). Disability was also common for activities involved in self-managing chronic health conditions including meal preparation (53% and 41%) and taking medications (41% and 31%). New disability was common and often prolonged. For example, 43% had new disability walking a quarter mile, and 30% had new disability taking medications, with mean recovery time of 1.9 months and 1.7 months, respectively. Findings were similar for the subgroup of persons residing at home (ie, not in a nursing home) at the first monthly follow-up interview after hospitalization. Conclusion Disability in specific functional activities important to leaving home to access care and self-managing health conditions is common, often new, and present for prolonged time periods after hospitalization for acute medical illness. Post-discharge care should support patients through extended periods of vulnerability beyond the immediate transitional period. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:486-495, 2020.
When you need identity management, people higher in some “dark” personalities can be your most thoughtful and altruistic helpers

Abstract Some research found that actors higher in dark-personality constructs help others cultivate desired identities (i.e., beneficial impression management; BIM) and this helping could be based partly in an altruistic agenda. We expand on these findings by testing whether these “dark” actors are responsive to the salient identity needs of others. Participants completed indices of grandiose narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and vulnerable narcissism. Then, participants imagined a scenario wherein they would complete a mock recommendation form by rating a hypothetical friend on desirable characteristics. Prior to providing ratings, participants self-reported their intent to use BIM. As a between-subjects manipulation, participants found that their friend was either deficient (high need) or adequate (low need) on the desirable characteristics. All dark-personality constructs (sans grandiose narcissism) related to enhanced BIM intent. Grandiose narcissism and Machiavellianism related to enhanced BIM usage, but these effects were stronger in the high-need condition. All dark-personality constructs related positively to self-reported selfish goals, and grandiose narcissism and Machiavellianism also related positively to self-reported altruistic goals. The study provides evidence that grandiose-narcissistic and Machiavellian actors might experience altruistic orientations and respond to the identity needs of others in contexts involving BIM.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: Indications and Technique

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a key tool in the care of many patients with melanoma. The indications for the procedure have gradually become clearer over the 3 decades since the technique was developed. For appropriately selected patients, it carries enormous significance. Although it is a minimally invasive procedure, it does carry some risk. It is also a multidisciplinary procedure, requiring knowledge and experience from several specialties including nuclear medicine, surgery, and pathology.
The Frankfurt-style cases: extinguishing the flickers of freedom

The Frankfurt-style Counterexamples (FSCs) to the Principle of Alternative Possibilities (PAP) have been controversial. I sketch some of the major moves in the debates surrounding the FSCs, and I s...
Age-Dependent Distributed MAC for Ultra-Dense Wireless Networks

We consider an ultra-dense wireless network with N channels and M = N devices. Messages with fresh information are generated at each device according to a random process and need to be transmitted to an access point. The value of a message decreases as it ages, so each device searches for an idle channel to transmit the message as soon as it can. However, each channel probing is associated with a fixed cost (energy), so a device needs to adapt its probing rate based on the "age" of the message. At each device, the design of the optimal probing strategy can be formulated as an infinite horizon Markov Decision Process (MDP) where the devices compete with each other to find idle channels. While it is natural to view the system as a Bayesian game, it is often intractable to analyze such a system. Thus, we use the Mean Field Game (MFG) approach to analyze the system in a large-system regime, where the number of devices is very large, to understand the structure of the problem and to find efficient probing strategies. We present an analysis based on the MFG perspective. We begin by characterizing the space of valid policies and use this to show the existence of a Mean Field Nash Equilibrium (MFNE) in a constrained set for any general increasing cost functions with diminishing rewards. Further we provide an algorithm for computing the equilibrium for any given device, and the corresponding age-dependent channel probing policy.
Modal Analysis of Electric sail

Abstract The electric solar wind sail (E-sail) has been proposed as a novel propulsion system that, if successful, promises to facilitate missions that would be inconvenient or impractical with traditional chemical propellants. The most common E-sail concept includes a central hub with several long positively charged tethers extending radially outward that harvest momentum from protons in the solar wind. Before the technology is ready for a demonstration mission, we must prove E-sail dynamics can be controlled throughout all phases of the mission. The objective of this paper is to present an analytical model for the linear vibrations of hub and spoke E-sails to facilitate the development of necessary control schemes. Although there is no limit to the number of spokes in our model, we demonstrate its capability by representing a system with 3 spokes. The resultant natural frequencies and mode shapes provide insight into the dynamics and stability of E-sails and lay the foundation for development of control schemes. In addition, our work reveals several simple calculations that accurately estimate many of the natural frequencies and could be used to facilitate the design of future E-sails.