cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aeroelastic Analysis with Transpiration Enabled Euler Flow Solver

A static aeroelastic analysis is conducted using a transpiration boundary condition enabled Euler flow solver and a finite element analysis tool. The transpiration boundary condition eliminates the need for CFD grid deformation algorithms, this lead to an efficient technique to incorporate high fidelity analysis in the design environment. In a preliminary investigation, the results from the coupled finite element inviscid fluid solver analysis are compared and validated against solutions obtained from ASTROS linear aeroelastic flow solver. Nomenclature 4 ∇ = Biharmonic operator θ = Angular polar coordinate θ = Angle of the camber line slope γ = Ratio of specific heats ρ = Density ∀ = Volume υ = Poisson ratio A = Undetermined coefficient a = Speed of sound i a = Undetermined coefficient B = System dampening B = Undetermined coefficient a
Cumulative trauma and partner conflict predict post-traumatic stress disorder in postpartum African-American women.

AIM: To describe relationships between cumulative trauma, partner conflict, and posttraumatic stress in African-American postpartum women. BACKGROUND: Cumulative trauma exposure estimates for women in the United States range from 51%-69%. During pregnancy, most trauma research has focused on physical injury to the mother. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with trauma and more prevalent in African-American women than women of other groups. Knowledge about both the rate and impact of cumulative trauma on pregnancy may contribute to our understanding of women seeking prenatal care, and disparities in infant morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: This retrospective, correlational, cross-sectional study took place on postpartum units of two Detroit hospitals. Participants were 150 African-American women ages 18-45 who had given birth. METHODS: Mothers completed the Cumulative Trauma Scale, Conflict Tactics Scale, Clinician Administered Posttraumatic Stress Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and a Demographic Data form. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regressions were used for data analysis. RESULTS: All participants reported at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Cumulative trauma and partner conflict predicted PTSD, with the trauma of a life threatening event for a loved one reported by 60% of the sample. Nearly one fourth of the women screened were at risk for PTSD. Increased cumulative trauma, increased partner conflict, and lower level of education were related to higher rates of PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: Both cumulative trauma and partner conflict in the past year predict PTSD. Reasoning was used most often for partner conflict resolution. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Language: en
The Relationship between the Methylated Septin-9 DNA Blood Test and Stool Occult Blood Test for Diagnosing Colorectal Cancer in Taiwanese People.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and lethal disease in the world. There is an increasing number of cases in Taiwan and a higher rate at advanced stages. The immune fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) has been used as a screening method in Taiwan for years. A new novel diagnostic tool, the Methylated Septin-9 (MS-9) DNA blood test, had been reported to have high sensitivity and specificity for CRC detection. There are no available data in Taiwan, so we conducted this prospective randomized trial to investigate the relationship among the MS-9 DNA blood test, iFOBT, and a combination of the two tests for diagnosing CRC in Taiwanese people. Methods From July 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013, we prospectively selected 60 plasma samples from patients who were diagnosed with CRC and otherwise, the healthy group by colonoscopy in our hospital. Patients were divided into the CRC group and healthy group. CRC stages 0, I, II and stages III and IV were separately analyzed. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each group to determine the relationship among the MS-9 DNA blood test, iFOBT, and a combination of the two tests for diagnosing CRC in Taiwanese people. Results The results of the MS-9 DNA blood test for the 60 samples were divided into three groups, and the sensitivity as well as the specificity of the MS-9 DNA blood test to detect CRC were 47% and 89%, respectively. The results of iFOBT were also divided into three groups, and had higher sensitivity (84%) but lower specificity (55%) using iFOBT to detect CRC. Higher rates could be predicted to detect CRC if both the tests were positive. Conclusions A combined MS-9 DNA blood test and iFOBT may help in a higher detection rate of CRC. It could be offered to individuals who are unwilling or unable to undergo colonoscopy. Further large prospective, randomized studies are needed in the future.
Handling state uncertainty in distributed information leader selection for robotic swarms

In many scenarios involving human interaction with a remote swarm, the human operator needs to be periodically updated with state information from the robotic swarm. A complete representation of swarm state is high dimensional and perceptually inaccessible to the human. Thus, a summary representation is often required. In addition, it is often the case that the human-swarm communication channel is extremely bandwidth constrained and may have high latency. This motivates the need for the swarm itself to compute a summary representation of its own state for transmission to the human operator. The summary representation may be generated by selecting a subset of robots, known as the information leaders, whose own states suffice to give a bounded approximation of the entire swarm, even in the presence of uncertainty. In this paper, we propose two fully distributed asynchronous algorithms for information leader selection that only rely on inter-robot local communication. In particular, by representing noisy robot states as error ellipsoids with tunable confidence level, the information leaders are selected such that the Minimum-Volume Covering Ellipsoid (MVCE) summarizes the noisy swarm state boundary. We provide bounded optimality analysis and proof of convergence for the algorithms. We present simulation results demonstrating the performance and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Focal plane processing for HOG detection with Bayer pattern sensors

The efficiency and accuracy of keypoint detection can potentially be improved using filters which operate directly on the raw Bayer-pattern image for preprocessing such as Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG). In applications where the goal is detection and identification of image content rather than the production of an image for human viewing, demosaicing would be unnecessary. For focal plane processing, filter structures are mapped to the color filter arrangement of the Bayer-pattern subsampling. The results show that the proposed filters can work well for most natural image edge detection and orientation, which is used for determining the HOG histograms.
Design and testing of a controlled electromagnetic spinal cord impactor for use in large animal models of acute traumatic spinal cord injury

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes debilitating neurological dysfunction and has been observed in warfighters injured in IED blasts. Clinical benefit of SCI treatment remains elusive and better large animal models are needed to assess treatment options. Here, we describe a controlled electromagnetic spinal cord impactor for use in large animal models of SCI. Methods A custom spinal cord impactor and platform were fabricated for large animals (e.g., pig, sheep, dog, etc.). Impacts were generated by a voice coil actuator; force and displacement were measured with a load cell and potentiometer respectively. Labview (National Instruments, Austin, TX) software was used to control the impact cycle and import force and displacement data. Software finite impulse response (FIR) filtering was employed for all input data. Silicon tubing was used a surrogate for spinal cord in order to test the device; repeated impacts were performed at 15, 25, and 40 Newtons. Results Repeated impacts demonstrated predictable results at each target force. The average duration of impact was 71.2 ± 6.1 ms. At a target force of 40 N, the output force was 41.5 ± 0.7 N. With a target of 25 N, the output force was 23.5 ± 0.6 N; a target of 15 Newtons revealed an output force of 15.2 ± 1.4 N. The calculated acceleration range was 12.5–21.2 m/s 2 . Conclusions This custom spinal cord impactor reliably delivers precise impacts to the spinal cord and will be utilized in future research to study acute traumatic SCI in a large animal.
In Their Words: Classifying Organizational Reliability from Employee Speech

The need for reliability is critical in certain organisations where technology failures lead to catastrophic loss of life or damage to the environment. Many other organisations may also be reliability seeking. Each business discipline has its own language and we propose that these business languages incorporate specific vocabulary that represents their organisational culture and business goals. The way employees speak about their jobs should reflect this business and business culture language. Examining the ways employees speak about their jobs may offer insights into the business culture and goals of an organisation. A heuristic text analytic classification method called STAR' is developed to predict an organisation's culture with respect to reliability based on employee interviews.
AUDITORS' INDEPENDENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF MONTGOMERY'S AUDITING TEXTBOOKS IN THE 20TH CENTURY

This paper presents the progress of auditor independence from a textbook perspective during the 20th century and into the present. It analyzes the multiple editions of Auditing Theory and Practice by Robert Montgomery. The lengthy time span of these editions is divided into several shorter periods based on major changes and developments in auditor independence. Finally, the paper uses several criteria related to auditor independence to review how the Montgomery text covered these changes and developments.
Alfred Kazin and the Holocaust

The reputation of Alfred Kazin is based primarily on his criticism of American literature. But his intense Jewish consciousness was self-evident, and that identity was haunted by the horror and memory of the Holocaust. It challenged his faith in the power of language to grasp the texture of experience. The Holocaust also shattered his friendship with Elie Wiesel, whose memoir of Auschwitz and Buchenwald led Kazin the question the veracity of the Nobel laureate.
Distressing Symptoms, Disability, and Hospice Services at the End of Life: Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives To evaluate the relationship between the presence and number of restricting symptoms and number of disabilities and subsequent admission to hospice at the end of life. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Greater New Haven, Connecticut, from March 1998 to December 2014. Participants Decedents from a cohort of 754 persons aged 70 and older (N = 562). Measurements Hospice admissions were identified primarily from Medicare claims, and 15 restricting symptoms and disability in 13 activities were assessed during monthly interviews. Results During their last year of life, 244 (43.4%) participants were admitted to hospice. The median duration of hospice was 12.5 days (interquartile range 4–43 days). Although the largest increases were observed in the last 2 months of life, the prevalence of restricting symptoms and mean number of restricting symptoms and disabilities in the preceding months were high and trending upward. During a specific month, the likelihood of hospice admission increased by 66% (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30–2.12) in the setting of any restricting symptoms, by 9% (aHR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.05–1.12) for each additional restricting symptom, and by 10% (aHR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05–1.14) for each additional disability. Each additional month with any restricting symptoms increased the likelihood of hospice admission by 7% (aHR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.01–1.13). Conclusion Hospice services appear to be suitably targeted to older persons with the greatest needs at the end of life, although the short duration of hospice suggests that additional strategies are needed to better address the high burden of distressing symptoms and disability at the end of life.
Analysis of circulating tumor DNA in localized lung cancer for detection of molecular residual disease and personalization of adjuvant strategies.

8519Background: Identifying localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with residual disease following curative intent therapy is difficult due to normal tissue changes caused by surgery...
SMARCB1 is required for widespread BAF complex-mediated activation of enhancers and bivalent promoters

Perturbations to mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF or BAF) complexes contribute to more than 20% of human cancers, with driving roles first identified in malignant rhabdoid tumor, an aggressive pediatric cancer characterized by biallelic inactivation of the core BAF complex subunit SMARCB1 (BAF47). However, the mechanism by which this alteration contributes to tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. We find that BAF47 loss destabilizes BAF complexes on chromatin, absent significant changes in complex assembly or integrity. Rescue of BAF47 in BAF47-deficient sarcoma cell lines results in increased genome-wide BAF complex occupancy, facilitating widespread enhancer activation and opposition of Polycomb-mediated repression at bivalent promoters. We demonstrate differential regulation by two distinct mSWI/SNF assemblies, BAF and PBAF complexes, enhancers and promoters, respectively, suggesting that each complex has distinct functions that are perturbed upon BAF47 loss. Our results demonstrate collaborative mechanisms of mSWI/SNF-mediated gene activation, identifying functions that are co-opted or abated to drive human cancers and developmental disorders.
Non-invasive assessment of human cone photoreceptor function

Vision begins when light isomerizes the photopigments within photoreceptors. Noninvasive cellular-scale observation of the structure of the human photoreceptor mosaic is made possible through the use of adaptive optics (AO) enhanced ophthalmoscopes, but establishing noninvasive objective measures of photoreceptor function on a similar scale has been more difficult. AO ophthalmoscope images acquired with near-infrared light show that individual cone photoreceptor reflectance can change in response to a visible stimulus. Here we show that the intrinsic response depends on stimulus wavelength and intensity, and that its action spectrum is well-matched to the spectral sensitivity of cone-mediated vision. Our results demonstrate that the cone reflectance response is mediated by photoisomerization, thus making it a direct measure of photoreceptor function.
RNN-DBSCAN: A Density-Based Clustering Algorithm Using Reverse Nearest Neighbor Density Estimates

A new density-based clustering algorithm, RNN-DBSCAN , is presented which uses reverse nearest neighbor counts as an estimate of observation density. Clustering is performed using a DBSCAN -like approach based on $k$ nearest neighbor graph traversals through dense observations. RNN-DBSCAN is preferable to the popular density-based clustering algorithm DBSCAN in two aspects. First, problem complexity is reduced to the use of a single parameter (choice of $k$ nearest neighbors), and second, an improved ability for handling large variations in cluster density (heterogeneous density). The superiority of RNN-DBSCAN is demonstrated on several artificial and real-world datasets with respect to prior work on reverse nearest neighbor based clustering approaches ( RECORD , IS-DBSCAN , and ISB-DBSCAN ) along with DBSCAN and OPTICS . Each of these clustering approaches is described by a common graph-based interpretation wherein clusters of dense observations are defined as connected components, along with a discussion on their computational complexity. Heuristics for RNN-DBSCAN parameter selection are presented, and the effects of $k$ on RNN-DBSCAN clusterings discussed. Additionally, with respect to scalability, an approximate version of RNN-DBSCAN is presented leveraging an existing approximate $k$ nearest neighbor technique.
Study of the Mechanochemical Calcification for Mixed Rare Earth Concentrate

The paper aimed to propose that mixed rare earth concentrate was decomposed by pressurized calcification where mechanical milling was applied simultaneously (also known as mechanochemical calcification). The bastnaesite and monazite were both decomposed by OH−, where released rare earth formed RE(OH)3, released fluorine and phosphorus formed CaF2 and Ca2P2O7. Then, the calcified slag was leached by diluted hydrochloric acid to extract rare earth and both recover fluorine and phosphorus. The phase transformation regularity, the behavioral trends of rare earth, fluorine and phosphorus were investigated. Results showed under the optimal conditions of ball to material weight 80:1, the calcification temperature 250 °C, the liquid-solid ratio 5:1, the leaching yield of rare earth reached to 92.16%, Ce was 86.47%, La was 97.58%, Nd was 99.99% and the mass fraction of F, P entering into calcified liquor were 8.27, 0.21% respectively. The micromorphology of the mineral has a transition from dense to fluffy, and then became dense again.
Evaluating Two Methods for Integrating Secure Programming Education

Security vulnerabilities are still prevalent in today's software, yet many can be prevented with standard secure programming techniques. Thus, educators of future developers need to teach students not just how to program, but how to program securely. Many researchers advocate integrating secure programming knowledge and skills across the computer science curriculum. In this paper, we report the results of a study comparing two such methods: our own tool ESIDE, which provides students with security warnings on assignment code, and a security-clinic approach, a one-on-one session with a teaching assistant. Both methods suffered from challenges in incentivizing students to incorporate secure programming techniques into their code. We discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of these methods, and the challenges of timing and motivation of secure programming education.
The Thai Water Dragon, Physignathus cocincinus

ABSTRACT The Thai water dragon, Physignathus cocincinus, originates from India and eastern Asia. This arboreal, diurnal lizard grows to 90 cm and is a popular pet, requiring tropical environments of 25 – 35° C (77 – 95° F) and 60- 90% humidity. Basking light and heat sources, and broad spectrum lighting are essential, as is a varied and balanced insectivorous diet. Captive breeding is common with the average clutch of 8 to 12 eggs taking 60 - 101 d to incubate at 28 - 30°C (82 - 86 °F). Common diseases encountered in captivity include secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism (nutritional metabolic bone disease) with and without concomitant pathologic fractures, dystocia, abscesses, digit, and tail trauma, obesity, rostral abrasions, stomatitis, and gingivitis.
Crafting Through Playing

Through productive play, the process of playing itself is reframed as a form of crafting. The essay explores the context for playing as crafting as it draws from craft research and game studies to present a different view of emergent play. Huizinga’s definition of play serves as a starting point into a shift to craft-like practices, which are illustrated with a discussion of selected machinima work that serves as example for this concept of playing as crafting. Finally, the overlap between playing and crafting is discussed as an example for critical making.
Automation of column-switching HPLC for analysis of radiopharmaceuticals and their metabolites in plasma

1133 Objectives Column-switching HPLC is extensively used for the critical analysis of radiolabeled ligands and their metabolites in plasma (1). We report the prototype apparatus and implementation of a fully automated and simplified column-switching procedure to allow for the easy and reproducible determination of radioligands and their metabolites in up to 5 ml of plasma. Methods Modified literature procedures (1,2) were used to design the automated column-switching HPLC apparatus and plasma was obtained by centrifugation of whole blood or using a Vivid™ Plasma Separation Membrane (Pall Corporation, USA). The system consists of two HPLC pumps, a HPLC injector with a 1-5 mL sample loop, a 10 port 2-position valve which concentrates the metabolites and separate the proteins onto the capture column (Waters Oasis HLB6cc), then when switched the trapped material is applied to an analytical C-18 column to determine the metabolites present via a coincidence gamma detector (Bioscan, USA) and a 6 port 2-position valve for the rapid reversal of the analytical column to flush any materials trapped on the column. Results Results of the plasma obtained by the classical centrifugation method and the membrane method were consistent. Automatic column-switching HPLC pumps and valves eliminated the variability in analysis among operators and the need for manually performing these tasks. Integration of the radiochromatograms was consistent with fractions collected and measured in a gamma counter. Application of this methodology with several carbon-11 and fluorine-18 labeled radiopharmaceuticals will be presented Conclusions Sample preparation via a plasma separation membrane offers a significant advantage over centrifugation of whole blood. The automation of the column-switching HPLC offers a simplified, robust and highly reproducible methodology for analysis of radiopharmaceuticals and their metabolites in plasma.
Heroic Frogs Save the Bow: Performing Musician's Annotation and Interaction Behavior with Written Music

Although there have been a number of fairly recent studies in which researchers have explored the information seeking and management behaviors of people interacting with musical retrieval systems, there have been very few published studies of the interaction and use behaviors of musicians themselves. The qualitative research study reported here seeks to correct this deficiency in the literature. Drawing on data collected from nearly 300 annotated parts representing 15 unique works, and 20 musician interviews, we make a number of functionality recommendations for constructive music digital library tool development. For example, all musicians annotate their written music, although this action seems to become more important as the musician becomes more skilled. Musicians’ annotations are comprehensible to anyone who can read music, and are valuable as records of interpretation, interaction, and performance. Musicians annotate at the note (rather than at the phrase or movement) level, their annotations are standardized and formal, and are largely non-text. Music digital libraries that cater to musicians should attempt to provide annotation tools that work at the micro level, and extend the symbolic language of the primary document. Furthermore, preserving the annotations for future use would prove valuable for performance students, professionals, and historians alike.
STUDIES IN DYNAMIC PHOTOELASTICITY

Summary Equipment and techniques are described for obtaining dynamic photoelastic stress patterns from arbitrary lines in plane-stress systems by means of streak photography. Streak-type stress patterns of such lines were obtained which provide continuous records throughout the entire period of impact (of the order of milliseconds) at times of exposure of 2/3 microsec. This is thirty times faster than the time of exposure (20 microsec) obtained by Tuzi and Nisida in 1935. Dynamic photoelastic stress patterns showing stress-wave propagation are given for a bar struck axially by a rigid mass, and these patterns show that a uniform state of stress was obtained. Theoretical stress patterns based on the Boussinesq solution are in essential agreement with the experimental results.
Exact Solution of Probabilistic Inverse Problem Pertaining to the Scattering of Elastic Waves from General Inhomogeneities

Probabilistic inversion methodology (e.g., finding the most probable inhomogeneity given the measurements) has been applied to many inverse scattering problems with either Gaussian or non-Gaussian statistical models of possible scatterers. All of our past investigations have dealt either with weak inhomogeneities, for which the Born approximation is valid, or with highly reflective scatterers, for which the Kirchhoff approximation is presumed to be adequate. In this paper we consider an approach to the general probabilistic inversion problem involving strong inhomogeneities by the application of the Pontryagin maximum principle generalized to 3D space. The key feature of the present approach to inverse scattering is the treatment of the wave equation, relating each scattered field to each incident field and the state of the inhomogeneity, as a continuous set of side conditions. This set of side conditions is handled by the Lagrange multiplier method, Our procedure, in analogy with that of Pontryagin, is to first determine the most probable state of the inhomogeneity given both the scattered wave fields and the conjugate Lagrange multiplier fields. The final stationarization with respect to both fields yields finally a set of nonlinear coupled integral equations defined on the localization domain.
Postsecondary Education Programs: A New Employment Opportunity for Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists

Our nation currently has a total of 264 postsecondary education programs that are specifically designed to serve college students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) on college and university campuses. The total number of these programs has experienced an increase of approximately 67.5% in the past six years, and this new population of college students will continue to grow. The college students who are a part of these programs have specific needs that can be, and at one university have been, fulfilled by the services and supports that Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRSs) have to offer. With the assumption that both of the involved parties (i.e., CTRS and postsecondary education programs) are not aware of the opportunities and/or needs that exist within the other, it is our hope that an increased awareness of the important roles that therapeutic recreation can play in the overall success of this growing population of college students will lead to the development of a new workplace environment for CTRSs: postsecondary education programs. Subscribe to TRJ
Mechanically interlocked 1T/2H phases of MoS2 nanosheets for solar thermal water purification

Abstract Solar steam generation through photothermal conversion and heat localization is an emerging technology that can potentially alleviate shortages of clean water. As a two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been employed for harvesting solar energy in hydrogen gas production, disinfection, and solar cells. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that chemically exfoliated (ce) MoS2 can be a highly efficient, scalable, and environmentally benign (low toxicity) photothermal material for solar evaporators to create fresh water. Notably, the phase transition of MoS2 from 2H (trigonal prismatic coordination) to 1T (octahedral coordination) during the exfoliation process enhances the light absorption of the ce-MoS2, generating heat more effectively. Owing to the efficient photothermal conversion of ce-MoS2 nanosheets and heat localization from using bacterial nanocellulose foam as support, high solar evaporation efficiencies of ~ 76% and ~ 81% are achieved under 0.76 kW/m2 and 5.35 kW/m2 light intensities, respectively. In addition, the cytotoxicity of ce-MoS2 nanosheets was lower than that of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with a similar size, a commonly suggested material for solar steam generation, which can alleviate the potential environmental risk. These findings not only establish ce-MoS2 as a highly attractive material for solar steam generation, but also broaden the uses of ce-MoS2 to include solar harvesting applications.
Age-related climate sensitivity in Pinus Edulis at Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado, USA

Abstract The influence of tree age on climate sensitivity is of central importance in dendrochronology. Recent research has highlighted the disparate nature of age-dependent growth responses across species and geographic locations. We compared growth sensitivity and the influence of climate in Pinus edulis (Pinon) of varying ages at Dinosaur National Monument (DINO, northwestern Colorado, USA. Pinon is a particularly good species for this study because of its long life-span and climate sensitivity, and the DINO site is at the northern extreme of the current distribution. We evaluated changes in climate-growth relationships in pinon using total ring-width measurements and running averages of chronology statistics, mean sensitivity (MS) and coefficient of variation (CV), and we investigated growth response to climate variability as trees age. These measures indicated initial low growth sensitivity, increasing as trees reached mid-life stages, approximately 200–250 years, then relatively constant sensitivity from 250-800+ years. First order partial auto correlation (PAC1) declined throughout the life stages of pinon at DINO. The trend in declining autocorrelation leads to higher MS values in the older age classes. Greater year to year variation indicates less persistence in the study population, hence lower autocorrelation. We investigated the degree to which this relationship could be explained by the summer Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and whether this relationship varied with tree age. The strength of the tree-ring growth response to PDSI was at a maximum during the first two centuries of growth (R2 = 0.54). between two and six centuries (R2 = 0.48), after which we detected a decline in the sensitivity of tree growth to PDSI with increasing age (R2 = 0.41). This study adds to the literature on age-related climate sensitivity in trees; our findings indicate that age-related changes in climate-tree-ring growth responses should be considered when climate variables are reconstructed from tree-ring width chronologies, and specifically from Pinus edulis.
Staying safe: Responding to violence against healthcare staff.

Abstract:This article takes a look at the incidence of verbal or physical violence nurses face on a daily basis and examines the importance of preparedness in handling potentially violent situations in the workplace.
Long-term mechanical function and integration of an implanted tissue-engineered intervertebral disc

Tissue engineering holds great promise for the treatment of advanced intervertebral disc degeneration. However, assessment of in vivo integration and mechanical function of tissue-engineered disc replacements over the long term, in large animal models, will be necessary to advance clinical translation. To that end, we developed tissue-engineered, endplate-modified disc-like angle ply structures (eDAPS) sized for the rat caudal and goat cervical spines that recapitulate the hierarchical structure of the native disc. Here, we demonstrate functional maturation and integration of these eDAPS in a rat caudal disc replacement model, with compressive mechanical properties reaching native values after 20 weeks in vivo and evidence of functional integration under physiological loads. To further this therapy toward clinical translation, we implanted eDAPS sized for the human cervical disc space in a goat cervical disc replacement model. Our results demonstrate maintenance of eDAPS composition and structure up to 8 weeks in vivo in the goat cervical disc space and maturation of compressive mechanical properties to match native levels. These results demonstrate the translational feasibility of disc replacement with a tissue-engineered construct for the treatment of advanced disc degeneration.
Fabrication of Silicon Carbide PIN Diodes by Laser Doping and Planar Edge Termination by Laser Metallization

Silicon carbide PIN diodes have been fabricated using a direct write laser doping and metallization technique. Trimethyaluminum (TMA) and nitrogen are precursors used to laser dope p-type and n-type regions, respectively, and μ4.3 mm p-type doped junction and 4 mm ntype doped junction are fabricated in semi-insulating 6H-SiC wafers. Rutherford backscattering studies show that no amorphization occurred during the laser doping process. A planar edge termination is fabricated by laser metallization in argon ambient to form a high resistivity layer. With this termination, the leakage current of the PIN diodes can be suppressed effectively compared to that of diodes without edge termination. The performance of the diodes can also be tailored by shrinking the active area of the diode and by conventional annealing.
Projection-Based Model Reduction Using Asymptotic Basis Functions

Galerkin projection provides a formal means to project a differential equation onto a set of preselected basis functions. This may be done for the purpose of formulating a numerical method, as in the case of spectral methods, or formulation of a reduced-order model (ROM) for a complex system. Here, a new method is proposed in which the basis functions used in the projection process are determined from an asymptotic (perturbation) analysis. These asymptotic basis functions (ABF) are obtained from the governing equation itself; therefore, they contain physical information about the system and its dependence on parameters contained within the mathematical formulation. This is referred to as reduced-physics modeling (RPM) as the basis functions are obtained from a physical model-driven, rather than data-driven, technique. This new approach is tailor-made for modeling multiscale problems as the various scales, whether overlapping or distinct in time or space, are formally accounted for in the ABF. Regular- and singular-perturbation problems are used to illustrate that projection of the governing equations onto the ABF allows for determination of accurate approximate solutions for values of the “small” parameter that are much larger than possible with the asymptotic expansion alone and naturally accommodate multiscale problems in which large gradients occur in adjacent regions of the domain.
Blinded Evaluation of Endoscopic Skill and Instructability After Implementation of an Endoscopic Simulation Experience.

BackgroundInterest in endoscopic simulation is increasing. Past studies have used virtual reality or nonhuman models or residents with varying experience. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of simu...
Identification of putative amine receptor complement in the eyestalk of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii

In decapod crustaceans, the amines dopamine, octopamine, serotonin, and histamine are known to serve as locally released and/or circulating neuromodulators. While many studies have focused on determining the modulatory actions of amines on decapod nervous systems, comparatively little is known about the identity of the receptors through which they exert their actions. Here, a crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, tissue-specific transcriptome was used to identify putative amine receptors in the eyestalk, a structure composed largely of the eyestalk ganglia, including the neuroendocrine X-organ-sinus gland system, and retina. Transcripts encoding 17 distinct putative amine receptors, three dopamine (one dopamine 1-like, one dopamine 2-like, and one dopamine/ecdysteroid-like), five octopamine (one alpha-like, three beta-like, and one octopamine/tyramine-like), three serotonin (two type-1-like and one type-7-like), and six histamine (five histamine-gated chloride channel A-like and one histamine-gated chloride channel B-like) were identified in the assembly. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the transcript encoding one predicted type-1-like serotonin receptor with that cloned previously from the P. clarkii nervous system shows the two sequences to be essentially identical, providing increased support for the validity of the transcripts used to deduce the proteins reported here. Reciprocal BLAST and structural/functional domain analyses support the protein family annotations ascribed to the putative P. clarkii receptors. These data represent the first large-scale description of amine receptors from P. clarkii, and as such provide a new resource for initiating gene-based studies of aminergic control of physiology/behavior at the level of receptors in this species.
Lymphatic Programing and Specialization in Hybrid Vessels

Building on a large body of existing blood vascular research, advances in lymphatic research have helped kindle broader investigations into vascular diversity and endothelial plasticity. While the endothelium of blood and lymphatic vessels can be distinguished by a variety of molecular markers, the endothelia of uniquely diverse vascular beds can possess distinctly heterogeneous or hybrid expression patterns. These expression patterns can then provide further insight on the development of these vessels and how they perform their specialized function. In this review we examine five highly specialized hybrid vessel beds that adopt partial lymphatic programing for their specialized vascular functions: the high endothelial venules of secondary lymphoid organs, the liver sinusoid, the Schlemm's canal of the eye, the renal ascending vasa recta, and the remodeled placental spiral artery. We summarize the morphology and endothelial expression pattern of these vessels, compare them to each other, and interrogate their specialized functions within the broader blood and lymphatic vascular systems.
The Biogeochemical Response of Nitrate and Potassium to Landscape Disturbance in Watersheds of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA

Disturbances to forest ecosystems alter nutrient availability and loss, with potassium and nitrate typically exhibiting the most mobile behavior. However, the sources and ecosystem processing of potassium and nitrate differ in important ways that shape their response to large-scale forest disturbance. In this chapter we compare the mobilization and subsequent recovery of potassium and nitrate following natural and experimental disturbances at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. The response of soil and stream water chemistry was evaluated for both natural (i.e., ice storm) and anthropogenic (devegetation, whole-tree harvest, strip cut) experiments. The greatest losses of nutrients were evident in a devegetation experiment, followed by a whole-tree harvest, with similar losses occurring from an ice storm and a strip cut. There was remarkable consistency in the stoichiometric behavior in solutions across this wide range of disturbance types, with an approximately 0.1 molar ratio of potassium to nitrate. After large-scale forest harvest, nitrate concentrations increased and subsequently recovered more rapidly than potassium. We highlight the role of canopy and fresh plant litter leaching of potassium, root nitrogen uptake, microbial processing of nitrogen, and retention of potassium by cation exchange in controlling variation in the magnitude, timing, and duration of nutrient losses.
Understanding Clinicians' Decisions to Assume Prescriptions for Inherited Patients on Long-term Opioid Therapy: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE Given the changing political and social climate around opioids, we examined how clinicians in the outpatient setting made decisions about managing opioid prescriptions for new patients already on long-term opioid therapy. METHODS We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 clinicians in Southern California who prescribed opioid medications in the outpatient setting for chronic pain. The study design, interview guides, and coding for this qualitative study were guided by constructivist grounded theory methodology. RESULTS We identified three approaches to assuming a new patient's opioid prescriptions. Staunch Opposers, mostly clinicians with specialized training in pain medicine, were averse to continuing opioid prescriptions for new patients and often screened outpatients seeking opioids. Cautious and Conflicted Prescribers were wary about prescribing opioids but were willing to refill prescriptions if they perceived the patient as trustworthy and the medication fell within their comfort zone. Clinicians in the first two groups felt resentful about other clinicians "dumping" patients on opioids on them. Rapport Builders, mostly primary care physicians, were the most willing to assume opioid prescriptions and were strategic in their approach to transitioning patients to safer doses. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians with the most training in pain management were the least willing to assume responsibility for opioid prescriptions for patients already on long-term opioid therapy. In contrast, primary care clinicians were the most willing to assume this responsibility. However, primary care clinicians face barriers to providing high-quality care for patients with complex pain conditions, such as short visit times and less specialized training.
Optical and crystallinity properties of lattice-matched AlGaInN on GaN (Conference Presentation)

Experimental measurements of optical and crystallinity properties of MOCVD-grown quaternary AlGaInN lattice-matched to GaN are presented. The bandgaps, carrier life times, optical constants (n vs. k), doping profiles, effective masses, and structural and surface information from XRD and AFM are presented. This study reports important material parameters for the alloy, which will be key in the design and application of these alloys for UV and visible spectral regime optoelectronic devices.
Analytical Solutions for Thermomechanical Soil Structure Interaction in End-Bearing Energy Piles

AbstractAnalytical solutions for axial displacement, strain, and stress in an end-bearing energy pile subjected to a thermal load and a combined thermal and mechanical load have been derived and va...
Conciliar Trinitarianism, Divine Identity Claims, and Subordination

In this article, I present the trinitarian teaching of the first seven ecumenical councils, what we might call Conciliar Trinitarianism. I then consider two questions. First, what is the relationship between the divine persons and the divine nature? I argue that neither strict identity nor instantiation interpretations of that relationship fit well with the conciliar texts. Second, does the relation of procession among the divine persons, asserted in the conciliar texts, imply an objectionable ontological subordination in the Trinity? I argue that there is at least one way for a proponent of Conciliar Trinitarianism to deny that objectionable ontological subordination follows from the divine processions.
Estimating The Proportion of Signal Variables Under Arbitrary Covariance Dependence

Estimating the proportion of signals hidden in a large amount of noise variables is of interest in many scientific inquires. In this paper, we consider realistic but theoretically challenging settings with arbitrary covariance dependence between variables. We define mean absolute correlation (MAC) to measure the overall dependence level and investigate a family of estimators for their performances in the full range of MAC. We explicit the joint effect of MAC dependence and signal sparsity on the performances of the family of estimators and discover that no single estimator in the family is most powerful under different MAC dependence levels. Informed by the theoretical insight, we propose a new estimator to better adapt to arbitrary covariance dependence. The proposed method compares favorably to several existing methods in extensive finite-sample settings with strong to weak covariance dependence and real dependence structures from genetic association studies.
Language Acquisition is Embodied, Interactive, Emotive: a Research Proposal.

Humans' experience of the world is profoundly multimodal from the beginning, so why do existing state-of-the-art language models only use text as a modality to learn and represent semantic meaning? In this paper we review the literature on the role of embodiment and emotion in the interactive setting of spoken dialogue as necessary prerequisites for language learning for human children, including how words in child vocabularies are largely concrete, then shift to become more abstract as the children get older. We sketch a model of semantics that leverages current transformer-based models and a word-level grounded model, then explain the robot-dialogue system that will make use of our semantic model, the setting for the system to learn language, and existing benchmarks for evaluation.
The Role of Release Factors in the Hydrolysis of Ester Bond in Peptidyl-tRNA

Class I release factors (RFs) recognize stop codons in the sequences of mRNAs and are required for the hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA in the ribosomal P site during the final step of protein synthesis in bacteria, resulting in the release of a complete polypeptide chain from the ribosome. A key role in this process belongs to the highly conserved GGQ motif in RFs. Mutations in this motif can reduce the hydrolysis rate or even completely inhibit the reaction. Previously, it was hypothesized that the amino acid residues of GGQ (especially glutamine) are essential for the proper coordination of the water molecule for subsequent hydrolysis of the ester bond. However, available structures of the 70S ribosome termination complex do not allow unambiguous identification of the exact orientation of the carbonyl group in peptidyl-tRNA relative to the GGQ, as well as of the position of the catalytic water molecule in the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). This mini-review summarizes key facts and hypotheses on the role of GGQ in the catalysis of peptide release, as well as suggests and discusses future experiments aimed to produce high-quality structural data for deciphering the precise mechanism of RF-mediated catalysis.
The use of metalloids (-SiMe3,-SnR3) as protected carbanions

Abstract Two aspects of organosilicon and -tin chemistry will be dealt with in this paper: the reactivity of allylmetalloids and the potential of the C-MR3 function as a protected carbanion which can be unmasked to provide synthetically useful carbon nucleophiles with the primary focus on the latter.
Temporal Aspects of Speech: Epilogue

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the temporal aspects of speech. Those who have explored the phenomenon of temporal congruence, or temporal accommodation, have tended to use relatively simple correlational techniques to estimate its occurrence and degree. They are techniques that permit conclusions about groups of dyads but not about a single dyad. Cappella, however, appears to have more successfully used time-series regression procedures to characterize individual dyads in terms of whether, for each of the temporal parameters, the values of the two participants converge, diverge, or show no relationship. Inasmuch as there are marked differences among married couples in terms of type and degree of discord, and among psychiatric patients, it becomes almost imperative to treat the investigations as series of single-case studies and compute within-interview rather than across-interview estimates of temporal congruence. It is only now, however, that such estimates may be obtained. The series of studies that Brown and his colleagues have previously conducted and those he has reported have yielded results that, as he states, are amazingly consistent across computer synthesized and more natural speech.