cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Daunting Task to New Beginnings: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Curriculum Revision Using the New Essentials

Undergraduate curriculum revision is a daunting task, particularly when new accreditation criteria clearly call for substantive changes in how baccalaureate generalist nurses are educated. Using the nine essentials of The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008) and the 109 Essential outcomes, the University of Kansas School of Nursing undergraduate faculty employed three phases of change: (a) understanding, (b) analysis, and (c) design to create an innovative curriculum. Theoretical influences from E. M. Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory, W. Bridges' (2009) work with transitions, and concepts of ownership guided the revision process. Strategies, such as gap analysis, nominal group technique, and word clouds, facilitated faculty transition from the ending of the old curriculum to ownership and beginning of the new curriculum. Inductive methods of faculty perceptions of ideal graduate characteristics and clustering of themes in the 109 Essential outcomes produced five themes: (a) communication/professional development, (b) evidence-based practice, (c) leadership/management, (d) nursing across the lifespan, and (e) population-based health care. A Q-Sort of the Essentials placed all 109 essential outcomes under each of these categories. Essential outcomes within these categories were then interpreted as data points and used as the basis for course design and accompanying credit allocation. A variety of research, theory, and interpersonally sensitive approaches yielded an innovative curriculum reflecting the Essentials and "new beginnings" for the undergraduate faculty.
Attachment and Attention in Sport

Attachment (Bowlby, 1969/1982) is an interdisciplinary theory of social development that views early relationships with caregivers as central to how individuals learn to regulate attention under attachment-related stress (Fonagy & Target, 2002; Main, 2000; Hesse & Main, 2000). This paper proposes that conditions present in competitive sport situations, such as unexpected conditions, fear of failure, fatigue, and coach stress are likely to activate attachment-related attentional processes of athletes and differentially influence attentional flexibility under competitive stress. The attachment-based approach to performance-related problems in which attentional processes are implicated, such as anxiety, choking, and self-regulation, is discussed. Research using the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996) is suggested to investigate the distribution of adult attachment classification in the athlete population.
Imaging the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) growing in transgenic nude mice expressing GFP, RFP, or CFP

We have developed a multi-color, imageable, orthotopic mouse model for individual patients with pancreatic cancer. The tumors are labeled by first passaging them orthotopically through transgenic nude mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), red fluorescent protein (RFP), or cyan fluorescent protein (CFP). Passage of the tumors in these colored transgenic mice labels the stromal cells of the tumor. The cancer cells in the PDOX are labeled in situ with GFP by telomerase-dependent adenovirus OBP-401. The models are termed imageable patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (iPDOX). The tumors acquired brightly-fluorescent stromal cells from the transgenic host mice, which were stably associated with the tumors through multiple passages. The colored fluorescent protein-expressing stromal cells included cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). This model enables powerful color-coded imaging of the interaction of cancer and stromal cells during tumor progression and treatment.
PROPERTIES OF THE PASSIVE FILM ON IRON ELECTRODES BY CAPACITY AND PHOTOCURRENT MEASUREMENTS

Passive iron electrodes were investigated in 1M HClO 4 , 1M NaClO 4 - pH 8 and 1M NaOH covering an pH range of almost 14 units. Capacity measurements were carried out in the frequency range ca. 3 Hz − 3 kHz. Applying a Schottky-Mott analysis to the results yields donor concentrations on the order of 10 20 cm -3 . At higher potentials, however, a frequency dependent capacity is encountered which is probably due to OH − adsorption. Photocurrent spectra measured in all electrolytes yielded a similar shape of the spectrum. The onset of the photocurrent was between 2.0 and 2.5 eV photon energy depending on the electrolyte the passive film was formed in. Photocurrents have a pronounced transient like behaviour in neutral and basic solutions. The potential dependence of the photocurrent shows an exponential increase with additional peaks at low potentials in neutral and basic solutions after prolonged polarization of the electrode.
Digital Angiographie Transfer Function Analysis of Regional Myocardial Perfusion: Measurement System and Coronary Contrast Transit Linearity

Digital angiography produces high resolution images of contrast material transit through the coronary microcirculation from which quantification of the regional density of contrast material as a function of time can be derived. Analysis of these time-density curves with descriptive parameters such as time of arrival, time to peak, washout rate, etc. [1–5] has not produced reliable absolute flow measurements because of four unsolved problems: lack of a validated physiologic model, uncorrected systematic errors in densitometry, dependence on contrast agent injection technique, and the transient or variable effects of contrast material itself or other hyperemic stimuli on flow.
Not What it Used to Be: The Cambridge Economic History of The United States, vols. II and III

Review Essay on The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Volumes II and III, eds. Stanley Engerman and Robert Gallman
Propofol for Treatment of Refractory Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: A Review of the Literature

The authors evaluated all available evidence on the use of propofol as an adjuvant for the treatment of resistant alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in comparison to other therapies. A comprehensive PubMed search (1966-December 2015) was conducted using the search terms propofol, alcohol withdrawal, and drug therapy. Articles were cross-referenced for other citations. Clinical studies, case series, and case reports published in the English language assessing the use of propofol in adult patients for treatment of AWS were reviewed for inclusion. Propofol is a sedative-hypnotic that exerts its actions through agonism of GABAA receptors at a different binding site than benzodiazepines and reduces glutamatergic activity through N-methyl-d-aspartase (NMDA) receptor blockade. Dosages from 5 to 100 μg/kg/minute reduced AWS symptoms with frequent development of hypotension and requirement for mechanical ventilation. Patients on propofol often experienced longer durations of mechanical ventilation and length of stay, which may be attributed to more-resistant cases of AWS. When propofol was compared with dexmedetomidine as adjuncts in AWS, both agents showed similar benzodiazepine- and haloperidol-sparing effects. Dexmedetomidine was associated with more numerical rates of bradycardia, while propofol was associated with more numerical instances of hypotension. Dexmedetomidine was used more frequently in nonintubated patients. The available data assessing the utility of propofol for AWS exhibited significant heterogeneity. Propofol may be useful in a specific population of patients with AWS, limited to those who are not clinically responding to first-line therapy with benzodiazepines. Specifically, propofol should be considered in patients who are refractory to or not candidates for other adjuvant therapies, patients already requiring mechanical ventilation, or those with seizure activity or refractory delirium tremens. In severe, refractory AWS, adjuvant therapy with propofol may be considered but requires further research to recommend its use either preferentially or as monotherapy.
Oxidation of Technetium Metal as Simulated by First Principles

Advanced models for alloy corrosion should take into account the properties of the oxide film that provides the first line of corrosion resistance. Predictive models for alloy corrosion are particularly desirable for the evaluation of candidate alloy forms for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Since technetium is one of the long-lived fission products generated in a nuclear reactor, we consider herein the mechanism of technetium oxidation, beginning with computing the properties of the oxide using a number of first-principles approaches, and then moving to oxygen chemisorption and multilayer oxide growth. For TcO2, electronic structure elements were improved with the use of the Hubbard U method, but this choice led to poor structural predictions. Conventional GGA, on the other hand, gave good structural and mechanical agreement with the hybrid density functional calculations. We examined a number of surface terminations for this oxide phase and found that the “striped” nonpolar surface termination wa...
Ecological ranking of Phanerozoic biodiversity crises: The Serpukhovian (early Carboniferous) crisis had a greater ecological impact than the end-Ordovician

We propose a new ecological ranking of the major Phanerozoic biodiversity crises in which the Serpukhovian biodiversity crisis is ranked fifth in ecological impact, lesser than the Late Devonian but greater than the end-Ordovician, and the end-Ordovician mass extinction is ranked sixth. It is interesting that both the end-Ordovician mass extinction and the Serpukhovian biodiversity crisis were triggered by glaciations. Other than that common trigger, the two events were very different. Glaciation in the Ordovician triggered an enormous jump in the extinction rate of marine organisms and was taxonomically very severe, yet the ecological impact of those extinctions was minimal. Glaciation in the Serpukhovian triggered a precipitous drop in the speciation rate but only moderate diversity losses, yet the ecological impact of those diversity losses and ecosystem restructuring was an ecological level of magnitude larger than that seen in the end-Ordovician mass extinction.
Measurements of Unsteady Pressures near the Plume of a Solid Rocket Motor

In support of efforts to improve predictions of the acoustic environment of the Crew Exploration Vehicle during pad abort scenarios, measurements of near-plume fluctuating pressures were obtained during the ground firing of five Improved Orion solid rocket motors. These measurements were obtained with eleven water-cooled sensors in two placements to provide a survey range of from 7.4 to 25.5 nozzle exit diameters downstream of the nozzle exit, and from 4.4 to 8.9 diameters radius from the plume centerline. A microphone at 102 nozzle exit diameters and 90 deg. to the plume centerline also recorded the far-field signature. The flow during the initial high-thrust phase of the burn was nearly ideally expanded, and the primary noise source was Mach wave radiation. This was followed by a low thrust interval with highly overexpanded flow, and shock associated noise was also significant during this phase. This paper presents and discusses time histories, spectra and near-field distributions of 1/3-octave fluctuating pressure levels for the two thrust conditions. The test method was used later to measure the near-plume unsteady pressures of a full-size solid motor for the new Orion CEV launch abort system.
Mitochondrial DNA mutations associated with aminoglycoside ototoxicity

The mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA has been shown to the hot spot for mutations associated with both aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss. Of those,the homoplasmic A1555G and C1494T mutations at ahighly conserved decoding region of the 12S rRNA have been associated with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss. These two mutations account for significant cases of aminoglycoside ototoxicity. The A1555G or C1494T mu-tation is expected to form novel 1494C-G1555 or 1494U-A1555 base-pair at the highly conserved A-site of 12S rRNA. These transitions make the secondary structure of this RNA more closely resemble the corresponding region of bacterial 16S rRNA. Thus,the new U-A or G-C pair in 12S rRNA created by the C1494T or A1555G transition facilitates the binding of aminoglycosides,thereby accounting for the fact that the exposure to aminoglycosides can induce or worsen hearing loss in individuals carrying these mutations. Biochemical characterization demonstrated an impairment of mito-chondrial protein synthesis and subsequent defects in respiration in cells carrying C1494T or A1555G mutation. Further-more,the growth defect and impairment of mitochondrial translation in DMEM medium in the presence of high concentra-tion of paromomycin or neomycin were observed in cell lines carrying the A1555G or C1494T mutation as compared to the average rate in control cell lines. These observations provide the direct genetic and biochemical evidences that the A1555G or C1494T mutation is a pathogenic mtDNA mutation associated with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss. Therefore,these data have been providing valuable information and technology to predict which individuals are at risk for ototoxicity,to improve the safety of aminoglycoside antibiotic therapy,and eventually to decrease the inci-dence of deafness.
Anti-fatigue effect of herbs compound on mice: An experimental study

[Objective] To observe the anti-fatigue effects of herbs compound in mice.[Methods] Different doses( 1. 35,0. 90,0. 45 g/kg) of herbs compound were given to mice for 30 days.In the study,the time of loaded-swimming,levels of glycogen in liver and serum urea nitrogen( BUN) were detected in the animals. [Results] The time of swimming was significantly longer,the level of glycogen in liver higher but levels of serum BUN remarkably lower in the herbs compound group than those in the control( P 0. 05). [Conclusion] The herbs compound has anti-fatigue effects on mice.
Talking to Themselves

Beyond their focus on Pynchon's fiction, Alan W. Brownlie's Thomas Pynchon's Narratives and Charles Clerc's Mason & Dixon & Pynchon have little in common: they address different novels; they take different approaches; they seem to have different purposes. But in reading them, I found myself pondering the same issue: the idea of audience. When we, the community of Pynchonians, write, for whom, exactly, are we writing? The easy answer, of course, is each other–scholars who have chosen to devote a good part of their professional activity to studying, interpreting and teaching Pynchon's work. This audience is pretty well represented, I imagine, by the regular readers of this journal. A second audience is students, those studying Pynchon in hopes of joining the above-mentioned community and those studying him, perhaps, but not always, with less enthusiasm, for a graduate or undergraduate course while on their way to other professional goals. After that, the idea of audience gets a little murky. We might imagine an audience of nonacademic readers, but the many Pynchon enthusiasts I know who are not professional scholars have little interest in (if not outright contempt for) academic writing. We might imagine an audience of readers we can initiate into Pynchon fandom. (When I was writing my dissertation on Gravity's Rainbow, my director suggested I write about my subject in such a way that my readers would want to run out and buy the book.) This is a noble idea, and I have often heard conference papers on books I hadn't read that inspired me to get them; but practically speaking, I doubt the ranks of new readers are especially swollen because of books by academic specialists.
Characteristics and outcomes of lymphoblastic lymphoma - the University of Miami experience.

Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is an aggressive and uncommon subtype of adult lymphoid malignancy, accounting for less than 2% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).[1] Lymphoblastic leukemia (LL)-like p...
The Flavor Industry

The acceptability of almost everything that passes the lips, whether it be food, drink, confectionery, tobacco, medicine or products used for oral hygiene, is dependent to some extent on its flavor. Flavor in food and food flavorings are different terms that have the same end effect. The flavor of a food is created by aromatic chemicals that are biosynthesized during normal metabolic processes in plants and animals, and possibly further modified by cooking or processing. This intrinsic flavor of food represents the complex impact made by these aromatic components on the senses of odor and taste.
The Vector Analyzing Power in \(\vec d\) — 4He Elastic Scattering Between 15 and 45 MeV

Phase shift analyses of d — 4He elastic scattering data below 17 MeV have led progressively to improved agreement with the data and to the determination of level parameters for those states of 6Li that appear as resonances in the d + 4He channel1,2). These data have shown substantial values of the vector and tensor analyzing powers, so we selected 4He as a potentially good analyzer for the higher energy polarized deuteron beams. Also, two independent determinations2,3,4)of the absolute vector analyzing power Ay(Ed,θcm) have been made which are in very good agreement. In the scattering of a purely vector-polarized deuteron beam the measured left-right asymmetry is given by $$\varepsilon (\theta ) = (3/2){p_y}{A_y}(\theta )$$ (1) where py is the beam polarization. Asymmetry data were taken at 5 MeV intervals from 15 to 45 MeV at center-of-mass angles from 30° to 165°. At all angles the elastically scattered deuterons were detected with LIE-E counter telescopes placed at equal angles to the left and right of the beam axis. Particle identification served to separate deuterons from protons which came from the deuteron breakup reaction. A gas target of 4He at ≃ 1 atm. pressure was used with beams typically of 50 nA. A polari-meter, consisting similarly of a gas target and a left-right pair of counter telescopes, was placed downstream of the main scattering chamber, and it provided continuous monitoring of the beam polarization during the course of the experiment.
Dental extraction protocol in a patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Abstract Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by heterotopic bone formation within skeletal muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues that affects one in 2 million people. By 10 years of age, patients with FOP frequently experience fusions within the axial skeleton, with subsequent ossifications throughout the appendicular skeleton. Any type of trauma or inflammatory process can lead to heterotopic ossification. These ossifications can affect the muscles of mastication, limit mandibular movement, and restrict inter-incisal opening. This case reports a 22-year-old male patient with FOP who had poor oral intake because of a 0-mm incisal opening and no interdental or maxillomandibular spacing to allow oral feeding. The patient was referred to our department for unilateral molar extractions to help facilitate oral tube feedings. The procedure was completed in the main operating room under general anesthesia using standard instruments and a surgical drill. The patient underwent routine postoperative healing, has 2.5 cm of posterior maxillomandibular spacing, and reports improved oral intake. This case illustrates that patients with FOP and a poor nutritional status as a result of limited, or nonexistent, mandibular movement may undergo dental extractions under general anesthesia to help facilitate oral intake.
A Rare Case of an Irreducible Patella Dislocation

Reports of irreducible patellar dislocations are exceedingly sparse throughout the literature. Obvious radiographic or physical exam findings including fracture or inversion of the patella are often present to explain the block to reduction. Not described previously in the literature is the instance of an irreducible patella dislocation in the setting of innocuous appearing injury imaging. We present a case of a healthy thirty-two-year-old female who sustained an irreducible lateral patella dislocation while participating in a dance aerobics class. Closed means of reduction were unsuccessful, necessitating open reduction. Intraoperative findings suggest incarceration of a nondisplaced fracture and a chondral defect as the block to reduction. Following open reduction, the patient has had no further episodes of pain or instability related to the patella at one-year follow-up. Irreducible patellar dislocations are exceedingly rare injuries, where associated osseous or chondral lesions may necessitate open reduction despite innocuous appearing initial imaging. A high index of suspicion to proceed with open reduction may limit repeated attempts at closed reduction and further injury.
Daisy quorum drives for the genetic restoration of wild populations

An ideal gene drive system to alter wild populations would 1) exclusively affect organisms within the political boundaries of consenting communities, and 2) be capable of restoring any engineered population to its original genetic state. Here we describe ‘daisy quorum’ drive systems that meet these criteria by combining daisy drive with underdominance. A daisy quorum drive system is predicted to spread through a population until all of its daisy elements have been lost, at which point its fitness becomes frequency-dependent: mostly altered populations become fixed for the desired change, while engineered genes at low frequency are swiftly eliminated by natural selection. The result is an engineered population surrounded by wild-type organisms with limited mixing at the boundary. Releasing large numbers of wild-type organisms or a few bearing a population suppression element can reduce the engineered population below the quorum, triggering elimination of all engineered sequences. In principle, the technology can restore any drive-amenable population carrying introduced genes from any source to wild-type genetics. Daisy quorum systems may enable efficient, community-supported, and genetically reversible ecological engineering.
Excess Electron and Hole in 1-Benzylpyridinium-Based Ionic Liquids.

The study of ionic liquids that may be compatible with the type of radiation chemistry events occurring in nuclear separation processes is a topic of high current interest. In this article, we focus on two ionic liquids based on the benzylpyridinium cation. This cation has been proposed to be able to capture either an excess electron or hole without undergoing fast dissociation. Shkrob, Wishart, and collaborators (J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, 117 (46), 14385–−14399) have indicated that the stabilization is likely in the form of dimers in solution with the excess electron localized on adjacent pyridinium rings and the excess hole localized on phenyl rings. Our first-principles dynamical studies support these ideas but present a more nuanced view of the time-dependent behavior that is likely to occur at short time for systems at room temperature.
Age and the Factor Structure of Emotional Experience in Adulthood

Objectives The current study examined the factor structure of emotional experience across adults 34-50, 51-65, and 66-84 year olds. Method Participants (N = 2,022) were asked about 14 negative and 13 positive emotions across 8 days in the National Study of Daily Experiences II study. Factor analysis computed both inter-individual factors (between-person structure of emotional experience) and intra-individual factors (factors describing emotions in daily life) for each age group. Results For inter-individual variation, one positive and one negative factor captured emotions experienced for the first two age groups, but the 66 to 84-year-old adults had an additional factor for anger. For intra-individual variation, two factors (fear and sadness; anger) captured negative emotions for the first two age groups. The oldest age group had three negative factors: fear; anger (with additional sadness emotions); and sadness. Four factors captured positive emotions for the middle-aged groups and three for the oldest group; interpersonally oriented emotions (e.g. sense of belonging) were the primary sources of age differences. Discussion Findings suggest that subtle age differences exist in the factor structure of daily emotional experience when comparing middle-aged and older adults.
The Maladaptive Pursuit of Consumption: the Impact of Materialism, Pain of Paying, Social Anxiety, Social Support, and Loneliness on Compulsive Buying

The current research examined the capability of materialism, pain of paying, social anxiety, social support, and loneliness to predict compulsive buying. A sample of students attending a public university located in the northeast USA were surveyed. A multiple regression indicated materialism, pain of paying, anhedonia, coping with substances, and social support received from family were predictors of compulsive buying. Pain of paying was the strongest predictor of compulsive buying. Understanding factors that affect compulsive buying aids the identification of compulsive buying and informs the treatment of compulsive buying. Treatment models may be more effective if additional attention is given to addressing and developing social support networks of compulsive buyers. Such social support may act as a buffer against the social anxiety compulsive buyers experience and may help reduce feelings of anhedonia and use of substances to control social anxiety.
Safety of preoperative ibuprofen in pediatric tonsillectomy.

Objective Oral ibuprofen is believed to be safe and effective after pediatric adenotonsillectomy. There has been little study of its use as a preoperative analgesic. We attempt to document its safety in this setting. Study design Individual case control study. Methods Children who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy from January 2013 to December 2015 did not receive preoperative ibuprofen. Those who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy from January 2016 to December 2017 received oral ibuprofen 7 mg/kg preoperatively. Pre- and postoperative records were reviewed. Intraoperative bleeding > 50 mL or early postoperative bleeding requiring surgical control were outcome measures. Delayed bleeding events were also recorded. Results A total of 217 children met inclusion criteria. Of those, 112 patients did not receive preoperative ibuprofen, and 105 patients did receive preoperative ibuprofen. Mean age was 8.7 years (range: 1-18) in the control/non-ibuprofen cohort and 8.3 years (range: 1-18) in the ibuprofen cohort. No child experienced significant intraoperative or early postoperative bleeding in the non-ibuprofen (95% confidence interval [CI] 0-0.027) or in the ibuprofen cohort (95% CI 0- 0.029). Delayed bleeding rates were similar in both groups. Conclusion In this series, children treated with preoperative ibuprofen did not experience increased bleeding during or soon after tonsillectomy compared to controls. Pain control was not studied in these patients. These favorable safety data argue for a future prospective randomized study of preoperative ibuprofen's effectiveness in reducing pain and opioid requirement after pediatric tonsillectomy. Level of evidence 3b. Laryngoscope, 128:2415-2418, 2018.
Dissection of the Hippocampus Proper and the Associated Structures in Preserved Horse Brains

The limbic system is a complicated region of the brain to teach in an undergraduate neuroanatomy course. The students often struggled with the complexity and interconnection of the structures of this system to other cortical regions. The following is a description of two dissections that used preserved horse brains to help students visualize the major components of this system and also comprehend the topographic organization of some of these structures to other regions or structures of the brain.
Diversification of Class II Aα Within the Genus Mus

The exon that encodes the antigen binding site (ABS) of Mhc class II molecules is extremely polymorphic. To understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms responsible for the generation of this diversity, we have assessed the ABS diversity of mouse Aa by determining and comparing nucleotide sequences of exon 2 for 30 alleles derived from 9 species or subspecies. The diversity is concentrated in 5 discrete segments that constitute the interior of the ABS, and the majority of the polymorphisms in these 5 segments arose prior to the divergence of many contemporary mouse species, which have diverged from 0.2 to 2.4 MYR. Comparisons of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions confirmed previous observations that strong diversifying selection for ABS diversity is involved in maintaining Mhc polymorphism. Our sequence analyses suggest that, unlike Ab, Aa does not experience extensive genetic exchanges through recombination or gene conversion. Thus, Aa diversity is generated predominantly via the accumulation of point mutations through long evolutionary periods, i.e. via the retention of ancestral polymorphism.
An Automatic Control and Data Logging System for the Determination of Magnetic Properties of Materials for Nondestructive Evaluation

In recent years there has been considerable progress in the area of microprocessor controlled automated test systems for the measurement of magnetic properties of materials [1,2]. Lately commercial systems have become available [3,4]. This has been made possible by the rapid growth of the microcomputer industry in the last eight years so that independent, or personal, computers have become available with enough capability and at sufficiently low cost to make on line control and data logging of even quite small experimental systems both economical and desirable.
Factor Structure and Incremental Utility of the Distress Tolerance Scale: A Bifactor Analysis.

The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) is a self-report measure of perceived capacity to withstand aversive emotions. Initial factor analysis of this measure suggested a structure comprising one higher...
Automatic Extrinsic Calibration of a Camera and a 3D LiDAR Using Line and Plane Correspondences

In this paper, we address the problem of extrinsic calibration of a camera and a 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor using a checkerboard. Unlike previous works which require at least three checkerboard poses, our algorithm reduces the minimal number of poses to one by combining 3D line and plane correspondences. Besides, we prove that parallel planar targets with parallel boundaries provide the same constraints in our algorithm. This allows us to place the checkerboard close to the LiDAR so that the laser points better approximate the target boundary without loss of generality. Moreover, we present an algorithm to estimate the similarity transformation between the LiDAR and the camera for the applications where only the correspondences between laser points and pixels are concerned. Using a similarity transformation can simplify the calibration process since the physical size of the checkerboard is not needed. Meanwhile, estimating the scale can yield a more accurate result due to the inevitable measurement errors of the checkerboard size and the LiDAR intrinsic scale factor that transforms the LiDAR measurement to the metric measurement. Our algorithm is validated through simulations and experiments. Compared to the plane-only algorithms, our algorithm can obtain more accurate result by fewer number of poses. This is beneficial to the large-scale commercial application.
Runtime Integrity Verification in Cyber-physical Systems using Side-Channel Fingerprint

The world is moving towards a connected ecosystem of cyber-physical components, which are increasingly deployed in diverse fields, from automobiles, to power grids, city infrastructure, manufacturing, and biomedical systems. Majority of these applications call for physical proximity of users to the system due to the nature of the service (e.g., health care). Both remote (through a network) and physical access to these systems have significantly broadened the attack surface of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) by providing increased flexibility to observe and alter the system maliciously. Many such systems are deployed in critical applications requiring a high level of operational integrity. Existing solutions for attack detection and prevention are often not adequate, specifically with respect to emerging vulnerabilities. In this paper, we focus on run-time monitoring of CPS with respect to attacks on hardware and software. In particular, we present the motivation for run-time monitoring and then propose methods for detection of physical attacks on hardware and activation of malicious programs in system software, both of which are severe threats to traditional and emerging applications of CPS. We propose a power-up and runtime hardware-software integrity monitoring of sensing and computing equipment in CPS through continuous observation of various side-channel parameters using a plug-and-play hardware module. We present a systematic framework that includes signature generation and comparison technique through device calibration, noise reduction, and workload analysis. Finally, we present a framework for monitoring two side-channel parameters (namely, power and electromagnetic radiation) to detect component replacement and malicious code execution.
Using Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCS) to Examine Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crash Injury and Enforcement in New York State

Rural areas of New York State (NYS) have higher rates of alcohol-related motor vehicle (MV) crash injury than metropolitan areas. While alcohol-related injury has declined across the three geographic regions of NYS, disparities persist with rural areas having smaller declines. Our study aim was to examine factors associated with alcohol-related MV crashes in Upstate and Long Island using multi-sourced county-level data that included the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) with emergency department visits and hospitalizations, traffic citations, demographic, economic, transportation, alcohol outlets, and Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCS). A cross-sectional study design employed zero-truncated negative binominal regression models to assess relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Counties (n = 57, 56,000 alcohol-related crashes over the 3 year study timeframe) were categorized by mean annual alcohol-related MV injuries per 100,000 population: low (24.7 ± 3.9), medium (33.9 ± 1.7) and high (46.1 ± 8.0) (p < 0.0001). In multivariable analyses, alcohol-related MV injury was elevated for non-adjacent, non-metropolitan counties (RR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6–3.9) with higher citations for impaired driving showing a small, but significant protective effect. Less metropolitan areas had higher alcohol-related MV injury with inconsistent alcohol-related enforcement measures. In summary, higher alcohol-related MV injury rates in non-metropolitan counties demonstrated a dose–response relationship with proximity to a metropolitan area. These findings suggest areas where intervention efforts might be targeted to lower alcohol-related MV injury.
Socrates' Defensible Devices in Plato's "Meno".

Despite how revered Socrates is among many educators nowadays, he can seem in the end to be a poor model for them, particularly because of how often he refutes his interlocutors and poses leading q...
Home Competition Escapism View of Emerging Market Multinationals

Literature on emerging market firms’ strategic asset seeking FDI emphasizes on home country government support. In this research, we argue that emerging market firm strategic asset seeking outward ...
Detecting lower in addition to the highest Gleason score prostate cancer on core biopsy and the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality.

5051 Background: We evaluated the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) following definitive treatment in men with at least one prostate biopsy core with a Gleason score (GS) lower than...
Paid on Both Sides: Quid Pro Quo Exchange and the Doctrine of Consideration

I scratch your back, you scratch mine—how must these services relate in order to constitute a quid pro quo exchange? In the ordinary quid pro quo exchange, each party agrees to do their part in order to get the other party to do theirs; each conditions their own willingness to perform on the willingness of the other; and each regards the other as obligated to do their part in light of their agreement. But not all exchanges are ordinary, and a proper analysis is of considerable practical and theoretical significance. In the law alone, quid pro quo figures prominently in a wide range of contexts—civil as well as criminal, public as well as private—and lies at the core of a number of raging controversies concerning official corruption, insider trading, and other matters. This Article offers the first philosophical analysis of quid pro quo exchange in the Anglophone tradition. This analysis is framed by an investigation of the doctrine of consideration in contract, the site of the law’s most influential treatment of quid pro quo. The textbook definition of consideration relies on a conception of exchange - first elaborated by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – that is couched in the motivational terms of reciprocal inducement. On this motivational conception, a quid pro quo is defined in terms of the instrumental motives that typically animate it, where each service is rendered as a means of bringing about the other. This Article argues against the motivational account of exchange and offers an original account in its place. This account takes as a starting point the traditional common law definition of exchange as reciprocal payment. On the account of exchange that emerges, two performances constitute a quid pro quo when the parties regard those performances as satisfying two conditions: first, that each performance satisfies the debt incurred by the other, and second, that after the sequence of performances neither party shall owe the other anything on account of the other’s performance. Together, these conditions imply that, in the wake of the performances, the parties will be “all paid up” as far as the performances are concerned. Finally, this Article offers an alternative consideration rule that incorporates its definition of reciprocal payment. This alternative rule locates the required element of bargain or exchange within the apparent terms of the agreement, and not in the motives—actual or apparent—that led the parties to assent to those terms. The reciprocal payment conception of consideration is superior to the textbook definition at the levels of both justification and fit, and sidesteps the problems that have made the doctrine an object of pillory in so many quarters.
Learned Representation of Implied Serial Order in Posterior Parietal Cortex

Monkeys can learn the implied ranking of pairs of images drawn from an ordered set, despite never seeing all of the images simultaneously and without explicit spatial or temporal cues. We recorded the activity of posterior parietal cortex (including lateral intraparietal area LIP) neurons while monkeys learned 7-item transitive inference (TI) lists with 2 items presented on each trial. Behavior and neuronal activity were significantly influenced by the ordinal relationship of the stimulus pairs, specifically symbolic distance (the difference in rank) and joint rank (the sum of the ranks). Symbolic distance strongly predicted decision accuracy and learning rate. An effect of joint rank on performance was found nested within the symbolic distance effect. Across the population of neurons, there was significant modulation of firing correlated with the relative ranks of the two stimuli presented on each trial. Neurons exhibited selectivity for stimulus rank during learning, but not before or after. The observed behavior is poorly explained by associative or reward mechanisms, and appears more consistent with a mental workspace model in which implied serial order is mapped within a spatial framework. The neural data suggest that posterior parietal cortex supports serial learning by representing information about the ordinal relationship of the stimuli presented during a given trial.
George Floyd and Our Collective Moral Injury

[ ]to me, as a woman of color leading the country's largest public health agency, Mr Floyd's death feels different because it represents a cumulative injury on top of the sustained acuity of health inequities playing out in horrifying details through the COVID-19 pandemic Think ofa collective moral injury as lasting emotional and spiritual impacts on a community when authorities commit actions that violate core moral values and expectations of righteous behavior [ ]agency partners, health care providers, community leaders, and government officials immediately joined us in centering the most affected New Yorkers in their responses to the virus
Rapid transition of a PICU space and staff to adult coronavirus disease 2019 ICU care

OBJECTIVES: We describe the process by which a PICU and a PICU care team were incorporated into a hospital-wide ICU care model during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. DESIGN: A descriptive, retrospective report from a single-center PICU. SETTING: Twenty-three bed, quaternary PICU, within an 862-bed hospital. PATIENTS: Critically ill adults, with coronavirus disease 2019-related disease. INTERVENTIONS: ICU care provided by pediatric intensivists with training and support from medical intensivists. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Within the context of the institution's comprehensive effort to centralize and systematize care for adults with severe coronavirus disease 2019 disease, the PICU was transitioned to an adult coronavirus disease 2019 critical care unit. Nurses and physicians underwent just-in-time training over 3 days and 2 weeks, respectively. Medical ICU physicians and nurses provided oversight for care and designated hospital-based teams were available for procedures and common adult emergencies. Over a 7-week period, the PICU cared for 60 adults with coronavirus disease 2019-related critical illness. Fifty-three required intubation and mechanical ventilation for a median of 18 days. Eighteen required renal replacement therapy and 17 died. CONCLUSIONS: During the current and potentially in future pandemics, where critical care resources are limited, pediatric intensivists and staff can be readily utilized to meaningfully contribute to the care of critically ill adults.
Making sense of early-career teacher support, satisfaction, and commitment

Abstract In this mixed-methods study, I provide a rich and nuanced picture of how different districts across one state with an underdefined support policy strive to support early-career teachers, and then assess the relationships between these experiences and teachers’ own reported satisfaction and commitment to the teaching profession. I find substantial variation in the support experienced by early-career teachers. I also find that mentorship, both formal and informal, and perceptions of professional development are positively associated with satisfaction and commitment. Other contextual organizational factors also play a role in early-career teachers’ experiences and outcomes.
The Inversion Problem I: Theoretical Arithmetic

The writing of efficient programs for the more complicated operations on matrices is a truly professional job, still going on, despite the investment of many millions of dollars. We shall not attempt to compete, except in very simple cases, but we shall use critically the software prepared for us by our colleagues. We define efficiency roughly as fast and accurate; with comparatively small scale problems on which we must work, our examination of speed must be largely theoretical. But we can examine practically the question of accuracy.
Physical Tests for Counterfeit Detection

With the proliferation of counterfeit components in the electronic component supply chain over the last decade, it has become imperative that manufacturers, distributors, and users of electronic components inspect all incoming electronic components for authenticity, especially for those parts that will be used in critical systems, infrastructures, and applications (aerospace, military, medical, transportation, etc.). The risk of using a tampered, unreliable, or untrustworthy counterfeit component in such systems can be catastrophic (i.e., life-or-death). In addition, critical systems are often composed of older and obsolete electronic components which are no longer available from the original component manufacturers (OCMs) or OCM-authorized distributors. Following the laws of supply and demand, obsolete components are therefore more expensive, thus increasing the financial incentive for counterfeiters to source fakes of such parts.
Hand-Held Miniature Chemical Analysis System (μChemlab) for Detection of Trace Concentrations of Gas Phase Analytes

A miniature, integrated chemical laboratory (μChemLab) is being developed that utilizes microfabrication to provide faster response, smaller size, lower power operation, and an ability to utilize multiple analysis channels for enhanced versatility and chemical discrimination. Improved sensitivity and selectivity are achieved with three cascaded components: (1) a sample collector/concentrator, (2) a gas chromatographic (GC) separator, and (3) a chemically selective surface acoustic wave (SAW) array detector. Prototypes of all three components have been developed and demonstrated both individually and when integrated on a novel electrical and fluidic printed circuit board. A hand-held autonomous system containing two analysis channels and all supporting electronics and user interfaces is currently being assembled and tested.
Making Hay and Funerals

All the neighbors came around for funerals and for haying. The wo men in the kitchen surrounded her like blankets. The men outside, standing or squatting in a circle, considered. After lunch, everyone seemed sleepy in the afternoon sun. Work was like a dream of work. The women wore bonnets, the men rolled cigarettes. Her husband, both her eldest sons, her only daughter: all their funerals were the same.
Receiver architecture for transmit diversity in CDMA system

Transmit diversity schemes have recently been adopted by the third generation (3G) cellular standards based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technique to improve performance in slow fading environment. These schemes are variants of a simple block-coded Space-Time code. One of them is described in detail in this paper along with the proposition of a general receiver architecture for its demodulation. The proposed architecture minimizes the additional hardware required to extend an existing non-transmit diversity receiver to one with transmit diversity reception capability. The same architecture can also be easily modified to receive other schemes with a simple software change.