cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Rakha-Pasumarthy-Adjerid car-following model for vehicle fuel consumption and emission estimation applications

Abstract The Rakha-Pasumarthy-Adjerid (RPA) car-following model has been demonstrated to successfully replicate empirical driver car-following behavior. However, the validity of this model for fuel consumption and emission (FC/EM) estimation has yet to be studied. This paper attempts to address this research need by analyzing the applicability of the model for FC/EM estimation and comparing its performance to other state-of-practice car-following models; namely, the Gipps, Fritzsche and Wiedemann models. Naturalistic empirical data are employed to generate ground truth car-following events. The model-generated second-by-second Vehicle Specific Power (VSP) distributions for each car-following event are then compared to the empirical distributions. The study demonstrates that the generation of realistic VSP distributions is critical in producing accurate FC/EM estimates and that the RPA model outperforms the other three models in producing realistic vehicle trajectory VSP distributions and robust FC/EM estimates. This study also reveals that the acceleration behavior within a car-following model is one of the major contributors to producing realistic VSP distributions. The study further demonstrates that the use of trip-aggregated results may produce erroneous conclusions given that second-by-second errors may cancel each other out, and that lower VSP distribution errors occasionally result in greater bias in FC/EM estimates given the large deviation of the distribution at high VSP levels. Finally, the results of the study demonstrate the validity of the INTEGRATION micro-simulator, given that it employs the RPA car-following model, in generating realistic VSP distributions, and thus in estimating fuel consumption and emission levels.
The Electrically Evoked Auditory Change Complex Evoked by Temporal Gaps Using Cochlear Implants or Auditory Brainstem Implants in Children With Cochlear Nerve Deficiency.

Objectives This study aimed to (1) establish the feasibility of measuring the electrically evoked auditory change complex (eACC) in response to temporal gaps in children with cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) who are using cochlear implants (CIs) and/or auditory brainstem implants (ABIs); and (2) explore the association between neural encoding of, and perceptual sensitivity to, temporal gaps in these patients. Design Study participants included 5 children (S1 to S5) ranging in age from 3.8 to 8.2 years (mean: 6.3 years) at the time of testing. All subjects were unilaterally implanted with a Nucleus 24M ABI due to CND. For each subject, two or more stimulating electrodes of the ABI were tested. S2, S3, and S5 previously received a CI in the contralateral ear. For these 3 subjects, at least two stimulating electrodes of their CIs were also tested. For electrophysiological measures, the stimulus was an 800-msec biphasic pulse train delivered to individual electrodes at the maximum comfortable level (C level). The electrically evoked responses, including the onset response and the eACC, were measured for two stimulation conditions. In the standard condition, the 800-msec pulse train was delivered uninterrupted to individual stimulating electrodes. In the gapped condition, a temporal gap was inserted into the pulse train after 400 msec of stimulation. Gap durations tested in this study ranged from 2 up to 128 msec. The shortest gap that could reliably evoke the eACC was defined as the objective gap detection threshold (GDT). For behavioral GDT measures, the stimulus was a 500-msec biphasic pulse train presented at the C level. The behavioral GDT was measured for individual stimulating electrodes using a one-interval, two-alternative forced-choice procedure. Results The eACCs to temporal gaps were recorded successfully in all subjects for at least one stimulating electrode using either the ABI or the CI. Objective GDTs showed intersubject variations, as well as variations across stimulating electrodes of the ABI or the CI within each subject. Behavioral GDTs were measured for one ABI electrode in S2 and for multiple ABI and CI electrodes in S5. All other subjects could not complete the task. S5 showed smaller behavioral GDTs for CI electrodes than those measured for ABI electrodes. One CI and two ABI electrodes in S5 showed comparable objective and behavioral GDTs. In contrast, one CI and two ABI electrodes in S5 and one ABI electrode in S2 showed measurable behavioral GDTs but no identifiable eACCs. Conclusions The eACCs to temporal gaps were recorded in children with CND using either ABIs or CIs. Both objective and behavioral GDTs showed inter- and intrasubject variations. Consistency between results of eACC recordings and psychophysical measures of GDT was observed for some but not all ABI or CI electrodes in these subjects.
Love or Loss: Effective message framing to promote environmental conservation

Understanding the influence of message framing is critical to promote public support for environmental conservation. We tested six brief, online videos about biodiversity conservation with positive (love and benefits) versus negative (loss and warning) messages with 524 participants. The respondents were willing to donate more money and time to organizations associated with positively framed videos. Contrary to the other studies, neither the gender nor level of audience involvement in environmental issues influenced response to positive or negative messaging. Findings highlight the use of positive messaging in digital media campaigns and encourage environmental practitioners to refine and test their messages with specific audiences.
Microgel Electrophoresis of DNA from Individual Cells

Rydberg and Johanson (1978) quantitated DNA damage using a novel approach that involved embedding cells in agarose, lysing them and denaturing their DNA with NaOH, then neutralizing the samples and staining the nucleoid thus formed with acridine orange. The ratio of red to green fluorescence from samples was used as a measure of DNA damage. Cells with less DNA damage showed higher ratios of green to red fluorescence and cells with more DNA damage showed lower ratios in photometric measurement. The technique is based on two assumptions:(1) a double-stranded DNA with more breaks denatures faster to single-stranded DNA in mild alkaline conditions and (2) acridine orange molecules in relatively high concentrations make a polymer along the length of single-stranded DNA. Polymer of the dye with single-stranded DNA yields a red fluorescence. Acridine molecules in low concentration intercalate in native double-stranded DNA and emit green fluorescence. In another important development, Ostling and Johanson (1984) exposed murine lymphoma cells to gamma rays and showed that lysed cells when electrophoresed in agarose on microscope slides in neutral conditions displayed a dose-dependent increase in DNA migration. These authors also used acridine orange, and claimed the sensitivity of their technique to detect DNA damage was as low as 50 rads.
Immune privilege and immune regulation in the eye.

Publisher Summary The eye offers interesting opportunities for analyzing a panorama of immunological phenomena, including organ transplantation, immunological privilege, tolerance, and autoimmunity. This chapter addresses some of the unique immunological characteristics of the eye. The goal is not to provide an exhaustive review of ocular immunology, but to focus on the curious immunological “ground rules” peculiar to this organ. The weight of evidence suggests that the immune system is carefully regulated within the eye and, to a lesser degree, at the ocular surface. The apparent ease with which corneal grafts avoid immunological recognition suggests that the cornea is endowed with unique immunological characteristics and thus possesses an immunological privilege not shared by other organ grafts. Historically, three basic hypotheses have been offered to account for the privileged existence of corneal allografts. The simplest explanation suggests that the cornea, like certain neuronal tissues, is devoid of conventional major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. Studies in rats, rabbits, and mice indicate that heterotopic transplantation of corneas to subdermal graft beds leads to rapid sensitization and swift rejection of the allografts. As for the anterior chamber, the known absence of lymphatic drainage to regional lymph nodes led early investigators to propose that the privilege of the anterior chamber could be traced to the sequestration of alloantigens within this compartment. The high incidence of spontaneous neoplasms that occurs in patients suffering from immunological disorders and in transplant recipients subjected to prolonged immunosuppression is cited as evidence in support of the immune surveillance theory. It is reasonable to suspect that the same situation occurs with immunologically privileged sites, such as the anterior chamber of the eye, where immunological censorship creates an environment that is expected to thwart the induction and expression of immunological surveillance.
Field evaluation of plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria amended transplant mixes and soil solarization for tomato and pepper production in Florida

Field trials were performed in Florida to evaluate tomato and pepper transplants amended with formulations of several plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in a production system that included soil solarization. Transplants grown in five different formulations of PGPR were planted into plots treated by soil solarization, MeBr fumigation, or untreated soil. Treatments were assessed for incidence of several naturally occurring tomato and pepper pathogens including root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and species of Pythium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium. Highly significant increases in tomato and pepper transplant growth occurred in response to most formulations of PGPR tested. Transplant vigor and survival in the field were improved by PGPR treatments in both tomato and pepper. Diseases of tomato caused by root-knot nematodes, Fusarium, Phytophthora, and Pythium were not affected by PGPR treatments. PGPR formulation LS261 reduced numbers of root-knot nematode galls on pepper while pepper root condition was improved with formulations LS213, LS256 and LS261. Individual PGPR strains affected the number of Pythium colonies isolated from pepper roots, but did not affect isolation of Pythium from tomato roots. Greater numbers of colonies of Pythium were isolated from pepper roots in the MeBr treatment and fewest in the solarization treatment. Numbers of colony forming units of Fusarium were significantly higher in the untreated soil than in MeBr fumigated or solarized soil with no effect of PGPR on isolation of Fusarium from either crop. Incidence of wilt symptoms on tomato was significantly lower in MeBr treated plots and highest in the untreated plots. Yield of extra large tomato fruit and total yield increased with PGPR formulation LS256. Yield of pepper was increased with formulations LS255 and LS256. Solarization combined with LS256 on pepper produced yields comparable to MeBr.
Reactive plan revision

In this paper, we describe a methodology for reactively revising schedules in response to unexpected events. The approach is based on recognition of constraint conflicts in the existing schedule. Alternative scheduling actions, each offering selective advantages for conflict resolution, are available for resolving these conflicts. We present a model for action selection based on an analysis of the implications of specific schedule features with respect to the needs and opportunities available in resolving the conflicts. By matching these implications with the behavioral characteristics of different scheduling actions, it is possible to identify the most appropriate reaction in a given situation. Empirical evidence is included to validate portions of this model.
Reading the World with Criticality, Hope and Despair

Critical pedagogy opens up a space where students should be able to come to terms with their own power as critical agents; it provides a sphere where the unconditional freedom to question and assert... Pedagogy also makes a space available for an argument about the responsibility of the present for a democratic future. (Giroux, 2007, p. 1) I was interested to learn that both of the participants included critical pedagogical approaches in their philosophies, as well as teaching styles and course contents.
Implantable Ventricular Assist Device Use and Outcomes in People With End-Stage Renal Disease.

Background People with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) are at risk for advanced heart failure, but little is known about use and outcomes of durable mechanical circulatory support in this setting. W...
Faculty Health: A New Field of Inquiry and Programming

Medline. The components are there (burnout, depression, impairment, etc.), but they have not been brought together under one rubric. Hence, this book is an initial step toward defining Faculty Health as a field of inquiry, programming, and practice. Here, the boundaries of the field have been drawn around the following areas: epidemiology; impairment; psychological issues; gender and generation; racial/ethnic diversity; organizational culture; the faculty life cycle; methods of research and measurement; the ethics of self-care; the humanities as ways of knowing and enhancing; medicine as a calling; and program development. Theories of and methods for measurement have not been fully developed, but some of the needed measurements concern all of the areas listed above. In addition, we need to assess:
Penicillin-binding proteins of bacteria.

The penicillin-binding components of bacteria are presumably enzymes of cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis, and one or more of these is a presumed killing site for penicillins. All organisms which have so far been examined contain multiple penicillin-binding components, e.g., there are five in Bacillus subtilis, six in Escherichia coli, and four in Staphylococcus aureus. Progress in studying these components includes: 1) The demonstration that the hydroxylamine-induced release of penicillin G from several penicillin-binding components is enzymatically catalyzed. In addition, the effect of sulfhydryl reagents on the catalytic and penicillin binding activities of E. coli carboxypeptidase IA suggests that a thiol group is involved in a deacylation reaction of the enzyme. 2) One of the S. aureus binding components can be isolated by affinity chromatography based on the reversibility of its penicillin binding. Under appropriate conditions it can catalyze transpeptidase, carboxypeptidase and penicillinase activities. 3) Altered penicillin-binding components are found in mutants of B. subtilis which have been isolated as step-wise penicillin-resistant organisms, 4) The penicilloyl residue of the penicillin-binding components is released at a slow rate in a novel, enzymatically catalyzed degradation. The products of this degradation in the case of the B. stearothermophilus D-alanine carboxypeptidase have been identified as phenylacetylglycine and 5,5-dimethylthiazoline carboxylic acid.
Compact Model of Carrier Transport in Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Transistors

Monolayer 2-D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) field-effect transistors (FETs) have excellent scaling properties due to an extremely thin body and reduced quantum-mechanical tunneling. High-field and ballistic carrier transport can play an important role in aggressively scaled TMDC FETs. A compact model is developed to describe carrier transport in 2-D monolayer FETs based on a TMDC material. The model has the following features: 1) it treats high-field transport and velocity saturation; 2) it can be applied from ballistic to quasi-ballistic to diffusive transport regimes; and 3) it incorporates analytical expressions for carrier mobility values based on examining physical carrier scattering mechanisms in TMDC materials. Monte Carlo simulation, which solves the Boltzmann transport equation stochastically, is used to validate the model. The carrier transport model is further integrated with a virtual-source model to calculate the ${I}$ – ${V}$ characteristics of 2-D monolayer FETs. Based on the model, the effects of phonon scattering and ionized impurity scattering on the average carrier injection velocity and transistor ballisticity are discussed.
The effect of treatment delay on survival in patients with hepatocellular cancer.

e15645Background: Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the fastest increasing cause of cancer related death in the U.S. Only one-third of patients are candidates for curative treatment, and treatment del...
In Their Own Backyard: Local Press Coverage of the Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner Murders

Abstract The disappearance of three civil rights workers on the eve of Mississippi's Freedom Summer captivated the world. Hordes of reporters rushed into the rural community of Philadelphia, Missis...
An editorial on the TAILOR trial—further support for the addition of cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 in the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer

Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer in men (1). In the United States, CRC continues to be a national burden with over 140,000 new cases of CRC reported in 2015 alone (2). Over the past two decades, there have been significant advances in CRC treatment resulting in an increase in the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with unresectable metastatic CRC from 12 to 30 months (3).
Actinic Prurigo and Hydroa Vacciniforme

To summarize current knowledge pertaining to two photodermatoses, actinic prurigo (AP) and hydroa vacciniforme (HV), both of which routinely have onset in childhood. AP is an immune-mediated photodermatosis associated with human leukocyte antigen DR4 that commonly features cheilitis and conjunctivitis. It mostly affects American Indian/Latin American Mestizos and rarely white and Asian patients, who manifest different disease phenotypes. The diagnosis is clinical, but follicular cheilitis is a characteristic mucosal biopsy finding, and phototesting may be helpful. Hallmarks of treatment are photoprotection and thalidomide. HV is a photodermatosis related to Epstein-Barr virus infection that causes varioliform scarring. Classic HV is benign and self-limited and must be distinguished from hydroa vacciniforme-like lymphoproliferative disorder (HVLLPD), a systemic disease most common in Asia and Latin America with risk of progression to lymphoma. Limited treatments are available, but accumulating data suggest chemotherapy is associated with worse outcomes in HVLLPD. As understanding of these photodermatoses progresses, important knowledge gaps persist. AP’s pathogenesis remains incompletely elucidated, and therapeutic investigation has stagnated. Despite enhanced description of HV and HVLLPD, both lack standardized effective therapy.
CASTLE over the Air -- Distributed Scheduling for Cellular Data Transmissions (demo)

This paper presents a fully distributed scheduling framework called CASTLE (Client-side Adaptive Scheduler That minimizes Load and Energy), which jointly optimizes the spectral efficiency of cellular networks and battery consumption of smart devices. To do so, we focus on scenarios when many smart devices compete for cellular resources in the same base station: spreading out transmissions over time so that only a few devices transmit at once improves both spectral efficiency and battery consumption. To this end, we devise two novel features in CASTLE. First, we explicitly consider inter-cell interference for accurate cellular load estimation. Based on our observations, we exploit the RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) and SINR as features in a machine learning algorithm to accurately estimate the cellular load. Second, we propose a fully distributed scheduling algorithm that coordinates transmissions between clients based on the locally estimated load level at each client. Our formulation for minimizing battery consumption at each device leads to an optimized backoff-based algorithm that fits practical environments. To evaluate these features, we prototype a complete LTE system testbed consisting of mobile devices, eNodeBs, EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and application servers. Our comprehensive experimental results show that CASTLE's load estimation is up to 91% accurate, and that CASTLE achieves higher spectral efficiency with less battery consumption, compared to existing centralized scheduling algorithms as well as a distributed CSMA-like protocol. Furthermore, we develop a light-weight SDK that can expedite the deployment of CASTLE into smart devices and evaluate it in a commercial LTE network.
Structure-property-function connections underlying performance of polybenzoxazole membranes derived from BisAPAF polyimides

Abstract Polymeric membranes remain and will most likely continue to be the most practical cost-effect chemical constructs for gas separation processes, provided that novel polymers are developed to overcome current and persisting limitations facing exiting membranes. Here, we report a methodical and systematic study of the structure-property-function relations of standard polyimide membranes and their implications on the separation performance. Three different dianhydrides (PMDA, ODPA and BTDA) with a single diamine (BisAPAF) were used to synthesize polyimide membranes via azeotropic imidization. The membranes were characterized, thermally rearranged and tested using gas pairs. Characterization was conducted prior and post thermal treatments in order to investigate the influence of the chosen precursors on the ideal selectivity properties. The resulted molecular weights of the polyimides were determined to be between 25,000 and 94,000 g/mol. The glass transition temperatures varied between 220 °C and 270 °C, and the degradation temperatures were at an average of 550 °C. The gas separation performance of all membranes significantly improved post thermal rearrangement, especially the APAF-BTDA polyimide which surpassed the so-called selectivity/permeability upper bound for CO2/CH4, N2/CH4 and CO2/N2 gas pairs.
VidLyz: An Interactive Approach to Assist Novice Entrepreneurs in Making Persuasive Campaign Videos

Videos are essential for successful crowdfunding campaigns. However, without knowledge of the underlying persuasion factors, novice entrepreneurs may find it difficult to optimize their videos for success. This paper presents VidLyz, a novel assistive tool that allows users to explore the implications of audience-engagement persuasion factors in the context of campaign videos through contrasting examples, crowd-sourced subjective ratings, and feedback on engagement factors. VidLyz promotes active thinking about the impact of audience persuasion factors in making an effective campaign video by guiding novice entrepreneurs in planning materials of their videos on their own, with consideration of the product category, the target audience, and audience-product interactions. To evaluate our system, we collected subjective ratings and feedback on persuasion factors for 140 Kickstarter campaign videos from 2100 crowd workers and presented them through our prototype VidLyz tool. A user study with 45 novice users and five previous campaign creators found that our tool was useful for understanding the implication and relative importance of the persuasion factors of the campaign videos. The interactive and active thinking elements of VidLyz promoted novice users to make coherent and persuasive pre-production plan (using storyboards) for their proposed campaign videos. A follow-up user study showed that these storyboards had a higher likelihood of getting funded by crowd workers than those with less persuasive pre-production plan. We concluded with design implications to better support novice entrepreneurs.
Geographic Information Systems in Trauma Research

Geographic information system (GIS) refers to spatial analysis. It has been used in medicine and public health for more than 2000 years, but recent advances in mapping software have allowed for significant advances in the field. It is being used to study traumatic injuries to help identify high-risk areas and posit potential solutions to local injury clusters. Examples of its use in trauma research include pedestrian injuries and local traffic patterns; sociodemographic characteristics of regions with high incidence of certain kinds of injuries, such as burns; and trauma systems development. This chapter provides an overview of GIS in trauma research—with particular attention to its application to the study of mortality from gunshot wounds in Chicago—and also highlights trauma systems evolution; characteristics of the built environment and their interplay with sociodemographics; and research-informed solutions. Finally, the chapter explores ethical considerations in the use of GIS data for clinical and public health research.
Outcomes of a 2-year, 5 cohort faculty development program.

Introduction A grant-funded faculty development program, From Practice to Preceptor (FP2P), sought to recruit and train diverse general and pediatric dentists to become dental faculty from 2012-2018. This study is an evaluation of this completed initiative and offers an initial review of long-term outcomes of the program. Methods Over 5 entering cohorts, 133 practitioners applied to the program and 45 were accepted. A 2-year training program used classroom and hands-on training to prepare practitioners for the occupational demands of academia. Program participants were offered pre- and post-surveys to evaluate their perceived preparedness in faculty competencies identified by the program. Participants were also sent an alumni survey, and employment was tracked by the host institution. Results Most (43 of 45) participants completed the program. Pre- and post-survey results were received from 24 of 30 (80%) participants in Cohorts 2, 3, and 5, and used for this analysis. The results suggest the program participants' perception of their ability to work effectively as faculty members in administrative, teaching, and clinical arenas increased. Over half of the program completers obtained employment as dental faculty. A majority of (19/26, 73%) program completers who responded to the alumni survey indicated the skills and knowledge gained in the program were useful to their current employment. Conclusion The FP2P program evaluation results indicate a long-term faculty training program may be a useful methodology for recruiting and training current dentists to work in academic dentistry.
Sorghum biomass production in the continental United States and its potential impacts on soil organic carbon and nitrous oxide emissions

Author(s): Gautam, S; Mishra, U; Scown, CD; Zhang, Y | Abstract: National scale projections of bioenergy crop yields and their environmental impacts are essential to identify appropriate locations to place bioenergy crops and ensure sustainable land use strategies. In this study, we used the process-based Daily Century (DAYCENT) model with site-specific environmental data to simulate sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) biomass yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) change, and nitrous oxide emissions across cultivated lands in the continental United States. The simulated rainfed dry biomass productivity ranged from 0.8 to 19.2nMgnha−1nyear−1, with a spatiotemporal average of (Formula presented.) Mgnha−1nyear−1, and a coefficient of variation of 35%. The average SOC sequestration and direct nitrous oxide emission rates were simulated as (Formula presented.) MgnCO2enha−1nyear−1 and (Formula presented.) MgnCO2enha−1nyear−1, respectively. Compared to field-observed biomass yield data at multiple locations, model predictions of biomass productivity showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.6nMgnha−1nyear−1. In comparison to the multi State (nn=n21) NASS database, our results showed RMSE of 5.5nMgnha−1nyear−1. Model projections of baseline SOC showed RMSE of 1.9nkg/m2 in comparison to a recently available continental SOC stock dataset. The model-predicted N2O emissions are close to 1.25% of N input. Our results suggest 10.2 million ha of cultivated lands in the Southern and Lower Midwestern United States will produce g10nMgnha−1nyear−1 with net carbon sequestration under rainfed conditions. Cultivated lands in Upper Midwestern states including Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Michigan, and North Dakota showed lower sorghum biomass productivity (average: 6.9nMgnha−1nyear−1) with net sequestration (average: 0.13nMgnCO2enha−1nyear−1). Our national-scale spatially explicit results are critical inputs for robust life cycle assessment of bioenergy production systems and land use-based climate change mitigation strategies.
Position Sensor Offset Quantification in PMSM Drives via Current Estimation

Position sensor signal is critical to a sensed field-oriented control-based motor drive system. Mechanically mounted position sensors may subject to an uncalibrated alignment about the rotating axis due to environmental/operation conditions. The necessity for proper offset correction is highlighted in this paper along with an effective strategy to quantify the static position sensor offset error in the event of such fault. This proposed strategy utilizes a current estimation-based fault detection strategy, reusing signals that are already available on an FOC machine drive system. Simulation and experimental results are presented herewith that correlate with the theoretical analysis of the fault diagnosis, to justify the algorithm performance.
Management after Uterine Perforation during Surgical Abortion

Study Objective The purpose of this video is to provide a quick reference guide on identifying and managing uterine perforation in the setting of surgical abortion procedures. Design This video is a review of background information, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of uterine perforation after surgical abortions. Setting N/A Patients or Participants N/A Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results N/A Conclusion Surgical pregnancy terminations by dilation and curettage or dilation and evacuation are safe and common procedures but can be complicated by uterine perforation. While the occurrence is rare, it is essential for gynecologists to be able to identify and manage uterine perforations, especially when deciding which situations require more in-depth surgical intervention.
Fe Cations Control the Plasmon Evolution in CuFeS2 Nanocrystals

Plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals have become an appealing avenue for researching nanoscale plasmonic effects due to their wide spectral range (visible to infrared) and great tunability compared...
Is Patient-Physician Gender Concordance Related to the Quality of Patient Care Experiences?

There is great interest in identifying factors that are related to positive patient experiences such as physician communication style. Documented gender-specific physician communication and patient behavior differences raise the question of whether gender concordant relationships (i.e., both the provider and patient share the same gender) might affect patient experiences. Assess whether patient experiences are more positive in gender concordant primary care relationships. Statewide telephone surveys. Linear mixed regression models to estimate the association of CAHPS scores with patient gender and gender concordance. Two probability samples of primary care Medicaid patients in Connecticut in 2017 (5/17–7/17) and 2019 (7/19–10/19). Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) survey augmented with questions about aspects of care most salient to PCMH-designated organizations and two questions to assess access to mental health services. There were no significant effects of gender concordance and differences in experiences by patient gender were modest. This study did not support the suggestion that patient and physician gender and gender concordance have an important effect on patient experiences.
Silicon Carbide Nanoparticles-Based Nanofibrous Membrane in Comparison With Thin-Film Enzymatic Glucose Sensor

This work presents, silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiCNPs) embedded in a conductive polymer (CP) to be electrospun to fabricate a nanofibrous membrane and a thin-film. Electrochemical enzymatic glucose sensing mechanism of an electrospun nanofibrous membrane (ENFM) of SiCNPs in a CP compared to a spin-coated-thin-film (SCTF) of SiCNPs in a CP. Fiber alignment in the form of a matrix is a key factor that determines the physical properties of nanofiber membrane compared to thin-film. It is found that glucose sensing electrodes formed by a SiCNPs-ENFM has enhanced binding of the glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme within the fibrous membrane as compared to a SiCNPs-SCTF. The SiCNPs-ENFM and SiCNPs-SCTF glucose sensing electrodes were characterized for morphology by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and for electrochemical activity by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronoamperometry (CA) methods. SiCNPs-ENFM based glucose electrodes shown a detection range from a 0.5 mM to 20 mM concentration with a better sensitivity of $387.57~\mu \text{A}$ /gmMcm2, and low limit of detection (LOD) 552.89 nM compared to SiCNPs-SCTF with sensitivity of $6.477~\mu \text{A}$ /gmMcm2 and LOD of $60.87~\mu \text{M}$ . The change in current level with SiCNPs-ENFM was ~14% contrast to ~75% with the SiCNPs-SCTF based glucose sensor over 50 days. The electrochemical analysis results demonstrated that the SiCNPs-ENFM electrode provides enhanced sensitivity, better limit of detection (LOD), and durability compared to SiCNPs-SCTF based glucose sensing electrode.
Molecular dynamics simulation of vacancy and void effects on strain-induced martensitic transformations in Fe-50 at.% Ni model concentrated solid solution alloy

Abstract Strain-induced martensitic transformations can improve the strength and ductility of some face centered cubic (FCC) metals and alloys. Irradiation-induced defects such as vacancies, dislocation loops, and voids activate martensitic transformations over a wider range of mechanical loading conditions than in pristine material. However, the mechanisms underlying irradiation-enabled martensite transformations remain unclear. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of vacancies and voids on strain-induced martensitic transformations in a model concentrated solid solution alloy Fe-50 at.% Ni. It has been found that single vacancies have no resolvable effect on the transformation because they reduce the stacking fault energy by a relatively insignificant margin and do so only if the vacancy is located on the stacking fault plane. Voids, however, activate the martensite transformation through shear strain accumulation around the void due to dislocation pileup. The larger the void, the more pronounced this effect.
The Perils of Privilege: Waiver and the Litigator

Because the "sacred" privileges contravene the maxim that the law has a right to every person's evidence, American law has set its head against them since the mid-nineteenth century. Even the venerable attorney-client privilege is available only when an elaborate series of requirements is satisfied,2 and courts intone that it "ought to be strictly construed within the narrowest possible limits consistent with the logic of its principle."3 A prime method for constricting the privilege is waiver; courts adopting a nineteenth-century attitude are likely to hold that any disclosure of privileged material waives the privilege.4 Some commentators, meanwhile, view waiver as the way to cure defects in the traditional rules of privilege by abrogating privilege protection where it is cumbersome.5
Effect of E-glass Fibers and Phlogopite Mica on the Mechanical Properties and Dimensional Stability of Rigid PVC Foams

In this work, short E-glass fibers and mica were used to enhance the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of extruded rigid polyvinyl chloride foams. Experimental results show that the dimensional stability increased by 50%, and heat resistance of the polyvinyl chloride foam improved as the amount of reinforcing solids increased in the composites. The storage modulus, tensile, and flexural strengths of the composites improved by 220, 82, and 46%, respectively. Scanning electron microscope micrographs show good interaction between glass fibers and foam cells and a good dispersion and orientation of the mica flakes along the cell walls of the polyvinyl chloride foam.
Constitutive expression of simian virus 40 large T antigen in monkey cells activates their capacity to support polyomavirus replication.

Abstract Polyomavirus DNA replication is normally restricted to rodent cells, and simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication is restricted to primate cells. We demonstrate that DNAs containing the polyomavirus origin can be replicated in monkey cells which constitutively express SV40 large T antigen. Permissivity is most likely caused by SV40 T antigen modification of cellular protein(s) required to replicate the polyomavirus origin. A possible target for the T-antigen-induced modification is DNA polymerase alpha-DNA primase.
Vocabulary Strategies That Work: Do This―Not That!

Introduction 1. Select Words to Teach 2. Use Strategies to Engage Students in Word Study 3. Help Students Come Up with Their Own Definitions 4. Assess Student Use of Words in Authentic Writing and Speaking 5. Teach Students Morphological Strategies to Figure Out Words They Do Not Know, in Addition to Context-Clue Strategies 6. Use Symbols and Pictures to Help Bring Vocabulary to Life 7. Highlight and Use a Word Wall in Classroom Instruction 8. Use and Apply Vocabulary Words Regularly (versus Isolated Practice) 9. Allow Opportunities for Wide Reading so Students Are Exposed to Words All the Time, in a Variety of Books 10. Model the Use of Academic Language at All Times, Setting High Expectations for Language Use References
New Insights on Waiver and the Inadvertent Disclosure of Privileged Materials: Attorney Responsibility as the Governing Precept

This Article focuses on the attorney's legal and ethical responsibilities to the client and analyzes the three tests of waiver the courts use in terms of their impact on promoting attorney responsibility. Part One describes the current caselaw governing inadvertent disclosure. It also describes the American Bar Association's (ABA) first formal ethical opinion on inadvertently disclosed information that appears to advocate a variation of the subjective intent test by creating a presumption against waiver that must be overcome by the receiving attorney. The opinion takes this position by stressing the forwarding attorney's property rights in the document. Part Two discusses the attorney-client privilege and its analytic counterpart, the ethical duty of maintaining confidentiality, identifies the goals of each and the tension that has developed between them, and how they may be reconciled. Part Three analyzes each test from an attorney responsibility perspective and concludes that the reasonable precautions test best serves the client's interests, and therefore has systemic benefits, by properly forcing the attorney to bear the risks of inadvertent disclosure. It reconciles the ABA opinion with this conclusion by making two suggestions. First, to the extent that one views the ABA opinion as adopting the subjective intent test, the opinion should be limited to its facts-the instance of a single, errant disclosure, rather than applying it to the far more common occurrence of the inadvertent disclosures taking place within a complex litigation with massive document productions. Second, the Article demonstrates that the ABA opinion, with its emphasis on property rights, in fact, endorses a reasonable precautions test.
Hemagglutinin in Cell Walls of Chlamydia psittaci

Intact purified elementary bodies (EB) of Chlamydia psittaci agglutinate chicken erythrocytes in low titer, whereas homogenates of EB and of EB cell walls agglutinate at much higher titers depending on the extent of disruption by shaking and sonication. The hemagglutinin is contained in the cell envelope and can be purified with cell wall fractions. Treatment of cell wall with sodium dodecyl sulfate completely inactivated the hemagglutinin. Purified hemagglutinin was found to have an identical polypeptide composition to EB cell walls. Preparations of purified reticulate forms, the reproductive intracellular form of the organism, were almost totally devoid of hemagglutinin.
LATE PLEISTOCENE ICE-FLOW DIRECTIONS AND THE AGE OF GLACIAL LANDSCAPES IN NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN

Lineation (alignment) of certain landscape features, most of which are glacigenic, and till-fabric data were mapped and used to indicate glacier flow directions in northern lower Michigan. I also reexamine the limit of the Greatlakean (ca. 11,850 14C yr B.P.) ice advance in northern Michigan. My study assumes that reddish-brown (7.5YR and redder) till in the region was deposited by the last ice advance, the Greatlakean, since this color till covers uplands immediately down ice from an established Greatlakean stratigraphic marker bed. Landscape linearity and till-fabric data within the reddish-brown till landscapes of northwestern lower Michigan both show strong northwest-southeast alignment, indicating that Greatlakean ice advanced out of the Lake Michigan basin. Earlier (Port Huron, ca. 13,000 14C yr B.P.) ice deposited brown till of 10YR hue, as evidenced at a borrow pit where reddish-brown Greatlakean till overlies brown drift. Thus, the “7.5YR and redder” vs 10YR hue limit is interpreted as the outer ...
Diversity in a Variable-Number Tandem Repeat from Yersinia pestis

ABSTRACT We have identified a tetranucleotide repeat sequence, (CAAA)N, in the genome of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. This variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) region has nine alleles and great diversity (calculated as 1 minus the sum of the squared allele frequencies) (diversity value, 0.82) within a set of 35 diverse Y. pestis strains. In contrast, the nucleotide sequence of the lcrV (low-calcium-response) gene differed only slightly among these strains, having a haplotype diversity value of 0.17. Replicated cultures, phenotypic variants of particular strains, and extensively cultured replicates within strains did not differ in VNTR allele type. Thus, while a high mutation rate must contribute to the great diversity of this locus, alleles appear stable under routine laboratory culture conditions. The classic three plague biovars did not have single identifying alleles, although there were allelic biases within biovar categories. The antiqua biovar was the most diverse, with four alleles observed in 5 strains, while the orientalis and mediaevalis biovars exhibited five alleles in 21 strains and three alleles in 8 strains, respectively. The CAAA VNTR is located immediately adjacent to the transcriptional promoters for flanking open reading frames and may affect their activity. This VNTR marker may provide a high-resolution tool for epidemiological analyses of plague.
Aqueous outflow: segmental and distal flow.

The elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) of primary open-angle glaucoma is caused by impaired outflow of aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork. Within the juxtacanalicular region, alterations of both extracellular matrix homeostasis and the cellular tone of trabecular meshwork endothelial and the inner wall of Schlemm canal cells affect outflow. Newer pharmacologic agents that target trabecular meshwork and Schlemm canal cell cytoskeleton lower IOP. Aqueous drainage occurs nonhomogenously with greater flow going through certain portions of the TM and less going through other portions—a concept known as segmental flow, which is theoretically the result of outflow being dependent on the presence of discrete pores within Schlemm canal. The limited long-term success of trabecular meshwork bypass surgeries implicates the potential impact of resistance in Schlemm canal itself and collector channels. Additionally, others have observed that outflow occurs preferentially near collector channels. These distal structures may be more important to aqueous outflow than previously believed. Financial Disclosure Dr. Rhee is a consultant to Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allegan, Inc., Aquesys, Inc., Glaukos Corp., Ivantis, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and Santen, Inc., and has received research funding from Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., and Ivantis, Inc. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
The Living Cationic Polymerization of α-Methylstyrene with BCI3 as Coinitiator

ABSTRACT The cationic polymerization of α-methylstyrene (αMeSt) was studied using the cumyl chloride (CumCl), (CH3)3C-CH2- C(CH3)2-CH2-C(Ph)2-OCH3 (TMPDPEOMe) or (CH3)2C(Ph) CH2C(CH3)(Ph)Cl (the HCl adduct of αMeSt dimer, DiαMeStHCl)/BCl3 initiator/coinitiator systems in the presence of proton trap in methyl chloriderhexanes (MeCl:Hex) or MeCl: methylcyclohexane (MeChx) mixtures at −80 and −60°C. While CumCl is not an efficient initiator in conjunction with BCl3, TMPDPEOMe and Di αMeStHCl were found to be very efficient initiators. The polymerization was much faster in the MeCl:Hex mixture than in MeCl:MeChx. The polymerization rate was also higher at −80°C than at −60°C in the same solvent. The polymerization was found to be living at −80°C, as well as at −60°C, giving rise to poly(α-methylstyrene) (PαMeSt) with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn ∼ 1.1-1.2). The chain ends remained living for up to 40 minutes under monomer starved conditions at −80°C, but they rap...
Power browsing on the World Wide Web

Provides tips and insights to increase the “Web intuition” of the user. Mentions, however, that the Web is changing very rapidly and that anything written about it will be partly obsolete straight away.
The potential use of saliva to detect recurrence of disease in women with breast carcinoma

Background: Approximately 1 woman in every 10 will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It has been shown that screening for breast cancer can reduce breast cancer mortality. The use of a saliva-based test could prove to be very useful in post-operative and/or adjunctive therapy management of breast cancer patients. Methods: The following study was undertaken to establish the possible usefulness of the salivary protein product of the oncogene c-erbB-2 in following patients diagnosed with carcinoma of the breast. Included in this study were 25 patients with a mean age of 54 years with varying histological diagnoses and stages of carcinoma of the breast. ELISA assays for c-erbB-2 and CA 15–3 were performed on serum and stimulated whole saliva samples collected on all patients prior to any adjunct therapy or surgery and sequentially during therapy. Results: The results of the GLM analyses using marker concentration as the dependent variable and treatment regimen and the serial assessments as independent variables yielded a significant overall model for both the serum (P < 0.007) and salivary (P < 0.017) c-erbB-2 markers. The model for serum c-erbB-2, however, exhibited a significant difference for treatment regimen (P < 0.001) with the chemotherapy and radiation treatment regimen being significantly different (P < 0.001) from the other treatment therapies. Time (serial assessments) was not significant. The model for the salivary c-erbB-2 marker was reversed. Treatment regimen was not significant for this model; however, time (serial assessments) was significant (P < 0.002). The serum and salivary CA 15–3 marker models yielded no significant results. Paired t-test analyses indicated that only the salivary c-erbB-2 concentrations exhibited a significant difference between the pre- and post-therapy values (t = 4.245, P < 0.0001). Additionally, salivary c-erbB-2 displayed greater percent reductions across all therapies as compared to the other markers. Conclusions: This preliminary study appears to indicate that c-erbB-2 protein expression in saliva may be a very useful diagnostic tool for measuring patient response to chemotherapy and/or surgical treatment of their disease.