cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium Dielectric Properties Of Birefringent Artificial Kerr Media

Equilibrium dielectric properties are discussed for a multi-component medium consisting of suspended ellipsoidal microparticles in a homogeneous background host medium. An estimate is given of the electric-field induced orientation time for forming optical anisotropy.
Calculation of the radar ambiguity function from time-domain measurement data for real-time, amplifier-in-the-loop waveform optimization

The ambiguity function is a measure of a radar's range and Doppler detection capability. Cognitive radar systems require the capability to adjust the waveform in realtime to obtain desired range/Doppler detection capability while meeting stringent spectral requirements. While the ambiguity function of the waveform input to the transmitter can be simulated, it is the ambiguity function of the transmitter power amplifier's output waveform that will be used for the detection. As such, it is very helpful to be able to measure the ambiguity function output from a power amplifier in the optimization process. This paper describes a technique that can be used to quickly calculate the ambiguity function for the output waveform from the radar amplifier as measured on an oscilloscope. Brief examination is also given to the effect of amplifier nonlinearity on the ambiguity function.
Autonomy Grounded in Subordination: A Framework for Responding to Competing Institutional Norms:

This article uses the normative framework provided by the concept of autonomy grounded in subordination to view competing institutional pressures in three government agencies (the Office of Managem...
Skin cancer—early detection

Skin cancer, the most frequently occurring of all cancers, shows an encouragingly high rate of cure if detected early and treated properly. Etiologies of nonpigmented and pigmented premalignant lesions and malignant lesions are discussed, where known, with solar exposure frequently cited. Criteria for diagnosis are discussed; however, the clinical similarity of some malignant lesions to premalignant or nonmalignant conditions makes excision necessary in order to establish a definitive diagnosis--when in doubt, take it out. Treatment ranges from close observation of certain nevi to complete lesional destruction at the initial treatment. Prevention is also stressed, with "suntan parlors" coming under some indictment. Overall, the paper emphasizes early detection and points out that even some melanomas undergo a biologic period when metastasis is unlikely and the melanoma is curable if detected and adequately treated during this period.
Cautions in the Study of Infant Emotional Displays

Camras and Shutter persuasively argue for the complexity of infant emotional displays and provide evidence in opposition to some of the central claims of Differential Emotions Theory (DET). I discu...
B-type natriuretic peptide -- a window to the heart.

Left ventricular dysfunction, regardless of its cause, results in characteristic hemodynamic derangements and a process of neurohormonal activation. Among the neuronal and hormonal pathways activat...
Psychologic adaptation to breast cancer

Adaptation to breast cancer depends on two parameters: one derived from the patient and one from the disease. The first comprises the psychological and social factors that are determined by the patient and her surroundings: the psychologic adjustment the patient had before illness, her social supports, especially her spouse, and her social context which will contribute to her need to hide her illness or encourage her sharing the loss with others, especially those who have had a similar experience. The other factor determining psychologic adjustment is contributed by the disease itself: the extent of spread, surgical operability, need for adjuvant therapy, the full application of rehabilitative measures, including plastic reconstruction when appropriate, and the psychologic management by the surgeon in the doctor-patient relationship. Each of these variables contributes to the emotional resources available to the woman and to the stresses that must be surmounted in adaptation to breast cancer; each can serve as a positive force or a negative one. At times, one strongly positive factor, such as family support, can counter several exceptionally negative aspects and result in a positive adjustment despite severe illness. Each variable will be discussed in relation to its contribution to an "adaptive readaptation" and optimal psychologic well-being despite illness, versus those factors that create a "maladaptive readaptation" with less than optimal psychologic well being.
Suicidal Behaviors in Surviving Monozygotic and Dizygotic Co-Twins: Is the Nature of the Co-Twin's Cause of Death a Factor?

Genetically informative samples can address hereditary and experiential influences on suicide-related behaviors. The frequency of suicide-related behaviors was compared in twins from two survivor groups: (1) those whose co-twins' deaths were suicides (monozygotic [MZ]: n = 47; dizygotic [DZ]: n = 31), and (2) those whose co-twins' deaths were nonsuicides (MZ: n = 347; DZ: n = 170). The frequency of suicide attempts among suicide survivors was significantly higher in MZ than DZ twins, while the frequency of suicide attempts among nonsuicide twin survivors did not differ between MZ and DZ twins. Twin concordance for suicide attempts more likely reflects a genetic predisposition than a behavioral reaction to the loss.
Triassic bivalves and the initial marine Mesozoic revolution: A role for predators?

Marine bivalves document the long-term increase in generic richness through the early Mesozoic. Following the end-Permian crisis, the Early Triassic was marked by a gradual recovery in generic richness (57 Induan and 66 Olenekian genera). Diversity slowly increased in the Middle Triassic (98 Anisian and 121 Ladinian genera) and peaked in the Late Triassic (171 Carnian, 165 Norian, and 143 Rhaetian genera). These data support earlier hypotheses that the recovery following the end-Permian extinction was very gradual and was not completed (in terms of both richness and ecologic complexity) until the Ladinian. Although a Carnian-Norian extinction is not evident in the data and may be a regional event limited to the Tethyan realm, the end-Triassic extinction is profound—fewer than 30 genera ( ,35%) survived into the Jurassic. Diversity metrics are not equally distributed among bivalve living habits. The generally epifaunal Pteriomorphia and Isofilibranchia exhibit higher extinction rates compared to the ordinarily infaunal Heteroconchia (especially the Veneroida and Trigonoida). This pattern of selective extinction led to a gradual increase in generic richness of infaunal suspension feeders through most of the Triassic. Contrary to previous hypotheses, this increase in infaunalization may not have been related to the evolutionary expansion of major predatory groups (e.g., shell-crushing cephalopods, crustaceans, sharks, fish, and reptiles), which had typically low abundances and limited distribution during the Triassic. Drilling predators, although present during the Triassic, are not considered to be prominent causes of mortality among bivalves. Instead, the infaunalization of bivalves during the Triassic may have been due to several interconnected abiotic and biotic causes associated with the recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction.
What pollinates Lantana camara in the mountains of Costa Rica

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is a shrub of Neotropical origin that has spread to at least 60 countries (Day et al. 2003), and its ability to rapidly occupy disturbed habitat has led to it being named one of the ten worst weeds on the planet (Cronk & Fuller 1995, Sharma et al. 2005). A number of traits may have contributed to its success as an invasive species. For example, L. camara increases the available soil nitrogen in otherwise nitrogen-poor ecosystems (Sharma & Raghubanshi 2009), it is extremely resilient to disturbance (Gentle & Guggin 1997a, Hiremath & Sundram 2005), it is allelopathic to native plants (Achhireddy & Singh 1984, Gentle & Duggin 1997b) and its fruits are dispersed by a variety of birds (Mandon-Dalger et al. 2004, Swarbrick et al. 1998). A potentially unappreciated aspect of L. camara biology that may also contribute to its invasiveness relates to pollination ecology.
Cytologic-histologic correlations in the diagnosis of inverted sinonasal papilloma.

We present cytologic data from multiple samples from two cases of inverted sinonasal papilloma (ISP). These samples displayed the entire spectrum of squamous cell changes, including benign squamous papilloma, variable degrees of dysplasia, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma. In all instances, the cytologic impression coincided with the final diagnosis based on frozen and/or permanent histologic sections from the same samples. We suggest that cytologic examination be viewed as a useful initial approach in the diagnosis of ISP, and in the differential diagnosis of other tumors that occur in the same sites. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;30:201–207. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Utilizing the Intercultural Development Inventory® to develop intercultural competence

Health care professional education programs in the United States have been charged to devise strategies to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the workforce (Health Resources and Services Administration, Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/grants/nwd.html , 2014). The purpose of this charge is to develop a healthcare workforce that can better provide culturally relevant care to meet the needs of diverse communities. The purpose of this study was to assess the cultural competency of students, faculty, and staff from a small Midwest-university college of nursing. This study was part of a larger interventional study to enhance the cultural development of the College of Nursing faculty, staff, and students. The sample for this study included 314 participants (students, faculty, and staff) in phase one of the parent study. Phase one included the initial administration of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) over a two year period with analysis of the pre-test results. Phase two includes the implementation of cultural development interventions with a post-test IDI® survey and is currently in process. IDI® aggregate results were similar for students and faculty/staff in that most participants scored at the Minimization level according to the IDI®. Ninety-eight percent of student participants overestimated their level of cultural competency. Minority students had higher cultural competency scores in terms of developmental orientation (M = 98.85, SD = 14.21) compared to non-minority students (M = 94.46, SD = 14.96). Overall, the IDI® was a valuable self-reflection tool to assess cultural development. At the individual level, it has allowed for self-reflection and awareness to the reality of cultural development, attitudes, and values. At an institutional level, the aggregate results provided a framework for the examination of department policies, procedures, and curriculum design with the ultimate goal of graduating a more culturally competent nursing workforce to serve the greater community.
Thermal vacancies in quantum solid heliums

Abstract For a highly compressible crystal, the direct method of measuring thermal vacancy content by comparison of X-ray and macroscopic cell volumes over a range of temperature can be replaced by X-ray measurements alone, made on a sample constrained at constant volume. For both methods, the results are independent of assumptions about the nature and strength of the distortions introduced into the crystalline lattice by the presence of the point defects. This is especially important in quantum-solid heliums, in which some defects may be non-localized. X-Ray measurements of this type have been reported on many different solid helium phases: bcc 3 He, hcp 3 He, bcc 4 He, hcp 4 He, and bcc 4 He- 3 He mixtures. The different solid heliums have identical interatomic interactions, but differ in their statistics and other properties, to provide a rich family of crystals for such studies. However, some of the vacancy contents measured directly have proven difficult to reconcile with less direct information inferred from some other types of measurements, such as heat capacity and pressure (which measure equilibrium properties) and on the other hand Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation and ion conduction (which relate to defect diffusion). The current situation is described and some suggestions for resolution of the apparent discrepancies made.
Development of a new system vulnerability index — The overload risk index

This paper proposes a new index to better determine the vulnerability of a power system. The procedure for calculating this index combines stochastic and probabilistic methods to determine the likelihood of a line overloading in a power system. The methods used include a basic load flow analysis using network security factors and Monte Carlo simulation that incorporates the likelihood of component failure within the system. A case study has been performed to analyze the ability of such an index in accurately measuring one aspect of power system vulnerability. Three different variations of this indexing method are explored in an attempt to define an accurate and descriptive measure for this index.
Composition and metabolism of gangliosides in rat peripheral nervous system during development.

: Ganglioside composition of rat trigeminal nerve was studied during development in order to understand the changes that occur as a result of cellular differentiation in the nerve. The ganglioside composition of the trigeminal nerve was entirely different from that of brain. The major gangliosides in adult trigeminal nerve were GM3, GD3, and LM1 (sialosyl-lactoneotetraosylceramide or sialosylparagloboside). The structure of LM1 and other gangliosides was established by enzymatic degradation and by analysis of the products of acid hydrolysis. At 2 days after birth, when the Schwann cells were immature, GM3 and GD3 were the major gangliosides in the nerve, 50 and 18 mol %, respectively. As the nerve developed and Schwann cells proliferated and myelinated the axons, the mol % of GM3 and GD3 reduced and that of LM1 steadily increased. Polysialogangliosides did not change drastically with nerve development. The rate of deposition of LM1 in the nerve with age was very similar to that of myelin marker lipids, cerebrosides, and sulfatides; thus, deposition appears to be localized mainly in the rat nerve myelin. LM1 also had long-chain fatty acids 22:0 and 24:0, which are not usually found in CNS gangliosides. The ganglioside pattern of the rat trigeminal nerve was very similar to that of rat sciatic nerve, but was different from that of rabbit and chicken sciatic nerve. The activity of the two key enzymes involved in the metabolism of GM3, viz., CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid:lactosylceramide sialyltransferase and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine:GM3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase, was also studied during development of the nerve and brain. The developmental profiles of both enzymes were consistent with the amounts of GM3 present in the nerve.
What Determines the Structures of the Group 15 Elements

Abstract The structures of black phosphorus (orthorhombic), As, Sb, and Bi (rhombohedral) have been traditionally interpreted as resulting from a Peierls distortion from an ideal simple cubic structure. We examine this idea in detail by calculating the Fermi surfaces of simple cubic phosphorus with the extended Huckel tight-binding method and by looking at some simpler models to understand the trends. The calculated Fermi surfaces for cubic P are not nested, which argues strongly that the structural distortion in black phosphorus has little to do with Peierls instability. Within the (simple) Huckel approximation for p-orbital interactions, the Fermi surface nesting is still perfect, even when interchain (π-type) interactions are included. Next-nearest-neighbor interaction and s–p mixing completely destroy the Fermi surface nesting. The observed strong s–p mixing implies that it is just this mixing that causes the deformation to the highly stable black phosphorus structure, forming lone pairs in the process. We suggest that in order to understand the trend in the magnitude of distortions in the structures of the group 15 elements (P>As>Sb>Bi) s–p mixing should not be neglected even in the heavier elements.
Correction of lime‐induced chlorosis in soybeans in a glasshouse with sulfur AMD an acidifying iron compound

Abstract PI54619–5–1 soybeans were grown for 28 days in calcareous Hacienda loam soil in which small quantities of amendments to correct iron chlorosis were placed just under the seed. The amendments used were combinations of sulfur and a waste iron product containing a crystalline form of sulfuric acid. Mixtures of sulfur and the acidifying material produced better prevention of the lime‐induced chlorosis than did either product alone. Suggested is that the sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria function more efficiently when calcareous soil is acidified than in the original soil. Host effective results were obtained with rates equivalent to 370 kg/ha for the acid iron waste product, 185 kg/ha for 25%‐75%, 50%‐50%, and 75%‐25% mixtures of both products while 185 kg/ha of elemental sulfur gave little response. Rates equivalent to 93 kg/ha gave 31%, 60%, 65%, 76% and 94% of maximum response respectively for all sulfur, for all acid iron waste, for 25%‐75%, 50%‐50% and 75%‐25% of the acid iron waste‐sulfur mixtures. Con...
Review Strategies to Recruit and Retain Rural Patient Participating Self-management Behavioral Trials

Self-management plays a vital role in improving health outcomes and reducing costs in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors. Based on existing studies, rural residents with CVD and/or risk factors show low engagement in self-management behaviors. Due to low participation in behavioral intervention trials, the most promising mechanism to promote self-management among rural populations is unknown. In turn, the purpose of this article is to review the evidence that supports strategies to recruit and retain rural patients to participate in behavioral intervention trials aimed to promote self-management of CVD and its risk factors. This review is expected to assist researchers in identifying effective solutions to overcome barriers in the recruitment and retention processes when conducting intervention research studies on the self-management of CVD in rural communities.
Measurements of Wind-driven Rain on Mid- and High-rise Buildings in three Canadian Regions

Abstract Wind-driven rain (WDR) is an important boundary condition for the study of the hygrothermal behaviour and durability of building envelopes. Understanding the WDR characteristics is important for establishing designs that minimize moisture related issues. Three buildings located in three Canadian cities (Fredericton, Montreal and Vancouver) have been instrumented with equipment to quantify the WDR loads on building facades. This paper presents the experimental setup, spatial distribution of WDR on facades in terms of wall factors, and the comparison between measurements and calculated WDR using the standard ISO 15927. The preliminary results show that the ISO model overestimates the WDR amount most of the time.
The surgeon's role in outcome in contemporary breast cancer.

Details of surgical removal of invasive breast cancer do not govern survival or cure. They do, however, control local recurrence rates and regional recurrence risk. The surgeon’s role in breast cancer in the new millenium is to produce a cosmetic and functional result that is as good as possibly can be achieved while minimizing recurrence. Guidelines for incision placement, tissue volume removal, and nodal removal are critical determinants of cosmetic and functional outcome and need to be appreciated by surgeons.
Radiation Response and Adaptive Control-Based Degradation Mitigation of MEMS Accelerometers in Ionizing Dose Environments

This paper investigates the effects of gamma radiation on the operation of commercially available capacitive microelectromechanical accelerometers intended for use in robotic systems deployed for nuclear disaster remediation. Radiation-induced accelerometer degradation is examined in terms of its effects on the input–output relationship of ADXL325 accelerometers (Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, Massachusetts, USA) prior to sensor failure. Results show a moderate increase in sensor nonlinearity as well as significant, non-monotonic changes to accelerometer axis sensitivity and zero- $g$ bias. Both part-to-part variation and axis-to-axis variation within individual accelerometers are observed. The effects of the observed accelerometer degradation on the performance of a simple robotic manipulator that relies on acceleration feedback are evaluated in simulation. Additionally, using tools derived from adaptive control theory, this paper presents a real-time recalibration technique for mitigating the effects of the measured accelerometer degradation on the performance of robotic systems that can be applied in-field, without the knowledge of the degradation mechanisms. An example implementation of this technique is also evaluated. Results suggest that control-based strategies for mitigating hardware degradation may be able to extend the useful operating lifetime of non-radiation-hardened sensors in robotic systems deployed in extreme radiation environments.
Monitoring the electrical response of photoinduced organic oxidation on TiO2 surfaces

12 Gaseous photo-induced oxidations of a variety of organic compounds by titanium dioxide (TiO2) have been studied extensively in the literature. The response of the organic to photochemical reactions with TiO2 and the extent of organic oxidation are typically measured by monitoring the initial concentration of organic and the oxidation by- products using gas chromatography. In this study, TiO2 sensors are produced by coating and drying films of Degussa P25 TiO2 onto Al2O3 substrates. Tests are conducted at ambient temperatures in a controlled atmospheric cell. Electrical responses from the TiO2 sensors are monitored as the sensors are exposed to a variety of organic compounds in the presence of ultraviolet light. Unique voltammetric `signatures' are obtained from the sensors as they react with specific gaseous organics. These signatures can be used to distinguish and identify gaseous constituents.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interacting with boundaries

Complicated interactions of organisms with surrounding environments have been observed in natural systems. Such interactions serve as a key to understanding natural bio-locomotion and developing bio-inspired microrobots. While organisms migrate, ambient stimuli induce the organisms to modify their behaviors, resulting in quite different performances in response to a collection of external chemical and physical cues like attractants, toxins, touch, and fluid forces. In most situations, mechanical (hydrodynamic or adhesive) interaction between organisms and substrates is crucial for the organisms to survive and respond most. Also, such mechanical forces on the body should be considered in designing microrobots for better performance. In this review, I presented previous literature on organisms mechanically interacting with environments and discussed related issues.
Clinical Features and Incidence Rates of Ocular Complications in Patients With Retinal Vasculitis.

Purpose To describe the incidence rates of visual loss and ocular complications in patients with retinal vasculitis (RV). Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Clinical data were collected for 96 patients (175 eyes) diagnosed with RV from 2003 to 2013. Main outcome measures included rates of visual loss and ocular complications. Comparison of outcomes in patients with a relapsing vs nonrelapsing disease also were analyzed. Results Over a median follow-up of 44 months (range: 1–153 months), the rate of visual loss to 20/50 or worse was 0.13 per eye-year (/EY, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09/EY to 0.18/EY) and to 20/200 or worse was 0.06/EY (95% CI, 0.04/EY to 0.08/EY). The most common complications were cataract (0.31/EY), epiretinal membrane (0.16/EY), and recurrent macular edema (0.09/EY). Patients with a relapsing course (median number of relapses = 1, range: 1–6) appeared to have greater risk for visual loss to 20/50 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.07; 95% CI, 0.88–4.90, P = .09) and 20/200 or worse (OR = 2.49; 95% CI, 0.98–6.30, P = .05). Immunosuppressive drug therapy lowered the risk of visual loss, independent of relapsing disease course (OR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66–0.94, P = .01 and OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57–0.93, P = .01 for the 20/50 or worse and 20/200 or worse thresholds, respectively). Conclusions Rates of visual loss and complications among patients with RV were similar to reported rates in noninfectious uveitides. Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs lowered the risk of visual loss. A relapsing course suggested an increased risk for visual loss but was not statistically significant, perhaps owing to low numbers of recurrences.
Validation of a three‐dimensional constitutive model for nonlinear site response and soil‐structure interaction analyses using centrifuge test data

Summary The capability of a bounding surface plasticity model with a vanishing elastic region to capture the multiaxial dynamic hysteretic responses of soil deposits under broadband (eg, earthquake) excitations is explored by using data from centrifuge tests. The said model was proposed by Borja and Amies in 1994 (J. Geotech. Eng., 120, 6, 1051-1070), which is theoretically capable of representing nonlinear soil behavior in a multiaxial setting. This is an important capability that is required for exploring and quantifying site topography, soil stratigraphy, and kinematic effects in ground motion and soil-structure interaction analyses. Results obtained herein indicate that the model can accurately predict key response data recorded during centrifuge tests on embedded specimens—including soil pressures and bending strains for structural walls, structures' racking displacements, and surface settlements—under both low- and high-amplitude seismic input motions, which was achieved after performing only a basic material parameter calibration procedure. Comparisons are also made with results obtained using equivalent linear models and a well-known pressure-dependent multisurface plasticity model, which suggested that the present model is generally more accurate. The numerical convergence behavior of the model in nonlinear equilibrium iterations is also explored for a variety of numerical implementation and model parameter options. To facilitate broader use by researchers and practicing engineers alike, the model is implemented as a “user material” in ABAQUS Standard for implicit time stepping.
The cross-disciplinary emergence of 3D printed bioceramic scaffolds in orthopedic bioengineering

Abstract Over the past several decades, the implementation of bioceramics in orthopedic bioengineering has become increasingly profound. The resemblance of the material to bone histomorphology makes them favorable to use in tissue engineering schemes, in addition to the evidence that they exhibit osteoconductivity and that many manifest the appropriate mechanical strength. Moreover, the strategy to use the 3D bioprinting technique holds the potential to consistently manufacture commercializable scaffolds, tailored for diverse clinical applications with physicochemical property-dependent biodegradation rates, and usher in a new era of effective hard tissue fabrication. This review is the first of its kind in that it has thoroughly compiled the most recent studies on 3D printing of bioceramic scaffolds to treat bone defects and anomalies. Manuscripts were mostly chosen from the last decade, highlighting the novelty of the approach to regenerative orthopedic bioengineering via ceramic-based 3DP technologies. Likewise, in addition to the materials perspective present in the body of this work, tissue engineering scaffold requirements were explained as well as the incorporation of drug delivery schemes for localized drug administration and cargo release rates in pre-clinical studies.
Metabolic Benefits of Prior Weight Loss with and without Exercise on Subsequent 6-Month Weight Regain

Objective To determine the 6-month follow-up effects after intentional 6-month weight loss alone (WL) and after weight loss with aerobic exercise (AEX + WL) on body composition, glucose metabolism, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in older postmenopausal women and to identify the mechanisms for weight regain. Methods Women (n = 65, BMI > 25 kg/m2) underwent maximal oxygen consumption testing, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography scans, and oral glucose tolerance tests before and after 6 months of AEX + WL or WL and at 12 months ad libitum follow-up. Insulin sensitivity (M) (hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp) was measured at baseline and 6 months. Thirty WL and thirty-five AEX + WL women completed a follow-up at 12 months. Results Similar weight loss was observed (−8%) in both groups from 0 to 6 months. Total fat mass, fat-free mass, visceral fat area, subcutaneous abdominal and midthigh fat areas, fasting glucose, insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin areas under the curve, and triglyceride levels decreased similarly after WL and AEX + WL and remained lower at 12 months than at baseline, despite weight regain at 12 months. Initial M was associated with weight regain (r = −0.40, P < 0.01). Weight regain was related to independent changes in leptin and HOMA-IR from 6 to 12 months in a multiple regression model (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Reductions in body fat and improvements in insulin sensitivity after AEX + WL and WL were maintained at 12 months despite modest weight regain. Baseline insulin resistance partially predicted the magnitude of weight regain in postmenopausal women.
An internal model principle for the attacker in distributed control systems

Although adverse effects of attacks have been acknowledged in many cyber-physical systems, there is no rigorous mathematical analysis to characterize their worst effects in distributed multi-agent systems. Without characterizing these attacks, one cannot empower the agents with resilient functionalities to mitigate them. To this end, we will take the role of the attacker to show that in a distributed control system, an attacker can destabilize the whole synchronization process by injecting a state-independent attack signal into sensors or actuators of a single root node or to its outgoing communication links. This will be called the internal model principle for the attacker and will intensify the urgency of designing novel control protocols to mitigate these types of attacks.
Cultural socialization practices among Latino immigrant families within a restrictive immigration socio-political context.

Abstract Cultural socialization has been linked to positive ethnic identity development and found to serve as a buffer to discrimination. The current restrictive immigration political climate may hinder parents' abilities to transmit their culture of origin to children, and impact child health outcomes and development. Fifty-two in-depth interviews with Mexican immigrant parents were used to learn how they culturally socialize their children within an anti-immigrant political climate. Findings revealed two underlying themes in parents' narratives; family context and storytelling. Parents described multiple strategies used to connect their children with their culture of origin; contando mis historias, food, religious practices, traveling to their country of origin, community events and celebrations, and the Spanish language. Parents used photos and web resources to facilitate the cultural socialization process. Parents also described negotiating how to integrate two cultures (country of origin and U.S. American host culture) with their children and within themselves. Recommendations are made for engaging families in culturally informed practice and interventions.
Survival of the Enveloped Virus Phi6 in Droplets as a Function of Relative Humidity, Absolute Humidity, and Temperature

Infectious diseases caused by enveloped viruses, such as influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of economic losses per year. Studies have found a relationship among temperature, humidity, and influenza virus incidence, transmission, or survival; however, there are contradictory claims about whether absolute humidity (AH) or relative humidity (RH) is most important in mediating virus infectivity. Using the enveloped bacteriophage Phi6, which has been suggested as a surrogate for influenza viruses and coronaviruses, we designed a study to discern whether AH, RH, or temperature is a better predictor of virus survival in droplets. Our results show that Phi6 survived best at high (>85%) and low (<60%) RHs, with a significant decrease in infectivity at mid-range RHs (∼60 to 85%). At an AH of less than 22 g · m-3, the loss in infectivity was less than 2 orders of magnitude; however, when the AH was greater than 22 g · m-3, the loss in infectivity was typically greater than 6 orders of magnitude. At a fixed RH of 75%, infectivity was very sensitive to temperature, decreasing two orders of magnitude between 19°C and 25°C. We used random forest modeling to identify the best environmental predictors for modulating virus infectivity. The model explained 83% of variation in Phi6 infectivity and suggested that RH is the most important factor in controlling virus infectivity in droplets. This research provides novel information about the complex interplay between temperature, humidity, and the survival of viruses in droplets.IMPORTANCE Enveloped viruses are responsible for a number of infectious diseases resulting in thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of economic losses per year in the United States. There has been a lively debate in the literature over whether absolute humidity (AH) or relative humidity (RH) modulates virus infectivity. We designed a controlled study and used advanced statistical modeling techniques specifically to address this question. By providing an improved understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions and virus infectivity, our work will ultimately lead to improved strategies for predicting and controlling disease transmission.
Mechanisms of HIV-tat-induced phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2A in human primary neurons: implications for neuroAIDS pathogenesis.

HIV infection of the central nervous system results in neurological dysfunction in a large number of individuals. NeuroAIDS is characterized by neuronal injury and loss, yet there is no evidence of HIV-infected neurons. Neuronal damage and dropout must therefore be due to indirect effects of HIV infection of other central nervous system cells through elaboration of inflammatory factors and neurotoxic viral proteins, including the viral transactivator, tat. We previously demonstrated that HIV-tat-induced apoptosis in human primary neurons is dependent on N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity. NMDAR activity is regulated by various mechanisms including NMDAR phosphorylation, which may lead to neuronal dysfunction and apoptosis in pathological conditions. We now demonstrate that tat treatment of human neurons results in tyrosine (Y) phosphorylation of the NMDAR subunit 2A (NR2A) in a src kinase–dependent manner. In vitro kinase assays and in vivo data indicated that NR2A Y1184, Y1325, and Y1425 are phosphorylated. Tat treatment of neuronal cultures enhanced phosphorylation of NR2A Y1325, indicating that this site is tat sensitive. Human brain tissue sections from HIV-infected individuals with encephalitis showed an increased phosphorylation of NR2A Y1325 in neurons as compared with uninfected and HIV-infected individuals without encephalitis. These findings suggest new avenues of treatment for HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
Characterization of Convex Isotropic Functions

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the convexity of a scalar valued function of tensors that is proper isotropic, or invariant under rotations. These conditions are also appropriate for functions defined only for orientation preserving tensors. They are weaker than Ball's convexity conditions for fully isotropic functions (invariant under all orthogonal tensors) [B1]. The results are applied in obtaining polyconvexity conditions for the stored energy function.
Evaluation of in vivo free radical activity during endotoxic shock using scavengers, electron microscopy, spin traps, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Controversy exists concerning the involvement of free radical activity during sepsis and endotoxic shock as evidence has accumulated that both implicate and eliminate free radicals in the pathophysiologic events that occur during these disease processes. The majority of these data are from studies utilizing scavengers or inhibitors of lipid peroxidation to attenuate the activity resulting from excessive free radical generation and as such represent only indirect evidence of the presence of free radicals. This study employed methodology combining spin trapping techniques with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy1 to directly verify the presence of in vivo free radical generation in the conscious endotoxic rat.2 Additionally, myocardial structure has been evaluated using transmission electron microscopy to assess the effect of a hydroxyl radical scavenger on endotoxin-induced injury to the myocardium.3
Convex Sets and Convex Programming

In this chapter we concentrate on properties of convex sets in a Hilbert space and some of the related problems of importance in application to convex programming: variational problems for convex functions over convex sets, central to which are the Kuhn-Tucker theorem and the minimax theorem of von Neumann, which in turn are based on the “separation” theorems for convex sets. A related result is the Farkas lemma in finite dimensions which finds application in network flow problems.
Multinational Company’s Approach to Emerging Markets—Growth Market Unit of IBM

Rapid urbanization has impacted communities and environment equally. Global financial crisis has not only pushed the limits of economic policies of nations but also stressed the need for reviewing and retaining the competitive advantages of nations. The need for sustainable development has gained support both at national and international levels. Increase in economic activities and growth rate in emerging markets had shifted the focus of multinational companies towards emerging markets. This article will review the approach taken by IBM for its market expansion in emerging markets outlining how IBM balanced the competing demands of developed and developing countries by adopting strategic CSR initiatives. Theoretical foundations laid down by analytical and empirical research favor the use of strategic CSR as a competitive advantage which is also evident in its growing adoption by large corporations. Making use of CSR disclosures done by IBM, we draw inferences on how strategic CSR practiced in emerging markets is helping in addressing business needs of IBM as well as social needs of host countries.
Harnessing Complexity in Creating Engineering Online Education

The main objective of this paper is to examine the complexity of creating an online education system aimed at engineering and working professionals displaced by automation in the near future. Online classes are becoming more popular among universities and community colleges for their lower costs, ease of access, and geographically diverse student body. Although online classes are being adopted in higher education there are still problems to cope with this technology driven educational model. This research paper investigates these factors and their relationships affecting online education. Exploration of the factors affecting online education produced unsurmountable issues which led to the conclusion of a hybrid education system that would be superior to both online and current education systems
Examination of phenotypic plasticity in Hydrocotyle bonariensis in response to two soil types

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to adjust morphology and/or physiology in response to environmental variation. Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb found in both coastal sand dune and inland habitats of coastal Georgia. The soil types of these two habitats differ in both soil characteristics and soil chemistry. The purpose of this study was to explore potential phenotypic plasticity in H. bonariensis in response to two different soil types by comparing leaf and petiole morphology and stomata density and length between individuals grown in soil from a sand dune habitat and soil from an inland coastal habitat. Results showed significantly greater leaf area, petiole fresh weight, petiole thickness, and petiole length in individuals grown in inland soil compared to sand dune soil. Furthermore, the density of stomata on bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil, and the length of stomata on the top and bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in sand dune soil. These results suggest that the differences in soil texture, and subsequent differences in waterholding capacity and nutrient availability, likely led to the observed differences in leaf and petiole morphology, while differences in stomata density and length may represent a phenotypic plastic response in this species to soil type. The ability of H. bonariensis to respond plastically to changes in environmental conditions, such as variations in soil type, likely plays an important role in its ability to successfully thrive in multiple habitats in Georgia.
Advancing Semantic Interoperability of Image Annotations: Automated Conversion of Non-standard Image Annotations in a Commercial PACS to the Annotation and Image Markup.

Sharing radiologic image annotations among multiple institutions is important in many clinical scenarios; however, interoperability is prevented because different vendors’ PACS store annotations in non-standardized formats that lack semantic interoperability. Our goal was to develop software to automate the conversion of image annotations in a commercial PACS to the Annotation and Image Markup (AIM) standardized format and demonstrate the utility of this conversion for automated matching of lesion measurements across time points for cancer lesion tracking. We created a software module in Java to parse the DICOM presentation state (DICOM-PS) objects (that contain the image annotations) for imaging studies exported from a commercial PACS (GE Centricity v3.x). Our software identifies line annotations encoded within the DICOM-PS objects and exports the annotations in the AIM format. A separate Python script processes the AIM annotation files to match line measurements (on lesions) across time points by tracking the 3D coordinates of annotated lesions. To validate the interoperability of our approach, we exported annotations from Centricity PACS into ePAD (http://epad.stanford.edu) (Rubin et al., Transl Oncol 7(1):23–35, 2014), a freely available AIM-compliant workstation, and the lesion measurement annotations were correctly linked by ePAD across sequential imaging studies. As quantitative imaging becomes more prevalent in radiology, interoperability of image annotations gains increasing importance. Our work demonstrates that image annotations in a vendor system lacking standard semantics can be automatically converted to a standardized metadata format such as AIM, enabling interoperability and potentially facilitating large-scale analysis of image annotations and the generation of high-quality labels for deep learning initiatives. This effort could be extended for use with other vendors’ PACS.
Improved reproducibility of calcium mass score using deconvolution and partial volume correction

There are multiple quantitative methods for assessing coronary calcifications with CT including Agatston, mass score, and volume score. Several studies have shown mass score in mg-calcium to be the most reproducible. Since we are interested in tracking changes in individual calcifications over time as a new biomarker of vascular disease, we have analyzed ways to further improve reproducibility. The conventional way to calculate calcium mass score is to sum all voxels above 130- HU and convert to mass score using a calibration constant. However, this does not account for CT system blurring or partial volumes in voxels containing both calcification and soft tissue. To improve coronary calcification measurements, we used Richardson-Lucy deconvolution with a measured impulse response (Philips IQon) and/or partial volume correction processing. At 120 kVp, we imaged a phantom with calcium inserts and calcified cadaver hearts at three rotational orientations at high (0.4883-mm, 0.67-mm-thick) and normal clinical (0.4883-mm, 2.5-mm-thick) resolution. Processing improves accuracy as the absolute difference in conventional and processed results is (12.67 mg, 8.29 mg) for conventional resolution image and (7.09 mg, 5.26 mg) for high resolution image respectively across phantom calcium inserts with known values. Deconvolution also increased contrast (and HU) of small calcifications in cadaver hearts. For low resolution images, across rotation angle, average absolute difference, as compared to high resolution images, was improved with processing by 30.8%. Processing also improves reproducibility across rotation angle. Results were similar in virtual 70 keV images.
Filtered Discrete Ordinates Equations for Radiative Transport

We present and analyze a discrete ordinates ( $$\text {S}_N$$ ) discretization of a filtered radiative transport equation (RTE). Under certain conditions, $$\text {S}_N$$ discretizations of the standard RTE create numeric artifacts, known as “ray-effects”; the goal of the filter is to remove such artifacts. We analyze convergence of the filtered discrete ordinates solution to the solution of the non-filtered RTE, taking into account the effect of the filter as well as the usual quadrature and truncation errors that arise in discretize ordinate methods. We solve the filtered $$\text {S}_N$$ equations numerically with a discontinuous Galerkin spatial discretization and implicit time stepping. The form of the filter enables the resulting linear systems to be solved in an established Krylov framework. We demonstrate, via the simulation of two benchmark problems, the effectiveness of the filtering approach in reducing ray effects. In addition, we also examine efficiency of the method, in particular the balance between improved accuracy and additional cost of including the filter.
Corrie Health Digital Platform for Self-Management in Secondary Prevention After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Unplanned readmissions after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction are among the leading causes of preventable morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Digital health inter...