cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlates of life satisfaction and unemployment stigma and the impact of length of unemployment on a unique unemployed sample

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test a process model of coping with job loss by examining the impact of distal to proximal variable sets for incrementally explaining two distinct subjective well‐being variables: life satisfaction and unemployment stigma. A second purpose is to test for mean differences between study scales for increasingly long‐term unemployed individuals.Design/methodology/approach – A unique sample of unemployed victims completed an online survey investigating the impact of six variable sets on life satisfaction and unemployment stigma. These sets fall within the McKee‐Ryan et al. taxonomy and included: human capital and demographics; personal and financial coping resources; cognitive appraisal; escape‐focused coping; problem‐focused coping; and job search effort.Findings – Results partially supported the hypothesized variable set impact order on both life satisfaction and unemployment stigma. In addition some significant differences on study variables were found comparing fou...
Holographic visualization of laser wakefields

We report 'snapshots' of laser-generated plasma accelerator structures acquired by frequency domain holography (FDH) and frequency domain shadowgraphy (FDS), techniques for visualizing quasi-static objects propagating near the speed of light. FDH captures images of sinusoidal wakes in mm-length plasmas of density 1 10 19 cm 3 using amplitude modulations they imprint on co-propagating probe pulses. Variations in the spatio-temporal structure of bubbles are inferred from corresponding variations in the shape of 'bullets' of probe light trapped inside them and correlated with mono-energetic electron generation. Both FDH and FDS average over structural variations that occur during propagation through the plasma medium. We explore via simulations a generalization of FDH/FDS (termed frequency domain tomography (FDT)) that can potentially record a time sequence of quasi-static snapshots, like the frames of a movie, of the wake structure as it propagates through the plasma. FDT utilizes several
Female Genotypes Affect Sperm Displacement in Drosophila

Differential success of sperm is likely to be an important component of fitness. Extensive variation among male genotypes in competitive success of sperm in multiply mated females has been documented for Drosophila melanogaster. However, virtually all previous studies considered the female to be a passive vessel. Nevertheless, under certain conditions female fitness could be determined by her role in mediating use of sperm from multiple males. Here we ask whether females differ among genotypes in their tendency to exhibit last-male precedence. Competition of sperm from two tester male genotypes (bwD and B3-09, a third-chromosome isogenic line from Beltsville, MD) was quantified by doubly mating female lines that had been rendered homozygous for X, second, or third chromosomes isolated from natural populations. The composite sperm displacement parameter, P2', was highly heterogeneous among lines, whether or not viability effects were compensated, implying the presence of polymorphic genes affecting access of sperm to eggs. Genetic variation of this type is completely neutral in the absence of pleiotropy or interaction between variation in the two sexes.
Developing cross-cultural managerial skills through social media

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to familiarize managers with alternative social media applications of cross-cultural training approaches. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an overview of the current state of social media-based cross-cultural training and its trajectory. Findings – Social media is increasingly an integral part of contemporary communication. This paper shows how training technologies engaging to the born-digital generation have multiple advantages and unique deployment opportunities for cross-cultural know-how development. Originality/value – This paper provides a technological reframing of intercultural training that better aligns with the practices of the millennial generation, who are ready to embrace the accoutrements of international business and global networks. Readers will be sensitized to the advantages and disadvantages of new social media for intercultural training and education.
Changing Times, Complex Decisions Presidential Values and Decision Making

Objective: The objective of this article is to delve more deeply into the thought processes of the key decision makers at community colleges and understand how they make decisions. Specifically, this article focuses on the role of the community college president’s personal values in decision making. Method: We conducted interviews with 13 community college presidents in one midwestern state. The participants represented approximately half of the presidents in a state with a very high rate of unemployment, large governmental deficit, and a decreasing population. Results: We found that community college presidents presented a wide range of approaches to decision making. The most significant influences on presidential decision making stemmed from each president’s personal approach to decision making and the impact on the college they led. Contributions: This study contributes to the scholarship on community college leadership and to the literature on the preparation of future community college leaders.
Crystallinity effects in sequentially processed and blend-cast bulk-heterojunction polymer/fullerene photovoltaics

Although most polymer/fullerene-based solar cells are cast from a blend of the components in solution, it is also possible to sequentially process the polymer and fullerene layers from quasi-orthogonal solvents. Sequential processing (SqP) not only produces photovoltaic devices with efficiencies comparable to the more traditional bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells produced by blend casting (BC) but also offers the advantage that the polymer and fullerene layers can be optimized separately. In this paper, we explore the morphology produced when sequentially processing polymer/fullerene solar cells and compare it to the BC morphology. We find that increasing polymer regioregularity leads to the opposite effect in SqP and BC BHJ solar cells. We start by constructing a series of SqP and BC solar cells using different types of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) that vary in regioregulary and polydispersity combined with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PCBM). We use grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray ...
Adaptive challenges in the consulting room: A discussion of Sue Grand’s “Skin memories: On race, love and loss”

In this discussion, I reflect on important lessons in Sue Grand’s paper “Skin memories: On race, love and loss.” I suggest that racial experiencing in both American cultural life and the consulting room embodies aspects of an “adaptive challenge” (Heifetz, 1998) where opportunities and solutions look different to different members of the community or the dyad. Engaging adaptive challenges as they occur in clinical work is most possible when we open ourselves to the different stories differently situated others have to tell in their own voices and on their own terms.
1995 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: What Sociologists Are Learning About the Next Generation of Students: Are We Prepared to Teach in the 21st Century?

Predicting that by the 21st century the majority of students will not be prepared for university level curricula, this address raises a major challenge to sociologists: what action are we willing to take now to improve the preparation offuture students? Smelser's value-added theory of collective behavior provides the framework for examining this educational crisis. Analyses of the learning environments of the very young and school-age children and of the school difficulties of teenagers provide evidence that an educational crisis is imminent. In closing, I suggest actions sociologists can advocate to meet the educational chal- lenges of the next century.
Esophageal Stenting With Sutures: Time to Redefine Our Standards?

Background and study aims Migration is the most common complication of the fully covered metallic self-expanding esophageal stent (FCSEMS). Recent studies have demonstrated migration rates between 30% and 60%. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fixation of the FCSEMS by endoscopic suturing on migration rate. Patient and methods Patients who underwent stent placement for esophageal strictures and leaks over the last year were captured and reviewed retrospectively. Group A, cases, were patients who underwent suture placement and group B, controls, were patients who had stents without sutures. Basic demographics, indications, and adverse events (AEs) were collected. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression modeling were conducted to determine estimates and predictors of stent migration in patients with and without suture placement. Results Thirty-seven patients (18 males, 48.65%), mean age 57.2 years (±16.3 y), were treated with esophageal FCSEMS. A total of 17 patients received sutures (group A) and 20 patients received stents without sutures (group B). Stent migration was noted in a total of 13 of the 37 patients (35%) [2 (11%) in group A and 11 (55%) in group B]. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank analysis, fixation of the stent with suturing reduced the risk of migration (P=0.04). There were no AEs directly related to suture placement. Conclusions Anchoring of the upper flare of the FCSEMS with endoscopic sutures is technically feasible and significantly reduces stent migration rate when compared with no suturing, and is a safe procedure with very low AEs rates.
Deriving Mechanical Properties of Microtubules from Molecular Simulations

Microtubules are cytoskeletal filaments, which are often found in bent and buckled state within a eukaryotic cell. They provide structural support along with necessary motility to the cell, and are essential to regulate the mechanics of cell division. Not surprisingly, to understand how microtubules perform their functions, it is necessary to know their mechanical properties that govern their ability to deform. While experiments provide indirect estimates of the Young's modulus of a microtubule, molecular modeling and simulations can provide deeper insights into its mechanical properties in the form of a constitutive law. The constitutive law for a filament is the relationship between its deformations and the restoring effects (internal forces and moments). The constitutive law must depend on the atomistic configuration and interactions. This presentation shows how to derive the constitutive law of a microtubule from molecular simulations and offers understanding of how the atomistic configurations and interactions influence its bulk-level mechanical properties.
Transfusion-Transmitted Retrovirus Infection

This article reviews the history, classification, and disease associations of the known human retroviruses and outlines their profound effects on the practice of transfusion medicine. The immunodeficiency viruses, HIV-1 and HIV-2, produce a cytolytic effect on infected lymphocytes, and are the causative agents of AIDS. In contrast are tire oncoviruses, including HTLV-I and HTLV-II, which are typically lymphoproliferative and able to induce cellular transformation. Human foamy viruses, more recently recognized as a potential human neuropathogen, resemble the other retroviruses with their complex genome organization and structure.
Detecting Breast Cancer Using Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy provides detailed chemical and pathological information about biological tissue. Using a nine-component model of breast tissue it is possible to explain all of the major spectral features observed in normal and diseased samples. These model parameters are used to produce a diagnostic algorithm capable of differentiating normal/benign samples and malignant ones.
An ECO algorithm for resolving OPC and coupling capacitance violations

In the deep submicron manufacturing (DSM) era, lithography/yield and noise are critical issues to be considered. Optical proximity correction (OPC) is becoming a key compensate technique for the light diffraction effect in lithography. Both OPC effect and the capacitive coupling on some wire segments can only be analyzed post routing in late design stage or post-silicon stepping design change. ECO (engineering change orders) is used in late design stage to fix violations that exceed the given OPC and coupling capacitance thresholds derived from analysis. These violations must be corrected in order to guarantee performance and yield. In this paper, we propose the first ECO routing algorithm which eliminates both OPC and coupling capacitance violations for wires. At the same time, the ECO routing obeys the given constraints so as to keep the new routing solution close to the existing one to preserve design timing and layout convergence
Some problems in demand side management

We present a sample of problems in demand side management in future power systems and illustrate how they can be solved in a distributed manner using local information. First, we consider a set of users served by a single load-serving entity (LSE). The LSE procures capacity a day ahead. When random renewable energy is realized at delivery time, it manages user load through real-time demand response and purchases balancing power on the spot market to meet the aggregate demand. Hence optimal supply procurement by the LSE and the consumption decisions by the users must be coordinated over two timescales, a day ahead and in real time, in the presence of supply uncertainty. Moreover, they must be computed jointly by the LSE and the users since the necessary information is distributed among them. We present distributed algorithms to maximize expected social welfare. Instead of social welfare, the second problem is to coordinate electric vehicle charging to fill the valleys in aggregate electric demand profile, or track a given desired profile. We present synchronous and asynchronous algorithms and prove their convergence. Finally, we show how loads can use locally measured frequency deviations to adapt in real time their demand in response to a shortfall in supply. We design decentralized demand response mechanism that, together with the swing equation of the generators, jointly maximize disutility of demand rationing, in a decentralized manner.
Post-traumatic Visualized Supernumerary Phantom Limbs: A Case Presentation.

Abstract The experience of supernumerary phantom limbs (SPLs) is a rare phenomenon known to occur following a variety of neurological ailments. This case report details visualized supernumerary phantom arms and legs in a polytrauma patient with suspicion of seizure as the primary contributing factor. Fewer than 30 cases of SPLs have been previously described. SPLs are usually confined to the phantom proprioception/sensation of the limb, with only 6 prior cases reporting visualized SPLs, all of which occurred in the setting of isolated stroke. This case presentation is notable because it is the first to describe visualized SPLs in a polytrauma patient. Level of Evidence V
Abstract 268: Revascularization with Open Bypass vs. Angioplasty and Stenting of the Lower extremity Trial (ROBUST)

Background Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAD) is the most common vascular condition affecting 3-10% of the general population, and as high as 15-20% of those over 70 years of age. PAD is also a major marker for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The Transatlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC II) classified superficial femoral artery lesions into 4 categories based on length and extent of disease. For TASC II A (short) lesions angioplasty with stenting (PTA/S) has shown to be effective. For TASC II D (long occlusion) open bypass (OB) is superior to PTA/S in patency and long term outcome. However for TASC II B and C (moderate) lesions there are conflicting reports on the best treatment modality. ROBUST is the first randomized clinical trial comparing OB and PTA/S in TASC II B and C lesions. Primary objective Patency ( Secondary objectives Quality of life improvement, morbidity and mortality rate. Methods:/Study Population Patients with intermittent claudication who fail medical management or patients with critical limb ischemia are eligible. Patients are maximized medically. Patients with TASC II B or C lesions are prospectively randomized into either OB or PTA/S group; patients with TASC A and D lesion are non-randomized receiving PTA/Stent or Bypass respectively. Patients are followed at 1, 6 and 12 month and yearly up to five years with physical exam, ABI, duplex and QOL questionnaire. Study Status Study approved by Hopkins IRB. The study is actively enrolling participants, and making steady progress. Last DSMB Approval on 10/31/12. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01602159 Results Total Consented = 29, Total Enrolled = 22, Screen fail = 7, Withdrawn = 0, Death = 1, TASC A = 4, TASC B = 7, TASC C = 1, TASC D = 10, Total randomized = 8 Patency One patient with TASC A (non-randomized PTA/S group) and one TASC B (randomized to OB) had restenosis. Both restenosis were treated successfully with angioplasty. Mortality No intra operative death reported. One unrelated death at 6-month (TASC B lesion randomized to PTA/S) Discussion/Significance of Impact Providing level-1 evidence, ROBUST will establish treatment guidelines in such lesions and eliminate un-necessary procedures and reduce health care costs
In Pursuit of the Revolutionary-Not-Yet: Some Thoughts on Education Work, Movement Building, and Praxis

Come to Jesus moment: coming clean and admitting failures; realizing the true weight or negative impact of a situation; an acknowledgement that one must get back to core values; moment of reassessi...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Central Nervous System: Comparison to Computed Tomography

ABSTRACT Magnetic resonance (MR) is a powerful new imaging modality which has recently become competitive with x-ray computed tomography (CT) for imaging of the central nervous system (CNS). The ad...
The effect of category learning on visual attention and visual representation

Subordinate-level category learning recruits neural resources associated with perceptual expertise, including the N250 component of the ERP, a posterolateral negative wave maximal between 230 and 330 ms. The N250 is a relatively late visual ERP and could plausibly be driven by attention to the features of categorized objects. Indeed, it has a latency and scalp distribution similar to the selection negativity (SN), an ERP component long known to be sensitive to attentional selection of target features. To clarify sensitivity of the N250 to attention and to more generally investigate the effect of category learning on attentional modulation of learned features, we independently manipulated subordinate-level category learning and target detection in a speeded paradigm designed to optimally elicit the SN and accompanying frontal selection positivity (FSP). Participants first practiced categorizing a set of artificial animal stimuli and then performed a speeded target detection task on trained and untrained stimuli while ERPs were recorded. SN and FSP were roughly linearly related to the number of target features in the stimulus. Trained stimuli elicited a significantly larger N250 than untrained stimuli. The SN and N250 effects were additive, with all levels of target similarity equally affected by training, and had different time courses. Training had little effect on the FSP. The results suggest that (a) the N250 and SN have different sources, and (b) at the very least, the learning-induced N250 indexes a different attentional subprocess from the target-induced SN and could be driven by a different cognitive process altogether.
Physical Education Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding, Application, and Development of Critical Thinking

ABSTRACTTo better prepare physical education (PE) teachers, this study explored a group of pre-service teachers’ understanding, application, and development of critical thinking (CT) in a capstone methods course. Participants were 12 pre-service teachers from a PE teacher education (PETE) program at a large university in the southwestern United States. Data were collected through focus group interviews and post-lab assignments and were analyzed via content analysis. Findings showed that the PE pre-service teachers could define CT and recognize its importance to teaching and learning. Together with field-based teaching practices, course written assignments such as the encyclopedia article, curriculum project, lesson plans, and post assignments were identified as contributors to CT development. At the end of the semester, the PE pre-service teachers demonstrated an improvement in CT across three levels. Based on our findings, we recommend the integration of CT instruction into PETE programs.
A Success Story of a Working Consortium: Project Kick

Eight years ago, Project KICK (Kids in Cooperation with Kids) at Florida State University (FSU) was developed in response to the need for a school-based drug education program. The specific purpose was to test a number of assumptions and models concerning alcohol and drug abuse prevention and its relationship to early intervention and health promotion. The program employed a community-partnership in drug education, parent involvement, and peer counseling. The objectives for achieving these goals were: teaching drug knowledge, drug refusal, and appropriate problem-solving skills; enhancing self-esteem and social skills; developing conflict resolution skills; and promoting increased family participation.
Tricarbonylrhenium(I) Complexes of Dinucleating Redox-Active Pincer Ligands

Two homobimetallic tricarbonylrhenium(I) complexes of new redox-active dinucleating pincer ligands have been prepared to assess the impact of spacer size on the first oxidation potentials with respect to mononucleating analogues and on intramolecular electronic communication. The new pincer ligands feature two tridentate NNN- sites each composed of two pyrazolyl flanking donors and a diarylamido anchor that are either directly linked (to form a central benzidene core, H2(L1)) or linked via a para-phenylene group (to form a para-terphenyldiamine core, H2(L2)). The bimetallic complexes of the deprotonated ligands, [fac-Re(CO)3]2(μ-L1), 1, and [fac-Re(CO)3]2(μ-L2), 2, were fully characterized in solution and the solid state including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for 1. The electrochemical properties of each depended strongly on solvent and electrolyte. Complex 1 exhibits two one-electron oxidations in all electrolyte-containing solutions but with separations between first and second oxidation potentia...
Project-Based Learning in a Public Park and Recreation Agency: Multidimensional Approaches to University Student Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) is different from traditional didactic learning in that it utilizes a model that moves classroom activity out of the classroom and into the “real world.” An undergradua...
Workshop on Taste and Smell in the Elderly: An Overview

The purpose of the workshop entitled Taste and Smell in the Elderly: Behavioral and Nutritional Consequences was 1) to review the current state of knowledge in the area of taste and smell, with emphasis on age-related changes, 2) to identify existing gaps in our knowledge, and 3) to develop future research strategies. There was general agreement that the majority of scientific studies have found impairments in taste and smell acuity in the elderly. These losses may result from normal aging, certain disease states especially Alzheimer's disease, medications, surgical interventions, and environmental exposure. However, there are gaps in our knowledge of the basic mechanisms by which aging and environmental factors may impair the chemical senses in the elderly. Further research is also required in a variety of areas including chemosensory test procedures, food intake, and nutrition to understand fully the impact of chemosensory dysfunction on older individuals.
Measuring Hint Level in Open Cloze Questions

Providing the first few letters of a missing word in a sentence gives information about this word. This paper attempts to measure the information transmitted in that case. In order to do so, we analyzed response accuracy for open cloze questions, that is fill-in-the-blank questions without multiple choice answers. In this study, native and non-native speakers of English answered a series of open cloze questions that were semi-automatically generated. Hints were provided that consisted of the first few letters of the missing word. Results showed that question difficulty, hence the quantity of information transmitted, is related to the number of letters that are provided, to physical properties of these letters and to syllables formed by these letters. Performances did not appear to depend on letter or syllable frequency. Controlling hint level in a word completion task is critical in order to provide practice exercises adapted to student levels.
Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA

Interpretations of post-fire condition and rates of vegetation recovery can influence management priorities, actions and perception of latent risks from landslides and floods. In this study, we used the Waldo Canyon fire (2012, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) as a case study to explore how a time series (2011–2016) of high-resolution images can be used to delineate burn extent and severity, as well as quantify post-fire vegetation recovery. We applied an object-based approach to map burn severity and vegetation recovery using Worldview-2, Worldview-3 and QuickBird-2 imagery. The burned area was classified as 51% high, 20% moderate and 29% low burn-severity. Across the burn extent, the shrub cover class showed a rapid recovery, resprouting vigorously within 1 year, whereas 4 years post-fire, areas previously dominated by conifers were divided approximately equally between being classified as dominated by quaking aspen saplings with herbaceous species in the understorey or minimally recovered. Relative to using a pixel-based Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), our object-based approach showed higher rates of revegetation. High-resolution imagery can provide an effective means to monitor post-fire site conditions and complement more prevalent efforts with moderate- and coarse-resolution sensors.
Clinical and radiographic findings in cats with aspiration pneumonia: retrospective evaluation of 28 cases

OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical syndrome of aspiration pneumonia in cats and record potential predisposing factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective medical records search for cats with a diagnosis of “aspiration pneumonia” or “bronchopneumonia” was performed. Cases were included if they had a complete medical record and three‐view thoracic radiographs with pulmonary changes consistent with aspiration pneumonia and no other radiographic or physical examination findings suggestive of another cause of pulmonary or cardiac disease. RESULTS: We identified 28 cases. Potential predisposing conditions included: vomiting (12 of 28; 43%), anaesthesia (five of 28; 18%), enteral nutrition (five of 28; 18%), preexisting oesophageal disease (four of 28; 14%), neurologic disease (two of 28; 7%) and laryngeal disease (one of 28; 3.6%); 15 of 28 (53%) had more than one potentially predisposing condition. The most common lung lobe affected was the right middle (18 of 28; 64%), followed by the left cranial (16 of 28; 57%); multiple lung lobes were affected in 16 of 28 (57%) cases. Most cats (25 of 28; 89%) survived to discharge, with a median hospitalisation of 3 days. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Potential predisposing factors for developing aspiration pneumonia in cats are similar to those recorded in dogs and people. Aspiration pneumonia occurred in cats following vomiting, anaesthesia or after receiving enteral nutrition. Survival rates are high following treatment with antibiotics and supportive care, with 89% of cats in this study surviving to discharge.
Alkynyliodonium Salts in Organic Synthesis. Preparation of Annelated Dihydropyrroles by Cascade Addition/Bicyclization of Dienyltosylamide Anions with Phenyl(propynyl)iodonium Triflate

The addition of simple pentadienyltosylamide derivatives to the two-carbon electrophile phenyl(propynyl)iodonium triflate initiates a sequence of transformations that furnishes complex, highly functionalized cyclopentenannelated dihydropyrrole products in moderate yields with complete stereoselection. This sequence demonstrates that diyls resulting from homolytic scission of alkylidene carbene-alkene adducts can be readily accessed under mild experimental conditions and that, in the presence of appropriate pendant functionality, these diyls can productively cyclize. The isomeric isoprene-derived tosylamides follow an abbreviated reaction course and deliver azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes via an isomerization that competes with diyl formation.
Conditional compilation is dead, long live conditional compilation!

Highly-configurable systems written in C form our most critical computing infrastructure. The preprocessor is integral to C, because conditional compilation enables such systems to produce efficient object code. However, the preprocessor makes code harder to reason about for both humans and tools. Previous approaches to this challenge developed new program analyses for unpreprocessed source code or developed new languages and constructs to replace the preprocessor. But having special-purpose analyses means maintaining a new toolchain, while new languages face adoption challenges and do not help with existing software. We propose the best of worlds: eliminate the preprocessor but preserve its benefits. Our design replaces preprocessor usage with C itself, augmented with syntax-preserving, backwards-compatible dependent types. We discuss automated conditional compilation to replicate preprocessor performance. Our approach opens new directions for research into new compiler optimizations, dependent types for configurable software, and automated translation away from preprocessor use.
Trajectory Optimization for Chance-Constrained Nonlinear Stochastic Systems

This paper presents a new method of computing a sub-optimal solution of a continuous-time continuous-space chance-constrained stochastic nonlinear optimal control problem (SNOC) problem. The proposed method involves two steps. The first step is to derive a deterministic nonlinear optimal control problem (DNOC) with convex constraints that are surrogate to the SNOC by using generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansion and tools taken from chance-constrained programming. The second step is to solve the DNOC problem using sequential convex programming (SCP) for trajectory generation. We prove that in the unconstrained case, the optimal value of the DNOC converges to that of SNOC asymptotically and that any feasible solution of the constrained DNOC is a feasible solution of the chance-constrained SNOC because the gPC approximation of the random variables converges to the true distribution. The effectiveness of the gPC-SCP method is demonstrated by computing safe trajectories for a second-order planar robot model with multiplicative stochastic uncertainty entering at the input while avoiding collisions with a specified probability.
Fast Computation of Persistent Homology with Data Reduction and Data Partitioning

Persistent homology is a method of data analysis that is based in the mathematical field of topology. Unfortunately, the run-time and memory complexities associated with computing persistent homology inhibit general use for the analysis of big data. For example, the best tools currently available to compute persistent homology can process only a few thousand data points in $\mathrm{R}^{3}$. Several studies have proposed using sampling or data reduction methods to attack this limit. While these approaches enable the computation of persistent homology on much larger data sets, the methods are approximate. Furthermore, while they largely preserve the results of large topological features, they generally miss reporting information about the small topological features that are present in the data set. While this abstraction is useful in many cases, there are data analysis needs where the smaller features are also significant (e.g., brain artery analysis). This paper explores a combination of data reduction and data partitioning to compute persistent homology on big data that enables the identification of both large and small topological features from the input data set. To reduce the approximation errors that typically accompany data reduction for persistent homology, the described method also includes a mechanism of “upscaling” the data circumscribing the large topological features that are computed from the sampled data. The designed experimental method provides significant results for improving the scale at which persistent homology can be performed.
Universal coronavirus vaccines: the time to start is now

The continued explosive spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) despite aggressive public health measures has triggered an unprecedented international vaccine effort. However, correlates of protection, which can help guide intelligent vaccine design, are not known for SARS-CoV-2. Research on influenza immunity and vaccine development may provide valuable lessons for coronavirus efforts, especially considering similarities in rapid evolutionary potential. The apparent inevitability of future novel coronavirus outbreaks must prompt work on a universal coronavirus vaccine.
AC6 regulates the microtubule-depolymerizing kinesin KIF19A to control ciliary length in mammals

Motile cilia are hairlike structures that line the respiratory and reproductive tracts and the middle ear and generate fluid flow in these organs via synchronized beating. Cilium growth is a highly regulated process that is assumed to be important for flow generation. Recently, Kif19a, a kinesin residing at the cilia tip, was identified to be essential for ciliary length control through its microtubule depolymerization function. However, there is a lack of information on the nature of proteins and the integrated signaling mechanism regulating growth of motile cilia. Here, we report that adenylate cyclase 6 (AC6), a highly abundant AC isoform in airway epithelial cells, inhibits degradation of Kif19a by inhibiting autophagy, a cellular recycling mechanism for damaged proteins and organelles. Using epithelium-specific knockout mice of AC6, we demonstrated that AC6 knockout airway epithelial cells have longer cilia compared with the WT cells because of decreased Kif19a protein levels in the cilia. We demonstrated in vitro that AC6 inhibits AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), an important modulator of cellular energy-conserving mechanisms, and uncouples its binding with ciliary kinesin Kif19a. In the absence of AC6, activation of AMPK mobilizes Kif19a into autophagosomes for degradation in airway epithelial cells. Lower Kif19a levels upon pharmacological activation of AMPK in airway epithelial cells correlated with elongated cilia and vice versa. In all, the AC6–AMPK pathway, which is tunable to cellular cues, could potentially serve as one of the crucial ciliary growth checkpoints and could be channeled to develop therapeutic interventions for cilia-associated disorders.
Disparities in Care Experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the health care experiences of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) due to limited data. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the health care experiences of AIAN Medicare beneficiaries relative to non-Hispanic Whites using national survey data pooled over 5 years. SUBJECTS A total of 1,193,248 beneficiaries who responded to the nationally representative 2012-2016 Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys. METHODS Linear regression models predicted CAHPS measures from race and ethnicity. Scores on the CAHPS measures were linearly transformed to a 0-100 range and case-mix adjusted. Three AIAN groups were compared with non-Hispanic Whites: single-race AIANs (n=2491; 0.4% of the total sample), multiple-race AIANs (n=15,502; 1.3%), and Hispanic AIANs (n=2264; 0.2%). RESULTS Among AIAN groups, single-race AIANs were most likely to live in rural areas and areas served by the Indian Health Service; Hispanic AIANs were most likely to be Spanish-language-preferring (P's<0.05). Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, single-race AIANs reported worse experiences with getting needed care (adjusted disparity of -5 points; a "large" difference), getting care quickly (-4 points; a "medium" difference), doctor communication (-2 points; a "small" difference), care coordination (-2 points), and customer service (-7 points; P<0.001 for all comparisons). Disparities were similar for Hispanic AIANs but more limited for multiple-race AIANs. CONCLUSIONS Quality improvement efforts are needed to reduce disparities faced by older AIANs. These findings may assist in developing targeted efforts to address cultural, communication, and health system factors presumed to underlie disparities in health care access and customer service.
Political Marketing Communications in Today’s Era: Putting People at the Center

Several studies have focused on the impact of the main communication tools on political performance. However, little academic attention has been given to examine the influence of each communication strategy on voters as “consumers.” The researcher aims to test the relationship between each of the four main communication tools (i.e. public relations, media, advertising, and social media) and political performance, and the relationship of each of the aforementioned communication tools with the “offering” of political products that focus on voters. A survey of U.S. politicians indicates that public relations, media, and social media have a significant positive effect on political performance; public relations and social media also have a significant positive impact on the “offering” of products that focus on voters. In turn, the results show a significant positive relationship between political performance and the “offering” of political products that focus on voters.
Reprint of:The materials science of skin: Analysis, characterization, and modeling

Abstract Skin is the outermost layer of the body and acts as a primary protective barrier against external agents such as heat, light, infection, and injury. Additionally, skin regulates the temperature of the body and the exchange of fluids. Skin contains a vast network of nerves, glands, and vessels that enable sensing of heat, touch, pressure and pain, and is also a crucial interface that regulates our body temperature and stores water and lipids to maintain a healthy metabolism. In order to fulfill such a broad range of functions throughout life, skin must be able to withstand and recover from significant deformation as well as mitigate tear propagation that can occur during growth, movement, and injuries affecting its integrity. Hence, characterizing the mechanical behavior of skin and understanding the underlying mechanisms of deformation at different spatial scales is essential in a large spectrum of applications such as surgery, cosmetics, forensics, biomimetics and engineering of protective gear or artificial grafts, among others. The present review draws a comprehensive list of experimental techniques that have been developed over the years to test skin’s nonlinear elastic, viscoelastic, and dissipative properties. To identify parameters affecting its behavior, a significant number of models have been developed, some of which are detailed here; they range from macroscopic constitutive laws to structurally-based formulations, involving nonlinear, dynamic, or damage-inducing processes. The principal structural elements within the dermis, and especially the arrangement and orientation of the collagen fibrils and fibers, are presented; their incorporation into the constitutive models is discussed. Future challenges and perspectives in implementing more accurate structural models are highlighted. Major efforts at developing and using synthetic skin are described.
New methods for analyzing structural models of labor force dynamics

Abstract The economic theory of decision-making under uncertainty is used to produce three econometric models of dynamic discrete choice: (1) for a single spell of unemployment; (2) for an equilibrium two-state model of employment and non-employment; (3) for a general three-state model with a non-market sector. The paper provides a structural economic motivation for the continuous time Markov (or more generally ‘competing risks’) model widely used in longitudinal analysis in biostatistics and sociology, and it extends previous work on dynamic discrete choice to a continuous time setting. An important feature of identification analysis is separation of economic parameters that can only be identified by assuming arbitrary functional forms from economic parameters that can be identified by non-parametric procedures. The paper demonstrates that most econometric models for the analysis of truncated data are non-parametrically under-identified. It also demonstrates that structural estimators frequently violate standard regularity conditions. The standard asymptotic theory is modified to account for this essential feature of many structural models of labor force dynamics. Empirical estimates of an equilibrium two-state model of employment and non-employment are presented.
Adding centralized electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) data collection to an established international clinical outcomes registry.

ABSTRACT The importance of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in cellular therapies, including hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is highlighted in this study. Longitudinal collection of PROs in a registry is recommended for several reasons, yet to date, PROs are not routinely collected from HCT patients to augment clinical registry data. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of electronic PRO data collection by a national clinical outcomes registry, by assessing differences between who does and does not report PROs. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot collection of PROs from HCT recipients after treatment using computer-adapted tests from the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). We implemented centralized data collection through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) among patients who underwent HCT for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), were at least 6 months post-HCT, and spoke English or Spanish. The main objective was identifying patient, disease, and transplant-related differences associated with completion of electronic PROs. Patients were excluded from analysis if they were determined to be ineligible (deceased, did not speak English or Spanish, refused to be contacted by the CIBMTR). A total of 163 patients were contacted and potentially eligible to participate; of these, 92 (56%) enrolled and 89 (55%) completed the PRO assessment. The most frequent reason for incomplete surveys was inability to contact patients (n = 88), followed by declining to participate in the study (n = 37). There were no sociodemographic or age differences between those who completed the PRO survey (n = 89) and eligible nonresponders (n = 155). Patient scores were within 3 points of the US average of 50 for all symptoms and areas of function except physical functioning. Responders and nonresponders did not exhibit meaningfully different sociodemographic characteristics. Difficulty contacting patients posed the greatest barrier and also provided the greatest opportunity for improvement. Once enrolled, survey completion was high. These results support standardizing centralized PRO data collection through the CIBMTR registry.
Grass Invasion into Switchgrass Managed for Biomass Energy

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a C4 perennial grass and is the model herbaceous perennial bioenergy feedstock. Although it is indigenous to North American grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains and has been planted for forage and conservation purposes for more than 75 years, there is concern that switchgrass grown as a biofuel crop could become invasive. Our objective is to report on the invasion of C4 and C3 grasses into the stands of two switchgrass cultivars following 10 years of management for biomass energy under different N and harvest management regimes in eastern Nebraska. Switchgrass stands were invaded by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis), and other grasses during the 10 years. The greatest invasion by grasses occurred in plots to which 0 N had been applied and with harvests at anthesis. In general, less grass encroachment occurred in plots receiving at least 60 kg of N ha−1 or in plots harvested after frost. There were differences among cultivars with Cave-in-Rock being more resistant to invasion than Trailblazer. There was no observable evidence of switchgrass from this study invading into border areas or adjacent fields after 10 years of management for biomass energy. Results indicate that switchgrass is more likely to be invaded by other grasses than to encroach into native prairies or perennial grasslands seeded on marginally productive cropland in the western Corn Belt of the USA.
Social capital and leadership development: Building stronger leadership through enhanced relational skills

Purpose – As organizations face volatile and virtual environments there is a growing need to equip emerging leaders with skills to generate, utilize and maintain social capital. This paper aims to examine five recent, large leadership studies to clarify the role that human capital or social capital capabilities play in present day and future leadership.Design/methodology/approach – Researchers review five recent large leadership studies, assessing the human capital and/or social capital orientation of identified leadership capabilities.Findings – The analysis indicates that, although there is a primary focus on human capital capabilities, social capital skills have begun to receive more attention as components of a leader's skill set.Research limitations/implications – The review focused on five published studies and does not reflect the comprehensiveness of a meta‐analysis. Hence conclusions may not apply to all situations. Further exploration and longitudinal study of the efficacy of various development...
Sequence-Dependent Structural Stability of Self-Assembled Cylindrical Nanofibers by Peptide Amphiphiles

Three-dimensional networks of nanofibers, which are formed through self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles, serve as a biomimetic hydrogel scaffold for tissue engineering. With an emphasis to improve hydrogel properties for cell-specific behavior, a better understanding between structural characteristics and physical properties of the macroscopic gel is sought. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations were performed on two PA sequences with identical composition (palmitoyl-V3A3E3 and palmitoyl-A3V3E3) showing different self-assembly kinetic mechanisms. While both sequences yielded cylindrical nanofibers, these structures have contrasting internal arrangement with respect to the hydrophobic core; the former is continuous with predominately alkyl tails, whereas the latter is disjointed with interconnecting micelles. Two additional sequences (palmitoyl-V6E3 and palmitoyl-A6E3) were examined to determine the effects of a homogeneous β-sheet forming segment that is either strongly or mildly hydrophobic on self-assembly. Results from this study indicate that internal structural arrangement of nanofibers can provide a correlation with structural stability and mechanical behavior of hydrogel nanostructures.