cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inner filter effect on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic measurement.

Presented herein is a combined experimental and computational study of the gold nanoparticle (AuNP) inner filter effect on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) measurements. Using a bianalyte strategy in which dithiopurine (DTP) and ethanol were employed as the model analytes, we demonstrated that AuNPs enhance DTP’s Raman signal but attenuate ethanol’s Raman intensity. Combined time-resolved UV–vis and Raman measurements showed that AuNP aggregation has significant and an exactly opposite impact on the AuNP inner filter effect and SERS enhancement. This research provides critical new insights regarding SERS signal variation and offers a simple methodology for reliable determination of the SERS enhancement factors.
Effect of Various Temperatures upon Rate of Development of the Cabbage Maggot under Artificial Conditions

The effect of temperature on the development of Hylemya brassicae (Bouchae) was determined by use of plant-growth chambers at temperatures ranging from 50 to 80°F with thermocouples placed at the exact location of each life stage. The developmental zeros for adult emergence from overwintering and nondiapausing puparia were 42 and 44°F, respectively. Similarly the thermal threshold for egg hatch was 44°F with a day-degree accumulation of 82. Using a developmental zero of 43°F, the day-degree accumulation for 1st fly emergence was 243 and for a complete life cycle from egg to 1st egg peak it was 1112.
Document to Live Facial Identification

The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) highlights that facial recognition (FR) has improved significantly for ideal cases such, where face photographs are full frontal, of good quality, and pose and illumination variations are not significant. However, there are automated face recognition scenarios that involve comparing degraded facial photographs of subjects against their high-resolution counterparts. Such non-ideal scenarios can be encountered in situations where the need is to be able to identify legacy face photographs acquired by a government agency, including examples such as matching of scanned, but degraded, face images present in drivers licenses, refugee documents, and visas against their live photographs for the purpose of establishing or verifying a subject’s identity. The factors impacting the quality of such degraded face photographs include hairstyle, pose and expression variations, lamination and security watermarks , and other artifacts such as camera motion, camera resolution, and compression. In this work, we focus on investigating a set of methodological approaches in order to be able to overcome most of the aforementioned limitations and achieve high identification rate. Thus, we incorporate a combination of preprocessing and heterogeneous face-matching techniques, where comparisons are made between the original (degraded) photograph, the restored photograph, and the high-quality photograph (the mug shot of the live subject). For the purpose of this study, we, first, introduce the restorative building blocks that include threshold-based (TB) denoising, total variational (TV) wavelet inpainting, and exemplar-based inpainting. Next, we empirically assess improvement in image quality , when the aforementioned inpainting methods are applied separately and independently, coupled with TB denoising. Finally, we compare the face-matching performance achieved when using the original degraded, restored, and live photographs and a set of academic and commercial face matchers , including the local binary patterns (LBP) and local ternary patterns (LTP) texture-based operators, combined with different distance metric techniques, as well as a state-of-the-art commercial face matcher. Our results show that the combination of TB denoising, coupled with either of the two inpainting methods selected for the purpose of this study, illustrates significant improvement in rank-1 identification accuracy. It is expected that the proposed restoration approaches discussed in this work can be directly applied to operational scenarios that include border-crossing stations and various transit centers .
Apical membrane and intracellular distribution of endogenous alpha 2A-adrenergic receptors in MDCK cells

The purpose of the current studies was to characterize the endogenous alpha 2-adrenergic receptor (AR) subtypes present in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and to determine their level of expression and pattern of distribution. By saturation binding analysis with [3H]MK-912, MDCK cells expressed high levels of alpha 2-ARs with a maximum receptor density (Bmax) of 798 +/- 55 fmol/mg protein and an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 0.98 +/- 0.32 nM. Competitive binding studies using prazosin, oxymetazoline, phentolamine, and epinephrine to displace [3H]MK-912 demonstrated inhibition constant (Ki) values of 1,270 +/- 250, 5.0 +/- 0.4, 5.5 +/- 0.3, and 392 +/- 150 nM (n = 3), respectively. In Northern blot analysis we found that MDCK cells expressed transcripts encoding alpha 2A-AR and not alpha 2B-AR or alpha 2C-AR. Surface binding experiments suggested that approximately 60% of alpha 2A-ARs are distributed at the cell surface domain. Specific binding of [3H]MK-912 to soluble apical and basolateral surface proteins isolated by surface biotinylation indicated the expression of surface alpha 2A-ARs was limited to the apical domain of MDCK cells. No alpha 2A-ARs were detected on the basolateral surface. We conclude that endogenous alpha 2A-ARs are targeted to the apical domain of MDCK cells and that the intracellular compartment may contain ARs as a reservoir for de novo cell surface expression or, alternatively, may represent internalized receptors.
Introduction — Dismantling the Catch Phrase

Human addiction involves a complex dynamic interaction of many systems in which physical responses, emotions, self-judgment, social relations, and a variety of institutions are all critical players. Even when addictive problems are not treated merely as personal failings, the rehabilitative path tends to focus on the individual, and at most on the individual and her closest circle of support. Addictive patterns tend to be separated from their social and civil institutional elements. More recently, as social theorists have begun to examine the social structures that contribute to addictive patterns, a similar mistake is made: those structures are pointed to as “the real cause” of problems in this area. Addiction is a deep-seated and systemic human problem, and yet it continues to be treated piecemeal, both in research and in treatment. In the scientific research literature, it is treated purely as a biochemical disorder involving characteristic brain changes. Although numerous species have been known to compulsively self-administer certain drugs in laboratory settings, (1) animal addiction does not happen in the wild, despite reports of some animals apparently becoming intoxicated on fermented fruit when they come upon it, and (2) even when animals do exhibit addictive behaviors and brain changes in laboratory settings, there is no reason to believe that their compulsive lever pressing or morphine water drinking involves the angst, remorse, or psychological trauma that human addiction does.
Bipolar Junction Transistors in Two-Dimensional WSe2 with Large Current and Photocurrent Gains.

In the development of semiconductor devices, the bipolar junction transistor (BJT) features prominently as being the first solid state transistor that helped to usher in the digital revolution. For any new semiconductor, therefore, the fabrication and characterization of the BJT are important for both technological importance and historical significance. Here, we demonstrate a BJT device in exfoliated TMD semiconductor WSe2. We use buried gates to electrostatically create doped regions with back-to-back p–n junctions. We demonstrate two central characteristics of a bipolar device: current gain when operated as a BJT and a photocurrent gain when operated as a phototransistor. We demonstrate a current gain of 1000 and photocurrent gain of 40 and describe features that enhance these properties due to the doping technique that we employ.
TH-CD-207A-09: Stay On Target: Dynamic, Patient-Specific Templates of Fiducial Marker Clusters for IGRT

Purpose: Pancreatic SBRT relies on extremely accurate delivery of ablative radiation doses to the target, and intra-fractional tracking of fiducial markers can facilitate improvements in dose delivery. However, this requires algorithms that are able to find fiducial markers with high speed and accuracy. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel marker tracking algorithm that is robust against many of the common errors seen with traditional template matching techniques. Methods: Using CBCT projection images, a method was developed to create detailed template images of fiducial marker clusters without prior knowledge of the number of markers, their positions, or their orientations. Briefly, the method (i) enhances markers in projection images, (ii) stabilizes the cluster’s position, (iii) reconstructs the cluster in 3D, and (iv) precomputes a set of static template images dependent on gantry angle. Furthermore, breathing data were used to produce 4D reconstructions of clusters, yielding dynamic template images dependent on gantry angle and breathing amplitude. To test these two approaches, static and dynamic templates were used to track the motion of marker clusters in more than 66,000 projection images from 75 CBCT scans of 15 pancreatic SBRT patients. Results: For both static and dynamic templates, the new technique was able to locate marker clusters present in projection images 100% of the time. The algorithm was also able to correctly locate markers in several instances where only some of the markers were visible due to insufficient field-of-view. In cases where clusters exhibited deformation and/or rotation during breathing, dynamic templates resulted in cross-correlation scores up to 70% higher than static templates. Conclusion: Patient-specific templates provided complete tracking of fiducial marker clusters in CBCT scans, and dynamic templates helped to provide higher cross-correlation scores for deforming/rotating clusters. This novel algorithm provides an extremely accurate method to detect fiducial markers during treatment. Research funding provided by Varian Medical Systems to Miften and Jones.
Comparative Avian Demography

Demography is the study of the life tables of populations which summarize probabilities of survival and rates of fecundity of individuals at each age. The particular values of these parameters for each population depend upon both the adaptations of individuals and attributes of the environments in which they live. Life-table parameters vary greatly within populations according to season, year, and individual differences, and they vary among populations according to locality, habitat, and ecological role. In some cases, the correlations of life-table parameters among themselves and with certain environmental factors have suggested mechanisms by which their values are determined.
Condom use by male, enlisted, deployed navy personnel with multiple partners

ABSTRACT Study Question: Condom use by male enlisted personnel deployed on an aircraft carrier in spring 2002 who reported having casual sex partners in foreign ports and (1) only a steady partner, (2) only casual sex partners, or (3) both steady and casual sex partners in the home port. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey, with analysis of the subsample reporting multiple partners (n = 378). Results: Sexual behavior was less frequent and condom use was higher in foreign ports (p < 0.0001). Men involved with both steady and casual partners used condoms less consistently than did those involved with only casual partners (p < 0.05). Sexual behavior also varied with the type of partner (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Navy strategies promoting condom use in foreign ports appear effective. New strategies are needed for home ports and for men involved with both steady and casual partners.
Biochemical and Clinical Aspects of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a critical appraisal of information about the possible involvement of sarcoplasmic reticulum in various muscle diseases such as cardiac failure, muscular dystrophy, myotonia, and denervation atrophy. Because of the singular concentration of attention on the role of sarcoplasmic reticulum in the regulation of sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration, conspicuous gaps developed in the knowledge regarding other possible functions of sarcoplasmic reticulum such as its involvement in the energy metabolism of muscle cells. Recent evidence indicates that the sarcoplasmic reticulum may represent a compartment for hexokinase, glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphofructokinase activities. Other metabolic functions of sarcoplasmic reticulum include the synthesis of phospholipids and proteins, as suggested by their turnover in Sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. Finally, a detailed biochemical analysis of the function of transverse tubular system and the triad may soon become possible. The distribution of sarcoplasmic reticulum in the muscle cell and its relationship to the myofibrils, surface membranes, and the T-system tubules bear considerable importance in relation to its physiological function.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment suppresses withdrawal signs in morphine-dependent mice

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy reportedly reduces opiate withdrawal in human subjects. The purpose of this research was to determine whether HBO2 treatment could suppress physical signs of withdrawal in opiate-dependent mice. Male NIH Swiss mice were injected s.c. with morphine sulfate twice a day for 4 days, the daily dose gradually increasing from 50mg/kg on day 1 to 125mg/kg on day 4. On day 5, withdrawal was precipitated by i.p. injection of 5.0mg/kg naloxone. Mice were observed for physical withdrawal signs, including jumping, forepaw tremor, wet-dog shakes, rearing and defecation for 30min. Sixty min prior to the naloxone injection, different groups of mice received either a 30-min or 60-min HBO2 treatment at 3.5atm absolute. HBO2 treatment significantly reduced naloxone-precipitated jumping, forepaw tremor, wet-dog shakes, rearing and defecation. Based on these experimental findings, we concluded that treatment with HBO2 can suppress physical signs of withdrawal syndrome in morphine-dependent mice.
A numerical study of the thermal transient in high-pressure diesel injection

Abstract A study of n-dodecane spray atomization, following the prescribed unseating of the injector’s needle tip, is presented for a high-pressure, non-cavitating Bosch Diesel injector (“Spray A”, in the Engine Combustion Network denomination). In the simulations discussed here, the internal and external multiphase flows are seamlessly calculated across the injection orifice using an interface-capturing approach for the liquid fuel surface together with an embedded boundary formulation for the injector’s walls. Another novelty is the capability to model the compressibility of the liquid and the gas phase while maintaining a sharp interface between the two. This setting makes it possible to directly relate time-dependent spray characteristics to the moving internal geometry of the injector and to the exit thermodynamic state of the fuel. Using the Tait’s equation of state calibrated for n-dodecane, we examine the differences in jet atomization between adiabatic and isothermal wall conditions.
Anharmonic renormalization of the dispersion of flexural modes in graphene using atomistic calculations

We investigate through an atomistic method the effects of anharmonicity on the dispersion of flexural modes of graphene. Using a calculation based on ensemble averages of correlations among displacements and forces, we calculate the temperature-dependent frequencies for a semiempirical potential for graphene. We find that the dispersion relation of the flexural modes of graphene is renormalized by anharmonic coupling to other modes. Our calculations confirm that the anharmonic continuum results of Mariani and von Oppen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 076801 (2008)] hold in detail for small wave number and at low temperatures. We examine the deviation from the continuum result outside of that range.
Neural substrates of sublexical processing for spelling.

National Institutes of Health [DC007646, DC010878, DC008286, DC014389]; University of Arizona
Investigating the impact of a hybrid summer transition program

Pre-college summer transition programs are prevalent at colleges and universities around the country and are generally associated with positive impacts on student retention and graduation rates. At Virginia Commonwealth University, a six week hybrid on-campus/online program is offered to incoming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in those disciplines (i.e., African American, Latino/a, Native American). This work-in-progress investigates the participants' perceptions of the program in facilitating their academic and social integration into the university. An explanatory mixed methods approach is used. Participants perceive the hybrid program to have played a vital role in their social integration and an integral role in supporting their academic integration into the university.
Spontaneous Nasal Septal Abscess Presenting as a Soft Tissue Mass in a Child

Abstract Background Nasal septal abscess (NSA) is a rare condition most commonly seen as a complication of nasal trauma. The diagnosis of NSA requires emergent treatment, because delayed management can result in significant morbidity. Typically, NSA presents as a purulent collection that can be managed with drainage, either surgically or at bedside. Case Report We report an unusual presentation of a spontaneous NSA in a 7-year-old boy as a solid nasal mass eroding the nasal septum. The solid, tumor-like nature of the mass necessitated intervention beyond drainage and was ultimately excised. Imaging initiated in the emergency department revealed a partially cystic mass and erosion of the septum, which was key to the diagnosis. Why Should an Emergency Physician be Aware of This? Given the ease with which a diagnosis of NSA may be missed and the need for urgent management upon diagnosis of a NSA, we aim to highlight the clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic aspects that aid in diagnosis of NSA. Imaging, obtaining culture results, and initiation of antibiotics are paramount in management. In addition, NSAs may also necessitate bedside drainage given their emergent nature.
Determining the Probability of Achieving a Successful Quantitative Analysis for Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

A new approach is presented to determine the probability of achieving a successful quantitative analysis for gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The proposed theory is based upon a probabilistic description of peak overlap in GC–MS separations to determine the probability of obtaining a successful quantitative analysis, which has its lower limit of chromatographic resolution Rs at some minimum chemometric resolution, Rs*; that is to say, successful quantitative analysis can be achieved when Rs ≥ Rs*. The value of Rs* must be experimentally determined and is dependent on the chemometric method to be applied. The approach presented makes use of the assumption that analyte peaks are independent and randomly distributed across the separation space or are at least locally random, namely, that each analyte represents an independent Bernoulli random variable, which is then used to predict the binomial probability of successful quantitative analysis. The theoretical framework is based on th...
Perceptions of Fully Autonomous Freight Trucks

Long-standing truck driver shortages in the US freight transportation trucking industry could be relieved by the use of autonomous freight trucks, but realizing that potential requires access to and sharing of the roadway infrastructure with other drivers. Prior research has focused on consumer perceptions of personal autonomous automobiles rather than sharing the road with autonomous trucks. As an initial examination of consumers’ perceived benefits and risks of autonomous trucks, the authors conducted thirteen semi-structured interviews, eliciting both general issues and then response to risk mitigation scenarios under consideration by the industry and regulators. While interviewees expressed safety concerns and the potential impact on the employment of truck drivers, they also acknowledged the inevitability of the technology. Safety benefits were often expressed concurrently with concerns about the risks. In addition, a theme emerged around the technology needing to prove itself. Despite the authors anticipating a need for autonomous trucks to gain the support of the public, little opposition to automation was expressed and the mitigators under consideration by industry and regulators did not significantly improve perceptions of the technology. However, if safety risks are not mitigated, the concerns expressed could be elevated and alter perceptions of inevitability.
Long-Term Outcomes of Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication in a High-Risk Pediatric Population.

Abstract Introduction: Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) is the standard for surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but postoperative complications and pain are common in patients with severe neurological impairment (NI) and those undergoing reoperative procedures. Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is an endoscopic alternative to treat GERD. Long-term results in pediatric populations are unknown. Methods: Eleven patients who underwent TIF between January 2008 and September 2010 were included. A retrospective chart review was performed to evaluate long-term patient outcomes. Median follow-up was 5.6 years (range = 0.42–8.76 years). Results: Average patient age was 16.5 ± 5.1 years. Severe NI was present in 81.8% (9/11) of patients, and 63.6% (7/11) had undergone one or more prior fundoplication attempts. Overall, symptomatic reflux recurred or persisted in 54.5% (6/11) of patients. Recurrent symptoms were more common among those who had previous fundoplications than ...
Colored Petri Net Representation of Logical and Decisive Passing Algorithm for Humanoid Soccer Robots

The Robot World Cup Initiative instigates the challenge of programming robots which will one day be capable of competing against a human soccer team. The current state of the RoboCup Standard Platform League requires utilization of the humanoid NAO robots created by Aldebaran. While teams have made incredible progress in programming a NAO's ability to play the game, there is still a long way before a robot's thinking is anywhere close to the complexity of a human's brain when playing a soccer match. A team's strategy is crucial in winning a soccer match, but RoboCup teams have yet to program the robots in a manner where teamwork is utilized. With the intricacies that must be accounted for in programming a robot to play an entire soccer game, the Colored Petri net (CPN) model can be useful in providing a basis for analyzing and testing algorithms for gameplay prior to implementation. To explore the possibility of teamwork in RoboCup gameplay, this paper proposes and tests the Passing with Logical Strategy (PaLS) algorithm, which guides the robots' kicking decision and avoids opponents from gaining control of the ball via intentional and decisive passing between teammates. When compared to a path finding algorithm proposed by Bajrami, Dermaku, and Demaku, the PaLS algorithm performs 34% more efficiently, proving that by utilizing a team-based algorithm, the ball can reach the goal faster.
Update on Molecular Testing for Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules.

Context.— Approximately 15% to 30% of thyroid nodules that undergo fine-needle aspiration are classified as cytologically indeterminate, presenting management challenges for patients and clinicians alike. During the past several years, several molecular tests have been developed to reduce the diagnostic uncertainty of indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspirations. Objective.— To review the methodology, clinical validation, and recent peer-reviewed literature for 4 molecular tests that are currently marketed for cytologically indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration specimens: Afirma, ThyroSeq, ThyGenX/ThyraMIR, and RosettaGX Reveal. Data Sources.— Peer-reviewed literature retrieved from PubMed search, data provided by company websites and representatives, and authors' personal experiences. Conclusions.— The 4 commercially available molecular tests for thyroid cytology offer unique approaches to improve the risk stratification of thyroid nodules. Familiarity with data from the validation studies as wel...
Imaging Plasmas of Irradiated Foils

To accelerate protons up to energies of several MeV, mostly thin foils are used. They deliver a homogeneous beam with an emission angle of about 20° (half angle). The study of the acceleration process plays the key role in understanding fundamental physics and delivers possibilities to manipulate the beam characteristics for future applications. Also the expansion of the plasma is an important issue being in the focus of recent investigations [1, 2]. By probing the rear side of an irradiated foil one can gain information about the expanding plasma and the acceleration fields.
Abstract 359: The Production of Acellular Cardiac Extracellular Matrix from P3 Murine Heart

Introduction: Understanding the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the creation of the cellular microenvironment during tissue formation and regeneration could be vital in extending this capability to injured adult tissue. To date the only confirmed mammalian heart tissue regeneration/regrowth has been in neonatal murine heart, with the regenerative capacity ceasing after day P3. By focusing on ECM from P3 heart tissue we hope to elucidate its contribution to regenerative plasticity and transfer this capacity to injured adult myocardium. Hypothesis: Detergent decellularization protocols used in adult tissues can be modified to function on a neonatal scale, serving to remove the cellular components of the neonatal heart, leaving structurally intact ECM to serve as a scaffold for the generation of cardiac tissue equivalents. Materials and Methods: Murine P3 hearts were perfused with 1% SDS in water at 20mm Hg for 12 hrs. Following detergent decellularization, perfusion with water, 1% Triton X-100, PBS and culture media restored biocompatibility to the isolated ECM. P1 and P7 primary cardiomyocytes expressing the mCherry red fluorescent protein reporter under control of the alpha myosin promoter were isolated by enzymatic disassociation and cultured in the heart matrix in a perfusion based bioreactor. Results: The decellularized ECM demonstrated removal of 97% of native DNA when compared to control by pico-green dsDNA binding assay. Histologic analysis demonstrated an absence of cell nuclei by H & E and DAPI staining. The preservation of the matrix structure and the maintenance of matrix immunoreactivity (collagen IV) were also demonstrated histologically. Following infusion of P1 or P7 mCherry positive cells, contractile behavior of the recellularized heart constructs was observed, and markers of cardiac linage (alpha-actinin in mCherry positive cells) were present. Conclusions: Neonatal heart matrix can be effectively decellularized. With appropriate modification of perfusion parameters, pediatric ECM structure can be preserved. This isolated matrix can serve as a scaffold for growth and maintenance of immature and mature cardiomyocytes, supporting continued contractility of cultured cells.
Modulated expression of notch1 during thymocyte development

The Notch gene family encodes transmembrane proteins that have been implicated in control of diverse cellular differentiation events in the fly, frog, and mouse. Mammalian Notch1 is expressed at high levels in thymus and is mutated in a subset of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic neoplasms, suggesting a role in T-cell differentiation. To investigate the patterns of expression of NOTCH1 protein in thymocytes of the developing and mature thymus, antibodies raised against NOTCH1 were used to perform immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses. Strong staining for NOTCH1 within the fetal murine thymus was observed as early as 13.5 days postcoitum. By 17.5 days postcoitum, preferential staining of superficial cortical thymocytes was observed, with weak staining of developing medulla. Flow cytometric analysis and immunohistochemical staining of flow-sorted cells confirmed that the highest levels of NOTCH1 expression in adult murine thymus were present in immature cortical thymocytes (CD24high, CD4-CD8-). In contrast, NOTCH1 expression was low or absent in more mature cortical thymocytes (CD24low, CD4+CD8+), whereas intermediate levels of expression were observed in CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ cells. These data indicate a dynamic pattern of NOTCH1 expression during T-cell differentiation and suggest that downregulation of NOTCH1 may be required for maturation of cortical thymocytes.
“Tried and True” or “Cutting Edge”: Use of Data Analytical Techniques in Marketing Research

Advances in quantitative research methods provide marketing researchers with more tools to test their hypotheses. In many disciples, adoption of new data analytical techniques in published research is slow, with incremental change over two or more decades (Aguinis, Pierce, Bosco, & Muslin, 2009). While researchers choose the means most appropriate to their research questions, over-reliance on long-established tools may impede theory development within the marketing area. Prerequisites for researchers to adopt innovative techniques include adequate education, mentorship by leading scholars, and acceptance in premier research journals (Podsakoff & Dalton, 1987).
Degenerative Disease of the Cervical Spine

This chapter will focus on cervical spondylosis and the resulting symptomatology, including pain, nerve root and spinal cord compression. The pathophysiology, imaging diagnostics and treatments for cervical spine degeneration are discussed. A variety of operative and non-operative treatment modalities are available, including rest, anti-inflammatories, decompressive surgery and fusion surgery, with the goal of treatment being to diminish pain, restore neurological function and re-establish spinal stability.
Fatigue crack propagation in a copper/epoxy molding compound interface as impacted by mode-mixity

Abstract Microelectronic packages contain numerous bimaterial interfaces which influence both device design and reliability. The failure of these bimaterial interfaces have been observed to be a function of both the relative shear and tensile loads, otherwise referred to as “mode-mixity.” While the failure of such bimaterial interfaces has been the focus of much study, their performance under fatigue, in particular with respect to mode-mixity, is underexplored. Double cantilever beam tests for a copper /epoxy molding compound interface have been performed for several different mode-mixity conditions, both monotonically and cyclically. The resulting Paris’ laws are reported. In particular, the impact of mode-mixity on fatigue crack propagation is explored. The Paris’ law coefficients and exponents have been seen to be dependent on mode-mixity. The dependency of fatigue behavior on mode-mixity means that some of the properties of fatigue crack propagation can be determined from a bimaterial interfaces monotonic fracture behavior. Finally both numerical analysis in ANSYS and SEM surface characterization are performed to further the understanding of the mechanisms behind the observed trends in fatigue interfacial delamination propagation behavior as a function of mode-mixity.
The invisible dance of CRISPR-Cas9

Since the discovery of the DNA double helix, the main molecular repository of genetic information, scientists have been struggling to find ways to efficiently manipulate genes. The ability to mark, modify, or regulate specific sequences of DNA in a controlled fashion is of key importance because of the ways that gene editing could be used to improve human life. For example, genetic therapies are being developed to permanently cure cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The Role of Novel Oral Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Individualizing Therapy to Optimize Outcomes

The number of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who mandate additional oral anticoagulant therapy has been increasing. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is associated with reduced ischemic events including stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction and stroke following PCI. However, the tradeoff is an increased risk for bleeding while on DAPT. The addition of a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) further increases the likelihood of bleeding while on antiplatelet therapy. Thus, the overall risks and benefits for each patient undergoing PCI on NOAC must be assessed and therapy individualized to ensure optimal therapy for each unique situation. Patients on NOAC undergoing PCI should undergo routine assessment with intravascular imaging as the role of high-risk lesion-related features have increased importance prior to determining optimal duration of treatment with DAPT. We review the best practices for the pharmacologic management of patients requiring anticoagulation with NOAC who are treated with PCI and require antiplatelet therapy.
Usability Testing of an Interactive Dashboard for Surgical Quality Improvement in a Large Congenital Heart Center

Background Interactive data visualization and dashboards can be an effective way to explore meaningful patterns in large clinical data sets and to inform quality improvement initiatives. However, these interactive dashboards may have usability issues that undermine their effectiveness. These usability issues can be attributed to mismatched mental models between the designers and the users. Unfortunately, very few evaluation studies in visual analytics have specifically examined such mismatches between these two groups. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the usability of an interactive surgical dashboard and to seek opportunities for improvement. We also aimed to provide empirical evidence to demonstrate the mismatched mental models between the designers and the users of the dashboard. Methods An interactive dashboard was developed in a large congenital heart center. This dashboard provides real-time, interactive access to clinical outcomes data for the surgical program. A mixed-method, two-phase study was conducted to collect user feedback. A group of designers (N = 3) and a purposeful sample of users (N = 12) were recruited. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The dashboards were compared using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and qualitative data. Results The participating users gave an average SUS score of 82.9 on the new dashboard and 63.5 on the existing dashboard (p = 0.006). The participants achieved high task accuracy when using the new dashboard. The qualitative analysis revealed three opportunities for improvement. The data analysis and triangulation provided empirical evidence to the mismatched mental models. Conclusion We conducted a mixed-method usability study on an interactive surgical dashboard and identified areas of improvements. Our study design can be an effective and efficient way to evaluate visual analytics systems in health care. We encourage researchers and practitioners to conduct user-centered evaluation and implement education plans to mitigate potential usability challenges and increase user satisfaction and adoption.
The effect of GDP and distance on timing of COVID-19 spread in Chinese provinces in 2020

Abstract The geographical spread of COVID-19 across China’s provinces provides the opportunity for retrospective analysis on contributors to the timing of the spread. Highly contagious diseases need to be seeded into populations and we hypothesized that greater distance from the epicenter in Wuhan, as well as higher province-level GDP per capita, would delay the time until a province detected COVID-19 cases. To test this hypothesis, we used province-level socioeconomic data such as GDP per capita and percentage of the population aged over 65, distance from the Wuhan epicenter, and health systems capacity in a Cox proportional hazards analysis of the determinants of each province’s time until epidemic start. The start was defined by the number of days it took for each province to reach thresholds of 3, 5, 10, or 100 cases. We controlled for the number of hospital beds and physicians as these could influence the speed of case detection. Surprisingly, none of the explanatory variables had a statistically significant effect on the time it took for each province to get its first cases; the timing of COVID-19 spread appears to have been random with respect to distance, GDP, demography, and the strength of the health system. Looking to other factors, such as travel, policy, and lockdown measures, could provide additional insights on realizing most critical factors in the timing of spread.
Mutiny at Bamber Bridge: How the World War II Press Reported Racial Unrest among U.S. Troops and Why It Remains in British Memory

What began as good-natured ribbing for more libations escalated into a verbal altercation between African American troops and white U.S. military police on the night of June 24, 1943. The evening e...
Speckle-based position monitoring

We propose the use of a new precision monitoring technique based on speckle analysis (SuPreMe). This technique only requires three parts: a laser, a weak optical diffuser (e.g. unpolished metallic surface) and a camera, all elements widely available at a low cost, while allowing absolute position estimation. The technique relies on the emergence of rings in the power spectrum density of the collected speckle intensity, related to Talbot distance. Using simulation and prior experimental data, we are demonstrating the viability of the technique, showing for example that it is possible to extract absolute displacement measurement of 100 μm with a precision range of 7 nm-rms.
Does Structure Matter? Encoding Documents for Machine Reading Comprehension

Machine reading comprehension is a challenging task especially for querying documents with deep and interconnected contexts. Transformer-based methods have shown advanced performances on this task; however, most of them still treat documents as a flat sequence of tokens. This work proposes a new Transformer-based method that reads a document as tree slices. It contains two modules for identifying more relevant text passage and the best answer span respectively, which are not only jointly trained but also jointly consulted at inference time. Our evaluation results show that our proposed method outperforms several competitive baseline approaches on two datasets from varied domains.
Sensory neurons control the functions of dendritic cells to guide allergic immunity

Dendritic cells of the innate immune system and sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system are embedded in barrier tissues and gather information about an organisms' environment. While the mechanisms by which dendritic cells recognize and initiate adaptive immune responses to pathogens is well defined, how they sense allergens is poorly understood. Indeed, allergens induce dendritic cell maturation and migration in vivo, but not in vitro. How are adaptive immune responses to allergens initiated if dendritic cells do not directly sense allergens? Sensory neurons release neuropeptides within minutes of allergen exposure. Recent evidence demonstrated that while neuropeptides modify dendritic cell function during pathogen responses, they are required for dendritic cell function during allergic responses. These emerging studies suggest that sensory neurons do not just pass information along to the central nervous system, but also to dendritic cells, particularly during the initiation of adaptive immunity to allergens.
Sociocultural Consequences of Free Trade: Accountability for Murder in the Maquiladoras: Linking Corporate Indifference to Gender Violence at the U.S.-Mexico Border

Claudia Ivette-Gonzalez might still be alive if her employers had not turned her away. The 20-year-old resident of Ciudad Juarez - the Mexican city abutting El Paso, Texas - arrived at her assembly plant job four minutes late one day in October 2001. After management refused to let her into the factory, she started home on foot. A month later, her corpse was discovered buried in a field near a busy Juarez intersection. Next to her lay the bodies of seven other young women. [FN2]The “maquiladora murders” have become a popular subject for writing and activism by feminists, as well as the inspiration for numerous forms of art, [FN3] literary fiction [FN4] and commentaries, [FN5] international conferences, [FN6] movies, [FN7] and marches [FN8] on both sides of the border. A 2004 conference held at the University of California-Los Angeles entitled “Maquiladora Murders” [FN9] drew worldwide attention [FN10] to the cases of hundreds of young Mexican women who worked in maquiladoras - American-owned transnational factories - and met untimely, often brutal deaths. Who killed them is still a mystery. [FN11] What is not a mystery is that incidents of domestic violence and femicide [FN12] in Ciudad Juarez [FN13] have risen in the wake of heavy industrialization along the border; that industrialization was a result of the signing of the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Does Countertrade Help Small Business Exports

Countertrade has rapidly grown to one-third of all world trade. A survey of Florida countertrade firms showed that 81 percent were small businesses. Half of the countertraders reported a high level of satisfaction, while one-quarter reported serious problems such as delivery delays, delays in finalizing agreements, and product quality. The results suggest that small businesses have a comparative advantage in countertrade and can, with experience, use it successfully to overcome foreign exchange scarcity and to enter new markets.
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Cardiac dysfunction precipitates changes in vascular function, blood volume, and neurohormonal status. These changes serve as compensatory mechanisms to help maintain cardiac output and arterial blood pressure. However, these compensatory changes over months and years can worsen cardiac function. Overall, the changes in cardiac function associated with heart failure (HF) result in a decrease in cardiac output. This results from a decline in stroke volume that is due to systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, or a combination of the two. Systolic dysfunction results from a loss of intrinsic inotropy (contractility), most likely due to alterations in signal transduction mechanisms responsible for regulating inotropy. Systolic dysfunction can also result from the loss of viable, contracting muscle as occurs following acute myocardial infarction (MI). Diastolic dysfunction refers to the diastolic properties of the ventricle and occurs when the ventricle becomes less compliant (i.e., “stiffer”), which impairs ventricular filling. Both systolic and diastolic dysfunctions result in a higher ventricular end-diastolic pressure, which serves as a compensatory mechanism by utilizing the Frank–Starling mechanism to augment stroke volume. In this chapter, we discuss the various types of cardiac insults and morbidities/conditions that can cause myocardial damage (directly or indirectly) in humans, thereby precipitating chronic systolic HF. Particular focus is given to the pathophysiological mechanisms by which they initiate or aggravate the development of clinical HF.
Dissociation Dynamics of Energy Selected Ions Studied by One and Multiphoton Ionization

The study of excited ions with well defined energies has provided us with a wealth of information concerning ion lifetimes, excess energy partitioning among dissociation products, and the role of internal energy in ion molecule reactions. The technique which has made this advance possible is photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) in which ions are formed by UV photoionization. Because the ionization step is a bound to continuum transition, ions of all internal energies between O and hv -IP can be formed, while the electron carries off the excess energy. In order to select an ion of a given energy, it is therefore necessary to measure it in coincidence with an electron of an appropriate energy.
“Women Like You Keep Women Like Me Down”: Understanding Intergenerational Conflict and Work-Life Balance from a Discourse Perspective

In a fairly recent phenomenon, four generations of women are now present in the workplace (Martin CA, Tulgan B, Managing the generation mix: from urgency to opportunity, 2nd edn. HRD Press, Amherst, 2006; Zemke R, Raines C, Filipczak B, Generations at work: managing the clash of veterans, boomers, Xers, and Nexters in your workplace. American Management Association, New York, 2000). While the research attending to issues of work and life, conflict and balance, is burgeoning, scant attention has been paid to intergenerational work-life conflict. This chapter explores some of the underlying tensions and differences that lie at the nexus of intergenerational conflict in the work-life context seeking to disrupt staid stereotypes and offer pathways in which women across generations may find commonality and bridge differences. A review of the literature and contemporary research trends suggest intergenerational conflict in the work-life context illuminates gendered and structured imbalances in the workplace. In light of this, the chapter challenges present conceptions of what counts as a work ethic and predicts generational responses to gendered structures will challenge assumptions about how women will work in the future.
Halomethyl—metal compounds : LXVII. The application of phenyl(trihalomethyl)mercury compounds in the synthesis of highly halogenated oxiranes☆

Abstract Phenyl(trihalomethyl)mercury compounds react with highly halogenated ketones [(CF3)2CO, CF3COCF2Cl, (CF2Cl)2CO, CF2ClCOCFCl2], aldehydes (n-C3F7CHO, CCl3CHO) and acid chlorides (CF3COCl, CCl3COCl) to add CX2 to the CO bond, giving oxiranes. In the case of hexachloroacetone and n-C3F7OCF(CF3)CF2OCF(CF3)C(O)F, ketones were obtained instead. In the reactions with the acid chlorides, ketones also were formed in addition to the oxiranes. Reaction of PhHgCCl2Br with oxalyl chloride produced the expected oxirane, 2,3,3-trichloro-2,3-epoxypropenoyl chloride, as well as trichloropyruvyl chloride, trichloroacetyl chloride and hexachlorobiacetyl. A reaction of this mercury reagent with benzil gave PhC(O)-CClPh-C(O)(Cl, most likely via rearrangement of the initially formed oxirane.
Sex education and condom distribution: John Susan parents and schools.

Students at more than 160 US secondary schools receive formal sex education and can obtain condoms in their school. However some parents and students object to that arrangement. The author compares two judicial cases which deal with parental due process rights in the context of sex education and condom distribution in public schools. He then explores what role schools should assume regarding sex education and the prevention of unwanted teen pregnancies HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The cases considered are Alfonso vs. Fernandez and Curtis vs. School Committee of Falmouth. The 14th Amendment affords parents the freedom from unnecessary governmental intrusion in raising their children. Parents also have the primary role in raising their children. The Alfonso and Curtis courts reached opposite conclusions on whether condom distribution programs at public schools required some form of parental involvement. Parents need to engage in their primary role as educators of their children become aware of what schools are teaching and provide suggestions on the content of schools sex education programs.