cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolerance for uncertainty, burnout, and satisfaction with the career of emergency medicine.

Study objective Questions about burnout, career satisfaction, and longevity of emergency physicians have been raised but no studies have examined tolerance for uncertainty as a risk factor for burnout. Primary objectives of this study are to assess the role of uncertainty tolerance in predicting career burnout and to estimate the proportion of emergency physicians who exhibit high levels of career burnout. Methods A mail survey incorporating validated measures of career satisfaction, tolerance for uncertainty, and burnout was sent to a random sample of members of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Best- and worst-case scenarios of point estimates are provided to assess for the effect of nonresponse bias, and multivariable logistic regression was used to predict evidence of career burnout. Results One hundred ninety-three surveys were returned (response rate 43.1%). A high level of career burnout was exhibited in 62 (32.1%; best-worst case 13.8% to 64.1%) respondents. No demographic variables were associated with burnout status. The final model identified that high anxiety caused by concern for bad outcomes (odds ratio=6.35) was the strongest predictor of career burnout, controlling for all other variables. Conclusion A large percentage of emergency physicians in this study, 32.1%, exhibited emotional exhaustion, which is the core symptom of burnout. Emotional exhaustion was not related to age or type of practice and was not mitigated by training in emergency medicine. Physicians studied did not feel anxiety because of general uncertainty, difficulty in disclosing uncertainty to patients, or admitting errors to other physicians. High anxiety caused by concern for bad outcomes was the strongest predictor of burnout. Despite exhibiting emotional exhaustion, the majority of respondents are satisfied with the career of emergency medicine.
A Haplotype-Based Method for QTL Mapping of F1 Populations in Outbred Plant Species

The integration of quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis into breeding strategies rather than being seen as separated processes has been proposed to increase the power and accuracy of QTL detection and to allow the two activities to be joined. The main objective of this research is to develop a specific scheme for mapping QTL in actual breeding F 1 populations of outbred plant species with a high degree of accuracy. The proposed method groups populations by common founders and statistically associates founder-origin probabilities that trace the common founder haplotypes in a given region of the progeny genome with the phenotypic expression, using a linear model with a structured covariance matrix. The method was applied to computer simulated data sets, corresponding to five F 1 populations of 100 individuals each obtained from the crosses of a common founder with several other founders. We are currently using this scheme with cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) crosses, using selected clones resistant to specific diseases to widen the genetic base of disease resistance. The results indicate that the position and effect of QTLs in the common founder, that explain each at least 14% of the phenotypic variance, can be estimated with good precision and accuracy. The theoretical assumptions on which this approach was developed render the method appropriate for outbred plant species that are highly heterozygous, which is often the case in tropical tree crops like cocoa, and have phenotypic traits that show few interlocus interaction effects.
MO‐F‐108‐07: Impact of Additional Intensity Modulation On Arc‐Based Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for Lung Cancer

Purpose: A single‐isocenter multi‐segment dynamic conformal arc technique (SiMs‐arc) has been used in our department in the past three years for efficient planning and delivery of over 200 lung SBRT treatments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of additional intensity‐modulation made available by Varian RapidArc on the dosimetric quality and delivery efficiency of arc‐based lung SBRT. Methods: Four patients previously treated with lung SBRT using SiMs‐arc were selected. SiMs‐arc plans were generated with the isocenter located in the geometric center of patient axial plane (to allow for collision‐free gantry rotation around the patient) and six 60°‐arc segments spanning from 1° to 359°. Two RapidArc plans, one using the same arc geometry as SiMs‐arc and the other using typical partial arcs (210°) with the isocenter inside PTV, were generated for each patient. All plans, generated using Eclipse V10.0, were normalized with PTV V100 to 95%. PTV coverage, dose to organs‐at‐risk and total MUs were compared to assess the impact of additional intensity‐modulation provided in RapidArc. Results: RapidArc plans produced higher PTV D99 (by 1.0%–3.1%) and minimum dose (by 2.4% to 9.8%); better PTV conformality index (by 1%–8%); and less volume of 50% dose outside 2cm from PTV (by 0–20.8cc) than the corresponding SiMs‐arc plans. No significant dose differences were observed for lungs, trachea, chest wall and heart. RapidArc using partial‐arcs had lowest maximum dose to spinal cord. RapidArc plans required 1.5 to 1.91 times more MUs than SiMs‐arc plans to deliver the same dose. Conclusion: Additional intensity‐modulation enlisted by RapidArc produces modest dosimetric improvements over conformal arcs for lung SBRT, but requires more MUs (by a factor > 1.5) to deliver. The dosimetric improvements, most notably in PTV minimum dose and in dose conformality for irregularly shaped PTVs, may outweigh the increased MUs in using RapidArc.
Design considerations for a Boolean search system with automatic relevance feedback processing

Two major problems are considered in the design of a Boolean search system with automatic relevance feedback processing. The first problem is how terms should be connected with Boolean logic when constructing a modified query. A number of fixed formats are presented and evaluated. The second problem is how to select terms for entry into the modified query. The stability of the system is found to be quite sensitive to its method of selecting terms. Only very restrictive term selection methods are found to be workable in several on-line experiments.
The Holdout Problem and Urban Sprawl: Experimental Evidence

Abstract Conventional wisdom as well as economic theory suggests it is more costly to reassemble fragmented land due to transactions costs and strategic bargaining costs. Both costs are expected to increase with the number of sellers. Inefficient allocation of land resources may result including property entropy ( Parisi, 2002 ), urban sprawl ( Miceli and Sirmans, 2007 ) and deteriorating inner cities. Given the difficulty of observing actual values attached by buyers and sellers to land, little empirical evidence exists to support the conventional wisdom and theoretical work. We use experimental methods to examine transactions costs and strategic bargaining costs in a land-assembly market game with one buyer, 1–4 sellers, and complementary exchanges. The buyer’s final earnings vary inversely with the number of sellers, ceteris paribus, indicating an incentive to purchase consolidated land. Delay costs reduce holdout, but result in lower payoffs for both buyers and sellers. Competition between sellers reduces holdout and the buyer’s total purchase price.
Age of acquisition and word frequency: Determinants of object-naming speed and accuracy

The combined contributions of word age of acquisition (AoA) and word frequency (rated and objective) to word retrieval speed and accuracy were investigated, using a picture-naming paradigm. Results from two fully factorial studies revealed that both AoA and word frequency reliably facilitate the speed and accuracy of word retrieval. Furthermore, word frequency and AoA interacted across delay (0, 750, 1,500, and 2,250 msec) in Experiment 2. This resulted in word frequency’s playing a stronger role for lateacquired words across delays. It is concluded that both AoA and word frequency play a fundamental role in lexical retrieval. The results are also consistent with the view that both factors affect the same processing stages.
A mixture modeling framework for differential analysis of high-throughput data.

The inventions of microarray and next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized research in genomics; platforms have led to massive amount of data in gene expression, methylation, and protein-DNA interactions. A common theme among a number of biological problems using high-throughput technologies is differential analysis. Despite the common theme, different data types have their own unique features, creating a “moving target” scenario. As such, methods specifically designed for one data type may not lead to satisfactory results when applied to another data type. To meet this challenge so that not only currently existing data types but also data from future problems, platforms, or experiments can be analyzed, we propose a mixture modeling framework that is flexible enough to automatically adapt to any moving target. More specifically, the approach considers several classes of mixture models and essentially provides a model-based procedure whose model is adaptive to the particular data being analyzed. We demonstrate the utility of the methodology by applying it to three types of real data: gene expression, methylation, and ChIP-seq. We also carried out simulations to gauge the performance and showed that the approach can be more efficient than any individual model without inflating type I error.
Can we afford the new medical technologies

The shift in concern from improving health care to controlling health care expenditures is examined. The problem of life-prolonging technologies that ultimately don't work and increase the cost of health care is addressed. The need to limit the provision of such treatments is discussed. >
Improved clutter rejection in automatic target recognition and tracking using eigen-extended maximum average correlation height (EEMACH) filter and polynomial distance classifier correlation filter (PDCCF)

Various correlation based techniques for detection and classification of targets in forward looking infrared (FLIR) imagery have been developed in last two decades. Correlation filters are attractive for automatic target recognition (ATR) because of their distortion tolerance and shift invariance capabilities. The extended maximum average correlation height (EMACH) filter was developed to detect a target with low false alarm rate while providing good distortion tolerance using a trade off parameter (beta). By decomposing the EMACH filter using the eigen-analysis, another generalized filter, called the eigen-EMACH (EEMACH) filter was developed. The EEMACH filter exhibits consistent performance over a wide range which controls the trade-off between distortion tolerance and clutter rejection. In this paper, a new technique is proposed to combine the EEMACH and polynomial distance classifier correlation filter (PDCCF) for detecting and tracking both single and multiple targets in real life FLIR sequences. At first, EEMACH filter was used to select regions of interest (ROI) from input images and then PDCCF is applied to identify targets using thresholds and distance measures. Both the EEMACH and PDCCF filters are trained with different sizes and orientations corresponding to the target to be detected. This method provides improved clutter rejection capability by exploiting the eigen vectors of the desired class. Both single and multiple targets were identified in each frame by independently using EEMACH-PDCCF algorithm to avoid target disappearance problems under complicated scenarios.
Current knowledge and research on chronic sorrow: A foundation for inquiry

Abstract Research on the phenomenon of chronic sorrow has been limited to samples of parents of children with disabilities. The Nursing Consortium for Research on Chronic Sorrow was formed to study this concept in individuals with chronic illness and their family caregivers across the life span. Although no research on this concept has focused on a life-span approach, the level and quantity of related research indicate that a qualitative method is most appropriate. A study of parents of children with spina bifida provided a usable instrument, the Chronic Sorrow Questionnaire. The purpose of additional study is to determine when chronic sorrow occurs and what characteristics it displays in a variety of populations across the life span, how groups suffering from chronic sorrow compare with parents of children with disabilities, whether chronic sorrow is an inherent phenomenon in chronic illness situations, and how the major subconcepts of chronic sorrow theory are linked.
Tagging after red herrings: evidence against the processing capacity explanation in child language *

A case is reported of failure to supply negation in tag questions for a period of nearly two years. The duration of this error shows that it could not have been the result of limited processing capacity, and this provides reason to doubt this explanation for the similar case of children's failure to invert subject and auxiliary verb in wh -questions. It is argued that other cases which have been explained in terms of limited processing capacity are equally compatible with an explanation in terms of context-specific knowledge, which holds that a rule is simply not known for contexts other than those where it is expressed.
CVD-Grown Graphene Solution-gated Field Effect Transistors for pH Sensing

This paper presents the fabrication technology and initial characterization of electrolyte-gated field effect transistor (FET) arrays based on CVD grown graphene on copper. We show that the graphene FET (GFET), when immersed in electrolytes, exhibit a transconductance around 5 mS/mm. From preliminary pH sensing experiments, a pH sensitivity of 24 mV/pH has been demonstrated.
The Effects of Gas Humidification with High-Flow Nasal Cannula on Cultured Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Humidification of inspired gas is important for patients receiving respiratory support. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) effectively provides temperature and humidity-controlled gas to the airway. We hypothesized that various levels of gas humidification would have differential effects on airway epithelial monolayers. Calu-3 monolayers were placed in environmental chambers at 37°C with relative humidity (RH) 90% (HFNC) for 4 and 8 hours with 10 L/min of room air. At 4 and 8 hours, cell viability and transepithelial resistance measurements were performed, apical surface fluid was collected and assayed for indices of cell inflammation and function, and cells were harvested for histology (𝑛=6/condition). Transepithelial resistance and cell viability decreased over time (𝑃<0.001) between HFNC and dry groups (𝑃<0.001). Total protein secretion increased at 8 hours in the dry group (𝑃<0.001). Secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in the dry group was greater than the other groups at 8 hours (𝑃<0.001). Histological analysis showed increasing injury over time for the dry group. These data demonstrate that exposure to low humidity results in reduced epithelial cell function and increased inflammation.
Assessment and Management of Fetal Hydronephrosis

After completing this article, the reader should be able to: 1. Differentiate genitourinary abnormalities associated with hydronephrosis detected on fetal ultrasonography. 2. Describe the type of fetal hydronephrosis that requires a complete uroradiologic evaluation. 3. Characterize the complete postnatal uroradiologic evaluation of significant fetal hydronephrosis. 4. Delineate the factor that sets the timetable for postnatal uroradiologic evaluation. 5. Describe the neonates for whom diuretic renography is reserved. Ultrasonographic detection of antenatal anomalies in the fetus has increased steadily since its initial widespread use in the 1970s. During these early years, antenatal ultrasonography detected structural abnormalities in approximately 1% to 3% of all pregnancies. (1) Currently, it is estimated that genitourinary anomalies comprise 20% of all antenatally detected fetal anomalies. (2) In a recent British population-based study, fetal genitourinary anomalies were identified in 2.3% of women undergoing routine obstetric ultrasonography between 18 and 23 weeks of gestation. (3) Hydronephrosis clearly has become the most commonly detected antenatal anomaly on fetal ultrasonography. Detection of antenatal dilation of the urinary tract does not always indicate postnatal urinary tract obstruction or even a significant genitourinary anomaly. (4) Among infants diagnosed as having prenatal hydronephrosis or other genitourinary anomalies, the question often is raised about the need for and extent of the postnatal evaluation to assess the magnitude of this commonly detected antenatal anomaly. The purpose of this review is to provide a framework for assessment and management of antenatally detected hydronephrosis. Fetal hydronephrosis is a nonspecific finding that can be associated with multiple congenital anomalies of the genitourinary tract. A thorough understanding of disorders that can result in hydronephrosis postnatally allows the physician to assess the need for postnatal diagnostic tests and guide treatment recommendations. The congenital anomalies that may result in hydronephrosis can be categorized as disorders of urinary reflux and disorders of urinary obstruction. It can be …
Fast and highly scalable parallel computations for fundamental matrix problems on distributed memory systems

We present fast and highly scalable parallel computations for a number of important and fundamental matrix problems on distributed memory systems (DMS). These problems include matrix multiplication, matrix chain product, and computing the powers, the inverse, the characteristic polynomial, the determinant, the rank, the Krylov matrix, and an LU- and a QR-factorization of a matrix, and solving linear systems of equations. Our highly scalable parallel computations for these problems are based on a highly scalable implementation of the fastest sequential matrix multiplication algorithm on DMS. We show that compared with the best known parallel time complexities on parallel random access machines (PRAM), the most powerful but unrealistic shared memory model of parallel computing, our parallel matrix computations achieve the same speeds on distributed memory parallel computers (DMPC), and have an extra polylog factor in the time complexities on DMS with hypercubic networks. Furthermore, our parallel matrix computations are fully scalable on DMPC and highly scalable over a wide range of system size on DMS with hypercubic networks. Such fast (in terms of parallel time complexity) and highly scalable (in terms of our definition of scalability) parallel matrix computations were rarely seen before on any distributed memory systems.
Modeling the High-Frequency Component of Arctic Sea Ice Drift and Deformation

Abstract Buoy observations of sea ice drift show that sea ice motion and deformation contain substantial high-frequency variability at subdaily timescales. However, numerical simulations of the sea ice dynamics normally do not include processes on such short timescales. Instead, by applying traditional water-drag formulations for the ocean–sea ice boundary layer, the inertial frequencies tend to be omitted in the spectra of modeled sea ice motion and deformation due to fictitious ocean damping. Here a dynamic–thermodynamic sea ice model is presented that includes “inertial embedding” of the sea ice into the oceanic boundary layer to reproduce sea ice motion and deformation not only at daily and lower frequencies but also at subdaily frequencies up to 2 cycles per day and higher. Comparison with buoy data shows that the embedded model much more successfully simulates the observed sea ice motion in regard to the high-frequency component. The results demonstrate that both inertial embedding of the sea ice–oc...
Long- and short-distance contributions to the KL-KS mass difference

The long-distance hadronic contributions to the KL-KS mass difference are shown to be small based on their dominant influence upon the K2π weak decays. This phenomenological fact is supported by a gauge-invariant version of the electroweakSU2×U1 quark model. However, the latter model also has gauge-invariant short-distance box graph contributions which can be consistently extracted via the Gaillard-Lee vacuum saturation procedure. Together, these gauge-invariant, minimal long-distance and maximal short-distance graphs provide a realistic and accurate determination of the KL-KS mass difference.
Generalization and Application of Matrix Integrators

AbstractThis paper presents the generalization of recently developed Matrix Integrators (MI). The technique utilizes the pole-placement from control theory to compute the integration coefficients for any arbitrary sampling time. The regression coefficients of the integrator under investigation are generalized with the aid of Stirling numbers of the first kind. A heuristic argument is given for the equivalent of this method with a special class of th order hold techniques, which are formulated by means of the Gregory-Newton interpolation function. The MI method is used for simulating a small perturbation model of the NASA Lewis 40-60 mixed compression inlet. It is shown that the MI can provide a significant speed-up compared to conventional linear multistep methods.
AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasome activation provide dual surveillance to confer protection against Aspergillus infection (MPF4P.728)

Pulmonary aspergillosis is a leading cause of infection-associated mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Recognition of Aspergillus by pattern recognition receptors drives innate immune responses in the host. However, the role of cytosolic receptors in inflammasome activation during Aspergillus infection is unclear. Here, we showed that two different inflammasome receptors, AIM2 and NLRP3, play redundant roles in inflammasome activation in response to A. fumigatus infection. While mice deficient in AIM2 or NLRP3 alone showed similar susceptibility compared to WT mice, mice doubly deficient for both AIM2 and NLRP3 receptors were highly susceptible to Aspergillus infection. The increased susceptibility in AIM2 and NLRP3 DKO mice was associated with significantly higher Aspergillus burden and concomitantly reduced inflammatory responses in the lungs. Bone marrow chimera study further confirmed that AIM2 and NLRP3 play vital role in both stromal and hematopoietic compartments during Aspergillus infection. Mechanistically, activation of these receptors initiates assembly of ASC, caspase-1 and caspase-8, for effective processing of IL-1β and IL-18. In agreement, mice lacking caspase-8, IL-1β or IL-18 were highly susceptible to Aspergillus infection in comparison to WT controls. Together, these findings reveal that dual surveillance system provided by both AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasome receptors is required to provide anti-fungal host responses against A. fumigatus .
Interior and Boundary Stabilization of Navier-Stokes Equations - doi: 10.5269/bspm.v22i1.7501

We report on very recent work on the stabilization of the steady-state solutions to Navier-Stokes equations on an open bounded domain ­ \Omega \subset R^d, d = 2; 3, by either interior, or else boundary control. More precisely, as to the interior case, we obtain that the steady-state solutions to Navier-Stokes equations on ­ \Omega \subset R^d, d = 2; 3, with no-slip boundary conditions, are locally exponentially stabilizable by a finitedimensional feedback controller with support in an arbitrary open subset \omega \subset \Omega ­ of positive measure. The (finite) dimension of the feedback controller is minimal and is related to the largest algebraic multiplicity of the unstable eigenvalues of the linearized equation. Second, as to the boundary case, we obtain that the steady-state solutions to Navier-Stokes equations on a bounded domain ­ \Omega \subset R^d, d = 2; 3, are locally exponentially stabilizable by a boundary closed-loop feedback controller, acting on the boundary \partial \Omega­, in the Dirichlet boundary conditions. If d = 3, the non-linearity imposes and dictates the requirement that stabilization must occur in the space (H^{\frac32 + \varepsilon}(­\Omega))^3, \varepsilon> 0, a high topological level. A first implication thereof is that, for d = 3, the boundary feedback stabilizing controller must be infinite dimensional. Moreover, it generally acts on the entire boundary \partial \Omega­. Instead, for d = 2, where the topological level for stabilization is (H^{\frac32 - \varepsilon}(­\Omega))^2, the boundary feedback stabilizing controller can be chosen to act on an arbitrarily small portion of the boundary. Moreover, still for d = 2, it may even be finite dimensional, and this occurs if the linearized operator is diagonalizable over its finite dimensional unstable subspace.
I don't quite get it.. : Personal experiences with the person-oriented approach

Why have person-oriented approaches been slow to be embraced by developmental scholars? What is holding back the person-oriented approach? A personal odyssey through the field of person-oriented research illustrates the challenges that confront scholars who use the approach and those who are considering it. Five challenges are identified: (1) terminological confusion; (2) accessibility; (3) resistance to change; (4) over- and misapplication of the approach; and (5) difficulties with hypothesis testing. No easy solutions are offered.
Ejaculation Frequency and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Updated Results with an Additional Decade of Follow-up

Background Evidence suggests that ejaculation frequency may be inversely related to the risk of prostate cancer (PCa), a disease for which few modifiable risk factors have been identified.
Modified Protocol Decreases Surgical Site Infections after Total Knee Arthroplasty

We investigate the effectiveness of a comprehensive aseptic protocol in reducing surgical site infection (SSI) after knee arthroplasty in a single medical center with a high prevalence of MRSA. A database of all patients in a single center undergoing primary knee arthroplasty between 2005 and 2011 was reviewed for SSI using Centers for Disease Control criteria and AAOS guidelines. All patients were treated with an aseptic protocol consisting of the following: preoperative 2% mupirocin nasal ointment and 0.4% chlorhexidine surgical site wipes, modified instrument care, perioperative prophylactic vancomycin and cefazolin, and surgical site skin preparation with chlorhexidine, alcohol, and iodophor. We compare our protocol total knee arthroplasty SSI rate to our institutional historical control (2001-2004) and to contemporary literature. Among 1,224 patients, 70% were ASA class >2 and 64% had a body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m(2). We found an overall 0.49% infection rate, significantly lower than that of our institutional historical control (0.49 vs. 2.24%, p 2, BMI > 30 kg/m(2), immunosuppressed, or had rheumatoid arthritis. Our aseptic protocol decreases SSI in a high-risk population undergoing knee arthroplasty in a medical center and community with a high prevalence of MRSA.
The mechanism of edema production by paraphenylenediamin

The subcutaneous injection of paraphenylenediamin hydrochlorid in the dosage of 0.19 gm. per kilo in rabbits, produces a peculiar, specific edema of the head and neck in from one to three (median, one and one-half) hours after the administration. At the same time there is a relative increase in hemoglobin and total solids of the blood due to escape of fluid from the circulation, indicating that increase in vascular permeability may be a factor in the production of the edema. With this dosage, and providing the freshly dissolved drug is injected, edema is produced almost invariably. Old and standing solutions (even for 24 hours) are uncertain and ineffective, and this, in part at least, explains the variabilities previously encountered. The following is a summary of results on 96 animals which have been used for the study, in various ways, to date.Meissner claimed that large doses of atropin and calcium prevented the edema. We have not been able to confirm this. Maximal doses of the following agents inject...
Protein S and thrombotic disease.

Protein S Structure and Function. Discovery of Protein S Function. The unraveling of the process of blood coagulation has slowly occurred throughout the 20th century. During the 1970s, the focus slowly began to change to questions dealing with regulatory mechanisms that could be important in thrombotic disease. A search for other inhibitors and/or regulatory factors began concurrent with studies on antithrombin III and its interaction with heparin. With the advent of improved chromatographic tools, it became possible to purify trace proteins and analyze their structures. In the early 1970s, Stenflo purified a new vitamin K-dependent protein that was designated protein C (1). It was observed that proteases like trypsin or thrombin could convert it to a serine protease (2). Kisiel and coworkers (3), closely followed by Walker and co-workers (4), recognized that this protease was unique in that it inhibited blood coagulation and that the mechanism appeared to be through the proteolysis of factor Va. Subseque...
Probiotics in antibiotic associated diarrhea in children

The use of antibiotics that disturb the gastrointestinal microbiota is associated with diarrhea, which occurs in up to half of treated children. Symptoms are usually mild and children do not need hospitalization. Probiotics are live microorganisms, which restore intestinal microbiota during antibiotic therapy through different mechanisms such as stimulation of immunity, secretion of anti-inflammatory factors, and production of antimicrobial substances. The use of different strains of probiotics in antibiotic-associated diarrhea was evaluated in several studies in adults but less frequently in pediatric population. They also confirmed the value of probiotics in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children, particularly Lactobacillus strain GG and Saccharomyces boulardii . The use of probiotics in childhood is safe. A proper strain must be introduced at the beginning of antibiotic treatment in a sufficient concentration.
A Method to Capture Macroslip at Bolted Interfaces

Relative motion at bolted connections can occur for large shock loads as the internal shear force in the bolted connection overcomes the frictional resistive force. This macroslip in a structure dissipates energy and reduces the response of the components above the bolted connection. There is a need to be able to capture macroslip behavior in a structural dynamics model. A linear model and many nonlinear models are not able to predict marcoslip effectively. The proposed method to capture macroslip is to use the multi-body dynamics code ADAMS to model joints with 3-D contact at the bolted interfaces. This model includes both static and dynamic friction. The joints are preloaded and the pinning effect when a bolt shank impacts a through hole inside diameter is captured. Substructure representations of the components are included to account for component flexibility and dynamics. This method was applied to a simplified model of an aerospace structure and validation experiments were performed to test the adequacy of the method.
Procedures and Methods for One-Day Analysis of Microbial Loads in Foods

One of the goals of rapid methods in food microbiology is to be able to ascertain the microbial loads in foods within a working day. This time frame is too short to monitor samples with very low bacterial counts. However, it is possible to obtain important information for quality control purposes if microbiologists are willing to set “acceptable” and “unacceptable” levels for certain foods. Fung et al. (1980a) defined microbial load on meat surfaces as low, log0–2 colony forming units (CFU)/cm2; intermediate, log3–4 CFU/cm2; high, log5–6 CFU/cm2; and very high, log7 CFU/cm2 Using this guideline, samples with log0–4 CFU/ cm2 would be considered acceptable food products whereas samples with log5–6 CFU/cm2 would be considered questionable and those with log7 CFU/cm2 unacceptable from a food spoilage standpoint. This of course does not include monitoring potential pathogens in foods such as Salmonella.
Editorial: On the road to health equity: incorporating culture into research.

The increased mobility of people between and within countries throughout history has contributed to the diversification of populations worldwide. Despite the recent worldwide economic crisis, migration to both Northern and Southern regions in the world and from rural to urban areas has reached all-time highs (United Nations 2013). As a result, local communities have become increasingly diverse with individuals within these communities representing a myriad of races, ethnic groups, countries of origin, languages, religions, socioeconomic strata, histories, and lived experiences. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effects of size and shape on filtration of TiO2 nanoparticles

ABSTRACTTitanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most widely used nanoscale materials to date and could result in human exposures. The main objective of this study was to perform detailed characterization of TiO2 agglomerate particles and how these properties influence particle penetration in a screen filter. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) photos showed compact agglomerates of nanoscale primary particles. The projected area diameter was close to the mobility diameter, where the length was about 25% larger than the mobility diameter. The mean aspect ratio of TiO2 agglomerate was constant between 1.39 and 1.55. Using the tandem differential mobility analyzer-aerosol particles mass analyzer (DMA-APM) technique, we were able to measure aerodynamic diameter, mass, and fractal dimension. The value of fractal dimension based on mass and mobility diameter was 2.8. Penetration of classified TiO2 particles through a screen filter was measured. Penetration increased with increasing mobility diameter and flow ra...
A Solution Method for the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equation

Using the Lagrangian transport of momentum, the Reynolds stress can be expressed in terms of basic turbulence parameters. DNS data at higher Reynolds numbers (Re= 1000 and 5200) have been used to again validate this theory, where it is the Lagrangian momentum balance between u2 and pressure fluctuation forces that determine the Reynolds stress at these conditions. This approach can be used to obtain key parameters such as the von Karman constant, inner layer thickness and the Reynolds stress itself. This expression for the Reynolds stress can be combined with RANS for solutions for turbulent channel and jet flows. Examples of these solutions are presented.
In pursuit of love: ‘Safe passages’, migration and queer South Asians in the US:

In the last decade or two the notion of human security has emerged as a benchmark for assessing the quality of everyday lives. Despite the paradigmatic shift, scholarly inquiries on human security ...
Depth separation and weight-width trade-offs for sigmoidal neural networks

Some recent work has shown separation between the expressive power of depth-2 and depth-3 neural networks. These separation results are shown by constructing functions and input distributions, so that the function is well-approximable by a depth-3 neural network of polynomial size but it cannot be well-approximated under the chosen input distribution by any depth-2 neural network of polynomial size. These results are not robust and require carefully chosen functions as well as input distributions. We show a similar separation between the expressive power of depth-2 and depth-3 sigmoidal neural networks over a large class of input distributions, as long as the weights are polynomially bounded. While doing so, we also show that depth-2 sigmoidal neural networks with small width and small weights can be well-approximated by low-degree multivariate polynomials.
Amazon fluid mud impact on tide- and wave-dominated Pliocene lobes of the Orinoco Delta

Abstract The modern Orinoco Delta is a major sink for the world's largest alongshore (littoral) mud dispersal system; it receives some 108 tons/yr from the Amazon river delta. The influence of these huge volumes of Amazon mud on the paleo-Orinoco Delta succession is now investigated for the first time. Abundant fluid-mud deposits are preserved in outcrops from the Pliocene Orinoco Delta deposits (Lower Morne L'Enfer, Manzanilla and Mayaro formations on Trinidad) with different styles in tide-dominated, in tide-dominated and wave-influenced, and in storm wave-dominated delta lobes. Fluid-mud deposits in sandy parasequences (10–20 m thick) of the Lower Morne L'Enfer Formation change from thin layers amalgamating to form mud bedsets (up to 4 cm) or draping across ripple laminae in the lower part, to thick layers (up to 10 cm) occasionally with deformed and load structures at their top, in the upper part. The Manzanilla Formation parasequences (30–40 m thick) exhibit coarsening-to-fining-upward (CUFU) facies successions with fluid-mud deposits located mainly in the middle to upper parts of the parasequences, near the transition between the CU and FU parts of the units. Most of the fluid-mud layers are interbedded with bi-directional, current rippled-sandstones, whereas minor mud layers are associated with erosion-based sandstones with small-scale swaley strata and bi-directional symmetrical ripples. The Mayaro Formation parasequences (5–15 m thick) are characterized by alternating fluid-mud intervals and sets of hummocky cross-stratified sandstones (HCS) passing upward into amalgamated swaley cross-stratified (SCS) sandstones. The fluid-mud intervals have flat or irregular tops occasionally overlain by amalgamated SCS sandstones with fluid-mud clasts. Very thick (1–1.5 m) fluid-mud intervals occur in places in both tide- and wave-dominated strata and these are probably large muddy bedforms similar to mud banks that migrate currently along the modern Amazon-Orinoco coast. The outcrop analysis strongly suggests that the fluid-mud banks, as they approached the Orinoco delta-front area, were handled differently depending on whether the delta-front lobes were wave- or tide-dominated. Tide-dominated delta lobes tended to trap the muds near the shoreline and on the subaqueous delta-front platform in water depth The volumes of Pliocene Amazon mud transported along the innermost shelf and arriving on the Orinoco Delta were likely influenced by high-amplitude, Pliocene glacio-eustatic sea level fluctuations. During sea-level fall and lowstand periods, increased volumes of Amazon mud would have bypassed to the deep water and thus decreased mud volumes drifted and became incorporated in the Orinoco delta front. In contrast, sea-level rise and highstand periods would have promoted increased volumes of Amazon mud both on the shelf and onto the Orinoco, similar to the Holocene and modern muddy system.
Functional annotation of cancer driver genes in breast cancer patient-derived xenografts to identify a novel target for PARP inhibitors.

e23192Background: Recent cancer genome sequencing efforts have discovered hundreds of driver-like mutations per tumor in most adult solid tumors. It is critical to identify the functionally importa...
Impact of Interprofessional Telehealth Case Activities on Students’ Perceptions of Their Collaborative Care Abilities

Objective. To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of simulated interprofessional education (IPE) telehealth case activities. Methods. Faculty from pharmacy and physician assistant schools developed interprofessional cases covering topics addressed in both curricula and designed for specific levels of learners. Using a telehealth format, pharmacy students were paired with physician assistant students and met at specified times in a virtual room. Faculty representing both professions assessed students as they discussed a patient case, determined a diagnosis, and collaborated to develop appropriate treatment options. Pre-experience and post-experience data and student reflections were collected. Results. Pharmacy students' responses to items on the Team Skills Scale (TSS) completed after participating in four IPE telehealth case activities indicated positive changes. Mean total TSS scores significantly improved from pre-experience 62.3 (SD 8.4) to post-experience 72.6 (SD 5.7). Quantitative evaluation of student teams' participation in an interprofessional activity was assessed using the Creighton Interprofessional Collaborative Evaluation (C-ICE) instrument and the average score was 90%. Theme analysis was performed on student reflections and the most prominent themes identified were satisfaction from interacting with other health care professionals, increased confidence in clinical decision-making ability, and affirmation that IPE telehealth cases should be included in each year of the curriculum. Conclusion. Implementation of interprofessional cases using telehealth technology is an effective way for pharmacy schools to incorporate IPE into their curriculum. Students reported improved self-perception of interprofessional competence and attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration after participating in IPE telehealth cases.
A new high precision determination of the atmospheric 21Ne abundance

We have carried out a series of precise Ne-isotope measurements of atmospheric Ne-separates on a state-of-the-art high mass resolution Thermo-Fisher Helix MC Plus Noble Gas Mass Spectrometer. We used a combination of static and dynamic configurations and techniques that allow us to minimize possible analytical artifacts related to isobaric interferences, magnet hysteresis and detector efficiencies. All Ne-isotope signals were measured at high ion beam intensities on accurately intercalibrated Faraday collectors connected to 1012 and 1013 ohm amplifiers, providing linearity and optimal dynamic range and signal/noise ratio. Following consideration of known possible sources of interference, and mass discrimination correction assuming an atmospheric 22Ne/20Ne ratio of 0.102, we derive the relative mass fractionation corrected 21Ne abundance in the terrestrial atmosphere, allowing us to determine a new 21Ne/20Ne ratio of 0.0029577 ± 14. This value is significantly more precise than any previously reported determinations, with implications for atmospheric models and standardization protocols, and potential improvements for the precision and accuracy of terrestrial cosmogenic neon exposure dating, in particular for young exposure ages.
Probabilistic PERT

A solution is offered to the problem of determining a probability distribution for the length of the longest path from source (start) to sink (finish) in an arbitrary PERT network (directed acyclic graph), as well as determining associated probabilities that the various paths are critical ("bottleneck probabilities"). It is assumed that the durations of delays encountered at a node are random variables having known but arbitrary probability distributions with finite expected values. The solution offered is, in a certain sense, a worst-case bound over all possible joint distributions of delays for given marginal distributions for delays. This research was motivated by the engineering problem of the timing analysis of computer hardware logic block graphs where randomness in circuit delay is associated with manufucturing variations. The probability distribution of the critical pathlength turns out to be a solution of an unconstrained minimization problem, which can be recast as a convex programming problem with linear constraints. The probability that a given path is critical turns out to be the Lagrange multiplier associated with the constraint determined by the path. The discrete version of the problem can be solved numerically by means of various parametric linear programming formulations, in particular by one which is effciently solved by Fulkerson's network flow algorithm for project cost curves.
The Gopen-Yang Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Questionnaire: development and validation of a clinical questionnaire to assess subjective symptoms in patients undergoing surgical repair of superior semicircular canal dehiscence.

Objective To characterise subjective symptoms in patients undergoing surgical repair of superior semicircular canal dehiscence. Methods Questionnaires assessing symptom severity and impact on function and quality of life were administered to patients before superior semicircular canal dehiscence surgery, between June 2011 and March 2016. Questionnaire sections included general quality of life, internal amplified sounds, dizziness and tinnitus, with scores of 0-100 points. Results Twenty-three patients completed the questionnaire before surgery. Section scores (mean±standard deviation) were: 38.2 ± 25.2 for general quality of life, 52.5 ± 23.9 for internal amplified sounds, 35.1 ± 28.8 for dizziness, 33.3 ± 30.7 for tinnitus, and 39.8 ± 22.2 for the composite score. Cronbach's α statistic averaged 0.93 (range, 0.84-0.97) across section scores, and 0.83 for the composite score. Conclusion The Gopen-Yang Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Questionnaire provides a holistic, patient-centred characterisation of superior semicircular canal dehiscence symptoms. Internal consistency analysis validated the questionnaire and provided a quantitative framework for further optimisation in the clinical setting.
The Feasibility of Group Therapeutic Singing Telehealth for Persons with Parkinson's Disease in Rural Iowa

Introduction: Group therapeutic singing (GTS) may be an effective treatment for voice and respiratory impairments in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it remains unknown if GTS can be effectively delivered through telemedicine. Methods: Participants with PD from rural areas were recruited to complete a prerecorded GTS program, once a week for 8 weeks. Voice and respiratory outcome measures were collected 1 week before and 1 week after intervention. Results: Ten participants were enrolled in the study. One participant dropped at week 3. Five participants attended all eight sessions, two participants completed seven sessions, and one participant completed six sessions for 93.75% compliance. Statistical analysis for the data collected from the eight participants enrolled in the study revealed that voice outcome measures improved but did not reach significance. However, respiratory outcome measures significantly improved. Discussion: Results suggest that prerecorded GTS is feasible. Moreover, results are in keeping with results from a previous study using the exact same intervention with an in person therapist. Thus, this pilot work suggests that the use of prerecorded GTS may be a viable treatment option for those with limited access to care.
FAST ALGORITHMS FOR COMPACT FIXED POINT PROBLEMS

Compact fixed point problems arise in several applications such as semiconductor modeling [9], radiative transfer and neutron transport [5], and competitive systems [14]. In the general setting we consider nonlinear equations $$F(u) = u - K(u) = 0$$ (1) where κ is a completely continuous (compact) Lipschitz continuously differentiate map on a Banach space X. We make the standard assumptions that (1) has a solution u* in X and that the Frechet derivative F′(u*) is nonsingular. We advocate solving (1) by Newton-like iterative methods. As is standard in the optimization literature [6] we will describe the methods in terms of the transition from current approximations (u c , B c ) to (u*,F′(u*)) to new approximations (u +,B +). The basic iteration is $$ K = \frac{{k\varrho g}}{\eta } $$ after which F(u +) is evaluated and a decision is made on whether or not to terminate the iteration. If it is decided to continue the iteration B c is updated to B + and the iteration continues. The basic iteration itself has two parts, the solution of the linear equation for the step $${B_c}s = - F({u_c})$$ and addition of the step to u c to form u +.