cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positron-emission tomography and computed tomography of cystic pancreatic masses.

Aim To investigate the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography (CT), positron-emission tomography (PET), and both methods in combination, for determining whether cystic pancreatic tumours are malignant. Materials and methods We retrospectively identified all patients with cystic pancreatic tumours who underwent separate PET and contrast-enhanced CT examinations within a 1-month interval. Tumours were classified as benign or malignant on CT (two radiologists, independently), PET [a reported standardized uptake value (SUV) of 2.5 was taken as the cut-off between benign and malignant], and with PET and CT images together (two radiologists, in consensus). Readers were blinded to pathological and other radiological findings. Mean patient age and lesion size were compared between benign and malignant groups using Student's t-test. For CT findings, odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression models. For CT, PET, and the combined images, sensitivities and specificities were calculated, and compared between groups using Fisher's exact test. Results Thirty patients were identified. The best CT predictor of malignancy was size; mean diameter was 2.3 cm (benign) and 4.1 cm (malignant) (p 0.05). Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of combined PET and CT images is comparable with or superior to either CT or PET alone in determining malignancy in cystic pancreatic lesions.
Differential activation of transcription factors induced by Ca2+ response amplitude and duration

An increase in the intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) controls a diverse range of cell functions, including adhesion, motility, gene expression and proliferation1,2. Calcium signalling patterns can occur as single transients, repetitive oscillations or sustained plateaux2,3, but it is not known whether these patterns are responsible for encoding the specificity of cellular responses. We report here that the amplitude and duration of calcium signals in B lymphocytes controls differential activation of the pro–inflammatory transcriptional regulators NF-κB, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and NFAT. NF-κB and JNK are selectively activated by a large transient [Ca2+]i rise, whereas NFAT is activated by a low, sustained Ca2+ plateau. Differential activation results from differences in the Ca2+ sensitivities and kinetic behaviour of the three pathways. Our results show how downstream effectors can decode information contained in the amplitude and duration of Ca2+ signals, revealing a mechanism by which a multifunctional second messenger such as Ca2+ can achieve specificity in signalling to the nucleus.
Effects of dietary levels of phosphorus and calcium on the comparative behaviour of strontium and calcium.

THE body burden of radioactive strontium to be attained in the population depends directly, among other factors, on the comparative metabolic behaviour of ingested strontium and calcium1. Early work demonstrated a degree of constancy in the relative behaviour of the two elements that made such an approach useful for approximate estimates of radiation dosages to be expected from given intakes of calcium and radioactive strontium. An important practical implication was that if the relative behaviour wore constant, then the body burden of radioactive strontium to be developed could be proportionally reduced by dietary supplementation with uncontaminated calcium2. More detailed investigation, however, showed that the relative behaviour of these two alkaline earths did vary under certain conditions3–6. Therefore the work recorded here was done in growing rats to investigate systematically two important variables which were shown to affect the relative absorption and retention of calcium and strontium; namely, the dietary levels of calcium and phosphorus.
Oxidation state dependent circular dichroic behavior of cytochrome oxidase in the 600 nm region

Abstract Cytochrome oxidase exhibited characteristic circular dichroic (CD) spectra in the 600 nm region. The oxidized form showed a negative extremum at 570 nm with an amplitude of about 4 × 10 3 degrees-cm 2 decimole −1 . Upon reduction by dithionite or ferrocytochrome c system, a distinct band at 608 nm with a magnitude of about 22 × 10 3 degrees was observed along with minor extrema at ∼570 and ∼520 run. CD behavior of various other oxidation states of the enzyme was also studied. These results suggest that the CD bands in the 600 nm region are formed from the heme-iron and copper chromophores perturbed by the protein and they are oxidation-state dependent.
Numerical Simulation of Wingtip Vortices

A numerical study of the formation and propagation of the tip vortices from a round-tip wing is performed. The application of a standard eddy viscosity model resulted in an extremely diffused vortex downstream of the wing which doesn’t corroborate with the experimental results. Applying a modification to this model by changing the way in which eddy viscosity is produced dramatically improves the prediction of the vortical structures. The results indicate that a decent level of accuracy can be achieved by using lower order numerical schemes albeit only in the near wake of the wing. Nomenclature CL = Coefficient of lift Cp = Coefficient of pressure Cprod = Coefficient of production c = Chord of the wing S = Scalar measure of deformation tensor s = Strain rate magnitude U∞ = Free stream velocity Ux = Velocity in the x direction ω = Vorticity magnitude
Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA, 444 Ep-ank, and groESL heat shock operon genes in naturally occurring Ehrlichia equi and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent isolates from Northern California.

We examined 11 naturally occurring isolates of Ehrlichia equi in horses and two human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent isolates in California for sequence diversity in three genes. Ehrlichia equi isolates were from Sierra (n = 6), Mendocino (n = 3), Sonoma (n = 1), and Marin (n = 1) counties, and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent isolates were obtained from Humboldt county. PCR with specific primers for 16S rRNA, 444 Ep-ank and groESL heat shock operon genes successfully produced amplicons for all 13 clinical samples. The 444 Ep-ank gene of the HGE agent and E. equi isolates from northern California is different from the eastern U.S. isolates BDS and USG3. The translated amino acid sequence of the groESL heat shock operon gene fragment is identical among E. equi, the HGE agent, and E. phagocytophila, with the exception of the northern Californian equine CASOLJ isolate. Microheterogeneity was observed in the 16S rRNA gene sequences of HGE agent and E. equi isolates from northern California. These results suggest that E. equi and the HGE agent found in California are similar or identical but may differ from the isolates of equine and human origin found in the eastern United States.
Azithromycin Inhibits Macrophage Tumor Necrosis Factor Secretion in Response to Both Azithromycin-Susceptible and Azithromycin-Resistant Pneumococci

We studied the effect of azithromycin (AZM) on macrophage responses to pneumococci. We found that exposure of pneumococci to AZM led to reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) secretion by macrophages; this effect was observed in response to both AZM-susceptible and AZM-resistant (AZM-R) pneumococci.
Evaluation of patients with multiple sclerosis by evoked potentials and magnetic resonance imaging: A comparative study

We compared the diagnostic usefulness of evoked potential (EP) studies and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of 27 patients with definite or probable multiple sclerosis (MS). MRI scans demonstrated multiple lesions in 21 patients whereas EP studies showed multiple abnormalities in 14 patients (4 of whom had only somatosensory EP abnormalities). Eighteen patients had similar MRI and EP results (e.g., normal or multiple abnormalities), 8 had multiple abnormalities shown by MRI but normal or single-modality abnormal EPs, and 1 had multiple abnormal EPs but a normal MRI scan. There was no significant difference in the sensitivity of the two techniques in detecting multiple lesions in the patients with definite MS, whereas among those with probable MS, MRI had a significantly higher yield. Seventeen patients showed clinical evidence of posterior fossa involvement, 6 patients had abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), and 4 patients had areas of increased signal intensity revealed by MRI of the brainstem. There was no clinical evidence of brainstem involvement in 2 patients with BAEP abnormalities, 2 with an abnormal posterior fossa shown by MRI, and one patient with abnormalities shown by both BAEP and MRI. We conclude that MRI is more sensitive in detecting multiple lesions than are multimodality EP studies, but that BAEP assessment may be slightly more sensitive than MRI in detecting brainstem lesions.
Commensal Bacteria Influence Escherichia coli O157:H7 Persistence and Shiga Toxin Production in the Mouse Intestine

The presence of commensal flora reduced colonization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and production of Shiga toxin (Stx) in the murine intestine. Stx production was not detected in mice colonized with E. coli that were resistant to the Shiga toxin phage, but it was detected in mice colonized with phage-susceptible E. coli.
Increased Expression of SLAM Receptors SLAMF3 and SLAMF6 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus T Lymphocytes Promotes Th17 Differentiation

Altered T cell function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is determined by various molecular and cellular abnormalities, including increased IL-17 production. Recent evidence suggests a crucial role for signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (SLAMs) in the expression of autoimmunity. In this study, we demonstrate that SLAMF3 and SLAMF6 expression is increased on the surface of SLE T cells compared with normal cells. SLAM coengagement with CD3 under Th17 polarizing conditions results in increased IL-17 production. SLAMF3 and SLAMF6 T cell surface expression and IL-17 levels significantly correlate with disease activity in SLE patients. Both naive and memory CD4(+) T cells produce more IL-17 in response to SLAM costimulation as compared with CD28 costimulation. In naive CD4(+) cells, IL-17 production after CD28 costimulation peaks on day 3, whereas costimulation with anti-SLAMF3 and anti-SLAMF6 Abs results in a prolonged and yet increasing production during 6 d. Unlike costimulation with anti-CD28, SLAM costimulation requires the presence of the adaptor molecule SLAM-associated protein. Thus, engagement of SLAMF3 and SLAMF6 along with Ag-mediated CD3/TCR stimulation represents an important source of IL-17 production, and disruption of this interaction with decoy receptors or blocking Abs should mitigate disease expression in SLE and other autoimmune conditions.
A Review of Ecological Factors Affecting Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Violence: Implications for Relational and Unit Cultural Improvements

This review examines the research on ecologic factors that may contribute to or lessen the likelihood of inpatient unit violence. Understanding these factors can provide psychiatric inpatient unit staff with valuable therapeutic relational and cultural strategies to decrease violence. International and US studies from OVID Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo that evaluated aggression and violence on psychiatric inpatient units between 1983 and 2008 were included in this review. The review revealed that violence results from the complex interactions among the patient, staff, and culture of the specific unit. Inpatient psychiatric staff can decrease the potential for violence by using therapeutic relationship strategies such as using good communication skills, advocating for clients, being available, having strong clinical assessment skills, providing patient education, and collaborating with patients in treatment planning. Cultural improvements include providing meaningful patient activities and appropriate levels of stimulation and unit staffing.
The Political and Social Relevancy of Malcolm X: The Stability of African American Political Attitudes

Typically, the political and ideological foundations of media-related events hold little significance for the alteration of political attitudes and behavior But this weak relationship may be attributed to weak stimuli, and the influence of different media events is likely to be dependent upon the strength with which certain political attitudes and beliefs are held We examine the extent to which a major media event-the film Malcolm X and its reinforcement in the media-influences political attitudes among African Americans We find that individuals who saw the film and received reinforcement from a televised documentary became more racially conscious, more concerned about race relations, and more knowledgeable about Malcolm X the man When age differences in the perceptions of Malcolm X are considered separately, younger African Americans born after the civil rights movement appear more positively disposed toward him
A microfluidic model of microbubble lodging in small arteriole bifurcations

Lodging of cardiovascular gas bubbles is investigated in a microfluidic model of small arteriole bifurcations. This work is motivated by a novel gas embolotherapy technique for the potential treatment of cancer by tumor infarction and by air embolism. The experimental model arteriole bifurcations were constructed from a transparent elastomer, poly(dimethylsiloxane), using soft lithography. A single air bubble was suspended in water within the parent tube of the bifurcation and a specified driving pressure was imposed via constant elevation reservoirs that were open to atmospheric pressure. The driving pressure and bubble size were varied, and their effects on the bubble lodging were assessed. These findings may be useful in developing strategies for microbubble delivery in gas embolotherapy.
Phonon Dynamics and Lifetimes of AIN and GAN Crystallites

The quasi-LO and quasi-TO modes of AIN crystallite were investigated. The analysis indicates that the Raman mode behavior concurs with Loudons’ model of mode-mixing in wurtzite (WZ) structure crystals which is due to the long-range electrostatic field. Phonon-lifetimes of GaN and AIN crystallites were studied via Raman lineshape. It was found that the low energy E2 mode lifetime is about an order of magnitude longer than that of the other modes, and that impurities impact significantly the phonon-lifetimes.
Teaching the psychosocial subject: white students and racial privilege

This inquiry poses the question: How can white college students be induced or incited into recognizing themselves as racially marked and privileged people? The author examines white resistance to racial self-understanding by analyzing the relation between white racial identity development theory, appeals to racial discourses and themes, and the psychic need to defend against perceived threats to identity. By situating an analysis of these relations within the current crisis of whiteness, the author illustrates the psychosocial dynamics of white racial identity development. The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual approach that can inform the thought and practice of antiracist educators who seek to develop effective instructional strategies for teaching white students about racial privilege.
ON THE ALTERNATIVE LONG-RUN VARIANCE RATIO TEST FOR A UNIT ROOT

This paper investigates the effects of consistent and inconsistent long-run variance estimation on a test for a unit root, based on the generalization of the von Neumann ratio. The results from the Monte Carlo experiments suggest that the unit root tests based on an inconsistent estimator have less size distortion and more stability of size across different autocorrelation specifications as compared to the tests based on a consistent estimator. This improvement in size property, however, comes at the cost of a loss in power. The finite-sample power, in addition to the local asymptotic power, of the tests with an inconsistent estimator is shown to be much lower than that of conventional tests. This finding can be well generalized to the test for cointegration in a multivariate system. The paper also points out that combining consistent and inconsistent estimators in the long-run variance ratio test is one possibility of balancing the size and power.The authors thank two anonymous referees, Pentti Saikkonen, and participants of the 2004 Midwest Econometrics Group meetings, 2005 Spring Meetings of The Japanese Economic Association, and a workshop at Vanderbilt University for helpful comments and suggestions.
The Ecology of Domestic Aggression toward Adult Victims

Interpersonal aggression may be the plague of the 1990s. We are assailed on a daily basis with media coverage of violent crime both within and outside familial relationships. We fear for our safety in airports, public buildings, and even schools. Perhaps the fact that societal aggression is often attributed to exposure to violence in the family of origin, or perhaps the efforts of the battered women’s movement to compel legislatures, the police, and the courts to treat violence against women as the serious crime that it is, have has an impact. Regardless of the reason, domestic violence has finally been recognized as one of the most serious problems afflicting society, and the resources devoted to understanding and treating it have increased dramatically.
Abstract WP285: Hemicraniectomy Outcomes in Patients with Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarctions Plus

Hemicraniectomy (HC) is a proven treatment to reduce mortality and improve outcomes in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. The benefit of HC in patients with MCA stroke...
Adipose tissue α-linolenic acid is inversely associated with insulin resistance in adults

Background There is emerging evidence of the beneficial effects of n-3 (ω-3) fatty acids (FAs) on cardiometabolic risk factors. Nevertheless, not much is known about the association between adipose tissue α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and insulin resistance. Objective We determined the association between adipose tissue n-3 FAs (total n-3 FAs, ALA, and EPA plus DHA) and insulin resistance in healthy adults. Design In this cross-sectional study, multivariable analyses were used to assess the association between adipose tissue FAs (ALA, EPA plus DHA, and total n-3 FAs) and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in a subset of adult participants (n= 716; mean age: 58 y) from the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) cohort. Results Compared with the lowest tertile, the third tertile (β = -0.13; 95% CI: -0.24, -0.01) of adipose tissue ALA was inversely associated with the HOMA-IR. When stratified by waist circumference, ALA continued to be inversely associated [third tertile: β = -0.17 (95% CI: -0.31, -0.02)] with the HOMA-IR in subjects with a waist circumference ≤88 cm in women or ≤102 cm in men but not in those with a larger waist circumference. No significant association was noted between adipose tissue EPA plus DHA and HOMA-IR. Conclusions Higher adipose tissue ALA was inversely associated with insulin resistance in this cohort of healthy adult men and women. This finding appears to be more pronounced in individuals with a normal waist circumference.
Full-field linear and nonlinear measurements using Continuous-Scan Laser Doppler Vibrometry and high speed Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation

Abstract Spatially detailed dynamic measurements of thin, lightweight structures can be difficult to obtain due to the structure׳s low mass and complicated deformations under certain loading conditions. If traditional contacting sensors, such as accelerometers, strain gauges, displacement transducers, etc., are used, the total number of measurement locations available is limited by the weight added and the effect each sensor has on the local stiffness of the contact area. Other non-contacting sensors, such as Laser Doppler Vibrometers (LDV), laser triangulation sensors, proximity sensors, etc., do not affect the dynamics of a structure, but are limited to single point measurements. In contrast, a few recently developed non-contacting measurement techniques have been shown to be capable of simultaneously measuring the response over a wide measurement field. Two techniques are considered here: Continuous-Scan Laser Doppler Vibrometry (CSLDV) and high speed Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation (3D DIC). With the use of these techniques, unprecedented measurement resolution can be achieved. In this work, the linear and nonlinear deformations of a clamped, nominally flat beam and plate under steady state sinusoidal loading will be measured using both techniques. In order to assess their relative merits, the linear natural frequencies, mode shapes, and nonlinear deformation shapes measured with each method are compared. Both measurement systems give comparable results in many cases, although 3D DIC is more accurate for spatially complex deformations at large amplitudes and CSLDV is more accurate at low amplitudes and when the spatial deformation pattern is simpler.
The hierarchy of the activities of daily living in the Katz index in residents of skilled nursing facilities.

Background and Purpose: Nursing facility patients are a population that has not been well studied with regard to functional status and independence previously. As such, the manner in which activities of daily living (ADL) relate to one another is not well understood in this population. An understanding of ADL difficulty ordering has helped to devise systems of functional independence grading in other populations, which have value in understanding patients' global levels of independence and providing expectations regarding changes in function. This study seeks to examine the hierarchy of ADL in the nursing facility population. Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey, a cross-sectional data set of 13 507 skilled nursing facility subjects with functional independence items. The ADL difficulty hierarchy was determined using Rasch analysis. Item fit values for the Rasch model using Mean-Square infit statistics were also determined. The robustness of the hierarchy was tested for each ADL. Two grading systems were devised from the results of the item difficulty ordering. One was based on the most difficult item that he or she could perform, and the other assigned a grade based on the least difficult item that a subject could not perform. Results: A total of 13 113 patients were included in this analysis, the majority of whom were female and white. They had an average age of 81 years. An ordered hierarchy of ADL was found with eating being the easiest and bathing the most difficult. All items in the Katz index fit the Rasch model adequately well. The majority of patients able to perform any particular ADL were also able to perform all easier ADL. Cohen's κ for the 2 grading systems was 0.73. Discussion: This study is the first to show the expected hierarchy of difficulty of the 6 activities of daily proposed in the Katz index in the nursing facility population. The hierarchy found in this population matches the original hierarchy found in older adults in the community and acute care settings. It is also similar to hierarchy found in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. Patients would be expected to lose or gain function based on the order of difficulty, but this remains to be confirmed. Conclusion: Among the 6 activities of daily living tested here, their order from easiest to most difficult is eating, maintaining continence, transferring, toileting, dressing, and bathing. In addition, the index formed by these 6 items has construct validity in the nursing facility population.
Medication Reconciliation Simulation

Abstract Introduction This resource is a teaching case used with third- and fourth-year medical students to teach topics pertaining to medication reconciliation, including safe and effective medica...
Network characteristics: When an individual’s job crafting depends on the jobs of others

Because job crafting research proposes that individuals alter jobs on their own, there is an open debate on how others influence an individual’s job crafting. Whereas previous research has recognized that incumbents engage in job crafting depending on the characteristics of their own job, this study shows that job crafting depends on the job characteristics of the incumbents’ network contacts, meaning all employees in the organization with whom the incumbents frequently communicate about task-related issues. Applying role theory, the article theorizes that network contacts act as role senders who affect job crafting because they communicate role expectations that vary as a function of their own task activities. Key empirical findings show that contacts’ autonomy and contacts’ feedback from the job positively affect job crafting, whereas contacts’ task significance exercises a negative effect. The findings further show that the effect of job crafting on performance depends on the central position occupied ...
Differential Registration Bias in Voter File Data: A Sensitivity Analysis Approach

The widespread availability of voter files has improved the study of participation in American politics, but the lack of comprehensive data on nonregistrants creates difficult inferential issues. Most notably, observational studies that examine turnout rates among registrants often implicitly condition on registration, a posttreatment variable that can induce bias if the treatment of interest also affects the likelihood of registration. We introduce a sensitivity analysis to assess the potential bias induced by this problem, which we call differential registration bias. Our approach is most helpful for studies that estimate turnout among registrants using posttreatment registration data, but it is also valuable for studies that estimate turnout among the voting-eligible population using secondary sources. We illustrate our approach with two studies of voting eligibility effects on subsequent turnout among young voters. In both cases, eligibility appears to decrease turnout, but these effects are found to be highly sensitive to differential registration bias.
Clinical characteristics associated with days to discharge among patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of lower limb cellulitis

Background Clinicians have limited ability to classify risk of prolonged hospitalization among patients with lower limb cellulitis. Objective We sought to identify characteristics associated with days to discharge and prolonged stay. Methods We conducted retrospective cohort analysis including patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of lower limb cellulitis at community and tertiary hospitals. Results There were 4224 admissions for lower limb cellulitis among 3692 patients. Mean age of the cohort was 64.4 years. Frequencies of tobacco smoking, obesity, and diabetes mellitus were 25.1%, 44.9%, and 19.3%, respectively. Patients having decreased likelihood of discharge included those with the following: 10-year age increments 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-0.92), obesity 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.97), diabetes mellitus 0.90 (95% CI 0.82-0.98), tachycardia 0.76 (95% CI 0.67-0.85), hypotension 0.77 (95% CI 0.65-0.90), leukocytosis 0.86 (95% CI 0.79-0.93), neutrophilia 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.87), elevated serum creatinine 0.74 (95% CI 0.68-0.81), and low serum bicarbonate 0.84 (95% CI 0.75-0.95). Limitations This analysis is retrospective and based on coded data. Unknown confounding variables may also influence prolonged stay. Conclusions Patients with lower limb cellulitis and prolonged stay have a number of clinical characteristics which may be used to classify risk for prolonged stay.
Themes and Threads of Family Theories: A Brief History

This paper provides the historical context for the ideas and issues that have been central to family theories for the past several decades. We begin with patriarchy and modernization (especially th...
Delayed changes in auditory status in cochlear implant users with preserved acoustic hearing

This retrospective review explores delayed-onset hearing loss in 85 individuals receiving cochlear implants designed to preserve acoustic hearing at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between 2001 and 2015. Repeated measures of unaided behavioral audiometric thresholds, electrode impedance, and electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) amplitude growth functions were used to characterize longitudinal changes in auditory status. Participants were grouped into two primary categories according to changes in unaided behavioral thresholds: (1) stable hearing or symmetrical hearing loss and (2) delayed loss of hearing in the implanted ear. Thirty-eight percent of this sample presented with delayed-onset hearing loss of various degrees and rates of change. Neither array type nor insertion approach (round window or cochleostomy) had a significant effect on prevalence. Electrode impedance increased abruptly for many individuals exhibiting precipitous hearing loss; the increase was often transient. The impedance increases were significantly larger than the impedance changes observed for individuals with stable or symmetrical hearing loss. Moreover, the impedance changes were associated with changes in behavioral thresholds for individuals with a precipitous drop in behavioral thresholds. These findings suggest a change in the electrode environment coincident with the change in auditory status. Changes in ECAP thresholds, growth function slopes, and suprathreshold amplitudes were not correlated with changes in behavioral thresholds, suggesting that neural responsiveness in the region excited by the implant is relatively stable. Further exploration into etiology of delayed-onset hearing loss post implantation is needed, with particular interest in mechanisms associated with changes in the intracochlear environment.
Modeling of chemical mechanical polishing at multiple scales

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) has grown rapidly during the past decade as part of mainstream processing method in submicron integrated circuit manufacturing because of its global or near-global planarization ability. However, CMP process is influenced by many factors and is poorly understood. It makes process control and optimization very diffi­ cult. This study focuses on the modeling and simulation to facilitate better understanding and better control of the CMP process. The thesis outlines the modeling of CMP process in three scales: particle scale for material removal mechanism, wafer scale for within wafer nonuniformity issues and feature scale for dishing and erosion in metal CMP. At the particle scale, material removal mechanism is assumed to be due to local plastic deformation of wafer surface at the abrasive wafer interface. Pad is assumed to deform like a beam to obtain an approximate force partition between abrasives and direct wafer-pad contact. A mechanistic material removal model is derived that delineates the influence of abrasive (shape, size and concentration), pad (rigidity) and process parameters (pressure and relative velocity) on the material removal rate (MRR). Wafer scale model is based on the solution of indentation of elastic half space by a rigid fhctionless polynomial punch. The elastic solution is derived through potential theory and complex analysis method. It is valid for any polynomial punch with integer power or noninteger power. The load-displacement relationship is also derived and the conditions for unbonded or bonded contact are obtained from the boundary condition at punch edge. The corresponding viscoelastic solution is obtained through Laplace transform and elastic-viscoelastic analogy. The elastic solution is used to explain the edge effect. The elastic analytical
Response and calibration of organic scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy up to 15-MeV range

Abstract We present a calibration method for an organic scintillator suitable for gamma energies of up to 15 MeV. We use a combination of experiments and simulations to identify prominent features in the light output spectra to provide an accurate calibration method over this energy range. Gamma energies in the range of 0.511 MeV to 15.1 MeV were used to perform two separate calibrations to the measured light output expressed in the units of electron equivalent energy. The first method strictly uses the well-known technique of identifying the Compton edges, while the second utilizes a combination of Compton edges and double escape peaks for several gamma energies. We performed a least-squares test to the high end of the light output spectra for a 15.1 MeV gamma ray to assess the accuracy of the two methods. The calibration technique that employs a combination of Compton edges and escape peaks yielded a significant improvement in accuracy when compared to a calibration that relies solely on the use of Compton edges.
Program Analysis For Database Injections

Today businesses all around the world use databases in many different ways to store sensitive data. It is important that the data stored stay safe and does not get into the wrong hands. To perform data management in a database, the language SQL (Structured Query Language) can be used. It is extremely crucial to prevent these databases from being attacked to ensure the security of the users’ sensitive and private data. This journal will focus on the most common way hackers exploit data from databases through SQL injection, and it presents dynamic and static code testing to find and prevent these SQL cyber attacks by comparing two testing tools. It will also present a comparative analysis and static/dynamic code testing of two SQL injection detection tools. Burp Suite and Vega will be used to identify possible flaws in test cases dealing with users’ sensitive and private information. Currently, there are no comparisons of these two open-source tools to quantify the number of flaws these two tools are able to detect. Also, there are no detailed papers found fully testing the open-source Burp Suite and Vega for SQL Injection. These two open-source tools are commonly used but have not been tested enough. A static analyzer detecting SQL Injection will be used to test and compare the results of the dynamic analyzer. In addition, this paper will suggest techniques and methods to ensure the security of sensitive data from SQL injection. The prevention of SQL injection is imperative and it is crucial to secure the sensitive data from potential hackers who want to exploit it.
Analysis of current thyroid function test ordering practices.

Rationale Current guidelines recommend thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) alone as the best test to detect and monitor thyroid dysfunction, yet free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) are commonly ordered when not clinically indicated. Excessive testing can lead to added economic burden in an era of rising healthcare costs, while rarely contributing to the evaluation or management of thyroid disease. Objective To evaluate our institution's practice in ordering thyroid function tests (TFTs) and to identify strategies to reduce inappropriate FT4 and FT3 testing. Methods A record of all TFTs obtained in the San Antonio Military Health System during a 3-month period was extracted from the electronic medical record. The TFTs of interest were TSH, FT4, thyroid panel (TSH + FT4), FT3, total thyroxine (T4), and total triiodothyronine (T3). These were categorized based on the presence or absence of hypothyroidism. Results Between August 1 and October 31, 2016, there were 38 214 individual TFTs ordered via 28 597 total laboratory requests; 11 486 of these requests were in patients with a history of hypothyroidism. The number (percent) of laboratory requests fell into these patterns: TSH alone 14 919 (52.14%), TSH + FT4 7641 (26.72%), FT3 alone 3039 (10.63%), FT4 alone 1219 (4.26%), TSH + FT4 + FT3 783 (2.74%), and others 996 (3.48%); 36.0% of TFTs ordered were free thyroid hormones. Projected out to a year, using Department of Defense laboratory costs, $317 429 worth of TFTs would be ordered, with free thyroid hormone testing accounting for $107 720. Conclusion Inappropriate ordering of free thyroid hormone tests is common. In an era of rising healthcare costs, inappropriate thyroid function testing is an ideal target for efforts to reduce laboratory overutilization, which in our system, could save up to $120 000 per year. Further evaluation is needed to determine strategies that can reduce excessive thyroid hormone testing.
Reconstruction of Innocence: The Embroidered Rose on My Scarf

The television serial Embroidered Rose on My Scarf, which aired on the national station Kanal D (2004–2005), helped popularize the coup theme. Opening in the aftermath of the Maras massacre (1978), the serial constructs a country in cultural, political, and economic turmoil. Reproducing well-known Greenpine recipes, it features the love affair of the wealthy daughter of an industrialist with the poor but upright son of a small business owner. The characters, who live as tenants in a dilapidated mansion owned by an Istanbul Greek, represent the country’s ability to keep the nation together. The serial compares and contrasts the pre-coup and post-coup cultural environments, while emphasizing the significance of telling, narrating, and building linkages.
Word Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials

Purpose This investigation was conducted to determine whether young children with autism spectrum disorders exhibited a canonical neural response to word stimuli and whether putative event-related ...
Few-Mode Multicore Fibers and Fiber Devices

This tutorial will cover the design and fabrication of few-mode fibers and few-mode fiber devices for space-division multiplexing for both long-haul and short-reach applications.
Novel cubic phase III-nitride complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor technology

Here we propose a new wide band gap logic circuitry providing emerging power electronics with reliable logic control capabilities with 500 MHz+ switching speeds and withstanding 300V+. Particularly, a three-stage ring oscillator composed of NMOS (μe = 1000 cm2/V-s) and PMOS (μh = 250 cm2/V-s) cubic phase GaN devices (with VT of 0.77 V and –0.84 V, respectively) is simulated. The propagation delay is minimized by optimizing the width-to-length ratio (W/L) between the NMOS and PMOS devices. Transient response of the simulation illustrates the ability of the CMOS inverter to operate at a maximum frequency of 1.22 GHz with a full voltage swing between VDD of 2.5 V and 0 V. The proposed cutting-edge p-channel GaN high hole mobility transistor (HHMT) solves one of the most longstanding problems in power electronics and constitutes the basis of an innovative reduced total life cycle cost that will serve as the cornerstone of the next generation of integrated, scalable, and reliable power systems.
Empowerment and Innovative Performance: The Moderating Effects of In-Role Performance and Sex

Psychological empowerment is linked to innovative performance, but does empowerment unlock innovation for all employees? Based on the model of creativity and the theory of organizational creativity...
Design and synthesis of some polyaminopolycarboxylic acids and the structural influence of their anions on the separation of actinides and lanthanides

v INTRODUCTION 1 Current Approach in Nuclear Waste Separation 2 The Difficulty of Lanthanide-Actinide Separations 8 The Ideal Chelating Agent 12 Review of Some Chelating Agents 13 Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) 13 2,2'-Diaminodiethylether-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EEDTA) 16 1,5-Dianiinopentane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (PMDTA) IT PART I. SYNTHESIS OF SOME POLYAMINOPOLYCARBOXYLIC ACIDS 19 INTRODUCTION 20 MATERIALS 21 Physical Measurements 21 Experimental 21 Ethyleneimine 21 Bis(2-aminoethyl)sulfide 22 Thiobis(ethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (TEDTA) 23 N,N-Bis(2-phthalimidoethyl)aniline 2k N,N-Bis(2-aminoethyl)aniline dihydrochloride 25 N,N-Bis(2-aminoethyl)aniline-N',N',N",N"-tetraacetic acid*0.25 hydrate (BEATA) 26 Bis(3-aminopropyl)ether 26 Bis(3-aminopropyl)ether-N,N,N•,N'-tetraacetic acid monohydrate (BPETA) 27 N,N-Bis(N • ,N ' -dicar'boxymethyl-3-aminopropyl)-Nmethylammonioacetate monohydrate (BCPA) 28 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 29 BEATA 29 BPETA 30 BCPA 33
Protein aggregation kinetics during Protein A chromatography. Case study for an Fc fusion protein.

Abstract Protein A chromatography has come to be widely adopted for large-scale purification of monoclonal antibodies and Fc fusion proteins. The low pH conditions required for Protein A elution can often lead to aggregation issues for these products. A concerted study of the kinetics of aggregate formation and their relation to chromatography on Protein A media has been lacking. This paper provides a framework to describe aggregation kinetics for an Fc fusion protein that was highly susceptible to aggregate formation under low pH conditions. In contrast to what is usually expected to be a higher order reaction, first order aggregation kinetics were observed for this protein over a wide range of conditions. A comparison of the rate constants of aggregation forms an effective means of comparing various stabilizing additives to the elution buffer with one another. Inclusion of urea in the elution buffer at moderate concentrations (
Precision-Exercise-Prescription in patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery: rationale and design of the PEP study trial.

Introduction Lung cancer is a significant burden on societies worldwide, and the most common cause of death in patients with cancer overall. Exercise intervention studies in patients with lung cancer have consistently shown benefits with respect to physical and emotional functioning. However, to date, exercise training has not been consistently implemented into clinical practice given that interventions have been costly and not aligned with clinical care. Methods/design The Precision-Exercise-Prescription (PEP) study is a prospective randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and feasibility of a personalised intervention exercise programme among patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery. Two-hundred patients who are diagnosed with stage primary or secondary lung cancer and are eligible to undergo surgical treatment at Huntsman Cancer Institute comprise the target population. Patients are randomised to either the (1) outpatient precision-exercise intervention group or (2) delayed intervention group. The intervention approach uses Motivation and Problem Solving, a hybrid behavioural treatment based on motivational interviewing and practical problem solving. The dosage of the exercise intervention is personalised based on the individual’s Activity Measure for Post-Acute-Care outpatient basic mobility score, and incorporates four exercise modes: mobility, callisthenics, aerobic and resistance. Exercise is implemented by physical therapists at study visits from presurgery until 6 months postsurgery. The primary endpoint is the level of physical function assessed by 6 min walk distance at 2 months postsurgery. Secondary outcomes include patient-reported outcomes (eg, quality of life, fatigue and self-efficacy) and other clinical outcomes, including length of stay, complications, readmission, pulmonary function and treatment-related costs up to 6 months postsurgery. Ethics/dissemination The PEP study will test the clinical effectiveness and feasibility of a personalised exercise intervention in patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery. Outcomes of this clinical trial will be presented at national and international conferences and symposia and will be published in international, peer-reviewed journals. Ethics approval was obtained at the University of Utah (IRB 00104671). Trial registration number NCT03306992.
Linear-Quadratic Gaussian based Power Oscillation Damping Controller Design for Doubly Fed Induction Generator

This paper presents the linear-quadratic gaussian based state feedback control design for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) to damp oscillations in power system. With the advance in technology, it is possible to design wide-area damping controllers using remote signals. This paper addresses the capability of DFIG-based wind generators to enhance the damping of power oscillation; and proposes a design of supplementary power oscillation damping controller that modulates active power or reactive power injection or both based on remote signals. The performance of the proposed remote signal feedback based controller is assessed using Eigen analysis and time domain analysis in MATLAB-Simulink.
The Contemporary Crisis of the Humanities: The Attack on the Western Canon and The Long Arm of Nietzsche, Marx, and Foucault

In a recent article for the New York Times Columnist Ross Douthat declares “Technocracy is Crushing the Life Out of Humanism.” Citing data on the declining position of the humanities in American education he writes:
Informal Caregivers' Perceptions of Needs From Hospice Providers: An Integrative Review.

Introduction:In the United States, informal caregivers (ICs) provide care to over 70% of patients at the end of life. Approximately 500 000 ICs contribute to the end-of-life care for patients in th...
Effect of Anticoagulants and Surgeon-Related Factors on Short-term Outcomes of Laser Peripheral Iridotomy

Purpose To assess the effects of surgeon-related factors on laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) outcomes by comparing residents and glaucoma specialists, and to look for demographic and clinical predictive factors associated with LPI complications. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants Patients who underwent LPI performed by a resident physician were included as cases, and patients who underwent LPI performed by a glaucoma specialist were included as controls. In patients who underwent multiple sessions of laser therapy, only the information from the first session of each eye was included in the study. Methods Demographic and clinical information were gathered from the pre-LPI, 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up visits. The following information was recorded from the LPI session: total laser energy, presence of bleeding, and post-laser intraocular pressure (IOP). Information gathered from the follow-up visits included visual acuity (VA), IOP, hyphema, and need to repeat LPI. A logistic regression analysis with modification for rare events was used to examine the relationship between the dependent variables and the group, adjusted for the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients. Main Outcome Measures The LPI procedure parameters (total energy), postoperative VA and IOP, risk for complications, and need for re-treatment were compared between groups using odds ratio (OR) measurements. Results A total of 333 eyes were included in the study. The residents used statistically significant higher total energy compared with the glaucoma specialists’ group (P Conclusions Although LPI is an effective and minimally invasive procedure, evidence shows that a higher level of experience leads to clinically and statistically significant better outcomes.
Who Is Called by the Dog Whistle? Experimental Evidence That Racial Resentment and Political Ideology Condition Responses to Racially Encoded Messages:

Do appeals that subtly invoke negative racial stereotypes shift whites’ political attitudes by harnessing their racial prejudice? Though widely cited in academic and popular discourse, prior work f...
(Un)Cultivating the Disease of Maize: Pellagra, Policy and Nutrition Practice in Lesotho, c.1933–1963

In 1907, colonial officials in Lesotho first reported the nutritional deficiency disease pellagra. After drought in 1933, cases increased. The number rose through the 1940s, continuing upwards to 1...