cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tangential versus normal displacements of skin: relative effectiveness for producing tactile sensations

We investigated the relative effectiveness of tangential versus normal displacements of skin for producing tactile sensations. Subjects adjusted the magnitude of slow tangential and oblique displacements of a flat-ended, cylindrical, 1 mm diameter probe glued to the skin in order to match the perceived intensity of a reference displacement that indented the skin normal to the surface. At both the forearm and fingerpad, subjects chose tangential displacements only 0.3 to 0.6 times as large as the reference normal displacement, indicating a significantly higher sensitivity to tangential displacement. Based on measurements of the mechanical impedance of the skin to normal and tangential displacements, these results were also expressed in terms of forces. At the forearm, subjects were more sensitive to tangential forces than normal force. However, at the fingerpad, sensitivity to tangential forces was lower than sensitivity to normal force, due to the approximately five-fold greater stiffness of the fingerpad to tangential traction. These results provide guidance for development of tactile displays: (1) When an actuator is limited primarily in terms of peak displacement (e.g., the maximum strain of a ceramic piezoelectric actuator) then tangential stimulation is a superior choice for both body sites we tested. (2) When an actuator is limited primarily in terms of peak force (e.g., the stall torque of a DC micromotor) tangential stimulation is the superior choice for the hairy skin, but normal stimulation is the better choice on the fingerpad.
An evolutionary framework for AS-level Internet topology modeling

Models for network topology form a crucial component in the analysis of protocols. This paper systematically investigates a variety of evolutionary models for autonomous system (AS) level Internet topology. Evolution-based models produce a topology incrementally, attempting to reflect the growth patterns of the actual topology. While evolutionary models are appealing, they have generally not agreed as closely with measurements of real data as non-evolutionary models. We attempt to understand what factor contributes to a "good" evolutionary model. Our systematic study consists of a relatively generic evolutionary model framework, which we populate with different choices for the components. This allows us to compare a variety of instances of models to measurements from real data sets. We study issues such as the initial topology, the type of preferential connectivity used when adding edges, and the role of "growth" edges added between existing nodes. We find that appropriate instantiation of the framework can provide topologies that agree closely with real data. We also use our work to highlight several crucial open problems in topology modeling.
Comparison of teaching basic electrocardiographic concepts with and without ECGSIM, an interactive program for electrocardiography

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is an important diagnostic tool in the management of cardiac disease. Currently, most methods of introducing electrocardiography in medical schools rely on books, papers, and clinical observation (classical method). As more interactive software become available, it would be instructive for students to learn the ECG this way. This study compares the effectiveness of teaching the basics of electrocardiography using the classical method versus an interactive program, ECGSIM. Thirty-five students were randomized into two groups (classical and ECGSIM) and were taught the basic concepts of the ECG. This study demonstrates that teaching electrocardiography using ECGSIM is superior to traditional methods alone, indicating a potentially large role for interactive programs in teaching electrocardiography.
THE COMPLEX NON-LINEAR DYNAMICS OF IMPERFECTION SENSITIVE SHELLS

Shell structures have been used for centuries in all engineering fields. This is largely due to the important role played by these shells as efficient loading carrying members leading to very light and slender structures. However, when subjected to a compressive stress state in one or more directions they often exhibit a highly non-linear response and may loose their stability under quasi-static or dynamic conditions at load levels well below those predicted by linearized eigenvalue-problems or by non-linear analyses of a perfect system [1–3]. This is mainly due to the deleterious effects of imperfections (e. g., load, geometrical and boundary imperfections) and, in certain circumstances, to the small degree of safety of these systems on account of the fast decrease or erosion of the basin of attraction associated with the stable solution whose stability must be preserved. This can be explained by the fact that many shells under quasi-static loads display a symmetric unstable or an asymmetric bifurcation along the fundamental equilibrium path [2,3]. In these circumstances there are at least two equilibrium points for load levels lower than the critical load and, induced by the topology of the associated potential function, these shells may display subharmonic and superharmonic bifurcations, period-multiplying bifurcations, multiple solutions, chaotic motions and dangerous jumps caused by the presence of competing potential wells and non-linear resonance curves within each well [4]. Shells under compressive loads display not only cubic geometric non-linearities, like any other structural element, but also strong quadratic non-linearities due to the simultaneous effects of the initial curvature, prestresses and geometric imperfections. This strong non-linearity explains the complex dynamics of these systems and controls the various modes of elastic instability.
Conservation laws for stochastic electromagnetic free fields

Conservation laws for scalar stochastic free fields propagating in free space are generalized to electromagnetic beam-like fields. New conservation laws are derived for the elements of the cross-spectral density matrix of a stochastic electromagnetic beam, and they can be used to show that some integrated polarization properties, for example, Stokes parameters of a beam, are conserved on propagation in free space. We also show that, unlike integrated Stokes parameters, other polarization characteristics of a beam, for instance, its degree of polarization, are not, generally, conserved on propagation. The theory is illustrated by an example relating to the propagation of single-point and integrated Stokes parameters of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam.
Writing from the Margins: Brazilian Slaves and Written Culture

This small but extraordinary document casts light on the ways in which slaves and former slaves in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries who, though illiterate or barely literate themselves, nevertheless used writing to press for what they wanted or thought they had a claim to. Poor Brazilians generally could not read or write, nor could many who were far better off, but slaves and former slaves are the subject here because written culture impinged on them in particular ways. In many of their writings freedom is a repeated theme—getting it and using it—but not the only one. Occasionally, a slave appealed through the courts to be removed from an abusive master's authority. Former slaves who accumulated property of their own might pass it on to heirs named in a will. Petty commerce and personal business involving money and receipts drew unlettered slaves and freed people into countless informal written transactions.
Universal coding, information, prediction, and estimation

A connection between universal codes and the problems of prediction and statistical estimation is established. A known lower bound for the mean length of universal codes is sharpened and generalized, and optimum universal codes constructed. The bound is defined to give the information in strings relative to the considered class of processes. The earlier derived minimum description length criterion for estimation of parameters, including their number, is given a fundamental information, theoretic justification by showing that its estimators achieve the information in the strings. It is also shown that one cannot do prediction in Gaussian autoregressive moving average (ARMA) processes below a bound, which is determined by the information in the data.
Optimization of minimum set of protein–DNA interactions

Motivation: A major limitation in modeling protein interactions is the difficulty of assessing the over-fitting of the training set. Recently, an experimentally based approach that integrates crystallographic information of C2H2 zinc finger–DNA complexes with binding data from 11 mutants, 7 from EGR finger I, was used to define an improved interaction code (no optimization). Here, we present a novel mixed integer programming (MIP)-based method that transforms this type of data into an optimized code, demonstrating both the advantages of the mathematical formulation to minimize over-and under-fitting and the robustness of the underlying physical parameters mapped by the code. Results: Based on the structural models of feasible interaction networks for 35 mutants of EGR–DNA complexes, the MIP method minimizes the cumulative binding energy over all complexes for a general set of fundamental protein–DNA interactions. To guard against over-fitting, we use the scalability of the method to probe against the elimination of related interactions. From an initial set of 12 parameters (six hydrogen bonds, five desolvation penalties and a water factor), we proceed to eliminate five of them with only a marginal reduction of the correlation coefficient to 0.9983. Further reduction of parameters negatively impacts the performance of the code (under-fitting). Besides accurately predicting the change in binding affinity of validation sets, the code identifies possible context-dependent effects in the definition of the interaction networks. Yet, the approach of constraining predictions to within a pre-selected set of interactions limits the impact of these potential errors to related low-affinity complexes. Contact:[email protected]; [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Working Range of Stimulus Flux Transduction Determines Dendrite Size and Relative Number of Pheromone Component Receptor Neurons in Moths

We are proposing that the ‘‘relative’’ abundances of the differently tuned pheromone-component-responsive olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) on insect antennae are not a result of natural selection working to maximize absolute sensitivity to individual pheromone components. Rather, relative abundances are a result of specifically tuned sensillum-plus-ORN units having been selected to accurately transduce and report to the antennal lobe the maximal ranges of molecular flux imparted by each pheromone component in every plume strand. To not reach saturating stimulus flux levels from the most concentrated plume strands of a pheromone blend, the dendritic surface area of the ORN type that is tuned to the most abundant component of a pheromone blend is increased in dendritic diameter in order to express a greater number of major pheromone component– specific odorant receptors. The increased ability of these enlarged dendrite, major component–tuned ORNs to accurately report very high flux of its component results in a larger working range of stimulus flux able to be accurately transduced by that type of ORN. However, the larger dendrite size and possibly other high-flux adjustments in titers of pheromone-binding proteins and degrading enzymes cause a decrease in absolute sensitivity to lower flux levels of the major component in lower concentration strands of the pheromone blend. In order to restore the ability of the whole-antenna major pheromone component–specific channel to accurately report to its glomerulus the abundance of the major component in lower concentration strands, the number of major component ORNs over the entire antenna is adjusted upward, creating a greater proportion of major component–tuned ORNs than those tuned to minor components. Pheromone blend balance reported by the whole-antennal major and minor component channels in low plume–flux strands is now restored, and the relative fluxes of the 2 components occurring in both low- and high-flux strands are thereby accurately reported to the component-specific glomeruli. Thus, we suggest that the 2 phenomena, dendrite size and relative numbers of differentially tuned ORNs are linked, and both are related to wide disparities in molecular flux ranges occurring for the more abundant and less abundant components in the pheromone blend plume strands.
Pressure drop hysteresis effect on biodiesel filtration

Abstract Filter plugging is one of the main cold flow problems associated with the use of biodiesel blends in cold climates. We developed a new fuel screening test to analyze the cold flow properties of the biodiesel and its blends with ULSD based on pressure drop measurements across a test filter. The fuel is pumped through a test filter under controlled temperature and flow conditions and the pressure drop is measured. As temperature is reduced at a constant flow rate, the pressure drop increases and the rate of the pressure drop increase goes up sharply as a plugging condition is approached. Biodiesel blends in general exhibit higher pressure drops than ULSD and the pressure drop increases with the biodiesel fraction. When fuels are cooled to −30 °C and then reheated, the pressure drop at each temperature is higher than that measured when the fuels are being cooled. The difference between the cooling and heating curves decreases as the fuel isheated but is still present at 20 °C. Both ULSD and biodiesel blends exhibit this hysteresis effect, but the effect is much larger with biodiesel blends. This means that exposure of biodiesel blends to low temperatures predisposes them to filter plugging even if they are dispensed and used at higher temperatures. In addition, the pressure drop hysteresis will remain unless fuel properties return to their original state when reheated to 40 °C or higher.
The Parable of the Feisty Widow and the Threatened Judge (Luke 18.1–8)

The parable core of the widow and the judge (Luke 18.2–5) is frequently considered so weak that it requires its commentaries for any meaningful message. The idea of a judge finally giving in to a pestering widow is hardly profound. Recent scholarly research, however, overturns that judgment when it becomes clear that women were not to frequent the male world of the courts. Thus the widow's frequent visits together with her brief and abrupt command to the judge combine to convey the image of a feisty widow rather than the conventionally meek and subservient role assumed for her. As a result, a long-standing discomfort over how to render the Greek in the judge's stated reasons for granting her justice (v. 5) has its grounds for struggle removed. The climax of the parable makes Luke 18.2–5 one of the most socially critical of the parable collection.
The gender-paradox among patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: a propensity-matched study.

Background Several meta-analyses of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) clinical trials have demonstrated that while men derived a mortality reduction with prophylactic ICD implantation, women did not. These trials also observed that women receive less appropriate ICD shock therapy compared to men. We aimed to investigate this "gender-paradox" among a heterogeneous community cohort of patients receiving ICDs. Methods We identified 1,445 consecutive patients undergoing ICD implantation from 1997 to 2007. The study population consisted of 582 patients, of whom 291 were women who could be propensity matched to 291 men, based on age, ejection fraction, implantation indication (primary or secondary), etiology of cardiomyopathy (ischemic or nonischemic), and the presence of a cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D) device. The impact of gender difference on the probability of death and appropriate ICD shocks for ventricular arrhythmias was calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results During a mean follow-up of 909 ± 901 days, compared to men, women demonstrated a similar risk of death (25% vs 25%, adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81-1.35], P = 0.74). In contrast, women demonstrated a decreased probability of appropriate ICD-shock therapy (14% vs 19%, AHR 0.80 [95% CI 0.59-0.88], P = 0.03) compared to men, and among cohorts with a nonischemic cardiomyopathy (10% vs 20%, P Conclusion Among a community cohort with ICDs, women have a similar mortality compared to men while experiencing less appropriate ICD therapy. These results support the findings of a lower arrhythmic mortality among women.
Marrow cell therapies for cardiovascular diseases

The nascent field of regenerative medicine has taken root in cardiovascular disease. Preclinical data demonstrating hemangioblast potential of marrow cells and cardioprotective effects of growth factors served as the basis for numerous early phase clinical trials. With the first wave of safety and efficacy trials complete, much is still unknown regarding optimal cell dose and type, timing of injection, route of administration, mechanisms of action, and achievable response measures. The next generation of studies will aim to answers these questions and make way for cellular therapies that result in effective cardiac repair.
Handling contingencies in planned office activities

A plan-based approach for systems that support office activities involving multiple agents has several advantages. It can represent important aspects of these activities, it has the potential for alleviating maintenance problems by generating new plans when activities change, and it can increase the reusability of knowledge across activities. On the other hand, because office activities take place in dynamic environments a system using a plan to coordinate an activity will have to deal with many contingencies and surprises. We describe the main characteristics of a plan-based approach and the roles a system of this kind can play in an office, and present a process for handling contingencies which can make the system robust in the presence of contingencies not explicitly dealt with in the plan. We close with a discussion of an implementation of the process and the viability of the approach to support real office activities.
Evidence that L-AP5 and D,L-AP4 can preferentially block cone signals in the rat retina

Several lines of evidence suggest that, as concentrations of two agonists of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors are increased, cone contributions to the b-wave are blocked before rod contributions. Application of L-AP5 (L-2-amino-5-phosphonobutyric acid) at concentrations of 50 μM and D,L-AP4 (D,L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid) at concentrations 2 μM had a greater effect in reducing the amplitude of the rat ERG b-wave at high light intensities than at low light intensities. The amplitude reduction occurs at flash intensities that saturate rod photoreceptor responses. When steady backgrounds are used to saturate rod photoreceptors, the b-wave responses show increased long-wavelength sensitivity. Responses on a rod saturating background are blocked by adding L-AP5 or AP4 at the above concentrations to the perfusate. Further evidence for metabotrophic receptors being involved comes from the observation that even when ionotropic glutamate receptors are pharmacologically blocked with MK801 and DNQX, AP4 selectively blocks cone contributions to the b-wave. Thus we suggest that the type III metabotrophic receptors on depolarizing cone bipolar cells or cone synaptic terminals are affected by concentrations of L-AP5 and D,L-AP4 that have minimal effects on rod bipolar cells or rod synaptic terminals.
Alleviation of retching and feeding intolerance after fundoplication.

Background: Although surgical intervention for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in children offers the strongest control of GERD, these results are tempered by postoperative problems such as retching, bloat, dysphagia, dumping syndrome, and postprandial hypoglycemia. We created a specialty clinic and an algorithmic approach to ameliorating these problems. Here, we present our experience with the first 60 patients. Methods: Patients referred to the clinic for feeding problems after fundoplication were tracked as part of quality improvement monitoring. Patients were treated according to a heuristic algorithm intended to reduce iatrogenic causes of feeding intolerance and to identify medical and mechanical contributors to retching. These etiological factors were tracked, along with patient responses. Results: Of the 60 initial patients, 92% completed ≥4 visits. A heuristic algorithm produced near-complete or complete resolution in 97.5% of those patients. In most patients, multiple causes contributed t...
Expertise Gaps in Value-Added Modeling Are We Consulting the Right Experts?

This study introduces the notion of an “expertise gap,” a mismatch between researcher expertise and research content. I show that these gaps can exist and warrant our attention in research endeavor...
Macrophages directly mediate diabetic renal injury

Monocyte/macrophage recruitment correlates strongly with the progression of renal impairment in diabetic nephropathy (DN), yet their direct role is not clear. We hypothesized that macrophages contribute to direct podocyte injury and/or an abnormal podocyte niche leading to DN. Experiments were conducted in CD11b-DTR mice treated with diphtheria toxin (DT) to deplete macrophages after streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Additional experiments were conducted in bone marrow chimeric (CD11b-DTR→ C57BL6/J) mice. Diabetes was associated with an increase in the M1-to-M2 ratio by 6 wk after the induction of diabetes. Macrophage depletion in diabetic CD11b-DTR mice significantly attenuated albuminuria, kidney macrophage recruitment, and glomerular histological changes and preserved kidney nephrin and podocin expression compared with diabetic CD11b-DTR mice treated with mutant DT. These data were confirmed in chimeric mice indicating a direct role of bone marrow-derived macrophages in DN. In vitro, podocytes grown in high-glucose media significantly increased macrophage migration compared with podocytes grown in normal glucose media. In addition, classically activated M1 macrophages, but not M2 macrophages, induced podocyte permeability. These findings provide evidence showing that macrophages directly contribute to kidney injury in DN, perhaps by altering podocyte integrity through the proinflammatory M1 subset of macrophages. Attenuating the deleterious effects of macrophages on podocytes could provide a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of DN.
New algorithms for min-cut replication in partitioned circuits

Abstract: Hwang and El Gamal (1992, 1995) formulated the min-cut replication problem, which is to determine min-cut replication sets for the components of a k-way partition such that the cut size of the partition is minimized after the replication. They gave an optimal algorithm for finding min-cut replication sets for a k-way partitioned digraph. However, their optimal min-cut replication algorithm does not guarantee min-cut replication sets of minimum sizes. Furthermore, their algorithm is not optimal for hypergraphs. In this paper, we optimally solve the min-area min-cut replication problem on digraphs, which is to find min-cut replication sets with the minimum sizes. More importantly, we give an optimal solution to the hypergraph min-area min-cut replication problem using a much smaller flow network model. We implemented our algorithms in a package called Hyper-MAMC, and interfaced Hyper-MAMC to the TAPIR package. On average, Hyper-MAMC produces 57.3% fewer cut nets and runs much faster than MO-Rep in the TAPIR package, on the same initial partitions of a set of MCNC Partition93 benchmark circuits.
Prm3p Is a Pheromone-induced Peripheral Nuclear Envelope Protein Required for Yeast Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear membrane fusion is the last step in the mating pathway of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We adapted a bioinformatics approach to identify putative pheromone-induced membrane proteins potentially required for nuclear membrane fusion. One protein, Prm3p, was found to be required for nuclear membrane fusion; disruption of PRM3 caused a strong bilateral defect, in which nuclear congression was completed but fusion did not occur. Prm3p was localized to the nuclear envelope in pheromone-responding cells, with significant colocalization with the spindle pole body in zygotes. A previous report, using a truncated protein, claimed that Prm3p is localized to the inner nuclear envelope. Based on biochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy and live cell microscopy, we find that functional Prm3p is a peripheral membrane protein exposed on the cytoplasmic face of the outer nuclear envelope. In support of this, mutations in a putative nuclear localization sequence had no effect on full-length protein function or localization. In contrast, point mutations and deletions in the highly conserved hydrophobic carboxy-terminal domain disrupted both protein function and localization. Genetic analysis, colocalization, and biochemical experiments indicate that Prm3p interacts directly with Kar5p, suggesting that nuclear membrane fusion is mediated by a protein complex.
Noise in two-port devices with a negative input or output conductance

Abstract The noise figures of a two-port device with negative input conductance and of a two-port device with negative output conductance are calculated. It is shown that such devices, if developed, might open up interesting possibilities.
Signal Change in the Dentate Nucleus on T1-Weighted MR Images After Multiple Administrations of Gadopentetate Dimeglumine Versus Gadobutrol

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to evaluate signal changes in the dentate nucleus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images after multiple administrations of gadopentetate dimeglumine versus gadobutrol. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Two study groups were identified, each of which included 25 consecutive patients. Each group received six or more administrations of either gadobutrol only or gadopentetate dimeglumine only, without having had exposure to any other gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). The mean signal intensity (SI) in the dentate nucleus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images was measured, with the use of the pons and the cerebellar peduncle as references to calculate the DNP SI ratio (i.e., the ratio of the SI in the dentate nucleus to the SI in the pons) and the DCP SI ratio (i.e., the ratio of the SI in the dentate nucleus to the SI in the cerebellar peduncle). RESULTS. After six administrations of gadopentetate dimeglumine, the SI in the dentate nucleus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images in...
Short-term Effects of Three Insecticides on Predators and Parasites of the Citrus Blackfly

The effects of 3 organophosphate insecticides, acephate, malathion, and methidathion, on predators and parasites of Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, the citrus blackfly, were studied under field conditions. Acephate and malathion are currently the insecticides used in the joint federal-state citrus blackfly eradication program and methidathion is currently one of the insecticides commonly used by commercial citrus growers in Florida. Highly significant reductions ( P 0.05) reduction. Numbers of the predator Delphastus pusillus (Le Conte) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were significantly ( P <0.05) reduced following a single treatment of methidathion, while no significant reductions were noted following exposure to single treatments of either acephate or malathion. The general predators (spiders, Chrysopidae, and Coccinellidae excluding D. pusillus ) were grouped together and treated as one biological unit. There was no significant change in the general predator complex noted after single applications of either acephate, malathion, or methidathion. Two laboratory bioassays, one using leaves dipped in insecticide suspensions and one using leaves sprayed with 3 compounds, indicated that emergence of A. hesperidum is not significantly reduced by one treatment of acephate but is reduced by one treatment of either malathion or methidathion.
Heterogeneous nucleation of ordered mesoporous materials

Recently we proposed that heterogenous nucleation is an important phenomenon for the preparation of ordered mesoporous materials. In this paper we further investigate the effect of colloidal particles on the nucleation process of mesoporous materials. Based on the change of the electrical mobilities of the particles in the surfactant solution, we suggest that the adsorption and co-adsorption of surfactant and ceramic precursors changes local structural and chemistry on the particle surfaces, and favors the nucleation events within these regions.
Faculty supporting and developing a CBE program – strategies implemented at the University of Mary Hardin‐Baylor

Faculty play key roles in developing and supporting academic programs. For traditional modes of delivery, the ways faculty support and develop academic offerings are well-defined and understood. However, for new modes of delivery like CBE, successful faculty support will only occur through the use of intentional strategies aimed at inspiring support and encouraging lasting involvement. This article examines how campus leaders at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor engaged traditional faculty members during the development of a fully online undergraduate competency-based program. Strategies used to initially garner faculty support, to provide new leadership opportunities to faculty, and to systematically involve faculty throughout the curriculum development process and beyond are presented.
Genetic Studies of Erythrogenic Toxin Carrying Temperate Bacteriophages of Streptococcus pyogenes

Although bacteriophages leave no fossil record, genomic analysis of modern virions can provide many clues to their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary past. Recombination of “genetic modules” containing regulatory or structural genes from related phages appears to play an important role in the generation of phage diversity(1, 3) and thus provides a mechanism for host range expansion. Such phage diversification can have important medical implications when exotoxin genes or other virulence factors are carried as part of these viral genomes.
Databases and Statistical Systems: Linguistics

Linguistic Databases include highly structured paradigms of information about language, such as is found in dictionaries, as well as collections of actual speech and writing. Such collections may include metadata describing how the data were produced or collected and annotation that adds analytic or educational value to the data, for example, transcriptions or translations. In the digital age, linguistic databases are critical components of language research, education, and technology development. As in other empirical sciences, data centers have arisen to address research community needs by creating, distributing, and archiving linguistic databases.
Lattice Monte-Carlo Simulations of Vacancy-Mediated Diffusion and Implications for Continuum Models of Coupled Diffusion

In this paper, we analyze the interactions of dopants with vacancies using Lattice Monte-Carlo simulations and find that the assumptions underlying pair diffusion models lead to several corrections to the standard continuum models for coupled dopant/defect diffusion. Specifically, we find that at high doping levels, both the effective pair diffusivity as well self-diffusion due to vacancies increase rapidly with doping level due to the interactions of vacancies with multiple dopants. In addition, we find that pair diffusion theories overestimate the dopant flux resulting from gradients in the vacancy concentration.
Foreseeing Super-Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: A Perspective for Clinicians

Current American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Rhythm Society guidelines ([1][1]) recommend cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) to patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV in patients with wide QRS (>120 ms) and
Does increased traffic flow around unconventional resource development activities represent the major respiratory hazard to neighboring communities?: knowns and unknowns.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The objective of this review is to demonstrate that the focus on air emissions causing respiratory effects and associated with gas development may be misplaced by attributing those exposures mainly to well pad activities. RECENT FINDINGS The most recent publications on the health effects of hydraulic fracturing operations seem to parallel findings from studies of diesel particulate exposure near roadways and the health effects associated with those exposures. It seems at least possible that some, if not all, of the respiratory effects associated with unconventional resource development may be traffic-related. Road traffic generated by hydraulic fracturing operations is one possible source of environmental impact whose significance has, until now, been largely neglected in the available literature with 4000 to 6000 vehicles visiting the well pad. SUMMARY Exposures from well pads diminish rapidly with distances of only a few kilometers but there is evidence showing disease risk multiple kilometers from well pads. This leaves open the possibility that the several thousand vehicle trips per well pad create traffic emissions over wide areas away from the pad. This alternative source of exposure has not previously been well studied but is being more seriously considered.
Augmenting Group Medical Visits with Conversational Agents for Stress Management Behavior Change

Individuals with chronic stress can improve their overall wellness by making lifestyle changes. We describe the design and evaluation of a computer-animated conversational agent that is used in conjunction with Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) to help individuals with chronic pain and depression manage their stress. The agent coaches patients in between group visit sessions, reviewing how to manage stress using non-pharmaceutical techniques (e.g., mindfulness, meditation, yoga self-massage). We conducted a longitudinal clinical trial with 154 participants in which patients in the intervention group interacted with the conversational agent at home on a touch screen tablet to reinforce what they learned in group medical visits. Results from the trial indicate that the conversational agent, in conjunction with medical group visits, leads to significantly more positive stress management behaviors in patients compared to outcomes that arise in usual care, after 9 and 21 weeks.
Methods to reduce postoperative surgical site infections after head and neck oncology surgery.

Summary Head and neck cancer surgery is often a complex multi-step procedure that includes major resections, vascularised tissue reconstruction, and extensive neck dissection. The upper aerodigestive tract mucosal lining is often disrupted during surgery, which requires the management of a clean-contaminated field and the need to reconstruct the mucosal lining. With bacterial contamination, surgical site infections (SSI) are a serious complication that can result in delayed wound healing, wound breakdown, fistula formation, and compromised tissue reconstruction. Methods to reduce SSI in patients with head and neck cancer have been intensely researched, yielding evolving and varied practice patterns. In this Review, we outline the data supporting perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis for clean-contaminated surgeries, which suggest that clindamycin is an inadequate prophylactic antibiotic therapy in the reduction of SSI, and that prolonged antibiotic courses have no established benefit. For salvage laryngectomy after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, reconstruction with vascularised tissue reduces the frequency and severity of pharyngocutaneous fistula formation. These evidence-based recommendations have been shown to reduce the chance of SSI after head and neck surgery.
Mechanisms of carbon dimer formation in colliding laser-produced carbon plasmas

It has been demonstrated that the hot stagnation region formed during the collision of laser-produced carbon plasmas is rich with carbon dimers which have been shown to be synthesized into large carbon macromolecules such as carbon fullerene onions and nanotubes. In this study, we developed and integrated experimental and multidimensional modeling techniques to access the temporal and spatial resolution of colliding plasma characteristics that elucidated the mechanism for early carbon dimer formation. Plume evolution imaging, monochromatic imaging, and optical emission spectroscopy of graphite-produced, carbon plasmas were performed. Experimental results were compared with the results of the 3D comprehensive modeling using our HEIGHTS simulation package. The results are explained based on a fundamental analysis of plasma evolution, colliding layer formation, stagnation, and expansion. The precise mechanisms of the plasma collision, plume propagation, and particle formation are discussed based on the exper...
A functional U-statistic method for association analysis of sequencing data

Although sequencing studies hold great promise for uncovering novel variants predisposing to human diseases, the high dimensionality of the sequencing data brings tremendous challenges to data analysis. Moreover, for many complex diseases (e.g., psychiatric disorders) multiple related phenotypes are collected. These phenotypes can be different measurements of an underlying disease, or measurements characterizing multiple related diseases for studying common genetic mechanism. Although jointly analyzing these phenotypes could potentially increase the power of identifying disease-associated genes, the different types of phenotypes pose challenges for association analysis. To address these challenges, we propose a nonparametric method, functional U-statistic method (FU), for multivariate analysis of sequencing data. It first constructs smooth functions from individuals' sequencing data, and then tests the association of these functions with multiple phenotypes by using a U-statistic. The method provides a general framework for analyzing various types of phenotypes (e.g., binary and continuous phenotypes) with unknown distributions. Fitting the genetic variants within a gene using a smoothing function also allows us to capture complexities of gene structure (e.g., linkage disequilibrium, LD), which could potentially increase the power of association analysis. Through simulations, we compared our method to the multivariate outcome score test (MOST), and found that our test attained better performance than MOST. In a real data application, we apply our method to the sequencing data from Minnesota Twin Study (MTS) and found potential associations of several nicotine receptor subunit (CHRN) genes, including CHRNB3, associated with nicotine dependence and/or alcohol dependence.
Method for visualizing energy use in building information models

Abstract While technology advancements are increasingly improving the energy efficiency of buildings, occupant behavior remains a critical factor in ensuring the effectiveness of such enhancements. To this end, numerous eco-feedback systems have been developed to reduce building energy use through adjusting occupants’ behaviors. The information represented in an eco-feedback system affects the users’ engagement, motivation, and interpretation. In this paper, we introduce a new information representation method in which a building information model (BIM) is integrated with energy use information to enhance visual representation of energy use. The BIM-integrated energy visualization approach developed in this paper allows users to visualize energy consumption values of each building room through a color-coding scheme in an as-built BIM. Colors correspond to the levels of energy consumption in individual rooms compared to other rooms in a building, which enables a visually intuitive normative comparison for building eco-feedback systems. This representation may lead to increased user engagement in and improved interpretation of eco-feedback systems.
Explaining and modeling the concentration and loading of Escherichia coli in a stream-A case study.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) level in streams is a public health indicator. Therefore, being able to explain why E. coli levels are sometimes high and sometimes low is important. Using citizen science data from Fall Creek in central NY we found that complementarily using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression provided insights into the drivers of E. coli and a mechanism for predicting E. coli levels, respectively. We found that stormwater, temperature/season and shallow subsurface flow are the three dominant processes driving the fate and transport of E. coli. PLS regression modeling provided very good predictions under stormwater conditions (R2 = 0.85 for log (E. coli concentration) and R2 = 0.90 for log (E. coli loading)); predictions under baseflow conditions were less robust. But, in our case, both E. coli concentration and E. coli loading were significantly higher under stormwater condition, so it is probably more important to predict high-flow E. coli hazards than low-flow conditions. Besides previously reported good indicators of in-stream E. coli level, nitrate-/nitrite-nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus were also found to be good indicators of in-stream E. coli levels. These findings suggest management practices to reduce E. coli concentrations and loads in-streams and, eventually, reduce the risk of waterborne disease outbreak.
Accuracy in Screw Selection in a Cadaveric, Small-Bone Fracture Model

Purpose Using a cadaveric model simulating clinical situations experienced during open reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fractures, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between level of training and the rates of short, long, and ideal screw length selection based on depth gauge use without fluoroscopy assistance. Methods A dorsal approach to the proximal phalanx was performed on the index, middle, and ring fingers of 4 cadaveric specimens, and 3 drill holes were placed in each phalanx. Volunteers at different levels of training then measured the drill holes with a depth gauge and selected appropriate screw sizes. The rates of short, long, and ideal screw selection were compared between groups based on level of training. Ideal screws were defined as a screw that reached the volar cortex but did not protrude more than 1 mm beyond it. Results Eighteen participants including 3 hand fellowship–trained attending physicians participated for a total of 648 selected screws. The overall rate of ideal screw selection was lower than expected at 49.2%. There was not a statistically significant relationship between rate of ideal screw selection and higher levels of training. Attending surgeons were less likely to place short screws and screws protruding 2 mm or more beyond the volar cortex Conclusions Overall, the rate of ideal screw selection was lower than expected. The most experienced surgeons were less likely to place short and excessively long screws. Clinical relevance Based on the low rate of ideal screws, the authors recommend against overreliance on depth gauging alone when placing screws during surgery. The low-rate ideal screw length selection highlights the potential for future research and development of more accurate technologies to be used in screw selection.
Microblogging: An Analysis of Government Issued Policies and Best Practices

Social media has changed the way the United States government communicates with its citizens. Microblogging tools such as Twitter have developed beyond the previous regulations for social media created to meet the directives of the Obama administration. In 2009 the new “open government” movement began a flutter of social networking on behalf of all branches of government. The passage of time has shown that using social media to share information has developed and is being integrated into the methods the government uses to reach out to the community. However, the majority of agencies still have one social media policy for all types of social media tools. The rules that apply to Facebook are the same rules that apply to Twitter. The two social media services are vastly different but regulated the same. It is suggested that policies need to be developed for each form of social media. An analysis was conducted of 23 US government agencies policies and best practices for specifically microblogging to discover who did and did not have a microblogging policy. Results showed the majority of agencies still treat microblogging as a standard form of social media and do not provide individual polices and best practices. Further analysis also discovered what agencies did have a policy for microblogging and advised other agencies without a microblogging policy to follow their example.
Promotion of Pt/γ-Al2O3 by Ce for Preferential Oxidation of CO in H2

Hydrogen for fuel cells can be produced by reforming hydrocarbons. The H2-rich reformate typically contains about 1 mol% CO which will poison the anode of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The CO concentration can be reduced by preferential oxidation (PROX) using near-stoichiometric amounts of O2. The conversion of CO should be over 99% while minimizing oxidation of H2. Supported Pt catalysts with and without promotion by Ce were compared for the catalytic oxidation of CO by O2 in a H2 stream. With unsupported Pt catalysts, selectivity (to CO2 as opposed to H2O) was highest at low temperatures and low O2/CO ratios, however conversion was low. Addition of Ce significantly improved CO conversion under these conditions.
The burden of dentine hypersensitivity

Dentine hypersensitivity is a significant burden for patients and practitioners. Knowing its prevalence and methods for accurate diagnosis is imperative to guide treatment decisions and develop new treatments. In this chapter, we describe the methods commonly used to diagnose dentine hypersensitivity including self-reports, clinical tests to elicit pain, and clinical examination to exclude other causes of tooth pain. The prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity is presented through a systematic review of the studies published since 1964. A wide range of estimates of prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity was observed in 56 studies, from as low as 1.8% to as high as 84%, and this heterogeneity could not be completely explained by study characteristics. The meta-analysis revealed that the average prevalence of all studies was 33% and the best estimate was approximately 10%.
Modeling Thermo-Oxidative Aging and Degradation of Composites

Long-term durability and use-life of polymeric matrix composites operating at elevated temperatures are limited by their thermo-oxidative stability. Although weight loss testing is traditionally performed to characterize the oxidative degradation of composite systems, the results of such tests are neither translatable to other composites architectures with the same constituents nor scalable to longer exposure times or higher temperatures. A comprehensive modeling framework for understanding the morphological changes in the composites and degradation of the mechanical performance is described in this chapter. A thermo-chemo-mechanics model that defines and utilizes an oxidation state parameter for each constituent is formulated. The effect of oxygen diffusion in the fiber and fiber–matrix interphase on the oxidation of the composite is simula-ted. The role of damage in accelerating the oxidation growth along the fiber direction leading to high orthotropy in lamina oxidation is also addressed. The stiffness changes due to oxidation as well as the strains induced due to shrinkage are explicitly modeled leading to a detailed simulation of oxidation growth around discrete cracks. Oxidation growth in laminated composites is predicted using microscale and homogenization techniques. The model is applied to study the long-term thermal oxidation of polyimide composites.